Monthly Archives: November 2024

Roundup: Old Mill Grocery, Fire Danger, Duke Ellington …

Posted on November 20, 2024 | 1 comment

Old Mill Grocery & Delis’s picnic tables, gelato cart and liquor license are now, officially, legal.

On Monday night, the Planning & Zoning Commission approved — with a modification — a text amendment covering outdoor eating areas, and associated uses, for retail food establishments in residential zones.

Commissioners tweaked the prooposal, ensuring that tables at 2 other establishments — The Porch at Christie’s, and The Country Store on Wilton Road — would not encroach on their property boundaries.

The P&Z cited the “strong sense of community and connection with one’s neighbors” provided by those 3 establishments, as part of the reasons for adopting the text amendment.

Old Mill Grocery & Deli’s picnic tables have been there for decades.

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Due to extreme fire danger in the area, outdoor burning is prohibited. This includes fire pits; open flames (for example, brush or leaf pile burning), chimineas, and other outdoor flame devices. Violators may face legal consequences.

For indoor fireplaces or wood stoves, follow these safety tips:

  • Ensure chimneys and flues are professionally cleaned and inspected.
  • Burn only dry, seasoned wood to minimize creosote buildup.
  • Avoid overloading your fireplace or stove.
  • Use a protective screen to contain embers.

As drought conditions persist, water conservation tips include:

  • Limit outdoor watering and use of irrigation systems.
  • Fix leaks in faucets, pipes, and appliances promptly.
  • Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.
  • Use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor plants.

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Are you interested in electric vehicles, but unsure which is the “best”? (Or, more accurately, the best for you?)

The EV Club of Connecticut hosts a special online event December 3 (7 p.m.).

Gabe Shenhar — a Westport resident, EV Club member, and associate director of the auto test program for Consumer Reports — will review 8 vehicles: Mercedes EQE SUV; Genesis GV60; Cadillac Lyriq; Acura ZDX; Lexus RZ; Chevy Equinox EV; Tesla Cybertruck. and Volvo XC60.

The session is free, but registration is required. Click here to sign up, and for more information.

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Next month, prominent musicians and music scholars gather at the Westport Library to honor one of America’s greatest composers.

“Speaking of Music: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington (December 7, 7 p.m.) features a multimedia presentation by Dr. John Edward Hasse.

The longtime curator of American music at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will discuss Ellington’s legacy as a musician, including his impact on popular music of the late 20th century.

Then, James Langton and Dan Levinson’s New York All-Star Big Band will perform music from the innovative artist.

Tickets are $40. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

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Oscars are great.

But they’re not the only prizes in the film universe.

ETHOS Film Awards celebrate purpose-driven films that promote peace, diversity, inclusion and environmental sustainability.

All genres and lengths are eligible. Under-represented voices — including the neuro-diverse and disability community — are encouraged to apply.

This past weekend in Santa Monica, California, Wynston Browne earned an ETHOS as “Best Impact Actor.”

The Staples High School senior — a non-speaking autistic teenager whose communication via a typing device has opened up his own world, and shown the rest of the world his remarkable, wide-ranging and tremendous intelligence — starred in (and inspired) “Presumed Incompetent.”

Directed by Staples High School graduate Cynthia Gibb, written by longtime Westporter Jill Johnson Mann, and filmed here in 2023, the film tells the story of an exceptionally bright young man — overlooked for his neuro-diversity, and “presumed incompetent” — overcoming his disabilities, and blazing a path for inclusion.

Wynston did a talkback — using his communication devices — following the screening in California.

But he and his film don’t stop there. On December 12, “Presumed Innocent” will be screened at the Big Apple Film Festival (657 West 57th Street, 5:45 p.m.; click here for tickets).

Congratulations, Wynston. We always knew you were a star!

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Speaking of entertainment: First Folk Sunday is going Irish.

Four fine Irish musicians come together Sunday, December 1 (noon), at the Saugatuck Rowing Club.

Californian John Brennan began his career as a guitarist with Poco, the Eagles, Graham Nash, and The Byrds discovered his Irish roots when he relocated to New York City.

For First Folk Sunday, he brings together accordionist Loretta Egan Murphy (Cherish the Ladies, Shamrock Traditional Music Society); Eugene Bender (Sligo style traditional Irish fiddler), and Mark Demchak (bodhran player – the Irish drum).

