Greenwich Historical Society’s Holiday Festival to Rekindle Family Classics
Gingerbread Decorating, Santa Visits, Yuletide Caroling, S’mores and more…

Families and people of all ages who delight in classic holiday celebrations will experience joy and merriment at the Historical Society’s annual Holiday Festival on December 9^th from 4 – 7pm. The festively illuminated Cos Cob campus sets the stage for cherished traditions including a candlelight tour of historic Bush-Holley House decorated for a 19^th century Christmas, gingerbread decorating and crafts in Santa’s workshop, a memorable performance by the Connecticut Yuletide Carolers, tasty treats to warm by the fire with s’mores and hot cocoa, while watching sculpture Bill Bywater carve a wintry marvel from giant blocks of ice.

“For over three decades this event has attracted people throughout the region who appreciate activities that brought them joy as children,” says Stephanie Barnett, Historical Society’s Associate Director of Public Programs & Community Outreach. “The festival and all Historical Society events leading up to the holidays are about strengthening connections to the community and our past in a memorable and meaningful way.”

Greenwich Historical Society is located at 47 Strickland Rd., Cos Cob. For more information and to purchase tickets for Holiday Festival: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/holiday-festival-2/

Greenwich, CT, November 29, 2023 – Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones today announced the appointment of Ms. Mary Dolan Collette as interim assistant principal at Riverside School, effective January 2. Ms. Dolan Collette replaces Mr. Eugene Matejek, who was named special education coordinator last month. She will assist Principal Christopher Weiss supporting the entire Riverside community, aiding in the development and achievement of school goals and objectives, while advocating on behalf of all students.

“Greenwich Public Schools continues to be the premiere destination for educators in the region as we welcome Ms. Dolan Collette to Riverside School,” Dr. Jones said. “She is a proven education leader in Connecticut with tremendous experience as a classroom teacher and administrator. She will prove to be a valuable asset to the entire Riverside community.”

Ms. Dolan Collette has been an educator since 1993, most recently holding the position of elementary program facilitator at Fairfield Public School’s North Stratfield Elementary School for the past six years. Additionally, she served as Fairfield’s summer school principal from 2017 through 2022, supervising staff while focusing on early literacy and summer boost programs. Ms. Dolan Collette began her career in education as a second and third grade teacher at Fairfield’s McKinley and Jennings Elementary Schools and then continuing on as a language arts specialist at those same schools.

“I am thrilled to welcome Ms. Dolan Collette as our interim assistant principal,” Principal Weiss said. “Her expertise as an elementary program facilitator and her experience as an elementary summer school administrator, language arts specialist, and classroom elementary teacher, along with her work as an adjunct education instructor at Sacred Heart University, provides a strong foundation for joining our school as the interim assistant principal. We look forward to partnering with her, building on the strong tradition of excellence at Riverside School.

“I am thrilled to become part of the Riverside School community,” Ms. Dolan Collette said. “It is an exciting opportunity to join such a dynamic and well-respected school. I look forward to diving in and making a positive impact.”

Ms. Dolan Collette holds a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University and earned a master’s in Remedial Reading & Language Arts and Intermediate Administrator Certification from Southern Connecticut State University.

COS COB, CT – More than 30 local non-profits, retailers, decorators and garden centers are donating decorated trees -- the largest number since 2018 -- for Greenwich Historical Society’s Festival of Tabletop Trees. 

“The Bruce has donated a tree each year we’ve been open and, with the grand opening of The New Bruce in April 2023, we are excited to be back,” says Bruce Museum Store Manager Justine Matteis. “We are honored to support Greenwich Historical Society--a strong partner and community treasure. Plus it gives us a chance to showcase some of our ornaments and it’s a lot of fun!” 

Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, another prominent Greenwich organization that has donated trees since the program started, is delighted to participate. “We’ve been in Greenwich since 1930 and enjoy being part the town’s holiday festivities, especially with an organization integral to the history of Greenwich,” says Sam Bridge Retail Store Manager Kamil Jablonowski. 

Winner of the most creative tree award in the 2020 Festival, Greenwich Library has a high bar to meet for this year’s entry. “We have a large workplace with many employees who like to contribute, so we expect another highly creative and eclectic tree to donate for the auction,” says Local History Librarian Regan Avery.

“These and all other participating organizations are eager to support our arts and educational programming, and it gives them an opportunity to showcase their artistry,” says Barbara Johann, manager of the Historical Society’s Museum Store. “We’re flattered that so many want to participate.”

