Wilton Patch: Latest Articles

A Close Shave For Cancer

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0400

Over 50 Wilton High students and faculty are shorn to help fight childhood cancer.

By Christian Camerota

3:00pm

If you see a lot of menacing looking characters with buzz cuts around Wilton High School in the coming days, don't worry. Skinheads have not descended on the town.

In fact, all those chrome domes are the end result of a wildly successful fundraiser put on at the high school on Thursday night to benefit the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which helps fight childhood cancer. The event was organized by WHS Junior Tim Becker, who has been working since the summer to organize town permits, secure the venue, organize sponsorships and gain support for the cause.

"It feels great," Becker said of his haircut and the event's success. "I did it last year and it's bringing back good memories."

Becker inherited his leadership role in the event from former WHS student Reed Dempsey, who started it when he was a freshman. When Dempsey graduated, he needed someone to pass the reigns to and Becker made the smooth transition into his spot, smooth head and all.

On Thursday, well over 150 people gathered in the high school's cafeteria to witness between 60 and 65 students and a few faculty members shed their locks on behalf of seven-year-old Brent, a Southport boy that has been fighting Neuroblastoma since age two. Though Becker didn't have an exact tally at night's end, he estimated the event raised somewhere around in excess of $19,000, almost twice their goal and ahead of last year's $18,000.

"We want to keep it going as long as we can," Becker said of the event's future. "We hope to make it so big that we can't even hold it at the high school anymore and we want to keep it going for years to come."

Becker recruited three barbers from Arena Hairstyling in Wilton, along with Annabella Beiros, a WHS parent, to do the shearing. Each manned a chair and a pair of clippers and completed their cuts in about five minutes, eliciting waves of applause, laughter and cheers from the audience as they ran stripes through shaggy locks and covered the ground with Wiltonian pelts.

WHS junior David Forsey promised his supporters a special prize. If they made a $100 donation, he agreed to send them a lock of his flowing red mane, which was expertly preserved during his cut by placing the tufts of hair in a plastic bag. It is a prize his supporters will surely cherish for years to come.

The laborious (and somewhat gross) task of cleaning up the discarded coiffures fell to juniors Lauren Cody, Katie Paganelli and Jackie Saltarelli, who we decided should be called "The Broom Crew."

"Make sure you say how much effort all this clean up takes," Saltarelli said. "I mean, I've been cleaning for like an hour and I'm sweating like crazy."

Greg Golterman, a WHS senior, DJed the event, cranking out a high-energy mix of hip hop and rock, and keeping the crowd pumped up.

"I'm just trying to create a happy atmosphere," he said, "because it's such a good event. I'm trying to express my influences and take some artistic liberties but also just trying to make the music suit the crowd."

The upbeat tunes certainly mirrored the night's feel, as the participants and their supporters provided their own soundtrack of raucous laughter. Highlights included some students asking for special hairstyles preceding the full buzz (one opted for a monk-like do, while another demanded that he at least get to have a mohawk for a minute or two).

"Man, I sure hope we don't lose power right now," one parent said halfway through his son's shave.

Perhaps the biggest cheers of the night went up for WHS faculty members. Matt Young, the director of the school's senior productions and the co-director of all the musicals, got a hearty applause, as did Herminio Guevara, a WHS science teacher.

"I did it for you," Guevara explained as he high-fived Becker following his shave.

All told, St. Baldrick's has raised over $50 million since its 2000 inception, shaving over 72,000 heads in 18 countries in the process. For Becker and Wilton, the next step is to get some female participants involved.

"I sure hope so," Becker said of the idea. "We'll have to try that next year."

The Power of Women Prophets

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:00:00 -0400

Dr. Julie Faith Parker, a professor at Yale University, lectures to more than 100 people at the library.

By Cathryn J. Prince

7:00am

Navi existed long before James Cameron's blue people. Only these navi were prophets so powerful they compelled men to heed their every word, follow them into battle, and bore children.

Navi is the Hebrew word for prophet. And though naviah is the feminine of that word Dr. Julie Faith Parker, a professor of theology at Yale University, sees no such distinction.

"I call them all prophets," Parker said Thursday night during the second part of her three-part series on Prophets and Prophecies.

The five women prophets of the Bible were fierce leaders. People accepted them regardless of their gender. Although many think of prophets as people who predict doomsday scenarios or spew curses, the Bible reveals they fulfilled all kinds of roles in a variety of situations. Especially the women.

