Nature Centers Capture Kids’ Votes on Wildlife Residents

Nature Centers Capture Kids’ Votes 

on Wildlife Residents

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Citizen News)

11/8/11

Fairfield, CT – The polling places were open, the ballot boxes in place and the candidates all on hand for a last face-to-face with the public before they cast their all important votes Election Day Tuesday. However, in these cases, the polling places were nature centers, the candidates had names like Hoot and Popeye, and the voters were mostly under the age of 12.

Running parallel programs, the CT Audubon Society, at 2325 Burr Street in Fairfield, and Earthplace, at 10 Woodside Lane in Westport, conducted elections wherein kids had the opportunity to cast a vote for their favorite furry, slithery or feathered resident creature. At Earthplace, Barney the Python beat out three other candidates to win the Election Day Fun contest. At the CT Audubon Society, the Animal Election winner had not yet been declared at press time, though it appeared Simon the Hedgehog was a runaway favorite.

Audubon Society Teacher/Naturalist Tricia Kevalis, serving as spokesperson for the seven entrants listed on the ballot there, commented, “This is the third year we’ve done the Animal Elections. Last year, Slipper the Blue Tongued Skink won by a whisker, edging out the very popular Simon. This is a great way to see many of our resident animals but also for kids to participate in a voting process and see how their votes make a difference.”

This year’s Audubon entrants included the aforementioned Simon and Slipper, the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, Popeye the Red Eared Slider turtle, Big Tony the Eastern Box Turtle, The Fire Belly Toads and The Mice. The group was arranged in their respective tanks and cages on tables in a front hallway area. A clear acrylic box and ballot forms were on an adjacent table. Visiting children had the opportunity to meet each candidate and size them up.

Simon, though he spent a great deal of time hiding under a molded plastic cover in his tank, was the clear choice for a trio of young local ladies, and each had her own reason for liking him. “He’s really cute,” said Maura Matthews, 9, from Fairfield. “He’s the only nocturnal animal in the group,” said Courtney Culver, 10, from Easton. “I’ve liked him since I had my 7^th birthday party here and got to hold him,” said Ellie Stepanskiy, 10, from Fairfield.

Sophia Garbarino, another ten-year-old from Fairfield, also favored Simon. “I like hedgehogs,” she said. “They’re one of my favorite animals. He’s cute.”

Sophia’s brother, Michael, 11, looked past the regular candidates lineup to an outlier in the “Other” category, a loan corn snake. “His shedded skin felt really cool,” he said.

Sophia and Michael’s mom, Julie, mentioned that the family had moved to Fairfield only recently and that this was their first visit to the Audubon. “We were just going to hike here today and then noticed the voting,” she said. “It’s a good way to introduce the kids to the real voting process. I’m going to take them to the polls later.”

Mom Ellen Martino, at the Audubon polls with her sons Aaron, 10, and Quinn, 7, agreed. “Any experience with the animals, like voting, is good for them.”

At Earthplace, contest winner Barney, of the Reptile Party, shared the ballot with Hoot the Saw Whet Owl (Avian Party), Tootie the European Ferret (Mammal Party) and Hop Sing the Monk Parakeet (Independent Party). Visiting children, ages 5 to 10, had to seek out the candidates in the Animal Hall then check off their favorite on a ballot sheet.

“It was very official,” said Earthplace Naturalist Margaret Ardwin, “and we had a continuous group of visitors all day. It was a beauty contest really. Barney’s a gentle giant at 12 feet long.”

Bridgeport Theatres Take a Curtain Call at Fairfield Museum

Bridgeport Theatres Take a Curtain Call at Fairfield Museum

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Sun, Bridgeport News & Monroe Courier)

11/6/11

Fairfield, CT -- A recent presentation at Fairfield Museum and History Center, focused on the history of Bridgeport’s Palace and Majestic Theatres, revived not only quaint memories from seniors in attendance but an age-old discussion about how to preserve or repurpose these once grand, now deteriorating and long-abandoned showplaces.

