Monday, March 20th from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m The food pantry is sponsored by the Connecticut Food Bank, the Stratford Department of Health, and the YMCA.
The Food Bank takes place on every other Monday, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and they are asking that cars line up on College Street.
You are also asked to bring your own reusable bag. There will be 1 bag per household distributed. Please bring identification if a second household is in the car.
CTRides: Free Bus Service thru March 31st. See Connecticut free. Plan your trip.
Saturday, March 18th, Walnut Beach in Milford at 10 a.m. Leprechaun Leap sponsored by Literacy Volunteer of Southern CT. “Leapers” from around our community will run, jump or dive into the icy cold waters at Walnut Beach. There’s always plenty of room for spectators to come down to the beach to watch and cheer. Watch the competitions between local high school students and teachers, civic groups, restaurants, local businesses, canines and many more who will make the “leap” into Long Island Sound
Sunday, March 19th, Stratford’s popular Restaurant Week kicks-off on Sunday, March 19th and runs through Saturday, March 25th. Over two dozen Stratford restaurants are preparing to showcase the best of Stratford’s dining scene. Sterling House offering free babysitting.
Sunday, March 19th The Shakespeare Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to food and crafts this Sunday the Brennan-Lucey Irish Dance Academy is coming to town to put on a show for us! THREE years in a row from the very beginning of the market they have wowed everyone! See ya at 1850 Elm Street Stratford from 10-2.
Swimming lessons at Flood Pool sponsored by the Stratford Recreation Department. Lessons will be on Monday and Wednesday from March 20th to April 5th.
Donate Blood at the VFW Community Blood Drive on Thursday, March 23rd from 1p.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 28th, Birdseye Municipal Complex, from 11a.m. – 12 p.m. Join the Stratford Health Department and the Hispanic Health Council for a free 4-week session on Nutrition Health. The Session will be on Food Labels. To register or for more information contact: Walter Owusu, wowusu@townofstratford.com, 203-385-4090
Save The Date Stratford Events:
March 25th: Boogie at the Brewery to benefit Sterling House Community Center. Sold Out!!! Way to go Stratford.
Stratford Rotary Annual Rib Night, Friday April 14th, Vazzano’s Four Seasons 6 -10 p.m. Dinner, Cash Bar, DJ, Games, Raffles and Silent Auction Sign up, bring friends, eat Johnny’s Famous Ribs (vegetarian also being served). For information go to: http://StratfordRotaryRibNight.com
May 20th the Goody Bassett Ball fundraiser for the Stratford Historical Society. Tickets available beginning March 15th. Ball will be on Saturday, May 20th, from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at Vazzano’s Four Seasons. $80 per person or $750 per table of ten.
Celebrate Stratford 2023 Events
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The Stratford Library Board is currently requesting donations for its annual book sale. Contributors are urged to recycle their good books to share with others and help the Stratford Library increase their book purchase fund at the same time. The book sale fund-raiser is being organized this year by the SLA Board of Trustees under co-chairmen Shelley Hall and Doreen Jaekle.
Donations of good hard cover books and paperbacks, fiction or non-fiction as well as sound and video recordings, can be brought to the library. A special book collection bin is on site in the Main Lobby. The book sale workers encourage residents to donate their biographies, cookbooks, poetry, plays, travel, mystery, science fiction, children’s books, etc. Premium condition books and children’s materials are especially appreciated this year.
No magazines, Readers Digest condensed books or text books of any kind can be accepted. Patrons requiring help to unload cars must call 203.385-4166 prior to their delivery in order for the library to arrange assistance. Donations will be accepted beginning Wednesday, February 1st through May 21st.
Current library hours are Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday – Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.. The book donation bin is located in the library’s Main Lobby adjacent to the Main Street entrance.
For further information, call 203.385-4161 or check the library website at: www.stratfordlibrary.org.
By Bonnie Goldberg
What might happen when emotions, morals and religion clash, crash and collide? What feelings might that clash awaken in you, especially if you have a relationship with the Catholic Church? Fasten your seat belts for a wildly and dramatic ride that will expose you to what theater is capable of presenting.
