Tonight, Westport celebrates the final night of 2016 with a First Night celebration.
The family-oriented event includes a slide at Saugatuck Elementary School …
… Dennis the Train Man at the Westport Library …
… and a telescope for stargazing on the banks of the Saugatuck. In the background are launch boats, for the 8 p.m. fireworks.
Hundreds of volunteers — including 1st Selectman Jim Marpe and Jacqueline Devine — make First Night possible:
It all takes place in and around downtown. There’s music, magicians and more at Town Hall, Toquet Hall, Jesup Green, the Westport Historical and Christ & Holy Trinity Church, through 10 p.m.
This picture was taken the other morning at Terrain:
These 2 women conducted a lengthy checkout. The entire time their Lab licked and nibbled the holiday packages of chocolates and peppermint bark on the lower shelf.
When the transaction was complete, the women and dog grabbed a choice table in the Terrain Cafe.
I reported what I saw to the cashier, who seemed completely disinterested.
Not one to give up easily, I found the store manager who said, “It’s probably something we should frown upon. But we’re owned by Urban Outfitters. It’s their rule to allow dogs in the store and cafe.”
She did say she would remove all of those boxes of candy from the floor.
I did not stick around to see if she made good on her promise. But imagine if I hadn’t reported this? Some innocent shopper would give quite a gift: a very germ-y box of candy.
Tomorrow afternoon and evening, hundreds of families will flock downtown for First Night.
The scene — in the Taylor parking lot and along the Riverwalk, on the banks of the Saugatuck and looking toward National Hall — is a bit different now than in the late 1950s or early ’60s.
That’s when Peter Barlow snapped this photo. He was testing lenses for a local camera shop.
And we think traffic is bad these days!
Click on or hover over photo to enlarge. (Photo/Peter Barlow)
Jake Yarmoff is a singer/songwriter. So it’s not surprising that he cites Alice Lipson as a major influence. At Staples High School — from which he graduated in 2010 — the choral teacher helped him hone his smooth sound.
But he also was mentored by English instructor Julia McNamee. “She woke me up my last 2 years there, ” Yarmoff — who now goes by the easier-to-remember name Jake Bernard — says. “She taught me to be harder on myself, and made me the writer I am.”
Jake Bernard
Even math teacher Lenny Klein made an impact. “His policy of total honesty and great sense of humor were so important,” Bernard says. “He’s all about taking your work seriously — but not yourself.”
With that background, it’s not too surprising that at Penn State the aspiring entertainer majored in … finance. And minored in sociology.
He interned with Vanguard after junior year, then joined the investment firm full-time in financial sales at its Philadelphia headquarters. Bernard calls Vanguard “a great company, and a fantastic experience.” But he left 8 months ago.
“I knew I had somewhere else to be,” he says simply.
That “somewhere else” was metaphorical — not physical. He remained in Philly, and dedicated himself to his musical craft.
“My goal in my career is to have a positive impact — to inspire and give ‘wow’ moments, like other musicians have for me,” Bernard says.
“I want to make people smile, laugh and be their full selves. Ever since I was little, in every interaction with people — even outside of music — that’s been my aim.”
So Bernard wrote songs. He played. And he’s been in the studio, recording a series of singles he’ll release over the coming months.
Right now, “City of Love” is getting a lot of attention. And love.
It’s a 2-way street. Bernard has come to appreciate Philadelphia — a place that, growing up in Westport, he never really thought of — for its small-town-in-a-big-city vibe.
It took several months to get the tune right. But it — and a music video that shows Bernard singing and playing in some of Philadelphia’s most iconic spots (yes, of course including the “Rocky” steps!) — is a catchy, compelling love song to his adopted city.
Bernard knows that — musically speaking — the City of (Brotherly) Love is not in the same league as New York, Los Angeles, Nashville or Austin. It does have a lively hip hop, rap and jazz scene.
But the “beach pop” genre that Bernard specializes in (think Jason Mraz, and Fairfield’s own John Mayer) is wide open. He hopes to fill it.
Jake Bernard, in the city he loves.
Yet he retains his Westport roots. He recently performed at Toquet Hall with Alan Southworth — a friend since orchestra at Coleytown Elementary School — and Dustin Lowman, another Staples grad on the fast musical track. Bernard has also played alongside Staples alum Drew Angus.
Jake Yarmoff loves Westport. Jake Bernard loves Philadelphia.
“06880” is not in the business of promoting upcoming art exhibits. There are too many worthy ones — how can I single out any?
But rules are made to be broken. Two upcoming events are well worth your time. Both have local roots — and are also of global interest.
“Westport to Cuba: Building Bridges” takes place at the Saugatuck Congregational Church on Friday, January 6 (5 to 8 p.m.). Over 50 large photos will be displayed, from the church’s mission trip last June. This is a great way to see one of the world’s most fascinating and quickly changing countries, through the eyes of 25 Staples High School students and 15 adult chaperones.
