Today, many Westporters received an email purported to be from Hannah Mello, at the Planning & Zoning Department.
The subject line is “Following up on invoice GHTF654123, now over 30 days overdue, and requesting prompt payment confirmation or notification of any outstanding issues.”
It reads:
Good morning,
We’re reaching out regarding the invoice below, which is now over 30 days past due. We have not received a response to our previous reminder.
Then comes a link, to “View Document.” It continues:
We kindly ask that this be given prompt attention. Please provide a confirmed payment date at your earliest convenience, or let us know if there are any issues we can help resolve. Thank you.
This is a scam! Do not clink the link! Do not respond!
The Town of Westport will never request payments via calls, texts, emails or apps (Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, etc.). Do not share personal info or send payment.
Questions? Verify with P&Z: 203-341-1030. Report scams to the Westport Police non-emergency line: 203-341-6000.
And remember: Whenever you get a message that sounds a bit suspicious, strange or otherwise off, DO NOT CLICK ANY LINKS. DO NOT RESPOND.
Instead, call or email the sender using a method you KNOW is correct.
Today is Staples High School’s Homecoming football game.
At 5 p.m., the Wreckers host Darien. Even with the threat of rain — and an earlier-than-usual start time — the stands will be packed. That’s the allure of “Friday Night Lights.”
Back in the day — the pre-lights day — Homecoming was a Saturday afternoon affair.
Seniors, juniors and sophomores worked for days, creating paper-mâché floats. Companies like Kowalsky lent their tractor trailers, to haul them around the track.
(The track, of course, was cinder. Today’s more expensive one would be ruined by those behemoths.)
Senior (left) and junior class floats, at the 1969 Homecoming.
Also at halftime: the crowning of Homecoming Queen.
In 1969, students chose Carol Luciano over 5 other seniors: Karen Appy, Patty Crangle, Gay Heirtzler, Jill Manning and Marilyn Briggs.
All the nominees went on to lead notable lives. Carol — the daughter of well-respected police chief Sam Luciano — still lives here.
As for Marilyn Briggs: She modeled while still at Staples, most famously as the Ivory Snow girl. She then earned fame — as Marilyn Chambers — in hardcore films like “Behind the Green Door.”
Some of the Homecoming Queen nominees were Staples cheerleaders. But they were well prepared.
From the 1950s, until 9th graders moved to the high school in 1983, junior high sports were a very big deal.
Bedford, Coleytown and Long Lots Junior Highs fielded teams. Starting with football, basketball and baseball — and then soccer, field hockey, girls basketball, wrestling, softball and track — they competed against each other, and junior highs in towns like Darien and Greenwich. There were cheerleading squads too (even for a time, spectator buses to away games).
For some young teenagers, it was a chance at competition and camaraderie they’d never achieve at Staples. For others, it was an early step on the road to athletic success, and personal fulfillment.
As for Marilyn Briggs: She may not have been Staples’ Homecoming Queen.
But among many other things, in 1966 she was a Long Lots cheerleader.
Long Lots Junior High School cheerleader Marilyn Briggs, and football captain Dave Roodhuyzen.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
Why is a historical society — or “museum for history and culture” — important?
Those are big issues. But there are many smaller, more personal ones too.
A longtime resident called “06880” yesterday, in a panic. Back when it was the Westport Historical Society, she had donated several kewpie dolls. (Fun fact: Westport illustrator Rose O’Neill created the characters, in 1909.)
The woman had heard that the Museum will hold a tag sale, to raise money. She was terrified the kewpie dolls — with both historical and emotional value — would be sold for a couple of dollars.
The woman spent all morning calling; no one answered, she said. When she went to the Myrtle Avenue building, she said, it was locked. No one was there.
I assured her the Museum would not be holding a tag sale — at least, not soon.
I said that one idea under consideration is moving their collections and archives to another, less expensive location. Perhaps, I said, Museum officials would contact donors to see if they wanted their items returned.
This woman is not the only one with concerns. Over the years, other Westporters have donated things — military uniforms, furnishings, memorabilia. There have been rumors from time to time that some of them have been “de-accessioned” — sold or discarded.
