Annual Bird Count Tallies 110 Confirmed Species

Annual Bird Count 
Tallies 110 Confirmed Species:

64^th Annual Westport Christmas Bird Count conducted Dec. 19

(Appeared in Westport News 12/22)

By Mike Lauterborn

ã 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/19/10

Fairfield, CT – With all the preliminary count data in, Townsend Dickinson announced that 110 different species of birds had been officially observed.

He and his wife, Mardi, are this year’s data compilers for the 64^th Annual Westport Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The local count, which is part of a larger National Audubon Society effort being conducted nationwide, occurred over a 24-hour period from midnight to midnight Sunday, Dec. 19. Its goal is to identify and count each species of bird and record how many of each type are seen in a day, within a 15-mile diameter count circle centered at Westport’s Twin Bridges on Route 57.

Counters are all volunteers and range in ability from “pigeon feeders” to very knowledgeable birders. The more experienced individuals are paired with those of lesser experience and most begin looking for birds at sunrise. More ambitious types go out several hours earlier searching for owls and rails.

The CBC results are published in a large report along with input from 1,700 other counts conducted nationwide and throughout the Americas. The concept was initiated 111 years ago and is the longest running annual census of bird populations in the country. About 44,000 birdwatchers serve as counters.

To celebrate their achievement and submit their data, local participants gathered at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Birdcraft Museum at 314 Unquowa Road at the conclusion of the day’s counting. It was an appropriate site as the oldest bird sanctuary in the United States, started by Mabel Osgood Wright.

While warming themselves and feasting on fare that included lasagna, soup, pizza and ribs, the group of 18 chirped about the day’s activities and unusual sightings.

One of several captains, Charlie Barnard, 66, who led a counting group of six along the Fairfield shore area, spoke about how he got started as a birder. “I just started birding out of curiosity as a kid of 10. Fifty six years later and I’m still doing it. I initially wanted to know bird names, then they became intriguing as I associated the birds with the places from which they’d migrated. It appeals to your imagination. To see a bird bred in the Arctic and bound for South America and to catch him on the way is really interesting.”

His group had started at 7 a.m. and finished at 4:30 p.m. “It was a challenge trying to get to the end of Penfield Reef at low tide. We couldn’t make it today as the northeastern wind was pushing the tide into normally uncovered spots,” he said.

“We saw large numbers of water fowl – not only a lot of species but also a lot of individual birds,” Barnard said. “For instance, we saw 400 Common Goldeneye, a small duck that’s a winter resident down here. We saw one Northern Gannett, which normally nests in rock cliffs in the Canadian maritime area.”

About the counting process, Barnard says he’ll count to 100 birds and then overlay that image on the remaining flock to get a fairly accurate estimate. Numbers are recorded on field cards that the teams carry. These list 406 different species that have historically been recorded in Connecticut.

Two of Barnard’s team members were James Purcell, 14, a Fairfield Ludlowe High School student, and Alex Burdo, 14, an Unquowa School student. Purcell spoke about how he got his birding start. “When I was 7, I got a bird guide in the mail from the Audubon Society, got hooked and started going out birdwatching. Then I heard about the Connecticut Bird List, an online forum that provides info about where certain species can be found in the state. I started going birding all over Connecticut and then joined the count last year.”

Purcell inspired Burdo to join him this year. “There were a lot of great birds,” Burdo said. “I saw two Redheads, which are very uncommon in Connecticut. The Red-Breasted Nuthatch at a person’s feeder was also cool. My top favorite bird of the day was an Ipswich Savannah, a sparrow that only breeds in Sable Island in Canada.”

To record all the species, Townsend called out each species’ name from a field card to the group and they would let him know if they had seen one or not. Often, he would ask where and to provide more detail. The group had noted several species that were not on the list, including an Eider, Barnacle Goose and Cackling Goose. Each will need to be further documented.

“I loved being out there today and collaborating with other birders… but especially seeing all the different birds,” said Purcell, with a clear fondness for feathered friends.

