July 3, 2020

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ECRWSS

July 3, 2020

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

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THIS WEEK You are receiving this issue of the paper in your mailbox because it was sponsored this week by the Sentinel Foundation. Open Restaurants in Greenwich Which Greenwich restaurants are ready to serve you in person? Meli Melo (362 Greenwich Ave) has set up an outdoor seating area in front of the restaurant for some al fresco dining. They’re open daily from 7 am to 10 pm (8 am to 10 pm on the weekend) to serve you a delightful mix of French inspired flavors, including juices, crepes, soups, sa ndw iches, a nd salads. What’s more, they serve delicious ice cream to complete your meal! Visit melimelogreenwich.com to explore their menu. L i t t l e B e e t Ta b l e ( 3 7 6 Greenwich Ave) is open to seat you on their patio or in their indoor dining area -reservations can be made online at thelittlebeettable. com! Their hours are: 11 am to 9 pm Sunday through Thursday (to 10 pm Friday and Saturday). Little Beet Table serves “vegetableforward meals,” with all their entreés, whether it be spaghetti, a burger, or shrimp tacos, served with a hearty serving of veggies (their menu is available in its entirety on their website). Bistro V (339 Greenwich Ave) is now open for outdoor dining daily from 10 am to 8 pm. Reservations can be made by calling in (203-6616634) or emailing them at bistro@versaillesgreenwich. c o m . B i s t r o V s e r ve s a variety of popular French cuisine with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu and a special brunch menu available on the weekends. Explore their menu at versaillesgreenwich.com! Terra Ristorante Greenwich ( 1 5 6 G r e e nw ich Ave) i s open daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm with outdoor seating on a first come first served basis. Their menu includes a selection of Italian dishes, with a number of delicious appetizers, pastas, pizzas, and entreés, including salmon, chicken breast, and steak. See their full menu at zhospitalitygroup.com/terra. Beyond the Avenue, Burger Shakes & Fries (302 Delavan Ave) has set up outdoor seating around their Greenwich location and are currently not offering indoor dining. BSF is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 8 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 am to 9 pm, and Sundays from 12 pm to 3 pm. Stop by for, well, a burger, a shake, and some fries (or chicken nuggets, a hot dog, or a salad, if you prefer)! Elm Street Oyster House (11 West Elm Street) is open daily 11:30 am to 9:30 pm (until 10:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays) with both indoor and outdoor dining. Stop by to enjoy some of the best seafood in town -- whether you prefer sca llops or salmon, oysters or tuna, or just about any other seafood item you can think of, Elm Street Oyster House is well equipped to serve you (and if you’re not a seafood person, there’s a cheeseburger with your name on it!). Their full menu can be found at elmstreetoysterhouse.com.

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Hospital's Evolving COVID Response

By Richard Kaufman

As coronavirus cases have declined, at least in the northeast, healthcare services that were once closed have opened up in recent weeks. Greenwich Hospital and all of it's off-site locations are fully open. Elective surgeries were reopened on May 20, and services were

rolled out gradually. To help with reopening, the hospital moved a lot of its ambulatory procedures offsite to the Holly Hill Ambulatory C e nte r. Cu r r e nt l y, t h e m a i n hospital is experiencing around an 80 percent volume for what they were doing pre-COVID. New safet y measures and procedures are in place to protect patients and staff, which allow

t he ho spit a l to r e m a i n f u l ly operational and treat patients with the coronavirus. On Tuesday evening, a panel of healthcare professionals from the surgical arena at Greenwich Hospital took part in a virtual Town Hall, via Zoom, to discuss how the hospital is functioning and what residents can expect if they need treatment or procedures

done. The panel was moderated by Peggy Lennon, the Executive Director for Surgical Services. She was joined by Carol Ann Doherty (BSN, RN), nursing manager for surgery/orthopedics; Dr. Steve Hindman, Director of Orthopedics; Helene K im mons (BSN, R N), nurse manager for ambulatory s u r g e r y/ PAC U a n d p a i n

management; Dr. Gavin McLeod, interim section head of Infectious Disease; and Dr. Alfonso Tagliavia, Director of Anesthesiology. All of the panelists stressed that the hospital is safe for all patients, and that no one should hesitate coming in if they need treatment.

