View Finder: Go Team!

View Finder: Go Team!

FLHS cheerleaders wash cars to raise funds

By Mike Lauterborn

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 7/28)

Fairfield, CT – Standing curbside on Reef Road near the fire station with two hand-written posterboard signs saying WE CLEAN CARS, Mary-Kate O’Brien and Taylor Van Fleet flagged down passing cars and steered them toward the back of the station. The sixteen-year-olds were representing the Fairfield Ludlowe High School Varsity Cheerleading Squad, the balance of which was in the parking lot behind the station, hoses in hand.

No, not fire hoses, but the garden variety, used for watering plants or, in this case, washing down cars. For a small fee, any motorist could get their car washed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, courtesy of the squad. All monies raised would help the team offset its expenses, including uniforms, music, choreography and travel.

While the girls sponged cars, scrubbed hubcaps and rinsed dirt off cars that came through, Coaches Jessica Young, 22, and Ashley Carolan, 21, looked on. Carolan mentioned that, in addition to this annual car wash effort, the team does a fundraiser at Stop & Shop in October, to benefit children with special needs involved in cheerleading.

The good intentions aside, it was clear the girls were having some good old soapy, sudsy, summer fun.

View Finder: Wayne from Maine

View Finder: Wayne from Maine

Kittery performer entertains moms & kids on Sherman Green

By Mike Lauterborn

(posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 7/28)

Fairfield, CT – Wednesday July 27 marked the fourth of five scheduled Picnic Performances on downtown’s Sherman Green. Entertaining some 75 to 100 moms and children was Wayne from Maine, a duo from Kittery consisting of the Maine man himself and percussionist Jimmy James, known as the KoongaBoonga man.

As the audience, arranged on blankets and towels, looked on, the musical pair laid down “edu-tainment” designed to take listeners on an interactive musical journey to inspire the young and young-at-heart.

Sponsored by Trinity Church of Fairfield, the event also featured a face painting station, of which most children took advantage. Rainbows, sharks and other iconic symbols adorned cheeks and foreheads, lending a visual element to the audio experience.

East Coast United Breaks Out of the Box

East Coast United 
Breaks Out of the Box:

Joe Oppedisano committed to spotlighting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

By Mike Lauterborn

(posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 7/26)

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

7/26/11

Fairfield, CT – “It’s live and real, hands-on, with students going through and performing the actual moves,” said Joe Oppedisano, speaking about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of several action sports he teaches and offers through East Coast United, a fitness facility he opened at 1496 Post Road in Fairfield Center last May.

The 2,400-square-foot ground level space, which abuts Fairfield Center Jewelers, also features boxing, self-defense, ultimate fitness, cardio kickboxing, muay thai and personal training. On August 15, he will move into a new space at Fairfield’s Sportsplex.

Oppedisano was raised in Westport, where he attended Staples High School and captained both the wrestling and football teams. After achieving FCIAC honors in both sports, he went on to play collegiate football at Western Connecticut. The martial arts enthusiast has spent the last eight years focused on the study, training and competition of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has performed at the highest level at renown competitions like the Pan-American, Naga and BJJ World Championships.

At his Fairfield studio, which encompasses a 1,500-square-foot wall-to-wall mat, Oppedisano guides over 100 clients from all levels of experience on unique strength, technical and cardiovascular training exercises. Students come from all area towns, Trumbull through Norwalk.

Mornings, women participate in an Ultimate Fitness class. Fairfielder Ellen LoGuidice, who has taken the class for the past three months, said it’s very challenging and different than anything else she had ever tried. “In the past, I’ve done step classes and running. This routine changes all the time and intervals are timed. You’d never realize how hard it is to do a certain number of reps for one minute straight.”

Classmate and fellow Fairfielder Kelly Orsoni said her daughter, who is a college athlete, started going to ECU, at night, while Orsoni was going to a local gym. “She told me that what I’m getting is nothing compared to what Joe offers,” said Orsoni. “It’s very intense and he pushes you farther than you can imagine. Joe’s love for children is also incredible.”

