Greenwich - March 2024

MARCH 2024

GREENWICH MAGAZINE MARCH 2024

VOL. 77, NO. 2 GREENWICH MAGAZINE (USPS 961-500/ISSN 1072-2432)

68 VISION

Kathryn Webster has achieved more in her twenty-eight years than most do in a lifetime. And the trailblazer is ready to change the status quo—advocating for the visually impaired in the corporate world.

by jill johnosn mann

76 THE CALL OF THE WILD

Landscape experts weigh in on what’s glamming up our backyards. Topping the list—native and ornamental grasses, pollinator plants, wildly colorful flowers and luxury features like plunge pools.

by tom connor

departments

14 EDITOR’S LETTER

16 NOTABLE NOTES

19 STATUS REPORT

BUZZ Get ready, kids! The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich is about to get a major facelift. SHOP From stripes and pastels to jackets and vests, these great finds will keep you on-trend this spring. DOThe Bruce Museum helps you hit the road to explore Connecticut’s architecturally historic buildings. GO Just like Paris, the Cape is always a good idea. And the Chatham Bars Inn is the perfect retreat for every season.

HOME Add some whimsical touches to your interior design. EAT Siren in Old Greenwich welcomes guests with its warm Mediterranean vibe and delicious, authentic cuisine.

48 MONEY MATTERS

Learn how to build your team of financial advisors, tax pros, attorneys and insurance advisers.

50 G-MOM

Arming your medicine cabinet—and immune system—to help you and your kids fight off everything from the sniffles to the flu; Usher in spring with these fun activities.

57 PEOPLE & PLACES

Greenwich United Way; Moffly Media’s Light a Fire; Hospital for Special Surgery; Greenwich Historical Society; Pink Aid; Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich; YWCA Greenwich

85 CALENDAR

95 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

96 POSTSCRIPT Going green has never been so cute.

greenwichmag.com

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LEADING RECRUITER FOR DISCERNING CLIENTELE

We

LIFE TO LIFESTYLE SINCE 1 9 47

editorial

editorial director

Cristin Marandino–cristin.marandino@moffly.com

social editor

Alison Nichols Gray–ali.gray@moffly.com

founding editor

Donna Moffly–donna@moffly.com

contributing editors

Melinda Anderson–editor, stamford

Megan Gagnon–editor, athome

Elizabeth Hole–editor, custom publishing

Eileen Murphy–editor, new canaan • darien

Samantha Yanks–editor, westport copy editors

Terry Christofferson, David Podgurski

senior writers

Timothy Dumas, Chris Hodenfield, Jane Kendall, Bill Slocum, Riann Smith contributing writers

Eileen Bartels, Liz Baron, Michelle Calarco, Tom Connor, Carol Leonetti Dannhauser, Hannah Deeley, Valerie Foster, Kim-Marie Galloway, Mary Kate Hogan, Layla Lisiewski, Jill Johnson Mann, Georgette Yacoub

editorial advisory board

Susan Bevan, Susan Moretti Bodson, Alyssa Keleshian Bonomo, Bobbi Eggers, Kim-Marie Evans, Muffy Fox, Lisa Lori, Jessica Mindich

art

senior art director

Venera Alexandrova–venera.alexandrova@moffly.com production director

Tim Carr–tim.carr@moffly.com

assistant art director

Lisa Servidio–lisa.servidio@moffly.com

senior photographer Bob Capazzo

digital media audience development editor

Kaitlin Madden–kaitlin.madden@moffly.com

digital marketing manager

Rachel MacDonald–rachel.macdonald@moffly.com

digital assistant

Lloyd Gabi–lloyd.gabi@moffly.com

digital assistant

Jeffery Garay–jeffery.garay@moffly.com

Calendar@Moffly.com

Editor@GreenwichMag.com

Weddings@GreenwichMag.com

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STAMFORD GREENWICH WEST HARTFORD NAPLES BONITA SPRINGS PALM BEACH GARDENS

publisher

Jonathan Moffly jonathan@moffly.com

sales & marketing

Gina Fusco publisher; new canaan•darien & rowayton gina.fusco@moffly.com

Gabriella Mays publisher; westport•weston•wilton gabriella.mays@moffly.com

Jonathan Moffly publisher; athome, fairfield living, stamford, ocean house jonathan@moffly.com

Hilary Hotchkiss account executive hilary.hotchkiss@moffly.com

Morgan Howell account executive morgan.howell@moffly.com

Kathleen Dyke partnership and big picture manager kathleen.godbold@moffly.com

Emily Klaeboe interim partnership and big picture manager emily.klaeboe@moffly.com

Lemuel Bandala sales assistant lemuel.bandala@moffly.com

Eillenn Bandala executive assistant eillenn.bandala@moffly.com

business president Jonathan W. Moffly

editorial director Cristin Marandino

business manager Elena Moffly elena@moffly.com

cofounders John W. Moffly IV & Donna C. Moffly

SCAN TO EXPLORE OUR DIGITAL SIDE

NO EXCUSES

Ioften say that the biggest perk of this job is being trusted to tell the stories of the remarkable personalities who call Greenwich home—leaders in business, art, entertainment, philanthropy … The list goes on.

This month, we put the spotlight on a young woman whose life narrative is not just compelling but a call to action for all of us. How often do we say, “I’ll do this when (fill in excuse here)?” or “I’d do it, but …?” That way of thinking doesn’t compute with Kathryn Webster. To say she is excuse-averse would be an enormous understatement. As the founder of TAD (Technology, Accessibility & Design), Kathryn is at the forefront of creating a more inclusive world by bridging the divide between the corporate workplace and the visually impaired. (Approximately 75 percent of blind Americans are unemployed.) She challenges us to recognize the profound impact embracing diversity can have.

Born blind, Kathryn never allowed her lack

of sight to define her. Instead, she consistently shattered barriers, challenged societal expectations and rewrote the script on what’s possible. In “Vision” (page 68) Jill Johnson Mann sits down with the changemaker to discuss her journey. We discover that her resolve to empower others doesn’t come from her blindness alone, it’s a reflection of her deep-seated belief in the potential of individuals to contribute meaningfully to society, regardless of physical limitations.

It’s easy to call Kathryn’s story inspiring because of her success despite her blindness. But that’ll really irk her. She advocates for achievements to be recognized for their value and impact—not because of perceived hurdles. And the value and impact of her achievements rival those of the most successful business leaders. We know you’ll enjoy meeting her as much as we did.

HOW TO SCAN: OPEN, AIM & TAP

Sports Camps & Summer Session

Academic instruction and sports camps for students in Pre Kindergarten through Grade 12.

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JOIN THE CLUB!

FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS, THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREENWICH HAS PROVIDED OUR KIDS WITH A SAFE, FUN AND EDUCATIONAL SPACE, AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET A MAJOR MAKEOVER

by valerie foster

When the Boys Club of Greenwich opened in 1910, its purpose was to provide athletic and recreational programs to boys from disadvantaged homes. It took seventy-five years for girls to join the club, which meant a name change to the current Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich. As the club grew, so did its locations— from a storefront on the Post Road, then to Railroad Avenue, to its present historic Georgian-style Clubhouse on Horseneck Lane. It’s been twenty years since the last major renovation, and according to Cristina Vittoria, CEO, it was time for a redo, in this case a $22.5 million, 10,000-square-foot addition and expansion of the Clubhouse. We sat down with Cristina to learn all about the project.

GM: WHY DID YOU DECIDE THAT THIS IS THE TIME FOR RENOVATION?

CV: The Clubhouse is in desperate need of renovation and modernization. We were dealing with an outdated infrastructure, such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC and technical systems. We also needed to modernize the facility and make some enhancements.

We knew we needed to think about how we serve our kids and the community. Our needs keep growing with the changing times. The children and teens who call this place their home away from home need academic, health and fitness services. Our goal is to make sure that every child graduates from high school, and they graduate with a plan.

GM: THERE ARE MANY CHANGES PLANNED AT THE CLUBHOUSE, BUT LET’S START WITH THE ENTRANCE.

CV: It’s so important today to have a secure

The Boys & Girls Club reimagined: the outdoor amphitheater, a classroom and the new exterior

entrance. There will be an elongated drop-off and pickup area, a more secure vestibule and upgraded security throughout the building. Once you enter, there will also be seating for parents in the lobby.

We’re also building a new gymnasium with a regulation-size court for basketball, volleyball and other activities. Plus, there will be bleachers for parent spectators. The old gym will become a dance, fitness and theater space.

The majority of our kids come for after-school care. Plans call for doubling the academic and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) instructional space.

We’re also increasing and upgrading the Teen Center into a space of its own, a fun, safe place. Of course, the infrastructure changes figure prominently in the plans.

GM: HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU SERVE ANNUALLY?

CV: There are 1,955 members ages six through eighteen.

The breakdown is 55 percent elementary schoo, 28 percent middle school and 17 percent high school.

GM: SINCE THE CONSTRUCTION WILL NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL THE SPRING OF 2025, WHERE ARE YOUR PROGRAMS BEING HELD?

CV: We are very committed that during the renovation and expansion, there will be no disruption to the programming. We will continue to serve the kids who rely on our services. We have five different locations throughout Greenwich that have stepped up and are helping us. Both before and after-school programs are in St. Roch’s education building and New Lebanon School. Basketball and soccer are at Western Middle School. BGCG Advance [a specialized program for children in grades first through third to enhance academic performance] is at Hamilton Avenue School, and our swim team is at the YMCA. Early on, we began educating

parents at town halls about the changes that would be taking place and explained to them exactly what would be happening.

GM: IS THERE A COST TO JOIN THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB?

CV: There is an annual $75 membership fee; and although scholarships are only given for summer camp, we never want price to be a barrier to accessing our programs, so we do offer a payment plan.

GM: HOW DID YOU RAISE THE FUNDS FOR THIS $22.5 MILLION PROJECT?

CV: The funding is largely from private, individual contributions and family foundations. About 20 percent of the overall project— $6.5 million—is from state bonding.

GM: THERE ARE MORE THAN 5,000 BOYS & GIRLS CLUB LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

CV: There are two factors that set us apart. The first is our vast, robust alumni community that supports us in many ways. Some bring their kids here to participate. Others, volunteer. For example, they take part in job and college panels. If kids are interested in a certain industry, we can connect them with alumni. Our police and resource officers come back and play ping-pong with the kids. Many alumni provide financial support through donations. Some leave bequests in their wills.

And we focus on service, athletics and healthy lifestyles—character building—through many of our programs. For example, we work on self-esteem, building a strong sense of self, teaching that character matters. And our kids volunteer at various activities in the community.

We are proud of the programs we offer and grateful to the Greenwich community for all the help they have given us over the years and are supplying now during the renovations and expansion.

Taking the Club to new heights—an archtiect rendering of what the building will look like

One of America’s Best Hospitals, right here in Norwalk

The only hospital in Connecticut ranked among the top 1% in the nation

Norwalk Hospital, part of Nuvance Health, is the only hospital in Connecticut to receive the America’s Top 50 Best Hospitals award from Healthgrades. Norwalk Hospital has been consistently ranked for top quality by Healthgrades for the last seven years in a row. This means that you and your family have access to nationally-ranked care, right in your community where you live and work. Norwalk Hospital is proud to be recognized among the top 1% in the nation, because quality of care matters. And, what matters most to you, matters to us.

