Darienite (https://darienite.com/category/uncategorized/letters-to-the-editor-uncategorized)
To the editor,
Darien’s Representative Town Meeting ( RTM) has announced a vacancy in District II. The RTM is the Town’s non partisan legislative body and is comprised of one hundred members representing six districts. Any registered voter is eligible for election to the RTM in the district where they reside. Interim vacancies that occur between November elections are filled by a caucus of district members. Members elected through a caucus must run in the next regular Town election.
To The editor,
Did you know that one of the greatest predictors of binge drinking in college is participation in team sports in high school? This fact is shocking to many parents in Darien when I have spoken this last year at the Darien schools. But let’s think this through, unless your child is planning to continue pursuing their sport in college, your child will have more unstructured time than they have ever had in their life. Perhaps they will experience a loss of identity and affiliation, and perhaps a loss of social competence as a result. This creates a perfect storm for a yearning for new connections and affiliation which can easily be satisfied through binge drinking. The loss of competitiveness on the sports field will now be replaced by a new level of competitiveness in drinking games.
To the editor:
This Halloween season, Hartford is ringing the doorbell and demanding all types of goodies: school regionalization (virtually certain to rise again from the dead), a confiscatory tolling scheme (trick or treat!), mandatory increases to the minimum wage (a horror show for small businesses), and state-wide vehicle and real estate taxes (truly wicked). These policies are being touted by a political elite so dysfunctional that they have resorted to including mileage reimbursements as earnings for pension purposes. If you want a good scare, forget Stephen King this year, just pick up a report from Hartford. Resisting these disastrous policies and building a secure future for Darien requires strong local leadership. The Darien Republicans have put forth an excellent slate of candidates, led by Board of Selectmen candidates Jayme Stevenson, Kip Koons, and Christa McNamara.
To the editor:
As a new member of the Darien community following a 30-year Navy career, I wanted to get involved in something that brought meaning to the community and gave back to veterans. The gathering of the community at the beginning of the holiday season to place wreaths on the graves of our veterans is a tremendously moving event, and it reminds us through-out the season to remember our veterans. This amazing event is only possible due to the generosity of the great Darien community. The wreath laying ceremony this year will be held at noon on 14 Dec. 14 at Spring Grove Veterans’ Cemetery.
To the editor:
This letter for all the townspeople of Darien. For those of you who do not know me, I am a local naturopathic physician and attorney and have lived in Darien for 32 years. The letter I am writing you today is of urgent importance. It has come to my attention that there are up to 120,000 men, women and children being held prisoners in concentration camps in North Korea. Since 1986, I have been an active member of Amnesty International, the organization that won the Nobel Peace Prize for its human rights work.
To the editor:
In April of 2018, my 62-year-old sister was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly, my family is very familiar with Alzheimer’s. Between 2000, when my father was diagnosed with the disease, and 2017, when my mother passed with the disease, my family was deeply involved with their care, with learning about the disease, with learning how best to take care of our parents and how to take care of ourselves as their family and caregivers. We know too well that Alzheimer’s is not just an “old people’s” disease. An estimated 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 are currently living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. People living with younger-onset face unique challenges when it comes to family, work, and finances.
This letter was provided to Darienite.com for publication:
Jim Jespersen, treasurer
Darien Old Timers Athletic Association
Dear Mr. Jespersen,
I wanted to thank you and the Darien Old Timers Athletic Association for your very generous donation of $1,500 to Darien Human Services. Our entire department is extremely grateful to the Old Timers for their ongoing support. With your help, we have been able to provide important social services to meet the needs of Darien residents over the years. I look forward to working with the Darien Old timers Athletic Association for years to come and hope our relationship will continue to be a strong one. Thanks, again.
A thank-you letter from Darien Human Services Director Ali Ramsteck to Millie Miceli, president of the Kiwanis Club of Darien, provided to Darienite.com for publication:
Dear Millie,
I wanted to thank you, the Kiwanis Club of Darien, and your members for the generous donation of $200 to Darien Human Services. Your thoughtfulness and generosity is much appreciated by both our office and the clients we serve. We are grateful to the Kiwanis for your ongoing support over the years. We are very lucky to have you stand with us as we reach out to those in our community who need a helping hand. We cannot do what we do without you!
