The Rev. Kathryn Kibbie Laird

The Rev. Kathryn Kibbie Laird was installed as the Associate Pastor for children, youth, and families at the First Presbyterian Church in New Canaan on Sunday, Dec. 14. Kibbie, as she is known, has a long history with First Presbyterian Church as she first served there as a seminary intern while studying at Yale Divinity School in 1996-1997. After being ordained in 2000 at the First Presbyterian Church, Kibbie served the Presbyterian Church of Pleasantville, N.Y. from 2000-2006 and the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich from 2006-2010. For the past four years, she has helped run the church’s Sunday’s Cool program and most recently their confirmation and youth programs.

Kibbie is known for her emphasis on mission and hands-on community service projects, both locally and internationally, for even the youngest children. The Sunday’s Cool children collect cans each week for the New Canaan Food Pantry and collects dollars for two children they support internationally. Kibbie lives in New Canaan with her husband, Jim, and their two children, Avery, 9, and Johnny, 4.

The Fowler’s property, in blue, would link with New Canaan Audubon (yellow) and Land Trust (orange) property.

A man who by his own estimation has circled the earth 83 times, spending more than five decades learning about, interacting with and revering the planet’s wildlife, as well as its land and water masses, wants now to make a personal and permanent contribution to nature.

And New Canaan stands to be the beneficiary.

Jim Fowler, for 30 years the legendary co-host of the much-loved television program, “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” has, with wife Betsey and their two now-grown children, been an under-the-radar resident in the town’s Silvermine area. With an empty nest of their own, Jim and Betsey, herself a successful artist specializing in wildlife paintings, moved to Rowayton a year or so ago to be closer to their daughter, Carrie Fowler Stowe, and her family.

“We now want to sell our house in New Canaan,” Mr.  Fowler, 82, said. “Our son, Mark, a documentary producer, thought it would be a great idea to have our property become open space, rather than be developed. So we got hold of New Canaan Land Trust.”

Jim and Betsey Fowler on the land they hope to sell to the New Canaan Land Trust. (Michael Catarevas photo)

Chris Schipper, president of the Land Trust, which exists to preserve and promote New Canaan open space, was stunned and delighted to hear the news a few months ago.

“I was sitting at my desk one evening, and the Land Trust phone rang, which in itself doesn’t happen too often,” he said. “It was Mark Fowler. I’d learned that the Fowler property was going on the market. When he told me the idea, I was stunned. I view Jim Fowler as a national treasure. There are so many of us who grew up with ‘Wild Kingdom.’ That Jim wants to work with the Land Trust is a wonderful educational and scientific opportunity.”

Jim and Betsey Fowler’s property includes six and a half acres at 763 Silvermine Road. It abuts 41 acres of New Canaan Audubon and Land Trust property in Silvermine, and would provide a natural entry point for people to enjoy nature there. The Fowlers are willing to sell the land below cost, hoping the Land Trust can raise money within six months to a year. The acreage includes a house, which would be taken down and not replaced, woods and a lovely pond.

The Fowlers, who moved to New Canaan in 1984, are hoping the Land Trust can generate upwards of $1.5 million for the purchase and development of trails, walkways and wildlife habitat. The town-appraised value of the parcel is closer to $2 million.

Both Jim and Betsey have warm memories of raising their children and enjoying nature in and around their Silvermine home.

“I used to romp around those woods all the time,” recalled Mr. Fowler. “It has meadows, woodlands, wetlands and a pond. My passion now is developing wildlife areas all over the world. We live in a society where so much is being developed and paved over. We have to preserve open spaces.”

Betsey, married to Jim for 43 years, often accompanied him abroad as “Wild Kingdom” shows were filmed on every continent and in a great many countries. Her vivid wildlife paintings are dramatic and a wonder to behold. Some canvasses are six feet tall and six feet wide. She too has only fond recollections of her family’s life in New Canaan.

“Our kids went to Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School,” she said. “We all loved where we lived. The sun set right across the pond every afternoon; it was breathtaking.

“Open land creates family values. To be out here with nature gets you away from all your troubles.”

Schipper said the plan is to bring the idea to the Land Trust at its annual meeting this Thursday, Jan. 22, in hopes of gaining approval, then go about raising money to make it happen. He explained that the town government of New Canaan doesn’t get involved in small land deals.

“For parcels like this it doesn’t have the inclination,” he said. “This is where the Land Trust plays a role. Jim will provide names of foundations that could help, and he’ll be involved with fund-raising events.

“We have exclusive rights to purchase the land from the Fowlers. What they are offering is a terrific opportunity. We want to get kids on the land, and imprint them with the wonders of nature. If we can do that it could ignite a new round of land conservation, which would make it a long-lasting gift.”

Jim Fowler has, of course, globally respected opinions on the state of the planet. Still strong-voiced, powerful, and with the same dazzling smile and natural warmth that made him a television star, he has not slowed down much. He is involved with conservation efforts nationally and internationally, and gives seminars and lectures. He explained that protecting the planet is vital.

“When you destroy natural resources, you’re in big trouble,” he said. “The have-nots see what the haves have, and that causes violence. Saving resources is extremely important.

“One of the things I speak about a lot is land conservation. Many people are concerned with saving this or that animal, which is fine. But how we treat the earth is also a major concern. Bringing it back to the local level, it’s important for New Canaan to stay connected to the natural world. The town should have as many open spaces as possible. It’s a vital part of the community.”

Nancy Clayton, above, shows the medal she received after finishing the 2014 New York City Marathon.

When Barbara Clayton ambled into the Advertiser office one afternoon not so long ago, index card in hand, she seemed like any other proud New Canaan parent hoping to garner a little local publicity for something their child did.

So it was quite startling to listen as she matter-of-factly explained how her 27-year-old daughter, Nancy, had recently accomplished one of the greatest athletic achievements in New Canaan history. She read from the index card, on which she’d written the pertinent facts and figures.

Nancy Clayton

A former three-sport star at New Canaan High School (’05), Nancy, on a whim, decided to run the 2014 New York City Marathon last Nov. 2. Having never competed in a marathon, running on two rebuilt knees, and with no formal training, she stunningly finished with a time of under three hours, good for 19th place among U.S. women and 40th among female runners overall.

The index card, with facts and figures, that her mother, Barbara, brought to the Advertiser office.

That would be 40th out of 20,420 women, in the world’s largest and most prestigious marathon, which featured the top professional and amateur runners from 130 countries. Her competing also raised $3,600 for the Every Mother Counts charity, which provides pre-natal care for mothers in need.

So, Barbara Clayton wondered that day, could this maybe make the newspaper?

Uh … yes.

To anyone who’s known Nancy, her succeeding at anything would not be a surprise. Her life has been one of continual triumph, in athletics, the classroom and professionally.

A 5-foot-4, 110-pound blonde bundle of energy and cheerfulness, with big blue eyes and a quick smile, the oldest sibling to three brothers and a sister set a hard-to-follow example at NCHS, excelling in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse. She suffered torn ACLs in both knees, but rehabbed hard and recovered completely.

She next was a four-year lacrosse player at Colgate, graduating with an English degree in 2009. In both high school and college she did run on her own, but not long distances, and not seriously.

“I’ve always been fast, but never had any kind of running discipline,” she said. “The track coach in high school used to try to get me to compete for the team, but I preferred the other sports.”

Moving to Manhattan after college, Nancy spent a few years working at Conde Nast, but felt unfulfilled. She decided to go into nursing, and enrolled at New York University, receiving her degree late last year.

“I like the versatility of nursing,” she said. “I didn’t like sitting at a desk all day. My plan is to work as a nurse for a few years, then become a nurse practitioner.”

