Easton Banjo Society Strums Up Holiday Fun

Easton Banjo Society 
Strums Up Holiday Fun:

Community Theater sing-along benefits Filmscool.org

(Posted to 

Fairfield.Patch.com 12/19)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/19/10

Fairfield, CT – Children danced in the aisles, parents clapped in time and old-timers sang along as the banjos plucked out holiday beats. It was old-fashioned fun and a good time for all.

The site was the Community Theater at 1424 Post Road and the entertainers were fourteen members of the Easton Banjo Society who had gathered together Sunday afternoon Dec. 19 to perform “A Banjo Christmas and Sing-Along” to benefit filmscool.org.

The band was formed in 1957 by several Easton men and has played town events for the past 53 years. They are a regular highlight of Fairfield’s Memorial Day parade, though their greatest moment was playing on the White House lawn on July 4, 1981 for then-President Ronald Reagan. The group also supported the Statue of Liberty restoration ceremonies.

Instruments include tenor, plectrum, 5-string, mandolin and guitar-style banjos, though the band is often backed by ragtime-style piano, sousaphone, drums and washboard as well. Their repertoire includes American songs drawn mainly from the mid-19^th century up to the early 1930’s. This includes such folk classics as “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “My Gal Sal.”

The performance attracted an audience of about 70 people, many of whom were dressed in colorful red and green holiday attire.

Co-Director Mick Reed, 40, remarked that he is the band’s youngest member. “Some of the members are in their early 80s and, once a year, we rehearse with one of the early founders, Bob Chamberlain, who’s 95.”

Reed first joined the group in the mid-1990’s, playing for a couple years before moving into New York to pursue television film production. When he moved back to Fairfield three years ago, he bumped into Will Tressler, a semi-retired member, who suggested he start playing again. Reed plays a 4-string or plectrum banjo.

“We do mostly gazebos and private parties,” said Reed. “This is the first time we’re doing a Christmas show and we hope it becomes part of a family holiday tradition.”

Filmscool.org, the concert beneficiary, is a program of the Community Film Institute, an organization started by Reed and real estate developer and Community Theater owner Leo Redgate. The group introduces young people living in underserved areas to film and video.

“We give them Flip Video cameras and set them up with Macs to do edits,” said Reed. “The main thing is for them to have fun and shoot whatever they want. This is the third year of the program and we hope that the kids will come back as instructors.”

Reed said the program is currently run out of the Burroughs Community Center on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, though he hoped to expand it to other community centers.

“We found out half the kids are into skateboarding, and they are making almost professional skateboarding videos,” said Reed. One such student is Danny Freeman, 14, of Bridgeport who was attending the Christmas show.

“The program is amazing. My focus has been on filming skateboarding and guitar playing,” said Freeman. “My work has been up on the internet and is getting some attention from companies who want to sponsor me as a skateboarder.”

While the band strummed out holiday favorites like “Let It Snow”, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Jingle Bells”, just a few of the 22 songs on their playlist for the event, Reed’s wife Tisola, 29, and their 16-month-old daughter Sohana danced in the aisle.

“I think we’ve been to all the shows, whether Sohana is asleep or awake,” said Tisola. “This is very exciting because of the holiday focus… and many of our neighbors and family are here. We get a lot of hillybilly music at home. Sohana really relates to the banjo because of the vibration. She actually grabs it and plays it like a sitar.”

They weren’t the only aisle dancers. William Erickson, 4, Lucinda Erickson, 2, their cousin Noah, 4, and Liam Furlong, 4, circled about and rolled around to the bubbly beats. William and Lucinda’s mom said, “Mick recruited my husband Keith this year to play banjo. He’s always been musical and plays guitar and ukelele.”

Reed’s parents, Joe and Jeanne Reed, were also in the audience. “We came from Ohio for the concert and for the holidays. We love the banjos.”

Louise MacCormack might as well be a family member, as she has enjoyed the band for over 30 years. “I’m enjoying hearing Mick, whom I’ve known since babyhood, and watching his daughter having fun. It’s nice to see the younger people here.”

