Congratulations to Samantha Sarelli!
The 2019 Staples High School graduate has just been crowned Miss Globe USA. She’ll represent our country in the international Miss Globe competition.
Sam is a proud first-generation Albanian-American, with deep roots in her heritage and a strong commitment to service.
A former Miss Connecticut Teen USA, she used her platform to bring awareness to important social issues like human trafficking.
She launched a video series featuring interviews with survivors and experts, created an educational anti-trafficking program for high school students, and collaborated with nonprofits across the world as a spokesperson.
Sam is currently the president-in-training of Kaleido, a non-profit founded in 2006 with a shelter in Mexico City. She spoke at the Washington International Summit Against Trafficking, and hosted an international panel at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Sam also serves as executive director of the Albanian-American Association of Ulqin. She has hosted events on women’s empowerment, including one with the President of Kosovo.
She speaks English, Albanian and Spanish, and hopes to be an attorney.
Samantha Sarelli (Photo/Jessie Palumbo Photography)
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Staples Orphenians are in final preparations for their trip to Spain.
Before they go, they invite the public to a (free!) sendoff concert. It’s this Sunday (June 22, 3 p.m., Trinity Church, 651 Pequot Avenue, Southport). They’ll sing the repertoire they’ve prepared for overseas.
Their itinerary includes performances in Madrid and Barcelona: one at the Church of San Millan and San Cayetano, a festival with Rollo Dilworth at Basilica del Pi, and a mass and hour-long concert at La Sagrada Familia.
Spain-bound!
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Speaking of music: Nearly a decade after its start, The Cello Camp has earned a spot as a “first chair” summer program.
It was created by cellist, educator (and Staples High School graduate) Danielle Merlis.
She envisioned “a welcoming space where young cellists can connect with each other, discover the full range of what the cello can do, and grow as musicians. It’s not about perfection. It’s about curiosity, creativity, and building strong technique through high quality instruction.”
The camp includes bass players, and welcomes guest clarinetists, drummers, pianists and singers.
Sessions are August 18-23 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport, and August 11-16 in Ridgefield. For more information and to register, click here.
Having fun at The Cello Camp.
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If you’re near the Fairfield County Hunt Club now through Saturday, you’ll notice plenty of action.
The Fairfield June Horse Show began yesterday. The Heritage competition is a chance for the public to watch world-class riders — for free.
High performance show jumping includes a $5,000 Welcome Stake tomorrow (Thursday), and the $15,000 Grand Prix on Saturday (June 21, 1 p.m.).
Visitors can walk the course for the Grand Prix right before the competition, to experience the height of the fences and the technicality of the course.
Saturday is also Family Fun Day, with pony rides, face painting, crafts and more (10 a.m.).
Horse show action, at the Fairfield County Hunt Club.
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Another “Family Fun Day” takes place at Wakeman Town Farm on July 12 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
It includes farm crafts and activities for all ages, plus visits with animals, books, hair tinsel, sunflower seed planting, a bubble show, information about bees and butterflies and music from the School of Rock.
Food (pizza, mozzarella sticks, salads, Italian ices and lemonade) is included in the ticket price.
Wakeman Town Farm will collect new diapers at the Family Fun Day. Bring as many as you can!
Click here to register, and for more information.
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Also at Wakeman Town Farm: a lecture by advanced master gardener Alice Ely on milkweed growing and monarch butterfly raising (July 14, 7 p.m.). Children and adults are welcome.
Attendees will learn how to attract egg-laying monarchs to gardens, how to raise the eggs into caterpillars and healthy adult monarchs, and tips on growing milkweed species to help them thrive.
Monarch butterfly (Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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After years on CBS News, Emmy Award-winning journalist — and 1988 Staples High School graduate — Jeff Pegues joins the podcast world.
“Person of Interest” debuts June 19th on the Alive Podcast network. The Juneteenth date is intentional: Alive is a Black woman-owned company.
Pegues’ podcast will be streamed on Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV. He says, “This show isn’t about sensationalism. It’s about substance.”
He will have “freedom to follow the real story, and examine the people and perspectives too often ignored by traditional media.”
