The News - Thursday 9.1.11

VOLUME XXIII, NO. 35 14 PAGESOf Bridgeport’s North End & Black Rock

ThursdaySeptember 1, 2011

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What has always frightened me about disasters, beyond the magnitude of destruction

and the loss of life and property, is that while they can bring out the best in us, they often bring out the worst.

They can open the tiny portals into our souls, and in microscopic moral detail reveal us to be either selfless people or selfish people. Sometimes I shudder when I see what I’m really all about. Instead of courage, there’s cowardice. Instead of caring for others, I’m caring for me.

A crisis can magnify our character so much that acts of compassion and kindness are elevated to what saint-watchers call “heroic virtue,” while acts of greed and self-interest are

shown for what they truly are, clas-sical evil.

The examples are many. A store owner price-gouges because people are rushing to buy water and food. After all, he reasons, everyone has to make a buck.

An old man struggles down the stairs to escape an office building during an earthquake, and scores of people rush by him while one or two pause to help, but then even they abandon him to save themselves.

Amid the hysteria and turmoil, maybe one person makes the sacri-fice and stays with him to her own peril. Meanwhile, the rest of us with shaky consciences breathe a sigh of relief because someone is doing what we know we should have done

but were too afraid to do.As the hurricane approaches, a

car with a mother and children is stranded on the side of the highway, and she waves for help, but motor-ists pass by because they have their own lives to worry about.

On the occasions that I’ve been the one to pass by someone in need, I’ve thought in a moment of self-deception that it didn’t necessarily make me a bad person, even though

I couldn’t deny that it illuminated my selfishness in a very painful way.

I’m reminded of that parable of the Good Samaritan, where two people walk by the traveler who had been beaten and robbed and left for dead. To their thinking, they had good reasons to keep walking. However, when you’re the one lying by the side of the road, watching the parade of passersby look the other way, it can lead you to despair.

There were examples like that during Hurricane Irene, in the super-market aisles, at the gas station lines, and in the flooded areas where people were stranded.

And yet, sometimes goodness still shines through, and it can be

an inspiration for all of us — most especially 10 years ago on 9/11, when terrorists hijacked four jet airliners and slammed them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

That day, there were many heroes who acted with exceptional grace. Some thwarted the terrorists who intended to slam a jet plane into the Capitol, and many more rushed into the World Trade Center while every-one else was rushing out.

They were ordinary men and women who found that thing called “heroic virtue” inside themselves when the world needed it most.

Joe Pisani can be reached at [email protected].

Did I Say That?By Joe Pisani

[email protected].

Selfishness vs. heroic virtue in times of trouble

News Briefs

Chambers holding mayoral forum

The Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce, together with the Caribbean World Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Bridgeport and the Southern Connecticut Black Chamber of Commerce, will host a Mayoral Pre-primary Forum in Beacon Hall at Housatonic Community College on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 8 to 10 a.m.

All four registered candidates — Bill Finch, Mary Jane Foster, Jeff Kohut and Rick Torres — have been invited and are expected to attend. The forum will be moderated by John J. DeAugustine.

Candidates will be asked ques-tions about their solutions to local challenges and how they will shape Bridgeport’s future. If time permits, audience members will be also able to ask the candi-dates questions.

The forum is free and open to the public.

Dr. Twit to speak at The Watermark

The Watermark at 3030 Park will host its monthly Laughter for Life Club meeting in the main lounge on Tuesday, Sept. 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

September’s guest pre-senter will be Dr. Shan Twit of Stamford Chiropractic & Rehab Center. Twit will discuss natural solutions to weight loss, head-aches, digestion and sleeping disorders.

For more information on Laughter for Life, call 203-374-5611. For more information on Dr. Twit, visit stamfordchiro.com.

Junior League seeks volunteers

The Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County will host an open house for prospective members at Las Vetas Lounge, 27 Unquowa Road, Fairfield on Sept. 10

Women seeking a volunteer experience in their community can learn about the league’s pro-grams, meet current members and have cocktails or coffee. The local chapter focuses on literacy, health and nutrition in an 11-town service region that includes Bridgeport.

For times and details, contact Erin Hamilton at 917-657-6297 or [email protected], or visit jlefc.org.

Twitter & FacebookTwitter.com/TheBportNewsFacebook.com/BridgeportNews

Preparedness pays offCity escapes Hurricane Irene without any major incidents

By Nancy DonigerEditor

Bridgeport’s preparedness for Hurricane Irene and ability to evacu-ate residents in low-lying areas paid off as residents heeded the order and

stayed safe during the storm.The city escaped any major incidents, aside

from storm damage and power outages.The hurricane did, however, cause exten-

sive flooding and damage to Seaside Park, which has been closed indefinitely, although public works crews are attempting to repair West Beach for the Labor Day weekend.

Status updates will be posted on thebridge-portnews.com.

Less than a week earlier, the city also sur-vived an earthquake that rattled most of the East Coast without little or no damage.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Mayor Bill Finch is working closely with United Illuminating to assist in getting power back on throughout the city. As of Wednesday morning, fewer than 4,000 customers were still without electricity.

Elaine Ficarra, the mayor’s spokesman, said public works crews have been out every day, clearing trees and debris.

“Public works and emergency crews have not stopped since the storm happened,” she said.

A large tree fell over and hit a house on North Street, blocking the driveway, she said, but it appeared to be resting on the house, rather than crashing through it.

Finch is asking all residents to call 203-576-1311 and 203-579-3829 to report fallen trees, downed power lines, power outages and any non-emergencies related to the storm.

Little is left of the Al Bennett Memorial fishing pier that was at the end of West Beach by the lighthouse. The remains of it were swept over to the rocks by Port 5 on the other side of the harbor from where it officially stood. The lighthouse is vis-ible in the background. (Photos courtesy of Bridgeport Public Facilities Department)

Weather service on Irene:

‘Could have been worse’ By David DesRoches

Staff

Emergency and municipal person-nel continue to assess the damage of Tropical Storm Irene, the downgraded

hurricane that flooded properties, knocked out power to more than 700,000 Connecticut homes and caused the death of more than 20 people on the East Coast.

“We knew early last week about the (hurricane’s) potential, what we didn’t know was the intensity,” said David Stark, a mete-orologist with the National Weather Service. “The intensity is so difficult to forecast because of so many variables.”

United Illuminating had more than 200 crews working to restore power, which

- see Hurricane on page 8A - see Weather on page 8A

Hurricane Irene severely damaged sidewalks along Seaside Park’s seawall.

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THE NEWS, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 PAGE 2A

Frank J. Carroll, interna-tional vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and a Bridgeport native, has been selected by the Board of Directors of the Barnum Festival as the 2012 ringmas-ter of the annual celebration.

A Shelton resident, Carroll was selected as the 63rd ring-master of the organization, which was created in 1948 to commemorate the life and times of P.T. Barnum, entre-preneur and former mayor of

Bridgeport. He follows a long list of regional and community leaders to hold the position.

The new ringmaster is no stranger to the Barnum Festival, having volunteered in a number of the events over the years, serving in a variety of roles.

He is the son of the late Frank and Irene Carroll and brother of former ringmasters William J. Carroll and Charles Carroll. He succeeds Armando Goncalves, regional president of People’s United Bank, who

served as the 62nd ringmas-ter and was a member of the nominating committee headed by former ringmaster Robert H. Laska, retired publisher of The Connecticut Post.

Goncalves said that Carroll was an “easy choice” for the committee because of his long history of community involvement and support of Bridgeport institutions and organizations. He noted that Carroll was the grand marshal of the 2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and activities.

“Frank’s heart and soul is committed to the betterment of Bridgeport and the region,” said Barnum Festival Society President Rick Porto, adding that the former ringmasters, staff and volunteers are “look-ing forward to working with Frank.”

The Festival has become well known throughout the Northeast through the more than 20 annual events that salute Barnum and the people and events that made him the “greatest showman on earth.” Those events include the street parade, drum and bugle corps competition, concerts and fireworks extravaganza at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park.

Carroll began his careers in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in May 1966, with Local Union 488, Bridgeport. He became a vice president of the local and was elected president in 1977

and then business manager/financial secretary until his appointment as international vice president.

Serving on various com-mittees, Carroll has also rep-resented the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as a delegate to the AFL-CIO National Conventions. As a labor activ-ist, he has also served on the

Connecticut State License Board and was president of the Bridgeport Building Trades Council and the State of Connecticut Electrical Workers.

As an active member of his community, Carroll received the honor of being cho-sen as one of the Irish Echo Newspaper’s “Irish Labor 50 honorees for 2011.”

Carroll and his wife, Patricia, have three children, Frank J. Carroll, III, married to Susan; Raymond Carroll, married to Denise; and Amy Lynn, mar-ried to Michael D’Amico; and eight grandchildren, Molly Carroll, Erin Carroll, Frank J. Carroll IV, Michael Carroll, Jonathan Carroll, Andrew Carroll, Alexandria D’Amico and Emma D’Amico.

Frank Carroll named 2012 Barnum Festival ringmaster

Shelton resident Frank Carroll has been named the 2012 Barnum Festival ringmaster. His brother, Charlie, was the ringmaster in 1999. (Photos by Wayne Ratzenberger)

Frank Carroll’s wife, Patricia, was by his side when he was named ringmaster.

The Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill is expecting more than 1,000 homeless and needy veter-ans to attend “Stand Down 2011,” an event that provides free services, assistance and information from federal and state agencies, as well as local businesses and corporations for Connecticut veterans.

This event will be held at the State Veterans Home Campus, 287 West St., Rocky Hill, on Friday, Sept. 9, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Stand Down has become a proud Connecticut tradition and I believe it is our state at it’s finest,” Commissioner Linda Schwartz said. “Stand Down is a place where needy and homeless vet-erans can receive the help that they need. Where else in Connecticut can you go to

court and get a case settled and your license renewed, get a hair cut, your teeth cleaned and an eye examination all in the same day?”