Women’s Self-Defense classes meet midday and are led, in part, by Joe’s niece, Gabriella Oppedisano, 15, from Trumbull. She teaches kids ages 5 to 10. “They’re fun and eager to learn,” she said. “I’ve been doing this consistently for a year, and have learned a lot. I feel confident that I could successfully defend myself.”

Sarah Wojnarski, 29, of Fairfield, is just starting to gain that confidence. She began taking Jiu-Jitsu a month ago, though had worked out at ECU for a year prior. “I chose this gym environment over other area facilities like The Edge and Planet Fitness, which are more like social clubs,” she said. “This is a serious setting in which I can not only get a great workout but also learn a martial art and self-defense. I watch the news every night and there’s always some story about a lady getting attacked. I want to be prepared just in case. I want to feel empowered that I can defend myself.”

Wojnarski works out at ECU four days a week for an hour-and-a-half a day. The program is having an impact, she says. “My body is changing so rapidly in such a short period of time. I’m stronger, more toned and more flexible. Joe’s a great instructor. You can see he has a passion for this. Coming to this class, you feel you’re not lost in the crowd – he gives you personal attention and you get a feeling of belonging.”

Fairfielder Alex Leykikh, a state champion wrestler in high school, University of Virginia and Penn State collegiate wrestler, three-time Divison 1 national qualifier and ACC Big 10 champ, said Jiu-Jitsu is a natural evolution after wrestling. “It’s more fun and can be implemented in a real-life situation if ever needed,” he said. “There’s really nothing like it. It tests your will, mentally and physically. Joe’s extremely technical, which makes it very interesting.”

Coming off a soccer injury, Luis Gonzalez, 22, of Tuckahoe, NY, wanted an exercise program that wouldn’t put pressure on his knee and would keep him fit. “The more I learn about Jiu-Jitsu, the more I want to continue to explore.”

Gonzalez has now decided to start training for a Jiu-Jitsu competition next year. “I want to prove to myself what I’ve learned,” he said.

Oppedisano said most students come to him just wanting to feel more confident in themselves. “I have local moms and dads that have come here for specific guidance in defending themselves to protect their family in an emergency situation,” he said. “I’m big on using the body as a substitute for weights. In other words, we tone up just by working with each other and going through the motions.”

Overall, Oppedisano said Jiu-Jitsu grows every day. He competes all over the world every year so that he can be at competition-level readiness, always. “I tell parents all the time, I have the ability to make your child a champion.”

For more information about East Coast United, call 203-355-1871 or visit www.ecuffld.com

Sundays are Super at Mahackeno Outdoor Center

Sundays are Super at Mahackeno Outdoor Center

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

7/24/11

Westport, CT – Happy squeals of kids splashing around in a pool, the drifting smell of burgers and hot dogs on a grill, and the thunk of arrows hitting a target. It was Summer Sunday once again at Mahackeno Outdoor Center and area families were taking full advantage, making the best of a sticky, humid afternoon.

This was the third Sunday of July the event had been scheduled and there would be just one more for the summer – July 31 – in a first-time program hosted by the Westport/Weston Family Y at the 37 Rices Lane facility. Families could engage in a wide range of activities including archery, horseshoes, canoeing, a playground, basketball and swimming, as well as enjoy a barbecue lunch. These Sunday events are free for Westport/Weston Y members and just $20 per family for non-members.

“The pool has always been open during the summer for members only, but just the pool,” explained Shelley Moll, Health & Wellness Director for the Y. “Now we have opened up more of the facilities for everyone’s usage.”

Enjoying the pool with her family in tow, Fairfielder Melissa Flanary said her son Sean, 7, goes to camp at Mahackeno and really wanted to show everyone what the facilities were like. “Today was a good opportunity to do that,” she said.

Melissa’s husband Mike was especially grateful to be in the pool, noting, “I was one of the unlucky commuters on the train Friday that broke down between Westport and Green’s Farms, five minutes from my stop. I was stuck on the train for an hour and a half and another hour waiting at the station for another train to take us out. It was torture, essentially being stuck in a metal box in the sun.”

Amanda Beall of Fairfield, whose daughter Lilly Chin is a Mahackeno summer camper as well, was loving the pool, too. “We don’t have other access to an outdoor pool,” she said. “It’s been so hot that this is a great way to cool off. It was this or the movie theater. This won out as it got started earlier and we can take greater advantage of the day.”

