Man About Town: So Long to Summer

Man About Town: So Long to Summer

By Mike Lauterborn

(Appeared as a column in Oct 15 Fairfield-Citizen News)

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

It was midday on a mid-September Sunday and the forecast called for clear skies and temps in the low 70s. It seemed ideal to squeeze in a beach visit, perhaps the last of the season.

Unlike the busy mid-summer months, the parking lots at Penfield Beach were virtually empty and the gatehouses, normally manned by police or Parks & Rec employees, were closed.

Likewise, the beach itself was sparsely dotted with sun worshippers, and lifeguard chairs were unoccupied. In fact, the seagulls here, which stood like sentries, outnumbered people.

The tide was receding as I plopped down a beach chair along a line of shells at the high water mark. Beyond, the sun shimmered on the Sound, which was quite calm, and several sailboats navigated the horizon, maneuvering in a breeze. Fishing craft were anchored out there as well, in a bid to catch bluefish, bottom-dwelling blackfish and striped bass.

A little girl stooped and plucked shells to place in a yellow bucket. A fit-looking woman, out walking for exercise, strolled past her. A couple struggled to tack down to a picnic table a plastic tablecloth, perchance to enjoy lunch. A graying woman, reclined in a folding chair, hummed along to a tune being fed through earbuds.

“Daddy’s going in the water, c’mon in,” a father, pacing into the shallow water, beckoned to his young son. The boy stepped in to his ankles, registered shock, did a u-turn and retreated up the sand to his mother. Another young lad coordinated the flight of a colorful red and yellow kite while his mom snapped a photograph.

Two women seated side by side caught up on reading -- one with a magazine, the other with a novel. Ice coffees were wedged into the sand next to them.

A girl in her teens paced along with a camera, pausing periodically to snap notable beach elements. An au pair from Hamburg, Germany, she remarked that it was a hobby and then wandered to where another dad-and-son duo stood on a sandbar with surf casters.

“I had no idea it was going to be this nice. I would have brought a bathing suit,” a man said, leading a shaggy black dog into the shallows. He was skewered by darting stares from beachgoers aware that dogs are not permitted here until later in the season.

A young couple spread out a sheet in the sand near him. She sported a football jersey, a reminder we are in the early stages of the season and numerous games were on today’s docket. Near them, a mom leafed through a bulky Sunday paper. Behind her chair, her tow-headed son, sheltered by a towel draped across to another chair, dug a pit in the sand.

Another couple strolled by – her t-shirt said DON’T BUG ME, in contrast to her jovial mood and lilting laugh. Running by them, a boy attempted to get airborne a rather large multi-colored kite, with numerous tails. It was stubborn and dipped and threatened to dovetail into the sand. He fought back, trimming the line, staying with it. On a nearby bench, lovers nuzzled each other, intertwined in such a way that it was hard to tell whose legs and arms belonged to whom.

This was beach life -- as good as it gets in these parts -- and soon would give way to the arriving fall. 

Recent Storm Pummels Already Ravaged Haitian Nation

Recent Storm Pummels Already Ravaged Haitian Nation:

Southport Woman 
Provides Critical Aid

(Appeared on front page of Fairfield Sun 10/14/10)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/30/10

Southport, CT – A sudden September 24 storm that carried with it damaging high winds and rain is the latest misery to strike Port au Prince, Haiti, an area still recovering from a devastating January 2010 earthquake that killed an estimated 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and rendered over a million homeless. The recent storm downed power lines, damaged buildings, caused widespread flooding, destroyed thousands of tents, injured hundreds and killed at least five people.

Southport resident Emma Taylor, 25, the co-founder of relief organization European Disaster Volunteers, who has been living and working in Port au Prince since June, helped provide an immediate response, working with local partners GrassRoots United to facilitate the distribution of more than thirty tents to those that the storm left with no shelter. Now Taylor is spearheading EDV’s efforts to further assess the damage to the local community, repair shelters and provide emergency shelter as needed. Taylor is also appealing for donations to cover the costs of tents, tarps and wood and raising money to house 47 Haitian orphans whose shelters were damaged.