With no sports teams left to play on after college, Clayton started running more, but running outside in the city wasn’t optimal. “I was on the treadmill a lot,” she said. “And I ran outside when I came to New Canaan for visits. I was running five and six times a week.”

Almost always, she ran alone. “None of my friends could run at my pace,” she admitted. “I thought of joining running clubs, but never did.”

Her only competitive race came in 2013 when she and friends rented a house on the Cape, and Clayton entered a half marathon. Having never run more than eight or so miles at a time, the 13-mile race provided a hint of what was to come.

“I’ve always been really competitive, to the point where I don’t even let strangers pass me when I’m out running,” she said.

Without knowing the course or how to properly pace herself, Clayton finished second with a time of 1:28, winning $500. It was at that point she took stock of her talent, but still needed a push.

New Canaan High School graduate (Class of 2005) runs in the New York City Marathon in 2014.

“I realized that I did really well in that race without any focused training,” she said. “My friends were more excited than I was, and I started thinking about what I might be capable of.”

One of Clayton’s friends from Colgate, Molly Breene, decided last summer to run the New York City Marathon, and asked Nancy to enter as well. They could avoid having to qualify if they ran and raised money for a charity. Breene found Every Mother Counts, which helps make childbirth safer for women in underdeveloped countries.

“It was the perfect charity for me because I was doing labor and delivery clinical rotation in nursing school at the time,” said Clayton.

Now knowing she had a serious challenge on her hands (and feet), Clayton didn’t amp up her physical training dramatically, but started studying how to taper, and how to plan practice runs. Truth be told, she wasn’t all that jazzed by the idea of running 26 miles.

“I went to the last two New York City Marathons to watch,” she said. “After they were over I’d think whether I should do it or not. Honestly? I wasn’t dying to.”

Her competitive juices took over as the race day approached. She had run two 20-mile practices and was pleased with those efforts and times. “I thought best, best, best case scenario I could break three hours in the marathon,” she said. “I gave race officials a predicted time of three and a half hours.”

Nov. 2 included high winds, never a plus for runners. Clayton’s family and many friends were, of course, lining the route. Barbara Clayton used red duct tape to spell the word ‘NANCY’ on her running bib, which would personalize her daughter to the huge crowd.

“The first half of the race I felt great, and kept track of my time for each mile,” said Clayton. “It was really, really exciting, a lot of adrenaline. You have to be careful not to do too much too early. My family and friends told me where they’d be on the course, so it was fantastic to see them. I knew I was going fast, and thought I could sustain it.

“I was running faster than a lot of the pros. I knew who they were because they had the low bib numbers.”

With about seven miles left, the fun was over for Nancy. “I was feeling insanely exhausted,” she said. “I thought maybe I should slow down. People were cheering for me by name, and that was inspiring. There were very few women runners at that point in the marathon. I was very glad my mom had put my name on the bib.”

Clayton knew her pace was close to the sub-three-hour finish she so wanted.

“It was doable, but I was really starting to slow down,” she recalled. “I didn’t feel good. I remember thinking I’m never going to do this again.”

Picking up her pace slightly in Central Park as the finish line beckoned, she saw the overhead digital clock tick-tick-ticking toward three hours. “There were tons and tons of people there, everybody screaming,” she said.

Finally, she crossed. It was over. Her time? 2:59:59. Incredibly, amazingly, she had broken three hours by one one-hundredth of a second.

Cold, exhausted and in pain, Clayton was tended to by event volunteers. “It wasn’t until I stopped running that I realized how much my legs hurt,” she said. “Then I had to walk 20 blocks just to get out of the park. They want you to keep moving so you don’t cramp.”

Now hungry as well as tired, Nancy and her family went to P.J. Clarke’s in Lincoln Center for lunch. There she realized the magnitude of her accomplishment. What’s more, she found out that her official time had been adjusted to 2:58:49, to make up for the forced slow start New York City Marathoners experience due to the huge number of runners.

“My friends were shocked with my time,” she said. “There’s an app that let’s you track a runner. I was getting thousands of text messages congratulating me.”

Nancy has conflicted feelings about what to do next.

“I’m really happy with what I did; it’s a pretty cool thing,” she said. “It inspires me to do more. Running clubs have contacted me to run races for them. But I don’t know if I want to run a lot of races. Sometimes I think that if I accomplished this on my own, what could I do with a professional coach? But would that ruin the fun for me? I’ll run more marathons. I definitely want to run Boston.

“My mom said I needed a 2:43 to qualify for the Olympic trials. That’s not so much faster than what I ran in New York. Given better training, and if I lived in a warm weather location ideal for running, I could do it. But do I want to devote my life to it? I don’t think so.”

For now, Nancy is content to savor her accomplishment, consider all her options, relax at home in New Canaan and study for the boards she must pass to work as a nurse. Asked what she liked to do here, her answer wasn’t surprising.

“I run.”

Mary and James Laird (Vicki & Erik Photography)

Mary Escherich, daughter of Kyle and Carolyn Escherich, of New Canaan, was married to James Laird, son of Jim and Bernice Laird, of New Canaan, on Friday, Aug. 1.

Justice of the Peace Wendy Hilboldt performed the ceremony at the Inn at Longshore in Westport.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a strapless lace Pronovias gown and tulle veil and carried a bouquet of ivory and blush roses. Her sister, Samantha Escherich, was maid of honor, with Jessica Laird, sister of the groom, and Lauren Ferrucci, formerly of New Canaan, serving as bridesmaids. The bridesmaids wore gray chiffon Monique Lhullier dresses. The groom’s brother, Chris Laird, was best man, with Charles Maass, formerly of New Canaan, and Kevin Tzeng, of Long Island, serving as groomsmen. Peter Vail and Chris Neuhaus, both formerly of New Canaan, served as readers at the ceremony.

The bride and groom began dating while at New Canaan High School, where they both graduated in 2009. The couple graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University in 2013.

After a reception at the Inn at Longshore, the couple honeymooned in Hawaii. They live in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where they are students at New York University School of Medicine.

Lea and Alexander Russell

Mr. and Mrs. George Wallace deMenocal of New Canaan announce the marriage of their daughter Lea Grace deMenocal to Alexander William Maxwell Russell, son of Mrs. Graham Russell Briskman of Palm Beach and Mr. Hollis Russell of Locust Valley, N.Y. They were married Saturday, June 28, 2014 at Church of The Atonement Quogue, N.Y. The Reverend Melissa Smith officiated. A reception followed at the Quogue Field Club.

• More from New Canaan’s Family Album

Childhood friends Kristin Elizabeth Pasternak and Calvine Dunnan Harvey were Maid and Matron of Honor. Bridesmaids were Sarah Lyon Ashton and Kyley Lyon Weida, both cousins of the bride, and Jillian Julie Lee, future sister-in-law of the bride. The best man was Hamish Eliot Maxwell Russell, brother of the groom. Groomsmen were Joseph David Cohen, Jarod Joseph Korn, Alexander Barr Patten and David Cleary Sieck.

Mrs. Russell, 30, is a vice president at JP Morgan Asset Management in New York City. The bride’s father is executive managing director and branch manager of Aon Benfield.

Mr. Russell, 31, is a teacher at St Bernard’s School in New York City. He is currently pursuing his Master’s of Science in Educational Leadership at Bank Street Graduate School of Education.

The groom’s mother is project consultant at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach. His father is a Partner with the law firm Ackerman Levine in Great Neck, N.Y.

The bride wore a strapless, corded French rose lace sheath over a double charmeuse underdress with a sweetheart neckline custom designed by Anna Maier.

