Patch Voter Guide: Small Business Challenges in Fairfield and Westport

Patch Voter Guide: Small Business

Challenges in Fairfield and Westport

The candidates for Connecticut House of Representatives District 133 have varied solutions.

(Appeared on Westport.Patch.com 11/2)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/25/10

Southport resident Kathryn Engle, a registered nurse at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, has seen small businesses come and go in Fairfield and Westport.

“There have definitely been a lot of fly-by-nights and boutiques that have opened and closed,” she has noticed.

District 133 State House of Representatives candidates DeeDee Brandt, Republican, and Kim Fawcett, Democrat, have noticed, too, and laid out some plans in the 2010 Patch Voter Guide. Click here to see where they stand on small business challenges, transportation and budget woes.

Tax Breaks and Equal Purchasing Power

Engle said one solution would be to provide tax breaks to small business, but she wasn’t sure if that would be enough. “Even if they give breaks, we still have high unemployment, so the tax reductions won’t help business because people are not able to spend.”

Another challenge to small businesses, she suggested, are the big box stores and conglomerates. “Where I was purchasing from small shops in the past, now I’m spending at the bigger stores because of the better prices and savings… trying to save money. In general, people’s wages haven’t increased and bonuses are less, which affects a lot of the town.”

“Maybe leveling the purchasing power ability of small businesses to be on par with larger businesses would help.”

Plans to Address Small Business Challenges

The candidates running for Connecticut’s House of Representatives, District 133, have thoughts on how to give small business a boost.

Brandt said one big challenge to small business is the $30 million the state charges through the business entity tax. “This tax was supposed to go away five years ago.”

Overall, though, Brandt feels, “The best thing government can do is stay out of the way of small business.” She cites all the sessions devoted to anti-business proposals for healthcare, vacation days and other union-driven issues, saying, “The longer these proposals hang around and get debated, the more likely it will be that they become law, and will make the current situation worse for small businesses.” A key solution, she says, is to give businesses a degree of certainty about fees and taxes that may affect them.

Fawcett’s view is that job creation must be the top priority. She plans to expand the reach of the 2010 Jobs Bill that includes economic incentives and helps open access to investment capital to stimulate job creation. The bill also provides for investment in education, which Fawcett says will better align our workforce with evolving economic needs. “In order for businesses to capitalize on new opportunities in emerging industries, they need access to a highly educated workforce.”

Finding the Right Product Mix

Fairfield resident Michael Campbell, 51, has noticed that Fairfield is becoming more like Westport in that big stores are squeezing out small shops. But he has also seen small business successes like those in the Brick Walk Plaza on the Post Road.

Campbell says the solution may just be about small businesses finding the perfect formula to attract local consumers.

“Small businesses have to find the right product mix to be successful… a niche business solution that fulfills current or future needs. I think the rent going up is inevitable, but a local community that supports small business initiatives will also be helpful.”

Improving Access and Helping Prevent Rent Hikes

Gillian Jones, a Human Resources Director from Westport, had her own opinions as to why small businesses in the area are challenged.

“If you look at Main Street in Westport, it’s difficult to park and gain access to the shops there, so certainly improving parking would be helpful.”

Jones also thought focusing on property owners could alleviate issues. “Landlord rent hikes are a problem, so if tax breaks were provided to those property owners, that would help start-up businesses.”

Fairfield Masons “Open Up” To Visitors

Fairfield Masons “Open Up” To Visitors

(Appeared in Fairfield Citizen newspaper 11/1)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/30/10

Fairfield, CT – It was a sneak peek at a historic organization with roots dating back to the Middle Ages and the first time in decades in Connecticut that its doors had been opened to the public.

For three hours early Saturday afternoon, Fairfield’s Masonic Temple at 131 Beach Road held an Open House opportunity for visitors to tour the lodge, ask questions of members and learn more about this often controversial and mysterious society.

“We felt we wanted to meet the community, remind them we are here and that we contribute to life in Fairfield,” said Easton resident and Worshipful Master Andrew Bilukha, 35, the leader of Fidelty St. John’s Lodge 3 as the temple is formally recognized.

