Stratford sisters Rebecca and Elizabeth Figueroa are the subject of an episode of MTV’s Made airing at 4 p.m. today.
The show helps youths achieve their dreams while filming them as they strive for their goals.
On the show, the Figueroa sisters’ dream is to learn how to salsa dance.
The girls, both recent high school graduates, trained at Alisa’s House of Salsa in New Haven in front of MTV cameras for nearly eight weeks.
“The girls wanted to be made into salsa dancers to make their parents proud,” said Alisa Bowens, who owns the dance studio.
When they started their lessons, Bowens said the girls had no idea how to salsa dance.
“They had no clue,” she said. ”They listened to Top 40 (music). The connection with their Puerto Rican culture was there, but it wasn’t there with the music and the dance.”
Bowens and the Figueroa sisters will be at a viewing party at Leon’s Restaurant at 501 Long Wharf Drive in New Haven. The public is invited to meet the girls from 6 to 7 p.m., watch the Made episode from 7 to 8 p.m. and enjoy salsa dancing from 8 to 10 p.m.
The course, which will meet on three consecutive Wednesdays starting July 13, prepares students for a Connecticut Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation. That certificate will allow holders to operate recreational vessels up to 65 feet.
The course will cover choosing a boat, equipment requirements, state boating laws, safety regulations, navigation rules, buoy systems, safe fueling, weather, and accident prevention, to mention a few. It is being offered in an easy-to-understand classroom format designed for students age 10 and over.
The course will meet Wednesdays, July 13-27, from 6:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Room B123 in Lafayette Hall (the building closest to State Street.). The fee is $95.
The HMS Bounty, star of the 1962 epic “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Marlon Brando (Fletcher Christian) and Trevor Howard (Capt. Bligh) is for sale.
You might remember the ship, because it visited Captain’s Cove in May, 2010. The asking price is $4.6 million.
The ship, which operates as a nonprofit educational organization, is still on tour. Right now it’s on its way to Falmouth, England, after wrapping up a visit to the Isle of Wight. Tracie Simonin, the spokeswoman for the ship, said that the next ports of call will be Ireland, Poland and Germany.
“We love the ship and we love showing the ship to people, and we hope to continue on,” she said Tuesday (6.7.11). “But, maybe there’s someone out there with fresh ideas for it.
The square-rigger, built expressly for the movie in Nova Scotia, is powered by a pair of John Deere 375-hp diesels. Interestingly, the stern mast actually serves double-duty as the exhaust pipe. To make it look like a wooden mast, it was covered in wood-grain wallpaper for the movie.
It’s a little larger than the actually HMS Bounty, because it had to carry –– in addition to the actual sailing crew –– actors, the film crew and assorted movie-making gear. To make the movie, the ship actually sailed from Nova Scotia, through the Panama Canal, and on to the South Pacific.
Every May, our country comes together to honor the men and women who have given their all, so that we can enjoy the right that many of us take for granted at times–freedom. On this day of remembrance, we not only remember those who have fallen, but also salute those who have fought in past wars and current military members who continue to serve around the world.
A day of honor and remembrance is tremendous, but what happens on the other 364 days of the year? If it were up to me, every day would be Memorial Day, to spotlight the sacrifice and achievement these soldiers exhibit in every waking second of life they risk.
It’s not that we had forgotten about the men and women serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last ten years, but over time, it seemed that these heroes were not getting their just attention and reward for fighting wars of extreme danger and unpredictability against an enemy undefined.
And then May 01, 2011 happened. The killing of Osama bin Laden was a victory for all Americans, but most importantly returned the spotlight to the heroes who ultimately never seek recognition for their feats. It was not just a monumental achievement for the Navy Seals Team 6, but a culmination of what all of the men and women of the Armed Forces had fought and sacrificed for a decade for.
“We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country,” said President Obama on that fateful night. “And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.”
In the coming months and years, the spotlight will continue to shine on these soldiers, but this time, it’ll be on them and their families as they reunite upon their return from war. For so long, the light at the end of the bleak tunnel was extremely faint, but with the recent announcement by President Obama bringing the Iraq war to a close, and the plan to scale back troops heading into 2012, that light is shining brighter each day.
