This year’s St. Luke’s scholars, from left, back row: Alex Levy, of Bedford; Kat Adams, of Norwalk; Brian Beaumonte, of Westport; Skye Andersen, of Wilton; Nick Jodka, of New Canaan; Brian Stute, of Darien; Henry Seth, of New Canaan; Erik Eveland, of New Canaan; Kit Hamill, of New Canaan; Caleigh Steele, of Norwalk; Sarabeth Davis, of New Canaan; and Grace O’Halloran, of New Canaan. Front row: Will Bralower, of Stamford; Chris Bloomer, of Darien; Bailey Vehslage, of Wilton; Sally Clayton, of New Canaan; Becca Leonard, of Wilton; Addi MacKenzie, of New Canaan; Henry Vehslage, of Wilton; and Eliza Posner, of New Canaan.

Wiltonians Becca Leonard, Bailey Vehslage, Henry Vehslage and Skye Anderson were among the 20 seniors at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan who shared their final Scholars Program presentations during the annual Scholars Symposium on April 14.

The Scholars Program is a year-long, interdisciplinary research project that earns participating students honors distinction.

Throughout the year, faculty advisers work with each student on his or her project in one of three areas — classical, global or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The four Wiltonians were named Global Scholars, which means they each completed in-depth analysis of a global issue, extensive language study and an interdisciplinary capstone project. Their projects were as follows:

• Becca — Gender, Culture, and Women’s Health: A Look Into India, Senegal, and Colombia.
• Bailey — Modern Slavery: The Kafala System and The Migrant Workers’ Rights Crisis in The Persian Gulf Region.
• Henry — Population Aging: Causes and Effects on Global Healthcare.
• Skye — The International Oil Conflict: A Relationship Between Developed Nations’ Involvement and the Fragility of a Nation.

Click here to learn more about St. Luke’s School’s Scholars Program.

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With the end of the school year in sight, The Bulletin would like to line up its Warrior Words columnists for next year.

All Wilton High School incoming seniors are invited to apply. Please submit a sample column of about 400 words.

Selected columnists write 500 to 600 words every four to five weeks — depending on how many writers we have — on a subject of their choosing.

The only requirement is the subject matter relate in some way to school or life in Wilton.

Please email entries to editor@wiltonbulletin.com to reach us by Friday, May 6. A decision will be made shortly thereafter.

All entries will be acknowledged. If an entrant does not hear from a Bulletin staffer they should call 203-894-3330.

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Wilton’s Blue Star Bazaar will open a second location at Westfield Mall in Trumbull over Mother’s Day weekend. The store is a boutique for women, tweens, and children that offers clothing, accessories and gifts.

According to a press release, the new location will feature a “selective mix of brands that cannot be found elsewhere at the mall.”

“I think the Trumbull mall will be a great fit for Blue Star Bazaar,” owner and Wilton resident Megan LaBant Abrahamsen said in the press release. “It’s a great location to expose our unique mix of products to a new set of shoppers.”

The official grand opening is Saturday, May 7.

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69 Cedar Road

The following land transfers were recorded in the office of Town Clerk Lori Kaback from April 15 to April 21, 2016.

148 Hulda Hill Road: Brian C. Lincoln and Lysandra B. Lincoln to Christian Roy Zerilli and Zafreen Syed Zerilli, $815,000.

110 Dudley Road: John P. Ruane to Kay E. Phelan, $311,000.

69 Cedar Road: David B. Lench and Renata Hebra Lench to Paul M. Reilly and Cassandra L. Reilly, $971,000.

26 Cardinal Lane: Margaret A. Kern Est. to Jason M. O’Donnell and Melissa Bruen, $417,000.

40 Sunset Pass: Christopher J. Vaum and Jane B. Vaum to Alison Jacobson and Gregory Jacobson, $678,000.

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The Wilton High girls track and field team beat Brien McMahon and Fairfield Warde in a tri-meet on Monday to remain undefeated.

The Warriors (5-0) defeated McMahon, 79-66, and Warde, 74-71.