Bilukha was joined by Fairfield resident James L’Acosta, 49, a lodge brother who helped provide historical background. Said L’Acosta, while there are rumored connections to the builders of King Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem and even to Stonehenge, freemasonry is clearly associated to stonemason guilds in western Europe dating back to the Middle Ages. It was organized as an association for these laborers, who were builders of some of the great cathedrals.

In those days, stonemasonry was a critical craft and, though the era was very restrictive, these workers were allowed free travel. “As history progressed, methods for masonry changed from operative or labor-oriented, to speculative, in which men were not necessarily masons but using tools and methods to explore spiritual and moral questions,” said L’Acosta.

This transformation happened in the years 1500-1650, coinciding with the beginning of the Enlightenment period. The fraternity served as a safe and secret haven for discussion about such ideals as democracy, science, education, equality, freedom of religion and freedom of consciousness.

As more freedoms were gained, there was less secrecy, and, in 1717, the first grand lodge was formed, in London, England. The structure, analogies, symbols and rituals it established then – and those experienced by noted early American masons Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Paul Revere -- are still observed today. The most recognized symbol, which is featured on the face of the Fairfield lodge, is a square and compass.

The Society took hold in Fairfield in 1762 and was believed to have been initiated at the Sun Tavern, where meetings were held. Masons met on moonlit nights, as they could see to travel. This tradition of meeting twice a month is still observed today.

The lodge’s past masters include members of Fairfield’s founding families including the Wheeler, Bulkeley, Lockwood, Penfield, Hull, Rowland and Staples clans. The current facility on Beach Road was established in 1954, at which time membership hovered around 700. Membership currently numbers 170.

The footprint of the lodge interior mimics early templates, with an east-to-west orientation. Elements include an altar, with a Holy Bible, at the center; a Master’s chair and raised gallery to the east; a Senior Warden’s chair to the west; and a Junior Warden’s chair to the south. The north and south sides of the room each feature about fifty blue velvet theater-style seats for members. At the Fairfield site, historical memorabilia such as tools, photographs and record books is also displayed.

The Master, which is a voted position, leads the lodge, with support from the Wardens. He wears a black felt hat and a pendant called a “jewel” which is his badge of office, carries a wooden gavel to symbolize his authority and carries a stonemason’s apron around his waist.

At meetings, there is no discussion of religion or politics and, while generally an open forum, there are certain lessons presented centered around principles like friendship, morality, brotherly love, service to God, ethical dilemmas and philosophy.

Reported Bilukha, the Masons are very community involved. They host Red Cross blood drives and a child identification program. They conduct a M.A.D.D. program with the Fairfield Police Dept. and fund burn units at area hospitals. They operate a Masonicare healthcare program for citizens and seniors. They raise funds for Shriners Hospitals. In fact, according to L’Acosta, 2.5 million American masons in over 15,000 lodges give more than $800 million to charities each year.

An open house visitor, Jean Kelley of Norwalk, said her grandfather was a freemason. Kelley’s daughter, Linda Lindine, said, “It’s fascinating to learn more about his association with the masons.”

While once a “secret society”, the fraternity now refers to itself as a “society with secrets”, meaning it prefers to retain privacy around its rituals and practices. It maintained that ideal during the open house while still providing a closer look at its rich and colorful history and traditions.

Cheers to Homebrewing: Fairfield a Hotbed for Home Beer Makers

Cheers to Homebrewing:

Fairfield a Hotbed for 

Home Beer Makers

(Appeared on front page of Fairfield-Sun paper 10/28)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved

10/8/10

Fairfield, CT – According to the American Homebrewers Association, today there are an estimated 750,000 homebrewers in the United States. Homebrewing is hotter than ever and Fairfield is awash with passionate do-it-yourselfers with a knack for the craft.

