Democratic candidates for selectman and first selectman respectively, Sandy Litvack and Jill Oberlander in Greenwich Town Hall on Thursday afternoon as they filed paperwork with the town clerk. May 30, 2019 Photo: Leslie Yager

Democrats Jill Oberlander, running for First Selectman, and Sandy Litvack, running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, on Thursday announced their campaigns and their intention to work together as a team.

“Like many other communities, Greenwich is at a turning point and faces important challenges that will affect our future and our children’s future. I want to be the First Selectman to help guide Greenwich into the future, Oberlander said.

“I am committed to maintaining the high quality of our schools and preserving access to our treasured recreational resources,” she added. She said in a statement released at 3:30pm that her campaign will also focus on environmental concerns and prioritizing smart government policies that support existing residents and attract businesses and residents to the Town. “Together with Sandy, I am confident we have the team to move Greenwich forward.”

“Greenwich is known for its sound financial practices, the quality of its schools and its overall character,” said Sandy Litvack in the release, adding, “I am eager to join Jill as we look to build on that foundation.”

Litvack said in order to continue improving, the Town must invigorate its local economy. “My years in the corporate world have taught me that in order to overcome challenges, we must address them directly and assemble he right team to achieve a goal. We have an abundance of that kind of talent in Greenwich, and Jill and I will work to take advantage of that talent to develop sound and effective solutions.”

Oberlander is the current Chair of Greenwich’s Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) and will bring more than 20 years of government and private experience to the position.

Selectman Litvack is the former Vice Chairman of the Walt Disney Company and a awell-respected lawyer, having served in both the public and private spheres.

Together Litvack and Oberlander say they offer Greenwich a fresh approach to ensuring that the Town will preserve its historic character and reputation while meeting the current challenges head on.

The campaign’s official launch will be on June 11, 2019 at 6pm at Town Hall.

The election is set for November 5, 2019.

Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Ralph Mayo has announced the appointment of Ms. Christina Shaw as the House Administrator for Greenwich High School’s Cantor House, effective immediately.

Ms. Shaw has served in the interim role for this position since August 2018. An educator for 23 years, Ms. Shaw has been with Greenwich High School since 2001, and has held leadership positions at the school as Social Studies Learning Facilitator, Assistant Dean of Students, and as Program Associate and founding teacher for Innovation Lab.

GHS Interim Headmaster Richard Piotrzkowski said, “Christina Shaw has shown strong leadership qualities as interim administrator for Cantor House and the World Language Program. She has built strong relationships with students, families, and staff. In addition, she has been a fine addition to the Greenwich High School Leadership team.”

Ms. Shaw received a bachelor of arts degree in History from Harvard University, Cambridge, MA in 1995; a master of arts degree in Social Studies Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, New York, NY in 1996; and a master of science degree in Educational Leadership from Mercy College, NY in 2016.

She began  her career in education in 1996 as a Social Studies teacher at the Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY. She then taught social studies for two years at West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, NC before coming to the Greenwich Public Schools as a GHS teacher in 2001.

John Grasso

The New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Luizzi announced on Wednesday the appointment of John Grasso as Interim Principal of South Elementary School.

Mr. Grasso will be replacing Joanne Rocco for the 2019-2020 school year. Ms. Rocco is retiring after having served as South’s principal for the past 15 years.

“Joanne Rocco is an outstanding educational leader who genuinely cares about students, staff, parents, and the entire community. We have been inspired by her leadership of South Elementary Schools these past 15 years, and we’re going to miss her,” said Dr. Luizzi. “While everyone who knows Joanne knows she is irreplaceable, we are also extremely fortunate to have someone with John Grasso’s knowledge, skill, and extensive principal leadership experience ready to step into the principal’s role at South during this time of transition. We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Grasso to the New Canaan Public Schools.”

Mr. Grasso has held administrative positions in Greenwich throughout his career, most notably serving as the principal of Riverside School, Greenwich’s largest elementary school, for twelve years. Since retiring from Greenwich, he has served in interim positions as principal of Royle Elementary School in Darien from 2014-2016, Parkway Elementary School in Greenwich from 2016-2017, and is currently in his second year as interim principal of Hamilton Avenue School in Greenwich.

On Wednesday Ralph Mayo, the interim superintendent of Greenwich Schools announced the appointment of Shanta M Smith as the new principal at Hamilton Avenue School.

Mr. Grasso earned a bachelors degree from St. John’s University, Queens, NY; a masters degree from City College of New York in Curriculum Development; and a 6th Year Administrator Certificate from Fairfield University in Fairfield.

Additional professional activities include The Arts and Passion Driven Learning at Harvard University, and The Writing Project at Columbia Teachers College.

Mr. Grasso will begin as Interim Principal at South Elementary School on July 1, 2019.

Charlie Ducret. May 30, 2019 Contributed photo

Two football seasons ago, defensive back/wide receiver Charlie Ducret had to watch the biggest game of his life from the sidelines with a fractured back. For months following the state championship loss to the Darien Blue Wave, he wondered what he could have done to help had he been on the field.

This season, Ducret was injured in the third quarter of a 53-0 blowout victory over Westhill – extremely frustrating for a player and team looking to win a championship.

With a torn ACL and a torn meniscus, his season on the field was over, stripping Greenwich of one of its top players. But that would not stop him from maintaining his role as a leader – something that comes naturally for him as an Eagle Scout and three season captain (Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track). From the sidelines during practice and games, he mentored the players who would fill in for him in the secondary.

In December, he finally got his wish — to hold the trophy that signified Greenwich had become the best team in the state of Connecticut.

This time, he watched from the sidelines with crutches. Still, hoisting the trophy in the air with all of his teammates around him, Charlie had the brightest smile on the field.

As for winning the championship, Ducret said, “It honestly was the greatest feeling ever. All of our hard work culminated into a championship. The 7 on 7s, the early morning workouts, and the off season lifts finally led to a title. It was a fairytale ending for Coach Marinelli’s first full class and I couldn’t have been more proud of my coaches and teammates.”

