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A Record Setting 1,100 at BCA
S Last week, Greenwich Police units, out of an abundance of caution, closed and evacuated the Town of Greenwich Holly Hill Waste Disposal and Recycling Center due to a discovered suspicious package fou nd in t he ref u se pi les. A bomb s qu ad w a s re que s te d from Stamford PD. The facility was subsequently re-opened, after an initial assessment found that the suspicious item was a piece of inert military training ordnance. The item was not hazardous. S The Connecticut Dept of Transportation is announcing that a night time bridge maintenance project will be performed on I-95 North and South between G r e e nw i c h a n d Ne w Haven, Monday, Oct. 14, through Friday, Nov. 1. Motorists can expect a moving operation with various lane closures on I-95 North and South between Exit 2 (Delavan Ave.) in Greenwich and Exit 50 (Woodard Ave./ Lighthouse Pt.) in New Haven. A moveable sign pattern will be utilized to guide motorists through the work zone. The regular work schedule for this project is from 8 o.m., to 5 a.m.. (Monday through Thursday evenings). S Jeanine Behr Getz, fou n d e r of BYO C T and a member of BYOGreenwich, which helped spearhead t he plastic bag ban in Greenwich, has been selec ted to be a c re w memb er on t he eX Xpedit ion, a n a l l women led science gat her i ng ex ped it ion to study the impacts of plastics and toxins in our oceans. For more on this story, keep an eye out for future editions of the Greenwich Sentinel. S The Greenwich Crew program continues to have great success. The Men’s and Women’s Youth teams sent their top four boats last weekend to The 55th annual Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston Massachusetts and came home with two medals.
Scott Mitchell with BCA 2019 Models of Inspiration. Inset: event co-chairs.
Founded in Greenwich in 1996, the Breast Cancer Alliance (BCA) is one of the largest private, non-corporate breast cancer organizations in the United States. Since its inception, the organization has awarded more than $27 million in grants, supporting its mission to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. Their annual fundraising luncheon was held on Monday and was the largest ever for the BCA, with over 1,100 attendees selling out the venue and creating a waiting list. Supporters enjoyed lunch, a silent and live auction, the annual Models of Inspiration (women who are living with or have overcome breast cancer, outfitted in a curated collection from Richards), and a fashion show. Event co-chairs were Dr. Amy Kappelman Johnson, Nina Lindia, Lauren Schweibold and the featured guest speaker was celebrity chef Todd English. In case you missed it and would like to make a donation: https://e.givesmart.com/events/d2u/ or for more information: info@breastcanceralliance. org or call 203-861-0014. Models of Inspiration included Barbara Epifanio, Lindsay Frederick, Jessica Guff, Christie Manning, Michelle McKnight, Shari Michael, Marta Navarro, Jocelyn Novella, Lisa Quackenbush, Barbara Reinken, Julie Ruby, and Paige Siek.
Board of Education Candidate Forum By Ricahrd Kaufman Last week at Central Middle School, candidates for the Board of Education gathered for a forum to discuss issues and matters related to Greenwich Public Schools. The event, which lasted around two hours, was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greenwich and moderated by Jara Burnett. The bipartisan, eight-member board is elected for four-year staggered terms. Each political party may nominate as many persons as there are vacancies on the board. The four candidates receiving the highest number of votes are elected, but no more than two from each political party. Three Democrats -- incumbent Gaetane Francis and newcomers Christina Downey and Karen Hirsh -- are vying for two seats. Republicans Joe Kelly and Karen Kowalski are guaranteed to fill the vacancies which will be left by Barbara O'Neill and Lauren Rabin. O'Neill announced that she will not seek re-election, and Rabin is running for a Selectman position alongside First Selectman candidate, Fred Camillo. The f ive candidates largely agreed on the issues brought up throughout the forum. When asked about the high rate of Superintendency turnover in the District,
the candidates said that more support and collaboration is needed to solve the problem. GPS has had five Superintendents in the last five years. Dr. Toni Jones, previously from Fairfield, was hired earlier this year to take over on a permanent basis from interim leader, Ralph Mayo. "What's important is that the board supports the Superintendent, but also not give her carte blanche. I think questioning respectfully and acting in a collaborative fashion is very important," Downey said. Kowalski agreed, saying that the District needs to let go of the past, but learn from it moving forward to increase retention. "I fully support [Dr. Jones]. I intend to challenge her and I intend to collaborate w i t h h e r a s w e m ove f o r w a r d a s a community," she said. Hirsh said the District needs to change its mindset to focus on retention, rather than turnover. She said Greenwich isn't "an easy community to work in" because of the high expectations. "If a corporation had f ive CEO's in f ive years, I don't think the stock price would be doing very well," added Kelly. He said that it's the Board's job to give the Superintendent every tool possible to do the job. Francis noted that the board has taken
