A Shopper’s Guide to Valentine’s Day Retail Resources

A Shopper’s Guide to Valentine’s Day Retail Resources:

Flowers, jewelry, cards, spas 

and chocolate

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 2/11)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

2/11/11

Fairfield, CT – That special day is just around the corner, Valentine’s Day. Like many people, you’re probably scrambling last minute for a thoughtful gift that shows you care. But where to go and what to buy?

Patch takes some of the stress out of the decision making process with a helpful list of a few local retailers and their wares in the flowers, jewelry, greeting card, day spa and chocolate categories. We’ve also taken a moment to check in with a retailer in each segment to see who’s buying, what they’re buying and how business is going.

Flowers

Hansen’s Flower Shop, 1040 Post Road, 203-255-0461

An unusual selection of cut flowers from all over the world.

Fairfield Florist, 1998 Post Road, 203-256-9342

Wide selection of flowers, arrangements and plants.

Sullivan’s Heritage Florist, 25 South Benson Road, 203-259-1629

Large selection of cut flowers, including Ecuadorian roses and Dutch flowers, and custom-made arrangements for every order.

Dailey’s Flower Shop, 2151 Black Rock Tpke., 203-336-1895

Custom bouquets, floral arrangements and gift baskets. Same-day delivery available.

Colonial Gardens, 1174 Bronson Road, 203-259-2722

Full-service flower shop, greenhouse plants and roses.

Spotlight: Hansen’s Flower Shop

Patch pulled aside General Manager Gary Lucas, who reported that business was speeding along. “If business doesn’t spike for any flower shop on Valentine’s Day, they’re in trouble. Our business has been expanding and is very good this year and for this holiday.”

Lucas said his customers have been male for the most part. “Ninety-percent of our traffic is men, mostly looking for roses. They make very simple, traditional selections.”

As to special items, Lucas said, “We are offering chocolate, stuffed animals, balloons, an array of flowers from all over the world and, of course, arrangements of roses – any amount from one dozen to three dozen.”

Jewelry

Fairfield Center Jewelers, 1498 Post Road, 203-259-5693

Precious gems in all the colors of spring in the middle of winter

J. Albert Johnson Jewelers, 1957 Black Rock Tpke., 203-334-4680

Quality diamonds and elegant jewelry at fair pricing.

Shaw Jewelers, 525 Tunxis Hill Cutoff, 203-367-0777

Designer and affordable semi-precious and precious stones and sterling silver.

HC Reid Jewelers, 1591 Post Road, 203-255-0447

Affordable designer jewelry in gold and silver with diamonds, as well as colored stones. A selection of cultured pearls is also offered.

Lenox Jewelers, 2379 Black Rock Tpke., 203-374-6157

Diamonds, gemstones, giftware and engraving.

Spotlight: Fairfield Center Jewelers

Partner Howard Diamond took a moment to comment, “Every Valentine’s Day is different in terms of traffic and business. The economy especially forces people to prioritize their expense. Valentine’s Day is kind of a polite dutiful holiday. It’s not as important as birthdays and anniversaries, so people are more careful with their spending. People are also looking at their December holiday credit card bills and at tax time, which affects the dynamic. It’s still a significant day for us.”

As to shoppers, Diamond said, “A lot of women have been coming in and making wish lists, looking at white gold and platinum pendants, as well as pearl jewelry.”

About business, Diamond added, “Business has been better than last year, despite the weather. People are more positive and our sales are up.”

Greeting Cards

Party Party, 14 Sanford Street, 203-292-9277

Fine stationery, gifts and event planning services.

Cardsmart, 2075 Black Rock Tpke., 203-334-1657

Discount cards and quality gifts.

Miller’s Hallmark, 2255 Black Rock Tpke., 203-368-1778

Candy, plush toys, wide selection of greeting cards, single roses and pre-wrapped items.

CVS

700 Post Road, 203-255-1089

1968 Black Rock Tpke., 203-366-8070

Wide array of greeting cards, candy, balloons, flowers and plush toys.

Spotlight: Party Party

Owner Mary Thornton’s shop opened at the end of September, offering “paper, presents and parties”, as she put it. “For Valentine’s Day, we have great greeting cards and gifts such as personalized notepads and frames,” she said. “We’re having a special in February called “All You Need Is Love” offering 10% off anything wedding related, from invites to Save The Date notes.”