The Festival of Tabletop Trees takes place in the Historical Society Museum Lobby, December 6-8 from 9am - 5pm and December 9 from 11am – 7pm. Trees are purchased via a silent auction. Winners pick up trees at the end of the festival. While viewing the trees, visitors can enjoy shopping and refreshments in the Museum Store, which is open Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays, Noon – 4 pm. Complimentary gift wrapping is offered. Historical Society members receive a 10% discount.

For more information on the Festival of Trees and a list of vendors: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/festival-of-trees-2023/

The Greenwich Art Society Presents: Artwork by Ellen Gordon at Burton Young Health and Beauty Center

Artists’ reception December 14^th 5:30-7:30pm

The Greenwich Art Society is proud to continue their collaboration with the Burton-Young Health and Beauty Center to exhibit large art work by current members. The current exhibition is by board member Ellen Gordon. The artwork will be on display until February 20, 2024. Burton Young will host a reception to celebrate the artist on December 14^th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.

Ellen Gordon is an award-winning mixed-media artist. The colors and patterns in her artwork paintings are roller coaster rhythms of fences, grids, and fractured geometries – a kind of mapping. She guides us along a journey of the personal narrative through landscaped layers of abstraction and portraiture. Playful and speculative, the rhythms remain determinedly open-ended and essentially borderless. An un-plotted story with unbounded possibilities. Over the past two decades, Gordon’s work has evolved through many phases, but her main body of work centers on figurative collages - intimate yet colorful portrayals of a woman in her own thoughts, providing the viewer a window into honest moments with a series of striking and bold women. Her most recent work has been a transition into the abstract patterns, experimenting with geometric shapes and inverted forms in color palettes evoking various states of mind.

All works can be purchased by contacting the Greenwich Art society at 203-629-1533 between 10:30 am and 4 PM Monday through Friday or by emailing  admin@greenwichartsociety.org

Christmas Tree lighting and Caroling at Christ Church Greenwich this Friday, December 1 from 6:30 – 7:00 pm at Christ Church (Front Lawn), 254 East Putnam Ave., Greenwich.

Come as you are and enjoy festive snacks, hot apple cider and singing classic Christmas carols around the tree when it lights up. All ages are welcome to enjoy this highly anticipated free event filled with lights, music, and holiday cheer.

This event is free and all are welcome!

Phase 2 of the Tomac Avenue, Harding Road, and Forest Avenue Drainage Improvements Project will commence on Tuesday, November 28th, and daytime road closures are expected to begin on Monday, December 4th. Construction hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the road will reopen at the end of each construction day. Weather dependent, this phase is anticipated to be completed by February 2024.

Identified as an area in need of drainage improvements by the Town of Greenwich Flood & Erosion Control Board, this project will perform drainage improvements to the pipe network within Tomac Avenue, Harding Road, and Forest Avenue. This area sees regular flooding on the roadways during heavy storm events. Approximately 350 linear feet of 2'x4' concrete box culverts, new junction chambers, manholes, and catch basins will be installed. Additionally, the headwall associated with the channel parallel to the train tracks will be constructed.

This project was designed by the Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, with additional drainage analysis from Rocco V. D'Andrea, inc. FGB Construction has been selected as the general contractor for this project.

Additional information and updates will be available on the project’s dedicated webpage: https://www.greenwichct.gov/2486/Tomac-Avenue-Harding-Road-Forest-Avenue-

GREENWICH, CT - Today, the Tyler G Foundation announced a grant of $45,000 to Greenwich Hospital to help local residents receive addiction recovery treatment and support. 

The grant will be used to help fund programming at the Addiction Recovery Center, a subset of Greenwich Hospital’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Program. The program offers a spectrum of services to patients struggling with addiction. Patients receive expert treatment from a multidisciplinary team, who develop a care plan matching the biological, psychological and behavioral elements of the patient’s disease. 

“We are incredibly excited to announce our new partnership with Greenwich Hospital to help support the Addiction Recovery Center,” said Patrick Gwozdz, CEO of the Tyler G Foundation. “The Tyler G Foundation’s mission has always been to lessen the burden of addiction for families like ours - and there is no better place to start than in our hometown. We look forward to working with Greenwich Hospital to ensure that the people of Fairfield County have access to the best addiction recovery treatment possible.”