The couple resides on the Upper East Side of New York City.

Artist Amy Oestreicher will be at an evening meet and greet opening reception on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 5-8 p.m. at Tusk & Cup Fine Coffee in Ridgefield. The former Silvermine Guild student’s work is on display starting this week.

But her story goes much deeper. Amy is a 27-year-old artist, actress, musician, orator and writer residing in Westport. The fulfillment of her dream to act was interrupted when, at the age of 18, she suffered a blood clot that left her in a coma for months and unable to eat or drink for over three years. Almost 30 surgeries later, Amy is still courageously fighting medical setbacks, and uses her painting and mixed media creations to transcend 10 years of emotional and physical trauma. Her art demonstrates her journey into daylight and into a life of normalcy, which she is still traveling.

Amy Oestreicher is still fighting medical setbacks and uses her painting and mixed media creations to transcend 10 years of emotional and physical trauma.

Amy’s work explores complicated themes of betrayal, leaping into the void, uncertainty, fate, flight, and rising up from ashes.

In addition to her commitment to art, Amy’s passion for life has driven her to start her own chocolate business, a food blog, star in musicals, train in karate, teach nursery school, and write a play as well as an autobiography. Refusing to allow her medical circumstances to pose limits on her passion for life, she accomplished her biggest dream to date, which was to tell her story in the medium she’s always loved best, theater. In 2012, she wrote and starred in “Gutless & Grateful: A Musical Feast” — a one-woman musical about her unique journey. After being nominated for a Broadway World Award for “Best Cabaret Debut,” she reprised her show the following year at Stage 72 (NYC), The Bijou Theatre (Conn.) and Barrington Stage Company (Mass.) as part of William Finn’s Cabaret Series. Most recently, “Gutless & Grateful” enjoyed a sold out run as part of the United Solo Festival in NYC, an international showcase of one-person performances.

Amy’s art portrays her mission to keep her spirit alive, as well as her quest for knowledge, joy, and experience. She specializes in acrylics, mixed media and collage. Her first solo art exhibit, Journey Into Daylight (Westport Women’s Club) featured over 70 original works spreading her message of hope in the darkest of times, and the celebration of life. Since then, she has mounted solo exihibits at Wendy Nylen’s Picture This Gallery (Westport), and her show “Coming hoME, Finding heART honored the grand opening of the Prescott Tavern in Amherst, Mass. Her work has also been featured in various boutiques such as Accupalooza in Fairfield, in juried art shows (Hall-Brooke at St. Vincents) and featured on NBC’s “Today Show” with Kathie Lee and Hoda.

Oestreicher is currently studying art education and expressive art therapies at Hampshire College. Her mission is to tell her story while sharing an inspiring message of hope, determination, perseverance, and strength in the face of unforeseen adversity.

The public is invited to the opening reception to enjoy food, drink and live music. Oestreicher’s work will be on view through the end of April.

More info: amyoes.com, tuskandcup.com.

Greg Reilly

Greg Reilly will take over the New Canaan Advertiser as its editor next month when Joshua Fisher moves on to the new digital department of the paper’s parent company.

Reilly, who lives in Silvermine, has been the editor of Hersam Acorn Newspapers’ Stratford Star for the past two years. He previously published the periodical New Canaan Matters, from 2003 to 2005, which expanded into Local Matters, covering New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk, and Stamford. He is also a past president of Business Networking International’s New Canaan chapter.

Joshua Fisher

Fisher, who became the Advertiser editor in August 2012, will become Hersam Acorn’s audience development and engagement director, charged with growing the company’s digital presence across southwestern Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y.

“New Canaan has been a truly special and challenging town to cover,” said Fisher, a graduate of St. Luke’s School in town. “This may be a small town but it’s an active town full of wonderful and interesting people. I hope our readers feel we have done a good job showing off the many sides of New Canaan in the paper and on our website. I will certainly miss many of the great people I’ve gotten to meet and work with over the past two and a half years.”

Hersam Acorn, has 13 local newspapers and dozens of local news and lifestyle websites in the area, including NCAdvertiser.com, which has grown to average more than 140,000 unique pageviews per month over the past year.

The Advertiser’s website, last year, was named the top weekly newspaper website by the New England Newspaper & Press Association.

“This is an exciting time for the Advertiser and Hersam Acorn,” Martin V. Hersam, the company COO, said. “Josh has done an excellent job as editor of the Advertiser just as he did as editor of The Darien Times before coming to New Canaan. He built both publications into digital powerhouses in their markets. He continues to use an innovative approach to building online audiences via creative use of content and social channels while upholding the highest standards of journalism our readers have come to expect… He will be tasked with using what he’s learned in Darien and New Canaan and deploying it across all of our news and lifestyle websites.”

Reilly is a Darien native who raised his three children in New Canaan through St. Aloysius School and New Canaan High School.

“I am truly honored to be working at the Advertiser, such a longtime leader for the New Canaan community and an important property for the company,” Reilly said. “With such a great team in place, I will work hard to maintain all of the excellent standards already at the Advertiser. And I look forward to helping the paper and its online properties grow, evolve and prosper in this era of digital print communications.”

The new editor learned the production, circulation and advertising sides of the business at a mom-and-pop publisher in Darien, he said. Reilly then became the editor and publisher at Times Mirror Magazines before becoming an advertising manager and publisher at The New York Times Co. Magazine Group.

“Greg joins a great editorial team in New Canaan with associate editor Aaron Marsh, managing editor Michael Catarevas and sports editor Dave Stewart,” Hersam said. “Greg has had a great run with us as editor of The Stratford Star and now he’s coming home to New Canaan. Greg also brings a wealth of national magazine publishing and sales experience to Hersam Acorn — something that will continue to serve us well.”

Reilly starts at the Advertiser today and will be at the newspaper’s weekly community coffee, Friday at 9 a.m., at the Historical Society. He will be working with Fisher on the next two editions of the paper to ease the transition. This Friday’s coffee, however, will be the last one led by Fisher.

“Greg is lucky to be inheriting such an impressive staff on Vitti Street,” Fisher said. “I am excited for the new challenges ahead. It’s been a privilege to work with the men and women who help create the Advertiser everyday online and every week in print. I am going to miss this place.”

Benjie Halsell, vice president of Brotherhood & Higley is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Blanchard has joined the firm.

Elizabeth Blanchard

Blanchard grew up in New Canaan and matriculated through the public schools. She later graduated from the University of Colorado with a major in communications and was a teacher for 13 years in New Canaan public and private schools. More recently she has been an associate partner and personal style advisor for the J. Hilburn Company. She brings considerable direct sales and online marketing expertise to Brotherhood & Higley along with high energy, enthusiasm and an intimate familiarity with the town.

Elizabeth will be partnering with veteran Realtor (and mother) Carolyn Clark to offer a comprehensive package of real estate services, including an in-depth knowledge of the New Canaan area, expert marketing and home staging services, a referral network of local service providers and dedicated attention to her clients’ individual needs.

She is a member of the New Canaan Multiple Listing Service, the regional Consolidated Multiple Listing Service, the New Canaan Board of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. She is actively involved in the community, a frequent volunteer, and a member of numerous organizations including the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, the Young Women’s League, the International Cultural Cultural Club and the East School PTC.

Married and the mother of two boys, Elizabeth is poised to call upon her particular background and skills, along with her love of the town, to help her clients achieve their real estate goals.

Brotherhood & Higley has been serving New Canaan’s Real Estate needs since 1926.

