Greenwich Marks 50th St. Patrick’s Parade
The 50th annual Greenwich St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place March 22 at 2 p.m., beginning at Greenwich Town Hall and proceeding along Field Point Road, Greenwich Avenue, and Steamboat Road to the Island Beach parking lot. The Board of Selectmen approved road closures for the route, and parking restrictions are expected in the downtown area. Haydn O’Shea, a longtime member and former president of the Greenwich Hibernian Association who has previously served as the parade’s emcee, will be the grand marshal.
POLICE & FIRE
Firefighters Conduct Operational Training Exercises
Career firefighters recently completed classroom training on engine company operations and water supply procedures to reinforce core firefighting practices. Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Company members conducted search and victim removal drills at the North Street Training Center. Both activities focused on maintaining readiness and operational safety for emergency response in Greenwich.
Greenwich Welcomes Two New Officers
As part of Women’s History Month, the Greenwich Police Department is introducing Officers DiMaggio-Carolino and Ego. Both graduated from the 387th Class of the Connecticut Police Academy in December and have served with the department for less than a year. They are currently completing field training in the Patrol Division under the supervision of experienced officers.
FROM TOWN HALL
North Street Bridge Replacement Work Begins
Construction to replace the North Street Bridge over West Brothers Brook between Cotswood Road and Macpherson Drive will begin in March 2026. North Street will be fully closed at the bridge site from June 8 to August 28, 2026, with a posted detour, while traffic outside that period will operate under alternating one-way control during construction hours except during peak commute times. The $4.52 million project, funded through the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program, is expected to be completed in spring 2027.
Greenwich Extends Discounted Radon Testing Program
The Greenwich Department of Health Laboratory has extended its discounted radon test kit program through March. Air test kits are available for $47 (normally $73) and well water test kits for $53 (normally $84), and can be purchased at the laboratory Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; information is available at 203-622-7843. Radon is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for more than 21,000 deaths annually.
Selectmen Review Historic North Street Property
The Greenwich Board of Selectmen met March 12 at Town Hall and considered appointing the Historic District Commission to study whether the Albert C. Hencken House at 341 North St. should be designated a Local Historic Property. The board also reviewed a proposal for 2026 outdoor dining fees and guidelines, heard presentations on town energy use and a resident satisfaction survey, and reviewed an ADA grievance. Additional agenda items included a second read on the potential sale of tax lien foreclosure properties, approval of meeting minutes, and updates from town officials.
Greenwich Energy Assistance Programs Support Residents
The Greenwich Department of Human Services is notifying residents that several programs are available to help households experiencing financial hardship pay energy bills and avoid utility shutoffs during the heating season. Eligible households at or below 60 percent of the State Median Income may qualify for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, the Matching Payment Program, and the Winter Protection Program, while Generation Power CT provides emergency assistance for households up to 75 percent of State Median Income who have exhausted other aid. Residents can contact the department at 203-622-3800 to speak with a case manager and apply confidentially for available programs.
AROUND TOWN
Greenwich Volunteers Restore Mianus River Park
The Town of Greenwich Parks and Recreation Foundation will hold its 4th Annual Earth Day Clean-Up and Beautification on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon at Mianus River Park, with volunteers meeting at the Cognewaugh Street entrance. Participants will plant native trees, remove invasive winged euonymus, line trails with logs and branches, and clear debris; the Parks Department will provide limited tools, and volunteers are encouraged to bring gloves and equipment. The event is supported by several community organizations and is open to individuals, families, scout groups, and students seeking community service hours.
Greenwich Approves Havemeyer Place Subdivision
The Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission approved a final subdivision for 97 Havemeyer Place, a property of more than one-third acre that sold in March 2025 for $3.5 million. The subdivision creates two rear lots of approximately 9,600 and 7,500 square feet and designates about 3,600 square feet (15%) as required open space. Site work will include significant disturbance, including removal of about 500 cubic yards of ledge, and the plan includes a shared driveway and a homeowners association for maintenance.
LOCAL BUSINESSES & NON PROFITS
Greenwich Marks American Red Cross Month
Greenwich hosted a ceremony at Town Hall recognizing March as American Red Cross Month and raising the Red Cross flag. The Metro New York North Chapter of the American Red Cross, headquartered in Greenwich, responds to local disasters, supports blood drives for hospitals, installs smoke alarms, and provides emergency preparedness and lifesaving training. Over the past year the chapter responded to more than 100 local incidents, installed over 2,200 smoke alarms, educated nearly 2,000 residents on preparedness, and trained more than 20,000 people in first aid, CPR, and AED use.
