February 26, 2021

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February 26, 2021

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The Greenwich Rotary Club Wheel Turns 100

By Anne W. Semmes Some 20 or more Rotary members and guests gathered en mask Wednesday week at t h e R i ve r s i d e Ya c ht C lu b to hea r a procla mat ion read by First Selectman Fred Camillo: “WHEREAS, Greenwich Rotary Club is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Charter on February 19. 1921; and WHEREAS, The pa rent compa ny, Rota r y International, was founded in 1917 in Chicago, IL and delegated other communities to follow in its footsteps of intention and the motto of "Service above SeIf"…

Camillo continued his read of what the Rotary is all about, “to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service, to advance good will and peace around the world.” Standing by Camillo was Club President Joe Benoit, a member since 1984, with a long career as the Town’s Fire Marshal.

Also present was the Rotary b el l, i nscr i b ed w it h mem b er names dating back to the 1921 founding: Wilbur Peck, and Charles Pettingill, Sr. who would rise to be president of Rotary International, and Florence Bronstein, the first woman chosen Rotary president not long after the f irst female members were finally welcomed in 1989. And present at the meeting was the Club’s new and first black woman member, fashion designer Agathe Likoba.

“She’s a dynamo,” said Benoit.

“She really demonstrates what Rotary is all about. We are all inclusive. We don't look at a person as to how they are or what they look like or anything else.”

“I was really excited to be joining the Club,” shared Likoba, “and I was very impressed with how warm the members were.” Her concern wasn’t on being accepted because she was black, she shared, “I grew up in France and spend my summers in Bruges and Venice.”

Her concern was, “We have this

“Rotaries are all about helping people all over the world.” Joe Benoit

First Selectman Fred Camillo presents the proclamation celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Greenwich Rotary Club to Rotary President Joe Benoit.

Photo by Agathe Likoba.

idea that the Rotary is older people that might not be accepting of younger people.” She’s arrived to find other younger members new to the club.

Include in that younger group the first policeman to join Patrolman Thomas Huestis, talking in turns surely with Likoba, realtor Sally Parris, former State Senator Scott Frantz and wife Icy, Moffly Media president Jonathan Moffly, and a retired U.S. Nav y Rear Admiral Cindy Thebaud, a frequent out of town guest and daughter of a former member.

Politics is def initely not a part of the Rotary game. “We are nonpolitical and non-religious,” s a id Pa r r i s , a t w ic e s e r v i n g president. Addressing their weekly meetings,” she noted, “We don’t invite speakers who are running for office.” But meetings do begin with pledging their allegiance to the flag of the USA. The pandemic did push those meetings onto zoom, reports Club Secretary Jay Feinsod of Feinsod

Hardware, “so that plans for our continued community projects and involvement could progress uninterrupted.” With vaccines being administered, those 30 active members will soon meet up and catch up with each other’s lives and talk community needs and how to meet them. Or perhaps an International Ambassadorial Scholarship student returned from studying abroad will report on his or her experience.

There’s a tradition of Rotary’s suppor t (annual membership dues are $250) going first to the community, especially to kid’s needs such as the Boys’ and Girls’ Clu b, Greenw ich Head Sta r t, Reading champions and tutor programs for students in need of literacy support, and Kids in Crisis.

But yes, also reliably to Meals on Wheels, Neighbor to Neighbor, and the Family Center.

Greenwich Rotary Foundation Treasurer Diane Fox is the go-to

Please turn to page 7

A New Tool in the Tool Box: GPD Using Police Body Cameras

By Richard Kaufman A f ter yea rs of re q uest i ng approval for f unding of body cameras for the Greenwich Police Department, GPD Chief James Heavey is pleased to see cameras being put into use.

Over the past year there has been pressure nationally for police reform and, in Connecticut last summer, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a wide ranging police reform bill.

One of the provisions which met with a positive response locally had to do with body and dashboard cameras. Included in the new law is a mandate that all municipalities in the state pay for and implement police-worn body cameras by July 2021 and patrol car dashboard cameras by summer of 2022.

The GPD subsequently entered into a f ive-year, $1.16 million contract with Axon, which

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"We feel we have an excellent relationship with our community, so this is going to be one of those things where we continue to work on that," said GPD Chief James Heavey on the new police body cameras. develops technology for military, law enforcement and civilians, to purchase 160 body cameras.

F u n d i n g fo r t h e c a m e r a s was approved by the BET and Representative Town Meeting in September, and off icers began testing them in October.

As officers began to receive training, they were taking the cameras out into the field. Now, almost the entire department has been fully trained.

"We're learning more and more about them," said GPD Deputy

Affirm, Affirm, Affirm

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By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT By the time our children turn 18, they have absorbed everything we have taught or modeled for them. They can predict how we would respond to most questions or statements. They can mimic us mercilessly.

We h a v e t r i e d t o praise their efforts rather than their outcomes. We have tried to make our boundaries few and firm, and our consequences fit the crime. We have tried to raise children who feel empowered, but not entitled.

It has been ex hausting and exhilarating. The good news is that after age 18, unless we see behavior that is immoral, illegal, or dangerous, our job is to affirm, affirm, affirm.

Parents worry about their children’s choices of mates, jobs, and behaviors.

Our kids will choose mates not on our short list, have jobs that didn’t exist when we were their age, and behave in ways that surprise us. They have seen how

off icers already have with the Greenwich community.

"We feel we have an excellent relationship with our community, so this is going to be one of those things where we continue to work on that. As far as accountability and transparency, we already have a Greenwich Police Deputy Chief Robert Berry wearing his body camera. Nearly the entire department has now been lot of those things in place," Heavey trained to use them in the field. said regarding those aspects of the Richard Kaufman photo. new police legislation, noting that the department already has officers wearing name tags and has them accountability bill has required us but I think it will be a positive."

Berry added that the cameras working with human services to document that in a way and add these cameras as a requirement, agencies in town. "This new police Please turn to page 7

By Kate Noonan

Illustrated by Wajih Chaudhry

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Police Chief Robert Berry. "One of the challenges from a policy perspective, is knowing when to turn it on, when to turn it off, and where to place the camera.

That's one of the things we've been continually adjusting. We're understanding and learning things as we go."

GPD Chief James Heavey has been a proponent of the cameras for a number of years, and he wanted them in the department ahead of the state mandate. He feels they will strengthen the good relationship

we handle relationships, c a r e e r s , a n d i nt e g r i t y issues. It is time to affirm their own abilities to make decisions, handle problems, and choose a good partner.

Our fear does them no good.

Our affirmation quiets our fearful brains and theirs— and helps them figure out their next steps.

When Tyler was a high school senior, his father thought he wasn’t working up to his academic potential.

They fought constantly and sought counseling. What Tyler needed was his dad’s affirmation that he was a hard worker, capable of doing whatever he set his mind to.

When Dad learned to highlight his son’s successes, their relationship improved, and his son was motivated to pursue his own dreams.

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

Calls to Action

ebrown@jfsgreenwich.org. Since 1986, JFS has provided this unique, non-denominational grocery shopping The Junior League of Greenwich asks you to join service with care and compassion. ~ Spring it On Sunday Supper ~ on March 7, 2021. Your supper includes a home cooked meal prepared by Simply Do you have a few hours to spare a week? Come Delicious, a mother-daughter team, specializing in local volunteer and ‘drive’ the Meals on Wheels organization fresh seasonally inspired food along with a bottle of wine. by bringing healthy, tasty meals, and serving as a daily Stay out of the kitchen and support great local causes: contact for the Meals on Wheels clients. Your caring and order your meal by Thursday March 4. Check out the JLG support help turn the Meals on Wheels mission into website for the details and to place your order: https:// reality. Volunteer drivers deliver meals Monday through www.jlgreenwich.org/ Friday, between the hours of 10:30am and 12:00pm.

Sign up today for TRIVIA CHALLENGE - this local competition has just expanded! Two-time "Jeopardy!" champion, Christine Kim, has once again written 6 rounds of questions designed to stump us all. This year, the virtual format through TriviaHub, encourages players to gather together with friends and family, from far and wide, to join in the fun. All proceeds benefit the Greenwich Alliance for Education. Event date: March 19 @ 6:45PM. You've got plenty of time to organize your winning trivia team. Not a trivia buff? Help the Alliance meet the donor match of $25,000 for the Scholarship Fund or donate an auction item. Please visit the website to sign up or donate: https://greenwichalliance.org/

There are eight routes throughout the Greenwich community. It takes 40 drivers per week to support our routes. To become a driver, please contact Lynne Stewart at (203) 869-1312 or at greenwichmow@optonline.net It may not feel like it but Spring is just around the corner and so is the Spring into Undies campaign which runs March 1st through March 31! The money raised is used to purchase new underwear easing the burden for those who are homeless, living in shelters or low income families. Hop on the Spring into Undies campaign website to see videos of the many local businesses supporting The Undies Project. Our online Auction closes 3/7 so go to our website today to bid, donate and watch the videos: https://www.theundiesproject.org/.

Love to shop? Great news! Jewish Family Services has expanded their signature Supermarketing For Seniors Have a CALL TO ACTION? E-mail Kate Noonan program increasing the number of clients they serve. at the Greenwich Sentinel Foundation with the Sign up to help by calling 203-622-1881 or reach out to

details: kate@greenwichsentinelfoundation.org

Real Estate An Historic Greenwich Olympian Community Calendar News 21

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Astrology, Puzzles for Kids & Adults: Crosswords, Suduko, Anagrams and more

New Columns

Pages 16 & 17 Page 9

Sports Page 15

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Telephone: 203-930-2408

A Greenwich Olympian: Helen Meany Gravis

By Oral History Project As we k now, the Olympic G a m e s To k y o 2 0 2 0 w e r e postponed for the f irst time in history, for a reason other than war, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Opening Cer emony of Tok yo 2 02 0 i s scheduled for July 23, 2021.

Greenwich laid claim to its own Olympian, Helen Meany Grav is who gold-medaled in diving almost a century ago at the Olympic Games Amsterdam 1928. That Olympian journey of Helen Me a ny Grav is was revealed over the course of two Oral History Project interviews

by Esther H. Smith in 1982 and 1983.

Born in 1904 in New York C i t y, H e l e n M e a n y w a s a Greenwich resident from 1905 until 1930. After her husband, Harwell Gravis, died in 1957, Helen returned to Greenwich

winning her f irst meet when she was thirteen. By then, her father, recognizing her potential, had begun taking her to A.A.U. (Amateur Athletic Union) meets.

Helen competed in sw i m m i ng b e c ause she had no place to develop technique i n d iv i ng, her tr ue i nterest.

S h e l e a r n e d , h o w e v e r, b y practicing off the dock, on top of a coalhouse, and at Commodore Benedict’s home across the inlet from their beach. Her father, more coaxing than coaching, would encourage her to take the plunge from his place in the waters below. She apparently would dive from anything he could find, high diving platforms being in short supply in the area.

E v e n t u a l l y, h e r f a t h e r rigged a platform for her on the side of the yacht club. It was a makeshift f loat with a ten-foot board from which she could

in the women’s th ree-meter springboard diving competition got her start.

All the Meany children were swimmers. And there were a lot of them, eleven to be exact, counting Helen, the eldest. Ms. Gravis explains that because her father liked to swim so much, it was natural for the children to become swimmers, too. She remembers “having to pick up the little ones as soon as they could walk or they’d just run right to the water and right up to practically over their heads.” She also remembers that if, in the summer, her siblings missed the boat to Island Beach, they would simply dive off the dock at Indian Harbor and swim to the island.

It was all just fun and games until, at a meet in Rye, New York, Helen Meany saw Alice Lord Landon (who later became an Olympic diver) dive from the

Helen’s recollections of Greenwich are more of water than of land. “I learned to swim before I could walk.” f r o m Te x a s . S h e d e s c r i b e d Greenwich as “her true home,” and that is where she stayed for the remainder of her life.

The Meanys lived in a house on Steamboat Road, with its own little beach. Helen’s recollections of Greenwich are more of water than of land. “I learned to swim before I could walk,” she recalls. Across the road was the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, where young Helen also swam.

Neit her of t hese prov ide d a true learning environment for the future Olympian, but they would suffice. She remembers

dive. Swimming in those waters was later stopped, being deemed too dangerous. Her practice sessions, as she describes them, were nothing short of perilous, w ith her clim bing up to the board at the top, while below the f loat wobbled unpredictably as boats passed, coming and going out of the harbor, very near her landing mark.

“I g ue ss i f he told me to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge,” she says of her father, “I would have done it.” This is how this future Olympic gold medalist

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ten-meter platform. That is when young Helen knew she wanted to be a platform diver. But the path from her childhood water exploits in Greenwich to the Olympics was not an easy one since there were few or no diving facilities nearby. She remembers commuting from Greenwich to Manhattan Beach, on the far end of Brooklyn, to practice.

Later, as a college student at Wellesley, where there was no sw i m m i ng pool, she had to decide whether to continue her studies or to make the 1924 Olympic team. After having been eliminated in the 1920 games in the first round, Helen chose to tr y again and lef t college before graduating. She placed fifth in the ten-meter platform c omp e t it i on i n Pa r i s , 19 2 4 , and went on to win the gold in Amsterdam in the three-meter event in 1928.

One wonders how she did it, given the amount of training a nd coach i ng that goes i nto competing in today’s games. “I learned most of my dives from a thirty-four-foot platform, and if you don’t hit the water just right, you can get hurt…So, you just have to try it and try to correct it yourself,” she explains. And here’s the amazing thing: “I didn’t have a diving coach,” she adds.

Now there’s a champion for the record books!

Helen Meany Gravis died at her home in Old Greenwich, July 21, 1991, at the age of 86.

This blog, written by OHP volunteer Jean Moore, was derived from the Oral History Project book “From Greenwich to the Olympics: Helen Meany Gravis.” It is available for purchase at the Oral Histor y Project office. The OHP is sponsored by the Friends of the Greenwich Library. Visit the OHP website at glohistory.org.

Helen Meany, sixth from the left, with 9 of her siblings, minus sister Josephine.

Courtesy of the Oral History Project.

Helen Meany executing a dive. Courtesy of the Oral History Project.

Helen Meany, on left, and Martha Norelius at the Olympics in Amsterdam. Courtesy of Oral History Project.

Page 4 | Greenwich Sentinel

COMMUNITY CALENDAR PLANNER CARE FOR HEALTHCARE NIGHT youtu.be/ct2bui7BiTE Feb. 25 7:30 p.m.

Care for Healthcare Night - A Celebration and Fundraiser for Frontline Healthcare Workers.

Round Hill Community Church Youth Group and Greenwich High School service group Care for Healthcare host a virtual fundraiser to celebrate and support frontline healthcare workers.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S GIVING DAY: fcgives.org Feb. 25 All Day Let’s celebrate our community by giving back and donating to the non-profits closest to your heart. Pick your favorite non-profit by visiting fcgives.org LIBRARIES: greenwichlibrary.org Feb. 25 9 a.m.

Virtual – Parent & Child Yoga for Tots (Ages 2-5). Via Zoom. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary. org 10 a.m.

Virtual – ‘Fiesta de los Cuentos’ - Bilingual Storytime. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary. org 11:30 a.m.

Virtual – Qi Gong, mindful movement and breathing.

Adults. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org 1 p.m.

SCORE Webinar: Expand to New Markets with Small Business International Shipping. ywang@greenwichlibrary.org 3 p.m.

Virtual – 3D Printed Toothpaste Squeezer. innovationlab@greenwichlibrary.org 7 p.m.

Virtual – Literary Connections with Mark Schenker: “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin.

203-622-7922. ksoboleva@ greenwichlibrary.org 7 p.m.

Virtual – Frank Porto Band: New Orleans Sound & Swing.

203-531-0426.

Feb. 26 10 a.m.

Virtual – Storytime with Ms. Ann. 203-622-7920. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org 2 p.m.

Virtual – Introduction to iPad Art. 203- 625-6560. csherman@greenwichlibrary.org 3:30 p.m.

Virtual – Meditation Workshop. 203-625-6549. schan@ greenwichlibrary.org 4 p.m.

Kripalu Cooking for Kids with Chef Jeremy Rock Smith. 203622-7940. children@greenwichlibrary.org 7 p.m.

Friends Friday Film Reel Talk: “A Tuba to Cuba” with Special Guest Musician Ben Jaffe.

203-622-7910. friendsfridayfilms@greenwichlibrary.org Feb. 27 10 a.m.

Virtual – Saturday Storytime.

203-622-7920.

10:30 a.m.

Virtual – Cooking with Lucia Chicken, Okra, and Couscous.

203-531-0426.

10:30 a.m.

Virtual – Sing Along with Tom Weber. 203- 622-7940. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary.org 11 a.m.

Virtual Drop-in Computer Lab. 203-625-6560. trainingcenter@greenwichlibrary.org 2 p.m.

Virtual - Navigate the Library’s Mobile App. 203-625-6560. csherman@greenwichlibrary. org March 1 10 a.m.

Virtual – Storytime. 203-6227940.

March 2 10 a.m.

Virtual – Weekly Job Search Accelerator Group. mmartin@ greenwichlibrary.org 11 a.m.

Virtual - Drop-in Computer Lab. 203-625-6560. trainingcenter@greenwichlibrary.org 4 p.m.

Virtual – Chair Yoga with Kris-

tin. 203-531-0426.

4 p.m.

Virtual – Chess Club (Grades K-5). Free. Register. children@ greenwichlibrary.org 6 p.m.

Virtual – Intro to 3D scanning.

203-622-7979. innovationlab@ greenwichlibrary.org 7 p.m.

Virtual – American Ancestors Series: Mining Treasures in Newspapers with Rhonda McClure. 203-622-7948. rhansen@greenwichlibrary.org March 3 10 a.m.

Virtual – Storytime. 203-6227940.

12 p.m.

SCORE Webinar: Digital Marketing in 2021. ywang@ greenwichlibrary.org 1 p.m.

SCORE Webinar: Financial Planning for Retirement I: Plan for Good Times and Bad. ywang@greenwichlibrary.org 3 p.m.

Virtual – Afternoon Story/ Craft. 203-622-6883.

4 p.m.

Virtual – YA Book Discussion Group (Grades 6-8). 203-6227918. emorrissey@greenwichlibrary.org 4 p.m.

Virtual – Bookworms Book Club (Grades 2-3). 203-6227940. chlidren@greenwichlibrary.org March 4 9 a.m.

Virtual – Budding Buddhas Kids Yoga (Ages 2-6). 203622-7940. children@greenwichlibrary.org 10 a.m.

Virtual – ‘Fiesta de los Cuentos’ - Bilingual Storytime. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary. org 4 p.m.

Virtual – Junior Book Club.

203-622-7915. mwalsh@ greenwichlibrary.org 5 p.m.

Virtual – Tai Chi with Ken Dolan. Adults. 203-531-0426.

7 p.m.

Virtual – A Wickedly Good Evening with Two Actresses from “Wicked,” the Musical.

203-622-7919. dsalm@greenwichlibrary.org March 5 10 a.m.

Virtual – Senior Chinese Book Discussion Group. 203-6227924. ywang@greenwichlibrary.org 10 a.m.

Virtual – Storytime with Ms. Ann. 203-622-7920. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org 2 p.m.

