Darien Morning Briefing: 2.7.12, Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012.

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MORNING EVENT:

Meet Chris Meek, candidate for Congress: The Republican candidate will be holding a coffee at the in Darien Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m.

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HEADLINES:

Chow:

Sports:

EVENTS & REMINDERS

Adults:

• Eating Right to Feel Great: A Panel Discussion: 7 p.m., Darien Library. "What should we be eating? And how much? Local or organic? Our panel of nutrition experts will help address these food issues and more, including overeating, portion-size awareness, making healthful food choices for your family, the benefits of plant-based living, and how to be a budget organic. Healthy snacks will be provided by Whole Foods Market."—from the library's announcement.
• Business After Hours: 5-7 p.m., Red Door Spas Elizabeth Arden: $15 for prepaid members, $20 for nonmembers and members at the door: "Network, relax, and connect with others. New members of the Darien Chamber of Commerce are coming every week. Become a member today!"—from on Darien Patch.
• THURSDAY: New Year, New You: Resolve to Keep Those New Year’s Resolutions! 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., , 274 Middlesex Rd. A "community fair featuring information on stress relief (yoga and meditation), health and wellness, career counseling, money management and getting organized.—Darien Library announcement.
• Get Free Tickets Now for USAF Falconaires Jazz Concert: The U.S. Air Force Academy Jazz Ensemble will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m., March 3 at Darien High School, but tickets, which are free, must be reserved in advance, so get them now, while they last. You can get a maximum of four. For more details, se the Darien Patch .

Kids:

• Register for Leapin' Lizards: Cost: $532, 9:30 to 11:45 p.m., Mondays or Thursdays, starting Feb. 27 at : An "'animals in motion' inspired class" for 3- and 4-year-olds.—from the on Darien Patch. 
•  Meet South American Animals: Stamford Museum & Nature Center: 6 to 6:45 pm (Ages 3 - 6) 7 - 8 pm (Ages 6 & older) "Join Chris Evers, director & founder of Animal Embassy, for this exciting look at the incredible and varied wildlife of South America. Meet a variety of South American Animal Ambassadors."— on Darien Patch 
• Two free swiming classes at the YMCA: "For two weeks in February (February 6 - 10 and Feb 13 - 17) the YMCA's aquatic department will be offering complimentary parent/child swim classes on weekday mornings."— on Darien Patch.
• Create a video about a book you like, and enter it in the StoryTubes competition to win a prize. This week, Darien Library will have video equipment available for kids and teens from 5 to 18 years old to create their video, which can be entered into a competition from Jan. 20 to Feb. 20. The video equipment is available today from 1 to 6 p.m.

Teens:

• Darien High School Schedule for a "Modified C" day: 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6
• Today is "Course Recommendation Day": "We will follow a modified all periods meet schedule."—announcement on the high school website.
• WEDNESDAY: Auditions for the DHS Tudor Singers "will be held this Wednesday, February 8 from 6-8 pm in room F017. Students should pick up the audition music and sign up for a time outside room F017 today after school. See Mr. Andrade for more information."—announcement on the high school website
• DHS Principal's Newsletter: Winter edition
• February Doings at the Depot (calendar)
• WRITING COMPETITION: For this third annual event sponsored by library, there is "$100 for the winner in each age group and category, You will also have the opportunity to meet with published authors and have your work printed and read by a large audience. And can you imagine putting this on your college applications?" Poetry, fiction and nonfiction are all accepted. If you have any questions, call Erica at 669-5225. [...] To enter email your entry along with the application form to teenstaff@darienlibrary.org beginning on Jan. 1.  Participants have until Feb. 28 to enter for a chance to win cash prizes.  An awards ceremony will conclude the competition on Saturday, March 31."—from the Darien Library website.
• VIDEO COMPETITION: Create a video about a book you like, and enter it in the StoryTubes competition to win a prize. This week, the library will have video equipment available for kids and teens from 5 to 18 years old to create their video, which can be entered into a competition from Jan. 20 to Feb. 20. The video equipment is available today from 1 to 6 p.m.

DARIEN PLAYHOUSE SHOWTIMES

• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: 7 p.m. (2 hrs., 9 min.)—IMDb—trailer—HD trailer—Rotten Tomatoes—Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor: Max von Sydow
• The Descendants: 7 p.m. (1 hr., 55 min.)—IMDb—trailer—HD trailer—Rotten Tomatoes—Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, George Clooney; Best Director, Alexander Payne; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Editing

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

All meetings take place in , 2 Renshaw Rd., unless otherwise noted. Since Darien town government provides no reliable, centralized list of town government meetings, and there is not enough time in the day to go searching for them, this list may well be incomplete:

• Sewer Commission, 4:30 p.m., Room 206
• Monuments & Ceremonies Commission, 3:30 p.m., Room 206
• Board of Education, 7 p.m., Auditorium, public hearing on the budget
• CommitteeTown Government Structure & Administration Committee of the Representative Town Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Room 213
• Board of Selectmen, 7:30 p.m., Room 119
• Planning & Zoning Commission, 8 p.m., Room 206

FORECAST as of 11:55 p.m., Sunday (update)

• Tuesday: "Sunny, with a high near 48. North wind between 7 and 13 mph."
• Tuesday Night: "Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. North wind between 6 and 9 mph."

INTERSTATE 95 TRAFFIC CAMS

See also Darien Patch's "Traffic & Gas Prices" page.

• Stamford: southbound, Exit 8 - Elm St.

• Stamford: northbound, south of Exit 9 - Lockwood Ave.

• Darien southbound, north of Exit 9 - Darien Service Plaza

• Darien northbound Exit 12 - Tokeneke Rd.

• Darien northbound, south of Exit 13 - Darien Service Plaza

• Darien southbound, Exit 13 - Rt. 1 (Boston Post Rd.)

• Norwalk southbound, Exit 15 - Stuart Ave.

• Norwalk Rt 7 south of Exit 1 - Connecticut Ave.

• Norwalk northbound, Exit 15 - Rt. 7

TIDES & TIMES

• Sunrise: 6:59 a.m.
• Sunset: 5:17 p.m.

• Low tide: 4:43 a.m. (-0.5') 
• High tide: 10:45 a.m. (7.7')
• Low tide: 5:13 p.m. (-0.7')
• High tide: 11:13 p.m. (7.5')

HOW TO USE PATCH:

Forecast obtained from the National Weather Service; tide information obtained from saltwatertides.com (calibrated to Long Neck Point).