April Issue DarienMagazineCT.com

A Class Act

Chris Filmer:

Chris Filmer teaching Darien Girl Scout Troop 50027 about birds at the DCA Bird Sanctuary

Dear Readers and Residents of Darien,

As Earth Day this month focuses our attention on the environment, we are pleased to bring you this issue and its celebration of the kinds of actions embodied in the Alexanders’ recent donation of part of their land to the Darien Land Trust. It is vision like theirs that balances the exciting development around us.

It is the same vision that defines Chris Filmer’s volunteerism in town. With his decades of passionate work on behalf of Darien’s open spaces and the flora and fauna who live there (as well as the two-legged among us lucky enough to have found them!), he leads with all he does—quietly, with intelligence, action, humor, grace and grit, schooling us to find the best in ourselves while he’s at it. What a gift to have spent the time with him to write this story, a gift we are pleased to share.

Darien’s Meaghan Hetherington, LCSW | psychotherapist, contributed our Mind Set column this month about the mental health benefits of green spaces, especially for kids, and Carolyn Bayne with the Darien Advisory Committee on Sus-

tainability has issued a very interesting and worthwhile challenge in our Giving Back column. All I can say is ‘we’re in!’ …for both and perhaps you will be too after you read them. We love Carol Guthrie’s column about the Art of Landscape Design in this issue and are pleased to introduce a new item this month—House Tour, an exploration of the many architectural styles that give Darien its unique character. Special thanks to Town Historian Marian Castell and Liz Geiger of the Architectural Review Board for helping with this. Thanks also to Sharon Rodda of Houlihan Lawrence for bringing us into 194 Long Neck Point Road, this month’s House Tour feature.

There’s all this and more in the pages ahead, a magazine for Darien, by Darien, and we thank the advertisers who make it possible for us to produce it for you, especially Hollow Tree Storage and Wine Vault profiled in this issue. Please, share your thoughts with us at pam@darienmagazinect.com or carl@darienmagazinect.com. And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @darienmagazinect.

PAMELA DEY VOSSLER CARL TRAUTMANN Editor-in-Chief Founder & Publisher

Darien’s Kim & Richard Alexander and the 1.2-acres of their Stephanie Lane property now preserved in perpetuity through their recent gift to the Darien Land Trust

To be positive, to inspire, to educate, and expand minds through contributed content and the stories we tell about Darien residents, influencers, organizations, business owners, charities, and more, connecting to the issues of our day by showcasing the many layers of who we are as a community.

Who We Are:

A new, locally owned, multimedia platform built to serve Darien exclusively and help connect our community. Our aim is to uncover the gems in our midst, exposing what we may not know, or could have missed—an angle, a resource, a backstory and more, as shared by the people behind them. We’ll look at the familiar in new and different ways, to take you deep into the community that we call home.

We are grateful to our local Founding Partners for their support. If you need the services these great folks provide, please visit them first.

980 Post Rd. #A Darien, CT 06820 (203) 655-7677 • www.crossprivateclient.com

A boutique Personal Lines Insurance Agency that focuses solely on Personal Risk Management for successful individuals.

You can schedule a complimentary call with me through my website at www.lindamstephens.com.

My virtual door is always open if you want to discuss your health concerns and goals. We believe in being proactive about your health because your health is your responsibility.

Our efforts are dedicated to the memory of Irene “Renie” Mahoney Trautmann, co-founder of DarienMagazineCT.com, loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. A long-time Darien resident, music educator, Holmes School substitute teacher, real estate agent and so much more, it was her selfless, positive approach to giving back and bringing joy that is our inspiration. You can visit Renie’s bench in Woodland Park.

Darien’s prosperity is intertwined with our amazing local businesses. Did you know that:

• 70% of local dollars spent, stay local (Amex)

Special shout out to our local contributors this month: The Darien Land Trust, Linda Stephens, Meaghan Hetherington, Carol Guthrie, Carolyn Bayne and the Darien Advisory Committee on Sustainability, Sharon Rodda, Marian Castell and Carolyn Eddie

Coming soon:

DarienMagazineCT.com

576 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 203. 655. 6633 • www.gearygallery.com

Fine Art. Accent Picture Framing. Accent Restoration. We offer curbside pick up. Come visit our Gallery or take a tour on line.

635 Frogtown Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840 (203) 801-5608 • www.countryschool.net

New Canaan Country School focuses on translating knowledge into action. NCCS ensures that students enjoy a broad range of ageappropriate, “learning-by-doing” activities in an environment that fosters trust and risk-taking.

• Local businesses generate as much as 80% of their business within 5 miles of their location. (SBA)

131 Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Darien, CT 06820 203-655-2018 • www.hollowtreestorage.com

Hollow Tree Self Storage has the right space for you. Located on Hollow Tree Ridge Road, our fenced facility is here to provide you with the solution to your storage needs.

1020 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820 (203) 655-1020 • www.info@tentwentypost.com

French Quarter New Orleans meets the Oyster Bar @ Grand Central with a spacious bar and numerous seating options, Ten Twenty Post offers a diverse menu that will make for an excellent experience regardless of the occasion.

• “Near Me” (within 5 miles) is a top business search category. (Google Small Business)

Thank you for supporting our local business community.

website launch

Please follow us on:

@darienmagazinect

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If you’d like to connect regarding:

• A marketing partnership, to advertise, or have a general inquiry, please reach out to carl@darienmagazinect.com

• Editorial or contribution ideas and feedback, please reach out to pam@darienmagazinect.com

Art Director KIRSTEN NAVIN

DarienMagazineCT.com

LLC is an independent, wholly owned multimedia platform and business including this publication published ten times a year, social media, and a soon to launch website.

