POLICE & FIRE
Information Wanted
On February 18th at about 7pm, a 17-year-old girl was walking her dog in front of Walgreens and Fitness Edge on East Putnam Avenue when an unknown man, described as 30-40 years old, of average build, with short hair, and possibly of Asian descent, approached her and started talking to her about her dog. The man then grabbed her hand, told her she was pretty and attempted to kiss her while rubbing his face on hers. The girl broke free and ran away while the man quickly left the area in an unknown direction in an unknown vehicle. The Greenwich Police Department is actively investigating the incident and is requesting anyone with information to contact them at 203-622-8004 (24hrs) or via their confidential lines at 203-622-3333 or TIPS@GREENWICHCT.ORG.
FROM TOWN HALL
Park Passes and Golf Membership Renewal
The deadline for early bird rates when applying for or renewing is April 14th for Park Passes and April 30th for Golf Memberships. Residency verification is required before applying. Seniors who had a valid Park Pass in 2022 have been automatically renewed through the 2024 season. Visit www.greenwichct.gov/webtrac for more info.
What Does Desegregate CT Mean for Greenwich?
The Planning and Zoning (P&Z) commission discussed the DeSegregate CT “Transit Oriented Communities” legislative proposal, the Work Live Ride Act, at a briefing this past Tuesday The proposal calls for 30 units per acre in “Rapid Transit Communities” with populations over 60,000. Greenwich’s population is approximately 62,000, putting it in the same category as Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Stamford, cities very different from the Town of Greenwich. The act would make towns ineligible for discretionary state funding tied to infrastructure if they do not opt in. P&Z is concerned about funding and the possibility of Greenwich’s only option being to redevelop an established neighborhood, other concerns included the challenges of achieving the required number of units, requiring the construction of 6,000 units after accounting for undevelopable areas.
Income Tax Assistance Available
Free income tax preparation assistance is available at Greenwich Town Hall on Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and at the Greenwich Main Library on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, starting from February 1st until April 14th. Taxpayers need to bring several documents, including a photo ID, Social Security cards for themselves and their dependents, birth dates, and a blank check for direct deposit. They must also provide wage and earning statements, health insurance statements, interest and dividend statements, and a copy of their federal and state tax returns from last year. Married couples filing jointly need to sign the tax return, and appointments can be made by emailing greenwichtaxaid@gmail.com or calling (203) 548-7710.
AROUND TOWN
Dog Leash Laws
Greenwich’s town leash law applies to all dogs in the town’s parks and trails, including Pomerance and Babcock. The only exception to the leash law is below the high tide line, but the dog must remain under its owner’s control. The beach and water below the high tide line are considered part of Long Island Sound, not part of Greenwich. Dogs must be leashed when in the park and when in the parking lot. Free mutt-mitts were available in several locations, and signs clearly stated the leash laws and fines. Although enforcement is limited, dog owners should be responsible and respectful of others.
LOCAL BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS
Beach House to Close
The Beach House Café in Old Greenwich will be closing on February 28th, they will; however, continue operating Canoe, at 280 Railroad Ave in central Greenwich where they will serve many of Beach House’s favorite dishes. The owners have expressed gratitude for the support of their customers over the years.
Greenwich Sustainability Committee Seeking Nominations for New Award
The Greenwich Sustainability Committee is seeking nominations for its new Sustainability Award, to be presented during the town’s Earth Day proclamation. The award recognizes Greenwich residents who exemplify the committee’s principles, including acknowledging their role in ecosystems, committing to sustainable practices, honoring the natural environment’s beauty, and collaborating to promote responsible stewardship. Nominations should be submitted via email to sustainability@greenwichct.org by March 17th, and more information about the committee can be found on the town’s website.
Hope for Snow
Greenwich Parks & Recreation and the Greenwich Arts Council are hosting the 11th Annual Snow Sculpture Contest, in which Greenwich residents 18 years and older can submit a photo of their best snow sculpture for a chance to win a prize from Greenwich Parks and Recreation. The contest prohibits employees and family members of the Greenwich Parks and Recreation Department from participating. Photos must be taken in Greenwich and be high-quality originals without any filters or copyright infringements. Participants are allowed to submit a maximum of one photo per entrant, and entries must be received by March 17, 2023, in .jpg, .jpeg, or .png format and a maximum of 20 MB. The photos may be used in official Town of Greenwich media. More information is available on the town of Greenwich website.
