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Thursday, June 25, at 8:36 a.m. at Darien Metro-North Station or 8:39 a.m. at Noroton Heights Metro-North Station
On Thursday, June 25, the Wanderers will travel to the northern end of Central Park in Manhattan. We will take the Metro North train to Grand Central that leaves the Darien train station at 8:36 a.m. and the Noroton Heights station at 8:39 a.m. As usual, we will gather at the Information Booth on the main floor of Grand Central and proceed together by subway to the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
We will wander into the northern end of Central Park and enjoy the beauty of the Conservatory Garden, Central Park’s formal garden and one of the most significant public gardens in New York City. Our Wandering will take us past the scenic Harlem Meer; the scenic overlook and canons at Fort Clinton; the acclaimed Davis Center, which opened last year; and through the North Woods, the largest woodland in Central Park, which contains unusual physical features, including the Ravine, the Loch and the Pool.
The Wanderers plan to have lunch at Sylvia’s Restaurant, 328 Malcolm X Blvd (between 126th Street and Lenox Avenue). After lunch, we will complete our Wandering by strolling to the Metro-North Railroad Station at 125th Street and returning home via Metro-North.
Contact: Chet Cobb or Harry Bergen
DMA Directors and Officers 2026 – 2027
- President – Doug Bora
- First Vice President – Rick Agresta
- Second Vice President – Ted Helms
- Secretary – Doug Traver
- Asst Secretary – Greg Glashan
- Treasurer – Dan Lew
- Asst Treasurer – Ian WQebb
Directors-at-large:
- Ken Hamilton (1st term)
- Jay Bennett (2nd term)
Committee Chairmen Directors:
- Community Service – John Craft
- Membership and Hospitality – Wim Jessup
- Newsletter and Communications – Chris Conley
- Social Events – Bob Dawe
Past President Directors:
- Ric Grefe (2025-2026)
- Frank DeLeo (2024-2025)
Date: July 13, 2026
Location: Oak Hills Golf Course
Time: 1 pm shotgun start, staging at 12:30 pm
Format: Scramble
Cost: $130 per golfer, includes green’s fee, cart, tips, prizes and $30+ donation to At Home in Darien
Greens/Tee Signs: $150 per sign, net proceeds (estimated to be $135 per sign) to go to At Home in Darien
Mulligans: $20 per mulligan, max 4 per foursome, sold during staging, cash only
Food: Odeen’s Restaurant and Bar will be open prior to the event for lunch
Beverage and snacks available at the halfway house and roving refreshment carts – cash only
After Golf: Awards, brief remarks and cash bar on the patio — nibbles and snacks to be provided
To the Members of the DMA,
Please join us for an afternoon of golf at Oak Hills Golf Course on Monday, July 13, 2026. We’ll have a 1 pm shotgun start, with 12:30 pm staging in carts in the parking area. It will be a scramble format, with prizes for the winning foursome and runners up.
The fee for participating as a golfer is $130 per person, which includes golf green’s fee, cart rental, tips, prizes and a $30+ donation to At Home in Darien. Greens/Tee signs are being sold for $150 per sign, with net proceeds to go to At Home in Darien. Mulligans ($20 each, max 4 per foursome) will be sold for cash during the staging, with proceeds going to At Home in Darien. After, there will be a brief awards ceremony and reception with cash bar at Odeen’s Restaurant (nibbles and snacks to be provided). For those wishing to have lunch at the course prior to the event, you can buy lunch from Odeen’s full menu. There is also a halfway house after the 9th hole offering beverages and snacks, as well as roving refreshment carts on the course — both are cash only.
If you would like to play or bring a foursome or purchase a green/tee sign, please email Frank Gallagher. Last year we had 80 golfers and this year we are shooting for 100. The event is open to men and women, DMA members and their significant others and friends, and friends of At Home in Darien. Checks for golf ($130 per person) and tee/green signs ($150 per sign) are to be made out to “Darien Men’s Association” and mailed to the Darien Men’s Association, 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820, Attention: Dan Lew. All net proceeds from the event will be passed through to At Home in Darien.
At Home in Darien is a non-profit organization based at Town Hall in Darien whose mission is empower seniors in Darien to stay in their homes and be safe, healthy and socially connected. At Home provides services to seniors including transportation, shopping, light household chores that enable seniors to stay in their homes. For more information on At Home in Darien, please visit its website, www.athomeindarien.org.
Darien Men’s Association
And when beauty speaks, the voice of all the gods
makes heaven drowsy with the harmony – (Shakespeare, sort of).
On Thursday, June 11, the Hale and Hearty Hikers will traverse an enchanting path in Westport that snakes beside Pine Creek. We will congregate at the end of Salt Meadow Road, where there is limited parking. Our trek takes us across two bridges and gently meanders to the end of a peninsula that separates the nature preserve from Long Island Sound. While your calorie burn on this one might be sub-optimal, your aesthetic appreciation will soar to great heights.
Per usual, carpoolers should meet at the DCA parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Please remember to park your vehicle in the back of the lot. For navigation purposes, use Salt Meadow Road as your destination. I have seen leashed dogs here frequently, so my assumption is that they are permitted.
