“Are you ready to dance?” was the shout out at Scotland Elementary School a few weeks ago when 400 students were taken on a journey of American musical theatre dance styles through the decades by James Robey, artistic director of the Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance. 

Robey and his dance students performed excerpts from musicals such as 42nd Street, Oklahoma and A Chorus Line and demonstrated and explained the significance of the different dance styles in the evolution of American musicals.

This is the fourth successive year that students at Scotland have been able to participate in this program. The program is a physical, musical and historical education experience designed specifically to enhance the cultural education curriculum at the school.  

The program builds on the African Dance and Drumming program in 2008, the Hive to Hip Hop Jazz in 2009, and American Modern Dance in 2010. Fifth grader Meg Fridrich said, “I really like the program and how we do different themes of dance each year.”

The kick off assembly set the stage for two workshops that all students in the school then participated in during their normal P.E. time. Each grade focused on learning a predominant musical theatre dance style in a specific period. These included excerpts from 42nd street for Kindergarteners, West Side Story for 2nd Graders and The Lion King for 5th graders.

Fourth grader Christoph Schneider said, “The dance program is really well-run and Mr. Robey makes it really clear. It's fun.” 

In the second workshop session, a small group of students were selected from each grade to perform a brief combination of steps that they learned at an assembly on April 13th.

Second Grader Kate Zangre said, “I really liked the dances that Mr. Robey made up for us because they are cool and the people who would be watching us would be really surprised with the dancing." 

The students will be supported in their performance by James Robey and professional dancers and students from the Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance.  The performance is designed to showcase what the students have learned and show grade-by-grade the variety of approaches and the development of American musical theatre dance through the decades. 

The students also learn the important life skill of how to be a good audience -- knowing when to keep quiet, when to applaud and when to participate.

This is always a popular event at Scotland School -- not only do the students learn about different music and dance styles from a professional instructor, they get to try them out for themselves, and they get a work out whilst having fun.  

Fourth grader DJ Ammirato said, "I think it's fun, and all kids should participate."

Thanks for logging on to PatchCast, a review of the region’s top stories for Tuesday, April 19. Follow these links for more on today's featured stories:

• FAIRFIELD: Unlike with Federal Government, GE Not a Tax Dodger in Fairfield [Video]
• NORWALK: Hog Heaven: Norwalk Police’s New Fleet [Video]
• WESTPORT: Town Real Estate Agent Missing; SUV Found in New Hampshire
• STAMFORD: Westhill Softball Beats Staples 5-3 [Video]

This "Daily Sports Digest" is designed for you to add your own single very best photo and/or video to share with friends and family — instructions here! Think of this as the community's Facebook page for youth sports information — updated daily. If you see anything in our scores, standings or schedules that requires updating, please e-mail sports editor Bob Birge at bob.birge@hotmail.com

TUESDAY'S RESULTS

Boys lacrosse

Ridgefield 17, Westhill 5 -- Eric Scala scored four goals and Sean Riley added three for the Tigers, who improved to 5-1.

WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE

Softball

Ridgefield at Westhill, 4 p.m.

Baseball

Westhill at Ridgefield, 12:30 p.m.

Boys volleyball

Ridgefield at Harding, 10 a.m.

Standings

Baseball

Softball

Boys Lacrosse

Girls Lacrosse

• A forum will be held tonight by the Rotary Club featuring the three candidates for the April 27 special election, Maureen Kozlark, Marty Heiser and Tony DiPreta. Held at 7:30 p.m. in the library's Dayton Room, your questions are welcome.
• Keeler Tavern is holding a FUNdraiser, offering coupons for 50 percent of your purchase at Piccolo Pizza to be donated to the museum's fund.
• Check out, once again, today's Spring Break events at Woodcock Nature Center from 9 a.m. to noon for children in pre-school to 4th grade.
• Members of the Aldrich Museum are welcome to attend a tour of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
• On this day in 1871, the Civil Rights Act of 1871 was passed.

-       Children can Talk to the Animals at the Ridgefield Library on Thursday, April 21, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.  During this session, the Animal Embassy of Stamford will teach Children in Kindergarten through Grade 5 about animal communication.  The session will take place in the Dayton Program Room.  For more information, contact Geri Diorio at (203) 438-2282., or via email at gadiorio@ridgefieldlibrary.org.  Learn more about the Animal Embassy at www.animalembassy.com.

-       The Ridgefield Library is hosting a special 1977 Hobbit movie viewing on their 16mm film projector.  The showing will take place in the Children’s Program Room on Thursday, April 21, from 7-8:30 p.m.  This film is open to students in grades 6-12.  Snacks and Lembas will be provided.  Registration is not required.  To find out more, contact Geri Diorio at (203) 438-2282 or at GADiorio@ridgefieldlibrary.org.

-       The Keeler Tavern is once again offering its Colonial Cooking for Children program on Thursday, April 21, from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.  Children age 6-9 will learn how food was prepared in Ridgefield during the Colonial era.  Chef Maria Pelizzari, owner of “Fork, Knife and Spoon Cooking”, is the instructor. Costs: Members $35, Non-Members $40.  Space is limited; please RSVP by Friday, April 15.  To reserve your space, call (203) 438-5485, or email info@keelertavernmuseum.org.

