Kids Fired Up About WHS Vacation Week Activities

Kids Fired Up About WHS Vacation Week Activities

By Mike Lauterborn

(For Westport News)

4/19/11

Westport, CT – Normally when a fire truck appears anywhere, it sets off concern and signals an emergency. But when Engine 2 pulled up at the Westport Historical Society, it elicited excited smiles and received a warm welcome.

The visit was part of the Society’s Creation Station Kids Vacation Program being held four hours each day at the facility Monday, April 18^th through Thursday, April 21^st. Geared to grades K to 5^th, it allowed up to 20 students per day to engage in a variety of activities, from arts projects to drama, while learning about Westport history. Tuesday’s program, which the Citizen attended, was centered around local firefighting.

“Monday, we did an art project that used buttons, relating to the fact that there had been a button factory in Westport,” said Executive Director Sue Gold. “We also took the children on a walking tour down to the Saugatuck River and talked about its history. These youth programs, which are offered during February and April school vacations, and three weeks in summer, are a way to bring children to our facility to have fun creating projects that relate to local history and meet artists and other people in the community that can educate them.”

Said parent Kim Mendola of Norwalk, “This has been a terrific program so far, and it’s incredible the history aspect the kids are getting out of it. When they did their outdoor tour yesterday, they were told about various historical homes on the way and their significance. My daughter retained the dates and information. She was excited to come back today.”

Westport artist and educator Elizabeth Petrie Devoll was this week’s program leader. “My plan for today was to base projects on local fire department history, having them make little matchbox crafts and personalize an aluminum fire bucket. I’m trying to introduce simplicity while drawing a family oriented clientele.”

In Tuesday’s session, the group would also make sweet potato fries in the facility’s kitchen and do some role-playing and acting out in the gallery. However, the fire department’s visit was certainly the highlight of the morning.

Besides providing routine fire safety information, quizzing the children on how to respond to emergencies and showing off their gear, firefighters Ben Racho and Rich Calabria, along with Lt. Michael Kronick, peppered their talk with historical tidbits.

“Fire buckets were made out of leather and everyone had one,” said Racho. “If there was a fire, they would line up by a source of water, fill them and pass the water along to toss on the fire.”

Calabria put on all his firefighting gear, inspiring Racho to comment, “We didn’t have a lot of this equipment 50 or 60 years ago. The only gear was rubber boots, a coat and a hat.”

Kronick tried a trivia question on the children, asking, “Do you know why firefighters had dalmations? They would keep the horses calm.”

The lieutenant then went on to add that the first fire department was established in town in 1923, in a building built by the Bedford family and now occupied by the YMCA. Kronick also explained the origin of the term “hook and ladder,” noting that hooks were used to pull down burning structures so a fire wouldn’t spread. “Property conservation didn’t become a priority until the early 1920s when more resources and equipment were available to allow us to do the work,” he said.

As the firefighters led the children outside to show them the truck, they continued to relate bits of lore. “The earliest firefighting equipment – coal-fired boilers pulled by horses – were painted red as red paint was very expensive and showed a town’s prominence and stature,” said Kronick.

The visit would be a memorable one for participants like Julia Herlyn, 5, of Westport, who retained contemporary facts. “We learned that when there’s a fire, you need to get down and crawl.”

Casey Corso, 7, of Westport, keyed in on historical facts. “I can’t believe it took people passing buckets to fight a fire,” he said.

Corso added, “I’m having a really awesome time,” which summed up the feelings of the participating children, whose sparks of enthusiasm would not be doused by the otherwise dreary, overcast day.

S-s-s-snakes Stir Smiles at Earthplace Center

S-s-s-snakes Stir Smiles at Earthplace Center

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

4/16/11

Westport, CT – They call him “The Snake Guy” and he knows his slithery subjects stern to snout. They were the stars Saturday afternoon April 16 of a special nature center presentation.

Said snake expert was Andy Todd and the facility in this case was the Earthplace Nature Discovery Center, 10 Woodside Lane, where Todd, an animal care technician, introduced four of his own personal snakes to a gathering of about 40 people. The program was a relatively new offering, designed to address a noted public interest in the reptiles.

