Social Activities: Anchors Aweigh! Sign up at this Wednesday’s DMA meeting for Oyster Boat outing on October 13. Jan Selkowitz announces that Bryan Hooper has successfully arranged another of the popular Oyster Boat trips for Thursday October 13. Thanks Bryan! Before the vessel leaves a docent will give an interesting talk about the Long Island Sound waters. The boat can take 12 DMA Members. Sign up at this week’s (Sept 21) Wednesday meeting. For questions, contact Bryan Hooper: jbryanh@optonline.net
Category: Events (Page 3 of 13)
Events are unique, or annual, occurrences that provide singular opportunities for entertainment, service, or education.
2022 Memorial Day Parade in Darien.
For those who would like to participate in the Memorial Day Parade in Darien on Monday, May 30, please plan on gathering between 9:00 am and 9:30 am at Goodwives Shopping Center. Preferred attire is khakis and a blue shirt. For detailed information on parking and other logistics, click on the following link: Memorial Day Parade Instructions 2022. Also, please be advised that several wives will be gathering near Upper Crust Bagels and Calvary Baptist Church (980 Post Road) to watch the parade if your wife or other family members would like to join them.
Social Committee is making arrangements to sponsor a special evening event at the Museum of Darien on Tuesday, May 10, when members can view the extraordinary new exhibition of Connecticut Impressionist paintings.
Contact Jan Selkowitz.
Person-to-Person Mail Carrier Food Drive. We are still looking for additional volunteers to spend 1 to 1 ½ hours after our general meeting on April 27 to staple information flyers to shopping bags in support of this effort to generate food donations for the P2P Food Pantry. There will be a sign-up sheet at this week’s general meeting (if we meet in person at the DCA) or you can reach out directly to Frank DeLeo via email (frankdeleo@hotmail.com) if you’d like to help. Easy work for a good cause. We’re looking for 10+ volunteers.
Cruise the Norwalk Islands and Green’s Ledge Lighthouse on the Norwalk Maritime Center’s “Spirit of the Sound”. Revolutionary in design, this 64-foot all-aluminum catamaran was launched in 2015 as the first research vessel in North America with hybrid-electric propulsion. She runs virtually silently on electric power. It has an outside main deck, upper deck and inside cabin. (It also has a head). The capacity is 40 people.
The boat will cruise the scenic Norwalk Islands, including Sheffield Island and Green’s Ledge Light. It is an excellent area to view wildlife. Long Island Sound is an important feature of our community. DMA has had several speakers on the subject that you can review:
Tim Pettee, Saving Greens Ledge Light, April 22, 2020
Dick Delfosse: Norwalk Islands History, Secrets, Stories, Navigation, Wednesday, November 1, 2017
January 25, 2017 Joe Schnierlein Norwalk Aquarium The environmental conditions of Long Island Sound
Leigh Shemitz, Ph.D., president of SoundWaters, October 31, 2018
The boat will depart at 3:45 sharp. They must depart by then to get under a draw bridge that will not open between 4-6 for the rush hour. Come early – there is a comfortable place to hang out. Park at the foot of Washington Street. (The parking system is strictly enforced and is a little tricky to deal with – another reason to come early). The boat will return shortly after 6 when the bridge will again open for us. Cost is $30.
Snacks and grog are allowed onboard. Bring your own. No glass. We plan an optional dinner afterward at local restaurant.
Fee TBD.
See Frank DeLeo or Gary Banks.
Dates and times have been finalized for these training sessions. All sessions are at Post 53 headquarters.
- Tuesday, May 24, 7:00 PM — CPR Certification training. $60 fee.
- Thursday, May 26, 7:00 PM — CPR Heartsavers training (non-certified). No fee.
- Thursday, June 2, 7:00 PM — Trauma/Falls training. No fee.
There will be sign-up sheets available at upcoming meetings. You can also reach out to Frank DeLeo via email to reserve a spot (frankdeleo@hotmail.com). Checks made out to Post 53 are requested when you sign up. There is limited space for the sessions so it will be first come, first served. If demand exceeds availability, we will offer more sessions in the fall.
We plan to clean up the roadside and shore along Pear Tree Road and the Goodwives Meadows Land Trust property on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 1-3. Meet at Pear Tree Beach near the boat ramp. Wear boots – it could be muddy. Bring gloves.