Early Sunday afternoon November 6, Mary Witkowski, Bridgeport’s City Historian and the head of the Bridgeport History Center housed at Bridgeport Public Library, presented to a full house gathering a projected slide show of old postcards, photos and scans showing the theatres from construction to recent times and provided a narrative along with it. The talk was part of the Museum’s current exhibition “Bravo! A Century of Theatre in Fairfield County” and was supplemented with a gallery installation of 19 framed photographs of the interiors of the theatres that were shot 20 years ago by Monroe-based commercial photographers Jay Misencik and Geralene Valentine of Misencik Photography.

Italian immigrant builds empire

Sylvester Zefferino Poli, founder of the Palace and Majestic Theatres, was born in Italy in 1859 and emigrated to the United States in 1881. He worked as a sculptor at Eden Musee, a wax museum in the heart of Manhattan’s entertainment center when he first arrived. Soon enough, he opened his own “dime” museums in upstate New York, Canada and New England. Gradually, he supplemented these venues of wax figures and curios with small stages offering vaudevillian acts and “wholesome family entertainment.”

Poli grew his empire to become the largest theatrical chain in the East, with 34 venues from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. In particular, Connecticut became a favorite location, with elegant theaters in Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. Poli’s first in Bridgeport was the Park City Theater, which he renovated in 1901. From that first foothold, he built or re-built six Bridgeport theatres between 1901 and 1922. Ultimately, Marcus Loew and William Fox bought most of his establishments for their movie theatre chains.

Using Italian craftsmen and the services of architect Thomas W. Lamb, Poli began to build the Palace Theatre, at 1325 Main Street, in the early 1920s. Lamb was also an émigré, born in Scotland in 1871. He earned his reputation during the boom of movie palace construction from the 1910s to 30s. He designed not only the Palace, but the Majestic as well, at 1347 Main Street, and the adjacent 101-room Savoy Hotel.

Lamb created large stages to accommodate live vaudeville performances as well as silent films, known as “photoplays.” His hallmark was glamorous, lavishly decorated edifices, gilded moldings, red velvet seats, crystal chandeliers and high-arched ceilings. It was said that these environments made the average citizen feel like royalty.

Based in Manhattan, Lamb’s firm designed over 300 theatres worldwide. In New York City alone, he had over 48 theatres to his credit, including the original Madison Square Garden and Ziegfeld Theatre.

Historic theatres rise

The Palace, which is structurally intact to this day, was built with 3,600 seats and 25 miles of electrical wiring. It featured a 1,700-pipe organ with 40,000 fine electrical wires controlling it. The organ was an integral part of the design scheme in the days of silent film when the theatre organist was the mood setter.

A proscenium arch was created and, under it, a silhouette panel – a depiction of a setting in France that Marie Antoinette would have known, of a French lady strolling in a garden. The Palace also features a Byzantine-style, gold-leafed central dome measuring 250 feet in circumference that held 650 lights. Around it were several ornamental medallions, all hand painted.

The Palace opened to the public September 4, 1922 and featured Chief Caupolican, a Metropolitan Grand Opera star. Singer Eddie Cantor gave the opening address, telling the audience, “This is your theatre Mr. and Mrs. Bridgeport, be proud of it.”

Other early performers were high-caliber world talents like Sergei Rachmaninoff and John McCormack, who were featured in the 1922-23 Concert Series.

Eighty-eight-year old Virginia Regnery Foster, a Fairfield resident who was born at Bridgeport Hospital and lived in the West End of the Park City for her first 21 years, until she was married in 1949, recalled the Palace. “It cost 10 cents for a ticket for children; adults paid 25 cents,” she said. “If you didn’t get caught, you could sneak in behind an adult and sit downstairs in the orchestra. Otherwise, you would have to sit up top in the balcony. I remember Eddie Cantor singing ‘Shuffle Off to Buffalo” in the 20s when they still had silent movies. My cousin, Edna Regnery, played the piano along with the films.”

