Posted onAugust 30, 2025|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #281
Every week, it seems, we welcome at least one artist to our online gallery.
This week it’s Jo Ann McKinney. Her mixed media piece is very intriguing — and highlights the openness of this feature to all works, of any medium.
No matter how young (or old) you are; what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, mixed media, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Out of Work Buoys” (Peter Barlow)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“On Dry Storage at Cove Marina” (Kathleen Burke — Available for purchase; click here)
“Madame Butterfly” — mixed media using contact paper and magazine images (Jo Ann McKinney)
“Gentle Waterfall, An Avalanche” (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“Luck No. 7” — acrylic on canvas (Eric Bosch)
“Stanined Glass Beach” — digital creation (Ken Runkel — Available for purchase; click here)
“Kim’s Gift — Peonies for Linda’s Birthday” (Kimberly Stein)
“Sunset Sip” — photograph (Jerry Kuyper)
Photographer Mike Hibbard says, “Good News: Voracious, aggressive hornets imported to devour spotted lanternflies! Bad News: What will those hornets eat when the lanternflies are gone?”
“Sneaky Yellow Wrinkled Gourds Growing in My Vegetable Garden” (Steve Stein)
Untitled (Martin Ripchick)
“Excavating” (Lawrence Weisman)
“Prowess” — pencil on paper (Bill Fellah — Available for purchase; click here)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
The Democratic Town Committee’s Nominations Committee has recommended Craig Schiavone to run for the Planning & Zoning Commission.
If selected by the full DTC on Thursday, she’ll join Michael Cammeyer and Bre Injeski on the slate. They were nominated last month. Neil Cohn was nominated too but opted not to run for re-election, necessitating a replacement.
Schiavone’s career spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors, with experience in real estate development, town planning and architectural preservation. She has co-chaired the Saugatuck Transit Development Master Plan Commission, served on the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, and was a member of the Westport 2020 Task Force & Implementation Committees.
Internationally noted photographer (and longtime Westport resident) Larry Silver will discuss his 7 decades of work at MoCA CT on September 6 (5 p.m.). The event is in conjunction with the current exhibiton of Tod Papageorge’s beach and pool photos.
Silver’s images range from the streets and subways of his native New York, to iconic shots of Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach. That 1954 series captured bodybuilders flexing, gymnasts soaring, and beachgoers basking in the sun.
Silver’s Connecticut photos, meanwhile, use natural framing, weather and light to capture this region’s character.
Silver’s photographs are held in over 50 major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. To learn more, click here for Silver’s website.
Larry Silver’s 1980 “Beach Showers, Westport, CT.”
Meanwhile, on Broadway: Staples High School Class of 2021 graduate (and former Players star) Jamie Mann — a cast member of Broadway’s “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” — steps on as James Hopper, Jr. next month. He’ll star in all 4 performances the weekend of September 13-14.
Players directors David Roth and Kerry Long say, “Break legs, Jamie!”
Jamie Mann
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Congratulations to 4 new Westport Fire Department lieutenants!
Deputy fire marshal Robert Lenois, and firefighters Michael Peck, Ronald Burgess and Todd Hall were promoted Tuesday, in a ceremony at the Post Road fire station.
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between August 20 and 26.
A 41-year-old Bronx man was chared with larceny, burglary and criminal mischief, following an investigation into a break-in at the Longshore golf pro shop last September. Clubs and bags with a value of nearly $12,500 were taken. The suspect was identified after an arrest in New York, following similar golf pro shop burglaries. He was held on $100,000 bond.
A 30-year-old Norwalk woman was charged with larceny, following an investigation into a 2023 shoplifting incident at Ulta Beauty.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Driving while texting: 9 citations:
Failure to renew registration: 7
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 5
Speeding: 4
Traveling unreasonably fast: 4
Distracted driving: 3
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 3
Speeding in a school zone: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Breach of peace: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Driving while texting (2nd offense): 1
Driving wrong way on a 1-way street: 1
Failure to drive right: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Improper passing: 1
Following too closely: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Failure to cancel registration within 10 days: 1
Failure to comply with state traffic commssion regulations: 1.
Infractions in a school zone bring added penalties.
At 7:45 a.m. yesterday, a motor vehicle rolled over on Riverside Avenue.
