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FRIDAY, May 31, 2019
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Christ Church Choirs Celebrate 85 Rejoice! The Christ Church Choirs Are More Amazing Than Ever
S The Connecticut House of Representatives has voted to adopt a series proposals Gov. Lamont i ntroduced t hat a re d e s i g n e d t o i mpr o v e the ad m i n istration of elections and increase vot er tu r nout. Hou se Bill 7160 would enact automatic voter r e g i s t r at ion , s e ek t o reduce delays du r i n g election day registration, allow people on parole to vote, modernize election forms, and allow electronic signatures. The legislation now goes for a vote in the State S e n a t e. I f ap p r o v e d , Lamont has indicated that he will sign it.
S H a m i l t o n Av e n u e
School will have a new Principal as of July 1, Sh a nt a M. Sm it h. A n educator for 19 years and a school administrator s i n c e 2010, Sm it h i s c u r r ent ly ser v i n g a s Principal of Edgewood Creative Thinking Through STEAM Magnet School in New Haven. For more on this story, go to GreenwichSentinel.com
S A P ubl ic Hea r i n g
regarding the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center will take place on June 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall meeting room. The meeting will focus on the potential rehabi l itation or new construction of the civic center, with public input.
S The Boys and Girls
Club of Greenw ich celebrated its Reading Cha mpions last week. I n pa r t nersh ip w it h the Greenw ich P ubl ic Schools, since inception in 2008, the Greenwich U n i t e d Wa y r e a d i n g prog ra m has assisted o v e r 3 ,0 0 0 c h i l d r e n in striv ing to achieve individual reading goals i n f luency a nd boasts over 4,000 volu nt eer hours each year.
S Gabriele's of Greenwich is now serving Sunday brunch. (203) 622-4223.
S Congratulations to all
of the participants in the Woma n’s Self Defense C l a s s who g r a du at e d from the program this w e e k! T h e f i v e -w e e k self-defense class was i nstr ucted by GPD Of f icers. Pa r ticipa nts learned firsthand techniques in self-defense and ground fighting.
choir parents will be invited to a reception and Q & A session, while children enjoy will pizza and supervised games. The event concludes at 7:00pm, with a 45-minute choral concert. The program will include music from across the centuries, as well as a piece for combined choirs written especially for the choirs of Christ Church Greenwich. All are invited to one or all
parts of this choral showcase, and no previous singing experience or religious affiliation is necessary. Jamie Hitel continues: “Our mission of excellence in choral performance for young people accords with the vision of our new Rector, Rev. Marek Zabriskie, who aims to build on the strengths of the music program to invite n e w p e op l e i nto ou r c hu r c h community. Christ Church Music
is already known for its musical strength across the world; our goal with this choral showcase is to reintroduce this rich educational offering to the local Greenwich community. We invite the public to join us for this wonderful time of music-making and fun.” Ch r i st Chu r ch Mu sic i s a renowned world-class RSCMcertified church music program. A model of the Anglican choral
tradition with a rich history and global reach, it offers eight active choirs, concerts, tours, and a vibrant teen scholar program. From enriching liturg y and worship, to training musicians, Ch r ist Chu rch Music creates community and develops musical excellence. Striving to foster and strengthen a lifelong appreciation for music in children and adults, the prog ram of fers abundant opportunities for singers, instrumentalists, and listeners. Christ Church Choirs celebrate their 85th anniversary this year. Since 1934, the choirs of Christ Church Greenwich have been been home to hundreds of girls and boys, providing them with q ua l it y musica l education i n vocal technique, music theory and history, as well as frequent performance opportunities, and a small monetary allowance. In addition, social activities foster friendships and fun, including sports, camp, tours. No previous musical experience or religious affiliation is required. The Senior Warden of Christ Church Greenw ich, G eorge B e l s h aw, i s a p a r e nt o f t wo
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Be Prepared for Heavy I-95 Traffic
By Paul Silverfarb
Although the traffic nightmare from the I-95 bridge replacement will take place mainly in Stamford, Greenwich will certainly have its share of headaches. Lt. John Slusarz, Greenwich Police Department’s Public Information Officer, is overseeing the town’s traffic situation during the construction in Stamford. “The best thing to do is plan for the worst and hope for the best,” Slusarz said. “Obviously, when I-95 gets shut anywhere within a proximity, there are delays. The off ramps are going down to 20 miles per hour, and we expect the delays to back up through Greenwich. So,
9 on-ramps, on both I-95 North and South, will be closed, and Route 1 will be reduced to only one lane in both directions. At 9 p.m., the Exit 9 offramps on both I-95 North and South will close, and Route 1 will close to all traffic between Courtland Street and Seaside Avenue. Two hours later, motorists along I-95 in both directions will be detoured onto two-lane temporary roadways located at the on and off ramps. That will remain in effect until June 3, at 5 a.m., when all I-95 travel lands and we are planning for that. Time will tell Exit 9 will take place over the course of Exit 9 on and off ramps will be open. In how much of a delay it will cause.” the next two weekends. The closure of I-95 in Stamford at Starting at 6 p.m., on May 31, Exit Please turn to page A4
