Greenwich Green & Clean honors locals

In ancient Athens there was a ritual where young men reaching the age of 17 would take the Athenian Oath, which included a vow to leave their great city "not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us."

This historic intention was echoed recently by Peter Malkin, town beautifier and founding chairman of Greenwich Green & Clean (GG&C), in his New Year's resolution "to encourage all residents of Greenwich to honor the Athenian Oath: To leave our Town better than we found it."

GG&C Executive Director Mary Hull would give that oath a 21st century spin, she said, by adding that a town should also be left more environmentally friendly.

Last Thursday, at the 17th annual Greenwich Green & Clean Awards celebration held at the Byram Schubert Library, it was time to honor those individuals who have taken what you could call the Greenwich Oath, making an improvement to the environment of their town over the last year

Gail Berardino was awarded the Diane's Books Award for planting and maintaining two traffic islands on Avon Lane, thus saving town labor and providing a splash of color on North Street. Berandino exemplified a major goal of Greenwich Green & Clean for her partnering with the town by taking responsibility for public property.

Another prize winner, Gary Kalan, had partnered with his neighbors to adopt a bare, unplanted island at Owenoke Way and Wesskum Wood Road in Riverside.

Two Greenwich Avenue shops, Rinfret and Lynnens, received awards for colorful and tasteful holiday décor and for planting and tending in-ground planters in front of their stores in summer and winter, again saving precious Parks & Recreation dollars and setting an example for other stores throughout town.

The annual Fairfield House & Garden Golden Trowel went to Dr.Vivy Dustin of 68 Dearfield Drive, a dentist by day and avid gardener by night, whose horticultural delights give pleasure to all who pass by her property.

Presenting the Greenwich Time Community Partnership Award was David McCumber, editor of the Greenwich Time and the Stamford Advocate. Winner Patty Sechi had reinvented a very large organic vegetable garden at Armstrong Court on Hamilton Avenue. Sechi had fought to obtain new fencing and horticultural supplies and enlisted an army of volunteers to join the residents in removing years of major debris, overgrown invasive vines and giant weeds. GG&C board members were also thanked for volunteering time along with volunteers from the Housing Authority - Vinny DiMarco, Winston Robinson and Patti Sechi's husband, Steve.

The Putnam Trust Company Annual Award for Outstanding Landscaping went to the Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses, which has been growing the material for and preparing the town's hanging baskets (including Cos Cob) for what will be the third summer this year. Their help also goes into hanging the winter baskets put together by GG&C volunteers.

There to accept the award was Mary Jo Bridge and her brother Sam Bridge, Jr. who were thanked for maintaining several large traffic islands, and for each year adding colorful strips of horticultural beauty along North Street as well as many other areas around town - often anonymously. Thanks came, too, for their free consultation to a number of public facilities and for assisting non-profit groups with various events.

Jen Donnalley, Director of Community Service at Greenwich Country Day School, was recognized for inspiring students to care for the world around them. Donnalley regularly sends youths out into the community to help non-profits, to rally for action on climate control, to target and pick up trash, to encourage riding school buses,and to collect used cell phones and sneakers. Her students also organize food drives with reusable bags and, on a national one-day initiative, took in waste-free lunches and learned about growing vegetables. Donnalley was noted for her knack of engaging students in innumerable activities that generate awareness of their environment.

Peter Uhry was recognized for his efforts over several years to improve public space in the Riverside/Old Greenwich areas. He designs, plants and weeds many traffic islands along with GG&C board member Bill Osgood throughout the summer. Uhry has also organized garden clubs, neighborhood associations and neighbors to beautify Binney Park. This fall, he coordinated many volunteers with Bruce Spaman, Superintendent of Parks and Trees, to clear and plant daffodils on the hillside along Sound Beach Avenue, which borders Binney Park. His trophy was presented by Lucia Jansen, GG&C's parks coordinator, who helped organize the daffodil project.

A new Youth Service Award this year was given to Emma Loewe, who was recognized as "a very capable and creative junior at Greenwich High School" for having served as GG&C volunteer throughout last summer and fall.