The Ridgefield Police Department is requesting any assistance in an ongoing investigation of two residential burglaries on Flat Rock Drive that happened on Saturday, Nov. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 24, respectively.

If anyone has seen or heard anything, please contact Detective Steven Papstein at 203-438-6531.

Residents are encouraged to lock up their homes while away along with vehicles parked in the driveway.

Residents are also asked to contact the police department no matter the time of day or night, if any suspicious activity is being observed.

Taxes may be the last thing you want to think about at the holidays, but the end of the year is a great time to take some smart steps that can help you minimize your future tax outlays.

The Connecticut Society of CPAs provides these ideas for keeping more money in your pocket.

Claim all your credits and deductions

If you have kids, do you qualify for the child and dependent care credit? If you or a family member are in college or planning to attend soon, are you taking advantage of some of the many education-related incentives that can lower the high cost of tuition? Were you aware that you can earn a tax credit if you make some qualified energy-saving improvements to your home? It can be easy to overlook many credits and deductions that can help you lower your tax bill. Talk to your CPA to learn what you can claim when you file your taxes next year and if any of your future plans will qualify you for credits or deductions.

Do some smart planning

The top individual tax rate jumped to 39.6 percent in 2013, and the dividend income and long-term capital gains tax rate for those in that bracket also rose to 20%, from 15%. At the same time, beginning in 2013, a new 3.8% Medicare surtax applies to net investment income for some high-income individuals. Recent tax law changes also mean that some taxpayers may be surprised to find themselves subject to the alternative minimum tax. If you think you might be subject to any of these taxes, prudent planning now may help you minimize the impact.

Help your favorite charity

Making a qualified charitable contribution before year end will allow you to deduct the amount from your 2013 taxes. There are rules on what’s deductible, including new regulations when older people use IRA distributions for charitable gifts, so ask your CPA for more details.

Take the long-term view

Is saving for retirement one of your top financial priorities? While it’s tough to think long term while you’re dealing with your daily expenses, creating a retirement nest egg actually pays you back twice: First, it helps you secure a sound financial future so you can enjoy retirement without any money worries. Second, depending on what kind of retirement vehicle you choose, it offers you direct savings on taxes either now or when you retire. If your employer matches your contribution to a company-sponsored retirement plan, that’s another great incentive to get into the retirement saving habit.

Don’t ignore health care reform

When a new provision of the Affordable Care Act kicks in on January 1, 2014, neglecting to secure coverage will cost you. Those who are uninsured for more than three months during the year will have to pay a penalty. The bottom line:

You may already satisfy this requirement if you have existing coverage, and you may be able to find a suitable option through a government exchange if you don’t. If you are uncertain about where you stand or what your options are, be sure to contact your local CPA for advice.

The Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants supplies this column. For more information, visit www.cscpa.org

Here are some of the stories and features in this week’s Ridgefield Press, out today in print and e-editions (note: Because of printing plant problems, some mailed papers may not reach subscribers in Ridgefield today):

• Main Street is all set to be lit Friday, with the help of Santa and others.
• School officials are looking at the possibility that only one middle school may be needed in the future.
• And they are interested in the possibility of running a gas line to Ridgefield High School/Scotts Ridge complex.
• Should the town sell five Schlumberger acres for a possible hotel and other facilities? There’s a public hearing next week.
• A Ridgefielder thinks the town should not sell the main Schlumberger campus.
• With the once-embattled elm finally gone, officials are wondering whether an improved Main-and-Prospect intersection is possible.
• Girl Scouts are collecting coats, hats, gloves, and more for the needy.
• Four RHS athletes have inked college national letters of intent.
• The Knights of Columbus reach out to help those in need.
• A Ridgefielder who’s been working with street orphans in Kenya hopes to establish a permanent facility to house and educate them.
• What were Thanksgiving dinners like in 1800s  Ridgefield?
• The library’s catalogue has some new options.
• Jeremy Main offers a look at Gov. P.C. Lounsbury and his mansion.
• Kyle Palmer has taken over as the RHS wrestling coach.
• Holiday in the County, a special section this week,  looks at Connecticut’s chocolate trail, The Nutcracker, seeing Santa, and many holiday events.
• A Planning and Zoning Commission ruling on a plan for 14 apartments on lower North Salem Road has been upheld by a court.
• A new diet center has opened in town.
• A collection for the Philippines gathered more donations than expected.
• Letter-writers address school hours, gun myths, and the Iran treaty, while Marty Heiser offers an apology to younger Americans from older ones.
• A New Canaan man has produced a documentary on searching for morels.
• The Ridgefield Press is on Facebook — become one of more than 1,605 friends and get news updates. Facebook.com/RidgefieldPress.
• 7,799 people have signed up for Ridgefield Press news bulletins via Twitter. You can, too, by stopping by twitter.com/RidgefieldPress.

