WAG March 2022 by Westfair Business Journal

L BUSINESS & LIFESTYLES A C LO

MAYOR CAROLINE SIMMONS

STAMFORD MARCH 2022 | WAGMAG.COM

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CONTENTS MARCH 2022

10 12 16 18 22 26 30 34 38 42 46

Editor’s letter Juggling Stamford and family with relish A body for all The Stamford nobody knows Cultivating Connecticut's women entrepreneurs The Gordian knot of I95, Fairfield County Commercial real estate 'WellBuilt' in Stamford Lifting all boats at Stamford's Harbor Point The challenges of Stamford's hot housing market Stamford's other Hilton lives up to the name Stamford — a design powerhouse

48 50 54 58 61 68 72 74 78 82 84

Manhattan's mini me Celebrated Stamford Cultural Stamford Feeding Stamford — and the world A feast of Stamford restaurants First among equals in a UN of Stamford restaurants The rebirth of Carménère Losing weight safely 'The City That Works' for seniors too Fit over 50 When & Where

Finding Your True Voice: Effective Communication at Work By Ivonne Zucco

y now, it is probably fair to say

unproductive efforts, loss of trust, and

mands. But when people had to stay in

that the world has changed

unhappiness at work when there is no

their homes to take care of their families

radically and that nothing

clarity on team roles and responsibilities,

and health first, they discovered that life

will go back to the way it used

and personal connection is lost.

did not have to be a choice between per-

to be before the pandemic. This is not a

There are many frameworks that could

sonal and career fulfillment. Now em-

fatalistic view, but an indisputable fact

help your team communicate the right

ployees are setting new rules on how they

demonstrated, for example, by the job

way. A training with an experienced fa-

want to work, and because the demand

market. The Great Resignation has forced

cilitator or business coach can help you

for talent is high, they can. As the dust set-

employers to adapt their operations and

implement a structure that is right for

tles, we will figure out if remote or hybrid

get by with a significantly reduced work-

your workplace. As you think about how

work is sustainable. Until then, focusing

force. Individuals who lost or quit their

to approach the subject, be sure that you

on training your workforce and yourself

jobs are finding it challenging to get no-

are covering at least the three following

on effective communication is your best

ticed amongst other qualified candidates.

domains:

key to success.

Even those who maintained their roles

•

Alignment: How has your business

To learn more details about the three

through the last two years are burnt out

changed? Is your team aligned with

domains to communicating successfully,

and perhaps also asking themselves if

your mission? What is your organi-

visit the articles section on my website:

they need to make a different choice. No

zation’s culture, and how is it reflect-

www.abetterstorycoaching.com.

matter where we are in this domain, we

ed in the work you do? What is the

are all adapting. As we adapt, we must in-

message you wish to convey to your

vest time and improve our practices to get

clients and staff?

to a better place. There is basic work that

•

Clarity: Are your goals clear? Does

companies and individuals cannot afford

your team know one another and

to skip because the cost of carrying dys-

understand what motivates them to

functionality, talent turnover, and unpro-

be part of your business? How are

ductivity is too great. The most important

you measuring success? How does

foundation and pillar to building trust and

your team know they have done

cohesiveness is effective communication.

their job right?

Workplaces could have used some im-

•

Frequency: How often do you

provement in communication before the

communicate your messages to

pandemic.

However, now that virtual

your team? What communication

work is here to stay, communicating suc-

channels do you use to transmit

cessfully is even more critical. The pace

it? When leading a team, repeating

of work has changed, and the time people

your message in many different

have gained with less commute and dis-

ways could be beneficial rather than

tractions is wasted due to an overload of

overwhelming because people have

virtual meetings and slow decision-mak-

many matters to pay attention to.

ing. Moreover, what could have been ac-

For many years we were convinced

complished by a short talk in the office,

that there was no other way to find suc-

might take five to six emails to resolve if

cess but to work long hours and juggle

you’re lucky. We create fertile ground for

our personal lives with high work de-

IVONNE ZUCCO is a Transformational Career Coach. She works with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change by using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be with clarity and purpose.

Park Tower Stamford, Completed 2009

Summer House Stamford, Completed 2016

Bedford Hall Apartments, Completed 2016

Harbourside SoNo, Completed 2021

Courtyard by Marriott Stamford, Completed 2005

SONO Pearl, Completed 2016

Residence Inn by Marriott Norwalk, Completed 2019

Target Superstore, Completed 2005

100 YEARS OF RICH DEVELOPMENT The F. D. Rich Company is a century old enterprise whose proud legacy has been built upon a long standing tradition of developing real estate projects of the highest caliber. With a rich history in city building, the company specializes in the creation of complex, urban mixeduse development projects. It partners with world renowned design firms in its quest for perfection and to create environments recognized for their superior quality and design.

One Landmark Square, Completed 1973

222 Summer Street Stamford, CT 06901

URBY Stamford, Completed 2019

FOUNDED IN 1920 (203) 359-2900 www.fdrich.com

Rich Concourse (UConn), Completed 1998

WAGGERS T H E TA L E N T B E H I N D O U R PA G E S

Dee DelBello

Dan Viteri

PUBLISHER dee@westfairinc.com

CO-PUBLISHER/CREATIVE dviteri@westfairinc.com

EDITORIAL JENA A. BUTTERFIELD

PHIL HALL

Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com

LAURA JOSEPH MOGIL

Jeremy Wayne FEATURE WRITER jwayne@westfairinc.com

ART Dan Viteri CREATIVE DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com DEBBI K. KICKHAM

WILLIAM D. KICKHAM

BRIDGET MCCUSKER

Sarafina Pavlak ART DIRECTOR spavlak@westfairinc.com

Alexandra Cali DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER acali@westfairinc.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Alexandra Cali, John Rizzo

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gina Gouveia, Phil Hall, Peter Katz, Debbi K. Kickham, Christina Losapio Justin McGown, Doug Paulding, Giovanni Roselli, Gregg Shapiro, Barbara Barton Sloane, Jeremy Wayne, Cami Weinstein, Katie Banser-Whittle

FATIME MURIQI

DOUG PAULDING

JOHN RIZZO

PRINT/DIGITAL SALES Anne Jordan Duffy ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/SALES anne@westfairinc.com Barbara Hanlon, Larissa Lobo, Marcia Pflug MARKETING PARTNERS

GIOVANNI ROSELLI

BARBARA BARTON SLOANE

ABBE UDOCHI

MARKETING/EVENTS Fatime Muriqi EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR fmuriqi@westfairinc.com

Marcia Pflug SPONSORS DIRECTOR mpflug@wfpromote.com

CIRCULATION CAMI WEINSTEIN

JEREMY WAYNE

Daniella Volpacchio ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER dvolpacchio@westfairinc.com

KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE

NEW WAGGER JUSTIN MCGOWN is a Norwalk-based writer, journalist and photographer who is a reporter for the Fairfield County Business Journal, one of WAG’s sister publications. Over a decade of freelancing has given him extensive experience writing for targeted marketing campaigns, national humor sites and local publications in New York City, Fairfield County and Pittsburgh. He earned his Master of Arts in magazine writing and digital storytelling from New York University and his Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and professional writing at Carnegie Mellon University.

Gregory Sahagian ADVISER

WHAT IS WAG?

Billy Losapio ADVISER

Irene Corsaro ADVISER

Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.” We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.

HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 701 Westchester Ave., White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-694-3600 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914-694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com

MARCH 2022

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MARCH 2022

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EDITOR’S LETTER BY GEORGET TE GOUVEIA

FOR TWO WEEKS IN FEBRUARY, STAMFORD STOOD AT THE CENTER OF THE SPORTING UNIVERSE — and indeed, the geopolitical one — as NBC Sports carried the controversial Beijing Winter Olympics over 2,800 hours using more than 1,500 employees — mainly from its headquarters in the city. It’s a symbol of how important Stamford has become to the region — and why we chose it for our second salute to a municipality in our coverage area, fresh off the success of our December Yonkers tribute. The second-largest city in Connecticut after Bridgeport with a population of 135,470, Stamford is also the second-biggest financial district in the metro area after You Know What. Its superb coastal location between New York City and New Haven has made it a source of maritime commerce since its founding in 1641. And numerous Fortune 500 companies and corporate divisions have driven it to become a Manhattan mini me in other ways, with thriving residential and commercial real estate development led by such enterprises as Building and Land Technology (Jeremy’s story) and WellBuilt Co. (Phil’s story), a bustling “Restaurant Row” (Jeremy again) and a blooming, post-pandemic media and entertainment scene. (See our story on Stamford arts.) No one better embodies this excitement than recently elected Mayor Caroline Simmons, the first woman to hold the post in the city’s surprisingly colorful history. As Justin McGown of our sister publication the Fairfield County Business Journal discovered (welcome, Justin), Simmons is not one to shrink from running a city while being the hands-on mother of two toddlers and a newborn (bless her). No, she’s plunged right in, relishing the connection she feels with working moms — and the rest of her constituents — throughout the city. She’s not the only one looking out for entrepreneurial women like broker Libby Matson — a woman with her finger on the pulse of a city whose desirable real estate has created challenges in the area of supply and demand. Simmons once worked for the 25-year-old Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), founded in Stamford by Fran Pastore, who tells us that despite the economic havoc wreaked by Covid-19, “there is no area of business that women are not moving into.” And men right along with them. From Mike’s Organic to The Lloyd Stamford, part

10 MARCH 2022

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Stamford — a city known for the diversity of its real estate and its people, says broker Libby Matson. Photograph by Ally Cali.

of Hilton’s boutique Tapestry Collection (Jeremy’s pieces), Stamford is a city that works hard, as Peter discovered in profiling the leadership of its Board of Representatives, which functions as a city council. But Stamford plays hard, too. There are great places not only to dine in and savor culture but to shop for home goods and design (Cami’s column). Like Manhattan, Stamford is a repository of fabulous mid-century Modern architecture, including the piscine First Presbyterian Church, known as the Fish Church (Katie’s column). No wonder seniors (Abbe’s column) and celebrities alike enjoy calling the city home. (See our article on celebrated Stamford.) Like all cities, it has had its flaws. It is, after all, located along that modern-day Gordian knot known as I-95. Its history has had its share of would-be witches, potential pirates (well, certainly privateers) and even Ku Klux Klansmen. Yet Stamford would transcend the baser impulses of democracy as you’ll see in our story “The Stamford Nobody Knows.” Few people exemplified this transcendence more than Stamford scion Abraham Davenport, who on Connecticut’s literally darkest day, called for the calm to carry on; and Homer Stillé Cummings, a former Stamford mayor and prosecutor who could’ve satisfied the bloodthirst for vengeance and sent an inno-

cent man to his death but instead held out for justice — and became “his brother’s keeper.” This was the city that gave Jackie Robinson — the man who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 — a home when other municipalities in Fairfield and Westchester counties closed their doors. What can we say about Stamford? Not that it’s never known the dark recesses of the human soul but that in moments of such darkness, it ultimately has chosen to shine a light. A 2020 YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester Visionary Award winner and a 2018 Folio Women in Media Award Winner, Georgette Gouveia is the author of “Burying the Dead,” “Daimon: A Novel of Alexander the Great” and "Seamless Sky" (JMS Books), as well as “The Penalty for Holding,” a 2018 Lambda Literary Award finalist (JMS Books), and “Water Music” (Greenleaf Book Group). They’re part of her series of novels, “The Games Men Play,” also the name of the sports/ culture blog she writes. Last year, her short story “The Glass Door” was published by JMS and exhibited in “Together apART: Creating During COVID” at ArtsWestchester in White Plains. Her latest story, “After Hopper,” is also available from JMS Books. For more, visit thegamesmenplay.com.

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JUGGLING STAMFORD AND FAMILY WITH RELISH

BY JUSTIN MCGOWN

Mayor Caroline Simmons has the perfect backdrop for Zoom calls. Behind her desk at Stamford Government Center is a view of the city’s changing skyline. To the left is a distinctive cylinder of one of the St. John’s Towers, affordable housing units completed in 1971. To her right is The Smyth, a 15-story, 414-unit structure that will replace one of the three cylindrical buildings that made up the St. John Towers She’s also flanked by both the American flag and that of the city.

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Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons. MARCH 2022

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hough her tenure as mayor has only just begun — she narrowly beat former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, Page ?, for the job — Simmons already embodies the bridge between past and future visible from her office window. She is Stamford’s first female mayor, marking a new chapter in the city’s 381-year history, and her platform and messaging center on preparing the city for the years ahead. “This week we are continuing to focus on our top priorities as an administration, including improving our infrastructure, making Stamford more affordable, supporting education, making our city more responsive and bolstering economic prosperity,” Simmons said when asked how her week had gone. With energy beyond what most people can summon on the Friday before Presidents’ Day weekend, she went on to describe a full week of trying to deliver on campaign promises. She sat down with representatives from a company that might bring 250 new jobs to the city. She also visited the NBC Sports headquarters, alongside Gov. Ned Lamont, to learn more how the Peacock Network was able to mobilize more than 1,500 employees to provide some 2,800 hours of coverage, mainly virtual, of the controversial Beijing Winter Olympics (Feb. 4-20). She oversaw the formulation of plans for how to use the city’s share of $6 billion in federal spending on infrastructure across the state, studied property tax rebates for seniors and did it all while staying on top of the latest Covid statistics as she decided what to do about masks in schools. (The mandate ends March 15.) And that was just her professional life. William Charles Linares — the third of her three sons with husband Art Linares, a Republican former Connecticut State Senator — was born Jan. 26 at 10:13 a.m. at Stamford Hospital, weighing in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Waiting for them were big brothers Teddy, 3, and Jack, 1. They keep her busy but proud. “It’s definitely a juggle,” she said with a wry smile, “having a new baby and two toddler boys who want all the attention they can get from their parents. It’s such a cute stage, too, so we’re really working on making sure we get quality time with the kids. “But it’s also such an important time for

14 MARCH 2022

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Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons. Photograph by Ally Cali.

Mayor Caroline Simmons at the Boys and Girls Club Backpack Giveaway. our city,” she added. “So many people are in need and there’s so much opportunity now that I really feel a sense of urgency to try to do everything I can to serve our constituents in Stamford and take advantage of this really important moment in the city.” Simmons credits her team for making the preceding weeks successful. She said that while her house is a complete mess with diapers everywhere, she didn’t worry about the state of the city. She was confident that by leveraging the now ubiquitous technology, keeping everybody in the loop, she could stay in touch with her talented team to keep moving forward. More than just a challenge to overcome, Simmons said she finds it valuable to engage with the balancing act. “I think it helps give me perspective,” she said. “Just being a mom in the city when there are thousands of working moms and parents who are doing this every day, it’s helpful to bring that mindset to this office and think about families in need and how we can make our city work better for them.” Simmons was quick to note how rare the

perspective she brings to the table is on a national scale: “You see a lack of female executives in these roles. If you look at the numbers nationwide, only 19% of mayors are female.” Simmons said the doubts she faced from others about her capacity to do the job as a younger woman was one of the largest challenges she faced during her campaign. While some may have cast Simmons as young compared to opponent Valentine, she has had significantly more political experience, having worked in government since 2008. She served on Barack Obama’s Presidential Transition Team before winding up at the Department of Homeland Security as the director of special projects in the counterterrorism coordinator’s office. Her first run for office was to become representative for Connecticut’s 144th District in 2014 when she unseated a Republican incumbent and successfully defended the seat for three more terms. (She also met her husband, who represented the 33rd District, at that time. Though they are members of two different parties, theirs is a strictly and refreshingly bipartisan union, with each happy to gain a perspective on the other’s ideas.)

Running for mayor of Stamford was arguably a considerable narrowing of her focus. But Simmons views this as an opportunity to have an effect that she can see. “I loved my time in Washington,” she said. “But I think sometimes you’re sitting in a cubicle at a big bureaucratic government agency so removed from what’s happening on the ground….It may be incredible, exciting work… but to be here locally in my own community, where I’m raising my family, is really rewarding. “The pandemic really shed light on the importance of cities and the roles they have in people’s lives whether it’s responding to a pandemic or mitigating the effects of climate change or simply improving people’s dayto-day quality of life. I think that this job has probably been the most rewarding so far, just because of the local impact and direct touch you can have. “But,” she added, “I certainly would be open to in the future broadening the scope, while continuing to serve constituents in some capacity.” For more, visit stamfordct.gov.