Fairfield Experiences Flurry of New Home Building

Fairfield Experiences Flurry 
of New Home Building:

Candy House Workshop 

inspires creativity

(Posted to 

Fairfield.Patch.com 12/18)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/18/10

Fairfield, CT – In the span of an hour or two, 20 new homes were erected in Fairfield’s Beach Area, but don’t bother going to see them. They likely will have been eaten by the time you arrive.

These homes were not the brick and wood structures you might expect but miniature candy houses constructed by teams of children and their parents at a Candy House Workshop held Saturday afternoon Dec. 18 at the Burr Homestead, 739 Old Post Road. The event was sponsored by the Fairfield Museum and History Center and required advance registration. More than two dozen people participated in the activity.

The museum’s Director of Education and Community Programs Christine Jewell had picked up all the candy supplies and, with docent Robert Garbarini’s help, was laying them out on two long tables in the historic home’s front hall. She wasn’t sure how many pounds of candy she had purchased, but said, “I have a small compact car and had to put the seats down. The candy filled the whole back.”

It was an impressive collection of goodies to be sure: Froot Loops, peppermint candies, Frosted Mini Wheats, red licorice whips, pretzel squares, fruit flavored snacks, Skittles, natural animal crackers, mini and large marshmallows, sugar cones, Gummi Bears, gumdrops, chocolate chips, M&Ms, graham crackers and candy canes.

In addition, 19 pounds of ready-to-spread vanilla crème icing, purchased from Bresky’s in Bridgeport, and milk cartons donated by Wade’s Dairy of Bridgeport and mounted to foamcore squares, were supplied to participants.

Museum coordinator Walter Mathis, dashing about with a Santa hat on his noggin, said, “Materials change from year to year depending on what’s in stock and where people go.” He guessed that this is the 15^th consecutive year that the museum has been holding this event and said it had been initiated by a volunteer, Jeanne Harrison.

“It’s a nice family activity,” said Jewell. “Parents will bring their friends, kids will bring their friends, they’ll all hang out and socialize, and the kids will sneak some candy.”

“What’s amazing is the creativity of the people putting things together,” added Mathis. “They are unlimited in their design. But what’s even more magical is the people that return year after year, who have made this event part of their holiday family traditions.”

Arriving families collected their milk carton bases and reported to a sunny back room where several tables had been dressed with red plastic covers and topped with additional materials like plastic knives.

The Im-Haas clan of Fairfield – Dash, 7, Jolie, 4, and mom Elizabeth – were one of the returning families and had set themselves up at a windowside table. “The kids eat the house both during and after making it. I think it’s the first thing they ask to do as they begin,” said Elizabeth.

Frank Sabados, 5, and mom Alene, also Fairfielders, were returnees as well. “We did this last year. Now this is a new tradition that Frank and I do. His siblings are home sleeping. He’s an expert candy house maker,” she said.

“Mom, remind me not to eat it when we get it home like I did the other one,” suggested Frank.

Sydney Lennon, 8, brother Nate, 5, and Sydney’s friend Caroline, 8, collaborated on their home projects. Sydney and Nate’s mom Jessica was glad the museum was hosting the activity. “This is a fun, festive Christmas activity and we get to do it here, not at home. That’s a plus – no clean up!”

Deron Galusha had been recruited to bring his sons Patrick, 8, and Robert, 9, to the event. “My wife signed them up so she could go shopping. It sounded fun.”

Chris Hayes and his children Caylin, 8, and Ryland, 11, visiting for the holidays from California, had been led over by Chris’ mom Beth, a Fairfield resident. “They wanted to build a gingerbread house and, lo and behold, the museum was holding the workshop here,” she said.

Like a real construction site, rubble began to collect everywhere, but it consisted of graham cracker crumbs, icing globs and stray gumdrops instead of concrete and lumber scraps. And the work site uniforms were not overalls but chocolate spattered t-shirts worn by sticky-fingered carpenters.

Frank Sabados had made great progress with his creation and declared that it was Santa’s house. Mom Alene asked him if Santa had a dog. “No,” he said. “Do we have a dog?” she queried. “Yes… Daisy,” he said. “What would Daisy do to this house?” she pressed. “Eat it…. We better put it up high when we get home,” said Frank wisely. 

