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Greenwitch Sentinel The Greenwich Weekly Newspaper: local, local, local.

October 29, 2021

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The Local News You Need to Know $2.7 MILLION GHS ENTRYWAY PROJECT The Board of Education is officially moving f o r w a r d w i t h p l a n s t o i m p r ove t h e m a i n entrance at Greenwich High School including a rebuilt entryway, making it blast resistant and bullet resistant, as well as more functional and complimentary to the existing school buildings. The current cost of the project is estimated at $2.7 million and scheduled for a preliminary review this coming week. RTM A PPROV ES GIF T FOR NEW CIVIC CENTER FROM THE COHEN FOUNDATION At the RTM meeting on October 25th, the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation gave five million dollars towards the replacement and construction of the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. The new civic center will be named the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center to memorialize their gift. $24 MILLION PROJECT TO IMPROVE OLD GREENWICH SCHOOL Guidelines for a $24 million project to renovate the Old Greenwich School have been unanimously approved by the Board of Education. Renovations and expansion would include three new kindergarten classrooms, a new first grade classroom, updates to the HVAC system, multipurpose room renovations, a new resource

Bandaged in a Wheelchair

By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT

V i sua l i z i ng d i f f ic u lt people in our lives as “injured” can often help us cope, because they truly are “injured” insofar as they relate to us. Of course, they don’t know this, and we have learned that telling them so doesn’t help either of us. V i sua l i z i ng d i f f ic u lt people in humorous ways can also work. Imagining a boss as a petulant fouryear-old w ith pig- tails, a demanding parent as a mummy in a wheelchair, or an annoying relative as a hippo bellowing in the mud can help us smile instead of scream. Both approaches take away the power of the difficult person and calm our fearful brains. We can also limit our exposure to these people, s h ow i n g o n l y c o m m o n

Illustrated by Wajih Chaudhry

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courtesy unless the toxic relationship changes. We can pray for them from an emotional distance, and for ourselves as we seek wisdom to understand our own part in the dynamic of the relationship, the only part we can change. Christina pictured her controlling mother in a s t ra i t ja c k e t . Jo n a th a n pictured his angry father on a hospital bed with his leg in traction. Laura and Gabe pictured Gabe’s intrusive mother as a monkey banging two cymbals. These images kept them all from taking o t h e r p e o p l e’s d i f f i c u l t behavior personally. Greenwich resident, Jill Woolworth is author of the book, The Waterwheel, which is available locally at Diane's B o ok s ( 2 0 3-8 69-1 51 5) or info@dianesbooks.com) or at Amazon.

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Round Hill Association Debate

By Anne White

The Round Hill Association candidate debate was held on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. The debate was held virtually and featured the candidates for First Selectmen, incumbent Republican Fred Camillo, and his Democratic challenger, Bill Kelly. Incumbent Second Selectwoman, Republican Lauren Rabin, also debated her challenger, Democrat Janet Stone McGuigan. Two-minute statements were read by the candidates for Town Clerk and Tax Collector in support of their candidacies. The debate was moderated by John Conte, President of the Round Hill Association. The questions asked of the candidates were su bm it ted by t he pu bl ic a nd Rou nd H i l l Association board members in advance of the event. John Conte opened by saying, "we look forward to a lively and friendly discussion." In answer to the question of priorities, Kelly said his priorities are, "school infrastructure, f looding infrastructure. I'm the construction litigator. I represent some of the biggest projects in New York City. And I understand I have my hard hat, I got my boots and I got my vest." Camillo answered, "my priorities are public safety, schools, public health." The discussion covered a range of topics, including capital projects, Greenwich Public Schools, Greenwich Avenue safety, fire safety in the back country, and the overall vision of each candidate. The discussion also centered on the Board of Estimate and Taxation and the issue of financing and long-term debt. Kelly said, "I served on the BET, and we actually do long-term bonding for Nathaniel Witherell. We also do it for the sewers. So we we're going to do a major project, certainly with the treasury rates at what, 2.1 for 20 year treasury bonds right now? This is not the 1980s when the treasuries were 15%. They are 2%. So, yes, you would have some long-term for a major project." Camillo responded by saying, "Long-term bonding, long-term debt is not a good thing. We saw what happened with a lot of cities and some

