September 4, 2020

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September 4, 2020

The Greenwich Weekly Newspaper, where we celebrate our hometown with Greenwich news, people, and events.

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CALL TO ACTION

August Real Estate Sales are Off the Chart

By Mark Pruner

COMMUNITY CENTERS INC. (CCI) In need of a donation of large paper grocery bags for food deliveries to 175 people weekly. www.ccigreenwich.org MEALS ON WHEELS

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR Drive through food donations every Tuesday 9am to 11am hosted by the St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes Parish Items needed: unexpired tuna, formula, canned meats, peanut butter & cereal. They are not accepting clothing at this time. www.ntngreenwich.org GREENWICH ALLIANCE FOR EDUCATION Looking for student mentors for the AVID program.

Call 203.340.2323 or email julie@greenwichalliance.org www.greenwichalliance.org/ volunteer/ JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES Signature Superermarkeing for Seniors needs additional volunteer shoppers to help. Please call 203 6221881 or contact ebrown@ jfsgreenwich.org CHAPLAINCY SERVICES In need of new or gently used ipads to facilitate virtual family visits. Please reach out to Kate Noonan Glaser: kate@greenwichchaplaincy. org with your donations.

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Aug ust sing le family home sales were literally off the chart. We had 108 sales which meant I had to rescale this graph of monthly sales, it normally only goes to 100 sales. We have never had an August like this. We also have never had a year where the high point for sales was in August; it’s normally June or July. COVID has not only increased sales, but time shifted them, by two months or possibly more.

This is because September has a chance o f b e a t i n g A u g u s t ’s

This chart, created by Mark Pruner each month, literally shows August Single Family Home Sales in Greenwich are "off the charts" plus contract are up 133 percent. What a difference a year makes.

By Richard Kaufman Last week, Greenwich Public Schools warned of a possible delayed star t for elementary schools in town because of a staffing shortage. But on Monday night, the Board of Education held an emergency meeting in which they assured parents that the issue had been addressed and doors will open as scheduled on Sept. 9.

O ve r 8 0 0 a t t e n d e e s v iewed the emergency meeting on Monday night.

The a n nou ncement last week of a possible delay created some tension as families scrambled to come up with contingency plans on what to do with their children.

Board member, Peter Sherr, thanked Jones and the administration for reaching out into the community, but he voiced concern that the staff ing problem came as a surprise.

"This sent shockwaves

through the entire community, and candidly r u i n e d a l ot of p e op l e s w e e k e n d s . We c r e a t e d essentially three days of u n ne ce s s a r y a ng st ," he said. "As we go forward, we have to learn from this. We have to be more thoughtful as a board that we don't do stuff like this that whips the community into a frenzy."

The school district was facing a shortage of su bstitute teachers a nd classroom monitors.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Toni Jones, put out a notice last Friday saying that school might be delayed until Sept. 14. She asked for interested candidates to submit applications, and the community responded.

"We're in a better spot today than we were last week," Jones said.

As of Monday night, 88 people applied to be long term substitute teachers, and 112 people applied to be a monitor.

"The applications are

The Anger Cauldron

STORY IDEAS Publisher@ GreenwichSentinel.com COLUMNISTS Columnists and community impact. Jenny at CommunityImpact@ GreenwichSentinel.com JIM KNOX info@beardsleyzoo.org TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN GREENWICH: www.greenwichsentinel. com/community-event/ LETTERS Editor@GreenwichSentinel. com CORRESPONDENCE PO Box 279 Greenwich, CT 06836

coming in and it's going to make a difference for us in feeling more secure," Jones added.

Jones thanked Greenw ich Police Chief, James Heavey, for stepping up and making sure fingerprints are being taken so t he p osit ion s c a n b e filled quickly.

Recently, the Greenwich Education Alliance released a survey that found only 8 percent of the 775 teacher respondents felt "ver y c om for t a ble" r et u r n i n g to t he classroom, wh i le 42 percent felt "not at all comfortable."

Jones said hav ing a strong number of substitutes will be vital if teachers go on medical or family leave, test positive for COVID-19 or if they have to quarantine because they've come into contact with an infected person.

"The good thing is now we have a pool of people to help us when that happens.

We n e e d e d t o g e t t h a t

[number] back up again.

Some of our regular subs who normally subbed for us just were not interested in coming back in this environment. I think maybe when they see our teachers come back, maybe some of them will come back," Jones said.

Staffing will continue to be a focal point all year as the country adjusts to the ongoing pandemic, Jones added, but she's confident in the school district to step up.

"We're getting it done and everyone's rolling up their sleeves. This is not a

typical year by any shape or form at all," she said.

Board of Education members thanked Jones for her hard work over the weekend in order to fill the needed spots.

"Everybody really was very disappointed to think about the possibility that students wouldn't be able to start school on the first day, so I'm glad we're in a position now to say that will not be the case, and we've increased the number of robust subs and monitors that we've had," said board member, Karen Hirsh.

Hirsh added that there has been a teacher and sub shortage in the country over the past 10 years.

Peter Bernstein, Chair of the BOE, said the big takeaway f rom the emergency meeting was that the community stepped up and fixed the issue at hand.

"We do not need to take action. That's the headline from this meeting. Thanks to the community for stepping up , t h a n k s to t h e h a r d work of the administrators, t h a n k s to t ho s e p e ople willing to step up and teach and work in the schools, we will not be delaying the start of the year," Bernstein said.

B O E m e m b e r, J o e Kelly, said it was important for the school district to "project stability."

"We need to eliminate uncertainty, and we need to promote confidence. It's really important that we dot our i's and cross our t's and make sure we don't alarm anybody," he said.

POLO: Altaris Scores 12-9 Win

By Liz Leamy

SPORTS Paul@GreenwichSentinel.com ADVERTISING Peter@GreenwichSentinel. com; call 203-4850226; or buy online at GreenwichSentinel.com/ Advertise

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outstanding sales. While we can be prett y sure that September sales will be the hig hest for any S eptem b er, b e c au se we have 193 contracts, up from 83 last year. That number is down slightly from the 208 contracts that we had the beginning of August.

However, with a late school st a r t t h i s ye a r, we w i l l continue to see families pressing to get in before the beginning of school.

On the inventory side we, only have 505 listings, down 14% from last year.

So w ith increased sales and lower inventory we are seeing big drops in months of supply. For the market overall, we have 8.8 months of supply down from 13.0 months of supply at this time last year. The really dramatic number is when you take August sales and annualize them, there you go from 9.3 months of supply

By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT Anger is not bad. It can be a helpful barometer to show us when change is needed. Problems arise when we store anger without understanding it. Most of us have trouble looking into our own anger cauldron, but if we don’t, our anger can heat up.

When we or someone we love flies off the handle, it helps to look under the lid of anger for the hurt, the pain, the fear, or the sadness that has not been addressed— that has boiled over. There is always some form of “sad” under “mad.” If our lids fly off repeatedly, smacking those we love in the face, professional support can help us figure out what kind of old pain is hiding in our cauldron.

Anger frightens all of us. We typically move toward another person’s pain or sadness because we want to help, but fury usually pushes us away, just when we or someone we love needs help the most.

Trevor and Karen were out of control with anger. Their counselor asked them to hold hands and look silently into each other’s eyes for 60 seconds without breaking eye contact. Those 60 seconds became sacred space. They both cried. They saw the hurt, the pain, and the sadness in each other’s cauldron. Their voices quieted, and they embraced.

Greenwich resident Jill Woolworth is author of the book, The Waterwheel available locally at Diane's Books (203-869-1515 or info@dianesbooks.com) or at Amazon.

Last Sunday, the worldrenowned Greenwich Polo Clu b located at Conyers Farm on North Street, kicked off the celebrated 2020 East Coast Open Championship tournament with Altaris, the supercharged high-goal contingent from Greenwich scoring an impressive 12-9 win against Greenvale, the formidable team based on Long Island, New York.

This memorable 20-goal match, held on perhaps one of the most spectacular days of the summer so far, drew an outdoor reduced capacity crowd that was steadfast Mega Provocativa, the gorgeous charge owned and ridden by Lerin Zubiaurre of about following the CDC Altaris honored for being Best Playing Pony at Sunday's first round East Coast guidelines of wearing masks Open match (Greenwich Polo Club and Peter Michaelis photo)

“You can see the intensity out there,” said Nicole Fischer, a Gucci sales manager who has been attending matches at the Polo Club since she was a little girl with her sister, Courtney and mother, Sabrina Pray Forsythe, whose father, Malcolm Pray, was one of the original Polo Club members. a n d m a i nt a i n i n g s o c i a l level polo live and in person, distancing while at the same making this a successful time enjoying the prospect venture on all fronts.

“Everything about this of watch ing world-class

match has been incredible. t h is bei ng such a major The players and ponies are tournament,” said Nicole amazing and you can see Fischer, a Gucci footwear the intensity out there with See POLO page 5

Page 2 | Greenwich Sentinel Musing

SUMMER STAND OPEN FOR THE SEASON FROM THE FIEL H S E D FR

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

ABSOLUTELY!

By Eugene Surowitz Not so anti-relativistically fast you apolitical hot-head!

Ju s t a b o u t e ve r y t a l k i n g head of CNN, FOX, MSNBC, ETC will punctuate or f inalize their com ments w ith “absolutely!” declarations.

Absolutely asserting something does not raise it even to a modestly justifiably held belief.

Belief is what you act on. What is your scale of action? Absolutely relative to what?

The word ‘belief’ begs exclusion of thought; a one size fits all.

Let’s do some of the math: This “going from one extreme to the other” is a common phrase for whip-lashing any discussion from a very positive view to a very negative one.

Or to put it the math way, it is going from plus one to minus one without traversing the in-between.

Everything between the right and left endpoints of the bi-unit interval is unthinkable.

This is the poverty stricken realm of the closed mind-sets of the ETC minds.

These emanations ignore the mind-set distributions that exist

on either side of neutrality, the zero, sometimes called the middle ground, the center of a bell curve so often joyfully perverted by pollsters.

These provide a psychological basis for the mind-sets that we label ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’; which in turn, measure an individual’s toleration for change, slow or fast.

Suppose, instead, we exclude the absolute end-points of fulminating argumentation and adopt the open mind of the meliorist middle ground that all arguments have some validity. ¿Relativity, anyone?

Book Review

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

By Erin Whitney

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It’s common knowledge that most readers do not give great reviews to books in which animals die. There are, of course, exceptions: Call of the Wild and Old Yeller.

A case can also be made that The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the 2003 novel by Mark Haddon, is also worthy of exception.

By the end of the first page, the reader is left with the memory of a dog impaled with a garden fork (pitchfork) and the question of who wielded the weapon. The canine in question, Wellington, belonged to Mrs. Shears, the neighbor of the protagonist, Christopher.

Christopher had a ver y close relationship with Wellington; he thinks dogs are easier to interact with than people. For a mystery novel, a dog’s murder on the first page is an unusual beginning.

From the start, preconceived notions of coming-of-age, murder m y s t e r y, a n d d a r k c o m e d y novels are broken. By the time the murderer is revealed, readers w ill have been taken through a whirlwind story with v iolent tw ists and turns that end stereotypes. In true murder mystery fashion, readers are able to solve the mystery right along with Christopher, the protagonist and narrator. This makes the story more exciting because readers feel more engaged.

Christopher is a 15-year-old boy with Aspergers Syndrome, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as it’s called today. Writing the narrator as a disabled person is another unexpected twist that Mark Haddon throws the reader’s way. As Christopher works to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog, readers come to understand his unique and refreshing prespective.

He is skeptical of everything he’s told, often finding himself in trouble for telling adults that what they said is wrong or doesn’t make sense. Christopher’s perspective is delightfully honest, and well after they finish the book, readers will find themselves questioning that which they previously took for granted.

Th is b ook i nspi res a rea l reflection of the world and of our relationships with other people: Christopher notes that people should just say clearly what they’re feeling, rather than assuming that people already know. Christopher’s adventure is quick-paced, but he still takes time to examine (and often correct in his own entertaining way) many attitudes and mindsets. Mark Haddon wrote on his website that this is not a novel about ASD: rather, it’s a novel about having a “surprising and revealing” world-view.

Whether the novel is meant to be about ASD or not, it’s important to be accurate, especially since this will be some readers’ introduction to the perspective of a person with autism. The novel does not live up to this expectation. It paints an inaccurate picture of a person with the syndrome, causing controversy

and criticism from the autism community. Readers should keep this in mind as they read the book; Mark Haddon himself admitted that he had done no research on autism before writing this book.

He throws away an opportunity to accurately portray ASD, despite the controversy that could be avoided with research.

While the many expletives in this novel are strategically placed to add intensity to intense chapters, readers may take issue with the abundant foul language. There are a lot of intense chapters, so there is a great deal of profanity.

While the dog does meet an unfortunate fate, the story he inspires are well worthwhile. The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time offers a unique literary experience that will have readers eagerly turning its pages.

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Local News Briefs

EDUCATION

BGCG Opens Remote Learning Center

Alternative to College Tours Rob Carroll, a Greenwich native and his fellow Colgate grad Nick Freud have created CampusReel, an alternative to college tours. A free online service at www.campusreel.org with online college tours is available. The website has more than 15,000 videos about more than 300 colleges made by students, so the videos are up close and personal looks at college life.

students. Nothing has been proposed yet.

FIRE DEPT.

Greenwich Hospital Recognized

New Greenwich Fire Chief

Greenwich Hospital has released a press release stating “Greenwich Hospital's high-quality stroke program has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for providing up-to-the-minute scientifically based treatment to support better patient outcomes. The Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award represent the exceptional care patients with stroke and diabetes receive at Greenwich Hospital.”

Joseph McHugh has been named the new Chief of the Greenwich Fire Department. Chief McHugh was a Battalion Chief in the FDNY for the past 30 years and his father, Edward McHugh, was a member of Local 1042 of the Greenwich Fire Department for 20 years before his retirement.

The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich has extended their hours from 8 to 7 p.m. and has incorporated a Remote Learning Center that can host 84 high school students during the day.

Beginning September 14, the students will have a safe, structured, and accessible setting that will allow them to attend virtual classes and complete schoolwork when not attending school in person. SPORTS For more information, sign ups, and pricing visit CIAC on Fall Sports the BGCG website at http://bgcg.org /fall-2020The CIAC Board has voted to restart conditioning programming/.

EEE and West Nile Back in CT for all fall sports after being put on pause in early For the f irst time this season, a mosquito August. Conditioning and skill work need to be nonState Teacher Union contact and done in small cohorts. Any fall sport that in Connecticut has tested positive for Eastern Calls for Delays has been cancelled will not be played at a later date Equine Encephalitis. The mosquito was trapped at The state teacher’s union is calling for a delay in this school year. The board will continue to monitor Stonington High School early in August. It is early in the school opening of two weeks to better prepare for the situation and plans will be fluid as circumstances the season for mosquitoes to be testing positive for EEE and this may become cause for concern. West remote learning. With new reports, the Connecticut change.

Nile Virus has also shown up in 28 mosquitoes so far Education Association president believes that the GHS Alumni is No. 1 in Empire League Draft this season. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment reopening plans need to be adjusted. The CEA Safe Taylor Olmstead, a 2013 graduate of Greenwich Station urges everyone to take precautions against Learning Plan can be found here http://cea.org/ High School, continues his climb into professional being bitten by mosquitoes. wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Safe-Learning-Planbaseball. His latest step to get there is being picked Addendum-August-2020.pdf. as No. 1 overall by the Saranac Lake Surge of the Empire League Draft. The Empire League is a POLICE DEPT. New Assistant Principals professional developmental independent league for At Parkway School: Jeffery Libby will be on baseball created in 2015. Over the past few years, GPD Officer Promotion leave until at least December and will be replaced Empire League players have gone on to play in MLB. Ceremony

by Cindy Boucard until his return. Boucard previously worked at New Lebanon School as a On August 27, there was a small swearing in Resident Places 2nd in Golf Special Education. At New Lebanon School: Lindsey ceremony for five Greenwich Police officers. Chief Championship Eisentein has been appointed Assistant Principal Jim Heavey and First Selectman Fred Camillo were Greenwich resident and 2014 Greenwich High there to see these officers promoted. Deputy Chief of New Lebanon School. Previously she held the positions of Advanced Learning Program Teacher School graduate Paul Pastore tied for second at Robert Berry will lead the Field Services Division. and Math Interventionist at Hamilton Avenue School. the 105th Met Open Golf Championship. Pastore Captain James Bonney will be the Commander of the She is replacing Klara Monaco who is the new was representing Fairview Country Club at the Support Services Division. Captain Mark Zuccerella Principal of Glenville School. Responsibilities for championship which took place at Mountain Ridge will be the Commander of the Patrol Division. both will include: the supervision and evaluation of Country Club in Caldwell, NJ. Within the Patrol Division, Lieutenant Timothy Kelly staff, the facilitation of the special education process, will lead Patrol Group A, and Sergeant Christopher Father & Son Win Golf Title the maintaining of a safe and welcoming climate, and Agliotta will be a team leader for a squad in Patrol advocating on behalf of all students.

Greenwich residents Jackson and Steve Fretty Group B. won the 84th CSGA Connecticut Father and Son Golf White House Art Exhibit Crash on Lake Avenue Championship representing Greenwich Country Club.

They were up against 48 other father-son pairs On August 17, Greenwich Police responded to an Includes Art by Town Student competing at Bloomfield’s Tumble Brook Country accident on Lake Avenue between a motorcycle and In June, the First Lady announced that the Club. a car. The motorcyclist had life-threatening injuries White House would host an exhibit to celebrate the and the officer administered first aid, specifically 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment which PUB/POST: Greenwich Sentinel; issue a tourniquet to the cyclist’s leg to control bleeding.

PRODUCTION: N/A LIVE: None gave women the right to CODE: vote.HSS-2020-42A She asked students, dates: 6/1 -HEALTH 6/14 (5/26/2020) The motorcyclist was then rushed to the hospital DESCRIPTION: The Best Orthopedics WORKORDER #: 74554 TRIM: 10.75” x 10.8” grades 3-12, to submit art that represented this and it was discovered the officers first aid saved the Potential Flu Shot Mandate occasion and one piece from each state would be FILE: 03A-74550-04A-HSS-2020-42A.indd SAP #: HSS.HSSGEN.20000.B.011 BLEED: None motorcyclist’s life. The incident is being investigated selected.

Greenwich student Maud Fiorelle, a rising G over nor Ne d L a mont ha s s a id t hat h is by the Department’s Traffic Section.

212.237.7000 6th grader, was chosen for Connecticut. Maud and administration may follow Massachusetts in her mother, Kimberly Fiorello, a candidate for state mandating that all students get flu shots. Connecticut representative, will be guests of the First Lady at the already requires the vaccine for preschool students T:10.75” opening of the exhibit. but f lu shots are notcurrently required for K-12

Byram Firehouse Renovation of Byram Firehouse is underway.

It was built in 1952 and needed a lot of work that has been long overdue - the project was supposed to have started in 2019 but was delayed until this past summer. Traffic and pedestrian access is also thought to be improved by the renovation. Despite the budgeted $3 million dollar changes that are being made, the facade of the firehouse will be preserved.