Three people — including one child — were taken by Westport Emergency Services to Norwalk Hospital for evaluation.
Five vehicles were damaged. Fortunately, all were right in front of Westport Auto Craft body shop.
Riverside Avenue was closed in both directions for a while.
Several “06880” readers ask: How do you manage to roll your car on Riverside Avenue — during rush hour.
It’s a great question.
Be careful out there!
Rollover on Riverside Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
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Looking ahead to the day before Halloween?
CLASP Homes — the non-profit that provides care, support and services to adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities — hosts a “wickedly fun concert” fundraiser on October 30 (6:30 p.m., FTC Stage One, Fairfield).
Band Central — CLASP’s favorite group — plays the best of the ’80s and ’90s. There’s a pre-party too, with light bites.
Eleish Van Breems Home second sale is set for next month — at the Westport Country Playhouse barn.
Items include Gustavian and mid-century Scandinavian furniture, rugs, accessories, books and signature designs.
After a sneak preview for the trade (September 12, 3 to 5 p.m.), the sale opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14 (10 a.m to 6 p.m.)
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Speaking of sales: The 4th juried PopShop Market is set for the Westport Museum for History & Culture on September 20 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
Vendors will sell handcrafter jewelry, vintage and antique finds, adult and children clothing, gifts and lifestyle goods.
Kenneth Klein — a 1978 Staples High School graduate, and member of the family that owned Klein’s Department store on Main Street — died unexpectedly on August 21. He was 65.
The son of Stanley Klein, and grandson of Henry Klein, he studied business administation and played football at Roger Williams College.
After working at Klein’s, he ran his own landscaping and plowing business. Hen then worked at Pitney Bowes and General Electric.
Ken loved the Dallas Cowboys, snowmobiing in Vermont, and hosting poker games.
He is survived by his wife Carol; daughter Richelle Salvas of Charleston, South Carolina; sister Carol of New York; stepmother Phyllis of Westport, and nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his sister Susanne Klein-Hertzel, and his parents.
Services will be held September 4 (1 p.m., Abraham Green & Son Funeral Home, Fairfield), followed by burial at Congregation Beth El Memorial Park in Norwalk. For the ivestream and to send condolence message, click here.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a favorite charity in the name of Kenneth R. Klein.
And finally … in honor of Larry Silver and Tod Papageorge’s beach photos at MoCA CT (story above):
(Summer’s almost gone. Fall will be here soon. Whatever the season, it’s always a good time to support “06880” with a tax-deductible donation. Please click here. And thank you!)
Posted onAugust 26, 2025|Comments Off on Roundup: Parks & Rec Programs, 1st Day Of School, Westport Community Theatre …
A technical glitch prevented yesterday’s Instagram Live conversation with Independent Party 1st selectman candidate David Rosenwaks. “06880” apologizes to those who tuned in.
For a couple of decades now on the first day of school, Pamela Long has taken a photo of elementary school children waiting at the Juniper Road/Caccamo Lane bus stop.
The faces may change, but the anticipation is always the same. Here is this year’s shot:
(Photo/Pamela Long)
Have a great year, kids.
And parents: Savor the moment. In a week or two, you’ll be dropping them off at college.
For 68 years, the Westport Community Theatre — a black box-style space in the lower level of Town Hall — has entertained local audiences.
Whether you’re a longtime audience member, or have never heard of it — read on for details for the 2025-26 season. It includes comedy and drama, and new plays and modern classics.
“Dooley at the Bar” (September 12-28): At the height of the Gilded Age, America’s favorite news analyst was Mr. Dooley — a fictitious bartender created by humorist Finley Peter Dunne. At his hole-in-the-wall tavern Mr. Dooley takes on robber barons, newspapers, political corruption, and a new century, in a hilarious one-man show.
“Conscience” (November 14-30): Connecticut premiere. In the 1950s, as Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to power through fear and intimidation, one Republican senator – Margaret Chase Smith of Maine – stood against him. This is the story of a remarkable woman who refused to back down.
“Happy Days,” by Samuel Beckett (January 30-February 15): Winnie is a middle-aged married woman determined to make the best of an absurd situation, by finding joy in little things, and hoping to catch the attention of her oblivious husband.