From Miriam and her role as Moses' protector to Huldah, who foresaw the future defeat of Israel, to the Babylonians and the Assyrians, the women were noted.

"We want to find strong roles for women in the Bible, and they're there. But there are sometimes difficult situations that we have to deal with," Parker told more than 100 people.

The Yale professor is also the author of four books and numerous articles. The Wilton Clergy Association and the Wilton Library presented the seminar together.

Prophets were intermediaries between people, and sometimes between people and God, Parker said.

During the evening, which Parker conducted like a college seminar, the audience asked questions and even participated in a bit of costumed role-playing.

In a spin-off of the game show "To Tell the Truth" three audience members, garbed in Biblical fashion, posed as the prophet Huldah. The audience had to guess who was the real Huldah.

"She is absolutely a splendid speaker," said Sally Gemmel of the library. "She's instructional and a lot of fun too."

Every prophet needs a great birth story, or youth story. Miriam has that in the story of how she meets Pharaoh's daughter.

But still, men wrote the Old Testament. So that Miriam was singled out for her outspokenness rather than her brother Aaron, is no surprise. God punished her with leprosy and banned her from the Israelites camp for seven days.

Yet, rather than turn on her, both her brothers advocate for Miriam. So do the people. Rather than depart camp without her, they wait for her return.

"Even if God isn't accepting Miriam as a prophet, the people are," Parker said

The people also accepted Deborah as general. In the Book of Judges the people have reached Canaan, the Promised Land. Yet they have no King. Several rulers rise up, called Judges. Deborah is the only person in the Bible called both a Judge and a prophet, Parker said.

The Siserans were poised to fight the Israelites. So Deborah summoned Barak, another commander, to join her in the fight. He told her he'll only fight if she promises to participate.

"She commands, she predicts," Parker said. "She is acknowledged as a military leader before the battle begins. Usually one is acknowledged after one proves one self. So this acknowledgement in the chapter means she ahs already proven herself."

The women prophets illustrate virtue, strength and honesty.

"The prophetic power of these women extends beyond the text," Parker said. "They invite us to explore our own roles as leaders and creators of relationships with each other."

Blumenthal Calls for Investigation of Utility Response

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:00:00 -0400

He urges all affected towns to hold public hearings on the response effort.

By Liz Mitchell

7:00am

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has formally called for the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) to establish an "urgent, separate and special investigative proceeding" to determine whether utility companies adequately responded to the massive storm-related power and phone outages that affected nearly 7,000 Westporters.

Blumenthal has also requested information from Connecticut Light & Power, United Illuminating and AT&T about their efforts to restore power and phone service.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, 596 CL&P Westport customers were without power. The utility projects 100 to 200 people will still be without power tonight and expects full restoration by Friday.

In a formal letter to the DPUC, Blumenthal said:

"Lengthy delays in restoring service sparked understandable anger and anxiety," Blumenthal said. "The question widely asked is what the reasons were — including possible limits on worker hours to save costs, not assure safety. A separate special investigation should give us answers sooner."

Blumenthal said the matter must determine whether health, public safety and service were given priority over company profits. He said a comprehensive review of the utilities' response to the storm should include public hearings in the areas directly affected by the storm.

"This deadly and destructive storm continues to threaten the health and safety of thousands of our residents," Blumenthal said in a news release Thursday. "In the aftermath of this storm, even as power and phone service is restored, I have received many complaints — from residents, workers and public officials — as to the adequacy and efficacy of the electric and phone companies' response to this emergency.

"There must be an immediate investigation of the charge that CL&P, UI and AT&T placed higher priority on minimizing overtime costs than on the quick restoration of power and phone service," he continued.

Governor Rell has also directed the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to evaluate the adequacy of the distribution companies' response to the storm and assigned the DPUC to participate in that review.

"Any review must include public hearings in the areas directly affected by this storm as well," Blumenthal said.

"Ultimate authority to act belongs to the DPUC, but this investigative effort and possible hearings will help assure transparency and information important to public confidence."

Advocate: Wilton Woman Arrested For Hitting Man in Crosswalk

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:35:00 -0400

JoAnn Ceasrine faces charges of drunk driving and second-degree assault with a motor vehicle following the January incident.