‘Seasons Readings’ a Stocking Full of Surprises

‘Seasons Readings’ a Stocking Full of Surprises:

Dec. 16 Westport Woman’s Club show plays to full house

(Appeared in Westport News 12/22)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/17/10

Westport, CT – It was not the usual holiday theatrical fare and that was quite alright with the full house of people that had gathered Thursday night Dec. 16 at the Westport Woman’s Club.

The attraction was “Seasons Readings”, holiday-themed, whimsical short plays and stories read by a quintet of professional actors under the direction of Carole Schweid. a principal of JIB Productions. For many years, JIB has produced a popular “Play With Your Food” lunchtime series of performances. This new production was a chance to “offer audiences fresh and provocative holiday-oriented material and in the evening,” according to JIB co-principal Nancy Diamond.

The featured actors came to the informal Woman’s Club stage with impressive resumes. Alison Cimet has appeared on Broadway in “A Tale of Two Cities”, local theater and numerous TV commercials. Tom Zingarelli is a veteran actor, director and producer of 35 years who may be best known as the star of the “Tall Tales” video series for children about American folk heroes. Susan Terry has appeared in Broadway shows “Evita” and “City of Angels”, Off-Broadway, opera and in PBS TV productions. Chris Cafero has been featured in films, TV soaps and local theater. Joanna Keylock has made a splash in film, webisodes, local theater and Off-Broadway.

While the quintet’s talent made the vignettes come alive, it was Schweid’s skill in selecting just the right offbeat fare to feature that drove the production. “You do a lot of reading through an enormous amount of stuff,” said Schweid. “Things pop out and grab you. You say, ‘I love it, others probably will, too.’ There’s all this great material that people don’t normally hear. I think, cool, let’s get a little Tuna Christmas in here.”

Schweid’s reference, formally “A Tuna Christmas”, is a comedic play set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, and was first up among the readings in the high-ceilinged, festively decorated Club hall. The readers effected thick Texas accents, played up stereotypes and gave a glimpse at what an over-the-top holiday might be like Lone Star style.

Next in the program, “The Loudest Voice”, written by Grace Paley and performed quite amusingly by Terry, conveyed the experience of a Jewish girl named Shirley Abramowitz, who is put in the awkward position of having to narrate her school’s Christmas pageant.

“On the Bridge”, performed chiefly by Cafero and written by Frederick Stroppel, who was in attendance, told the tale of a chance encounter by a man and woman on a bridge on Christmas Eve. Both are down on their luck and depressed and seeking to end it all by jumping. The story was touching and provided a happy, heart-felt twist at the end.

Full of hilarity, “Christmas in Flatbush”, penned by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning writer Wendy Wasserstein, offered the sentimental recollection of her first Christmas at Mount Holyoke College.

The concluding number was a piece by William Lederer titled “A Christmas Ballad for the Captain”. Lederer was a career naval officer so it was not surprising that his work paid tribute to the kindness of a wartime leader at Christmastime.

A chorus of “Silent Night” tied a neat bow around the evening’s performances and ushered the audience into an adjacent room for pastries and eggnog provided by The Pantry of Fairfield. There, audience members, producers, writers and cast alike mingled and shared their thoughts on the production.

“I liked how Carole put different styles and pieces together. There were lots of angles… Judaism, Christianity,” said cast member Cimet. “There was enough variety to speak to everyone.” Her associate Terry agreed, saying, “There was a wonderful potpourri of different views of the holidays. I saw a lot of smiling faces in the audience.”

Audience members were united in their appreciation. “I thought it was fabulous, great Christmas spirit, wonderful acting,” said Susanne Addessi of Westport. Friend Jeanette Linsey added, “The selection was great, very diverse. They mixed it up really well.”

Maxine Paul of Weston was particularly impressed. “I saw four Broadway shows in the last four weeks and enjoyed these pieces more than them. Every time I come here it’s remarkable.”

 

‘Milo, My Stray Cat’ A Labor of Love

‘Milo, My Stray Cat’ A Labor of Love:

New book helps children learn to read

(Appeared in Westport News 12/22)

By Mike Lauterborn

ã 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/15/10

Fairfield, CT – Trying teenage angst, a case of dyslexia and a curious cat were the catalysts that connected a former creative director and family therapist and led to their collaboration on a new book chiefly designed to help children learn to read.

