Connecticut Postings

If you watched the second season premiere of the Animal Planet series “Finding Bigfoot” Sunday and saw what looked like Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo director Gregg Dancho giving a terrified baboon to the show’s sasquatch seekers to use as bait, rest easy.

The primate exchange didn’t happen, Dancho said.  He said the show did shoot some footage at the Bridgeport-based zoo, including an interview with him, but he didn’t think anything of it.

Then he got a call from his kids.  “They told me ‘You’re going to be upset,’ ” Dancho said. Not only did it appear that the zoo gave the baboon to show star and Bigfoot research Cliff Barackman, but an interview with Dancho made it look like he believes in Bigfoot (he does not).

Though I couldn’t find a clip of Dancho’s appearance on line, I did spy this clip of the baboon use. And man, does that poor animal look freaked:

Dancho said he’s very upset by the episode. First, the zoo doesn’t even have a baboon. And if they did “we never would have allowed that,” Dancho said. “I have no idea where they got the baboon. That would be against zoo philosophy. That would be against my philosophy.”

Dancho said he’s tried calling Animal Planet, but hasn’t reached anyone.

Police said a Stamford man was hospitalized on New Year’s Eve after being assaulted and stabbed with a glass bottle at a Bridgeport apartment.

Dennis Tajiri, 23, of Courtland Avenue was treated at Bridgeport Hospital about 8 a.m. on Dec. 31 for a head injury and a wound on his right knee.

Tajiri, who does not speak English, told police through a translator that he and the suspect got into an argument while drinking in the early morning hours of Dec. 31 at a Lenox Avenue apartment. He told police the suspect smashed a bottle over his head and stabbed him in the leg with a glass shard.

Police charged Diego Becerra, 29, of Stamford with second-degree assault after finding broken glass on the floor of the apartment and flecks of the same glass in Tajiri’s hair.

Police said Becerra told officers investigating the incident that he didn’t remember what happened.

A local woman is accepting donations of blankets and toys for the area’s poor and homeless. The last Sunday of every month, Ann Marie Tarinelli of Trumbull serves meals under the viaduct on John Street in Bridgeport. For the holidays, she said, she’s also looking to distribute blankets to keep her clientele — many of them homeless — warm during the winter months, and toys, so they can have gifts for their families. Tarinelli said she has two big bins marked donations in front of her home.

If you are interested in giving, call her at 203-268-5553. Her meal program, which she’s officially named The Hidden Treasure Bistro, recently received tax exempt status.

BRIDGEPORT — A Hamden man was arraigned Tuesday on a host of charges after he allegedly fled State Police Monday night during a traffic stop on Interstate 95 while carrying narcotics.

Daniel Mills, 32, was pulled over by State Police about 9:30 p.m., while heading north near Exit 33. He left his car and started running, State Police said. Stratford Police were called in to assist in the chase.

Once caught, Mills was charged with possession of narcotics, sale of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as interfering with officers, disobeying officers, reckless driving and failure to display license plates.

Held on $250,000 bond, Mills appeared Tuesday in Bridgeport Superior Court.

A Bridgeport resident was struck by a vehicle about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday while attempting to cross Post Road East on foot near Bulkley Avenue in Westport.

When police arrived on scene they found Aja Barksdale, 19, lying in the street, according to police.

Barksdale was transported to Norwalk Hospital with serious, but non-life threatening, injuries, police said.

Police said their preliminary investigation shows an 18-year-old Westport resident struck Barksdale as she attempted to cross the street.

Speeding does not appear to be a factor in the crash, police said. It was dark and raining at the time of the crash.

The incident is under investigation by the Westport Police Department.

Bridgeport’s Holiday Inn today announced that the celebration honoring Maestro Gustav Meier’s 40th anniversary at the artistic helm of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony will include a Nov. 12 dinner prior to the orchestra’s “Gustav and Mozart” concert.

An Austrian-themed buffet will be offered in honor of Meier’s favorite composer: Mozart. Cost is $35 (reduced from $40), including tax, with a portion of each ticket benefiting the GBS.

Seatings will take place from 5 until 6:30 p.m. so that diners will be able to travel the short distance between the 1070 Main St. hotel and the 8 p.m. concert at the Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Avenue.

The buffet, say hotel officials, will include such Austrian specialties as potato pancakes, spaetzle, Wiener schnitzel with lingonberries, beef goulash with paprika, bratwurst, broiled salmon and sauteed cabbage. Desserts will include apple strudel and Linzer cookies. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate will be included. For reservations, call 203.334.1234, extension 5181.

The 8 p.m. concert, “Gustav and Mozart,” will feature violinist Elena Urioste performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, Turkish. Tickets for the concert, $20 to $50, may be purchased by calling 203.576.0263 or visiting www.GBS.org.
The concert will be repeated at a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 13, also at the Klein.
Urioste and GBS Executive Director Benjamin Loeb, a noted pianist, will be featured at the inaugural event in the Guest Artist Recital Series on Monday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at First Church Congregational, 148 Beach Road, in Fairfield. Tickets, available at the door, are $40.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch will present awards to the winners of the Fall 2011 Mayor’s Neighborhood Arts & Heritage Grant Program during a reception Thursday, Nov. 10, beginning at 4 p.m.

The public is invited to attend ceremonies at the offices of the Bridgeport Arts & Cultural Council in the historic Arcade Mall, 1001 Main Street.

The program is funded by the city of Bridgeport and administered by the BACC.

Marianne Brunson Frisch, BACC executive director, points out that the program supports creative arts and heritage projects of individual artists and organizations throughout the City of Bridgeport.

Mayor Bill Finch will present award letters and checks to the following individual artists:
Andrea Asprelli, Maralyn Adlin-Donovan, J. Eve Liptak and Jodiann Strimiska.
Organizations receiving awards are: Bridge Academy, Bridgeport Theatre Company, Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program (GBAPP), Slant of Light Theatre and WPKN RADIO.

According to the grant guidelines, individual artists, artisans, craft makers and musicians who reside or work in Bridgeport are invited to apply for grants up to $250. Bridgeport visual, performing or heritage groups and non-profit educational, faith-based or social service organizations offering cultural programming may apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000.

The city has provided $10,000 and the United Illuminating $1,000 for the program. Half the monies were distributed in the inaugural spring round and half now. Additional information may be obtained from Frisch at the council at 203-522-4154 or mbfrisch@BridgeportArts.org.

BACC visitor center at the Arcade, 1001-12 Main St., Bridgeport, is open regularly Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A state trooper is being treated at a local hospital after his cruiser was hit by another vehicle on Interstate 95 near Exit 27A in Bridgeport, police said.

The cruiser was towed back to the state police barracks in Bridgeport.

It’s unknown whether the trooper is seriously injured, police said.