Darienite (https://darienite.com/category/news/beyond-darien)
News from elsewhere that’s important to Darienites
Editor’s note: While First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky’s biweekly column in Friday’s the Town of Darien Newsetter (you can subscribe here) isn’t specifically about Darien, Darienites can experience these problems — and it’s interesting enough to republish. Here it is:
Two stories for you this week. […]
First story. I got a call Wednesday from an old friend. He reported that his mother-in-law received an email notification that her LifeLock subscription was up for renewal.
If your kids love dinosaurs and you’re looking for something different in a daytrip, a place with 50 life-sized models of dinosaurs and a variety of amusements at the eastern end of the state could be just what makes that day the best one of spring break. Nature’s Art Village, which includes The Dinosaur Place, its 60-acre “Outdoor Adventure Park,” is now open for the 2021 season. It takes a while to get there from here — an hour and 14 minutes along I-95, according to Google Maps, but your kids may be so tuckered out that they’ll be sleeping on the return trip. Here’s how the business describes The Dinosaur Place in its announcement about the season opening:
Home to over 50 life-sized dinosaurs on pristine nature trails, The Dinosaur Place is filled with fun adventures including a dinosaur-themed maze, two caves with animatronic dinosaurs, Monty’s Playground, featuring T-Rex Tower, and TWO brand-new exhibits which will be making their debut throughout the spring and summer in the newest section of the park, Lapilli Landing. These attractions include Peewee Putters, a 6-hole miniature golf experience for children of every age, and Pedal Pushers, an equestrian-themed pedal kart track for ages 6 and up weaving its way around the new addition.
Flags have been lowered and will remain at half-staff across the state until sunset on Saturday, Gov. Ned Lamont directed in an announcement Tuesday, to honor Connecticut State Police Trooper Eugene Kenneth Baron Jr., who died Monday from cancer acquired by responding to the World Trade Center after the 9/11 massacre. “Trooper Baron is a hero who not only dedicated his career to protecting the people of Connecticut, but he did not hesitate when called to respond to one of the worst attacks in our nation’s history,” Lamont said in an announcement released Tuesday. “He embodies the definition of public service and what it means to lead a career with integrity, respect, and generosity. “On behalf of the entire State of Connecticut, I extend my deepest sympathies to Trooper Baron’s family, friends, and his brothers and sisters at the Connecticut State Police, Lamont said. I ask the people of Connecticut to keep Trooper Baron and his family in their prayers.”
Baron and other Connecticut state troopers went to the World Trade Center ruins to help look for survivors in the rubble.
On Thursday afternoon drivers on Railroad Avenue in Greenwich couldn’t help but smile when they saw a Greenwich police officer directing traffic break into a dance. — This article originally was published by GreenwichFreePress.com
Officer Rob Smurlo had some unique and energetic moves, and a sense of humor. “I know that with our job and responsibilities we are to be serious and protect and serve, but during this time of uncertainty and sadness I just wanted to make people smile again,” Smurlo said. “I wanted to be uplifting just to get that reaction of hope and happiness.”
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Shorter of two videos:
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Before long, Smurlo’s cheer spread and he was backed up by Carlos Salas and Anthony Russo of Blakesley Construction and Kevin Kkonitsatk from Greenwich Hardware. Thank you all for the happy moment!
One of New Canaan’s most architecturally significant homes could become yet another major draw for visitors to the town, under a broad vision sketched out by the owners of the residence and local volunteers seeking to boost the economy and tourism here. — This article originally was published by NewCanaanite.com
Harvard-trained architect and industrial designer Eliot Noyes—one of the “Harvard Five” who settled in New Canaan in the 1940s and created some of its world-renowned Midcentury Modern homes—designed the Country Club Road house for his own family. At its most recent meeting, the local Tourism and Economic Development Advisory Committee or ‘TEDAC’ met with the architect’s son, Frederick Noyes, who is “actively [looking] for a way to not only preserve the house but also make it available to the public,” First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said during a press briefing held Oct. 3 in his Town Hall office. “This would be one of the very first Midcentury Moderns, when Eliot Noyes came to New Canaan,” Moynihan said.
