stratford star 9.1.11

24 PagesVolume XXVII, No. 35Thursday September 1, 2011

$1/Issue

SportsDan Paolini swinging big bat. 8A

Arts & Leisure ..................... 7AClassifieds ......................... 19AObituaries ........................... 8AOpinion .............................. 4APolice News ........................ 3ASports ............................... 18ASpotlight ........................... 14A

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John Kovach, Editor: 203-402-2319Bill Bloxsom, Sports: 203-402-2314

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Inside

Irene thrashes Stratford

By John KovachEditor

Stratford continues to assess the damage inflicted by Hurricane Irene Sunday, which left landmarks damaged, resi-dents without power and stu-dents with unexpected days off. School was scheduled to open Aug. 30, but will now resume Sept. 6. [See related story.]

Mayor John A. Harkins Wednesday ventured out on the police marine unit to assess coastal damage from Sunday’s storm, which had decreased from a hurricane to tropical storm strength.

Although weaker than worst-case forecasts, Irene pushed water over the shores of Stratford, and wind toppled trees that in turn tore down poles and power lines.

United Illuminating (UI)`reported that at the peak, 9,025 of the 23,053 homes

Weather service on Irene:

‘Could have been worse’ By David DesRoches

Staff

Emergency and municipal personnel continue to assess the damage of Tropical Storm Irene, the downgraded hurri-cane that flooded properties, knocked out power to more than 700,000 Connecticut homes and caused the death of more than 20 people on the East Coast.

“We knew early last week about the (hurricane’s) poten-tial, what we didn’t know was the intensity,” said David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The intensity is so difficult to forecast because of so many variables.”

United Illuminating had more than 200 crews work-

ing to restore power, which could remain out for days in some areas.

Although flooding is still a problem to many coastal areas, waters are beginning to recede, Stark said. The Stevenson Dam, between Monroe and Oxford, is an indi-cation of receding waterways and Stark said its high point has passed and was expected to drop below moderate stage by Wednesday.

Irene’s eye crossed 10 miles west of Danbury at 11 a.m. Sunday, Stark said, but it dropped rain in sporadic chunks, leaving 2.92 inches in Stamford but 6 inches in Greenwich.

“That happens often,” Stark

Town mops up

Hurricane Irene has given Stratford students an extra week of summer vacation.

The 2011-12 school year will begin the day after Labor Day, Tuesday, Sept. 6.

“After consultation with Mayor Harkins and Board Chair Gavin Forrester, I have decided to delay the opening of school for all students except kindergarten until Tuesday, Sept. 6,” Superintendent Irene Cornish said.

Kindergarten orientation will be on Tuesday, Sept. 6.`Kindergartners will report for the nor-mal school day Wednesday, Sept. 7.

The Stratford YMCA and Stratford Library both added children’s programming once school was delayed. Information can be found online.

School opening delayed till Sept. 6

- see Town on page 12A

- see Weather on page 12A

Arts & LeisureNational political cartoonist

to comment at Sacred Heart. Page 7A

A sailboat was tossed into a handicapped parking spot near Outriggers by Hurricane Irene Sunday. (Submitted photo by the Rev. Mary Canavan)

Hurricane Irene pushed water up to houses on Washington Parkway Sunday. (Photo by Mario Recupido)

The street near Marnick’s was shattered by Hurricane Irene. (Photo by Mario Recupido)

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THE STRATFORD STAR, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 PAGE 2A

Maury is a handsome, medium-haired tabby that has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots. He was taken to the Stratford Cat Project from an overcrowded home where he could not get the attention that he needs. Maury is a high-energy kitty that loves to explore and get into every-thing. He is definitely a morning kitty, is full of personality and has quickly become a favorite among our volunteers. The ideal home for him will be one with another cat or maybe a cat-friendly dog. Information on adopting Maury is available from the Stratford Cat Project, 203-375-7009. (Submitted photo)

Volunteer orientation at animal shelterThe Stratford Animal Rescue Society will conduct new

volunteer orientation Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 to 10 a.m. at the new Stratford Animal Control Facility, 225 Beacon Point Road.

Volunteer opportunities include animal care and social-ization, events, fundraising, advocacy and groundskeep-ing.

All volunteers must be 18 years of age, have access to the Internet and complete 12 hours of training within four months. Volunteers are required to purchase a STARS T-shirt and hoodie.

People seeking to serve court-mandated community ser-vice cannot be accommodated.

Those who wish to attend must register by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

Dog Walk Oct. 8The Stratford Animal Rescue Society will hold a a one-

mile “Dog Walk” on Main Street Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m.

The cost is $15 in advance, $20 on the day of the event. Participants are allowed two dogs per person, and owners must provide valid rabies vaccine certificate.

Check-in and same-day registration begin at 10 a.m. on Paradise Green.

Proceeds benefit homeless animals.Guidelines and registration information can be found at

starsfest.com.

A suspect remains at large after robbing the Carvel ice cream store, 1575 Barnum Ave., late Friday afternoon.

Around 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 a white man, described as being in his mid-20s, entered the store and asked for an application.

He then handed over a note that read, “Give me all the money in the cash box or die. Just live.”

The man left with money in the register.A surveillance photo provided by store management shows

a white man with a short beard, wearing a construction helmet, dark hoodie, plaid board shorts and sandals.

Stratford police are investigating.

Puppy SocializationPuppy Socialization and

Obedience classes will be held at Birdseye Municipal Complex on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 13. Fee is $85 for 7 weeks. Register through Sept. 9 at the Recreation Center office or at townofstratford.com/recreation.

Do not take dog to the first class.

Basic Dog ObedienceBasic Dog Obedience class-

es will be held at Birdseye Municipal Complex on Tuesdays from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m., or Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 13 or 14. Fee is $85 for 7 weeks. Register through Sept. 12 at the Recreation Center office or at www.townofstrat-ford.com/recreation.


Intermediate ObedienceIntermediate Dog Obedience

classes will be held at Birdseye Municipal Complex on Wednesdays from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. beginning Sept. 14. Fee is $85 for 7 weeks. Register through Sept. 9 at the Recreation Center office or at www.townofstratford.com/recreation.


Obedience classes

scheduled

Man in hard hatrobs Carvel store

Pet of the Week

SARAH Rescue

tag sale SundaySARAH Rescue, a Stratford-

based non-profit organiza-tion that rescues handicapped animals, will hold a tag sale Sunday, Sept. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 473 Woodlawn Ave.

The sale was postponed from Sunday, Aug. 28, by Hurricane Irene.

More information is avail-able 203-377-0826.

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Stratford Briefs

Labor Day schedulesMonday, Sept. 5, is Labor Day.Federal, state and municipal offices will be closed.Stratford schools will be closed.The Stratford Library will be closed.The Stratford Star will be closed. The editorial deadline

will be noon Friday, Sept. 2, for the issue of Thursday, Sept. 8.

There will be no refuse, recycling or yard waste collec-tion on Monday, Step. 5. All routes will be picked up one day late, with Friday’s route to be collected on Saturday.

The Transfer Station on Watson Boulevard will be closed Sept. 5.

Residents are reminded to only use 32-gallon containers, and that 45-gallon containers will not be collected.

Boating classes scheduledUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 24-2 will

teach two boating classes during September.There are two sessions of “About Boating Safety.” A

two-day course meets Tuesday, Sept. 6, and Thursday, Sept. 8, from 6 to 10 p.m.

“About Boating Safety” can also be taken in one day, Saturday, Sept. 10, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee for the Saturday class includes lunch.

“Charts and Navigation” will meet Saturday, Sept. 11, from 8 a.m. to noon.

All classes meet at the Bisson Base at the Birdseye boat ramp.

Information is available from Donna Bisson at 203-924-5702 or [email protected].

Democrats reschedule picnicThe Stratford Democratic Town Committee has resched-

uled its annual Family Picnic to Sunday Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the main pavilion at Short Beach.

The event was slated for Sunday, Aug. 28, but was moved before the arrival of Hurricane Irene.

The menu will include hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese-burgers, and liver and onion on rye, in addition to macaro-ni and potato salads, baked beans, dessert, soda and beer.

The picnic is open to the public. Tickets are $10, with children younger than 7 admitted free of charge.

Information is available from Joan Pruzinsky at 203-610-3480.

Crime Watch meets Sept. 7Stratford Crime Watch will meet Wednesday, Sept. 7,

at 7 p.m. at Police Headquarters, 900 Longbrook Ave. Anyone with concerns about crime or an interest in joining may attend.

Information is available at 203-381-2098 or crimewa-tchofstratford.org.

Car tax appeals to be heard Sept. 10The Board of Assessment Appeals will hear appears of

motor vehicle assessments Saturday, Sept. 10, at 11 a.m. in the garage at Town Hall, 2725 Main St.

Appeals will be held on a first-come, first-served basis. Numbers will be issued and applications distributed begin-ning at 10:30 a.m.

The sole purpose of the meeting is to hear appeals related to the assessment of motor vehicles on the Oct. 1, 2010, grand list.

Additional information is available at 203-385-4025.

Three war vets sought for new groupVeterans who served in World War II, Korea and

Vietnam may join the Three War Veterans, a new group being formed by Hank Riccio of Stratford.

Those interested in joining must send DD214 forms to Hank Riccio, 490 Sherwood Place A-20, Stratford CT 06615.

Questions can be directed to Riccio at 203-296-9014 or [email protected].

The meeting place will be determined upon based on where most responses are from.

Yoga on Shakespeare Theatre grounds Yoga will be offered on the grounds of the Shakespeare

Theatre Satudays, Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24, at 8:30 a.m.Admision is a $5 donation or non-perishable food for the

South End Food Pantry.

Garbage Museum left at curbBy John Kovach

Staff

Local business groups offered to help raise funds to keep the Garbage Museum open, but the offer was met with silence.

The Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority voted with one dissension to shutter the museum during its meet-ing Thursday, Aug. 25, in Old Saybrook.

The closure is announced in red text on the CRRA Web site, concluding, “Thank you for your 16 years of support for the Garbage Museum and its educational programs.”

` Officials said they were disappointed. “Stratford’s Economic Development Commission offered its assis-tance, as did the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, in approaching the business community for support of the museum.`We got no response from the CRRA Board,” Economic Development Commission Chairman Neil Sherman said Thursday. “That’s disappointing as well. Boards are responsible for supporting their assets. The CRRA Board seemed to dump the issue of the health of the Garbage Museum into our laps at the last minute. They offered few resources to sup-port local efforts to raise funds to keep this important local educational resource alive. Where was the board’s effort? We heard of none.`Don’t they have responsibility here? The closing is a disappointment and the individual and col-lective actions of the Board members added to that disap-pointment.”

Paul Nonnenmacher, direc-tor of public affairs for the CRRA, said the museum fell about a third short of the threshold set by the board.

“The last instruction we had gotten [from the board] was to come to them with $100,000 in commitments,” Nonnenmacher said. “We only had $68 [thousand]. There are a lot of things we’re working on, but nothing is promised.”

“We’ve had some people come forward in the last cou-ple weeks to try to help us,” Nonnenmacher said. “It just wasn’t enough to get them to change their minds.”

The museum was in the race for a $50,000 grant in the online

Pepsi Refresh Everything pro-gram. Voting ended last night. An announcement could come today.

While the museum had not been scheduling tours of late, Nonnenmacher said 60% of the slots for school visits for the coming school year had already been booked.

“The Economic Development Commission is disappointed by the vote of the CRRA Board of Directors,” Sherman said. “The Garbage Museum is an important edu-cational resource for Fairfield and New Haven Counties and we are proud to have the museum in Stratford. The CRRA Board has a serious

responsibility to teach the next generations the importance of recycling.”

The lone vote against clos-ing the museum came from Steve Edwards, director of Public Works in Westport and president of the Southwest Connecticut Regional Recycling Operations Committee [SWEROC].

SWEROC, Nonnenmacher said, owns the exhibits in the museum. He said Edwards told the CRRA board that SWEROC is inclined to leave the exhibits and contents at the museum for six to eight months “in case a miracle occurs.”

The CRRA has let the clock run out on the Garbage Museum, closing the facility last week citing lack of funding. (Photo by Ralph Petitti)

Domestic warrantA 60-year-old man who for-

merly lived on Klondike Street was arrested on charges stem-ming from a domestic assault alleged to have taken place on Aug. 13, 2010.

A woman approached police Aug. 2 of this year, saying the man had shoved her against a wall, then`punched her jaw in a dispute over keeping a door open.

The woman took a photo of her injuries with her cell phone that night.

On Aug. 16 she went to St. Vincent’s Medical Center. According to police reports, she was diagnosed with a con-cussion and a swollen jaw. She reportedly told hospital staff she was injured breaking up a fight, then told them she had been assaulted. Police indi-cated in their report they were not notified by the hospital.

Police obtained a warrant, and the man surrendered Aug. 25 to face charges of disor-derly conduct and third-degree assault. He was released on a promise to appear in court Aug. 26.

Marijuana chargesShaun Baldwin, 22, of

Sherwood Place, was issued an infraction after police said they saw him holding an open beer and a marijuana blunt in the Gregory Circle area Aug. 25 around 4 p.m.

Police said Baldwin attempt-ed to dispose of the marijuana cigar, but they found it on the

hood of the vehicle.They said they were moni-

toring the area due to com-plaints about drug use, drug sales and underage alcohol consumption. They noted that “No Loitering” signs are post-ed in the area.

Baldwin was issued a ticket for simple trespass and pos-session of less than one-half ounce of marijuana.

Police Reports

Fire damages house on Wooster Street FridayFire damaged a duplex

at 11 Wooster Street Friday afternoon.

One person was taken to the hospital. No updates on her condition were available.

Both floors of the resi-dence appear damaged.

Interim Fire Chief Brian Lampart said at the scene that an occupant smelled smoke, then saw flames. He said at that time that the cause had not yet been determined.

Shortly before being dispatched to Wooster Street, firefighters also had to extricate a person from an overturned vehi-cle on the Merritt Parkway southbound.

While still at the scene, firefighters were sent to a crash on I-95.

The Milford Fire Department assisted at the fire while Bridgeport Fire Department assisted monitoring the town. Firefighters at the scene of Friday’s Wooster Street fire. (Photo by John Kovach)

www.StratfordStar.com

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Letters PolicyWe welcome letters from our readers. Please limit letters

to local issues only, with no more than 500 words. Include a daytime phone number in case we have a question. We will not publish letters that are libelous or in poor taste, and we reserve the right to edit letters.

E-mail letters to: [email protected]

Deadline is Monday at noon; mailing address is 1000 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton, 06484.

Letters to the Editor

Thursday September 1, 2011Published weekly by Hersam Acorn Newspapers, LLC

John Kovach, Editor ...................................203-402-2319Nancy Doniger, Managing Editor ...............203-402-2318Bill Bloxsom, Sports Editor ........................203-402-2314Jim Chiappa, Advertising Sales ..................203-402-2335Circulation Department ..............................800-372-2790Classified Department .................................800-372-2790

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cdMartin V. Hersam, Chief Operating Officer

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baNews releases, letters and other correspondence may be

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Editorial

Opinion

As Hurricane Irene approached, a gag posting made the rounds on Facebook. It offered, tongue-in-cheek, tips for facing the prospect

of actually having to speak face-to-face with people if Internet and text message access were to be lost due to the storm.

The posting got more than a few chuckles, yet like any good joke struck a chord. We have become masters at communicating from the safe haven be-hind the screen, atop a keyboard. Some of us rarely have conversations, even with those with whom we make a home.

Days of darkness in the storm’s aftermath have forced us to find pastimes that don’t require electric-ity, games that don’t involve trading with online friends, and maybe taking a new look at things we take for granted.

Feeling more free to wander in darkened neigh-borhoods, deer and other wildlife cross streets and graze in yards under the moonlight.

Absent artificial light, humans can gaze skyward and see stars in a new brightness, as layer upon layer of the vastness in which we live come into focus.

It’s not enjoyable to be without electricity, and the convenience it brings, for days. But it can afford an opportunity to do and see things in a new light, or lack thereof.

In the dark

To the Editor:Shakesperience Productions Inc. would

like to thank Principal James Gieryng and everyone at St. James School in Stratford for their part in the success of the “Festival! Stratford” Acting Camp held last week on the grounds of the American Shakespeare Theatre.

Mr. Gieryng and his staff stepped in Monday and Tuesday and opened their

arms and doors to the students and staff of Shakesperience when the camp was threatened with bad weather. Then on Sunday, when the students were sched-uled to perform “Henry V” outside, Mr. Gieryng and company once again stepped in at a moment’s notice and agreed to let the performance take place in their gym, if necessary.

Fortunately it all worked out for the

students to perform on the big “Festival!” stage, and they did and outstanding job! We applaud Mr. Gieryng and everyone at St. James for their support and commit-ment to their community, to youth and education, and to “Festival! Stratford.”

Emily MattinaArtistic Director/CEO

Shakesperience Productions Inc.

St. James School helps the show go onIt’s been a trying week for most of Southwestern Connecticut. Some lost houses as Hurricane Irene ripped ashore Sunday. Some were moved to

shelter.Houses suffered wind and water damage. Some

were destroyed.More have been without power, and could still be

in the dark for days.It’s not easy.But it could be worse.Irene, at last count, took the lives of 40 people on

the East Coast, two of whom lived in Connecticut. None were in this immediate area.

Most of the cleanup involves removing trees and power lines, and restoring electrical service.

It’s not an easy task. Power must be turned off to safely remove trees and debris. Poles and lines must be rebuilt and reinstalled. The system then needs to be turned back on safely.

But impatience takes hold. The minute the rain stopped Sunday, some took to the street on foot or in car, driving under and over wires that likely were still energized, searching for a utility truck, any util-ity truck, working to restore power to their neighbor-hood, their house.

Complaints start within minutes. “Why aren’t the roads open?” “Where are the power company crews? I don’t see anyone out there.”

