Local Radio Host Connects with Teens in Pinkberry Broadcast:

Local Radio Host Connects with Teens in Pinkberry Broadcast:

Trevor Crows discusses the issues in Aug. 23 sidewalk chat

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

9/6/11

Fairfield, CT – There are two things that rank as favorite activities amongst local teenaged young ladies: hanging out at Pinkberry and chatting about their day-to-day issues. Through a collaboration between the very popular downtown Fairfield fro-yo destination, radio stations WSTC 1400 and WNLK 1350 and Southport-based radio talk show host Trevor Crow, that perfect combo materialized Tuesday night August 23^rd.

Set up on the sidewalk in front of Pinkberry’s 1512 Post Road shop, Crow, the host of “Keeping Connected”, engaged teens both on the phone, by email, via text and live, encouraging them to talk about everything on their minds today. This included Facebook and Twitter, the do’s and don’ts of social media, how to behave toward your friends online and off, the effects of cyberbullying, sexting and any related topics.

The mother of a 14-year-old and 11-year-old, Crow hoped frank conversation would encourage a dialogue, not just between teens and their friends, but between teens and their parents. She hoped to spur some new ideas, tips and/or solutions as related to the life of today’s teenager.

Becca Glass, 14, of Fairfield, was one of the first teens Crow spoke with live. Glass and her friends Eva Mullineaux, 12, from Redding, and Olivia Crow, 14, from Southport, joined Crow together for a cross-dialogue. “Trevor asked us if it was ok for teens to break up with each other through a text message,” reported Glass, as she stepped away from the table at which Crow was seated, and past the audio tech manning controls. “We said it was a bad idea. That message is permanent and can be shared throughout the school. It’s embarrassing for both parties because it’s very personal.”

Glass said the foursome also spoke about parents monitoring kids’ Facebook pages. “In my opinion, a parent will never be able to fully prevent a kid from getting a Facebook page because they can access it through friends,” she said. “It depends on the relationship you have with your parents. For me, Facebook is kind of personal in many ways. I think my parents should trust me on Facebook.”

Mullineaux said she didn’t mind personally if her parents looked through her page. “They have my password, and I am friends with them and with their friends. I’m sure it might change when I’m older,” she remarked.

As thrilling as it was for teens to be interviewed on the air, it was equally special for Crow. “This is the first time I’ve done a panel,” she confessed. “Usually, my interviews are one-on-one and never on the street. I like the immediacy of the format as it goes off script, which can be a fun challenge. You get to see what the kids are feeling in real-time, and some of the real issues with which they are struggling. We parents can get caught up in our own stuff and sometimes it’s hard to oversee our kids and totally be aware of what’s happening in their lives.”

Crow had certainly established an exciting presence on the Post Road. Besides large banners promoting her show and the radio stations, there were free Pinkberry bracelets being offered from branded containers and postcards advertising her show, which airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. Her show answers relationship questions predominantly, which she is more than qualified to discuss as a licensed marriage and family therapist as well as a certified emotionally focused therapist.

Another interviewee was Amanda Fitzburgh, 14, of Fairfield, participating with her pal Allie O’Connell, also 14 and from Fairfield. “Trevor asked us what we thought of teens posting and sending inappropriate photos of themselves by cell phone, Facebook, etc.,” said Fitzburgh. “I said it was a bad idea as the pictures will follow you. They may hold you back from getting into college or a good job.”

O’Connell mentioned that Crow asked them how one can tell if a photo is appropriate or not. “I said you can tell if you’re not embarrassed by it 10 years down the road or if you could show it to your parents,” she shared. “We also spoke to a girl, now in college, on the phone who was a victim of cyberbullying when she was in high school. We learned to feel comfortable talking to a parent or teacher or other adult if it’s happening to you. The girl, Nicole, spoke to her parents and ended up deleting her Facebook account. Nicole’s mom ended up writing a book about it, which is now a leading guide about cyberbullying. Strategies we learned are to talk to an adult to see if you’re handling things the right way.”

At one point during the broadcast, a fire engine -- lights going and sirens wailing – went zooming up the street. “That’s the exciting part of broadcasting live on the street,” Crow joked to listeners, while flashing a smile to Pinkberry patrons looking on, who grinned along with her.

Viale Transforms for Harry’s Hosted Greek Wine Dinner

Viale Transforms for Harry’s Hosted Greek Wine Dinner:

August 16 event mimics a 

summer night in Athens

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

9/5/11

Fairfield, CT – Except for the throb of a chopper bike going by, a fire engine rushing to a call or all the American-made cars in the parking lot, you’d think you were in Athens in summertime enjoying a leisurely dinner with some of your closest friends. That was the idea behind “A Summer Night in Athens Greek Wine Dinner”, presented by Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market of Fairfield and Dimos Mitas, owner of Mina Foods, at Viale Restaurant Tuesday evening, August 16.

Conducted from 7pm until close on the patio of the restaurant at 3171 Fairfield Avenue in Black Rock, just over the Fairfield line, the four course meal attracted over 35 people from the area. Besides introducing people to Greek cuisine and culture, the event was meant to preview some of the exquisite wines that are produced in that country.