Mary Lynch won both the 800 meters (2:31.16) and the 1600 meters (5:30.24) to lead Wilton. Andreen Reid took first place in the long jump (14’8”), while Brady Faria won the javelin (82’10”).

Jillian Lauricella finished second in the 400 (1:02.78) and third in the 100 (13.75), and Elizabeth Lynch was second in the 800 (2:32.94).

In the 300-meter hurdles, Sophia Kaplan took second (52.71).

Covadonga Perez Pelaez finished second in the discus (76’11”) and was third in both the javelin (76’2”) and shot put ( 31”1”).

Meri Santomero was third in both the 300m hurdles (53.29) and high jump (4’8”), while Isabel Saltzman took third in the 100 meter hurdles (18.77) and Alex Uriarte was third in the triple jump (30’5”).

Scoring key points with third-place finishes in the head-to-head matchup with Warde were Santomero in the 100 meters (19.46), Faria in the discus (71’5”), Lacey Eller in the long jump (14’5.75”), and Claire Graham in the triple jump (29’2.5”).

Norwalk

In a tri-meet last Thursday at Darien, the Warriors scored a 116-28 win over Norwalk.

Mary Lynch was also a double winner in this meet. She led a Wilton sweep against Norwalk in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:37.5, and won the 3200 in a time of 12:49.4.

McCormick was second in both the 1600 (5:44.1) and 3200 (12:49.9), while Emily Welch took third in the 1600 (5:57.4).

Wilton also got a 1-2-3 finish in the 400 meters from Ashley Vitarelli (1:06.27), Julia Vitarelli (1:06.89) and Macallan Fox (1:07.89).

In the 800, Elizabeth Healy took first (2:29.6) and Nina Mellin was third (2:36.8).

Sophia Kaplan placed second in the 300-meter hurdles (54.39).

In the 100-meter hurdles, Saltzman was second (18.69) and Santomero third (19.72). Jillian Lauricella was third in the 100 meters (14.03).

Wilton swept all the field events against Norwalk.

In the javelin, the top three places went to Faria (70’7”), Perez Palaez (65’8”) and Catherine Cinguina (63’9”).

Perez Pelaez was first in the discus (70’8”), followed by Faria (69’3”) and Cinguina (55’2”).

In the shot put, it was Faria (31’2”), Perez Pelaez (28’5”) and Aqueelah Muhammad (22’8”) finishing 1-2-3.

In the long jump, the Wilton sweep featured Eller (14’8”), Uriarte (13’9.5”), and Graham (13’8”), while in the triple jump, the top three places went to Uriarte (28’11”), Graham (28’1”) and Izzy Meltzer (27’3”).

Santomero was first in the high jump (4’6”), followed by Saltzman (4’6”) and Graham (4’4”).

Meltzer was first in the pole vault (6’0”), with next three places also going to Wilton — Annie Rava (5’6”), Kiana Nobumoto (5’0”) and Aggie Favilla (5’0”).

Sophia Kaplan clears a hurdle during a recent Wilton High girls track and field meet. — GretchenMcMahonPhotography.com

The post Wilton girls track team wins two appeared first on Wilton Bulletin.

Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County is seeking caring and sensitive individuals from Wilton to serve as hospice volunteers. Those who are interested may register to participate in a five-session training course beginning Monday, May 16 and continuing through Friday, May 20.

Training will be held from 10 to 1:30 at the nursing agency’s offices in Suite 114 at the Health and Wellness Center at iPark, 761 Main Avenue, Norwalk.

Hospice volunteers visit terminally ill patients and their families and provide emotional support, respite care and companionship. In training, hospice volunteers develop the skills they will need to work with patients and families and are provided with ongoing support and supervision.

Information and registration: 203-834-6341, ext. 316.   

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Twitter/Maria Coleman photos

Internet Safety Concepts founder and retired law enforcement officer Scott Driscoll led Internet safety presentations for students and parents at Middlebrook School on April 6.

The presentations, designed to create greater awareness for the safe and responsible use of technology, were made possible with the help of the Miller-Driscoll, Cider Mill and Middlebrook PTA groups and a contribution from Wilton High School.