-       Get down at the Winter Garden Arena during the Friday Night Disco Skate.  Disco skate will take place every Friday through May 27.  Family Disco is 6:30-8 p.m., and Teen Disco (age 10+) is 8:30-10 p.m.  Costs: Adults $8, Child/Student $5; Skate rental $4.  For more information, call (203) 438-4423.  www.wintergardenarena.com.

-       Children are invited to enter the Mary’s Lost Lamb contest at the Keeler Tavern Museum.  To enter, children should stop by the Chamber of Commerce between April 13 and May 1 to pick up a “Finder’s Card”.  Then, whenever they spot one of Mary’s Wandering Lambs in a Main Street store, they should bring in the card to have it stamped.  The stamped cards should be submitted to the Keeler Tavern museum by 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 1 to be eligible to win a prize.  Children and adults can also purchase an unpainted lamb to decorate for a chance to win one of several different prizes.  Unpainted lambs are available to purchase at the Keeler Tavern during business hours.  Costs: $15 small / $25 large.  Painted lambs should be submitted to the Museum by 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 1.  For more information, contact the Keeler Tavern at (203) 438-5485.  www.keelertavernmuseum.org.

-       The Library is hosting its monthly High School Critics session on Saturday, April 23, from 12:30-1:30 p.m.  During this time, High School students can share their thoughts on any books, movies, comics, music, plays, games, that they have been reading, watching, listening to, or playing of late.  Pie will be served.  The session will take place in the Children’s Program Room.  No registration required.  For more information, call Geri Diorio at (203) 438-2282, or email GADirio@ridgefieldlibrary.org.

-       Take the train with the Easter Bunny at the Danbury Railway Museum!  Rides take place every half-hour from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on April 22 & 23.  The train will take visitors to the special Easter Bunny coach; children will receive a special gift from the Bunny.  For more information, call (203) 778-8337. 

-       The Ridgefield Playhouse continues its partnership with the Autism Society during Autism Awareness month.  This week’s Sensory Friendly Film, Alvin & the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel, will be shown at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 23.  All tickets are $5.  For more information, call the Ridgefield Playhouse at (203) 438-5795.  www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

-       Plant a seed in the Aldrich’s Sensory Garden during drop-in hours on Saturday, April 23.  Planting will take place at 2 p.m.  “The Sensory Garden will create its own portrait of The Aldrich’s community as each visitor plants a seed from those provided.”  Children can also take part in family drop-in activities in the museum during this time period.  For more information, please contact Tori Reimann at treimann@aldrichart.org, or (203) 438-4519 x 40.

-       Calling all Junior Rangers!  Weir Farm will celebrate Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  During this time, children can explore the Farm, and earn their Junior Ranger badge by taking part in two activities: the Junior Ranger Letterboxing Booklet, and the Junior Ranger Pond Pack.  The event is free-of-charge.  For more information, call (203) 834-1896, or visit www.nps.gov/wefa.

-       Weir Farm is also hosting Take Part in Art, from 10 a.m-4 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday.  During this time, “discover your inner artist while sketching en plein air” with materials provided by Weir Farm.  For more information, call (203) 834-1896. 

Hartford – Governor Dannel Malloy's proposal to raise taxes by $1.5 billion has been met with scrutiny by many on the other side of the aisle, and Republicans in the state legislature have drafted a proposed budget proposal they hope will resonate in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, State Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) along with other Senate Republicans released a no-tax increase balanced budget proposal for 2012-13.

“If states like New York and New Jersey can pass balanced budgets with no tax increases, then so can Connecticut,” Senator Boucher said in a press release. “We owe it to the people of our state."

“The Republican Alternative Budget is a blueprint for ending Connecticut’s current fiscal crisis and helping to prevent a future crisis,” said Senate Republican Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield). 

Aspects of the Republican proposal include:

• No new taxes on any business, individual, employer, service or good.
• More than $1.5 billion in spending cuts from Gov. Malloy’s plan.
• Preservation of municipal aid at current levels for all towns and cities.
• Enhanced Medicaid fraud detection to save an estimated $224 million.
• More than $46 million in savings through agency consolidations.
• Streamlining government through attrition and reductions to the 54,000 member state workforce.
• No borrowing for state operating expenses.
• Full restoration of the $500 property tax credit cut by Gov. Malloy.
• The pre-payment of $200 million in the state’s highest cost debt, allowing greater flexibility in budgeting throughout state agencies.
• Restoration of the sales tax free week to help Connecticut consumers support household budgets.
• Elimination of longevity payments for state employees.

Senator Boucher believes, according to the press release, that "this Republican alternative is a responsible way to get Connecticut out of its fiscal crisis."

"Other neighboring states have balanced the budget without increasing taxes -- we can do the same if the Governor and both sides of the aisle seriously consider this new alternative," the Senator's office reports.

