Stories

Wilton native Chance Browne, 75, illustrator of comic strip Hi & Lois, has died

<p><strong>Chance Browne Obituary</strong></p><p>Chance Browne, longtime illustrator of the comic strip “Hi &amp; Lois,” died peacefully at home in Connecticut on March 1, 2024, at the age of 75.</p><p>Born Robert David Browne in New York City on June 17, 1948, Chance was the eldest child of Joan Kelly Browne and the cartoonist Dik Browne. He inherited prodigious drawing skills from his father, who was the original “Hi &amp; Lois” illustrator and created the comic strip “Hägar the Horrible.”</p><p>Chance and his siblings grew up in South Orange, New Jersey and Wilton, Connecticut, among Dik’s fellow cartoonists and a cohort of famous writers, artists, and radio and television personalities. When “Hägar” debuted in newspapers in 1973, the rest of the Browne family served as editors for every gag over the following decade.</p><p>Chance studied painting at Park College in Missouri and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Moving to Harvard Square and then to Burlington, Vermont in the late 1970s, he broadened his artistic scope by working as a graphic artist, ad-agency jingle writer/musician, and studio player while performing with several rock and blues bands in New England and beyond.</p><p>These dual artistic paths continued through Chance's cartooning career wherever he resided. He raised three daughters with his wife, Debra, moving to Sarasota, Florida, and finally settling in his hometown of Wilton, Connecticut in 1989. Earning a reputation among musicians as a first-rate guitarist, he played alongside such blues greats as B.B. King, Albert Collins, Junior Wells, and Mark Naftalin, as well as folk legends Jim Rooney and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. He performed in blues festivals, special concerts and gigs in numerous venues for over six decades. He recorded the album&nbsp;Bluesville&nbsp;in 1993 with guest players Johnnie Johnson and the Uptown Horns.</p><p>Highly skilled in fine arts, Chance portrayed a range of subjects in his work, from pickup trucks to ink bottles, landscapes, architectural studies, and the people he loved. Many of his paintings, drawings and multimedia pieces can be viewed on his website.</p><p>Chance is survived by his wife, Debra Kaslove Browne; children Rachel Browne (Joseph D’Agostino), Robin Browne (Zachary Willis), and Zoë Browne; sister Sally Browne-Boeras (Rico Boeras); ten nieces and nephews; and four grand-nephews. He was predeceased last year by his brother, “Hägar the Horrible” illustrator Chris Browne.</p><p><strong>To see Chance’s art and listen to&nbsp;Bluesville, visit&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://chancebrowne.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong>http://chancebrowne.com</strong></a><strong>. A celebration of life will be held this summer for friends and family, with details forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (</strong><a href="http://pancan.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong>http://pancan.org</strong></a><strong>) or the Lustgarten Foundation (</strong><a href="http://lustgarten.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong>http://lustgarten.org</strong></a><strong>).</strong></p>

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Wilton resident Flynn Partington named to the dean's list at Bates College

<p>Flynn Partington of Wilton was named to the dean's list at Bates College for the fall/winter semester ending in December 2023. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is <a href="3.92" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3.92</a> or higher.</p><p>Partington is still considering a major at Bates.</p><p>Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.</p>

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Wilton Reads 2024: Book Giveaway, Author Talk, and More!