Spri ngTrends

The runway’s freshest picks are designed to make your wardrobe bloom!

BY HANNAH DEELY

STRIPES PASTELS CROPPED JACKETS

VESTS NEUTRALS JEWELRY

The Lineup

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KULE Cotton Blend Knit Sweater, $398; kule.com

LOUISA BALLOU Cotton Polo Maxi Dress, $550; net-a-porter.com

Sambae Leather Sneaker, $110; adidas.com

ISABEL MARANT Darwen Jacquard Tote, $295, Norwalk; nordstrom.com

HERE’S HOW TO PUT A SPORTY STRIPE THIS SPRING

ROSIE ASSOULIN High-Rise Maxi Skirt, $995; modaoperandi.com

TWIST ON THE CLASSIC PREPPY

PHILLIP LIM

Pretty Pastels

LOVESHACKFANCY Cotton Blend Tweed Jacket, $595, Greenwich; loveshackfancy.com

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Patent Leather

Slingback Pumps, $925, Norwalk; nordstrom.com

SOFTEN UP YOUR SEASONAL

TORY BURCH

OLIVER PEOPLES

Kienna Acetate Sunglasses, $440, Greenwich; oliverpeoples.com

WARDROBE WITH OUR PICKS THAT ARE AS SWEET AS SORBET

MONOGRAM MARY

Canvas Fringe Tote; $128 (including free monogram), Old Greenwich; monogrammary.com

ASHA BY ASHLEY MCCORMICK

Embroidered Linen Caftan, $495, Greenwich; ashabyadm.com

ULLA JOHNSON

Silk Kaia Dress, $1,390; ullajohnson.com

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FRAME Cinched V-Neck Blouse, $328, Greenwich; frame-store.com

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18K Yellow Gold

Pear Cut Diamond Ring, $3,630, Fairfield; hcreidjewelers.com

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WARDROBE AND ENJOY EFFORTLESS STYLE ALL SEASON

Diamond “North Star”

Pendant, $3,300, Greenwich; shrevecrumpandlow.com

PETER SUCHY

Pink And Green Tourmaline Earrings, $1,940, Stamford; petersuchy jewelers.com

Australian Opal and Diamond Platinum Drop Earrings, $37,500, Greenwich; stevenfoxjewelry.com

manfredijewels.com Earrings,

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Jaipur Color 18K Yellow Gold And Multicolored Gemstone Necklace, $5,380, Greenwich;

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Gold and Ceramic Sicily Bangles, $37,500 each, Greenwich; famille greenwich.com

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Prasiolite and Malachite Oval Ring, Greenwich; betteridge.com

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14K Yellow Gold and Diamond Link Earrings, $1,200, Greenwich and Westport; jlrocks.com

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DAVID YURMAN

Madison 18K Yellow Gold Chain Bracelet, $3,200; Westport, lbgreen.com

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Aquamarine and Pear-Shaped Morganite

With Amethyst in Handmade 18K White Gold Earrings, $12,500, Stamford; (203) 363-2200

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IF YOUR PHILOSOPHY IS THAT LESS IS MORE, THEN THESE  UNDERSTATED LOOKS ARE FOR YOU

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ARITZIA High-Waisted Crepe Cargo Pants, $148, Greenwich; aritzia.com

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Suede Buckle Slide Sandal, $875, Westport; mitchells .mitchellstores.com

Jax Button Front Twill Dress, $398, Greenwich; veronicabeard.com

Suede Lecce Wrap Belt, $295, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com

Leather Atlantis GM Bag,

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VERONICA BEARD

BA&SH Cotton Cargo Jacket, $425, Darien; darien sportshop.com

by kim-marie galloway

A Gem in All Seasons

READY FOR A LUXURIOUS RETREAT that’s just a car ride away? We sure are

If Wes Anderson attempted to capture classic New England, with its shingled cottages, wild beaches and bracing ocean breezes, he’d film at Chatham Bars Inn. The Inn opened its doors in 1914 as a hunting lodge for discerning Bostonians. Even then, it appealed to the luxury market, offering swanky new amenities such as saltwater baths and steam heat. Over a century and many renovations later, Chatham Bars Inn is still the place to stay on Cape Cod. Returning guests may say it is the Cape.

From Henry Ford to Bruno Mars, this little dot on the map where the Mayflower first landed has seen its share of the rich and fabulous. Today, guests make the journey to the edge of the eastern seaboard for many reasons: a classic summer vacation, a weekend of sport fishing on one of the Inn's boats, whale watching, daytrips to Nantucket, a recent Robert Burns’ supper or for upcoming Wellness Weekends in partnership with Canyon Ranch.

greenwichmag.com

A vacation on the Cape has been a summer rite of passage for generations. But we could argue that Chatham Bars Inn is a year-round destination. From January through March, the Inn invites travelers to “activate their winter” with wine tasting and mixology classes, iPhone photography, astronomy, line dancing and an art series.

There's a room to suit every vacationer, from multigenerational families to romance-seeking couples. Book a suite or two in an Ocean View cottage and load in all the grandkids. Heck, bring the dog—the hotel is pet-friendly. The suites have separate bedrooms with sofa beds in the living room. Families looking for even more space can rent the stand-alone Kettledrum House, which sleeps ten.

Want to leave the kids behind? Book one

above: Everyone feels at home at the Chatham Bars Inn.

Words rarely used to describe vegetable gardens. Words frequently used to describe ours. Your property is an extension and reflection of your lifestyle and impeccable taste. Homefront Farmers understands this. The organic gardens we design, build, and maintain are works of art that blend seamlessly into your landscape. Our expert farmers take loving care of your ‘homestead’ to produce exceptional tasting vegetables, fruit, flowers, and honey, all season long for your family.

Delight in the joy and satisfaction of growing your own food at home… effortlessly.

of the twelve spa suites (conveniently located just above the spa). Each has a private in-room wood sauna, oversized hydrotherapy tub, steam shower and cozy fireplace. Indulge in spa treatments ranging from CBD massages to oxygen facials. No children are allowed, so it’s not your fault the kids had to stay home.

The Inn is only a ten-minute walk from downtown Chatham. But why walk if you can borrow one of the classic bikes with wicker baskets for hauling swag bought at the famous Black Dog t-shirt shop in town? And, thanks to a new partnership, guests also have access to Lexus vehicles, which are on loan for a few hours so you sightsee or book for over-sand excursions.

You’ll want to stay on the property for dinner. The award-winning STARS restaurant has the only ocean view of any eatery in Chatham. It’s the definition of classic New England, with Norman Rockwell's “Spirit of America” hanging over the fireplace. The menu keeps it local with Cape Cod oysters, American Waygu and produce from the Inn’s farm. In summertime, the Beachhouse Grill is the place to be. Chilled lobster rolls and refreshing cocktails are a must. Guests can also book a clambake on the private beach. And if your crew has a lucky day of fishing on one of the Inn’s boats, bring in the catch and the chef will prepare it for your dinner.

Chatham Bars Inn recently received the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award, reserved for the most luxurious properties worldwide—only 360 hotels boast this accomplishment.

If you’re looking for a winter escape, the room rates are tempting, starting at $356 per night in the Main Inn and running to just over $1,000 per night for the Presidential Suite. Starting rates will climb by the July 4th weekend to $1,200 per night. Be sure to check out the events calendar for upcoming art series, line dancing and mixology classes. chathambarsinn.com

above: A homey vibe welcomes guests.

left: The stunning coastline

below: The Inn's fleet of cars lets guests cruise around in luxury.

above: Have a meal fit for, well, a star at the Inn's STARS restaurant— Provincetown scallops with sunchoke risotto, pancetta and aged balsamico. below: Well-appointed New England luxury is a hallmark of the Inn.

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1 IN COMMON WITH Gemma sconce in blackened brass; starting at $1,500. incommonwith.com

2 PARK EUN-KOOK KoKo table; $7,680. 1stdibs.com

3 AERIN Odette bookends; $695 for set of two. aerin.com

4 AND OBJECTS Leckford Stool; $4,084. andobjects.com

5 NOIR Cooper mirror in metal with brass finish; $2,085 Beehive, Fairfield; thebeehive fairfield.com

6 TROY LIGHTING Miela floor lamp by Loft & Thought; $990. Chloe Winston Lighting Design, Norwalk, 203-9578686; chloewinston lighting.com

7 JONATHAN CHARLES Orb dining table; $6,560. Schwartz Design Showroom, Stamford; schwartzdesign showroom.com

MODERN BOBBIN DETAILS

—alexis varbero, owner + ceo, schwartz design showrooms

“modern bobbin designs seamlessly intertwine the essence of traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary twist, skillfully reimagining its form across diverse categories in unexpectedly innovative ways.”

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through the pursuit of perfection enhancing your property

A rare fence company is one that has the good taste, the craftsmanship, and the experience to build a fence that actually enhances your property. We have been serving our customers for over 30 years ~ from large estates to quaint backyards ~ in all the styles and materials you’re looking for. Let us show you how a properly built fence can enhance the value of your property.

First

From New Canaan: a 20-minute drive via CT-15 S

From Greenwich: a 15-minute drive

MODERN MARVELS

GREENWICH’S BRUCE MUSEUM ORGANIZES A DRIVING TOUR TO CELEBRATE CONNECTICUT’S RICH HISTORY IN MODERN ARCHITECTURE by

When people think of Connecticut, they often think of historical colonial-style homes, surrounded by stone walls and lush yards. While our architecture does lean more traditional than avant-garde, our proximity to both New York City and Boston has always been a big draw to artists and pioneers of all kinds—architects included.

To celebrate our rich history in modern architecture, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich recently organized the Connecticut Modern Driving Tour. This self-guided tour takes you from Stamford to Hartford, with numerous stops along the way. You’ll find a detailed history of each site, along with location and visitor information, on the museum’s website.

greenwichmag.com

Gore's Pavilion NEW CANAAN

From downtown New Canaan: a 3-minute drive; a 20-minute walk

From Greenwich: a 25-minute drive via CT-15 N and I-95 N

Many of these sites are open to the public, so plan ahead, as the interiors are often just as interesting as the exteriors—as is the case with Stamford’s First Presbyterian Church and Carillon Tower, which many readers might know as the “fish church.” Designed by Wallace K. Harrison, who also created Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the church is immediately recognizable for its two-story tower, but the colorful glass slabs that Wallace used instead of traditional stained glass, should be appreciated from the inside.

It’s no surprise that the driving tour features two locations in New Canaan, home to the Harvard Five, a famous group of modern architects that settled in the town in the 1940s. Gore’s Pavillion, located in beautiful

greenwichmag.com

clockwise from top, left: Originally a pool house and winter lodge, Gores Pavilion is now a museum. opposite page: Stamford's First Presbyterian Church.

The Glass House NEW CANAAN

From downtown New Canaan: a 6-minute drive via Wahackme Road

From Greenwich: a 25-minute drive via CT-15 N and I-95 N

Irwin Park was designed as a pool house by architect Landis Gores for Jack Irwin (former ambassador to France) and Jane Watson (daughter of IBM founder Thomas J. Watson). It is now a museum operated by the New Canaan Historical Society. Less than a mile away stands the renowned Glass House, a celebrated work of the Harvard Five’s most famous architect, Phillip Johnson. Originally Johnson’s private home, it is now a National Trust Historic Site and opens for tours from April through December.