To the editor,
The Town of Darien is at a turning point. On Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, Darien residents will have the chance to be heard and elect the leaders who will make the decisions that will define our town for decades. This is why it is vital to elect leaders who will be deliberative and collaborative in their decision making, transparent in their process and include valuable public input as they guide our town. That’s why we are running to serve Darien.
To the editor:
On Saturday, June 8, 15 friends of Michael Taylor staged the third annual Showdown on the Sound, a fundraising event at Weed Beach in Darien to benefit Shatterproof. Shatterproof is the national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of, treatment for and recovery from addiction and is currently focused on the opioid epidemic. This group conceived the idea of having a fundraiser built around a fun day at the beach to welcome the beginning of summer. They spent the past 12 months planning the event and it exceeded all expectations. And we finally had wonderful weather this year!
To the editor:
The Darien Monuments and Ceremonies Commission would like to thank all who participated in the Memorial Day Ceremony at Spring Grove Veteran’s Cemetery. These include the Rev. Monsignor Edward R Surwilo for his always inspiring Invocation and Benediction, and our Grand Marshal Patricia Parlette for her shining example of positive thinking and good cheer. Bruce Sargent for the loan of his pristine 1953 Packard Caribbean convertible to drive Ms. Parlette down the Post Road. Our speaker, Matt Pavia, delivered a wonderful speech which served to make relevant the sacrifices made by those who died for our country. Rhea Bhat, senior girl scout and Tate Hanson, senior patrol leader of the Boy Scouts presented the Gettysburg Address and General Logan’s Order No.
To the Editor:
On behalf of all the young adults and adult advisors of Darien EMS–Post 53, we would like to thank everyone who attended our 31st Memorial Day Food Fair at Tilley Pond Park, supporting the work we do in the community. We send a special thank you to the Town of Darien for the use of Tilley Pond Park, and to the Darien Police Department and Darien Parks and Recreation for their help. Thank you to the parents of Post 53 members who are a huge help before and during the Fair. We also thank Darien businesses that donated food and other services, most especially Palmer’s Market, Fisherman’s Net, The Goose, Michael Joseph’s, The Boatyard at Smokey Joe’s BBQ, Espresso NEAT, Finocchio Bros. Inc., and Ring’s End.
Editor’s note: This letter to Justine Mullin and Kate Mastellone of the Hindley Parents Association at Hindley School, was provided to Darienite.com for publication:
Dear Justine and Kate,
On behalf of Darien Human Services, I wanted to thank you and the Hindley Happening chairpersons and committee for your generous support. The Hindley Happening Committee provided gift packages to 13 families in town with admission to the fair, punch cards for rides, and food vouchers. These packages gave local children the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather, rides, carnival games and pizza at the Hindley Happening. The joy you brought to these children (and their parents) was priceless! Thanks, again, for helping us help others.
Dear Chief Osborne,
I, Rhea Bhat, am part of the Darien chapter of (SADD) Student Against Destructive Decisions, with a focus on distracted driving. I took up this initiative after becoming a victim of distracted driving. My goal is to continuously strive to raise awareness about distracted driving within our community. I am currently running a campaign against distracted driving with a focus on my peer group who are the most vulnerable as they come from the technology age where cell phones are an extension of the person. They are newly entering the world of driving.
To the editor:
On behalf of the Darien Human Services Department, I would like to thank everyone who donated items to our Household Goods Drive last month. In particular, I want to thank Jack Holly and Boy Scout Troop 35 for their overwhelming support. The boys of Troop 35 spent two weekends collecting household goods donations and delivered numerous bags of items to our closet last month. Many Darien residents are unaware that up to 5% of their neighbors live at or below the poverty level. Services are available in town to provide these families and individuals with food and clothing, but not everyday essentials such as toilet paper, paper towels, personal grooming and hygiene products, and cleaning supplies.
To the editor:
Apple. Tree. Children by nature watch and mimic their parents’ behaviors, beliefs and attitudes. Health conscious parents take pride in modeling good nutrition and exercise for their kids. In doing so, their kids are more likely to adopt similar beliefs about eating well and being active.