For anyone looking to get recruited by colleges for athletics, there’s no worse time to get injured than during senior year. For this reason, Ducret was facing an uphill battle if he wanted to fulfill his dream of playing college football.

“At first when I got hurt I was very nervous that I wouldn’t find a place to play football in college, but with the help of Coach Marinelli and my other coaches at GHS they opened the doors for me that otherwise would’ve been closed,” Ducret added. He would face the challenge directly – fighting through months of physical therapy to get back into form.

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With the upcoming track season in mind, Ducret fought through pain and relearned how to run in physical therapy.

He had to rebuild muscle and cardiovascular endurance in order to rehab from the torn ACL. He began to consider track as his gateway into college athletics, but he would have to push to run this season to prove to coaches he could still do it.

Trainers and other professionals told Charlie he might not make it to run this season – but instead of crumbling after hearing this news, he worked his hardest every day and eventually got cleared.

With his teammates cheering him on at the finish line, Charlie clocked in a time of 57 seconds in the 400 meter race.

“It was the hardest race of my career, but just crossing that finish line again made all the hard work in the off season worthwhile,” Ducret recalled. Eventually, he got his time down to 53.3 seconds and qualified for both FCIACs and States.

Ducret has overcome two major injuries and gotten his wish – he will head to Trinity College in Hartford in the fall where he will play football and run track.

In fact, Coach Marinelli attended Trinity himself.

“Charlie is one of the greatest personalities I’ve ever been around. He’s had a tough football career with injury but he never let it take a smile off his face,” Marinelli said in an email on Wednesday. “His leadership was instrumental for us as a captain and a senior. I couldn’t be more proud to help send a person like Charlie to my alma mater, Trinity College. He epitomizes what it means to be a Bantam.”

Charlie will get the best of both worlds next year, competing in his two favorite sports. To cap off his senior year of high school, which has been nothing short of eventful, he became an Eagle Scout in May.

In addition to his athletics, Charlie has also been an avid Boy Scout for many years.

He said his most meaningful community service project was renovating a local walkway and bridge for his Eagle Scout project on Bible Street.

“Although I struggled at first, I learned from experience how to lead through example instead of just being a boss. This affected me in a great way because I truly learned how to be an effective leader,” he added of the project that required over 300 hours on his part.

He said he also takes great satisfaction in knowing the people in the community will safely be able to use both the walkway and bridge now.

Jake Bass is a member of the GHS Class of 2019 and will be headed to UConn in the fall.

Charlie Ducret recently became an Eagle Scout. Front row left to right: Jack Cassidy and Connor De Vries. Back row, left to right: Eric Ducret, Marc Ducret, Charlie Ducret, and Pat Cassidy. Contributed photo

Due to the bridge construction project on I-95, Exit 9 on the Stamford/Darien border this weekend, organizers of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance advise people to take Metro-North or the Merritt Parkway instead of I95.

The Concours site is only 2/10 of a mile from the Greenwich Train Station – and you can even hop on the Concours d’Elegance’s free shuttle right next to the station.

Show your Metro-North ticket and save $5 off your Concours ticket.

Sign up for the free Greenwich Free Press newsletter

See also:

2019 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance to Feature Amazing Cars and Motorcycles

Mint Condition 1935 Cos Cob Fire Truck Will Have Place of Honor at Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

Gridlock Warning at I95, Exit 9 This Weekend for Bridge Reconstruction

Submitted by Katherine LoBalbo, a graduate of Lehigh University with over a decade of experience in the construction industry. She is also a mother of two girls and a longtime resident of Cos Cob.

I usually enjoy reading Livvy Floren’s opinion pieces which I find refreshingly positive, unfortunately the opinion letter on Paid Family Medical Leave missed the mark. Many workplaces, including my own already utilize private sector insurance which employees can buy into selecting terms and percentage of payout. This was an optional employer provided benefit with an additional cost fitted to my needs on top of standard medical insurance costs. This is not paid leave, and it is misleading to call it such.

After the birth of my daughter in January, I used an additional purchased insurance, which supplements part of a paycheck after an exclusion period. Is it helpful? Yes, but it is not paid leave. If it is available to you then payments are only enacted while you are considered disabled, the medical standard defines the disabled length of time after a birth as six to eight weeks. Imagine for a moment leaving a six week old baby to go back to a forty hour work week in order to provide for your family. Yes, some choose this path, however, for many adults taking leave without pay is simply not a choice, returning to work as soon as possible is a requirement to avoid jeopardizing bill payments and taking on debt.

Established economic data for paid leave is overwhelmingly positive. Paid leave benefits small businesses by reducing the costly rate of turnover. Paid leave not only translates to retention of talent, but increased job satisfaction and enhanced employee productivity. Furthermore, State managed employee funded paid leave is achieved long term entirely through employee payroll, passing zero direct costs to employers.

Why should employees pay? Well, the benefits for employees are clear, leave has been shown to contribute to a decrease in infant mortality, decrease child behavioral problems, decrease rates of maternal post-partum depression, it provides time to balance ones focus on family and career, instead of worrying about the bottom line. The US Department of Labor (DoL) agrees in its 2015 report “The Cost of Doing Nothing”. In fact, the US DoL data also shows it is more likely for an employee to take a leave for illness rather than the misconception that leave is intended or utilized solely for child birth. Paid leave programs drive growth and improve performance across the entire workforce.

While in either opinion, the employee is making payments, privatizing means more management for the employer, a disadvantage for a small companies, and results in inequitable care for employees across Connecticut. I’ve witnessed first-hand the anguish and stress both men and women experience in the workforce while establishing care for an aging parent, dealing with illness, or welcoming a child, and it simply disgusts me that in Connecticut we treat hard working people in this way. Paid Family Leave, not privatized supplemental insurance, is a tool to achieve equity in today’s workforce and it is time we start using it.