Scouts Lead Greenwich Food Donation Drive
The Greenwich Council of Scouting America will collect nonperishable food donations on March 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cos Cob, Sound Beach (Old Greenwich), and Glenville firehouses. Donations will be given to Neighbor to Neighbor to support Greenwich residents experiencing food insecurity. Needed items include canned vegetables and fruit, canned meats and soup, peanut butter, pasta, rice, and cereal.
Greenwich Youth Conservation Program Applications Open
Applications are open for the Greenwich Youth Conservation Program, which offers outdoor summer work for local teens in four sessions: June 22–July 3, July 6–16, July 20–30, and Aug. 3–13. Participants work on planting, digging, and maintaining town properties under supervision from the Departments of Parks and Recreation and Human Services. The program is open to Greenwich residents or Greenwich Public Schools students ages 14–15, and applications are due March 30.
PEOPLE IN TOWN
Community Honors Fred Smith-Morton
Fred Smith-Morton, a longtime Greenwich High School security guard and coach, died suddenly on Feb. 24 at age 62. Born in Stamford, he graduated from Rippowam High School in 1981 and attended Wilberforce University before building a decades-long career coaching youth sports, working as a physical trainer, and supporting programs such as the Special Olympics. He is survived by his daughters, who have organized a fundraiser to help cover funeral and related expenses.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Grant Supports Shell Island Habitat Restoration
Greenwich Land Trust received a $278,314 grant from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund to restore habitat at the 5.23-acre Shell Island Preserve in Captain Harbor. The project will remove invasive plants such as tree-of-heaven, wisteria, barberry, and phragmites and reestablish native coastal forest, grassland, and dune vegetation to improve habitat for birds and other wildlife identified in Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan. Restoration is expected to begin in winter 2026 and continue for about three years with logistical and educational support from local partners.
SCHOOLS
Central Middle School Opens Enrollment Opportunity
Greenwich Public Schools has opened enrollment at Central Middle School to students outside its attendance zone due to declining enrollment, which is projected to drop from 587 students in 2019–20 to about 422 next year. Before open enrollment, projected class sizes in sixth and seventh grade were about 12 students, and the district estimated more than 60 additional students would be needed to match class sizes at the other two middle schools; the superintendent also proposed eliminating four teaching positions because of lower enrollment. Families may apply through April 3 for remaining spaces—about 15 seats each in sixth and seventh grade and seven in eighth grade—and transportation will not be provided for students outside the zone.
Greenwich Students Win State Science Bowl
Eighteen Greenwich High School Science Team students competed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Regional Science Bowl at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The varsity team—Xiwen Gong, Martin Lipp, Rex Lu, Jiajun Luo, and Axel Persson—won the 2026 Connecticut Regional championship after winning all five round-robin matches and advancing through the double-elimination bracket with one loss. The team will represent Connecticut at the national Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., in April.
Greenwich Students Earn Writing Honors
Several Greenwich High School students received regional recognition in the Scholastic Writing Awards. Sophomore Yachi Chen earned a Gold Key for the flash fiction piece *“Windows.”* Clara Cahill, Claire Pinheiro, Hailey Stahl, and Alexa Loera received Silver Keys, while Kate Crowe and Ogden Hammond received Honorable Mentions in their respective categories.
Sacred Heart Observatory Honors Marie Kernaghan
Sacred Heart Greenwich will hold a renaming and blessing ceremony for its observatory on March 27 at 3:45 p.m. on the lower campus. The observatory will be named in honor of Sr. Marie Kernaghan, RSCJ (1900–1986), the first woman to earn a physics doctorate from St. Louis University. The dedication recognizes her contributions to science and education.
North Mianus STEAM Night Inspires Learning
North Mianus School recently hosted a STEAM Night featuring activities related to science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Parent and teacher volunteers organized hands-on stations where students participated in building, design, and problem-solving tasks. The event also included a portable planetarium experience.
Hamilton Avenue Students Support St. Jude
Hamilton Avenue School students participated in the 2026 St. Jude Math-A-Thon, raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital while practicing math skills. Since 2011, the school’s students have raised more than $70,000 for childhood cancer research and patient support. One student, Victor M., raised $450 to help fund medical care, housing, food, and other support services for families receiving treatment.
Brunswick Students Win State Chess Titles
Miles Gillott ’26 and Seann Dubrovsky ’29 placed first in their divisions at the National Scholastic Chess Foundation’s 2026 Connecticut State Grade Championships. Both represented Brunswick School in the competition. The results marked top finishes for the two students at the state event.