First Folk Sunday’s Irish lass Suzanne Sheridan joins them. She recently traveled to Ireland, and has taken her homeland’s music to heart.

The music cover charge is $15 (click here for reservations). Table service is available for brunch or lunch. Cocktails and beverages are offere too.

Sure, and it’s an Irish First Folk Sunday.

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Here’s an interesting spin on mental health:

Over 75 people  turned out recently for Positive Directions’ first spin fundraiser.

More than 150 donors — including some of the town’s top officials — rode almost 625 miles in 90 minutes.

Police Chief Foti Koskinas, 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker take spins.

Their hard work raised over $30,000 for Positive Directions. Funds will help the non-profit behavioral health organization address mental health needs, and ensure that mental health treatment is available to all who need it.

Positive Directions’ board members, staff and spin talent. (Photos/Kerry Fitz Photography)

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As Donald Trump gets ready to return to the White house, the ACLU of Connecticut gets ready too.

On December 5 (6 p.m., Westport Library), they’ll sponsoor a “Civil Rights Town Hall: Preparing for a New Presidential Administration.”

ACLU panelists will address:

  • Free speech, and the right to assemble
  • Immigrants’ rights
  • Reproductive rights and bodily autonomy
  • LGBTQIA+ rights
  • Criminal legal system
  • Government surveillance
  • Voting rights.

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The Westport Country Playhouse 2024 Script in Hand season concludes December 2 (7 p.m.) with “True Art.”

It’s a “sharp and funny tale of ambition, deception, and self-discovery in the high stakes and cutthroat art world.”

All tickets are $30. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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There were treats for doggies — and humans — last night, as Spot on Vet celebrated its grand opening.

The new veterainary center replaces Men’s Wearhouse, on Post Road East between Christian Siriano’s boutique and Starbucks.

Spot On Vet offers emergency medical care; day care and boarding for sick, injured or recovering animals in “luxury accommodations” (well-lit cubicles with small beds).

Owners can watch their pets via camera. Pets can also listen to their favorite music or TV program.

Spot On Vet also offers dental care, a full pharmacy, facilities for major surgeries including orthopedic procedures, medical testing that often can’t be done in a regular veterinary office, physical therapy, and a valet service to pick up pets from home.

Everyone was welcome at Spot on Vet’s opening. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

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Speaking of man’s best friend: Our “Westport … Naturally” features often bring smiles to readers’ faces.

But today you’ll actually laugh. Just look at this laughing dog:

(Photo/Pat Weist)

“We all need a good laugh these days,” photographer Pat Weist says.

Arf!

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And finally … in honor of Positive Directions’ fundraiser (story above):

 (No matter how you spin it, “06880” is your hyper-local source for news, opinions and much more. As always, we rely on reader support. Please click here to help. Thank you!)

 

 

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Posted in Beach, Entertainment, Library, Local business, Local politics, Westport Country Playhouse

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Teens Turn Antisemitism Into Teachable Moment

Posted on November 20, 2024 | 13 comments

A disturbing antisemitic incident has had a very positive outcome.

Late Monday evening, Rabbi Michael Friedman sent this message to his Temple Israel congegants:

Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago, on the day before Kol Nidrei, and just a few days after the first anniversary of October 7, a swastika was etched on the football locker of a Jewish student at Weston High School.

A swastika etched on a Jewish student’s locker is different from a swastika drawn, for example, on a bathroom stall or the seat of a school bus (both of which have also happened locally in recent years), because this is a targeted act.

But the story I want to tell you is not one of persecution and antisemitism. Instead, this is a story of resilience and pride, and about the great faith we should have in the next generation.

The student on whose locker the swastika was etched — who grew up here at Temple Israel — was brave enough to inform coaches and the athletic director.

Weston High School athletics

Then later that very evening another Jewish student on the football team — also a Temple Israel student — recorded a courageous and emotional message to his teammates about the impact this swastika had on him, and posted it on the team’s internal chat.

The school administration and town police swiftly coordinated a thorough investigation, according to the policies and procedures that they have in place. Ultimately the investigation was inconclusive; we don’t know who etched the swastika.