About shoppers, she said, “People have been looking for gifts for that special someone, and cards. Our walk-ins are primarily women, thought we get some men, too.”

Day Spas

The Spa, 1139 Post Road, 203-259-8757

Deluxe facials, massage therapy, body and foot treatments, waxing, hair care, bath and body products and gift certificates.

Total Look Salons, 2193 Black Rock Tpke., 203-367-4247

Complete hair care, facials, waxing, manicures, pedicures, medi-spa services, gift packages and baskets.

Ocean Skin Care Spa and Massage, 1700 Post Road, 203-292-8188

Massage therapy, facials, body waxing, body treatments and skin care products.

Turquoise Medical Spa, 1305 Post Road, 203-319-1900

Facials, cosmetic procedures, a variety of massages and waxing.

Spotlight: The Spa

Patch spoke with Business Manager Al Dee about the holiday. “This is probably the third largest volume day we have after Christmas and Mother’s Day. This year it’s kind of early to size up traffic as most purchases will be made Saturday, a couple days before the holiday.”

Thus far, though, Dee said, “Our traffic has been mostly men, for their wives and mothers. Some of it is online or by phone, in addition to the walk-ins.”

Summing up, Dee added, “Spa services are a good gift as they are personal. Gift requests are usually massages and facials.”

Candy/Chocolate

Sweet Rexies, 1552 Post Road, 203-254-3254

Chocolates, classic candies, apparel, plush toys, gift baskets and ice cream.

Spotlight: Sweet Rexies

Owner Nanci Lewis said about Valentine’s Day, “It’s a unique holiday. People tend to shop just a few days before. The weather has affected us, but we’re pretty much on track with last year. We’ll see how this weekend goes.”

About her customers, Lewis said, “We get moms coming in to buy for kids and husbands but, really, whoever likes candy and gourmet chocolate.”

Lewis has a wide variety of products to offer for the holiday. “For Valentine’s Day, we have different sized heart containers, with zebra stripes and XO’s. Anyone can fill those with their own candy – a custom make-your-own Valentine’s heart.

Other items include ready-made boxes of Godiva chocolates, gift baskets, tall canisters of chocolate drizzled popcorn, champagne bottles of milk chocolate, Love Me To Pieces bars and even nut-free candies.”

Octet Sings Their Hearts Out

Octet Sings Their Hearts Out:

All-female barbershop group delivers singing Valentines

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 2/11)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

2/9/11

Fairfield, CT – They bonded through a choir, gave their group a name and took their show on the road. Now these eight women are spreading the love and can be yours for a song on Valentine’s Day.

The group is called Matinee and they are an all-female barbershop octet comprised of ladies ranging in age from 45 to 80 who hail from Fairfield, Stratford, Brookfield, Easton, Milford, Trumbull and New Canaan. On Valentine’s Day, they will be visiting homes and offices to sing two love songs and deliver a rose and card. While they have already booked a few gigs, they are available to schedule additional appearances. A visit costs $55.

“We’ve been together for more than 15 years,” said Cathy Van Tornhout, 52, a leading member of the group who resides on Burr Street. “We took the name Matinee as we were all not working. This became our day job in a sense. We like to say ‘we do it in the daytime’. But now we do it all day long and all night, too.”

Tornhout said the group started out singing at nursing homes, ladies’ luncheons and other events that would occur during the daytime. They even scored some high-profile gigs like performing the national anthem at a New Haven Ravens game. For a number of years, they also sang at the annual naturalization ceremony held at Fairfield University.

“Our 80-year-old, Jan Dalgar, from Trumbull, even performed with a choir organized by Michael Bolton to compete on NBC’s ‘Clash of the Choirs’, a TV reality show contest that aired one December a few years back,” Tornhout said proudly. “She’s one hot ticket. Bolton called her ‘The Silver Fox.’”

Tornhout said their group is a subset of a larger singing entity. “We’re all members of a choir called Harmony on the Sound, a women’s barbershop chorus. The acronym is H.O.T.S. The chorus is a member of Sweet Adelines International, which is a women’s barbershop singing organization with approximately 50,000 members worldwide.”