For newsstands carrying The Press, click here.

Because of problems at our printing plant last night, The Ridgefield Press print edition may not reach all subscribers in today’s mail.

Subscribers who don’t receive the paper today will get it Friday.

The Press is available on newsstands.

In the meantime, the complete e-edition of this week’s Press may be accessed online, free of charge.

To read the e-edition, go to TheRidgefieldPress.com and look for “E-Edition” in the top menu bar.

If you are unfamiliar with the e-edition, feel free to play with the controls. We recommend selecting the double-page reading option to start. Note that you can read graphical or text versions of the stories.

We apologize for any inconvenience the delivery delay may cause some readers.

Is town government working? How might it work better?

To review, rethink and revise the town’s basic rules and operating structure, a Charter Revision Commission has been created by the Board of Selectmen and peopled with seven volunteers of varied backgrounds.

The commission will have until August 2014 to study the charter, listen to the concerns of townspeople and town officials at public hearings, and design proposed changes to the charter that could improve the working of town government.

The commission’s proposed charter changes will have to pass muster with the Board of Selectmen, and would then be put before voters as ballot questions in the November 2014 election.

The seven people chosen for the board, from among 12 who interviewed, were:

• Daniel K. O’Brien, a principal in the private equity firm J. H. Whitney and Co., who as volunteer chairman of the town’s Historic District Commission has substantially revised its rules of procedure. He has served on the boards of the Community Center, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, and the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association.
• Ethel Geisinger, a fund-raiser and lobbyist whose experience ranges from her current position as director of development with the French-American School of New York to lobbying in Washington for a variety of banks, to serving as director of legislative affairs for the federal Securities and Exchange Commission during the Reagan administration.
• Ed Tyrrell, chairman of the town Golf Committee and a former Board of Ethics member who moderates many town meetings. He served on the 2005 Charter Revision Commission, and then helped the 2009 commission get launched at the start of its revision efforts, to ensure continuity.
• J. Gregory LoBasso, a banker who oversaw audits throughout the Northeast for JPMorgan Chase.
• Paul Jasinski, a corporate lawyer for numerous airlines who spent 19 years as British Airways general counsel, responsible for the company’s legal affairs throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America.
• Richard Vazzana, a retired IBM executive and private management consultant who has served as volunteer chairman of events and projects for the Chamber of Commerce, the Community Center and the Keeler Tavern.
• Jonathan D. Seem, a strategic revenue executive with experience in consulting and banking, both in this country and overseas. As a volunteer he has served on the board of directors of the American School of Madrid in Spain.

Since late summer, as the selectmen met and interviewed candidates for various boards and commissions and committees, they’d taken to asking if people might also be interested in serving on the Charter Revision Commission that was to be appointed soon.

They eventually came up with a slate of 12 candidates, interviewed them over a few meetings in the last month or two, and appointed seven at their Nov. 20 meeting, with Town Attorney David Grogins, who happened to be at the meeting, tallying the paper-ballot votes.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi thanked all the volunteers after the appointments were announced.

“We really appreciate everyone who came forward,” he said, “regardless of whether you got five votes or no votes.”

Ashley Forman is leading a group of teaching artists to Zagreb, Croatia, to work with students and young adults with physical disabilities.

Ms. Forman, who grew up in Ridgefield, is director of education for Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C.

Ashley Forman

The group will create a play entitled Disable(d) Prejudice and provide professional development training seminars, based on Arena Stage’s “Voices of Now” theater program, presented in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.

Now in its 11th year, Voices of Now equips participants to write and perform autobiographical theater that poses questions about social, cultural and emotional issues, with a focus on creating projects that bring voice to issues of relevancy for the young artists involved.

“Voices of Now is home grown and designed here at Arena Stage through director of education and Voices of Now founder Ashley Forman’s creativity and intelligence,” said Arena Stage artistic director Molly Smith. “That it is now finding homes to inspire artists around the world is a testament to the entire community engagement team at Arena and the United States State Department for their belief in the transformative power of the arts across cultures. This is the finest form of cultural diplomacy that we can do as a theater company.”

The group will work with participants to create a production that will tour to schools and performance venues. Each performance will be followed by a moderated talk-back with the audience centered around the complications and prejudices physically disabled individuals face in Croatia.