  

Haiti is the first deployment for the group, which was formed by Taylor, her partner and Executive Director Andy Chaggar, 33, and two other experienced disaster response volunteer leaders in September 2008. EDV was officially recognized as an England and Wales Registered Charity in October 2009. Though based in Europe, their work is worldwide and volunteers and donors are welcome regardless of nationality.

“We pursue long-term, sustainable recovery, so rather than respond in the immediate aftermath, we give the dust a bit of time to settle so we can better see where the outstanding gaps in the response are and what we can do to bring about real, long-term change,” Taylor explained.

Chaggar described current conditions as “pretty desperate”, noting that there are still around 1.3 million people living in tents, unemployment is around 80% and many are unable to further their education. This latest storm hasn’t helped matters.

“It’s been tough,” said Chaggar. “Our base suffered a lot of damage and projects were badly set back. In our community, camps were very badly hit. Many people made homeless for a second time this year have simply lost hope. In one of the camps I visited, the atmosphere of defeat was almost palpable.”

Chaggar is the lead founder of EDV and holds a Masters in Social Development Policy and Management with a focus on disasters. He is also a survivor of the 2004 Asian tsunami and helped lead the construction of 67 permanent houses in Thailand after that event. Taylor’s role, as marketing and media director, is primarily communications and she holds a writing degree. A large part of her job is putting out clear messages that motivate people to get involved. The two met while Taylor was in Peru working in the city of Pisco with two other organizations following an 8.0 earthquake in August 2007. In her nine months there, Taylor led a demolition crew to take down damaged buildings, worked with a house and bathroom building crew and then helped construct a school.

It was there that the seeds for EDV were planted. Taylor explained, “While we had huge respect for the groups we were working with, those groups did not let survivors really participate in the process of planning or implementing the projects which affected them. We wanted to draw the community together and teach sustainable skills to survivors.”

During EDV’s set-up year, Taylor worked with children as an afterschool teacher at the Wilton YMCA and as a nanny. The 2007 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania now focuses on EDV full time.

About her initial impressions of earthquake-shattered Port au Prince upon touch-down there back on June 10, Taylor said, “When you are arriving off the plane, you’re met with dust, immense heat, totally unregulated traffic and, to add to the confusion, countless men in red polo shirts offering to carry your bag for a small fee.” But it was just the type of experience Taylor had signed on for with her fledgling organization. “The scale of destruction and need simply cannot be ignored.”

“Emma is incredible,” says Chaggar, “and is doing an amazing job as our media director. But her skills don’t end there by any means. She’s just as at ease unloading trucks of relief supplies or installing drains as she is writing. She’s also got a lot of practical experience with children and is running our weekly language exchange where English and Creole are learned between international volunteers and locals. In short, she can pretty much turn her hand to anything.”

To this regard, Taylor mentioned, “I work with the leader of a local community group called Rehabilitation to organize and fund a soccer league. I also spend a lot of time with the pastor of a church in the neighborhood keeping our community library running smoothly.”

For her efforts, Taylor has earned praise from the local population. Noted Chaggar, “Everyone respects Emma. The locals know her well and her name is often called out when we’re walking down the street. She’s developed an excellent relationship with many local leaders which helps our work hugely.”

As to how her friends and family feel about her work, Taylor said, “They are hugely supportive but also worry about my safety given that I spend my life in geographically unstable, and often politically unstable, developing countries. My mother sends emails worrying that I’ve perhaps contracted some kind of tropical disease.”

The group takes great precautions and Taylor never goes out at night in a group of less than three. Kidnapping is one of the biggest threats, so she tries not to look like a target, avoiding nice clothing and jewelry. EDV receives security updates from the UN with regard to political stability and warnings if any unrest is expected.

EDV has no dedicated vehicle, so Taylor makes her way around on public “Tap Taps” (pick-up trucks with benches and a basic roof). She also takes motorcycle taxis, about which she joked, “They are exhilarating at best and downright terrifying at worst as the traffic in Port au Prince would make even the most seasoned New Jersey driver reconsider his life insurance plan.”

Basic supplies are available but a challenge to find. Dust and mud are facts of life. There is a very limited power grid. “We take bucket showers here as we don’t have running water,” she noted.

