People Finally Getting Together Again
After a long year of masks and quarantines, people are once again back together.
Benny Bruno and Mike Lopriore recently drove up to Myrtle Beach for some golf with Dick Costello and Navy friends.
As Mike said: "Great golf courses, good food, and we even had a few beverages."
Amen to that.
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Summer Wing-Ding
Some DHS Classmates got together at a party at Patty Mazza's house this summer.
Around the table are Christy Farrington, Nancy and Steve Verses, George Farrington, Mark Tinker, Dick Costello, Patty Mazza and Dave Lynch.
Behind the camera is Kathy 'Skins" Strachan.
Keep the good times and pictures coming!
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Darien`s Post 53 has received a $20,500 grant. It will be used to install and configure a new network infrastructure along with integrated computer hardware and software. Officials say the new technology will help Post 53 educate, communicate and manage the organization more efficiently.
“The new technology is a gamechanger for us,” Post 53 Director said in a statement. “We are so fortunate to have these new systems in place that are providing us with better tools with which to train our students and run our programs more efficiently while handling our town’s emergencies.”
Darien EMS-Post 53 was recently presented the 2021 National EMS Award of Excellence. It handles about 1,600 emergency calls a year, while providing nearly 100 high school students annually with the opportunity to serve their community and become state-licensed Emergency Medical .
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Wave Beat Newtown
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Darien No. 1 in CT Football
The Blue Wave continue to dazzle on the football field. The team is currently undefeated and rolling up impressive scores. In Week 3, Darien faced one of their tougher opponents this year in Newtown. The Nighthawks from Newtown won the last football game played in 2019, winning the Class LL Championship in dramatic fashion against Darien.
This was Darien’s first chance at payback. Despite a great start from Newton, Darien prevailed 27-14.
In Week 4, Darien blew away Norwich Free Academy by the lopsided score of 49-7.
Next up is Wilton HS, one of the few Saturday afternoon games on the schedule.
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The Noroton Heights of Darien is currently undergoing a major facelift. It is hard to believe Benny’s restaurant has been gone over 12 years. Ida Vavala’s Deli is still there, although it was recently slammed by high waters from a recent storm.
The local Stop and Shop, down the street from Bob Ierardi’s house, has been ripped down and is being crafted into a multi-use property called the Darien Commons.
Of the 14 new stores to occupy the property, the developers have announced a nail salon Glosslab, a coffee shop Gregory’s, an Italian ristorante Molto and an ice cream shop.
Additionally, there will be 120 new apartments available at this site.
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Darien XC
The Blue Wave XC team opened the fall season September 14 at Staples with a meet that also included Norwalk and perennial favorite Danbury.
The results of the boys 5000m event had Staples with the low score of 27 followed by Danbury (49) and Darien (56). Darien best finish was 4th with a time of 17:12.
For the girls, Darien also finished third with a score of 58. Darien’s best female finish was 2nd with a time of 17:00 for a 4400m course.
On September 18 Darien participated in the 32nd Wilton XC Invitational held at Allen’s Meadow. Of the 17 teams entered, Darien boys finished a distant 9th place. Darien’s best time for the 3.1 mile course was 17:23. The winning time was 16:06. Staples came away with the overall win.
In the most recent event, Darien faced off against Ridgefield, McMahon, and St. Joseph. The 4000m course saw Darien easily win this race. Darien had 7 runners cross the finish line in front of the other schools.
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Darien’s K-12 schools have again been ranked, this time by a data analysis company called Niche. The company examines a variety of criteria including teachers, academics, and diversity. They also decreased the importance of testing scores such as the SAT and ACT tests.
Darien came in third overall in the state. The best of the local schools receiving an A+ were Tokeneke Elementary, Middlesex Middle School and the Darien High School.
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Darien P&Z has recently approved the restaurant Crepes Coupette on the Post Road. The Darien location would be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. It will be a cafe and retail store that sells a mix of sweet and savory crepes, coffee and traditional French cider.
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Darien Stop and Shop Slammed by Ida
The Stop and Shop at the Goodwives Shopping Center was closed for 10 days as the supermarket struggled to bounce back from Hurrican Ida. Damages to the building and grocery items was extensive.
Talk about clean-up on Aisle 2
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Legendary singer Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941.
Along with his group The Pinetoppers, Redding played small shows down south before performing at the popular LA night club Whisky a Go Go. Foreign tours followed with concerts in London, Paris and other major cities. Otis also performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
Shortly before his death in a plane crash at just 26, Redding wrote and recorded his most famous song "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". The whistling at the end of the song was never intended to be part of the final version. Otis was also know for the hit “Try a Little Tenderness”
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Pear Tree Beach
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Tropical storm Ida barreled through Darien last Wednesday dropping nearly 9 inches of rain.