of our neighbors. So I don't support that. When I was on the parks board, we acquired two thirds of the Tuchman Pomerance property. So we did a modified pay as you go. I think it was a five year note. We paid it off quickly. That I'm open to. We do have some long-term, as my opponent said, that's dedicated to Nathaniel Witherell and the sewers, but, you've got to be very, very careful." As the debate moved forward, the tone got more contentious as Kelly said, "I don't want to get political. I'm not the career politician here." Camillo, whose only full-time political position has been as First Selectman said, "I was in the private sector most of my life. That's just a cheap shot, and it's not needed here." H e we nt o n to s ay, " t h a t 's n o t w h a t everybody's here for. They're here for your vision. And, yes, my record is open. As Bill Parcells says, 'You are what your record says you are.' I'm running on my record and my vision, but I'm not going to keep deflecting and going over about the Democratic BOE members or the Democratic BET members. It's not fair to the audience here." Kelly countered, "you don't get a vote in the BET," Kelly said, "but you do use your bully pulpit. You do get to prioritize. You do get to say, 'That should come first. This should come second. That's what you need to do.' That's what we need to do as First Selectman." Camillo said, "I work well with both parties and the BET... But it's not a dictatorship. Our government's set up in a way where you have

checks and balances. Anybody who thinks they can run roughshod over somebody is going to be in for an awful hard time." B e fo r e t h e d e b ate b e g a n t h e r e we r e staements from Town Clerk candidates and Tax Collector candiddates. Jack ie Bud k i n s empha si z e d p ersona l interaction, trust and service in the Town Clerk's office as priorities while Molly Saleeby emphasized modernization and technology. Heather Smeriglio, the current Tax Collector, said that she was able, "to work with the town's RTM to put into place a 90 day deferment program, helping many residents and business owners. Despite the delay in payment, I am pleased to report the collection rate of real estate taxes for 2020 was 99.64." She went on to say "I brought in three million in back taxes, without running a tax sale. This year, I was able to precollect $35 million before the July 1st due date, putting the town in one of the best financial positions ever." Her opponent, Trevor Crow, sa id she understands the job better because she has a degree in f inance and in family therapy, "understanding both, the emotional and financial aspects of the job." She went on to say, "When I am tax collector, I will keep Greenwich residents and The Board of Estimate And Taxations, apprised of delinquent tax accounts and the steps my office is taking to collect on them." The transcript without commentary can be found on the Greenwich Sentinel website.

What Every Parent Should Know

By Molly King Fall is a time when families are trying to find their footing in terms of establishing routines and expectations. The transition from relaxed summer schedules to the new school year typically requires resets and reminders. Whether you’re setting bedtimes or screen times, you are likely to face a barrage of questions and pushback from your children that often occur as a response to close parental supervision. R e c e n t l y, l e a d e r s f r o m Gr e enw ich Toget her, a lo c a l prevention council consisting of more than 30 community groups, local public and private schools, and youth advocates, reported the results of the Greenwich Together Youth Survey at a virtual meeting open to all parents. This was the second time they have shared survey results on youth behaviors and there were some significant takeaways intended specifically for parents and the schools that partner with them. Highlights from the data are worth repeating: * Ac ross a l l g rade s, most youth did not use alcohol or any substances. * Among those who did use su bst a nce s, a lcohol was t he substance most frequently used and older students were more li kely to d r in k tha n you nger students. *Students who were abusing substances were typically doing so in their own homes or the homes of other people. *When researchers compared d r i n ke r s w it h non- d r i n ke r s across all grades, the predictors of alcohol use in general and alcohol use w it h i n t he past 3 0 days were correlated with parental