Tornhout quipped, “Barbershop harmony was started by men but perfected by women. It’s not unusual within large organizations for members to put together a quartet or octet, to go out and have some extra fun, sing and perform.”

The singer said it has brought the women very close together. “Through our singing relationship, we’ve developed a pretty tight sisterhood and bond, watched our children grow up, grandchildren come along and witnessed events like the O.J. Simpson verdict and 9/11, both of which occurred during rehearsal sessions. These are things that will bond you.”

Tornhout said the group’s gigs have been very varied. “People will hire us for birthday parties and Christmas parties, as a surprise to guests. We’ve done weddings and funerals, too, which we call ‘gigs and digs.’ We even participated in an engagement, at a Starbucks in Trumbull, which was fun.”

With regard to the singing Valentines concept, she explained, “You’ve seen the singing telegrams – our idea to do doorstep performances on Valentine’s Day evolved from that. We usually wear all red or pink sweaters, black slacks and heart jewelry. When you see all eight of us walk in wearing the same outfits, you know something is up. We do love songs – mostly old songs – like ‘Always’, ‘Moonglow’, ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, ‘Embraceable You’, ‘Unforgettable’ and ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ That will be our Valentine’s repertoire this year.”

She said people find the performances fun. “The reaction we get is very positive. People really seem to enjoy it. The men turn bright red. The women laugh or cry – one extreme or the other. When we go to an office building, we usually gain a large crowd by the time we’ve finished as people join us from their cubicles and offices.”

For its Valentine’s Day lineup, the group has been rehearsing at Turnhout’s Fairfield home but, on Valentine’s Day, they will meet at Dalgar’s house. “Jan’s home is the closest to our first booking and she has a minivan, which we call the Mat Mobile, as in Matinee, that we will all cram into. It’s like a clown car… and off we’ll go. We have four or five jobs booked already and hope to have more by Monday. It’s the kind of thing people usually do last minute and they choose us as a fun alternative to traditional ‘gifts’ like a box of chocolate.”

To schedule a singing Valentine, call Cathy at 203-255-1701 or Irene at 203-378-5764.

Man About Town: A Wilson’s BBQ Pitstop

Man About Town: A Wilson’s BBQ Pitstop

(Column appeared in Ffld Citizen News 2/9)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

1/30/11

It was early afternoon on a recent Sunday and town residents were taking a little breather between pummeling snowstorms. The sun was streaming down and the skies were a Carolina blue. It seemed only appropriate to two-step over to Wilson’s Real Pit Barbeque at 1851 Post Road.

Situated across from Hemlock Hardware, the shack-like corner restaurant was pumping out heavenly smells from an exhaust fan adjacent to the back parking lot and a small lunch crowd was enjoying the shop’s fare.

Fairfielder John Wrobel, his son Mark, 6, and daughter Christina, 4, were among the diners, and seated at a corner table.

“We come here once in a blue moon when I’ve got a hankering for barbeque,” Wrobel said. “It’s local and authentic, and the food’s not drenched in sauces. You can taste the flavor of the meat. And the mac and cheese and fries appeal to the kids. The atmosphere’s cozy, with a rustic feel. You can kind of get lost in here with its atmosphere.”

The self-dubbed “Proprietor and Pit Boss”, Ed Wilson, 61, was on hand chatting with customers and spoke about the restaurant’s inception.

“At age 50, I started entering barbeque competitions around the country,” Wilson said. “After five or six years of that, I decided, because there are very few barbeque joints in the northeast, to open a place on the lot here that I owned. The concept was well received.”

Wilson’s officially opened in March 2005. “We had a rocky start at first due to logistics and how to run the place,” said the owner. “I was in real estate for 30 years prior – this was really different. The ‘chef’ that I’d hired really didn’t know how to handle the mechanics of portion control and getting food from the oven to the plate. It took me 18 months to figure out and solve the issues. I was lucky I owned the building as I was struggling.”

Wilson has a definite position about barbeque and seeks to offer only the best food products. “In the South, barbeque is a cuisine. In the North, it’s an event. I fly my sausages in from Texas, my brisket has beaten Texans’ brisket, and my pulled pork and Carolina sauce have both won competitions.”

