Thursday, September, 15th6:00 – 8:00 PMBlack Rock Branch Family Film Festival: Matilda Come join us for the Black Rock Family Film Festival, a new monthly series of movies for the whole family to enjoy. MATILDA is based on the story by the wacky and beloved Roald Dahl (in whose honor we show this since his birthday is in September!)         View trailer. Poor Matilda’s stuck with the MOST odious parents. EVER. And the MOST hideous school principal EVER. And the MOST charming teacher EVER. Can Miss Honey and Matilda keep the Trunchbull and her parents from ruining her life? Find out in the endearing adaptation! We will have refreshments! 09/15/2011

  A nearly five-mile long bike route is being created to link Black Rock with Seaside Park.   Work is under way on the route, which begins at Fairfield Avenue and Gilman, runs along the water and through Black Rock to Park Avenue, ending at Seaside Park. “ This route will link two of our city’s most scenic areas, providing a safer area for bicyclists to traverse the city,” said Mayor Bill Finch.This route is one of a series of paths that will be marked throughout the city to make roads more bicycle-friendly. The route will be designated as a “ Shared-Road” bicycle route for most of its length, and will be marked with signage both on the street and on the pavement. The total cost of the project is estimated at $14, 874. The bike route being created to link Black Rock with Seaside Park i... 09/15/2011

Gail Robinson, GRI,e-Pro | William Raveis Real Estate | (203) 521-0768 62 Prescott St, Bridgeport, CT Historic Colonial with Arts & Crafts influence. Spacious rooms with 9' ceilings, great flow. High end renovations. 3BR/1+1BA Single Family House offered at $325,000 Year Built 1918 Sq Footage 1,632 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors Unspecified Parking Unspecified Lot Size 5,000 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Historic Colonial with Arts & Crafts influence built in 1918 and spectacularly updated while maintaining historic details. New Pella windows with historic arched panes. New kitchen with maple Kraftsmaid cabinets, Corian counters, Leibherr stainless steel refrigerator, Bosch range and dishwasher, and pantry with Kraftsmaid cabinets. 30' living room with fireplac... 09/15/2011

Black Rock Community Council's 35th Anniversary Celebration!Saturday, September 24, 20117:00 pm -MidnightCaptain's Cove SeaportProceeds will benefit the Burroughs Community CenterCome join us for a great evening to include:Hearty appetizers4 hours of open bar (beer, wine & soda)Music by DJ Jim DunnSilent auction showcasing works from local artists and businesses$35 per personSmart casual attireYou can purchase your Tickets below or by sending a check by September 17th to:Black Rock Community Council2470 Fairfield AvenueBridgeport, CT 06605-2647E-mail us at brcc@blackrockcc.org with any questions. 09/13/2011

  Gail Robinson, GRI,e-Pro | William Raveis Real Estate | (203) 521-0768 29 Eames Boulevard, St. Mary's-by-the-Sea, Black Rock, Bridgeport, Fairfield County, CT Enjoy seaside living in this grand French Manor home with expansive views of Long Island Sound. MBS w. two dressing rms w. custom cabinetry, gourmet 5BR/3.5 BA Single Family House   offered at $4,000/mo. Year Built 1941 Sq Footage 4,434 Bedrooms 5 Bathrooms 3 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 4+ Car garage Lot Size .74 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month   see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central heat - Fireplace - High/Vaulted ceiling - Walk-in closet - Hardwood floor - Tile floor - Family room - Living room - Office/Den - Dining room - Breakfast nook - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Microwave - Stainless stee... 09/10/2011

Wednesday, September 21st 1:00 PMBlack Rock Branch Food for Thought – Book Discussion The Black Rock Branch Library’s lunchtime book club meets the 3rd  Wednesday of the month at 1:00 PM - bring your brown bag lunch, we will provide coffee, tea and dessert. Our next book up for discussion is: In the Garden of Beasts by Eric Larson In the Garden of Beasts is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. Call the library today and reserve your copy: 203 337-9676   In the coming months the following books will be discussed:  October 19th: Cutting for Stone: a novel by A. (Abraham) Vergese... 09/09/2011

Friday, September 9th1:00 PMBlack Rock Branch Job Interview Techniques Learn basic interviewing techniques including what to wear, which questions to ask the interviewer, how to answer important interviewing questions, how to interview the interviewer and much more.  Bring paper and pencil to participate in the activities. A “Lunch & Learn” program. Bring a brown bag lunch and we’ll supply the coffee and dessert. This program is free but seating is limited. To register call: 203 337-9676  Most recently Sharon was the Director of Career Services for a vocational school. She has helped hundreds of individuals realize their career goals through coaching, career mapping and career preparation. She is the creator of the FRESH series an innovative five part program for individuals who have d... 09/08/2011