Historian Bill Lee, 86, shared his own recollection. “I was there in 1929,” he said. “The first movie I saw was a silent. The stage shows, though, were fabulous. ‘Singing in the Rain’ was when the silents changed to talkies. The music and orchestra was all live. Gus Meyers, Sr. was the orchestra leader. Real ‘rain’ was sprayed. People got up and cheered.”

The Majestic takes shape

While the Palace was taking its place in Park City history, the Majestic Theatre was going up right beside it and, on November 6, 1922, it opened as well. It was the smaller of the two showhouses, with 2,400 seats, and featured some of the similar Byzantine decorations and hand-painted ceilings by Hans Lehman. The stage measured 79 feet by 32 feet with a 42-foot arch.

Sixty drops could be hung from sets of lines to fly scenery to complement almost any stage production. Walls were constructed of magnificent faux marble and beautiful custom fabricated iron balustrades lined the staircases. A two-story high stained glass panel, today boarded up to protect it, was located between the lobby and seating areas in the theatre.

The opening night featured Eddie Cantor onstage in the Broadway revue “Make It Snappy”. The Follies also appeared, incorporating talent from a local dancing school. The Majestic joined ten other theatres operating in downtown Bridgeport.

Original seat prices for a matinee were 10 cents and 23 cents. Evening prices were 10, 30 and 45 cents. Boxes, also known as loges, were always 55 cents.

The height of entertainment

In 1934, Loew’s, the parent company of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, bought Poli’s theatres to show talkies, often around the clock so workers could enjoy movies after shifts ended.

Frederick Graham, 86, a Wallingford resident who lived in Bridgeport for 75 years, recalled that period. “I had a paper route which ended in the area called Bulls Head, now where I-95, Route 8 and Catherine Street all meet,” he said. “It was just a few blocks from the theatres, so I would go, probably more than most as I had the change in my pocket. This was the late 30s, during the Depression. A movie was about 15 cents.”

During that time, Spencer Tracy, in “Captain’s Courageous”, was a highlight attraction. In 1937, it was Laurel and Hardy in “Way Out West” that headlined the marquee of the Majestic.

In 1939, the Majestic celebrated its 10 millionth patron, Mrs. Richard G. Rossbaum of Stratford. Her prize was free tickets for six months.

SIDEBAR

An Encore for the Palace and Majestic Theatres?

In the 1960s and 70s, when Bridgeport factories started to shut down and workers were more tempted to watch TV at home, the Palace and Majestic Theatres closed, and have stayed shuttered for more than 40 years. While both were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, funding for renovation has still not occurred. The once glorious edifices are empty, deteriorating structures. In contrast, Poli’s Waterbury Palace was fully restored in 2003 for $30 million and is a source of cultural and economic stimulus for the region.

“When I came here in 1987 from Michigan, and first walked into the Palace, I had the feeling of being in the ballroom of the Titanic,” said Bridgeport historian Mary Witkowski. “It was like time stood still. There was even a popcorn machine in there. The theatres are still intact and could be restored.”

“Intact”, perhaps, but in increasingly poor condition. Jay Misencik and Geralene Valentine of Misencik Photography undertook a project in 1991 to photograph people along Main Street and happened upon the theatres. “Barbara Jean Zanesky of the Joy Center Church Ministeries was running a daycare/ consignment operation at the Palace, and providing shelter for the homeless. We started photographing the interior and became friendly with everyone. But there was no heat and the roof leaked,” said Misencik. Zanesky was evicted in January 1992, the city took ownership of the complex, the doors were padlocked and the marquees were taken down as a safety precaution.

Misencik and Valentine returned for the first time in September 2011. The roof had been replaced but “the smell was horrendous,” said Valentine. “The cloth fabric had also been removed and brass railings cut away.”

