“The Social Network” Film Debut Spurs Fairfield Facebook Survey

“The Social Network” Film Debut Spurs Fairfield Facebook Survey
(Appeared as front page feature in Fairfield-Sun newspaper 9/30/10) 

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/22/10

Fairfield, CT – “Initially, I avoided Facebook,” said Fairfield resident Eileen Weber, 40, asked recently about her interaction with the social networking site, adding, “I thought it was just a meat sheet for people looking to hook up.” But, then, a couple of people asked why she wasn’t on it and she decided to check it out. “The first day I signed up, I had 30 people friend me. It makes you feel like you don’t have to be the cheerleader or the captain of the basketball team to be that popular.”

Weber is one of over 500 million active users of the online service that has joined since Mark Zuckerberg and a few of his Harvard University classmates launched Facebook back in February 2004. On October 1, “The Social Network”, a movie about the founders of the website, debuts in theaters nationwide. Just what is the fascination with this online interface, how are local Fairfielders using it and how do they feel about it?

Varied Usage

Zuckerberg’s initial site concept was along the lines of “Hot or Not”, essentially featuring photos of students from nine houses on campus. Two would be shown at a time and visitors challenged to decide which was “hotter”. From these sophomoric beginnings, Facebook has become the leading social networking site, leaving once popular MySpace in the dust.

Leslie Marshall, 44, aptly sums up the reason Fairfielders primarily rely on Facebook today. “I use it to connect with people I haven’t talked to in years.”

Others, like Pamela Ortiz, 49, use it keep current with friends and family that are far away. “It makes connecting with my kids in Hawaii, wherein there’s a six-hour time difference between us, more convenient. When we can’t Skype, I send a message or write on their wall.”

For Jenn Colford, 40, Facebook allows her to quickly check how her friends are doing. “I can do a 20-second glance and be updated on what’s going on with my friends’ lives without doing anything.”

The younger set, like Evan Lauterborn, 14, a Fairfield Ludlowe High School sophomore and the lead singer/guitarist in a band, utilize Facebook for many additional reasons. “It’s great for making plans, getting homework details and promoting my band.” Lauterborn’s band, in fact, has created a dedicated “Fan” page, to which friends and followers can subscribe and receive updates about the group’s activities.

Almost all local users agree that having the ability to post and send photographs through the service is an advantage. “I love viewing others’ photos, especially during the holidays,” said Kathleen Tempini, 55. Many users’ pages house whole albums of photos, which are often catalogued with regard to the event or occasion to which they relate – a vacation, a night out, a birthday celebration, a family gathering, etc. In effect, they become a history of a life.

A Language Unto Its Own

There is, without a doubt, a certain language and favorite expressions that Facebook users have adopted, which seem universally commonplace. Perhaps the most popular expression is “LOL”, or “Laughing Out Loud”. A more emphatic version is “LMAO”, or “Laughing My A** Off”.  These are used in response to amusing comments and, often, startling images.

Other terms express dismay, surprise and disappointment. For instance, “WTF” (What The F***) is used to question something that is puzzling or to express outrage about a particular action or slight.  A variation is “OMG” (Oh My God).

Quick symbols, often taken from the world of text messaging, are also employed. These include “:-)” (smiley face), “:-(“ (sad face), “:-p” (silly face with tongue sticking out), “:-o” (surprised face) and “;-)” (flirtatious winking face).

A Virtual Community of Friends

Some users are very conservative about the number of Facebook friends they keep. A 40-year-old prep school teacher who preferred to remain anonymous maintains just 40 friends. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Lauterborn has over 700 friends and claims to know all of them. On average, local users have about 150 contacts.

Ortiz, who has 210 FB friends at present, likes to look over her list occasionally. “I try to figure out who I could delete but always end up keeping all of them!”

To add a friend to one’s Friend List, one has a few access options. One can simply plug a friend’s name into a search window and, if they successfully find the right person, can simply Friend Request them. Often, though, due to online privacy issues and to keep users from being harassed, Facebook may not allow the connection if it is suspected that the “requester” does not personally know the “requestee”. In this case, one can send the user a message asking if they would like to connect and to Friend Request them back.

Fave Features

Facebook offers a host of features that allow users to maximize their experience and interaction with each other. In addition to posting photos, subscribers can post other media like video clips, event notices and links to online content.

