Report of a motor cycle versus car crash by 1606 Barnum Ave in Stratford in front of the Wallgreens. First responders are on scene reporting minor injuries.
Car Versus Motorcycle
Category: Stratford
Stratford Police Arrest Suspect in Success Avenue Drug Investigation
Following a two-month investigation, Stratford Police have arrested 42-year-old Xavier Rivera-Concepcion for allegedly selling crack cocaine in the Success Avenue corridor on the Stratford-Bridgeport line. Police say Rivera-Concepcion was operating out of his apartment in the Dogwood Condominiums at 250 North Bishop Avenue, Bridgeport.
On March 13, officers executed two search and seizure warrants, leading to his arrest. Rivera-Concepcion has been charged with Operation of a Drug Factory and Illegal Possession with Intent to Sell a Narcotic Substance. Police seized 43.7 grams of crack cocaine and $2,148 in cash as evidence. He is being held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 24, 2025.
Stratford Library Kids Events – March 2025
Storytimes
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. offers weekly storytimes for children.
Storytimes meet at 10:30 am. On Mondays, Toddler Time meets for ages 0-2. On Tuesdays, Preschool Storytime meets for ages 3-5. Baby Lapsit meets on Thursdays for babies 0-18 months. Friday Fun offers stories and songs for ages 1-5. Enjoy early literacy activities and meet other families at Library storytimes. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
LEGO Club
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer LEGO Club on Sunday, March twenty-third at 2:00pm. Children ages five through twelve are welcome to register. Come build some LEGO creations with friends. LEGO Club will meet in the Children’s Program Room. Registration is requested. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Seed Library Grab ’n’ Go
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept will offer a Seed Library Grab ‘n’ Go for pick up on Mondays starting in March; Butterfly Milkweed on March seventeenth and Penstemon on March thirty-first. You will receive both the seeds and instructions on how to plant. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Book Scientists
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer Book Scientist kits for children ages three through twelve. Each kit includes books and activities. Books are selected based on the age of the child participating. This month the themes will be: On The Farm on March fourteenth and Green Books on March twenty-eighth. Return the Library books when they are due and keep everything else! Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Treehouse Science
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer a Treehouse Science program with Perler beads on Friday, March fourteenth at 3:30pm and 3D pens on Friday, March twenty-eighth at 3:30pm. Children ages seven through twelve are welcome to join us for either program! Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Read To a Therapy Dog
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will be offering the chance to read to a therapy dog on Saturday, March fifteenth from 11:00am to 11:45am. Children ages six through twelve may sign up for a fifteen-minute time slot, and can choose a favorite book to read to Ollie the dog. Time slots are on a first come first serve basis. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Kids LEGO Robotics Club
Join the Stratford Library Children’s Dept. for a LEGO Robotics workshop on Wednesday, March seventeenth at 4:00pm for children ages seven through twelve. Thanks to a grant from the Stratford Rotary Club, the Library now owns a LEGO Spike Essential kit, which combines LEGO building with some coding fun! This program will meet in the Children’s Program Room. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Ready for Kindergarten Grab ‘n’ Go
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer a grab ‘n’ go activity kit to prepare preschoolers for Kindergarten. This kit is available for children ages three through five. Pick up is available beginning Wednesday, March nineteenth. Each month will be a different activity. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Piano with Friends
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer Piano with Friends: Irish Music class on Thursday, March twentieth at 4:00pm for children ages seven through twelve. Piano Basics class is a prerequisite to sign up for this class. Learn to play some fun Irish tunes. Class does not replace professional piano lessons. Piano with Friends will meet in the Children’s Program Room. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Treefort Science: Ed Emberley Drawing
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer a Treefort Science program for children ages five through seven on Friday, March twenty-first at 3:30pm. Have some fun drawing in the style of Ed Emberley. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Preschool Art
Join the Stratford Library Children’s Dept. for some creative fun on Saturday, March twenty-second at 11:00am for children ages three through seven. Preschool Art will meet in the Children’s Program Room. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Nutmeg Book Group
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. is offering a Nutmeg Book Group for readers in grades four to six. March’s pick will be “Falling Short.” Read the book, then join us for a book discussion on Monday, March twenty-fourth at 6:00pm in The Children’s Dept, program room. Books are provided to registered participants courtesy of the Carol Pieper Memorial Fund. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Science Club
Join the Stratford Library Children’s Dept. for our new Science Club with different activities every month. March’s session will be Solar System Models! Class meets Tuesday, March twenty-fifth at 6:00pm for ages seven through twelve. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Math Grab ’N’ Go Kit
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer a Math grab ‘n’ go kit for children ages six through ten. This month’s theme will be Number Lines. Each kit will come with informational lessons and activities about the topic. Pick up for the kits will begin on Wednesday, March twenty-sixth. Registration is recommended. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Junior Scientists Grab‘n’Go
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept. will offer a Junior Scientists grab ‘n’ go activity for children ages four through eight with pick-ups starting on Thursday, March twenty-seventh. Children can enjoy a science experiment with the help of an adult. This month’s topic will feature Wind. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Braiding With Seed Beads
The Stratford Library Children’s Dept invites you to join us in learning how to braid with seed beads on Sunday, March thirtieth at 2:00pm. Patrons ages eight to adult are welcome to sign up. Participants should be comfortable working with small beads, and younger children may need a parent’s assistance. Registration is required. To register, visit the website at stratfordlibrary.org, then choose Events. For more information about Library programs and services for children, call 203.385.4165 or visit stratfordlibrary.org/kids.