Thanks for logging on to PatchCast, a review of the region’s top stories for Wednesday, April 20. Follow these links for more on today's featured stories:

• SHELTON: Classic Cars Could Get Home on River Road
• DARIEN: Video: 'Let's Go Birding'
• GREENWICH: Flooding Damages Apple Store
• SHELTON: Video: Carnival Fun Comes to Town

I received a distressing call earlier this week. The caller had been injured and was attempting to resolve his claim on his own. The insurance company sent him a letter stating that his claim was being denied because Connecticut, he was advised in writing, follows the law of contributory negligence which holds that if you are even one percent liable for your injury then, the insurance company claimed, you could not recover anything. The caller asked me if I could help by representing him.

At first I was astonished; a large respectable national insurance company sent this unrepresented injured party a letter denying his claim with an outright misrepresentation as to the law in the State of Connecticut. I have experienced firsthand the oppressive and unethical conduct that is sometimes perpetuated by insurance companies, especially when dealing with claimants not represented by attorneys, but, this has reached an all time low.

In negligence actions, for example those involving accident and medical malpractice cases, the law in the State of Connecticut is clear; contributory negligence shall not harm recovery if the negligence was not greater than the contributed negligence of the person or person against whom recovery is sought. This is set forth in Connecticut General Statute Section 52-572 (b).

Connecticut follows what is known as the modified comparative negligence rule which means that an injured party can recover so long as his or her fault is 50% or less. If an injured party is more than 50% liable then the injured party recovers nothing. However, if the injured party is found to be 50% or less at fault than that person’s recovery is reduced by their at fault percentage.

In other words, if an injured party is found to be 40% at fault and the total award is $1,000,000 then the injured party’s recovery will be reduced to $600,000 which reduces their award by their percentage fault of $400,000 or 40%.

The conduct of this insurance company, which is negligent at best or fraudulent at worst,  underscores the need for claimants and/or injured parties to obtain the advice of an attorney at the earliest possible moment so that they can be educated about their rights. Most attorneys offer free consultations or are happy to answer questions over the phone so there is no cost or obligation to obtain this important information. To proceed without knowing your rights, especially when they are being misrepresented to you by the insurance company, will certainly prejudice you and can negatively affect how you proceed.

Remember the business model employed by insurance companies is to pay out the least amount of money possible. You should not underestimate this fact because some insurance carriers will go to extraordinary means to increase their bottom line.

Richard P. Hastings is a Connecticut personal injury lawyer at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP, with offices throughout the state.  He has been named a Connecticut and New England Super Lawyer and is the author of the books: "The Crash Course on Child Injury Claims"; "The Crash Course on Personal Injury Claims in Connecticut"; and "The Crash Course on Motorcycle Accidents."  He can be reached at 1(888)CTLAW-00 or by visiting www.hcwlaw.com.

Ask any mother what her most cherished Mother's Day gift is and inevitably it will be what made her a mom in the first place — her children.

Most moms are the family photographer. Andrea Topalian is not only a mom of three but also one of three Certified Professional Photographers in Fairfield County. She shared her tips for taking your pictures to the next level with Patch.

Topalian has run Family Photo Day events for the town's elementary schools, her local Newcomer's Club, the Young Women's League of New Canaan and, including her private clients, has photographed more than 350 Fairfield County families in the past five years.

 "I like to create images that truly capture children's personalities and family bonds that my clients can proudly display as canvas prints or framed wall art," Topalian told Patch. "I refer to my work as 'children as art.'" 

Topalian offered eight tips for taking professional quality pictures of your children: 

1. Look for the light. Ideal times of day are early morning or late afternoon before the sun goes down. If you have to shoot mid-day look for shade and position your children on the edge where it is still bright but there is no light overhead causing harsh shadows on their face. Try under a tree, on a covered porch or sitting in an open doorway. If you have to shoot with overhead sun then turn on the flash and it will fill in the harsh shadows.
2. Go for natural smiles. Gone are the days of saying “cheese” and getting those overdone fake smiles. Tell a joke or say something that you know will make them laugh. For little ones, tell them something they know is wrong. For example, “Tommy, want to hear me bark like a dog? Here it goes… “meeoow!”  Have fun and you will get those natural smiles. 
3. Get down on their level and enter their world. We are always looking down at our children and while that can be good for close up shots of those big eyes looking up at you, the rest of the time images taken at their level will be more emotional and natural looking. 
4. Get in close. Zoom in and capture the details of their expression and those cute little faces. This way you don’t have to worry about clutter in the background taking away from that face you adore.
5. Be patient. Photographing your own children can be a challenge but we are blessed to be in the digital world. We aren’t limited to a roll of 24 or 36 images so just keep shooting until you get those expressions that make you say “that’s so him/her.” 
6. Have you read your camera’s manual? You would be surprised at what your camera can do. Take an afternoon to read the manual and play around with the settings. Really love photography? Take a lesson. Every community offers photography courses and so do some photographers. 
7. Keep the images safe. We don’t print as many pictures as we used to. Some of my clients admit to never printing any of their pictures. Be sure to back them up on DVD and upload them to a lab that lets you store unlimited images.  I have been uploading my images to Shutterfly monthly since my oldest daughter was born in 2003.  At the end of each month I pick my favorites to print. At the end of the year I pick a handful from each month to create an annual calendar. The family looks forward to the calendar every year.
8. Be sure to hand the camera to someone else so the children will have images of you together. Too many moms say they are waiting to lose weight or to have their hair and makeup done...don’t! You never know what tomorrow will bring and you are perfect in their eyes already.