Virtual - Find Your 300-YearOld Great Grandma Using 21st-Century Technology. 203625-6560. trainingcenter@ greenwichlibrary.org 3:30 p.m.

Virtual – Meditation Workshop. 203-625-6549. schan@ greenwichlibrary.org 4 p.m.

Virtual – Friday Fun: Play Kahoot! 203- 622-6883. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org PERROT LIBRARY: perrotlibrary.org/events March 3 7 p.m.

Virtual Discussion with Lindsay-Jean Hard, author of “Cooking with Scraps: Turn Your Peels, Cores, Rinds, and Stems into Delicious Meals.”

Via Zoom. Free. Register.

HOSPITAL: greenwichhospital.org/ events 888-305-9253 March 1 12:30 p.m.

Webinar: Hip Replacement Education. 203-863-3598.

March 2 1:30 p.m.

Webinar: Parkinson’s Disease Support Group.

March 5 12 p.m.

Webinar: Bariatric Informational.

March 6 9 a.m.

CPR Friends & Family (Infant/ Child). 38 Volunteer Ln. $65.

For discount information call 888-305-9253.

NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR: ntngreenwich.org Tuesdays, 9 - 11 a.m.

Food Drive (drive-thru) at St.

Catherine of Siena’s parking area across the street from the rectory entrance, 4 Riverside Ave. (Non-perishable foods, personal care products, large sized diapers (5 & 6) and pull-ups, and knit hats (hand knit or store bought).

Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Food Drive at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church parking lot, 200 Riverside Ave. JUNIOR LEAGUE: jlgreenwich.org Feb. 27 11 a.m.

“Money $ense” - financial literacy program that teaches money management skills to Greenwich youth. Free. Via Zoom. Open to Boys and Girls in Grades 9-12. Register.

RETIRED MEN’S ASSOCIATION: greenwichrma.org/speakers/future-speakers-3 March 3 11 a.m.

Webinar: Bill Diamond, CEO of the SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Institute: “Seeking Life in the Cosmos – The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe and what it Means for Humankind.” Free. Open to all.

UNITED WAY: greenwichunitedway.org Feb. 25 6 p.m.

“One Table One Town!” – cook at home with Chef Geoff Lazlo and benefit the Greenwich community.

BREAST CANCER ALLIANCE: breastcanceralliance.org/ events Feb. 25 12 p.m.

Advances in Pain Management: A Multidisciplinary Symposium.

COMMISSION ON AGING: greenwichct.gov/190/Commission-on-Aging Feb. 27 7 p.m.

Comedy Night for Seniors featuring stand up comedian, Tony Darrow. Free and open to the public.

Page 5 | Greenwich Sentinel

COMMUNITY CALENDAR PLANNER BOTANICAL CENTER: greenwichbotanicalcenter.org Feb. 25 1 p.m.

Lemon Presidential Preserves. GBC, 130 Bible St. $35. Register.

Feb. 26 10 a.m.

Houseplant Repotting (Session 2) - Rescheduled. GBC, 130 Bible St. $20. Register.

March 3 6:30 p.m.

Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation, Dr. Donald J. Leopold. $30. Register.

AUDUBON CENTER: greenwich.audubon. org/events Feb. 27 5 p.m.

Bird Feeders and Beyond. Via Zoom. Ticket levels available starting at $15. Pre-registration required. All ages. Ryan.

MacLean@audubon.org.

203-930-1353.

Through February In the month of February, Audubon is donating back half of every virtual program ticket and 10% of all Nature Store and Audubon Private Adventures program sales to Neighbor to Neighbor.

LAND TRUST: gltrust.org/calendar Maple Sugar Days Feb. 25, 4pm; Feb. 27, 11am Mueller Preserve, 370 Round Hill Rd. Space is limited to 12 people per time slot. Pre-registration is required.

Feb. 25 12 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Fairfield County’s Giving Day. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS: lwvgreenwich.org/ Through March 21 The League of Women Voters of Greenwich 2021 Student Essay Contest: “Dear Madam Vice President” - write a letter to Vice President Harris, sharing your stories, advice, and wishes.

Greenwich students in grades K-12. Essays due: March 21. Submit to: youthoutreach@ lwvgreenwich.org HISTORICAL SOCIETY: greenwichhistory. org/visit Through March 28 ‘In Lost Landscape Revealed: Childe Hassam and The Red Mill, Cos Cob, Works by Hassam and Impressionist Artists Demonstrate Im-

portance of Cos Cob in History of American Art’ exhibit.

BRUCE MUSEUM: brucemuseum.org March 4 7 – 8:30 p.m.

“The Artists of Instagram: Everything You Always Wanted to Know and Aren’t Afraid to Ask.” Free, members; $20, non-members; students receive a 20% discount. Advance reservations required.

INDIA CULTURAL CENTER OF GREENWICH: iccgreenwich.org Through March 21 ICC brings together Indian artists for an online art show. Meet the artists on February 24 in an Opening Reception.

The artworks are for sale (a portion of sales will benefit ICC).

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE: afgreenwich.org March 3 5 - 6 p.m.

‘Worldwide Wednesdays’ - join in for lively discussions on French films. Open to all. Donation. RSVP for a Zoom link.

CHORAL SOCIETY: gcs-ct.org March 2 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Zoom rehearsals. No auditions are required to participate, just an interest in choral music. Every Tuesday. For more details contact admin@greenwichchoralsociety.org ART SOCIETY: greenwichartsociety. org March 1 4:30 p.m.

Art History Lecture: “Klimt and The Lady in Gold” with Sue Altman.

(For adults and teens).

Via Zoom. Register.

THE ARTS COUNCIL: greenwichartscouncil.org March 1 7 p.m.

Lecture: Critiquing the Virtual Museum Experience: Women to the Fore at the Hudson River Museum. Via Zoom.

Register.

DECORATIVE ARTS SOCIETY: greenwichdecorativearts.org March 1 1 - 3 p.m.

Lecture: “The Art of Looking: A Dialogue Among the Art of the Past and the Art of the Present.” $25. green-

wichdecorativearts@ gmail.com ROTARY CLUB: greenwichrotary.org March 3 12:15 p.m.

Weekly Wednesday lunch meeting. Riverside Yacht Club, 102 Club Rd. The bell will ring at 12:15pm. Jackets for men are required. $30.

NAMI SOUTHWEST CT: namisouthwestct. org/online-support March 2 6:30 p.m.

Family Support Group – peer-led support groups for family members of individuals living with mental health conditions. (1st Tue of the month). Free. Register in advance.

March 3 6:30 p.m.

NAMI-CAN (Child and Adolescent Network) Online Support Group for parents and primary caregivers of children and adolescents, under age 21, with behavioral and emotional issues (Every Wednesday).

Free. Contact admin@ namict.org for the meeting password.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE: RedCrossBlood.org March 1 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Stamford Church of Christ, 1264 High Ridge Rd, Stamford.

March 2 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, 1 First Stamford Pl, Stamford.

March 6 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Holy Spirit Church, 403 Scofieldtown Rd, Stamford.

ARCH STREET archstreet.org Virtual Yoga Takeover.

7th-12th Grade. Every Tue. & Thu., 4-5pm Free. Online.

Open Studio. 7th-12th Grade. Wednesday, by Appointment Only. Free.

TOWN AGENCIES MEETINGS: greenwichct.gov/calendar Feb. 25 10 a.m.

Board of Selectmen Meeting. Via Zoom.

12 p.m.

Board of Selectmen Special Virtual Web Meeting. Via Zoom.

12 p.m.

Parks and Trees hearing about removal of town tree at 235 Greenwich Ave.

4 p.m.

P&Z POCD Affordable Housing Task Force Meeting. Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Budget Overview Committee Meeting. Via Zoom/ Phone.

March 1 10:30 a.m.

Architectural Review Committee Meeting. Via Zoom.

1 p.m.

Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing. Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

Education Committee Meeting. Via Zoom/ Phone.

March 2 5 p.m.

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting. Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

FSYC March Virtual Board Meeting. Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

Appointments Committee Meeting. Via Zoom.

March 3 12 p.m.

FS Re-Imagine Greenwich Meeting. Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

Architectural Review Committee Meeting. Via Zoom.

7:30 p.m.

District 11 Meeting. Via Zoom/Phone.

March 4 11 a.m.

FS Sustainability Committee Meeting. Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

Conservation Commission Regular Meeting.

Via Zoom.

7 p.m.

District 12 Meeting. Via Zoom.

LOCKWOOD-MATHEWS MANSION: lockwoodmathewsmansion.com Through June 4 The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s 8th

Annual Young Writers’ Competition. Open to all middle school students 6th-8th grade in the Tristate area. Through June 4. 203-838-9799, ext.

6. education@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com

Our Neighboring Towns BEDFORD PLAYHOUSE: bedfordplayhouse.org Feb. 25 6:30 p.m.

Playhouse Game Night – a virtual fundraiser.

Enter individually or as a team with up to 8 players. Pick up your Game Kit on Feb. 24 or 25 or have it sent to you. 914-234-6704.

THE MARITIME AQUARIUM: maritimeaquarium. org March 6 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Seal Spotting & Birding Cruise. Aquarium Dock, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk. $31.50.

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Page 6 | Greenwich Sentinel

Town Updates by Richard Kaufman

Update from Town Hall

Tremendous Loss Earlier this week, the United States surpassed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths. In Greenwich, the death toll was 81 as of Wednesday. " We've lost 81 Gre enw ich residents, and that's 81 too many as far as I'm concerned. We grieve for every one of them, and every one of the 500,000 people, who, if not for this virus, even if they had underlying issues, they may still be alive," said First Selectman Fred Camillo.

The tremendous loss serves as a reminder that the coronavirus i s st i l l a t h r e at a nd t hat it's mysterious with regards to whom it impacts, Camillo added. While COVID-19 cases and deaths have decreased around the country in recent weeks, the fight against the pandemic is not over yet.

"While things are looking up, the numbers are getting better, more people are being vaccinated, and it's certainly going in the right direction; at the end of the day we're not there. We're probably in the top of the 8th inning of a

9-inning game. We're inching closer but we're not there yet," said Camillo.

T h e To w n o f G r e e n w i c h was scheduled to put on a parade in conjunction w ith the Greenwich Police Emerald Society last September to honor frontline health care workers and those who have lost their lives to COVID-19. The parade wa s p ost p one d, a nd Ca m i l lo said earlier this week that it will happen when it's safe to do so.

"We certainly do plan to do something on the other side of this to not only recognize all who contributed to the effort to combat the virus, but also those we've lost," he said.

The Future of Greenwich Plaza In 2019, a major redevelopment plan for Greenwich Pla z a i n t he dow ntow n a r e a was unveiled by The Ashforth Company, who owns the valuable chunk of real estate.

The proposed project would have featured the construction of a new modern transportation

"We've lost 81 Greenwich residents, and that's 81 too many as far as I'm concerned," said First Selectman Fred Camillo on COVID-19 deaths in town. center, including the development of an entirely new train station on both sides of the tracks; expanded and improved drop-off and pickup areas; new pedestrian and com muter pathways; a new privately-owned public park on the corner of Greenwich Avenue and Railroad Avenue; new luxury movie theaters above the existing parking lot on Railroad Avenue; and modernized retail space along Railroad Avenue.

Under the proposal at the time in the summer of 2019, the town would have transferred its air rights above the train station to Ashforth in exchange for the $15 million in public improvements (included park, new train station) to the area. Ashforth is leasing the rights from the town through 2057.

matter to his successor to tackle.

Camillo said earlier this week that both Ashforth and the town are pledging to work together in the future on new plans for Greenwich Plaza. " We're sp e a k i ng w it h t he d e v e l o p e r. T h e r e ' s n o t h i n g conc r ete yet, but we'r e b ot h pledging to work together. They've been really terrif ic in wanting to have whatever they do match w it h what we're doi ng [w it h improvements] downtown. We're FRED CAMILLO in the beginning stages. There's a First Selectman great stated desire on the parts of both parties to work together," he But concerns over the deal said. and debate surrounding the value of the air rights caused the project Outdoor Dining to be nixed. Then First Selectman Due to COVID-19, restaurants Peter Tesei decided it was best to were forced to come up w ith put plans on hold and leave the creative ways to serve patrons in

a safe setting, so outdoor dining was born.

T he new lo ok a nd fe el of Greenwich Avenue have been such a success, that outdoor dining figures to be a mainstay even af ter the pandem ic is ove r. A s spr i n g appr o a che s , Camillo said that his Re-imagine Greenwich Committee is preparing for the warmer weather ahead and the inf lux of people who will come downtown. " We ' v e s a i d f r o m t h e beg in ning we plan to ma ke [outdoor dining] a permanent part of Greenwich. That hasn't ch a nge d . Pe ople a r e e agerly awaiting April and the warmer weather, so you'll certainly see more jersey ba r r iers [on the Avenue] go back up to allow for that," Camillo said. "As we do that, we also are hard at work at trying to procure more park ing and transportation options for people [dow ntow n]. There are many moving parts, and we're very pleased with where we are and where we're going."

We're Seeing Better COVID-19 Numbers COVID-19 numbers in Greenwich continue to improve, according to the latest update from the Town and Greenwich Hospital.

"We're seeing better and better numbers as we go along. With more people being vaccinated and the weather starting to show signs of getting a little bit better, things are starting to look up for everybody. We're not there yet, but things are looking better," said First Selectman Fred Camillo on Wednesday, during the weekly COVID brief ing. Camillo was joined by Greenwich Hospital VP of Public Relations, Dana Marnane.

As of Tuesday, Feb. 23, there were 140 active cases of COVID-19 in town, down 40 from the week prior. Total cases since the pandemic began sat at 3,919, up 118 from Feb. 16. Since that date, the rate of cases per 100,000 has gone down by 11.4 to 37.6.

The death toll of Greenwich residents, however, increased by two over the last week to 81.

At Greenwich Hospital, numbers

have remained steady. As of Wednesday morning, there were 28 positive patients being treated in-house, with two of those patients in the Intensive Care Unit on ventilators. Marnane said that patient numbers have been going up and down in recent days, fluctuating from mid 20s to low 30s.

Across f ive hospitals in the Yale New Haven Health System, there were 213 COVID patients being treated as of Wednesday. Last week, there were 215.

"Numbers are pretty flat system-wide, but staying low which is great," Marnane said.

Since the pandemic began, Greenwich Hospital has discharged 1,205 patients.

Vaccinations To date, the Yale New Haven Health System has vaccinated over 100,000 people. Locally at the Brunswick School vaccination clinic, over 6,000 people have received shots.

Earlier this week, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that vaccine eligibility will be

strictly age-based going forward.

S t a r t i n g o n M o n d ay, M a r c h 1 , Connecticut residents aged 55 and older will be able to sign up for vaccine appointments. Additionally, vaccine clinics will be specifically set up around the state for preK-12 school staff and teachers, and professional childcare providers, who can also begin scheduling appointments on March 1. Both Camillo and Marnane said they have not had any discussions about setting up teacher-specific clinics in town, but that group can still make appointments at any of the clinics in Greenwich. To look up CT vaccine clinics, go to ct.gov/ covidvaccine At 12:01 a.m. on March 1, eligible residents can go to ynhhs.org/covidvaccine to find an appointment at a Yale New Haven Health site. The Greenw ich Department of Health utilizes the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS). For more information, go to the Dept. of Health page at greenwichct.gov.

Lamont hopes the age-based schedule

and strategy will allow everyone in Connecticut, including essential workers and those with chronic conditions, to know when they will be able to schedule an appointment. The schedule is as follows: March 1, 2021 Expands to age group 55 to 64 March 22, 2021 Expands to age group 45 to 54 April 12, 2021 Expands to age group 35 to 44 May 3, 2021 Expands to age group 16 to 34 "I'm certainly not going to second guess the Governor's advisers who steered him in this direction. I do worry about those with underlying conditions. As we've seen with this virus, it's unpredictable," Camillo said on Wednesday when asked about the change in state strategy. "You feel for people who were told they're next, then all of a sudden the rules got changed in the middle of the game...You just have

to follow the rules as they're presented to us, and hopefully the supply [of vaccine] will increase and we'll get there safely and quickly."

Camillo, who is eligible in the next round, said he plans on staying up until midnight Monday morning so he can sign up for a vaccination.

Park and Beach Access With warmer weather on the horizon, Camillo said there are currently no plans to have additional restrictive measures in place on park or beach use around town.

"I think right now, we think that things are going to be getting better with each passing week as long as people keep adhering to the guidelines," he said.

"Certainly, there are a lot of positive indicators out there. The job of many of us who have a pulpit is to keep sounding the alarm to stay the course. Don't let your guard down now, especially in this late stage. Keep focused and we'll get there quickly and safely."

Hill House Says 'Thank You' to GEMS There was an outpouring of appreciation at Hill House on Tuesday, as residents there gathered to say thank you to members of Greenwich Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) for all that they do.

Hill House, located in Riverside, is a congregate home for well-elderly people of low to moderate income. Over the years, GEMS has been a friendly presence at the facility during regular 911 calls, or when someone has fallen and needs assistance getting up. GEMS has also provided education to the residents on what to expect in the event an ambulance is called.

Residents presented a plaque to GEMS Deputy Director Patrick O'Connor, and paramedics John McRae and Linette Usowski. The plaque read: "Always there for us. Our heartfelt gratitude. -- Hill House residents."

Mary Lou Pilder has lived at Hill House for almost a year. In January, she began to not feel well, and after laying in bed for several days with chills and exhaustion, she was convinced to go to the hospital.

She had COVID, and an ambulance was called.

"I was so out of it," Pilder recalled. "I just remember them putting me in the ambulance and how kind and considerate they were, because I was scared."

Pilder received oxygen and IV fluids, and was hospitalized for a week. She has since recovered.

"We rely on [GEMS], and they're so good to us. It gives us that extra blanket of GEMS Deputy Director Patrick O'Connor, and paramedics John security knowing they're there," she said.

McRae and Linette Usowski, receive a plaque from Hill House "They've just been awesome. It was a very Residents on Tuesday. special moment here seeing them."

For GEMS Executive Director Tracy people when they're most vulnerable is all "This is what we do. We don't expect Schietinger, responding to calls and helping in a day's work. any recognition," she said. "It's humbling

and extremely rewarding to know that people appreciate what you do."

Usowski, who was on hand to receive the plaque, has been with GEMS for over 10 years and has responded to Hill House countless times.

"We do this every day, all the time, and it's rare that anyone pulls us aside and acknowledges us. As I was looking around the room, I recognized many of the faces because I transported them a few times," Usowski said. "It just felt really, really nice.

You know they appreciate what you do, and any time you go there and help them, it puts a skip back in your step."

The Hill House residents also gave freshly baked cookies to those who were there from GEMS. "It made me feel so thankful for my job," Usowski added. "It made me feel good to have patients like that."

On My Watch

Desiring to be Woke in Black History Month, Part II

By Anne W. Semmes

I recently found a large black and white photo of myself age 18 or so, leaning over a bunch of daffodils outside my southern colonial home. I’m wearing a f lowered dress and looking toward the photographer. The photo hasn’t been treated well over the years, but I’ve framed it nevertheless because of its history.

For years it hung over the bed of an extraordinary woman in my life, named Lillie White.