Never mind that winds remained 70 miles per hour, and hazards lurked around every corner. Those who would not work outside, especially in rain and wind, want to know why others are not doing it for their benefit.

Crews are doing the best they can as quickly as they can. Linemen and others are working long hours in potentially hazardous situations, away from their families, homes and beds as long until all power is restored.

Give the crews on the lines time to get the job done safe. No one needs to die so you can check Facebook.

On the lines

To the Editor:I implore District 7 Republicans to

vote for Diane Buda’s intelligence and integrity, in Republican Town Council District 7 Sept. 13th primary.

Elect Diane Buda to Stratford’s Town Council!

Diane Buda and Eleanor Burke cre-ated Stratford’s 1991 “Public Initiative” referendums:

1. “2% Budget Cap;” 2. “Term Limits;” 3. “Prohibition against financial self interest.”

I believe Stratford’s public voted overwhelmingly, ratifying “publicly created referendums’ reforms,” react-ing to Town Council Chairman Richard Burturla-led mini-budget tax increase,

aided by Republican Aldridge-led “save Stratford.”

I believe “Nominal Republicans” and Burturlas/Berchems, Willingers, and oth-ers control Stratford’s Town Council, Board of Education and AVCO most of 26 years!

Diane Buda is a “True Republican” of great integrity and ethics, who worked for U.S. Attorney’s Office. (I wish hon-est F.B.I./U.S. Attorneys would inves-tigate Stratford, Milford, Fairfield and Bridgeport DTC and RTC and Connecticut’s DSC and RSC, to cleanse Corrupt-icut.)

I endorse Matt Catalano District 3 (why I didn’t run) as another plain spo-ken champion for Stratford residents and

businesses.I would have endorsed (moving) Kim

Meuse (D-7th). I endorse David Fuller (D-6th) and Robin Greenspan (D-9th) against Esq. Joseph Kubic (R-9th), who I believe is “bad for Stratford!”

Fix Lordship “flood gates!”Praise to Hurricane Irene emergency

workers: Electric, communications, ener-gy, water, police, fire, EMS and National Guard.

9/11/2001: Military, police, fire, EMS “ran toward danger” and “personify real average Americans!”

Earthquake? Hurricane? Next? I pray against potential 9/11 NFL and MLB.

George MulliganStratford

Mulligan endorses in 7th District primary

To the Editor:The saying goes “Nothing ventured,

nothing gained.” And so, The Center for Women & Families of Eastern Fairfield County dove headlong into the online Pepsi Refresh competition for a $50,000 grant.

We want to publicly thank the Stratford Star and its dedicated readers for taking the time to vote online for our Hands are not for Hitting program. Although we didn’t win the grant, we won new supporters and recognition of the critical crisis work we do from rescue to reha-bilitation.

Through the experience a new task has been highlighted. Most will acknowledge

the truth in the saying “You reap what you sow.” Still, too many fail to apply it to children. Unfortunately, children who do not learn hands are not for hitting early in life, will be likely, later in life, to use hands to hurt.

Our preschool and kindergarten pro-gram teaches children how to build healthy relationships. It breaks the chain of violent behavior. As a community, we can do it!

Thank you to all who understand that and voted for us.

And to those already, tragically caught up relationships of domestic violence and emotional abuse, call our hotline 203-384-9559 for help. Don’t wait to

become a statistic. Our services are free.Help for residents of Bridgeport,

Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull is available at our main office on the corner of Park and Fairfield ave-nues (753 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport), our Fairfield office in the Fairfield Senior Center (100 Mona Terrace), or our Monroe office in Monroe Town Hall (7 Fan Hill Road.) Residents can call 203-334-6154 for a confidential appointment. Again, our services are free.

Debra A. Greenwood, CEOThe Center for Women & Families

of Eastern Fairfield County

Message gets out: Hands are not for Hitting

To the Editor:On behalf of Stratford SEPTA and

the children in Stratford who will ben-efit from the new ADA-accessible early childhood playground just completed at Second Hill Lane Elementary School, we would like to thank the many members of our community who helped turn what started out as a hope into a reality.

Planning for the HOPE Playground Project (HOPE for Have Opportunities, Play Early) began less than a year ago, and because of the generosity and sup-port of this community, we were able to have the groundbreaking in June and students will be using it for the new school year.

Second Hill Lane is home to Stratford’s Early Learning Services program, attend-ed by preschool-aged children with phys-ical disabilities and other special needs from across town, as well as five kinder-garten classes. The bulk of the funding

was provided by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, obtained through the assistance of Stratford Public Schools.

We would like to thank several others for helping to bring an ADA-accessible playground to our town.• Mayor John Harkins and the elected

officials of the Town of Stratford, the Department of Public Works, Supt. Irene Cornish and the Board of Education.

• The administration, faculty, and staff of Second Hill Lane Elementary School.

• Local businesses, including Ninety-Nine Restaurant and Jake’s Wayback Burgers, which hosted fundraising events, and Mutual Security, Sikorsky Credit Union, Hampford Research, Party Party, Dominos Pizza, Ash Creek Enterprises, Church Hill Partners, and Bishop, Jackson, & Kelly LLC.

• The Stratford Rotary Club, which host-

ed a pancake breakfast fundraiser.• Friends and community members who

came out to support the project at Ninety-Nine, Jake’s, and the Trike-A-Thon fundraising events.

• Randy Vidal and countless other indi-viduals and families who made direct donations.For more information or to connect

with Stratford SEPTA, which brings together parents, families, teachers, school administrators, students, and friends who are interested in special edu-cation and care for children with special needs, e-mail [email protected], or visit our Web site at www.stratfordsepta.org or Facebook page, Stratford Septa.

Stacy Barnaby, PresidentSarah Calzone, Vice President

Sandy Grise, TreasurerMelissa Ezarik, Secretary

Stratford SEPTA

Community helps build a place where all can play

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Is it time to find another operating agency for our commuter trains?

Consider the last year: Winter service reductions, summer strandings in swelter-ing heat, the M8 cars almost two years late in delivery, abusive and incompetent con-ductors, arrogant and unre-sponsive management.

You may not realize that Metro-North is hired by the state of Connecticut to oper-ate our trains. They work for us. Yet they never seem to be held accountable for their mistakes.

Last week there was a very loud “listening session” for Metro-North President Howard Permut, to hear from passengers stranded on July 22, in potentially life-threat-ening conditions on the hot-test day of the year.

Mr. Permut said he came to listen and learn. Yet, he squirmed in his seat, his body language screaming discom-fort, and hardly took a single note as dozens of good ideas were presented.

He apologized for what happened. But in a 20-page “Open Letter to Commuters,” he acknowledged no fault, assessing the blame for what happened on old cars and power-lines.

How does Metro-North keep this job, except for neg-ligence in oversight by the CDOT?

The contract between CDOT and Metro-North self-renews every five years. Neither side has ever rene-gotiated the terms. There are neither penalties for bad ser-vice nor incentives for good. There is no accountability.

The income Metro-North

makes from running New Haven line trains is more than they make from the Hudson and Harlem lines combined. We in Connecticut are Metro-North’s main source of rev-enue. Yet, they hold all the power and tell us what to do.

The M8 project was of their design, not Connecticut’s. The new car contracts had set-asides for minority and women-owned businesses in N.Y., not CT. Through their parent agency, the MTA, Metro-North determines capital expenditures with no “yea” or “nay” votes from Connecticut, and then bills us for our share.

Yes, Metro-North has an admirable on-time record. And certainly many of the issues they struggle with regarding aging equipment, insufficient repair facilities and century-old power lines, are not their fault.

But July’s stranding of hundreds of passengers near Greens Farms on the hottest day of the year shows an area easily improved upon: staff training.

Why did conductors on that train not communicate with passengers, leaving them so desperate they called 911 to be rescued? Why did it take passengers, not conductors, to open windows and doors to cope with the 100-plus degree heat? Why did a conductor take off his uniform so as to not to be bothered by anxious

passengers? And when the train did start moving, why did conductors curse at each other over the PA system for all to hear?

What consequences did those conductors face? Were they disciplined? Re-trained? Demoted? Fired? Nobody knows, or at least the railroad won’t tell us.

Maybe it’s time to tell Metro-North it can be replaced. Other commuter rail lines have changed operat-ing agencies… the MBTA, Virginia Railway Express… and passengers found better service at lower cost.

Yes, Connecticut can “fire” Metro-North and find some-one else to run our trains. Just because Metro-North has had a monopoly on our commuter lines since 1983 doesn’t mean they’re the only game in town.

But first, our governor and the legislature should ask the CDOT what kind of oversight they conduct on Metro-North. Why not an annual report card? The CT Rail Commuter Council issues an annual report. I wonder if anyone in Hartford reads it. If they did, they’d know these problems are not new.

Jim Cameron has been a Darien resident for 20 years. He is chairman of the CT Metro-North/Shore Line East Rail Commuter Council, and a member of the Coastal Corridor TIA and the Darien RTM. The opinions expressed in this column are only his own. You can reach him at [email protected] or trainweb.org/ct.

TalkingTransportation

By Jim [email protected]

Is it time to fire Metro-North?

With all the angst over and media coverage of Hurricane Irene

this past weekend, it got me to thinking about the “Great Hurricane of 1938” as it came to be known as it was long before hurricanes were known by alphabetical names.

My memories of Sept. 21, 1938, are vivid to this day. I was in a class at Stratford High School that fateful afternoon. A lasting image is of looking out the window and seeing leaves and debris blowing horizontally. “What was going on”? I wondered. I have never seen a sight like that before.

Getting home was a prob-lem. There were several of us who lived in relative proxim-ity, and one of the fathers came to the school to bring us home. But at every turn there were trees blown down that obstructed one street after another.

I finally arrived home to find my mother in a state of high anxiety. The three other

members of our family were out and about, and she knew not where; she was beside herself with worry.

Eventually, my older sister made it home, but dad was the real concern. He was a food salesman, and, as luck would have it, he was seeing his customers in the Hartford area and did not make it home until the following day.

The wind was fierce, and the rain pelted down in all directions. I especially remember watching a large maple tree in front of the house next door. It had a large trunk that branched off into three large sections. As the winds increased without let up, the sections began to split open, wider with every gust.

Unlike so many trees that were felled, this maple was

spared, but at a price. In the end, the owners had it rein-forced with a heavy wire in a triangular formation that con-nected the affected branches. This preserved it for many years, but it was never the same healthy tree it had been before it was so viciously attacked.

Dad made it home success-fully the day after the storm. He had had his camera with him and took several storm photos; one, I remember, showed a demolished auto-mobile with a large tree that had crashed into its roof. In the following days, dad went about town (Stratford) tak-ing photos of the devastation. Several captured the many stately elm trees that lay like match sticks across Main Street.

A few months prior to the storm my parents had pur-chased an electric stove, a relatively rare appliance in those days. My mother was so proud of her gleaming white stove, and it was a great

advancement from the wood, coal or gas stoves she had cooked on all her life.

But the storm, which came to be known as the Great September Gale because the word hurricane was not com-mon in American vernacular at the time, had brought down so many trees that electric power was out for days. So my mother’s pride and joy was rendered useless. I remember her trotting next door to cook some of our meals on the gas stove of our neighboring family.

Yes, it was a terrible storm, but little did anyone realize we (but not everyone) had survived what today would be classified as a category 3 hurricane, down from what today would be a monstrous category 5 as it churned its way up the Atlantic.

An unwanted notoriety came to Connecticut when landfall was near New Haven at about 2:30 p.m. But the greatest destruction actually occurred eastward where the storm ferociously impacted the towns along the coast. And perhaps Rhode Island was hardest hit of all with its endless ocean coastline and the water surge that plowed into Narragansett Bay.

To this day, it is the most powerful, costliest and dead-liest storm ever to hit New England, exacerbated by the lack of communication at the time. Think of life without today’s minute-to-minute tele-vision coverage of Irene, for example. No one had any idea such a monstrous storm was coming. We’d had our share of devastating nor’easters, but hurricanes happened in

Florida or the Caribbean, unheard of in this area.

All told, between 682 and 800 people lost their lives; the storm damaged or destroyed approximately 57,000 homes, and property losses were estimated at $306 million (equivalent to $4.77 billion in 2011).

It would be months, some-times years, before things would get back to normal, and in some areas, like parts of Long Island where the configurations of the land were changed forever, normal never returned.

The storm of 1938 is still known as the worst natural disaster in Connecticut’s 350-year history.

Reach Ellen Beveridge at [email protected].

Remembering the Hurricane of 1938

ReflectionsBy Ellen Beveridge

What has always frightened me about disasters, beyond the

magnitude of destruction and the loss of life and property, is that while they can bring out the best in us, they often bring out the worst.

They can open the tiny portals into our souls, and in microscopic moral detail, reveal us to be either self-less people or selfish people. Sometimes I shudder when I see what I’m really all about. Instead of courage, there’s cowardice. Instead of caring for others, I’m caring for me.

A crisis can magnify our character so much that acts of compassion and kindness are elevated to what saint-watchers call “heroic virtue,” while acts of greed and self-interest are shown for what they truly are, classical evil.

The examples are many. A store owner price-gouges because people are rushing to buy water and food. After all, he reasons, everyone has to make a buck.

An old man struggles down the stairs to escape an office building during an earthquake, and scores of people rush by him while one or two pause to help, but then even they aban-

don him to save themselves. Amid the hysteria and tur-

moil, maybe one person makes the sacrifice and stays with him to her own peril. Meanwhile, the rest of us with shaky con-sciences breathe a sigh of relief because someone is doing what we know we should have done but were too afraid to do.

As the hurricane approaches, a car with a mother and chil-dren is stranded on the side of the highway, and she waves for help, but motorists pass by because they have their own lives to worry about.

On the occasions that I’ve been the one to pass by some-one in need, I’ve thought in a moment of self-deception that it didn’t necessarily make me a bad person, even though I couldn’t deny that it illumi-nated my selfishness in a very painful way.

I’m reminded of that par-able of the Good Samaritan, where two people walk by the traveler who had been beaten and robbed and left for dead. To their thinking, they had

good reasons to keep walking. However, when you’re the one lying by the side of the road, watching the parade of pass-ersby look the other way, it can lead you to despair.

There were examples like that during Hurricane Irene, in the supermarket aisles, at the gas station lines, and in the flooded areas where people were stranded.

And yet, sometimes good-ness still shines through, and it can be an inspiration for all of us — most especially 10 years ago on 9/11, when terrorists hijacked four jet airliners and slammed them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

That day, there were many heroes who acted with excep-tional grace. Some thwarted the terrorists who intended to slam a jet plane into the Capitol, and many more rushed into the World Trade Center while everyone else was rushing out.

They were ordinary men and women who found that thing called “heroic virtue” inside themselves when the world needed it most.

Joe Pisani can be reached at [email protected].

Selfishness vs. heroic virtue

A sailboat came to rest amid marsh grass during Hurricane Irene. (Submitted photo by Jamie Rock)

Did I Say That?By Joe Pisani

Visit us on the Web www.StratfordStar.com

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St. Vincent’s Medical Center is the only hospital in the tri-state area to offer a comprehensive program with both medical and surgical treatments to treat atrial fibril-lation, also known as rapid or irregular heartbeat, thanks to the newly added technique of “trans-catheter ablation.”

Trans-catheter ablation is a non-surgical technique that employs a catheter to reach the heart where radio frequency energy is then used to dis-rupt the electrical impulses that cause and maintain atrial fibrillation.

St. Vincent’s has already gained recognition for being the only facility in the state to offer the latest minimally invasive (mini-maze) surgery to correct atrial fibrillation, a rhythm disorder common-ly known as “A-fib,” which occurs when electrical signals cause the upper chambers of the heart, the atria, to beat rapidly and erratically.

The disease produces life-style-damaging symptoms such as palpitations, fatigue

and shortness of breath, which not only can prevent people from participating in activities they enjoy, but can create fear and anxiety in those individu-als and their families. It can also lead to stroke or weaken-ing of the heart, called conges-tive heart failure.

Surgical outcomes have been highly successful for this procedure performed at St. Vincent’s by Cardiothoracic Surgery Chief Dr. Rafael Squitieri and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Medical Director Dr. Albert DiMeo. Approximately 90% of people who undergo the procedure at St. Vincent’s do not experience another epi-sode of A-fib, putting it among the highest in the nation. Currently, St. Vincent’s is the only hospital in the state and among 10 healthcare organiza-tions nationally providing this innovative and proven treat-ment.

“We have seen phenom-enal results with this surgical technique, with very fit people of all ages who had become

debilitated by A-fib, resuming their often rigorous exercising and full schedule of family, career and recreational activi-ties,” Squitieri said.

“This truly is a great solu-tion for those who have chron-ic A-fib, particularly those who are very active, because it has an extremely high suc-cess rate and allows them to resume more physical activ-ity,” DiMeo said.

The latest mini-maze sur-gery is totally thoracoscopic, or performed solely through endoscopes or flexible tubes inserted into two tiny, one-centimeter keyhole incisions on each side of the chest. A tiny camera and video-guided instruments are then inserted into the endoscopes to reach the heart and create a maze-like pattern of scarring or ablation with radio frequency energy which interrupts the electrical impulses that initiate A-fib.

For more information, con-tact cardiovascular medicine at 203-576-5788 or visit stvin-cents.org.

St. Vincent’s uses new treatmentfor atrial fibrillation on local man

Dr. Joseph Tiano checks on the progress of Glenn Myers of Stratford in the Electrophysiology Lab at St. Vincent’s, where his A-fib ablation procedure was per-formed in April. (Submitted photo)

The Square One Theatre Company will hold open auditions for its 2011-12 season Tuesday, Sept. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. In the Lovell Room at the Stratford Library, 2203 Main St.

The company will begin its 22nd season in November with Donald Margulies’ latest comedy/drama, “Time Stands Still.”

