NEIGHBORHOODS

What’s going on in your part of Greenwich

The efforts of Waste Free Greenwich to provide more recycling opportunities and education for town residents are moving ahead. The latest project is an open invitation to a free film screening and panel discussion about the kind of progress local activists can make.

Residents can sign up to watch the screening of “The Sacrifice Zone” from their homes Sept. 26 through 28. The 30-minute documentary chronicles the efforts of community activists to fight against environmental injustices in the Ironbound neighborhood in Newark, N.J., considered one of the most environmentally toxic communities in the country.

On Sept. 28, the film will be accompanied by a virtual panel discussion called “Waste Justice: Impacts and Solutions for Greenwich” which will air from 7 to 8:30 p.m. According to Waste Free Greenwich, the panelists will discuss the impacts of waste management practices and policies in Greenwich and across the state while also focusing on solutions to reduce the burden of residents in toxic areas, which disproportionately are low income communities of color.

It will include a question and answer session with the audience.

The panel will be introduced by Ali Ghiorse of The Foodshed Network and will be moderated by Sarah Coccaro, Conservation Resource Manager for the town. Panelists include Sharon Lewis from the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental and Economic Justice, Monica Jackson from the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental and Economic

Justice, Kevin Budris of the Conservation Law Foundation and Zero Waste Project and Julie DesChamps, founder of Waste Free Greenwich

“Just imagine living in the shadows of polluting facilities spewing toxins into the air you breathe 24/7,” said DesCahmps. “This is the reality for Ironbound residents in “The Sacrifice Zone” film, but communities closer to home also struggle as the result of waste injustice, like in Bridgeport and Peekskill, where Greenwich’s trash is incinerated. But there’s so much we can do as individuals and as a community to reduce these adverse health and environmental impacts. Awareness is step one.”

People can register for the screening and the panel at www.wastefreegreenwich.org.

The event is a partnership between Waste Free Greenwich and The Foodshed Network, Greenwich Conservation Commission, Greenwich Sustainability Committee, Greenwich Community Gardens, Greenwich Audubon and BYOGreenwich. Student groups the Greenwich Environmental Advocacy Group and Air Quality Revolution are also taking part.

Riverside

Greenwich Communities had such a successful event last week distributing free fire extinguishers to residents of Adams Garden in Riverside that they plan to expand it to all properties overseen by the group, they said.

“We recognize that ensuring the safety of the residents of Greenwich Communities is paramount,” Anthony Johnson, Greenwich Communities’ CEO and executive director, said. “These fire extinguisher handouts are also an awareness and education opportunity for our families. We are appreciative of the outreach from the Greenwich Fire Department in supporting our initiative.”

Deputy Fire Marshall Bob Roth from the Greenwich Fire Department oversaw the distribution and made sure people knew exactly to use the devices.

Using the acronym PASS, he told residents to Pull the pin, Aim the hose, Squeeze the lever and Sweep into the fire, don’t just shoot the contents at the fire.

For stovetop fires in a pan, cover the pan with a lid, he said. Residents were also reminded to have a working smoke detector and remember to change the batteries when they change the clocks for Daylight Savings Time.

“Fresh batteries are your first line of defense.” Roth said, adding that smoke detectors should be in every floor of an apartment, condo or house, with one inside and one outside each bedroom.

He also reminded residents to call 911 when there is fire. And since Adams Garden is so close to the Stamford border with Greenwich that a 911 call may be bounced to Stamford, he said, so people should be very specific that they are in Greenwich.

And he urged residents to also put safety first.

“Don't be the hero,” he said. “Call 911. Get yourself out and get your family out. The house can be replaced, but you cannot be.”

Roth told residents that when in doubt, the fire department is always available.

“You don't have to call 911. You can call the routine business number anytime and they will send a fire truck over with no lights and no sirens just to come and check things out,” Roth said. “Any time you have any questions, a smell or a question with the smoke detectors, always feel free to call. We are here night and day 24/7. Don't think you are bothering us. This is what we are here for. This is our job to come out and help regardless of the time of day.”

Old Greenwich

Typically, the work of Greenwich’s gardening clubs can be seen publicly, thanks to all their enhancement and beautification efforts, and Old Greenwich is no different, with the hard work of the Old Greenwich Garden Club often on display along Sound Beach Avenue.

But for an upcoming event, the work of the Old Greenwich Garden Club will be coming inside courtesy of Zoom. The club will present the Zoom lecture “A Year of Blooming Bulbs with Master Gardener Ilona Ontsherenki” at 7 p.m. Sept. 29.

“This talk covers the extensive variety of flower bulbs that can be planted in the fall to ensure an exciting succession of blooms starting in the new year,” according to information provided by the club. “Planting techniques will be covered, including how to force bulbs for indoor bloom. Emphasis will be on deerproof selections and successful combinations.”

Ontsherenki was certified as a master gardener through a program at Rutgers University after she moved on from her career as an economist. She has been lecturing for the program and for the Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, where she is on the board and manages the popular annual plant sale fundraiser.

Advance registration can be done online at https://bit.ly/2ZceQvx. Downtown

A special night of celebration is planned for Mothers for Others with a dual message: to mark the organization’s 10th year and support its core mission.

Mothers for Others is an independent diaper bank in lower Fairfield County and the only one serving Greenwich.

According to the the nonprofit, Mothers for Others “supports the well-being of underserved families by providing diapers and wipes for children from birth to 3 years old.”

In 2020, the organization distributed more than 78,000 diapers through its community partners including the Greenwich Department of Human Services, Children's Learning Centers, Family Centers, Inspirica, Malta House, Neighbor to Neighbor and Person to Person.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, there will be a cocktail party on Sept. 30 at McArdle’s Florist and Garden Center, 48 Arch St., taking place from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event will coincide with National Diaper Awareness Week which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. The week draws attention to the issue of diaper need throughout the United States.

Tickets are still available at www.mothersforothers.org. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test are required.

The website also includes information about how people can make a donation or host a diaper drive.