“The Savannah Sipping Society” (April 10-26): Four Southern women – an unemployed workaholic, a lonely widow, a boisterous good ol’ gal, and a life coach – are drawn together by fate (and an impromptu happy hour).
“The Matchmaker,” by Thornton Wilder (June 12-28). In 19th-century New York, wealthy widower and merchant Horace Vandergelder hopes to marry the milliner Irene Molloy. He turns to Dolly Levi for help, but she wants Horace for herself.
A 5-play subscription is $130 – that’s 5 plays for the price of 4 if purchased individually. Subscriptions include priority seating, and 2 bonus tickets to introduce friends to the theatre. Click here for details, or call 203-226-1983.
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La Plage — the Longshore restaurant — will close after Labor Day for the season.
They’ll reopen in early summer next year. The adjacent Inn at Longshore begins its remodeling project November 1.
The Inn and La Plage are part of the Delamar hospitality group. Dandelion — the new Westport hotel’s restaurant — holds a job fair today (Tuesday, noon to 4 p.m.0 for many positions.
A pre-opening cocktail party is set there for September 6. Organized by realtor Judy Michaelis, it’s a fundraiser for Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service. Click here for tickets.
The Planning & Zoning Commission meets tomorrow (Wednesday, 7 a.m. — yes, that time is correct — in Town Hall Room 201).
They are expected to immediately vote to go into an executive session to discuss pending litigation: ROAN Development Ventures vs. the P&Z, regarding the Hamlet at Saugatuck project.
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Tom Kretsch is one of Westport’s most talented, and favorite, photographers.
His exhibit “A Symphony of Color” is on display in the Westport Library’s South Gallery now through October 5.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the opening reception. The 6 p.m. event will be followed by a 7 p.m. conversation between him and Artists Collective of Westport co-founder Miggs Burroughs.
The Library says, “Kretsch’s background as an educator and lifelong traveler informs his ability to see beauty in the simple and the small. Whether he’s photographing New England, further afield or right here in Westport, his work speaks to his genre of peaceful places.” Click here for more details.
Congratulations to Team Schur — champions of this year’s resurrected Monday night men’s basketball league at Compo Beach.
A crowd of 50 people — including Staples head coach Dave Goldshore and associate head coach Chris Pickens — watched the title game. The scoe was 66-43.
The champions’ roster includes Jordan Schur, Travis Test, Noah Hammond, Zach But, Don Snyder, Connor Whelan, Kevin Cline, Brandon Barton and Michael Smith.
One Bad Oyster brings ska, surf and happiness to the Weston History & Culture Center’s outdoor summer concert series “Music at the Barn” on Sunday, September 7 (5:30 to 7 p.m.).
Guests should bring a lawn chair, and their own beverages. Tony Pizza Napolitano will be selling thin crust pizzas. Members of the Weston History & Culture Center receive a complimentary glass of beer or wine.
“06880” continues our Instagram Live conversations with the first selectman candidates tomorrow (Monday, August 25, 4 p.m.). Dave Briggs and I will chat with independent David Rosenwaks.
You can find us on Instagram @06880danwoog. We welcome your questions!
The Fairfield National Little team’s storied run in the Little League World Series ended yesterday.
They lost 8-2 to Las Vegas, in the US championship game. Fairfield had come from behind to beat the same team 3 days earlier, sending the Nevadans to a must-win contest in the losers’ bracket.
Fairfield boasts 4 players with direct Westport connections: Ben Herbst, Colin Curley, Boden Dunlap and Tommy D’Amura.
The defeat in the American title game matches the achievement of a Westport team 12 years ago. They fell to a California squad in the championship.
Congratulations, Fairfield, on a great run. You represented yourselves, your town and our state wonderfully!
Three Fairfield players with Westport ties (from 2nd left to far right).
John Kantor — the highly regarded former Longshore Sailing School owner, who knows an enormous about about the sport — calls that result “very impressive. There were a lot of pros in the top 10.”
First place was won by David Peck of Niantic.
At Cedar Point Yacht Club, standing, from left: Bill Whidden, Vance Harrison, John Rhodes, Tom Atkinson. Front: John Yingling. (Photo/Bonnie Housner Erickson)
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Speaking (still) of sports: Today’s (Sunday) Staples High School boys basketball 2nd annual Summer Slam Jam 3-v-3 Tournament for 3rd-8th grade boys of all skill levels runs all day at Bedford Middle School.
