“From the bestselling, prize-winning author of SAY NOTHING, a powerfully compelling account of a family devastated by the apparent suicide of their nineteen year-old son, only to discover he had created a separate identity which drew him into the dangerous international criminal underworld underlying London’s glittering surface. In the early morning of November 29th, 2019, surveillance cameras at the headquarters of MI6, Britain’s spy agency, captured a video of a young man pacing back and forth on a balcony of Riverwalk, a luxury building on the opposite bank of the Thames River. At 2:24 a.m., he jumped. In a quiet London neighborhood several miles away, Rachelle Brettler was worried. She hadn’t heard from her son Zac, who told her he had gone to stay with a friend for the night, but wasn’t answering his phone. Five days later, a police car pulled up in front of the house, and she knew she was about to hear the news every parent dreads: Her son was dead. In their unbearable grief, Rachelle and her husband Matthew tried to understand what had happened to Zac. He had his troubles, but in no way seemed suicidal. But his death was just the beginning of the shocks: The man who owned the apartment in Riverwalk, a wealthy businessman named Akbar Shamji, told them he knew Zac by a different identity: Zac Ismailov, the child of a wealthy Russian oligarch, whose widowed mother was living in Dubai and freezing him out of his inheritance. Then they learned that the apartment was occupied by a notorious gangster known as “Indian Dave” in London criminal circles. Indian Dave had been implicated in a gangland slaying and fled the country, but for opaque reasons came back to England and was never prosecuted. From the physical evidence and recovered text messages between Shamji and Sharma, it appeared something very different than a suicide had taken place in Riverwalk that night. But to the immense frustration of the Brettlers, Scotland Yard seemed to have no interest in investigating. In a bravura piece of reporting and writing, Patrick Radden Keefe delves into a story that peels back multiple layers of mystery, and exposes the seedy truths beneath the glamourous London of posh mansions and private night clubs, a world sustained and abetted by fundamental corruption. Zac Brettler was not the only person in the tale spinning lies. London Falling is a mesmerizing investigation of an inexplicable death, fueled by multiple turns and revelations, but at its heart it is a deeply empathetic portrait of a family trying to understand not just why their son died, but who he was”– Provided by publisher.
Category: Activities (Page 1 of 50)
Activities are gatherings that occur on a regular schedule, usually weekly, to enjoy a specific pastime.
On Thursday, September 10, the Hale and Hardy hikers will travel to Southford Falls State Park for a two-mile hike. The park features impressive waterfalls and a beautifully restored covered bridge. The loop trail is marked in red with moderate climbing of some 400 feet up to a fire tower with a 360-degree view of the park’s treetops. There are some rocky portions of the trail where firm soles on your shoes are recommended, and a hiking pole may be useful, but not essential.
For those wishing to carpool, we’ll meet at the back of the DCA parking area at 9:30 am on September 10. Ample parking is available for those not carpooling. Set your maps for the parking area at 175 Quaker Farms Rd, Southbury, CT. Non-DMA members and pets on a leash are welcome to join us.
After our hike, those who are able can join the group for lunch at Dock 34 on the way home in Seymour, CT. It boasts a scenic location and outside tables on the banks of the Housatonic River.
Thursday, May 21, at 8:36 a.m. at Darien Metro-North Station or 8:39 a.m. at Noroton Heights Metro-North Station
On Thursday, May 21, the Wanderers will travel to Brooklyn and wander across the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to lower 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 train 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 Brooklyn.
The Wanderers will wander on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade enjoying the picturesque views of lower Manhattan and New York Harbor and proceed through historic Brooklyn Heights and over the architecturally impressive Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. The Wandering will continue past City Hall to the South Street Seaport.
We plan to have lunch at a restaurant in or near the South Street Seaport and conclude with a Wandering around the South Street Seaport and to the Wall Street or Fulton Street Subway Station before returning to Grand Central and home via the Subway and Metro-North.
Contact: Chet Cobb or Harry Bergen
Summary:
“On May 21, thirteen fearless Wanderers traveled to Brooklyn and braved windy and rainy conditions while wandering across the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to lower Manhattan.
Notwithstanding the challenging weather, the Wanderers first enjoyed the picturesque views of lower Manhattan and New York Harbor as they wandered on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade beginning at the monument commemorating the site of George Washington’s headquarters. The Wanderers also wandered on the well-maintained streets of Brooklyn Heights admiring the well-preserved architecture and beautiful landscaping and paused at the historically significant Plymouth Church, sometimes referred to as “the Grand Central Depot” of the Underground Railroad, and viewed the statue of its founding pastor, Henry Ward Beecher.
The highlight of the day was of course the wandering over the architecturally impressive Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. When first opened in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world spanning roughly 1.1 miles. The Wandering then took the wanderers past City Hall and down Fulton Street to the South Street Seaport. There the happy Wanderers dried off and enjoyed a tasty seafood lunch at The Fulton by Jean-Georges with its impressive views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River before taking the Subway and Metro-North home.”