MARCH 2022

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A BODY FOR ALL

BY PETER KATZ

While Stamford traces its roots back to 1640 when Chief Ponus of the Siwanoy Native Americans deeded the land, perhaps unwittingly, to Capt. Turner of the New Haven Colony, it took more than 300 years for the current form of representative government to come into being. On Nov. 4, 1947, voters approved a new charter for Stamford that established a 40-member Board of Representatives to function the way many city councils do in other communities. Almost two years later, on April 15, 1949, the first members of the board were sworn in and started conducting the city's business, including enacting ordinances, adopting budgets, approving leases and contracts and approving personnel appointments. According to the National League of Cities, city councils range in size from four members to 51, with a national average of six. Los Angeles has a city council of 15. In Dallas, there are 14 council members. Boston has 13 on its council and Hartford has nine. It's New York City that leads the pack with 51 city council members while Portland, Oregon, has just four members. Stamford's structure of 20 districts, each with two elected members serving on its Board of Representatives, is seen by many as helping ensure that constituents can easily have their views and voices heard. “As president of the Board of Representatives, I lead a group of 39 other people, our leg-

16 MARCH 2022

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islative branch here in Stamford, and I also am considered deputy mayor in case the mayor is out of town or unavailable for one reason or another,” Jeff Curtis tells WAG. Curtis, a Democrat, was elected president of the board last December by a 21 to 19 vote. The board is dominated by Democrats and has only four Republican members. The tight vote was an indication that Stamford's deliberative body is unlike some others where one party dominates and members vote in unison as a result of political arm-twisting. Just before the vote that elevated Curtis from a representative of District 14 to board president, the Democratic caucus chose District 8 Representative Nina Sherwood as majority leader by a tight vote of 19 to 17. The four Republicans on the board reelected Mary Lisa Fedeli of District 17 as their minority leader. Curtis notes that he did indeed serve as mayor when Mayor Caroline Simmons gave birth to a son in late January, the third child for Simmons and her husband, former Connecticut State Sen. Art Linares. (See cover story on Page 12.)

“We are dominated by the Democrats. I have actually served on boards of representatives in the past where the numbers have not been so one-sided, and I've experienced boards where the balance was a little more even, not 36 to four as it is right now,” Curtis says. “There may be some items that get moved through because of our numbers, but there are other times when there is a lot of discussion, different ideas among our caucus and sometimes that can slow things down.” Curtis said that he doesn't expect the Board of Representatives, no matter what the numbers are, to be a rubber stamp for the city's administration. “I believe that we should support the administration when we feel that it's heading in the right direction, and if we have an issue with something that they're doing or not doing, it's incumbent upon us to bring it to their attention and open a conversation,” Curtis says. He has lived in Stamford all of his life and finds it to be a vibrant place. “I've seen the good and the bad over the years. I'd like to see, if we ever get out of this

pandemic, Stamford return to some semblance of normalcy and continue moving in a direction that's beneficial for everyone who lives in Stamford,” Curtis says. “I've always had an interest in serving and giving back to the city that I grew up in. We're a vibrant, growing city.” On the other side of the aisle, Minority Leader Fedeli tells WAG that she considers listening to be among the most important functions of her position. “You listen to your caucus, you talk on their behalf, but it's very important that as a leader you listen and form a strategy for what your party believes and wants to represent to the citizenry of Stamford,” she says. “I do wish there were more Republicans on the board. There still is vibrant discussion on our board. Even though the Democrats have a large majority, I don't think everybody views things the same so the discussion is still there.” Fedeli adds that a lot of what the board does is handled as a consent agenda, where members are in agreement ahead of time on issues so floor debate on specific issues is not necessary and items are passed with minimal fuss. “I don't really think the board gets partisan in a lot of issues,” she says. “The most partisan time of the year is when the budget hits, and I think that's where you may see some divide and partisan issues may come out.” She underscores that with the structure of two representatives in each district and 20 districts throughout the city, the representatives really do hear from their constituents. Land use issues and taxes rank high on Fedeli's list of issues that need to be addressed. She says that Stamford will be going through a citywide property revaluation that will have an effect on homeowners. “Keeping taxes at a reasonable rate is important. We want senior citizens and all people in Stamford to be able to afford to live here,” Fedeli says. “Keeping taxes and tax hikes down is important.” She notes that substantial capital expenditures are needed to repair some school buildings. She also says that there are mixed views on whether the pace of new development in the city needs to be moderated. “For myself, I think Stamford has benefited from the development. However, I do think there has been an awful lot of development in recent years and at a point I think we need to pump the brakes and take a look at development and see how things are progressing and take it a little slower in upcoming years, because it has put a bit of a strain on the infrastructure of the city,” Fedeli says. “I know development is important for the tax base, but at the same time, I think it add strains to the tax base. Smart development is better than just massive development.”

Jeff Curtis, president of the Stamford Board of Representatives.

Nina Sherwood, majority leader of the Stamford Board of Representatives.

Mary Lisa Fedeli, minority leader of the Stamford Board of Representatives.

Majority Leader Sherwood says that it's important to her that all board members help create a culture in which opinions, questions, conversation and compromise are fostered. “There are a lot of people who viewed the role of majority leader in the past as a person who's supposed to whip votes and barter and push people to vote a specific way,” she tells WAG. “I don''t believe that makes for better democracy.” Sherwood emphasizes that she's very passionate about a lot of issues but never questions anybody's vote. She says she's very comfortable with different board members having different philosophies. She says that an important role of the citizens' representatives it to make sure that Stamford is not dominated by the voices and wealth of developers and that citizens still can be heard. “We have to get something in return for that development. The people who live in this city, who have lived here for generations…and the new people who live here — need to have a city government that is making decisions that better their quality of life. Unfortunately, I believe, oftentimes decisions are made that don't better the quality of life of the residents.” Sherwood says not only does the city have the inherent power to limit development if it chooses to do so, but it also has the power to require nonprofits that receive city funding to open their financial records for city inspection, which she thinks would be appropriate. “In politics there's this tendency to hold grudges and push people to do things. Leadership is often used as a bludgeon to push people to row in the same direction,” Sherwood says. “Fundamentally in my core, I'm a believer that government is not always going to be pretty, so if there are disagreements have those discussions. At the end of it you end up, hopefully, with a compromise and more people get represented.” Sherwood says that when it comes to political divides, the board is less likely to be split by left-wing versus right-wing as is seen so often on the national scene than by being trusting of the city's administration versus being skeptical. “The role of the Board of Representatives by charter is checks and balances, to make sure that different departments in government are being held accountable” Sherwood says. “Money can't be spent without the board's approval. Appointments to boards and commissions can't be finalized without the board approving. Any major and even some minor things that happen in the city have to be approved by at least a majority of the Board of Representatives. I take the responsibility of being checks and balances of a $630 million budget very seriously.” For more, visit boardofreps.org.

MARCH 2022

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THE STAMFORD NOBODY KNOWS BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

As befits the second largest financial district in the metro region, after the Big Apple, Stamford has an appropriately button-down history, albeit one that zigs and zags its way ever upward from its native beginnings as Rippowam – the name, according to the Stamford History Center, was changed in 1642 to honor a town in Lincolnshire, England, which supplied more than 80 percent of the original settlers to New England – to its present as a stronghold of corporate and personal wealth. But the story behind that ascent is one of alleged witches and would-be pirates, mysterious astronomical events and a murder trial that would “Boomerang” from Connecticut to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s White House and back. This is the Stamford that few people know, a portrait of a city tested by prejudice and hysteria that would see reason triumph. In dark days, including the literal “Dark Day,” Stamford shone a light:

SOMETHING FANCIFUL THIS WAY COMES

The Salem, Massachusetts, witch trials are a justly infamous part of American history, but in the same year they began, 1692, witch hunting came to Stamford. It began with Katherine Branch — a French servant of the Wescot family, who lived along the shoreline near Wescot Cove and whose story is captured in Richard Godbeer’s "Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692” (2005). One fine April day, Branch picked some herbs, came home and collapsed, clutching

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her chest. Branch started having fits and babbling about shapeshifting cat-women tempting her with the good life. (Was it epilepsy or some neurovascular disease, or was it something in those herbs? Maybe she was just looking for some attention and escape from what must’ve been a dreary existence.) At any rate, Branch put two and two together, came up with five and eventually declared witchcraft to be the cause. A month later, she accused Elizabeth Clawson — a neighbor who had had a disagreement with the Wescots about the weight of flax — of being a witch, as well as Mercy Disborough, who was apparently everyone’s go-to for witch accusations, and a handful of others. While the time-honored tests for witchcraft were employed — including throwing the accused in a body of water to see if she would float — jurisprudence proved decisive.

Clawson’s husband, Jonathan, did what any good husband would do: He got together a petition of 76 brave individuals who affirmed his wife’s fine character. That was no doubt key to her acquittal at trial. (Disborough was found guilty but got off on a technicality when a juror missed a meeting.) Unlike the more pervasive witch trials in Salem — in which 200-plus were accused, 30 found guilty, 19 hanged, one pressed to death for refusing to plead and at least five died in prison — the Stamford witch trials damped down hysteria. Reason and the antecedents of the American judicial system prevailed.

AHOY, MERCANTILE MATEYS

Homer Stillé Cummings, 55th attorney general of the United States (1933-39). His earlier refusal to prosecute an innocent vagrant and ex-soldier for the murder of a Bridgeport priest would resonate from Stamford to Washington D.C. and become the subject of the 1947 movie “Boomerang.” Collection of The United States Department of Justice.

If we had a dollar for every time we heard someone say that Capt. Kidd’s treasure was buried in the Hudson Valley or along Connecticut’s Gold Coast, we’d all be rich. That’s because William Kidd (circa 1654-1701) — a Scotsman who climbed New York’s social ladder before turning to privateering — disposed of his goods, ill-gotten and otherwise, on his way back from the Caribbean to New York in 1699. Some of the treasure reportedly went to Gardiner’s Island in East Hampton. But that hasn’t stopped legends from cropping up about reported Kidd bounty in Milford and Westport, among other locales. Wherever the booty was stashed, Kidd took the knowledge to his grave. Richard Coote, the first Earl of Bellemont and royal governor of New York, New Hampshire and Massachussetts Bay — a Kidd investor who didn’t want to be tarnished with the same pirate’s brush — lured him to Boston with the hope of clemency and ultimately had him extradited to England, where he was hanged for murder and piracy in 1701. It was Bellemont who would provide the Stamford connection, according to the Stamford History Center, in a report to the English Lords of Trade: “There is a town called Stamford in Connecticut colony, on the border of this province, where one Major ( Jonathan) Selleck lives. He has a warehouse close to the sea, that runs between the Mainland (Long Island). That man does great mischief with his warehouse, for he receives abundance of goods from our vessels, and the merchants afterwards take their opportunity of running them into this town. Major Selleck receives at least ten thousand pounds worth of treasure and East India goods, brought by one Clarke of this town from Kidd's sloop and lodged with Selleck.” Of course, the to-ing and fro-ing of goods between Stamford and New York City was from the beginning one of Stamford’s chief industries, along with fishing and farming (potatoes, wheat, corn, rye, oats and livestock). What seems to have twisted Bellemont’s breeches, again according to the history published at stamfordhistory.org, was that “Selleck was

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“Captain Kidd, Burying Treasure,” from “The Pirates of the Spanish Main” series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, print, George S. Harris & Sons. New York royal Gov. Richard Coote, the first Earl of Bellemonte – a Kidd investor who wanted to disassociate himself from the wanted privateer – linked Kidd’s ill-gotten goods to Stamford merchants. Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

evading English taxes even before it was a political statement.”

STAMFORD’S — AND CONNECTICUT’S — ‘DARK DAY’

If there was a golden boy in the history of Stamford, it would be Col. Abraham Davenport. Scion of the Davenport family — he was the grandson of New Haven colony founder John Davenport — Abraham graduated from Yale University, married twice, led the Patriot cause in Stamford during the American Revolution, cared for surviving solders long before there were organizations like Wounded Warriors and served in various municipal and judicial capacities while amassing great wealth. But May 19, 1780 may have been his finest hour. It was the day that darkness descended over New England and part of Canada, which scientists attribute to drought and forest fires that year. The God-fearing members of the Connecticut Council, or State Senate, believing the end was nigh, fell to their knees and wished to adjourn — all but Davenport. “I am against adjournment,” he said. “The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.” The candles were brought and deliberations continued. Davenport’s grace would inspire the Depression-era painting “Dark Day” by Delos Palmer and President John F. Kennedy, who often referred to Davenport’s courage on the campaign trail in 1960. It also spurred John Greenleaf Whittier to write in his 1866 poem "Abraham Davenport (Tent on the Beach)”: And there he stands in memory to this day, Erect, self-poised, a rugged face, half seen Against the background of unnatural dark,

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A witness to the ages as they pass, That simple duty hath no place for fear.

‘BOOMERANG’

A murder that shocked Bridgeport almost 100 years ago to this day reverberated from Stamford to the White House and back again. At 7:45 p.m. Feb. 4, 1924, Rev. Hubert Dahme, beloved pastor of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, was shot in the back of the head by a man wielding a .32-caliber gun amid an array of busy theaters on Main and High streets. A week later, police arrested Harold Israel, a former soldier and vagrant who possessed a .32 caliber gun and was placed at the scene. Israel would ultimately confess to the crime. It would seem then to have been a slam dunk for Homer Stillé Cummings, an ambitious Stamford lawyer and former mayor of the city who was the state attorney in Fairfield County and who had led a life as charmed as the impoverished Israel’s wasn’t. But when Cummings entered the courtroom that Feb. 15, he argued that the state had the wrong man. The confession by the sleep-deprived, psychologically spent Israel had been forced. Witness testimony turned out to be suspect. Ballistics proved Israel’s gun was not the murder weapon. And his description of the shorts he said he was watching in a nearby theater at the time of the murder was confirmed by the theater’s manager. Instead of a conviction, the prosecutor engineered a stunning nolle prosequi (“we shall no longer prosecute”) in the name of justice. In a fascinating 2017 study of the case for Smithsonian magazine and The Marshall Project, author Ken Armstrong quotes the late Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter as saying that Cummings’ performance “will

live in the annals as a standard by which other prosecutors will be judged.” But the strange case — which was never solved — was not finished yielding its twists. Cummings would go on to become President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first attorney general. As such he would instigate Roosevelt to pack the Supreme Court with justices favorable to FDR’s New Deal for an economically depressed nation — a power grab that ultimately backfired. Though he had been a progressive mayor, as the nation’s chief prosecutor Cummings refused to apply a federal law to lynchings. Yet he was praised for consolidating federal investigators into the FBI; building the Alcatraz prison and announcing the capture of Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping of the Charles Lindbergh baby. He would also develop a friendship with Israel, who returned to his native Pennsylvania to become an upstanding citizen and family man. Cummings would even help Israel negotiate the sale of his story to the movies. The resulting film, “Boomerang,” was filmed mainly in Stamford when Bridgeport declined, with the courtroom scenes shot in White Plains. It premiered March 5, 1947 with Dana Andrews, who starred as the Cummings character, and director Elia Kazan in attendance. Cummings died in 1956 at age 86; Israel, eight years later at age 60. Cummings’ name is on a Stamford park, a law firm (Cummings & Lockwood) and a Connecticut prosecutorial award. But Armstrong suggests that his greatest legacy may have been Israel’s numerous descendants. For as Israel’s widow Olive always

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WHAT DO I ENVISION FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS OF WBDC? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WBDC EVOLVE ALONG WITH WHAT I SINCERELY HOPE WILL BE AN EXPANDING ROLE FOR WOMEN — IN SOCIETY, IN BUSINESS AND IN LEADERSHIP. — Fran Pastore

Fran Pastore, founding CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council. Courtesy Aviva Maller Photography. 22 MARCH 2022 WAGMAG.COM

CULTIVATING CONNECTICUT’S WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Prior to the arrival of Covid, American women were poised to outstrip men in the professional labor force, dominating colleges, graduate schools and even medical schools. But the year 2020 – the height of the pre-vaccine pandemic – proved a dismal one for women workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women lost 5.4 million jobs nationwide that year – a million more than men did. They accounted for 100% of the job losses that December alone, 156,000. These losses, which disproportionately affected women of color, represented professionals who were laid off or quit, unable to combine working and educating children at home, as well as workers in such industries as hospitality and retail. Yet out of this disaster has come a new — or perhaps continued — entrepreneurial spirit for women that sees them starting and scaling careers in childcare, health care, hospitality and manufacturing, among other sectors. “There is no area of business that women are not moving into,” says Fran Pastore, found-

ing CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC). Pastore understands just how crucial the pandemic job loss has been for women. When she moved to Stamford in 1990, she soon found herself divorced and jobless with two little girls to raise. She subsequently discovered that Connecticut was the only state that didn’t have a women’s business center. Nevertheless, Pastore says, “I had a network of very amazing, giving friends who…helped me figure out what I wanted to do.”