Peter Cowles, 41, is one of the more avid brewers in the area. The energetic Woods End Road resident recently spoke about his inspiration, how his passion evolved and his current activities. “I love to cook and like different types of beer. Twenty years ago, when I was living in New York City, some buddies got a kit. I said then that when I have enough space, I want to do that. When I moved to Boston in 1998, I went out and bought a kit from a local brew shop and started brewing just about every week.”

Cowles’ first brewed beer was a brown ale made with an extract kit. This type of kit basically provides a concentrated malt that is added to water and boiled. Of this first batch, Cowles crowed, “It turned out fantastic… and I was hooked.”

Cowles claims that some early advice he’d been given helped contribute to his enthusiasm and ultimate success. Two points in particular were important: (1) Keep it clean, referring to the condition of the equipment being used, and (2) “Don’t worry, relax and have a homebrew.” The latter is wisdom from Charlie Papasian, credited with starting the homebrewing trend back in the 1970s.

“It’s all about fun,” says Cowles. “You can keep it clean and make very good beer and be satisfied. Or you can take it to a whole other level.”

There are four basic ingredients in beer: water, hops, malt and yeast. Of those, there are infinite combinations and the opportunity to add in other flavors including sugars, spices, fruit and herbs.

Taking it to a whole other level and experimenting with various flavors is precisely what Cowles has done. After that first kit, he began to formulate his own recipes. “I describe the process as a combination of chemistry, biology and cooking. I brewed extract-based beers for 10 years, then, two years ago, switched to all-grain brewing so I could control every aspect of the process.”

Essentially, all-grain brewing involves taking malted barley and “mashing” it to extract sugars. This allows one to start with a neutral base to which any number of components can be added.

Sitting in the kitchen of his ranch-style home, with stickers on his refrigerator proclaiming “I Brew Therefore I Am” and “I Brew the Beer I Drink”, Cowles provided more detail about his all-grain brewing system. “I was able to build a mash tun out of an old picnic cooler, which became the vessel in which I mash the malted barley. You don’t physically “mash” the malt like potatoes, rather you soak the grain in 150-degree water, for 60-90 minutes.” He continued, “Then the grain is rinsed to remove the sugars and the resulting liquid is drained into a brew kettle. I use a big nine-gallon pot or a converted half barrel (15.5 gallon) keg. The liquid, now called “wort”, is then boiled for 60-90 minutes along with hops to add bitterness, flavor and aroma.”

The final stage of the all-grain brewing process involves pumping the hot wort through a chiller, which takes the wort from 212 degrees to 68 degrees, into a fermenter. Cowles uses a 5-gallon food-grade bucket with an airlock. At that point, the yeast is “pitched” or added. Yeast comes in a dry form, like packets, or liquid form, like in vials or pouches.

Beer ferments anywhere from one to three weeks, then is ready for bottling or kegging. “I can go from grain to glass in as quick as 17 days,” Cowles proudly proclaimed.

Cowles is very pleased with what he’s been able to accomplish to date. “I’m able to replicate any type of beer style and achieve the flavors I really want to achieve with the process I’m using now. The options available to me are so much greater – like a chef in a kitchen with a loaded spice rack.”

The brewing industry in general has come a long way. What really sparked the craftbrewing trend is creative homebrewers. The United States, in Cowles’ opinion, is “probably, hands down, the most creative beer brewing nation now.”

Asked about any challenges with the hobby, Cowles admitted, “There’s a time commitment involved. I get up at 5 a.m. on the weekends to brew so as not to cut into family time. I also brew outside because the aromas are fairly strong.”

Have the neighbors embraced his pursuit? Overall, Cowles says ‘yes’.  “My neighbors have become my test panel, a role that they enjoy, and they also pitch in to bottle, or donate propane… whatever may be needed to successfully complete the process.”

At this time, Cowles has close to eighteen different batches of drinkable beer, and even two ciders. The batches include Saison, Tripel, Heffeweisse, Stout, I.P.A. and pale ale. “I have multiple fermenters and about 22 kegs. I’m currently doing all this in my cellar space but we’re putting on an addition whereby I’ll gain an extra 350 square feet of brew space.”