Interviewed recently at a Fairfield coffee shop, Gayle Gleckler, co-author and illustrator of “Milo, My Stray Cat”, spoke about the inspiration for the book, her background and the target audience.

“My son Zac was going through some difficult teenage twists and turns and we were introduced to Dr. Donald Cohen, a family therapist,” began Gleckler. While Cohen was knowledgeable and helpful, the doctor’s curious gray cat Milo, an adopted stray, was as attentive and accommodating. The cat was also a comforting reminder of Zac and Gayle’s own adopted cats – Steamboat, Spot and Mash.

“I noticed an adult poem on Don’s wall that he had written, titled ‘My Stray Cat’,” said Gleckler. “He said he always wanted to develop it into a children’s book. I said I would love to co-create it with him and adapted it. My son is dyslexic and, not only did I love reading him children’s books when he was young, I thought this could be a useful tool to help him learn to read.”

Further playing on that thought, Gleckler suggested a type style that would be graphically descriptive -- the word ‘fluffy’ would actually look fluffy, the word ‘falling’ would be cascading down, the word ‘eyes’ would have eyeballs. By attaching meaning to the words, she figured that this would help children remember the words and learn to read faster.

The plotline of the story is Milo gets lost after he becomes a beloved pet to six-year-old Donny, and Donny realizes that if you really love a pet (or person), you need to let them go and roam free. Gleckler said the target audience is ages 4 to 104.

Adoption is a definite theme of the book and Gleckler herself was adopted. “We all feel lost at times and want to be adopted,” said Gleckler. “This book teaches children the gift of adopting lost animals while encouraging the idea of taking responsibility for the caring of others. It may also be appealing to parents who already have a child and are seeking to adopt another. It’s a good way of opening up a conversation.”

Gleckler says the book was years in development – a labor of love – and that Zac saw the process and layouts and pages as they were scattered about her house. “It was probably very educational for him and he even made some creative suggestions along the way.”

The book includes a CD featuring an original “Milo, My Stray Cat” song and a complete read of the book by Gleckler and Cohen. Their voices represent both a mother and father reading, which can be particularly comforting to a child of separated parents. For people who are not at ease reading to their children, the CD can also be a great substitute.

Gleckler brings a very strong advertising and design background to the table, which she said has been helpful in developing the book. She is a former art director at New York’s Young & Rubicam, former EVP/Creative Director at Foote Cone & Belding, owned her own agency Gleckler & Partners and is now current CEO of her own North Salem, NY-based marketing firm, The Whole Enchilada. Her experience allowed her to not only adapt the book’s text but illustrate it.

Admittedly, though, the project is still new territory for her. “I’ve been used to big budgets in the agency world. This is very different, with a lot of hands-on marketing. I’ve got copies of Milo in the back of the car and have been going to book signings at remote places. But I believe the book will be an instrumental teaching tool.”

“Milo, My Stray Cat” can be purchased at www.atlasbooks.com, www.amazon.com and www.memorymanpress.com. A portion of book sales will benefit the Reidel and Cody Fund for Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center in Norwalk, CT.

Man About Town: Lounging Around at Las Vetas

Man About Town: 
Lounging Around at Las Vetas

(Column appeared in the 

Fairfield Citizen news 12/22)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/17/10

It was a bright, sunny mid-December Friday morning and people were already in that let’s-start-the-weekend mode. I was right with them and thought there’d be no better place than Las Vetas Lounge to get things kicked off.

Perched up the street from the Community Theater at 27 Unquowa Road, the café has been accommodating moviegoers, local business people, commuters and students since January 2010 when it moved from a prior location on the Post Road that it had occupied since 2003.

“We outgrew the old place, especially in the storage area,” said owner Andrew Servetas, 35, who was preparing coffee when I visited. “The rent was due to go up, up, up and I didn’t see the capacity to grow, grow, grow.”

