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Candy House workshop at Burr Mansion

Graham cracker walls, peppermint windows and chocolate chimneys are all part of the fun in creating edible candy houses for the season. On Saturday December 19 from 1pm – 3pm come make your very own sugar inspired masterpieces at the Burr Mansion. The cost is $15 per house for museum members, $20 per house for non-members. This popular program fills up quickly, and pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Please make your reservation today by calling 203-259-1598.  The Burr Mansion is located at 739 Old Post Road in Fairfield. This event is presented by the Fairfield Museum and History Center, for more information please visit www.fairfieldhs.org.

Mammography screenings available

By ERIN HARRINGTON

The SWIM Women’s Imaging Center will offer the following free and low-cost mammography screening for women age 35 and older during the month of August:

 

·        Saturday, August 8^th, 10am to 2pm, Emmanuel Apostolic Church, 99 Vernon Street , Bridgeport , CT

·        Thursday, August 20^th, 10am to 3pm, Prayer Tabernacle, 1243 Stratford Ave , Bridgeport , CT

·        Wednesday, August 26^th, 10am to 2pm, Monroe Senior Center , 235 Cutlers Farm Road , Monroe , CT

·        Saturday, August 29^th,  10am to 2pm, Calvary New Testament Church of God, 1880 Barnum Ave , Bridgeport , CT

 

The latest American Cancer Society guidelines recommend that all women have a mammogram by age 40, and then every year thereafter.

Summer Camps at Fairfield Museum

By LAURA ROBERTS

The weather is finally turning and thoughts of summer are not far away.  If you haven’t made your summer camp plans yet, consider the Fairfield Museum’s camp programs.  Kids can travel back in time to discover what life was like in colonial times, learn about museums by going behind the scenes, enjoy arts and crafts or journey abroad this summer without ever leaving home. 

Fairfield Museum summer camps are based on the rich history of our region.   Kids will travel back in time . . . become a spy for George Washington, go to school in a 19th century one-room schoolhouse, dip candles, create artwork, play games and much more!   Along the way, kids will explore our history and develop new skills in a creative museum environment.

Heel pain discussion at St. V's

By LUCINDA AMES

Heel Pain: Causes & Cures” is the program of the next St. Vincent’s Healthy Hearts Club meeting on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:00pm in the Seton Room on Level “C” of St. Vincent's Medical Center. The presentation is free and open to the general public.

Featured speaker is podiatrist Carmen Luciano, DPM, who will discuss how to avoid heel problems and how to reduce pain if it occurs. His presentation will include information on appropriate walking shoes and tips to avoid heel pain when walking or exercising.

Carmen Luciano, DPM has practiced podiatric medicine in the area since 1976, and currently maintains an office in Monroe . During his career he has developed policy and procedures for out-patient surgery as a founder of  Bridgeport   Surgical Center and has established an off-site residency program there for the Connecticut Veterans Hospital . Dr. Luciano also performs insurance counseling for Health Net, gives informational presentations on podiatric topics for many area organizations, and has also lectured nationally for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgery.  A graduate of the University of Bridgeport with a BA degree, he earned a bachelor of science degree in addition to a podiatric medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, where he also performed his residency  He is an adjunct faculty member for the New York College of Podiatric Medicine and for the California College of Podiatric Medicine.

A question and answer period will follow his presentation to the Healthy Hearts Club.

            Light refreshments will also be served.

            Parking is free with ticket validation in the new Campus Parking Garage immediately in front of St. Vincent 's. No registration is necessary.

            St. Vincent’s Healthy Hearts, is open to all cardiac patients and their families. For further information on the Healthy Hearts Club, call St. Vincent's CareLine toll-free at 1-877-255-7847 or St. Vincent ’s Cardiac Rehabilitation  at  203-576-5012.

Professional workshop at Fairfield Museum

Calling all K-12 teachers and university faculty of Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, Library/Media and any educators interested in working with primary resources!  The Fairfield Museum and History Center and the Fairfield University Graduate School of Education will offer a workshop on primary sources and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on Saturday, May 2 from 8am – 12pm at the Fairfield Museum, 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, Ct.

 

The workshop, called Document It!, discusses GIS as a powerful teaching, management and research tool that fosters community connectedness, career pathways and spatial and historical thinking using real-world data in real-world contexts. GIS is a system of computer hardware, software, methods and data that allows for the creation and analysis of information in the form of 2D and 3D digital maps and satellite images.  GIS provides a way for educators and their students to understand the interconnectedness of past and present processes and issues from local to global scale including natural hazards, watersheds, population, crime, invasive species, history, urbanization, biodiversity and more. 