Our Mission | photo by: BAMBI RIEGEL riegelpictureworks.com

Founder & Publisher CARL TRAUTMANN carl@darienmagazinect.com

Editor-In-Chief PAMELA DEY VOSSLER pam@darienmagazinect.com

Director of Photography BAMBI RIEGEL

A Step Beyond:

Self-Storage for Darien, by Darien

f you love wine and have ever wished for a wine cellar, or wondered about having one but didn’t have the time or want to spend the money to build and maintain it, or simply wanted more space to store a collection (or inventory, if you run a small business or restaurant), wish, wonder and want no more. Hollow Tree Self Storage (HTSS) at 131 Hollow Tree Ridge Road across from the Noroton Heights train station has you covered with its state-of-the-art wine vault. It’s a vast, subterranean assortment of climate-controlled, vibration-free spaces meticulously constructed for proper wine storage.

Built to meet the needs of the Darien market by owners Robert and Tim Wood and John and Paul Hertz, two sets of brothers who grew up in Darien and know the town well, the vault is just one of the offerings that elevate this unique self-storage facility beyond what you might expect from a storage resource.

Added Security

Certainly HTSS is conveniently located right in town, and spotless too. It’s also secure. But not only is the property gated with a locked building (accessed via codes unique for each tenant) and covered by extensive camera surveillance, every unit is also individually armed, providing an extra layer of protection. HTSS gives tenants an added 24/7 eye on their unit through a mobile security app.

Storage for Every Item

With 30 different-size units to choose from—ranging from climate-controlled 5’ x 5’ units (the size of a small closet) to 20’ x 42’ units (which can fit a whole house), HTSS

can accommodate everything from off-season sports gear, decluttering overflow, your child’s dorm room possessions or even motorcycles, to items from a parents’ downsizing, baby furniture or the contents of whole rooms and homes prompted by a move or renovation. With month-to-month rental options, tenants take the space they need for the time they need it. That’s it.

At HTSS, customers may also choose drive-up units. While well-insulated, these are not climate-controlled. Rather, they are like extra garage space where tenants store vehicles, tools and any additional items that do not require a controlled temperature. HTSS even offers commuter parking options and outdoor storage for boats, RVs and trailers. For the small business owners, HTSS built a loading dock for drop shipments.

Environmentally-Friendly HTSS pushes for better in its energy sourcing as well. With its 298 rooftop solar panels, HTSS fully powers its building,

minimizing its carbon foot print and providing a model for sustainable operations.

A Cut Above

With a friendly and accommodating on-site property management team, tenants can send deliveries directly to HTSS (with advance notice). HTSS also offers contactless entry for tenants to access belongings seven days a week, from 6am to 9pm with extended hours as necessary. Plus, there is always a manager on call after office hours for emergencies.

Along with its commitment to supporting local non-profits including Person-to-Person, The Community Fund, the Darien Community Association and the Darien Chamber of Commerce, HTSS exceeds expectations every step of the way, with both its product and its service. To learn more about Hollow Tree Self Storage, visit hollowtreestorage.com, call 203-655-2018 or stop by for a tour. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram @hollowtreestorage.

Hollow Tree Self Storage & Wine

Vault offers an array of sizes that will meet all of your storage needs. Our wine vault includes a backup generator for peace of mind for wine enthusiasts. For a safe place to store your wine collection or if you simply require extra space to keep some of your possessions secure; we are here for you!

131 Hollow Tree Ridge Road Darien, CT 06820

203-655-2018

www.hollowtreestorage.com

The 298 solar panels on the roof of HTSS generate the power needed to run the building year ‘round.

Why Organic Matters

Many people ask me if it’s really necessary to buy organic or if I personally eat only organic foods. Organic food definitely costs more. Do the benefits justify the higher price tag? My answer is always this: While organic food is more expensive, I feel it’s worth it and will choose organic options more often than not. Here’s why.

What “Organic” Really Means and How It Affects You and Your Family

To be marked organic, foods cannot be grown with toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, or from genetically-modified seeds. Organic farms must treat animals humanely and cannot feed them antibiotics, hormones or genetically-modified feed. An organic label tells you you’re consuming a healthier option of that food.

The problem with eating non-organic meats or vegetables is that when you ingest these foods over long periods of time, the toxic pesticides or antibiotics and hormones used to raise them can accumulate in your body and wreak havoc within your gut from IBS, constipation and bloat/inflammation. They can also make you antibiotic-resistant meaning if you get sick and need an antibiotic it may not work as it is intended.

There are many reasons to choose organic but here are the three that top my list:

1) Toxin

Build Up in Your System

It’s always a good idea to wash your fruits and veggies under water before eating them but conventionally-farmed foods

may retain toxic pesticide residue even after you wash them. Over time, these chemicals can build up in your system and are tied to many types of illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Parkinson’s disease, and prostate and lung cancers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Other studies have linked exposure to certain pesticides to cardiovascular disease and even ADHD. Organic foods are not grown with toxic pesticides.

2) Hidden GMO

GMO means genetically modified organisms. The DNA of GMO seeds has been altered to be pest-resistant which means pesticide has been added to the seed. So when you eat the food, you ingest the pesticides formulated into them. GMO foods in the USA are not labeled so most of the time, non-organic foods contain genetically-modified organisms. NOTE: All soy and corn are GMO foods. If you choose to eat tofu products or love corn, go for organic here every time. Also, read the ingredient list on your favorite foods. If they contain soy or corn, you’re most likely eating

GMO foods. Check your kids’ snacks for these ingredients as well. Look especially for high fructose corn syrup. GMO foods lurk everywhere.

3) Small Farms

Buying from small farms in our area is a great way to give back to our community by keeping local farmers in business while supporting your family’s health (and your own!). Visit local farmers’ markets. Talk to the farmers; ask them how they raise their crops. If you buy meat from them, ask them how they treat their stock. Many farmers’ markets also sell organic maple syrup, breads and cheeses. Many farmers’ markets run all year. Farming co-ops are another way to purchase organic eggs, meats and veggies at a shared price.