Of course, the natives have the greatest hardships. About them, Taylor said, “I am constantly amazed by the warmth and resilience of the Haitian people, and there is a great deal of life even in the rubble of the earthquake.”

Taylor will be in Haiti until at least September 2011, a separation that is difficult on her family. “But in the long-term, my friends and family recognize that after about a month at home I start to get very antsy and stop being good company. They understand that this is the life that I need, and love. It’s a difficult process, but incredibly meaningful and rewarding.”

For more information about EDV, visit www.EDVolunteers.org

SIDEBAR

European Disaster Volunteers to the Rescue

European Disaster Volunteers, which is hard at work with its first deployment in earthquake-shattered Port au Prince, Haiti, was founded two years ago by a group of experienced disaster response volunteers. One of the co-founders, Andy Chaggar, is a survivor of the 2004 Asian tsunami. Recently, EDV was named New Start magazine’s international charity of 2009-2010 and Chaggar tapped as Vodafone’s World of Difference winner.

EDV is unusual in the world of disaster response because the charity focuses on long-term, community-based recovery rather than relief in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. EDV’s mission in Haiti is to bring about sustainable recovery, leaving the community better able to meet its own needs long after EDV and other international assistance groups leave.

Volunteer numbers vary widely. EDV has at-home volunteers constantly fundraising, recruiting volunteers for Haiti and helping with EDV’s website development. Currently, the group is supported by 20 heavily involved volunteers based all over the world and maintains a volunteer mailing list of 700 members, some of whom are involved occasionally while others are awaiting assignments in their skill areas. In Haiti, the group has three on-the-ground volunteer leaders and is recruiting for more.

To make a tax-deductible donation to help EDV re-house those who, following a recent severe storm, now find themselves homeless for the second time in less than a year, you can give on EDV’s general Global Giving Page: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/edv-haiti-disaster-recovery/

To make a tax-deductible donation to house Haitian orphans, whose temporary shelters were destroyed by the latest storm, please visit http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/fund-security-for-haitian-orphans/

To help displaced youths keep out of trouble, a community soccer program run by EDV also requires funding. For information, visit http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/suppport-community-soccer-programme-in-haiti/

Campaign Signs Sprout Around Town, Spur Emotions

Campaign Signs Sprout Around Town, Spur Emotions

(Appeared as the lead on New Canaan Patch.com 10/12/10)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/9/10

The signs of Fall are all around us. Political campaign signs that is… and they’ve sprouted up all over New Canaan in advance of November 2 elections for national and state offices from governor to state senate. Placed with a passion, these wire-frame and plastic mini billboards are stirring emotions both good and bad.

Ginny Apy, Democratic Town Committee Chair, says her office receives an abundance of materials from each candidate, with the greatest volume coming from the widest-reaching campaigns. These are distributed to committee volunteers, homeowners requesting them and reps from various districts. ”I often get requests for signs to counteract others from another party, like a Blumenthal to counter a McMahon,” said Apy.

Apy says placement rules are “very strict”, dictated by the Department of Transportation and Tone Zoning. Signs can only be posted on one’s own property and if posted on town or state property, they are subject to confiscation and a fine to the candidate. It is the responsibility of the sign placer to also remove it.

“New Canaan didn’t used to allow signs until about 15 years ago when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is freedom of speech,” said Apy. Since the allowance, complaints are common to town departments. “I will get an occasional email – usually about a Republican sign being on state property. I don’t forward these – that’s a Zoning issue.”

As far as any other issues, Apy said, “Sometimes signs are taken by kids.” With regard to their effectiveness, Apy added, “They’re most effective in encouraging people to go out and vote, whichever party they follow.”

James O’Hora, Republican Town Committee Chair, thought the signs his office distributes are definitely effective. “They demonstrate a level of support and name recognition that is key, particularly with a very local race like we had in August for a new probate judge.”

O’Hora said his committee is sensitive about placing signs. “We try not to put them out until two weeks before an election – a compromise to people who think they look tacky or unbecoming.” He added, “I do hear some old-timers say ‘I know who I’m not voting for’ when they see signs, which is ridiculous.”

“People have been energized by this campaign, which has attracted more and different kinds of supporters,” said O’Hora. “Linda McMahon’s campaign has driven some women to get the word out.”