Bridgeport, A Union Town - With Labor Historian Dr. Cecelia Bucki    Thursday, September 8th 6:30 - 8:00 PM Black Rock Branch    1940 Bridgeport Brass ad  Photo courtesy of Bridgeport History Center Bridgeport, A Union Town     In commemoration of Labor Day,  noted labor historian Dr. Cecelia F. Bucki will present a survey of Bridgeport's rich labor history.   Cecelia Bucki is professor and chair of the history department at Fairfield University and national secretary of the Labor and Working Class History Association. She is the author of the award-winning Bridgeport's Socialist New Deal, 1915-36.       09/07/2011

Wednesday, September 7th7:30 PMBlack Rock Branch 130th District City Council Candidate Forum  The Black Rock Community Council and the Black Rock Branch Library invite you to meet the four candidates for City Council in the upcoming Democratic Primary.  Incumbent City Council members Susan Brannelly and Martin C. McCarthy will be joined by challengers James T. Fox and Jill Hughes  for a discussion of issues important to the 130th District and to the city of Bridgeport as a whole. The forum will be moderated by Phil Blagys of the Black Rock Community Council and audience participation will be encouraged.  Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Bridgeport Public Library. www.blackrockonline.org 09/04/2011

Please join us in a neighborhood beach clean up Labor Day, Monday September 5th, 7:00am to 9:00am.  Bring rakes, gloves, garbage bags, and leaf bags.  If you are unable to attend you can still help by lending tools and donating garbage bags.  It would also be helpful to remove the kayaks so please tell your friends to move their kayaks to give the sea grass a chance to reestablish.  The thirty plus kayaks that have been kept at the beach killed the first twenty plus feet of tidal flooding protective sea grass.  Thank you and spread the word Ed Milton Originally posted on www.blackrockonline.org  09/04/2011

Gail Robinson, GRI,e-Pro | William Raveis Real Estate | (203) 521-0768 62 Prescott St, Bridgeport, CT Historic Colonial with Arts & Crafts influence. Spacious rooms with 9' ceilings, great flow. High end renovations. 3BR/1+1BA Single Family House offered at $355,000 Year Built 1918 Sq Footage 1,632 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors Unspecified Parking Unspecified Lot Size 5,000 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Historic Colonial with Arts & Crafts influence built in 1918 and spectacularly updated while maintaining historic details. New Pella windows with historic arched panes. New kitchen with maple Kraftsmaid cabinets, Corian counters, Leibherr stainless steel refrigerator, Bosch range and dishwasher, and pantry with Kraftsmaid cabinets. 30' living room with fireplac... 09/03/2011

After a very busy and difficult week due to tropical storm Irene, power outages, and complicated real estate transactions, it was time for relaxation with my friends. The Fayerweather Yacht Club did not suffer any damage during the storm and it was a beautiful day, so cocktails on the deck with shrimp cocktail and a lobster roll sounded idyllic and it was! We had so much fun that we moved indoors as the evening began to chill (where did autumn come from)?     The Black Rock Yacht Club is closed due to damage from the storm, but members have reciprocal privileges with Fayerweather Yacht Club, so we had a number of BRYC members at our club last evening. I think some of the BRYC members were surprised to see the improvements at the FYC. The BRYC is the tonier club with swimming pool and t... 09/03/2011

According to the Connecticut Post website, more than 300,000 homes in Connecticut are still without power.  This has decreased from 700,000 on Sunday, so progress is being made.   Among communities served by United Illuminating, there were still more than 61,000 customers without power as of 7 a.m., including 9,512 in Milford (36 percent of the city) and 6,830 in Fairfield (29 percent).   In Bridgeport, where more than 35,000 homes and businesses were without power Sunday afternoon, the number of outages had decreased to 3,718 by 7 a.m. Wednesday representing 7 percent of UI customers.   Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/More-than-300-000-still-without-power-4-entire-2148886.php#ixzz1WcccCGSK   We should consider ourselves lucky as most homes in Black Rock have had electric... 08/31/2011

My market area is a shoreline community right in Irene's path.  In my normal course of business, I sponsor a community blog that focuses on local events and news.  In addition, I have a Constant Contact mass permission e-mail system that allows me to send out broadcast e-mails to hundreds of people at a tme.  I also sponsor the community's Facebook Fan page.  There is truly no one in my community better equipped to reach more people in a short period of time.  I do this to become the communications hub for my real estate business, but in times like this it served a community purpose. Hurricane Irene was an experience that tested my ability to serve as the communications hub.  My first e-mail alert on Hurricane Irene went out on Thursday, to let my readers know they should stock up on su... 08/30/2011

