Fall Season
Fall Foliage

Don’t Miss Enjoying This Fall Season: Suggestions from the First Selectman’s Newsletter

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In the First Selectman’s Newsletter on Saturday, Jon Zagrodzky pointed out what makes this time of year uniquely enjoyable, while it lasts, and some things that are worth remembering. Here’s the full text:

As October unfolds and Darien takes on the reds, oranges, and golds of early autumn, I’m reminded of how fortunate we are to live where nature — and community — are so intertwined. Each falling leaf seems to carry not just the sign of seasonal change, but an invitation: to pause, to reflect, and to appreciate the richness of this place we call home. Here in Connecticut the foliage season typically begins in late September and extends through early November. According to the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), peak color in inland areas often occurs in mid-October, with coastal parts coming a little later.

Community Organizations
Jon Zagrodzky 2025 Wave Strong luncheon

First Selectman’s Newsletter: 1. The Wave Strong Mental Health Organization, 2. Spending on Three Town Properties

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In his latest First Selectman’s edition of the Town of Darien Newsletter on Friday, Sept. 19, Jon Zagrodzky discusses what he heard and saw about a tragic suicide case described at the annual Wave Strong luncheon; he also discusses proposals to spend millions on three town recreational properties:
Suicide Prevention Described at Wave Strong Lunch
Yesterday, I attended, along with State Rep. Tracy Marra and Superintendent Dr. Eric Byrne, the second annual Wave Strong luncheon at Country Club of Darien. Founded in 2022 following tragic deaths by suicide of several people, including students, this organization is focused on “breaking down the stigmas of mental health for the betterment of Darien.” A worthy mission we should all support. You can learn more about Wave Strong here. The lunch speakers included Steve and Gina Meyer, a California couple who lost their daughter, a Stanford University senior, to suicide.

Darienites
Zagrodzky with Frank Kemp

First Selectman’s Newsletter: An Appreciation of Frank Kemp for His Spirit and Many Volunteer Contributions to the Community

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First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky devoted Saturday’s entire town government newsletter to discussing the late Frank Kemp, a town official and active member of the community who passed away on Aug. 30 at the age of 81. Here’s the full text:

Be like Frank. You may have heard that RTM member Frank Kemp passed away on August 30. He had not been well recently, even announcing earlier in the month that he’d be stepping down from the RTM in November due to heart trouble.

Business

First Selectman: Traditional Buildings, Not Concrete Monoliths, When Corbin District Is Completed

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The massive concrete blocks constructed just off the Post Road near Exit 11 are only the cores of future buildings and not what people will see when the project is done, First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky said Friday in his fortnightly column. Zagrodzky said he’d been called by people concerned about whether the new buildings will look like the concrete monoliths. In the Town of Darien Newsletter, emailed on Friday, March 23, Zagrodzky passed on some of the information he recently received from the site’s developer, David Genovese, principal of Baywater Properties. (Darienite.com also has an article on the other part of the column, about the recent Superintendent’s Conversation meeting on the topic of bigotry and how to counter it.)

Here’s the full (brief) text of the part of Zagrodzky’s column on the construction site, along with all the pictures accompanying it:

I have received a number of calls about the concrete monoliths going up at the Corbin II project downtown. Rest assured, what you’re seeing is not the final form of this transformative development!

Education
2 of 3 pictures in the article, Rising reports of antisemitic acts

First Selectman: Increasing Hate Incidents Reported in Connecticut

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A “Superintendent’s Conversation” for school parents last Tuesday on the topic of acts of bigotry and the response to it was the focus of most of First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky’s fortnightly column in the latest town government newsletter. The meeting was held after graffiti with a racial slur (the “N” word) was found twice in a girls’ bathroom at Middlesex Middle School, once in January and again in February. In the Town of Darien Newsletter emailed on Friday, March 23, Zagrodzky passed on some of the information from the meeting and added some of his own comments. (Darienite.com has another article on the other part of the column, about the massive construction site downtown.)

Here’s the full text of the major part of Zagrodzky’s column and the pictures accompanying it:

At the invitation of Dr. Alan Addley, Darien schools superintendent, I had a chance to participate in his Superintendent’s Conversation for parents, which took place in the Middlesex Middle School auditorium this past Tuesday. The reason for the event was the discovery, again, of another racial slur written in one of the school bathrooms. As Dr. Addley said in his invitation to parents, “We must collectively and firmly stand against these actions, and I ask for your continued support in making this clear to our students.” The conversation was led by representatives from the area chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Beyond Darien

First Selectman Zagrodzky on a Scam That Has Many Elderly Victims and a Problem Affecting Many Young People

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Editor’s note: While First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky’s biweekly column in Friday’s the Town of Darien Newsetter (you can subscribe here) isn’t specifically about Darien, Darienites can experience these problems — and it’s interesting enough to republish. Here it is:
Two stories for you this week. […]
First story. I got a call Wednesday from an old friend. He reported that his mother-in-law received an email notification that her LifeLock subscription was up for renewal.

Beyond Darien

The Los Angeles Fires: What We Can Learn, What We Can Do, How We Can Help

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First Selectman John Zagrodzky on Friday published an article about the Los Angeles fires with information about key, useful things for people here to know and do. Here’s his article, which appeared Friday in the Town of Darien Newsletter:

FROM THE FIRST SELECTMAN

I participated this week in a very informative call about the recent (and unfortunately ongoing) fires in Los Angeles. Some key learnings:

While there were political failures for sure (preparation, hazard mitigation and water availability), the city faced a “perfect storm” of conditions, including strong Santa Ana winds, extremely dry conditions, a microburst of dry, cold air over the area, and plenty of undergrowth for fuel. And they knew this was coming: over 170 fire alerts, which use satellite data to detect fires based on the heat they generate, had been detected in the area as of Jan. 13 – more than 100 times the average for the first three weeks of the year from 2012-2024.

News
Jan 3 2025 Town of Darien Newsletter image

Christmas Tree Pickup Schedule, Daddy Daughter Dance, Mental Health First Aid Training, Free Radon Test Kits

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The latest town government newsletter features Darien news you may want to use. Here’s a selection of what the Town of Darien Newsletter posted:
DPW’s Christmas Tree Pickups Have Started

Happy Daughter, Happy Daddy:
Tickets go on sale on the Parks and Recreation webpage on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m.

2024 Parking Permits Expired: Display 2025 Ones
“It is time to replace 2024 parking permits with 2025 permits. 2025 parking permits need to be displayed in cars effective Thursday, Jan. 2.