Photos, which can be uploaded from both land-based and mobile devices, often include those of friends and family, or sometimes a celebrity or amusing image. “Sharing pictures with my kids in Hawaii makes me feel a little more connected with them,” said Ortiz. Photos can be “tagged”, meaning that specific people can be identified by name via a caption simply by zeroing in and providing an identification.

Videos tend to be established content, like a music performance or televised screen clip, often pulled from YouTube. Occasionally, you’ll see something more homegrown like a dog dancing on its hind legs to the Mexican Hat Dance or toddler doing samba moves.

Event notices typically include day/date/time, host, location and a brief description. “I like to keep updated on upcoming events, mostly concerts,” said Ortiz, an avid music lover.

Links can be to any content available online, from articles and scientific literature to content clips and photos.

Another favorite feature is the birthday reminder, which lists the birthdays of people on your Friend list and gives one the opportunity to send a greeting.

Is Facebook Educational?

Facebook serves a helpful, educational purpose for some, but is just an amusement for most… and often a hindrance. On the positive side, Tempini said, “We have forums and discussions on work related topics.” Conversely, Lauterborn remarked, “I don’t find it educational at all, simply entertaining. In fact, sometimes it’s distracting.”

Had Your Facebook Fix?

Some can take or leave Facebook and say they have other options to stay connected. But others say they miss it when they haven’t been on in a while. “I did miss Facebook when I was away on vacation and had no reception at our resort for a week,” confessed Ortiz. Echoed Tempini, “I do miss it if I have not been on it for a day.”

Local users check on their pages anywhere from once a day to a couple times a month, with the average being a few times a week. Tempini is hooked, “I check at least 3 to 4 times a day for 10-15 minutes each time.”

SIDEBAR

Practical Facebook Applications

To most Fairfield-based users of Facebook, the service is an entertainment. But some have found it very helpful in terms of monitoring a child’s activities, checking on someone’s background and even helping avoid social isolation.

“My motive for establishing a Facebook account was to check and see what my daughter Devlyn was doing on there,” said Pamela Ortiz. “I told her if she didn’t accept my friend request, I would take her laptop away.” Mom Kathleen Tempini used it in a similar manner, saying, “I am definitely not a snoop, but did discover by a “tag” that my daughter had pierced her lip the first week of college.”

Before hiring a college student as a babysitter, Fran Milici, mother of two elementary school-aged daughters, did a little background checking. “I figured I’d go to the place that could possibly reveal issues of concern a parent would have when hiring a person to watch her children. I was pleased with what I saw/read and she was hired.”

For Ortiz, Facebook is a great comfort when she is feeling isolated or tied down at home. “I enjoy staying in contact with friends that I found on People Search, whom I otherwise may never have found,” said Ortiz. “And I feel like I’m socializing at times when I may not be able to get out of the house.”

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, profiled by actor Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”, a film set to debut in theaters October 1 about the social networking phenomenon, could not have imagined the variety of utility and popularity the service would achieve. And whether you have a positive or indifferent opinion about Facebook, one thing’s clear. It’s a fixture that’s going to be around for a while. 

About Face: A Facebook Usage Spot Check

About Face:

A Facebook Usage Spot Check

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/8/10

Since Mark Zuckerberg and a few of his Harvard University classmates launched the social networking site Facebook back in February 2004, it has grown into a behemoth with over 500 million active users as of July 2010. Just what is the fascination with this online interface, how are people using it and who are they?

Varied Usage

Zuckerberg’s initial site concept was along the lines of “Hot or Not”, essentially featuring photos of students from nine houses on campus. Two would be shown at a time and visitors challenged to decide which was “hotter”. From these sophomoric beginnings, Facebook has become the leading social networking site, leaving once popular MySpace in the dust.

Sandra McLean-Maragh, 43, of Hollywood, FL, aptly sums up the reason people primarily rely on Facebook. “I use it to keep in touch, especially with my friends and family, who are scattered locally and internationally,” the married mother of a 14-year-old daughter said.

Maragh also uses it to share photos, as do most users. In fact, their pages typically house whole albums of photos, which are often catalogued with regard to the event or occasion to which they relate – a vacation, a night out, a birthday celebration, a family gathering, etc. They become a history of a life.

Others use Facebook to reconnect with old classmates and maintain relationships. Bethanie Cabral, 34, from New Jersey, said that she “wouldn’t have found my two childhood besties” without it.

Still others have a more business-minded approach to the social networking medium. Bob D’Aprile, 48, of Stamford, CT, host of a radio rock music program, uses FB for event promotion, to monitor his Fan site and get the word out about two other businesses.