If you are the Mother Superior at a convent, what might you think if a novice nun claims the baby she gave birth to is the result of an immaculate conception like Mary and Jesus and that this is a virgin event. Even more mystifying, what if the novice has no memory of the event and can explain none of it.
When that baby is found dead, what might your feelings be? The resulting investigation causes an explosion of beliefs between the Mother Superior and the female psychiatrist assigned to discover the truth and you, the audience, are firmly trapped in the dramatic debate about Agnes and what really happened.
Artistic Director Tom Holehan of the Square One Theatre Company of Stratford has assembled a talented cast of three to perform this gem of a play written in 1979 by John Pielmeier. The playwright read a newspaper story about a nun and her baby and used that as the starting point for “Agnes of God.” Holehan will be exposing and exploring all the possibilities and explanations, rational, religious, miraculous and unbelievable at the theatre located at Stratford Academy.
Lucy Babbitt is the commanding Mother Superior Miriam Ruth who wants to protect Agnes and avoid a scandal. What responsibility does she play in Agnes’s dilemma? And what of Agnes’s mother, a woman who drank and isolated her daughter from the world and filled her head with insecurities and negative feelings? Priscilla Squiers’s role as Dr. Martha Livingstone is to determine the truth through gentle questioning of Agnes and even hypnosis. And what of Sister Agnes, a tormented Celine Montaudy, who doesn’t remember or understand the trauma she experienced?
For tickets ($22, seniors and students $20, front row $25),call Square One at 203-375-8778 or online at www.squareonetheatre.com.
Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Talkbacks will occur after the 4 p.m. performances at the theatre, and on Tuesday, March 28th at noon at the Lovell Room of the Stratford Library.
Come bear witness to Agnes and her puzzling predicament and relationship with her mother and with God. Agnus Dei means Lamb of God and Agnes looks to God to be her shepherd and help her find answers.
The Stratford Library is proud to announce that it has become an official hub for the Connecticut State Library for Accessible Books. CT LAB is a network library of the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). CT LAB lends books and magazines in audio and braille formats, for free, to any Connecticut resident who is unable to read regular print due to a visual, reading, or physical disability.
Stratford Library patrons and people from neighboring communities are encouraged to complete an individual application for the free service. Applications are available at the Library along with a lobby display showing what the audiobooks and players look like. After an application is approved, CT LAB will mail materials directly to the registered patron’s residence. CT LAB patrons may also elect to use the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service to download materials using a computer or the BARD mobile app.
The CT Library for Accessible Books is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library. For further information, call the Stratford Library at 203.385.4164 or visit: www.ctstatelibrary.org/ctlab.
Photo Caption: A display highlighting the Stratford Library’s role as a CT LAB hub is currently on display in the Library’s main lobby
Cover Photo By Sigmund
March Storytimes: The Children’s Department offers weekly storytimes for children of different ages. Storytimes meet at 10:30 a.m.