Patch Moms, share your favorite photos of your own kids....Happy Mother’s Day!

(Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on New Canaan Patch.)

Update 4:53 p.m.

Traffic is backed up for miles in the northbound lane of Route 7.

Original Story

Wilton police and Georgetown firefighters are on scene. Paramedics have brought out a stretcher. The accident occurred near the intersection of Routes 7 and 107 in Georgetown, a village located near where Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding converge. Stay on Patch for details as they emerge.

Thanks for logging on to PatchCast, a review of the region’s top stories for Friday, May 6. Follow these links for more on today's featured stories:

• STAMFORD: Area Muslims React to Osama bin Laden's Death
• DARIEN: Vehicle Hits Tree, Flips on Stephen Mather Road
• WILTON: Francia Leads Wilton Lacrosse to 10-6 Victory [Video] *This article also appears on Ridgefield Patch.
• SHELTON: No Jail Time for Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting Horse [Video]

We're looking for basic tag sale information in our towns. Feel free in the comments section below this article, to tell us:

• Where (street address and town)
• When (time and days)
• Whatever else (Is it an estate sale? Is it at your house? Got anything special? A fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization?)

We'll add more rows to the table as we get more information from you to help our readers plan their outings. (Nobody needs to be spending more money on gas these days!)

Want to add a tag sale for inclusion on a future weekend? It's easy! Just log into your local Patch (free account) and click on "Post Your Own Event" at the bottom of the calendar right there on the homepage.

And if you find a really good tag sale, circle back to our comments section again and let our readers know.

This list will be updated throughout the weekend. It's been compiled with information from Patch readers, Patch events calendars and announcements and  Craigslist.

Mia Farrow's address to graduates of the Fine Arts program at the University of Connecticut on Saturday reflected upon the hardships faced by everyday Americans in the midst of tough economic times.

"We can jump back again. It's OK to diversify," the actress and humanitarian activist told the audience at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs.

"Years ago my 5-year-old daughter declared, "'I want to be a doctor, a ballerina, a mermaid and a man. I told her, 'You go for it. Yes! You can do it all''," Farrow said. "Nobody every told me that when I was young. So I'm saying, as you move along, feel empowered to change lanes. People say you have to decide to be this or that. I say we can do many different things. Personally, I'm still diversifying."

Whether UConn's latest batch of actors, filmmakers, photographers and graphic artists choose to "diversify" by going on to graduate school or in their first full-time jobs, Farrow made it clear in her speech Saturday that giving back is the most important thing to do in life.

Although Farrow, 66, has lived out her adult life in the public eye with much success on the silver screen and relationships with some of the 20th century's most prominent artists, she told graduates that "some of the most meaningful times of my life have taken place far from Hollywood and Broadway."

In recent years, Farrow has been spending a great deal of time in Sudan as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, traveling to the country's Darfur region in hopes of shedding light on ethnic violence, which Farrow called "the first genocide of the 21st century."

In her attempts to share the stories of Darfur's war-torn families, Farrow not only found her calling, she said, but discovered what she hopes to pass on: the importance of responsibility.

Responsibility is "the most important thing I could convey to my own 14 kids," she said.

Citing responsibility to "our families, our communities" and "the planet we have inherited," Farrow urged graduates to "do all the good you can, by all the means available, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, for all the people you can, for as long as ever you can."

In recognition of Farrow's many accomplishments, the university awarded her an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters.

The message inside Farrow's commencement address seemed to be well received by the graduates. Two of them - Greg Platt and Carolyn Anderson - both said they have their eyes set on furthering their education.

"I'm excited for what's next...grad school," said Anderson.

Stratford native Marc Maignan echoed his fellow graduates' enthusiasm, saying he is "truly elated," to have earned his degree.

"I'm looking forward to venturing off into the work force now," Maignan said.

Caroline Ogden and Melissa Galione each scored three goals Saturday to lead the Ridgfield girls lacrosse team to a 13-5 victory over Trumbull.

Shauna Norris and Maggie Curran added two goals apiece for the Tigers, who improved to 8-4. Ridgefield opened a 7-2 lead at the half before coasting to the victory.

Liana Mathias, Eliza Marcus and Brita Christensen all scored once for the Tigers. Maggie Philbin recorded six saves in goal for Ridgefield.

Lisa Pulie and Kristen Sileo each scored twice for Trumbull.  Mary Rose Rappa had the other goal for the Eagles.

Some cars just need a place to recharge after a day of zipping around here and there. 