Needy veterans or their advocates can pre-register and receive more information by calling 860-616-3801 or visitingct.gov/ctva. Pre-reg-istration is not required to attend the event.

Free transportation for vet-erans is available from pick-up locations around the state. Key urban areas to be served include Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Stamford, Torrington and Waterbury.

Organizations and individ-uals interested in contributing resources or services to Stand Down 2011 should contact the Department of Veterans’ Affairs at 860-616-3801.

‘Stand Down’ will benefit veteransThe Connecticut Fallen

Heroes Foundation will be teaming up with the band, and local sensation, Remember September at Captain’s Cove Seaport, 1 Bostwick Ave., Bridgeport, on Sunday, Sept. 11. The event is free and open to the public.

Team members will be set-ting up tables around 1 p.m., on the deck outside to rec-ognize the importance of this special anniversary that changed America and the way we lived forever.

Remember September is set to perform between 3 and 7

p.m., with a short break around 4 p.m., where U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch will say a few words and reflect on that fateful day 10 years ago. Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman will also try and make it down.

“Captain’s Cove owners Jill Williams and David Toth have been great supporters of the Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation over the years, as well as band manager John Schod,” said Mike Mastroni, foundation chairman.

“They donate their time as well as funding to our cause

and are some of the nicest folks we have ever come across,” said team member Linda Hvizdo, who is the manager of Homewood Suites in Stratford.

The day is also used as a stepping stone to the founda-tion’s Fallen Heroes Memorial Tribute, which will take place at Trumbull’s Indian Ledge Park on Saturday, Sept. 24

The foundation had 300 spe-cial 10th anniversary T-shirts made just for this occasion and they will be selling them for $20 each that afternoon.

“Wait until you see these,

there is nothing else like it, we incorporated the fireman’s helmet and police officers cap along with the boot, helmet, and dog tags of our country’s fallen,” said team member Kevin Murphy of Sikorsky. “Then we had the eagle and white dove swinging around the towers on each end.”

The Sikorsky Finance Women’s Forum will also be helping the Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation that day with a sports raffle, along with other items.

For more information, visit ctfallenheroes.org.

Event to mark 10th anniversary of 9/11

The rains from Hurricane Irene left Seaside Park underwater. The water rose over the sea wall and flooded the entire area and up to Marina Circle. (Photo by Public Works Director Charles Carroll)

Under water

When students returned to eight Connecticut schools this fall, Goodwill staff greeted them with brand new backpacks filled with school supplies. Each backpack con-tained essential supplies to allow students to begin the year with the tools they need to succeed.

The Beardsley and Waltersville schools were among those benefiting from the backpack giveaway this year.

In all, 3,500 backpacks — a thousand more than

last year — were distribut-ed to students courtesy of Goodwill. Goodwill believes that education is a critical building block in creating employability options as an adult and began this commu-nity outreach effort in 2009. Schools are selected based on the needs of the local com-munity and their proximity to a Goodwill location.

Goodwill distributed back-packs to the Waltersville School on Aug. 29 and Beardsley School on Aug. 31.

Goodwill gives 3,500 students backpacks

Continuing in their strong commitment to help address the growing problem of hun-ger in Bridgeport, the trust-ees of the Norma F. Pfriem Foundation have donated $45,000 to purchase food for distribution to people in need through 37 soup kitchens and pantries in the Hunger Outreach Network, a voluntary collabo-ration of church and commu-nity providers coordinated by The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport.

The grant, the foundation’s fourth since 2009, will help put food on the tables of fami-lies at risk of going to bed hungry.

The grant is all the more needed because of the reduc-

tion of federal hunger funds to greater Bridgeport through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is the fidu-ciary for the Hunger Outreach Network, comprised of 17 soup kitchen programs (serv-ing hot nutritious meals), 25 food pantries and three mobile kitchens.

More than 2.5 million meals were served to hungry people in Bridgeport and the sur-rounding suburbs (Monroe, Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull and Easton) last year, up from 2.2 million meals the previ-ous year. These programs are based mostly in churches and community organizations but

also include several municipal food pantries.

With the impact of the eco-nomic downturn and recent federal budget tightening, FEMA funds were reduced 25% in this new budget year. The grant from the Norma F. Pfriem Foundation helps fill that gap. Prior grants from the foundation doubled food stor-age capacity, allowing hunger dollars to go further through bulk purchasing, especially of non-perishable food.

To help feed hungry people, visit ccgb.org and click on the link to JustGive.org on the lower left of our home page. People can specify if they would like their gift to support hunger outreach.

Grant will help Hunger Outreach Network

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U.S. Rep. Jim Himes recently joined the Southwest Community Health Center in Bridgeport to celebrate National Health Center Week. This annual event recognizes the services and contributions of America’s health centers in providing affordable, high quality, cost-effective health-care to all people. This year’s event marks the 46th anni-versary of the creation of the Health Centers Program.

“Community Health Centers are an absolutely vital

piece of our nation’s health system, and are often the only health entity truly responsive to their community’s individ-ual needs,” Himes said. “The important services provided by these health centers allow patients to save money on health care costs and help to eliminate health care dispari-ties by race and ethnicity.”

The community fair at the Southwest Community Health Center showcased the health center’s many services, and also included activities for

children and adults to help bring the community together. Himes addressed fair attend-ees on the importance of America’s community health centers.

“If you are unemployed or uninsured in Connecticut, it has gotten more and more difficult to find affordable, high-quality health care,” he said. “Southwest Community Health Center has been a life-line to those in and around Bridgeport who have lost cov-erage or are between jobs.”

Himes and community health center celebrate National Health Center Week

Dr. Joseph Tiano checks on the progress of Glenn Myers of Stratford in the Electrophysiology Lab at St. Vincent’s, where his A-fib ablation procedure was per-formed in April. (Submitted photo)

St. Vincent’s Medical Center is the only hospital in the tri-state area to offer a comprehensive program with both medical and surgical treatments to treat atrial fibril-lation, also known as rapid or irregular heartbeat, thanks to the newly added technique of “trans-catheter ablation.”

Trans-catheter ablation is a non-surgical technique that employs a catheter to reach the heart where radio frequency energy is then used to dis-rupt the electrical impulses that cause and maintain atrial fibrillation.

St. Vincent’s has already gained recognition for being the only facility in the state to offer the latest minimally invasive (mini-maze) surgery to correct atrial fibrillation, a rhythm disorder common-ly known as “A-fib,” which occurs when electrical signals cause the upper chambers of the heart, the atria, to beat rapidly and erratically.

The disease produces life-style-damaging symptoms such as palpitations, fatigue

and shortness of breath, which not only can prevent people from participating in activities they enjoy, but can create fear and anxiety in those individu-als and their families. It can also lead to stroke or weaken-ing of the heart, called conges-tive heart failure.

Surgical outcomes have been highly successful for this procedure performed at St. Vincent’s by Cardiothoracic Surgery Chief Dr. Rafael Squitieri and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Medical Director Dr. Albert DiMeo. Approximately 90% of people who undergo the procedure at St. Vincent’s do not experience another epi-sode of A-fib, putting it among the highest in the nation. Currently, St. Vincent’s is the only hospital in the state and among 10 healthcare organiza-tions nationally providing this innovative and proven treat-ment.

“We have seen phenom-enal results with this surgical technique, with very fit people of all ages who had become

debilitated by A-fib, resuming their often rigorous exercising and full schedule of family, career and recreational activi-ties,” Squitieri said.

“This truly is a great solu-tion for those who have chron-ic A-fib, particularly those who are very active, because it has an extremely high suc-cess rate and allows them to resume more physical activ-ity,” DiMeo said.

The latest mini-maze sur-gery is totally thoracoscopic, or performed solely through endoscopes or flexible tubes inserted into two tiny, one-centimeter keyhole incisions on each side of the chest. A tiny camera and video-guided instruments are then inserted into the endoscopes to reach the heart and create a maze-like pattern of scarring or ablation with radio frequency energy which interrupts the electrical impulses that initiate A-fib.

For more information, con-tact cardiovascular medicine at 203-576-5788 or visit stvin-cents.org.

St. Vincent’s offers comprehensive treatment for atrial fibrillation

Azikiwe Aquart, 31, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty Aug. 26 before United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three counts of murder in aid of racketeering stemming from his role in the murder of three Bridgeport residents in August 2005.

According to court docu-ments, statements made in court and evidence intro-duced during Azibo Aquart’s trial in the spring of 2011, Azibo Aquart, who is Azikiwe Aquart’s brother, was the founder and leader of a drug trafficking group that primar-ily sold crack cocaine out of an apartment building located at 215 Charles St., Bridgeport. Azibo Aquart and his associ-ates participated in acts of violence, such as threats and assaults, to maintain their control over the group’s drug distribution activities at the Charles Street Apartments.

In the summer of 2005, Azibo Aquart and his associ-ates became involved in a drug trafficking dispute with

Tina Johnson, a resident of 215 Charles St., who some-times sold smaller quantities of crack cocaine without the approval of Azibo Aquart. On the morning of Aug. 24, 2005, Azibo Aquart, Azikiwe Aquart and others entered Apartment 101 at 215 Charles St., and murdered Tina Johnson, 43, her boyfriend, James Reid, 40, and friend, Basil Williams, 54. The three victims were bound with duct tape and brutally beaten to death with baseball bats.

Azikiwe Aquart specifi-cally admitted that he had agreed to participate in what he believed would be a rob-bery with his brother and others and, after entering the apartment he committed the murder of James Reid, while other participants in the crime murdered Tina Johnson and Basil Williams.