Mullis, Cassidy Honored
By Richard Kaufman
Under bright blue skies at the picturesque Indian Harbor Yacht Club, the Town of Greenwich held its annual Memorial Day dockside ceremony on Monday. This year's ceremony honored women and the role they've played in the armed ser v ices and in defending freedom. Greenwich r e s i d e n t a n d N a v y ve t e r a n , 95-year-old Winona Mullis, and Lt. Col. Jennifer Cassidy, U.S. Air Force (retired), were both recognized for their service and spoke briefly. "Far too little attention has been paid to the sacrif ices and contr i butions made by ma ny millions of selfless women in the war effort," said Peter LeBeau, commander of the Greenwich American Legion Post 29, in his opening remarks. LeBeau noted the many women who acted as spies and couriers for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, those who served as nurses on the battlefield, tending to wounded soldiers, and the countless number of women who helped build warships, fighter planes and tanks. "Their unself ish dedication was, to say the very least, critical to achieving our ultimate victory. They gave so much time and time again, and in a very real sense, what they did was as meaningful as the bloodshed in combat by our boys," LeBeau added. First Selectman, Peter Tesei, said he could not think of a better venue than the Indian Harbor
JOHN FERRIS ROBBEN
Stamford w ill be shut down in both directions this weekend for br id ge repla cement. The Greenw ich Pol ice Department is advising all motorists and residents to ex pect significant and severe traffic delays beginning on Fri., May 31 (p.m.) through Mon., June 3 (early a.m.) and again f r o m J u n e 7 ( p . m .) through June 10 (early a . m .). M o t o r i s t s a r e strongly advised to avoid t he a rea du r i n g t he closure times.
Rejoice! celebrates 85 years of music-making at the heart of the community for the Choirs of Christ Church Greenwich. The spring choral showcase takes place on Saturday, June 1, beginning at 5:00pm in the Christ Church Greenwich sanctuary. “ T h i s i s a n e xc it i n g t i me for chora l mu sic fa n s i n ou r community,” says Jamie Hitel, Director of Music, Christ Church Greenwich. “Under new church leadership, Christ Church Music has gone from strength to strength. Its mission of immersing young performers in choral music has never been more relevant, building community and forming an appreciation of artistic endeavor. As a result, our choirs have seen more than 10% growth, as parents and young people realize the intellectual and personal benefits of a unique choral education in their own backyard.” The choral showcase begins at 5:00pm. Everyone is invited to drop in and observe the Christ Chu r ch Choi r s i n r ehe a r s a l . Information will be available about opportunities for singing at Christ Church. At 6:00pm, prospective
OCEARCH
S I-95 at E x it 9 i n
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jennifer Cassidy speaks to the crowd in attendance during Monday’s annual dockside ceremony at Indian Harbor Yacht Club. Yacht Club to begin Greenwich's Memorial Day observances. "We all know that freedom is not free. As we gather each year for Memorial Day, we are reminded of that enormous sacrifice that was given so we could live in the freest country in the world," he said. Cassidy, the keynote speaker, served for 20 years in the Air Force as a Public Affairs Officer involved with media relations and communications. She served two tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Cassidy spoke about the history of women in the armed services. She highlighted the creation of the Army and Navy Nurses Corps in the early 1900's, which allowed when to officially become members
of the military. During World War I, women signed up for stateside duty, and even went overseas during World War II. But after each war, the numbers were reduced and the women weren't needed anymore. The Women's Armed Services Act of 1948 gave women permanent status in all four services, but there were restrictions, which were lifted in later years. By the 1990's, over 41,000 women made up seven percent of the armed services in the Persian Gulf. The frontlines were not what they used to be. Cassidy then spoke about some of the women she served with, including one in the National Guard who stopped a known terrorist
from trying to embed herself in the media, and another who was able to fly her bullet-riddled, disabled plane over an hour to safety after flying over Baghdad. Cassidy challenged the audience of about 200 people to accomplish three things on Memorial Day. " Nu m b e r o n e , i f you'r e a veteran, share a memory. For the rest of us on this day, take a moment and honor a memory. For all of us, go out and make a memory," Cassidy said. Mullis spoke briefly about her time training as a codebreaker with IBM in New York City before WWII as a member of the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer
Emergency Service). "It was really a sense of patriotism and sense of contribution for me as I served my country," Mullis said. "The many experiences I had, the opportunities and the training I was given, really helped prepare me for the work I chose to do as my life skill, and that was teaching and serving others." Since then, Mullis said, many women have devoted their lives to advancing freedom all over the world. "As we honor the men and women who served and gave lives for their country to make it a free nation, let us honor those who are still defending the right of freedom," she added.