Facebook gives you the ability to create a “Fan” page, wherein you can promote yourself and your activities and enlist fans. You can ask other users to “Like” what you are promoting and, if they click on the adjacent “Like” button, they become a fan or follower.

A Language Unto Its Own

There is, without a doubt, a certain language and favorite expressions that Facebook users have adopted, which seem universally commonplace. Perhaps the most popular expression is “LOL”, or Laughing Out Loud. “I love my ‘lol’,” said Evelina Khaimova, 22, of Queens, NY. “It’s so simple and when you have nothing to say, ‘lol’ is perfect.”

“LOL” enjoys a myriad of related iterations like “LMAO” (Laughing My A** Off), “LMFAO” (a step up from LMAO, with an expletive thrown in), “ROTFL” (Rolling On the Floor Laughing) and even “PMSL” (Pissed Myself Laughing). These are used in response to amusing comments and, often, startling images.

Other terms express dismay and disappointment. For instance, “WTF” (What The…) is used to question something that is puzzling or to express outrage about a particular action or slight.  Another, “STFU” (Shut the… Up) is used out of annoyance or in jest as a reply to a barb or remark. Maragh’s daughter, Amanda Sookdeo, created her own expression, which is more of a symbol actually: “. _ .”  Maragh explains that it is “a smile that has been run over!”

Other common, quick symbols include “:-)” (smiley face), “:-(“ (sad face), “:-p” (silly face with tongue sticking out), “:-o” (surprised face) and “;-)” (flirtatious winking face).

A Whole Community of Friends

Some users are very conservative about the number of Facebook friends they keep. Maragh claims to be “very particular” and has only amassed 10 friends to date. On the opposite end of the spectrum, comedian Gina Brillon, 30, from Bronx, NY, has pulled together 2, 249 friends. Many of the latter have joined her site as fans of the content she regularly posts. Others, like Allison Macdowell, 45, of Matthews, NC, claims to have “zillions” of friends but only “3 really great ones!”

Pam Ortiz of Fairfield, CT, who has 210 FB friends at present, likes to look over her list occasionally. “I try to figure out who I could delete but always end up keeping all of them!” Most users fall somewhere in the middle of the scale, with between 200 and 600 FB friends on average.

To add a friend to one’s Friend List, one has a few access options. One can simply plug in a friend’s name to a search window and, if they successfully find the right person, can simply Friend Request them. Often, though, due to online privacy issues and to keep users from being harassed, Facebook may not allow the connection if it is suspected that the “requester” does not personally know the “requestee”. In this case, one can send the user a message asking if they would like to connect and to Friend Request them back.

Fave Features

Facebook offers a host of features that allow users to maximize their experience and interaction with each other. This includes the ability to post a wide assortment of media: photos, video clips, event notices and links to online content.

Photos, which can be uploaded from both land-based and mobile devices, often include those of friends and family, or sometimes a celebrity or amusing image. “Sharing pictures with my kids in Hawaii makes me feel a little more connected with them,” said Ortiz. Photos can be “tagged”, meaning that if you recognize yourself in someone else’s photo, you can tag it with your name so that the photo then automatically appears on your own page. Or the photo uploader can identify people in a particular photo, which then automatically posts it on the page of everyone tagged.

Videos tend to be established content, like a music performance or televised screen clip, often pulled from YouTube. Occasionally, you’ll see something more homegrown like a dog dancing on its hind legs to the Mexican Hat Dance or toddler doing samba moves!

Event notices typically include day/date/time, host, location and a brief description. “I like to keep updated on upcoming events, mostly concerts,” said Ortiz, an avid music lover.

Links can be to any content available online, from articles and scientific literature to content clips and photos.

Denise Gallardo of Highland, CA, enjoys putting up and getting reactions to her provocative status postings. These are often broadcast out on a Facebook News Feed and allow for feedback and comments. The more provocative the posting, the more voluminous and involved the commentary. “Facebook is fun in this way!” she adds.

Maragh finds some status updates irksome. “I think it is useless for someone to simply post ‘bored’ or ‘tired’ and not an explanation so I can respond!”

Is Facebook Educational?

Beyond offering another option to stay connected, Facebook serves an educational purpose for many. Macdowell  said, “FB challenges me to reach further.” Ed Jun Kim, 45, of Irvine, CA, said, “It’s sometimes educational when I see a useful link.” Khaimova finds it insightful “because people always share their thoughts, feelings and other interesting things (from YouTube, a famous quote, fun personal pictures). You constantly learn something new.” Khaimova also finds it helpful with regard to completing school projects. “In college, let’s say you are not comfortable with giving out your phone number to a classmate… You can always simply find them on Facebook.”

