Darien Times 20th Anniversary section

The DARIEN TIMESRIEN TIMESRIEN20��

��

by Susan ShultzTimes Editor

The Darien Times has been in the news reporting business for 20 years. And therefore it made sense for the paper to report to twins Logan and Patrick McGowan, now 25, that they were on the paper’s first front page in 1993.

The McGowan twins appeared on the paper’s front page enjoying the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival, an event that is still going strong today. The pumpkin carnival was cel-ebrated this year on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Logan told The Darien Times it was only recently he realized he was on the paper’s front page, after he was contacted.

“I was five years old, it’s tough to remember as a small child,” he said.

He said he remembers enjoying the carnival with his brother for many years grow-ing up in Darien, as they lived near the school.

Logan attended Tokeneke School for kindergarten and then Plumfield School, which later became the private Pear Tree Point School, through fifth grade. He attended Middlesex Middle School in Darien and

then Canterbury School, a boarding day school. He then attended Trinity College in Hartford.

Currently he lives in Danbury where he pursues a variety of volunteering oppor-tunities, including helping can-cer patients and working at an animal shelter.

Logan praised his home town to The Darien Times.

“My mom lives in Rowayton now, but I liked it a lot. It’s a beautiful town, and it’s cool it is on the water,” Logan said.

“It’s got beautiful homes and a lot of scenic views, and a lot of really nice and talented people. I’m lucky I was able to grow up there,” he said.

Logan said he has great

Page one brothers today:

Appreciate their hometown, paper

20202020202020��

20��

��

Above, Patrick, left, and Logan McGowan today, and at left, as they appeared on the front page of the first Darien Times in 1993.

Laureen Vellante /Darien Times

The Fourth of July Push-n-Pull parade in 2009.

About the 20th Anniversary section:

As we approached The Darien Times’ 20th anniversary, we pondered our history.

To some, 20 years may not seem like a long time. But given what has been achieved in that 20 years, and what has changed about the publishing industry and the economy, it is something to celebrate.

The Darien Times began in a town that had a long-standing, well-known neighbor-hood newspaper. Success in an endeavor such as newspaper publishing is tough enough, but to start from scratch against well-established competition loomed ahead as quite a challenge.

And The Times began as it sought to go on, focusing on its own excellence, not concerning itself with what others were doing. The best benchmark for perfor-mance was against itself from the begin-ning.

There was no competition, there was only providing the community of Darien the best source of community news it could put forward.

And that standard of excellence earned results.

This section examines the origins of that success, with former editors and staffers contributing their thoughts and feelings during the fledgeling newspaper process. It

See Page One on page 2D

See About on page 11DAbove, Patrick, left, and Logan McGowan today, and at left, as they appeared on the front page of the first Darien Times in 1993.

THE DARIEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

The first issue of The Darien Times on Oct. 21, 1993

The Darien Times

The early yearsby Linda Brooks

Darien Times Editor 1993 — 2004

What a strange moment it was for me, sitting on a folding chair in an empty office on Corbin Drive, contemplating a start-up newspaper in my hometown, with my about-to-be employers from the New Canaan Advertiser.

Here I was, just blocks from where my newspaper career had begun — at the old Darien Review on West Avenue — and I was being offered the job of editor of The Darien Times. The year was 1993.

It was exciting and scary. Could a new newspaper be successful in this town? Could it hold its own or be bet-ter than the very substantial Darien News-Review, which had acquired the Darien Review years earlier? Could I do my part to pull it off?

The Hersam family, publishers of the New Canaan Advertiser, were persuasive, especially Marty Hersam, the 27-year-old son who was to be publisher of this new venture. The

Hersams had a solid advertising base in Darien and had gathered together a local advisory committee, excited about the prospect of a Darien News-Review competitor.

I had to decide whether to leave my job as business editor of The Hour in Norwalk. After being a reporter for five years at the Darien Review, I had worked as a copy editor, bureau chief and editor for the Westchester Business Journal and the Connecticut Business Journal. I was 54 years old. What if the newspaper failed?

But I took the job, and it was the best decision of my career.

Plans were to launch the newspa-per in October, just a few weeks away. We had to hire staff, make contacts, and set up the office. Before the first issue, we had to contact everyone who might be news sources to let them know about our entry into the market. Each day more press releases began to roll in and the phone started

See The Darien Times on page 2D

to ring. It was starting to feel like a newspaper.

Finding an assistant editor was the number one priority and here we really lucked out. John Kovach, a colleague of mine from the Hour let me know he was interested. We didn’t really know each other - he was in sports, I was in business - but during the interview we both began to sense that the relationship could work.

Four months after the launch, we discovered a reporter — Brian Gioiele, a real pro. Between the three of us, plus Richard Osborn, the sports editor, we gained confi-dence. My husband George threw himself into the effort as well, offer-ing suggestions, being a sounding board and developing what he called “power bases” for the news-paper. Soon George became our official photographer, and would drop everything to cover spot news and events.

Brooks Community Newspaper, publisher of the Darien News-Review, was a powerful adversary. In terms of editorial personnel, the News-Review had a much larger staff and was well known in the community. The newspaper was known for its arts and entertainment coverage and had a strong advertis-ing base with several newspapers in its chain.

Our philosophy: Be visible. Since we were the new guys, we had to be seen, not only covering town meetings, but going to politi-cal gatherings, fireworks, Memorial Day ceremonies. Our reporters were there — not just a photographer.

Having a storefront location was a big help. We got to chat with everyone who came in with press releases. We inserted coloring con-tests in the newspaper, which drew in more residents and we plastered our front windows with Halloween pumpkins and Easter bunnies.

To promote good community relations, we started Thursday edi-torial meetings at the Sugar Bowl, inviting anyone in town to join us for coffee. This often generated story ideas that we wouldn’t have heard

about otherwise. Maybe every town has a Walter

Casey, an avid letter writer who fre-quently went beyond the bounds of good taste, while still being a keen observer of the political scene. At the time of our start-up, the other newspaper refused to run Walter’s letters. We ran them, with occa-sional deletions, and came face to face with a lot of criticism, which culminated in a face-off between the two newspapers, promoted by the League of Women Voters. Walter,

of course, was in the front row. We stuck by our guns, based on free-dom of speech.

Our motto was to work hard but have fun, despite the long hours, tedious board meetings, production pressures and computer problems.

Over the years we had wonder-ful staff, including reporter and later editor Patrick Barnard, Janet Grogan, who was far more than a copy editor, production chief Bonnie Orgovan and our real estate maven, Margaret Sedlak.

When I retired in 2004, The Darien Times had consistently won awards in the New England Press Association’s annual competition. Especially memorable was our first place prize for coverage of the ter-rorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. Our reporters and photographer were there at the railroad station to inter-view the first commuters to emerge from New York City, some still dusted with ash.

Name: Austin AmorosoDates: General assignment reporter from April 2006 to June 2009Now: San Francisco, Calif., digital marketing for Rovi Consumer web division — SideReel.com,Thoughts: “The Darien Times was the first stop in my career, and I will always cherish my time there. I am indebted to my editors and fellow reporters from whom I learned everything I know about writing and covering news. Darien will always be a special place to me with plen-ty of memories — from the late nights at Town Hall to the

early mornings at The Sugar Bowl, I’ll never forget it.”

Where are they now?

The Darien Times — the early years

memories of reading The Darien Times.“I remember I wouldn’t’ read it from

cover to cover, but I would read it every Thursday. I always looked for the sports section. It’s a great paper,” Logan said.

Like his brother Logan, Patrick, also featured on the first front page, only recently realized they featured in the inaugural issue.

“It’s definitely special,” Patrick said. “I can’t believe it has been 20 years.”

He also has fond memories of the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival.

“We lived right in the neighborhood and it was definitely an event we went to every year. Great rides and food,” Patrick said, adding he was glad to hear the event is still being held.

Patrick went to Tokeneke School and then Brunswick School in Greenwich. He also attended Deerfield Academy and graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 2011.

Patrick currently lives in the west village of New York City and works at Credit Suisse as an investment banker.

“I moved to New York City right after school,” he said.

Patrick says he gets back to Darien a lot.

“A lot of my really close friends still live there. I’m back all the time — for the Turkey Bowl, Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he said.

Patrick said he likes to visit his old favorite hang-outs like The Goose and Ernie’s.

As for growing up in Darien, he “loved it.”

“It’s a great place for kids. It gives you the right amount of shelter and protec-

tion for the more dangerous aspects of society but at the same time, it’s not too sheltered,” he said.

“We still go roughed up in a good healthy way — like a pick-up football game in the back yard. It was a regular American upbringing,” he said.

Like his brother, Patrick also has fond memories of reading The Darien Times.

“My favorite parts were the sports section — and the police blotter,” he said, laughing.

“I think the publishing industry is difficult, but I’ve always read The Darien Times first and foremost. I wasn’t picking up the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times,” he said.