Chilling weather failed to daunt the spirits of about 130 people who came out to celebrate Staying Put’s 8th birthday party, recently held at St Mark’s Morrill Hall. New president of the board of directors, Judy Bentley remarked that “the best thing about the birthday party was that so many people came out on such a cold and wintry day, but that’s one of the best things about Staying Put; our members love getting together and socializing.”

At the party, Staying Put members enjoyed the musical program of legendary Broadway melodies presented by the Park Street Singers and the camaraderie of the “sing-along” at the end.

Bentley was introduced by outgoing president Tom Ferguson, who has served for six years, playing a key role in facilitating Staying Put’s growth and success. Ferguson noted that Bentley has been involved in Staying Put since the very first seeds were sown in 2006. She has served as vice president for the past six years and headed development and fundraising very successfully, chairing major fundraising events such as the gala concert at New Canaan High School in 2013. She and her husband, Dave, are 34 year New Canaan residents.

A new treasurer and board member, Janet Lanaway was also introduced. She is currently also serving on the board of the New Canaan Community Foundation as treasurer, as an alternate on the Town of New Canaan Audit Committee and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. A Canadian CPA and Chartered Accountant, she began her career with Deloitte in Toronto and has run her own professional practice since 1989. After moving with her family to New Canaan in 2001, she has served on the boards of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross and as treasurer of the New Canaan Chapter.

Judy Bentley, new president of Staying Put, Barb Achenbaum, executive director and Janet Lanaway, new treasurer at Staying Put’s 8th birthday party.

While actress daughter Allison Williams recently made an impassioned defense of her father — suspended NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams of New Canaan — in an interview with Seth Meyers at an event recently, her dad will not be doing any public speaking of his own anytime soon.

Williams, 55, a longtime resident of New Canaan who was benched after exaggerating his war experiences in Iraq in 2003, canceled a Feb. 27 date to be the keynote speaker at the Palm Beach, Fla. Civic Association’s annual awards luncheon at The Breakers hotel.

Bob Wright, current Civic Association CEO and chairman, and former head of NBC, told the Palm Beach Daily News that NBC management forced Williams to cancel and is not allowing him to make public appearances.

“I feel terrible about the situation,” Wright, a friend of Williams, told the paper. “But life goes on. We’ll have to get past it. Brian is considerably restrained. He is just struggling. It’s very tough. He is a very people-oriented person. He’d certainly like to get on and explain what he has done and apologize. It’s going to take time.”

Williams was replaced as keynote speaker by former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney.

Brian Williams

It’s one thing for an experienced chef to prepare food methodically, making sure everything is just so, and another to have precisely 30 minutes to do so, with experts judging you, three others competing against you, and a national television audience watching you.

New Canaan chef and town resident Silvia Baldini, founder of the local culinary group Strawberry and Sage, took the challenge, and will be a contestant on ‘Chopped,’ the Food Network’s hit series. On March 31, at 10 p.m., Baldini will go against three chefs who are all challenged to prepare an appetizer, entrée and dessert in 30 minutes each, using identical ingredients from mystery baskets. You’ll have to tune in to see the result, as those on the show are not allowed to disclose the result before the broadcast.

In an interview with the Advertiser, Baldini said the show was a lot of fun… and pressure. It all began over a year ago when she received an e-mail from ‘Chopped’ producers, asking her if she would be interested in taking part.

“I sent my bio and went on a casting call,” she said. “Once there you introduce yourself and talk about your food passions. It’s a regular interview, but very secretive.”

Baldini was no newcomer to high stakes competitions. Before realizing her lifelong dream to become a chef, she had a notable career as a Madison Avenue art director, where she created award-winning ad campaigns. She brings the same drive, focus, creativity and passionate eye for beauty to her cooking.

“When I was cast I was nervous and scared, but decided to just go for it,” she said. “Once I walked into the ‘Chopped’ kitchen I relaxed, stuck with recipes I knew by heart, and presented all my food beautifully.”

Baldini, 46, has lived in New Canaan with her husband, Michele, and their children, Augusto, 8, and Velentina, 6, for three years. After her art directing years, Michele’s career as a mathematician took them to London. Always a lover of food and its preparation, Silvia enrolled at the famous Le Cordon Bleu, graduating at the top of her class. Subsequently she continued her education at the Cornell/French Culinary Institute restaurant management program in New York.

Her experience includes working at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in London and Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, before returning to the U.S. to found Strawberry and Sage, an innovative culinary group offering catering and food preparation for select clients, event management, strategic partnerships in the food and media industry, and much more.

Baldini’s wide-ranging expertise paid dividends on ‘Chopped.’

“I did what I love; cooking chic, comfort food with passion,” she said. “The day of the show I ended up having a blast. I cooked for 12 hours straight, and my experience in the kitchen came through.

“I kept thinking: turn on the stove, think ahead, keep it simple and beautiful. Don’t be scared to take a little risk, and don’t get distracted by judge Marc Murphy talking to me in Italian,” Baldini, a native of Turin, Italy, said with a laugh.

It was important to her to represent women chefs on ‘Chopped,’ as well as all the women who cook at home for themselves and their families. “It’s a bit of a boy’s club out there, and I feel this should be the year women break some rules,” she said.

Baldini said she and her family are delighted to be New Canaanites.

“We’re so happy we settled here,” she said. “We were looking for good schools. I had friends who grew up here. We fell in love when we saw the town and stayed. Our kids play all the sports. We love the YMCA, I work with the library, and often am involved with events at the Carriage Barn arts center.”

The winner of each episode of ‘Chopped’ gets $10,000, but Baldini managed to keep the show’s result a secret. Looks like the Advertiser staff will have to watch along with everyone else on March 31.

Silvia Baldini

At a recent meeting of the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NCVAC) Board of Governors, four emergency medical technician (EMT) members were recognized for having successfully completed the required training to become ambulance drivers in town. These EMTs, all of whom have a minimum of 18 months field experience, have completed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Vehicle Operator Course in addition to 3 months of on-the-job training at NCVAC with a supervising driver.

The program is designed to provide new ambulance drivers with the special skills required to operate an ambulance under very demanding emergency response conditions.

The four NCVAC EMTs — Eric Grant, Stephanie Soltes, Kate Nailor and Tom Tesluk — each completed two phases of classroom and behind-the-wheel training.

The first phase of training teaches the basics of controlled braking, curved and straight backing-up, serpentine, parallel parking, crash avoidance techniques, and other precision driving skills.

The second phase takes place on public roads. Students were placed on teams with experienced drivers and learned how to drive in traffic using emergency lights and sirens, how to proceed safely through intersections, and how to approach an accident on the Merritt Parkway when traffic is at a standstill.

The New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps consists of 37 active volunteer members who contribute approximately 60 hours each month to serve as first responders in New Canaan and, when necessary, as back-up responders in neighboring communities.

NCVAC’s newly appointed ambulance drivers are Eric Grant, leftmost in front row, Stephanie Soltes, Kate Nailor and Tom Tesluk, pictured here with NCVAC Captain Jon Frattaroli.

Julie Stauffer has handled a camera practically her whole life and always had a love for creating interesting images. As a busy New Canaan mom decades ago, with three soccer-playing kids, she was not able to devote much time to photography, but once her children were grown she refocused, and her talents have emerged.

Julie Stauffer

Stauffer has recently compiled a wide range of images she took on a group trip to Cuba in late 2013. Many of them are currently being showcased on the walls of Baldanza Natural Market Cafe, 17 Elm St. They show people and places in a country that has long been a mystery and off limits to most Americans.

For Stauffer, 70, the trip and her work is a highlight of a career that may have gotten a late start but is in full bloom. Now living in East Norwalk, she was once this town’s original soccer mom.

