Oh how I wish I could say that this was Whole Foods Norwalk. And a Pho bar, how cool is that!

From a press release:

WHAT: Whole Foods Market will welcome summer with the arrival of its 7^th Connecticut location in Darien on

Wednesday, May 19th with a sneak-peek pre-opening party on Monday, May 17th. Just in time for the season, the unique design of the new store will delight shoppers with many unique store highlights including:

• A full-service barbeque bar where diners can enjoy fresh-off-the-grill BBQ
• Keeping in line with the Whole Foods Market national Health Starts Here program, there will be a Healthy Eating Center where an onsite team member will be available all day for free healthy eating tips and demonstrations.
• Freshly squeezed juice bar, house-made smoothies and gelato
• Kombucha taps to quench the thirst for probiotics and vitamins
• First-to-the-region car recharging stations in designated parking spaces

Spanning over 50,000 sq ft, the new store offers a host of exciting features including:

• Vast produce section with seasonal and local offerings
• Indulgent bakery section serving fresh-made breads and pies and a wide selection of gluten-free options
• The seafood department features guaranteed fresh seafood bought straight from local boats
• Always hormone- and antibiotic-free meat department featuring a variety of high quality dry aged beef, house-made sausages, ready-to-cook items and kosher options
• A bulk isle in the grocery department will include cereal and snack bins of staples including grains, pastas, granolas, candy and nuts
• Extensive prepared foods section offering a variety of entrée salads and hot soups, fresh baked pizza and paninis, sushi and Vietnamese Pho bar, and grab-and-go Indian and Vegan/Vegetarian Asian fare

WHEN:  MAY 17th 2010 :: SNEAK-PEEK EVENT

5:00 PM — 8:00 PM

**Darien area residents are invited to a sneak-peek pre-opening event to check out the new store and learn about all it has to offer. Entry is $10 with all proceeds benefitting Person to Person a local volunteer-driven agency that through a sharing of goods and talents, responds to our neighbors who lack basic necessities and resources to improve their lives

MAY 19th 2010 :: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

8:45 AM Bread Breaking Ceremony

WHERE:  Whole Foods Market, Darien

150 Ledge Road

Darien, CT 06820

Store Hours: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM

RSVP: Those interested in attending the sneak preview event, please visit:

http://darien.wholefoodsmarketevents.com or

Contact Ivy Goldberg, 646-300-6686 or events@organicworkspr.com

According to a report in the Courant, the Shaws chain of grocery stores in Connecticut is no more. The stores have been sold with the one in Darien becoming a Stop N Shop. Apparently Darien isn’t tony enough to warrant a Fairway. Then again, Darien is getting a Whole Foods. Stamford already has one. Siiggghhh. Will Norwalk ever get its act together to land a Whole Foods or Trader Joes?

Two articles in the past few days about earmarks just make me think Norwalk goes about the funding process in a dysfunctional way. The Hour reported on the Norwalk Transit District’s inability to get state matching funds for a federally funded project to upgrade the bus hub on Burnell Blvd.

The contretemps outlined in The Hour via a series of memos, is fascinating. Schulman, via The Hour says he can’t get the federal funds because he doesn’t have the state matching funds of $400k. The DOT commissioner says that the federal funds flowed directly the Transit District, meaning Schulman already has them, and that the DOT never provides matching funds for local transit district projects.

Hrmm, could it be that the because the bus hub doesn’t fit into the the intermodal variety, the DOT wants nothing to do with it?

And then there’s the request of $400k before the State Bonding Commission for the $400k that supposedly is in process too.

Meanwhile the House of Representatives Thursday according to Jim Himes, D-4, passed a bill delivering earmarks for all, but here are the Fairfield County earmarks according to the Advocate:

• $250,000 for Darien to develop new affordable housing

• $175,000 for in-car camera technology upgrades for the State Police,

• $500,000 for the Courage to Speak Foundation, a drug-prevention non-profit in Norwalk.

• $500,000 for demolition of the Congress Street Bridge in Bridgeport

• $1.8 million towards rebuilding it Congress Street Bridge in Bridgeport

• $700,000 for Bridgeport’s Total Learning Program, run by ABCD Inc.

