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The Greenwich Weekly Newspaper, Local, local, local.
April 2, 2021
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Back Countr y | Banksv ille | Belle Haven | By ram| Chickahominy | Cos Cob | Glenv ille | Old Greenw ich | Pember w ick | R iverside | Bedford, N Y
Easter Treasures Abound at Local Stores
Local News Briefs You Need to Know
Red Cross to Host Virtual 5K The American Red Cross announced its Heroes Run for Humanity Virtual 5K with special musical guest, Bon Jovi. By Kris Herndon
FIRST QUARTER HOME SALES BLOW AWAY FIRST QUARTER 2020 In the first quarte of 2021 home sales were up 93% to 195 sales compared to 101 sales in the first quarter of 2020 and it’s only going to get better. Our contracts are up 115%, so you can expect that April 2021 will be much better than last April. The first quarter would actually have even better even better if we had more inventory. Our inventory at the end of March 2020 was 508 single family home listings This year inventory is down 45% to only 282. That week’s number is even down from our embarrassingly low YTD high of 302 listings last week. While we added 23 new listings week, we also had 46 listings go off the market for a net shrinkage of 23 listings, so we lost twice as many listings off the market as we saw come on the market This at a time when we should be adding dozens of net listings a week. SEE PAGE 2 FOR MORE CONNECTICUT RECEIVES FIRST CREDIT RATING UPGRADE IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Connecticut’s General Obligation bonds credit rating from “A1” to “Aa3,” making it the first credit rating upgrade the state has received since February 2001. COVID/GPS UPDATE As of last Tuesday, 9 new Coronavirus cases had been reported in the Greenwich Public Schools.There were 28 active cases.
Left and Bottom: Daffodils and Peonies and Easter Lilys at McArdle's; Center: McArdle's sign; Right: Ukrainian decorated eggs at Dogwood Books & Gifts. See page 3. Photos by Anne W. Semmes.
GCDS Teacher Laubscher Wins State Powerlifting Championship By Kris Herndon Fourth-graders at the Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) know him as their teacher, Mr. Laubscher, but now Luke Laubscher has another title: powerlifting champ. The 28-year-old Laubscher, who has been teaching at GCDS for the past four years, recently won his 93kg weight class in the Connecticut Spring Classic, a powerlifting competition. Laubscher said he wasn’t focused on athletics growing up. But, like many athletes, things fell into place for him when he found the right sport. “I
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A Tulip or an Oak Tree? Illustrated by Wajih Chaudhry
SUBMIT EVENTS Editor@GreenwichSentinel. com ANNOUNCEMENTS Weddings & engagements; promotions, achievements; births; letters to the editor; obituaries. These are free. Beth@GreenwichSentinel. com SPORTS Paul@GreenwichSentinel.com ADVERTISING Peter@GreenwichSentinel. com; call 203-4850226; or buy online at GreenwichSentinel.com/ Advertise STORY IDEAS Publisher@ GreenwichSentinel.com COLUMNISTS Columnists and community impact. Jenny at CommunityImpact@ GreenwichSentinel.com JIM KNOX info@beardsleyzoo.org LETTERS Editor@GreenwichSentinel. com CORRESPONDENCE PO Box 279 Greenwich, CT 06836
By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT Parents wonder when to help and when to let children, especially teens, work things out for themselves. Too often we ju mp i n when ou r children would do well to work it out on their own. We want so much to clear the roadway for our children; however, like us, they learn from adversity and challenges. If we see ou r ch ild struggling with a problem or a decision, we can ask her if she feels like a tulip about to be blown over by the strong wind, or if she feels like an oak tree with roots deep enough to f ig ure it out on her own. Her answer might n o t c om e r i g ht aw ay, but by ask i ng her t he question, she can take r e sp on si bi l it y for t he amount of adult support she wants.
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Calls to Action
SUBSCRIBER DELIVERY ISSUES & REQUESTS Thomas@maninmotionllc. com or call 203-515-2288
Feel free to invent other metaphors for vulnerability and strength. A bug about to be squished versus an eagle sheltering in the cleft of a tree during a storm might appeal more to your child. Jorge was a junior in high school cr ying quietly alone in his room after being cut from the basketball team. His dad sat down next to him and asked him if he felt like a drowning puppy or a wet dog. Jorge told him he felt like a puppy. It was time for some fatherly advice. Greenwich resident , Jill Woolworth is author of the book, The Waterwheel, which is available locally at Diane's Books (203869-1515) or info@ dianesbooks.com) or at Amazon.
