Life + Culture

Advocating for the Underdog

At 87, Dr. Darla Shaw is Still Looking for the Person Who Needs Someone in Their Corner Article by Katie Parry Darla Shaw knows a thing or two about underdogs. She’s been one herself—many times, in fact, over her nearly nine decades of life. But because of that—in defiance of it, even—Darla has made it her mission to support the underdog. She says she would not be where she is today if she hadn’t had someone in her corner. For Darla, that someone was her father, Robert Hall. And so...

Life + Culture

Young Leaders, Big Ideas

How Six Local Teens Are Turning Their Passions Into Purpose Through SOAR Together Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl It’s no surprise that the more connected and plugged in we are these days, the further we sometimes feel from one another. We’re spending more time behind screens and less time having the kind of face-to-face conversations that make us feel connected to the people around us. SOAR Together, a local nonprofit organization, was founded in 2023 by Ginger Smith to...

Fitness

Beyond the Barre

Five Seniors Reflect on Growing Up at Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance Article by Katie Parry For five high school seniors, leaving Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance (RCD) means saying goodbye to a place that has been part of their lives for years. Anahit Abernethy, Evangelina Bloechle, Victoria Diana, and Hadley Hopke will graduate from Ridgefield High School in June, while Charlotte Jacobs will graduate from John Jay. After all this time, they’ll take with them plenty of the expected lessons...

Auto + Marine

The Road Back

Jason Reiss Returns to Danbury Road, Bringing Route 7 Nissan and a Customer-First Philosophy Back With Him Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Natasha Fleming When Jason Reiss first walked through the doors of the Nissan dealership on Danbury Road, he had no way of knowing that he would leave it one day—only to come back as Executive Manager. Cars weren’t really Jason’s thing—at least, not like his 3-year-old son, whom Jason says is a “car guru.” (He walks around with a backpack full of...