Opinion Submitted by Katherine LoBalbo  is graduate of Lehigh University with over a decade of experience in the construction industry. She is also a mother of two girls and a longtime resident of Cos Cob.

Discover the beauty of small at the Inside Small Art Exhibit.

Curator, Lisa D’Amico is excited to announce the fourth annual juried small works exhibition, this year at the Greenwich Botanical Center Gallery, 130 Bible Street, Cos Cob, Connecticut.

Inside Small challenged 50 artists from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey to create works no larger than 10″ in any direction with no limitation on imagination.

Artists worked in various mediums from collage to fiber to photography to watercolor. While the artists are connected by their commitment to small, the beauty of these small works allows for a notable presence of creativity, and undeniable talent. Their smallness demands the viewer’s close inspection and contemplation.

With over 100 small works in the exhibit, viewers are provided a rare opportunity to obtain artwork from talented local artists to add to their collections or give as unique gifts. Additional viewing and purchase can also be done on-line at www.insidesmall.com.

Greenwich Botanical Center Gallery is located at 130 Bible Road in beautiful Cos Cob, Connecticut. The gallery is also available for solo exhibitions, gatherings and events.

Inside Small will run from May 30 – June 26, 2019. The artists will be present at the opening reception on Sunday June 9th from 2pm – 4pm with refreshments, light fare and music.

For additional information please visit www.insidesmall.com.

50 Participating Artists: Meera Agarwal, Richard Alexander, Joi Alicea, Suzanne Altman, Sue Barrasi, Nancy Breakstone, Carla Byrd, Joyce Byrnes, Cristina Cerone, Dorothy Cherbavaz, Rosa Colon, Emily Cook, B.A. D’Alessandro, Carol Dixon, Gia Dovey, June Farnham, Trine Giaever, Marianne Goldstein, Shiva Jlayer, Daniel Kabakoff , Ruth Kalla Ungerer, Dara Kane, Eugune Lagana, Neil Lavey, Katya Lebrija, Karleen Loughran, Renee Ludwiczak, Doris Mady, Cass McVety, Cynthia Mullins, Peggy Opalek, Ilene Schwartz-Montesinos, Hunter Parker, Diane Rosen, Laurence Sachs, Cindy Sacks, Salvador Sanchez, Kat Sayegh, Ken Sharp, Aviva Sakolsky, Andrea Scott, Debbie Silberberg, Cecilia Soprano, Sarah Suplina, Chloe Tompkins, Chris Timmons, Pattiann Truocchio, Deborah Weiss, Fernanda Witdorchic, Stefanie Wolfson

The Greenwich Farmers Market is ope for the 2019 season in the Horseneck Lane commuter parking lot off I95 exit 3.

The market runs 9:30am to 1:00pm.

Pets are not permitted in the market.

The Greenwich Farmers Market provides local, Connecticut-grown produce. The vendors are committed to delivering excellence to customers.

Vendors for 2019:

Farming 101, Newtown, CT (Heirloom Tomatoes)

Four Mile River Farm (Old Lyme, CT) –   beef, pork, prepared foods

The Herb Basket – jams, preserves, gift boxes

Moorefield Herb Farm, LLC – Trumbull, CT (herbs, succulents, plants)

The Local Catch – Fresh Seafood and Shellfish

Oxen Hill Farm – USDA certified organic vegetables:  potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbages, farm fresh eggs and more

Plasko’s Farm – Trumbull, CT  (produce, apple cider donuts)

Riverbank Farm – certified organic produce and prepared foods

Sankow’s Beaver Brook Farm – lamb, chicken, cheese, prepared foods

Seacoast Mushrooms –  mushrooms to suit every palate and recipe

Smith Acres Farm – fresh produce

Sugar Maple Farm – maple products, honey, horseradish

Two Guys from Woodbridge- salad greens, microgreens, edible flowers

Woodland Farm – peaches, plums, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, donut peaches, nectarines

The home at 61 Sturbridge Hill Road in New Canaan that Fotis Dulos is building through his company, Fore Group Inc. Photo credit: Julia Stewart

This article was written by Mike Dinan and originally published on sister site NewCanaanite.com

The estranged husband of a New Canaan woman who’s been missing for one week borrowed nearly $10 million from his father-in-law over a dozen years prior to his wife’s filing for divorce in 2017, and still owes about $2.5 million of the loaned money, according to claims made in court filings.

Jennifer Dulos’s father, Hilliard Farber, died two years ago, and his widow, Gloria Farber, last year sued Fitos Dulos and his construction company, claiming that the son-in-law hadn’t repaid money that he’d borrowed to purchase and redevelop properties in New Canaan and Avon, according to a complaint filed in February 2018.

At first, in suing Fotis Dulos and his construction company, Fore Group Inc., for breach of contract and unjust enrichment among other civil matters, Gloria Faber had said that he failed to pay back about $1.6 million in lent money.

Jennifer Dulos has been missing since May 24, 2019. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Police Department

But Fotis Dulos in November provided the court cancelled checks showing that at least $670,000 of that had, in fact, been paid back. That led a judge in September to order that Gloria Farber could attach just $500,000 in Fitos Dulos’s assets to the case—far less than she’d been seeking.

Yet Gloria Farber then said she realized that she’d “had difficulty securing all of the decedent’s [Hilliard Farber’s] bank records and documentation in regard to the lending relationship” between her deceased husband and Fore Group, according to a second amended complaint filed Jan. 10.

A closer look at financial records showed that Hilliard Farber had lent Fore Group $9,851,158 between 2004 and 2016 and that Fotis Dulos had repaid $7,309,326, meaning there’s an unpaid balance of $2,541,831, according to the Jan. 10 filing.

Gloria Farber had been wrong to limit the claims “for amounts due in connection to the purchase and resale of properties located in New Canaan and Avon, Connecticut,” according to a Motion to Amend and Increase Prejudgment Remedy.