Lillie was black. Lillie was a saving grace caring for my first two children when we were living in Washington, D.C, and then in New York City. I wish I had a recording of her voice so strong and demonstrative.

There wasn’t a timid bone in her body - and she never bemoaned her undescriptive name.

The day that U.S. Senator Hugh Scott was arriving in

Harrisburg, PA during his reelection campaign we were there, Lillie, me and my kids, when he arrived by helicopter.

(My then husband was working a s S c ot t ’s Adv a nc e M a n).

With the helicopter blades still whirring, Lillie strode forth as the Senator stepped to ground, put out her hand and said, “Welcome, Senator, my name is Lillie White.” Surely, the Senator had a quizzical smile on his face.

On a visit home in Memphis years later I visited Lillie in her home and discovered that photo of me over her bed, next to a crucifix! I’d forgotten about it and she kindly gave it to me.

So, what more can I add about Lillie and her life? Nothing.

That’s the way it was back then.

Lillie lived in a black neig h borhood of Memphis where I rarely went. My family all lived outside the city limits, where those Southern colonials could spread out, where no blacks lived, but only worked there. There were no blacks in my private school, nor in my church. And when we’d drive through the expansive black sections of town it was like seeing a small nation, albeit

"My woke period has just begun to honor with knowledge those caring individuals who were the barometers of human affection and constancy in my childhood." missing inalienable rights.

But a l l my g r ow i n g up years I was surrounded by a loving team of black, yes, servants, inherited from my grandmother. Berta Brown was our cook, William Brown (no kin) our yard man and chau f feu r, a nd L i z z ie, t he housemaid. They were islands of af fection and constancy in a world of a n x ious a nd often absent adults. Each one an anchor in a household of transients. They were ageless, keeping their hours, day after day, week after month after year. Their faces the same, hair styles the same - till going grey, and uniforms the same. Their emotions were reliable when mothers and fathers, sisters a nd au nts a nd u ncles a nd girlfriends and boyfriends were unreliable.

They taught us to drive, to

cook, to garden. They taught us about God and sex and nature.

They dried our tears, listened to ou r stor ies, ou r wa nts, desires, frustrations, and fears.

I have a hazy memory of once attending a black church, perhaps taken there by our cook or yardman and being soaked in spiritual singing. I would sometimes hear those songs sung as they went about their chores in our house.

But I then graduated into the world and moved north. I’d outgrown their use in my life, and so they faded away. When I was with them, I had never asked how they came into the world, and whether they loved or were loved. It was us that mattered, the Miss Anne, the Miss Flournoy, and the Mrs. and the Mr. It took some filling in by my older sister who stayed south

to help me remember that yes Berta Brown lived with her daughter and son in law, and that William had a wife. But I did not know our grandmother had helped housemaid Lizzie buy her house, and that our mother had helped William buy his house. “Our family was heavily invested in their lives,” shares sister Flournoy. And I wasn’t there on those occasions after cook Berta retired, when W i l l i a m wo u l d b r i n g h e r for a visit at dinners for the whole family. “She would be called into the dining room for welcome and affectionate praise.” Over my stove hangs a hand painted tile featuring a profile of Berta and her famous recipe, “Berta Brown’s “Leg of Lamb.”

I’m on a definite learning curve these days. So, what an enlightenment it was this past

Saturday with the Greenwich Chora l S o c ie t y ’s i n spi r e d zoom presentation on “Sing to Freedom: The Power of Spirituals,” watched by me and 85 others. Listening to baritone Eddie Pleasant sing “Golden Slippers,” took me straight back to Berta singing that in our kitchen! Some of those rhythmic spirituals were sung as work songs we learned to keep the workers in rhythm.

And wasn’t it fascinating learning how that spiritual, “Following the Gourd,” secretly laid out a road map to the underground railroad.

Viewers shared having seen a remarkable PBS documentary on “The Black Church” series I’ve put on my list. And didn’t I see notice from the Greenwich Historical Society of an April zoom on the early A frican American experience in Greenwich?

My woke period has just begun to honor with knowledge those caring individuals who were the barometers of human af fection and constancy in my childhood. They are in my blood, my marrow. Their loy a lt y a nd k i nd ne s s a nd patience. Their warmth. Their humor. Their wisdom.

Page 7 | Greenwich Sentinel

From Page One ROTARY

From Page 1 person for funding. Fox is familiar to many having directed P&Z for nearly 20 years. The monies Fox receives comes primarily from the Rotary’s annual Citizen of the Year fundraiser in June. (Last year’s chosen Citizen Jonathan Moff ly missed his time in the limelight with the Covid-19 lockdown.)

According to Parris, the range of funding offered can run from $3000 to $5000. “ O u r Fo u n d at i o n h a s a history of funding international projects,” told Fox. A sampling of her impressive list of projects: “Heart Care International, with offices in Greenwich and doctors volunteering to perform surgery on children's hearts where needed; funding two motor scooters for Healthcare workers in Bangalore, I nd ia to prov ide hea lth ca re workers transport to get to outlying areas for health exams working with our counterpart Rotary Club there.” And ongoing for 15 years is supporting the Polio Plus program with Rotary International with second generational support from Bill Gates.

Another ongoing international project with Greenwich roots is a Rotary partnership with Christ Church Greenwich to support a

BODY CAMS From Page 1

will provide assurance to the community that the GPD is a dedicated, professional agency that follows policy. He said the cameras will keep all parties honest during police interactions, because the camera will serve as a reminder that any action will be on record.

"It's good for our officers and their safety. It protects the officer, because people can't make up baseless accusations now because we've got the officer's version of events right there. It keeps everyone honest on all sides. More often than not it's going to help things," he said.

First Selectman Fred Camillo was an early advocate for the cameras and said they will reduce liability for the town.

"Having cameras will certainly make clear any questions about what happens at various scenes. We are blessed with a great police force here in town. Like everything else, they strive and we strive to be even better. This I think enhances their ability to better serve the public.

The public around the country has asked for it. Here's one of those examples where everyone agrees it's the right thing to do," he said.

HOW THE CAMERAS WORK Whenever an of f icer is dispatched to a scene or knowingly interacting with the public, he or she will press a button on the camera twice to activate it. Because things tend to happen quickly out in the field and the device might not be activated at the correct moment, the camera is essentially always recording. When it's activated, it reaches back and grabs the previous 30 seconds of video only.

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Rotary attendees L to R, top: Agathe Likoba, Suzanne Branch, Stuart Adelberg, Sheila Goggin, Peter Barhydt, Scott Frantz, Prem Itharat, Icy Frantz, Heather Smeriglio, Joe Benoit, Peter Orszulak, Jonathan Moffly, David Goldvug, Cindy Thebaud, Dieter Blennemann. Front row: Sally Parris, Diane Fox. Photo by Kathy DiGiovanna. school in Tanzania co-founded by Christ Church parishioner, Karen Free Royce called the Endupoto School, working in tandem with a Rotary Club in Tanzania.

“The Endupoto story is an amazing one,” shared member Bill Grad who traveled with wife Laura to Tanzania in 2018 to visit the School. “From literally nothing, the village now has a school for local students, a teaching staff, teaching supplies and numerous buildings and cisterns to hold badly needed water.” That visit defined for Grad what it means to be a Rotarian.

“Because I believe strongly in service to the community, I believe that we cannot separate our business lives from our non-

business lives.”

K a r en Royce pra is e d t he Rotarians as “change makers for partnering with us in bringing education to a remote Maasai community in northern Tanzania almost since we began working there in 2008. Now, 716 girls and boys attend Kindergarten through 7th grade where once there was no school, and many go on to secondary school and beyond.”

“This is what Rotary is all about,” noted President Benoit.

“It's helping other people doing things for people that are in need.

It's providing long lasting efforts that are going to have an impact on a particular area.” Benoit saw this for himself early on in his

membership when he traveled to Peru four times, working with local Rotary Clubs there to ensure that medical equipment made available with the rebuilding of Greenwich Hospital would be safely delivered to needy clinics.

Benoit describes the Rotary as “the largest service organization in the world today. “There are 1.2 million Rotarians around the world and 35,000 Rotary Clubs. But we're not a relief agency. Rotaries are all about helping people all over the world.” Looking forward from this Club’s 100th anniversary, Benoit has a wish, “that in the next hundred years Rotary will still be the thriving organization it is today!”

The technology of the camera is purposely designed to resemble the human eye as close as possible.

The camera will shut off when it's prompted. When officers go off duty, they'll take the camera off and recharge it. One charge will yield roughly 12 hours of operating time, according to Axon.

"That's one of our challenges," said Berry of the charge time. "We have to make some considerations when an of f icer is work ing a double shift."

While the camera is charging, a ny v ide o t h at w a s t a ke n i s uploaded into a cloud-based service developed by Axon on the website evidence.com. Members of the GPD are the only ones who have direct access to footage on the backend of the website; not even Axon can view the data.

One of the key features of the service that comes with the cameras is the ability to crowdsource evidence from the public. The idea was created in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing, when authorities had to piece together video footage from different vantage points, according to GPD Police Technician Matthew Nardi, who also works in IT for the Department.

"Let's say there are one of these scenes where everyone has their phones out, and everyone is recording something, or even just one random person happens to catch something on their phone, the investigating officer on scene can actually through the app, send a message to that person with a link in it," Nardi said. "It's a temporary link that expires, but you can go into the link and you can download the video or pictures you have on your phone to that link, and it will go into our evidence on evidence.com."

Heavey said the evidence from

the public, matched up with the officer's body camera footage as well as the officer’s GPS location on a map that's generated from a recording camera, can help paint a three-dimensional picture of an important scene.

The Stamford Superior Court has its own subscription to evidence.com and can request footage and the information needed to prosecute a case.

"This can come in very handy for officers responding to motor vehicle accidents, or to calls for domestic violence. There are a lot of circumstances where a picture is worth a thousand words, and this will make it even better. It's not perfect, but it will give a perspective from where the camera was," Heavey said.

Every time a video is viewed, there's an audit trail. The GPD will be able to see who viewed what video, and for how long.

"A l l t h e s e t h i n g s a r e documented, where before, you hand over a thumb drive or a CDROM and who knows how many copies have been made or who viewed it?" Berry said.

PRIVACY CONCERNS Privacy for the general public and the releasing of footage has been a major point of discussion when it comes to police body cameras.

"Releasing that footage to the public is arguably going to be one of the most contentious topics at times.

We're trying to build community trust so they understand that most of the time this is going to be for a positive thing to show the officer followed policy," said Heavey.

Berry said the department understands the conversation about privacy and is sensitive about it, but residents shouldn't be concerned.

Included in the contract with

Axon is interactive software with redaction capabilities.

Berry reiterated the fact that the cameras are now required by legislation, and the public will be seen on video. But the department will still handle the footage the same way they do with other forms of evidence, records or reports.

“Our same restrictions on how we disseminate records still applies to these [videos]. Just because someone might be captured on a body cam, it doesn't mean the next day it's going to be up on Youtube, or wherever else. It still has those same record retention restrictions,” Berry said.

With regards to video storage in the cloud, the Department has set up parameters based on the state FOIA requirements, Berry said. "If it meets certain criteria, it will stay [in the cloud] potentially forever. Other criteria, it's a certain amount of time, and it will go away," Berry added.

GOING FORWARD With almost the entire department outfitted with body c a m e r a s , He ave y a n d B e r r y admitted that it's going to take some time to build up muscle memory and get used to operating the cameras. "It's another tool in the tool box," said Heavey.

As part of the contract, if a camera breaks, or new technology comes out, A xon w ill send replacements. Officers will also have to undergo refresher training at certain points on the cameras, per state legislation.

Funding for dashboard cameras is included in the GPD's proposed 2021-2022 budget. If it's approved, Heavey said that equipment will be purchased some time after July 1 and implemented by this time next year. They will only be used on patrol cars.

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Editorial Page

Page 8 | Greenwich Sentinel

PUBLISHER Beth@GreenwichSentinel.com Elizabeth Barhydt

CARTOON

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

An Ounce of Prevention The recent ceiling collapse at the North Mianus School has brought into focus the need to examine how our town facilities are maintained. When the fire department responded to a sprinkler alarm, they found a collapsed ceiling and a burst pipe which had flooded the school, doing extensive damage and forcing students into remote learning for the foreseeable future.

The incident has caused many to ask questions about how a public building could be so poorly maintained for so lengthy a period of time that it caused a ceiling to collapse. This is not the first time something like this has happened. In 2018 a sink faucet at Cos Cob School broke, went undetected and caused extensive damage that required students to be bused to other schools for three months. Leaky pipes and poor maintenance have caused major infrastructure problems at public schools all over town for decades.

After a serious incident, as happened at North Mianus School, there is always lots of finger pointing. We are not interested in that.

After a serious incident, as happened at North Mianus School, there is always lots of finger pointing.

We are not interested in that. We believe that everyone involved - the School Administration, Board of Education, and Department of Public Works - is coming to the table with the best interests of students at heart.

One of the biggest challenges they face is the extent to which deferred maintenance has accrued over the years, bringing us to a critical tipping point.

Another challenge is the lack of regularly scheduled internal inspections of these buildings. Annual inspection from top to bottom of all operating systems and structural safety should have identified the failing infrastructure before it collapsed. There are also no formalized year-over-year maintenance records. If the boiler breaks down in Cos Cob school (and we certainly hope it does not), there is no standardized documentation citing when it was replaced, repaired, or inspected. This is risk management 101. Standardized documentation, risk assessment, facility inspections, and regularly scheduled repairs prevent systemic infrastructure failures.

School construction projects are only getting bigger and more complex. We have all seen Cardinal Stadium changing as we drive down the Post Road. Decisions will have to be made about what to do with the aging Central Middle School – renovate, tear down, or build new? The proposed renovations of Julian Curtiss have sky-rocketed to $20 million, which seems very high to us. The price tag of building New Lebanon School a few years back was $30 million. There are many other capital projects on the horizon as well.

Something needs to change. We need to reexamine how maintenance and construction of the hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funded assets is overseen in Greenwich. If these projects are getting bigger and more complex, we need to ensure we have the capability to properly manage them. We also need to ensure these projects are being completed in a fiscally responsible manner. After all, it is our taxes that are paying for these projects.

We are not ones who would often, or ever, call for expanding government, but it’s time to reconsider how the town manages the maintenance of its physical assets, especially our public schools. We need to create and implement a town-wide routine maintenance schedule, risk assessment evaluations, and standard practices for planning, making, and documenting repairs.

This Board of Estimate and Taxation must be brought into the loop not just on funding the projects, but for oversight on how best to finance and best practices for use of town resources. The annual review in place now should be upgraded to be improve transparency and increase the frequency of reporting periods.

Benjamin Franklin famously advised that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It may not be exciting, but it is still an axiom well worth following.

OPINION

Defunding the Police on Greenwich Avenue? officers keep pedestrians safe— from toddlers to the elderly to the handicapped. They also discourage store thefts and robber y of shoppers wh ile aiding motorists crossing a busy avenue often flooded with pedestrians.

Most understand removing

By Edward Dadakis the police from directing traffic at the height of the pandemic Yikes, they’ve defunded the but now its apparent that this police on Greenwich Avenue! is a permanent change to a That ’s what I t houg ht one century old tradition. As such Saturday late last sum mer as I drove around Greenwich Avenue and the police were still not directing traff ic. In fact, I didn’t see a policeman any where on Greenw ich Avenue that day.

I wondered how this could be. After all the police presence on The Avenue is an iconic symbol of our town and Representative Town Meeting shows we value protecting members from District One, Greenwich residents, visitors w h o r e p r e s e nt d ow ntow n Greenwich, encouraged getting and property.

Everyone knows Greenwich a r e s o l u t i o n o n t h e R T M Avenue can be chaotic. Some agenda calling for the officers drivers will stop completely in to be returned. The main goal the roadway just waiting for a of the resolution is to foster parking space or to run into a community discussion on this store for that one quick item. important issue and let the Others will drive down the people’s representatives weigh middle of the road at 2 mph. i n. A s t hat d iscussion has There are pedestrians crossing proceeded the passion of those wherever they want, of ten wanting to retain the police has oblivious to their surroundings. become evident.

Readers should know that At crosswalks there can be mayhem with pedestrians and this decision did not emanate drivers coming together trying within the police department. to f igure out who goes next. Rather it was implemented In other words, Greenwich by our elected politicians as part of a reimagined vision for Avenue can be dangerous.

C h a o s a n d d a n g e r i s downtown Greenwich which reduced and managed with includes easy access to the the police directing traffic at waterfront, outside dining and the intersections. That reliable happy people riding around in presence of a police off icer trolleys. That vision can still keeps order i n a n obv ious proceed with police directing and visible fashion. These Greenwich Avenue traffic.

Our highly regarded police chief, Jim Heavey, is doing an outstanding job defending the decision of our elected politicians by arguing a better deployment is police riding bikes around dow ntow n.

W h i le t hat m ig ht b e n ic e , the plan leaves drivers and, more importantly, pedestrians to fend for themselves. Mr. Heavey is out in front on this matter but the fact remains, if our politicians had not made

Now is the time to add your voice to those of thousands of other Greenwich residents who support bringing the police back.

LETTER

that choice we would not be having this discussion.

Our elderly traverse Greenwich Ave extensively.

The Mews senior living facility is a block f rom the Sen ior C e nte r a n d A g n e s Mo rl e y He i g ht s i s 3 b l o c k s aw ay.

Many of those residents cross Greenwich Avenue when they walk to the senior center— often daily. According to an RTM member who frequents t h e s e n i o r c e n t e r, t h e i r members are strongly in favor of retaining the police.

I thought the chairman of the First Selectman’s Advisory Committee with Disabilities, said it best when he wrote: “Crossing Greenwich Avenue as a person with disabilities is very difficult. Thanks to the Officers my guide dog and I feel safe to cross.”

Those words were especia lly poig na nt to me.

It makes so much sense. A

visibly impaired person can’t cross the street safely unless they know traffic is stopped.

I ’m s e ei ng a nd he a r i ng widespread support to keep the police on The Avenue. A petition circulating on line has more than 1,200 signers. Those voices need to be heard by RTM members.

The RTM will hear from residents on this matter and then vote at their March 8th meeting. Additionally, each district will convene either March 3rd or 4th just to hear from their neighborhood residents. Make your voice heard!

These are all zoom meetings so you don’t need to even leave your living room to have your voice heard. Go to https://www.greenwichct. g o v/ 7 2 1 / R e p r e s e n t a t i v e Town-Meeting-RTM to get a list of your RTM members, instructions on how to enter the zoom meetings and sign up to speak. Alternatively, telephone one of our selectmen—Fred Camillo, Lauren Rabin or Jill Oberlander—at 203-622-7710.

If the police are not returned to the Avenue soon, I fear they never will be. I believe we are then likely to see traffic lights before too long.

Now is the time to add your voice to those of thousands of other Greenwich residents who support bringing the police back.

Edward Dadakis has served in Greenwich town government for more than 40 years. You can reach him at edadakis@ g m ail .c om Follow h i m on Twitter at Eddie on Watch

Riverside Residents Take on CT DOT

To the Editor: Please f ind below a letter that the Board of the Riverside Association just submitted to the DOT Commissioner regarding the upcoming four-year construction project for 1-95.

