Edited by Emma Barhydt
FROM TOWN HALL
Conservation Commission Managing Goose Problem
The Town of Greenwich Conservation Commission is seeking help to manage the population of resident Canada geese in the area. The geese population is overabundant and poses a disease threat to residents, especially in public properties. The Conservation Commission uses a three-part approach, including stabilizing the population, hazing geese in certain areas, and educating the public about the problems associated with feeding geese. The Commission plans to continue its efforts by oiling recently laid eggs, a method approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and The Humane Society. Residents are encouraged to notify the Commission if they have a resident Canada goose nest on their property and to complete the consent form online to allow egg oiling to be conducted. For more information, residents can contact the Conservation Commission at (203) 622-6461 or visit their website https://www.greenwichct.gov/FormCenter/Conservation-10/Geese-Egg-Oiling-in-Greenwich-Program-Re-234
Conservation Commission Approves Open Space Plan
The Greenwich Conservation Commission department has released the 2022 Open Space Plan which identifies and describes the traits of desirable open space and the 133 local parcels that meet these criteria. The town currently has 3,981 acres of land meeting the report’s definition of open space and 1,871 acres of privately-owned land suitable for open space. The plan outlines potential strategies to acquire the protection of the qualifying land and will require collaboration among the Town’s Conservation, Parks & Recreation, Planning & Zoning, and financial boards and commissions, as well as the RTM.
AROUND TOWN
Causeway Construction Update
Phase three of construction on to the Tod’s Point Causeway is almost complete and is currently open to normal traffic flow, though there may be an occasional interruption
Dune Thatching at Tod’s Point
The Friends of Greenwich Point, Greenwich Parks and Rec, and volunteers were all hard at work this past weekend on dune thatching, by adding used or disposed Christmas trees between the existing two fenced-in areas and attaching them with natural, biodegradable string to the fence base. This traditional method of stabilizing sand reduces erosion caused by trampling and encourages the regeneration of the dune habitat.
Desegregate CT to Present at Next P&Z Meeting
Desegregate CT, a statewide organization, will present information on transit-oriented housing at the next Planning & Zoning Commission meeting in Greenwich. The organization’s Work Live Ride Act aims to create denser housing near railway stations and other transportation hubs. The initiative would provide technical assistance and planning capacities to local communities paid for with state funding. Towns that create the transit-oriented community district would be eligible for state grant money for infrastructure improvements and other upgrades.
Intersection Updates Proposed in Byram
Residents of Byram are proposing adding new crosswalks on Delavan Avenue at two intersections, Chestnut Street and New Lebanon Avenue, due to safety concerns for pedestrians. At a recent BoS meeting, several Byram residents supported the idea, including the vice-chair of the Byram Neighborhood Association, whose husband was hit by a car at the intersection in 2019. The principal of New Lebanon School also expressed support for the crosswalks, as around 17 NLS students cross Delavan on their way to school every day. The proposed safety improvements include the addition of new crosswalks and adjacent grass spaces which are still in the planning phase and require approval from the Board of Selectmen and Planning & Zoning Commission.
Dorothy Hamil Rink Update
The Rink User Committee for Design and Planning in Greenwich has recommended building a new ice rink on Strazza Athletic Field, adjacent to the existing Dorothy Hamill Ice Rink. The new rink would be built next to the existing one and the baseball field would be relocated, with the Hamill rink remaining open throughout the construction process. The project would cost just under $22 million with construction projected to begin in fall 2024 and be completed by fall 2025. However, two committee members voted against the proposal, citing concerns about the impact of construction on Byram residents and blasting bedrock under the field. The project still requires several approvals, including from the Board of Selectmen and the Representative Town Meeting.
POLICE & FIRE
Greenwich Police Warn of Extortion Scams
The Greenwich Police Department has received several complaints from residents of the town who were victims of extortion, most of whom are children. This particular type of extortion, also known as sextortion is a crime in which the suspect contacts the victim, typically someone met online, the suspect generally initially communicates in a non-threatening manner, often mimicking the approximate age of the victim. The suspect then claims to have a revealing picture or video of the victim and threatens to send it to their friends and family unless the victim sends more images or pays money. Shame, fear, and confusion often prevent victims from seeking help. Parents and children should discuss online safety and understand how this crime occurs. The police department provides information on its website to help prevent individuals from falling victim to this crime. Victims can contact the Greenwich Police Department at 203-622-8004 to report.
What to Do in an Active Shooter Situation
At the RMA the GPD gave a presentation on active shooter response where officers advised the audience to be aware of their surroundings, including the location of exits and having an escape route planned. They also recommended being vigilant in daily routines. Officers discussed situational awareness and recommended individuals run, hide, or fight as their best course of action. If possible, individuals should evacuate and call 911, but if not, they should hide, silence their phones, and barricade doors, turning off electronic devices. As a last resort, people should fight and improvise weapons to incapacitate the shooter, adding that individuals should follow all police instructions and be prepared to describe the shooter, their weapon, and the number of victims.
