As a homeschooled middle schooler, Quinn Fitts was vaguely aware of Toquet Hall.
Yet until, as a Staples High School freshman, she heard youth board members of the town’s teen center talk about an upcoming “’20s Night” — 1900s, not 2000s — she had never gone.
But she climbed the stairs to Toquet (it’s in one of those if-you-know,-you-know locations, in the alley between the Post Road and Jesup Road by the Westport Book Shop).
Toquet Hall’s funky exterior.
Quinn walked into the wide-open room, with couches, a stage, video games and snacks. She played table games, and card games.
“It was pretty cool,” she recalls.
Toquet Hall: the view from the stage.
Two years later, Quinn is on the Toquet Hall youth board herself.
They meet weekly. They plan, and run, events. “It’s a great way to get involved in the community of Westport,” she says.
And to offer fun, low-key activities to middle and high schoolers here.
As the youth board has done for nearly 3 decades — ever since the center opened in 1998, in a 19th-century building that was once an opera house — they’ve tried to get the word out that it is a great place to hang out.
Plenty to do for everyone, at Toquet Hall.
One of the first big events Quinn helped with was “Spicy Twos” — a “Hot Ones”-esque evening. More recently, she worked on another “20s Night.”
On Friday, March 20 Toquet Hall is open from 5 to 10 p.m., for board games, card games, video games (there’s a Switch, Wii, and 3 types of Smash Bros), pool, or just talking with friends.
Pool, video games, and much more.
The next event (Saturday, March 21) is “Jeopardy Night.” In the works: a “Star Wars” movie.
And of course, there is music.
The Townies get ready to play.
Toquet also offers events for middle schoolers. (Tonight — Friday — there’s a Super Smash Bros. tournament, from 7 to 9 p.m.). And it’s open for drop-ins after school for that age group too.
Quinn is part of Staples Players. Her friends enjoy Toquet Hall (and serve on its youth board).
She wants other friend groups to come too.
“It’s a fun place to hang out,” she notes. “We don’t have other places where you can just exist for free, except the library.”
(“06880” often covers Westport’s youth scene — plus everything else in town. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
It’s that time of year again: People put tax payments in the mail.
And once again: Other people are stealing them, from the mail.
Our friends at the Westport post office say: Hand all important mail directly to the clerks behind the counter.
That’s right. It’s not only dangerous to use your own mailbox, and the one outside the post office in Playhouse Square — it’s also risky to use the drop box inside.
It’s a sad state of affairs. But you’ve been warned.
The only upside: Our postal clerks are the best, and friendliest, anywhere. It’s always nice to have that little bit of human interaction.
Nope! Don’t use the drop box inside the post office. Hand important mail directly to a clerk at the counter!
================================================
From Mediterranean to pancakes to Japanese.
That’s the journey of the 2-floor restaurant at 43 Main Street.
Yuzu has opened its doors, at the Parker Harding Plaza side of the “Tunnel of Love” connecting the parking lot with Main Street. The spot was most recently the Original Pancake House. Before that is was Acqua, preceded by Boca.
Yuzu brings “a fresh take on Japanese cuisine,” featuring “a premium cuisine and omakase experience.” Their goal is to create “a welcoming space where Westporters can gather, and enjoy high-quality dining.”
Yuzu is the newest in a recent spate of Main Street restaurant openings. Just last week Felice debuted, in nearby space previously filled by Mexicue.
But the Westport Library’s annual music, media and more extravaganza includes plenty of non-artists, headlining intriguing panels.
The newest addition is “Coffee with the C-Suite: Creators, Technologists, and Music’s AI Frontier” (Sunday, March 29, 10:30 a.m.).
Executive-level leaders from across music tech, rights investment, AI creation tools and licensing platforms will discuss the seismic shifts redefining the industry.
Speakers include Westporter Sam Hendel, managing partner at Chord Music Partners and Dundee Partners (and co-founder of StartUp Westport); Paul Sinclair, chief music officer at Suno; Daniel Rowland, vice president of strategy and partnerships at LANDR, Danny Newcomb, CEO and co-founder of Incantio. Music industry veteran and Westport resident Dick Wingate will moderate the free panel.
Speaking of music: The Mamas and the Papas, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Doors, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell and the Eagles all come to the Westport Country Playhouse on March 22.