“You want to know what’s going on in the immediate vicinity before anywhere else. It’s awesome,” he [email protected]

Page one brothers today

Above, a view of Manhattan’s billowing smoke across Noroton Bay on Sept. 11, 2001 - Darien Times/George Brooks - and at right, Linda and George Brooks today. — George Brooks / The Darien Times

Austin Amoroso

20��

��

D THE DARIEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

Continued from page 1D

Continued from page 1D

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

A

by David DesRochesTimes Assistant Editor

Chief Hugh McManus Jr. saw a lot during his four decades on the Darien Police force. As a captain, he sat in on the twice-weekly police reports with press, acting as conduit of information from the depart-ment to the public. As a chief, he presided over one of the longest manhunts in town his-tory, which ended with Darien officers traveling to Europe to arrest a fugitive who had been at large for nearly a decade.

As a patrolman in the late 1960s, McManus walked the beat without a radio. Instead, he and other officers would find a call box fixed on a tele-

phone poll and check in with the station every half hour. If they didn’t call, it “would be a problem,” he said.

“Back in those days, when you stopped a car, you didn’t know if it was a stolen car or if someone was wanted,” McManus told The Darien Times. “Today, every patrol officer has that information instantly available to them.”

McManus served as chief of police from the year The Times was founded — 1993 — to 2005. For years, there was only one newspaper in town, which went through various name changes and ownership before being bought by Hearst Corporation. The Darien Times remains a family owned

business, with the founders still actively involved today. McManus said the police have always had a good relationship with news media, even when competition came along.

“I never recall any bad vibes one way or another,” he said. “We pretty much gave you whatever you needed. We withheld very little.”

When McManus was a patrolman, there were no copy or fax machines. When an offi-cer worked the midnight shift patrolling the Heights (which was considered a more quiet beat), that officer was respon-sible for typing up the “hot sheet.” This was a list of vehi-cles reported stolen. McManus said he would have to use four pieces of carbon paper behind a regular sheet on a typewriter and manually enter the license plates.

“I can’t remember ever find-ing a car that was stolen using this method,” he recalled.

Gone are the days of type-writers and carbon paper, much to many police officers’ likely delight. Technology and communication were two things that evolved exponen-tially during McManus’s tenure as chief. In 1993, the Internet was still in its infancy. As years went on and computers became an omnipresent fact of life, crimes also evolved.

So-called “cyber-crimes” began to show up on police radar — crimes such as email scams, computer hacking and identity theft started to take an ever-growing chunk out of the police force’s time. Seeing the change, McManus sent officers to learn about these new trends through training seminars and classes.

Today, police are also more connected to what’s happening with the town’s young people — an occurrence McManus credited to current Chief Duane Lovello’s efforts.

One thing that hasn’t

changed much since his time as chief is the infamous crime that Darien is known for — burglaries of unlocked cars.

“It’s always been a problem,” he said. “People have just got to be aware that there are peo-ple out there looking for crimes of opportunity.”

The chief noted that during his time, there seemed to be more residential burglaries than today. Sometimes, the intruder would break in while people were at home.

“I think that was our biggest concern, residential burglaries,” he said, adding that one year his department responded to 125 home break-ins.

A few notable crimes hap-pened while McManus was on the force. He was a lieutenant the 1987 for the case involving Patrick Campbell, a young man who was convicted of blud-geoning his parents to death with a hatchet and sledgeham-mer and setting them on fire in their backyard, reportedly because his parents wouldn’t pay certain medical bills or cover the cost of a telephone call. Campbell was caught in Kent, Conn., after a chase involving police cars and an airplane found him in a stolen car with his girlfriend.

The former chief said that case was by far the most grue-some he has ever seen. He also

was there during the manhunt for Alex Kelly, the convicted rapist who fled to Europe before his 1987 trial only to be extradited from Switzerland in 1995. Reports showed that Kelly’s parents financed him while he was on the lam in Europe, after state police found photos of him with his parents in Europe in 1995. Obstruction charges were never filed against his parents.

“That was probably the first time in the history of the department where we went out of country to bring someone back,” McManus said.

Kelly served 10 years of his 17-year prison sentence, being released in 2007 for good behavior.

Being a good cop takes the same basic skill set it did two decades ago, McManus said, but the opportunities for police to learn and improve are much more readily available than before.

“I think today you have more support,” he said. They are “certainly more informed [and] more prepared to meet some of the challenges.”

McManus’s father, Hugh McManus Sr., was also chief in of police in Darien, serving from 1967 to 1971. One piece of advice his dad gave him is still relevant today, he said.

“You want to treat people

like the way you’d want mem-bers of your family to be treat-ed,” he said. “It’s simple but important advice that I never lost track of.”

When asked if he could offer any advice to local media, he said it’s important to ask questions.

“You need to do your job, and you need to be enthusias-tic about it,” he said.

McManus also noted that he is “extremely proud” of the Darien Police Department, and that his proudest accomplish-ment was helping to choose the men and women who continue to serve on the force today.

“I’m quite pleased at what they have there,” he said. [email protected]

Name: Tammy Wolf Dates: Assistant to the Editor, Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2010Now: Works for MNI Targeted Media Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. maga-zine publisher Time Inc. as publisher operations coordinator, a part of the Client Services department and operate as a liaison between 42 magazine partners and the company’s nationwide salesforce.Thoughts: “Reflecting on my three years at The Darien Times, I am flooded with memories of gratifying conversations and laughter amidst hours of pagination and editing press releases. The Darien Times was my first leap into the ‘real world’ after graduating from college, and it wouldn’t

have been the same with-out the incredibly hard-working people I met and worked with along the way. I feel honored to have had even a small part in The Darien Times’ 20 years of continued success because there is no local newspaper more enthusiastic and pas-sionate toward the town and residents it serves.”

Tammy Wolf

Retired police chief recalls workTimes and crimes change and stay the same

Where are they now?

Chief Hugh McManus Jr.

20��

��

THE DARIEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013 Page 3D

��

��

��

��

��

The Dock Shop

��Nautical Boutique

49 Tokeneke Rd. Darien, CT 06820203-956-5893 www.dockshop.com

EEvveerryytthhiinngg YYoouu NNeeeedd FFoorr

BBaacckkyyaarrdd BBiirrdd WWaattcchhiinngg ……

AAnndd SSoo MMuucchh MMoorree

356 Heights Road

Darien, CT 06820

203 202 2669

www.wbu.com/darien

551 N. Bedford Road

Bedford Hills, NY 10507

914 241 0721

www.wbu.com/bedfordhills

If you are already into the hobby we can help you get

more out of it!!

If you have never tried it we can help get you started!!

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooo ccccccccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

sssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeccccccccccccccccttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ooooooooooooooooffffffffffffffff ggggggggggggggggiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffffffffffffffffttttttttttttttttssssssssssssssss ffffffffffffffffoooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

ooooooooooooooooccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnssssssssssssssss

��

Any 20 lb bag of Bird Seed With This AD

Can Not Be Combined With Any Other Promo on

Good Thru September 14th, 2013

Limit 1 Per Customer

HAPPY 20th ANNIVERSARY DARIEN TIMES

Any 20 lb bag of Bird Seed With This AD

Can Not Be Combined With Any Other Promo�on

Good Thru October 31st, 2013

Limit 1 Per Customer

��

��

��

��

��

��

Board of SelectmenHenry M. “Hank” Sanders, first selectman Jane BraniganJoseph D. MiceliEnid J. OresmanCharlotte Suhler

Town Clerk: Marilyn Van Sciver

Tax Collector: Carolyn Miller.

Board of Finance:Theodore Covert, chairmanCraig Curtis Jr. Edward B. KostinJohn R. HamiltonPeter HovellKristin KarpenRobert O. White

Board of Education:Janis J. Rehlanender, Chairman Jennifer N. BoydMichael A. P. CasoloCarol A. KinzlerSallie S.E.A. RaleighJoseph R. WarrenElizabeth Ann FentonJohn A. FixaryKevin P. Newman

Planning and Zoning Commission: Franklin E. Penn, Chair Patrick DamantiA Wyman ProcterEdmund F. SchmidFrederick B. ConzeWilliam K. Flanagan Jr.

Darien Police Commission:Douglas CampbellJ. Paul JohnsonPeter Truebner

Town Historian:Robert E. Fatherley

Police Chief: Hugh McManus.

Fire chiefsDarien Fire Department: Robert SzaantoNoroton Fire Department: Robert BuchNoroton Heights Fire Department: Mark McEwan

Darien Public Schools Superintendent: Eileen GressAssistant Superintendent: Robert K. Laber

Tree Warden: Marshall Cota

Planning & Zoning Director: Raymond Nurme.

Judge of Probate: William H. Atkinson

Registrars: Thomas R. Dunn and Donald P. Smith.

Voter Profile in 199311,064 registered voters. 7,122 Republicans, 1,819 Democrats, 2,119 Unaffiliated.

Voter profile in 201312,240 registered voters5,932 Republicans, 2,265 Democrats, 4,014 Unaffiliated, 29 Other.

Permits issued, 1992-93 Fiscal year. 738For new dwellings: 23 For additions and alterations: 365 For commercial projects: 47 All others: 303

Permits: Fiscal year 2012-13: 806New dwellings: 39Additions and alterations: 383Commericial projects: 65All others: 319

Births recorded in 1993: 304Deaths recorded: 150Marriage licesnses recorded: 211

Births recorded in 2012: 176Births recorded in 2013 (through Aug. 31): 110Deaths recorded in 2012: 103Deaths recorded in 2012 (through Aug. 31): 65Marriage licenses recorded in 2012: 148Marriage licenses recorded in 2013 were unavailable.

