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Daily News Updates @ www.GreenwichSentinel.com

FRIDAY, May 3, 2019

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S G r e e n w i c h ’s 2 019 Distinguished Teachers were announced last week: Sean Harriman (Greenwich High School); Crystal Kitselman (North Mianus School); Kat harine Miserocchi (Parkway School); Megan Ostruzka (GHS); Chris Anne Powers (Cos Cob School); K a r r ie Va le (Pa rk way). The Distinguished Teacher Aw a rd s w i l l b e held at Central Middle School on May 7 at 4:30 p.m. S The Greenw ich High School graduation ceremony for the class of 2019 will take place on June 17 at 6:30 p.m., at Cardinal Stadium, weather permitting. Town agencies have approved the addition of over 2,100 additional chairs that will be placed on the field level to replace the seating lost by the home bleachers being closed. The bleachers were closed because they were deemed unsafe and not up to code. S Greenwich Hospital is launching a new physician education program called t he M AT E duc at ion Program to help doctors recognize potential early signs of breast and ovarian cancer. First Selectman Peter Tesei issued a proclamation which declared May 1 as ‘MAT Education Awareness Day.’ The curriculum was developed by physicians at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and Yale Cancer Center at the behest of Greenwich resident Kaile Josephs Zagger, who lost her mother, Marilyn Ann Trahan (MAT), 20 years ago to ovarian cancer. S State Reps. Livvy Floren (R-149) and Fred Camillo ( R - 1 5 1) w i l l h o s t a n informational tolls forum in t he Greenw ich Tow n Ha l l Meet i ng Room on Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. Also presenting at the forum w i l l b e Tr a n sp or t at ion Committee Ranking Members and State Rep. Laura Devlin (R-134) and State Sen. Henri Martin (R31). S Western Middle School Principal Gordon Beinstein will represent secondarys cho ol pr i nc ipa l s f rom Connecticut in the National P r i n c i p a l o f t h e Ye a r program. The program will take place in Washington D.C., in September with principals from other states, who will be recognized for their work. Overall, WMS ranks third in the state based on the state Department of E duc at ion’s Sma r ter Balanced Assessment, as well as its Overall Accountability Index that measures schools based on 12 categories. S The Junior League of Greenwich (JLG) hosted its 7th Annual Clean-Up Day at the Byram Park & Beach on Saturday, April 27 to prepare Byram Pool & Park just in time for upcoming summer activities. The JLG partnered with the Greenwich Depa r t ment of Pa rk s & Recreation and Greenwich Green & Clean to execute the cleanup. Additionally, By ra m Neighborhood Association helped recruit additional volunteers within the community.

Boxcar is Celebrating 25 Years and

Gathered together on Arbor Day for the ninth annual Greenwich Tree Conservancy’s Tree Party, held at McArdle’s, were the major players helping to keep this town green. From left to right is GTC President Cheryl Dunson; recently retired Superintendent of Parks and Trees, Bruce Spaman, who serves on GTC’s Advisory Board; GTC Executive Director JoAnn Messina; GTC Tree Party host, James McArdle; and GTC Board Chair, Peter Malkin. Some 200 tree lovers sipped and supped surrounded by luscious bouquets of flowers.

This Place Matters!

First Selectman Peter Tesei kicks off the Historical Society's third annual This Place Matters! campaign.

By Richard Kaufman On Monday morning in f r o n t o f To w n H a l l , F i r s t Selectman, Peter Tesei, issued a proclamation which declared May as "Preservation Month" in the Town of Greenwich. The Greenwich Historical Society also launched its third annual This Place Matters! campaign and photo contest. The initiative is designed to remind residents about the need to preserve the things that make Greenwich special and a great place to live. D e b r a M e c k y, E xe c u t i ve Director and CEO of the H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y, s a i d preservation is extra important in today's world. "A strong sense of place is w h at m a k e s G r e e nw i c h s o attractive and distinctive. Our historic roots, architectural heritage, beautiful landscapes and enviable location on the Long Island Sound, coupled with our vibrant downtown, concer ned gover n ment a nd engaged residents, give us a huge advantage and 'quality of place,'" she said on Monday to a crowd of nearly 40 people. " But, we c a n't t a ke it for granted, especially with the fastpace demolition and rebuilding that is altering our landscape. We need to be careful about not losing our sense of place and the stories that have shaped our community. They matter. They create bridges to the future," she said. With so many organizations in town dedicated to preservation,

