Wilton Villager Headlines

Wilton's Piedmont commits to Bryant

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- The Bryant University Bulldogs football squad has recruited one of Wilton's best for next season.

Wilton High senior Marko Piedmont signed his NCAA Letter of Intent on Wednesday to play football for the Bryant Bulldogs.

According to Piedmont, Bryant, which is located in Smithfield, R.I., was pursuing him more than any of the other colleges he was considering.

"They called me almost every other day and told me to come down (to visit the school)," said Piedmont. "I went down there like six times in the past six months … it was a big part in deciding to go there."

In the summer of 2011, Piedmont suffered an injury to the ankle at a camp at Bryant and had surgery in June to put pins in as part of the repair. In August, Piedmont went through surgery again to take the pins out, forcing him to miss the first game of his senior season.

"What he had to overcome this year, with the injury that he had, and to finish the season the way he did was outstanding," said Bruce Cunningham, Wilton's head football coach since 2009. "This is a big day for the kid, the family and (Bryant) as well … I think he'll do great things there. He's a great player."

Piedmont will be receiving a scholarship from the NCAA Division I football team and his parents, Karena and Mark, expressed their gratitude for that.

"It definitely helps, especially since we have a daughter already in college and another in high school," said Karena.

Piedmont played offensive guard and defensive tackle under Cunningham last fall. He expects to play on the defensive line, but if his coach at Bryant likes the way he plays, Piedmont may wind up on the offensive line, as well.

"If I get bigger, they (the Bryant football team) may even put me in at fullback. We'll see," said Piedmont.

Piedmont has already made his decision to pursue Business as his field of study at Bryant.

"They're a really good business school and they're known for that," he said.

Piedmont also made it very clear that his parents love his decision to play for the Bulldogs.

"They love the school and how it's very close to my sister (at Salve Regina) so they can see her and also go to my games," he said.

His mother backed up his statement by saying, "We (the Piedmont family) were treated like royalty at his official visit. This was the best fit for him, both athletically and academically."

With a new school and a new football team just around the corner, Piedmont already has plans for his summer in terms of preparing physically.

"Until I get to school, I'm going to be working on speed and getting a lot stronger because it's a D-1 (school) and it's more competitive than high school is," said Piedmont. "I really need to work on everything about football. I want to succeed there so I have to challenge myself."

Piedmont was also looking into Bentley, Assumption, Western New England University, Salve Regina and the U.S. Coast Guard, all to play football.

Piedmont has been in the Wilton school system since kindergarten. He has an older sister, Mallory, who is a sophomore Salve, and a younger sister, Payton, who is currently enrolled at Wilton High. Mallory was on the varsity gymnastics squad for her four years at WHS, and Payton is following in her footsteps as she is currently a sophomore at WHS and has been on the varsity gymnastics squad since she came into the school.

But Wednesday was Marko's day at Wilton High.

"I'm proud to have been given this opportunity to go to a Division I school, succeed after college, have a good career in business or whatever I do and to be set for a good future," said Piedmont, the next member of Bryant University football team.

Boys Hockey -- Warriors fighting to stay alive in hunt for state playoffs

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

RIDGEFIELD -- The Wilton High boys hockey team might not have the most depth in the FCIAC, but it was plenty enough to wear down the Norwalk-McMahon co-op team, turning the opponent's end of the ice into a shooting gallery en route to an 8-0 at the Winter Garden Ice Arena on Wednesday.

Wilton was led by senior Matt Kobyra, who scored twice and added an assist, while his linemate Alex Pagliaro assisted on three tallies. Junior Dan Miller chipped in with a goal and two assists. Nick Wells started in goal but was replaced by sophomore Derek Prario in the second period after the Warriors had established a 3-0 advantage. Prario made 13 saves in preserving the shutout.

The Warriors were coming off a 2-1 loss to Trumbull which broke a three-game winning streak. Wilton head coach Brett Amero was glad to see his less experienced players get ice time and turn in a good performance.

"Coming into this week, with two games later on, it was nice to get some rest for the top two lines," said Amero. "Our younger players showed what they could do, skating the whole third period and most of the second and they kept the shut-out in order."

Norwalk goaltender Richie Henderson turned in another great night in goal, despite the lopsided score. The senior net-minder turned away 44 shots and almost single-handedly kept Norwalk within striking distance for a period and a half before succumbing to the constant pressure.

Another factor working against the Bears was they only had 11 skaters available to support Henderson and counter-attack against the Wilton onslaught.

Norwalk-McMahon coach Dan Feighan is realistic when he evaluates his team's performance and realizes that as long as they keep fighting then that is a victory against the squads with larger rosters.

"Henderson was tremendous," Feighan said. "We rely on him night after night to keep us in games and he does. My job is to keep these guys motivated and it's difficult. But I think, for the most part, these players come and give it all they have for as long as they can. We usually can keep it close for two periods, but unfortunately hockey lasts three, and if we have any injuries or illnesses we are really hamstrung, which happened today with a player."

Wilton outshot Norwalk 25-2 in the opening period, but Henderson stood tall between the pipes. He made several key saves, including a couple of kick saves which denied the Warriors when it looked like they had a wide open net.

Kobyra opened the scoring on a set-up from Pagliaro from behind the net. Then, Joey Cullinan lit the lamp off a pretty assist by MIller to make the score 2-0 with 2:42 left before the first intermission.

It looked like the Bears would escape without further damage but Dillon Pasterello added a power-play goal with 24 seconds left in the opening frame for a 3-0 lead.

"They have only 11 skaters and two goaltenders but they give it their all," said Amero. "In the first period, their goalie kept them in the game."

Henderson continued to perform his magic in front of the cage for the first seven minutes of the middle frame but he finally wore down and allowed four tallies within a five-minute span as the Warriors put the game out of reach. Rob Marino, Ben Marsh, Cole Rance and Kobyra were the goal scorers as Wilton took a 7-0 lead. Henderson had amassed 39 saves after the first two periods.

Charlie Schaefer added an unassisted goal in the third frame to cap off the scoring.

Wilton is now 3-2 in the FCIAC and 4-8 overall while Norwalk is 3-10 overall and 0-7 in conference play.

Boys Basketball -- Wreckers dodge Warriors for victory

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Staples relentless trapping defense, led by hard-nosed point guard James Frusciante, who scored a game-high 17 points, enabled the Wreckers to outlast the Wilton Warriors, 54-51, on Tuesday night at Zeoli Fieldhouse.

Despite having trailed by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, Wilton senior Chris Nugent launched a three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation that would have sent the contest into overtime, but it did not fall.

Staples head coach Colin Devine said his team's defensive intensity was the key to victory.

"We have talked about playing team defense for 32 minutes, and I definitely think we did that tonight," Devine said. "This was one of our better defensive nights. We turned up the pressure and forced some turnovers.

"We got a huge contribution from our point guard, James Frusciante," added Devine. "He kept us going on offense and made some big steals on defense. I also was really proud of the senior leadership of Michael Argosh down the stretch. It was a great team win."

Besides Frusciante, three other Wreckers -- Peter Rankowitz, Michael Argosh and Patrick Kohlmann -- reached double figures in a balanced Staples attack.

Chris Nugent and Weston Wilbur both had 14 points for the Warriors. Freshman Matt Shifrin hit two key three pointers, and Ian Ross made three jump shots to score six points.

Wilton head coach Tim Tallcouch liked his team's never-say-die effort.

"There was a period of four or five minutes when their 1-3-1 gave us some issues," noted Tallcouch. "(But) we didn't quit. We were down nine points and fought back. With a minute and change left Eric Houska had an eight-foot baseline shot (to tie the game).

"Nugent had a putback that just didn't go in. We didn't lose for a lack of effort. Give them credit; Staples has not lost two in a row all season."

When Wilton inbounded the ball in the front court with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and it looked like the Warriors might have yet another comeback in them.

(The Warriors have prevailed in all three overtimes they played this year.)

"I just wanted to get it to overtime," said Tallcouch. "The inbounds play was designed for both (Nugent and Shifrin). We got the look. I thought maybe we would get the bank on that, but it didn't go."

Both Wilton and Staples played 1-3-1 defense for much of the game, and the score was tied at 4-4 halfway through the first quarter. But Wilton went on a 7-0 run to pull ahead 11-4 with just over a minute remaining in the period.

After a Staples timeout, Frusciante scored on a drive and hit another shot at the buzzer to narrow Wilton's lead to 11-8 at the end of the period.

Although Wilton's Nugent scored the first basket of the second quarter, a backdoor layup by Argosh, thanks to a pretty pass from Frusciante, drew Staples within two points, and the Wreckers tied the game at 13 on a steal and a layup by Rankowitz.

The two teams traded baskets, with Wilton holding a slim lead, until Kohlmann hit a three-pointer with five seconds left in the second quarter, tying the game at 23 at halftime.

The seesaw battle continued in the third quarter, but a couple of Staples steals enabled the Wreckers to take a 39-33 lead at the end of the period.

The Wreckers continued to force turnovers and scored several transition baskets to extend the lead to 49-40 midway through the fourth quarter.

But Wilton was in the bonus for nearly five minutes in the final period, and the Warriors hit three free throws to chip away at the lead.

A three-pointer by Shifrin boosted the Warriors and a Nugent steal and layup with 1:32 left cut the Staples lead to 52-50.

Although Frusciante fouled out with 14 seconds remaining, putting Wilton in the double bonus, the Wreckers held on for the 54-51 win.

Staples' record is now 7-6, while Wilton drops to 6-7.

Girls Basketball -- Highs and lows for Warriors

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

TRUMBULL -- It was a night built for a post-game party, an evening to celebrate the latest coming-of-age victory by the Wilton girls basketball team; this one a stunning 58-52 win over once-beaten Trumbull, the defending FCIAC champions.

For the briefest of seconds, it was just that. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Warriors realized they had just notched the biggest win in the program's recent resurgence and raced to halfcourt, jumping, hugging, celebrating all that was special about the win.

Then they remembered Casey.

With 3:21 left in the fourth quarter and the Warriors up seven points, a ball saved from going out of bounds found the safe and sure hands of Wilton junior point guard Casey Pearsall, who leaped high to snare the throw and allow the Warriors to retain possession.

Simultaneously, however, Trumbull's Alexa Pfohl also jumped for the ball. Two bodies collided and it was the off-balance Pearsall who caught the worst it; landing butt-first, but at an angle that slammed the back of her head onto the Eagles court.

As Pearsall lay writhing on the ground, her audible cries announcing the seriousness of the fall to the stunned and suddenly silent crowd, five Warriors came together off to the side of the Wilton bench.

"We just said, 'We're going to win it for Casey,'" said Maddy Fulton, a senior captain who netted 17 points to pace the Wilton win. "We knew we had to. It was very hard to see (that type of fall). We all love her so much and she's such a great kid. We did it for her."

While Pearsall did return to the Wilton bench, where a trainer ran her through a battery of tests, the Warriors went on without their floor general -- turning instead to veteran guard Hayley Tafuro and two freshmen, Erin Cunningham and Hayley English, to try to kill the clock and steal a few points.

Two foul shots by Trumbull's Erin Moore, who had a game-high 18 points, cut the Warriors lead to five, but the Eagles would get no closer.

Fulton drove to the hoop for two while Wilton was in time-and-score mode; Alyssa Malvarosa (13 points, 7-for-8 from the line) scored on an inbounds layup; and Tafuro sank two foul shots to push the lead to nine at 54-45.

Down the stretch, Malvarosa and Cunningham went a combined 4-for-4 from the foul line to ice the win.

"It was a great game. The key was getting back on defense because they like to run and so do we," said Wilton head coach Jaclyn Woitkowski. "Plus, we stayed home (on defense). There were times when we wanted to help and (Trumbull) would recognize that and get open. In the second half, we stayed home a lot more and if you were a person away, you didn't help."

An English 15-footer, off a feed from Cunningham, with two seconds left in the first half gave Wilton a 25-24 lead at the break.

It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that Wilton was able to open the tiniest bit of breathing room.

After four lead changes, Fulton scored from the low post and then hit a 3-pointer from side of the key, giving the Warriors a 36-30 edge. The two teams then swapped hoops until Fulton hit an elbow jumper and Pearsall finished a layup, giving Wilton an eight-point lead at 42-34.

It was midway through the fourth when Victoria Pfohl (16 points) cut that eight-point edge back to five with one of her four 3-point shots, making it 46-41.

Following a Trumbull timeout, Malvarosa sank two foul shots and after the Warriors regained possession Pearsall suffered her scary injury.

"Oh god, the first thing I did was just pray there wasn't (an open wound)," Woitkowski said. "I've never seen a player go down like that. I think the (cries) were a combination (of being scared and being hurt). When you're airborne that high and you fall like that, she landed on her tush first and I think there's going to be some whiplash effect, too. We just hope the injury turns out to be a quick healer."

Trumbull head coach Steve Tobitsch admitted the tone of the game changed after Pearsall's injury as both teams were shaken up by the severity of the fall.

"That was terrible," Tobitsch said. "The game changed from one of competitiveness to one of worrying about the player's safety. It was a well-played high school basketball game, but at that point it just turned to more of a concern over (Pearsall). I hope she's back soon, because she's an excellent player and a good kid from everything I've seen."

The Warriors were fortunate that Pearsall wasn't seriously injured and was back at practice on Monday in preparation for Tuesday's game at Staples.

Wilton had itself in a position to win, leading 48-41 with 3:15 left to play. The Warriors, however, would not score again and Staples would pull out a win, 53-48.

Trailing by one during a Staples possession, it appeared as though the Warriors had earned a five-second, closely guarded call on a trap near midcourt, but a slow-counting official failed to get to the count of five before the Wreckers burned a possession-saving timeout.

Once play restarted, the Warriors were forced to foul, sending Erica Stein to the line with 23.4 seconds to left. She drained both foul shots, putting the Wreckers up by three, 51-48.

Following a Wilton timeout, the Warriors went for two instead of three, but missed a pair of layups and blew their shot at tying the game.

The Warriors, who fell to 10-4 (9-3 FCIAC), left the court shell-shocked.

"I don't really know what happened," Wilton head coach Jaclyn Woitkowski said. "We lose games we should be winning. We're known to be up and down."

"We're inconsistent and one of the things I asked of them before the game was to be consistent, especially coming off that last win (over once-beaten Trumbull). At this point of the season, you just have to get it done."

Despite missing a plethora of easy layups and eight foul shots, Wilton still controlled much of the game.

Eight points by Fulton (16 points, 8 rebounds) came in the first quarter, staking the Warriors to a 12-7 lead -- an advantage Wilton was able to maintain going into the half, leading 26-22.

Staples stormed out of the gate to start the second half.

After Wilton's Alyssa Malvarosa (9 points) opened the third with a lay-up, Nolan and Nikki Bukovsky sandwiched 3-pointers around a Coelho hoop, giving the Wreckers a 30-28 lead.

The two teams then swapped the lead six times in the quarter, with Wilton taking a 43-37 lead into the fourth courtesy of a 9-2 run. Casey Pearsall netted seven of her 14 points during that stretch, putting Wilton back in control.

Then, with 3:15 to play, the Warriors team that looked as though it could be an FCIAC contender disappeared.

Instead, it was the veteran Staples Wreckers that took it a possession at a time and pulled out the win.

Wilton Youth Basketball Roundup

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

4th Grade Boys

The Future Warriors, fueled by a delicious Diamond Deli breakfast (its sponsor), hosted Shelton on Saturday morning. Balanced scoring (8 players scored), terrific passing, and aggressive defense highlighted the game. Their half-court zone trap led by Patrick Cummins (8 rebounds, 3 steals), Reilly Sullivan ( 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block), Drew Phillips (7 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 1 block), Kyle Hyzy (4 rebounds, 6 steals, and 2 assists), Parker Ward (5 rebounds and 5 assists) propelled them to an 18-6 half-time lead with 7 assists accounting for 14 out of Wilton's 18 first-half points.

R2 Dirocco (3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist) and Niko Kouvaris (2 steals and 1 assist) directed Wilton's offense in the second half. Strong play by Erik Lebek (6 rebounds, 1 steal), Lewis Cropper (7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists), and Noah Levi (4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) allowed Wilton to secure the 32-18 victory and a 5-1 record for the season.