A group of Temple Israel teens had recently formed the Jewish Student Union at Weston High School, and swiftly jumped into action.

They approached the principal and administration, advocating for a schoolwide assembly to address the incident. These teen leaders envisioned, shaped, organized, executed and led that schoolwide assembly on Friday morning. They demonstrated initiative and leadership throughout the process.

The assembly included words from the targeted student, the testimony of a Holocaust survivor which was paired with an engaging video, and a message from Senator Blumenthal that the students them themselves had reached out and obtained.

The students also asked me to speak. I taught about the power of symbols, which not only stand for something concrete but also invoke certain emotions and feelings.

I showed a series of symbols on the screen and asked students to share what that symbol made them feel.

When we got to the swastika, Jewish students were able to share in front of their peers how the etching of a swastika on a Jewish student’s locker made them feel targeted, and how the act reverberated throughout the Jewish community of our town.

Finally a representative from the ADL taught about strategies by which one can oppose hate.

The assembly was an excellent and impactful educational experience for the entire school. I want to underscore that the students themselves envisioned, created, shaped and ran the assembly from start to finish. And I credit the school administration for trusting and supporting them, and for giving them the opportunity to stand up and lead.

I am so very proud of the Temple Israel teens who took action following this antisemitic incident.

When the response to an act of hate could have been fear or silence, what the high school community saw instead was courage and pride. Each of them — starting with the one whose locker was targeted, continuing to his football teammate, and then to the many leaders of the JSU — provide a model for all of us.

Many of them began in our Early Childhood Center. All of them were (or are) students in our Kesher program. They embody what success looks like for all our children: to be knowledgeable and proud Jews, and when the time comes for them to act in the world, they do so with courage and integrity.

Thanks to them, even in these trying times which can often feel very dark, we know that the future is very bright.

L’shalom,
Rabbi Michael S. Friedman

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Posted in Education, religion, Sports, Teenagers, Weston

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Steffi Friedman’s Story, In Sculpture

Posted on November 20, 2024 | 4 comments

Steffi David was born in Berlin in 1925 — a century ago, next year.

Her idyllic childhoood — visiting museums with her dentist father, skiing in Czechoslovakia, summering in Switzerland — ended abruptly when Hitler gained power.

In 1937, she and her fellow Jewish classmates were banned from German schools.

The next year — 2 weeks before Kristallnach — 13-year-old Steffi, her father, mother and sister escaped by train to Amsterdam. They had transient visas.

They moved on, penniless, to Panama. At 15 Steffi moved once again, this time — alone — to live with an aunt and uncle in Queens. Within 2 months, she was fluent in English.

Encouraged by a teacher, Steffi earned a scholarship to the Art Students League in Manhattan. She took night classes at the Pratt Institute. During the day, she worked.

Her first job was as a graphic artist. She gave half her salary to her parents, who had finally joined her in America.

After marrying Bridgeport native Al Friedman, and building a home on Yankee Hill Road in Westport, she gave up her career to raise 3 children.

Steffi Friedman

When the youngest was in junior high, Steffi began studying sculpture at the Silvermine School of Art. Her teacher and mentor, Stenley Bleifeld, was later named International Sculptor of the Year.

After 8 years as a student, Steffi became a teacher herself — first at Fairfield University, then for 30 years in her home studio.

She also volunteered, working with talented inner city youth through Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County.

For 19 years she ran Camp Terra Cotta, teaching people from around the world in Vermont.

Steffi worked into her 80s. She was prolific in terra cotta, bronze and stone.

Her work is now part of over 100 private collections. It was shown in galleries throughout the US.

It lives on in Westport too. Temple Israel commissioned several pieces, including one of Golda Meir.

Steffi Friedman, with her Golda Meir sculpture.

“Never Again” hangs on an outside wall. Dedicated in 2004 as part of the temple’s “Tolerance Center,” Steffi considered it her most important work.

“Never Again,” at Temple Israel.

Steffi’s “Pas de Deux” ballet has a place of honor in the Staples High School courtyard. Earthplace features a large piece — “Free to Be Me” — in the atrium, and another smaller work. She also donated 2 sculptures to the Westport Library’s children’s section.

“Pas de Deux,” in the Staples High School courtyard.