O’Hora said there had been raiding of signs, which homeowner Peter McLeer confirmed. “My signs have been taken down three times,” the South Avenue resident said. “I suspect a follower of someone opposing candidates.” McLeer’s signs enjoy a prominent spot near the parkway, viewable by many motorists.

Like other sign placers, campaign issues had motivated the placement. “I’m very concerned with the direction of the opponents on the national and local level and am doing my small part to help. If it sways just a few voters, it will be worth it.”

Town Panel Gives Safety Briefing at Jacky Durrell Pavilion

Town Panel Gives Safety Briefing at Jacky Durrell Pavilion

(Appeared on Fairfield.Patch.com 10/10/10)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/10/10

Fairfield, CT – A bright sunny fall afternoon provided a sharp contrast to the serious safety matters discussed by a panel of police department and town officials with two dozen Beach Area citizens Sunday October 10 at a gathering at Penfield Beach’s Jacky Durrell Pavilion.

Coordinated by Lalley Boulevard resident Linda Cote Crowley, the inaugural briefing focused on Fairfield’s Neighborhood Watch Program and featured presentations by Police Chief Gary McNamara, Lt. James Perez, Watch volunteer Donald Peterson and Probate Judge Dan Caruso. The event also offered brunch, a raffle to help offset production costs of a related newsletter and live music by The Rents.

McNamara opened the session and stressed the importance of community involvement and a strong neighborhood/police department relationship in helping prevent crime. “It used to be that we’d find a very engaged local person, give them materials to distribute, put up a sign and place the responsibility on that person. But we realized this needs to be an ongoing endeavor with purposeful approaches, frequent meetings with all residents and even in-home visits.”

Besides fostering more interaction, Perez, the most vocal member of the panel, said it has been key to teach people to become trained observers, what to look for and how to react. The Watch program also teaches how to “target harden” your home (hiding valuables, keeping hedges trimmed low, etc.) and how to recognize what’s “normal and not normal.”

Home burglaries, which numbered 218 in Fairfield in 2009, a five-year high, and property crime, which hit a three-year high of 1,110 incidents the same year, have been leading challenges for the town. Perez says the apprehension rate could be higher if people reported unusual noises and suspicious activities.

“The community is its own gatekeeper, the police support,” the officer said. “The neighborhood can help us do our job more effectively. I don’t know why people don’t want to call us. We’re friendly guys! People feel they’re bothering us. You’re not.”

Enhancing communications is the new Reverse 9-1-1 system, which gives the police the ability to get a blanket alert out quickly and simultaneously to residents. This was employed recently when armed fugitives were loose in the Beach Area and an early a.m. alert was issued. McNamara said the inconvenience of the middle-of-the-night call and the safety of citizens are carefully weighed in these instances.

Peterson’s talk was centered on the new Fairfield Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT). The retired General Electric executive said that its prime function is to help in manmade and natural disasters by making shelters available, evacuation coordination with town managers and helping residents with emergency planning. The Team will also help with sheltering pets.

Caruso reminded the gathering that besides crime prevention, we need to be cognizant of neighbors that may need special attention, particularly those with a medical condition like autism or Alzheimer’s.

Do residents feel safe? Lorrie de Hahn, a Carlynn Drive resident since 1968, says she does. “We’re a tight neighborhood. We know one another and people check on each other. Neighborhood Watch is an excellent idea that helps contribute to safety.”

To learn more about Neighborhood Watch, contact Lt. James Perez at 203-254-4800.

Bridgeport Born, Fairfield Bred

Bridgeport Born, Fairfield Bred

(Appeared on the front page of the Bridgeport News 10/7/10)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/13/10

Fairfield, CT – Painter. Boat builder. Model maker. Army veteran. Architectural designer. Father. Historian. Author. At 86, local personality William D. Lee, Sr. has worn a lot of hats, but perhaps the one he donned most proudly related to his work with the Sun Tavern.

Lee was born in November 1923 at St. Vincent’s Hospital and grew up on Main Street in Bridgeport’s North End. His father, Fitzhugh J. Lee, named after a confederate cavalry general, worked for the Connecticut Folding Paper & Box Company before the Crash of ’29, then for the General Electric Co. until retirement. Mom Lillian was a homemaker.

