There is a local angle to the 1,500 pardons granted Monday night by President Trump.
One of the convicted defendants who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 was Benjamin Cohen. The Westport resident — 21 years old at the time of the siege — was arrested in 2023, at his home off Bayberry Lane.
Last summer he pled guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.
Earlier this month he was sentenced to 5 years probation and 6 months of home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,000.
Benjamin Cohen, in photos released at the time of his arrest.
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Lynda Bluestein’s final legacy were wind phones.
Two devices — disconnected rotary telephones, used to stay connected to loved ones who have died — were installed last year at the Westport Library. They honor the longtime Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport member, and medical aid in dying advocate.
A new wind phone was installed in the Memorial Garden of the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in late November. A private dedication ceremony was held January 4 — the first anniversary of Lynda’s death.
Bluestein’s son Jacob built the structure to house the phone, which was donated Vanessa and Dave Bradford.
Lynda sometimes sat in with her husband Paul and Dave Bradford when they played music at the Black Rock Farmer’s Market and PorchFest.
Greenfield Hill Church wind phone. (Photo/Kristyn Miller Photography)
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The Westport Farmers’ Market reminds residents that “self-care and connection” is available every Thursday through March (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), at the winter location: Gilbertie’s Herbs & Gardens Center (7 Sylvan Lane).
In addition to farm-fresh produce and other goods, there are workshops focusing on wellnes (meditations, sound baths, Dharma massages and strength.
“Get Growing” children’s activities spark curiosity and foster connections with nature. Through hands-on experiences, younsters learn about the importance of sustainable living, and the joy of growing and eating local food.
Whether indoor or outdoor, Fatto a Mano always draws a crowd at the Westport Farmers’ Market. (Photo/Frank Rosen)
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Nearly 30 years after the Hartford Whalers fled to North Carolina, pro hockey comes to the Westport Library.
“Isles in Aisles” is a new partnership between the Library and the Bridgeport Islanders, the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate.
Players will be at the Children’s Library on February 4 (5:30 p.m.), February 18 (4:30 p.m.) and March 3 (4:30 p.m.) to read aloud from their favorite children’s and hockey-themed books. Players will sign autographs afterward..
This is a drop-in event for youngsters, but adults are welcome.
Potential books for Isles in Aisles include “Z is for Zamboni,” “Hero’s Ho Ho Ho Hockey Dream,” “Hockey Morning, Noon, and Night,” “The Magic Hockey Stick” and “The Hockey Sweater.”
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An incorrect time was posted yesterday for “Alice in Webland,” the Triple Threat Academy show set for this weekend at Saugatuck Congregational Church.
The correct times are Saturday, January 25 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, January 26 at 3 p.m.
Children growing up in the digital age can relate to the show’s characters, and learn valuable lessons about balancing social media and living in the moment..
Tickets are $5 (free for senior citizens). Click here to purchase, and for more information.
2nd through 8th graders rehearse for the world premiere of “Alice in Webland.”
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Mollie Klaff Passero — longtime owner of Klaff’s, the store that for many years had a Westport location — died Tuesday, surrounded by her family. She was 101.
From the early 1950s through 2015, she held court in her signature suits and silk scarves, in the Klaff’s of South Norwalk site.
Mollie Klaff was born in Norwalk. She began singing professionally at age 8. By 13 she had her own radio program on WICC. As a young woman she had a successful singing career, touring with Louis Prima.
While performing in Stamford she met her husband, Maury Passero. They married in 1948.
In 1921 her parents started Klaff’s, a plumbing supply company. They added electrical supplies and hardware in the 1930’s. After WWII, they added lumber, building supplies, and complete homes.
They added lighting and kitchen departments in the 1950’s. When they died in the 1950’s Mollie, her sister Debbie and Maury took over the business.
Klaff’s became a destination home design center with locations in South Norwalk, Westport, Danbury and Scarsdale, New York. Their daughter Felicia managed the Westport store.
Here family says, “Mollie treated every employee at Klaff’s as family, with most spending their entire careers working with her.”
