POLICE & FIRE
Predator Captured by Greenwich Police Department and FBI
The Greenwich Police Department, in partnership with the FBI, arrested a Darien resident for enticing a minor by computer. The man was in contact with a girl whom he believed was fourteen years old in an online chat room. This fourteen-year-old girl was actually a Greenwich Police Department Special Victims Section Detective investigating child predators who use online platforms to lure and victimize children. The man began to instagate sexually explicit conversations which culminated in making plans to meet with the fourteen-year-old female in person at a specific location within the Town of Greenwich to carry out these sexual acts. The man then followed through with his plan and came to Greenwich with the intent of having sexual contact with the girl. He was arrested without incident upon arrival at the pre-arranged location in Greenwich and was charged with (53a-49/53-21) Criminal Attempt at Risk of Injury to a Minor and (53a-49/53a-90a(a)) Criminal Attempt at Enticing a Minor by Computer.
Greenwich Firefighters Respond to Vehicle Collision on East Putnam Avenue
On Tuesday morning, Greenwich Firefighters responded to a motor vehicle collision with a trapped occupant on East Putnam Avenue. First arriving companies worked to stabilize the vehicle and then extricate the person from the car. The person was removed and transferred to GEMS.
Greenwich Firefighters Respond to Structural Fire on West Putnam Avenue
Earlier this week, Greenwich Firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire in a commercial building on West Putnam Avenue. Engine 1 arrived on scene, reporting smoke showing and stretched a primary attack line, additional units responded as well. The fire was contained and brought under control without major extension. The fire is under investigation by the Greenwich Fire Department Fire Marshal’s office.
AROUND TOWN
Town Continues to Fight Against West Nile Virus
The Town of Greenwich is fighting against West Nile Virus (WNV) by conducting preemptive larviciding, including the treatment of public and private roadway catch basins, public school ground catch basins and other property owned and operated by the Town as needed. This year’s program began in June and larvicide has been/will be reapplied every four to six weeks through early fall. WNV is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. WNV is not spread through person-to-person contact. Most people who are bitten by an infected mosquito fight off infection while experiencing mild or no symptoms at all.
Proposals Wants for New Ice Rink Management
The Town is requesting proposals for the new Ice Skating Rink Operations and Management position. Whomever is selected would run the day-to-day operations, manage all programming and staffing, and handle building and equipment maintenance. Interested organizations must submit their proposals by October 26th at 11am. Visit the Town of Greenwich Website for more information.
Tod’s Point Gate Operation Update
Earlier this week, the Parks and Recreation Department completed its review of the gate operations at Tod’s Point following a complaint, brought to the attention of Parks & Rec on September 20th, regarding an incident which took place September 18th. The actions taken by the gatekeeper who processed a ticket transaction on site was in direct violation of a standing Department policy which prohibits these transactions at that location. The Parks & Rec management team met with the seasonal employee and following the meeting, the employee is no longer employed by the Department.
Newly Certified Town Clerk
Earlier this month, Assistant Town Clerk Kimberley Spezzano became a Connecticut Certified Town Clerk. Kim was awarded her certificate during the annual Connecticut Town Clerks’ Association (CTCA) fall conference held last week. Kim was appointed Assistant Registrar of Vital Statistics in May 1997 and promoted to Assistant Town Clerk in September 2009.
Please Stop at Stop Signs; Pedestrian Struck on Greenwich Ave Sidewalk
On Tuesday afternoon a pedestrian was walking in the crosswalk on the intersection of Greenwich Ave and Havemeyer Place when a vehicle made a left turn but did not see the pedestrian. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital although their injuries are reported as non-life threatening and the collision was at a slow speed.
LOCAL BUSINESSES
From October 1st through October 31st, with purchases of $150 or more SPLURGE is donating pashmina scarves to local cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments. SPLURGE is also providing notecards for customers to hand write an encouraging message to the patient receiving the scarf. If you would like to donate a pashmina scarf without meeting the minimum purchase requirement, scarves are available for $20 each. At the end of the month, SPLURGE is matching the final quantity of donated scarves to double the gift.
PEOPLE IN TOWN
Local Physician Earns Lifetime Achievement Award
Earlier this month, Spike Lipschutz, MD, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Westfair Communication’s Doctors of Distinction for dedicating his life to the service of others. After a 55 year long career in health care, Spike Lipschutz, MD will be retiring at the end of September.
Resident Struck with West Nile Virus
Earlier this week, the Greenwich Department of Health was notified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health that a resident from Greenwich has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). The individual became ill at the end of August. There have only been four cases of human WNV infection acquired in CT so far this year.
Say Hello to Farmer Joe
Say hello to Farmer Joe, the new robotic lawn mower which can be seen working hard cutting the lawn of Town Hall. Farmer Joe cuts the grass without producing direct emissions while also cutting fine clippings which blanket the ground to conserve moisture, build soil and feed microbial communities acting as a natural fertilizer. For residents concerned about the thief-ability of Farmer Joe, not to worry, he has a GPS system installed. Farmer Joe’s environmentally friendly endeavors are also supported by the Teamsters union Local 456.