“Her art was how she expressed her emotions,” Steffi’s daughter Margie says. “She was so pleased these pieces are all over town.”

Steffi Friedman died in 2019, after complications of a stroke and dementia. She was 94.

Margie Friedman

When her daughter emptied the home her mother had lived in for 67 years, she found hundreds of photos and slides of Steffi’s work. Worried they might be lost — but unsure what to do with them — Margie shipped them to her home in Santa Monica, California.

Soon, she realized she had enough material for a book.

Maggie scanned the images, cleaned them up, found a self-publishing company, wrote text, and created layouts

It took 2 years. Margie — a 1972 Staples graduate — worked around her full-time job, as a TV producer.

The result is “Steffi Friedman: Sculpture.” The 118-page book, printed handsomely on glossy paper, includes dozens of photos of the artist’s work, along with her compelling, first-person bio.

In one section, Margie explains the importance of Jewish themes to her mother’s work. Other sections include figurative sculptures, ballet dancers, children, portraits, fairies and nymphs, stone, abstracts, nature, commemorations and illustrations.

The audience is both local (Steffi’s friends, fans and former students in Fairfield County) and global. Margie has sent copies to Holocaust and Jewish museums and organizations worldwide — including one in Berlin, which holds her mother’s family’s artifacts and writings.

Feedback has been gratifying.

“People love the breadth and depth of the artwork,” Margie says.

“A lot of people didn’t know her story. She didn’t talk about it for years.

“She would have loved this.”

(“Steffi Friedman: Sculpture” is available at the Westport Barnes & Noble. It can also be ordered from Maggie. Email wgwmargie@aol.com for details.)

Steffi Friedman’s “Free To Be Me” is now on view at Earthplace. 

(“06880” often covers Westport’s arts scene — its past, present and future. If you enjoy that coverage, or anything else on our hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

 

 

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Pic Of The Day #2772

Posted on November 19, 2024 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #2772

“There’s a seat for everyone” at the Saugatuck Church table. (Photo/Dan Woog

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Candlelight Tickets Available November 25

Posted on November 19, 2024 | 4 comments

For 84 years, the Candlelight Concert has been the Staples High School music department’s gift to the town.

With its “Sing We Noel” processional, “Hallelujah Chorus” finale, and wondrous performances by the choirs, orchestras and bands, Candlelight is timeless.

Scores of musicians make Candlelight magic.

But there is always something new, too.

This year, it’s the debut of band leader Kevin Mazzarella. He joins veteran orchestra director Carrie Marasco, choral conductor Lauren Pine, and the rest of the outstanding Staples music department, in presenting the beloved holiday concert that is always fresh and exciting, yet also warmly traditional.

This year’s concert is Friday, December 13 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 14 (3 and 8 p.m.).

Tickets will be available to the public at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 25 (online at www.staplesmusic.org). There is a maximum of 4 tickets per order.

There is no charge for Candlelight tickets. However, donations to support the music program are graciously accepted.

(Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

This year’s Candlelight Concert features inspiring selections and familiar favorites.

Susato’s lively “La Morisque,” a brass and wind rendition from 16th-century Germany, leads seamlessly into the “Sing We Noel” processional.

The haunting “Sing We Noel” proessional. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

The full orchestra will highlight “March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland,” followed by the combined choral ensembles’ Liberian folk song “African Noel,” “Ave Maria,” and a vibrant arrangement of the Ashkenazic folk song “S’Vivon.”

Mazzarella’s band debut includes a stirring rendition of Aaron Copland’s “The Promise of Living” from “The Tender Land” — a hopeful, reflective close to the year — followed by the vibrant and dramatic “Bacchanale” by Saint-Saëns.

After Alan Silvestri’s “The Polar Express,” Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” provides a rousing and popular finale.

In the spirit of the season, the Staples Tri-M Music Honor Society will conduct a “CanDelight” canned food donation drive, to benefit the Homes for Hope food pantry. There will be collection bins in the auditorium lobby, before each concert.

Veteran Candlelight-goers know: Tickets sell out fast. Mark your calendar now for 9 a.m., November 25. And remember the website: www.staplesmusic.org.

This year’s Candlelight poster was designed by art and music student Connor Yuan.