Diamond Deli's Future Warrior's 4th grade basketball team traveled to Stamford's Stillmeadow school on Saturday. The Warriors got off to a fast start behind two quick baskets by Patrick Cummins. Parker Ward and R2 DiRocco played tight defense at the guard position generating turnovers which they scored off of allowing Wilton to race out to an 10-0 lead. After some back and forth action, Tucker Walden and Eric Lebek followed form generating steals and leading the fast break with crisp passing allowing Wilton to close out the half 15-6.

In the second half, Wilton continued to pass the ball well on offensive but it was their defensive play that kept them in the lead. Steals by R2, and Walden and strong passing down low to Cummins kept Wilton's momentum going. Noah Levi and Karl Pfeiffer attacked the glass as perimeter defense by Nico Kouvaris and Damien Schmidt never allowed Stamford to mount a serious threat. Wilton closed the game with a 34-24 win, and a rematch has been scheduled for February 2nd.

7th Grade Boys Blue

The Wilton boys 7Blue basketball team, sponsored by The Moore Center had a busy three game weekend.

On Friday, they took their undefeated FCBL conference record to Weston and the team played like league leaders from the start.

Good ball movement, a strong zone defense and great inside play from Joey McFadden (15 Points, 8 rebounds) put Wilton ahead from the start and they never looked back!. Charlie Hess also played a tough inside game (9 points, 4 rebounds) while Joe Pozzi got a hot hand ( 8 Points) to put Wilton up at the break 27-17. The solid team effort continued in the 2nd half with balanced scoring from Ian Bender, Liam Rance, and Ben Bristow, all adding 4 points, Jack Dooley's (3 points) and Sean Westerholm, Nick Disanto and Chris Hyzy each adding a bucket. The aggressive Wilton defense great passing and sharp passing gave Wilton an impressive 53-30 victory.

On Saturday, Wilton traveled to Newtown for a non-conference game. Wilton came out fast trying to continue its winning ways from the previous night, but Newtown would have none of that and used a quick pace and strong inside play to take a 10-6 first quarter lead. But Wilton held their ground with sharp shooting from Joe Pozzi (6 points) and strong play from Jack Dooley (4 points) and Ben Bristow 4 points) to tie it up 15-15 at the half. In the 3d, Wilton's outstanding zone defense and precision shooting from Sean Westerholm ( game high 7 points) gave Wilton the lead 29-25 after three. The 4th quarter was a fierce back and forth battle…as Ian Bender ( 4 points) , Hess, Hyzy, DiSanto, Rance and McFadden (2 points each) all adding buckets. With under 2 minutes to go, Wilton held onto a 5 point lead. But it would not be their day. Newtown's aggressive full court press, a big 3 pointer, a strong inside basket and a pair of late free-throws put the finishing touches on the game as Wilton, despite playing hard to the end, came up short losing 37-35.

Sunday brought the battle of the unbeatens in FCBL conference play as Wilton hosted a bigger and stronger Fairfield Hawks. The Hawks came out fast and took the lead early, but Joe Pozzi (10 points) and Charlie Hess (7 points) played tough to keep it close trailing by 7 after the first period. But Fairfield took control of the game in the 2nd with a 32-11 lead at the break. But in the 3rd , Wilton, using a quick line up and a man to man press, chipped away at the lead. Ben Bristow (6 points), Sean Westerholm (5 points), Jack Dooley (5 points), Liam Rance (4 points) Ian Bender and Nick DiSanto (2 Points each) along with Chris Hyzy's aggressive defense brought the Warriors back within 10 Points. But Fairfield proved too much to handle as they took control in the 4th quarter winning 63-41.••

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Girls 5th Grade

The Wilton 5th grade girls, sponsored by Scoops, hosted Ridgefield on Saturday. Cate McCabe led the girl's offensive charge in the first quarter with four points and an assist, aided by key turnovers from Madeline Burke and Alex Greer. Despite constant pressure and key baskets from Bridgette Wall, Olivia Dexter and Caroline Coffey the girls came up short in a hard fought 17-10 defeat. The team was looking for a bounce back on Sunday in a league game at Westport, and came out strong with early baskets from Sophia Strazza and Hannah Belanger. The teams see-sawed throughout the first half with Caroline Troy, Dexter, and Wall hitting from in the paint and Kaitlin Reif supplying key assists. Greer kept Westport off their feet with several key steals, while Burke and Coffey controlled the action under the boards with big rebounds. Late in the third quarter Strazza hit Greer while flat on her back under the basket that Greer turned into a 15-13 lead. Unfortunately Westport got hot in the fourth and hit six baskets to end up with the 25-16 win.

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Boys 7th Grade White

The Wilton (White) 7th grade boys, sponsored by Manfredo Curtis Associates, were looking for revenge on Sunday as they traveled to Greenwich for a rematch against a Cardinal team that defeated them just two weeks ago. In the first half, Wilton was on track to do just that. Super-sub Matt Rubsam came off the bench to spark Wilton with 4 points in the first quarter as well as a steal. Ben Watson provided the firepower in the second quarter as he scored 4 of his game-high 11 points to go along with 3 boards. Without the services of center Steffen Nobles, Wilton would rely on Jack Williams (10 rebounds) and Jackson Cote (5 rebounds) to battle Greenwich's big men in the paint. Wilton forced Greenwich into a poor shooting first half, taking a commanding 21-11 lead into the intermission.

In the third quarter, Wilton picked a bad time to go ice cold from the floor while Greenwich began to catch fire, outscoring the Warriors 15-4, taking a 26-25 lead to start the final quarter. Drew Connolly scored all 4 of Wilton's points in the quarter (6 on the game) and went 4 for 4 from the charity stripe. Kieran McGovern played an all-around solid game with 5 points, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds while Andrew West kicked in 6 points and 5 boards. Finally, Wilton received contributions from Sean Breslin (2 points, 2 steals) and Jack Wood (2 points, 3 rebounds). However, Greenwich proved to be too much for Wilton from beyond the arc, making 4 three-pointers in the 4th and six for the game, downing the Warriors 43-36.

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7th Grade Girls

The Wilton 7th grade girls sponsored by Wilton Bank suffered 2 big losses this weekend to Bethel and Norwalk. Wilton, playing without injured center Marissa Pucci, looked to their backcourt to lead the scoring charge. Guards Hayley Meyer (9pt), Elizabeth Healy (9pt), Margaret Smith (3 pt), Ellie Armstrong (2pt), and Melanie Turza answered the call by combining to score 23 of Wilton's 25 points, and collecting 8 steals in a 44-25 loss to Bethel on Saturday. Caylin Cannovino rounded out the scoring for Wilton, who kept the score close through three quarters with Ava Martinelli, Nina Mellin, and Mackenzie Holmgren playing strong inside the paint, but Bethel's hot shooting from anywhere inside the arc, took away any advantage Wilton inside players had against a smaller Bethel team.

In their second game on Sunday, Wilton faced the best competition they have seen in a Norwalk team with size inside and speed at the guard position losing a tough 44-21 game. Hayley Meyer continued with her hot hand from the outside, scoring 11 pts including 2 baskets from 3pt range. Inside, Wilton's Cannavino (5 pt) and Martinelli (2 pts) did their best battling one the best centers in the 7th grade and keeping the game from getting out of hand. Margaret Smith scored the other 3 points for Wilton by driving hard to the hoop and drawing numerous fouls by Norwalk players.

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8th Grade Boys

The Wilton Boy's 8th grade team, sponsored by RING'S END, came out on the short end of a 48-46 non-league contest with Bethel on Saturday. Despite the close final outcome, the visitors turned the game around in the third quarter when they converted several turnovers into easy baskets, outscoring the Warriors 15-8. Wilton was led by Grant Sweeny's 15 points. Harrison Bardwell (6 rebounds) and Pat Prinner (5 assists) each scored 8 points, and Tim Watson scored 6 points. Grey Livingstone nailed one trey for his 3 points and Mike Brown, Cory MacDonald, and John Maudsley had 2 each to round out the scoring. James Maloney and Sean Solecki chipped in with fierce hustle defense.

•• •

8th Grade Girls

The Wilton 8G team, sponsored by Ring's End, split a pair of tough games this past Sunday. In the first game, Wilton got off to a fast start building a 7 point lead over Monroe. In the end, however, Monroe scored several quick fast break baskets to prevail 39 - 29. Sarah Fitzgerald (9 points) and Karen Brosko (8 points) led Wilton's scoring. Christina Holmgren and Claire Graham each added 4 points. Leigh Culnane scored 2, and Maddie Duffy and Zoe Lamason each had 1. The afternoon matchup proved more to Wilton's liking with a convincing 48 - 39 victory over a scrappy Waterbury team. Brosko paced Wilton with 15 points, and Rachel Gordon and Fitzgerald added 9 each. Lamason and Holmgren each scored 4 points. Wilton was dominant on the glass, with Holmgren (11 rebounds), Fitzgerald (10 rebounds), Hana Previte (7 rebounds), Lamason (6 rebounds) and Culnane adding 2 points and 4 rebounds. Duffy and Macallan Fox contributed with stout defense and 2 rebounds each. Graham added 2 points and 3 assists, as the Ring's End 8G improved to 10 - 5 for the season.

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5th Grade Boys

The Wilton 5th Grade Boys team sponsored by Pinocchio Pizza dropped a pair of games to St Mary's of Ridgefield with game scores of 43-41 and 39-28.

On Saturday, the Warriors started off well with sharp passing, good shooting and led Ridgefield at halftime. St. Mary's outscored the Warriors in the second half due to Wilton's weak defensive play that led to untimely fouls. St Mary's capitalized on Wilton's fouling by making very high percentage of their free throws. Zach Pozzi (10 points), Kyle Phillips (8 points), Cole Barnes (6 points) and Zayvion Eusebe (6 points) led Wilton's scoring and kept the game close the entire game. Tyler Previte was a monster on the boards pulling down 12 rebounds. Richard Nolan (4 points), Zach Dedrick, Brendan Connor (2 points), Ryan Schriber and Billy Ronk (3 rebounds) contributed to Wilton's play.

In Sunday's game against Ridgefield, Pozzi (14 points, 6 steals) led the team with dominant play on both ends of the court. Phillips (4 points) followed with aggressive defensive play that resulted in a number of jump balls. Schriber's (4 points) ball handling skills were displayed as he played some point guard for the first time. Connor (2 points) never let up hustling throughout. Tyler Previte's (2 points) continued his toughness under the boards with more terrific rebounding and defense. Dedrick played solid with key assists and one steal in the fourth quarter. Eusebe (2 points) rounded out the teams scoring.

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6th Grade Boys

The Wilton 6th grade boys basketball team sponsored by PAIN AND SPINE SPECIALISTS OF CT swept through a weekend of 3 games to improve their record to 8-5. On Saturday, the Warriors got past Southbury by putting up 66 points, their largest output of the year. Wilton used a 14-2 3rd quarter run keyed by two Jack Soucy 3-point bombs. Soucy tallied 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals to lead Wilton. Kyle Shifrin added 14 points, Scott Cunningham 11, and Joe Murtha 7. Matt Olson had a terrific all-around game with 4 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals.

Against Bridgeport-McGivney, all 9 Warriors scored and were led by the swag effort of Shifrin who had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Wilton gave up a total of 5 points in the second half on their way to a 62-21 thrashing. Brennan Troy had a tremendous game with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals while Max Levi helped control the boards with 7 big rebounds and 4 points. Cunningham (6 points, 3 steals), Murtha (5 points, 2 steals), Kyle Maatallah (5 points, 3 steals), Tommy Garvey (4 points, 1 rebound), Olson (4 points, 4 rebounds), and Soucy (2 points, 2 steals) rounded out the scoring in a game that Wilton never trailed.

The weekend ended with a big win against rival Madison. Both teams got off to a slow start which culminated in a 4-4 deadlock after the 1st quarter but Wilton's offense got on track in the final 3 quarters en-route to a 37 28 victory. Cunningham and Maatallah each scored 7 points and had 2 steals to lead a balanced offense which included Soucy, Troy and Shifrin each scoring 6 points. Shifrin also had 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Olson contributed 6 rebounds and Levi 4 rebounds. The Warriors now prepare to play New Canaan and Ridgefield in two important league games next weekend.

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6th Grade Girls

Wilton 6th Grade Girls sponsored by Dr. Gregory W. Sanford continued their winning streak posting two victories by winning a close game against Fairfield Pal and traveling to Norwalk with a decisive win against a physical and aggressive Norwalk team. At their home court against Fairfield Pal both teams came out strong with Wilton on top by 1 after the 1st qtr. At half they had upped the lead by 5. Coaches Coloney and Melilli huddled with the team and an aggressive and composed team came to the court and played stellar offense and the 3rd ended 32-23. In the 4th Fairfield turned it on to tie the game. In the end the Warriors were able to capture the lead and won by a bucket 40-38. It was a true team effort! The strong defense from Erin Dellisanti, Alex Hirn, Brenna McPhee, Emma McClintock forced Fairfield into many turnovers, the shooters were hot Thaise Sudano (10),Claire Gulbin (9), Molly Ward (7),Caroline Sweeny(6) Emily Tuin(4) and Lily MacDonald (2).

The second time Wilton met Norwalk this season ( first game a Wilton win 31-24), the Warriors came prepared for a physical battle. The team played one of their best games; determined, unselfish basketball proved to be the key to the Warriors' success. The overall performance of the team proved the girls are true competitors. 38 total points, 33 rebounds and 21 steals. Both teams came out strong, Caroline Sweeny (12/4/2 ) had early momentum and set the tone for the rest of the game. Erin Dellisanti showed strength in her defense and composure on the line (3/4/2) with The 1st qtr ending 10-10. Then the fearless defense by Hirn( 2/1/2) and McPhee (0/4/3) helped increase the Warrior lead and only allowed Norwalk 2 buckets in the 2ndqtr (25-14). Thaise Sudano exploded the boards with an impressive 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Claire Gulbin's ( 3) precision passing was key in the offense and Molly Ward was on fire once again and drove in 8 points, Lily MacDonald grabbed 3 boards and scored 4 points. At the end of the 3rd Wilton dominated (30-18 ). Emily Tuin showed defensive and offensive strength with 7 points 7 rebounds. In the first half Emme McClintock took a hard foul that benched her but she rallied to come back in the 4thcontributing 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Final Score Wilton 39 - Norwalk 31 The Wilton 6th will continue working hard this week to prepare for a 3 game weekend.

Wilton gymnasts twist their way past Darien on Saturday

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

DARIEN -- Coming off its best score in years five days ago against Greenwich, the Wilton High School gymnastics team felt it had a little something to prove, especially after head coach Gary Chadwick told them the 144.45 was a bit inflated by generous judges.

So on Saturday afternoon at the cozy Darien YMCA Gymnastics Center, the Warriors put together an efficient effort that did not approach the lofty total of Jan. 23 in Greenwich, but was good enough for a 139.1-133.35 victory over the Blue Wave.

"We definitely wanted to keep the score in the high 130s," said Wilton senior co-captain Chelsea Levander, Saturday's all-around champion with 36.4 points. "We knew those judges (against Greenwich) were easier and more lenient, and we wanted to give a strong performance today. We're not used to Saturday meets, so that was definitely hard for me today."

Levander certainly made it look easy as she led the team on the vault with an 8.7, just ahead of juniors Ashley Bascom and Lauren Kozakiewicz (8.6 apiece), with Sara Posson scoring an 8.4.

"I use a Yurchenko (round-off onto the springboard) onto the vault," Levander said. "Usually I don't have a problem when someone is there, but it was very crowded in there. I was focused on it. My falling on the first (vault) was a game-changer."

Levander was top scorer on the uneven bars with a 9.3, with sophomore Meghan Graham next at 8.6, followed by sophomore Christina Brandt (8.3) and Bascom (8.1).

Bascom was second for Wilton in the all-around with 34 points, and Brandt totaled 33.85 points in the four events.

"Ashley's 8.6 is what we're seeing on bars," Chadwick said. "We've been weak on bars, even when Chelsea was a freshman. With Chris and Meghan giving some support, and we're getting a boost from Payton (Piedmont, 7.55) and Theresa (Galbo, 8.05)."

