Public Safety
Darien Police SUV on Road

After Police Find a Fingerprint in a Stolen Car, They Charge a Man, 26, With the Theft

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A 26-year-old man whose fingerprint was found in a vehicle stolen in Darien has been charged with first-degree larceny in connection with the theft, Darien police said. Darien police gave this account of the matter, including accusations not proven in court:

The vehicle was stolen on Feb. 6, 2021 then found in New Haven six days later, on Feb. 12. Darien police detectives examined the vehicle for evidence, and a state laboratory report indicated that a fingerprint from the vehicle belonged to Kelvin Solares of Hamden.

Healthy Living

Online Presentation, ‘The Dangerous Truths About Today’s Marijuana’ at 7 PM, Thursday

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New Canaan Cares is hosting a presentation by Laura Stack, “The Dangerous Truths About Today’s Marijuana,” at 7 p.m. Thursday over Zoom. — an announcement from New Canaan Parent Support Group

Laura, of Johnny’s Ambassadors, is described by New Canaan Parent Support Group as “a courageous and inspiring woman who tells both the story of her son Johnny and the story of today’s marijuana. She is a resident of Colorado. You can register here, online, and get the Zoom link.

Darien Police Department 2022
Darien Police Captain Alison Hudyma

Darien Police Commission Promotes Alison Hudyma, Making Her the Department’s First Woman Captain

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Darien Police Lt. Alison Hudyma, a 21-year veteran of the Darien Police Department has been promoted to the rank of captain, effective March 20, the department announced. Hudyma has been with the department for 21 years. She graduated from the Connecticut POST-C Police Academy in 2000.  After serving for 11 years as a patrol officer, she was promoted to sergeant in 2011 and lieutenant in 2019. “Capt. Hudyma has proven herself to be dedicated and valuable member of the Darien Police Department for over two decades,” Police Chief Don Anderson said. “Her promotion to the rank of Captain is certainly well-deserved,” Anderson said, “and I am highly confident in her ability to continue to provide professional service to all residents and visitors to the town of Darien in her new assignment.”
Hudyma worked in both the Field Services Division and the Training Division, as both an officer and supervisor, and is currently serving as the training lieutenant.

AAA Northeast 2022
Gas Pump Gas Prices Gasoline Gas Station Pump

AAA: Average Gas Price Statewide at $4.28 on Monday, Up 6 Cents From Sunday, 56 Cents Since Last Week

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Global crude oil prices have bubbled over the $119-a-barrel mark, pushing average gas prices in the nation and in Connecticut over $4 a gallon this past weekend, making it the 8th most expensive state in the country. — an announcement from AAA Northeast

Today, Connecticut’s statewide average for a gallon of self-serve regular is $4.28, reflecting a 6-cent jump since yesterday and a 56-cent increase since last week. The state average hasn’t been this high since May 2012

Today’s National average of $4.07 is also 6 cents higher than yesterday and 46 cents higher than last week. The national average hasn’t been this high since July 2008. SEE ALSO Jim Cameron’s column on Monday: “Simple Ways of Saving on Gas”

“As long as crude prices continue to surge, drivers can expect the current trend of higher pump prices to continue” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman.

Fourth District Election 2022
Jayme Stevenson on This Week in CT with

Stevenson Announces Run Against Himes for Fourth Congressional District Seat [UPDATED]

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Former Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson is running for Congress, challenging U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, she announced Sunday on the “This Week in CT” television interview program. “Jim has been in Washington for 14 years, and our lives are getting worse rather than getting better,” Stevenson, a Republican, said, referring to the Democratic incumbent. “He is in lockstep with the Biden administration with every one of their policies, and the lives of families and businesses are worse off than when he went to Congress. That’s why I’m running.” “America is in peril,” Stevenson told Dennis House, host of the WTNH-TV program on Channel 8.

Healthy Living
Women's Self-Defense Class

Stay Safe Out There: Women Are Invited to a Self-Defense Class at Darien Library, March 15

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A women’s self-defense class is being offered at Darien Library on Tuesday evening, March 15,  to teach women on how to protect themselves both with basic striking techniques and escape tactics. — an announcement from Darien Library

The student will learn how to effectively use her hands, elbows, and knees to convince an aggressor that she is not a target. Additionally, the student will learn how to dissolve and escape from various grabs and chokes. The goal is to get you home safe, not fight. About the Instructor
Sifu Elliot Leung’s formal Wing Chun training began in the early 1970s with Sifu Peter Chow on Atlantic Street in Stamford until the instructor’s abrupt disappearance.

Talking Transportation 2022
Refueling gasoline at the gas pump

Simple Ways of Saving on Gas

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The Russian invasion of the Ukraine has thrown the world energy markets into turmoil, raising the price of gasoline in Connecticut to more than $4 per gallon. And given that 26% of all energy in this country is spent on transporting people, sticker shock at the gas pump will affect all of us. I’ve written before about our state’s crazy “Zone Pricing” for gasoline, which is why you’ll pay 42 cents more per gallon for fuel in Greenwich than in Bridgeport. But wherever you drive, there are some simple ways of saving on gas. Less Driving
DRIVE LESS: Duh!