Internet Safety Concepts is a Connecticut-based company that provides presentations, seminars and lectures on how to be safe while communicating with the world through technology. Information: internetsafetyconcepts.com.

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I will have exactly five minutes during this Tuesday night’s Annual Town Meeting to explain to residents why any additional cuts to the education budget would be unwise.  Why any efforts to proactively cut our budget, out of concern that Hartford may reduce, possibly eliminate, our town’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant, could do grave damage to our town’s most important asset, our school system.

I intend to use my five minutes wisely. Please keep in mind that — as originally proposed — our 2016-17 operating budget called for a 1.27% increase, which was reduced $400,000 by the Board of Finance. The budget increase we are now bringing to the town this week calls for a 0.77% increase in Board of Education spending.

Since we compete against our neighboring towns in so many areas, it’s important to consider what other town school budgets look like this year:

• Ridgefield:  4.9%
• New Canaan:  3.65%
• Darien:  3.44%
• Fairfield:  2.59%
• Westport:  1.29%
• Wilton:  0.77%

I feel very good about our budget, and truly hope enough supporters will attend the Town Meeting to soundly defeat any motions made from the floor to impose sweeping reductions.

As you may be aware, some in town have written letters or posted comments on social media sites demanding massive cuts to our budget.  “Eliminate the fat,” or “sharpen your pencils and get to work,” and “go for deep special education reductions,” seem to be common refrains. It’s easy to speculate that in an $80-million budget, there has to be inefficiency and waste. Believe me, if there is inefficiency in our budget, no one wants to find it and eliminate it more than I do.

I will tell you that as our board anticipates the likelihood of significant cuts from Hartford, we will put everything on the table. Every program, every headcount and every service will be considered for possible cutbacks or elimination. That said, we will work very hard to protect the work going on in our classrooms, and to protect the commitment we have made to instructional improvement. This year for example, we are planning to hire math interventionists at Miller-Driscoll, Cider Mill and Wilton High School. Not moving ahead with these positions would be a serious disservice to our students, so I believe our board would consider those positions to be off limits.

There are other examples of core instructional investments that we will shield from the current budget debate, but everything else is subject to review. A few weeks ago I was scolded by members of the community for listing some of the budget items that might be considered for reduction. This list included items that many consider sacred cows:  athletics, theatre, arts, and foreign language. It’s painful to even consider cuts in these areas, and yet here we are.

I believe we are at the point where additional cuts will have unintended consequences.

We all celebrated last week when U.S. News and World Report listed Wilton High School as the 7th best high school in the state, and the 386th best in the nation. That top-notch ranking didn’t happen by luck or chance. It was because of the sustained investment Wilton has made in its schools — the investment that has gotten us to the point where we can provide our students with an outstanding education. We cannot take our focus off of our most valuable asset now, or else we will quickly see our investment devalue.

I mentioned last week that Board of Finance Chairman Jeff Rutishauser and First Selectman Lynne Vanderslice have been speaking with their counterparts in neighboring towns who also face significant reductions in their ECS funding. To a person, no one has said they think it’d be a good idea to force their schools to take the entire hit. These towns seem to be planning to rely on combinations of reserve funds, tax increases and spending reductions to address whatever reductions occur.

I hope the same logical approach will prevail in Wilton, and I believe it will.

First Selectman Vanderslice and I have indicated our preference for having the town’s three governing boards — Finance, Education and Selectmen — sit down and plot a course forward. I look forward to those discussions.

For now though, we will continue to monitor negotiations between the state legislature and Gov. Malloy. With so much uncertainty in Hartford, it would be premature and potentially harmful to proactively mandate cuts to the education budget.

If you haven’t made arrangements to attend the Town Meeting, please do so. Now more than ever, your schools need your support. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, May 3, 7:30 p.m. in the Clune Center. If you absolutely cannot attend, please make sure to stop by the Clune Center on Saturday, May 7 to cast your vote.

The post Notes from the Board Table: Tonight’s Annual Town Meeting is critical appeared first on Wilton Bulletin.

