In 2001, David Roth kicked off his second year as Staples Players director with a surefire favorite: “The Music Man.”
His troupe did not disappoint. Today “06880” offers our audience — those who saw it, those who missed it, those who were not here and those who were not yet born — a chance to relive its high-energy magic.
Former Staples High School media teacher Jim Honeycutt taped all of Roth’s shows. Now, he’s selecting highlights to share with our readers.
Click here or below, for “Trouble in River City,” “76 Trombones,” “Lida Rose and more.
What’s next for the property, bordered by Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place and Charles Street?
Stay tuned.
Artist’s rendering of the Hamlet at Saugatuck project.
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Hoop dreams have come true for over 50 youngsters in Santo Domingo.
They’re the recipients of uniforms and basketballs, donated by Westport residents through Westport PAL.
Full Court Peace — a Norwalk organization that provides equipment to under-served communities — facilitated the delivery. They run frequent trips to the Dominican Republic, to repair courts and support youth leagues.
Boys in Santo Domingo sport Westport basketball jerseys.
The Westport Rotary and Sunrise Rotary Clubs join their Norwalk and Wilton Rotary colleagues this Saturday, to help ease food insecurity.
At the Saugatuck Congregational Church event, dozens of volunteers will pack 12,500 nutritious meals. The clubs will then deliver them to Homes With Hope in Westport and Open Doors in Norwalk, for distribution through food pantries.
The church is providing the space, and custodial setup and cleanup, at no charge.
It’s a hometown event. Corbelli — a Westport resident — knows something about making a lasting impact.
As the first female founder in the advertising technology industry, she pioneered interactive TV with her company BrightLine. Her technology platform SustainChain addresses global sustainability and justice.
Jazz pianist Matt DeChamplain brings his James P. Johnson-, Fats Waller-, Willie “The Lion” Smith- and Art Tatum-influenced talents to Jazz at the Post this Thursday (February 19, VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 7).
He’s joined by long time associates Matt Dwonszyk (bass) and Jonathan Barber (drums), plus Kerry MacKillop (trumpet) and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall (saxophone).
Jerry Kennedy, the guitarist, producer and record executive who had a major hand in shaping the music being made in Nashville in the 1960s and ’70s, including chart-topping hits by Roger Miller, Roy Orbison, Tom T. Hall and Tammy Wynette, died on Wednesday in hospice care in Franklin, Tenn. He was 85.
It was not until paragraph 8 that we learn he “unleash(ed) the ferocious guitar solo” that opens “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
Arthur Tauck Jr. — a 2nd-generation family business owner whose locally based Tauck Tours revolutionized the travel industry, and who made a major mark on Westport by saving National Hall — died Wednesday at his winter home in Vero Beach, Florida, surrounded by family. He was 94.
In 1950, at 18 years old, he joined his father’s fledgling tour company, Tauck Tours, as a young tour director. He led guests through New England every summer, during his undergraduate studies at Lehigh University. He graduated in 1953, with a degree in marketing.
A devoted alumnus, in later years Arthur supported an endowed scholarship, a faculty chair in international marketing and logistics, and the Tauck Scholars Program, which has funded hundreds of rising seniors to complete international business internships.
Arthur Tauck
After graduation he entered the US Air Force as a lieutenant, and spent several years stationed in Germany.
Arthur returned to the family business in 1956. He became president 2 years later, at 27. Those formative experiences shaped a lifelong commitment to people, service and hospitality.
Arthur settled his growing family in Westport. and became active in the community. He learned to sail, and taught himself celestial navigation to pursue his passion for ocean racing. He twice served as commodore of Cedar Point Yacht Club.
Arthur was also an avid skier, golfer and scuba diver, and enjoyed biking the winding roads of Fairfield County in the early morning.
He also loved sharing summer evenings with family and friends in his gazebo, savoring a cold martini, and a smooth cigar.
Arthur Tauck with a cigar and martini, at his Westport home.
Arthur reveled in tackling new projects and interesting ideas. From 1987 to 1992 he created the National Hall Historic District in downtown Westport, preserving 19th century history at the corner of the Post Road and Wilton Road.
At the time, there was a very real possibility that the 1873 National Hall building would be demolished.
The Inn at National Hall.
Instead, he restored it into a Relais Chateaux hotel, with 13 rooms and an award-winning restaurant. The district also included the 1931 Vigilant fire station (now Oko Restaurant), and several brick buildings and walkways along the Saugatuck River.