Contact Gary Banks
DMA (Bill Cavers and Gary Banks), the Darien Coastal Commission and our First Selectman cleaned up the Goodwives River inlet on 4/23. The area included Pear Tree Point road and coastline as well as Goodwives Meadows, a Darien Land Trust property. The results were a haul of 350 pounds of trash!
Selleck and Dunlap Woods trail prep in advance of its May 15 Adventure Day. We are looking for volunteers to help Chris Filmer walk the trails, clip branches, pick up trash, etc. on May 13 from 11 am – 1 pm. Please contact Frank DeLeo (frankdeleo@hotmail.com) if you’d like to help.
Guided by DMA member Chris Filmer, who has been an active member of the nonprofit group dedicated to preserving Selleck’s Woods in Darien, Frank DeLeo, Charles Salmans and others helped rake leaves and prepare a children’s play area within this large nature preserve. Within the woods is an area dedicated to the fantasy play of young children, including an “I Spy” area to spot wildlife and a make-believe challenge of bridges, “spider webs” and other obstacles.
The second catered musical event of the spring season will feature a string quartet from the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra who will perform for the DMA at St. Luke’s on Wednesday evening, April 27. The musical ensemble consists of four highly skilled and experienced chamber musicians, including Emanouil Manolov (violin), Suzanne Corey-Sahlin (viola), Gunnar Sahlin (cello) and Nina Crothers (violin). All perform regularly with the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra and each of them has an impressive resumé featuring performances all over the United States and the world.
As we emerge from COVID, the DMA Social Committee, led by Jan Selkowitz, Gehr Brown and Bob McGroarty, has been seeking to schedule a variety of events and activities for this spring. Plans are in preliminary stages, with many options being considered, including musical performances, sporting events, trips to museums, sorties on Long Island Sound and the June DMA picnic. The first event is a catered musical performance on March 31, at St. Luke’s, by The Melissa Newman Quartet. The Quartet, which has been together since 2012, will be performing standards from The Great American Songbook.
The musical ensemble includes the following talented performers:
Melissa Newman, Vocals: In addition to her vocal talents, Melissa has appeared in many television series (“Bonanza”, “Entertainment Tonight” and “The New Perry Mason” to name a few) and movies (“Mr. and Mrs. Bridge”, “See How She Runs”, etc.). You will also have heard her singing on many commercial jingles. In addition, Melissa is a sculptor and works with ceramics and has volunteered her time to teach art, singing and drawing at correctional facilities for women. She is currently working with the publisher on a previously unreleased memoir by her father, Paul Newman.
Phil Bowler, Bass: Phil graduated with a music degree from The University of Hartford in 1972 and has since played with a long list of jazz greats such as Roland Kirk, Hugh Masekela, Wynton Marsalis, Slide Hampton, John Faddis, Max Roach, Horace Silver and the Count Basie Orchestra. He also hosted Jazz Adventures on WHKN in Bridgeport from 1999-2009.
Tony Lombardozzi, Guitar: Tony has been a jazz guitar instructor and ensemble director on the Wesleyan University music faculty since 1986. He has performed at many famous jazz venues such as the Blue Note and Lincoln Center Jazz in New York City and at many jazz festivals. Since the ‘70s he has performed with a long list of jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Les Paul, Kenny Barron, Rufus Reed and others too numerous to mention.
Matt Moadel, Drums: Matt is a working drummer as well as a teacher. Armed with a degree in percussion from Western Connecticut State University, he has studied many different drumming styles from traditional drum set styles and rudimentary snare drumming to Middle Eastern and African drumming. Matt has performed in many settings—from Jazz and Reggae to Flamenco and Funk to marching bands and pit orchestras.
Time and Location: St. Luke’s Youth and Community Center, at St. Luke’s Parish, 1864 Post Road, Darien Wine and Hors d’oeuvres, 6:30 p.m.—7:30 p.m./Music 7:30 p.m.—8:45 p.m. Catering by Carolyn Eddie’s Absolutely Fabulous Events
Cost: $20 per attendee for DMA members and spouses/significant others. Sign-up sheets will be available during the DMA’s general meetings at the DCA in the month of March. Make checks payable to the Darien Men’s Association and either deliver them when you sign up or mail them to the DMA, c/o the Darien Community Association, attention of Marilyn DeMaio, 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820.
Plan to join us for a wonderful evening of food, drink and an outstanding musical performance!