That’s the thrust of Connecticut Light & Power and its parent company Northeast Utilities' “Plug My Ride” grass-roots initiative. The two companies recently announced a research project that involves about 30 stations to support new plug-in electric vehicles, or "EVs." The initiative is the largest of its kind in New England, according to CL&P.

"We've worked hard to make Connecticut an early market for electric vehicles, so we're excited to launch New England's first comprehensive, hands-on EV study," Jeff Butler, CL&P's president and chief operating officer, said in a press release. "By gathering information from municipal and business customers, we can gain tangible experience to help guide future decisions about our infrastructure, our policies and how we will ultimately serve all of our customers as EVs become more common."

NU will provide the charging equipment. CL&P will work with designated municipal and business customers to complete installations by year-end. So far, UBS in Stamford and the town of Westport are among the 20 municipalities and businesses that will participate in the research project.

The Westport train station plans on installing 10 charging stations that could charge 20 cars simultaneously. However, the town hasn't decided exactly where to put the chargers.

"We don't have them installed yet, but we're committed to doing it," Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said.

So after much ado about the end of the electric car, it appears reports of its death were greatly exaggerated.  Still, it’s in a developmental stage, said Ridgefield resident John Papa.

“Right now there is still a general lack of understanding about it,” Papa said. “It sort of, 'Hey that sounds like a science experiment.’ ”

Because of that, Papa said the fuss about installing charging stations is somewhat overblown. He said educating and acclimating people about EVs would better serve the state. Papa would like more chargers in homes and workplaces than public places.

“There are millions and millions of electric outlets out there already,” Papa said.

The cars can plug into any 120-volt electric outlet. EV owners buy electric vehicle service equipment EVSE charging stations to plug into a 240-volt outlet.

The Chevrolet Buick of Wilton has delivered between seven and eight Chevy Volts and would sell more if it could get them, according to the sales staff.

“There’s a lot of interest in the car, the problem is we can’t get enough of them,” said Scott Nickle, a salesman at the dealership. “We’ve got wicked high demand and will have more when gas reaches $6 a gallon this summer.”

The cars aren’t inexpensive. A 2011 Volt, a plug-in hybrid has a $41,000 starting price. However, a $7,500 federal tax credit brings it down to $33,500. The all-electric Nissan Leaf comes in at $26,130 after a $7,500 federal tax credit.

That price causes people to shy away from buying the cars, Papa said.

However, the number of electric cars on the road isn’t a sign of success or failure. If there are only 20 electric cars out there, that’s 20 electric cars that weren’t there before, Papa said.

Electric cars produce less carbon dioxide and other pollutants than drive on gasoline. Lastly, electricity is made in the United States by driving EVs can reduce fossil fuel consumption and help the nation divorce itself from foreign energy sources.

Moving away from Mid-East dependence on oil would be a good thing, said state Attorney General George Jepsen. He recently told Patch that he wants to see a more concerted effort regarding an energy policy.

"The real tragedy is we've known since 1973 that we need to do this," Jepsen said. "Despite the existence of technologies there has been an abject failure from Congress to put policies into place."

But it will likely be the rising cost of gas that pushes people to electric vehicles rather than legislation, Nickle said.

According to fueleconomy.gov, a 2011 smart car coupe averages about 37 miles per kilowatt hour of highway driving. It costs about $1 to charge a plug-in hybrid and $2 to $4 for all-electric.

But in the end don’t expect to zoom around like The Jetsons.

“After the initial excitement wears off it’s still a car. It’s getting you from Point A to Point B,” Papa said. “People make it out that you’re getting into a rocket ship.”

My life changed at 12:51 p.m. nine years ago on an early day in May. That day I became Mom.

That day I inherited a legacy of overwhelming responsibility, heart-stopping anxiety and overpowering, limitless love. It’s a legacy shared by moms around the world, something you think you begin to comprehend when you read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” but you realize you’re not even dipping your toe in the reality of motherhood until your little one lands in your arms for the very first time.

Oh my, it takes your breath away.

You see this mewling little soul that depends so deeply on you, and the pact that you make in those very first moments with one another is deep and unspoken and magical: I’m forever yours.

Moms become moms in many different ways, and their roads to becoming moms are as different as the number of actual roads on the planet. But that feeling of being irrevocably intertwined and needing to take care of your child forever and ever and ever must certainly be universal.

I have a friend whose second child was born just three short weeks ago. She had an uneventful pregnancy and her sweet son came into the world in an easy, relatively short few hours. She took him home from the hospital and they started the first day of the rest of his life. But on the ninth day of the rest of his life, my friend and her husband discovered that the baby wasn’t feeling so well.

It turned out that he had contracted a very serious infection, serious enough to warrant immediate, emergency hospitalization for the next several days. We all waited to hear any bit of news, hoping and praying for his recovery. I couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be in her shoes, sitting vigil by his NICU crib, helpless with the thought of being unable to do much, and with so, so much to lose.

It was with great relief we learned that this little boy was strong enough to defy some incredibly serious odds, and he’s home, doing much better. Motherhood has such a different meaning and enormity now for my friend, and for those of us close to her, we have one more reminder of how fragile and impermanent possibility is.