Had Your Facebook Fix?

Some can take or leave Facebook and say they have other options to stay connected. But the majority of users say they miss it when they haven’t been on in a while. “I’m hooked – line and sinker!” said Cabral. “I am addicted!” joked Khaimova. “I start to miss the jokes and interaction,” added Gallardo. “I feel like I’m missing out on things, like events and opportunities,” decided Brillon. “I did miss Facebook when I was away on vacation and had no reception at our resort for a week,” confessed Ortiz.

Users usually check in daily, and sometimes 2 to 3 times a day. Some may spend as much as 1 to 2 hours on FB in a session. Others, like Macdowell, are “always” on.

A Replacement for Real World Socializing?

Facebook can be an entrée to new friends, but there’s a debate as to whether it can be a stand-in for real world connections. “I enjoy staying in contact with friends that I found on People Search, whom I otherwise may never have found,” said Ortiz. “And I feel like I’m socializing at times when I may not be able to get out of the house.” On the other hand, D’Aprile fears, “That initial connection when you start a conversation with someone in a public place has slowly been replaced by Facebook exchanges. Personally, I prefer to look into the eyes of a pretty woman, then continue having Facebook exchanges.” He added, “That said, people feel safer via Facebook. Once you know more about someone, then a real meet-up may follow.”

Man About Town: On the Beat

Man About Town: On the Beat

(Column appeared in Fairfield-Citizen newspaper 10/1/10)

By Mike Lauterborn

2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/21/10

It was a crisp weekday morning. The sun was still yawning, stretching and climbing up out of bed. Fall had crept in overnight and dew glistened on blades of freshly mown grass.

A good time to pad into downtown and watch the day come alive I figured. By this time, students had already settled into their classrooms and were hitting the books, so streets were passable. Moms that had escorted their little ones were now headed to fitness classes or taking a neighborhood stroll. Office workers were making last-minute stops for cups of coffee before reporting to their workplaces.

One such coffee stop was Chef’s Table on the Post Road, a good place to set up for a while. I slipped into one of several booths, with a view of the street and entryway, and plopped my gear on the table, which was black with aluminum trim like a roadie case.

“Oh, this is such a cute place!” a young woman, dressed in black and white, exclaimed, bouncing into the shop. A step ahead of her, a male co-worker in a neatly pressed blue button-down shirt and tie, said, “Yeah, and look at all the old music references,” pointing to the dozens of framed band photos, concert posters and record albums covering the majority of wall space in this high-ceilinged, narrow café.

There was Bruce. Johnny Cash. Led Zeppelin. Jerry Garcia. Bob Dylan. John Lennon. The Doors. All the greats were represented in this hall of music fame and shrine to rock.

Enhancing the scene and making it all the more authentic, fast-paced classic rock tunes jangled from overhead speakers, and a series of uniquely-colored lava lamps on little perches at each booth pumped gooey globs up and down in their cone-shaped containers.

“Come on and take a free ride, come on and take me by your side, come on and take a free ride!” the Edgar Winter Group pleaded over the PA system.

Another woman strolled in, with big sunglasses, a low-dipping drawstring top, a Fruit Stripe gum patterned bag and bell bottom jeans. For a minute, it was like a time warp had occurred, but of course this was just a case of retro styles coming back around and enjoying another spell in the retail limelight.

One would think that with such a strongly embedded music theme here menu items would be named after some of the leading industry stars. The Creedence Club, Hendrix Hero… something along those lines. But food offerings were put out there unadorned, meant to appeal solely on the basis of their ingredients. It was a tasty lineup to be sure, with breakfast sandwiches the opening act and hot soups and wraps headlining.

A salesman-type bounded in, laid down a backpack, set up a laptop and fetched a java. At the same time, he eyed a news report on a big screen TV near the front of the place. Rolling in behind him, a mom, new baby in stroller and young lad. They b-lined for the restroom before she secured a very tall cup of coffee for herself and snacks for the children.

Traffic was whizzing back and forth on the main drag by this time as mid-morning errand running began – the start of a narrow window before the noon close of pre-schools and mid-afternoon flight back home of the older children.

It was time to get going, to join the flow, the Fairfield beat. I would leave my cozy booth to the lunchtime set – hometown heroes seeking sumptuous subs.