Scott Smith, the Y’s Communications Director, said the pool had become the more popular activity of all those offered because of the lasting heat spell. “The first couple of Summer Sundays, our archery, climbing wall and canoe station were mobbed with people as the temps were cooler and because the activities are not common to most people’s experience,” he said. “Now we’ve got this humid weather and everyone wants to stay in the pool. This is the only shaded public pool in town, so it’s a popular destination.”

Watching her son, Evan, 8, shoot arrows into a target in the Center’s archery area, Robyn Defonce of Fairfield remarked, “We did this last weekend and the kids had so much fun that we decided to come again. Twenty dollars is a great value for lunch, swimming and all the activities.”

Playing basketball with his six-year-old son Kyle, another Mahackeno summer camper, Weston resident Kevin Barry said, “We thought we’d enjoy the facilities together on a hot summer afternoon.”

Stepping from the pool to the grill, Jeannette Buchanan of Stamford, who was joined by her husband Jim and daughter Kianna, 9, said their friends had invited them along. “What a great way to spend time as a family – a family day in the woods.”

Sunday, July 31, 11am-4pm, is the last Summer Sunday of the year at Mahackeno Outdoor Center, 37 Rices Lane, Westport. For more information, email grush@WestportY.org, call 203-226-8981 or visit www.WestportY.org

Bon-Odori Fest Recalls Ancestors and Drums Up Family Fun

Bon-Odori Fest Recalls Ancestors and Drums Up Family Fun

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

7/23/11

Westport, CT – For over 500 years, “Bon”, a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed spirits of one’s ancestors, has been celebrated in Japan. The summer event traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori, which took center stage in a modified form as part of the Bon-Odori Festival conducted by the Japan Society of Fairfield County on Jesup Green Saturday afternoon. This year, the Festival was also dedicated to the survivors of the earthquakes and resulting tsunami in Japan this past March.

Besides the traditional folk dance, the event included thunderous performances by the Taiko Drum Group from the University of Connecticut, yo-yo fishing in which children have to fish for balloons bobbing in a wading pool using small hooks, and the selling of decorative handheld fans called uchiwa.

The Festival attracted curious onlookers who wandered over from nearby shops, attendees that dressed for fun in summer kimonos called yukatas and others of Japanese or related ancestry that came to remember loved ones that have passed or just show their support for the cause. When not participating in an activity, they huddled in the shade of trees, seeking relief from an unforgiving sun and dense hot air that had dug itself in over the last few days in a record-shattering heatwave.

Yumi McDonald, Vice President of the Japan Society of Fairfield County, led the activities, announcing each performer or segment of the event. She was dressed in a colorful yukata herself as was her daughter, Alice, 15, a Staples High School student, and her classmate Rachel Paul, 14, who came to lend their support.

Despite wearing her yukata, Alice said she was still feeling hot. “We’re using our uchiwas and our wagasas (traditional Japanese umbrellas) to try to stay cool.”

Looking on with her three-year-old daughter Mia, Joy DeJaeger, of Norwalk, was one of the many that came to honor ancestors. “My heritage is Japanese-American,” she explained. “My parents emigrated here from Hiroshima in 1952. My dad was a missionary, who just passed. He came to California as a young man and met my mom, an American. He came to help Japanese-Americans who were being oppressed in the United States after World War II.”

Dressed in yukatas, Mayumi Kleinman and her husband George said they were long-time members of the Japan Society and attend most of the group’s events. With regard to the Bon-Odori, Mayumi said, “I like the dancing and drum performances.”

Motoko Ishizuka of Cos Cob brought her two daughters Jenny, 3, and Catie, 5, to the event. “I wanted to show them the culture,” she said. “This is fun for the whole family.” On a more serious note, though, Motoko added, “Many of my friends’ friends were affected by the tsunami. It was terrible. We want to do anything we can to help.”

