It took 62 years. But the Staples High School boys basketball team scored another FCIAC championship.
The Wreckers won the league title last night, pulling away at the end. Seeded #2, they knocked off top-ranked Ridgefield 68-58, before a raucous Fairfield University crowd.
It was the second victory for Staples in 6 days over the Tigers. Last week, on the road, the Westporters denied Ridgefield’s bid for an undefeated FCIAC record, on the last day of the regular season.
It was also the first FCIAC crown, in 3 straight trips to the finals.
Adam Udell — named MVP of the title contest — led the victors with 24 points. Fourteen came in the crucial 4th quarter. Matty Corrigan added 19 more.
Next up: the state tournament. The boys — seeded 4th in the 16-team Division I — host their first game on Tuesday (March 4, 6:30 p.m.). They face #13 Kolbe Cathedral.
The girls basketball team begin their state title quest too, away.
Adam Udell heads to the basket. (Photo/David G. Whitham for The Ruden Report
Wearing championship medals, Wreckers celebrate their first FCIAC title in 62 years. (Photo courtesy of Staples boys basketball)
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Bruce Springsteen is coming to VersoFest!
Well, not exactly.
But pretty close.
On Saturday, April 5 (1 p.m.), a free panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” features an all-star cast of The Boss’s collaborators and experts.
They include Mike Appel, Springsteen’s first manager and co-producer of “Born to Run”; former Columbia Records promotions director Michael Pillot, who spearheaded the album’s promotion, plus music historians Robert Santelli and Kenneth Womack.
The panel will be hosted by author and pop culture historian Arlen Schumer. In 1978 he was art director of Thunder Road, the first magazine devoted to Springsteen’s life and music.
Co-host Dick Wingate is a former music industry executive who managed the production of Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and many other influential albums.
VersoFest highlights also include a conversation between Patti Smith and Westport journalist/rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota; a concert with the Wallflowers; a chat with hardcore punk legend Henry Rollins and Nabil Ayers, president of the record label Beggars Group; interactive art exhibits; a graffiti workshop led by visionary artist 5iveFingaz, and a weekend family kickoff celebration.
Sunday (April 6) caps off the weekend with a VersoFest Oral History Podcast live recording with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer, and “Saturday Night Live” tour de force Christine Ohlman.
Click here for the full VersoFest schedule, plus tickets and more information.
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Tuesday’s charrette at the Senior Center was an early step in discussions of possible construction of a combined Police/Fire/Emergency Medical Services facility. (Click here to read yesterday’s “06880” story on that meeting.)
Town officials noted the scarcity of available land for the approximately 10 acres needed for the project. The best site, they said, is at the current I-95 Exit 18 commuter parking lot.
One of the posters displayed at the event showed locations of current police and fire stations, schools, and other town-owned property.
Click below to see. Red dots indicate current fire and police facilities; green dots show public schools, and yellow shapes indicate large town-owned properties.
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This is not your kid’s school “show and tell.”
The Westport Prevention Coalition invites parents to a special “hands-on” meeting March 6 (12:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).
The topic is “Today’s Emerging Substances & Our Youth.”
Attendees can “browse through today’s substances,” learn about new products being marketed, hear about the risks of gaming and gambling, and pick up free parenting handbooks and resources.
Edibles are an ever-changing part of the cannabis market.
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A reader concerned about “the usurpation of commuter parking spaces at the Westport train station by Avis car rental” writes: “While they have specially reserved spaces, they typically take another 10-15 commuter spots with impunity and without penalty.
“This was fine during COVID. But now that ridership is increasing, especially with the implementation of the congestion tax, commuters need all our convenient spots — particularly at 6 a.m., on cold or rainy days.”
“06880” reached out to the Westport Police Department, which oversees parking at the town’s 2 train stations.
Deputy Chief David Farrell says, “Avis rents 20 designated spaces at the Saugatuck station – and they pay the daily fee for each. If they utilize other spaces, they receive $25 tickets per vehicle. Now that more people are using Metro-North, strict enforcement is underway.”
Avis cars in non-designated train station spots, earlier this month.
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On Sunday, 150 people walked from the Westport Country Playhouse to the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
There they placed orange balloons, in memory of the 2 “flame-haired” little boys murdered by Hamas, after being kidnapped on October 7, 2023.
On Tuesday night, co-organizer Jennifer Wolff and her husband went downtown, to remove the deflating balloons.
Two had fallen into the Saugatuck River — in the shape of a heart.
“It felt like an appropriate sendoff,” Jennifer says.
“I hope whomever this balloon heart passes thinks of the Bibas boys, who were put to rest that day with their mama.”
(Photo/Jennifer Wolff)
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The Planning & Zoning Commission took a field trip Tuesday to Baron’s South.
Their tour of the 22-acre property included Golden Shadows, the 1950s-era “mansion” owned by Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff, the perfume mogul. It, and adjacent buildings, are being considered for affordable housing.
Former Representative Town Meeting member Harris Falk took up the invitation to join the tour. He dressed in his trademark colorful outfit.
Inside the house, P&Z member Neil Cohn noticed that Falk’s get-up blended in almost perfectly with the Baron’s wallpaper.
