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A crowd of 100 people gathered in the cold yesterday evening at Town Hall, for a candlelight vigil to support Ukraine. Mark Yurkiw reports:
“I was surprised to learn how many Ukrainians and non- Ukrainians showed up. and how concerned so many were for their friends and family in Ukraine.
“They told stories of intermittent conversations between scrambles to bomb shelters, and children sleeping on thin mats on concrete. An invisible yet potent bond wove through the crowd.
“It took me by surprise, and made me realize how cathartic it is for a crowd of strangers to feel almost instantly connected.”
A rally in Westport is set for this Saturday (March 5), at 11 a.m. on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge downtown.
Ukraine rally at Weston Town Hall (Photo/Mark Yurkiw)
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February 26 marked the 29th anniversary of the first World Trade Center bombing — the one in 1993.
There’s a new memorial on the site, built after the 2001 terrorist attack. For almost a decade, RTM member Andrew Colabella has gone there on that date, to pay respects and join the survivors who gather there.
His cousin was one of 6 people killed in the 1993 attack.
This year, Andrew met Daniel Geraghty there. In November, the former Staples High School English teacher published Cast Away Stones: An Eyewitness Account of 9/11 and Memoir of a Survivor, Soldier Citizen, a gripping account of his 20-year battle to overcome PTSD.
Andrew Colabella (left) and Daniel Geraghty, at the 9/11 Memorial.
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Speaking of the RTM: Sure, you hear about it all the time. (Like in the item just above this one.)
But admit it: Do your know what it does? Or even what the acronym stands for?
On March 23 (7 p.m., Westport Library in-person and Zoom), Westport’s League of Women Voters presents “Know Your Town: The RTM.”
Former moderator (what’s that?!) Velma Heller will discuss its history. Current member Matthew Mandell will explain what it can do — and what it can’t. Current moderator Jeff Wieser will offer his insights too.
Click here for more information, and registration.
Okay, okay: RTM stands for “Representative Town Meeting.” Impress your friends!
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The other day, “06880” published Carl Addison Swanson’s “Kvetch of the Week.” He noted that an 80+ North Avenue neighbor was afraid to get her mail, for fear of being hit by a speeding car.
Carl noted his frustration at trying to get blinking lights or other traffic control devices on the heavily traveled road, home to 4 of Westport’s 8 schools.
Fast (ho ho) forward a few days. There’s now a sign showing “Your Speed” at the base of the hill, near the Bedford Middle School entrance.
Congrats, Carl — and everyone else who lived in the area. And let’s hope there are more such solutions to come.
“Your Speed” sign on North Avenue. (Photo/Carl Addison Swanson)
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The new manager and vice president of People’s United Bank’s Westport office is … Matthew Cummings.
It’s a homecoming of sorts. He’s a 1986 graduate of Staples High School, where he captained the ski team and played football and baseball. He lifeguarded in the summers, then graduated from the University of Colorado.
Matt’s (very proud) mother is Betty Lou Cummings, former 2nd selectwoman, Apple Festival co-founder, and volunteer with countless other organizations and projects.
She’s also a former Michigan State University cheerleader. And Betty Lou never stops cheering for her son.
Matthew Cummings
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After 34 years leading the Westport Weston Family Y’s gymnastics program, Sally Silverstein has retired.
But she won’t be forgotten.
This Friday (6:30 p.m.), the Y, hosts a naming ceremony for the Gymnastics Center’s new Sally Silverstein Viewing Area. Many of the program’s 500 gymnasts will be there. Of course, Sally’s many friends — and all her former athletes, and their families — are invited.
Sally Silverstein
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Speaking of plants: Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows some nice basil, flowering in Molly Alger’s windowsill:
(Photo/Molly Alger)
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And finally … it’s March 1. It’s the month that comes in like a — well, you know:
Thanks for the Tokens video, Dan. A bunch of old farts who still have great pipes and are visibly having a great time.