During the trial of Azibo Aquart, in addition to witness testimony, the government offered extensive forensic evidence gathered from the apartment, including finger-

prints and evidence that con-tained DNA from the Aquarts and others.

Underhill has scheduled Azikiwe Aquart’s sentencing for Nov. 14, at which time Aquart faces a mandatory life term of imprisonment on each of the three counts of murder in aid of racketeering.

On May 23, after a month-long trial, a federal jury in New Haven found Azibo Aquart guilty of the mur-ders of Johnson, Reid and Williams. On June 15, the jury unanimously determined that Azibo Aquart should be sentenced to death for com-mitting both the racketeer-ing murders and drug-relat-ed murders of Johnson and Williams, but could not reach a unanimous decision as to an appropriate penalty, life imprisonment or death, for the racketeering murder and drug-related murder of Reid.

United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton will schedule a sentencing date for Azibo Aquart after the sub-mission of post-trial motions.

Bridgeport man admits to role in 2005 murder of three people

John A. Ortiz, 54, of Stratford was sentenced by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprison-ment, followed by two years of supervised release, for ille-gally structuring more than $943,000 in cash transac-tions.

Hall also ordered Ortiz to forfeit approximately $388,540 to the government and to pay a fine in the amount of $75,000.

Federal law requires all financial institutions to file a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) for currency transac-tions that exceed $10,000. To evade the filing of a CTR, individuals will often struc-ture their currency transac-tions so that no single transac-tion exceeds $10,000.

Structuring involves the repeated depositing or with-drawal of amounts of cash less than the $10,000 limit or the splitting of a cash trans-action that exceeds $10,000

into smaller cash transac-tions in an effort to avoid the reporting requirements. Even if the deposited funds are derived from a legitimate means, financial transactions conducted in this manner are still in violation of federal criminal law.

According to court docu-ments and statements made in court, Ortiz maintained a money market savings account at a credit union and also had a personal line of credit at a bank. Between May 2006 and October 2009, Ortiz made more than 70 large cash deposits into his savings account and more than 30 large cash payments to his personal line of credit account. The vast majority of the cash transactions were in the amount of $9000 and none exceeded $10,000. In total, Ortiz structured approximate-ly $943,000 in cash deposits and line of credit payments.

Ortiz used the deposited

funds to purchase, or to obtain credit in order to purchase, properties in Connecticut and Florida. He also used more than $270,000 of the struc-tured funds to settle a busi-ness dispute with his former partner.

Ortiz owns and operates towing and auto repair busi-nesses in Bridgeport and Stratford.

Ortiz waived his right to indictment on May 25, and pleaded guilty to one count of structuring cash transactions.

Stratford man to serve jail time for illegally structuring cash transactions

Torre Green, 31, of Bridgeport, was sentenced Aug. 24 by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trading crack cocaine for three firearms.

According to court docu-ments and statements made in court, on April 28, 2010, Green, Shawn S. Lehal and Walter S. Williams were arrested after they met with an undercover law enforce-ment officer in Bridgeport and distributed approximate-

ly 39 grams of crack cocaine in exchange for three semi-automatic handguns.

On March 31, 2011, Green pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”). Lehal and Williams, both of Bridgeport, have pleaded guilty to the same charge and await sen-tencing.

This matter was investigat-ed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Bridgeport

Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.

This prosecution is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, a program that is aimed at reducing gun and gang vio-lence, deterring illegal pos-session of guns, and improv-ing the safety of residents throughout Connecticut. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as state, federal and local law enforcement agencies.

Trading drugs for firearms lands city man in jail for 84 months

The Junior Women’s Club of Fairfield’s Touch-a-Truck fund-raiser will be held at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, 785 Unquowa Road, on Sunday, Sept. 18, from noon to 4 p.m. (Rain date is Sunday, Sept. 25, from noon to 4 p.m.)

At this family-friendly event, kids of all ages can hop into the driver’s seat of more than two dozen vehicles, refu-el on pizza, tacos, Italian ice and baked goodies, then make a pit-stop for any number of activities, from an old-fash-ioned hayride to a spin around a go-cart racetrack.

Touch-a-Truck proceeds will benefit the club’s schol-arship fund for Fairfield high school students.

Tickets are $5 per person, ages 1 and up, with a maxi-mum of $20 per family.

Touch--a-Truck set for Sept. 18

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Editorial

Opinion

Is it time to find another operating agency for our commuter trains?

Consider the last year: Winter service reductions, summer strandings in swelter-ing heat, the M8 cars almost two years late in delivery, abusive and incompetent conductors, arrogant and unre-sponsive management.

You may not realize that Metro-North is hired by the state of Connecticut to operate our trains. They work for us. Yet they never seem to be held accountable for their mistakes.

Last week there was a very loud “listening session” for Metro-North President Howard Permut, to hear from pas-sengers stranded on July 22, in potentially life-threatening conditions on the hottest day of the year.

Mr. Permut said he came to listen and learn. Yet, he squirmed in his seat, his body language screaming discom-fort, and hardly took a single note as dozens of good ideas were presented.

He apologized for what happened. But in a 20-page “Open Letter to Commuters,” he acknowledged no fault, assessing the blame for what happened on old cars and power-lines.

How does Metro-North keep this job, except for negli-gence in oversight by the CDOT?

The contract between CDOT and Metro-North self-renews every five years. Neither side has ever renegotiated the terms. There are neither penalties for bad service nor incentives for good. There is no accountability.

The income Metro-North makes from running New Haven line trains is more than they make from the Hudson and Harlem lines combined. We in Connecticut are Metro-North’s main source of revenue. Yet, they hold all the power and tell us what to do.

The M8 project was of their design, not Connecticut’s. The new car contracts had set-asides for minority and women-owned businesses in N.Y., not CT. Through their parent agency, the MTA, Metro-North determines capital expenditures with no “yea” or “nay” votes from Connecticut, and then bills us for our share.

Yes, Metro-North has an admirable on-time record. And certainly many of the issues they struggle with regarding aging equipment, insufficient repair facilities and century-old power lines, are not their fault.

But July’s stranding of hundreds of passengers near Greens Farms on the hottest day of the year shows an area easily improved upon: staff training.

Why did conductors on that train not communicate with passengers, leaving them so desperate they called 911 to be rescued? Why did it take passengers, not conductors, to open windows and doors to cope with the 100-plus degree heat? Why did a conductor take off his uniform so as to not to be bothered by anxious passengers? And when the train did start moving, why did conductors curse at each other over the PA system for all to hear?

What consequences did those conductors face? Were they disciplined? Re-trained? Demoted? Fired? Nobody knows, or at least the railroad won’t tell us.

Maybe it’s time to tell Metro-North it can be replaced. Other commuter rail lines have changed operating agen-cies… the MBTA, Virginia Railway Express… and passen-gers found better service at lower cost.

Yes, Connecticut can “fire” Metro-North and find some-one else to run our trains. Just because Metro-North has had a monopoly on our commuter lines since 1983 doesn’t mean they’re the only game in town.

But first, our governor and the legislature should ask the CDOT what kind of oversight they conduct on Metro-North. Why not an annual report card? The CT Rail Commuter Council issues an annual report. I wonder if anyone in Hartford reads it. If they did, they’d know these problems are not new.

Jim Cameron has been a Darien resident for 20 years. He is chairman of the CT Metro-North/Shore Line East Rail Commuter Council, and a member of the Coastal Corridor TIA and the Darien RTM. The opinions expressed in this column are only his own. You can reach him at [email protected] or trainweb.org/ct.

TalkingTransportation

By Jim [email protected]

Is it time to fire Metro-North? Column

With all the angst over and media coverage of Hurricane Irene this past weekend, it got me to thinking about the “Great Hurricane of 1938” as it came to be known as it was long before hurricanes were known by alphabetical names.

My memories of Sept. 21, 1938, are vivid to this day. I was in a class at Stratford High School that fateful afternoon.

A lasting image is of look-ing out the window and seeing leaves and debris blowing horizontally. “What was going on”? I wondered. I have never seen a sight like that before.

Getting home was a prob-lem. There were several of us who lived in relative proxim-ity, and one of the fathers came to the school to bring us home. But at every turn there were trees blown down that obstructed one street after another.

I finally arrived home to find my mother in a state of high anxiety. The three other members of our family were out and about, and she knew not where; she was beside herself with worry.

Eventually, my older sister made it home, but dad was the real concern. He was a food salesman, and, as luck would have it, he was seeing his customers in the Hartford area and did not make it

home until the following day.The wind was fierce,

and the rain pelted down in all directions. I especially remember watching a large maple tree in front of the house next door. It had a large trunk that branched off into three large sections. As the winds increased without let up, the sections began to split open, wider with every gust.

Unlike so many trees that were felled, this maple was spared, but at a price. In the end, the owners had it rein-forced with a heavy wire in a triangular formation that con-nected the affected branches. This preserved it for many years, but it was never the same healthy tree it had been before it was so viciously attacked.

Dad made it home success-fully the day after the storm. He had had his camera with him and took several storm photos; one, I remember, showed a demolished auto-mobile with a large tree that had crashed into its roof.

In the following days, dad went about town (Stratford) taking photos of the devasta-tion. Several captured the many stately elm trees that

lay like match sticks across Main Street.

A few months prior to the storm my parents had purchased an electric stove, a relatively rare appliance in those days. My mother was so proud of her gleam-ing white stove, and it was a great advancement from the wood, coal or gas stoves she had cooked on all her life.

But the storm, which came to be known as the Great September Gale because the word hurricane was not com-mon in American vernacular at the time, had brought down so many trees that electric power was out for days. So my mother’s pride and joy was rendered useless. I remember her trotting next door to cook some of our meals on the gas stove of our neighboring family.