Following an online petition signed by more than 2,000 people, and acting on the advice of police, New Canaan officials said this week that they’re looking to install cameras to record motor vehicles entering and leaving Waveny Park, just north of the Darien border. — This article originally was published by NewCanaanite.com
Parks and Public Works officials said during a subcommittee meeting Tuesday that the cost of installation might be around $25,000, for which they would likely request a special appropriation. The main purpose of the cameras will be to “show visibility of activity coming in and out of our parks,” Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Rona Siegel said during a meeting of the appointed body’s Camera Subcommittee. The two-person subcommittee, which also includes Parks Commissioner Matt Konspore, discussed potential locations for the cameras, focusing on the three entrances to the park — one on South Avenue and two on Lapham Road, including near the Waveny Pool. “It would just be an extension of cameras at the entrances — not throughout the park,” Siegel said during the meeting, held at Town Hall.
With the attention of many people in lower Fairfield County and elsewhere riveted by the Jennifer Dulos missing person case in New Canaan, two groups active in dealing with domestic violence have put out statements describing the wider situation, and a meeting has been organized for Tuesday evening in Greenwich. —See also:New Canaan Police Say Tips Have Helped Investigation Into Missing Woman Case (June 7), with links to other recent NewCanaanite.com coverage of the case. YWCA Greenwich Statement
This statement from YWCA Greenwich regarding Jennifer Dulos previously was published by Greenwich Free Press:
Along with the Greenwich community, YWCA Greenwich is deeply
concerned and saddened by the ongoing developments regarding the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos of New Canaan. Domestic violence is suspected, and YWCA Greenwich is the only state designated provider of domestic abuse services in the community. From court documents, we know Ms. Dulos was afraid of her estranged husband and was fearful he would retaliate against her for seeking a divorce.
Charles Burwell, a former Darien resident, teacher and selectman who passed away on Feb. 26, 2016 was a 26-year-old naval intelligence officer on June 4, 1944. His assignment: briefing Generals Dwight Eisenhower and Bernard L. Montgomery on exactly which day the weather would be calm enough for D-Day while the moon was still bright. Editor’s note: On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy in World War II, Darienite.com is putting the link to this article, originally published on March 1, 2016 back on the Home page and in the June 6 newsletter. In addition to being on the Darien Board of Selectmen, Burwell was a social studies teacher at Darien High School until his retirement in 1978.
Visitors to Waveny Park, just over the border from Darien in New Canaan, should be be especially vigilant in the area of the pond New Canaan Police are warning, after a coyote bit a leashed dog there last week. Visitors with dogs should avoid the area of Waveny Pond entirely for now, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control Section. — This article originally was published by NewCanaanite.com. Halm said police had two calls Wednesday, about coyote sightings in the part of Waveny that includes the pond at the foot of the sledding hill, and that a witness to the biting incident on Thursday, April 25 reported it to authorities. The coyotes likely have established a den near the pond, Halm said, and are protecting the territory.
The first thing you should know is that (1) this is more fun than a written description can relay. If you do this, you will remember for the rest of your life just how beautiful Connecticut is, especially when you leave the highway. Prepare to be charmed. The second, third and fourth things you should know are that if you participate in the Passport event for Independent Bookstore “Day” this weekend, April 27 and 28, (2) you’d better not mind being in a car for most of the day Saturday and Sunday, because you’ll be traveling to 17 bookstores around the state; (3) you’ll find it more fun if you love books, because 20%-off coupons at these bookstores are the direct reward; and
(4) plan your trip beforehand and expect to arrive at your first bookstore of each day when it opens, because you’re going to be tempted to linger in a charming store and then in its beautiful neighborhood — and find yourself racing to complete the trip late on Sunday afternoon, before your last bookstore closes. (Lucky you: Your Darienite.com editor took this trek last year, and we’ve got tips for you.)
