Darien Police Department 2025
Darien PD promotions 2025 Gregory Benedetto Michael Dos Santos Stuart Schwengerer

All Invited to Darien Police Department’s Swearing-In Ceremony for Three Promoted Officers

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A promotion ceremony for three Darien police officers will take place at 5 p.m., this Tuesday at the Darien Community Association’s Meadowlands headquarters, and you’re invited, the Police Department announced. The three officers (with their new ranks) are Lt. Gary Schwengerer and Sgts. Gregory Benedetto and Michael Dos Santos. The department’s promotion ceremonies typically include a swearing-in, attendance by family members, Police Commission members, police and some town officials, and some food and (nonalcoholic) drinks. The DCA is located at 274 Middlesex Road.

Talking Transportation 2025
Metro-North bike

You Can Combine Your Train, Bus or Ferry Ride with a Bike, E-Bike or Scooter. Here’s How.

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Taking mass transit is great. But when you step off your train or bus, what do you do to get to your final destination? Increasingly, that means BYO wheels: a bike, e-bike or scooter. The problem is, the rules for bringing your “wheels” is much different depending on your carrier. METRO-NORTH:

You can bring your non-electric-powered bike on the train anytime except rush-hour.

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square image from movie poster Other Side about assisted death

‘Other Side,’ a Documentary About Assisted Dying, to Be Shown Monday Night at Darien Library, Followed by Discussion

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The documentary “Other Side,” an intimate look into the life of one woman and her fight to die on her terms, will be shown Monday night at Darien Library. Following the film, Kate Bagnati, end-of-life doula and member of Connecticut Death Collective, will discuss the film and its theme. — an announcement from Darien Library

After three separate cancer diagnoses, and undergoing nauseating and difficult treatment for each one, Connecticut-based activist Lynda Bluestein set her sights on medical aid in dying. This compassionate end-of-life option was not available in her home state, so she filed a lawsuit against the state of Vermont to gain access to their Death With Dignity law, Act 39 – and she won. The documentary follows Lynda and her family over the course of a year as they navigate life and prepare for her inevitable death.

Coat Drive 2025
Tokeneke School Flag 6-14-16

Superintendent’s Newsletter: Parent Conferences, Superintendent Search Presentation, Family Events

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A presentation at the Board of Education about the superintendent search, a brief description of upcoming parent-teacher conferences at elementary schools, and a tip of the hat to Darien’s principals are some of the topics in the latest edition Interim Superintendent Eric Byrne’s weekly newsletter. Other topics in this week’s newsletter: reminders about events for families in town, a coat drive at the middle school, and school sports this weekend. Here’s the full text:
Dear Darien Community,
After an extended period of summer-like weather, fall certainly arrived on Monday with the Nor’easter followed by much more seasonable weather. The fall calendar in the schools and town is filled with lots of activities. Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival 
Get ready for some festive fall fun this Saturday, Oct.

Transportation
Highway congestion traffic congestion traffic jam

Expect Overnight Lane Closures on I-95 Between Exits 13 and 15, This Monday to Wednesday, 5 PM to 8 AM

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Interstate 95 will have some closed lanes in both directions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., this Monday through Wednesday between Exits 13 and 15, as gas line inspections take place the state Transportation Department announced. Eversource will be conducting the inspections of the natural gas lines, CDOT said. The inspections are scheduled to be done by 5 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, but “modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions,” the announcement said. The news release included a reminder of what you know already: “Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving in this area.”

Bridges
Long Island Connecticut Bridge 2025

What to Make of the Proposal to Span Long Island Sound with a 14-Mile — White Elephant?

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Why is much of Connecticut talking about a bridge from Bridgeport, across Long Island Sound, to New York State?  How did we get sucked into a debate about a project that every transportation expert I spoke with said just won’t happen? You can blame (or maybe credit?) Connecticut housing developer Stephen Shapiro for this distraction as he pipe-dreams way outside his area of expertise. “A reporter from The CT Post called me to talk about housing,” he told WFSB’s “CT ‘25”.  “I always liked the idea of a bridge.  And now this thing has ballooned into a massive story.”

He even helped by generating a lovely artificial intelligence image of the structure, complete with red, white and blue towers, which was gobbled up by the media. A 14-mile bridge, costing a guesstimated $50 billion?  It’s a good thing Shapiro didn’t dangle the idea of flying cars to the reporter. Shapiro has never built a bridge.  His expertise is in affordable housing projects in cities like Bristol, Fairfield, Milford and Easton.  That’s great, and certainly needed.  But a bridge?

Public Safety
Mohamed Fofana arrest mug shot

Police: Man, 27, Stole and Forged a False Name on a Check in 2022, Arrested This Month

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A 27-year-old man who stole and then altered a check in 2022, was recently arrested at Riker’s Island jail by Darien Police, the department announced. Police gave this further account, including accusations not proven in court:

A woman, apparently from Darien (police didn’t say), told police that on Oct. 25, 2022, the check she mailed out to her painter had been stolen and altered. Mohamed Fofana of the Bronx deposited the check in a TD Bank branch, using a false identity. Fofana also fraudulently created a business entity, Prelude Painting LLC.