Motherhood is one of the toughest paths of life to walk. We wonder, am I doing it right? With so much riding on it, the path is hopefully wide enough for a bit of wiggle room for imperfection and the occasional misstep along the way.

The wisest among us perhaps realize that we don’t walk it alone. There are moms who have walked ahead and can let us know which potholes to avoid and which route might be a little more scenic. I have a college friend, a woman with children older than mine and I love to watch as she experiences the things teenagers do, mainly so I can see what I’m in for.

Her eldest son just got his driver’s license. She posted something on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, about how her son was taking his first solo Friday night drive. She didn’t know whether to breathe a sigh of relief at having the house to herself that evening—or whether she should stand waiting at the window all night for her baby to make it safely home. She probably did a combination of both.

When I hug my five year old and say, “You’re still my baby!” She laughs in protest, “I’m not a baby!” Oh, but you are. Even when you’re 10, or a teen with a newly minted driver’s license, or in cap and gown with diploma in hand, or successful in the job market, or holding tight to your own mewling little soul—you’ll still be my baby.

To me, songwriters are the poets of my generation, and I’m a pop culture junkie. So when I heard an old Creed song on the radio this week, I couldn’t help but get wrapped up in the words about being a parent. “With Arms Wide Open” is about wanting everything for your child, about the all-consuming dreams and limitless love that we have for our children and that we hope they experience in the world. It’s about wanting them to soar freely and keep them safe at the same time.

I was newly pregnant with my first child in the early weeks of September 2001, and on the morning of 9/11 I was overwhelmed with such fear of the newly unimaginable world he’d be coming into. Perhaps the events of this week highlight the balancing act that mothers do: we trying to contain desperate fear in one hand and grasp tight a security that all will be all right in the other.

It’s about wanting to hold on to the small, fleeting moments—the little shoes or the first step—or the larger, more momentous ones we all share.

For me, perhaps the best thing about Mother's Day is that it’s a day often bookended by the birthdays of both my children. It’s a gift better than flowers and chocolates or a keepsake card. I’m reminded of the two bright crisp May mornings when my soul was redefined and my life began anew.

Stamford police arrested a 42-year-old Mount Vernon, NY, woman Monday afternoon for making fraudulent charges to credit cards she had access to while temping for a Stamford-based doctor's office. According to police, the woman was employed by Staff Providers, a Wilton-based staffing agency, to work at a doctor’s office in the city’s downtown area. While the manager was out, police said, the temp collected co-pays from patients, which she was not authorized to do. For patients using credit cards, the temp reportedly said she didn’t know how to operate the credit card machine, so she made print copies of each credit card and told them that the payments would be processed by the office manager. A couple of weeks later, patients began calling the office and telling the manager that there were fraudulent charges being made to their credit cards — more than $1,400 total, police said.

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A Greenwich woman is facing larceny charges after she apparently tried to steal her babysitter’s jewelry. According to police, the 20-year-old mom was outed when the babysitter, looking for clothing for her young charge, discovered several pieces of her own jewelry in the child’s backpack.

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No charges have been filed, but Norwalk police must be on the lookout for the next installment of what appears to be a bitter battle between two area psychics. Before dawn on Friday, a 22-year-old woman told police at Norwalk Hospital’s emergency room, as she was being treated for injuries, that she’d been attacked by three people the prior day, as she prepared to do a psychic reading. One of the alleged attackers was identified as a 39-year-old Norwalk man who owns his own psychic establishment—a man who’d been arrested last year on assault, threatening and breach of peace charges following an incident that involved the first psychic’s family. According to alleged victim in this week’s incident, the three attackers barged through her door, attacked her and said to keep her mouth shut or they would return and kill her.

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Fairfield police officers on Wednesday arrested a 46-year-old Bridgeport man who reportedly called them to what he described at first as the scene of a robbery. But after speaking with police, the man would confess that he hadn’t been robbed at all. Instead, Michael Roberts reportedly confessed that the batteries and gum he had with him had been shoplifted from a Westport Stop & Shop. Police said Roberts initially told them that a man had stolen his wallet with $120 in it, part of a long story. According to police, Roberts also admitted later that the name and birth date he originally supplied police officers were his cousin’s.

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In Darien, a police investigation into suspicious persons at a fire-damaged home believed to be vacant led to a bigger catch. Police found a two people—a 21-year-old town man and a minor—in possession of marijuana inside the Old Kings Highway residence. Though speaking with the pair, police reportedly discovered that a heroin delivery was imminent, and set up a perimeter. Soon, a pair of Bridgeport men arrived in the area and—when approached by police—one of them tried to run off, throwing away three packages of heroin as he went, police said.

The University of Connecticut conferred degrees on its first group of undergraduates in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, graduating about 1,500 students from across the state, nation and world.

The commencement ceremony moved smoothly and briskly. Star student athletes Maya Moore and Kemba Walker led the procession of CLAS students into Gampel Pavilion, followed by university faculty and staff. Only 90 minutes later the seniors had finished their undergraduate careers and were moving on to smaller celebrations and the next stage of their lives. The group had to disperse from the center of campus before thousands more arrived to commence their graduation in the second such ceremony of the day.