• $2 million for the second phase of the Stamford Urban Transitway, a commuter road linking Atlantic and East Main Street

• $2.4 million for the Bridgeport Intermodal Transportation Center, which links rail, local and interstate buses, ferry service, taxicabs and airport shuttles.

So out of federal dollars, nothing for Norwalk really. Yet there’s some substantial need for an intermodal transit hub in Norwalk, since Norwalk contains the Danbury rail spur that services Wilton. There’s even plans in the work, which is so far under the radar, the only reason I know about it is because we have a zoning commissioner that is assigned to study committee. Check out www.sonorailstudy.org.

This leads to the bigger questions. Why are we building anything at Burnell Blvd. when the smart thing to do is create a real transit hub at the South Norwalk train station that serves our regional mass transit needs and connects our downtown and office park areas efficiently? Why is Congress funding Norwalk earmark dollars to the Courage To Speak Foundation when there’s no evidence that this anti-drug program does anything substantiated to reduce drug use by students. A short review of local news stories of drug ring busts that service New Canaan high school students should stand as evidence numero uno that these types of programs are useless.

In the end, the saga of the Burnell Blvd. will continue. And on this latest spending bill it is right to conclude that� Norwalk got nothing. The larger question will just hang out there.

State Senator Bob Duff is encouraging people to help out the local food bank. He forwarded this message:

Please join me in helping The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc. There is so much need this year and I know that none of you want to see a family go without this Thanksgiving. After speaking with the executive director, I asked her to send me an email, which is below.

Thank you,
Bob

From: Kate Lombardo [mailto:klombardo@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wed 11/18/2009 11:40 AM
To: Sen. Duff, Bob
Subject: Your community needs your help…please

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc.
461 Glenbrook Road
Stamford, CT 06906
Ph (203) 358-8898
Fax (203) 358-8306
www.foodbanklfc.org

Serving the towns of Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan,
Norwalk, Stamford, and Wilton
November 16, 2009
Dear Neighbor,
Every now and again there comes a time when we must reach out and help our neighbor. The severe economic crisis has brought us to one of those times.

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc. is trying to feed 15,000 families this Thanksgiving. So many families are treading water just trying to keep pace with paying their bills and feeding their children. Fairfield County is home to many individuals who have been laid off. Therefore they are seeking help from their community, some for the very first time in their lives.

Our proud senior citizens are being forced to choose between taking their medication and eating. These individuals worked hard to build, protect and nurture our nation. They did this so that they and future generations could live the “American Dream”. That dream does not include hunger.

The Food Bank serves the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk and Wilton. Last year, The Food Bank distributed 1.2 million pounds of food to non-profit agencies such as food pantries, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.

Please make a donation and help us provide those in need with a wonderful Thanksgiving Day meal and respite from the harsh conditions of hunger and poverty.

All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your support,

Sincerely
Kate Lombardo
Executive Director

Beginning Monday, Aug. 17, the state Dept. of� Transportation will be conducting a bridge maintenance project on I-95 north and south from Exit 2 in Greenwich to Exit 16 in Norwalk. The project is to continue to Friday, Aug. 28. Work is scheduled to occur from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday evenings.

For more information, visit the ConnDOT website: www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=445036

Norwalk’s various institutions will be hit by bonding that Rell is proposing to stop. So does Stamford. Bond issuances are solely at the discretion of the Governor.

Norwalk:

Darien

• Grant-in-aid to the Darien Arts Center for�infrastructure renewal projects
  • $50k

Westport

• Grant-in-aid to the town of Westport for new construction at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the Westport Historical Society for retirement of outstanding debt
  • $600k
• Grant-in-aid to the Saugatuck Senior Cooperative inWestport for roof replacement
  • $250k

Greenwich

• Grant-in-aid to the town of Greenwich for renovation of existing, or construction of new, exhibition areas, teaching spaces and the science gallery at the Bruce Museum
  • $750,000