A second Johnson-designed building in nearby Ridgefield was Johnson’s first commercial project. Known as the Schlumberger Research Center, it reopened after an extensive restoration and is again operating as a private office building as initially intended by Johnson.

Heading north to New Haven, you’ll find three driving tour stops. The Louis Kahn Building at Yale University is home to the oldest college art museum in the country. Considered to be one of Kahn first masterpieces, the tetrahedral concrete ceiling is

particularly interesting.

Just across the street is another of Kahn’s buildings, the Yale Center for British Art. Completed in 1977, three years after Kahn died, the steeland-glass building is currently under construction and closed to visitors, but you can get an excellent view of the exterior while visiting the art gallery.

However, the most recognizable New Haven building featured on the tour is the Hotel Marcel. When designing this building for the Armstrong Rubber Company, architect

top: The Glass House is not visible from the road, but tours are given of the house, galleries and grounds. right: The views from inside the house are constantly changing with the seasons.

Marcel Bruer certainly achieved the company’s goal of separating the office area from the research department’s quiet space and the city’s hopes for a building that would change the city’s skyline. The interior of the Hotel Marcel is equally interesting.

Further north, you will find the Mattatuck House in Waterbury and the Avery Court at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, both art museums. Interestingly, when the Avery Court first opened in 1934 with a retrospective exhibit of artist Pablo Picasso’s work, architect Phillip

Johnson was one of the many guests in attendance.

The newest building on the driving tour is the Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek synagogue in Chester. Designed by Connecticut native Sol LeWitt in 2001, the interior dome is a post-and-beam construction style that rises two stories above the sanctuary to form a Star of David with a skylight in the middle.

In addition to the buildings featured on the Bruce Museum’s Connecticut Modern Driving Tour, there are also two public works of art by artist

Alexander Calder. In Hartford, there is a 600-foot tall, bright-red sculpture titled Stegosaurus and in New Haven is Gallow and Lollipops, an example of the type of kinetic sculpture Calder is known for.

For more on The Bruce Museum’s Connecticut Modern Driving Tour, visit thebrucemuseum.org

greenwichmag.com

From New Canaan: a 45-minute drive via CT-15 N

From Greenwich: a 60-minute drive via CT-15 N and I-95 N

top: The office building sat empty for years until Becker + Becker bought it and turned it into The Hotel Marcel, named after the architect Marcel Breuer.

Hotel Marcel NEW HAVEN

Welcome Dr. Barry Witt!

Expert in reproductive medicine

Illume Fertility is thrilled to announce the addition of Barry Witt, M.D. to our award-winning team of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists serving Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

Dr. Witt joins with more than 30 years of expertise where he has helped thousands of Connecticut and New York-based individuals and couples to achieve their goals. His decision to join Illume Fertility was propelled by the practice’s commitment to patient experience and advancing inclusive fertility and family-building care in the community.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Witt, call toll-free (866) 755-4856 or visit illumefertility.com/dr-witt

A former patient on Dr. Witt:

Dr. Witt was outstanding.

He was always very clear and never left any questions unanswered. He was direct and to the point, but always with a comforting, warm smile.

He is the reason my dream of having a family is now a reality.

by

Join the Party

IS READY TO GREET YOU WITH MEDITERRANEAN HOSPITALITY

SIREN

mary kate hogan

photography by andrea carson

It was high time for a new addition to the dining scene in Old Greenwich, and Anshu Vidyarthi heard the siren call. A restaurateur with an excellent track record—he partners with Antoine Blech on the popular Le Penguin and Le Fat Poodle—Anshu launched his first solo venture with Siren Restobar, set in prime real estate on Sound Beach Avenue. The menu features Mediterranean tapas, and the décor by designer Lynn Morgan evokes a vacation vibe. The interior is fresh and sophisticated, a subtle nod to nautical with lots of white and blue, siren mascots painted on the walls, and a round bar displaying fresh seafood front and center.

“I wanted it to feel like you’ve just gotten off a boat on a Greek Island,” Anshu says. Siren’s ambience channels an escape to sunnier locales on a cold, gray day, and it will also be a choice spot to celebrate in the warmer months. Double doors open to a back patio with seating for thirty, and double doors in front lead to twelve sidewalk spots, with the breeze flowing through.

When the space was updated, a wall was removed to give the dining room an open, airy feeling. The round bar is the focal point, busy with people savoring oysters, tapas and cocktails, many having dinner there. “It’s a great way to eat,” says Anshu, who has the backing of local investors. “You feel like you’re part of the action in a convivial atmosphere.”

At the end of the day, tapas are essentially elegant party food, and it feels like a party’s happening here, with the DJ playing every Friday and Saturday night, the lively crowd and lights getting progressively dimmer throughout the evening. We ate here on a Saturday night and arrived fifteen minutes early for an already early reservation. In fact, the restaurant wasn’t open yet, but we were still welcomed to seats at a round corner table, ideal for five friends celebrating a birthday.

In no time our group was toasting with cocktails and savoring rounds of tapas, everything from a garlic-studded mix of house-marinated olives to the comfort food of warm mushroom croquettes on a bed of truffle aioli, and a velvety

butternut squash soup garnished with pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. We sipped on the La Farmacia (a signature drink with tequila, ginger, honey, smoked chili and lime) and Naked and Famous (Mezcal, Aperol and lime) cocktails, and later, our server recommended a bottle of Sancerre to go with the multicourse meal of shared plates.

There are twenty-one tapas on the menu from executive chef Jorge Ramos as well as meats and cheeses, a mezze platter (pitas with dips) and oyster and clams. With so many tempting choices, it’s easy to get carried away. Chef Ramos, originally from Uruguay and formerly a chef at Barbounia and Lola Taverna in Manhattan, turns out dishes that are simply

opposite page: Greek salad with heirloom tomato, cucumber and red wine vinaigrette; fried burrata with creamy polenta and mushrooms; patatas brava with hot paprika aioli; grilled cauliflower with green tahini, sumac and pine nuts; market fresh whole fish and tabouleh salad above: A perfect spot to grab a cocktail and a quick bite; General Manager Adham Elsharkawy with owner Anshu Vidyarthi; lamb lollipops with harissa, tsatziki and sumac salad

220 Sound Beach

Avenue, Old Greenwich, 203-628-4205; sirenrestobar.com

FAVE DISHES

Moroccan meatballs

Grilled Haloumi

Merguez Sausage

Mezze Platter with homemade hummus Boquerones

Short Ribs Oysters

TOP COCKTAILS

La Farmacia Carajillo

“i wanted it to feel like you’ve just gotten off a boat on a greek island.”

—ANSHU VIDYARTHI, OWNER

above: Birthday celebrations include sparklers, Mediterranean music and a staff serenade.

below: La Farmacia—tequila, ginger, honey, smoked chili and lime

presented, allowing the main ingredients to shine. For example, the red snapper is pan-seared to give it a crispy finish and plated with a tomato and olive caponata, while the short ribs are lightly sauced and paired simply with a dill-flecked aioli.

The Greek salad contains no lettuce, only a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, olive, onions and a top-quality feta. Sometimes a basic dish is the best one. We loved the Spanish patatas bravas, cubed fried potatoes in a creamy paprika sauce that is seriously addictive. Another favorite: the lamb lollipops, individual Frenched lamb chops served with tzatziki, and a fried burrata with roasted peppers. Though we shared one entrée, a special braised lamb shank served with squash and couscous, we didn’t really need it—there was so much food.

Desserts were a must, as we were celebrating a birthday. Both the lush citrus-olive-oil cake and decadent chocolate mousse satisfied all sweets cravings. Another fun way to end the meal is with the Carajillo, a Spanish take on the espresso martini with tequila, espresso and dark chocolate.

The servers made us feel at home throughout the meal, and we lingered longer than usual. For Anshu, who is also working on Juju (a Mexican restaurant next door) and a second location of Siren in Port Chester, hospitality is always the goal. He says, “I want you to feel like we invited you to our house.” G

right: Executive Chef

Jorge Ramos

far right: Grilled cauliflower, green tahini, sumac and pine nuts below: Olive Oyl Cake with carmelized lemon zest and honey drizzle

money matters

BY CAROL LEONETTI DANNHAUSER

TIPS FROM THE FAMILY OFFICE

The world’s wealthiest families aren’t scurrying around in March and April looking for their tax forms. They’ve got people for that. And if the family’s balance sheet tops $100 million, they probably have an entire Family Office, which includes dedicated financial advisers, tax pros, trust and estate attorneys, and insurance advisers.

Eliot Bassin, a Certified Public Accountant who works with high-

net-worth clients in Fairfield County and beyond, calls this supporting cast “the Core Four,” and he believes that every family, regardless of their level of wealth, can benefit from a similar group of pros.

In a Family Office or MultiFamily Office, professionals unite around a family’s articulated goals. Financial advisers manage investments, CPAs handle tax planning, trust and estate attorneys safeguard assets over the long term, insurance advisers protect it all. This effort doesn’t come cheap. Maintaining a Family Office can cost $1 million or more each year.

“It’s an integrated approach to planning,” integration being the key to its success, says Bassin, a Certified Public Accountant and partner with FML CPAs in Stamford.

While many folks here in lower Fairfield County, regardless of their net worth, do enlist help from financial advisers, CPAs, attorneys and the like, many do so only when

a service is needed, such as calling a CPA at tax time, or meeting an estate attorney when making out a will.

In the process, the family’s financial undertakings tend to “be less integrated,” Bassin says. “By waiting until they actually have to make a change, they might be missing out on opportunities along the way.”

He suggests a cohesive, collective, proactive effort to assemble your team of trusted professionals, “before you anticipate the need.” In other words, pick up the phone or the mouse and introduce your various advisers to each other.

How you structure a business or your real estate holdings or your investment accounts today, will significantly affect how you might transfer that wealth to the next generation. It might not seem pressing or even relevant now, but if your ventures prove successful and lucrative (and more complex), your decisions today are critical.

Bassin willingly connects with his

THE CORE FOUR IN ACTION

clients’ advisers along the way. “It’s one way that we get to understand clients and to know what they’re trying to accomplish. I have a client right now whose financial adviser I speak with once every three or four weeks.” Together they stay on top of impending issues; for example, discussing capital gains options like gifting and gift-tax exemptions well before the year’s end.

Getting your team on the same page can be a challenge if you don’t actually know what you and your family are trying to accomplish. Begin by determining your goals, values and challenges, then you and your Core Four can work toward integrating a strategy. While you could navigate this effort by yourself, “sometimes it’s hard to piece things together,” Bassin says. Your team members, though, deal with issues like this each day; they can educate you so that you won’t make a rash decision. “They can get you to think about things you might not think about on your own,” Bassin says.

A local couple came to CPA Eliot Basin with a noble wish: to sell their $1.5 million home to their children, to finance the mortgage themselves, and to forgive a substantial portion of their kids’ loan. What was the best way to proceed?