1993 grand list: $2,782,170,896, up 1 pct. from 1992. (from Oct. 1, 1993) 2012 grand list: $8,896,458,480

Tax rate in mills 1992-93: 13.10 mills 1993-4: 13.53Tax rate in 2013: 13.17 mills

Miceli: Times ‘fits right in’ Darienby Melvin Mason

Times Reporter

Former town official Joe Miceli remembers downtown Darien looking not so nice in 1993. He also recalls the calls for changes from newcomers to make things better.

“Downtown was kind of shabby and people couldn’t get together on what to do with the property and we were looking for ways to improve the prop-erty,” said Miceli, a selectman when The Darien Times debuted. “We had an influx of new, young families. They wanted places to eat, restaurants and stuff.”

Miceli was a member of the town’s top board for 14 years (1991 to 2005). He also served on the Board of Education from 1985 to 1991.

Miceli saw his hometown in a time of change. While newer families came in asking for more and better shopping and dining options, some longtime resi-dents were skittish about major changes as they were used to how things had always been. Miceli recalls former First Selectman Hank Sanders taking flack for reopening the town’s movie theater

in the early 1990’s since some residents didn’t want people coming into town.

“Hank took the bull by the horns,” Miceli said. “He was getting the site cleaned up.”

Miceli remembers the town’s top board forming a building committee that would lead to the reopening of Holmes School, a move made to deal with increasing enrollment. Holmes School had been closed for several years and was being used as a daycare center.

The arrival of The Darien Times to the town was a good thing, said Miceli.

“The town was better served by The Times. It filled the gaps,” he said. “It was much more local, covered sports better and everything better.”

Miceli also thought the Times was “on the right side of the issues.” He gave credit to former Darien Times edi-tor Linda Brooks for helping to cover and promote some of the initiatives to change the town that he and others wanted.

“She was a big reason the town is the way it is now. She made things easy for us,” Miceli said.

He still reads the paper when it

comes out every Thursday and he gives the Times credit for confronting major issues, including the Darien Schools spe-cial education crisis.

The Times “fits right in with the com-munity. They’re gutsy and they take a stand,” he said. “I love that.”

Miceli used to regularly attend the weekly morning coffee discussions host-ed by the Times on Thursday mornings to talk about the paper and to hear what people were talking about. He still visits occasionally. “I thought it was good to get together and talk about (the paper),” he said, harkening back to discussions he and his teammates on the 1962 Darien High School football team had during the week and discussions held during political campaigns.

Twenty years after its debut, Miceli sees a better town than what they had before. “Downtown is better than 20 years ago,” said Miceli, 67. “I’ve seen the town in different stages of my life. It’s been great and it’s getting better. There’s more involvement. Before, we only had four Little League teams. Now we’re the biggest in the country.”[email protected]

Darien government in 1993

Name: Jake KaraDates: Reporter, July 2010 to March 2011Now: Editor, Monroe Courier, a Hersam Acorn newspaperThoughts: “I worked as a reporter for The Darien Times just after graduating from col-lege, and it felt like an enor-mous responsibility — inform-ing an entire town, accurately. I learned a lot about writing and reporting from my colleagues. Most importantly I learned how satisfying it can be — for all its grief — to put out a newspaper, week after week. In the few months I was at The Times, I got to work on big stories, often controversial, such as town buildings that had fallen into disrepair, crime, fires, politics,

and it always felt like I was part of something important. There are easier ways to not make very much money, but it was at The Times that I learned why people go into journalism.”

Where are they now?

Jake Kara

Where are they now?Name: Susan (Loiselle) ChavesDates: Started working at The Darien Times in January 2001 as a reporter, mov-ing up to associate editor in 2003. Now: She transferred to the Shelton office in October 2007, to become assistant editor of the Trumbull Times. She is now the managing editor of the Bridgeport News and Fairfield Sun (all Hersam Acorn newspapers).Thoughts: “I enjoyed work-ing for The Darien Times. It was my first job working as a reporter following college graduation. Being with a community newspaper, not only did I get the opportunity

to cover a variety of topics, including government, educa-tion, business and human interest, but I was able to get to know the town and its people.”

Susan Chaves

THE DARIEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

20��

��

D

Name: Joshua FisherDates: Editor, October 2005 to July 2012Now: Editor of the New Canaan Advertiser, a Hersam Acorn newspaperThoughts: “While I was honored to take over the 104-year-old New Canaan Advertiser, I still miss all the wonderful people in Darien we’ve covered and the many who became friends.”

Joshua Fisher

Where are they now?Name: John KovachDates: Worked at The Darien Times from shortly before its first issue in 1993, when he was hired as the first assistant editor, until he was named editor of the New Canaan Advertiser around Labor Day of 1997. He held that position until he moved to the Shelton office to become editor of the Stratford Star in 2008.Now: In his 20th year at Hersam Acorn, editorial direc-tor and web director of Hersam Acorn’s Eastern papers, and editor of the Fairfield Sun. He worked on the redesign of Nutmeg Trout Unlimited Chapter 217’s website, nut-megtrout.org, recently named best website in the nation by Trout Unlimited.Thoughts: “When I edited The Scribe, the student paper at the University of Bridgeport, as a sophomore in 1984, one of my predecessors there said it would likely be the last time I could create a newspaper totally in my vision. When I pursued, and was offered,

the assistant editor job at The Darien Times, Linda Brooks and the Hersam family afford-ed me another chance to help shape a new newspaper, and I will forever relish that opportu-nity. To have blank pages and an opportunity to become the true hub of a community is truly fulfilling the job of com-munity news. Since my depar-ture I strive every day to imple-ment the lessons I learned in Darien in new communities, giving them the news coverage they need.”

Where are they now?

John Kovach

20��

��

20th anniversary section is online

DarienTimes.com

The Tilley Pond Regata in 2004. — Darien Times/Laureen Vellante


Like him or not, one can’t help but admire Walter Casey’s perseverance — a quality some might prefer to call obstinacy, or perhaps other choice words that are less than flattering.

“I enjoy stirring the pot,” Casey said, in his trademark no-frills manner of speak-ing. “You see things that don’t make sense and you do something about it. It’s fun in Darien. Everyone gets upset.”

Casey’s name is one that has appeared in The Darien Times since the paper’s first edition on October 21, 1993. In fact, he was the first per-son quoted in the paper’s lead story that day, which was about a topic that still resonates today — space con-cerns at the town’s elementary schools.

While his targets have moved over the years (he now spends much of his time try-ing to bring paramedics to the Town of Darien, enraging some as he probes the town’s medical response system), his methodology has changed very little, he said.

Through writing letters to the editor, issuing Freedom of Information requests, and analyzing data and other documents, Casey’s work has helped uncover some of the town’s troubles — while also creating a name for himself as a troublemaker.

“People disagree with me,” Casey said. “I really don’t care. I enjoy the give and take. I’ve always said I prefer intellectual violence to physi-cal violence.”

Casey penned a lengthy commentary that was listed in The Times’ “Around the Cracker Barrel” section in the paper’s first edition. He addresses various town offi-cials about the need to be wise with school expansion plans.

“The dollars we spend unnecessarily on bricks and mortar will impact adversely the things we’ve come to enjoy as Darien residents,” Casey wrote in 1993.

At that time, Casey was a member of the Representative Town Meeting’s Education Committee, and was fight-ing to reopen Holmes School after it was closed in the early 1980s in favor of grade-level schools.

“I did a lot of work on enrollment,” Casey recalled.

When The Darien Times came around, Casey said it was a much-needed voice that offered him and other resi-dents a platform that hadn’t before been readily available to them.

“When [first Editor] Linda Brooks came with The Darien

Times, it was a major change in the town,” Casey said. “It allowed people’s voices to be heard. It changed the equa-tion completely.”

Even while people attacked Casey for his opin-ions, he said Brooks defended his right to have them. In her essay for this special edition, Brooks recalled how Casey shook things up.

“Maybe every town has a Walter Casey, an avid let-ter writer who frequently went beyond the bounds of good taste, while still being a keen observer of the political scene,” Brooks wrote. “At the time of our start-up, the other newspaper refused to run Walter’s letters. We ran them, with occasional deletions, and came face to face with a lot of criticism, which culminated in a face-off between the two newspapers, promoted by the League of Women Voters. Walter, of course, was in the front row. We stuck by our guns, based on freedom of speech.”

Over the years, Casey’s rants have ranged from insightfully lucid to can-tankerous to offensive to enlightening. In the late-1990s, Casey took on then Superintendent Eileen Gress, determined to see her evaluation and its process. First stonewalled by the district’s lawyers, Shipman & Goodwin, Casey filed a com-plaint with the state Freedom of Information Commission, which later decided in his favor.

Through public records requests, he also uncovered an event that happened on Human Rights Day at Darien High School where two trans-vestites showed up for one of the workshops on gay and lesbian rights. In a letter to Casey, superintendent Gress stated that their “appearance

was not authorized,” but added that they did not “write to parents and the community about the experience because, at the time, the incident seemed to be an unfortunate occurrence, with negligible if any real impact on students or the life of the High School.

