July 30, 2021

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ECRWSS

The Greenwich Weekly Newspaper, Local, local, local.

July 30, 2021

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Back Countr y | Banksv ille | Belle Haven | By ram| Chickahominy | Cos Cob | Glenv ille | Old Greenw ich | Pember w ick | R iverside | Bedford, N Y

St. Roch Feast Not to Be Missed

The Local News You Need to Know 211 Bear Struck by Motor Vehicle According to an Easton Police Department Press Release, on July 26, 2021, at about 6:19 pm the Easton Police Department received a report of a black bear being struck by a motor vehicle on Rt. 136 west of Wilson Road. Upon arrival officers found a bear that was suffering from serious injuries and had to be put down. DEEP was notified and responded for the removal of the bear. The bear was approximately 125 pounds and bore CT DEEP Tags #211. #211 was objectively adorable with a facebook page devoted to him and hundreds of photos. The many who interacted with him and the almost 5,000 facebook followers lamented his passing, set up a memorial fund, and have made efforts to make the section of Rt. 136, where he was struck by a car, safer for bears which are known to cross there. Inner-City Foundation Awards $6M in Grants The Inner-City Foundation for Charity and Education has announced that it will award $6 million in grants, providing grants to 43 local Fairfield County programs. The charity announced its plans to dissolve and to distribute its considerable assets earlier this year. COVID UPDATE: Hospitalizations Down 2 Patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped by 2 in the state with 103 total hospitalizations in Connecticut as of July 28. The most recently reported total number of deaths is 8,286. In Fairf ield County current COVID-19 hospitalizations are a total of 38; Hartford County is 30; New Haven County is 26 and all other Connecticut counties are reporting less that ten or zero hospitalizations due to COVID. Republican Town Committee (RTC) Candidates The Greenwich Republican Town Committee (RTC) has formally endorsed a group of candidates for the regular November 2021 town elections. First Selectman: Fred Camillo Selectwoman: Laura Rabin Town Clerk: Jackie Budkins Tax Collector: Heather Smeriglio Board of Estimation and Taxation (BET): Leslie Tarkington, Bill Drake, Karen Fassuliotis, Michael Basham, Dan Ozizmir, and Nisha Arora B oa r d of Educ at ion ( BOE) fou r Repu bl ic a n candidates will be on the ballot for two seats: Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, Megan Galletta, Cody Kittle, and Claire Muldoon. Voters may choose up to four candidates for the BOE — but only two from each party may be elected. Board of Assessment: Mark Pruner, Jeff Reardon, and Kit Mill Constable: Martin Blanco, Donna Maloney, John Thompson, and Charles Thivierge

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Mark your calendars an set aside time to have fun at the St. Roch’s Annual Feast, returning from August 11 through August 14. The roads will be closed from St. Roch Avenue at Alexander Street to Hamilton Avenue from 6 to 11 p.m.

St. Roch Church and the Annual St. Roch's Feast By Dan FitzPatrick Adapted f rom the St . Roch Annual Feast booklet Before there was a St. Roch Catholic Church in Chickahominy, there was a St. Roch Society and a St. Roch Feast. This is the story of how they all began. Morra de Sanctis is a town in the province of Avellino, Italy, east of Naples. Its patron saint is St. Roch (San Rocco), and the center of town contains a large monu ment in h is honor. St. Roch was a French ma n who made a pi lg r i mage to Rome, and on the way cared for people stricken by the plague which was ravag ing Europe during that time. Eventually, he fell sick himself, but a faithful dog brought him food daily to help him recover; as a result, he is known as the patron saint of dogs and protection against plagues a nd ot her ser iou s i l l ne sse s. Italian immigrants who settled in Chickahominy, East Port Chester (Byram) and Port Chester formed a mutual aid society called the “Societa Morresa di San Rocco.” They gathered yearly in midAugust to celebrate the feast day of their patron saint, St. Roch. The early Catholics of

Vulnerability Drops

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CORRESPONDENCE PO Box 279 Greenwich, CT 06836 PLEASE NOTE Free copies of this newspaper are sent through the U.S. mail to rotating areas of town. These contain an envelope for subscriptions. The Greenwich Sentinel telephone number listed on those envelopes is incorrect. The correct number is 203-485-0226.

You Can Vote Now at Town Hall By Anne White

Illustrated by Wajih Chaudhry

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Why Wait?

By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT Titration is the chemical process of slowly adding drops of one substance into a test tube containing another substance until a certain reaction occurs. Sharing our personal stories deserves a similar careful process. People haven’t earned the right to know our whole story when they first meet us. What works best is when we share a few drops of vulnerability at a time—and wait to see if our gesture is well received and reciprocated. Another way to imagine this process is as a fisherman baiting a hook, hoping a fish will bite. Think of intimacy as “into-me-see.” In order to develop healthy intimacy, it helps to choose our friends

thoughtfully and test them as we go. We can become more sensitive to our own l e ve l o f w i l l i n g n e s s to share, and let others see into us gradually. Sharing our vulnerability is the key to whole-hearted living. For best results, it happens slowly. David and Eric decided to share a dream, a goal, a disappointment, and a fear with each other. Each of these things was a vulnerability drop. As a result, their friendship deepened. Greenwich resident, Jill Woolworth is author of the book, The Waterwheel, which is available locally at Diane's Books (203-8691515) or info@dianesbooks. com) or at Amazon.