Mitas imports wines from Greece primarily and, through Harry’s, was offering six varietals as an accompaniment to the dinner. “The goal is to expose the brands to diverse people and give them an opportunity to try them and pair them,” said William Miller, Director of Fine Wines at Harry’s. “People may be reluctant to take a Greek wine off the shelf. In this setting, people get to hear from the importer, who will impart his knowledge, while being transported to Greece.”

The crowd – couples and singles predominantly – looked eager to sample the selections on menu cards before them as they sat around black iron tables on a brick patio under Viale’s burgundy colored outdoor canopy. Purplish variegated plants rimmed the open space and the trickle of a wall-mounted fountain helped to soothe tired minds and mute any challenges of the day.

So did the fruity tones of a 2010 Muses Estate #9 white wine, developed from grapes grown in central Greece (Viotia) in vineyards that are hundreds of years old. The “Muses” were spiritual advisors said to have lived in a monastery, where they would make wine. The great-grandfather of the winery owner bought the vineyard and recultivated the grapes. Over the past 10 years, the winery owner’s son brought the vineyard up to date and perfected the grapes.

The Muses vintage was a fine complement to large platters of Greek cheeses and mezes, the first course. There were spears of feta, kasseri, kefalograveira, dolma (stuffed grape leaves), special pepperoncini and olives, cucumber & tomato wedges, and loukaniko (Greek sausage with orange peel).

As diners tucked in, Miller joked to them, “Welcome to Athens. You may have noticed the Acropolis, the statue of Zeus, and ruins.” He mentioned that this event complements wine classes held regularly at Harry’s and that Greece is a great wine growing region. “Today, there are beautiful varietals, but the key is importing and being able to showcase them. That’s where Dimos comes in,” he said.

The second course arrived (along with mosquitoes) as the sun dipped behind adjacent Black Rock brownstones. The fare was grilled octopus and grilled calamari served on an oval-shaped plate.

Seated beside Nick Anaya of Fairfield, Georgina Heasman, a Southporter and wine intern when not attending Endicott College, said, “This is a perk of my internship. It’s so stressful,” she joked, tossing back a 2010 Medineo Roditis white wine. “It’s a tough life but someone’s got to do it.”

The Medineo brand was joined by a 2010 Muses Savatiano, to give diners some options for their palate. The generous pours of each served to satiate but also inspire spontaneity as Laura Papallo, a Southington resident leaped to her feet and led fellow attendees in the Zorba dance.

This was a good lead in to course #3, consisting of lamb chops with spinach, chicken souvlaki and oven-roasted potatoes with a hint of lemon. Again, wine options were offered, including a 2005 Quadrille and 2007 Laloudi Agiorgitiko, both rich reds that complemented the meats.

Not satisfied with leading a dance number only, Papallo sprang to her feet again to perform two operatic medleys, namely “O Sole Mio” and “Come Back to Sorrento”.

What Greek dinner would be complete without dessert? Not only did diners receive a healthy salvo of baklava, but a wonderful Samos Muscut N.V. with which to wash it down.

For information about future wine dinners, contact Harry’s at 203-259-4692 or visit the shop on the web at www.harryswine.com

Sprinting to the Finish Line

Sprinting to the Finish Line:

UI set to complete all electricity restoration today despite overnight theft of wire

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

9/4/11

Fairfield, CT – The good word – and very welcome news to a handful of exasperated folks – is that United Illuminating “expects to have all customers restored by Sunday evening,” according to an email First Selectman Michael Tetreau received at 6 p.m. Saturday evening. The company is committed to doing this despite the overnight theft of a large spool of wire that a UI work crew had set aside Saturday night near Canterbury Lane. The quantity was enough to service approximately 150 homes, Tetreau was told.

“As of 10 a.m. this morning, there are 900 UI customers remaining,” said Tetreau, with regard to the number of Fairfield homes that await restoration of their electric power. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, that number was 1,158, according to the First Selectman, who is now being formally briefed by UI twice a day – at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., by email. Tetreau is also being regularly briefed by Chief of Police Gary McNamara, Fire Chief Richard Felner and D.P.W. (Dept. of Public Works) Director Richard White “multiple times a day,” said Tetreau, “by both email and cell phone.”

Up until Friday at 5 p.m., these department leaders, UI liaisons and the First Selectman were meeting in person at Fairfield Police headquarters at 100 Reef Road, where an E.O.C. (Emergency Operations Center) had been established. Initially, Saturday through Tuesday, the meetings were taking place every four hours. After Tuesday, the group met every eight hours, through Friday. The conference room featured a full complement of communications equipment, town maps projected on smart screens for drill-down review, tracking of various work crews and lists of areas and a service schedule for remaining power outages. The E.O.C. has since been shut down.

The police department had also maintained a Mobile Command Center (MCC) at 2009 Black Rock Turnpike, in the new ShopRite parking lot, for the dissemination of information and distribution of basic supplies to area residents. This was deactivated at 8 p.m. on Friday, though anyone still needing help or supplies can contact the police department’s front desk at 203-254-4808.

“The MCC was the least we could have done for a town that was hurting,” said Lt. James Perez. “We had people pulling up in all types of vehicles – over 250 vehicles in all. Everyone received something. The effort brought control and comfort to area residents.”

