Local Services

Active Dog

How Eric Bleile Traded His Desk Job for a Life of Open Trails—and Tails Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Scott Sessions and Emily Perretti Eric Bleile has always loved dogs. Growing up in Maine, he was constantly outdoors—hiking, exploring, and spending time in nature alongside furry, four-legged friends. His career path, which began in finance in Chicago and eventually landed him at a hedge fund in Stamford, followed a fairly traditional route—at first. “A lot of companies didn’t...

Arts + Culture

Silly Goose

Grief, Grit, and Glitter: How Kate Haase-MacDonald Creates Joy Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl Photography If pressed to describe Kate Haase-MacDonald in one word, it would be: resilient . Six days shy of her daughter Mia’s first birthday, Kate’s husband Mike Ferranti died at just 39. She had recently started a new teaching position at The Windward School in White Plains—a school in Westchester dedicated to students with dyslexia. If we could use a few more words...

Life + Culture

Trailblazing Teenagers

Meet Four Ridgefield Students Making a Difference—In Our Community and Beyond Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Kate Wark Photography Ridgefield is a special place. Ask any resident why, and they’ll likely lead with the magic of Main Street—Deborah Ann’s, Books on the Common, the Memorial Day Parade. Ridgefield’s vibrant arts scene—The Aldrich, Ridgefield Playhouse, A.C.T of CT—would surely follow in a close second. And rounding out the top three? Ridgefield’s incredible sense of...

Education

Growing Green at Branchville Elementary

Students Plant a Pollinator Pathway to Support Bees, Butterflies, Birds—and a Greener Future Article by Katie Parry Branchville Elementary School (BES) celebrated Earth Week with a creative blend of hands-on learning, composting, and planting. On April 22, the Green Team, an initiative led by Sarah Motta-Stabile and Ella Lanzi, planted a pollinator pathway in the school’s garden.  Students got their hands dirty sowing native, pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds and planting blueberry bushes...

Local Services

KAZ Outdoors

The Zulkeski Brothers Are Reeling in Ridgefield’s Next Generation of Anglers Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Jennifer Zarine Photography The Zulkeski brothers have always loved fishing. We joined Kris and Kory one sunny morning at Mamanesco Lake. When Kris received a phone call, his fishing reel ringtone (which was impressively realistic, we must admit) perfectly underscored just how next-level their passion for the sport runs. As kids growing up in Norwalk, the brothers learned to...

Health + Wellness

Ridgefield’s Resident Renaissance Man

Dr. Blaine Langberg Article by Katie Parry Dr. Blaine Langberg, Ridgefield’s local orthodontist, is a man who wears many hats—and not just the funny ones he dons to celebrate his patients’ new smiles. Langberg majored in Mathematics and minored in English at Union College, where he wrote his thesis on fractal repetition structure in poetry. Specifically, he explored whether poets of nature employed more fractals—or repeating patterns—in their work than city-dwelling poets. This early academic...

Travel

Here Comes the Sun

Local Travel Agent Kelly Berlin Puts the Top Down on the Hottest Hotel Openings in the Region Article by Kelly Berlin With endless blue skies, shimmering sunshine and “just right” temps, there’s no place more idyllic than the East Coast in the summertime. And there’s no better way to soak it all in than with a summer road trip. Not sure where to set your GPS? We’ve got you covered with a round-up of the newest and most exciting hotel openings in the Northeast. From a hip hideaway in the...

Life + Culture

Ridgefield Commemorates America at 250

A Pledge Signed in Blood and Fire Article by Geoffrey Morris It was a hot July day in Philadelphia nearly 250 years ago when 56 men stepped forward and did something unthinkable. With ink and conviction, they signed a parchment that would become one of the most revered documents in history—the Declaration of Independence. But in 1776, it was not a sacred relic. It was a death warrant. These men, founders of a new nation that had yet to win a single battle, pledged their “lives, fortunes, and...

Education

Dolce Vida

Scott Callahan Is Reshaping Medical Aesthetics Through Expertise and Education Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl Photography With its sleek, chic sign and stunning antique exterior, Dolce Vida Medical Spa has a presence on Danbury Road that commands your attention. Whether entering through the grand front doors or the discreet side entrance, clients step into a whimsical, dazzling space—plush velvet chairs, a crackling fireplace, cheeky artwork alongside Rembrandt replicas...

Local Services

Lift. Move. Give.

How Ridgefield’s Ezra Zimmerman Turned EZ Services Into a Force for Good Article by Katie Parry EZ Services is not your average business. What sets it apart is its owner, Ezra Zimmerman. Zimmerman has lived in Ridgefield his entire life. He launched EZ Services in 2011, starting out with a little bit of everything—from tree work to junk removal to moving. Over the years, the company became more focused on moving. Now renowned throughout Fairfield County and beyond for its white-glove...