NEIGHBORHOODS
What’s going on in your part of Greenwich
Western Greenwich
Major construction for a water main replacement project along a heavily used portion of Brookside Drive got the official go-ahead.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a road closure for Brookside that will go from Grove Lane to Field Point Road near Town Hall.
Detours will be put in place. The closure will be in effect during the work day, with the road reopened at night. Aquarion Water Co. says the main replacement is needed to upsize it from 6 to 8 inches to allow for improved fire protection and service reliability. Aquarion said parts of the water main are nearly 120 years old.
The official start date is not set. But at Thursday’s meeting, AJ Penna & Son, contractor for the project, said it was likely to last from about June 13 until September, depending on conditions.
First Selectman Fred Camillo said he wanted more specific information about the duration of the road closure to share with the public.
Notice has been sent to all nearby residents, but Selectwoman Lauren Rabin and Selectperson Janet StoneMcGuigan expressed concerns about patients heading to Brookside Gynecology on West Putnam Avenue.
Dino Georgiadis, from AJ Penna & Son, assured the board there would be no obstacles for patients.
“There will be access in and out at all times,” he said. “The road closure is mainly for outside traffic. Anyone who needs to get inside will be allowed in.”
Jim Dabbo from Snyder Civil Engineering told the board that any water shutdowns will be confined to when the mains are switched over.
“There’s really only one time when water service is shut off and that’s when the actual physical transfer is done,” Dabbo said. “That doesn’t take place until after the water main installation has been completed. … Usually it is only for a short duration, a couple of hours, at most and that can be scheduled to work with business hours.”
Central Greenwich
To pay for new ambulances, cutting-edge equipment and lifesaving supplies, Greenwich Emergency Medical Service relies on public support.
Its next fundraising event will be the second annual GEMS Kids Triathlon, which will be held June 12 at Greenwich High School for kids ages 6 through 14. Athletes must be on site at 7 a.m., with the competition beginning at 8 a.m.
The event is sanctioned by USA Triathlon. The swim races will use the GHS swimming pool. The bike race will be held in the parking lot and around the building’s exterior. The triathlon will conclude with the running race on the GHS athletic fields.
Unlike Greenwich’s police department and fire department, GEMS is not a town department. It is a nonprofit that has a contract with the town to provide emergency medical services. Personnel costs are handled by a yearly allocation from the town, but it is up to GEMS to do yearly fundraising for other expenses.
“In 2019 for the first GEMS Kids Triathlon, there was overwhelming community support and interest with over 125 participants,” GEMS Executive Director Tracy Schietinger said. “We’re excited to once again offer an event that is both fun and challenges kids physically. Proceeds from the event will support the life-saving work we do at GEMS and raise much needed funds that will help replace or refurbish equipment or possibly even a new ambulance.”
Prizes will be awarded, along with refreshments and entertainment for the kids and their families, at the end.
For kids to register to take part, visit www.gemskidstri.org or contact Pat O’Connor at 203-6377505 or GEMSKidsTri@ greenwichems.org. Registration is required by June 10.
Participating children must be no younger than 6 and no older than 14 by Dec. 31, 2022. Any 5-year-old who will turn 6 in 2022 can participate, but kids turning 15 this calendar year cannot participate.
Volunteers are needed to help set up the course, run check-ins and mark racers. To sign up to help, visit www.GEMSKidsTri.org.
Glenville
Abilis Gardens & Gifts will kick off the summer and offer discounts at a Summer Sip and Shop event on Wednesday at 50 Glenville St. Shoppers can take advantage of a 25 percent discount in the nonprofit’s gift shop and garden center while enjoying cocktails and light appetizers. Summer and graduation floral orders can also be placed in advance by visiting www.abilis.us.gifts or by calling 203-531-GIFT.
The event, which is free and open to the public, benefits the work of Abilis in the community.
Abilis supports more than 800 individuals with disabilities and their families from birth throughout adulthood. In one program, it helps clients find employment at local businesses, including at its own Abilis Gardens & Gifts, which is located next to Abilis’ headquarters.
The store works as a retail training site for adults with disabilities and “provides employment skills and much needed retail experience for competitive employment opportunities.” Abilis program participants work at the shop and the garden center and also make handcrafted items that are sold there, including candles, soaps, lotions and bath products.
The gift shop also sells books, jewelry, home decor, accessories and Greenwichthemed gifts. The greenhouse also sells flowers and plants. The store is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
For more information, visit www.abilis.us/gifts.
Old Greenwich
Music will fill the air in Old Greenwich with the arrival of the Arpeggio Music Festival.
The First Congregational Church at 108 Sound Beach Ave. in Old Greenwich is hosting the nine-concert series over three weekends. BackCountry Jazz and The Greenwich Arts Council are also sponsors.
The theme is 100 Years of American Music, with the first concert at 7 p.m. June 3.
“Each weekend’s concerts have a specific focus, and the nine concerts will feature a breadth of performers and genres,” said Bill Bonnell, director of the festival. “These include a brass quintet, string quartet, woodwind quintet, solo piano and operatic singers. Classical, popular, jazz and other genres will be showcased. There is truly something for everyone. The final concert on Sunday, June 19, will feature a 70-piece concert brass band.”
The composers represented in the series include John Adams, Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Philip Glass, Charles Ives and more. In all, over 50 American composers, half of whom are alive and working today, will be featured. The festival said it is “devoted to an exploration of the history and wide range of music written by American classical composers over the last 100 years. … Our goal is to showcase the diversity, versatility, range and creativity of American composers, who have historically been underrepresented on American concert stages.”
For more information, a full program and tickets ($20 per person per concert), visit www.arpeggiofestival.org. Tickets will also be available at the door.