The second and third places in the all-around scoring went to Darien's two senior captains, Katherine Mosher (34.6) and Katie Southworth (34.55).

"I felt great today," Mosher said. "This was one of my better meets. I feel the team was amazing. I couldn't be happier for the team. This is our third meet and at every meet there has been improvement. I can't wait to see how we do at the FCIAC meet."

Mosher felt the vault was her best event Saturday.

"I almost stuck my first (vault), and I'm very happy with that," Mosher said.

Southworth, who edged Levander by .05 on the vault -- a piece of equipment on which Southworth said she has struggled -- said she was happy with her efforts there and on the uneven bars.

"On the floor, my new routine was really fun," Southworth said. "I did my layout half, and I decided to do it in mid-air. The floor is the most fun, with the music playing and everyone cheering. I have a love-hate relationship with the beam, and I even wrote about thta for my college application essay. It's four inches wide, and today I stuck everything, I was staying on. I had a good dismount. It was good to polish it off."

Despite a few missteps on the beam, the Warriors totaled a solid 35.15 points for the apparatus.

"We were coming off a poor performance on the beam the other day," Chadwick said. "Ashley missed a move she shouldn't miss, but our depth helps pick up for those misses. We left a point out there on the vault, but no one can be perfect all the time."

Levander came close to perfection on the floor exercise with a 9.5, as Bascom scored 8.8, Brandt earned an 8.65, and Piedmont took an 8.4.

"We knew we definitely had to step it up on the floor," Levander said. "We had to show off our strong performance. Every one stayed solid, and I think Meg (Daversa, 7.85) got robbed. There was tough judging on the floor."

Ellie Southworth, head coach of Darien and Westhill -- the third team that competed Saturday in the intimate confines of the Darien YMCA -- was pleased with the effort from her young squad.

The Blue Wave defeated the Vikings 133.35 to 109.1.

"This is a young team, and the best thing about it is the camaraderie," Ellie Southworth said. "The chemistry is great. It's a great group, There are six freshmen out of 12, with just two seniors. They all get along and they all have fun, and they all learn new skills every day. We may not be the champions -- Wilton is strong -- but we have a lot to build on."

For Levander, a meet like Saturday with more realistic scoring bodes well for the rest of the season.

"I'm proud of this team," Levander said. "This was a tough meet, where we wanted to show off how strong we really are. We didn't know Westhill was here, and these were not easy judges. I feel like the team is looking towards the FCIAC meet. If we lose one meet it's not the end of the world. It's not the FCIACs."

HS boys swimming -- Staples uses superior depth to beat Wilton

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WESTPORT -- The Staples High School boys swim team used its superior depth to outlast Wilton, 106-77, in an FCIAC contest Monday afternoon.

The Warriors, who conceded the 13 points from the diving competition, won six of the other 11 events but could not compete with the second- through fourth-place finishes that allowed Staples to keep adding to its point total.

"Depth was certainly the difference in this meet," said Staples head coach Jeff Schare. "They got most of the first places, but the 200 free and 400 free relays were the key. Nathaniel Boley was a superstar for us, and he played a big role. (Wilton's) Mason Molina is a heck of an athlete, but he got matched up against Nathaniel and came up short. The underlying theme today was we had a heckuva lot more depth."

Boley won the 200-meter freestyle in 2 minutes, .08 seconds, edging Wilton's Daniel Hernandez for the top spot by 1.05 seconds.

In the 400 freestyle, Boley touched in 4:16.53, nearly half a second in front of Molina for first. Wilton's Chris Wilson placed third in 4:37.27.

"We knew coming in it would be a pretty good meet," Boley said. "The couple meets (against Wilton) had been close, and we have a lot more depth than we thought. (Wilton) won a lot of events but the depth of our team won the meet. I'm happy with my swims. I raced my buddy, Mason Molina, and I knew those (events) would be close. I edged him out in both races."

Boley also got the better of Molina as the anchor of those two relays. Kyle Bacon, David Katter and Matthew Wetmore teamed with Boley for a winning time of 1:45.06 in the 200 free, .87 better that Jack Abbott, Thomas Kealy, Sean Higgins and Molina.

In the 400-meter free relay, Molina, Chris Wilson, Robert McDowell and Callum Breene turned in a 4:06.80 but were beaten to the wall by Bacon, Daniel Williams, Justin Krakoff and Boley with a 3:57.29.

"I feel we definitely performed well as a team," Higgins said. "We knew it would be a tough meet. Staples is a good team. We're looking forward to the FCIAC and state meets because we know we have some top swimmers. Right now is peak training season. Come FCIAC and state meet time, our best will come out."

Higgins grabbed a pair of victories Monday, touching first in 2:18.36 in the 200-meter individual medley, and in 1:02.33 in the 100-meter butterfly. Staples' Williams was second in the 200 IM with a 2:20.54 and third in the 100 fly at 1:05.99.

Wilton's other first places went to Kealy in the 100-meter freestyle (:57.03), McDowell in the 100-meter backstroke (1:04.26) and the 200-meter medley relay team of McDowell, Max Bloom, Higgins and Kealy (1:57.92).

"We've got a great front line, but we lack depth," said Wilton head coach Todd Stevens. "We go on the road, give up 13 points on diving, and I think (Staples) is a better team than last year. We are spread a little thin across the board in dual meets. We won a few events, but when it comes down to relays it's not good for us. Our best kids can swim with the best kids in the conference."

Staples' divers took advantage of the meet to put up some impressive scores.

Schare said Tanner Blank's total of 219.75 points Monday was the fifth-best in school history, and Andrew Cohen's 182.80 were a half-point away from making the school's all-time top 10 list. Justin Malinow totaled 113.70 points.

"Diving doesn't affect the final outcome, but Blank's and Cohen's scores were lifetime bests," Schare said. "Having the pressure lifted off them, and it being the first meet of the season where all three divers competed, let them perform very well. We were dealing with some illness, as Jonathan Blansfield was out with a fever, and Joss Abel had to be pulled from the meet midway through with a stomach bug. In the end we ended up doing just enough to get the win."

Schare said Chris Mombello's victory in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:14.94, with North Woods second in 1:17.05, along with Ethan Hunter's fourth-place finish (1:17.86) "locked it up" for the Wreckers.

"In the past two years we've done well at the FCIAC meet, but we're expecting to do better this year," Boley said. "I think we have the opportunity to make it into the top three or higher."

Schare believes Wilton will make waves come conference and state meet time.

"There's no doubt Wilton has some strong, fast kids," Schare said. "They had five individual first places and a relay winner. We had trouble contending with them. They are probably a better championship team than a dual-meet team."

Wilton Historical Society ready to hire new director

staff@thehour.com — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- The Wilton Historical Society is ready to find a director.

The last historical society director was Marilyn Gould, who stepped down in 2009 after an "agreement" with the board of directors. Gould, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, served as the director for 28 years.

"Over the last two years, the board of directors has worked in the director capacity. What we've been doing in that time is realigning the board around a new strategy and mission," said Jeff Yates, the historical society's vice president of marketing and communications. "At that time, we didn't feel it was necessary to reach out to a new director, since we didn't know (what we would have him or her do)."

Yates said the time was spent "getting to know the organization again," and finding a new direction for the organization.

According to the job description, posted Jan. 1, the new director will be tasked with developing short and long term strategic plans, finding new revenue sources, creating a financial plan and continuing to improve community relations.

Yates said the historical society has already had a good response, receiving "quite a few applications." While Yates would not divulge the timeline, he said the search committee will start interviewing applicants soon.

"We're ready to hire someone, and when we find the right person, we'll be done," Yates said.

Before becoming director of the historical society in 1985, Gould volunteered with the organization for a few years. She served as Second Selectman from 1989 to 2007.

Under her watch, the historical society moved from the Sloan-Raymond-Fitch House to its current location on Danbury Road, a building built in 1735 that was left to the organization by Dana Blackmar. In 1999, the historical society moved the Abbott Barn and Blacksmith Shop from Hurlbutt Road to its current Danbury Road site, and in 2001, the old headquarters was moved there, as well.

In 2009, the historical society's legal counsel, Roger Valkenburgh, Jr. called Gould's departure "a mutual agreement." At the time, Gould said the change "was not my plan," however.

Since Gould's departure, the day-to-day operations have been handled by an office manager.

Controversy aside, now that the historical society has refined its criteria, they are ready to move forward.

"We wanted to use this time to get to know the organization again and come to a consensus of where we wanted to go," Yates said. "We had the same mission and the same director for three decades -- it was a perfect time to step back and say where do we want to be in ten years?"

Wilton schools 'not fully committed' to online textbooks

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- For local students, virtual textbooks are more than a click away.

While neighboring towns consider online resources as a way to cut costs, Wilton school officials are still weighing their options.

"We are currently looking at the feasibility of online resources, but we have not made full commitment," said Assistant Superintendent Timothy A. Canty.

Earlier this month, as the price of textbooks continues to rise, the superintendent of Westport schools said the district is seriously considering the use of online resources, either by purchasing them or creating the books themselves.

"We're watching the Apple online digital textbooks carefully as they seem to be the trend of the future," Landon told the Wilton Villager. "But, we're talking $15 for each app (application). We're thinking of creating our own books, where we will be able to update and tweak them for new information. It would save an incredible amount of money."

With an expected cost of $250,000 for both new textbooks and replacing outdated ones for grades 6 to 12 for the 2012-13 school year, Landon said the costs continue to rise out of control. With that in mind, Landon said the department is currently hard at work on developing a digital high school physics book for use during the 2013-14 school year.

Yet when it comes to purchasing online textbooks from outside publishers, Canty said savings might not be realized.

"So we are looking primarily from teaching and learning standpoint," he said. "And the jury is still out."

A number of schools in Waterbury, Bridgeport, Milford and Monroe are using online textbooks or considering the switch, said Mark O. Linabury, state Department of Education spokesman. Virtual textbooks and e-readers are commonly used in Stamford, as well, said spokeswoman Sarah Arnold.

Virtual textbooks could find their way to college, as well.

"It's where the industry is clearly going, and it can really enhance the experience for our students," said David Levinson, president of Norwalk Community College.

The school has not adopted virtual textbooks, but Levinson said he would consider the switch.

Yet for all its convenience, the change would not come without challenges. For one thing, students would need access to an e-reader, tablet or laptop.

Levinson said there could be a generational divide, as well.

"I imagine our younger students would feel more comfortable with that, and our older students may not," Levinson said.

Earlier this month, Apple announced a trio of new or updated products -- the iBooks 2, iBooks Author and iTunes U applications -- that could uproot the traditional learning experience.

With the new iBooks 2 app, students can download interactive textbooks to their iPads, usually for $14.99 or less, eliminating the need for a bulging backpack laden with out-of-date, hundred-dollar textbooks.

"It's a game changer," said John Bailey, former director of educational technology at the U.S. Department of Education, who said Apple was smart to tap into students' preference for and familiarity with technology. "This is for education and publishing what iTunes and the iPod was for music."

At several schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport, including All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk, virtual textbooks are springing to life on classroom iPads.

Aside from the ability to circle, underline and highlight words, students can submit their homework by email. Teachers then print and grade the work, returning it the following day, said Superintendent of Schools Margaret Dames.

Within three years, all of the parochial schools will harness the technology.

"There is a real commitment to move this whole thing forward because the kids are excited about it, the results are great, there could be long-term cost savings and it seems to work well with this new generation of students," Dames said.

Town officials roll out fiber optic capital plan

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Several town representatives petitioned the Board of Selectmen to consider the Wilton Shared Data Link capital project Tuesday night.

The data link project, first presented to the Board of Selectmen in December, would connect the Wilton Library, town hall and Wilton High School, allowing the three buildings to share data through a fiber optic connection, and allow those facilities an off-site data backup if the project is fully realized.

The two-year, $2.2-million capital project includes the conduits, stringing the fiber optics, the terminations and hanging the redundant fiber. The conduits would be put underground along with the Yankee Gas natural gas pipeline. In fiscal year 2013, the conduit and fiber would be laid, and fiscal year 2014 would make the data link usable.

"This type of opportunity comes along once in a lifetime. And it is an opportunity that comes along with Yankee Gas," said Sandy Dennies, town CFO. "There has been a lot of discussion since I've been here about the need to collaborate, especially with the Board of Education."

Dennies said the departments based in the town hall complex cannot work together with the Board of Education because their computer systems are not connected and billed the data link as a money saving method.

"The time to buy is now. This is the time when this opportunity should be taken advantage of and technological advances continue -- prices will increase," Dennies said.

Library Executive Director Kathy Leeds, who was at the Selectmen meeting along with other library representatives in favor of the project, said the fiber optics would enhance how Wiltonians "live, work and operate."

"A byproduct of this is that townspeople will know they always have somewhere to go," Leeds said. "I know it's tough to talk about spending more money, but this project will affect every single townsperson, every single business."

The Selectmen showed some resistance to the project, with Jim Saxe asking if alternatives, such as wireless, had been explored. Saxe, along with Second Selectman Hal Clark, expressed concern that the system would necessitate more personnel.

"It requires confidence … that this project will benefit the town for years to come," First Selectman Bill Brennan said.

Wilton Police Reports

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Thursday, Jan. 26

Kristin Decarlo, 39, of 49 Walsh Avenue in New Britain, was charged with third degree conspiracy to commit burglary and fourth degree larceny after she, allegedly, stole $2,985 worth of tools and equipment from an Earthscapes storage locker, according to police.

Scott Marsillo, 19, of 71 Glen Hill Road, was charged with disorderly conduct after an argument with is father, according to police.

Beth McGrath, 26, of 82 Buckingham Ridge Road, was charged with failure to pay or plead to an infraction after turning herself in on a warrant, according to police. Her original charges were possession of a barking dog and permitting a dog to roam.

David Champagne, 43, of 86 Spring Street in New Haven, was charged with fourth and fifth degree larceny after a police investigation into 2011 thefts from Wilton Y locker rooms found probable cause, according to police. Champagne turned himself in on Jan. 26 after Wilton Police obtained an arrest warrant, police said.

Friday, Jan. 27

A number of tires, rims and wheel sensors were stolen from Chevrolet Buick of Wilton overnight between Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, according to police. Four rims, tires and wheel sensors were stolen from a 2010 Cadillac Escalade parked in the service area of the dealership. Another set of four rims, tires and wheel sensors were stolen from three Chevrolet Avalanches. The unknown persons also attempted to steal the rims, tires and wheel sensors for a Chevrolet Tahoe, but did not complete the act, according to police. The items are valued at $16,000.

Saturday, Jan. 28

A car driven by Jose Quiros, 37, of 126 Triangle Street in Danbury, struck a car driven by Teg Grover, of 50 Fairview Avenue in Norwalk, while he was stopped for traffic, according to police. The collision caused Grover's car to make contact with a car driven by Ada Acre, 29, of 19 Saugatuck River Road in Weston, police said. Quiros was issued a ticket for following too close and driving with a suspended license. Acre was taken to Danbury Hospital after complaining of head and neck pain.

Sunday, Jan. 29

Jeffrey Goslee Jr., 34, of 66 Grand Street in Danbury, was charged with second degree breach of peace and second degree criminal mischief after police said he was involved in a road range incident and damaged the other driver's car.

Li Ding, 43, of 42 Tames Drive in Norwalk, lost control of her vehicle while going southbound on Ridgefield Road near Carriage Road and struck the left side mirror of a car driven by Richard Dieguez, 51, of Roslyn Heights, N.Y., who was driving northbound, police said. According to police, Ding continued in the northbound lane and struck the left rear side of a car driven by Loretta Foley, 51, of 421 Thayer Pond Road, before veering back into the southbound lane and running off the road. Both Foley and her 15-year-old daughter were transported to Norwalk Hospital complaining of head and neck injuries. Ding was transported to Norwalk Hospital, as well, and was given a ticket for failure to drive in the proper lane.

Family asks area residents to 'spin' to save a life

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Ever since Rachael Dineen's niece, Nora Getchell, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, Dineen has been working with her sister -- and Nora's mother -- Maureen Getchell to hold swabbing events, trying to find Nora a bone marrow donor and save her life.