So the question is- How will we honor these heroes upon their return to their beloved country? How will they adjust to living a normal life they once knew? To a changed land and economy? To families that have been without them for months/years?
For some, it will be easier than others. But for all of these men and women, life will never be the same, as they move forward following their harrowing experiences of war. After the toasts of the welcome home parties have subsided and the confetti from the parades have been swept away, these soldiers will once again be on their own, out of the spotlight, left with the task of transitioning back to normalcy for themselves and their families.
Recently, a group of graduating seniors from Quinnipiac University set out to depict this transition in their capstone project. A group of six (Kristen Swartz, Maria Lanzillotti, Maxwell Svec, Samantha Trolice, Gina Sciame and Brian Cafaro) embarked on a journey that would change their lives forever and leave them inspired.
The story this talented group of six Communications students decided to portray was of an Iraqi War vet, Nate Helmuth and his family. Helmuth served in Iraq as a combat engineer, clearing routes of I.E.D.’s; a so-called first line of defense for the Army. Nate ended up suffering a traumatic brain injury when his vehicle rolled over a few rounds and detonated.
He survived but would return home with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as other cognitive impairments. Helmuth returned to his wife Kristle and two young children, a changed man who now had to deal with the disorder as well as the troubling memories of what he experienced.
The director of the video, Kristen Swartz, and her group traveled to Jacksonville, Florida to spend time with the Helmuths and film the project. The group wanted to bring attention to the life after war that these soldiers have to endure. “We really want to show people that the fight for these soldiers isn’t over once they come back home. For most of them, the fight is really just beginning,” said Swartz.
Watch the group’s documentary on the Helmuths’ struggle for a transition back to a normal life, entitled “Invisible Scars.”
After being shown the video after it was produced, Kristle Helmuth was speechless, says Swartz. “She and Nate are so happy to get their uncensored story out into the open, and show people that they are just one of many military families that have been affected by this war and need some support.”
And support came shortly after, as the Helmuths were awarded a mortgage-free home from the Military Warriors Support Foundation at this year’s PGA Players Championship.
As the days go by and Nate improves, steps towards normalcy are achieved. Of course, the Helmuth story is just one of thousands of stories of families that are going through the same challenges today and thousands that will partake in the journey in the months and years to come.
If there is anything we can learn from the Helmuth family and the group of outstanding college graduates who put this story on screen, is that the novels of these soldiers do not end when they return home. They are ongoing stories that need attention and support, so that the pages can continue to move forward in the lives of these courageous heroes and their loving families. If these soldiers receive half of the support that their loved ones give them, from us, their lives will be that much easier as they transition back to society.
So, on this Memorial Day, thank a veteran for their service or an active member for their continued dedication, and let’s appreciate the lives we live because of the sacrifices they’ve made.
“The Helmuths truly gave us a new appreciation for life, and how lucky we are to live the way we do,” said Swartz, the Quinnipiac graduate. “This entire experience has been life-changing for all of us. Some of the stories we have heard from the war veterans we have met really helped us put our lives into perspective, and appreciate some of the everyday things we all take for granted.”
A home with a rain barrel sounds like something out of the Dust Bowl era, but rain barrels actually are handy devices, even here in the soggy Northeast.
The Aquarion Water Company, which supplies water to most of southern Fairfield County, is handing out blue plastic 55-gallon rain barrels at reduced cost –– $75.95. They typically go for $119. “We’re not making any money on this,” said Lorraine Bukowski, a water company spokeswoman.
Rain barrels important, particularly in Bridgeport. Why? Because much of the city has storm sewers that flow into the sanitary sewer system, and this storm runoff, because it enters the waste treatment plant, wastes energy and money, and causes pollution in Long Island Sound as well.
Besides, free, collected rainwater can be used to water lawns and gardens, and for washing your car. In August, after a dry spell, that water in your barrel will come in handy. Just a quarter-inch of rainfall on an average roof will fill the barrel and provide free water to use during dry periods.
But you’ll have to act fast. The rain barrel program for this year (the program is in its third year) ends on May 31, 2011. Aquarion says that it has sold about 400 in the first two years of the program.