Mollie passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 21, surrounded by family. In addition to her children Joe and Felicia, she is survived by her son Jeffery, daughter Lisa, daughters-in-law Amy and Allison, and granddaughters Sasha, Lilli, Eve, and Izabella.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Mollie’s name can be made to Temple Shalom of Norwalk, where services will be held tomorrow (Thursday, January 23, 1 p.m.).
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The mourning (not “morning”) dove that stars in today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature doesn’t mind the cold. It just plumps up its feathers, and watches the world go by.
Lou Weinberg offers this superb photo — and a link to learn more about mourning doves.
(Photo/Lou Weinberg)
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And finally … Garth Hudson died yesterday, in a nursing home in Woodstock, New York. He was 87.
Described by the New York Times as a musician “whose intricate swirls of Lowrey organ helped elevate The Band from rollicking juke-joint refugees into one of the most resonant and influential rock groups of the 1960s and ’70s,” he was the last surviving member of The Band.
Click here for a full obituary.
(Politics, spirituality,, sports and more are all part of today’s Roundup. If you enjoy this daily feature, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
This is what that pardon means to DC police Officer Michael Fanone, who personally endured violent assaults by six of the J6ers who Trump pardoned. Heart-breaking to hear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwSuAH7B9-Y
His MOTHER was threatened by these crazy felon47 fanatics. The political violence will continue against innocent public servants. Meanwhile eggs at Stop & Shop yesterday were $10 a dozen.
human feces was thrown at his mother.
Ben, I’m sure your parents are proud of you because you helped make America great again.
Jack– FYI: you may be surprised to learn that his mother Emily Blau went to the J6 rally with him. https://westportjournal.com/police-fire/westport-man-to-change-plea-to-guilty-in-jan-6-insurrection-case/
Kris, Thanks for the article. I guess mommy also made America great again.
America will get what it deserves
What do you think America deserves?
Another somber day in America.
Soon Americans will discover they were conned by the P.T Barnum of our era.
Blanket pardons seems to be going on now with both parties!! Pardoning people who were not accused or convicted of crimes .. but just in case? I’ve never heard of that. Versus Jan 6 where it was largely orchestrated chaos but not terrorism. Only 1 person was killed and that was by a CAPITAL SECURITY GUARD.
After holding people WITHOUT CHARGE OR TRIAL many of them were worn down so they just accepted a charge of resisting arrest and insurrection because they were threatened with decades in prison.
I don’t think putting someone’s name and address in your blog is a good idea. What if the public goes after him? Isn’t that why President Biden pardoned his entire family and Jan 6th committee members for fear of retribution?
I, for one, am very happy about what President Trump is doing and will continue to do … but I’m sure that doesn’t shock you.
Pardons were given to people who the convicted Felon (Trump) said he would go after for retribution. General Milley , who Trump once praised, was threatened with execution by the Felon. Think about it, Diana. He threatened to execute General Milley because Milley spoke out against him. Milley served 42 years in the military and Trump was a cowardly draft dodger. Trump and I were in the first military draft together. I went in the military and he had daddy pay a Podiatrist to lie and get him out of serving!
the oath boys and proud boy’s are now Trumps militia. He will unleash them to put a plague on whoever and whatever at his will. Many are Neo Natzis
Jack, you’re a bit older than I. I can pretty much assure you that at least 90% of my graduating class at Staples would have performed oral sex on any physician willing to sign off on bone spurs, hemorrhoids, flat feet or anything that would have kept them out of Vietnam. I had three deferments; allergic to yellow jackets, high draft lottery # (220) and sole surviving son.
It is the criminal president who gave a blanket pardon to the 1500 duly convicted j6ers, I mean, “tourists”, who busted into Congress, illegally disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, threatened the Vice President and smeared feces on the walls. I’ve never heard of that. Biden pardoned those individuals specially named and targeted by the felon president. And if you turned off FoxNews once in a awhile, you will be able to see that the j6er who was shot was in the building illegally and was breaching a shattered glass door into the senate chambers at the time she was unfortunately but necessarily shot. She was a threat. And it is a lie to state the j6 gang was held without charge or trial. Most pleaded guilty because they were guilty and the mountains of documentation show.