Lee was an only child who, from very early on at Madison grammar school, demonstrated a great interest in art. “I drew my way through school,” he confessed. He also had a talent for model making. Both skills would have application later in life.

The North End at the time was very rural. “It was country there,” said Lee. “Wooded areas and streams. There was a quarry near where I lived and my friends and I played explorers there. It’s marked by Quarry Street today.”

His summers were spent at Fairfield Beach, swimming, boating and fishing. “The bluefish started to run very early off Penfield Reef. I’d go with my mom, dad and grandparents. On the Fourth of July, we had our own fireworks on the beach. It was fabulous.”

He attended St. Thomas Church in Fairfield, which at the time was under the direction of Father Blake. Lee’s aunt was the first lay teacher there, in the 30s, when the school just started.

Lee always belonged to the YMCA and remembers downtown Bridgeport as incredible, especially at Christmastime. “There was Reed’s, Howland’s Department Store, Meigs. The Salvation Army had a little group of people with instruments and they’d play in the snow. It was like Dickens. People walking, snow flying,” he recalled.

Saturday afternoons were spent at the Rialto Theater. “Admission was five cents. We’d see cowboy movies, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy. It was a wonderful atmosphere.”

In high school, Lee excelled in art and received the Bridgeport Teachers Association Award for Unique Achievement at graduation. It was 1943 and he went right into the Army, assigned to Fort Devens, MA, as a combat engineer. He received basic training at Ft. Belvoir, VA then served overseas with the 35^th Division, going from Normandy to Germany, and seeing combat at St. Lo’s.

Upon his honorable discharge in 1945, he married his high school sweetheart Catherine Anne Lalley. Her uncle, Frank Lalley, owned a great deal of property in the Fairfield Beach Area. Lalley Boulevard reflects his stake.

Lee applied to and was accepted at the Yale School of Art & Architecture, where he and Catherine “spent four of the happiest years together living in a Quonset hut outside the Yale Bowl (housing for returning married servicemen).” The couple had two daughters, Linda and Patricia, and Lee received his B.F.A. there.

He was then commissioned by a Catholic school in New Haven to do a mural, for which he was paid $2,000, a substantial amount of money in those days. It allowed the Lee’s to move back to Bridgeport, rent a cottage on the beach and add another daughter, Barbara, to the brood.

In 1952, Lee borrowed some money and started building small sailboats for day sailing. He built 50 boats, including Fairfield’s first catamarans, before contracting hepatitis from bad clams, which forced him out of the business.

A fourth child, Bill, had arrived by this time and to support the family, Lee got a job doing interior design for Reliable Stores Corporation. On the side, he was commissioned to paint oil portraits of local bishops and superior court judges.

In the late 50s, Lee established William Lee Associates, an art for architecture firm with an office located in Black Rock in the old Johnson Boatworks building. He handled the entire renovation of the Barnum Museum and also started doing exterior relief murals, church mosaics, architectural embellishments, bank murals and even lighting design.

By the mid 70s, he wanted to do something different. In 1974, he got a call from the Town of Fairfield asking him to get involved in planning for the Bicentennial celebration. He began a friendship with then First  Selectman John Sullivan and worked with George Pratt to put together a program of activities. The events were a great success and Sullivan asked Lee to stay on to help with the expansion of the Town Hall into the Burr Homestead and to help guide the design and features of new town hall offices behind the Burr property.

When the new town hall was completed, the Burr Homestead was vacated and Lee appointed as director to develop a historic civic center with the home as a centerpiece. Lee called in the Junior League and it was decided to make the property a show house for public functions – a revenue generator for the town.

At the same time, Lee convinced Sullivan to purchase the adjacent Sun Tavern, which was idle and in disrepair, and the 1.5-acre parcel on which it sat. The 18^th Century building was built by Samuel Penfield after the town was burned by the British. It was on the main NY-to-Boston artery.

One morning, as Lee recalled it, Sullivan asked him about the Tavern, “’Now what the hell are we going to do with it?’ I told him it wouldn’t take a lot to fix up. ‘Then what? Do we rent it? To who?’ John said. ‘To me!’ I said.”

