Bridgeport Born, Fairfield Bred

Bridgeport Born, Fairfield Bred

(Appeared on the front page of the Bridgeport News 10/7/10)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/13/10

Fairfield, CT – Painter. Boat builder. Model maker. Army veteran. Architectural designer. Father. Historian. Author. At 86, local personality William D. Lee, Sr. has worn a lot of hats, but perhaps the one he donned most proudly related to his work with the Sun Tavern.

Lee was born in November 1923 at St. Vincent’s Hospital and grew up on Main Street in Bridgeport’s North End. His father, Fitzhugh J. Lee, named after a confederate cavalry general, worked for the Connecticut Folding Paper & Box Company before the Crash of ’29, then for the General Electric Co. until retirement. Mom Lillian was a homemaker.

Lee was an only child who, from very early on at Madison grammar school, demonstrated a great interest in art. “I drew my way through school,” he confessed. He also had a talent for model making. Both skills would have application later in life.

The North End at the time was very rural. “It was country there,” said Lee. “Wooded areas and streams. There was a quarry near where I lived and my friends and I played explorers there. It’s marked by Quarry Street today.”

His summers were spent at Fairfield Beach, swimming, boating and fishing. “The bluefish started to run very early off Penfield Reef. I’d go with my mom, dad and grandparents. On the Fourth of July, we had our own fireworks on the beach. It was fabulous.”

He attended St. Thomas Church in Fairfield, which at the time was under the direction of Father Blake. Lee’s aunt was the first lay teacher there, in the 30s, when the school just started.

Lee always belonged to the YMCA and remembers downtown Bridgeport as incredible, especially at Christmastime. “There was Reed’s, Howland’s Department Store, Meigs. The Salvation Army had a little group of people with instruments and they’d play in the snow. It was like Dickens. People walking, snow flying,” he recalled.

Saturday afternoons were spent at the Rialto Theater. “Admission was five cents. We’d see cowboy movies, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy. It was a wonderful atmosphere.”

In high school, Lee excelled in art and received the Bridgeport Teachers Association Award for Unique Achievement at graduation. It was 1943 and he went right into the Army, assigned to Fort Devens, MA, as a combat engineer. He received basic training at Ft. Belvoir, VA then served overseas with the 35^th Division, going from Normandy to Germany, and seeing combat at St. Lo’s.

Upon his honorable discharge in 1945, he married his high school sweetheart Catherine Anne Lalley. Her uncle, Frank Lalley, owned a great deal of property in the Fairfield Beach Area. Lalley Boulevard reflects his stake.

Lee applied to and was accepted at the Yale School of Art & Architecture, where he and Catherine “spent four of the happiest years together living in a Quonset hut outside the Yale Bowl (housing for returning married servicemen).” The couple had two daughters, Linda and Patricia, and Lee received his B.F.A. there.

He was then commissioned by a Catholic school in New Haven to do a mural, for which he was paid $2,000, a substantial amount of money in those days. It allowed the Lee’s to move back to Bridgeport, rent a cottage on the beach and add another daughter, Barbara, to the brood.

In 1952, Lee borrowed some money and started building small sailboats for day sailing. He built 50 boats, including Fairfield’s first catamarans, before contracting hepatitis from bad clams, which forced him out of the business.

A fourth child, Bill, had arrived by this time and to support the family, Lee got a job doing interior design for Reliable Stores Corporation. On the side, he was commissioned to paint oil portraits of local bishops and superior court judges.

In the late 50s, Lee established William Lee Associates, an art for architecture firm with an office located in Black Rock in the old Johnson Boatworks building. He handled the entire renovation of the Barnum Museum and also started doing exterior relief murals, church mosaics, architectural embellishments, bank murals and even lighting design.

By the mid 70s, he wanted to do something different. In 1974, he got a call from the Town of Fairfield asking him to get involved in planning for the Bicentennial celebration. He began a friendship with then First  Selectman John Sullivan and worked with George Pratt to put together a program of activities. The events were a great success and Sullivan asked Lee to stay on to help with the expansion of the Town Hall into the Burr Homestead and to help guide the design and features of new town hall offices behind the Burr property.

When the new town hall was completed, the Burr Homestead was vacated and Lee appointed as director to develop a historic civic center with the home as a centerpiece. Lee called in the Junior League and it was decided to make the property a show house for public functions – a revenue generator for the town.

