Opinion

Adversity Can Elicit Great Strength

I can't really blame anyone but myself for not living on easy street. Those born under the sign of Aquarius can sometimes see the future. (Really. No... really, it's true.) And yet I don't play Lotto or Powerball or any of those games that could change my life. Set aside the slightly lunatic ravings of a January-born seer and it's still a strange perspective to have. I swear there's something deep inside me that doesn't want to hit it big.

When the jackpot gets up to those ridiculous numbers and people fantasize about what they would do with the winnings, I ...

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Letter: Fairfield Rep 'Torn' Over Flatto's Legacy

By Ann Stamler, Fairfield Representative Town Meeting 01/30/12

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — I continue to struggle with the conflict between sincere admiration for the many achievements of our former first selectman, which helped Fairfield grow and prosper, and profound dismay at actions which seemed to show disdain for our laws and elected representatives.

I am also grateful to my Representative Town Meeting colleagues who spoke in response to the Republican leadership’s motion to censure, for articulating so clearly the reasons I could not support that motion.

Had the drafters of the motion worked with both parties, not ...

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Suburban Dad: Will Tumbleweed Mall Ever Populate?

By Marek Fuchs 01/30/12

Ridge Hill, the vast new outdoor mall, a public common of commerce perched on a hillside overlooking the New York Thruway in Yonkers, is a study in contrasts and ironies.

Long billed as both a resuscitator of the local economy and the ruin of local traffic patterns, Ridge Hill, at least by early indications, is amounting to neither.

By no means can you call it a dead mall walking. First off, stores are still in the process of opening. Moreover, during Christmas and over the weekend, Ridge Hill draws its share of crowds to stores that run the gamut from ...

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Letter: Human Trafficking Hits the Super Bowl

By Carly Cordovano and Nina Raffio, Brien McMahon High School Center for Youth Leadership 01/30/12

NORWALK, Conn. – The number of human-trafficking cases increases significantly in cities that host major sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, according to children's rights advocates and law enforcement officials. In the weeks leading up to the 2010 World Cup, 40,000 sex workers were taken to South Africa, and the attorney general of Texas anticipated 10,000 cases of human trafficking leading up to the Super Bowl last year in Dallas, according to published reports.

We can expect the same at this year's Super Bowl in Indianapolis. State Sen. Randy Head of ...

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Make Decisions Based on Your Values

By Linda Soper-Kolton 01/27/12

A close friend of mine told me she was admonished by an acquaintance recently for not doing more to bring money into the household. My friend had been complaining of her money woes and this person said she was foolish for not going back to work full-time in the high-paying industry she had worked in prior to having children. With three young children, one of them severely disabled, my friend decided that her children needed her more than they needed more money.

Although she does work, it's not enough to allay the money worries that hang heavy on the shoulders of her and ...

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Piece by Piece: iPhones Give the Gift of Heart

By Patrice E. Athanasidy 01/26/12

Claims have been made that the iPad is a wonderful tool for those on the autistic spectrum, and if my iPhone is any indication, the claims are correct.

Peter is in love with my iPhone. He has learned how to download games and plays everything from Cut the Rope to Brain Pop (an app he decided to download on his own). He has taken to reorganizing the apps and creating folders, already filling two with his name.

Peter also likes texting and often writes to his sister from just across the house. I have also caught him answering my texts with friends, so I let them in ...

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Letter: Shays Has 'Blood on His Hands' Over War

By Richard Ross, Fairfield Resident 01/25/12

To the Editor:

I see that former U.S. Congressman Christopher Shays, from Connecticut's 4th District, is ramping up his campaign to win the Republican nomination for the November election contest to fill Joe Lieberman's seat in the U.S. Senate. I read that he plans to attack his GOP opponent, Linda McMahon, over WWE deaths. That's real chutzpa, considering the former congressman has blood on his own hands. Talk about "the pot calling the kettle black!” Shays needs to be reminded about the deaths of 4,500 U.S. troops, and the ruined lives of tens of ...