Yes, it was a terrible storm, but little did anyone realize we (but not everyone) had survived what today would be classified as a category 3 hurricane, down from what today would be a monstrous category 5 as it churned its way up the Atlantic.

An unwanted notoriety came to Connecticut when landfall was near New Haven at about 2:30 p.m. But the greatest destruction actually occurred eastward where the storm ferociously impacted the towns along the coast. And perhaps Rhode Island

was hardest hit of all with its endless ocean coastline and the water surge that plowed into Narragansett Bay.

To this day, it is the most powerful, costliest and dead-liest storm ever to hit New England, exacerbated by the lack of communication at the time.

Think of life without today’s minute-to-minute television coverage of Irene, for example. No one had any idea such a monstrous storm was coming. We’d had our share of devastating nor’easters, but hurricanes happened in Florida or the Caribbean, unheard of in this area.

All told, between 682 and 800 people lost their lives; the storm damaged or destroyed approximately 57,000 homes, and property losses were estimated at $306 million (equivalent to $4.77 billion in 2011).

It would be months, some-times years, before things would get back to normal, and in some areas, like parts of Long Island where the configurations of the land were changed forever, normal never returned.

The storm of 1938 is still known as the worst natural disaster in Connecticut’s 350-year history.

Reach Ellen Beveridge at [email protected]

Remembering the Hurricane of 1938

ReflectionsBy Ellen Beveridge

Letters to the Editor

To the EditorKudos to the Connecticut

Post for demanding Santa Ayala’s resignation. Also for acknowledging that it was not only Foster that was insulted and humiliated.

The supporters on the Foster team have worked hard and talked to hundreds if not thou-sands of voters. We support

Mary-Jane and will continue until we cross the finish line. Ayala’s attempt to squash the Foster camp has been in vain. To think that she hasn’t ben advised by Finch and Testo is ludicrous.

Well, to the chagrin of the Finch campaign, Mary-Jane Foster is moving full speed ahead. She intends to be the

next mayor of Bridgeport, and it is our intent to make her desire a reality.

Her camp is as diverse as you can get. They are the true mirror of this great city. Thank you to the Connecticut Post for making a stand. You are on the right side of history, and we, the voters of Bridgeport, thank the editorial staff for

acknowledging a travesty. This was definitely the

final straw for the Finch-Testo love fest of corruption and arrogance. The people of Bridgeport will stand up and be counted this September.

Steven L. AuerbachBridgeport

Foster supporters press on to cross finish line

People’s United Bank branches in greater Bridgeport, local Stop & Shop supermar-kets and food supply com-pany Sodexo collected 3,089 pounds of non-perishable food last month, augmenting the 533 pounds collected by the Bridgeport Rotary Club, which annually runs a food drive in conjunction with the Barnum Festival.

In total, 3,622 pounds of food were collected for those in need.

On July 3, Bridgeport Rotary members walked the Great Street Parade of the Barnum Festival to collect

non-perishable food items, as well as cash donations, from all attending the event.

The Bridgeport Rotary Club also held an online “vir-tual food drive” during the Barnum Festival to support the Ringmaster’s Family to Family Food Drive.

People’s United branches Ansonia, Bridgeport, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Newton, Seymour, Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull participated in the collection.

To draw attention to the food drive, Stop & Shop supermar-kets collected food in 10 of its greater Bridgeport stores.

Original Works, a Bridgeport nonprofit that helps students aged 8 to 19, partnered with the bank and Stop & Shop to provide entertainment in the 10 stores June 24 through 26.

Sodexo, the food company that operates the bank’s caf-eteria, supported the cause by selling subsidized items to employees who wished to donate.

In addition to sales to People’s United employees, Sodexo contributed 1,719 pounds to the cause.

“I am grateful to all orga-nizations that made our suc-cessful food drive possible,”

said Armando Goncalves, this year’s Barnum Festival ring-master.

“In the two years since the food drive was established, enough food and money have been collected to provide more than 25,000 meals to area residents. This year, we col-lected 3,622 pounds of food and almost $5,000, which will feed more than 19,000 people in need,” he added.

All food items and cash donations will be distributed to local food banks through the Connecticut Food Bank, mostly within the greater Bridgeport area.

More than 3,000 pounds of food collected for food drive

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Where to get The NewsThe following is a list of locations where you can pick up

a complimentary copy of The News

Bridgeport Library, 925 Broad StBurroughs Community Ctr, 2470 Fairfield AveKrauszer’s, 2579 Fairfield AveBlack Rock Laundry, 2615 Fairfield Ave Wines & Liquors, 2669 Fairfield AveBlack Rock Branch Library, 2705 Fairfield AveMatty’s Corner, 2816 Fairfield AveSubway, 2835 Fairfield AveThe Gallery at Black Rock, 2861 Fairfield AveBlack Rock Animal, 2877 Fairfield AvePort Coffee House, 2889 Fairfield AveTimothy’s Ice Cream, 2974 Fairfield AveBella Collection, 2980 Fairfield AveHome on the Range, 2992 Fairfield AveHappy Tails, 3008 Fairfield AveA Taste of Italy, 3074 Fairfield AveBlack Rock Dental, 3080 Fairfield AveFramemakers, 3142 Fairfield AveTaco Loco, 3170 Fairfield AveCenter for Green Building, 3380 Fairfield AveHarborview Market, 218 Harborview AveCity Hall, 45 Lyons TerraceLou’s Food, 1255 Madison AvePam’s Variety Store, 1375 Madison AveGolden Empire, 2182 Madison Ave

International Food, 2192 Madison AveCrossroads Pizza, 2212 Madison AveFamily Dentistry, 2240 Madison AveNorth Branch Library, 3455 Madison AveHillview Superette, 3751 Madison AveInternational Farmer’s Market, 2298 Main St Nicola Bakery, 124 Beechmont Ave Main Convenience, 2829 Main StLupes Drug Store, 3129 Main StBridgeport Education, 3543 Main StBagel King, 3550 Main StGood Cookin, 3837 Main StAllstate, 3851 Main StMain News & Variety, 3920 Main StSan Remo Pizza, 3945 Main StN & S Laundry, 3939 Main St Cosmetic Family Dentistry, 4131 Main StDonna’s Pizza, 4171 Main StSeven Stars Chinese Restaurant, 4175 Main StDrumstick Bar-b-q, 4177 Main StUptown News & Variety, 4200 Main StAA Hearing Aid, 4270 Main StJerry’s Pizza, 4270 Main StPark City Hearing, 4348 Main St

A team of federal agencies came to Bridgeport Aug. 26 to highlight coordinated work that is ongoing in Bridgeport to help train workers and cre-ate jobs that will be the foun-dation for economic recovery in the city.

Under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, President Obama directed the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work closely together to cre-ate more livable cities.

In Bridgeport, these three agencies are working close-ly with the Dept. of Labor (DOL), also a key stakeholder and partner in creating sus-tainable communities.

Transportation DepartmentBridgeport was awarded

an $11 million grant under the US DOT’s TIGER Grant program (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery).

This grant will help prepare the harbor-side of Steel Pointe for development by funding infrastructure improvements, and will be matched by an $18 million contribution by devel-oper Bridgeport Landing.

The project will improve roadways along Route 130 and Route 127 within the city and will include road-way reconstruction, traffic signal upgrades, separation/reduction of site drainage, and inclusion of bikeways, enhanced landscaping, and pedestrian connections to the surrounding neighborhoods, Bridgeport’s Downtown Intermodal Transportation Center, and the public water front.

Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentThe Department of

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has pro-vided Bridgeport with part of a $3.5 million Sustainable Communities grant, which will pay for a feasibility study into a potential new train sta-tion on the East Side and

benefit the New York City to New Haven corridor.

HUD also coordinates an ongoing weatherization pro-gram underway in Bridgeport at the Fireside Apartment complex. This work is being done by DOL YouthBuild stu-dents as apart of their weath-erization training program. The WorkPlace Inc. also has students involved in this proj-ect.

“Here in Bridgeport we see just how powerful partner-ships at the federal, state and local level can be in creating jobs, saving energy and link-ing transportation to neigh-borhoods. HUD is proud to be a partner in building strong, sustainable communities throughout New England,” said Barbara Fields, HUD New England regional admin-istrator.

Department of Labor The Dept. of Labor recent-

ly announced $11.3 mil-lion in green jobs grants for Connecticut. The fund-ing is authorized under the Workforce Investment Act and awarded as part of the department’s Green Jobs Innovation Fund.

The department is also funding and organizing a connection with Youth Build which is doing energy effi-ciency upgrade work at Fireside, 248-units of single story, wood frame multi-unit buildings in Bridgeport.

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA announced a grant of $300,000 to WorkPlace Inc., which is working to train workers in Bridgeport. The WorkPlace plans to train 51 students, place 43 graduates in environmental jobs, and track graduates for two years.

The training program will consist of a three-week, 126-hour core training and one of two additional training clus-ters (either on brownfields and environmental remedia-tion, including lead and asbes-tos abatement, or on solid waste management, including deconstruction, debris collec-

tion, recycling and leadership courses).

Green TeamStudents will be recruit-

ed from unemployed, low-income, dislocated work-er, or in-need residents of Bridgeport. The WorkPlace will work with local environ-mental employers and trade unions to place graduates in environmental jobs.

The funding, from EPA’s Brownfields program, is part of an ongoing EPA effort to help create good-paying, skilled green jobs in New England. EPA’s Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant Program helps train skilled workers in local communities who can provide ongoing benefits to their cities and towns by creating businesses and pro-tecting human health and the environment.

“Promoting green job cre-ation is an important ele-ment of a growing economy, especially in tough economic times like these,” said Curt Spalding, regional adminis-trator of EPA’s New England office. “This EPA Brownfield Job Training grant will help Bridgeport build a strong and sustainable economy.”