Voices of Now first partnered with the U.S. Department of State to go international in October 2012 when four Arena Stage artists went to Kolkata, Patna, New Delhi, and Hyderabad, India, to create original plays inspired by the cities in which they took place. The plays asked vital questions about significant social issues: power and how it relates to gender, pollution, lack of accessible health care, poverty, and how to maintain positive cultural traditions in a new world. The various ensembles included professional theater artists, activists, trafficking victims, orphans, street children, and high school and college students, among others. Conversations are ongoing for a future partnership in India.

Ms. Forman is the daughter of Penelope Forman and the late Maurice Forman, longtime Ridgefield residents. She graduated from Wooster School and acted in Lil and Al Mathews’ theater company. She attended the Stage Door Manor acting camp in the Catskills along with such actors as Matthew Broderick and Josh Charles. At Stage Door Manor she received best acting award in a musical for her portrayal of Lucy in Charlie Brown.

While at Wooster, she wrote and directed a play about the Holocaust that received a commendation from the Holocaust Museum in Washington.

While attending Wooster, she also studied acting in New York City with Jack Romano, who was once the head of the Cuban National Theatre.

In the D.C. area, Voices of Now is working with 10 ensembles throughout the current school year toward final plays for the Voices of Now Festival at the Mead Center for American Theater in May 2014.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is a national center dedicated to the production, presentation, development, and study of American theater. It is the largest company in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights.

For more information, visit arenastage.org/education/voices-of-now.

The Rotary Club of Ridgefield recently donated $1,316 to Meals on Wheels to cover the cost of dinners for one client who is financially in need. Meals on Wheels Board of Directors members Joyce Ligi and Dean Miller were on hand at a meeting to receive the donation from Club Treasurer Ranier Gonet.

Meals on Wheels, a local non-profit organization, relies on private and business contributions for funding. It has been providing elderly and house-bound residents of Ridgefield with meal service since 1972. More than 22,000 nutritious, home-style meals are delivered each year.

Anyone interested in donating, volunteering, or in need of this service may call 203-438-8788. Tax-deductable donations can be sent to Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Inc.,25 Gilbert Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 or visit mealsonwheelsofridgefield.org.

The Discovery Center will have a family stroll to help “walk off the turkey” on Friday, Nov. 29 starting at 11 a.m. on the paved trails of the Recreation Center, 195 Danbury Road.

The Discovery Center naturalist will share information about the sights and sounds of the native plants and wildlife

All ages are welcome.

Participants should meet in the smaller ball field parking lot that is across from the exit of the main parking lot. The program is free for members; $7 for non-members. Registration is required at ridgefielddiscovery.org or call 203-438-1063.

Veronica “Ronnie” Somma, 103, of Ridgefield, wife of the late Vincent Nagle and the late Thomas Carmine Somma, died on Wednesday, November 27, at Laurel Ridge, Ridgefield.

She mother of the late Rita Theresa Nagle and the late Vincent Nagle, Jr.; grandmother of Vincent Nagle III; and daughter in law of Barbara Nagle (William) Van Hall.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, December 2,   at 10:15 am in St. Mary Church, Ridgefield.

Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.

There will be no calling hours.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western CT, 39 Old Ridgebury Rd., Danbury, CT 06810.

Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah St., Ridgefield is in charge of arrangements.

Thanksgiving, of course, dominates the long weekend, but there is a handful of special events to be thankful for.

• The Turkey Trot takes place on Turkey Day.
• Walk off that turkey with a mild hike Friday with Discovery Center.
• The Aldrich is having a pop-up makers market all day Friday.
• The tree lighting ceremony, complete with Santa, will be Friday evening at 5:45 in the center.
• The National Theatre will be celebrated live and in HD at the Playhouse.
• Festive Home continues Friday through Sunday at Guild of Artists.

Details on all of these events will be found in this week’s Press. The basics on many are in the Datebook.

For information on local and regional events, see Arts & Leisure’s This Weekend listings.

Family, friends, food, feasting! Thanksgiving with its Colonial garb — Pilgrims, farmers and corn-bearing American Indians — is often viewed as the most American of holidays. But its roots grow back earlier and deeper than the Mayflower, and the values it celebrates are among the oldest humanity knows.

Thanksgiving is a harvest feast, America’s celebration of a tradition that’s probably nearly as old as human settlement and farming. The focus on foods, recipes and home cooking is significant. December’s holiday table may be set with lamb or ham, roast beef or Christmas goose. Late November is the time for turkey and stuffing, potatoes and gravy, corn and cranberry sauce.