Gazing Into the Magic Snowglobe

Gazing Into the Magic Snowglobe:

Weather experts and locals make the call for Xmas Day

(Posted on seven local AOL Patch.com sites 12/17)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/14/10

Fairfield County, CT – Come Christmas Day, will Fairfield County residents be dashing through the snow or sunning on the back deck? Patch polled a local meteorologist for his holiday weather prediction, prodded area residents about their preferences and checked the weather archives for historical nuggets.

When asked if we’ll have snow on the ground come Christmas morning, Paul Piorek, a lifelong Fairfield resident and 22-year News 12 weather anchor, cited climatology records kept over a 40-year period. He anticipated, “Shoreline communities like Stamford, Darien, Stratford and Milford have a 30% chance of seeing at least one inch of snow on the ground by Dec. 25. There’s a 10% chance of at least five inches by then, but zero percent chance of having ten inches of snow or more by Christmas morning.”

“Inland,” said Piorek, “the odds are more favorable. People living north of the Merritt or Wilbur Cross Parkways have a 57% chance of at least one inch of snow for Christmas. The odds are 23% for five inches of snow but very slim (3%) for at least ten inches of snow. However, residents in towns like Wilton, Redding and Easton will have a much better opportunity of seeing snow on the ground than their shoreline counterparts.”

A look at Christmas Day weather stats for the Greater New York metro area kept over more than 125 years show some trivia tidbits that you can share with friends and family over your holiday feast. Among these, 1909 takes the Snowiest title with seven inches, 2002 tops the Wettest list with 1.30” (snow’s liquid equivalent) and 1980 takes honors for the Coldest Lows with a bone chilling -1 degree. On the flip side, the years 1889 and 1982 tie for Warmest Highs with a balmy 64 degrees.

A storm that many area residents over the age of 50 remember is the Christmas Eve storm of 1966, when over a half-foot of snow made roads quite slippery and travel very difficult. A more recent snow event occurred Christmas Day 2002. It began with light drifts but became steadier and heavier throughout the day. Snow totals by day’s end were impressive with 9.5” in Redding, 9.2” in New Canaan, 7” in Norwalk and Greenwich, and 6.5” in Westport.

Conversely, 2006’s December holiday was a break-out-the-Bermuda shorts period with temps hovering between 44 and 58 degrees in the Dec. 23-26 span, well above the 38-degree norm. To boot, over a quarter inch of rain was recorded Christmas Day.

Polled about their preferences for snow on Dec. 25, locals were consistently agreed that snow definitely made the holiday.

“I prefer to have a light snowfall on Christmas morning,” said Pam Murphy, 44, of Fairfield, “and there’s no more beautiful town than Fairfield with a light dusting of snow. It’s like a winter wonderland!”

Callie Dixon-Weekes, 24, of Norwalk, said, “I love seeing snow on Christmas. I think it’s part of the tradition and brings out the beauty in the world. It makes it fun for the kids, too. I hope I get to make some snow angels with my daughter, Lily, who’s 3 ½. She’s so excited this year and making her list for Santa.”

Stamford resident Veronica Pasternak, 31, agreed with Dixon-Weekes. “I love to see snow on Christmas. If it’s going to be cold with hot chocolate and presents, you might as well complete the package… and it gives you a reason to go out and play. It just makes the holiday.”

Personal Challenges Lead to Career Calling

Personal Challenges Lead to Career Calling:

Judy Gardner takes NAMI reins after loved one’s mental illness

(Appeared on front page of 

Fairfield Sun 12/16)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/9/10

Fairfield, CT – Judy Gardner did not become the president of the Fairfield chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) by chance.

Interviewed recently at First Church Congregational, where the chapter maintains an office, Gardner explained, “Several years ago, a loved one was hospitalized and diagnosed with mental illness. What I immediately needed to know was what the illness was, what was going to happen, how it was going to happen and what I could do to help my loved one as well as myself.”

Gardner said it was a difficult time. “There’s a whole range of emotions involved when dealing with a crisis, including shock, confusion and feelings of isolation. It can feel devastating. It felt like our life was thrown up into the air and into a million different pieces with no idea what was going to happen next,” she said.

A Connection to Help

She began reading everything she could about the diagnosis and discovered NAMI contact info in one of the books. Gardner walked into the local support group and found people who knew what she was going through because they had been there.