CHARITY WORK

Donation of a Solar Pumping System in Haiti Greenwich Firefighters, Greenwich Police Silver Shield Association, and Aquarion Water Company came together to make a donation to the Village of Basse Cayemite in Haiti in order to provide the people with a solar pumping system that will provide drinking water to the village. This was in honor of Jonas, an employee of the public safety complex that came here from Haiti in 1999.

Greenwich Together Statement Greenw ich Together, a coalition of police leaders, human service providers, and faith-based organizations, has released a statement speaking out against racism and has committed to doing all they can to help society work toward true equality. Their statement and the list of supporters can be found here: https://www.greenwichtogether.org/we-reagainst-racism.

New Bruce Museum Exhibit On September 1, Bruce Museum opened a new exhibit entitled “Floating Beauty - Women in the Art of Ukiyo-e”. The exhibit will examine the historical perspective on women and their depiction in the Edo Period of Japan which spanned from 1615 to 1858. It will feature more than 40 woodblock prints that are on loan from the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania. Admission to the museum is by reservation which can be found at https:// brucemuseum.org/ and is free to all visitors on Tuesdays.

Hospital for Special Surgery and Stamford Health have teamed up to bring world-class orthopedic care closer to you. Our team of experts remains dedicated to making safe, responsible musculoskeletal care available – wherever you are.

To learn more about our in-person and virtual appointment options, visit HSS.edu/StamfordHealth

HSS Stamford, 1 Blachley Rd, Stamford, CT 06902 Most major insurance plans accepted. New patients welcome.

T:10.8”

THE BEST ORTHOPEDICS

BY FAR IS RIGHT HERE.

See News Briefs on page 8

Page 4 |Greenwich Sentinel

Zoom Talk with Christina Baker Kline and Erik Larson On Wednesday, September 16, 2020 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, bestselling author Christina Baker Kline will be discussing her new book, The Exiles, with Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile, hosted by the Greenwich chapter of Room to Read. John Wood, founder of Room to Read and author of Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, will introduce the speakers.

The Room to Read Greenwich Chapter is excited to host this evening in celebration of Room

to Read’s 20th Anniversary with founder, John Wood offering signed copies provided by Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops. Join in for a live virtual discussion with Christina Baker Kline, author most recently of Orphan Train and A Piece of the World, to launch her powerful new novel The Exiles. Kline will discuss this emotionally resonant historical novel which captures the hardship and hope in the lives of three women in nineteenth-century Australia. Author Erik Larson (The

Splendid and the Vile) will join Kline to discuss her work and the writing process, followed by a Q&A. Each ticket covers a signed copy of The Exiles and a link to the virtual event on Crowdcast.

Now in its 20th year, Room to Read works to transform the lives of millions of children in lowincome communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education in partnership with local communities, partner organizations and governments.

Greenwich Elders - At Home in Quarantine

By Nike Whittemore W h e n t h e U. S . we nt i nto lockdown with COVID-19, the news reported that the older population was particularly vulnerable to the virus and was the hardest hit, especially those living in nursing homes. Wondering how Greenwich residents who were “ag ing in place” (choosing to age in their own homes, rather than move to community living) were doing, I reached out to Lise Jameson, Executive Director of At Home in Greenwich to ask if I could interview a few of her eldest members by phone to see what their experiences had been of the pandemic. Four members volunteered for the project and following on are highlights from the final interview featuring Dick Franck, age 84, and his wife Polly Franck, age 83.

The hope is that readers might find themselves in these stories, know that they are not alone, and feel inspired to reflect on their own personal inner and outer journey with this pandemic.

What has been your personal experience with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Dick Franck: “I think the thing that has affected us the most is that one of our sons lives in a group home managed by Abilis,

and Abilis is very strict - rightfully so, because any communal living situation has to be extra careful.

Our son can’t come over here for Sunday dinner or anything like that, which he usually does. So, he calls us every day and we’ve seen him a few times. He can come to the front door of his residence, but we have to ma i nta i n ou r distance, wear masks and have our temperatures taken. We also have a friend who’s in a community in Florida and it’s like a prison down there - pretty grim. It’s much tougher for them than for us. We’re okay.”

What has been your personal experience with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Polly Franck: “In terms of my own experience in this quarantine, it really hasn’t been so bad. Of course, there’s this kind of anxiety about this virus and what will happen in the future, but I think that’s true for everybody. We’re fortunate that there’s two of us, so we’re not that isolated. I find that we’ve really enjoyed the backyard and the bird feeder and more time appreciating little things because we’re sort of stuck here. We can still walk around the block and putter in the garden, but I do think we’re more appreciative of our environment and thankful that we have each other, the At Home in

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“One of the things I’ve learned is that we can do with a lot less. And I think the whole country should do with a lot less."

Polly Franck.

Greenwich organization, and the people we’ve met through it.”

How have you spent your time in quarantine?

Dick Franck: “Polly’s always been a gardener and now I’m helping her. And I’m a member of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club and have volunteered the last few years in helping them get a couple of boats ready to be launched. I also have a rowboat, so I’ve gone rowing. And of course, we’ve been dragged into the 21st century with Zoom like crazy! I’m on the Board of Abilis and I’ve gone to Zoom meetings there and I’m a member of the Retired Men’s Association and I’ve gone to Zoom meetings there, too. We even do a Tai Chi class by Zoom! The men’s group that I participate in through At Home used to meet for breakfast, but now we just have discussions.

It’s very good because it’s very small, just four men. That’s easier than having a big group.”

How have you spent your time in quarantine?

Polly Franck: “My favorite At Home group is the book group.

Barbara Martin and I organize it and it’s such a great group of people. We read pretty meaty books, no romance novels! It’s been a wonderful experience for me. And ever since joining At Home, I’ve really wanted to go to MaryAnn Hoberman’s poetry g roup. She has w ritten many poetry books for children. I knew about her and wanted to learn from her, so attending that poetry class via teleconference has been wonderful. And every Tuesday, one of the At Home members invites ever yone to lu nch v ia Zoom, which is interesting. Also, every week Dr. Stephanie Paulmeno, an At Home member and Advisory Board member, gives people an opportunity to call in and ask questions about the pandemic.

She’s very knowledgeable. So, it seems like we’re busy! We’re enjoying it all very much.”

Has being a member of At Home i n Gr e enw ich b e en

“I’d say politeness and courtesy have improved and people are more patient getting in and out of parking spaces."

Dick Franck.

helpful to you during the quarantine?

D ick F ra nck : “I t h i n k At Home is a great agency and people should k now about it. It’s an important thing because we’re all getting older. It’s a good resource to have. One year, I analyzed a questionnaire for Lise and one of the interesting responses was, “We don’t need the services of At Home in Greenwich now, but we want it to be there because we know we’ll need it later on.” So, there are younger people who join that’s why we joined originally, too, because we knew it would be good for us even though we couldn’t specify exactly what it was going to be.”

Has being a member of At Home in Greenwich been helpful to you during the quarantine?

Polly Franck: “I feel grateful, really, to At Home because we’ve lived here a long time and of course we have friends, but many have moved away. This has been an opportunity to meet new people and connect with those who have similar interests. I think it’s a wonderful organization.”

Does this season remind you of any other season in your life?

Dick Franck: “When we were kids, we were quarantined for whooping cough or scarlet fever or something like that. But that was way in the distant past, over 70 years ago. Polly remembers WWII and it being stressful growing up during the war, but I don’t have the same memories. We had blackouts then where everyone had to pull down the shades and turn off the lights. I don’t remember that being stressful though - it was actually kind of fun as a young kid!”

Does this season remind you of any other season in your life?

Polly Franck: “I v iv idly remember air raid drills and the drawn curtains. I have a drawing from when I was seven years old in school before the war was over. I drew a picture of a little girl sitting under a palm tree and right above her head was an airplane

dropping a bomb! That memory came up for me, as well as the Bay of Pigs, which was very scary. I remember thinking we should go up to the woods to get away from this and that everyone should have a fallout shelter and a huge storage of food.”

What are your thoughts about all this new technology to help people during the quarantine?

Dick Franck: “Grocery shoppi ng on l i ne ha sn’t b e en attractive to us yet since we still feel able to shop for ourselves. As far as Zoom goes, it wasn’t difficult to figure out. You just have to have the app on your computer and then type in the number code of the meeting, and that’s it! Lise will supposedly send someone over to help people with the technology, if they need it.”

What are your thoughts about all this new technology to help people during the quarantine?

Polly Franck: “I’m not a techie.

I really should be doing it myself, but Dick always does it. I can do a teleconference, but I just let him do it.”

What learnings or wisdom from this situation would you like to share with your peers and/or the younger generations?

Dick Franck: “I think the lesson to be learned is that hygiene is very important and when there’s something going around like flu or coronavirus, it’s extra important and one shouldn’t be so casual about it. When I was young, I was very causal about it, but I’m finally wising up.”

What learnings or wisdom from this situation would you like to share with your peers and/or the younger generations?

Polly Franck: “One of the things I’ve learned is that we can do with a lot less. And I think the whole country should do with a lot less. We don’t need to go running around frantically. We can cut back on so much and slow down and savor things more. There are some things that are more important than others, such as the

importance of being able to connect with and talk to people. I think that’s an important aspect of At Home. If you’re isolated, it must be very difficult.”

Are there any positive changes from this quarantine that you would like to see kept in our society as we move forward?

Dick Franck: “I’d say politeness and courtesy have improved and people are more patient getting in and out of parking spaces. And I think in stores and supermarkets people have been very polite about keeping distance, more or less.

And if there is an improvement in minority healthcare due to all of this, then that would be just great.”

Are there any positive changes from this quarantine that you would like to see kept in our society as we move forward?

Polly Franck: “Appreciating the little things, doing with a lot less and being more supportive of each other. I also think an element of kindness has increased in our society, yet at the same time, there’s all this horrible stuff going on. It’s like a perfect storm - how there’s a pandemic and Black Lives Matter with the realization that minorities have healthcare that’s much worse.

I mean we all knew that, but this is just bringing it up so vividly that large segments of our population are not really doing well in terms of basic services like healthcare and justice. I’m just hoping that something good will come out of it and we’ll begin to have a little more sense of cooperation, meaning that we’re all in this together. And I do believe they’ll find a vaccine or a variety of treatments for this virus that make it much less of a threat, so people just need to be patient and vigilant.”

So, there you have it. The wisdom of the elders has spoken! I hope that reading these interviews over t he la st few we ek s h a s helped you process your own experiences and thoughts about this pandemic. I also hope that you are encouraged to engage with At Home in Greenwich and other local organizations in a way that helps you stay connected with others, learn new things and get help when needed. To quote Polly, “We’re all in this together.” How true that is.

May these words propel all of us to be kinder and more supportive of each other as we navigate together through these uncertain times.

Nike Whittemore is a longtime Greenwich resident, with a master’s degree in health advocacy from Sarah Lawrence College. She has served as a hospice volunteer, a reader for the visually impaired, an educator with The Eden Alternative, and a contributing writer for At Home in Greenwich.

At Home in Greenwich supports a diverse community of aging adults living at home by providing trusted resources and services, enrichment opportunities and social connections.

At Home is a nonprofit organization and can be reached at 203-422-2342, or at www.athomeingreenwich.org.

CAMILLO's CORNER

Updates from Town Hall

By Richard Kaufman Every other week, the Greenwich S e n t i n e l br i n gs you e x c l u s ive updates on happenings around Town Hall from First Selectman Fred Camillo.

The task force that Camillo organized to look at how the town prepares and responds to weather events met for the first time last week.

Health Department Preparing for Influx of COVID-19 Cases in Fall The Board of Selectmen received an update on COVID-19 from Greenwich Health Director, Caroline Baisley, last Thursday.

Baisley reported that Greenwich cases remained stable throughout August with the exception of a couple of blips, but with fall on the horizon the town is preparing for a possible influx.

"We're preparing for possibly an influx of more cases in the fall as the weather gets cooler and the humidity starts to drop,” said Baisley. “We are working on that and refining some of the things we need to put in place in working with our Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) members.” She added that the annual influenza plan is being worked on as well.

The MRC is a public health fo c use d u n it whose pr i ma r y roles are to assist in local public health initiatives, to promote and

enhance emergency preparedness among residents and businesses, and to respond to public health and other town emergencies.

B a i s l e y a l s o up d ate d t h e board on contact tracing, which has become a vital tool in trying to contain COVID-19. The Health Department staf f is using the state's new contact tracing data entry system, which is still getting ironed out.

"Our staff is starting to get used to putting in the data required for contact tracing," Baisley said.

She added that in the spring when there were no restrictions on gatherings, tracing revealed a lot of non-family contacts. But now, the tracing frequently shows contacts within a family.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said earlier this week on Tuesday t h at h e r e c e nt l y s p oke w it h Nathaniel Witherell Executive

Director, John Mastronardi, who hits, crews come in from different said the facility currently has no parts of the state, country, and known cases and is doing very well. even Canada.

"They're show ing up w ith Storm Task Force Holds maps," Camillo said. “Before, the Informational Meeting guys who went out knew the town.

The task force that Camillo What's causing further confusion organized to look at how the is we have a lot of streets here that town prepares and responds to have the same name, and they're weather events met for the firstin different parts of town. So, you time last week. "It went very well,” lose a lot of time [when you're Camillo said. “We have a very trying to respond to a storm and well-rounded small task force with get lost].” people who have experience in "The task force is going to be that industry with utilities, with looking at those issues, identifying task forces on state and local level. them and seeing where All stakeholders are represented." we can put in place procedures At the meeting, Camillo said that will mitigate that from our the members talked about ways in end," Camillo added. "Even though which the town can make things our response has been very good easier on their end in case the and we've done very well with utility company fails to respond communication, you have to see adequately. For example, years where you can do even better to ago, CL&P, now Eversource, had compensate if there's a fail on the a building in Greenwich that they part of the utility." worked out of. Now when a storm

Town Looks to Fill Assistant Fire Chief Role With Joseph McHugh officially sworn-in as Greenwich's new fire chief, the town will look to fill the Assistant Chief role formerly held

by Robert Kick, who is retiring at the end of the month. Kick served as the interim Chief when Peter Siecienski retired from the top spot earlier this summer. "We're look ing for someone who can help the new chief hit the ground running,” Camillo said. “That could mean a person already inside the department - who knows. At the end of the day, you really want the new chief to be comfortable. If the new chief is not comfortable, then he starts off on the wrong foot.

That's what you don't want."

McHug h, who began his f i re ca reer as a volu nteer i n Greenwich, joined the FDNY in 1991 where he served for almost 30 years. Camillo said it's important that McHugh is from Greenwich and already familiar with the town. "It's critical because he has the experience and the trust and the backing of the town. In many ways he's the perfect fit at the right time," he said.

Camillo noted that McHugh will be instrumental in picking his

Page 5 | Greenwich Sentinel

assistant over the coming weeks.

Camillo Praises Fire Department for Port Chester Response On the afternoon of Sunday, August. 30, the Greenwich Fire Depar tment responded to a building fire on N. Main Street in nearby Port Chester, N.Y. GFD u n its i n itia l ly mon itored t he blaze from the Greenwich side of the Byram River, but ultimately assisted the Port Chester Fire Department from the Greenwich side. The fire was eventually put out. Camillo praised the Greenwich Fire Department for helping out.

"They really stepped up, once again showing their dedication and professionalism, and the spirit of cooperation in this case with our neighbor to the south," he said.

Camillo said he called Port Chester mayor, Richard "Fritz" Falanka, the afternoon of the fire and later that night. Falanka then attended Ch ief McHug h's s we a r i ng-i n ceremony the following day.

"We have a great relationship with Port Chester,” Camillo said.

“We're two towns that have a long history together, and our department was there on the ground on both sides of the river.

I'm very proud of the response"

Joseph McHugh Sworn-In as Fire Chief

By Richard Kaufman O n e o f G r e e nw i c h’s ow n returned home on Monday with Joseph O. McHugh sworn-in as the new chief of the Greenwich Fire Department.

A socially distant crowd of over 100 people gathered for the swearing-in ceremony in front of the Public Safety Complex downtown. First Selectman and Fire Commissioner Fred Camillo a d m i n i s t e r e d t h e o at h , a n d McHugh’s wife, Pam, pinned the badge to make it official.

McHugh steps into the department follow ing the retirement of Chief Peter Siecienski earlier this year.

McHugh was selected from a p o ol of 4 0 appl ic a nt s who responded to a national search.

A series of inter v iews was conducted with eight f inalists by a committee, featuring Camillo, Town Administrator Ben Branyan, Human Resources Director Mary Pepe, InterimChief Robert Kick, Greenwich Firefighters Local 1042 President Matt Brooks, and Byram Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Walko.

McHugh has ties to G r e e nw ich , a s he b e g a n h i s career in fire services with the Sou nd Beach Volu nteer Fi re Department in Old Greenwich, serving as a firefighter and then as a l ieutena nt. H is mot her, Marjorie McHugh and mother and father-in-law, Martha and John Awdziewicz, are Greenwich r e s i d e n t s . H i s l a t e f a t h e r,

Edward, spent 20 years with a longtime friend. The two grew today, is a story about a local boy human beings on the planet.”

Fighting back tears, he said, “It made me a better f iref ighter, officer, chief and person.”

McHugh said that ever since he was a little boy when he’d visit his father at the firehouse, h e k n e w h e w a nt e d to b e a f iref ighter. “Every time I went to t he f i rehouse , it was l i ke Christmas morning. I’d be so excited and thrilled,” he said.

McHugh thanked his family and friends for their constant support, and he thanked former chief Peter Siecienski and interim chief, Robert Kick, for giving him the opportunity.

“I can’t thank you enough for leaving me such big shoes to fill. You’ve both made the GFD such a great department, and any From left to right: First Selectman Fred Camillo, Chief Joseph McHugh, Interim-Chief Robert new chief should be so lucky,” Kick, Deputy Chief Keith Millette. (Richard Kaufman photo) McHugh said. “I will strive to continue to make this department the Greenwich Fire Department up together and worked at Sound done good. Joe McHugh grew even better, passing all that I’ve and retired as a Fire Inspector in Beach years ago. They’re now up in town, he started at Sound learned over the years to the 1985. reunited.

Beach. Then he went south for members of this department.”

McHugh joined the ranks of “There’s a longstanding thing 29 years to New York City. While “To the men and women of the FDNY in 1991 as a firefighter in the f ire service - are you a we’re a l l rea l ly proud of h is the GFD, I’m so excited to lead in Manhattan. Over his career, firefighter, or do you work for the career, we all know that his best each and every one of you. I look he served as a lieutenant in the fire department? Are you a fan of days lie ahead as he comes home forward to getting to know each Bronx, a captain in Manhattan, firefighting, or do you actually do to his family and serves as chief and every one of you and working and a Battalion Chief in Division it?” Millette said. “Joe is not a guy in his hometown,” Camillo said. with you all. To the people in the 7 in the Bronx. McHugh recently who just shows up. He’s been into McHugh said he was excited Town of Greenwich, as your fire served as the Battalion Chief it since day one.” to begin the final chapter of his chief I promise you I will give in Safety Command and is the Millette highlighted McHugh’s nearly 40-year firefighting career you 120 percent to assure the Executive Off icer of the FDNY humility and integrity as traits at home where it all began. But GFD provides the best service Safety Command operations. He that will help the department. He he called the day bittersweet as and protects your family and was responsible for the safety of also credited McHugh’s father as he reflected on his years in New property.”

