Here’s how tough last week’s Photo Challenge was: Even Andrew Colabella was wrong.
The RTM member and native Westporter — who is almost always the first reader to respond to even the most obscure weekly image — was one of the 11 folks who very quickly and quite assuredly said that the flag flying high above a building with concrete molding was the site (until a couple of weeks ago) of Patagonia.
Many of those 11 also referred to it by its original business: Westport Bank & Trust.
Close — geographically — but nope.
Ed Simek’s photo showed the flag atop the original Westport Library, on the corner of the Post Road and Main Street (now part vacant, part Bond Vet, part Starbucks). Click here to see.
Those first readers were so sure of themselves, I had to call Ed to confirm that it really was the old Library, and not the (now old) Patagonia.
Eventually, Mary Ann Batsell and Seth Braunstein checked in with the right answer.
Phew!
Today, we’ll give you a break. This week’s Photo Challenge should be much easier. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
And if you don’t know, just ask Andrew Colabella.
(Photo/Seth Schachter)
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If it’s mid-winter, it must be time for the “State of the Town” forum.
The annual event — featuring 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein — is Sunday, February 4 (2 to 3:30 p.m., Westport Library; click here for livestream).
As always, it’s a co-production of Westport Sunrise Rotary, and the Rotary Club of Westport.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein.
Leaders of the 1989 and 2006 Compo Beach playground committees joined leaders of the 2024 committee yesterday at Bedford Middle School, to show their support for the proposed design improvements to Westport’s most popular playground.
Among the attendees: former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, Parks & Recreation Commission chair David Floyd, Parks & Recreation Department director Jen Fava, Representative Town Meeting member Julie Whamond, architect Lisa Deshano of Play by Design, and members of the public, from young parents to grandparents.
Westport Rotary Club’s centennial gift to the own is serving as lead sponsor for renovations of the playground. Fifty members of the public participated yesterday, offering suggestions to make the playground more accessible, more open, more code compliant and more suitable for the next generation of Westport youngsters.
This renovation marks the third time Westport Rotary has partnered with the Westport Young Woman’s League to build and enhance the playground.
Participants in yesterday’s Compo Beach playground renovation meeting (from left): Alison Reilly, Suzanne Dodge, Rick Benson, Totney Benson, Bridget Flynn, RB Benson, Samantha Owades, Josh Sterling (and son), Alex Cohen. RB and Samantha were 4 and 3 years old, respectively, when their parents worked together on the 1989 playground.
Tickets are on sale for the 4th annual Fashionably Westport runway show. Presented by the Westport Downtown Association, it features styles from dozens of Westport merchants and salons. Models — local friends and celebrities — walk a raised runway in the Trefz Forum. The night includes music, cocktails and light bites.
A portion of the proceeds benefit Homes with Hope, the local non-profit dedicated to ending homelessness in Fairfield County. Enjoy a social night of fashion, music, cocktails and light bites.
Why did Joe Tacopina leave Donald Trump’s legal team?
In what he said was his only interview on the subject, the Westport attorney told MSNBC’s Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday: “It was just my time. I had to follow my compass. My compass told me it was my time there was done. There are a lot of personal reasons that went into that. Things that I can’t and won’t discuss.”
Click below for a longer clip.
Tacopina: I left the team because it was just my time. I had to follow my compass. My compass told me it was my time there was done. There are a lot of personal reasons that went into that. Things that I can't and won't discuss. pic.twitter.com/B1u2z9vHSA
Medieval music through a sacred lens comes to Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on February 3 (5 p.m.).
Eya — lauded as “remarkable” and “gorgeous” by The Washington Post —has been featured on Voice of America and NPR.
Their concert by candlelight will reflect the themes of flame and light that characterize St. Brigid’s feast day on February 1 and Candlemas on February 2.
Eya will be accompanied on clársach (wire-stringed harp), with additional support from Brigid’s Circle, a volunteer women’s treble singer ensemble formed for this performance.
A workshop for the Brigid’s Circle singers will be held for experienced choral singers the evening before, and be part of the performance if desired. For more information, email vshields@chtwestport.org.
Scott Smith has been fascinated by what he calls “the ramshackle architectural folly” on Edgemarth Hill Road for 20 years. He writes:
Today I drove by to see 2 guys hauling away all the wood and trash that had collected on the property for decades.
I asked if it was a complete teardown. One fellow said, “Yeah – wanna take a look inside?”
You bet I did.
I’m sure there are treasures inside among all the mess, but it will all go to landfill. I think the house sold a year ago or so, and as it’s 3 acres, no doubt a magnificent new home will rise in its place. Imagine the stories and the history in this old house.