Getchell held events all over Long Island, where she lives, New York State, Maine, where her husband is from, one in Oregon and one in Los Angeles, and in other cities across the country. Dineen, a Wilton resident, was there for a few of them, and now she is holding her own event, a spin-a-thon at the Wilton Family Y.

The event, which is on Feb. 11 between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., will have cheek swabbing through Be the Match, the national bone marrow transplant registry, and will be taking donations -- the asked donation is $30 for every half hour ride -- as it costs $100 to process every cheek swab.

"You can spin if you want to spin, you can donate if you want to donate, get swabbed if you meet the qualifications. And they do go through a screening process like you do when you give blood. And it's really easy to swab. They take a Q-tip on the inside of your cheek for about 10 seconds," Dineen said.

Six-year-old Nora's condition is one where the bone marrow stops making enough red blood cells. Her condition would be cured with a bone marrow transplant, but no donors have been found. Even her brother was not a match, and siblings are usually to be the best matches.

"If you have a sibling, there's nothing more perfect than that. So now they have to go to the registry," Dineen said. "Right now she's going through a drug therapy to try and stimulate the blood marrow to make blood again. It doesn't seem to have worked, the therapy she's been doing since June."

Getchell said Nora had been doing the drug therapy for nine months and any more of the therapy could do serious damage. If a donor is found, Nora would be cured.

"If we do another nine months, we might destroy her kidneys," Getchell said. "That's if we don't get a bone marrow transplant. That's the only cure. That's kind of prolonging her life right now."

Both Getchell and Dineen said bone marrow transplants are not the way they used to be.

"That's if they go for the actual marrow, you feel sore. Like you fell. The other way is they just take blood and run it through a machine and they separate the cells and the marrow," Getchell said. "The funny thing is, Nora has had three bone marrow aspirations, and she's been up and running the same day. You can be back to doing everything in a day."

Finding a bone marrow donor can be a tricky process. Because Nora is so young, the donor needs to be under 44. Bone marrow donors are usually of a similar ethnic make up of the recipient, and Nora is of Irish, Danish and Native American decent, among others.

Getchell described finding the right donor as trying to open a lock that requires you to match 10 different numbers.

"We really need a lot of people to come out and swab," Getchell said. "If they want to start getting in shape with that spinning that Rachel's doing, it's a great reason to kick off your workout."

Wilton News Briefs: Disabled voters can now automatically receive absentee application; donations requested for Wilton Warm Up Fund

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Physically disabled voters now able to automatically

receive absentee

application

WILTON -- Wilton's town clerk and registrars of voters are notifying electors that the Connecticut Legislature has enacted a measure allowing permanently physically disabled voters to receive an absentee ballot application automatically upon filing a physician's statement with their town clerk. The law, effective Jan. 1, permits a voter who is unable to appear in person at the assigned polling place to receive absentee ballot applications for each election, primary, and referendum held within that municipality. Registrars are required to contact such voters annually to confirm their residence. For information on permanent absentee ballot status, voters are asked to contact Wilton Town Clerk Bettye Ragognetti at (203) 563-0106.

Residents

encouraged to

donate to Wilton Warm Up Fund

WILTON -- Due to federal funding cuts to The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, the Wilton Warm Up Fund -- which provides emergency heat assistance to Wilton residents -- is facing unprecedented financial need, according to Wilton Social Services officials.

So far this year, 64 Wilton families have applied for heat assistance, officials said. The goal is to raise $63,000 in a very short period of time, they said, with all of the funding for The Wilton Warm Up Fund coming from individual and corporate donations. Social Services officials are encouraging area residents to consider helping out a Wilton neighbor and making a donation. One hundred percent of the tax-deductible contribution will go directly to a Wilton family in need, according to officials.

Checks may be made payable to: The Wilton Interfaith Fund, 180 School Road, Wilton, CT 06897.

The Candy Bin hopes for sweet success in Wilton

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Hoping to capitalize on the candy buffet trend and the lack of a candy store in the Norwalk/Wilton area, two Norwalk women have opened The Candy Bin at One Danbury Road in Wilton.

Located along Route 7 on the Norwalk/Wilton line, The Candy Bin is 700-square feet of colorful candies both in bulk and packaged varieties. A grand opening is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday.

"Getting the store ready was such an amazing experience," co-owner Lisa Nuzzo said. "I think it will be a great business."

Nuzzo's husband has owned Dance to the Music, a disc jockey company, for 25 years. He noticed the recent candy buffet trend at weddings and alerted Lisa to the potential of that business. Soon after, a retail space became available in the same plaza where his business is located. Lisa Nuzzo, along with business partner Michele Mancini, decided to open a retail candy store, as well as offer candy buffets.

"Candy buffets are very popular at weddings," Nuzzo said. "The timing was perfect and the location is perfect with exposure on Route 7."

Norwalk has been without a candy store since Sweet Rexies left South Norwalk for Fairfield in 2009. Chunky Pam's opened in Darien in 2010. The Candy Bin, according to Nuzzo, has by-the-pound candy such as Gummy Bears, as well as retro, novelty, sugar-free, gluten-free and kosher candy.

The sugar-free section is dedicated to Lisa Nuzzo's father, who passed away recently. Her father was a diabetic. The section will be called Leo's Sugar-Free Treats.

The store will also hold birthday parties and arrange party favors and gift baskets.

Nuzzo and Mancini hope to some day pass the store down to their children. Nuzzo has two children and Mancini has four.

"We want to make our mark with this," Nuzzo said. "Hopefully our kids can run the business one day. That's our goal."

The Candy Bin may be reached at (203) 563-9747.

Merwin Meadows closed during pond clean-up

staff@thehour.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Merwin Meadows Park will be closed until further notice as the town's Parks and Recreation Department works to clean up from last year's storms.

The park's walking trail and playground will remain open, according to Parks and Recreation officials.

"There's a playground there, so when you get the weather that we've been having, you get a lot of kids and families there. There's a pathway there for walkers," said Parks and Recreation Director Steve Pierce. "You get more passive use this time of year."

The clean up involves removing silt from the pond remaining from the August and October storms -- Tropical Storm Irene and Winter Storm Alfred. The process leaves heavy equipment and material stockpiles on the beach part of the park, according to officials.

"What has to happen is, it's part of a process that we've got some of the money from FEMA. They have to take out what's on the bottom of it and let it dewater. Then, what they'll do is remove that stuff after it dewaters," Pierce said.

Pierce said the closing is a safety precaution and that the pond should be back to normal within a month.

Allen's Meadow is also closed for the winter as usual. Pierce said Allen's Meadow would reopen in late March "water depending."

Star Trek actor arrested for DUI in Wilton

staff@thehour.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A Star Trek captain was arrested this past weekend for driving under the influence in Wilton.

Avery Brooks, 63, of 260 Christopher Drive in Princeton, N.J., was charged with DUI after police received a complaint about Brooks' driving, police said. According to police, Brooks was stopped around 10:07 p.m. on Sunday on Belden Hill Road near Seir Hill Road, and was found to be under the influence.

Brooks played Captain Benjamin Sisko on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," a TV series that ran from 1993 to 1999. He also played Dr. Bob Sweeney in "American History X."

Brooks has a Feb. 9 court date at Norwalk Superior Court.

Watch burglaries in Florida and Delaware have Wilton connection

staff@thehour.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Two separate jewelry store thefts, one in Delaware and one in Florida, now have Wilton ties.

Breitling, the high-end Swiss-based watch company with its U.S. distributing office on 206 Danbury Road, alerted police to two instances of stolen watches turning up at their offices last week.

One watch, valued at $5,700, was turned into Breitling by a California man with Connecticut ties when he was in the area. The company ran the serial number on that watch and found it was stolen in a January 2011 jewelry store burglary in Jupiter, Fla., where Jupiter Police said the burglars made off with $7 million in jewelry.

According to police, the man said he found the watch on the street in San Francisco. Police said they have his contact information and that he likely had nothing to do with the burglary.

The other watch was mailed to Breitling from New York State for repairs. Again, Breitling ran the serial number and found it was stolen in a Wilmington, Del. jewelry store hold-up.

Wilton Police said they were in contact with Florida State Police and Delaware State Police about the robberies.

Police: Fairfield man charged with computer crime after hacking into former Wilton employer's system

staff@thehour.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A Fairfield man was able to hack into his former employer's computer systems, but couldn't cover his tracks, according to police.

Remy Charmoz, 62, of 160 Glengarry Street in Fairfield, is being charged with second degree computer crime and illegal use of credit cards after a six-month investigation by Wilton Police found Charmoz illegally intruded on the computer systems of his former employer, Segmark Solutions, police said. Charmoz allegedly caused $7,000 worth of damage.

Charmoz, arrested Jan. 26, last worked at Segmark in May 2011.

Police said the investigation included tracing IP addresses -- the identification number assigned to devices that connect to the internet -- back to Charmoz.

The illegal use of credit cards charge stems from Charmoz's alleged use of company credit cards on Segmark's GoDaddy.com account and online dating site Match.com. GoDaddy.com is a domain name registrar.

Charmoz has a Feb. 6 court date at Norwalk Superior Court. He was issued $25,000 bond.

Bridgeport man accused of stealing golf clubs from Wilton-based Golf Digest

staff@thehour.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A Bridgeport man is being held on $25,000 bail after allegedly stealing golf clubs from Golf Digest magazine headquarters over the last few months.

Edward Cribari, 58, of 380 Davidson Street in Bridgeport, turned himself in Monday on two counts of third degree larceny and providing a false statement to police after he allegedly took, then resold golf clubs he had access to as an employee for Conde Nast, Golf Digest's parent company, according to police.

Both Conde Nast and Golf Digest have offices on 20 Westport Road.

According to police, Conde Nast believed Cribari was involved with charities, to whom he would donate the clubs Golf Digest receives from manufacturers. Instead, police said Cribari would often resell the clubs, frequently doing business with ProClubs, an Arizona-based company that buys and sells clubs while promising "15 percent higher cash value than their competitors." Other times, police said, Cribari would outright steal them.

According to police, starting in October 2011, Cribari had stole $6,000 in clubs and was given $3,000 in clubs that were supposed to go to charities. He used some of the clubs for personal use and sold others, police said.

Police received a complaint from Golf Digest when golf company PING alerted the magazine to an eBay auction for an unreleased i20 8.5 driver. The auctioneer, who was not Cribari, bought the club from ProClubs and was in the process of reselling it for $1,000, police said. According to police, Cribari sold the club to ProClubs for $250.

Police said Cribari also made statements to police during the investigation they later found to be false.

Cribari has a court date on Feb. 9 at Norwalk Superior Court.

Girls Basketball -- No concussion for Pearsall following her Trumbull tumble

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Wilton High School junior Casey Pearsall, who was injured in a nasty fall in the final minutes of Thursday's game against Trumbull, took Friday off from school, but otherwise appears all right.

Steve Pearsall, Casey's father, said his daughter was feeling a lot better by the time she got home from the game, though she did give her family a few scary moments after the fall.

"Surprisingly, everything appears to be OK," he said. "We took her up to see the (Wilton) trainer, and it doesn't appear to be a concussion. She's a little tight around the neck muscles, like she might have a small case of whiplash."

Considering the incident and how hard Casey slammed against the court, it was the best news possible for the family and the Wilton girls basketball team.

Head coach Jaclyn Woitkowski is not allowed to speak to the media about the extent of a player's injuries due to HIPPA laws and the Warriors did not have practice on Friday.

Casey Pearsall, reached at home on Friday night, said she remembered Beverything that happened.

"I remember pretty much all of it," Pearsall said. "Going up for the ball and just getting caught and falling down. As I was going down, I knew it wasn't going to be good and it just snapped my head back. It hurt a lot."

The point of impact is an image the Pearsall family will not soon forget.

"It was scary," said Steve Pearsall, who is an assistant boys lacrosse coach at Wilton High. "I've seen a lot of kids hit the court, but not like this."

Casey Pearsall went airborne to snare a ball that was saved from going out of bounds. As she grabbed the ball, a Trumbull player collided with her the already off-balance Warrior, sending her to the floor hard.

According to Woitkowski, who literally had a front row seat to the incident, Pearsall landed on her rear end first, but her head snapped back and slammed onto the court with a sickly thud.

"It was hard to see (that type of fall)," said Wilton senior captain Maddy Fulton.

"It was terrible," added Trumbull head coach Steve Tobitsch said. "Our whole team was shaken up by it."

Elizabeth Reda, a Wilton High four-year varsity soccer player and lacrosse player, who is one of the team's managers added, "I've never heard that loud of a bang. I was just happy she didn't go out cold."

Trumbull trainer Dan Searles was immediately at Pearsall's side along with Woitkowski.

"I thought their trainer was very, very good," said Steve Pearsall, who went over to check on his daughter after she walked slowly off the court and sat down at the end of the Wilton bench.

Searles ran Pearsall through a battery of tests while Reda sat next to McKenna Pearsall, Casey's younger sister, assuring her everything was going to be fine.

"She was sitting right next to me," Reda said. "I think she was more shocked and worried and she was trying to hold it together. I just told her everything was going to be all right."

"She was so scared," Casey Pearsall said of her sister.

By the time she got home, she had an appetite and ate dinner before going to bed.

Her parents checked on her periodically throughout the night and she slept much of the day away, as well.

The trip to the trainer, though, brought the best news possible.

"When they said it wasn't a concussion, that really lifted a lot off of my shoulders," Pearsall said. "I felt pretty good all day."

Pearsall hopes to be back on the court for Monday's practice and then play against Staples on Tuesday night.

She added how proud she was that her teammates were able to pull out the victory after the injury.

HS boys basketball -- Wilton reaches .500 with win over Trumbull

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Wilton's suffocating 1-3-1 zone defense, combined with nearly 80 percent free throw shooting, enabled the Warriors to notch their sixth victory of the season and cruise to a 61-39 victory over Trumbull Thursday night at Nick Zeoli Field House.

Following recent victories over Norwalk and Brien McMahon, Wilton is now 6-6 and needs just two more wins to qualify for the state tournament. With the loss, Trumbull dropped to 6-6.

Wilton's offense was led by freshman Matt Shifrin, who came off the bench to score a game-high 13, including 10 for 10 from the free throw line.

Senior Chris Nugent and junior Max Maudsley each added 11 each as part of Wilton's balanced attack.

Mike Yerina was Trumbull's high scorer with 11 points, while Jason Lima contributed 8 points.

The game was a defensive battle from the outset as Wilton led only 7-5 at the end of the first quarter. Knowing that Trumbull had prepared to attack the 1-3-1, the Warriors started in a man-to-man defense, but within a few minutes switched to their trapping half-court zone, which stymied Trumbull throughout the game.

Wilton head coach Tim Tallcouch said defense was the key to this victory, and he was particularly pleased with the many individual players who contributed to the win.

"This group of boys is becoming a team," said Tallcouch. "No matter who I put in the game, everybody contributes, and that is the essence of what we are trying to build here. Through the hard work of these players, they are finally starting to believe. Halfway through the first quarter we took control of the game and never gave them a chance to come back. Defensively this is the best we have played the 1-3-1 in the five years I have been here."

When Trumbull scored, it employed a full-court press that led to several Wilton turnovers, but the fouls mounted and Wilton scored many of its points at the charity stripe, making 23 of 29 free throws for the game. Trumbull's frustration was evident, particularly in the second half, when several players received technical fouls, sending Wilton repeatedly to the foul line.

Wilton expanded on its slim first-quarter lead by scoring 20 points in the second period to lead 27-16 at halftime. Maudsley led the way with three field goals and three free throws in the second quarter. Yerina scored all five of Trumbull's first-quarter points and added four more in the second period.

Wilton extended its lead to 39-25 at the end of the third period, largely by spreading the floor and scoring on drives into the paint as Trumbull sought to pressure the ballhandler. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors made numerous visits to the foul line and the home team was in the double bonus for more than half the quarter.

Although the Warriors made only two of their first eight free throws in the final quarter, Weston Wilbur made two foul shots to give Wilton a 49-34 advantage halfway through the final period. With just over three minutes left to play, Shifrin extended the lead to 55-34 by making six straight free throws after a common foul and two technicals were assessed against Trumbull.