We believe we make some critical points and would appreciate it if you would publish this letter to inform fellow residents: Susan Foster Dear Commissioner Giulietti: Residents of Greenwich, especially those who live near I-95, have been pleased to learn that improvements are scheduled for the stretch of the highway that runs through the town. Slated to begin in 2022, the upcoming project (0056-0316) addresses congestion and safety issues on the highway, exit ramps, and the Mianus River bridge.

Residents a re less tha n pleased, however, with the limited focus of the project. For years, Greenwich has seen highway traffic increase to an average of 150,000 vehicles per day. Pleas for

the inclusion of noise mitigation, such as sound barriers and ‘quiet’ pavement, have been summarily dismissed. Since the project does not qualify as “Type 1,” asserts Serge Nikulin, Connecticut’s Department of Transportation P r o j e c t E n g i n e e r, a n o i s e analysis is not triggered, “no new noise walls are proposed,” and “Unfortunately, a specific pavement composition to reduce tire noise is not proposed under this project.”

The unified wail of frustration at this response almost exceeded the noise from the highway.

Even acknowledging that the guidelines outlined in Title 23 (which governs highway projects of this magnitude) must be followed to ensure compliance and consistency, this decision is short sighted. On a closer read of Title 23, one finds this section of the legislation: §771.133 Compliance with other requirements. (a) T he c om bi ne d f i n a l EIS (Environmental Impact

Statement) / ROD (Record of Decision), final EIS or FONSI (Findings of No Signif icant I mp a c t) s h o u l d d o c u m e nt compliance with requirements of all applicable environmental laws, executive orders, and other related requirements.

Th is p or t ion of t he law continues, and requires that, if full compliance is not possible by the time the project is presented, the project must nonetheless ref lect consultation with the appropriate agencies and provide reasona ble assu ra nce t hat environmental requirements will be met (Source: efcr.gov).

If 23 CFR 772 disqualifies the project for noise remediation, it appears that 23 CFR 771.133 supersedes and requires that the project conform to other existing environmental laws and requirements. Laws such as the Quiet Communities Act of 1978, The Clean Air Act-Title IV Noise Pollution, The Noise Control Act of 1972 and Connecticut’s State Policy 22a-67 all come into play.

To quote Connecticut’s State Policy 22a-67, “The primary responsibility for control of noise rests with the state and the political subdivisions thereof … to establish a means for effective coordination of research and activities in noise control.”

Mr. Nikulin’s response and the existing project proposal’s failure to address existing violations of federal and state mandates regarding noise are a disservice to the residents of the community.

The state cannot hide behind a narrow section of 23 CFR 772.

If the current traffic of 150,000 a day is not enough to trigger consideration of excessive noise, what is? Do Greenwich residents wait for traffic to increase to 200,000? 250,000? At what point will Connecticut step in to fulfill its obligations for noise control under existing federal and state legislation? Greenwich residents deserve a comprehensive answer.

The Riverside Association Board - www.riversideassociation. org online.

Page 9 | Greenwich Sentinel

COLUMNS

Lent. So Long for Now My Sweet Friend.

By Icy Frantz Every year around this time for as long as I can remember, I have given up refined sugar. It is the way I celebrate Lent, but it is also a chance for me to reset, and I actually look forward to it after the indulgences of the holidays.⁠ When our kids were younger, I would ask them, “What do you

By Cadbury FitzPatrick I have a bone to pick with some of my human friends.

While I am not formally educated, my breed (Australian Shepherd) is known to be very bright, so we tend to catch on to things that other breeds may miss (and which of course would be way over the head of cats). My issue is this: all too often, you take the name of my species in vain (which apparently is a really, really bad thing when done in a different context).

I wrote earlier about “dogfaced pony soldier,” so we’ll just let that sleeping dog lie (which is a phrase I don’t mind because I certainly enjoy a little me-time after running around and barking all day – which may be what you humans mean by “working like a dog”). It’s just that there are just so many other terms and

want to give up for Lent?”, and t hey wou ld pre sent me w it h an inventory of possibilities homework , chores, a nd l i ma beans (which was not quite the spirit I was looking for).⁠ A few yea rs ago, a f r iend told me that instead of giving up something for Lent, she wanted to give out something for Lent.

Sh e w a s goi n g to p e r for m a random act of kindness every day, anonymously. What? No credit?

But it made me think.⁠ There is so much that we can do differently to improve not only our health, but our relationships and the world around us. ⁠ How about 40 days without gossiping or swearing or

phrases you humans use that are confusing or downright offensive to us ca n ines. Per m it me to explain.

First, let me make it ver y clear that we like and appreciate being referred to as “man’s best f riend” (forg ive me for using the historically gender-specific pronoun; I understand it is meant in this context to apply to all humans, and it is after all your word, not mine). The feeling is mutual.

Exhibit 1: “hot dog.” This one really mystifies me. How in the world did it come to mean ground meat in a tubular casing?

If it referred to a dog in Texas in the heat of the summer, I could understand (I suppose a dog in Texas this winter might be called a “chili dog”?). I know that sometimes you humans refer to a good-looking man or woman as “hot,” which would mean that the phrase is a compliment to me or my other canine friends. That too would be perfectly acceptable.

But please, please, do not use the term to refer to Dachshunds; they are very sensitive and easily offended.

Speaking of taking offense, I really have a beef with use of the

She was going to perform a random act of kindness every day, anonymously.

What? No credit? social media or complaining or nonessential shopping?⁠ O r 4 0 d ay s o f e xe r c i s i n g o r r e a d i n g o r m e d it at i n g o r organizing or complimenting our spouse and our children?⁠ I give up sugar so that it makes me focus more on my religious convictions, and it works. But

I also g ive it up so that I eat healthier - it’s a win / win.⁠ But whet her for rel ig ious reasons or not, changing the way we live for a set period of time can be liberating and entertaining See more from Icy by visiting and challenging, and although I is empowering.⁠ So long for now, my sweet her website, The Icing on the Cake, always find my way back to sugar, at www.IcyFrantz.net online. always, those forty days without it friend - see you soon.

Dog with a Bone Please stop using the “old dog/new tricks” line.

It is “ageist” phrase “sent to the doghouse” to connote punishment for bad action. First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actual doghouse on a l l my w a l k s a r ou nd t he neighborhood. A ll of my dog friends live in human houses w ith their human families.

Therefore, the dog’s house is also the people’s house, and vice versa, so the phrase seems either entirely circular or completely meaningless.

I have a theory, which is the only way in which this makes sense to me. I understand that, in the American human vernacular, “the People’s House” refers to a big white building on a hill in a city called DC (odd name, though from what I hear, it’s also a very odd place). Apparently, a group o f p e o p l e c a l l e d “C o n g r e s s ” spend much of their lives in that house, arguing constantly. That sou nds per fectly d read f u l to me. However, given what the

eldest human male in my family thinks of them, they deserve to be there (there must actually be two separate houses or groups of people in that one big building, because he keeps saying “A pox on both their houses,” and he does not mean it as a compliment). I therefore have concluded that “being sent to the dog house” means to be recognized for bad behavior and sent to spend time in Congress. Now it all makes sense to me.

I am not yet f inished.

However, lest anyone think my objections to the use of caninerelated phraseology lack nuance, I w a nt to m a ke it cle a r t h at “puppy eyes” and “puppy love” are perfectly acceptable; after all, who doesn’t love puppies?

Please stop using the “old dog/ new tricks” line. It is “ageist” (a n o t h e r o n e o f yo u r n e we r words) and how can you be sure that mature dogs aren’t simply

figuring out that they don’t need to bother learning new tricks in order to continue to have a warm place to live, food and water, and the love of their humans? It seems to me that they are the ones acting rationally in that situation!

Oh, a nd “hot dig g it y dog ” – really? That’s just a hokey version of hot dog, with all the issue s note d a b ove . Plus, i f there actually were a breed of dogs called “Diggity,” they surely would be just as offended as the Dachshunds. And don’t get me started on “hair of the dog:” if someone has had a bit too much to drink, they’d better not be coming for my fur!

“Dogging” someone makes some sense since I cer ta in ly do like to follow my hu ma ns around to see what they are up to (especially if it involves food or treats). I don’t find the term pejorative unless it is taken to mean unwanted attention, which simply can’t be the case with us dogs, as everyone loves having us around! And I don’t have a problem with “downward dog” being a yoga pose, though I must say that humans look a bit silly performing it.

I vehemently object to the

ph rase “gone to the dogs” as referring to something that has become ruined or has changed to a worse condition; let’s all just agree to change it to “gone to the cats.”

Finally, I am greatly amused at the use of the word “dogs” to refer to a human’s feet. I see absolutely no resemblance between feet and dogs, none whatsoever. However, it is true that dogs love to lie down at (or literally upon) the feet of their humans. I certainly do. I have spent many of the happiest moments of my life doing exactly that. I find it amusing to think of their “dogs” under me, a real dog.

Perhaps that’s what they mean by the term “underdog”?

All this thinking and writing has left me very tired (note that I did not say “dog tired”). In closing, I’d just like to say that my objections are merely that; I have no real complaints. I just noticed that ever yone on the television these days seems to be complaining about one thing or the other, and I thought I’d join in the fun. I am very happy living a dog’s life. I would not change it for the world.

And now I am going to lay down for a doggone good sleep!

ON EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

I Want to Be a Lion Tamer

By Mary Forde During this time of pandemic, the word “hero” seems to be used more than ever. And it had me t h i n k i ng a b out what a r e the qualif ications to be a hero.

There was an inter view w ith one of the flight attendants from t he pla ne t hat went i nto t he Hudson River years ago and the interviewer asked the woman something like, “What does it feel like to be a hero?” and she answered something like, “While I appreciate the recognition, I was doing my job. I’m really not on the plane to serve your weak coffee and stale nuts (that was an embellishment from me), I am on the plane to keep you safe, the pillows and refreshment gig is what I do to pass the time. My real job on the plane is to do what I just did – save lives in a crisis, and that is what I did.”

That interview got me th in k ing that so ma ny of us, particularly our students/ children, don’t know what people do as work /jobs, what are the responsibilities for those jobs a nd what it lo ok s l i ke when someone is doing that job really well. Related to that, we really don’t know and appreciate how dependent we are on people who do jobs we don’t see. So much of children’s perceptions of work

these days seems to be derived from television shows and movies and involves capes, fast cars or glitzy technology.

Back i n t he day when we used to go on field trips, I had one teacher who specialized in more nontraditional locations. While every other class on Long Island went to the Museum of Natural History and the United Nations, we went to the Fish Hatchery and the Industrial Home for the Blind.

And while other third graders stood under the big whale, we were talking about all the people who were working at the Fish Hatchery and what they had to do as part of their job. Although I didn’t recognize it at the time (and bitterly resented not being able to get a pretzel from a street vender in the city) this was Miss Schneider’s version of career e ducat ion. I don’t k now t hat anyone from my class became a marine biologist but at least we were aware of possibilities beyond the jobs our fathers and mothers did. Speaking of which, for most of my childhood I had no idea what my father actually did.

I know he put on a suit and tie and took the train into the “city.”

On Christmas we would all get dressed up and he would take us to his office in lower Manhattan to show of f his si x of fspring.

For those of you Monty Python fans, there is a skit about an accountant who goes into an employment office and says “I want to be a lion tamer.” Then the interviewer asks, ‘what qualifications do you have and the accountant replies, “I have a hat that says lion tamer.”

We sat at the desk and stapled papers together, knocked over the ashtray (think Madmen without t he g la mou r) a nd made long strips of paper tape come out of the adding machine. But we never really asked nor did he volunteer what he actually did as part of his job.

I think we do a disservice to our future workers (somebody needs to be paying for my Social Security!) if we don’t let them k now t he i n f i n ite nu m ber of possibilities that can be pursued as careers. Equally important, is that they understand the necessity and value of all the different jobs that make it possible for us to live our lives as comfortably as we do here in Greenwich. While in the car or waiting on line, look around and pick out one object

you see. Then try to create a chain of all the people who needed to work to get that object to you.

For example, start with a box of cereal – somebody had to put the box on the shelf – who did that?

Is that their whole job or just part of it? What skills do you need to do that? How did the cereal get to the store? If it came in a big cardboard box, where did that box come from? Who made the box?

Who designed the factory where the box was made? Who built the factory? And on, and on, and on.

It is something of a rabbit hole but you can go on for at least a week just on the cereal box. Truck drivers, clothing manufacturers, insurance companies. The important lessons are the infinite possibilities for careers/jobs and the interdependence of all

of the workers. If one person doesn’t show up or do their job well, the whole system could come crashing down and there would be no Fruity Pebbles for breakfast.

Fo r t h o s e o f y o u M o n t y Python fans, there is a skit about an accountant who goes into an employment off ice and says “I want to be a lion tamer.” Then t h e i nte r v i e we r a s k s , ‘ w h at qualif ications do you have and the accountant replies, “I have a hat that says lion tamer.” The interviewer then shows him a clip of a roaring lion with fangs bared and the man asked, “What is that?” and the interviewer replies “that is a lion.” The man looks horrified and says, “I want to be a banker.” How many people spend a lot of time and money preparing for a career/job without really

knowing what it involves and whether or not it is something they really want to do? While career-identifying hats may have some place in job selection, a broad understanding of the ‘in’s and out’s’ of jobs should prove to be more helpful.

As we go into the future, most of our children will most likely have more than one job and more than one career, but with a little education and experience maybe t h e y c a n m a ke b e t te r, m o r e informed choices and receive a measure of satisfaction with what they do. They may or may not be heroes but even better, they may go out to work feeling that they are making a contribution and getting satisfaction in the bargain.

Ma r y i s th e Chief P u pil Personnel Services of Greenwich Public Schools

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Canvas for Expression

By David Cohen The joy of childhood is deeply connected with doing. Whether at school or at home, children are engaged when they can create and express themselves. While a traditional craft, like assembling parts for a construction paper animal, may look like learning, young minds are far more expanded when they are free.

I n t he photos, t h ree- a nd four-year-old children are spray painting the fresh snow w ith watercolor paint and water. This is a visceral experience, where

they are using complex motor sk ills and seeing spectacular results. There are no lines within which they need to stay. There is unlimited canvas. Fun, you may agree, but what do they learn?

First, let’s not discount the value of fun. One of the greatest g if ts that we ca n g ive you ng learners is the love of learning.

When children are excited to go to school, that begins a pattern that is likely to remain.

A zest for learning can tap into a child’s potential. In contrast, when learning is the “medicine” children are more likely to do the minimum so that they can get back to the business of enjoyment.

S e c ond , t h i s i s h a nd s- on science. After weeks of shoveling and weather delays, you may not be thinking of how lucky we are to have snow. Children are

One of the greatest gifts that we can give young learners is the love of learning. experiencing freezing, melting and unique ways to mix colors.

They have room to experiment and discover with glee. That glee makes the activity memorable.

A child remembers having fun, which also includes remembering that blue and red made purple, or that the liquid made the snow melty. Science facts and processes begin to shape their minds.

Finally, creative expression is critical and part of the joy of life.

Whether enjoying the beauty of the colors or communicating the stresses of our current world, children need outlets for their thoughts. “Tell me about your art” is a g reat way to start a conversation with a child. Dots

and lines may turn out to be a child’s view of her family. The mom is happy because grandpa came out of the hospital. My brot her is re d b e c ause he is angry. No, everything doesn’t need to have deep meaning. But, if you really listen to the children, you will learn a lot.

Cha nces a re, you r ch i ld’s preschool teachers are engaging your child with these types of experiences. You can continue the fun at home. Whatever you have handy will do. This could be crayons, markers, recyclables, snow, cornstarch and water…the list is endless. Plus, no experience i s b et te r t h a n c r e at i ng w it h family!

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Page 10 | Greenwich Sentinel

MEDAL OF HONOR

Robert J. Miller, Green Beret

Robert Miller was only 24 when he saved the lives of nearly two-dozen men.

DETAILS Rank: Staff Sergeant Conflict/Era: War on Terrorism (Afghanistan) Unit/Command: Special Forces Operation Detachment A l p h a 3 3 1 2 , Ta s k Fo r c e 3 3 , Company A, 3d Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne) Military Service Branch: U.S. Army Medal of Honor Action Date: January 25, 2008 Medal of Honor Action Place: Konar Province, Afghanistan

CITATION For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: S t a f f S e r g e a nt R o b e r t J .

Miller distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism while serving as the Weapons S e r g e a nt i n S p e c i a l Fo r c e s Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Fo r c e - 3 3 , C o m b i n e d J o i n t Special Operations Task ForceA fg ha n i st a n du r i ng c om b at operations against an armed enemy in Konar Prov ince, Afghanistan on January 25, 2008.

W h i le conduc t i ng a com b at reconnaissance patrol through the G owa rdesh Va l ley, Sta f f Sergeant Miller and his small element of U. S. a nd A fg ha n National Army soldiers engaged a force of 15 to 20 insurgents occupy ing prepared f ighting positions. Staff Sergeant Miller initiated the assault by engaging the enemy positions with his vehicle’s turret-mounted Mark-19 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher while simultaneously providing detailed descriptions of the enemy positions to his command, enabling effective, accurate close air support.

Following the engagement, Staff Sergeant Miller led a small sq uad for wa rd to conduc t a battle damage assessment. As the g roup nea red the sma ll, steep, narrow valley that the enemy had inhabited, a large, we l l- c o or d i n ate d i n s u r ge nt force initiated a near ambush, assaulting from elevated positions with ample cover. Exposed and with little available cover, the patrol was totally vulnerable to enemy rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapon fire. As point man, Staff Sergeant Miller was at the front of the patrol, cut off from supporting elements, and less than 20 meters from enemy

forces. Nonetheless, with total disregard for his own safety, he called for his men to quickly move back to covered positions as he charged the enemy over exposed ground and under overwhelming enemy fire in order to provide protective fire for his team.

While maneuvering to engage the enemy, Staff Sergeant Miller was shot in his upper torso.

Ignoring the wound, he continued to push the f ig ht, mov ing to draw fire from over one hundred enemy f ighters upon himself.

He then again charged forward through an open area in order to allow his teammates to safely reach cover. After killing at least 10 insurgents, wounding dozens more, and repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire while moving from position to position, Staff Sergeant Miller was mortally wounded by enemy f ire. His extraordinary valor ultimately saved the lives of seven members of his own team and 15 A fghanistan National Army soldiers. Staff Sergeant Miller’s heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty, and at the cost of his own life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

HIS STORY A rmy Staf f Sg t. Robert J. Miller, a Green Beret, was only 2 4 when he s ave d t he l ive s of nearly two-dozen coalition force members pinned down during an intense 2008 firefight in Afghanistan. He sacrif iced his own life for theirs, and that bravery and valor earned him the Medal of Honor.

Miller was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 14, 1983.

He was one of eight kids — four boys, four girls — and came from a line of military men; both his grandfathers had fought in World War II, and his father has been a translator for the Army in Berlin during the Cold War. When Miller was 5, his family moved to the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, Illinois, where he thrived. Miller was a Boy Scout and grew up playing several sports. Although he was an avid gymnast by the time he was in high school, he also played the trumpet and tuba.

