There was a lot to choose from last night in Westport.
Mike Birbiglia was at the Playhouse. Sustainable Westport sponsored a talk on making our town more walkable and bikeable.
Doris Kearns Goodwin captivated a sold-out crowd at the Westport Library. In an easy but wide-ranging, deep and educational conversation with former NBC anchor Brian Williams, she offered insights into the American presidency, her husband Richard’s role in our history, and her own place in all of it.
The event celebrated a new partnership between the Library and the Remarkable Theater. Details will be announced soon.
At a private reception afterward at Remarkable Theater founder Doug Tirola’s house — hosted by his wife Kristen — their son Cooper and friends Ben Seidman, Ava Waldman and Caroline Motyl joined Williams in reading from the historic speech Richard Goodwin wrote for President Lyndon Johnson, introducing civil rights legislation in 1965 after “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama.
Then everyone sang a song by Kearns Goodwin’s favorite group, the Platters: “The Great Pretender.”
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Brian Williams and Staples High School graduates Ava Waldman and Caroline Motyl, singing together. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Also last night, 150 tech and entrepreneurial types gathered on the La Plage patio at Longshore, for Startup Westport‘s summer social.
There was high energy at that event (and all the others). The public/private Startup Westport partnership brings together many of the town’s most creative innovators.
If I missed something else, my apologies. There was just too much going on.
And it was all good.
Startup Westport founders and officials, at La Plage. (Photo/Noah Fenn)
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Also last night: the monthly Representative Town Meeting session.
Members voted 29-4 against a petition to reject a new Board of Selectwomen regulation, which prohibits access to the Westport Community Gardens near Long Lots Elementary School from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. during school days.
The RTM also voted 30-2 against modifying the hours of access.
The regulation — passed last month by the selectwomen — is effective immediately.
Westport Community Gardens (Photo/Franco Fellah)
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It took 10 innings. But Rhys Jamali’s single, driving in Luke Oakley, gave the Staples High School baseball team a thrilling 4-2 state tournament semifinal win over archrival Fairfield Warde yesterday, in Waterbury.
The victory vaults the Wreckers into the Connecticut “LL” (extra large schools) championship game. They’ll shoot for their 3rd title since 2017 on Friday or Saturday (to be determined), at Middletown’s Palmer Field.
#19-seed Staples’ foe in that game is #4 Amity. The Wreckers fell to the Woodbridge school 6-2, earlier in the season.
Revenge will be on coach Jack McFarland’s team’s mind, as it was yesterday. Warde (ranked #2 in LL this year, and the 2-time defending state champion) ended Staples’ title hopes 2-1 last year in the final — also in 10 innings.
Andrew Oppenheimer pitched 9 strong innings yesterday. Mason Tobias got the win in relief, pitching out of a 10th-inning jam.
Staples High School baseball
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There’s another Staples team vying for a state championship too: boys rugby.
The Wreckers trounced Trumbull 55-17 earlier this week. That sets up their title match: Saturday (June 8) vs. longtime rival Greenwich, at Southern Connecticut State University. The time has not yet been determined.
Staples High School boys rugby team.
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Young patients love reading books in the Village Pediatrics waiting room.
Then they go outside on the “Story Walk,” and read more.
The newest addition will also interest their parents (and grandparents). “The Pronoun Book” explains gender-neutral pronouns to men and women people who may not have grown up with them.
The display was installed recently by Village Pediatrics’ Staples High School senior interns, Stella Libman and Sophie Lubis.
This is the medical practice’s 12th year of participation in the internship program. It’s a way to introduce graduating seniors to the world of pediatrics and child development.
Village’s founder Dr. Nikki Gorman enjoys seeing her former interns around town. And, she proudly notes, her first — Emily Harris — is becoming a pediatrician herself. She trained at one of the premier programs, Boston Children’s Hospital.
Village Pediatrics interns Stella Libman and Sophie Lubis with “The Pronoun Book” on the Story Walk.
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Speaking of kids: On Monday night, the Westport PAL 7th grade lacrosse teams faced off, at the Staples field.
Boys vs. girls.
They followed girls’ rules: no checking, shallower pockets on their sticks, no helmets or pads).
The girls won, 5-1.
Westport PAL 7th grade lacrosse action. (Hat tip and photo/Jonathan Alloy)
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Speaking of youth sports: Twice a day, Maxx Crowley walks his dog at PJ Romano Field.
Sunrises and sunsets are always different. But one thing seldom changes: There is trash everywhere.
This was the scene Monday night:
That’s bad. But — compared with what I sometimes see at Wakeman Fields — PJ is almost pristine.
Come on, coaches. Parents. And especially, young athletes.
You can do better than this.
A lot better.
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Marcy Sansolo — the one-woman wunderkind behind the “What Up Westport” Facebook group — is at it again.
She and Lisa Marriott are spearheading a drive to collect new underwear for Norwalk’s Open Doors Shelter (this Saturday, June 8, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Imperial Avenue parking lot). It’s a small item, but something every shelter needs.
Any type of new underwear for women and children is great. The shelter requests boxer briefs for men.
Can’t make it Saturday? Lisa will pick items up, or accept them at her Town Hall office. You can also send them to her via Amazon. For details, email lsmarriott@gmail.com.
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I received a very angry email yesterday.
