Roundup: Roe Halper, Southport Diner, Elusive Objects …

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After Roe Halper’s husband Chuck died in 2017, the noted artist wanted to make a tribute incorporating emotion, interpretation and design. She used lndia ink with Chinese brushes to create a book called Passage, about Chuck’s passage through life.

“Although I was thinking of him when I created it, it has a universal theme,” Roe says.

Passage is available at the Westport Library Store, Westport Museum of History & Culture (formerly the Westport Historical Society) and Barrett Book Store in Darien, and directly from Roe (203-226-5187; chalper@optonline.net).

A page from “Passage,” by Roe Halper.

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Once upon a time, it was the Athena Diner.

It had a grand reopening yesterday with a new name: The Southport Diner.

The website says: “Chef John and his brother Chef Adonis, aka Tony the Greek, grew up running Andros Diner in Fairfield, working with their father Leo Pertesis.”

So though the name has changed, it’s still one of those Northeast favorites: a Greek diner. (Hat tip: Isabelle Breen)

Southport Diner

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How do you capture the most elusive objects in the solar system?

I’m not sure. But Thierry Legault may.

The world renowned astrophotographer joins the Westport Astronomical Society on May 18 (8 p.m.) for a virtual talk on the topic of elusive objects.

From his home “in the light-polluted suburbs of Paris,” he’ll show some of those elusive objects he’s captured — like images of the International Space Station, eclipses and transits.

The event will be presented both as a Zoom webinar (click here to register), and a YouTube livestream (click here for the page).

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Dr. Suniya Luthar is familiar to many Westporters.

The emerita professor of psychology at Columbia’s Teachers College led a longitudinal study on youth and resilience here. She chose Westport because of its high number of high-achieving professionals, and the emphasis on status and achievement. 

That study was referenced in a guest essay in today’s New York Times. The piece looks at the mental health of young people today. Click here to read. But beware: The news is not good.

Psressures — academic, social and other — are high on teenagers today. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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“Goodbye Honey.”

That’s the name of the new movie from Todd Rawiszer. The 2007 Staples High School graduate produced and co-wrote the film.

Shot in Westport and Pennsylvania, it follows 2 women who must trust each other to survive the longest night of their lives. They are “badass, strong women,” as well as good Samaritans.

“Goodbye Honey” was screen at festivals across the country, winning Best Thriller Feature, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor at the Garden State Film Festival, Best Lead Performance at the Nightmares Film Festival, and Best Actress at NOLA Horror Film Festival.

It will be released May 11 on cable, satellite and digital HD>

Click below for the trailer:

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Nature continues to elate and inspire us. Lavinia Lawson spotted this handsome sight at Grace Salmon Park …

(Photo/Lavinia Lawson)

… while Lauri Weiser snapped this shot at the Lansdowne condominiums.

(Photo/Lauri Weiser)

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Former Westporter Alex Lasry is running for the United States Senate.

In Wisconsin.

The 33-year-old Democrat hopes to unseat Republican Ron Johnson. Lasry has taken a leave from his position as Milwaukee Bucks senior vice president. His father — a billionaire businessman and hedge fund executive — co-owns the NBA team. The Lasry family first lived on Sylvan Road North. Marc Lasry now lives on Beachside Avenue.

Before the Bucks, Alex Lasry worked in the Obama White House for senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. He was host committee chair for the 2020 Democratic Convention, which was planned for Milwaukee but held virtually due to COVID. (Hat tip: Gloria Gouveia)

Alex Lasry

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And finally … in honor of the Westport Astronomical Society’s lecture capturing the most elusive objects in the solar system:

14 responses to “Roundup: Roe Halper, Southport Diner, Elusive Objects …

  1. Rozanne Gates

    So glad Southport Diner has reopened. Tony is a great guy but the real reason to eat at his diner is that the food and service are exceptional. Welcome back, Tony.

  2. Mark Bachmann

    It’s great to see some of our closed-up stores and restaurants coming to life again. Good luck to Tony!

  3. Peter Blau

    But, POSTURES apparently are not high on teenagers today!

    • Were they ever?

      • Peter Blau

        The handheld devices have got to be making things worse.

        BTW I just read the NYT Op-Ed, and I agree emphatically with the message “Parents appear to play a big role in this phenomenon” [child anxiety and depression related to pressure to succeed.]

        Unfortunately, little will change, because so many parents around here have bought into a certain values system and are unlikely to give it up.

  4. Fred Cantor

    I agree with Nick Hornby’s sentiments in “Fever Pitch”: “..,like I said, some things were better, some were worse, and the only way one can ever learn to understand one’s own youth is by accepting both halves of the proposition.” He wrote this actually in the context of talking about soccer in England in the 1960s and early 1970s but extrapolated from there.

    I fully acknowledge that certain aspects of student life today is unquestionably better than what we experienced. But one of the ways that things are worse today is the seemingly tremendous pressure to succeed and, as part of that, to apparently have your life jam-packed with activities for your college application.

    Thankfully that is something my friends and I did not have to face.

  5. Fred Cantor

    That should read “are unquestionably better…”

    • Peter Gambaccini

      We did have a bit of pressure but one or two “achievements” were enough. I don’t remember anyone who felt they needed charitable work as a credential. The big difference from then to now is that many more kids from Fairfield County schools, especially Staples, were getting into the Ivies and Amherst/Williams/Smith/Mount Holyoke back then..

  6. Susan Iseman

    Good luck to Alex Lasry. Should be easy to unseat Ron Johnson!

    • James Waldron

      If not, he can go back and work for his, ‘billionaire’ daddy’s bball team.

      Cringe-worthy.

      • Peter Gambaccini

        Not nearly as cringeworthy as Ron Johnson. Hopefully, Alex or someone will do the entire nation a favor.

    • Dermot Meuchner

      We are talking about Wisconsin here. I doubt Mr. Lasry has a reasonable chance to win.

      • Bill Strittmatter

        I appreciate that Wisconsin is in flyover country so presumptively a bunch of deplorables for anyone on the coasts but I trust you appreciate that the second Senator from Wisconsin is a Democrat and, unlike CT, Wisconsin has regularly elected both Democrats and Republicans to both House and Senate for years.

        In this case, I imagine Lasry’s chances have more to do with how the Bucks do.

  7. Paul Davies

    J. Waldron must love reading 06880 every day, even if for no other reason than to see who he can possibly sh-t on.