NEIGHBORHOODS
What’s going on in your part of Greenwich
North Mianus
The leaders of Cub Scout Pack 23 in town came up with a unique way to engage their kids in a safe way during the COVID-19 pandemic while refining the skills that are central to the Cub Scouts.
They held a scavenger hunt throughout town, with parents driving kids to sites in the downtown, Cos Cob, Riverside and Old Greenwich neighborhoods as they all learned about the timehonored tradition of Scouting.
The hunt included 12 stops, where people held up signs listing the Scout Laws of trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. The Cub Scouts had to write the word next to the clue they had been provided in advance and never had to get out of their cars.
The goal was to get the kids out and about while they learned more about the town they live in, according to pack master Richard DiPreta. The plan for last month’s event was to hold a pack meeting while following public safety guidelines.
“It was an absolute blast,” DiPreta said. “We wanted them to do something safe, but still be able to have fun and get outdoors. This was a great way for them to see more of their town and learn about it, too.”
Pack 23 is made up of nearly 90 kids from North Mianus School and the International School at Dundee.
DiPreta leads the pack with pack master Cynthia DiPreta. Their son Christopher has moved on to the Boy Scouts, while their daughter Charlotte is part of
Pack 23. He said they are planning outdoor meetings with fun activities for October and November, if weather permits.
Central Greenwich
Greenwich Hospital, which has been on the front line of the town’s response to the coronavirus, recently received seven performance achievement awards from Press Ganey, a national leader in measuring patient satisfaction. That includes four Pinnacle of Excellence Awards for “maintaining high levels of excellence” over the last three years in the categories of patient experience in ambulatory surgery, inpatient services, outpatient services and the federal Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems.
Additionally, Greenwich Hospital received three Guardian of Excellence Awards for reaching the 95th
percentile for a year in patient experience in ambulatory surgery, emergency department and HCAHPS and Inpatient Services.
“We are especially proud of all of our staff in achieving these national awards even as we faced the formidable challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Norman Roth, Greenwich Hospital’s chief executive officer. “We are committed to consistently delivering safe, high-quality care, which has become more crucial than ever as health care organizations continue to respond to the current public health crisis.”
“We are honored to be part of an elite group of hospitals nationwide that are recognized for their leading-edge patient-centered care,” said Debi D’Alba, director of patient experience at Greenwich Hospital. “These awards would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of physicians, nurses and staff from all corners of our organization.”
Old Greenwich
The Greenwich Tree Conservancy is looking for community support as it honors front-line workers and local heroes with new Gratitude Groves.
The groves will be planted and dedicated at Greenwich Point, the Montgomery Pinetum property, Havemeyer Field and the Western Greenwich Civic Center.
“These groves will be a living memorial to all those who protected our lives, our health, our homes and our community and to those who reached out to help their neighbors with food, medicine and the comfort of their caring,” the conservancy announced. “They will be places for reflection where one can enjoy the comfort and well-being that nature provides.”
To support the Greenwich Tree Conservancy and its project, donations can be sent to P.O. Box 4215, Greenwich, CT 06831 or online at greenwichtreeconservancy.org/gratitude-groves. Donations can be made in someone’s honor by emailing treeconserv@optonline.net.
Donations to the Gratitude Groves will be acknowledged at the conservancy’s 2021 Spring Tree Party and on a plaque to be displayed in Town Hall and installed at the Greenwich Tree Conservancy office.
Downtown
Town Hall will reopen to the public soon, but the hours will be limited hours for now as the town continues to take steps toward reopening during the coronavirus pandemic.
Town Hall has been closed to the public since midMarch. Starting Oct. 13, the building will be open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays. The conference and meeting rooms will remain closed, and town meetings will continue to be held on Zoom.
“We are working on plans to partially reopen Town Hall for those with business to conduct in person,” Camillo said last week in his e-newsletter Community Connections. “It is paramount that we continue to balance the health and safety of our employees and the needs of our residents. Our employees have done an exemplary job in providing those essential services during these extraordinary times.”
In March, town employees were sent home to work, with only department heads and office holders, including Camillo, in Town Hall to reduce the number of people there for social distancing purposes. On June 1, Town Hall welcomed back employees but remained closed to the public except by appointment only.
Visitors can still make an advance appointment before going to Town Hall or conduct business online at www.greenwichct.gov.
At the Board of Selectmen meeting last week, Camillo said that reopening of Town Hall to the public would “speed up” local government.
“We don’t want to fall too far behind,” he said. “We want to bring some sense of normalcy back to the town. ... But we have all the precautions in place already and we just think it’s time. Hopefully it will work out fine and allow people to catch up on some of the things they’ve been putting off.”