The woman who called “06880” sounded relieved that her kewpie dolls would not be sold immediately.
If anyone from the Museum for History & Culture can address the status of donated items, now and in the future — including the kewpie dolls — please email 06880blog@gmail.com.
Wheeler House — formerly the Westport Historical Society, now the Westport Museum for History & Culture.
CRIBARI BRIDGE MEETING SET
There has been little action on the Cribari Bridge in Westport.
But in Hartford, work continues.
The state Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has scheduled a project update meeting for November 12 (7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).
It will include an update on the status of responses to comments received previously; progress to date, and an overview of upcoming steps and timelines.
Project manager James Barrows says, “Following publication of the Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Evaluation this past February, we were glad to see such a high level of public engagement, with 833 comments.
“CTDOT is grateful for the strong public engagement and the thoughtful input shared by community members, agencies, and other stakeholders.
“We value stakeholder feedback throughout this project and look forward to sharing updates.”
Got unneeded medications — old, expired and/or unwanted — cluttering your medicine cabinet?
The Westport Police want them.
On Saturday, October 24 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Westport Center for Senior Activities), they’ll take part in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. They’ll collect tablets, capsules, patches and other forms of prescription drugs.
Syringes, sharps and illicit drugs are not accepted.
Don’t forget: A year-round bin located in the lobby of police headquarters allows drugs to be disposed of at any time. You can pick up medication disposal bags there too, to get rid of liquid and pill medications in your regular trash.
Speaking of drugs: You’ve heard about fentanyl. What about the new designer drug, cychlorphine?
Do you know how to recognize and overdose? Or how to get — and use — Narcan, to treat it?
Positive Directions is sponsoring a virtual overdose awareness and Narcan training for Westport and Norwalk residents. It’s 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. Email positivedirections.org/events for the Zoom link.
PS: Free Narcan kits are available for Westporters and Norwalkers who attend the training. They can be picked up at Positive Directions, across from Whole Foods.
CRASH CLOSES TURKEY HILL NORTH
A 1-car rollover crash closed Turkey Hill Road North for several hours yesterday.
One person was extricated from the vehicle.
A broken utility pole necessitated the road closure.
Westport Fire Department personnel assist at the scene. (Photo courtesy of WFD)
$25 TICKETS FOR PLAYHOUSE WORLD PREMIERE
The world premiere of “Ken Ludwig’s Pride & Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley” is near.
And the Westport Country Playhouse is offering special $25 preview tickets.
Shows are Tuesday and Wednesday, October 20-21 (7 p.m.), and Friday, October 23 (8 p.m.). The deadline to order is Sunday. Click here to purchase.
looking ahead: snow and ice removal 🙂
Do you have a plow? A shovel?
Westport seeks proposals for emergency snow and ice removal.
Bids will be received until 11 a.m. October 29, at the Town Hall finance office (Room 313). To see the RFP, click here
Sure, it’s still mid-October. But town officials want to be ready.
STAPLES HOMECOMING KICKOFF: NEW TIME
The start time for tonight’s Homecoming football game against Darien at Paul Lane Field has been moved to 5 p.m. Thunderstorms are predicted later in hte evening.
The celebration of all Staples sports captains has been moved to November 13 (Senior Night, vs. Fairfield Ludlowe).
Go Wreckers!
KNEADS EXPANDS
Kneads is rising — and we don’t mean their yeast.
Last weekend, popular Saugatuck bakery opened a café at 1916 Post Road in Fairfield.
That site will handle all bread production for both Kneadses. The original location will focus exclusively on pastry production.
In the works: a 3rd locale, at 32 Railroad Avenue in Greenwich.
MOTHERS WITH ADHD: INCORRECT DATE GIVEN
Incorrect information was provided to “06880” about the upcoming “Sharing the Invisible Load: ADHD, Motherhood & Identity” event. The correct date is November 8 (9 a.m., Beyond Yoga, 136 Main Street).
The morning combines movement, conversation, support, and connection with other women who understand the experience. In addition to coffee and light bites, Beyond Yoga will offer attendees 20% off in-store shopping after the event.