Basin gathered two other members of the couple’s team—their financial adviser and their trust and estate attorney—and got to work. Together, the group analyzed the couple’s investments and retirement accounts, helped determine how much the pair needed in annual cash flow to live on comfortably, ascertained the amount of principal and interest they could gift to their kids without exceeding gift tax exemptions, spelled out what would happen if they were to die still owning the house, and more. In the process, they removed the house from the couple’s estate so that they wouldn’t exceed Connecticut’s $13.61 million cap.

Eliot Bassin

WHETHER YOU CATCH A LITTLE COLD OR END UP FLAT ON YOUR BACK WITH THE FLU, CONSIDER THESE TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS BEFORE—OR WHEN—ILLNESS HITS

COLD COMFORT

by eileen bartels

An Ounce of Prevention

Prevention is the best medicine, so play it smart. Winter is the time to make sure you are proactively engaging in habits that strengthen your immune system.

EXERCISE A DIET RICH IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

HYDRATION MEDITATION

2 1

MEDICINE CABINET 101

Basics like Tylenol, Advil, Musinex expectorant and cough suppressants like Delsym are nice to see on the shelf when you need them. A saline nasal spray keeps sore sinuses flushed. A good classic jar of Vick’s VapoRub can cut through a stuffy nose and soothe a sore chest. For stomach issues, Pepcid AC, TUMS, AlkaSeltzer are good to have on hand, as well as anti-diarrhea medicine Imodium. Consult a doctor before using medicine you’re not familiar with, and make cleaning out your medicine closet an annual event to dispose of expired medicines.

SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE

Nothing compares to eating a healthy and balanced diet, but you can supplement with vitamins and nutrients. It’s always wise to get your doctor’s input and review potential interactions supplements may have with your medications. There are several products that may provide the immune boost you’re looking for: Zinc, Vitamin C, B and D all work to keep you healthy.

AG1 Athletic Greens is a powdered combination of pre- and probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and can be mixed into water or smoothies for foundational nutrition support. drinkag1.com

low on Vitamin D, as the most natural

source of Vitamin D is processed through our skin via sunlight. Hum brand offers an assortment of targeted vitamins like its Vitamin D called Here Comes the Sun humnutrition.com

SLEEP IMMUNIZATIONS you may be immunization.

Covid and flu shots may not completely ward off every strain of those viruses, but they can lessen the impact of illness if you do get infected. Same goes for other immunizations you may be eligible for such as shingles, RSV and pneumonia. Check with your doctor on what should be a part of your annual immunization.

Cymbiotika

supplements provide nutrients via a liposomal delivery, so they are absorbed into your system without being broken down by your digestive system. They come in liquid pouches you can drink on the go. I stock up on the Liposomal Vitamin C for immune support during cold and flu season. cymbiotika.com

3

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

Winter heating can dry out your sinuses, so buy a good quality vaporizer or humidifier for your bedroom. Follow the instruction to keep it clean, making sure you wash and dry as directed regularly.

4

SWEAT IT OUT

The power of a good sweat is now mainstream and infrared saunas are popping up at most local spas. There is a lot of science to back the benefits of sauna and heat. Restore Hyper Wellness is a new addition to the local wellness scene. Located across the parking lot from Trader Joe’s on High Ridge Road, Restore is part of a larger chain with locations in Westport and around the country. In addition to Infrared saunas, it offers cryotherapy, red-light therapy and IV drip therapy. restore.com

Restore Hyper Wellness 1055 High Ridge Road Stamford

WRAP IT UP

Have ACE bandages on hand so you can wrap up an injury while you determine if you need a trip to the orthopedist. Also be sure to pick up a roll of KT Tape. Choose among an array of colors from flesh to florescent and use the tape to support the area of injury. Check out the KT Tape website for ways to tape properly. kttape.com

6

HOT AND COLD

There’s nothing like a hot water bottle to ease a stomach cramp or ache. Add an electric heating pad to your wellness arsenal (particularly one with a self-shutoff in case you fall asleep with it on). Other maladies need to be iced, from pulled muscles to a migraine, so keep a few soft-gel packs in your freezer. RecoveryTherm Cube, by Therabody, performs double duty by providing quick cold or heat. The cordless device can be strapped onto sore or injured shoulders, backs, arms and legs ($149). therabody.com

5 7 8

greenwichmag.com

AT YOUR DOORSTEP

Plenty of local spots have just what mom would make—and they'll deliver to your doorstep. Keep the fluids going with goodquality soups and broths. Aux Délices’ bone broth is legendary for its restorative powers. Cos Cob’s Nit Noi Provisions' broths offer varieties from chicken, beef, vegetable, with add-on options like scallions, Thai chili, chili vinegar and garlic to clear the toughest head colds. It also offers a revive broth and coconut broth. All broths are gluten-, sugar-, soy- and dairy-free and can be frozen. auxdelicesfoods.com nitnoiprovisions.com

SHOW YOU CARE

If you know someone who is sick or recovering from surgery, Spoonful of Comfort delivers a box filled with get-well items (from a cozy throw and fuzzy socks to a bedside bell), as well as tasty soups and rolls. Boxes start around $90. spoonfulofcomfort.com

GET READY TO USHER IN SPRING

by layla lisiewski

’TIS THE MONTH OF BUNNIES AND LEPRECHAUNS . HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO WELCOME THEM

No. 1 HIPPITY HOP!

Easter celebrations begin the last week of March this year. Register for Greenwich Moms Easter Eggstavaganza and enjoy the fun with Greenwich Moms on Good Friday, March 29 at the Greenwich Historical Society. Activities include an egg hunt, DJ, bubble show, Chicken Joe’s Food Truck and, of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny. greenwichmoms.com

No. 2 WEARABLE TREAT

Jelly beans don't have to be used just to fill those little plastic eggs. They're the perfect ingredient for adorable edible bracelets. Children line up their jelly bean designs and then crafty parents handle the needle and thread. Enjoy!

What you'll need

• Jelly beans

• Sewing needle and thread

• Optional ribbon

Steps

1. Setup your needle and thread, tying a knot at end of at desired length.

2. Place the jelly beans in the order you want to string them.

3. Insert the needle into the first jelly bean and continue to the knotted end.

4. Cut off the needle and tie the bracelet.

6. I add a pink bow to the end of the bracelet.

7. Tie onto your child’s wrist.

8. The best part? Nibbling on the jelly beans to get it off.

No. 3 GOING GREEN

This year the St. Patrick’s Day parade begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 in the Town Hall parking lot and heads north down the Post Road, turning onto Greenwich Avenue and continuing down to Steamboat Road, where it ends. Parking restrictions start at 10 a.m. and there will be no parking on the east side of Greenwich Avenue from West Putnam to Steamboat. There will be no parking on the west side of the Avenue from Bruce Place to Steamboat. greenwichct.gov

No. 4

SIMPLE & CHIC

Easter is around the corner, and whether you’re hosting extended family or creating an intimate brunch for your crew, there are easy ways to make it feel special. Sisters Carolina Cardoso and Barbara Alves, the talented duo behind Host to Perfection, share four tips to create this beautiful tablescape.

• Remember: Less Is More Accessorize the table with bunnies and medium-sized decorative Easter eggs. With these themed accessories, you can keep the flowers simple.

• Stay in Season

For the flowers use a

spring classic—hyacinth. They’re an early spring blooming bulb and are widely available this time of year. They also have an incredible sweet fragrance.

• Pick a Pastel Color Palette Gingham pink linen napkins complement the pink shades of the hyacinths and the flower vase (see below). You can

add a special spring feel to place cards by adding yellow spray roses. Simply punch a hole in the top of the place card and slip the flower stem through it.

• The Final Touch Place a few chocolates at each place setting. Is Easter complete without chocolate? G

Every month Layla Lisiewski, Greenwich mom of four and founder of Greenwich Moms and its parent company, The Local Moms Network, shares some of her favorite things to do—from

activities to

events. Follow @greenwich_moms on Instagram, sign up for the newsletter and check out the calendar at greenwichmoms.com.

Thank you sponsors and supporters for

PRESENTED BY

at the 4th Annual Girls With Impact Gala

Because of you, we raised over $300,000 to support our powerful tuition-free programs where young women gain a critical foundation in business and leadership to realize their full potential in college and the workplace.

Support brighter futures -- for under-served young women, their families, our communities, and the economy, by helping us reach our goal to impact 50,000 young women by 2026.

Girls With Impact is a 501c3. Donate here:

www.girlswithimpact.org

Day Pitney ⎸ DTCC ⎸ Mariner Wealth Advisors ⎸ Richards of Greenwich ⎸ Yale New Haven Health

people&PLACES

Order Up!

The Hannah Storm Foundation’s Celebrity Waiter Night at The Village in Stamford was a smashing success. Guests mixed and mingled with ESPN’s Hannah Storm and her celeb waiter besties from the world of sports, media and entertainment. The funds from the evening cover surgeries for children suffering from debilitating vascular birthmarks. hannahstormfoundation.org »

HANNAH STORM FOUNDATION / The Village Stamford

1 Mike and Sue Bodson, Chris Cabanillas, Dr. Kim Nichols 2 Stephania Bell, Laura Rutledge, Nicole Briscoe 3 Jill Lombardi, Hannah Storm, John Lombardi 4 Lisa Kerney, Sam Ryan, Carolyn Manno

5 Hannah Storm with her “waiters” 6 Eileen and Steve Bartels, Johnny Denis, Nicholas Bartels 7 Jay Harris, Allan Houston, Kimberley Martin, Rich Jewell

8 Hannah Storm with her husband, Dan Hicks

9 Rachel and Brian Matthews

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB CAPPAZO

All Fired Up

For nearly two decades, Moffly Media’s Light a Fire Awards have celebrated the unsung heroes in our community who go above and beyond to help those in need. This year, actor/director James Naughton once again hosted the evening, bringing his wit and grace to the stage of the Westport Country Playhouse. The sponsors that made the event possible were Karl Chevrolet, Coastal Bridge Advisors and Cummings & Lockwood. Honorees represented the incredible work of longstanding nonprofits like the Make a Wish Foundation and the Fairfield County Community Foundation, as well as grassroots organizations including The Undies Project, The Loved Movement and Greenwich Point Conservancy. Each of them reminds us that one person can indeed make a difference. »

LIGHT A FIRE / Westport Country Playhouse

1 Melinda Anderson, Megan Gagnon, Samantha Yanks, Eileen Murphy, Gina Fusco 2 Jeff Calapos, Deirdre Childs, Jeff Fuhrman, Jim Pratt-Heamey 3 Leslee Assch, Barbara OrmerodGlynn 4 Elena Moffly, Ken and Cindy Friedrichson 5 Jonathan Moffly, Leo Karl 6 John and Lucy Langley, Laura and Edgar Delaflor 7 Alex, Jill and Tom Robey 8 James Naughton, Rob Russo 9 Gabriella Pannunzio, Debra Fram, Eric Schwartz, Claire Furlin

10 Chris Franco, Susie Baker, Rachel Franco 11 Sandy Herman, Donna Moffly, Lisa Mandel 12 Jessie Gilbert, Cristin Marandino, Gabriella Mays 13 Carlos, Liz and Jeff Salguero 14 Michael and Kathy Walsh, Claire and Thomas Gallagher 15 Jeanne Sikaitis, Jennifer Lau, Andrew Lau 16 Bill and Paula Tommins 17 Patty, Jay, Barbara and Jake Richards 18 Adriana Podesta, Barbara Kestenbaum, Margarita Zimmerman, Sarita Hanley, Walter Stewart, Eva Lopezreyman 19 Allyson and Scott Gottleib 20 Pam Keogh, Cathy Laporta, Kim Pugh, Robyn and Adam Whittingham, Rose and Bob Folds