There is also a 3-point shooting competition for everyone. Trophies will go to kids (high school and younger), as well as adults.
There are 3 45-minute slots: 11 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Anyone can enter any of them.
Meanwhile, the boys basketball program seeks contributions, to help imrpove the facilities at Staples. Click here to donate.
Meet and hang out with the FCIAC champs!
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Five new recruits joined the Westport Fire Department on Friday.
William O’Rourke, Stephen Marsan, Drew Haig, Joseph McKay and Patricia Quinn were sworn in, at the Post Road headquarters.
Congratulations. Thank you for your service. And welcome to Westport!
After decades of teaching at Staples High School — and now, a decade or two later — a group gets together regularly.
They call themselves ROMEO: Retired Old Men Eating Out.
On Friday — as their still-working colleagues were setting up classrooms, attending meetings and planning lessons — these guys enjoyed their annual “We’re Not Going Back to School” breakfast.
How many can you identify? Their names are in the caption below.
Clockwise from far left: Jim Wheeler, Al Jolley, Jim Honeycutt, Stan Rhodes, John Pepe, Ed Bludnicki, Drew Strauss, Fred Choromanski, Brian Kelley, Bruce McFadden, Pete Van Hagen, Bob Selverstone, Werner Liepolt.
Posted onAugust 23, 2025|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #280
Watercolors, colorful digital photography, black-and-white pencil-on-pen works: As it does every week, today’s online gallery offers a diverse, creative mix of art, from “06880” readers just like you.
And we do mean you!
No matter how young (or old) you are; what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Alien Beauty” — digital composite (Ken Runkel — Available for sale; click here)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for sale; click here)
“Phataenopsis” — watercolor (Kathleen Burke — Available for sale; click here)
Untitled (Tom Doran — Available for sale; click here)
“Metro NY — Sea Levels Rising” — Acrylic Dutch pour (Eric Bosch)
“‘Close Encounters’ Sequel?” (Fred Cantor)
“Stone Age Dice” — Photographer Jerry Kuyper found the stone at Compo Beach, then added the dots.
“Don’t Mess With Him!” Photographer Mike Hibbard says, “The Maasai Warrior uses his razor-sharp steel spear to protect the family’s cattle from lions.”
“Not Having a Good Day” (Steve Stein)
“Yippee!” (Lawrence Weisman)
“Harry” — pencil on paper (Bill Fellah)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Singing and bantering in English and Spanish (and a little Italian), José Feliciano enterained a full and adoring crowd last night, at the Westport Country Playhouse.
The historic theater was the venue for the legendary, Grammy Lifetime Achievement-winning artist. It was a benefit for the Church of the Assumption, which next year celebrates its 150th anniversary. (That’s almost as old as the 94-year-old Playhouse and 80-year old Feliciano combined.)
The guitarist was accompanied by his sons Mikey (bass) and Jonnie (drums), and a band that — along with Feliciano — played a wide range of songs, in genres including Latin, rock, blues, Motown, Dylan and jazz (plus a smooth Sam Cooke tune).
José Feliciano (right), Hawkins French (left), and 3 other musicians in the 11-member band. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The 2-hour show ended with 2 of Feliciano’s best-sellers: “Light My Fire” and (of course) “Feliz Navidad.”
He’s sung that tune at Assumption’s Christmas Mass for over 3 decades. He and his wife Susan — who took a deserved bow — have been longtime parishioners and supporters of the Riverside Avenue church.
José Feliciano and his wife Susan. (Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)
Looking for a great activity for your son or daughter?
Look no further than Scouting.
Westport Troops 39 (boys) and 139 (girls) welcome new potential members and their families in grades 5-12 for homemade pizza making and a bonfire (September 11, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Compo Beach).
Current members and adult leaders will answer questions, and share their excitement about plans for 2025-26 They include:
Ziplining
Downhill mountain biking
Camping
Whitewater rafting
Climbing
A trip to Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island
Leadership and service opportunities
And more.
Questions? Email Troop39Westport@gmail.com.
Troops 39 and 139.