Other scheduled productions include Mark St. Germaine’s off-Broadway hit “Freud’s Last Session” and Nora and Delia Ephron’s look at women’s fashion through the years, “Love, Loss and What I Wore.”

The season continues through May 2012. Play titles are subject to change.

Square One also casts for its annual Readers Theatre Showcase series at this time.

Actors are requested to prepare a 1- to 2-minute (strictly enforced) monologue of their choice for the Sept. 6 audition, and to provide a current resume and photo.

Performers will be heard on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments will be taken.

The company said it is in particular need of African-American actresses this year.

This will be the only general call the Square One will hold this season.

Further information is available at 203-375-8778 or squareonetheatre.com.

Square One Theatre Companyholds annual auditions Sept. 6

‘The Value of Names’Will Tait, a Stratford High School student, Square One actor Danielle Sultini of Milford, SHS student Lindsay Carroll, actor Joseph Mallon of Stratford, and SHS student Gretchen Pancak are part of Square One Theatre’s ongoing education program to Stratford schools. Late each school year, group performs “The Value of Names” by playwright Jeffrey Sweet to students in classes of social studies, English and the American Experience at Bunnell and Stratford high schools. “The Value of Names” concerns the period of American history when members of the House of Representatives worked to purge the country of communist influences. While numerous industries and educational institutions were inves-tigated, Hollywood became a target of the investigating committee. In addition to the production, the educational program provided the teachers with “The Value of Names “Study Guides for in-class preparation before and after Square One’s visits.

(Submitted photo)

Health Notes is a weekly feature that high-lights health and wellness news in the area. Hospitals and other health related agencies may e-mail items to [email protected].

Stroke supportBridgeport Hospital’s Ahlbin Rehabilitation

Centers also hosts a free Stroke Support Group meeting for recovering stroke patients and their caregivers Tuesday, Sept. 6, 6-7 p.m., at its Shelton outreach site, 4 Corporate Drive. Information/registration: 203-925-4201.

St. Vincent’s Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group meets third Wednesday of the month, 5:30-7 p.m., Hawley 3A of the Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Upcoming: Sept. 21; 203-576-5361; 203-576-5608.

Blood pressure screeningsScreenings offered by Bridgeport Hospital:

Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Monday, Sept. 19, 9:30-11:30 a.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 6, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Stratford Baldwin Center, 1000 West Broad St., Monday, Sept. 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Shelton Senior Center, 81 Wheeler St., Monday, Sept. 26, noon-2; 1-888-357-2396.

Also offered by the South End Community Center in collaboration with the Stratford Health Department, first and third Wednesdays of the month, 10-noon, South End Community Center; 385-4058; 377-0689.

The Mario and Irma D’Addario Hypertension Program at St. Vincent’s Medical Center pro-vides free blood pressure screenings and infor-mation to the public every Tuesday, 11:30-3:30, in the main lobby of St. Vincent’s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport; 1-877-255-SVHS (7847).

First aid/safety classesBridgeport Hospital’s Emergency Care

Institute offers the following self-care classes in the duPont Board Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. To register, call 203-384-4497.

American Heart Association Heartsaver adult, child and infant CPR two-year certifica-tion, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 6-9 p.m., $50; AHA pediatric first aid and safety and infant and child CPR two-year certification, Saturdays, Sept. 3 and 17, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., $80 full class; $50 first aid only; Administration of Medicine class, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 6-9 p.m., $30 full program with a three-year certifica-tion; $20 injectable medications only; AHA Heartsaver CPR with AED (fitness instructors and trainers), Wednesday, Sept. 21, 6-9 p.m., $50.

Bereavement supportBereavement support groups at Griffin

Hospital run Tuesdays, noon-1:30 and 2:30-4 (ongoing); eight week evening group Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m. beginning Sept. 7-Oct. 26. To register, call 203-732-1100.

Foot problems talkBridgeport Hospital presents free two-part

lecture, “Healthy Feet, Healthy Toes-One Step at a Time,” Thursdays, Sept. 8 and 15, 7 p.m., Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane. Reservations required: 1-888-357-2396.

Heart Healthy foodBridgeport Hospital Clinical Nutrition

Manager Andrea Valenti will discuss “Tips for a Heart-Healthy Plate” Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m., fourth-floor Hollander Auditorium, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St., Bridgeport. Refreshments served 6-6:30 p.m.

Cancer CollegeHoda Kotb, co-host of NBC’s “TODAY”

and a breast cancer survivor, will be the key-note speaker at Bridgeport Hospital’s One-Day Cancer College, Saturday, Sept. 17, 9-2, Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane. Free event includes lectures on a variety of cancer-related topics by nearly 20 Bridgeport Hospital physicians and other clinical experts. Post-event opportunities include a book signing by Kotb at 2; and the MetLife presentation, “Coping with Cancer Finances,” 2:30-3:30. Advance registration required for the Cancer College and the MetLife presentation. Call 1-888-357-2396.

Ostomy supportBridgeport Hospital will sponsor a free osto-

my support meeting Sunday, Sept. 18, 1:30 p.m., Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull. Meeting is open to anyone/significant others who has had/or will have an ostomy operation, such as colostomy, urostomy or ileostomy. Meetings are third Sunday of the month except July and August; 203-384-3209.

Look Good…Feel BetterFree American Cancer Society program

that helps women with cancer improve their appearance and self-image through hands-on beauty techniques, will be offered Monday, Sept. 19, 10-noon, Operations Conference Room, first floor of Bridgeport Hospital; and Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2-4 p.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. To register for the Bridgeport Hospital loca-tion, call 1-888-357-2396. To register for the Fairfield location, call 203-255-5300.

For more visit stratfordstar.com.

Health Notes

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Homegrown tomatoes, Homegrown tomatoes;

What would life be without home-grown tomatoes?

Only two things money can’t buy;That’s true love and homegrown

tomatoes.Sung by John Denver,

lyrics by Guy Clark

Ahhhh, the mouth-watering, meaty magnificence of homegrown tomatoes. Fresh from the vine, homegrown tomatoes are one of my great loves and truly the heartthrob of the summer garden.

Have you ever experienced the full, frontal flavor of a tomato plucked straight from the vine? Those lucky enough to have their own garden can get out there and take a big bite!

The juices will run down your chin as you revel in the dazzling explosion on your tongue. The sun, the rain, the moon, all the natural forces joined together to create this extraordinary taste experience that is such a symbol of summer.

I can scarcely wait to make my first tomato sandwich of the season. In the dead of winter, I often dream of the sun warmed sweetness of this simple, yet sweep-me-off-my feet snack.

Cut thick slices of your favorite

tomato; for me, it’s the luscious pinky red Brandywine. Spread your favorite bread (very lightly toasted sourdough) with a bit of mayon-naise, season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt and take a giant bite.

There are at least 10,000 varieties of tomatoes, in a rainbow of colors including black, green, pink, scarlet red, yellow and glowing little orbs of orange. Sun golds, the current darling of cherry tomatoes, is a per-fect blend of sweet, sugary flavor and glorious orange color.

Tomatoes are so good for you — good for your heart, your brain, your soul and your health. Bursting with lycopene, a super charged anti-oxidant, tomatoes are an excellent source of fiber and vitamins A, B and C. Tomatoes can help repair smoke scarred lungs, combat heart disease and save vision.

So, eat your homegrown toma-toes, tomahtoes, anyway you say it, tomatoes are one of the most delightful ingredients when prepar-ing a delicious life!

Arts & Leisure BriefsArts & Leisure

Award-winning political cartoonist Jimmy Margulies will speak at Sacred Heart University as part of the Gottlieb Memorial Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the Department of Communication and Media Studies.

Margulies has been at The Record in Hackensack, N.J., since 1990, and his work is distributed nationally to more than 425 newspapers and magazines, including The

Washington Post, The New York Times, Time and USA Today.

He has won the National Headliner Award and Fishetti Editorial Cartoon Competition, and also the Barryman Award from the National Press Foundation.

When the National Rifle Association placed Margulies on its blacklist, he considered it a badge of honor.

The author of two published

collections of cartoons — My Husband is Not a Wimp! and Hitting Below the Beltway — he appears regularly on network and local TV news programs.

His talk takes place at Sacred Heart University’s Schine Auditorium, 5151 Park Ave., Fairfield, on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.

National political cartoonistto comment at Sacred Heart

Jimmy Margulies

As the summer months come to an end, we all begin thinking about the cooler weather, the fall foliage and, of course, fall family tradi-tions such as weekend trips around the state.

And as my family gets back into the busy school year and all the kids’ lacrosse and hockey games, we enjoy supporting our local farms. Throughout the fall we take time to visit local farms to pick apples, drink cider, wan-der through corn mazes, or experience a hay ride. These trips are a fun way to enjoy the fall season, and an even better way to support our local family farms, businesses and economy.

Like me, I am sure many of you also make one of our state’s fairs an annual family tradition where you can enjoy food, rides, games, animals, music, art, local crafts and Connecticut culture.

Additional information about upcoming fairs and local farms can be found

at the state Department of Agriculture Web site, ct.gov/doag.

Information about other family activities and adven-tures in Connecticut can be found by visiting www.CTvisit.com or calling 1-888-CTvisit. CT Visit is a site created by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism to help residents find fun in state activities and travel deals.

I hope that you and your family find this information useful. Enjoy the local farms and fairs.

Sen. Kevin Kelly repre-sents the 21st District, which includes all of Shelton, most of Stratford, and parts of Monroe and Seymour.

Connecticut fairs and farms

Time for homegrown tomatoes

Fantastic Tomato SaladAssorted tomatoes in assorted colors, use any

flavor or varietyFresh basil, mincedFresh parsley, mincedExtra virgin olive oilBalsamic vinegarSea saltFreshly ground black pepper

Slice or chunk your tomatoes and arrange on a large platter. If you picked up sun golds or other cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and scatter over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with good bread.

Gild the lily by adding minced garlic, chopped cherry peppers, olives, crumbled goat cheese or sliced fresh mozzarella.

Robin Glowa, HHC, AADP, is a food and wellness enthusiast who earned her certi-fication in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College.

She specializes in teaching healthy cook-ing classes for children and adults, as well as cooking presentations and wellness work-shops for many local organizations.

For more information go to theconscious-cook.net, call 203-393-1037, or http://con-fessionsofaconsciouscook.blogspot.com.

The Conscious CookBy Robin Glowa

[email protected]

From the CapitolBy Kevin Kelly

• Goshen Fair, Sept. 3-5, goshenfair.org • Haddam Neck Fair, Sept. 2-5, haddamneckfair.com • Taste of Litchfield Hills Food & Wine Festival, Sept. 3-5• Woodstock Fair, Sept. 2-5, woodstockfair.com• Bethlehem Fair, Sept. 9-11, bethlehemfair.com• Granby Grange Agricultural Fair, Sept. 10, ctstategrange.

com/subgrangepage.asp?GrangeID=185• Hebron Harvest Fair, Sept. 8-11, hebronharvestfair.org• Ledyard Fair, Sept. 9-11, ledyardfair.org• Killingly Grange Fair, Sept. 10, ctstategrange.com/subgrang-

epage.asp?grangeid=47 • Meriden Grange Fair, Sept. 10, ctstategrange.com/subgrang-

epage.asp?GrangeID=192 • Monroe Apple Festival, Sept. 10-11, stpetersonthegreen.com• North Haven Fair, Sept. 8-11, northhaven-fair.com• Wapping Fair, Sept. 8-11, wappingfair.org• Four Town Fair, Sept.15-18, fourtownfair.com• Guilford Agricultural Fair, Sept. 16-18, guilfordfair.org• Orange Country Fair, Sept., 17-18, orangectfair.com• Wallingford Grange Fair, Sept. 17, ctstategrange.com/sub-

grangepage.asp?grangeid=84• Cheshire Grange Community Grange Fair, Sept. 24-25, ctstat-

egrange.com/subgrangepage.asp?grangeid=26• Durham Fair, Sept. 22-25, durhamfair.com• Hebron Renaissance Fair, Sept. 24-25, ctfaire.com• Beacon Grange Fair, Sept. 26, ctstategrange.com/subgrangep-

age.asp?grangeid=17• Berlin Fair, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, ctberlinfair.com• 155th Harwinton Fair, Oct. 1-2, harwintonfair.com• Portland Fair, Oct. 7-9, portlandfair.com• Riverton Fair, Oct. 7-9, rivertonfair.org

Connecticut fairs

Curtain Call falls victim to hurricane Joanne Rochman lives in a hard-hit neighborhood where power went out early Sunday morning and is not likely to be re-stored for up to a week. As a result, to her regret, she was not able to produce the Curtain Call column this week but reassures readers that they can expect to find it in next week’s edition.

Free Shakespeare Elm Shakespeare Company pres-ents Measure for Measure Thursday-Sunday, 8 p.m., through Sunday, Sept. 4, Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St., New Haven; elmshakespeare.org; 203-393-1436. Bring a blanket or chair. Picnics encouraged. Free with suggested donation.

Gala and auction To benefit the Elm Shakespeare Company, Thursday, Sept. 1, 5-8 p.m., followed by perfor-mance of Measure for Measure, Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St., New Haven. Gala tickets: $125; elmshakespeare.org.

Benefit dinner Massaro Community Farm fund-rais-ing dinner Saturday, Sept. 3, farm tour at 4:30 p.m., cock-tails at 5, dinner at 6, outside on the farm, 41 Ford Road, Woodbridge; catered by Antonio’s, featuring Massaro farm produce. $100/person. RSVP to Melissa Waldron at [email protected].

Carnival For the benefit of muscular dystrophy, Saturday, Sept. 3, 11-4, home and yard of Bob and Margie Schulman, 3 Layayette Drive, Trumbull. Rain date: Sept. 4. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza cotton candy, magic show, games, arts & crafts, bounce house, and dunk tank with First Selectman Tim Herbst; 203-261-2248.

Tag sale Sunday, Sept. 4, 8-4, Congregation B’nai Torah, 5700 Main St., Trumbull. Clothing, small applianc-es, electronics, furniture, art, toys, sporting goods, house-hold items. Funds raised benefit educational programs; cash only; 203-268-6940; [email protected].

Free concert Tony Reno performs dance music Tuesday, Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Trumbull Town Hall gazebo. In case of rain, concert held in Trumbull Library community room.

Arts & crafts fair Saturday, Sept. 10, 10-4, Trinity Episcopal Church, 1734 Huntington Tpke., Trumbull. Jewelry, floral arrangements, crafts, bake sale, children’s activities, book sale, plants and more. Lunch on the grill available. Free admission.

Civil War Living History Day Saturday, Sept. 10, 10-4, grounds of Shelton History Center, 70 Ripton Road, Shelton. Everyone from Army privates to President Abraham Lincoln will be on the grounds. $5/person; $15/family. Proceeds benefit the Shelton Historical Society; 203-925-1803; sheltonhistoricalsociety.org.

Apple Festival Saturday, Sept. 10, 10-5; Sunday, Sept. 11, 10-4, hosted by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, on the Historic Monroe Green, Route 111. Sunday service will be conducted at 9 a.m. on the Green; the church bells will be rung to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 203-268-4265; stpetersonthegreen.com.

Acting classes Long Wharf Theatre’s Education program offers Adult Acting I, Saturdays, Sept. 10-Oct. 8, 10:30-noon, $225; and Off the Cuff Improvisation II: Middle School, Tuesdays, Sept. 13-Oct. 11, 5:30-7 p.m., $195, Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven; longwharf.org; 203-772-8262.

Live Green Connecticut, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 and 18, Taylor Farm Park, Norwalk. Exhibits, speakers, local food, children’s activities, money saving tips and green education; livegreenct.com.

Healing gatherings Sticks & Stones Farm, 201 Huntington Road, Newtown, Sundays, 9-11 a.m., Sept. 18 and Oct. 16. Walk of reflection and a closing meditation. Information: e-mail [email protected].

Arts festival Hosted by Trumbull Arts Commission, Sunday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine on the Town Hall Green, 5866 Main St. Handcrafted items with 60 artists and crafters; photography and sculpture for sale. Children’s Creative Center, live entertainment, food ven-dors. Free admission; 203-452-5065.

Singers sought Harmony on the Sound (HOTS) Chorus invites women who love to sing to come and learn holiday music in four-part harmony beginning Wednesday, Sept. 21, and then sing in holiday show. Visit harmonyon-thesound.org or call 203-881-1477.

Fallen Heroes tribute Fallen Heroes Memorial Tribute — Remembering military service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, Saturday, Sept. 24, 12:15 p.m., Indian Ledge Park, 307 Indian Ledge Park Road. U.S. Air Force Colorguard and U.S. Marine Corps as escorts. Performances by The United States Navy Band, Northeast, and the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights. Free and open to the public.

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pleaseRecycle This Newspaper


Mary Bernice Fida Brown, 84, of Bridgeport, wife of the late Robert R. Brown, died Aug. 25, in Tullahoma, Tenn.

Mrs. Brown, a homemak-er, was born in Kurima, Czechoslovakia to the late Joseph and Sophie (Rohal) Fida and was a lifelong area resident.

She was an avid gardener and a longtime member of St. Andrew’s Church.

Survivors include her chil-dren, April Markovics and her husband, Glen of Stratford, Sandra Maisano and her hus-band, Mark of Tennesee, Dawn Santos and her husband, Chris of Bridgeport; eight grandchil-dren, Krista, Robert, Layne,

Jessica, Jamie, Jake, Craig, and Christopher; three great-grandchildren, Dani, Anthony and Sophia; two broth-ers, Raymond Fida of West Haven, and Joseph Fida of

Huntington; a stepdaughter, Sharon Poppa and her hus-band, Lawrence; brother-in-law, James Pace of Idaho; and several nieces and nephews.