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What she wanted to do was help educate women about starting and developing their own businesses. Today the Women’s Business Development Council, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has three offices (in Stamford, New Haven and New London) and 25 employees. Among its former employees is Caroline Simmons, who last November was elected Stamford’s first female mayor. (See story on Page 12). Pastore served as chair of the Economic Development Committee on Simmons’ transition team. The new mayor’s ascent crystallizes Stamford’s role in cultivating women in the workforce. “From the woods of the Mianus River to the beaches of the Long Island Sound,” Pastore says, “Stamford is a great place to work, play and send kids to school, and it’s so close to New York City.” But WBDC’s mission extends beyond women from all walks of life in Stamford to those in the Nutmeg State’s other 168 municipalities. (In 2021, WBDC served 86 out-of-state clients as well.) The resulting numbers are impressive: Through its workshops, one-on-one coaching and training programs, the WBDC has seen 6,500-plus businesses launched or scaled, more than 8,750 jobs created or sustained, $355 million in client-earned revenue, $24.9 million in client-accessed capital and

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18,000 clients served. Among the businesses WBDC has nurtured are Creative ME Childcare LLC in New Haven; Dough Girls pizza truck in Greenwich; Good Morning Cupcake in Milford; Koko Floral Design in Guilford; Komfort Zone natural skincare products in Bridgeport; Trailing Twine Photography in Pomfret; and Unbakeables, an egg-free, edible cookie-dough company in Norwalk. Working with private contributions and state funds, WBDC is a grant-making nonprofit as well as an educational one, Pastore says. Its Equity Match Grants have distributed almost $1 million to 98 businesses for shovel-ready projects. (To be eligible for a grant, which can range from $2,500 to $10,000, a business must be in operation for two years, have revenues between $25,000 and $2 million and match 25% of the grant, unless the business is located in a distressed municipality.) Knowing that safe, reliable, affordable childcare is crucial to women’s — and the country’s — economic success, WBDC’s Child Care Business Support Program, in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), has awarded nearly $2 million in grants to 197 licensed childcare providers. Pastore’s work on behalf of women entrepreneurs ranges far beyond WBDC. A New York City native — she was raised in Brooklyn

and graduated from Pace University in Manhattan, where she majored in communications — Pastore has served as a member of The National Women's Business Council (NWBC), an independent source of counsel to then President Barack Obama, Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). She has also served on the board of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and as a member of the YWCA Greenwich Leadership Council and of Pace University’s Women’s Business Leadership Council. In 2018, Pastore served on Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s transition team as co-chair of The Jobs and Economy Policy Committee. Most recently, she has served on the Governor’s Workforce Council’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Committee. She is chair of the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority and a member of the Governor’s Economic Advisory Council. While Pastore has also been instrumental in the passage of legislation benefiting women entrepreneurs — testifying numerous times before Congress as well as the state legislature on women’s entrepreneurship — her achievements have also affected the wider world. She was U.S. delegate to the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Conference and the 2015 Women’s Summit, both in Istanbul. In Turkey, she shared practices on women’s entrepreneurship. In Ethiopia, she taught young women how to launch their own businesses. In Rwanda, she trained genocide survivors, resulting in the opening of that country’s first ice cream parlor. And in Costa Rica she showed rural women how to grow their businesses. When it comes to women entrepreneurs, Pastore thinks and acts globally as well as locally. “What do I envision for the next 25 years of WBDC? I would like to see WBDC evolve along with what I sincerely hope will be an expanding role for women — in society, in business and in leadership. We will continue to advocate for the issues that are critical to the success of women entrepreneurs and to develop the programming and resources that support them in a changing landscape to become the leaders that our world needs.” For more, including WBDC’s podcasts, visit ctwbdc.org.

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THE GORDIAN KNOT OF I-95, FAIRFIELD COUNTY

BY PHIL HALL

The stretch of I-95 that snakes through lower Fairfield County has a national reputation among transportation observers – and, sadly, it is not a good one. Indeed, a year rarely goes by when there aren’t two or three national surveys that cite this highway corridor as being among the least pleasant roadways in the U.S. The most recent bad publicity came in February when the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) published its annual list of the nation’s most congested bottlenecks for trucks. Three Fairfield County locations made the top-100 list, all involving congestion on I-95 — 37th- ranked Stamford, 56th-ranked Norwalk and 79th-ranked Bridgeport. Two months earlier, a pair of Fairfield County stretches of I-95 were cited as being among the 10 most congested roads in the 2021 Global Traffic Scorecard published by Inrix Inc., a provider of transportation analytics and connected car services. That report determined I-95 North in Bridgeport between Unquowa Road and NY-8 was the

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nation’s fourth most congested road, with peak delays lasting an average of 18 minutes and drivers losing an average of 72 hours per year, while I-95 North in Stamford between Riverside Avenue and Hillspoint Road was the sixth most congested road, with peak delays averaging 15 minutes and drivers losing an average of 61 hours per year. “Despite being one of the smallest states, we know that Connecticut has some of the country's worst congestion,” laments Joseph Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut. Just how did this section of I-95 become such a mess of endless traffic jams? The answer, it seems, lies in a long history involving a surplus of motorists and a deficit of prescient urban planners. In the years before the automobile, the Boston Post Road was the main artery connecting New York City and Boston via the horse. Automobiles turned up in the early 20th century ,and the road was configured as a two-lane thoroughfare. But by the mid1920s, the two-lane Boston Post Road was heavily congested with far more traffic than anticipated. Stop lights only added to the woes. According to Merrittparkway.org, the Connecticut Highway Department began a series of projects designed to improve the situation. From 1923 to ’31, parts of the road between the New York state line and New Haven were “widened to four lanes, straightened, repaved and even rerouted around congested town centers in a few places.” While the Great Depression initially eased traffic, as few people could afford to maintain automobiles, Connecticut State Highway Commissioner John A. MacDonald realized the road would become clogged anew when the economy started to recover. And thus was born his idea for the Merritt Parkway, which opened in 1940. But that road was a limited-access, four-lane highway (two lanes north, two lanes south) that only accommodated passenger cars and would not host commercial traffic. MacDonald also proposed a new road running parallel to the Post Road and the rail line that connected New York City to New Haven, which would be set aside for commercial

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It’s the daily challenge of many living and working in Fairfield County – a jammed-up I-95 in Stamford.

traffic. That idea didn’t take root until 1953 when the governors of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts joined forces on a tolled highway running along the shoreline that would connect New York City to Provincetown, Massachusetts. The project was dubbed the Cape Code Expressway. Unlike MacDonald’s plan, it was designated for passenger and commercial vehicles. Construction began in 1954 and the road was incorporated into the I-95 artery stretching from Maine to Florida with the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. And that’s where today’s problems began. The Fairfield County section of the Connecticut Turnpike, as the state’s section of I-95 was dubbed, was designed for the traffic needs of 1958, when the roadway was opened. Its six lanes (three heading north, three heading south) had a capacity of 90,000 vehicles per day at the 60-miles-per-hour speed limit. But within seven years of the highway’s opening, traffic exceeded its design capacity. Today, the Fairfield County corridor hosts approximately 130,000 vehicles per day. Expanding the highway to include additional lanes would prove infeasible. The state used eminent domain to seize private property to build the highway but never considered acquiring adjacent land in the event an expansion was needed.

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One thing the highway originally enjoyed was financial self-sufficiency via eight toll barriers, including three in Fairfield County (Greenwich, Norwalk and Stratford). But many motorists complained that the tolls barriers contributed to congestion, and a January 1983 truck crash that killed seven people at the Stratford toll plaza resulted in successful efforts to have tolls removed by 1985. At the time, tolls contributed $65 million a year to the highway’s upkeep. In June 1983, a section of the Mianus River Bridge linking Cos Cob and Riverside collapsed, killing three motorists. That sparked the first of multiple studies and projects designed to keep the highway safe. Billions of dollars in state and federal funds have gone into the highway’s upkeep, but calamities still exposed weaknesses — most notably when part of Bridgeport’s Howard Avenue collapsed in 2004 after a tanker truck hit a concrete barrier and spilled 9,000 gallons of fuel oil that caught fire. An ambitious proposal emerged in February 2018 when then Gov. Dannel Malloy’s Connecticut Department of Transportation published a study that determined “limited, strategic widening” of I-95 in Fairfield County could “yield major benefits” without requiring the reconstruction of the existing highway. The project would have cost more than

$2 billion, with funding by a 7-cent gas tax increase over four years and the introduction of electronic highway tolls. That effort went nowhere. The latest push to decongest the highway is a $4-million study approved in January by the state Bond Commission offering a safety planning and environmental analysis of the road between Exits 19 in Fairfield and 27A in Bridgeport. But that study is not expected to be completed until sometime in 2023, and there is no guarantee that its recommendations will come to fruition. And if the heavy traffic isn’t bad enough, there is also the surplus number of speed demons on the road — a situation that grew steadily worse during the Covid-19 pandemic. “If you think it seems more dangerous out on Connecticut’s highways and interstates lately, you’re right,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti observed last November. “It is a real crisis. It’s happening here and it’s happening across the country. We are seeing an unprecedented increase in fatalities. “Combined with the speed and aggressive driving patterns since the start of the pandemic, we are pleading with Connecticut drivers to be more vigilant than ever,” Giuletti added. “We need to do everything we can to stop this trend.”

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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ‘WELLBUILT’ IN STAMFORD

BY PHIL HALL

One of Fairfield County’s most successful commercial real estate development companies had its origins on the other side of the world when Australian high school students Mitch Kidd and Scott Lumby did sporting combat in pursuit of rugby glory. “We played rugby against each other in high school,” recalls Kidd, who would later get to know Lumby better in the less raucous, academic setting of Sydney’s New South Wales University. There they had an academic and sports scholarship, shared the same courses and wound up working at the same company after graduation. In 2006, Kidd and Lumby received an opportunity to relocate to the U.S. “We started out in a construction career out in Aspen, Colorado, where we were working for a luxury builder developer outfit doing…20,000- to 30,000-square-foot mountain

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homes,” Kidd says. “On the back of the financial crisis leading into 2009, I had an opportunity to come out to New York City to do some private projects for some clients.” The Big Apple brought out the entrepreneur in the duo, who formed WellBuilt Co. And while starting a business during a recession might seem like a risky endeavor, Kidd and Lumby were able to get off on the right foot. “It started off as a high-end renovation company in residential apartments in New York City, and then we branched out into commercial and retail projects,” Kidd adds,

The Lafayette Stamford (above) and The Stillwater (below) are two of WellBuilt Co.'s new projects. Photographs courtesy WellbuiltCo.com.

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Mitch Kidd and Scott Lumby, whose success in commercial real estate in Stamford has its origins in Australian rugby.

noting WellBuilt opened a Stamford office in 2013 and is now primarily focused on the state’s commercial real estate market. Today, WellBuilt is one of the most prominent companies in its sector, with a client list that includes the major architectural firms and real estate brokerages in the region plus municipal governments. For Lumby, the company’s success is based on maintaining the highest possible quality control in all aspects of its work: “We like to see ourselves as being very disciplined about how we evaluate opportunities. It is something that we’re very passionate about and we have a lot of fun doing it. We put a good team of people together that we hold to a very high standard. Our motto is ‘Do what you say you’re going to do and execute on that.’ And that goes for consultants to financing to subcontractors. It’s a pretty easy thing to do, but a lot of people don’t get it right.” Among WellBuilt’s current projects is the completion of The Stillwater, one of the company’s first multifamily projects in Stamford. “It was our own project — financed, built, developed and operated by ourselves as a sole

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operator,” Kidd says. “It’s a 45-unit, multifamily building just near the new Stamford Hospital.” Down the road from The Stillwater is another project called The Lafayette Stamford, a 130-unit building that’s now in the process of gaining final zoning approvals with the city. “We’re looking to commence that one Q1, start of Q2,” Kidd adds. “That is a mixed-use multifamily development in a nice side of Stamford.” “Another site that we’re working on is a downtown city-owned parcel right next door to Curley’s Diner,” Lumby says. “We’re very excited to put that online, although it will most likely be in 2023. It was a long acquisition period to get that site under our control. It took us 18 months to go through all the different approvals along the way.” Nationwide, the construction industry has been affected by supply-chain disruptions and labor shortages that resulted in increased project costs. For WellBuilt, Kidd and Lumby were fortunate to plan ahead to head off potential budget-busting in their work. “We were fortunate with some of the price escalations,” Kidd notes. “You’ve heard that

lumber and pipe and PVC pipe — and just a lot of miscellaneous items — had 30% and 40% increases. But we were able to mitigate that by locking in prices very early. “We were able to build The Stillwater during the Covid period in 13 months, from excavation to completion. We did have to overcome a lot of lead-time issues, but I think that’s a testament to our hands-on approach where we’re very involved in the day-to-day operations.” As for the near-future, WellBuilt is looking to grow its footprint outside of Connecticut. “We’re always looking at different markets,” Lumby says. “I think, ultimately, we will be expanding into other Northeast-based markets.” And with a potential expansion, the pair are eager to spread the WellBuilt game plan into other parts of the country and duplicate the success they’ve generated locally. “The people that we associate and engage with to put these projects together have been great,” Lumby observes, adding that “it’s all part of the fun as we go through to put these different deals online.” For more, visit wellbuiltco.com.

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LIFTING ALL BOATS AT STAMFORD’S HARBOR POINT BY JEREMY WAYNE

In a recent conversation on Zoom, WAG catches up with Ted Ferrarone, co-president of vertically integrated developer Building and Land Technology, on BLT’s latest residential and commercial projects at Harbor Point in Stamford’s South End: You have 14 buildings already completed at Harbor Point and one still under construction. At what point do you say “enough, it’s complete”? “What was originally conceived of as the Harbor Point project is almost entirely built out at this point. The last two buildings are the ones you see right behind me — Opus, which we just opened up this year, and then the building called Anthem, which we will (also) open up in 2022. Those are the last buildings of the original Harbor Point masterplan. Our piece of Harbor Point is, you know, largely there, although we’ve still got quite a bit to do, and then there’s lots of things other people are building around us.” Building and Land Technology’s Harbor Point Waterfront development. Courtesy BLT Harbor Point Waterfront.

When it comes to development, how do you decide where? What kind of areas appeal to BLT? “It has to be somewhere local, because we’re a very hands-on business. We have to be

there to do it. We currently have a very large office and residential project in Norwalk right at the Merritt 7 train station, called North Seven. The largest development that’s outside of Fairfield County that we actually physically developed ourselves was The Beacon in Jersey City, a very large historic rebuild of what was the Jersey City Medical Center, which they rehabbed into apartments.”

