Darien Morning Briefing, Sept. 20

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2011.

HEADLINES

EVENTS & REMINDERS

• Short Stories for Short Days: Carroll Stenson leads a weekly discussion on short stories at the 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.
• Story times: The library hosts two story times today. First from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. is Toddler Tales, intended for walkers up to 36 months and their caregivers. Then from 6:15 to 6:45 a.m. is Sleepytime Stories, intended for children 2 to 6 years old and their families.
• American Flag Project: From now until Oct. 1, a photographic exhibit by Steven Willard titled "" will be on display in the library's art gallery.
• Children of the Desert: From now until Oct. 29, the  hosts "Bana Ba Motlhaba: Children of the Desert," featuring photographs by Dave Hamman and Botswanan crafts. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

DARIEN PLAYHOUSE SHOWTIMES

• Contagion: 7:00 p.m. (1 hr. 45 min.)
• The Help: 7:00 p.m. (2 hr. 17 min.)

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

• TV79 Advisory Board: 7:30 p.m., room 119
• Board of Finance: 7:30 p.m., room 206
• Architectural Review Board: 8:00 p.m., room 213 [agenda]

FORECAST

• Tuesday: Scattered showers, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 70. West wind between 6 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tuesday night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

TIDES & TIMES

• High tide: 5:25 a.m. (6.3')
• Sunrise: 6:39 a.m.
• Low tide: 11:34 a.m. (1.5')
• High tide: 5:39 p.m. (6.9')
• Sunset: 6:55 p.m.

TODAY IN HISTORY

• 1187: Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem.
• 1633: Galileo Galilei is tried before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for teaching that the Earth orbits the Sun.
• 1891: The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States.
• 1946: The first Cannes Film Festival is held.
• 1973: Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes tennis match at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
• 2001: In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, U.S. President George W. Bushdeclares a "war on terror."

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.