Former Mansfield Ave. Church Property To Be Developed

The Episcopal Church of Connecticut has plans to demolish the inactive church at 471 Mansfield Ave. and subdivide the property into four single‑family home lots, according to documents expected to be submitted to the town this spring. Church officials say the redevelopment would allow the diocese to shift resources toward ministry and community outreach rather than continue maintaining a building that has been out of use. The church stopped holding worship services at the Darien location in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when services moved online

The 471 Mansfield Ave. property includes two existing single‑family homes and a garage, along with the former church — all of which will be razed. The plan calls for creating four new residential lots, each about 2.5 acres with its own driveway and access to public water.  Craig Flaherty, a professional engineer with Redniss & Mead in Stamford, said the project is designed as a conservation subdivision, preserving roughly 30% of the land as open space. 

Spring Sports Set to Open Across the Blue Wave Program

Spring sports arrive in full force next week as Darien teams prepare to launch their 2026 campaigns.

The girls golf team is the first to open, teeing it up at  Richter Park Golf Course in Danbury on April 2 for its season debut. On the diamond, baseball has been at work since mid‑March, but the schedule officially begins on April 4, marking the team’s first pitch of the year. Both boys and girls lacrosse open their seasons the same day. Under longtime coaches Jeff Brameier and Lisa Lindley, the programs enter another spring with high expectations as play begins Saturday, April 4. The tennis teams follow on April 6, while outdoor track and field rounds out the opening slate with its first meet set for Tuesday, April 7.

It's New Canaan in the Boys Division I Hockey Championship

Despite a storied history that includes 23 FCIAC championships, New Canaan had endured a remarkable championship drought, finishing runner-up in the state final 10 straight times, including the past two seasons. But for only the second time in program history—and the first time since 1972—New Canaan boys ice hockey finally captured the state championship, defeating Fairfield Prep 3-1 in the CIAC Division I Boys Hockey Championship Monday night at M&T Bank Arena. Fairfield Prep, the state’s most decorated program with 19 titles and making its 24th appearance in the final, arrived with its own compelling arc. After a sluggish 1–4 start, the Jesuits surged to 16 wins and returned to the championship stage for the first time since 2023, chasing a 20th crown. 

New Canaan struck first, just 33 seconds into the second period with Prep answering midway through the frame to knot the game at 1–1. The Rams dictated much of the play, outshooting the Jesuits 22–8 over the first two periods. Only a stellar 23‑save performance from the Prep goaltender kept the game tight.  The third period opened with Fairfield Prep firing the first five shots, but New Canaan’s goalie—steady all night with 16 saves—held the line. And with the tension rising and the decades of frustration hanging in the air, the Rams delivered. 

The Jesuits came out aggressively in the third period, firing the first five shots, but New Canaan goalie held firm. That set the stage for the Rams late heroics with a late third period goal and a final dagger into the empty net with only 8 seconds remaining.

After more than five decades of waiting, the Rams finally reached the summit—turning years of near-misses, heartbreaks, and what-ifs into a long-awaited championship moment.

 Theatre 308:  Student Creativity at Darien High School

For decades, Theatre 308 has been one of Darien High School’s most vibrant student‑run organizations. The troupe mounts three major productions each year—a straight play, a full musical, and a student‑directed one‑act festival—while offering hands‑on training in every aspect of the theatrical world. Students learn performance, design, stagecraft, promotion, and management, gaining real experience in what it takes to bring a show from script to stage.

⭐ Recent Productions

Almost, Maine

The group’s fall production, Almost, Maine by John Cariani, charmed audiences with its blend of whimsy and emotional truth. The play unfolds through nine short vignettes set in a mythical northern town where love, heartbreak, and magical realism mingle under the glow of the aurora borealis. Since premiering in 2004, Almost, Maine has become one of the most frequently produced plays in the United States—an ideal vehicle for young actors to explore character, connection, and comedic timing.

The Lightning Thief

Theatre 308 just successfully finished a modern favorite: The Lightning Thief, based on Rick Riordan’s bestselling novels. The story follows twelve‑year‑old Percy Jackson, who suffers from both ADHD and dyslexia, and is on the verge of being expelled from boarding school again. But academic trouble quickly becomes the least of his worries. Mythological monsters and Greek gods begin appearing in his everyday life, and Percy soon discovers he’s at the center of a divine crisis: Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Along the way, Percy must confront the father who abandoned him, decipher the Oracle’s ominous warning of betrayal, and uncover a conspiracy more dangerous than the gods themselves.