Joe Alampi instructs a tai chi class at the Wilton Senior Center on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to a group of about 20 seniors. — Kendra Baker photo

Here’s what’s happening in town today, May 4:

• Incoming Registered Kindergarteners and Parents Orientation at 8, Miller-Driscoll School.

• Second Grade Music Performance at 9:30, Miller-Driscoll School.

• Sewing at Ogden House at 9:30.

• Greenhouse Plant Sale at Comstock Community Center, from 9:30 to 1:30.

• Open Bridge at Wilton Senior Center, from 10 to 12:30.

• Tai Chi at Wilton Senior Center, from 10:30 to 11:30.

• Embroider a BBQ Chef’s Apron at Wilton Library, from 10 to 11:30.

• Books for Babies at Wilton Library, from 10:15 to 10:45.

• Wonderful Ones and Twos at Wilton Library, from 11 to 11:30.

• Duplicate Bridge at Wilton Senior Center at 1.

• Mah Jongg at Wilton Senior Center at 1.

• Second Grade Music Performance at 2:30, Miller-Driscoll School.

• Getting to Know You: To Sleep or Not to Sleep at Wilton Library, from 7 to 8:30.

• Conservation Commission meeting at 7:30, town hall annex Room A.

• Investment Committee meeting at 7:30, town hall Room B.

For more things to do, check the Wilton Bulletin Board.

The post What’s happening in Wilton? appeared first on Wilton Bulletin.

Postal food drive

Long-time USPS employee Alan Horowitz, now retired, met with Person-to-Person (P2P) Norwalk Site Manager Susan Zelman to plan for the upcoming Postal Food Drive on Saturday, May 14. Horowitz is helping to coordinate logistics at the Wilton post office where Wilton High School freshmen and P2P volunteers will transfer donated bags of food from postal trucks to the P2P box truck, which will then take the donations to the South Norwalk Community Center for sorting. More than 1,700 bags of food were donated in Wilton last year.

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The Wilton Singers will perform American Harmonies May 13-14. — Gretchen Yengst photo

Choral works by American composers make up American Harmonies, the next performance by the Wilton Singers scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 13-14, at WEPCO on New Canaan Road.

This cabaret-style event features table seating, and audience members are welcome to bring beverages and food — anything from light snacks to a full picnic dinner — to enjoy before the show. The concert hall will be transformed by Laurie Davis, aka the Glitter Fairy, and sets are designed by artist Ed MacEwen.

The show’s lead producer is Suzanne Thawley Jeschke, a Wilton High School graduate, mother, and second-generation Wilton Singer.

The Singers is an auditioned group of 50 men and women. Many are Wilton High alumni, music educators in Fairfield County (including Middlebrook choral teachers Janet Lofink Nobles and Susan Kelley, Wilton High choral instructor Betsey DeGraffe, and former Wilton High choral instructor Patrick Taylor) and the parents of current students.

Proceeds contribute to annual scholarships for graduating Wilton High choral students. To date, the Wilton Singers has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships.

Tickets are on sale at wiltonsingers.org.

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Assistance puppies in training. — Facebook/Canine Companions for Independence photo

The Hearing Loss Association’s southwest Connecticut chapter will meet Tuesday, May 10, 1:30, at the Norwalk Senior Center, 11 Allan Road, Norwalk.

The featured speaker will be Danielle Drazen from Canine Companions for Independence. This is a nonprofit organization that provides highly trained assistance dogs to people with profound hearing loss.

Canine Companions places hearing dogs who alert partners to key sounds by making physical contact such as nudging the leg or arm. Among the many sounds hearing dogs are trained to recognize and respond to are a doorbell, alarm clock, smoke/fire detector or someone calling their name.

The meetings are captioned and an inductive loop is used to improve attendees’ hearing experience. The meetings serve as a means to learn about the latest technologies, discuss coping issues, and get to know other people who struggle with hearing loss

Information: hearez.org, call Peg at 203-656-2733 or email Marcia at atmzola@optonline.net.

