Center holding diploma information sessions

Friday, 10 February 2012 12:50

Mercy Learning Center will hold information sessions for women over 18 interested in completing their high school diploma on Monday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome.

The National External Diploma Program offers women the opportunity to use work and life experience to complete their high school education. Those who cannot attend should contact Lynn Davies at 203-334-6699 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust receives grant for social service program

Friday, 10 February 2012 12:47

Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust (BNT) Executive Director Elizabeth Torres recently announced that it received $10,000 from Near & Far Aid to develop a social service program for families living in the housing owned by BNT.

Mercy Learning Center awarded ‘Neighborhood Builder’

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:21

William R. Tommins, Fairfield County president of Bank of America, presents a $200,000 grant to Jane E. Ferreira, president of Mercy Learning Center as part of the bank’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. The center was named a Neighborhood Builder in recognition of its contributions to the community.

Mercy Learning Center is the recipient of a 2011 Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative award. Mercy Learning Center and Wakeman Memorial Association were the two Fairfield County nonprofits recognized as Neighborhood Builders.

Mercy Learning Center staff and board members celebrated their collaborative community efforts at an awards ceremony and reception at The Palace Theater in Stamford on Nov. 7.

Kocinsky named St. Vincent’s ‘Physician of the Year’

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:18

Dr. Daniel Kocinsky of Trumbull receives his award as 2011 Physician of the Year from St. Vincent’s President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Susan L. Davis during a ceremony at Tashua Knolls Country Club.

Primary care physician Dr. Daniel T. Kocinsky received the St. Vincent de Paul Mission Award as St. Vincent’s 2011 Physician of the Year during a recent ceremony at Tashua Knolls in Trumbull before a gathering of physicians, administrators and guests.

The award honors the attending physician who best demonstrates the qualities exemplified by St. Vincent de Paul, one who truly lives the mission and values of the medical center.

Smoking cessation course starts Feb. 29

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:17

The next session of Bridgeport Hospital’s Quit Smart smoking-cessation program takes place in the first-floor Administration Conference Room at the hospital on Wednesday, Feb. 29, March 14, 21 and 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $75.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States,” said Gretchen May-Fendo, respiratory therapist and the Quit Smart coordinator. “And besides being linked to 450,000 deaths a year, smoking is also a major contributor to several diseases, including heart disease, stroke, lung disease and cancer.”

Watermark University courses now available

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:15

The Watermark at 3030 Park has announced its Watermark University spring semester courses are now underway, with course catalogs available to Fairfield County seniors. Watermark University is a continuing education program designed with interesting topics and programs to keep seniors’ minds and bodies fit.

Professor Harriet Hiller will teach “Art History,” a course that examines the art of ancient civilizations through modern times, on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m. Students will “meet” the artists of each epoch, discover the history and culture of the period, and connect the artist’s relevancy and legacy to our own times. Lectures are slide illustrated and personalized by selected readings. Hiller currently teaches at Sacred Heart University and Housatonic Community College.

Tips on improving home energy efficiency on Feb. 16

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:14

Homeowners have an opportunity to attend a program on the benefits of having a home energy assessment. This free, hour-long seminar will be offered at the Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St., Shelton, on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m.

Home energy assessments have become a way for homeowners to learn how to save energy. This presentation will explain the benefits of an energy audit, including how it can save homeowners money.

Kennedy Center receives $20k grant

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:13

The Kennedy Center’s Senior Options Program recently received a $20,000 grant from the John H. and Ethel G. Nobel Charitable Trust to fund a part-time licensed practical nurse (LPN).

As part of the responsibilities of this new position, the LPN will provide quick response to seniors medical needs, ensure care plans are in place with proper follow-up services, and visit seniors placed in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities or family homes.

Bridgeport participating in Family Fire Safety Day

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:12

CT-Moms, a local group of more than 300 moms in Fairfield County, have organized a county-wide fire safety awareness and fund-raising event called “A Show of Support.”

The informal, family-friendly, hour-long event is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m., simultaneously at participating fire stations between Stratford and Greenwich, and is designed to allow local residents to show, through attendance and improved fire safety education, their solidarity with families like the Badgers who have suffered fire-related tragedies and their support for their local fire stations.

Atrial fibrillation topic of free lecture on Feb. 28

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 11:11

Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. M. Clive Robinson and cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. Murali Chiravuri of Bridgeport Hospital’s Joel E. Smilow Heart Institute will discuss the causes of and treatments for atrial fibrillation (a-fib) during the free lecture, “Heart All A-Flutter? Get Your Rhythm Back” at the Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. Registration is required. Call toll free 1-888-357-2396.

A-fib is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, affecting two million Americans. People with a-fib have abnormal electrical signals in the heart’s upper chambers that cause the heart to flutter, quiver or shake, rather than beat steadily. This irregular beating causes blood to pool in the heart’s chambers, which can lead to the formation of blood clots. These clots can travel to the brain and trigger a stroke.