Anne Frank Home Replica Debuts at Westport Playhouse

Anne Frank Home Replica Debuts at Westport Playhouse

(Appeared in Westport News w/o 9/26)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/28/10

Westport, CT – A girl’s experience in Nazi Germany during World War II and a stage production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” inspired a noted local sculptor to create a large replica of the Anne Frank home that debuted today in the lobby of the Westport Country Playhouse. The display, a creation of a team of students from Bridgeport-based Neighborhood Studios (NS) under the direction of artist Steffi Friedman, was timed with the opening night of the production there.

Measuring 80 inches tall and 72 inches wide and weighing an estimated 450 pounds, the sculpture was transported by Marino Brothers, specialists in moving artwork, from a studio at the non-profit’s 510 Barnum Avenue headquarters to the Playhouse and installed late Tuesday morning. The artwork will sit in the lobby area for the entire performance run, September 28 – October 30.

Friedman, 85, is a volunteer sculpture teacher who gives her time and donates materials to NS, and led 20 students, ages 14-20, in the development of the replica. She was a teen in Berlin, Germany during WWII and escaped to Amsterdam two weeks before Kristallnacht, when in a single night in November 1938, Nazis mass-murdered 91 Jews and deported to concentration camps over 25,000 more.

“I lived the same life as Anne Frank,” said Friedman. “I was just luckier.” Indeed,
“The Diary of Anne Frank” tells the dramatic story of two years in Frank’s life when she and her family hid from the Nazis in a small Amsterdam attic. From Amsterdam, Friedman went to Panama for two years, then eventually to the U.S. She has lived in Westport for the past 52 years.

“I learned about the show a year ago,” explained the sculptor, about how she was inspired to do this piece, “and thought it would be amazing to create a replica. I bought 20 copies of the Diary and insisted that my students read it, as well as watch the film.”

Friedman created initial sketches, which she took to a local Home Depot to render in 3-D. The store cut out the base foundation from plywood, onto which Friedman’s group rolled clay (terra cotta) an inch-and-a-half thick. This was then designed, dried and fired in Friedman’s kiln for three days at 2,200 degrees.

“Each student got a project to illustrate a different aspect of the story of Anne Frank,” said Friedman. “We did a lot of research and had photographs from which to work. I also had the advantage of visiting Amsterdam last year to see the related museum.”

Scenes in the home replica include a family listening to foreign radio, which was forbidden; Anne writing her diary; the lighting of Chanukah candles; and the Frank family being led away to a concentration camp by a Dutch Nazi officer. A patina effect is used to simulate bronze, granite and metallics, to provide an authentic appearance to the structure.

Elisabeth Saxe, the Director of Institutional Advancement at the Playhouse, who was present for the sculpture’s arrival, said, “It’s a remarkable expression and emotional response to the reading of the Diary. The Playhouse is deeply moved that our programming was able to give rise to the creation of this work… and that we’re able to partner with Neighborhood Studios to welcome their students to the Playhouse and make them part of our family.”

The students that worked on this and their mothers are invited on October 23^rd to attend the play and several will participate in a talk-back afterwards about their experience, informed Remy Joseph, Marketing Director at NS. On October 5^th, the jazz ensemble from NS will perform period music from the 1930s and 40s at the Playhouse prior to the evening’s play.

NS was founded in 1977 as Music & Arts Center for the Handicapped, by Patricia Hart, a musician diagnosed with macular degeneration. She sought music lessons but couldn’t find anyone to teach a blind person. She discovered a universal need for this interaction. The school has grown to include music, art, dance and sculpture and is funded by private donations and federal and local government.

“The development process of this sculpture was just as rich as putting on a play,” said Michael Ross, Managing Director of the Playhouse. “To see these students… they were so intense and focused and hardly looked up as they worked. They collaborated like actors to tell this story.” 

The “Perks” of Living in New Canaan

The “Perks” of Living in New Canaan

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/28/10

New Canaan, CT – Wednesday September 29^th is National Coffee Day. For visitors to New Canaan’s many coffeehouses, every day is a celebration of coffee.

The town offers nearly 70 locations at which to obtain the brew, but there are a few local favorites. One of these is Zumbach’s at 77 Pine Street.

“When I come in, everyone smiles,” said local Muffy Lewis about the cozy, wonderfully aromatic coffee purveyor. “You’re in a good mood when you leave here. You know everyone, and they know you. It has a hometown feel. I’m addicted to my large latte whole milk. I have to have one… or two… every day.”