And are you particularly interested in coastal development or is that just coincidence, something you’ve happened upon? “A little bit of both. I think we’re big believers in mixed-use development and trans-oriented development and the South End of Stamford happened to check both of those boxes. And in Stamford you already had a real vibrant employment market, great transportation to both New York City and to New Hav-

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Interior of Escape @ Harbor Point, one of Building and Land Technology’s luxury residential buildings. Courtesy BLT/Escape.

en, so you can attract talent that either works here in Stamford or that can live here and go to those places to work. A lot of that is dictated by I-95 and Metro-North and, to a lesser extent, Amtrak.”

When developing buildings for residential use, how do you distinguish among the buildings? Does each have a distinct personality? Do you say, “This building will be for a particular type of buyer; this will be for another?” “I think the first comment is probably the right one. Some will be more modern, some more traditional. Some will feel like a luxury hotel. Some will feel like a historic loft building. And there’s lots of different unit sizes and types — everything from studios to four-bedrooms, (but all with) very functional layouts, big closets, great amenities, good parking. Another thing to note is that 10% of our units are set aside as affordable housing and so there’s a real diversity of price point as well.” With Harbor Point continuing to grow and evolve, are you also invested in new stores or restaurants that will add luster to the area? Are there some you’re particularly excited about? “We eat and breathe this all day. We’re here, our company is here, my office is literally right here. Lots of people who work for BLT live in our apartment buildings, so we’re all real us-

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ers of the product. We work out in the gyms; we eat at the restaurants; we go to the events in the park. So, a lot of what we’ve programed into our space is based on real-time feedback from either our office tenants or our residents, who say “Hey, I wish we had X.” “(As a result), we brought an organic market on board recently. We’ve a really phenomenal wine and spirit store here that Terry Matthews (formerly of Horseneck Wine & Spirits in Greenwich) runs. And people wanted coffee, so we have a place called Proof Coffee in (Commons) Park. I love The Wheel — that’s a great place. Half Full Brewery’s Third Space — that’s amazing, too. We’ve also got a couple more restaurants, which will open up this year. The retail is really programed to fit the needs of residents saying, ‘This is the thing I really want and I’d love not to have to get in my car to do it.’”

We should probably talk about the criticism from the established South End community, some of it admittedly rather run-down, that with BLT’s building going on for so long, it has been overwhelmed. Can the two communities, the rather swish new one you’ve developed and the older one, single or multifamily dwellings in the grid of South End streets, happily co-exist? “Definitely. 100%. Absolutely. When we go back to our masterplan, the idea was to create

something that was fully integrated into the existing neighborhood. Back in 2006, those sites were predominantly three superblocks, with old abandoned factories, some going back to the 1950s. We charged our planners to make a street grid, which was walkable and lined up with the existing grid. As for the older neighborhood, I see it (changing) every day — people upgrading their houses, putting on new roofs, changing out the fences. You’re seeing it throughout the whole neighborhood.”

A rising tide lifts all boats, you might say. “Yes, and everything we build is open to the public and we also run 200 to 300 events a year, nearly all of which are free to everybody.” Such as? “Everything from the Girls and Boys Corporate 5K to the ‘Harbor Fest,’ which gets a great turnout; movies in the park; free concerts; a ton of fitness outside. And then small things like a farmers’ market every weekend, juggling and art classes. We also have ‘Storytime at Commons Park,’ where we partner with the Ferguson Library.” That sounds like a pretty full agenda. “The reality is, if somebody says, ‘I’m interested in X,’ we could probably put it on.” For more, visit bltliveworkplay.com.

RPW Group is pleased to welcome Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP to their new Stamford home at 1055 Washington Boulevard! We would like to thank the brokers who were instrumental in bringing this transaction to fruition: Tim Rorick and Torey Walsh of Newmark representing Carmody David Block and Joe Weaver of CBRE representing RPW Group

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THE CHALLENGES OF STAMFORD’S HOT HOUSING MARKET BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

If there’s one person who knows Stamford, it’s real estate agent Libby Matson. She grew up in the city, where her parents built one of the first houses on Dolphin Cove. There Matson attended King School — formerly King Low Heywood Thomas, a private, coeducational day school — from kindergarten through high school and later taught there. And while her educational career — she holds a degree in that subject from Rollins College — would take her to private admissions at Ridgefield Academy before she segued to real estate, she says, “I feel I never really left Stamford.” Indeed, she lives there today. “It really has a great diversity of people and houses,” she adds. So who better to depict the residential real estate landscape in her hometown than this 11-

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year veteran, who was the top broker in Houlihan Lawrence’s New Canaan office last year for dollar volume and unit sales, totaling $60 million. The picture she paints is one of success creating challenges. Last year was a banner one for Stamford homeowners, with some 1,000 houses being sold, she says: “Our sales alone were ones for the history books….We had the highest number of single-family homes sold in Stamford, with an average price of $835,000.” (To put this in context, the average home price in Stamford preCovid was $640,000. That $200,000 jump last year meant that homes approached 2006 prices, which represented the pinnacle of the

Former schoolmates join forces at Houlihan Lawrence Libby Matson and Mia Schipani have known each other since they attended King School in Stamford. And while their early career paths diverged – Matson’s to education and school admissions; Schipani’s to public relations and hospitality — it turns out they share two professional passions, public service and real estate. Now they’ve joined forces in the New Canaan office of Houlihan Lawrence, a 130-year-old firm with 1,450 agents in 30 locations serving Westchester, Fairfield, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Orange and Ulster counties. “The opportunity to work with a lifelong friend who shares the same drive, work ethic, professionalism and purpose is exciting,” says Schipani. “I am excited to collaborate with Mia,” adds Mattson. “She brings great energy, integrity, her widespread network and valuable experience to our profession.” From Newfield to North Stamford, Pepper Ridge to Westover, Stamford represents a diversity of people and houses, says Houlihan Lawrence’s Libby Matson. Photographs by Planomatic. Courtesy Houlihan Lawrence.

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Libby Matson was the top real-estate broker in Houlihan Lawrence’s New Canaan office last year for dollar volume and unit sales, totaling $60 million. Courtesy Houlihan Lawrence.

housing market, Matson says, before the crash that gave way to the Great Recession. She predicts prices will “continue to be strong, even 5 % higher.” But it’s not an entirely rosy picture. Sales are expected to slump 30%. In January 2021, Houlihan Lawrence sold 71 homes in Stamford. In January 2022, that figure was 47. Why the drop? The pandemic has created what Matson calls a “logjam.” “People don’t know where to go,” she says. “People want to sell. But they don’t have that next step in place.” That’s because the inventory of places to buy or purchase is so low. Take New York City apartment dwellers looking to spread their wings in the suburbs — and take advantage of Connecticut’s more desirable property tax situation compared to neighboring New York state. Add millennials searching for places of their own and residents of neighboring communities looking for Stamford rentals. The result is a bidding war — even for houses seen only on the internet — that finds potential homeowners shut out before they can get a keystroke in, let alone a bid. (One potential buyer, beaten to the punch on several offers, told us he looked at Stamford, but the prices were just too high.) New construction would seem to be a solution, especially, Matson says, as many buyers want turnkey properties. But here again the pandemic has wreaked havoc, this time with global supply chains that make every building material more expensive. A proposed home that once cost $1.4 million, she adds, now costs $1.6 million. Still, Matson sees a silver lining in the creativity that is countering the challenge. She points to Building and Land Technology’s multipurpose developments at Harbor Point as an example of how to adapt to today’s residential and commercial needs. (See Page 34.) “The development of these high rises is offering leasing opportunities that are helping sellers sell their homes,” she says. For more, visit houlihanlawrence.com.

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STAMFORD’S OTHER HILTON LIVES UP TO THE NAME BY JEREMY WAYNE

“It’s fun,” in the Village People’s immortal phrase, “to stay at the Y.M.C.A.,” but it might be even more fun staying at The Lloyd Stamford, which owner/ operator RMS Cos. refers to as downtown’s Stamford’s only “boutique” hotel, and which occupies the same building as Stamford’s Y.M.C.A. Previously known as Hotel Zero Degrees Stamford, the 94-room property underwent a top-to-toe renovation just a few months into the pandemic. Emerging as The Lloyd in August 2020, it is now part of the mid-market Tapestry Collection by Hilton. (This should not be confused with the larger Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center.) Eager to see if the still relatively new, rebranded hotel cuts the mustard as a fully fledged “boutique” hotel, with all the attributes this frequently abused soubriquet suggests, I book in to sample what I hope will be The Lloyd’s personalized service and low-key pampering. I’ve no sooner pulled up at the entryway at 909 Washington Blvd., with its handy fore-

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court and pert, triangular box hedges, when a smiling doorman appears, as if from nowhere and whisks away the wagon. Up a few steps and across the lobby, and the friendliest of front desk agents greets me with a warm smile. There’s none of those snapping “ID? Credit Card?” orders masquerading as questions, which overworked and overtired front desk agents tend to bark at you in cookie-cutter, chain hotels. Instead, said agent asks, “How was your journey here this evening. How has your day been so far?” and later, almost as an afterthought, a gentle “May I trouble you for your picture ID and an imprint of your credit card for incidentals?” I do love a full sentence at check-in, don’t you? And it doesn’t stop there. “Would you like

The Lloyd Stamford entrance. Photographs courtesy The Lloyd Stamford. MARCH 2022

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a cup of tea or coffee? “ this hospitality star — as opposed to czar — now asks, as she slips my driver’s license and credit card back to me with a discreet, mouthed “thank you.” What a nice idea. It’s 5 p.m., too late for coffee and a shade too early for a cocktail, but a cup of tea should be a nice pick-me-up. “Would you like English Breakfast or perhaps Earl Grey?” It’s those nice, proper sentences again and, with yet another smile, the agent comes around from behind the desk and heads for the kitchen, emerging just a couple of minutes later with a mock-croc tea tray, pot of hot water, two Earl Grey teabags and a mug that says “Good Morning.” This I turn around, thinking it might offer a more appropriate time of day salutation on the other side. It doesn’t. It simply says “The Lloyd,” but that’s quite good enough for me. With help from the doorman, who has returned from parking the car and now carries the tray, I head for the elevator, pressing “8” for my floor number. We immediately descend to the basement. “No matter, it happens in the best hotels,” I joke with the doorman, as a young lady steps in and offers a greeting. I tell her we’ve come to the wrong floor, that we meant to go up, not down. “These darn elevators,” she says, with a wink. Nice place, The Lloyd, I’m already thinking. The guests are as pleasant as the staff. Cozily ensconced in room 801, I feel instantly at home. Only it’s better than home in a sense, as all good hotels are, with clean sheets, and endless hot water and a bunch of good restaurants more or less on the doorstep. This spacious corner room features a king-size bed with crisp linens and a buttoned, Chesterfield-style headboard in tan leather. (That night, I discover that for comfort, it ranks with the best of beds). Walls are painted a fetching shade of eggplant, which manage to be “designer” and relaxing simultaneously and, paired with the stained oak floors, give the room a slightly masculine feel. It’s not a “pretty” room but nor is it a pared-down, brutally minimalist one nor a self-consciously overdesigned one. For an urban hotel it strikes just the right note, functional but also cosseting, with its herringbone bed throw and soft, hooded, trendy T-Y bathrobes. There are plenty of drawers but no actual closets for hanging. Still, the assorted hangers on a long row of exposed hooks will satisfy all but the most fastidious “closed-closet” purists. The bathroom itself — shower-room actually — is well-lit, with a spacious shower cabinet

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Bathroom at The Lloyd Stamford.

The Lloyd Stamford’s library fireplace.

and Bigelow products. On the far side of the room, a corner recess houses a round, marble-topped table and four chairs, and the big windows afford a terrific view of downtown Stamford, all a-twinkle as the lights come on at dusk, a bright-lights-big-city feeling. Outside in the guest floor corridors, I can’t help thinking, in the cold mid-winter, that the heavy checkered and tweedy carpet would make a rather wonderful, snazzy overcoat. While The Lloyd has no restaurant, it is situated on the edge of Stamford’s “Restaurant Row." (See story on Stamford dining, Page 68) so a hotel restaurant could well be superfluous. What it does have and welcome, too, is a snack corner open 24 hours for sweets, cakes, candy, sodas and water, plus a basic selection of wine that is available until 1:30 a.m. Breakfast is served, or rather self-served,

with a bit of help from yet another friendly staff member, from the bar at the far end of the hotel’s long common area. It’s a warm and inviting space brimming with light by day, a comfortable sofa, a long banquette with zingy pillows, individual marble-topped tables for two and two long, shared communal tables. The Americano was expertly made and the “good morning” slogan on the mug made more sense in the early daylight hours than it had done the previous afternoon in the dark. What’s more, the almond croissant I had here was a one-off — a buttery dough, flaky pastry and a light egg-wash, rich with toasty almonds and encrusted with grainy sugar. Hardly run of the mill or “cookie-cutter,” this was a distinctive croissant, perfectly at home in this distinctive “boutique” hotel. For more, visit thelloydstamford.com.

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CELEBRATING MAYOR CAROLINE SIMMONS AND your LEADERSHIP TEAM. Heartfelt thanks for your sincere dedication and commitment to the bright future of our community. Melissa H. Mulrooney Chief Executive Officer

39 Scofieldtown Road | Stamford, CT 06903 203.977.6521 | stamfordmuseum.org

STAMFORD – A DESIGN POWERHOUSE BY CAMI WEINSTEIN

The beginning of the new year continues to see a large pandemic exodus to the “burbs,” including Stamford. (See residential real estate story on Page 38). It’s a vibrant place, with new multipurpose spaces, particularly on the waterfront, that include the hospitality and retail sectors as well as corporations in other industries. About 30 years ago, Stamford’s old warehouses were taken up by antiques vendors. When my husband and I were first married, we prowled those venues, looking for treasures to decorate our home with. I met a group of women who were also all interested in feathering their nests, and we spent many fun hours antiquing in Stamford while our kids were in school. These same women have become my closest friends. At the time, the offerings were mainly antiques and vintage pieces of Americana as well as those in the English and Continental styles. Some 30 years later, several of these antiques warehouses have survived, changing with the

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Modernist lounge chairs by Karpen of California, available at Stamford Modern. Courtesy stamfordmordern.com

times. More mid-century Modern pieces from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s are mixed in with the more traditional pieces. The antiques and design industry in Stamford has grown, with the larger businesses including, The Antique and Artisan Gallery, Avery & Dash Collections, Connecticut Antiques Center, Greenwich Living Design and Stamford Modern, all of which offer great buys to decorate your home with. Some of these, like Greenwich Living Design, are in the Stamford Waterside Design District. I still visit the galleries for pieces for my clients, such as furniture, lighting, artwork and decorative objets. I love that you can always find something unusual and not just things that are easily available and seen over and over again. As we get out of the winter doldrums and head toward spring, make a list of your renovation projects and visit these places for ideas to keep your home in tip-top condition. Renovations take a lot of planning, especially in the current climate. Many contractors are busy and many items can be delayed due to supply-chain issues. It’s always best to have all your items available before starting a major renovation. It may take a little longer to start, but it will be well worth it. The last thing you want to do is to start a major project and have important pieces missing that can affect com-

pletion of your project in a timely manner. Select a contractor who has the correct amount of time to see your renovation through. Pressing him to start before he can give your renovation the amount of time it needs can be a disaster. Build in extra time for permits and inspections. Delivery delays can occur because of a shortage of workers and materials as well as weather, particularly if you start a project in the winter. But keep your sense of humor throughout the process, because the end result will be so worth the time and effort that you put into it. For this spring’s projects, I already have my list, putting contractors in place and placing all the necessary orders so that process can be as stress-free as possible. I’m looking forward to warmer weather and having a night out dining by the water in one of Stamford’s many restaurants with friends while contemplating my latest renovation project. And I hope my car will be loaded up with treasures found in an afternoon of visiting Stamford’s antiques and design galleries to help my clients express their individual personalities and styles through their homes. For more, call 914-447-6904 or email Cami@camidesigns.com. And for more on some of the businesses mentioned here, visit stamfordwatersidedesigndistrict.com.