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George C. White — the driving force behind the famed Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, who died August 6 at 89 — was not a Westporter.
But he nurtured and influenced many residents.
Werner Liepolt was playwright-in-residence at the O’Neill theater — twice.
Liepolt says that Westporter Arthur Kopit was also a resident playwright. Max Wilk was a dramaturg there for several summer sessions.
And Michael Douglas — who lived with his mother on Whitney Street, in a house that Kopit later rented — was a frequent actor on the Eugene O’Neill Theater stage.
This crepe myrtle catches Topsy Siderowf’s eye, very time she passes it on Compo Road South.
She sends it along as today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo, adding, “They are more often seen in the south. But this specimen is thriving in Zone 7.”
And finally … Bobby Whitlock — a keyboardist and singer-songwriter who helped found Derek and the Dominos, and played with stars like Eric Clapton and George Harrison — died Sunday in Texas. He was 77, and had been diagnosed with cancer.
(As we gear up for the start of school, add this to your checklist: Please click here to support “06880.” We’ll keep providing all the news you need — with your help. Thank you all!)
To everyone who enjoys Lawrence Weisman’s weekly sketches: This week, the longtime Westporter throws us a curveball.
Click through our online art gallery, and you’ll see.
You’ll also see — as you do each week — nearly a dozen other pieces of art, all contributed by fellow “06880” readers.
No matter how young (or old) you are; what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“John V” — pencil on paper (William Fellah)
“The Cool & Calm Fog — Penobscot Bay, Maine” — photograph (Bonnie Scott Connolly)
Untitled — Saugatuck River, from Kawa Ni porch (Dana Kuyper)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“Flowers at the Beach” — digital oil painting Ken Runkel — Available for purchase; click here)
“She Gets it Done” (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“Sparky” — watercolor (Eric Bosch)
“Salsa at the Levitt” (Judith Katz)
“A Rare Discovery Tree” — pencil and watercolor (Steve Stein)
“I’m the Got You Got. Get Over It!” (Mike Hibbard)
Untitled — woodcarving (Steven Kulla)
Lawremce Weisman writes: “I recently discovered drawings done by my paternal grandmother between 1926 and 1932, very much in the style of the times. Although I knew her well and spent almost every afternoon with her after school, I never knew she had this talent. I think by the time I knew her, in the mid-1940s, she had given up drawing. She died in 1957.”
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Posted onAugust 9, 2025|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #278
Perhaps we’ve had a woodcarving before, in one of our 277 previous online art galleries.
Or maybe not.
Either way, today’s submission underlines one of the goals of this weekly feature: to highlight the many and varied works of “06880” readers.
No matter how young (or old) you are; what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Nebraska Field Flying Trout” — digital illustration/composite (Ken Runkel — Available for sale; click here)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“Showers” (Bruce Borner)
“Looking Up” (Karen Weingarten)
“Journey to the East” — Photographer Jerry Kuyper explains, “This is our backyard on Rayfield Road. For over 10 years, I have been maintaining a 90 foot circumference ‘Circle of Life.’ About 5 years ago I added cairns marking the center and N, S, E, W directions.”
“Pond” — digital print (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“Trolley Folly” (Peter Barlow)
Untitled — woodcarving (Steven Kulla)
“White Collar” — 20″ x 16″ oil on canvas (Werner Liepolt — Available for purchase; click here)
“The Cannondale Station” — watercolor (Eric Bosch)
“Our Relationship is on the Rocks!” (mike Hibbard)
“Princess Tang” — pencil on paper (William Fellah)
“I’m at Compo — Just Look for the Blue Swim Cap!” — pencil and watrcolor (Steve Stein)
“Not Happy” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Westport’s ever-expanding outdoor art collection dedicates its newest addition on August 13 (5 p.m., Eloise Ray Park: Riverside Avenue at Lincoln Street),
It’s a celebration of Marc Zaref’s “Enso: The Magic of Every Moment.” The sculptor will be there, to explain the piece and his process.
Aarriving here after a 2-year solo exhibit at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts, it was installed yesterday.
“Enso” is the 4th sculpture that the Westport Arts Advisory Committee has installed in Westport parks since last year. The Parks and Recreation Department have helped with the initiative.