FDNY members at all major fires, being instrumental in both their York City. “I’ve had the honor to Interim Chief Robert K ick emergencies, and catastrophic firefighting careers. work at one of the greatest fire ser ve d as t he emce e for t he events.

Camillo welcomed McHugh departments in the world for 29 ceremony, and said Monday was Deputy Chief, Keith Millette b a c k t o G r e e n w i c h b e f o r e years. I’ve had the privilege to “a great day for the Greenwich of the GFD, introduced McHugh, administering the oath. “This, work with some of the greatest Fire Department.”

POLO

From Page 1 sales manager who has been attending matches at the Greenwich Polo Club since she was a little girl with her sister, Courtney Fischer and mother, Sabrina Pray Forsythe, whose father, Malcolm Pray, was one of the original Greenwich Polo Club members. “It’s been great to see so many familiar faces come together in a safe way so they could be out here to enjoy the polo. This is also a very special experience with all that has happened this year. There’s a lot of happiness in the air.”

A high-octane showdown The heated showdown, in which both teams were closely matched in terms of their overall playing standard, represented the kickoff for this year’s East Coast Open, reputed to be one of the most decorated high-goal competitive championship polo events in the sport. It was also the first public event held by the Greenwich Polo Club this season, rendering it as a benchmark experience, a sentiment that seemed to be felt by everyone on hand, particularly the players.

“It was great to play out there today,” sa id K r is K a mpsen, t he de corate d Wellington, Florida six-goaler who won the Most Valuable Player award for his superb ball maneuvering and gamesmanship.

“Going in to today, we knew this match was going to be super tough. [Gardenvale] is very good. We did our best and tried to keep to our system.”

Certainly Altaris, a top entry in last year’s East Coast Open, appeared to be effective with this system, as Kampsen and his colleagues, including Lerin Zubiaurre, the firecracker Argentinian

eight goaler whose electric charge, Mega Provacativa, won Best Playing Pony of the match; Joaquin Panelo, the stealth Argentinian six goaler and Jamal Nusseibeh, the amiable number-one player, worked in tandem to get the job done. “It’s about sticking to the plan,” said Kampsen, who has been a marquis player at the Greenwich Polo Club for nearly 10 years running. “We just need to keep building from that as we continue to move forward.”

The high-octane match appeared to hold the full attention of the spectators from start to finish as the players and their powerful charges flew up and down the massive field at speeds of up to 40 milesan-hour in pursuit of scoring all-important points.

At the outset, Altaris took the lead, with Gardenvale responding in turn by pushing in several goals to tie the score during the second half and momentarily surpassing their opponent.

During the sixth and final chukker, K a mp s e n a nd h i s c ohor t s put t he proverbial pedal to the metal, knocking in several goals to take the win. Gardenvale played a stellar game with its formidable roster featuring such high-goal players as Christian LaPrida, the electric Argentinian eight goaler, Felipe Viana and Pedro Valbella, the rock-solid six goalers and Shane Finemore, the team’s ever-steady number-one player.

Important kickoff match of 2020 East Coast Open This match marked the official kick off of the first-round of this celebrated threeweek tournament, slated to run through to Sunday, September 13 at the famed Greenwich Polo Club, host of this event in tandem with the U.S. Polo Association since 2005.

Altaris accepts their award for winning their match in the first round of the celebrated East Coast Open tournament, held at the Greenwich Polo Club last Sunday (Greenwich Polo Club & Peter Michaelis photo) This year’s East Coast Open features f ive 20-goal teams including Altaris, Gardenvale, Black Hound DE, a formidable contingent featuring some of the sport’s star players players including Toro Ruiz, the Argentinian seven goaler: Los Violines, the stealth New York-based team who made their mark at the 2019 East Coast Open, and White Birch Farm, the longtime Greenwich-based powerhouse faction that has won this tournament numerous times through the years.

All of these teams, hailing from all over the Eastern United States, will be vying for the coveted Perry Cup trophy, a stunning work of art designed by Oscar Lenz, a famed American sculptor with the original silversmith work done by the R hode Island-based Gorham Manufacturing Company. (Back in 2015, the Perry Cup was completely restored

through the efforts of the GPC.) For at h le te s c omp e t i n g i n t h i s tournament, having the opportunity to play at the GPC is a win. “I love playing at the Greenwich Polo Club,” said Kampsen.

“It’s spectacular and everyone is always so friendly and great. Every year, I look forward to playing here.” Kampsen noted that Chris Brant, the number-one White Birch player (whose father, Peter Brant, the business mogul, established the GPC back in 1981 and was a longtime member of the White Birch team for many years) has been a major force of the GPC in his opinion. “Chris puts a lot of time into everything here and it’s awesome,” said Kampsen. “He’s carrying on the family tradition.”

Spectators and vendors step up in golden fashion Clearly, the spectators and vendors on

Kick recalled a time a year or two ago when he had lunch with McHugh whom he has known for years. Kick encouraged McHugh to apply for the chief ’s job in Greenwich if it ever opened up.

“I said, ‘Joe, if they do decide to go outside of the department for the next chief, I’d like you to be the next chief of the department. So, get your resume ready.’ I’m glad it worked out this way,” Kick added.

Kick, who will retire from the Department in the fall after 27 years on the job, was recognized on Monday by Deputy Chief Millette: “[Bob] has always tried to help move our department forward no matter what. He always cared about the department; he never gave up whenever the chips were down.

He always kept moving forward no matter what anybody did and brought us forward. He never hesitated to do things for us in the department, career or volunteer.

It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

Camillo, who along with the Board of Selectmen w ill f ind the replacement for Kick in the coming weeks, offered his wellwishes to the veteran firefighter. “ I n o u r s h o r t t i m e wo rk i n g together, you’ve been an absolute pleasure. It’s been an honor for me. You’ve always been there, and you’ve kept me updated on everything,” Camillo said.

Kick will continue to lead the department until McHugh begins his role on Sept. 14.

hand felt similar sentiments as the players.

“Being here at the Greenwich Polo Club is always an incredible experience.

It’s everything you would imagine the sport to be. We’ve been coming here for several years and there is no other place quite like it,” said Justin Pasha of The Cup Bearer, which provided spectators with the option of ordering mobile delivery of drinks provided in sealed plastic containers, making the option of having beverages easy and safe for everyone.

“People are able to get out and enjoy world-class polo in a safe and very fun way. The Greenwich Polo Club is a special and one-of-a-kind place.”

Stelios Stavrianos of Cylinder Vodka agreed. “It’s our second year being here and we are so excited about it,” said Staviranos. “The standard of everyone and everything here is golden across the board. The players and horses are incredible, the spectators are fantastic, and this venue is gorgeous. Everything is also so well organized and safe and it’s great to be back.”

Alex Daly of Rome, New York, who was attending his first polo match ever at the GPC, shared similar thoughts. “This was awesome. It was my very first-time seeing polo live and it was everything I expected. The Greenwich Polo Club is known to be one of the best clubs in the world and you can see why. The match was amazing, and everyone has been so friendly and kind,” said Daly. “The way people have treated me has been great, especially the staff, who have all been so accommodating and helpful. I can’t wait to come back.”

All Sunday matches for 2020 at the Greenwich Polo Club are sold out.

Page 6 | Greenwich Sentinel

PUBLISHER Beth@GreenwichSentinel.com Elizabeth Barhydt EDITORS & COPY EDITORS Editor@GreenwichSentinel.com Peter Barhydt, Daniel FitzPatrick, Stapley Russell, Anne W. Semmes

Political Endorsements: A New Way

LETTER

Editorial Page A Special Food Drive

By Pam Sloane The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes is supporting a special food drive for New Covenant Center, the “soup kitchen” in Stamford on Saturday, Sept 12.

NCC is now serving over 500 people daily. This means providing a "take away" meal to over 500 people since the guests are not yet allowed to return to the indoor dining room for their meals. This is

The political season is in full swing. Candidates are LETTER making calls and knocking on doors. Yard signs are starting to appear. Soon the political mail will begin to fill our mailboxes. And yet, this year is different. COVID By Richard G. Schulze different.

Ten days ago Optimum, the For the first time everyone in Greenwich can vote by Internet company that many of us mail. In fact, everyone will be sent an absentee ballot use, sent the letter below with the offer to not charge application. If you want to vote by mail, you simply fill it magnanimous subscribers for the period when we out, send it back, and a ballot will be mailed to you. This had power but no Internet. In my case, that would be one day while is different.

Here at The Sentinel we are also doing something I was without Internet service for nine days. I have trouble differently – the way we endorse political candidates understanding how they can charge will be very different. For the first time, we have created for service they didn’t provide – an independent “Endorsement Board” whose purpose Internet service to our homes. In fact I was precluded from being able is to: (a) research all local candidates and interview to do business during that nine-day those that have the time and are willing to engage in the period, as I need to e-mail as part of interview process and then (b) collectively decide whom the job – so a financial loss.

Is there a way that each of they will endorse or co-endorse. the states in which they operate Members of the Endorsement Board are from a can take action requiring them to variety of political and demographic backgrounds, not charge for service that they but they all have lived in Greenwich for at least 20 didn’t provide – in my case the full nine days. years. There are 2 Republicans, 2 Democrats and 3 If others are equally Unaffiliated/Independents. A mother with children in the public-school system; a member of the military; LETTER finance executives; a local business owner; a published author; a college student; an executive at a non-profit.

They are conservatives, moderates, and liberals. By Henry Orphys They have their own special issues like the LGBTQ+ When Senator Alex Kasser community; police support; healthcare; zoning issues; ran for office two years ago I had and the financial health of our town and state but they high hopes she would prove to be a different kind of Democrat who all have one common thread and it is 100 percent in line would work outside of Hartford’s with that of The Greenwich Sentinel: they care deeply two-party system to represent

a huge shift in need and the support of many is now required to meet the need. We are reaching out to the broader Greenwich community to help us with this urgent request.

This can be an opportunity for youth groups, for example, to gather food from their cohorts.

Please deliver your donations of non-perishable foods to St. Agnes Church, 247 Stanwich Rd, Greenwich, on Saturday Sept 12 between 10am and noon. Details: https://www.stc-sta.org

The wish list includes: • Canned Tuna Fish & Sardines • Jelly 19oz.

• Dry Black Beans 16 oz.

• Macaroni 16 oz.

• Sugar - small bags • Flour - small bags • Small Oil bottles 12 oz.

• Chicken Broth 16 oz.

• Instant Coffee/Chocolate 12 oz.

• Cereal • Peanut Butter • Roasted Almonds 6 oz.

• Canned Evaporated Milk

• Oatmeal (small pack) • Energy/Granola/Protein Bars • Chips - Individual Snack Sizes • Cheese & Cracker Packets • Canned Soup 28 oz. (Progresso, Campbell's Chunky) • Individually Wrapped Desserts • Individual Snacks to go - all kinds • Bottled Water & Gatorade Thank you for joining us in this unique mission.

Pam Sloane

Difficulties with Optimum surprised, I hope you’ll let your Representatives, our First Selectman, and Optimum know that they are not being reasonable.

Ma ny t ha n k s for r u n n i ng this letter.

Following is the letter Mr. Schulze received: At Optimum, we are here to keep you connected. It's a responsibility we take seriously, and one that's top of mind for us when any severe weather event is in the forecast.

Recent Tropical Storm Isaias caused significant damage across the Tri-state area that resulted in service disruptions for many of our customers. These disruptions were largely due to power outages caused by strong winds and downed trees that took down power and utility lines and left behind a significant amount of debris. Hundreds of Optimum f ield teams have been

working around the clock to repair damage and restore service following the return of power. As of today, more than 99% of Optimum customers have had their services fully restored.

We a l s o k n o w t h a t s o m e customers continued to experience a loss of their Optimum services even after their power was restored.

This could happen for a number of reasons, including damage to our network that could only be addressed following the power company making repairs or our network being powered from a different source than your home or business. We know how frustrating that can be, and for those customers we will be providing a credit to a n u pc om i n g bi l l for th e t i m e that Optimum services were not available after power was restored.

There is no need to request a credit - it will automatically be applied

to impacted accounts in the next several weeks.

With peak hurricane season in the Northeast just beginning, we continue to monitor for severe weather events. In advance of a storm, this includes placing fully staffed teams on standby across the Tri-state area to assist our customers in case of immediate need and ensure our facilities are prepared with backup power and generators. In addition, our regional ope ra t ion s c e n te r c on t i n u a l ly monitors the network to quickly spot outages and help direct our teams to diagnose and resolve any potential issues. For more information, we encourage you to visit our Storm Preparedness page.

We r e m a i n c o m m i t t e d t o keeping you connected and thank you for your patience as we work to bring everyone back online.

Sen. Kasser is "Not What I Thought"

That is not the case here. We are breaking that mold. The Endorsement Board is a collection of volunteer citizens who will collectively decide which candidates they believe will best represent our town.

for our town and have demonstrated that by giving of their time and talent over and over again in a positive, unifying way. They are our neighbors and respected members of our community and we are grateful for their willingness to serve once again in this volunteer capacity, which will take up a great deal of their time.

No members on the Endorsement Board have any ownership in the newspaper.

This is dif ferent. As an industry standard, endorsements are decided by publishers and editorial page editors. That is not the case here. We are breaking that mold. The Endorsement Board is a collection of volunteer citizens who will collectively decide who they believe will best represent our town.

The idea for it actually came from a conversation with State Representative Stephen Meskers. We appreciate his input and thoughtfulness and willingness to share his opinions and ideas.

The endorsements will be printed in the September 18th edition of the paper along with in depth profiles on each local candidate and they will be available online shortly thereafter.

This is an important election year. Well, every election year is important. This year is important not just because of the Presidential election, which will soon fill the air with hyperbole, but because of what is happening in our state.

Before the pandemic broke out this past February, our state faced significant financial challenges.

Challenges that could affect every resident in Greenwich. The pandemic has largely pushed those issues to the back burner, but they do still exist. As we begin to emerge mentally and physically from quarantine, we will need real leadership to design a well though-out future for our state and town that is steady and clear.

To make sure we are electing the best individuals to represent Greenwich’s interests in Hartford - those who will help lead the way, we need to be informed.

This remarkably different and yet highly competent group of individuals will do a better job than we ever could, and we look forward to bringing their assessment to you in two weeks.

the interests of her constituents irrespective of political affiliation.

Sadly, her recent vote on the Act Concerning Police Accountability has shown that my faith in her was misplaced.

As many other contributors to our local newspapers have pointed out, this Act, while containing some appropr iate cha nges to the way our state’s police forces operate, also creates significant personal exposure for our police officers and makes it extremely difficult for them to perform their duties of protecting and serving their communities. When Senator Kasser spoke in favor of this bill on the Senate f loor she said the

bill does not penalize good police officers, but that is not accurate.

This bill will penalize good police officers by making them susceptible to frivolous lawsuits they will have to pay to defend, a cost that will doubtless be passed on to the taxpayers and their communities and which will cause great stress and anxiety for those good officers who are innocent of wrongdoing.

For this reason I have decided to support her opponent, Ryan Fazio,

in the upcoming election for State Senator representing District 36.

Ryan’s common-sense approach to issues such as police accountability and his understanding of the steps required to improve Connecticut’s economy convince me that his votes will be more closely aligned with the views of the people of our district than Senator Kasser’s have been. I hope others will join me in supporting Ryan Fazio for State Senator representing District 36.

To be eligible for the Dean's List, a student must have completed at least four courses and have an academic average of 3.6 based on a 4.0 scale for the semester.

Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of about

2,500 students located in Canton, N e w Yo r k . T h e e d u c a t i o n a l opportunities at St. Lawrence inspire students and prepare them to be critical and creative thinkers, to find a compass for their lives and careers, and to pursue knowledge and understanding for the benefit

of themselves, humanity and the planet. Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence education leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global. Visit www.stlawu.edu.

Class Notes News from St. Lawrence University

Sean C. Pratley has been s ele c te d for i nclu sion on St .

Lawrence University's Dean's List for academic achievement during the Spring 2020 semester.

Pratley is a member of the Class of 2023. Pratley attended Greenwich High School.

News from Roger Williams Roger Williams University is proud to announce that Clayton Morrison, of Greenwich, graduated with a B.S. in Architecture in May as part of the Class of 2020.

About RWU: With campuses on

the coast of Bristol and in the heart of Providence, R.I., Roger Williams University is a forward-thinking private university committed to st ren g thenin g societ y throu gh engaged teaching and learning. At

RWU, small classes, direct access to faculty and guaranteed opportunity for real-world projects ensure that its nearly 4,000 undergraduates along with hundreds of law students, graduate students and adult learners

- graduate with the ability to think critically along with the practical skills that today's employers demand.

Roger Williams is leading the way in American higher education , conf ront in g the most pressin g

News from James Madison James Madison University is excited to welcome the class of 2024 to campus this month.

The incoming freshman class represents a n accompl ishe d, diverse group of individuals who hail from 36 states, the District of Columbia and 10 countries around the world.

The following area students are

part of the class: Lillian Fischetti of Cos Cob will major in economics.

Elizabeth Stahl of Greenwich will major in psychology.

Established in 1908 , James Madison University is a community of 22 ,000 st udents and 4 ,000 faculty and staff, nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. JMU offers 124 degree programs at the

bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels, keeps classes small with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio and has the highest six-year graduation rate among its peer institutions at 84%.

JMU is quickly gaining a national reputation, and ranks as the most recommended universit y in the nation by students. As the No. 2 Best Public Regional University in

the South, students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with worldclass faculty, access to top-notch NCAA Division 1 athletics and stateof-the art amenities. Once students graduate they join an esteemed network of around 140,000 Dukes across the globe, giving of their time, talent and treasure to the university.

News from Loyola Loyola University Maryland has announced the members of its spring 2020 Dean's List. In order to qualify for the Dean's List at Loyola, a student must achieve a minimum QPA of at least 3.500 for the term, provided that, in the term they have successfully

completed courses tota ling a Kate Ragone of Greenwich minimum of 15 credits.

Delainey Sheehan of Greenwich Ryan Chan of Greenwich Claudia Zuccarelli of Greenwich Devon Dodge of Cos Cob Natasha Reyes of Greenwich Dylan Feuerman of Greenwich Established in 1852 , Loyola Fjolla Gashi of Riverside University Maryland is a Catholic, Jesuit comprehensive university Sophia Jahan of Greenwich

comprising Loyola College, home to the University's arts and sciences programs; the Sellinger School of Business and Management; and the School of Education. Loyola enrolls 4,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students from across the country.

News from Colorado College Anna Cahn, of Greenwich, has been named to Colorado College's 2019-20 Dean's List.

Cahn was a Sophomore at Colorado College during the 2019-

20 academic year. Students who achieve a grade point average of 3.75 or higher are named to the Dean's List, which is released once a year. To qualify, a student

must complete seven units in the academic year and those courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Colorado Col lege, located in Colorado Spr i ngs, Colorado,

operates on the Block Plan, in which students take one course at a time in three-and-a-half week segments.