Judy Collins — the singer/songwriter who has entertained and inspired fans since the 1960s — is coming to the Westport Country Playhouse.
She’ll be onstage April 12 (8 p.m.). Encore Club members can buy tickets now; public sale begins January 26 at noon. Click here for more information.
Also ahead at the Playhouse: “All Things Equal: The Life & Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.” Written by Rupert Holmes, it’s a one-woman play in which the Supreme Court justice welcomes a friend of the family to her chambers to convey a sense of her career, and personal life.
The show is May 3 and 4 (8 p.m.), and May 5 (3 p.m.). Click here for more information.
And on July 25 the Bacon Brothers bring their unique mix of folk, rock, soul and country music to the Playhouse. Click here for more information.
Westporters — especially seniors and those with low to moderate incomes — can once again take advantage of the town’s no-cost full-service AARP/VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program.
On-site personal counseling is available by appointment at Town Hall (Mondays from 1 to 7 p.m.) and the Senior Center (Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), starting January 22. Call 860-590-8910 for an appointment, or click here.
The “SimplyCT” counselor group that services Westport prepared and filed more than 7,000 returns last season – almost all electronically. Federal refunds of over $10 million were received by their clients..
The program is administered by Westport’s Department of Human Services.
An incident that began when 2 people illegally entered a home and attacked 3 others on Friday morning in Old Saybrook ended in Westport.
One, armed with a baseball bat, injured the homeowners. The suspect then removed an adult woman from the home against her will, and fled.
Old Saybrook police sent an alert to law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for a car with New York license plates carrying the victim.
Westport police located the vehicle when it was getting gas. They arrested the suspects, seized the bat, and took the woman who had been taken from her home to Norwalk Hospital, with non-life threatening injuries.
(Click here for the full story. Hat tip: Betsy Pollak)
Remember the I-95 Saugatuck River bridge replacement project last fall?
Relive all the key moments — in a lot quicker time than it took (though of course, kudos to all who accomplished the work in just 2 weekends) — in this very cool video, from the Connecticut Department of Transportation:
Badass Bagels — the popular shop in the Sugar & Olives space just over the Norwalk line, owned by Westporter Jennifer Balin — has just opened a new location in Armonk, New York.
“It’s totally our brand,” she says.” The space is warm, cozy, and decked out with vintage furniture from Bridgeport’s Mongers Market (where they have another location).
Badass’ expanded sourdough bagel offerings include 10 varieties: everything, whole wheat everything, golden sesame, black sesame, Himalayan blue poppy, smoked sea salt, plain, cinny raisin, pumpernickel caraway everything, and naked whole wheat. (Ramp bagels are offered in May.)
There are plenty of spreads and butters too, like “sweet and lovely” with Westport honey.
Badass Bagels also sells coffee beans and whole espresso/coffee.
Stores hours in Norwalk and Armonk are Wednesdays through Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They sell at the Westport Farmers’ Market and Double L Market too.
The Senior Center Super Bowl “tailgate party” is a great one. And you don’t even have to hang out in the parking lot.
It’s indoors. This year’s event (February 11) includes a “final score contest,” and a Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities Service Award presentation to the wonderful Patty Kondub, who does so much in so many ways for the senior community.
The menu includes hot dogs, chips, spring rolls and dessert.
Staples High School state champion football and field hockey teams, and Staples and Westport PAL cheerleaders will be there too.
All ages are welcome. Lunch is at 12:30; the party begins at 1:30.
Thursday’s Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event drew a large crowd to VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.
VFW Auxiliary member Patty Kondub’s meatballs complemented the fun vibe, filled with networking opportunities and great music afterward (Jazz at the Post).
Enjoying Business After Hours (from left): Virginia Ferrari, Paul Liebowitz, Patty Kondub, Sal Liccione, Matthew Mandell.
Colleen Sadick is a beloved Coleytown Elementary School professional. The CES community has rallied around her as she battles bone marrow cancer.
As Colleen has had to step back from her 2 jobs (she is also a behavioral mentor), her income has been impacted. CES organized a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical expenses, transportation, post-treatment care and daily costs.
After a number of interviews, the Democratic Town Committee nominations committee will recommend Abby Gordon-Tolan for the Board of Education vacancy, and Joe Scordato for the Zoning Board of Appeal vacancy.
The full DTC will vote Monday on the recommendations.
Merrill Jay Forgotson – an accomplished community banker and fierce advocate for justice and equal opportunity – died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, January 17, at his Westport home. He was 81.
The New York City native credited his mother and father, a World War II hero, for challenging him to lead a life of purpose, centered on education.
He earned a BS in finance from Northeastern University followed, by a JD from Boston University and an MBA from Western New England College.
Jay paid his way through college and law school by washing dishes, serving ice cream, and packaging newspapers and magazines overnight for early morning delivery.