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Roundup: Ukraine, Local Politics, Sports …

Posted on November 19, 2024 | 11 comments

The Sunrise Rotary and Westport Rotary Clubs have pledged $2,500 each, to Ukraine Aid International.

Rotarian Ken Bernhard is seeking more funds, which the national club will match. The goal of $15,000 would purchase water filtration systems, for use in the war-torn nation.

The need is critical, in areas where Russian forces have destroyed water supplies.

UAI founders Marshall and Brian Mayer — who grew up in Westport — described the water filtration systems, and other aid their non-profit provides (including communications equipment, vehicles, and funds for children’s therapy camps) on Sunday, at a special dinner provided by Nômade.

Among the attendees: Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes. Both provided insights into the current status of US aid to Ukraine. Blumenthal — who has traveled there 6 times — noted the bipartisan support, with ties forged on his trips with Republican senators like Lindsay Graham.

Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes at Nômade. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Click below for Congressman Himes’ remarks:

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The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee holds a public meeting this Thursday (November 21, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 307-9).

The agenda includes reviews of the parking lot project, a review of the public engagement process, and an update on the parking study and feasibility analysis.

Meanwhile, the Long Lots School Building Committee meeting scheduled for today (Tuesday) has been canceled.

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ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap has done it again.

The Westporter debuted his stunning new documentary, before a large Westport audience crowd.

“Pat Tillman: Life, Death, Legacy” is a profound and impactful look at the life and legacy of the NFL star who volunteered to serve in Afghanistan, then was killed by friendly fire.

Missed it? Click here for details on how to stream the video.

Jeremy Schaap, at the Westport Library. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Briggs)

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Also last night: A nearly sold-out audience enjoyed the Westport Country Playhouse’s latest Script In Hand reading.

“A Danger to Yourself and Others” took place — appropriately — the week before Thanksgiving, It involved a gas station robbery, library card revocation, love, and much more.

Script in Hand readings are regular — and very popular — Playhouse events.

Script in Hand readings give a great flavor of interesting plays. This is a scene from “A Danger to Yourself.” (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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It was a day for Clemson orange.

But there was plenty of Staples blue in Cary, North Carolina on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Paddy Donovan — a 2022 Staples High School grad — saved one penalty kick, in the ACC men’s soccer final.

But 2 Clemson teammates missed theirs, and Wake Forest captured the league championship, 7-6, after regulation and overtime ended 1-1.

Among the other local connections: Clemson is coached by 1979 Staples grad (and former state champion) Mike Noonan. He’s led the Tigers to 2 national titles in the past 3 years.

In the stands: Paddy’s parents, Dan and Nicole Donovan. Both are SHS alums too. Dan is a former Wrecker soccer state champion. And his late brother Doug was Noonan’s teammate, on that ’78 state title squad.

Also on hand: former Staples teachers Dave and Marianne Harrison (social studies and physical education, respectively). Both now live in North Carolina.

Next up for Clemson: The NCAA tournament. Donovan and his teammates earned a first-round bye.

From left: Nicole Donovan, Dave and Marianne Harrison, Dan Donovan. All sport Clemson orange.

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Speaking of sports: The Staples girls rugby program hosts a clinci for all current interested girls, in 8th grade and above, on November 24 (12:30 to 2 p.m., Staples football field).

Players from the University of New Haven Women’s Rugby Team will be lead the event. It’s a chance for girls (and their parents) see what rugby is all about, ask questions, and meet athletes. No prior experience is required.

The Staples girls rugby season runs from March through June.

Staples High School girls rugby. (Photo/Dylan Chatterjee Photography)

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It’s been an November to remember.

Just over a week before Thanksgiving, this is the still-splendrous scene at Celia Campbell-Mohn’s home, off Roseville Road:

(Photo/Celia Campbell-Mohn)

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And finally … on this day in 1493, Christopher Columbus landed on an island he first saw the day before. He named it San Juan Bautista. Today we know it as Puerto Rico.

The island has given the world many great gifts. Among them: our neighbor, longtime Weston resident José Feliciano.

(“06880” is where Westport — and Weston — meet the world. If you enjoy the connections you find here, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Education, Library, Local politics, Politics, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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Startup Westport Salutes Young Tech Innovators

Posted on November 19, 2024 | 4 comments

At 15, Dylan Diamond built an app. Now, his Staples High School classmates had an easy way to view their schedules and grades.