See HOSPITAL page 2

GEMS Receives Anonymous Donation

By Richard Kaufman

If helping others in times of hardship and adversity is a sign of a st rong com mu n it y, t hen the Greenw ich communit y is certainly rock solid. R e c e n t l y, G r e e nw i c h

Emergenc y Medical Ser v ices (GE M S) a c c e p te d a $ 2 0,0 0 0 donation from an anonymous resident in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The donation was faci litated by Richards, as the donor is a longtime customer and friend of

the Greenwich Avenue clothing retailer. The funds will benef it both GEM S a nd lo c a l r e st au ra nt s -- $8,000 will be put towards installing Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) status boards for GEMS -- and $12,000 will be

Brunswick Alum Sabato Drafted by MLB’s Twins in First Round

distributed in gift cards from local Greenwich restaurants to GEMS employees. Each gift card will be $100. "The donor wanted to make a donation specifically to support people on the frontline like the GEMS staff, but also to support

local business. We were thrilled with that because we want to support local businesses, because they've been very supportive of us. Many of the restaurants that we're getting gift cards from have been active supporters of the staff

See GEMS page 2

A Great Use for Library's 3D Printer By Zilana Lee

Former Brunswick School baseball standout Aaron Sabato (14) celebrates a homer with his teammates during a game his senior year. See story on page 15.

Nearly four months have gone by and the Coronavirus pandemic c ont i nue s to i mp a c t p e op le around the globe. Protective gear is a crucial part of preventing infection by the v irus and personal protective equipment (PPE) from face masks to gloves remain in high demand. T h e Tow n o f G r e e nw i c h has found a way to contribute to the supply of PPE. So far the Greenwich Library Innovation L a b s t a f f h ave p r i nt e d a n d assembled 90 face shields using t he L i bra r y ’s t wo ver y ow n Ultimaker 3D printers. The face shields followed a design template approved by the National Institutes of Health for use in clinical settings. After constructing and

assembling the face shields, the Library donated them to frontline workers through a program run by Covid Maker Response (CMR), the largest grassroots manufacturer of PPE in New York City. The Library delivered the face shields to the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side of Manhattan which were then distributed to hospitals citywide. CMR donates their manufactured equipment to hospitals in NYC including Columbia Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, Bronx Lebanon, and St. Charles. The organization was founded by members of Columbia University Libraries, Tangible Creative, and MakerBot. CMR produces and distributes 1000 PPE face shields a day.

See LIBRARY page 4

A Tried and True Tradition

Gramercy Typewriter Company keeps the doors open for nearly nine decades. By Foster Steinbeck Since opening their doors during the Great Depression, the Manhattan-based typewriter sales and repair store, Gramercy Typewriter Company, has never had to worry about any power outages or system crashes affecting their bookkeeping or customer logs. That’s because the business largely doesn’t use computers or modern electronic software. Instead, whether its keeping the books or recording customer information on index cards, they use old-fashioned typewriters. “When my dad came into the business in 1959,” said third-generation owner Jay Schweitzer, “he watched and learned from his dad, and followed what he was doing and learned that way. Then I came along, and I'm watching and learning what my dad is doing and doing it that way. We're still running the business the way it was done, ever since it started.” While acknowledging computers would be faster and more efficient at taking care of the business’s backend needs, Schweitzer has no intention of changing, as there’s

never been any problems with the way his grandfather started doing it in 1932. After opening in an age where every business had a typewriter, and weathering several economic recessions and hard times, the family business is now one of the last typewriter stores in New York City. However, sales have increased as typewriters have become popular with more people (including many in Greenwich and one of their more famous and loyal customers, Tom Hanks). Schweitzer said the business has stayed open because he, alongside his father, Paul, run it the same way their grandfather ran it — fixing and selling typewriters with an expert eye while attentively helping customers with their needs. “There's been so many changes going on around us in the last number of decades. Yet, we still stay true to what we've always done in that way,” Schweitzer said Kicking it old school When customers entered the store on 108 W 17th St, Schweitzer said he, his father (Paul) and part-time employees work with customers to weigh their options, such as helping match them with the best-suited