Over at Starbucks, at the corner of Park and Elm, Laura Barker, 42, had just made a pick-up. “I like my soy latte. I usually get the same thing every day. A lot of my friends like Starbucks. We meet here… it becomes a social event.”

Added John Clausen, 63, seated in the café’s neat, tree-shaded outdoor terrace, “I come here two or three times a week. I’ll read my paper and mail and have either a tall, grande or redeye coffee. I like their coffee better than most – it’s stronger and full-bodied.”

At Dunkin Donuts, down the block on Elm, Washington, DC resident Mary Shebchuk, had just bought an ice coffee and was visiting with her sister Carrie Luciano and niece Emily. She fiercely defended her coffeehouse choice. “Starbucks burns their beans. I don’t like the flavor. Dunkin is more consistent. It’s all about the flavor.” Interjected Luciano, “I don’t want to have to take an SAT course to order a coffee!”

Across the street, Le Palm Quotidien, offers a more tranquil, refined setting, dishing up proprietary Arabica Villa Rica organic coffee in bowl-style cups with chocolate croissants and tarts. The site is a blessing for Jennifer MacLear. “There was one around the corner on 84^th and Madison where I used to live. I feel like I’m no longer a Suburbanite.”

Offering a wholly independent view, Kim Van Munching of Darien, claimed Rosie, at 27 Elm Street, was the best local coffeehouse. “It’s a complete package. The coffee’s very good and you can get a muffin to go with it, a key combination. It’s nice to have the bookstore (Elm Street) attached, too.”

Patrons of Connecticut Muffin, a small shop at 108 Main Street, beg to differ. “The coffee is always fresh here and it goes hand in hand with fresh pastry. I can stay and really enjoy it out of the hustle and bustle,” said Nancy Harte.

A stone’s throw away, Garelick & Herbs, pulled in other fans. “We like the back room here,” said Maureen Bloom of Darien, about her and the group of moms with whom she was sitting. “You can stay as long as you want and their coffee bar is unique. You can prepare whatever you like.”

Opinions may differ but on this local fans will agree: New Canaan offers a wide array of perky options to get you going. 

Fall 2010 Music for Youth Concert Series Opens

Fall 2010 Music for Youth Concert Series Opens

By Mike Lauterborn

(Appeared in Fairfield-Citizen News 9/25)

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/25/10

Southport, CT – The halls were alive with the sound of music as the Fall 2010 season of Music for Youth’s Young Persons’ Concert Series opened Saturday, September 25 at Southport’s Pequot Library.

The Jasper String Quartet, comprised of violinists J Freivogel and Sae Niwa, violist Sam Quintal and cellist Rachel Freivogel, was the featured performance group and some 200 people came to hear them in the library’s recital hall – a cool retreat from the day’s unseasonably warm temperatures.

Members of the Quartet, who originally hailed from such faraway places as Japan (Sae) and Alaska (Sam) but who now live within blocks of each other in New Haven, were pleased to open the season and with the enthusiasm of the concert attendees. “With any new space, you wonder what it’s going to be like,” said Quintal. “This is a great room… and a well-versed audience.”

Winners of numerous music competition awards and a quartet-in-residence at both the Yale School of Music and Caramoor, the Jaspers were introduced by Cynthia Cummiskey, Music for Youth’s spokesperson. An energetic blonde dressed in pink and white, she conducted a quick poll determining there was a broad representation of strings players in the audience, reminded attendees about manners – “we’re not going to yell or kick our brother” – and explained how one should react to the performance. “What do we do? Clap. And if we really like it, we say, ‘Bravo!’”

It was an introduction that Music for Youth President and Founder Marianne Liberatore, for whom Cummiskey was substituting as presenter, had scripted and given numerous times before. In fact, the series started in 1995 as an outreach program when Liberatore was president of South Shore Music. When new management took over six years later and didn’t have the staff to maintain the children’s program, Liberatore resigned, formed Music for Youth along with Cummiskey and Dorothy Straub, and carried on the program.

“It has just become more wonderful,” said Liberatore, now in her 80’s, who for many years prior was the supervisor for music for the entire town of Fairfield. “Our goal is to present a variety of classical music to children and their parents. We always offer a string quartet, piano soloist and violinist, sometimes a cellist, wind quartet or brass quintet, and usually a piano trio. We also try from time to time to offer music from distant cultures. This year it’s Indonesia. In the past, we’ve had performers from Japan, China, Ukraine and Latin America.”