Cowles’ wife Tara has mixed feelings about his hobby. On the one hand, she was “happy when he moved the brewing outside as it really smelled when he boiled it on the stove.” But she realizes it is his passion and even helps out by mailing batches to competitions that he enters. “He brings stuff up to me every day to taste. I don’t sample it all – I do need to get through my day.” On the very positive side, she says, “It’s helped us get to know more of the neighbors.”

Joe Bow, 43, from Mill Plain Road, a friend of Cowles’ for the past three years, is a fellow brewer. “A friend from college started doing it. I went and got a starter kit, made a couple different batches and it caught on. This was 15 years ago. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I started doing different styles and flavors. Peter inspired me to pursue all-grain. I just brewed my first batch, a wheat beer. It’s great. I’m going to do a stout next, then a porter. This is the season for the heavier beers.”

The homebrewing community is a close-knit one. Paul Mucha, 46, another Mill Plain Road resident and friend of both Cowles and Bow, is a homebrewer as well. In fact, the three play softball together. Of his experience, Mucha said, “I dabbled in it years ago, using a cheap kit that would produce beer in 30 days. It inspired me to learn more. Last Christmas, I asked my wife for a gift certificate to homebrew supplier Maltose Express and set myself up with a proper kit. This fall, I brewed a pumpkin ale and more, recently, an Alaskan porter.”

Sums up Cowles, “Everybody I’ve met in the craftbrewing arena is very outgoing and wants to share knowledge. They want everyone to be able to brew better beer.” Adds Mucha, “When you realize success, it becomes a little addicting.”

SIDEBAR

Maltose Express: The Go-To for Fairfield Homebrewers

Fairfield home beer brewer Peter Cowles claims his experience would be very different and not as advanced were it not for Monroe-based Maltose Express. “It’s the only local homebrew supplier. They really guide you and inform you and make it easy to succeed.” Among other supplies, Cowles purchases new bottles from the retailer to house the beer he sends to competitions.

“A friend had started homebrewing and had to send away to Massachusetts for supplies. I thought I could set up a part-time mail-order business to accommodate local needs,” said Mark Szamatulski, 53, who co-owns the business with wife Tess, about how things began.

“We started getting a lot of business and had to open a small store, in 1990,” said Szamatulski. Added Manager Bud Hansell, “It got busy and even busier, forcing us to move twice and expand. We also went from a 5-day-a-week schedule to six days.”

Hansell says they try to carry everything they can and that Mark and Tess have written two books on cloning beer to help guide customers to new taste experiences. “We have to have all those ingredients in stock and we try to accommodate any other need.”

Customer service is key at Maltose, says Hansell. “We actually spend time with customers to go over everything with new brewers. A lot of people think it’s harder than it is. You can keep things simple and be happy with what you do. Of course, you can definitely advance. One customer, Jason Harmon, progressed to the point where he collaborated with and became a part owner of Cisco Brewing in Nantucket.”

“It’s been a pretty good business for us and we’re glad to support the homebrewing needs of Fairfield residents,” said Szamatulski.

Music for Youth Programs Supplement Bridgeport Public School Music Instruction

Music for Youth Programs Supplement Bridgeport Public School Music Instruction

(Appeared on front page of Fairfield Sun and Bpt News 10/28)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/18/10

Bridgeport, CT – Believing young people to be the future of music, non-profit Music for Youth (MFY) has been offering two notable programs to bring outstanding artists to work hands-on with public school music classes and foster collaboration between inner city and suburban-based music students.

Originally an offshoot of an adult chamber music program founded in 1933 called South Shore Music, MFY had conducted a School Residency Program in suburban schools in Westport, Weston, Trumbull, Fairfield and Redding since 1995. Based on its success, in 2003, MFY decided to introduce the program in Bridgeport at Central High School, Park City Magnet School and High Horizons/Multi-Cultural Magnet Schools. Behind the effort is Marianne Liberatore, Dorothy Straub and Cynthia Cummiskey, the President, Vice President and Secretary of MFY’s Board respectively.