Motivated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainright in 1963, which affirmed a constitutional right to legal counsel for anyone charged with committing a crime, Jay started his career as a defense attorney
He transitioned into finance, starting at Mass Mutual and advancing to become general counsel at Barclays Business Credit.
In 1990 Jay joined People’s Bank as senior vice [resident/chief credit administration officer. He also served as chair of the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League, where he shaped diversity programming to combat hate and discrimination in all their forms.
In 2000, Jay left People’s to run Cornerstone Bank in Stamford. Running the profitable mission-centered community depository was one of the joys of his professional life.
During a brief sabbatical, Jay served as dean of the business school at the University of Bridgeport. But community banking kept calling. Jay served as CEO of BNC Financial Group, and started the Bank of Fairfield and Stamford First Bank.
After retiring in 2013 he enjoyed family and friends in Connecticut and Sarasota, Florida; volunteered for non-profits; consumed current events and advocated for fairness, and photographed.
Jay is survived by his wife, Janis Reader-Forgotson; sons Nathaniel, Josh and Matthew; grandchildren Evan, Ianto, Floriana, Zachary and Benjamin, and dogs Lola and Cimba. He was predeceased by his younger sister Barbara Garavuso.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to ADL Connecticut. A Memorial Service will be held tomorrow (Sunday, January 21, 12:30 p.m., Temple Shalom. Norwalk).
And finally … Peter Schickele, a serious concert musician and also the genius behind madcap PDQ Bach, died Tuesday near Woodstock, New York. He was 88. Click here for a full obituary.
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Posted onJanuary 20, 2024|Comments Off on Library And VersoFest: “Stop Making Sense”
A remixed, remastered, 4K, 40th anniversary re-release of Jonathan Demme’s 1984 film “Stop Making Sense“ has excited Talking Heads fans — and members like Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, who across the Sturges Highway border in Fairfield.
There’s been a nationwide publicity tour, with everyone from Stephen Colbert to Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon paying tribute.
Now it’s coming to Westport.
On February 9, the re-release comes toThe Westport Library.
The event is a benefit for both VersoFest and WPKN-FM, where Frantz hosts a monthly radio show (“The Talking Head”).
‘PKN DJs will spin vinyl before and after the film, followed by a Q-and-A with Frantz and Weymouth.
VersoFest 2024 — the 4-day music and media conference and festival featuring performances, panels and workshops — takes place April 4-7. Music producer Tony Visconti and pop rockers the Lemon Twigs have already been signed. More names will be announced soon.
Frantz and Weymouth supported VersoFest since its inception. He has moderated discussions with music producer Steve Lillywhite and Psychedelic Furs front man Richard Butler, and discussed his memoir “Remain in Love.”
For 60 years, WPKN (89.5) has been a hallmark of listener-supported, freeform community radio. The New Yorker called it “the greatest radio station in the world.”
Verso Studios — with its 18×10-foot LED screen and concert hall sound system, has screened Connecticut premieres of Todd Haynes’ Velvet Underground documentary, and other innovative screenings.
Dancing in the aisles is encouraged.
Click here for tickets (starting at $20), and more information. The night includes a cash bar.
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Comments Off on Library And VersoFest: “Stop Making Sense”
Back in the day — long before the PAL Skating Rink at Longshore, and even before its predecessor, the rink next to the miniature golf course (for decades now, the Westport Tennis Club indoor courts behind Goodwill) — there were plenty of places to skate in Westport.
Ponds like the one on Bulkley Avenue North welcomed all. Most are gone now — though Round Pond across from Longshore (where Dorothy Hamill often skated, while visiting relatives nearby) still draws crowds when it’s safely frozen.
Not far away, the corner of Compo Road South and Bridge Street — before I-95 plowed through — was also very popular.
This was no ordinary outdoor venue. It was owned by Parke Cummings — a noted author, humorist, and frequent contributor to the New Yorker and Sports Illutrated.
Prolific Westport author Carl Addison Swanson writes: “While the book, movie and most news stories deal with the Great Ice Storm Felix of December 1973, which paralyzed the entire state of Connecticut, 50 years ago today another ice storm hit Westport and surrounding towns.
“I know it well, for it was my wedding day. It took us close to 3 hours to get from Westport to the church in New Canaan.
“The Merritt Parkway was a sheet of ice, and the caterer smashed into a telephone pole delivering yummies to the Roger Sherman Inn.
“The ice finally melted, as did the marriage.”
January 1974 ice storm. (Photo courtesy of Carl Addison Swanson)
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The event is a benefit for both VersoFest and WPKN-FM, where Frantz hosts a monthly radio show (“The Talking Head”).