“However, through discovery, the plaintiff has become aware of substantial funds due and owing from the defendants [Fotis Dulos and Fore Group] to the plaintiff well beyond what was originally alleged,” Gloria Farber said in the motion.

She’s now seeking a prejudgment remedy of $3 million. Fotis Dulos objected to the new figure, saying his mother-in-law already “had her day in court on this issue.”

“Plaintiff had her opportunity to make her case in this collect action and now seeks a re-do because she failed to meet her burden of proof,” he said in an objection.

Police said Wednesday that they’ve launched a criminal investigation into Jennifer Dulos’s disappearance, running with the active missing person investigation already underway. The mother of five has been described as extremely kind and focused on her five children by some locals who know her. She had filed for divorce in June 2017 and in applying for emergency custody of the kids, said in an affidavit that she feared her husband and that he was capable of doing real harm—an assertion that Fotis Dulos denied in legal filings.

She hasn’t been seen since dropping off her kids at school on the morning of May 24, according to police, and was reported missing at 7:30 p.m. that same Friday. Her car also was found that day on Lapham Road, next to Waveny, police have said.

Since New Canaanites learned of her disappearance, many in town have expressed feelings of helplessness and concern for the Dulos children, whom police have said are safe and with family. An interfaith prayer vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

In recent days, local and state police have collaborated with other law enforcement agencies to conduct searches in areas that include Waveny Park. Fueled in part by social media sharing, the searches have triggered wild rumors and theories among some seeking answers.

Police reiterated Thursday that Jennifer Dulos has not been found. New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro, the department’s public information officer, also said Thursday that authorities had searched a home in Pound Ridge, N.Y., as part of their investigation. He declined to elaborate, citing the active investigation.

On the same day Jennifer Dulos’s mother filed the lawsuit against Fotis Dulos and his construction company, she filed a separate “companion” complaint that about $180,000 was owed on a $500,000 personal loan made in 2012. Fotis Dulos denied the allegation in a response filed in April 2018, saying the money was not a loan but a gift from Hilliard Farber, and that it’s too late to demand repayment.

In a second count of the companion suit, Gloria Farber said that Fotis Dulos borrowed $2.3 million from a bank in order to buy the family’s home in Farmington, and that she and Hilliard Farber had served as guarantors on the debt.

Fotis Dulos “has now defaulted and failed to make those payments whereby the plaintiff claims damages as a result of the default and failure to meet said mortgage obligation as the bank is now charging plaintiff’s collateral with the payments,” the lawsuit said.

The case is on the calendar to go to trial later this year.

The Farmington home was appraised at $2,158,529, according to the town’s assessor. It’s on the market now for about $4.3 million, according to  a real estate website. The home also is listed as “available” on the Fore Group website, as is the 61 Sturbridge Hill Road house in New Canaan that the company has nearly finished building.

The last legal filing that Jennifer Dulos made in the divorce case accused Fotis Dulos of lying about his finances.

Meanwhile, Fotis Dulos has not filed a response to Gloria Farber’s amended complaint. He had denied claims made in the initial lawsuit.

In it, she said that her deceased husband had “established a course of dealing” with Fitos Dulos whereby he “would loan funds to the defendant Fore Group and its predecessors for the purchase of various real properties.”

“Over the years, decedent and the defendant Fore Group followed a pattern with respect to the purchase and subsequent sale of various properties as to which the defendant Fore Group purchased properties with funds loaned by decedent, improved the properties, and resold them,” the amended complaint said. “Upon the re-sales of the properties, the defendant Fore Group repaid decedent funds that decedent had loaned defendant, Fore Group.”

Yet after years of that arrangement, $2.5 million had gone unpaid, and Gloria Farber as co-executor of her husband’s estate “has been damaged to the extent of the outstanding funds due to the estate,” the amended complaint said.

That case also is scheduled to go to trial later this year.

The couple’s ongoing divorce proceedings were referred to at least once in Gloria Farber’s claim against Fore Group. After Fotis Dulos in August 2018 moved to obtain financial documents from her—such as several years’ worth of tax returns, as well as promissory notes, mortgages, loan agreements and related email correspondence—Gloria Farber called his request “overly broad and invasive, irrelevant and immaterial and involving confidential information concerning financial dealings of the decedent and of Gloria Farber individually.”

“The defendant Fotis Dulos is involved in a protracted divorce which involves and has involved discovery,” Gloria Farber wrote in objecting to his request for production of documents. The request “is apparently a back door attempt in part by the defendant Dulos to secure documentation and information that may have been requested in regard to the divorce, but which otherwise has not been produced or objections pending or have been sustained in regard thereto.”

Anyone who had contact with Jennifer Dulos on May 24 or has information about her disappearance is asked to call the New Canaan Police tip line at 203-594-3544.

Help improve Binney Park! The Binney Park Advisory Committee is organizing a volunteer day on Saturday, June 1.

Meet on Arch Street by the Island at 9:30am. The event lasts until 12:00 noon.

(Rain date is Sunday, June 2 from 11am-2pm)

Volunteers are needed to help weed and mulch flowerbeds around north end of Binney Pond. Some tools available. Mulch will be available and Park Staff will be on hand to help. (No young children please.)

Wear old clothes, sun hat and gloves. Bring clippers, a water bottle, rake, trowel and shovel. If you have a favorite tool for weeding, please bring that along.

The primary goal for this first Volunteer Day will be
weeding and mulching the flowerbeds in the north end of the park.

Staff from the Parks Department will provide dumpsters, help to identify weeds from flowers and provide mulch to dress up the newly cleaned areas.

This project is more for adults but supervised teenagers are welcome to attend.

Come for an hour…. or the whole morning. Many hands make light work and Binney will look so much better for the effort.

