New Mask RequirementsFirst selectman Camilo has announced that effective Thursday, December 23, all visitors and employees entering Town facilities, including Town Hall, will be required to wear face masks.Visitors will also be required to social distance when in town facilitiesFriends of Greenwich Senior Center Receives GrantThe Friends of Greenwich Senior Center has been awarded a $300,000 grant towards the renovation of the senior center, as well as towards programs that will benefit older Greenwich residents.The senior center will now only need $220,000 to complete the new facility, and currently, a new kitchen and dining room is in process of being built, with the expectation to open in the fall of 2022.Greenwich Psychologist Fails to Report AbuseAuthorities arrested psychologist Jerome Brodlie, 83, with a practice in Greenwich, for failing to disclose information regarding alleged abuse to state authorities.Proposed Development on Mead PointA recent application for a house with a pool and cabana at the end of Mead Point raised concerns at the December 21 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.The construction would require removal of 175 trees, a concern when it comes to conservation. There are also concerns regarding climate change impacts, drainage, coastal habitat preservation, and runoff.2022 Parks and RecFee IncreasesThere have been no proposed fee increases to any single entry or annual park passes for the upcoming year.Kamp Kairphree, Greenwich Adventurers, and The Music, Art, and Dance Camp fees will increase from $10 to $15 per session for residents, and from $40 to $50 per session for non-residents.Admission to Hamill Rink for ages 5-15 will increase in fees from $7 to $8, Ice rental fees will increase from $475 to $485 per hour, and the scoreboard fee will increase from $25 to $30 per game.The Griff will be increasing greens fees from $1 to $2.Boat wharfage fees will increase $25 at Byram, Cos Cob, and Grass Island.Rentals of the clambake area at Tod’s Point will increase from $275 to $300.Greenwich Schools Transportation Manager AppointedGreenwich Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Toni Jones, has announced that Elmer Reynoso will be serving as the new transportation manager, effective immediately.Reynoso replaces Vicki Gregg, and will be in charge of supervising and coordinating transportation for all public and non-public schools in Greenwich.State Aid to GreenwichThe State Bonding Committee has approved $1.2 million in funding to Greenwich.$400,000 will go towards the restoration of the 1896 Chimes Building at Tod’s Point, $104,000 will go towards body cameras for the Greenwich Police, $300,000 will go towards renovations for the senior center, $200,000 will go towards a new Red Cross blood donation center, $200,000 will go towards Neighbor to Neighbor’s new food pantry building, and $100,000 will go towards the new GEMS station.Postponed: Greenwich Symphony Orchestra ConcertOn Saturday, January 8 at 7:30pm and Sunday, January 9 at 3:00pm, the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra will be performing its third concert of the season with Conductor Mélisse Brunet on the podium.The concert will be held at the Performing Arts Center at Greenwich High School, and attendees must be vaccinated.Adult tickets are $40, student tickets are $10.Garden Catering Donates MealsGarden Catering has generously provided meals to families that participate in the Greenwich United Way’s Early Childhood Achievement Gap Solutions Program.Garden Catering has donated over 110,000 meals since March of 2020 and is proud to support ECAGS families, especially during the holiday season.10th Annual Snow Sculpture ContestGreenwich Parks and Recreation and The Greenwich Arts Council are hosting the 10th annual Greenwich Snow Sculpture Contest.Residents can submit a photo of their best snow sculptures to billie.schock@greenwichct.org until Friday, March 4, 2022 for the opportunity to win a prize.Along with the photo, submissions should include the title of the sculpture, names of the sculptor(s), and a home address.Chabad Lubavitch Withdraws Pre-School ApplicationThe chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee announced this past week that Chabad Lubavitch has withdrawn its application for a pre-school on the grounds of what was formerly Carmel Academy.The application was withdrawn due to the property owner rescinding their authorization to allow the application to go forward.Chabad does however plan to refile at a later dateState COVID-19 Testing DistributionGovernor Ned Lamont has announced that the State of Connecticut will be distributing 670,000 