Westport’s relationship with our sister city of Marigny-le-Louzon, France was forged in the aftermath of World War II.
But it began soon after D-Day in 1944. Westporter Bob Loomis — a gun sergeant — was in the Normandy town, just 25 miles from Utah Beach.
A couple of weeks later another Westporter — heavy machine gunner Clay Chalfant — moved through Marigny with his company on their way to Belgium.
When the war ended, Charlotte MacLear — head of the French department at Staples High School, and a graduate of prestigious Sorbonne Université — sparked a campaign to “officially adopt Marigny” and help its recovery.
Our town sent clothes, money and Christmas gifts, thanks to fundraising that included selling toys and buckets with designs painted by Westport artists.
In return, Marigny created the “Westport School Canteen,” and named the town’s largest square “Place Westport.” MacLear visited our sister town 3 times. Each time, she was honored and adored.
That friendship remains strong. In 2020, Marigny officials named a room in their Town Hall for MacLear.
This week, Westporters Jeffrey Mayer and Nancy Diamond are visiting, sending our greetings, and giving gifts from our town.
This morning — 4 days, before the anniversary of D-Day — René Gautier wrote to “06880.”
As a child, he received some of those presents from Westport. He has been stalwart in maintaining our friendship ever since. René said:
As part of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the landing and the liberation of Normandy — but also for the future! — we would like to know, to honor their graves, if soldiers from Westport or the surrounding area were killed in the fighting of 1944 and buried in one of the US cemeteries in Normandy.
Our association will undertake to symbolically decorate this grave with flowers.
What a generous, beautiful offer.
If you know of any American soldiers from Fairfield County who are buried in a US cemetery in Normandy, email 06880blog@gmail.com.
We will let René, and all our friends in Marigny, know.
They will do the rest.
Marigny and Westport are united in red, white and blue.
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Here is another conflict: “Civil War.”
The film that debuted Number 1 at the box office last month follows 4 journalists on a road trip from New York to Washington, as society collapses.
Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a photojournalist determined to interview the president in the midst of chaos.
How well — or poorly — does the movie depict wartime reporting?
Lynsey Addario knows. The 1991 Staples High School graduate, and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times photojournalist, has covered the war in Ukraine, and conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.
This week, “On the Media”‘s Brooke Gladstone interviews her about her real-life experiences, and the fictional “Civil War.” Click here to listen.
Lynsey Addario
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Kai Nee’s 15-strikeout, 2-hit, complete game pitching performance paced the Staples baseball team to a 7-0 shutout of Newtown yesterday, in the CIAC “LL” (extra large schools) state tournament quarterfinals.
The 19th-seeded Wreckers advance to Tuesday’s semifinal, at a site and time to be determined.
Their foe is familiar: Fairfield Warde. The Mustangs are ranked second in the state tourney.
(Collage courtesy of Staples baseball)
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An “06880” reader was intrigued — and perhaps bored — by the name of this business in Westfair Center, across from Stop & Shop:
It is pretty generic.
Kind of like calling a place “Food Restaurant.” Or “Book Store.”
Come to think of it, “Stop & Shop” isn’t that compelling a name either.
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And hey: Music & Arts is hardly a whiz-bang moniker.
For a few years, there’s been a Compo Shopping Center site for the franchise, which (surprise!) offers lessons, and sells and rents instruments.
Now they’ve closed. They’re referring customers to their Fairfield location. (Hat tip: MaryLou Roels)
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Meanwhile, Les Dinkin checks in with this photo that could be tongue-in-cheek.
Except it isn’t:
(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
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The Westport Weston Family YMCA does a lot of things right.
Including making feel-good videos.
Longtime Westporters Bob and Doree Levy are featured in a recent reel, explaining how much they enjoy the Wilton Road facility.
Doree does Aquafit. Bob helps out at a class for Parkinson’s patients. Together, they donated the “alligator” that spouts water at the kids’ splash pool.
The Y epitomizes the Three Musketeers’ motto: “All for one, one for all,” Bob says.
And, Doree adds — referring to the Y’s original acronym — “I’m not young. I’m not a man. I’m not Christian.”
But, she notes, today’s Westport YMCA is all about community and inclusion.
Click below for the video:
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Printmaking and a garden tour.
Those 2 activities seldom go together. But they’re the dual focus of a July 14 event.
From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. that day, the Center for Contemporary Printmaking and Blau House & Gardens sponsors “Printmaking in the Garden.”
Suitable for all levels and ages, it’s just $10. That includes a garden tour and materials.
Guests can collect botanical materials for a Gelli plate printmaking activity. Staff and volunteers with the Center will guide participants in creating artwork using leaves, petals, twigs and more from the inspiring landscape.
Click here to register, and for more information.
Printmaking at Blau Gardens.
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Summer means shopping — and theater.
From 1 to 5:30 p.m. on June 21 — the day after this year’s solstice — J. McLaughlin and the Westport Country Playhouse collaborate on an afternoon of sips and shopping.
15% of all sales will benefit the Playhouse.
Can’t make it that day to Compo Acres Shopping Center? Call the store (475-284-2495) to place an order.
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Pippa Bell Ader offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo. She writes:
The Old Hill albino deer was spotted recently on Wright Street. It has grown quite a bit since I last saw it.”
(Photo/Pippa Bell Ader)
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And finally … Marvin Hamlisch was born on this date in 1944.
The composer/conductor he is one of few people ever to achieve an EGOT (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony).
He died in 2012, age 68.
In addition to the 2 memorable songs below — from “The Sting” (starring Westporter Paul Newman) and “A Chorus Line” — he wrote the score to “The Swimmer,” the movie filmed largely in Westport in 1966.
(“06880” is one singular sensation. We entertain [and inform, and educate] our readers several times a day. But we need your help. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
Maybe they don’t do pedicures?
I appreciate the clarity of that nail salon sign. It’s really embarrassing when you go in to some of these places looking for roofing nails, etc. I asked this one lady about finishing nails and she told me to have a seat.
I discussed your issue with my friend Neal. Neal said the technicians work kneeling down and then open a new file
Hmmm. Potentially useful information, Richard – that is, if I ever consider having my (finger) nails done. I guess if they also stocked 1.5 inch 4d galvanized finish nails I might give it a go while I was there. But, to judge from its no nonsense sign, I’m thinking this isn’t the place that’s going to help me restock my fastener inventory.
Haha, yes, about as generic a name as you can get. Having said that, I patronize this salon and they have some of the nicest nail technicians I’ve yet to encounter in Wepo.
I like the name as it’s a play on words. Fingernail Salon or FINGER nail salon.