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February 21, 2020

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Greenwich Hospital announced that it received a f i r s t- o f-it s-k i n d g i f t to establish an endowment to honor Dr. James R. Sabetta, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Greenwich Hospital. The $5 million g if t w ill create a permanent fund for this position in infectious diseases and will maintain and grow the hospital’s regional reputation for innovation and excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. It will help to advance the education of physicians, medical students and key staff in infectious diseases services.

YMCA Closing St. Roch's Early Learning Center The Y MCA a n nou nced it will cease operations at its Early Learning Center at St. Roch’s in August and that the Hamilton Avenue after school program will conclude in June. “These decisions were made after critically assessing what we of fer as an organization and in what ways we of fer value to our membership and the community at large,” said Patrice Francois, Interim CEO. The YMCA will work with the Early Learning Center families and staff to secure placement with early childhood education providers in the Greenwich area.

Western Middle School's "Mane" Event Western Middle School invites you to be a hero for kids with cancer! Join this St. Baldrick's event, and whether you decide to shave your head, volunteer, or donate, we hope you'll be a part of the excitement. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteerpowered charity that funds more in childhood cancer resea rch g ra nts t ha n a ny organization except the U.S. government. V i s i t h t t p s : // w w w. s t b a l d r i c k s . o r g /e v e n t s / We s t e r n 2 0 2 0 f o r m o r e information.

Protecting Home Values in CT A real estate forum on Ma rch 3, 2 02 0 at 6pm p r e s e nte d by C T Wo m e n United with representatives f rom Sotheby's, Hou lihan Lawrence, and other firms. CTWomenUNited@gmail.com

Symphony On Saturday, Feb. 22, at 8:00pm and Sunday, Feb. 23, at 4:00pm, Greenwich Symphony Orchestra will perform an all Beethoven program, the Eroica and the Emperor, in honor of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. S o l o i s t J o h n O ’ C o n o r, k n o w n a s ‘ t h e w o r l d ’s preeminent Beethoven interpreter’, will perform Piano Concerto No.5, (Emperor). The concert will take place at the Performing Arts Center at Greenwich High School.

Understanding Pay As You Throw By Richard Kaufman The f irst reading of the proposed Pay as You Throw (PAYT) ordinance was presented last Wednesday during a regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting at Town Hall. Town officials say that PAYT would c ut dow n on wa ste a nd encou ra ge residents to recycle. Starting in FY21, the Town will have to pay to have recycling removed from the transfer station, costing taxpayers about $912,000. Waste disposal already costs taxpayers about $5 million per year, and if we do nothing, will require a tax increase to cover the additional expenses. PAYT solves the problem by reducing trash and more fairly allocating costs to those who create them. Under the proposal, which would take effect beginning Oct. 1 if ultimately approved, the Town will contract with a vendor who will distribute uniquely m a rke d t r a s h b a g s at c o m m e r c i a l locations throughout Town (grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, etc.) and directly to private hauling companies if they wish. Residents and businesses w ill

purchase the official Town garbage bags instead of generic ones. Bags will be offered in a variety of sizes and prices, ranging from 13 gallons (priced at $1.25 per bag) to 33 gallons ($2). The revenue from bag sales, minus an administrative fee paid to the vendor, goes directly to the Town to cover waste disposal expenses. If the initiative is approved, starting October 1, 2020, the Town’s Transfer Station will no longer accept trash that is not in an official Town bag. All garbage will need to be placed in the official Town bag. Private haulers will pick up garbage in the official Town bag just as they pick up garbage in generic bags, and residents can bring their garbage to the transfer station if they choose. According to Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT-DEEP), PAYT in Greenwich "will pr ov ide sig n i f ic a nt env i r on ment a l benefits by reducing over 13,000 tons of trash per year." Ac c o r d i n g to t h e tow n , t h e n e t revenue of the program would yield a total of $2,796,385, with $934,680 in trash tip savings. The net financial impact would be $3,471,447 after taking into account additional recycling tip cost.

Additionally, officials say PAYT would reduce the tax increase from 3.42% to 2.53%, resulting in a savings of about $105 for a property assessed at $1 million. In similar programs in New Englnd as early as 2010, PAYT communities generated about 49 percent less waste than those leaving the cost of trash in the tax base or in a fixed fee. Last Wednesday, Blaize Levitan, the town's senior management analyst, presented the ordinance in a slideshow, which was put together by CT-DEEP. Afterwards, residents commented on the initiative. Greenwich resident Don Conway said residents can buy a box of 50 Glad garbage bags at the supermarket for $8 or $9. "We're talking about $2 a bag, times how many times a month you're going to need one, times how many months in a year. It's quite a bit of difference in cost," he said. Alex Capozza said the public needs to be educated more on the initiative. "I don't think the community has been thoroughly educated about this. It's a great message but the delivery has come up short," she said. "I feel like people feel suffocated, and are feeling pressure that