Can these historic showbiz centers be saved and restored to the same grandeur as the Waterbury Palace? Time will tell... though it’s quickly running out.

Kids Get Patriotic at Historical Society while Parents Hit the Polls

Kids Get Patriotic at Historical Society 

while Parents Hit the Polls

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

11/8/11

Westport, CT – For local youngsters, it was a great way to spend a day off from school while their parents dutifully reported to local polling places to cast their Election Day votes. The kids even managed to learn a thing or two outside the classroom.

On Tuesday morning, the Westport Historical Society, at 25 Avery Place, held an All-American Day program offering children ages 5-10 a variety of fun crafts and drama activities that incorporated a patriotic theme, aligning with the real-life voting process taking place all around town. Over two dozen children participated, assisted by six volunteer helpers that were mostly a mix of Bedford Middle School and Staples High School students.

“The whole thing is about America and liberty,” said Instructor Elizabeth DeVoll about the program, “with a focus on Connecticut’s part in the Revolutionary War and progressions of the American flag.”

The program was primarily conducted in the basement of the facility, where craft materials were placed upon red, white and blue plastic tablecloths on the four work surfaces in the activity space. To the accompaniment of patriotic music emanating from a portable radio, participants first used crayons to color in a printed-out line drawing of a Revolutionary War-era Minuteman.

As the children busily worked, DeVoll showed depictions in books of local scenes from that era, such as homes in the Compo Beach area that had been set ablaze by British soldiers. She also held up and spoke about a tri-corner hat and kit bag from the period, as well as passed around two small, but heavy, authentic period cannonballs.

Quizzing the group, DeVoll asked, “What’s today? Election Day. In America, we get to vote on who’s going to represent us. Do you think everyone always got to vote? That women got to vote? That African-Americans got to vote? That non-land owners got to vote?”  The children answered her questions with a resounding “no” before DeVoll stated, “Only wealthy land owners got to vote. Now, almost everyone gets to vote.”

Another activity involved decorating flags – essentially cloth placemats sewn to long dowels. These were of various colors and patterns, and a wide range of materials were made available as decorative accents.

DeVoll shared a few examples of previous participants’ work as well as illustrations of flags by noted artists, like Jasper Johns’ painting “Two Flags”. She also explained the reasoning behind the choice of colors in the American flag. “Red stands for honor, white for innocence and blue for justice, vigor and perseverance,” she shared.

As DeVoll distributed the flags and called kids in threes to the front of the room to snap up mini pom-poms, fabric swatches and ribbon, she said, “Every kid can be a Betsy or Bob Ross and make their own flag interpretation.”

Children laid their flags down on the tables before them and went to work with Elmer’s glue, pasting down materials. Jennie Blumenfeld, 14, a volunteer from Staples, assisted with selections and guidance. “I like to be part of the community,” she said. “And the kids have so much fun, which makes it fun for me. This is a great way for kids to learn about their country on an important day.”

SHU Nursing Students Score Highest Pass Rate on National Exam

SHU Nursing Students Score Highest Pass Rate on National Exam

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Sacred Heart University)

11/1/11

According to the Chicago-based National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s (NCSBN) most recent quarterly report on testing results nationwide, Sacred Heart University nursing students scored a 95% pass rate on the organization’s National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX - RN). The average national pass rate is 87.1%.

 “Our minimum benchmark is a first-time pass rate of 80%. Over 90% is our accepted rate,” said Dr. Anne Barker, the chairperson of SHU’s nursing department. “This recent rate is exceptional and historically high. And in comparison to the national rate, our students’ achievement is truly remarkable.”

NCLEX is the cap of SHU’s First Professional Degree program, which targets students who want to make nursing a career. The test is given at Sylvan Learning Centers and can be taken by a student any time after they graduate. Most students take it within the first six weeks, according to Barker.

The exam determines a student’s accumulated knowledge from their four years of study, Barker explained. “It’s intensive and one of the most major tests they will ever take.”