"We are Greenwich, Connecticut. As Greenwich, we need the best facilities, we need the best schools, the best fields, the best stadiums. We need all the best, because we are the best," Joe Kelly said. steps to create unity amongst the board and Superintendent, so goals and measures are discussed and met. The candidates were asked about their views on the priorities in the District's $750 million capital improvement plan, "Once [the Board] decides what those priorities are, it needs to communicate them to the community itself in order to let the community understand why these are the priorities we need to undertake," Kowalski said. She also mentioned looking at public/ private partnerships in order to achieve certain goals, most notably at Cardinal
Column: On My Watch
Exploring On the Range with Chase Ewald
Stadium. Francis said the board did set priorities, but the meetings in which the plan was discussed weren't well-attended by the public. Francis highlighted ADA accessibility, and school safety, mainly related to the entrance at Greenwich High School, as being high on the Board's priority list. Francis went on to say that the next steps with the improvement plan are tricky. "We don't actually get to make the decisions. We have RT M, BET, First Selectman's Office; we have a lot of other people that come into play," she said. D ow ney, a mem b er of t he RT M 's Education Committee, said there was some failure in communication between stakeholders during the annual budgeting process. She said the Board of Education can take the lead in working with other town decision makers to collaborate and have a common goal on the priorities and timeline of the facilities improvement plan. "Otherwise, every year there's going to be a budget battle in this room on budget night when the RTM is here, and at the BET meeting," Downey said. "Communication with other decision makers and stakeholders in town should be a priority for the coming board year, because we're going to be fighting this battle for years to come.
Excerpts from The Waterwheel
Vulnerability Drops ILLUSTRATED BY WAJIH CHAUDHRY
S The Town of Greenwich w il l conduct a Public Informational Meeting for t he Dav is Avenue Bridge, which carries Davis Avenue over Indian Harbor. The project is currently in the semifinal design phase and consists of replacement of the existing vehicular bridge in its entirety with a new vehicular bridge. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 19 at 7 p.m., at Town Hall.
BOB CAPAZZO FOR GREENWICH MAGAZINE/BIG PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Briefing Room
By Anne W. Semmes Some of us Greenw ich parents lose our kids to points north, south, east, and a good n u m b e r t o t h e We s t . Ta k e Chase Reynolds Ewald, raised in Greenwich, whose Reynolds family roots grow generations deep as told in the 1990 book, “Loyal to the Land.” Chase and husband Charles Ewa ld - son of Greenw ich ’s connection to the Eisenhower White House via his speechwriter/author and late father, Bill Ewald - gravitated to the San Francisco area years ago where they’ve raised four daughters. Chase, meanwhile, became an author of numerous books display ing most visua lly her p a s s i o n f o r t h e We s t . S h e describes them as “exploring western, rustic and mountain a rch itec t u re i nter iors a nd lifestyles,” including “Cowboy St yle, A merica n Rustic, a nd Rustic Modern.” Her newest, “Cabin Style,” is her third to focus on the “new rustic” style being celebrated she says, “in nature-intensive settings t h roug hout t he cou nt r y.” It
By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT
Chase Reynolds Ewald has authored over a dozen books displaying her passion for the rustic and mountain architecture interiors and lifestyles of the West. features spectacular photos by Wyoming photographer Audrey Hall. And next Wednesday eve Chase will introduce “Cabin St yle” w it h w ine a nd hors d ’oeuv res at t hat busy book launch venue, Dogwood Books & Gifts, located at Christ Church Greenwich. “Today’s cabins enjoy the
best of bot h worlds,” Chase w rites, “They are open to nature, w it h more glazing a nd do or w ay s a nd out do or l iv i ng space s , bot h covered and exposed to the elements. Yet they still retain a coziness and warmth that enhances the sense of their sheltering aspect.” C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 4
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 level of willingness 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. An excerpt from The Waterwheel by local author, Jill Woolworth, available through Amazon. Alternatively, we encourage you to shop locally where it is also available at Diane's Books or Christ Church Bookstore (now Dogwood).
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