News

Two RTM Districts Meet Thursday to Learn About, Discuss Proposed Great Island Purchase

Talking Transportation: Taking Reader’s Comments From the ‘Mailbag’

Police Traffic Advisory for High School, Middle School Graduations at DHS Campus

Theatre 308 Wins Seven Awards From Two High School Theater Organizations

Where Do You (Legally) Buy Pot Around Here? Well, You Don’t. Not Just Yet. You’ve Got to Hit the Road.

Darien High School Provides Counseling for Students as the School Mourns Loss of a Third Student in the Past Two Months

UPDATED: Among GOP Candidates Up For Endorsement at 6 PM Monday Caucus, New Registrar of Voters

Darien Police Ask Public to Help Identify Suspect in Hecker Avenue Assault and Robbery

Why Wi-Fi Finally Is Coming to a Train Near You, Right on Time to Be Obsolete

Food Shopping This Weekend? Pick Up Something Extra for This Food Drive on Saturday, May 14

Police: Expect Heavy Traffic Happening near Hindley School’s Hindley Happening

Catalytic Converters Stolen From Under More Vehicles

Police: Woman Reports Domestic Incident, Gets Arrested After She ‘Became Physical’ with Officer

Talking Transportation: Leaders Take A Step Forward, A Step Back — The Dance of the Sugar Plum Ferries

Range Rover Stolen From Outside House on Hoyt Street, Tracked to New Jersey

Letters to the Editor

By DARIENITE.COM | June 22, 2022

Cameron on Transportation

By JIM CAMERON | June 19, 2022

Education

By DARIENITE.COM | June 14, 2022

Darien High School 2021-2022

By DARIENITE.COM | June 14, 2022

Cameron on Transportation 2022

By JIM CAMERON | June 6, 2022

Education

By DARIENITE.COM | May 23, 2022

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | May 22, 2022

Public Safety

By DARIENITE.COM | May 10, 2022

Talking Transportation 2022

By JIM CAMERON | May 8, 2022

Charity Events and Opportunities

By DARIENITE.COM | May 6, 2022

Hindley Happening 2022

By DARIENITE.COM | May 6, 2022

Public Safety

By David Gurliacci | May 4, 2022

Darien Domestic Incident 2022

By David Gurliacci | May 4, 2022

Cameron on Transportation

By JIM CAMERON | May 1, 2022

Darien Motor Vehicle Thefts 2022

By David Gurliacci | April 29, 2022

Local news for Darienites.

To the editor,

Members of the Representative Town Meeting District II and District IV will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 23 in Town Hall Auditorium to learn more about and discuss the proposed Great Island purchase. First Selectman Monica McNally and Board of Finance Chair James Palen, as well as members of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. Great Island is in RTM District II and borders neighborhoods in District IV. The meeting will be of particular interest to RTM representatives and residents of these two Districts but is open to the community. Clara Sartori

Chair , RTM District II

I love getting feedback from you, my faithful readers. So I thought I’d share some recent comments. Last week I wrote about the railroads’ history of naming their best trains and stations. One reader, CL, reminded me that Metro-North names its express train to Yankee stadium “The Yankee Clipper”, a nice homage to baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Another reader, BW, wrote “In Ireland, all the inter-city trains have names; they are named after Ireland’s rivers.” That’s classy.

Darien Police Department has announced the following traffic regulations for the area near Darien High School for Middlesex Middle School’s graduation on Thursday, June 16, and Darien High School’s graduation on Friday June 17. Each ceremony starts at 4 p.m.

—As in previous years, all traffic will enter the High School grounds via Noroton Avenue Vehicular traffic will not be permitted to enter the area from High School Lane or Nutmeg Lane. Officers will be on hand to direct all vehicles to appropriate and designated parking areas. —All vehicles will be properly parked to facilitate and expedite the safe flow of vehicles after the graduation ceremonies. —If needed, vehicles will be parked on both sides of Nutmeg Lane and High School Lane facing away from Darien High School.

Awards ceremony performance 2022 Theatre 308

Theatre 308, Darien High School’s student-led theater club, received seven combined awards at two high school theatrical award shows in Connecticut. — an announcement from Darien High School
Halo Awards
The first of the two awards, the 19th Annual Halo Awards in Waterbury, is a prestigious award ceremony that recognizes Connecticut high schools theatrical achievements for both dramas and musicals. At the annual ceremony and show, the organization presents awards for all aspects of theater including acting, singing, dancing and technical theater. Over 80 high schools from across the state of Connecticut participated this year, and after a pandemic hiatus the show was once again live. Theatre 308 received a combined total of 23 nominations for both the fall drama, Metamorphoses, and the spring musical, “The Addams Family.”

Connecticut is investing $3 million in a new ad campaign to promote tourism in our state. But here’s a theme you won’t hear mentioned — yet. “Whether you simply wander or plunge into the surf, cannabis can add pleasure to your beach visit.”

Such was the promise on a Mystic-based private tourism website, VisitNewEngland.com talking about Massachusetts beaches. But the site’s flowery pot prose also goes on to describe some of our tourism haunts that can be enhanced by marijuana. “If you’re the type of weed smoker who loves to think deep, pondering thoughts about space and time, you’re in luck: Connecticut is home to some of the nation’s oldest historic houses, buildings, and towns.” According to state figures there are over 52,000 registered medical marijuana users in Connecticut.