Most people would have stopped there.

Diamond rolled it out nationally. It’s evolved into Saturn — a must-have calendar and time management app for high school and college students.

Customizable and shareable, it includes classes, clubs, sports practice and games, concert and show rehearsals, and more.

Dylan Diamond

As CEO of Saturn Technologies, Diamond oversees 100-plus employees, at its New York headquarters.

Long before he earned a dual degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Diamond’s Staples Class of 2017 teachers and classmates knew he’d go far.

Diamond is just one of a remarkable crop of recent SHS grads who are creating companies, raising tens of millions of dollars in funding, and redefining entire industries.

Max Hammer graduated a year before Diamond. He too went to Penn, where he majored in international relations and affairs.

Today, Hammer and classmate Josh Karol — a fellow 2016 Staples grad, who earned a degree in compueter science and mathematics at Emory University — are CEO and CTO, respectively, of CrowdVolt.

Max Hammer and Josh Karol.

Their start-up solves a problem bedeviling their generation: how to exchange rave and EDM tickets, without the hassle of buying them of Facebook Marketplace or Reddit, or paying high fees on other sites.

How serious are they? Hammer and Karol are backed by Y Combinator — the most prominent start-up accelerator in the world.

Jack Sharkey is even younger than those three. The University of Texas computer science and business grad — now CTO of Whop — is a 2018 Staples alum.

His platform connects buyers and sellers in the digital economy, focusing on influencers and content creators.

Jack Sharkey

Whop secured $17 million in a Series A funding round. Investors — including Insight Partners, the Chainsmokers fund and Peter Thiel — valued the startup at $100 million. With a million customers and 3,000 sellers, Whop has facilitated $100 million in transactions.

Like Diamond, Hammer and Karol, Sharkey got his start in Staples’ computer science program. He created an app offering schedules, sites and other info on all 27 sports played at any of Connecticut’s 183 high schools — including varsity, JV and freshman.)

Next Monday, November 25 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library), they’ll all pay it forward.

The 4 creative, hard-working entrepreneurial superstars will be featured at Startup Westport’s Young Innovators Forum.

Molly O’Shea

The Staples connection continues with the moderator. Molly O’Shea

A 2014 Staples grad who earned a BA in design and entrepreneurship at New York University, she’s a venture capital investor, and founder of Sourcery, the VC deal and startup trend newsletter.

Previous Startup Westport forums focused on women and minorities.

Now, Westport’s public-private tech and innovation partnership shines a spotlight on a new group of entrepreneurs. All are younger than 26.

Next week’s Young Innovators Forum is open to all ages.

“We are excited to welcome Staples High School students, their parents, alumni and all other Westporters for an evening celebrating the success of these extraordinary, home-grown innovators — and to hear how they journeyed from classrooms here to the pinnacle of innovation,” says Startup Westport co-founder and president Cliff Sirlin.

The panelists will discuss the challenges they’ve faced, the creative solutions they’ve pioneered, and how Westport and Staples shaped their journeys.

Hammer looks forward to inspiring others, and building connections — just as he did, a few years ago here.

Diamond adds, “The mentorship I received, and the encouragement to build products that served the community, were hugely motivating. I’m thrilled to return, to share my experiences.”

O’Shea — who is coming from California to moderate the evening — notes, “Each of these companies has achieved incredible milestones and legitimacy.

“This is not just a typical panel. They’ve collectively raised from top-tier Silicon Valley firms, hit significant growth, and reached product market fit.”

And, looking back at her alma mater, O’Shea says, “I’m excited to support Staples’ growing role in tech.”

(The Young Innovators Forum is free, but registration is required. Click here for details.)

(“06880” often highlights the success of Staples graduates, of all ages and types. If you enjoy this coverage on your hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Pics Of The Day #2771

Posted on November 18, 2024 | 3 comments

One Compo Beach sunrise … (Photo/Jim Hood)

… and another … (Photo/James Connaughton)

… and a third … (Photo/Sunil Hirani)

… and a couple of hours later … (Photo/Sunil Hirani)

… and the view from Saugatuck Shores (Photo/M. Fortuna)

 

 

 

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Remembering Winnie Balboni

Posted on November 18, 2024 | 9 comments

Winnie Balboni — a longtime Westporter, whose eye for Westport’s beauty was matched only by her enthusiasm for it — died September 24. She was 101.