The new 1,800-square-foot space offers the same worn-flannel-straight-out-of-the-dryer charm but with a broader menu and more seating capacity.

The exterior alone invokes curiosity. A large mug-shaped sign emblazoned with the word “Coffee” hangs over the front door. Colorful retro chairs in hues of peach, red, purple, teal and brown sit along the front beside latticed metal tables. A sign taped to one of the large picture windows teases “’Tis the season for kisses under mistletoe, carols and really delicious drinks… to name a few: Peppermint Stick Mocha, the Eggnog Latte, Classic Hot Chocolate.”

Inside, at the far end of the room, a bust of Beethoven guards a small piano. Monkey figurines hold the lamps of an unusual chandelier. A homey artificial Christmas tree is trimmed in red, striped and silver ornaments. A five-tier shelving unit is stacked with coffee table books and board games. Another tower hold several hundred classic LPs like Jimi Hendrix’ Electric Lady Land and Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited.

Tables and chairs of all shapes, sizes and description fill the center of the room. As Servetas explained, these were sourced from multiple places. “Retro is best. If I want a table, I go to Google or Craig’s List and type in ‘retro’. Up pops the Duke of Earl swing chairs. I don’t feel that things necessarily need to match.”

One formica-topped, chrome-trimmed table was donated by a customer. Another similar table came from an estate sale in Stratford. A third table had come from Servetas’ parents and had adorned their kitchen back in the 1950s.

In high alcoves, more unusual décor: an Elvis bust donated by a local barber, a Beatles album dropped off by a homeless man, clocks and characters.

The center of action is the long pine serving counter opposite the entrance, which is lined with glass candy jars and divides café from kitchen. From this area emanates all the wonderful fare for which the café is known. Pre-roasted java, with tags like South Alps Vanilla and Pumpkin Spice, delivered weekly. A wide array of black, green, herbal and decaf teas. Hot espresso drinks and specials. Mulled cider, hot chai, iced drinks, shakes and smoothies.

And while beverages are a focus, there’s a collection of breakfast, lunch and dessert items to be had. Egg dishes, oatmeal, pancakes and baked goods. Chili, soup, salads and sandwiches. Carrot cakes and cheesecake.

Servetas said the café concept was modeled on Las Vegas and leaving your troubles at home. “It’s about having a social every night.” As to the name, he said his friends call him “Vetas” and it seemed appropriate as an incorporation.

A former marketing guy who had worked with the CT Post and Ryan Partnership, Servetas longed to be his own boss. This 100-year-old space, that has seen incarnations over the years as a Chevy dealership, bookstore and bowling alley, is now his home away from home.

People pop in and out as I gather my things and step back into the brisk December air, another mission completed in my Man About Town campaign.

Area Firefighters Rescue Family’s Christmas

Area Firefighters Rescue 
Family’s Christmas:

Fairfield & Bridgeport fire dept’s assist family displaced by fire

(Posted to 
Fairfield.Patch.com 12/21)

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/21/10

Fairfield, CT – This was one emergency call that firefighters at Jennings Road Engine 2 Fire Station were glad to receive.

The call came from Terry O’Connell of Bridgeport Engine 12 on behalf of the Bridgeport Firefighters Christmas Family Fund. O’Connell was seeking their support in helping deliver a holiday bounty to a Bridgeport family that had lost their home to fire and been temporarily relocated to Fairfield.

The family – Sheronda Jackson and her children Jamil, 12, and Shayla, 17 – had lived in a home on Adams Street in Bridgeport until fire gutted it on November 28. They initially went to live with a grandparent in Norwalk until Sheronda’s company, Onward Healthcare, at which she is a compliance coordinator, stepped up to cover an apartment rental for a period of six months. The apartment is located at 114 Brentwood Avenue, less than a mile from the Jennings Road station.

The Fund was started eight years ago by a retired Bridgeport firefighter, Bo Diaz, and his daughter Haley. O’Connell explained that every school in the city of Bridgeport has a social worker assigned to it and they help the Fund’s committee identify deserving families. The needy are also identified through churches and community organizations.

