Daily Five: Waterford's Clean Water

1.     Today should be sunny with a high around 66, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight should be clear with a low around 43, according to the service.

2.     This summer, and specifically after Tropical Storm Irene, swimming at several nearby beaches was banned because of high bacteria counts (including at Rocky Neck State Park twice this year).

Despite that, swimming was never barred at Waterford Beach and Pleasure Beach for high bacteria counts, and the two beaches haven’t had swimming restrictions “for as long as I can remember,” Recreation and Parks Director Brian Flaherty said. Ledge Light Health District tests the water once a week.

“Must just be the way the water runs,” he said.

Shellfishing at Jordan Cove, though, has been closed “for a month,” Shellfish Commissioner Doug Lawson said. As of Thursday, it was still closed.

3.     Concerned readers e-mailed Patch yesterday about a loud noise at Millstone around 10:20 Tuesday night.

The noise happened during the that has shut down Unit 2 for more than a week, Dominion spokesman Ken Holt said. To repair the leak, Millstone workers had to literally blow off some steam, which can be noisy, he said.

There should be no more loud noises, although it is always possible, Holt said. The Unit 2 reactor is still shut down, and Holt, citing market sensitive information, would not say when the reactor would reopen.

4.     Some events this weekend:

Tonight is Waterford High School’s first football game, at Stonington at 6:30. Waterford will play every game on the road this season except possibly the Thanksgiving game against East Lyme, as a new turf field is under construction.

Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Waterford High School field hockey team is holding a car wash and bake sale at the Oswegatchie Fire Department. The money raised will go to the Play for the Cure game in October, which raises money for the Susan G. Komen For The Cure foundation. The team has raised “quite a bit of money” for the foundation over the past few years, field hockey coach Marc Duplice said.

Three movies open at Regal Cinemas tonight. "Drive," about a Hollywood stunt driver, runs at 4:40, 6:55, 7:25 and 9:45.  "The Lion King 3D" is released, with the regular version running at 4 and 6:45 and the 3D version running at 4:30, 7:15 and 9:25, and "Straw Dogs," a violent drama, runs at 4:10, 7:05 and 9:35.

5.     On this date in 1908, General Motors Corporation is founded. And on this date in 1920, the Wall Street bombing occurs, where a bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J.P. Morgan building. Thirty-eight people are killed and 400 injured. The bombing was never solved, although many concluded the Galleanists, Italian anarchists, robbed the bank.

Quote of the Day

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.”

-Sinclair Lewis

Trivia of the Day

What singer’s four children’s names were Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen?

Yesterday’s Answer: The commanding general of Operation: Desert Storm was “Stormin’” Norman Schwarzkopf.