By Christian Camerota

March 18, 2010

The Stamford Advocate is reporting that JoAnn Ceasrine, 55, of Wilton turned herself over to police and was charged with drunk driving and second-degree assault with a motor vehicle after allegedly hitting and severely injuring a man in a crosswalk in January.

According to police, the victim, Eric Peterson, was walking across a street in Stamford when Ceasrine failed to yield and struck the man, sending him to Norwalk Hospital with head trauma, a broken pelvis and both legs broken in several places.

Read the full story: Wilton Woman Arrested for Striking Man in Crosswalk.

Hetherington: Question CL&P

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:40:00 -0400

State rep. John Hetherington asking for federal agencies to look into CL&P's conduct during the recent storm.

By Christian Camerota

March 18, 2010

State Representative John Hetherington (R-125) has joined Governor Jodi Rell in asking the CT Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to examine the actions of CL&P in responding to the power outages resulting from the storm that struck southwest Connecticut over the weekend of March 13 and 14. He asked specifically that hearings be held locally to accommodate citizens in the towns that were most severely impacted.

"We pay the highest electric utility rates in the U.S. and what our people experienced is just unacceptable at any price," Hetherington said. "We need real answers delivered in person."

Acknowledging that even a vigorous investigation is small satisfaction to residents who went without lights, water and refrigeration for days, the legislator emphasized that there has to be accountability and credible assurance that we won't see a repeat performance. While critical of CL&P, Representative Hetherington praised local officials "for literally protecting lives and avoiding a far worse situation."

Teens Explore Limitless World in Poetry in Motion Contest

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:10:00 -0400

The library's fourth annual poetry competition will take place March 26 and 27.

March 18, 2010

Though popular culture depicts teenagers as interested in only their own worlds, Wilton Library's fourth annual Poetry in Motion performance event powerfully dispels that myth in the two-night event on Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

"In A World Without Limits" is the theme for this year's poetry initiative in which kids in grades 7 through 12 created their own original poetry. The students will read or perform their works based on "a world with no restrictions, where anything's possible – good or bad." Many of the pieces will be performed with music and dance, and highlighted by photography.

According to Susan Lauricella, the head of Teen Services, "This is our fourth year of giving students this creative outlet, which means we have kids who have come up through their freshman year participating, and we have a whole new 'farm team' joining us from Middlebrook. The kids are enthusiastic and are very much looking forward to expressing themselves." The students have worked since the beginning of the school year in September, first crafting their poetry, then going through edit sessions, and this winter taking performance direction from Regie Gibson, a nationally-recognized poetry slam winner. To prepare for their Friday and Saturday performances, the teens are being directed by Nancy Ponturo, choreographed by Brenda Froehlich, and will have musical direction by Tony Burnett.

In addition to the performances, a book of the teens' poems will be available for purchase. Tickets are on sale now at the circulation desk and are $5 per person for each night. A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door, based on seating availability. Proceeds from the sale of the books and the tickets benefit future teen programs. A reception follows each evening's performance. The Poetry in Motion program is sponsored by Wilton Library and made possible by funding from a generous patron. Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For information: 203-762-3950 ext. 243.

Pulling the Plug on Trackside?

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:00:00 -0400

In the second tight budget year in a row residents and town officials have been analyzing the teen center's long term financial viability.

By Christian Camerota

March 18, 2010

The sad truth of lean budget years is that even beneficial town entities come under scrutiny. This year the Trackside Teen Center is enduring that unpleasant honor from residents and town officials alike.

Founded in 2004, Trackside's mission was and is to serve as a hub for "age-appropriate" teen activity in the community. But its difficulties in fund-raising, coupled with an increasing percentage of its operating costs being supplied by municipal funding, is leaving some unsure of its long-term financial viability.

"The thing that bothers me about their budget this year is that the percentage of funding coming from the town, as a percentage of their total, is up," said Board of Finance Lynne Vanderslice during a meeting between the Board of Finance and Selectmen last week. "I made the comment last year that they needed to do more fund-raising...and I'm disappointed that we're not seeing that."

To Vanderslice's point, Wilton will fund $143,963 or 53 percent of Trackside's expenses in fiscal year 2010 as of data from November of last year. In its 2011 budget request, Trackside has asked for the same amount of town funding but forecasts its income to decrease around $5,000, increasing the percentage to 54 percent.