Straub, a Bridgeport resident, spearheaded the expansion, bringing to the table her expertise and vast knowledge of music education, as well as her connections with area festivals, orchestras and music programs. Straub also had strong ties to Bridgeport schools and teachers and had personally seen the need.

Fundraising to support the effort was a first priority. “We sought donations from individuals, companies and foundations interested in bringing music to young people, then coordinated with teachers and administrators,” explained Cummiskey. “We also contracted an excellent ensemble, Enso String Quartet, to make onsite visits periodically throughout the year.” The Manhattan-based, Grammy-nominated quartet is internationally known and shares MFY’s goal to incorporate music into young people’s lives.

Enso started working with the students to improve their playing, help with technique and serve as role models. “Most of these students had never heard a professional string quartet before,” said Cummiskey about the Bridgeport music students. “The Residency Program gives them the opportunity to not only meet professionals, but to hear them play and receive guidance on improving their skills.”

In the 2010-2011 school year, the quartet will visit Bridgeport schools on ten separate occasions, beginning October 19. “There’s always a wonderful acceptance of this music by the students,” said Cummiskey, “because the quartet is, first of all, so wonderful at playing, but also warm, kind and interactive. They engage the students, both in playing and conversation, at whatever level the students have achieved.”

At every school visit, the quartet plays a piece from the classical repertoire focusing on a different composer each time – Haydn, Mozart, Beethhoven, etc. MFY provides students with a short written bio about the featured composer, with questions to be answered by students by the time of the next visit. This provides a literary component to the program. The quartet then plays the pieces the students are currently working on so they can hear how the songs are really supposed to sound. Finally, the quartet works on the pieces with the children, focusing on any challenges like rhythm, bowing, ensemble, etc. At a school like High Horizons, the quartet spends three hours onsite in the morning dividing its time into four 40-minute sessions to serve grades 5 through 8. Then the quartet will go to another school in the afternoon, to work with students there.

Cummiskey noted, “The quartet may be the most consistent group of professionals that students encounter through their middle school years, given changes in teacher staffing and administration year to year. And every year we’re thrilled that the quartet keeps coming back.”

From the Residency Program, a Musical Exchange Program between inner city and suburban music students emerged. “Four years ago, I had the idea to initiate a musical exchange,” said Cummiskey. “This is my big thing as I live in the suburbs (Redding) and have young children that study music (15-year-old son Cormac plays cello, piano and electric bass while 11-year-old son Declam plays violin, piano and trombone). I wanted children like mine to make connections through music with kids in other environments.”

“I see music as a fantastic common language that all kids can understand and share,” added Cummiskey, “and with music, they can overcome other barriers that may seem to separate them.” This view is in step with MFY beliefs that music has the power to help young people overcome differences, cement similarities and provide a more fulfilling life for every child. Recent studies support the mission, showing that music can help enhance a child’s educational experience, improve discipline, spur self-expression and foster emotional well-being.

During the first year of the exchange program, students from John Read Middle School in Redding were paired with students from High Horizons/Multi-Cultural Magnet Schools in a joint orchestra. The groups traveled to each other’s schools for rehearsal and even coaching and guidance from Enso Quartet, which leant itself to this program as well.

“Some of the Bridgeport students had not traveled as far north as Redding in their lives and were very excited about the experience,” said Cummiskey. “Similarly, the Redding students, who had not had a previous experience in Bridgeport, were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the kids and school environment.”

Cummiskey noted, “Really, the exchange program does more than help develop music skills. It helps prepare kids for real-world situations and diverse people they will encounter as adults.”

After the program’s successful start in Redding, MFY decided to approach the Weston school system with the opportunity. The Weston Middle School music teacher at the time, Franz Ryersohn, was very excited and worked closely with MFY. Chloe Groth has replaced the retired Ryersohn and been equally dedicated.

Groth’s counterpart in Bridgeport, Aaron Lofaro, is a “dynamic young teacher who is bringing his students to levels they haven’t achieved before,” according to Cummiskey.