  All I can say is that If this was a Category 1 dwindling down to a tropical storm, I sure don't want to stick around for a real Category 1 or higher!  Some areas got hit a lot worse than others in Black Rock.  Let's take a look:    Black Rock Yacht Club     Hurricane Irene Lashes BRYC - photo from www.blackrockyc.com   Took a direct hit from the storm and lifted the ballroom floor up.  One member who was in the club at the time, said that he could see the floor undulating with the waves.  The waves came into the pool and filled it with salt water.  Our sources say the beautiful new bar remained untouched.  For now the BRYC is closed.  No word on when it will reopen.  For more information www.blackrockyc.com   St. Mary's-by-the-Sea   St. Mary's - photo by Lynn Norris The area near the... 08/30/2011

The City met wtih the EOC and as of 4 PM evacuations of low lying areas are no longer voluntary, they are mandatory.  What this means is that the police are going door-to-door asking people to leave their homes.  They will not forcably remove anyone, but they will ask you for your next of kin info and inform you that emergency vehicles may not be able to reach you if you are in trouble.   MANDATORY EVACUATIONS    See map  http://ow.ly/6etSZ which is being used by the City to determine low lying areas.  You'll notice that this map combines Category I and Category 2 storm surges into one color code.  The previous map we posted separates them out and also has a more current date (2008 vs. 2004).  We don't know why the City chose the 2004 map over the 2008 map.    CHARGE YOUR CELL PHONES   ... 08/27/2011

The State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (State EOC) issued a report at noon today which states that Bridgeport is a mandatory evacuation area.  I don't know what this means.  I can't find any information on the City website to see what areas are being evacuated or on the City's Facebook page or Twitter.  The next State EOC report is at 4 PM. Click on the link above to go to the State EOC site.   STATE EOC REPORT - 8/27 NOON   The City of Bridgeport declared a State of Emergency according to the report along with Fairfield, Stratford, Westport, Norwalk, and 9 other towns in Connecticut.  Evacuations are voluntary in all communities, except for the following:   New Haven - mandatory by 3 PM Tolland - mandatory at noon Greenwich - mandatory (coastal)... 08/27/2011

The town of Fairfield is requiring residents in the Fairfield Beach area to evacuate their homes tomorrow (Saturday) by 4 PM. No mandatory evacuations are planned for Black Rock at this time, however, please remember that we did have last minute evacuations during Hurricane Gloria. I was one of the people who evacuated and it wasn't easy as there were live power lines down and trees in the road as I tried to leave. If you are planning to leave, it would be best to do it during the day tomorrow rather than waiting until the storm arrives. While much damage is done by the high winds of hurricanes, there is a greater threat for low lying coastal areas. This is the threat of storm surges and storm tide. STORM SURGES VS. STORM TIDES As water approaches land during a hurricane, the water "pil... 08/26/2011

Gail Robinson, GRI,e-Pro | William Raveis Real Estate | (203) 521-0768 271 Grovers Avenue, Bridgeport, CT Spacious English Colonial with great flow. Finished attic has 4th bedroom or could be office - skylights, vaulted ceiling. Sold "as is". 4BR/1+1BA Single Family House offered at $249,000 Year Built 1939 Sq Footage 2,325 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors 3 Parking Unspecified Lot Size .14 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central heat - Fireplace - High/Vaulted ceiling - Walk-in closet - Hardwood floor - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Basement - Washer - Dryer - Laundry area - inside - Balcony, Deck, or Patio - Yard COMMUNITY FEATURES - Garage parking ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Photo 5Photo 6 Contact... 08/25/2011

Gail Robinson, GRI,e-Pro | William Raveis Real Estate | (203) 521-0768 75 Haddon Street, #2, Bridgeport, CT Upscale renovation of large 2 BR unit w. exposed brick, limestone counters, marble floor in bath, and much more. 2BR/1BA Co-Op offered at $144,900 Year Built 1919 Sq Footage 900 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $459 per month DESCRIPTION Chinese slate floor in kitchen with custom cabinets and center island. Sunroom overlooking courtyard. Large 22 foot long living room/dining room combination. End unit with windows on three sides. Walk to new Black Rock Train Station and to water. Historic complex. Convenient first floor unit. Largest size unit in complex (rarely go on market). Coop Board approval required. see addi... 08/22/2011