Perhaps more troubling is the longer term trend evident here. In 2007, the town contributed 37 percent of Trackside's operating income ($103,747). In 2008, that number rose to a high of 56 percent ($134,268) and then fell to 42 percent in 2009 ($134,842). To see it rising again in '10 and '11 is not encouraging, though not entirely unexpected due to the effects of the country's ailing economy.

"This is a tough environment and all I can say is that they are doing their best," said First Selectman Bill Brennan. "They know better than anyone else that the pressure's on...we don't have a lot for kids to do in this town and it fills a need...I'm reluctant to pull the plug prematurely and then be regretful later."

Brennan indicated that he has been encouraged by Trackside's new leadership and also pointed out that the surrounding towns that have had success with their own teen centers had to wait around ten years before they caught on and started becoming self-sufficient. Selectman Ted Hoffstatter, the board's new representative to Trackside, also said that the value the town receives from the center far outweighs its price tag.

"I think for what we spend on Trackside, we get a lot back," he said. "The fact that it is student-run, I can say as an educator, is very important...and as much as I want to see money trimmed everywhere we can, I just don't want to go to them because I think they're improving."

Wilton's monetary contribution to Trackside covers the center's two full-time and one part-time employees, as well as its cleaning staff. In the 2011 budget proposal, for instance, the town's $143,963 will cover salaries of $60,160 for Trackside's executive director, $38,493 for its program manager, $22,422 for its development director and $16,800 for the cleaning staff, plus another $5,000 for event staffing, payroll and tax filing fees, and worker's comp insurance.

The center's total projected expenses for fiscal year 2011 amount to $315,404, the highest they've been since 2007, while its gross profit is projected to fall around $45,000 to $258,673 in 2011 from a 2009 high of $303,414 (as of November, the center's gross profit for 2010 was on pace to end the year around $228,000, about $45,000 below the budgeted total).

Trackside's greatest sources of income in 2011, outside of Wilton's municipal contribution, are anticipated to be approximately $40,000 from donations and grants and $46,500 from special events. It is the former of these two figures that concerns some, considering that from 2007 on, Trackside has raised around $93,000 ('07), $33,000 ('08), $123,000 ('09), $44,000 (estimated '10) and is budgeting for only $40,000 worth of revenue coming from grants and donations in 2011.

"I've long been a proponent of Trackside and I've always thought as a town that we needed to err on the side of giving it whatever time and resources it needs to be successful," said selectman Jim Meinhold at the two boards' meeting. "But it doesn't seem to me, and certainly they're trying hard and trying different things, but they're not having much success, outside of band nights at least."

The caveat to Trackside's revenue struggles, of course, is that with many residents dealing with tight finances and no wage increases (and with others losing their jobs altogether), most charitable organizations have had difficulty fund-raising. And to the center's credit, they counted around 6,000 teen visits last year (for perspective, the 2000 census indicates Wilton as having somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 teenagers in its ranks), it had open hours after 180 school days, seven band nights, two dance parties, five movies nights and hosted a variety of sports team banquets, board meetings, rehearsals, blood drives, you name it. So, there is certainly no paucity of Trackside activity.

But to have grant and donation income fall from a 2009 high of $123,000 to about a third of that two years in a row has given many pause when considering the center's future. Meinhold asked both the Boards of Selectmen and Finance if there were certain benchmarks or measurements that the town could put in place that would indicate when it might be time to pull back municipal funding if Trackside wasn't meeting goals.

No one had a specific answer and most members conceded that, considering the large investment the town and certain community members have already made on its behalf and the extenuating economic circumstances, Trackside should be given leeway. Brennan echoed these sentiments.

"I don't think that this is the type of decision where you say 'at this number, we're out of here,'" he said. "If we see the trend not picking up in the future, then perhaps we'll have to revisit the issue."

Don't Be Too Eager For the Census

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0400

The Wilton Police issue a warning to citizens about being too liberal with their personal information around census time.

March 17, 2010

Beginning in March the U.S. Census Bureau will send out a short questionnaire to every household in the U.S. and Puerto Rico in an effort to collect important demographic data. As a citizen, you are required by law to respond to the 10 short questions. From April to July, those that haven't completed their census will receive a visit at their home address from a census taker.

Identity criminals may take advantage of the census law and target unsuspecting victims in an attempt to steal sensitive information. The scams perpetrated may range from fraudulent emails designed to obtain sensitive information to attempts to impersonate census collectors.

