What’s going on in your part of Greenwich NEIGHBORHOODS
Island Beach
Ferry boat rides to Island Beach, a summertime tradition for generations, are part of what makes Greenwich special.
And Island Beach will play host to a special celebration at 1 p.m. Aug. 25. The Town of Greenwich will work in collaboration with the Friends of Island Beach to mark 100 years of Island Beach, looking back to 1918, when the Lauder and Greenway families donated the the island to the town.
“When you mention Greenwich, most people recognize the name and the beauty of the town. What they always mention is Island Beach and how lucky we are to have our own island,” said Kevin O’Connor of the Friends of Island Beach.
“The town has had ownership of this remarkable gift for 100 years and has maintained this jewel of an island.” he said. “Throughout those years, there have been many hurricanes and winter storms that have wrecked Island Beach over the years, but the town has always been there to rebuild and make improvements. And to this day the island has never looked better.”
The island was donated to the town in memory of George Lauder Jr. after he died at the age of 37 from influenza, O’Connor said.
Gene Woods and Dick Butler started the Friends of Island Beach in 1990 to help revitalize the island by planting flowers, cleaning up the shoreline and pointing out to the town when something needed attention. That work is continuing today through dedicated volunteers such as O’Connor.
“Anyone who grew up in Greenwich realizes how fortunate we are to have this jewel sitting just off the coast,” O’Connor said.
Both town and state officials have been invited to the special celebration. A proclamation will be read to mark the event, and the honor guard from the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich will take part.
The public is invited to the ceremony at Island Beach. The ferry goes back and forth from Greenwich Harbor. Visitors can use the parking lot across the street on Arch Street; leave cars in the spots designated for Island Beach users.
Old Greenwich
Even the finely tuned and trained athletes couldn’t fully overcome the damage Mother Nature had in store for the recent Greenwich Cup Triathlon.
A triathlon consists of a half-mile swim, followed by a 15-mile bike race and then culminates with a 3-mile run to the finish line. The annual Greenwich Cup Triathlon, which is put together by Threads and Treads and sponsored by the Hospital for Special Surgery, is a major event that has been held every summer for more than 35 years.
But the inconsistent, at best, weather that Greenwich has endured this summer did not leave the July 22 event unscathed. Wind and rain the night before the event left the water at Greenwich Point too choppy for the full swim, which cut short part of the race.
To compensate, the running portion of the race was stretched out. But that was no problem for the more than 450 participants — including Karen Sutton, a Greenwich resident and sports medicine surgeon at HSS Orthopedics at Stamford Health, and Jordan Metzl, a primary care sports medicine physician at HSS offices in New York and Stamford.
Their participation showed that the involvement from HSS went beyond just sponsoring the triathlon.
The overall winner and men’s champion was Gus Ellison, 43, of Rowayton. Old Greenwich resident Christine Ansart, 55, was the women’s winner of the triathlon. In the men’s race, Duncan Simmons from Old Greenwich finished third.
The race was held in memory of John Cook, who died in 2017. Cook had taken part in numerous triathlons, was an Ironman competitor and is fondly remembered in the community as a friend and a “champion human being,” according to Mickey Yardis, owner of Threads and Treads.
The triathlon is part of The HSS Greenwich Cup series, which started with the Greenwich Cup Half-Marathon in April and will conclude with the Tour de Greenwich XXXV Bike Race on Sept. 9.
Old Greenwich
The end of summer is quickly approaching, but there’s still time to visit the Bruce Museum’s Seaside Center and meet with its summer naturalists, who are new for the season.
Marianna Perrier and Alex Purcell have been on the job since July, overseeing the daily operations for the beachfront educational facility at the entrance to Greenwich Point. They lead drop-in education programs for visitors and give presentations that highlight the ecology of Long Island Sound.
And they care for fish, crabs and other animals in five marine aquariums and welcome visitors to learn more about the natural world at the center, which is located inside the Floren Family Environmental Center at the Innis Arden Cottage.
They get help on the job from a crew of college and high school interns as well as volunteers.
The Bruce Museum said the center can teach visitors to appreciate Greenwich Point Park from its location right by “a beautiful sandy beach and just a few steps from a lush, natural salt marsh and the estuarine waters of Long Island Sound.”
Programs with the naturalists will be offered from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays, until Labor Day on Sept. 3. Seasonal or daily passes are required to enter Greenwich Point. The activities at the Seaside Center are free.
Perrier had been an outreach instructor at the museum, leading Brucemobile programs in art and science at Greenwich’s schools. She developed a passion for nature and water while growing up by the Mianus River.
“I’m excited to share with others my love for the outdoors and the sea,” she said.
Purcell said she was excited to be an educator. “I love making lessons fun and engaging for kids,” she said. “Learning about the marine world is a wonderful new experience for me.”
Daily drop-in programs include animal feedings at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays and Sundays, seining at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays, and arts and crafts from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm on Fridays.
Additionally, there are environmental actions for kids as well as coastal critters to visit and beach scavenger hunts to take part in throughout the week. The full schedule is online at www.brucemuseum.org. Call 203-637-3515 for more information.