Lee made a renovation proposal, received a five-year lease and moved in. It was 1979. Five years became 15 as he handled all the renovation work and incorporated period furnishings. “All of my grandchildren spent their Christmases and Easters there. In 1989, on the 350^th anniversary of the Burning of Fairfield, we had a huge celebration and reenactment, with the tavern as a main feature. We even had General Washington there!”

By the mid-90s, Fairfield had changed, there was a new selectman, Lee’s wife had become very ill and they moved from the Tavern to an expanded cape in Trumbull that backed up to property his uncle owned. His connection with Fairfield didn’t end there though. Lee was asked to do the mural for the new town hall’s entryway. As he thought about it and did some preliminary sketches, a Red Admiral butterfly paid a visit, the same type that would visit him and Anne as they relaxed often out behind the Tavern. It was destiny calling, he executed the mural and even incorporated the butterfly just above his signature in the completed artwork. As a reward, he was given a real key to the Town of Fairfield and, as a joke, tried to use it as a pass at the Jennings Marina gatehouse.

The tall and still very nimble Lee, whose wife passed in 2000, remains active. “Every day I wake up and say what am I going to do today? I think of the Longfellow poem with the line ‘something remains for us to do or dare; even the oldest tree some fruit may bear.’”

SIDEBAR

The Sun Tavern and Its Storied Residents

When Sam Penfield, who built Fairfield’s Sun Tavern, died in 1811, a new minister, Nathaniel Hewitt, who was going to be assigned to the First Church Congregational, purchased the property and moved in with his wife Rebecca. Hewitt had two sons, Augustine and Henry.

Augustine became the co-founder of the Epaulist Order of Catholic Priests and was instrumental in establishing St. Thomas. He was also associated with the Rev. Thomas Synnott who built St. Augustine’s (now St. Augustine’s Cathedral) in Bridgeport. The granite used in its construction was extracted from the quarry near which former Fairfield Historic Civic Center Director Bill Lee lived. Synnott was very involved with the development of Bridgeport in general and voted in as a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education. Augustine gave the eulogy on the occasion of Synnott’s funeral services in the late 1800s.

Henry Hewitt went to Yale and New York Medical School and became a doctor. In the Civil War, he was commissioned as a surgeon in the Union Army and was appointed by General Grant as his personal staff surgeon.

Hoping to complete it shortly, Lee is working on a related book project revealing the story of the life and times of Augustine Hewitt. The work will include a lot of previously unknown early Fairfield history, which promises to be a great contribution to the town’s legacy.

The Susan Fund Benefits From Black Bear Reopening Event

The Susan Fund Benefits From Black Bear Reopening Event

(Appeared online 10/5/10 at Westport.Patch.com)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/2/10

Westport, CT – Ann Lloyd was glad for the exposure, not only from Black Bear Wine & Spirits’ October 2 grand reopening event, but also from the sun that shone down on her literature table outside the retailer’s front entrance and helped counteract the chilly afternoon.

The chairperson of The Susan Fund, a Westport-based scholarship fund that awards scholarships to Fairfield County college-bound students who have been diagnosed with cancer, Lloyd commented, “We appreciate the exposure. Getting awareness is often a challenge for us. We want to get out the word about the scholarships that are available.”

Off to her right, store mascot Bentley the Bear waved to passersby. He encouraged them inside where they could enjoy a series of tastings of top wines and spirits and take advantage of special discounts. Most importantly, for every $40 wine purchase made, Black Bear pledged to donate $2 to the charity.

The Susan Fund was established in 1982 to honor the memory of Ann’s daughter Susan Davis Lloyd, a teenager who was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma at the beginning of her senior year at Staples High School. Since its inception, more than 500 scholarships have been awarded, totaling over $1 million. The Fund is the inaugural beneficiary of the wine retailer’s “Black Bear Gives Back” program.

This year, the Fund had 30 scholarship recipients that shared a $73,000 distribution. Individually awarded amounts are determined based on need, merit, scholastic achievement and external activities. Recipients must also be attending an accredited school, can be any age and have battled cancer at some point in their life.

