Westport’s 2 Rotary Clubs honored Pete Wolgast yesterday morning. with a prestigious District Governor’s Citation. The ceremony was held at the Sunrise Rotary meeting at Greens Farms Church. In addition to top Rotary officials, attendees included 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, her predecessor Jim Marpe, RTM moderator Jeff Wieser and Westport Weston Family YMCA CEO Anjali McCormick.
Wolgast’s service to Sunrise Rotary (he’s a former president) — and the entire town — is legendary. The University of Michigan and Harvard MBA graduate:
- Was elected to the Representative Town Meeting, and chaired its Finance and Parks & Recreation Committees
- Was executive assistant to 1st selectman Doug Wood; been a member of the Westport Republican Town Committee (2 terms as chair)
- Twice chaired the Y’s board of trustees (2007-11 and 2013-20); chaired its Endowment Committee (2000-06); Volunteer of the Year honoree 2020
- As president of the Westport Historical Society, chaired the committee that supervised the writing of the town’s definitive history
- Been part of Westport’s Charter Revision Committee
- Chaired Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s board, and volunteered on its Finance Committee
- Joined the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston in 1987, and been its president
- Served as a Boy Scout troop leader and board chair
- Coached youth baseball and basketball for nearly 20 years, in Westport and London.
Wolgast and his wife Janet have been married for over 65 years. They have 4 children, 7 grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Congratulations, Pete, for this well-deserved honor. And thank you for all you have done, for all of us.
Pete Wolgast, at yesterday’s ceremony. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
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Staples Tuition Grants’ annual awards evening is one of the feel-good highlights of the year.
The 2022 event — set for Tuesday, May 31 (6 p.m., Staples auditorium) — will be particularly special. The $400,000 in scholarships will be the most ever — a whopping 14% higher than last year.
The average award will be $3,700. That too is a record — about $1,000 more than STG’s 10-year average.
The average help is 19% of net need. They can’t fill the aggregate net need of $2.4 million, but STG provides more assistance the even the federal government ($370,000 in Pell grants).
Help is provided to 8.4% of the graduating class of 2022. About 10% of the class needs help paying for college. The cost of tuition, room and board has reached $85,000 at some schools. Meanwhile, the funding gap widens — up 50% from 2 years ago.
Grants will help 108 students attend 76 colleges.
Nearly 700 Westporters and friends donated to STG’s general fund, named or endowed awards. Click here for more information, and to help Staples Tuition Grants.
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Speaking of scholarships: Westport PAL awarded its scholarships on Monday night.
Awardees included Charlie Howard, Jaden Mueller (Chief Luciano Athletic); Alex Harrington, Kyle Harrington (Chief Luciano Good Citizenship); Brian Fullenbaum (PJ Romano Scholarship); Colin Konstanty (Greg LaValla Scholarship); Nick Augeri (Buck Iannacone Scholarship); Jack Oakley (Bernstein Family); Matthew Spada (Deputy Chief John Anastasia Scholarship).
Westport PAL scholarship awardees and officials.
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If you missed the Staples Spring Choral Concert earlier this month — what a shame. It was a wonderful show. All the music was selected by students. They performed difficult pieces, in a wide range of genres and styles, at their usual spectacularly high level.
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology (and of videographer Jim Honeycutt), you can watch the whole concert now. Just click here — and enjoy.
Screenshot from the Staples High School Spring Choral Concert.
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An application to subdivide the 12-acre Kowalsky property on Morningside Drive South, bordered by Clapboard Hill Road and Turkey Hill Road South, has been withdrawn. It will be resubmitted at a future date.
The Planning & Zoning Commission meeting scheduled for Monday to discuss it — and the Westport PAL clubhouse at PJ Romano Field — has been canceled. (Hat tips; Dick Lowenstein, Art Schoeller)
109 Morningside Drive South
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When Suzanne Tanner lived in Los Angeles, she met a Holocaust survivor named Rachel Goldman Miller.
After writing a multimedia musical documenting Miller’s life, Tanner is dedicating this Memorial Day weekend to her.
“Resonant music, lyrics and modern art can help us understand that history is only as strong as memory, a poignant reminder for today’s mounting war atrocities,” Tanner says.
Miller narrates her life story from a background movie that peppers the show with impactful visuals and testimony, while Tanner plays her role live — from her childhood in pre-war Paris to her elder years as a valuable Shoah participant and loving mother of a son who died of AIDS.
“Beyond Me: A Song Cycle in the Key of Survival” will be performed next Saturday (May 28, JCC, Sherman, CT). Tickets are $25 and $20, available at the door, but reservations recommended. Click here for details.
Suzanne Tanner
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The Westport Weston Family YMCA Livestrong program –a free, 12-week program of physical, educational and social activities for adults living with, through and beyond cancer — filled up fast. There were 25 applications, for 8 spots.
The good news: The Wilton Y is starting the same program the first week in June. Five spots are open; Wilton residency is not required. Email magenuario@riverbrookymca.org for more information. (Hat tip: Amy Weiss)
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The Westport Book Shop‘s almost-summer celebration is set for Saturday, June 4 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jesup Green). There’s a DJ, safety tips from Stewie the Duck, crafts and snacks.
The almost-summer celebration takes place across from the Westport Book Shop.
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No one is a fan of Canada geese — especially at Compo Beach.
But you gotta admit, these goslings in today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo look kinda cute.
(Photo/Pam Washburn)
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And finally … this weekend’s Westport Woman’s Club art show includes a treat not often associated with art shows or woman’s clubs: live music by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mark Naftalin.
He’s best known as a Paul Butterfield Blues Band keyboardist. But the Westport resident played on many other famous recordings — including this one, sent to “06880” by Dave Lowrie.
Just out of curiosity, and not to take away from the PAL scholarship recipients in any way, but why are all of the honorees male?
Congratulations to the PAL scholarships recipients.
No girls ???
I asked Westport PAL president Craig Bergamo why there were no female recipients of scholarships. He said no girls applied this year. “If they had, they would have gotten them,” he added.
I was wondering the same. I’m sure all the recipients are deserving but it was disappointing to not see any females.
Please see my comment above. No girls applied.
Thank you, Pete Wolgast.