The Tauck family also donated the old-style street lights that line the nearby Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
The Tauck family donated the old-fashioned street lamps, on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge. (Photo/JC Martin)
Arthur forged long-lasting friendships with people from all over the world, and all walks of life. He was a master storyteller, with a great sense of humor. He believed deeply in “doing the right thing” with humility, integrity, generosity and care.
His impact on the travel industry is immeasurable. Over 75 years, Arthur’s entrepreneurial spirit led to many new ways for Tauck guests to experience the world.
In the 1960s, with the rise of jet planes, he saw an opportunity to introduce guests to the national parks of the western United States, Hawaii and Canada.
Inspired by his own passions for hiking and bicycling, he pioneered heli-hiking in the Canadian Rockies in the 1970s, and curated Tauck’s Yellow Roads of Europe in the 1990s, offering authentic experiences off the beaten path.
Arthur Tauck helped create, and popularize, both heli-hiking and heli-skiing in the Canadian Rockies.
His love of the sea and the historic waterways of Europe is reflected today in the company’s intimate and culturally rich ocean and river cruise experiences.
While these and many other innovations cemented his place as a travel industry visionary and pioneer, his personal motivation was always to the guest experience, with a strong commitment to service, value, and the human touch.
He believed deeply in the power of travel as a force for good in the world, whether by building understanding among people, preserving history and culture for future generations, or fulfilling individual dreams.
In 1994 Arthur founded the Tauck Family Foundation. The family endeavor encourages multiple generations to work together to give back, and make a positive impact on the world.
Today, the foundation supports communities to maintain healthy, regenerative ecosystems and land use practices through education and engagement.
Having lost his mother at age 5 and his father in his late twenties, Arthur valued family above all else.
He taught his young children to sail on Long Island Sound and to ski challenging terrains in Vermont. He supported his grandchildren, showing up at their games and school programs, and enjoying conversations with them.
He loved working alongside his adult children and son-in-law in the family business, and was confident that his grandchildren would uphold the company’s values and steward it successfully in its second century.
The 2nd and 3rd Tauck generations (from left): Peter, Chuck, Robin, Ronni and her husband Arthur, Liz. Most live (or have lived) in Westport. Missing: Kiki.
In addition to his wife Ronni, Arthur is survived by his sister Connie; his former wife Lee, and their children, Chuck (Fran), Robin, Peter Tauck, Kiki Mahar (Dan) and Liz Walters (Fred); step-children Bernhard Duerrmeier (Amber), Marina Rizzi (Damian), Christopher Duerrmeier (Laura), and Philip Duerrmeier; 21 grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Arthur’s family will celebrate his life in a private memorial service later this spring. Contributions in his memory may be made to Tourism Cares, a non-profit dedicated to advancing sustainability and meaningful travel within the tourism industry, or Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.
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A personal note: For nearly 2 decades, I wrote Tauck Tours’ internal newsletter, for its tour directors. It was a great gig — both for travel opportunities, and because I got to meet Arthur Tauck.
He was warm, generous, fully engaged, quite funny — and very, very active.
One memory stands out. At an annual meeting for tour directors, Arthur gave an informative, inspiring “state of the company” presentation. Then he answered a wide range of questions, with honesty and insight.
He closed with this: “If anyone wants to talk any more, I’ll be rollerblading tomorrow morning at 7. You’re welcome to join me.”
The Y’s Men of Westport and Weston have a number of sub-groups. They cover many interests, like technology, travel and food.
Plus music.
Last week, the Y’s Men’s Classical Society hosted the Staples Jazz Band, at the Westport Library.
The group, directed by Kevin Mazzarella, “displayed musicianship well beyond their years,” the Y’s Men newsletter says.
The concert was the second of 4 performances. Coming soon: the Staples Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra, and the Art Greenberg Memorial Olga Vinokur Piano.
But you don’t have to be a Y’s Man to enjoy the Jazz Band. Click here or below to watch and listen. (The concert starts at the 4:30 mark.)
Tommy Greenwald got more than he bargained for, when he watched the Harvard-Yale men’s basketball game on ESPNU.
Cooper Boardman was on the call.
The 2017 Staples High School and 2021 Syracuse University grad has broadcast Boston Red Sox games on the WEEI radio network. He also worked for Fox Sports and Westword One, doing college basketball, softball and lacrosse.