In Good Hands

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) recently held its annual benefit, chaired by Greenwich resident Lois Kelly, at Guastavino’s in Manhattan. The evening celebrated the 160th anniversary of HSS and honored four doctors for their work: Dr. Jason L. Blevins, Dr. David L. Helfet, Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi and Dr. Thomas P. Sculco. Guests enjoyed a special performance by singer and songwriter Queen V and a keynote speech by Bill Cowher, American sports analyst and former head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With over 350 people in attendance, the event raised nearly $1 million in support of the hospital’s key pillars of excellence—training, research, education and academic programming. hss.edu »

1 Bill Cowher, Veronica Stigeler, Lois and Bryan Kelly 2 Jason Blevins, Scott LaValva 3 Russell Warren, Ronnie Barnes, Frank Cammisa, Scott Rodeo, Samuel Taylor, Bryan Kelly 4 Julia Retzky, Thomas Sculco 5 Sandra Kozlowski, Alana Serota, Susan Padgett 6 Sheeraz Qureshi, Pat Bovonratwet 7 Megan Gulotta, Lois Kelly, Jennifer Marie Taylor 8 Dr. Thomas Sculco, Marina Kellen French, Dr. Steven Haas, Dr. Peter Sculco 9 Kat Barth, David Helfet 10 Alana C. Serota, Liz Moley, Lois Kelly, Susan Padgett, Lynette Buck

HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY / Guastavino’s Manhattan

greenwichmag.com

Decking the Halls

Greenwich Country Club looked more like the North Pole for the Greenwich Historical Society’s Holiday Boutique. Cochairs Connie Anne Harris, Patrick Mele, Mimi Moulton and Catherine Tompkins curated the chicest vendors to fill the ballroom, and visitors got to check everyone off their lists. It was two fun-filled days of shopping, mingling and supporting the Greenwich Historical Society. greenwichhistory.org »

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY / Greenwich Country Club

1 GHS Holiday Boutique party committee 2 Heather Georges, Hilary Haroche 3 Kate Stice Stewart 4 Muza Andrabi 5 Daniel Souzzo, Jean Forte 6 Pamela Johananoff and Pepper 7 Vaughn Dorrian 8 Frank Gaudio, Kathleen and Gus Dyke 9 Brent and Christina Collins 10 Ann Barton, Tom Galvin 11 Marisa Noel Brown, Nicki Rose

12 Mary Ellen Markowitz, Ann Liflander, Lisa Mandel, MJ Brogan, Helaine Wiener, Nancy Boksenbaum 13 Anthony Bellom, Alease Fisher Tallman, Ashley Cole 14 Lauren DuPont, Courtney Moss 15 Suzan Sletteland, Donna Moffly 16 Nick Anaya, Courtney Curcis 17 Dina Fleischmann, Dianne Niklaus, Barbara Johann 18 Jennifer Rowe, Kay Sterling 19 Karen Zucker, Gina Filippelli 20 Beverly Keys, Abby Yozell 21 Sandra Caruso, Susannah Heyworth, Amanda Gaudelet 22 Cameron Smith 23 Sarah Michler, Caroline Witmer, Bunny Laughlin 24 Karen Ryder, Anne Green, Joan Carter 25 Meg Bono, Patrick Mele, Pat Mele, Betsy Backer

Ground–Breaking Goals

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo and the Greenwich delegation recently joined Cristina Vittoria, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich (BGCG) and a crowd of boardmembers, supporters and Club kids to break ground on the expansion and renovation of the BGCG Clubhouse at 4 Horseneck Lane. Founded in 1910 and built in the 1930s, BGCG’s Clubhouse has served thousands of young people in the course of its history. This marks the organization’s first major renovation project in nearly twenty years. The 10,000-square-foot addition and expansion of the Clubhouse will include a new gymnasium, upgraded teen center, additional instructional space and an outdoor amphitheater—all built over the club’s existing outdoor parking lot. The new Clubhouse is slated to open in early spring 2025. bgcg.org »

1 The Clubhouse at 4 Horseneck Lane 2 Ryan Fazio, Rachel Khanna, Hector Arzeno, Steve Meskers, George Fox, Tony Mann, Governor Ned Lamont 3 BGCG Club kids 4 George Fox, Tony Mann 5 State Representative Steve Meskers 6 BGCG CEO Cristina Vittoria 7 (back row) Taylor Tejada, Cristina Vittoria, Rachel Khanna, Hector Arzeno, Steve Meskers (at the mic), Governor Lamont, Lauren Rabin, Ryan Fazio, Fred Camillo, Eileen Tang, Jada Brewington; (front row) BGCG Club kids.

LAURA DIANIS

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREENWICH / The Clubhouse

people

1 Justin Boxford, Suzanna Romano, Greg Krywosa, Molly Boxford

2 Stephanie Dunn Ashley, William O’Shea, Lauren Walsh, Linda Chase Jenkins, Diana Smith 3 DJ Marjorie Gubelmann aka DJ MAD MARJ 4 Nicole Lindsey, Jennifer Kaalund, Josiah Lindsey 5 Courtney Combe, Mary Lee Kiernan 6 Kia and Ryan Tucker, Genevieve and Chris Gimbert 7 Amy Dana, Joe Profaci, Janet Poillon 8 Suzanna and Craig Burns, Joe Riccardo, Toland Sherriff, Bowen Burns 9 Akhurapa Ambak, Liza Dorsey, Simone Quartey 10 Kelly and Jason Kent

greenwichmag.com

Y Not Give Back?

The YWCA staff and The Fall Party host committee clearly has throwing amazing soirées down to a science. They picked the prettiest venue (Belle Haven Club), created the most delicious signature cocktails (from Happy Monkey by JeanGeorges) and invited a fabulous DJ from Manhattan (Ms. Marjorie Gubelmann) to spin the beats. Everyone looked incredible— all while raising important funds to support youth programs at the YWCA Greenwich. ywcagreenwich.org G

11 Jeannette Guglemann, Shelly Tretter Lynch 12 Reed Hyde, Jack Morningstar, Avery Sleeper, Hadley Faulstich, Lilly Yort 13 Jackie Eckholm, Shelly Tretter Lynch, Darrah Ford 14 Estevan Palacios, Jennifer Valle, Jose Palacios 15 Michel Sommer, Karin Kovacic, Madhuri Ravi, Rabbe Ekholm 16 Brett and Allison Hickey 17 Jackie Castro, Arthur Smith, Lillian Da Silva 18 Lisa Simonsen 19 Diana Smith, Vicki Bonic, Susan Sleeper, Jennifer Burraway 20 Margaret and Chris Pavia 21 Kimberly Tapscott, Celeste Cox Baldwin, Jennifer Kaalund, Rasheema Forbes 22 Ilya and Vicki Bonic 23 Cindy Lehman, Erin Chang 24 Kaitlin and William Gambrill 25 Joe Profaci, Taylor Balander, Larry Penn, Kelly Thomas

Although born blind, Kathryn has never let the condition define her.

KATHRYN WEBSTER PROVES IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EYESIGHT

by jill johnson mann • photography by kyle norton hair by marina nikac, salon mimoza, greenwich • makeup by lydia arroyo

has an impressive résumé. She earned her bachelor of science degrees in statistics and computer science, with high honors, from Wake Forest. She earned an MBA from Harvard. Her career has taken her from Deloitte in D.C. to global investment firm KKR in New York. She spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative and was named a 2023 Change Maker. She is a trailblazing advocate for the visually impaired and launched the TAD Foundation last year. She is only twenty-eight.

Don’t tell Kathryn she’s “inspirational,” though. She can’t stand that, because the compliment is usually linked to a fact that the Greenwich resident has never allowed to define her: Kathryn Webster is blind. When leaving a conference, a simple comment that she’s taking the train home may yield the “inspiration” line. “Give me a break,” she says. To her, the obstacles she needs to maneuver around on her commute are nothing. The roadblocks Kathryn is striving to clear for the almost eight million visuallyimpaired people in the United States are the ones commanding her laser focus.

GROWING UP GREENWICH

Kathryn was born blind, but her parents had no idea for the first two weeks, until Kathryn’s dad, Tad Webster (the inspiration behind the TAD name), noticed she startled every time a camera clicked. Her mom, Monica Webster, was sure her baby was fine but took her to the pediatrician at his urging. “The waiting room was packed that day,” recalls Monica. “They did the blue light vision test right in the entryway.” When the nurse blurted, “I’m sorry, your daughter is blind,” Monica fainted.

An emergency surgery restored vision in Kathryn’s right eye, giving her 20/70 vision in that eye, with corrective lenses, for the first ten years of her life. Her parents divorced when Kathryn was under two, and by age four, she had moved from Fort Lauderdale, where she was born, to New Jersey, and finally Greenwich—pinpointed by Monica for its public schools with the support Kathryn would need.

Monica, a realtor at Douglas Elliman, stopped in during our interview at Kathryn’s new townhouse in Greenwich. Their mother-daughter banter is typical. Kathryn: “I just bought this house—my first house!” Monica, “Yeah, I was like, ‘Bye, buh-bye! See ya later.’” She chuckles and mentions that the place needs some lamps. But there is enough light to see her pretty blond daughter on the couch, relaxed and confident, in a casual sweater and pants—there is nothing that says “disabled” here or “special needs”—a term Kathryn especially loathes. Her guide dog Theo offers a hearty greeting and wanders the room.

As a single mom to Kathryn and her older brother Alec, Monica did

not have time for pity or coddling. “It was my job as a mom to find her strengths and move forward,” says Monica. “She had twenty-three surgeries. I was working full-time. I just kept my head down. I never remarried. I focused on the kids.”

Tough love is one ingredient in Kathryn’s success story. At Central Middle School and Greenwich High, Kathryn was part of the cool crowd. As her vision deteriorated, she didn’t want to stand out. She started to learn braille at her mother’s insistence, but she kept taking off her thick glasses and throwing away her cane. “My mom and Alec let me fall down the steps at a pizza place,” recounts Kathryn. Monica chimes in, “She refused to use the cane. She had to learn.”

Kathryn was an athletic kid. She was a cheerleader and ran track. By junior year, she had lost too much vision to continue competing in cheerleading. “That was so heartbreaking,” she recalls. “I didn’t want to accept accommodations. With track, my mom would casually wear a cute neon jacket so I could see her at the end of my sprint. Then I did a triathlon with Bob D’Angelo, who used to run the Boys & Girls Club.” Kathryn took up rowing, which she continued through college. She also plays golf. “She’s the stellar athlete in the family,” says Monica. “She’s a great golfer—you just need to tell her the hole is at 12 o’clock, 2 o’clock…” Kathryn scoffs, “Golfing is not a hard sport for a blind person.”

Kathryn had a storage room at the high school full of braille books. She took AP courses. Years in advance she just had to decide which ones, so her books would come on time. She took the SAT and ACT in braille.