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MANHATTAN’S MINI ME BY KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE

“Location, location, location.” It’s the oft-repeated mantra of the real-estate business. There is no better example of that saying than Stamford. It’s the state’s second-largest city by population and a dynamic business hub — second in the metro region only to the New York City — that is all about location. On the shore of Long Island Sound and half-way between the Big Apple and New Haven, Stamford’s motto is “The City That Works,” and does it ever. It hosts one of the largest concentrations of corporations in the United States. It’s home to Fortune 500 companies, as well as a galaxy of divisions of leading companies in financial services, information technology, health care and telecommunications, among others. From the 1860s to 1948, the largest employer in Stamford was the Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co. After Linus Yale Jr. invented the tumbler lock, his factory became the world’s largest producer of locks. Another early local business success was the Schick electric razor, patented in 1930 by Col. Jacob Schick and produced in Stamford until at least 1955. (Today the site is operated by another personal-care powerhouse, Phillips Norelco.) Stamford was settled early in New England’s history. Its deed with the Native American Chief Ponus was signed in 1640. The sleepy little farming community had a rare dramatic moment with its witch trial in 1692. (See story on the Stamford nobody knows on Page 18.) In the 18th century, Stamford slowly grew to become a trading outpost, due to its easy water access to the much larger and far more important port of New York as well as the New England commercial harbors to the north. The proximity to Manhattan, the financial heart of the country’s (and increasingly the world’s) economy was the basis of the real estate boom that started in the later 19th century. Then as now, city dwellers yearned to get away from the urban bustle, at first for just a

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The interior of Stamford’s First Presbyterian Church, known as the Fish Church, for its particular Modernist shape. Photograph by John9474.

part of the year. Wealthy New Yorkers built summer homes on Stamford’s shore, which beckoned to lovers of water sports. As the railroads developed, frequent train service made it practical to commute daily to Manhattan and, by the mid-20th century, Stamford had become the prosperous city it is today. As usually happens when an area grows rapidly, signs of its past are swiftly erased by new development. Few traces remain of early Stamford. The Stamford area today is noted for its mid-20th century architecture. The First Presbyterian Church, nicknamed the Fish Church for its design by architect Wallace K. Harrison, and the angular wood and glass Glen House by Richard Neutra — which came onto the market in 2020 at $4.5 million — are outstanding examples of the city’s mid-century Modern vibe. The adjacent town of New Canaan, a part of Stamford until the early 19th century, became known for innovative homes designed by the Harvard Five — John M. Johansen, Marcel

Breuer, Landis Gores, Philip Johnson and Eliot Noyes. From the late 1940s through the 1960s, these stars of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design built more than 80 homes in the town. Their hallmark was open floor plans and innovations in materials, as epitomized in Philip Johnson’s The Glass House, now a New Canaan museum that has been reinterpreted in recent years to counter Johnson’s early racist views. The area’s influential residences make this corner of Connecticut a magnet for architecture — and auction — buffs alike, as a pair of Breuer “Wassily” chairs in tubular chromed steel and stitched brown leather, sold at Skinner Inc. for $1,875 in 2020, attests. (Like many 20th-century architects, Breuer designed furniture to complement his buildings.) A rich past, a vibrant present, a promising future: Stamford is where it’s at. And this is all because of where it’s at. For more, contact Katie at kwhittle@skinnerinc.com or 212-787-1114.

Avon Theatre Film Center. Photograph by Ally Cali. MARCH 2022

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CELEBRATED STAMFORD BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

From the man who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier to Lucille Ball’s beloved second banana, Stamford has had its share of groundbreaking luminaries. Here are just a few: Harry Houdini — The man who has been called “the Babe Ruth of magicians” paved the way for such escape artists as David Blaine and Criss Angel with death-defying events that have been immortalized in films, TV series and comics. Born Erik Weisz to a Hungarian-Jewish family, Houdini reinvented himself again and again as an actor, aviator and debunker of phony spiritualists, constantly pushing himself mentally and physically. He lived in New York City and Los Angeles as well as in Australia, where he sought to be the first person to fly in that continent, even alighting for a time on North Stamford, where he had a summer home on Webbs Hill Road. But nothing could pin him down for long. He died at age 52, appropriately enough on Halloween 1926, of peritonitis after a ruptured appendix that may or may not have been brought on by a dressing room stunt in which a woman repeatedly punched him in the abdomen. Cyndi Lauper — With her 1983 album, “She’s So Unusual” — the first debut album to spawn four top-five hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 — Lauper established herself as distinctive a persona as she was a singer-songwriter, one who foreshadowed Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Her work as a humanitarian, particularly on behalf of the LGBTQ community, earned her a place at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. For 30 years, she and her family lived in a stone house on Saddle Hill Road in North Stamford that once belonged to designer Vince Camuto. There, she wrote five albums and her Tony Award-winning musical “Kinky Boots.” Meat Loaf — The former Marvin Lee Aday (later Michael Lee Aday) was bestknown by the stage name that signaled best-selling albums and appearances in such films as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Fight Club.” Aday had a challenging childhood at the hands of an abusive, alcoholic father in his native Dallas. There as a 16 year old, he met President John F. Kennedy at Dallas Love Field airport just hours before JFK’s assassination. (Driving to Parkland Hospital after hearing of the assassination, his car was commandeered by a government official.) Aday lived with wife Leslie and their two daughters in Stamford, Westport and Redding, coaching children’s baseball and softball in all three communities. Conservative in his politics, he opposed mask and vaccine mandates, telling the press “If I die, I die. But I’m not going to be controlled.” He died Jan. 20 at 74 of complications from Covid. Dannel P. Molloy — The 88th governor of Connecticut, Malloy was born and raised in Stamford, accommodating learning disabilities to graduate magna cum laude from Boston College and earn a J.D. from Boston College Law School. After a stint as assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, he returned to Stamford and entered into private practice before serving on the city’s board of finance and being elected mayor for four terms (1995-2009). As governor (2011-19), he championed a Democratic agenda of social justice, voting rights, educational reform, stricter gun laws and the decriminalization of marijuana, but proved unpopular due to tax increases. Today he is chancellor of the University of Maine System (UMS). Gilda Radner — Whether she was playing Roseanne Roseannadanna, the determinedly ethnic local newscaster; the clueless, issues-minded Emily Litella; or Baba Wawa (Barbara Walters) on “Saturday Night Live,” Radner went straight for

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1. 2. 3. 4.

Harry Houdini. Cyndi Lauper. Photograph by Eva Rinaldi. Meat Loaf. Dannel P. Molloy. U.S. Navy photograph by Petty Officer 1st Class Armando Gonzales. 5. Gilda Radner with husband Gene Wilder. 6. Jackie Robinson. Photograph by Bob Sandberg. Restoration by Adam Cuerden.

the funny bone — and the heart. Misdiagnosed for 10 months with what turned out to be ovarian cancer, she chronicled her struggles in part in her memoir “It’s Always Something,” titled after Roseanne Roseannadanna’s catchphrase. After her death in 1989, her husband, fellow comic actor Gene Wilder (“The Producers,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”) co-founded Gilda’s Club for cancer sufferers and their families. It is now affiliated with Cancer Support Community. (Gilda’s Club Westchester serves Westchester and Fairfield counties along with parts of New York City.) Wilder died in the couple’s 1734 Colonial home in Stamford in 2006. Jackie Robinson — The word “legend” is often overused but is probably too little to describe Robinson, who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 — starring at second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers and enduring horrific abuse in the process, which he bore with grace. His steady presence and sparkling play opened the door for other gifted Black players and later other minorities. His Dodgers career also marked the beginning of many firsts — first Black television analyst in MLB and the first Black vice president of a major American corporation, Chock full o’Nuts. In the 1960s, he helped establish the African American-owned Freedom National Bank in Harlem. For his achievements, he would be posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honors. Not surprisingly, the Robinson family had difficulty finding a home in the mainly white enclaves of Westchester and Fairfield counties. They were ultimately able to build their dream home at 95 Cascade Road in North Stamford with the help of Richard L. Simon, co-founder of the publishing house Simon and Schuster, and wife Andrea. (See below.) Chuck Scarborough — Since 1974, this Stamford resident has been the lead anchor on NBC 4 — NBC’s flagship in New York — garnering 36 local Emmy Awards, a national Emmy and the Edward R. Murrow Award (for his team’s coverage of Hurricane Sandy) and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (for NBC 4’s reporting on Covid-19). Scarborough, a Pittsburgh native, began his career in Mississippi, where he graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi. A United States Air Force veteran, Scarborough holds a commercial pilot’s license and has also written three novels. He shares the same first name (Charles) and last name with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, to whom he is not related. The Simon Family — Of all the prominent couples and families in tony North Stamford, few were more accomplished than the Simon family. Paterfamilias Richard L., the co-founder of the Simon and Schuster publishing house, and his civil rights activist-wife, Andrea Heinemann Simon — who owned the Newfield Avenue estate on which the Mead School now sits — were instrumental in helping Jackie Robinson and wife Rachel acquire land in North Stamford to build their dream home and housed them while their home was being built. But the Simonses are probably better-known today for their talented offspring — opera mezzo-soprano-turned-Realtor Joanna Simon; singer-theater composer Lucy, photographer Peter and singer-songwriter Carly, the first artist to win an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe for writing and performing a song for a film (“Let the River Run” for “Working Girl,” 1988). (Though she grew up wanting to play centerfield for the New York Yankees, Carly would become the unofficial mascot of the rival Dodgers, courtesy of Robinson, who tried to teach her to hit left-handed.) Bobby Valentine — Valentine has been as loyal to his hometown of Stamford as he has been to baseball. A utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the California Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels), the New York Mets and the Seattle

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Mariners, he is perhaps best-known as manager of the Mets, taking them to the National League Championship series in 1999, when they lost to their archrival, the Atlanta Braves; and the World Series the following year, when the Mets lost to their crosstown rival, the New York Yankees. Valentine also managed the Texas Rangers and, for one dismal season, the Boston Red Sox and served as athletic director of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. Since 1980, he has owned Bobby V’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in Stamford. Last year, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Democratic state representative Caroline Simmons, who became Stamford’s first female mayor. (See Page 12.) Vivian Vance — Beloved as Lucille Ball’s longtime sidekick — first as Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy” and later as Vivian Bagley on “The Lucy Show” — Vance has been back in the news recently, thanks to the absorbing, new Oscar-nominated film “Being the Riccardos,” which takes viewers behind the scenes of the making of “I Love Lucy” during the McCarthy witch hunt when Ball was accused of having once belonged to the American Communist Party. In the movie, Vance is seen as fighting for Ethel’s place in the sun, which often pitted her against the curmudgeonly William Frawley, who played her much-older husband, Fred, and even against Ball, with whom she had a sometime-rivalry. Vance was the first actress to win an Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actress, for “I Love Lucy,” and the first to play a divorcee on a weekly American TV series (on “The Lucy Show”). She and the last of her four husbands, literary agent, editor and publisher John Dodd, lived in Stamford, moving to California in 1974.

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7. Chuck Scarborough. Courtesy nbcnewyork.com. 8. Carly Simon. 9. Bobby Valentine. 10. Vivian Vance.

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Brazilian singer Marisa Monte is at The Palace Theatre March 17. Courtesy Marisa Monte.

The two Martins – from left, Steve Martin and Martin Short – play The Palace Theatre March 27. Photograph by Mark Seliger.

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CULTURAL STAMFORD BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

As befits the second largest city in Connecticut (after Bridgeport) and the largest financial district in the metro area outside New York City, Stamford is home to an array of artistic and botanical attractions, from the historic Avon Theatre Film Center to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center to the Ukrainian Museum and Library, the oldest Ukrainian cultural institution in North America. Below is a select list of offerings: The more-than-80-year-old Avon Theatre Film Center is dedicated to the best in independent, world and documentary filmmaking. On March 9, the center’s “Black Lens” series presents “Why Is We Americans?,” about the life and work of performing and literary artist and community organizer Amina Baraka. 203-967-3660; avontheatre.org. Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens — Once the home of dendrologist Francis A. Bartlett, founder of the F. A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co., the arboretum opened in 1966 with a mission to cultivate a collection of trees, plants and gardens for everyone to savor. Visit any day from dawn to dusk or enjoy such online presentations as “Controlling Backyard Invaders” (March 22), all about the most common invasive plants. 203-322-6971; bartlettaboretum.org.

Bow Tie Cinemas has two multiplexes in Stamford — Ultimate Majestic 6 (203-3231690; bowtiecinemas.com/majestic-6) and Ultimate Landmark 8 (203-324-3100; bowtiecinemas.com/landmark-8). Connecticut Ballet — Founded in 1981 by choreographers Brett Raphael and Luk de Layress, Connecticut Ballet became a resident performing company at Stamford Center for the Arts in 1986. While the troupe expanded performances to Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford in 2005 and now calls that city home, it returned to the Stamford Center’s Palace Theatre last December for its production of “The Nutcracker,” with guest artists from American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet. 860293-1039; connecticutballet.org. Curtain Call — Billed as “Stamford’s longest-running and only year-round, nonprofit

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Courtesy the Palace Theatre.

producing theater company,” Curtain Call traditionally offers 10 to 12 (or more) full-scale productions each year in two venues — The Kweskin Theatre, a 184-seat auditorium; and The Dressing Room Theatre, a 100-seat cabaret-style arrangement. Through March 13, The Dressing Room presents “Happy Birthday,” Marc Camoletti’s romantic romp, a London-stage hit turning on mistaken identities. On March 26, Joey Rinaldi returns with his one-man show, “Potty Training.” 203-4616358; curtaincallinc.com. The Loft Artists Association (LAA), founded in 1978, is home to exhibits, classes, workshops, fundraisers and, in November, Open Studios, cultivating a diverse group of artists as it helps shape Stamford. 203-2472027; loftartists.org. Stamford Art Association (SAA) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary with a December exhibit, the association presents juried shows in its three-story townhouse. 203-3251139; stamfordartassociation.org.

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Stamford Center for the Arts (SCA) is a nonprofit performing arts center that owns The Palace Theatre; and the neighboring Rich Forum, which opened in 1992 and is leased by NBCUniversal as a television-production studio. Designed by Thomas Lamb, the king of the Roaring ’20s movie palaces, the 1,630-seat Palace opened in 1927 as a vaudeville house. After years of disuse and deterioration, the Palace was restored and reopened in 1983 for live theater, opera, dance and concerts, as well as art exhibits in its gallery. Among the performers coming to The Palace in March are the Colleens of Comedy (March 11), Brazilian singer Marisa Monte (March 17), tribute band Best of the Eagles (March 18), classic-rock band America (March 26) actor-comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short (March 27) and Chinese dance troupe Shen Yun (March 30-April 3). For more on the Palace, call 203-3254466 or palacestamford.org.

Stamford History Center — Formerly the Stamford Historical Society, the center mounts exhibits, maintains a research library and a photograph and image archive and offers special programs. Its Hoyt Barnum House (1699), the oldest extant house in Stamford, is currently closed for repairs. 203329-1183; stamfordhistory.org. Stamford Museum & Nature Center preserves and interprets the art and popular culture, natural and agricultural sciences and history of the area in multidisciplinary exhibits and programs. Through June 5, savor “Robert Dash: Food for Thought, Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats & Prospects,” in which the artist considers climate change’s effect on food. 203-977-6521; stamfordmuseum.org. Stamford Symphony — Founded in 1919, the Stamford Symphony disbanded after World War II when many of its musicians returned to Europe and reawakened in 1967. Under the baton of Skitch Henderson, it became a fully professional orchestra. Subsequent music director Roger Nierenberg (1980-2004) drew on musicians from top New York City orchestras, a practice that continues today. On March 19 and 20 at The Palace Theatre, music director Michael Stern leads the orchestra in “From Struggle to Victory,” a program of works by Beethoven and contemporary composers Alejandro Basulto and Carlos Simon that also features Nicholas Canellakis playing the Dvořák Cello Concerto. 203-325-1407; stamfordsymphony.org. Ukrainian Museum and Library of Stamford, Connecticut is the oldest Ukrainian cultural institution in North America. It collects, documents, preserves and exhibits artifacts and publications, everything from icons to embroidery, to increase an understanding of Ukraine and the Ukrainian ethnic community in the United States — which has become increasingly important given Russia's recetn invasion of Ukraine. 203-323-8866 and 203-324-0488; ukrainianmuseumlibrary.org.