FBOG and NTN Partner for Food Drive
The First Bank of Greenwich is partnering with Neighbor to Neighbor for its second annual food drive which accepts donations online until March 2nd. The goal is to surpass last year’s donation total of 3,764 pounds, and the public can contribute by visiting the donation store on the Amplify website, selecting the items they want to purchase, and making a donation. Once the drive is over, the donations will be delivered directly to Neighbor to Neighbor for distribution to its clients.
PEOPLE IN TOWN
Out of Court Settlement for GHS Security Guard
Last Wednesday, the Board of Estimate and Taxation Budget Committee of Greenwich, Connecticut voted 4-0 to recommend a settlement of $18,000 in a lawsuit filed by Frederick Smith-Morton, a security guard at Greenwich High School. Smith-Morton claimed that he had been a victim of racial discrimination by fellow town employees and that his civil rights had been violated during his more than ten-year-long employment at GHS. The town denied most of Smith-Morton’s allegations. The full Board of Estimate and Taxation will vote on the settlement in their next meeting on February 27.
SCHOOLS
National Merrit Scholarship Program Finalists
Eleven Greenwich High School students have been announced as finalists for the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. The 11 GHS students were part of the 16,000 students named semifinalists last September. About 95% of all semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. Winners will be announced starting in March. The finalists are Sophie Citron, Theresa Dobbins, Alexander Khilko, Arjun Kishore, Lauren Koester, Luke Mazzullo, Joaquina Mendive, Lara Nguyen, Emil Schaumburg, Harry Waters, and Brandon Yu.
SPORTS
Greenwich High girls indoor track and field team places third at State Open Championships; Esme Daplyn sends in 1,000-meter event for the Cardinals
The Greenwich High School girls indoor track and field team performed well at the CIAC State Open Indoor Track and Field Championships, finishing third out of 39 teams with 35 team points. Junior Esme Daplyn had the Cardinals’ best individual finish, earning second place in the 1000-meter run, while Greenwich’s 4 x 200-meter relay team finished second in the race. The 1600-meter sprint medley saw the Cardinals claim the third-place medal, while the 4 x 400-meter relay team came fourth. The 4 x 800 relay team finished fourth, with teammate Kate Friedman taking seventh place in the 3200-meter race. The team is now preparing for the New England meet.
Sacred Heart Greenwich uses strong second half to pull away from Greenwich Country Day in FAA quarterfinal-round
Sacred Heart Greenwich and Greenwich Country Day School played a close first half in their neighborhood rivals basketball game. Sacred Heart raised its intensity level and implemented a full-court and half-court press in the second half, forcing turnovers and scoring in transition. This allowed Sacred Heart to extend their lead and achieve a commanding win, similar to their result in last season’s league tournament quarterfinals against Greenwich Country Day School.
Greenwich boys basketball team rolls past Westhill for convincing Senior Night win
Greenwich High School’s boys basketball team secured a resounding 61-34 victory over Westhill during their Senior Night performance. The Cardinals had a strong start, taking a 16-point lead by halftime, and went on to extend it to more than 30 points with a remarkable second-half surge. With this win, Greenwich High School has a chance to qualify for the FCIAC Tournament, as they need to win their final regular season game as well.
Greenwich High girls hockey team topped by Avon Co-op in regular-season finale
The Greenwich High School girls ice hockey team lost 5-2 to Avon Co-op in a non-conference game despite being tied after the second period. Sophie Roth, the team’s senior captain, and leading scorer, contributed two goals while Aubrey Roth and Lexi Carino had one assist each. The team is set to play in the FCIAC Tournament semifinals against Darien on Wednesday.
Greenwich High girls basketball team eliminated by top-seeded, undefeated Fairfield Ludlowe in FCIAC quarterfinals
Fairfield Ludlowe’s girls basketball team, after an undefeated regular season, defeated Greenwich in the FCIAC Tournament quarterfinals. They were able to take a 16-point lead within the first five minutes of the game and held on to their lead throughout the match. Fairfield Ludlowe used a half-court press and overall tenacious defensive effort to achieve their victory and continue their quest to win their first conference tournament title.
Sacred Heart Greenwich basketball team topped Storm King School on Senior Day
Sacred Heart Greenwich’s basketball team celebrated Senior Day with a comeback win over Storm King School in a non-league game. They honored their only senior player, Olivia Caponiti, during the game. With a successful regular season behind them, the Tigers will face Greenwich Country Day School in the quarterfinal round of the FAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The playoff game will be hosted by Sacred Heart Greenwich and will take place on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Greenwich Country Day is seeded fifth.
