Living

Tickets Now on Sale for Darien Old Timers Athletic Association Annual Sports Dinner, Nov 8

Darien Seniors Invited to Apply for Free Leaf-Raking and Snow-Shoveling Services

DCA Annual Halloween Parade Coming Friday, Oct 29, Downtown

Darien Veteran Street Sign on Herman Ave to Honor World War I Veteran Carmelo Roda

25 DHS Seniors Named 'Commended Students' by National Merit Scholarship Program

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson’s Speech at Darien’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

State Leaders: Shop for Your Family and Help Local Retailers During Sales Tax Free Week

DARIEN FIREWORKS POSTPONED: From This Thursday to Next Thursday, July 22 [UPDATED]

[POSTPONED] Darien Fireworks: Where to Park Off-Campus and Walk in

UPDATE: Parking Permits SOLD OUT for July 15 Darien Fireworks

July 4 Push-n-Pull Parade Steps Off at New Location: Darien High School, at 10:30 AM

Got a Monthly Metro-North Ticket? Check Out This Summer Deal

UPDATE: Forget Postponement, Weed Beach Festive Night CANCELLED ENTIRELY Due to Forecast; Fireworks Still on for July 15

Your Kid’s Summer Camp Could Visit Sheffield Island Lighthouse

Here’s How Darien Senior Center Is Shifting to More Indoor, In-Person Programs

Learn About Native Plants and Pollinators: Webinar Monday Night

Plan for Your Legacy: How Connecticut Probate Courts Settle Estates

Kenote Speech from Darien’s 2021 Memorial Day Ceremony

Metro-North Invites You To Consider a Train If You’ve Got a Long Weekend Trip — or a Vaccine

Darien Democrats Invited to March in the Memorial Day Parade

Events Calendar

By DARIENITE.COM | 23 hours ago

Around Town

By DARIENITE.COM | September 11, 2021

Business

By DARIENITE.COM | August 18, 2021

Darien Fireworks 2021

By DARIENITE.COM | July 13, 2021

Darien Fireworks 2021

By DARIENITE.COM | July 12, 2021

Darien Fireworks 2021

By DARIENITE.COM | July 7, 2021

Darien Push-n-Pull Parade

By DARIENITE.COM | July 3, 2021

Good Deals Alert

By DARIENITE.COM | July 3, 2021

Arts & Entertainment

By DARIENITE.COM | July 1, 2021

Community Organizations

By DARIENITE.COM | June 19, 2021

By David Gurliacci | June 4, 2021

Gardening

By DARIENITE.COM | June 3, 2021

Estate Planning 2021

By DARIENITE.COM | June 1, 2021

Holidays

By DARIENITE.COM | May 31, 2021

Coronavirus 2021

By DARIENITE.COM | May 28, 2021

Memorial Day 2021

By DARIENITE.COM | May 28, 2021

Features on Darienites and living in Darien

Darien Old Timers Athletic Association (DOTAA), a local organization founded in 1961 to recognize outstanding athletes in the Darien community, will celebrate its 60th anniversary with its annual dinner on Monday, Nov. 8 at The Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s. — an announcement from the Darien Old Timers Athletic Association

The annual dinner will be a time to celebrate past athletic achievements of former Darien athletes and the funds raised will go to providing annual scholarships for Darien High School seniors (not just athletes) and supporting Darien Social Services. This year’s honorees include:

Jeff Bak, DHS ’84 (football) and played for Clemson University
Wes Barton, DHS ’92, receiving James Carlson Award for courage and achievement in the face of adversity, (lacrosse and football)
Tracey Stewart Bird, DHS ’80 (diving), dove for Stanford and currently coaches at Harvard
Michael Koenig, DHS ’80 (football)
Tom O’Malley, DHS ’84 (posthumous) (football)
Jayme Stevenson, receiving the Community Civic Award, Darien first selectman
Mark von Kreuter, DHS ’80 (posthumous) (football)

“We are proud to be celebrating the contributions of Darien athletic achievements for the past sixty years. This year’s honorees are an impressive selection of men and women who have impacted the Darien community and beyond with their athletic and civic accomplishments,” said Bill Peters, president, Darien Old Timers Athletic Association.