My Organic Must Buys

While you may not always be able to buy organic, for some foods it’s more critical. I always buy the organic option of the foods listed below. The main reason is because pesticides can permeate their skin and seep into the fruit. For foods like melon, it’s important to wash the surface of the fruit be-

fore cutting into it. This will keep the knife from transferring pesticides or bacteria into the flesh inside.

Strawberries Spinach Kale

Nectarines Peaches Apples

Grapes Bell peppers Cherries

Pears Celery Tomatoes

At the end of the day, eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits and quality proteins (e.g., organic chicken, grass fed beef, wild caught fish, organic omega-3 eggs) is the best way to keep yourself and your family healthy. Minimize sugary and processed foods to manage your weight and keep joint inflammation at bay. Remember, know what you’re eating— always read labels and be a smart consumer!

In good health, Linda

Linda

www.lindamstephens.com

LINDA STEPHENS, M.S. Nutritionist, Darien Resident and Owner, Linda Stephens Fitness, LLC. My virtual door is always open if you want to discuss your health concerns and goals. You can schedule a complimentary call with me through my website at www.lindamstephens.com.

Stephens Fitness offers comprehensive nutritional planning to help you achieve your personal wellness goals. We work with individuals, athletes and families. We believe in being proactive about your health because your health is your responsibility.

even making our lives feel more meaningful. Time in forests has been associated with a reduction in feelings of hostility, depression and anxiety.

• BOOST IN MOTIVATION – increases self-discipline, impulse control, enhances motivation to learn and rejuvenates attention.

• EVOKES EMPATHY AND COOPERATION – elicits more pro-social behaviors in children and adults, making us kinder to one another and to the planet.

• INSPIRES AWE – time spent in a more wild, natural place can foster a sense of awe, the positive emotion evoked by the perception of vastness that is associated with feelings of transcendence and connectedness. Awe is linked to increased positive emotions and positive physical effects, such as reducing inflammation.

Additional Benefits for Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Outside in Darien

Darien is fortunate to have many “high-quality” environments. Characterized by a greater biodiversity of plants and wildlife, they feel serene, are free of litter and pollution and produce the greatest mental health benefits. Here are few to consider visiting:

• Selleck’s Woods and Dunlap Woods Nature Preserve

• Woodland Park

• Cherry Lawn Park

• Pear Tree Point

• Weed Beach

• Darien Nature Center

• Olson Woods

Green Healing: The Restorative Power of Nature

We know how it feels. You’re on a Zoom call about an important project while incoming email and news alerts intermittently flash across your screen; your phone buzzes with a flurry of texts, tugging your attention away from your conversation. Context-switching, the toggling between activities, tasks or tabs on a screen, is highly taxing to our brains, and our bodies feel the stress.

There are physiological reasons for why such stress develops. The human mind has evolved in response to the natural environment for millions of years, and for most of history, our experience has looked very different than today. The rate of human evolution is no match for the rapid pace of change in our technologically-enhanced, information-overloaded modern world.

Fortunately, an antidote is accessible, effective and free: time spent in nature. Extensive research supports what we know intuitively—time outside is restorative and protective to our mental and physical health. For example, one wellknown study showed surgical patients healed faster and better in rooms with windows overlooking natural scenery than patients with views of a brick wall. What are some of the mental health benefits of time spent in nature?

• STRESS REDUCTION – reduces the negative effects of stress on the body, lowering heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels.

• MOOD ENHANCEMENT – functions as a non-pharmacological mood stabilizer, reducing anxiety, rumination and negative mood, while increasing positive mood and

Many factors contribute to the rising rates of depression and anxiety in children—social isolation, worldly stressors, excessive social media and screen use, to name a few. Fortunately, one intervention—time in nature—is a simple way to improve and protect a child’s mental health.

In particular, unstructured free play outdoors—time not directed by adults and without a defined purpose—provides important benefits for children of all ages. It inspires selfefficacy, enhances self-confidence, inspires creativity and builds resilience. These factors support mental health and overall well-being across the lifespan.

A study of U.S.-based college students found that those who engaged with green spaces in an active way 15 minutes or more, four or more times per week, reported a higher quality of life, better overall mood and lower perceived stress.

A Simple and Achievable “Dose”

A ‘dose’ of as little as 15 to 20 minutes of daily time in green spaces has been found to have a meaningful impact in reducing stress, anger, anxiety and in increasing vigor, positive mood, comfort and a sense of revitalization.

Other research has shown people who exercise outdoors at least once per week have about half the risk of poor mental health compared with those who do not.

How can you integrate the natural world into your daily life?

• TAKE A HIKE! Engage in your surroundings. If time is short, take a walk around the block or a moment to gaze out your window. Observe what you can see, hear, taste, smell or touch.

• TUNE IN. Pause that podcast and notice what natural sounds you can hear—wind in the trees, bird song, leaves crunching below your feet. Stuck inside? Try listening to an app that plays ocean waves, rainfall or bird song and notice the effect.

• LET IN THE LIGHT: Step outside into the sunlight, early in the day, to boost mood and energy levels, and improve sleep.

• SPEND TIME WITH ANIMALS, whether a favorite pet or the animals at the Darien Nature Center, seek out your own emotional support animal.

• STARGAZE, using a website, app or book to help guide you. So, the next time you or someone near you is feeling blue, in need of a boost or simply looking to live better, go green. There are plenty of places in Darien to get you started.

MEAGHAN HETHERINGTON, LCSW and Psychotherapist, lives in Darien with her family, and serves on the board of directors of the Darien Nature Center. You can find her therapy practice at Wellness Insights, a Darienbased multi-disciplinary collaboration of integrative-medicine healthcare providers.