As of Friday night, Perez said that the MCC, which was initially set up Saturday, August 27, as Hurricane Irene barreled up the east coast toward Fairfield, had distributed 2,600 bags of ice, thousands of bottles of water (over 300 cases and over 100 single gallon containers, courtesy of ShopRite), and an undetermined amount of baby food, granola bars, chips and MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat, 216 donated by the Red Cross). A large quantity of non-perishable food was also trucked in by the Health Dept.

The police department also made great efforts to assist the town’s elderly population. Perez said that, Sunday through Tuesday, officers visited senior centers and senior housing facilities to deliver ice, flashlights, food and other necessary supplies. Then, Wednesday through Friday, a police strike team, comprised of officers and junior Police Explorers, visited individual homes owned by seniors – those who were literally “in the dark”, as Perez put it. “We visited six homes, including two on Spinning Wheel Lane and one on Fairmont Terrace, and assessed residents’ medical needs and delivered ice, water and MRE’s,” he said.

“Elderly care and attention was an early priority,” said Fairfield Police Sgt. Suzanne Lussier, Friday morning. “When we found out they were using candles, we went to Hemlock Hardware and Home Depot, got 100 flashlights and delivered them, for their safety. We delivered 100 alone to Parish Court on Ward Terrace, and distributed another 60 through our mobile command post. A firefighter was also assigned full time to McKinley Elderly Housing. He had a radio to request resources on seniors’ behalf.”

Regarding the overnight theft of UI’s wire, Perez said it was a large spool that had been left on Ferncliff and that its disappearance hampered power restoration efforts. “It’s a horrible thing during a time of need,” he commented. “We are investigating and will be talking to neighbors. UI is doing everything they can to complete their work despite the loss.”

The homes the wire spool was targeted to serve were on Canterbury Lane, Nepas Road and Romanock Road. The crews were given replacement spools and picked up with their repair work this morning, according to Tetreau.

According to Chief McNamara, there were 3,100 Fairfield homes without power as of 8 a.m. Friday. At that point, power to all schools but Mill Hill had been restored (Mill Hill power was back as of this morning), in time for public schools to open for the year Tuesday morning. “Schools are one of the town’s priorities,” said Lussier. “They have to be inspected by the fire and health departments.”

One major UI concentration was system infrastructure on Burr Street. That work had been completed by Friday, which helped free up UI resources and personnel. “Some damage, when repaired, restores power to large areas. Other cases are individualized,” said Sgt. Lussier.

On a wider scope, McNamara said town officials are waiting for President Obama to declare Fairfield’s eligibility for disaster relief through FEMA. “FEMA is on the ground currently in the state,” the Chief said Friday morning. “One division deals with public entities like town structures, resources that had to be called in, etc. Another division deals with private concerns, like home damage. Two FEMA reps were in here yesterday meeting with Deputy Fire Chief Chris Tracy and Lt. Chris Tursi from the police department. The reps were out on the Point conducting an initial survey of Fairfield Beach Road. Their review process has begun, though it’s a long process.”

McNamara reiterated that town residents should be alert for fraud and opportunists. “FEMA officials will have proper identification,” he said, adding that the police department hoped to provide to the public a copy of FEMA identification so that homeowners have something to cross-check. In the meantime, McNamara said homeowners can call the police department at 203-254-4800 with any questions or to report suspected fraudulent representation.

Building inspectors are also circulating in the area, according to Tetreau. “They are currently in the Fairfield Woods and Stratfield area,” he said. Their inspection work includes a visit to Mill Hill Elementary School, where renovation efforts were being completed. The hope was that work would reach a point wherein a temporary c.o. could be issued, Tetreau explained.

D.P.W. crews, at this point, said Tetreau, were focusing on clean-up of public areas. “There is no project or initiative in place to pick up brush at individuals’ homes,” he said. “The D.P.W.’s concentration is on parks, public spaces and the first 10 to 15 feet of private properties. Just to clarify, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to clean up and dispose of brush and/or downed trees that fall on their property.”

Asked if the town would have handled its response to Hurricane-Turned-Tropical Storm Irene any differently, Sgt. Lussier said, “We would do nothing differently. We managed this event from the beginning, tapping all our private emergency response groups and Explorers ages 12 to 21. Some mistakes were made along the way, and we will debrief as a town and as an agency to review what we did right and wrong. But, really, our personnel and resources all fell into place. All worked in coordination and we were unified as a town.”

Spotlight on a homeowner without power: Cristy Lancaster Schnauffer

When Mike Tetreau noted on his Facebook page this morning that the number of UI customer outages was down to 900, a FB friend of his, Cristy Lancaster Schnauffer, a sales agent at Prudential Connecticut Realty of Fairfield, commented that she was one of those 900.

Schnauffer, who spoke with Patch early this afternoon from her daughter’s home in Sag Harbor, L.I., to which Schnauffer and her husband had finally retreated, lost power at her Black Rock Turnpike home at 10:30 a.m. last Sunday.

“I didn’t want to go until we had power,” she said, “but my husband encouraged me to.”

Speaking about the saga, Schnauffer said, “Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, we had no power and no water. Two trees had come down across the driveway, blocking our path so we couldn’t get out. Ironically, with the exception of our immediate neighbor, with whom we share the driveway, all of our surrounding neighbors had power. Cablevision came and went on Tuesday – we thought they were UI at first. By Wednesday, I was getting afraid and my husband said it was silly to stay here. After having a private service come in to clear the trees, we borrowed a friend’s car and left for my daughter’s late Wednesday.”