Enjoy early literacy activities and meet other families at Library storytimes! Registration required: visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Cursive Camp: On Tuesday March 21st, the Stratford Library will offer a program teaching the basics on how to write in cursive for children ages 7-12 at 4 p.m. Each week they will learn how to write different cursive letters. Registration required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Seed Grab N’ Go:
The Stratford Library is offering Seed Library grab & go’s with pickups every two weeks this spring. Sign up for flowers and greens starting in March. All ages welcome, pickups are in the Children’s Department. Registration required: visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
LEGO Club:
The Stratford Library will offer LEGO Club on Saturday, March 25th at 2 p.m. for ages 5-12. Come build some Lego creations with friends! Lego Club will meet in the Children’s Department. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Irish Dancing: Celebrate an early St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 16th, and join the Stratford Library in learning some basic Irish dance steps in the Children’s Department at 4 p.m. The program is for ages 6-12. Sneakers should be worn. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Treehouse Science:
The Stratford Library Children’s Department is offering science activities in person on Saturday, March 18th at 2:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, March 21st from 1-3 p.m. at the new Treehouse STEAM table. Each date will feature different activities. All children ages 8-12 are welcome. Registration required on the Library’s website at stratfordlibrary.org. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Family Bingo:
Join the Stratford Library for some Bingo fun on Sunday, March 19th at 2 p.m. for children in the Children’s Department. Play for fun and prizes. Your grownup can play along with you! To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Alphabet Parade Grab & Go:
The Stratford Library is offering Alphabet Parade grab & go’s on March 23rd for children ages 2-5. The crafts feature the letter “N”. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Book Scientists Adventures:
Journey into the land of adventures in a Book Scientists grab & go for children ages 3-12 available starting March 24th from the Stratford Library. Kits include books and activities. Books are selected based on the age of the child participating. When you are done, return the Library books by their due date and keep everything else! To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Nutmeg Book Group:
Stratford Library is offering the Nutmeg Book Group for readers in grades 4 to 6. March’s pick will be The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez. Read the book & then join us for a book discussion & other activities on Monday, March 27th at 7:00 pm on Zoom. Book provided to registered participants courtesy of the Carol Pieper Memorial Fund. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Kids Coding:
Join the Stratford Library Children’s Department for Coding Club on Tuesday, March 28 at 4 p.m. for ages 8 to 12. Try a variety of different scratch coding projects. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Retirement Cards for Miss Tess:
Miss Tess will be retiring this April from the Stratford Library Children’s Dept. Come ask us for materials to make her some Happy Retirement cards. These cards are in thanks for her many contributions over the years, from story times and art classes, to grants, outreach activities, and many more. Card materials available at the Children’s Department desk.
Are you ready for Spring Cleaning? Sterling House annual Saver Drive will begin on Friday March 18th. Clean and sale-able clothes, household textiles, and small household goods.
Spring Soccer registration ends on March 20th. Register on-line at sterlinghousecc.org/soccer
www.stratfordstorm.com Games begin April 1st.
-Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing youth sports in America
-Stratford Storm Lacrosse offers programs for boys and girls in grades K through 8
-Stratford Storm Lacrosse does its best to give back to its families with added events such as free clinics throughout the year, and a season ending banquet
Visit the Stratford Storm Lacrosse You Tube page. If you’ve never played or watched the game of lacrosse, here is your chance to see what it looks like:
Stratford Storm Lacrosse – YouTube
Facebook – Stratford Storm Lacrosse
Instagram – storm_lacrosse2002
By Norah Christian
I always laugh out loud when I read this poem. It is funny, but O’Hara is also being ironic in that he’s pointing out how addicted we are, how we feed on the trivial news of our rich and famous. Lana Turner (1921 – 1995) was an American actress who achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized wild personal life. We could substitute for her name the names of many of our own current celebrities.
It’s just an ordinary morning for our narrator— He’s going to meet someone, it’s raining, traffic is bad—when suddenly he sees on a newsstand: “LANA TURNER HAS COLLAPSED.” He’s both excited and dismayed. He tells us he himself has been to parties where he acted “perfectly disgraceful,” but Lana, she really embarrassed herself. Still, he’s titillated and even more adoring of her because of this new incident. “Oh Lana Turner we love you get up.” You gotta laugh.
By Frank O’Hara – 1926-1966
Lana Turner has collapsed!
I was trotting along and suddenly
it started raining and snowing
and you said it was hailing
but hailing hits you on the head
hard so it was really snowing and
raining and I was in such a hurry
to meet you but the traffic
was acting exactly like the sky
and suddenly I see a headline
LANA TURNER HAS COLLAPSED!
there is no snow in Hollywood
there is no rain in California
I have been to lots of parties
and acted perfectly disgraceful
but I never actually collapsed
oh Lana Turner we love you get up
Frank O’Hara was a dynamic leader of the “New York School” of poets, From the beginning O’Hara’s poetry was engaged with the worlds of music, dance, and painting. Frank’s fame came to him unlooked-for.” His recognition came in part because of his early death, the somewhat absurd and meaningless occasion of that death (he was run down by a beach taxi on Fire Island), the prominence and loyalty of his friends, the renown of his own personality, and above all, the exuberant writings themselves. His casual attitude toward his poetic career is reminiscent of the casual composition of many of the poems themselves. One of his poems, “Poem (Lana Turner has collapsed!),” for example, was written on the Staten Island Ferry in route to a poetry reading, and his most important statement of poetics, “Personism,” was written in less than an hour while the friend who requested it, was on his way across town to pick it up.