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FEEDING STAMFORD – AND THE WORLD

BY JEREMY WAYNE

“Welcome to Mike’s Organic,” says Mike Geller, coming to greet me at the entrance to his retail market, unassumingly located in a warehouse on an industrial estate in Stamford, three blocks from Long Island Sound. Beaming away in his checked shirt and Barbour jacket, the red-bearded, baseball-capped Geller wasted no time introducing me to his organic world on my recent first visit. There, in the central section, with its condiments, oils, vinegars and spices, he waxed lyrical about his products, including “fantastic” aged balsamic from Modena, Italy; Bariani olive oil from the Sacramento Valley (“the best olive oil in America”); “amazing” pasta from California and “incredible” jam from the Hudson Valley. “And we were the first people in America to stock these,” he enthused, pointing to brightly colored jars of renowned Momofuku chef David Chang’s line of seasonings and sauces.

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Disillusioned with the 10 years he had spent in advertising, Geller gave it up in 2008 and went to spend three months in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Besides adventures that close encounters with a leopard and a cobra, his main takeaway from Africa was how “real” food looked and tasted, in contrast to what was typically available in American supermarkets. Another was realizing that food in this country did not taste the way it used to. “Flavor, nutrition, the environment and the farmer are what it’s all about,” he told me. “But, in America, none of those things is prioritized.” Back home in Greenwich, he established his business slowly. Originally working with

Mike Geller. Photograph by Alexandra Blair.

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Interior wall at Mike Organic’s retail market.

just four farmers, he now takes produce from more than 200 farms nationwide to sell to his customers. And many of those farmers have become good personal friends — with 25 of them present at his wedding seven years ago at Greenwich Polo Club. Shopping at Mike’s Organic is done either by ordering online for delivery or visiting the Stamford store, which is open six days a week. Online customers can sign up for a weekly CSA — “community supported agriculture” — basket of fruit and vegetables that changes every week, depending on what the farmers have to offer, and that runs for the duration of the season, or they order “à la carte.” Mike’s has also recently joined forces with Goldbelly, which ships specialty foods anywhere. “Goldbelly is really cool,” Geller says. “If you want your favorite dumplings from your favorite Chinese restaurant in California or your favorite barbecue from Texas, or your favorite gumbo from New Orleans — if they’re on Goldbelly, you order and you will have them the following morning. So we’re on it now and we can ship our products nationally.” In the last few months, Mike’s Organic has shipped to every state in America — produce baskets, grilling kits with steaks and Thanksgiving turkeys — including one to Martha Stewart. (A great supporter of the business, Stewart has also become a personal friend.) “Goldbelly has given us this reach we didn’t previously have,” Geller says.

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He is also building a flagship retail store in Cos Cob, which is slated to open by the end of summer. Standing on a 1-acre lot, the new organic produce superstore will have a garden at the front with picnic tables and an orchard with 50 trees. Regular events are also planned. “We’ll have lobstermen coming down from Maine with 3,000 live lobsters, for example, or a machine making hot, fresh doughnuts to serve with apple sauce on the weekend, that kind of thing,” Geller says. He wants food to be presented as an experience and not just something that sits on the grocery store shelf or in the freezer cabinet. The Stamford site, meanwhile, will be retained for warehousing, delivery fulfillment and private events. A third site, recently purchased in Stamford, will house a new commercial kitchen for prepared foods that Geller is adding to the company’s repertoire. Back at the Stamford retail market, meanwhile, the tour continues. Geller gives me blueberries, little blue pellets expelling deep, sweet flavor on the tongue. “Aren’t they outrageous?” he wants to know. (They are.) And tangerines, an almost intoxicating blend of citrus and sugar. (They’re “outrageous,” too.) “You will never see these in the grocery store,” Geller says. He hands me a box of locally grown tomatoes that, even in winter, really taste of, well, tomato. “A big thing for us is curation,” says Geller, as he walks me past the fridges of CBD beverag-

es, cold-brew coffee, raw juices and dairy and dairy-alternatives. He raves about a cashew butter that “tastes just like butter;” locally cured charcuterie and Heirloom Fresh blue and brown eggs, their yokes the deepest yellow. And he rhapsodizes over his guacamole and a vegan dip made with aquafaba, or chick pea water. There’s also pastured pork, beef, chicken and fish, along with sausages, hotdogs and steaks, all sourced directly from small producers, around 30 of whom are inscribed on an honor roll above one of the industrial-sized freezer cabinets. When I ask about Covid and its effects, Geller says that in a sense it has been kind to the business. “People turned to us to get their food because, in some cases they couldn’t get it (elsewhere). And with no restaurants to supply, we had 20 or 30 farmers tell us that they would have lost their farms in 2020 without us.” “Farmers are like artists,” he continues. “Some are Picasso, others not. You want to support all farms, but you really look for the people who are doing what they do as well as they possibly can.” And it’s what drives Mike’s Organic, too. “I’ve been in this business for 12 years,” Geller says. “I’ve lived it, I really have. But all I ever really want to do — I just want to find the best.” For more, visit mikesorganic.com.

A FEAST OF STAMFORD RESTAURANTS

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A FEAST OF STAMFORD RESTAURANTS 16 HANDLES 219 Bedford St. 203-817-0707 Executive: Richard DeCesare and Dina DeCesare, owners stamford@16handles.com

BARSOFIA BAR & CAFÉ 677 Washington Blvd. Executive: Lindsay Krupa, general manager lindsay@barsofia.com

ACUARIO RESTAURANT 78 W. Park Place 203-998-7722 Executive: Eduardo Oshiro, owner acuariorestaurantct@gmail.com ADYAR ANANDA BHAVAN 1033 Washington Blvd. 203-323-9111 Executive: Anitha Gounder, manager ATLANTIC STREET HOUSE 221 Atlantic St. 203-348-0729 Executive: Anthoula Pantzos, owner atlanticstreethousecatering@gmail.com

bartaco

222 Summer St., Stamford 203-323-8226 20 Wilton Road, Westport 203-222-8226 1 Willett Ave., Port Chester 914-937-8226 bartaco.com comments@bartaco.com

BANK STREET EVENTS 65 Bank St. 203-325-2739 Executive: Nikki Glekas, owner nikki@bankstreetevents.com BAR ROSSO 30 Spring St. 203-388-8640 Executive: Diego Suarez, general manager diego@barrossoct.com

BEDFORD HALL CRAFT KITCHEN & BAR 135 Bedford St. 203-973-7888 Executive: Mike Cepelik, general manager mcepelik@table95.com

BEDFORD THAI 77 Bedford St. 203-595-5577 Executive: Prakash Nath, owner

167 Bedford St. 203-856-2749/203-504-8270 Executive: Gianni Rizzi, owner gianni@viasforza.com Description: Pizza and italian specialties.

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BRADFORD’S GRILL & TAVERN 83 Bedford St. 203-961-9999 Executive: Tony Desjardin, owner parties@bradfordsgrill.com BRICKHOUSE BAR & GRILL 244 Bedford St. 203-353-8892 Executive: Daniel DeGruttola, owner brickhouse@brickhousebarngrill.com BUFFALO WILD WINGS GRILL & BAR 208 Summer St. 203-324-9453 Executive: Besnick Krasniqi, general manager bkrasniqi@wingsbeersports.com BULL PAN 485 Summer St. 203-569-9618 Executive: Paul Ma, owner bullpan.stamford@gmail.com

135 BEDFORD STREET 203-973-7888 Executive: John Gazzola, owner

BARI 167

101 BROAD STREET 203-595-5415 Executive: Lila Metalia, marketing director stamford@blackstonesrg.com

BLACKSTONES STEAKHOUSE 101 Broad St. 203-595-5415 Executive: Eddy Ahmetaj, owner stamford@blackstonesrg.com

BV’S - BOBBY V’S RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR 268 Atlantic St. 203-883-4320 Executive: Paul Dionne, director of marketing paul.dionne@sportech.net CAFE OO LA LA 177 Broad St. 203-353-3300 Executive: Diana Faina, manager diana@cafeoolala.com CALIFORNIA TORTILLA 300 Atlantic St. 203-504-8596 Executive: Andy Singh, owner stamfordcaltort@gmail.com CANTINA MEXICANA 488 Summer St. 203-553-9978 Executive: Saline Fernandez, owner info@cantinamex.com

THE CAPITAL GRILLE 230 Tresser Blvd., Stamford Town Center 203-967-0000 Executive: Mark Phillips, managing partner mphillps@tcgdine.com CAPRICCIO CAFÉ 189 Bedford St. 203-356-9819 Executive: Giovanni Gentile, owner info@capriccio-cafe.com CHA KA QUELLU 15 Clark St. 203-316-0278 Executive: Ramiz Kukaj, owner CHAKOS 78 W. Park Place 203-504-8043 Executive: Jonathan Alfaro, owner chakosla@gmail.com

CHEF VIN FOOD COMPANY 245 Main St. 203-504-2590 Executive: Vincent Nargi chefvinfoodcompany@gmail.com Description: Healthy, eclectic restaurant

CHUTNI BIRYANI & NOODLE BAR 211 Main St. 970-333-8343 Executive: Sharath Dara, owner mychutni@gmail.com CILANTRO RESTAURANT 3 Landmark Square - Mezzanine Level 203-914-1666 Executive: Alejandro Montoya, owner COLUMBUS PARK TRATTORIA 205 Main St. 203-967-9191 Executive: Michael Marchetti, Partner michael@marchettimanagement.com

COSECHAS RESTAURANT 217 Atlantic St. 203-355-9214 Executive: David Ramirez CURLEY’S DINER 62 W. Park Place 203-348-2020 Executive: Maria Aposporos, owner curleysdiner@gmail.com DIVINA 275 Summer St. 203-388-8741 Executive: Walter Capelli, owner FAIRFIELD PIZZA 87 Atlantic St. 203-356-1500 Executive: Fernando DePaula, owner FIESTA ON MAIN RESTAURANT AND PISCO BAR 249 Main St. 203-323-4300 Executive: Victor Mathieu, owner victor@fiestaonmainct.com FIN II JAPANESE RESTAURANT 219 Main St. 203-359-6688 Executive: Elaine Ye, owner FISH RESTAURANT & BAR 245 Bedford St. 203-461-0889 Executive: Judd Malin, owner fishstamford@gmail.com FLINDERS LANE 184 Summer St. 203-323-3137 Executive: Chris McPherson, business owner chris.m@flinderslane.com FUJI 94 Bedford St. 203-967-8989 Executive: Wendy Zheng, owner fuji94stamford@gmail.com

GARDEN CATERING 235 Main St. 203-487-0333 Executive: Frank Carpenteri Jr., co-owner frank@gardencatering.net GREAT WALL CHINESE RESTAURANT 219 Atlantic St. 203-327-7188 Executive: George Jia, owner HIBERNIAN ASSOCIATION HALL & CATERING 186 Greyrock Place 203-323-2608 Executive: Patrick Keane, vice president HUDSON SOCIAL 128 Bedford St. 203-883-8600 Executive: Brian Mahon, owner info@hudsonsocialct.com INTHAI RESTAURANT 83 Atlantic St. 203-550-9130 Executive: Inthira Saengprachathanarak inthairestaurant@gmail.com JENNA MARIE’S CATERING AND DELI 459 Summer St. 203-273-0588 Executive: Joseph Claps, owner info@jennamaries-deli.com JERKYZ 227 Summer St. 718-581-7112 Executive: Joab Taylor, owner-chef

JUICE KINGS

36 Atlantic St. 203-324-0870 Executive: Jeff Osta, owner juicekingsct@gmail.com Description: Juice and smoothie bar

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A FEAST OF STAMFORD RESTAURANTS KASHI STAMFORD JAPANESE 131 Summer St. 917-345-5098 Executive: Daniel Li, manager kashistamford@gmail.com

NAVARATNA 133 Atlantic St. 203-348-1070 Executive: Ramesh Mana, manager navaratna@att.net

KOTOBUKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT 457 Summer St. 203-359-4747 Executive: Bin Li, owner kotobukistamford@aol.com KOUZINA GREEK TAVERNA & BAR 223 Main St. 203-588-0110 Executive: Peter Vavoulidis, owner peter@tomatotomato.com KYUSHU RAMEN 235 Bedford St. 203-614-8689 Executive: N/A

PETER CHANG STAMFORD 230 Tresser Blvd. Stamford Town Center, The Plaza 203-323-7117 Executive: Long Sun, manager info@peterchangct.com

NINJA BUBBLE TEA

225 Summer St. 203-406-7183 Executive: N/A ninjabubbleteact@gmail.com

LUCKY’S CLASSIC BURGER & MALT SHOP 209 Bedford St. 203-978-0268 Executive: Peter Kokkinos, manager ptrkokkinos@yahoo.com MECHA NOODLE BAR 151 Bedford St. 203-801-7577 Executive: David O’Shaughnessy, owner david@mechanoodlebar.com MILK N COOKIES 163 Bedford St. 475-619-9770 Executive: Lou Appicella, owner

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PIEOLOGY PIZZERIA 230 Tresser Blvd. Stamford Town Center, The Plaza 203-457-6419 Executive: Nishant Patel, co-owner pieologysocial@gmail.com POKE BOWL 108 Bedford St. 203-360-0999 Executive: Unknown, manager

LA PERLE RESTAURANT & BAR 15 Bank St. 203-388-8600 Executive: Peter Medoit, owner pmedoit@laperlect.com LORCA 125 Bedford St. 646-388-0996 Executive: Leyla Dam, owner lorcastamford@gmail.com

ORIGINAL PAPPAS’ PIZZA DOWNTOWN STAMFORD 201 Main St. 203-324-7800 Executive: Harry Sgouris, owner

POKEMOTO 223 Main St. 203-658-8001 Executive: Dennis Bok dennis@pokemoto.com

NOCHES DE COLOMBIA

84 W. Park Place 201-449-9618 Executive: Juan Rodriguez, partner

NORTHERN LIGHTS LOUNGE AT THE STAMFORD MARRIOTT HOTEL AND SPA 243 Tresser Blvd. 203-357-9555 Executive: Alan Ehrentreu, general manager aehrentreu@stamfordmarriott.com ONE CLUB TEQUILA LOUNGE AT THE MARRIOTT RESIDENCE INN 4 Atlantic St. 914-924-1218 Executive: Todd Lindvall, general manager todd.lindvall@marriott.com

QUARTIERE 51 Bank St. 203-644-5365 Executive: Martin Bates, owner martin@thequartiere.com REMO’S BRICK OVEN PIZZA COMPANY 35 Bedford St. 203-973-0077 Executive: Giuseppe Castagna, owner remospizzastamford@yahoo.com RIVIERA MAYA MEXICAN RESTAURANT 20 Summer St. 203-588-9400 Executive: Victoria Lira contact@rivieramayact.com ROASTED 148 Bedford St. 203-614-8255 Executive: Bill and Kristin Hall, owners info@roastedsandwich.com

ROOST 1 Greyrock Place 475-685-1940 Executive: Mike Pietrafeso, owner hello@heyroost.com SALLY’S APIZZA 66 Summer St. Executive: Krystina Nataloni, director of marketing krystinan@sallysapizza.com SAM’S AMERICAN BISTRO AT THE STAMFORD MARRIOTT HOTEL & SPA 243 Tresser Blvd. 203-357-9555 Executive: Chris Steele, general manager csteele@stamfordmarriott.com THE SANDWICH MAESTRO KITCHEN 90 Atlantic St. 203-325-0803 Executive: Eddie Garcia, owner mail@sandwichmaestro.com SEASONS 29 Bank St. 203-324-2583 Executive: Liz and Phil Costas, co-owners seasonsgt12@gmail.com SHELLS BAR & GRILL 261 Main St. 718-288-9391 Executive: Brian Chan, owner SIENA RISTORANTE 519 Summer St. 203-351-0898 Executive: Pasquale Conte, owner pietrosienaristorante@gmail.com STAMFORD SALADS 189 Bedford St. 203-883-8022 Executive: Giovanni Gentile SUBWAY SANDWICHES 116 Broad St. 203-357-1221 Executive: Darius Jamshdian, owner