LOCAL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS
Junior League of Greenwich Accepting Applications for Annual Community Service Award
The Junior League of Greenwich is currently accepting applications for its annual Community Service Award. Their annual award gives $2,000 to a female high school student in Greenwich who demonstrates a sustained commitment to community service, initiative, leadership, and significant volunteerism. The deadline for submission is April 5th. Interested students can visit jlgreenwich.org to apply and must include two written recommendations from non-family members. Last year’s recipient, Jennifer Di Capua, a Sacred Heart Greenwich student, founded an app and website, Salud Por Todos, to make healthcare providers more accessible to Latinx immigrants. She plans to use the award to develop educational programs for immigrants.
Alzheimer’s Association CT Announces 10th Annual Gala
The Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter has announced its 10th Annual Celebrating Hope Gala, taking place on May 12th at the Greenwich Country Club. The event will be co-chaired by Brent and Courtney Montgomery. The gala aims to educate and empower those with dementia and their caregivers, as well as fuel critical research toward new treatments and effective ways to manage this disease. The Montgomerys are leading a committee of volunteers and supporters to gain sponsorships and live auction items for the event. For more information, to make a donation, or to sponsor the event, contact Sadie Caccimelio at srcaccimelio@alz.org.
Report Your Bat Sightings
There are two general groups of bats in Connecticut: cave bats and tree-roosting bats. Cave bats, such as the big brown bat, migrate to underground structures with high humidity, where they hibernate during colder months. Tree-roosting bats, including the eastern red bat, migrate to southern latitudes to avoid the cold. Sightings of live and dead bats can be reported to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at deep.batprogram.ct.gov.
PEOPLE IN TOWN
Rev. Marek Zabriskie Wins 2023 Gold Medal
Rev. Marek Zabriskie’s book, The Creation Care Bible Challenge, has won the 2023 gold medal for Bible Study by the Illumination Book Awards. The book features fifty days of reflections by spiritual leaders and writers from around the world and is an extension of Rev. Zabriskie’s The Bible Challenge, which encourages daily engagement with scripture.
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Announces New Rector Starting on Palm Sunday
The Reverend Dr. Justin E. Crisp has been called to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church to be its new priest and leader. A summa cum laude graduate of English and Religious Studies at the University of Tennessee, he received a master of divinity from Yale Divinity School, a master of arts and a master of philosophy from Yale University, and a doctor of philosophy in Religious Studies from Yale University. He holds a certificate from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, a diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School, and a lecturer in Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School. A former associate rector and Theologian-in-Residence at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan, Father Justin begins his service at St. Barnabas on April 2, Palm Sunday. He and his wife, Dr. Jewelle Bickel, will be in residence at the Rectory with their dog, Val (kyrie).
SCHOOLS
GHS Juniors Win Debate Tournament
Greenwich High School juniors Connor Hone and Aubrey Niederhoffer won first place in the varsity division of a parliamentary debate tournament held by the Connecticut Debate Association at New Canaan High School. The tournament involved 248 debaters from 25 schools and the resolution was on whether public sector unions should be allowed to strike. The Greenwich team argued in favor of the government side, citing the human right of all workers to strike, the ability of strikes to encourage reform in public institutions, and the potential for strikes to be less severe if they were legalized. This is the team’s second victory of the year, and they are preparing for the State Tournament in March.
Presidential Scholars Candidates
Nineteen students from Greenwich have been selected as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program, which was established in 1964 to recognize and honor some of the country’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. The program has been extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts and in career and technical education fields. The names of the semifinalists will be announced in mid-April, and the names of the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be posted in early May. The students from Greenwich are, by school, Greenwich Academy: Isabella A. Hall, Sarah Li, Katherine V. Nichols, Charlotte A. Richard; Sacred heart Greenwich: Nadia Borja; Greenwich High School: Stephanie Chang, Sophie Citron, Angie Fogarty, Ambika Grover, Noah H. Kim, Arjun P. Kishore, Yurika Sakai, Emil Schaumburg, Brandon Yu; Brunswick School: Kai Le, Vilas S. Sogaard-Srikris, Benjamin Yorke; Rye Country Day Upper School: Benjamin A. Mathias, Sydney Merrill
Nominations Open for 2023 Distinguished Teachers Award
The Greenwich Education Association has opened nominations for the 2023 Distinguished Teachers Award. The award recognizes teachers, guidance counselors, specialists, instructional coaches, social workers, and other members of the association who provide dedicated support to students. Nominations must be submitted by March 31st, 2023. See the Distinguished Teachers Award page on the Greenwich Public Schools website for the nomination packet.
