Music

‘Porgy and Bess’ and Opera Highlights Performed by Stamford Symphony This Weekend

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Stamford Symphony will be performing Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess program which also includes selections of beloved Italian operas.  

— an announcement from the Stamford Symphony

Two performances take place this weekend; On Saturday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. at Stamford’s Palace Theatre. In recognition of Black History Month in February, Stamford Symphony is proud to present the Concert Version of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which depicts African American culture of the early 1900s. Featuring vocal soloists, Donita Volkwijn and John Fulton and the Greenwich Choral Society, the program will allow you to hear, live, the sounds of the blues and spirituals that became the standards of the Great American Songbook, including  “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’Nuttin,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”This concert opens with popular selections of choruses and duets from beloved Italian operas including Rossini’s Barber of Seville Overture, Puccini’s Humming Chorus from Madame Butterfly and Verdi’s Triumphal March from Aida to name a few.

Education
Cyrus Brown Fairfield County's Community Foundation scholarships

To Get Some of the Many FCCF College Scholarships, Students and Parents Need to Apply

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Fairfield County’s Community Foundation encourages students and parents to visit their high school’s websites or contact their guidance department for  information about the foundation’s many scholarships and instructions on how to apply. The foundation needs qualified applicants to apply so that the scholarships can be awarded. — an announcement from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation

There also is an online application at FCCFoundation.org. In addition to the numerous scholarships listed at FCCFoundation.org, FCCF offers a wide selection of scholarships directly through most high schools in Fairfield County. Darien High School students can find out more at the school’s Guidance Department.

Public Safety
Police Darien Police Lock Your Car Every Time

Unlocked Vehicles Outside Five Darien Homes Entered Overnight Wednesday to Thursday Jan 30 to 31

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Unlocked motor vehicles were entered outside five Darien homes on Richmond Drive, Mansfield Place and Woods End Road (all within a mile of each other on the west side of town) overnight Wednesday to Thursday, Jan. 30 to 31. It seems not much loot resulted from the effort: Apparently only the keys to one of the vehicles was taken, but not the vehicle itself. Police described these incidents:
Richmond Drive
A 33 Richmond Dr. resident was woken just before 3:08 a.m. (when police were called) by the sound of his car alarm. The resident looked outside to see two males near one of the vehicles in the driveway.

Public Safety
Robert Koproski mug shot

Police: Man, 58, a Gun Owner, Threatened Darien Resident on Facebook, Said He’d ‘Need a Lot of Body Bags’

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Richard Koproski, a 58-year-0ld Woodford, Vermont resident, told a family member on Facebook that he would shoot him in the head, and that he has plenty of guns to do it with, among other, similar threats, police said. A Darien resident came to Police Headquarters and provided officers with printouts of threats Koproski allegedly made against him. The man said Koproski, who lives near the Darien man’s Vermont home, “had been becoming more unpredictable over the years,” and he knew Koproski had a collection of firearms, police said. Those threats led Darien police to get an arrest warrant and notify Vermont state police about it, police said. Vermont state police said they received word on Jan.

Maritime Aquarium
Plastic Water

Maritime Aquarium Supports Ban on Plastic Carry Out Bags in Darien; Public Hearing on Wednesday

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In light of the Town of Darien considering a ban on plastic carry out bags, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk celebrates such municipal efforts and encourages other communities to take up the cause. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

A public hearing is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 6 to gain Darien residents’ input on a proposal to ban plastic bags. If such an ordinance is drafted and eventually approved, Darien would join Westport, Greenwich and Norwalk in Connecticut, and Larchmont and Rye Brook in Westchester County, New York, in prohibiting retail stores from offering plastic bags for purchases. Many other municipalities in Connecticut and New York are considering similar legislations.

Education
Darien High School entrance

Darien High School National Honor Society Inducts 85 Students

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Eighty five students from Darien High School were inducted as new members of the National Honor Society in a ceremony held Tuesday Jan. 29 in the DHS Auditorium. Members were selected by the chapter’s Faculty Council for meeting high standards of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. — an announcement from Darien High School
The newest members are:
Jack Armstrong, Alexa Barrett, Jackson Bell, Skyler Bennett, Emma Blenke, Nicholas Branca, Margaret Brooks, Thomas Brown, Charles Callery, Charlotte Campbell, Caitlin Chan, Emma Chase, Christopher Conte, Samuel Cragin, Eva Criscuolo,

Matthew Daileader, Kieran Daly, Austin Dehmel,  Shriya Desai, Eilanna Dolan, Erin Edgar, Kimberley Ekern, Shannon Flaherty, Skylar Ford, Jacob Grimm, Alexander Gu,
Ethan Haas, Katherine Hackett, Grace Hand, Will Harmon, Cailin Henry, Jack Holly, Sean Huffert, Benjamin Huffman, Sarah Jaques, Lila Karl, Juliette Kiernan, Riya Krishnan,
Katherine Lane, Peter Lattimer, Hudson Lazzara, Jackson Leone, Amanda Loura, Thomas MacLehose, Kerry McDermott, Payton Miller, Maggie Moffatt, Ryan Mulliken,
Maya Nalawade, Nisha Nalawade, Caeleigh O’Connor, Catherine O’Connor, Taryn Pardo, Ashwini Patel, Samantha Pensiero, Julia Pfrommer, Kaitlyn Popson,
Nadejda Radoulov, Aleevelu Raparti, Jackson Roberson, Tyler Roland, Arushi Samal, Anika Satish,  Isabelle Seeman, Maxwell Sharp, Meghan Shaughnessy, John Slonieski, Calvin Smith, Isabelle Smith, Halle Spataro, Lillian Spengler, Henry Steinthal, Katherine Stevens, Megan Streeter, Lauren Sulger,
Sophia Talwalkar, Evan Tong, Perrin Trask, Emma Williams, Samuel Wilson, Cecilia Winegar, Nicholas Witkowski, Meghan Wood, Kai Zhou and Alexis Zitzmann. Each year, the Darien High School chapter sponsors several service projects for the school and community, which in the last few years have included tutoring students, assisting during Open House and volunteering in the community.