“I’ve worked with snakes much of my life,” said Todd. “They are a misunderstood and unfairly feared animal. For me, snakes were always the Holy Grail when exploring. Frogs and salamanders were good fun, but snakes were the coolest. Over the past three to four years, my interest has really grown, particularly with my work here at the Center.”

The majority of attendees, like five-year-old Sarah Cleary of Redding, were snake fans. “I love snakes,” she said. “They’re my favorite animal. I would love to own one.”

Max Minella, 8, of Westport, who was eyeballing a snake book prior to Todd’s presentation, echoed Cleary. “I love snakes,” he said. “They’re scaly and creepy. Spiders are my first favorite animals, snakes are my second.”

Though it was not intended, Todd heightened the suspense by cautioning the group to be still, keep their distance and use hand sanitizer before they touched the snakes. “The scent from another pet on your hands may make the snake think your hand or arm is something to eat,” he said.

Todd’s first guest was Murray, a five-and-a-half foot long Dumeril’s boa constrictor. The creature hailed from Madagascar. Todd used Murray to talk about certain snake features. “Scales are important for snakes as they help protect them and grip trees,” he said. “Snakes can’t wink or blink, as they have no eyelids. They have special scales to protect their eyes that keep dirt out. It’s tough to tell when a snake is sleeping as they don’t move around a lot.”

Todd also spoke about Murray’s coloring. “He’s an excellent example of camouflage,” Todd said. “In dried leaves or dirt, he blends in really well. He’s an ambush predator and will lie down and wait for his prey to come to him. He will sense vibration, leap for his prey, constrict it and then swallow. Around me though, Murray’s a puppy dog. He’s never bitten me.”

Guest number two was Crusty the ball python. Todd had rescued the snake, which hadn’t been cared for and was sick. Todd explained that snakes that come from places like Africa must be kept in humid, warm conditions, to keep their skin from drying up and prevent respiratory conditions. “Crusty was almost dead, had mouth rot and was covered in layer after layer of old skin,” he said. “She could barely breathe. I rehabbed her, took her to the vet and, after a couple of months, got most of the skin off. But she lost an eye and tip of her tail due to neglect.”

Todd said ball pythons can live for 40 years and if you decide to take them on as a pet, you really have to make a life contract to care for them.

When Todd pulled his third guest from a storage container, there was a collective gasp. Ariel, a reticulated python from southeast Asia, was all of 10 feet long and has the potential to grow to be 30 feet long. Weighing in at 30 pounds, Ariel eats rabbits. “She has special jaws,” Todd said, “which open up really wide. She ‘walks’ her jaws over her prey when she’s eating it.”

Ariel was very mobile, and coiled and moved all around Todd. For the most part, Ariel’s movement elicited giggles from the children gathered, though one child, 10-year-old Willow Woods, from Westport, asked with some concern, “Are you scared when the snake goes around your neck?”

Todd replied, “I never let it happen. Ariel is very strong. Snakes are not used to being handled. They get nervous, feel like they’re going to fall and clench up. They are deceptively powerful. Ten thousand muscles, one big tube of muscle.”

The final guest was Daisy, a common boa constrictor, who weighed in at a scale-tilting 52 pounds and length of nine-and-a-half feet. Todd got the Columbian-bred reptile from a previous owner in Chicago. Todd used Daisy to point out other snake features to the group. “Snakes smell with their tongue,” he said. They bring particles into their mouth and analyze them. Daisy eats a five pound rabbit every three to four weeks.”

You can bet that fact raised a little fur, especially from the resident bunnies in the next room.

East Haven’s David Joseph a Rising Pop Star

East Haven’s David Joseph 
a Rising Pop Star:

New single “Get Down” 

featured on iTunes

(posted to 

EastHaven.Patch.com 4/18)

By Mike Lauterborn

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

4/15/11

East Haven, CT – Though he’s rubbing elbows with international recording artists, has been spotlighted on radio and TV and is producing a new album, budding pop star David Joseph is still proud to call East Haven home.