Brakettes Legend Donna LopianoSources: Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame
Induction Category: Sports Inducted: 1995
When Donna Lopiano was a child she dreamed of becoming a New York Yankee. So it comes as no surprise that, at the age of eleven, after making the Little League team, she stood gleefully in line to receive her navy and white pinstripe uniform—that is until a local father approached her with a Little League rulebook and pointed out that girls were not allowed to play. Before this moment, Lopiano was used to playing ball with all of the boys on her street. She was treated with respect as a player and grew confident in her skills. It was this confidence that kept Lopiano going, even when she was told she couldn’t play because of her gender. It was also with this self-assurance that Lopiano made a name for herself as one of the nation’s foremost advocates for gender equity in sports.
Donna Lopiano was born in Stamford, to Thomas and Josephine Sabia Lopiano. The fact that their oldest daughter was a self-proclaimed tomboy did not phase them at all. Not only did they not discourage their daughter, but some of their actions also suggest they actively encouraged her. When Lopiano received her first Holy Communion, her gift from her parents was a baseball glove. First-generation Italian-Americans, Lopiano’s parents were restaurant owners living an American dream that demanded them to be hardworking and they did not mind if their daughter was outside playing baseball with the boys every night, so long as she had goals and never lost sight of her education.
Even though her parents supported her, the Little League incident made it clear that not everyone was a champion for young girls playing sports traditionally reserved for young boys. Opportunities to continue playing were harder to come by than Lopiano could have foreseen, but she persisted. At the age of sixteen, she was presented with the opportunity to play for the Brakettes, a national championship women’s softball team located in Stratford.
By the following year, Lopiano found herself touring Europe and Asia with a team of women she came to view as strong mentors. Throughout the years, she would look to a lot of her teammates, many of whom were older than she, as role models, including fellow player, and softball legend Joan Joyce. Between tournaments, Lopiano finished high school and pursued her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Southern Connecticut State University. She would also receive her doctorate from the University of Southern California in 1972, the same year she helped lead the Brakettes to a national title.
After the 1972 season, Lopiano left the Brakettes after only ten years, a career some people considered relatively short, but Lopiano had other dreams to pursue. She had earned a position as an assistant athletic director at Brooklyn College, where she also enjoyed coaching basketball, volleyball, and softball. In 1975, she moved to Austin, TX to become the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women at the University of Texas. Here, her programs for women athletes won eighteen national championships in six sports and produced 314 All-Americans. As Lopiano herself was always committed to her studies, she made sure that her athletes were, too. Under her guard, the mean SAT scores of her players went up 100 points.
Lopiano became known for holding her coaches responsible both for winning and for insuring the satisfactory progress of their athletes toward a degree. She also made major strides in achieving financial equity for her programs, with most women coaches receiving the same salaries as their male counterparts.
In 1992, Lopiano became the Chief Executive Officer for the Women’s Sports Foundation and made it her mission to ensure school athletic programs throughout the country were compliant with Title IX. She maintained this role until 2007.
Lopiano is the author of dozens of publications, holds two honorary doctorates, and in 1995 was noted as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Sports” by Sporting News. In addition to the Softball Hall of Fame, Lopiano has been inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and is a member of the national honors committee of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Donna Lopiano is the founder and president of Sports Management Resources, a firm that links experienced consultants with schools to help build strong athletic programs. She continues to highlight women in athletics through articles and interviews and maintains the fight to provide young women with opportunities in athletics.
“No child should ever be told that they cannot pursue their dreams.”
-Donna Lopiano