“I’d like to thank President Obama, our Congressional delegation and all of the fed-eral agencies that have col-laborated to bring thousands of dollars in funding to our city that will help provide training and create jobs for our residents,” Mayor Bill Finch said. “With your help, and our city’s commitment to sustainability, we will drive Bridgeport forward as a hub for the new ‘green’ econo-my.”

“This funding will help ensure that employers have a trained, local workforce. We are grateful to the EPA for this opportunity and look forward to continued collaboration with the city of Bridgeport and community organizations throughout the region,” said Joe Carbone, president and chief executive officer of The WorkPlace.

Federal funding will provide boost for job training in Bridgeport

Supporters rally at Town Hall Annex, where Santa Ayala, Democratic Registrar of Voters, works. (Photo by James Passeri)

Mayoral candidate Mary-Jane Foster’s supporters rallied Aug. 24, at City Hall Annex, where Democratic Registrar of Voters Santa Ayala works.

Ayala denied Foster’s name on the Democratic primary

ballot on a technicality that she had one too many school board nominees and rejected the ballots.

The Foster Team is seeking to overturn the decision in a motion. If the court does not

accept her appeal, Foster will not be eligible to run in the primary against Mayor Bill Finch.

See video at Thebridgeportnews.com, click on Campaign 2011.

Supporters rally for Mary-Jane Foster

Golfing for a cause

Beau Ogden of Wilton, Bob Brown of Bridgeport, Buffy Ogden of Wilton, John Bilski of Fairfield and Bob Mory of Trumbull participated in The Kennedy Center’s 20th annual Charity Golf Classic at Shorehaven Country Club in Norwalk. This year’s tournament raised $16,000 to benefit the center. (Submitted photo)

Dr. Peter A. Maresco, a clinical associate professor of marketing at Sacred Heart University’s John F. Welch College of Business, has pub-lished a new book.

Part crime novel, part text-book, “Dangerous Hoops: A Forensic Marketing Action Adventure,” combines the principles of marketing and sport management into a live-ly narrative that educates and entertains.

Set in the world of pro-fessional sports, “Dangerous Hoops” introduces FBI agent Bill Douglass as he pursues a deadly extortionist in order to save lives — and spare the NBA from a public relations nightmare. The storyline also explores aspects of business and marketing with examples from the world of pro bas-ketball. “Dangerous Hoops”

provides real instruction in a novel form and serves as a refreshing text for business majors and MBA students.

Maresco holds a Ph.D. from Walden University, a master’s degree in corporate and political communication from Fairfield University and a bachelor’s degree in his-tory from the University of Charleston, West Virginia. He is currently pursuing a mas-ter’s degree in religious stud-ies at Sacred Heart.

Before teaching at Sacred Heart, Maresco served as vice president for marketing and cor-porate and public communica-tions at the former Mechanics and Farmers Savings Bank FSB of Bridgeport.

He has been involved with the Board of Associates at the University of Bridgeport and the Visiting Nurses Association

of Fairfield County. He also served as president of the Barnum Festival.

Maresco contributed to “Dangerous Hoops” in col-laboration with Dr. Larry Crumbley, a KPMG-endowed professor of accounting at Louisiana State University’s E. J. Ourso College of Business; Fred H. Campbell, a retired professor of mar-keting at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and former Jefferson-Pilot pro-fessor of business and dean at Pfeiffer University; and Thomas J. Karam, an instruc-tor of marketing at Louisiana State University’s E. J. Ourso College of Business.

For more information on “Dangerous Hoops,” please contact Funda Alp at 203-396-8241 or [email protected].

Sacred Heart professor co-authors book

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By Karen Kovacs DydzuhnCorrespondent

Gone are the days when people relied upon a telephone simply to make and receive calls. Photographing images and sending them to other phones, texting messages, watching movies and connect-ing to the Internet are just a few of the uses of cell phones in today’s wired world.

David Pogue, New York Times and Scientific American

columnist, cited the expand-ing reach of mobile devices among the technology trends that are shaping 21st Century culture during a recent forum at the Shelton Marriott.

Sponsored by FSW, a non-profit organization that pro-vides programs to empow-er families in the greater Bridgeport region, the Technology Today Business Forum & Expo included a panel discussion led by Joe Connolly of the Wall Street

Journal, exhibitors and infor-mation sessions.

Pogue of Westport is a kind of modern day Renaissance man. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 1985 with distinction in music. Then for 10 years, he arranged and conducted Broadway musicals.

Although he told the audi-ence he is no longer involved in music on a professional basis, he still likes to compose witty lyrics about technology

to the tunes of popular con-temporary songs. He received a standing ovation after sing-ing some songs at the end of his talk.

He is also the author of several books in the “For Dummies” series and a how-to computer book series called The Missing Manual.

In the last few decades, technology has transformed people’s lives, Pogue said. He noted the wide reach of “app phones,” and online sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

He said that few recent col-lege graduates have landlines installed in their first apart-ment but rather expect that they will continue to rely upon their cell phone.

Although he said he con-stantly hears how young people don’t watch television anymore, he disagrees with that assessment. He said they watch films and current and past television shows online with their phones or laptop computer.

The immediacy of sending and receiving information is paramount for the next gen-eration. “Everything is on-demand,” he said. “Everything must be done in real time.”

Pogue gave the example of a medical Web site where doctors and patients could get together for a consulta-tion. This way even if they have only 10 minutes during their lunch hour to speak to a patient, they can sign onto the site.

“Your medical records appear on the doctor’s screen,” he said. “Everybody loves it. You don’t have to drive, and the doctor is making money on dead time.”

He mentioned Skype as another innovative site that offers a convenient and inex-pensive way to stay in touch long distance.

He additionally cited Craig’s

List, Groupon, DoMyStuff.com, GoLoco, and Prosper as increasingly popular sites with consumers. With regard to Wikipedia, the online encyclo-pedia written by anyone who would like to contribute to a given topic, he said, “Whoever thought that would fly?”

Pogue’s entertaining banter and anecdotes elic-ited laughter and a positive response from the audience. Charles McLaine, 24, a net-work administrator with the Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder law firm, said he enjoyed lis-tening to it.

However, McLaine, a Trumbull resident, seemed to disagree with Pogue’s asser-tion that voice mail is no lon-ger used. He said his Android phone is able to transcribe voice mail into text, and he finds this convenient and easy to use.

He agreed with Pogue that landlines are becoming obso-lete. McLaine said that when he got his first apartment, he

had a landline installed but after three weeks decided to have it disconnected.

McLaine attended the tech-nology forum because he was interested in learning more about cloud computing and smart board technology, which were covered in the afternoon’s breakout session, he said.

“We are extremely fortunate to be able to present these leaders in their field,” said Bill Hass, FSW president and CEO. “We are especially proud, as a social services organization, to play a role in helping area businesses adapt to technolog-ical change. In today’s chal-lenging economy, the business sector and the social services sector need each other more than ever.”

The sponsors of the Technology Today Business Forum & Expo were Connecticut Business Systems, Kelser Corporation, Nuance Communications, Omtool Ltd, Square 9 Softworks and Reynolds & Rowella.

Technology’s reach: Changing the world as we know it

David Pogue

Workshop helps Nieves find her futureBy Karen Kovacs Dydzuhn

Correspondent

When Carmen Nieves of Bridgeport needed help start-ing a business, she turned to FSW’s Workshop in Business Opportunities. (WIBO) is a 16-week interactive training program that teaches aspiring entrepreneurs about manag-ing, financing and marketing their business.

Utilizing her creative pho-tographic skills, Nieves is now the proud owner of Photography Plus Photos. In fact, Nieves was hired by FSW as its on-site photographer for the recent Technology Today Business Forum & Expo, a fund-raiser that featured celebrity guest speakers David Pogue of the New York Times and Joe Connolly of the Wall Street Journal.

“FSW is an organization that addresses social, emotion-al and economic challenges facing people in the commu-nity,” said Bill Hass, FSW’s president and chief executive officer.

Introducing Nieves as someone whose life has been enriched by one of FSW’s programs, Nieves briefly put down her camera and shared

to share her experience as a WIBO graduate.

As a former staff member of Connecticut Works, Nieves said that she often referred clients to FSW’s WIBO pro-gram, which was established at the Bridgeport organization in 1999.

“I tried to help a lot of peo-ple find services to grow their business,” Nieves said. “I do a lot of things-I sit on a lot of boards-and I have always been involved in the community.”

When she lost her home in 2000, Nieves knew that she needed to broaden her own financial base. Like many hard-working women, Nieves was more familiar with help-ing others rather than asking for help. Nieves dreamed of starting a photography busi-ness but she intuitively knew that she needed assistance to turn her plans into a reality.

Nieves deftly captured the audience’s attention with her enthusiasm and sincerity as she spoke about her involve-ment in the WIBO program. She took the time to thank those in attendance for being part of the FSW’s fund-raising event.

“When I tell you that you’re doing a great thing by sup-

porting this organization, I’m telling you that you’re doing a great thing by supporting me,” she said.

Nieves candidly recounted how WIBO’s Director Kevin Ginyard initially questioned whether she would have the time to commit to the inten-sive program. Founded by Walter Heiser and Mallalieu Woolfolk in Harlem, N.Y., in 1966, WIBO is designed to teach inner-city residents the skills needed to own and operate their own businesses. According to FSW’s Web site, fswinc.org, WIBO’s goal “is to help minorities achieve last-ing economic power through entrepreneurship.

WIBO is taught by busi-ness professionals and alumni of the program. There is an active Alumni Association that also sponsors network-ing events and small business showcases. Ginyard also helms FSW’s Micro Credit Business Program.

There is no tuition for the WIBO program. Students pay only for their workbooks.

For more information about participating in WIBO or vol-unteering as a mentor or finan-cial partner, call Ginyard at 203-368-5547.