A poster for the Saugatuck Church exhibit shows the 1970s-era, Partridge Family-style bus the Westporters used during their trip to Cuba last June.
The next day (Saturday, January 7, 12 to 4 p.m.), the Westport Historical Society hosts an “Art to the Max, Now or Never” sale and celebration. It’s the last day of their exhibit about Max’s Art Supplies, the iconic downtown store that drew together Westport’s artists’ community, which in turn influenced American illustration.
Original art — from some of the over 70 famous artists and cartoonists in the show — will be on sale.
(PS: If you haven’t yet seen the exhibit, go! There’s a recreation of owner Shirley Mellor’s classic corner of the store, a replica of the famous clock — and a sampling of the amazing art displayed in Max’s window during the store’s fantastic 4-decade run.)
“Shirley’s corner,” at the Westport Historical Society. (Photos/Miggs Burroughs)
To some holiday shoppers, the ongoing construction in downtown Westport is a nuisance.
To JP Vellotti, it’s evidence of good times to come.
Yesterday, the alert “06880” reader snapped a few shots on both sides of the Post Road, near Main Street.
He likes the pavers going in at the front terrace of Rothbard Ale + Larder (the former Town Hall):
Meanwhile, across the street, decorative railings are being installed at Bedford Square. “The original ones in front of the YMCA were smashed during construction,” JP says. “I never thought they’d be replaced!”
Intrigued, he also took this photo. “The old girl looks spiffy!” he notes.
(Photos/JP Vellotti)
Moseying back up the Post Road, JP adds, “It’s nice that Post 154” — the old post office — “is rented again (though not for food). It’s a good time for local landmarks!”
For as long as Olivia Porretta can remember, she’s loved animation.
“You can make a character very simple, but still get a powerful emotional response,” the Staples High School junior explains. “People can connect to just 2 eyes and 1 mouth — it’s a universal face.”
She also likes the fact that animation is done completely by hand. Every frame is created by a real person.
In 5th grade at Saugatuck Elementary School, Olivia designed storyboards for a made-up character — without even knowing what storyboards were. Her younger brother liked them, so she did more.
Olivia Porretta
At Staples, Olivia honed her illustrating and writing skills in the Animation Club. Using Cintiq — an interactive pen device similar to a big iPad — and programs like Photoshop and TVPaint — her passion grew.
Except for a summer session at New York’s School of Visual Arts, Olivia is self-taught. She’s also a self-starter.
When she met Kimson Albert — a noted animator — she showed him her work. Last year, he invited her to join the Amaze Project. That’s a fun, engaging video series teaching tweens and teens about health and safety, including sexuality, gender identity, relationships, friendships and puberty.
Each short film is written, designed, animated and produced by different people. Olivia was hired — and paid — for a video about online safety.
“I wanted kids to be empowered, not scared, by information,” she says. So her animation delivers its message in the voice of a child. Staples students Chloe Adda and Jake Watzman provided 2 of the voices. Olivia also added her own.
It took several hours each night — for many weeks — for Olivia to complete her 4-minute film. It was released last month. Reaction has been great. Click on the video below, to see for yourself:
Soon, Olivia will be back at work, creating new animations. Meanwhile, she’s enjoying Staples — especially (of course) her English elective class.
The winter’s first snow is gone from most sidewalks.
Thank Mother Nature for that. Not your fellow Westporters.
Several days ago — after a few inches fell here — alert “06880” reader Tracy Yost ventured out. She calls her journey on Cross Highway and Main Street “harrowing.” Only 4 homeowners had shoveled their sidewalks.
Cross Highway …
The next day she tried to walk at Compo Beach. Those walkways were not clear either.
This being 2016, Tracy did the natural thing: She posted on Facebook. She described her frustration, and asked what she could do about it.
Reaction was swift. Several people thought that homeowners are required to clear “one shovel width” of their sidewalk. Others noted that in Norwalk and Fairfield, that’s definitely the law.
Tracy followed up with Westport town and officials. Lo and behold: The same 15 guys who plow are responsible for clearing sidewalks. They begin with schools and town buildings, so regular sidewalks are clearly not Priority 1.
… and the new Main Street sidewalk. (Photos/Tracy Yost)
Tracy suggests that homeowners do the right thing anyway, and shovel the walks in front of their homes.
“For some people — the elderly come to mind — walking is the only way to exercise, see people, get food, go to the doctor,” she says.
“For others — like me — it’s a way to walk the dogs, check in on neighbors, use the car less.”
For everyone, of course, safe streets — including clear sidewalks and slow driving — make for a better community.
Or, as Bridgeport mayor Jasper McLevy famously said when asked when his city would begin plowing: “God put the snow there. Let him take it away.”
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