Since you will not be huffing and puffing during this excursion, it is also an excellent opportunity to bring along a friend or relative with whom you have been meaning to talk. Post hike we will enjoy a repast at nearby Blackstones Grille, 2600 Post Road, Southport.
Alec Wiggin
All golden ages are marked by periods of spectacular cultural flourishing, scientific exploration, technological achievement and economic growth; yet no two are the same. Their beliefs, societies and place in the wider world all vary. Despite this, all previous golden ages have ended, whether it be because of external pressures or internal fracturing; too much hubris or too little wariness. Looking at seven of humanity’s greatest civilizations – ancient Athens, the Roman Republic, Abbasid Baghdad, Song China, Renaissance Italy, the Dutch Republic and the Anglosphere – historian and commentator Johan Norberg seeks to distil their strengths and shortcomings in answering the question: how do we ensure that our current golden age doesn’t end? As insightful as it is riveting, Peak Human is at once a paean to our incredible progress and a warning that we cannot afford to be complacent.
Attention DMA Golfers: The last meeting to sign up for the Oak Hills Golf Outing is this week, May 13. Steve True will be manning the signup sheet as you come into the meeting room. Tee offs start at 11am Thursday, May 21 and limited to 24 golfers. The fee is $66 payable at Oak Hills. Foursomes will be assigned before the 21st. It is a fun day with no formal competition. Using the forward tees is recommended. Since we are playing through lunchtime, we will have boxed lunches available. Steve has the choices at signup. The lunches@ $18.25 will be available in Odeen’s Restaurant after you sign up in the Golf Shop. Please arrive 20 minutes before your tee time.
Jerry Crowley, Steve True
All Hail the Hale and Hearty!
On Thursday, May 18, we will be traversing a path in the Naugatuck State Forest. The trail starts out running north, directly alongside the railroad tracks and then turns 90 degrees to the west. The first part is level and the second portion mildly uphill, with one abrupt declivity on the way. (During this short dip you may choose, like me, to turn around and use your arms for additional balance.) The goats among us (and there are many!) will scamper right through. Our efforts will be well-rewarded, as a rushing torrent is close at hand, with a gorgeous, cascading waterfall as the ultimate payoff.
Carpoolers should meet at the DCA parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Please remember to park your vehicle in the back. For navigation purposes, or those choosing not to carpool, proceed up Rte. 8, use exit 21 and cross over the Naugatuck River in Beacon Falls on Depot Street. Take your next two rights and park facing the tracks just outside the cyclone-fence gateway, where there is ample room. It should take about 40 minutes to drive there from Darien.
For our repast, we will gather afterward at The Tap House in downtown Naugatuck, just north of the bridge.
Alec Wiggin
Current Affairs for April 2026: Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: Improving Infrastructure in America
The Current Affairs group will meet on Thursday, April 16 at 2PM in the Lillian Gade Room at the DCA and on Zoom. If you have not received the Zoom link, please contact Barry at silver.barry@gmail.com or Doug at dbernacchi@gmail.com.
How many times have you traveled internationally and wondered, “How come they can [run these trains/build these stations/maintain these roads/keep these cities clean/provide public services/provide sufficient energy] so well in this crappy little country but we can’t seem to do it in the USA?” Dan Kolakowski will bring his engineer’s eye view to the infrastructure challenges we face in this region and in the country, and I look forward to a lively discussion. Dan’s background is amazing:
Dan Kolakowski received his BS degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Air Force
Academy. Following his military stint, he worked another 39 years building construction
projects in NYC. The infrastructure projects included the AirTrain from Jamaica and Howard
Beach to JFK Airport, LIRR’s Train Maintenance Facility in Queens, the United Nations
Headquarters, airport terminals for US Air (LGA), Terminal One (JFK) and Delta Terminal C (LGA).
His projects also included the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, Pier 79 Ferry Terminal, piers and
parks along the Hudson River for the Hudson River Park Trust as well as Brooklyn Bridge Park.
But we think of him as “the DMA member who made the miracle happen at La Guardia Airport.” Bring your thoughts and questions! Can you and Dan together bring a little bit of hope to our despair???
Here are a couple of pre-reads that Dan has suggested:
– Four ways to make wiser infrastructure investments | Brookings
– How much does the US federal government spend on infrastructure each year | USAFacts
And this on the California High-Speed Rail Debacle:
– https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/us/high-speed-rail-california.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZlA.zMjT.lvz0otw-6cX2&smid=url-share
– The 60 Minutes segment from April 5, 2026 – https://youtu.be/9Hm0_-bOB4Y?si=IIs2h2CzZmNl_gzP
Thanks to Charles Salmans for suggesting that Dan present this topic!
This is to remind you that this Thursday, the Hale and Hearty will explore the sprawling grounds of Rockwood Hall, in Pleasantville, N.Y. This is a truly spectacular property owned and improved at one point by William Rockefeller. The estate borders the Hudson River, affording sweeping views of the River, Tappan Zee Bridge and the Palisades. There is much to explore, so upon arrival we will jointly decide on our route.