Wilson views his business as an extension of home entertaining. “I’ve always been a backyard cook. When my kids were young, I would do a cookout twice a year for about 100 people. I’m a pretty traditional barbeque guy. I know how to cook a whole hog.”

Jeff Dondregan, 40, and Derek Delorenzo, 39, were visiting the area as Fairfield University alumni and had heard about Wilson’s from a Food Network episode, and decided to check it out.

“I’m having a beef brisket sandwich that is just phenomenal,” said Dondregan. “I like the vinegar-based sauce the restaurant uses versus tomato-based sauce.”

“I’m having the pulled pork with Eastern Carolina sauce. It’s really good,” Delorenzo added.

They agreed that the stop had been memorable. “We’ll be back… with the kids… and the wives,” said Dondregan.

Besides the popular brisket, sausage and pulled pork offerings, Wilson’s serves up free-range chicken, ribs that are dry rubbed and slow smoked, BBQ sandwiches and a host of sides including collard greens, baked beans, mashed sweet potatoes and a tasty black-eye pea salad.

Wilson’s skills were learned from his mother Mimi, who loved to cook and use spices and would put her home cooking in front of anyone who showed at meal time. But Wilson’s childhood in the South may also have been an influence. “South Norwalk, that is,” Wilson joked.

As he coached a customer on a good sauce pairing for her meal, I gathered up my belongings and stepped back into the snow, the smell of Southern-style home cooking still tickling my nose.

Parents Get Crash Course on Facebook

Parents Get Crash 
Course on Facebook:

Ann Marie Brucia provides 

intro at Fairfield’s Main Library

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 2/7)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

2/7/11

Fairfield, CT – Feeds. Pokes. Chats. IM’s. DM’s. For the social media savvy, these terms are as familiar as their personal profiles. But for newcomers, this is a foreign language that begs translation.

Fortunately, Fairfielder Ann Marie Brucia was on hand at Fairfield’s Main Library early Monday evening to shed some light and provide an overview of Facebook, the world’s largest social media network. Her hour-long presentation, titled “Facebook for Parents: What You Need to Know”, included tips, etiquette, privacy guidelines and cautionary advice, and was enjoyed by over 35 area attendees.

A blogger, mother of three and owner of New Media Brain, a social media marketing consultancy, Brucia has become a foremost expert on social media and has been sharing her knowledge through a series of monthly talks that kicked off January 10 and will conclude April 12.

“I launched New Media Brain as a blog five years ago,” said Brucia, “as I was re-entering the work force after being home with my kids for 10 or 12 years. Prior to that, I held corporate marketing roles for two large companies and worked for 10 years in product marketing, both in Chicago and overseas. I decided I wanted to work for myself, taking my traditional skills and merging them with the changing landscape of marketing. This was 2005, just a year after Facebook launched and just before Twitter started. Blogs and social media were exploding.”

Brucia quickly got up to speed on the new technologies. “I actually used social media to educate myself. I went to social media conferences and found webcasts online. Then I took my learning out to my clients – a variety of different sized businesses from start-ups to Fortune 500. I continue to educate myself as the landscape is constantly changing.”

In planning her library series of talks, the social media guru felt that Facebook, with over 500 million users as of December 2010, deserved its own session as it’s such a big part of the social networking world.

Brucia’s goal is simple. “I want to arm parents with information to create a safe environment for their families. To that regard, I’ve been working with two beneficial groups – Common Sense Media, a non-profit that does all types of media evaluation for parents and schools, and ConnectSafely.org, which provided a bound copy of “A Parents Guide to Facebook” for my first 50 talk registrants. The book literally walks parents through account and privacy settings and usage guidelines.”

In her view, Brucia senses there’s a lot of fear and misinformation out there about social media. “I think if people took a different perspective of embracing, they would find the tools very useful. The sheer number of people using Facebook warrants our attention, particularly given the number of teens using the medium.”

It had gotten Fairfielder John DeMassa’s attention. The 49-year-old was curious to know more with regard to a new business enterprise. “I just started a school, New England School of Theology, based in Fairfield. I’m looking at Facebook as a way to mass promote my business. This talk will give me a better understanding of the audience. I’m part of the social networking clueless.”