Pre-registration requested at bpacinformation@gmail.com

The volunteer day is sponsored by the Binney Park Advisory Committee (BPAC) whose aims are to implement the Binney Park Master Plan.

Last winter, a group of Greenwich residents were asked by the Department of Parks & Recreation to form the BPAC, to guide the implementation of the Master Plan for Binney Park.

The plan was prepared in 2015 for the Town by Martha Lyon, a landscape architect from Northampton, MA.

For a variety of reasons, including the anticipated Binney Pond dredging, the plan was not immediately implemented.

Now, plans are underway to execute what projects seem practical and appropriate both in the north end and south end of the park. This letter is written to help keep citizens informed as to what the committee is trying to accomplish.

Ms. Lyon stated in her Summary of the Plan:

“As with all historic landscapes, upkeep of the park’s features has required intensive care on the part of town staff. Dwindling resources, combined with the increased use of the park and the effects of recent storms, have complicated the town’s ability to provide adequate maintenance. As a result, crews regularly mow lawns but the remaining historic landscape features—the historic trees, pavilions, and other details—have deteriorated. To address this condition the Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation commissioned the foregoing master plan.” 

Lyons also said the goal of the Master Plan is to manage the landscape and restoring its historic features while anticipating future impacts of climate change.

This year BPAC sought the removal of problem trees such as the crab apples in the south end of the park and replacing them with more water tolerant trees since there are flooding problems in this area.

After a well attended public hearing the tree warden  made the decision to gradually phase in the removal of the 20 trees posted for removal.

BPAC is working on improvements to the “warming shelter” on the island in Binney Pond, improvements and landscaping for the Clubhouse, the small building near the baseball diamonds.

Loop Trail
BPAC is are planning the construction of a loop trail for walking around the south end of the park.

According to Peter Uhry, BPAC co-chair, the trail would start at Wesskum Wood Road, meander down to the eastern edge of Binney, and come back up to the tennis courts along the side of Arch Street.

BPAC said that aside from adding a pleasant pedestrian strolling path, the loop trail will measurably improve the safety of people who will now have a footpath to use rather than Arch Street.

Our June 1 Volunteer Day is one way we BPAC is demonstrating their desire to highlight the good things in Binney.

“We plan to have citizens, willing to give up a couple of hours on a Saturday morning, weed and mulch flower beds previously planted after the dredging was
completed last summer,” BPAC said in an open letter. “The hope is the nicer looking flower beds will encourages more foot traffic in the park.”

This article was written by Mike Dinan and published on sister site NewCanaanite.com

Police said Friday that they’re spending the morning handing out ‘Missing Person’ flyers for the New Canaan woman who disappeared one week ago.

Contrary to some published reports, investigators have not classified the missing person and criminal case as a homicide, according to New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro, the department’s public information officer.

“We have not recovered a body,” Ferraro said in a press release. “We will not discuss any possible persons of interest/suspects as this investigation is active and ongoing. We will not discuss any evidence that has been recovered at this time during our investigation. We have not arrested any individuals in this case.”

Jennifer Dulos, 50, hasn’t been seen since dropping her kids off at school on May 24, according to police. Friends reported her missing to police at about 7:30 p.m. that night, and authorities found her black SUV parked on Lapham Road near Waveny.

At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer Dulos had been entangled for nearly two years in a bitter divorce and custody dispute with her estranged husband. In divorce filings, she described Fitos Dulos as aggressive and dangerous—charges he has denied. Her mother within one year of the divorce filed a civil lawsuit claiming that Fitos Dulos, a builder based in Farmington, owes the family some $2.5 million in loans.

Police said Wednesday that they’ve launched a criminal investigation into Jennifer Dulos’s disappearance, running with the active missing person investigation already underway. The mother of five has been described as extremely kind and focused on her five children by some locals who know her.

Picture from left to right: Top Row: Coach Leigh, Shun Sakai, Jack Febles, Thomas Streiff, Daniel Bourgeois, Kai Jennings, Fabion Suarez-Becker, Rodone McKenzie, Santiago Gil, Lucas Ojea-Quintana.  Middle Row: Daniel Ubal Barrientos, Connor Skowron, Kevin Bravo, Elliot Carlson, Woojin Kwak, Sasha Burnett, Benjamin Hickman, Chase Kirkpatrick.  Bottom Row: Chris Cruz Reyes, Daniel Acebo, Jose Garcia-Mina Penaranda

This past weekend OGRCC’s Premier travel soccer teams participated in the prestigious Needham Memorial Day Tournament. This invitational tournament is one of the oldest and highest ranked Memorial Day Tournaments in the country for premier and town teams, including top-caliber teams from throughout the Eastern United States, Canada, and England. Hundreds of teams attended this past weekend, making it one of the largest soccer tournaments in North America.

OGRCC’s talented Greenwich United U19 Boys Premier team led by Coach Leigh Parsons and Coaching Director Kurt Putnam had a fantastic weekend playing with true heart, talent, and determination.

After losing their first match at the tournament, the GU U19 Boys Premier Team went undefeated over the next four games to win the U19 Bunker Hill division. The championship game was a redemption game for the squad as they tied the game at 2-2 with no time left in regulation. “It was an exciting ending as the entire team pushed forward and we tied the game with less than a minute left in the game,” said Daniel Acebo, Goalie for the team.

The team then won in a tense shoot-out 7-6 against the team they fell to in their first match.

It was a fitting end for this team who started their Greenwich United involvement with a tournament victory as U12s.

“The boys showed great fight, heart, and grit throughout the entire game. As their coach, I’m incredibly proud of the team’s overall character with a never give up attitude right to the very end. They dug deep and finished with a big win! An amazing team effort,” said Coach Leigh Parsons

Congratulations to the team, coach, managers, and families! An amazing accomplishment.

Paris to Pittsburgh, a film about local and state  governments working for productive ways to combat climate change, in spite of the federal government working counter to these efforts.