It is one way the NCSBN ensures that nursing students have the appropriate competencies, skills and credentials to practice safely, and that the public is protected. To be eligible to take the NCLEX - RN, a student first needs to sit for their bachelor’s degree. Successful passage of NCLEX then allows a student to obtain their Registered Nurse license.

While the high pass rate is great news, it’s not surprising given the depth and quality of the faculty at SHU. To begin, Barker, who was the Chief Nursing Officer for the Veterans Administration for 15 years and holds a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University, has been with SHU for 25 years. She oversees 29 faculty and nine staff members.

Of course, teachers need students and the general workplace demand for good nurses has driven program development and expansion. “The nursing program has grown significantly over the years, particularly over the last five years,” Barker said. “For people wanting to enter the workforce, nursing is seen as an attractive career opportunity. It offers a good entry salary and is projected to be a top career in terms of need for the next decade and beyond. It’s certainly a growing field.”

SHU has a full complement of program opportunities for every level of nursing. To start, its RN to BSN program is an undergraduate program for nurses with an associate degree in nursing who want to get their related bachelor’s degree. It’s offered in two different ways: online and onsite at hospitals like Yale-New Haven, St. Francis in Hartford and Midstate in Meriden. Approximately 250 SHU students are currently enrolled in this.

For graduates, there is a Family Nurse Practitioner program, which helps prepare nurses for advanced practice. It is offered with courses online and on-campus. One hundred students are currently enrolled.

Another online/on-campus graduate program is Doctor of Nursing Practice, in which 43 students are presently enrolled. Started in 2010, it gives students two different tracks: clinical and leadership. “Students come to campus twice a semester for intensive classes; the balance is conducted online,” said Barker.

Three other graduate programs, in which another 300 students are participating, are offered exclusively online. The first is Patient Care Services Administration, which helps prepare nurses to be managers. The second is Nursing Education, preparing nurses to do university or facility based education of nurses. Finally, Clinical Nurse Leader helps nurses assume a new leadership role in nursing.

“We enjoy an excellent reputation both regionally and nationally for the quality of education, faculty and curriculum,” summarized Barker, about SHU’s nursing program. “We live the principle of the university: where personal attention leads to personal achievement.”

SHU-sponsored Religious Education Program Gives Adults a Leg Up in Church Work Search

SHU-sponsored Religious Education Program 

Gives Adults a Leg Up in Church Work Search

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Sacred Heart University)

10/20/11

Fairfield, CT – If you’re an adult interested in working in the Catholic church as a parish-based director of religious education, youth minister or like position, there’s a new program co-sponsored by Sacred Heart University and the Diocese of Bridgeport that can help you obtain the necessary background and credentials.

SHARE (Sacred Heart Adult Religious Education), a college-level Continuing Ed program, was initiated by the Diocese and embraced by SHU. It was modeled on EPS (Education Parish Service), which started 33 years ago at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. as a way to bring the Catholic faith to adults in that area. It came to the Diocese of Bridgeport 15 years ago, but was discontinued this past summer due to financial reasons. An EPS coordinator approached the Diocese about continuing it in some form, which led to SHARE.

The program is one of four ministries, or entities, that Gina Donnarummo, Director of Adult Formation for the Diocese, administers. She works with adults becoming Catholics, overseeing a formal process called RCIA (Rite of Christian initiation of Adults), collaborating with coordinators at each of the 87 parishes in the Diocese in Fairfield County. The RCIA process consists of a period of inquiry, work with a support team, purification coinciding with Lent, and Mystagogy, wherein candidates are baptized, receive First Communion and confirmed.

A recent SHU graduate who earned a Masters Degree in Religious Studies and holds a B.A. in Social Work from St. Joseph College, Donnarummo explained that the SHARE program covers four disciplines: scripture, church history, theology and pastoral theology. There are currently four classes in place, two of which – Christology and the Church as a Sacrament – began in mid-September and two – Synoptic Gospels and Creed – begin November 1.