typewriter for their writing purposes. They also help customers determine whether it was worthwhile to repair their old typewriters, or whether they should buy a new one. “We don’t have to be salespeople, because these machines sell themselves,” Schweitzer said. “We’re just there to answer the question, point them in the right direction and the typewriter does the rest.” "There is something very special about typing a letter or receiving a typed letter. You want to keep it and treasure it," said Beth Barhydt, publisher of the Greenwich Sentinel. "We're having my grandfather's 1939 typewriter repaired so that I can use it to write letters and notes. It makes them more meaningful." “We’re the ones who recondition them from the bottom,” said Schweitzer. “We’re the ones that rebuilt them. Our hands were on them. [Customers] really get a birds-eye view of everything, top to bottom, about the machine … We don’t want them to leave until they have a full understanding of how that machine operates, so they can enjoy

See GRAMERCY page 5

Gramercy Typerwriter Company owner Jay Schweitzer works on a typewriter with employee Craig Nelson. Schweitzer's grandfather opened the business during the Great Depression

Tesei Takes Over Chairing The Greenwich Symphony By Anne W. Semmes Leadership of the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra (GSO) - that gem in the crown of the town of Greenwich – has passed to former First Selectman Peter Tesei from Mary Radcliffe, who served the Symphony as President for 37 years. Tesei brings to the Symphony board 32 years of Greenwich government service. “Mary is an inspiration to us all,” says Tesei, “and carrying forth her mission is an honor. The Greenwich Symphony is such a talented and positive group of individuals whose energy is devoted to bringing world class musical talent to the community at large. I cannot think of a better way to maintain my civic engagement.” Tesei, as a longstanding member of the Greenwich Symphony Board of Trustees, was voted in at the Symphony’s June 11

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annual meeting, held with social distancing and face masks at Radcliffe’s Riverside home. Radcliffe is “delighted,” she says, that Tesei is succeeding her as president. “He is a good man and he has a good voice here in this community - the town knows him and respects him. I told him this is a fulltime job. You have to deal with all kinds of questions, but I'm staying on the board because there are certain things that I can help with. What we have with the Greenwich Symphony is a professional organization that is cultural, artistic and educational, that excels in these areas in this community.” Radcliffe, at age 92, is looking to Tesei, age 51, to bring in new subscribers to the Symphony concerts she says. Along with an “excellent orchestra making wonderful music,” she adds, “What is very, very

important is we have the most magnificent concert hall there, in the Performing Arts Center in Greenwich High School. The seating is good and the acoustics are good.” So, what might Tesei pursue to bring in those new subscribers? “The GSO has undertaken ef forts to sur vey the community and assess our programming,” shares Tesei. “Through this Board and musician-led effort we plan to offer more diverse music compilations and unveil new programming to attract a broader segment of the community.” Tesei credits Radcliffe’s impressive shepherding role over the years with the GSO. “She has developed a world class symphony and shown a genuine passion for classical music and deep commitment to the members of the orchestra. The caliber of the musicians and orchestra contribute greatly to Greenwich’s performing arts.”

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Tesei looks upon chairing the GSO Board as “an exciting endeavor. There is an active search for a new music director/ conductor as the legendary David Gilbert is retiring. Working with fellow volunteer board members and the musicians to choose a successor is an important part of the GSO’s future success. I am pleased to be able to lend my leadership experience to this important endeavor.” Radcliffe points also to the supportive connection the GSO has with the town’s Board of Education, as with the Symphony’s Young People’s Concerts. “In Greenwich’s public schools, the music and art departments are excellent,” she notes, with “very good teachers.” Tesei tells of knowing Radcliffe since the early 2000’s, and often tuning into concerts on WGCH radio before becoming a

See TESEI page 4

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