This film seeks to galvanize our communities into taking action to address the crisis. The hope is for a habitable planet, and one that brings people together in their strengths, wisdom, and good-heartedness.

Q&A after the film. Come! Bring Friends! Invite your  city/town representative, Spread the word! info: sandra@sandraeagle.com

Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 20 Forest St in Stamford CT

Wednesday, June 5. Doors open at  6:30pm.
Film starts at 7:00pm.  Q&A post film

Don’t miss this free screening.

On Tuesday a Greenwich woman surrendered to Greenwich Police on an outstanding warrant for an incident that took place around 9:00pm on May 19. On that evening, police responded to Peck Ave in Byram on a report of a physical altercation between two people.

One of the parties, later identified as Alyson Zanetti Moraes, 39 of Peck Ave in Greenwich, was determined to be the aggressor in the altercation and had caused injuries to the victim. Also, minor children were present during the incident.

Police were unable to located Moraes and obtained a warrant for her arrest.

Moraes was charged with Risk of Injury to a Child, Disorderly Conduct, Assault 3 with Physical Injury and Strangulation 2.

Her bond was set at $50,000 and she was assigned a date in Stamford Superior Court on May 29,2019.

Sabrina DiMare Taylor, with Kimberly and Sonia, longtime managers of DiMare Pastry Shop. May 30, 2019 Photo: Leslie Yager

On Thursday the folks at DiMare Pastry shop in Riverside – famous for their celebratory cakes, cookies and Cannoli – opened at a new location.

After 43 years in the familiar storefront at Riverside Commons (just off exit 5 of I95) the bakery opened in a new, downsized space.

The good news is the move is not far. In fact, it’s just about 20 ft behind the former longtime location, which will become home to Jersey Mike’s, an upscale sandwich shop.

The new pastry shop, a modest at 700 sq ft, looks great. Everything is new, from the display cases to the lighting and seating.

The employees also have a new look. Instead of white aprons they have pink chef’s coats with logos on the pockets.

“We’re downsizing,” said Sabrina DiMare Taylor. “We were fortunate that we could stay in the shopping center. We’re excited about this whole new chapter in our life.”

Sabrina said there was a time last July as the end of the pastry shop’s lease approached, that the family decided to close permanently. They still have a location in Stamford after all.

But, Sabrina said, there was an outcry among longtime customers.

“We were were going to close, but what a ruckus it caused,” she said. “People were calling, saying, ‘Oh my God, you’re closing? One person called form Florida. It made me feel so good. It was a great testament to us.”

“In the end we just weren’t ready to give up the adrenaline rush that this shopping center provides,” she continued. “We’ve been in that spot since 1976. That’s 43 years.”

Sabrina said in the decades at Riverside Commons,  the DiMare Pastry has built up a loyal clientele whom she considers friends.

“It feels like we’re all growing old together,” she said. “It just wasn’t time yet.”

A young girl points to the cupcake she wants at DiMare Pantry Shop at its new location at Riverside Commons. May 30, 2019 Photo: Leslie Yager

Sabrina said she started working at the family pastry shop when she was just 11.

“My parents took me to work all the time,” she said, referring to Ugo and Bice DiMare who are still very involved in the business.  “It would be early in the morning, and I’d go downstairs and sleep on the bags of flour until they’d come down and wake me up and say it’s time to come to work.”

Sabrina said her parents and older sister Maria came to the US from Minturno, Italy, to pursue the American dream.

Sabrina DiMare Taylor in the new DiMare’s Pastry Shop at Riverside Commons. May 30, 2019 Photo: Leslie Yager

“I was born in 1965. We lived in Yonkers and commuted to Connecticut for 12 years. Then we moved to Stamford,” she said.

Though longtime customers are beating a path to the new location and expressing their approval, Sabrina described the move as bittersweet.

“It’s been emotional the past few days,” she said. “This was exciting but it’s sad to see the demolition. We have to leave the space empty with no showcases or fixtures.”

Still the pastry shop operation was uninterrupted on Thursday, and longtime managers Kimberly and Sonia haven’t skipped a beat.

In fact, Kimberly has worked for DiMare Pastry shop for 25 years and Sonia has worked there for 18 years.

One of the reasons the shop has been so successful is that families have created traditions around the DiMare’s cakes.

“Birthday cakes are part of family memories,” Sabrina said. “We see our cakes in photos posted on Facebook and social media. It’s special to be part of someone’s birthday every year. We have that legacy.”

“People say, ‘You’ve made my daughter’s cake every year since she was 5,’ or ‘You made my mother’s wedding cake and now you’re making mine,’ or maybe it’s a christening cake,” she added. “It’s special when you’re making cakes for a family.”

Another tradition is involving the entire DiMare family in the business. “Even today my niece Brittany works here and she brings her children to work with her. And my grand daughter comes to work with me,” Sabrina said.

Find DiMare Pastry Shop in Riverside Commons, 1245 E Putnam Ave, Riverside, CT 06878. Tel. (203) 637-4781.

Tempting pastries at DiMare Pastry Shop’s new location, just a matter of feet behind the original location of 43 years at Riverside Commons. Photo: Leslie Yager

A Stamford woman was sentenced on Tuesday by US District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer.

Candace Rispoli, 32, must also serve the first six months of her supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately January 2012 until June 2016, Rispoli was employed by Lodestone Management Consultants, later known as Infosys Consulting (the “company”).

Beginning in approximately 2013, Rispoli worked for the company from her former home in East Haven, which she shared with her then-boyfriend, Michael Miano.

In her capacity as a company employee, Rispoli had an American Express credit card to use to pay for travel, entertainment and other business expenses incurred by the company’s employees and potential employees.

From approximately 2013 until July 2016, Rispoli charged more than $250,000 of her own and Miano’s personal expenses to the company’s American Express card.  Rispoli also fraudulently transferred more than $800,000 in funds from the company’s American Express card to PayPal and Venmo accounts controlled by Rispoli and Miano.  To conceal her scheme, Rispoli altered the company’s American Express account statements and created false billing summaries, which she emailed to the company’s accounting firm.

