Contributed photo. The Greenwich 12U All Stars following the win that qualified the team to play in the semi-finals of the Cal Ripken Major World Series this week.
Greetings Greenwich friends and neighbors.
Congratulations to the Greenwich 12U All Stars who gave a stellar performance at the 2022 Cal Ripken Major 70 World Series being held in Branson, Mo., literally coming within inches of making it to the finals.
After four games of pool play against teams from Kentucky, Arkansas, North Dakota and Oregon, the Greenwich All Stars landed in the top 8 in the path to the gold. The Greenwich All Stars battled a sunny and hot, late day game on Wednesday over Honolulu with 5-2 win, landing Connecticut in the top 4.
The team faced West Raleigh, NC on Thursday evening, a close game which ended with a 2-1 final score for West Raleigh.
The dedicated members of the 2022 12U Greenwich All Stars are Will Conte, Max Corbo, Julian Dyson, Lachlan Hill, Gavin Kirsch, Maddox Monterisi, Jake Natale, Jaxson Perez, Mason Stoleru, Cal Tompkins, Luke Wells and Liam Zeller. Coach is Jeff Mini and assistant coaches are Steve Vlahovich, Brian Natale and Dave Tompkins.
The Cal Ripken Major70 World Series is an exclusive tournament of champions that runs from August 4th-13th at the Ballparks of America in Branson, Mo and features the most elite teams from across the nation and around the globe.
We’re proud of the team’s performance of making it into the final four and showcasing our local athletic talents.
Traffic alert: detour extended
The Board of Selectmen this week approved a 60-day extension of the Brookside Drive detour for installation of new water mains. Aquarion Water Co., through its contractor A.J. Penna & Son requested the extension after workmen encountered unexpected rock conditions while working on the northern portion of Brookside.
Work is now being performed on the southern portion of Brookside, between West Putnam Avenue and Field Point Road. The closure of that portion of the road is creating traffic delays during peak travel periods. Aquarion is to provide advance notification to customers when water service will be turned off to facilitate activation of the new water main connections.
The work is expected to be completed in October.
Panhandling complaints
My office has received several complaints about panhandlers disrupting traffic at Exit 5 in Riverside.
The police are aware of the situation. We are told by Greenwich Police that panhandling is a constitutionally protected right and police intervention can only occur if they are found to be doing so in the street. Standing on the sidewalk or in the median is allowed. Our office has contacted our Human Services Department which has sent personnel to meet the individuals multiple times. It is unfortunate that the offers to provide services available to these individuals have not been accepted – the same response you received in offering them employment.
We are reviewing the options available on how to address this issue which could include installing signs or enacting an ordinance prohibiting panhandling.
We appreciate your concerns and those raised by other residents and ask for your patience as we develop the best possible solution for all.
Eastern Greenwich Civic Center construction update
Photo courtesy of Greenwich Free Press.
Joining me in taking the first steps for the demolition of the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center are, from left, Interim Building Construction & Maintenance Superintendent Luigi Romano, Parks & Recreation Director Joe Siciliano, Board of Parks & Recreation Chair and Chair of the Civic Center Building Committee Scott Johnson, state Rep. Steve Meskers, Susie Baker and Deputy Public Works Commissioner Jim Michel.
There’s much progress being made in the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center project. This afternoon there was a ceremonial demolition event at the Harding Road facility where abatement work is nearly complete.
The Town is now completing the demolition permit application process and we expect demolition will begin in earnest in early to mid-September. A formal groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled following the demolition.
Construction of the new $21 million center is expected to take approximately 20 months. Upon completion, it will be known as the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, in recognition of the $5 million donation from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
COVID Update
Greenwich Hospital reported today that there are 11 patients being treated for COVID, an increase of 8 from last week. A total of 118 patients are being treated in the Yale New Haven Health system, a decrease from last week’s 132 patients. According to the state, as of August 11, the total number of Greenwich COVID cases (since the pandemic began in March 2020) increased to 15,456, an increase of 67 cases from a week ago. The number of residents whose deaths have been attributed to COVID increased by 1 to 126.
Vaccine info
Log onto the Yale New Haven Health website to find a booster vaccine site.
Family Centers is offering weekday vaccine and testing clinics at 111 Wilbur Peck Court. Details can be found here.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is offering mobile vaccine clinics. Information on locations can be found here.
Did you know?
As we continue our recycling efforts, I wanted to share a reminder that there is a common item that’s tossed into our recycling bins that actually is considered trash.
Those black plastic take-out food containers that we either recycle or reuse have been removed from the statewide list of acceptable recyclable items. The reason is that the optical scanners used to separate plastic, paper, glass and cardboard at recycling centers cannot read black plastic as plastic.
According to the state, if black plastic is found in the bales of recycled materials they are considered contaminated and will not be processed. The black plastic plant pots should also be tossed in the garbage instead of the recycling bin. More information on what is acceptable to recycle here in Town can be found here.
More details on how black plastic recycling is impacting the state can be found here.
Last call
Tuesday, August 16 is the last day to participate in the Planning and Zoning Department’s online survey about the outdoor restaurant dining that has been available since the onset of the COVID pandemic in spring 2020.
The 10-question survey will help inform the Planning and Zoning Commission as it rewrites the regulations to accommodate the desires of our community while protecting health and public safety. More information and a link to the survey can be found here.
Election signs reminder
Thank you to the candidates who have removed their primary election signs. There are some still out there and I want to take this opportunity to bring attention to our policy - signs are allowed two (2) weeks prior to an election and must be removed forty-eight (48) hours following the election. The specific guidelines of this administrative policy can be found here on the Town website.
Upcoming events
Teen night for students
The Greenwich YMCA will host a free teen night in collaboration with several community partners from 5 to 9 p.m. August 12 at the YM’s facility, 50 E. Putnam Ave. It will include an open swim, basketball, games, prizes, music and pizza. Youth development professionals, life guards, and community volunteers will assist in facilitating activities and ensuring the safety of program participants. Parents are required to complete waivers for youth participation. Details and the waiver will be available on the YMCA website which can be found here.
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Stay safe and wishing you all the best.
Fred