Stratford Police Arrest Two in Fentanyl and Cocaine Distribution Investigation
Stratford, CT – Following a months-long investigation into fentanyl and cocaine distribution, the Stratford Police Department’s Narcotics, Vice, and Intelligence (NVI) Unit executed multiple search warrants on March 7, 2025, resulting in the arrests of two individuals.
William Pjura, 29, of Ansonia, was identified as a key distributor supplying street-level drug dealers throughout Stratford. Search warrants were executed at residences in Ansonia and Shelton, as well as on a vehicle and Pjura himself, with assistance from federal and state law enforcement agencies. Pjura was charged with multiple drug offenses, including the operation of an illegal drug factory and possession with intent to sell fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other narcotics. He is being held on a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 17.
George Rich, 60, also of Ansonia, was arrested at the same location and charged with illegal possession of narcotics and obtaining prescriptions unlawfully. He was released on a $5,000 bond with a court date set for March 17.
Authorities seized approximately 42 grams of crack cocaine, 84 grams of fentanyl, oxycodone pills, a 2010 Cadillac CTS, and $1,600 in cash. The investigation was supported by the DEA and FBI task forces, along with the Connecticut State Police.
Another Garage Fire
Report of another garage fire. This one’s at Margaret Circle in Stratford. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a fire in the corner of the garage that was quickly put out.
“Sunday Afternoon Talks” at Stratford Library: James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake Examined on March 16
The Stratford Library will continue “Sunday Afternoon Talks,” its series of informative and entertaining talks featuring prominent local guest speakers, on Sunday, March 16 at 2 pm. Guest speaker John O’Connor will discuss “Exploring Finnegans Wake.” The talk is free and open to the public.
Finnegans Wake by James Joyce is a complex novel that blends dream and reality. It’s known for its difficult plot, made-up words, and puns. John O’Connor attended Bucknell University, where he majored in English literature. He spent a junior semester abroad in London, England, where he first read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce and was hooked. While there, he first looked at Finnegans Wake and was puzzled but interested. Later, he went to Berkeley, California, on a vision quest to study the Wake and visit Wake expert Professor John Bishop at Cal Berkeley. When he returned, he began disseminating the actual words of Finnegans Wake, which is the basis of his talk at the Stratford Library.
The “Sunday Afternoon Talks” series, hosted by Charles Lautier of Stratford, is held from 2-3:30 pm in the Stratford Library Lovell Room, 2203 Main Street, Stratford.
For further information, visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org or call the Library at 203-385-4162.
“Fashions of the Gilded Age” at Stratford Library Lifestyles of the Wealthy Is Topic on March 9
The Stratford Library will present “Fashions of the Gilded Age,” an entertaining talk focusing on the 1870s thru 90s “bustle periods” and the lifestyles of the wealthy in their Newport mansions and beyond, on Sunday, March 9 at 2 pm. Historian Karen Antonowicz will be the guest speaker. The talk is free and open to the public.
Taking her audience for a dynamic walk through the culture, history, and style of the late 1800s, Antonowicz utilizes a professional slideshow with a variety of references to the hit HBO television series, The Gilded Age. In addition, a large array of period clothing, footwear, and accessories will be on display for audience members to see and touch up close and personal.
Karen (Ren) Antonowicz received her Master’s Degree in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design, with a concentration in Historic Costume & Textiles from the University of Rhode Island. She then taught History of Fashion and other courses full-time at the college level for 13 years and taught part-time in the CE Program at the Rhode Island School of Design.
“Fashions of the Gilded Age” will begin at 2 pm on March 9 in the Stratford Library Lovell Room, 2203 Main Street in Stratford. General seating begins at 1:30 pm.
For further information, visit www.stratfordlibrary.org or call the Stratford Library Programming Office at 203-385-4162.
Stratford News: Boat In Distress Requires Rescue
Report of a boat in distress at Beacon Point in Stratford. One fireboat has taken on water and has to return to port. They are still in the process of rescuing the initial boat and returning it to shore at this time.
Today’s Vehicle Fire
Stratford is hosting today’s vehicle fire in the 400 block of River Road. Initial unofficial reports indicated it was close to the structure but firefighters quickly took care of it
DRAWINGS BY LAUTIER AT STRATFORD LIBRARY
Original drawings by artist Charles Lautier will be the March/April 2025 art exhibit at the Stratford Library. It is the first appearance for the Stratford resident at the library. The exhibit, entitled Scenes from Nature and Beyond, is free and open to the public.
Charles Lautier is an immigrant from the Republic of Malta. Currently retired, he started his career as a mechanical draftsman who began the old-fashioned way, with pencil and paper. This skill was, in part, transferable to drawing with colored pencils, a medium he has been working with for several years. He has recently exhibited at the Sterling Community Center at two events organized by the Arts Alliance of Stratford. Lautier is drawn to subjects from nature, but this new exhibit also explores a variety of other themes.
The artist will host a reception at the library on Saturday, March 1, from 2-4 pm. During the run of the exhibit, a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Lautier’s work will be donated to the Stratford Library.
Viewing hours for the Scenes from Nature and Beyond art exhibit are:
- Monday-Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm
- Friday-Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
- Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm
The display is located in the Main Lobby of the Stratford Library, 2203 Main Street, Stratford, and will continue through April 2025.
For further information, call the library’s Public Relations and Programming Office at 203-385-4162 or visit www.stratfordlibrary.org.