Schnauffer said she heard from her immediate neighbor that AT&T was onsite this morning but that the provider said there was a major power line down and they wouldn’t be able to do anything until that’s repaired. “My husband called UI and they are aware of this,” she said. “The word is that it will be taken care of by the end of the day.”

She said she had spoken to Tony Hwang, State Representative for Connecticut 134^th District -- to whom she sold his first house – about her situation. “He drove to my house to personally see the scene for himself, this past Friday.”

Schnauffer knows her case is not an isolated one. “Storms like this happen,” she said. “I went through Gloria, but this was extraordinary.”

Patch Takes Tour for Storm Recovery Update

Patch Takes Tour for Storm Recovery Update:

Meets with DPW tree crew, homeowners without power, Animal Control, the First Selectman and Police Chief

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

9/2/11

Fairfield, CT –  Often, the best way to see what’s really going on in a particular situation is to jump right in the middle of it and talk to all the players. Patch took the plunge Thursday, romping around speaking to tree crews, town officials and homeowners who continue to respond to and clear up after Irene, the infamous hurricane that originated in the Caribbean, whacked the Carolinas, pushed through the New York Metro region and barreled into New England, not quite a week ago. Key updates are highlighted below for readers’ quick review.

Working as a team late morning Thursday on Smith Street in the Beach Area, a Department of Public Works crew and techs from Bruce’s Landscaping & Excavating cleared away piles of brush that homeowners had pushed to the curb for pick-up.

“We’ve been focused on the beach the whole week, since Monday,” said Joe Kolenda, operating a front loader as a subcontractor. “It was devastated more than any other area by water and sand on the road. We’ve been moving the sand and brush.”

Working alongside Kolenda, in a second front loader, the DPW’s John Masciola said, “Even without power, a lot of people have been coming out of their homes and offering us water and whatever else we need. At first, I thought they were going to yell at us, but they’ve been so appreciative of what we’ve been doing. They’re trying to help us out as much as we’re helping them out. They’ve been great.”

Masciola’s colleague, Christopher O’Connell, a 37-year DPW veteran, gave a helicopter view of Irene and the clean-up process. “This storm was similar to other past ones in terms of debris,” he said. “We’ll probably complete our work by next week if I had to give a rough estimate. People keep bringing stuff out – they’re still doing clean-up.”

Masciola estimated that, under the DPW umbrella, they had eight front loaders and over 30 dump trucks operating around town. “My crew has been focused on the beach area – Fairfield Beach Road and the Point were the worst.”

In the crew’s travels, they happened upon some Halloween decorations being tossed out – a miniature hanging skeleton and a hanging pumpkin. They dubbed the pair Boner and Jack and affixed them to the front loaders as mascots.

Call it a way of finding some light moments in an otherwise grueling effort that kept the crew away from their families for long stretches of time. “I’ve been working 12-hour shifts,” said Masciola. “I’m a single dad with three teenage daughters and we hadn’t had power since Saturday. It was just restored last night (Wednesday) at 5. My girls have been understanding that dad had to go help the town. They turned the situation into a mini-camping experience. Each night, when I got off, I’d pick up ice and a few other things, then we’d cook on the grill, sit around with candles and play board games. It’s been a great bonding experience actually, despite the challenges. It wasn’t easy without power for all those days.”

Vince Rigoli, a long-time DPW’er who was manning chainsaws, offered a bit of storm quality analysis. “Among tree debris, we’re seeing some really large oak trees, and a lot of brush,” he said. “The storm made more of a mess – with a lot of small limbs – than dropping bigger stuff and whole trees. There’s still a lot of that, but other storms have dropped more trees. The biggest challenges of this storm have been no electricity, food spoilage, cold showers, flooding and water damage. It’s been hardest for the elderly who can’t get about easily. We try to help as much as we can, but there’s only so much you can do. People are thankful the storm wasn’t worse.”

Rigoli added, “Our machine operators are doing a tremendous job, which makes everyone else’s job easier. They have to look over their shoulders all the time – for traffic, people walking dogs, children playing, cars backing out of driveways. It’s not easy and the days are long – physically and mentally exhausting. And then they’re going home to their own storm challenges and power outages.”

Andrew Silva, 15, knows the term “power outage” all too well. A resident at 127 Smith Street, he was working midday Thursday in his front yard trying to clear up tree and leaf debris while his stepdad was off at work in Shelton. “We had many large branches come down about 3 a.m. on Sunday which knocked out our power. We were the only ones to lose power on the block. We took all our food and moved it to my grandma’s house in New Canaan. We’ve continued to stay here, as it’s closer to my stepdad’s job, and have been going out for our meals – to McDonald’s, Subway, etc.”

Silva said the family spoke with United Illuminating Thursday morning. “They told us it would be another week or more before we get power back,” he said. “We’re pretty upset about that timing.”

Things were fairly sedate over at Animal Control on One Rod Highway mid-afternoon Thursday. Vinnie Pennatto attributed the department’s state of calm to pet owners that prepared ahead of time for the storm. “We had just two stray dogs that were picked up during the course of the storm and no reports of any injured animals,” he said. “We sheltered in total 11 dogs and two cats at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.”