Judge Bolden ordered Rispoli to pay $1,098,176 in restitution.

On June 24, 2018, Rispoli pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.  She has been detained since May 13, 2019, after her bond was revoked.

On September 1, 2017, Miano, of Branford, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to this scheme.  He awaits sentencing.

The sentencing was announced by John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Heather Cherry and Jonathan Francis.

On Thursday, June 20, five-time Grammy Award-winning Dionne Warwick will grace the stage of The Palace Theatre in Stamford for the nonprofit’s 10th Annual Gala.

The event is The Palace’s largest annual fundraiser with proceeds benefiting the organization and its arts education programs.

Described as a rare mix of scintillating, soothing and sensual, the familiar and legendary voice of Dionne Warwick has become a cornerstone of American pop music and culture. Spanning over 50 years, Warwick’s career has established her as an international music icon and concert act.

“Dionne Warwick has achieved legendary status in the music industry and we are very fortunate to welcome her to The Palace,” said Michael Moran, President and CEO of The Palace. “We are proud to present premier entertainment so close to home and encourage anyone interested to purchase tickets early. Our Gala performance sells out each year.”

Known as the artist who “bridged the gap,” Warwick’s soulful blend of pop, gospel and R&B music transcends race, culture, and musical boundaries. She received her first Grammy Award in 1968 for her mega-hit, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?,” and a second in 1970 for the best-selling album “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” With 75 charted hit songs and over 100 million records sold, Warwick was the first African-American solo female artist of her generation to win a prestigious Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Female Vocalist Performance. She also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year.

Warwick’s latest album, “She’s Back,” was released in May and is the singer’s 36th full-length studio recording.

“As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the assistance of our generous supporters to realize our mission and sustain this beautiful venue in the heart of Stamford and lower Fairfield County,” said Moran. “Come experience the joy and excitement of live performance right in your own backyard.”

Gala tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please contact Lisa Colangelo at 203-517-3426 or lcolangelo@palacestamford.org for additional information. Gala tickets include a premium seats to Dionne Warwick, pre-show VIP cocktail party at 6:00pm, and free parking. Tickets are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The Palace Theatre is located at 61 Atlantic Street in Stamford, CT. For the latest news and updates, follow @ThePalaceTheatreStamford on Facebook and @PalaceStamford on Twitter.

On May 24 a New York man turned himself in to Greenwich Police on an outstanding warrant for Evading Responsibility and Unsafe Backing stemming back to a crash that took place around 11:30pm on Railroad Ave on April 18.

Jorge Roberto Montes De Oca Cadena, 39, of Knoll View Ave in Ossining, NY was processed and released on $3,000 bond.

He has a court date in Stamford Superior Court on June 7, 2019.

The Innis Arden Cottage will be one of the focal points of the Experience the Sound event at Greenwich Point on June 23, 2019. The event is free and open to the public – no beach pass required. Photo: Leslie Yager

The Town of Greenwich Shellfish Commission is organizing the 13th annual “Experience the Sound” event at Greenwich Point on Sunday, June 23 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, with more participants than ever.

The family-friendly event is free and open to the public – no beach pass required. Children will also enjoy face painting from Faces by Wells.

The theme of the event is “From Streams Through Soil to Sea.”

At one end of Greenwich Point, at Innis Arden Cottage, the  Bruce Museum’s Seaside Center will be open for the season and volunteers will share information about a variety of sea creatures.

Plastic bag full of plastic bags, a thing of the past in Greenwich.

Outside Innis Arden Cottage a number of organizations will have tables set up, including BYOGreenwich, who worked to get Greenwich’s ordinance adopted to ban plastic bags in retail outlets. Also, their Reusable Carryout Bag Initiative encourages retail establishments to have reusable bags available for purchase.

Since Greenwich passed its plastic bag ordinance, many other towns in Connecticut have followed suit including Hamden, Mansfield, Middletown, New Britain, New Canaan, Norwalk and Stamford. Westport passed a plastic bag ban a decade ago.

Like BYO Greenwich, Skip the Straw  aims to increase awareness about the impact of single-use plastics and to protect ecosystems, the environment and the economy through community outreach and education.

Plastic waste enters rivers and the Long Island Sound, and litters our neighborhoods, choking economies, harming wildlife and impacting public health.   Skip the Straw Greenwich encourages residents and businesses to take simple steps to protect the beauty and health of these natural resources and stem the tide of litter and waste… one straw at a time.

Also look for volunteers from Audubon Greenwich, whose mission is to engage and educate people to conserve, restore, and enjoy nature—focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.

Folks from Project Limulus are all about horseshoe Crabs! Project Limulus, run by Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, studies the Long Island Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) population. Everyone is invited to participate in the research by reporting sightings of tagged Horseshoe Crabs.

Archeologist Earnest Wiegand will demonstrate a number of historical artifacts found in the region. He is a Professor of Archeology, Geology and Sociology at Norwalk Community College, and his area of specialization is in northeastern prehistoric and historic archeology.

There will also be a table with representatives from UConn. Greenwich’s Shellfish Commission and Conservation Commission have a partnership with UConn in which researchers monitor Greenwich Cove, which is something of a laboratory in itself.

They seek to pinpoint sources of pollution, study underwater shellfish farms and look at the ways climate change is impacting Long Island Sound. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to preserve the health and beauty of Long Island Sound.

Calf Island Conservancy will be on hand to provide information about their programs and educational opportunities for summer fun. Calf Island is the largest offshore island in Greenwich and is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge.

Another of the Shellfish Commission’s partners in conservation is the Friends of Greenwich Point who will have information about their projects including sand dune and habitat restoration, nature education, and preservation.

