“Is My Teen Just Moody? An Overview on Adolescent Depression” is the depressing — but very important — title of a Westport Public Schools’ workshop.
Set for November 3 (7 p.m., Bedford Middle School auditorium), it offers parents ideas for distinguishing “normal” teenage mood swings from symptoms of something more serious.
The event explores signs and symptoms of clinical depression, and offers treatment options.
Presenter Elizabeth Cotter of Effective School Solutions ha over 20 years’ experience as a therapist, program director and in clinical leadership roles.
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Traffic was normal — that is to say, busy — yesterday at noon.
Pat Prenderville was 5th in line on Imperial Avenue, waiting for the Post Road/Myrtle Avenue light.
Suddenly, the driver of a white Audi pulled in front of all the cars waiting in Pat’s line, and zoomed to the front.
In the left lane.
And proceeded to wait there — now first in line — until the light changed.
The very entitled white Audi. (Photo/Pat Prenderville)
The Very Very Very Important Driver then headed straight across, onto Myrtle.
“It’s amazing they weren’t hit by cars turning onto Imperial,” Pat says.
It’s also amazing that I’m not amazed anymore to hear — and see — stunts like this one.
PS: It was lunchtime, so this was not a teenage driver.
And you wonder why kids drive like they do.
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Club 203 — Westport’s new social group for adults with disabilities — had its second event this week.
Once again, it was a smashing success.
Attendees, their guests and volunteers came dressed for Halloween. Trunks were decorated, and filled with treats, Scary movie clips played on the Remarkable Theater screen, and there was dancing and games for all.
As they did at their first outing, Club 203 members greeted old friends, met new ones, and had a blast..
Next up: Gaming and Pizza Night (November 19, Toquet Hall). For more information, click here.
Club 203 members Jamie Taylor and Andreas Wagner enjoy the Halloween party.
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With nearly 300 members, Staples’ Service League of Boys is the high school’s largest club.
They spend most meetings planning events. But this week they Jay Paretzky of Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services led hands-on CPR and AED instruction for the teenagers — and their parents.
Other meetings are “working” sessions. For example, SLOBs will pack and deliver hundreds of snack bags for Bridgeport schoolchildren.
SLOBs has a great reputation, at Staples and throughout the community. It’s not hard to see why.
SLOBs’ CPR training.
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Speaking of Staples: Jo Shields was impressed to find this message chalked on the high school sidewalk the other day, next to the main entrance:
(Photo/Jo Shields)
It says “Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of bravery.”
Similar messages could be seen on sidewalks all around the school. They’re part of the Guidance Department’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of mental health.
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MoCA Westport’s first-ever Open Mic last night sounds great!
Sixteen performers — as young as 14, and as old as 87 — shared poems and music with the community. Westport poet laureate Jessica McEntee also participated. Performers ranged in age from young as 14 to as old as 87.
Click here for the full program.
Vivian Shamie performs at last night’s “MoCA Some Noise” open mic event. (Photo/Cynthia Dempster)
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes courtesy of Susan Leone. It was taken from the Riverwalk, behind the Library.
Once again, she — and her friend — remind us how fortunate we are to live here.
(Photo/Susan Leone)
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And finally … on this day in 1879, Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his incandescent light bulb.
Re: Audi driver. No enforcement, no compliance.
Driving- comment….. I am amazed daily there are so few accident in Westport based on the antics both dangerous and the mindlessness I see every day! I’d like to see drivers licenses expire every ten years and renewed by written and practical exam. I am convinced people have either forgotten what they were required to learn for driving exams or have decided rules don’t apply to them because they are more ‘special’ then all the other lemmings on the road. They ‘forget’ we collectively all live longer following the driving rules we learned to keep everyone safe. If all the people who have been scared, hurt, or worse (lost loved ones) by this lawlessness complained to their politicians maybe we could drive it home…pun intended, but it ain’t funny.
BTW- I can’t wait till Self-Driving cars eliminate drivers ‘error & arrogance’, Lets hope they get it right sooner then later!
Agree 100% with the enforcement comment above. There was a very public announcement a few weeks ago about our PD prioritizing this and I’ve seen literally no increase in visibility and certainly no reduction in red light running, turning right despite no turn on red signs (they put them there for a reason), people making left turns at lights in front of people going straight (hello, Bulkley and Post), tailgating, piggybacking through 4-way stops, etc.
Whether stupidity, entitlement, or lack of concentration, if the message is “no consequences” there is zero chance the behavior will change. And the level of frustration among the rest of us that haven’t gone “mad max” will only grow.
Comments are right on! These people haven’t forgotten the rules.. they just think they don’t apply to them! Every afternoon 4-6 a police car should sit in the Cumberland farms lot and ticket all the cars that don’t want to wait for a green light turning right onto Post Rd do they zoom thru the parking lot past the gas pumps and be dam the people exiting the store. It’s only a matter of time before these idiots hit a car or worse a person.. pass these comments on to the Westport Pd
I know this is so yesterday’s news and with the lockdown at Staples, that there is other concerns in town right now, but I saw the older woman driving the white Audi!! I was driving north on South Compo Rd when she came flying up to the stop sign at Green Acre! She came up so fast I thought she was going to blow through the sign and hit me. To my relief she did not but then she proceeded to sit on my tail all the way down Thomas Rd. I took a left at the stop sign heading towards the police station and to my relief, the older woman in the white Audi drove straight to the post rd. Funny, I thought to myself, now she is someone else’s problem. Then when I read this!!!!!
The piece on The Very Entitled Audi should make me glad Inolonger drive, bu I still miss driving. The driver of the Audi should go back to driving school. I applaud anything to raise awareness of mental illness. It is the 21st century, and people with mental disabilities are still not treated the same as those with physical disabilities. I befriended a woman who was a paranoid schizophrenic and she always enjoyed my company because I treated her as though she wasn’t mentally ill. She passed on and I miss her, but I was glad to have brightened her days a little. The Westport naturally photo reminds me of the Westport I grew up in and left over 50 years ago to live in Tucson where you don’t find watery places like in the photo. I love the weather here, but not the absence of bodies of water!
Not even the worst offense I have seen recently.
Don’t get mad.
Get the plate number and a photo.
Refer to Westport PD
I have no issue with a PD policy of very active enforcement until and unless people get the message.