Most citizens don't think twice about sharing personal information with a census worker, and that's why these scams can be very effective. It's important to remember there are distinct differences between a real census worker and an identity thief posing as a census worker.

U.S. Census workers will have identification, a handheld device and a confidentiality notice. But these things can be easily fabricated, so it's important to know what census workers will not do:

They will not ask for your Social Security number or financial information, e.g. bank or credit card accounts.
They will not ask you for money or say that you owe money.

They will not harass or intimidate you.

They will not contact you by email- only by phone, by mail, or in person.

Wilton Woman's Club to Hold Fashion Show

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0400

The April show will be sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue.

March 17, 2010

Planning is underway for the Wilton Woman's Club's Third Annual FASHION FUNdraising Fashion Show.

Saks Fifth Avenue will provide the clothing and accessories for the show which will take place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 pm on April 30 at Saks Fifth Avenue in the Stamford Town Center.

In addition to the fashion show, attendees are eligible for a free makeover, 15 percent off merchandise purchased on that day, a box lunch, wine and dessert. There will also be a silent auction.

The funds raised will be distributed to the Americares Free Clinic of Norwalk and the Norwalk Emergency Shelter.

Founded in 1966, the Wilton Woman's Club is dedicated to community improvement through volunteer service, and to strengthening women.

Tickets to the event are $60 and may be reserved by sending a check payable to the Wilton Woman's Club to WWC, P. O. Box 414, Wilton, CT 06897 by April 16. Call 762-7114 with questions or to check ticket availability after April 16.

Letter to the Editor: Modern Day Know Nothings

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:00:00 -0400

Wilton resident Kelly Franklin responds to an earlier article on the Tea Party Movement in Wilton.

March 17, 2010

A little over a week ago, Wilton Patch ran an article on the tea party movement.

While I take issue with some of the unsubstantiated claims in the article indicating that there is a growing interest in this movement in Wilton, and with the assertion that it is a grass-roots organization, my reason for writing today is Steve Symonds' comment on that article that asked town Democrats and Republicans to stop speaking in code, and be clear about their stance on this issue.

Mr. Symonds is right to ask for that clarity, and as a registered Democrat in Wilton, I'd like to make my position clear. I think the tea party movement is both dangerous and misdirected. It is also not unique. After almost every period of economic upheaval or social change in American history, we have seen the rise of these sorts of groups.

For example, the 1850s nativist Know Nothing movement also had no centralized organization or cogent platform, and was spawned by fear of "the other." Today's inchoate tea party movement, which laments taxation (despite the fact that taxes have gone down in the last year, and are lower than those imposed by Ronald Reagan), and boasts anarchic, but ill-informed citizens who loudly demand that the "government keep its hands off Medicare" certainly echoes its predecessor.

The primary difference is that the Know Nothing movement grew organically, playing on reactionary fears and fueled by the influx of immigrants to the United States and evolution in culture and voting patterns that that trend engendered.

Conversely, the tea party movement, while feeding off a real anger shared by the left and the right at citizens picking up the tab for Wall Street's bad bets, got its start as an astroturf (fake grass roots) movement, funded by Republican-led PACs like Freedomworks, and fostered by "news" outfits like Fox which seek to make a cage match out of public discourse.

While not all that identify with this movement are conspiracy theorists and bigots and anti-government extremists, many are. That these people, who hold up signs of our president defaced with a Hitler mustache dare call themselves "patriots" cheapens the achievements of our founding fathers and denigrates the sacrifices of generations of Americans who have given up their lives in service to our country. That they disrupt public discourse by hijacking town halls robs their fellow citizens of our right to engage in reasoned discussion and debate with our representatives.

This town, this state, and our nation have serious challenges - problems that require intelligent and thoughtful debate, and willingness on the part of our elected officials to take unpopular stances and make tough decisions.

Unfortunately, many Republicans at every level of our government seem more interested in fanning the flames, just saying "no," and playing political games than they do in living up to the responsibilities we've entrusted them with to help govern thoughtfully, and make tough choices.

A cynical donor presentation for the Republican National Committee was made public last week (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33866.html) and revealed just how eager this political organization is to stir up fear in order to co-opt and channel the anger of those who affiliate themselves with the tea party movement.

It is perhaps worth noting that the Know Nothings' largest legacy was that it killed the dying party of no ideas that was the Whigs, while forming the basis for what we today know as the Republican party. Perhaps history will repeat itself.

-Kelly Franklin, Wilton