“Time outside is restorative and protective to our mental and physical health.”

CHRIS FILMER :A Class Act

then forgotten, it was fighting for its life by the time Chris arrived to see it. Vandals, trash and oil runoff from the I-95 rest stop that borders its north side, invasive species, late night revelers, motorcyles and dirt bikes vied for primacy of this neglected prize.

BY PAMELA DEY VOSSLER

PHOTO BY BAMBI RIEGEL RIEGELPICTUREWORKS

Chris Filmer builds bridges—12, so far. All in the open spaces of Darien that Chris has worked so tirelessly to preserve over the last 27 years, particularly since retiring in 2001. The bridge at the trailhead behind the Darien Nature Center in Cherry Lawn is even named for him. It’s an arched affair like you see all over Japan as Chris did on a trip there in the 1980s during his career with Pepsi International Beverages. He liked the lines. He liked what the Japanese said it stood for—the transition from one role to another as you cross it. So he learned to build it, replicating it eight times around town, triggering a cascade of construction from one point of view to another with the figurative bridges that came with the literal ones.

Like Selleck’s Woods, a 28-acre tract of open space hidden in plain sight on the eastern side of Darien.

True heroes teach us the most not by what they say but, rather, by what they do.

Chris, who moved to Darien from South Africa with his wife Sandy and children in 1977, had lived in town for nearly 13 years before discovering Selleck’s Woods. He’d joined the RTM and found out the town was considering using 12 acres of the Woods for senior housing. He decided to check it out and was surprised to learn it was a mere three-iron (as he says) from his backyard. Purchased by the town in 1963

Chris saw the potential behind the abuse and got to it. For 19 years. The most worthwhile things tend to take time and Chris knows it.

He dove in, acquiring the knowledge he needed to be credible, to be heard. He lobbied the Department of Transportation and the rest stop operators to solve the oil leakage and trash problem. He worked with the Darien Land Trust which owns the adjoining 22-acre Dunlap Woods, the Darien Nature Center, the Friends of Selleck’s Woods (which cares for Selleck’s Woods in partnership with the Darien Parks and Rec Commission), Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and anyone will-

Chris with Darien Girl Scout Troop 50027 during a recent nature walk he led through the DCA Bird Sanctuary

ing to hold a rake, haul trash, plant trees, yank a non-native invasive intruder, lay woodchips, and do whatever it took to save what turned out to be seven different ecosystems and home to all manner of flora and fauna.

In 1998, Selleck’s Woods was declared a nature preserve and certified wild habitat.

“If it’s valuable, it should be preserved,” said Chris, a man with the kind of certainty that comes from doing his homework, and the quiet grace born of a deeply ingrained humility. “There are so many wasteful things around us, in the things that we do. When we are actually doing something that is helping improve its value, there’s something that comes back. I’m so rewarded by this,” he continued.

You’ll still find Chris most days in Selleck’s Woods—tools in hand, alone or with members of many of the same groups

with whom he started, repairing trails, planting, clearing, digging, chasing away miscreants (though that’s rare these days) and otherwise maintaining what they saved. You might also see him placing birds he’s carved and painted in trees, bursts of color positioned for the children who visit the woods to find in the I Spy corner he created. Or perhaps you’ll catch him hiding gnomes and fairies in hollowed out spaces at the base of trees to further engage and delight the children he brings through from local schools and scouting troops on the many nature walks he leads each year. He cares that much.

“One of my greatest joys is working with young children. They’re closer to the ground and they have an innate sense of wonder,” explained Chris. “They’re often able to see the marvels that we don’t see. As Aristotle said, ‘In all things of nature, there’s something of the marvelous’ and they see those marvels before we do,” he added.

Plus, he knows: you can’t care about what you don’t know about. So he helps them learn to love the outdoors, just as he did:

… growing up in South Africa, visiting an aunt in Hermanus on the coast. There he would lose himself on its lovely beaches or trekking among the baboons in the mountains above them;

…on his father’s 30-acre farm outside Johannesburg where he fished, swam, collected crops, cleared debris, rode horses and found all manner of fun and adventure with his four brothers;

…helping his mom, an accomplished gardener, plant, prune and harvest;

…in decades of annual treks to Tortola with his wife and six children;

…in the many sports he could never resist.

The natural world and out of doors were his everyday.

Still, how does a guy from South Africa who quotes Aristotle and wrote a book called Famous Lives about 12 civilizations and 50 legendary figures for middle schoolers in hopes of getting them to love history as much as he does, the second of four boys who knows enough Xhosa to get its distinctive click just right, a boxer and gymnast in his younger years then a near scratch golfer who played for his state in South Africa and continued to win local tournaments …a heckuva racquets guy and the captain of his rugby team when he moved to England after university (when he wasn’t playing cricket), channeling the speed that earned him “colors” when he was at Saint Andrew’s College, the British-style boarding school he attended for high school …a guy who spent most of his career traveling the world for Pepsi, raising six kids in the process with Sandy who he’s been married to for 50 years and with whom he has 12 grandchildren ...how does someone like this wind up in Connecticut, joining the RTM in protest over racist sentiments expressed by the man he made his mission to unseat then championing plants, bushes, birds, bats and all man-

ner of living things under lush canopies of native trees, enchanting children with the wonders of nature while drawing in countless others to help with his cause?

The same way he learned Afrikaans, of which he spoke nearly none when he signed up to go to college at the Afrikaans-only Stellenbosch University.

“I went to an Afrikaans university because my marks were all good but my Afrikaans was always bad. I had to correct this Afrikaans thing. You couldn’t get a decent job (in South Africa), certainly not a serious one, if you couldn’t speak the language properly,” explained Chris. So he spent three years doing all his work in Afrikaans. “It was a helluva challenge,” said Chris who wound up fluent with good marks and an even better job.