Darien Library
Art museum

Online Lecture: ‘The Femme Fatales of Art History’ About ‘the Most Famous Paintings of Women’

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Visit museums throughout the world to see famous portraits of women in this online lecture presented Tuesday, March 8, by Darien Library. — an announcement from Darien Library

Ronnit Vasserman will discuss the significance of the work at the time it was created and how the artwork continues to inspire and be part of popular culture. Some examples of these museum treasures include Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci at the Louvre in Paris and Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer at Mauritshuis in the Netherlands. A thorough analysis of each work including dimensions, material, year(s) created and an introduction to the artists will be explained. About the Presenter
Ronnit Vasserman is the founder of Art Connect Group, a full service art consulting firm located in New York.

Talks-Panel Discussions-Presentations-Workshops
Carol Meyers

Women in the Bible: Household Roles and Religious Roles, an Online Lecture Tonight by a Bible Expert

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You can attend a free, online lecture tonight about women’s roles in both household economy and household religion, “offering some intriguing conclusions about women’s power,” according to Fairfield University, which is sponsoring the talk. Carol L. Meyers, PhD, a professor of religious studies at Duke University, both a Biblical scholar and field archeologist, will deliver the lecture starting at 7:30 p.m., Monday, March 7. Dr. Meyer’s lecture, “The Ancient ‘Gender Gap’: The Bible, Archeology, and Israelite Women”, will use archeological evidence from her book Discovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context to reconstruct the lives of everyday Israelites who lived over two thousand years ago. “The Ancient ‘Gender Gap’: The Bible, Archeology, and Israelite Women” is the Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Lecture in Judaic Studies at Fairfield University. About the Presenter
Meyers, PhD, is Mary Grace Wilson Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at Duke University.

Business
The Corbin District excavation

Again, Corbin Drive Closed at Post Road, 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday

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The Darien Police Department announced Friday that vehicles won’t be able to access Corbin Drive from the Post Road downtown because of construction from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, March 7. A lot of construction vehicles, especially trucks carrying concrete will be on Corbin that day. Corbin Drive can be accessed via a detour from Center Street to Old Kings Highway South to the other end of Corbin. The Post Office and businesses on Corbin will be open. The closure is due to a large amount of construction activity for The Corbin District redevelopment.

Darien Motor Vehicles Entered 2022
Police

Would-Be Thief Enters Unlocked Vehicle a Little Early, Owner Spots Him, He Runs

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A woman saw a white car back into her driveway on Leroy Avenue at about 6 p.m., while it was still twilight, Friday and thought someone she knew was visiting. Then she saw someone go into her unlocked vehicle. Sunset that day was at 5:41 p.m.

Darien police gave this additional account of the incident, which was reported at 6:07 p.m.

The suspect, a male wearing a baseball hat and “face covering,” as police described it, saw the woman and ran back to his car. The woman didn’t see anything missing from her vehicle, perhaps because she interrupted the would-be thief. The aborted theft happened outside a home on Leroy Avenue between Midbrook Lane and Highfield Lane.

Government & Politics
Wider Rally for Ukraine

Duff, McNally, Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Among Speakers at Rally for Ukraine in Darien, Saturday

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A “Rally for Ukraine,” will be held in front of Darien Town Hall, organized by the Action Network of Darien Democrats. “All are welcome to Darien’s community event to show support for a country in crisis,” the group announced. The event starts at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, March 5. Update: An announcement from the organizers:
The siege on Ukraine may be happening half a world away, but its impact is felt here in Darien. So, a group of local residents has organized the Rally for Ukraine to be held Saturday, March 5 at 4:30 pm outside Darien Town Hall.

Public Safety
Darien Police Car Lights Police Lights

Pair of Thieves Shoplifts at Walgreens, Police Break Off Pursuit on I-95

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A Walgreens employee told police that she saw two males put numerous items in store baskets, then leave the store without paying. They left in an SUV that a police detective saw on the highway, but the vehicle fled when a police stop was attempted. Darien police provided these additional details of the incident:

At 19:48 p.m., police were alerted to the theft. The two males left the store at 76 Heights Road in a white Ford Expedition with New York state license plates. The SUV was traveling in the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 when the Darien police detective tried to stop them.

Public Safety
Mailbox

New Canaan Police: Four From NYC, Ages 18 to 23, Found With Stolen Mail

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New Canaan Police on Saturday arrested four New York City residents in the same minivan where police found 30 pieces of stolen mail, including checks worth $45,000. The four were stopped by police in a minivan on Jelliff Mill Road, close to the Darien border. In the van was mail from homes in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. The police announcement didn’t say whether any Darien mail was found. — an article from NewCanaanite.com

New Canaan police gave this account of what happened, including accusations not proven in court:

At about 10:47 a.m. on Saturday, Feb.