Liberatore, who has lived in Westport and Weston over the past 30 years, has a lifelong passion for music. “My parents had given me a good music education and I always felt every child has the right to the same.”

The Eroica Trio was the first concert offered at Pequot Library under Liberatore’s direction, back in 1996. “We charged money for it and paid Pequot Library for rental. We were afraid no one would come, so billed it as a ‘Piano Concert and Pizzas.’ Pizzas were donated by John’s Best on the Post Road. Little girls in the audience who had just come from ballet classes were dancing in the aisles. Parents came up to me after and said, ‘Why don’t you do this all the time?’ Mary Freedman, former Director of Pequot Library, said, ‘If you do the booking, we’ll help you, but the concerts must always be free.’ And that’s how it started, and has continued thanks to the support of benefactors like today’s underwriter Howard Aibel.”

The Jaspers’ program included pieces from Hayden, Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven. The quartet played fluidly and their sweet, delicate melodies filled the hall, much to the delight of attendees like the Abbazia family. Southport resident Lisa Abbazia, 43, said, “I’ve been coming here for many years. It’s such a great treat. My children play the violin and can’t sit through a usual concert.”

Echoed Liberatore, “This is really a great gift to the community. Top-flight professionals and free to the public.”

For more information about upcoming performances, visit www.musicforyouth.net or contact Pequot Library at 203-259-0346.

Bringing Some Good Humor to Fairfield

Bringing Some Good Humor to Fairfield
(Appeared 9/23 on front page of Fairfield-Sun newspaper) 

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/15/10

Fairfield, CT – “Hi Wright!” say all the moms as they approach or pass. “Can I have an ice cream?” say all the kids with them. The children are just getting out of school at Roger Sherman Elementary, their moms have come to meet them and all have made a detour to Wright’s Ice Cream truck, parked near the playground on Fern Street.

Wright Hugus Jr., 79, long known as Fairfield’s ice cream man, is a town fixture. But few know of his colorful, storied background. In a recent interview at his Cape-style, beach area home, surrounded by family photos, tennis trophies and his two Golden Retrievers Bromley and Sadie, Hugus served up a freezer full of facts.

Boy of Steel

Hugus was born in 1930 in an affluent section of Wheeling, West Virginia, which he described as “a steel town, or was when there was such a thing.” His grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Hugus, founded the former Wheeling Steel Corporation. Wright’s dad, Wright Hugus Sr., was a prominent attorney and politician – the head of the Republican Party in West Virginia. His mother, Martha Majesky Hugus, was a teacher, musician and early women’s charity organizer and volunteer.

Hugus attended a regular public elementary school – just like Roger Sherman – and was active in football, baseball and basketball. He also excelled in tennis, taught to play at age 3 or 4 by his father, a nationally ranked tennis player.

The sports-minded lad was “a book nut”, too, a passion that continues to this day. “I have a computer database of the books I’ve read in the past 10 years. There are over 470 in there. I read about one a week. Modern fiction, action and history.”

Cadet

His high school years were spent at Greenbrier Military School. “My father felt I needed the discipline – I was a pain in the ass, very independent. It was a way to make a man out of a boy. This was right after World War II, so that was the thinking.” Hugus was #1 in his class and won all the academic medals, graduating in 1948.

Choosing a college presented a dilemma. “My father had gone to Dartmouth and Harvard Law. My grandfather went to Harvard Law and West Virginia University. I thought I needed to break the mold and go to a modern top university. I visited Duke with a friend of my father’s, a tennis player, and I was very impressed. I started there in 1948 and graduated in 1952 with a B.A., majoring in English and History, which in that day was the thing.”

Hugus returned home and married local girl/fellow Duke student Betty Woods. “I like to say she chased me down there – she was two years younger.” The Korean War was on and the draft was in effect, so Hugus joined the Navy and went to Officers Candidate School in Newport, RI. He came out in 1953 as an Ensign.

Capitol Chap

“I initially wanted to serve on a submarine,” he said, “but there was no availability.” As such, he went off to Washington, DC, assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). “My role was to investigate cases of sabotage, espionage and counter intelligence. The whole Communist world was overcoming us at the time. And this was the McCarthy Era, too. Everyone was scared of Communism. You might say the Russian bear raised its ugly head, as the Russians backed North Korea.”

