Keep me away from Borders. With its going-out-of-business sale now under way, I fear I may fall under the spell of bargain hunting. As I have probably mentioned before, I have a book-buying obsession. Every bookcase, nook and closet in my house has books – paperbacks, hardcovers, biographies, autobiographies, murder mysteries, romance and classics. I have read most of them, but admittedly some have been sitting there for years waiting for me to find the time.
Borders, right in the heart of Fairfield Center, has been a focal point of shoppers and meanderers for years. People have gone to the store to browse or buy or just sit down at a table in the cafe to read or meet friends. The store helped to bring the center back to life after years of neglect and disinterest. The other retailers benefited from the bookstore’s presence. Let’s hope that the property owner at 1499 Post Road finds another attractive retailer to fill the space.
While Borders helped the downtown area, it also hurt the little guy – that small, independent bookseller that for years was the mainstay in town. Who remembers the Open Book Shop on Unquowa Road? It was a wonderful place to spend an hour or so scanning the shelves looking for the right title or just chatting with the owner. When Borders came in, the independent bookstore went out. That was a sad day.
Borders has been closing locations throughout the country as it feels the pressure of the economy and buyers’ new interest – e-books. The closest large-scale discount bookseller is in Westport, Barnes & Noble. And, of course, there’s always our local libraries, which stock their shelves with, well, pretty much what I have in my house and more. (By the way, I now have a Fairfield Public Library card after more than two decades of going without one.)
I can’t help but think that now might be the time for an independent general bookstore to return to Fairfield. Does anyone agree?

So First Selectman Ken Flatto has gotten his wish. He will be taking a state job – something he has coveted for a bit of time. In an announcement made Tuesday morning, Gov. Dan Malloy appointed Flatto as the director of special revenue, a position that oversees legalized gambling in Connecticut.
Flatto will leave in April, while the budget deliberations for the 2011-12 fiscal year are still under way, but just about at the end. The Representative Town Meeting adopts the budget on May 2 and the Board of Finance sets the mill rate the following day. It’s a little disappointing that he would depart for Hartford in the midst of such an important activity as budget setting. But as they say, he’s got to do what he’s got to do.
Flatto made a brief attempt at seeking election to the state comptroller job in the last election, but removed himself from consideration when a lack of support was evident. Some observers believe he already had started discussions about a position in the Malloy administration around the same time he begged off.
Flatto has served for 12 of the last 14 years as first selectman – and they have been by no means easy years. He started new initiatives, fumbled others, was embroiled in controversy at other times, tried to keep spending down, and faced criticism when he didn’t. It will be interesting to see how history treats his legacy. Not to mention, we have never had a first selectman depart before his or her term was over – at least not in the last 50-plus years.
In the meantime, an interim successor has to be chosen to fill out the remainder of his term, which ends in November. Democratic Selectman Sherri Steeneck and Republican Selectman Jim Walsh are required under the town charter to find someone. If they cannot agree within 30 days, then state statutes require all of the town’s elected Democratic officeholders to choose.
However, if 5% of the electorate petitions, there could be a special election. The petition must be filed no later than 15 days after the appointment. Now, that’s an interesting possibility.
It would behoove Steeneck, who also said on Tuesday she is not running for election to the seat she filled after the death of Denise Dougiello, and Walsh to pick the right person to get the town through the seven months after Flatto leaves. That sounds like the least messy way to go.
More interesting, however, is that Flatto’s departure opens up the race for first selectman for the 2012-16 term. A host of Republicans have expressed interest in running and a few Democrats. But no one really has seriously taken the leap. News of Flatto’s resignation surely has even more possible candidates considering throwing their hat in the ring now.
I live for stuff like this. It’s fun watching from the sidelines.