Souksakhone “Suki” Sithiphon came up from Norwalk to attend the Fest, meeting family that came down from Hartford. Of Laotian/Thai heritage, she was no less enthusiastic about the Japanese celebration. In fact, her family was special guests of the Japan Society. Her father, Boungai, is president of the Connecticut Laotian Society and held an event in New Britain back in late June that raised $3,700 for relief of Japanese quake survivors. He was introduced to the gathering and recognized for his efforts by Yumi McDonald.

In addition to enjoying the festivities, Suki and Boungai hoped to do some networking with Asian community members that had gathered.

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, inconspicuous on the sidelines in a ballcap and sunglasses, had a special connection to the event. “I lived in Tokyo for eight years as a CBS News correspondent,” he said. “I have great affection for the Japanese people and their culture. Even the weather today reminds me of a Japanese summer – hot and humid. Even during the hot summer, Japanese would dress very elegantly. I have very good memories of my stay.”

With regard to the devastating quakes in Japan earlier this year, Joseloff said, “Japan is a very resilient country that has suffered disasters for centuries. They’ll get through this. Meanwhile, we will continue to support the private organizations here that are helping Japan. The Asian community is one of the largest minority populations in Westport.”

Hot Time at Pequot’s Summer Book Sale

Hot Time at Pequot’s 
Summer Book Sale:

High temps limit traffic on opening day of 5-day event

By Mike Lauterborn

(posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 7/22)

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

7/22/11

Southport, CT – The only thing hotter in Southport than the day’s temperatures was the much-anticipated opening of Pequot Library’s 51st Annual Summer Book Sale. At least, it started out that way when the event opened at 9 a.m. and a crowd rushed the gate. But thermometer readings that climbed above 100 trimmed afternoon crowds to a couple dozen hearty souls.

In large white tents on the browned-out grounds of the Pequot Avenue institution, as well as in the facility’s air-conditioned auditorium, sale goers combed row after row of book titles, CD labels, VHS jackets and more to find palatable choices to curl up and review, resell as dealers or even repurpose as Virginia Marr and Sarah Whiteley, both of Norwalk, were planning.

“We’re looking for antique hard cover books, out of which we will attempt to make purses,” said Whiteley. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with the pages. So, Shakespeare’s Othello will be the new designer clutch purse.”

With regard to the heat, Marr said, “I went to school in Louisiana, so I’m used to the heat. It’s like this every day.”

Whiteley had a completely opposite take. “I’m sweating,” she said. “Every step I take is painful. There are pockets of the tents here that are just too hot to enter, and the only breeze is sticky and hot.”

Kimberly Wasko, an Ansonia resident who works in Westport, had taken a half day to attend the sale. “I look for mostly oversized paperback fiction and mysteries,” she said, mopping sweat from her brow. About the hot temps she said, “The heat is good and bad at the same time. Good in terms of there being fewer people here than previous years. Bad because it’s stifling and I’m dripping. I should have brought a towel!”

Ted Murena, co-chair of the sale, seemed apologetic about the heat. “We always seem to pick the hottest weekend of the year,” he said. “It feels like a sauna today. We had more people than expected first thing this morning, though numbers are down from previous years due to the heat.”

Murena said the library had taken special measures to ensure the safety of its patrons in the unusually hot environment. “We have put out four large dispensers of water, with cups, to keep people hydrated.”

Murena added that there are 150,000 items on sale, including books, CDs, records, DVDs, VHS tapes and more. Over 30 categories are represented, from Atlases and Dictionaries to Young Adult titles. On Sunday, there will be a “reading for children” tent, where additional children’s book titles will be made available. In addition to the merchandise, Café Lulu is onsite with gourmet sandwiches and cold refreshing drinks and radio station WPKN will be around on the weekend broadcasting live.

It was all a great draw for Devon Dopfel, who came all the way down with her dad from Framingham, Massachusetts. “As a hobby, my dad and I sell books,” she said. “This is one of the biggest sales, so it’s worth the trip. I’m a personal trainer, so I look for health and fitness titles. My dad likes business books.”

As a trainer, she had experience dealing with heat. “I’ve been doing a good job of hydrating,” she said. “I’m used to being outside working, so I’m not too bothered.”