“Our recipients have been fabulous, and do a lot of work in their communities,” said Lloyd. One 2010 recipient is Fairfield resident Brandon Held, 21, a senior at the University of Connecticut. His past activities included organizing a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Another recipient is Trumbull resident Donna Proudfoot, who is in her late 30s and the mother of one child. She has returned to school to study to be a dental hygienist. Her husband is a Westport police officer.

When Lloyd’s daughter passed in Fall 1980, she sought contributions in her memory in lieu of flowers. Surprisingly, she received over $12,000, part of which benefited Staples High School. But then she began thinking of how she could do even greater good and approached various cancer research organizations. “They were happy to take our money but wouldn’t let us have any say in how the funds would be used. Then Lloyd discovered Candlelighters, a national organization for parents with children battling cancer. Given that her daughter had been accepted early to Colgate University and was so excited about going to college, Lloyd though she would do something around scholarships.

In 1982, the Fund was organized under the auspices of Candlelighters and functioned that way until 1991. At that point, the Fund was granted the ability to accept tax-deductible contributions.

Lloyd produces a quarterly newsletter, which is primarily directed to Fairfield County based residents. It includes contribution information and is a key source of the group’s funding. Now the Fund can also accept contributions online through its website www.thesusanfund.org

Joining Lloyd out in front of Black Bear and seated at a second table was Kerry Beard, 20. She was offering Black Bear Wine Club memberships and was excited about the store’s new redesign, which the Grand Reopening event celebrated. “People think the new look is great… cozy… like a boutique. The format allowed us to add more products within the same footprint and is better organized. I think it will make our customers happier.”

One happy customer was Lisa Harris from Weston, who was buying several bottles of wine with her daughters Lindsey and Lauren in tow. “I was interested in seeing the changes. These guys (her daughters) do ballet down the street. It looks nice! And the association with The Susan Fund is a terrific idea!”

In a back corner of the store, Robert Cordisco, a sales representative for Stratford-based wholesalers Hartley & Parker, was conducting the first of five planned tastings. Store owner Gerard Iulo said of the sampling, “These will help customers familiarize themselves with Old World vs. New World brands and distinguish the difference between the vines.” Added his wife Denise, “When you’re shopping for wines, the tastings allow you to narrow what you like and make purchase decisions. There’s a whole lot more to wine than Cab, Chardonnay and Merlot.”

Similarly, there’s a lot more to Black Bear than just wines and spirits. Raise a glass to this Westport business’ charity outreach efforts. 

Sherman School Struts Its Stuff

Sherman School Struts Its Stuff
(Appeared 10/1 on Fairfield-Sun newspaper's website) 

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/24/10

Fairfield, CT --  Roger Sherman Elementary School 1^st Annual Walk-a-thon planners hoped to hit their goal of $15,000 to fund the many programs the school’s PTA offers its children. By September 24, the day of the Walk, it had collected $18,000 and was still counting.

The Walk-a-thon concept was hatched as a fun and fit activity open to all kindergartners through fifth-graders and a replacement to the school’s usual gift wrap fundraiser which takes place each fall. It was an experiment that paid off thanks to the efforts of students, parents and more than a dozen local businesses, like BMW of Bridgeport, that made contributions.

Coordinated by Sherman moms Lauren Lanham and Sara Kwon, the event raised funds for such programs as Cultural Enrichment, Author/Storyteller Visits, Field Trips, Diversity Day and Art in the Classroom. To spur on fundraising, a daily raffle was also conducted from September 13^th – 23^rd, with prizes for students that included a No Homework Pass, Hobbytown Prizes, a Holiday Fair Raffle Coupon, Spring Fair Raffle Coupon, Dairy Queen Gift Certificate and Movie Tickets to Community Theater.

Approximately 500 students participated in the Walk, which consisted of a 1-mile loop through the Beach Area adjacent to Sherman School. All students were outfitted with special t-shirts that had been provided for the occasion and left the school grounds in class groups, with the fifth graders in the lead, escorted by several parents and teachers.

It was a noisy bunch and cheered on by more parents, holding encouraging poster board signs, who appeared along the route.

Water was provided at the conclusion of the Walk and a representative from Hobbytown launched several toy rockets to mark the group’s achievement.