It is also, probably more than any other modern American holiday, a celebration of family. And it is not modern America’s narrow, nuclear family that is exalted but the traditional multi-generational, extended family. Thanksgiving dinner is not just mom, dad and the kids sitting down, but a gathering at grandma’s, with aunts, uncles and cousins come together at one table, under one roof, to cook and talk, bicker and laugh, eat, drink, and be family.

The great meal isn’t the gift of one overworked cook but a collaboration. The kitchen is the shared domain of mothers and daughters, sisters and aunts — and some of the men may add their efforts. In the gathering and working together, the traditional recipes — stuffing as your grandmother made it, old Aunt Gwenifred’s apple pie — get handed down. And in the bustle of the kitchen and the day’s feasting comes the talk: Family stories are born and shared, retold and embellished, tales of people’s gifts and quirks, humiliations and triumphs — an amalgam of human qualities that make them just who they are, the people their families love, flaws and all.

Thanksgiving — as we idealize it, Thanksgiving as it should be — is the harvest feast of tradition, alive and thriving as a gathering that celebrates family, bringing together the different generations, drawing home far-flung wanderers, bridging foolish divides that too often separate people.

Thanksgiving’s mythology — woodland natives and Pilgrims from across the sea at their shared table, fear and mistrust set aside — is cherished not as history but as symbolism. America’s first Thanksgiving feast acts out who we want to be: one big family, with everyone included, everyone bringing their contribution to the table, everyone sharing the work and enjoying the feast.

Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association has been named a top agency of the 2013 HomeCare Elite, a recognition of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States.

Now in its eighth year, the HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25% of Medicare-certified agencies and highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall.

Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience (Home Health CAHPS), quality improvement and consistency, and financial performance.

In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least one outcome in Home Health Compare. Out of 9,969 agencies considered, 2,496 are elite.

“The 2013 HomeCare Elite winners demonstrate a commitment to providing patient-centered care and serving as leaders in the home health community,” said Mary Oakes, senior vice president of post-acute at National Research.

Theresa Santoro, president and chief executive officer, credits “an exceptionally talented and compassionate staff and Board of Directors with the agency’s ability to achieve recognition as one of the HomeCare Elite.”

After the 6 p.m. tree lighting at town hall on Friday, Nov. 29, everyone is invited to the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church North Hall, 351 Main Street.

Members of the parish will serve Bruce’s Famous Hot Chocolate (named for parishioner Bruce Simon), cookies and other light refreshments. There will also be carol singing and lots of conversation.

Was turkey always the traditional Thanksgiving meal in Ridgefield?

We don’t know about “always,” but it’s been served certainly for more than 200 years.

Back around 1800, Samuel G. Goodrich reported in his autobiography, his father — parson of the First Congregational Church — used to receive a turkey each Thanksgiving from “some of the magnates” of the congregation.

That prompted Goodrich, whose pen name was Peter Parley, to recall that a turkey “in those good old times was a bird of mark. No timid, crouching biped, with downcast head and pallid countenance, but stalking like a lord, and having wattles red as a ‘banner bathed in slaughter.’ His beard, or in modern parlance, his goat, without the aid of gum and black-ball, was so long, shining, and wiry, that it might have provoked the envy of his modern human rival in foppery.”

There were wild turkeys in town then, but they were rare. However, they were responsible for strengthening the stock of barnyard turkeys, as Goodrich explains:

“There was, in fact, something of the genius of the native bird still in him, for though the race was nearly extinct, a few wild flocks lingered in the remote woods. Occasionally in the depth of winter, and along to the early spring, these stole to the barnyard, and held communion with their civilized compatriots. Severe battles ensued among the leaders for the favors of the fair, and as the wild cocks always conquered, the vigor of the race was kept up.”

Turkey was the traditional meal of innkeepers Abijah and Anna Resseguie, and their daughter Anna Marie. Because they ran the Keeler Tavern and were accustomed to lots of people year-round, they seemed to appreciate Thanksgiving as a time to dine by themselves. According to Anna Marie’s diary, Thanksgiving in 1851 included “turkey, pig, chicken, and many good things beside.”

She adds that eating all this by themselves “does seem really selfish, I declare.”

Most people tended to have dinner guests on Thanksgiving, and there was a lot of house-to-house visiting as well.

Dinner wasn’t always turkey. On Dec. 6, the day before Thanksgiving in 1865, farmer Jared Nash of Silver Spring Road reported that he “dressed some chickens for Thanksgiving.” Alas, on the holiday itself, he sadly reported, “snow and some rain through the day. Work some at a pr. of shoes for Emmie. Father soled his shoes. Did not have any company to keep Thanksgiving.”

While Thanksgiving had traditionally been marked in late November, President Andrew Johnson had declared Dec. 7, 1865, a “National Thanksgiving” to celebrate the end of the Civil War.

