Darien Morning Briefing, Oct. 20

Today is Thursday, Oct. 20, the 293rd day of 2011.

HEADLINES

EVENTS & REMINDERS

• Hoedown: The "ranch" this afternoon, complete with a $4 lunch at 12 p.m. and square dancing, rope tricks, and cowboy hat tricks with Richard Stillman at 12:30 p.m.
  
• College Admissions Q&A: At 7:30 p.m., the Parents Association in the DHS auditorium. Representatives from Gettysburg College, Duke University, Union College, and the University of Denver will answer questions about the college admissions process and give helpful tips on navigating the process.
• Fashion Transformed: From now until Jan. 27, the y hosts ." The exhibit features 17 costumes from the era. The center is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Linda George paintings: From now until Nov. 9,  by Linda George will be on display in the library's art gallery.
• Children of the Desert: From now until Oct. 29, the  hosts "Bana Ba Motlhaba: Children of the Desert," featuring photographs by Dave Hamman and Botswanan crafts. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

DARIEN PLAYHOUSE SHOWTIMES

• The Big Year: 7:00 p.m. (1 hr. 40 min.)
• Real Steel: 7:00 p.m. (2 hr. 7 min.)

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

• None scheduled

FORECAST

• Thursday: A slight chance of showers before noon. Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 67. Breezy, with a south wind between 17 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind around 16 mph.

TIDES & TIMES

• High tide: 5:51 a.m. (6.6')
• Sunrise: 7:09 a.m.
• Low tide: 12:07 p.m. (1.2')
• Sunset: 6:06 p.m.
• High tide: 6:08 p.m. (7.0')

TODAY IN HISTORY

• 1803: The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.
• 1873: Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Rutgers universities draft the first code of American football rules.
• 1947: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of Hollywood, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.
• 1968: Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy marries Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
• 1973: "Saturday Night Massacre": President Richard Nixon fires Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Robert Bork.
• 1973: The Sydney Opera House opens.
• 1977: A plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in Mississippi, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines along with backup singer Cassie Gaines, the road manager, pilot, and co-pilot.

Forecast obtained from the National Weather Service; tide information obtained from saltwatertides.com (calibrated to Long Neck Point); 'Today in History' items compiled from Wikipedia and other sources.