“On behalf of Greenwich Hospital, we are grateful to the Tyler G Foundation for its generous grant to bolster a new phase of growth for our Addiction Recovery Center,” said Joshua Hrabosky, PsyD, Greenwich Hospital program director, Outpatient Behavioral Health. “This is a rapidly changing field. Having access to the latest training and education to advance our understanding of addictions and their concurrence with other behavioral health disorders is of vital importance.”

In order to achieve a lasting recovery, the program focuses on providing patients with comprehensive services, including crisis intervention, outpatient group-based programming, medication consultation, and support and teachings for the families of patients. 

The team includes a physician certified in addiction medicine and psychiatry, highly specialized addiction counselors and registered nurses. They are knowledgeable in all types of substance use disorders including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, prescription painkillers, sleep agents and marijuana.

About the Tyler G Foundation: The Tyler G Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to helping those suffering from addiction by increasing local education initiatives, facilitating family resource programs and financing addiction recovery.

About Greenwich Hospital: Greenwich Hospital is a 206-bed (including bassinets) regional medical center serving Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. It is a major academic affiliate of Yale University School of Medicine and a member of the Yale New Haven Health. Since opening in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution with an internal medicine residency.

For more information, please visit www.tylergfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

COS COB, Conn. – Greenwich Historical Society’s annual Holiday Boutique will be back at Greenwich Country Club after several years’ absence, where more than 35 vendors will showcase an exquisite collection of gifts for all age groups in the club’s elegant ballroom.

“Greenwich Country Club has been home to our boutique for some 40 years so it’s a special treat to be back,” says Daniel Suozzo, Historical Society Director of Special Events. “It will be the best boutique yet with a carefully curated collection of gifts from cherished long-time participants and several new ones joining from London, the Hamptons and Manhattan. The demand to participate has been so great we have a wait list.” 

Among the new vendors are a collection of luxury clothing and accessories from a Sag Harbor boutique, and a purveyor of fine California olive oils and aged Italian balsamic vinegars.

Holiday Boutique kicks off with an opening night reception, Wednesday, December 6, from 5:30 – 8pm, with wine, light hors d’ oeuvres, music and raffles to make shopping a special treat. The Boutique is open Thursday, December 7^th from 9:30am – 4:30pm. Greenwich Country Club is located at 19 Doubling Rd., Greenwich. For more information: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/holiday-boutique/

A portion of the proceeds from sales will benefit Greenwich Historical Society’s arts and education programs. Committee co-chairs are Connie Ann Harris, Patrick Mele, Mimi Moulton and Catherine Tompkins.  

Photos are provided with permission from Greenwich Historical Society

1. Holiday gift assortment
2. Greenwich Country Club decorated for the holidays

For public convenience and to accommodate the additional traffic expected during the holiday shopping season, a roadwork moratorium will be in effect Monday, November 20, 2023, through Tuesday, January 2, 2024, in the downtown Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, Cos Cob, Byram, and Glenville central business districts.

During this period roadway openings, excavations, blocking or restricting public sidewalks, or parking spaces will not be permitted, except for emergency work.

“The Department of Public Works issues these roadwork restrictions to minimize construction-related traffic impacts on retail merchants and customers in our Town’s vibrant shopping districts during the busy holiday season,” said Peter Kurpeawski, Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works Highway Superintendent.

The Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works (DPW) secured $400,000 in federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to develop a comprehensive, data-driven safety action plan aimed at improving road safety for all modes of transportation. Funding is provided through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, which supports initiatives to enhance safety and help prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. 

As part of the safety action plan, Town-wide transportation-related data will be collected and analyzed to identify and prioritize which areas in the Town need roadway safety improvements. These improvements encompass all modes of transportation – including motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The plan will consider a range of low-cost, high-impact strategies and adopting innovative technologies to promote safety throughout the Town. The plan will also develop a toolbox of safety improvements and countermeasures that DPW will draw from for future projects. 

Creating a safety action plan will allow the Town of Greenwich to be eligible for future implementation grants. 

“This funding is instrumental in making necessary upgrades to the Town’s multimodal transportation infrastructure and improving safety for all,” said Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works Deputy Commissioner Jim Michel. 

For additional information on today’s announcement, please click here.

For more information about the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A.

Sharon Stone: Welcome To My Garden The East Coast Premiere of Sharon Stone’s Paintings at the The C. Parker Gallery in Greenwichin Greenwich, Connecticut – On view: October 12 through December 3 –

“We are honored to present the highly anticipated East Coast debut of Sharon Stone’s powerful art, for our tenth anniversary season,” says Tiffany Benincasa, C. Parker Gallery’s owner and curator. “This new exhibition offers a never-before-seen panorama into Sharon Stone’s creative prowess. The artist invites viewers on a journey through the vibrant landscapes of her imagination, reflecting her inner world. A testament to Stone’s profound talents,” adds Benincasa. The gallery is located at 409 Greenwich Avenue, just a 40-minute train ride from New York City.