 

To register for the workshop and an optional afternoon GIS workshop at Fairfield University, visit www.ctcasl.com by Friday, April 24, or mail payment to Martha Djang, 333 Christian Street, Wallingford, CT 06492.  For questions, contact mdang@hamdenhall.org and confirmations will be sent via email.  CASL will grant 0.3 technology CEUs for the workshop and 0.5 technology CEUs for participants of the workshop and optional workshop, which includes lunch.

 

The workshop is funded by a grant from the Library of Congress through the Eastern Regional partnership and Waynesburg University, and is co-sponsored by the Connecticut State Association of School Librarians.

Sixth annual "Model Ts to Mustangs" in Stamford

Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s 6^th annual Model Ts to Mustangs outdoor antique and classic car display presented by Carriage House Motor Cars, Ltd., of Greenwich returns Saturday, May 2, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The car show is also sponsored in part by Wachovia Securities.

David Greenberg of Stamford and Rosa Portell, the Museum’s Curator of Collections, have teamed up again, working through the winter to co-curate this fun and classy event.

As a special feature marking the 50^th anniversary of the iconic BMC Mini, there will be a section dedicated to mini and micro cars. The Museum will display American cars and imports manufactured between 1900 and 1979. Celebrates automotive design by focusing on both American and imported cars.

Theshow will be judged and awards – including a “People’s Choice” award – will be presented in several categories.

The awards ceremony will be held at 2:45 p.m. Participants may also opt not to have their cars judged if they wish.

Entry forms are available on the Museum’s Web site, www.stamfordmusem.org

Local Bridgeport Artists in Mother’s Day Weekend Art Show and Sale

By KAREN FORD

       The Friends of Hall-Brooke. Will present 12 local artists for the 7^th Annual Mother’s Day Art Show in the Community Room and gallery of St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Behavioral Health Service, Westport Campus (formerly known as Hall-Brooke Hospital), 47 Long Lots Road, Westport.

            Participating artists from Bridgeport include Dalton Ghetti and Peter Konsterlie.   

Other participating artists in the Seventh Annual Mother’s Day Weekend Art Show and Sale include Cecilia Moy Fradet, Leslie Giuliani, Julie O’Connor, Paul Jones, Nancy Moore, Sophie Acheson, Elise Black, Miggs Burroughs, Karen Ford and Wendy Nylen. 

            Show hours are:

Saturday, May 9, Noon to 8 PM with the Meet the Artists Gala Reception, 6-8 p.m.

Sunday, May 10, Bring Your Mom Day, Noon-4 p.m.

Adoptive parents to meet

The next Connecticut meeting of the Adoptive Parents Committee, Inc. will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Westport/Weston.  The topic of discussion will be “Empowering Ourselves and Our Children to Handle Adoption Comments and Questions."

 Meetings are free, open to the public and designed for adults.  There is a general roundtable discussion on various adoption topics after the presentation.

 

The Adoptive Parents Committee is a not-for-profit organization providing adoption information, education, and support throughout the tri-state area.  For more information, please visit our website at www.adoptiveparents.org or call us at 914-997-7859.

AUDITION NOTICE

Equity and Non Equity Auditions. Auditions:  Saturday March 7, 11:00- 3:30,   Sunday March 8 , 12:30- 3:30. Barnum Museum, 820 Main St., Bridgeport, Ct.

For: Summer production by Connecticut Free Shakespeare of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream ,”  Director, Ellen Lieberman. Seeking:  Equity actors, Contract: LOA reference Outdoor Drama $329.00 minimum (Pending). Seeking Ct.based, Non- Equity actors, (Some pay and EMC points), and Ct.based college students (EMC Points), and High School students (EMC points). There will be no NYC audition. Sign-in sheet available one hour prior to audition start.

Mammography Screenings available

The SWIM Women’s Imaging Center will offer the following free and low-cost mammography screening for women age 35 and older during the month of February:

 

§        Wednesday, February 11^th, 9am to 1pm, St. Vincent’s Immediate Health, 401 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT

§        Monday, February 23^rd, 1pm to 5pm, St. Mary’s Church, 70 Gulf Street, Milford, CT

§        Friday, February 27^th, 9am to 1pm, Lord Chamberlain, 7003 Main Street , Stratford , CT

 

The latest American Cancer Society guidelines recommend that all women have a mammogram by age 40, and then every year thereafter.