Many trees and power lines were down, travel around town became impossible and 2 people were rescued from vehicles.
Around 350 homes lost their power. The town’s two public beaches are closed for swimming on both Thursday and Friday due to the heavy rains and Metro North had to halt service.
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Darien Post Road Underpass
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‘Iron’ Mike Tyson recently came to Darien to help promote a virtual training program for athletes with disabilities.
Dynamic Athletics, located at 390 Post Road, is holding live classes. With the recent pandemic, it decided to also have online programs.
“The thought was why don’t we really try to do what we’re doing in a live class twice a week with something that can reach everyone,” said Bill Gallagher, Dynamic Athletics owner and SAWAH cofounder, who offered to share his gym space for the group’s online venture.
SAWAH is a Darien-based nonprofit venture centered on providing fitness training for people with special abilities.
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The Darien Bicentennial Celebration Committee is looking for aspiring actors to take part in the staging of two local events of the American Revolution - to bring the town's history to life.
The events are of the Tory raids on both the Middlesex Meeting House and the Mather Homestead - both properties in town.
Auditions will be August 28 from 1 to 3 pm at the First Congregational Church of Darien. All volunteers age 12 and older can audition for either speaking or nonspeaking roles.
The reenactments will be part of the town's Heritage Day happening, an all day event on October 23 (rain date October 24). The festivities will be held at the Museum of Darien, the Congregational Church and the Mather Homestead to celebrate the town's 200th birthday.
For more information contact: info.darien2020@gmail.com
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Filming of Netflix's 'Noel Diary' moves to Darien
The Netflix film producers are using two locations in Darien for their upcoming holiday movie. A unique log cabin home on Christie Hill Road was chosen to play a rustic dwelling, and the DCA’s historic building and grounds on Middlesex Road were used as a base camp for the production team, as well as some interior shooting.
Filming has taken place in about 15 different locations around the area, including New Canaan, Southport, Stamford and Westport, where the production team was camped in the parking lot of the Westport Country Playhouse for several weeks.
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DHS Class of 1970 'Fired Up' For Their 50th Reunion
The Darien High Class of 1970 were not able to hold their true 50th reunion last year of course, but decided to have a "two-fer" - a 50 and 51st. Or, their 50 + 1 Year Reunion.
Events will unfold on Friday, October 29 at the Piedmont, then Saturday at Wee Burn CC and Sunday at Weed Beach.
Check out the website here Class of 1970
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DHS Class of 1974 Scholarship Fund
For the 23rd year, the Darien High School Class of 1974 has once again presented scholarships to graduating seniors. Eight students received $5,000 checks each toward their college education.
Raising $40,000 was a record for this class that has given over $300,000 since they began their Memorial Scholarship in 1999.
Debbie Horan Ferrer helped spearhead the effort to remember those classmates they have lost.
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DHS Students Pick Town's Best Pizza Slice
In a recent article in the Darien High school newspaper Neirad, two DHS students set about to rate the town’s top pizza slices.
In first place was Papa Joe’s, located on the Post Road near the old Puritan. The students claim the sauce was sweet and tangy, the cheese melted in your mouth, and the crust had a solid crisp to it. The restaurant was given an overall rating of 7.2
The second-place finisher (and the webmeisters personal favorite) is Post Corner Pizza. The pizza was described in the Neirad article as a classic square slice with a doughy, chewy, Greek style crust. What upset the student reviewers was that the mozzarella cheese topping kept sliding off the crust. The rating here was 6.9
Heights Pizza was rated 6.1. While a town favorite, the pizza crust was good crispy, but the cheese and the sauce are fairly mediocre.
Last in the pizza group is Planet Pizza at 882 Post Road. The students described the slices as ‘average’, with the cheese and crust usually being under cooked. This restaurant received a 5.1 rating.
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Eric Joosten's garden getting ready to sprout fresh vegetables for summer. Located at Old King's Highway and Corbin Drive, it is a Darien landmark for vegetables, flowers and honey.
And yes, those are golf club shafts.
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Dave Jefferson
1951-2021
A moving tribute from his hometown paper
Click Summit Daily
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The Darien High Class of 1971 is full speed ahead with this year’s 50th anniversary from graduation. The event is planned for October 15-17, with the main event on Saturday to be held at the Darien Country Club.
The class website, darienhs1971.com, is worth visiting. Their feature, “Share Your Creative Expressions,” displays the artistic works from many talented classmates. Additionally, the class seeks assistance in locating some missing folks.
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Picture from Pear Tree Beach posted on Facebook
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Hard to Believe
Two Years since our 50th Reunion !