Boardman began his career at Staples. He called a number of sports, and won several John Drury Awards.
Speaking of sports: congratulations to Staples wrestlers.
Seamus Brannigan and Julian Rousseau finished first, at this weekend’s FCIAC (league) championships.
Damian Rousseau and Gavin Donaldson placed second, while Kai Schwartz was fourth.
Up next: the state and open meets. Go Wreckers:
From left: Head coach Jordan Marion, Gavin Donaldson, Damian Rousseau, Seamus Brannigan, Julian Rousseau, Kai Schwartz, Francesco Beccarra, Charlie Goldman, Amelia Guimond, coach Will Switzer. Not pictured: Jessiah Jones, Amere Miller, Grady McHugh, Kia Halper.
Speaking still of sports: Congratulations to Dylan Rosen!
The Coleytown Middle School 8th grader recently placed 3rd in Junior 3 Clone Class. It was his first full season of racing with the Norwalk Karting Association, at Calf Pasture Beach.
Dylan is coached by 66 year-old Hugh Gorman. They began a trackside friendship during repairs, and Hugh began offering tips to improve the kart and Dylan’s driving skills.
“He has a lot of patience to talk through things and share his knowledge.” said the 13-year-old racer.
When the season ended in November, Dylan’s 25-year-old Coyote Kart was beyond repair. He and his dad, Frank, called the company. They offered a steep discount on a 15-year-old frame, which they could transfer their working parts to.
Dylan did all the work on it himself. He plans to compete in regional races, beginning next month — with a goal of qualifying for Daytona kart week.
He is looking for local sponsors, to help with karting expenses. Email rosenfamilyracing@gmail.com for details.
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We last checked in with Jenny Bentley and Jennifer Dewis more than a year ago.
The women share more than first names. They moved to Westport on the same day in 2008. They met while dropping off their 3rd graders at Greens Farms Elementary School.
Both were good at helping friends’ parents downsize their homes. Inevitably, they joined forces. Their business — 2Jens Organizing — thrives. Empty nesters themselves, they fill a great niche: taking the stress out of moving from a large house to a smaller one.
Now they’ve taken on volunteer work, at Homes with Hope’s food pantry and A Better Chance of Westport’s Glendarcy House.
The Jens lend their expertise by helping organize the food — no easy task, with constant donations and an ever-growing line of residents seeking produce, meats, household products and more.
The 2 Jens (center and right), in the well-organized Homes with Hope food pantry.
The ABC home — where students from underserved communities live, eat and study, while attending Staples — also benefits from the women’s talents. Last summer, they helped make a home away from home for the teenagers.
High schoolers and food-insecure people offer a break from other clients.
Those include older residents. The 2 Jens have developed an expertise helping seniors downsize.
When they began, the women did not realize there was such a need for that service.
But as they worked with seniors who are downsizing or moving into assisted living, they discovered how daunting and emotionally loaded the task is.
Packing and organizing boxes can be physically — and emotionally — difficult.
Because health issues often trigger a downsize, some clients are physically not up to the task.
Often too family members are not available, because of time or distance constraints.
Well-meaning adult children who are around cannot always help, either. They can even hurt the process. They’re too close to the situation.
But the organizers work closely with family — remotely, if necessary — and are sensitive to the emotional roller coaster of going through the contents of a home with a lifetime of memorabilia.
Jenny Bentley (left) and Jennifer Dewis.
Their goal is to make what can be a fraught and overwhelming process as smooth as possible.
The 2 Jens help sort through a home’s contents, providing objectives eyes. And years of experience helping folks make plans, then carrying them out. (The plans, not the clients.)
They work together to decide what to keep, sell or donate. They bring small items to Goodwill, and call auction houses.
They organize the movers, including unpacking and setting up the new home — even hanging art on the walls.
“A lot of this is intuitive. We’re very good listeners,” Jenny says. “We consult. We advise. But we’re very respectful of people’s wishes.”
A new room.
The women know it can be hard to part with memorabilia. Gently, they help sort through it. if there are 75 pieces of artwork from elementary school, perhaps 10 are enough to keep?
Much of that memorabilia is all over the place: refrigerators, mantels, basements, attics. The Jens are geniuses at sorting it, putting it in bins, and labeling it.