Bridgeport

• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for purchase and installation of a public safety video surveillance system
  • $300k
• Grant-in-aid to the Barnum Museum Foundation, Inc. for renovations at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport
  • $1.250,000
• Grant-in-aid to Bridgeport for the design and construction of the Congress Street Bridge
  • $10,000,000
• Grants-in-aid to municipalities and organizations that are exempt from taxation under Section
• 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for cultural and entertainment-related economic development projects, including projects at museums, provided (A) $ 1,000,000 shall be made available for the Bridgeport Downtown Cabaret
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for revitalization of the Hollow Neighborhood
  • $500,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for improvements to the Palace Theater
  • $250,000
• Grant-in-aid to the Connecticut Zoological Society for the planning and development of the Andes Adventure Exhibit at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport
  • $800,000
• Grant-in-aid to Bridgeport for a feasibility study for the Congress Street Plaza urban renewal area in Bridgeport
  • $250k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for planning and implementation of the Upper Reservoir Avenue Corridor Revitalization Initiative Project
  • $250k
• Grant-in-aid to the Fairfield County Housing Partnership for land acquisition, design, development and construction of an independent living facility in Bridgeport
  • $750k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the Madison Avenue Gateway Revitalization streetscape project
  • $2,500,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the Black Rock Gateway project
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for purchase of a water taxi, construction of docks and construction of the Pleasure Beach retractable pedestrian bridge
  • $3,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the design and construction of the Congress Street Bridge
  • $5,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the Bridgeport Port Authority for improvements to the Derecktor Shipyard, including remediation, dredging, bulkheading and construction of Phase 2 of the Derecktor Shipyard Economic
  • $1,750,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for improvements to Bluefish Stadium
  • 400,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for repair and improvements on State Road 59 between the North Avenue and Capitol Avenue intersections, including median and sidewalk renovations
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the Black Rock Gateway project
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the City of Bridgeport for the remediation of the waterfront including any predevelopment costs
  • $10,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for day care, a community room and a playground at West End School
  • $350k
• Grant-in-aid to Action for Bridgeport Community, Inc. for acquisition and renovation of property for an early learning center
  • $1,200,000
• Feasibility study for establishment of an education center in the city of Bridgeport
  • $250k

Fairfield

• Grant-in-aid to the Fairfield Theatre Company, for purchase and installation of a sprinkler system
  • $100k
• Grant-in-aid to the town of Fairfield for repair and improvements on State Road 59 between the North Avenue and Capitol Avenue intersections, including median and sidewalk renovations
  • $850,000

Stamford

• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for radio systems to improve police and fire department communications
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for park restoration and infrastructure improvements
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for the Holly Pond Tidal Restoration project
  • $750k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for�improvements to the playgrounds and athletic fields at Springdale School
  • $100k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for purchase by the Stamford Health Department of a mobile medical unit for the uninsured and elderly
  • $250k
• Grant-in-aid to the Stamford Hospital Foundation for�purchase of a digital mobile mammography unit
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for architectural, engineering and other site preparation services and costs for the Hunt Center for Pre-K Education in Stamford
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut in Stamford for expansion
  • $500k

One of the striking things about this list is how much state aide goes to Bridgeport versus the rest of Fairfield County. Then again, look at the overall bonding list and see the distribution overall. WTNH is reporting that these bonding projects were approved as far back as 2007.

The odd thing is that much of these bonds whether you agree that the state should incur debt or not, go to rebuilding or building something. In short, the types of jobs that spur the economic activity in the state of Connecticut. SOme of which I bet has to do with matching funds from federal grants. Yet here is Rell halting the funding for projects that would put many people to work. It’ll be interesting to see what the spin in all this is beyond the legislature, when the cities who are most affected now have to cough up money for projects.

A hat tip to SecondhandRose for pointing out the WTNH story that led to the list.

The Darien politics remains curious. With First Selectman Evonne Klein not running for re-election, the Democrats seem a tad bit disorganized. They’ve named only two candidates to run for the 5-person board of selectmen — which means the Darien Republicans, despite their fractious state, coast into a majority by default.

Evonne Klein is not seeking re-election as Darien’s First�Selectman. Reportedly Callie Sullivan,�currently�Second Selectman, will run as the Democratic candidate. Klein has led a resurgent Democratic party in Darien to victories in the last few elections.