Binney Park Status By Richard Kaufman The f irst step in a long process to secure a scenic road designation for the northern loop around Binney Park was taken last Wednesday during the Board of Selectmen meeting at Town Hall. First Selectman Fred Camillo and Sectwoman Jill Oberlander both voted to allow residents to take the item to the Representative Town Meeting in March. Selectwoman Lauren Rabin could not attend the meeting. Providing a road with a scenic designation not only encourages sightseeing along the road but helps preserve it from modifications that would detract from its appearance, such as rerouting or widening. The idea was first mentioned following t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f P u b l i c Wo r k s ’ proposed construction work on Sound Beach Avenue and the roundabout near the library two years ago. Greenwich resident, Candace G a r t hwa ite , who was r epr e sent i n g E a s t e r n G r e e nw i c h r e s i d e n t s a n d the Eastern Greenwich Preservation Association, spoke at the meeting last Wednesday about the other driv ing factors behind the initiative. The Riverside Association was also represented at the

we have to do this." Greenwich resident Mark Fichtel said he calculated that in Greenwich, there are 22,250 households. If each household used 90 to 100 bags per a year at a cost of $2 per bag, he said the town would produce more than $4 million in revenue. "We were only supposed to offset $912,000. What the hell's with all this extra money?" Fichtel added. "You're imposing a bag tax. You're adding a tax on people in the Town, and you're trying to pretend it isn't a tax... I have a lot of problems with this program. This is a very regressive tax on people who are not wealthy in this town." Camillo responded, and said that he grew up in Greenwich "very middle class" so he understands the concerns people have. "We've given an option here -- one that gives people personal control. It's economically and environmentally the right thing to do. If you have another option, let's hear it. We're all ears. To do nothing would be a lack of leadership," he said. PAYT is expected to be discussed during future meetings. For more infor mation on the proposal, go to greenwichct.gov/payt.

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meeting, and showed strong support. "The scenic road initiative is aligned with an objective in the new 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). The very first guiding principle in that document is to preserve the community character and sense of place," Garthwaite s a id . " I n t h e 2 019 P O C D, t h e r e 's a statement of an objective, which is, "To encourage the designation of more scenic roads throughout town." This proposal would be the first official scenic road in town south of the Merritt Parkway, and the first application where the town is a major property owner. Garthwaite pointed to the Town's Municipal Code, in which it states that "scenic roads are irreplaceable resources" and that "scenic roads are for the benefit of present and future generations." "Protecting the roadway can really enhance the historic buildings in the area," Garthwaite noted. "Those include the gorgeous Jeffersonian Perrot Library, and the First Congregational Church and its graveyard. The First Congregational Church was established in 1665." The path towards receiving a scenic road designation is long and winding. The Municipal Code requires a written

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Greenwich Libraries

Our local libraries are a model of success.

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The “Elder Brother Cliff”

By Julia Lucey Greenwich is fortunate to have four wonderful libraries that all enrich our community in their own ways. According to the Greenwich Library website, the Greenwich Public Library system boasts a circulation of about 1.2 million. Impressively, this number happens to be the highest in Connecticut, showing just how far reaching our libraries are in this community! W h a t ’s m o r e , t h e l i b r a r i e s ’ contributions to our town don’t end with reading material -- they offer 1,800 programs and events throughout the year for those of all ages and interests. Beyond this, they provide independent and collaborative work spaces for any task you may need to complete. The Greenwich Library consists of three branches: T h e M a i n (G r e e n w i c h) Library, the Cos Cob Library, and the Byram Shubert Library. Greenwich’s fourth library, the Perrot Memorial Library, is owned by the Perrot Library Association, but is affiliated with and shares a catalog with the Greenwich Public Library system. Found at 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich’s main library is the largest of the four. With three f loors of reading material,

By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT ranging from fiction to nonfiction, young adult novels to an entire wing of children’s books, new releases to the classics, this library truly has something for everyone. In addition, the librar y has numerous study and collaboration areas that are always being put to good use by community members of all ages. In fact, a section of the Main Building is currently under renovation and is being repurposed to meet the needs of the increasing number of people utilizing the library for work and study purposes. In the campaign statement, Greenwich Library explains, “Libraries like ours are no longer just a home for books, they are places where we come

In the biblical story of the prodigal son, the elder brother is the one who does everything right and his younger brother does everything wrong. When the younger brother comes home from squandering his inheritance, his forgiving father throws him a banquet. The elder brother thinks this is unfair and refuses to come to the party. When we think we are in the right, we often feel good for a while up on the cliff, but it’s lonely. Stewing on the cliff of self-righteous superiority does not make relationships better. Come down to level ground and listen to the other person’s story. A person’s behavior may be illegal, immoral, or reprehensible. We may ultimately choose not to be in relationship with that person. However, by getting off the elder-brother cliff, we may also move beyond anger and judgment to feel sadness and compassion. After a year of meeting together, members of a small group were bothered by one another’s “quirks.” Then each member was given 45 uninterrupted minutes to share his life story. This experience was most memorable because these stories effectively replaced annoyance with empathy.

to connect to our work, to connect to ideas, and to connect to each other—providing a world of resources under one roof.” With new additions such as an updated auditorium, café, and a new main reading room set to open in late 2020, the Greenwich Library continues to be a hub for learning, reading, working, a nd col la b orat i ng a l l i n one . The library is also home to so many wonderful programs, with nu mer ou s b o ok g r oup s w it h fo c use s ra ng i ng f rom f ic t ion to cla s sic s to for eig n a f fa i r s a nd e conom ic s , a nd ongoi ng technolog y training classes Greenwich resident Jill Woolworth is the author of the book, The throughout the year. Additional Waterwheel available locally at Diane's Books and Dogwood or at Amazon.

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Greenwich Hospital Receives Endowment Gift Honoring Dr. Sabetta

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