Sean Moore, 14, devoted a lot of time in his effort to catch at glimpse of actress Uma Thurman when she came to downtown New Haven Monday (Sept. 18) to shoot scenes for the movie "In Bloom."
First he rode his bike downtown from the Fair Haven neighborhood (a distance of several miles), arriving on the New Haven Green by about 7 a.m. His companion was Joe Fargeorge, a self-employed carpenter who is Sean's friend from the neighborhood.
In case you think Sean was skipping out on school to see Thurman, you should know that the city's schools were not in session because of teacher training. Sean spent his day off getting an education into how films are made -- and how aloof movie stars can be.
After spending about four hours sitting on a sidewalk perch, watching technicians set up lighting and scenery (even planting fake ivy), Sean did get to see Thurman do her scene. But it consisted merely of briefly arguing with the kid who plays her daughter (portrayed by Gabrielle Brennan) as they came out of an alley onto Chapel Street.
Then, during a break, Thurman walked down Chapel Street to her trailer. Fargeorge saw an opportunity for his buddy; he said now was the time for Sean to get her autograph. Sean asked me for a piece of paper and a pen, and he started to psych himself up to approach the star. But she walked by too quickly for him and vanished into her trailer.
When she emerged back onto the street, Fargeorge told Sean, "Go! What are you afraid of? She's just another person, like your mother." Sean got up and made his move, but as he got close to her, one of the three guys escorting her (he was dressed in sunglasses, a safari hat and camouflage pants) waved Sean off.
Of course Uma Thurman is not "just another person," and probably doesn't particularly resemble Sean's mom. But I'm convinced she saw Sean approaching; would it have killed her to tell her henchmen to step aside and take five seconds to give the kid a break? Or is she one of those hotshots who only sells an autograph?
In spite of this setback, I hope Sean had a great day downtown, realizing again how cool this cultural city can be.

"Everything has changed."
That's the quote I will always remember from that horrible day. That's what one of the Yale University professors said to me that morning as I raced to get comment for the New Haven Register's special afternoon "Extra" on 9-11.
While I feverishly worked on this extra-special deadline, I kept thinking about my kids in school (Natalie was 9, Charlotte was 7) and about my wife, Jennifer Kaylin, who was then a TV producer for WTNH Channel 8.
She was in New York City, or at least trying to get there. She had jumped in a news van with a reporter and cameraman when the second plane hit the World Trade Center. She got on the road before all routes to the city were blocked by police.
After I filed by story, I left the office to seek out my kids. I hadn't felt compelled to pull them out of school, as some parents had done, but I did need to see them, to try to reassure them that "Everything will be all right." That's what parents always say, even when the world seems to be spinning off its axis.
I knocked on the door of my kids' after-school sitter and greeted them with extra-strong hugs. We talked about what had happened; I tried to remain calm and matter-of-fact while discussing those extraordinary events.
Natalie had an 8-ball and she pulled it out. She asked the ball, "Will it happen in Connecticut?"
The answer was something like, "You can count on it." But I told them not to worry, it won't happen here. They seemed OK. I kissed them and went back to work.
That afternoon my wife called me and said she was five blocks from Ground Zero. She would be staying overnight and perhaps several more nights beyond.
"I love you. Be careful," I said.
"I love you too," she said.
She was gone the rest of the week. I watched over the kids, aided by friends. One night a few days later, as I was lying in bed with my daughters, trying to get them to go to sleep, I was jolted by a noise outside. Charlotte asked, "Is it the guy from New York?" (She meant Osama bin Laden.)
I also remember going to their school on 9-12 and hearing the kids sing, "Let there be peace on earth -- and let it begin with me."
This is the message we have lost in the ensuing five years. So many of our soldiers dead, so many Iraqi civilians dead, so much money wasted -- more than $400 billion.
As I see the daily toll, including young soldiers from the New Haven area, I ask: How many more? What for?
Another aspect of this day that has been largely unnoticed, except by New Yorkers for a Department of Peace: this is the 100th anniversary of the day Mohandas Gandhi launched the non-violence movement for social justice. He was living in South Africa then, a young Indian lawyer seeking to oppose stifling regulations against Indians and "coloreds." In the years that followed, the movement spread to India and beyond. Later this philosophy and tactic would be used by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Non-violence? Really? It works?
Let's think about it. As our kids try to tell us: Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us.

The Beachcombing blog is open and ready to roam...Yesterday, while bouncing around town I beheld the Angel of Peace sculpture which usually sits atop the East Rock Soldiers and Sailors Monument, but is now being restored -- on the New Haven Green.
Why do this on the Green? As was reported in today's New Haven Register, the idea is to let people eating lunch there or just passing through see the process in action.
I've had some issues with the Parks Department, but I applaud their move to restore this historic city gem.
There's something about this angel that has always gotten to me. Maybe it's the history, or my fondness for East Rock, or my approval of the peace message on a war statue. Years ago, whenever I glimpsed the angel from the highway or wherever, I began the habit of giving her the thumbs up sign. I miss having her up there.
And because I have this special affinity for this lady, I took advantage of the city's offer yesterday to stand in front of her for a free photo. When would I ever get another chance to pose with my lady?