GCDS Students Participate in ESU’s Shakespeare Competition
Greenwich Country Day School students participated in the first round of the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare Competition. Guest judge Bill Buell, a Broadway actor, helped choose the winner, Harry Manion, who will represent GCDS in the next round of the competition in Greenwich on March 1st. Simon Grogan and Jordyn Nadien Sesler were named first and second runner-ups, respectively.
Sacred Heart Students Raise Awareness of Food Inequities
Sacred Heart Greenwich students are raising awareness of the inequities that exist in food access and are working during Black History Month to fix that problem. Students have partnered with local agencies like Neighbor to Neighbor to raise money and work directly with clients to help break down barriers to healthy foods.
Old Greenwich School Updates Likely Pushed to FY2024/25
Old Greenwich School is not likely to receive the $24.5m needed for its renovation this budget cycle as the town prioritizes the construction CMS. Funding will not be considered until the 2024/25 fiscal year, according to First Selectman Fred Camillo’s proposed budget. The OGS Building Committee is asking for $1.1m in the upcoming fiscal year to continue planning work so they can promptly move forward if granted the funds in FY2024/25. The BET is currently in the process of deliberating the budget for the next fiscal year. The board will be open for public comments on March 29th before making their final decision on April 4th. Following this, the Representative Town Meeting will vote on the budget on May 1st.
Pajama Day Fundraiser Supports Cancer Research
Greenwich Schools held a Pajama Day last Friday as a fundraiser for children’s cancer research. The idea was brought to the district by a student who finished leukemia treatments in eighth grade and wanted to raise funds for kids battling cancer at Connecticut Children’s Hospital. Wearing pajamas was meant to show solidarity with children who have cancer and are stuck in their PJs for weeks and months. Students and teachers could donate a dollar, and the community was also invited to donate online. Last year, $12,000 was raised, and this year’s goal was $10,000, but the fundraiser has already raised over $19,000. Many more schools in the town participated in the fundraiser this year.
New Principals at Cos Cob and Hamilton Ave. Schools
Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones announced the permanent appointments of Diane Chiappetta Fox as principal of Hamilton Avenue School and Kerry Gavin as principal of Cos Cob School, effective July 1st. Both Fox and Gavin were previously interim principals at their respective schools since July 29th, 2022. Both Fox and Gavin have been with the Greenwich Public Schools since the 1990s and have held various leadership positions.
GHS Model UN Team Goes to American University Model United Nations Conference
Greenwich High School’s Model UN team participated in the American University Model United Nations Conference in Washington, DC over the weekend. The conference’s theme was “The Confluence of Two Seas: Stability in the Indo-Pacific,” and the committees were linked to this topic area. The Greenwich High School delegation won nine awards, including three Best Delegate awards.
SPORTS
Cedar School Wins
The Cedar School’s basketball team won their game last Friday against Spire School 45-29. Malaki led the team with 25 points, while Aine contributed 8 points and rebounds. The other team members, including TJ, Jeremy, Caden, Shayna, Juaquin, Lizzie, and Cisco, also made important contributions with their points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The teamwork was impressive, with 7 different players scoring.
Greenwich High School girls basketball team upends Darien for 10th victory
After losing a very close game against Danbury, Greenwich High School’s girls basketball team got right back on the winning track this Tuesday night against Darien.
GHS boys and girls ski teams enjoyed a successful Senior Day in final regular season competition, state championships next
The regular season ended in style for the Greenwich High School boys and girls ski teams, which produced impressive performances on Senior Day last week in another Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League competition.
GHS girls indoor track team places a strong second at the CIAC Class LL Championships in New Haven
Greenwich High School’s girls indoor track and field team continued its memorable season with an outstanding showing at another ultra-competitive championship meet, this time at the prestigious CIAC Class LL Championships.
Greenwich Country Day tops Greenwich Academy in FAA basketball action
Converting four 3-pointers in the first quarter certainly set the tone nicely for the Greenwich Country Day School girls basketball team to accomplish its mission against Greenwich Academy and put itself in the best possible position for the rapidly approaching FAA Tournament.
Greenwich’s Drew Falla finishes third in 285-pound division at FCIAC Wrestling Tournament; Thomas Andruss places fifth in 138-pound division for Cardinals
Using a powerful headlock, his signature hold, Greenwich High School senior Drew Falla, registered an impressive third-place finish in the 285-pound weight class at the 2023 Joe Sikorski FCIAC Tournament – a performance that paced the Cardinals at the highly competitive annual event at New Canaan High School.
Brunswick wrestles to second-place finish at Western New England Championships; Greenwich Country Day places 11th
On the strength of four second-place finishes and fourth third place performances, Brunswick School’s wrestling team finished a strong second in the team standings at the 66th annual Western New England Independent School Wrestling Association Championships, held at Taft School last Saturday.