Library staffer Robin Jerrild related a hot temps anecdote, while walking through the large tent straightening books. “We shoot a cannon off to start the sale,” she said. “The Pequot Yacht Club loaned it to us this year. The staff member that brought it over said that, at the Club, people were getting dizzy from the heat. He suggested we post OSHA signs saying what to do in a heat emergency.”

Indeed, the library printed out and posted several of these distinctive signs all around the venue.

The temps wouldn’t interrupt Jackie Ryan. A Monroe resident who teaches at the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center, she was on a mission to secure materials for her classes. “They are in desperate need of books, for a variety of ages.”

Ryan said it was “sweltering but worth coming” and was taking her time and pacing herself.

She wasn’t the only teacher on hand. Shannon Palumbo, of Waterbury, and Giovanna Baker, are instructors at Black Rock School in Bridgeport and were given a $100 grant to buys books for their classes. At checkout, their purchases totaled up to that amount – mission completed.

Pequot Library Summer Book Sale Days/Hours/Pricing:

Friday: 9am – 8pm (Items are twice the cost of the marked price)

Saturday and Sunday: 9am – 5:30pm (Items priced as marked)

Monday: 9am – 6pm (Items half price)

Tuesday: 9am – 2pm (Items are $5 for a bag)

For more information, call 203-259-0346 or visit www.pequotlibrary.org

Meeting of the Minds at Westport Arts Center

Meeting of the Minds at 
Westport Arts Center

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

7/15/11

Fairfield, CT – Ding! Ding! “Ok, let’s go people! Up! Up!” barked Peter Van Heerden, Westport Arts Center’s new executive director, clanging a pair of small gongs and herding groups of people from one table station to another Thursday evening.

It was all part of the fun in a program dubbed “Expert Minds”, sponsored by the Riverside Avenue-based Center in partnership with non-profit Green Village Initiative (GVI). The evening offered participants the opportunity to have intimate sit-downs with nine experts from diverse environmental fields and engage the experts in constructive conversation for 15 minutes at a time – speed-dating style. Seated four or five to a table, participants and experts exchanged questions, comments and information with the objective of expanding visionary thoughts and ideas.

Featured experts included John Fifield, an innovator in architectural design solutions; Julie Belaga, a legendary environmental policy reformer; Deepika Saksena, a zero waste manager; David Brown, public health toxicologist; Maxine Bleiweis, librarian; Watts Wacker, futurist; Bill Taibe, sustainable culinary master; Eden Werring, arts and education advocate; and John Solder, world champion robotics technician.

“We met with GVI, run by Dan Levinson, and they were interested in doing something community based,” said Heerden. “The program we came up with connects the general public with community leaders, so many pockets of information can be mutually exchanged. I suggested the speed-dating format after seeing it used successfully by organizations in my native South Africa. This is really speed dating for the mind.”

Each participant was issued a card listing four stations they would be visiting. Two fifteen minute rounds began the evening, followed by a short break, then two more fifteen minute rounds. Heerden told the group that their discussions should be collaborative, engaging and stimulating, with full participation from everyone.

As the first sessions commenced, ran their course and the groups broke for wine and finger foods, participant and Westporter Stacie Curran, who had just met with expert Saksena, said, “I learned tips like taking my own plate and cup to fast food places and deli’s to make less garbage, and how to compost. At the same time, I discovered that single stream recycling and anti-bacterial products may do more environmental harm than good. It was a tremendous 15 minutes. I learned a ton.”

Westporter Annie Harnick, 19, met with expert Werring. “She was very focused on philanthropy and getting the younger generation more involved,” Harnick said. “She wanted to know how to peak our interest. Our generation is really motivated to help, perhaps more than any other generation before us. It feels good to give.”

Robotics expert Solder, a mere 17, liked the premise of the evening. “It’s meant to stimulate minds,” he said. “It stimulates me just to present my ideas. There’s nothing better than this type of interaction.”

Jossie Fifield, expert John Fifield’s daughter, sat with Bill Taibe. “He explained that in order to make what he makes is costly. It made me wonder how that could be made more accessible for people of lesser means.”

GVI’s Levinson said he was impressed with this program and the new director’s energy. “Peter is barely 30 and has done a good job of getting up to speed,” he said. “He’s really going to take the Center in some exciting new directions.”