“I lived in New Canaan from 1987 to 2004, coming from Fairfax, Va.,” she said on a recent afternoon while seated at New Canaan Library. “I was very involved with educational issues, town politics and athletics. Soccer was the big sport in Virginia, and when we came here I expanded the New Canaan recreational soccer league. People knew me as the soccer mom.”

The Stauffer kids were not just soccer players, they were stars. Matt, Emily and Hannah, would leave New Canaan after high school to become forces on college teams. Emily would even go on to become a pro with the New York Power in the Women’s United Soccer Assn., the world’s first women’s soccer league in which all the players were paid.

Tragically, Matt, the soccer team captain his junior year at Williams College, died of leukemia after a long, courageous battle. His mom, determined to be strong for her daughters through the loss, turned to photography as an outlet.

“I started taking photography courses at Silvermine Art School, The Photographers’ Workplace (Norwalk), the International Center for Photography (NYC) and the Center for Photography at Woodstock (N.Y.),” she said. “Out of that kind of stress sometimes comes your best creative efforts. I don’t know why.”

She began shooting weddings, which she still does, enjoying the challenge of finding unique shots of people. She loves capturing the energy and excitement of big events.

Also a photographer who shoots family portraits and gardens, she has a new idea to pursue. Loosely titled ‘A Day In the Life,’ she envisions shadowing a family for a day, from the time they awaken, to going to school, work, etc., shooting images all the while. Then she’ll edit the pictures into a book.

Stauffer’s most current accomplishment are the images from Cuba, taken before the country recently started normalizing relations with the United States. She was with a small group there, in the company of a very prominent Cuban photographer.
“But like so much of the rest of that country, he had to deal with limitations,” she said. “While we all had great equipment, he had duct tape holding his camera together. The country is kind of in a time warp.”

That reality added to the poignancy of photographing the Cuban people, places and things. Many of Stauffer’s captivating pictures capture what appear to be the 1950s and ’60s.

“We were there for a week, in Havana most of the time,” she recalled. “Most of the people live in tiny apartments, one room, one sofa, one TV. People are happy that someone is there taking their picture.”

Like most visitors to Cuba, Stauffer was fascinated by the cars, which look to be movie props for films of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.

“They are incredible … stunning,” she said. “And the colors; reds, pinks, greens. I rode in a 1948 Plymouth with a stick on the side. These vintage cars are used for regular transportation. They keep rigging them with parts to keep them going.

“They don’t go fast because the roads are bad. I spoke to one man who needed a very common part to fix his car. He said it would take six weeks to get it. It had to come from another island.”

Stauffer also shot many pictures of buildings. “A lot of the architecture in Cuba is memorable because of the wealth that was once there,” she said. “Being in a group with Cubans allowed us entry to people’s homes, and to go into open buildings.”

Stauffer has expanded her talent base, teaching iPhone workshops demonstrating the capabilities to make them bona fide cameras. Using numerous camera and post-processing apps, students learn how to best utilize the iPhone to take great pictures.
She has joined SwickPix, a professional photographers group that allows members to grow and contribute to a group of colleagues working collaboratively with one another as well as in separate arenas of expertise.

It’s been a full life, one that has had to balance the loss of a child with the pride of accomplishment.

“Matt still has presence,” she said. “Photography became part of my grief process. We will always remember him, and light a candle for him on the holidays. My daughter bakes a cake on his birthday and her kids sing Happy Birthday to uncle Matt.”

More info: JulieStaufferPhotography.com
SwickPix.com

One of Julie Stauffer’s photographs in Cuba.

Jon Streep in Alidoro.

Two of Jon Streep’s fondest memories growing up involve the love of food preparation.

The first was making his parents breakfast in bed as young as age six. “And not just toast and coffee,” said the now 34-year-old, whose family moved to New Canaan from New Jersey in 1991, when he was in fifth grade. “Pancakes, eggs, bacon and more.”

Years later, when attending New Canaan High School, the Streep house was the place to be for his friends to hang out and get fed … by Jon.
“I was the guy cooking stuff late at night, or making all kinds of experimental sandwiches,” he said. “Some good, some not so good.”

College and successful but ultimately unfulfilling jobs followed, before Streep finally figured out what he wanted, which was to own and run a food service business.

And now that’s exactly what he’s doing.

It’s called Alidoro, is one of New York City’s most famous upscale Italian sandwich shops, and just opened its second location, at 18 E. 39th St., after building its reputation and devoted customer base at its original location on Spring Street in SoHo since 1986.

Streep came upon Alidoro like so many other New Yorkers, simply seeking a great place for lunch. But for over a decade before that encounter, he tried a few different careers. This was after spending many happy years in New Canaan.

“I went to West Elementary School and NCHS,” said Streep, the oldest of four siblings. “We loved it when we moved to New Canaan. It was like a dream come true. There was more space and we could stretch out.

“My first year in town I was the new guy, but I made loads of friends fast. To this day, all of my best friends are from high school, not college (U. of New Hampshire). I played football and was a volunteer at the Congregational Church. I like to think that I gave as much as I could.”

A solid work ethic was also part of Streep’s DNA. He worked at the Veggie Barn during high school years. “Growing up my first job was baling hay,” he said. “I also was a waiter, poured concrete, delivered pizza … every job you could think of. It taught me how to work hard, regardless of what I was doing.”

Personable and upbeat by nature, Streep graduated college with a degree in political science, then got a job at a large marketing/public relations firm in New York. He stayed for six years, and while he knew it wasn’t likely going to be his career, the experience proved vital.

“It was the hospitality business, and I had a passion for it,” he recalled. “Part of my job was finding the best underground bars, the best restaurants and more. I was working with CEOs, doing things I never could have otherwise. I was lucky. It started a fire in me that never went out.”
Streep’s company moved its offices to SoHo during his time there.

“I’ll never forget it; one day a colleague said, ‘You should go try Alidoro for lunch,’ I did, and instantly knew it was something special.”

The man behind Alidoro was and is Walter Momente, who’s been sourcing and making all of the ingredients, creating the sandwiches and overall running Alidoro since he fully took over the SoHo shop in 2001. His attention to detail goes back to his childhood in Italy, where he was brought up making pizzas and other Italian dishes in his parents’ restaurant, pizzeria or supermarket.

A virtual one-man operation, Momente had no time to even consider opening a second location, which is where Streep came in.

“It was a decade after college an I wasn’t loving what I was doing,” said Streep. “I knew I wanted to work for myself, creating my own destiny, regardless of the security or competition.

“The food itch had never gone away. I was a regular customer at Alidoro, and had gotten friendly with Walter. I had some concepts of how Alidoro could grow, so I went to see him and we started talking seriously.”

Momente said he’d had a lot of offers to grow his business over the years, but never felt comfortable with anyone until Streep came along. They decided to move forward, and found the unfinished space on 39th Street. They brought in Tommy Polihronopoulos, of NYC Perfect Builders, to transform what were old offices into a vibrant storefront business.

“The idea was for somebody to build another location, then run it,” said Momente. “We all have different skills. I’m the food person, Jon’s in charge of the staff and running the business day to day, and Tommy’s the builder. You don’t want two cooks in the same place, so we all bring unique ideas for Alidoro, now and in the future.”

Within days of opening, word spread and the line at Alidoro was out the door for lunch. With 15 workers inside, it moves fast. The long, visually pleasing space includes Venetian-inspired stucco-pained walls, a long bar running the length of the restaurant, and tables and benches seating 40.
Momente has perfected the 40-plus cold-only sandwiches over the years.

