Catching you up – here is the news from the last week, in brief, to catch you up in just a few minutes.
Fazio Selected for 36th State Senate Seat
Republican Ryan Fazio has emerged victorious following Tuesday’s special election for the 36th Senate District, and will be completing the remainder of Kasser’s term through 2022. The numbers released for Greenwich were 5,251 votes for Gevanter, 6,010 votes for Fazio, and 313 votes for Blankley, with a 28.15% voter turnout rate. Full coverage of the election will be posted on the Greenwich Sentinel website throughout the day. The unofficial vote tally for the entire district is Ryan Fazio (R): 8909; Alexis Gevanter (D): 8453; John Blankely (D-petition): 407.
Greenwich Sentinel is on its Annual Hiatus
The Greenwich Sentinel is on its Annual Hiatus from printing which it does every year during August. Printed editioins will resume on August 27th. In the meantime, news will be available this week at the Greenwich Sentinel website at www.GreenwichSentinel.com; or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GreenwichSentinel/; or Twitter at https://twitter.com/gwchsentinel.
OR You can also download our brand new APP to get news and all our content directly on your phone any time as well as News Alerts and Breaking News. Go to the APP STORE and search Greenwich Sentinel to download the APP which is $11.99 for the year. [FYI – you can also message us through the APP with your name and email address to be entered to win two 2021 Neighbor tickets].
Revisions to Face Mask Protocol
As of August 9, all visitors to town facilities, including Town Hall, will be required to wear a face mask, regardless of vaccination status.
COVID-19 Update
Greenwich Hospital currently has 6 COVID positive patients, one of whom is being treated in the intensive care unit.
Taste of Town Program for Seniors
The “Taste of Town” partnership between the Greenwich Senior Center and local restaurants enables seniors in Greenwich to receive a bagged lunch for $5 from a rotating variety of local restaurants and cafes. This past Tuesday’s lunch was from Something Natural, which features a prime roast beef sandwich, Bill’s potato salad, and an oatmeal raisin cookie. The next “Taste of the Town” lunch will be handed out in a drive-thru fashion at the Greenwich Senior Center on August 24 from 11:00 a.m. to noon, and will feature a meal from Fairfield Pizza. To take part in the program, seniors must register by 11:00 a.m. on August 21 by calling Deana at 203-826-6700.
Back to School Calendar
The first day of school for Greenwich Public School students is September 1. Thanksgiving break will take place from November 25-28. Winter Break will take place from December 24 through January 2. Spring Break will take place from April 18-24, and the last day for students will be June 24.
CT Tax Free Week
Connecticut’s Sales Tax Free Week is going on now through Saturday, August 21, eliminating Connecticut’s 6.35% sales tax on clothing and footwear costing less than $100 per item.
Islander II Ferry Returns to Greenwich Harbor
The Islander II ferry has returned to the town harbor after experiencing a mechanical breakdown earlier in the summer. For the complete ferry schedule, visit www.greenwichct.gov/641/Ferry-Service
9/11 Memorial Services Scheduled
Greenwich will be hosting a remembrance ceremony at the September 11 Memorial in Cos Cob on Saturday, September 11 at 8:46 a.m. The service will begin promptly with a cannon and bell ringing, denoting the time that the North Tower was hit, with 5 tones following until 10:28 a.m. Following the service, there will be a procession where flowers will be available to lay at the base of the memorial, with a prayer, laying of wreaths, presentation of colors, and 21-gun salute following. All are invited to pay their respects. Family members in attendance will be supported by Town and State elected officials, military members, the American Red Cross, local and regional first responders, and the community at large as those fallen are remembered and honored.
Registrars of Voters to Hold Lottery for Candidate Order on Ballot
The Registrars of Voters will be holding a public lottery on August 19 at 8:30 a.m. in the Registrars of Voters office for office openings in order to determine the horizontal order of candidate names as they appear on the ballot for the November 2, 2021 municipal election.
Old Greenwich Sewer Project
The Department of Public Works began work on the sewer line in Old Greenwich this past Monday, August 16.
The project will require periods of construction where there will be alternating two way traffic one one lane of the road. There will be periods of temporary daytime full road closures and detours between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Work Zone 1 is located between Lake Drive and Terrace Ave.
Work Zone 2 will be located on Oval Ave beginning late August or early September.
Work Zone 3 will be located on Summit Ave and will begin in mid to late September.
Work Zone 6 will be located at the intersection of Summit Ave, West End Ave, and Arch Street and will begin in October.
Open Arts Alliance’s New Home and Program Director
The Open Arts Alliance has not only moved into the River House Adult Day Center, but they also have a new program director, Jake Lloyd. Jake has been serving as program director since this June, and will continue coordinating the fall season and will hire teachers.
This coming fall, Open Arts Alliance will be putting on a production of 101 Dalmatians for grades 1-5, The Adams Family for grades 6-8, and A Christmas Carol for grades 9-12. For more information and fall program registration, you can visit www.openartsalliance.com
Greenwich Wine and Food Celebration Postponed to 2022
Greenwich Food & Wine has been postponed until spring 2022.
Greenwich to Reissue Parking Permits to Town Hall Employees
The Board of Selectmen have unanimously approved an amendment that will authorize parking hang tags to be issued to employees working at Town Hall.
Modifications to Parking Permit Programs
The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted for central Greenwich parking permits to be renewable on an annual basis by residents and merchants. The current annual cost of these permits is $725, which allows permit holders to use the 10 long term, 12-hour municipal parking lots throughout central Greenwich.
For more information on the parking programs, visit www.greenwichct.gov/567/Parking-Services
Census Shows Greenwich Growth
The U.S. Census Bureau shows that according to the 2020 census count, the town officially has 63,518 residents, an increase of 3.8% since 2010, making Greenwich the 10th largest community in Connecticut.
Face Masks Required in CT Schools
Governor Lamont has announced that face masks will be mandatory on all Connecticut schools for at least the first month of the academic year. Following the first month, there will be a reevaluation of what safety precautions will be taken going forward.
Fire Depart Puts out Greenwich Fire
Greenwich fire crews put out a detached garage fire on Hobart Avenue at around 12:50 p.m. this past Saturday. No injuries were reported at the scene.
Bruce Museum Offers Seaside Activities at Tod’s Point
The Bruce Museum will be offering activities at the Seaside Center at Greenwich Point Park for visitors of all ages on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the remainder of the summer. Activities include beach walks with naturalists, marine activities, and children’s projects on the front porch.
Greenwich Native to Make 800 Mile Journey by Bike and Kayak
Sal Lilienthal, a Greenwich native, will be commemorating the 240th anniversary of the victory at the battle of Yorktown by biking and kayaking the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trial – a nearly 800 mile pursuit. Lilienthal expects to reach Yorktown on August 28, before finishing his journey on August 31 at Dorchester Bay. For more information on Lilienthal’s itinerary, visit www.w3r-us.org/washington-rochambeau-2021-bike-kayak-tour/
Greenwich Students Win Sailing Trophy
Helena Borcherding and her sailing partner Reese-Bennett Clark, students at Greenwich Academy and Greenwich High School, respectively, won the Pequot Trophy 1st Place Overall in the Long Island Sound C420 Sailing Championship, as well as Top Female Boat earlier this month.
Red Cross Blood Drive Stanwich Church
In order to address the recent critical for blood, Stanwich Church will be sponsoring a blood drive on August 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on its campus at 202 Taconic Road in Greenwich. Anyone over the age of 17 is eligible to donate. Donors with all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, A negative, and B negative. To make an appointment, visit stanwichchurch.org/events or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
