Community Fund of Darien 2021
Thriving Youth Task Force TYTF square logo

Five-Year, $625K Fed Grant Includes Funds to Expand Pot, Alcohol Education for Darien Kids, Parents

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More education efforts about teen marijuana and alcohol use will be coming in the next five years now that the Thriving Youth Task Force of Darien has been awarded $125,000 per year for the next five years by a grant from the federal government. The federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will support TYTF activities. The task force is organized by The Community Fund of Darien, which runs the TYTF program. Janet King, executive director of The Community Fund of Darien, said the funding will not only allow her organization to continue the Thriving Youth Task Force’s programs in teen substance use prevention and education, but to expand them. “The DFC Grant gives us a fantastic opportunity to further engage our community to work together towards this goal,” she said.

Darien Obituaries 2021
Victor Domikis obit

Victor Domikis, Veterinary Technician, Enjoyed Camping

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Victor F. “Butch” Domikis, Jr.of New Britain, passed away Tuesday Oct. 12, at Autumn Lake Health Center in New Britain. He was 70. Born on July 23, 1951 in New Britain, he was a former Darien resident, moving back to New Britain 28 years ago. Butch was a veterinary tech at two veterinarian locations — in Norwalk and Stamford.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Abraham Lincoln

Former Selectman: GOP Candidates for Board Have Experience, Strong Record of Service to Darien

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To the editor:

Please support candidates Monica McNally, Jon Zagrodzky and Marcy Minnick for the Darien Board of Selectmen. Darien is fortunate to have three proven leaders that are ready to help lead our well managed Town into the future. As Darien faces increased pressure from Hartford to take more from Darien and give us less, these three, with Monica as the leader, are the critical voices our Town needs. Monica has given back to Darien ever since she arrived in town. She is currently a selectman and has a strong background in finance.

Books & Authors
Elizabeth Kolbert from her website https://sites.prh.com/elizabethkolbert

Read Elizabeth Kolbert’s ‘Under a White Sky’ and Discuss It With the Author

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What’s better than a night under a starry sky, by a warm fire, with great food and a good book? Darien Library, Barrett Bookstore, Darien Land Trust, and Darien Nature Center are excited to host a unique book group for Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert. Join Kiera Parrott, director of Darien Library, at the Darien Nature Center on Oct. 28 for an enlightening discussion. — an announcement from Darien Library

Elizabeth Kolbert’s highly anticipated new book, Under a White Sky, is a powerful and resonant exploration of human innovation.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Horse brown

Monica McNally Was Diligent, Found Middle Ground in Getting RTM To Approve Darien Bag Ordinance

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To the editor:

Darien has an important choice to make in November in deciding who can best provide the type of strong leadership we’ve come to expect from our first selectman during Jayme Stevenson’s successful tenure. I would like to share my perspective on candidate Monica McNally with the Darien community, as I had the pleasure of working with her during the campaign to reduce plastic use in Darien, as a co-chair of BYO Darien. Monica was assigned by the Public Works Committee to present our petition to the full Representative Town Meeting and move the process forward. She performed very diligent research and investigated the potential impact of our petition on the Darien community from all possible angles. She created very relevant documentation to satisfy questions from the RTM members when she presented the petition to them.

Darien Obituaries 2021
Obit Flower Obituary Obit

Susan Hart, 104, Loved Reading, Animals, Chaired New Canaan Red Cross

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Susan Elizabeth Moore Hart quietly departed her life on the morning of September 18. She was 104. She was born on August 11, 1917, in Southington, the youngest daughter of Daisy Ackart and Charles Martin Moore. Having skipped a grade in elementary school, she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class. Though this was the end of her formal education, she never stopped learning.

Darien Obituaries 2021
Patricia Heatter obit square

Patricia Heatter, Preschool Teacher at Darien Nature Center

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Patricia J. “Patti Jo” Heatter, nee Jacobs (McKinney, Texas), passed away on Sept. 29. Patti Jo was a preschool teacher at Darien Nature Center. She truly was a friend to everyone she met. She was the beloved wife for 44 years of Craig E. Heatter and loving mother of Edward (Shelby) and Elizabeth; cherished grandmother of Emerson and Landry; sear sister of Maryanne Hawkins and the late Roy D. Jacobs, Jr.; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor 2 cents Parcel Post

On the RTM, Monica McNally Was Instrumental in Addressing Complex Problems

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To the editor,
I have served with Monica McNally on the Representative Town Meeting in various capacities since she first joined the Public Works Subcommittee, a committee she would chair the following session. I also worked alongside Monica on the Rules Committee to the RTM and the Technology Subcommittee to the Rules Committee during the most recent legislative session. In each of these leadership roles Monica consistently demonstrated a willingness to jump in, listen, learn and do whatever necessary to benefit our town and residents. Through hard work, patience, inclusiveness, curiosity and fiscal good sense, I observed Monica would build a solid knowledge base that governed her actions on the items that came before her. By taking into consideration the perspectives of various constituencies Monica was instrumental in advancing environmental, safety and operational initiatives, with budgetary discipline taxpayers expect to improve the quality of life in Darien.

Business
West Avenue utility closure

Darien Police Announce Traffic Restrictions on Two Darien Streets

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Darien police have announced parking restrictions on two Darien streets in connection with redevelopment projects — one in downtown Darien and another in Noroton Heights. In Noroton Heights, Edgerton Street “will be closed in both directions between West Avenue and Heights Road from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.” on Monday, Oct. 11, the announcement said. The closure is related to ongoing construction of the Darien Commons project by Federal Realty Investment Trust.

Animals
Butterfly-Tail Goldfish

‘Think You Know Goldfish?’ The New Maritime Aquarium Exhibit May Surprise You

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Delve into the under-appreciated story of the goldfish in the special exhibit, “Think You Know Goldfish?” which just opened at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. — an announcement from The Maritime Aquarium

They most likely were your first pet. You could win them at carnivals. Mom flushed them when they died. And there was a college craze in the 1950s of swallowing them.

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Columbus

Stacey Tie and Julie Best Have Testified in Hartford About the Need for Local Control of Education Decisions

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To the editor:

It’s hard for me to express how much I support the candidacies of Julie Best and Stacey Tie for the Board of Education. We were all on the Council of Darien School Parents together for years, and no one was more dedicated and enthusiastic in representing the parents of Darien. Many people don’t know how much work being a great parent representative is; CDSP members attend a fair number of Board of Ed meetings. Julie and Stacey attend all of them. Being a member of the Board of Education requires absorbing an enormous amount of information — these two are ahead of the game!

Darien Obituaries 2021
Gerald Guthrie obit

Gerard Guthrie, 85, Pipe Coverer, Operated a Pub and a Restaurant

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Gerald “Jerry” Joseph Guthrie, a longtime resident of Poughkeepsie, New York and recently of Darien, passed away peacefully on Oct. 8, 2021 at Stamford Hospital. He was born on Nov. 3, 1936 in Yonkers, New York, to Harold Guthrie and Mary Smith Guthrie. He graduated from Gorton High School in Yonkers, and in 1959 married the late Carol O’Connell.