This week, retiring State Representative Jonathan Steinberg kicked off his 4-part series on how Connecticut’s state government works.
The sessions continue October 27, November 17 and December 8, at the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
It is not a political discussion; it’s about the nuts-and-bolts of Hartford. For information on the series, call 203-341-5099.
State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, at the Senior Center. (Photo/Diane Lowman)
sTELLAR OCCULATIONS ON PLUTO AND TRITON
If you’ve always wondered how to use stellar occultations to monitor the tenuous atmospheres of Pluto and Triton, you’re in luck!
The Westport Astronomical Society hosts Dr. Michael Person of MIT for an in-person lecture (October 20, 8 p.m.). The talk will also be livestreamed on YouTube and Zoom, and posted to the WAS YouTube channel afterward.
COLEYTOWN COMPANY’S “PURE IMAGINATION”
Katie Bloom’s first show as director of Coleytown Company is a “Pure Imagination.”
The 14 numbers in the musical revue include selections from “Willy Wonka,” “Frozen,” “Shrek” and more.
The announcement should concern every Westport resident. But the greater concern is not simply the financial shortfall. It is how an institution entrusted with preserving our town’s history arrived at this point.
Before asking the community for another $750,000, the museum owes that same community transparency, accountability, and an explanation of what went wrong.
In 2020, I publicly expressed concerns about the direction of the former Westport Historical Society. I questioned the removal of historic displays, the treatment of longtime donors and volunteers, and the growing practice of charging residents to access their own community’s history.
More than 6 years later, those concerns have not disappeared. They have become increasingly relevant.
The museum’s transformation was accompanied by controversy. The Sheffer family’s name was removed from the main exhibition gallery, despite generations of financial and civic contributions.
Period rooms were eliminated or repurposed. Historic collections were reorganized, and longtime supporters felt increasingly unwelcome.
After the Westport Historical Society became the Westport Museum for History & Culture, questions arose over the fate of the “Miss Liberty” and “Uncle Sam” kinetic sculptures, created by Westport artists Walter and Naiad Einsel. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
People such as Ann Sheffer, Dorothy Curran, Morley Boyd, Miggs Burroughs, Betsy Pollak, John Suggs, Joanne Woodward, Bill Scheffler and countless others represent something money cannot replace: institutional knowledge, volunteerism, community relationships, and historical continuity.
These individuals and families helped build, support and preserve the institution long before its rebranding.
You cannot alienate the people who helped build an institution, and then express surprise when community support becomes difficult to sustain.
To be fair, the museum has accomplished worthwhile projects, including restoring its historic barn, improving archival management, and expanding educational programming. Those achievements deserve recognition.
But accomplishments do not eliminate the responsibility to demonstrate financial sustainability.
The comments following the “06880” article raise important questions.
Fred Roberts questioned how a $750,000 emergency could emerge with such little public notice. Morley Boyd acknowledged the museum’s improvements while calling for fresh leadership. Ken Stamm described encountering membership requirements when attempting to research historical documents.
These are not unreasonable criticisms. They reflect a fundamental breakdown of confidence between a community institution and some of the people it exists to serve.
And now, with January approaching, residents are being asked to provide an extraordinary amount of money to preserve the museum’s current operating structure.
Three quarters of a million dollars in 80 days? Their problem lies in expenditures. A director’s salary almost doubled in 6 years. The board is just as culpable as the director, to allow such blown out spending to put their mission at risk, history being wiped out and removed, and a town born from the revolutionary war with nothing to show or share.
The Westport Historical Society was a popular spot for educational field trips, to give physical evidentiary proof and exercise to feel, see, and live what and how humanity and society existed in different times. Those rooms are now offices.
For many years, the Jennings Trail guide was available at the Westport Historical Society. Each spring, the WHS sponsored tours of town landmarks for elementary school students.
I believe Westport’s history deserves to be protected. I believe its archives, artifacts, photographs and historic properties must remain accessible to future generations. If donors feel uncomfortable about their artifacts being in the museum’s possession, they have a right to have them back.
The museum would benefit from rebuilding relationships with the families, volunteers, historians and donors who helped sustain it for decades. Preserving the museum and preserving its current management structure are not necessarily the same thing.
Before people donate, the board should provide a complete financial accounting, present a realistic recovery strategy, and engage the community in an open discussion about the institution’s future.
The museum belongs to a historical legacy much larger than any one executive director, board or organizational rebranding. Its mission should be preservation, education, accessibility and public trust.
Choosing between history and demanding accountability from those entrusted with protecting it is not appropriate.
(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com.)
New state motor vehicle laws went into effect October 1.
And breaking them could cost you.
According to Asia Rutledge of On the Marc media, “Connecticut’s new distracted driving law goes beyond texting. Drivers can be ticketed for holding or supporting a phone, using it outside hands-free mode, reading or typing messages, or having videos visible while driving — even while stopped at a red light.”
There are exceptions for navigation and driver-assisted systems.
NOTE: Distracted driving violations can increase insurance rates by 64% — that’s $1,083 a year.
The first violation for passing a stopped school bus brings a $450 fine. Subsequent violations can cost up to $1,000, and result after a third time in loss of license. Our “06880” Police Reports routinely note these violations — including multiple offenders.
Texting — even while stopped — is illegal.
THE SHORES: official welcome
The Shores — the new name for what was once St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health, and for decades before that, Hall-Brooke Hospital — has been operating quietly, but effectively, in Westport since Hartford HealthCare took over St. Vincent’s.
This week, 1st Selectman Kevin Christie joined company officials, including CEO Jeffrey Flaks, for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
Welcoming The Shores to Westport. CEO Jeffrey Flaks (7th from left), 1st Selectman Kevin Christie (9th from left), and others. (Photo/Dave Briggs)
“06880” reporter Dave Briggs was at the ceremony. Click here or below for his interviews.
The Shores offers 76 beds, for acute adult cases, children and adolescents, and a mood and anxiety program.
A new Welcome Center — open 6 days a week, including evenings — allows people to talk with clinicians. If admission is appropriate, it happens quickly. If not, they may be referred to one of the outpatient facilities.
CLOSET FACTORY OPENS DOORS
Last year, Westport residents Dan and Melanie bought the local Closet Factory, across from Stop & Shop.
She is an interior designer, with a background in residential and commercial work. His background is in entrepreneurship and investing.
Their goal was to create a welcoming space where people could possibilities for their homes, from an organizational upgrade to a larger custom project.
Their new showroom includes a wide range of displays, styles and finishes, going far beyond closets. The staff handles everything from design consultation through installation, with all cabinetry manufactured in Bethel.
They work closely with local interior designers, builders and architects. A grand opening is set for this Saturday (October 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
BINGO! CLUB203 SCORES
Club203’s Halloween Bingo Party filled the Westport Center for Senior Activities last night with dozens of people in creatives costumes.
Members of the social club for adults with disabilities enjoy laughter, games, and plenty of Halloween fun.
Volunteers led by Holly and Paul Betts, along with caller Doug Brill and cookie decorating ace Avery Horne, made the evening extra special.
Bingo! (Hat tip and photo/Stacie Curran)
jane austen at 250
A free Sunday Symposium on October 25 (after the 3 p.m. Westport Country Playhouse performance of the world premiere of “Ken Ludwig’s Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley”) explores “Pride and Prejudice” author Jane Austen’s legacy, 2 1/2 centuries after her birth.
Moderator Kelle Ruden is a member of the Jane Austen Society North America.
The show runs from October 20 through November 7. Celebrating Austen’s 250th anniversary year, it is a lively ensemble comedy about marriage, ambition, and the thrill of changing one’s destiny. For more information and tickets, click here.
SPEED KILLS
This Coleytown area family manages to, um, kill 2 birds with one stone.
They send an important message — with a Halloween twist.
(Photo/Julie Whamond)
BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!
We’re not sure what happened here yesterday.
But this is not something you want to see when you come back to your car at the Westport train station.
