April 19, 2019 by Greenwich Sentinel

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Grace Notes

S A public hearing was he ld on Apr i l 11 for trees posted for removal at H a m i lt on Ave nu e School. The removal of six trees was requested by Pecora Bros. Letters of objection to the removal were read into the record, while Sylvester Pecora out lined a replanting plan. Ultimately, Steve Gospodinoff, Deputy Tree Warden for the Town of Greenwich, ruled that the trees “are in relatively good shape” and they should not be removed. For more on the ruling, go to greenwichsentinel. com

S Interim Superintendent of Schools Ralph Mayo a nnou nced t he Greenwich High School C a rd i na l Field home side bleachers are closed effective immediately pending repair to bring them up to current code or replacement as part of t he Cardina l Field development projec t. Replacement of t he Cardinal Field bleachers is listed as a priority project in the Greenwich Public Schools 2019-2020 capital budget, which is pending RTM action. S G re e nw ic h Pol ic e helped reunite a lost dog with his family earlier this week. The dog was found playing in the road on North Street by Park Avenue on April 15. Police took t hei r new f u r r y f riend to t he A nima l Control Division and put out a notice to residents. The dog was returned to his family on April 16. S Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Represent at ives Fred Camillo and Steve Me s k e r s a nd s p e c i a l invited guests, Senator R ic h a rd B lu m e nt h a l and Congressman Jim Himes as well as several community leaders will take part in an "Opioid Addiction Roundtable Discussion," on Friday, April 26, 9:30 to 10:30 a .m. T he event w i l l t a ke plac e at S econd Congregational Church, 139 East Putnam Ave.

Championship Coach Running for Selectman

Joe Kelly, the GHS boys' championship rugby team Head Coach for 9 years, instructing the players.

By Richard Kaufman For nine seasons, Joe Kelly has led the Greenwich High School boys' rugby team to new heights as head coach. Now, he'd like the opportunity to help lead the Town of Greenwich. Kelly recently announced that he's jumping into the world of politics by seeking a seat as a selectman on the town Board of Selectmen. At least one selectman seat will not have an incumbent on

the ballot; John Toner announced in February he will not seek reelection. As of press time on Wednesday, selectman Sandy Litvack had not announced his plans, although he has said an announcement is forthcoming. Kelly is a 22-year resident, and had a successful 25-year career on Wall Street after he graduated from Iona College. After settling in Greenwich in the late 90s, Kelly became involved w ith sports, volunteering on various athletic boards and associations, including as a f iref ighter for the Amogerone Volunteer Fire Company No. 1. Kelly is currently the CEO of Uranium Markets, a brokerage firm based in Greenwich. Kelly stated that he wants to serve the town he calls home and he believes his professional and personal experiences would serve him well if elected. He added that he believes growing up blue collar in Queens and finding success in a white-collar profession is a good mix to have. "I also feel like I have a good connection with the people of Greenwich," Kelly added. "I'm not involved in current politics in town, but I think that's really what we need. New eyes

on old problems will help get them solved," he added. Kelly mentioned f ield improvements and school improvement projects as items that will be continuously discussed in the future. "Instead of getting caught in the mud of groups that are f ig ht i ng for t hei r ow n b e st interests, I have a unique view because I've been so involved," he said. Self-described as "f iscally conservative," Kelly noted the town needs to spend money responsibly and prioritize. He mentioned a desire to create a town center so residents can socialize and exchange ideas and concepts on a more social basis. He referenced the Greenwich Town Party as an important social gathering event that brings the community together, but that it only occurs once a year. The idea to run for public office came to Kelly during last November's statewide election when he at tende d t he G OP elction night reception at The Milbrook Club. That night, a democrat won as state representative for the first time in over 100 years, and

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Understanding Dementia By Michelle Moskowitz The number of Americans aged 65 and older will increase from 35 to 55 million over the next few years. According to a 2016 Greenwich United Way Assessment, 17.5% of residents are over the age of 65, and next year this number is expected to reach 19.5%. As life expectancy increases, so do the complexities of aging and the impact on individuals, caregivers and the community as a whole. Approximately 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have some form of dementia, a progressive condition that describes a wide range of symptoms associated w it h a de cl i n e i n m e mor y, problems with reasoning, perception and communication s k i l l s . D e m e nt i a c a n a l s o affect one’s ability to perform everyday tasks, such as making a sandwich or getting dressed.

A lzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, accounts for 60% to 80% of cases with early onset on the rise. Other types of dementia include Lew y Body, Frontotemporal and Vascular dementia, with 7.7 million new cases diagnosed worldwide each year. The Tow n of Gre enw ich Commission on Aging has taken a proactive approach in addressing the growing needs of its ag i ng popu lation a nd improving the quality of care for all residents. In 2016, the Commission launched the “Age Fr iend ly Community” initiative, a multi-year phased action plan i n c o r p o r at i n g p r ove n b e s t practices put for th by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). This includes revamping infrastructures and services to be f ully accessible and inclusive of older people with

varying needs and capabilities. Greenwich, the first community in Connecticut to work on this i n it iat ive , w i l l i nc or p orate modifications to transportation, housing, social participation, outdoor spaces, civic participation and much more, as it pertains to “an age-friendly community.” S e l e c t m a n J o h n To n e r serves as the liaison between the Board of Selectman and the Commission on Aging on these efforts. One key facet of this initiative is to elevate the understanding and support of those affected by dementia with its recent program, “Caregivers Circle: How to Become a Dementia Friend.” The Caregiver Circle is a series of educational sessions focused on the well-being of caregivers and care partners in order to enhance the livability

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Train Schedule Changes By Paul Silverfarb Residents taking the Metro Nor t h ra i l road ex per ienced Monday morning com muter t ra i ns r u n n i ng a later t ha n usual. That’s because the MTA has a ltered the schedu le to ref lect work being done on the rail lines. Star ting on April 14, the New Haven line, along with the Hudson and Harlem lines, has an adjusted schedule due to infrastructure improvements. Those construction projects will affect train running times. “The New Haven Line capital investment prog ram i s de sig ne d to i mpr ove t he reliability of the railroad and set the stage of high speed train service over the next several years,” said the Connecticut Department of Transportation in a press release. “CTDOT has

been working with Metro-North to minimize train conflicts and unexpected train delays. During the 2019 construction season, travel times from Connecticut to Grand Central will increase temporarily, as trains will be required to slow down through work zones.” A c c o r d i n g t o t h e M TA , the morning peak trains will depart from their initial stations between one and 10 minutes earlier, with their schedules lengthened by one to six m inutes. On the way home, the evening peak trains will leave Grand Central Terminal at the same time. However the schedules will be lengthened between one and six minutes. Off-peak, the New Haven line trains will leave their initial station bet ween 10 m inutes earlier and four minutes later and have their schedules

lengthened between one and 11 minutes. That is depending on the trip length and time of day. The outbound trains will depart G C T at t h e s a m e t i m e a n d have their schedules extended between one and 11 minutes. T h e M TA w e b s i t e a l s o states that over the weekend, inbound trains will depart their initial station up to 10 minutes earlier and have their schedules extended between two and 10 minutes. For outbound trains, they will leave Grand Central at t he s a me t i me a nd h ave extended time between two and 10 minutes. There are several ways to view the changes. The first is to dow nload the MTA Train Time app from the App Store or Google Play Store. People can also visit MTA.info and click on the schedule tab at the top of the website.

CHRIST CHURCH BOOKS & GIFTS

S Last week, the Bruce Mu s e u m a n n o u n c e d that its Board of Trustees has appointed Robert Wolterstorff as The Susan E . Ly n c h E x e c u t i v e Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1. Wolterstorff will take over for Peter Sutton, w ho a n nou nc e d l a s t year that he’s retiring. Wolterstorff has served as Executive Director of the Bennington Museum in Vermont since 2012. Wolterstorff will help lead the next phase of T he Br uce Museu m’s construction, which is expected to proceed in the fall of 2019 with the renovation of the current changing gallery spaces.

Thursday, May 16, at 1:00 p.m. members of Grace Notes will greet Greenwich Library patrons with song. Above are members of the 2014 Grace Notes.

