===================================================
A black bear has been making its way south, from northern Fairfield County. On Saturday, it roamed around the Cranbury area of Norwalk.
Yesterday, the medium-sized mammal lumbered into Westport. Stella Wong spotted it in her Old Hill back yard, around 9 a.m.
“It looked healthy and beautiful,” she reports. Then it headed downhill, toward Wilton Road.
(Photo/Stella Wong)
Later yesterday, the bear was spotted at the Westport Weston Family YMCA, near Mahackeno.
No word on whether it had a membership pass.
======================================================
Last night’s Remarkable Theater showing of “Saving Private Ryan” was rained out.
It’s rescheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, June 1, 8 p.m.). So you can extend your Memorial Day weekend one day.
Click here for ticket information, and future shows.
======================================================
Staples High School students raise funds for many worthy projects. They thank their donors, work hard — but in their busy day-to-day worlds, never share the results of their efforts.
Jackson Cregan remembers.
The 9th grader loves Sherwood Island. After raising funds for Friends of Sherwood Island, he sent along this update:
“100% of your donations were used to purchase seagrass and jute erosion control cloth, trees and shrubs.
“In early April, I helped restore dunes. We planted 2,400 seagrass stems with 18 volunteers. In late April, we planted 125 trees and shrubs with 20 volunteers.
Jackson volunteers there nearly every week. He is learning from Michele Sorensen and other master gardeners. He helps with dune restoration, removing invasive species, tree planting, creating pollinator pathways, and maintenance.
Great work, Jackson! And thanks for letting all of us know what’s going on at our great state park.
Jackson Cregan, with Michele Sorenson.
======================================================
Congratulations to Chad Knight!
Yesterday the former Staples High School and Little League World Series star’s current team — Duke University — won the ACC championship, 1-0 over NC State. It was the Blue Devils’ 4th ACC baseball title — but first in 60 years.
Knight — a 2-time state champion at Staples — batted .272, with 2 home runs, this year.
Chad Knight
=======================================================
Memorial Day weekend’s rains meant a washout for many local businesses.
News12 sent a crew to Joey’s by the Shore. As expected, sales were slow. The popular deli/market had stocked up on supplies, expecting big crowds. But neighbors were stopping in. And the cameraman got some great shots, of Joey’s and Old Mill Beach.
Click here for the report.
Screenshot from yesterday’s News12 report.
======================================================
The Sunrise Rotary Club has missed 2 years’ worth of Great Duck Race fundraising efforts. Which means we haven’t seen Sunny the Duck bobbing in the Saugatuck River for 2 years either.
But the club is marching in today’s Memorial Day parade. And they’re marching with “Little Ralphie,” Sunny’s smaller counterpart.
Club members inflated Ralphie yesterday. They had a blast.
From left: Sunrise Rotary president George Masumian; members Jake Labate, Mark Mathias and Mike Hibbard. Little Ralphie is behind them. (Drone photo/Mark Mathias)
=======================================================
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo includes this mommy and her 10 babies. Can you find them all?
(Photo/Molly Alger)
=======================================================
And finally … B.J. Thomas died yesterday at his home near Dallas, of complications from lung cancer. He was 78.
Though best known for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” — the song from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” which connected him forever with Westport’s Paul Newman and Weston’s Robert Redford — he had many other successes. Fifteen singles reached the Top 10, and he earned 5 Grammys.
I never liked “Raindrops.” But I sure did appreciate much of the rest of B.J. Thomas’ music. What a voice! (Click here for a full obituary.)
BJ Thomas did the original “Hooked On a Feeeling” later covered by Blue Swede, who added the “uga-chaka” chant to it and scored an even bigger hit with it, even though no one ever understood how uga-chaka fit in with the song.
Dan, Bear with me, but shouldn’t those two trespassers at Camp Mahackeno find another summer camp? I certainly wouldn’t want to run in to them as I’m doing a 26.1 mile Marathon! (If you believe I can run a Marathon, I have some oceanfront property for sale in Kansas.)
Norwalk Police have 2 pictures from a homeowner at the intersection of West Rocks Rd and Driftwood Rd which is right at the West Rocks Merritt Parkway overpass.
The bear is wrestling with the large blue recycle bin.
BJ Thomas was a great singer, songwriter and entertainer. Condolences to his wife of 53 years and his 4 daughters. 🙏
“Raindrops” sure got around. In the summer of 1972 I spent a month traveling around Europe with my girlfriend. In London, we took in the “Changing of the Guard” at Buckingham Palace. During the ceremony, the marching band played a medley of popular tunes, including “Raindrops”! Perhaps their acknowledgement of the dicey London climate!
Bear was at our house too yesterday on Fillow Street!