 

Mammograms are free for those who do not have health insurance, have financial limitations and qualify for assistance. For those who do not have insurance but do not qualify for free services, mammograms are discounted. Appointments are necessary and a physician order and insurance card must be brought to the appointment.

 

To schedule an appointment or to find out when the mobile mammography unit will be in your area, call St. Vincent's SWIM Women’s Imaging Center at (203) 576-5500. To schedule a screening site for your office, community center, school or church, call the Mobile Mammography Coordinator at (203) 576-5505.

 

The mobile mammography program, one of the largest no-cost and low-cost mammography screening campaigns in all of Fairfield County , is made possible through St. Vincent's SWIM Across the Sound, Connecticut ’s leader in cancer education, prevention screenings and support services in the area.

 

St. Vincent’s SWIM Across the Sound

St. Vincent’s SWIM Across the Sound is a charitable organization run by St. Vincent ’s Medical Center Foundation. The grass roots organization, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this past August, does not support research; the SWIM has a unique niche, providing cancer education, screening, prevention and assistance programs at low- or no-cost for the elderly and underserved. In addition, the SWIM helps cancer patients on a case-by-case basis to fit an individual’s specific needs, such as the funding of wigs and prostheses, medication assistance, free transportation to treatments and appointments, daycare scholarships and support groups. The SWIM raises funds through events including the SWIM Marathon , Breast Cancer Luncheon, Sports Gala and Prostate Cancer Celebrity Dinner. Thanks to underwriting sponsorships of the events, 100% of funds raised are used for the SWIM’s cancer programs. The SWIM raised $2.6 million in the 2007 fiscal year and has helped more than 20,000 individuals throughout Connecticut .

 

St. Vincent’s Medical Center

St. Vincent’s Medical Center is a 397-bed acute care, community teaching and referral hospital providing a full range of inpatient and outpatient services with regional centers of excellence in cardiology, surgery, cancer care, orthopedics, diagnostics, women’s and family services, behavioral health, senior health and an array of specialized services.  St. Vincent’s Medical Center is a subsidiary of St. Vincent’s Health Services, which include Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services, St. Vincent’s College, St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services, and St. Vincent ’s Immediate Health Care Centers. It is a member of Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic healthcare system. St. Vincent's is a teaching affiliate of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and New York Medical College . The Medical Center is also sponsor of SWIM Across the Sound, one of the nation’s largest hospital-based cancer prevention and patient support programs. For referral to a St. Vincent ’s physician or about programs and services, call the toll-free Care Line at 1-877-255-SVHS (7847) or visit www.stvincents.org.

 

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Healthy Hearts to examine insurance issues

—“Medicare & Insurance Issues” is the program of the next St. Vincent’s Healthy Hearts Club meeting on Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00pm in the Level “C” Seton Room of St. Vincent's Medical Center . The presentation is free and open to the general public.

Featured speaker is St. Vincent ’s certified insurance counselor Gerd Weindling, who will discuss Medicare, insurance and supplemental coverage options. Weindling will answer questions regarding Medicare benefits, Medicare Supplemental, managed care,  prescription plans, long-term care, and advanced directives.

            Every second, third and fourth Wednesday of the month, Weindling offers his free insurance counseling sessions to the public from 10am-Noon at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in the main lobby. On the first Wednesday of the month, the program is presented from 10am-noon at St. Vincent ’s Wellness Booth at Westfield Shoppingtown Trumbull in the Lord & Taylor courtyard. The Wellness Booth is a project of the Mario & Irma D’Addario Hypertension Fund.

Weindling also offers free  group presentations, including “Family Conversations,” which focuses on helping elderly parents prepare for the future.

A question and answer period will follow his presentation to the Healthy Hearts Club.

            Light refreshments will also be served.

            Parking is free with ticket validation in the new Campus Parking Garage immediately in front of St. Vincent 's.. No registration is necessary.

            St. Vincent’s Healthy Hearts, is open to all cardiac patients and their families. For further information on the Healthy Hearts Club, call St. Vincent 's CareLine toll-free at

1-877-255-7847 or St. Vincent ’s Cardiac Rehabilitation  at  203-576-5012.

A mystery in the fine points of furniture

 

By LAURA ROBERTS

Chances are you are reading this while you are sitting in a chair.  Today’s homes are typically furnished with many chairs, but this wasn’t always the case.  In the 17^th century, only the wealthiest of households could afford them.  At that time stools and benches were more common for seating.