JOHN FERRIS ROBBEN

S Fred Camillo is holding a second donation drive this year for spor ts equipment to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich. Residents have through April 19 to donate new and used equipment at drop-off locations located in Town Hall, YMCA in downtown Greenwich and the Cos Cob Library.

Assisting the Easter Bunny

CHRIST CHURCH BOOKS & GIFTS

The Briefing Room

Even though Easter is a bit later this year, very busy bunnies may still need a little help pulling together such a big job. The Christ Church Bookstore will be open right through Sunday morning with baskets, paper grass, chocolates and lots of treasures to help.

Dr. Tom Lovejoy By Anne W. Semmes Greenwich will take a definite tilt toward the green when Dr. Tom Lovejoy, the “godfather” of biodiversity as he’s called, arrives on April 25 to be honored with Audubon Connecticut’s Environmental Leadership Award at the Belle Haven Club. Lovejoy, a world-renowned conservation biologist, carries his urgent message around the world of our need to address climate change and its effect on the world’s biodiversity, and he will no doubt bring birds and conservation into his focus for his talk in Greenwich. Lovejoy teaches at George Mason University in Washington, D. C. He’s credited for coining the term “biological diversity” during his nearly five decades of working in the tropical rain forests of the Brazilian Amazon. It was there he fell in love with the world’s richest diversity as a student at Yale. What that fascination would lead to is well told in a recent three-lecture series he gave at Yale, entitled “The World of the Born and the World of the Made: A New Vision of Our Emerald Planet.” Outside of Manaus, Brazil, and still going strong, is Lovejoy’s now 40-year old study site, encompassing some 620 square miles designed to show how smaller or larger forest fragments work to preserve the diversity of animal and plant species. Called the Amazon Biodiversity Center, it has served as “a lab for conservation scientists, a classroom for students, and an inspiration to world leaders to preserve robust, biodiverse ecosystems in the Brazilian Amazon – ‘the lungs of the planet.’” Early on Lovejoy was inviting to the study site – U.S. Senators, Congressmen, and other game changers, and the occasional journalist, such as this reporter - to experience that rain forest richness in the simple, small clearing called Camp 41, hung with a few hammocks (as it remains so today). Unforgettable was the impact on all the senses of arriving into that heart of the Amazon. To learn more about the impact of Camp 41’s window on this wondrous world of biodiversity, we asked Lovejoy a few questions:

GS: Of the many thousands who have visited Camp 41 – who are some standouts who have then made an impact on preserving biodiversity? TL: It really is hard to single out a couple of figures because for so many it was an epiphany in which they understand the Amazon and its biodiversity intellectually but also get at a gut level that our world is a living planet. GS: Give us some sense of the incredible biodiversity there? TL: Camp 41 itself is in intact forest, essentially intact all the way to the Guianas with intact f lora and fauna, a Harpy Eagle nest 200 m. from camp, jaguar we never see but who see (and smell) us. It is forest primeval. Over the years we’ve counted 409 bird species in the project – there are an estimated 1,300 species in the Amazon Basin. And 1,800 tree species, with an estimated 15,000 species found in the Amazon Basin. GS: What have you seen as the impact of climate change on that Center’s biodiversity and its environs? T L: A t m i n i m u m we a r e experiencing more intense weather events like drought years and the opposite heavy downpours. GS: You are credited for having created the study of climate change biology that you spell out in your new ebook, “Biodiversity and Climate Change: Transforming the Biosphere,” what else is on your agenda? TL: Multiple speaking events: three weeks ago in Sao Paulo, Brazil at the University of Sao Paulo; Washington D.C. and Arkansas; barely a week goes by without some public speaking event. Tom Lovejoy, in his crusade to conserve of biodiversity, has served the presidencies of Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. He was also instrumental in the creation of the PBS Nature series, he cites as “the most popular long term series on Public television.” For information or tickets to the April 25 Audubon Connecticut E nv i r on m e nt a l L e ade r sh ip Award Benefit at the Belle Haven Club, visit http://ct.audubon.org/ environmental-leadership-awardsbenefit.