“One of the things we don’t do is allow people to make their own sandwich,” explained Streep. “The reason is that each has been carefully composed. We’re very particular with what combinations are used, and how they’re used.

“And sandwiches are cold because raw is how these kinds of foods taste best.”

Streep pointed out that quality trumps all at Alidoro.

“We have seven kinds of bread, from five different vendors,” he said. “I could easily get all the bread from one vendor, but we like specific breads from specific vendors.”

As the manager at 39th Street, Streep’s eyes and ears are always open. “I want to know what customers think,” he said. “A lot of new customers don’t get the cold concept right away. Then they try a sandwich and they get it.”

Alidoro is also open for breakfast to serve the masses that emerge from nearly Grand Central Station on their way to work. Streep says office catering is also gaining a solid foothold.

Streep is working way more than he ever did in the corporate world, and loving it.

“Some days I’m up at 3 a.m.,” he said. “There’s just so much to do, even when we’re not open. I’m trying to focus on the now, even though I have all kinds of ideas for the future. But now is the time to perfect what we have.

“I called my folks the other day and told them that I finally found what I should be doing with my life.”

More info: alidoronyc.com

Dave Keeffe is about to run his 23rd consecutive Boston Marathon. For this New Canaan resident, running the event creates a rare combination of self-reliance and community.

First and foremost, Keeffe, is a competitive athlete. He does not just run the marathon. “Mile by mile I am trying to make a number,” he said, his own time, that is. He competes against his personal bests.

“You know it’s going to hurt,” Keeffe said of the nature of the sport, as he sat with the Advertiser at Tony’s Deli last week. “There is a challenge to dealing with that. You need to work through it.” He said he finds satisfaction in having a plan for the race, being entirely on his own to achieve it, and having it work out.

“No one knows how fast I run,” he said. “It’s completely up to me. Sometimes you have run 25 miles, and you know you need to run the last mile as fast as the first mile, in order to qualify” for a major event like Boston.

Dave Keeffe of New Canaan, shown here in the New York City Marathon in 2007, is preparing for his 23rd consecutive Boston Marathon on April 20. He thrives on the self-reliance required in distance running and gains satisfaction from supporting The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp as he runs.

That self-reliance appeals to Keeffe. “I am an off-the-charts introvert,” he said with a peaceful smile. “In the race no one talks to me. No one bothers me. You’re on your own.”

While being on his own is part of what appeals to competing in marathons, Keeffe also speaks of being part of a unique international community — a feeling he said he gets particularly when gathering with hundreds of other runners at the start area. “Runners have a common interest. Everyone is nervous, and everyone has a story — from Brazil to next door.”

The 58-year-old marketing executive and principal of Green Mountain Window and Door Company, benefits from another community of moral supporters too, his family — wife Dina, daughters Elizabeth and Catharine, and son Christopher.

‘Boston Strong’

Keeffe has run the New York City Marathon and others, but Boston, for him, is special. It connects him to his childhood when, growing up in nearby Sudbury, Mass., his parents would take him to watch the Marathon. He said he likes to “touch base” with that part of his life. It was not until age 35 that Keeffe was fast enough to qualify for the event.

Last year, despite the fact that he was still recovering from serious back and leg injuries, there was no keeping Keeffe away from the Boston Marathon. The 2014 event was the first Boston Marathon after the 2013 bombing there, when terrorists killed four individuals and wounded hundreds. “I had to be there last year,” Keeffe said, “to show that they didn’t get us; they missed me by 15 minutes.”

“‘Boston Strong’ was everywhere.”

The competitive spirit within Keeffe led him to qualify for his first marathon and it has kept him as a time qualifier since then. At his current age a runner vmust make a time of three hours 40 minutes in an approved 26.2-mile event. Other runners may gain entry to the race through sponsors’ exemptions and other legitimate means.

What keeps him running, though, about 30 miles each week and competitively year after year, is a combination of the inner calm that he achieves — Keeffe says that running also gives him time to reflect and think deeply — and contributing to improving the lives of those who are suffering.

This year when he is not tracking his marks and his time in his head he will be remembering a friend who connected him years ago with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp — a medically supervised camp for young people with cancer and other illnesses, a charity that Keeffe still runs to support.

“My worst day is better than their best day,” Keeffe said of the children battling disease. “I don’t want to forget that.”

To be officially affiliated with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, runners must commit to donating $7,500, and most count on contributors and sponsors to raise that money.

People may offer support to Keeffe at keeffe56@optonline.net, or by going to crowdrise.com/teamhitw2015boston/fundraiser/davidkeeffe

April 20 will be Boston Marathon number 23 for Keeffe, and he aims to join the 25-year-club in a couple more years. Membership there is reserved not just for those who have run Boston 25 times, but 25 years in a row.

Rich, left, Alexandra, Luke, Michael, Matthew and Michelle Riley.

A few years ago, when Rich and Michelle Riley were trying to decide in which Fairfield County town to settle and raise their family, New Canaan had everything they wanted, but Rich had one stressor — getting back and forth to work in Manhattan.

“I was concerned with the length of the train ride,” he said. “We’d just lived in Geneva, Switzerland, where I rode my bike to work, through vineyards, with Mont Blanc in the background. So I was a little spoiled, put it that way.”

His worry was for naught, as he soon discovered the Talmadge Hill train into Grand Central Station was direct and barely over an hour. “And I’ve found that the ride is a very productive time for me,” he admitted. “I just crank out emails and work.”

As the CEO of Shazam, one of the planet’s top 20 apps (there are 1.4 million apps in the iOS App Store), Riley’s world is one of non-stop action and travel weekdays, and family togetherness weekends.

His career arc is shooting straight up. At 41 he is leading a major international technology company, after first starting his own small business, selling it to Yahoo, then working there for over 13 years.

After living in Geneva, London, San Francisco and New York, he was recruited to captain Shazam, which needed someone to take the company to the next level. While his globetrotting hasn’t changed, he has established a permanent base here with Michelle and their four children.

“I travel well over 100,000 miles a year,” he said. “Silicon Valley is a very frequent stop. In my Yahoo role I ran teams across the Middle East, Europe and Africa. There were offices in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Munich, Paris, Madrid and many other places.

“With Shazam I’ve been from Seattle to Seoul in the last year. Typically when I’m on the road I just go all-in, a total workathon. I’ll work every second I can, and then I’m going to get home to New Canaan. I almost never miss a weekend here. So if I’m going far away, I’ll fly out late Sunday night and get back Friday.”

Good thing, because his presence weekends is definitely required.

The Riley kids include Alexandra, 12, a 7th grader at Saxe Middle School; Michael, 11, a 5th grader at Saxe; Matthew, 8, a 2nd grader at South Elementary School; and Luke, 6, in kindergarten at South.

Rich at his home office desk.

Michelle was attending the University of Pennsylvania when she met Rich, who was in the school’s Wharton undergrad program. She would earn a master’s degree in education and teach high school after they married. When the kids started coming and the family moved to Europe, she became a full-time mom, a role she cherishes.

She too is delighted with their choice of towns.

“I love New Canaan,” she said. “It’s a wonderful community. People are very warm and welcoming. It’s a good place to settle and raise a family. Now that the children are getting a little older I want to be more active in education. Maybe start subbing first so I can get to know the schools better. I really miss teaching and being in classrooms.”

Rich and Michelle were in for a little culture shock living in Europe before moving to New Canaan with their kids coming of age.

“With four kids all playing several sports each, it’s a lot of time on the fields and in the gym,” said Rich. “Michelle’s driving, I’m driving… and we sometimes have babysitters helping!