(Photo/Dave Briggs)
OBITUARY: MARTIN SLATTERY
Former Westport YMCA aquatics director, swim instructor, lifeguard and Water Rats coach Martin Slattery died October 1, after a long illness. He was 53.
In addition to his Y work, he was an automotive service manager with Subaru and Park Place Lexus. In every role he enjoyed working with people, solving problems, and helping others succeed.
Martin enjoyed attending car shows, refining his automotive detailing skills, and working on projects in his garage. His other interests included music, exploring the outdoors, discovering a great bargain, and enjoying a good meal or cup of coffee.
In his later years Martin faced significant health challenges, including end-stage renal failure. He always maintained a positive attitude. He died of heart failure during a dialysis treatment.
Martin is survived by his wife Deborah; sons Cadyn and Meryk; parents Martin and Margaret Slattery; sister Maureen, and brother Michael.
There will be a celebration of Martin’s life on October 22 (10 a.m., Allen Family Funeral Options, Plano, Texas).
POLICE REPORTS
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between October 7 and 13.
A 41-year-old Westport Man was charged with disorderly conduct and threatening, after a complaint about a 2-day period in which the man made repeated threats of physical harm, while brandishing a knife. He was held on a $100,000 bond.
A 42-year-old Westport man was charged with disorderly conduct, following an investigation into 3 incidents in August in which the man was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, and was verbally aggressive and threatening. He was released on a $500 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 5 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 4
Texting while driving: 4
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 4
Failure to renew registration: 4
School zone violation, 2nd offense: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
Transporting a child under 5 without restraints: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Failure to grant right of way: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Following too closely: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Improper rear lights: 1
Children need car seats!
“WESTPORT … NATURALLY” & SONG OF THE daY
Wendy Levy spotted today’s interesting “Westport … Naturally” image on Old Road.
(Photo/Wendy Levy)
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And finally … we missed this yesterday: the 100th anniversary of the publication of “Winnie-the-Pooh.” So, as the classic tale begins its 2nd century:
(“06880” has several decades to go, to reach the 100-year mark. You can help us get there. Please donate, by clicking here. Thank you!)
The renovation of The Inn at Longshore has been good news for brides. The venue is even more picturesque than ever, and the staff goes out of their way to make the Big Day even more special.
It’s good news too for businesses. They’re filling the Inn during the week, with meetings and events.
A third group is former Westporters returning “home.” They come for a variety of reasons — reunions, work, visiting family, nostalgia — but staying at a place they fondly remember is a common thread.
The other day, a pair of 1963 Staples High School graduates — Peter Eckle and John Keate — returned “home.”
They’ve known each other since 3rd grade, in Greens Farms Elementary School. Peter swam, played tennis and sang in the choir. John played football and basketball.
They left Westport long ago, and now call North and South Carolina home. They kept in touch over the years — and Peter’s youngest son and John’s youngest daughter married each other. The old friends are now in-laws, and share 2 grandsons.
John Keate and Peter Eckle.
They remember their growing-up years here fondly — including Longshore summers. John worked maintenance on the golf course; Peter was head life guard at the pool.
Both caddied too, and one of Peter’s first jobs was shagging balls on the driving range.
They were not sure what to expect. But over the course of a couple of days, they reconnected with the town, and each other.
Golf pro Jon Janic hosted Peter and John. In return, Peter — who has an FAA drone license, and has done several golf course flyovers — did one of the Longshore course. He hopes Jon will add it to the Longshore website.
“The course was in great shape, and fun to play,” Peter says. They arrived just after heavy rain, but it stood up well.
With their wives, the 81-year-olds visited their old homes, and the streets where they grew up. Click here or below for Peter’s highlight reel.
They saw the “new” Staples High School — a far cry from the 9 separate buildings on North Avenue they remembered — and admired the pool. It’s a far cry from the cramped one Peter swam in at the old YMCA on Church Lane.
Compo Beach had not changed much (except that Chubby Lane’s, the old wooden concession stand, has been replaced by volleyball courts).
The transition from locally owned shops on Main Street to “the full range of high end retail outlets you can find in most major cities” was remarkable.