On the very last day of the exchange program, in May, the Weston students travel to Bridgeport for a big rehearsal. Then the joint orchestra plays three pieces while the Enso Quartet plays one selection. Students announce each number and the whole school and parents attend. The entire troupe then travels to Weston for a celebratory lunch and performs the whole concert again for an audience there. Cummiskey said, “It’s a long day but an amazing time for everyone.”

Fundraising is key to the continuance of programs like the Residency and Musical Exchange programs. Each year, the amount of money raised determines the number of visits by the Quartet and the extent of the program. This year, MFY received a sizeable grant from Chamber Music America, which covered a great deal of, though not all, operating costs. This included expanding the number of Enso Quartet onsite visits from six to 10 this year – about one visit per month.

For any individual or organization that would like to support these programs, contact Music for Youth at 203-227-1611 or Marianne Liberatore via email at vanhoorn@optonline.net

SIDEBAR

Enso Quartet Provides Hands-On Music Instruction at Magnet Schools

Bridgeport, CT – Though they were meeting each other for the first time, the three dozen 5^th grade students of Bridgeport’s High Horizons and Multi-Cultural Magnet Schools and the accomplished foursome that comprise the Enso String Quartet seemed instantly comfortable in the schools’ band room setting.

This was the first session of the 2010-2011 season of a Residency Program made possible for the past seven years at the schools through the efforts of non-profit Music for Youth. This school year, the program will enable the quartet to make 10 onsite visits to supplement music instruction they are already receiving from music teacher Aaron Lofaro.

“When holding the bow, it’s very important to remember to be relaxed,” coached cellist Richard Belcher, demonstrating bow technique at the front of the room.

“Make a circle with your thumb and index finger/pointer finger,” chimed in viola player Melissa Reardon.

Quizzed about why bow technique is important, student Toni-Lyn Turner, 10, said, “Good bow hold is important for posture and so it won’t slide.” Added Sarah Hernandez, 10, “And it won’t sound right otherwise.”

Standing nearby, Melissa Jenkins, High Horizons’ principal, commented, “I think it’s wonderful that the students have an opportunity to be mentored by professionals. The quartet’s willingness to invest their time is amazing.”

Lofaro has been equally impressed with the program. “They are fantastic and inspiration that you can have a career in the performing arts.”

The 40-minute 5^th grade session was the first of four on this first visit day. Grades 6 to 8 would also enjoy equal time with the quartet. Each class group had a different level of skill and the older children had experienced the quartet in the past. In its session, for example, the 8^th grade worked on the “Star Wars” theme, receiving note-by-note bow positioning reminders from the quartet.

“It’s great to see how far the older students have come,” said Belcher. “We just heard that a student has joined the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestra. If that’s the first of several, then that’s proof that this is successful.”

From the students’ perspective, 12-year-old Briana McDonald best summed up the experience. “When I see them play, it makes me see how I can improve and how I’d like to play in the future.”  

Framing for Saugatuck Center’s Phase I Completed

Framing for Saugatuck Center’s Phase I Completed

(Appeared on 

Westport.Patch.com 10/25)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/25/10

Westport, CT – The sound of nailguns, generators, cement mixers and circular saws was the backdrop for a gathering of developers, builders and town officials who came together midday Monday at the new Saugatuck Center complex on Riverside Avenue to mark the completion of Phase I framing. American flags affixed to the peaks of each structure, considered good luck according to lore, signaled the milestone.

Phase I consists of two buildings, the “Tide” and “Marsh”, each just under 10,000 square feet, with a common zone between them alongside the Saugatuck River between Bridge Street and the I-95 overpass. Each building will feature 2,500 square feet of commercial office space, 2,200 square feet of retail space and three luxury residential units ranging in size from 1,200 to 1,900 square feet. There will also be a 500-foot long boardwalk at the rear of the complex, with access points for visiting boaters. May 1 is the target date for Phase I completion.

Phase II will add 5 more buildings in a horseshoe shape and 21 additional residential units directly across the road where Westport Florist and Doc’s Café are currently located. A final Phase III will add 27 more residential units on the hillside up behind Doc’s Café. All Phase I and Phase II units will be rentals. Phase III units will be condominiums for sale.