Well, maybe not the actual artists.
But their music will sure be there.
“Live from Laurel Canyon – Songs and Stories of American Folk Rock” is an evening of live music and narrated stories of some of the most influential songwriters who lived in Laurel Canyon in the 1960s and ’70s. them.
Great bluegrass comes to the Levitt Pavilion on June 11.
Greensky Bluegrass is the latest addition to the outdoor summer series lineup.
The quintet’s underground die-hard fans pack venues across the country. The group has sold out multiple-night runs at venues like Red Rocks and the Ryman. Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow (March 13, 10 a.m.). Click here to purchase, and for more information.
The Levitt also added a new free ticket show. Circles Around the Sun — tangibly linked to Grateful Dead history, and “sharing shelf space with post-rock, psych-rock, jazz-funk and good old fashioned psychedelia” — has been booked for June 27. Click here for free tickets, and more information.
=============================================
TOPSoccer — the program for youngsters with physical or learning differences — returns for a second spring season.
Blake Serotta — a freshman player at Staples — leads the program, in conjunction with the Weston Soccer Club and Westport Soccer Association.
TOPSoccer is open to boys and girls in grades K-8. It runs Saturdays, 11;30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., from April 11 through June 6 at Morehouse Farm Park in Weston.
The program is run by Coach Felipe of Ole Soccer, and includes fun games, drills, and small-sided games. Each child is paired with a buddy, who stays with them on the field.
High schoolers are welcome as volunteers and buddies.
Speaking of sports: The Westport Swim Club’s first “Candy” meet of the year last Sunday got the season of to a fun, energetic start, at the Staples High School pool.
The intra-squad meet for swimmers in grades 2-8 was a first for many. Candy Meets are a friendly introduction to competitive swimming. Participation, confidence and fun come first (with a little candy as motivation after each race). Staples swimmers volunteer, and help the youngsters learn to cheer for each other.
And on Tuesday, the Staples High School graduate, noted artist/graphic designer/photographer/civic volunteer took the Y’s Women through it all.
He spoke about his engineering studies at the Carnegie Institute of Technology; working at Pepperidge Farm; designing a stamp for the US Postal Service, and his many efforts on behalf of countless local organizations.
And he did it all with his trademark good humor, and great modesty.
Miggs Burroughs (Hat tip and photo/Vera DeStefano)
=================================================
Westport Police made no custodial arrests between March 4 and 11.
They did issue these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 15 citations
Failure to renew registration: 10
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 6
Texting while driving: 5
Distracted driving: 5
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 5
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 3
Speeding in a school zone: 2
Reckless driving: 1
Speeding: 1
Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
Disobeying the signal of a police officer: 1
Interfering with a police officer: 1
Passing in a no-passing zone; 1
Following too closely: 1
Failure to yield right of way 1
Unreadable license plate: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Disobeying the signal of a police officer is against the law.
Staples High School graduate Jeffrey Ruden and his family have been touched by Alzheimer’s disease.
His mother Carole suffered. That journey inspired Jeffrey and his brother Dave to help others. They have chaired the CT Walk for Alzheimer’s, and Jeffrey served on the CTALZ board for several years.
Jeffrey wishes he had known about CaringKind during his mother’s illness. With over 45 years of experience, they work directly with community partners to develop information, tools, training and support for caregivers.
Now he is chairing an inaugural “Hope Blooms” gala for CaringKind (May 14, Fairfield County Hunt Club).
This week’s tantalizing spring weather has Westporters thinking about — and going — outdoors.*
Markus Marty, Jenna Petok and the Bike Westport team are more than ready.
The non-profit — whose mission is to create connected, shared streets that bring the community together — has created a list of resources, tips and ideas, for a more bikeable spring and summer.
Bike Westport also wants to make Westport more walkable. They’ve included information on walking and hiking trails too.
Popular Bike Routes
Westport village loop (~13 miles):
– Compo Beach • Downtown • Saugatuck • Train station
– Great for community rides and scenic cycling.
Compo Beach area – Flat, open roads with coastal views.
Neighborhood back roads – Quieter residential routes, ideal for families and beginner riders.
Bicycling to school, on Riverside Avenue.
Helpful Tips
– Ride early or during lower-traffic hours.
– Use lights and reflective gear.
– Plan routes using quieter side streets.
– Combine walking and biking outings for family-friendly days.
