Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 52
At GHS graduation, wisdom, humor, and a scoop of inspiration
It wasn’t exactly ice cream weather at Greenwich High School’s (GHS) graduation this year, but it didn’t rain, and the skies held long enough for roughly 675 students to cross the stage, throw their caps in the air, and celebrate a milestone they’d worked toward for 13 years. The clouds might have lingered, but the mood was unmistakably sunny.
A highlight of the evening was the keynote speech by Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and a proud member of the GHS Class of 2002. His message struck a chord: life, he said, isn’t a straight line, it’s more like a scribble. Van Leeuwen, who admitted to being a less-than-stellar student during his time at GHS, described a path to success that was anything but predictable.
After a gap year spent traveling abroad and stints scooping ice cream during college summers, Van Leeuwen nearly succumbed to the pressure to chart a conventional career in finance. But inspiration struck in the form of a Mister Softee truck he passed after a job interview. Then with the help of friends and family, he followed his passion for simple, high-quality food, and launched what would become a beloved, national ice cream brand.
Don’t be afraid of detours
His advice to graduates? Lean into your interests, don’t be afraid of detours, and cherish the Greenwich community—not just as the place where you grew up, but as a potential launchpad for future partnerships and dreams. “Start something from scratch,” he joked, “but only with fresh ingredients—the Van Leeuwen way.”
Principal Ralph Mayo, himself a GHS graduate from over 50 years ago, echoed the theme of perseverance. Quoting both Emily Dickinson and Oprah Winfrey, he reminded students that “luck” is often hard work in disguise. Mayo’s deep affection for Greenwich and belief in its potential shone through.
The ceremony was filled with warmth, humor, a strong sense of community, and parting words from class leaders. Outgoing student body Vice President Mihir Shah kept the crowd laughing as master of ceremonies even after a lighthearted mix-up in the program order. Valedictorian Justin Bernstein, a GPS student since preschool at Hamilton Avenue School, will continue his academic journey at Yale. Caps were bejeweled with the names of dozens of colleges, with a particularly strong showing for UCONN, Boston College and Tulane. Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones, encouraged students to call home once a week, and maybe come back to teach here one day.
Something special about Greenwich
There’s something special about graduating from GHS, part of a district recently ranked #7 in Connecticut. It’s not just about accolades, it’s about a community that challenges, supports, and celebrates its students every step of the way. This year’s graduates aren’t just lucky, they’re ready. They worked hard, were guided well by teachers and staff, and as graduates, have every reason to be optimistic.
Like ice rink ‘flip’, Havemeyer Hotel plan shows Camillo doesn’t listen
As a team, our candidates for Board of Selectmen, finance board, and school board, believe in listening to your needs, then delivering solutions that make your lives better. Last week, residents saw once again what you get when that doesn’t happen.
A packed Town Hall crowd gave a near-unanimous thumbs down to another one of First Selectman Fred Camillo’s pet projects, privatizing the Havemeyer Building. Camillo created a committee last fall that was required to meet in secret, and eventually endorsed a developer’s “Havemeyer Hotel” plan from among six proposals for the faded town jewel. But residents last week were having none of it.
Camillo had promised the new development would give the building back to the people, but many speakers pointed out that a hotel only attracts out-of-towners, while a performing arts venue or senior center would serve us. Moreover, said others, he put the cart before the horse.
“The community and key stakeholders should have been consulted prior to requesting proposals,” observed Selectwoman candidate Rachel Khanna after the meeting. “The lack of a transparent process surrounding our town assets is inefficient.”
A lack of leadership from Town Hall
Some noted that a proposed $10 million, 100-year lease seemed like a sweetheart deal for developers, who also appeared stunned at the negative feedback.
There is “a clear lack of leadership here,” said Anthony Moor, who is running for First Selectman, “like what’s happened with the Hamill rink. Because he didn’t listen first, the First Selectman surprised residents and developers alike, bungling the trust he needs to lead us all to a consensus solution.”
It’s not certain what will happen next. While the committee’s chair emphasized this is the beginning of a process, the clear intent had been to push through the hotel plan. Moreover, the First Selectman arrived late to the meeting, and left at some point before all residents had their say.
What we’re reading
5 million march for democracy—Trump throws himself a lonely parade
On Saturday June 14, Trump celebrated his 79th birthday with a sparsely attended $45 million military parade. The same day, more than 2,000 “No Kings” protests were held nationwide. The mood among Trump and his appointees at the military parade was grim, as captured by cameras. Meanwhile an estimated five million people attended the nationwide protests, including 5,000 in Stamford, with a message that was both patriotic and festive. See footage here.
Action Calendar
| Volume 3, Number 52 • June 19, 2025 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |