New Canaan-Darien & Rowayton Magazine, November - December 2018

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SWEET CHARITY

2018 LIGHT A FIRE HONOREES

GIFT GUIDE

76 THINGS THEY REALLY WANT

THE 200 OUTSTANDING LAWYERS IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY

HOMEfor the

HOLIDAYS DÉCOR INSPIRATION ON A NEW LEVEL

PEEK INTO THE NEW CANAAN HOME OF DEBBIE PROPST, PRESIDENT OF ONE KING’S LANE

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

FEATURES 62 | Comfort & Joy

BY MALIA MCKINNON FRAME A look into five New Canaan homes filled with spectacular holiday décor inspiration.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE page 26

74 | Heroes Among Us

KVO Collections

BY JILL JOHNSON We honor 10 extraordinary local givers for our annual Light A Fire awards.

page 95

Ann Taylor

THE

OUTSTANDING LAWYER S of Fairfield County

K @ADOBESTOCK.COM

Soleil Toile

PHOTOGRAPH BY RCFOTOSTOC

The 200 Outstanding Lawyers of Fairfield County

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2

017 STAMFORD

DEPARTMENTS

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The Glass House Design Store

14 | EDITOR’S LETTER 19 | STATUS REPORT Buzz: Leo Karl, III on giving back; Jewelry

designer Lynne Mercein can create something special; Oxygen opens StudiO; Dance on the DL gets new digs; LaKota Oaks to undergo a massive renovation.

SHOP: There’s something for everyone on your list in this season’s wrap up of the best gifts ever. And you can find them all locally. Bonus.

Go: We test the sleek new Lexus ES.

Do:

Everything your mom never told you about menopause, explained.

Eat: A fiesta at Mexicue.

46 | FINANCE FIX Your annuities questions, answered.

Darien Library; Darien Land Trust; Global Lyme Alliance; Noroton Yacht Club; Darien’s Best Bartender

Pimlico

103 | I NDEX OF ADVERTISERS 104 | D ON’T MISS THIS Orvis cover photo by jane beiles

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NEW CANAAN • DARIEN & ROWAYTON NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018, VOL. 18, NO. 6.

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HOMEfor the

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HOLIDAYS DÈCOR INSPIRATION ON A NEW LEVEL

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The hunt for all those perfect gifts is on! Let us help you out. Visit our online gift guide for a whole bunch of novel ideas—from grand and show-stopping to small and thoughtful. Shopping locally has never been so easy.

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EAT: THE SINCLAIR, KATELYN RACANELLI; PEOPLE: GABRIELA DIAZ BOOK SIGNING BY BOB CAPAZZO; HOME: NEW CANAAN HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR BY JANE BEILES; GO: GLENMERE, SARGENT; SHOP: CHARLIE BOOTS, CONTRIBUTED

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DARIEN • GREENWICH • NEW CANAAN • NORWALK • RIVERSIDE • STAMFORD • WILTON

VOL. 18 NO. 6

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

creative director Amy Vischio

editorial executive editor Cristin Marandino editor Julee Kaplan market editor Megan Gagnon advisory editor Donna Moffly assistant editor Joey Macari

contributors editors Camilla A. Herrera — Editor, Stamford Diane Sembrot — Editor, Fairfield Living and Westport writers Carol Leonetti Dannhauser, Beth Cooney Fitzpatrick, Valerie Foster, Malia McKinnon Frame, Chris Hodenfield, Jill Johnson copy editors Terry Christofferson, Meg Parsont, Kathryn Satterfield

editorial advisory board Robert Doran, Sue Frelinghuysen, David Genovese, Nancy Helle, Claire Hunter, Robyn Kammerer, Rita Kirby, George McEvoy, Julianna Spain, Amy Wilkinson, Torrance York

art

art director Paula Winicur senior art director Venera Alexandrova senior art director/status report Garvin Burke contributing art directors Katie DeFlorio Conte, Westport contributing photographers Moffly Media’s Big Picture, Julie Bidwell, Kyle Norton production director Kerri Rak design assistant Taylor Stroili

digital

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digital editor Diane Sembrot

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DRAMATIC WATERVIEWS | DARIEN

WELCOME TO GARDEN GATE | DARIEN

Surrounded by water with a private dock, 33 Beverly Place is located in the private Salem Straits Association. $3,795,000 | MLS # 170124331 | Al Filippone Associates | 203.655.1423

Set on a rolling berm overlooking 1.61 acres of flat lush level land, is an example of architecture beyond compare! $3,495,000 | MLS # 170130728 | Stacy Book | 203.655.1423

PRESTIGIOUS COLONIAL | NEW CANAAN

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Georgian Colonial boasts over 8,000 sq. ft. of perfectly updated, luxurious living space on four finished floors, 10 foot ceilings throughout. $3,395,000 | MLS#170092687 | Melissa Rwambuya | 203.966.3555

SMART home that is meticulously engineered, substantially constructed and finely crafted to offer a style both modern and timeless. $3,195,000 | MLS # 170121224 | Hannelore & Company | 203.966.3555

N E W C A N A A N 2 0 3 . 9 6 6 . 3 5 5 5 | D A R I E N 2 0 3 . 6 5 5 .1 4 2 3 | R O W A Y TO N 2 0 3 . 8 5 4 . 5 1 1 6

Celebrate the holidays in our store, we have glitter and silver and ornaments galore!

We’ve got coasters and candles, aprons and mitts, gloves, hats and scarves….all an absolute fit.

The party season has just begun, with so many hostess gifts, you won’t be outdone.

There’s an abundance of toys overflowing our shelves, your children will think they were delivered by elves.

We’ll wrap all of your presents with a bag and a bow, as quickly as you can say ho! ho! ho!

There are candies and cookies, cakes and pies, so many goodies—a feast for the eyes.

Our Beef Wellington is specially prepared just for you, your guests will be wowed, you’ll have nothing to do!

You can pretend that you made it (your friends will not know) it comes wrapped in puff pastry and topped with a bow.

Our gourmet Gift Baskets are the ultimate gift for your favorite food lover in need of a lift.

They’re special and custom—they’re just what you need for that friend or co-worker that did a good deed.

Our butchers are cutting the finest of meats, delicious prime beef will be such a treat.

So, shop for your flowers, fine foods and gifts, from I-95 Exit 10’s a short trip.

Yes, we’re a supermarket but we’re so much more, you can do all of your shopping in just our one store.

From all of us at Palmer’s we wish you good cheer, and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

SHOP ONLINE AT PALMERSDARIEN.COM

Mon.–Fri. 7am–8pm | Sat. & Sun. 7am–7pm | 264 Heights Road, Darien CT

LIVE BRIGHT We all have passion. And passion springs from inspiration, which begins with your surroundings.

That’s what home is. Family. Friends. History. An amazing view. Atmosphere. Art. It’s what makes a space a home — because home is where you truly L I V E .

w i l l i amp itt.co m DARI E N & ROWAY TON BROKERAG ES Fea t ured Pro p e r ty : 8 6 1 H ol l ow Tre e Rid ge Roa d , Da r ie n CT Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

EDITOR’S Letter

JULEE KAPLAN

In The Spirit FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @NCDMAG

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become what the holidays are all about in my home. The spectacular décor, our towns aglow in twinkling lights, holiday strolls, peppermint lattes — no matter what you celebrate, the season is magical.

While all of that is fun, and we will happily take part in all of it, I’m finding it more important than ever to teach the value of giving back. When my children were smaller, we would go to a toy store and they would pick out a new toy and we would donate it to a child in need. While that sounds all rosy, the experience would usually result in multiple meltdowns and screaming “it’s not fair!” once we did the actual “giving” part.

This year I’m on a mission to change that.

Sure, we plan to offer help serving Christmas lunch or dinner at Waveny Care Center — we enjoy chatting with the residents and quite frankly, my 8-year-old daughter loves playing waitress. But I want to take it a step further. During the (very long) holiday of Hanukkah, my kids associate each of the eight nights with getting stuff. This year we will have “give-not-get” nights where we come up with something we can do to give back to our community and/or to those in need. I’m thinking the key here is letting them take part in choosing what we do — my daughter suggested we buy a craft for a child in need. My son wants to bring treats to dogs in shelters. We’ll look into all of it.

As you go through this issue, I’m hoping you will find many inspiring ways to give back. In our “Heroes Among Us” story we highlight some of the biggest givers in our communities. There’s Polly Perkins Johnson, a New Canaan resident who has been working to grow Future 5, an organization with the mission to motivate low-income students in Stamford to graduate and go to college. There’s also Diana Degnan, a Darien-based high schooler who dedicates tons of her time to Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit which helps send food to children in need worldwide. We think they are some of the most inspiring people, and we hope you will too.

Even our “Home for the Holidays” story, which is sure to inspire how you decorate, offers a bit of advice on giving. Krystie McCauley Inman turned her playroom into the “Work Hard, Be Kind Workshop,” to encourage her two boys to help in the process of giving. Love that.

From finding that perfect gift or a new restaurant for your hoilday party to discovering new ways to give back — whatever you choose to do in your own families, we hope you’ll find inspiration in our pages.

Happy Holidays!

julee.kaplan@moffly.com

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Much has changed in downtown Darien over the last few years. New restaurants and new stores have joined our existing fine retailers to give you an incredible2018 array of choices. Many of our local businesses are locally owned and operated, and parking is free and abundant. Come spend a day shopping and dining in Darien—you’ll be glad that you did!

YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN DARIEN TODAY!

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BUZZ status report

CIVIC LEADER

CIVIC LEADER • LYNNE MERCEIN • STUDIO • DANCE ON THE DL • LAKOTA OAKS

Family Ties Karl Chevrolet president Leo Karl III is all about mixing

business with family and community

K

BOB CAPAZZO

arl Chevrolet has been expanded many times since it opened in 1927 in the same location it still occupies, on Elm Street. And for good reason. Whether you’ve driven past the sprawling dealership or seen the logo emblazoned on the many Suburbans whizzing through town, you know almost immediately that the third generation family business is a household name. Today, it’s run by LEO KARL III, his brother Steve and cousin Ed. When asked how the dealership got its start, Leo explained that his grandfather founded it. His father, Leo Jr., who is 87, is still active in the business and never misses a day at the office. Here, we speak with Leo to learn more about working with family and how the company fulfills its civic duty to a small town.

Explain the ways your family is involved with the town. Between myself, Steve and Ed, we basically have three different personas in the community. Both Steve and I have coached youth sports: I coached girls’ lacrosse for over 15 years and Steve coached baseball extensively. I’ve been on boards of many nonprofits, and Steve is involved in town govern-

ment. Ed was chief of the New Canaan Fire Department for many years, so we’ve all had leadership positions within New Canaan.

How is it, blending business and family? When you’re running a small business, there’s a significant amount of trust involved. Working with family adds some stability and offers more than »

Leo Karl III

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 NEW CANAAN•DARIEN

19

BUZZ

one face of the company to our customers and the community.

How do you use the business to give back?

I’ve come to appreciate giving back at three levels: time, talent and treasure.

Karl Chevrolet participates in all three, and this idea is ingrained in the company’s culture. Many of our staff members give their time or talents by coaching or volunteering, some as firemen or other emergency responders.

Together, we have certain expertise we try to lend to nonprofits, and when we can, we support organizations and events financially.

Who are the people you serve, in and out of the showroom? Our business relies on customers from broader Fairfield and Westchester counties and even greater distances, but we try to share our business support locally, mostly in

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lower Fairfield County from Greenwich to Westport. Our core customers are families with kids. Chevrolet has very strong family vehicles, from small SUVs up to the Suburban. Families with young kids are our core audience, so a lot of the organizations we support serve families and youth.

What are some of those organizations? We sponsor youth baseball, soccer, lacrosse and football in most of the surrounding towns. From a business standpoint, we work with nonprofits like Person to Person, STAR, Open Door Shelter in Norwalk, Norwalk Hospital, Yankee Council of Boy Scouts, and local organizations like New Canaan Cares, the Waveny Park Conservancy and Waveny LifeCare Network. We also support the arts through programs like Summer Theatre of New Canaan (STONC), New England Dance Academy (NEDA), Westport Country Playhouse and the Town Players of New Canaan.

What initiatives do you organize at Karl Chevrolet? We’ve donated to all the local high schools every spring since the eighties. We also run the largest collection for the U.S. Marine Corps for Toys for Tots every December, filling up a Silverado truck 10 times over with gifts donated by local families. Our company has an educator discount program for teachers, administrators and coaches where we offer them special pricing on top of any other rebates or discounts available to the public for vehicles.

We recently extended this discount to first responders like police, EMTs and firemen.

Do you have a favorite nonprofit? The one most special to me is the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF). I’ve been involved with them for more than a decade and Board Chairman for seven-plus years. NCCF is like an umbrella that sits above all other local nonprofits—I’ve learned about so many other

helpful organizations through them. They provide financial support as well as educational help to nonprofits on subject matters like board governance, how to get organized and how to get volunteers connected.

How does NCCF work?

Donors want to know where their donations go, but it can be challenging to research this information. NCCF does this every day, so its staff and our board are wellconnected year-round to the nonprofit sector.

At any given time, they know about emerging and ongoing community needs, so NCCF can connect local donors and volunteers with the organizations that are important to them and are doing the best work to meet specific needs. Under the NCCF umbrella, there are over 65 different funds. Half of the money under NCCF’s management is board directed, so they have the ability to fill immediate voids. For example, if we hear about a student who can’t attend music class

because he can’t afford an instrument, we can use funds for that. If a college student can’t get back home for a family member’s funeral, we can help pay for that. When the New Canaan Land Trust had the opportunity to acquire new space, we did a one-time emergency grant to put them over the top and acquire it.

Collectively, NCCF helps direct peoples’ philanthropic dollars, time or talent efficiently.

What does it mean to have a business in a small town and be so involved in the community? The bottom line is we couldn’t do any of this without a really wonderful customer base. As much as we try to treat every customer with a high level of service, it’s a competitive business. We’re fortunate to keep all that up and continue to expand.

The other side of giving back is being very grateful for that, and in turn we love to support the community that keeps us going.

—Malia McKinnon Frame

CONTRIBUTED

Leo Karl, Jr; Artist rendering of Karl Chevrolet dealership, 1927

CIVIC LEADER

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BUZZ

Darien designer Lynne Mercein

F

inding that special gift just got a bit easier.

Enter LYNNE MERCEIN, a Darienbased fine jewelry designer who not only creates her own collections of stunning pieces using a variety of metals and stones, she also skillfully crafts oneof-a-kind commissioned and repurposed pieces.

“Jewelry sitting unworn in a jewelry box reminds me of a home in need of a renovation and I really want to make that jewelry, which so often has sentimental value, come alive,” said Mercein, a mother of four who also enjoys restoring and renovating homes. “So many of us have old jewelry that, with a little creativity and TLC, can become new again.”

Mercein designs from her studio in Darien or her office in New York, where

FIND YOUR ZEN Oxygen owners open StudiO in New Canaan

W

hen yoga and barre classes at Oxygen weren’t as popular as she had hoped, owner Sarah Koch took matters into her own hands. She and her husband, Dave, built a new building housing two studios (with two rental apartments upstairs), now called StudiO, just across the parking lot, specifically for those workouts.

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creates truly unique pieces

she often meets with clients. She’s greatly inspired by nature and works with gold, sterling silver, brass and copper as well as a variety of gems and natural stones. It can take anywhere from three weeks to three months for her to complete a commissioned piece. For a piece to be repurposed, it can take anywhere from six weeks to a year. If you’re looking to turn grandma’s old diamond ring into a modern necklace or a vintage tennis bracelet into a trendier cuff, Mercein is up for the challenge.

Mercein’s own collection is priced between $95 and $3,500 and can be purchased through lynnemercein.com or on her Etsy shop, where she sells pieces for $600 and under. To commission Mercein, she can be reached via email at lmercein@mac.com.

How is this space different than Oxygen? It’s a cleaner design—we really paid attention to those special details that people look for in these classes. We have soundproofing, the floors are hard surfaces, but with a sprung floor so that we can hold cardio classes too. For our warm yoga classes, the floor is heated.

“People don’t want that gym feeling. We needed something more zen.”

– SARAH KOCH

“Jewelry sitting unworn in a jewelry box reminds me of a home in need of a renovation and I really want to make [it] come alive.”

—LYNNE MERCEIN

Green amethyst and rose gold ring; gold necklace featuring Mercein’s signature gingko leaves.

Besides yoga and barre, will you offer other classes at StudiO? We have lots of options—a reformer-on-thefloor type of Pilates, 45-minute express classes for those who have to get to work, cardio barre classes, yoga bootcamp.

Are there locker rooms? There are a couple of bathrooms,

but locker rooms are in the main building. Anyone taking classes at StudiO can use our locker rooms next door at Oxygen.

How much are classes? We have lots of packages available, but one class is $15 and you can sign up at oxygenfitnessct.com.

—Julee Kaplan

LYNNE MERCEIN IMAGES CONTRIBUTED; SARAH KOCH: JANE BEILES

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BUZZ

Linda Cicero and Doreen Godfrey

I

t was just a few years ago when DOREEN GODFREY decided to take LINDA CICERO’s Zumba class at Equinox in Darien. Little did they know that class would be the beginnings of something big.

Both with extensive dance backgrounds under their belts, the Darien residents banded together to launch Dance on the DL, a series of kids’ hip-hop dance classes held at Joyride Cycling Studio in the Goodwives Shopping Center. Soon, waitlists soared and after two years in business, they opened their own studio in late September, right next door to Joyride.

“As our waitlists continued to grow 24

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

Dance on the DL opens in Darien

we knew it was time to look for a space of our own, so we could have the opportunity to dance and spread our motivational message to as many people as we could,” Godfrey said.

The new studio has also allowed the duo to expand their offerings and hire a couple of new instructors.

Now they offer a full schedule of kids’ hip-hop classes for ages four and up, and launched adult dance and fitness classes, workshops, birthday parties and a monthly ladies’ night.

“These classes are for all levels,” Cicero stressed. “We break everything down step-by-step and repeat it a lot so by the end, you are in full JLo mode and living every minute.”

While hip-hop is the main practice at Dance on the DL, Godfrey and Cicero said they plan to add new elements of dance as they grow. Tap blended with a hip-hop vibe is an example of what they’re thinking, along with contemporary hip hop taught by guest instructors.

Adult classes start at $25 each; packages range from $60 to $230. Kids classes cost $465 per semester or $875 for the year.

“Our goal is to inspire, educate and motivate people to become their best selves on and off the dance floor,” Godfrey said. “We make sure to teach our kids to build each other up. There is enough in this world that can make them feel not good enough but we emphasize that anything worth achieving takes work and dedication.”

—Julee Kaplan

BOOK IT LaKota Oaks gets a new look

I

f you’re looking for a place to hold a wedding, bar mitzvah or corporate event, LaKota Oaks may be your spot.

The sprawling 66-acre property, formerly called Dolce Norwalk, tucked away in a wooded residential community, is under new ownership with big plans for a massive renovation to modernize nearly the entire 126,000-squarefoot facility.

Rowayton-based Bavier Design has been tasked with everything from providing new lighting, paint, flooring and furnishings in the lobby to the 121 guest rooms, 36 meeting rooms and ballrooms. One ballroom even being expanded with added windows, upgraded sound systems and the ability to hold 300 people, instead of the 240 it does now.

“The property is already great as it is, but it’s our mission to make it even more modern and inviting.”

—SAM HAIGH, LAKOTA HOTELS PRESIDENT AND CEO

The bar area will be redesigned with an expanded outdoor patio and awning to make it useable year-round. Sam Haigh, president and CEO of LaKota Hotels, said he plans to showcase rotating local works of art in the bar area.

Also getting a bit of an update is Market 32, the on-site restaurant, which will eventually provide farm-to-table fare, from the gardens to be planted on the property.

Renovation is planned in phases to allow for the events already booked to go off without a hitch. Completion is scheduled for the end of February.

CONTRIBUTED

Game On Their

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status report

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

produced by megan gagnon

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN So Kate Booty in white calfskin; $1,095. us.christian louboutin.com

Make your list. Check it twice.

Realize that everyone’s more than just naughty or nice.

Whether you’re buying for fashion maximalists or minimalists, modern aesthetes or traditional tastemakers, or those who prefer to go big versus stay home (no judgment here), our guide offers up the perfect presents for every personality.

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CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN So Kate Stripey Glitter Booty; $1,295. Saks Greenwich 10022-Shoe; saks.com

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1. JUDITH LEIBER COUTURE Clutch; $5,695. judithleiber.com 2. CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN So Kate Booty; $1,295. Saks Greenwich 10022-Shoe; saks.com 3. SAINT LAURENT Vicky bag; $1,990. Mitchells, Westport; shop.mitchellstores.com 4. VINCE Skirt; $265. Greenwich, Westport; vince.com 5. MACKAGE Jacket; $690. mackage.com 6. MARC CAIN Dress; $590. The Westchester; marc-cain.com 7. VERONICA BEARD Belt; $350. intermixonline.com 8. JOIE Blazer; $498. Greenwich, Westport; joie.com 9. THE VOLON Bag; $1,175. Shari's Place, Greenwich; sharisplace.com 10. J. CREW Top; $79.50. Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport; jcrew.com 11. NIC+ZOE Calle; $135. Westport; nicandzoe.com 12. ANN TAYLOR Faux fur stole; $79.50. New Canaan; anntaylor.com 13. HOBBS Coat; $700. Greenwich; hobbs.com 14. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Gloves; $268. Tina Dragone, Darien; tinadragone.com 15. STUART WEITZMAN Charlie in Bridle Devon; $798. Greenwich; stuartweitzman.com 16. COACH Quinn satchel; $375. Lord & Taylor, Stamford; lordandtaylor.com 17. WARBY PARKER Hunt Wide sunglasses; starting at $95. Greenwich; warbyparker.com

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF DESIGNERS/BRANDS

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Give “Blue Christmas” a whole new meaning

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These pieces set the gold standard for everyday jewelry

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1. ROBERTO COIN Princess Flower diamond earrings; $8,500. Manfredi Jewels, Greenwich, New Canaan; manfredijewels.com 2. GRAFF Diamond Bombe necklace; price upon request. Saks Greenwich The Vault; saks.com 3. PETER SUCHY JEWELERS Antique aqua sapphire ring; $18,895. Stamford; petersuchyjewelers.com 4. NAM CHO 18k gold sapphire and diamond earrings; price upon request. Mitchells, Westport; shop.mitchells.com 5. STEVEN FOX JEWELRY 17.13 ct blue sapphire diamond platinum ring; $165,000. Greenwich; stevenfoxjewelry.com 6. SHREVE, CRUMP & LOW 19.48 ct sapphire and diamond bracelet; $37,500. Greenwich; shrevecrumpandlow.com 7. BUSATTI Pavé diamond bangle; $21,200. Betteridge, Greenwich; betteridge.com 8. TIFFANY & CO. Assorted Tiffany T necklaces; starting at $975. Greenwich, Westport; tiffany.com 9. KVO COLLECTIONS Bar bracelet; $420; kvocollections.com 10. JL ROCKS Axis ring; $1,850. Westport; jlrocks.com 11. DAVID YURMAN Stax color ring; $4,700. Lux Bond & Green, Westport; lbgreen.com 12. JACQUELINE ROSE Crystal quartz globe ring; $175. Mis en Scene, Greenwich; misenscenehome.com 13. LIVEWELL DESIGN Nada earrings; $3,025. Pimlico, New Canaan; pimlicointeriors.com 14. LANA JEWELRY Mini sunrise hoops with diamonds; $420. Henry C. Reid, Fairfield; hcreidjewelers.com 15. ASHA BY ASHLEY MCCORMICK Zodiac rings; $295 each.

Greenwich; ashabyadm.com 16. HULCHI BELLUNI Fidget bracelets; starting at $2,780. Nagi, Stamford; nagijewelers.com

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF DESIGNERS/BRANDS

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John’s Island It’s your lifetime. Spend it wisely.

John’s Island is the place where everyone wants to be. A private, luxurious seaside community full of people who–like you–have a zest for the good life. Indulge in 1,650± tropical acres along miles of pristine beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

From sunrise to sunset, enjoy the active and legendary social lifestyle where world-class amenities, unrivaled cultural and recreational activities, al fresco dining and water sports abound. We invite you to discover life at John’s Island.

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The diet starts January 1. Until then, it’s all about eating, drinking and being merry

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A self-care starter kit for a more mindful and healthy holiday

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1. TERRAIN Reclaimed wood serving plank; $198. Westport shopterrain.com 2. CORAVIN Model Two Elite wine system; $350. The Perfect Provenance, Greenwich; theperfectprovenance.com 3. ASSOULINE The Impossible Collection of Wine; $845. Hoagland’s, Greenwich; hoaglands.com 4. EBERJEY Frida PJ set; $120. Soleil Toile, New Canaan, Westport; soleiltoile.com 5. CARL AUBOCK Brass and leather nutcracker; $389. The Glass House Design Store, New Canaan; designstore. theglasshouse.org 6. SIMON PEARCE Bristol caviar set; $100. Greenwich, Westport; simonpearce.com 7. POPPY HAND-CRAFTED POPCORN Holiday cylinders; $21.50 each. Beehive, Fairfield; thebeehivefairfield.com 8. ZOJIRUSHI 11 oz. stainless mug with tea leaf filter; $45. amazon.com 9. UMA Ultimate Brightening Rose Toner; $65. Orgánachs Farm to Skin, Westport; organachsfarmtoskin.com 10. LA MER Advent calendar; $400. Saks Fifth Avenue, Greenwich; saks.com 11. TORY SPORT Tonal chevron leggings; $98. torysport.com 12. ERNO LASZLO Phormula 3-9 Repair Cream; $275. Williams & Company, Darien; williamsandcompany.md 13. INNER LIGHT Gift Card. Darien; innerlight-wellness.com 14. SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY Sourwood Honey Gold Reserve; $99. Westport; savannahbee.com 15. PELOTON Bike; $2,245. Westport; onepeloton.com 16. VITRUVI Stone Diffuser; $119. vitruvi.com

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF DESIGNERS/BRANDS

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1. BACCARAT Heritage tumblers; $660 for set of two. Greenwich; us.baccarat.com 2. WEST ELM Nutcracker; starting at $29. Westport; westelm.com 3. WATERWORKS Ice bucket; $650. Greenwich; waterworks.com 4. VENDOME Haute Bohemians; $65. The Collected Home, Rowayton; thecollectedhome .com 5. TOZAI HOME Serving set; $120 for pair. Lillian August, Norwalk; lillianaugust.com 6. MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS Alabaster tray; $545. Greenwich; mgbwhome.com 7. OOMPH Venetian glass match strike;$465. Greenwich; oomphonline.com 8. CRATE & BARREL Old-fashioned glasses; $39.95 for set of four.

Westport; crateandbarrel.com 9. RALPH LAUREN HOME Brennan clock; $895. New Canaan; ralphlauren.com 10. WILLIAMS SONOMA Bay leaf wreath; $70. Westport; williams-sonoma.com 11. JOANNA BUCHANAN Wick trimmer; $98. Kirby and Company, Darien; kirbyandcompany.com 12. THE 203 Camper mug; $18. No. 299, Fairfield; no299.com 13. NEST Birchwood Pine 3-wick candle; $68. Browne & Co., Darien; dianebrowne.com 14. AUGUST MORGAN Cocktail napkins; $50 for set of four. Nantucket Monogram, New Canaan; nantucketmonogram.com

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Where each student matters and every moment counts.

Cross-grade learning in Bi-Cultural’s Makerspace Innovation Lab

Small classes // Big experiences // Jewish values To learn how your child can thrive here, please call: Pre-K thru 8th grade: Denise Rafailov, 203-329-2186 9th-12th grade: Sarah Rich, 203-357-0850

Pre-K through Grade 9

BY DESIGN By focusing on the formative years of childhood, our students are equipped with exactly what they need to take the next leap, from subject to subject, grade to grade and to the nation’s best high schools, colleges and beyond.

COME TAKE A CLOSER LOOK! Join us at 9 a.m. any Thursday for Coffee in the Commons Ask questions, take a tour and get a close-up look at our program www.countryschool.net/visit

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Leisurely luxuries for those who prefer to do their exploring online

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1. JUNIPER BOOKS Adventures of Tintin book set; $165. juniperbooks.com 2. SONOS Play:5; $499. Best Buy, Norwalk; bestbuy.com 3. HERMÈS Tarot cards; $120.

Greenwich; hermes.com 4. RH Leather dominoes set; $171. Greenwich, Westport; rh.com 5. LEGO James Bond Aston Martin DB5; $149. shop.lego.com 6. MASTER & DYNAMIC MH40 headphones in White; $399. GDV, Greenwich; graysondevere.com 7. LOOG Mini guitar; $79. Saltwater, Fairfield; saltwaterct.com 8. BARBOUR Foreland quilted coat; $399. Westport; barbour.com 9. UGG Double-faced sheepskin mittens; $129. Orvis, Darien, Norwalk; orvis.com 10. YETI Hopper Flip 8 cooler; $200. Darien Sport Shop; dariensport.com 11. VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY Classic pocket knife; $225. swissarmy.com 12. PUBLIC BIKES FOR SERENA & LILY Limited edition C7 bike; $598. Westport; serenaandlily.com 13. FJÄLLRÄVEN Kånken backpack; $80. Greenwich; fjallraven.us.

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF DESIGNERS/BRANDS

Cooler temps are no match for these outdoor enthusiasts

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status report

BY CHRIS HODENFIELD

LEXUS ES 350

Quiet Strength I

f the morning commute takes you past the blasting of heavy construction, a good car to consider would be the Lexus ES 350. The noise will be turned to a distant rustle with the crumbling road smooth as butter on mashed potatoes. This is the perfect car for the stressed-out driver, who may just emerge from the stylish sedan with noticeably reduced blood pressure.

The ES model has been revamped for 2019; it’s the seventh generation of a car that debuted only in 1989.

Whereas it once was a glossy redo of a Toyota Avalon, it

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is now a sumptuous sedan larger LS 500 starship. The in the “just right” size. The new colors offered include electronics are all up to Moonbeam Beige Metallic, date, with Apple CarPlay, which surely sounds like a Amazon Alexa for Android Frank Zappa song. users (allowing car-to-home With a new chassis, the ES commands), Verizon WiFi, is wider and longer by a few and a raft of safety inches from its sensors. predecessor. The Lexus ES 350 It continues with engine is 34 horses Lexus’s spindlestronger, and the Base price grill motif up front transmission goes $39,500 and adds many from six speeds to Drivetrain swooping sculptural eight. So, it’s faster 302-hp, 3.5-liter touches to give it and gets better V6. FWD a more aggressive mileage at the same EPA Mileage style. Neighbors time.

Rating might even think For those who 22/33 mpg you sprang for the really want the

mileage, consider the hybrid version, the ES 300H, which offers even more ghostly quiet around town as it delivers an impressive 45 mpg.

But what about the drivers who like a touch more road feel? Lexus is now offering an F-Sport model (base price $45,000) with faster-moving suspension bits should a nice curvy road open up.

The ES is front-wheel-drive only, so certain sport-based drivers will go elsewhere.

But the ES sings with dozens of virtues, including terrific reliability. In a noisy world, it would be a sound investment.

CONTRIBUTED

Lexus’s redesigned ES 350 combines bank-vault solidity with swoopy lines

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status report

Flash HEALTH REPORT: MENOPAUSE

News

Your need-to-know tip sheet to all-things menopause

J

ust about every woman who has experienced the hormonal shifts associated with perimenopause and menopause has braced herself for hot flashes or an extra layer of fat around her midsection.

Yet weight gain and drenching night sweats are just poster girls for a much larger subset of physical and emotional changes that can happen when a woman’s ovaries begin releasing less estrogen and their periods stop.

“I like to stress to my patients that every woman is unique and every menopause is different,” says Dr. Yvonne Ankrah, an OB/GYN affiliated

with Greenwich Hospital. “There are some women who will never have a hot flash, but there could be so many other things happening in her body that are connected to menopause.”

It’s wise, then, for women in this phase of life to check in with their doctors, says Dr. Mary Murray, an OB/GYN affiliated with Yale-New Haven Hospital, whose group practice, Southern Connecticut Women’s Health Care Associates, recently expanded to Westport. “It’s important for us to know everything that’s going on because there’s a lot we can do to help.” —Beth Cooney Fitzpatrick

The Hot List: What you can do to support good health and normalize changes

1

CONSIDER TAKING ANTIDEPRESSANTS

The drug Effexor has proven effective for treating hot flashes and depression, says Dr. Ankrah.

2

UP YOUR SUPPLEMENTS

Try omega-3 fatty acids to counteract dry eyes, skin and vaginas, suggests Dr. Murray.

Vitamin D and calcium support bone health, while magnesium can alleviate sleep disorders.

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3

GET SCREENED

Check bone density and cholesterol, and for breast cancer, but keep in mind, “Not everything should be blamed on menopause,” says Dr. Ankrah, who cites thyroid disorders and Lyme disease as conditions that can be confused with change of life symptoms.

4

CLEAN UP YOUR DIET

Eat less simple sugar and see a nutritionist, suggests Dr. Murray.

5

PRACTICE GOOD SLEEP

Among Dr. Murray’s tips to patients are “technology breaks” fifteen minutes before bed, and daily meditation.

6

TRY ALTERNATIVES TO HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Dr. Ankrah prescribes oral hormone replacements only as a “last resort.” She prefers healthier options like topically administered hormonal creams to help with vaginal dryness.

CHANGE OF LIFE If you experience any of these symptoms, make sure to discuss them with your doctor Body Odor “In the same way you had more body odor when you became a teen, a woman can develop a stronger odor when she goes through menopause,” says Dr. Ankrah.

Bone Loss The loss of estrogen can mark the onset of osteoporosis, which makes bones brittle and prone to breaks.

Chronic Dry Eye “The eye, like the vagina, is a mucus membrane and they all tend to get drier during menopause,” says Dr. Murray.

Depression/Anxiety Dr. Murray estimates some 60 to 70 percent of pre- or post-menopausal women experience mental health issues.

Elevated Cholesterol or Blood Pressure Estrogen and progesterone are heart protective.

Even women who had healthy numbers before menopause may see them go up, says Dr. Ankrah, especially if there is a family history.

Fuzzy Brain “[Menopausal] women will often tell me they are struggling with focus,” says

Dr. Ankrah. Blame changes in hormone levels, associated sleep disturbances, depression or anxiety.

“All woven together they can affect concentration levels.”

Food Allergies “We see more food intolerances crop up in women in their late forties,” says Dr. Murray. Gluten and lactose sensitivities can also materialize, even become more acute, she adds.

Loss of Libido “A loss of interest in sex and intimacy is common,” says Dr. Ankrah. “Some of it may revolve around vaginal dryness, but there can be an emotional component, too.”

Hair Growth “You’ll likely see changes to your skin and nails too, but unwanted hair growth is the thing that seems to bother women a great deal,” says Dr. Ankrah.

Insomnia Even many women who don’t suffer from night sweats report erratic sleep patterns.

“Good sleep is critical.

A lack of it plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease and cancer,” says Dr. Murray.

it’s a wrap!

flaunt it

wag it

sing it

buy it

visit our online holiday gift guide.

IMAGES LEFT TO RIGHT: ©ALARSON/ADOBE STOCK, ©JONFENNEL/ADOBE STOCK, ©DESTINA/ADOBE STOCK

Shopping locally has never been so much fun.

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status report

MEXICUE

clockwise from top left: Poblano mac & cheese; a Grapefruit Paloma cocktail; a margarita; pico de gallo; kale bowl with Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, pepitas, corn, arugula and Cotija cheese; salsa verde; and an open-faced wild rock shrimp taco with slaw, sliced mango and creamy chipotle

Fusion Infusion Mexicue makes its presence known with a bold menu that blends two culinary traditions and adds flavor and fun to the Harbor Point scene

B

ack in the day, inventive chefs came up with Latin fusion. Around the same time, they began experimenting with blends of Mediterranean traditions. Terms like Cal-Asian are now part of your foodie lingo. And although this trend to blend continues, it would seem safe to say that innovative combinations are fewer and harder to find.

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We are wrong. Mexicue, now in Stamford, delivers a menu that fuses Mexican cuisine and American Southern culinary tradition, including barbecue.

Who would have thought? We’re glad someone did.

Mexicue has a storied past, starting eight years ago, when the concept was housed in a food truck plying the

streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It was popular then, feeding the business lunch bunch, tourists, festival fans and concert-goers who sought it out. Then came NYC’s crackdown on food trucks, and Mexicue moved to its first of three Manhattan brick-and-mortar eateries.

We’re so happy they looked north to open their fourth location in the site that

CONTRIBUTED

by va l e r i e fost e r

THE RESTAURANT @ ROWAYTON SEAFOOD Located on the Five Mile River Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Brunch 203-866-4488 Open 7 days

ROWAYTON SEAFOOD MARKET Fresh Fish, Lobsters and Take Away 89 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton 203-838-7473 Open 7 days

rowaytonseafood.com

PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF MEXICUE

EAT

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EAT

top row: Interior of Mexicue with funky rustic chairs and square tabletops, an open-face lobster taco, wild rock shrimp taco in a corn tortilla and tuna ceviche in a romaine boat center: A Grapefruit Paloma cocktail, Mexicue cofounder Thomas Kelly, a traditional margarita bottom: Pulled pork tacos, charred jalapeño guacamole with chips, three burrito bullets

once housed Paloma. Offering casual eats with authentic, down-home cooking techniques, Mexicue should be on your go-to list for meant-to-be-shared meals that appeal to all ages.

The location, one of the best in Stamford, sets Mexicue apart. In a breezy, bustling area with perfect views of the harbor, Mexicue’s large dining room opens to a dockside outdoor patio that is shaded with umbrellas. Upstairs the scene is lively, with deep-cushioned chairs and sofas on an outdoor deck, the picture-perfect place to sip a tequila—forty-three varieties on the menu— or interesting cocktails, like a smoky margarita or Grapefruit Paloma.

Once you are ready to begin sampling, consider beginning with two from the starter section, the poblano queso and charred jalapeño guacamole. Both are served with thick, crunchy chips that hold well under deep dipping. The queso is exactly as it should be, cheesy gooeyness with a hint of heat thanks to the poblano. Given the meal ahead, we opted to pass on adding burnt ends brisket chili, as offered, as it surely would add smoky complexity to this opening dish.

The guacamole, too, is lovely and thick, with welcome crunch from the added onions. We had ours mild, though it did come with a slight kick that hits after the first bite, a sign of a properly seasoned dish. Suggestion: Order a side of watermelon radish chips. A variety of daikon, this radish is a root vegetable that is crisp and succulent with a peppery note that adds depth to the creamy avocado.

From the bowl section, we selected kale with creamy chipotle. Lightly dressed, it did not disappoint. The crunch of the greens are brightened by fresh corn and Brussels sprouts, and the added pepitas make this atypical salad a

sunny transition to the tacos, sliders and burrito bullets that round out the menu.

(You can make a meal out of the bowls section. Tuna poke next time!)

There are eleven taco varieties, which are served in portion sizes that are easy to share—typically two or three per person are suggested. And after our first foray, we can see why the tacos are the reason fans of Mexicue return for more.

Consider the pulled pork, smoky and tender, seasoned with creamy chipotle. Or the tuna ceviche, fresh and bright thanks to the citrus vinaigrette. It’s hard to resist lobster, and here it’s sweet, accented with chipotle butter. The charred brisket is balanced with slaw, salsa verde and Cotija, the white and salty Mexican cheese that gives this beef preparation its authenticity. Still hungry? Order the wild rock shrimp, a tad spicy but its heat is balanced by sliced mango.

(News flash: For anyone watching their carbs and gluten, you can order your tacos, normally prepared with organic corn tortillas, either in glutenfree tortillas or romaine boats.)

To complete our meal, the table shared two burrito bullets. The Jamburrito— chicken and chorizo jambalaya with slow-simmered black beans, pico de gallo, Cotija and brown rice wrapped in a flour tortilla—was worth loosening our belts. As was the burnt ends brisket chili accompanied by house-pickled peppers, a perfect mélange of smoke, heat and savory crisp.

Will we return? We already have.

Twice. The atmosphere alone is so hard to resist. But what brings us back repeatedly is the fresh ingredients, which the chefs at Mexicue know how to make sing, with textural components and interesting pairings. We hope Mexicue calls Stamford home for years to come.

MEXICUE

15 Harbor Point Rd. 203-588-1764 mexicue.com

CUISINE

Mexican & Southern American

HOURS

Mon.–Thu., 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.

Fri., 11:30 a.m.–midnight Sat.–Sun., 11 a.m.–midnight

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Fınance Fıx ANNUITIES

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s you’re building your wealth, it helps to be a soothsayer. Do you foresee an anchor in your portfolio guaranteeing you a stream of income in your retirement years?

Something like Social Security or a pension? As these two become less reliable, another financial product, LILI VASILEFF one that has been around since the Roman Empire, might be more viable: the annuity.

This contract between you and an insurance company provides you with income for the rest of your life. In theory, anyway.

Lili Vasileff doesn’t sell annuities. President of Wealth Protection Management in Greenwich and a fee-only certified planner, an independent registered investment adviser and the author of the new book Money & Divorce: The Essential Roadmap to Mastering Financial Decisions, she evaluates whether a particular annuity is right for a particular client’s goals. Often, an annuity pitch comes from a salesperson armed with a spiel, a promise and terrifying graphs and pie charts demonstrating that you’ll run out of money just when you need it most. You sign on the dotted line and buy something you don’t really understand, while the salesperson banks a fat commission.

“It helps to not only do your homework, but to have an adviser who does the analysis, benefit to benefit, line

KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY • The credit quality of the provider • Long-term benefit (adjusted for inflation) • Survivor benefit or a death benefit • Fixed or variable annuity • Fees, including borrowing or withdrawing

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If you’re intrigued by annuities, ask questions first

by line, to make sense of it,” Vasileff says. That person can help you whittle down the choices to three or four, so you can better decide what’s best for you.

“I have this gasp reaction when people go shopping on the internet for a low-cost annuity. Buyer beware!

Look up who the provider is. Understand their credit worthiness. Are they in it for the long term?

You want to be sure the provider has been around and will be around,” Vasileff says. Insurers selling annuities are rated by industry watchdogs Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, A.M. Best, and the like. Ask the annuity’s salesperson or your financial adviser for the company’s Comdex rating or track it down online.

Which annuity is right for you? Annuity features can seem mind-boggling. “Look for the goal of the product,” she says. “Compare like to like and different to different. Annuities have come a long way; you can make any mix and match you want. It’s like ice cream.”

Annuities can be structured by time, when payments start, how long payments will last and whether they’ll continue if one spouse dies. They are usually fixed—which means they’ll pay a specified amount on a regular basis, or variable— which means that the insurance company will invest your money (you can select the investments) and if those investments do well, you will receive higher payments. On the other hand, payments shrink if investments fare poorly.

In many cases, you can buy riders to customize benefits and protections. Fixed, variable, immediate and deferred annuities all have sub-accounts with different fees, goals and investment options.

Consider an annuity a type of forced savings packaged in a nice wrapper to protect yourself from your own instincts, says Vasileff. “It costs you more than if you invested on your own. But then again, you’re not at the mercy of your own foolishness.”

NEED TO KNOW WHY BUY 1 You’ve maxed out retirement vehicles and want another taxdeferred way to invest.

2 You have a lump sum to set aside so you’ll have cash flow for life.

3 With an annuity, the insurance company absorbs the invest-loss risk.

WHY NIX 1 With many annuities, you lock up your savings.

2 Annuity costs tend to be high and hidden.

3 You don’t think you’ll outlive your money.

4 If interest rates rise and you’ve locked in an annuity rate, you might miss out.

5 You haven’t addressed shortand long-term financial planning.

CONTRIBUTED

The Long Run

by carol leonetti dannhauser

It’s not just wealth management.

It’s life management.

At People’s United Bank, we believe wealth management isn’t just about managing your wealth, it’s about understanding, anticipating and helping clients prepare for the expected and the unexpected in life.

For generations we have earned the trust of individuals, families and businesses by solving wealth challenges with solutions that matter.

Investment products are offered through People’s United Advisors, Inc., a registered investment advisor. People’s United Advisors, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of People’s United Bank, N.A.

Let’s Talk.

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Investment and Insurance Products:

— Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency

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— May Lose Value

2018 awards

what a night!

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PEOPLE & Places

DARIEN LIBRARY • PHOTOGRAPHS BY KATHERINE SWEET PHOTOGRAPHY

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he Darien Library hosted its annual gala on June 9 celebrating “Scenes from the Silver Screen.” Over 150 guests came decked in their red-carpet best and dined on hors d’oeuvres and cocktails by Simply Creative Catering. They enjoyed mingling and live entertainment before the live auction began, led by David Smith. By the close of the evening, $80,000 was raised to help expand the library’s resources, including purchasing new books, technology, supporting programs and bringing in guest speakers. darienlibrary.org » 1 Jeanne Siddell-Strebel and Aaron Stein 2 Phil and Jessica Anderson and Nick and Stacy Branca 3 Jay Shutts and Annie Slaughter 4 Karen Knapp, Cathy Jefferson, Stacey Tie, Brooke Gies, Ann Reed and Autumn Robert 5 Barry and Christine Ludlow 6 Robin and Chris Gilbert with Erika and Eric Allen 7 Min and Jan Selkowitz 8 Jay, Beverly, Tammy and Michael Sload 9 Susan and George Wyper

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One Fab Feast

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DAVE MILLER

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sold-out crowd of 250 people turned out for the Darien Land Trust’s 4th annual Farm-to-Table dinner on August 25. Guests dined al fresco on a three-course locally sourced meal by Tim LaBant, set up on long tables spread over Waterbury Field, one of the Trust’s conserved properties. WinePort of Darien handled the wine parings and Busker, an acoustic pop/rock band performed.

Funds from the evening go to the preservation of the more than 200 acres of land that the Darien Land Trust protects for the community. darienlandtrust.org »

ROMAN BODNARCHUK-STOCK.ADOBE.COM

CELEBRATE YOUR WEDDING

2018 WINNER

We welcome wedding announcements together with candid photographs. Weddings should have a current New Canaan, Darien or Rowayton family connection and must be submitted within three months of the wedding day. Regretfully, we are unable to run every wedding submitted.

Send Information to: weddings@ncdmag.com New Canaan • Darien Magazine | 205 Main Street Westport, CT 06880

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Attention Best of Winners!

2018

You asked for it and we listened!

We received hundreds of requests on how you can get additional marketing materials and signs to announce YOUR BEST OF WIN! We’re proud to announce Moffly Media’s official Best Of The Gold Coast & Best Of Town ONLINE STORE! Proudly display your win to the community with:

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ORDER NOW at bestofgoldcoastct.com These special keepsakes provide yearlong in-store marketing for your business!

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON BEING A 2018 WINNER!

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1 Partygoers at the Noroton Yacht Club 2 John Bainton and Nate Gleason 3 Bruce Kirby testing out a new Jaguar 4 Peggy Hersam and Commodore Tom Ross 5 Melora and Rob Johnson, Susan and Scott MacLeod, Libby Alexander 6 Ken Kolebeck, Rick Doerr and Warren Costikyan 7 Chuck Andreae, Jim Gleason, Commodore Tom Ross, Anne Ross

| | N O R O T O N YA C H T C L U B | |

DOUG BOGAN AND HARRY MILNE

Sailing Season

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The Westy Experience…

“If I were going to create a storage facility, this is exactly how I would do it. The staff is amazingly accommodating. The facility is always clean, super safe and the temperature is always just right.”

— HR, Darien

bout 275 guests turned out to celebrate the Jaguar Land Rover Sonar North American Championship at the Noroton Yacht Club on September 15. Club members mingled with guests who came in from near and far for the weekend’s festivities as they enjoyed music from Darien-based Grateful Dead cover band, The Spadtastics. Guests were also treated to a sneak peek of Jaguar’s fully electric prototype. norotonyc.org »

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1 Deirdre McGovern, Jane Pelletier, Caroline Burke and Tori Brown 2 JoAnn Latorraca and Evan Skoparantzos 3 Angela Baldanza, Sergio Rancon and Susan Galat 4 Gerry Nielsen, Janet King, Laure Orem and Susan Cator 5 John Russo and Alison Loh 6 Barbara Hazelton and Lynley Middleberg 7 Liz McClave and Destiny Ikard 8 Joe White, Monigue Rafferty and David Wagner 9 Matt Johnson and Jeffrey Hingst 10 Susan Damon and Nicole Berger 11 Allan Griffin, David Hart, David Barone, Lisa Hingst and Janie Gentile

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BOB CAPAZZO

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record-breaking crowd of 175 turned out to sip, mingle and vote at this year’s Darien’s Best Bartender contest hosted by Moffly Media at Nielson’s Florist on September 27. Participating bartenders from The Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s, Rory’s Restaurant, Darien Grille, Bistro Baldanza, The Goose American Bistro & Bar and Louie’s Italian Restaurant & Bar showcased their best skills. The winning trophy and $500 prize went to Dave Barone of Darien Grille for his tropical rum and pineapple cocktail. Local sponsors included William Pitt, Helen Ainson, Baywater Properties, Carta McAlister & Moore, Jaguar Land Rover Darien and Sotheby’s International Realty. A portion of the event’s proceeds benefit the Community Fund of Darien. communityfunddarien.org »

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12 1 Sen. Richard Blumenthal, gala cochairs Sonya Rolin, Astrid Womble, Stephanie Ercegovic and Global Lyme Alliance CEO Scott Santarella 2 Christina and Gabby Womble 3 Scott Santarella, Angel and Jim Miller 4 Victor, Alex and Debbie Slezak 5 Haley, Christina, Ella and Astrid Womble 6 Guests having fun taking a bite out of Lyme 7 Sonal Khichadi, Brett Kristoff 8 Dr. Nicole Baumgarth accepts the Lauren F. Brooks Hope Award 9 Jesse Ruben 10 Gretchen Carlson 11 Dana and Diane Blanchard, Amy and Charles Balducci 12 Mary Beth Pfeiffer, Dr. Robert Miraldi, Dr. Michele DeAntonio, Mike Schneider

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No Time for Lyme

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he Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) recently honored Lyme disease patients and researchers at its annual Greenwich Gala at the Hyatt Regency. The evening supports GLA’s mission to conquer Lyme and other tick-borne diseases through research, education and awareness. Gretchen Carlson, TV journalist, female empowerment advocate and a Lyme disease survivor, served as the gala’s emcee. globallymealliance.org

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Around the Corner

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BROWNE & CO. 865 Boston Post Road Darien, CT LEARY’S LIQUOR CABINET 186 Heights Road, Darien, CT

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bistro BALDANZA

BISTRO BALDANZA 1020 Post Road, Darien, CT 129 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT THE DOCK SHOP 51 Tokeneke Road, Darien, CT | 203.966.5673

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LOUIE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT & BAR 10 Center Street Darien, CT 203.309.5818 louiesrestaurantbar.com louiesdarien louiesdarien

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A handmade grapevine wreath by Ainsley Hayes.

COMFORT JOY Local designers discuss how they expertly decked the halls of five fabulous homes by malia mckinnon frame

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p h oto g r a p h y b y j a n e b e i l e s

Ahhh, the holidays.

They can be fun and stressful all at the same time. And when it comes to decorating, a little inspiration can go a long way.

The New Canaan Newcomers Club has us covered with last season’s Homes for the Holidays House Tour, which showcased five stunning residences styled to the nines.

We caught up with the designers of each home to find out their seasonal strategies, secrets and festive ideas.

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Hayes stays true to her 1820 antique style when decorating for the holidays. below: Elements of Hayes’ festive décor is seen inside and out.

ALLURING ANTIQUE Ainsley Hayes

ainsley design DESCRIBE YOUR HOME’S HOLIDAY STYLE. My home

was built in 1820, so I like to stay in keeping with the style of an antique and make the décor authentic and traditional.

I set the mood by lighting a fire in our back-to-back central chimney in the living room and display a few vintage collections around the house including bottle-brush trees from the fifties, antique paper Santas and some paper and wool sheep. Even if you have a modern home (we have a modern addition on the back of our house) vintage things still work well in that setting. For my outdoor patio, we made that area feel like a room of its own by making the fire pit a focal point and having cozy blankets in all the surrounding chairs.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE WHAT COLORS TO USE? We A grapevine wreath handmade

by Ainsley Hayes. below: TK and floral designer Emily Candee created various arrangements throughout the home.

played up the existing color schemes in each room. My den has a red sofa, so we brought that out in a simple grapevine wreath I made, adding Japanese holly and red pompoms. The living room is more neutral, so I focused more on whites, but accented the space with red poinsettias that really popped.

For my dining room, floral designer Emily Candee made arrangements out of red, white and green flowers, the colors of my china. We also tied bouquets of boxwood with fresh pine cones and red ribbons onto the dining room chair backs for a festive effect.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR ITEM OF SIGNIFICANCE THAT YOU LOVE FEATURING AT CHRISTMAS? The home itself. We’ve lived here since 2008, and I love raising my three boys in an antique home. I’m a preservationist at heart, so I wanted to let the old house really shine and show people how livable it can be, particularly during the holidays.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW PIECES THAT YOU LOVE?

The New Canaan Landmark Ornaments that are sold at the Nature Center and Historical Society. They’re a total throwback and are wooden with hand-painted renderings of historical buildings around town.

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A collection of vintage bottle brush trees is displayed on the mantel.

Inman’s holiday home was designed as a mix of traditional and contrmporary.

Scottish elements, such as the tartan plaid fabrics, are used throughout the home to honor their heritage.

SCOTTISH COUNTRY CHIC Krystie McCauley Inman and Tracey McCauley DO YOU AND YOUR MOM ALWAYS DESIGN HOMES TOGETHER? Not always, but we do love decorating together

and we go crazy for Christmas. My mother, Tracey, was a freelance print set designer for years, owned an antique store with my grandmother and always styled my father’s restaurants for the holidays.

WHAT HOLIDAY LOOK WERE YOU GOING FOR? My mom is old school and I’m more contemporary, so it was a blend of our two tastes. We had visited Scotland recently where everything is incredibly lush, green and natural with lots of texture. Because my husband is Scottish, we went for a Highlands hunting club look. We special-ordered the Murray Clan of Atholl’s tartan fabric from Scotland and used it as a backdrop throughout, pulling in the colors of black, green and navy blue. On the dining room table, the tartan fabric was a runner underneath a gorgeous garland created by floral designer Traci Shefcyk of Palmer’s Market in Darien. On our tree, we filled in the holes with ribbon made from the fabric.

WERE THERE ANY SPECIAL ROOMS OF INTEREST?

The playroom, which we call “The Work Hard, Be Kind Workshop.” Every Christmas, we encourage our two boys to do nice things for other people, so in the playroom we set up stations that help us achieve this goal. In one area, we put together gift baskets for an elderly neighbor, and in another we made cards and wrapped gifts for the families we “adopt” from the Open Door Shelter in Norwalk.

ANY HOLIDAY TIPS? Start with the sense of smell. We love

simmering mulling spices on the stove, and on our tree we hang fragrant stag cardamom cookies that our family bakes together. My mom likes to go huge on greenery because it looks and smells great. For garlands on stairs and over doors, start with a faux greenery base—Costco makes a great one.

Then, load lots of fresh garland on top to give it some heft.

We also layered in some holly branches from my backyard, fresh dried orange slices and even some spruce clippings.

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A pair of Propst’s favorite cement alligator statues flanks the fireplace at Christmas. below: Propst is a firm believer in using lots of greenery for the holidays.

FABULOUS FARMHOUSE Debbie Propst president, one kings lane WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR STYLING YOUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS? My home was originally designed by Royal Barry Wills, a famed 20th century architect, and subsequent expansions added by Sarah Blank Design stayed true to its original character and farmhouse style. As we furnished my home with the help of One Kings Lane’s in-house design service, The Studio, our goal was for each room to reflect a distinct personality while incorporating the common thread of a “modern farmhouse” aesthetic. Our holiday décor emphasized this style, featuring a wide assortment of products, furnishings and décor from One Kings Lane, as well as a fun mix of modern and classic ornaments suited to the vibe and color scheme of each room.

DO YOU HAVE A DESIGN MANTRA, AND HOW DOES THAT FIT IN TO HOW YOU DECK YOUR HALLS? I am all about the mix of old and new. I love to reflect classic holiday design elements, but always try to incorporate something fresh, exciting and a bit whimsical. As a family, this allows us to keep old traditions and create new ones.

ANY DÉCOR SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE OUR HOMES FEEL FESTIVE? Fresh greenery always makes every space feel a bit more like the holidays. Whether it’s pine boughs or eucalyptus, having an evergreen scent always brings a holiday vibe to the forefront.

DO YOU HAVE ONE SHOW-STOPPING ITEM THAT YOU BRING OUT DURING THE HOLIDAYS? One of my

year-round favorites is the pair of cement alligator statues I found at High Point Market in North Carolina that stand guard in front of my fireplace at Christmas, and on my dining room table off-season. Specifically for the holidays, I have an amazing large Darryl Carter bowl in my living room that I fill to the top with golden pine cones. It speaks to the natural elements we use in the home, but is also superfun, over-the-top and a great conversation piece.

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top left: Propst used a variety of pieces available on One Kings Lane to decorate her home. top right: Greenery can instantly make a home feel festive. bottom left: Ornaments used in a table setting. bottom right: A peek into Propst’s holiday-ready kitchen.

A Christmas train layout and twinkling lights add to the warm, inviting feel.

BEAUTIFUL BARN AND GREENHOUSE Havilande Whitcomb

havilande whitcomb design WHAT OVERALL FEEL WERE YOU GOING FOR WHEN STYLING THIS SPACE? The goal was to create an

environment that was authentic, warm and inviting. The original 1850s working barn had been remade from the outside in, and every weathered timber was left as it was, yet placed within an insulated environment that is a new dwelling. The adjacent greenhouse, now used as an orangerie to grow vegetables and ornamental plants in winter, is an integral part of the sustainable concept of the whole property.

WHAT SPECIAL FEATURES DID YOU EMPLOY? In the

barn, the soaring ceiling was the perfect space for Copia Home and Garden to bring in a statuesque 14-foot grand frir tree. They also constructed a magnolia garland that draped over the beautiful timbers and accented the strong horizontal and vertical lines that support the barn. We added twinkly battery-powered fairy lights and votive candles to the timbers for a festive atmosphere. Colorful antique Oushak handmade rugs warmed up the old wide-plank floors and grounded the entire space. The tree was decorated simply with grapevine garland, handmade paper ornaments and cranberries strung

by New Canaan Newcomers volunteers. In the orangerie, Earth Garden helped plant large boxes with kale, lettuce, herbs and winter vegetables. They also used colorful holiday flowers like cyclamen and amaryllis that could be brought into the home when blooming. Dwarf cypress and myrtle in pots completed the live evergreen plants. Greenery and branches were gathered and cut from the garden and made into arrangements.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST HOLIDAY DESIGN ADVICE? Have

fun. Try the simple act of setting aside time with children to make some ornaments together. Glitter pine cones are easy, or you can cut out snowflakes or ornaments from craft paper.

Honor these projects by displaying them, no matter how they turn out.

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Greenery and handmade ornaments (right) add to the authenic vibe throughout the barn.

Handmade garland is accented with dried citrus to welcome those who enter the foyer. opposite top: China from Juliska added to the blue and green tones in the dining room. opposite bottom: A 16-foot tree was a focal point in the living room.

MAGICAL ENGLISH MANOR Samantha King and Debbie Jackson design dot

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT DECORATING SUCH A LARGE HOME? We went with a “more is more” attitude. This 15,000-plus square-foot house is the largest post and beam structure in America and was modeled after an 1800s gothic revival country home in Wiltshire, England. Some of its ornate features include beautiful quatrefoil carvings and Versaillesstyle wood floors, suggesting an air of formality and a special sense of occasion.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE SOME DETAILS OF THE VARIOUS ROOMS? The foyer had an amazing centerpiece on a round table next to a huge tree covered in lemon slices that we dried ourselves, offset by the handmade garland accented with lemons, pheasant feathers and acorns. The living room had a two-story cathedral ceiling, so we chose a 16-foot tree that was a real showstopper. Two tall candelabras wrapped with white pines flanked either side of the large stone fireplace, and very tall glass vases with long amaryllis were added for height. For the dining room, we brought in the existing room’s warm green and blue hues with china from Juliska that included gold swirl desert plates, blue wine glasses and gold woven placemats.

WHAT SPECIAL ITEMS DID YOU BRING IN FOR SUCH A FESTIVE LOOK? Lillian August was instrumental in helping

us borrow accessories and décor. For the entryway, we used gorgeous footed silver bowls, and an oversized gray Ming vase was the statement piece on our living room coffee table.

WERE ANY OF THE AREAS NON-TRADITIONAL? We had fun with the two-story library. The second story of this room had dark wood built-in bookshelves chock-full of books, anchored by four large red velvet chairs below. Instead of going with red, we did a 180 and used a pink and gold color scheme. We used bubblegum pink roses and wrapped packages in pink paper with gold ribbons, filling the tree with pink and gold balls. Faux white hibiscus flowers were sprayed pink and a cranberry pink candle set the mood.

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HEROES AMONG US p olly perkins johnson

peter malkin

jeff scanl an

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karen keegan

gary macnamara

lynn villency c ohen

They shed light where there is darkness, offer hope where there is need. meet our 2018 light a fire honorees by jill johnson | phot o gr aphs by mel ani lust hair and makeup by noble sal on: c o c o jiang, erica paronich, gina vasc o-c owher, maria williams

gary mendell

jessica sager

diana degnan

martha stone

I

t’s that time of year again— a time when we stoke the flames in our fireplaces to warm our bones and honor those who give back to warm our hearts. There will be no toastier place in November than Moffly Media’s Light a Fire awards, to be held on Thursday, November 29, at the King School (lightafireawards. com for tickets). Read these interviews with the honorees and you’ll understand why. From a father who lost his son and has since saved countless families from the same pain to a teen determined to get 100,000 meals into the mouths of the hungry around the globe, our honorees believe one person can change the world. And they are changing it— for the better—every day.

New this year is our partnership with the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, an organization that promotes philanthropy as a means to create lasting change by advising donors, providing training and resources for area nonprofits, and unifying communities through targeted initiatives and programs. Every year a portion of our proceeds from the event has gone to support FCCF’s mission. This year we invited FCCF to highlight two organizations that are closing the opportunity gap for the underserved of Fairfield County.

The honorees, All Our Kin and the Center for Children’s Advocacy, will each receive a $2,500 grant from FCCF. Our other honorees were chosen by our readers who noticed and nominated the most admirable among us. Your thoughtful letters are fuel for the best kind of fire there is. »

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Peter Malkin

organizations: Greenwich Green & Clean, Greenwich Adopt-a-Road and Greenwich Tree Conservancy (founder of all three); Merritt Parkway Conservancy, Greenwich Historical Society, Lincoln Center Emeritus Council (cochairman), National Trust of Historical Preservation (trustee emeritus), Harvard Board of Overseers, Harvard Kennedy School Dean’s Council (chairman emeritus), among numerous others

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Inspiration “My inspiration is my wife, Isabel,” says Peter Malkin. “She has carried on the tradition in her family of community involvement and urged me to as well. She has the

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ideas and it’s my job to carry them out.” He adds, “I believe in the Athenian Oath. The citizens took an oath to leave the city better than they found it, and I feel that is everyone’s responsibility.”

Courage into Action “Our family feels very fortunate to live in this extraordinary community,” says Malkin, who has called Greenwich home since 1966. “We think it’s important

that residents undertake programs for the benefit of the community and not simply rely upon the government. I’m a strong believer in public-private partnerships, where individuals provide ideas and initiate programs that support what the government may not be able or choose to do.” The list of all that Malkin has done is too long to include here, but he humbly mentioned several highlights.

“I’m really proud of preserving and enhancing our landmark former downtown post office.

I led the purchase and the restoration and enhancement of the building by Restoration Hardware as a tenant,” he says.

“The other is chairing the capital campaign for the Greenwich Historical Society, which opened its new structure on October 6.”

“Peter Malkin is a visionary who rolls up his sleeves and reaches new heights,” comments JoAnn Messina, executive director of Greenwich Tree Conservancy. “He has routinely seen opportunities in town that need attention and has created a solution, the Greenwich Tree Conservancy being one. He saw the dying and degradation of trees and with a handful of like-minded individuals began the GTC, which is thriving under his leadership a decade later.”

Hopes & Dreams “The crucial thing is that these activities continue,” says Malkin. “I think that one of my responsibilities is to help select and support the staff of each organization, the people who carry the programs forward. My hope is that Greenwich will continue to preserve and improve the things that make it special.”

Polly Perkins Johnson organization: Future Five

BEST FRIEND TO CHILDREN Inspiration “Cliff McFeely decided to launch a new nonprofit in 2009 and someone suggested he call Eads Johnson,” recounts Polly Perkins Johnson, a New Canaan resident.

“My sweet, adorable husband told him, ‘You don’t want me. You want my wife!’ I knew when I met Cliff that it was time to take all the amazing lessons I learned from my career launching and turning around magazines and help him realize his dream of Future Five, which stands for the five most important people to help you find a path to an appropriate college and an ideal future career. We believe that the difference between the poor and the rich is not just money; it’s also the connections that more affluent individuals have. If you believe you can change your life— whether you have a 1.7 or 3.7 GPA—we will work with you.”

Courage into Action “For the first few years, keeping the door open is a major achievement,” says Perkins Johnson. “You’re going month to month, donor to donor, student to student— doing anything you can with the little money you have.” She was instrumental in creating the board of directors in 2013. “Pulling that together is something I’m very proud of,” she says. During the past year, she has helped Future Five, based in Stamford, secure space in an adjoining building, adding

2,100 square feet to their existing 1,400. The organization has grown from one workshop and fifteen students to sixty mentors/coaches, 150 students including forty-eight graduating seniors going to college, and an annual budget of $800,000.

“Polly is way beyond chairman of the board; she is my business partner, and we would not be anywhere near where we are today if her energy had not been part of the propulsion,” says McFeely.

Hopes & Dreams “We have hired a new executive director, and our hope is to create a sustainable organization in Stamford that’s here for the next ten to fifty years,” explains Perkins Johnson. “We are so happy with our model of networking and taking a holistic approach to working with kids. We help with parent issues, personal issues, getting a driver’s license, getting into college, and then from college to job-hunting.” Perkins Johnson is comfortable that now is the time to pass the chairman baton. “Cliff and I—we are like the entrepreneurial grandparents,” she says. “Our hope is to pass on the infrastructure and have hundreds of kids go through this new beautiful space. One thing I swore when I came on was that we would create an organization that will live on successfully beyond the founders and be a major part of the Stamford community for many years.” »

Karen Keegan organization: Greenwich United Way (GUW)

OUTSTANDING LEADER Inspiration “My early inspiration came from my parents,” says Karen Keegan.

“They were always involved in community service.” Keegan followed suit, and while at UCLA for a master’s in business, finance, and marketing, she earned an Outstanding Community Service Award. While living in London, she joined the Junior League.

In 1993, the family moved to Greenwich. The Great Recession hit and took a toll. “The financial need in the town was going up while private funding of services was going down,” says Keegan, who joined the board of the Greenwich United Way. “Across the country most United Ways were experiencing declines in fundraising. If the United Way in Greenwich could figure out what to do, we would be a beacon to other communities. That was exciting to me.”

Courage into Action “In 2015 we restructured the organization. We changed every aspect of our business in order to meet increasing needs, give donors quantifiable results and meet the needs of our partners.”

When the CEO resigned in 2015, Keegan helped lead the organization for almost a year.

“That year the board led the organization as a team. We worked hand in hand with staff and shoulder to shoulder with other town agencies. The whole

community got behind the effort.”

Fellow board member Brook Urban comments: “Leaders inspire, motivate, create, manage, listen, guide, take risks, build teams and move an organization forward. As a GUW board member since January 2010 and the chair of the board from January 2015 to January 2018, Karen did all of these things in an outstanding manner, all the time.”

GUW CEO David Rabin states: “Without Karen’s approach to the challenges that faced the GUW when she became board chair, we would not be anywhere near as well positioned to address the health, education and selfsufficiency needs facing our most vulnerable population. Karen has allowed the GUW to continue its mission for another eighty-five years and beyond.”

Hopes & Dreams Keegan serves on numerous committees at GUW and beyond.

“Given the funding landscape in our state, and in Fairfield County in particular, budget constraints on nonprofits are on the rise” she says.

“More and more people will be unable to afford basic needs, so we need individuals to come forward with personal support, whether through hands-on help, sharing expertise or lending financial support. We all have something to give. We must get behind the needs of our neighbors. It’s the only way forward.”

Phone calls flooded in from people Brian had helped: staying up all night to give a depressed patient hope; whispering “It’s going to be OK” in the ear of a new arrival.

Courage into Action

Gary Mendell organization: Shatterproof

MOST DEDICATED HEALTH ADVOCATE Inspiration “It was a situation that happens too often,” says Easton resident Gary Mendell. “My son Brian went into the woods with friends to try beer or pot, as kids do. If ten kids try it, one will get addicted.” Heavier drugs followed. “Brian had a little anxiety. Did that first beer soothe

his anxiety? Maybe. By his junior year, it became a problem.” The school psychologist recommended a wilderness program, which went well but the ensuing therapeutic high school did not. “It led to eight different programs,” says Mendell.

“We didn’t realize their treatments were not based on current science.

In his seventh program, Brian was put on medication. He never used substances again. The final program advised he go off it. On October 20, 2011, Brian wrote a suicide note, lit a candle and took his life,” recounts Mendell. He was 25.

“Four months before that he told me, ‘I wish that someday people would realize I’m not a bad person; I’m a good person with a bad disease, and I’m trying my hardest,’” says Mendell. He felt frustrated by the programs’ inconsistencies, misunderstood and ashamed.

“I was inspired by Brian to help others” explains Mendell. “I learned we had all this research in medical journals, not being used.

For every major disease, we have a well-funded national organization.

But nothing for addiction. I remember thinking how this information could start saving lives.” He founded Shatterproof five months after Brian died.

“Gary is unyielding in his goal to change the way our country thinks about and treats addiction,” says Holly Jesperson, Shatterproof ’s senior communications manager.

The nonprofit has passed lifesaving legislation in fifteen states, established a community alliance program with over 1,300 ambassadors, advocated for safer opioid prescribing practices, hosted the largest event series for addiction ever with the Shatterproof Challenge Rappel and created a national standard of care for addiction, among numerous other accomplishments.

The most impactful moments for Mendell have been hugs from people whose family members have been saved by Shatterproof.

Hopes & Dreams Shatterproof is poised to transform unregulated, outdated rehabs into regulated treatment programs.

“We are close to finalizing $6 million in funding to build a rating system for every treatment

program in the country,” he says. »

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Diana Degnan organization: Feed My Starving Children

OUTSTANDING TEEN VOLUNTEER Inspiration “I had gone to [food] packing events since I was a little girl and fell in love with them,” says Diana Degnan, a Darien resident who attends the King School in Stamford. At the events volunteers pack the organization’s

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MannaPack rice meals, which are then shipped to remote areas in the world. “You were helping kids in a way you could really see and feel. I would be there for two hours, but it felt like fifteen minutes. The events were organized through local

churches and Darien High School in Darien. I wanted to bring it to King, as I thought a lot of my friends and community would love it too.”

Courage into Action “I contacted the organization and found out how to have an event, how many meals we would need, how much it would cost—all the details,” explains Degnan. “I made a PowerPoint presentation and presented it to the administration at school.” She was persuasive with both her school and Feed

My Starving Children and got the go-ahead to launch her own MobilePack event, which would require raising $22,000. “I went to big corporations and asked how to best approach the fundraising aspect,” says Degnan. “I did a big email campaign to everyone I had in my contacts and raised about $9,000.” She then planned three field hockey clinics, which her coach from King volunteered to run. She raised another $5,000. “I have $8,000 more to go before the event, which will be in March. I’m doing a ‘King Talk,’ an assembly where I’ll talk about what I’m working on.” Degnan finds public speaking a little daunting, but she’s not deterred: “I’ve been working so hard and am so excited, so I want to share it.”

Kathleen O’Rourke, director of marketing and communications at King, comments: “All sixththrough twelfth-grade students at King will pack over 100,000 meals to be sent to children in need throughout the world. Diana is so excited for the event because it will allow kids in our community to make a real difference in the lives of thousands of hungry children throughout the world.”

Hopes & Dreams “I really hope that people fall in love with the event and that others are inspired to do something like this in the future, with a charity they are passionate about,” says Degnan. “I hope they will see that you can make an impact when you are a kid and that community service can be really fun!”

Want to help Degnan reach her goal? Contribute at give.fmsc.org/ kingschool

Jeff Scanlan organization: Homes with Hope

OUTSTANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER Inspiration “I joined the board of Homes with Hope in 2006,” says Easton resident Jeff Scanlan. “I’d just retired from Wall Street and I had time. The idea that there were homeless in Westport was a bit of a shock to me.” In 2007 Scanlan was named chairman of the newly formed fundraising committee. “Homes with Hope started in 1984, as an emergency shelter for men, where food was served,” explains Scanlan.

“We wanted to create an event to jack up our fundraising so we could offer more.”

Courage into Action “There’s nothing funny about homelessness, but we thought we could attract an audience with comedy,” says Scanlan. “Stand Up for Homes with Hope is a play on comedy and on what we want people to do. It’s not only entertainment. We tell the audience about Homes with Hope, which now offers forty-one units of permanent housing and shelters at the Gillespie Center and Project Return in Westport. In 2008, we sheltered fifty-two people a night; now we’re at 115. Some of our clients get up in front of this rapt audience and share how they became homeless and how Homes with Hope got them back on their feet. It takes a lot of courage on their part, and listening you realize you may not be so far away from

being homeless. Life can unravel quickly.”

The first year the committee underwrote the appearance of Lewis Black to a sold-out crowd at the Quick Center. “The evening was a remarkable success,” says Jeff Weiser, president of Homes with Hope. “Since 2008, this iconic event has entertained over 6,500 people and has netted our agency nearly $2 million. Jeff has spearheaded every committee meeting, and subsequent versions of this critical annual appeal have welcomed the likes of Martin Short, Paula Poundstone, Wayne Brady and Darrell Hammond.”

Scanlan says, “This community is amazing. We always have a full house at the event, and serving dinner at the Gillespie Center is the hottest ticket around. We hardly ever have any openings— that’s 30,000 meals a year.” Scanlan also emphasizes the importance of the permanent supportive housing Homes with Hope offers.

“This is for people with diagnosed mental illness who are chronically homeless. Without it, they’d be homeless again,” he explains.

“We all know people with family members with these problems, but the people we are housing are without that family support.”

Hopes & Dreams “Some people are under the impression that we’ve solved

homelessness around here,” says Scanlan. “I don’t think we ever will, but we have come a long way in alleviating it. My hope is that this community, and Fairfield County in general, continues to support the homeless in the way they have. The work of Homes with Hope is so vital because for the homeless, hope starts with a roof over your head.” »

$30,000.” Every year MacNamara struts for one mile down the Post Road in a towering pair of red high heels to draw attention to the role men can play in breaking the cycles of violence against women. “Chief MacNamara’s leadership has helped galvanize the community around this issue in an engaging, high-profile way,” says Deb. MacNamara has also been involved with Fairfield Cares for many years. “For the last two years, I have cochaired a coalition to try to reduce substance abuse among residents, particularly youth in the community.” He is particularly proud of their Life Not Wasted campaign. “The goal of the coalition is to not only serve the young adults, but also bring them into the coalition, so they are the ones getting the message out,” explains MacNamara. “It’s twofold: #lifenotwasted meaning my life is not going to be wasted using substances, and a positive spin— like ‘I just climbed a mountain’ or ‘I just ran a marathon’ #lifenotwasted.”

Hopes & Dreams

Gary MacNamara organizations: Center for Family Justice, Fairfield Cares Community Coalition, CT Police Chief Association

BEST FRIEND TO WOMEN Inspiration “The people at the Center for Family Justice (CFJ) really inspired me,” says Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara. “In law enforcement, our paths cross with a lot of outside agencies.

Our response is often limited, so

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agencies like CFJ help us to help victims. Around the country, there are a variety of Walk a Mile events [men’s marches to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence]. Deb Greenwood [CFJ’s president] and I were having coffee, talking about

how to bring awareness to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. We decided we should do a Walk a Mile event in Fairfield. We all can be victims of crime, but to be victims on such a personal level, we wanted to raise awareness of how impactful that is.”

Courage into Action CFJ’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is now in its sixth year. “The first year we probably had 200 walkers,” says MacNamara. “Last April we had 1,300 and raised close to

“My hope is that people realize the impact they can have, within arms reach,” says MacNamara.

“Often we look at global problems and forget about local solutions.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are global issues, but there are people in your community doing something about it.” He has been doing just that for his thirtyyear career as a police officer. He recently announced his retirement and looks forward to his new role as executive director of Public Safety and Governmental Affairs at Sacred Heart University.

Lynn Villency Cohen organization: Stamford Museum & Nature Center

MOST DEDICATED SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS Inspiration “My family was the catalyst for my dedication to the arts,” says Lynn Villency Cohen.

“My mother dabbled in music, languages, opera and great literature. My father worked as a news reporter, PR executive and writer. And my uncle was an artist and noted furniture designer. In travels to Europe with my parents, I would take notes as an elevenyear-old about ceiling frescoes and paintings.” Villency Cohen earned two master’s in art history (from Boston University and Oxford) and worked in D.C. for the Commissioner’s Art Advisory Panel.

Courage into Action When Lynn moved to Stamford over twenty years ago, she immediately became involved with the Stamford Museum & Nature Center (SM&NC). “I have worked on a wide array of projects,” she says, “most notably chairing the collections committee to ensure the care and thoughtful display of the art and natural history collection throughout the Bendel mansion, as well as maintaining a robust exhibition line-up of educational, fun shows.”

Kirsten Reinhardt, former curator of collections and exhibitions, comments, “Lynn’s knowledge of art history, her keen eye for contemporary art talent

and her conscientious insistence on fiscal responsibility ensured that the exhibitions schedule was robust, interesting and complementary to the mission of the SM&NC. She was hands-on and involved while respectful of the professional responsibilities of the staff—a true team player who made time to jury art shows, solicit donations and support exhibition openings.”

Villency Cohen is involved in plans for the new farmhouse, which will bring cooking and art classes, speaker events, environmental offerings and more exhibitions to the SM&NC campus. “It’s without a doubt a most exciting time in the eighty-two year history of this institution,” she says.

“I’ve always felt when one enters, you come upon a magical universe,” she adds. Her husband has also been an enthusiastic supporter of SM&NC and her daughter an avid volunteer.

Hopes & Dreams “My hope is that I have dedicated myself in every way possible to advancing the growth of this institution’s journey and to ensure that it will continue to bring joy, learning, healing and excitement to the next generation of visitors,” she says. “While the arts may not be as crucial as progress and discoveries in

science and medicine, museum and art offerings bring joy, enhance learning and offer shared experiences, which can affect life for the better.

Visiting a museum or historical property, or attending a theater or music performance, serves to engage, heal, enrich and enlarge our worlds, making our lives fuller, which in turn helps us understand our most complex, intricate world.” »

q&a with executive director of all our kin

Jessica Sager

FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S COMMUNITY FOUNDATION c o m m u n i t y i m p a c t aw a r d COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD conversation. By valuing and investing in these childcare providers and these families, with the help of partners like FCCF, we are engaging the broader public in a different way.

This really is what will lead to these gains being sustained and deepened over time.

What is All Our Kin’s mission?

Our mission it to train, support and sustain family childcare providers offering home care in areas desperately in need of childcare and to give our youngest children high-quality, earlylearning experiences that will allow them to succeed in school and in life.

What does the future hold?

The Fairfield County Community Foundation is based on the values of diversity, equity and collaboration. How does All Our Kin’s mission fit these values?

It constantly astonishes me, the way in which we as a nation have failed to invest in and support families, particularly families with very young children. Families with barriers to accessing care really struggle, and it plays out in the opportunity gap.

We foster diversity, equity and justice on so many levels: investing in caregivers, giving them the educational tools they need, enabling them to create businesses and giving them a voice in the childcare system; giving parents the support they need so they can succeed in the workplace, and giving children the early learning services they need to be successful. It is essential that all families have access to highquality, nurturing childcare. People

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assume the women offering to care for children in poor communities can’t give high-quality care. At All Our Kin, we say the opposite.

These women are already leaders in their communities.

What do you see as All Our Kin’s biggest accomplishments?

We are making an enormous

difference in the supply of homebased childcare for infants and toddlers. We also are having a profound impact on the quality of that care. We are impacting provider earning and quality of life, and parents are entering and remaining in the workplace.

What I’m proudest of is that we’ve really changed the

We’re creating more All Our Kin networks. We are in Bridgeport and Stamford/Norwalk and have already launched a partnership in Danbury. We continue to deepen and expand our programs, as we learn more about what children need. We are also expanding our training through partner agencies. We will keep working to change the conversation around family childcare, build connections and partnerships, and incorporate these home caregivers in a deeper way into the childcare network Juanita James, president of FCCF, comments: “We are truly blessed to have All Our Kin working to support local family childcare providers caring for young children in Connecticut.

There is probably no other nonprofit in the country that has done as much in this field, and All Our Kin was ‘born’ right here in our state!”

q&a with executive director of center for children’s advocacy

Martha Stone

FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S COMMUNITY FOUNDATION COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD minor behavior problems. We also got a law passed that bans out-of-school suspensions of preschoolers through second graders, so those kids can stay in school with the right support.

We’ve developed a band of pro bono attorneys to help undocumented kids who are eligible to remain in the country.

Together we’ve represented over one hundred abandoned and abused undocumented kids.

Ninety-five percent of the kids we represent stay in school.

What is the Center for Children’s Advocacy’s mission?

Our mission is to protect lowincome children and fight for their rights, including rights to services from the juvenile justice, education, child welfare and healthcare systems. Our legal services help kids by reducing problems that are interfering with school achievement and health.

We also advocate for systemic reforms and help parents, doctors and other professionals learn about children’s rights and how to advocate for kids.

What does the future hold?

Fairfield County Community Foundation is based on the values of diversity, equity and collaboration. How does CCA’s mission fit these values?

Our advocacy is based on the belief that all children should have equal opportunities to succeed. In Bridgeport we’ve brought together schools, police, the juvenile court and community organizations to reduce the number of youths of color who enter the juvenile justice system, and we’re collaborating with parents to improve education for kids learning English. We also teach about the rights of kids with disabilities to participate in afterschool programs and camps.

What do you see as CCA’s biggest accomplishments?

Our juvenile justice reforms stopped the state from locking up runaways and truants like they were criminals and made sure the kids get help with what’s causing their behavior. We’ve also changed the way the system decides what to do with kids and reduced

the number of youths sent to juvenile detention. We’ve brought restorative justice into secure juvenile facilities to teach youth how to avoid problem behavior.

We led the overhaul of alternative school programs across the state and helped Bridgeport schools reduce the number of kids arrested for

We’d like to bring our mobile legal van to Stamford to serve that area.

In January we’ll start training pro bono attorneys to represent youth aging out of foster care who are not ready to be independent. In Norwalk, we’re collaborating on a project that supports immigrant children as they strive for academic success and hope to roll this program out to other districts.

FCCF President Juanita James says: “We salute the longstanding work of CCA. The Center’s combination of legal advocacy and community partnerships has turned around the lives of hundreds of vulnerable youth.

The staff is relentless in pursuing positive outcomes for their clients.”

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

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2018

NEW VENUE! KING SCHOOL

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH 6:30–9:30 PM JOIN US FOR Moffly Media’s 11TH Annual Light a Fire awards reception and cocktail party at KING SCHOOL - Performing Arts Center, 1450 Newfield Avenue, Stamford

OUR HOST

Photos by Melani Lust

The evening will be hosted by veteran Tony Award-Winning actor, director and longtime Weston resident, James Naughton.

FOR TICKETS GO TO lightafireawards.com HONOREES: Most Dedicated Health Advocate – Gary Mendell • Best Friend to Women – Gary MacNamara Outstanding Committee Member – Jeff Scanlan • Outstanding Teen Volunteer – Diana Degnan Best Friend to Children – Polly Perkins Johnson • Lifetime Achievement – Peter Malkin Outstanding Leader – Karen Keegan • Most Dedicated Supporter of the Arts – Lynn Villency Cohen Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Community Impact Awards – All Our Kin & The Center for Children’s Advocacy

Philanthropic Partner

Community Leader Presenting Sponsor

Event Host Sponsor

Community Impact Presenting Sponsor

Catering by

Community IMPACT FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

AWARDS

Two extraordinary nonprofits closing the opportunity gap in Fairfield County.

Congratulations to all honorees of Moffly Media’s 2018 Light a Fire Awards, with special appreciation to the honorees of FCCF’s inaugural Community Impact Awards.

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OUTSTANDING LAWYERS of Fairfield County

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 STAMFORD

89

THE

W

e all know it’s best to consult with an attorney for advice when a legal problem arises, but the truth is most of us only seek out a lawyer once that issue—for example, an accident, a wrongful termination or a custody battle—comes up. Our intent with the list that follows is to encourage you to plan ahead. But in case you need advice this minute, we’ve done all the research for you with this listing of

200 leading lawyers practicing in Fairfield County. Each one has achieved the highest ratings from at least two organizations with highly regarded selection criteria that serve the legal profession.

With this list, you can skip asking your friends for referrals or waste time searching online. All you have to do is review what follows, find the relevant area of practice, visit the websites and call for a consultation. And leave the rest to the professionals.

ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

203-977-7300 daypitney.com

STEPHEN FOGERTY

Halloran & Sage LLP 315 Post Rd. W., Westport 203-227-2855 halloransage.com

JAY SANDAK

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-425-4200 carmodylaw.com

BUSINESS R. SCOTT BEACH

Day Pitney LLP 201 Broad St., Stamford 203-977-7300 daypitney.com

JOHN CAPETTA

Martin LLP 262 Harbor Dr., Stamford 203-973-5210 martinllp.net

STEVEN CERTILMAN

350 Bedford St., Stamford 203-977-7800 certilman.com

JOSEPH CLASEN

BANKRUPTCY ELIZABETH AUSTIN

Pullman & Comley LLC 107 Elm St., Stamford 203-324-5000 pullcom.com

MATTHEW BEATMAN

Zeisler & Zeisler PC 10 Middle St., Bridgeport 203-368-4234 zeislaw.com

JAMES BERMAN

Zeisler & Zeisler PC 10 Middle St., Bridgeport 203-368-4234 zeislaw.com

Robinson+Cole 1055 Washington Blvd., Stamford 203-462-7510 rc.com

STEPHEN CURLEY

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

PHIL DIGENNARO

Withers Bergman LLP 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich 203-302-4066 withersworldwide.com

PAMELA ELKOW

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-425-4200 carmodylaw.com

JED HORWITT

JUSTIN GALLETTI

IRVE GOLDMAN

Zeisler & Zeisler PC 10 Middle St., Bridgeport 203-368-4234 zeislaw.com

STEPHEN KINDSETH

Zeisler & Zeisler PC 10 Middle St., Bridgeport 203-368-4234 zeislaw.com

RICHARD ZEISLER

Zeldes, Needle & Cooper 1000 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport 203-333-9441 znclaw.com

90

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

FREDERICK GOLD

Shipman & Goodwin LLP 300 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-324-8100 shipmangoodwin.com

THOMAS GOLDBERG Day Pitney LLP 201 Broad St., Stamford 203-977-7300 daypitney.com

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

DAVID GREENBERG

Berkowitz, Trager & Trager LLC 8 Wright St., Westport 203-226-1001 bertralaw.com

NANCY HANCOCK

Pullman & Comley LLC 107 Elm St., Stamford 203-324-5000 pullcom.com

MICHAEL HERLING

Finn Dixon & Herling LLP 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-325-5000 fdh.com

JAMES E. RICE

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

FRANK SILVESTRI

Verrill Dana LLP 33 Riverside Ave., Westport 203-222-3108 verrilldana.com

MATTHEW SUSMAN

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

BARBARA YOUNG

Verrill Dana LLP 33 Riverside Ave., Westport 203-222-0885 verilldana.com

DOMENICO ZAINO

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 50 Leavenworth St., Waterbury 203-573-1200 carmodylaw.com

CORPORATE HAROLD FINN III

Finn Dixon & Herling LLP 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-325-5000 fdh.com

STEVEN GOLD

Day Pitney LLP 201 Broad St., Stamford

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

Martin LLP 262 Harbor Dr., Stamford 203-973-5210 martinllp.net

JOE MARTINI

Wiggin & Dana LLP 2 Stamford Plz., Stamford 203-363-7600 wiggin.com

VICTORIA DE TOLEDO

Casper & de Toledo LLC 1458 Bedford St., Stamford 203-325-8600 casperdetoledo.com

STEVEN M. FREDERICK

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP 600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

SHARI GOODSTEIN

CRIMINAL DEFENSE EDWARD GAVIN

1087 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-347-7050 edgavinlaw.com

JOHN THYGERSON

8 Byington Pl., Norwalk 203-810-4195 jptesq.com

ELLIOT WARREN

830 Post Rd. E., Westport 203-429-4121 ewarrenlaw.com

CHARLES YOUNG

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

Shipman & Goodwin LLP 302 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-324-8100 shipmangoodwin.com

NANCY LAPERA

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

SCOTT R. LUCAS

Lucas & Varga 2425 Post Rd., Southport 203-227-8400 lbv-law.com

ROBERT MITCHELL

Mitchell Sheahan PC 80 Ferry Blvd., Stratford 203-873-0240 mitchellandsheahan.com

JONATHAN ORLEANS

EMPLOYMENT

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

ROBERT BRODY

GARY I. PHELAN

Brody & Associates LLC 120 Post Road W., Westport 203-454-0560 brodyandassociates.com

RICHARD CASTIGLIONI

Diserio Martin O'Connor & Castiglioni LLP 1 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-569-1109 dmoc.com

DAVID COHEN

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP 600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

Mitchell Sheahan PC 80 Ferry Blvd., Stratford 203-873-0240 mitchellandsheahan.com

MARGARET SHEAHAN

Mitchell Sheahan PC 80 Ferry Blvd., Stratford 203-873-0240 mitchellandsheahan.com

PATRICIA WEITZMAN

Verrill Dana LLP 33 Riverside Ave., Westport 203-222-0885 verrilldana.com

DANIEL YOUNG

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP

600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

MARC ZAKEN

Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart 2 Stamford Plz., Stamford 203-969-3101 ogletree.com

ENVIRONMENTAL GARY I. KLEIN

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-425-4200 carmodylaw.com

CHRISTOPHER MCCORMACK

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

BARBARA MILLER

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

ESTATE PLANNING DEBORAH BRECK

Pullman & Comley LLC 107 Elm St., Stamford 203-324-5000 pullcom.com

WILLIAM BRITT

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

DOUGLAS BROWN

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

B. CORT DELANY

Cummings & Lockwood 2 Greenwich Plz., Greenwich 203-869-1200 cl-law.com

For over a century, Cummings & Lockwood has provided sophisƟcated legal representaƟon to individuals, families and businesses.

ATTORNEYS Adrian A. Asli Stefania L. Bartle� Patricia R. Beauregard* Laura Weintraub Beck M. Juliet Bonazzoli Paul L. Bourdeau* Todd L. Bradley* Caroline Demirs Calio John W. Cannavino* John F. Carberry* Catherine Carney-Richman Mary Beth Crawford* B. Cort Delany* Margaret A. Deluca Alison K. Douglas* Janice H. Eiseman* Robert B. Fawber* Daniel P. Fitzgerald Steven I. Frenkel* Katherine C. Gent Jessie A. Gilbert* Robert F. Grele*

Grace Gu�errez* David M. Halpen Stephanie C. Helfrich Michael J. Hinton* William N. Horowitz* Susan Huffard Howard M. Hujsa* Daniel G. Johnson Michael P. Kaelin* Kenneth D. Krier* Andrew D. Kupinse Robert L. Lancaster David A. Ludgin* Brianna L. Marquis David T. Mar�n Nancy P. Marx Katherine A. McAllister Tristan McCann Kathleen M. Merrigan Jonathan B. Mills* John R. Musicaro, Jr.* Andrew M. Nerney

Douglas H. Olin Kelley Galica Peck* Sally S. Pitlyk Robert W. Reeves* Heather J. Rhoades Sarah A. Ricciardi Edward F. Rodenbach* Deborah L. Russell* Cara Howe Santoro Joel Schechter* Rachel B. G. Sherman* Gina D. Silvestri* David E. Snediker* Joseph A. Stusek Conrad Teitell* David W. Thal Howard S. Tuthill III* Christopher L. Ulrich* Sco� Wi�huhn Bruce B. Wood* William N. Wright Rachel Rhein Zarghami

*A�orney is rated AV or Dis�nguished by Mar�ndale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ra�ngs™ which have been the gold standard in a�orney ra�ngs for more than a century.

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

PRIVATE CLIENTS

www.cl-law.com

CORPORATE & FINANCE

LITIGATION

STAMFORD | GREENWICH | WEST HARTFORD | NAPLES |

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

BONITA SPRINGS |

PALM BEACH GARDENS

THE

JAMES FUNNELL

Hermenze & Marcantonio 19 Ludlow Rd., Westport 203-226-6552 hmtrust.com

JESSIE GILBERT

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 2 Greenwich Plz., Greenwich 203-869-1200 cl-law.com

ELIZABETH GRANT

Smith & Grant LLP 9 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich 203-661-1110 smithgrant.com

BRYON HARMON

Shipman & Goodwin LLP 289 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich 203-869-5600 shipmangoodwin.com

DAVID HERMENZE

Hermenze & Marcantonio 19 Ludlow Rd., Westport 203-226-6552 hmtrust.com

LEONARD LEADER

Wiggin & Dana LLP 2 Stamford Plz., Stamford 203-363-7600 wiggin.com

EDWARD MARCANTONIO

Hermenze & Marcantonio 19 Ludlow Rd., Westport 203-226-6552 hmtrust.com

GEORGE MARKLEY

1700 Post Rd., Fairfield 203-259-1177

JOHN MUSICARO

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com

DOUGLAS OLIN

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 2 Greenwich Plz., Greenwich 203-869-1200 cl-law.com

JOSEPH PANKOWSKI

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP 600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

CHARLES PIETERSE

Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan LLC 500 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich 203-862-2332 whitmanbreed.com

EDWARD RODENBACH Cummings & Lockwood LLC

92

2 Greenwich Plz., Greenwich 203-869-1200 cl-law.com

JAMES RUBINO

1100 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-4212 attorneyrubino.com

RICHARD SARNER

184 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-967-8899 sarnerlaw.com

GINA SILVESTRI

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 2 Greenwich Plz., Greenwich 203-869-1200 cl-law.co

GEORGE SMITH

Smith & Grant LLP 9 Greenwich Office Park, Greenwich 203-661-1110 smithgrant.com

JAMES STEWART

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

AMY TODISCO

PETER BRYNICZKA

Schoonmaker George & Blomberg PC 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich 203-862-5000 sgbfamilylaw.com

GARY I. COHEN

1100 Summer St., Stamford 203-622-8787 giclaw.com

CYNTHIA COULTER GEORGE

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

WAYNE EFFRON

67 Holly Hill Ln., Greenwich 203-622-1160 effronlaw.com

GAETANO FERRO

Rutkin Oldham & Griffin LLC 5 Imperial Ave., Westport 203-227-7301 rutkinoldham.com

ERIC HIGGINS

JANET BATTEY

Ferro, Battey & McNamara LLC 320 Post Rd., Darien 203-424-0482 ferrofamilylaw.com

JILL BLOMBERG

Schoonmaker George & Blomberg PC 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich 203-862-5000 sgbfamilylaw.com

ERIC BRODER

Broder and Orland LLC 55 Greens Farms Rd., Westport 203-222-4949 broderorland.com

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

EDWARD NUSBAUM

212 Post Rd. W., Westport 203-226-8181 nusbaumparrino.com

CAROLE ORLAND

DAVID GRIFFIN

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

COLLIN BARON

Fogarty Cohen Russo & Nemiroff LLC 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich 203-661-1000 fcsn.com

JUDGE ANNE C. DRANGINIS (RET.)

HOWARD TUTHILL

RICHARD ALBRECHT

ANDREW NEMIROFF

SARAH OLDHAM

Braunstein & Todisco PC One Eliot Place, Fairfield 203-254-1118 btlaw.com

FAMILY

HEALTHCARE

Schoonmaker George & Blomberg PC 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich 203-862-5000 sgbfamilylaw.com

Ferro, Battey & McNamara LLC 320 Post Rd., Darien 203-424-0260 ferrofamilylaw.com

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com

203-521-1040 meehanlaw.com

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP 600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

JOCELYN HURWITZ

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

AMY MCNAMARA

Ferro, Battey & McNamara LLC 320 Post Rd., Darien 203-424-0482 ferrofamilylaw.com

MORTON MARVIN

Morton E. Marvin LLC 80 Main St., New Canaan 203-539-0888 mortmarvinmediation .com

MICHAEL MEEHAN

Meehan Law LLC 76 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport

Rutkin Oldham & Griffin LLC 5 Imperial Ave., Westport 203-227-7301 rutkinoldham.com Broder and Orland LLC 55 Greens Farms Rd., Westport 203-222-4949 broderorland.com

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

PAUL KNAG

Murtha Cullina LLC 177 Broad St., Stamford 203-653-5407 murthalaw.com

MAUREEN DANEY COX

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 50 Leavenworth St., Waterbury 203-573-1200 carmodylaw.com

MICHAEL DOWLING

Holahan, Gumpper Dowling 1375 Kings Highway E., Fairfield 203-384-1385 hganddlaw.com

PETER DREYER

LAND USE & ZONING

Silver Golub & Teitell LLP 184 Atlantic St., Stamford 877-731-9050 sgtlaw.com

PATRICIA SULLIVAN

STEPHAN FINN

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

AUSTIN WOLF

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP 600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

MONTE FRANK

THOMAS PARRINO

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

DAVID FRIEDMAN

RACHEL PENCHU

LEGAL MALPRACTICE

Parrino Shattuck PC 285 Riverside Ave., Westport 203-557-9755 parrinoshattuck.com Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

ARNOLD RUTKIN

Rutkin Oldham & Griffin LLC 5 Imperial Ave., Westport 203-227-7301 rutkinoldham.com

THOMAS SHANLEY

37 Arch St., Greenwich 203-622-9004 shanleylawfirm.com

FREDERIC SIEGEL Siegel Reilly & Kaufman LLC 1266 E. Main St., Stamford 203-326-5145 srkfamlaw.com

LOUISE TRUAX

Reich & Truax PLLC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-254-9877 reichandtruax.com

PAUL TUSCH

ROBERT C. E. LANEY

Ryan Ryan DeLuca 185 Asylum St., Hartford 203-785-5150 ryandelucalaw.com

LITIGATION ROBERT ADELMAN

Adelman Hirsch Connors 1000 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport 203-331-8888 ahctriallaw.com

DAVID BALL

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

JOHN CANNAVINO

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com

Cacace, Tusch & Santagata 777 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2000 lawcts.com

JOHN CARBERRY

AIDEN WELSH

STEPHEN CONOVER

Schoonmaker George & Blomberg PC 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich 203-862-5000 sgbfamilylaw.com

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-425-4200 carmodylaw.com

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com Murtha Cullina LLC 177 Broad St., Stamford 203-653-5438 murthalaw.com

SCOTT HARRINGTON

Diserio Martin O'Connor & Castiglioni LLP 1 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-569-1107 dmoc.com

MICHAEL KAELIN

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com

STUART KATZ

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

PAUL LANGE

80 Ferry Blvd., Stratford 203-375-7724 lopal.com

FRANK MURPHY

Tierney, Zullo, Flaherty & Murphy PC 134 East Ave., Norwalk 203-853-7000 tierneyzullomurphy.com

CATHERINE NIETZEL

Ryan Ryan Deluca LLP 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-357-9200 ryandelucalaw.com

PHILIP PIRES

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

487 East Main Street • Mt. Kisco, NY 800-486-7553 914-666-5802 FAX LN# WC17260-HO5 CT HIC.0560846

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We design and build high quality wrought iron gates and railings, wood gates and fencing, automated gate systems, security entry systems, handcrafted stone walls, pillars, stairs and patios.

See our gallery of pictures at grandentrance.com

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COCKTAILS FOR A CAUSE Test your decorating skills while enjoying cocktails and light fare with your friends, all in support of a great cause! Gingerbread house, apron and base decorating supplies are included. Prizes awarded!

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DECEMBER 4TH, 2018 COUNTRY CLUB OF DARIEN

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Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

Moffly - Quarter Page Oct 2018.indd 1

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 NEW CANAAN•DARIEN 93 10/5/2018 10:24:24 AM

THE

JAMES ROBERTSON JR. Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 50 Leavenworth St., Waterbury 203-573-1200 carmodylaw.com

JAMES ROSENBLUM

Rosenblum Newfield 1 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-358-9200 rosenblumnewfield.com

EDWARD SCOFIELD

1000 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport 203-331-8888 ahctriallaw.com

JIM HORWITZ

Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC 350 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport 203-583-8634 koskoff.com

ANTONIO PONVERT III

Zeldes, Needle & Cooper 1000 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport 203-333-9441 znclaw.com

Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC 350 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport 203-583-8634 koskoff.com

JAMES T. (TIM) SHEARIN

CINDY ROBINSON

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

JOHN STRETTON

Ogletree Deakins 281 Tresser Blvd., Stamford 203-969-3101 ogletree.com

JONATHAN TROPP

Day Pitney LLP 201 Broad St., Stamford 203-977-7300 daypitney.com

FREDERIC URY

Ury & Moskow, LLC 883 Black Rock Tpke., Fairfield 888-529-4335 urymoskow.com

DOUG VARGA

Lucas & Varga 2425 Post Rd., Southport 203-227-8400 lbv-law.com

Tremont Sheldon Robinson Mahoney PC 64 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-335-5145 tremontsheldon.com

DANIEL RYAN III

Ryan Ryan Deluca LLP 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-357-9200 ryandelucalaw.com

NICHOLAS WOCL

Tooher Wocl & Leydon LLC 80 4th St., Stamford 203-517-0456 tooherwocl.com

MALPRACTICE RICHARD MEEHAN

Meehan Meehan & Gavin LLP 76 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-333-1888 meehanlaw.com

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE MARY CONNORS

Adelman Hirsch Connors

94

CHARLES DELUCA

Ryan Ryan Deluca LLP 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-357-9200 ryandelucalaw.com

RICHARD HASTINGS

Hastings, Cohan & Walsh LLP 440 Main St., Ridgefield 203-438-7450 hcwlaw.com

PAUL SLAGER

Silver Golub & Teitell LLP 184 Atlantic St., Stamford 877-731-9050 sgtlaw.com

JASON TREMONT

Tremont Sheldon Robinson Mahoney PC 64 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-335-5145 tremontsheldon.com

ANGELO ZIOTAS

ROBERT HICKEY

Silver Golub & Teitell LLP 184 Atlantic St., Stamford 877-731-9050 sgtlaw.com

JORAM HIRSCH

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

Ryan Ryan Deluca LLP 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-357-9200 ryandelucalaw.com Adelman Hirsch Connors 1000 Lafayette Blvd., Bridgeport 203-331-8888 ahctriallaw.com

DOUGLAS MAHONEY

DAVID ATKINS

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

76 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-333-1353

NEAL MOSKOW

JONATHAN BOWMAN

JAMES NOONAN

MICHAEL CACACE

MARIO COPPOLA

Berchem, Moses & Devlin PC 1221 Post Rd. E. , Westport 203-227-9545 bmdlaw.com

PERSONAL INJURY

Ryan Ryan Deluca LLP 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-357-9200 ryandelucalaw.com

FRANK BAILEY

ANTHONY PIAZZA

Tremont Sheldon Robinson Mahoney PC 64 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-335-5145 tremontsheldon.com

RICHARD BIEDER

Piazza, Simmons & Grant 112 Prospect St., Stamford 203-883-0679 piazzainjurylawyers.com

Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC 350 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport 203-583-8634 koskoff.com

MICHAEL RYAN

ADAM BLANK

Tremont Sheldon Robinson Mahoney PC 64 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-335-5145 tremontsheldon.com

Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky LLP 600 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2300 wrkk.com

STEWART CASPER

Casper & de Toledo LLC 1458 Bedford St., Stamford

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

Ryan Ryan Deluca LLP 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-357-9200 ryandelucalaw.com

ROBERT SHELDON

RICHARD SILVER

Silver Golub & Teitell LLP 184 Atlantic St., Stamford 877-731-9050 sgtlaw.com

MICHAEL HINTON

RICHARD DI MARCO

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com

MARK KIRSCH

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com Cacace, Tusch & Santagata 777 Summer St., Stamford 203-327-2000 lawcts.com

BRUCE COHEN

Fogarty Cohen Russo & Nemiroff LLC 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich 203-661-1000 fcsn.com

STEVEN ELBAUM

Robinson+Cole 1055 Washington Blvd., Stamford 203-462-7526 rc.com

Braunstein & Todisco PC One Eliot Place, Fairfield 203-254-1118 bertralaw.com Cohen & Wolf 320 Post Rd. W., Westport 203-222-1034 cohenandwolf.com

BRETT DIXON

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com

Finn Dixon & Herling LLP 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-325-5000 fdh.com

HOWARD KOMISAR

LESLIE GRODD

KENT NEVINS

LAWRENCE MERLY

TAXATION SAMUEL BRAUNSTEIN

Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey 707 Summer St., Stamford 203-425-4200 carmodylaw.com

JONATHAN MILLS

IRA BLOOM

203-222-1034 cohenandwolf.com

WILLIAM HENNESSEY

RICHARD BERKOWITZ

Berkowitz, Trager & Trager LLC 8 Wright St., Westport 203-226-1001 bertralaw.com

Ury & Moskow LLC 883 Black Rock Tpke., Fairfield 888-529-4335 urymoskow.com

Shipman & Goodwin LLP 300 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-324-8100 shipmangoodwin.com

REAL ESTATE

MUNICIPAL Berchem, Moses & Devlin PC 1221 Post Rd. E., Westport 203-227-9545 bmdlaw.com

DONALD GUSTAFSON

Berkowitz, Trager & Trager LLC 8 Wright St., Westport 203-226-1001 bertralaw.com

Tremont Sheldon Robinson Mahoney PC 64 Lyon Ter., Bridgeport 203-335-5145 tremontsheldon.com

CHARLES WILLINGER

Willinger, Willinger & Bucci 855 Main St., Bridgeport 203-366-3939 wwblaw.com

203-325-8600 casperdetoledo.com

Cummings & Lockwood LLC 6 Landmark Sq., Stamford 203-327-1700 cl-law.com Shipman & Goodwin LLP 301 Atlantic St., Stamford 203-324-8100 shipmangoodwin.com

EDWARD O'HANLAN

Robinson+Cole 1055 Washington Blvd., Stamford 203-462-7556 rc.com

MICHAEL PROCTOR

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

JAMES RILEY

Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan LLC 500 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich 203-862-2342 whitmanbreed.com

STEVEN SIEGELAUB

Halloran & Sage LLP 315 Post Rd. W., Westport 203-227-2855 halloransage.com

DAVID LEHN

Withers Bergman LLP 1700 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich 203-302-4077 withersworldwide.com

D. ROBERT MORRIS

Pullman & Comley LLC 850 Main St., Bridgeport 203-330-2000 pullcom.com

TRUSTS & ESTATES GREGORY HAYES Day Pitney LLP 201 Broad St., Stamford 203-977-7300 daypitney.com

PETER MOTT

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

RONALD B. NOREN

Brody Wilkinson PC 2507 Post Rd., Southport 203-319-7100 brodywilk.com

GRETA SOLOMON

GEOFFREY FAY

Berkowitz, Trager & Trager LLC 8 Wright St., Westport 203-226-1001 bertralaw.com

ANDREW GLICKSON

SECURITIES

AMY WILFERT

Pullman & Comley LLC 107 Elm St., Stamford 203-324-5000 pullcom.com Pullman & Comley LLC 107 Elm St., Stamford 203-324-5000 pullcom.com

RICHARD SLAVIN

Cohen & Wolf 320 Post Rd. W., Westport

Cohen & Wolf 1115 Broad St., Bridgeport 203-368-0211 cohenandwolf.com Day Pitney LLP 201 Broad St., Stamford 203-977-7300 daypitney.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL @ADOBESTOCK.COM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Legal Profiles

Notable Lawyers in Fairfield County and the Details Behind their Practice

Legal Profiles

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

rutkin, oldham & griffin, llc 5 Imperial Avenue, Westport 203-227-7301 2 Lafayette Court, Greenwich 203-869-7277 rutkinoldham.com Arnold H. Rutkin

THE FIRM Rutkin, Oldham & Griffin is a wellestablished boutique matrimonial law firm with a team of five attorneys who exclusively practice family law. We provide sophisticated legal services to clients in all areas of family law and have extensive experience resolving high net worth cases with innovative solutions.

Our attorneys work diligently to solve problems and attain the most favorable results for clients while maintaining their privacy with the utmost discretion and compassion.

law office of thomas m. shanley Family Law

37 Arch Street, Greenwich 203-622-9004 | shanleylawfirm.com

96

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

Sarah S. Oldham

David W. Griffin

Dyan M. Kozaczka

Karissa L. Parker

COMPLEX DIVORCES & CUSTODY DISPUTES We routinely navigate clients through high-stakes divorce. The majority of our clients have challenging cases due to complex property division issues or because alimony, child support and custody are being contested. Our depth in this niche is well known and differentiates Rutkin, Oldham & Griffin from other firms. We limit the number of cases we take to ensure that all clients receive the highest quality of service and personal attention.

LEADERS IN FAMILY LAW Through both advocacy and client representation, Rutkin, Oldham & Griffin has played a major role in shaping Connecticut family law legislation and creating new case law. Two senior partners are co-authors of “Connecticut Family Law and Practice,” a three-volume series published by West Publishing that is widely cited by judges and other family lawyers in the state. Our firm is also internationally recognized for leadership within the field of family law. Our partners have lectured and written extensively on family law matters throughout the world.

Attorney Thomas M. Shanley focuses his practice on family law, handling matters involving divorce, child custody, child support and other family law-related issues. He serves clients in Greenwich and throughout Fairfield County, including Darien, New Canaan, Fairfield, Norwalk, Old Greenwich, Stamford, Westport and Weston.

Shanley has been licensed to practice law since 1979 and has more than thirty years of experience. He is a skilled negotiator and has successfully settled more than ninety percent of his cases, however, he is an extremely effective litigator willing and able to go to trial if required. He has successfully argued numerous cases before the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts.

Shanley has a history of representing clients, such as physicians, corporate executives, financial sector employees and other professionals who have significant and often complex assets and incomes.

He has developed a case management method that is highly personalized, reliably private and technologically current.

Over the course of his career, Shanley has received many honors and awards

for his accomplishments. He is rated AV-Preeminent from the peer review service Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest professional standards of ability and ethics and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He has also been named a “top lawyer” by New Canaan Darien magazine and one of the “top 522 attorneys in 67 practice areas” by Greenwich magazine.

Active in his legal community, Shanley has lectured at various bar association events and serves as a special master for the Connecticut Superior Court’s family division. He is a member of professional organizations including the Greenwich Bar Association, the American Association for Justice and the American Bar Association.

Shanley holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and received his law degree Cum Laude from New York Law School. He is licensed to practice in all Connecticut state courts and is admitted and qualified to appear before the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and the Supreme Court of the United States.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Legal Profiles

broder & orland llc Matrimonial and Family Law

55 Greens Farms Road, Westport 115 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich 203-222-4949 | broderorland.com

Broder & Orland LLC, Connecticut’s largest matrimonial and family law firm, concentrates on all divorce-related matters, including child custody and relocation cases, alimony and child support, property distribution, business valuation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and post-judgment enforcement issues.

The firm provides mediation services and engages in litigation in all courts in Fairfield County and throughout Connecticut, representing a wide range of clients.

It has successfully handled some of the most notable cases in the state. Its team model and concierge approach are highly effective in

From left to right: Andrew Eliot, Jaime Dursht, Lauren Healy, Carole Orland, Eric Broder, Sarah Murray, Chris DeMattie and Nicole DiGiose.

cases that include complex business and asset structures where income and valuation are at issue, as well as childcentered disputes involving psychological and custody evaluations.

The firm and attorneys Broder and Orland have received an AV® PreeminentTM rating from MartindaleHubbell®, the highest possible distinction in legal ability and ethical standards, earned through a strenuous judicial and peer review. Several of the firm’s attorneys have been selected as Connecticut Super Lawyers®.

Additionally, attorneys Broder and Orland

have been designated as Top Lawyers in Westport, Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan/Darien and Fairfield Living magazines. The National Academy of Family Law Attorneys has also chosen attorneys Broder, Orland, Healy and Murray as Top 10 Family Law Attorneys in Connecticut.

Attorney Broder is the past president of the Fairfield Bar Association and past president of the Fairfield County Bar Foundation. Attorneys Broder, Orland and Healy serve as Special Masters in the Family Division of the Stamford and Bridgeport Superior Courts.

pullman & Comley, LLC Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Boulevard, 10th Floor, Stamford 850 Main Street, Bridgeport 33 Riverside Avenue, Westport 203-330-2000 | pullcom.com

Celebrating 100 years in Fairfield County in 2019, Pullman & Comley is one of Connecticut’s preeminent full-service law firms and a leader in the business community, partnering with our clients to solve their most complex legal challenges.