At 4 p.m. Thursday, First Selectman Mike Tetreau was just emerging from a two-hour long Emergency Management Team meeting held at Fairfield Police Headquarters. Among updates, he gave some quick numbers on power restoration progress. “As of right now, we have 6,200 homes left without power,” he said. “By midnight, the aim is 5,900, 2,500 by Friday midnight, 1,000 by Saturday midnight and as close to total by Sunday midnight.”

Tetreau offered, “This is one of the worst storms to hit Fairfield, knocking out power to 75% of homes here, or to 16,000 people. We had an extensive number of trees and utility poles down, which has complicated restoration efforts.”

Tapped for additional updates and input, Fairfield Police Chief Gary McNamara provided a wealth of inter-departmental feedback.

“We continue to work with UI to get the numbers down,” McNamara began. “We have also deployed three officers during the overnights to those areas in town with the most power outages – Fairfield Beach Road, Mill Hill / Greenfield Hill, and Stratfield. Their purpose is to ensure safety and deter theft. At the same time, we are continuing to staff our Mobile Command Center (on Black Rock Turnpike), to provide citizens with information updates and resources.”

With regard to public schools, McNamara said the EMT met with Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Title and confirmed the delay in opening public schools until Tuesday, as recently announced. Meanwhile, McNamara said Director of Health Sands Cleary’s department continues to test water at the beach and Lake Mohegan. “The Lake remains closed while the beach is open and the water will be swimmable for Labor Day weekend,” the Chief said.

On an additional note about power and trees down, McNamara said, “There are still a few road closures, but the DPW’s Rich White anticipates that all will be accessible by the weekend. A real problem has been significant electric system infrastructure damage in the Burr Street area. UI is having to reconstruct poles and headers, which takes a lot of resources to do.” McNamara hoped the work would be completed Thursday night.

The Chief shared a power-related advisory for homeowners’ benefit. “If you have damage to a utility box or wires down that were attached to the house, you should call a private electrician.” The advisory applied to the Silva Family’s situation on Smith Street and that family was subsequently urged to make that reach-out.

McNamara also warned about would-be opportunists. “During any catastrophic incident, there are people who try to take advantage,” he said. “There’s usually an increase in FEMA and fix-it scams. People need to be on the lookout. Ask for proper i.d. If you’re unsure, call the police department.”

The Chief said the town is also in the early stages of developing a mechanism for residents to report their personal storm-related damage, for Federal funding’s sake. “We will be asking people to provide information via a ‘Survey Monkey’ type tool over the Internet,” he said.

Down on Fairfield Beach Road, from the Seagrape Bar on out to the Point, the recovery slogged on. The police sentry that had been a feature since Sunday was gone and now curbside piles, like that at #1220, of water-damaged furniture and household items, had become the norm. A stack of green plastic patio chairs in front of #1221 featured the sign “We’re Lost”, in hopes that the owners of the wayward seating could be located.

At the Point, news crews had had their fill and long since moved on. The back room of #2154, which had broken away from the rest of the house and dropped into the inlet, had been removed and demolished. The deck of the house was still attached, though half of it was submerged in seawater. Next door, #2170 still advertised “FOR RENT Sept. 1”, though a boat and overturned table were now front garden ornaments and much of the house’s siding had been torn away. The back of another condemned house, #2131, once exposed by the storm to the ocean, had been sealed up with sheets of plywood. Chunks of concrete, from shattered landings, still littered the street in front of #2256.

Seen crossing the road with a couple bags of groceries, a homeowner said, “We still have no power. We’re using a generator. There’s been no word about power restoration. I saw a truck on the Old Post Road earlier today, but not down here,” she said.

Cops Go Mobile, Partner Up to Serve Community in Crisis

Cops Go Mobile, Partner Up to Serve Community in Crisis:

Mobile Command Center engaged; multiple businesses and organizations contribute products & services to help homeowners still without power

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

8/31/11

Fairfield, CT – Spurred initially as a way to provide centralized information to local citizens, a Fairfield Police Traffic Safety Unit effort revolving around the department’s Mobile Command Center has blossomed into a hub of activity supported by numerous area businesses and organizations. Set up in the parking lot of the soon-to-be-opened ShopRite at 1975 Black Rock Turnpike, the Post is a welcome resource for local residents still plagued by a lack of power caused by Tropical Storm-turned-Hurricane Irene’s tumultuous visit Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Fairfield Police Lt. Jim Perez explained, “During the height of the storm (Saturday night), representatives from the DPW, Building Dept, the First Selectman, fire and police officials and UI personnel were all gathered to collaboratively assess storm damage done by Irene as it occurred. By Sunday morning, Deputy Chief Chris Lyddy decided a command post should be set up… something in town to give messages to the community, who weren’t getting it through other channels like cable, internet, etc.”

The department has owned its Mobile Command Center vehicle for the past nine years now and uses the 24-foot long behemoth for disaster emergencies, community events and other critical incidents. The vehicle was last used as a communications center during the incident a couple of weeks ago wherein a man drowned at Mohegan Lake. “It’s designed specifically to mirror the emergency services of the department,” said Perez. “Whatever we can do at headquarters can be done here, on a much smaller scale of course. We have Internet, wi-fi, telephone and radio communications.”

