Clamdigging around Rowayton

Join the Rowayton Historical Society for cocktails at the Pinkney House to celebrate the opening of the Norwalk Quilt Trail on May 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. Sip colorful "Madras" cocktails and get a sneak preview of some of the quilts that will be on exhibit through the summer. More than 40 quilts will be on display in Norwalk at the many cultural heritage and tourism sites around the city. Come see antique quilts hand-stitched before the Civil War and bicentennial quilts. There are quilts made by children and others by seniors, celebrating life, marriage and death. Also see quilts sewn by one individual and others stitched by hundreds of Norwalk residents. The RHS is a lead partner of the first citywide collaboration of all of our cultural sites to showcase the vibrancy of our shared heritage, and they look forward to welcoming everyone to walk the Quilt Trail with us. For information, contact the RHS at info@rowaytonhistoricalsociety.org. The Pinkney House will be open all summer on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Fridays during the Farmer's Market from noon to 5 p.m. and Sundays June 5, 12, and 26 from 12 to 4 p.m. The museum will also be open after the Memorial Day Parade, during the River Ramble, and the third Sunday of every month from 2 to 4 p.m.

Hop on over to the Rowayton Center

Rain or shine, the community can meet the Easter Bunny and participate in the Rowayton Civic Association's annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday at 10 a.m. In preparation for the event, parents are asked to please drop off six plastic eggs filled with candy, snacks or coins for each participating child to T.G. Diamandis at 3 St. James Place (off Yarmouth Road at the top of Browne Place) today between noon and 8 p.m. Eggs may also be dropped off at the Community Center field before 9:30 a.m. on the day of the hunt. For information, email T.G. Diamandis at diamandis@optonline.net or call 831-0870.

Loon-ey Sighting

in Rowayton

Nothing gets by Rowayton photographer Dana Laird as she spied Amtrak #173 on April 12. And they thought the only loons in Rowayton were at Farm Creek.

Farm Creek Update: Spring cleanup

A spring cleanup of the Norwalk Land Trust's Farm Creek properties will be held on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Bring your rake and gloves. Refreshments will be provided. Trails will be restored in preparation for the first of the fourth- grade school trips that begin in May. Meet at the stone barn at Farm Creek.

In the school zone: Donations, registrations

The Brien McMahon Parents Club is sponsoring a clothing drive to help fund scholarships and enrichment programs at the school. They are collecting: men's women's, and kid's clothing; coats, ties, gloves, shoes, boots, belts, handbags, linens, pillows, towels, sheets, backpacks, briefcases and stuffed animals. Please package your items in plastic bags (shoes should be kept separate) and bring them to BMHS on April 30 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (main entrance). The school will be paid by the pound of clothing, so bring as much as you've got. For information, call 203-852-0388.

Rowayton Elementary School kindergarten registration is currently under way. Registration packets were sent directly to prospective kindergarteners at United Church Nursery School, Community Cooperative Nursery School and Five Mile Nursery schools. If your prospective kindergartener does not attend one of these preschools, you may stop by Rowayton School office between the hours of 9 and 3 to pick up a registration packet. Children must be five years old by Dec. 31, 2011 to qualify for the 2011-2012 kindergarten class. A kindergarten open house will be held May 11 (child's last name beginning with A - L) or May 12 (child's last name beginning with M - Z) at 10 a.m. Parents will have a gathering with the principal and vice principal while prospective kindergarteners visit a classroom.

Rowayton PTA will present the annual Rowayton School Carnival May 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. and May 14 from 1 to 6 p.m. This year's spring fundraiser will be full of rides, games, face painting, great food, a silent auction and more. Many thanks to the 2011 carnival sponsors: Premiere Auto Sport, Brendan's 101, Raise High Construction, The Harmony Dental Group, Innovative Health and Rehabilitation, Savona Communications, Ross Farrar, Leeny Designs, The Tchkotoua Family, The Sattler Family, and Eric and Christine Smith. Be sure to "Like" them on Facebook.

The carnival is looking for volunteers

Whether you are a cook, baker, money counter, face painter.... Is beauty your thing? Sports? Taking orders or running? There is a job for you. Check out the new and improved website, where you can browse all the positions available at your leisure at http://rowaytoncarnival.i-volunteeronline.com. You can also find out who will be premiering the "Glow in the Dark Freeze Dance Competition."