Services are Friday, Sept. 2, 10 a.m., Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford and at 11 a.m. in St. Andrew’s Church, Bridgeport. Burial will be in St. John’s Cemetery, Stratford. Visiting hours, Thursday, 4-8 p.m.

Online condolences: adzi-mafuneralhome.com.

Mary Bernice Fida Brown

Obituaries

Michael Dattilo of Stratford, husband of Anne Kolcun Dattilo for 60 years, died Aug. 26, at Bridgeport Hospital.

Mr. Dattilo served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard the USS Witter, DE 636. He was an NRA instruc-tor with the Bridgeport Rifle Club.

Mr. Dattilo won several shooting tournaments. He was a member of the Bridgeport Rifle Club, the NRA, the East End Yacht Club, the Veterans Association and the Italian Community Center. He loved shooting, fishing, photogra-phy, teaching and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Michael lived life to the fullest and would always lend a helping hand; he greeted everyone with a smile, his family said. He loved telling jokes and always made every-one laugh.

Besides his wife, survivors include his children and their spouses, Dale and Bill Janega,

Dianne and George Alldredge, Michele Dattilo, Richard Dattilo, Robert and Kathleen Dattilo; grandchildren, Billy, Michael, Ana, Vicky, Jake, Kristen, Jason, Leslie, Joseph, Jessica, Mickey, Kaitlyn, Kellie; and great-granddaugh-ter, Jordyn.

He was predeceased by his parents, Giuseppe and Antonia Dattilo and John and Anna Kolcun; his siblings, Josephine, Mary, Domenica, Ignazio, Tony, Malfalda, Yolanda, and Louis; and his cousin and best friend, Bart.

Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, handled arrange-ments.

Memorial contributions may be made to the WW II Memorial at WWII Memorial Processing Center, P.O. Box 305, Calverton, NY 11933 or [email protected].


Michael Dattilo

Helen Slossar Duch, 98, of Shelton, formerly of Stratford, wife of the late Joseph Duch, died Aug. 24, in Griffin Hospital, with her family by her side.

Daughter of the late Joseph and Anna Kochiss Slossar, she was born Oct. 31, 1912 in Bridgeport.

Mrs. Duch was employed with the Frisbie Pie Company for more than 20 years. She enjoyed cooking, reading, playing bingo and doing crossword puzzles, and most of all, spending precious time with her daughter and grand-children, her family said. She was a member of the Slovak Catholic Sokols Assembly # 308 and the First Plavecky Society.

She is survived by her daughter, Joanne Mastroni of

Huntington; two sisters, Mary Chuba of Seymour, Anne Kollmannsperger of Mass.; three grandchildren, Melissa Alves and husband Manny, Anne Marie Mastroni, Jamie Mastroni and wife, Courtney; and several nieces and neph-ews.

She also was predeceased by two brothers, Joseph and Vincent Slossar.

Galello-Luchansky Funeral Home, 2220 Main St., Stratford, handled arrange-ments. Burial in St. John’s Cemetery, Stratford.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Connecticut Hospice Homeport Cove, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405-4906.

Online condolences: galel-lofuneralhome.com.

Helen Slossar Duch

Joseph M. Lesinsky, 90, of Stratford, husband of the late Catherine Carbone Lesinsky, died Aug. 27, at Lord Chamberlin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Son of the late John and Mary Shiyler Lesinsky, he was born Nov. 8, 1920 in Bridgeport.

Mr. Lesinsky was a U.S. Army World War II veter-an. He was employed at the Bridgeport Brass Company in the shipping department for more than 40 years.

An avid fisherman, he was a member of the East End Yacht Club. He also enjoyed shooting pool and spending

time at the Stratford Baldwin Center.

He is survived by two sisters, Helen Hoff of Shelton, Irene Mailloux of Fairfield; and sever-al nieces and neph-ews and great nieces

and great nephews. He also was predeceased by

two sisters, Margaret Pivarnik and Ethel Miklus; and four brothers, Julius, John, Steve and William Lesinsky.

Galello-Luchansky Funeral Home, 2220 Main St., Stratford, handled arrange-ments. Burial in St. John’s Cemetery, Stratford.


Joseph M. Lesinsky

Helen M. Mas-loski, 84, of Stratford, wife of the late Frank J. Masloski for 50 years, died Aug. 27, in Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, with her daughter Francine by her side.

Daughter of the late Francisek and Bronisalawa (Kaminiski) Olenski, she was born Feb. 22, 1927 in Worcester, Mass., and had resided in Stratford for the past 60 years.

Mrs. Masloski worked for the Diocese of Bridgeport for 40 years as a cook for the priests at her parish, St. Michael the Archangel Church, Bridgeport; followed by St James and St Catherine’s par-ishes; then for Bishop Egan, later Cardinal Egan for 12 years as his personal cook and housekeeper. During Cardinal Egan’s term in New York, she assisted with the cooking and housekeeping at the resi-dence of the Archbishop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, something she loved doing, her family said.

While in New York, she had the honor of being intro-duced to Pope John Paul the II

and Pope Benedict the XVI. She had a strong devotion to her Catholic faith, especially to the Blessed Mother and to saying the rosary.

Mrs. Masloski was proud of her

Polish heritage and loved her polka music, her family said. She was a devoted lov-ing mother with both inner and outer beauty. Her fun lov-ing spirit, kindness and caring touched the lives of all who knew her.

Survivors include three daughters, Francine Masloski of Stratford, Mary Warshal of Ansonia and Regina Espinosa of Oxford; four grandchildren; two sisters, Tessie Kabara of Stratford and Jane Czapla of Fairfield; several nieces and nephews and many friends.

She was predeceased by three brothers, Walter, Frank and Stanley Olenski.

Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, handled arrange-ments. Burial in St. John’s Cemetery, Stratford.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Helen M. Masloski

Frances M. Pjura Maytas, 86, of Harwinton, formerly of Stratford, wife of the late John Maytas, died Aug. 29, in the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Torrington, with her family by her side.

Daughter of the late Joseph and Kristina Pjura, she was born Jan. 28, 1925 in Bridgeport.

Mrs. Maytas was employed with the City Trust Bank in their accounting department for more than 20 years. She was a graduate of Stratford High School.

Mrs. Maytas was a mem-ber of the Harwinton Ladies Society. She enjoyed quilting and cooking.

Most of her precious time was spent with her cherished grandchildren, her family said.

She is survived by her son, Jeff and his wife, Denise Maytas of Harwinton; two sisters, Sister Mary Madonna

Pjura of Wilton, and Helen Tomasko of Niantic; four grand-children, Deanna, Jeffry Jr., Michael, Kristina; and several nieces and nephews.

She also was pre-deceased by her son,

James; grandson, James Jr.; and three brothers, Joseph, George and John Pjura.

Services are Friday, Sept. 2, 9 a.m., Galello-Luchansky Funeral Home, 2220 Main St., Stratford, and at 10 a.m. in the Holy Name of Jesus Church, 1950 Barnum Ave., Stratford. Burial will follow in St. Michael’s Cemetery. Visiting hours, Thursday, 4-7, at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT.


Frances M. Pjura Maytas

Andrew John Nelson II, of Stratford, died July 31, at home.

He was born Jan. 22, 1947, to the late Andrew J. and Marjorie ( L e s c h e s h e n ) Nelson.

Mr. Nelson attended Eli Whitney Elementary School, and Wooster Middle schools before graduating from Frank Scott Bunnell High School in 1965. He attended and gradu-ated from Arkansas College in Batesville, Ark., now known as Lyon College. He received a master’s degree in social sci-ence from the University of Mississippi at the same time as former President Bill Clinton.

Upon completion of his edu-cation, Mr. Nelson worked with Gov. Winthrop Rockerfeller before returning to Stratford. At that time he began to work with Fred Biebel at the Republican party, before starting his own successful advertising-public relations and marketing firm Nelson & Associates.

Politics would remain to be a source of great inter-est to Andy and he remained

actively involved in the political arena for years, behind the scenes, his fam-ily said. He also was very involved with the Stratford Historical Society.

He loved to trav-el and enjoyed sailing with a number of his friends, his family said. He also was an avid gardener. He always enjoyed laughter and a good joke. Andy’s disposition was a source of many smiles for those associated with him. He will be remembered as a man who lived life to the fullest.

A life celebration will be held Sunday, Sept. 11, 1 p.m., at the home of his cousin, Bettie Jane Guggenheim. His friends and family ask that in honor of Andy’s life please plan to bring a favorite memo-ry you have of Andy to share. Those wishing to participate in the celebration of Andrew’s life call 203-377-1014 on or before Sept. 9, 2011. Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, han-dled arrangements.


Andrew John Nelson II

Ruth M. Riccio Silver, 81, of Stratford, died Aug. 25, at home, after a brief illness, with her family by her side.

Daughter of the late John and Angelina Roberto Riccio, she was born Oct. 22, 1929 in Bridgeport,

She was a retired employee of Sikorsky Aircraft and was formerly employed by Avco Lycoming.

Survivors include two children, Robert Silver of Philadelphia, Pa. and Lynn Reno and her husband, James of Scotts Valley, Calif., three grandchildren, Stephanie, Julie and Alex Reno; two sis-ters, Jean Fazio of Stratford and Anita Salce and her hus-

band, Paul of Shelton; broth-er-in-law, Michael Piccirillo of Stratford; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by two brothers, Frank and Raymond Riccio; three sisters, Marie Piccirillo, Dorothy Drinkwine, Nancy Riccio; and brother-in-law, Joseph Fazio.

Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull, handled arrange-ments. Burial in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Stratford.

Memorial contributions may be made to Connecticut Hospice, 2 Trap Falls Road, Suite 408 Shelton, CT 06484.

To light a virtual candle, visit abriola.com.

Ruth M. Riccio Silver

Robert L. Zmarzlak, 73, of Fairfield, husband of RoseAnn DeFelice Zmarzlak for 51 years, died Aug. 22, at home. His daugh-ter, Rose Zmarzlak; and his sister, Justine Scherback, live in Stratford.

Son of the late Andrew and Margaret Heigel Zmarzlak, he was born in Bridgeport, and lived in Fairfield for 43 years, where he and his wife raised their family.

Mr. Zmrzlak served his country as a sailor aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Essex CVA9 from 1955 to 1958. After his time in the U.S. Navy, he went to work for Avco Lycoming, retiring after 35 years with the company. He also spent 20 years working part-time for Hawley Industrial Hardware. Additionally, he worked as a maintenance per-son for St.Pius X Church, and later for Holy Family Church, where he recently retired.

Bob enjoyed staying active, regularly volunteering his time and talent as a skilled crafts-man to help friends, neigh-bors, and those in need, his family said. A person of strong

faith, he and his wife would semi-annu-ally participate with Emmaus retreats at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, where he was affec-tionately referred to as “Cha Cha.”

Besides his wife, survivors include three children, Robert Zmarzlak, of Los Angeles, Calif., Rose Zmarzlak, of Stratford, and David Zmarzlak, of Fairfield; four grandchildren, Brittney and Lindsey Croteau, Tyler and Dylan Zmarzlak; one sister, Justine Scherback, of Stratford; two sisters-in-law, Louise Macchiarelli, and her husband, Michael, of Bridgeport, Judith DeFelice, of Southbury; one brother-in-law, Fred DeFelice, and his wife, Sherrie, of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.

Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, Fairfield handled arrangements. Burial in Oak Lawn Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Holy Family Church, 700 Old Stratfield Road, Fairfield, CT 06825.

Online condolences: leskop-olkefuneralhome.com.

Robert L. Zmarzlak

Thomas Pellitteri Sr., 84, of Stratford, died Aug. 28, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Son of the late Vincent and Jennie Ballone Pellitteri, he was born Nov. 19, 1926 in Astoria, N.Y.

Mr. Pellitteri was a U.S. Army veteran. He was the owner and operator of Pellitteri Chevrolet of Norwalk.

Survivors include three children, Vincent Pellitteri of Milford, Janice Ludwig of Trumbull, and Thomas

Pellitteri Jr. of Brookfield; five grandchildren, Jamie, Dana, Michelle, Nicole and Thomas; a brother, Joseph Pellitteri and his wife, Virginia of Whitestone, N.Y.; and sev-eral nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by a sister, Mary Laurita and her husband, John.

Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull, handled arrange-ments. Burial in Lakeview Cemetery, New Canaan.

Thomas Pellitteri Sr.

www.StratfordStar.com

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A Stratford man will serve 18 months in prison for illegally structuring more than $943,000 in cash transactions.

U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall also sentenced 54-year-old John A. Ortiz to two years of supervised release, ordered him to forfeit $388,540 to the federal government, and imposed at $75,000 fine during a court appearance Thursday, Aug. 25

According to David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, federal law requires all financial institutions to file a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) for currency transactions that exceed $10,000. To evade the filing of a CTR, individu-als will often structure currency trans-actions so that no single transaction exceeds $10,000. Structuring involves the repeated depositing or withdraw-al of amounts of cash less than the

$10,000 limit, or the splitting of a cash transaction that exceeds $10,000 into smaller cash transactions in an effort to avoid the reporting requirements.

Even if the deposited funds are derived from a legitimate means, finan-cial transactions conducted in this man-ner are still in violation of federal crimi-nal law, according to Fein.

Court documents and statements made in court indicate Ortiz maintained a money market savings account at a credit union, and also had a personal line of credit at a bank. Between May, 2006, and Oct., 2009, Ortiz made more than 70 large cash deposits into his sav-ings account and more than 30 large cash payments to his personal line of credit account. The vast majority of the cash transactions were in the amount of $9,000, and none exceeded $10,000.

In total, Fein said, Ortiz structured

approximately $943,000 in cash depos-its and line of credit payments.

Ortiz used the deposited funds to purchase, or to obtain credit in order to purchase, properties in Connecticut and Florida. He also used more than $270,000 of the structured funds to settle a business dispute with his former partner.

Ortiz owns and operates towing and auto repair businesses in Bridgeport and Stratford.

On May 25, Ortiz waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of structuring cash transactions.

The matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Richard J. Schechter.

Stratford man sent to prison for ‘structuring’ transactions

Dr. James David Garrity, 80, of Stratford, husband of Anne O’Neill Garrity, died Aug. 25, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Son of the late Walter and Mary (Bannon) Garrity, he was born Sept. 16, 1930 in Bridgeport.

Dr. Garrity was a graduate of Fairfield College Preparatory School (winner of the first four-year academic scholar-ship), Fairfield University, and received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He served his country as a senior assistant surgeon for the U.S. Public Health Service at the Kiawa Hospital in Lawton, OK. He then was a family practice physician in Monroe for more than 40 years.

Dr. Garrity was an active member of the medical staff at St. Vincent’s, where he met his wife of 53 years, Anne, during his residency and her nursing training. He was an assistant medical examiner for Fairfield and New Haven counties, police and fire department surgeon, town health officer, police commissioner, and phy-sician for numerous school and town sports teams.

Dr. Garrity was a devout Catholic, and was a former member of St. Jude’s RC Church in Monroe. He also was a communicant at St. Mark’s RC Church in Stratford.

Besides his wife, he is sur-vived by his children and their families, Bridget (Lawrence Sweeney) of Morris; Moira (Karen Takeda) of Bristol, Vt.; James D. Jr. (Nancy Juda) of Bethesda, Md.; Timothy of Atlanta, Ga.; Sheilagh (Lisa Rowley) of McBee, S.C.; Peter (Karen) of Wrentham, Mass.; and Christopher of Somerset, Mass.;

Also, his grandchildren Celia, Connor, Christopher, Simon, Ruth, Timothy, Meghan, Peter, Sean, and Katy; great-grandchildren, Jake and Ben; sisters-in-law, Doris Garrity of Fairfield; Marilyn Garrity of Scituate, Mass.; Maureen O’Neill Kocher of Boca Raton, Fla.; Jean O’Neill of Stratford; brother-in-law, Peter O’Neill (Alice) of New Cumberland, Pa.; daughters-in law, Gail Marks of Willimantic, and Bonnie Norman of Bethesda, Md.; many nieces and neph-ews; the extended Garrity and O’Neill clan; and many

friends. He also was predeceased by

his brothers, John, Walter, and Joseph; his office assistant, Peg Dolzani; and his youngest daughter, Katie.

Redgate-Hennessy Funeral Home, Main Street and Gorham Place, Trumbull, han-dled arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark Church Organ Fund or memo-rial masses may be said for Dr. Garrity.

Online condolences: redgatehennessy.com.

Dr. James David Garrity

Retired Fairfield Fire Lieutenant George Clark Mulligan, 66, of Stratford, for-merly of Fairfield, died Aug. 22, at home.

Born and raised in Bridgeport, he was the son of the late George W. and Muriel Clark Mulligan.

Mr. Mulligan had lived in Fairfield for most of his life before moving to Stratford seven years ago. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he served in the U.S. Marines. Returning from service, he joined the Fairfield Fire Department, and retired as a lieutenant after serving the community for 31 years.

While there, he actively volunteered his time and tal-ent to educate children on fire safety. For many years, he also helped with the Fairfield Fire Department Half Marathon

Road Race. He enjoyed trips to NASCAR

events. An avid fisherman and boater, he was a former mem-ber of Fayerweather Yacht Club, where he served as past rear commodore. Additionally, he belonged to Bridgeport Area Retired Firemen (BARF).

Survivors include his sons, George M. Mulligan and Devin C. Mulligan; his broth-er, Kenneth Mulligan; his sis-ter, Muriel Ann Dushok; and several nieces and nephews.

Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, Fairfield, handled arrange-ments. Burial in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Stratford.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Mulligan family.

Online condolences: leskop-olkefuneralhome.com.

George Clark Mulligan

Donna Marie Cimmino Reda, 47, of Bridgeport, wife of Patrick Reda, died Aug. 24, at home, with her family by her side. Her broth-er, Michael Rynich lives in Stratford.

She was the daughter of Anita Parsons and the late Dominick Cimmino.