(1) Wanderers Bill Waters, David Helgans, Letty Helgans, John King, Harry Bergen, Howard Courtemanche, Bob Hughes, Joe Spain, Albert Duryea, Mary Kay Cobb, Chet Cobb and James Hansford facing wind and rain while traversing the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo by Sam Bridges;
(2) Wanderers Joe Spain, Albert Duryea, John King, Harry Bergen and Bill Flowers eagerly ascending the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo by Chet Cobb;
(3) Wanderers Albert Duryea, Joe Spain, Howard Courtemanche, Harry Bergen, Bill Flowers, Sam Bridges, Bob Hughes, Letty Helgans, Mary Kay Cobb, John King, James Hansford, Chet Cobb and David Helgans preparing to enjoy a well-earned lunch and
4) Wanderers Bob Hughes, Bill Flowers, John King, Harry Bergen, Albert Duryea and Sam Bridges happy after lunch. Photo by Chet Cobb
Happy Wanderers
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Thursday, September 24th, at 9:15 a.m. at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, CT
PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL IN ITS ENTIRETY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THIS WANDERING TO THE U.S. NAVAL SUBMARINE BASE
On Thursday, September 24th, the Wanderers will drive to the U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) in Groton, CT, known as the “Home of the Submarine Force,” and enjoy a visit to the Submarine Force Museum and Historic Ship Nautilus, a Windshield Bus Tour including a brief wandering on the Upper Base and lunch on the SUBASE. As a retired Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, DMA member Paul Hendrickson was able to open the door to this exciting opportunity.
This visit to the SUBASE will begin at 9:15 a.m. with a self-guided tour and wandering through the Museum and onto the Nautilus. At 10:15 a.m., a Public Affairs representative of the SUBASE will welcome us in the Museum Theater and provide an overview of the U.S. Navy, the Submarine Force and the SUBASE. Following this presentation, a highlight of this wandering will be a bus tour of the Upper Base that will offer views of the Submarine School, galley, barracks, medical facilities, other key support structures and the Lower Base. A Public Affairs representative of the SUBASE will be with us on this bus tour and wandering and will provide historical insights. The tour will conclude with a brief wandering on the Upper Base followed at noon by a pizza buffet lunch at REUNIONS PUB on the SUBASE. Lunch is expected to include assorted pizza, salad, cookies and soft drinks/water and social engagement with SUBSCOL Sailors. Following lunch at 1:00 p.m. a bus will transport Wanderers to the parking lot adjacent to the Museum where Wanderers will have parked their cars upon arriving at the SUBASE and will drive home.
Sign-ups for this tour and wandering will begin in person at the DMA meeting on Wednesday, September 2. If interested in participating in this tour and wandering, please sign up in person at the September 2 meeting and provide when you sign-up the information and payment required below. Sign-ups by email for this tour and wandering will not be accepted until after 1:00 p.m. on September 2, at which time an email signing up for this tour and wandering with the information required below should be sent to Harry Bergen at bercom100@gmail.com.
The size of our group has been limited by the SUBASE to 36 participants so, if interested, please sign up in person at the meeting on September 2. Sign-ups will be accepted on a first-come basis. Due to the anticipated popularity of this tour and wandering and the group size limitation, we unfortunately are unable to include the spouses of DMA members. A waiting list will be established if this tour and wandering is over-subscribed.
All visitors to the SUBASE must be U.S citizens with a real ID or U.S. passport and must be ambulatory. When signing up for this tour and wandering, you will be required to provide your full name, social security number, date of birth, place of birth, real driver’s license number including state of issuance or U.S. passport number as such information is required to be submitted to the SUBASE on Thursday, September 3.
The cost to each Wanderer to participate in this tour and wandering including lunch is $40 and is non-refundable. Please pay such amount in cash when signing up. The deadline for receipt of payment is Wednesday, September 17.
For those who want to car-pool, we will rendezvous at the DCA parking lot at 7:15 a.m. and then organize into groups for the drive to the SUBASE. 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 7:30 a.m. and arrive at the SUBASE at 9:15 a.m. as the self-guided tour and wandering will start at 9:15 a.m. in the Museum. We will park our cars just outside the entrance to the SUBASE in the parking lot that is adjacent to the Museum. We will gather inside the entrance to the Museum to begin our tour and wandering.
Contact: Chet Cobb, Harry Bergen, or Paul Hendrickson
On Thursday, August 13th, the Hale and Hardy will head out to Huntington State Park in Redding. This expansive, one-thousand-acre park showcases ponds, fields and densely wooded pathways. We will be traversing a 2.3 mile section that offers an excellent sampling of this varied terrain.
Woof. Woof. Dogs on leash are welcome and most of the ones you will encounter are wet from splashing about in the ponds.
Happily, there is ample parking on-site at our entrance on Sunset Hill Road in Redding, so feel free to go directly. For those wishing to carpool, we will meet at the DCA lot at 9:30AM and sort ourselves. When parking for our outings, please remember to use the back portion of the lot.