He identified the problem, met it head on and went to work—with intelligence, tenacity and the quiet wit for which he is well-known.

It’s what he does for the open spaces he works on in Darien, methodically, starting with “thinking” – affirming the need. From “thinking” he moves to “planning,” using the art skills that earned him the top art prize in high school (still one of his proudest accomplishments) to sketch a solu-

Chris and a group of Darien nursery schoolers in wonder over the gnomes he placed in the DCA Bird Sanctuary for them to discover

Selleck’s Woods—one of the eight arched bridges Chris has built in Darien.

The Musketeers of the DCA Bird Sanctuary (from left): Mike Sgroe, Barnaby Taylor, Cindy Ryan and Chris

PHOTO BY PAMELA DEY VOSSLER, TOP PHOTO COURTESY : FRIENDS OF SELLECK’S WOODS PHOTO COURTESY : DARIEN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

tion. From the drawings, he “gears up,” acquiring the tools he’ll need, then moves on to what he calls “operations”— the doing.

And doing is one of the things he does best.

“I have always rued idleness as a complete waste of valuable time and considered my available hours to be fleeting and to be used wisely,” said Chris.

And wisely have they been used, with Sandy’s quiet, unreserved support. Not only in Selleck’s Woods but also in the Bird Sanctuary that he and a core group of volunteers who call themselves the Musketeers carved out of an area gone

wild beside the Darien Community Association. Countless numbers of those hours are in nearly every one of the Darien Land Trust’s properties as well—in all he has built, cleared and otherwise tended, endlessly, with his fellow environmental champions in town during his 26 years on the Land Trust Board, several as president.

All this doing is something he learned from his father, Norman, a pioneer in South Africa’s radio broadcasting industry. Born in 1906 in Cape Town, he made his own radio as a school boy. He studied radio at the nascent Marconi School in London and became a ship radio officer. He returned to South Africa and became Director General of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). On weekends, he took the family to his farm where he worked the land and its buildings. Eight Bells, he called it, for the bells

that mark the watch change aboard a ship.

“He always had to have some purpose and I kind of inherited that,” said Chris. “Whatever I’m doing, it’s for a purpose. Maybe it’s a kind thing, maybe it’s fixing something, maybe it’s reading something that I need to learn about. But to sit around and twittle my thumbs, that has never been for me,” said Chris.

“My dad has always said, apply yourself to something a little every day for 15 minutes and in six months, you will know more than just about anyone else,” said Chris’s youngest son Steve.

“He’s been into self-improvement his whole life, long before it became a thing …and in (improving himself), he improves things around him,” he continued of his Dad’s willingness to do whatever it takes to master whatever he takes on—a topic, a task, a sport, a campaign.

“Consistency is his secret and because of his consistency, you can rely on him,” he added.

As for Chris, his secret to life is simple: find someone to love, something to look forward to and something worthwhile to do.

“Whether you’ve met him surfing off the coast of Africa, battling on a rugby pitch, court or golf links, in the boardroom or while walking in the park, one quickly realizes this

man brings a bevy of talent and winning personality wherever he goes,” said Friends of Selleck’s Woods Board Member Den Frelinghuysen who also worked with Chris as a Darien Land Trust board member. “The long list of what Chris has done for Darien is only part of the story: his professional accomplishments and personal relationships span the globe and no doubt are fueled by his integrity, good humor and zest for life,” he added.

“Chris has become a mentor to many people here in town,” said Mike Sgroe, a DCA Bird Sanctuary Musketeer who also works with Chris on the Friends of Selleck’s Woods board. “He’s a leader. He emanates a tremendous amount of energy and it’s not like he doesn’t have a busy life. …It’s kind of amazing that he’s found a way to balance his time to have this constant stream of contributions to Darien.”

The best leaders teach us the most by what they do. It is in their daily habits and the goals they set, what they care about and how they show it, how they treat others, how they solve problems. And the humor they bring to it all. The best of the best lead with such humility, such subtlety, it is sometimes not until we are lined up behind them, inspired to find the best in ourselves as we work with them, that we truly understand the gift we’ve been given. That is Chris Filmer, a class act in every way.

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top left: Chris and his brothers at Eight Bells Farm; From left: Martin, Chris, Peter and Anthony left: Chris, a near-scratch golfer in his younger years

Chris on the island of Tortola during one of the family’s many annual trips

The Art of Landscape Design

All good art comes down to composition. In this, landscape design is no different. Yet it’s often the last thing most people think about when planting, if they think about it at all.

At its simplest level, good composition involves two elements— form and focus. To this you must add an additional requirement: the need for function. As with painting, sculpture or other fine art, good landscape design earns its keep in pleasing (or challenging) the eye, but it must go further. Here’s a bit more on how it works.

Form

The basic starting point in designing a landscape is essentially creating or manipulating space, what I call form. As in architecture, there are many ways to define or suggest space, sometimes using architectural materials, but often utilizing plants to suggest or define it. A hedge is a very clear example of this, but a triad of trees, a grouping of shrubs, or even a bold line can also create a pleasing perception of space. →

opposite : How to carve a fabulous, three-level space from a weedy, amorphous slope below : The slope before right An interesting trellis draws you through a naturalistic landscape bottom This architectural landscape is completed by a powerful focal point in the form of a Georgian garden folly

CAROL GUTHRIE landscape designer and resident of Darien, CT, widely featured in publications including The New York Times, is the landscape design artist behind local developer Penny Glassmeyer’s many residential and commercial projects including Grove Street Plaza, 17 Old King’s Highway South and the transformation of the Knobel’s Hardware property into the six lovely residences called Knobel Hill on Settler’s Trail. To learn more, you can reach Carol at parterre@ optonline.net or 203-655-0487.

