January 24, 2020 by Greenwich Sentinel

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Harry Arora is the Newest Greenwich State Representative

Community Calendar Begins on Page 2 News briefs on Page 3 include:

A Bold Come Back by the Harbor Seal In recent years, Harbor Seals have been spotted: ha ng i ng out on Fa i r f ield County harbor police docks, 37 miles up the Connecticut R ive r on We sley a n University’s Crew boat ramp, and even lounging on the hulls of nuclear submarines at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton. See page 5.

The Attitude of Gratitude According to Summer A l le n’s r ep or t on M a r ch 5 , 2 01 8 , “A f t e r 1 5 y e a r s of research we know that g ratitude is a key to psychological well-being. Gratitude can make people h a p p i e r, i m p r o v e t h e i r relationships, and potentially even counteract depression. But the benefits of gratitude go beyond that.” See page 5.

Clear Your Space, Clear Your Mind Being organized can give you peace of mind. Clearing physica l clutter can help clear mental clutter, which is anything that keeps you from thinking clearly and makes you distracted. See page 5.

Setting Up for Children A classroom can be i nv it i ng , i nspi r i ng a nd a place where true learning takes place while presenting a positive image of the child. See page 6.

Cam Atkinson's New Groove Although Columbus Blue Jackets forward and Greenw ich native Cam Atkinson had a slow start to the 2019-20 season, the forward was starting to find his groove. See page 11 sports.

Real Estate Greenwich changed last year, and if the trends we saw in 2019 continue we could see some major shake ups in housing values. Three areas that had done well the last several years, did not do well last year. In Glenville, Riverside and particularly Cos Cob, we saw a drop in sales and prices. At the same time, we saw sales and prices in Old Greenwich continue to rise and a jump in sales in backcountry Greenwich. See page 15.

Harry and Nisha Arora

By Paul Silverfarb Republican Harry Arora will be spending a lot more time in Hartford this year. During Tuesday’s special election in Greenwich to find a new state representative of the 151st House District seat, it was Arora that came out on top defeating Democrat Cheryl Trepp Moss. In the race to replace longtime state representative in the 151st House District Fred Camillo, Arora picked up almost 55% of the votes, totaling 2,345. Moss finished with 1,965 votes. “I would like to thank all the residents of the district who trusted me with this very i mpor ta nt responsi bi lit y,” Arora said. “I feel a strong responsibility to so many people and promise that I will do my job with complete sincerity and to the best of my ability. That’s the most important thing for me to communicate.” Arora said that while he

picked up 55% of the vote during Tuesday’s special election, he represents everyone. “I just don’t have a responsibility to the people that voted for me,” Arora said. “I have a responsibility to everybody in the district and their interests in Hartford. I feel the weight of that responsibility and I feel that I have to make sure I do everything right and deliver for them as well.” Arora, originally from India, came to the United States for his graduate work, graduating from both the University of Texas and Harvard University. According to his biography, A rora is a macro -investor who invests in commodities, currencies and equities. He analyzes the macro environment, supply demand of commodities and the geopolitical environment to ident if y broad invest ment themes and opportunities. “This feeling is

tremendous,” Arora said. “It’s the feeling of how powerful our country and our system is and how vibrant our town is. It doesn’t matter if you grew up here or moved here. The residents of this town want people who are committed, people who have merit, and people with ideas that resonate. That embrace that I felt was tremendous.” Arora will take over the seat that has been occupied by Fred Camillo for the past 11 years. Camillo gave up his seat when he was voted in as Greenwich’s First Selectman. Camillo has gone on the record to endorse Arora and the newest occupant of the 151st District seat couldn’t be more grateful. “Fred has not only endorsed me but has also served as a mentor in many ways,” Arora said. “He has been in politics much longer than I have and that’s why his endorsement meant so much. Fred, like so

By Tom Williamson This year's super bowl is in Miami and, lucky for Greenwich residents, no one knows travel in Miami better than our own local company, BLADE. BLADE is pioneering a new market in luxury air transportation that lands somewhere between a private jet of your own and commercial flights. With a primary location in Miami, BLADE is uniquely poised to manage no hassle air transportation into and out of their Miami lounge, the closest landing point to the Super Bowl venue. At Super Bowl LIV traffic is likely to be at an all-time high, restaurant options will be scarce, and attendees will spend most of their time trying to get to their destination instead of actually enjoying the game festivities. BLA DEone jets are retrof itted B om b a r d ier CRJ 2 0 0 s , t y pic a l ly conf igured to accommodate 60 passengers, masterfully re-imagined to seat just 16 guests. Just one of the options is to depart Jan. 31st from Westchester, returning directly from the BLADE Lounge in Miami for a 1:30 AM post-game departure home to Westchester. This year, the Super Bowl is more than just a game—it's a peek into the future. For more information: 844-flyblade or brady@f lyblade.com or visit the B L A DE we b s i t e a t : w w w. b l a d e . flyblade.com.