Hugus’ office was in the Naval Observatory, on a 100-acre parcel in northwest Washington, which is where the Vice President’s residence is as well. “It was a great place to work and I lived in Georgetown, so it was just up the street. I learned so much, including a little Russian. One task was to review and analyze a U.S.-based Communist paper called the Daily Worker. I was also a liaison to the FBI, CIA (then the OSS), Army Intelligence and the National Security Agency. One scary moment was being detained at the Yugoslavian Embassy!”

He related his amusing first day on the job: “The area commander assigned me to a civilian investigator. He said he’d show me the ropes. We went for coffee, a noon lunch, then to the movies. He said, ‘That’s Naval Intelligence!’”

While in the Navy, he and his wife had two children, Stephanie and Christin. Hugus was released from active duty in August 1956, after achieving the rank of full lieutenant. He then applied to and was accepted at the University of Virginia Law School. “I think my hero Thomas Jefferson (his grandfather’s namesake) had something to do with my decision, as he founded and designed the university. UVA provided a well-rounded national legal background.”

Racecar Driver & Law Man

Millbank Tweed, a top Wall Street law firm, agreed to hire Hugus, but just before graduation in 1959, his father passed away. Wright Sr. had headed up a local Wheeling law firm, which then tried to push the family out. The family sued and settled, taking Hugus Sr.’s name out of the firm’s title. “The experience taught me to be cautious and made me realize I wanted to practice law in a small town.”

Hugus stayed in Wheeling for three years, until 1962. With some money his dad had left him, he also bought a racecar – a 1959 Triumph TR3-A – and began racing it with the Sports Car Club of America. Over a five-year period, he owned four different racecars.

At that point, he wanted to find a more stable town environment, and considered law firms all over the country. He ended up in Greenwich, CT. Lowell Weicker, now an ex-senator, hired him.

Hugus enjoyed a 15-year run in Greenwich practicing general law and became a partner. He had a son, Wright III, too, in 1965. “The last five years I was there, I drifted into sports law, which influenced me to establish my own firm, Hugus Enterprises, in 1975. I was one of the first attorneys to specialize in sports law and sports management.”

Sports like tennis, golf and skiing were amateur sports then and the athletes didn’t make money. As these became professional sports, the athletes needed representation and services. Hugus also helped set up the organizations, like the U.S. Ski Team, which he represented for eight years. Notable first clients included first woman Indy racer Janet Guthrie and gold medal Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill.

Hugus ran his business until 1980 when he contracted double pneumonia. This led to chronic bronchial asthma, and ultimately to cancer of the larynx. He moved to Aspen, CO, was treated over a three-year period by the doctor for the U.S. Ski Team and, in 1984, moved back to Connecticut. There he started Barrister Enterprises, providing database services for professionals, and ultimately settled in Fairfield with new wife Elizabeth Thomas, a financial consultant.

Hugus operated Barrister until 1990, then set up and ran an internal database at a bankruptcy law firm in Bridgeport for another four years. It was after retiring in 1994 that he dipped into the world of Good Humor Ice Cream.

SIDEBAR

Ice Cream Dream

When Fairfield resident Wright Hugus Jr. retired from his last corporate position as a database manager, he was looking for things to do besides his charitable pursuits and involvement as a member of the First Church Congregational.

“I wanted to work and run my own little business. There was an ad in the Bridgeport newspaper for ice cream vendors. I went to a meeting hosted by Blue Sky Bar, a Good Humor distributor and truck owner. Coming back in the car, I was laughing, thinking, ‘Wright, you’ve done a lot, but you haven’t done this.’ It was also a way of putting down roots in a new community. That was 16 years ago.”

Says Hugus, reflecting on the pursuit, “You wouldn’t believe the pleasure I get when a kid comes up to the truck, looks at all the flavors and his eyes light up. And you see the kids grow up over time. There’s nothing to dislike about ice cream.”

His current vehicle is a 1972 GMC Good Humor truck. At the height of its business, Good Humor owned and operated around 3,000 trucks nationwide. They ultimately sold these and are now just in the wholesale ice cream business.

Hugus essentially works seven days a week, visiting schoolyards, neighborhoods, picnics, birthdays, business events, soccer games, summer camps and concerts on the Green.

Most popular selections? Cookie sandwiches, lemon/lime shots, fudge bars, ice cream sandwiches and all five of the original Good Humor flavors dating back to 1927: Vanilla Bar, Toasted Almond, Chocolate Éclair, Candy Center Crunch and Strawberry Shortcake.

“The truck is like a meeting place or a water fountain at a business. Everyone’s around it. It’s a familiar, warm and fuzzy event… and it makes me feel good about what I’m doing.”