In 1866, when Thanksgiving was back in November, Jared reported the day before, “I pick turky & some chickens.” On Thanksgiving itself, he says only, “Damp & foggy through the day. Work some at Charly’s waggon.”

Again, no guests.

Incidentally, Charley was his year-old son and the wagon dad was building was probably for a way of transporting the baby around the house and farmyard.

Fifty Coins Restaurant is planning a coat drive

Inspired by the Good Morning America and Burlington Coat Factory Warm Coats-Warm Hearts Drive, Fifty Coins Restaurant will collect gently used coats Nov. 29 through Dec. 21 at the restaurant entrance, 426 Main Street.

The coats will be delivered to the Burlington Coat Factory Store in Danbury where they will be distributed to local charities.

“Anyone who donates a coat is encouraged to take a selfie as they place it in the collection box and Tweet it to #warmcoats,” said Betsy Debany of 50 Coins. “They may get their picture on Good Morning America!

“Please look through your closets and see if you have any coats you can spare to warm up a neighbor in need,” she added.

Financial experts will discuss creating a financial plan

Financial experts Sergio DaSilveira of Webster Bank and Rob Ramsey of Webster Investment Services, will discuss creating a financial plan Tuesday, Dec 3., at 11:45 a.m. at Laurel Ridge Health Care Center, 642 Danbury Road.

“Achieving Financial Security in the New Year” will cover an brief economic overview, income solutions in a low yield environment, social security, legacy planning and elder fraud and abuse.

Registration opens at 11:45  with presentation starting promptly at noon.   This program is free and open to the public. Complimentary light lunch will be provided with reservation.  Reserve by calling Laurel Ridge at 438-8226.

Black Friday prize at BMW of Ridgefield

BMW of Ridgefield will give away a free iPad Air with every new or used vehicle purchased on Black Friday, Nov. 29, or Saturday. This offer also applies to all other branded used vehicles on The Lot at BMW of Ridgefield.

For more information,  visit  bmwofridgefield.com/blackfriday.htm

Adam Sebastian joins Wm. Raveis

Adam Sebastian has joined the Ridgefield office of William Raveis Real Estate.

“We are thrilled that Adam has joined our company. He has a terrific understanding of the real estate market and excellent sales and technology skills,” said Janice McGrath, sales manager of the Ridgefield office. “His driven personality has contributed to his strong record of success in all areas of his life.”

Mr. Sebastian earned a degree in business and marketing from Post University. He currently owns three businesses. His most recent business venture, All Home Solutions, buys properties that are then renovated and resold for profit.

He is the head coach of the Ridgefield High School girls junior varsity soccer team.

Mr. Sebastian covers all areas of Fairfield County, but focuses primarily on the towns of Ridgefield, Redding and Wilton. He may be reached at 203-558-2343 or adam.sebastian@raveis.com

Comcast plans an open house

Comcast is hosting an open house at its Danbury public access TV studio for residents of Bethel, Danbury and Ridgefield on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 5 Shelter Rock Road in Danbury.

Residents will be able to meet access producers and volunteers, tour the studio and view the studio’s field equipment and editing suites. Among the producers who’ll be on hand is Albert George Bruhn of Ridgefield, who celebrated his 35th anniversary on cable with his INBC/USA TV Talk News Sports Live on Oct. 15. He is known as “America’s first, longest-running public access producer/host.”

Guests will learn how to become a behind-the-scenes volunteer or how to cover on-location events and public meetings. Residents may also register for future training workshops and learn more about becoming involved in public access television.

For more information or to volunteer, residents and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to contact the studio at 203-791-1650 or via email at Candiann_Roswell2@cable.comcast.com

Santa will visit Quarry Ridge

Santa will come to Quarry Ridge Animal Hospital, 30 Old Quarry Road, on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 2 to 4.

Pet photos will be taken with Santa for a $10 donation. There will also be elves, a bake sale, and raffle. Local shelters will be on hand with animals available for adoption.

Money raised will benefit a local family.

Fitzpatrick discusses Twitter for business

Ridgefield native Kate Fitzpatrick is offering a teleseminar on “how to build your business, position yourself as an industry thought leader and make new connections on Twitter in 14 minutes a day.”

During the 45-minute conference call on Dec. 3 at 12 p.m., she will lay out her customized framework for helping busy entrepreneurs stay focused and productive on Twitter, which many people feel is the most overwhelming of all social media platforms.