Political Science Professor and Associate Dean Cyrus Ernesto Zirakzadeh, a last-minute replacement, gave the featured commencement address in which he encouraged graduates to reflect on their past and take the best of what they've learned with them as they leave the Storrs campus.

The address, called “Visions of Scholars,” and enjoyed by nearly all, focused on Zirakzadeh’s own upbringing and experiences in college at Michigan. He connected themes he found in his own history to the rows of students flanking him.

Zirakzadeh pointed out the visions being seen in the building as he spoke, as families and friends watched their loved ones reap the reward of undergraduate labor.

“Right now they probably think you’re the most splendid and lovely creatures they’ve ever seen,” he said, followed by a round of applause from the audience.

Zirakzadeh mentioned the importance of those scholastic labors as well.

“You are being recognized for something society values deeply,” he said.

Zirakzadeh told the new graduates were more able to think deeply, eschew stereotypes, broaden their tastes, interpret information, change direction and explore new concepts.

“It’s important to branch out and get perspectives different from those you inherited,” he said.

Excited graduates displayed their exuberance with pictures, glitter and, in one instance, a plush dinosaur fastened to their mortarboards. Beach balls, a common site at the ceremony in past years, were not present but vociferous call-and-response cheers of “UConn! Huskies!” punctuated the event.

In addition to the UConn students receiving Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Gampel Pavilion on Sunday, more than 4,000 students officially completed various undergraduate and graduate programs at ceremonies across the state this weekend. They earned degrees in disciplines from fine arts and philosophy to forensic medicine, law and social work.

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What follows is a list of Fairfield County's 2011 University of Connecticut graduates, supplied by college administrators. Please note that our list is alphabetized by town first—and that towns include individual ZIP codes, such as Rowayton, Riverside and South Norwalk—and within each town, alphabetized by surname:

Finger snaps and teacher Pam Clasby’s oversized pink sunglasses got the kids in the mood to share their own poems last week, as well as odes, couplets, and verses from famous poets such as Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Edward Lear.

Third grade students at Ridgefield Academy gathered in Clasby’s classroom last week for a "poetry slam" with assistant teacher Gail Heaslip’s help. Beth MacInnis's class also took part.

“This is our fifth annual poetry slam,” Clasby stated. “I love poetry; it’s a great time of year for this.”

A few of the usual expectations of a poetry slam were foregone. Students used props to express the meaning of their poems, and the poetry was left un-judged. Each student performed, everyone a winner. Students maintained the tradition of incorporating catchy beats into the poems they recited in front of an audience of peers and parents.

Before reading their own poems, each student took the spotlight and explained the meaning of specific poetic devices and the uniqueness of particular types of poems.

Third grader Gunner Desantis explained the meaning of an ode and then proudly read his poem, “Ode to Dirt Bike.” His humorous description and dramatic reading kept classmates and parents laughing.

Fellow third grader, Mark Garavel read the description of a color poem, and then looked to his peer Christian Ely to give an example of a color poem, which was inspired by the color red.

“My favorite thing was writing and sharing the poems,” Octavia Comerford said.

Throughout the month of April, students celebrated poetry month by preparing for the slam, according to Clasby. The teachers enjoyed seeing their students pair up and learn from each other -- the poems were recited flawlessly and confidently by the third graders.

“I was excited but pretty anxious,” Chiara Signorelli stated. “I liked the onomatopoeia and the acrostic poems.”  

Regardless of her nerves, she recited “True Story” by Shel Silverstein, as well as her own poem based on animals in a cheerful and upbeat manner.

“They are learning how to annunciate and use harder words,” parent Annette Hunter stated. “They are learning how to speak in front of people and it’s great.”

“I thought it was excellent,” parent Petra Comerford agreed. “I liked that they got to choose more classic poets.”

Clasby enjoyed being able to provide a variety of poems and poets for her third graders to explore. The level of some pieces surprised the parents in attendance. Poets like Lord Alfred Tennyson and Emily Dickinson, who could be found in college level anthologies, were studied by the third grade classes.

“You’ve had quite a bit of deep poems,” Hunter said to Clasby. “I loved it, it was fantastic. I love how there were humorous poems as well as deep poems.”

Some of the poems that were read by students included “Eighteen Flavors” by Shel Silverstein, “When the Speed Comes” by Robert Frost, “The Owl and the Pussy Cat” by Edward Lear, “The Eagle by Lord Alfred Tennyson, and “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles” by Jack Prelutsky.

After students recited their poems, they joined their parents to view the work of their peers. Clasby and Heaslip displayed the students’ poems around the room. Among some of the unusual approaches were poems based upon and made with bubblegum. Students and parents enjoyed the morning of poetry and look forward to learning more about the literary art.