The 25-year-old singer/songwriter was musically inspired early on by his parents, David and Carolyn Carofano, a singer and musician respectively. David, in fact, was a guitarist with a New Haven-based band called The Sounds of Soul, well known locally in the 60s and 70s. Joseph also took a cue from classic performers like The Beatles and Elvis, and later on Matchbox 20, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke.

While Joseph said he has “always been into music”, he focused on sports pursuits like basketball, football and baseball while at Notre Dame High School in West Haven. It wasn’t until the latter part of high school that he pursued music more passionately, picking up an acoustic guitar, singing and performing in showcases and contests all over Connecticut.

One contest he entered, at age 18, was KC101 radio’s “Connecticut’s Next Rising Star”. He won the top slot for the state, was entered into the national extension of the contest and became one of 12 finalists.

While pursuing a secondary education at Marist College in upstate New York, from which he graduated in 2007, Joseph reached beyond his acoustic rock roots to explore other genres like pop, r&b, rhythm and urban.

In 2009, he was in the spotlight again, when he auditioned for “P. Diddy’s Starmaker”, an MTV series produced by TV mogul Mark Burnett. The show was similar to “American Idol” in format and he competed against people from all over the country. Ultimately, he was one of 14 finalists that made it onto the program, went out to L.A. for filming and appeared in the first episode.

Reflecting back, Joseph said, “It was a pretty cool experience, and great exposure.”

Around the same time, Joseph debuted his first solo album, “Wherever I Go”, which was recorded and produced at The Steele Factory in Brooklyn, NY. It whet his whistle for further creativity.

To this regard, last summer, Joseph began a new album project, which involved recording in NY and L.A., has resulted in a single called “Get Down” and has spurred another album titled “Broken Record.” The single, which is available as a download on iTunes, was produced by Ben Romans (The Click Five) and Kyle Paas, both major record label executives. The song was co-written by British recording artist Daniel Bedingfield.

“’Get Down’, which was released in January, is about being who you are, being yourself, not letting others influence who you are and going for your dreams,” said Joseph, which is a message he has embraced personally.

Now, the East Haven native is busy shopping his record project to major labels, hoping for pick-up so he can go back into the studio and produce it.

“I’m anxious for people to see how far I’ve come and how much I’ve dedicated myself to doing this,” he said.

For more information about Joseph, visit:

Website: www.davidjosephmusic.com,

MySpace:www.myspace.com/davidjosephmusic

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/david_j_

Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidjosephmusic

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/davidjmusic1

To download Joseph’s single “Get Down”, go to: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/get-down-single/id414189967

Early Easter Egg-citement at Audubon Society

Early Easter Egg-citement at Audubon Society

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Citizen News)

4/16/11

Fairfield, CT – Families enjoyed an Easter preview Saturday morning April 16 and a very special visit from a long-eared, fuzzy celebrity.

Over 75 people braved overcast skies and chilly temperatures to visit the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at 2325 Burr Street to take part in the facility’s 16th annual Egg Hunt. Targeted to children eight years old and under, the event also included a continental breakfast, spring crafts, interactions with live animals and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Joan Winter, the Center’s publicist, remarked, “This is a lovely event, a sweet activity for young families to do with their small children. It’s special in its simplicity – low-key, calm and happy. I wish it was warmer this morning, but it’s still a great way to kick off the season. The crafts allow kids to be creative and the live animals are always popular. Besides all the activities, we have centerpieces of spring grasses in containers that kids can decorate and take home. What’s nice is the involvement of our teen animal care volunteers, many of whom were visitors as kids like these children today. They learn to be good stewards of the environment.”

Angela Benzan, of Westport, with her husband Steve and daughters Mia, 7, and Chloe, 5, in tow, were early arrivals. “The children are so excited to be here and start Easter early,” she said. “They’ve brought their pails and are ready to go.”