Focus

Once a space has been created, it benefits from a focal point (or series of focal points) to “organize” it. Think of how strongly a fireplace anchors a room. The possibilities in landscape design are endless: an inviting bench at the end of a path, a sculpture in the distance that demands exploration, an explosion of color that sparks joy in the destination. Certainly it is important for integrating a home into its surroundings, emphasizing its assets, disguising flaws, and generally creating a sense of welcome—curb appeal at its best.

Function

It is wonderful to have everything feel and look good, but the most important part of the artistry of landscape design is its underlying functionality. Are the steps easy to navigate? Are paths sufficiently wide? Are there flaws I must disguise? Have humble practical requirements such as drainage been handled creatively? Good landscape design is so much more than a pretty tree or lots of flowers. At its best and most effective, it creates space, and then guides us through it, physically and visually. Where is the entrance? Where can I sit? What is that enticing object in the distance? Landscape design give us the settings for our lives, and it’s well worth our efforts to paint it right.

above : Bountiful plantings anchor this fanciful home into the landscape top right : The structural arrangement of these topiary lilacs reflects the formality of this courtyard, magnifying its appeal bottom right The trellis, the house and the pavers create space; the finial focuses the eye

Need a “dump” sticker? Here’s how to get one.

The Food Scrap Challenge

of garbage will be sent from Connecticut to out-of-state landfills. This is costly and, more importantly, unsustainable as landfill capacity continues to shrink.

What can you do

about it?

Food is one of the largest components of our waste stream, estimated at more than 22 percent (Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection). It is also wet and heavy, so incinerators must burn hotter and longer. Recycling food waste significantly reduces the quantity of municipal solid waste and allows that waste to be processed more efficiently. Darien’s solid waste could have been reduced by more than a thousand tons last year if every family had recycled its food waste. That didn’t happen but it could!

How to recycle food waste:

Before recycling, the first step is to reduce food waste. Steps to properly plan, prepare, store and share leftovers can significantly reduce waste. Helpful links are found on the Health Department’s webpage at darienct.gov. Click on “Food Protection Program.” Ways to recycle include:

• BACKYARD COMPOSTING Fruits, vegetables, eggshells and coffee grounds may be composted in your backyard. Get started by visiting portal.ct.gov; type “Home Composting” in the search bar.

All residents, including those with private trash pickup, are encouraged to get a Recycling Center permit (dump sticker) to gain access to numerous additional recycling opportunities. A new permit may be purchased by mail or in person at Town Hall (Department of Public Works). For fees and required documentation, visit darienct.gov or type “Darien Recycling Center” in any browser. Permits expire on June 30th of each year.

• PRIVATE PICKUP: local services, such as Curbside Compost, will collect food scraps from both residential and commercial locations. Visit curbcompost.org for details and pricing.

The Challenge:

Whether you use the Town’s drop-off program, a private service, or experiment with home composting, our challenge to all Darien residents this Earth Day is to recycle food waste for one month. Last year, 39 tons of food scraps were recycled via the Town’s program. This is good but we can do better!

Earth Day Special: Food Scrap Dropoff at Whole Foods, Darien

Why do it:

• Household trash is significantly reduced (and smells better);

• It teaches children that their actions can help their community and the earth;

EDITOR’S NOTE: Earth Day has been celebrated every April 22nd for more than 50 years to raise awareness about the need to protect the Earth’s natural resources for our children and for future generations. This month, in honor of Earth Day 2023, we have given this column to the Darien Advisory Committee on Sustainability to inspire everyone in Darien to give back to the environment through the Food Scrap Challenge.

“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme of Earth Day 2023 and reminds us that in order to protect the planet we all need to be part of the solution. This column, which typically highlights local nonprofit organizations and philanthropy, pivots this month to ask what can you do to give back?

Earthday.org is loaded with suggestions and they are all important. However, this year we ask you to focus on one specific action that will meaningfully impact the thousands of tons of municipal solid waste produced in Darien each year: recycle your food waste during April (and beyond we hope!) through the Food Scrap Challenge.

Why is waste a problem?

Last year Darien trucked 4,800 tons of garbage to the combustion plant in Bridgeport. Burning waste may seem sensible but it is expensive, emits toxins and the process ends with a significant amount of ash sent to landfills. In addition, the state’s infrastructure is aging out; last summer Hartford’s incinerator shut down permanently and the remaining four are decades old and already operate at capacity. Within a year, nearly a million tons

• MUNICIPAL DROP-OFF PROGRAM: In October 2018, Darien established a food scrap drop-off at the Recycling Center (aka “the dump”). The program is free but a current annual permit is needed to access the drop-off located near the transfer station building. Starter kits are helpful, though not required, and can be purchased from the Department of Public Works Office, Town Hall ($25). Otherwise, any container can be used to collect and transport scraps to the drop-off.

All food scraps are accepted: fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry (even bones!), fish, dairy products, bread and pasta, rice and grains, chips and snacks, nuts, leftover and spoiled food, coffee grounds, and cut flowers …and they can all go together in one bucket.

Food scraps are hauled to a commercial composting facility where they are processed into nutrient-rich compost, or to an anaerobic digester, which converts food scraps into energy.

Don’t have a dump sticker? Not to worry. The Advisory Committee on Sustainability, in partnership with Whole Foods, is sponsoring a food scrap collection on Saturday, April 22, Earth Day, from 9am to noon. Stop by Whole Foods at 150 Ledge Road in Darien. We’ll have a limited supply of starter kits available for sale ($25, cash or check).

Questions? Email recycle@darienct.gov.