Moving can be a fraught experience. Clients invite Jenny and Jennifer into their personal space. But they don’t want to feel criticized or judged.
“Whatever works for them is fine,” Jenny says. She leaves out the second part: Even if we don’t like it ourselves.
What they do is largely “problem-solving,” she adds. “We have independent eyes, we come up with a game plan, we communicate it with them, and then we work on the timing of everything.”
Once a client has moved into a new home, the Jens are there. They organize, say, a kitchen. They bring their expertise, but stop often to ask: Does this work for you?
Garage, before and after the 2 Jens went to work.
They also continue to work with clients needing more typical help. This time of year — when it’s cold outside, and the excitement of the holidays has worn off — is a good time to purge closets or tackle messy rooms, they say.
The women’s expertise comes from their own lives. Both have moved often. They’ve set up their own homes, and helped their 6 children (combined) move into new bedrooms, dorm rooms and apartments.
The women charge by the hour. Clients can stop the clock any time, and not feel locked into a contract.
However, Jenny notes, “jobs tend to get bigger as we go. Once we get started, people realize they need more things done.”
De-cluttering is never easy. There’s a lot of stuff in those closets, basements and attics.
The 2 Jens help make sense — and well-organized, clearly labeled bins — of it.
Just ask Homes with Hope, and A Better Chance of Westport.
The Westport Library café is a great place to hang out.
The coffee and food are delicious. The view of the river is spectacular. You’re never rushed, and there’s no music playing (loudly) in the background.
But who looks at the ceiling, as they enjoy their time?
Andrew Colabella, Ed Simek, Beth Berkowitz, Seth Schachter, Wendy Schaefer and Tom Feeley — that’s who.
They’re the 6 alert readers who quickly identified the Library café ceiling as the image in last week’s Photo Challenge. (Click here to see.)
Congratulations — you really know what’s up down at the library.
Now, do you — and everyone else — know where to find this week’s Photo Challenge? If you do, click ”’Comments” below.
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Amanda Doyle and her daughter Niamh are probably not the only 2 Westporters at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Amanda and Niamh Doyle, at the Olympics.
But Amanda is probably the only one who posted a video that went viral.
Her clip from the US-Switzerland women’s ice hockey game — of the entire arena singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” — racked up over a million views and 71,000-plus likes, in just one day.
It looks like a great moment. And Amanda’s comment about the true spirit of the Olympics — uniting “beyond borders, languages and differences” — is pure gold.
PS: The hockey game was especially fun for Niamh. She goes to Coleytown Middle School, and plays for the Shoreline Sharks.
PPS: The US won, 5-0.
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Dominique Johnson is running for re-election.
The 143rd District state representative — serving parts of Westport and Norwalk — and deputy majority leader says she is not taking donations from lobbyists.
The veteran theater educator and director, Staples High School graduate, Emergency Medical Service leader and all-around good guy will be honored May 17.
Schoke Jewish Family Service will present him with its Community Service Award.
JFS says, “With more than 30 years of experience across the arts and public safety, he brings a powerful blend of creativity, leadership, and service to every role he undertakes.
Frimmer is deputy chief of Weston Volunteer EMS, and a tactical emergency casualty care and EMS Instructor.
He served on the board of Temple Israel, and is on its Security Committee. During the pandemic, he was the congregation’s COVID response point person.
Frimmer was a producer of “John Proctor Is the Villain,” and is on the producing team for “The Hunger Games” in London. He has earned kudos for his work as director of Coleytown Middle School’s Company drama program.
He serves on the board of the Westport Country Playhouse, and co-chairs its Development Committee. He holds master’s degrees in teaching and educational theatre from NYU.
A reminder: WestportREADS’ keystone conversation is this Thursday (February 19, 7 p.m.)
Eiren Caffall — author of this year’s selection, “All the Water in the World” — chats with Catherine Shen, host of Connecticut Public Radio’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live, about Caffall’s thriller about a flooded future, and a family fighting not to be drowned by a changing world. Click here for more information.
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We’ve posted photos of horses at Sherwood Island State Park before, in our “Westport … Naturally” series.
But the images never get old. Here’s a shot from yesterday:
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Last weekend, curious residents headed over to Beachside Common, to see #11 for themselves.
An estate sale drew them to the home of biotech entrepreneur/investor/scientist Alan Walton and his wife Elenor.