A recent survey of more than 600 jobseekers shows that many people in the greater Bridgeport area are facing a

high degree of food insecu-rity, are out of work for longer periods of time and are facing a “cliff” of housing and debt

crisis when unemployment benefits end.

In March 2011, Career Resources partnered with the

Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) to admin-ister a survey as part of its 15th annual job fair. The goal was to collect information on the circumstances of jobseek-ers in the deepening recession to enable us to better direct services and advocacy.

“The message is clear the people are in real need of the ‘safety net’ for basics like food and heat,” said Scott K. Wilderman, Career Resources president and chief executive officer. “This also tells us that our policy makers need to invest in our human infrastruc-ture. With so many people out of work, for longer periods of time, more and more people are in need of services they never thought they’d need.”

“As Congress and Connecticut lawmakers pon-der cuts needed in the face of budget shortfalls, we need to remember that the people who use these safety net services are already in some form of crisis and others are accessing these services for the very first time,” said Mary Pat Healy, executive director of the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition. “They need to be our priority as we get through another difficult year.”

The job fair is a large com-munity event, publicized in local papers and via dozens of community partners. The survey replicated questions from a similar survey taken the prior year.

Since 2010: Unemployment remains

high

• Bridgeport’s unemploy-ment rate was 14.3% in June 2011, up .8% from the year before.

• This official rate is widely acknowledged to under-represent the number of unemployed people since it does not count discouraged workers — or those whose benefits have run out.

• According to the Department of Labor, more than 10,000 people in southwestern Connecticut have exhausted 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits, and between 150 to 200 more people exhaust their benefits each week. Approximately half of these people are 50 or older.People are unemployed for

long periods of time.• The survey showed the

percentage of people laid off for more than one year remained steady at 26%. Unemployment is an

issue that reaches beyond Bridgeport.• 61% of the jobseekers who

answered the survey came from Bridgeport.

• 15% of jobseekers came from other towns in the Bridgeport region: Stratford (9%), Fairfield (4%) and Trumbull (2%).

• 24% came from other towns outside the greater Bridgeport region. Basic needs are tenuous.

• 40% report cutting back on meals and 16% report using a soup kitchen.

• Nearly half (47%) of peo-ple report that their hous-

ing costs more than 30% of their income.

• Nearly half of respondents (48%) report an income of $15,000 or less.

• 16% have moved in with family and friends in the last six months.

• 37% have no health insur-ance. Jobseekers are well edu-

cated. • 6% of respondents in 2010

reported having less than a high school diploma.

• 41% have a high school diploma or GED.

• 35% have one to four years of post-secondary educa-tion.

• 12% have a bachelor’s degree and 6% have one or more years post-collegeUse of available services is

uneven. • Despite 23% reporting

being behind on utility bills, only 5% had heating assis-tance and 6% had energy assistance.

• 18% report receiving unem-ployment.

• 29% were receiving food stamps.

• 34% reached their 99 week limit and lost their unem-ployment benefits.

• 61% reported some food insecurity — used a soup kitchen or food pantry or cut back on meals because of the cost of food.

• 41% did not have health insurance.

• 26% moved in with family or friends, lost their home or spent time in a shelter in the past six months.

Survey shows prolonged unemployment batters jobseekers

Marc Perrone is inspir-ing. Recently he was selected by RBS/Citizen’s statewide panel to receive the “Be Inspired” award and he des-ignated Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County as the charity to receive the accompanying $2,500 chari-table gift.

Perrone began volunteer-ing with Habitat for Humanity more than 15 years ago.

“The best thing about vol-unteering with Habitat is see-ing how excited the home-owners are when their home is completed,” Perrone said. “You work side-by-side with the families for months on

building their home and you get to really understand how important the home is to them and their families.

A business systems ana-lyst for RBS Card Services in Bridgeport, Perrone has made Habitat a special focus and his goal is to get new people involved in the organization’s work every month. His love for Habitat extends beyond the local area. He traveled to the Gulf Coast for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief and also participated in the Jimmy Carter Project. He said

“The hands on construc-tion aspect of Habitat is most appealing to me because my

grandfather was a carpenter,” Perrone said. “He taught me the basics of building as a child. I think of him whenever I’m building.”

Habitat volunteer inspires colleagues

Marc Perrone

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SpotlightSaturday, Sept. 3

Community fun — The Unity in the Community Family Festival and Carnival will be held at The Bandshell at Seaside Park, noon-3 p.m. Event includes free concert; food and refreshments will be on sale all day. Open to the public.

Thursday, Sept. 8Mayoral forum — The

Bridgeport Regional Business Council and the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce will host a mayoral candidates forum with Mayor Bill Finch, Mary-Jane Foster, Jeff Kohut and Rick Torres at Housatonic Community College, Beacon Hall, 8-10 a.m. Event is free and open to the public. RSVP: Gail Solis, [email protected] or 203-335-8000.

History lesson — Labor historian Dr. Cecelia F. Bucki will discuss Bridgeport’s labor history at the Black Rock Branch Library, 2705 Fairfield Ave., 6:30 p.m. Information: 203-337-9676.

OngoingElectronics recycling —

Habitat ReStore and Office Recycling Solutions of East Greenwich, R.I., have part-nered to provide electronics recycling. ReStore is now accepting, free of charge, electronic waste products for recycling, including computer monitors, televisions, print-ers (and ink cartridges), fax

machines, scanners, VCRs, CD and DVD players, tele-phones, digital cameras. Information: 203-383-4358 or fairfieldcountyrestore.org.

Class reunion — Bassick High School, Classes of 1971, ‘72, ‘73 and ‘74, will hold a reunion at Captain Cove’s Seaport on Saturday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. Cost is $20/per-son; includes a DJ, hors d’oeuvres and a drink token. RSVP: Liz Ratzenberger, E a r p 0 5 @ h o t m a i l .com; Audrey Gains, [email protected]; Janet McDowell Finch, [email protected].

Class reunion — Bassick High School, Class of 1951, will hold a reunion luncheon at Smith Richardson Golf Course, Fairfield, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2-6 p.m. Cost is $25/person. Class of 1950 alumni are invited to attend. Information: Richard Barrett, 203-333-4229.

Class reunion — Warren Harding High School, Class of 1969, will hold a reunion at Costa Azzura Restaurant, Milford, Saturday, Nov. 12, 7-11 p.m.; classes of 1968 and 1970 welcome. Cost is $50/person in advance; includes dinner/dancing, cash bar. No entry without ticket. Checks payable to Sandy Basile Uliano-WHHS Class Reunion; send to Sandy Basile Uliano, 136 Cupheag

Crescent, Stratford, CT 06614. List each person attend-ing. Ladies include maiden name. Information: Linda Harrison Sherry, 203-502-1128; Elena Berardi Spinelli, 203-240-3099; or e-mail [email protected].

Art time — City Lights Gallery, 37 Markle Court, Bridgeport, offers figure drawing and open sketch classes the last two Saturdays of every month, 2:30 to 5 p.m. Participants must bring art materials; some drawing boards and easels available. Sessions are $15, $12 for members and $10 for students. Information: 203-334-7748.

Lunchtime music series — University of Bridgeport stu-dent will perform a wide vari-ety of musical selections at the Arcade Mall, 1001 Main St., Bridgeport, every Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Book sale — The Friends of Bridgeport Public Library, 925 Broad St., will hold a book sale every Thursday in the main lobby, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Books for sale include children’s books, novels, text-books, biographies, self-help and parenting. Movies and CDs are also available.

Story time — Preschool Story Hour for children ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers is offered at North Branch

Library, 3455 Madison Ave., every Monday, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. No registration required. Information: 203-576-7821.

Genealogy roundtable — Genealogist Bill Stansfield and library patrons interest-ed in researching their own family histories get together to discuss problems in their research, share tips on sources and methodology; beginners, longtime researchers welcome; group meets third Thursday of each month, 12:30 p.m., at Bridgeport Public Library/Burroughs & Saden branch, 925 Broad St. Information: Mary Witkowski, 203-576-7417.

Game night — Play the Wii at the Newfield Branch Library, 1230 Stratford Ave., Bridgeport, second Wednesday of every month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Information: 203-576-7828.

Addiction program — Reformers Unanimous is one of the fastest growing addic-tion programs in America . RU is a faith-based program with a complete curriculum for those with addictions. Local chapter meets every Friday, 7-9 p.m., White Oak Baptist Church, 5344 Main St., Stratford. Information: 203-381-0559.

Bereavement help — VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Fairfield will hold a monthly bereavement support group, “Living Through Loss,

on the second Tuesday of every month at The Watermark at 3030 Park, second floor lounge, 10-11:30 a.m. The group, which provides sup-port to anyone who has lost a loved one, is free and open to the public. Information/regis-tration: Norma Schmidt, 203-455-3300; Marlane Argianas, 203-373-6288.

Memoir Writing Class — Bridgeport History Center has sponsored a Memoir Writing Class since 2002; class writes about memories of not only Bridgeport, but about the sto-ries that have linked our lives; newcomers welcome; class meets the second Saturday of each month at 2 p.m., at Bridgeport Public Library/Burroughs & Saden branch, 925 Broad St. Information: Mary Witkowski, 203-576-7417.

Zoo’s new animals — Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave., invites the public to meet its newest additions; zoo hours Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; adult admission (ages 12 and older) is $11, children (ages 3 to 11) and senior admission (62 and older) $9, and children under 3 years old and zoo members admitted free. Information: 203-394-6565.

Knights of Columbus — St. Francis Cabrini Council #4096 monthly meetings at St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic

Church, 395 Anton St.; 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees on the second Monday of the month, 8 p.m.; Assembly #136 holds 4th degree meeting on third Monday of the month, 7:30 p.m.