Education
Hindley School 4-27-16

Superintendent’s Newsletter: Mental Health Project, Bike Safety Workshop, Test Results, Pumpkin Festival

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Interim Schools Superintendent Eric Byrne’s weekly newsletter on Friday mentions activities of the Wave Strong Club, a bike and scooter safety workshop and a new Instagram page for the district. It also mentioned a presentation on standardized test results, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival and Darien High’s many athletic meets this weekend. Here’s the full text:
Dear Darien Community,
What a busy week! There is so much incredible work happening across Darien and I truly enjoyed spending time at Hindley & Holmes visiting classrooms and observing our kids and teachers in action. I also enjoyed being a guest speaker at the Holmes School PTO meeting on Wednesday evening.

Cameron on Transportation

Mischief and Mismanagement (with Taxpayers’ Money) in the Motor Pool of the Governor’s Office

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What would happen to you if you borrowed your company’s car and, thanks to built-in tracking technology, were caught driving 113 mph? Or how would your HR staff “dialogue” with you if the car’s mileage wasn’t properly logged, you had apparently used it for personal trips, then left it sitting in a garage, and when you did return it to the motor pool it had $3,500 in damage? This isn’t a hypothetical question. These are actual cases of state employees, including former Chief of Staff to Gov. Ned Lamont, Jonathan Dach. All of this comes to light in the latest detailed report from the Auditors of Public Accounts, a non-partisan, independent body appointed by the Legislature.

Georgia Hunter
Georgia Hunter square headshot for home page

Author Georgia Hunter Will Talk About Her New Book at Darien Library, Tuesday, Oct 7

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Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore welcome local author, Georgia Hunter, who will talk about her new book, One Good Thing, the long-awaited follow-up to her 2017 bestselling debut, We Were the Lucky Ones. — an announcement from Darien Library and Barrett Bookstore

A stirring and heartfelt tale of friendship, motherhood, and survival, the story takes place during the 1940s, in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the University of Ferrara; when Esti’s son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters. There is a war being fought across borders, and in Italy, Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed Lili and Esti descendants of an ‘inferior’ Jewish race, but life somehow goes on — until Germany invades northern Italy, and the friends find themselves in occupied territory. Esti, older and fiercely self-assured, convinces Lili to flee first to a villa in the countryside to help hide a group of young war orphans, then to a convent in Florence, where they pose as nuns and forge false identification papers for the Underground.

Community Organizations
Week Without Violence campaign square image 2025

YWCA Darien/Norwalk Launches ‘Week Without Violence’ — Events Marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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October marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month,  a time to honor survivors, remember those lost, and recommit to building safer communities. — an announcement from the YWCA of Darien/Norwalk
As we embark on this month of reflection and action, YWCA Darien/Norwalk is proud to stand with YWCAs across the nation and around the world in launching this year’s Week Without Violence, taking place Oct. 20 to 25. Through a week of empowering programs, this initiative calls on our community to raise awareness, center survivor voices, and work together toward a future free from gender-based violence. “Domestic violence touches families in every community, including our own,” said Jennifer Buchholz, CEO of YWCA Darien/Norwalk.

Talking Transportation 2025
Engineer

Tips for Riding NextGen Acela: Amtrak’s Already-Running Train of the Future

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I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: this really is Amtrak’s train of the future. But here are a few tips for making your next ride frictionless. These tips are mostly about riding Acela, but many hold true for slower Northeast Corridor trains. WHAT’S A NEXTGEN ACELA? These are the new trains built by Alstom, previously known as Avelia Liberty.

Education
safety course bikes etc depot 2025

Blue Wave Golf’s Winning Streak, Soccer Glory, Safety Guides — All in the School Superintendent’s Newsletter

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Interim Schools Superintendent Eric Byrnes’ Friday newsletter highlighted the student Unified Soccer Team, the recent concert by the DHS Band, Chorus and Orchestra and the 12 straight wins by the Blue Wave Boys Golf Team. “This very impressive start is our best since 2016,” Byrnes said of the golf team’s success. Byrnes also included reminders about emergency information guides, particularly for parents; reminded students and parents about e-bike and scooter safety rules and a 90-minute safety course for middle schoolers “including safety skills for pedestrians, bikers, e-bikers, and e-scooters.” He said a survey about the superintendent search has a deadline of Oct. 3 (next Friday) and more information about the search is available on the district website.

Darien Police Department 2025
Officer Katrina Cook first in class in the Nov 2024 Police Academy

Darien Police Officer Katrina Cook Honored for Graduating First in Her Police Academy Class

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Darien Police Officer Katrina Cook was honored this week by the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut for graduating first in her police academy class late last year. Cook received the Samuel J. Luciano Award from the association, given to the recruit in each police academy class who achieves the highest cumulative grade point average during basic training. “Congratulations to Officer Cook on a job well done!” a Darien Police announcement said Friday on Facebook.