Mrs. Reda worked in the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield for many years.

Her caring and loving ways touched everyone who knew her, her family said. She was a very special person and will be greatly missed.

Besides her husband and mother, survivors include her dog, Eddie; brothers, Jerry Rynich of Milford, Michael Rynich of Stratford, and Anthony and Betty Cimmino

of Trumbull; an aunt, Florence Muto of Milford; a stepson and his wife, Jason and Stacy Cancelli of Bridgeport; her g r a n d d a u g h t e r , Hayley Cancelli; a sister-in-law and

brother in-law, Holly and Mark Bartlett of Brookfield; several nieces, nephews, cousins, sev-eral great nieces and nephews, and many friends.

She also was predeceased by her baby daughter, Patricia (Trisha) Lee.

Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, handled arrangements. Burial in Kings Highway Cemetery, Milford.


Donna Marie Cimmino RedaActivities and Events

Lifelong Learners New Member Meeting — Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1 p.m. in the Stratford Library Lovell Room. The group coordinates programs on a variety of topics. Plans for the upcom-ing year will be discussed at the first meeting. All programs are open to the public, and new members are always welcome.

Travel Opportunity Information — Wednesday, Sept. 7, 12:30 p.m., Tracy O'Neill of Collette Vacations will present a slide program and information session about a trip to England, Scotland and Wales planned for April/May 2012. Questions about costs, details of the tour and all itinerary information will be included at this time. Please sign up at the Baldwin Center Front Desk if you will be attending the information session.

Free Dental Screenings — Tuesday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m. Jason Oberhand, DDS, will provide free dental screenings in the Baldwin Center clinic. Dr. Oberhand will address any questions you have about gum disease, dentures and overall oral health. There is no obligation for this service. Please sign up for a time slot at the Baldwin Center front desk.

Senior Center Month Celebration — Tuesday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. Baldwin Center will celebrate Senior Center Month with an afternoon of country music, line-dancing and refreshments. Wear your best western duds, and enjoy our special old-fashioned desserts of Fruit Cobbler, Missouri Bread Pudding or Gold Miner's Mud Pie and coffee. Tickets are $2 and should be purchased in advance.

Annual Card and Game Party — Friday, Sept. 16, 1:30 p.m. Bring your favorite card games of all types, i.e., bridge, pinochle, scrabble, MahJong, etc. There will be door prizes, table prizes, raffles and refreshments. Don't miss this very popular annual event. Tickets ($5.00) must be purchased in advance.

Tai Chi — Active Aging Through Tai Chi classes, designed to enhance strength, balance, and coordination cur-rently are being offered at Baldwin Center for adults age 55 and older. Classes run Monday and Friday morn-ings at 10 a.m. in Baldwin Center Main Hall. Fee: $1 members; $2 non-mem-bers.

Latin Dance Exercise — Certified Zumba instructor, Sandi Frashefsky will teach a Latin dance exercise class Friday mornings, 9 a.m. Class incor-porates salsa dance; especially geared to older adults. Fee is $1 for current Center members; $2 for non-members.

Brain game — Stratford Senior Services offers the Dakim Brain Fitness Program, a computer program, which provides a challenging and entertaining workout for the brain. Developed for older adults, it transforms neurological tests and exercises into engaging and fun games with five levels of challenge so it may be used by a wide variety of people at all levels of functioning. The system self-adjusts automatically to the individual’s memory level, and can measure progress over time.

Information: Marie Guman, 203-385-4055.

Wii bowling — Thursdays, 12:30 p.m., Lower Level. No prior knowledge of Wii or bowling required. Stop by any Thursday at 12:30 to participate.

Friendship Club — New group for seniors who are single, widowed or divorced meets second Monday of the month at 2 p.m., Baldwin Center Coffee Shop. Share common interests; plan special activities.

Center forms classical musical group — A group of music enthusi-asts is seeking new members who are interested in playing chamber music. The group meets at the Baldwin Center Thursday afternoons, 1 p.m., and offers opportunities for beginners to seasoned musicians.

Free Internet — Stratford Senior Services offers free wireless connection to the Internet at the Baldwin Center Coffee Shop weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fitness classes — Aerobics for active adults is offered Monday through Friday at 9 a.m.; Sittercise, a chair exercise program developed by the American Arthritis Foundation, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.; Yoga, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.; and Tai Chi, Mondays and Fridays, 10 a.m.; Latin Dance Exercise, Friday, 9 a.m.

All classes are open to Baldwin Center members ages 55 and older. Register at the Main Desk or call Marie Guman for more information.

Blood pressure screenings — offered by Bridgeport Hospital, second Monday of every month, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the center; 1-888-357-2396.

Yoga class — Two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. Thursday class is appropriate for inter-mediate students.

Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal — Established by the 2005 General Assembly, any veteran who served at least 90 days during wartime and was honorably discharged is eligible for the medal. Visit ct.gov/ctvg. Applications also are available at Baldwin Center Main Desk, and can be submitted to the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

Men’s Club seeks members — men age 55 and over may join this friendly association of like-minded individuals who are looking for fun and compan-ionship. Club meets at Baldwin Center from 9 to 11 a.m. on the first and third Fridays of the month.

Let’s Talk — A short-story discus-sion series facilitated by author Kathy Faggella meets twice a month, the first and third Wednesday, 10 a.m. For more information see Marie Guman.

Senior NewsObituaries

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School Briefs

Special ed records to be shreddedThe Stratford Public Schools Special Education

Department will be destroying records for students who graduated or left the Stratford School District in 2005.

Former students, or guardians of former students, who would like to have their records must contact the Stratford Pupil Personnel Office at 203-385-4225 before Sept. 2, to make arrangements to pick up records.

Lunch menus onlineStratford schools are doing lunch menus in a new for-

mat. PDFs can be downloaded at stratfordstar.com.Each menu covers a full month.

Perry House needs volunteersPerry House is in desperate need of volunteers.Docents are needed for a new educational program.

Each spring and fall Perry House provides tours for all Stratford third and fifth grade students. The third grade curriculum is Colonial Stratford, and the fifth graders study the Revolutionary War period.

Perry House docents, dressed in costume (provided by Perry House), lead tours.

Volunteers are also needed to operate the visitors cen-ter for one to two hours each week, helping keep Perry House open and performing general office work.

Information is available from Carole Adzima at 203-377-3779.

The Stratford Historical Society awarded four $2,000 scholarships to four graduat-ing senior high school stu-dents residing in Stratford. Three students received their awards at the society’ s mem-bership meeting in May.

Recipients were Megan Simon and Esther Jean Marie, both of Stratford High School, and Katherine Aspinwall and Carol Proto, both of Bunnell High School.

Scholarship Committee Chairman Shirley McCormack presented the awards

Since initiating the Scholarship Program in 2007, 20 awards have been made to Stratford high school seniors in the amount of $22,000.

HistoricalSociety givesscholarships

Megan Simon of Stratford High School, Katherine Aspinwall of Bunnell High School and Esther Jean Marie of Stratford High School accepted Stratford Historical Society scholarships from Shirley McCormack, chairman of the society’s Scholarship Committee. Carol Proto of Bunnell High School also received a scholarship.

(Submitted photo)

Eastern Connecticut State UniversityKathryn Harry of Stratford was inducted into

the Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she is a member of the Class of 2012.

Lehigh UniversityBrittany Dickinson of Stratford earned a

bachelor of science degree in business and economics.

Iona CollegeAlyssa Jones who is entering her sophomore

year, made the dean’s list for the spring semes-ter at Iona College.

Pace UniversityTwo students from Stratford recently gradu-

ated from Pace University.Kelly Orpilla received a bachelor of arts

degree from Pace’s Dyson College Arts & Sciences.

Alexander Blanco received a bachelor of business administration degree from Pace’s Lubin School of Business.

Assumption CollegeAllison Boccamazzo of Stratford, a mem-

ber of the Class of 2012, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2011 semester at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.

Merrimack CollegeJoan F. Corcoran of Stratford was named

to the spring 2011 dean’s list at Merrimack College.

Roger Williams UniversityAmanda T. Bolbotowski, Lauren A. Kepchar,

Magee S. Kmec, Taylor W. Petruccelli and Cody B. Young, all of Stratford, were named to the spring dean’s list at Roger Williams University.

University of New HavenBrendan Andrew Hovan, son of Mr. and Mrs.

Andrew P. Hovan Jr. of Matthew Drive, has attained dean’s list honors for the spring 2011 semester at the University of New Haven.

Hovan is majoring in the Criminal Justice-Forensic Psychology Degree program, with minors in psychology and sociology.

He is the grandson of Mrs. Sophie Hovan of Stratford and the late Andrew P. Hovan Sr., a former Stratford police detective and 8th District town councilman.

His maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fertelmes also of Stratford.

Brendan is entering his senior year at UNH.

Springfield CollegeBrian Sobel of Stratford received the 2011

Springfield College Student Humanics Award, at the college’s 85th Stepping Up Day ceremo-nies at the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union Patio, on April 14.

Sobel, a fourth-year student whose major field of study is recreation management, received the presentation from Lauren Grimes Youmans, Springfield College Alumni Council vice president.

The Student Humanics Award is given to seniors for their scholarship, leadership, contributions to campus co-curricular life and personification of the humanics phi-losophy. Humanics focuses on education of the whole person – spirit, mind and body – for leadership in service to humanity.

University of VermontMathew P. Wajda of Stratford was recog-

nized at an Honors Day Ceremony in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Vermont this spring.

Wajda received the Bernd Heinrich Award, presented by the Biology Department.

American International CollegeSarah Calgreen of Stratford was recognized

for participation in campus activities at a cer-emony in the Griswold Theatre at American International College.

Calgreen, a junior majoring in criminal jus-tice received the Outstanding Junior, LEAD Program award.

York CollegeKelli Frusciante of Stratford, CT, a senior

nuclear medicine technology major at York College of Pennsylvania, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2011 semester.

Stonehill CollegeTwo Stratford students were named to the

spring 2011 dean’s list at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.

Samantha S. Cranston is a member of the Class of 2011.

Catherine F. Grasso is a member of the Class of 2014.

Western New England CollegeFour Stratford students have been named to

the president’s list at Western New England for the spring semester of 2011.

Kayla M. Cihal is a senior majoring in mar-keting communication/advertising.

Courtney A. Fitzpatrick is a junior majoring in marketing.

Justin A. Thomas is a sophomore majoring in general biology.

Zachary A. Thomas is a sophomore major-

ing in secondary education.

Skidmore CollegeErica Johnson, a member of the Class of 2014

at Skidmore College, was selected for mem-bership in the Honors Forum, which “works to strengthen intellectual life at Skidmore and especially to encourage the academic aspirations of highly motivated and talented students,” according to a press release. Formal membership in the Honors Forum is based on academic accomplishment.

She is the daughter of David and Linda Johnson of Stratford.

Wagner CollegeWagner College named Lauryn Shirra of

Stratford to the spring 2011 dean’s list.

Housatonic Community College 2011 graduates Van Cao of Bridgeport and Lenny Poplaski of Stratford brainstorm a technical issue with Academic Coordinator Bill Griffin of Clinton. Earlier this year, all three were inducted into Epsilon Pi Tau, the international honor society for professions in technology. Cao and Poplaski were inducted as students and Griffin as a faculty member. Both Cao and Poplaski have been recognized for their project work with the Life Support and Sustainable Living program, while Poplaski received a NASA Space Grant scholarship.

(Submitted photo)

Campus Update

Schools

Hurricane Irene forced the Stratford Professional Firefighters Burn Foundation to call off its “Tip a Firefighter” event Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 99 Restaurant, 411 Barnum Ave. Cutoff.

It is the first of several events over the next two months to raise money for the foundation, which is supporting construc-tion of a suite at Bridgeport Hospital for burn victims and their families.

The fourth annual Long Island Sound

Bluefish Tournament will be held from Saturday, Sept. 17, at 6 a.m. to Sunday, Sept. 18, at 2 p.m. The entry fee is $35 for adult anglers, $20 for children.

The weigh station will be at the Birdseye Boat Ramp at the end of Birdseye Street.

More information can be found at www.IAFFlocal998.org. Tournament assistance and promotion is being pro-vided by CTFisherman.com and Stratford Bait and Tackle.

Tickets to the Oct. 1 National Hockey League pre-season game between the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard are available for $35, with proceeds going toward renovation of the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Center. Information is available at [email protected].

Information about the foundation can be found at spffafightingburns.org.

Storm washes out Burn Foundation fund-raiser

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and businesses it served were without power. As of mid-day Wednesday that number hov-ered around 3,000, sometimes spiking as areas where power had been restored were briefly blacked out again to allow work on nearby areas. At the peak nearly half, 158,130 of the 320,145 customers, were plunged into darkness.

By Wednesday UI had 241 crews working to repair the lines. One truck seen on Barnum Avenue had “Don’t Ask” written on the driver’s door in black tape. As early as late Sunday, before winds had subsided, some were complaining via Twitter about power being out.

Metro-North suspended rail service from noon Saturday to late Monday afternoon. [See related story.]

The railroad trestle in Stratford Center, swamped by water in previous storms, then the subject of a major recon-struction project, escaped major flooding Sunday, Marc Dillon, chief of staff for Harkins, said.

As the storm approached Friday, crews from the Department of Public Works and Dalling Construction installed large cement blocks to bolster the sea wall. The street along the sea wall was fractured by the storm surge, and late Sunday resembled a jigsaw puzzle.

The gazebo in Paradise Green, an iconic structure in Stratford, was damaged when a large tree on the Main Street side of the green toppled onto it Sunday. Dillon said Wednesday the original archi-tect was being brought in to assess the damage, but there was no timeline for repair.

One vacant cottage on West Beach Drive was driven into another by the storm surge,

leaving both destroyed.The River Dog concession

stand at the Birdseye boat ramp was pushed off its base when the storm surge pushed into the parking lot and toward the water treatment plant. Water flowed around the hill leading into the boat launch and down the driveways leading into the plant, flowing as far inland as Elm Street.

Monday morning, Elm Street remained littered with branches and trees blown down by the high winds.

Stratford opened an emer-gency shelter at Bunnell High School, where some 50 people sought refuge from the storm. For the first time, according to Animal Control Officer Rachel Solveira, pets were sheltered in the same location as their owners. `The Stratford YMCA offered

use of its showers to residents from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Friday. Residents need to take identification, a towel and personal care items.

All town facilities were closed Monday. Town Hall reopened Tuesday, and all municipal buildings were back in business Wednesday morn-ing.

The Stratford Library closed Monday, but reopened Tuesday morning.

Social media kept residents in touch with each other, and relayed valuable information during the height of the storm. A north end resident reporting brown water from a faucet led to news of the breaking of a water main on Beaver Dam Road. The pipe was repaired Monday.

said of hurricanes, explain-ing that sections of hurricanes and tropical storms carry rain bands that are saturated with various amounts of moisture.

Wind damage also varied from region to region. Igor Sikorsky Airport record-ed wind gusts of 63 miles an hour, but Danbury only saw gusts that hit 40 mph. Sustained winds were between 20 and 40 mph for most areas. Central Connecticut was hit

the worst, Stark said, although many towns along the coast have 100% of its residents without electricity.

The storm could have been worse, Stark said. As Irene made landfall in North Carolina, its structure changed slightly. By the time it hit Connecticut it had downgrad-ed to a tropical storm. But its reach extended across the northeast, and before the eye of the storm hit in western New York, much of the region was already soaked and suf-

fering wind damage. This also helped slow the storm as land-masses take away the storm’s energy source, Stark said.

Hurricanes are low-pressure systems that spin counter-clockwise and are categorized as cyclones, Stark said. These storms get energy from warm water, so the cooler water in the north also helped weaken the storm’s intensity. Stark added that vertical streams of wind may also have helped slow the storm, but it’s unclear.

Continued from page one

Weather service on Irene:‘Could have been worse’

Continued from page one

Town mops up

Hurricane Irene

A tree on Elm Street was ripped apart by the winds of Hurricane Irene Sunday.

(Submitted photo by Cathy McDonald)

Water fills the roadway and sidewalk adjacent to the sea wall after the storm surge from Hurricane Irene. (Photo by Mario Recupido)

The gazebo on Paradise Green was heavily damaged by a falling tree during Hurricane Irene. (Submitted photo by Matt Catalano)

People walk up First Avenue during the lull in Hurricane Irene Sunday. Sand shows how far water encroached on the shore. (Photo by Mario Recupido)

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B’nai Torah... the center for Jewish life in Trumbull.

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Open House Shabbats

Fri., Sept. 9-7:30pm • Sat., Sept. 10-9:30am ��

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A Stratford man was arrest-ed in Milford Saturday after he fought with a marina repre-sentative advising him it was not safe to ride out Hurricane Irene in his boat.

Milford police said 45-year-old David Zaccaria of Vought Place was told he would have to leave Port Milford around 5:30 p.m. because the storm was approaching.

Zaccaria refused to leave and pushed the marina rep-resentative to the ground, “nearly knocking him into the water,” according to Milford police.

He then allegedly poured gasoline onto the dock and threatened to light it afire using a flare gun, which was in his waistband.

Zaccaria was charged with

second-degree reckless endan-germent, first-degree breach of peace, first-degree threat-ening and discharging a sub-stance into the harbor without a permit. Bond was $10,000 for court Sept. 13.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was notified because gasoline was spilled into the water.

By Joshua FisherStaff

With Hurricane Irene still hundreds of miles away last week, the MTA shut down the New Haven Line and the rest of the New York City Transit system. There was not a pas-senger train that stopped in Stratford for more than two days.

As the large storm approached the East Coast on Friday, MTA officials made plans to shut down Metro-North Railroad and the rest of New York City’s sprawling subway, bus and commuter rail lines beginning at noon on Saturday — about 24 hours before the heart of Irene was forecast to hit the area.

