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Julia Marino has qualified for the Olympic snowboarding final!
The Westport native — who now trains in Breckenridge, Colorado, and has faced a number of obstacles during her time on the team — fell twice on her first slopestyle run yesterday. But she blazed to a great 71.78 in her second attempt, finishing 6th.
She’ll be joined by teammates Jamie Anderson and Hailey Langland in the final. It’s set for Sunday in China — which is 8:30 p.m. tonight (Saturday), on NBC. Click here for the streaming link. Click here for more information on Julia, and the US team. (Hat tip: Dave Briggs)

Julia Marino
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It’s back to the drawing board — and 92 Greens Farms Road — for a new cell tower.
Tarpon Towers/AT&T had originally proposed a structure for private property there, abutting I-95 near Hillspoint Road.
Then came a new site: the office park at 55 Greens Farms Road next to Assumption Cemetery, a couple of hundred yards west and across the street.
Now, the owner of that property has withdrawn the site from consideration.
A public information will still be held on Tuesday (February 8, 7 p.m., Zoom), to consider the 92 Greens Farms Road location.
The Public Information Session scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 7:00 PM will concentrate on the originally proposed location at 92 Greens Farms Road.
Click here for the legal notice. Click here for the Zoom link for the meeting.

A cell tower been proposed for the property on the left: 92 Greens Farms Road. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)
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More local government news: Next Tuesday’s Board of Finance meeting to discuss using ARPA funds for low-density affordable housing on the Post Road near West Parish Lane will be held in the Town Hall auditorium — not Room 309 of that building.

This Post Road site next to Walgreens has been proposed for low-density affordable housing.
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“06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” But the University of Michigan is no slouch. It’s “where Staples Players meets the theatrical world.”
A student group is producing “Dogfight.” Players alums Jamie Mann (musical theater) and Brandon Malin (lighting) — both first-years there — are deeply involved.
“Dogfight” is a 2012 musical adaptation of the 1991 coming-of-age-during-Vietnam film. Staples 2003 grad Justin Paul wrote the music and lyrics with his writing partner Benj Pasek. Both also graduated from Michigan.
The book was by Peter Duchan (Staples ’01). He has known Paul since Coleytown Middle School (and has no connection to Michigan — Duchan went on to Northwestern University).
Paul and Pasek did a Zoom call with the cast. No word on whether they asked Mann and Malin how Players is doing.
Click here for a link to Michigan’s “Dogfight” page.

Brandon Malin (left) and Jamie Mann, in the “Dogfight” theater.
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Speaking of Staples Players: Congrats to 2021 graduate Sophie Rossman. The New York University freshman appears in the short film “Clare,” which premieres at the prestigious SXSW Film Festival next month.
Click here for details.

Sophie Rossman (Photo/Kerry Long)
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And speaking still of Staples Players — though in a very different way — Meredith Boak is Harvard Law School’s new assistant dean for clinical and pro bono programs.
The 2001 Staples graduate — yes, she was in Players the same year as Duchan — most recently served as senior vice president of revenue and development at Teach For America, overseeing and executing its sustainable funding strategy.
Boak has been a lecturer at Harvard Law since 2013. She earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Columbia University, and a master’s in secondary English education from Pace.

Meredith Boak
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Through all kinds of weather — snow, rain, mist, fog — the Earthplace foliage hangs on. Rowene Weems snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo there.

(Photo/Rowene Weems Photography)
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And finally … if you enjoyed the item about “Dogfight” (above), and want to know more — click here:
So many interesting things! One person you write about.. Sophie Rossman.. is my neighbor so, of course, I wanted to see the short movie but couldn’t access it so i wrote the director who said: “The film isn’t available publicly yet. It will probably be online next year after doing a film festival circuit.” Still… CONGRATS, SOPHIE!
The post road site near wallgreens, would be better used for the school buses than residential. Only saying this because the current location for the school buses is always an issue!
Congratulations to snowboarder Julia Marino for her performance and winning silver in Slopestyle, for the USA’s first Olympic medal in Beijing. Well done Julia, we are all proud of you and your accomplishments.
Congratulations Brandon on your involvement with “Dogfight”. Wish you were involved with amazing productions at Ohio State rather than, gulp, Michigan but certainly they are privileged to have you there as a student. Thank you again for always finding time for WASA video productions!