At the same time, Lee convinced Sullivan to purchase the adjacent Sun Tavern, which was idle and in disrepair, and the 1.5-acre parcel on which it sat. The 18^th Century building was built by Samuel Penfield after the town was burned by the British. It was on the main NY-to-Boston artery.

One morning, as Lee recalled it, Sullivan asked him about the Tavern, “’Now what the hell are we going to do with it?’ I told him it wouldn’t take a lot to fix up. ‘Then what? Do we rent it? To who?’ John said. ‘To me!’ I said.”

Lee made a renovation proposal, received a five-year lease and moved in. It was 1979. Five years became 15 as he handled all the renovation work and incorporated period furnishings. “All of my grandchildren spent their Christmases and Easters there. In 1989, on the 350^th anniversary of the Burning of Fairfield, we had a huge celebration and reenactment, with the tavern as a main feature. We even had General Washington there!”

By the mid-90s, Fairfield had changed, there was a new selectman, Lee’s wife had become very ill and they moved from the Tavern to an expanded cape in Trumbull that backed up to property his uncle owned. His connection with Fairfield didn’t end there though. Lee was asked to do the mural for the new town hall’s entryway. As he thought about it and did some preliminary sketches, a Red Admiral butterfly paid a visit, the same type that would visit him and Anne as they relaxed often out behind the Tavern. It was destiny calling, he executed the mural and even incorporated the butterfly just above his signature in the completed artwork. As a reward, he was given a real key to the Town of Fairfield and, as a joke, tried to use it as a pass at the Jennings Marina gatehouse.

The tall and still very nimble Lee, whose wife passed in 2000, remains active. “Every day I wake up and say what am I going to do today? I think of the Longfellow poem with the line ‘something remains for us to do or dare; even the oldest tree some fruit may bear.’”

SIDEBAR

The Sun Tavern and Its Storied Residents

When Sam Penfield, who built Fairfield’s Sun Tavern, died in 1811, a new minister, Nathaniel Hewitt, who was going to be assigned to the First Church Congregational, purchased the property and moved in with his wife Rebecca. Hewitt had two sons, Augustine and Henry.

Augustine became the co-founder of the Epaulist Order of Catholic Priests and was instrumental in establishing St. Thomas. He was also associated with the Rev. Thomas Synnott who built St. Augustine’s (now St. Augustine’s Cathedral) in Bridgeport. The granite used in its construction was extracted from the quarry near which former Fairfield Historic Civic Center Director Bill Lee lived. Synnott was very involved with the development of Bridgeport in general and voted in as a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education. Augustine gave the eulogy on the occasion of Synnott’s funeral services in the late 1800s.

Henry Hewitt went to Yale and New York Medical School and became a doctor. In the Civil War, he was commissioned as a surgeon in the Union Army and was appointed by General Grant as his personal staff surgeon.

Hoping to complete it shortly, Lee is working on a related book project revealing the story of the life and times of Augustine Hewitt. The work will include a lot of previously unknown early Fairfield history, which promises to be a great contribution to the town’s legacy.

The Susan Fund Benefits From Black Bear Reopening Event

The Susan Fund Benefits From Black Bear Reopening Event

(Appeared online 10/5/10 at Westport.Patch.com)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/2/10

Westport, CT – Ann Lloyd was glad for the exposure, not only from Black Bear Wine & Spirits’ October 2 grand reopening event, but also from the sun that shone down on her literature table outside the retailer’s front entrance and helped counteract the chilly afternoon.

The chairperson of The Susan Fund, a Westport-based scholarship fund that awards scholarships to Fairfield County college-bound students who have been diagnosed with cancer, Lloyd commented, “We appreciate the exposure. Getting awareness is often a challenge for us. We want to get out the word about the scholarships that are available.”

Off to her right, store mascot Bentley the Bear waved to passersby. He encouraged them inside where they could enjoy a series of tastings of top wines and spirits and take advantage of special discounts. Most importantly, for every $40 wine purchase made, Black Bear pledged to donate $2 to the charity.

The Susan Fund was established in 1982 to honor the memory of Ann’s daughter Susan Davis Lloyd, a teenager who was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma at the beginning of her senior year at Staples High School. Since its inception, more than 500 scholarships have been awarded, totaling over $1 million. The Fund is the inaugural beneficiary of the wine retailer’s “Black Bear Gives Back” program.