Spaces are limited; to reserve yours, visit katefitzpatrick.com/14-minutes/

Realty course offers early bird discount

The next Real Estate Principles and Practices licensing class, available through Ridgefield Continuing Education, starts Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The 60-hour course meets the minimum requirements as set forth by the Connecticut Real Estate Commission and Department of Consumer Protection for application to take the sales associate exam. Instruction is led by Terry Hastings, who has taught Real Estate Principles and Practices in Ridgefield for many years.

Class meets at the Venus Municipal Building on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.  Tuition, including two texts, is $437. People who pay by check before Dec. 20 receive an early bird discount of $50. Visit ridgefieldschools.org or phone Peggy Bruno at 203-431-2812 for information.

Jack Hughes puts the finishing touches on lamp post decorations on Main Street last Thursday, Nov. 21. Volunteers from the American Legion help put up 114 garlands with 100 bulbs each on 57 village light poles — two garlands per pole. Families can sponsor one of the poles with one of three seasonal greeting tags — “Happy Holidays,” “Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year,” and “Warm Wishes” — for $150. —Steve Coulter photo

Songs, Santa and lights — 16,000 of them, to be exact — will help kick off the holiday season Friday evening and bring that unmatched sparkle to Ridgefield’s historic Main Street.

The annual tree lighting ceremony takes place this evening, beginning at 5:45 p.m. in front of town hall.

“There are several different meanings to the lighting of the trees,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi. “Most important is the community celebrating the holiday season together and sharing this positive experience. The kids and adults are almost equally excited for this time of the year, and that there are a multitude of religious holidays being celebrated, so it’s really an event to jump-start everything.

“We want everyone in the community to be well and safe during this holiday season.”

Carolers from the Wooster School choral group will set the mood from 6 to 6:30, providing a festive feel with  holiday tunes.

“There will be several groups participating from Wooster,” Mr. Marconi said. “A variety of ages from grammar school to senior year of high school.”

This year the honorary flipping of the light switch will be done by Dick and Dee Aarons, who voluntarily help lead Ridgefield’s emergency operations center, at 6:30.

Mr. Marconi said the Aaronses were chosen for this honor because they helped the town through three harsh storms in 2011 and 2012.

They aren’t the only volunteers worthy of commendation though.

Volunteers from the American Legion put up 114 garlands with 100 bulbs each on 57 village light poles — two garlands per pole — last Thursday, Nov. 21.

“George Besse, commander, and his band are responsible for putting them up on the posts,” said Mike Liberta of the Lions Club, who organized the effort. “And did a heroic job.”

A crew of five Lions Club members put in 75 man-hours changing over all the incandescent bulbs to new energy-saving LED bulbs — 11,400 of them.

The glow of Main Street will be hard to miss, but the most radiant twinkle may come from the faces of the children who wait for Santa and Mrs. Claus to come riding into town on a fire truck.

Once the switch is flipped, and all the trees lit, Santa will arrive at approximately 6:40.

“His flight plan has been approved by the FAA and Danbury Airport has been alerted,” Mr. Marconi confirmed. “We hope, depending on the weather, of course, Santa arrives on time.”

There will be a brief opportunity for kids to get a photo with Old St. Nick when he steps off the truck. Then he goes into the lower level conference room of town hall to pose with children and listen to their wishes.

St. Stephen’s Church is inviting all residents for “carols and cocoa” in the church’s North Hall on Main Street after the tree-lighting events. There will be cookies, refreshments and Bruce’s famous hot chocolate — named for parishioner Bruce Simon.

Mr. Marconi is predicting at least a thousand people will show up for the festivities and advises that, despite the big crowds, the roads will not be closed, so parents need to keep a close watch on their kids.

He is stressing one other important, non-safety item.

“We beg everyone to shop locally,” he said. “Support our local merchants, because without them all of this wouldn’t be possible.”

Natasha Armbrust, third from left, is shown in Sweden with the Bostrom lab group at Karolinska Institute, where she did research on her project.

“We are humbled by these students,” science teacher Michael Yagid said of the seniors now in their third year of Ridgefield High School’s Science Research course.

“The drive that they have, the work ethic they have, is not something we ever expected. They blow us away every single day,” he said.

Mr. Yagid and fellow RHS teacher Pat Hughes have been working with the students for three years now, guiding and encouraging them as they went from general reading about science, to focusing in on a potential area of research, to finding a professional mentor in the field and putting together a real and substantial research project.

“Pat and I really feel like coaches. We’re really on the sidelines. The kids do the brunt of the work,” Mr. Yagid said. “And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the kids who make this successful.

“We’re coaches. We’re on the sidelines, just trying to help them get through.”