• It sets an example for other towns and demonstrates that we are willing and able to be part of the solution to the challenging and expensive solid waste problem faced by Darien and the state of Connecticut;

• Current participants report that it is easy and makes them feel good. There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day; recycling food waste is only one but it is simple and yields quantifiable results. Please join us in contributing to a more sustainable Darien!

DARIEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY (ACS) members are appointed by the Board of Selectmen to recommend actions to reduce municipal solid waste and increase recycled and repurposed materials in Darien. The ACS also serves as the Town’s Energy Task Force, and assisted the Town in achieving Certification from Sustainable CT in 2019 (Bronze) and 2022 (Silver). Follow Darien Recycling Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for outreach on a range of sustainable issues. Questions? Email recycle@darienct.gov.

Darien Advisory Committee on Sustainability members (from left): Dan Dolcetti, Carolyn Bayne, Mohan Ganadal, Christine LaJaunie, Amanda Craig, Cliff van Voorhees and Kathy Finnegan (Chair)

Contributed by CAROLYN BAYNE and the DARIEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY photo by: BAMBI RIEGEL | riegelpictureworks.com

Written by PAMELA DEY VOSSLER with SHARON RODDA —Houlihan Lawrence and Darien Town Historian MARIAN CASTELL

The Past in Future Tense

Just as our homes capture our stories, so too are they the keepers of our common history, communal by virtue of this town we share as we lay our footprints next to those put down by all who came before us, seeing what they saw, building on what they created. The wonderfully diverse architectural styles of the homes in Darien—both current and from periods past, form the collective look, feel and character of our town, and through them, we get a sense of where we’ve been, where we are going and who we walk beside.

versity Art Gallery, wrote in his seminal 2013 dissertation, Lurelle Guild’s Historical Modernism: Americana and Industrial Design, “The knowledge (Guild) acquired of period styles and construction techniques provided invaluable source material for creating products that appealed to a broad range of American consumers, not only for their appearances but also for their intrinsic historical associations.”

“(Guild’s) example sets a challenge to look at twentieth century design in a pluralistic manner in which the historical and the modern are not opposites but intertwined,” Gordon continued.

He went on to add, “Guild engaged with what he saw as the cyclical nature of style in order to utilize his veneration of colonial America to establish a useable past with which to form a modern future.”

“Little Monticello,” as it is known colloquially, located at 194 Long Neck Point is one of these iconic gems. Built circa 1930 by long-time Darien resident and gentleman architect Lurelle Guild, one of the leading industrial designers in the early and mid-twentieth century, “Little Monticello” is a reflection of the creative engine that drove Guild’s international success. A founding member of the Society of Industrial Designers in New York, Guild, who was born in 1898 and lived until 1985, was the man behind the streamlined designs of products mass-produced by companies such as Electrolux, Alcoa, International Silver Company, Pullman Company, the Aluminum Cooking Utensil Company and Revlon. His designs can be seen at museums and galleries such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Design Museum, Cooper Hewitt, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and many others. Guild and his wife, Ann, moved to Darien in 1929. They were voracious collectors of American antiques. Their passions culminated in Milestone Village, a replica of a colonial town consisting of Guild’s take on scaled down versions of the buildings you’d find in an eighteenth or nineteenth century American community. Constructed on the two acres they owned on Swift’s Lane, it was rarely open to the public because of zoning regulations. “Little Monticello” is one of the many homes Guild built in Darien, establishing yet another outlet for his abundant creative energy, vision and passion to manifest the Americana he loved in inventive and fanciful ways.

Interestingly, this same passion was the foundation and muse for his modernistic industriaI design skills.

As John Stuart Gordon, PhD and Benjamin Attmore Hewitt curator of American Decorative Arts at Yale Uni-

As “Little Monticello” goes on the market for the first time ever, (having been held the last 50 years by the owner who bought it directly from Guild), it arrives with the historical and the modern even more tightly knit. With additions and updates from the current owner—including a Vincent Wolf Designer Kitchen, a pool and enhanced gardens accenting its gorgeous acre of sweeping flat lawns—combining with Guild’s original high ceilings, charming moldings, rounded library, circular dining room and other striking constructions, the past and the present continue to converge in this property as it moves toward its future.

Guild’s “Little Monticello” and the armillary sphere he placed in front of the home to emulate British country estates

Life in a Loaf of Sourdough Bread

In hindsight, the breadcrumbs appear, clear as day, marking the path we’ve taken …through serendipity, our actions or, more often than not, some combination of the two. Funny how those crumbs are so frequently nearly invisible—or, at best, scattered, during the real-time moments they appear before us.

To look at Darien native Rob VanKeuren’s path to opening Flour Water Salt Bread in Grove Street Plaza in 2018 and building it into the booming business it is today, poised to expand thanks to the insatiable demand for his artisan sourdough bread and dazzling baked goods (both sweet and savory), is to understand this at its most elemental. He was an economics major at Ohio Wesleyan, for goodness sakes, who went to Merrill Lynch and the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after graduation then a string of other finance shops where he traded “all kinds of weird stuff that you don’t hear about on CNBC,” as he says.

It is a path that includes getting bounced from a sales job that everyone (including Rob) knew was extraordinarily unsuited to his gifts, a trip to India he almost didn’t take, a book about baking bread he stumbled upon around the same time and a realization that he wanted to “write a better story” for his life than the one before him …at nearly 35 years old. And it is as authentic as it is gutsy. In the bouncing, he realized he didn’t want to return to finance.

In India he learned to let go. “In the West, there’s this feeling of control. You set your course and do it,” said Rob. “The reality is there are a lot of different currents in the world and you can set an intention and you can work toward it but you can’t really map everything,” he continued.

With the book, Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson, he turned a hobby for making sourdough pizza in his apartment into a serious commitment to perfect his breadmaking skills. It

was also a way to channel a love of cooking and caring for others through feeding them that dated back to growing up in a foodie family, and making dinner regularly for 60 at his fraternity during college—simply because he wanted to.

