Staples High School students — the teenagers who have endured lockdown drills for as long as they can remember — want action on gun safety.
They can try to affect policy. They can also take action here in Westport.
On Saturday, Aidan Lapatine and Logan Noorily — presidents of the Students Demand Action club — stood on the post Road/Main Street corner.
They gave out gun locks, and talked about safe firearms practices.
Many people stopped to talk, and learn more. The teens talked with parents about proper storage, and with children about safety measures.
Many attendees took locks for family members and friends.
To learn more about gun locks,, mail aidanlapatine@gmail.com.
Aidan Lapatine and Logan Noorily hand out gun locks, stress safety — and demand action.
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Meanwhile, coming soon to downtown: 2nd Street.
The second-hand clothes and accessories store will take over the space vacated by The Loft, next to Shoe-Inn.
Their first Connecticut location — one of about 50 nationwide — opened last month, in New Haven.
The idea to repurpose clothing and reduce waste is not new.
And I don’t mean Goodwill.
In the 1960s and ’70s, Functional Clothing was a popular shop down some stairs, next to the building that is now The Gap.
It was great. I think I may still have some jeans from there.
(Photo/Jem Sollinger)
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Congratulations to Joey Zelkowitz!
The Class of 2013 Staples High School and ’17 Middlebury College football star has been named to Sports Business Journal‘s “New Voices Under 30.”
Zelkowitz, now 29 years old (and called “Joseph”), is a senior associate with JP Morgan’s sports finance group. Previously, he was a financial operations analyst with the New York Yankees. (Hat tip: Amy Schafrann)
Joey Zelkowitz
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Congratulations too to more Stapleites: the school’s Students of the Month.
Seniors Molly Oliver and Nathan Smith; juniors Jocelyn Connors, Matthew Perez and Leila Stein; sophomore Luke Cooper, and freshman Emma Rivel, have been nominated by their teachers.
Principal Stafford Thomas calls them “the ‘glue’ of the Staples community — the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.”
From left: Emma Rivel, Matthew Perez, Leila Stein, Molly Oliver, Jocelyn Connors, Nathan Smith, Luke Cooper.
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The other day, John Brandt brought his illustrative presentation “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” to the Y’s Women.
It demonstrated visually how music is part of our everyday lives, from film and dance to Broadway. Brandt’s journey included “Casablanca,” “Star Wars,” “Titanic,” “Exodus” and “Gone with the Wind”; Martha Graham and “The Nutcracker,” and “A Chorus Line.”
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Trombonist/composer/bandleader Altin Sencalar brings his magic to this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (November 14, VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 7; $20 music charge, $15 veterans and students).
Sencalar has shared the stage, toured, and/or recorded with Christian McBride, Michael Bublé, The Temptations, Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Ne-Yo, Big Sean and many others. An apt musician to close out the first NextGen Fest.
He’ll be joined by pianist Tylerl Henderson, bassist Gram Kozak, saxophonist Greg Wall and drummer Mike Camacho. Click here for reservations, and more information.
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We’ve had a bumper crop of acorns this year.
Pam Docters spotted these nuts near Compo Road South. They make for a perfect “Westport … Naturally” spread.
(Photo/Pam Docters)
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And finally … in honor of 2nd Street, our soon-to-be-new second-hand clothing store:
(The recording above is 103 years old. “06880” is 15. To help us reach the century mark — or, at least, 16 — please click here. Thank you!)
Here in NYC, we have a 2nd St. store right down my block. Don’t be fooled. It’s not exactly a thrift store. Prices are $$$$ for their carefully curated vintage stuff. On the other hand, I, too, shopped at Functional Clothing circa 1982 and bought a surplus army shirt that rocked all through college!
Joey was on the super ’13 (season ’12) football team at Staples which included our neighbor, James Frusciante, who went on to Princeton to play wide receiver. I am told Joey got his start at the Yankees via the concession manager, who was a huge Wrecker booster. The power of the Wrecker network.