As a teen, Miller wanted to go to the U.S. Naval Academy, but those dreams were dashed due to his colorblindness. Instead, he spent a year at the University of Iowa before joining the Army in August 2003 from Oviedo, Florida, where his family had just moved.

Miller enlisted as a Special Forces trainee and earned his Specia l Forces Ta b on Sept.

30, 2005. He was immediately assig ned to Company A, 3rd Bat ta l ion of t he 3rd Specia l Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort

Bragg, North Carolina.

During his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2006-2007, M i l ler's ac t ions ea r ne d h i m two A rmy Commendation Medals for Valor. He returned to the country in October 2007 as part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task ForceAfghanistan. He was a weapons sergeant with Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Task Force 33. According to his colleagues, he spoke French, G er ma n , s ome Ru s sia n a nd Pashto, which made him a good point man during missions; he could talk with the locals with whom they worked.

On Jan. 25, 2008, Miller's detach ment was sent to t he G owardesh Va lley, a remote area in northwest Afghanistan near the Pakistani border. Their mission: to clear out insurgents who had been attacking Afghan forces and terrorizing villagers.

Surveillance intel had shown a group of armed men holed up at a compound in the valley.

Miller's detachment and about 15 Afghan National Army soldiers were tasked with determining if they were insurgents and, if confirmed, calling in close-air support to bomb the compound.

In the frigid pre-dawn morning, Miller volunteered to serve as point man on the patrol, which had to go through "ambush alley," an area with 300-foot nearvertical cliffs surrounding it. The route wasn't easy to traverse – snow packed the way, and they had to blow up two insurgentplaced boulders in their path. So, they were prepared for resistance.

Once they got to the compound, they secured a perimeter and sent in a drone to confirm that there were, indeed, 15-20 insurgents inside who had already taken up f ighting positions. Miller kicked off the battle using his vehicle's turretmounted Mk-19 grenade launcher.

He then called in the enemy’s positions, and the A ir Force dropped bombs on them.

When the air cleared, about two-dozen coalition members moved in on foot to assess the damage. Miller was again their point man.

A s they crossed a br idge and neared the steep, narrow valley through which the enemy had come, about 150 insurgents p ou nc e d , lau nch i ng r o cketpropelled grenades and automatic we ap on s f i r e f rom elevate d positions and hiding spots on the ground. Miller's patrol had nowhere to hide.

Since Miller was out front, he yelled to his comrades to pull back while he charged the enemy — some of whom were within 20 feet — to draw their fire, giving the others a chance to find cover.

Once they were out of immediate danger, Miller tried to find cover himself but was shot in the upper

Army Spc. Robert Miller, a Green Beret, stands in his dress uniform.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller poses with a weapon in the mountains of Afghanistan. Miller was killed on deployment on Jan. 25, 2008, while saving the lives of other coalition forces during battle.

During the Medal of Honor presentation to the parents of Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller on Oct. 6, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama, right, and an audience applaud Miller's teammates, who were with him in Afghanistan when he died, Jan 25, 2008. torso under his body armor.

At a b out t he s a me t i me , the detachment's commander, Capt. Robert Cusick, was also wounded. He ordered the rest of the team to fall back. Miller, h o w e v e r, k n e w h e h a d t h e most f i repower out of a l l of his comrades, so he stayed in that forward position, crawling through the snow to draw the fire in his direction.

"Rob seemed to disappear into clouds of dust and debris, but his team could hear him on the radio, still calling out the enemy's

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p o sit ion ," P r e sident B a rack Obama recounted at Miller's Medal of Honor ceremony. "They could hear his weapon still firing as he provided cover for his men."

Miller continued to move from position to position until he was shot and killed.

His team heard his gun fall silent over the radio, Obama's remarks stated. So, two of his teammates rushed forward to find him and be by his side for his last moments. They were soon forced back by more enemy fire, but after several more hours, the

detachment was finally able to bring the 24-year-old's body out of the valley.

Five coalition force members were injured that day, but thanks to Miller's extraordinary efforts, 15 Afghan soldiers and seven members of his own team made it out alive.

Ac c or d i n g to p o s t-b at t le intelligence reports, of the more than 40 insurgents killed and roughly 60 who were wounded that day, Miller was credited with killing 16 and injuring more than 30.

Miller's body was returned to the U.S. and buried with full military honors in All Faiths Memorial Park in Casselberry, Florida. At his funeral, one of his friends referred to him as "a loyal friend, a caring brother and son and a great patriot."

On Oct. 6, 2010, Oba ma presented the Medal of Honor to Miller's parents, Philip and Maureen, during a White House ceremony. More than 100 of the soldier's friends, family and fellow soldiers attended.

"He loved what he was doing, and he was ver y good at it," Miller's father said at the time.

"He was extremely enthusiastic about it, and it was very clear he really embraced the work, the mission and the people he worked with, American and Afghan." " W hen we lea r ned a bout the details of what Robby had done to receive the Medal of Honor nomination, we weren't surprised, and we also weren't surprised at his reaction (in the field), because that was the sort of person he was — that's what his training taught him to do and be," Maureen Miller said. "I think the fact that he died doing something that he loved and thought was worthwhile was an important factor in helping us deal."

The Afghans who Miller saved wanted to honor him, too. ANA soldiers presented his parents with an Afghan rug. The couple has it hanging in their home as a symbol of their son's sacrifice and the important partnership between the two countries.

In 2011, the commons area of Miller's high school was named Robert J. Miller Commons. In 2014, the 3rd Special Forces Group’s headquarters building on Fort Bragg was also dedicated in his honor.

Miller is one of 18 men to have earned the nation's top award for valor during actions in Afghanistan.

The Greenwich Sentinel encourages readers to let us know about connections they have with Medal of Honor recipients.

This article was written by Katie Lange as part of a series in which Defense.gov highlights a Medal of Honor recipient each week. It is our nations's highest medal for valor.

Page 12 | Greenwich Sentinel

Worship Services Information

Assemblies of God Harvest Time Church 1338 King St., 203-531-7778 www.htchurch.com In-Person Worship Services: Sun, 8:30, 10 & 11:30am (meeting on a limited basis in accordance with CDC guidelines and Connecticut’s executive orders). All services are streamed on the church’s website and social media outlets. The Glory of Christ: Wed, 7pm. Read The Bible 2021: join here facebook.com/groups/ bible2021.

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 Worship: Sun, 11am (in person and online through Facebook & YouTube).

Adult Bible Study: 9:30am. Prayer Gathering: Fri, 6-7pm, Chapel.

Catholic Sacred Heart Church 95 Henry St.; 203-531-8730 www.sacredheartgreenwich.org In-person Mass: Mon-Fri: 7am (in Chapel); Sat: Vigil, 4pm (also live streamed); 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). The 2021 Mass Book is open for Mass, Altar Flowers and Altar Bread & Wine requests. Ministry to the Homebound: if you, or someone you know, is homebound and would like a priest visit you, call the Rectory at 203-531-8730.

If you are new to Greenwich and would like to join Sacred Heart Parish, fill the registration form on the website and submit it online or contact the rectory at 203531-8730 during the office hours, 9am-1pm.

St. Catherine and St. Agnes St. Agnes: 247 Stanwich Rd; St. Catherine: 4 Riverside Ave; 203-637-3661 www.stc-sta.org Masses: Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri (signin at church required): Daily Mass at St. Catherine’s Church – in-person and livestream, 7am; Distribution of Holy Communion at front door of Rectory (mask & social distance required): 5:15-5:45pm. Sat (1st Sat of the month): Confessions at St. Agnes Church – in-person (specific dates in the bulletin), 3-4pm; Vigil Mass at St. Catherine’s Church – in-person and livestream, 5pm (sign-up required).

Sun: Distribution of Holy Communion at front door of Rectory (mask & social distance required), 7:30-8am; St. Agnes Church – in-person, 8:30am (signup required); St. Catherine’s Church – in-person and livestream, 10:30am (sign-up required); Language Masses at St. Agnes Church – in-person (signup required), 11am (French: 2nd Sun of month; Spanish: 4th Sun of month); Distribution of Holy Communion at front door of Rectory, 5-5:30pm (mask & social distance required).

Ongoing: Food & Essentials Drive for Neighbor to Neighbor (there will be a car or SUV with an open trunk in the parking lot across from St. Catherine’s church on Tuesdays, 9-11am for drop-off donations. Donations can also be dropped at the Sign-in table at Sat, Sun or Daily Mass at St. Agnes). Lenten Retreat in Daily Life (geared for adults – resources for 40 days with weekly Zoom checkins): through March 28, sign-up at tinyurl.com/RetreatforLent.

Stations of the Cross: Feb. 26, Deacon Robert Henrey, via Zoom only, zoom.us/j/98523041055; March 5, Deacon Renato Berzolla: St. Catherine Church.

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. Virtual Mass: Sun, 12:15pm, with Fr. La Pastina on Facebook. Visit EWTN.com for daily Mass at 8am with encore at 12pm. Sunday Family Rosary: Sun, 7:30pm (No registration is necessary), live-streamed on YouTube (also listen by phone). Sacramental Parent Prep - a webinar: Feb. 27, register. ’True Love That Lasts Movement’ - Webinars for Couples: March 4 & 11, register.

St. Michael the Archangel 469 North St.; 203-869-5421 www.stmichaelgreenwich.com Mass: Sat: Mass, 9am (In-person & Live Stream); Confessions, 3:153:45pm; Vigil Mass, 4pm (In-person only); Vigil Mass, 5pm (In-person & Live Stream). Sun: 7:30, 9 (In-person & Live Streamed), 10:30am, 12 & 5pm (In-person only). Mon: 7:30 & 9am (In-person & Live Streamed).

Tue: 7:30 & 9am (In-person & Live Streamed). Wed: 7:30 & 9am (In-person & Live Streamed); Eucharistic Adoration, 9:30am-8pm; Confessions, 9:30-10:30am & 7-8pm. Thu: 7:30 & 9am (In-person & Live Streamed).

Fri: 7:30 & 9am (In-person & Live Streamed); Stations of the Cross, 6:30pm. (Log onto the website at stmichaelgreenwich.com to access the Zoom Link or the LIVE Stream Masses and the Mass Reservation System).

St. Timothy Chapel 1034 North St.; 203-869-5421

Daily Mass: Mon-Sat: 7:30 & 9:30am.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Wed, 10am-4pm; Live-streamed, 1011am. Confessions: Wed, 10-11am & 3-4pm.

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 & 11:30am (Reservation is required only for Sunday Mass by visiting the homepage or by calling 203-531-8741, ext. 4). Holy Days: Vigil: 5:30pm, 9am & 12:15pm. Online daily Mass at EWTN. com, 8am with encore at 12pm. Daily Mass also available on Bishop Robert Barron’s website at wordonfire.org/ daily-mass. Confessions by appointment only – call 203-531-8741, ext.

2. Weekday Masses are available – to place a request, call Rose at 203-531-8741. Fridays in Lent: 9am Mass each Friday beginning this Feb. 19 during Lenten Season followed by The Stations of the Cross. Bereavement Group: March 4, 5-6:30pm, in the Parish Hall (meets every other week), contact Dianne Deachan at 914327-0447 or diannefdf@yahoo. com with any questions.

St. Roch Church 10 St. Roch Ave.; 203-869-4176 www.strochchurch.com Mass: (Reservations and/or for viewing via live streaming): Mon-Fri: 7:30pm; Sat: 5pm; Sun: 7:30am (Concelebrated for Previously Scheduled 9:30am Mass Intentions), 10:30am, 12pm (Spanish). Mass Intentions: consult the bulletin for time.

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 No in-person service at this time. (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).

Round Hill Community Church 395 Round Hill Rd.; 203-869-1091 www.roundhillcommunitychurch. org Worship, Children’s Ministries and Youth Fellowship: Sun. 10-10:30am, in the Church, registration is required.

Weekly service also available online.

Thrive: biweekly high school gathering, Wed, 6pm. Foundations: biweekly middle school gathering, Fri, 6pm.

November Bible Study: Stories of Advent, Mondays at 11 am, registration required. Care for Healthcare Night: Feb. 25, 7:30-8:30pm, $10.

Congregational The First Congregational Church 108 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-1791 www.fccog.org Worship: Outdoor Service: Sun 8-9am, Memory Garden (sign-up online or call the church office); Virtual Worship: through live-streaming on YouTube and Facebook, and broadcast on WGCH (1490 AM or 105.5 FM).

Connect during the week: Wednesday: Wisdom on Wednesdays (sent by Rev. Patrick Collins); Thursday: Faith Formation at Home for All and Faith Formation for Children (sent by Rosemary Lamie).

North Greenwich Congregational 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-869-7763 www.northgreenwichchurch.org Online Worship Service: Sun 10:30am, via Zoom (email Rev. Halac at Pastor@ northgreenwichchurch.org or call the church).

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

Traditional Sunday Service: 10:30am.

Services available online, details at 2cc.org.

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 Worship: Sun: Eucharist, 8am (in-person); 10am (in-person & livestream/on-demand); Choral Evensong (in-person & livestream/on-demand), 5pm; Compline, 8pm (livestream/ on-demand). Mon-Fri: Morning Prayer, 8am (via Zoom). Tue: Eucharist, 10am (in-person). Thu: Choral Evensong, 6:30pm (in-person & livestream/ on-demand). Lenten Virtual Food Drive: Help support Neighbor to Neighbor. ‘40 Acts of Kindness’: commit to doing 40 acts of kindness this Lent. Inspirica Dinners: join Christ Church in providing dinner for Inspirica. Film Discussion: “13th” - watch the movie and join in for a discussion with segments from the film framing the Q&A: March 1, 7pm, via Zoom.

Sacred Art Tour from Spain - The Passion: March 4, 9-10:30am, register.

Adult Confirmation: Sundays, through March 7, 11am, via Zoom.

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 954 Lake Ave.; 203-661-5526 www.stbarnabasgreenwich.org Sunday Worship: Spoken Eucharist, 8am, Church; Holy Eucharist with music, 10am, Church and Livestream; Family Eucharist, 10am, Parish Hall. (sign up for in-person service: signupgenius.com/go/4090e4aadac2ea3ff2-sunday1). Coffee and Morning Prayers Podcast: Mon-Fri. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 200 Riverside Ave.; 203-637-2447 www.stpaulsriverside.org Worship Service: Sun, 10:15am, live online.

Ongoing: Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Drive: Every Thu, 10-11:30am, in the parking lot.

St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church 350 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-2262 www.saintsaviours.org In-person Outdoor Service: 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. Purim Car-Nival: Feb. 26, 2:45pm, Carmel Academy, 270 Lake Ave. Congregation Shir Ami 1273 E. Putnam Ave, PO Box 312, Riverside; 203-900-7976; www.congregationshirami.org All services, programs and celebrations are available online via Zoom.

Purim Story Slam: Feb. 26, 7:30pm, on 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. Religious School: Sun, 9:30am.

Hebrew School: Wed, 4:30pm. ‘Who Counts, Race and the Jewish Future’ with Ilana Kaufman: Feb. 25, 7pm. Feb. 26: Tot Shabbat & Purim Celebration, 5:30pm; Family Shabbat Service & Purim Celebration, 7pm. Religious School Purim Carnival: Feb. 28, 10am.

Temple Sholom 300 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-7191 www.templesholom.com Services: live-streamed via Zoom and Facebook: Fri, 6:30pm; Sat, 10am; Sun, 8:15am. Lunch ‘n Learn: Tue, 12-1pm, via Zoom. Limited in-person Friday night Shabbat service, registration is required, lori.baden@ templesholom.com. Feb. 25: Purim Puppet Show for Young Families, 5:30pm; Family Megillah Reading, 6pm; Purim Shpiel: Pandemic in Persia, 7pm; Traditional Megillah Readin, 7:30pm.

Lutheran First Lutheran Church 38 Field Point Rd.; 203-869-0032 www.firstpaul.com

Indoor Service: Sun, 10:30am. Bible Study: Sun, 11:45am.

St. Paul Lutheran Church 286 Delavan Ave.; 203-531-8466 www.firstpaul.com Indoor Service: Sun, 9am. Bible Study: Sun, 10:15am. Wednesday After-School program: Snacks & Crafts, 3-4pm; Bible Stories & Catechesis, 4-5pm; Community Dinner, 5:30pm (all are welcome); Bible Study on Romans (adults), 6:30pm.

Methodist Diamond Hill United Methodist 521 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-2395 www.diamondhillumc.com Online Worship Service: every Sunday, 10am, followed by a time of Fellowship. Wednesday Noonday Prayer and Evening Bible Study in the Comfort of Your Home will resume shortly.

(Zoom details for all can be found on the website).

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

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 Worship Service: Sun, 10am, Holiday Inn 2703 Summer St. Stamford.

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 Events marked by an * require registration at: stanwichchurch.org/event

Sunday Service: *In-person, 9am; Online, 10am. *Student Confirmation: Sundays, 11:30am, on Zoom.

The Albertson Memorial Church 293 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-4615 www.albertsonchurch.org Sunday Service held online via Zoom.

Trinity Church 1 River Rd.; 203-618-0808 www.trinitychurch.life In-Person Services: Sun, 10:45am, Hyatt Regency Greenwich, 1800 E Putnam Ave. Online Services: Sun, 9:45am, youtube.com/c/TrinityChurchLife/live. House Churches: Sun, 9:45am, Fairfield County, CT & Westchester County, NY. Alpha (online): Tue, 7:30-8:45pm. Receive Private Zoom Prayer: Sundays, 11-11:30am.

Presbyterian First Presbyterian Church 1 W. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-8686 www.fpcg.org Sanctuary Worship: Sun, 10am (Traditional Service); 5pm (Contemporary Service), register. Online Worship: Sun, 10-11am at fpcg.org/live. Sunday School online, 10:15-11am. The Prayer Room: Tue, 11am & Thu, 8pm.

Pacific House Bagged Lunches: Feb. 27, 10:30am-12pm, Fellowship Hall.

Grace Church of Greenwich 8 Sound Shore Dr., Suite 280 203-861-7555 www.gracechurchgreenwich.com Worship: Sun, 10am, Woman’s Club of Greenwich, 89 Maple Ave. (Outside. Please bring a mask and a chair or a blanket). All Bible Study studies through zoom (email gracechurchofgreenwich@gmail.com for zoom links). All are welcome.

Living Hope Community Church 38 West End Ave; 203-637-3669 www.LivingHopeCT.org In-Person Worship: Sun, 10am, Sanctuary (tickets available at EventBrite

by Friday 10am). Worship Service online: Sun, 10-11:15am (YouTube or Facebook). Coffee & Fellowship: Sun, 11:30am-12pm, via Zoom. Wednesday Prayer: Wed, 8:30-9am, online.

ALPHA class - interactive online sessions to explore the big questions of life: Wed, 7pm, register at alphausa. org/try. Annual Meeting: Feb. 28, 11:15am-12:15pm, Church.

Robert Ferrari

Robert Peter Ferrari passed away peacefully on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, at the age of 61. He was born to the late Bernard and Teresa (Cagiao) Ferrari on September 23, 1959, in Brooklyn, NY. Robert graduated from Greenw ich hig h school and attended Pace University.

Robert was an avid NY Met fa n a nd a col lec tor of spor ts memorabilia, stamps and coins.

He also enjoyed bowling, played in baseball leagues, and scuba diving.