Kathryn and her trusty companion, Theo

“My teachers were incredible,” she says. “They are such a big part of why I’m successful today. Jennifer Perrelli, my math teacher, spent so much time with me. My English teacher, Mr. Walker—I love him to death. I used a device called a BrailleNote, which is essentially a laptop with a Braille screen on it, to read all my books.”

Camille Fusco, Kathryn’s high school Latin teacher, comments, “Kate was an incredibly disciplined, intelligent, curious student. She was a strong self-advocate and essentially simply found a way to achieve her goals. She dealt with the challenges of multiple surgical procedures with grace and maturity. In many ways, Kate has been an exemplar to me when I have struggled with health issues.”

Alec Webster, who works in private equity in Dallas, talks to his sister daily. “We’re really close,” he says. “We always have been.” He credits his mom with pushing her kids to be independent. “She was a single mom. She had to figure out work, getting home to feed us, getting us to practice. If she had a bad day, she couldn’t just take a day off from being a mom,” he explains. “That trickled down to my sister. If she came home and said, ‘I couldn’t do this the same as everyone else, because I can’t see,’ we would say, ‘No, you can do it. Go and try again.’ That fed into everything: her going to Wake Forest, Harvard Business School, KKR.”

COPING WITH DARKNESS

Kathryn was losing vision through high school due to scar tissue buildup. “I had to have cornea transplants. I’d had so many surgeries,” she says. “When I went to college, I got my first guide dog, Enzo. A dog, unlike a cane, is a social magnet. I didn’t want to be judged. If it was light out, I could see okay to get around, but I was more confident with Enzo.” She shifted from Mac to Windows to have access to JAWS screen-reading software. “I was studying statistics and computer science, so I needed the best software,” says Kathryn. “There are not a lot of blind people in STEM. I like doing things people say I can’t do.”

Kathryn got involved in student government. “I was treasurer. I also took over as president of the National Association of Blind Students, which is a very legislative collective action group nationally. We work with blind students on leadership development and everything under the sun in equipping them to be successful but also working with legislators on equal access to education and employment,” she explains. “We went to Capitol Hill and worked on bills with Congress.”

Two weeks before graduating from college, Kathryn lost the rest of her vision, but a phenomenon of “phantom vision”—the brain generating visual sensations when it’s not actually receiving visual stimuli—made her think she could still see. Another surgery ensued. It wasn’t until a doctor’s appointment in August, when she was told she had no light perception, that reality set in. “Everything went dark once I was told that,” says Kathryn.

Kathryn called her dad and shared the news. “He went on a motorcycle ride that night to clear his head,” recounts Kathryn, “and got in an accident.” Tad put on a brave front over the phone, but several weeks later Kathryn received the call he was in the hospital. She flew to Florida and found herself managing his medical decisions, including

ultimately taking him off life support. Tad died on October 1, 2017. “That put everything in perspective,” says Kathryn. “Being blind was nothing compared to losing my dad.”

Despite being in a “deep funk,” Kathryn volunteered at a training center for blind kids, started her job as an analyst at Deloitte and spearheaded Project RISE—a mentorship program for visually impaired students in Virginia. She ran Project RISE for four years, while earning a promotion to senior consultant at Deloitte and a business school sponsorship. While at Harvard Business School, she received eight summer internship offers. But she knew she was the exception.

With a job offer from KKR in place, Kathryn used her final year at business school to develop an idea that would become her side job and altruistic mission. She founded the TAD Foundation in December of 2022 to give blind talent the opportunity to shine in the business landscape.

“In every space, I’m the only blind person,” says Kathryn. “It takes so much tenacity to stick with it. I want TAD to break down those barriers. The unemployment rate for blind people is 75 percent, and it has literally sat there since 1970. They are either earning subminimum wages—because that’s legal—or they are in the blindness field. Blind people don’t know they

WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY

An enlightening snippet of mother-daughter banter

MONICA:

“Alec, he was the best big brother. He took care of you and me! Poor guy, grew up faster than he ever wanted to. The older child of a special needs child—”

KATHRYN:

“You can’t say special needs, Mom!”

MONICA:

“OK, what do we call you?”

KATHRYN:

“You say I have a disability or I’m blind.”

MONICA:

“Well, you are hardly disabled.”

KATHRYN:

“No, a person with a disability. I don’t care; I just don’t like special needs. As a kid, I hated being called blind, but now I say I’m blind, because I think with ‘visually impaired’ there is a connotation that I can see a little.”

greenwichmag.com

can do more because they are not given the resources to do more. They can go into any non-traditional field they want, not work in entry-level positions their whole life, not live off Social Security.”

TAD offers parent programming, to ensure parents have the support, resources and network they need from their child’s infancy. “Parents need to be pushing the limits with their kids as soon as possible,” insists Kathryn, “making sure they have a cane in their hand as soon as they can walk, making sure they have Braille resources. We give them the foundational understanding of how to raise their kid to be just like any other kid.” That is Tad’s legacy, as stated on tadfoundation.org: “As a parent of a blind child, every day Tad believed in the capacity of his daughter and the rest of the blind community. He felt that blindness need not ever be an obstacle to success and ensured that mindset was instilled in his daughter as early as she could talk.”

TAD’s Mentorship Program pairs each student with a sighted and blind mentor. “It’s the first-of-its-kind training program,” says Kathryn. “Any mentorship program I know of in the U.S., students have a blind mentor,

and that’s great, but we also integrate back into the sighted world that we live in. We are focused on developing technical and leadership skills— building Excel models or being able to present and network—not blindness skills. Our students have those already. It’s an academic year long, with four in-person weekend events and virtual meetings.”

Alec Webster, a founding member of TAD, is currently mentoring two students—one at Notre Dame and one at Cal Berkeley. “One wants to work in finance, one in law,” explains Alec. “Getting to know them has been awesome. Bringing the knowledge from the sighted side is really helpful in duo with the blind mentor. We both bring advantages that the other doesn’t have. I can tell them about the intangibles: sitting upright in an interview, holding eye contact, putting your hand out to shake, bringing your attention to the speaker and not looking around the room. Together we can turn these students into really well-rounded candidates before their interviews. That’s a lot of what my mom and I did for my sister.”

Establishing corporate partners and building a pipeline of qualified

top center: Kathryn and Alec with thier father, Tad top right: Kathryn, Alec and Monica above: An empowered child, Kathryn didn't let anything stop her. right: Kathryn (with Theo) at her Harvard Business School graduation

above: Kathryn in her Generals’ cheerleading days right: A former competitive equestrian, Kathryn now rides recreationally. below: Kathryn at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for triathlon training

“In every space, I’m the only blind person. It takes so much tenacity to stick with it. I WANT TAD TO BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR BLIND PEOPLE IS 75 PERCENT and it has literally sat there since 1970.”

blind candidates is the third TAD pillar. “It’s also a battle for businesses to understand what they need to provide for blind employees,” says Kathryn. “It’s minimal: I need JAWS and someone to show me around the building. That’s it. This weekend we have an event at KKR’s offices, working on everything—from how to digest a company’s 10-K to how to do a proper interview to résumés. We are working with local businesses, like Vineyard Vines, to get the students in professional dress.”

Nic Smoller, TAD’s chief strategist and also a Greenwich native, sits by Kathryn’s side during our interview. “Companies want to say ‘DEI DEI,’ [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion], but they’re missing a whole category of people that truly bring diverse experiences and perspectives,” says Nic. They recount a recent win, with a general contracting firm in Atlanta looking to hire blind interns. “We have two brothers based in Georgia,” he explains. “That will be a conversion to hopefully a full-time offer.”

Nic loves working with the current cohort of fifteen mentees. It’s rewarding in a way his mother Candace knew it would be when she met Kathryn by chance at Indian Harbor Yacht Club and learned about the foundation the young woman was forming. “She said, ‘Oh, my son has to be involved with that,’” recalls Kathryn.

Nic chimes in, “I went to Indian Harbor to meet Kathryn, and we talked for two and half hours. By the end I was part of the team.” The team also includes a slew of volunteers and a board of thirteen (half are blind). Syed Rizvi, a Harvard Law School student who will be working at Vinson & Elkins LLP in May, serves as vice president.

“Kate is a true team player who leads by example; she is humble and empathetic, quick to praise the accomplishments of others and downplay her own achievements,” comments Nancy Betty, a Greenwich nonprofit veteran who serves as one of Kathryn’s advisors. “However she chooses to apply her time and talent, the results are always impressive.”

There’s that word again. Kathryn will just have to learn to accept it. G

COMPASSION NOT CONDESCENSION

Kathryn offers advice on how to help

Treat blind people as you would treat anyone else.

Offer help in a non-presumptive way, e.g. “Do you need help?” Or “Can I help with anything?” (Kathryn comments, “Sometimes in the street we are just exploring. If I bang into a garbage can, that’s OK; now I know where it is.”)

Coming into a room, make your presence known to a blind person, but be subtle.

Parents, don’t baby your blind children. Let them make mistakes.

Companies, hire diverse talent by putting your money where your mouth is and getting the talent in the door. Visit the TAD site and email info@tadfoundation.org to learn more. become a gala sponsor TAD’s first annual gala was held on February 22 at the Harvard Club in New York.

right: Kathryn and her brother, Alec, who is a founding member of TAD, attending The Lighthouse Foundation's San Francisco fundraiser. Kathryn serves as the nonprofit's vice chairman.

by tom connor

The

CALL of the WILD

This spring, as native and ornamental grasses continue to replace demanding lawns, borders of pollinator plants and islands of wildly colorful fl owers are signaling all creatures—including us—back to nature. Here, local landscape experts share just how our gardens grow in 2024.

greenwichmag.com

opposite Riots of color are popping up in the chicest gardens across the county.

ne of the great natural pleasures of spending time outside on warm spring and summer evenings is listening to the free outdoor concerts performed by the All-Star, All-Insect, All-Night Orchestra. This gardening season, as members of the rhythm section—the tree crickets and land crickets, the cicadas and katydids—magically appear, the big band

promises to crank up the volume and be in full swing for the first time in decades.

That’s because all across Fairfield County, many of the top landscape architects and designers have been preaching best practices to an increasingly committed congregation of environmentally conscious homeowners.

While buffalo grass and other native and ornamental grasses are kicking Kentucky blue and fescue off golfclub-like lawns (or at least out of sections of them), pollinator plants and brightly colored flowers are attracting birds, bees, butterflies and other creatures by the kabillions.

At the same time, paradoxically, something of a return to order and formality is underway, and why not? There’s a hard, clean look to arborvitae walls and boxwood borders, precisely edged garden islands and shrubs sharply pruned into statuesque topiary. They’re complementing both modern houses and formal mansions but also providing a kind of architectural structure for disorderly rows of perennials and annuals.

Which is not to say the backyard is no longer the place to chill after long, hot, summer days. Popular this year are plunge pools—small, shallow respites to soothe and restore sore bodies.

From Greenwich to Westport homeowners are heeding the call of the wild, staying true to tradition and taking care of themselves as well as their garden companions.

Where the Wild Things Are

For decades Fairfield County homeowners have been obsessed with golf course–quality grounds. Blame can be laid on Thomas Jefferson, whose Monticello estate boasted one of the earliest American manicured lawns. Since he set that style, cultivated grasses have dominated suburban yards as well.