Want to help make Westport a safer, healthier and more connected community?
Click here to tell Bike Westport what you care about, and how you’d like to get involved. They are looking for volunteers in school communities, and for spring events.
*Spoiler alert: Showers are forecast for later today. With possible light snow. Ugh.
“06880” culture correspondent Robin Moyer Chung visited MoCA\CT’s new exhibition, “Art, Jazz + The Blues.” She reports:
In 2006 Westport artist Eric von Schmidt decided his master series, “Giants of the Blues,” should be hung in Staples High School, instead of the Smithsonian Institution.
Painted from the 1990s through 2004, the series of 7 paintings is an exhaustively researched visual account of legendary folk, blues and jazz creators and performers throughout the 20th century. The Smithsonian was eager to add it to their artistic and cultural accessions.
“Blues Piano Players” — from Eric von Schmidt’s “Giants of the Blues” — hung for 20 years in the Staples High School auditorium lobby (above). Most students, staff and theater-goers are unaware of its significance. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
But von Schmidt wanted the series to culturally enrich local students, as well as give back to Staples — his alma mater, which he credited with fostering his love of art.
Twenty years later these paintings — on long-term loan to Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC), courtesy of the artist’s family — are largely ignored. Their historical importance is muted by the institutional halls and activity of a bustling school.
Planning “Art, Jazz + The Blues,” curators Anne Boberski and Ive Covaci knew that von Schmidt’s series should be its cornerstone. Boberski calls it “a lens to think about how music impacts visual arts.”
The curators then expanded von Schmidt’s narrative. with musically-themed works from the WestPAC collection and local artists.
Given that the exhibit features a number of Black figures, and the WestPAC collection is of primarily white artists (a current initiative will broaden its diversity), Boberski and Covaci reached out to area institutions for works from well-known African American artists like Faith Ringgold (whose works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art), Romare Bearden, Jack Whitten, and celebrated quilter Michael Cummings.
“Groovin’ High” (Faith Ringgold)
These appear alongside cover art for several David Brubeck records, drawn by Joan Miró and Arnold Roth, as well as a charming lithograph of Brubeck himself by Robert Risko.
Each piece displays an optimistic passion for its musical counterpart, manifested in colorful and chaotic patterns (the jazz room), or the energy of folks participating in or simply enjoying the soundtrack.
The exhibit is exuberant, and ties a deft string around the intertwining relationship of music, dance and art. Truly, it does “visualize sound, celebrate performance” of its period.
“Dave Brubeck” (Robert Risko)
Which brings us back to high school.
Each year MoCA\CT and WestPAC create a themed exhibit, coupled with works by student artists, based on a prompt associated with the theme.
This year, those works offer an interesting juxtaposition to the larger WestPAC show. The theme is “The Sound of Us.”
The number of submissions was fewer than usual. Perhaps that is because of the prompt: “Choose a song between 2020 to now and create a work of art that shows its effects on youth culture either through fashion, social interactions, speech, education, political alertness and activism, and life in general.”
That is an intriguing question — though personally I had a tricky time trying to answer it with words, let alone art. Few students could. I applaud those up for the challenge.
What it did effect were some unexpected and dispirited responses to today’s music, and its interdependence on videos.
A few examples:
Julia W., “Older”: “… music is no longer about the song but also the singer …many popular singers are young and ones that are not use Botox and plastic surgery to make them look younger. The title of my piece comes from a line in the song where people are telling the singer not to age.”
“Older” (Julia W.)
Mia C., “Stuck”: “My piece focuses on feeling like you’re stuck as everyone else moves around you. That there is just so much going on, you’re tempted to try everything but you don’t really know where to go, and that’s when you feel like you can’t escape.”
Josephine C.O., “American Teenager”: “My generation is growing up under the expectation of not being able to own a house, an extreme political divide, and an online world that we still haven’t quite figured out how to integrate into our lives.”
“American Teenager” (Josephine C.O.)
Many songs in today’s youth culture tackle tough subjects head-on, like mental health struggles, poverty, and violence. Hip hop, rap and emotionally honest pop lyrics have opened new veins of awareness and concern.
Fortunately, in this culture also exists a dialogue and acceptance of issues that were not available in years past.
As “Art Jazz + The Blues” is informed by the independence and resiliency of its age, “The Sound of Us” is informed by the angst, tension — and joy — of theirs.