In June 1981, Robert was hit by a car riding a bicycle to Tod's Point in Old Greenwich. He was diagnosed with TBI, and was in a coma for six months. Due to this, he had to undergo through reha bi litation at the Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, CT. He then lived with his parents for the next thirty-five years until the passing of his father in February 2014 and mother in September 2016.

Rob er t le ave s b eh i nd h i s brother Gary Ferrari of Stamford; a nephew Michael Ferrari from Long Island his wife Dina, and their children, Violet and Lily Ferrari; a niece Tiffany Annunziata from Long Island, her husband Anthony, and their children Bella, Lena and Anthony Annunziata; and by a sister, Barbara Ottinger, her husband Chris, and their daughter, Anneliese Ottinger, along with his Aunt Marie and many cousins.

I n l ieu of f lower s , ple a s e consider making a donation in his memory to: TBI Donation – Wou nde d Wa r r ior P roje c t: wou nde dwa r r ior proje c t.org / veteran-charity/donate Family welcomes all relatives and friends on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 9 to 11 a.m., with a prayer service at 11 a.m. at Bosak Funeral Home, 453 Shippan Ave., Stamford.

His interment will follow at Putnam Cemeter y, 3 5 Pa rsonage Rd., Greenwich.

Vittorio Ceci

Vittorio Ceci, 91, of Cos Cob passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 at Greenwich Hospital. He was born in Rose Italy on May 22, 1929 to the late Luigi and Concetta Molinaro Ceci.

V it to r i o wo rk e d i n m a ny countries, including Venezuela, France, G ermany and Italy before immigrating to the United States. He settled in Cos Cob with his family in 1967. He worked for DeLuca Construction in Stamford and then for the Town of Greenwich, Highway Dept. He enjoyed gardening, making wine and soppressata and loved having his family gathering around the dinner table enjoying their times together. Vittorio also loved taking trips with his wife to Italy to spend time with his family and friends.

He is survived by his loving

Page 13 | Greenwich Sentinel

OBITUARIES

and Phillip.

Wa y n e w a s a n a c t i ve volunteer in the community and was a Friendly Visitor and in the Greenwich and Stamford Hospitals and Pathways where he would take his beloved dog Foxy. He was also very active as a member of the Retired Men's of Greenwich and Innis Arden Golf Club. He enjoyed walking his dog at Tod's Point and Binney Park. He was an avid reader and a caring and empathetic friend whose keen intelligence stayed with him until the end of his life.

Billie Ann Case and his you nger brot her Dr. Thomas Wright predeceased him. He is survived by his wife Carol, his three children Theo, Sam, and Abi, his grandchildren, Joseph, Sarah, Calum, Annie, and Lucy, and stepson's Phillip and Peter. His sister Susie de Shon, also sisterin-law Dr. Linda Wright, niece Dr. Alexi Wright and her spouse Dr. Ingrid Katz as well as many cousins and friends.

There w i l l b e a memor ia l celebration of Wayne's life at the First Congregational Church in the Columbarium in Old Greenwich, CT on July 10.

In lieu of f lowers, donations, may be made in Wayne's name to GOALD, Greater Opportunities for Adults with Learning Disabilities, PO Box 363, Fairfield, CT 06824.

Council of Boy Scouts; the latter earned him the prestigious Silver B e aver Aw a r d. Never one to seek out the spotlight, he quietly and generously gave his counsel and support to many charitable organizations throughout Fairfield County. The one closest to his heart was the Umbrella Club.

As a Lifetime Member Pat spent countless hours raising funds to support the Club mission, assisting families in need whose children have severe physical disabilities.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Umbrella Club in Pat's memory would be deeply appreciated.

Umbrellaclub.org, P.O. Box 112238, Stamford, CT 06911.

In addition to being predeceased by his parents, Pat is survived by his beloved wife Moira (McGladrigan) Colangelo, his brother Vincent (Marcy), Weston, FL , his sons from a prev ious marriage, Anthony Colangelo of Greenwich and Alfred Colangelo of Stamford and the true lights of his life, his grandchildren, Anthony's son Patrick and Alfred's children, Isabella and Joseph. He also is survived by his brother's children, C a t h e r i n e F r i e d e r a n d Jo h n Colangelo as well as numerous inlaws, nieces and nephews.

Due to COVID restrictions the funeral and burial will be private.

children, Francesco Ceci and his wife Annamaria of Greenwich, Umile "Milo" Ceci and his wife Sara of Windermere, FL, Mario Ceci and his wife Gessie of Stamford, Connie Cydylo and her husband Tony of Trumbull, and Sarina Del Carmine and her husband Drew of Riverside. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Carol Ceci, Victor Ceci (Liz), Frank Ceci, Jr., Gianluca Ceci, Alessio Ceci, Jackie Ceci Mullins ( Jerry), Lexi Ceci (Flamur), Jessica Cydylo Servidio (Gianni), Patrick Cydylo, Michael Cydylo, Christina Del Carmine Hinrichs (Kurt) and Andrew Del Carmine, Jr., as well as his greatgrandchildren, Leah and Jerry Mullins, Madeline Ceci and Arby Gjini, his brother, Rocco Ceci of Cos Cob and a sister, Emilia Zygmont of Greenwich, as well as many nieces and nephews here and in Italy.

Besides his parents, Vittorio was a lso predeceased by h is devoted wife, Carolina Covello Ceci in 2020 and two brothers, Francesco and Umile Ceci and five sisters, Rosa, Assunta, Carmela, Rosaria and Yolanda Ceci.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, February 24 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Riverside. Entombment followed a t S t . J o s e p h's M a u s o l e u m , Greenwich.

In lieu of f lowers, the family requests that donations be made in Vittorio's memory to Alzheimer's Association, CT Chapter, 200 Executive Blvd, Ste 4b, Southington, CT 06489.

Paul Wright

Frieda Saemann

Patrick Colangelo

Paul Wayne Wright, known to his friends as Wayne, a devoted husband, father, and friend - whose life and banking career took him from a small town in the Midwest to cities around the world - died peacefully at home in Stamford, CT on Feb. 11, he was 87 years old.

Born in Mullen, Nebraska, Wayne was known as Sunny as a child because of his cheerful disposition.

A bright child his older sister Billie Ann taught him to read early. He grew up spending summers with relatives on a nearby cattle ranch.

Graduating from high school at 16 he attended the University of Nebraska then the University of Chicago. Soon he dropped out and joined the Navy and ended up in San Francisco working for Naval Intelligence. While in the service he studied at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.

He graduated with a BS in f i n a nc e f r om t he Un ive r sit y of Colorado, then attended the Thunderbird School of Global Management earning an MBA. Hired by Citi Bank he moved to NYC. He was soon transferred t o P a r a g u a y, U r u g u a y, a n d then Argentina.

In 1968, he and his wife, Ann Beynon moved to Cambridge, Mass. wh i le Way ne at tended M IT's Sloan Business School earning another MBA. He traveled to the Soviet Union that winter with the program and the grim cold atmosphere left a lifelong impression on him. By then his three children had arrived, Theo, Sam, and Abi. Later they moved to London with Citibank and were members of the Hurlingham Club.

Wayne traveled the world with Citi Bank, from Tehran to Beirut and Tokyo. After leaving Citi Bank he helped establish The Abu Dhabi International Bank in Washington, DC, as Executive VP, while living at the Watergate and commuting to Greenwich on the weekends. Ann passed away in 1988.

Thereafter Wayne and Carol Brookshire Romersa were married and were for over 31 years living i n O l d G r e e nw i c h a n d m o s t recently Stamford. Wayne became stepfather to Carol's two sons Peter

Patrick A. Colangelo, 81, of died peacefully on Feb. 22, 2021 at his home in Stamford, CT. He was born in the Bronx, NY to Mary and Anthony Colangelo on Jan. 5, 1940, attended Fordham Preparator y School, received a de g re e i n accou nt i ng f rom Fordham University then earned a Masters Degree in Taxation from Baruch College.

Pat started his career as a CPA with Peat, Marwick and Mitchell, followed by ten years as Chief Financial Off icer at Greenwich Hospital, then twenty years as Senior VP, Finance and Treasurer of Stamford Health System until his retirement in 2002. Growing up, Pat always enjoyed the simple things in life: playing stickball in the streets, taking the train to Yankee Stadium or riding his bike for miles in search of the perfect fishing hole in Putnam County where his family spent many summer days.

He perfected the art of work/life balance. As an adult he would rise early in the morning to check his lobster pots in Long Island Sound before going to work or squeeze in an hour of pick-up basketball at lunchtime before heading to a board meeting. Pat discovered and fell in love with fly fishing and became an expert in the sport earning him the nickname the "Master Guide" in fly-fishing circles. He was active all his life, playing basketball until the age of seventy-two, traveled the world fly-fishing and until recently was an avid hiker, especially in his treasured Catskills in upstate New York. His reveled in the comfort of wading in a trout stream and loved his time communing with nature whether or not he landed a fish.

For over twenty years, Pat served on the Board of Directors of the Greenw ich Y MCA , the Connecticut Health and Facilities Authority and the Greenw ich

Frieda P. Saemann, age 75, was called Home to Our Heavenly Father peacefully while at her residence in The Mews on Feb. 10, 2021. Born Frida Pauline Emma Traub in Germany, she came to America as a very young girl, and was the adopted and only child of her loving Aunt and Uncle, Elsa and Karl Saemann, by whom she was predeceased. She was also predeceased by her birth parents in Germany, Wilhelm and Louise Traub, and siblings, Irmgard Traub - Germany, and Lina Schmaelzle United States (Ralph, deceased).

She is sur vived by her sibling in G er many, Wilhelm Traub (Lieselotte), their children, Stephanie Winter (Andreas) and Karlheinz Traub (Petra) and family, as well as Lina's children here in the US, Barbara Olsen (Kevin) and Elizabeth Keller (John), and both of their children and families. She additionally leaves behind her

God Daughter, Kathy Berry (Tim) and family, along with many dear friends who likewise she considers to be family, as they do her.

F r ie da of ten sp oke of t he challenges of not speaking a word of English upon her beginning at tenda nc e at Ju l ia n Cu r t i s s Elementary School. She overcame that language barrier, developing a love for good conversation in either German or English. She spent many years babysitting for special families in back country Greenwich where she grew up, remaining very close to those she had cared for.

Frieda graduated from Greenw ich Hig h School (now physically Greenwich Town Hall) and became a professional legal secretary at Badger, Fisher, Cohen & Barnett, where she met and f urther expanded her chosen family with a number of dear, lifelong friends. She remained at the firm until its closing, eventually and most gratefully, joining the Law Office of Kaye and Hennessey for the remainder of her professional career. Frieda took special pride in working with the real estate section of the firm, and likewise held great esteem for her employers and coworkers. Throughout her life, Frieda loved the beach. She travelled to some of the world's most beautiful ones, but she loved none more than Greenwich Point.

Greenwich Point was not just a place to go, it was where she lived as many hours as possible when not working, no matter the weather or season. She had her 'spot' and even developed relationships with other regulars at The Point. Frieda was an avid reader and devotee of the hand written note. She greatly enjoyed regular lap swims at the YWCA and being an active member of the First Congregational Church in Old Greenwich. She was a huge fan of the Rolling Stones, particularly Keith Richards, and enjoyed going to the movies and borrowing dvd's from the library.

She delighted in many a lunch or dinner out with her family and friends. She watched Jeopardy e ve r y n i g ht a n d i n s i s te d o n spending time out in the fresh air each day. She was an encyclopedia of Greenwich property history, and greatly enjoyed being a part of the Greenwich community. She was known and cared for by all who were lucky enough to have her as a neighbor in her beloved Riverside, where she resided her entire adult life prior to joining The Mews community. She was often the 'go to' for house and pet watching, as well as rides to and from the train station. Her affections extended to her pet neighbors, who all knew they would f ind a treat when visiting Frieda. As someone who greatly appreciated the love and companionship offered by her furry friends, she deeply cherished her own pet family members of the past, Maxine and Mick, and lastly

Barney, who often accompanied her to work at Kaye and Hennessey.

Those who were Blessed to be a part of Frieda's world, which included many branches of family, chosen extended family, and adored friends, understand how deeply she and her most endearing, oneof-a-kind ways will be missed. She was a large part of the daily lives and phone calls of those closest to her. Sadly, due to the current COVID restrictions, we are unable to hold a service to honor her life at this time. We kindly ask that those wishing to remember her watch for future communications, and in lieu of flowers, please send donations in her Memory to Adopt a Dog of Greenwich, an organization that was very special to her, at 23 Cox Avenue, Armonk, NY 10504 or online at adopt-a-dog.org.

Rita King

Rita Ellen King, 72, wife of the late G erald M. K ing, died on Feb. 17, 2021 after a sudden illness. Rita was born on Jan. 22, 1949 at United Hospital in Port Chester, NY. The daughter of Helen Crothers (Hughes) and John Hughes, attended Greenwich Public Schools and was a g raduate of G r e enw ich H ig h School with the class of 1966.

A Greenwich resident all of her life, Rita worked in the main off ice at New Lebanon School for many years. Rita loved the students and developed many lasting friendships throughout the years. She was a loving wife, mother and doting grandmother who gave the best hugs. Her swe et p ersona l it y a nd sense of humor w ill be missed and remembered by all.

Rita is survived by her loving sons, Brendon King of Greenwich and John King, his wife Kim and daughter Riley of New Fairfield.

She will be waked at Castiglione's Funeral Home, 544 Old Post Road #3, Greenwich, CT on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. Internment will take place at St. Mary's Cemetery, North Street, Greenwich on Friday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m.

Obituaries may be submitted to Caroll@GreenwichSentinel. com and are free, courtesy of the Greenwich Sentinel Foundation.

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Page 14 | Greenwich Sentinel

The Emotional Vaccine We All Need

By Nathan Hart “It is not good for man to be alone.” According to the book of Genesis, that’s what God said after he created Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam was surrounded by every good thing a person could ever want, but his paradise was incomplete without one allimportant feature: relationship. So, God sent Eve to accompany him.

Together, they enjoyed a shamefree, harmonious union, at least for a while.

Is it still true that it is “not good” for a person to be alone? If we’ve learned anything from the

last year, it’s that isolation is terrible for us. Depression and suicide rates are higher than before. Families are divided. Estrangement, abuse, and radicalization are on the rise.

Even when we do venture outside of our homes, there is a persistent grumpiness in our interactions.

Recently my kids’ school sent an email to all parents about our behavior in the drop-off line. It included all-caps admonishments like “BE NICE!” and “BE PATIENT!” It is not good for people to be alone.

Solitary confinement is one of the strongest tools in the hands of correctional facilities, but not much good comes from it. The consensus of psychiatric research is that it has almost no positive effects on the individual and only leads to severe emotional and mental breakdown w it h long ter m da mage . The United Nations considers solitary confinement lasting longer than fifteen days to be torture.

While isolated, we might not get the virus, but we will very likely encounter other issues such as a soulsickness that is hard to cure.

Before 2020, the world had never ex perienced solitar y confinement on such a massive scale and we are just beginning to see some of the negative effects.

The stay-at-home orders may have crashed the economy only temporarily, but I fear they may have crushed our souls for a longer term.

I am grateful for technologies like Zoom and video streaming that have allowed for the possibility of communication, if not true community, during this time. But there’s nothing like being in a room with other people. It can be loud, emotionally messy, and exhausting, but it’s better than the quiet,

terrible stillness of isolation. For this reason, our church was one of the first ones in Greenwich to reopen our Sanctuary last summer for in-person worship, followed

by Friday night outdoor praise concerts and Sunday morning worship on the church lawn all fall.

This winter, we also restarted our Sunday morning worship in the Sanctuary at 9:00 AM. Reading that last sentence, you might be asking, “But what about the risks?” What I’ve learned is that there is no risk-free option.

The physical dangers of gathering are plainly known: someone could catch the virus, someone could get sick. But there are other dangers in

staying home. While isolated, we might not get the virus, but we will very likely encounter other issues such as a soul-sickness that is hard to cure. While the pandemic endures into its final stage, we have to measure and balance all risks and benefits to make decisions that are healthy for both body and soul.

My soul feels better when I worship with other people in the sanctuary. Our in-person services a re pret t y si mple. No v ideos projected onto screens. No internet connection necessary. We don’t even use the organ. Just a piano and hymnbooks with real, human voices not coming through laptop speakers.

O h , how I love t he s ou nd of communal singing. On some weeks I wonder if this is what old-school New England Congregationalism felt like. In the simple beauty of fellowship, I feel more connected to those roots. The Psalmist was right when he said, “How good and pleasant it is to dwell with brothers and sisters in unity.” (Psalm 133)

One yea r ago, we lea r ned to change our lives by isolating ourselves at home. This year, as we emerge from the pandemic, we’ll need to re-learn and regather into the full life of church and society. It will take time, effort, and intentionality, especially for those who have children who have gotten out of the weekly custom of churchgoing. But it will be worth it. If the Covid vaccine is the cure for the virus, regathering as a community of faith is the emotional and spiritual vaccine we all need now.

Rev. Dr. Nathan Hart is the Senior Pastor at Stanwich Church.

Nathan grew up in Holland , M i c h i g a n , wh e r e h e a t te n d e d Hope College. He later received his Masters from Princeton Theological Seminary and his Doctorate from G o r d o n- C o n w e l l T h e o l o g i c a l Seminary. He was serving in New York City before being called to Stanwich in 2011 and was elected as Senior Pastor in 2018.

Temptation

By Marek Zabriskie When I last toured the Holy Land some 15 years ago, I had a very unusual experience in t he ex ac t plac e wher e Je su s experienced his temptations, which is the Bible story that the season of Lent is based upon.

Scripture tells us that the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, where he spent 40 days and nights fasting and praying. While in the wilderness, the devil tempted Jesus three times. Each time, Jesus successfully countered the devil by quoting Scripture, using it like a sword to battle temptation. When the devil finally left him, the angels came and ministered to Jesus.

The place where Jesus encountered the devil is called the Mount of Temptations. It is located outside the ancient city of Jericho, which is said to be the lowest city on earth.

On one side, the ancient city looks out at a mountain, where a cable car climbs to the peak bringing tourists to visit an ancient look ing Orthodox monaster y, which was actually constructed in the 1895. The first monastery located here was built in the sixth century around the stone where Jesus said to have sat while he fasted for 40 days.

Our group rode the cable car, then walked a long series of steps to the monastery, where several scowling monks made it clear that they would have preferred that we had not come to visit. Fortunately, one friendly monk offered to take us on a tour of the monastery built into the cliffside. It was an epic site.

As our group stood in the small monastic kitchen during t h e to u r, I l o o ke d dow n t h e hallway and spied a door. I was tempted to know what lay on the other side of it. Succumbing to temptation, I walked down the hallway, opened the door, and stepped into a paddock, where several half-built caskets lay in various stages of construction sitting atop saw horses.

Most monasteries strive to be self-sufficient. Evidently, this monastery produced hand-crafted caskets to generate money to support the monastery. Seeing

Facing down temptation is the first step on the spiritual journey.

Next comes illumination, where we increase our knowledge of God. Finally, there is union, where we seek to unite our will with God’s will in a union of divine love. several coffins seemed somewhat spooky and immediately reminded me of my mortality.