<p class="ql-align-center"><strong>Wilton Library Announces Special Programs and Events for Wilton Reads 2024, Including Book Giveaway and Author Talk <em>The Great Divide</em></strong><strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><em> </em></strong><strong>is this year’s selection for community-wide reading program</strong></p><p>Wilton Library is getting ready for its community-wide reading program Wilton Reads 2024 with a full slate of special events and programs scheduled for April and May. The library invites all community members to join us as we come together to read, discuss, and reflect upon <strong><em>The Great Divide </em></strong>by acclaimed author Cristina Henriquez. With this year’s selection, our town will explore the meaning of community and voices of cultural identity through insightful programming and a collaboration with Wilton Public Schools.</p><p>To kick off the event, a limited number of hardcover copies of <strong><em>The Great Divide</em></strong> will be given away at the library free of charge courtesy of <strong>Fairfield County Bank</strong>. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Books will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, one per person, in the library lobby on Wednesday, April 3 from 10 to 11 a.m. and again from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., while supplies last. </span></p><p> “Every year, Wilton Reads provides a wonderful learning opportunity for all Wilton residents, and this year’s selection focuses on the fascinating story of the building of the Panama Canal. <strong><em>The Great Divide</em></strong> is an inspiring novel that highlights multiculturalism, what it means to be part of a community, and explores our collective history from diverse perspectives. We hope our programs and resources will open the door for many insights and conversations for all Wilton residents,” said Caroline Mandler, Executive Director of Wilton Library.</p><p><strong><em>The Great Divide</em></strong>&nbsp;is a TODAY Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, an Indie Next Pick, a LibraryReads Pick, and has been named a Best of the Month Pick by Amazon, TIME, <em>The Washington Post</em>, and the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>.</p><p>Cristina Henriquez is the author of<span style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);">&nbsp;four books, including </span><strong style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);"><em>The Book of Unknown Americans</em></strong><em style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);">, </em><span style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);">which was a </span><em style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);">New York Times</em><span style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);"> Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s Top 10 Best Books of the Year. It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. </span>Henriquez is also the author of<em> </em><strong><em>The World in Half</em></strong> and <strong><em>Come Together, Fall Apart: A Novella and Stories</em></strong>. Her writing has appeared in <em>The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Real Simple, </em>and more. <span style="color: rgb(15, 17, 17);">She is a recipient of the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award, a grant started by Sandra Cisneros in honor of her father. Henriquez earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Illinois.</span></p><p>For Wilton Reads 2024, there will be something for everyone at Wilton Library to enrich their knowledge – from food and film events to informative history presentations to engaging book discussions and children’s storytimes. </p><p>Cristina Henriquez will visit the library for an author talk on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. Cristina will be interviewed by Wiltonian Joanna Ecke, who taught public high school English for many years and has led several literary discussion groups at Wilton Library. The author will be presented with the Grodin Family Fine Writers award during her talk. Elm Street Books will be selling copies and Cristina will be signing books after the presentation.<span style="color: rgb(61, 63, 65);"> </span>The media sponsor of Wilton Reads and our author talks is GOOD Morning Wilton.</p><p>The following is a list of additional Wilton Reads 2024 programs. All details are available on the library’s website at <a href="https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2024/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2024/</a>:</p><p>For Adults: </p><p><strong>Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18 &amp; 25 </strong><em>Spring Poetry Seminars with Judson Scruton: From the Atlantic to the Pacific - Imagination is Prolific</em>, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.<strong> </strong>Please join us for a special poetry seminar series with popular guest lecturer Judson Scruton. As part of this year's Wilton Reads program, Judson Scruton will conduct four seminars mingling literary responses to two massive undertakings that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean – the building of the Transcontinental Railroad and the building of the Panama Canal.</p><p><strong>Wednesday, April 10</strong> <em>Wilton Library Readers - </em><strong><em>The Great Divide</em></strong><em> by Cristina Henriquez</em>, 12 to 1:30 p.m.<strong> </strong>Professional book discussion leader Susan Boyar discusses our 2024 Wilton Reads selection.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Thursday, April 11</strong> <em>Book Discussion of </em><strong><em>The Great Divide</em></strong><em> by Cristina Henriquez</em>, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Professional book discussion leader Susan Boyar discusses our 2024 Wilton Reads selection.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Monday, April 15</strong> <em>Panama on a Plate: One Country, One Voice, Many Flavors</em>, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please join us for an introduction to the foods, aromas, colors and culture of Panama. We are excited to present Chef Yadira Stamp, an Afro-Latina native of Panama City, Panama and chef/owner of <a href="https://esenciaspanamenas.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Esencias Panamenas Catering</a> in Washington, D.C., where she prepares authentic Panamanian, Caribbean and Central American dishes and beverages. Esencias Panamenas is the only Panamanian catering company in the U.S. to offer its food nationwide.