Janine Scotti sent us this email, which came to her from a friend:
I want to share my heartfelt appreciation for Brian Marazzi, director of membership at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
He has been incredibly kind and compassionate toward me and my family.
Brian Marazzi
When I applied for a Y scholarship, he went above and beyond to guide us every step of the way. He took time to answer all of our questions, explain the details clearly, and make what could have been a stressful experience feel manageable and supportive.
Because of Brian’s dedication and generosity of spirit, our family has been able to participate in programs that mean so much to us. His commitment reflects the very best of what the Westport Y stands for.
We are deeply grateful for his help, and for the positive impact he has made on our family.
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
Speaking of Staples: A Better Chance of Westport — the program that provides educational opportunities to academically gifted and highly motivated young men of color — has 2 important upcoming events.
On March 21 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), you can “Shop for a Cause” at Fred, the 30 Post Road East women’s clothing store. 10% of all sales that day will benefit ABC.
It’s a great chance to find the perfect outfit for the organization’s “Dream Event” (May 7, 6:30 p.m., House on the Hill, Norwalk). It’s an inspiring evening, saluting the young scholars of A Better Chance, who enrich our community every day.
“Greens” Farms Church was an appropriate setting Monday, for Club203’s “Luck o’ the Irish” celebration.
A large crowd of adults with disabilities, and their friends, enjoyed green-themed delicious foods from Lyfe Café, desserts by Avery, and tunes from the Especially Everyone band. Attendees also made pots of gold, with MOCA\CT.
Volunteers — including many Rotarians — brought great spirit, laughter and energy to the bash.
A small part of the large green crowd at Monday’s Club203 event.
=================================================
Yesterday afternoon, Westport Police searched for a man who left a facility against the wishes of medical control.
He was located on Post Road East, near Myrtle Avenue.
The number of police vehicles and officers made the response look more significant than it otherwise might be, due to its proximity to headquarters and its occurrence during a shift change.
Police vehicles on Post Road East. (Photo/EJ Zebro)
This year’s Democratic Women of Westport “Souper Luncheon” welcomes the co-chairs of the Connecticut House of Representatives Reproductive Rights Caucus: Jillian Gilchrest and Matt Blumenthal.
The event is March 27 (11:30 a.m.). A $40 donation supports Staples Tuition Grants’ DWW scholarship. RSVP by email: dww06880@gmail.com.
=================================================
Red Hot Mamas — the online community for menopause information founded by Westporter Karen Giblin — is looking for baby boomers to be part of a special Oprah Winfrey podcast conversation focused on “generations.”
The taping is tomorrow (March 12, 11 a.m.) in New York City.
Email info@eventstics.com if interested. Include your first and last name, email address and cell phone.
Our favorite nature photographer, Lou Weinberg, writes: “In addition to rooting for the UConn Huskies in the upcoming March Madness, I’m rooting for the comeback of the rusty red and blue: Eastern bluebirds.
“They scored a big win at the Newman Poses Preserve on Monday. Eastern bluebirds seem to be rebounding well. Conservation efforts and bird boxes help. Protecting open space and planting natives are important factors in their recovery as well. Go Bluebirds!”
At 18 months old, Jocelyn Cutie was diagnosed with autism. That was over 30 years ago.
In terms of what was known about the disorder, it might have been 300 years.
Much has been learned since then, says Jocelyn’s father Jim, a longtime Westport resident.
But what he and his wife Chris have learned — about autism, and what was locked inside Jocelyn for nearly her entire life — is breathtaking.
Jocelyn’s condition — apraxia — involves motor function, not cognition.
“She understands every word you’re saying,” Jim explains. “She just can’t respond verbally, vocally.”
Jocelyn Cutie (right) and her parents, at a party.
Until 2 years ago, Jim and Chris had no idea what was going on in their daughter’s brain.
But when she began to use a spelling board to communicate at the Mouth to Hand Learning Center in Mount Kisco, New York, her world has joined theirs.
In that short span of time Jocelyn has taken college-level poetry, literature and biology classes. She started a blog.
And she has become an advocate, speaking on panels about the use of spelling to communicate. Her words are insightful, smart — “even sarcastic,” Jim says.
Jocelyn’s story is not unique. Jim and Chris now know more than 50 spellers.