SCHOOLS
Greenwich High School Celebrates Homecoming
Greenwich High School celebrated Homecoming, with one of the main events taking place Saturday at Cardinal Stadium, with the football team playing Southington, before a huge crowd ‼️Among those cheering on the football team were the varsity cheerleaders, the school’s dance team and Alumni. The school’s band was on hand, making it an even more festive atmosphere – Greenwich lost a tough game in the final minutes, 29-28, in a great matchup
36 Greenwich High School Seniors Commended
Thirty-six Greenwich High School seniors were recognized as Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students are recognized for their exceptional performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. While commended scholars will not be continuing forward in the competition, they did rank in the top 50,000 students nationally. The commended students are: Isabel Benison, Nicolas Carlson, Stephanie Chang, Nina Clark, Douglas Dozier, Madeline Duff, Michelle Ferrone, Qianxue Ge, Dylan Germain, Mateo Gigliani Alcantarilla, Nicolas Gigliani Alcantarilla, Gaston Gomez, Ambika Grover, Whitaker Grover Audrey Hall, Avery Imp, Cai Jain, Nathan Joy, Noah Kim, Adam Kleshchelski, Victoria Liu, Marcus Lotufo, Archer Manning, Charles Andrew Miranda, Nicole Orlofsky, Alexander Palmer, Maxwell Raabe, Yurika Sakai, Alan Shu, Christine Song, Jane Stempien, Benjamin Sullivan, An Suzuki, Kevin Toepelt, Alexander Tu, and Keira Young.
Updates to the BOE Investigation
At the Board of Education meeting last week opposing rallies took place in front of Central Middle School 45 minutes before the meeting was set to begin. Police were on the scene to keep the peace between the two groups. While some members on both sides traded insults, the tensions did not escalate. The GPS internal investigation process is being handled by the Human Resources Department and Dr. Jonathan Budd and is currently on going. The state’s Attorney General’s Office is beginning their inquiry soon, during which Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones said she expects to receive a subpoena from their office regarding documents they would like to be preserved and consigned. Karen Vitti has been appointed acting principal of Cos Cob School.
SPORTS
On a championship pace: Greenwich High boys golf team defeats Ridgefield at Griffith E. Harris, improves record to 11-0
Greenwich High School’s boys golf team made it a perfect 10 when it defeated Wilton last week at Griffith E. Harris Golf Course and today, the Cardinals added win No. 11 to their record.
Greenwich High girls soccer team tops Trumbull on second-half goal by Ali Pennella; Cardinals even record to 3-3
Greenwich High School’s girls soccer team evened its record to 3-3 and earned three points in the all-important FCIAC standings with a well-earned 2-1 victory over Trumbull in an FCIAC game held at Cardinal Stadium on Friday.
Brunswick football team uses strong defensive play and its running game to register road win over Suffield Academy
Effectively running the ball, while playing tenacious defense, the Brunswick School football team seized control of its road game against Suffield Academy early in the Northeast Prep League matchup.
Southington storms back from 21-point deficit to defeat Greenwich football team in matchup’s final minutes, 29-28
Not phased by facing a daunting 21-point deficit, the Southington Blue Knights worked their way back into the game with key plays on both sides of the ball and went into halftime behind by just seven points.
Brunswick’s Nathan Lee wins FAA cross country race; Bruins place second in team standings at first league meet; Greenwich Country Day fourth in team standings
Brunswick School freshman Nathan Lee began his high school cross country career in style, finishing first at the season’s first FAA meet held on Wednesday at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.
Greenwich Academy cross country team places second in first FAA meet of the season; GA’s Maddie Lee finishes first in race; Greenwich Country Day, Sacred Heart, third and fourth in team standings
Behind a first-place finish from junior Maddie Lee and four top-20 finishes, Greenwich Academy’s cross country team placed a strong second in the team standings at the first FAA meet held on Wednesday at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.
Klara Mueffelmann, Kate Donnellan record hat tricks in Greenwich field hockey’s home victory over Warde
The goals came early and often for Greenwich High School’s field hockey team in its game against Fairfield Warde and the duo of Klara Mueffelmann and Kate Donnellan had a hand in most of the tallies.
Sparked by Sienna Tejpaul’s four goals, Greenwich Academy field hockey team topped visiting Choate Rosemary Hall
Controlling possession throughout, Greenwich Academy’s field hockey team generated 20 shots on goal and earned 10 penalty corners, all of which resulted in the outcome it was hoping for when Choate Rosemary Hall came to town last week.
Greenwich High girls volleyball team improves record to 4-0 with victory over FCIAC foe Trumbull in home-opener
Going undefeated in the Class LL Tournament, Greenwich captured the state title, defeating Fairfield Ludlowe, 3-1, in the championship game. The win gave the Cardinals their third state CIAC Class LL championship and concluded an eye-opening 26-1 2021 season.
LOCAL POLITICS
Poll Workers Wanted
The Registrars of Voters are looking for poll workers for the November 8th, 2022 election. Many of the positions require only one-hour of training. The available positions pay between $260 and $350, depending on the position. The application can be found on the Town of Greenwich website. All poll workers must be registered voters in the State of Connecticut.
Rachel Khanna Earns an A and an Endorsement from Connecticut Against Gun Violence
Candidate for State Representative of the 149th district Rachel Khanna has earned an A and an endorsement from Connecticut Against Gun Violence (CAGV). CAGV is a statewide leader in working to reduce gun violence in Connecticut through education, grassroots engagement and legislative advocacy.