Officials decided to go ahead with the transit shutdown as the city was evacuating hos-

pitals and nursing homes in low-lying areas.

Metro-North was shut down at noon on Saturday, but still finishing its runs up the New Haven Line until almost 2. The 12:07 out of Grand Central was the last train out Saturday. Monday afternoon, inbound service resumed.

On Sunday, Gov. Malloy said Metro-North’s Connecticut lines had suffered severe dam-age, particularly on its New Canaan branch, from Tropical Storm Irene, downgraded from a hurricane just before it reached Fairfield County.

Metro-North service remained suspended much of Monday as repairs con-tinued to be made. After 1 p.m., the railroad announced limited service would resume on all three of its main lines at 2. But, a spokesman said, as

soon as it sent out word that service would resume, a tree fell across the New Haven Line, setting back its busiest line.

The Harlem and Hudson Lines resumed limited service at 2.

Eventually MTA workers cleared the tree and limited service resumed from New York to New Haven.

By Tuesday regular service resumed on the main New Haven Line.

Connecticut’s three spur lines — New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury — did not resume on Monday. All but Danbury was back by Tuesday. But the Danbury line, which goes through some of the worst-hit towns in southwestern Connecticut, remained sus-pended on Wednesday.

Stratford man charged in dock dispute

New Haven Line trains resume after two-day suspension

Hurricane Irene

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has urged all state residents and business owners to report property damage from Hurricane Irene to the state’s free Infoline, 211, or online at www.211ct.org.

The collection of this data will be used to help prepare the state’s request for a disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Over the past few days I have seen first-hand the dev-astating impact Hurricane Irene has had on our state,” Malloy said in a press release. “As people take stock in the damage inflicted upon their

homes and businesses, I am asking residents to help expe-dite the data collection pro-cess of these damages and call or e-mail them in to the 211 Infoline. The reporting of this damage is a critical step in our attempt to secure federal aid in the wake of Hurricane Irene.”

Data will be collected start-ing immediately. The 211 Infoline will be fielding calls seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

“If granted, this declaration would bring much needed help to Connecticut residents and businesses,” added Governor Malloy.

Malloy: Report storm damage to 211

A business assistance pro-gram has been launched to help companies negatively impacted by Hurricane Irene.

“This storm had a tremen-dous impact on residents and businesses alike. As we move forward in our recovery efforts, I want to ensure that businesses that were affected get the financial and techni-cal help they need in a time-ly fashion,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. “Providing this type of assistance will ensure Connecticut companies get

back to business, which in turn will help the state's economy stay on track in the wake of this devastating storm.”

Businesses sustaining dam-age will be eligible for assis-tance, including bridge financ-ing and loans covering unin-sured losses, through the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

Highlights include:• Loans of up to $200,000 to

companies for storm-related damage, including property, machinery and equipment,

and working capital;• Loan guarantees of up to

$200,000 will be provided to banks and other lend-ers to spur local lending to businesses impacted by the storm;

• Grants will be available to businesses for assistance in disaster recovery, such as temporary help and train-ing; and

• Technical assistance, link-ing businesses to a wide array of state and federal resources.

Agricultural businesses are eligible for funding.

A team of DECD workers has been assembled to work with companies at business resource centers around the state. They will assist in iden-tifying financial and technical resources, as well as serve as business advocates with utility assistance, insurance compa-nies, and federal agencies.

Information, including a list of centers, can be accessed through DECD.org or by call-ing 860-270-8215.

Help available to businesses impacted by Hurricane

The River Dog concession stand at the Birdseye boat ramp was tossed about by Hurricane Irene. (Submitted photo by Jamie Rock)

Ferry Boulevard was covered in water as Hurricane Irene roared ashore Sunday, Aug. 28.

(Submitted photo by Cathy McDonald)

A mailbox torn from the ground by strong winds Sunday. (Photo by Mario Recupido)

A resident makes a stand as Hurricane Irene approaches Saturday. (Photo by Mario Recupido)

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Library hours: Monday-Thursday, 10-8; Friday-Saturday, 10-5; Sunday, 1-5; 203-385-4162 or stratfordli-brary.org.

EVENTSAARP Drive Alive

— Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1 p.m. Classroom driver retrain-ing program designed to help older persons improve driving skills. Fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. Class is limited to 24 participants and reserva-tions are required. Call AARP representative Michael Klein at 203-929-4851.

Script Talk: Rabbit Hole — Tuesday, Sept. 13, noon. Monthly drama and film dis-cussion takes a look at David Lindsay-Abaire’s drama about loss and forgiveness. The film version starring Nicole Kidman will be shown fol-lowing the talk. Bring a bag lunch; coffee and tea served. Discussion leader will be Tom Holehan

Friday Night Movies “The Social Network” — Friday,

Sept. 16, 7 p.m. Monthly film series offering free screen-ings of new and popular films begins with this criti-cally acclaimed drama about the meteoric rise of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Free and open to the public.

Chiropractic Advice — Wednesday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m. Advice about all things chiro-practic from Stratford chiro-practor Dr. Corsello. Free and open to the public.

ONGOINGOnline Resources — The

Library subscribes to two online resources for students. Tumblebooks is an online storybook site that will read books aloud to young chil-dren and allow older children to read along. World Book Online combines a traditional

encyclopedia with maps, pho-tos, and current events and can be used for homework and personal reference. These resources are available through the Library’s website and are free of charge to any Stratford resident with a valid Library card. For further information, call 203-385-4165 or visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org.

Countdown — Tuesdays at 4 p.m. Children ages 5 to 9 play math games in a new program, Countdown, which meets each monthly. Registration requested.

Sensory storytime — Special needs children with tactile interests are welcome to Sensory Storytime one Saturday a month, 10:30 a.m. Storytime is specially designed for children with sensory needs. Registration required.

Saturday, Sept. 3Bottle drive — St. Mark School,

500 Wigwam Lane, will hold its monthly bottle and can drive Saturday, Sept. 3, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Parish Center entrance. Rain or shine.

Tuesday, Sept. 6Square One auditions — The

Square One Theatre Company will hold open auditions for its 2011-12 season Tuesday, Sept. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. In the Lovell Room at the Stratford Library, 2203 Main St. Actors are requested to prepare a 1- to 2-minute (strictly enforced) mono-logue of their choice for the Sept. 6 audition, and to provide a current resume and photo. Information: 203-375-8778 or squareonetheatre.com.

Saturday, Sept. 10Redeemables and shredding —

St. James Schoo, 1 Monument Place, will hold a bottle and can drive and shredding fundraiser: Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. Shredding fees are $10 per box, $20 per gar-bage bag. Bottles, cans and items to be shredded can be taken to the gym entrance on Monument Place. Proceeds from both events will be put toward upgrading the technolog: 203-375-5994.

New and Nearly New side-walk sale — The Kennedy Center Auxiliary’s New & Nearly New Thrift Shop will hold a sidewalk sale Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 17Trumbull High reunion — The

Trumbull High School Class of 1976 will holding its 35th reunion on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Pinewood Lake Clubhouse in Trumbull. Cost is $45 per person is required by Sept. 10. Checks can be made out to Trumbull High School Class of ‘76 and mailed to Patricia Connelly, c/o Fairfield County Bank, 915 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT 06611. Registration is also available online at paypal.com, click on “send money” and enter: [email protected]. Any faculty/staff that worked at Trumbull High School from 1973 to 1976 are welcome to attend. Questions: Anne Kearns Fers, [email protected].

Sunday, Sept. 18Slovak Picnic — The Slovak

Alliance of Greater Bridgeport is sponsoring a Slovak/Slavic Picnic on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Germania Schwaben Club Beer Garden, 416 Horace St., Bridgeport. Admission is $5 for those 14 years and older, free for those younger than 14. Food and beverage for purchase; Music by Vox Ethnika. Information: George or Marta Suychak, 203-377-1874.

Democratic outing — The Stratford Democratic Town Committee has rescheduled its annu-al Family Picnic to Sunday Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the main pavilion at Short Beach. The picnic is open to the public. Tickets are $10, children younger than 7 admit-ted free of charge. Information: from Joan Pruzinsky at 203-610-3480.

Monday, Sept. 19Sterling Classic — Sterling House

Community Center will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sterling Classic Golf Tournament on Monday, Sept. 19, at the Mill River Country Club. Information about entries and sponsorship is available from Special Events Coordinator Patty Calabrese at 203-378-2606, ext. 107, or [email protected].

Saturday, Sept. 24Church tag sale — Lordship

Community Church, 179 Prospect Drive, is seeking vendors for its sixth annual church-wide Tag Sale & Craft Fair, to take place Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. For a $20 donation, a vendor will receive an 8-foot by 10-foot space. Vendors may supply their own tables and chairs, or they can be rented from the church for a small fee. The church is also seeking vendors with clean items in good condition such as china, glassware, antiques, etc.; no electronics. Information: 203-377-6568, [email protected] or www.thelordshipchurch.org.

Bunnell 40th reunion — The Bunnell High School Class of 1971 will hold its 40th reunion on Oct. 1 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Stonebridge Restaurant in Milford. Tickets are $25 with a cash bar. Reservations available from Brian Carroll at 203-258-3161 or [email protected] by Sept. 22.

Indoor Tag Sale — St. James School, 1 Monument Place, will hold an indoor tag sale Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9a.m. to 3p.m. Tables cost $25; only 40 tables available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications at at stjamesstratford.org 203-375-5994; due Sept. 9. All rental fees donated to Save the Children Foundation.

Sept. 30-Oct. 1Stratford High reunion — The

Stratford High School Class of 1956 will celebrate its 55th reunion Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Classmates who have not been contacted are asked to call Don at 203-929-5013.

Saturday, Oct. 8STARS Fall Festival — The

Stratford Animal Rescue Society is looking for vendors and sponsors for its annual “Fall Festival” to ben-efit homeless animals on Saturday Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Paradise Green. Vendor spaces are $50 and sponsor levels start at $25. Additional information can be found at starsfest.com.

Saturday, Oct. 15“Autumn in Spain” — The

Perry House Foundation will cel-ebrate Spanish heritage at this year’s annual Community Ball, “Autumn in Spain,” on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 7 p.m. to midnight at Vazzano’s Four Seasons, 337 Kenyon St. Tickets and information: 203-377-3779.

Saturday, Oct. 22Treasures, Treats and Trinkets

— The Stratford Women’s Club needs vendors for its 24th Treasures, Treats and Trinkets Fair on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2600 Main St. Details and applications at 203-378-6176.

ONGOINGStratford Farmers’ Market —

The Stratford Farmers’ Market is open Mondays through October, 2 to 6 p.m., rain or shine, in the AVCO parking lot on the south end of Main Street. Information: Stratford Health Department at 203-385-4090.

Book group at Sterling House — Books Worth Discussing meets the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Sterling House. Upcoming books include Strange Fits of Passion by Anita Shreve for September, Zeitoun

by Dave Eggers in October, The Black Girl Next Door by Jennifer Baszile in November, Ambulance Girl by Jane Stern in December, and Steig Larsson: Our Days in Stockholm by Kurdo Baski for Jan. 2012. Facilitated by Roberta Shea.

Nutmeg Stamp Club — The Nutmeg Stamp Club meets the sec-ond and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7 p.m. in the all purpose room at Atria Stratford, 6911 Main St. A small auction and presenta-tion usually occur. Refreshments are served. Dues of $10 per year will be collected for anyone who would like to become a member. For more information call Ed Corfini at 203-384-8197.

New and Nearly New Shop — The Kennedy Center Auxiliary’s New & Nearly New Thrift Shop is conducting a summer clothing half-price sale. The shop will also host a sidewalk sale Sept. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations of clean, use-able clothing and small housewares accepted 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. Books, electronics and children’s clothing not accepted. Information: 203-377-5669.

Golden Rooster Consignment Shop — of Christ Episcopal Church, 2019 Main St., Stratford; Wednesday-Friday, 10-4; Saturday, 11-3.

Sikorsky Retirees — The Sikorsky Retirees Friendship Club meets the second Friday of each month at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s National Catholic Church, 1300 Stratford Road, in Lordship. The next meeting is Friday, Aug. 12. All Sikorsky retir-ees are invited. For more information call Rich at 203-735-2982.

Sikorsky Retirees trips — Destinations during 2011 include: Polka Mass at Ace-in-the-Hole, includes family style luncheon, enter-tainment, and dancing; Oct. 19, My Fair Lady at Westchester Broadway Theatre, includes lunch; Nov. 15-17, The Miracle of Christmas show and the American Theatre Music Show in Lancaster, Pa. three cruises are planned for 2012, Jan 17-29, 13-day cruise on Celebrity Silhouette to the Eastern Caribbean; Feb. 25 to March 9, 12-day cruise on Explorer of the Seas to the Southern Caribbean; and May 12-19, an 8-day cruise on Oasis

of the Seas to the Western Caribbean. Reservations and information: 203-783-1173.

Harding HS class reunion — Warren Harding High School, class of 1969 reunion; classes of 1968 and 1970 welcome, Saturday, Nov. 12, 7-11 p.m., Costa Azzura Restaurant, Milford. $50/person in advance; includes dinner/dancing, cash bar. No entry without ticket. Checks pay-able to Sandy Basile Uliano-WHHS Class Reunion; send to Sandy Basile Uliano, 136 Cupheag Crescent, Stratford, CT 06614. List each per-son attending. Ladies include maiden name. Information: Linda Harrison Sherry, 203-502-1128; Elena Berardi Spinelli, 203-240-3099; or e-mail [email protected].

Slovak Alliance — All meetings are canceled until Sept. 29. The Slovak Alliance of Greater Bridgeport usually meets last Thursday of the month, 7 p.m., Holy Name of Jesus School meeting room, Mary Avenue, Stratford. Anyone of Slovak descent, or married to one is welcome; 203-377-1874.

Camera club — Greater Bridgeport Camera Club meets first and third Wednesday of the month, September-May, 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, 2301 Main St.; 203-923-1277.

Church tag sale — Every Saturday, 9-6; and Sunday, 9-1, St. Margaret Shrine, 2539 Park Ave. (Suburban Avenue entrance), Bridgeport; 203-414-9786; 203-345-0662; [email protected].

Addiction program — Local chapter of Reformers Unanimous, a faith-based program with a complete curriculum for those with addictions meets every Friday, 7-9 p.m., White Oak Baptist Church, 5344 Main St., Stratford; 203-381-0559.

National Helicopter Museum — Wednesday-Sunday, 1-4, Stratford East Bound Railroad Station; free.

Yoga in Lordship — Conscious Living Studio is accepting registra-tion for its daytime and evening yoga classes. They are geared to adults, but parents may bring children; 203-375-2577; consciouslivingstudio.com.

Spotlight

Stratford Library Board President Judy Crudo recently presented the library’s annual college scholarships to Stratford students Ester-Marie Baptiste, who will attend the University of Hartford, and Farah Themistocle, who will attend Fairfield University. “The Library Board is proud to award two $500 scholarships for the second year to each of these deserving teens. We applaud their aca-demic achievements and their hours of volunteer service to the Stratford Library and the Stratford community,” Crudo said.

(Submitted photo)

Stratford Library presents scholarships Library Notes

Labor Day closingThe Stratford Library will be closed

Monday, Sept. 5, in observance of Labor Day.

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Social Religious Briefs

A series of croquet parties, at individual residences at the same day and time, will support Emerge, a Stratford based non-profit organization that provides transitional and permanent housing, mentor-ing and counseling to women and their children affected by domestic violence.

Rosinne Chlala of Fairfield, co-owner of Festivities, a Norwalk-based event planning and catering company, is coor-dinating the inaugural Croquet Fete at houses throughout Fairfield and Southport on Sept. 18.

“We are asking members of our local community to throw a croquet party, a truly unique and fun way to entertain their guests while at the same time supporting a local agency that helps women and children who have been impacted by domes-tic violence,” said Southport resident and Emerge board member Lucy Roberts.

Following the individual parties, guests will gather at an estate in Southport for a cham-pagne and dessert reception.

“Each host/hostess will be responsible for providing a croquet set, setting up their lawn for tournament play, compiling their guest lists. Invitations will be provided and supplying food and drink,” Chlala said. “The day can be as simple, or as extravagant, as the host/hostess desires, with the emphasis on fun and with the intent to help women

and their children who have been victims of domestic vio-lence.”

In addition to serving as a host/hostess, members of the community may purchase a ticket and play at an organized

party, or attend the post-party reception.

Each guest will be asked to purchase a $75 event tick-et, with 100% of the ticket sales going directly to support Emerge’s mission to create

safe homes for women and their children.

Those interested in par-ticipating may contact the Croquet Fete committee at [email protected] or 203-847-7774.

Croquet parties help victims escape violenceCatholic Daughters meet Sept. 6

Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. Cecelia #735, will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 6:30 p.m. at Sterling House Community Center, 2283 Main St.

A welcome back social with refreshments is planned and upcoming events will be discussed.

Questions can be directed to Regent Doris Berke at 203-377-0255.

Tag sale, car show at Holy NameHoly Name of Jesus Church, 1950 Barnum Ave., will

hold its annual tag sale Saturday, Sept. 10, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Men’s Society at Holy Nmae of Jesus Church will hold its fourth annual car show Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The show will feature cars from the Cruisin’ East Car Club.

Bacon and eggs and coffee will be served until 11 a.m. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be served after 11 a.m.

The car show will be held in conjunction with the annual tag sale, set for Sept. 10-11.

The rain date for the car show is Sept. 17.Car admission is $10 on day of show. Trophies will be

awarded in two categories, cars 25 years and older, and cars 25 years and younger.

Those attending the tag sale should enter from Mary Avenue. Car show entry is from College Street.

Tag sale information is available at 203-381-0191.Information on the car show is available from Larry

Wells at 203-375-2836 or [email protected].