Good to know, Diana, that in your own words, you are “very happy what Trump is doing” in pardoning those J6ers who injured 138 police officers (73 Capitol Police and 65 Metropolitan Police) — 15 of whom were hospitalized, some with severe injuries. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/04/politics/january-6-prosecutions-justice-department/index.html
And just so you know, FOUR officers died in the immediate aftermath. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/officer-who-responded-us-capitol-attack-is-third-die-by-suicide-2021-08-02/ (“police officers told a House of Representatives special committee that they were beaten, threatened, taunted with racial insults, and thought they might die as they struggled to defend the Capitol against the mob.”)
4,468 Westporters didn’t care about the seditious attacks when they voted in November. Wrap your heads around that.
$1,87 dollars for a gallon of gas; food prices down 40% and the Ukrainian War solved in 24 hours. It better happen quickly because if it doesn’t, watch out for a blue wave in two years!
Jack, The “out” party always gains back lost ground in the off year election. So you can probably take your “blue wave” to the bank. But the Democrats need to develop a better candidate bench than Joe and Kamala this time around. Know anybody? How about Hunter.
Quick question, Ms Pils Marino: Are you saying that the kind of “orchestrated chaos” we saw that day was not criminal? Was not subject to prosecution? That forcibly invading a Federal building doesn’t deserve jail time? And were those Proud Boys, those macho pseudo-malitia men really such “snowflakes” that a little jail time “wore them down”?
Hi Diana-
I can speak as a physician about what frightens me!
I am not sure why you would think it is a good idea for the President to issue an edict preventing the FDA, CDC and NIH from releasing any routine weekly reports.
You are in essence approving that President Trump is correct to prevent the dissemination of information on what foods are contaminated by industrial bacteria, which drugs like ivermectin are ineffective and actually dangerous, which diseases are infecting large parts of the country- like bird flu or COVID, what new treatments have been proven effective for treating disease, such as diabetes, obesity, leukemia.
Doctors, health care specialists, infectious disease experts depend on these reports to prepare for keeping our local people safe.
And even worse- you are condoning The president’s controlling the flow of vital information which somehow reminds me of the Soviet Union having political agents controlling what could or could not be said!
As for pardons by both parties- 1550 convicted felons, including neonazis, racists, white supremacists were released into our society by President Trump after committing crimes against our police! President Biden preemptively pardoned trump threatened members of our military, our infectious disease medical community and members of congress who were being accused of serving our nation and our constitution and not agreeing with President Trump’s documented actions.
I have tried to be specific about what I know about. Please tell us what you are specifically happy about. What has president trump done so far that makes you happy.
Your thoughts on-
Withdrawing from WHO, the Paris Accords, threatening NATO, tariff wars with Canada and Mexico, renaming the Gulf of America, claiming Greenland or reclaiming the Panama Canal?
Hi Diana- an after thought.
Bird flu is killing millions of chickens. The price of eggs is going to skyrocket even more. I don’t think President Biden or President Trump or China are to blame.
CDC, NIH, private bio companies and numerous universities are working on vaccines for people and chickens. I wonder how hard it will be to get people or the chickens to agree to get vaccinated.
COVID had a 2% overall mortality before vaccines( up to 40% in the aged). Mortality rate for bird flu is unclear- it could be much higher than COVID- this information would be part of CDC’s weekly mortality and morbidity reports.
But in a ht case-, what do you think President Trump can do about the price of eggs to make us all happy.
I think the American public will give him a month or two before they start blaming him for the high price we pay for the things he is doing.
I hope you enjoy your new country, fool
Hi Cristina!!!
Nice Mr. T imitation 😺😎
The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe for the axe was clever and Convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood he was one of them. Turkish proverb.
Meanwhile, in Bridgeport.
A bunch of sore rich white privileged Westporters. Cry Cry Cry.
Your a bunch of hypocrites. A majority of Americans voted for change.