SUSHI X II 109 Atlantic St. 203-327-6888 Executive: Chloe Chen, manager

TOMATILLO TACO JOINT 114 Broad St. 203-324-4777 Executive: Alison Eng, manager aliee630@gmail.com

TAJ INDIAN CUISINE 211 Summer St., Second floor 203-588-0000 Executive: Finto Antony, owner stamfordtaj@gmail.com

TUTTI PAZZI 269 Bedford St. 203-280-2201 Executive: Marcelo Acosta, owner tuttipazzict@gmail.com

TAMARINDO 80 Atlantic St., 3 Landmark Square 203-890-9090 Executive: Mohit Moises, owner THE OFFICE LOUNGE @ COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT STAMFORD DOWNTOWN 75 Broad St. Executive: Unknown, general manager tina.mazzullo@marriott.com THE PALM 129 Atlantic St. 203-223-7986 Executive: Nelson Solis, owner santoselitect@aol.com

VERDE GALERIE

79 Atlantic St 203-428-4767 verdegalerie.com Description: Flower shop and coffee shop

THE TOWNE PARLOR 112 Bedford St. 203-504-8123 Executive: John Gazzola, manager info@towneparlorpizza.com TIERNAN’S BAR & RESTAURANT 187 Main St. 203-353-8566 Executive: Seamus Deacy, owner tiernansbar@optonline.net TIGIN IRISH PUB 175 Bedford St. 203-353-8444 Executive: Danielle Corbett, general manager dcorbett@tiginirishpub.com

WINFIELD STREET COFFEE

96 Broad St. 203-569-7003 Executive: Alvaro Flores, manager aflores@winfieldcoffee.com

ZAZA ITALIAN GASTROBAR 122 Broad St. 203-348-2300 Executive: Vito DeRario, owner

A SAMPLING OF STAMFORD RESTAURANTS MARCH 2022

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GIVING THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Air to Earth Healthy Home Energy & Consulting Domain Bousquet Teremana Small Batch Tequila The Withers Village Social Wolf Conservation Center Audi of Hawthorne Bedford & New Canaan Magazine Bloody Ban’s Cider Cool Effect Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. Quartz Rock Vineyard Houlihan Lawrence Leonard Park Wines & Spirits La Maison Fête Mark Foods Mast Market New Amsterdam Vodka Northern Westchester Hospital NY Distilling Co WAG Local Business & Lifestyles magazine

BEDFORD 2030 MOON DANCE Bedford 2030’s Moon Dance will be an unforgettable celebration of the amazing strides our community has made in tackling environmental issues over the past 12+ years. Special Honorees for the evening are environmental heroes and long-time Bedford 2030 supporters Ellen Conrad, co-founder and former president of Bedford 2030, and Veronique Pittman, national leader in environmental efforts and co-founder, the Green Schools Alliance. Held on Saturday, May 21st, under the light of the moon at a spectacular private farm in Bedford, this farm-to-table party is sure to be the hottest ticket of the season. Guests will enjoy cocktails in bucolic rolling meadows, amazing local food, dancing, entertainment, surprises and more. Chef Mogan Anthony of Village Social Catering and Events will bring together talented local chefs and purveyors who are committed to sustainable food to prepare the evening’s meal. With Bedford 2030 leading the way, the Bedford community has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 44%. The evening will showcase Bedford 2030 programs, partners and the thousands of community members who have engaged in the Bedford 2030: Climate Action Now movement. It will also serve as a call to action to build momentum for even greater impact.

Photographs from Moon Dance 2019 courtesy of Elena Wolf Photography.

The Bedford 2030 mission will be reﬂected throughout the evening. It will be a zero-waste event. There will be no singleuse plastic of any kind and all food scraps will be composted. Bedford 2030 is partnering with an organization called Cool Effect to offset the event’s carbon footprint. The pristine farm setting for the Moon Dance reﬂects the beauty and power of the natural world that Bedford 2030 and community members are working so hard to protect. Bedford 2030 is incredibly grateful for generous support from Moon Dance sponsors and community partners. Bedford 2030 invites like-minded friends, new and old, to join the celebration on May 21st. Moon Dance tickets can be purchased at bedford2030.org

Tuna tartare at Columbus Park Trattoria. Courtesy Columbus Park Trattoria. 68 MARCH 2022

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FIRST AMONG EQUALS IN A UN OF STAMFORD RESTAURANTS BY JEREMY WAYNE

Bordering the fleck of green known as Columbus Park in downtown Stamford, a number of new restaurants have sprung up since the start of the pandemic, turning the area into a melting pot of international cuisines. There is Riviera Maya, for authentic moles and chimichangas; Fiesta, should you fancy chaufas, Peruvian pepper steak and sublime Pisco sours; and chorizo and egg sandwiches for breakfast at Noches de Columbia, a small bar, grill and bakery group. For Japanese food, there is excellent sushi and more besides at Fin II. And pastitsio at the Kouzina Taverna has you right there — on the harbor, in Mykonos, — while the curries and rice dishes at Chutni Byriani will conjure up old Hyderabad, and the poké bowls at Poké Moto will transport you, or at least try to, to Honolulu.

I could go on: At Shells Boil and Grill, for instance, the only domestic option on the strip, you can enjoy some Low Country lobster or crab. And there’s even food for the brain at Tiernan’s, the Irish pub, whose popular Wednesday quiz night is said to attract competitors from all over the county. So much choice can be overwhelming. Which is why, forsaking all others, it’s to the much-loved and venerated Italian restaurant, Columbus Park Trattoria, named for its locale and indeed the oldest kid on the block, that I’m choosing to return. In business since 1987, with only a much-needed, light renovation during the pandemic, has it stood the test of time? New shows and opening nights are all well and good, but where golden ‘oldie’ Columbus Park is concerned, and as Ethel Merman famously sang, “do the customers still come?’” First signs are good. On a brutally cold night, when the streets of Stamford are desert-

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Columbus Park Trattoria.

ed and downtown is silent as the grave, Columbus Park (the restaurant) is all a-buzz. In its new clothes, a partition with opaque glass now separates the bar from the restaurant proper. The restaurant itself is a fairly intimate space — just 48 covers in all, with a banquette along one wall and a semi-open kitchen. Ceiling-light fixtures (“like scuttling crabs,” one of my companions suggests) add a contemporary touch. Another modern touch is the menu. While it contains some favorite old classics, I like that it is — literally — clean in its plastic cover (nothing worse than a greasy, splattered menu) and printed in an up-to-date, copperplate font. Classic negronis — after grubby menus, there’s nothing more dispiriting than classic cocktails given a “modern twist” — arrive in a minute flat, correctly served in heavy, Old Fashioned glasses, perfectly mixed around giant ice cubes, prinked with generous slices of glistening orange. But enough dissection of the decoration, menu covers and newfangled cocktails. Mangiamo. The dinner menu itself is Goldilocks right — long enough to tempt and tantalize, short enough not to overwhelm or make you lose interest. Four of us kick off with some shared plates “for the table,” in the menus turn of phrase, among them superb crostini of tapenade, pesto and tomato, along with golden trinkets of lightly fried calamari. We follow this with burrata, not the creamiest ever but no disgrace to the buffaloes or cheesemakers who produced it, arranged with nicely dressed arugula and surrounded with generous, paper-thin folds of nicely salty prosciutto. A tangy tuna tartare, with avocado, sesame oil

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The bar at Columbus Park Trattoria.

and wasabi, also finds favor. Offering half-portions of pasta means even the lighter appetites among us can enjoy a pasta course as well as an entrée or secondo, as the Italians are wont to do. Matagliata (wide-cut pasta) with fresh fava beans, peas and sausage and paccheri (large rigatoni) with veal ragù are two dishes that sing. Carefully made main courses — dishes characterized by confident, punchy sauces and the jewels of the Italian south, tomatoes, olives, peppers and caperberries — reflect the Pugliese roots of the owning family, the Marchettis, and keep the party smiling. We enjoy sea bream with fennel, a gorgeous veal cutlet with baby tomatoes and superb lamb chops with rosemary. But it is a dish of the north, a classic osso buco, that probably steals the show. (Note: a separate lunch menu sensibly does away with the more substantial entrées, while increasing the number of salads and pastas.) Service is spot-on — friendly and focused without being overfamiliar. Servers look

sharp in their crisp blue shirts, runners in their white ones and long aprons all-round. Full marks too for the melodic renditions of "Happy Birthday" (twice), sung with genuine enthusiasm. (Well, Italians are noted for their way with music.) Is there a downside to all this loveliness? There is, but it’s minimal. Like so many Italian restaurants, the acoustics at Columbus Park can be challenging, with the restaurant becoming extremely noisy on weekends. (I wouldn’t recommend it for an intimate dinner for two on a Friday or Saturday night.) I also found the wines at the lower end of the list, at least those we sampled, to be a little squeaky. For something more developed and expressive, prices rise quickly and steeply. Otherwise, this golden, comparative oldie is a treasure and certainly — dear old Ethel again —“somewhere to lift you when you’re down.” For more, visit columbusparktrattoria. com.

Presents

Floral Design Workshops and other Events Lecture: How Deer Shape Forest Ecosystems Friday, March 25, 7 PM - 8 PM Deer and Invasive Plants Management Speaker: Brandon Quirion, NY DEC, master’s degree from Cornell

Floral Design - Home Decorating and Dinner Party Friday, April 1, 7 PM - 9 PM Floral Design Workshop Coordinator: Nadia Ghannam Over 20 years of experience in the arts and museum field

Nocturnal Amphibian Hike: Pond and Vernal Pool Friday, April 8, 8 PM - 9:30 PM Amphibian Hike Coordinators: Steve Ricker & Patrick Carney Westmoreland Sanctuary Naturalists

Call (914) 666-8448 or visit westmorelandsanctuary.org to register 260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mount Kisco NY 10549

THE REBIRTH OF CARMÉNÈRE STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG PAULDING

I will often serve wine and write wine stories to help people experiment with and taste new grapes and break away from long-instilled habits, expanding their palate and their future choices. Lesser-known grape varieties or regions can often be purchased for less money retail or cherry picked from a restaurant’s wine list for a fraction of the cost of better-known grapes, producers or regions. Wines from Austria, South Africa, the Pacific Northwest or Portugal can often be more attractively priced than wines from Napa, California, France, Italy and Spain. Similarly, wines made from the Blaufränkisch, Barbera, Assyrtiko and Picpoul grapes often will stretch your dollars compared to the noble and well-known grapes. Near the end of the American Civil War, phylloxera was decimating vineyards all over Europe. Phylloxera is a sucking louse that attacks grape vines just below the soil surface. Grape vines throughout Europe were shriveling and desiccating, and grape production was becoming untenable. With the discovery that American rootstock was impervious to this pest, vineyards were replanted by grafting little twig canes onto this American rootstock. Carménère was one of the original grapes of Bordeaux, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a few others, all thought to have descended from the Cabernet Franc clone. Carménère requires a longer growing season than the other grapes of Bordeaux and often would not ripen properly. Attempts to replant this finicky grape

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were mostly abandoned. Grape vines were established in Chile by the Spanish conquistadors in the mid-1500s as the Roman Catholic Church was expanding its influence around the world. In the mid1800s, some Chilean producers brought in some of the Bordeaux cuttings to improve the quality of Chilean wines. It wasn’t until 1994 that French ampelographer (grape botany expert) Jean-Michel Boursiquot conducted some research and found that some of the Chilean Merlot plantings took much longer to ripen properly and tasted different than standard Merlot. DNA analysis determined that close to 50% of the Chilean plantings were actually Carménère cuttings harvested from pre-phylloxera Bordeaux. Carménère, a grape long thought to have been essentially extinct, was resurrected. Today, France has about 70 acres planted to Carménère while Chile has 21,800 planted acres. Chile has a better environment with long dry days and volcanic, sandy soils for the proper ripening of this grape. Carménère’s lighter tannins and high acidity make it food friendly and easy to pair with a variety of foods, including fish dishes. Some other regions growing Carménère are Oregon, Washington state and northeast Italy. I visited Chile in April 2012 and tasted many Carménères overlooking the soon to be harvested vineyards. Recently, I tasted two Carménères from one

producer in Chile. The TerraNoble Carménère Costa, 2018 showed a dark garnet color with lush flavors of black fruit, black cherry and raspberry held together by a lovely spiciness of cedar and fine black pepper. The Terra Noble Carménère Andes, 2018 presented dark and red fruit, ripe red raspberries and hints of cinnamon with an attractive tannin balance. Both of these wines were 14.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) and both were delicious. Either wine can be purchased for under $20 and it appears they would be quite improved with some cellaring time. And keep this in mind for any Southern Hemisphere wine: It will be six months older than a same vintage-year Northern Hemisphere wine. An additional six months of blending and resting in the bottle can be a significant time in terms of ABV percentage for a young wine. Nov. 24 of each year is now officially Carménère Day. This is the day Chile recognizes Carménère as one of its signature grapes for wine production. If I were in charge, I would make the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (this year March 20) a second Carménère Day. The vernal equinox ushers in spring, the season of rebirth — a fitting time for a grape that has been rediscovered. Look for some Carménère for your spring table. It’s thematically appropriate and it pairs well with virtually any dish. Cheers. Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.

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LOSING WEIGHT SAFELY BY MARIA CECILIA C. ASNIS, M.D., FACE, DABOM

It’s not easy for people to talk about their weight with anyone, even their doctors. However, with the challenges of the last two years, the subject of extra weight and its consequences is increasingly of concern. As the director of the Medical Weight Loss Program at Stamford Health, I’ve guided hundreds of patients through their healthy weight-loss journeys. I developed a program that reviews a person’s weight and medical history, recommends a comprehensive hormonal and metabolic workup, treats patients with safe and effective medications and counsels them on lifestyle interventions. People are not only losing significant weight — with a median of 20% total body weight loss — they are becoming healthier.

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When I see patients for the first time, I can guess the statements about their weight that they’ve heard before. Some are facts: • “Excess weight is bad for your health. It can lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, sleep apnea, fatty liver, osteoarthritis and even cancer.” • “If you lost weight, you’ll likely be healthier and need less medications.”

Maria Cecilia C. Asnis, M.D., director of Stamford Health’s Medical Weight Loss Program. Courtesy Stamford Health.

And some are…not: • “If you had more willpower and just tried harder to eat less and exercise more, you’d lose weight.” • “There are no safe ways to lose weight with medications. ‘Diet pills’ don’t work.” Physicians like me, who’ve studied the science behind what regulates weight, know that it’s not that simple. It’s critical to share with these patients, in simple terms, why excess weight is important to address, why it is so difficult to tackle and what options exist to help. This was true for a woman in her 60s whom I met in the spring of 2021. She described that a decade earlier, she was 350 pounds and decided to have gastric bypass surgery. A year after, she was 180 pounds, but since then and especially a year into the pandemic, had regained significant weight. At our first meeting, she was 242 pounds. She was taking four blood pressure medications and she and her doctors knew she should lose weight. I asked about her goals. Like many people, she had a number in mind but also described wanting to be able to keep up with children and grandchildren, be on fewer medications and feel like herself again. I explained why it is so incredibly difficult to lose weight and keep it off. We now know our bodies, to a large extent, are programmed to hold onto weight. This mechanism is both primitive (how our ancestors were able to survive during famine) and powerful (working from our gut to our brains and everything in between). Many people feel that because of their weight, they’ve been treated differently. Others need help reconciling how they can

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WE NOW KNOW OUR BODIES, TO A LARGE EXTENT, ARE PROGRAMMED TO HOLD ONTO WEIGHT. THIS MECHANISM IS BOTH PRIMITIVE (HOW OUR ANCESTORS WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE DURING FAMINE) AND POWERFUL (WORKING FROM OUR GUT TO OUR BRAINS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN). MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR WEIGHT, THEY’VE BEEN TREATED DIFFERENTLY. OTHERS NEED HELP RECONCILING HOW THEY CAN ACHIEVE SO MUCH IN THEIR LIVES BUT CAN’T LOSE WEIGHT.