They bought the 1970s contemporary overlooking Burying Hill Beach in 2000, for $6.3 million. It was expanded and “reimagined” in the 1990s — for $13 million.
One view of he exterior …
With its floating staircase, periscope skylights, rainbow glazing purple carpet — and a 150-foot multicolored tile pathway that “meanders” through the house — it was not for everyone.
Alan died in 2015. Elenor died last February. The couple was a much-admired part of their tight-knit neighborhood.
In her will, Elenor told her children to sell the property.
They did. Now it’s slated for demolition.
,,, and another …
The other day, an anonymous Westporter — calling him or herself “Concerned Quirky Citizen” — emailed the Planning & Zoning Commission, Westport Downtown Association, and various other town and state officials. The writer urged “the Town of Westport and any relevant boards, commissions, and elected officials to reconsider” the teardown.
That’s a heavy lift. The Historic District Commission can only vote to delay demolition of a structure older than 50 years, for 180 days. In theory, that buys time to find a way to save a home.
In nearly every case, the owner — who presumably brought the property intending to tear it down — waits out the delay, then brings in the wrecking ball.
That will probably happen to 11 Beachside Common. But here is the anonymous resident’s plea:
“From everything that has been shared publicly, this home is not only an extraordinary piece of residential architecture, but also a physical record of technological, cultural, and artistic history.
“This property appears to represent a rare convergence of design, innovation and local heritage.
… with one view of the interior …
“The house underwent an extensive and highly considered transformation by a noted architect, resulting in a structure that functions more like a livable gallery than a conventional home. It stands out for its unconventional forms, light-filled interior spaces, and the way it integrates with its coastal setting.
“Many visitors and community members have described it as unlike anything else in the area, which suggests it may be eligible for recognition as a historically or architecturally significant resource.
“In addition to its architectural value, the home is closely associated with individuals whose work shaped modern science and technology, including contributions connected to NASA’s Apollo program and to early MRI development.
“When a building has direct ties to people whose work has had a global impact, and when that building has been consciously designed and redesigned with that legacy in mind, demolition is not just a private decision with private consequences. It is the permanent erasure of a cultural asset that could otherwise benefit the town, the state, and the broader public.
… and another …
“I fully recognize that the property is privately owned and that owners have important rights. At the same time, towns routinely treat certain structures and landscapes as part of the public good and subject them to additional review or protection when they meet criteria for historic, architectural, or cultural significance.
“I am asking that Westport, in coordination with its relevant boards and commissions, explore all available mechanisms to:
Evaluate whether 11 Beachside Common meets local, state, or national criteria for historic or architectural significance.
Consider interim measures (such as a temporary delay of demolition) to allow proper study and public input.
Engage with the current owner and any interested preservation organizations to explore alternatives to total demolition, such as adaptive reuse, partial preservation, sale to a preservation-minded buyer, or creative public–private partnerships.
“Preserving this structure, or even a substantial portion of it, could provide Westport with a unique cultural and educational asset. Possibilities might include limited public tours, curated events, collaborations with architectural schools or design programs, or partnerships with arts and science institutions that could interpret the technology and innovation stories embedded in the home.
… and a third …
“Many communities have successfully turned singular private properties into sources of civic pride, tourism, and long-term economic and cultural value while still respecting ownership and neighborhood character.
“Respectfully, it is hard to understand how a town benefits from losing a one‑of‑a‑kind coastal landmark that has captured the imagination of so many residents and visitors. Once demolished, it cannot be recreated. Even a modest pause, serious assessment, and transparent public conversation would be far better than allowing such an asset to vanish without a full understanding of what is being lost.
” want to be clear that I am not accusing any individual or entity of wrongdoing, and I recognize that the property may be proceeding through the standard approval and permitting channels.
“My concern is that, even when all legal requirements are followed, the loss of a culturally and architecturally significant home can still be a preventable tragedy, and I am asking that every available option be explored before an irreversible decision is carried out.
… and one more.
“At minimum, I ask that the town publicly communicate what steps, if any, have been taken to evaluate 11 Beachside Common for historic or architectural protection, and what opportunities exist for public participation in any remaining processes.
“Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your service to the community. I would be grateful for a response describing whether there are any upcoming meetings, hearings, or procedures related to this property, and how members of the public can best participate constructively.”
(Our “Opinion” pages are open to all. Please email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com.)
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