COVID-19 rapid tests to both public and private schools and early childcare providers in Connecticut.Greenwich Receives COVID-19 Rapid TestsThe Greenwich Public Schools district has received 5,580 tests as per the new state testing distribution plan. Of the 5,580 tests, 1,440 are FlexFlow tests for staff, and 4,140 are iHealth tests for students.While there are not enough tests for each student, additional allocations are anticipated in coming days.Greenwich Avenue Intersection ImprovementsThe Department of Public Works has submitted a pre-application to upgrade two additional intersections on Greenwich Avenue.The next two intersections proposed to be upgraded are Arch St & Havemeyer Place, and Grigg St & Fawcett Place.2022 Residency VerificationGreenwich residents must provide new proof of residency for 2022 before they are able to register for any activities, purchase beach passes, or make facility reservations.Verification can be done on the Town’s website. Primary members of the online account will need to provide two proofs of residency, and family members over the age of 25 will need to provide one proof.Acceptable proofs include: utility bills, cable, telephone, or internet bills, leases, bank statements, or a drivers license.Greenwich Point Conservancy Granted $400KThe Greenwich Point Conservancy has announced that it has been awarded a $400,000 State of Connecticut Urban Action Grant. This grant will be used to restore the Chimes Building at Greenwich Point.The restoration project will begin in October 2022, will take 12 months to complete, and will cost an estimated $1.2 million.Littering Complaint in Cos CobLast week, Greenwich Police responded to complaints of bags of dog poop in the road outside the house of 26 Sinawoy.In responding, police found that the owner of the partially constructed house was frustrated with dog walkers throwing their poop bags in his dumpster, and threw them out into the road as a response.The property owner was issued a littering infraction.Two Trees Removed in Old GreenwichTwo historic trees were removed last week in Old Greenwich; one was an Elm located on the corner of Edgewater and Sound Beach, and the other was a Linden Tree at 5 West End Ave.Hot Chocolate in the ParkThe Friends of Byram Park will be hosting “Hot Chocolate in the Park” this Sunday, January 9 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Byram Park.Meet by the Christmas Tree Recycling for hot chocolate and connection with community members!GHS to Increase COVID-19 PrecautionsFollowing holiday recess, Greenwich High School will be implementing new measures to prevent COVID-19 spread.Lunches will be re-evaluated to ensure more space between students when unmasked, only essential volunteers and consultants will be permitted to visit, a gym will be reopened for expanded lunch space, there will be a 5th lunch wave added, and aquatics classes will be temporarily suspended.Book Swap Closes for January 2022In response to the rise in COVID-19 cases in town, the book swap at Holly Hill will be closed for the month of January, and will reopen on Friday, February 4, 2022.Christmas Tree RecyclingThe Department of Parks and Recreation has announced that residents can officially begin recycling their Christmas Trees.Christmas trees can be recycled undecorated until Monday, January 31, 2022 at Byram Park, Bruce Park, Greenwich Point, and at the Holly Hill Recycling Center.All recycled trees will be chipped, and the wood chips will be used in parks as mulch.Town Releases RFPThe Town has released an RFP for nonprofits to submit proposals to respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts due to COVID-19.The RFP will be funded from a portion of the American Rescue Plan funds.The RFP is available at www.greenwichct.gov/1946/American-Rescue-Plan. And will be available through January 10, 2022.Tod’s Point ConstructionConstruction on the Tod’s Point Causeway project resumed on the week of November 29. Starting December 6, the causeway will be closed Monday through Friday, at which time vehicle traffic will be permitted up to the main parking lot, and pedestrians and bicyclists will be rerouted to access the back end of Tod’s Point.In this next phase of construction, reinforcement will be installed to the back of the seawall on the northeast side of the causeway.Construction will last three to four months, with an anticipated completion in the early spring.COVID-19 UpdateAs of December 23, there are currently 320 active cases being monitored by the Greenwich Health Department. Greenwich Hospital currently has 24 COVID positive patients; 2 patients are in the ICU and one is on a ventilator.