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The Memorial Day Celebration Committee is requesting that local veterans submit their photos and service record to the Wilton Veterans Photo Archive if they have not already done so. The Bulletin will print the Veterans Memorial Supplement in the issue before Memorial Day. This year, that will be May 26.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, May 12. The photo should be a black and white headshot, preferably in uniform or wearing a military hat. If not, a current picture will be acceptable.

In addition, please submit a brief note stating rank, branch of service, years of duty, citations and/or a few other memories.

Please deliver or send photos and information to Carol Russell, Wilton Veterans Photo Archive, Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton CT 06897.

They may also be emailed to carolrussell123@gmail.com.

Information: 203-894-3333.

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A New York man Tuesday admitted his role in an ATM skimming scheme that targeted local residents.

Moises Morales Cano, 31, of Astoria, N.Y., pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence, R.I., to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Rhode Island.

The investigation revealed that skimming devices were used at ATMs in Norwalk, Ridgefield and Wilton in April 2015, according to a tweet from the U.S. attorney for Connecticut.

According to the U.S. attorney for Rhode Island, the scheme resulted in the theft of personal information skimmed from debit cards belonging to more than 1,300 individuals and the loss of more than $709,000.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., Cano admitted to the court that between Jan. 1 and April 4, 2015, he conspired with another individual to attach skimming devices on ATMs at banks in several communities in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Court records released by the Department of Justice indicate that 1,329 individuals had their debit cards compromised, losing $709,597.50.

An ATM skimming device is a technology that directly attaches to an ATM in order to intercept unknowing customers’ debit card information from the magnetic strip on ATM cards. The stolen information and PINs are downloaded and re-encoded onto counterfeit debit cards. The counterfeit debit cards are used to make fraudulent transactions from the accounts of unknowing victims.

Cano’s guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Ted A. Arruda, resident agent in charge of the Providence office of the U.S. Secret Service, and Warwick police Chief Col. Stephen M. McCartney.

Cano has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in Queens, N.Y., on Sept. 9, 2015. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20, 2016.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.

The matter was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Warwick Police Department, with the assistance of the Smithfield, East Providence, Cranston, and Johnston police departments.

Wilton police reported in June 2015 they were investigating a skimming device found at the automatic teller machine outside the Fairfield County Bank.

While police could not say with certainty that their June investigation was related to the federal investigation of Cano, they did confirm it had been turned over to federal agents, and added that this was likely “not a coincidence.”

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Dorothy B. Ingersoll, 93, of Concord, N.H., died April 19, 2016. She was born June 19, 1922 in Ann Arbor, Mich., the only child of Frederick F. Blicke, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy, and his wife, Hazel Powles Blicke. She is survived by her husband John, a native of Duluth, Minn., who served in China from 1943 to 1945 as a member of the Air Force (Flying Tigers) during World War II, and who retired from the General Electric Company in the early 1980s. A University of Michigan graduate, Dorothy was a wonderful wife and mother, a dependable and loyal friend to many, a passionate reader, a tireless correspondent, and, of course, a cat enthusiast.

During World War II she worked in Washington, D.C., in support of the war effort, and following the war, in the fall of 1945, she met her future husband John upon his return to the University of Michigan. They were married on Sept. 6, 1946, and eventually moved to Schenectady, N.Y., where John began his career with General Electric on the accounting side of the business. In the mid 1970s, after stints in Wisconsin, New York, and Massachusetts, Dorothy and John settled in Wilton, Conn., where they spent 40 active and happy years. In retirement John served on numerous local boards, while Dorothy poured her time and energy into the local animal shelter.

She had a sharp wit, and she spent many hours in front of her vintage (and extremely heavy) Underwood typewriter, sharing funny stories and keeping up with family, relatives, and friends. She loved to remember her parents and their relatives in Bucyrus, Ohio, where her father was born, and her mother’s family farm in Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada. Her favorite places included the local library and bookstore, and, in Wilton, the Village Market and animal shelter. But perhaps at the top of her list was The Pines Lodge and Camps, on Lake Sysladobsis, near Grand Lake Stream, in Maine. She discovered The Pines in the early 1960s — it was then, and still is now, off the beaten path on a quiet lake, and she enjoyed summer family trips there well into her 80s.