“It somewhat marred an otherwise successful day,” she continued. While the incident might seem somewhat banal to many, especially 20 years later, the reaction by town officials to Casey’s inquiries were similar to many officials’ reactions today to inquiries into the special education program. Casey said his ques-tions were ignored by the Board of Ed, an occurrence that has also happened to par-ents as they sought informa-tion on special ed programs before filing a complaint with the state.

In a letter to the Board of Education, John Fixary noted his displeasure with Gress’s apparent refusal to “answer a simple question” about the event at a Board of Ed meet-ing.

“In all honesty, up until that moment, I was indiffer-ent as to the importance of Mr. Casey’s question when it was first submitted,” Fixary, who was at one time a Board of Ed member, wrote in 1996. “However, refusing to answer it in a public meeting gives the impression that something is being covered up — and that is clearly unacceptable.”

Casey, who moved to Darien in 1984, worked as a mutual fund manager before retiring in 2004. He’s a certi-fied public accountant and holds an MBA from Columbia University. Holmes School was reopened in the late 1990s, so Casey took some time off before finding his next cause — Darien-based paramedics.

While Darien was in the process of creating a full-time health department under then First Selectman Evonne Klein, Casey began learning about health issues, which led him to learn that Darien is one of few towns in the state that does not have its own para-medics.

“Ultimately we’ll get para-medics because it makes sense,” he said.

When asked for any advice he could give The Darien Times as it begins its third decade in town, Casey urged the paper to remain balanced.

“Just keep printing both sides and take the heat,” he said. “That comes with the territory. If you’re getting heat, you’re doing your job.” [email protected]

The constant curmudgeon Walter Casey continues ‘stirring the pot’

Lifelong resident credits paper with presenting issues, listening

by Melvin MasonTimes Reporter

If anyone knows about Darien and how it’s changed over the past 20 years, Dan Dolcetti is one of the best authorities you can get.

Dolcetti, a born and raised Darienite who grew up in a white house not far from where Brooks Brothers stands today, said the town did not look much dif-ferent in 1993 as it had in the 1930s. A brownish photo of the Post Road from 1937 might as well be how it looked 20 years ago when The Darien Times got around to pub-lishing its first edition, he said.

Dolcetti, known to many as the “Duke of Darien,” uses one strong word to describe how downtown looked back then.

“The town was ugly,” he said, pointing to a main street that had few shops and restaurants, but plenty of supermar-kets, gas stations and antique stores.

During his time as an executive at Xerox, he would invite his staff to take a look at the town. His new employees, Dolcetti said, were not much interested in a town with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

“They’d look at me and say ‘Dan, are you kidding? It looks like a 1940’s town,” he said. His visitors would sooner go to neighboring New Canaan because there were places to go there.

A lot of that had to do with the attitudes among Darienites. The older generation, he said, preferred a quieter town and were not interested in fixing up many things that might attract visi-tors. Many of them, Dolcetti said, would rather go shopping in New York City, Norwalk or Stamford. “They were very nice people. They just didn’t like change,” he said. “Change was not in the cards. They weren’t negative people.”

But as younger families came to town for the schools and the close community proximity to New York, they began want-ing more local amenities and places to go that did not require a trip out of town.

Dolcetti said The Darien Times covered the issues of growth and development as people began asking for things to change. The downtown redevelopment committee would also promote some of its events in the Times.

“The good thing about the paper was it understood that Darien needed to change,” he said. “It brought to the

forefront what the young townspeople wanted in our town and it really helped to bring about the change.”

Dolcetti said the Times put the issue of change and development to the forefront, while other media in town appeared to reflect the will of people who thought that there was little need for major move-ment.

That included following Dolcetti and former first selectman Bob Harrel as they ran in a Republican primary in 1997 with the contentious matter of expanding

Middlesex Middle School taking center stage. Harrel won the primary, defeating Bill Flanagan for the GOP nod.

Dolcetti says he enjoys the weekly coffee talks, hosted by the Times on Thursdays at the Sugar Bowl on the Post Road. The meetings are a chance for readers to talk about the recent edition of the paper and talk to the staff reporters about possible story ideas. He attended some of the early coffees and credits it with being an informal venue for people to talk about a matter with the staff.

“You can sit there and listen to differ-ent points of view. You can express your viewpoint and the paper listens,” he said. “We’re all free to agree or disagree with the paper.”

Dolcetti credits the Times for bringing the town’s important issues up for discus-sion without taking any sides.

“It’s very issues oriented. Sometimes they get into trouble, but that’s fine,” he said. “I’ve always seen the paper to try to be non-partisan and stick to the issues and try to make the town a better town to live in.”

And Dolcetti sees a much better town today than it was 20 years ago with all of the new shops, the development of downtown and the quality of the schools, among other things. For the lifelong Darienite, the town is the best in the state of Connecticut.

[email protected]

Name: Janet GroganDates: Proof reader/copy edi-tor from December 1996 to April 2008. Now: Substitute teacherThoughts: “Producing a weekly newspaper is an impressive task. I enjoyed working with people who were good writers, learned something new everyday, and was proud to be a part of the effort. Despite being a regular substitute teacher for the past five years, I am surprised by the number of

people who ask if I still work at The Darien Times.”

Where are they now?

Janet Grogan

A view of downtown circa 1993 before Brooks Brothers was built, facing Calvary Baptist Church.

Above, Walter Casey today and at right, from an earlier edition of The Darien Times.

20��

��

THE DARIEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013 D

Bill Clinton appeared at the Barrett Bookstore in December 2011.

— Darien Times/Laureen Vellante

Darien Times/David DesRoches

Darien Plate Glass, LLC Residential and Commercial:

Darien Plate Glass is family owned and operated for over 30 years. We pride ourselves on quality service, pristine

customer care and honest and fair prices.

Our services Include:Shower Doors • Custom Mirror and Glass Work

Screen and Storm Repairs • Windows and Doors

Owners:Ronald Phipps

and Jaclyn DeLomaOpen: Mon-Fri: 8am-4pmand Saturdays: 9-12:30pm

O r g a n i z a t i o n

Located at 1096 Post Rd. (Rear, Back of Post Rd) Darien, CT • 203.655.5161www.darienplateglassct.com • [email protected]

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

All moments are immortal, as if stuck to the pages of time. Or, as when stuck to The Darien Times sports pages the past 20 years. At least we think so. A kaleidoscopic sampling of images from my 13 years at the post are revived for the pleasure of having a look back. The pleasure’s unavoidably limited, though, and regrets are sincere for that. The special moments and athletes absent from these com-memorative pages of course could fill the Yellow Pages. You know who you are. But so did everyone else back in the day. We made sure of it.

— Steven Buono Sports Editor 2000-present

(Photos — unless otherwise noted — by Steve Buono)From left to right: 2002 Wave baseball co-captain Kyle Lawrence, first-year assistant coach Anthony Valentine, co-captain Charles Benzyk, Greg Kelly, Jeff Scott, Brian Kelly, and head coach Peter Waters.

Clark Winter (No. 5 white) goes on the offen-sive in the FCIAC title final.

Chris Flatley broke the school record with sharp shooting at FCIACs in boys golf.

Darien second baseman Rob Patton (left) goes high to make the play for an out in 2003.

Darien’s No. 32 Jack Ryan delivers a hit against Yorktown in 2003.

Girls lacrosse coach Lisa Lindley takes the pause that refreshes, after being ceremonially doused with water by goalie Lindsay Hancock and an unidentified cohort, following Darien’s victory at the state final in 2003.

Darien’s Hugh Jessiman went from Dartmouth’s first Ivy League Rookie of the Year to become the NHL Entry Draft’s No. 12 overall pick for the Rangers in 2003.

Blue Wave sophomore girls high jump record holder Emilie Hardinge had her best lift-off in over a year, rising to 5 feet, 4 inches to win the gold at the FCIAC Championship meet in Ridgefield on May 27, ’03.

In 2004 boys lacrosse’s first and only coach Jeff Brameier was given a plaque honoring his 300th Blue Wave victory.

A brick in Wave field hockey’s dynastic wall is placed by Mo Minicus lifting the 2007 state championship plaque.

Jen Caruso, captain in 2005, was girls Wave hockey’s first high scorer at the birth of the 2013 FCIAC title defending the program’s move toward contention.

Devin Eppley, here in 2005, held down goal for girls Wave hockey and did the same spectacular-ly for title-winning field hockey.

Russell Foster with one of several trophies after coaching Darien High hockey to his second of its three FCIAC titles in 2006.

Wave hockey captains mark their FCIAC Championship in 2006.

Katie Ceglarski tore it up with Gettysburg Bullets womens’ lax last decade.

Emilie Hardinge blasts away in 2003.

Scary Wave field hockey sparks its renaissance win-ning FCIACs on Halloween 2003.

Sports through the Times

Liz Miceli hurls her second straight shutout 3-0 against Trinity to help push Wave softball into the CIAC playoffs for the first time in three years in 2003.

The Blue Wave won its third straight FCIAC title, down-ing rival New Canaan 9-4 on May 30, 2002.

Champion gymnast Jessica McNell competes at states in 2002. She placed seventh in the vault at the Nationals in Las Vegas.