Sotheby Saturdays continue

Local artist/photographer Phil Nelson will be on site April 30 from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. Nelson, who attended the University of Denver and the New York School of Visual Arts, has a background in graphic design, film production and computer technology. He creates beautiful photographic landscape studies that are equally suited for fine art display and commercial use and has an eye for environments that are both visually and emotionally pleasing. His images are expansive, but his attention to detail creates a quiet mood that draws the viewer in. His expert knowledge of color, composition and natural light combine to create stunning clarity. His work has appeared in numerous publications and advertisements, and his prints hang on the walls of many businesses and private collectors. Refreshments will be served courtesy of Diane Browne Catering. For information and/or a schedule of what else is planned for future Sotheby Saturdays, contact William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty at 203-838-2190 or email Gigi Melillo at gigim@wpsir.com.

Stay "Currents" with the Civic Association

The Rowayton Civic Association's newsletter -- Currents -- is out. All residents of Rowayton should have received it in the mail. It contains news of upcoming RCA events as well as the application for the Bayley Beach Parking Permit. If you did not receive your copy, Currents is available (free, of course) at the Rowayton Library.

Comedy Night is right around the corner. The Rowayton Civic Association invites you to join them again under the tent at the Rowayton Community Center for Comedy Night 2011 on May 21 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale May 2 at the Rowayton Market. For information, contact Jill Klein at JillKlein@mac.com or visit the RCA website at www.rowytonct.com. This event is for everyone ages 21 and over.

Shop til you drop --plant sale fundraiser

The Rowayton Gardeners' Annual Plant Sale fundraiser will be May 7 at the Rowayton Community Center, 33 Highland Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon. Annuals, hanging baskets and perennials (dug from members' gardens) will be for sale. Get up early, bring a friend, and shop for Mother's Day. All proceeds benefit civic beautification and programs which encourage environmental awareness and preservation of native plants and birds.

RAC's sponsored awards exhibit

The Rowayton Arts Center is receiving works for the 32nd Community Sponsored Awards Exhibit. Works can be submitted on Monday from 2 to 6 p.m. and on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All media are accepted; one work per artist permitted. The entry fee is $15 and membership due must be current. Please inquire at the Rowayton Arts Center for complete rules and regulations regarding this exhibit.

Also, currently on display is the exhibition of member photography and sculpture at the Rowayton Arts Center Gallery, 145 Rowayton Ave., now through April 24. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free.

At the Rowayton Library

ScrabbleTime is for everyone (the original Connecticut board game) at the Rowayton Library on the last Monday afternoon of every month. This month, ScrabbleTime will be on April 25 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Join your neighbors for a good game of Scrabble. There will be six tables set up. All materials will be provided. There will also be two tables set up for Scrabble Junior for our younger players. Players will be seated on a first-come/first-serve basis. Players of all ages are welcome.

The Rowayton Library continues the Great Decisions Discussion Group on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The topic will be "Responding to the Financial Crisis." Developed by the Foreign Policy Association, the Great Decisions Discussion Program is the oldest and largest grass-roots world affairs education program of its kind in the country. The Great Decisions Discussion Program is FPA's public education initiative to create more informed and engaged citizens by bringing people together to discuss U.S. foreign policy and global affairs issues. Materials are provided to participants and are available at the Rowayton Library. This program is free and open to the public. The sessions are led by Erik Rambusch, IFS coordinator and adjunct professor at Norwalk Community College. Further discussion dates are May 18 and 25, and June 8 and 15. For information contact the library at (203) 838-5038.

The quarterly library workshop, Business & Bagels will be exploring the subject of "Effective Website Design and Search Engine Optimization." Are you getting maximum return from your website? The overall look of your website is the customer's first impression of your business. Learn about the key factors that affect your website's functionality and search engine ranking April 28 at 7:30 a.m. with Amy DeLardi, founder and creative director of Infinite Web Designs, LLC. She leads a team of skilled professionals creating and designing search engine optimized websites. The Rowayton Library and Fairfield County SCORE are co-sponsoring this small business information series. Please RSVP. SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, is a resource partner with the U. S. Small Business Administration. Members are professional and business men and women who volunteer their time to provide business workshops and expert, free one-on-one counseling.

The next CraftTime for Kids, April 29 at 3:30 p.m. is all about Shakespeare. Learn a line of Shakespeare courtesy of Shakespeare on the Sound, which is providing the lines from its upcoming production of "Much Ado About Nothing." Come and create a fun craft to bring home based on the line. This program is for kids ages 7 and up.

The sixth annual Haiku Contest winners will be invited to read their haiku at the Rowayton Library's poetry reception on May 1 at 1 p.m. The community is invited to join us in this celebration and to acknowledge our local talent. Award-winning poet, Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio (our Haiku contest judge) will introduce the poets. Light refreshments will be served.

For information on Rowayton Library programs, please call (203) 838-5038. All programs are free and open to the public. Some may require a courtesy reservation. Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

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