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Daniel Hugh O’Brien

October 25, 2021 /
Daniel Hugh O’Brien, a lifelong resident of Darien, passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on October 21, 2021. Born on November 10th, 1937, he was the son of the late Mary and Jeremiah O’Brien. After graduating Darien High School in 1956, Daniel proudly served our country in the United States Marine Corps for three years as a Corporal stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC from 1958 to 1961. Being a Marine was as honor Daniel always carried with him till his passing. After the Marine Corps, Daniel entered Benjamin Franklin University in Washington, DC, and completed his bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and shortly thereafter became a Certified Public Account (CPA). In 1963, Daniel met Mary Ellen Roe of Teaneck, New Jersey, and in June of 1965 the two were married and settled down in Darien for more than 51 years. Daniel held leadership roles in finance covering decades at companies, including Christian Dior, Chanel and Pepperidge Farm. In 1985, Daniel joined Thomson Corporation of America, a division of Thomson SA of France (now Thales Group), serving as President for more than 10 years. After an impressive and successful career traveling through Europe with Mary Ellen, Daniel retired in 2000. Growing up on the edge of Long Island Sound cemented Daniel’s love of the water, and over the course of his lifetime he would own more than a dozen boats. His last boat was named the “Irish Lady”, a nod to Mary Ellen. Summers were spent with his family and friends on the Sound, waterskiing, fishing or simply moored in Ziegler’s Cove. He served the Darien Boat Club as its commodore from 1989 to 1991. Daniel proudly served as a member of the Noroton Fire Department for more than 65 years. He rose through the ranks to become Chief of the department from 1970 to 1972 and again from 1979 to 1982. He was also President of the department from 1986 to 1989 and served as the Town’s Fire Marshal during his tenure. He was awarded Fireman of the Year twice in 1972 and 1989 and received the department’s Special Service Award in 2011. Daniel and Mary Ellen enjoyed traveling with family and friends and entertaining at their homes in New Hampshire and Vermont. Frequent trips up north were a norm when the boys were young. These trips were foundational to building a strong family and remains a tradition their sons have carried on as they raise families of their own. Daniel is survived by his three sons; James M. O’Brien, Daniel H. O’Brien Jr. and William P. O’Brien and his wife Sheila, as well as eight wonderful grandchildren who loved him dearly. Daniel is also survived by his sister Geraldine F. Krawiec of Darien, CT, and was predeceased by his wife of 51 years Mary Ellen and his sister Mary E. Long of Windsor, CT. A wake will be held on Monday, October 25th between the hours of 5:00-8:00 PM at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road in Darien. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, October 26th at 10:00 AM at St. John Roman Catholic Church, 1986 Post Road in Darien. Burial will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Noroton Fire Department, 1873 Post Road, Darien CT 06820.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Daniel O’Brien, please visit Tribute Store

Wander North Central Park, City College & North Harlem, Oct 21, 2021

October 13, 2021 /

North Central Park/City College and North Harlem Wandering

Date: Thursday, Oct 21, 2021

Metro North from Darien to Harlem/125th St—8.53 am

From Noroton Heights–8.57am

 

Note: get off at Harlem/125th St–do not go to Grand Central. We will congregate on the Harlem platform and head to the Lexington Ave subway station as a group to take the train to 103rd St.

 

This Wandering consists of two parts: first, a leisurely stroll through the northern section of Central Park–a lesser known section of the Park but no less beautiful.Then, a visit to City College and various points of interest in Northern Harlem. There will be two short subway rides in pretty empty subway cars because of the off peak hour.

 

We enter Central Park at 102nd St and visit the Conservatory Garden and its dancing fountain sculptures. Then on to the site of Fort Clinton, which played a role not only in the Revolutionary War but also in the War of 1812. We also visit the Andrew Haswell Green Memorial Bench since he is the star of the DMA Book Club’s November selection. The next part of the Central Park walk is more rugged as we explore the Ravine in the Northern Woods. We see all three waterfalls of the Park, two great arches and observe nature. In total we spend about 90 minutes in the Park.

 

A short subway ride will take us to 135 th St and the  highlight of the second part of this Wandering, namely  City College in Harlem. Its campus, though small, is surprisingly attractive because of its Gothic architecture.We have lunch there, around 12.30 at a well ventilated restaurant. Following lunch we stroll by , various historic sites in North Harlem, including Alexander Hamilton’s home, the magnificent townhouses of Striver’s Row and the Abyssinian Baptist Church. We may also get to peek at the famous WPA murals by black artists which are displayed at Harlem Hospital.Finally, we view the Astor Row homes.