Gardner found more information and help understanding the mental healthcare system. “There are a lot of holes and gaps and no one hands you a map and says here’s what you do,” she said. And roadblocks abound. Due to certain confidentialities, a loved one may not be able to find out a diagnosis or be included in a treatment plan. “You’re often left powerless,” she added.

In contrast, there’s a complete protocol for care for a stroke victim emerging from a hospital and an abundance of information provided to the caregiver.

“NAMI fills this void,” said Gardner, “sharing the knowledge and skills its constituents have learned.”

After attending the support group, Gardner took the Family-to-Family course, which really changed her life, she said. “It enabled me to have more compassion for my loved one. I came to understand that it’s an actual physical brain disorder and not a personality flaw or chosen behavior. It empowered me to feel like I could handle this successfully. And I connected with people who had a shared experience.”

Gardner got so much from the program that she felt motivated to want to provide the same opportunity for other families to feel the same way and become empowered. In 2007, she was trained as a Family-to-Family instructor and support group facilitator and asked to be on the board. “I felt so strongly about the fellowship of NAMI that I accepted the presidency in 2008,” she said.

A Mission Driven by Need

A stigma has long been associated with mental illness, and sufferers and caregivers like Gardner have struggled to find information and resources to work through associated challenges. For the past three decades, NAMI, a non-profit worldwide organization with many local faces, has been working to change perceptions and provide critical support.

In 1979, a group of parents in Minnesota, whose children had been diagnosed with mental illness, frustratingly searched for information and resources to help them address and work through their issues. Recognizing that there were few answers and little guidance, they joined together to found NAMI with a mission of support, education and advocacy. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has grown to an international scale with over 1,100 affiliate groups worldwide.

The Fairfield chapter was founded in 2000 by town resident Nina Engstrom and First Church Congregational’s pastor David Spolette. Engstrom felt that there was a need for support services for families in the area that had loved ones living with mental illness. The first support group meeting was attended by 14 people, which Gardner said was a large turnout for this type of function. She added, “It confirmed there was a definite need in the community.”

The chapter now serves most surrounding towns including Weston, Easton, Trumbull and Bridgeport, and has 100 members and over 400 registered supporters. The latter receive a monthly e-newsletter, legislative alerts and event notices. The Fairfield group has also just been recognized by NAMI as the Outstanding Affiliate in Connecticut, an award presented to Gardner.

NAMI is funded through various streams including a springtime fundraising walk, membership fees, private donations and sales of custom greeting cards.

All programs NAMI offers are free and those hosted by the Fairfield chapter are held at First Church. Programs include a speaker-led session on the first Wednesday of every month devoted to topics like psychiatry, medication, estate planning, special needs trusts, wellness, coping, communication skills and hospital services. On the third Wednesday of the month, a support group meets to help people living with a mental illness who are in recovery and any associated family or friends.

Once a year, a legislative social, to which all the legislators from surrounding towns are invited, is held. The State Public Policy Committee, which is part of NAMI, identifies topics of concern to members and educates the legislators. Gardner said, “The legislative sessions are critical and often result in improvement in and preservation of existing services.”

Also held annually is Family-to-Family, a NAMI national flagship program. It spans 12 weeks and is open to family members living with people challenged by mental illness. The program is led by trained NAMI family members and provides communication and problem-solving skills, coping and self-care skills and information on the different mental illnesses and medication options.

An aligned program is NAMI Basics, which, over six weeks, gives caregivers similar help as Family-to-Family and information on dealing with schools and service providers.

Finally, the NAMI Book Club, which operates in conjunction with and is held at Fairfield Public Library, offers books focused on the mind and meets every other month.

Changing Perceptions

One of the main goals of NAMI is to eliminate the stigma normally associated with mental illness. “No one chooses to have a mental illness and, really, it’s a medical condition related to brain malfunction,” said Gardner. “The research that’s ongoing is helping to destigmatize mental illness. There’s both chemical and developmental dysfunctions that have been detected in the brain. Researchers are also finding strong genetic links in this area.”

Gardner added, “Mental illnesses are spectrum illnesses, so there are people on one end that can function with the illness and others who are debilitated. One out of four families in the U.S. is living with a loved one with mental illness.”

NAMI focuses on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder. For those afflicted, NAMI provides support groups, an In Your Own Voice program led by trained speakers that share their personal testimonies for living with and overcoming mental illness and a 12-week Peer-to-Peer program offering education and living skills.