The A mer ica n Re d Cross announced its Heroes Run for Humanity Virtual 5K, part of its Heroes for Humanity Virtual Experience, to take place Thursday, April 22. The Heroes for Humanity event w ill recog nize civ ic leaders and heroic individuals who embody the organization’s humanitarian mission, and will feature several celebrity honorees, as well as a special musica l per for ma nce by Jon B on Jov i. Ol iv ia Wa l ker a nd Leah Butler, co-chairs for the event, said they were thrilled a t t h e m u s i c a l g u e s t : “ We are so incredibly thankful and humbled to Bon Jov i for donating his time and efforts to our Ball,” Walker said. “It is surreal to be a part of planning an event with an artist like Bon Jovi. I am def initely a big fan of Bon Jovi, I am most looking forward to hearing some favorites like Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, and It's My Life!" Co-chair Leah Butler agreed: “Who isn’t a Bon Jovi fan? We a re i nc re d i bly t ha n k f u l J BV has offered his talent and time to support such an important cause.” Co-chairs Olivia Walker and Leah Butler both said the Red Cross has been a cause dear to their hearts: “My mom has been a Red Cross-certified lifeguard a n d s w i m i n s t r u c to r fo r a s
St. Catherine of Siena Church and St. Agnes will continue to collect non-perishable food items, diapers, and personal care products through Easter. The group is hoping to make this drive special for the Easter and Passover holidays. The collection will take place on Tuesdays from 9:00-11:00 am in the parking lot across from St. Catherine of Siena Church at 4 Riverside Avenue. Julie Faryniarz from the Greenwich Alliance for Education reports that their virtual Trivia Challenge raised over $50K! They had a great time and were able to meet the $25,000 donor match for the Greenwich Alliance Scholarship Fund! Future fundraisers: SIP & SHOP APRIL 15th &16th Sip, Shop and celebrate Spring at the J. McLaughlin shopping event on April 15 & 16 from 9:30am - 6:00pm. Enjoy curbside pickup, local delivery & complimentary shipping. 15% of sales will benefit the Greenwich Alliance. Townwide Greenwich Middle School STEM Fair (Gr 6-8): Fully virtual event, May 15th. Register by April 9th at www.rebrand.ly/stemfair High School Seniors & College Students-Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich applications for
scholarships due April 16, 2021. https://bgcg.org/events-news/news. html/article/2021/03/01/acceptingapplications-for-college-scholarships
Radar Screen
Get your tickets for Wed, Apr 7th at 6:30PM Youth of the Year at Boys & Girls Club. BGCG.org Attend the Handled with Care Dress Boutique: Saturday, April 10 from 9am-5:pm at The Hyatt Regency Hotel. For more information: https:// kidshelpingkidsct.org/ Join GEMS: Greenwich Emergency Medical Service as a volunteer. Check out their website for more information and volunteer training opportunities: https://www. greenwichems.org/ TAG (The Transportation Association of Greenwich) needs help finding two new employees. They need a a Human Service driver for 30-35 hours a week who has a commercial drivers license, passenger endorsed, and current medical. Please contact debbie@ ridetag.org or call 203-637-4345
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INSIDE Special Worship Information .................................. 4 & 5 New Columns from Icy Frantz & Patricia Chadwick...... 7 Community Calendar...................................................... 8 & 9 Editorial ................................................................................. 10 Local News.................................................................... 9, 11, 16 New Worships Columns .........................................12 Astrology Column from Sally Brompton........................13 Suduko, Crossword Puzzles & Children's Puzzles..15 & 18 Real Estate Dashboard....................................................19 New Column from Mark Pruner..........................................3
By Beth Barhydt On the Radar Screen this week is real estate. The business of Real Estate is the business of Greenwich. We believe that Greenwich is one of the best places to live in the country and we make no secret of the fact that we are proud of our hometown. We are fortunate to have outstanding real estate industry partners including Sotheby's, Houlihan Lawrence, Coldwell Banker's Old Greenwich office, and Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. They see their mission as larger than just selling houses. They believe in and support the Greenwich community in many, many ways. Berkshire's Mark Pruner even serves as our Real Estate expert and Editor and he has recruited fellow agents Rob Pulitano, Cesar Rabellino, Pam Toner, and Cheryl MacCluskey to help him create the Real Estate dashboard and columns each week. Mark is unique in that he compiles his own charts and data so his conclusions are accurate and informative. As an attorney, an active leader and volunteer in the Greenwich community, and a real estate agent himself, he knows the business of Greenwich and the community in general well. He also happens to be a nice person. His special column this week is on Page 2 as he takes a deep look at the first quarter numbers in the Greenwich market.