Brunswick hockey team riding seven-game winning streak
Victorious for the second time in as many days, the Brunswick School hockey team extending its winning streak to seven games with a convincing 5-1 victory against Berkshire School last Saturday afternoon at Hartong Rink.
Greenwich skates past visiting Hamden, behind two goals from Sophia Roth, one tally from Peyton Jelinek for sixth win of the season
Senior captains Sophie Roth and Peyton Jelinek combined for three goals to lead the Greenwich High School girls ice hockey team to a hard-fought 3-2 win over a tough Hamden co-op team last week at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink in Greenwich.
Girls basketball team edged by FCIAC foe Danbury on Senior Night in game’s final minute
Holding a six-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Greenwich High School girls basketball team was close to earning a satisfying Senior Night victory against Danbury.
Greenwich Academy basketball team qualifies for the FAA Tournament in season of marked improvement
With three victories, all of which are league wins, the Greenwich Academy basketball team has experienced more success this winter than it did in its previous three seasons.
Sacred Heart junior Payton Sfreddo reaches the 1,000 career point plateau for Sacred Heart Greenwich basketball team
Sacred Heart Greenwich junior Payton Sfreddo entered last Wednesday’s basketball game against Miss Porter’s School just three points away from reaching the 1000-career point mark, yet she wasn’t aware that she was so close to achieving the impressive milestone.
Brunswick continues its perfect record in the FAA with decisive win vs. Hopkins
Quickly turning a two-point deficit into a double-digit lead, the Brunswick School basketball team kept its undefeated FAA record intact last Wednesday, thanks to a second half that showcased the squad’s strengths in a big way.
FROM HARTFORD
Gov. Lamont Looking to Expand Access to Childcare Services in CT
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has proposed several initiatives to expand access to childcare services in the state. The proposals include increasing funding for the Care 4 Kids program, which helps low and moderate-income families pay for childcare costs, and providing a corporation business tax credit to businesses that provide childcare subsidies to their workers. The governor has emphasized the importance of childcare in preparing children for academic success and enabling parents to work and provide for their families. A blue-ribbon panel led by the Office of Early Childhood Commissioner will focus on designing the next generation of childcare with incentives for the business community to provide more on-site support.
Arzeno Says CT House Prioritizes Education
The CT House of Representatives is focusing on prioritizing education, noting that over $650 million in taxes have been cut, billions in pension debt have been paid off, and investments have been made in preschool education and children’s mental health programs while maintaining record savings. They have also utilized $60 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding ensuring children in CT can access free school lunches for the remainder of the school year. Additionally, over $27 million in special education funding has been allocated to schools across the state, including over $250 thousand for Greenwich.
Rising Energy Costs while Eversource has Record Profits
Eversource, the transmission and distribution utility company, has reported record profits of over $1.4 billion for 2022 as CT customers face increased electric bills this winter due to rising natural gas prices. The company reported earnings ahead of a hearing by the Energy and Technology Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly on legislation that could introduce new oversight for utilities. Late last year, Eversource agreed to contribute $10 million to help defray energy costs for qualifying households seeking assistance.
House Bill Introduced to Take Another Look at Nonresident Access to Beaches
The state legislature in Connecticut is revisiting the issue of access for non-residents to municipal beaches. Last year, HB 5361 aimed to prohibit beach towns from charging non-residents more than 50% of fees paid by residents, with supporters arguing that all taxpayers fund the state programs that maintain the quality of Connecticut’s coastal shoreline. However, opponents of the bill pointed out issues such as overcrowded parking lots and parking on peripheral roads. The bill ultimately died in committee. A similar bill, Connecticut House Bill 6650, has been introduced this year. Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo has submitted testimony opposing the bill, arguing that the town allows beach access to non-residents and charges reasonable entry fees, which are necessary to maintain parks and beaches without state or federal assistance. He also noted that such fees are in line with neighboring communities and that lower fees would require residents to subsidize non-resident usage. He added that the town has capacity limits driven by concerns for public safety.
DEATHS
Barbara Ann Boyle, 85, passed peacefully on February 9
Catherine Squillace, a lifelong Greenwich resident, passed away peacefully on Feb. 7.
Karl G. Andren passed away on February 7.
Howard Carlton Bedford, formerly of Greenwich, died Sunday, February 5.
John Gold passed away on Friday, February 3.
David F. Hughes, 84, of Greenwich, passed away on Monday, January 30.
Leonard Nielson, of Greenwich, passed away Sunday, January 29.
Patricia I. McNamee (Pat), 76, passed away on January 24.
Irene J. (Krumeich) Duffy died after a short illness on January 13, in Greenwich.
See full obituaries on page 8 of the printed edition or by clicking here: Obituaries.