As a parent of two children that have gone through the Ridgefield Public Schools one K-12 (Currently at Northwestern University) and the other K-9 (Currently a freshman at RHS) it saddens me to see the decisions this BOE is making of which items to cut in their operating budget. They are targeting areas that have achieved excellence. We all know that the trend is to start languages and music training at younger ages not waiting until high school or middle school to begin. Studies show that music education actually fosters certain brain connections to be made and helps with overall academic achievement.

The middle school award winning strings program will be affected by cutting 4^th grade strings. The program has grown and flourished over the last 4 years. In 2009 at the Fantastic Festivals Regional Festival (CT, part of NY and Southern MA), the Middle School 8^th Grade Orchestra, Symphonic Strings Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra made a clean sweep winning 1^st, 2nd and 3^rd places for String Orchestra. In 2010 the Middle School Full Symphonic Orchestra won 1st place for Full Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra and 8^th grade Orchestra won 1^st and 2^nd places for String Orchestra.

The high school Pit Orchestras for both “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Oklahoma” were nominated for best student pit orchestra at The CT High School Music Theater Awards.  All of these award winning orchestras start with students loving music, wanting to be excellent at their craft and dedicated teachers. These excellent teachers want to be in a district that values what they do. Cutting parts of their program sends a clear message that they are not valued or respected for the hard work and long hours they put in with our students.

The German program is another example of a thriving program of excellence that is still under consideration to be cut at the middle school level. This middle school program should be judged not by the numbers that opt to take this language but by the performance of these dedicated students. The middle school program feeds into the award winning high school program. Without the middle school program, this will be a thing of the past. Students that are applying to top universities and colleges are expected to be proficient in a language and these top schools look for 6 years of a language. If German does not start until 9^th grade this will not be possible nor will being able to sit for the AP German Exam. German also is a more unique offering that sets RHS apart. It helped my son with college admissions both academically and by being able to sing classical pieces in German for his college auditions. This set him apart from those singing in Italian and French.

This year 20 RHS German students won the National German Award for the American Association of Teachers of German Exam (more than any other public school in CT). We had two students win the Paedagogischer Austausch Dienst Award two years in a row. These students competed with students throughout New England. It has never occurred before to have a winner of this all expense paid one month study and travel abroad to Germany from the same district two years in a row. We also had 3 students win bronze, silver and gold medals at this year’s COLT poetry contest for HS German and winners in the middle school German program at COLT poetry as well. Ridgefield is known as one of the strongest German programs in the state.

Given the limitations on class size and the number of sections of a language any one teacher can teach, has anyone run the numbers on where these 6^th graders that would have taken German will go? Will the current staff of Spanish and French teachers be able to take on the additional students without increasing teaching positions? If those languages will not be able to accommodate the additional students with the current staff, then cutting German makes absolutely no sense.

 So, why are we potentially cutting German at the middle school level and music (strings in 4^th grade and chorus in 4^th and 5^th grade) at the elementary school level? This seems insane! Instead of rewarding great teachers and great programs the BOE is cutting or considering cutting them. The BOE talks all the time about our DRG group and having to compete with this prestigious group of schools. Why are they considering cutting the programs that make Ridgefield Public Schools stand out and show case our areas of excellence? At the German Award Banquet last night (May6) at Fairfield University 20 Ridgefield students received this honor. Staples High School (Westport) had 12 students and Wilton High School had 6 students receive this award. These are schools in our DRG that we out performed on this National Exam.

These cuts to programs that have achieved excellence would only provide small cuts in the overall budget, with great impact to students and programs.  Why not go for larger cuts to areas that do not affect programs or teaching positions?

There must be some other place to find this amount of money in the budget including equipment and energy savings. Energy cost saving measures could save a considerable amount in the budget. I know that many teachers have their own refrigerators, microwaves and coffee pots in their classrooms. Removal of these personal appliances from the individual classrooms should be considered so that the schools can realize an energy cost savings and the teachers can use the appliances in the teachers’ lounges. Has some one recently looked at what the cost savings of this would be? I believe this was looked at a few years ago and was substantial.

The energy audit that was done on the town and school buildings provided excellent information. As a tax payer I would like to see my money be used to make all buildings more energy efficient. Although the upfront costs are considerable capital budget expenditures, the cost savings over time are well worth it. It is my understanding that RHS had a very poor energy efficiency rating and can really benefit from implementing all of the recommendations. The cost savings over time (from just this one building) would be worth providing the funding to do these energy efficiency upgrades, like eliminating the electric heat at RHS. Perhaps looking closer at these areas of cost savings would allow valued educational programs and teaching positions to survive in this tough budget climate.

What about cuts to funding of extracurricular activities? EXTRA means just that, not included. Language and music are part of our student’s curriculum and should not be considered for cuts unless all non-essential, EXTRA curricular programs have been looked at for cuts or for additional outside funding.

I urge voters to pass the capital budget item on May 10th that pertains to these energy upgrades. This one time capital budget item will reap cost savings for this budget year as well as all subsequent years.

 I also urge everyone to vote yes to the school budget so that further cuts are not necessary to valued programs.

Yours,

JoAnn Duncan

127 Wilton Road East

203-438-3050