Send Us Your Class Notes to Editor@GreenwichSentinel.com

Page 7 | Greenwich Sentinel

Student Selected for NASA Internship with Mars 2020 Research Piper Gilbert , a rising senior at Sacred Heart Greenwich in Greenwich CT, has been selected for the prestigious Student Enhancement in Earth and Space Science (SEES) summer internship hosted by The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research. This nationally competitive prog ram sponsored by NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium selects students to conduct authentic research using NASA data. Piper is conducting i nve st igat ion s a s pa r t of t he M a rs Exploration team. Here is an account in her own words: “As a part of this team, I researched and designed the Environmental Control a nd L i fe Supp or t System ( EC L S S) for our conceptual Mars Base, which

encompasses heating, cooling, ventilation, pr e ssu r i z at ion , fo o d, water, wa ste management, and radiation protection. I felt strongly about this area of the habitat as it acts as an extension of my ongoing science research project that focuses on growing plants in simulated Mars regolith.

I learned so much about new concepts, including HVAC and radiation protection for space habitats, and my teammates’ areas of study. To work with and meet so many talented individuals was an amazing experience, and I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity.”

Piper worked with NASA scientists Dr. Humboldt Mandell, NASA subject matter expert on Mars Exploration, and Adam Nokes, professor at The University of Texas at Austin. NASA is committed

to the human exploration of Mars. Many of the technologies are already in place, and the rocket boosters and some of the spacecraft required are currently being built. The small nuclear reactors required to provide the necessary power have been designed and tested by the Department of Energy. But, prior to sending humans to Mars, there needs to be the infrastructure on the planet surface that is necessary to sustain the first crews to visit. This includes power, habitation, water, food, health maintenance, mobility (space suits a nd rovers), emergenc y ca re, and scientific support functions. Using engineering design principles, the SEES team designed a Mars village that will allow people to live and work productively and safely for up to 1000 days on the Mars

surface. CAD drawings provided detailed images for the team’s planned habitat.

SEES high school interns work with scientists and engineers to conduct authentic research using NASA data and analysis tools. Teams are organized around an aerospace or space science t heme d raw n f rom NA SA’s d iverse engineering and scientif ic research prog rams. SEES sponsored several team challenges this summer, including designing Mars habitats, exploring lunar environments, tracing COVID-19 using NA SA technolog ies, and examining the relationship of observed mosquito habitats to land cover and environmental data obtained from satellites.

The SEES internship provides an outlet for the excitement many students

feel about Earth and space science.

Interns are offered a unique opportunity to work with professional scientists and engineers at the cutting edge of NASA science, experience being part of a science team, and explore STEM career options firsthand.

The STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) project is supported

by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) cooperative a g r e e m e n t s N N X 1 6 A B 8 9A t o t h e University of Texas Austin for the STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES), and NNX16AE28A to the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) for the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) for the SEES Mosquito Mappers Team.

GREENWICH LIBRARY RELEASE

Sail Into September with Greenwich Library

This September, read and discuss a Pulitzer-Prize winning book with the Fiction Addiction Book Group, discover the many genealogy resources available in the state of Connecticut, join a Grief Journaling Workshop, and learn about Greenwich’s Pollinator Pathway. Genealogy buffs will want to tune into the Ancestor’s Series on September 20 with Melanie McComb, a genealogist at New England Historical G enealog y Society. She w ill rev iew Connecticut’s go-to records, resources, and research techniques that make it possible to uncover your local family history.

For those affected by COVID-19, the Library is offering Processing Grief: A Covid-19 Grief-Journaling Workshop that begins on September 23. The five-part workshop will be led by Jennifer Quasha Deinard, an NYU-trained, ICF-accredited Professional Grief Coach, Speaker, and Author. This workshop is designed to help participants process a loss (or losses) they suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the act of journaling.

Local nature lovers will be buzzing about a virtual panel discussion on September 24 about Greenwich’s Pollinator Pathway. Come learn about this incredible corridor of contiguous, pollinator-friendly properties that connect existing open spaces, stream corridors, forests, parks, private gardens and natural fields in our area.

For all virtual programs below, register via the Library’s online calendar to receive attendee Zoom link and password before the event.

VIRTUAL – Friends Book Group Tuesday, September 8, 1 – 3 p.m.

Join the Friends of Greenwich Library this month in reading Disappearing Earth

by Julia Phillips. This engrossing story begins one August afternoon, on the shoreline of the Kamchatka peninsula at the northeastern edge of Russia, when RELEASE

two young sisters go missing. In the ensuing weeks, then months, the police investigation turns up nothing. Echoes of the disappearance reverberate across a tightly woven community, with the fear and loss felt most deeply among its women.

Taking us through a year in Kamchatka, Disappearing Earth enters with astonishing emotional acuity the worlds of a cast of richly drawn characters, all connected by the crime: a witness, a neighbor, a detective, a mother. We are transported to vistas of rugged beauty—densely wooded forests, open expanses of tundra, soaring volcanoes, and the glassy seas that border Japan and Alaska—and into a region as complex as it is alluring, where social and ethnic tensions have long simmered, and where outsiders are often the first to be accused. In a story as propulsive as it is emotionally engaging, and through a young writer's virtuosic feat of empathy and imagination, this powerful novel brings us to a new understanding of the intricate bonds of family and community, in a Russia unlike any we have seen before.

V I RT UA L - New Yorke r S tor i e s Discussion Group (Cos Cob Library) Tuesday, September 8, 5 – 6:30 p.m.

On the second Tuesday of the month from 5:00-6:30 pm, Cos Cob Library welcomes Susan Boyar, a long-time facilitator at both the Cos Cob and Greenwich Libraries, to guide us through a current New Yorker short fiction. Each week the story is only three or four pages long, but our animated discussions about the stories often carry on into the evening. Come join! The New Yorker is available for download from the RBdigital app for free with a Greenwich Library card!

VIRTUAL – Cloak and Dagger Book Club (Cos Cob Library) Saturday, September 12, 1 – 2 p.m.

The Staff and Friends of Cos Cob Library invite mystery and crime lovers to our

monthly book club. It is currently led by the lively members themselves. This month’s selection is The Lost Order: A Cotton Malone Novel by Steve Berry, which tells the story of the Knights of the Golden Circle— the largest and most dangerous clandestine organization in American history. From the backrooms of the Smithsonian to the deepest woods in rural Arkansas, and finally, up into the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico, The Lost Order by Steve Berry is a perilous adventure into our country’s dark past and a potentially even darker future.

from her Belfast home in 1972. In this meticulously reported and fast-paced book, Keefe uses McConville's murder as a prism to tell the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

dean of academic affairs. For over 25 years, he has lectured on literature and film and has led book discussion series in more than 100 venues in Connecticut, including public libraries, museums, and cultural centers.

VIRTUAL – Brown Bag Book Club (Cos VIRTUAL - Ancestor's Series: Guide to Connecticut Resources with Melanie Cob Library) McComb Wed, September 16, 12 – 1:15 p.m.

Joi n us at ou r longest-r u n n i ng Cos Cob Library book club with facilitatorextraordinaire, Susan Boyar. Each month we read books chosen by Susan that warrant special merit and discussion.

VIRTUAL – Fiction Addiction Book Today’s book is The Topeka School by Group Ben Lerner, which tells the story of Adam Gordon, a senior at Topeka High School, Monday, September 14, 6 – 7 p.m. class of '97. Deftly shifting perspectives and Join the Fiction Addiction Book Group time periods, The Topeka School is the story virtually in reading the Pulitzer-Prize of a family, its struggles, and its strengths: winning novel The Nickel Boys by Colson one woman’s reckoning with the legacy Whitehead. New members are always of an abusive father, a husband’s marital welcome to join! When Elwood Curtis, a transgressions, the challenge of raising a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, good son in a culture of toxic masculinity. It is u n fa i rly sentence d to a juven i le is also a riveting prehistory of the present: reformatory called the Nickel Academy, the collapse of public speech, the trolls and he finds himself trapped in a grotesque tyrants of the New Right, and the ongoing chamber of horrors. Based on the real crisis of identity among white men. story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of VIRTUAL – Literary Connections: children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, Cover Her Face by P. D. James driven narrative that showcases a great Thursday, September 17, 7 – 8 p.m.

American novelist writing at the height of This year we celebrate the centennial his powers. anniversary of P. D. James's birth, the VIRTUAL – Foreign Af fairs Book English crime writer who rose to fame for Discussion Group her series of detective novels featuring police commander and poet Adam Dalgliesh.

Tuesday, September 15, 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Join us for a lecture and discussion about Join the Foreign Affairs Book Discussion the first in the series book, Cover Her Group this month in reading the highly Face, presented by Mark Schenker. Cover acclaimed and award-winning book Say Her Face is P. D. James's delightful debut Nothing: A True Story of Murder and novel, an ingeniously plotted mystery that Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick immediately placed her among the masters Radden Keefe, a New Yorker staff writer. of suspense. Mark J. Schenker has been Masked intruders dragged Jean McConville, at Yale College since 1990. He is currently a 38-year-old widow and mother of 10, a senior associate dean of the College and

Sunday, September 20, 2 – 3 p.m.

New England is an area rich with published family history resources, record keeping since the 17th century, and a plethora of supplemental records. Still, each state presents unique challenges, gaps in records and other obstacles. This webinar will take a look at Connecticut and review its go-to records, resources, and research techniques.

Melanie McComb, a genealogist at New England Historical Genealogy Society (NEHGS), is an experienced international speaker on such topics as researching in Prince Edward Island and using newspapers and DNA in genealogy. Readers may know McComb from her blog, The Shamrock Genealogist. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. Her areas of interest are Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. She is experienced in genetic genealogy, genealogical technology, social media, military records, and Irish and Jewish research.

International Book Club: "A Long Petal of the Sea: A Novel" by Isabelle Allende (Byram Shubert Library) Thursday, September 22, 5 – 6 p.m.

All are welcome to the International Book Club virtual discussion of Isabel Allende's new novel, which follows two refugees from the Spanish Civil War. As they f lee to Chile, their mock marriage gradually deepens into real love, set against a backdrop of war and upheaval.

Visit Library Website for More Events.

Local Poet Wins Award from Indian Government

Recently, Barbara Ehrentreu, who is a Stamford resident and member of Greenwich Pen Women and has published two young adult novels and a poetry book, was given a certificate in honor of Indian Independence Day for global excellence in writing. It was given to her on August 14, 2020 and she received her certificate on August 29, 2020.

The award was given on behalf of the 74th Anniversary of Indian Independence Day by India’s premium literary institute, Gujarat Sahitya Academy of the state of Gujarat, and Motivational Strips, which is a Facebook page that currently has the most visitors of any literary group.

30 writers from the United States were given

a certificate to honor this occasion. Each writer was chosen for literary achievements including publications, and each one’s background was checked for authenticity. To be awarded an honor by a government is very highly valued. The founder of Motivational Strips, Shiju H. Pallithazheth, was involved in the selection as well. This award has received worldwide attention including newspaper and TV. Each certificate is numbered for authenticity.

Ms Ehrentreu has the role of Regional Director for the West; in charge of the US, Canada, Central and South American countries. There are Directors for each region of the world. The page gets 7.7 million visits per month, and the membership is almost

20,000. The whole idea behind this page is to allow people to feel comfortable sharing their work. They allow only positive feedback on the page. Though they ask if you do have something negative to say that you do it on private message. There is a strict policy about that and therefore the page has thrived. From time to time the group runs contests and publishes the winners. There is also a website, a quarterly magazine and an ezine where members may post or where some members’ work is featured. It is a place where members feel safe to post. It is all due to the admins and moderators who watch page vigilantly for plagiarism, spam, etc and/or any posts that do not follow their basic rules.

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Barbara currently lives in Stamford with her family. She has a Masters Degree in Reading and Writing K-12. She is retired from teaching but is currently tutoring online. Her first book, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor won second prize in Preditors & Editiors as Best Young Adult Book for 2011. Her second book, After, has a 5 star rating on Amazon.

She has a radio show once a month every fourth Thursday on Blog Talk Radio: Books and Entertainment Tales from the Pages and a blog: Barbara’s Meanderings. She is the Recording Secretary for Greenwich Pen Women and a member of its Letters group.

Catch Up on Greenwich with

Local News Briefs, continued from page 3 Abilis’ “Coffee for Good” The Solomon Mead House, located in central Greenwich, is being renovated by Abilis and Second Congregational Church to become a coffee shop. Coffee for Good is an independent nonprofit that employs people w ith intellectual and developmental disabilities. The coffee shop will start a training program for its employees which is expected to last between six to twelve months and will help the employees to learn the necessary skills to seek employment in the community.

A soft opening of the shop is expected in early 2021, with a grand opening in late spring.

To learn more or donate visit coffeeforgood.org.

Avon Theatre Awards College Scholarships The Avon Theatre Film Center Board of Directors has announced the winners of their 11th Annual Scholarship Essay Contest on “why film matters?” The contest was open to high school seniors in Fairf ield and Westchester Counties and they gave $9,000 in

scholarships to eleven students.

Three students from Greenwich High School were among the winners: Isabelle Abassi, who tied for first place and awarded $2 ,000, a nd Cia ra Mu n nel ly and Fatima Leguiza both won honorable mentions and were awarded $500.

OTHER NEWS

Eversource Hearing Hosted by PURA PUR A, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, hosted a public Zoom hearing regarding Eversource. Eversource took hits from all elected off icials, Republican and Democrat alike.

Eversource’s pr ice increase, power outage response time, and more were under fire. You can watch the entire hearing on News 1 2 Connecticut at http://connecticut.news12.com/ s tor y/4 2 5 3 4 1 5 3 /pu r a-h ol d shear ing-on-eversource-rateincreases.

Proposed Food Reimbursement for Outages A group of legislators have proposed a new legislation that

would change the state’s oversight of electric utilities. Eversource has been criticized for their response to power outages including their refusal to reimburse customers for spoiled food and medicine.

The proposal would mandate electric companies to compensate for spoiled food caused by long power outages, that they have a m in imum in-state staf f ing requirement, that they would freeze electric rates, and that they would increase the penalty authority of PURA. The proposal would make customers eligible for up to $500 for spoiled food and medicine for outages that last longer than two days. Customers with critical needs would also get reimbursed $100 a day for every day without power.

TOWN GOVERNMENT

Speed Zone at Great Captain Island At the Board of Selectmen Meeting on August 13, there was a proposal for a speed zone in the area of Great Captain Island after issues with speeding in the area.

The board unanimously approved the speed zone. The proposal w i l l go on to t he RT M to b e approved and then would need to

be approved by DEEP at the state level.

Bike Safety Event On September 12, the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, located at 90 Harding Rd in Old Greenwich, will host a bicycle safety event for elementary school age children.

The event will take place between 1 and 4 p.m. Pedal Greenwich is also asking for bike donations to give to children so that they can stay active with the social distancing and stay at home environment. You can get more i n for m at ion a nd r e g i s te r at https://www.greenwichct.gov/ Activities/Activity/Detail/BicycleEvent-657.

Greenwich Housing Authority Awards Scholarships The Housing Authority has awarded eight f irst year students and eight returning college students’ scholarships.

All recipients are residents of a Greenwich housing development or in the Section 8 program and were awarded $1,000. The eight students who are entering their f irst year of college are: Erica Adjei, June A kpata, Carolina

A l ice a, S a ma nt ha A lva rado, Joana Cabrera, Alberto Figueroa, M a r ia n a G a r c ia a nd A lys on Payan. The eig ht continuing college students are: Eternity Armenteros, Jocelyn Benitez, Lumi Bici, Mia Giselle Binuya, Fjolla Gashi, Hachton Laforest, Claudia Leiva and Kelly Anne Serdena.

Outdoor Dining to Stay Until December First Selectman Fred Camillo is continuing to support outdoor dining to be an annual occurrence. The Board of Selectmen has ex tended the current outdoor seating until December 21, approved closing off access of the avenue from Grigg Street down, and approved “bump outs” in other areas. Camillo has proposed a plan to have the barriers taken down in December but have them then come back as an annual occurrence from April to December in the future. The feedback has been positive.

Greenwich Library Computers Available

by Appointment

patrons use their computers starting September 2. They will also be able to use the scanners, copiers, the Bloomberg Terminal, and the VHS to DVD converter.

The library will also offer printing services - you can send what you need printed to the library and then schedule a pick up time.

There will still be a charge for printing and no change will be available so make sure to bring coins or small bills. You can make an appointment by calling the reference desk, 203-622-7910, for same day or next day service. For more information, visit https:// w w w. g r e enw ich l i bra r y.or g / computers-more-by-appointmentat-greenwich-library/.

Mill Pond Beautification First Selectman Fred Camillo is reaching out to the Junior League of Greenwich to help beautify Mill Pond in Cos Cob. The pond is overdue for maintenance and he hopes a partnership with the Junior League will help the pond get the help it needs. The Junior League president has said that she thinks it’s a great idea but they are still in the planning and talking phase.

Greenwich Library is letting

Off-Beat Players Play On

By Julia Lucey This summer was one that called for quick adaptations and adjustments for many local programs and organizations as they worked to find ways to do all their usual activities under the limitations of Covid-19. Greenwich’s Off-Beat Players was one of these organizations, and what they managed to put together this summer was nothing short of remarkable. Their summer three performance event “Anything’s Possible” made it clear that even in the face of great challenges, their commitment to the arts and coming together to create amazing shows could overcome these obstacles.

The O f f-B e at Players is a n “i nclu sive theatre company for young adults that features performers and production staf f with and without disabilities” that has been serving the Greenw ich Com munit y for almost 20 years. Each summer, the cast and crew come together to put together inclusive performances, with past shows ranging from High School Musical to “James and the Giant Peach,” as well as many other productions. This summer, the organization decided it would be in the participant’s best interest to produce their show virtually, taking the necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy without having to cancel altogether. After a summer of hard work by all those involved, the Off-Beat Players released their three part performance event, dubbed “Anything’s Possible,” comprised of their Rodgers and Hammerstein In Concert performance, “Charlotte’s Web,” and the “OBP Variety Show.”

Viewers were able to purchase their tickets online, gaining them access to all three shows.

As shows went live, ticketholders could access the productions via a password-protected link on the organization’s website, off beatplayers. org. The first show to be released was “Rodgers and Hammerstein in Concert,” which featured a selection of musical numbers. The performance began with the cast’s rendition of “It’s a Grand Night for Singing,” featuring various solos, duets, and full chorus segments all filmed remotely and spliced together, impressively creating the effect of a song performed all together on stage.

Next, A lexis K illeen and Will Hartford performed “People Will Say We’re in Love” from the movie “Oklahoma!” followed by a solo performance of “The Gentlemen is a Dope” by Lauren Mickley. The ladies of OBP then sang the charming “I Enjoy Being a Girl” as they each acted out the process of primping in front of their bathroom mirrors before transitioning into their dressy outf its. The cast kept up these playful, endearing performances, with songs like “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” from the Sound of Music sung by Oliver White and Lauren Hay, “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame” by the Men of OBP, and the “Stepsister’s Lament” from “Cinderella” by Sarah Mickley and Natalie Aguiar. To conclude the show, the ensemble came together (on screen, that is) to perform

“Impossible/It’s Possible” from “Cinderella.”

