What’s up from all around town and a bit beyond — notable news notes:
An announcement from the Darien YMCA. Some changes starting Monday, June 19:
From an email sent Sunday, June 18.
***
Chef and author Pam Anderson of Darien recently was named by Epicurious magazine as one of the “100 Greatest Cooks of All Time“:
Image from the Epicurious website
Pam Anderson on Epicurious’ list of the “100 Greatest Chefs of All Time”
The Epicurious “listicle” article said:
“In How to Cook Without a Book, Anderson reminded us that we don’t need a recipe once we understand the fundamentals behind a dish, an approach that many food writers, including Epicurious food editor Anna Stockwell find particularly inspiring. […]”
***
Know a college student coming home for the summer?
From the Darien Y newsletter:
Summer Break College Memberships are now available. Students can stop by our Front Desk to enroll or parents can pick up a membership form.
Students must present a valid photo college ID. The Y will waive the joiner’s fee if they are returning members, or if a parent is an active member.
Monthly memberships are offered for up to 3 months. 1 and 2-week memberships are also offered for students who will only be home for a few weeks.
|
1 Week: $50
|
1 Month: $80
|
|
2 Weeks: $65
|
2 Months: $150
3 Months: $180
|
Click here for more information.
***
Locally owned Maplewood Senior Living will begin construction of a 34-unit expansion for Maplewood at Darien in late summer 2017.
Photo from the Maplewood Senior Living website
Maplewood at Darien’s building at the corner of the Post Road and Brookside Road. The building on the right is being torn down for the expansion.
The building next-door on the Post Road, already bought by Maplewood, will be torn down. The addition will expand Maplewood from its current 66 units to 97. Maplewood provides housing and services for seniors who need either traditional assisted living or memory care.
The company has also bought a 27-acre parcel in the Southport section of Fairfield where it will build Maplewood at Southport, a similar facility with three stories and 98-units.
***
These Middlesex Middle School students recently participated in Johns Hopkins University’s CTY Talent Search, taking the SCAT, ACT or SAT.
Contributed photo
Top Row: Dominic Seibold, Frank Drugge, Matthew Spenner, Cole Murphy, Nolan Bannerton 2nd from Top: Reed Levinson, Kiran Ebrahimi, Rhea Bhat, Andrew Qin 3rd from Top: Olivia Stemp, Maggie Russell, Tammy Nguyen, Jacqueline Jaskiewicz Bottom Row: Brianna Zhang, Charlotte Zaino, Alison Enters, Lilly Wurm Missing from picture: Veda Malhotra, Ben Bryan
They scored high enough to qualify for CTY’s Intensive Studies Programs and also scored higher than 70% of college-bound seniors who took the same test.
***
Just-graduated Darien High School seniors Alex Preston, Brooke Dirvin, Raisa Gongora and Stefan Schneider spent their spring internships working for several weeks at SoundWaters’ Coastal Education Center at Cove Island Park in Stamford.
They were part of a larger group of interns helping professional educators teach the science of Long Island Sound to elementary and middle school students from 13 elementary schools across the region.
Photo by Mike Bagley of SoundWaters
Darien High School senior interns at SoundWaters at Cove Island Park in Stamford. From left, Alex Preston, Brooke Dirvin, Raisa Gongora and Stefan Schneider
“I enjoy helping the students, but I’m also learning a lot about Long Island Sound myself and how a nonprofit works,” said Brooke Dirvin, who will be attending the University of Richmond in the fall.
The interns helped students in classrooms, labs, on the beach and with field work in boats on Holly Pond.
“Our interns develop their job and leadership skills on a daily basis as they perform scientific experiments, aquarium maintenance and assist with our STEM programs, reaching over 100 students each day,” said Alisha Milardo, SoundWaters vice president of education.
***
Person-to-Person recently received $1,500 from the Westport Woman’s Club, which has supported the Darien-based charity for the past several years.
The grant will be used for the Emergency Assistance Program, which provides a supplemental safety net to clients who come to P2P with an immediate need plus casework services to help clients work toward stability.
***
Summer is when food donations for Person-to-Person‘s food bank are at their lowest, and the rain that fell during the annual letter carriers’ food drive this year meant lower donations than normal.
A Person-to-Person donation box. There’s a list of items frequently needed right at the front (don’t strain your eyes, we did that for you and have the list below). You can find these boxes near the exits at Palmer’s Market and both Darien Stop & Shop supermarkets.
You can help by putting some extra cans or other non-perishable food in your cart at the supermarket and remembering to drop them off at the P2P box near the exit. Both Stop & Shop supermarkets in town, along with Palmer’s Market have the boxes near the door.
Items generally needed: Coffee, tea, Parmalat milk, peanut butter, jelly, rice, jello, oatmeal, canned meat, dry cereal, spaghetti sauce and dry beans.
P2P recently encouraged people to donate “products that are low in sodium, saturated fats and other additives.”
You can also drop off donations at the P2P headquarters on the grounds of St. Luke’s Church, 1864 Post Road.
***
Peter McDonough
Peter McDonough of Darien is joining the board of directors of The Pi Group, an executive search and consulting firm for consumer goods companies. The company has offices in Darien and New York City.
McDonough most recently was president, chief marketing and innovation officer for Diageo, where he was tasked with overseeing the North America spirits industry’s largest portfolio of brands. Previously, he led marketing organizations at Procter & Gamble, Gillette, and Black & Decker.
In his spare time, he climbs mountains:
- In the Fall of 2015, he spent a month climbing in Nepal in the Himalayan Mountains, spending time with renowned explorers Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters.
- In the Summer of 2016, Peter spent two weeks in Tanzania climbing on an expedition led by Waters to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and one of the famed “Seven Peaks of the World.”
- This past Spring, he spent three weeks in Argentina climbing on an expedition led by Waters to the top of Aconcagua, the world’s highest peak outside the Himalayas and second only to Mt. Everest among the Seven Peaks.
We can’t help saying it: The Pi Group no doubt hopes he’ll help them reach new heights in their industry.
***
Photo from Family Centers
From left: Marianne and Will Barnum with Greg Willis at the benefit.
On June 2, Family Centers took more than 450 guests back to the Disco Era for its “Friday Night Fever” benefit at a Greenwich home. Inside the tent, a massive dance floor, black and silver decorations, lounge-style seating and a ceiling full of mirror balls set the nightclub vibe.
“Hippies and Harleys,” Family Centers’ largest fundraiser of the year, raised more than $815,000 for the agency’s human service, health and education programs that serve more than 23,000 Fairfield County residents each year.