The barrels are manufactured in the USA from heavy-duty, recycled plastic and they come with a five-foot hose that connects to a brass spigot near the bottom of the barrel. Another spigot near the top releases overflow, and several safety features prevent children and pets from getting inside, while also keeping insects and debris out. They’re actually recycled from the barrels used by the Coca-Cola company, and an outfit in Massachusetts adds the necessary fittings and modifications to turn them into rain barrels.
The blue color helps prevent the growth of algae, too.
To order, visit to www.aquarionwater.com by May 31 and click on the rain barrel link at the left side of the home page. The barrels will be available for pick-up Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Trumbull Town Hall, 5866 Main St., Trumbull.
Luna Hair Salon, located at 3563 Main Street in Stratford, hosted a Featherheads party Thursday night complete with wine, snacks and lots of feathers.
Why feathers, you might ask? One of the hottest hair trends currently are feather hair extensions made by a company called Fine Featherheads. They’re real rooster feathers that can be fastened to a strip of hair. They’re dyed and can be washed, straightened or curled.
On Thursday night, hairdressers at Luna Salon used beads to secure the feathers onto the heads of about a dozen girls, giving their tresses a pop of color.
At Luna Salon, feather extensions cost between $20 and $35 per bunch. They last for about 3 months.
That’s the word from Barbara Upton, who has announced that the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras will offer an open rehearsal for prospective members on Sunday, April 10 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Roger Ludlowe Middle School, 789 Unquowa Road in Fairfield.
Upton, the GBYO executive director, said that the GBYO ensembles are open by audition to area students who will be entering grades 5 through12 in the fall of 2011.
Students are encouraged to attend with their parents or guardians and/or music teachers. (Visitors are asked to enter the school on the lower level.) The GBYO is seeking new members in all instrumental categories: strings (violin, viola, cello and bass); woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon); brass (French horn, trumpet, trombone and tuba) and percussion.
Each student who attends will be given audition information and a free ticket to the GBYO’s Spring Concert on May 15, Upton said. Parents of current orchestra members will give tours of the rehearsal areas and answer questions. Refreshments will be served.
The Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras, founded in 1961, now offers five developmentally sequential performing ensembles: the Principal, the Symphony, the Concert, and the String orchestras, and a Wind Ensemble. The GBYO currently includes about 250 young musicians from dozens of municipalities in Fairfield and New Haven counties.
Rehearsals are conducted throughout the school year on Saturday mornings; every member is given the opportunity to perform at concerts throughout each season. A nominal tuition is charged for each student in the program, although Upton noted that no one is turned away because of an inability to pay the fee.
For additional information, visit www.gbyo.org or contact Upton at 203.452.0003.
Russian-born virtuoso violinist Alexander Markov – who spent much of his youth in Norwalk — returns home on Friday for a production of his Rock Concerto, which fuses rock and classical genres in an “all ages” extravaganza.
The concert, on April 1 at 8 p.m. at the Norwalk Concert Hall, follows Markov’s stunning sold-out performance of this concerto in October at Carnegie Hall’s 2,804-seat Isaac Stern Auditorium.
Markov, of Manhattan, is a frequent performer (and audience favorite) with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, where he gave the American debut of his Rock Concerto in May 2006, under the baton of Maestro Gustav Meier.
Since then, the work , written by Markov and his friend James V. Remington, has undergone numerous revisions.
The first half of the “crossover musical event,” says Markov, will feature a selection of virtuoso classical masterpieces, including those by Vivaldi, Schubert and Paganini. (Markov is a past Gold Medal winner of the prestigious Paganini International Violin Competition.) A first-half highlight will be a duet with his father (and former teacher), the renowned violinist Albert Markov. (Markov’s parents continue to live in Norwalk’s Rowayton section.)
The second half focuses on the Rock Concerto, with orchestra, rock band, vocalist and chorus — with Markov performing on a six-string gold-plated electric violin, custom designed by Remington.
A full story on this epic runs Thursday in the ”Go” entertainment section, written by colleague Christina Hennessy, staff writer.
Tickets range from $35 to $68, with a 10 per cent discount available for Connecticut fans. ( By Phone: 212-352-3101 and mention code ct10. Online: www.rockconcerto.com and enter code ct10)
