Darien Soundings

Dear Darien,

The past few months have been anything but easy for our healthcare workers, essential workers, small business owners, and Darien residents as a whole. We thank all of you for your hard work, dedication, cooperation and understanding during these difficult times, and we look forward to better days, weeks and months ahead. #DarienStrong.

The Darien Board of REALTORS would like to extend a special congratulations to the Darien class of 2020! Our graduates may not have had a traditional ceremony this year, but their tireless efforts to make it to this point do not go unnoticed. We wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors and we once again congratulate you on this wonderful accomplishment.

We would also like to congratulate Darien’s National Merit Scholarship winners, Nicholas S. Derby of Darien High School and Aldo M. Stefanoni or Rye Country Day School. Our recipients were "judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies." Great job!

Finally, thank you parents of Darien students for planning safe and creative ways to honor all 361 members of the DHS Class of 2020. On Tuesday, May 12th, parent volunteers placed signs in the yards of each DHS senior. DHSPA volunteers encourage residents to send a note of support or congratulations to our DHS seniors by sharing social media posts with the hashtags #DHSSeniorSalute and #BlueWavePride.

FACES: Suzanne Brannan

Welcome to J. McLaughlin of Darien, a destination for defining style with collections of women's and men's clothing and accessories. We spoke with Store Manager, Suzanne, a Connecticut resident since 2005. Suzanne was offered the store manager position in Darien in early March and happily accepted. She says she’s loved her experience in Darien so far, “The store is beautiful and offers great light from all the windows. I’ve really enjoyed meeting everyone in Darien.”.

J.McLaughlin strongly believes in being a good neighbor and participating in the community. They are very excited to be partnering with Corbin Cares for Mother’s Day this weekend! (See our story for more info!) In the past year, J. McLaughlin of Darien has hosted events giving back 15% of sales to @the_darien_depot, @hackers4hope, @covenant_house, @dhs2020sso, @pollinatorpathway, and @gardenclubofdarien just to name a few.

Most recently, J. Mclaughlin has helped out in the community by creating masks made from a mix of their signature prints. All profits are being donated to The Frontline Responders Fund. They initially made the masks to donate to @masks4medicine and had so many requests they decided to make them for their customers as well. “We are actively working on our next order and will let you know once more becomes available,” says Suzanne.

PLACES: The Gardener's Center

When the going gets tough, the tough get growing! Welcome to The Gardener’s Center located at 1396 Post Road in Darien. On March 23rd, The Gardener’s Center was pleased to inform the community that they are considered essential retail, and with Earth Day having just passed, we understand just how essential horticulture is. According to Garden Center Magazine, horticulture contributes $346 billion to the U.S. economy and creates more than 2 million jobs.

HIGHLIGHTS: Dance on the DL

Why walk when you can dance? Join Dance on the DL for live Instagram classes at just $15/class-- a great way to support small business while exercising in a creative and fun way. Simply choose Register Here next to the class you you would like to take or Venmo @danceonthedl. Request to follow @dlstudio_live on Instagram and join the class! Don't forget to stay on the lookout for updated schedules and events this Summer!