 

By the end of this Wandering we will have walked about 5 ½ miles, over sometimes tricky terrain. So wear sturdy shoes. And remember to bring your masks and Vaccination certificate.

 

We expect to head home around 3.30pm from the Harlem/125th station.

Book Club: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, Dec 8, 2021

October 12, 2021 /

The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction-to the City of New York. Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles’s third novel will satisfy fansof his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes

Visit Copps Island Oysters, Oct 22, 2021 at 9:30

October 12, 2021 /

The Social Events committee has arranged a visit to the processing and laboratory facilities of Copps Island Oysters by Norm Bloom at 7 Edgewater Place in Norwalk commencing 9:30 am on Friday, October 22th . The visit will include a ride on one of their oyster boats to see oysters being harvested – as long as weather permits.  After the event we will go to Knot Norms seafood restaurant for lunch where you can sample oysters in a variety of dishes – raw or cooked – or try their chowder or one of their lobster dishes. The address is 10 1st Street in Norwalk.

There is a limit of ten people that Copps Island Oysters can accommodate, so we will accept reservations on a first-come basis and then maintain a reserve list. Should the trip be oversubscribed we will attempt to arrange a follow-up event, as we did in 2019. We welcome those not attending the tour to join us at Knot Norms for lunch around 11:30 am.

All those members who have been fully vaccinated are invited to join the group, and masks are required for the tour of the facility. Please contact Jan Selkowitz to reserve your place. We will need to car-pool since there is limited parking in the area and we welcome volunteers for this task: let Jan know if you can be one of the drivers. We will meet at the DCA carpark and leave around 9:00 am to drive to Norwalk.

Visit Copps Island Oysters, Oct 29, 2021 at 9:30

October 11, 2021 /

The Social Events committee has arranged a visit to the processing and laboratory facilities of Copps Island Oysters by Norm Bloom at 7 Edgewater Place in Norwalk commencing 9:30 am on Friday, October 29nd . The visit will include a ride on one of their oyster boats to see oysters being harvested – as long as weather permits.  After the event we will go to Knot Norms seafood restaurant for lunch where you can sample oysters in a variety of dishes – raw or cooked – or try their chowder or one of their lobster dishes. The address is 10 1st Street in Norwalk.

There is a limit of ten people that Copps Island Oysters can accommodate, so we will accept reservations on a first-come basis and then maintain a reserve list. Should the trip be oversubscribed we will attempt to arrange a follow-up event, as we did in 2019. We welcome those not attending the tour to join us at Knot Norms for lunch around 11:30 am.

All those members who have been fully vaccinated are invited to join the group, and masks are required for the tour of the facility. Please contact Jan Selkowitz to reserve your place. We will need to car-pool since there is limited parking in the area and we welcome volunteers for this task: let Jan know if you can be one of the drivers. We will meet at the DCA carpark and leave around 9:00 am to drive to Norwalk.

Wander Union and Washington Square, Dec 2, 2021

October 5, 2021 /

On Thursday, December 2, DMA member Greg Glashan will lead the Happy Wanderers on their final outing of the fall semester for an informative and eye-opening trek in Manhattan: South from Grand Central to the neighborhood of Washington Square. They plan to depart on the Metro-North commuter train leaving for Manhattan at 8:10 am (Darien station) and 8:13 am (Noroton Heights station). Participants should plan to bring a face mask and a copy of their vaccine card. Upon arrival at Grand Central Terminal, the group will gather at the Information Booth at the center of the Upper Level main entrance hall, and then head south.

We will walk through Madison Square Park, Union Square and Washington Square. Some highlights will be more than a dozen historic statues, monuments and memorials. Some short stops at several churches to take in their outstanding stained glass and design, a stop for lunch in the lower Fifth Avenue district, and then past some more historic sights and back to Grand Central and home.

Our plan is to end our walking at Union Square, at 14th Street near Park Ave, where there is a public market area of booths and boutiques, many with Christmas seasonal motifs. Our walkers will then have the option of browsing in the seasonal market, taking the nearby Lexington Ave. subway to Grand Central or walking back to Grand Central. Those planning to take the Subway should have their Metro Cards.