Chickahominy walked to Sacred Heart Church in Byram for Mass, which during the winter months was a hardship, especially for the children. Father Sullivan, pastor of Sacred Heart, and Angelo Roina, president of the Saint Roch Society, contacted the local bishop about building a church in and for the community. The property was purchased by the Morresa in 1918 and soon thereafter transferred to the Diocese of Hartford (the separate Diocese of Bridgeport was not established

u nt i l 195 3) for t he pu r p os e of building St. Roch Church. Most of the neighborhood (and would-be parishioners) consisted of Italian ma son s a nd stone c ut ters who had settled in the area to work at the nearby Byram Quarry, which supplied stone for the Brooklyn Bridge, the base of the Statue of Liberty, and what would become St. Roch Chu rch. A nyone a nd everyone who desired to help were

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It's Time to Let the Arts Uplift Us

By Stuart Adelberg If anyone had told me, two years ago, that our entire world would be turned upside down by a virus, I would have looked at them with more than a hint of skepticism. It sounds a little like the plot of a bad horror movie. Who could believe that a previously unknown illness could shut down cities throughout the world, halt commerce, isolate us from family and friends, overwhelm our healthcare systems, and, most tragically, take millions of lives? But that’s what happened. Fortunately, healthcare professionals and the world’s greatest scientific minds came to our aid with unprecedented heroism and speed, waking us from this nightmare, giving us hope, and finally enabling us to safely begin returning to our most cherished activities. While we feel a sense of gratitude and relief, the impact of this pandemic on every aspect of our lives will not easily be forgotten. In the midst of a troubling year, many of us sought creative ways to enjoy the things we typically like to do – some, more effectively than others. “Zoom” has become a h ou s e h old wor d a s v i r t u a l gatherings replaced meetings, religious ceremonies, and social events. As a movie lover, I know that many people took to the small screen, not only to enjoy the rich array of made for TV fare, but also to view the f ilms that they might otherwise have seen in a theater. Some friends have noted how wonder f u l t h is was, a nd suggest that virtual events might become the norm, while video on demand may replace future trips to the movie theater. I can state unequivocally that this will never suffice for me! A theater is more than a large living room with lots of seats, it

is a gathering space that envelops and engages the audience. A movie house doesn’t simply show you a film, it places you in the center of it, surrounded by sounds as if you’re in the middle of an orchestra, encircled by others sharing in the occasion. Theaters are darkened to eliminate distractions so we can devote 100% of our attention to the experience. A film is not something merely to be seen, it is a medium to be absorbed. I have never forgotten where I am while watching my television, but this often happens to me when experiencing a riveting film in the theater. A quality movie is truly a work of cinematic art, the big screen is the canvas on which it was painted, and the theater is the museum that lends a sense of artistic formality to the work. Going to the theater is an evening out, while a night at home is just . . . a night at home. S o w hy do e s t h i s m at te r? B e c au s e r ig ht now, I b el ieve that being totally absorbed by a b e aut i f u l , me a n i n g f u l , a nd enlightening film can be downright therapeutic. The time is right to sa fely come to t he t he ater and, as the Emcee says in the music a l Ca ba ret, “ le ave you r troubles outside!” Spend a few hours in another time or place, live alongside the characters on the screen, explore the lessons of a documentary, embrace the language and scenery of a foreign film, experience the time when a classic film was released. We can’t and shouldn’t erase the memory of the past year. But getting out and embracing the inspiration that comes from the cinema can help us move forward with optimism and an appreciation for the beauty and interesting experiences that the future is sure to bring. Hope to see you at the Avon! Old Greenwich resident, Stuart Adelberg, is the Executive Director of the Avon Theatre Film Center, a historic, non-profit, community supported independent cinema in downtown Stamford . Stuart has a long history of involvement and leadership with the region's non-profit and human service communities.

"If people are traveling and because of COVID, we don't know what's going to happen. Why put it off?" Town Clerk , Carmen Budkins The specia l election for the 36th state Senate seat is just weeks away but you can vote right now at the Town Clerk's office. The 36th state Senate district covers all of Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan. The special election to fill this seat will take place on August 17 and the campaigns are well underway but voting is available right now. The candidates are John Blankley (D); Ryan Fazio (R) and Alexis Gevanter (D). To w n C l e r k C a r m e n Budkins says, "If people are traveling and because of COVID, we don't know what's goi ng to happ en . W hy put it off?" Budkins says it is easy to come in right now and vote in person. Head over to Town Hall and go to the Town Clerk's office. There you will receive an absentee ballot application. F i l l it out, ha nd it i n , a nd receive your ballot within a few minutes while you wait. You can fill out your ballot and hand it back right away. The officials at the Town Clerk's office will verify it right then and you are done. This is perhaps the least w e l l-k n ow n a n d s i m p l e s t way to vote absentee without waiting for the United States Post Office. You can also avoid the post off ice by taking your ballot with you, filling it out at home, and dropping it into any one of the three ballot boxes in Greenwich. There is one in the lobby of tow n ha ll and there are two boxes that are available 24 hours a day. One is in the parking lot at town hall and the other is in the Public Safety Complex located just off Greenwich Avenue. The Town Clerk's office is open from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM Monday through F r iday for vot i n g i n t he special election. As of July 28, 1,365 absentee ballots had been requested and 283 people had already voted.

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