All active members urged to attend, new members wel-come; if you are a Catholic male and over age 18, call 203-374-2268.

Library teen café — Bridgeport Public Library’s new space in Popular Library section, features seating areas including café-style tables, books, magazines, board games and college-prep mate-rials. Information: 203-576-7408.

Rotating exhibit — Local artists’ works are displayed on 8 x 8 foot wall, on Broad Street side of 211 State Street; part of MainState Ventures year-long rotating exhibition of art in public places.

Tag sale — Many differ-ent items at tag sale at St. Margaret’s Shrine garage, on Suburban Avenue, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; donations accepted. Information: 203-333-3161.

Planetarium shows — Discovery Museum, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, has two daily planetarium shows, Tuesday through Sunday; cost included with general admis-sion starting at $8.50, adults.

Health NotesHealth Notes is a week-

ly feature that highlights health and wellness news in the area. Hospitals and other health related agen-cies may e-mail items to [email protected].

Stroke supportBridgeport Hospital’s Ahlbin

Rehabilitation Centers also hosts a free Stroke Support Group meeting for recover-ing stroke patients and their caregivers Tuesday, Sept. 6, 6-7 p.m., at its Shelton out-reach site, 4 Corporate Drive. Information/registration: 203-925-4201.

St. Vincent’s Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group meets third Wednesday of the month, 5:30-7 p.m., Hawley 3A of the Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Upcoming: Sept. 21; 203-576-5361; 203-576-5608.

Blood pressure screenings

Screenings offered by Bridgeport Hospital: Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Monday, Sept. 19, 9:30-11:30 a.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 6, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Stratford Baldwin Center, 1000 West Broad St., Monday, Sept. 12, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Shelton Senior Center, 81 Wheeler St., Monday, Sept. 26, noon-2; 1-888-357-2396.

Also offered by the South End Community Center in col-laboration with the Stratford Health Department, first and third Wednesdays of the month, 10-noon, South End Community Center; 385-4058; 377-0689.

The Mario and Irma D’Addario Hypertension Program at St. Vincent’s Medical Center provides free blood pressure screenings and information to the public every

Tuesday, 11:30-3:30, in the main lobby of St. Vincent’s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport; 1-877-255-SVHS (7847).

Bereavement supportBereavement support

groups at Griffin Hospital run Tuesdays, noon-1:30 and 2:30-4 (ongoing); eight week evening group Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m. beginning Sept. 7-Oct. 26. To register, call 203-732-1100.

Foot problems talkBridgeport Hospital presents

free two-part lecture, “Healthy Feet, Healthy Toes-One Step at a Time,” Thursdays, Sept. 8 and 15, 7 p.m., Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane. Reservations required: 1-888-357-2396.

Heart Healthy foodBridgeport Hospital Clinical

Nutrition Manager Andrea Valenti will discuss “Tips for a Heart-Healthy Plate” Wednesday, Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m., fourth-floor Hollander Auditorium, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St., Bridgeport. Refreshments served 6-6:30 p.m.

Cancer CollegeHoda Kotb, co-host of

NBC’s “TODAY” and a breast cancer survivor, will be the keynote speaker at Bridgeport Hospital’s One-Day Cancer College, Saturday, Sept. 17, 9-2, Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane. Free event includes lectures on a vari-ety of cancer-related topics by nearly 20 Bridgeport Hospital physicians and other clinical experts. Post-event opportuni-ties include a book signing by Kotb at 2; and the MetLife presentation, “Coping with Cancer Finances,” 2:30-3:30.

Advance registration required for the Cancer College and the MetLife presentation. Call 1-888-357-2396.

First aid/ safety classes

Bridgeport Hospital’s Emergency Care Institute offers the following self-care classes in the duPont Board Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. To register, call 203-384-4497.

American Heart Association Heartsaver adult, child and infant CPR two-year certifica-tion, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 6-9 p.m., $50; AHA pediatric first aid and safety and infant and child CPR two-year certifica-tion, Saturdays, Sept. 3 and 17, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., $80 full class; $50 first aid only; Administration of Medicine class, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 6-9 p.m., $30 full program with a three-year certification; $20 injectable medications only; AHA Heartsaver CPR with AED (fitness instructors and trainers), Wednesday, Sept. 21, 6-9 p.m., $50.

Ostomy supportBridgeport Hospital will

sponsor a free ostomy sup-port meeting Sunday, Sept. 18, 1:30 p.m., Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull. Meeting is open to anyone/sig-nificant others who has had/or will have an ostomy opera-tion, such as colostomy, uros-tomy or ileostomy. Meetings are third Sunday of the month except July and August; 203-384-3209.

Look Good… Feel Better

Free American Cancer Society program that helps women with cancer improve their appearance and self-image through hands-on beau-ty techniques, will be offered Monday, Sept. 19, 10-noon, Operations Conference Room, first floor of Bridgeport Hospital; and Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2-4 p.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. To register for the Bridgeport Hospital loca-tion, call 1-888-357-2396. To register for the Fairfield loca-tion, call 203-255-5300.

Cancer survivors support

Bridgeport Hospital’s Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society will sponsor meetings in the free Moving Forward sup-port and educational series for cancer survivors, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 5-7:30 p.m., 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull. The topic for September is “Eat Well, Stay Well.” Light supper served. Registration required: 203-563-1523.

Hip/knee pain lectureA panel of experts from

Bridgeport Hospital’s Joint Reconstruction Center and Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers will discuss the causes of and treatments for hip and knee pain during a free lec-ture Wednesday, Sept. 21, 1-3 p.m., Wesley Heights at Wesley Village, 580 Long Hill Road, Shelton. Registration required: 1-888-357-2396.

Better Breathing ClubThe Better Breathing Club

meets Friday, Sept. 23, 1:30 p.m., first-floor Operations Conference Room, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. Support group meeting is open to any-one with chronic respiratory disease. To register, call 203-336-7375.

Diabetes supportSt. Vincent’s Medical Center

and Animas Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson Company, are co-sponsoring a new monthly diabetes support group at the hospital. Meetings will be held Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m., St. Vincent’s Level 3 South Conference Room. To register, contact Kristi Young at Animas, 1-877-937-7867, ext. 1790 or [email protected].

Free exercise video program

A new online video program called A-B-E (Activity Bursts Everywhere) for Fitness, designed specifically to help adults meet those recom-mendations for daily physical activity, is available at abefor-fitness.com.

The program offers a library of more than 50 videos of guided physical activity rou-tines, each of which may be done in 3 to 5 minutes. It offers a variety of options based on users’ time, interests, needs, and fitness levels.

Kripalu yogaBeginner and intermediate

level, runs weekly, Tuesday

and Friday, 9:15 a.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six stu-dents. Payment by cash or check $18/class; $15 students. Advance registration request-ed; 203-255-5300; bridge-porthospital.org.

Health insurance counseling

St. Vincent’s Medical Center is offering a free program of individual health insurance and Medicare counseling to the public every Wednesday, 10-noon, in the main lobby of the hospital. No appointment is necessary; 203-576-5111.

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Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300.

Fitness classesBridgeport Hospital’s

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For information about times and costs, call 203-925-4201.

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could remain out for days in some areas.

Although flooding is still

a problem to many coastal areas, waters are beginning to recede, Stark said. The Stevenson Dam, between Monroe and Oxford, is an indi-cation of receding waterways

and Stark said its high point has passed and was expected to drop below moderate stage by Wednesday.

Irene’s eye crossed 10 miles west of Danbury at 11

a.m. Sunday, Stark said, but it dropped rain in sporadic chunks, leaving 2.92 inches in Stamford but 6 inches in Greenwich.

“That happens often,” Stark said of hurricanes, explain-ing that sections of hurricanes and tropical storms carry rain bands that are saturated with various amounts of moisture.

Wind damage also varied from region to region. Igor Sikorsky Airport record-ed wind gusts of 63 miles an hour, but Danbury only saw gusts that hit 40 mph.

Sustained winds were between 20 and 40 mph for most areas. Central Connecticut was hit the worst, Stark said, although many towns along the coast have 100% of its residents without electricity.

The storm could have been worse, Stark said. As Irene made landfall in North Carolina, its structure changed slightly. By the time it hit Connecticut it had downgrad-ed to a tropical storm. But its reach extended across the northeast, and before the eye of the storm hit in western

New York, much of the region was already soaked and suf-fering wind damage. This also helped slow the storm as land-masses take away the storm’s energy source, Stark said.

Hurricanes are low-pressure systems that spin counter-clockwise and are categorized as cyclones, Stark said. These storms get energy from warm water, so the cooler water in the north also helped weaken the storm’s intensity. Stark added that vertical streams of wind may also have helped slow the storm, but it’s unclear.

Meals and water are being provid-ed by the National Guard to nursing homes and senior housing facilities at Rentschler Field.

Transfer station hours have been extended from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. now through Saturday for residents to dispose of debris.

Finch and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes joined city officials, public safety, and emergency management offi-cials at the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center on Monday after-noon to discuss how the city and region is coping.

“We are very fortunate, Irene could’ve been much worse than what we experienced,” Finch said. “The people of Bridgeport rose to the occasion. We took the warnings of this storm seriously, we acted accord-ingly and we were able to avoid any major incidents.”

The damage, however, has been severe, Finch said, “Especially along our coastline, and at our most pre-cious asset in Seaside Park. The cur-rent conditions at Seaside Park are not safe. I know that residents may be curious about how the park looks following the impact of Irene, but I urge everyone to avoid Seaside until further notice.”

The storm hit at astronomical high tide on Sunday, leaving Seaside Park and much of the South End under several feet of water after dropping 6.5 inches of rain on the city and clocking top winds of 60 mph at Sikorsky Memorial Airport.

At the height of the storm, 48 incidents of trees down and 14 wires down were reported by the Bridgeport Police.