The Fund is 100% supported by donations. This year, $40,000 was raised, which is “down about half” from the previous year, said O’Connell. Donors included Firefighters Union Local 834, Al’s Angels and private citizens. In 2009, the Fund helped 45 families. This year, 40 families, which include about 140 children, are being assisted.

Typical help includes food baskets, toys and meals. The meal is a complete family Christmas dinner including a spiral ham, a turkey, all the fixings and even dessert.

“We almost weren’t able to do the food baskets,” said O’Connell. “Then Paul Crisci of Port Group Solutions in Monroe stepped up with $1,000 which allowed us to cover our funding gap due to an increase in food costs. He was one of our big angels this year.”

As a convoy of vehicles was prepared to make the short hop over to the Jackson’s temporary quarters, Fairfield firefighter Rick Kazzi said of the effort, “It’s a good thing they do.”

Kazzi and fellow firefighter Bob Smith led the procession in Rescue 1 while the department’s Engine 2 and Ladder 2 trucks, as well as a Chevy Suburban carrying a team of Bridgeport firefighters, followed behind. As they neared the home, the vehicles sounded their sirens, which brought the Jacksons outside to their landing.

Firefighters scaled the stairs with gifts and holiday provisions – not firefighting gear – in hand, much to Sheronda’s relief. “I heard the sirens and said, ‘Oh, no, not again,” she said. As the family and fire personnel gathered in the home’s sparsely furnished front room and presents were placed under a modest tree in one corner, Sheronda shared her thoughts about the fire and being displaced.

“The fire was traumatic,” she said. “I’d never been through anything like that before. Without my job, I don’t know.”

Sheronda said they will have family from Norwalk over on Christmas Eve and celebrate Christmas in the three-bedroom apartment.  

Whole School Flashed at Holiday Sing-Along

Whole School Flashed 
at Holiday Sing-Along:

Surprise performance wows 

Mill Hill students and staff

(Posted to 

Fairfield.Patch.com 12/21)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/21/10

Southport, CT – It seemed like just another annual holiday school sing-along until a gregarious woman wearing a red boa jumped up and started swinging her hips and gesticulating wildly. Surprisingly, a pack of students, many of them wearing elf and Santa hats, sprang to their feet and joined her.

The site was Mill Hill School at 635 Mill Hill Terrace in Southport and the event was the annual holiday sing-along, held mid-morning Monday in the school’s gymnasium. Traditionally, students and staff gather to entertain one another with classic holiday music. This year, 3^rd grade teacher Joan Hellthaler had a little surprise in store for everyone.

The event agenda seemed like the usual fare at first, with the exception of the 5^th grade band, under the guidance of Band Director Linda Zwickler, which serenaded the classes as they entered the gym and the children took seats on the floor in designated areas. Amie Arcari, the music teacher and chief coordinator of the event, had asked the band to participate as a “low-key opportunity to get in front of their peers and perform,” she said. All the band students are first year and started in September with their instruments.

Despite the band’s atypical presence, things still seemed par for the course. Principal Kevin Chase welcomed everyone – some 470 students -- noting, “This is your show. It’s all about you. We’re celebrating ourselves as students and Southport families.” He admired the students’ job respecting each other.

Arcari said her bit as well. “Good morning Mill Hill! Here we are at the big event that we’ve been working on for weeks.”

As in past years, the kindergarten class under the leadership of Miss King kicked things off, with “Dreidel Dreidel” and “Up on the Rooftop”, acting out all the action. Then it was the first graders’ turn with “Burn Little Candles” and “It Must Be Santa” with piano accompaniment from Arcari.

The 2^nd graders were next up with “Oh Hanukkah” and seemed ready to launch into a second number when, all of a sudden, “All I Want For Christmas is You” began playing and Hellthaler burst onto the floor. Her class of 18 joined her and they performed what seemed to everyone in attendance to be a spontaneous, ambush dance and song set. Special Ed teacher Ike Nwagwu and 4^th grade teacher Dennis Boskello accompanied on bongos.