Public Safety
Robert Dockham DUI

Police: DUI for Man, 33, Driving 55 MPH on Hoyt Street at 9 PM in Car with Fresh Damage

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An impaired man was behind the wheel of an impaired BMW speeding south on Hoyt Street just after 9 p.m. last Friday when, as it passed a patrol car, one of its headlights fell off, Darien police said. Police described what happened with this account, including accusations not proven in court:

The dark-colored BMW was being driven by Robert Dockham, 33, of Woodway Road in Stamford when the police officer saw the headlight fall off the car onto the roadway. (Police didn’t say where on Hoyt Street the officer first found the vehicle or stopped it; Woodway Road intersects with Hoyt Street in Darien, just south of Woodway Country Club). As the officer followed the car, it reached speeds of 55 mph in a 30 mph zone. An officer on patrol observed a dark BMW traveling South on Hoyt St.

Obituaries
Conway Day obit

Conway Day, 85, Former Darien Resident, Active Volunteer, Loved Art and Travel

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Conway MacLean Day (Connie), a lover of the arts and travel, passed away Dec 20, 2018 in Santa Barbara, California. A long-time resident of Montecito, her style, whit and humor will be deeply missed by all. She was 85. Connie was born Feb. 1, 1933 in Baltimore, the daughter of Dr. Angus Lloyd MacLean and Eleanore Ihmson Hodges.

Public Safety
Carlos Artiles mug shot 8-21-91

Police: Three Men Arrested With 61 Items of Stolen Mail at 3 AM Near Post Office

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A total of 61 items of stolen mail were found on three men stopped in a car at about 3 a.m., Thursday by a police officer near the Darien Post Office, police said. All three were arrested. Police also found that the mailbox outside the Post Office had been forcibly opened and entered. Darien police described what happened with this account, including accusations not proven in court:

The officer was patrolling the area around Corbin Drive and was on “heightened alert” because of recent thefts of mail from the box outside the Post Office. So when a black Toyota Corolla with New Jersey license plates drove extremely slowly on Corbin Drive, then stop suddenly near the marked police car and put its blinker on the officer viewed that behavior as especially suspicious and conducted a motor vehicle stop.

Books & Authors
T. Courtney Sullivan

J. Courtney Sullivan Featured at Darien Library’s Novel Tea Fundraising Lunch on March 27

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J. Courtney Sullivan, bestselling author of Saints for All Occasions. will be the featured speaker at Darien Library’s “Novel Tea” lunch fundraiser on March 27, and tickets are now on sale. — an announcement from Darien Library

“We are thrilled to welcome J. Courtney Sullivan,” said Alex Eising, development chair for the Board of Trustees. “She has written one bestseller after another, and we can’t wait to hear about her latest and greatest!”

Saints for All Occasions was a national bestseller, a New York Times Critics’ Top Book, Washington Post 10 Best Books, and a Harper’s Bazaar Best Book.

Animals
Volunteer Maritime Aquarium

Expand Your Horizons While Giving Back: Volunteer at the Maritime Aquarium

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Pursue your interest in marine animals and share your knowledge and enthusiasm with others by becoming a member of the volunteer staff at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. Everyone from 15-year-olds to seniors is invited. — an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium

Interviews for potential volunteers — with details provided about a training course in March — will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13 and Thursday, Feb. 21, on both days at 5 p.m. You need attend only one.

Business
Winter Train Railroad Metro-North Snow Tracks

Metro-North’s Tips for Safer Train Commuting During Rough Winter Weather

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Metro-North has published these suggestions and safety tips to make your commute easier and keep it safer during the slipperier, colder, snowier, wetter train trips in winter:

Be Prepared – Know Before You Go:

We strongly encourage you to:

Check www.mta.info for updates, including modified emergency schedules. Sign up for email and text message alerts. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Use Metro-North Train Time or the Metro-North Train Time App for real-time train information on your computer or smartphone. Listen to television and radio news.

Transportation
DOT

Several Lane Closures on I-95 Near Darien This Week

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Several stretches of Interstate 95 near Darien will have lane closures this week for bridge maintenance and inspections, as well as tree cutting, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced. The tree cutting will continue through Feb. 13 on Interstate 95 in Stamford and Greenwich, according to a separate announcement from the department. See also: “DOT Tree Removals Along I95 Northbound Draw Ire from Greenwich Residents” (GreenwichFreePress.com, Feb. 3)

(This weekend, Feb.

Art Exhibits
Caravan Camel Tang Dynasty Chinese Glazed Pottery

‘Buried Treasures of the Silk Road’ — Ancient Chinese Ceramics at the Bruce Museum

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“Buried Treasures of the Silk Road,” an exhibition of ancient Chinese tomb sculpture opens this Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Bruce Museum. Featuring dozens of rare and delicate terra cotta figurines, painted and glazed ceramics, and other antiquities, the exhibit will be on view in the Greenwich museum’s Arcade Gallery through June 2, 2019. — an announcement from the Bruce Museum

Buried Treasures celebrates the artistic achievements of anonymous Chinese artists supported by the riches earned on the Silk Road. The exhibition will also feature art objects from the museum’s permanent collection exchanged on the Silk Road.