Athletic hybrid Jessica McNell mixed varsity sports with a lacrosse goalie/gymnast career at Brown through ’06.

Ryan Shannon wins the Stanley Cup at Anaheim in 2007, creating an earthquake in the rinks back home. (Photo — Anaheim Ducks)

THE DARIEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013 A

Sports through the Times20��

��

Caroline McGuire (crouching) begins the celebra-tion of Tracy Ryan’s (on the deck), very late, game- winning goal of the 2002 FCIAC girls lacrosse championship at Dunning Field. Schuyler Sokolow is on the right. The girls, as always then, marked their legs with blue war paint spelling K-A-R-T. It could just as well have stood for Klutch (sic) ARTists after Ryan’s clincher — scored with just 11 seconds to go in regulation.

David Ryan broke through the checks to lead Wave boys lax to the 2002 league title with a hat trick and two assists.

Freshman hurdler Christopher Bogie shows his stuff in ’03. — Scott Mullin photo

Casey Woodring helped the Bridgeport-based Connecticut Future Stars Basketball Academy’s Under-11 AAU team capture a “Bronze Medal” in the Connecticut State Tournament in Hartford recently in 2004. Point guard Woodring, a 10-year-old fourth grade student at Tokeneke School, paced his crew with 19 points and seven assists. In 2013-14 he begins a career at Providence.

FCIAC and team MVP, Blue Wave boys lacrosse long pole defenseman Mike Abbott (left), and All-Americans Marc Albu (middle) and Tim Shaw (right), all seniors, hold up the 2004 league Eastern Division hardware won while going undefeated in the state during the regular season in 2004.

Graham Wheeler helped the Wave win the bronze at states in 2004.

Darien High’s incompara-ble butterfly artist Torey Thelin (DHS 2002) was named Boston College swim team MVP her sophomore year in ’04.

Marika Dysenchuk raises the Wave’s game in 2005.

The sky was the limit for DHS Cheerleaders in 2005.

Georgie Highton in FCIAC final action in 2008: she’s the program’s top per-former.

Puck kleptomaniac MVP goalie Katherine Macomber grabbed hold of hundreds of them in the girls Wave hockey’s first ever FCIAC Championship in 2009.

It’s been a perpetual congratulations line at the net, as in 2005, for Wave volleyball.

Jessica Bolduc becomes a young All-American gymnast in 2005.

Kerry McAuliffe won the FCIAC girls cross country meet in ’01.

Soccer standout Emma Parker on the 2001 Home-coming Game intermission lineup.

Wave boys soccer scorer Chris Gambling in 2001.

“Blonde Comet” Courtney Bennett, here in 2008, blazed over soccer and girls lacrosse fields, then became Dartmouth womens’ lacrosse captain.

David Ryan drops in for a TD at St. Joseph in ’01.

Darien High divers Emily McIntyre (left) and Cameron Murphy went 1-2 at the girls’ 2001 girls Class S meet.

Wave girls’ volleyball clinches sweep of St. Joe for ’01 Class M crown: Playoff MVP Becky Fisher hugs Erin Reding.

Tara Schoen swam and played lacrosse for the Wave before starring at Harvard late last decade.

Rob Trifone turned around the football program at DHS, with the Wave winning the FCIAC title in 2010. Graham Maybell on the move in leading the Wave to its first FCIAC title since ’98.


Taking a riskby John Kovach

It was fall of 1993, and I had reached the point where I just needed a change.

I had vague knowledge of the New Canaan Advertiser. Even more faint was my understanding that the fam-ily that owned the Advertiser had planned a new venture in Darien.

But I learned that Linda Brooks, whom I knew in pass-ing despite our desks being about four feet apart at the Norwalk office of The Hour (take note and tear down cubicle walls), had been named editor of a new newspa-per.

The ad for an assistant editor appeared again and again, and I read it each day. I was a sports-writer at the time, but had covered news, done layout, and could perform all the tasks the job required.

After weeks of seeing that ad, preceded by months of knowing I needed a change, I reached out. I went in for an interview.

I got called back nearly immediately. That was the first time I met Marty Hersam. I expected someone older than me, then sat across a confer-ence room table from a peer just hours removed from the birth of his first child.

There was a confidence in this new publication. There was the rare opportunity to be there for the birth of a newspa-per, to conceive her, create her, nurture her, and watch her go out and establish her place in her community.

Yet there was fear. More than one of the co-workers I left behind hoped Linda and I had protected ourselves, fore-casting a short future for the new Times.

They were wrong.Linda and I both came from

a daily newspaper background, and imparted that on the blank sheet of newsprint we were blessed to have been given. Our sameness of approach on what to cover, how to ensure stories were balanced, and how to reach readers who felt left behind by what existed in Darien helped the Times quickly find stride. Our differ-ences allowed a broad view of the town where I had, briefly, started my post-college jour-nalism career.

Like the job I left behind, that first tenure had been cov-ering sports. Now I was doing hard news. It was an adjust-ment, but so much learned on the fields and courts of Fairfield County helped shaped the young Times. Linda said, more than once, that those who covered sports wrote more active, lively sto-ries. Both sides were covered, as both competitors in a con-test would be. It showed even more when we hit stride with the hiring of Brian Gioiele, also from a sports background.

There was plenty being contested in Darien in those early days. Some felt they were being ignored, and their opin-ions were being omitted from existing forums. The Times gave them a voice.

As the Times stepped out into Darien, people with important stories that in some

cases were being neglected approached. They found some-one to talk with. They found a way to get their message across.

As Don Hersam, publisher of the New Canaan Advertiser and The Darien Times, is fond of saying, a newspaper belongs to its readers. He’s right, and by allowing our readers to help shape the Times, she became a reflection of her community.

Key parts of the commu-nity were being neglected, and we offered the attention they

deserved. We went to fires, focused on the activities of the police, and covered news the way a daily newspaper would, despite publishing weekly. Had the Internet been more preva-lent, the Times may have been ahead of its time.

Instead, we faced challeng-es, particularly on a story that still has Darien in the national spotlight.

There was the morning when, following up on a tip, the Times was the only media present when law enforcement officers searched the Kelly fam-ily residence, once home to then fugitive Alex Kelly.

Not long after, police handed out a press release under the title “The arrest of Alex Kelly,” detailing how the Darienite’s flight through Europe had ended with his surrender in Switzerland.

That stunning news set in motion nearly two years of my life spent in courtrooms, sometimes sleeping on the steps outside the courthouse in Stamford. The few press seats were made first-come, first-served; larger news organiza-tions assigned interns to hold the spaces in line. We didn’t have that luxury.

The conviction, and sub-sequent sentencing, both occurred on Thursdays. That week’s issue of the Times had already hit the streets. We would be a full seven days late with the news. So we went old-school and printed 4-page special editions, a feat unheard of in the days of the World Wide Web.

After four years working to establish The Darien Times, I was asked to become editor of the New Canaan Advertiser. My first reply: “What if I say no?” I knew Darien, I knew the people, I knew the com-munity and I knew the news-paper.

Then I said yes. I applied the lessons learned in Darien, and worked to make the Advertiser strong again.

After 11 years there, in 2008, I moved to the Shelton offices of the papers our com-pany acquired. Two decades later, I’m still applying and sharing the lessons learned nurturing The Darien Times.

From the beginningThe paper’s longest running staffer recalls the early years

by Brian Gioiele

Being with one company for nearly two decades affords one the chance to see many changes.

When I started at The Darien Times — which happened to my very first real journalism job (meaning it actually came with full time pay) — we were typing on the old fashioned Apples, printing out our copy to be proofread and, once corrected, print-ed out so we could cut and paste a page together for our readers. Sounds archaic in the land of Facebook and Twitter, I know.

Now newspapers can be done remotely from someone’s home and emailed to printers. The Darien Times is online now, with Twitter offering up-to-the-minute news for all who have a computer and an Internet connection.

A far cry from the days when Darien residents anxiously waited by their mailboxes each Thursday wait-ing for the latest edition - a chance to see what Walter Casey might be opining about in the letters page; or if a friend or neighbor might be in the police blotter; or what the lat-est hot topic was in the schools or within the walls of Town Hall.

But what has never changed is this newspaper’s desire to be the bench-mark for quality news reporting, editorial writing and general news in a small community with so many stories to tell.

That was the dream of founder Marty Hersam. And that is the stan-dard set by Linda Brooks, known by all for journalistic skill and endearing personality that was the guiding force for what the fledgling paper would become.

It was Linda and her counterpart and my longtime friend John Kovach who saw beyond my inexperience and youthful arrogance in agreeing to hire me back in 1993, only weeks after the paper’s first edition hit the stands.

Along with Rich Osborn heading the sports pages, we four teamed to bring credible reporting to a town desperately needing a new way to let its voice be heard. And Linda, John, Rich and I did our best to do just that. And I feel we did, in an hon-est, straight-forward way, leaving our opinions behind when our fingers hit the keyboard.

I’ll never forget my first day, when the tractor trailer overturned in front of our home turf, the first-floor office on Corbin Drive. An exciting start, and one that foreshadowed my career in the small town that was far from dull.

