Roundup: Holiday Stroll, Veterans Day, Old Dominion …

Mark your calendars for the 2nd annual Holiday Stroll. It’s Saturday, December 3  (5 to 7 p.m.).

Last year’s first-ever event was sponsored by “06880.” This year, we’re teaming up with the Westport Downtown Association, for an extra-special event.

It’s family friendly, with a visit from Santa, special activities for kids, and songs from the Orphenians and more. There will be a tent outside Cold Fusion.

Downtown merchants — including some across the river — will offer promotions. For example:

• Walrus Alley: Happy hour prices for food and drinks
• Bridgewater Chocolates: complimentary chocolate tastings
• Noya Jewelry: hot holiday drinks
• The Toy Post: free small toy
• Lift Wellness Group: discount on bundled psychotherapy and nutrition services, gift cards with 10% discount applied for virtual and in person psychotherapy and nutrition services.
• Upnorth: 10% off, and a giveaway.

Merchants and restaurants wishing to participate can click here for more information.

See you at the Stroll!

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Before the holidays, there’s Veterans Day.

Westport honors its vets tomorrow (Friday, November 11), with a ceremony at Town Hall.

The Community Band welcomes visitors with patriotic tunes, at 10:30 a.m.

At 11 a.m. — the hour the armistice ending World War I took effect — the program begins.

First Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Staples High School senior Tyler Clark will speak. The Westport Police Department will fire a salute. The Community Band will play the “Armed Forces Salute.”

The public is invited.

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Carnivores: read on.

Saugatuck Provisions opened yesterday.

The new shop in the former Fleishers Craft Butchery is the creation of  chef (and Staples High School graduate) Matt Storch and Susan McConnell — both of Burger Lobster and  Match — plus Jimmy Bloom (Copps Island Oysters) and butcher Paul Nessel (well known from his Craft Butchery days across Riverside Avenue).

Stephanie Webster of CTBites calls Saugatuck Provisions “a new concept offering customers a curated selection of the very best ingredients from the land, sea and grocery, enabling guests to create beautiful restaurant quality meals at home.”

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For Old Dominion, winning “Vocal Group of the Year” at the CMA Awards never gets old.

The country band — whose lead guitarist is 1997 Staples High School graduate Brad Tursi — took top honors for the 5th time, at last night’s 56th annual event.

Tursi was best known at Staples as a star soccer player. Now he’s scoring on a much bigger stage.  (Hat tip: Jeff Lea)

 

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The first evening of the Westport Library’s Short Cuts Film Festival earned rave reviews.

The second night is Thursday, November 17 (7 p.m., Trefz Forum).

Four short documentaries — all from the Tribeca Film Festival — will be shown.

• “More Than I Want to Remember,” by Amy Bench. Winner, Best Animated Short, Tribeca. In the Congo, 14-year-old Mugeni runs to the forest, escaping bombs and surviving without her family.
• “Beirut Dreams in Color,” by Michael Collins. This heart-rending story follows an openly gay Arab rock star and his activist fan. Tragedy results “in Cairo.
• “Kylie” by Sterling Hampton. A Black ballerina tries to make it in the traditionally white ballet world?
• “John Leguizamo Live at Rikers Island,” by Elena Francesa. The actor performs and spends time at the prison, inspiring justice-involved young men to reflect about their lives and the challenges of incarceration.

After the screenings, Kevin Wilson Jr. — an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, chats with Short Cuts producer Nancy Diamond.

The festival continues December 8, with an evening of narrative shorts.

Tickets are $25. Refreshments and popcorn will be served. For more information and tickets, click here.

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Deej Webb writes:

“I always thought of ‘Compo’ as coming from the Native American ‘Compaug.’ So I was surprised to see this clock at The Castle Museum in York, England.

“I looked it up and found: ‘Original Metal Front/Vanner & Prest’s Molliscorium Compo Embrocation Trade Mark/Advertising Clock with Restored Paint, circa 1905 to 1910.

“Etc., etc. — but with no explanation of ‘Compo.'”

Deej hopes the “06880” crowd can crowdsource this mystery. If you have any idea where “Compo” fits in all this, click “Comments” below.

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The Westport Police have released arrest reports for November 2-9.

Three people were detained in custody. One was charged with identity theft and larceny, 3rd degree.

One was arrested for sale of hallucinogenics, drug paraphernalia, weapons in  a motor vehicle, carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit, misuse of plates, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle under suspension, insurance coverage fails minimum requirements, failure to wear safety belt

One was detained for for violation of parole and narcotics possession.

The following citations were issued:

• Violation of any traffic commission regulation (11)
• Traveling unreasonably fast (7)
• Misuse of plates (3)
• Operating an unregistered vehicle (3)
• Speeding (2)
• Failure to  obey control signal (2)
• Insurance coverage fails to meet minimum requirement (2)
• Larceny, 6th degree (2)
• Stop sign violation (1)
• Operating vehicle without proper load cover (1)
• Failure to have stop lamps/turn signals (1)
• Failure to display plates (1)

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Readings of the new musical “Psyche,” starring Jay Armstrong Johnson and Johanna Moise, are set for today and tomorrow (November 10 and 11 at New York’s DiMenna Center .

But you can be forgiven if you think it’s a Staples Players’ Class of 2017 reunion.

The musical’s book and lyrics are by Emily Garber. The score is from Jake Landau.

Rounding out the production team are developmental producer Lauren Weinberger, dramaturg Phoebe Corde, and gender and sexuality consultant Shira Helena Gitlin. All collaborated on many Players productions.

“Psyche” was featured in Broadway World (click here). Click here for the website, with a full synopsis and link to demos.

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Speaking of performances: “Cheese Fries & Froot Loops” — the funny, poignant solo show written and performed by Weston’s Chris Fuller, about this lifelong dream to play on the PGA Tour while living with bipolar manic disorder — returns to the Fairfield Theater Company November 30 (6:30 p.m.).

His brothers Jeff and Judd Fuller (both professional musicians) and Chris’ step-sister Vicky — all raised in Westport — offer a special musical performance prior to the show. The theme is mental health awareness.

Chris was recently invited to join the United Solo Festival on New York’s Theater Row.

Click here for more information about the FTC show, including tickets.

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Art of Everyone is launching Connecticut’s first Hybrid NFT & Traditional Art Exhibition.

The 2 mediums will be merged under one roof. The exploration of the convergence of traditional visual arts and NFTs puts artists back in control of their careers.

Set for this Saturday (November 12, 4 to 9 p.m.), it’s part of the Bridgeport Arts Trail. The Knowlton (305 Knowlton Street) has donated their entire 10,000-square foot space, audiovisual resources, staging and technology for the event.

Among the participants: Westport artists James Chantler Brown (Art of Everyone co-founder), Linda Colletta and Alison James.

Westporter Herm Freeman is showing too. He helped curate and hang the entire exhibit.

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“06880” readers sent plenty of beaver moon photos. But only one — today’s “Westport … Naturally” image — included a dog.

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And finally … on this date in 1775, the US Marine Corps was founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. Happy 247th birthday — and thanks for your service!