With regard to the initiative, “It really started as information distribution but turned into a very critical resource for support services, to make life easier for residents enduring stressful situations,” said Perez.

A member of the coordination team, Sgt. Robert Kalamaras added, “It was a centralized spot for people to get info on gas and power, then rolled into people asking for ice, water, etc.” That’s where Dominick Cingari, owner of the ShopRite,  entered the picture.

Strolling Sunday night across the parking lot, owned by Larry Roberts who gave police the space they needed for set-up, Cingari approached the vehicle’s main coordinator, Officer Wickman. He said to the officer, “Whatever you need, whatever I can do, we have coolers, ice, storage, restrooms for workers onsite.”

Cingari said one key need identified was ice. “I called my ice supplier, Crystal Ice out of Norwalk, and said I have an emergency here. We’re in desperate need of ice,” he said. “Within 15 minutes, we had 600 bags of ice. At this point, we still have 300 bags (mid-morning Wednesday), but can get more. I’m happy to be able to help the community.”

A distribution limit of two bags of ice, and three one-liter bottles, per day per family, was established. Goodie bags containing Girl Scout cookies, peanut butter crackers, snack bars, pretzels and Ready Meals were also arranged. Home Depot kicked in mini flashlights as well.

“It’s important that the community know that we have not forgotten them,” said Fairfield Police Chief Gary McNamara. “We are working just as hard as we were prior to and during the storm. Emergency personnel and volunteers running this command post is the best example of that.”

Represented onsite is not just the police department, but the Special Services Division of the Health Dept., DPW, Fire and Community Emergency Response Team.

“There will be about 10 men onsite at any given time, 24 hours a day, until power is restored to the majority of town,” said Sgt. Suzanne Lussier. “We will continue to offer services… whatever your needs are, we will serve them.”

The community response to the command post has been very positive. Said, Caron Schwartz, of Hollydale Road, who has been without power since 5 a.m. Sunday, “This center is unbelievable, very good. A neighbor called and let us know about it. The hardest thing to get is ice… it’s nowhere to be found.”

Schwartz said two trees came down on power lines by her home, causing her outage. “Fortunately, the weather is good now. The kids have been washing their hair with the hose on our front lawn. We cleaned out the freezer yesterday and had a big barbecue with friends, trying to make the best of things.”

Ann Marie O’Keefe, a Burr Street resident whose power has been out since 3:30 a.m. Sunday, said the command center is “very helpful, phenomenal.” She spoke about her situation, sharing, “We lost some white pines and maples. Nothing hit our home, so we got lucky, and the basement was dry. We’re just trying to keep the food cold. The cold showers are great – a real wake-up!”

Jean and Rolf Marx were in a similar boat as her fellow residents. “A tree fell in front of our house Sunday around 11 a.m. and pulled all the lines out,” said Jean. “We’re doing the best we can. We’re both over 80. It’s challenging, and evenings are the worst. You feel lost. You don’t know how much you need electricity until you’re without it. Thank God the tree didn’t hit the house.”

As of Wednesday at noon, over 120 cars had passed through the distribution center, and over 600 bags of ice and 144 cases of water were given out with bags of food to those in need. 

Sgt. Kalamaras was glad to see such a hearty community response. “It’s nice when the community appreciates what you’re doing,” he said. “I think we’re making an impact in a challenging situation.”

Supporting the distribution crew onsite in the way of food is Prizio’s on King’s Highway Cutoff and Fairfield Pizza at the Staples Plaza.

Sgt. Lussier informed that, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, there are 15 roads still closed in town and 6,577 residents and customers without power, down from a over 16,000 without power during the peak of the storm. The sergeant added, “The current priorities for the town of Fairfield continue to be clearing the roadways and working with utility companies to restore power.”

Residents needing further information can call 203-254-4800. In an emergency, residents should still call 911. The police dept advises that generators should be kept away from open windows and away from the home to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and to discard food that has been unrefrigerated, to avoid food poisoning.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Parish Court Elderly Housing Services: Offering transportation to nearest supermarkets, water, coffee (provided by Donut Inn), fresh produce, ice and flashlights.

Public showering facilities: Fairfield University Recreation Center, Wings Over Water @ 2221 Black Rock Turnpike (9am-5pm), Planet Fitness M-F 24 hours and Penfield Pavilion (6:30am-6pm).

Chips Restaurant: Free coffee to senior citizens.

Operation Hope: Open to the public at 5:30pm for free food on a walk-in basis.

Governor Malloy Takes a Tour as Electricity Gradually Flickers Back On

Governor Malloy Takes a Tour as Electricity Gradually 
Flickers Back On:

Nearly half of Fairfield still in the dark; UI response system was seriously flawed

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

8/30/11

Fairfield, CT – Patch had another full day Tuesday, running from one end of town to the other for a status check and following Governor Dannel Malloy from Fairfield Police Headquarters out along Fairfield Beach Road to survey the damage from Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Irene.