Our pages were filled with every-thing from features on local artisans, in-depth investigations into town government and even court reporting — anyone remember the infamous Alex Kelly case? I never heard of him until I was listening to the radio in the shower one morning when he had been caught by authorities. It would become a story that engulfed our office — and John’s life — for

what seemed like forever.We worked hard to gain the

community’s trust, and with a long-time competitor in the News-Review entrenched in town, it was not an easy task. But the paper was more than work for us all, we became friends, a family, and that enthusiasm showed in the pieces we produced each week and how we gladly went throughout town promoting what we knew was the best paper in the area. We loved our work, and it showed.

I, myself, went from reporter to sports editor to associate edi-tor before leaving for another post within the company. Eight years ago, I returned to my first home once again, now just helping to take the new crew’s work and putting it on pages for all to read.

While the names have changed over the years, what this newspaper has brought to Darien remains the same — quality reporting from qual-ity individuals who value the quality that is Darien.

Name: Yevgeniya DavydovDates: Reporter, August 2012 to June 2013Now: Search engine optimization at ReliableSite.NetThoughts: “Working at The Darien Times was truly a one-of-kind experi-ence. Every week there were great co-workers and Darien’s unique residents who graciously helped me do my job. The paper had its history before I got there, and will no doubt continue to have a place in the community for several more decades. I’m proud to say that I had a small part in it.”

Where are they now?

2012 Crimes and courts reporting, third place

2011 Transportation reporting, second place Advertising supplement/specialty section,

third place Digital/print convergence, third place Editorial supplement or special section,

second place

2008 Website design, first place Personality photo, second place

2007 General news story, second place Headline writing, second place Website design, first place

2006 Website design, first place Local election coverage, first place

2005 Sports video, first place Website design, third place

2002 George A. Speers Newspaper of the year,

first place First place:Best coverage of Sept. 11th attacksSelf/circulation promotionDigital sports presentationDigital/print convergenceSpecial awardEditorial bloopersNew business innovationLegacy business innovationDigital news presentationNews presentationNewspaper in educationIn-paper circulation promotionDigital entertainment presentationColor photoClassified advertising section

Class. house Ad.Audio slideshowAdvertising bloopersSpecial sectionBusiness and services directoryVideoWeb special section

2001 Editorial writing, second place Headline writing, honorable mention

2000First place:First amendment reportingSports page or section

1999Spot news story, first place

1997Editorial page, first place

* Information provided from the New England Newspaper and Press Association from records available after 2001 Yevgeniya Davydov


Award-winning Times

There was plenty being contested in Darien in those

early days. Some felt they were being ignored, and their opin-ions were being omitted from existing forums. The Times

gave them a voice.

20��

��

Clydsdales appeared at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club in 2006. — Laureen Vellante / The Darien Times

Name: Patrick BarnardDates: He started at The Darien Times as a reporter in December 1996, hired by former editor Linda Brooks after learning of the opening through his sister-in-law, Kathy Morley, who previ-ously worked as a reporter for the New Canaan Advertiser. He was promoted to associate editor in Oct. 2000. In February 2004, he took over editorship of the paper, following the retirement of Linda Brooks.Now: Since May 2013, he has been working for Zackin Publications as editor for MortgageOrb.com, the leading online news site covering the real estate finance industry, and the print and online editions of Secondary Marketing Executive magazine, covering trends and regulatory challenges in the secondary market, and Servicing Management magazine, covering the mortgage servicing industry.Thoughts: “It seems like eons since that fateful day in December

1996 that I made the decision to get out of swimming pool main-tenance and take a position as a reporter at The Darien Times. For the most part, I’m glad I made the decision — I have found jour-nalism to be an enriching and rewarding field. I am thrilled that, despite the major contraction of the industry resulting from the economic crisis, I have managed to remain in it ever since.”

Where are they now?

20 years

Through the high school lens

by Katie TsuiTeen Times Reporter

This week, The Darien Times is celebrating its 20th anniversary. For years now, the local paper has provided the community with a wide range of opinions and reports on local events. While most readers are adults, The Darien Times has played an important role in high school students’ lives as well.

Among interviewed peers, it appears, and not without valid rationale, that the most highly concentrated type of articles that high-schoolers read about are written in the sections most applicable and pertinent to them-under the “School” and “Athletics” head-ings. Perhaps this is because issues regarding taxes, politics, and affordable housing are perplexing and geared towards adults who are directly impact-ed by the aforementioned.

One student, Katie Jarrett, said “I only look through cer-tain parts because the news-paper sometimes focuses on subjects I do not always desire to read about.”

But every person is differ-ent, along with their prefer-ences. While Alice Chidley, also a sophomore at Darien High School, focuses on read-ing articles about what is ongoing at schools, there are a few members of the student body, like Sarah LeHan, who say they “normally read a little of the front page and the opin-ions.”

The Darien Times offers thorough information about the public school system and the events held, which are often important to students. Bus schedules, coverage of school assemblies, and updates on recent issues are only a handful of the types of articles published in the school sec-tion of The Darien Times. The sports section seems to be a favorite as well, portray-ing results of competitions on the high school level and often focusing on individual achievements in athletics.

While some students at Darien High School read the Times only on occasion, the benefits of reading about dif-

ferent perspectives from the local paper are not lost on them. “It keeps me up to date with local events,” summa-rizes Sarishka Desai, a sopho-more at Darien High School. Most students interviewed agreed wholeheartedly with this — after all, something must be said for knowing the dilemmas the town faces as a community, along with the celebrations and amazing feats of individuals.

“I only receive two news-papers, the Advocate and The Darien Times, and I like how the latter focuses on Darien specifically,” said Sarah Garijo-Garde, seconding the notion that the applicability to student life is much stronger in the Times compared with other newspapers.

No matter what, the Times carries a good name, accord-ing to most students. With the town being small, many have had their time in the spotlight of recognition multiple times. There is nothing quite like the proud feeling of finding one’s name, freshly printed on the top of the page, whether the opportunity was due to athletic accolades or academic achievements.

“I have been in The Darien Times twice. It was because of Quiz Bowl both times — for last year and the year before that,” said Sarishka Desai, recalling the time when the Middlesex Middle School Quiz Bowl team competed in a Washington D. C. tournament.

“I was in it a few times for school events during the middle school and elementary school years,” Sarah Garijo-Garde said as well. Similarly, Alice Chidley was featured for her synchronized swimming competitions last year.

When asked about any preferences or changes people had towards the Times, one student offered advice and insight about solving the potential bias that some mem-bers of the community find in the articles written. “It’s a bit conservative,” she describes, implying that some articles are less compatible with the opinions of liberals. Others, though, find there is very little change needed.

Coffee talkPaper’s weekly coffee brings residents together


There’s something to be said about a hot cup of coffee and good conver-sation. And if you’ve ever been to the Sugar Bowl on Thursday mornings, it’s quite likely that you’ve seen a long table off to the side, full of colorful characters and opinions and laughs and perhaps a few tears.

And free coffee. For the past 10 years, The Darien

Times has offered anyone a cup of coffee to join the table and talk about town issues or whatever is on their mind. Longtime resident Gene Coyle was at the first coffee and has been a regular ever since.

“It was a terrific idea,” Coyle said of the coffee. “And the proof of that is what? It’s still going strong.”

The informal meeting puts no pressure on anyone to speak, and is there to nurture community relations between the paper and the public. As editors at the paper have come and gone, the coffee has remained, often generating story tips that might not have otherwise come to the paper’s attention.

People from all walks of life have attended the coffee, including town officials from the major town com-missions and boards. The coffee has

also hosted several U.S. and state rep-resentative and senators during elec-tion season, providing a candid and open forum for concerned citizens to hear candidates’ platforms and ask the tough questions.

The coffee’s popularity even enticed a reporter from another Darien media company to attend, who then reported from the coffee, noting that it was held by a “local media outlet.”

One of the familiar faces at the coffee is Walter Casey (who is also featured in this edition under the headline “The constant curmud-geon”).

“I enjoy it,” Casey said of the cof-fee. “You get different ideas. You get a sense of what’s going on in town — the buzz. It’s a fun time.”

Casey’s often critical opinions of town officials, especially of the Board of Education, has earned him the honor of persona non grata among many.

In fact, Casey is so comfortable at the coffee, he invited Ron Hammer, director of Darien EMS-Post 53, to the coffee to talk about Casey con-cerns over the lack of Darien-based paramedics. Hammer offered to meet with Casey and have The Times moderate the discussion, but Casey declined, preferring to meet at the

community coffee. Coyle said while Walter might

have “scared a lot of people away,” at his core, he’s a “pussy cat.”

Other regular coffee visitors include Vin Burke, a former advisor for the paper when it first started and a former news executive with ABC. Cyndy Ashburne, a member of the Darien Housing Authority, also fre-quently visits, as does Fred Conze, former chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission, and Jayme Stevenson, first selectman.

Conversations are all off the record, unless there is a politician there campaigning. The coffee has proven invaluable for the paper and its guests as both a helpful source for information and a place to forge new friendships.

Coyle, who spent 50 years in journalism at Time magazine before retiring in 1993, said the coffee is “an extension of the paper.”

“It’s a scintillating hour and a half,” he said. “I look forward to it every week.”

When asked if he had any advice for improving the coffee, a wily grin spread across his face.