Per usual, spouses and significant others are welcome. Post-hike, we will enjoy a repast at The Olde Blue Bird Inn at 363 Black Rock Turnpike in Easton, just north of the Merritt Parkway.
And most importantly when you see him, please give a hearty welcome to Peter Smith, a new frontier guide for our treks!
Alec Wiggin
Peter Smith p
We are more than halfway through golf season and our next golf outing is August 20th at the Country Club of Darien 9-10 AM. We have 20 DMA members signed up however, we have room for 24. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us.
The price is $212 for golf and lunch. The club will accept checks only and should be made out to CCD upon arrival August on 20th. There will be a final email with tee times shortly.
If you would like to sign up, please respond to my email.
Best, Steve Tru
November 11, 2026: pick up Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (fiction), for your January 2027 discussion. Pub date of the book: July 8, 2025/380 pp.
Set at a summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay, a riveting family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence, from the bestselling author of the “wise and addictive” (New York Times) The Gifted School.
When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.
During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.
Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.
October 14, 2026: pick up The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the remarkable American Life of a 109-year old Man, by David Von Drehle, for your December discussion. Pub date of the book: January 1, 2023/205pp.
(suggested by Chip Schroeder)
Goodreads Choice Award
September 9, 2026: pick up London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, by Patrick Radden Keefe, for your November discussion. Pub date of the book: April 2026/384 pp.
August 3, 2026: pick up Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind, by Simon Winchester for your October discussion. Pub date of the book: November 18, 2025/416 pp.
New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester returns with a thought-provoking history of the wind, written in his edifying and entertaining style.
What is going on with our atmosphere? The headlines are filled with news of devastating hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, and cataclysmic fires affecting large swaths of America. Gale force advisories are issued on a regular basis by the National Weather Service.
In 2023, a report was released by atmospheric scientists at the University of Northern Illinois, warning that winds—the force at the center of all these dangerous natural events—are expected to steadily increase in the years ahead, strengthening in power, speed, and frequency.
While this prediction worried the insurance industry, governmental leaders, scientists, and conscientious citizens, one particular segment of society received it with unbridled enthusiasm. To the energy industry, rising wind strength and speeds as an unalloyed boon for humankind—a vital source of clean and “safe” power.
Between these two poles—wind as a malevolent force, and wind as savior of our planet—lies a world of fascination, history, literature, science, poetry, and engineering which Simon Winchester explores with the curiosity and vigor that are the hallmarks of his bestselling works. In The Breath of the Gods, he explains how wind plays a part in our everyday lives, from airplane or car travel to the “natural disasters” that are becoming more frequent and regular.
The Breath of the Gods is an urgently-needed portrait across time of that unseen force—unseen but not unfelt—that respects no national borders and no vessel or structure in its path. Wind, the movement of the air, is seen by so many as a heavenly creation and generally a thing of essential goodness. But when it flexes its invisible muscles, all should take care and be very afraid.
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
Summary:
“On Thursday, June 25th, twenty-five Wanderers were happy to experience warm and sunny weather during a wandering across the northern end of Central Park. Entering Central Park through the ornate Vanderbilt Gate at 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue, the Wanderers were immediately impressed by the well-landscaped beauty of the Conservatory Garden, including the Italianate Center Garden with its semicircular pagoda, the French parterre North Garden with its Untermyer Fountain and statue of the Three Dancing Maidens and the English style South Garden with its Burnett Fountain.
The wandering took the Wanderers past the scenic Harlem Meer, the historic overlook and canons at Fort Clinton, Nutter’s Buttery, McGowan’s Pass, the architecturally acclaimed Davis Center with its large swimming pool and through the North Woods, the largest woodland in Central Park that contains unusual physical features including the Ravine, the Loch and the Pool. The Wanderers’ last stop in Central Park was at its oldest surviving building, the Blockhouse, built in 1814 as a lookout tower with openings for guns.
The Wanderers then exited Central Park onto 110th Street and wandered 15 blocks north on Malcolm X Boulevard to lunch. Due to the large size of the wandering group, the Wanderers split into two groups and each Wanderer enjoyed a well-deserved lunch at either Sylvia’s Restaurant or the nearby Red Rooster Restaurant. After lunch, the Wanderers wandered a few more blocks to the Metro-North Railroad Station at 125th Street and returned home via Metro-North.”
(1) Wanderers standing on the stairs leading to the pagoda in the Conservatory Garden, Photo by Sam Bridges;
(2) Jack Carley, Harry Bergen and Doug Bernacchi standing behind Fort Clinton’s canon with Bill Flowers standing in line of fire, Photo by Chet Cobb;
(3) Fred and Lorry Given taking a break after wandering through the North Woods, Photo by Chet Cobb;
(4) Wanderers successfully locating and assembling at the Blockhouse, Photo by Chet Cobb; and
(5) Tom Igoe relaxing at the Blockhouse, Photo by Chet Cobb.
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
