Darien Morning Briefing, Aug. 9

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 9, the 221st day of 2011.

HEADLINES

EVENTS & REMINDERS

• Technology Petting Zoo: Drop by the from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. to try out the latest gadgets, including Nooks, Kindles, iPads, GPS, digital cameras, MP3 players, and more. The library's technology experts will be on hand to offer tips and advice.
• How to Create a Writer's Platform: From 7 to 8:30 p.m., author Adair Heitmann will deliver a lecture for writers at the library on "what a platform is, why it is important to have one, and how to find your niche." Heitmann's work appears in three anthologies and has been published in over 30 magazines and newspapers.
• Short Stories for Long Days: Carroll Stenson leads a weekly discussion on short stories at the library from 3 to 4 p.m. Copies of the stories are available for pickup at the Welcome Desk during the week prior to each meeting.
• Currier & Ives Exhibit: The 's exhibit "A Collection of Currier & Ives" continues today and runs through Sept. 9. The show features 22 lithographs by the iconic printmaking firm on loan from the Ziegler Family. The society is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• DCA Closed: The  is closed through Friday, Aug. 12.

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

• None scheduled

FORECAST

• Tuesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Northeast wind around 7 mph becoming southeast. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Tuesday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., then a chance of showers after 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind between 7 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. 

TIDES & TIMES

• Low tide: 2:28 a.m. (0.3')
• Sunrise: 5:57 a.m.
• High tide: 8:23 a.m. (6.8')
• Low tide: 2:39 p.m. (0.7')
• Sunset: 8:01 p.m.
• High tide: 8:47 p.m. (7.8')

TODAY IN HISTORY

• 48 BC: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey in the Battle of Pharsalus.
• 1892: Thomas Edison receives a patent for a two-way telegraph.
• 1944: The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council release posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time.
• 1974: Richard Nixon leaves office after announcing one day earlier that he would resign as President of the United States.
• 2001: President George W. Bush announces his support for federal funding of limited research on embryonic stem cells.

Forecast obtained from the National Weather Service; tide information obtained from saltwatertides.com (calibrated to Long Neck Point); 'Today in History' items compiled from Wikipedia and other sources.