such as the Greenwich Land Tr u s t , G r e e n w i c h Po i n t Conservancy, Greenwich Tree Conservancy and the Greenwich Preservation Trust, Mecky said it's time for residents of all ages to "jump on the bandwagon to express support for what makes Greenwich special, distinctive and worth preserving." Mecky of fered several suggestions on how to celebrate Greenw ich's r ich cha rac ter d u r i n g t h e m o n t h o f M a y. She encouraged residents to lea r n a bout Greenw ich's neig h b orho o d s t h r oug h a n interactive map at the Historical Society, and then take a walk to see them up close and personal. She also said residents should take advantage of Greenwich's trails, such as the Louise Mueller Preserve and Trail, or the Greenwich Land Trust's L apha m P reser ve a nd the Audubon's nature sanctuaries and education center. The Bruce Museum and BushHolley House are also valuable resources in learning about Greenwich's history, Mecky said. The This Place Matters! photo contest is a good way for people to get involved, too. Residents of all ages are invited to send in photos of places around town that they love, such as a special street, school, store, restaurant walking trail or garden. Photos c a n b e su bm it te d online by July 1 at g r e e nw i c h h i s to r y.o r g , a n d should contain a brief statement about their location and why they make Greenwich special

and worth preserving. Photos can be low resolution, but high-resolution photos will be chosen as winners. A panel of independent judges will select the winning photos, which will be announced at a reception on Greenwich Founder's Day, July 18, at Innis Arden Cottage. The top three photos w ill b e pu bl ishe d i n Gre enw ich Magazine. The reception on Monday came on the heels of the Historical Society awarding Greenwich with plaques honoring two landmark institutions: Town Hall, which w a s o n c e G r e e nw i c h H i g h School, a nd t he World Wa r I monu me nt on G r e e nw ich Avenue. Te s e i s a i d To w n H a l l sy m bolizes Greenw ich as a whole. "As I look at this building, I see home to our democracy and our citizen government, which is so reliant on volunteers borne out of our history of being a town meeting community, going back to the 17th century," Tesei remarked. "While we're in the 21st century, many of the activities here have vestiges in our long and illustrious history." Te s e i u r ge d e a ch c it i z e n of Greenwich to make a commitment to preserving the places that matter to them. "Greenwich has many structures that create an indelible link between the past a nd t he pr e s e nt , i nclud i n g historic buildings that have

By Paul Silverfarb J a m e s Fa r r e l l , ow n e r o f Boxcar Cantina, along with his father John, for the past six years, says it’s hard to put into words just how much Cinco de Mayo means to him and his restaurant. For t he 2 5t h yea r i n Greenwich, Boxcar Cantina, located on 44 Old Field Point Road, is gearing up for another Cinco de Mayo celebration filled with fun, food and family. While making the final preparations for t he a n nua l celebrat ion, Farrell admits that this will be quite the weekend. “It’s almost like Christmas, New Year’s and everybody’s birthday all wrapped up into one,” Farrell said. “It’s kind of like our biggest event and holiday for the entire year. It’s the most fun we have all year. People are just happy when they come in. They see familiar faces, know the food is going to be good.” There will be a plethora of special food and drink items for the Cinco de Mayo celebration. In addition, Boxcar will extend weekend hours and will open at 11:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. “The fun will be that not only do we get to see our regular customers, but we will get a whole crowd of people that aren’t always in Boxcar,” Farrell said. “The amount of people that come in is really special. It’s wall-to-wall, frankly. You can hardly step into the place.” Fo r F a r r e l l , h a v i n g t h e Greenwich community stop by and celebrate Cinco de Mayo is always a treat. But for the owner of Boxcar, what is more meaningful is that he shares the celebration with people he considers his extended family. “The whole staff gets together and does things like decorate the place with special lights and different decorations,” Farrell said. “We even get the families of the staff involved because we are truly a family business. Being around for 25 years this year and doing that with the staff and their families makes it a really special time. It’s a great time for us and a blast. It’s a ton of fun.” In addition to the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Boxcar C a nt i n a , t h e r e s t au r a nt i s celebrating its 25th year serving the Greenwich community. Without a doubt, Farrell said that one of the main reasons