Harris Falk, inside the Baron’s mansion. (Photo/Neil Cohn)
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One more special Westport arts figure has been added to next Thursday’s relaunch of the Susan Malloy Celebration of the Arts: Gina Rattan.
The 2004 Staples graduate — a Broadway director and creative consultant — joins artist Miggs Burroughs, arts leader Melody James, and singer/actor Melissa Newman for the March 6 (7 p.m.) evening of conversation and storytelling. All are Westport residents.
Weston actor James Naughton will moderate the panel discussion, focusing on how Westport has become a magnet for artists, performers and creatives for decades; how the town’s artistic spirit has evolved, and continues to thrive in new and exciting ways; and the role of the next generation in carrying forward Westport’s rich cultural heritage.
Click here for more information.
Gina Rattan
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Speaking of the Library: Club203 sure knows how to have fun.
Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities celebrates March with a special karaoke event.
The Westport Library hosts the sing-out on March 18 (6:30 to 8 p.m.).
Attendees can request their favorite songs now. For details and registration, click here.
Club 203, at last year’s Westport Library event.
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Jerry Kuyper captured — with a camera, from a safe distance — this Tuesday night visitor on Rayfield Road, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.
“The bluestone walkway is just under 2 feet wide, for scale,” he says.
(Photo/Jerry Kuyper)
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And finally … as soon as you saw the story on the Bruce Springsteen event at VersoFest (above), you knew what today’s featured song would be, right?
After 50 years, it’s still one of the great rock songs of all time.
(There’s no place left to hide. Please click here to support your hyper-local, 24/7/365, Boss-loving blog. Whether you were born to run, or have always stayed in the 06880, we thank you.)
Coach Albie Loeffler achieved an FCIAC “double” during the 1962-63 school year—guiding both the varsity soccer and boys’ basketball teams to county conference titles back then. I wonder how often that ever happened.
In any case, kudos to this year’s FCIAC champs.
PS I think you inadvertently omitted Gina Rattan’s name from the Malloy event write-up.
Congratulations to the Staples basketball team. 62 years is a long time. I have watched several of their games over the internet and have enjoyed the very talented group. They are a well coached, fun to watch, talented basketball team. Congratulations to coach Goldshore as well. Let’s wish them luck in the state tournament.
I remember that ’62-’63 season very well. I was lucky to share it with fellow starters John Keate, Dick Prutting, Jack Lillis, and Mike Walchob. The championship game was a 63-62 victory over Greenwich, who had 2 6’5″ guys a and overall good team. John, Jack, Mike and I managed to play college freshman basketball. Mike was the only one to go on to play varsity. (at Oklahoma City)
We lost 1 regular season game to Darien that season, the day after Hugh Greer (legendary UConn men’s basketball coach) had died. Mr. Loeffler was a good friend of Mr. Greer and all of us starters had gone to Mr Greer’s summer basketball camp. We later avenged that loss with a double digit win in an early state tournament game (or possibly a FCIAC playoff game). We lost by a couple to Notre Dame of West Haven over Christmas and then in the state tournament to Fairfield Prep. Oh, for just 8-10 extra points at the right time … but who hasn’t played the game and remembered those lost opportunities.
Again, congratulations to the young men and wish them much starting next week.
About Fred’s comment concerning the dual league championships. Jack Lillis (above) and I were also part of that 1962 soccer team, as was Paul Loeffler, Jerry Kenneally, Dave Olean, Bill Deegan, Burke Mandible, Tom Pinkham, and a few others. Most of these guys went on to play in college, but nothing like some of the outstanding teams that followed us. We got to the state championship game against Manchester High School and got beat 3-0, after giving up just 2 goals the entire season. Most balloons get busted… eventually.
Mike Dill
To the concerned reader who mentioned saugatuck train station and its increasing popularity( not quite back to pre covid days) but getting there slowly.
Here’s a really major concern.
I understand that once the hamlet at Saugatuck is built, they are looking to somehow use railroad parking for their staff and likely customer parking. I’ve actually heard that parking lot 7, is what they are also looking for exclusively( against state rules), in addition to regular train parking permits.
Probably for their apartment and hotel overflow and I’ll bet a valet parking service for all the weary customers who will have sat in Saugatuck gridlock.
I, along with Sal Liccione ( RTM district 9) brought this up when the plan was approved 2 years ago. Or was it 3, cannot quite remember. That along with ladder trucks for the fire department were massive issues that were promptly ignored.
Sal was the only RTM member to vote against the plan.
Apparantly anyone including the staff of the hamlet commercial development will be able to apply for a parking permit at the railroad and park there just like railroad commuters do.
I strongly suggest every town resident apply and get your name on the waitlist which has to be processed in order, for 2x permits at the train station.
You can also FOIA the current list and the waitlist just to see where you are on it.
If you do not, there is a big chance you will never get a spot there once this massive development is completed.
The other issue is haiwatha and the apts going there with nothing like the number of parking spots needed.
Those residents of haiwatha will also be entitled to put their name down for permits.
So the picture now is rosy, very rosy compared with the picture in 3 years.
Just drive by greens farms train station.
It’s packed – a nightmare.
Full of school buses and every spot is taken.
It’s back to pre covid levels.
Stay awake folks.
Avis is the least of your worries.