The day began at 8:30 a.m. at what we’ll call “Checkpoint Seagrape”, a temporary station established by Fairfield Police at the intersection of Fairfield Beach Road and Reef Road, featuring an ever-present patrol sentry or two checking all who would seek to venture down the Fairfield Beach Road extension (house number 700 or so up through 2200). According to Tuesday morning’s watchman, Sgt. Fred Hine, with Officer Jason Kline, only residents who could verify their address or contractors who could produce work orders related to a specific property would be allowed to pass. The idea, said the sergeant, was to deter curiosity seekers, sightseers and, most importantly, potential looters. Joggers and bicyclists were not even allowed to pass.

News crews that had pitched tents out on the Point had pulled up stakes Hine added. In terms of restoration of regular uninhibited access, for now, Hine said, the situation was “a moving target that was being assessed as progress was being made.”

Up Reef and over on One Rod Highway, the town dump was a beehive of activity as a steady stream of independent landscaper trucks, town trucks and private citizens motored in with their tree debris and unloaded onto the site. Mulching machines were working full tilt converting sticks, branches and stumps into fine matter that gardeners would soon tap to lay in a winter bed around plants. The mulch piles were mountainous – two or three times their usual size.

Over at Penfield Beach, a front loader was righting buried picnic tables and removing fallen lifeguard chairs and grills to the parking lot for later inspection. The driver figured all were salvageable and would be quickly repaired and put back into service for Labor Day weekend.

Certainly the biggest news around town Tuesday morning, though, was the arrival at around 11 a.m. of Governor Dannel Malloy, who had been touring hard hit areas around the state to personally assess damage and support local community leaders. The governor pulled up to police headquarters at 100 Reef Road, was ushered in to meet with Police Chief Gary McNamara then guided to a second floor training room to brief a packed house of media representatives. All the TV broadcasters – Channels 3, 4, Fox and 7 -- were there, along with local print media.

Seated at the center of a long table, that also included Fire Chief Dick Felner, McNamara, First Selectman Michael Tetreau and U.S. House of Representatives member Jim Himes, Malloy said, “I just got an extensive briefing on how preparations and the evacuation worked. Fairfield, along the water, was hit very hard. Fairfield continues to suffer with wires down, trees down and waterfront damage.”

Malloy said he had toured Bridgeport earlier and would visit Stamford later. He was expecting to be updated about the eastern and middle parts of the state on a 1:15 p.m. conference call. For now, though, his focus was Fairfield, and he cited, “Forty-eight percent of the town is still without power as of 10 a.m., which is about average for the state. Two hundred trees and wires are still to be cleared.”

The governor suggested that using the 1992 storm that hit the area as a model and benchmark had been a smart approach to dealing with this latest weather event. “The ’92 swell plus a foot was what we prepared for.”

With regard to the electricity situation, Malloy said, “I spoke with Asst. Secretary of Energy Pat Hoffman, urging her to reach out to utility companies around the country and get their help. Northeast Utilities has flown people in from Washington state.”

As the press conference concluded, Lt. Jim Perez announced to media that a bus had been arranged by the fire department to transport them out to the Point, where Malloy would then join them for a tour and to make further remarks. Not a seat was vacant on the 28-passenger bus as on-air talent, cameramen, photographers and writers all climbed aboard, shuttled down Reef Road and made the westbound turn onto Fairfield Beach Road to go out to the Point. Asst. Fire Chief Chris Tracy was at the helm and, like a guide at a theme park, he pointed out certain storm-related points of interest.

All along were previously reported examples of waterlogged household goods dragged out into driveways and front yards and bobcats pushing sand around. But there were also many more contractors present this day – from Southern Connecticut Gas to landscape services like Chad’s.

Reconvening near 2171 Fairfield Beach Road, one of the three condemned homes at the Point, Malloy continued, “My heart goes out to everyone affected by the storm. It’s devastating and I understand it’s devastating. Forty-percent of the state is still without power.”

Malloy related that he was airborne yesterday, passing over storm-affected areas. “I was flying over Simsbury and found it remarkable to see how much land was under water.”

Tetreau jumped in to confirm that the three condemned houses nearby would “have to come down” and that another 20 – a new number in the tally – were unsafe. “Given the limited land mass out here, while we can get the building inspectors out here immediately, it will be a while to get contractors out. I compliment the building department and every crew working townwide for doing what they do and leaving their families alone to attend to this emergency.”

Nearby, at 2182 Fairfield Beach Road, homeowner Ed Grella was mopping, sweeping and disinfecting his residence. “We’re very fortunate,” he said. “We mostly just lost a wall and fence, and our boat and dock. The boat is across the way up on the rocks. The storm pulled the pipes off the bulkhead. We’re counting our blessings.”

Grella gave some background on the house as well as described what prep he did prior to Irene’s arrival. “My son did a good job of rebuilding the place 10 years ago. It was my father’s before that, and ready to be torn down. As the storm approached, my wife got her shoes and clothes out and went to my son’s house. We did evacuate, we’re not as dumb as we look. We don’t have electricity, otherwise we would have offered the governor a cup of coffee.”

As the group had its fill of poking around the tattered structures and prepared to re-board the bus, Tetreau offered a few general thoughts. “Part of the reason we still have 11,000 homes still without power is because we still have over 100 downed powerlines,” he said. “We’re bringing back the power one tree at a time. There’s no fast way to do it. And while UI has put a liaison in our command center, which is police headquarters, communication between that person and the company and teams in the field has been a problem. The system that UI put in place had serious flaws. Our DPW crews can’t go out in the field as they don’t know what wires are live. UI has got to do a better job going forward. They did not listen to our priorities.”

