NEIGHBORHOODS
What’s going on in your part of Greenwich
Cos Cob
For 31 years, the St. Lawrence Society has paid tribute each year to a town resident of Italian heritage on Columbus Day. But this year, that tradition will be twice as nice.
On Monday, the group will honor two people: Sharon Vecchiolla, a former registrar of voters for the town, and her husband John Vecchiolla, a prominent attorney and a former member of Greenwich’s Board of Education and the Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals.
The day’s festivities will begin with a flag-raising ceremony at Town Hall at 9 a.m. The public is invited to attend, and then join the group for a light breakfast and coffee at the St. Lawrence Club at 86 Valley Road in Cos Cob.
The main event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails at the St. Lawrence Club, followed by an elegant dinner and the presentation of the award to the Vecchiollas.
“Both of them have done an innumerable amount of things for the town of Greenwich and for the community,” St. Lawrence Society President Tod Laudonia said. “I can’t think of any two people more deserving for this honor.”
The Vecchiollas were praised for their work with groups such as the Kiwanis Club, the American Red Cross, St. Mary’s Parish, the Byram Neighborhood Association, the Southwest Greenwich Association and several school PTAs.
Previous honorees include former First Selectman John Margenot, Sam Romeo, Peter Gasparino, Renato Berzolla and Sam Telerico.
Tickets for the dinner are available for $100 each. Visit www.stlawrencesociety.com for more information.
Old Greenwich
What is the state of the town? First Selectman Peter Tesei is ready to give his take on that very question.
Tesei will give his annual address at a Greenwich Chamber of Commerce luncheon set for Oct. 29 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Check-in will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the program slated to start at noon for this traditional town event.
“This is our iconic event where our first selectman shares with us his vision and plan for the town of Greenwich,” Chamber President and CEO Marcia O’Kane said. “People look forward to hearing annually from him through this event.”
She is expecting a crowd of 125 and 150 people to attend.
Tesei said the address will “highlight the successes of the past year and look ahead to the future and the exciting opportunities before us,” including the town’s first global economic forum on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16.
If you can’t make it to the luncheon, Tesei’s speech will be broadcast live on WGCHAM 1490 and streamed on www.WGCH.com.
Tickets cost $75 per person, or $700 for a table of 10. Visit www.greenwichchamber.com, send an email to greenwichchamber@greenwichchamber.com or call 203-869-3500 for tickets and more information.
Cos Cob
The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich sent two of its members to the SoundWaters camp in Stamford this past summer, thanks to the generosity of the Mianus River Boat & Yacht Club.
The MRBYC established the Sandra Willson McMurray Scholarship in memory of its former commodore who passed away last year to allow the two Greenwich kids to go sailing and explore Long Island Sound. This past week, MRBYC representatives presented BGCG CEO Bobby Walker Jr. with a $950 check to cover the cost of what everyone hopes will be an annual summer scholarship.
Fundraising is ongoing at the MRBYC, said Carol Willson, Sandra’s mother, in an effort to award the scholarship again next year as a tribute to her daughter’s memory.
“Her son went to SoundWaters, and he loved it,” Willson said. “She felt the yacht club should be more involved in the community . ... The best thing to do was to send the kids to camp, especially something to do with boats and water.”
MRBYC Commodore Rick Loh said, “Sandy was a very important member of the Mianus River Boat and Yacht Club for many reasons. We want this to carry on and carry forward. Sandy had a little saltwater in her veins, more like a lot, and she was always around the water.”
Walker consulted with Jessica Rosa, the club’s aquatics director, to choose the lucky campers. They considered accessibility to SoundWaters and availability to go, but enthusiasm was a major factor. The kids who went — identified only as Zach and Mickey, who were in the third and fourth grade class — had a great time, he said.
“Those kids were ecstatic to go and so were their parents,” Walker said. “The kids had a really good time.”
Rosa added, “The kids we sent wouldn’t have had this opportunity. They weren’t able to financially go to SoundWaters . ... The parents were so happy they were literally crying on the phone.”
Riverside
A new opportunity has opened up for a civic-minded resident of Riverside to serve in local government.
The Representative Town Meeting has a vacancy in District 5. To be eligible to serve, you must be a resident of the district and a registered voter. For more information or to throw your hat in the ring, contact District Chairman Tom Broadhurst at hanted@optonline.net or 203-561-0269.
The vacancy will be filled at the district’s next meeting at 8 p.m. Oct. 18 in Riverside School’s library. At that time, candidates can make their case to the district members, then the district will fill the vacancy.
RTM members serve twoyear terms. The term runs through 2019.