Congratulations to Students Demand Action. It’s worth noting that Republicans in the state senate tried to pass a bill recently that would have sidestepped lockboxes for guns. They all thought a locked house was safe enough for a loaded gun. If voters can start to get rid of Republicans at the local and state level, maybe common sense can one day replace insanity in politics.
common sense is history
No Richie, common sense has prevailed. When a country is tired of your BS, when given thr opportunity, it rises, minorities, majorities, colors, all come together to say enough.
This election will shape and strengthen our country for decades.
You can’t mock people and not suffer consequences.
Mock? Reality check. Your convicted felon is the biggest divider in history. Your so-called mandate was really a statement against a woman President. Now, all these promises, let’s see what you can really do? Last time around, tax cuts to the rich and little more.
who is going to pay for the wall ??
Better yet, Richard, who is going to pay for the mass deportation? At least the senile Reagan had the good sense to offer amnesty to 11 million undocumented immigrants in 1987. Trump wants to make money and be front page in every media outlet, he cares little about this country but the folks he is choosing to surround himself, certainly want to tear down our democratic institutions.
Westport economy runs on the back of undocumented immigrants. The local Westport builders hire sub contractors that use undocumented laborers. Our favorite restaurant and deli use undocumented laborers. Then the Westport nail salons and massage shop are run by undocumented laborers mainly from Flushing Queens. Who is blowing your leaves ? Who is building stone walls all over Westport ? Bridgewater employees ?
Jo Jo, ‘tax cuts to the rich and little more.’ Look how happy Pelosi, Oprah, Beyonce, Bon Jovi, John Legend will be!
And Kamala? Doubt she’d be elected Staples class president.
It is Jo Ann, thank you. Certainly all the rich will benefit but I thought your convicted felon was a candidate for the middle class? Kamala is good people, time to move on and unite this country, not keep polarizing it.
speaking of Staples. I wonder what the Trump Fans would react to a teacher or principal who posted of if your rich and famous you can grab woman by the P ? I guess they would endorse that teacher for a promotion and dismiss the comment as locker room talk.
I am bewildered by women supporting a man who loudly announced groping women was super, cheated on his wife with a porn star while she was pregnant with their first child, has a substantial judgement against him by a woman who he molested her body then attacked her character, is a convicted felon for tax evasion/fraud and packed the SCOTUS who, after lying to the Senate in their confirmation hearings, voted to overturn Roe which has been already a disaster run by the States. Is this the type of man you would marry, let alone vote for? What is wrong?
a statement against a woman President? No, it was a statement against a womwn who was not qualified and found it impossible to answer a question and people saw thru her.
No, I disagree. HRC faced the same problem and with Harris being of color, no Latino or Black male would vote for her. You won. You have all three houses of government, now let us see what you can do? Try making America whole again, it is already great.
Yes I agree. She was an empty suit who was told she could do it despite the evidence. Joe’s revenge got her the job opportunity but she blew it. NPI. She was spherically inept.
The only question Trump has ever answered directly and without hesitation, was confirming that yes, women and girls who obtain abortion services must be punished. Is that what you think Rosemary? Should you or your mother or your sister or your daughter or granddaughter be punished for seeking an abortion after being impregnated by a rapist? What punishment would you dole out to an impregnated 11 year old child? Jail? A whipping? How should society punish those seeking control over their own bodies?
Fanny Brice was also “Baby Snooks,” where she voiced a wise-acre child on one of the least radio shows when TV came into being. I believe her death brought the series to an end.
HRC is a war criminal and democrat’s deserve them all.
I applaud Students Demand Action. Until both Democrats and Republicans can agree that the second amendment is forever (mitigating the NRA’s hold on both parties) but sensible gun control is needed, and actually get something done (good luck with that!) America can take steps to protect our society like this educational initiative. I would suggest another proven step Students Demand Action should take would be to lobby Westport elected officials and Superintendent Scarice to make the current School Security Officers full School Resource Officers. As per Chief Koskinos there is no added cost to do so and the Staples SRO experiment has proven the value of the SRO beyond anyone’s fears beforehand. Let’s do what we can on a community level to protect our schools.