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Post 50th Reunion Get-Together
Great shot of classmates Kenny Peliksza, Mike 'Lope' Lopriore, Dick Costello, and Ben Bruno in Jacksonville. Nobody mentioned any golf scores but all were sad to see former Jax resident Paul Hepp leave for Texas.
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Go Team!
We know things are rough right now. So who better than some cheerleaders to keep up our spirits to finish the fight!
Front row left to right:
Anahid Kavookjian, Josie Mullen, Joni Dobson
Back row left to right:
Sue Geiger, Sharon Denunzio, Cinny Cobb, Sue Perschino, Peggy McNeil, Sue Venarde
Sandy Young, Carol Ann Augustus
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Mardie Porter shares her winter adventure:
Another ski adventure! Three days at the Appalachian Mountain Club Lodge “Gorman Chairback”. We left home when the temp was a freezing -14 below. We trekked eight mile to the lodge as temperatures warmed to near 17 degrees.
The second day was on snowshoe on back-country trails. Day 3 we skied back out to our cars on a glorious day, with temps above freezing!!!
Sounds like a ball!
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Steve and Patti Craig did well in their apple orchard this fall. They report harvesting over 20 bushels of apples. (Note: 1 bushel = 48 pounds). The Craigbo Cider Co. made 16 gallons of unadulterated apple cider, while also donating apples to a local farmer and food pantry.
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The Big 5-0
Reunion Central
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Check Out the Photo Album page with Pictures from all 3 Nights
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Send Us Your Pictures
From Our 50th!
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Chris Eng Leventhal, Kate Mason Gredinger, Sue Geiger Johanson
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Benny Bruno, Mark Tinker, Gary Gibbs
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Folks From Hindley School
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Sue Venarde Mahoney, Sue Geiger, Anahid
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Thomas Lane and Edward Tyler
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Upload by going to the Photo Album tab on left side
or send them to tapotts@darkfield.com or johndvdh@gmail.com
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Georgianna Smith Bloom, Rick Bloom, Tom Lane
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Charlie Smith and Lauren Fair
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Carol Ann Augustus Summers and Bev Bonfoey
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Patti Shaw Craig and Mardie Porter
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Mark Paddock, Dennis Sullivan, Sue Venardi Mahoney, Janet Martin Fisher, Martyn Goossen, Kathy DelleFontane Goossen, Steve Craig
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Dave Lynch, Barb and Jim Tully
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Cliff Powell, Gork Boneman, Sandy McGill
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Chris Eng Leventhal, Dennis Sullivan, Patti Shaw Craig, Dick Costello
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Rick Weber, Chris Weber, Eric Joosten, Paul Hendrickson
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Josie Mullen and Lauren Fair
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Peter Johnson, Paul Dominis, Paul Buckley, Carolyn Johnson
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Sue Geiger, Anahid Kavookjian Vrana, Ann Back Price
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Josie Mullen and James Tully
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Dick Costello and Rick Poccia
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Janet Martin Fisher and Sally Armus Shutts
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Charlie Smith, Bill Guptill, Kathy Strachan
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Tom Lane, Stu Traver, Jay Baker, David Miller
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Bruce Frail, Eric Joosten, Vandy Van Wagener
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Sue Venarde Mahoney, Kathy DelleFontane Goossen, Marty Goossen, Ed Tyler
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Gary Gibbs and Chris Bischof
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Our Schedule of Events
Friday
The Goose Restaurant at 7:00 pm.