The following week, with a slight delay because of the unexpected difficulties of the storm that left many without power, the Off-Beat Players released their production of “Charlotte’s Web,” again filmed remotely and put together to create an impressive performance of a story known to all. From their homes, cast members put on their costumes and set up their backdrops, each acting out their own lines to come together into a full showing of “Charlotte’s Web.” After Fern (Jane Freyer) pleads with her father to let her keep and take care of the runt of a recent pig litter, he finally gives in. Fern names the pig Wilbur (Ethan Thomas) and raises him until he grows up and has to be sold to Fern’s uncle's farm, where he befriends a spider named Charlotte (Natalie Aguiar). A story of friendship, Charlotte works to devise a plan to keep Wilbur safe from being slaughtered. Despite having no stage to perform on, the entire cast did an excellent job telling a favorite story of many, bringing a moment of joy during a difficult year.

Finally, the OBP Variety Show went live, finishing off a summer of virtual performances, featuring various musical numbers and skits by the OBP cast. The show started off with a skit

from the show’s directors as they tried to figure out the best way to go about producing such a show given the circumstances, which they decided to call a “Zoomsical,” inspired by the online nature of the production.

This skit transitioned into a lighthearted musical number that brought in the rest of the ensemble and was followed by an introduction of the cast. Next was a word from the Program Director Steve Hohl, introducing the show and gave a few words of thanks before the rest of the show began. First up was a skit written by Nerissa Johnson, one of the Off-Beat Players’ very own, called “Airport Dilemma.” The skit looked at Nerissa as she went through various airport security checkpoints manned by very disorganized staff, asking her questions about her wheelchair and her name, ultimately leaving her in a mad dash to catch her flight.

Next, Andrew Schenck and Nicole Macchiavello performed the song “Anything You Can Do” from the musical “Annie Get Your Gun,” and after that, four cast members acted out Steve Hohl’s skit called “Quarantine Confessions: Expectations vs. Reality.” The skit looked at something most of us can relate to after our time at home this spring: the goals

we set for ourselves to make use of our time at home, versus the ways we fell short of these goals.

Following the sk it, David Tovar sang a beautiful rendition of “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera” accompanied by his own playing of the accordion. Following an intermission, a number of other sketches followed, including a performance of “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago, sung by Abby White, Cameron K itell, Stephanie Busani, A lexis Killeen, Sarah Mickley, and Lauren Mickley.

In addition, Michelle Yoon starred in a skit she wrote herself, following the struggles faced by a girl with a stutter as she goes in for an audition in a musical.

Before the show ended, we also got a glimpse into the way the cast came together this summer to overcome the obstacles Covid imposed, with socially distanced gatherings and the work that went along with deciding on and producing the virtual performances. Finally, after closing words by Kim Malara, the program’s founder, the Off-Beat Players launched into one last number, “You Will be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen.

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Page 9 | Greenwich Sentinel

What to Put in Your Preschooler’s Backpack

By David Cohen

plenty on a child’s mind, as they say goodbye and start their day. No need to go overboard on teaching a child how to stay safe by washing hands and keeping distant. Know that the teachers have your child’s best interests in mind. Focus on the wonderful things that will be experienced at school. Make a plan with your child to talk about the day when you pick up from school.

Love

Fill that bag with lots of love!

When children feel loved, they are ready to succeed. They can get through difficult separations, negotiations with new friends and life’s little challenges. This is communicated in so many ways by children’s loving families. Some special ways to convey this love are dropping a family photo into your Voice child’s backpack or adding a note It’s time for the start of another in the lunchbox, to be read by the We all feel best when we feel school year! Your young child is teacher. heard; when we feel some sense ready to join a class, get to know of control over our lives. Give your teachers and build a new level of child the skill of making their needs Confidence independence. What you put in your Every child has their own known. Sometimes, we are too child’s figurative backpack - those n at u r a l l e ve l o f c o n f i d e n c e . good at anticipating a child’s needs. feelings, skills and attitudes - can Embrace this and support it. If your Find some times for your child to make all the difference. Sometimes, preschooler is not nervous about ask for what is needed. Finished a special item in the literal backpack starting school, be sure that you your water? Encourage them to say, is great too. don’t introduce concern. There is “May I please have more water?”

Drop a family photo into your child’s backpack or add a note in the lunchbox, to be read by the teacher.

Older sibling has something that you want? “I would like a turn when you’re done.” This very effective skill needs lots of practice.

Fully Charged Battery A good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and a reasonable schedule can make the day very positive.

Getting all of the biological needs met prepares your child and can

eliminate lots of the pitfalls. Minor setbacks stay minor. Remember that it can be exhausting meeting new people, getting used to new environments and learning new things. Plus, those first weeks of school may create patterns of eating and sleeping for the year.

Clearly, you have been filling your child’s backpack forever. A new school year is an opportunity

to evaluate what’s been added.

Lighten the load or add some new items. One of the beauties of early childhood is that families make a huge impact. They can make the school experience a thing of wonder, learning and positive memories.

David Cohen i s Director of Schools at Temple Sholom Selma Maisel Nursery School.

Back to School Time

By Julia Lucey After almost six months of remote learning and summer vacation, students here in town are finally gearing up to return to school, many preparing to step foot in their schools for the first time since March.

While the end of summer is usually a bittersweet time, this year offers a mix of excitement and uncertainty for many. As plans for hybrid learning are rolled out and students try to envision what kind of academic year stands before them, feelings of normalcy aren’t as easy to come by this back-to-school season. That being said, there are plenty of things to enjoy as our schools finally reopen their doors -- both the familiar things that come with the fall months and some new things that are becoming part of our “new normal.”

Back-to-school shopping is always a fun way to get back into the spirit, even if it reminds us that summer is coming to a close. Of course, Staples and Target always are, and remain, a go-to to get this chore done, but there are so many options now to add something fun to your pencil case! Yoobi (yoobi.com), for example, is a brand stocked with brightly colored notebooks, pens, markers, and other fun supplies to add a little flair to a student’s backpack. Even better, Yoobi partners with the Kids in Need Foundation, enabling them to distribute classroom packs to schools in high need areas all across the country.

While schoolwork is done via computer more now than ever, many students still favor pen and paper for note taking and studying, meaning notebooks remain on the supply list. Decomposition by Michael Roger (decomposition.com) sells a selection of notebooks with fun patterns -- from flowers to jellyfish, penguins to donuts -- all made from eco-friendly materials through eco-friendly methods. These notebooks can also be found on Amazon if you’re looking to keep all your shopping in one place.

Another item that is becoming increasingly common in recent years are blue light glasses, which are meant to protect students’ eyes from blue light emitted from screens. This year, as school demands even more computer time with many students still relying on online learning for complete school days at times, it may be wise of students to give a pair a go. If you’re looking to invest in a well-made pair, Warby Parker has dozens of glasses styles that can have blue light lenses added to them. They even offer try-on services shipped right to your home so you can see in person several pairs before deciding on the one for you. Warby Parker is also committed to charitable causes -- typically, they run their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, but in response to Covid-19, their focus recently has been on distributing PPE and other health supplies to those in need. For more inexpensive options, Amazon is stocked with glasses of different colors and sizes, as well.

One thing students are adding to their school

supplies shopping list this fall are face masks, which they’ll be required to wear while in class and on school grounds. While disposable masks are an option, since students will be wearing them frequently for the foreseeable future, now seems like a good time to invest in some reusable masks - they create less waste and come in so many different styles! Many companies have been using the demand for reusable masks as an opportunity to give back, so when buying your masks for school, consider buying where you can make an impact. Everlane’s “100% Human Face Mask” pack, for instance, is available for order online and gets you five cloth masks for $25, and 10 percent of every sale is donated to the ACLU. Others are using this opportunity to support Covid relief . Uncommon Goods is selling a set of two “Rainbow Face Coverings” on their website for $25, each with vibrant patterns designed by kids, and 100% of the proceeds go directly to Covid response efforts.

Etsy’s online market has also become a hub for face coverings of all varieties this year, with different sellers creating masks of different patterns, colors, and sizes to meet everyone’s preferences. Some masks, again, are made and sold with a purpose; the seller Cantoneri, for instance, is selling Black Lives Matter masks for $13.99 a piece, with 20 percent of proceeds going to the Black Lives Matter organization.

Amazon, of course, is also well equipped to meet all your mask needs this fall, and they too have

opportunities to give back while shopping. The brand “ETEE” is selling four-packs of organic cotton face coverings, and for each pack purchased, a mask is donated to hospitals to be used by visitors and discharged patients.

So, while the 2020-2021 school year will look nothing like it has in years past, this year has already proven there’s nothing Greenwich students can’t handle. This past March, schools shut down so abruptly that students had no choice but to adapt to the situation in a matter of days. Classes went entirely online, along with certain standardized testing such as AP exams -- something most students had never done before.

But the remainder of the school year came and went, along with a considerably long summer vacation, and now students are itching to return to their classroom environments once again.

Many sports teams are starting up (in modified ways) once more, class schedules are beginning to be released, and the feeling of summer coming to a close is in full force. Although many schools are reducing the student population by dividing in-person and online learning, and classmates and teachers alike will have half their faces covered throughout the day, there will certainly be some hints of normalcy once again as students sit down in their classrooms, eat lunch with their friends, and maybe even ride the school bus once again for the first time in six months.

and after its successful Inspire capital campaign, which quadrupled the non-prof it’s endowment, Caramoor is in a good position to work through this difficult time. As Curley takes leadership of the organization, Caramoor will continue its impressive programs as well as work to reach a larger audience and offer a more diverse range of programs.

On her appointment, Nina Curley commented, “It is an honor to be part of such a wonderful organization as Caramoor, and I am grateful to the Board for this opportunity. I am excited to continue the momentum that Jeff Haydon so skillfully set in motion.”

Caramoor Chairman James Attwood adds, “When Nina joined us almost nine years ago, we bonded over a shared vision of what Caramoor might accomplish.

She has been a key architect of our recent success, and we look forward to a bright and exciting future with Nina at the helm. While we are sorry to see Jeff leave, we are excited for him as he embarks on his next adventure. On behalf of the Caramoor

community, I want to thank Jeff for his eight years of leadership and dedication to Caramoor.”

As VP and Chief Development Officer, Curley was responsible for overseeing Caramoor’s individual giving, major gifts, special events, and Capital Campaign fundraising initiatives. Caramoor owes much of its success to its strong leadership team composed of members with various skill sets that contribute to the growth the organization continues to see in its programs. Curley is joined by a leadership team that includes Kathy Schuman, Vice President, Artistic Programming & Executive Producer; Tahra Delfin, Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer; and Tammy Belanger, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Curley and the team are supported by the Board of Trustees headed by Chairman James A. Atwood, Jr. After a summer with their doors shut, Caramoor will open its grounds this weekend, letting visitors in via reservations, which can be made online at caramoor.org. Ground passes will be available Friday

through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will go on sale Mondays at 10 a.m. Visitors will be able to walk the grounds and experience the property’s beautiful gardens and architecture, as well as experience the sound art collection, Sonic Innovations.

On the opening, Curley comments, “Thanks to our idyllic gardens, woodlands and outdoor space, Caramoor is uniquely poised to inspire visitors safely this fall. We're looking forward to welcoming visitors beginning this weekend when we'll be opening for in person visits Fridays through Sundays through October 11. Guests will have the opportunity to stroll the gardens, picnic, explore our unique outdoor sound art collection, and listen to archived Caramoor concerts which will be amplified throughout the grounds on Sunday evenings. We're also delighted to announce a full range of virtual and live fall programming featuring eight professionally produced livestreams from the Music Room, and two Beginner's Ear events- please see our website (caramoor.org) for the complete schedule which will

New Interim CEO at Caramoor Center for Music

By Julia Lucey The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts recently announced the appointment of Nina Curley as Interim CEO of the organization as former CEO Jeffrey Haydon steps down to take on a new position as head of the Ravinia Festival this fall. Curley has worked as VP and Chief Development Officer at Caramoor since 2012 prior to taking on this position this August.

Caramoor, located in Katonah, NY, is a hub for the arts, specifically music, bringing in a diverse array of live music, as well as providing mentoring for young professional musicians and other musicoriented educational programs for young children.

The center is located on a 90-acre estate with beautiful gardens and architecture, featuring the historic Rosen House mansion.

In the midst of the challenges put forth by Covid-19, Caramoor has been working hard to uphold its support for the musical and artistic community,

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Column

Unbound Innovations – Virtual Reality Happened This Summer

By Julie Faryniarz

It was immensely rewarding and refreshing for me as the Greenw ich A lliance for Education’s Executive Director, to say “yes” to funding Unbound Summer VR, a two week Virtual Reality (VR) project/job held this summer. I say “rewarding and refreshing” because participants used cutting edge technology to learn, experiment, and explore instead of what we have all been doing recently - Zoom meetings for basic communication. The project was a testing platform for Unbound Innovations – a VR Makery and Alliance Reaching out Grant recipient for 2019-2021 (Alliance investment $74,000).

This grant is a prime example of what the Greenwich Alliance does best – f und innovation, expand opportunities, and inspire educators.

L e t m e s te p b a c k to g i ve more context about Unbound Innovations – a VR Makery at Western Middle School (WMS).

G a spa r e L ipa r i, Eng l i sh a nd ALP teacher, is the “champion” of this g rant and k nows that students are ready for VR. VR is a computer-simulated, 360°

environment that immerses the user into real or imagined worlds, allowing a student to gain firsthand experience in virtually any realm. VR can recreate sensory experiences that reinvigorate and engage the curious learner within every student. VR technology is more accessible and attainable than ever because companies are investing in improved software and affordable hardware, while early adopters are focusing heavily on educational and collaborative applications.

During the 2019-2020 school year, the Alliance invested in the VR hardware and software needed at WMS to successfully launch the program for students. Initially, st udent s ex p er i mente d w it h VR in an after-school program o p p o r t u n i t y, s u b s e q u e n t l y expanding to 8th-grade Advisor Bases. Mr. Lipari researched, pursued, and built professional partnerships with many leaders in the field, including the Yale School of Medicine’s Play4 Real Lab, EdAdvance’s Skills 21, and others.

I had the opportunity to visit WMS with an Alliance board member while the Play4Real Lab shared a recently developed VR game about the dangers of vaping called smokeSCREEN VR. Gaming in VR creates an interactive learning experience that is more realistic and engaging for students.

Mr. Lipari is developing and delivering augmented reality (AR) and V R professional learning sessions for WMS teachers to

Gaspare Lipari, English and ALP teacher at WMS, is the “champion” of this grant and knows that students are ready for VR.

Student is immersed in VR at Western Middle School integrate AR /VR learning and create oppor tu n ities in their courses. With schools closing in March and distance learning suddenly taking place, Unbound Innovations took a momentary rest. Then, during a conversation w i t h M r. L i p a r i a b o u t m y initial confusion and feelings of exhaustion with sitting on multiple virtual calls, we came up with an

intriguing idea. Maybe VR/AR is the emerging solution for people to meet, learn and interact? Should we do a project this summer to explore this further? He thought for a moment and said, “Let me think about this and get back to you with a work plan and a proposal.” In the meantime, the Alliance was working on starting a JOBS BOARD, as part of our

AV ID SUCCESS initiative, for AVID students and alumni to earn money. These students and their families were greatly impacted by business closings due to COVID-19.

We, like many of our community partners, were mobilizing our volunteers and expending r e s o u r c e s to h e lp s t u d e nt s , families, and educators.

Submitted in early June, Mr. G a sp a r i’s Un b ou nd Su m me r V R proposa l outli ned a t woweek remote VR opportunity for six AVID students and alumni to be facilitated by Mr. Lipari and Michele Giorlando DeRosa, a not her W M S e duc ator. The Unbound Summer VR project was posted on our JOBS BOARD and interested students were encouraged to apply.

Unbound Summer VR started in mid-July and each day, the six students met virtually with Mr. Lipari and Mrs. Giorlando DeRosa wearing Oculus headsets. They adopted Avatars they created using TiltBrush and other applications, v iewed V R documentaries, immersed themselves in oneof-a-kind experiences, and then

shared their perspectives using AltspaceVR as a virtual meeting and collaboration space.

Participating students ranged from 9th grade to college senior.

A lt houg h such a n age ra nge might at first seem awkward, as Avatars the students felt that the age difference was insignificant, intimidation was erased, and sharing, collaborating, and learning became easy. For Ms. Giorlando Rosa and all of the students, this was their f irst experience with VR technology.

One student commented that VR could be the “future of technology in education,” and all of them said they would look for opportunities to learn more about VR in the future, and would definitely be putting this experience on their resumes.

For Mr. Lipari, the project adde d to h is V R e duc at iona l to o l b ox . S o m e t i m e s a n i d e a comes along that you just know has potential - possibilities both seen and unseen. As always, I am happy that the Greenwich Alliance for Education is able to inspire educators to grow these ideas into visions that have a powerful and lasting impact on our students and learning communities.

Julie Faryniarz is the Executive Director of the Greenwich Alliance for Education. She is the mother of 3 Greenwich Public School graduates and recently celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary.

Y WC A Women Who Inspire Honoree; PTAC Past President

GPD Signs Appearing All Over Greenwich

Several versions of signs Supporting Our Greenwich Police have been appearing in people's yards all over Greenwich. Above, a few officers stopped by to say thank you for that support.

The signs in the photo were sponsored by the Greenwich Sentinel Foundation with help from Scott Frantz, Edward Dadakis, and Debra Hess and are available to residents free of charge who wish to express their gratitude to the Greenwich Police Department. If you would like a sign, email beth@greenwichsentinelfoundation.org. Other sign designs around town were sponsored by various other organizations or made by individuals. Email Beth@GreenwichSentinelFoundation.org if you would like a sign.

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Obituaries, for which there is never a charge or fee of any kind, may be submitted with photos to Editor@ GreenwichSentinel.com.

Former Resident Tom Seaver, heart and mighty arm of Miracle Mets, dies Tom Seaver, the galvanizing leader of the Miracle Mets 1969 championship team and a pitcher who personif ied the rise of expansion teams during an era of radical change for baseball, has died.

He was 75.

The Hall of Fame said Wednesday night that Seaver died Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.

Seaver spent his f inal years in Calistoga, California.

Seaver’s family announced in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with dementia and had retired from public life.

He continued working at Seaver Vineyards, founded by the threetime NL Cy Young Award winner and his wife, Nancy, in 2002 on 116 acres at Diamond Mountain in the Calistoga region of Northern California.

Seaver was diagnosed with Ly me d ise ase i n 19 91, a nd it reoccurred in 2012 and led to Bell’s Palsy and memory loss, the Daily News of New York reported in 2013.

“He will always be the heart and soul of the Mets, the standard which all Mets aspire to,” Mike Piazza, a former Mets catcher and Hall of Famer, tweeted when Seaver’s dementia diagnosis was announced.

Nicknamed Tom Terrific and The Franchise, Seaver was a fivetime 20-game winner and the 1967 NL Rookie of the Year. For his career, from 1967-86, he had a 311-205 record with a 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts and 61 shutouts.