Treatment is multi-faceted including talk therapy, medication, lifestyle adjustment, nutrition, exercise and guidance on self-care and balance.

“We want to take mental illness out of the closet, and the more light we shed on it and emphasize that it’s nothing to be ashamed of, the faster we can help remove the stigmas surrounding it,” Gardner hoped.

For more information about NAMI, contact Judy Gardner at 203-650-3463 or visit www.NAMIFairfield.org

SIDEBAR

Holiday Stress-Reducing Tips

Knowing how to handle stress is particularly important, especially at the holidays. This period is a time of high expectations around everything from company parties, present buying and family get-togethers to decorating, meal preparation and entertaining. The holiday adds a lot on top of everything else for which we are responsible.

Judy Gardner, President of the Fairfield chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said about the holiday time, “People find themselves out of time, out of money and out of patience. There’s an ideal for how things are supposed to be. It’s important to know yourself and take of yourself.”

Gardner suggested some guidelines for reducing stress during the holidays: (1) know your limits emotionally and financially (2) manage your time (3) learn how to say “no” (4) know what causes you stress (5) eat properly (6) get ample sleep (7) take some time for yourself to pursue a diversion like yoga, meditation, running, walking or listening to music.

“It’s so important to take time to do something that feeds you and takes care of you,” said Gardner. “If you can take 10 minutes to shuttle children to an activity, you can take 10 minutes to de-stress. You find that it feels good and can lead to longer periods of relaxation and self-care. Everybody around you benefits from you being in a better place.”

Gardner suggested similar strategies for surviving the cold, gray days of winter. “It’s important to get into the sunlight, go for a walk, make efforts to be with other people and do what you like to do.” 

New Boiler Brings Warm Tidings for Fairfield Couple

New Boiler Brings Warm Tidings 
for Fairfield Couple:

Gault Energy “Oldest Boiler” Contest winners revealed

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 12/16)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/16/10

Fairfield, CT – While a cold snap has seized the area over the past week, there’s a warming trend ahead – at least for a Fairfield couple that has won Gault Energy’s “Oldest Boiler” Contest and today received the gift of a new high-efficiency boiler.

Pepe and Anita Soto-Ortiz of 446 Meadowbrook Road have been down on their luck and never imagined that the 113-year-old monster boiler that had occupied their home since it was built in 1914 would be a saving grace. Pepe, 64, has been unemployed for nearly two years and things have become increasingly challenging for the couple.

Pepe was born in San Sebastian, Spain, the son of a diplomat. He came to the U.S. in 1965, originally working for the United Nations in the U.N. Development Program. In 1973, he became a U.S. citizen and from that time on until Jan. 31, 2009, he worked for a string of major U.S. companies as an executive doing auditing and financial compliance. His employers included Phillip Morris, GTE, Nestle and Xerox.

While Anita holds a job as a registered nurse at Willows Pediatric in Westport, Pepe said life has been tough. “In these last two years, it’s been extremely difficult to meet bills and survive,” he said. “You begin to cut everything that’s not necessary and, with little money coming in, things change dramatically. I was never a home person… it’s hard. I read the newspapers back to front but that only keeps me busy for half the morning. I continue to look for a job and hopefully things will get better.”

The flurry of activity and spokespeople and contractors that were gathered at his home this morning certainly gave him some hope. Gault Energy installer Kevin McCarthy was one of the techs onsite and would be overseeing the work of removing the old boiler -- including draining out the water and cutting the piping – and installing the new.

The old boiler was built by the Thatcher Company in 1898 and was originally a charcoal/wood burner that was converted to an oil burner. Pepe remarked that the technician who normally services the boiler said he hadn’t seen another like this one since 1975 in Stonington. The serviceman became attached to the old beast and outfitted it with a glass level to monitor water capacity. Before, Pepe would have to open a valve every week to add water to the system.

“The boiler is cast iron and probably weighs a ton,” said Rob Capri, a Gault salesman who helps set up jobs and was also on hand. Capri said that Purcell Moving Co. of Westport will do the physical removal of the old beast and help bring in the new. He added that the chimney had to be inspected and will be cleaned today by another company, August West out of Weston.

