In Sight

Photos/Chris Preovolos

ABOVE: From left, Kevin Gallagher, of Stamford, center, and other Santas head from the Brick House Bar & Grille to Tigin Irish Pub and Restaurant during the 2008 Stamford Santa Pub Crawl on Saturday. The costumed revelers drank at several downtown Stamford bars, ending a Tiernans Pub and Restaurant on Saturday night as part of the crawl that was organized and promoted on the internet.
BELOW: Matt Zielinski, of New Rochelle, N.Y., left, and Paul Bergagnin, of Stamford, right, talk over a pint at Tigin.

I was driving east on Broad St. today and a snow-covered Saab with four adults in full Santa costumes pulled up next to me at the red light at Greyrock Place. I reached for my Canon G10 point and shoot, which happened to be on the passenger’s seat. The battery was dead.

Eventually, after heading back home I was able to figure out this was part of a downtown Stamford Santa pub crawl. I decided this must be documented and I caught up with them in front of Brick House Bar & Grille.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Does he come to your work dressed like Santa and mess with you? Leave the man alone, he was work to do!”

–CP

Kathleen O’Rourke/The Advocate

Elizabeth Ast, 11, takes a seat as students in The Ballet School of Stamford prepare for their student performance at the Leonhardt Studio in the Rich Forum.

Chris Preovolos/The Advocate

During a talk at Darien High School, Bob Schieffer, a legendary broadcast journalist and host of Face the Nation, leans in for a question about the future of journalism from the concerned father of a young reporter.

His answer was refreshingly upbeat in a general sense, though he did mention something about newspapers being devastated.  Still, I came away from this not wanting to bang my head into the wall…which is pretty much how I have been feeling lately.

Long story short: I can forgo the boilermaker I had earlier predicted needing after work today. Well, at least the shot.

–CP

Kathleen O’Rourke/Staff photo

Brian VanOrsdel rappels 22 stories down the Landmark Square building during a test run Friday morning for Sunday’s “Heights and Lights” event in downtown Stamford.  VanOrsdel will be playing Santa at the event which begins at 4:30pm.

A man assisting with the test run takes a donut and coffee break in the early morning light atop Landmark Square.

Here’s another one of those early morning, beautiful light, assignments that I hate getting up for but love the results.  Although this particular event always makes me nervous because of the risk factor.  Whenever I’m told that I must harness in and sign a release before doing my job, I get a bit fearful.  But just hold on tight to my camera and don’t look down.  That reminds me of the time I was a rookie photo assistant and dropped a Hasselblad lens from three floors up at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.  Funny, I never worked for that guy again.

Photo/Chris Preovolos

I found this is front of Target on Broad street while walking in the rain to an appointment at the optometrist.

Dude, new glasses are expensive. I’m accepting donations to help pay for my improved corrected vision.

MAIL CHECKS TO:

Chris Preovolos

Staff photographer,

The Advocate

9A Riverbend Drive South,

Samford, CT 06907

–CP

P.S. After having my eyes dilated I can’t see anything. Hopefully this will wear off before my first assignment.

Kathleen O’Rourke/The Advocate

A group of dancers from the Coogan School of Irish Dance, in West Hartford, Conn., gather around a mirror for a wig check before competing in the 2008 New England Regional Oireachtas at the Stamford Hilton.

Kathleen O’Rourke/The Advocate

Sushi chefs from Kobis Japanese Steak House prepare rolls for a reception at the Holiday Inn in Stamford.  The reception included a ribbon cutting unveiling the hotels $20 million renovations.

Chris Preovolos/The Advocate

David Flanagan, of Milford, keeps the grounds at the Fairfield Memorial Park Cemetery on Oaklawn Ave. in Stamford on Monday.

I saw this on the way into work today. I’m too caffeinated to try to think of something to write here, let alone come up with a headline other than what I slugged the photo…a combination of the words “Stamford” and “enterprise.” So…yeah.

-CP