The gallery show features 19 paintings by Stone, and is the first time her artworks are exhibited outside of Los Angeles. Her art is praised by collectors and art world luminaries, including Jerry Saltz (Senior Art Critic for New York Magazine and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism). Stone’s celebrated slide-shows of her paintings are taking Instagram by storm. “I created these works to understand the essence of pure creativity that comes from heartfelt truth, to let go of the noise, the judgements, and the pollution of our societal pulls,” says Sharon Stone. Her immense talents and acute powers of observation blossomed onto the painted medium. Stone’s ability to observe and interpret human behavior, and her capacity to turn human frailties into sources of strength, shine through in ways that are combative, conquering, and victorious. Her connection to nature is always visually present. “Color becomes a wavelength for me,” says Stone. “Being a colorist moves the directions of my paintings. Color speaks to me.”

Stone has been painting her entire life. In her early years, her Aunt Vonne had a Master’s degree in painting and would create murals across the walls of the home where she lived as a child. Stone studied painting in college, and her artmaking became her laser-focus during the pandemic when she entered a new creative portal. This period of planetary crisis transported Stone to open up new artistic channels, transferring her lifelong creative instincts onto the canvas. Since then, she paints every day, four to 17 hours per day. Stone is internationally recognized as a global cultural leader, her many honors include: the Women Making History Award from the National Women’s History Museum; the Einstein Spirit of Achievement Award; the Nobel Peace Summit Award Laureate; the Golden Globe Award; a Primetime Emmy Award; an Academy Award Nomination; she was named a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France; the 2023 Courage Award; the Harvard Humanitarian Award; and the Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award, among her many accolades.

C. Parker Gallery is a full-service art gallery and consultancy celebrating its tenth year in Greenwich, Connecticut. Representing an extensive collection of works by traditional and contemporary artists, the Gallery is a recipient of the Best of Greenwich Award and Best of the Gold Coast Award. The gallery’s inventory features more than 1,800 works from over 70 artists representing original paintings, prints, sculpture, and collectibles.

Lecture and Guided Tour Explores Connections Between Nationally Renowned Ceramic Artists in Greenwich’s Backyard

Greenwich Historical Society will host a lecture and guided tour on Friday, November 10^th from 11:00 am – noon, exploring connections between the lives and legacies of ceramic artists Leon Gambetta Volkmar (1879-1959) and Katherine Choy (1927-1958).

Volkmar, whose pottery enterprise Durant Kilns was based in Bedford Village, New York from 1910 to the mid-1940s, was a prominent figure in the New York art pottery world. His handcrafted and sensitively glazed ceramic vessels were nationally recognized and collected broadly by Greenwich-area connoisseurs, including the Bush-Holley House’s one-time resident Constant Holley MacRae. 

A selection of Volkmar pieces on display in the Greenwich Historical Society Permanent Collections Gallery will form the basis for the illustrated lecture, to be followed by a special guided tour of the exhibition Radical Pots and Cooperative Hands: Katherine Choy and Clay Art Center. The tour focuses on the legacy and influence of art potters of Volkmar’s generation on Katherine Choy and her fellow pioneers in the studio craft movement.

The lecture, which takes place at Greenwich Historical Society, will be led by Assistant Curator for Interpretation and Collections Kelsie Dalton and Curator of Exhibitions and Collections Maggie Dimock. For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/volkmar/

The Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works will begin the annual Leaf Collection Program on November 6, 2023, in only Section 3, and all other sections to begin on November 13, 2023. Weather permitting, leaves will be collected Monday to Saturday, with two leaf collections per numeric section. The program is expected to finish in mid-December.

Residents are asked to pile leaves near the street but off the road and sidewalks, as this can pose a safety hazard for pedestrians and bicyclists and can negatively impact stormwater drainage. This program is offered to half-acre or less residential properties (building zone R-20) on public roads.

There will be no leaf collection on the day prior to Veterans Day, November 10, 2023, Veterans Day, November 11, 2023, Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2023, and the day after Thanksgiving, November 25, 2023. Timing and schedule for leaf pickup may be adjusted and subject to change due to unforeseen events, including adverse weather conditions. Residents can find out when their street is scheduled through the 24-hour leaf collection hotline at 203-618-7698 or by visiting www.greenwichct.gov/257/Leaf-Collection.