Himes offered words of support for the first responders throughout the district.

“I, along with our senators, will be working closely with the fed-eral and state government to ensure that the people of Bridgeport who were affected by this storm are prop-erly reimbursed for the damages by FEMA,” Himes said. “I’d like to compliment the city of Bridgeport, Mayor Finch and all emergency per-sonnel and first responders for a tremendous job in preparing for and dealing with Hurricane Irene and its aftermath.”

On Saturday, members of the police department, fire department, city officials, Bridgeport Housing Authority and a team of volunteers, along with Finch, went door-to-door urging residents in low-lying areas to evacuate their homes and seek shelter on higher ground in advance

of the storm. Bassick and Harding high schools

were open for shelter and housed a total of 700 people at the height of the storm. By late afternoon Sunday, the Harding shelter was closed, and evacuees at Bassick had the option to go home if they chose.

On Monday, the city was working with 30 people who had been housed at the Bassick shelter, and whose homes had water damage, to help them find either alternate shelter, or allow them to return to their homes after to allow them to return to their homes if they were deemed safe.

Residents are reminded not to touch any downed utility lines and stay away from fallen trees.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy visited Bridgeport and Fairfield on Tuesday

as part of a statewide tour. From Fairfield, he was headed to Stamford and Hartford.`He said Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman was touring the Eastern part of the state.

Malloy said that far more homes and businesses lost power during Hurricane Irene` — about 800,000 statewide — than during Hurricane Gloria — 485,000 — in 1985.

He said it didn’t much matter if a storm was labeled a hurricane or tropical storm; either one could cause immense damage as Hurricane Irene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm, demonstrated.

Malloy said Northeast Utilities has brought in repairmen from as far away as the state of Washington. Massachusetts and New Hampshire are also supplying workers, since

they were not as hard hit as the rest of New England.

The storm damage extends from North Carolina into Canada. Malloy urged patience as crews clear roads of trees and power lines, and the utilities restore power.

Malloy said the state’s priorities in terms of power restoration are hospitals, power substations, nursing homes and schools.

Rare earthquakeMeanwhile, Bridgeport and most

of the East Coast experienced a rare 5.9 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 24.

Gail M. Solis, Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce executive director, said she had never been in an earthquake before and did not at first know what

was going on.“The blinds started moving, and

my computer chair started moving,” she said.

The fire department evacuated the downtown building where she works at 10 Middle St. as part of emergency orders to evacuate all buildings of more than five stories.

Solis and co-workers at the Bridgeport Regional Business Council had to trudge down 14 flights of stairs from their offices.

“I sat here in the tornado last year, too,” she said. The important thing was that everyone was safe after the earthquake, unlike the 2010 tornado that caused extensive damage, she said.

Weather service on Irene: ‘Could have been worse’

City escapes Hurricane Irene without any major incidentsContinued from page one

Continued from page one

Bridgeport Public Works crews clear a large tree Sunday along Eames Boulevard in Black Rock. That’s the road that runs along St. Mary’s by the Sea. (Photos courtesy of Bridgeport Public Facilities Department)

8A

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Three-year-old Isabelle Marjanovic of Oxford starts preschool in September and the neonatal experts at Bridgeport Hospital played a big part in preparing her, beginning on the day she was born, at which time she weighed one pound, eight ounces.

When Isabelle was born on May 21, 2008, her mother, Irene Garib, was only 24 weeks pregnant. Garib’s water broke on a Sunday. Despite the efforts of obstetrician Dr. Joseph Cuteri to delay Isabelle’s birth until she had grown bigger in the womb, Garib no longer had sufficient amniotic fluid to sustain the unborn child. She gave birth to Isabelle on Wednesday. The baby was immediately admit-ted to Bridgeport Hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit.

“Babies born at 24 weeks’ gestation are close to the limit of viability,” said Dr. Robert Herzlinger, the hos-pital’s chief of neonatology and medical director of the Newborn ICU. “Only about 50% of babies born that early survive, according to National Institutes of Health data.”

“We knew the risk,” said Garib, who is a registered nurse. Her husband, Dr. Stevan Marjanovic, is an obstetri-cian in Waterbury and was a former OB/GYN resident at Bridgeport Hospital.

“The more you know, the more afraid you are,” Garib said. “We worried about Isabelle’s weight, but she was a fighter and she hung in there.”

“The success rate for the sur-vival and development of pre-mature infants at Bridgeport Hospital is equal to or exceeds the rates at major academic medical centers in the United States,” Herzlinger said.

Isabelle spent 11 weeks in the Newborn ICU. During her time there, the physicians and staff of the unit used their skill and the latest medications and technology available to help premature babies grow and develop.

“We knew Isabelle was in very, very competent hands,” Garib said. “The staff made us feel comfortable and relaxed.”

When Isabelle was big enough and well enough,

she finally went home with her parents and older brother Tristan, now 10. But Newborn ICU experts continued to care for her through the Follow-Up Program. Under the direction of neonatologist Dr. Christine Butler, the program provides the necessary care and paren-tal education to ensure that premature babies can develop

to their full potential. Now, as Isabelle gets ready

to start preschool, her mother says she blends right in with other children her age.

“She’s your average 3-year-old,” Garib said. “And we have the Newborn ICU to thank. I would recommend Bridgeport Hospital to anyone thinking of having a baby.”

Bridgeport Hospital success story: Girl, weighing just over a pound at birth, prepares for preschool

Born premature and underweight, Isabelle Marjanovic is now a “regular” 3-year-old and preparing for pre-school. (Submitted photo)

Cardiovascular diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. On aver-age, one American dies every 38 seconds of cardiovascular disease — disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The American Heart Association estimates that the direct and indirect cost for cardiovas-cular disease and stroke in the U.S. for 2010 is $503.2 billion.

Early detection of life threat-ening heart disorders and other diseases is possible through the use of nuclear cardiology procedures performed within hospitals, outpatient centers and physicians’ offices. While these tests are very helpful, there are many facets that

contribute to an accurate diag-nosis based on nuclear cardi-ology testing. The skill of the nuclear medicine technologist performing the examination, the type of equipment used, the background and knowl-edge of the interpreting phy-sician and quality assurance measures are each critical to quality patient testing.

Cardiology Diagnostic Center of Bridgeport has been granted a three-year term of accreditation in nuclear cardiology by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL).

Accreditation by the ICANL means that Cardiology

Diagnostic Center of Bridgeport has undergone a thorough review of its opera-tional and technical compo-nents by a panel of experts. The ICANL grants accredita-tion only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, in compli-ance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review.

ICANL accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indication that the facility has been care-fully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of nuclear medicine. When scheduled for a nuclear

medicine procedure, patients are encouraged to inquire as to the accreditation status of the facility where their exami-nation will be performed and can learn more by visiting icanl.org/icanl/main/patients.htm.

ICANL accreditation is respected within the medi-cal community. In addition, several insurance compa-nies require their providers of nuclear medicine services to be accredited. However, patients should remain vigi-lant in making sure that their nuclear medicine procedures are performed within accred-ited laboratories, because for many facilities it remains a voluntary process.

Cardiology Diagnostic Center receives accreditation

Housatonic Museum of Art Director Robbin Zella has announced the selection of graphic designer Greg Chinn’s Heroes poster series for the museum’s permanent collection.

Originally produced for the Bridgeport Arts and Cultural Council, the series of 12 posters focuses on local Bridgeport heroes.

From prominent figures like P.T. Barnum and Elias Howe to lesser known peo-ple like lighthouse keeper Kathleen Moore, the series instills a sense of pride for the citizens of Bridgeport and, most importantly, functions as an educational tool for the area’s public schools.

With a funky color palette, layered visual language and a modernist sensibility, the series was inspired by psy-chedelic poster master Victor Moscoso and artist Robert Rauschenberg. The 12 col-lage-styled images were produced for the Housatonic Museum of Art as Giclée

Fine Art Prints on 100% cot-ton rag, velvet (etching like) surface, 315 gram paper.

Chinn’s work has been rec-ognized by numerous design publications and Web sites, including Core77, ID, Dwell, Design Within Reach, How, HGTV, Design Observer and Print. His graphics have been highlighted in two Pie Design Books, as well as featured in Communication Arts Fresh, which focuses on innovative work around the world.

Chinn has also been pro-filed in Graphic Design USA on the rebranding of historic Fairfield County landmarks. His Modernist Flash Cards have retailed internationally as well as in The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Museum of Design Atlanta, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Chinn graduated from Art Center College of Design and received a bachelor of fine arts degree with honors.

Museum acquires Chinn’s ‘Heroes’ poster series

The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation is accepting grant proposals for consideration of projects in the United States, mainly in Connecticut.

The foundation assists pub-lic charities with grants to help give others a chance in life. Concentration is on edu-cation, job training and the arts, but is not exclusive to these types of organizations. The foundation does not make grants to individuals.

Proposals are accept-ed annually from Sept. 1 through Oct. 8 only. To obtain an application and guidelines, e-mail requests to [email protected] or call Janice Szabo at 203 877-4281, ext. 1960.

Applicants seeking grant assistance should submit the

application/proposal, and include a copy of the orga-nization’s mission statement, a copy of the organization’s latest financial statement, a detailed outline and budget for the project and a copy of the IRS 501(c)(3) letter stating that the applicant is a 509(a)(1) or (2) public char-ity.

The foundation discour-ages elaborate proposals, as they are expensive to prepare. Gifts range from $1,000 to $5,000, with decisions to be made by Dec. 31.

The application and pro-posals should be mailed to: Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Attn: Janice Szabo, 300 Bic Drive, Milford, CT 06461. The dead-line for submittal is Oct. 8.

DeLuca Foundation accepting grant applications for projects

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The News - Thursday 9.1.11

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