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Brass Quintet of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 at St. Luke’s Church in Darien 

March 30, 2026 /

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

 

Wander Manresa Island, April 23, 2026

March 28, 2026 /

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/home/reusableLink?guid=2sMQ8vcR&in_person=1)

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.

Ralph White
“Getting Out of Saigon: How a 27-Year-Old Banker Saved 113 Vietnamese Civilians”
April 29, 2026

March 25, 2026 /

Saigon fell on April 30, 51 years ago from tomorrow. Saigon was once called the Paris of the Orient on the eve of its cataclysmic destruction. This is a captivating true story of author Ralph White’s successful effort to save nearly the entire staff of the Saigon branch of Chase Manhattan Bank and their families before the city fell to the North Vietnamese Army.

In April 1975, White was asked by his boss to transfer from the Bangkok branch of the bank to the Saigon branch.  He was tasked with closing the branch, if and when, it appeared that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese Army to ensure the safety of the senior Vietnamese employees. But when he arrived, he realized the situation in Saigon was far more perilous than he had imagined.  Senior staff members there urged him to evacuate the entire staff and their families, which was more than he was authorized to do. He quickly realized that no one would be safe when the city fell, and it was no longer a question of whether to evacuate, but how. “Getting Out of Saigon” is an edge-of-your-seat story of a city on the eve of its destruction and the colorful characters who responded differently to impending doom. It’s a remarkable account of one man’s question to save innocent lives.

During Ralph White’s career in corporate finance spanned the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s when he worked for Chase Manhattan Bank and later for American Express and Sumitomo Bank.  His assignments included Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and New York.  He is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of Business Administration. After 9/11, Ralph traded his corporate finance career for public service and writing. He founded and served for 10 years as the president of the Columbia Fiction Foundry, a writing workshop for alumni of Columbia University.

Book Group: 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History–and How It Shattered a Nation by Andrew Ross Sorkin, May 13, 2026

February 7, 2026 /

May 2026

1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History–and How It Shattered a Nation by Andrew Ross Sorkin

 From the bestselling author of Too Big to Fail, “the definitive history of the 2008 banking crisis,”* comes a spellbinding narrative of the most infamous stock market crash in history. With the depth of a classic history and the drama of a thriller, 1929 unravels the greed, blind optimism, and human folly that led to an era-defining collapse—one with ripple effects that still shape our society today.

In 1929, the world watched in shock as the unstoppable Wall Street bull market went into a freefall, wiping out fortunes and igniting a depression that would reshape a generation. But behind the flashing ticker tapes and panicked traders, another drama unfolded—one of visionaries and fraudsters, titans and dreamers, euphoria and ruin.

With unparalleled access to historical records and newly uncovered documents, New York Times bestselling author Andrew Ross Sorkin takes readers inside the chaos of the crash, behind the scenes of a raging battle between Wall Street and Washington and the larger-than-life characters whose ambition and naivete in an endless boom led to disaster. The dizzying highs and brutal lows of this era eerily mirror today’s world—where markets soar, political tensions mount, and the fight over financial influence plays out once again.

This is not just a story about money. 1929 is a tale of power, psychology, and the seductive illusion that “this time is different.” It’s about disregarded alarm bells, financiers who fell from grace, and skeptics who saw the crash coming—only to be dismissed until it was too late.

Hailed as a landmark book, Too Big to Fail reimagined how financial crises are told. Now, with 1929, Sorkin delivers an immersive, electrifying account of the most pivotal market collapse of all time—with lessons that remain as urgent as ever. More than just a history, 1929 is a crucial blueprint for understanding the cycles of speculation, the forces that drive financial upheaval, and the warning signs we ignore at our peril.

Pp 577

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