Kristin Brebbia, of Fairfield, with husband Joel and daughter Kenzie, 2, said the event was Kenzie’s first real Easter experience. “She’s a little scared of the Easter Bunny, but she’ll bounce back and have a good time today.”

The Taylor family, of Fairfield, were new to the area and thought the event would be a great way to meet other families, while being a fun outing. Said Amanda Taylor, “We wanted to come down and take part in the festivities and traditions.”

Watching his daughter Allie, 2, scramble for plastic eggs hidden amongst strands of straw in a garden area behind the facility, Martin Hripak said, “Allie’s mom is a teacher here, so we’re here a lot. Allie loves being outdoors. This is her first egg hunt. She’s excited.”

Guiding her three-year-old daughter on a craft project after the egg hunt had run its course, Sarah Sprague, of Norwalk, said, “Aubrey is in her element with the gluestick, crayons and blueberry muffin. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

In an adjacent room of the Center, Angelika Clum, eyed her daughter Nikki, 7, who had found a furry rabbit to pet. “We have a guinea pig and dog at home,” Clum said. “Nikki loves animals.”

“My favorite animal here is the bunny,” said Nikki, “though I got to pet the guinea pig, too. It was soft and cute and looked like our guinea pig, Mr. Nibbles.”

Dana Barnes, of Westport, and her daughter Chloe, 4, were collaborating on a coloring project. “It’s springtime and we really wanted to be outdoors and create a tradition with our daughter,” she said. “The egg hunt is a wonderful tradition and the crafts were an extra special treat. It’s something she loves and a chance for me to sit with her and create. This is nice for the whole family.”

McKinley Carnival Draws Kids of All Ages

McKinley Carnival Draws Kids of All Ages

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Citizen News)

4/15/11

Fairfield, CT – The whir of generators, ring of bells, excited shouts and screams of kids, rat-a-tat of toy guns and smell of cotton candy and popcorn. It could only mean one thing: the carnival was back in town.

Not just any carnival mind you, but the McKinley Elementary School Carnival, an annual affair facilitated by the school’s PTA in partnership with Stewart Amusement. Set up in the parking lot area of Jennings Beach, the four-day event opened Thursday night April 14.

Keeping watch over operations early Friday evening, Jennifer Chrysadakis, McKinley School PTA President, said the carnival was first held in 1997, on school grounds. “It became so large that it was moved to Jennings Beach around 2003,” she said. “It’s the biggest fundraiser for the school. Last year we raised $14,000. The take is dependent on the weather. We had two days of rain last year. Hopefully it will hold off this year.”

Standing nearby, Carnival Chairperson Domingo Thomas said, “The event marks the beginning of spring in the region and is really the first major happening in town. This year, we’re featuring 16 rides including Zero Gravity, which is the most popular, the Ali Baba, the Tornado, the Scrambler, the Freefall, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, Super Slide, Hang Glider and a whole bunch of kiddie rides. We’re also featuring standard carnival attractions like a shooting gallery, water guns, a baseball toss and, of course food, this year catered by The Shack. The Student Council is on hand, too, selling spirit wear, while the 5^th grade is offering candy.”

Grace Bentley, 13, of Fairfield, attending with friends Isabella Giannicchi, 14, and Courtney Mettler, 13, had just hopped off the Scrambler. “This is super fun,” said Bentley. “We come every year. Our favorite ride is the Ali Baba. We’re freezing right now, but it’s still fun… once you get through that numb stage.”

Bryan Dougherty, 16, of Fairfield, gingerly stepped down from the death-defying Zero Gravity ride. “That was unbelievable,” he remarked to friends. “A lot of head spinning. It’s great to go to a carnival that features extreme rides you would expect from an amusement park.”

Page Jones and her friends Jake Mazza and Megan Bernstein, all 13, looked shaken as they walked away from the Rip Cord ride, which takes passengers up a vertical tower and then drops them like rocks. “I freaked,” said Jones. “I don’t like heights, but it was alright. I’ll probably do it again.”