DeMassa’s wife Grace, who had accompanied him to the talk, was more in the know. “I’m already on Facebook, but I want to learn more about privacy issues. I just want to look out for my family, especially with regard to nieces and nephews who are on it and put a lot of info up. I follow their daily lives through Facebook and just want to know who else may be viewing.”

Fairfielder Fernanda Casey was looking out for her two boys, ages 13 and 14. “They are not on Facebook right now but I want to learn about the basics should we decide to allow them on it in a year or two. I feel like a dinosaur.”

In her talk, Brucia said Facebook can be very empowering. “It is essentially an online publishing tool. Every time we make a comment, we’re publishing. We are producers as powerful as big news organizations.”

Brucia also said it can be a fun place for children. “It can be a diary, playground, photo album, game room, email portal, blog and more. Everything is starting to happen inside Facebook, which is why it’s such a part of many people’s lives.”

But, Brucia cautions, “We need to realize that this is permanent. What we put up doesn’t go away. It all leaves a digital footprint.”

Privacy and the settings users engage to control who sees their content is also key. Brucia says Facebook is pretty responsible about this aspect. “The site allows you to control how much information you display. It’s up to you how open or closed you want to make it.”

Mainly, Brucia advises, “Be a good digital citizen, think before you publish and post with a purpose.”

For more information and to register for upcoming presentations, call the Children’s Library at 203-256-3161.

"The Guy Show" Exhibit Scores Fans

“The Guy Show” Exhibit Scores Fans:

Artplace Gallery opening debuts the work of regional male artists

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 2/6)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

2/6/11

Fairfield, CT – It seemed appropriate that the opening reception for a new Artplace Gallery exhibit titled “The Guy Show” should fall on the same day as one of America’s biggest machismo contests, the Super Bowl. The gathering even offered the type of snacks and an elevated level of excitement that one might find at a football event.

But the attention Sunday afternoon at the 11 Unquowa Road space was not on pigskins but the work of ten regional male artists from Fairfield and New Haven counties. Featured were painters Chris Durante, Chris Joy, Zachary Keeting, Felandus Thames and Jonathan Winters; photographers Keith Johnson and Jeremy Keats Saladyga; sculptors Joseph Saccio and Silas Finch; and constructionist Joseph Fucigna.

“The gallery is a cooperative with 23 members all sharing in the expense and decision-making of the venue,” said the exhibit’s curator Gerald Saladyga. “Twenty-one of the 23 members are women and, as such, the shows here have been women-dominated. I suggested an all-male format for a change, to which the group positively responded.”

Saladyga said all the artists are known to him, that he admired and respected their work and that there is a good mix of new and established talent. He added that the show helps close a divide between artists in each county. “I’ve sensed that there’s a Great Wall of China between Fairfield and New Haven counties. Artists from each region have not really interacted with each other. This provides a platform for them to do that.”

The intimacy of the Artplace space allowed viewers to focus in on the art and connect with its subject matter, of which Kevin Stevens and Lolly Renault of Stratford were taking total advantage. “We go to a lot of the shows here,” said Renault. “The male-oriented format is refreshing. I’m seeing some really good work.”

Fellow show attendee Bill Adams, who has been a long-time fan of Artplace, agreed. “The guy-orientation of the art drew me here. The show is proving to be very unique.”

Attendee Miggs Burroughs from Westport, a photographer/graphic artist himself, was busy enjoying the work and getting inspired. “I’m not a formally trained photographer so it’s great to get stimulation from other creative minds that are edgier than mine. I like to absorb anything visual. We’re all perpetual students.”

Tom Danis, 26, of Stamford, and Supriya Gundewar, 23, of Norwalk, who admitted to being inexperienced about viewing art, were fascinated with the works of Finch and Jeremy Solaydyga. “I wouldn’t normally go to a gallery on my own. It’s nice that they have forums like this,” said Gundewar.

For the artists’ part, they were glad to have the attention and provided background on their artwork. “I’ve been painting seriously since I was 18, working in mixed media,” said Chris Joy, 36. “I have three oil paintings in the show, which have magic marker and pencil designs as the understructure. My goal was to personalize abstraction and use odd shapes that move away from the typical rectangular painting shape.”