“I think we’ve just been Flash Mobbed!” said Alcari to the crowd as the group finished and retook their seats, to much applause and surprised cheers from the gathering.

Hellthaler let Patch in on the secret. “We had been watching some Flash Mob performances online at snack time and the kids were very animated about them. I have a couple of dancers in my classroom and they thought about what they could do. Two weeks ago, we began doing our own choreography.” The goal was to create an unexpected “happening” in the middle of the traditional holiday performance.

“You’d be surprised about some of the moves the kids wanted to do,” joked Hellthaler. “I had to say ‘inappropriate’ a few times. We practiced in secret three times a day with the blinds drawn and paper over the doorway window. I was glad the boys were as enthusiastic. You don’t want to make them do it if they don’t want to.”

The response to the “ambush” was universally positive. “That was fantastic. We didn’t expect it. It adds to the show,” said math and reading support teacher Nora Zilliox. “It looked like they were having so much fun!” added paraprofessional Nancy Albert.

“It was great,” said special ed teacher Katie Cronin. “Joan’s always very enthusiastic with her students. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her!”

Solstice Lunar Eclipse Viewing Provides Bonding Opportunity

Solstice Lunar Eclipse Viewing Provides Bonding Opportunity:

Fairfield Dad and sons monitor Moon’s passage through Earth’s shadow

(Posted on 

Fairfield.Patch.com 12/21)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

12/21/10

Fairfield, CT – So the plan was to catch the much talked about Solstice Lunar Eclipse live, without having to step outside into the late December bitter cold. That’s what my boys and I had decided and here’s how the plan unfolded...

As it was Monday and the lads, Phil, 11, and Evan, 15, had school the next day, it was agreed I would stay up and wake them at 1:30 a.m., the official start of the eclipse.

Sipping apple cider, munching on a block of cheddar cheese and channel surfing, I passed the time as they slept.

At the appointed hour, I went to wake them but one had set an alarm and they sprang to life on their own. We piled into our west-facing second floor bathroom and peered up through the window in the direction of the Moon.

Unfortunately, clouds swirled about up there and obscured the view, and the condition only got worse. We decided to employ technology.

Scrambling downstairs to a kitchen computer, we brought up NASA’s eclipse page, but that offered a blank screen only. Way more helpful and crystal clear was WPBT Channel 2’s live feed out of Miami.

As the time span of the eclipse was so lengthy, we decided to check on it at 15-minute intervals. Our first check was at 1:45 a.m. and a quarter “bite” had been taken. By 2 a.m., half the moon was obscured. By 2:15 a.m., nearly three quarters.

At 2:30 a.m., the Moon, as the eclipse was almost complete, had taken on a reddish glow. That was very surprising and exciting.

We flicked on our Christmas tree lights and tuned the TV to holiday music in celebration, and continued to monitor… Phil and I anyhow. Evan had seen enough and returned to his warm bed. Phil curled up in a SpongeBob Squarepants blanket on a living room couch between screen checks.

At each key interval, I snapped a photo of the screen and occasionally we would review the shots to see the event’s progression. It was much easier to see the passage than in real time, which was like waiting for a pot to boil.

At full eclipse, the Moon was glowing – a mix of burnt orange, white and a tinge of blue along the right side. This was about 2:45 a.m.

“It sounds so cold out there, Dad,” Phil remarked as we listened to the wind howl outside. Temps had fallen to 28 degrees but really felt like the teens with the wind chill. We wondered how anyone that had planned to be outside was faring. Just the thought made us break out hot chocolate mix and put milk on to boil.

Phil’s attention had waned by this point as he found “Back to the Future” on the tube. I was starting to lose interest, too, as the pattern, by 3, seemed to have paused.

A fire engine, not in any hurry, passed our Fairfield Beach area house, headed toward the ocean. We wondered if there were stargazer fans on the force that had decided to make a waterfront foray to see the celestial event.

By 3:15 a.m., we called it a night, our eclipse curiosity satisfied. We were glad we had experienced this dual lunar eclipse / solstice moment, a memory that would last for years to come.