</p><p><strong>Thursday, April 18</strong> <em>Panama Canal Documentary Screening</em>, 6:30 to 8 p.m.<strong> </strong>Please join us for a Wilton Reads screening of the PBS documentary film&nbsp;<a href="https://catalog.wiltonlibrary.org/polaris/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=3.1033.0.0.3&amp;type=Keyword&amp;term=panama%20canal%20pbs&amp;by=KW&amp;sort=RELEVANCE&amp;limit=TOM=dvd&amp;query=&amp;page=0&amp;searchid=3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Panama Canal</a>. On August 15th, 1914, the Panama Canal opened, connecting the world's two largest oceans and signaling America's emergence as a global superpower. This film, using an extraordinary archive of photographs and footage, interviews with canal workers, and firsthand accounts of life in the Canal Zone, unravels the remarkable story of one of the world's most significant technological achievements.</p><p><strong>Sunday, April 21</strong> <em>Panama Canal Documentary Screening</em>, 3 to 4:30 p.m.<strong> </strong>Please join us for a Wilton Reads screening of the PBS documentary film&nbsp;<a href="https://catalog.wiltonlibrary.org/polaris/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=3.1033.0.0.3&amp;type=Keyword&amp;term=panama%20canal%20pbs&amp;by=KW&amp;sort=RELEVANCE&amp;limit=TOM=dvd&amp;query=&amp;page=0&amp;searchid=3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Panama Canal</a>. On August 15th, 1914, the Panama Canal opened, connecting the world's two largest oceans and signaling America's emergence as a global superpower. This film, using an extraordinary archive of photographs and footage, interviews with canal workers, and firsthand accounts of life in the Canal Zone, unravels the remarkable story of one of the world's most significant technological achievements.</p><p><strong>Wednesday, May 1</strong> <em>Making the Dirt Fly: Building the Panama Canal (In Person &amp; Zoom)</em>, 7 to 8 p.m.<strong> </strong>Please join us for a fascinating Wilton Reads presentation, "Making the Dirt Fly: Building the Panama Canal." Eric Ward from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lindahall.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering &amp; Technology</a>, will discuss the massive construction project. He will also explore current issues facing the Canal due to changing climate.<strong> </strong></p><p>For Teens and Children: </p><p><strong>Wednesday, April 10</strong> <em>Lego Panama Canal</em>, 4:30 to 5:15 p.m.<strong> </strong>Aspiring engineers in grades 1-3 will learn about the operation of the Panama Canal by building their own replica out of Lego blocks.</p><p><strong>Wednesday, April 17</strong> <em>Hispanic Bilingual Storytime</em>, 10:30 to 11 a.m.<strong> </strong>Families with children ages 2 and up can join us to celebrate Wilton Reads! In this interactive family storytime centering the Hispanic experience and including some Spanish, there will be stories, rhymes, songs, and movement activities.</p><p><strong>Thursday, April 18</strong> <em>Rainforest Experience for Elementary Kids</em>, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.<strong> </strong>Kids aged 4-9 can join us for this year's rainforest focused Wilton Reads program geared just for them.&nbsp;We will read&nbsp;<em>Zonia's Rain Forest</em>&nbsp;by Juana Martinez-Neal and do a rainforest based craft.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Wednesday, April 24 </strong><em>Book Discussion and Poetry for Teens</em>, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.<strong> </strong>For Wilton Reads 2024, our teen pick is <em>Silver People</em> by Margarita Engle. Set during the building of the Panama Canal, this novel in verse follows two main characters and a collection of different fictional and historical voices. Register to come discuss the book and create some poetry of your own!</p><p><strong>Tuesday, April 30 </strong><em>Children's Book Discussion</em>, 4 to 5 p.m.<strong> </strong>Students in grades 3-6 can celebrate Wilton Reads by joining us to discuss the graphic novel <em>Invisible</em> by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Gabriela Epstein.&nbsp;</p><p>Special Displays at Wilton Library: </p><p><strong>Tuesday, April 9 through Wednesday, May 8</strong> <em>Wilton Reads: Panama Canal Construction Photo Slideshow, </em>during library operating hours.<strong> </strong>It's hard to imagine what the construction of the Panama Canal looked like.&nbsp;We have gathered dozens of photographs from the Library of Congress and enlarged them to fit a large screen TV.&nbsp;Stop by the library and see these fascinating images and get a sense of the enormity of the construction project. </p><p><strong>Tuesday, April 9 through Wednesday, May 8</strong> <em>Wilton Reads: Fraud and Connecticut’s Farmington Canal History Exhibit</em>, during library operating hours. For a Canal story, closer to home, stop by and see our history display with a Wilton twist. Wilton’s Samuel F. Lambert was a financial fraudster sued by New York State following the Panic of 1826, providing a blueprint for the national legislative response following the 2008 financial crisis. As a director of the Farmington Canal Company, he also swindled investors on this ill-fated boondoggle.</p><p>A full list of Wilton Reads 2024 programs is available on the library’s website at <a href="https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2024/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wiltonlibrary.org/wilton-reads-2024/</a>. The website also highlights reading suggestions for adults, age-appropriate reading for students, and educational resources. </p><p>To support Wilton Reads 2024, Wilton Public Schools has created age-appropriate reading lists and a full schedule of programs and activities that will involve the entire school community from grades K through 12, providing an opportunity for meaningful conversations in the schools and at home. For more information, visit the Wilton Public Schools website at <a href="http://www.wiltonps.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ww</a><a href="w.wiltonps.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">w.wiltonps.org</a>. </p><p>Wilton Library’s partners for Wilton Reads 2024 are Wilton Public Schools, Fairfield County Bank, and Elm Street Books<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></p>