“Enso” by Marc Zaref, at Eloise Ray Park.
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There’s always something going on on Church Lane.
Last night, it was another Wednesday of free music:
Then yesterday, Dairy Boy promoted its “lifestyle brand” that “blends New England charm with modern fashion,” with an old-fashioned ice cream giveaway.
IYKYK.
(Photo/Roger Leifer)
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Speaking of music: Borboletta brought their high-energy Santana sound to the Levitt Pavilion last night. A large crowd rocked the amphitheater.
(Photo/Sean Bernand)
The Levitt and the band collaborated on a limited run of t-shirts. They’ll be sold at the box office throughout the weekend (while they last).
(Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)
The weekend schedule includes:
Tonight (Friday): Lulada Club: New York City’s All women Salsa Orchestra (free; dance lesson and dance party, 7 p.m.; show, 7:30).
Saturday: Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos (free; 7:30 p.m.).
Sunday: The Wood Brothers, with Mason Via (ticket purchase; 6 p.m.).
But athletes are deep into training. And Positive Directions is busily promoting it.
Westport’s prevention, counseling and peer supports center for individuals and families struggling with mental health or substance use disorders will benefit from the fundraising of 3 local runners.
Cam Gaylord, Brian McGarvey and Gianna Affi have set goals of raising $3,000 each for the non-profit. Click here to read their stories — and donate.
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Speaking of sports: Congratulations to the winners of Westort Country Playhouse’s 2nd annual golf tournament, held recently at Birchwood Country Club.
They’re shown below: Jonathan Levy, Glenn Levinson, Alex Krug and Justin Brunwasser.
Speaking still of sports: Congratulations to our young neighbors to the east.
The Fairfield National 12U All-Star Little League team won the state championship. Now they’re competing in the Metro Section for a spot as one of 10 US teams in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
What makes this “06880”-worthy is that outfielder/pitcher Ben Herbst is the grandson of longtime Westporters Mickey and Candace Herbst.
Ben is the younger son of David Herbst (Staples High School Class of 1992), and the nephew of Westport phys. ed. teacher Jon Herbst (SHS ’96).
The Metro Section championship game, against New York, is today at 7 p.m. It will be played in Bristol, Connecticut, and televised by the big network right down the road: ESPN.
Speaking of kids: Adam J. Lewis Academy — the life-changing Bridgeport school co-founded by Westporter Julie Mombelloo — had quite a year.
Their first-ever class of 6th graders moved into a sparkling new facility, complete with STEAM lab and maker space.
Music Theatre of Connecticut helped stage 2 big productions.
Now, as teachers prepare to welcome pre-K through 7th graders, they’re sharing an important wish list.
From arts and science equipment to books, calculators and many other classoom needs — the kind available without a second thought in a district like Westport — each request is important. Amazon gift cards are welcome too.
Click here for the full list. All items can be shipped directly to Adam J. Lewis Academy, 500 State Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604.
Westport native Sherri Manuel died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday. She was 52
She graduated with typical excitement and enthusiasm from Staples High School and Camp Hill Soltane in Pennsylvania, a program for adults with intellectual differences. S
She had a successful career at Village Market in Wilton for over 25 years.
Sherri enjoyed many activities and field trips with Star Inc. of Norwalk, a full and active social life with Our Vision of Westport, and an independent residential lifestyle provided by CLASP Homes of Westport.
Sherri was an accomplished Special Olympian, earning many medals. Her greatest achievement was a gold medal winner in equestrian riding.
Highlights of Sherri’s life include a cover story in Westport Magazine (“A Day in the Life of Sherri Manuel”), being a runway model for CLASP Homes fundraisers, and the opportunity to meet her hero, Micheal J. Fox, at a show taping, which resulted in a long friendship.
Her family says, “Above all else, Sherri brought joy, happiness and humor to all who knew her.”
She is survived by her parents, Tom and Julie McNamee, siblings Charlie (Becky), sister Christina Parker (Dan Parker) and Mandy, nephews Max, Benny, Bennett, Logan, John and Elliot, niece Morgan, stepbrothers Ryan McNamee (Taylor), Andrew McNamee (Stephanie), nephews Logan, John and Elliot, and many friends from CLASP Homes, Star Inc. and Our Vision.