SPORTS
Greenwich Athletes Celebrate Reading With Students
Hamilton Avenue School marked Read Across America Day with a visit from Greenwich High School student-athletes who read books to younger students in classrooms across the school. The books, selected by the school’s media center, included several dragon-themed titles connected to a school reading contest. The event focused on literacy and gave Hamilton Avenue students an opportunity to hear stories and interact with the visiting high school athletes.
Brunswick Students Rally For Brain Cancer Research
On February 26, Brunswick School varsity basketball player Quinn Sheehy ’26 organized a student-led fundraiser for B*CURED, a nonprofit that supports brain cancer research. The effort was inspired by the death of his grandmother, Kathryn Clauss, from brain cancer in 2013. Sheehy designed and sold custom t-shirts within the school community, with all proceeds donated to the organization, and his teammates wore the shirts during warmups before a game against Greenwich Country Day School.
Greenwich Hockey Opens State Tournament
Greenwich High School’s boys ice hockey team, seeded sixth, opens the 11-team CIAC Division I Tournament on March 11 by hosting No. 11 Notre Dame Prep at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink. The Cardinals enter the state tournament with a 9-11 record and have won six of their last 10 games after a late-season turnaround. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals on March 14 to face second-seeded Fairfield Prep.
Sacred Heart Wins First NEPSAC Championship
Sacred Heart Greenwich defeated Loomis Chaffee School 53–46 on March 8 at Noble & Greenough School in Massachusetts to win its first NEPSAC Class A basketball championship, finishing the season 21–7. Senior guard Eva Wilkerson scored 17 points and was named tournament MVP, while Lucianna Parrotta and Adrian Allegretti each added 12 points. The victory ended Loomis Chaffee’s four-year NEPSAC title run and came one year after Sacred Heart lost to the Pelicans in the championship game.
Sacred Heart Advances To NEPSAC Final
Second-seeded Sacred Heart Greenwich defeated sixth-seeded Taft School, 58–35, in the NEPSAC Class A semifinals after building a 23–3 lead in the first quarter and a 30–15 halftime advantage. Eva Wilkerson and Lucianna Parrotta each scored 20 points to lead Sacred Heart. The Tigers advance to the championship game against top-seeded Loomis Chaffee at Noble & Greenough School in Massachusetts.
Brunswick Rallies for Dramatic Overtime Victory
Brunswick School defeated top-seeded Tabor Academy, 5–4, in overtime in the NEPSAC Large School semifinal on March 7 in Marion, Mass., after rallying from a 4–1 third-period deficit. Junior Keegan Kazan scored three goals in five minutes to tie the game before sophomore Hunter Hanford netted the overtime winner off a pass from senior Owen Gibbons. Brunswick advanced to face Cushing Academy in the championship after previously defeating Thayer Academy, 2–1, in the quarterfinals.
Greenwich Girls Claim FCIAC Championship
Greenwich High School defeated Staples 65–49 to win the 2026 FCIAC Girls Basketball Tournament, securing the program’s first conference tournament title since the 1987–1988 season and finishing the game with a strong early lead. Sophomore Zuri Faison scored 27 points and was named the game’s MVP and the FCIAC Player of the Year, while senior captain Madi Utzinger added 21 points. The Cardinals completed the FCIAC Tournament with three victories after an 18–2 regular season and advanced to the CIAC Division I state tournament with a 21–2 record.
LOCAL POLITICS
Joe Kelly Announces State Senate Run
Joe Kelly announced he is running for the Connecticut State Senate in the 36th District following Senator Ryan Fazio’s decision to vacate the seat to run for governor. Kelly previously served as chairman of the Greenwich Board of Education and has been involved in local initiatives including the renovation of Greenwich High School’s Cardinal Stadium. The 36th District includes Greenwich, New Canaan, and portions of Stamford.
Oberlander Announces State Senate Campaign
Greenwich Democrat Jill Oberlander has filed paperwork with the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission to run for the State Senate seat in the 36th District. The district includes Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan.
FROM HARTFORD
Connecticut Warns Residents About Text Scam
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles warns residents about a scam text claiming recipients have an unpaid traffic citation requiring immediate payment. The DMV states it does not send payment requests by text message and the message is fraudulent. Residents should not click the link or reply, should delete the message, and report it to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
States Challenge Federal College Data Rule
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined 17 other state attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration requirement that colleges submit new data through the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to monitor compliance with the Supreme Court ruling banning the use of race in admissions. The lawsuit argues the Department of Education implemented the reporting requirements too quickly, without clear definitions, creating a risk of reporting errors, penalties, and unreliable data while also raising concerns about student privacy. The new rules require institutions to submit race- and sex-disaggregated admissions data, including information from the past seven years, by March 18, 2026.