HS girls basketball -- Warriors knock off Eagles

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

TRUMBULL -- It was a night built for a post-game party, an evening to celebrate the latest coming-of-age victory by the Wilton girls basketball team; this one a stunning 58-52 win over once-beaten Trumbull, the defending FCIAC champions.

For the briefest of seconds, it was just that. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Warriors realized they had just notched the biggest win in the program's recent resurgence and raced to halfcourt, jumping, hugging, celebrating all that was special about the win.

Then they remembered Casey.

With 3:21 left in the fourth quarter and the Warriors up seven points, a ball saved from going out of bounds found the safe and sure hands of Wilton junior point guard Casey Pearsall, who leaped high to snare the throw and allow the Warriors to retain possession.

Simultaneously, however, Trumbull's Alexa Pfohl also jumped for the ball. Two bodies collided and it was the off-balance Pearsall who caught the worst it; landing butt-first, but at an angle that slammed the back of her head onto the Eagles court.

As Pearsall lay writhing on the ground, her audible cries announcing the seriousness of the fall to the stunned and suddenly silent crowd, five Warriors came together off to the side of the Wilton bench.

"We just said, 'We're going to win it for Casey,'" said Maddy Fulton, a senior captain who netted 17 points to pace the Wilton win. "We knew we had to. It was very hard to see (that type of fall). We all love her so much and she's such a great kid. We did it for her."

While Pearsall did return to the Wilton bench, where a trainer ran her through a battery of tests, the Warriors went on without their floor general -- turning instead to veteran guard Hayley Tafuro and two freshmen, Erin Cunningham and Hayley English, to try to kill the clock and steal a few points.

Two foul shots by Trumbull's Erin Moore, who had a game-high 18 points, cut the Warriors lead to five, but the Eagles would get no closer.

Fulton drove to the hoop for two while Wilton was in time-and-score mode; Alyssa Malvarosa (13 points, 7-for-8 from the line) scored on an inbounds layup; and Tafuro sank two foul shots to push the lead to nine at 54-45.

Down the stretch, Malvarosa and Cunningham went a combined 4-for-4 from the foul line to ice the win.

"It was a great game. The key was getting back on defense because they like to run and so do we," said Wilton head coach Jaclyn Woitkowski. "Plus, we stayed home (on defense). There were times when we wanted to help and (Trumbull) would recognize that and get open. In the second half, we stayed home a lot more and if you were a person away, you didn't help."

An English 15-footer, off a feed from Cunningham, with two seconds left in the first half gave Wilton a 25-24 lead at the break.

It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that Wilton was able to open the tiniest bit of breathing room.

After four lead changes, Fulton scored from the low post and then hit a 3-pointer from side of the key, giving the Warriors a 36-30 edge. The two teams then swapped hoops until Fulton hit an elbow jumper and Pearsall finished a layup, giving Wilton an eight-point lead at 42-34.

It was midway through the fourth when Victoria Pfohl (16 points) cut that eight-point edge back to five with one of her four 3-point shots, making it 46-41.

Following a Trumbull timeout, Malvarosa sank two foul shots and after the Warriors regained possession Pearsall suffered her scary injury.

"Oh god, the first thing I did was just pray there wasn't (an open wound)," Woitkowski said. "I've never seen a player go down like that. I think the (cries) were a combination (of being scared and being hurt). When you're airborne that high and you fall like that, she landed on her tush first and I think there's going to be some whiplash effect, too. We just hope the injury turns out to be a quick healer."

Trumbull head coach Steve Tobitsch admitted the tone of the game changed after Pearsall's injury as both teams were shaken up by the severity of the fall.

"That was terrible," Tobitsch said. "The game changed from one of competitiveness to one of worrying about the player's safety. It was a well-played high school basketball game, but at that point it just turned to more of a concern over (Pearsall). I hope she's back soon, because she's an excellent player and a good kid from everything I've seen."

Alexa Pfohl was especially shaken up by the incident, immediately checking on Pearsall's condition as the Warriors player lay on the court. After the game, as all the Eagles went to Pearsall to wish her well, Pfohl apologized again, even though she didn't have to.

The 10-3 Warriors (10-2 in the FCIAC) will next play -- likely without Pearsall -- at Staples on Tuesday.

Trumbull slipped to 12-2 overall, 10-2 in the FCIAC.

Youth Basketball Roundup

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

7th Grade Boys

The Wilton (White) 7th grade boys, sponsored by Manfredo Curtis Associates, were snowed out on Saturday and looked to get back in the win column versus Norwalk on Sunday. Wilton began the game playing solid defense and led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter despite a slow offensive start. Kieran McGovern (6 assists, 3 steals) and Drew Connolly (8 points, 3 assists) ran the Wilton offense and hawked Norwalk's guards. Wilton stretched their lead to 23-18 at half as big men Jackson Cote (6 rebounds) and Jack Wood (11 rebounds) secured the paint. Matt Rubsam (2 points, 2 assists) and Ben Watson (3 steals, 2 assists) would supply a needed spark coming off the bench.

In the second half, it was time for Wilton's "go to guy" to assert himself on both ends of the court. Jack Williams scored 8 points in the first half, but that was only a small preview of what was to come. While Wilton would require the effort of all 10 Warrior players, the bulk of the scoring was left to "J Will." Jack ended the game with a season high 29 points to go along with 11 big rebounds. Andrew West chipped in 12 points of his own, including 2 late free throws at the end of regulation. Sean Breslin played another solid floor game, adding 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Not satisfied with 4 quarters of end-to-end action, Wilton and Norwalk played another 4 minutes of overtime before the Warriors would seal the deal, 57-56.

6th Grade Boys

The Wilton 6th grade boys, sponsored by Pain and Spine specialists of Ct, played Brideport-Trumbull in a close game at home on Sunday but came up short, losing 50-44.

Only a few points separated these teams throughout the game and featured a battle at the boards. The first half ended with Wilton down by 1. Matt Olson ( 6 points, eight rebounds) played outstanding alongside our big man Kyle Shiffrin ( 5 rebounds) and Max levi ( 2 rebounds) against a very tall and determined opponent. The game clearly came down to offensive rebounds and Bridgeport took advantage of their size.

Wilton never quit. Super defensive play from Kyle Maatallah ( eight points, 4 rebounds) Jack Soucy (three points, 2 rebounds), Tom Garvey (three rebounds), and Joe Murtha (2 rebounds ) kept the game within reach and ended the 3rd qtr only down 3, 31-34.

Scott Cunningham scored 11 points and hit a key 3 pointer to keep the game within reach. Brennan Troy ( eight points, 3 rebounds) played outstanding. His aggressiveness and determination to get to the basket led Wilton to close within 1 with 1 minute remaining in the 4th qtr. The rebounding advantage in this game was Bridgeport's and this ultimately allowed them to thwart a final Wilton attempt for the win.

Girls 5th Grade

The Scoops sponsored 5th Grade girls basketball team didn't let the snow keep them from playing two games this weekend. Wilton faced St. Mary's late Saturday afternoon. In the first half, Caroline Coffey, Alex Greer and Kaitlin Reif lead the offensive attack. Sophia Strazza's strong defensive skills caused many turnovers for Wilton.

During the second half, Wilton put the pressure on with man to man defense. Hannah Belanger grabbed a handful of rebounds while Olivia Dexter had an impressive blocked shot. Cate McCabe, Caroline Troy and Bridgette Wall helped the Wilton team push ahead, but it still wasn't enough to walk away with a victory. The final score was 25-8.

In their second game against Darien, Wilton started strong right from the tip off. Wilton dominated the first half with strong offensive and defensive skills. The girls worked hard to get the ball causing many breakaway opportunities. Strazza, Wall, Belanger and Reif all had multiple steals during the game. Dexter, Greer, Troy, Coffey and McCabe also showed strong defensive skills, including blocked shots. Maddie Burke, nursing an injury also saw some playing time. Wilton fought hard to the end, but came up short losing to Darien 26-14.

Boys 8th Grade

The Wilton Boys 8th grade team, sponsored by RING'S END, split two non-league contests this past weekend. Friday night the Warriors traveled to Stamford and managed only 21 points against the aggressive defense of Stamford. Stamford held the Warriors to 20% shooting from the field and forced 25 turnovers. Stamford scored 25 points in the second half alone to coast by the Warriors, 37-21.

Sunday a rejuvenated Warrior squad faced Trumbull at Middlebrook Gym, and gained a measure of revenge against a team that had beaten them earlier in the season. Wilton jumped out to an 11-1 lead and never looked back. The final score was 43-36. The balanced Warrior attack was led by James Maloney's 8 points, Sean Solecki's 6 points and Cory MacDonald's 5 points. Mike Brown, Tim Watson and Grant Sweeny tossed in 4 apiece, John Maudsley had 3, and Pat Prinner, Grey Livingstone and Harrison Bardwell had 2 apiece. MacDonald led the way on the boards with 7 rebounds.

Girls 7th Grade

The Wilton 7th grade girls sponsored by Wilton Bank beat Darien 27 -20. Haley Meyer scored the only point for either team in whole the 1rst quarter. The pace quickened throughout the game, as leading scorers Marisa Pucci and Margaret Smith pulled in 7 points apiece on strong athletic play. Elizabeth Healy followed up with 6 points and some key steals. Under the boards, Caylin Canavino added 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, keeping Darien away from the ball. Nina Mellin added 2 points, 2 rebounds and a steal, combined with Ava Martinelli's 7 rebounds and 2 steals, insured that Darien would not lead in second half of the game. Solid offensive ball handling by Ellie Armstrong ( 2 steals and a block ) and Melanie Turza ( 2 rebounds ) foiled the Darien press, while MacKenzie Holmgren ( 2 rebounds ) kept the pressure on defensively.

8th Grade Girls

The Wilton 8th grade girls team, sponsored by Rings End, played one non-league game this weekend, beating St Mary in Ridgefield, 29-13.

The game started off slowly but the girls kept a good pace staying ahead of the opponent throughout. Sarah Fitzgerald was the high scorer with 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals, followed by Karen Brosko with 6 points and 2 rebounds. Zoe Lamason shone on both offense and defense, scoring 5 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal. Claire Graham and Macallan Fox (1 rebound) added to the scoreboard with 4 points each. Rachel Gordon contributed offensively and defensively with 2 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal. Both Hannah Previte (3 rebounds) and Maddie Duffy (1 rebound, 2 steals) were tough on defense. Leigh Culnane (1 rebound, 2 steals) and Christina Holmgren (1 assist, 1 steal) rounded out a solid team win for Wilton.

5th Grade Boys

The Wilton 5th grade boy's team, sponsored by Pinocchio Pizza suffered a loss to a very fast and tall Norwalk Team on Sunday 40-23.

Wilton got off to a great start, jumping out to a 9-6 lead at the end of the first quarter with baskets by Kyle Phillips (10 points, 8 rebound, 2 steals) and Zayvion Eusebe (6 points, 5 rebounds) for the game.

Norwalk's full court press momentarily rattled the Wilton boys, but once they recovered it led to scoring opportunities for Tyler Previte (2 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), Zach Pozzi (2 ponts, 3 rebounds, 4 steals) and Cole Barnes (2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal).

Brendan Connor (1 points, 2 rebounds) was all over the court and wouldn't let Norwalk pull ahead without a battle, keeping the game close for most of the 2nd period.

Wilton finished the game playing intense defense with multiple rebounds by Ryan Schriber (6 rebounds), Billy Ronk (3 rebound, 1 steal), Richard Nolan (2 rebounds, 1 steal) and Zach Dedrick (2 rebounds), but it just wasn't enough to seal the win for the Warriors.

Boys 7th Grade

Wilton came out blazing against Stamford with energetic play from all its players Sunday for another big league win. The team remains undefeated against FCBL league rivals. Point Guard Joseph Pozzi turned in an overall strong performance scoring 10 points and stealing the ball 10 times with swiftness. Center Ian Bender was colossal under the basket grabbing 11 rebounds and then shooting many of them for his 10 points on the day.

Charlie Hess who also played center did a suburb job receiving passes down low from the guards in traffic and then shooting to score a high 8 points and Hess also grabbed 3 rebounds. Guard Sean Westerholm was remarkable dribbling down the court and shooting 11 points, 1 rebound and 3 steals. It was Nick DiSanto who really impressed with a great all around game scoring 8 points, 1 rebound and 3 steals. Chris Hyzy (4 points , 3 steals) had another terrific day passing the ball and he applied constant defensive pressure on Stamford's guards. Jack Dooley (2 points, 4 rebounds) played a good defensive game and hustled all day moving the ball around keeping Stamford off guard.

Forwards Ben Bristow (4 points, 5 steals) and Liam Rance (4 points, 1 steal) played well shutting down and holding Stamford to only 24 points.

Boys 5th Grade

The Wilton 5th grade boy's team, sponsored by Pinocchio Pizza suffered a loss to a very fast and tall Norwalk Team on Sunday 40-23.

Wilton got off to a great start, jumping out to a 9-6 lead at the end of the first quarter with baskets by Kyle Phillips (10 points, 8 rebound, 2 steals) and Zayvion Eusebe (6 points, 5 rebounds) for the game.

Norwalk's full court press momentarily rattled the Wilton boys, but once they recovered it led to scoring opportunities for Tyler Previte (2 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), Zach Pozzi (2 ponts, 3 rebounds, 4 steals) and Cole Barnes (2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal).

Brendan Connor (1 points, 2 rebounds) was all over the court and wouldn't let Norwalk pull ahead without a battle, keeping the game close for most of the 2nd period.

Wilton finished the game playing intense defense with multiple rebounds by Ryan Schriber (6 rebounds), Billy Ronk (3 rebound, 1 steal), Richard Nolan (2 rebounds, 1 steal) and Zach Dedrick (2 rebounds),

Girls Lacrosse -- Blicht to play college lacrosse at Franklin & Marshall

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Sammi Blicht wasn't sure whom she liked better -- Benjamin Franklin or John Marshall.

So she chose both.

The Wilton High School senior girls lacrosse defender announced that she had applied to, and was accepted to Franklin & Marshall University in Lancaster, Penn.

Blicht will also play girls lacrosse for the team, which is ranked No. 5 in the country in Division 3 heading into this spring.

"It's funny because that was a question on the (2011 application) supplement -- if you could sit down and have dinner, who it be with? Benjamin Franklin or John Marshall?" Blicht said. "I don't know who I would have picked."

Blicht -- who is the fifth Wilton girls player to publically announce their choice of school -- selected Franklin & Marshall because of the small school environment she found on her visit.

"It was like a big family and the whole school was like that, too," Blicht said. "When I went to one of the classes, the teacher knew everybody's name, so I liked the fact that you're not just a number."

Once she knew F&M was the school for her, she looked into the women's lacrosse program. When the women's lacrosse program looked into Blicht, the interest was mutual.

"I had to choose it for the school and not the sport, but I loved the atmosphere," Blicht said. "I was lucky enough to be recruited by them and I met the team and that was nice, too."

The challenge of playing at a higher level also excites the fleet-footed Wilton defender, who is expected to play midfield in college, albeit a defensive-minded one.

"They fix my academics and they have a good lacrosse program," she said. "I'm excited to make it to the higher level of play."

Blicht joins classmate Elizabeth Reda, who has decided to attend Endicott College as a lacrosse player instead of a soccer goalkeeper, in playing at the next level.

Also, juniors Casey Pearsall (Notre Dame), Tegan Helms (Columbia) and Megan Boepple (Loyola-Maryland) have all verbally committed to play at the Division 1 level, as well.

John Nash Column -- Silence means success

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Silence means success

WILTON -- Shhhhh.

What's that sound?

It's basketballs bouncing. It's sneakers squeaking as players cut on a dime, on offense, on defense. It's players calling out picks, calling for the ball, calling switches.

It's cheers after every made basket and every stop on the other end.

It's the sounds of winning basketball, of which the most tell-tale sign is the simple sound of silence.

Critics can't say a whole heck of a lot when the girls basketball team is 9-3, 9-2 in the FCIAC, heading into Thursday's game at Trumbull. Or, when the boys basketball team is 5-6, with wins over city schools like Norwalk and McMahon, and a state tournament berth within reach with just three wins in its final nine games.

It wasn't that long ago that people were calling for coaches' heads, but if anything puts a sock in it, winning is it.