The new boiler is a state-of-the-art Peerless Oil-fired steam boiler being supplied by New England Heating Supply. The cost of the prize and all the related service work is being covered by Gault, a package with an approximate value of $7,500.

Megan Smith, director of marketing for the 148-year-old Westport-based Gault Energy, said, “This is the fourth oldest boiler contest we’ve held. These are conducted every other year. Our mission is to educate Fairfield County homeowners on ways they can save money and reduce their carbon footprint. The contest is one way we’re able to execute our mission.”

Smith added, “We’re so happy to be able to give this early Christmas present to two of the most deserving individuals. We’re also hoping that this will be the start of Pepe’s luck turning around.”

After a trying night without any boiler heat at all, due to the removal process, the couple was glad for the gift. “We had a space heater near the bedroom and down comforter, and kept the stove on all night at 250 degrees. Our electric bill will be a little higher, but that’s ok,” said Anita, sniffling and occasionally coughing as she fought a lingering cold.

“We’ll have nice warm heat by the end of the day, which will be great as I haven’t had a chance to do the tree, what with my cold and working late,” added Anita.

“Anita is not a fan of the cold,” said Pepe, standing in the basement watching the removal work unfold. Beside him, Anita, sipping a hot coffee, said to the workers, “In the Spanish tradition, you say ‘my house is your house.’ In this case, my boiler is your boiler.”  

 

Storytime Chugs Into Children’s Imaginations

Storytime Chugs Into Children’s Imaginations:

Pre-K read at Fairfield Museum aligns with holiday train show

(Posted to 

Fairfield.Patch.com 12/15)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/15/10

Fairfield, CT – With all the puffing and chugging sounds emanating from the high-ceilinged meeting space, one would think there were multiple trains close by whizzing around tracks. But it was the excited chatter of a small band of youngsters being entertained with train stories.

The site was the Fairfield Museum and History Center at 370 Beach Road and the event was a Pre-K morning storytime session being led by docent Barbara Lucia. The animated and engaging storyteller regaled about a dozen children and their parents and caretakers with train tales that were not of the commercial, modern norm and followed a more classic path.

“There seems to be a natural connection between children and trains,” said Walter Mathis, a museum coordinator. “They’re fascinated by the colors, numbers, the tracks, the movement. With the storytimes, we try to help them learn other train stories beyond the popular Thomas stories to help them connect.”

Besides being a docent and storyteller, Lucia is a former teacher and grandmother. She had selected a stack of books to work through but recognized that the group’s attention span might be limited. However, the youngsters were not only rapt, but very participatory.

Appropriately, the storytelling area had been set up directly adjacent to the museum’s Holiday Express Train Show displays. Sitting beneath a large wreath, Lucia began showing pictures of different trains from a book titled “Trains”.

Fairfielder Liz Holcomb and son Mason, 2, were among the visitors. “Mason loves trains,” said Holcomb. “He’s obsessed I’d say. He likes Thomas and Polar Express, so we thought we’d come out today.”

Lucia showed a picture of a locomotive and asked about the cowcatcher apparatus at the front and its purpose. “It’s to clear things off the tracks!” said Ethan Landsman, 4, brightly. Mom Eileen, who had Ethan’s little brother Cole in tow, said, “Ethan loves trains. He has the Thomas trains and was Thomas for Halloween last year. He rode his first real train last weekend with his dad, down to Rye. He was very excited.”

Lucia led the children in a chorus of “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain”, flailing her arms and acting out song elements, then launched into the book “The Little Engine That Could”, the classic written by Watty Piper and first published in 1930. The children all recited, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”, which Lucia said was a good attitude to have.

Other tales included “Trouble on the Tracks”, about a little boy’s cat that wanders onto his toy train tracks, and “Two Little Trains”, penned by Margaret Wise Brown, who also wrote “Goodnight Moon.”

Periodically, a child would split from the group, too curious about the train set-ups to sit still. Jack Short, 3, was one who wanted to see the displays, with dad John. “Jack likes Thomas and all his buddies. I took the day off so we could see the train show and listen to the stories.”

Another book called “That’s Not My Train” had textured pages and Lucia let the kids touch and feel them. They excitedly gathered in a tight circle around her. She then led them in singing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”, which elicited claps and squeals as the children participated.