The sender wrote: “You just narrowly missed hitting me and my dog while driving what I assume is a blue BMW, going up Thomas from Imperial. License plate ‘06880.’
“It was so close and so egregious that the car in the oncoming lane swerved onto the grass side, got out of his car, and motioned that you were CRAZY.
“Blog aside, be a better community resident and stop speeding. You clearly were!”
As regular readers know, “06880” is a longtime advocate for safer streets. You can imagine my surprise at this email, because:
- I don’t drive a blue BMW.
- I was not on Thomas Road.
- My license plate is not “06880.”
When I protested, the emailer replied that he had been told by 2 witnesses that I was the driver — presumably, because of the license plate.
I am happy to take the blame for anything I get or do wrong on this blog.
But please don’t come after me for a car I don’t drive, or a license plate I don’t own.
Not my license plate — or my windshield.
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Quick: What kind of business is Squeeze?
A juice bar? Retailer of stress balls? Dating app?
Nope. It’s a “massage service destination.”
The newest location opens June 28, in the Fresh Market shopping center.
Promotional materials say, “Squeeze was created to disrupt an outdated industry by providing consumers an accessible, stress-free, and personalized massage experience….
“(In) a prime location surrounded by fitness studios, shops and food & drink offerings, the opening of Squeeze provides a one-stop-shop for health and wellness needs. The 1,838 square-foot shop boasts a modern yet sophisticated design, which features six treatment rooms. The ambiance at Squeeze is carefully crafted to foster a relaxing setting, promoting comfort, and enhancing the overall well-being of its guests.
“With its personalized app-based approach, each massage is tailored to the customer’s liking including pressure, music, lighting and the ability to tap a ‘ready button’ letting the therapist know to return in-room to begin the massage. Guests are also able to set preferences around what body areas to focus on, pressure, oil or lotion and more.”
Squeeze also offers deep tissue, heat therapy, percussion therapy and aromatherapy.”
For more information, click here. For the local Instagram, click here.
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The sign on this new bird feeder at the Senior Center is tongue-in-cheek.
I think.
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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I won’t even try to write a comment for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
It’s picture perfect.
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … Westport welcomes Squeeze, our newest business (story above):
(Can we squeeze a nickel or two out of you? “06880” relies on reader support. Please click here to help. Thank you!)
THANK YOU DAN! We will be at the Imperial Avenue Lot from 11- 12:30 this Saturday, June 8th collecting NEW underwear for the Open Door Shelter. We hope to see many of you there. Thank you all so much in advance for any donations you can make. Lisa
I had the good fortune to attend last nights event at the Westport Library with Doris Kearns Goodwin. I wrote these words after coming home.
An Evening with Doris Kearns Goodwin
On a warm June evening, the auditorium of the Westport Library was filled with an over-flowing crowd that had come to hear words from the distinguished author and past White House Fellow, Doris Kearns Goodwin. On stage conducting the interview was Brian Williams, former NBC News Anchor. She was there to talk about her new Pulitzer Prize Winning Book, “An Unfinished Love Story, a Personal History of the 1960’s. “
The book grew out of a treasure trove of boxes filled with memories from the work of her late husband, Dick Goodwin who served under President John Kennedy during his “New Frontier Days” and later with President Lyndon Johnson as a speech writer who coined the phrase, “The Great Society.”
Later he worked with Robert Kennedy as a speech writer and advisor.
Together they mulled over all this incredible history of the sixties and worked on putting this information into something meaningful and lasting. When he died, Doris continued the work and from it all comes this wonderful book of a special time in our nation’s history.
She talked of this idealism and vision leaders of the time had. Of her work with Lyndon Johnson and the many progressive legislative measures that were passed during this time: The Voting Rights Act, The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Medicare and Medicaid, The Elementary and Secondary Educational Act , The Peace Corps and the War on Poverty to name a few.
Sitting there listening to Brian’s questions and her responses one couldn’t help reflecting on our troubled times today; how divided we have become and the inability of leaders to come together through compromise to make things better for the nation; the lack of vision to seek ideas that will move us forward in this complicated world.
So many in the audience were products of this tumultuous time in history; the dawn of a new age of thinking and you could sense the warm feelings of a crowd who were looking back at their lives, remembering so much of this as personal history. Perhaps a little Beatles Music would have added a nice touch to the evening. What a time it was!!
It was a beautiful evening; uplifting to hear her speak of this time in our history when people of great intellect and passion worked in government to create visionary legislation. There were troubling times for sure, but it seemed as if we could find ways through the issues and make democracy work.
So blessed to have a library like this in our town that always brings interesting people to the table to share their world and inspire us all to reach for the best. Her signed book is now part of our library and in the midnight hour I began to read it.
For those of us who were on the Library’s wait list and did not get a call to come last evening- I was hoping there would be a livestream of the event. Does anyone know if there will be a later showing of the tape of the “Interview of Doris Kearns Goodwin” made available to the public?
Squeeze 🔥🔥
I spotted the car with the “06880” Connecticut plates the other day and can confirm the driver was not you, Dan. Though they were driving reasonably at the time.
I once tried to get that plate. I am pretty sure that was your Postmaster!
Re Mason Tobias’ pitching in the semi-finals yesterday:
it was Mason’s 16th birthday, too.
What a great birthday present!
Charles Wiseman (grandpa)
203-292-5621
Thrilled the kids are learning grammar now. Pronouns my gawd.