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Yesterday, a Connecticut Superior Court judge Barbara Bellis ruled in favor of 8 families of children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. They sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones — who called the massacre a government-led hoax to confiscate firearms, and called the families “actors” — for defamation.
It was a victory for the families — one of whom has had to move 10 times since the shooting, due to harassment from Jones’ followers — and for Josh Koskoff. The Westport-based attorney represented the Sandy Hook families.
After the ruling, he was interviewed by several major media outlets. Click here, then scroll down for the transcript of his appearance on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes.”
Josh Koskoff
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Steam Coffee Tea is new. The Westport Transit District’s Wheels2U service has been around awhile, but they recently added a few upgrades.
This Thursday and Friday (November 18 and 19), they team up to offer riders a freebie. Anyone using Wheels2U those mornings can show proof of their completed ride between 6 and 10 a.m., for a free coffee.
Wheels2U is the WTD’s on-demand group ride door-to -train platform shuttle service. Steam is the recently opened coffee shop on Railroad Place.
Westporters can use the Wheels2U Westport app to request a pickup between 5:45 and 9:45 a.m., and 4 and 8 p.m., to be taken to or from the Saugatuck or Greens Farms train platform and their front door. Pickups should be requested 20 minutes before normally leaving to drive to the station. The fare is $2, paid via the Wheels2U app. A Metro North Uniticket rail/bus pass can also be used.
For more information about Wheels2U, including how to download the Wheels2U app and book a ride, click here. For more information about the Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, click here.
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Everyone has their own idea of when the holiday season “really” starts.
If yours is the lighting of the Wakeman Town Farm tree, then get ready for Friday, December 3.
Musicians from Staples High, and Long Lots and Greens Farms Elementary School, will play Christmas and Hanukkah favorites at 4:30 p.m. The tree lighting is at 4:45 p.m.
Then comes marshmallows by the bonfire, treats from The Porch and Sweet P Bakery, and hot chocolate from The Granola Bar and Starbucks.
It’s festive and fun. It’s family friendly. And of course, it’s free.
Wakeman Town Farm tree lighting, in 2019. Last year’s event was canceled, due to COVID.
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Millie Rae’s is a favorite Westport shopping destination.
Here’s one more reason to love the Post Road East clothing store. Today (Tuesday, November 16), they’re donating 20% of all proceeds to A Better Chance of Westport. That’s the wonderful Westport program — and North Avenue home — that provides educational opportunities at Staples High School for students from underserved communities.
The event goes on all day. From 4 to 6 p.m., you can enjoy champagne and treats will you shop.
The Greenwich Community Sailing program will not run at Tod’s Point next summer. The vendor — who also owns Longshore Sailing School — did not renew the lease. Construction in the area is forcing relocation.
Longshore Sailing School will operate as usual this summer. Greenwich Community Sailing gift cards will be eligible for use there. A program discount will be extended to Greenwich residents too. (Click here for the full story. Hat tip: Peter Gold)
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Westporter Denise Zack is a certified life coach, meditation instructor, yoga teacher and — as founder of Ripple Affect Life Coaching — a wellness-based consultant and educator for individuals and businesses.
Now she’s an author, too.
Zack just published “Ripple Affect: Change Your Mind, Change Your Life.” It offers 8 steps toward “reclaiming your happiness and living a balanced life.” Ripple effects begin within us, she says, and reach out to touch many others. (The books title is spelled with an “a” because an “affect” means touching one’s feelings, or moving emotionally.)
For more information, click here.
Denise Zack
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It’s November. Naturally, there’s frost in the morning.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows yesterday’s scene (in Weston, but still…). Button up!
(Photo/Regi Kendig)
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And finally … Graeme Edge, drummer and co-founder of the Moody Blues, died of complications from cancer on Thursday in Florida. He was 80 years old.
I was not a fan of the spoken word poems he wrote, which helped define the progressive rock era. But I know they were popular.
I’m more of a fan of their earlier and later works. Here are 3 of their biggest hits, from 3 different eras. (Click here for a full obituary.)
Wouldn’t it be nice if the new administration would light up the tree in front of Town Hall to be as beautiful as the Wakeman Farm tree … and add color to the lights on Main Street the same way as Al’s Angels have lit up the Cribari bridge.
It was interesting that Alex Jones decided to default rather than participate in discovery or trial. It makes one wonder what that discovery would have revealed, and which national figures could have been implicated. Who financed him, such that he would not turn over financial information? (Same question arises with Bannon’s refusal to turn over documents in response to a congressional subpoena–who was he protecting?)
Here’s NPR’s report:
Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis cited the defendants’ “willful noncompliance” with the discovery process as the reasoning behind the ruling. Bellis noted that defendants failed to turned over financial and analytics data ……
“Attorney CHRIS MATTEI, who represents the victims’ families in the suit, said in a statement the plaintiffs were “grateful” for Monday’s ruling but said their “battle to shed light on how deeply Mr. Jones has harmed these families continues.” https://www.npr.org/2021/11/15/1055864452/alex-jones-found-liable-for-defamation-in-sandy-hook-hoax-case
The lawyer for the families, Chris Mattei explained: ““He deliberately chose to prevent us from collecting evidence that would prove how his business works and why he engaged in this extended campaign against the families, and the relationship between that and his profitability.” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/15/us/politics/alex-jones-sandy-hook.html (“An ally of former President Donald J. Trump, Mr. Jones also advances vaccine misinformation on his Infowars show, as well as lies about 2020 election fraud.”). Alex Jones offered $1 million to have Mr. Mattei killed, id., so I hope Jones faces consequences for that criminal behavior as well.
It is good of Kristin to make her above points. I suggest that sometimes, what some people call witch hunts, actually would turn up a witch or two if discovery of underlying facts was allowed to proceed. The ability to stonewall, namely refuse to testify or simply delay for years, often impacts adversely on an understanding of important facts. Without good information from the underlying sources, as was the case here, the public is left to speculate and come up with their own interpretations. In that sense, the refusal by Jones to provide relevant information is not unlike the refusals of others in even better known investigations. Such refusals tend to be effective because the public grows weary and partisanship, not truth, can prevail.
Don Bergmann
I would describe Alex Jones and Donald Trump as human waste. If I could think of a worse adjective to describe them, I would.
Let me rephrase that last sentence. If I could find a better adjective to describe how low these two human beings are, I’d use it!