Dorothy, John, and Casey Jones, their cat and loyal companion, moved to Granite Ledges in Concord in 2014, where Dorothy forged fast and meaningful friendships with staff and residents alike and participated fully in numerous daily activities. She enjoyed outings around Concord and was always ready for a visit to Gibson’s Bookstore, where she happily browsed the stacks and usually left with at least one new addition to her book collection. Dorothy thrived at Granite Ledges, and was determined to get the most out of life on a daily basis, even as time slowly took its toll. Still, in the end, family and friends were not prepared for her sudden departure, and she is deeply missed. Fortunately, her husband John is able to take some solace in wonderful memories of their 70 years of marriage, and his family is very grateful for the continuing support John receives from his caregivers and friends.

In addition to her husband, Dorothy is survived by her four children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren: her son Thomas of Daytona Beach, Fla., with whom she shared a passion for birding; her daughter Nancy Fiddler of Crowley Lake, Calif. (Dorothy was especially proud of her daughter’s accomplishments as a Nordic ski racer, including her membership on the U.S. Nordic Team and on the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Nordic Winter Olympic Teams), Nancy’s husband Claude, and their daughter; her son Douglas, an attorney who lives with his wife, Rebecca Black, in Concord, and their four children; and her son Bruce of Middlebury, Vt., (the Director of Keewaydin Temagami Camp, Lake Temagami, Ontario, Canada — the location of several canoe trips Dorothy’s parents took in the early 1900s), his wife Sarah, and their two daughters.

The post Obituary: Dorothy B. Ingersoll, 93 appeared first on Wilton Bulletin.

Amid a backdrop of lush, hanging flowerpots, Suzanne Knutson holds one of the glass terrariums that will be sold at the Wilton Garden Club’s annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale this weekend.

This year’s Mother’s Day Plant Sale, hosted by the Wilton Garden Club, will include several relatively new features to entice buyers to try their hand at gardening.

“Last year we sold bags of dahlia tubers for the first time, and they sold out instantly, so we’re going to sell more of them this year,” says Nan Merolla, the club’s president. “We have some very select, hard-to-find varieties that we’re selling for just a few dollars.”

According to Merolla, dahlias offer many benefits. “People who have a deer problem will love them because they’re deer-resistant. They require full sun, but other than that they’re very easy to grow, and the flowers are fantastic.”

At the other end of the spectrum, the club will offer some decidedly upscale items to buyers.

“We’re going to offer a beautiful selection of troughs and glass terrariums. These are unique items for people who are looking for a special, one-of-a-kind gift,” says Merolla.

The sale will also feature hundreds of items for the garden including annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, wildflowers, and shrubs as well as plants for sun, shade, and container gardening.

The Mother’s Day Plant Sale, which is the club’s primary fund-raiser, will be held Friday, May 6, from noon to 6, and Saturday, May 7, from 9 to noon, rain or shine, at Wilton’s Town Green.

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Pastor Nathan Hart, of the Stanwich Church of Greenwich, was the guest speaker at the 2015 National Day of Prayer. — Kendra Baker photo

Here’s what’s happening in town today, May 5:

• Enhance Fitness at Wilton Senior Center, from 9 to 10.

• Yoga at Wilton Senior Center, from 10 to 11.

• Blood Pressure Screening at Wilton Senior Center, from 11 to noon.

• Portraiture at Wilton Senior Center at 11.

• Lunch at Wilton Senior Center at noon.

• National Day of Prayer at noon, Wilton Library.

• Bingo at Wilton Senior Center at 12:45.

• Bringing Your Photo Albums into the Digital Age at Wilton Library, from 2 to 3:30.

• Business After Hours at Halstead Property, from 5:30 to 8:30.

• The Impact of Posture, Alignment & Ergonomics on Health with Dr. Thomas Fastiggi at Wilton Library, from 7 to 8:30.

• Cinco de Mayo at Trackside Teen Center, from 7 to 9.

• Chicago the Musical at Wilton Playshop at 8.

For more things to do, check the Wilton Bulletin Board.