The seven seniors in the 30-member class are polishing up their written papers and practicing presentations before the juniors and sophomores in the class. They’re getting ready to enter high school science competitions.

“We are very excited that our students will be entering the Intel Science Talent Search competition, possibly the most renowned science competition for high school seniors in the world,” Mr. Yagid said. “This is a chance for our students to share their research with the world.”

The seniors will also be entering the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair at Quinnipiac University.

Two seniors, Izy Gordon and Natasha Armbrust, are also  entering the prestigious Siemens Science Competition, and are working hard to meet its earlier deadlines.

Both juniors and seniors are entering the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at UConn.

And all 30 students in the class — sophomores, juniors and seniors — plan to enter the Southern Connecticut Invitational Science and Engineering Fair which accepts both proposed and completed research.

It’s not about coming home with prizes, according to Mr. Yagid.

“We look at these as a way for the students to hone their skills — presentation, time management, organizational, networking, etc.,” he said. “If they happen to do well in competition, that is just an added bonus.

“Simply entering, presenting, and being part of the competition is an accomplishment in itself.”

Mr. Yagid also insists he and Mr. Hughes don’t see the course as exclusive, though the kids it attracts tend to be good students.

“This class is designed for all levels of students. Pat and I do not want this to be perceived as a class for the AP/Honors students,” he said. “We have found that when students find their passion, it does not matter what ‘level’ they are: They will produce amazing work.”

Science Research has two sections, each meeting daily, for 45 minutes, with one longer two-hour class, as well as one day with no class, every eight school days.

The students are each pursuing their own project, and are at varying stages. Sophomores are reading, writing up summaries of articles they’ve read, looking for a topic.

Juniors are narrowing their focus, moving their reading from science articles in general publications to research papers in scientific journals. Later in the year they’ll be looking for a specific research topic and a professional mentor in the field to work with.

Seniors, having done their research over the summer, are getting ready for the science fairs and competitions.

Through it all, the RHS science teachers are there to keep the students plugging away, making progress.

“They’re all over the place in their research,” Mr. Yagid said. “We set short-term goals, they set long term goals.

“They present to each other. They critique each other, critique those presentations. Sometimes  they have formal presentations designed to mimic science competitions: They’re 12 minutes, with five minutes for question and answer.

“The sophomores and juniors, they don’t know as much about the research process, so they ask a lot of questions. So, the seniors have to be on their toes.”

And they have lots to share with the underclassmen.

“The seniors, have been through it. So when the sophomores make presentations, they’ll say, ‘I used to do this, this how I fixed it.’ Or, ‘I found it easier to do this.’ They talk from experience,” Mr. Yagid said. “They’re critiquing and giving constructive criticism, through their experience, which is immensely beneficial.

“It is also wonderful to see the juniors and seniors take the role as mentors to the sophomores in the program,” he said. “The upperclassmen truly care about the success of these new students, and the success of the class.”

Outside of the class, the students meet regularly with the teachers to report on their progress and share doubts and concerns.

“We have bi-weekly meetings,” Mr. Yagid said. “We meet with each student, individually, every eight-day cycle, every week.

“I’d say half of it is during class time, but there’s also a lot of time out of class. So, I have nine students I meet with, outside of class time, during their free periods, or before or after school. Those meetings usually run 20 minutes to half an hour.

“That’s where we talk about what they’ve done the past week, week and a half, what their goals are for the next week and a half, where they are in the big picture.

“It takes a lot of time, but it’s really what makes this course tick,” he said. “That time to talk to a student pointedly and individually, and to figure out where they are and where they’re going.”

Mr. Yagid does not view the course as leading students, inevitably, toward a future in science.

“I want these students to walk away from this course knowing that if they pursue something they love, if they work hard at it, they can accomplish much more than they ever expected,” he said.

“I want these students to walk away with self-confidence and an understanding that if they are polite, respectful and dedicated, that people will respond to them,” he said. “They are learning interpersonal skills that most of their peers will not until much later in life.

“If science and research are the path that these students want to take in their life, they have a solid foundation to build on once they leave our program,” he said. “However, if they choose to go down a different path, I still feel that the skills they are learning while here, will carry them very far.”

This is last story in a three-part series on Ridgefield High School’s Science Research course.

The National Charity League, Nutmeg Chapter, has become one of the few certifying organizations in Ridgefield to offer the benefit of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to its members.

Established in 2003, the award is given only individuals or groups who have met or exceeded requirements for service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering.

As a certifying organization, the chapter is now one of thousands of organizations that can honor its member volunteers with the award.

NCL Nutmeg had to meet the criteria in order to offer it to its members, which includes the ability to approve, review, and verify volunteer hours, confirm eligibility and distribute the awards.