supervision and expectations. Other data showed that there w a s a d i s c r e p a n c y b e t we e n parent and youth perceptions of clear family rules discouraging alcohol use: * Parents overestimated the clarity of their family rules around alcohol. * A quarter of high school parents surveyed said they felt pressure to teach their child to drink so they will be prepared for college. * Parents of youth in 11th and 12th grades (when alcohol use spikes, in relative terms) who were most committed to having clear rules regarding drinking and who monitored their children’s whereabouts had children who were much less likely to drink. These results are clear and compel ling. Pa rents ca n a nd should feel confident that when they engage in discussions with their children and clearly communicate their behavioral expectations, it has a positive impact. B o b b y Wa l k e r, J r. , G A’s assistant head for student and community life, is one of GA’s representatives for Greenwich Together. Encouraged by the survey results, he said: “The committee was pleased to see in the survey that the data disproves the popular theory that everyone drinks or uses drugs. There are more children not consuming alcohol or taking drugs than doing so. With this knowledge in hand, parents should feel empowered to continue encouraging their children to abstain from using substances without thinking that their child will miss out on social activities." Also representing GA on the committee is Dr. Lauren Winston, chair of Greenwich Academy’s Health and Wellness Department. Armed with great information and a shared purpose, Lauren is keenly aware of the opportunity

we have at this par ticular moment in time. She said, “We all came to the same conclusion that parent involvement is the key to preventi ng su bsta nce use. The messages parents send their children about alcohol are critically important and have a tremendous impact on their children’s behavior. Frequent, consistent, and unequivocal rules from parents forbidding alcohol really work! Youth need to hear a strong message from parents repeatedly throughout their entire time in middle and high school.” I want to commend Greenwich Chief of Police Jim Heavey and then executive director of the Department of Human Services Alan Barry for establishing the Greenwich Prevention Council back in 2018. The council evolved to become Greenwich Together, uniting leaders from all of our town’s public and private schools as well as key community advocates for health and safety. T h e G r e e n w i c h To g e t h e r Committee and survey represent the f irst time that all school leaders have teamed up on a survey and a critically important message of partnership. The bulk of the school year i s a h e a d o f u s a n d we h ave a wo n d e r f u l o p p o r t u n it y to st reng t hen t he t ie s b et we en school, home, and the shared values of the broader community. I often speak of the vital partnership that exists between GA and our parent body, for which I am deeply grateful. Let’s all work together to keep our kids safe and to help them feel the confidence and sense of promise that we see in them. Onward! Molly King is the head of school at Greenwich Academy; she holds a BA from Bowdoin College and a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

11 Year Old's Incredible Sock Drive

Th ree yea rs ago, elevenye a r- o l d Ja c k s o n B o g a r du s decided to start a local sock drive, “SOCKTOBER”, for the month of October. He learned that socks are one of the items most needed in homeless shelters so he is collecting new socks for both adults and children and donating them to Inspirica in Stamford and other local charities. Inspirica seeks to break the cycle of homelessness by p r ov i d i n g t h e p r o g r a m s and ser v ices that help their clients achieve – and maintain – permanent housing and stability in their lives. Last year, Jackson held his 2nd annual sock drive called Socktober during the month of October in the Greenwich, CT Community and collected 8,380 pairs of new socks for Inspirica in Stamford, CT. The sock company Bombas contacted Jackson and also donated pairs of socks to support his drive. "I am so proud of Jackson's effort with his drive and Jackson hopes to inspire other kids to get involved helping others," said his father, Bill. J a c k s o n ’s S O C K T O B E R donat ion bi n s c a n b e fou nd throug hout the Greenw ich community. In addition, socks can be purchased and donated at Threads and Treads. Let's help Jackson reach his goal of collecting 2000 pairs of socks by the end of this month (in three days!). Bins are available at the below locations for you to bring socks to donate: Threads and Treads Greenwich; Aux Delices - Riverside; Greenwich Pediatric Dental Group - Greenwich; Riverside School (for students only); Eastern Middle School (for students only); and the Greenwich Botanical Center - Cos Cob. Visit https://www. jacksonssocktober.com/ online for more information.