Pals Maddy O’Brien, 15, and Zondra Shirley, 16, had a great time on the Ali Baba attraction, which offers a platform that swings back and forth and then goes all the way up and around. “That was super duper fun,” said Shirley. “We go on this ride every year. It used to be scary but now it’s just fun.”

Swooshing down the Super Slide luge was Greg Wolf of Fairfield, with his three-year-old son Chris. “We come every year,” he said. “Our kids love it… the whole neighborhood comes. It’s a little colder than usual, especially up there.”

Mark Jacobsen, 32, of Stratford, was blasting away with a pellet rifle in Machine Gun Alley, trying his best to obliterate a red star on a small card. “I grew up in Fairfield and used to come to this as a kid,” he said. “This is the game I used to play back then. It’s nostalgic to be here. Nothing seems to have changed, which is the charm of it.”

James Baker, 6, and his sister Kate, 4, looked determined to hammer a few rodents over at the Whac-A-Mole game. Said father Jeff, “We’ve been coming here the last four years. Despite the cold, it’s been a great time.” James added, “I liked the Bouncer, the Slide and the fun house.”

Maria Giribaldo of Fairfield looked on as her daughter Melanie, 4, and her cousin Karen Velez, 8, climbed into a Dinosaur kiddie ride. “We’re having a great time,” she said. “There are so many people. It’s great to have a carnival here. The kids have so much fun.”

Man About Town: Library Offers Volumes of Resources

Man About Town: Library Offers Volumes of Resources

(column reworked for April 6 Fairfield Citizen news)

By Mike Lauterborn

4/1/11

Of late, my Man About Town missions have taken me to cafes, diners, taverns and other eateries popular with area citizenry. As important from a local perspective are the institutions and communal meeting places that are anchors of our vibrant town. A leading example is Fairfield Public Library at 1080 Old Post Road, where I found myself one recent sunny Sunday afternoon.

According to historical records, the forerunner of the public library was the Fairfield Memorial Library, which opened Dec. 27, 1876 in the Fairfield Academy building. For a fee of one dollar a year, a borrower was permitted to take a book at a time from a collection of 677 volumes.

In June 1903, a new building, at the library’s present location, was established. A two-story Colonial, it was designed so it could be added to in future years. In 1950, operation of the facility was taken over by the town and its current designation adopted. Additions to the building were completed in 1959 and 1981, followed by a major renovation in 2004/2005, which resulted in many updates and new spaces.

According to Library Director Karen Ronald, “Today, we offer 353,000 volumes of media, have about 38,000 patrons and are used by 75% of town residents. It’s been a community center for over 100 years and kept up with the times in terms of programs that meet changing societal needs and 21^st century technologies.”

One of the facility’s newest spaces is The Children’s Library, on the second level. It is divided into “neighborhoods” each reflecting a familiar historic town landmark: the Gazebo, Penfield Lighthouse, Town Green, a farm yard, book shop, train station and Town Hall.

A frequent destination for Fairfielder Kerry Micinilio, visiting with daughter Mollie, 3, she said, “Mollie likes to play on the computer, picks out different movies and books, uses the sound tubes to chat with me and plays in the playhouse. It’s full of a lot of learning resources for the young kids.”

The Teen Room functions as a separate space for teens to gather, and includes materials and computers geared to their use. Ongoing events are featured here including chess matches and video game competitions.

Buried in a book, Ashley Vazquez, 15, said, “I usually come here to work on projects. It’s a good quiet room and has a lot of resources that are helpful.”

The Periodical Room on the main level houses more than 275 magazines, journals, newsletters and newspapers. It’s a relaxing space with deep-seated chairs and original marble mosaic floors.

Flipping through a newspaper, Fairfielder Jim Janniello, 88, said about the library, “It’s almost my second home,” he said. “I spend a lot of time on the computer trading stocks and read the daily papers. The library is one of the most important parts of town, for people to stay current, educate themselves and relax.”

Other facility features include the Bruce S. Kershner Gallery with exhibits that change out monthly, three meeting rooms that are utilized for movie showings, live performances, author talks and more, and the Harold B. Harris Computer Lab offering 15 terminals for public use.