Missionary to speak at Unity HillUCC Missionary Michael Joseph will share stories of

his work and time in Colombia, South America, during two events at Unity Hill United Church of Christ, 364 White Plains Road, Trumbull.

The Unity Hill United Church of Christ Mission Committee will hold a potluck supper and program by Joseph in Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.

The supper is open to the public. Reservations can be made by calling 203-374-8822.

The Women’s Fellowship of Unity Hill United Church of Christ will hold a covered dish luncheon and talk by Joseph Thursday, Sept. 15, at noon in Lynch Hall at the church.

Hostesses are Waltraud Yeager and Carole Fanslow, with devotions led by Fanslow.

Those attending are asked to prepare a covered dish to share or pay $7 at the door. Reservations may be made by calling the church at 203-374-8822. The event is open to the public.

25th reunion for St. James classThe St. James School Class of 1976 will have a reunion

at Stanziale’s, 595 Main St., Sunday, Sept. 25, from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $30, with a cash bar.

Christina Burge and her new baby Connor recenlty visited with her mother Pat Thompson and her grandmother Agnes Mulligan of Stratford. (Submitted photo)

New generation visits

The Perry House Foundation will celebrate Spanish heri-tage at this year’s annual Community Ball, “Autumn in Spain,” on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 7 p.m. to midnight at Vazzano’s Four Seasons, 337 Kenyon St.

The theme is a continuation of the foundation’s celebra-tion of the diverse population in Stratford. Previous cultures honored were the Italian, Irish and Russian.

The October 15 event will

have Spanish food and drink, entertainment and a silent auc-tion. Music will be provided by The Essentials.

Committee chairmen include Erica Bartelson Mitchell and Mary Dean, Facilities Committee; Joyce Baran, Decorating Committee; Christine Doolan, Silent Auction Committee.

Berta Perez, has agreed to act as “Spanish” adviser to the committee.

Other members of the

committee include Shannon Bruchal, Dave Killeen, Carol Feduik, Alix Semanchik, Evelyn Clough, Patty Gallagher, Nancy Monk, Angie Ovchar, Alberta Vargas, Pam Hutchinson, Alicia Fraguada and Carole Adzima.

The ball will help raise funds for the Perry House Foundation and its ongoing work to support its visitors’ center; educational programs that teach children what it was like to live in Stratford during

the Revolutionary War period; and operations.

Information regarding “Autumn in Spain,” includ-ing how to purchase tickets, purchase an ad or donate an item to the silent auction, is available from Perry House, 203-377-3779.

Perry House Ball to honor Spanish heritage

Fairfield residents will host croquet parties in support of a domestic violence transitional program. Attending a kickoff event were Rosinne Chlala, co-owner of Festivities; Donna Jackson, co-founder of Emerge; Lucy Roberts, member of the event committee and Emerge board; Fran Dubicki of the event committee; Adrienne Conzelman, owner of ARC Gallery and host of the kickoff event.

(Submitted photo)

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BusinessBusiness Briefs

State Senate Kevin Kelly (R-21) joined Gov. Dannel Malloy’s jobs tour during a visit to Bridgeport Fittings in Stratford,

Bridgeport Fittings Inc. hosted the Governor, the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, members of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Kelly and other elected offi-cials and guests.

“Today’s visit provided us all with a first-hand look into the needs of our state’s manufacturers and struggling employers,” Kelly said in a press release.

Members of the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and voice their thoughts. Unemployment, lack of tax incentives and a need for state support to retain human capital were among the topics discussed.

In discussions with other manufacturing representatives and members of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Kelly said, “Jobs has always been my number one priority as a state senator. As a state and as a legislature we need to reevaluate our agenda, take a

look at Connecticut’s rapidly aging work force and make needed changes. Going for-ward we must actively retain our young, educated popula-tion and also implement tax

incentives to support the man-ufacturers that create the jobs many of our families rely on.”

Bridgeport Fittings is a manufacturer in electrical fit-tings and is the market leader

for zinc die cast fittings. It was founded in 1925, originally in Bridgeport,

More information can be found at bptfittings.com.

Kelly talks to workers at Bridgeport FittingsBounceU cites Stratford franchise

BounceU of Stratford, 305 Hathaway Drive, received the Gold Circle Award at the BounceU Franchise Convention July 25- 27 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The award recognized John and Wendy Van Kirk for “their ‘can do’ attitude, healthy business growth, and spec-tacular sales in 2010.”

BounceU of Stratford was one of six franchises selected for the Gold Circle Award. BounceU has 59 locations in 21 states, with four new franchise locations in development.

More information can be found at www.bounceu.com/party-places-for-kids/connecticut/stratford.

New owner, tenant at 816 Honeyspot RoadAngel Commercial LLC has announced the sale of

816 Honeyspot Road, Stratford for $440,000 to Hawley Management Group, and the subsequent lease of 6,000 square feet of space within the 8,000-square-foot industrial building to Stonehenge Marble and Granite LLC.

Jon Angel, president of Angel Commercial, represented the seller, Bove Enterprises LLC.

Patrick Bourque, sales associate, represented both the purchaser/landlord and the tenant.

Stonehenge Marble and Granite will immediately occu-py 75% of the building, leaving 2,000 square feet available for lease.

Business After Hours at People’s Sept. 1The Stratford Chamber of Commerce will hold Business

After Hours at People’s United Bank, 2772 Main St., Thursday, Sept. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The cost is $10 for members of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, $20 for all others.

Those who wish to attend must RSVP by Aug. 29 by visiting brbc.org; calling 203-335-3800; sending a fax to 203-366-0105; or by mail to BRBC, 10 Middle St., 14th Floor, Bridgeport, CT 06604.

Burger King supporting Jimmy FundBurger King is supporting The Jimmy Fund through the

A Chance for Kids program through Sept. 5.Guests at 1540 Barnum Ave. and Burger King restau-

rants in 10 Northeast states can donate $1 to the program. With each contribution, donors will receive a promotion card guaranteed to be a winner with prizes ranging from all-inclusive resort vacations, airline tickets, theme park admissions and Burger King food.

Through A Chance for Kids, 552 franchise and company owned Burger King restaurants set a goal to raise $1.1 mil-lion for pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

When Erik Horwedel vis-ited Springfield, Mass., to tour Cathedral Catholic High School, he could not believe the devastation after a tornado ripped through the city.

On a tour of the site with Service Master, the company handling restoration efforts at the 450,000-square-foot com-plex of buildings, Horwedel asked if there was anything he could do personally to help get the school up and running.

One of the oddities result-ing from the violent water and wind damage occurred when hundreds of table and chair legs on the children’s furni-ture, which had been fitted with tennis balls to protect the floors, were left embed-ded with millions of shards of glass from shattered windows.

The glass was virtually impos-sible to remove through con-ventional cleaning.

Tennis balls that lose their bounce are generally discard-ed. But cupped on to legs of tables, chairs and furniture they find new life protecting the floor finish against scuff marks and cracking thereby making cleaning and mainte-nance easier and less costly.

During the tour Paul Plouffe, president of Stratford-based Service Master of Greater Bridgeport, wondered aloud where he was going to find thousands of used tennis balls to replace the damaged ones as it would not be cost effective to clean them.

Horwedel, general man-ager of the Shorehaven Golf Club in Norwalk, has access

to hundreds of used balls nor-mally discarded by the club’s pros and players who use their tennis courts. Beyond that, Horwedel reached out to other clubs throughout Fairfield County to see if the would join in. So far, Horwedel said, the response has been over-whelming.

Finding used tennis balls to protect the floors is just a tiny part of overall efforts to restore the facilities. The multi-million dollar restora-tion will continue for several months and is bringing togeth-er other restoration specialists from Service Master’s Large Loss Division under the direc-tion of Steven Wills, Service Master Recovery Management franchise owner in Stamford.

“Getting the complex of

buildings restored quickly and safely, in conformance with all local, state and federal regula-tions is a high priority for us,” Wills said.

He added that although ten-nis balls are just a small part of the overall project, every little bit helps and he appreci-ates the fact that golf and ten-nis pros throughout the region were generous in responding the need.

Horwedel said he will accu-mulate as many used tennis balls as he can and then deliv-er them all at once when they are needed at Springfield’s Cathedral High.

Anyone wishing to con-tribute used tennis balls to the project may call Service Master of Greater Bridgeport at 203-386-1565.

Clubs donate tennis balls to aid disaster recovery

Jonathan Perkins Injury Law of Woodbridge, Stratford and Hartford raffled off a $250 gift cer-tificate to Brother’s Harley Davidson in Branford dur-ing the shop’s kickoff Bike & Car Cruise Night July 28. Perkins Injury Law is a co-sponsor of the event. From left are Colleen Banahan, case manager at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers; Jonathan Perkins; Rabab Akel, team leader at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers; and Ariel Bruno of New Haven, who won the gift certificate.

(Submitted photo)

State Sen. Kevin Kelly (R-21) talks to a constituent during a tour of Bridgeport Fittings. (Submitted photo)

The following property transfers are copyrighted mate-rial previously published in the Commercial Record, a weekly trade paper. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher, The Warren Group, thewarrengroup.com.

STRATFORD387 Allyndale Dr, Elizabeth Hanson to Christopher D.

Lawrence, $166,000.507 Jamestown Rd Unit 507, Lee P. Gabriel to George

L. Holmes, $355,000.60 Karen Ave, Mary Jurkiewicz to Jonathan Ackley,

$195,500.255 Lighthouse Ave, Bonnie R. Baumgart to Matthew

Scemalle, $300,000.28 Lynncrest Dr Lot, Hanick Florence Est and John

Hanick to Millenium Developers LLC, $70,000.90 Marina Dr, Secord Teckla M Est and Holly F.

Balsinger to Alan E. Lopez, $163,000.115 Patterson Ave, Jonathan Ackley to Jacee Rhodes,

$280,000.567 Pequot Ln Unit A, Gria M. Binkley to Arthur M.

Cardillo, $150,000.30 Shirley Dr, Lesley Kostyszyn to Cody M. Forte,

$129,900.294 Sunnybank Ave, Marco Pulgarin to Diane Lupinacci,

$256,500.84 Temple St, Marshall Props LLC to Kyle J. Ramos,

$218,000.30 Woodcrest Ave, Barvenik Alma Est and Frank

Barvenik to Giovanni Rodriguez, $120,000.N/a, Ferry Boulevard Assoc LLC to Triple E&J LLC,

$320,000.

Attorney givesgift to bikers

Property Transfers

Promotion? [email protected]

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Register for programs at the Recreation Department office at Short Beach or online at www.townofstratford.com/recreation.

Head to Toe Fitness — Register through Sept. 2. Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 6 through Nov. 29 from 6:15 to 7 p.m. at Flood Middle School Aux. Gym. Head to Toe Fitness, an exercise class that targets cardio, strength and flexibility. Fee is $80.

Boxing Club — Register through Sept. 3. Classes are Mondays and Thursdays begin-ning Sept. 8. Beginner class is from 5 to 5:30 p.m., Advanced from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Adults from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Program is for boys and girls ages 10 to 17. There will be a parent meeting on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Birdseye Complex. Fee is $120 for 6 weeks, plus a $40 insurance fee.

Zumba — Register through Sept. 6. Classes are Monday, Wednesday & Friday, Sept. 7 through Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Baldwin Center. Zumba is a fun-filled, easy to fol-low Latin dance fitness class at the Baldwin Center. Fee is $80.

Saturday Swim Lessons — Registration is Saturday, Sept. 10 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Recreation Office or online. Lessons are Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Flood pool begin-ning Sept. 17. Fee is $35 for half-hour class and $35 for one hour class for 10 sessions.

Drill/Dance Team for Teens — Register through Sept. 9. Drill Team Program for ages 12-17. Program will begin in Sept. Fee is $10.

Adult Evening Swim Lessons — Register through Sept. 9. Lessons are Mondays and Wednesdays and begin Sept. 12 at Flood pool. Beginner class is 8 to 8:30 p.m., Advanced is 8:30 to 9 p.m. Fee is $35 for 10 sessions.

Aqua Zumba — Register through Sept. 12. Classes are

Thursdays, Sept. 15 through Nov. 17 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Flood Pool. Aqua Zumba incor-porates dance and fitness in the water. Fee is $60.

Mad Science Program — Register through Sept. 15. Program runs from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for four weeks. Locations and start dates are as follows: Mondays at Eli Whitney Scjool starting Sept. 19; Tuesdays at Lordship School starting Sept. 20, and Wednesdays at Second Hill Lane School starting Sept. 21. This class will provide imagina-tive programming that will spark the interest and curiosity of chil-dren. Fee is $65.

Toddler Open Gym — Register through Sept. 16. Session begins Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Birdseye Complex from 9 to 10 a.m. or 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Toddler open gym is designed for ages 1 to 5 and their caregiver. Fee is $45.

Yoga — Register through Sept. 18. Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays and run for 10 weeks. Beginners: Tuesdays starting Sept. 20 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursdays starting Sept. 22 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Advanced: Tuesdays start-ing Sept. 20 from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Thursdays starting Sept. 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Fee is $80.

Adult Golf Lessons — Register Sept. 1 through 19. Classes at Short Beach Park are Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m., beginning Sept. 21 for five weeks.

Basketball Drills and Skills for Boys and Girls — Register Sept. 7 through 17. Classes are Tuesdays, 6 to 7 p.m., Sept. 20 through Nov. 1 at the Birdseye Complex Gymnasium. This six-week basketball and life skills program is for boys and girls in grades K-4 and 5-8. Fee is $30.

Basketball Drills and Skills II for Boys and Girls — Register Sept. 7 through 17. Classes are Wednesdays, 6 to 7 p.m., Sept. 28 through Nov. 2 at the Birdseye Complex Gymnasium. This six-week basketball and life skills program is for boys and girls who

have already completed Drills and Skills 1. Fee is $30.

Chess Club — Register through Sept. 23. Classes are Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. for eight weeks, beginning Sept. 29. Students will play chess and matches will be arranged. Chess instruction will also be offered for beginners. Fee is $35.

Youth Tumbling and Cheerleading — Register through Sept. 23. Ages 3 to 6. Classes are Wednesdays, 4 to 4:45 p.m. for eight weeks, beginning Sept. 28.

Art Classes — Register through Sept. 23. Classes begin Sept. 26 and 29. Ages 2 to 3 is Mondays from 10 to 10:45 a.m., ages 4 to 6 is Thursdays from 4 to 4:45 p.m., ages 7 to 10 is Thursdays from 5 to 5:45 p.m. All classes read children’s literature and practice an art skill from the story.

Baggy T’s- Exercise for Everybody — Register Sept. 1 through 23. Classes are Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sept. 26 through Nov. 21 at the Baldwin Center. This musi-cally driven class combined aero-bics, toning, dumbbells, elastic tubing and flexibility to create a total body workout. Fee is $80.

Playschool — Register through Sept. 23. Ages 2-3. Classes are Wednesdays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. beginning Sept. 28 for eight weeks at the South End Community Center. Children will explore through centers, do crafts, cook, music, large motor skill activities, circle time and stories. Fee is $65.

Youth Hip Hop Dance Program — Register through Sept. 23. Classes are Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6 p.m. at the Baldwin Center beginning Sept. 23 for 6 weeks. Ages 7 to 11. Fee is $65.

Youth Ballet/Tap Program — Register through Sept. 23. Classes are Tuesdays at the Baldwin Center beginning Sept. 27 for 8 weeks. Ages 3 to 4 is 4:45 to 4:30 p.m., ages 5 to 6 is 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Fee is $65.

Sterling House Community Center will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sterling Classic Golf Tournament on Monday, Sept. 19, at the Mill River Country Club.

Walmart and Bishop, Jackson & Kelly LLC are the key sponsors.

Other major sponsors include Bridgeport Fittings, Aurora Products and PMA Companies.

Long-standing committee mem-ber Laura Hoydick, Steve Kutash and

Wayne Booth have been selected as the chairmen. Other committee members include Robert Betlinski, Eric Booth, Maureen Doherty, Donna Donofrio, Debbie Higgins, Paul Hoydick, Rob Sutton and Stu Walls.

Information about entries and spon-sorship is available from Special Events Coordinator Patty Calabrese at 203-378-2606, ext. 107, or [email protected].

20th annual Sterling Classictees off Sept. 19 at Mill River

Recreation Programs

Sterling House Community Center is located at 2283 Main St. It can be reached at 203-378-2606, and has a Web site at sterlinghousecc.org.

Karate Classes — Saturday Karate classes are from 10:30 to noon begin-ning Sept. 10. Weekday Evening Classes are on Wednesday, 7:30-9 p.m. beginning Sept 7th. Classes are for adults and youth and are offered on a Monthly basis. Cost is $20 per calendar month, plus a current Sterling House membership.

Woodcarving Course — Ten-week course begins on Thursday Sept. 15. 7 to 9 p.m. The class is geared for students from middle School through adults. Students are encouraged to Carve any subject matter of their choice. Fee is $100 plus a current Sterling House Membership. Materials purchased directly from the Instructor.

This program is a continuation of a Stratford tradition Which has its roots reaching back a century. Occasionally, the earlier works of Stratford Decoy-carvers surface on high-end auctions. The instructor is Zsolt Megai.

Youth Art Classes — Ages 6 to 10: Five-week class begins on Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. Fee is $55. Ages 13 to 19: Five-week class begins on Saturday, Sept. 17, 12:45. No fee, but a current Sterling House membership is required. Cartooning class for grades 1 to 6: Six-week class begins on Saturday, Sept. 17, 10:30 a.m. Fee is $50.

Yoga — Ten-week course begins on Monday Sept. 19, 6 to 7:15 p.m. Instructor Laurie Trupp will focus on heightening body control, awareness, balance and flexibility. Fee is $110 plus

a current Sterling House membership. Call 203-378-2606 for information.