In the past few years, however, a number of local landscape designers have convinced customers to go native instead.

Wesley Stout Design Associates, a New Canaan landscape design firm, has installed native and ornamental grasses both at the residential and the commercial level for environmental reasons: “It’s staggering the amount of water bluegrass turf grasses require,” founder Wes Stout says. “It takes a full swimming pool to water a typical yard for a week!”

For a large commercial property in the area, the firm removed every blade of traditional turf grass and replaced it with species like Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a prairie grass admired for its cool-hued color during the summer months and reddish-bronze tones in autumn. (“Skipper” butterflies like it, to boot.) It demands little watering, thereby aiding local reservoirs, and though it can grow up to three feet high by fall, lawns planted in the grass need to be cut back just several times a season.

Other designers confirm the trend’s rise. Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich has reported an uptick in orders for native seeds and plantings as well as perennial meadow garden material.

“People are using their spaces differently,” notes Maggie Bridge, a partner in the family firm that has been on the same North Street parcel since King George I of England bestowed it as a land grant in the 1600s. “Where traditionally you would see a giant lawn, we're now starting to see more requests for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens.”

(Pollinators are plants that attract insects which, in turn, transfer pollen from one plant to another. Here in the Northeast, they include milkweed, sunflowers and wildflowers, sweet alyssum, black-eyed Susans and some zinnias and verbena, as well as many herbs.)

At the Chelsea Flower Show in London last May, Sandy Lindh of English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich took note of a turn toward the rewilding of formal English gardens and a more naturalistic approach to landscape design. Back in Greenwich, she found her customers requesting the same. Last year, her company installed some half-dozen pollinator gardens in addition to open meadows of wildflowers.

“I think [homeowners] are beginning to realize that we need to make space for nature and that having pollinator-friendly flower beds with no chemicals is the way to go,” Lindh says. This spring she’s encouraging clients to reduce their lawn footage and expand their blooming plots.

Other options exist, however unnaturally. For the father of three very active young boys, who was tired of patching the back lawn, Lindh tore it up and, in its place, laid a quarter-acre of Astroturf. It’s not beneficial for the bees— or some say even the knees. Yet it’s so lowmaintenance that perhaps we’ll see the rise of these truly “no mow” yards in the coming years?

Silent Spring

In keeping with some landscape designers’ preference for electric leaf blowers and the “No Noise” ordinance that went into effect in the state last October, these wild lawnsubstitutes are, in effect, silencing commercial mowers to combat noise. They’re also helping reduce air pollution since big, multi-wing, gaspowered rigs operate outside of EPA emissions regulations.

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“People are using their spaces differently. We're now starting to see more requests for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens.”

Maggie Bridge,Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich

below Insectattracting pollinators are all abuzz for spring and summer.

right and below Native grasses and gardens planted like full-of-life meadows are taking up space alongside—and sometimes even replacing— traditional manicured lawns.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GRASSES AND POOL BY NEIL LANDINO; BEES AND WILD FLOWERS © ALEKSANDRSTOCK.ADOBE.COM

“The appeal is socialization. With the heater on in cooler weather, you can get in there and wallow with your friends all year round."

Sandy Lindh, English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich

this page Posh pools boast sun shelves, heating units for winter and plunge options for cold immersion therapy. opposite Flowers are the ultimate accessory in well-appointed vegetable gardens.

During the peak summer season, according to Stout, “the commercial lawn mower that’s going around your two-acre yard every week is the equivalent of something like 18 automobiles on the road.”

Like him, Heather O’Neill of Second Nature Landscape Design in Norwalk encourages clients to incorporate native grasses, pollinators and other thoughtful plantings on their properties. But she’s also keenly aware of Fairfield County sensibilities.

“Replacing a lawn either in part or whole with native and ornamental grasses is great on paper, but a lot of homeowners want green grass that looks like a putting green,” she says. “We're trying to do the best of both worlds.”

O’Neill also adds that native seed and plants can be more expensive than non-natives and remains skeptical of any immediate widespread adoption of battery-powered leaf blowers due to their perceived inefficiency compared to their gas or electric counterparts.

But on one thing homeowners throughout the county have needed no convincing—filling their properties with tons of flowers. Maybe it’s the lingering gloom hangover of the pandemic driving the trend, but bold, bright colors are widely believed to bring joy and signal hope. If that’s the case, we’re in for a joyous, hopeful gardening season.

Rainbow Valley

Late last fall, O’Neill’s crew planted thousands of bulbs on a three-acre property in backcountry Greenwich to appease the owner’s seemingly insatiable desire for continuous color.

From earliest spring to late in the fall, the property is lined with blooming borders, even down to the edge of a pond, and dotted with blossoming islands. The plantings have enticed legions of insects, amphibians and reptiles to feel at home, as well as at least one bald eagle O’Neill spotted on one of her regular visits to the property.

“Honeybees are swarming over the flowers,” she says, “and there are tons of fish and frogs and more snakes than I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s as if St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland and they came to Greenwich!”

Flowers are also being mixed into vegetable gardens, bringing visual sustenance to the dinner table.

At Homefront Farmers in Redding, towering sunflowers line the edges of the handsome raised and fenced gardens the company constructs for clients. “We’ve always grown

a lot of native plants that we intermix into our vegetable gardens, but more people are asking for them today,” says Miranda Gould, Homefront’s director of client operations.

Dahlias, the large-headed, showy members of the family of flowers that includes sunflowers, chrysanthemums and zinnias, are the prima donnas of the gardens the company creates. Blooming in late-summer and well into the fall, the blooms come in a range of sizes— “Café au Lait,” the Queen of the tubers, is a dinnerplate dahlia that can grow to ten inches in diameter!—and a prism-full of colors.

Dahlias have become so much in demand that orders for them are crashing supplier websites and blowing up availability to a degree perhaps not seen since tulip mania in 17thcentury Holland.

Hot Water

All the while, swimming pools continue to be in high demand, with landscape designers scrambling to line up contractors who’ve been

booked for as long as a year in advance of construction. Driving demand has been a trend toward viewing them anew.

“Pools have become more for pleasure than just for swimming and diving,” says Roger Haggerty of Haggerty Pools in Norwalk. “We're doing a lot of shallower pools. Diving boards have pretty much become obsolete.”

Adapting to the latest trend, Haggerty is building sun shelves in the shallowest ends of existing traditional pools for sitting and chatting. And, along with other pool companies, they’re installing a whole other kind of hole in the ground for serious runners and athletes as well as for the owners of small properties. In what sounds like the opposite of entertainment, Soake plunge pools typically range between seven and 15 feet long and are equipped not only with heaters but also with chiller units that can plunge water temperatures to as low as 37 degrees. Cold-water immersion is believed to help muscles recover quickly from strenuous exercise, heat and stress—and fast.

“We’ve always grown a lot of native plants that we intermix into our vegetable gardens, but more people are asking for them today.“

Miranda Gould, Homefront Farmers in Redding

Because they don’t overwhelm a backyard in the way traditional pools can, plunges can be tucked into a corner of a property, leaving space for gardens. They range from a third to half the cost of a standard swimming pool and can convert to hot tubs at the end of summer for year-round use.

“The appeal is socialization,” observes Lindh. “With the heater on in cooler weather, you can get in there and wallow with friends all year round!”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

For all the talk of wild meadows and explosions of color, Fairfield County is still home to some of the most exquisite examples of formal, classical architecture in New England, and on a grand scale. Landscape designers here are as attuned to gardens that reflect these places as they are to horticultural trends.

As such, reports of the demise of boxwood, prompted perhaps by a blight in recent years,

has been clearly exaggerated (with a nod to Hartford’s Mark Twain).

Sandy Lindh uses sharpened, finely crafted British pruning shears to handcut evergreen shrubs and trees towards a range of goals: screen properties from neighbors; frame gardens overflowing with flowers; maintain allees of hornbeam and linden trees; and shape boxwood into stunning topiary.

When well-maintained, borders and walls of these evergreens provide a sense of tradition and dignity befitting the grand mansions and estate homes that dot Fairfield County’s Gold Coast and backcountry. They work to marry the wild and the tamed, giving large properties a sense of enclosure and focus.

As with other landscape designers working the grounds of formal homes, Lindh favors boxwood-lined gardens close to the main entrances and around foundations.

“For big mansions in backcountry Greenwich, you might have topiary hedging leading the way

to the main entrance,” she says. “They don’t have to be boxwood—they can be hornbeam or linden trees–to lead the eye to a courtyard or fountain or formal garden in front.”

Behind stately homes like these, Lindh also creates topiary courtyards that can be more whimsical, with boxwood shaped into spirals, balls or animals.

And yet boxwood borders and boundaries also fit more contemporary abodes, too. For its clients in modern farmhouse-style houses, Putnam Landscape Associates, a design and high-end property maintenance firm in Weston, installs boxwoods to deliver clean lines and define uncluttered flower beds.

“It’s not necessarily an English garden effect,” says Grant Putnam, who cofounded the company while still in high school, “but more of a modern design with fewer elements than in the past.”

In many cases, that calls for tiers of boxwoods to add structure and accentuate the architecture of a contemporary house. “There’s nothing like boxwood to achieve those ends,” Putnam says. “It’s a timeless plant.”

Showcased within boxwood borders this spring are perennial cultivars that have been bred to bloom more than once a season and to maintain staying power. “The new cultivars of plants, like hydrangeas, are superior genetically to past versions,” says Putnam. “They’re real bloomers, rather than once-and-done, that rebloom later in the season.”

Other plants popular at Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich this season include the European hornbeam (carpinus betulus), a short-trunk tree than can be planted close together and pruned like a hedge.

“Hornbeams’ sleek lines look great outside modern homes but they also work in English gardens and in traditional spaces,” says Maggie Bridge.

With a little luck and a stretch of good weather, the bulbs planted last fall are emerging from the warming earth and the new pollinator plants are sprouting light-green leaves. We’ve brought back out the patio furniture and stacked the firepit with seasoned or kiln-dried hardwood.

Listen! The opening act of the outdoor concert season, The Fabulous Spring Peepers, is warming up. Now, after a winter spent mainly indoors, let’s gather family and friends outside to take in all that nature has to offer. G

above Blooming in never-ending cycles of pretty, meadow-like gardens feel like being surrounded by a field of flowers in the English countryside. opposite Estate homes maintain a sense of tradition with a more formal focus.

“For big mansions in backcountry Greenwich, you might have topiary hedging leading the way to the main entrance. They don’t have to be boxwood—they can be hornbeams or linden trees—to lead the eye to a courtyard or fountain or formal garden in front.”