He became a constant on magazine covers and a media presence, calling postseason games on NBC and ABC even while still an active player.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 when he appeared on 425 of 430 ballots for a then-record 98.84%. His mark was surpassed in 2016 by Ken Griffey Jr., again in 2019 when Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection by baseball writers, and in 2020 when Derek Jeter fell one vote short of a clean sweep.

His plaque in Cooperstown lauds him as a “power pitcher who helped change the New York Mets from lovable losers into formidable foes.” He changed not only their place in the standings but the team’s stature in people’s minds.

Seaver pitched for the Mets from 1967 until 1977, when he was traded to Cincinnati after a public spat with chairman M. Donald Grant over Seaver’s desire for a new contract. It was a clash that inflamed baseball fans in New York.

“My biggest disappointment?

Leaving the Mets the first time and the difficulties I had with the same people that led up to it,” Seaver told The Associated Press ahead of his Hall induction in 1992. “But I look back at it in a positive way now. It gave me the opportunity to work in different areas of the country.”

He threw his only no-hitter for the Reds in June 1978 against St. Louis and was traded back to New York after the 1982 season. But Mets general manager Frank Cashen blundered by leaving Seaver off his list of 26 protected players, and in January 1984 he was claimed by the Chicago White Sox as free agent compensation for losing pitcher Dennis Lamp to Toronto.

While pitching for the White Sox, Seaver got his 300th win at Yankee Stadium and did it in style with a six-hitter in a 4-1 victory. He finished his career with the 1986 Boston Red Sox team that lost to the Mets in the World Series.

Supremely conf ident — and not necessarily modest about his extraordinary acumen on the mound — Seaver was a 12-time AllStar who led the major leagues with a 25-7 record in 1969 and a 1.76 ERA in 1971. A classic power pitcher with a drop-and-drive delivery that often dirtied the right knee of his uniform pants, he won Cy Young Awards with New York in 1969, 1973 and 1975. The club retired his No. 41 in 1988, the first Mets player given the honor.

“From a team standpoint, winning the ’69 world championship is something I’ll remember most,” Seaver said in 1992. “From an individual standpoint, my 300th win brought me the most joy.”

S e aver l i m ite d h is pu bl ic appearances in recent years. He did not attend the Baseball Writers’ Association of America dinner in 2019, where members of the 1969 Mets were honored on the 50th

Obituaries

anniversary of what still ranks among baseball’s most unexpected championships.

Five months later, as part of a celebration of that team, the Mets announced plans for a statue of Seaver outside Citi Field, and the ballpark’s address was officially changed to 41 Seaver Way in a nod to his uniform number.

Seaver did not attend those ceremonies, either, but daughter Sarah Seaver did and said her parents were honored.

“This is so very appropriate because he made the New York Mets the team that it is,” said Ron Swoboda, the right fielder whose sprawling catch helped Seaver pitch the Mets to a 10-inning win in Game 4 of the ’69 Series. “He gave them credibility.”

When the Mets closed their previous home, Shea Stadium, on the final day of the 2008 regular season, Seaver put the finishing touches on the nostalgic ceremonies with a last pitch to Piazza, and the two walked off together waving goodbye to fans.

George Thomas Seaver was born in Fresno, California, on Nov. 17, 1944, a son of Charles Seaver, a top amateur golfer who won both his matches for the U.S. over Britain at the 1932 Walker Cup. Tom Seaver was a star at the University of Southern California and was drafted by Atlanta in 1966. He signed with the Braves for $51,500 only for Commissioner William Eckert to void the deal.

The Trojans already had played exhibition games that year, and baseball rules at the time prohibited a club from signing a college player whose season had started. Any team willing to match the Braves’ signing bonus could enter a lottery, and Eckert picked the Mets out of a hat that also included Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Among baseball’s worst teams from their expansion season in 1962, the Mets lost more than 100 games in five of their first six seasons and had never won more than 73 in any of their first seven years. With cherished Brooklyn Dodgers star Gil Hodges as their manager, a young corps of pitchers led by Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry and a stillwild Nolan Ryan, and an offense that included Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee, the Mets overtook the Chicago Cubs to win the NL East with a 10062 record in 1969.

They swept Hank Aaron and the Atlanta Braves in the first NL Championship Series to reach the World Series against highly favored Baltimore, which had gone 10953. Seaver lost the opener 4-1 in a matchup with Mike Cuellar, then pitched a 10-inning six-hitter to win Game 4, and the Mets won the title the following afternoon. From the Associated Press.

Frank Frasca

F ra n k R . F ra s c a – of Old Greenwich passed away on August 25th at his home with his loving family by his side. He was 96. Born on June 7, 1924 in Mount Vernon, NY, he was the son of Carmelo and Carmela (Sarno) Frasca.

F r a n k ’s g r e ate s t j oy w a s his family. He was proud of his children and grandchildren and was looking forward to being a great-grandfather in the next few days.

F r a n k h a d a n i nte r e s t i n electronics f rom a young age and began servicing radios at his brother’s repair shop.

Fra n k proud ly ser ved h is country in WWII in the U.S. Army under Patton as technical corporal in the QM Truck Co. He took part in preparations for the invasion of France through the Battle of the Bulge by driving semi-trucks filled with gas, ammunition and supplies.

A f ter h is retu r n f rom the service, he continued with his interest in radio and television repair. He went on to pursue his passion for photography by developing his own photos and repairing cameras.

Frank went on to start his own business before marrying his wife, Luisa D’Angelo, in Introdacqua, Italy in 1957. They started a family in Mount Vernon and made their move to Greenwich in 1967 where he began working for Color Tech T V i n Cos Cob. F ra n k wa s a well-respected technician in the community for many years and was the f irst authorized VCR serviceman in Fairfield county.

In Frank’s retirement years, he worked at Putnam Trust Bank in R iverside. He kept up with the latest technology and was a technical genius in many people’s eyes. He loved solving complex problems. He was a man of integrity and an inspiration to his family, providing guidance even in his final days.

F ra n k i s s u r v ive d by h i s beloved wife of 63 years, Luisa D ’A n g e l o F r a s c a , h i s l ov i n g children Daniel Frasca, Lisa Deilus (Thomas) and Rober t Frasca (Lauren), along with his cherished grandchildren Matthew Deilus, Melissa Urso (James) and Andrew Frasca. He is also survived by his dear sister Rose Zimbardi as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents a l o n g w it h b r o t h e r s D a n i e l , Giacomo, Pasquale and sisters Frances, Olga and Norma.

To honor his long and fulfilling life, family and friends are invited to gather on Sunday from 3-7p.m. at COXE & GRAZIANO FUNERAL H O M E , 1 3 4 H a m i l t o n Av e . , Greenwich, CT 203-869-5968. A

Funeral Mass will take place on Monday 11 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena RC Church in Riverside.

COVID-19 restrictions will apply.

Entombment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Greenwich.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

The Reverend Frank A. Winn

The Reverend Frank A. Winn, a parish priest who served the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport for many years, died in Providence August 31 after a long illness. He was 79. Born in Providence, son of Joseph R. and Margaret M. (McDonell) Winn, Father Winn grew up in North Scituate, R.I., and attended LaSalle Academy in Providence and Scituate JuniorSenior High, graduating in 1958. He went on to earn an undergraduate degree in English and religious studies at Fordham University.

Following a long career as an advertising executive in Manhattan, Father Winn heeded a spiritual calling that would keep him active in the Catholic Church for the next 25 years. After receiving a master’s degree in theology from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, N.Y., in 1992, he completed a one-year residency program in Hospital Chaplaincy at Cabrini Hospital in New York and at Bridgeport Hospital, then serving in both cities providing pastoral care.

After chaplaincy service, Father Winn studied for the priesthood at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass., a spiritual community dedicated to educating older seminarians. He was ordained a priest in May 1998 at St. Augustine's Cathedral in the diocese of Bridgeport. Following ordination, Father Winn was appointed parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Ridgefield, where he said his first Mass on Sunday, May 24, 1998.

He later served at St. James Parish in Stratford and went on to serve as parochial vicar of Assumption Parish in Fairfield. Father Winn also became territorial vicar for vicariate on clergy and was a member of the

Page 11 | Greenwich Sentinel

Presbyteral Council. In 2005, Father Winn was called to serve as pastor for St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Greenwich, where he remained until retiring due to ill health in 2015.

Affectionately known as Father Frank, he is remembered by St. Paul parishioners for his humble and loving service. His presence drew people to a beautiful faith and closer to a gentle and loving God, a parishioner gratefully noted. Father Winn is survived by a sister, Marilyn Winn Seymour and her husband, David, of North Kingston, R.I; a brother, Joseph R. Winn Jr., and his partner, Elizabeth A. Laposata, MD, of Providence; nieces Jennifer Hodge and husband William, and Jane Dickinson and husband Blake; four grand nieces; and a grand nephew.

His Mass of Christian Burial will be concelebrated on Saturday, September 5, 2020 in St. Paul C h u r c h , 8 4 S h e r w o o d Av e . , Greenwich, CT. Due to restrictions, the Mass w ill not be open to the public. Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery will be private. Relatives & friends are invited and may call at the church on Saturday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. prior to the Mass.

Kindly wear a face covering and practice social distancing. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the MS Society of Rhode Island in memory of John E. Seymour, Father Winn’s nephew and godchild.

A r ra n ge m e nt s h ave b e e n entrusted to THE CRANSTONMURPHY FUNERAL HOME of WICKFORD.

hours over decades in various capacities benefiting the Junior League of Greenwich and the United Way. As a testament to her quiet determination, she even brought the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros.

Circus to town in what was then the Electrolux parking lot in Old Greenwich.

Pat was an unassuming force of nature who enjoyed nothing more than being on, in or near water.

There she found great joy, whether it be kayaking with a dear friend and swimming in the Mianus Harbor as she did just this past weekend, to water aerobics with her newfound community of friends in Florida, to cruising the New England coast for many years on the family sloop Blackwater.

While a Mass of Christian Burial will be scheduled in the coming days and a proper celebration of a magnificent life will take place once the world is in a safer place, for now we simply honor the values and example of one of the world’s truly selfless people. Incapable of a proper retirement, she spent her last days and years finding ways to help and benefit her family, her friends and her community. She knew no other way to live.

In addition to her beloved husba nd, M i les, a nd ador i ng daughter, Deirdre, Pat is survived by her gracious sister Jane Beattie and the joy of her past thirteen years, her precious grandson, Miles. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to FARE, the national Food Allergy Research & Education organization (www.foodallergy.org) or to Read Pat McDonald Alliance, the New York City early Patricia B. McDonald, adored childhood reading program (www. w ife of M iles F. McDonald of readalliance.org).

Riverside, CT and Vero Beach, FL, passed away upon finishing her Mark Alan Tincher daily swim on Monday, August 24th.

Ma rk A la n Ti ncher, 6 4 of Born in Rochester, New York on August 10, 1939, Pat moved Greenwich, CT husband to Sheila, to Greenwich in 1952 where she father to daughters Courtney & attended Greenwich Academy and Megan. He was born in Toledo, Ohio then went on to Newton College. on October 1, 1955, son of the late She met her beloved husband of Leonard and Eleanor Tincher and 57 years, Miles F. McDonald, when brother of the late Timothy. both were in high school and, after Mark g raduated f rom The marrying in 1963 and starting a University of Toledo where he family, they settled in Riverside competed on the Varsity golf team. and continued a great partnership Mark graduated with a Masters in devoted to each other and their Finance in 1978.

In 1981 he settled in Connecticut community.

Among the organizations to to work as a Portfolio Manager at which Pat dedicated her time, Citibank in NYC, moving on the passion and considerable energies Chase Manhattan Corp in 1988 as over the years were: Hill House, Senior VP Portfolio Manger and which she co-founded and where completing his career at Paine she served as initial president; the Webber Mitchell Hutchins in NYC as PTAs of Riverside, Eastern Middle Managing Director & Chief Financial and Greenwich High Schools, all Officer.

M a r k ’s g r e a t e s t p a s s i o n as co-president with her husband; Community Answers as well as throughout his life was golf. He the Greenwich Arts Council as played and practiced frequently long serving executive directors. with his friends and daughter at Additionally, she served on the the Stanwich Club, Greenwich, CT. The family is planning a private board of Friends of Nathaniel Witherell and dedicated numerous memorial service.

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Pre-arranging a funeral allows you to make choices and selections so that your loved ones are not left to guess, but rather, are able to grieve.

Don't assume your family will make the same choices you'd prefer. Let your voice be heard and your wishes known.

To speak to a licensed, trusted and knowledgeable funeral director, call us at (203) 869-5968 or (914) 698-5968 or visit www.coxandgraziano.com.

We are not sales people, but we are a family.

134 Hamilton Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 (203) 869-5968

Page 12 | Greenwich Sentinel

Column

Forging Links to Break the Chains of COVID-19

By Lucy Rinaldi and Cheryl McFadden Margaret Mead once said: “Connections between generations are essential for the mental health and stability of a nation.” No truer words could be spoken amid a pandemic. COVID-19 has caused many, if not most, to feel isolated and alone, particularly the elderly.

Children, too, are profoundly affected by the lack of interaction with their extended family, friends, and older adults.

Clerg y at Christ Church Greenwich are acutely aware of the struggles of parishioners in this situation. Our pastoral care team offers support by calling, s e nd i n g c a r d s , a n d r u n n i n g errands for our seniors. While all these demonstrations of love have been valued and appreciated, we searched for a way to connect the children and the elderly. One tearful parent recently shared at a Zoom coffee hour that her young daughter missed seeing her grandparents at Easter and during the summer vacation.

Thanks to our parish engagement coordinator, Lucy Rinaldi, and her mother “across the pond,” Bobby, we learned about a project in the UK which is connecting young people and older adults. The program links elementary school children with retirees. The child calls

the adult to read them a story, practicing their reading skills while the adult listens. Usually happening over a period of many weeks, the connection becomes a bond between the pair.

Learning about the project reminded Lucy that her niece Silvia and mother spent a week together about two years ago. Bobby told Lucy that she’d thought hard about how to get her granddaughter to open up to her. She’d come up with the idea of asking her to be a journalist for the week, interviewing Bobby about her life, attitudes, etc. At the same time, Bobby had questions for her in return. They had one readied for each other every day, and it proved a very enjoyable way of getting to know one another.

Silv ia came up w ith some interesting questions for Bobby.

She asked her what three traits she would specifically look for when having a friendship.

“I find that kind of stuff very interesting,” Silvia comments, “I liked knowing that we had much more in common than I thought because of the age difference.”

Some of the questions they asked were unexpected. Lucy’s favorite was Silvia’s question for Bobby as to what advice, could she go back, she would give to her fifteen-year-old self. Her answer?

Don’t wear high heels – the bunions later aren’t worth it!

While all these demonstrations of love have been valued and appreciated, we searched for a way to connect the children and the elderly.

Evelyn Fitts, Martha Eustis The result of all this was the creation of Silver Links (like the UK program, where children read stories to older parishioners) and the Bobby Project (where youth connect with older parishioners and both parties ask each other questions about their lives and beliefs).

So far, eight elders and eight children have been paired for Silver Links and the same for the Bobby Project. All found the experience

enlightening. Corinne Broderick, age nine, who participated in Silver Links shared: "It was very fun for me and after I felt really proud of myself that I helped someone who might be bored at home all alone." Several of the elders who participated in Silver Links added that it was pure delight to listen to a young person read a story or a poem to them. They found the experience heart-warming.

The Bobby Project received

similar reviews from both the elders and the children. Evelyn Fitts, age fifteen, shared that it was a pleasure to talk with Marth Eustis. She wrote: “We are similar because we both like being with people a lot.” Elizabeth Fitts, Evelyn’s mother wrote: “I am thankful that my daughter got to know Martha Eustis through the Bobby Project this summer. Not only does Evelyn have a new friend at church, she received much great

advice and to think about what is meaningful in life during her phone calls.”

Kendall Collier, age fifteen, was paired with Emily Ragsdale for the Bobby Project. Kendall discussed Emily’s experience as the senior warden at Christ Church and how she valued the time spent with parishioners. Emily indicated that when people reached out to her, it was her job to help. Kendall wrote: “Her work encourages me to become more involved in my community and the church.”

Similarly, Emily wrote that Kendall “totally put me at ease with her interest and enthusiasm, so we had a fun conversation.”

T h e g o a l o f S i l ve r L i n k s and the Bobby Project was to develop relationships between children, youth, and the elderly a n d to l e s s e n t h e e f fe c t s o f loneliness and isolation during the quarantine. What we realized during the process was that these relationships did indeed break the chains of COVID-19 and gave hope of new beginnings to all the participants..

Lucy Rinaldi , Director of Parish Engagement, has been a m e m b e r o f C h r is t C h u rch Greenwich for 24 years.

Cheryl McFadden is the Senior Associate Rector at Christ Church Greenwich.

CELEBRATE! THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE GREENWICH GREAT!

Recognize the people who make a difference in our lives and our town – the ones who go above and beyond, and give their time, effort and energy.

It could be a teacher, a coach, your neighbor, a student, a community leader, a volunteer, someone who works at the library, or anyone who makes Greenwich great.

It’s easy!

It’s easy to submit a nomination: Send a brief description and a photo to heroes@greenwichtownparty.org Or visit greenwichtownparty.org/heroes KIDS CAN NOMINATE HEROES, TOO!

Column

Everyone Has a Story

By Jake Kircher Last week my family spent a couple hours at the beach together.

It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun playing in the water, climbing on the rocks looking for minnows, and spending some quality time together. As many do with this kind of outing, we documented it with a family selfie.

To look at that picture shows smiling faces that communicate the fun and joy of the morning.

However, as so often with social media, that doesn’t tell the whole story…

Due to health concerns, this was actually our first time at the beach all together this summer; which is not normal for our family.

As much as it was fun, the time was filled with anxiety as well. We had to constantly watch others to ensu re we stayed socia l ly distanced from others who weren’t being as cautious as we were. We had to tell our kids “no” more than once to requests that would have brought us closer to others than we were comfortable with. When we finally left, it wasn’t dictated by our wanting to leave, but more so with the beach filling up and getting more crowded. Honesty, the whole time was rather weird and uncomfortable.

As I processed my ow n emotions, and as my wife and I talked about the contrast of the fun and cautiousness, it left me with a reminder that everyone has a story. Once that thought hit my

mind for myself and my family, it quickly turned to those around us.

The couple with five kids who came in without masks and simply let their kids run free without any perceived caution or warnings about social distancing.

The old man wearing water shoes, a thong speedo, and a sun hat walking down the beach.

The family who arrived at the beach in pants, long sleeves and ankle length dresses.

T h e t wo wo m e n w a l k i n g together who each had dozens of tattoos.

Each of t he se p e ople had experiences, beliefs and emotions that shaped and informed their decisions. Some level of thought went into the things I was able to see on the surface, and yet their deeper stories were hidden and left me to assume and wonder.

Sadly, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this, I noticed that my assumptions skewed more towards being judgemental or critical.

As I compare this to the life and teachings of Jesus, I am struck with the fact that Jesus always led with love. Since he was God incarnate, he knew the deeper stor ies a nd ex per iences t hat were beneath the surface and he approached people with that in mind, not assumptions. More so, My family at the beach last week.

Jesus regularly asked questions of stories and to engage people with racial tensions, and the difficulty of those around him that encouraged others.

