Letters to the Editor

Darien helped

stamp out hunger

To the Editor:

Through the combined effort and generosity of the Darien community, the food pantry at Person-to-Person received almost 30,000 pounds of food from town residents who contributed to the 18th annual National Letter Carriers Food Drive to Stamp Out Hunger held Saturday, May 8. We appreciate the effort made by the post office personnel and carriers who collect the donated food that will help supply many meals to our neighbors in the coming months.

Many, many thanks to Palmer's Market who again this year generously donated the 7,000 paper bags that were delivered by the letter carriers to all Darien mailboxes.

More than 100 people of all ages from the Boy Scouts of Darien, Darien Community Fund, Depot, Duke Alumni Club Of New York, Eglise de L'Epiphanie, Haitian Children's Club, King Low Heywood Thomas School, Liberation Program, Person-to-Person, P2P Youth Group, Senior Men's Association of Darien, St. Luke's School, St. Luke's Parish, Saint Luke's Parish School, as well as many residents of Darien volunteered their time to help unpack, sort and stack the food on the shelves at Person-to-Person. It was truly heartwarming to experience this gathering of so many neighbors, as well as the Person-to-Person staff, board and volunteers, who pitched in with all aspects of the drive.

Thanks to all those who contributed so generously to help our neighbors. It is through contributions to this worthwhile cause that Person-to-Person is able to provide more than 102,000 meals a year to families referred to us by social workers. If you would still like to make a food donation to P2P, please drop the bag off at P2P at 1864 Post Road, behind Saint Luke's Parish.

Jane C. Yezzi

Person-to-Person Liaison

Darien Letter Carriers Food Drive

Why is the Darien YMCA expansion never-ending?

To the Editor:

The Darien YMCA's membership and program fees exceed its cash costs running the YMCA by more than $1 million annually. The YMCA can't "reserve" cash for long and must spend it on facilities, programs and scholarships or risk losing its "non-profit" status. They have roughly $5 million in cash and investments to spend.

Ironically, the Y's executive director and board publicly stated their concern that their gymnastics program located in Goodwives Shopping Center could cost them too much money when their lease runs out. The Y's solution: spend significant millions to bring the gymnastics back to the YMCA's Post Road site.

Hence, the Y is back again before P&Z to expand its Special Permit rights to build a new gymnastics facility. While concerned that Goodwives gymnastics location was "too expensive," how can the YMCA and its board rationalize spending millions on a new 10,000-plus-square-foot gymnastics facility? Because it has to spend its excess cash.

Nevermind that P&Z rejected the Y's request to build a gymnastic facility on the Y property. The YMCA sued the town because it didn't get what it wanted, further costing town taxpayers and YMCA's Darien members' money. Remember the Y has to spend its cash.

In the meantime, the Y bought an adjoining home for $750,000 at full price in a bad real estate market. Why? They must spend their cash -- and not pay taxes as a non-profit.

Here's why the Y shouldn't be allowed to bring gymnastics back: In the 1997 YMCA's litigation with Darien's P&Z, the YMCA claimed financial hardship and needed to build the wellness center to survive. The YMCA committed to move gymnastics permanently off site to gain P&Z approval. The YMCA and its board must be held to honor its commitment.

In 2008, P&Z correctly ruled that the YMCA "intensity of use" had reached the maximum. Relocating gymnastics will certainly worsen already poor parking and traffic.

This isn't about developing kids gymnastics skills, it's bigger than that. It's about living by the rules, keeping your commitments, being part of -- not above -- our community.

John Shaker

Seagate Road

John Bassler, President

Seagate Association

Darien

YMCA: Caring?

Honest? Respectful? Responsible?

To the Editor:

Caring, honesty, respect and responsibility are the core values that are prominently displayed in colorful banners in YMCAs throughout the country. This includes the Darien Y. Members are supposed to be visually reminded at every visit to uphold them.

Is the Y caring when it repeatedly seeks to expand physically beyond the limits placed upon it by P&Z as a special permit holder in a residential zone? That's what it has done periodically, the last time in 2008, before its planned trip again in June. Having had part of its request denied by P&Z then, the Y is now suing the body to make it accept its wants. Has it notified neighbors near to it, as all of us have to do when some proposed change is submitted to P&Z? The Y also has asked to have the zoning changed to include businesses. Of course, it is the only business in the proposed area.

Is the Y acting with respect when it paid three quarters of a million dollars to buy one of the neighborhood's homes in a blind trust rather than under the Y name? The explanation given to the neighbors at a meeting was that management and the board of directors knew that the owner would not wish to sell his home to their business and might `up the price.'