f o r t h e s u c c e s s o f B ox c a r throughout the years has been the employees. Farrell noted that, on average, most of the staff at the restaurant has been around at least eight years, with some of them having been with the restaurant since it opened. “I am pretty confident when I say that we have the best staff in town and in any of the towns close by,” Farrell said. “My general manager Jeff Wynne is tremendous. They are all warm and friendly. When customers come in, I see them hugging the staff. They know each other. It’s really a two-way street for me. As an owner, I treat my staff really well and they treat me very well. The people part of the restaurant business is the hardest I think, but we are very lucky that we have a terrif ic staff.” Another reason for Boxcar’s success over the past 25 years has been the consistency of t he food. Boxca r head chef Lucio Cruz Castro started at the restaurant 18 years ago as a dishwasher and has worked his way up to head chef. “ H i s fo o d i s c on si s te nt ,” Farrell said. “Whether it’s at the restaurant, in the food truck or even the farmer’s market that we go to in Westport. The food is great. It tastes wonderful and is incredibly consistent.” And while people know to go to Boxcar Cantina for a good time and fantastic food and drinks, Greenwich residents that don’t visit the restaurant on a regular basis still know the name. Farrell believes that being heavily involved in the Greenwich community is vital to Boxcar Cantina’s success. “Because th is tow n has supported us for the past 25 years, we are always tr y i ng to f i nd ways to g ive back , whet her it ’s t h roug h t h e l o c a l o r g a n i z at i o n s o r charities,” Farrell said. “It’s really important that we are connected to the community.” “We like the visibility, so the community knows that we are involved and giving back, and we appreciate their support for so many years,” added Farrell. “Greenwich is a spectacular town and it’s a wonderful place. I’m not so sure that we would have b een as successf u l i n many other towns without the kind of support and base that Greenwich has given us.”

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‘Great Ladies’ Brown and McNamee Honored for Community Service By Anne W. Semmes Nanc y Brow n and Mar y McNamee, between the two, have served the community of Greenwich for over 100 years. Their lifetime achievements, and how their lives have exemplified democratic values, were honored last Su nday, at a n inaug u ra l Greenw ich Democrats Awards Celebration held at t he Hyat t Regenc y. There to pay their respects before 140 attendees were a host of Connecticut Democratic elec te d of f icia ls, G over nor Ned Lamont, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Jim Himes, Lt. G overnor Susan

Bysiewicz, State Senator A lex Bergstein and State Representative Steve Meskers. “Nancy Brown has fought for civil rights and civil liberties,” spoke Blumenthal. “She had the courage to champion those values at a time and in a place when they never would have been thought possible, let alone prevailed.” Brown recalled when she f i rst a r r ive d i n Gre enw ich 6 5 y e a r s a g o , a s a r e c e n t Nancy Brown and Mary McNamee pose for a photo with, from left, Congressman Jim Pratt Institute graduate with Himes, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan a j ob o f fe r at Con de Na s t , Bysiewicz during the Awards Celebration. being refused a room by the she was serving on the Board Community Development, for o f S o ut hwe s te r n Fa i r f i e l d Greenwich YWCA for being an of t he G r e e nw ich Hou si n g nearly 30 years. As a founding County, she led efforts for racial African American. But, by 1975 Authority, then as Director of member of the Urban League

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PATRICIA MAHER

S Indochino, a custom men’s suiting brand, opened up their first Greenwich location at 343 Greenwich Ave. on Monday. The brand has tripled their brick and mortar business over the last four years and has continued to expand, with annual sales now exceeding $100 million.

McArdle's Hosts GTC Arbor Day Tree Party

ANNE W. SEMMES

The Briefing Room