 

A hand-crafted chair owned by the Fairfield Museum and History Center has recently caused a stir among early American furniture experts.  This chair, which could date as early as 1690 and probably not later than about 1720, may be a rare hybrid of two regional styles of the time.  In remarkably original condition, it shows the influence of design and techniques used by both Boston and New York chairmakers. 

 

Mammography screenings available in Easton

 

 

The SWIM Women’s Imaging Center will offer the following free and low-cost mammography screening for women age 35 and older during the month of December:

 

§    Wednesday, December 10^th, 9:00a.m.to 3:00p.m., Easton Senior Center , 650 Morehouse Rd., Easton , CT

 

The latest American Cancer Society guidelines recommend that all women have a mammogram by age 40, and then every year thereafter.

 

Mammograms are free for those who do not have health insurance, have financial limitations and qualify for assistance. For those who do not have insurance but do not qualify for free services, mammograms are discounted. Appointments are necessary and a physician order and insurance card must be brought to the appointment.

 

Free Prostate Cancer Screenings Offered by St. Vincent’s Medical Center

 

 

Free prostate cancer screenings will be offered by St. Vincent ’s SWIM Prostate Cancer Institute on:

 

• Tuesday, December 9, Fairfield Health Department, 100 Mona Terrace, Fairfield , CT , 5:30 pm – 7:30pm
• Wednesday, January 14, Monroe Immediate Health Care, 401 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe , CT ,  5:30pm – 7:30pm

 

The free program is open to all men age 50 and over and to those age 40 and over whom are at higher risk for prostate cancer due to family history or being of African-American decent. St. Vincent ’s offers the free screenings in an effort to detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. The screening program is made possible through funding from St. Vincent’s SWIM Across the Sound, a charitable organization run by St. Vincent ’s Medical Center Foundation.

 

Perils of Privilege topic of lecture

The next Connecticut meeting of the Adoptive Parents Committee, Inc. will be held on Tuesday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Westport/Weston. The topic of discussion will be “Protecting Your Kids from the Perils of Privilege." Meetings are free, open to the public, and include a roundtable discussion after the presentation.

The Adoptive Parents Committee is a not-for-profit organization providing adoption information, education, and support throughout the tri-state area. For more information, please visit our website at www.adoptiveparents.org or call us at 914-997-7859.

Heirloom exhibit opened at Fairfield Museum

By LAURA ROBERTS

Chances are you have at least one item in your home that was handed down from a relative. Whether you keep it because it reminds you of someone, you appreciate its value, or it’s something you simply admire, it is an heirloom, and it connects you with the past. 

Heirlooms give us a glimpse into life at a different time as well as insight into the stories that make our own families unique. Connections forged through heirlooms are the focus of a new exhibit at the Fairfield Museum and History Center entitled, Family Connections: Telling Our Stories Through Heirlooms. The exhibit features cherished pieces that show how people create and preserve links between themselves, their ancestors and descendants through objects. Textiles, jewelry, samplers, books, silver, and toys will be on display, each with its own unique history.   

The exhibit opens to the public on October 3, with a members-only preview on October 2 from 4pm -6pm, and remains on display through January 4, 2009. Visitors to the exhibit will learn amazing stories from our community’s past. Tangible evidence of our forebears can be powerful in linking present generations to the past. In the absence of firsthand knowledge of an ancestor, he or she can become an abstraction, a name and date recorded on the family tree. But the possession of an object closely associated with the person can forge a bond even when it isn’t possible to know a lot about the individual.

Mammography screenings offered

The SWIM Women’s Imaging Center will offer the following free and low-cost mammography screenings for women age 35 and older during the months of August and September:

§    Wednesday, September 17^th, 9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m., Trumbull Emergency Medical Services, 250 Middlebrook Ave , Trumbull , CT

§    Thursday, September 25^th, 10:00a.m. to 2:00p.m., Boomers and Beyond, Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane Ave, Trumbull , CT

Woman's art exhibit at HCC

Why Not? a juried exhibit of the work of some 90 woman artists from New England and New York , will be on display at the Housatonic Museum of Art Sept. 4-Oct. 24. The theme of the exhibit, sponsored by the Connecticut Chapter of the Women’s Caucus for Art, is women artists pushing boundaries. The work on display shows the responses of women as they engage the question “Why Not?” from personal, historical or universal perspectives.  The opening reception is open to the public at no charge. The reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Burt Chernow Galleries at Housatonic Community College , located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in downtown Bridgeport , 150 yards off I-95 (Exit 27) and Rte 8 (Exit 1), two blocks from the Arena at Harbor Yard.