Sacred Heart Greenwich swimming/diving team captures team title at FAA Championships; Greenwich Academy places a close second in exciting meet
The Sacred Heart Greenwich swimming/diving team had a successful season, beginning with a win over Canterbury School in December, and continuing to win at an impressive pace, posting a perfect 15-0 regular season record. In the postseason, the team topped six other squads to win the FAA Championship, which was their biggest victory of the season and the event they had been working towards all year.
Greenwich Country Day girls basketball team tops Holy Child, secures No. 5 seed in upcoming FAA Tournament
The Greenwich Country Day School girls basketball team won its final four games of the regular season, all league matchups, to secure the No. 5 seed in the upcoming FAA Tournament and finish in fifth place in the FAA. Their final victory came against School of the Holy Child, which was the team they competed with for the same seed in the previous season. The team’s strong finish to the regular season has given them momentum heading into the FAA Tournament.
Behind a strong finish, Brunswick edges town rival Greenwich Country Day School in an FAA basketball showdown
Greenwich Country Day School hosted Brunswick School in a basketball game where first place in the FAA and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament was at stake. Both teams had their moments, but Brunswick School’s best moments came during the game’s final eight-plus minutes of action, which led to their most significant win of the season so far. The game was played in front of a large crowd.
Greenwich boys track and field team takes second at CIAC Class LL Championships
The Greenwich High School boys indoor track and field team finished second in the team standings at the CIAC Class LL Championships, which took place at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. The team’s strong performances in the relays ignited their success, and they continued to excel on a challenging stage, racing to fast times throughout the meet. This performance came two weeks after they captured the team title at the FCIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, further establishing themselves as one of the premier squads in the state.
Cedar School Basketball Team Wins vs Spire School
The Cedar School basketball team won their game against Spire School with a score of 33-26. Malaki led the team with 12 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Jeremy with 8 points and 15 rebounds, Caden with 6 points and 9 rebounds, and Aine with 2 points and 3 rebounds. Cedar’s Lizzie, Juaquin, Cisco, and Shayna played strong defense, which helped the team secure their second win in a week through impressive teamwork.
LOCAL POLITICS
Concerns Continue Over RTM’s New Electronic Voting System
Some members of Greenwich’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) continue to raise concerns about the new electronic voting system after the vote to accept a controversial grant. The RTM’s Labor Contracts Committee submitted a motion to rescind the vote, alleging issues with the new system which will be discussed at the March 13 meeting. First Selectman Fred Camillo has chosen not to sign off on the CTCL grant until the RTM’s procedural mechanism on a potential vote to rescind is complete.
FROM HARTFORD
FORGE Enters CT
Nonprofit organization FORGE, which connects startups creating physical products with resources to grow and succeed, is to establish operations in Connecticut, where it will support local startups for free. FORGE’s experts connect startups with experienced product experts, manufacturers, and engineers to accelerate the process of bringing product ideas to life. In Massachusetts, FORGE has helped create more than 5,000 jobs and added $34m to the local economy since its founding in 2015. Joint funding from CTNext and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development through its Manufacturing Innovation Fund supports FORGE’s Connecticut operation. For more information on FORGE, visit www.forgeimpact.org. Inquiries about the services FORGE offers can be directed to Adam Rodrigues at adam@forgeimpact.org.
An Act Concerning Public Access to Certain Coastal Resources
Connecticut’s Planning & Development Committee discussed a bill, “An Act Concerning Public Access to Certain Coastal Resources,” that would prevent beach towns from charging non-residents more than 50% of what residents pay for beach access. State Representative Roland Lemar of New Haven criticized the fees as exorbitant and discriminatory. First Selectman Fred Camillo defended the town’s fees as reasonable, determined by tax assessments, and in line with other towns. He added that the town did not receive state or federal assistance for beach maintenance and had to restore dunes, causeways, and roads after storms, as well as repair damage to docks and islands. Senator Ryan Fazio noted that current laws already prohibit unreasonable fees for non-residents, citing that the lack of lawsuits since 2001 indicates current policies may not be perfect but are still reasonable.
CT Secretary of the State Proposes 10-Day Early Voting
Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas has proposed a 10-day period of early voting prior to state and local elections, as voters approved early voting in last year’s election. Some representatives have expressed concerns about the chain of custody for early ballots and supported shorter periods of early voting.