“This stage has been four or five years in the making,” said Sam Gault, whose family owns the heating oil company of the same name and Hamilton Development, the developers on the project. “The goal all along has been to bring a neighborhood back to Saugatuck. My father and grandfather said that before the I-95 bridge came through, there were a lot of homes here. Those went away. We’re bringing them back now with this project.”

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff echoed Gault’s comments. “This is great for Westport, and especially great for Saugatuck. It will revitalize the area and bring a neighborhood feel back. We have high hopes and expectations for the development.”

Yvonne Daugherty, owner of Doc’s Café, which will be demolished to make way for Phase II, holds no grudge against the developers and hoped to find a new, more appropriate space that will bring more business. “I took this spot with no lease and the full understanding that they planned to redevelop it. I was given two years and a favorable rent. That was 6 ½ years ago. Given the situation, I don’t have a complaint with the Gault’s.”

What Daugherty did have issue with was the disruption from the construction. As a result, her business is down 30%. But she admitted that all the area business owners affected have the same issue and seemed resigned to the fact.

Daugherty’s understanding is that demolition won’t go forward until the riverside development is fully leased. To that regard, she said, “I just ordered $10,000 worth of cups as I don’t see Doc’s going out of business any time soon.”

Doc’s patron and Westport resident John Casey, 44, said he’d be sad to see Doc’s go. “It’s a focal point and regular stop for everybody in Saugatuck. If Yvonne can negotiate a good deal and continue the business elsewhere that would be great.”

Casey added, “The Saugatuck area needed the development to revitalize business here. It’s been dead and tired. Sometimes business is just business.” 

Demolition of Penfield I Pavilion Begins

Demolition of Penfield I Pavilion Begins

(Appeared on Fairfield.Patch.com 10/25)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/25/10

Fairfield, CT – With each scoop of the excavator, another memory was removed as demolition began on Penfield I Pavilion at Penfield Beach.

The process was initiated at 7:30am on Monday, October 25, and by late afternoon, the section of the pavilion from the lifeguard lounge through to the snack bar had been removed. All that remained of the structure there was a large heap of twisted and crumpled wood and metal. Signage showing ice cream bar options still remained on an exterior wall at the point where the excavator ceased operations for the day.

A chain link fence surrounded the whole site and blocked access to one half of the main parking lot. The toll booth at the lot’s main entrance had also been moved to one side to allow heavy equipment and flatbed truck access.

The excavator operator said the Town of Fairfield was handling the work itself and expected the tear-down, up to the newly replaced section of the pavilion, to be completed by week’s end.

“There were people here first thing gathering up change from where the boardwalk had been by the snack bar,” said the operator, who didn’t want to give his name. “We had to chase them out.” He referred to all the coins that had fallen down through the floorboards over the years.

A long-time town employee, the operator recalled working on the structure back in 1976. “I had to clear sand out from under the building. At the time, I wondered ‘What the heck am I doing here?’” he mused.

One would imagine such a momentous event in the beach area would gather a crowd of onlookers, but there were only a couple of bystanders who hovered briefly, took a photograph and moved on. Other beachgoers remained seated in their beach chairs on this unseasonably warm late October afternoon and carried on as if this was any other beach day.

Catherine Street resident Janet Souza, a frequent visitor with her family to the beach, said, “I’ll miss the old structure and memories of sharing a locker space with a friend and the kids squealing in the showers. And the snack bar had great food. The kids could order on a tab, which made them feel empowered. I do look forward to something newer though. It’ll be nice to see what they come up with.”

Beachgoer and Fairfield resident Pam Ortiz said the old building had a lot of history and that the town probably could have repaired it. “I’m not sure it was necessary to tear it down and build a new building. It seems excessive. We’ve already spent a lot on other projects, like the new train station.”

The biggest audience overseeing the demolition was the flock of seagulls that had taken their usual rooftop post on the highest point of the pavilion and they no doubt were hoping that food scraps or other salvageable goods would be turned up.