Take your medication and go see your therapist it’s going to be a great 4 years.
I guess Bidens pardons are ok? How about his family? How about pardoning a man that killed 2 FBI agents getting a pardon.
You lost. You speak out of both sides of your Botox mouths.
Make America Great Again!!!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Hi Jeff
Thank you for your courageous words in the midst of some of the most illogical and disconnected TDS thoughts ever blogged. It’s hard to believe so much anger and negativity exists in Westport. Plug these comments into an AI and get a medical diagnosis 🤩
Yes, Jeff. Calling your fellow citizens sore, rich white hypocrites is so very, very courageous. Hear! Hear!
Maybe you or Tom will strike up a little courage and tell 06880 readers where you both were on 1/6/21.
even better news Trunp may invite the Jan 6 hostages to the White House.
I’m not sure he even lives in Westport anymore….
Hi Jeff- just to let you know a lot of the rich entitled Westporters are actually in my age group were drafted during the Vietnam War and actually served our country. Many went on to become doctors, lawyers, business men, artists, CPAs, teacher, university professors, we even had one who was the head of the FBI. So please explain what you mean when you say a bunch of white rich entitled Westporters
Not sure what makes someone a hypocrite- I didn’t see anyone storming the capital this time- Trump won and everyone cringed but went along with the election. I think you are the hypocrite- Trump won fair and square this time and lost the same way last time. Did 1500 convicted felons fight with police protecting the capital or was that love fest?
Please read my comments above about what I am afraid of from my actual experience as a physician for almost 60 years, a doc who served our country, worked at the CDC and saw all the devastating viruses that exist in this world and we have been kept safe by men like Dr Fauci dealing with them up until President Trump decided he is an enemy of the public good. By the way- the last time I was allowed to look at the CDC M&M report it sadly reported that the Death rate in red states with many not getting vaccinated more than twice as high as blue states. Could this be why Trump just declared no reports from CDC, FDA or NIH.
I don’t see anyone crying. I see a lot of folks praying that our president will eventually do something right that will sooner, later or never actually do something that helps all of us.
Watch the price of medicines go up, cars go up, services go up or just not be available.
I await the time you actually have something to brag about.
A majority of Americans did NOT vote for the criminal president. He only got 49.8%. I know, that’s so close. It’s soooo frustrating. Can’t we just round it up?
“Sore losers” is a good description of the 1500 bonafide violent criminals felon Trump has put back out onto the street. I guess he didn’t really mean it when he asserted his objective for “bringing down the violent crime rate”. I guess he wasn’t put off by their violent attack against dozens of police officers on 1/6. Evidently, those attacks don’t bother you either. Is that because of your whereabouts that day?
On 1/6/21 I was in Washington DC.
Now what Russell?
I didn’t ask you, but as long as you’ve inserted yourself into my question, I’ll assume that you also inserted yourself illegally into the Capitol that day.
Hi Daniel- just one long question for the sake of clarity.
What did you do while you were there, were you arrested, were you convicted, were you pardoned and are you proud of what you did?
All this attention bestowed on me from Russ and the Doc. I’m flattered!
Slow day of rounds?
Please don’t be flattered.
I ask questions when I see something that doesn’t make sense. Doctors are trained to do that.
But more importantly- you didn’t answer the question after you put it out on this blog- You were in the town where and when it happened. So I guess the appropriate phrase would be – please put up or……..,
That guy seen on video walking around with the hoodie and the backpack. That was you, wasn’t it!
Was it my 02052 hoodie that gave me away?
Probably shouldn’t mix political and non political articles…seems like most the people went straight to the comments after the first part ha
Sorry about Garth Hudson, but he lived a long life, wish all Band members had. I’m a huge fan of The Band especially Robbie and Rick. Robbie’s story is so fascinating, his mother Mohawk and his real dad (who died before Robbie was born) Jewish grew up with an physically abusive stepdad and semi poor. Dropped out of school at 16 wrote his first songs at 15. Was the driving force in The Band, although they were all talented beyond belief
Everyone has said their fill. This thread is closed to further comments.