Connecticut Travel

A Maritime Aquarium seal officially chose the team she thinks will win out at Super Bowl LIII on Sunday. Rasal chose the New England Patriots to win over the Los Angeles Rams during the Maritime Aquarium’s seal-training demonstration Tuesday afternoon. During the event, images of the Super Bowl teams’ helmets were taped to the window of the seal exhibit. When commanded, Rasal swam over to the window and held her nose on the Patriots team helmet. If you’re rooting for the Rams, you may still be in luck. To date, the aquarium’s seals are 2-5 in their picks, however, their last two picks were correct. It will be interesting to see if Rasc continues this winning streak this year.

This year’s pick may hold a bit of nostalgia for Rasal, as she previously picked the Patriots to win out over the New York Giants in 2012 during the aquarium’s first seal pick. The Giants ended up winning that game, which began a five-year streak of incorrect guesses for the seals.

In 2015, the seals chose the Seattle Seahawks to win out over the Patriots. They were, of course, incorrect, as the Pats ended up winning that game 28-24 in a last-second victory. In 2017, Orange correctly picked the Pats to beat the Atlanta Falcons, which resulted in the seals’ first correct pick. They followed that up last year by picking the Philadelphia Eagles to win, who ended up beating New England 41-33.
“They don’t seem to show a preference I guess,” Maritime Aquarium Publicist Dave Sigworth said. “Rasal, she was found as an abandoned pup in Maine, spent some time in New England, but also spent some time at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, so she has Midwestern and New England connections. Of course the Rams used to be in St. Louis, so it’s all very complex. Maybe her New England roots is why she went with the Patriots.”

Though Rasal made the first initial pick years ago, she took over the role this year from Orange the seal, who passed away in May.

At 33 years old, Rasal is the aquarium’s oldest seal. She was found in Maine in 1985 and rehabilitated at the New England Aquarium in Boston. She later moved to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and was there until 2005, when she came to the Maritime Aquarium.

Sigworth is hoping Rasal’s instincts extend the seals’ correct streak to three years in a row.

“They have a history of being wrong a lot,” Sigworth said, “but they’ve been on a roll the last two years, so we’ll see.”

Fairfield County Children’s Choir Annual Broadway Concert and Auction on February 2 at The Klein Memorial Auditorium never disappoints!! Always an audience favorite, this year’s concert will feature music from Phantom of the Opera, Porgy and Bess, and in a nod to our Bridgeport connection – Barnum and The Greatest Showman. Pair those fantastic shows with some of the most outstanding youth soloists of Fairfield County and our amazing choirs, you are certain to enjoy an evening of unforgettable music. We are pleased to announce our special guest for this concert will be Michele McConnell, the voice of Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera. Ms. McConnell performed this role on Broadway for eight years and will sing Think of Me.

Support our choir AND walk away with something fabulous – the Silent Auction promises to be bigger and better than ever! Held in the spaces surrounding the auditorium, past auction items have included gourmet gift baskets, sporting event tickets, music lessons, jewelry, restaurant gift cards, autographed children’s books……the list goes on. Cocktails, hors-d’oeuvres and auction bidding begins at 5:30 pm and continues through intermission.

The Fairfield County Children’s Choir (FCCC) is a community-based choral program made up of 300 children in grades four through twelve from communities in and around Fairfield County. The choir has performed across the country and around the world. For information on the FCCC and to hear the choir, visit SingFCCC.org

The Colors of Broadway, Saturday, February 2, 2019, 7:00 pm, Auction opens at 5:30 pm, Fairfield County Children’s Choir, The Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, $15 and $20, Tickets at theklein.org,The Fairfield County Children’s Choir (FCCC) is a community-based choral program made up of 300 children in grades four through twelve from communities in and around Fairfield County. The choir has performed across the country and around the world. For information on the FCCC and to hear the choir, visit SingFCCC.org

The Colors of Broadway, Saturday, February 2, 2019, 7:00 pm, Auction opens at 5:30 pm, Fairfield County Children’s Choir, The Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, $15 and $20, Tickets at theklein.org.

The historic Glebe House in Woodbury, Connecticut’s antiques capital is hosting a Winter Afternoon tea at this historic house museum. Guests will enjoy traditional afternoon teas and a delectable selection of sweet and savory treats served by costumed docents. This elegant tea will be set in the main floor rooms of the historic Glebe House. Guests may be seated in the grand Green Parlor, the formal Study or the Colonial Kitchen.

A highlight of this event besides the tea and goodies is the chance for guests to win one of four door prizes. Each guest will receive a ticket and four of them will be lucky winners! If one ticket isn’t enough, additional tickets will be available to purchase.