The operator said he would have been able to accomplish his work in a day but that there were other workers in the remaining section of the building conducting lead paint and asbestos removal. He said the building was shaking as he began the demolition and now he must wait until they complete their work.

St. Luke Youth Group Boxed In For the Night

St. Luke Youth Group 
Boxed In For the Night:

Church event raises 

awareness for homeless

(Appeared in Westport News 10/24)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2010. All Rights Reserved.

10/23/10

Westport, CT – If you weren’t aware of the event activity, you’d think a sanitation truck had left a few boxes behind in St. Luke Church’s 84 Long Lots Road parking lot. On closer inspection, you would realize that these were temporary shelters and had been purposely placed there.

The boxes, some twenty structures in all, were erected by 30 teenagers who are part of St. Luke’s Youth Group. The teens planned to spend the overnight in these structures in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of an estimated 33,000 homeless individuals residing in Connecticut and to help drive food donations for Fairfield’s Operation Hope.

“My son goes to Osborn Hill and, noting his school’s efforts with Operation Hope, I decided to see what else we could do to help going into the holiday season,” said St. Luke Youth Program Director Deb Toner.

“The project idea ‘Outside of the Box’ was initiated about a year and a half ago, but we wanted to wait until the temperatures dropped so we could experience what it would be like to not have a warm home… and proper meal,” added Toner.

Toner noted that “building” materials were limited to a box, tape and spray paint, while food supplies would be water and hot dogs only for 12 hours. Toner said the food restriction would be “tough for teenagers” and “if anyone brings candy or breaks the restriction, they would have to go in the penalty box.”

The food drive had already been initiated on October 17 and would continue through the 25^th. All donated food will be trucked to Operation Hope’s 50 Nichols Street shelter facility to benefit its residents. The items most needed, which are being collected at St. Luke, include beans, canned tomatoes, cake mixes, powdered milk, canned meats and stews. A full list of needs is available on the organization’s website: www.OperationHopeCT.org

Timmy Jeanneret, 15, was busy putting last minute touches on his box structure. He had bought three 20”x20”x20” Fed Ex boxes and was taping them together. “I’m going to slide right in and close both ends. It should hopefully be warm. I brought some extra clothing to add onto what I’m wearing,” he said.

Project Co-Organizer and Norwalk resident Allison Love said some of the students would be sharing boxes, for warmth, and that a bonfire was planned, around which students will sit and roast their hot dogs.

Jill Toner, 15, Deb’s daughter, was unraveling a sleeping bag in which she planned to sleep inside her box. She had created a little tree with a welcome sign outside its entrance. Her box home was massive – a Samsung refrigerator box in its past life. On its top side, she had spray painted “Out of the Box” and, on one side, the names of some of her fellow participating students.

“I’m very excited about this,” said Jill. “It’s something new. I think it’ll be really fun. Of course, I couldn’t imagine living like this and it makes me feel for the people that have to, especially in the cold.”

Project Captain Emily Hanrahan, 16, a Staples High School student, was settling into her own box. It, too, was massive, having housed a Kohler whirlpool bathtub. She had spray painted it with graffiti but had also handrawn a scene she had dubbed “Boxville”, which in essence referred to this temporary community that the students had formed. She planned to room with Co-Project Leader Elizabeth Driscoll.

“It’s a wake-up call for all of us to realize there are so many homeless. I think it’s going to be hard to spend the overnight outside. It will be a challenge, but fun. I think it’s supposed to drop to 40 degrees,” guessed Hanrahan.

Deb Toner noted that today, October 23, was Westport Make-A-Difference Day, which is how the event day was selected. She added that the Youth Group’s good deeds also include such efforts as an annual mission trip, wherein students travel to other communities to bond with other Catholic teens, paint houses and help in soup kitchens.

The Youth Group was formed four years ago and has gone from 5 to 54 students, with 40 students participating at any given time. “We have a very high participation rate,” said Toner. “The fact that they’re coming on their own… it’s fantastic.”