“Pick up the tab for breakfast,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s not gonna happen.” [email protected]

Patrick Barnard

20��

��


A child plays with bubbles in Baker’s Field in 2004. — Laureen Vellante / The Darien Times

Volunteer firefighters battle a house fire on Pembroke Road in December 2000. — George Brooks / The Darien Times

��

��

Name: Lynsey SantimaysDates: Reporter, June 2009 to July 2010Now: Worth magazine, a part of SANDOW Media, senior editor of the busi-ness and entrepre-neurship sectionThoughts: “Working at The Darien Times was one of the best experiences I could have had as a reporter and jour-nalist. I was able to learn from my incredibly talented colleagues Tammy Wolf, Susan Shultz and Steve Buono and my editor, Josh Fisher; their journalistic standards and practices are unmatched. And being a part of the well-respected Darien Times was incredible; covering Darien’s news and happenings for the paper was always interesting, exciting and fun. I miss being in town, but still follow The Darien Times.”

Lynsey Santimays

by Melvin MasonTimes Reporter

The town residents who helped shape the direction of The Darien Times 20 years ago remember a town that was interested in seeing a new newspaper, but hoping it would not be more of the same.

“A lot of us felt (having one paper) wasn’t always fair. I think I wanted a paper that was more fair representing the town,” said Diane Conologue, one of several people who served on The Darien Times local advisory board prior to the Times making its debut on Oct. 21, 1993.

The committee members seem proud of what has been created in the paper’s two decades of existence and they hope it continues.

Conologue became involved with the advisory board since she was already of the town’s RTM.

“They wanted it to be well repre-sented and to have people who could speak to various interests,” she said.

Douglas Milne, a fixture in Darien for most of his life, joined the board with his eyes on having a new paper to cover the issues, including plan-ning for school overcrowding and

improving a downtown that many newer residents were not happy with.

Milne founder and co-owner of Kelly Associates real estate also had business interests in mind. He and other local real estate agents were becoming frustrated with increased advertising rates at another newspa-per and they hoped an alternative would make things easier.

“We went to (the other paper) and said, ‘We’re buying pages and pages of ads’ and we asked for a break. They ignored me and continued to raise the rates,” Milne said.

Milne said other real estate agents also dropped advertising in other papers and decided to buy space in the new paper in town.

For resident Vin Burke, himself a veteran broadcast journalist and television news producer, many resi-dents had their concerns before the first edition of the Times hit homes and newsstands.

“Many in the town at the time wanted to be assured that this was not going to be just another tool of a dominant political party of the day,” Burke said, “or a mere bulletin board for town meetings infrequently sprinkled by notices of the RTM,

Board of Education and Board of Selectmen meetings juxtaposed with weekly public notices of lawn sales. real estate listings, bankruptcies, foreclosures and once in a while fair-ly modest coverage of town meetings and anemic coverage of issues of real community interest.”

Conologue remembers being “very happy” to see the first edition of the Times when it was delivered to homes and dropped off at news-stands.

“I was thrilled that we had anoth-er voice in town and I congratulated Linda (Brooks) on putting it togeth-er,” she said.

Milne said he appreciated the hard work of Times founding editor Linda Brooks as the paper launched.

“She was terrific. She was from town and she seemed to have a gen-eral interest and she wasn’t spinning anything and investigating things,” Milne said. “It resonated with me.”

The reporting efforts of the Times and it being delivered for free to all town homes helped make the Times the dominant paper in town within two years of the first printing.

“It was just putting out a better overall product,” Milne said. “I think they were doing a better job of cov-

ering things.” Burke said the Times has served

Darien well over the years. “Darien is fortunate, very fortu-

nate to have had a robust weekly newspaper for the last 20 years that never flinched from covering ‘hard news,’” Burke said. “They delivered! They would not be deterred by angry, wordy partisans and always maintained a spirit of abundant fair-ness.”

Burke said the town has benefited from the Times’ strong reporting and having a group of “fearless editors” who supported the staff when faced by partisans who might not favor the coverage. Burke included Brooks, former editor Joshua Fisher and cur-rent editor Susan Shultz for what they’ve done over the years.

Those editors “have worked tire-lessly upholding the principles of good, solid, hard-hitting journalism. For that alone, we should be grate-ful,” he said.

Conologue, no longer with the RTM, thinks back 20 years and is amazed how the time has passed. But she thinks the Times is a needed service in Darien.

“We have a paper that goes to everyone. I like the idea of having

two papers and if they don’t think one is right, they can see how an article is written in the other one.” she said.

Milne says the town has improved for the better over the time the Times has been publishing. He says the paper’s arrival and success are due to good timing and a little bit of luck.

“This may or may not have worked in 1982 or 2014,” he said.

While he does not remember seeing the first issue, Milne said he’s proud to have helped contribute to its arrival and he salutes Brooks and others who helped make it what it is.

“Our job was to give input to the team building the paper and pub-lishing the paper and to talk it up around town and provide input,” he said.

Burke said it was great to help the paper get its start and work with Hersam Acorn Newspapers on creat-ing what he views as “a community asset.”

“It was exhilarating to work with members of the Hersam family and local business leaders like Frank Jones … to jump start the newspa-per’s presence in town.”[email protected]

Advisory board members say town needed second paper

Where are they now?

20��

��


Changing with the TimesBy Joshua Fisher

Former Times Editor

A lot has changed in the world of com-munity journalism since The Darien Times first hit newsstands 20 years ago — and this newspaper has kept pace with those changes.

From being the first news source in Darien to have a daily news website back in 2005 to the first with a Twitter feed in 2009, the Times today enables you to stay connected with the community’s top newspaper via not only our weekly print edition, but also through an e-edition, our website, Twitter, Facebook and email news alerts.

The Times, which years ago mainly used its website, DarienTimes.com, to post election results and other big news, used to save most news for Thursdays. But back in 2006, the paper started to make the move toward what is now called a digital-first newsroom.

One of the more memorable non-political news coverage that started online before it went in print was when a large moose was spotted in Darien on a Tuesday afternoon. The Times staff, with the help

of Darien Police, kept residents up to date with DarienTimes.com and the paper’s email news alert system of where the moose was last spotted. Emergency offi-cials had said the moose could be a danger to residents as wildlife officials chased it around Darien, Stamford and New Canaan. The wildlife officials proved pre-scient as the moose eventually stepped in front of a car driven by a New Hampshire woman on the Merritt Parkway in New Canaan, severely injuring her and damag-ing her vehicle.

But most digital-first coverage was mostly about politics, town government or the trains. Sports, however, became a big way to show off how the staff could provide updates from the sidelines for all readers — rare coverage five years ago for high school sports. And it started with the annual Turkey Bowl.

DarienTimes.com also provided writ-ten play-by-play from the sidelines of the biggest rivalry in Connecticut: Darien-New Canaan.

These blog-type news bursts extended to political debates and conventions, con-tentious Representative Town Meeting gatherings, Election Day and other key

events. Initially, the “live online coverage,” as it was dubbed, included a reporter or editor at the event sending text messages to another reporter or editor who was at a computer to transcribe the texts for DarienTimes.com.

As technology advanced and Town Hall, for example, added Wi-Fi, it started to become a bit easier — and quicker — for the Times to get you your news in real time.

The coverage was met with praise from the many Darien political junkies-and cou-pled with the live coverage of TV79, the Times was able to help make sure anyone in Darien who wanted to be informed just had to log on to their computer.

As other online news outfits have come into town, The Darien Times has adapted and persevered, through one of the most difficult times for newspapers and com-munity journalism at large. But as the Times enters its third decade of covering the news and people of Darien, Conn., it remains the only newspaper still based in the town-and the only news website based in Darien. And it will continue its mission as Darien’s most vital and vibrant source of up-to-the-minute information.

When 27-year-old Martin Hersam made the decision to expand his family’s newspaper business into Darien, he knew it would be a bit of a chal-lenge.

In a town with an estab-lished weekly newspaper, the competition to earn edito-rial trust was only part of it. The other challenge Hersam would face would be to lure advertisers to the new, unknown newspaper in town. Hersam had the success of a century-old newspaper his family owned in New Canaan to direct to, but it would be the weight of that first adver-tiser that could make all the difference.

And he found it in Kelly Associates Real Estate.

Hersam recently sat down with Gino Kelly and his son, Jeff, of the long-time Darien real estate firm, to talk about the paper’s history and how Darien has changed.

“I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation,” Hersam said, adding that once The Darien Times had Kelly signed on, it gave the newspaper the credibility it needed to interest other advertisers.

The first ad Kelly took out in the first issue of The Darien Times was for a “unique offer-ing” of three farm sites, two acres each, across from Ox Ridge Hunt Club.

Together, the six acres’

asking price was $1,350,000. Two of the lots’ asking prices were $415,000 each, and the third, directly across from the club, was priced at $550,000.

The Kellys pointed out that despite the ups and downs in the economy, the one con-sistent investment that will bring a buyer a return on his money is real estate in places like Darien.

Gino Kelly said he bought his first house in 1962 in Darien for $17,000, and that same house today is worth over a million.

Darien’s 1993 grand list amounted $2,782,170,896, up 1 pct. from 1992. (from Oct. 1, 1993). In 2012, the town’s grand list was $8,896,458,480.