On the far side of the paddock lay another door. I was tempted to see what was on the other side of it.

Succumbing to temptation a second time, I crossed the paddock, opened the door, and suddenly found myself standing on the windswept cliff outside the monastery.

I stretched out my arms in the form of a cross as a cool wind whistled through my arms and around my body. The late afternoon sun bore down on my face. It felt glorious. For a moment, I felt as though I had actually entered the Bible itself as I was standing perhaps exactly where Jesus had stood some 2,000 years ago when he was tempted by the devil.

There were no tourists in sight.

I scanned the Jordan Valley, filled with a veritable sea of date palm trees and saw the ancient city of Jericho in the distance. Then

turning my head to the right, I spied a cave further along the ridge.

For a third time, I was tempted to investigate. Reader take note: I have always been insatiably curious. So, I walked along the ridge until I reached the cave, whose lower half was sealed off with boulders. Getting closer, I peered inside the cave and saw dozens of skulls and bones of monks who had died and whose skeletons had been laid to rest.

It was scary, and I immediately thought of Indiana Jones and t he Temple of Do om. Sk u l ls.

Skeletons. L ord, lead me not into temptation. Clearly, it was time to return to the monastery.

God, forgive me for trespassing, abandoning my pilgrims and three times succumbing to temptation. I quickly rejoined my group and our monastic tour guide and told no one of my adventure.

Lent is as 40-day season where Christians engage in spiritual

warfare. We focus on confronting temptation. We confront our own sinfulness. Like Adam and Eve, we have all discovered forbidden fruit which dazzles the eye, and we have all succumbed to temptation.

St. Paul wrote, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” We can resonate with his words, for we have all been complicit in a world where sin, domination and exploitation are woven into the fabric of society.

Evil often comes disguised as something good.

Each one of us will eventually peer into the cave of death, filled with skulls and skeletons. We must all confront our own mortality.

Lent is a penitential season where Christians traditionally give up something that tempts us. We do this as a spiritual discipline to strengthen our will, remind us of our sinfulness and to seek solidarity with Christ who gave up everything for us.

This year, I have given up drinking alcohol for Lent. I often tell people that if they cannot give up alcohol for 40 days, perhaps it is best to give it up forever. I miss the occasional beer or scotch at the end of the day, but it’s hardly a great sacrifice to make. It reminds me that it is Lent – a different spiritual time of the year.

Our Lenten practices cleanse our soul, and they prepare us to embrace the miracle of Easter.

Facing down temptation is the first step on the spiritual journey.

Next comes illumination, where we increase our knowledge of God. Finally, there is union, where we seek to unite our will with God’s will in a union of divine love. That is the ultimate transformation and the work of a lifetime.

The Rev. Marek P. Zabriskie is Rector of Christ Church Greenwich

Caring for the Mental Health of Children and Teens

By Susan Gestal & Erin Keys It is hard to believe we are eleven months into the pandemic, and that at this time last year any idea that we would spend the next year or more living masked and increasingly distant from one another was impossible to imagine.

Yet here we are, in the middle of a hard winter, and finding ourselves missing all the more hugs and close connection with family and friends.

Hope is far from lost, though, vaccines are here and a potential end to the pandemic is in sight, but it will still be a while before we return to any semblance of normal.

Right now is not an easy time for any of us, but it is becoming especially hard for children and teens, who have lost just as much as adults in the pandemic, but because their brains are still developing and maturing, may have more difficulty accepting and coping with the prolonged stress and challenge of this time. On the one hand, children and teens are more resilient than we might assume, and their ability to adapt to change can be quicker than that of adults. Many parents have witnessed this as they observed their children being less disturbed

by wearing masks than they were, for example.

On the other hand, with each month that goes by, our children and teens miss out on important milestones and opportunities s o c ia l i z at ion , a nd wh i le t he overall effects of these losses is still unknown, many news outlets are reporting that hospitals and doctor’s offices are reporting an increase in the number of children and teens reporting anxiety and depression. As of yet, there are no concrete statistics to verify these observations because the situation is still evolving, but it is important that parents and others who care for children and teens be aware and on the lookout for any indications that their child’s mental health may be at risk.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has a list of potential symptoms of depression in children and teens on its website (www.aacap.org). This list includes things like, “sleeping more or less than usual,” “trouble concentrating,” “increased physical symptoms like stomach aches,” “caring less about school or not enjoying activities they once did.”

Parents need to stay vigilant and regularly check in with their child

Our children and teens, even when they are driving us crazy, are a ready and waiting point for that connection, and the more we do it, the better it will be for them and us, because now more than ever we all need extra attention and care. about how they are feeling. If a parent believes they have reason to be concerned, contacting their pediatrician can help, as they will preform a “screening,” and suggest treatment options, should they be needed.

As always parents should consistently check in with their children and teens to see how they are doing. Be curious and non judgmental. Ask how they are doing. What they are missing most, what they like about the changes?

Continue to validate your child/ teen’s experience. As adults we may think the things they are upset about are minor, but to your child it is very real.

At a time when families often feel like they are on top of each other day after day, proximity should not be confused for quality time. With everyone feeling an increase in anxiety these days, it

is easier than ever to check out via our computers, tablets, phones and T Vs, and thus it is more necessary that parents find ways to be intentional about spending time with their children. Keeping a regular schedule is a helpful way to schedule these routine checkins, and finding ways to do them over a fun, shared activity is even better. For example, invite your child/teen to help you cook dinner and ask them about their day, start a weekly family game night, find ways to get outside and be active, which will be good for everyone in the family. Take the time to talk and really listen to your child, not only will this be good for their mental health, you may find it improves your state of mind, as well.

It is also important to remember to go easier on yourself and your child. We are all under more stress than usual, and it is

okay to lower expectations about what can be done. Homework and chores may not be done as thoroughly, or they may take longer and require more effort.

Determine what can be realistically accomplished. Your relationship with your child and the family’s mental health needs to be the priority right now. Keep things positive. Have fun together. Talk about what you are grateful for.

And don’t forget the importance of taking care of yourself. As the parent, you set the tone for the family. Make sure you are getting your physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs met. In practicing this intentional self care, you may need to let go of some other things, and that, too, is okay.

It may be mid-winter, and it may be a pandemic, and it may be one of the most difficult times any of us has lived through to date.

But that does not mean we cannot care for ourselves and our children through thoughtful and intentional connection, that essential element of our humanity that we miss so much about life right now. Our children and teens, even when they are driving us crazy, are a ready and waiting point for that connection, and the more we do it, the better it will be for them and us, because now more than ever we all need extra attention and care.

Susan Gestal, MA, LPC Susan is a leading professional in children’s behavioral assessment and counseling services, as well a s p a r e n ta l c o n s u l ta t i o n a n d counseling.

Erin Keys, Mdiv.

Erin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church and a published author and skilled public speaker.

Can We Re-Train Ourselves to Really Notice Plastic?

By Shea Coughlin M y p a s s i o n f o r environmentalism can be traced to a visit my family had from our neig h borhood bear. This particular black bear, most likely hungry from a long hibernation ravaged our trash bins one dewy April morning. The contents of those bins were not supposed to b e seen aga i n, yet t here I

was, reexamining each item as I cleaned up the trash scattered on the street. That moment was the first concrete visualization I had of how much trash my family and I make, along with the realization that it doesn’t ever rea lly go away. It is simply out of sight and, therefore, out of mind.

This realization propelled me headfirst into sustainable living.

I ditched plastic straws, learned h ow to c o m p o s t , a n d b e g a n swapping my products with more eco-friendly alternatives. Now, after years of practice, I hear over and over from friends and family “Wow! That is so amazing, I could never do that.” But the truth is that everyone starts as a beginner and any step, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. This is

what inspired me to begin sharing e a s y, a f for d a b le m e t h o d s of living sustainably via Instagram, YouTube, and now, here in the Sentinel.

When people ask me what the best first step to living sustainably is, they are often surprised to hear me say “Just notice the plastic where it is and isn’t.” It almost seems too si mple, but it is a fantastic place to start. In contrast to reducing energy consumption, or shopping ethically, pay ing attention to the single-use plastics in your life is a very concrete concept. There is no guesswork involved, a product either has plastic, or it does not. Cultivating an awareness of single-use items is not only the easiest and least ex p en sive but a lso t he most

effective way to begin buying less of them.

Thoug h some plastics are recyclable, they are generally not a good choice for our environment.

Even the hardiest of plastics have a limited number of times they can be recycled before losing their structural integrity. This means that one way or another, they end up in a landfill, where they take on average, 450 years to decompose.

Compare this with paper, glass, and aluminum, all of which can be recycled an inf inite amount of times and break down much faster. However, most people have become desensitized to the sheer volume of plastic that enters and exits their homes every day. This is why reestablishing awareness is such a crucial place to begin.

Just as in meditation, you cannot clear your mind without f irst acknowledging the thoughts that are there.

Try this the next time you go grocery shopping. Notice as you walk through the store what single-use plastics are in your shopping cart. There is no need to judge yourself or even try to change your buying habits just yet. Simply notice the plastic that goes in. If you buy something not packaged in plastic, notice that too. Notice how it makes you feel. As you begin to practice this more, it will feel a bit like a game.

Notice a different salad dressing packaged in glass versus plastic?

That is a win. Notice the glorious unpackaged head of lettuce sitting right next to the plastic box of

mixed greens? That is a win too.

Notice you have always bought canned beans and olives? That is also a win. These little wins will add up over time, often without you even realizing it. Then you can start making eco-friendly substitutions when you notice a better option.

This mindset of awareness is incredibly valuable because it can be applied to any aspect of your life, and it helps remove the element of self-judgment that so often comes with trying to reduce your carbon footprint. It puts you, as the consumer, back in the driver's seat, and ultimately, helps you f ind the eco-friendly alternatives that were always there, just waiting to be seen.

SPORTS

Page 15 | Greenwich Sentinel

UPCOMING GAMES GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Tomorrow at Stamford H.S., 2:30 p.m.

Sun. vs. Darien H.S., 12:30 p.m.

Tue. vs. Ridgefield H.S., 5 p.m.

Wed. vs. Westhill H.S., 5 p.m.

GIRLS’ ICE HOCKEY: Tomorrow at New Canaan H.S., 6:40 p.m.

Tue. vs. Ridgefield-Danbury-Immaculate, 5 p.m.

Wed. at Darien H.S., 6 p.m.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: Tomorrow vs. Stamford H.S., 12 p.m.

Tue. at Ridgefield H.S., 5 p.m.

Wed. at Westhill H.S., 5 p.m.

BOYS’ ICE HOCKEY: Up next: March 3 at New Canaan H.S., 7:50 p.m.

GYMNASTICS: Up next: March 5 vs. New Canaan, Stamford, Westhill (at Greenwich YWCA), 6:30 p.m.

BOYS’ SWIMMING & DIVING: Wed. vs. Wilton H.S., 4:30 p.m.

BOYS' & GIRLS' ALPINE SKIING: Wed. at Mt. Southington, 4 p.m.

BOWLING: Tue. at Nutmeg Lanes, 3 p.m.

SQUASH: Tomorrow at Greens Farms Academy, 4 p.m.

BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

SWIMMING: Up next: March 4 at Eastern Championship Virtual Leaderboard, 4:15 p.m.

BASKETBALL: Tomorrow at Greens Farms Academy, 4 p.m.

Wed. at South Kent School, 7 p.m.

HOCKEY: Tomorrow vs. CT Chiefs U18, 5 p.m.

Wed. at South Kent School, 3 p.m.

Thu. vs. CT Elite U18 (at Northford Ice Pavilion) 5:40 p.m.

SACRED HEART GREENWICH BASKETBALL: Tomorrow at Greenwich Academy, 10 a.m.

Wed. at St. Luke's School, 6:30 p.m.

SWIMMING & DIVING: Tomorrow (diving) vs. Suffield Academy, 7 a.m.

Mon. (swimming) vs. Suffield Academy, 4 p.m.

SQUASH: Tomorrow vs. Greenwich Academy, 10 a.m.

Wed. vs. St. Luke's School, 5:30 p.m.

GREENWICH COUNTRY DAY BASKETBALL: Tomorrow vs. King School, 3 p.m.

BOYS' ICE HOCKEY: Wed. vs. Kingswood Oxford, 8:15 p.m.

Wick Hockey, Kennedy Making the Best of a Strange Season

By Paul R. Silverfarb

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

for Kennedy’s squad, the good times obviously didn’t last too T h e s c e n e a t B r u n s w i c k long.

School’s Hartong Rink is always “ S i n c e t h e n i t ’s s o r t o f m e m o r a b l e d u r i n g h o c k e y been chaotic,” Kennedy said. games. The students pack the “ K i d s w e r e c o m i n g i n a n d bleachers next to the glass and out of quarantine, a few kids the walkway above the ice filled c o nt r a c t i n g t h e v i r u s , a n d with proud family members G ove r n o r L a m o nt i mp o s e d and scouts. To say the place is restrictions that set us back electric is an understatement, as until Jan. 19. We then were only two highly skilled teams battle able to play in-state opponents. for a hard-earned victory.

Also, most of our traditional This year is much different. opponents are boarding schools The sound of skates hitting the and they are very hesitant on ice, teammates cheering each having us coming on to their other on, and coaches directing campus, and for good reason. their players are the only sounds It’s been tough to find a normal coming from the rink. Due to routine. We’re doing the best we the coronavirus pandemic, fans can.” aren’t allowed at games and Throughout this season, that’s if the Bruins are able to B r u n s w i c k h a s s c h e d u l e d schedule a team to play. and played against a plethora “ It ’s b e e n r e a l l y h a r d t o of club teams that they don’t kind of find a rhythm that we t r a d i t i o n a l l y b a t t l e w i t h . typically do during a normal Basically it’s their only options season for practices and games,” to play competitively. said Brunswick School head Brunswick has played two coach Mike Kennedy. ga me s pr ior to t he St ate of The Bruins were able to get C o n n e c t i c u t ’s r e s t r i c t i o n s on the ice in early September, as t h a t c a m e d o w n b e f o r e the NEPSAC eased up with all of T h a n k s g i v i n g . A f t e r t h e their out-of-season restrictions. restrictions were lif ted, the Brunswick School senior Michael Salandra takes the puck down the ice during a game last year against Taft School.

T hey w a nte d to m a ke su r e Bruins have played four more that the athletes were being as times. Kennedy is hoping to season comes to an end. challenging on several fronts, and lines and they are expected experienced and talented leader active as possible. While it was play a handful more before the While the season has been Kennedy feels horrible for the t o w o r k h a r d e v e r y d a y,” with the forwards (McGroarty), a great way to start the season hockey players on the roster, Kennedy said. “You try and give defensemen (Dale) and Rohlf as especially his seniors. it as much normalcy as possible, the team’s mainstay between “Many of our seniors this even if you have five practices in the pipes. year had high hopes of having a week and no games. We have “ M a t t h e w i s a f o u r -y e a r go o d s e a s on s to h e lp t h e m kept practices run the same. varsity player, who is leading make the jump to college level It’s very competitive and there our forward group,” Kennedy hockey,” Kennedy said. “It was are small games. But we are said. “He plays in all situations going to be all about getting out also working on power plays and is committed to Quinnipiac there and being seen by college and forecheck ing and other University. On defense we have c o a c h e s . We h ave a b u n c h systematical concepts that we Henry, who is entering his third of seniors that are hoping to typically do during a normal year on the varsity team. He’s play college hockey and were year. Our goal is to be ready to a steady, stay-at-home, strong counting on their senior year go for when we do get to take the defenseman who can also chip to make a strong impression. ice for a game or scrimmage.” in on the power play. Alexander S e n i o r s u s e t h i s ye a r a s a A lthough the Bruins have was our starting goalie last year springboard to get to the next been hard at work in practice and helped us get to the Large level, so not being able to play working on their game, Kennedy School semif inal tournament our ty pical 30 -game season has been impressed with the last year. He’s seen the majority a nd not b ei n g a ble to h ave s q u ad ’s at t it ude a nd ef for t of the starts last year, so we scouts in the building has made towards this season the most. were con f ident t hat he was it virtually impossible, along “ T h e a t t i t u d e a n d e f f o r t ready do that again for us this with the backlog of college-age h a s b e e n c o n s i s t e n t s i n c e ye a r a nd mayb e at a n even players who didn’t attend college the beginning of the season,” higher level. As a coach, it’s nice for the year, of players trying to Kennedy said. “We don’t have to have an experienced leader at get noticed.” those big Friday night games each position to lead the way.”

While the games count, the anymore in front of our packed Joi n i n g Mc Gr oa r t y at t he scoreboa rd is f ired up, a nd student section and we’re not in forward position this year is a winner is determined, the a playoff race, but the team has junior Connor Welsh, who is Bruins still don’t play their usual been hard at work. Our kids are committed to Boston College. opponents, there’s no playoffs to hockey players. This is their No. Senior Michael Salandra has look forward to, and Brunswick 1 sport and what they want to been on the varsity squad for has not been keeping any stats pursue, for many of them, at the three years, and sophomore this year. college level. They are all trying J a m e s S h a n n o n i s c o m i n g Despite the changes, Kennedy to take every opportunity to get of f a t remendous f resh ma n said that he’s been working hard on the ice and get better and s e a s o n l a s t y e a r a n d h a s at keeping practices as normal improve their game. It’s a desire h i g h e x p e c t at ion s . S e n ior s as possible and the coaching to improve and get better that Gary Claps, AJ Cerbone, Erik staff has been working the team really has stood out.”

Anderson, and Casey Raffone hard to improve their game L e a d i n g t h e w a y f o r t h e are expected to add skill and every time they come off the ice. Br u i ns t h is yea r a re sen ior depth to the Bruins this year.

K e n n e d y a d d e d t h a t h e co-captains Henry Dale and On t he defense w it h Da le still sends out practice plans M a t t h e w M c G r o a r t y, w i t h is fellow senior Ben Presley, ever y day and practices are fellow senior Alexander Rohlf joined by junior John Burdett just as grueling as they have an assistant captain. Kennedy and newcomer to the program, Brunswick School senior goalie Alexander Rohlf eyes his competition during last year's normally been. said that the trio make a perfect junior Maxime Sauve.

“The boys are assigned colors fit for the squad, as there is an game against Taft School.

SCORE BOARD GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL Norwalk High 42 vs. Greenwich High 47 Fairfield Warde 50 vs. Greenwich High 39

GIRLS ICE HOCKEY Stamford-Westhill-Staples 3 vs. Greenwich High 6 New Canaan High 2 vs. Greenwich High 0

BOYS ICE HOCKEY Immaculate 0 vs. Greenwich High 0 (PPD) Greenwich High 0 vs. Ridgefield 2 GYMNASTICS Greenwich High 98.7 point vs. Darien High

Page 16 | Greenwich Sentinel

Puzzles for the Weekend: Have Fun!

Astrology for Week of Feb. 28, 2021 PISCES 20 Feb-20 March You’re more tolerant than some, but even you don’t always get on with family and as Mars enters the domestic area of your chart there may be disputes and bad feelings at home.

Just be sure to leave the reconciliation door open. It’s not a declaration of war.

VIRGO 24 Aug-23 Sept Mars, planet of ego, crosses the midheaven point of your chart this week so no matter how ambitious a Virgo you were before you’ll be ultra ambitious now. There’s nothing you can’t do but bear in mind that not everyone needs to be beaten.