Joy, who is also the co-founder of the website www.GorkysGranddaughter.com, which features studio interviews with local artists (including several featured in “The Guy Show”), added, “The show heightens particular aspects of all our work. My floral-based paintings suddenly stand out in a guy-oriented format.”

Silas Finch, who described himself as less a sculptor and more of a “Found Object Assemblage” artist, said he gets inspiration from a variety of areas. “I browse flea markets and people’s basements, and get items from family and friends. I like to make a natural union between two contrasting items, like airships that are childlike but that have macabre elements.”

Finch’s reference was to his work “U.S.S. Imminent”, a Zeppelin-like construction that he had wrapped with the dramatic front page of a circa WWII newspaper.  

“This show is a little more cutting edge for Fairfield,” summed up curator Solaydyga, “touching on political, environmental and racial identity themes. Of course, it does this while also being aesthetically pleasing.”

“The Guy Show” runs through Feb. 26. For more information, call the Artplace Gallery at 203-292-8328.

They Were ‘Freezin’ for a Reason’

They Were ‘Freezin’ for a Reason’:

Over 90 people take an icy dip to raise funds for Burroughs Ctr.

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 2/5)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All rights reserved.

2/5/11

Fairfield, CT – Air temperature: 34 degrees. Water temperature: 33 degrees. A snow covered beach. Light drizzle. Gray skies. The perfect environment, one would argue, for an event called “Freezin’ for a Reason.”

The fourth annual plunge into Long Island Sound drew over 90 participants late Saturday morning, who were expected to raise about $50,000 to help fund after-school programs offered by Bridgeport’s Burroughs Community Center. The plunge took place near the pavilion at Jennings Beach and drew an equal number of friends, family and passersby who came to offer support -- or just look on in disbelief.

Leonela Cruz, a part-time staff member at Burroughs, was an early arrival who came to ensure that a path had been cleared to the water and the plunge site was accessible. “I actually did the plunge last year,” she said. “It was exciting, and the first time I ever did it. The adrenaline was kicking. The event has attracted mostly adults, but this year we thought it would be good to have kids from our after-school program participate, too.”

Cruz explained that the program serves about 45 children from families in the greater Bridgeport area that are experiencing financial difficulties. It offers homework help, computers, gameplay, fitness, a mother-daughter club, art classes and sports. Funds would help purchase materials like backpacks, notebooks and art supplies.

“We raised about $60,000 last year,” Cruz said, “and as of pre-registration this morning, we were at $43,000.”

Kevin Simmons, Burrough’s Executive Director, spoke on how the event first came about. “I kicked the idea around for five years before voicing it at a committee meeting,” he said. “A board member replied, ‘Kevin, I have no doubt you’ll find enough crazy people to do this. I will not be one of them.’ Now with this year’s event, we’ll have raised over $200,000.”

Simmons said a number of elected officials were participating, whose support he appreciated. “Congressman Jim Himes has done this for the past three years. It’s nice to have someone of his stature here. We also have Mayor Finch, Tom McCarthy (president of the Bridgeport City Council) and council members Marty McCarthy and Sue Brannelly.”

Cruz noted that weather conditions were noticeably different this year. “Last year, it was all sand here, no snow. A few days ago, we had a crew come over to clear ice away from the plunge area so participants can actually go in.”

Wardell Hairston, a volunteer at Burroughs, was busy salting a path to the water. He was also a plunger. “It’s warmer than last year and there’s no wind. You just hit the water quick and come out. That’s it. You don’t stay in there,” he chuckled.

Spectators and family preceded the arrival of participants. Among them was Weston’s Candace Debarger whose son, Sky, 14, was plunging. Debarger had an armful of clothing for Sky to change into. “I’m proud of him. This is a great way to raise money.” With regard to the cold water, she added, “He’ll be fine. He’s 14. They bounce back.”

Van Kolton of Fairfield was another supporter and carried a boxful of items for his wife and son. “I’ve brought warm water, towels, hot chocolate and even flowers,” he said. “I think what they’re doing is awesome. Everything we can do to contribute to the community is what it’s all about.”