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Stamford Hospital

achieve so much in their lives but can’t lose weight. I then reviewed her medical history, previous labs and medications. I recommended a workup to ascertain what factors (hormonal and metabolic) may be affecting her to inform my recommendations. Her lab evaluation showed blood sugars in the prediabetes range, elevated cholesterol and elevated inflammatory markers. We then discussed the way forward. I reinforced the importance of nutrition and healthy exercise. I shared options for weightloss medications — which have come a long way from the “diet pills” of the past. In particular, the medication I prescribed for this patient is of a medication family that has not only been shown to be effective for weight but also aids with lowering blood sugar, improves blood pressure and kidney and liver function and reduces the risk of cardiovascular events. When appropriate, I prescribe combination therapy with other safe and effective medications and/or provide information on our meal-replacement program. My recommendations are always personalized and the interventions are effective and safe, giving patients a chance at long-lasting weight loss and improved overall health. As of January 2022, this patient had lost 100 pounds, decreased her body mass in-

dex (BMI) from the obese to normal range and shed 12 inches from her waist circumference. Her blood sugar and inflammatory markers are now normal, her cholesterol has improved and we have removed one of her blood pressure medications and decreased the doses of the others. Most important, she feels amazing. Her results are certainly remarkable, but what it shows is that weight loss is not black and white like numbers on a scale. With the appropriate plan and a trusted and expert medical team by your side, losing weight, keeping it off and being healthier are possible. Maria Cecilia C. Asnis, M.D., FACE, DABOM, is director of the Medical Weight Loss Program at Stamford Health. She is board certified in obesity medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, and internal medicine. She received her B.A. in biological anthropology at Harvard University and her M.D. at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center and her endocrinology fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. For more, visit stamfordhealth.org.

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Nationally certified and recognized fitness trainer and Precision Nutrition coach. • Mention this WAG Magazine ad and receive 20% OFF the program. As a thank you, veterans receive 50% OFF. • Daily nutritional habits and reminders guide you through your transformation. • Workouts come complete with videos and modifications specific to the individual. • At the end of the program, if not completely satisfied, you will receive a full refund. Visit www.GiovanniRoselli.com for more info or contact him directly at Gio@GiovanniRoselli.com.

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‘THE CITY THAT WORKS’ – FOR SENIORS, TOO STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY ABBE UDOCHI

Throughout my childhood and teens, my parents used to take the family to visit our cousins in Stamford once or twice a year for parties and other occasions. Whatever the season, it was always a beautiful drive up the Hutchinson River and Merritt Parkways to Exit 35. Today my cousins are planning their retirement. They are still in Stamford, the city where they bought a home and raised three now grown children. A longstanding moniker for Stamford is “The City That Works.” As I recently drove up the familiar parkways on a cold wintry day, I wondered: How is Stamford continuing to work for the 18,600 seniors — more than 14% of its 135,740 residents — who call this nearly 400-year-old municipality home? In researching the city, I found that an FBI report named it the “safest city in Connecticut and New England and one of the safest in the nation.” Certainly, a good start.

MANY PLUSES FOR THOSE 65-PLUS — AND MORE IN THE WORKS

“I would emphatically say, ‘yes, Stamford works for seniors,’” says Bridget Fox, chief of

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Michael K. Coleman working out at the Stamford Senior Center where he is a member.

staff to Mayor Caroline Simmons. (See story on page 12.) From her vantage point in the city’s executive office on Washington Boulevard, and as someone who has senior family members in Stamford, she finds the city rich in amenities, culture, recreation, dining and civic opportunities for those 65 and over. Also, according to Fox, the city is developing initiatives to make Stamford more inviting and affordable during the golden years. The mayor plans to partner with local

nonprofits across the city to find ways to help seniors reengage in civic life while observing all Covid safety protocols. The city also plans to increase resources for mental health. Fox explains that it will continue to expand access to transit and provide more walkable streets. Simmons recently advocated to change the senior tax abatement calculation. If approved by the Boards of Representatives and Finance, homeowners and single individuals

will receive up to $2,000 in property tax abatement and married couples, $2,250, depending on their income.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND FINDING SOLUTIONS

My next conversation is with Susan and Paul Doyle of North Stamford. The couple own and operate Oasis Senior Advisors in Fairfield and Westchester counties and moved to Stamford at the height of the Covid

pandemic. They are fixtures on the local eldercare scene. Through Oasis, the Doyles help identify living options that change and evolve for older persons. In addition to Oasis, the couple created “The Downsized Gourmet,” a lively cooking program broadcast via Zoom that teaches viewers how to prepare smaller meals portioned for one or two. It was a logical choice for a pair known to host gatherings of up to 40 pre-Covid. Susan demonstrates the meal prep; Paul is the producer. Senior center members around the state join the Doyles each month to try out recipes on the air. The program has been particularly welcome to the many who have been isolated due to the pandemic. “A lot of cooking shows make complicated, fancy dishes,” Susan says. “This is about making something small, simple, healthy.” “The Downsized Gourmet” supports the local food market community. Many ingredients used in the program are purchased at a Stamford specialty food market as well as local supermarkets. “I enjoy exploring the Farmer’s Market at Harbor Point, LaRocca’s (Country Market) in North Stamford, Taste of Poland on Newfield Avenue and Fusaro’s (Italian Deli & Market) on High Ridge (Road), among others,” she adds. Tips and recipes from “The Downsized Gourmet” can be found in a cookbook by the same name published by the Doyles. All proceeds from sales are donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. “This is a really fun thing,” Paul says. “It is not a business. It is part of who we are. Sharing our knowledge to help folks find solutions to challenges they face just makes sense.”

A PLACE TO FIND A PURPOSE

My last stop is a visit with Christina Crain, executive director of the Stamford Senior Center (SSC). She has led SSC for nearly eight years of the organization’s 26 and has seen the site go through peaks and valleys since

the start of the pandemic. She describes this period as a reopening of SSC as it skillfully balances a full slate of online programs with traditional in-person recreation, fitness, education and social activities. The center that once served more than 800 has had its membership drop to 475 due to Covid, yet the number is climbing back up. To help members feel safe returning, Crain and her team have installed air purifiers and mandated mask wearing and social distancing of 7 feet in all fitness classes. A disinfecting fogger machine is one of several new sanitization protocols. The center remains, Crain says, “a place where seniors from all walks of life feel safe. It represents the diversity of Stamford. It is a place where seniors can make new connections. The center gives them a sense of purpose, one that is different for every person.” A trio of members who have become volunteers at the site’s computer center have found another purpose and a way to give back. Rouja Brzozowski, Peter Ebstein and Stu Madison offer basic computer training, help in learning a program and other related skills to members. On the day I visit, the trio introduces me to Maryann Koller, who is learning how to set up and use her first smartphone. I also meet Michael K. Coleman, who can often be found in the SSC fitness center. He likes to use the recumbent bike to supplement exercise treatment he receives at a local pulmonary rehabilitation program. He joined when the cold weather prohibited exercising and socializing at a local park with his friends. When I ask how long he will keep his annual $50 membership, he says simply, “I will stay as long as I can stay.” My trip reveals opportunity and great support for those aging in Stamford. Its people are adapting and finding ways to make life work in a city that has always been and continues to be ready, willing and able to give. For more, visit concierge-care.com.

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FIT OVER 50 BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI

Over the years there are certain people and situations that we can look back on as integral figures and influences in our lives. Raymond Simpson was one of the first professional trainers that I met when I was climbing the ranks in the industry. I consider him not only a mentor but a friend. Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1962, he came to the United States in 1989 to study graphic design. He received an associate’s degree in art and advertising design and worked various jobs until entering the fitness industry, because he couldn’t get a job in design at the time. He has worked in fitness for 18 years in such top brands as New York Health & Racquet Club, Bally’s Corp. and Equinox. He has been an independent trainer for the last nine years. He remembers as a teenager hearing things like: • “Your athletic career is over once you’re in your 30s”; • “When you hit 40, you’re over the hill”; • And “50 is just plain ‘old.” Now set to mark his 60th birthday this year, Ray thinks that none of those statements apply to him or countless others in their 50s. I recently sat down with him to get his thoughts on this mindset. So has the landscape changed? And if so what do you attribute it to? “For me, I have seen the deleterious effects that unhealthy lifestyle practices and poor choices have on many people. I didn’t want that to be me. But in broader terms, I believe the advances made in science, exercise science in particular, nutrition and wellness as a whole have afforded the ‘older”’population the opportunity to take a sip, if you will, from the fountain of youth. I think just like me, other people maybe saw their parents or other relatives become victims of an unhealthy lifestyle and with the prevention-better-than-cure mentality, exploited all of the newfound information to slow the aging process and enjoy a better quality of life in their later years.” So, is this the demographic you cater to? “Actually, most of my clients fall within the 40 to 60 age group, but I’ve also had clients in

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Trainer Raymond Simpson. Courtesy Mark Jessamy Photography.

their 30s, 20s and even teens.” Do you enjoy working with this demographic as opposed to college athletes? And if so, why? “I enjoy training any age group or level of fitness, as each one provides its own challenges and so my sense of accomplishment would come from different places. People over 50 pretty much know what they want and generally have realistic expectations as to their training outcomes. They know that they don’t move or look the way they used to, and they’d like to change that and reduce the risk of any injury also. So when my 52-year-old client tells me that on vacation at a CrossFit gym he was giving guys in their 20s and 30s a run for their money; or a lady in her late 60s says she goes shopping in her closet, because now she can wear outfits from five years ago; or a man in his 60s say it’s the first time he’s squatted in years, these results give me a tremendous feeling of satisfaction. It’s about helping these clients get to a place where they feel younger by virtue of their improved level of fitness. Energized again, they feel confident and empowered.” What advice would you give to someone in his/her 50s who may be hesitant about strength training? And why is it important? “There’s a saying, all things being equal, the stronger athlete will prevail (paraphrase). The same applies in everyday life: You need to be strong, or at least increase your strength. The good news is that it’s never too late to start, the human body is incredible and as long as you’re consistent with your training, you will experience the difference. I’ve always said, ‘As long as you can move, you can improve.’ Starting

can be daunting, so start with a goal, a reunion, vacation, that hike, lifting your grandkids, fill in the blank, but just get started. “This is important because as we age, we lose muscle and strength. When we lose strength, our quality of life deteriorates, we become more dependent on others, eroding our feeling of independence and confidence. Loss of strength can also lead to decreased stability, which may increase the chances of falling and injury. There is also the case of osteopenia and osteoporosis. Again, strength training has proven to be beneficial in that regard. In short, strength training, no matter the age group, provides a plethora of benefits, but especially for those of us in our 50s and older.” Lastly, how do you stay in shape and are there any challenges? “I generally try to get in three to four days of strength training a week. My cardio is usually boxing, which includes some jump rope, shadow boxing, the heavy bag and a mile on the treadmill and some stretching. Flexibility and mobility are important factors as well. “As for challenges, I realized that it takes a little longer to recuperate from those tough workouts and injuries now take their time to heal. So as I’ve gotten older and hopefully wiser, I check my ego at the door. I’m not competing with the young studs or trying to impress anyone. I do my thing and I’m just as happy to be injury free as if I gained five pounds of muscle.” For more, visit raysimpsonfitness.com. And reach Giovanni at giovanniroselli.com.

FROM WAG’S EDITOR COMES A TRUE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN COMING OF AGE AND FINDING LOVE AND LOSS IN WARTIME NEW YORK. THEGAMESMENPLAY.COM MARCH 2022

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WHEN & WHERE THROUGH MARCH 13

The Loft Artists Association hosts “Lost and Found,” a new-member exhibit featuring art that is inspired by and includes found or recycled objects and materials. The works use cardboard, metal, rope, papers, old books and photography. 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. 575 Pacific St., Stamford; loftartists.org

MARCH 2

Pelham Art Center presents a virtual exhibit and artist discussion for the show “Shadows,” which features the work of seven artists who incorporate elements of dark and light in their work. 5 p.m.; pelhamartcenter.org

MARCH 5

The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra continues the 2021-22 season with “Joy,” which includes contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery’s “Records From a Vanishing City,” Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme” with cellist Nico OlarteHayes and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. 7:30 to 9 p.m. 80 E. Ridge Road; 203-4383889, ridgefieldsymphony.org

MARCH 5 THROUGH APRIL 30

Hollis Taggart presents “Beyond the Surface,” a group exhibit featuring contemporary paintings by five New York-based artists — Edward Holland, Will Hutnick, Emily Kiacz, Lizbeth Mitty and Erika Ranee. Opening 5 p.m. March 5 and on view 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. 330 Pequot Ave, Southport; 212628-4000, hollistaggart.com

MARCH 6 AND 7

The Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony present “Blow, Ye Winds.” Jean Françaix’s Wind Quintet No. 1 and Louise Farrenc’s Sextet for Piano & Winds, Op. 40, anchor the program, spanning the spectrum of sonorities for winds and piano from lyric elegance to vibrant extroversion. Also featured are Sofia Gubaidulina’s “Allegro Rustico” and American hornist Jeff Scott’s “Start Sumthin’.” 4 to 6 p.m. March 6 at Round Hill Community Church, 395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich; 203-637-4725, chamberplayersofthegso.org. And 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 7 at Greenwich Arts Council, 299 Greenwich Ave.; 203-637-4725, greenwichsymphony.org

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March 30 — Adger Cowans’ photographs are the subject of an exhibit-related talk at Fairfield University Art Museum. Here Cowarn's “Sun and Trees” (1959), archival pigment print. Courtesy the artist and Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York. © Adger W. Cowans.

MARCH 11 Organist Cameron Carpenter performs Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” at The Quick Center for the Arts in Fairfield. Also a composer, organ designer and self-styled “machine operator,” Carpenter was the first organist to receive a Grammy Award nomination for a solo album. 7 to 8:30 p.m. 1073 N. Benson Road; 203-254-4010, quickcenter.fairfield.edu

MARCH 13 Westchester Chamber Music Society presents a concert with The Manhattan Chamber Players, a group of New Yorkbased musicians whose goal is to perform the greatest works in the chamber repertoire. 4 to 5:30 p.m., Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester, 2125 Westchester Ave., Rye; westchesterchambermusicsociety. com

MARCH 15 AND 17

JIB Productions reopens its lunchtime play-reading series, “Play With Your Food,” headlined by a tribute to composer Stephen Sondheim. Following the plays and discussions with the cast, audiences will enjoy boxed lunches catered by Gruel

Britannia (Westport and Fairfield) and Meli Melo (Greenwich). Noon to 1:30 p.m. March 15 at Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford St.; March 16 at MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike; and March 17 at Greenwich Arts Council, 299 Greenwich Ave.; 203-293.8729, jibproductions.org

MARCH 17

Tarrytown Music Hall presents a St. Patrick’s Celebration. Cherish The Ladies, a Grammy Award-nominated IrishAmerican group, will perform traditional songs with a signature blend of virtuosic instrumentalism. 8 to 11 p.m., 13 Main St., Tarrytown; tarrytownmusichall.org

MARCH 19 AND 20

Stamford Symphony’s “From Struggle to Victory” includes Alejandro Basulto’s “Fanfarria de Feria,” Carlos Simon’s “Fate Now Conquers,” the Dvořák Cello Concerto with Nicholas Canellakis and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. 7:30 to 9 p.m. March 19 and 3 to 4:30 p.m. March 20. Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St.; 203-325-140, stamfordsymphony.org

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er 5 0

Gallery Reopens April 23

WHO WRITES

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v 164 Harris Road, Bedford Hills, ting o ebra10507 CelNY 914.241.3046 | www.euphoriakitchens.com

ARTSWESTCHESTER’S

years!

HISTORY

ON VIEW through July 3. Member Reception: Sat., April 23, 3-6pm

Become a Member today:

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