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Yesterday, Westport firefighters took advantage of a special training opportunity.
At a home slated for demolition near Compo Beach, crews practiced stretching hose lines into the structure, reinforcing essential tactics in a real-world setting.
Westport Avenue training. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
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Saugatuck Rowing Club’s juniors performed superbly, at the recent USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. The event drew more than 4,000 athletes, from 230 clubs and schools.
The women’s second varsity 8+ earned a national championship. Westport athletes included coxswain Sora Yu, plus rowers Kate Weitz, Caroline Zajak, Sophie Cochran, Carolina Proctor and Mina Leon.
The men’s U17 4+ A boat also claimed gold. Westporters included Elena Nasar (coxswain), Cameron Jaffe and Otis Gotlieb. Daniel Sobel lives in Weston.
Up next: Saugatuck’s junior women head to the Henley Royal Regatta in London.
National champs! From left: Sora Yu, Mackenzie Fosdick, Kate Weitz, Grace Baker, Caroline Zajak, Phoebe Bryan, Sophie Cochran, Carolina Proctor and Mina Leon. (Photo copyright Row2K.com)
Celebrating on land. The rowers are the same as above, except coxswain Sora Yu is 5th from left.
Also champs! From left: Cameron Jaffe, Otis Gottlieb, Daniel Sobel, Samuel Turok, Elena Nasar. (Photo/Lisa Worthy)
From left: Samuel Turok, Daniel Sobel, Elena Nasar, Otis Gottlieb and Cameron Jaffe.
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Rock star/soul singer/multi-intstrumentalist Eliot Lewis — a longtime member of the Average White Band (1989-2002) and Hall & Oates’ band (2003-23) brings his many talents as a solo performer to VFW Post 399 on June 27 (7 p.m.).
Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Click here to purchase.‘
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Speaking of the VFW: Trumpeter Frank London is a master of old and new jazz, swing, bop, klezmer, gympic, Baltic, Cuban, West African — and many other — music genres.
Diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, Lonson recently released “Spirit Stronger Than Blood,” as a celebration of life. He has gained the upper hand, and is once again touring the world.
Tomorrow (Thursday), he’ll headline Jazz at the Post (VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; $20 music charge, $15 for veterans and students).
London will be joined by Roberta Piket (piano), Hilliard Greene (bass), Avram Feffer (saxophone) and Greg Borrows (drums). Click here for tickets, and more information.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — and nature lesson — come from Lou Weinberg.
(Photo/Lou Weinberg)
He writes: “Adult catbirds feed their young a diet of spiders and insects, primarily. As young catbirds get older, adults introduce berries to their diet.
“Catbirds are related to mockingbirds, and are well versed at the art of mimicry. Their most famous call sounds like a cat’s meow.
“This is the season when many native and migrant birds care for their fledglings.
“Green open spaces are essentially ‘all you can eat buffets’ for birds raising their young, as they harbor large populations of insects, spiders, worms and other invertebrates.
“Westport continues to see a decline in tree cover and green open space, unfortunately. The most recent example is the town’s decision to clear cut and bulldoze 4 acres (the Long Lots Preserve around the Westport Community Gardens) that is a model of biodiversity.
“Increasingly, and sadly, nature loses.”
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Finally … in honor of The Cello Camp (story above):
(From a pageant queen and a horse show, to rowers and a podcaster, “06880” is today — and every day — where Westport meets the world. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
My first horse show at the Hunt Club was in 1952. One of my best friends was Bruce Burr. I really liked the once a year show with the old cars. I remember seeing a 1890s Locomobile ( sp).
Now we have a monarch in Washington and Westport. Borh vibrant orange
I’ll stick with the butterfly. I have milkweed in my garden which (if you didn’t know this) is a native flower and is the only plant these beautiful creature lay their eggs on. Then they make the unfathomable trip to Mexico in the early fall.
I love Elliot Lewis! and Daryl’s House too. AWB is one of my favorite always. That’s pretty special to see him in a more intimate venue.
Samantha keep on it. Reach out to Joseph DioGuardi of the Bronx who is a big Armenian supporter. He is former House is Representatives member.