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Wilton Coalition to Combat Antisemitism welcomes author  Mark Oppenheimer

<p><strong>Author Mark Oppenheimer Speaks on "Pittsburgh and Beyond: Antisemitism from the 2018 Synagogue Shooting to Today" on Monday, March 25 @7pm in Brubeck Room</strong></p><p>Please join Wilton Library and the Wilton Coalition to Combat Antisemitism for an important talk, "Pittsburgh and Beyond: Antisemitism from the 2018 Synagogue Shooting to Today," by Mark Oppenheimer, New York Times columnist, Pulitzer grantee and author of Squirrel Hill, the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in the country, known for its tight-knit community and the profusion of multigenerational families. On October 27, 2018, a gunman killed eleven Jews who were worshiping at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill - the most deadly antisemitic attack in American history.</p><p>Many neighborhoods would be understandably subsumed by despair and recrimination after such an event, but not this one. Oppenheimer poignantly shifts the focus away from the criminal and his crime, and instead presents the historic, spirited community at the center of this heartbreak. He speaks with residents and nonresidents, Jews and gentiles, survivors and witnesses, teenagers and seniors, activists and historians.</p><p>Together, these stories provide a kaleidoscopic and nuanced account of collective grief, love, support, and revival. But he also details the difficult dialogue and messy confrontations that Squirrel Hill had to face in the process of healing, and that are a necessary part of true growth and understanding in any community.</p><p>Mark Oppenheimer has been covering American religion for 25 years. He wrote the "Beliefs" column for The New York Times from 2010 - 2016, and has also written for The New Yorker, The Nation, GQ, Slate, and many more. He created Unorthodox, the world's most popular podcast about Jewish life and culture, and more recently hosted the multi-part podcast, Gatecrashers, about the history of Jews and antisemitism at Ivy League schools. He is the author of five books, including Squirrel Hill. Since 2023, he has been director of open learning at American Jewish University.</p><p>Elm Street Books will be selling copies of the book, which the author will sign after the program.</p><p>Presented in partnership by Wilton Library, the Wilton Coalition to Combat Antisemitism, and the Riverbrook Regional YMCA, serving Wilton, Norwalk, and Redding. The media sponsor for this event is GOOD Morning Wilton.</p><p>Registration is required.&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0012MyIBEs6RawJ2xSzEUBeh7A4ik_QOdDCs6p4cQS282ohUEBmX6SoDFFeYs8S6GO6_jP0XmlGU1rWBBZ0jIPqXu9uReMhSNsrWEwXVq4QOHDjU9GIC3wlPvwDXekd38kW4r1VMXFWC19z_sH4BvBgEWsTrYHHqy86z3HffZKS-s3kOxOg8TEmi8c4ZDJfrxy6nj1ToKGdJfiWjIeGSfmhSA==&amp;c=PmgUGsCDvy--AI4zDYTIJiel2b1i6ZFiWkBIlFmfbM2OeMbE_48Ehw==&amp;ch=4qW6fhb85rEciRg2c1WgY0ng5MW3fhhvOd9haEPJohOLR5ZuCerrFw==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(70, 126, 246);">Register &amp; See Details</a></p>