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Fun for kids on Saturday

This Saturday, May 7, the library has some fun things for kids based upon their ages.  The entire day is devoted to Free Comic Book Day for kids of all ages. A free comic book will be given out to kids who come to the library between 10 and 5. The day is supported by Cave Comics of Newtown. The Minecraft Club gets together from 10 to noon for kids ages 8 and above who love the online game experience. Registration is required and attendees must bring their own laptop computers to play along. Kids in grades K and up can drop-in from 2 to 3:30 to a Fairy Doll Workshop. There is no registration.

Wilton grad writes gritty novel

Will B. Mathews, a graduate of Wilton High School and The University of Connecticut, chats about his new novel, Uptown Quicksand, at a free Area Author Affair event on Monday, May 9, from 6 to 7 p.m. The protagonist of the novel, R. T. Graves, is a dispassionate New York private detective who has murder and mayhem thrown in his path at every move. See the library’s registration link for more details about the author and the novel. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the talk. Registration is highly recommended.

Growing digitally

The Wilton Chamber of Commerce and the library host a free digital marketing seminar for local businesses and Chamber members on Wednesday, May 11, from 8 to 10 a.m. The presentation is by Hibu, a local digital marketing and website company. Topics will include strategies on how to grow and market one’s local business online. Hibu serves more than 500,000 businesses across Connecticut and the U.S. and has conducted more than 150 educational Internet marketing seminars for Chamber organizations.  Check-in is at 8 with the presentation beginning promptly at 8:30. A light breakfast will be available. Registration is recommended.

Library Readers meet

This month’s Wilton Library Readers book group gets together to discuss Please Look After Mom, by Kyung-Sook Shin, on Wednesday, May 11, from noon to 1:30. Susan Boyar facilitates the discussion. Attendees are reminded to bring lunch; beverages will be provided by the library. Registration is suggested.

A look at Wilton’s past and future

A panel of architectural and planning experts discusses a hot topic: where is Wilton today as a town and what do people want for Wilton’s future? Local architect Rob Sanders, AIA, Rob Sanders Associates, LLC, brings together design professionals who will discuss the issues in the free program, Wilton 2025: Architecture and Planning — Past, Present and Future — A Panel Discussion About Creating the Town We Want, on Wednesday, May 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. According to Sanders, “The forces of growth and commercialism have eroded Wilton’s sense of place, and there’s a sense that Wilton is losing its identity. I think we all agree that Wilton needs to grow, but the question is how and where. What do we need, where should it go, and how should it look?” Panelists  include architects Kathleen Poirier, Chris Pagliaro, and Rob Sanders; landscape architect Kate Throckmorton; and Town Planner Bob Nerney. A Q&A will follow the talk. The program is co-sponsored by Silver Pine Real Estate, Rob Sanders Architects, Wilton Historical Society and the library. Registration is highly recommended.

Drugs and the law

State Rep. Gail Lavielle; state Rep. Tom O’Dea; and state Sen. Toni Boucher will discuss laws passed during this legislative session pertaining to substance abuse and drugs on Thursday, May 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees will learn what the new legislation means to their families. A Q&A follows the talk. Registration is strongly encouraged. Sponsored by Wilton Youth Council’s Parent Connection and the library.

Drop in and make something

Night Time Knitters on Wednesday, May 11 and 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., is for people who love knitting and want to get together with an evening group. There is no registration; people are encouraged to bring their projects and just drop by. On Thursday, May 12, from 1 to 3, another drop-in craft is offered with Chalk Paint Pots & Herbs. People may stop in, decorate a pot with chalk paint, plant an herb, then take the pot home. The fee is $5 to offset costs. There is no registration but the craft is only available while supplies last.

To register for programs, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org and click on Events or call the Circulation Desk at 203-762-6334 for adult programs, the Children’s Library at 203-762-6336 and Teen Services at 203-762-6342.

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Scott Russell

Early-onset Alzheimer’s

On Friday, May 13, at 11:15 in the senior center lounge, Scott Russell of Ridgefield and Wilton will speak about his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s and his efforts to find a cure.