I l e f t t h e b e a c h t h a t d ay love and curiosity. I think this dealing with COVID. There are so a deeper sense of knowing and engagement. There is a lot we can wanting to really challenge myself is especially important in our many things going on beneath the learn from how Jesus approached to remember everyone’s deeper current time of political division, surface for all of us, that feels far

Each of these people had experiences, beliefs and emotions that shaped and informed their decisions.

Some level of thought went into the things I was able to see on the surface, and yet their deeper stories were hidden and left me to assume and wonder.

more than what has been normal.

How would your interactions w ith others be dif ferent by a commitment to ask questions and explore the “why’s” beneath peoples’ statements and actions?

What could you learn from those questions that leads to empathy and compassion?

How could the Spirit use you to help bring healing to someone's hurt or fear as you responded out of love?

I was struck by these questions even more in lig ht of actor Chadwick Boseman’s surprise passing this past weekend. It was striking to consider that he had been criticized by some for recent weight loss and accused of trying to get out of his contract with Marvel. Yet, the truth was a four year struggle with colon cancer while he continued to film and make some incredible movies.

This brought even more power and meaning to my favorite line in Black Panther by Boseman’s character: “We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.”

May we be people who live like Jesus, choosing to find ways to build bridges between ourselves and others.

Jake Kircher is the Executive Pastor at Trinity Church.

Worship Services Information ASSEMBLIES OF GOD

www.stmichaelgreenwich.com

project, contact jjacullo@optonline.net.

Harvest Time Church 1338 King St., 203-531-7778 www.htchurch.com

Sunday Mass: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am, in the parking lot (make a reservation: signupgenius.com/go/ stmichaelgreenwich). All Masses and Adoration will continue to be livestreamed.

Sunday Worship & Church School ONLINE Sunday, August 23, 2020 10:00am | JackRabbits Summer Camp for Kids (Week 2) Monday, August 24, 2020 - 8:30am | Art Studio -TEMPORARILY POSTPONED Monday, August 24, 2020 - 1:00pm

In-Person Worship Services: Sundays: 8:30, 10 & 11:30am (tickets will be made available each week via Eventbrite.

Virtual events: Sunday Worship available at htchurch.com & social media outlets. Walking with The King: Mon, 8pm. Find Freedom: Tue, 8:30am, via Zoom. Pray with the Pastors: Thu, 8pm. HTKidz Worship – a weekly Bible story and simple activities parents can do at home to reinforce lesson (bit.ly/ HTKidzList). ‘GriefShare’ online weekly meeting (credentials to participate will be supplied upon registration).

BAPTIST First Baptist Church 10 Northfield St.; 203-869-7988 www.firstbaptistgreenwich.com Sunday Servings: 11:30am, Facebook Live or for Devotion: 11-11:25am (Dial in 701-802-5355, Access code 360922).

Greenwich Baptist Church 10 Indian Rock Ln; 203-869-2807 www.greenwichbaptist.org Online Worship - Sunday, 11am, streamed through Facebook and website (greenwichbaptist.org/livestream).

Sunday Morning Prayer: Sun, 8:309:15am, via Google Meet.

CATHOLIC Sacred Heart Church 95 Henry St.; 203-531-8730 www.sacredheartgreenwich.org In-person Mass: Mon-Fri: 7am (in Chapel); Sat: 4pm (Vigil); Sun: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am (in Sanctuary). (Only by registration - call or text: 203-559-9256 or email: sacredheartgrn@optonline.net).

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Church) by appt.; Sacrament of Baptism: Sun, 12:30pm (call the parish office in advance).

St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes St. Agnes: 247 Stanwich Rd; St. Catherine: 4 Riverside Ave; 203-6373661 www.stc-sta.org Daily Mass under the Tent: Mon-Fri, 5:15-5:45pm (sign up through homepage).

Virtual Daily Mass: Mon-Fri, 7-7:30am, (sign up through homepage). Virtual Mass via Zoom: Sun 10:30am & Wed 1:30pm (Daily). Virtual events: Rosary: Mon, 1:30pm; Prayer and Conversation: Tue & Thu, 1:30pm; Stations of the Cross: Fri, 1:30pm. The priests of the parish will celebrate Mass privately for your intentions. Parish Partners Hotline: 203-637-3661 x375. Parish Partners in Prayer: pray silently wherever you are: 8am & 8pm.

St. Mary Church 178 Greenwich Ave.; 203-869-9393 www.stmarygreenwich.org Public Mass: Mon-Fri, 12:05pm (no reservations are needed - limited to 50 people). Sat: Vigil, 4pm; Spanish (call 203-912-0246 for reservations), 7:30pm.

Sun: 9, 10:30am & 12:15pm, (must make reservation in advance by calling the Parish Office, Thu or Fri, 9am-3pm and speak to the receptionist). Confessions: Sat, 2:45-3:45pm, on the patio. Summer Rosary: Sun & Tue, 7:30pm, via YouTube Live. Virtual Daily Mass: Mon-Sun, 12pm, with Fr. La Pastina on Facebook.

Visit EWTN.com for daily Mass at 8am with encore at 12pm.

St. Michael the Archangel 469 North St.; 203-869-5421

St. Timothy Chapel 1034 North St.; 203-869-5421 Outdoor public celebration of Mass: Mon-Sat: 7:30 & 9:30am, St. Timothy’s Chapel. Sun: 7:30, 9:30 11:30am, St. Michael’s Church. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Wed, 10am-4pm & Sun, 12-1pm. Confessions: Wed, 1011am & 3-4pm, St. Timothy’s chapel (make a reservation: signupgenius.com/ go/stmichaelgreenwich). All Masses and Adoration will continue to be livestreamed.

St. Paul Church 84 Sherwood Ave.; 203-531-8741 www.stpaulgreenwich.org Public Mass Celebration: Mon-Thu: 9am; Sat: 4pm (Vigil); Sun: 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30am (Reservation is required only for Sunday Mass by visiting the homepage or by calling 203-531-8741, ext. 4). Online daily Mass at EWTN. com, 8am with encore at 12pm. Daily Mass also available on Bishop Robert Barron’s website at wordonfire.org/dailymass. Confessions by appointment only – call 203-531-8741, ext. 2.

St. Roch Church 10 St. Roch Ave.; 203-869-4176 www.strochchurch.com In-person Public Mass: Mon-Fri, 7:30pm; Sat, 5pm (Vigil); Sun, 7:30am, 10:30am & 1pm (Spanish), sign-up (signupgenius. com/go/strochchurch). Mass - via live streaming: Mon-Sat 8am (Latin), MonSat 9am (English), Sun 7:30am (English), [Concelebrated for Previously Scheduled 7:30am & 9:30am Mass Intentions], Sun 1pm (Spanish) [Concelebrated for Previously Scheduled 11:30am & 1pm Mass Intentions]. The Church will be open as follows (for private prayer): M-F 10am-8pm, Sat 3-6pm, Sun 9am-12pm.

Eucharistic Adoration (silent): M-F 7-8pm, Sat 5-6pm, Sun 9am-12pm.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE First Church of Christ, Scientist 11 Park Place; 203-869-2503 www.christiansciencect.org/ greenwich Sunday and Wednesday services via live tele-conference: 203-680-9095, code is 520520*.

COMMUNITY First Church of Round Hill 464 Round Hill Rd.; 203-629-3876 www.firstchurchofroundhill.com Worship services are cancelled until further notice. The office is also closed until further notice. (If you need to reach Rev. Leo W. Curry, pastor, or any other personnel, call 203-629-3876 and leave a message or email fcroundhill@outlook. com). The church will re-open for worship on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Round Hill Community Church 395 Round Hill Rd.; 203-869-1091 www.roundhillcommunitychurch.org In-person Public Outdoor Worship: Sun, 10-10:30am, registration is required (signupgenius.com/ go/70a084aafa72aa0f b6-inperson).

Virtual events: Sunday Worship & Church School - Online: Sun 10am, youtu.be/CNjyLHzsRlI. Face Masks for BGCG: for more information on this

CONGREGATIONAL The First Congregational Church 108 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-1791 www.fccog.org Online Worship Service: Sun 10am, through live-streaming on YouTube and broadcast on WGCH (or tune to AM1490 or FM105.5). Virtual Community Hour: Sun 11am, via Zoom (meeting ID: 909 415 108, password: 003930). Connect during the week: Monday: Music on Mondays (sent by Craig Symons); Wednesday: Wisdom on Wednesdays (sent by Rev. Patrick Collins); Thursday: Faith Formation at Home for All (sent by Rosemary Lamie); Fridays on Facebook (live @ 3pm with Rev. Patrick Collins).

North Greenwich Congregational 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-869-7763 www.northgreenwichchurch.org Online Worship Service: Sun 10:30am, via Zoom. Please email Rev. Halac at Pastor@northgreenwichchurch.org any day and at any time until 9am on Sunday and you will receive an invitation link.

Second Congregational Church 139 E Putnam Ave.; 203-869-9311 www.2cc.org Services available online, details at 2cc. org. Contemporary Worship: Sat, 5pm.

Traditional Sunday Service: 10:30am.

EPISCOPAL Anglican Church of the Advent 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-861-2432 www.churchoftheadvent.org Service: Sun, 9am, Holy Eucharist.

Sunday School during academic year.

Christ Church Greenwich 254 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-6600 www.christchurchgreenwich.org Outdoor Worship: Sun, 9am, Tomes-Higgins-Front Lawn (during Summer weather permitting), registration is required, akryzak@ christchurchgreenwich.org.

Virtual Worship Service: Sun: Holy Eucharist, 10am, livestream. Sunday Forum via Zoom, 11:15am. Morning Prayer: Weekdays, 8am, on Zoom. Evensong: Thu, 5pm, livestream. Morning Prayer live-sessions: 7 & 9am at dailyoffice. org. Prayer of the Cloud Meditation via Zoom: Mon, 7-8pm. Organ Recitals: Fri, 5:30pm, Facebook Live.

St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church 350 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-2262 www.saintsaviours.org In-person Outdoor Service: Sat, 11am & Sun, 11am. Online Worship Services available on Youtube.

JEWISH Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich 75 Mason St.; 203-629-9059 www.chabadgreenwich.org Services available via Zoom. PJ Library Zoom Storytime: Mon-Thurs, 3pm & Fri, 2pm.

Congregation Shir Ami 1273 E. Putnam Ave, PO Box 312, Riverside; 203-900-7976; Shirami. info@gmail.com www.congregationshirami.org All services, programs and celebrations are available online via Zoom.

Greenwich Reform Synagogue 92 Orchard St.; 203-629-0018 www.grs.org Online programs streamed virtually on Zoom.us: Tot Shabbat with Rabbi Gerson and Cantor Dunkerley, Fri, 5pm.

Shabbat services with Rabbi Gerson and Cantor Dunkerley, Fri, 7pm. Jewish meditation and text study with Rabbi Gerson, Tue-Fri, 12pm. Storytime for Kids with Rabbi Gerson, Tue-Thu 5:30pm. Kids Sing Along with Cantor Dunkerley, Mon-Thu, 10am.

Temple Sholom 300 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-7191 www.templesholom.com Services – live-streamed: Fri 6:30pm; Sat 10am; Sun 8:30am. If you have an emergency and need to reach a member of the clergy, dial 203-869-7191 ext. 3.

Limited in-person Friday night Shabbat service, pre-registration is required, lori. baden@templesholom.com.

LUTHERAN First Lutheran Church 38 Field Point Rd.; 203-869-0032 www.firstpaul.com Indoor service held jointly at St. Paul through Labor Day weekend.

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran 286 Delavan Ave.; 203-531-8466 www.firstpaul.com Indoor service: Sunday, 9am. Bible Study: Sunday, 10:15am.

METHODIST Diamond Hill United Methodist 521 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-2395; www.diamondhillumc. com

Live and Virtual Morning Prayer: Sun, 8-9 & 10-11am (signupgenius.com/ go/4090e4aadac2ea3ff 2-sunday1).

Virtual Coffee Hour: Sun, 10:45am.

Online Worship followed by a time of Fellowship, 10-11am, via Zoom (us02web.zoom.us/j/635272316?); via phone: Dial-in: +1-929-436-2866 US (NY), Meeting ID: 262 529 082. ‘What Happened to the Disciples?’, Wed, 7:30pm, via Zoom (or Dial-in: +1 929 436 2866 US. Meeting ID: 940 2222 0303, Password: 516742).

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 200 Riverside Ave.; 203-637-2447 www.stpaulsriverside.org

First United Methodist Church 59 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-629-9584 www.fumcgreenwich.com

Mass on the Grass: Sundays, 9:30am.

Service on the Meadow: Sundays, 9:30am. Virtual events: Online Morning Prayer: Sun, 10:15-11:15am. The Book of Common Prayer is available online in PDF format: stpaulsriverside.org/ online-worship-resources. Faith At Home - crafted devotional materials for families and individuals available at dofaithathome.org.

Virtual Sunday Worship, 9:30am, via Zoom (203 629 9584). Virtual Daily Gathering: Mon-Fri, 3pm, Zoom. Talking with Your Hands, Mon 3pm. Reading this World as a Christian, Tue 3pm. Back to Rock – music with Mr. Bruce, every Tue, 3pm, via Zoom. Reading the Shape of Scripture, Wed, 3pm, via Zoom. Spring Bible Study, Thu, 3pm, via Zoom. Tea & Talk, Fri 3pm, via Zoom.

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 954 Lake Ave.; 203-661-5526 www.stbarnabasgreenwich.org

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal 42 Lake Ave.; 203-661-3099 Worship via teleconference: Sun, 11am and until further notice (Dial-in number: 425-436-6380, Access code:​​612220).

NONDENOMINATIONAL Revive Church 90 Harding Rd., Old Greenwich (Old Greenwich Civic Center) www.myrevive.org Online Sermons available on Facebook (facebook.com/ myrevivechurchgreenwich) and on Youtube. All groups are online. Direct any prayer needs to the prayer chain at 203-536-2686 or revivecfm@gmail.com.

Stanwich Church 202 Taconic Rd.; 203-661-4420 www.stanwichchurch.org Online & Outdoor Worship Service 10 AM starting September 6th. Register at https://stanwichchurch.org/ Kingdom Come Prayer Study- Mondays starting September 14th at 7 PM. Register Online Alpha Online Zoom Class- Tuesdays starting september 15th at 7 PM. Register Online Following Christ in an Election YearWednesdays starting September 16th at 7 PM on Facebook Live-Stanwichchurch Outdoor Worship Night - Friday, September 25 at 7 PM. Register Online ONGOING Prayer Hour: Wed 6:30 AM, Dial 515606-5410, access code 119748#)s The Albertson Memorial Church 293 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-4615 www.albertsonchurch.org Sunday Services and all church activities have been cancelled until further notice.

Trinity Church 1 River Rd.; 203-618-0808 www.trinitychurch.life Online Sunday Services: 9:45am, youtube.com/c/TrinityChurchLife/ live. Digital Devos (a 30-minute ‘dropin’ devotional and prayer via Zoom call: Tue & Fri, 11:30am; Thu, 7pm, TrinityChurch.Life. Alpha (online): Tue, 7:30-8:45pm. Give and receive help during Covid-19 – join the Covid-19 Crisis Care Team or request help and support, visit TrinityChurch.Life.

PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church 1 W. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-8686; www.fpcg.org Online Worship: Sun 10-11am at fpcg. org/live. Sunday School online, 10:1511am. Email info@fpcg.org with questions. Beginning June 3: Summer Wednesdays (Online) - Join Ellie and Tara on Zoom every other Wed, 4:305:30pm, ages 4-4th Grade, email ellie. strathdee@fpcg.org (a Zoom link will be sent out bi-weekly).

Grace Church of Greenwich 8 Sound Shore Dr., Suite 280 203-861-7555 www.gracechurchgreenwich.com Worship is cancelled indefinitely.

Sermons available on the website.

Living Hope Community Church 38 West End Ave; 203-637-3669 www.LivingHopeCT.org Worship Service online: Sun, 10-11:15am (YouTube or Facebook). Coffee and fellowship: Sun, 11:15am-12pm, via Zoom. Wednesday Prayer: Wed, 8:309am.

Page 14 | Greenwich Sentinel

REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD Deborah Ference-Gray

REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD MASTHEAD DASHBOARD EDITOR

Mark Pruner | Mark@GreenwichStreets.com | mark@bhhsne.com

DASHBOARD CONTRIBUTORS

One Pickwick Plaza Greenwich, CT 06830

Robert Pulitano | RobertPulitano@bhhsne.com Cesar Rabillino | CesarRabellino@bhhsne.com Pam Toner | PamToner@bhhsne.com

Office: 203.618.3155 Mobile: 917.584.4903

For Market Updates and Listings Visit deborahferencegray.com

deborah.ferencegray@sothebyshomes.com

FEATURED OPEN HOUSES Data Compiled by Rob Pulitano [203] 561-8092

Address

Area

Price

Day/Time

Broker

90 N Bowman Drive

Greenwich

$1,895,000

Sat 1-3 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

18 Leonard Avenue

Riverside

$1,049,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Sotheby's

4 Buxton Lane

Riverside

$3,250,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Berkshire Hathaway

48 Hillside Road

Greenwich

$1,199,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Berkshire Hathaway

82 Rockwood Lane

Greenwich

$2,900,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Sotheby's

742 Lake Avenue

Greenwich

$2,400,000

Sun 12-2 PM

Sotheby's

NEW LISTINGS

Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866

IF IT'S IN YOUR HOME, WE CAN CLEAN IT! UPHOLSTERY I LINEN & BEDDING I WINDOW TREATMENTS I FLOORING & CARPETS I PATIO CUSHIONS

Address

List Price

Price/SqFt

SqFt

25 Valley Road 25 112 Pemberwick Road 70 Riverdale Ave 1003 114 Greenwich Hills Dr 15 Ferris Drive 6 Robin Place 1031 North Street 677 River Road 69 Loughlin Avenue 5 Angus Lane 15 Ronald Lane 45 Circle Drive 18 Connecticut Avenue 191 Lake Avenue 488 Cognewaugh Road 90 Bowman Drive 3 Gaston Farm Road 718 North Street 82 Rockwood Lane 50 Mallard Drive 50 Sound View Dr 3 S 434 Cognewaugh Road 12 Saint Claire Avenue 11 Partridge Hollow Rd 480 North Street 820 North Street 2 Broad Road

$689,000 $759,000 $770,000 $865,000 $899,500 $995,000 $1,200,000 $1,349,000 $1,349,000 $1,399,000 $1,598,000 $1,735,000 $1,790,000 $1,795,000 $1,850,000 $1,895,000 $2,175,000 $2,575,000 $2,900,000 $2,995,000 $3,195,000 $3,545,000 $4,600,000 $5,250,000 $5,295,000 $7,495,000 $11,950,000

$390

1,768

$401 $933

2,245 0.3 1,066 0.31 2,375 0.49 2,426 1.05

$490 $398 $402

$505 $556 $722 $568 $435 $433 $782 $751 $594 $400 $245 $551 $746 $396

$725 $656

$734 $768 $516 $1,356 $1,382

1,550 1,936 2,150

AC

BR

FB

Area

0

4 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 5 4 5 4 3 4 6 5 5 6 4 5 6 7 6 5 5

3 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 3 6 3 2 3 2 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 6 7 7 5 7

Cos Cob Glenville Glenville Glenville Old Greenwich Old Greenwich North Parkway Cos Cob Cos Cob Glenville North Mianus South of Post Road South of Post Road South Parkway Cos Cob Glenville North Parkway North Parkway South Parkway South of Post Road South of Post Road Cos Cob Old Greenwich North Parkway South Parkway North Parkway South of Post Road

0.12 0

1,869 2,464 3,670 4,008 2,290 2,391 3,116 4,741 8,880

0.14 1.26 0.28 0.45 0.11 0.2 2 1 2.12 4,670 4.62 3,887 1.88 7,564 0.4

4,406 0 5,406 2.08

6,263 6,833 10,256 5,527 8,650

0.55 4.31 1.88

2

1.53

NEW SALES

Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866

Fabricare quality for your home!