“I knew I’d sort of gone native when Michael made the travel basketball team. There’s like three games and two practices a week, and that sounded perfectly good to me, sounded great.”

Come the end of the weekend, Rich’s mind turns back to Shazam, and what’s next for him and his company. The plaudits and growth seem to be multiplying exponentially. Riley’s journey that would eventually land him at Shazam began when he had an idea many years ago.

“I was on a plane and thought of organizing usernames and passwords,” he said. “I started a company and we invented the Toolbar. In time we would sell it to Jerry Yang and Yahoo, and we moved to San Francisco to work for Yahoo. We came back to New York, where I was running the Americas region for them.”

Eventually Riley was contacted by a friend at an executive search firm who thought he’d be a great fit at Shazam. It came together, and now the native of Austin, TX. is guiding a company that started as a simple smartphone application that can identify songs to one moving into retail, movies and many other segments.

Music remains the core, though, and Riley was recently named #57 on Billboard magazine’s Power 100, the most powerful people in music.

“That was a nice reinforcement of Shazam’s importance to the music business,” he said.

The privately held company was just valued at $1 billion after raising $30 million in new funding. There are rumors that an initial public offering could follow at some point soon.

Shazam has more than 100 million monthly active mobile users, placing the company in an elite echelon of only a handful of mobile brands.

“We’re excited to continue to focus on user growth and engagement, building on our strength in music and innovating to increase the universe of what is Shazamable in order to realize the enormous potential of Shazam,” Riley stated.

So, what about the Riley kids? Do they know dad has more than a little clout in an industry teens with their smartphones love to access?

“They’re starting to,” said a bemused Michelle. “If they talk about someone cool, Rich can say he knows who they are and has talked to their manager. Taylor Swift is coming this summer, so that’s a concert request they’ve made, but we try to keep it under control.”

Rich enjoys a few music perks as well, such as attending the Grammy Awards, but even then his mind is focused on Shazam.

“The Grammies were Shazamed 1.6 million times,” he said. “We’ve become a verb. ‘Shazam this, Shazam that.’ It used to be that you’d just use Shazam to ID a song. Now we have content based on what’s Shazamed.

“We are on hundreds of millions of phones already. We update the app every month. So the whole company, over 250 people now and growing, is on a monthly sprint.”

The Rileys slow down, so to speak, on weekends. They have embraced the New Canaan community. Michelle is involved with New Canaan Cares, Newcomers, the International Club, the school PTCs, and does work with New Canaan Library and Community Foundations as well as the family’s church, St. Aloysius.

Rich coaches a youth basketball team in town, is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, and is on the Board of the Entrepreneurship Department at the Wharton School.

It is a full, busy life for both.

“We are a happy family and feel good about things,” Rich said. “It’s life at full speed. We have to make sure today works, tomorrow is set up properly and the next day after that, too. There’s not a lot of time for reflection. But of course we’re grateful that business has worked out and that our kids are all doing well. We’re happy with the schools and community, and have made a lot of friends.”

Those Who Wander, a feature film by Abigail Schwarz and Nicola Scandiffio, both formerly of New Canaan, recently had its first screening at the Ridgefield Playhouse. Both of the film’s creators were in town for the red-carpet event. The movie, which stars Bonnie Wright of Harry Potter film fame, was written and directed by Schwarz, and produced by Scandiffio.

Schwarz and Scandiffio graduated from New Canaan High School in 2010 and 2011 respectively, and although the two did not know each other well there, they met and formed a creative partnership soon after, and now co-own their own production company, Rival Film. Those Who Wander was funded by private investors and an ambitious Kickstarter campaign, and the film’s first screening at the Ridgefield Playhouse was a glittery private event for the film’s investors, featuring a brief talk by both artists, who thanked the community for their support, mentioning that more than 600 people had a hand in the film, the screening, and a private cocktail reception.

Greg Reilly

Greg Reilly will take over the New Canaan Advertiser as its editor next month when Joshua Fisher moves on to the new digital department of the paper’s parent company.

Reilly, who lives in Silvermine, has been the editor of Hersam Acorn Newspapers’ Stratford Star for the past two years. He previously published the periodical New Canaan Matters, from 2003 to 2005, which expanded into Local Matters, covering New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk, and Stamford. He is also a past president of Business Networking International’s New Canaan chapter.

Joshua Fisher

Fisher, who became the Advertiser editor in August 2012, will become Hersam Acorn’s audience development and engagement director, charged with growing the company’s digital presence across southwestern Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y.

“New Canaan has been a truly special and challenging town to cover,” said Fisher, a graduate of St. Luke’s School in town. “This may be a small town but it’s an active town full of wonderful and interesting people. I hope our readers feel we have done a good job showing off the many sides of New Canaan in the paper and on our website. I will certainly miss many of the great people I’ve gotten to meet and work with over the past two and a half years.”

Hersam Acorn, has 13 local newspapers and dozens of local news and lifestyle websites in the area, including NCAdvertiser.com, which has grown to average more than 140,000 unique pageviews per month over the past year.

The Advertiser’s website, last year, was named the top weekly newspaper website by the New England Newspaper & Press Association.

“This is an exciting time for the Advertiser and Hersam Acorn,” Martin V. Hersam, the company COO, said. “Josh has done an excellent job as editor of the Advertiser just as he did as editor of The Darien Times before coming to New Canaan. He built both publications into digital powerhouses in their markets. He continues to use an innovative approach to building online audiences via creative use of content and social channels while upholding the highest standards of journalism our readers have come to expect… He will be tasked with using what he’s learned in Darien and New Canaan and deploying it across all of our news and lifestyle websites.”

Reilly is a Darien native who raised his three children in New Canaan through St. Aloysius School and New Canaan High School.

“I am truly honored to be working at the Advertiser, such a longtime leader for the New Canaan community and an important property for the company,” Reilly said. “With such a great team in place, I will work hard to maintain all of the excellent standards already at the Advertiser. And I look forward to helping the paper and its online properties grow, evolve and prosper in this era of digital print communications.”

The new editor learned the production, circulation and advertising sides of the business at a mom-and-pop publisher in Darien, he said. Reilly then became the editor and publisher at Times Mirror Magazines before becoming an advertising manager and publisher at The New York Times Co. Magazine Group.

“Greg joins a great editorial team in New Canaan with associate editor Aaron Marsh, managing editor Michael Catarevas and sports editor Dave Stewart,” Hersam said. “Greg has had a great run with us as editor of The Stratford Star and now he’s coming home to New Canaan. Greg also brings a wealth of national magazine publishing and sales experience to Hersam Acorn — something that will continue to serve us well.”

Reilly starts at the Advertiser today and will be at the newspaper’s weekly community coffee, Friday at 9 a.m., at the Historical Society. He will be working with Fisher on the next two editions of the paper to ease the transition. This Friday’s coffee, however, will be the last one led by Fisher.

“Greg is lucky to be inheriting such an impressive staff on Vitti Street,” Fisher said. “I am excited for the new challenges ahead. It’s been a privilege to work with the men and women who help create the Advertiser everyday online and every week in print. I am going to miss this place.”

Zach Seger.

Not only was New Canaan High School award-winning artist Zachary Seger’s career path established early in life, so too was his steely determination, forceful attitude and uniquely creative mind.

The first two parts of that trifecta came in pre-school, when he was scolded for spending too much time drawing.

“I got in trouble with the principal, who had a folder of pictures that were all mine,” said Seger, 18. “I remember I would keep drawing as she was talking to me about what I did wrong.”

His talent was apparent in kindergarten.

