In the Spotlight Courage to Speak Holds 12th Family Night
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he Courage to Speak Foundation, founded by Norwalk resident Ginger Katz will hold its 12th Annual Courage To Speak® Empowering Youth to Be Drug-Free Family Night on Monday, March 14, 2016, 5:45 p.m., at West Rocks Middle School, 81 West Rocks Road, in Norwalk (snow date: March 15). A complimentary dinner begins at 5:45 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 p.m. All are invited to the event, which brings students, parents, educators, school, and government officials, business, and community leaders together to affirm their commitment to keeping children safe from drugs and other risky behaviors. This exciting event will spotlight the outstanding work and words of students who participate in the Courage to Speak Foundation’s programs/curricula taught by their health class teachers in Norwalk middle schools — Nathan Hale, Ponus Ridge, Roton, and West Rocks — as well as Brookside Elementary School and Side-by-Side Charter School. State Representative Senator Bob Duff will serve as master of ceremonies. On display will be the remarkable artwork created by students during their drug prevention classes with their teachers. “Bringing students and parents together to talk openly and honestly about the dangers of drugs is the most important goal of the Courage to Speak Empowering Youth to be Drug Free Family Night,” stated Ms. Katz. “By helping our students become outstanding anti-drug advocates and mentors for their friends and younger siblings, we hope to eradicate the problem of drug and alcohol use among young people in Connecticut and across the country.”
Norwalk Seaport Association Gala to Honor First County Bank and First Responder Marine Units
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Sponsors of the event include gold sponsors Cablevision of CT, Norwalk Pizza & Pasta, Norwalk Police Department, gWay Marketing Gymnasium, and silver sponsors First Niagara, Webster Bank, First County Bank Foundation, Baywater Properties, WWE, Wendy Blattman, the Stapleton family, Diageo, the Doyle Family, Abram Heisler, Attorney at Law, and Miklos Koleszar, Attorney at Law. Raffle and food sponsors include Silvermine Golf Club, Smart Cycle, Aitoro Appliances, Continental Manor, Don Carmelo's, O'Neill's, B.J. Ryan's Banc House, Partners Café, Sedona Taphouse, Linda Stubbs, Via Sforza Trattoria, Winfield Street Italian Deli, La Paella, Jimmy’s Deli, Italia, Mish Mosh, Muro's Original NY Bakery, Costco, Valentino’s Cucina Italiana, and Jordan's Pizza. The Courage to Speak® Foundation, Inc. works to save lives by empowering youth to be drug free by fostering education and open communication about the dangers of alcohol and other drug use. This year marks the 20th year of the foundation. For more information about the event, or to become a sponsor and volunteer, visit www.couragetospeak.org, call (877) 4313295, or email Ginger Katz at gkatz@couragetospeak.org.
he Norwalk Seaport Association’s Annual LightKeeper’s Gala will take place this year on March 19th to benefit the association’s ongoing work to preserve and restore the historic Sheffield Island Lighthouse. With a nod to Sheffield Island, the evening will have an island theme and include dinner and dancing, as well as live and silent auctions. During the event, First County Bank and the Marine Units of the Norwalk Police and Fire Departments will receive the organization’s annual Beacon Awards. The festivities will take place from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. at the Norwalk Inn & Conference Center, 99 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT. For reservations and more information on the 2016 Gala, visit www.seaport.org or call (203) 838-9444 “First County Bank has been a great supporter of the NSA, having been the presenting sponsor of our annual Oyster Festival for the last five years. That event is our single biggest outreach effort to the region,” says Norwalk
Seaport Association (NSA) president Vinny Scicchitano. “The Marine Units of the Norwalk Police and Fire Departments are an integral part of the marine life of Norwalk and have been a tremendous help to us in maintaining Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the island grounds, making them available to the public.” “We are pleased and honored to be chosen as a recipient of the Norwalk Seaport Association’s Beacon Award,” says First County Bank chairman and CEO Rey Giallongo. “We are happy to support its great work preserving the historic, 144-year-old Sheffield Island Lighthouse for the public to enjoy and sharing the beauty of our local waters.”
First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford, Conn., for more than 165 years, is an independent mutual community bank with 15 branches in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, and Westport offering deposit products, mortgages, wealth management, business banking services, mobile and online banking. The bank has more than 220 employees, assets in excess of $1.4 billion, and is a 2016 Women’s Choice Award winner. For additional information, please visit www.firstcountybank.com. The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, education and public awareness of Norwalk’s marine environment and heritage. The NSA has owned, restored, and maintained Sheffield Island Lighthouse since 1986 and is the official U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Friends group for the Norwalk Islands. For more information, visit www.seaport.org or call (203) 838-9444.
Godfather Movie to Benefit Local Nonprofits Norwalk Lit Crawl Set for March 15
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f you’re a bibliophile or just looking for a unique diversion, you’re bound to enjoy the 3rd Annual Norwalk Lit Crawl. The event, modeled after similar ones in San Francisco, NYC, Seattle, and London, will take place Tuesday, March 15th from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Wall Street area of Norwalk. The evening promises a feast for the brain as well as the belly. Scintillating storytelling of classical and not-so-classical works, plus a sampling of culinary delights washed down with your favorite 8
quaff, will really put you in a literary spirit. Participants in this year’s event will be visiting Fat Cat Pie Company, Apricot Bar & Grill, B.AN.C House, Aji 10, and The Silk Touch. This year’s sponsors are The Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, The Norwalk Parking Authority, Norwalk
THE CHAMBER REPORT l March 2016
Public Library, and The Hour. Attend one venue or “crawl” to all five! The best part is that all proceeds will benefit Norwalk Reads. Grab a group of your favorite crawlers and come join the literary scene. For more information, registration, and a schedule of readings visit www.norwalklitcrawl.org.
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f you’re a fan of the Godfather movies, pay your respects to a great film and support two local organizations at an upcoming screening of The Godfather, Part 1. The screening on March 19th will benefit The Maritime Aquarium and the Italian American Police Society of Fairfield County. The evening will take place at the Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water Street in Norwalk with a reception at 6:00 p.m. and the movie at 7:00 p.m. The reception will feature three-foot Italian combo sandwiches donated by Winfield Street Italian Deli. Tickets are $30 and include reception and movie ticket. Tickets are available at Winfield Street Italian Deli, located at 69 Winfield Street, Norwalk and 54 Railroad Place, Westport, or buy your tickets online at www.maritimeaquarium.org.