Kolton’s wife, Linda, and son, Ethan, 9, soon appeared, arriving in one of two buses that were used to transport participants from Burroughs, where they had all met up to sign in and get a wristband and “plunger bag.”  

“As a Black Rock business owner, I wanted to support the community,” said Linda Kolton. “This is the first time I’m doing this. It seemed like a good idea when I signed up… I’m not so sure now,” she chuckled, surveying the icy water.

In contrast, plunger Mark Adintori, 49, was shirtless and gung-ho, ready to go. “I’ve been doing this since the beginning. The first year, I had just had bicep surgery and had a plastic bag over my arm, as it was in a brace. I really don’t mind this. I’m acclimated to the cold. I’m outside all the time.”

Participants followed the salted path down to the shore, stood in a line at the water’s edge and, at the sound of a horn, dashed into and quickly out of the water. Only a hardy few lingered for any period of time, daring the elements.

“I was very freezing,” said Anastasia Rivera, 15, from Bridgeport, emerging from the water. “There was a rush of adrenaline. I want to do it again now.”

Allie Muolo from Bridgeport missed the initial horn but made it in. “It was freezing. Bringing hot water in a bottle was a good idea,” she said.

Congressman Himes, who plunged with his daughters Emma, 11, and Linley, 8, said, “The water was mind altering. This year the challenge was not getting in the water, but getting to the water. But it’s all to benefit a spectacular community program.” 

CT Audubon Society Toplines Its 2011 State of the Birds Report

CT Audubon Society Toplines 
Its 2011 State of the Birds Report:

Forest birds in permanent decline 

due to hard development

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 2/5)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

2/4/11

Fairfield, CT – Milan Bull, Senior Director of Science and Conservation for the Connecticut Audubon Society, has been sounding the alarm for years now that, due to hard development, our state’s forests and forest bird populations are in permanent decline.

This is the topline message of the Society’s 2011 State of the Birds Report, a brief preview of which Bull was to present at the Birdcraft Museum on Saturday, Feb. 5. The presentation, which was to have been given to Society members, was cancelled in advance of a winter storm that was expected to deposit a snow/sleet mix in the area throughout the day Saturday. The complete report will be released during the last week of February at a press conference to be held at the state’s legislative office building in Hartford. 

Interviewed by phone late Friday afternoon, Bull gave some background about the report and expanded on its key message.

“Our annual reports were instituted to provide members and the public with an idea of how the state’s birds are faring,” explained Bull. “Our first report six years ago showed that 50% of the state’s birds were declining. The significance of this finding impacts everyone in the state, whether you’re a fan of birds or not. Birds, which inhabit all of the state’s various habitats – forests, salt marshes, inland wetlands, lakes, grasslands -- are a key indicator of environmental quality. They are literally our canary in the coalmine. That finding confirmed the importance our of work to monitor bird populations and environmental conditions.”

Since that first report, the Society has studied the various habitats to understand why the birds there are declining, and to make recommendations on how to conserve both the habitats and bird populations.

Bull said that they have been successful in getting the state legislature to look at and try to improve how the state acquires conservation land. “For instance, we recommended that the state develop a registry of protected lands in Connecticut, to determine how much land is protected, if it protects the bird species we need to protect and where the land is located,” he said. “Then we can identify and prioritize critical land and habitats that need to be acquired and protected. That’s been the thrust of our recommendations these past years.”

This year’s report, though, is focused on conserving our forest birds. To get a perspective on how this particular population has changed, Bull provided a quick history lesson.

“Early colonists made the first dent in native bird populations, removing trees for agricultural reasons, fuel and to build their houses – what we call soft development,” Bull explained. “This changed the type of local birds from forest birds to more grass and shrub land birds. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, farmers moved west or into the cities and abandoned their farms. The trees grew back and the forest birds returned.”

What the state has experienced in the last 20 years or more is what Bull calls hard development, which is having a permanent effect on forest bird populations. “The forests have been in decline without regeneration due to the construction of big box stores, roads and power lines,” he said. “Fragmentation and parcelization is reducing our forests into smaller and smaller blocks that can no longer support productive populations of forest dependent birds.”

Bull said this is a definite concern and that the report makes suggestions on how to protect and conserve our forests, with the goal of improving our economy and quality of life while preserving the unique character of our New England landscape.