Cash Bar, Refreshments, Free Appetizers
Saturday
Breakfast at the Sugar Bowl
A golf outing at Ridgefield CC 11:00
Main Event at Tokeneke Club
6:00-11:00
Dinner and music at the Tokeneke Club
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Sunday
Weed Beach Paddle Pavillion
Lunch and refreshments
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| Pete White |
Dave Terry |
| Claudia Smith Davenport |
Kathy DelleFontane Goossen |
| Dennis Gavin |
Pete Johnson |
| Rick Poccia |
Janet Martin Fisher |
| Mark Beckwith |
Anita Conway |
| Bruce Frail |
Paul Dominis |
| Patty Mazza Sturges |
Sue Dickman Klein |
| Sally Armus |
Christy Rodgers |
| Mardi Porter |
Ed Tyler |
| Bill Guptill |
Mark Blackman |
| Georgiana Smith Bloom |
Kate Mason Gredinger |
| Pete Franklin |
Gary Gibbs |
| Tom Lane |
Billy Harper |
| Anahid Kavoojian Vrana |
Dave Lynch |
| Lauren Fair |
Jimmy Valente |
| Tim Potts |
Casey Nickerson |
| Suzanne Nikola Baldino |
John van den Heuvel |
| Jim Morrison |
Chris Bischof |
| Josie Mullen |
Paul Buckley |
| Johnny Maul |
Skip Kennedy |
| Bev Bonfoey |
Barb Thorne |
| Marni Kent Hansell |
Bob Mercer |
| Bob Ierardi |
Eric Joosten |
| Dennis Sullivan |
Tom Milek |
| Gary Swartz |
Dave Miller |
| Steve Verses |
Jay Baker |
| Cliff Powell |
Ann Back Price |
| Steve and Patti Craig |
Anne Marie McGarry |
| Vandy Van Wagener |
Bill Schade |
| George Farrington |
Todd and Martha Robbins |
| Rick Weber |
Jane Seyferth |
| Sue Venarde Mahoney |
Mark Tinker |
| Joan Dobson Glazebrook |
Paul Hendrickson |
| Sandy McGill |
Ted Vanech |
| Jim Tully |
Stu Traver |
| Dick Costello |
Mike Lopriore |
| Charlie Smith |
Chris Eng Leventhal |
| Jane Genster |
John Wuerthner |
| Carol Ann Augustus Summers |
Anne Irvine |
| Ken Broska |
Paul Hepp |
| Dave Jefferson |
Sue Geiger |
| Allison Poccia |
Joanne Schoepf Reisser |
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| Benny Bruno |
Kyle Hepp |
| Kathy Strachan |
Pam Burkhardt Mele |
| Peter Scholtz |
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Comments from Class Members!
Mary Bass Brown: Have fun everyone! Enjoy - post pictures.....lot's of pictures!
Anna Lamberton Whelpley: So sorry to be missing this great time😫Have a blast!
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Be sure to say "Hello" in the Guest Book section!
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Important Contact Info
Where to send Classmate info : darienhs1969@gmail.com
Where to update your profile and see classmate's info: www.50thdarienhigh69.com
Where to post your pictures: On Facebook, join
Darien High School Class of '69 members group
Thanks, and see you soon!
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Christy Rogers on the Camino de Santiago
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Pete White
Thanks for the Update!
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Joanne Schoepf Reisser
Thanks for the Update!
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We Thank the DHS 1969 Classmates Who Served
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Mike Lopriore and Paul Hepp get together in Jacksonville, FL.
Hey, where's the invite? It's freezing up here!
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Vandy Van Wagener - Good to hear from you!
Thanks for the Update.
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Anne Marie McGarry
Thanks for Your Update!
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Deb Ridabock preps for the end of summer
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Greetings Anahid!
Great to Hear from You
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Hot Fun in the Summertime
The perils of missing class on senior 'Skip' Day
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George Wehmann's Pontiac Super Chief
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Mary Grace Joynt and Suzanne Ferree
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Terry Cummings, Tim Maul, Cliff Powell
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Tina Rollins McKay in Bali
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George Farrington, Mark Tinker and Jay Baker
Photo by George Wehmann
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Shot of trip out west during summer of '69 when we hitchhiked to California. Mark Tinker's dad bought us the car to roam around California and back to CT. Thought I lost this. Great memories from that trip. Those were the days! -George Wehmann
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The names just keep on coming in!
(starting bottom left): Chris Garr, Ellen Johnson, Martha Whelan, Jane Hindenlang
Sue Dickman, Kathy McIntyre, Pam Burkhart Melee, Co Koppert (Young LIfe)
Bobby Grant, Kathy Fricke, Jackie Fitzpatrick, MaryLou Sivos
Heidi Gerber
Carol Augustus Summers, Anna Lamberton, Louis Belfour, Sara Schyler
Man in hat- L. (Ron) Hubbard, the kid on far right with hood is Mardie Porter's brother, Clark Porter
The guy near top row hat and glasses: Middlesex science teacher "Booger" Bates
Right Center back row: The man in the hat and woman next to him-
Mr and Mrs Hendrickson (Paul's parents)!
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Darien XC
The Blue Wave XC team opened the fall season September 14 at Staples with a meet that also included Norwalk and perennial favorite Danbury.
The results of the boys 5000m event had Staples with the low score of 27 followed by Danbury (49) and Darien third (56).
Darien best finisher was 4th with a time of 17:12.
For the girls, Darien also finished third with a score of 58. Darien’s best female finish was 2nd with a time of 17:00 for a 4400m course.
On September 18 Darien participated in the 32nd Wilton XC Invitational Event held at Allen’s Meadow. Of the 17 teams entered, Darien boys finished in a distant 9th place. Darien’s best team for the 3.1 mile course was 15 with a time of 17:23. The winning time was 16:06. Staples came away with the overall win.
In the most recent event, Darien faced off against Ridgefield, McMahon, and St. Joseph. The 4000m course saw Darien easily win this race. Darien had 7 runners cross the finish line in front of the other schools.
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