“The hope for the spring is to offer six to eight classes – six core and two electives,” Donnarummo said. “Two of the four disciplines – theology and scripture – have thus far been breached. We will address church history in the spring and pastoral theology in Fall 2012.”

Instructors bring solid credentials to the table. Christology is taught by Father Joseph Koterski, a Jesuit priest from Fordham University. Church as a Sacrament is led by Sr. Jeanmarie Gribaudo, a Dominican Sister completing her doctorate in Sacred Theology at Boston College. Guiding the Synoptic Gospels class is Dr. Thomas Hicks, a professor emeritus at SHU who holds a Ph.D. from St. John’s University. Finally, Creed is taught by Dr. Joan Kelly, who received her doctorate from the Graduate Theological Foundation at Notre Dame.

Put simply, SHARE is a four-year certificate program to help Catholics understand their faith and empower them to put it into action. The pastoral certificate is received after two years of the Foundational courses and two years of the Advanced courses are completed. There are 20 classes in all, which are held at St. Philip Parish, One Father Conlon Place, Norwalk, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm. The certificate is awarded by the Diocese and SHU.

To learn more about SHARE or to register, contact Gina Donnarummo by email at SHARE@diobpt.org or by calling 203-416-1446. You can also visit www.sacredheart.edu and search for “SHARE”. A 4-week class costs $140; a six-week session is $210; and 8-week program is $280. 

Firefighter Training an Eye-Opener to Department Needs

Firefighter Training an Eye-Opener to Department Needs

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Citizen News)

10/16/11

Fairfield, CT – They say the only way to truly appreciate what someone does is to walk a mile in their shoes… or boots and toting close to hundred pounds of gear and equipment in this case.

Saturday morning, the Fairfield Citizen embedded itself with career firefighters at the Fairfield Regional Fire School on One Rod Highway to do just that. The interaction involved exercises providing education about firefighters’ roles and an understanding of equipment and manpower needs for reference during town budget evaluation times.

Over 40 firefighters, drawn from Fairfield, Westport and Stratford, were on hand to shadow half a dozen participants, help operate equipment and lead demonstrations of both equipment and firefighting processes.

Overseen by Fairfield Asst. Chief Scott Bisson, the Incident Commander for the day, the morning began in a classroom setting with a short film titled “Smoke Showing”, giving an overview about command hierarchy, firefighting strategies and safety advisories. Bisson commented that there are four essentials that determine the outcome of a fire: training, technology, staffing and notification.

First Selectman Mike Tetreau, an alumnus of the program, extended a welcome, and shared in an aside, “It’s an equipment intensive job, and this program reinforces that. I think we’ve always supported the needs of the fire department – you know someone’s life depends on it and you want the best equipment out there.”

Organizers on the drill grounds – which includes the training center, an annex classroom, propane fire area, four-story tower, two-story burn building, vehicle “boneyard” and a new flashover simulator – wasted no time in immersing this reporter in the most demanding of activities: a live structural fire attack.

Suited up from head to toe in full gear and outfitted with an air tank and mask, Probationary Firefighter Mike Lauterborn was placed at the head of a hose line and sent into the burn building with a support crew of “wranglers” to battle a live fire. Hay and wood pallets had been ignited in a bottom floor room, producing thick smoke that carried upwards in the unventilated structure. The result was almost zero visibility, making keeping a hand on the hose line a critical measure to safely navigate the structure.

“Typically,” said Asst. Chief Chris Tracy, “an interior is fully charged with velvety black smoke, there’s no clear indication of a fire and you have to listen for the pops, crackles and small explosions to find it. Guys on the line shout to each other or use signals or back slaps to communicate – one for stop, two for go. Then we look to hit the seat, or hottest point, of the fire.”

