Welcoming Ira Joe Fisher to the Community Stroll Family

We’re thrilled to announce an exciting new chapter at Community Stroll: the addition of Ira Joe Fisher as our distinguished new contributor!

Ira Joe, Ridgefield’s celebrated Poet Laureate, Emmy-winning broadcaster, actor, and educator, will now bring his poetic insight, storytelling flair, and warm community voice to our website, social media platforms, and newsletter. His ongoing series of “P-06877-etry”—short, reflective videos filmed in Ridgefield—was a beloved feature in the HamletHub, and we are thrilled to have him continue his series with us.   He has authored five collections of poetry (the latest is The Birth of Snow) and essays titled Wide and Wavy Out of Salamanca.

For so many of us here in Ridgefield who once called New York City home—including myself—Ira Joe has been a familiar face and voice for decades. I still remember watching him deliver the news each night, with his signature warmth and charm. To now have him as part of our own community—and sharing his creativity through Community Stroll—is a full-circle moment we couldn’t be more excited about.

Take a glimpse back at one of Ira Joe’s most memorable moments as a broadcaster—the weather reporter who could even write backwards on live TV:

While that clip reflects Ira Joe’s playful weather reporting roots, his current work is deeply rooted in poetry. He’s been sharing brief rhymed reflections—like “STILL”, filmed amidst blooming rhododendrons, and other landscapes “from the hills of West Mountain”—bringing Ridgefield’s beauty into each verse.

With a career spanning nearly six decades—writing, broadcasting across major networks, acting on stage, and teaching poetry and creative writing at UConn, Mercy College, and Founders Hall—he brings extraordinary breadth and depth to Community Stroll.

Wait for it......