For further information on this outing, check with David Mace or Joe Spain.

Hike Devil’s Den in Weston on Monday October 25, 2021

October 1, 2021 /

HIKING DEVIL’S DEN PRESERVE

WESTON, CT

MONDAY OCTOBER 25, 2021

    10:00 AM

The Devil’s Den Preserve’s original 1,400 acres  was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1966 using funds donated by Katherine Ordway, a local philanthropist. Today it encompasses over 1,700 acres and is the largest preserve in SW Connecticut. The history of the property goes back to 1767 when it was first used as a sawmill during the Revolution. Forestry was the principal use of the property until the 1930s but the many stone walls on the land indicate its use for agriculture as well. For about 80 years during that time span, charcoal was produced at over 30 sites on the property. There are woodlands, wetlands, ponds and streams on the acreage.

We will be hiking a trail of about 4 miles which we rate as easy to moderate. The trails are mostly wide and well maintained but often have rocks and roots as you would expect. There are no serious ups and downs but there is a fair degree of elevation change. We estimate the hike will take 2 ½ to 3 hours.

There will be no lunch after this hike.

As usual we welcome friends, spouses and others to join us. These hikes are a great way to meet new members and to have a chance to converse in an outdoor environment. NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED AT DEVIL’S DEN.

 

Devil’s Den is accessed off of Exit 42 on the Merritt Parkway. The address is 30 Pent Road, Weston but Google Maps and Waze recognize Devil’s Den as a destination.

 

Contacts: Dave McCollum  and Bob Plunkett 

 

Not deterred by an overnight rain which left the trails a bit wet, a hardy group of
10 DMAers hiked about 5 miles in three hours over the Perry, Godfrey and
Aspetuck trails at the 1700 acre Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston. The damp ground
was offset by very mild and occasionally sunny weather. The trail markings and
signage at DD re very good and we navigated the course with nary a wrong turn.
Oh, wait a minute, the navigation excellence was actually more the result of
various hiker’s backwoods savvy and a nose for the correct direction!
The Preserve’s ownership by The Nature Conservancy dates to 1966 but the
property records go back to 1767. While forestry and agriculture were the
principal uses of the land, for eight decades the property was chiefly used to
produce charcoal. The accompanying photo shows one relic of that period. Again
on this hike, as was the case at Trout Valley last month, we saw very few humans
and only a worm and a toad for wildlife. These animals, which surely reside in
preserves like DD, must somehow know we are coming and spend the day in
hiding.
The next hike is scheduled for The Zofnass Family Preserve in Pound Ridge, NY on
Thursday November 18.
As of now, we plan to resume the optional lunch after this hike.
Spouses, friends and any others are encouraged to join us and dogs on a leash are
allowed at Zofnass.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett

Book: The Great Mistake by Jonathan Lee, Nov 10, 2021

September 22, 2021 /

From the acclaimed author of High Dive comes an enveloping, exultant novel of New York City at the turn of the twentieth century, a story of one man’s rise to fame and fortune, and his murder in a case of mistaken identity. On Friday the 13th of November, 1903, a famous man was killed on Park Avenue in broad daylight by a stranger. It was neither a political act nor a crime of passion. It was a mistake. The victim was Andrew Haswell Green, the “Father of Greater New York,” who shaped the city as we know it. Without him there would be no Central Park, no Metropolitan Museum of Art, no Museum of Natural History, no New York Public Library. His influence was everywhere, yet he died alone, misunderstood, feeling that his whole life might have been, after all, a great mistake. A work of tremendous depth and piercing emotion, The Great Mistake is a portrait of a self-made man–farm boy to urban visionary; the reimagining of a murder investigation that shook the city; and the moving story of a singular individual who found the world closed off to him, and, in spite of all odds, enlarged it.

Wander Brooklyn Heights, Oct 7, 2021

September 18, 2021 /

On Thursday, Oct 7, DMA member Mark Shakley will lead the Happy Wanderers on an entertaining and informative trek to the world of Brooklyn Heights. They plan to depart on the Metro-North commuter train leaving for Manhattan at 8:10 am (Darien station) and 8:13 am (Noroton Heights station). Participants should plan to bring a face mask and a copy of their vaccine card. Upon arrival at Grand Central Terminal, the group will gather at the Information Booth at the center of the main entrance hall and then head to Brooklyn Heights via subway. For further information on this outing, check with David Mace or Joe Spain.

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