“They suffer from motor impairment, not language skill impairment,” Jim says.
“Their bodies are so greatly dis-regulated that they cannot physically execute what their cognitive brains tell them to do. Speech is physical; language is cognitive.”
Jocelyn Cutie (center) using a spelling board, with Mouth to Hand director Judy Chinitz (left) and her mother Chris.
Jocelyn’s story is similar to Wynston Browne’s, another Westporter. “06880” has reported regularly on his journey, from a non-speaker “presumed incompetent” to a teenager who can multiply three-digit numbers in his head, understands Mandarin, stars in a movie, and wants to become a neuroscientist. (Click here for several stories about Wynston.)
Jim knows there are spelling skeptics. He and his wife had a number of false starts and met some “phonies,” during their 30-year quest to help their daughter.
They even waited a year, after friends told them about spelling devices — simple devices with letters arranged alphabetically, not like a keyboard — before agreeing to give it a try. (Eye commands are used, because apraxia makes motor tasks difficult. The brain knows what to do, but the body cannot execute those commands.)
Mouth to Hand founder/director Judy Chinitz showed Jocelyn 3 boards (fewer letters makes eye tracking easier than only one), then read her a story about Stephen Hawking and disabilities. As Judy asked questions, Jocelyn answered.
“Chris and I wondered, ‘how did she know all this stuff?'” Jim recalls. “She’d been listening all those years.”
Before spelling there was nothing. There sometimes was the slightest glimmer of light in whatever hell I inhabited. The light was mainly emanated by my parents.
But the world was mainly dark: I had no way of telling them that I was in this body. I had no means of communication.
But I was totally one of the lucky ones. Had Mom and Dad not taken me to se Judy, the nightmare would never have ended. I am getting so teary now, just thinking about then and now.
Jocelyn Cutie, spelling with her father Jim.
On her blog, Jocelyn expressed herself eloquently. Describing her “self-improvement kick,” she wrote: “I am really going to try to become more of what I should have been if autism hadn’t happened. I would have been a great student and I would have been popular. Having the opportunity to do both is what M2H is all about.”
She cited “Hallmark Moments”: having friends, and thinking about life before and after Mouth to Hand.
Jocelyn with her mother. Chris is an art instructor at Mouth to Hand, teaching art history, painting, printing and photography.
She has become particularly close to another non-speaker, Judy’s 32-year-old son Alex. She wrote about inviting him and Judy to dinner. (“I will cook. Mom can be my sous chef.”)
She also went to Alex’s bar mitzvah.
I loved that service more than I can express. Everything about it was beautiful, from the singing to Alex reading Hebrew prayers and the Torah, to Judy chanting what he typed.
The rabbis were amazing, and my part in the service was lovely. Seeing Alex up on the stage for 2 hours was happiness itself; he awed all of us.
And, she wrote:
Maybe miracles can happen.
On Saturday I sat on a panel of nonspeakers at the M2H ribbon cutting ceremony. I am still riding the high. A year or so ago I couldn’t even talk. Now I am sitting on public panels, talking in front of dozens of people. I got to meet the mayor of Mount Kisco.
Can you believe this is the same Joss Cutie?
I am still in shock. Definitely, letting me talk on that panel was the greatest thing to ever happen to me.
The whole event was great. I am living the dream these days.
Jocelyn uses her spelling board, while speaking on a panel.
Jocelyn spends 3 days a week at the center. (She wishes she could go even more.) She takes poetry writing, songwriting and dance classes.
She’s in a book club there too (they just finished discussing a Robert Heinlein novel).
Looking back at Jocelyn’s previous life — including her years at Giant Steps in Fairfield, which she attended until she was 21 — Jim says, “Chris and I get pretty emotional. We can’t get certain things back. We talked ‘child talk’ to her even when she was an adult, and she called us out on it.
“Jocelyn is taking 8 serious courses. She’s talking about college courses.
“For us, we’re trying to do what she wants. She’s really a different person. Obviously, we have regrets. But we’re so glad we found Mouth to Hand. She’s harping on the ‘now,’ not the ‘then.’ And so are we.”
Jocelyn is also looking ahead. With a voice that rings out now — after 30 years of silence — she is determined to advocate for those who cannot yet speak.
(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world” — in all its complexity and wonder. If you appreciate stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