203-957-3838 I HomeCarebyFabricare.net

Address

Original List

1465 Putnam Avenue 311 57 Richland Road 66 Richland Road 1 193 Hamilton Avenue 13 50 Church Street 4 49 Burdsall Drive 9 Ridge Road 73 Weaver Street 9 1 Orchard Court 139 Lake Avenue 3 Nimitz Place 25 End Court 19 Taylor Drive 72 Havemeyer Place B 3 Fairfield Avenue 30 Stag Lane 1 Benjamin Street 10 Stepping Stone Lane 15 Linwood Avenue 26 Connecticut Avenue 11 Anthony Place 64 Richmond Hill Road 50 Wesskum Wood Road 136 Shore Road 143 Overlook Drive 15 Mountain Laurel Drive 34 Bruce Park Avenue 1 21 Benenson Drive 15 Wyckham Hill Lane 14 Lockwood Avenue 1 Tomac Lane 1 Macpherson Drive 122 Butternut Hollow Road 64 Sawmill Lane 68 Doubling Road 32 Vineyard Lane 11 Simmons Lane 6 Lauder Way 75 Byram Shore Road

$347,000 $599,500 $599,000 $699,000 $945,000 $925,000 $949,000 $1,100,000 $1,175,000 $1,175,000 $1,295,000 $1,799,000 $1,395,000 $1,495,000 $1,595,000 $1,590,000 $1,695,000 $1,980,000 $1,684,000 $1,995,000 $1,950,000 $2,150,000 $2,395,000 $2,450,000 $2,445,000 $2,950,000 $2,750,000 $3,395,000 $2,995,000 $3,400,000 $3,400,000 $3,500,000 $3,600,000 $4,150,000 $4,500,000 $8,600,000 $9,600,000 $11,495,000 $14,295,000

List Price

Sold Price DOM BR FB Acres

$347,000 $340,000 $575,000 $520,000 $562,500 $540,000 $699,000 $685,000 $945,000 $890,000 $925,000 $925,000 $949,000 $949,000 $1,100,000 $1,000,000 $1,175,000 $1,175,000 $1,175,000 $1,180,000 $1,295,000 $1,250,000 $1,395,000 $1,300,000 $1,395,000 $1,300,000 $1,395,000 $1,322,000 $1,499,000 $1,410,000 $1,590,000 $1,590,000 $1,695,000 $1,685,000 $1,795,000 $1,700,000 $1,684,000 $1,700,000 $1,895,000 $1,800,000 $1,950,000 $1,860,000 $2,000,000 $1,900,000 $2,395,000 $2,150,000 $2,450,000 $2,256,250 $2,445,000 $2,275,000 $2,695,000 $2,675,000 $2,750,000 $2,750,000 $3,195,000 $2,900,000 $2,995,000 $2,900,000 $3,350,000 $3,150,000 $3,400,000 $3,200,000 $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $3,600,000 $3,600,000 $4,150,000 $3,750,000 $4,275,000 $4,050,000 $8,250,000 $8,100,000 $8,895,000 $8,550,000 $10,900,000 $9,750,000 $14,295,000 $12,000,000

16 122 269 22 35 46 21 380 14 60 30 429 111 62 178 0 57 607 25 206 454 147 149 40 466 778 39 351 267 113 21 0 21 71 422 137 396 724 971

1 3 3 2 3 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 4 5 6 5 6 6 3 5 5 6 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 5

1 1 2 2 2 2 2 4 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 6 3 6 3 3 3 5 7 5 4 8 6 7 6

0 0.14 0 0 0 0.18 0.17 0 0.14 0.2 0.2 0.35 0.17 0.16 0.12 4 0.18 1.36 0.32 0.11 0.15 4 0.38 0.31 0.36 3.32 0 2.25 4.34 0.36 0.5 1.47 2 1.16 1.61 4.47 2.25 3.42 2.08

SqFt

650 1,109 1,328 1,779 1,814 1,774 2,582 4,217 2,421 1,806 1,980 2,791 2,601 2,315 1,868 3,764 2,286 2,972 2,310 4,000 3,608 4,207 3,313 4,435 8,440 4,014 5,946 5,928 4,417 5,091 5,667 6,160 6,416 6,560 12,078 9,909 10,604 6,859

August Sales are Off the Chart Contracts are Up 133 percent

By Mark Pruner CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 at this time last year. The really dramatic number, however, is when you take August sales and annualize them - there you go from 9.3 months of supply for last August’s annualized sales to 4.7 months of supply August 2020. You just don’t see that kind of low number in a town, like Greenwich, where the median sales price is now $2,040,000. High-end houses take a while to sell and this results in higher months of supply, well at least it did.

Prices trending up Our median sales price in 2019 was $1,866,666 as of the end of August our median sales number is the aforesaid, $2,040,000 or an increase of 9.3 percent. Now, as usually happens, most of this apparent increase in appreciation is due to a major increase in sales above $2 million, not an overall increase in prices across the town. As more houses sell above our old median price, the median gets pulled up. But we may finally be seeing real appreciation as more of these houses that went contract after multiple bids close.

When you look at the sales price price/sf, that number is up 4.5 percent from $503/sf last year to $526/ sf this year. The other key indicator is the sales price to assessment ratio and that is up only .73 percent over last year, but even there we are looking at real appreciation. Another key indicator does show actual appreciation. When you look at the August sales price to the original list price ratio (SP/OLP) we see a lot more hot sales. Of the 108 sales in August 2020, 44 percent of them were for full list or over list price. This compares to August 2019 when only 8 percent out of 63 sales sold at list or over list.

Sales under $1 million When you look at the price ranges our inventory under $1 million is supply constrained with only 34 listings compared to 47 last year. Sales are the same as last year. One reason may be that these houses are on smaller lots, so these buyers may be buying large lots further upstate Connecticut and in Taxchester, New York.

Sales from $1 – 4 million The standout part of the market is from $1 – 4 million where we have 339 of our 461 sales so far this year. This is up 121 sales from last year. We also have 138 of our 193 contracts between $1 and $4 million.

This our family market.

The remarkable thing is that last one million price range from $3 – 4 million. This is traditionally an older buyer with high school or college kids or empty nesters looking for the large house that marks a lifetime of hard work and success. This year it includes successful families with toddlers and young children that might have otherwise stayed in the city.

Sales over $4 million Even over $4 million we are seeing more young families. Patty Ekvall and I have had a bunch of showings at 22 Cherry Tree Lane in Harbor Point in the Little Belle Haven Section of Riverside. This house is on for $7.25 million and with one exception, the buyers have all been families with elementary school or younger children. Two of the buyers have had houses in the Hamptons who now want a high-end house that is a commutable distance from NYC.

- Highest Ever Sales in an August - 198 Contracts Portend Record September Sales - Inventory Still Down as Houses Sell Faster - $1 - 4 Million Busiest Segment - Over $5 Million Big Percentage Gains

If you are interested in percentage change rather than absolute number changes the high-end is the place to look. Our contracts from $6.5 – 10 million are up 350 percent from last year. Last year we had 2 contracts in that price range, this year we have 9 contracts. For the whole market over $5 million we are up 24 sales and contracts to 58 transactions this year.

The high-end market was slow to get started, but really started to heat up in the middle of June and has only continued to get busier. To see that just look at transactions over $5 million in the last three days from 8/31 to 9/2. We’ve had 4 sales over $5M including 75 Byram Shore Road at $12,000,000 after it had been on the market for 971 days.

Water Restriction Greenwich Sent 5.25 x 10.5.qxp_Layout 1 8/25/20 3:16 PM Page 2

It’s Time To Conserve

For Aquarion Customers in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Stamford and Westport The really remarkable deals are the 4 listings in contract in that 3-day period. The Helmsley place finally went to contract after 1,540 days on market. On the shorefront, 32 Indian Point Lane is under contract and is listed at $21,000,000. Over in Belle Haven, 66 Glenwood Drive listed for $13,750,000 has a contract after being on and off the market since April 2018.

A reminder to our customers in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Stamford and

Westport, the use of sprinkler irrigation is limited to the twice-weekly schedule shown in the table below. This permanent, mandatory conservation program is in effect from April through October each year to ensure adequate water supplies for fire protection and other vital needs throughout the summer.

Southwest Fairfield County has already hit its second drought trigger this year.

We are asking for an additional reduction in water usage of 20% at this time. If you are currently not following the mandatory, twice-weekly irrigation schedule, compliance with this schedule will likely achieve the 20% reduction. If you are already following the twice-weekly schedule or don’t have an irrigation system, you can find more ways to conserve at www.aquarionwater.com/conserve.

Thank you for all you are doing to use water more efficiently, outdoors and indoors.

Questions? Contact Customer Service at 1-800-732-9678 or cs@aquarionwater.com.

Some Do’s and Don’t Some sellers are seeing all this activity and are reaching for the golden ring on their listing price.

Despite all this activity, that is probably not your best strategy. Any busy broker can tell you of houses that are overpriced and just aren’t getting showings. The idea that in a hot market people will come see houses that they think are overpriced is just wrong.

In most price ranges you are not competing against other Greenwich houses, but potentially two counties worth of similar listing. Traditionally, a Greenwich buyer was a Greenwich buyer. A Covid buyer just wants out and the particular town is not as crucial. Even if the market is tight here, buyers that think your house is priced too high are often looking at Scarsdale or Bedford or New Canaan or Westport.

For buyers, be prepared and be prepared to move fast. You can check out my article in the Greenwich Sentinel from a couple of weeks ago about how to be the winning bidder in a hot market. Set up a meeting with your mortgage banker and your attorney, either in person or virtually. They need to know who you are before you need them. Also get the contact info for an inspector or two in case the first one is busy. You want to be able to get to contract before your competition. Even being a day faster can mean you get the house. I have had two buyers contact me after they lost a house, because they were day late and would not have been a dollar short - they had the money.

The Future So, can this market just keep getting hotter? The short answer is yes. We still have lots of contacts waiting to close. We have a lot of inventory coming on the market now, something that normally is a trickle just before Labor Day. These last two weeks were the hottest of the year when you count sales and contracts. We also have lots of folks looking.

For the glass half empty types, contracts are down a fraction and inventory from $5 – 10 million is up by 7 listings. We also need more inventory under $600K as we only have one listing. For me personally, the last two weeks have been the busiest of the year, but fall is coming, a time when the market slows down after a couple of weeks of post-Labor Day inventory increases. This year that slowdown may be much later.

Mark Pruner is a sales executive with Berkshire Hathaway in their Greenwich office. He can be reached at 203-969-7900 or mark@bhhsne.com.

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Discover your inner artist. Engaging in coloring, in addition to being stress relieving, can lead being more creative at analytical thinking. Scientists have noted positive changes in heart rates and brainwaves of adults as they color. Coloring also sharpens the memory. So grab your coloredpencils or markers and see what you can do with this chameleon!

Have Some Fun!

Wildly Successful

Page 17 13 | Greenwich Sentinel

Humans

By Jim Knox I have a complicated relationship with tigers. More than 20 years ago I was drawn to work with them. I leapt at the opportunity! Upon caring for these greatest of the great cats, I came to appreciate the unmatched power they commanded and the visceral fear they could incite with the fix of their gaze and the wrinkle of their facial fur as they retracted their flanges over 3-inch canines.

Then, there was the roar—the terror-inducing voice of all things wild and unconquerable. It rooted me to the ground and let me know that there were beasts far greater than any single human. Yet for the terror the tiger inspired in me, there was another, even more powerful emotion it conjured— awe. The tiger was perhaps the most majestic creature I’d ever beheld. Infinitely powerful and beautiful, it roamed the forests of my mind without rival. Over time I came to appreciate the nuances of the cats; their distinct personalities and habits, and with them, a new perspective.

As a species, we’ve come to know the tiger’s hallmark ferocity

and, while it’s truly at the core of the tiger’s nature, what is often lost is the why behind the snarl and the roar. Aside from their first two years spent at mom’s side, a tiger’s life is a solo act. To some perhaps, the tiger’s roar is a futile attempt to drown out the silence of a life unaccompanied. The roar is the voice of an animal who must proclaim territory and intimidate rivals without backup. It goes on the offensive because a tiger has no companions to defend it.

There are others who adopt a different strategy altogether.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are large ground squirrels who give the word gregarious a new meaning.

The largest known prairie dog town in Texas was larger than our home state of Connecticut and held a population estimated at more than 400 million animals!

Yes, that’s no typo. So how do these creatures live in such vast numbers to survive and thrive?

Prairie dog society doesn’t just value coexistence and cohabitation, it absolutely relies upon it. Yet it does so with very stringent rules. The only way for these creatures to share precious food and space resources is to adhere to protocols. On the literal and f igurative surface, these small mammals appear stacked on top of each other. Yet the reality is that they maintain their own unique and highly effective form of social distancing. Specifically, they are divided up into wards and coteries.

Wards are prairie dog versions of neighborhoods and coteries are the family units within those neighborhoods. These industrious little mammals excavate specialized burrows for specific purposes; some for latrines, others for nurseries for their young, still others for pantries designated

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strictly for food storage. In short, the prairie dogs’ tremendous success and resilience is directly linked to adherence to its societal rules.

They face dangers too—Blackfooted Ferrets, Golden Eagles and badgers to name a few, and they have sentries who monitor the colony for the appearance of threats to their health. These sentries give barking calls to warn the others—hence the name prairie dogs. In the process these sentries save lives.

Prairie dog society isn’t perfect.

Like us humans, they are known to p ost u r e , s q ua bble a nd on occasion, fight. Despite the f lare ups which inevitably occur, the strength of the colony is derived from the strength of the individual, which is leveraged and amplified.

These tough and admirable beasts rely heavily on the family unit to govern itself within the ward, just

Tigers are among the most impressive solitary beasts on the planet. Their distant mammalian cousins, the prairie dogs, are among nature's most successful.

Meet a third species which can adapt and thrive in the most challenging environmental conditions.

In nature we find the answer to innumerable challenges that vex us. While the prairie dog has so much to share—so much it can teach us, there is yet another species that is even more resilient and worthy of emulation. These creatures are more resourceful than all others. As tenacious as they are inventive, they grow s olut ion s f r om s oi l wh ich i s fertile with problems. And, these creatures have a name. We call them...humans.

different than tigers. Much smaller, far slower and infinitely weaker, we couldn’t possibly match this beast. How did we ever survive the forests of antiquity? For all of our physical limitations, we possess something the tiger does not. Specif ically, we are social creatures. The detailed answer lies

Jim Knox serves as the Curator of Education for Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo and as a Science Adviser for The Bruce Museum.

Jim has a passion for working with endangered creatures and sharing that knowledge with people of all ages.

as the ward governs itself within the colony. All of this is predicated upon the individual observing the protocols of the society: giving her/his neighbors space, fulfilling specific roles at different times and working cohesively with those around them.

Us humans, we’re quite a bit

Easy

Astrology for Week of Sep 6, 2020 VIRGO 24 Aug-23 Sept Things will work out as you want this week. So why the nagging feeling you could have done more, that you’ve fallen short of the standards you expect of yourself? Whatever the reason (and there may be none) don’t let it get to you. It will still be a marvellous week.

PISCES 20 Feb-20 March A stunning Sun-Jupiter aspect indicates great things for those who take life by the scruff of the neck and shake it into submission. Maybe you don’t have to be that rough but you do have to get your act together. There’s a world out there waiting to be conquered.

LIBRA 24 Sept-23 Oct You’re not one for taking silly risks so it’s unlikely you’ll be tempted to take a chance on something you know little about. But that’s a shame as the planets suggest such a gamble could pay off. The trouble, of course, is that little word “could”. Can you afford to ignore it?

ARIES 21 March-20 April No point in planning what you’re going to say and do – you’ll do better to let it come naturally. This is an especially good week for business and work relationships. Employers and colleagues want you to do well so meet them half way by making an effort.

SCORPIO 24 Oct-22 Nov Don’t worry if your next move is unpopular with some – what matters is that it takes you a step closer to your goal. Luckily, you’re not the kind to take too much notice of what others say – in fact, all news is good news for you just now. You’ll love the attention.

TAURUS 21 April-21 May Good news of one kind or another will enable you to build up the momentum to turn a promising week into a perfect one. Actually, all news is good news if you view it the right way. Also, the more you expect good news, the more it will seek you out.

SAGITTARIUS 23 Nov-21 Dec No matter what occurs this week, be it good, bad or indifferent, you must remain cheerful and accept what fate brings your way. At times you worry too much but sometimes you do the opposite and don’t give a damn.

That’s the approach to aim for this week.

GEMINI 22 May-21 June Why can’t you believe that what you’re being offered is on the level? Whatever the reason, Jupiter, planet of good fortune, indicates that you can get whatever you want this week.

Lady Luck is more likely to find you if you listen to friends’ and relatives’ advice.

CAPRICORN 22 Dec-20 Jan The world seems brighter and friendlier this week. It may be, but it is more likely your attitude has changed.

A Sun-Jupiter link will fill you with joy and it will show on your face and in the way you deal with others. And prove that if you smile, the world will smile with you.

CANCER 22 June-23 July It is a sin to be bored – especially for someone as full of life as you and with so many options open to them. If you start feeling sorry for yourself this week spare a thought for all those millions, more likely billions, who would happily swap places with you.

AQUARIUS 21 Jan-19 Feb If your sixth sense warns you’ve overlooked something you’d be wise to check as it could be important.

You’ll kick yourself in a few days’ time if, looking back, you find you missed out on a golden opportunity just because you weren’t paying sufficient attention.

LEO 24 July-23 Aug The Sun aspects excess planet Jupiter this week so you’re liable to go over the top in some way. You must take full responsibility for your actions as, if it all goes wrong, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. That said, the omens indicate it’s much more likely to go right.

Discover more about yourself at sallybrompton.com

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in our parallels to those adorable p r a i r i e do g s . S u r v i v i n g a n d thriving in societies of hundreds of millions is no accident. Cooperation and teamwork is in our DNA. It’s what we do and do so very well.

In these trying times, uncertainty can creep into our thoughts and cloud our resolve.

Hard

Sudoku, above: each row, column, and nonet can contain each number only once. Answers on page 10.

Crossword Puzzle, below: Answers on page 10.

Been avoiding seeing your orthopedic specialist?

Maybe it's time to stop putting it off.

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