Scott was a high-powered executive working with global institutions such as Exxon, Mitsubishi Bank, and Towers Watson Corporation, living abroad in Hong Kong, Egypt, and Italy. Today his life has completely changed. He is fighting for a cure for Alzheimer’s, the disease which began to take over his mind in his late 50s.

After a double diagnosis of early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s, he went into a deep depression. “I knew something was wrong. I began to isolate myself, lost clarity in many aspects of my life, and was always trying to compensate,” he explained. “But then I became associated with the Alzheimer’s program in Norwalk. I became an advocate instead of a recluse. Being in the corporate world, I knew that I could use my expertise in fundraising to help the cause.”

The fundraising effort of which he is most proud is his Alzi Animals. “I decided to purchase stuffed animals from distributors and flea markets. I used my artistic abilities to paint them according to their personality, where they lived, or how I saw them graphically. I gave the animals names and accessorized them to give them an added personality.” One hundred percent of what he makes on these animals goes to Alzheimer’s research.

As an Alzheimer’s ambassador for the state, he maintains an advocacy relationship with state legislators and supports their commitment to fighting Alzheimer’s.

Russell received an undergraduate degree from Thiel College, a master’s degree from Boston University, and an ED.D. degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He spent the last 30 years prior to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis working in the corporate world in human relations. Russell holds important positions nationally, regionally, and locally in the Alzheimer’s Association.

Reservations: 203-834-6240

Free downloads

Bring your own device and follow along as Melissa Baker demonstrates downloads available through the Wilton Library on Wednesday, May 11, at 1. There is something for everyone and hours of enjoyment for patrons with Wilton Library cards. Presented by Wilton Library at the senior center. Registration is strongly suggested. Call the library at 203-762-3950 or visit www.wiltonlibrary.org.

Tax relief deadline

Elderly Wilton homeowners and totally disabled homeowners who have not yet applied for tax relief benefits on their July 2016 tax bills are reminded that Friday, May 13, is the last day applications will be accepted in the assessor’s office. The application deadline will not be extended.

The Town of Wilton tax relief program requires an annual filing. The State of Connecticut tax relief program requires a biennial filing. Please call the assessor’s office at 203-563-0122 if you have any questions.

Coming events

For the week of May 6:

Friday, May 6, Feldenkrais with Cathy Paine; 10, Jewelry Workshop with Viola Galetta; 12, Bridge with Eleanor Mihailidis; 12:30, Intermediate Bridge with Dan DeVlieg; 1:30-3, Free Swim at the Wilton YMCA.

Monday, May 9, 10:30, Line Dance Fusion with Beatriz Ajauro; 12, Movie; 1, Encore Bridge.

Tuesday, May 10, 9:45, BeMoved with Phyllis Hirshfield; 10, Acrylics and Oil with Althea Ericcson; 11, Yoga with Denise O’Hearn; 1, Mah Jongg with Kay Chann; 1, Studio Knitting; 2, Chair Yoga at Ogden House.

Wednesday, May 11, 9:30, Sewing at Ogden House; 10, Open Bridge with Dan DeVlieg; 10, Comstock Writers; 10:30, Tai Chi with Joe Alampi; 1, Library Downloads with Melissa Baker; 1, Mah Jongg.

Thursday, May 12, 9, Enhance Fitness with Leslie Hinshaw; 10, Yoga with Denise O’Hearn; 11, Portraiture with Martha Talburt; 12, Lunch; 12:45, Bingo; 12:30 to 2, Blood Pressure Screening at the Wilton Y; 5:30, Social Service Commission Meeting.

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Textile recycling

The Middlebrook Recycling Club set up a Bay State Textiles recycling bin in the middle school’s parking lot to reduce the amount of textiles that go into landfills. According to the recycling bin company, 21 billion pounds of textiles in the United States are thrown away each year, 45% percent of which can be reused, 30% can be turned into wiping cloths and 20% can be recycled into new products. Textiles, ranging from clothing and shoes to linens and stuffed animals, can be put in the bin as long as they’re clean, dry, and bagged. Click here for a list of acceptabe items. — Janet Nobles photo

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