Darien Morning Briefing: 3.14.12, Wednesday

THIS MORNING:

• Darien High School coaches and district athletic directors will be Middlesex Middle School at 9:15 a.m. "to discuss the various high school sports offered. The panel discussion will focus on the commitment the high school sports require, the opportunities they offer, and some of the issues facing the DHS athletic teams today."—from the announcement on Darien Patch.

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Today is Wednesday, March 12, 2012.

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HEADLINES:

• Pro-Spending Message at Finance Board Hearing

• More Now Public on Cops' Contract [UPDATE]

• Do You Have a Chip on Your ... Lunch Plate?

• Moms as Life-Long Learners

• Darien's Ostberg Excels at New Balance Nationals

• NBC News Seeking Teens for Show

• What Do Colleges Look for in Applicants?

EVENTS & REMINDERS

Adults

• Insights into the New York Philharmonic & Metropolitan Opera—at the Darien Community Association 
• 'Meet Us on Main Street' Book Talk—at Darien Library 
• Earth Renewed -- the Magic of Spring: Exhibit at Geary Gallery
• LIVESTRONG FONDUE-Raiser (Open to the Public)—at 5 p.m. in
• WEEKEND: Play: "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean": 8 p.m., Darien Arts Center. $25 for adults; $20 for seniors and students. "In a small town dime store in West Texas, the "Disciples of James Dean" gather for their twentieth reunion. Now middle-aged women, they were teenagers when Dean filmed Giant two decades ago in nearby Marfa. One of them, an extra in the film, has a child whom she says was conceived with Dean during the shoot."—from the on Darien Patch

Parents:

• Darien High School coaches and district athletic directors will be Middlesex Middle School at 9:15 a.m. this morning "to discuss the various high school sports offered. The panel discussion will focus on the commitment the high school sports require, the opportunities they offer, and some of the issues facing the DHS athletic teams today."—from on Darien Patch. 
• REGISTER: APRIL 2: TALK: "Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys": Free, 7 to 9 p.m., Monday, April 2, Darien High School Auditorium. "Michael Thompson, Ph.D. studies the risk factors that affect the lives of boys, from learning disorders to peer pressure. He will be presenting his findings and taking questions from parents, educators, and caregivers. Dr. Thompson is the author of several books on boys and childhood development and has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC’s 20/20, and CBS’ 60 Minutes."—from the library announcement—Thompson's website—REGISTER HERE (free)

Kids:

• 7,8 Create!: 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., Darien Library. "Attention seven- and eight-year-olds: this is just for you! Join us for a weekly drop-in program on Wednesdays at 4:15. Enjoy books, crafts, activities, and games."—library announcement
• Playing on IMAX at the Maritime Aquarium: 3 p.m. today, "Search for Great Sharks"; 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays and 7:40 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol".—Maritime Aquarium web page.
  

Teens:

• Darien High School schedule: "H" Day: Classes begin at 10:35 a.m. Periods: 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7
• "The Blue and White Dance is Friday, March 16th at 7:00 PM in the Main Gym. Tickets are $10, and will be on sale all week during lunches in the cafeteria."—announcement on Darien High website.
• We Love Wednesdays: 3 p.m., Teen Lounge, Darien Library. "[V]arious crafts and cool programs."—library announcement
• "Interested in being a part of the DHS-China Exchange next year? Applications are now available. Submit completed applications by April 4th. Contact Mrs. Armiger with questions."—Darien High School website
• AP test registration: "Students who wish to take an AP test must register the week of March 12-16, in the cafeteria during lunch periods.  The registration fee is $95 per test; cash is accepted or a check can be made out to Darien High School.  The registration form should be downloaded, completed and brought with your registration fee.  Any registrations submitted after March 16th should be brought to Guidance and will have a $50 late fee, per test, added.  Please see your counselor or your AP teacher if you have any questions."—Darien High School website
• The March edition of Neirad
• Darien Depot March Calendar
  

DARIEN PLAYHOUSE SHOWTIMES

• John Carter: 7:15 p.m., PG-13 (2 hr. 19 min.)—IMDb—trailer—trailer—Rotten Tomatoes
• The Lorax: 4 and 7 p.m., PG-13 (1 hr. 26 min.)—IMDb—trailer—Rotten Tomatoes

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:

• Board of Education, 7:30 p.m., Board meeting room, Darien Public Schools offices in Town Hall (agenda)
• Weed Beach Building Committee, 7:30 p.m., Room 119
• Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:45 p.m., Room 206 (agenda)
  

FORECAST (update)

• Wednesday: "Sunny, with a high near 63. West wind between 3 and 10 mph."
• Wednesday Night: "Clear, with a low around 44. North wind between 3 and 7 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: 7:06 a.m.
• Sunset: 7:00 p.m.

• High tide: 4:44 a.m. (7.7')
  
• Low tide: 11:24 a.m. (-0.1')
• High tide: 5:23 p.m. (6.7') 
• Low tide: 11:43 p.m. (0.4)

HOW TO USE PATCH:

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