“Zach’s teacher told me that he’s really, really artistic,” recalled his mom, Alison. “I was like, ‘okay…’ She said, ‘No, no, no. I always have kids draw pictures of the school. In all my years of teaching art, Zach’s was the first one done in 3D.’

“So that was the first indication that his art didn’t come from what he saw, from external things. It came from inside his head.”

Well, he’s on quite a head-trip now.

Seger has earned national recognition in The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2015, with a Silver Medal with Distinction for his art portfolio. Since 1923, the awards have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of America’s youth.

Seger was identified by panels of creative professionals as one of the most gifted young artists in the nation. The jurors felt that his work best exemplified the core judging criteria of originality, technical skill and emergence of a personal vision. A Portfolio Silver Medal with Distinction includes a $1,000 scholarship to support education and creative development.

This year, over 300,000 works of art and writing were submitted, and just 16 artists received a Silver Medal with Distinction or a Gold Medal for an art portfolio at the national level.

By winning a Scholastic Art & Writing Award, Seger joins a legacy of celebrated artists and authors, such as Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Ken Burns and Lena Dunham.

Seger studies AP art in Jeanne McDonagh’s class. He earned his award with a portfolio of surrealistic art which will be on exhibit in the upcoming 28th Annual Senior Art Show, Level Up, April 23-June 8 at NCHS.
“He’s very gifted, and he goes above and beyond what you expect,” said McDonagh, who has taught art at NCHS for 28 years. “It’s a creative adventure, for the teacher, too.”

Seger’s work is primarily digital, working on a computer combining pictures with various lighting effects. “I do a lot of photography, graphic design and Photoshop,” he said. “With computers it’s a new age in art, something different being explored.

“I’ll see something normal like a flower and think it would be cool to change that into something else. It’s spontaneous. About 75% of my creating is on computer. I do a little painting too, but don’t like how messy it is. I also do a lot of pen drawings.”

Seger has recently had some amazing achievements. In addition to the Scholastic award, he just got a $40,000 Art Merit scholarship to Bucknell University, which he will attend in the fall. He was also awarded, but will not accept, an $84,000 art scholarship from the University of Hartford.

In the last few years his work captured first prize in the Carriage Barn photography show, and Stamford Art Association High School Scholarship show.

Eye ordeal threatened future

An accomplished athlete as well as an artist, Seger faced an uncertain future when out of nowhere he faced a crisis with his right eye.

He’d been on the NCHS varsity soccer team since sophomore year, as well as playing lacrosse. During a soccer game last year, he suddenly lost the ability to focus with the eye.

“I looked down at the ball and it was blurry,” he said. “I went to an eye doctor, who referred me to a retina specialist. At that point I could not even read the big ‘E’ on the eye chart.”

Seger was diagnosed with vitreomacular traction, in which something unknown, but usually age, causes the vitreous of the eye to pull away from the retina. It mostly occurs to people over age 70.

Surgery was required. From being perfectly healthy, a sports star and emerging artist, Seger found himself in a frightening situation at 17.

“I was confused and scared,” he admitted. “Eyes are so complex. After the surgery they put a gas bubble in my eye to press against the hole, and I had to stay face down for three weeks. I drank everything with a straw, slept face down on a massage bed with a hole for my head, and the little walking around I did I had to look down.
“I didn’t go to school for three weeks, and after the surgery it was like looking through a really dirty fish tank with algae.”

Thankfully Seger recovered fully, and has his 20/20 vision back.

“Art had been Zach’s hobby before the eye situation,” said his mom. “After it he decided to focus on it much more, and it’s amazing how things have progressed. What he went through was scary, but this is the silver lining.”
Seger’s proficiency with computer programs has helped him create what his mind envisions.

“I teach the digital art program,” said McDonagh, who had guided Seger for all four high school years. “He has always taken assignments to a higher level, inventing things on his own. He’s taught himself advanced computer programs.”

Some of those include Adobe After Effects (motion graphics), Autodesk Maya (3D animation), Bank You Very Much (graphic design contests) and Cinema 4D (3D animation).

While his computer art is stunning, Seger’s hand-drawn images are also fascinating to behold.

“I’ve taken classes in figure drawing, nudes and charcoal drawing,” he said. “It’s kinda cool learning new things and doing new stuff.”

His mom concurs.

“Seriously, you should see his planners,” she said. “He never writes down what homework he has but the pages are filled with strange characters. It is fascinating to watch him draw. I don’t know where the visions come from but they seem to flow effortlessly from his pen and come to life on the paper.”

Bucknell beckons

Continuing his art and education at Bucknell is an exciting prospect for Seger, who was thrilled to receive the scholarship there. He had to earn it with a presentation that initially worried him.

“I applied for it, and kept them aware that I was winning some other things,” he said. “I had to go there and present my portfolio of work to the art faculty. It was scary at first, but they were relaxed interviews. Since I had early-decisioned there and was accepted, the scholarship was a bonus.”

His mother is even more excited about it.

“Zach is part of a ‘blended’ family,” she said. “Seven kids, seven college educations. So every little thing helps.

The plan for Seger is to major in art while also studying marketing, branding and advertising. “He can do anything with his skill set,” said McDonagh. “With his creative ability, marketing could be a good fit. He has the ability to be self directed. He’s exceptional in that way.”

Seger, who has lived in New Canaan his whole life, is unfazed by the attention and plaudits. Laid back and calm, he’s happy with where he is in life and plans to move forward at his own pace.

“Pressure? Not really,” he said when asked if he feels it a challenge to top himself. “I’m just going to continue to have fun with it. See where the art goes.”

More info: zseger.com; 203-705-9472.

Cameron, right, with Ringo Starr.

Talk about a Day Tripper.

Cameron Schaffer, 12, of New Canaan, met one of the most influential people in his life recently at the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, where the legendary Paul McCartney inducted his great friend and former bandmate Ringo Starr.

With McCartney as a major inspiration, Cameron has been playing guitar since he was four and performed Blackbird in fourth grade at the annual talent show held at Saxe Middle School. He also became a vegetarian five years ago after seeing a video from McCartney. Cameron called McCartney “one of the nicest people I’ve ever met… and the most talented.”

Thanks to his dad, HBO Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications Quentin Schaffer, Cameron attended the fesivities, including practice sessions, where the musicians are relaxed and amiable. HBO does a special on the show, which will air in May.

“I’ve taken Cameron to a lot of concerts. The Who, Pink Floyd,” said Quentin. “I thought maybe I can take him out of school for a few days to go to Cleveland for the Hall of Fame. First he met Ringo Starr, then this year he was lucky enough to meet McCartney.

“All my life I would have loved to meet the Beatles. When you’re a kid, musicians are really nice to you.”

Cameron, who has played with the New Canaan School of Rock for three years, said it was a blast to meet Paul.

“I loved it; he was really nice,” he said. “I told him I’m a vegetarian just like him. We talked for maybe three minutes. And he signed my guitar.”

The young guitarist said he is trying to write songs now, and knows McCartney’s work with Wings as well as the Beatles.

“We did a Wings show at School of Rock. So it was cool to meet him. He said ‘cheers’ and stuff.”

Dad Quentin was impressed with the rock icon.

“After I took a picture of Paul with Cameron, Paul said wait a minute, let’s do a fun one,” said the HBO exec. “Then he did this joke one pretending to punch Cameron. That’s how nice a guy he is. So playful. Somebody like that doesn’t have to give you the time of day.”

Playful Paul.

Quentin added that Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison were also on hand to honor Ringo.

“It was really sweet,” he said. “Ringo was the Beatle who got along with all of them. You could see they were all happy to be seated together. It was just so cool to see. It was history.”