Specific landmarks like the Y becoming Anthropologie, the movie theaters now a Barnes & Noble, and the demise of nearby Ship’s Lantern bar brought back many memories. So did the search for restaurants that no longer exist, like the Pepper Mill (now a Goodwill outlet), Clam Box (Pizza Lyfe), the Arrow (Riko’s Pizza), Mario’s (Harvest Wine Bar), Allen’s Clam House (Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve), and Café de la Plage (the unfinished “blue house” on Hillspoint Road).
The renovation of the Inn itself earned raves.
It was a fun, nostalgic trip.
So when will the old friends be back?
“Good question,” Peter says. “Maybe another 10 years?”
A decade from now, much will have changed again.
But it’s a good bet that the Inn at Longshore — and the golf course — will be right where Peter and John left them.
A few weeks ago, I was unloading garbage bags at the transfer station when I tripped over a car stop cement bar. I fell flat on my face.
Two women (I didn’t get their names but would like to thank them also) asked if I was OK. I was bleeding profusely from my nose and lip, with injuries to my arm and side.
They helped me into my car, and offered to finish putting my garbage in the bin. One of them said she had also tripped over a car stop at the transfer station.
After a while I drove home.
I was about to send a note to our first selectman, to ask that the town review the car stop cement bars, because of those two accidents.
(There were only a few, near the garbage bin. I assume they were there to prevent vehicles, which are required to back into the parking spaces, from striking people walking to the bin.)
The danger.
But before I sent the note, I was back at the transfer station. I saw that all the car stop bars were removed.
An attendant told me that recently another Westport resident tripped over a car stop bar, and EMS was called.
Not knowing who had decided to remove the car stop bars, I asked the first selectman. Kevin Christie responded: “I checked with our Department of Public Works director, Larry Roberts. He and Joe Izzo reviewed the issue, and Joe recommended removing the car stop bars to prevent additional injuries.”
That’s a great decision. Larry Roberts and especially Joe Izzo should be complimented for their research and recommendation to remove the car stop bars.
Done! Great work — and great idea to recommend them, Bob.
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)
But it’s hard to recall a buzzier beginning than hi’Amba.
Bill Taibe’s new Mediterranean-and-more spot in the former Basso/Matsu Sushi/Fine Arts III theater space on Jesup Road has drawn huge crowds — and great raves.
CTBites took notice too. Click here for their take on Westport’s newest hot spot.
Bill Taibe greets the first-day crowd. (Photo/Dan Woog)
board of ed talks special ed
The Board of Education has 2 discussion items on its agenda for tomorrow’s meeting (Thursday, 7 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria and Zoom).
They are the recommendation by superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice of the firm to conduct a review of special education, and the results of the K-12 school climate survey.
The Board is likely to recommend Four Point Education Partners for the special education review. Six companies submitted proposals to the Board of Education.
A group of parents continues to push the BOE to select a firm that will conduct a comprehensive, independent and transparent review of the entire special education program. Click here for their petition.
P&Z: LIGHTS, OLD MILL GROCERY
Different town board, different agenda: Lights on the Wakeman and PJ Romano athletic fields are back on the docket, for the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting next Monday (October 19, 6 p.m., Zoom).
Also planned: a public hearing on text and map amendments, to permit outdoor eating and the sale of alcohol at establishments like Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
To see all background materials: Click here, then scroll down to 70 North Avenue (Wakeman Field), 170 Riverside Avenue (PJ Romano Field) and 222 Hillspoint Road (Old Mill Grocery).
Lights have been proposed for the Wakeman turf field (center).
$10,000 GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR NON-PROFITS
Does your organization want $10,000?
The Westport Woman’s Club is once again offer funding of up to 10 grand to non-profits, for a project during 2026-27 that benefits social services, health, safety, arts or education in Westport.
The Ruegg Grant was founded from an endowment by former WWC member Lea Ruegg. Over $200,000 in Ruegg Grants have been awarded by the WWC since 1995.
But Westport’s VFW Post 399 has become Westport’s go-to comedy stopo.