“Many children are interested in how the particular trains on display work,” said Mathis. “One of the trains has a sound card in it that makes it sound like a real train.”

Mathis had no sooner said that then it came time to actually set all the trains, which had been idle in their respective displays, in motion. “What does the conductor say at the beginning of the train ride?” he asked. “All aboard!” came the reply as the train with the sound card lurched into action. It was followed by a Percy train and two others, including the popular Thomas train.

The trains circled in opposite directions, navigating the tracks, tunnels and bridges, delighting all in attendance.

Westport Bred Author Spotlights ‘Jeweler to the Stars’

Westport Bred Author Spotlights 
‘Jeweler to the Stars’:

Elizabeth Irvine Bray gives 

library talk on Paul Flato

(Appeared on Westport News 

website 12/15)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All rights reserved.

12/14/10

Westport, CT – It was a cataloguing job at Christie’s that first put the jeweler on her radar. Now she has unveiled a book about his life’s work and given him an official place in history.

The jeweler of note is Paul Flato and author Elizabeth Irvine Bray gave a comprehensive presentation about the colorful individual and his craft Tuesday morning Dec. 14 in the McManus Room at Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road.

Bray, 33, is a native daughter, born and raised in Westport and a 1994 graduate of Staples High School. After earning a dual degree in English and Studio Art from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998, Bray worked for a wholesale diamond dealer in New York’s diamond district. The experience sparked further interest in jewelry and she subsequently earned a graduate gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America.

In 1999, Bray landed a cataloguer job at Christie’s auction house and, over her nine years of employment there, she would often see Flato pieces spotlighted. What nagged at her was that there was so little information about Flato’s background as with other jewelers. Out of curiosity, she began researching him and uncovered a treasure trove of information – enough to compile a book she has just released titled, “Paul Flato: Jeweler to the Stars.”

Wearing a circa 1935 Flato brooch with a value of $35,000 on loan from a Chicago collector, Bray exposed the jeweler to an attentive library crowd of over two dozen people.

Flato was born in Texas in 1900 and ventured to New York in the 20s to attend Columbia University. He briefly apprenticed for a Swiss watchmaker then, at age 27, opened his own boutique on 57^th Street catering to socialites, Wall Streeters and the fashion conscious. He was flamboyant and loud and enlisted debutantes to model his work.

He collaborated with Harry Winston, who supplied him with gems, and worked with a team of designers to create pieces with complete originality. Flato was often inspired by nature, particularly leaves, and liked to add a touch of whimsy to his creations. He was also influenced by the Surrealist Art movement in Europe, as well as earlier eras like the Victorian age. Often, he would collaborate on a design with his customers, like Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers Balcom.

Flato’s most famous designer was Fulco, Duke of Verdura, with whom he shared a preference for a shocking use of color. They offered a line called “Verdura by Flato” before Verdura went on his own.

In the late 30s, Flato became hard of hearing and developed a line of brooches called “Deaf and Dumb” with hand symbols inspired by sign language.

His work was being featured regularly in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, which brought interest from the West Coast. Hollywood director George Cukor asked him to design jewelry for Katherine Hepburn for the film “Holiday.”

Ultimately, Flato opened a boutique on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and became the go-to of celebrities and film producers for custom jewelry creations. His clients included leading actresses Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo, Paulette Goddard, Vivian Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford and Ginger Rogers.

Several events in the early 1940s altered Flato’s course. A robbery netted $50,000 from his boutique, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor pulling America into WWII and forcing Americans to reprioritize spending, and a $60,000 diamond on loan to him vanished from his shop. With regard to the latter, an investigation found that he had been pawning consignment pieces and he was charged with grand larceny. He traded a designer suit for prison grays at Sing Sing for a term of 18 months.

In the 50s, Winston and Verdura replaced him as the glitterati’s jeweler of choice and he subsequently left the U.S. for Mexico where, in 1970, he opened a tiny boutique. It wasn’t until 1990 that he returned to the U.S., where his work and designs had gained high ticket collector value. He passed at age 99 in July 1999.

“He defied the odds of rising from the grassroots of Texas to the limelight of Hollywood,” said Bray, “and from the shame of being imprisoned to the pleasure of being accepted again in high society. This uniquely talented legend of the twentieth century has finally found his place in history.”