We serve emerging growth businesses and public and private companies of all sizes, as well as educational institutions, government entities and nonprofits, in the areas of business and finance, environmental, energy, healthcare, labor and employment, litigation, real estate and land use law.

Attorneys from the Family Law, Trusts & Estates and Tax practices are picture from left to right, standing: David B. Bussolotta; Johanna S. Katz, Jill D. Bicks, Campbell D. Barrett, Livia D. Barndollar, Jon T. Kukucka, James B. Stewart, Nancy A. D. Hancock, D. Robert Morris; seated: Judge Anne B. Dranginis (Ret.), Michael J. Marafito, Judge Lynda B. Munro (Ret.), Lauren C. Davies.

We also provide a range of legal services tailored to individuals, families and closely held businesses. Our Family Law attorneys, for example, are skilled in all aspects of divorce, property distribution, alimony, child support and child custody, and collaborative divorce.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution practice offers mediation services in both business disputes and all family

and matrimonial matters. Our Trusts and Estates attorneys provide estate, gift tax, business succession, charitable giving and philanthropic planning; estate settlement; trust administration; conservatorships; and probate litigation. Attorneys in our Tax practice regularly advise businesses, individuals and tax-exempt entities on all aspects of federal, state, local and international tax matters.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 NEW CANAAN•DARIEN

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Larry Keigwin + Nicole Wolcott in

Places Please!

Friday & Saturday, November 16 & 17, 2018 | 8 pm

DATE NIGHT

• DAN

EN • T S

IN DR K CE • LI

Set backstage during the final moments before the curtain rises, this cabaret-style performance is a buzz-worthy cocktail of biting satire, quick-witted physical comedy, and gentle moments of deep pathos capturing the dynamic creative process and relationship.

Dance / Performance Album

Nora Chipaumire

An epic performance experience inspired by radical artists Patti Smith, Grace Jones, and Rit Nzele.

Friday, November 2, 2018 | 8 pm

Soweto Gospel Choir

Two-time Grammy Award winners will lift spirits with Holiday favorites and songs in celebration of Nelson Mandela.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 | 8 pm

203.254.4010 QuickCenter.com

Celebrate the Holidays in High Style!

Opening Night for the Greenwich Winter Antiques Show

Celebrating Honorary Design Chairs David Monn and Alex Papachristidis Friday, November 30, 7:00 to 9:00 pm Patrons Early Admission at 6:00 pm Eastern Greenwich Civic Center Generously sponsored by Betteridge

The Greenwich Winter Antiques Show

Holiday Boutique

Tuesday, December 4, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm Wednesday, December 5, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Greenwich Country Club

Fine Art, Jewelry and Antiques Saturday, December 1, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday, December 2, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Greenwich Civic Center

Holiday House Tour

Produced by Frank Gaglio, Inc.

Rago Modern Design Lecture and Appraisal Day to benefit the Greenwich Historical Society

Art and History Education Programs

MMXVIII

Saturday, December 1, 2018 Lecture: 12 noon Appraisals: 1 pm to 5 pm Eastern Greenwich Civic Center

Wednesday, December 5, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Reservations required (rain or shine) Generously sponsored by David Ogilvy & Associates

Holiday House Tour Luncheon

Appraisals by appointment. Please contact Jennifer Pitman at jenny@ragoarts.com or 917.745.2730.

Wednesday, December 5, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Greenwich Country Club Reservations required

For further information and tickets please visit us at www.greenwichhistory.org/antiquarius

Generously supported by

Exclusive House Tour Media Sponsor

Greenwich

A T M K S P O RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T E V E N T © 2 0 1 8

DECEMBER 1 & 2

Free Parking Sponsor

#GreenwichReindeerFestival

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 NEW CANAAN•DARIEN

99

Moffly greenwich half vertical NOV iSSUE.qxp_Layout 1 10/3/18 4:16 PM Page 1

THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE Non-profit 501 (c) (3)

MOFFLY MEDIA

EVENING OF ART, WINE & JAZZ SERIES Join us in the lobby for wine tasting by Pera Wines & an art exhibit!

12/19 Glenn Miller Orchestra: In the Christmas Mood

A night of Big Band holiday favorites!

Sponsored by Laurel Ridge Health Care Center

4/28 In the Mood:

A 1940s Musical Revue

25th Anniversary Silver Celebration Tour

A nostalgic Big Band musical revue featuring singers, dancers, period Costumes & the String of Pearls Orchestra!

ALSO COMING UP…

The Burr Homestead 739 Old Post Road, Fairfield, Connecticut

November 29—December 2, 2018 Enjoy Daily!

Holiday Gift Boutique Designer Decorated Rooms Decorated Trees & Wreaths for Sale

Special Holiday Events!

Wine & Craft Beer Tasting Preview Party Thursday, November 29th

Photos with Santa

Holiday Hip Hop Family Night Friday, November 30th

The Annual Quilt Raffle to benefit Fairfield Museum and History Center

Casino Night Saturday, December 1st Nutcracker Sweet Tea Sunday, December 2nd

www.FairfieldChristmasTreeFestival.org

11/9 Gladys Knight

Grammy Award-winner known for “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” & more!

11/10 Bebe Neuwirth

Tony & Emmy Award Winner!

Stories & Song with Piano

11/18 Dance to the Holidays

Starring “Dancing with the Stars” Mirrorball champions Tony Dovolani, Karina Smirnoff & other celebrity pros!

11/30 Ronnie Spector & The Ronettes:

Best Christmas Party Ever!

Performing with The Ronettes for the first time since the 1970s!

12/2 Ben Vereen

Steppin’ Out for the Holidays Special 4pm show – includes showtunes, Christmas & Hanukkah songs!

203.438.5795 • RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG 100

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

Ownership Statement New Canaan/Darien Magazine U.S. Postal Service. Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation. (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. Publication Title: New Canaan/Darien. 2. Publication No.: 1942-1028. 3. Filing Date: October 1, 2018. 4. Issue Frequency: bi-monthly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 6. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $19.95. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Lisa Hingst, Publisher, 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880. Julee Kaplan, Editor, 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880. Amy Vischio, Managing Editor, 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880. 10. Owner: Moffly Media, 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. For Completion by Nonprofit Organizations Authorized to Mail at Special Rates: Not applicable to New Canaan/Darien Magazine. 13. Publication Title: New Canaan/Darien. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September/October 2018. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: a.

Total Number of Copies (net press run): *7,779 **7,699; b(1). Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscription Stated on Form 3541: *592 **592; b(2). Paid In-County Subscriptions: *2,851 **2,849; b(3). Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution: *767 **750; b(4). Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: *0 **0; c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), (4): *4,210 **4,191; d.

Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, Complimentary, and Other Free): d(1). Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541: *0 **0; d(2). In-County as Stated on Form 3541: *1,243 **1,232; d(3).

Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS *0 **0; d(4). Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means): *1,443 **1,376; e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), (4): *2,686 **2,608; f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e): *6,896 **6,799; g. Copies Not Distributed: *883 **900; h. Total (Sum of 15f, 15g): *7,779 **7,699; i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f. times 100): *61.0 percent **61.6 percent. 17.

This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the Nov/Dec 2018 issue of this Publication.

18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on this form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties). Brian R. Feidt, CFO, October 1, 2018. *Average No. Copies Each Issue During Proceeding 12 Months. **Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date.

Thank You to All of Our Sponsors

For Helping to Make Our 3rd Annual Event Another Huge Success!

Darien’s Darien’s

B E ST B A RTE RTENNDDEERR C O N TT EE SS TT

Presented by NEW CANAAN-DARIEN+ROWAYTON MAGAZINE

PHOTOS BY BOB CAPAZZO

HOSTED BY

1405 POST ROAD • DARIEN

Business Sponsors: Helen Ainson

Restaurant Sponsors:

Spirits Sponsor: 17022_MJ_BCs:Layout 1

5/21/10

10:32 AM

Page 1

bistro BALDANZA Est. 1985

Fine Catering for all Events 1405 Post Road Darien, CT 06820 (203) 656-9616 Fax (203) 656-2875

www.michael-josephs.com joseph@michael-josephs.com

GRAND PRIZE SPONSOR

A portion of ticket proceeds benefit THE COMMUNITY FUND OF DARIEN

Exclusive Water Sponsor:

SAVE THE DATE 5TH ANNUAL

RESTAURANT WEEK

OPENING NIGHT PARTY @

Hotel | Restaurant | Spa |Coffee Bar

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 6-9 P.M.

GREENWICH RESTAURANT WEEK Runs March 1- 8, 2019

To be a participating restaurant or for sponsorship opportunities please contact Trish Kirsch 203.571.1644 • trish.kirsch@moffly.com

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS ARTS & ANTIQUES

EVENTS

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Geary Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

3rd Annual Darien's Best Bartender Thank You . . . . . . . 101 5th Annual Greenwich Restaurant Week . . . . . . . . . . 102 10th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's Village . . . . . 99 The 2018 Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival/A Season to Give & Grow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 A-list Awards Thank You . . . . . . . . 48 Antiquarius MMXVIII to Benefit the Greenwich Historical Society Art and History Education Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Best of the Gold Coast Online Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling & Education Invites You to our Annual Gingerbread Houses & Cocktails For A Cause . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Fairfield County's Community Foundation Community Impact Awards . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Light a Fire 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 More Than Pink Luncheon . . . . . . 86

Johnny's and Company . . . . . . . . 59 Josh Fink, MD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Norwalk Hospital with MSK Physicians . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ONS Orthopaedic Neurosurgery Specialists . . . . . 29 Paul D. Harbottle, D.D.S. . . . . . . . 33 Stamford Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Williams & Company . . . . . . . . . 59

AUTOMOTIVE KARL Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Land Rover Darien . . . . . . . . . . . 37

BUILDING & HOME IMPROVEMENT Austin Patterson Disston Architects . . . . . . . . . 51 Grand Entrance Gates . . . . . . . . . 93 Neil Hauck Architects . . . . . . Cover 3 RMS Construction . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Wadia Associates . . . . . . . . Cover 2

BUSINESS & FINANCE Bankwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Broder & Orland LLC . . . . . . . . . 97 Cummings & Lockwood LLC . . . 55, 91 Davidson, Dawson & Clark LLP . . . 51 Law Office of Thomas M. Shanley . . 96 People's United Advisors . . . . . . . 47 Pullman & Comley, LLC . . . . . . . . 97 Rutkin, Oldham & Griffin, LLC . . . . 96

DECORATING & HOME FURNISHINGS Browne & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Glass House Design Store . . . 53 Linda Hoffman Interiors . . . . . . . 27 Louie Soft Furnishings . . . . . . . . 58 Nantucket Monogram . . . . . . . . . 58

EDUCATION & CHILDREN Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy of Connecticut . .

Greens Farms Academy . . . .

New Canaan Country School .

Wiggles & Giggles . . . . . . . .

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

35 25 35 60

ENTERTAINMENT Fairfield Univeristy Quick Center for the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 The Ridgefield Playhouse . . . . . . 100 Star 99.9/The Anna & Raven Show . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

FASHION Chou Chou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Dock Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Everything is Rosey . . . . . . . . . . 58 Helen Ainson Darien . . . . . . . . . . 60 Mitchells/Richards . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3 Roundabout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

FOOD, CATERING & LODGING 55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Bistro Baldanza . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Cava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Leary's Liquor Cabinet . . . . . . . . 58 Louie's Italian Restaurant & Bar . . . 61 Palmer's Darien . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood . . . . . . . . . 43 Roost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Scena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

JEWELRY David Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Lux Bond & Green . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Marco Bicego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 New Canaan Fine Jewelers . . . . . . . . 5, Cover 4 Rolex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 4 Zwikker & Zacher, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . 33

LANDSCAPING, NURSERY & FLORISTS Earth Garden Flowers . . . . . . . . . 61

REAL ESTATE Baywater Properties . . . . . . . . . . 17 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/ New England Properties . . . . . . 18 William Pitt/Sotheby's International Realty . . . . . . . 13, 93 William Raveis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

REAL ESTATE, DESTNATION John's Island Real Estate Company . . . . . . . . . . 31

SPORTS & FITNESS Pure Barre Darien . . . . . . . . . . . 59

MISCELLANEOUS Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 New Canaan Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Westy Self Storage . . . . . . . . . . 53 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 NEW CANAAN•DARIEN

103

Don’t Miss This

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

SHOP

Wellness Fair Head to Pryority Wellness from 9:30 a.m. — 2 p.m. to pick up gifts from local makers. 45 Grove Street; New Canaan pryoritywellness.com

Wed. 28 AWARDS

Winter Wonderland Saturday, December 15

Join the fun as the New Canaan Nature Center is transformed into a holiday wonderland with a visit from Santa, horse-drawn-wagon rides, caroling, campfire and more. New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge Rd., New Canaan; newcanaannature.org

Darien Chamber Annual Meeting Attendees of the Darien Chamber of Commerce annual meeting will celebrate award winners, vote for the Board of Directors and enjoy cocktails and bites. Louie’s Italian Restaurant, 10 Center St., Darien; darienctchamber.com

Thurs. 29 AWARDS

Light A Fire Join Moffly Media for the annual Light A Fire awards ceremony and cocktail reception as we honor nonprofit and philanthropic work of our community heroes. At The King School, 1450 Newfield Ave., Stamford; Ilovefc.com

Thurs. 29

NOV Thurs. 8 FAMILY

Friends Giving Stepping Stones Museum for Children’s annual fundraising event will include cocktails and fine dining catered by Marcia Selden Catering & Events. Funds will support the museum’s Open Arms accessibility initiative. 303 West Ave., Norwalk; steppingstones museum.org

104

Thurs. 8 ART

Painting & Prosecco Join Darien artist Vicki Smith for a paint-and-sip session using watercolors to create two paintings of abstract visions. Darien Nature Center, 120 Brookside Rd., Darien; dariennaturecenter.org

Mon. 12 BENEFIT

Giving Hope Gala Gather at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York

NEWCANAANDARIENMAG.COM

SHOP City for an evening benefitting Silver Hill Hospital’s Financial Aid Fund. Michael Wellington, author of Birdies, Bogeys & Bipolar Disorder will speak. Cocktails start at 6:30pm; silverhillhospital.org

Thurs. 22 FUN RUN

Rowayton Turkey Trot Sign up for either a 5K or one-mile run before the big meal on Thanksgiving morning.

Meet at the Rowayton Community Center

for a 9:30 a.m. start.

Runners of all ages and abilities are welcome. 33 Highland Ave., Rowayton; rowaytonturkeytrot.com

Sun. 25 HOLIDAY

Light Up Rowayton Come see the town in lights and celebrate the start of the season with caroling, a model train show at the Rowayton Historical Society in Pinkney House, holiday bazaar and egg nog contest. Pinkney Park, 177 Rowayton Ave., Rowayton; rowaytoncurrents.com

Holiday Market Find the perfect gift for anyone on your list at the New Canaan Nature Center’s Holiday Market which will showcase jewelry, clothing, art, plants and more from 9 a.m.—3 p.m. 144 Oenoke Ridge Rd., New Canaan; newcanaannature.org

Fri. 30 — Sat. 1 HOLIDAY

Holiday Stroll Singing, dance performances, a tree lighting, shopping, gingerbread house tour and a visit from

Santa are just a few of the fun things to get everyone in the spirit.

Downtown New Canaan; newcanaanchamber.com

DEC

Sun 2 — Mon 10 HOLIDAY

Menorah Lighting Join the fun each evening of Hanukkah at sundown to light the big menorah on God’s Acre in New Canaan.

Sun. 2

HOLIDAY

Santa Run See Santa make the rounds through town via fire truck starting at 1 p.m. at the Rowayton train station and ending at the Fire House. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Carver Center’s holiday party. 300 Rowayton Ave., Norwalk; rowaytoncurrents.com

Sat. 8

HOLIDAY

Nativity Pageant Watch as local performers reenact the story of Christmas, complete with a small menagerie of live animals. A tree sale will happen the next day at Pinkney Park. 177 Rowayton Ave., Rowayton; rowaytoncurrants.com

Sun. 9

HOLIDAY

Lockwood-Mathews Holiday Open House View the holiday tree exhibit, experience dance and choral performances and meet Santa and his elves at the manion’s open house. $5 admission.

295 West Ave., Norwalk; lockwoodmathews mansion.org

CONTRIBUTED

Tue. 27