A Reference Area with work tables, New Books/Large Type Books area and Audio/Visual section with hundreds of DVDs, audio books and CDs, round out main library departments. The resources are truly astounding and there’s never a dull moment with all the daily activities and goings-on for all segments of the library’s patronage.

On that note, I’ll “check out” of this chapter of Man About Town with a goal to eye other important town anchors in forthcoming installments.

“Spring Fling” All About Fun, Food, Fine Wine and Friends

“Spring Fling” All About Fun, Food, Fine Wine and Friends

By Mike Lauterborn

(For Fairfield Citizen News)

4/7/11

Fairfield, CT – Exquisite bottles of wine. Lavish spreads of food. A stately setting. So this is how business gets done in Fairfield.

On Thursday evening April 7, the annual installment of “The Spring Fling”, hosted by the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, brought together area business representatives and local residents for networking and fun at the Burr Mansion, 739 Old Post Road. The event offered tasty foods provided by Fairfield restaurants Coromandel, Fairfield Café, Greenhouse Grill, Old Post Tavern and Vino & Mare on the Brickwalk, as well as fine wines from Greenfield Liquor Grapes and Hops.

Other event highlights included door prizes such as a “Men’s Party Package” with Sound Tiger tickets, a “Queen for the Day” spa package and a “Just Won the Lottery” offer with weekend use of a Mercedes Benz and gift certificate to Roger Sherman Inn. There were also dozens of silent auction items, ranging from retail gift offers and vacation getaways to gift baskets and sports tickets. Of course, what would an upscale gathering like this be without a live auction for a chance to hunt pheasant and have the captured quarry prepared gourmet style by DaPietro’s chef Pietro Scotti?

“We’ve been hosting this for 15 years,” said Patricia L. Ritchie, President and CEO of the Chamber, providing some background about the gathering. “It began humbly at Greenwich Workshop Gallery as a fundraiser for the Chamber, to help it market Fairfield small businesses. But it’s also a great networking event as well as a chance for people to sample wonderful food and wines.”

You might venture to call the event a five-alarm affair, given the appearance of the Fairfield Fire Dept. at the start of the evening. Firefighter Scott suggested the heat emanating from the food stations may have tripped a sensitive alarm. Ritchie had another idea, joking, “The event is such a hot ticket that even the fire department had to put in an appearance.”

Fairfielders Lisa McDonnell and China Ross were barely fazed, their attention focused on silent auction items. “I’m loving the Coach sunglasses and will probably bid on them,” said McDonnell.

For Melissa Tohill from Monroe and Daniela Kinsbourne from Ridgefield, the evening provided an excuse for a Girls’ Night Out. “We came to enjoy the food and wine,” said Tohill, “but it’s a great opportunity to support local businesses and meet some new people in the community at the same time.”

Abhay Colaco, a manager at Coromandel, was glad for the opportunity to showcase the restaurant. “This is good for the town and very good for our business, too, especially as we are new in the Southport area,” he said. “We hope to expose people to different flavors of India.”

Gary Adams of Bearingstar Insurance, one of the evening sponsors, had a similar take on the event. “Many people join the Chamber for different reasons – networking, benefits, etc. But regardless of motive, ultimately it’s to support the local community. It’s great, in this case, that the public gets to meet area business leaders.”

For Carla Cinti, the event was an opportunity to get a local foothold. “I’m newly relocated from California, re-entering the workforce after being home with my kids for nine years and am here to network and meet my new community. Hopefully I’ll find someone who will lead me to my next career.”

Jill Clarke had established a foothold two years ago, co-founding Mirth In a Box, which she described as “the anti-fruit basket company offering fun and unusual gift boxes.” She was hoping to make some new connections and raise awareness about the business and said the event is “a great way to interact, see old friends and meet some new faces.”

Many would depart with new contacts and business leads. Lee Passios would leave with a bit more when it was announced that her live auction bid was the topper. “I can’t wait to go out there with my slingshot and jelly beans to get that pheasant,” she laughed.