Tiffany Carlson, chapter president, said that, “We are very proud of the accomplishments of our chapter and having this award available to recognize the outstanding achievements of our members speaks volumes to our commitment to our community, the philanthropies we serve, and our country.”

For more information about the award, visit www.presidentialserviceaward.org.

Members of Ridgefield High School 10th grade Girl Scout Troop 51091 are collecting new and gently used coats, hats, mittens/gloves and scarves for the Dorothy Day House Santa’s Workshop.

They hope to duplicate the success they have had for the past two years where they distributed thousands of coats, hats, mittens/gloves and scarves.

Hundreds of children, along with their families, come from miles around to receive what may be their only gift. The Troop noticed that the children and families were waiting in line for hours in the cold and many were not dressed appropriately for the weather and took action to start this drive to partner with the gift giving at Santa’s Workshop.

Donations should be dropped off by Dec. 14 at Jesse Lee Church, 207 Main Street, (Main Building by the coat closet); Ridgefield Recreation Center, 195 Danbury Road; Ridgefield Physical Therapy, 66 Grove Street #A; or The Brian Residence, 62 Rising Ridge Road.

This year, the troop worked in coordination with the Children’s Ministry at Jesse Lee Church as part of their Take Action Project to make fun fleece scarves and hats on Sunday, Nov. 3. Their Take Action Project is part of the troop’s prerequisites for those pursuing their Girl Scout Gold Award. Each troop member had a specific responsibility and leadership role in the project including planning, communication, marketing, leading and execution.

A request for a natural gas pipeline that would run down Ridgebury Road from Danbury to the high school’s campus was proposed and accepted as part of the Board of Education’s five-year capital improvement plan Monday, Nov. 25.

The proposal, along with 15 other requested “town involved” site projects, will go in front of the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance for consideration.

“I don’t know what the odds of success are, but this project takes out an ineffective model and puts an efficient solution on the table,” said board member John Palermo, who is spearheading the project. “We don’t get a lot of projects like this that have a payback period included.”

The high school has electric heat, and the high operating costs have been a source of concern for years.

Mr. Palermo roughly estimated that it would cost $500,000 per mile to install the gas line to the high school’s campus, which includes Scotts Ridge Middle School.

Joe Morits, the district’s facilities manager, presented the five-year capital plan to the board and noted that the gas line would be feasible, but estimated that the total cost, once completed, for the three-mile gas main extension would be around $3 million in infrastructure costs.

Additional capital investment costs would include a $1.2-million 200 kW turbine at the high school and a $300,000 50 kW turbine at Scotts Ridge.

Board members were concerned about the cost of the project and voiced doubts over whether the town would want to participate in funding the gas line.

Mr. Palermo said he requested the natural gas line because of its potential savings for the town in the long run.

The payback period is an estimated 11.6 years.

“It comes with a payback period, so the rate of return is there for the selectmen and Board of Finance to see,” he said. ‘That’s the selling point to the town — this will pay for itself over time.”

He estimated that total first-year savings would be just shy of $131,000, with RHS’s heat and power costs offsetting $104,751 and Scotts Ridge’s costs offsetting $26,190.

In year two of the installation process, the high school and Scotts Ridge would begin the necessary heating plant conversions with subsequent gas conversions to follow.

“It’s expensive to heat the high school and to have electricity in that building — we’re talking about anywhere from $650,000 to $675,000 a year,” said Chairman Austin Drukker on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Some members speculated that the savings brought in by having a natural gas pipeline weren’t the key to getting the project moving forward.

“Homeowners really need to buy into this project — they will drive its success,” said board member Chris Murray. “Without their approval, there won’t be much discussion.”

Mr. Drukker added that if the line can draw interest from residents, the board would have a “good chance” with getting the project through the selectmen and the Board of Finance, who have rejected similar proposals in the past.

In addition to the gas pipeline, the board unanimously voted to approve the request of 15 town-funded site projects at Farmingville and Ridgebury elementary schools and the high school.

Farmingville has six potential “improvement projects” going forward, including the repaving of the playground area, resurfacing of all sidewalks and installing new lights in the parking lot.

Ridgebury could receive repairs to its sidewalks as well, along with drainage upgrades in the playground.

The capital plan also is seeking for improvements to the entrance and exit roadways to the high school as well as additional crosswalks, a third speed bump at the front entrance and the replacement of a French drain underneath the loading dock.

However, the natural gas pipeline was the only item to generate discussion from the board at Monday night’s meeting, where members talked about the added project for about 20 minutes before moving the capital plan to a vote.