Tetreau cited an example of this breakdown. “UI intentionally took down a large amount of power on Black Rock Turnpike without notice,” he said. That creates hazardous and unsafe conditions. We need to know in advance about a shut-off. Our health inspector had just ok’d restaurants up there to reopen. Then the power went back out and we go into food spoilage mode and the inspector has to go back out. UI has to join the team.”

The First Selectman said UI is now trying to right its wrongs. “I have the cell number of the Senior VP at UI,” he said. “That helps me break log jams in communication. He showed up this morning to say he is personally committed to UI doing a better job. That means improving communications. It shouldn’t take this measure but it’s good news.”

Later in the day, Patch visited the area where Tetreau said UI cut power, taking North Benson as an access route. It was a slog to get there given that traffic control lights at the junctures with Stillson and other crossroads were dark, creating a huge back-up, with no police in place to help move traffic along. This was around 5:30 – 6 p.m., a peak commuting period.

Ironically, along the route, Patch encountered two UI trucks with three men between them, along the side of the road. One worker was directing traffic while the other two stood idle.

At Trader Joe’s, “Captain” Sara Stockman said the store had rolled with the punches through the weekend. “We closed Saturday at 7 p.m. for the crew’s safety,” she said, “and normally we would open at 8 a.m. Sunday, but we had decided to remain closed and advised shoppers in advance with signage about our closure. When we came in late that morning, we realized we had lost power and had to get rid of all of our perishables.” Stockman showed Patch a copy of a letter from Sands Cleary, Director of Health for the Town of Fairfield, that read, “It appears that your establishment has been without power for 24 hours or more. You must discard all your perishable foods and arrange for an inspection from the health department prior to reopening.”

Stockman said the store donated a small percentage of food – mostly bread and dry produce like bananas and apples – to homeless shelters. “The power came back on yesterday (Monday) and trucks started rolling in this morning with deliveries,” she said. “The health department also came by today to inspect and certify us. Then shoppers flooded in.”

Stockman mentioned the unexpected power shut-off Tetreau cited. “The power went back off at 8 p.m, last night (Monday night) but it was along Black Rock Turnpike from Primo Pizza on, thankfully for us.” 

Summer Art Camp Session a Glass Act

Summer Art Camp Session a Glass Act:

Westport Arts Center offers painting 

through printmaking

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

8/17/11

Westport, CT – You might call the end-products windows on the world given the raw material being used was plexiglass and the subject matter painted on it could be anything from around the globe.

Painting on glass was the focus of Day One of “From Painting to Printmaking”, a Summer Art Camp held August 15^th through 19^th at Westport Arts Center, the non-profit arts organization at 51 Riverside Avenue. Over a dozen children, ages 9 to 12, participated in the session. Education programs are sponsored by retailer Melissa & Doug.

“The program was spurred by students who have taken programs at the Center for the past several years, that are now reaching an older age group and want to continue on at WAC,” said Danielle Ogden, director of education at the facility. “This program is specifically designed to reach that group – ages nine to 12. A majority of our art classes have been for the six to nine age set – this provides continuity to that end.”

Referencing colleague Jessica Jane Lynch, a mixed media artist for the Society’s summer camps and after-school program, Ogden said, “Jess has designed a range of projects that combine a wide spectrum of materials, introduce students to famous and local artists and provide students with guidance in technique.”

“We could do any design,” said 10-year-old Westporter Abby Genser, about the glass painting activity. “I decided to do something colorful with shapes,” she said, about her artwork that resulted from the class.

Nearby, classmate Jill Gault showed off a sea scene with a sailboat. “I made this because my grandparents have a house in Seabright on the Jersey shore and in front of their houses are sailboats. I made this for them,” she said proudly, holding up her square of glass.

Anna Greenspan was marking her 11^th birthday with the class and said it was a fun way to celebrate. She had painting iconic cartoon character Snoopy on her glass. “I really like him,” she said, “and I’m going to hang this in my room.”

Taking a cue from splatter artist Jackson Pollock, 11-year-old Westporter Abby Najarian did a design using the splatter technique. Najarian actually encouraged WAC to specifically incorporate glass painting into the summer camp. “I’ve been wanting to paint on plexiglass for a long time.”

Najarian’s pal, Ella Jarvis, also 11 and a fellow Westport resident, said a lot of brain energy went into arriving at her design. “I thought a lot about what I was going to paint, then put my paintbrush down and just let it go wherever it wanted to go,” she said. “This is a really fun way to spend a day and the teachers are great. It’s not like school art class where you just have to do one thing. The teachers let you go wacky with your art. Get it? Wacky, as in WAC, Westport Arts Center?” she giggled, amused by her pun.

On the camp activity agenda for the balance of the week was: outdoor painting, a riverside walk with input about local history, landscape painting, splatter exercises, painting on long wood panels and monotype printmaking.

“Everything we do at WAC is designed to make young people feel inspired and create opportunities for them to experiment, create and have fun,” summed up instructor Lynch.