Sandy Lindh, English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich

4.4.2024 Peterson Business Award Dinner

TO BENEFIT GREENWICH LIBRARY

HONORING

Ray Dalio

Founder, CIO Mentor, and Member of the Bridgewater Board Bridgewater Associates, LP

PRESENTED BY

The Honorable Ned Lamont

Governor of Connecticut

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Greenwich Hyatt Regency Hotel

Tickets available now at: www.greenwichlibrary.org/peterson

For additional information, please contact:

Lisa Mandel, Director of Development, Greenwich Library lmandel@greenwichlibrary.org

203.622.7957

Taylor | Graham Gallery

The Taylor | Graham Gallery will exhibit works by Jane Piper (1916–1991), one of America’s premier female abstractionists of the late 1950s into the 1980s. Many of her works begin with a still life or landscape and are a means to explore structure in space and light, allowing white to play many roles in the composition. Piper is a distinct and important pillar for the women who shaped the avant-garde movement of the mid- to late-20th century. The gallery offers a vast collection of American and European paintings, sculpture and works on paper raging from the 19th through the 21st centuries. 80 Greenwich Avenue. taylorandgraham.com

ART & ANTIQUES

ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-0198. Tues.–Sun. aldrichart.org

AMY SIMON FINE ART, 1869 Post Rd. East, Westport, 259-1500. amysimonfineart.com

BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org

CANFIN GALLERY, 39 Main St., Tarrytown, NY, 914-332-4554. canfingallery.com

CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS, Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah, NY, 914-232-1252. Caramoor is a destination for exceptional music, captivating programs, spectacular gardens and grounds, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. caramoor.org

CAVALIER GALLERIES, 405 Greenwich Ave., 869-3664. cavaliergalleries .com

CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING, 299 West Ave., Norwalk, 899-7999. contemprints.org

CLAY ART CENTER, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY, 914-937-2047. clayartcenter.org

DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 372-3521. discoverymuseum.org

FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER, 370 Beach Rd., Fairfield, 259-1598. fairfieldhistory.org

FLINN GALLERY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7947. flinngallery.com

GERTRUDE G. WHITE GALLERY, YWCA, 259 E. Putnam Ave., 869-6501. ywcagreenwich.org

GREENWICH ARTS COUNCIL, 299 Greenwich Ave., 862-6750. greenwichartscouncil.org

GREENWICH ART SOCIETY, 299 Greenwich Ave. 2nd fl., 629-1533. A studio school that offers a visual arts education program for kids and adults. greenwichartsociety.org

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 47 Strickland Rd., 869-6899. greenwichhistory.org

KATONAH

MUSEUM OF ART, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org

KENISE BARNES FINE ART, 1947 Palmer Ave., Larchmont, NY, 914-834-8077. kbfa.com

LOCKWOOD-MATHEWS MANSION MUSEUM, 295 West Ave., Norwalk, 838-9799. lockwoodmathews mansion.com

LOFT ARTISTS ASSOCIATION, 575 Pacific St., Stamford, 247-2027. loftartists.org

MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org

NEUBERGER MUSEUM OF ART, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, NY, 914-251-6100. neuberger.org

PELHAM ART CENTER, 155 Fifth Ave., Pelham, NY, 914-738-2525 ext. 113. pelhamartcenter.org

ROWAYTON ARTS CENTER, 145 Rowayton Ave., Rowayton, 866-2744. rowaytonarts.org

SAMUEL OWEN GALLERY, 382 Greenwich Ave., 325-1924. samuelowen.org

SILVERMINE GUILD ARTS CENTER, 1037 Silvermine Rd., New Canaan, 966-9700. silvermineart.org

SANDRA MORGAN INTERIORS & ART PRIVÉ, 135 East Putnam Ave., 2nd flr., Greenwich, 629-8121. sandramorganinteriors.com

SORELLE GALLERY Bedford Square 19 Church Lane Westport, 920-1900. sorellegallery.com

SOROKIN GALLERY, 96 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, 856-9048. sorokingallery.com

STAMFORD ART ASSOCIATION, 39 Franklin St., Stamford, 325-1139. stamfordartassociation.org »

Wellfleet Still Life with Mirror, 1969, by Jane Piper, oil on canvas, 44 x 48 in.

Saturday, April 27, 2024 • Riverside Yacht Club

6:00 p.m. Cocktails and Silent Auction

7:00 p.m. Dinner, Program, Live Auction and Dancing

Co-Chairs: Connie Anne Harris and Lauren E. Walsh

Exceptional Service Honoree

Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland

61st Superintendent, United States Military Academy at West Point

2024 Humanitarian Honoree

Suzanne Packer

2024 Lifetime Service Honoree

Chief James J. Heavy

To purchase tickets, sponsorships and journal acknowledgments please visit redcross.org/mnynball

STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org

TAYLOR GRAHAM GALLERY, 80 Greenwich Aveue, Greenwich, 489-3163. taylorandgraham.com

UCONN STAMFORD ART GALLERY, One University Pl., Stamford, 251-8400. artgallery.stamford.uconn.edu

WESTPORT ARTS CENTER, 51 Riverside Ave., Westport, 226-7070. westportartscenter.org

YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven, 432-2800. britishart.yale.edu

YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY, 1111 Chapel St.,New Haven, 432-0611. artgallery.yale.edu

CONCERTS, FILM & THEATER

ARENA AT HARBOR YARD, 600 Main St., Bridgeport, 345-2300. websterbankarena.com

Planned Parenthood

On Monday, April 8, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) will hold its annual Spring Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency (1800 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich) beginning at 11:00 and virtually at 12:15. Famous for her role in Saturday Night Live, featured speaker Cecily Strong, who once worked for Planned Parenthood, now produces and stars in the Apple TV comedy Schmigadoon. She will be interviewed by Samantha Bee. The Community Impact Award wlll go to Danielle Eason. Cochairing the event are Susan Beyman, Keri Cameron, Jane Carlin, Lindy Lilien and Mini Nunna. To register or make a donation, go to ppsne.org/luncheon, contact 203-752-2813 or email special.events@ppsne.org.

AVON THEATRE FILM CENTER, 272 Bedford St., Stamford, 661-0321. avontheatre.org

CURTAIN CALL, The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford, 329-8207. curtaincallinc.com

DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, 576-1636. dtcab.com

LECTURES, TOURS & WORKSHOPS

FAIRFIELD THEATRE COMPANY, On StageOne, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield, 259-1036. fairfieldtheatre.org

GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE, 6 Main St., East Haddam, 860-873-8668. goodspeed.org

GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org

JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville, NY, 914-773-7663. burnsfilmcenter.org

LONG WHARF THEATRE, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven, 787-4282. longwharf.com

RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, 438-9269. ridgefieldplayhouse.org

RIDGEFIELD THEATER BARN, 37 Halpin Ln., Ridgefield, 431-9850. ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org

SHUBERT THEATER, 247 College St., New Haven, 800-228-6622. shubert.com

Greenwich Historical Society

The Greenwich Historical Society is proud to present six prominent women photographers whose iconic work for LIFE magazine was integral to Henry Luce’s vision for an “American Century.” The exhibition features more than seventy images by Margaret Bourke-White, Marie Hansen, Martha Holmes, Lisa Larsen, Nina Leen and Hansel Mieth, who were among the few women photographers employed by LIFE between the late 1930s and the early 1970s. This special exhibit is on view from Wednesday, March 6, through Sunday, July 7.

STAMFORD CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford, 325-4466. stamfordcenterforthearts.org

WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE, 25 Powers Ct., Westport, 227-4177. westportplayhouse.org

ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-0198. aldrichart.org

AUDUBON GREENWICH, 613 Riversville Rd., 869-5272. greenwich.audubon.org

AUX DÉLICES, 231 Acosta St., Stamford, 326-4540, ext. 108. auxdelicesfoods.com

BOWMAN OBSERVATORY PUBLIC NIGHT, NE of Milbank/East Elm St. rotary on the grounds of Julian Curtiss School, 869-6786, ext. 338

BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org

CLAY ART CENTER, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY, 914-937-2047. clayartcenter.org »

Cecily Strong

Photograph by Marie Hansen

Spring Luncheon

Featuring Cecily Strong in Conversation with Samantha Bee

Cecily Strong is best known as a standout former Saturday Night Live cast member, but prior to finding success in the entertainment industry, Cecily worked for Planned Parenthood.

Emmy-winning comedian, writer, television personality and last year’s featured speaker Samantha Bee returns to the luncheon to facilitate this exciting conversation!

CONNECTICUT CERAMICS

STUDY CIRCLE, Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. 869-0376. ctcsc.org

FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER, 370 Beach Rd., Fairfield, 259-1598. fairfieldhistory.org

GREENWICH BOTANICAL CENTER, 130 Bible St., 869-9242. gecgreenwich.org

GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org

KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, 26 Bedford Rd., Chappaqua, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org

STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org

Gertrude White Gallery

This March the Gertrude White Gallery (located on the lower level of the YWCA of Greenwich) is pleased to host local artist Carol Dixon. With more than thirty solo artist exhibitions, Dixon’s works have appeared in numerous galleries, museums, corporate headquarters, art centers, libraries and private collections. She is currently teaching courses at the Greenwich Art Society Studio. Prior to that, she taught AP Art History and Studio Art at Greenwich Academy. 259 East Putnam Avenue. »

Cherry Blossoms by Carol Dixon

KIDS’ STUFF MARCH 2024

ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-4519. aldrichart.org

AUDUBON GREENWICH, 613 Riversville Rd., 869-5272. greenwich.audubon.org

AUX DÉLICES, (cooking classes), 23 Acosta St., Stamford, 326-4540 ext. 108. auxdelicesfoods.com

BEARDSLEY ZOO, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, 394-6565. beardsleyzoo.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREENWICH, 4 Horseneck Lane, 869-3224. bgcg.org

BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org

DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 372-3521. discoverymuseum.org

DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, 576-1636. dtcab.com

EARTHPLACE, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport, 227-7253. earthplace.org

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 39 Strickland St., 869-6899. hstg.org

GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org

IMAX THEATER AT MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org

KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org

MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org

NEW CANAAN NATURE CENTER, 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, 966-9577. newcanaannature.org

RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, 438-5795. ridgefieldplayhouse.org

STAMFORD CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford, 325-4466. palacestamford.org

STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org

STEPPING STONES MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN, 303 West Ave., Mathews Park, Norwalk, 899-0606. steppingstonesmuseum.org

WESTPORT ARTS CENTER, 51 Riverside Ave., Westport, 222-7070. westportartscenter.org

WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE, 25 Powers Ct., Westport, 227-4177. westportplayhouse.org G

greenwichmag.com

JOIN US APRIL 11, 2024

5:30 PM • GREENWICH COUNTRY CLUB

Join us for our 26th annual celebration to illuminate the change you’ve sparked! Come together for cocktails and conversation, hear stories of the lives you’ve touched and be inspired by our keynote speaker, legendary broadcast journalist Jane Pauley.

HONORING CHARLOTTE SUHLER 2024 Anne S. Leonhardt Award Recipient

Proceeds benefit The Fund for Women & Girls Programs – including our new Black Maternal Health Initiative and the emme coalition.

FOR TICKETS, VISIT: FCCFOUNDATION.ORG/FWG24

FEATURING JANE PAULEY Journalist & Advocate

LUCKY DOG

They say that on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish. And lucky for us (see what we did there?) our favorite Postscript model, Daisy, agrees. Though the Greenwich pup always seems to be a bit serious, she happily plays along when mom Melissa busts out the costume box. Here’s hoping that on March 17 all your beer is green and all your clovers four-leafed. G

Have a photo that captures a moment in Greenwich? Send it to us at editor@greenwichmag.com for a chance to win $100. Please write “photo submission” in the subject line.

greenwichmag.com

photograph by melissa m c cann santangelo

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