Hope Hageman offers this obituary:

Born in Closter, New Jersey on April 16, 1923, Winnie was educated at the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter she married US Air Force Major Chester George Williams, and gave birth to sons Jeffrey, John and Jason.

She and Major Williams divorced in 1954. He died two years later.

For a time she was a single parent, living with her parents in Springfield.

Winnie married Anthony “Tony” Balboni, a pilot for United Airlines, in 1956, the year that she moved to Westport.

She soon became a mainstay of the Westport Garden Club. She played a major role in the effort to transform landfill on Imperial Avenue into Grace Salmon Park, including persuading the town to fund it.

Winnie Balboni at Grace Salmon Park.

She was the long-time editor of the Garden Club newsletter, and a tireless volunteer in the organization’s many projects. In 2006 she received an award from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut for her work.

She established Westport’s first Tree Board, which she served on for many years.

One of Winnie’s favorite spots was Sherwood Island State Park. Through her friendship with the park superintendent, forged during her afternoon rambles there, she learned that Connecticut ranked 50th in the nation in per capita expenditure on state parks.

With guidance from the Friends of Connecticut State Parks, Winnie formed a board of directors, developed a mission statement and by-laws, and almost singlehandedly founded the Friends of Sherwood Island.

A vibrant non-profit today, it has provided many enhancements over the past 25 years.

Winnie Balboni (far left) with her 2006 Connecticut Federated Garden Clubs award. (Photo courtesy of “A History of the Westport Garden Club 1924-2014,” by Louise Demakis)

In her mid-60s Winnie joined the Westport League of Woman Voters, and quickly became a board member. She organized the group’s first Memorial Day parade marchers. The sashes and suffragist outfits worn in the parade are lasting reminders of Winnie’s vision.

Her obituary calls Winnie “funny and feisty, generous to a fault, endlessly energetic, always curious and fiercely outspoken.

“She was an outdoorswoman, a tireless volunteer, a quilter, a seamstress, a mentor, a leader who believed that homemade baked goods were key to a successful and well-attended meeting.

“She hiked the Appalachian Trail in manageable portions whenever she could, she started the Jolly Gardeners to engage youngsters in outdoor work, she wrote letters regularly to every friend she ever had, she was committed to mental health advocacy and research at both state and local levels, she was a presence, and not always a silent one, at innumerable yown meetings.

Winnie Balboni, with a cloth bag. In 2008, before Westport’s Representative Town Meeting voted to ban the use of plastic bags — the first municipality east of the Mississippi River to do so — 85-year-old Winnie made a ringing speech urging it to do so.

“But her true and larger legacy now lies in the hearts and memories of countless friends who were fortunate enough to experience her warmth, humor and generosity at close range.”

Winnie was predeceased by her son Jeffrey, in 2007. She is survived by her sons Jason Williams of Cambridge, Massachusetts and John Williams of Richmond, Virginia, her devoted caregivers for the past 5 years; John’s wife Pamela Susan King, and “an incredibly long list of good friends.”

(Click here for an “06880” story, honoring Winnie Balboni on her 100th birthday.)

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VIDEO INCLUDED: “06880” Podcast: Dr. Jonathan Sollinger

Posted on November 18, 2024 | 3 comments

Dr. Jonathan Sollinger grew up in Westport. A 1986 graduate of Staples High School, he majored in history at Dartmouth, and got his medical degree from the University of Connecticut.

After training at Montefiore/Einstein, he’s been a beloved Willow Group pediatrician for over 20 years. He knows more about kids than just about anyone I know.

(Full disclosure: I’ve known Dr. Sollinger since he was a kid. Back in the day, I coached “Jono” in soccer.)

We got togther the other day at the Westport Library, for “06880: The Podcast.” our conversation centered around youngsters: what it was like growing up here back in the day, what it’s like now, and what tomorrow may bring.

Click below, for Dr. Jonathan’s Sollinger very intriguing insights into his — and our community’s — life.

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Posted in Children, Media

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