Leaf Collection Guidelines for Residents

•          Place leaves as close to the edge of the street as possible without placing leaves in the road, sidewalk, catch basins or open channels.
•          Rake leaves into neat piles or place leaves into biodegradable bags. Leaves in plastic bags will not be collected.
•          Make sure there are no branches, sticks, or garden refuse in leaf piles or bagged leaves.
•          Rake early and frequently to be prepared for leaf pickup.
•          As per the State of Connecticut, General Statutes, Chapter 368m, Sec. 19a-335, Nuisances on Highways, residents must remove all residual leaf piles after the second leaf collection.

Alternative Leaf Options

•          Drop off leaves at Holly Hill Resource Recovery Facility (permit required).
•          Mulch leaves and leave them in place. Mulching leaves can improve lawns and reduce the environmental footprint associated with collection, hauling, and composting elsewhere. More information on this approach: http://www.leleny.org/p/homeowners.html.   

Tentative 2023 Leaf Collection Program Sequence

First Collection on Monday, November 6, 2023:

• Section 3                                                            Riverside

First Collection starting on November 13, 2023, for ALL other sections:

• Sections 4, 5, 6                                                 Old Greenwich/Riverside
• Sections 9, 10, 11                                            Cos Cob
• Section 13                                                          Boro (Central Greenwich)
• Section 17                                                      Glenville
• Section 18                                                          Western Pemberwick

For remaining sections and scheduling, check the Town of Greenwich website or the hotline. Once the first collection is completed in all sections, the second and final collection will begin.

On average, the Town removes more than 30,000 cubic yards of leaves each year, which are sent to a Connecticut farm to be composted. 

The J House Greenwich will celebrate its ongoing local artist pop-up series with a party for its Fall artist, Anthony Festa, on Tuesday, November 14 from 6-8pm.  Festa’s catalog of fine art photographic images captivate the senses and stirs the soul.

Tickets are $15 per person, including one glass of wine or prosecco, and passed hors d’oeurves, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.  

This pre-holiday event will also include vendors offering early holiday shopping:

•        Harper Lawrence leather handbags & accessories
•        Bruce Museum Gift Shop
•        Hello Floraco Gifts (candles, lotions & scents)
•        Back 40 Mercantile

To purchase tickets, click here

The J House Greenwich, an award-winning, luxury, boutique hotel located in Greenwich, Connecticut, offers business and leisure travelers 83 newly renovated, pet-friendly guest rooms and suites with state-of-the-art technology such as LED mirror televisions, fully-automated lights and shades, Toto Neorest advanced commodes and more.  Amenities include a seasonal, heated outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center, EV charging stations, valet parking and assistance with private jet charters.  As part of The J Life experience, the property also includes The J House Spa, Tony’s at The J House restaurant and The J House Coffee Bar.  Meeting and special event spaces are also available. 

For more information about the property, visit www.jhousegreenwich.com, or visit the property’s social channels on Instagram (‘@thejhousegreenwich) and Facebook (‘@jhousegreenwichct).   

Why Small Businesses Matter

Shop small, do big things for your community

Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!

You're IT Vasa Publishing!

Four questions with Louise Zavari, founder of Vasa Publishing and author of the book series "Stina".

Why did you start your business?

I had a vision of what kind of books I wanted kids to read: about a strong female character in elementary school, who does not conform just to fit in, and instead, embraces who she is. Stina is not a perfect princess who never gets dirty when she plays. She is a kid who makes mistakes and loves to play outside in the pouring rain! She acts quickly on things that sound fun and adventurous, which sometimes gets her into trouble. In the end, things seem to work themselves out for Stina. Because I am an impatient person, I decided to not wait around to hear back from publishing agents. Instead, I started my own publishing house so I could get my books out about Stina to the world immediately! Vasa Publishing was born in 2020, and the book series is now available on Amazon.

What is your best-selling product/service?

My current work consists of the Stina book series, and my most sold book is the latest one: Stina An UnforWETable Birthday Party. This is a funny book.

How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?

I always support local bookstores! My "to-go" bookstore and gift shop is Dogwood Bookstore in Greenwich because they have everything I need (and everything I don't need!)

Have you "reimagined" your small business?

I may add some greeting cards to Vasa Publishing in 2024.

Visit Vasa Publishing online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook page as well!

HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!