What about responsibilty? When I made a trip there last week, over one desk in the lobby was a sign that proclaimed these core values. In the main pool, the colorful banners were hung, but not in the proper order. I guess that, if it's only paying lip service to the values, it doesn't really matter how they are displayed.

Is the Y aiming to promote caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility among its participants and staff? Draw your own conclusions.

Myrna Nickel

Seagate Road

Thanks to those who supported P2P

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Person-to-Person board, staff, volunteers and especially the many clients we serve, our deepest appreciation to all who attended the Whole Foods Market Sneak Peek pre-opening event.

Close to 2,000 community members came out last week to enjoy wonderful food and music, to see the store and show support for our programs at P2P.

Because of your generosity (100 percent of the $10 cash donation at the door went to Person-to-Person) we will be able to provide help for more families who come to us for assistance.

Thanks also to Whole Foods for hosting the benefit and staging an exceptional event; and also to the food purveyors, the musicians, our volunteers and our staff for helping to make it all possible.

It was a wonderful evening for which everyone at P2P will be eternally grateful.

Jan Smith, Board President

Ceci Maher, Executive Director

Cross at

the Crossing

To the Editor:

I recently had a troubling altercation with a man at a pedestrian crossing on Noroton Avenue. The afternoon was hot and humid and as I drove down Noroton, I could see a man on the curb watching a white van back into a driveway opposite the side street. He seemed to be helping its driver maneuver. As I approached, the vehicle backed into its spot, tucked safely off the street. The man remained stationed on the curb.

I judged it safe to continue on, but as I glided slowly by the warning sign and over the white stripes of the crossing, the man, as if dodging a bull, quite unexpectedly dashes across, waving hands, hollering and brandishing a fierce face at me. We weren't close to a collision, but I hadn't stopped as I ought. In view of such animated fury, I slowed to a timorous halt and said, perhaps too offhandedly: "So what's happened?" ("Are you all right? I'm so sorry" didn't leap to my lips. I could see he was fine and knew I would be sorry.)

"Are you nuts?" he ranted. "Do you want to kill me? It's a state law to stop at the crossing." He was correct, but growing amazingly ruddy. His light blue shorts and red striped T-shirt, the uniform of a whimsical suburbanite, clashed with the fierce demeanor.

Short of cowering, I said: "I'm sorry. I didn't think you would cross. Anyway, I wouldn't have hit you." He reddened to pre-explosive, glaring through rimless glasses wet with sweat, or tears. His horse was high, indeed, and I gave him no back talk. I had no talk to back.

I apologized again, driving timidly forward as he turned down the street. Then he about-faced sharply, seizing on a scathing "gotcha," and snarled "I'm gonna take your license." With no pencil handy, he squinted at my plate and recited it to the neighborhood, repeating it in brittle whispers as he marched away, fiery and unfurled. I didn't think should linger, so I drove on, very slowly.

In the tense minutes that followed, I holed up at the Darien Library, taunted by some distant wailing sirens. But nothing indecorous occurred, no officers combing the reference room, no stake-out in the stacks or third-degree at check-out. I never heard from the police. He probably forgot my license. I can never remember it myself.

Glenn Sanislo

Formerly of Darien

Thanks to those who showed Spring Spirit

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk (JLSN), we would like to thank the many individuals, businesses and organizations that contributed to the success of our fourth annual Spring Spirits! cocktail party benefit. Held Saturday, May 8, at the Meadowlands at the Darien Community Association, it was a great success.

We would like to thank all those who participated in the event, especially Deloitte, our event sponsor, and the donation for our raffle prize, a diamond pendant necklace, by David Harvey Jewelers. We are grateful to the following Darien donors: 1020 Post; BB Abode; Così; Darien Sport Shop; Darien YMCA; Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa; Espresso Neat; Fredric & Company; Gofer Ice Cream; Grieb's Pharmacy; Gut Reaction; Helen Ainson Darien; Koenig Art Emporium; Learning Express; Nielsen's Florist & Garden Shop; Palmer's Market; SBD Kitchens; Seasons Too; The Seward Group; The Sitting Service; Sylvan Learning; Trader Joe's; Ward Pilates; White Bridge Wines; Whole Foods; and Williams & Warren.

Funds raised will support JLSN community programming including the Diaper Co-Op and the Healthy Families and Kids in the Kitchen initiatives.

Amy Olsen-Esposito

Tori Rapport

Spring Spirits! Co-Chairwomen