Free Shuttle Bus
Because the event spans the entire park, the Shellfish Commission has organized a free air conditioned shuttle bus from Innis Arden Cottage to the board-a-boat area near the Old Greenwich Yacht Club where people can tour Ed Stillwagon‘s Atlantic Clam Farms eco-friendly shellfishing barge.

The barge was built with cutting edge technology that improves the water quality and biodiversity of the Sound while collecting clams. Atlantic Clam Farms will supply oysters for the free raw bar from 1:00 to 4:00 (or while supplies last).

Stella Mar Oysters, will be also supply oysters to raw bar. Stella Mar Oysters farm contributes to a thriving ecosystem in Long Island Sound. As a direct result of their farm, essential habitat evolves for other species to live in.

✓ Stella Mar Oysters filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.

✓ For every oyster consumed from their farm, three more are created in the wild.

✓ Each oyster is touched over 20 times before being sent off to market.

Oysters from the free raw bar at the Experience the Sound event. Photo: Leslie Yager

Shucking oysters at the rawbar at the Experience the Sound event. Credit: Leslie Yager

Photo: Stella Mar Oysters website

Also stop by the Town of Greenwich Police Boat, which used by the Greenwich Police Marine section to provide law enforcement and emergency services on Greenwich’s 31 miles of coastline.

The Old Greenwich Yacht Club will also be open during the event. Membership in the family-oriented club is open to all Greenwich residents with an interest in boating, regardless of knowledge, ability or boat ownership.

Established in 1943, OGYC provides the opportunity for town residents to get out onto the water, whether by sail, power or paddle.  For a modest membership fee Greenwich residents can enjoy educational, cruise, race, and social events that enhance skills and promote fellowship among boaters. The foundation of OGYC is its 350 member families, their commitment to the Club and their volunteering spirit.

You’ll also want to meet JP Velotti of East Coast Kelp Farm. Kelp is a unique new crop harvested from Long Island Sound.

Though kelp won’t be showing up at farmers markets just yet, the long, frilly green-brown ribbons gathered by the boatload in Long Island Sound have the potential to fuel a locally grown edible seaweed market. Mr. Vellotti plants and harvests kelp in underground beds leased from the state. Kelp thrives in cold water, and is ready for harvest just as the summer boating season gets under way. Perfect timing for Experience the Sound!

Guests will also be able to tour the teaching vessel of Long Island Sound the schooner SoundWaters, which is a representation of a three-masted, 19th century sharpie schooner.

SoundWaters works with 146 schools and organizations across Long Island Sound.

On the schooner, Long Island Sound is both the classroom and playground for students who learn about both science and sailing.

The Astronomical Society of Greenwich will have free telescope demonstrations for solar observation, finding the crescent Moon, Venus, and perhaps even Jupiter in the daytime sky, and will be providing information about the ASG and ecological aspects of astronomy such as reducing light pollution.

Other participants include Trout Unlimited, who will be providing free fly casting lessons for adults and children. Trout Unlimited is a grassroots conservation organization dedicated to improving the ecological health of rivers and streams throughout the state. Their motto is, “If you take care of the fish, the fishing will take care of itself.”

These are just some of the 40+ groups participating in Experience the Sound 2019.

Some of the others include The Astronomical Society of Greenwich, Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Co,  The Emily Fedorko Foundation, Greenwich Conservation Advocates, Greenwich Green & Clean, Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich Land Trust, Greenwich Point Conservancy, Greenwich Crew, Greenwich Community Sailing, Greenwich Community Gardens, Greenwich Tree Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ski & Scuba Connection, The Sportsmen’s Den, Greenwich Harbor Management Commission, V-Sculls Rowing Club of Old Greenwich,

Working through the Department of Health the Shellfish Commission monitors the Town’s shellfish beds, and does water checks at 36 different points every six weeks, plus additional sampling after weather events, or pollution events. Samples are taken to the State Bureau of Aquaculture in Milford for analysis. The on-shore beds are open from mid-October to mid-May, the offshore beds are open year-round.

Microplastics and Long Island Sound

The Greenwich Shellfish Commission has been working with UConn to quantify the micro plastics in Long Island Sound and assess their impacts.

Plastic waste is accumulating rapidly in freshwater and marine environments
throughout the world, and urbanized watersheds, and Long Island Sound is particularly vulnerable.

When exposure to light and physical processes combine, plastics degrade into microplastics that become poisonous “biocides” in their own right and may attract other contaminants such as PCBs, pesticides, and heavy metals.

In phase 1 of their research, Greenwich waters were analyzed for presence if microplastics.

Microplastics were found to be pervasive in Greenwich Harbors (Cos Cob Harbor, Greenwich Cove, Greenwich Harbor, and Byram Harbor) with inorganic (metals) absorbed to a greater extent than were organic (pesticides and PCBs) contaminants.

These contaminants can potentially accumulate in shellfish such as oysters that filter large quantities of water daily.

Phase 2 will be to look at potential presence of microplastics in shellfish. They will break microplastics into different categories, determine sources of microplastic pollution and characterize their fate, including possible uptake by shellfish or deposition into sediments.

Phase 3 is to work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Greenwich Cove later this year to look at a healthy oyster bed and see how quickly and efficiently oysters remove nitrogen.

On Saturday, May 25 around 10:30pm a Greenwich Police officer observed a car with its headlights off, traveling on Arch Street in the areas of Railroad Ave.

The Greenwich Town Party had just concluded and police had closed off Arch Street south of Railroad Ave.

Police say the vehicle was traveling on the the wrong side of the road when it passed a marked patrol car. Police stopped the car and determined the driver, Diane Margaret Caston, 68, of Harvard Street in Norwalk had bloodshot, glassy eyes and the odor of alcohol.

Caston was unable to perform field sobriety tests to standard. She was charged with DUI and Failure to Have Head Lamps Illuminated.

She was released after posting $250 bond. She has a date in Stamford Superior Court on June 3, 2019.