Bullying Seminar — This four-week seminar begins on Monday, Sept. 19, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This seminar is designed to help children and their par-ents understand and manage bullying behavior. It is based on martial arts and modern psychology, and offers practi-cal, non-physical solutions to coping with bullies. Fee is $50.

Adult Rug Hooking Class — Six-week class begins on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Come learn this tradi-tional New England craft. Learn how to hook rugs, both functional and decora-tive. Materials purchased directly from the Instructor. Fee is $60 plus a cur-rent Sterling House membership. The instructor is Benita W. Raleigh.

Special Needs Groups — All groups require a current Sterling House mem-bership. Ages 6 to 9 meet the first Thursday of each month from 5 to 6:15 p.m., starting in Oct. Fee is $75. Ages 10 to 14 meet the first Friday of the month from 5 to 6:15 p.m., starting in Oct. Fee is $75. Adult Group meets the first Friday of each month from 6:30-8 p.m. Fee is $100

Music Lessons — Half-hour private flute lessons by appointment will take place Monday evenings for youths and adults. Group guitar lessons for all ages are available on Thursdays and Saturdays. Half-hour private piano les-sons by appointment will be offered on Tuesdays for children 7 years and older. Fees range from $20 to $30 per half-hour session and group guitar les-sons are $15 per lesson. Sterling House membership is also required.

Sterling House

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Thursday September 1, 2011A SportsStratford Star

By Bill BloxsomSports Editor

Dan Paolini is 61 games into his profesional baseball career.

The Stratford native is play-ing second base for the Pulaski (Va.) Mariners in the Rookie Appalachian League.

The Seattle Mariners select-ed Paolini on June 7 with the second pick of the 10th round (303rd overall) in the Major League Baseball draft.

Paolini signed a contract on June 13 and is batting .284 with 26 RBIs and 32 runs scored. Twenty-seven of his 62 hits have gone for extra bases.

The grind of playing pro-fessionally hasn’t slowed Paolini’s bat, as the former Bunnell High standout is 6-for-11 in his last three games, with three doubles, two runs scored and an RBI in wins over the Greenville Astros.

He is first on the team in doubles (17), second in total bases (101), slugging percent-age (.463) and on-base per-centage (.378).

After being drafted, Paolini went on Brian Sinkoff’s ESPN Radio Show to talk about his future.

“I love baseball, I love play-ing the game of baseball,” he said. “From day one [being drafted] this has been the ulti-mate goal, to go out and com-pete and have a chance to play Major League baseball.”

The 6-0, 190-pound Paolini first felt his future was expand-

ing following his sophomore season at Siena.

“I knew going into Siena I was going to succeed, every-one going to college has to think that,” Paolini said of joining a program where he would set a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record with 26 home runs as a sopho-more. The old mark was 15 set by Steve Borg in 1985.

“Three years down the road and looking back, I say wow. I thank Siena College for the opportunity they gave me. I’m really thankful.”

Paolini finished his career with a .380 career batting aver-age and 56 home runs, both program records. It was the 56 long balls in just three sea-sons that earned him national recognition as one of the top power hitters in all of college baseball.

As a freshman, Paolini led the MAAC with a .430 batting average, hit 11 home runs with 53 RBIs, and ranked third in the conference with a .685 slugging percentage.

Coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign, Paolini didn’t bend at all to the sophomore jinx.

He posted a .368 batting average, registered a league-best .816 slugging percentage, and set a school-record with

62 runs scored and 64 RBIs.Paolini stole 12 bases in

just 15 attempts on the season, and made just four errors in 264 chances (.985) at second base.

Overall, he led Division I with 0.49 home runs per game and ranked second nationally in homers.

Where did the power surge come from?

“In high school we real-ly didn’t have a fence until my senior year,” Paolini told Sinkoff. “I hit a lot of long triples until my senior year.

“When I got to college with 56-game schedules and fences all around the nation those tri-ples turned into home runs.”

Paolini credits the summer after his break-out season with putting him on the national stage.

Paolini played for the Chatham A’s in the Cape Cod League, and competed in the inaugural College Baseball Home Run Derby at Omaha’s famed Rosenblatt Stadium

He said: “After my sopho-more year when I put up big numbers, I went to the Cape and then got to play in the home run derby in Rosenblatt. That’s when I began to get recognized.”

This past year, despite the introduction of new bats for

increased safety that resulted in less carry, Paolini helped the Saints reach the MAAC title game, belting 19 home runs, and breaking his own single-season RBI record with 67.

He was MAAC Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior and became the only Siena student-athlete ever to be tabbed to an All-American team at the Division I level.

“When I was coaching third base, I couldn’t get far enough out of the way. His bat speed is just violent,” Bunnell High baseball coach Scott Szturma has been quoted.

“We have a concrete wall that’s actually our foul line, so I was always worried he would just pull one so foul it would hit off the concrete and get me.”

Siena coach Tony Rossi, who has had 34 players sign professional contracts and three reach the major leagues in his 42 seasons as Saints coach, said of Paolini:

“He’s been very consistent from his freshman year. [Now] You’re comparing him nation-ally, not just locally. You don’t see that in the Northeast too much. There haven’t been a lot of guys that hit that many.

“It’s his ability in all phases of the game. I don’t know what goes on in his head, but nothing really bothers him or phases him. He just kind of goes about his business with-out any fanfare and doesn’t really worry about who’s watching him.”

The grind of playing professionally hasn’t slowed Paolini’s bat, as the former Bunnell High standout is 6-for-11 in his last three games, wins over the Greenville Astros.

Dan Paolini is starting at second base for the Pulaski (Va.) Mariners in the Rookie Appalachian League. (Photo courtesy of Pulaski Mariners)

Sports Briefs

Lordship 5K kicks off seasonThe 18th annual running of the Lordship 5K will be

held Saturday, Sept. 10. The USTAT&F certified course is flat and provides both youngsters, teams and tradi-tional categories views of Long Island Sound. Runners will be met at the end of the run by a food fest supplied by Lordship Community Church, the event sponsor.

Teams from local running clubs and high school track teams gather for the beginning of the fall racing season.

Each registered runner receives the traditional Lordship Run-About tee shirt, and trophies are awarded in all classes and categories.

The Kids Fun Run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K race at 9 a.m.

Late registration on race day begins at 7:30 a.m.Register through the Lordship Community Church

office at 203-377-6568 or call Vivian Caserta at 203-268-1913.

Sunset Run updateDue to Hurricane Irene and surrounding weather, the

Sunset Run For the Warriors is being postponed until Sunday, Oct. 9, at 3:15 p.m. Registration will carry over to this date and the Kintera site will remain open. Those unable to attend the race on Oct. 9 may consider their registration as a donation or may request a refund. To learn more, visit hopeforthewarriors.org.

Instructional soccer offeredSterling House Community Center in Stratford is

accepting registrations for several instructional soccer programs.

Register at Sterling House, 2283 Main Street during regular business hours. E-mail [email protected] or call 378-3606, ext. 106 for additional informa-tion.

Instructional soccer for 4 and 5-year-old boys and girls will be held for six weeks on Saturday beginning on Sept. 10.

Coach Ken Hill will teach passing, dribbling and fun on the soccer field. Fee is $75 plus a current Sterling House membership ($12 per year).

Each player receives a tee shirt and a soccer ball.Sessions will be offered from 9 to 10 a.m. for boys,

10:15 to 11:15 a.m. for girls, and on Monday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for boys and girls.

All programs will be conducted at the Wooster Middle School soccer field.

Tennis programs at BunnellStratford Recreation Department is offering fall

tennis programs through Fairfield County Tennis for children and adults.

The five-week session will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at Bunnell High School tennis courts.

Pee Wees (ages 4-5) will meet 3:30-4 p.m., Juniors (ages 6-9) 4-5 p.m. and Juniors (ages 10-13) will meet from 5-6 p.m.

Adult lessons will be held at Flood Middle School for beginner/advanced beginners from 6:05-7:05 p.m. and low intermediate/intermediate from 7:05-8:05 p.m.

Registration is being accepted online at townofstrat-ford.com. Please call Fairfield County Tennis at 203-640-1724 with any questions.

Program details available at fairfieldcountytennis.net.

Although classes will not begin for students until Tuesday, Sept. 6 in Stratford’s public schools, high school interscholastic athletics and band practices resumed on Aug. 31.

Please go to highschool-sports.net (Frank Scott Bunnell High School) for up-to-date practice and game schedules.

Dance team tryouts, origi-nally slated for this week, are postponed to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Sept. 7, 8 and 9 at 6 p.m. in the main gym.

Junior varsity cheerleading tryouts, originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Sept. 1 and 2, are postponed to a date yet to be determined.

Girls cross country practice will take place Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 31, Sept. 1 and 2 at 4 p.m. at Bunnell.

Boys cross country practice is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 31, Sept. 1 and 2 at a.m. at Bunnell.

Varsity and junior varsity volleyball tryouts and practice

will take place Wednesday, Aug. 31 and Thursday, Sept. 1 at 9 a.m. in main gym.

Boys varsity and junior var-sity soccer practice is sched-uled on Friday, Sept. 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the BHS turd field.

The boys soccer scrimmages scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 1 are on (as of press time).

Girls junior varsity soccer practice will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1 on the BHS turf field.

Girls varsity and junior var-sity soccer practice will take

place from 8 to 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 2 on the BHS turf field.

The girls varsity soccer scrimmage at Brien McMahon at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1 is on (as of press time).

Girls swimming practice is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 31, Sept. 1 and 2 from 12 to 2 p.m. at Flood Pool.

Varsity football practice will take place at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1 (side field) and Friday, Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. on the turf field.

Sports resume at Bunnell High School

The CIAC has received numerous calls from member schools and the media ques-tioning if the requirement to complete 14 days of manda-tory practices prior to first day of competition will be waived or altered.

The mandatory practice day requirement has been in exis-tence for over 30 years and CIAC believes these days of practice are necessary to pre-

pare teams for competition.Consequently, the only

adjustment that will be mak-ing to the regulation is to allow schools to count practices held on Sunday toward the required 14 days.

Schools may count both both Sunday practices held previously and those to be held from this point forward toward reaching the 14-day require-ment.

Sunday practices have always been allowed, but could not be counted towards the requirement. As always, the holding of Sunday prac-tices will be at the discretion of the local school district.

Any team that has not con-ducted 14 days of practice prior to its first scheduled game must postpone and reschedule all games until it has satisfied the requirement.

Schools are reminded that rescheduling of postponed games are not subject to week-ly limitation rules.

School districts are encour-aged to allow teams to con-tinue to practice when it is safe to do so, even if school is not in session.

The CIAC will continue to monitor the situation and assist member schools in their effort to meet the requirement.

Fourteen practices required before season starts

Results of finals of 38th annual Stratford Town Tennis Tournament are as follows:

Men’s singles: Matt Lance defeated Rick Sanford, 6-2, 6-2.

Men’s doubles: Jason Ottomano and T.R. Rowe defeated Rick and Bob Sanford,

6-2, 1-6, 10-6.Women’s doubles: Wendy

Swain and Cindy Dahl defeat-ed Peggy Mehai and Julie Raslavsky, 6-1, 6-3.

Junior singles: Chris Nava defeated Sean Karasik, 6-1, 6-0.

Men’s doubles consolation:

Josh Hollaman and Brian Fielding defeated Mike Boyle and Jamie Millward, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Winners of the Stratford local qualifiers, who advanced for the First Niagra Family Classic Regionals in New Haven, in their respective divisions were

Laura and Alex Harvey (moth-er-child 12U), Julie Raslavsky and Brandon Harvey (grand-mother-child 14U), Rob and Allyson Sweeney (father-child 14U), Paul and Matt Wojcicki (parent-child 19 and over) and Greg and Courtney Sansonetti (husband-wife).

38th town tennis tourney winners

The 7th annual Slow-pitch Softball Benefit for St. Vincent’s Swim Across The Sound, which helps cancer patients with cancer screening, education and pre-vention programs, will be held Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford.

The event will consist of 12 teams com-peting in one of the most notable tourna-ments in the state.

Tournament Directors Frank DeLuca and Pat Matto Jr. report that all money

raised through entry fees and donations will go directly to the Swim Across The Sound, which helps cancer patients under-going chemotherapy, mammogram clinics and other events that are tied to cancer.

Teams may enter the tournament by calling DeLuca at 203-394-1408 or 203-377-4127 or Matto Jr. at 203-414-7436.

Entry fee for the double-elimination tournament is $250.

The Home Run Derby with a fgee of $20 will be held on Friday, Sept. 30 at

Short Beach softball field in Stratford, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Balls and pitching cage is provided, however, you must bring your own pitch-er and swing what you bring, because any bat is legal for the HR Derby.

The Stratford/Bridgeport/Milford/North Branford umpires will be donating their services for this cause to help children and adults that have been touched by this terrible disease.

Softball benefit to help cancer patients

Paolini continues slugging waysLighting up Rookie League

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The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. will be commemo-rated at the Diocesan Blue Mass at the Cathedral of St. Augustine, 359 Washington Ave., on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 10 a.m.

The Mass will be concel-ebrated by the Most Rev. William E. Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, and area priests who serve as chaplains for local fire, police and rescue companies. A reception will follow at Kolbe Cathedral High School.

The Blue Mass was initiat-ed by Lori to commemorate the lives of those who died in the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001. Law Enforcement and fire and emergency medical service personnel of Fairfield County of all faiths are invit-ed to attend the Mass and reception.

During the Mass, awards will be presented to Firefighter Nicola Tamburro of Stamford, a mem-ber of the Stamford Fire Rescue Department; Police Officer William Garay of Bridgeport, a member of the Stamford Police Department; and Police Officer/Medical Response Technician Joseph Calorossi of Trumbull, a member of the Wilton Police Department.

The Blue Mass takes its name from the blue uni-forms worn by police, fire and emergency services

personnel who are honored and prayed for at the year-ly Mass and reception. The honorees of all faith were nominated by their respec-tive chiefs and chosen from among more than 90 police, fire and EMS departments in Fairfield County. They have been selected for the award because of their heroism and sacrifice for others.

“By honoring them for their extraordinary commit-ment, we also honor all those who make a difference every day in their communities,” Lori said.

Serving as 2011 Blue Mass Chairpersons are Father Robert Post of St. Thomas More Parish in Darien, chap-lain for the Stamford Fire & Rescue Department; Sir Knight Michael F. Basso, past district deputy 36; and Deacon John J. Moranski, chaplain of the Bridgeport Police Department.

Chaplains of the Fairfield County fire, police and emergency medical service

departments include Father Charles Allen, Fairfield Police Department; Father J. Barry Furey, Noroton Heights Fire Department; Father Richard Futie, Stamford Police Department; Father Tom Lynch, Stratford Fire Department; Father Joseph Malloy, Bridgeport Fire Department; Msgr. Franc McGrath, Westport Fire & Police and Noroton Fire departments; Deacon John Moranski, Bridgeport Police Department; Deacon William Murphy, Germantown (Danbury) Fire Department; and Father Raymond Petrucci, Danbury Police Department.

The Blue Mass is spon-sored by the Knights of Columbus. Fourth Degree Knights from various assem-blies who will process into the Mass with emergency personnel and bagpipers. The Mass of Thanksgiving reception is sponsored by the assemblies of the Knights of Columbus.

Blue Mass to commemorate 9/11

The annual Connecticut Fallen Heroes Memorial Tribute will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Indian Ledge Park, 307 Indian Ledge Park Rd. at 12:15 p.m.

Remembering our brave military service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, featuring U.S. Air

Force Colorguard and the U.S. Marine Corps as escorts. Performances by The United States Navy Band, Northeast and the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights. Free and open to the public.

More information can be found by visiting ctfallenheroes.org.

Fallen Heroes Memorial Tributeat Indian Ledge Park Sept. 24

Grace, Jack and Max Lewis, the childern of Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason Dale Lewis, 30, a Navy SEAL from Brookfield, release doves with his grandmother, Jean Mariano, and the owner of the doves, Vincent Tullino, after acknowledging Gold Star Families during the Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation ceremony June 12, 2010, at Indian Ledge Park. (Photo by Wayne Ratzenberger)

Stratford to remember at VFWStratford will hold its annual 9-11 Memorial Service

and Candlelight Vigil Sunday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9460, corner of Barnum Ave. Cut-off and Veterans Boulevard.

If it rains the ceremony will be moved inside the VFW hall.

More details will be posted as they become avail-able.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine” World War II Heavy Bomber, Consolidated B-24 Liberator “Witchcraft” World War Heavy Bomber and a P-51 Mustang will fly into Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford Sept. 6-9 as part of the Collings Foundation’s “Wings of Freedom” tour.

The B-17 is one of only 10 in flying condition in the United States. The B-24J and Full Dual Control P-51C Mustang are the sole remain-ing examples of their type fly-ing in the world.

Visitors may explore the aircraft inside and out; $12 for adults and $6 for chil-dren under 12 is requested for

access to up-close viewing and tours through the inside of the aircraft. Discounted rates are available for school groups.

World War II veterans can tour through the aircraft at no cost.

Visitors may also take a 30-minute flight aboard these rare aircraft. Flights on the B-17 or B-24 are $425 per person.

P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half hour and $3,200 for a full hour. Reservations and infor-mation on flight experiences is available at 800-568-8924.

The planes will be on dis-play at Three Wings Aviation from Sept. 6 at noon until Sept. 9 at noon.

Hours of ground tours and display Tuesday, Sept. 6, noon

to 5 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Friday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. to noon. The 30-minute flight experi-ences are normally scheduled before and after the ground tour times.

The Collings Foundation is a non-profit educational foun-dation devoted to organizing

“living history” events that allow people to learn more about heritage and history through direct participation. The “Wings of Freedom” tour is in its 22nd year and annu-ally visits an average of 110 cities in more than 35 states.

More information can be found at www.collingsfounda-tion.org.

World War II aircraft on display at Sikorsky Airport Sept. 6-9

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