Communities in Senegal, Ecuador and Haiti will benefit from a walk-a-thon planned by Ludlowe Corps, a group made up of students, parents and staff at Roger Ludlowe Middle School.
The walk-a-thon – called Walk for World Water Day in conjunction with United Nations World Water Day – will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on March 27 on the Fairfield Ludlowe High School track. Ludlowe Corps is working with Humanity Now Inc. to raise money for these three areas of the world. The students recently were in front of the Community Theatre in Fairfield Center to raise money and awareness for their cause. The students demonstrated the use of a water filter, the type they hope to provide to people in impoverished countries. They put dirty snow in a bucket and when it melted, they ran it through a filter, which traps the impurities. They then drank the fresh water.
Ludlowe Corps has been involved and instrumental in a number of global health and educational initiatives. With Walk for World Water Day, the corps is hoping to raise $15,000 to buy water filters, school supplies and water pumps. On that day, students and teams will walk around the track with cups of water with the goal of filling their team bucket.
The family event will include food, music and games. Donations are still being sought. To donate or for more information, visit www.ludlowecorps.com.

Someone needs to explain to me why vandalizing property is fun.
Five headstones at the Fairfield East Cemetery on the Old Post Road were toppled sometime overnight between Monday and Tuesday of this week. Last year, vandals thought it would be a kick to chop down trees on town property too.
The cemetery is an historic burial ground, where many soldiers from the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and others are interred. According to an article in the Fairfield Citizen this week, Amelia Sturges, the first wife of Pierpont Morgan, who was considered one of the richest men in the world in his time, is also buried there.
Russell Wakeman, who is the cemetery caretaker, told the Citizen, “I would suspect it was probably kids fooling around. It’s the sort of thing that has happened and will likely continue to happen.” Now that is disconcerting.
There are no guarantees that the police will find the culprits and be able to keep this from occurring again. But if they are caught, I have an idea on how to keep them and others from vandalizing any more historic cemeteries or town property – make them scrub the headstones.
A couple of years ago, geneaologist Melanie Marks organized a gravestone-scrubbing day at the historic cemetery on Bronson Road. I participated. Although it was a rewarding experience to be able to preserve some of our town’s history, it was the hardest manual labor I have ever done.
I think it is just the avenue to teach a lesson.

Fairfield’s state legislative delegation conducted a two-hour Town Hall Meeting on Saturday at the Education Center on Kings Highway East. The topic for discussion? The proposed state budget. And what a discussion it was.
About 50 people watched a slide presentation on key points of the budget proposed by Gov. Dannel Malloy and got a chance to ask questions and offer suggestions on ways to reduce spending and the size of government and keep taxes from rising.
It was a healthy, at times spirited, debate, and the legislators gave what I thought were, for the most part, honest answers to questions and handed their constituents a dose of reality, including how Hartford operates. While some of the speakers seemed misinformed or uneducated about the process and what the Legislature is responsible for (state government doesn’t buy the nation’s oil supply nor can it solve the immigration problem), most of them had deep concerns about their future, their family’s future and the state of their state. Sessions like these can do without grandstanding and speech making or partisanship (all of which reared their ugly heads on Saturday). Nonetheless, everyone deserves to be heard.
I learned a few things by attending. Thirty-three percent of fiscal year 2011 revenue is generated from the personal income tax; social programs and education are the largest chunks of the spending pie; and Malloy’s budget proposal only has a net reduction of 13 percent in spending. Billed as carrying the largest tax increase in state history, his budget seeks to increase the sales tax, gas tax, and a host of other taxes, like those for hotel rooms, cigarettes, alcohol and real estate sales. He also proposed new taxes on pet grooming, car washes, non-prescription drugs, manicures and pedicures, haircuts and yoga (yes, yoga), among many others.
The slide presentation and associated handout are eye-opening and informative. State Sen. John McKinney promises to update them for the next Town Hall Meeting, which will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.
Accompanying McKinney on Saturday and at the next session are state Reps. Brenda Kupchick, Kim Fawcett and Tony Hwang.
As residents and taxpayers, we must play a role in our state government by meeting with our legislators, hearing them out, and asking questions. It is worth the effort.

