Darien Morning Briefing, July 18

Today is Monday, July 18, the 199th day of 2011. Keep an umbrella handy and an eye on the forecast — there's a chance for severe thunderstorms this afternoon.

HEADLINES

EVENTS

• Music by Larry Ayce & Doreen Marie: Today at 12:30 p.m., local musicians Larry Ayce and Doreen Marie will perform at the .
• Come on Everybody: Drop by the today from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. for "a brand new music, story, and silly extravaganza for all ages."
• Pajama Storytime: The library also hosts "Sleepytime Stories," a family pajama story time, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

TIDBITS

• Pop-Up Shop: It's the final week of the  in Noroton Heights (172 Heights Ave.). Drop by between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. for deals on designer brands. Graduating seniors are eligible for an additional 10 percent discount. For details, .
  
• Get Puzzled: Help the library solve the world's largest jigsaw puzzle in record time for a chance to be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

• None scheduled

FORECAST

• Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind between 7 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Monday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 5am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain and frequent lightning. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. 

TIDES & TIMES

• High tide: 1:55 a.m. (7.7')
• Sunrise: 5:36 a.m.
• Low tide: 8:20 a.m. (0.1')
• High tide: 2:22 p.m. (7.6')
• Sunset: 8:23 p.m.
• High tide: 8:41 p.m. (0.6')

TODAY IN HISTORY

• 390 BCE: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls in the Battle of the Allia, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome.
• 1870: The First Vatican Council decrees the dogma of papal infallibility.
• 1955: The first Disneyland theme park officially opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
• 1968: The Intel Corporation is founded in Santa Clara, California.

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.