The winter afternoon tea will take place on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m., in case of inclement weather a snow date has been set for Feb. 17. The Glebe House is located on 49 Hollow Road in Woodbury. There is limited seating for this event so it is best to get tickets in advance. First-floor admission to the museum is included in the price of the ticket which is $30 for members and $35 for non-members. Please call 203-263-2855 to reserve your ticket with a credit card or send a check in advance to the Glebe House.

All proceeds from this event directly benefit the Glebe House Museum & Gertrude Jekyll Garden.

We often don’t think about the resources we use. We are displaced from them through processing, manufacturing, and shipping. For Native people living in the Northeast, using resources and preparing for winter was vital to survival. So how do you find shelter, make food, and stay warm when the weather is cold and your resources are diminished? On Sunday, January 26 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. the public is invited to join the Institute for American Indian Studies educator, Griffin Kalin for a fun and informative program on how to survive in the Eastern Woodlands without twenty-first-century technology.

Participants will learn how to start a fire in the snow, how to find food in the forest, and how to make a shelter from the natural environment. Visitors will even see examples of how Native Peoples of the Eastern Woodlands lived by visiting the replicated Algonkian village on the grounds of the Institute that is composed of wigwams and longhouses and the remnants of the three sisters garden.

It is exciting as well as an engaging experience that is suitable for all ages. The experience will make you feel as though you have stepped back in time as you explore the forest and learn the ways of the Eastern Woodland Indians.

To participate in this event be sure to dress warm and wear appropriate footwear because some of this program will be outside. This program is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children; members of the museum are free. In addition to this program, entrance to the museum with its fascinating exhibits and wonderful gift shop featuring locally made handcrafted Native American art, crafts, and jewelry among other items is also included.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village. Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518. New @ the Institute is an Escape Room- Wigwam Escape 1518.

Help create an enormous ocean scene using everyone’s favorite building blocks during “LEGO® Weekend” Jan. 26 and 27 in The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

LEGO experts from Play-Well TEKnologies will be on hand both days to oversee a big fun coral-reef scene made entirely out of LEGO blocks in Newman’s Own Hall (near the seals).

The experts will create an underwater environment, but it needs animals! Aquarium guests can build a small LEGO marine creature that will be part of the finished piece. Choose from such creatures as a jellyfish, seal, shark, sting ray, turtle and fish, or build an animal unknown to science from your imagination.

“If you’ve been to The Maritime Aquarium lately, you’ve had the chance to create a two-dimensional marine animal in the clever ‘Sketch & Release’ activity on our giant video wall,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth. “ ‘LEGO Weekend’ adds a dimension – literally – by letting you use your creativity to assemble three-dimensional creatures.”

Also during “LEGO Weekend,” Aquarium guests can build motorized LEGO machines that will duel for superiority on LEGO Battletracks.

The fun runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, but Maritime Aquarium members can get to the LEGO tables first each morning beginning at 9 a.m. (with proof of membership).

“LEGO Weekend” is free with Aquarium admission: $24.95 for adults; $22.95 for seniors (65+); and $17.95 for children (3-12). Kids under 3 get in for free.

Learn more about “LEGO Weekend” and other events and programs at the popular South Norwalk family attraction this winter at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Come to a reading group that focuses on books with a historical bent. The new selection is Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda Hirshman, a New York Times bestseller.

The relationship between Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—Republican and Democrat, Christian and Jew, western rancher’s daughter and Brooklyn girl—transcends party, religion, region, and culture. Strengthened by each other’s presence, these groundbreaking judges, the first and second women to serve on the highest court in the land, have transformed the Constitution and America itself, making it a more equal place for all women.

Linda Hirshman’s dual biography includes revealing stories of how these trailblazers fought for recognition in a male-dominated profession—battles that would ultimately benefit every American woman. Hirshman also makes clear how these two justices have shaped the legal framework of modern feminism, setting precedent in cases dealing with employment discrimination, abortion, affirmative action, sexual harassment, and many other issues crucial to women’s lives.

Sisters in Law combines legal detail with warm personal anecdotes, bringing these very different women into focus as never before. Meticulously researched and compellingly told, it is an authoritative account of our changing law and culture, and a moving story of a remarkable friendship.

“Vital…Part of what makes Hirshman such a likable writer — in addition to her wit and ability to explain the law succinctly without dumbing it down — is her optimism.” – Washington Post

Participants bring a brown bag lunch, the Society provides a beverage and dessert. There is no charge, but please register. By email: info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203- 762-7257