Darien High School Principal Ellen Dunn has announced the recipients of the 2022 Connecticut Association of Schools Arts Awards.
The recipients, who are high school seniors, will be honored at the Association’s 27th Annual High School Awards Banquet in April.
Recipients are Cosmo Amatruda for Music and Performing Arts and Thomas Cleary for Visual Arts.
At Home In Darien supplies Valentine’s Day gift bags
The non-profit At Home In Darien recently partnered with other local organizations to show Darien’s seniors some love by creating and delivering more than 40 Valentine’s Day gift bags filled with cards, crafts, tea and word search books.
Methodist Family Center preschoolers made Valentine’s Day cards, while students at Ox Ridge School Kids Care Club made cards and Hootie the Owl Valentine’s Day crafts.
Volunteers from At Home In Darien and Neighborly Missions of the Darien United Methodist Church delivered the bags. At Home in Darien is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping seniors live independently, comfortably and with dignity in their own homes and in the community for as long as possible.
Gina Blum, Managing Director of At Home in Darien, explained the importance of a multi-generational community to more than 60 students.
To learn more or to connect with seniors in the community, contact At home in Darien at 203-655-2227 or through the organization’s website at athomeindarien.org.
Talk about the move at the Darien Library
A virtual discussion on housing for an aging population will take place at the Darien Library on Wednesday at 7pm.
Registration is possible on the library’s website darienlibrary.org/event/5595.
The program focuses on whether a “forever” home should be forever and whether it makes sense to stay in a home or move when you are old.
Participants will also learn what questions to ask and what aspects to consider when making future housing decisions.
Liz Rolle, owner of Senior Conceirge Services, will moderate the discussion. Founded in 2018, the company serves customers throughout lower Fairfield County and Westchester County, NY. Services include meal prep, tidying up and grocery shopping.
Self-defense course for women
A virtual self-defense course for women will be held at the Darien Library on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Registration is possible at darienlibrary.org/event/5593.
Sifu Elliot Leung, owner of Club Kung Fu in Stamford, will teach basic striking techniques and escape tactics from everyday situational threats. The goal is to get women home safely and not to fight, he said.
Students will learn how to effectively use their hands, elbows, and knees to convince an attacker that they are not a target and learn how to escape from various holds and chokes they might encounter.
Leung’s formal Wing Tsun training began in the early 1970’s with Sifi Peter Chow on Atlantic Street in Stamford. Later in college he learned the Tang Soo Do martial arts exercise. From 2002 he also studied with Alex Richter.
Leung previously achieved the rank of Wing Tsun Technician (2) and was able to start his own school, Club Kung Fu, at 1016 Hope St.
DHS students deliver Science Splash Lectures
A virtual science lecture with two students from the Darien High School Science Honor Society is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Darien Library.
Registration is possible at darienlibrary.org/event/5606.
Two juniors, Avery Horn and Safay Salman, will lead the program. Both are involved in the school’s authentic scientific research program.
Horn, who is passionate about biomedical science, plans to study medicine and do research in the future. She is involved with the Darien Welfare Group and the high school literary magazine Current.
Salman takes an Advanced Placement chemistry class at school and has been researching muscle rehabilitation since he started his sophomore year.
The lecture is part of a series held by students and hosted by the library.
The next topic is biomedicine. There will also be presentations on Using the Immune System to Fight Cancer and The Muscle Rehabilitation Process.
Cookbook authors focus on eggs
A virtual program on cooking with eggs with cookbook authors Lisa Steele and Bruce Weinstein is scheduled for Thursday at 7pm in association with the Darien Library, the Hotchkiss Library and the Essex Public Library.
Registration is possible at darienlibrary.org/event/5555.
Steele, who lives on a farm in Maine and had a previous career on Wall Street, is the author of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. She is a fifth generation chicken farmer and the author of five books on chickens and poultry farming.
Weinstein is a food podcaster.
Participants will learn recipes, tips and tricks for expanding eggs beyond the usual fried and stirred breakfast dishes. It discusses why eggs should never be salted before cooking, how eggs are best hard boiled so they are easy to peel, why cold egg whites should never be beaten, eggs should be separated while still cold, and why yolks should be eaten.
The program will also discuss the use of goose, quail, duck and turkey eggs and their replacements in cooking and baking.
Darien Volunteer Celebration scheduled for April 21st
The Community Fund of Darien hosts its annual volunteer celebration on April 21 to honor the volunteers and their work throughout the community.
To nominate an unsung volunteer, fill out a form below flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTQyMjIy.
The event is made possible by real estate firm Brown Harris Stevens, insurance company Cross Private Client and the non-profit Darien Community Association.
Experts discuss child limits
Darien’s Thriving Youth Task Force, along with experts from the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut and Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, will present a free virtual workshop, “Creating a Family Frame: How to Set the Boundaries Your Child Needs to Thrive,” at 7 p.m March 9 via Zoom.
Registration is required and possible at communityfunddarien.org/tytf-programs-and-events.html.
Participants will be able to navigate challenging conversations and situations around independence and substance use.
Book Club Reads “Scarlet Letter”
Mather Homestead American literary guru Samantha Gault will discuss Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter in the drawing room of the Mather Homestead at 19 Stephen Mather Road on Wednesday at 7pm.
To register for the free event, email [email protected]. The book is available from the Barrett Bookstore, 6 Corbin Drive, Darien and Elm Street Books, 35 Elm St., New Canaan.
Poke flowers workshop set
The Darien Community Association is hosting a flower arrangement workshop on May 23rd.
It is directed by Darien resident Allie Callan, a floral designer in the New York Botanical Garden’s certificate program.
DCA accepts clothing donations
The Darien Community Association’s Thrift Shop at 996 Post Road accepts donations of distressed clothing, particularly prom dresses.
For more information visit dariendca.org/thrift-shop.