It is that time of year again – Daylight-Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13. (It ends on Nov. 6, but we won’t worry about that now.) Clocks are to be turned forward one hour. DST began during World War I and II when Congress established it to help save resources.
For a lot of us, DST signals the start of a new season – spring, and I, for one, am eager to see it after the brutal winter we have had. Spring, by the way, begins on March 20.
The Fairfield Fire Department encourages residents to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when the clocks are changed. That simple task could save lives. Most smoke detectors use 9V batteries and most manufacturers sell them two in a pack.
According to the department’s website, when fire units respond to any type of call in a residence with the exception of emergency medical ones, firefighters check the house for smoke detector compliance. If the house does not meet code, a police officer is called to the scene and issues an infraction, which is $90. The bottom line: Smoke detectors must be installed in all dwellings.
I know firsthand the department’s enforcement action. A couple of years ago when my furnace malfunctioned I had to call 9-1-1. A couple of fire engines were at my house in a matter of minutes. After they investigated my furnace problem and determined that I was in no danger but insisted I call the gas company, the firefighters politely asked about my smoke detectors. I sheepishly told them that they weren’t working but that I had two new ones that needed to be installed. In less time than the actual fire call, one firefighter replaced the old ones and screwed in the new ones. He checked that they functioned properly, and they all went on their way back to the station houses.
I was really grateful for the service.
Do yourselves a favor, make sure your detectors are working properly, and if not, buy new ones. Otherwise, change the batteries. It takes only seconds.
For information on proper placement of detectors, visit the department’s page on its website.

The Fairfield Care Task Force on Alcohol & Health, in conjunction with Positive Directions, will be presenting the findings of a survey conducted in October on adults’ attitudes and perceptions about youth underage drinking and other illegal substance use from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on March 14 in the Rotary Room of the Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road.
According to Positive Directions, the first-ever survey generated a high level of participation from Fairfield parents and other adults. Apparently, it was one of the highest response rates seen by the research analyst conducting similar surveys in the state.
Positive Directions is a nonprofit organization, according to its mission statement on its website, that promotes and supports individuals, families and communities in southwestern Connecticut by providing prevention programs and treatment services for mental health and addictive services.
No matter what the survey results show about prevailing attitudes, they are bound to be informative and enlightening.
Attending the presentation will be worthwhile for both parents and youth, as well as other members of the community at large.

The seed catalogs are piling up on my desk. But I will take a break from perusing them so I can alert readers to an event happening this weekend.
There is no excuse not to shop and eat healthy, locally grown food year-round. A number of winter farmers’ markets are available to satisfy our urges for fresh food.
As part of that effort to educate consumers and provide them with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other commodities (like honey, maple sugar and such), the Pequot Library is hosting its first farmers’ market on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The head librarian, Robyn Filippone, has lined up several Connecticut growers and speakers to give visitors a chance to educate themselves on fresh food and to buy it. The market is conducted in conjunction with the One Book One Town community reading program, which culminates this month.
In addition to Saturday’s market, there already are others in place in the immediate area. Time is running out to visit them as most end when spring begins. (The good news, however, is that there is a host of other farmers’ market that set up from spring to late fall.)
Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens, 7 Sylvan Lane, Westport, is the site of one of the largest ones in the area. It is open on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 31.
The Greenfield Hill Grange, 1873 Hillside Road, Fairfield, is open for fresh-food buyers from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through spring.
And in Weston, the Norfield Grange, 12 Good Hill Road, has its market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through April 15.
For information and a list of upcoming markets for the spring and summer seasons, visit the state Department of Agriculture’s website for Connecticut grown products at www.ctgrown.gov. More information about eating healthier can be found at the Fairfield Green Food Guide, http://fairfieldgreenfoodguide.com
Now, back to the catalogs. Spring begins in 18 days, after all.