This year, the Fund had 30 scholarship recipients that shared a $73,000 distribution. Individually awarded amounts are determined based on need, merit, scholastic achievement and external activities. Recipients must also be attending an accredited school, can be any age and have battled cancer at some point in their life.

“Our recipients have been fabulous, and do a lot of work in their communities,” said Lloyd. One 2010 recipient is Fairfield resident Brandon Held, 21, a senior at the University of Connecticut. His past activities included organizing a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Another recipient is Trumbull resident Donna Proudfoot, who is in her late 30s and the mother of one child. She has returned to school to study to be a dental hygienist. Her husband is a Westport police officer.

When Lloyd’s daughter passed in Fall 1980, she sought contributions in her memory in lieu of flowers. Surprisingly, she received over $12,000, part of which benefited Staples High School. But then she began thinking of how she could do even greater good and approached various cancer research organizations. “They were happy to take our money but wouldn’t let us have any say in how the funds would be used. Then Lloyd discovered Candlelighters, a national organization for parents with children battling cancer. Given that her daughter had been accepted early to Colgate University and was so excited about going to college, Lloyd though she would do something around scholarships.

In 1982, the Fund was organized under the auspices of Candlelighters and functioned that way until 1991. At that point, the Fund was granted the ability to accept tax-deductible contributions.

Lloyd produces a quarterly newsletter, which is primarily directed to Fairfield County based residents. It includes contribution information and is a key source of the group’s funding. Now the Fund can also accept contributions online through its website www.thesusanfund.org

Joining Lloyd out in front of Black Bear and seated at a second table was Kerry Beard, 20. She was offering Black Bear Wine Club memberships and was excited about the store’s new redesign, which the Grand Reopening event celebrated. “People think the new look is great… cozy… like a boutique. The format allowed us to add more products within the same footprint and is better organized. I think it will make our customers happier.”

One happy customer was Lisa Harris from Weston, who was buying several bottles of wine with her daughters Lindsey and Lauren in tow. “I was interested in seeing the changes. These guys (her daughters) do ballet down the street. It looks nice! And the association with The Susan Fund is a terrific idea!”

In a back corner of the store, Robert Cordisco, a sales representative for Stratford-based wholesalers Hartley & Parker, was conducting the first of five planned tastings. Store owner Gerard Iulo said of the sampling, “These will help customers familiarize themselves with Old World vs. New World brands and distinguish the difference between the vines.” Added his wife Denise, “When you’re shopping for wines, the tastings allow you to narrow what you like and make purchase decisions. There’s a whole lot more to wine than Cab, Chardonnay and Merlot.”

Similarly, there’s a lot more to Black Bear than just wines and spirits. Raise a glass to this Westport business’ charity outreach efforts. 

Sherman School Struts Its Stuff

Sherman School Struts Its Stuff
(Appeared 10/1 on Fairfield-Sun newspaper's website) 

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

9/24/10

Fairfield, CT --  Roger Sherman Elementary School 1^st Annual Walk-a-thon planners hoped to hit their goal of $15,000 to fund the many programs the school’s PTA offers its children. By September 24, the day of the Walk, it had collected $18,000 and was still counting.

The Walk-a-thon concept was hatched as a fun and fit activity open to all kindergartners through fifth-graders and a replacement to the school’s usual gift wrap fundraiser which takes place each fall. It was an experiment that paid off thanks to the efforts of students, parents and more than a dozen local businesses, like BMW of Bridgeport, that made contributions.

Coordinated by Sherman moms Lauren Lanham and Sara Kwon, the event raised funds for such programs as Cultural Enrichment, Author/Storyteller Visits, Field Trips, Diversity Day and Art in the Classroom. To spur on fundraising, a daily raffle was also conducted from September 13^th – 23^rd, with prizes for students that included a No Homework Pass, Hobbytown Prizes, a Holiday Fair Raffle Coupon, Spring Fair Raffle Coupon, Dairy Queen Gift Certificate and Movie Tickets to Community Theater.

Approximately 500 students participated in the Walk, which consisted of a 1-mile loop through the Beach Area adjacent to Sherman School. All students were outfitted with special t-shirts that had been provided for the occasion and left the school grounds in class groups, with the fifth graders in the lead, escorted by several parents and teachers.

It was a noisy bunch and cheered on by more parents, holding encouraging poster board signs, who appeared along the route.

Water was provided at the conclusion of the Walk and a representative from Hobbytown launched several toy rockets to mark the group’s achievement. 

“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.”