At the next activity station, focused on emergency medical services, Lt. Erik Kalapir noted, “Sixty to seventy percent of our calls are medical based. In Fairfield, private service AMR is the responder, however, firefighters are the first responders. With five fire stations across town, we can get to almost any home in four to six minutes, to do defibrillations, administer medicines, provide oxygen therapy and more. With the downturn in the economy and an aging population, we’re being asked to do more, with less. We’re losing a piece of the budget pie to other community needs and constantly having to reorganize and reinvent ourselves.”

The Forcible Entry and Search & Rescue station, operated by Firefighters Salvato, Goletz and DeNitto, involved the use of “irons” – a Halligan bar and flathead ax – to bust through a commercial door and the “Braille” method location of a victim in a pitch black room filled with thick smoke.

Roof Ops followed, led by Stratford Lt. Sean McKenney and Firefighter Bryan Williams, who led the way up a 100-foot truck-mounted ladder to a rooftop. “The job of the suppression crew is to open up the highest point of a structure, to help lift the smoke inside, prevent flashover, reduce property damage and save lives,” McKenney said. Ventilation was performed using a circular or vent saw.

Here again, available resources were at issue. “A properly staffed ladder company should have a minimum of four men,” said Williams. “We’re operating with two to three, risking injury to firefighters, forcing time constraints, preventing the saving of lives and allowing greater property damage.”

The Extrication station, led chiefly by Stratford Firefighter Doug Ashe, focused on the safe removal of a victim from a vehicle in a serious accident scenario. “We assume spinal injuries, so it’s safer to remove the car from around the person than to remove the person from the car,” said Ashe.

Using irons to break and remove glass, a hydraulic-driven spreader to pop doors off hinges and a powerful pruner to cut through roof posts, the task is accomplished. Ashe noted that frequent changes in chassis reinforcement, live wires and airbags requires continual training.

There was one clear takeaway from the morning: these guys are passionate about their occupation and consider it their calling. “I feel I was put on this planet to do this job. You have to be passionate about it,” said Stratford Lt. Stephen O’Hara. Said another, Stratford Firefighter Roy Minton, “This was the best decision I ever made. Sometimes you really have an impact on someone’s life.”

Westport Police Station Hosts Halloween Do-Over

Westport Police Station Hosts Halloween Do-Over

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

11/5/11

Westport, CT – A wicked nor’easter tricked local children out of Halloween fun October 29 when wet snow pulled down branches and wires and made trick-or-treating unsafe. Westport Police Department and other town emergency services turned those frowns upside down one week later when they hosted a make-up Halloween Fun Fest late Saturday afternoon.

Police headquarters at 50 Jesup Road turned into a virtual Halloween fairground with emergency vehicles, candy stations and spooky décor encircling the building for young costumed visitors and their families to enjoy.

“When the nor’easter came through, it was determined there was a viable safety issue with trees and wires down,” said Westport Police Lt. Arthur Belile, who helped coordinate the afternoon activities. “The joint E.O.C. issued a press release requesting that people not go out. We felt bad for the kids and wanted to create an event that incorporated safety and fun – a Halloween Fun Fest.”

J.D. Mello, of Westport, who arrived dressed as a Mad Hatter and was accompanied by wife Gina as the Queen of Hearts and daughter Jaden as Alice, said, “The town had obvious safety concerns. It was very nice of the police department to do this for the kids that were disappointed that Halloween was postponed.”

Westporter Emily Chaves, who toted her three-month-old son Elliot, dressed as a chili pepper, agreed. “It was a very nice gesture for the kids, to be able to come to a safe place to trick-or-treat.”

Annamae Logan, of Westport, attending with her daughter Mae, 10, who was dressed as an angel, was equally excited. “It was fabulous to get an email about this,” she said. “The kids were elated.”

Mae’s best friend, Paige Roraback, 10, who styled a devil’s outfit, shared what it was like to have Halloween taken away then returned. “We were going to go trick-or-treating together, but then Halloween got postponed,” she said. “We were disappointed but, in the end, we got to do it and we’re having a great time.”