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Letter: Flatto, Saxl Should Not Get 'Free Pass'

By Michael Herley, RTM 01/24/12

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The following statement was made by Representative Town Meeting member Michael Herley during Monday night’s discussion of the Fairfield Metro Center project. He also submitted his remarks to The Daily Fairfield in their entirety as a letter to the editor.

Like most twn residents I continue to be extremely troubled by the never-ending revelations about the management and oversight of the Metro Center project. It has categorically undermined the public’s trust and faith in our town government. We must rebuild this covenant and ensure that ...

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Letter: Conn. Train Riders Get Service Pledge

By State Sen. Toni Boucher 01/23/12

WILTON, Conn. — The criticisms that commuters have voiced over the years are finally being heard. After months of negotiations, we finally have a "Customer Service Pledge." This pledge was a unified team effort by local officials, first responders, the CT Rail Commuter Council and the Department of Transportation to ensure a clean, comfortable and safe commute for all passengers.

DOT Commissioner James Redeker deserves credit for the level of attention he brought to this matter, often taking phone calls from commuters personally and always taking their point of view ...

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College Chat: Standardized Torture

By Ellen Ring 01/23/12

At a certain point in every student’s life, he or she is forced to take the most dreaded kind of test—standardized. By my definition, a standardized test is when some unknown money-hungry establishment convinces educators that they must evaluate students by putting them in a stuffy room for an extended period of time and surround them with clouds of eraser dust and judgment. There are lots of lead-filled ovals, coffees and longing stares at the clock. It is one of the worst experiences of any student’s career, but I have discovered that the event can be brightened by extensive ...

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Letter: Fairfield Must Watch River Cleanup Closely

By Alexis Harrison, Fairfield Resident 01/20/12

Dear Editor,

On Jan. 19, we gleaned a great deal during the Conservation Commission meeting on the proposed Exide clean up of lead from Mill River, but unfortunately not all good news. Clearly, the town must be a leader and not leave it up to the state or the companies that have contaminated Mill River.

We learned that Mill River, our town's largest river, is listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's "impaired" rivers list. We learned that this stretch of Mill River is not only contaminated by lead from Exide, but by chromium from Superior Plating. However, ...

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'Contraband' Cruises, With A Few Surprises

By Katherine Grace Marra 01/20/12

What would you hide to protect your family?

Mark Wahlberg plays a former smuggler named Chris Farraday in the new action crime movie “Contraband.” Chris is married to Kate (Kate Beckinsale), whose little brother, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), screwed up a drug deal. Andy’s merciless boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), wants his money and will do anything to make sure Andy gets it for him.

Chris got out of this business because he has a wife and two kids. However, Chris is known for his world-class smuggling and he realizes that he is Andy’s only hope. He decides to do one ...

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An Antidote to Sweating the Small Stuff

By Linda Soper-Kolton 01/20/12

Toilet paper and butter. One is a necessity for most of us but I'll leave it to you to figure out which.

The little details in life can really get on your nerves if you let them. Well-rested and fed, on a day when what I set out to do is entirely possible for a mere mortal, I can fairly easily not sweat the small stuff, like running out of toilet paper and butter on a night when those two things were in fact, both necessities. I notice the times when the little stuff makes me crazy is when my life is out of balance and I have too much capacity to care about life's trivial ...

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Piece by Piece: Chess as a Strategy for Life

By Patrice E. Athanasidy 01/19/12

I learned how to play chess as a little girl. At that time, it took all I had to think a step or two ahead and remember how all the pieces moved. As I got better at the game, I learned how to think quite a few steps ahead. When I played opponents regularly I got the hang of their moves too.

Nowadays as I plan activities for Peter, I use chess-like strategy; thinking ahead. I debate the sounds, smells, sights and distractions. I make sure Peter is not already overtired. I think about what he has to do before and after to be sure he can handle it all.

I try to prepare ...

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