In writing a better story, he returned to square one, giving his intentions a big boost as he donned an apron and went to work for Frank Lombardi at his Trattoria in the Georgetown section of Wilton, exchanging a couple nights a week spinning pizzas for bread-baking time in Frank’s massive wood-fired oven. Over the next five years, he honed his breadmaking craft and taught himself to make pastries. It was the start of Flour Water Salt Bread. In the process, through the Instagram following he was building @flourwatersaltbread (now with 16,000 followers), he discovered a community of bakers from around the world eager to help each other perfect their skills.

The more Rob baked, the more he sold, at first to friends, then to just about everyone who tasted the bread or heard about it, including Bill Taibe of Wesport’s The Whelk and Don Memo restaurants, his first wholesale customer.

In 2017, he left Lombardi’s to take Flour Water Salt Bread to the next level working out of the historic GreyBarns Inn in Norwalk, CT. In 2018, Neat founder Rachel Haughey, who had tried his bread and loved it, introduced him to her landlord, local developer Penny Glassmeyer, in hopes he would settle his business in space of his own, next door to her.

Sensing his authenticity, seeing how hard he works, the standard to which he holds himself and tasting the incredible baked goods he produced, Penny made it her mission to set him up in business. From build out to opening in 2018, it was a barely fathomable two months, thanks to Penny’s famous efficiency, tenacity and loyal team of workers.

“Penny is truly an angel sent from heaven,” said Rob of all Penny did for him, including her investment in the equipment he needed to get his business up and running in the space he still rents from her. “She gave me hope when I needed it and she made everything happen behind the scenes. I am eternally grateful to her,” he added.

On opening day, with his wife Paige, seven months pregnant, on standby to help with the register as she set up her computer for work for her real job at a table in the new space, and a childhood friend who’d volunteered to pitch in as well, they readied themselves for whatever might come their way. They sold out in 45 minutes.

Breadcrumbs become loaves become a business. Especially with a head baker like Samantha Valenti who joined Rob in 2019.

“She’s an absolute rock star,” said Rob who credits Samantha with using her Johnson and Wales education and deep skills to “turbo charge our business,” as he says.

Now with 15 employees and plans to expand to surrounding towns, no one who’s been to Flour Water Salt Bread can imagine Darien without it. It’s a staple, an indulgence, a signature eatery in our town …and proof of just how much life we find when we chase our dreams.

opposite far left Rob VanKeuren with Flour Water Salt Head Baker Samantha Valenti, Opening day, November 2018 this page top left: Kouign-Amann (pronounced “queen-amon”); a melt-in-your mouth salted caramel croissant muffin left Adding freshly baked ham and gruyere turnovers to the day’s offerings above: Rob with Jordan Miller, one of Rob’s Instagram mentors and owner of the massive Sonoma Bakery in New South Wales, Australia

New Orleans White Chocolate Pain Perdue with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Ihave just had the pleasure of spending a few days in New Orleans, playing bridge in a national tournament. A slightly surreal experience—cerebral and hedonistic. Totally my kind of trip!

New Orleans is fabulous, with its French architecture, balconies, chandeliers, Interview with a Vampire vibe, incredible music everywhere and amazing food scene! On my first visit there, I ate at Muriel’s on Jackson Square. I was so excited to go back and see if the food was as good as I remembered. If anything, the whole experience was even better. However, the pièce de résistance was still the bread pudding or Pain Perdue.

Muriel’s very kindly shares all their recipes online. However, this one starts with 40 eggs and three and a half loaves of French bread. I have scaled down their version, and replaced the French bread with Brioche. Trader Joe’s does a wonderful sliced brioche, but feel free to use whatever is on hand. You can also try making candied pecans, but I love the ones from Trader Joe’s for this too.

CAROLYN EDDIE is a Darien Resident & Owner, Carolyn’s Absolutely Fabulous Events. For more of her recipes, check out carolynsabsolutelyfabulousevents.com and please remember to tag her on Instagram @carolynsfabfoods.

INGREDIENTS

For the Pudding

4 cups of heavy cream (or a mix of cream and milk)

8 eggs

Splash of vanilla

¹⁄₃ cup sugar

About half a loaf of Brioche or Challah

For the Sauce

1 Stick of butter

6 Tablespoons heavy cream

Just a little over ¾ cup dark brown sugar Bourbon or rum!

For the Candied Pecans

1 cup pecans

¼ cup sugar

1 egg white

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the cream to a pan and heat until it just reaches boiling point (technicaly speaking, we call this scalding the cream).

2. Remove from heat and add the white chocolate to the hot cream and leave to melt for five minutes. Then stir well to combine the chocolate with the cream.

3. In a separate large bowl or jug, mix eggs, sugar and vanilla.

4. Add the hot cream to the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

5. Slice the brioche into thick slices and cut into small triangles.

6. Layer Brioche in a medium-sized casserole dish, cover with the egg mixture.

7. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, to allow the mixture to soak into the bread

8. Preheat oven to 350F.

9. You want to bake the bread pudding in a water bath to ensure even cooking of the custard. Find a deep dish that is large enough to fit the casserole and fill it with an inch of hot water.

10. Bake until the pudding puffs and is just set in the middle, around 45 minutes.

11. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar, cream and bourbon and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes until a lovely dark color. The sauce may be made ahead and reheated.

12. To make the candied pecans, toss pecan pieces in egg white and sugar until coated. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until brown and crystalized.

Dust the bread pudding with confectioners’ sugar, top with chopped pecans and the bourbon caramel sauce and serve with some whipped cream.

Serves 4 to 6.

usually make a double portion of sauce, as there is no such thing as too much sauce!

All Bambi Riegel photos available to own. Visit

Selleck’s Woods