You don’t actually have time to shop at these bookstores — just visit them, get a gander at the place and leave for your next stop.
As we prepare to sing “Auld Lang Syne,” millions around the world are gearing up to celebrate the 260th birthday of the song’s writer, Scottish national poet Robert Burns. On or near Jan. 25 every year, an estimated 9 million people around the globe attend Burns Suppers in honor of the beloved bard. — Most of this article previously was published by GreenwichFreePress.com. At the Greenwich Burns’ Supper on Jan.
What the state Legislature and government in general can do to reduce vaping among teenagers was one of the main topics of a meeting Monday, where area legislators met with people on the frontlines of the effort in local communities: school officials, police
Although legislators sat at a table facing the audience, more than one participant in the crowd and at the table said that keeping teens away from vaping is primarily a local battle, and a lot of the discussion was about local efforts. — This article was published Monday by Greenwich Free Press. About 100 people were at the event, organized by Communities 4 Action, which also included area health officials, social workers, psychologists and local government leaders, including Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson. The meeting, a “legislative breakfast” at the Jewish Community Center in Stamford, was organized b y Communities 4 Action, a group that seeks to reduce substance misuse among youths and adults. Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling vapors and electronic (e-cigarettes) are the most widely used tobacco product among teens.
Sacred Heart University in Fairfield donated 15 shipping containers filled with more than 3,500 pieces of furniture from the Elizabeth Ann Seton Residence Hall to orphaned children in Guatemala this summer. — an announcement from Sacred Heart University
Through the nonprofit organization Asset 360, SHU donated used desks, chairs, dressers, wardrobes, bedframes and mattresses. Asset 360 is nonprofit environmental company that manages the responsible disposition of materials that are no longer needed. Joel Quintong, assistant dean of students, said that almost every year, one of the residence halls turns over its old furniture. It’s Hard to Give Away This Much Furniture Here
He said this year, he wanted to find a responsible means of removing it, rather than having it all end up in a landfill.
Darien and New Canaan officials, along with some cycling enthusiasts, have been discussing ways of promoting bicycle routes built for two towns, so that cyclists in one town might ride to the other, visiting Waveny Park, for example, or Weed Beach. First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said last week that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has a grant program that could fund a project to put up bike route signs and even pay for publicity and promotional materials to encourage people to bike from one town to the other. “I received last week notice that Connecticut’s DEEP has a recreational trails grant, and our proposed bike path would be eligible for grant-funding dollars to help fund signs and roadway markings and PR [public relations] materials,” Stevenson said Monday, Sept. 10, at the Board of Selectmen meeting. “If we should choose to apply for that, they look very favorably on multi-jurisdictional projects, as this one would be,” she said.
Natural disasters and weather emergencies are in the news. Whether it’s the devastating wildfires along the West Coast, the relentless rains and flooding along the East Coast, or tornado strikes in the Midwest, it’s heartbreaking to see people lose their homes and businesses. But it’s despicable when scammers exploit such tragedies to appeal to your sense of generosity. — This article originally was published on the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information blog. Colleen Tressler is a consumer education specialist with the FTC.
Stepping Stones Museum for Children has once again partnered with other attractions within the City of Norwalk as part of the Sound of Summer discount program, a citywide tourism initiative to offer savings for visitors this summer. — an announcement from Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Simply pay full price at one of the nine participating attractions and receive a special discount at all of the other participating attractions.
Stepping Stones members can simply pick up a Sound of Summer punch card during their next visit and show it, along with their museum membership card, to access Sound of Summer benefits at participating attractions. There is no purchase necessary
“Norwalk is truly open for business,” said Robert Townes, director of community advocacy at Stepping Stones. “We have such a diversity of entertainment options in Norwalk that residents and out-of-town visitors can enjoy on staycations or vacations. We wanted all area businesses to benefit from cross promotion. There is so much for families to do in Norwalk this summer and the Sound of Summer program helps highlight all the offerings.”