“The rate of appreciation in the housing market is bet-ter than the stock market,” Jeff Kelly said.

Hersam pointed out that out of the ten real estate firms that advertised in the first issue of The Darien Times, Kelly remains one only two still in business today.

The Kellys also said the real estate firm climate in town has changed, with many locally owned firms being taken over by larger corporate real estate firms.

The landscape of Darien has also changed since the 1960’s, Gino said, mentioning that when former residents come back to visit, they ask

“Where are the small houses?”“They say, ‘There a lot of

trees — I don’t remember this many trees,’” he said.

The Kellys also talked about how the school com-munity has changed and youth sports has changed. Gino Kelly was instrumental in many of the foundations of the town’s youth sports leagues. He talked about the start of the town’s youth hockey league after he visited the local rink.

Jeff Kelly also talked about how when he was in school, each neighborhood elemen-tary school had their own football teams.

Jeff said families would spend the entire Saturday at their respective schools for the sporting events, 100s of Darienites, with full-service snack bars being a big crowd pleaser.

Kelly Associates continues its long tradition of generous-ly supporting local sports as well as many other charities and causes in the town. “It’s important for a local business to give back to the commu-nity that supports it. We feel very strongly about that.”

Today, much of the youth sports is divided into town-wide leagues, separate from the schools.

In addition to the real estate information on the first ad placed by Kelly, it also said “We welcome The Darien

Times to our town.”Hersam reiterated the debt

of gratitude he owes to Kelly Associates Real Estate for giving the, at the time, fledg-ling paper, the credibility it needed.

“Having an established, locally-owned and respected family business like Kelly Associates Real Estate’s endorsement really opened the door for us,” he said.

“We can’t celebrate the

20th anniversary of The Darien Times without pointing out the pivotal role the Kellys had in its start, and express-ing our appreciation for that,” he said.

- Susan Shultz

Kelly Associates Real Estate

Founding advertiser paved paper’s way

UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 2001 — Lynn Hamlen, director of the Darien Nature Center, holds the weathervane for the new Darien Nature Center, shown in background. With her, on left, is First Selectman Robert Harrel. — George Brooks / The Darien Times

Name: Jaclyn TropDates: Reporter, 2006Now: Covering the auto-motive industry for The New York TimesThoughts: “Working at The Darien Times was a fun and exciting experience: It is a blessing to be able to walk from your desk to Good Food Good Things for an afternoon cupcake.”

The information gatekeepersLibrary and newspaper serve symbiotic functions


It’s been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Yet it’s also been said that the only constant in life is change.

This dualism is especially true in the business of information, as technological advancements have provided both new tools and new challenges for the gatekeepers of information — public libraries and the news media. As the duties and responsibilities of both entities have evolved to meet the changing environment, their core functions remain the same — to provide peo-ple with important information to help them make informed decisions.

Few people know about this real-ity as acutely as Louise Berry, direc-tor of the Darien Library.

“We’re all getting more global,” Berry told The Darien Times, as she took time away from her hectic daily schedule for an interview. “But the role of a library in democracy hasn’t changed.”

As she sees it, the public library is there to provide a variety of points of view to enable people to “find their own truth.” But just because someone has a point of view, doesn’t mean their book will make it onto the library shelves.

“You don’t buy things or promote things that are blatantly untruthful,” she said. “I do think there needs to be some curation of that.”

But where to draw the line? How does the library know which dis-senting opinions to include in its collection and which to exclude? Luckily this task is softened by the Internet, which allows all points of view to be displayed. Berry said the library’s role is not to judge who is right or wrong, but to enable people to determine for themselves the validity of a source of informa-tion by showing them vetting tech-niques.

“Our hope is to make people bet-ter searchers by pointing out how you can tell where it’s coming from

and how you can determine wheth-er there’s a bias in it,” she said. “We’re not trying to point people in one direction or another. If someone wants to come in and find out about the 9/11 conspiracy movement, we can help them find that material and we can also try to help them learn techniques on how to identify who’s posting it, [and] how to look up an organization to learn if there’s a bias.”

Berry emphasized that there should be a distinction between the libraries duties as information guides and the role of a newspaper, which contains an editorial page that offers opinions on issues.

“That’s what makes endorsements so powerful,” she said, noting that some people rely on the paper to follow the issues closely and often choose their candidates based on a paper’s endorsement.

But the library and the news-paper both play balancing roles as archivists of the times. The news-paper creates the information, and the library maintains those archives.

For the last century, libraries have kept full editions of various newspa-pers as public records. The Darien Library has physical archives of old Darien Review papers, and has electronically archived most of those editions.

As archives move from physical form to digital, some traditionalists have lamented the danger of eras-ing history with a few quick clicks. Physical copies, it’s been said, are safer from manipulation because they are more dispersed and cannot be altered with such ease.

Berry said she understands that concern, but that she thinks the advantages of digital archives far outweigh any potential dangers.

“There is a lot of interest with young librarians in digital archives,” she said.

One of the many trends she’s noticed over the years is that it’s getting increasingly difficult for writ-ers of non-fiction to get their works into public libraries.

“We’re not buying for informa-tion anymore,” she said, noting that

the Internet is replete with informa-tion. “It has to have a point of view. More and more material is online. If it’s something that’s current, it has to have a point of view.”

Fiction writers don’t have the same problem because their work is generally not a replication of infor-mation that can be found elsewhere. But all writers, and libraries, have been thrown for a loop by the grow-ing popularity of electronic books, or e-books.

Berry said that publishers don’t want to sell libraries e-books because it could limit their revenue.

The digital information age has also challenged newspapers. Traditionally, the local weekly newspaper was the only source of information for a town. Now, in Darien, there are four or five online blogs and news sites that compete with the two traditional newspapers, which also have an online presence.

While the future of paper remains unclear, Berry said she thinks eventually everything will be

digital, especially as more and more electronic devices offer an interface that closely mimics the act of read-ing a physical paper.

Perhaps the wisdom elucidated when the nation’s first large public library, the Boston Public Library, was founded could shed some light on the purpose of a library and a newspaper — even in the modern age.

In 1852, the trustees of the Boston Public Library were in the middle of a world-wide movement toward free libraries and away from the paid subscription model. At that time they wrote as part of their vision:

“For it has been rightly judged that... it is of paramount importance that the means of general informa-tion should be so diffused that the largest possible number of persons should be induced to read and understand questions going down to the very foundations of social order, which are constantly present-ing themselves, and which we, as a people, are constantly required to decide, and do decide, either igno-rantly or wisely.”

Both The Darien Times and the Darien Library are free for residents to enjoy, which hopefully will help all in town make wise decisions. [email protected]

Jaclyn Trop

Where are they now?

Laureen Vellante Photographer 2003 to presentIt’s been an honor and

a pleasure to work for this amazing company, Hersam Acorn, and in particular, The Darien Times for about 12 years. All the creative, unique individuals that are part of this team make the paper what it is today. It seems like yesterday when I got a call from Linda Brooks to take a few pho-tos. I haven’t left since. I’ve witnessed the town ebb and flow, contract and expand, support and deliv-er, and the coverage from the entire team is relentless and inspiring.

Through my looking glass, I have experienced parades, graduations, fireworks, tributes, honors, sidewalk sales, weather catastrophes, Santas, Easter Bunnies, first days of school, plays, milestones, awards, President Clinton,

horse races, 5k’s, 10k’s, and the list and memories go on. It’s remarkable how year after year I am equally inspired by covering some of the same events.

I thoroughly enjoy every moment at every event and I give it my all. I have met so many fascinating peo-ple along the way and I feel very fortunate to be etched into the history of Darien.

Laureen Vellante

offers a glimpse into where former staff-ers are today and their recollections of their Darien Times’ experience.

Our Teen Times reporter canvassed the high school for her contemporaries’ impressions of the paper — almost all of whom can’t remember a Darien without it.

We also take a look at the compari-son of Darien today versus. 1993, when the paper started, and hear from vari-

ous town officials as to their reflections on the impact of “the new kid in town” when The Darien Times began.

Others, like the chief of police at the time, and local developers and other community leaders, like Darien Library director Louise Berry, also reflect on the changes in Darien and the impact The Darien Times has had over the last 20 years.

Berry, on the verge of retiring next year, has her own time of reflection ahead.

Love him or hate him, Walter Casey has had a significant role in the history of The Darien Times and he speaks his

mind in this section, as he is known to do. Members of the original advisory board weigh in on their roles, and long-time Times’ friend Gene Coyle talks about the role of the paper’s Thursday editorial coffee at the Sugar Bowl.

We hope to celebrate many more years in the community going forward as we adapt to the changes and evolu-tion of the town and the newspaper industry, and we will continue to try challenge and exceed our own stan-dards of excellence for years to come.

Most importantly, thank you to the Darien community for 20 years of con-tinued support for The Darien Times.

20��

��

Two views of the new Darien LIbrary in 2009. — Laureen Vellante / The Darien Times


About the 20th Anniversary sectionContinued from page 1D

A little girl with a flag in Spring Grove Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2003. — Laureen Vellante / Darien Times

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

Darien Times 20th Anniversary section

Documents

Transcript of Darien Times 20th Anniversary section