ARIES 21 March-20 April If you’ve something to say, and Aries always has something to say, this is the time to say it. Not everyone you live and work with will appreciate your forthright attitude but you rather like it when you see the effect of your words. Don’t like it too much.

LIBRA 24 Sept-23 Oct One of the best times of the year begins for you this week as dynamic Mars enters the most exciting area of your chart. No matter how interesting your life has been until now, it will be ten times more interesting, and productive, over the next few weeks.

TAURUS 21 April-21 May Mars, planet of energy, leaves your sign this week warning you to slow down – especially if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends for more than a few days. Also, don’t be so impulsive with your cash – money may not be so easy to come by now.

SCORPIO 24 Oct-22 Nov It’s time to get serious about money matters and business issues you’ve been neglecting. As Mars moves to focus on assets and property you may have to get tough with people who haven’t been playing straight with you – even maybe end the partnership.

GEMINI 22 May-21 June No matter how much you like the easy life you will push yourself to the limit this week. As Mars, planet of action, moves into your sign you will instinctively know it’s time to come out of your shell. There’s so much for you to experience and accomplish.

SAGITTARIUS 23 Nov-21 Dec How you deal with others this week will determine whether the next few weeks will be a time of great achievement or unending conflict. It’s more likely to be the former if you accept you’re not the only one with wants and needs. Or the only one with feelings.

CANCER 22 June-23 July You’ve always been a bit secretive and Saturn in Aquarius is making you more so. However, anyone who thinks that means you’re inactive obviously doesn’t know you too well.

You will be planning, plotting and thinking about the future this week.

CAPRICORN 22 Dec-20 Jan It’s essential that you cooperate with friends and colleagues this week as it’s the only way you’ll get anything done. Also, if someone you work with or for tries to annoy you it’s because they’re hoping you’ll overreact.

Don’t fall for it – take it all in your stride.

LEO 24 July-23 Aug Assertive Mars moves in your favour this week making it easier to do what you want to do. But you will gain more in the long-term if, at least some of the time, you join forces with like-minded people. Your goals and their goals are not so far apart.

AQUARIUS 21 Jan-19 Feb With Mars, planet of energy, entering the most dynamic area of your chart, if you are not already moving at top speed you soon will be.

This is a wonderful time for creative activities, as well as romantic affairs, so show the world what you can do.

Discover more about yourself at sallybrompton.com

Word Search

Code Breakers

Each number in the Codeword grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this puzzle, 22 represents B, 9 represents E and 4 represents W, so fill in B wherever 22 appears, E wherever 9 appears and W wherever 4 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid. Answers on page 13.

22

17

23

20

5

12

22

9

13

11

B

23

20

23

9

13

16

9

13

8

9

3

9

26

22

25

18

17

26

20

8

9

Gyros Ham Ice box Infuser Jug Lime Mace Mild Mince Mop Mug Nougat Peel Plug

1

2

3

4

5

13

14

15

16 17

20

21

18 23

22

25

34

36

35

43 46

47 52

53

54

30 LIN 31 CFN 32 OOL 33 YYAOSUS 36 GAUNH 38 REMT 39 NAAPE 40 METAS 43 RASE 45 ELIDLW 47 RILSEF 51 NBLOIA 52 YDEEER

28

29

49

50

37

44

51

ACROSS 1 CRTKUS 7 ERARBB 13 HERATA 14 ZEREEB 15 OFYTOM 16 RMAAEC 17 ERPP 19 LNAAB 20 ADAIN 23 IMRE 25 LUSAU 26 ECITKYR

27

39

42

45

12

32

38 41

11

24

31

33

10

19

26

30

40

9

53 IAETNM 54 EEMTLO DOWN 1 MAS 2 YRT 3 FER 4 IOTAPU 5 AOHLRC 6 TAEK 7 CBB 8 IARCBA 9 RMEKAR

48

10 EENB 11 RZAE 12 AELR 18 UREMFEP 20 SUNN 21 ISAA 22 LUYD 24 CIM 27 ALNE 28 NOET 29 GOAY 31 RNO 34 IATNLS

35 NMEIEY 36 ERAMLH 37 DSPEIU 40 AWMS 41 LIET 42 BLAE 44 RFOA 46 OTD 48 LEE 49 EYR 50 TES

19

24

12

19

9

12

9

26

19

24

12

19

20

9

9

24

3

15

20

12

14

11

22

13

12

2

19

23

19

9

11

3

11

17

26

17

20

24

1

17

18

7

11

13

19

14

1

13

14

1

9

23

11

13

7

7

13

23

12

20

2

14

16

13

5

13

18

13

25

9

12

24

20

12

24

11

20

17

11

23

11

19

2

20

6

20

24

9

24

20

21

19

1

4

13

26

20

12

12

26

13

4

26

9

9

5

12

13

22

22

19

18

13

14

9

13

24

11

19

23

12

13

19

18

9

23

24

13

24

9

11

23

11

7

13

23

9

11

13

26

1

2

3

4

14

15

16

17

4

W

W

5

6

7

8

9

18

19

20

21

22

E B

10

11

12

13

23

24

25

26

Crossword 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 23 27

29

28

37

38

40

41

13

34

35

36

54

55

56

30 33 39 42

44

45 49

48

50

52

53

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

ACROSS 1 Depositors' protective grp.

5 Fruitcake 10 Jane Austen matchmaker 14 Bind 15 Uma Thurman's ex --- Hawke 16 Give temporarily 17 Arabian chieftain 18 Lightweight cord 19 Breathtaking organ 20 Against 21 Large bundle 22 Lamp scamp?

23 Bit of broken pottery 25 To do with mail 26 Strainer 29 Whisky distiller --- Walker 31 Appears ominously 32 --- Chanel 33 Actor and rapper Mike ---

12

25

32

47

11

22

24

51

8

9

13

46

7

3

17

43

6

3

24

31

Anagram Crossword

17

10

26

Pot Round Sieve Snow Soy Tea Thyme Tin Toss Towel Urn Wiper

14

11

Food - Find the food words - 39 words - listed below in this box of letters. Words are horizontal, vertical, and diagonal backward and forward. Answer on page 13 Bacon Beat Bin Bloody Mary Bowl Bun Cake Can Chef Cup Dill Egg Grog

11

E

37 Wheat flour in India 38 For example, brogues 39 Harvest 40 Hits lightly 41 High-efficiency lights, briefly 42 Enigmatic quotemaker Yogi --43 Corpse 45 Luxury accommodations 46 Dozing 49 Wet season 51 Place 52 Work the land 53 Records 57 Cookware 58 Military blockade 59 "... sting like ---" (Ali) 60 Therefore 61 Kofi --62 Brief message 63 Red light gas 64 Office in training 65 Writing table

DOWN 1 Type of market 2 What Rhett didn't give 3 Brenda Lee's "--True?"

4 Yuletide 5 Home beverage center 6 Fighting an enemy 7 Old acquaintance 8 His last word was "Rosebud" 9 Unity 10 Large landmass north of the Canadian mainland 11 Launch 12 Passion 13 Theatrical backer 22 Smallest Indian state 24 "--- So Fine" (old Chiffons number) 25 Advantages 26 Fuss 27 Scintilla 28 Former

Mississippi senator Trent --30 Summer refreshments 32 Top cook 34 Cheeky 35 Shave 36 Health farms 38 Thin potter's clay 42 Top and bottom of a hamburger 44 Senator --Cruz 45 Noiseless 46 Colorado resort 47 Stockpile 48 Dismiss 50 Pond problem 52 S N L comic --- Fey 54 Doublereed woodwind instrument 55 Obtains 56 Search 58 Cold War U S A F arm

Suduko

Page 17 | Greenwich Sentinel

Sudoku: each row, column, and nonet can contain each number only once. Answers on page 13.

Easy

Easy

Very Hard

Hard

Hard

Very Hard

Page 18 | Greenwich Sentinel

REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD In Real Estate News

What We Are Hearing in the Industry

By Cheryl MacCluskey SHORTAGE OF HOMES Let’s discuss the Shortage of homes across the country. Overall housing inventory had plummeted to 43% in January compared to the same month in 2020. The home shortage increased U.S. median home prices by 15.4%, up to a national average of $346,000. New listings were also down by 23% year after year. The market that we are experiencing is so tight across the country that the

typical home spent 76 days on the market in January, ten days less than one year prior.

real estate decisions. The Midwest residents have the lowest concern about the impact of natural disasters.

NATURAL DISASTERS DISRUPT BUY-SELL DECISIONS Record-breaking floods, wildfires, hurricanes and tornados hit the United States extremely hard last year, giving some buyers pause about where they want to put down roots, according to a survey conducted earlier this year. Of the 29 metro areas tracked in the survey, Houston residents were the most concerned about natural disasters. Nearly 60% said the frequency of natural disasters were “very much” factors in their decision to buy or sell a home.

New York followed 47%, and Miami came in third at 46%. In the South and Northeast 35% said that natural disasters seriously affected their

CREDIT SCORE SURPRISES Let’s face it Credit scores seem to be everywhere! From applying for a new Mortgage, f inancing a new car, applying for credit cards and the list can go on. Covid-19 has brought more concerns and conservatism to banks and lenders.

You need a 720-credit scored to now apply for a Jumbo Mortgage.

Conventional comes in at 640. Fico, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are different credit bureaus with propriety algorithms for the way they calculate credit scores. There are even different credit scores for a home loan vs car loan, your home loan scores will most likely be slightly lower than the scores they pull for car

NEW SALES

Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866 Address

Original List

List Price

Sold Price DOM BR FB Acres SqFt

1525 Putnam Avenue 107

$295,500

$295,500

$285,000

61

1

1

0

700

630 Steamboat Road 2D

$795,000

$625,000

$585,000

490

2

2

2.27

1,300

71 View Street

$695,000

$635,000

$627,000

84

2

2

0.13

2,093

7 Green Lane

$725,000

$690,000

$651,000

131

2

1

0.17

1,464

40 Ettl Lane 23

$899,000

$865,000

$825,000

154

3

3

33 Mac Arthur Drive

$1,300,000

$1,300,000

$1,330,000

78

4

2

0.21

1,466

26 Jeffrey Road

$2,495,000

$2,495,000

$2,250,000

215

4

4

1.35

5,002

10 Newton Street

$2,500,000

$2,500,000

$2,312,500

70

5

2

0.27

2,897

50 Cat Rock Road

$3,095,000

$2,950,000

$2,875,000

179

5

6

1.47

5,079

50 Sound View Drive 3 South

$3,195,000

$3,195,000

$3,100,000

139

4

4

0

4,406

49A Shore Road

$3,750,000

$3,595,000

$3,545,000

111

5

6

0.29

6,000

751 Lake Avenue

$7,495,000

$7,495,000

$7,495,000

194

6

7

2.34

10,656

Gloria Falcon 203.559.1604 gloriafalcon@bhhsne.com Cesar Rabellino 203.249.9866 cesarrabellino@bhhsne.com

Greenwich | 136 East Putnam Avenue | bhhsNEproperties.com ©2021 An independently operated member of BHH Affiliates. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Data Compiled by Rob Pulitano [203] 561-8092

Address

Area

Price

Day/Time

Broker

40 Ettl Lane #5 16 Concord Street 16 S Hawthorne Street #D 44 Valley Road #B 41 Stone Brook Lane 225 Milbank Avenue #2 1 Macarthur Drive 149 Weaver Street 38 Park Avenue 216 Byram Shore Road 340 Cognewaugh Road 282 Round Hill Road 702 Steamboat Road #3

Greenwich Greenwich Greenwich Cos Cob Cos Cob Greenwich Old Greenwich Greenwich Old Greenwich Greenwich Cos Cob Greenwich Greenwich

$830,000 $899,000 $1,220,000 $1,225,000 $1,749,000 $1,800,000 $1,999,000 $2,295,000 $2,500,000 $2,800,000 $3,400,000 $3,750,000 $4,950,000

Sun 1-3 PM Sun 12-2 PM Sun 12-3 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 2-4 PM Sun 12-2 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 1-3 PM Sun 12-2 PM

Sotheby's Coldwell Banker Realty William Pitt Sotheby's Coldwell Banker Realty Houlihan Lawrence Sotheby's Coldwell Banker Realty Houlihan Lawrence Houlihan Lawrence Houlihan Lawrence Sotheby's Sotheby's Coldwell Banker Realty

NEW LISTINGS

2,368

A New Level Of Commitment And Honesty In Real Estate.

VIRTUAL TOURS HIGH Who would ever think almost two-thirds of people who purchased a home last year -63% of nearly 2,000

polled, made an offer on a property they had not seen in person, will Amazon start to sell houses online?

This percentage is up from 32% a year ago and a new record. 1% of tours were done by video at the beginning of 2020, in todays market it is up about 10% increase.

I hope touching on several little topics gave you some sense of the Market and what is going on in our Real Estate world today. See you next month.

Cheryl MacCluskey is the Senior Mortgage Consultant at Prosperity Home Mortgage , LLC and can be reached at 203-536-1297 or cheryl. maccluskey@phmloans.comCheryl MacCluskey is the Senior Mortgage C o n s u l t a n t a t P r o s p e r i t y Ho m e Mortgage, LLC and can be reached at 203-536-1297 or cheryl.maccluskey@ phmloans.com

FEATURED OPEN HOUSES

REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD EDITOR Mark Pruner | Mark@GreenwichStreets.com | mark@bhhsne.com REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD CONTRIBUTORS Robert Pulitano | RobertPulitano@bhhsne.com Cesar Rabillino | CesarRabellino@bhhsne.com Pam Toner | PamToner@bhhsne.com

or credit cards. At times, borrowers encounter their credit scores to be lower than expected. I suggest before applying for a Home Mortgage to check your credit and make sure there are no missed payments or collections that would hinder your score. One late payment of 30 days could drop your score by 100 points.

It is best to keep track of your credit report especially when fraudulent activity can hurt your scores. Once you identify anomalies it is best to either contact the credit bureaus or hire a professional to take care of it. It may cost upfront but it you will have it done quicker and with less frustration then if you did it yourself.

Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866 Address

List Price

16 Windy Knolls A 104 Halstead Avenue 104 18 Leonard Avenue 107 Stanwich Road 273 & 277 Pemberwick Rd 40 Elm Street 4F 16 Hawthorne Street D 18 Bramble Lane 14 Tomac Avenue 633 Steamboat Road 1 41 Stone Brook Lane 149 Weaver Street 265 Riversville Road 56 Old Orchard Road 3 Fairgreen Lane 400 Maple Avenue 95 Indian Head Road 139 Old Church Road

$825,000 $825,000 $1,049,000 $1,150,000 $1,150,000 $1,199,000 $1,220,000 $1,550,000 $1,600,000 $1,650,000 $1,749,000 $2,295,000 $2,350,000 $2,395,000 $2,495,000 $2,999,000 $3,450,000 $5,195,000

41 Dawn Harbor Lane 27 Pecksland Road 22 Stoney Wylde Lane 34 Meadowcroft Lane 11 Vineyard Lane 24 Rock Ridge Avenue 6 Windrose Way

Price/ SqFt

$319 $413 $348 $403 $807 $940 $450 $716 $915 $914 $427 $544 $701 $680 $831 $714 $706 $701

SqFt

AC

BR

2,590 1,997 3,013 2,854 1,425 1,275 2,711 2,165 1,748 1,805 4,096 4,218 3,354 3,524 3,004 4,200 4,885 7,416

0.17 0.16 0.29 0.32 0.65

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

0 0.28 0.2 0.55 1.7 2.57 2.47 1 0.24 0.46 1.38 1.12

$5,995,000 $989 6,061 1.03 6 $6,395,000 $806 7,930 2.15 6 $6,795,000 $670 10,138 2 6 $7,495,000 $773 9,700 2.12 5 $8,500,000 $820 10,360 4.85 7 $14,750,000 $1,554 9,489 2.42 7 $15,750,000 $1,942 8,111 2.01 6

FB

Area

Pemberwick 2 Glenville 2 Riverside 3 South Parkway 3 Glenville 1 2 South of Post Road Glenville 2 Riverside 2 Old Greenwich 2 2 South of Post Road Cos Cob 4 Glenville 5 Glenville 3 North Mianus 4 Old Greenwich 4 South Parkway 4 Riverside 6 South Parkway 5

Riverside 7 6 South Parkway 7 South Parkway 7 South Parkway 7 South Parkway 8 South Parkway 7 South of Post Road

For your dream home GREENWICH

Located on a Quiet Mid Country Cul-de-sac

14GRAYOAKSLANE.COM | OFFERED AT $3,350,000

Krissy Blake 203.536.2743

GREENWICH

GREENWICH

Gracious Center Hall Colonial

Dramatic Hideaway

314NMAPLE.COM | OFFERED AT $3,200,000

17HERONVUE.COM | OFFERED AT $2,750,000

Meri Thomas 203.249.9229

Heather Platt 203.983.3802

RIVERSIDE

GREENWICH

Modern Style

Sophisticated Colonial

27LINWOOD.COM | OFFERED AT $2,650,000

99STANWICH.COM | OFFERED AT $2,095,000

Leslie McElwreath 917.539.3654

Leslie McElwreath 917.539.3654

GREENWICH

GREENWICH

Updated Country Home

Classic Farm House

65STONEHEDGEDRIVESOUTH.COM | OFFERED AT $1,395,000

19COMLYAVE.COM | OFFERED AT $795,000

Marilynne Stratton 203.253.2027

Edward Mortimer 203.496.4571

GREENWICH BROKERAGE | ONE PICKWICK PLAZA | 203.869.4343 | SOTHEBYSHOMES.COM/GREENWICH © 2021 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The Sotheby’s International Realty network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice.

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70 Shore Road, Old Greenwich, CT | $5,299,000 5 Bedrooms | 4/1 Baths | 6,584 SF | 0.30 Acres

44 Valley Road, Unit B, Cos Cob, CT | $1,225,000 4 Bedrooms | 3/1 Baths | 2,632 SF CONDO

21 Hartford Avenue, Greenwich, CT | $687,000

44 Strawberry Hill Ave, Unit 6B, Stamford, CT | $335,000

2 Bedrooms | 2 Baths | 1,398 SF | 0.12 Acres

2 Bedrooms | 2 Baths | 1,275 SF CONDO

The Old Greenwich Team | 203.637.1300 Jan e Owe n Bra sh • L a ura Ca lab res e • S u s an C alab res e • P at C am er on • Jack i e C ha m a ndy • Tr i sh C l a r k • Em i l e de N e re e Cynthia D e Rie me r • Ma rga ret D iet z • D ian e D u t ch er • R u s s D u t ch er • S h anna F i sche r • N o ra Gi ova t i • S he i l a Go ggi n Liz Jo hnso n • Mich elle Lu ks ic • B r id Mor t am ais • E r in Mu r p hy • S a l l y P a r r i s • D i a na W hyt e

ColdwellBankerHomes.com 278 So und Be a ch Av en u e | O ld G reen wich , C T 0 6 8 7 0 • 6 6 Field P o i nt Ro a d | Gre e nw i ch, C T 0 6 8 3 0 Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. ©2021 Coldwell Banker Realty. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.