Column: On My Watch

Reflections Upon Suffering a Common Cold By Anne W. Semmes So, into everyone’s life comes the common cold. I have it on high authority, it is our most common medical complaint. That doesn’t make it any easier to bear, and I’m running out of Kleenex. I’ve missed a favorite priest’s presenting “ The Bi ble i n 60 M i nutes,” a Sunday walk in the park in rare sunshine, and what about all those anticipated events on my weekly calendar? Suddenly, that story comes to mind, “Sinatra Has A Cold.” I find it, between sneezes, online, circa Esquire 1966. “Sinatra with a cold is Picasso without paint, Ferrari without fuel—only worse,” writes Gay Talese. “For the common cold robs Sinatra of that uninsurable jewel, his voice, cutting into the core of his confidence, and it affects not only his own psyche but also seems to cause a kind of psychosomatic nasal drip within dozens of people who work for him, drink with him, love him, depend on him for their own welfare and stability. A Sinatra with a cold can, in a small way, send vibrations through the entertainment industry and beyond as surely as a President of the United States, suddenly sick, can shake the national economy.” Well, this is one way to get a perspective. My cold has a bit more limited effecting range. My children are grown, and grandchildren well cared for, and my writing deadlines are under control. So, there’s time to read and reflect, while downing gallons of water. A book that had appeal, found in “BookPage,” a library handout was. “Cosy, The British Art of Comfort.” Having lived in England, I’m ready for somebody to bring back that “patchwork quilt” of tea and crumpets, fireside chats and country walks. But, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) review of “Elderhood” by Louise Aronson, brought dire statistics: “Half of all adult Americans over 65 will have

Down with a cold, one reads, reflects, and drinks tea. some form of arthritis. Immunity from infection and disease lessons with advancing age.” But new studies show, “life…begins at 60,” when most people “achieve levels of well-being comparable to those of twenty-year-olds, and rates climb thereafter.” Add “one of the new clichés of the current age, 70 is the new 50,” with 90 the new 120!

service, Bill gave us all something to live by. In a letter he wrote not long ago to a “dear friend,” he writes, “On the personal side of things, I did learn, when I got sick, to prioritize things. Put down what is most important to you, whatever that may be, and make it most important. Shed other things. It’s a good idea to do every once in a while, even if you are not sick. The next thing is to keep at it, try not to let things creep back in. Take care of yourself.”

Your Mental Health

Resent-o-Meter

gathering for retiring naturalist Ted Gilman at Audubon Greenwich on Saturday. There were recent travel sharings of Borneo with its not too distant history of cannibalism. Of family travels to the less traveled souther n most reg ion of New Zealand, where I have been invited to go visit a stepbrother but can’t quite commit to going down under.

So, there’s time to read and reflect, while downing gallons of water. " Most a stou nd i ng w a s t he WSJ prof ile of Colin O’Brady, that 39-year explorer, endurance w underk ind who traversed Antarctica alone in 53 days. Talk about experiencing cold, “On an early night of his trek, when his sled was too heavy…he was crying tears that froze on his face.” But its what he reveals in his new memoir, Impossible First: From Fire to Ice – Crossing Antarctica Alone that shows what literally fired him up for such a challenge. O’Brady has also climbed the highest mountain on all seven continents. This is the kind of travel I heard about at the celebratory

at Giverny. Yes, amazing what can be done in life if one perseveres. Reflecting back to the memorial service held recently global energy investor and benefactor Bill Macaulay, who died age 73, we learned he had had a heart attack at age 38 and was given five years to live. Bill then set about making a plan to survive. He stuck to his regimen and led an extraordinary life I addressed in an earlier column. In a family ref lection in the

I could only share the recent travels of my wildlife photographer daughter, Melissa Groo, currently in search of a rare bird on an island off of Chile. I did get to Giverny and points off the coast of France last week sitting in a seat at the Avon Theater in Stamford watching a splendid documentary f ilm of the life of Claude Monet. The film, “I, Claude Monet,” masterfully tells Monet’s story in his own words taken from his letters, and then narrated. We learn via the visually captivating images of the great, long struggle Monet experienced arriving finally in that glorious garden he created

By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT

Resentment is a blinking yellow light that indicates a change is needed. When we feel resentful, either someone is pushing against our boundaries, or we feel entitled to something unrealistic, such as a perfect (fill in the blank). Pay attention to resentment: don’t wish it away. It will not disappear or evaporate. We store it in our bodies. Long-term resentment, expressed outwardly, ultimately leads to verbal or physical explosions; expressed inwardly, it leads to various forms of self-harm, including depression. Do you need to clarify a boundary? Or change an entitled attitude? Brandon and Chris had young children. Every year they invited Brandon’s mother to visit for three weeks. Grandma tended to overrule Chris and dote on her son, and she was critical of the couple’s parenting and lifestyle. This led to Brandon and Chris fighting most nights in their bedroom. With coaching, the couple was able to set clearer boundaries with Grandma: she was to affirm both parents, sup- port their parenting, offer no unsolicited advice, and make visits shorter. Their family and their marriage benefited. Grandma adjusted. Jill Woolworth is the author of the book, The Waterwheel available locally at Diane's Books and Dogwood or at Amazon.

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Blade Wraps Up Super Bowl

many people in this community, has helped me in this campaign and helped shape the political dialogue that we are having. I am quite excited that this is not about me. It’s about the community. I’m just leading the charge, but it’s not my charge. The reason we won is because it’s very clear that people here want a change of policy. We now have to get to work.” As Arora said during his campaign, the most important item once he gets settled in at the State Capitol is to launch a growth plan for Connecticut, a set of policies that will turn the tide and begin attracting students and businesses into the Nutmeg State. “The growth plan is going to h ave v a r i o u s e l e m e nt s to it , i nclud i n g at t rac t i n g investments,” Arora said. “But now we have to work on the details and that’s what the priority is going to be.” A r o r a s a i d t h a t h e ’s going to try and implement pie ce s of t he g row t h pla n now, acknowledging that as a republican in the minority it will be difficult. “I do think that it will be tough,” Arora said. “It will be hard to try and sell this to people who do not believe in growth." He went on to say that, "We have to put forward a comprehensive growth plan ... so t hat i nstead of b ei ng a place where people are f leeing and finding it hard to live and to work, we are the attractive destination. We want Connecticut to be a place where it’s great to raise your family, to build your business, and to succeed.”

ANNE W. SEMMES PHOTO

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