At Home In Darien leaf raking volunteers

Commended Students National Merit Scholarship Program 2021 fall

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson made these brief comments Saturday morning at Darien’s 9/11 ceremony. Here’s her speech, as prepared:

Good morning. Thank you for coming together today as one community to remember. We’ve felt the anxiety leading up to this day, haven’t we? How is it possible 20 years have passed since that tragic morning?

Connecticut’s 6.35 percent sales tax on clothing is eliminated during Sales Tax Free Week (through Saturday, Aug. 21) for clothing and footwear priced at less than $100 per item. Darien students return to schools in town on Monday, Aug. 30, a week before Labor Day. Something to keep in mind: Since sales tax is calculated after the use of any coupons or discounts, if the final price per item is less than $100, the sale is exempt from taxes.

12:33 p.m. — The area’s soggy weather has created ground conditions that are soggy enough to cause a postponement of Darien’s Fireworks to Thursday, July 22, a town official said. Jami Gore, program supervisor for the town Parks & Recreation Department, asked to confirm a tip about the possible postponement, said that it was taking place, and an announcement was about to come out. Other than the one-week postponement, Gore said other details about the event are expected to be the same. Darienite.com will have further information about the event as it is released. The planned Weed Beach Festive Night, originally scheduled for July 2, then postponed to Saturday, July 3, had to be cancelled because of continued wet weather, part of the weeks of unusually wet weather in the area.

UPDATE: FIREWORKS POSTPONED TO THURSDAY, JULY 22

Original article:

Even though on-campus parking passes are sold out for Darien’s fireworks display this Thursday night at the high school, anyone can still walk-in to enjoy the show for free. Here are some more reminders and tips about attending the event from the Darien Parks & Recreation Department:

PARKING OFF-CAMPUS:

If you’d like to park off-campus and walk to Darien High School grounds, here are some suggestions: parking lots are available at both Middlesex Middle School and McGuane Field. Parking is also permitted on the south side of the public part of Holly Lane and the west side of Libby Lane. No parking is permitted on Noroton Avenue! IF YOU’VE GOT A PARKING PASS:

Those with paid parking passes must enter Darien High School from Noroton Avenue.

UPDATE: Thursday, July 8 — All parking permits have already been sold for Darien’s fireworks display on July 15 at the high school campus, the town government Twitter account announced at 8:38 this morning. Original article, July 7:
Darien Fireworks are BACK! After they were canceled by the pandemic last year, Darien’s fireworks display returns to the high school campus on Thursday, July 15. The rain date is Thursday, July 22. Darien residents can buy the $30 parking permit tickets online or at Town Hall in order to be able to use one of the 375 parking spaces available at the high school, or you can walk in for free and don’t even need to be a town resident.

The annual Push-n-Pull Parade will be held at a new location in town on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. at Darien High School, go down Noroton Avenue and end up at the Darien VFW Post 6933 at 205 Noroton Ave. — This article combines information from a Darien police announcement, which was sent to Darienite.com, and a Darien VFW announcement, which wasn’t (we snagged it from elsewhere). They, and anyone else, can send announcements to dave@darienite.com. The parade location has changed for 2021. It will step off from the Darien High School at 10:30 AM sharp, proceed south on Noroton Avenue, ending at the VFW located at 205 Noroton Ave.

Metro-North Railroad is welcoming you back with a “Summer Saturdays” program:
Between Saturday, July 3 and Saturday, Aug. 28, Metro-North will honor all monthly tickets for travel to and from all Metro-North stations, regardless of what stations are printed on the ticket. Monthly ticketholders traveling on these Saturdays will be able to bring up to four additional travelers with them for only $1 per person each way. This means a Metro-North customer whose monthly ticket is only valid between Grand Central Terminal and Yonkers could ride as far away as Poughkeepsie, Brewster or New Haven. — an announcement from Metro-North

“Bring your friends and family, hop on board and spend your summer with Metro-North,” said Metro-North President Cathy Rinaldi.

UPDATE, 10:49 a.m., Friday:

Weed Beach Festive Night, which was originally scheduled for Friday night, then postponed for 24 hours, is now cancelled due to expected rain, Darien Parks and Recreation Department announced just before 10 a.m., Friday. If you pre-purchased a meal for the event, you can still pick it up between 5 and 6 p.m., Saturday, Park & Rec Program Supervisor Jami Gore said in the 9:59 a.m. emailed announcement. You’ll be able to get into the beach to do it, she said. The next Weed Beach Festive Night is scheduled for Aug. 27. Here’s the full text of Gore’s announcement:
Unfortunately, we have made the difficult and disappointing decision to cancel the Weed Beach Festive Night scheduled for this weekend due to potential inclement weather.