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On the Children's Shelf: When your secrets go viral…

<p>How do you keep things private in a digital age? When things can easily be shared online? When hackers can access devices and cloud storage, is anything ever really safe?</p><p>In “In Case You Missed It” by Sarah Darer Littman we see what happens when your safe protected cloud storage is hacked and shared online. Sammy, a high school junior is busy with the APs and getting her driver’s license. She keeps a personal diary on her computer so her little brother can’t find it and read it.</p><p>Sammy’s dad is the CEO of a major bank. He is under enormous stress because there are protesters outside the bank protesting bank actions. Sammy is aware of his stress, but she’s a teenager busy with her own school stress. While it might seem like there is no overlap, their whole world is turned upside down when hackers hack into bank documents then turn their attack on her father, personally. They hack into the family’s cloud storage and start sharing everything they find online…including Sammy’s personal diary.</p><p>Every thought, every frustration, the time she lied to her parents…all out there for her classmates and parents to read. Things at the bank are worse than ever and her dad stays at work for days on end because he is dealing with the issues there. Her entire school has read her diary, her friends are furious and refuse to speak to her. The ultimate irony in Sammy’s mind is that her mom tells her not to read any of their emails or texts shared online but Sammy’s mom reads her diary. On top of losing her friends, Sammy is caught lying to her parents through her diary and is now grounded. While Sammy’s secrets are on the internet being read, so are her parents’ secrets and Sammy learns the biggest secret they’ve been keeping from her. Definitely check out this book to see what happens when all those private thoughts and email exchanges are now available for the whole world to read.</p><p>This YA book is well written and readers of all age can identify with the question – how safe is anything online? The story flows well, is captivating and took turns I didn’t expect (which I really enjoy in a book). Friendships end, family dynamics change, Sammy learns a lot about herself, her real friends, and if you have to choose who is going to snoop through your diary….she’d rather it was just her little brother. I highly recommend this book.</p><p>Jessica Collins is an award-winning writer. Her column "On the Children's Shelf" has earned multiple Connecticut Press Club awards and national recognition. Read more on her blog: <a href="https://onthechildrensshelf.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://onthechildrensshelf.com/</a></p>

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Wilton's Lover’s Lane Bridge to be closed intermittently Monday and Tuesday

<p><strong>Lover’s Lane Bridge</strong></p><p>On Monday, March 18th, a crane will be delivered to the Lover’s Lane Bridge project and on Tuesday March 19th, the bridge beams will be delivered and installed. On both days,&nbsp;Lover’s Lane will be closed intermittently while the crane is delivered and the beams are&nbsp;installed. Police Officers and Traffic Flagmen will be on site both days. Any emergency&nbsp;vehicles requiring to cross the Lover’s Lane Bridge will be given first priority.</p><p>Any&nbsp;questions or concerns, you can email Jeff Pardo, Assistant Director of Public&nbsp;Works/Facilities Manager at jeff.pardo@<a href="wiltonct.or" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wiltonct.or</a>g</p>

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Spend Spring Break (April 15-19) at Woodcock Nature Center

<h2><strong style="color: rgb(233, 76, 58);">School's Out, Nature's IN: Spring Break</strong></h2><p><strong style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Monday - Friday, April 15-19</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">School's out, but the woods are open!&nbsp;Children will explore vernal pools, search for amphibians, stomp in the mud,&nbsp;and scoop in the swamp! Each day will include exploration, hands-on activities,&nbsp;animal presentations, and nature crafts.&nbsp;Join us for one or all five days.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">Pre-K-5th Grade</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">9 am - 3 pm, $95 per day</span></p><p>Register now: <a href="https://www.woodcocknaturecenter.org/spring-break-enrichment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.woodcocknaturecenter.org/spring-break-enrichment</a></p>

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