Ask anybody who has watched Wilton basketball over the last five years and they'll tell you what a difference there is, even if its just around the aura of the team.

Do you realize how close the girls are to being unbeaten? They've lost to Fairfield Ludlowe (4-7), 50-49; Fairfield Warde (6-5), 48-42, and Weston (6-7), 57-53.

Three losses by 11 points?

Doesn't seem real, but face it -- the Wilton girls basketball team is officially an FCIAC contender in head coach Jaclyn Woitkowski's fourth year and many of its most consistent players are underclassmen.

On the boys side of the court, after last year's disappointing 2-18 campaign -- and a summer of anonymous e-mails calling for fourth-year head coach Tim Tallcouch not to be rehired -- these Warriors are surprising everybody except, perhaps, themselves.

Wins over Norwalk and Brien McMahon show the Warriors have both basketball ability and athleticism. The Warriors hadn't done such a thing since 2006 and 2007.

To beat both teams in overtime shows the Warriors have learned -- the hard way, granted -- how to win.

When was the last time you could say that about a Warriors boys basketball team?

The Wilton boys hasn't sniffed the state tournament in 12 years -- the last time coming in the 1990-2000 season when the Warriors won 19 games, lost 5 and fell to fourth-seeded Harding in the Class LL quarterfinals.

Names like Matt Weidner, Matt Adams, Chip Duggins, Derek Gale and Brent Johnson were all key players in those, each of them able to drop double digits on any given night.

After that group graduated, however, the program plummeted to its present-day fate, dropping 42 straight games and changing coaches like they were changing socks.

Tallcouch, though, has stuck around for four years and is finally seeing some of his team's hard work pay off.

Winners of three of their last five, the Warriors still need to find consistency, but let's not forget the lessons the girls team gave us.

Unless your Trinity Catholic or St. Joseph (or, Laurelton Hall, Kolbe Cathedral, St. Luke's, King, add your own private school here) -- where you can hand over a scholarship check to the brightest players who can meet your admission standards -- it's not easy to turn a program around in one year.

The baby steps the Wilton boys have been taking (OK, I don't' care what anybody says, last year was a step backward) are now turned into strides which only bodes well for the future.

You can hear the success coming.

It's the sound of silence, which no longer drowns out the sound of a basketball program on the move.

Gymnasts shatter school record

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- The Wilton high School gymnastics team put up an incredible 144.45 points in winning at Greenwich on Monday, a score that would have won every state class championship and State Open going back to 2007.

In that year Southington totaled 150 points in claiming the Class L title.

While head coach Gary Chadwick was pleased with the performances Monday, he did take a bit of the luster off the lofty point total.

"It was amazing and it wasn't amazing," Chadwick said. "We were definitely overscored on a couple of events. But when I look at a couple of meets from upstate, I see some of that same scoring. At this time of year, our weight room conditioning is kicking in. Combine that with the judges we got, and it was pretty much a perfect storm."

Chadwick feels his team put forth an effort that was a couple of points below what was recorded in the scorebook.

"We probably gone 142.4, 142.5," Chadwick said. "I would like us to get an honest 144, but it was still an excellent performance. It was the first meet on the road, and there were five sophomores that had never been in that gym (the Greenwich YMCA) before. The juniors and seniors hadn't been there for two years, it was during exams, so I still thought it was pretty good."

Senior Chelsea Levander again paced the Warriors, collecting 38.4 points to top the all-around scorers. Junior Ashley Bascom was next with 35 points, just ahead of sophomore Christina Brandt at 35 points.

Levander scored best on each piece of equipment, scoring 9.5 on the vault, 9.45 on the uneven bars, 9.8 on the balance beam, and 9.65 in the floor routine.

Chadwick said Levander's efforts are particularly impressive considering she is still battling an illness that hit her three weeks ago.

"Chelsea has been sick as a dog, and she stayed home from school Tuesday," Chadwick said. "She's had a hard time shaking this thing."

The head coach said the beam, on Monday, came down to the final two Wilton competitors.

"We took four falls on the beam, and we had to count two of them," Chadwick said. "I'm not expecting six out of six -- there are no throw-ins -- but with the falls there was no room for error. The only ones who didn't fall were Nos. 5 and 6, our No. 1 and No. 2 girls (Levander and sophomore Payton Piedmont with a 9.4)."

Chadwick pointed out that any score over 140 in Connecticut -- where they score four athletes in each event, as opposed to say New York, where five gymnasts are counted on each piece of equipment -- "is a pretty big score."

Monday on the vault, junior Lauren Kozakiewicz scored 8.9 behind Levander, followed by freshman Sara Posson (8.6), junior Ashley Bascom (8.5), Brandt (8.4) and junior Meg Daversa (7.9).

On the bars Bascom followed Levander with a 9, then came Brandt (8.85), sophomore Theresa Galbo (8.4), Piedmont (7.1) and sophomore Annie Saltarelli (7).

After Levander on the beam came Piedmont (9.4), sophomore Meghan Gorham (8.5), Bascom (8.6), Brandt (8.5) and Saltarelli (7.9).

Brandt (9.25) edged Bascom (9.2) for second on the floor, with senior Haley Shaughnessy (8.85), Daversa (8.7) and Graham (8.2) close behind.

"They've been pretty good the last two days, but they were giving the weight room guy a hard time about how well they did (Monday)," Chadwick said. "They were a little full of themselves. Now they're asking questions about how they can improve, and they are getting enough good repetitions."

Next up for the Warriors is Darien on Saturday at Goodwives Gymnastics Center at 3 p.m.

"We're looking to do our routines with a few little changes," Chadwick said. "We won't score as high with the judges we'll have, but we still should have three girls over 9 on the beam. The vault (scoring) should be what we were (at Greenwich), and Lauren and Payton have two big vaults coming. We will improve in small increments but the scores will drop and get closer to reality."

One issue looming on the horizon for the entire conference is the site of the FCIAC championships. Normally held at Westhill High School in Stamford, and scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11, the meet cannot be held in the Vikings' gym.

According to Chadwick, the foam-supported floor was improperly stored sometime in the past year and the foam support pieces got crushed, rendering the floor useless.

"Things are up in the air," Chadwick said. "Maybe we'll rent a floor. I don't know. I'm just a coach."

Aside from Levander's illness, the Warriors have stayed away from the trainer's room.

"We're pretty good health-wise," Chadwick said. "Sara turned an ankle at a recent meet, but she was fine against Greenwich. Annie had a reaction to medication she was taking. The only injury we had was the turned ankle. We're using a little more tape than usual, but it's just preventative measures."

Wilton Highlights

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Winetasting to benefit

Habitat for Humanity

WILTON -- Seven volunteers from Wilton will host a winetasting benefit for the Housatonic Habitat for Humanity on Friday, Feb. 3. The event will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at WEPCO Church Complex, 48 New Canaan Road. Wines and more will be donated by Vintage Fine Wines, Marianne Wilson Catering and Barcelona Restaurant. Tickets are $20 prepaid and $25 at the door.

Wilton Habitat mobilizes the local community to provide home ownership opportunities to qualified families with limited income. It's building has focused on the greater Danbury area.

For more information, call (203) 744-1340 or visit www.housatonichabitat.org.

Support group for

LGBT community

WILTON -- Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County will offer a bereavement support group for members of the LGBT community coping with the death of a partner or loved one. The group will meet at Norwalk's Triangle Community Center, located at 16 River Street, on Wednesday evenings from 6 until 7:30 p.m. Meetings will run from Feb. 8 through Feb. 29.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their feelings in a safe environment and will gain a deeper understanding of their unique experience of loss and begin the process of healing.

There is no fee, but pre-registration is required. For more information, call Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County at (203) 834-6341, extension 255.

Registration opens for

continuing education

WILTON -- Wilton Continuing Education has opened registration for its 2012 program, with more than 170 classes to explore, from the use of hand-held devices to aromatherapy, SAT prep, French cooking, fencing, beekeeping and pairing chocolates with aperitifs.

Classes are held at the Wilton Public School locations or in local businesses right here in the Wilton, Ridgefield and Norwalk communities. For more information, visit www.wiltoncontinuinged.org.

Wilton teen's charcoal drawing rises to the top in state competition

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Miranda Morris didn't see herself coming home with a nomination for one of the most prestigious scholastic art awards in the country when she submitted work to the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards.

The Wilton High School freshman was expecting an honorable mention or maybe silver -- which would put her in the top fifth of the 3,000 entries the competition received -- in her first year competing with high schoolers. But her charcoal drawing "Childhood," much to her surprise, and the surprise of her parents and teacher, was selected as an American Visions nominee, judged as one of the top five pieces in the competition. Morris also won a Gold Key, Best in Traditional Art and Best in Show.

"Last year, I presented a piece to the Scholastic Art Competition and I got a silver in the drawing competition, but that was because I was in middle school and I was completion with other middle schoolers, but this time I was competing with other high schoolers," Morris said. "It was completely unexpected, too. I was going to aim for American Vision for next year so I was very surprised when I got it this year because I knew I would be up against high school."

Morris' charcoal drawing is currently on display at the University of Hartford and will stay on display until Feb. 3. From there, it will go to New York and be included in the ART.WRITE.NOW NYC Exhibition put on by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers as part of their Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Morris also has the opportunity to win an American Visions Medal.

Past winners of the competition include Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford and Joyce Carol Oates.

"It's really a big deal for everyone who got this award. Any university and any college know this competition," said her art teacher John Tang. "I never expected that Miranda would win the American Vision award, maybe a Gold Key. It's very good for her. The judge called me and told me 'This is a big award.'"

Morris started art lessons three years ago, working with Tang every other week with a small group of other students. Morris said she worked between 12 and 14 hours on her piece, sized 2 feet by 3 feet, taking inspiration from photos from her childhood, including one taken on a train in China while on vacation with her mother.

"It was loosely based on that photo. I was looking through some old photographs and I found that I never smiled in photographs. So I used some of them as an inspiration for this piece, the expression," Morris said. "I think it was definitely the (facial) expression. It was a mix of that photograph and two others I saw. I thought it would be good to incorporate that into some of my artwork to make it a bit more personal."

Morris said she had worked with oil paints, watercolors and pastels, but "Childhood" was her first work in charcoal. Tang called it a "very traditional medium" and one that can be hard to work with.

"If there's any mistake, you cannot take it off," Tang said. "It's very tough stuff. I just told Miranda to just focus on a small piece and then enlarge it."

Morris does not remember the picture being taken, but her mother, Min Morris, does. Min Morris said her daughter was very tired before the train ride where the picture was taken, and it is impressive how her daughter enhanced the eyes in the drawing.

"I compare the photo I had. The overall figure looks about the same, but if you look at the eyes, they're totally different," Min Morris said. "The eyes just capture her childhood. It really has a good meaning to it."

Min Morris called art her daughter's passion, "not something she needs to practice," and even though she said her daughter is constantly changing her life plans, the high school freshman said she plans to keep art in her life, regardless of where she goes and what she does.

"I'll definitely keep submitting and keep trying different things. Maybe try an oil painting. Keep trying different media, different perspectives," Miranda Morris said.

Educators dominate town's top earners list

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Nine of the town's top 10 earners in 2011 were public school employees.

Top 10 lists from the finance departments of both the town and the schools show Superintendent Gary Richards is the town's highest paid employee at $212,706. The next highest paid employee, Ellen Andrews, the school's director of Human Resources, makes $57,609 less at $155,518. The third and fourth spots are also school administrators: Assistant Superintendent Timothy Canty makes $155,097 and Director of Special Services Ann Paul makes $146,626

The rest of the school administrators on the list are the principals of the various Wilton schools, with the highest paid being Julia Harris at Middlebrook, who makes $145,243 making her the fifth highest paid person in town. Director of Financial Planning for the schools, Ken Post, who makes $144,730, is the sixth highest paid. Cider Mill School Principal Virginia Rico, Miller-Driscoll School Principal Cheryl Gerner and Wilton High School Principal Robert O'Donnell came in at seventh, eighth and 10th, making $140,191, $139,092 and $136,421 respectively.

"I'm not going to comment on the value of one job or another," Post said Thursday. "Every year, we go through the process of comparing our salaries with the salaries of surrounding towns ... and most of the time, they fall below the salaries of neighboring towns," Post said. "We try (to) be as competitive as we can, and keep them as reasonable as possible."

Post said the schools compare salaries with other towns, like Ridgefield, Darien and New Canaan, in Wilton's state-determined demographic group. The state groups towns together across enrollments, affluence and other categories.

The town's highest paid non-schools employee is Sandy Dennies, the town's chief financial officer, at $136,444. She's the ninth highest paid employee. First Selectman Bill Brennan comes in nineteenth, making $123,631.

Police Chief Michael Lombardo is the 14th highest paid person and made $129,539 in 2011. Fire Chief Paul Milositz did not fall within the town's top 20 earners last year, but fire captains James Gies and Karl Dolnier did. The two make $131,440 and $124,845 and rank 12th and 18th respectively.

Along with Lombardo, other police employees in the town's top 20 list include Capt. John Lynch, who comes in at 11th making $131,706, and Sgt. David Collins who made $128,371 and is the town's 15th highest paid employee in 2011. Police Det. Kip Tarrant made $128,371 last year, making him the 16th top earner last year, and Police Deputy Chief Bob Crosby made $126,145, putting him in the 17th spot on the list.

Town Director of Human Resources Sarah Taffel said the town's list is based on gross income for 2011, which inflated salaries for police officer and firefighters, as they are eligible for "extra duty" like construction projects and large gatherings where protective services are deemed necessary. The contractor pays the town back for those services, plus administrative fees.

"We don't pay the extra duty, that's paid by the contactors that hire the officers," Taffel said.

Police and fire are also eligible for overtime pay, shift differentials and longevity stipends.

Department of Public Works Director Tom Thurkettle came in 20th on the list, making $122,550 last year.

Wilton college student hit by car on campus

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A Western Connecticut State University student from Wilton was struck by a car on the school's Danbury campus on Thursday and remained in fair condition at Danbury Hospital on Friday, according to police and hospital officials.

Daniel Fitzpatrick, 21, was getting off a shuttle bus at approximately 5:20 p.m. on Thursday and was in the process of crossing University Boulevard when he was struck by a vehicle driven by commuter student Timothy Silva, according to WCSU police. The accident occurred near the Sand Road bus stop on University Boulevard, according to university police.

Fitzpatrick, who lived on the WCSU campus, was transported to Danbury Hospital directly following the incident, and hospital spokeswoman Diane Burke said the Wilton student remained hospitalized and in fair and condition on Friday -- a condition identified as "favorable" and stable.

WCSU Police Chief Neil McLaughlin said the case is still under investigation, but it doesn't appear that criminal charges will be pursued. The speed limit posted on University Boulevard in that area is 25 miles per hour, he said, and there was "no sign of speeding" in this case. The road conditions Thursday at the time of the incident were wet, McLaughlin said, and it was dark and foggy.

The incident is the second in recent months that a Western Connecticut State student has struck another student.

Brookfield resident Dong Lin, 19, died of injuries he received when he was struck Nov. 22 on a road near the campus. In that case, Danbury police disclosed Friday that Eugene Robinson, 22, of New Britain, has been charged with evading responsibility in a traffic incident resulting in death. Police said Robinson's vehicle struck Lin and then left the scene. Police say he contacted police several days later.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Wilton Police Reports

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Karen Miller, 54, of 255 Kent Road A4 in New Milford, was charged with driving under the influence after police stopped her going southbound on Route 7 near New Street, police said. According to police, Miller was stopped after driving across the double center line and subsequently failed a field sobriety test.

Wednesday, Jan. 18

A 17-year-old Wilton female was charged with third degree assault after police said she punched her mother in the head and grabbed her hair during an argument about school attendance.

Friday, Jan. 20

Cheyla Rodriguez, 21, of 251 Jane Street in Bridgeport, turned herself in on charges of sixth degree larceny stemming from an iPhone stolen from the CVS in Wilton Center in August 2009, police said.

Monday, Jan. 23

Ebony Peterson, 20, of 148 Scofield Avenue in Bridgeport, turned herself in on charges of sixth degree larceny after allegedly stealing approximately $1,000 to $1,200 from Swizzles Frozen Yogurt on 11 River Road, police said. According to police, Peterson took money on six different occasions. Peterson was an employee at Swizzles.

