Over in Westport …

Sarah Friedson, 17, walked her chocolate-colored pony, Cocoa, to Staples High School to celebrate her last day of school, holding a sign that read “Save Gas” on one side, “Staples 2008″ on the other. Her father, Ronald Friedson, drove behind in the rain, his vehicle’s blinkers flashing.

When they reached the high school parking lot, Friedson’s friends flocked to the pony to pet him. School administrators, citing concern for the students’ safety, called police.

The Carver center is honoring Dr. Lynne Moore for … something. Nina Sen reports for the Hour:

“I was stunned,” Moore said. “I was just shocked by the letter because the things I do in school, the things I support, are for the benefit of the kids.”

Moore said she’s made sure the Carver Center and her school have an ongoing relationship through tutoring, events and community service. When the Carver hosted a visit by three doctors — inspirational speakers who told students to achieve their dreams regardless of their low-income surroundings — much of the crowd was students from West Rocks.

Yesterday, crude oil traded at $138/barrel and the Dow Jones plunged 400 points. The talking heads were a twitter at the potent of the numbers, coupled with a rise in unemployment. In normal times these news items would be filed under the macro economic news, big picture snapshots that have little impact on day to day living. But these are not normal times. All across America news reports trickle in about the decline in driving and increased use of mass transportation. Here in Norwalk, however, we are focused on yesteryears problem, traffic calming.

From the Hour:

CBS is embracing the tv watching Internet by hosting episodes of classic TV shows on their website. Such as two seasons of Twin Peaks.

Other shows include:
Beverly Hills 90210
Family Ties
Hawaii Five-O
MacGyver
Melrose Place
Perry Mason
Star Trek: The Original Series
The Love Boat
The Twilight Zone
Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks, Norwalk. Think about it.

The building at One Times Square? Empty. The building owner charges $300k/month for the ad space. This is an interesting vid clip about those animated LED video displays, everything you wanted to know and more.

A tour of Times Square from Keyframe on Vimeo.

Navigating through Norwalk these days is trying when you’re sipping a hot beverage, chatting on the cell phone, texting, responding to email and changing CDs on most days, but these days it is near impossible. I’ve been relegated to listening to the same CD over and over. No, I really don’t do all those things while driving, simultaneously, I kid. But I’m not kidding when I observe that there are some road construction areas that are so poorly marked that they constitute an obstacle course that even Brian Vicker’s Red Bull Toyota would have trouble navigating.

Next Tuesday the Norwalk Federation of Teachers is holding a leadership vote, afters school at West Rocks Middle School. Naturally, because it involves West Rocks, we have a controversy a brewing. And the controversy is, teacher mailboxes. Not the kind on our computers, but the kind that sits in the mail room and allows teachers to pass notes, er communications to each other. The mail room, to those of us paying close attention to the Breakfast Club, is usually located adjacent to the teachers lounge, where in the good old days teachers lounged and smoked cigarettes.

Musical guest Elvis Costello, take inspiration:

Thursday morning, (June 5th) the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council will be on hand from 6 AM to 10 AM to listen to actual commuters about rail service Metro-North and CT DOT as well as Norwalk officials will be on hand. Maybe even some political flunkies, bloggers and media types. That is because also on hand with be the Norwalk Transit District officials (but only till (9 AM) to gather fedback on proposed changes to the SoNo train station. Multi-purpose feedback missions, at the actual point of usage, the right way to go about these things.

Norwalk has myriad trash problems. Foremost, because soylent green is people, is that too many people think that its just a-okay to put trash bags out on the street for collection. Apparently they are oblivious to the vicious garbagerous birds that tear the bags, spilling contents out onto the street. Then there’s the dumpsters that fill up and somehow people think its a-okay to just place garbage bags next to the dumpster, exposed to the same birds and various critters that roam these stinky spots for food. Add wind and rain and various bits and pieces of the trash float all over the streetscapes, which then encourages people to toss things onto the ground. A vicious cycle. Remember this?