New this summer, the Norwalk Seaport Association is now welcoming regional organizations that offer summer camps for children to come and visit Sheffield Island and Sheffield Island Lighthouse for an unparalleled maritime excursion. — an announcement from the Norwalk Seaport Association

Preservation of the island and lighthouse as well as offering educational opportunities for children are two of the founding principles that the Norwalk Seaport Association has been founded on. If organizations and summer camps are looking for a new camp activity that will delight and engage kids of all ages, they should consider renting the Norwalk Seaport Association’s vessel the C.J. Toth for an excursion. The Norwalk Seaport Association has developed two options for camp educators to choose from, both offer an educational and rewarding experience at affordable price points. A two-hour harbor cruise is scenic, educational, and fun.

Darien Senior Center members are being welcomed back to more in-person programs indoors at the Mather Community Center on Monday, June 7. But the return to in-person programs has already begun and is gradual. The lunch pickup program, for instance, is continuing into the foreseeable future — and seniors picking up lunches today (Friday) can park and hear an outdoor concert from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the parking lot. Starting Monday, the center’s Woodshop and its Computer Room will both be open (but only if you’ve reserved a spot). Participation in indoor programs is strictly limited in order to allow for safe distancing of seniors, said Beth Paris, director of the center.

Learn about native plants and pollinators in our community by joining Deepika Saksena and Juliet Cain Darien Pollinator Pathways in a Zoom webinar from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday in an event sponsored by Darien Library. — an announcement from the library

Native plants and pollinators are an essential part of creating a healthy habitat. Native plants provide food and shelter to an array of butterflies and moths, which are often dependent on specific native plant species. You’ll learn about native plants and pollinators in our community, how we can encourage them to thrive and how you can become a citizen scientist with the iNaturalist App and assist Pollinator Pathways’ ongoing pollinator habitat research by tracking native plants and pollinators in our area. About the Presenters
Deepika Saksena is a co-founder of the Darien Pollinator Pathway.

When a family member passes away, many people have misconceptions about real property and probate fees. In “The Ins and Outs of Connecticut Probate,” an online talk tonight, Judge Domenick Calabrese will discuss the role of Connecticut probate courts and how they deal with settling estates. Calabrese will review the different forms of real estate ownership, including trusts and Connecticut estate tax liens, and bring these concepts to life with examples. — an announcement from Darien Library

This virtual event will take place at 7 p.m., today, Wednesday, June 2. You can register here on Darien Library’s website.

Sharad Samy, in his keynote speech at Darien’s Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, asked his listeners to remember what the red, white and blue of the U.S. flag stand for and to “Remember those who gave their lives for us today. “Remember that they were just like you and me,” he told the crowd of about 200 people at the veterans’ burial ground in Spring Grove Cemetery. “Remember that they gave what we all treasure the most — life — so that you and I can enjoy our great nation each and every day.” And he described several of them who were cut down in wars from the American Revolution to Vietnam. He explained the symbolism of the flag’s colors: “the red stands for heartiness and valor, the white stands for purity and innocence, and the blue stands for vigilance, perseverance and justice.

Planning an early getaway on Friday, May 28 for the long weekend? Metro-North will operate a regular weekday schedule on Friday, but we are increasing capacity by adding train cars — so your weekend starts when you want it to. — an announcement from Metro-North

If you’re returning on Monday, May 31, we are running regular weekend service that day (not that anyone wants to think about the weekend ending yet). Wondering when to go and return? Check the schedule.

Are you a Democrat in town who would like to march in the Darien Memorial Day parade on Monday? The Darien Democratic Town Committee is inviting you to join in the town’s patriotic procession. “As many of you may recall, we did this in 2019 and it was a smashing success. We would love a good turnout to reflect our increased presence in town, so please join us,” DTC Chair David Bayne said in an announcement Thursday to his fellow Democrats. The parade is solely a patriotic event, not a political one (and both the parade rules and the Democratic Town Committee forbid “overt political signs or messaging” at the event.

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