For those wishing to carpool, we will meet in the DCA parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Please park at the rear of the DCA parking lot. Travel time is a plump 40 minutes. For those choosing to go directly, there is ample parking opposite the trail head. The lot, however, comes up quickly on your left, just as Phelps Way crosses Rockwood Road. So, be vigilant! Dogs on leash are permitted.
For those seeking sustenance after our excursion, we will congregate at Bridge View Tavern (www.bridgeviewtavern.com), just a few miles south at 226 Beekman Ave. in Sleepy Hollow, which also overlooks the Hudson.
Alec Wiggin
The Social Events Committee is pleased to announce the 6th annual evening of dinner and musical entertainment provided by the Brass Quintet of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, April 14th, at St. Luke’s Church in Darien (specifically, the auxiliary building behind the church).
Doors will open at 6:15 with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a buffet dinner at 6:45. The concert will begin at 7:15 with a repertoire of old favorites from years past, including a brief explanation of their historical context.
Due to the popularity of this event in past years we expect this event will be sold out, so please sign up early.
Cost is $70.00 per person, guests are welcome.
Please R.S.V.P. to Jerry Crowley at (203) 247-4675 or by email; jerrycrowley4@gmail.com.
A sign-up sheet will also be available at the DMA weekly meetings.
Payment may be made by cash or check payable to DMA.
If paying by mail, please send your check to:
Darien Men’s Association
c/o the Darien Community Association
274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820
Attention: Jerry Crowley
Thursday, April 23rd, at 10:30 a.m. at Manresa Island in Norwalk
On Thursday, April 23rd, the Wanderers will drive to Manresa Island in Norwalk and enjoy a guided tour of the interior of the former Norwalk Harbor Station power plant and a wandering on the property outside the power plant and along the waterfront.
This 125- acre property is in the process of being revitalized and transformed into what will be one of the Northeast’s most creative public parks — called Manresa Wilds — which is thanks to the generosity of Austin and Allison McChord. The first phase of the project, including walking trails and other amenities, is expected to open next year. This tour will include inspecting the main building’s enormous interior spaces which will be redesigned into exciting interior spaces, one of which is as large as Grand Central Station. Details regarding the scope of the project were presented by Austin McChord at the DMA meeting on March 25rd.
The tour of the interior of the power plant will include viewing much of the plant’s huge original machinery and equipment on different levels of the plant and walking on metal stair-ways some of which are steep. Wanderers will have the option of remaining on a lower level in the plant during part of the tour. While half of the Wanderers will tour the interior of the power plant for 45 minutes, the other half of the Wanderers will wander, including riding on ATV’s (golf carts), for 45 minutes on the property outside the power plant and along the waterfront. Then, the Wanderers that toured the interior of the power plant will wander on the property outside the power plant for 45 minutes and the Wanderers that wandered on the property outside the power plant will tour the interior of the power plant for 45 minutes. Based upon the 10:30 am start time for the tour and wandering, these activities will end at approximately 12:00 noon at which time the Wanderers will drive to have lunch at the Silver Star Diner at 210 Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Anyone interested in participating in this tour and wandering should sign-up in advance at a DMA meeting in April. The size of our group has been limited by Manresa to 48 participants so, if interested, please sign up as soon as possible. Due to the anticipated popularity of this tour and wandering and the group size limitation, we unfortunately are not able to include the spouses of DMA members in this tour and wandering. Wanderers will be required by Manresa to sign a waiver of liability form prior to visiting the property. The waiver of liability form can be reviewed and needs to be signed electronically prior to this tour and wandering at the following email address: (https://app.hellosign.com/
We will rendezvous at the DCA parking lot at 9:45 a.m. and then drive to the property as a caravan group. Those interested in car- pooling from Darien should plan to park their cars in the rear of the parking lot at the DCA. We will depart from the DCA parking lot by 10:00 a.m. and arrive at the power plant on Manresa Island by 10:25 a.m. as the tour and wandering will start promptly at 10:30 a.m.
If you don’t elect to rendezvous with the group at the DCA parking lot, you can use the Google Map address of “Manresa Island, Norwalk, CT” or set your WAZE, Google Maps or other GPS to “1 Longshore Avenue, Norwalk, CT” to get there. If you don’t use WAZE, Google Maps or other GPS, the easiest way to drive to Manresa Island is to take State Route 136 beginning on Tokeneke Road in Darien and staying on Route 136 through Rowayton and South Norwalk until making a right turn onto Woodward Avenue (which becomes Longshore Avenue) and then making a right turn onto Manresa Island Avenue (don’t turn right into the “Village Creek” private association). The entrance to Norwalk’s Manresa Island is located on the right side of Longshore Avenue where Longshore Avenue intersects Manresa Island Avenue. After making a right turn onto Manresa Island Avenue, there is a security gate at the entrance to Manresa Island where car occupants must check in before driving down Manresa Island Avenue and parking in a parking lot adjacent to the power plant.
Contact: Chet Cobb, Harry Bergen, Doug Bora or Robin Hogen.