This Friday (doors at 7 p.m., show at 8), “NYC Comedy Night” features favorite Joe Pontillo, and a new cast of comedians: Rich Shultis, Michael Agunbiade and Trish Bradbury Gernert.
Speaking of entertainment: When opera and musical theater professional Wendy Morgan-Hunter moved here with her family from the Bay Area 15 years ago, she was particularly excited to explore our cultural life.
Wendy is the founder and CEO of High Octave Productions. Working with fellow Westporters Tami Benanav (partner and COO) and documentarian Chris Bolan (producer), they find unheard voices in theater, TV and film, and create opportunities for powerful connections with audiences.
The team’s latest project brings Westport to the London stage with “The Radium Girls: A New Musical.” The cast of 16 — including 12 female roles — is a powerful exploration of the young women who worked the line at radium watch dial factories across North America in the 1920s.
The show is set for the Southwark Playhouse in March, at the exact same theater that launched “Operation Mincemeat” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
Motherhood is not easy. For mothers with ADHD, shifting identity, emotional regulation, executive functioning challenges, and the constant pressure to keep everything moving can make this stage of life especially complicated.
Many women navigate these experiences quietly, feeling unseen or believing they should manage it all better. On November 12 (9 a.m., Beyond Yoga, 136 Main Street) host “Sharing the Invisible Load: ADHD, Motherhood & Identity.”
The morning combines movement, conversation, support, and connection with other women who understand the experience. In addition to coffee and light bites, Beyond Yoga will offer attendees 20% off in-store shopping after the event.
This event is for mothers with a formal ADHD diagnosis, as well as those who identify with ADHD-related experiences and want to better understand themselves during this demanding phase of life.
One of the biggest charity walks — the one to end Alzheimer’s — is at Sherwood Island State Park on October 25 (10:30 a.m.).
In a ceremony that begins at 10, walkers carry flowers of various colors, each representing their personal connection to the disease.
Right now, 80,000 people in Connecticut live with Alzheimer’s. Anyone with a connection to the disease, or another form of dementia — and anyone concerned about their own brain health — is invited to join. For more information and to register, click here.
JOHANNA PAGANI LAUNCHES NEW BOOK
Local author Johanna Pagani launches her new book, “Violent Hill,” at Westport Book Shop October 30 (6 p.m.). The evening includes food and drinks, a reading, Q-and-A, and a signing.
Her thriller is about an asylum with terrifying secrets.
Johanna Pagani
obituary: charlie Mcbride
Westport resident Charles “Charlie” McBride died peacefully at Norwalk Hospital on Friday. He was 77.
Charlie lived a full and active life until this June. He walked 10,000 steps a day, spent Memorial Day weekend in Kennebunkport, Maine, and traveled last year to Europe.
Charlie grew up on Wilson Point in Norwalk, where he developed a lifelong love of boating, tennis and being on the water.
He graduated from Fairfield Prep in 1967 and Boston College in 1971. He earned an MBA from Iona College in 1982. He was a certified public accountant and chartered global management accountant.
Charlie served 6 years in the Connecticut Army National Guard, rising to staff sergeant. In 1972 he began a 44-year career at Pitney Bowes, retiring as vice president of investor relations. He also served for many years as board chair of Pitney Bowes Employees Federal Credit Union.
Charlie met his wife of 48 years, Judy, through a bowling team. They married in 1978. He is survived by her; daughter Meredith Frances McBride (Jonathan Hack) of Westpor; his son, Charles McBride II (Hannah Elizabeth) of Needham, Massachusetts; grandchildren Xavier Jonathan Hack-McBride, Quintin, Lily, Owen and Dylan; sisters Theresa (Chris) Levy and Eileen (John) Margherio of Charleston, South Carolina, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Mary McBride Konrad, and his beloved black labs Bogart, Char and Digger.
Relatives and friends may call on Friday (October 23, 4 to 7:30 p.m., Harding Funeral Home). A funeral Mass will be held Saturday (October 24, 11 a.m., St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Fairfield).
And finally … in honor of the VFW’s new role as comedy club central (item above):
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