Hayden Thorsen became the third Darien High School student to pass away in the last two months, students and staff learned this weekend. Schools Superintendent Alan Addley released this statement Monday afternoon:
“It was with heart breaking sadness that the Darien High School community learned over the weekend of the untimely passing of Hayden Thorsen, a beloved sophomore student at the high school. “This is the third student that the school has grieved in the past two months. The pain of losing these beautiful young lives is unbearable. It is devastating for the families, the school and the town. Our school community is understandably hurting from these tragic losses of life. “Grief counselors were available over the weekend and will be available throughout the remainder of the week.

The Darien Republican Town Committee has rejected promoting a veteran official in the town Registrar’s Office to take over after John Visi retires on May 31 as GOP registrar of voters. [Updated, where noted, below, at 1:32 p.m.]

Angie DiMeglio, a 16-year veteran of the office who didn’t get the Town Committee’s nod, is quitting as of Thursday. The RTC has chosen someone who is said to have no experience in the job with less than three months to go before a primary election. A caucus for all registered Darien Republicans is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, May 22, in Town Hall to vote on the Town Committee’s endorsements for the registrar’s position and a small number of other elective town offices. After interviewing candidates for the elective office, a Republican Town Committee panel has recommended Cara Gately to replace Visi.

P.D. asks for public info one pic of suspect

Darien police are asking the public if they have any information about a suspect in an assault at 1 p.m., April 4 in front of a home on Hecker Avenue. The suspect is described as a black male of average build (police had previously identified him as a “man”) and about 6 feet in height. He was last seen getting into a CT Transit bus heading toward Norwalk. He got off at New Canaan Avenue. If you have any information, police ask you to call the Detective Bureau at 662-5330.

Airplanes have Wi-Fi. Even Connecticut’s CTfastrak commuter bus system from New Britain to Hartford gives its passengers free Wi-Fi. Commuter railroads across the US offer Wi-Fi, including Boston’s MBTA. Wi-Fi is everywhere — but not on Metro-North. So the Connecticut legislature has just budgeted $23 million to install 5G technology on the railroad’s M8 cars.

You can help get food to people nearby who could really use a hand. Use yours to fill a bag and leave it for letter carriers next Saturday. — an announcement from Person to Person

Person to Person is participating in the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger (Postal) Food Drive on Saturday, May 14. Residents of Darien, Norwalk, Wilton and Stamford will receive a P2P branded grocery bag in their mailboxes, thanks to the amazing letter carriers that deliver the mail. We need you to FILL THE BAGS with food for the P2P pantries, and leave for your letter carrier, or P2P volunteer, to pick up on Saturday, May 14.

This Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Hindley Happening fair will be — gotta say it: happening — at Hindley School at the corner of Nearwater Lane and the Post Road in Noroton. Expect heavy traffic, Darien police are reminding drivers. “There will be extremely limited parking availability due to this event and other private events taking place in Noroton Center,” said a police announcement on Friday. “Please plan ahead for traffic delays or seek alternate routes. Thank you for your cooperation.” For more about what’s happening at the Hindley Happening: The Hindley Happening Is Happening May 7

Darien police gave out this information on the latest thefts of catalytic converters in town. One theft occurred in the victim’s driveway on Noroton Avenue; the other, in the parking lot for Darien Post Office. When a vehicle was parked at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26 in the driveway of the victim’s home on Noroton Avenue, not far from the Noroton Heights Fire Department building, the catalytic converter was still in it. At 6:30 p.m., the next day, the victim started the vehicle again and heard a loud sound that he realized was caused by the absence of a catalytic converter. He looked under the vehicle and confirmed it.

A 43-year-old Darien woman was arrested on a warrant on April 24 after she “became physical” with a police officer who arrived at her home in response to her report of a domestic incident, police said. The arrest was one of two made by Darien police in connection with unrelated domestic incidents

Darien police gave these accounts of what happened in each case, including accusations not proven in court:

The woman called police on Sept. 26 to report a verbal argument. Police didn’t say how that report concerned them enough to dispatch at least one officer to the scene (loud noises or concern about violence are two ways that can happen). When the officer arrived, the woman “became physical” with the officer.

As our Connecticut legislators wrap up their “short session” this week, it’s time to assess their work: things accomplished, mixed messages sent and issues left unresolved. Transportation is responsible for almost 30% of all air pollution in the U.S., more than half of that spewed by cars and trucks. The EPA says Connecticut is in “severe noncompliance” with Federal clean air rules, especially Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties. Our air literally stinks. So while I’m happy the state has finally committed to a Clean Air Act, it will take until 2040 for many of its provisions to take effect.

« August 2022 »

The driver of a green 2017 Range Rover parked it outside his friends house on Hoyt Street, just south of Camp Avenue, at 1:03 p.m., Sunday, April 17. By 1:55 p.m., the vehicle had been stolen. The theft was reported to police at 4:20 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., the victim told police that the vehicle was last tracked to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Police in that community were unable to locate the vehicle. An investigation is continuing.