Through college program, teen finds artifact in Redding yard

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

NORWALK -- The archaeology program at Norwalk Community College has unearthed a 4,000-year-old spearhead in a backyard in Redding.

"It's like an arrowhead," said Chelsea Dean, 18, of Fairfield, who discovered the artifact while digging for an introduction course in archaeology.

"The section I was working on had a lot of stuff coming up, but nothing was complete. When the actual projectile point came up, it was the first intact artifact I found."

Professor Ernest Wiegand, who directs the archaeology program, said the white quartz spearhead is the first of its kind to be discovered in Redding, dating to somewhere between 2,000 or 1,800 B.C.

"It may even be older than that," he said.

The artifact is known as a Burwell projectile point, based on the work of archaeologist Lucianne Lavin and Lyent Russell at the Burwell-Karako site near New Haven.

It dates to the Late Archaic period and has been found associated with other point types of the "Narrow Point" tradition in Connecticut.

It was probably used as the tip of a spear.

Dean, a student at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, conducted weekly digs in fall 2011 with archaeologists, NCC students and members of the Archeology Club.

She found the white quarts spearhead just minutes before the group packed up their tools for the close of the season, a spokesperson said.

The archaeology program at Norwalk Community program was founded in 1975 by a professor named Olivia Vlahos. Since then, students and professors have conducted digs at about two dozen sites and discovered well over 200 prehistoric sites in the region, Weigand said.

"One of the things I learned taking the course is that I want to continue with archaeology, whether it's a career or recreational," Dean said. "It can be tedious and tiring working at digs--and you get sore because you are sitting at weird angles--but I think it's really rewarding."

Another ancient prehistoric spearhead was discovered in Wilton in September 2010, unearthed by NCC students Art DeMattio, his son, Matt, 19, and their peer, Emma Crisci, 19. The tool -- dating between 3,000 and 7,500 years old -- could have been used to skin animals for food, or for the tips of projectile weapons. They also found shavings left behind form the carving of stone tools.

The NCC Archaeology as an Avocation Certificate Program is designed to train amateur archaeologists.

The program offers a wide variety of courses including physical geology, forensic science, cultural anthropology, world prehistory, Indians of the Americas, historical archaeology, surveying and advanced techniques in archaeology.

The Archaeology Club at NCC meets for monthly programs and lectures from nationally-renowned members of the field. Laboratory sessions take place ever every Thursday from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Room W015, located below the Atrium of the IT Center of the West Campus building.

For more information, contact NCC Professor Ernest Wiegand at (293)857-7377 or ewiegand@ncc.commnet.edu.

Mysterious wines take center stage at yearly Chamber event

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- To usher in 2012, the Wilton Chamber of Commerce will hold a wine tasting with a twist.

Guests are welcome to attend the "Mystery Wine Dinner" on Feb. 8 at Dina! A restaurant. Each installment of a five-course meal will be paired with a premium, unidentified wine.

The patron who successfully names the highest number of vintage vinos will take home a prize.

The event, which costs $75 for Chamber member and $85 for non-members, will begin at 6 p.m. Seating is limited, so early reservations are highly recommended.

"Our Mystery Wine Dinners were extremely popular when the Chamber organized them several years ago, and we thought it would be fun to re-introduce the event to a whole new group of people," said Carol Johnson, who chairs the program committee.

Johnson called the event "a true gourmet evening not to be missed."

Patrons will be welcomed with champagne and craft cheese, followed by appetizers with white wine and main entrees with red vintages.

A dessert wine will be paired with sweets to conclude the evening.

For more information, visit www.wiltonchamber.com or call (203) 762-0567.

Authorities say alleged murderer found dead in Spanish prison, days after capture

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WESTPORT --Days after police tracked down and captured the man accused of murdering a Westport jeweler and stealing $300,000 in diamonds, he has been found dead in prison, according to authorities.

In a statement Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Madrid said American officials were notified of Andrew Robert Levene's death and that Spanish authorities are investigating. Levene fled the country following the Dec. 8 shooting of 65-year-old Yekutiel Zeevi at his Westport store, YZ Manufacturers LLC, sparking an international manhunt.

"Some might say it was a cowardly thing for him (Levene) to do, but I don't really care, this is a very happy day for me," said Zeevi's wife, Nava. "Who knows how long the trial could have lasted and all of the difficult moments it would have created. He killed himself and justice has been done."

On Tuesday, U.S. officials announced that Levene had been arrested in Spain and was in custody. Levene, 41, was charged with federal murder, robbery and firearm offenses in Zeevi's murder. Zeevi's associate, Ronen Konfino, 48, of New York City was also injured in the attack.

Levene flew from Philadelphia to the international diamond hub of Amsterdam in the Netherlands a few days after the murder. He then continued on to Spain where his wife and two children were residing. A former West Haven resident, Levene had weapon training from time formerly spent as a U.S. Army Ranger. He joined the Army in 1992 at age 21.

Zeevi said she was informed by the Westport police of Levene's death early Thursday.

"Yes, it was shocking news of his suicide, but Kuti and I can find a little peace now," Zeevi said. "He got what he deserved, even if it was self inflicted."

According to published reports, Levene had accumulated a large amount of debt that was possibly a reason for his alleged diamond heist.

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said Levene's suicide is a tragedy for all concerned.

"Not only has the suspect taken the life of a beloved Westport resident and caused immeasurable pain to the Zeevi family and friends here, he has now inflicted the same pain on his own family, also innocents in this tragedy. It is a cowardly confirmation of his guilt."

Joseloff said Levene's death will not diminish the work done by Westport police, state and federal authorities.

"Hours and hours of police work culminating in the arrest should serve as a warning to anyone thinking of committing a similar heinous crime that they will be caught, no matter how difficult and distant the trail," Joseloff said.

Westport police Chief Dale Call echoed Joseloff's sentiments.

"This guy should have come back to face charges," Call said. "A lot of work and effort went into this investigation. It's disappointing."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Schools chief asks for 2.59 percent budget increase

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Superintendent Gary Richards has requested a 2.59-percent budget hike for Wilton's public schools in 2012.

Richards unveiled the document this week, saying it would "prevent the further erosion of the quality of our school system," by allowing Wilton to keep its high-quality employees, boost classroom technology and address safety and health issues.

Yet Richards has not attempted to restore programs lost in past years.

They include the mentor program for Wilton High School freshmen and sophomores, nine classroom teachers, one administrator, one custodian and eight paraprofessionals. New course offerings will again be deferred, as will new textbook proposals and textbook replacements.

Board of Education Chairman Bruce Likly said the budget would move Wilton forward with its District Strategic Plan by investing in "key areas including technology and curriculum and professional development."

The Board of Education is continuing to review the document, he said.

"Our initial impressions are that the superintendent and his team have compiled a thoughtful and comprehensive budget that takes into consideration the district's educational goals, the difficult cuts and deferments we've had to make over the past two years and the economic challenges faced by the town and its citizens," Likly said.

Nearly 60 percent of the budget is comprised of salaries, with 20 percent comprised of employee benefits, 11 percent comprised of supply, equipment and staff training costs, 4.4 percent comprised of transportation costs and 3.9 percent comprised of facility costs.

The budget requests includes savings, as well.

To that end, Richards said the public school system has bid for heating oil and diesel fuel, electric generation, and property insurance with the Town of Wilton. The school system has also combined its self-funded health benefits plan with the town.

School officials found energy savings by installing LED lights in parking lights, motion sensors and software that shuts down computers at night, as well as scaling back on thermostat settings.

From 2003 to 2011, electricity use has dropped by 26 percent. Heating oil use has dropped by 16 percent.

Earlier this month, a panel of arbiters announced that Wilton teachers would go without pay raises in 2012.

The Board of Education will vote on the budget Feb. 9, during a public meeting. Before then, Likly has encouraged community members to voice their opinions on the spending plan. The board will consider that feedback in its decision, he said.

Crossways to go before planning board for reconstruction

staff@thehour.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Crossways Shopping Center is headed to the Planning and Zoning Commission Feb. 13 for a zoning change hearing that could determine the future of the 300 Danbury Road complex.

Crossways, home of various retail stores, medical practices and some apartments, is seeking a change from the general business zone to the Wilton Center District, which would allow the kind of reconstruction project the owners, the Donahue and Mannix families, want.

"(The general business zone) embraces more of what you have in South Norwalk or at Gateway. We're asking (the commission) to change the zoning from general business to Wilton Center, and if we're Wilton Center District, then our business are more conformed, the parking conforms better," said Kevin O'Brien of Wilton County Homes and a representative for Crossways. "Basically, the complex we have fits better to the Wilton Center District than it does to general business."

The three building complex situated across the road from the Wilton Train Station and Wilton Center proper was grandfathered into the current zoning system, allowing it to keep its current mix of businesses and layout. The plan, according to O'Brien, is to knock down and rebuild the buildings in disrepair, reroute the flow of traffic to make it safer and bring in a restaurant, but a construction project like that would cause Crossways to be rezoned into the general business zone. The rezoning would not allow it the flexibility it currently has, residentially and in terms of parking, but being in Wilton Center would. Putting Crossways into Wilton Center would also allow planning and zoning to consider the architecture of the reconstructed buildings.

"What they're looking to do is to continue with the current theme of multiple buildings, sort of maintaining a historic appearance," said Town Planner Bob Nerney. "In order to do that, they seem to think the Wilton Center district would be the better district to proceed with."

Being rezoned into Wilton Center is only part of the plan, however. In order to keep its residential components, Crossways would have to amend the zoning regulations in Wilton Center, as well. The current regulations only allow for a maximum of five "multi-family dwelling units not at street level nor on the first floor of a building." Proposed language would allow a "maximum density of 5 dwelling units per acre or a maximum density of 10 dwelling units per acre on property within 1,000 feet of the Wilton Train Station."

"What they've had over the years, they continue to have residential apartments at that site," Nerney said. They're on the second level above the retail uses, and what they would like to do is they would like to continue to have a residential component."

O'Brien said if the rezoning is not granted, some large national chains, like Walgreens or Panera Bread, have expressed interest in the property -- since general business zoning is more geared toward "bigger stores" -- but the owners are committed to the "village atmosphere."

"We're optimistic. You never know. All the years I've been going to planning and zoning, you never know. We're going to go in there with a low key approach and go in there with arms open and ask them to embrace the plans we have," O'Brien said. "My clients would like to leave something behind, and the village concept is what they would like to leave behind."

The hearing is scheduled for the Feb. 13 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in Town Hall Room A.

Ansell now chairman of Sun Products

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- The Sun Products Corporation, a Wilton-based manufacturer and marketer of fabric care and household care products, this week announced that Jeffrey Ansell, currently president and CEO, has been named chairman of the board, effective immediately.

Ansell succeeds Neil P. Defeo, who is stepping down as chairman but will remain on the board.

Ansell joined Sun Products in spring 2011 as president and CEO and will continue in these roles. He has redefined the company's strategy, created a more robust foundation upon which Sun Products can flourish, and strengthened the brand portfolio through innovation.

"I am honored to have been named chairman," he said. "I thank the Board for this great opportunity and look forward to leading Sun Products on its exciting growth journey."

Ansell most recently served for three years as CEO and member of the board of directors of Pinnacle Foods Group.

Sun Products' portfolio of products are sold under brands that include all, Wisk, Snuggle, Sun, Surf, and Sunlight.

Shays to officially announced Conn. Senate bid

staff@thehour.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

HARTFORD (AP) -- Former Connecticut U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays is making it official and announcing he is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

Shays made his announcement on Wednesday at the Old State House in downtown Hartford, minutes away from the State Capitol where he served as a state representative for 13 years. About 200 people attended the event.

Shays, who once represented the state's 4th Congressional District, which includes Wilton, said he wants to put "the country back on track and our fellow Americans back to work."

Shays' top competition for the GOP endorsement is wealthy former wrestling executive Linda McMahon. There are three other Republicans and three Democrats also hoping to fill the seat now held by the retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Report: Conn. teacher policies need improvement

staff@thehour.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

HARTFORD -- Connecticut's policies to improve the quality of teaching in its public schools are mediocre at best and fall short in efforts to keep the best teachers and remove those who are ineffective, according to a new nationwide assessment of states' regulations.

The National Council on Teacher Quality's new review ties Connecticut at No. 25 nationwide with four other states and the District of Columbia in the progress it has made since 2009 to boost effectiveness of its regulations to ensure strong teachers in its classrooms.

With an overall score of C-minus, Connecticut improved only slightly over the D-plus it received in 2009 from the council, a nonprofit research and policy group based in Washington, D.C.

Connecticut education officials and reform advocates said many of the weaknesses identified are concerns they have already identified and expect to address.

The study used 36 criteria ranging from ensuring teachers are prepared in various subjects to retaining good teachers with appropriate pensions and performance pay; providing professional development; removing ineffective teachers with policies that allow dismissal for poor performance; and reforms to ensure tenure does not block those efforts.

Although Connecticut ranks in the middle of the pack in the review, the report found it excels in certain areas and has policies the council deemed worthy of being followed by other states.

One was teacher preparation in reading instruction. The other involves ensuring people are well-prepared to teach when they enter the profession from other fields through what are called "alternative route to certification" programs.

Connecticut state Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, co-chairman of the legislature's education committee, said he's heartened by the acknowledgment in the reading preparation area, especially since state officials have put a major focus on that.

"We do know how to do things right. We are not doing as much as we ought to, as this report shows," said Fleischmann, whose committee is expected to handle several education reform measures during the upcoming legislative session.

"I'm hopeful that as this administration rolls out its broad education reform agenda, we will be seeking to follow a parallel path for the teaching of mathematics and the teaching of science so our teacher preparation programs and our certification exams all are aligned with scientifically demonstrated best practices," Fleischmann said.

Patrick Riccards, chief executive officer of the New Haven-based school reform association known as ConnCAN -- or Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now -- said Tuesday the report shows that the state has a lot of work ahead.

"We have a real opportunity here," he said. "What we see is that we're not doing well by our teachers. We have an obligation to all of our students to put great teachers in their classrooms and in the same regard, we have an obligation to ensure we're supporting the retention and support of great teachers -- and I think we're failing in both regards."

The National Council on Teacher Quality's review classified Connecticut as "meeting goals" in some other areas.

They included policies on preparation for teaching middle school and secondary school; having enough providers for aspiring teachers to get certification through the alternative programs; and offering professional development to retain effective teachers.

But its progress lagged in several other areas, including ensuring that teachers' tenure is tied to their skills rather than granted automatically; and using data on students' achievement to assess teacher quality.

The report also says Connecticut only meets a small part of the goal toward policies that ensure tenure is tied to student performance, not automatically granted over a certain time period -- in Connecticut's case, after five years of teaching.

Some professional associations and lawmakers also have called for major changes to the tenure system, saying the current process makes it too expensive and difficult to remove ineffective teachers.

Teacher unions agree the system needs to be changed, but they caution that decisions need to be based on fair, frequent and helpful annual evaluations that provide teachers a chance to improve, and don't depend solely on the opinions of administrators who might not be fully trained in evaluating others.

Alleged killer of Westport jeweler apprehended in Spain

staff@thehour.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WESTPORT -- The alleged killer of Westport jeweler Yekutiel Zeevi has been tracked down and arrested in Spain, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Andrew Robert Levene, 41, also known as Robert Thomas, was arrested Monday on federal murder, robbery and firearm charges, following a lengthy investigation into the Dec. 8, 2011 murder inside Zeevi's business, YZ Jewelers.

Levene allegedly made an appointment with Zeevi at his business to view six large diamonds worth approximately $300,000 on the night of the murder. Police say Levene was pretending to purchase the diamonds, when he suddenly pulled out a gun, killing Zeevi and wounding Zeevi's associate, Ronen Konfino, 48, of New York City. Authorities say Levene then fled the scene and flew from Philadelphia to Amsterdam, The Netherlands on Dec. 11, 2011.

"I want to commend the Westport Police, Connecticut State Police, FBI, U.S. Marshal's Service and law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, New York and Spain for their expert, coordinated investigation that has led to the apprehension of this defendant," said U.S. Attorney David B. Fein.

Westport Police Chief Dale Call said he is proud of the effort put in by local, state and federal police regarding Levene's capture.

"We are proud of the efforts of law enforcement officials on the local, state, federal and international level who all contributed to the investigation and apprehension of this suspect," Call said. "We hope that it brings some peace of mind to the victims' families."

Snowy weather causes weekend roll over on Scribner Hill

staff@thehour.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A young woman rolled her car over on Scribner Hill Road over the weekend, just a few blocks over from her residence on Rockhouse Road.

Aleksandra Szczypinska, 22, of 34 Rockhouse Road was driving a 2001 Volvo station wagon on Saturday afternoon, heading south on Scribner Hill with a 5-year-old girl, a 11-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy in the car. Szczypinska lost control of the vehicle, slid into the shoulder and up an embankment before the car rolled over onto its roof, coming to rest in the middle of the road, police said. All occupants were wearing shoulder and lap belts, according to police.

Szczypinska is believed to be the nanny of the three children, as all four listed the same address, according to police.

All four occupants were transported to Norwalk Hospital by Georgetown EMS as a precaution, police said, with no serious injuries reported.

An infraction was issued to the owner, Neil Peterson, 43, also of 34 Rockhouse Road, for unsafe tires, according to police.

Cat of the Week

staff@thehour.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Nick

Nick was dumped at the transfer station -- no place for a cat, with big, noisy trucks and coyotes nearby. Luckily, a shelter volunteer found Nick while taking her trash to the dump. Nick is grateful to have warm digs and nice meals. He is neutered and updated with his shots.

See him online at http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/21683964

Animals in Distress is open for adoption on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., and by appointment. For more information, call (203) 762-2006.

Wilton man turns self in on multiple arrest warrants

staff@thehour.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A Wilton resident turned himself in to Wilton Police on four failure to appear warrants last Wednesday afternoon.

Alexander Orsher, 20, of 55 Wilridge Road, had multiple failure to appear in court warrants stemming from four separate 2011 incidents, one from Wilton and three from Ridgefield. The Wilton incident stemmed from criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief charges from an Aug. 24 incident, where he was a passenger in a vehicle that drove across a resident's lawn, damaging the lawn, police said.

Ridgefield Police could not be reached for comment on his other warrants, though Wilton Police said they were related to motor vehicle arrests.

Orsher posted all bonds and has a Norwalk Superior Court date of Jan. 27 for his Wilton infraction, and a Danbury Superior Court date of Jan. 30 for his Ridgefield infractions.

Norwalk woman hurt in one-car accident in Wilton

staff@thehour.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A Norwalker was injured in a one-car accident on in Wilton over the weekend.

Ranhee Kim, 48, of 20 Betts Place, was driving southbound on Route 7 near the Calico Corners furniture store with an unidentified 18-year-old male assumed to be her son early Saturday morning when she lost control of her 2005 Toyota Camry, police said. According to police, Kim lost control of the car while trying to negotiate a turn and the car slid off the road and through a snow bank before hitting a tree on the driver's side.

Kim was given a ticket for traveling too fast for conditions.

Georgetown Fire and EMS responded to the accident. Police said Kim complained of pain on her left side and was transported to Norwalk Hospital. Kim's injuries were non-life threatening. The 18-year-old did not complain of any pain, but was transported to the hospital as well for observation, police said.

Police said no alcohol was involved.

Revised definition of autism sparks controversy

staff@thehour.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A preliminary report from the Yale School of Medicine suggests that diagnosis and health insurance coverage may be impacted in 2013 when a revised definition of autism goes into effect, spurring the concerns of advocates and families.

"Moms like me, advocates like me, are tremendously concerned," said Shannon Krall, advocacy chair for the Connecticut chapter of Autism Speaks. "We are trying to learn more, and trying to understand how this will play out. But, at this point, we are rallying together to say, we don't support this."

Proposed changes to the definition of autism would be published in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)."

Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine suggested the changes may "affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder," according to a press release. The research was presented during a recent meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association.

"Given the potential implications of these findings for service eligibility, our findings offer important information for consideration by the task force finalizing DSM-5 diagnostic criteria," said Yale Child Study Center (CSC) director Fred Volkmar, who conducted the study with CSC colleagues Brian Reichow and James McPartland.

He added: "Use of such labels, particularly in the United States, can have important implications for service," he said. "Major changes in diagnosis also pose issues for comparing results across research studies."

An average of one in 110 children in the United States have an autism-spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I have a hard time believing that a portion of those children are just not going to exist anymore," said Knall, from the Connecticut chapter of Autism Speaks. "We are going to create a population of individuals who now return to the classification that existed in the 1950s -- an archaic perception that these children are just 'different' or 'weird.'"

The situation is particularly "disturbing" against the backdrop of recent gains, Knall said. They include pilot programs for adults on the autism spectrum to gain employment, and a legislative insurance mandate that requires coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment.

"This could set us infinitely back," Knall said.

Facing declining revenues, state looks to online gambling

staff@thehour.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Facing yet another year of declining revenue, Connecticut has joined neighboring states around New England -- from Maine to Massachusetts -- in considering online gambling as a way to help plug its budget hole.

But local legislators are wary of introducing online wagering in Connecticut for the sake of competition from other states.

"I think we're moving too fast here," said House Minority Leader Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk. "Just because it's happening in other parts of the country does not mean we're going to lose revenue."

"It's not a finite revenue source," he added. "We have to be careful not to move too fast because if we get this wrong we could hurt some very vulnerable people."

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice ruled that intrastate online gambling does not violate federal law. Many states are now looking to legalize Internet gambling as a means of generating revenue.

Rhode Island lottery officials are reportedly exploring the possibility of instituting online gambling, as are legislators in Maine who are eager to profit from this burgeoning industry.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York spoke this month of expanding gambling in his state following remarks by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said he wants to make the Garden State an "epicenter" for the online gambling business.

Connecticut legislators are cognizant of the competition.

"We don't want to sit back if there's other competition from states around us," said state Rep. Stephen Dargan, D-West Haven, chairman of the Public Safety and Security Committee. "I think it's important that we're out in front. We need to look at the positives and the negatives and see if it's good public policy."

Dargan said his committee, which oversees legalized gambling in the state, has invited legal experts, as well as stakeholders from Connecticut's two tribal casinos, to an informational session to be held sometime next month.

"This is a major money issue and there are a lot of players involved," Dargan said.

Figures from the Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division show that legalized gambling of all types generated $653 million for the state last year, more than half of which came from the state's two tribal casinos.

To implement online gambling, Connecticut would have to come to an agreement with Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, which have exclusive right to operate video machines in exchange for 25 percent of their slot revenue.

Chuck Bunnell, chief of staff for external affairs at Mohegan Sun, said the casino has been closely monitoring the issue and is confident that the legislature will act swiftly in authorizing online gambling.

The Mohegan Tribe has testified twice before Congress in favor of legalizing online gambling, he said, adding that a regulated, online gaming industry would add "millions" of dollars to Connecticut's coffers.

"It's happening now," Bunnell said of Internet gaming. "It's unregulated and there is no revenue and no jobs being created in the state by it."

A spokesperson for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the governor's top priorities for 2012 are job creation and education reform. Online gambling is not an issue the governor is prepared to push through the General Assembly in the upcoming legislative session, the spokesperson said.

However, Malloy said earlier this month that he believes online gambling will inevitably come to Connecticut, given the recent federal opinion, and his administration is investigating what can be done to protect jobs associated with the state's two tribal casinos.

"If it moves forward, and it's clearly going to move forward, it's going to be available in Connecticut," he said. "Now we have to decide, in the state of Connecticut, what is our approach to that."

Wilton 'landmark' set to reopen after fire

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A restaurant that has been called a Wilton "landmark" is nearing its grand reopening more than a year after it sustained significant damage in a fire.

Much of the Portofino restaurant was destroyed in the Dec. 12, 2010 fire, but after a lot of work, including gutting the structure, and filing claims with insurance, the Old Post Office Square restaurant is ready to open in "probably a month," according to owner Tony Ramadani.

"We got the big job done. We're just tying it up, the small things," Ramadani said.

The reconstruction project will not come without changes, though. Ramadani said the interior has completely changed, with an expanded dining area, a new bar and an outdoor area that will open when weather permits.

"The whole layout of the restaurant has changed," Ramadani said. "The food is the same. We're just adding stuff to our menu. People are used to that food for so many years -- we have to stay. And plus, we're going to innovate the menu a little too."

The fire, reported by a construction worker in the early hours of Dec. 12, ripped through the kitchen and caused damage to the dining room. It occurred as a result of a poorly placed chimney in the rafters in the pizza area, a situation that deteriorated over time, according to Ramadani.

Before the fire, the restaurant was a Wilton institution. State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-26, a Wilton resident, credited the eatery with keeping the restaurant business alive in Wilton, investing in the town when it was dry.

"I think there's going to be a collective cheer throughout the town of Wilton at the reopening of Portofino's," Boucher said. "It has been one of our first good restaurants that we've had -- and I've frequented it with my children when they were young, when it was just a pizzeria."

Boucher called it a "landmark" and said she will continue to patronize the restaurant when it reopens.

"The Wilton community really misses him. When the doors to open up, they'll be there right away -- I know they will be," Boucher said.

Carol Johnson, vice president of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, also frequented Portofino's before it burned, and said she's been looking forward to its return.

"It's been greatly missed in the year that's it's been gone, and I think a lot of people are very eager for it to open," Johnson said. "I would imagine that he had a very loyal customer base, and that those people are looking forward to having that back in their repertoire of places to dine in town.

"There's been a lot done in the center of town, particularly under (First Selectman) Bill Brennan, to really make it very, very appealing to make it for people to dine here and shop here and walk around here. I think he's done a great job making the center a destination. And of course all our member businesses benefit from that," Johnson said.

In her role with the chamber, Johnson sees Portofino's reopening to be good for the businesses around it.

"One of the chamber's goals is to make Wilton a destination, and the more things we have in town, in the center, particularly to bring people into town, is a good thing for everybody," Johnson said. "Because the more traffic in town, the better it is for everybody."

After Ramadani is done putting the finishing touches on the restaurant, he, much like Boucher and Johnson, expects business to pick up where it left off.

"(Wilton has) been very good to us. And we can't wait to open it up and greet our customers," Ramadani said.

Selectmen mull funding for Ambler Fam project

staff@thehour.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- Ambler Farm's capital project request was met with tepid enthusiasm from the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night, with the panel asking the Friends of Ambler Farm (FOAF) to reconsider funding options.

"I don't think anybody on this board has anything but admiration for the job the board has done and the Friends of Ambler Farm have done to restore (Ambler Farm) over the last 10 years," said First Selectman Bill Brennan. "The reality is, we're looking at, right now, just on bonded capital … we're looking at almost $5.4-million bonded capital that different departments have asked for different funding."

The $500,000 the FOAF asked for in municipal funding would allow Ambler Farm to complete a $1.2-million project to renovate the Raymond Ambler House. Currently the FOAF have $784,000 in funds toward the project, including $450,000 given by the town in 2008. The two-phase restoration process began in 2008, with the first phase nearly completed.

"We hope you'll be open to the idea that the Raymond Ambler farmhouse is an activity with a very long term very positive payoff for our community," said FOAF President Neil Glucken.

Glucken lobbied the selectmen to grant Ambler Farm the money because construction prices are favorable, something Glucken said could not be counted on to continue. And the community is receptive to the farm, he said, with membership at an all time high. Both Glucken and Treasurer James Barker called on the selectmen to look at the farm as "more of an investment than an expense."

"We're a good partner. We're fiscally responsible, we're pretty well managed and we're well-liked around town," Glucken said. "A vote of confidence from the Town of Wilton would send a very strong message to potential donors that we think would encourage them to consider making a major gift."

The $500,000 would come in two $250,000 installments. Getting that money would allow construction to finish by the end of 2013 or possibly early 2014.

"Frankly our concern is, over the years with Ambler Farm it's been 'We need this, OK you come in with half.' It seems to me that most of the money that's gone into Ambler Farm has come from public sources already. So when do we start to see this wonderful support for Ambler Farm?" said Second Selectman Hal Clark. "And I do think it's a wonderful organization, raising significant money. Because if not, it becomes a public effort, and I'm not sure that's fair to the community. With all due respect, we haven't heard a million dollar fund raising plan."

Brennan recommended a four-year split, with Ambler Farm receiving $125,000 per year. Selectman Dick Dubow suggested exploring a challenge grant.

Wilton company enters agreement with SeaWorld

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- A local media company and SeaWorld have entered into a licensing agreement for digital storybooks.

Ruckus Media Group, which already publishes children's storybook iPhone apps featuring My Little Pony and Tonka truck brands, will publish three books in the spring in conjunction with SeaWorld, and more over the course of the three-year deal.

The stories will be based on SeaWorld's animals, education and conservation efforts and attractions.

"We know how to tell stories and how to get children to get interested in reading. And they know conservation and nature and how to get kids to get interested in nature," said Ruckus spokeswoman Deborah Sloan. "We're using their expertise in the area and the natural world. They are a leading expert in all of that."

The deal, which has a portion of the proceeds going to the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, is SeaWorld's first digital publishing venture.

"We're honored to bring SeaWorld into the Ruckus family of mobile educational entertainment, and look forward to creating digital stories and unique experiences that capture the excitement and wonder of the sea," Rick Richter, Ruckus CEO said in a statement. "Our stories continue to spark children's never-ending interest in the natural world."

The statement said the stores are "education and narrative-driven stories, based on nationally recognized curricula," and "are designed to inspire enthusiasm for the natural world and include exclusive photo, video and audio content from SeaWorld."

"Our parks, our animals and our team members make for fascinating stories that entertain as well as educate for a greater purpose," said Jim Atchison, president and chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

The SeaWorld agreement is the second big deal for Wilton-based Ruckus. In September, Ruckus announced a partnership with Scholastic, Inc., allowing Ruckus to distribute some of their stories to readers in a new variety of formats.

Officials look to prevent confusion at the polls after redistricting

staff@thehour.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

WILTON -- The Board of Selectmen continued its discussion of the Registrar of Voters' redistricting plan to its next meeting because of possible confusion about polling places.

The plan, presented Tuesday night by Republican Registrar Tina Gardner and Democratic Registrar Carole Young-Kleinfeld, proposed holding the 125th House district's presidential primary voting at Miller-Driscoll School, before moving the 125th district's polling place to Cider Mill School for the August primaries and the November election. The reason being, despite Miller-Driscoll's inadequacy, the April 24 Republican presidential primary would be held during school hours and moving voting into Cider Mill might necessitate some voters to go through the school during school hours.

"Short term, we will be using Driscoll for the 125th district. That will be our polling place for the Republican primary in April," Gardner said. "For the August primaries, and the presidential election and all future federal, state and municipal elections, we've come to the conclusion that Driscoll School is just not large enough."

The 125th district, currently represented by John Hetherington, moved further into Wilton after state legislators agreed on a redistricting plan in early December. The new 125th district includes Wilton Center. The rest of the town resides in the 143rd district.

"This is a presidential election, and I have been at polling places where people have got off the train, dashed to get out to vote and show up at the wrong polling place," said Second Selectman Hal Clark. "It's incumbent upon us, as elected officials, to make sure that if someone makes that mistake, they've made an enormous effort to make that mistake."

Gardner and Young-Kleinfeld proposed using two town-wide mailings, meetings with local civic groups, posters and a voter look-up system on the town website to notify voters of the changes, especially the one from Miller-Driscoll to Cider Mill.

"There's a great chance to get confusion out here. You can't repeat this enough. We're going to have to really promote this," said First Selectman Bill Brennan. "Even when we haven't changed anything, there are people who just show up at the wrong polls. That could happen this time, but we want to keep it to the bare minimum."

As for the August primaries and the elections, Wilton High School would hold polling for District 1, the northernmost district in town, separated from Districts 2 and 3 by Cannon Road. District 2, the chunk of Wilton represented by the 125th district, would vote at Cider Mill and District 3, which covers much of the southeast part of town, would vote at the Middlebrook School.

Gardner and Young-Kleinfeld asked that their updated plan be heard at the next Board of Selectmen meeting, currently planned for Feb. 6.