A wake will be held tomorrow (Saturday August 9, 2 to 6 p.m., Lesko Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, Fairfield).
And finally … in honor of Dairy Boy’s popup yesterday on Church Lane (story above):
(No milk today. But donations are always accepted at “06880,” to keep this hyper-local blog healthy and strong. Please click here. We appreciate your help!)
There will be 2 more candidates on the November 4 ballot.
Democrats Steve Shackelford and Jodi Harris collected — and the town clerk certified — over 400 petition signatures.
He is a former Representative Town Meeting member; she is a former Staples High School PTA co-presisdent.
They’ll join Democratic Town Committee-endorsed candidates Lauren Karpf (RTM deputy moderator) and Abby Tolan (incumbent BOE member), and Republican Town Committee-endorsed candidates Dorie Hordon (incumbent), Michelle Hopson, TEAM Westport member Andy Frankel, and Kaitlin Zucaro.
Shackelford and Harris say, “We are honored to have the opportunity to earn the trust and support of our fellow Westport residents. We look forward to engaging with the community and sharing our vision for a thoughtful, effective and forward-looking board that puts students and families first.”
Steve Shackelford and Jodi Harris.
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The Westport dining scene is about to change.
And “06880” is eating it up.
Today (Thursday) at 6 p.m., Dan Woog and Dave Briggs bring our popular “Dave & Dan” Instagram Live camera to Don Memo. Our Instagram is @06880danwoog.
The popular Mexican restaurant in the middle of downtown will soon become a popular Italian-American spot: Massi Co.
We’ll chat with owner Massimo Tullio about the new concept, his own career, and Westport’s ever-evolving culinary scene.
Also today — like every Thursday, from May to November — the Westport Farmers’ Market comes alive, at the Imperial Avenue parking lot (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
But this day is extra special. It’s part of National Farmers’ Market Week, celebrated every first week of August.
Check out the 36 vendors — along with live music, informational tables, a great community vibe, and much more.
In other Farmers’ Market news, the Young Shoots photo contest — for photographers ages 5-18 — has been extended one week. The new deadline is August 15. Click here for details.
Happy National Farmers’ Market Week! And if you’re a young photographer: Celebrate with your camera.
See you at the Farmers’ Market! (Photo/Marcus Slomich)
Speaking (still) of food: Quietly but deliciously, Field Trip has helped make Westport the jerky capital of the Northeast.
The company’s headquarters are at 153 Post Road East, opposite Design Within Reach.
Now they’re adding a sister brand there.
DefenderBar will be the first bar ever — and one of the first snacks in the US — to use functional ingredients like psyllium husk (to support gut health) and dandelion root (for the liver and gut), while also fueling the brain and heart with chia, flax and hemp seeds.
There are 3 flavors: cinnamon churro oatmeal, peanut butter chocolate chip and coconut almond chocolate.
To support the launch on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, founders Matt Levey, Tom Donigan and Scott Fiesinger invite any “06880” reader to come in to the store, and show you’ve followed the brand on any of those platforms.
You’ll get 25% off the entire store, including Defender and Field Trip.
The first 100 people in (and following on social media) will receive a free Defender bar. The promotion begins August 13, and runs through August 20.
Levey explains, “we realized we’re not 25 anymore. But we’re still pushing ourselves — on the trails, in the gym, at home with our wild kids — and we needed a better way to fuel that lifestyle.
“As longtime friends who have spent half our lives in the better-for-you food industry, and as adventurers and dads, we looked for something with functional macros, real ingredients, and satisfying.
“We were tired of bars that were all sugar and no substance, or ones that claimed to be ‘healthy’ but left us crashing mid-hike. So we got to work. We kept it simple, with nutrient-dense ingredients.”
Defender bars are definitely worth a field trip!
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Speaking of local businesses: The Gig Center (next to Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids) is now The Music Collective.
It offers the same services: private music lessons, rock band programs, instrument repairs, music books and instrument accessories. It’s also still the home of Westport Musical Instrument Rentals.
The new phone number is 203.292.3077.
Jamming at the Gig Center.
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Nature, memory, abstraction and form are the basis of 3 new art exhibits at the Westport Library.
The artists and their works are Steve Moen (“Circling Back,” in the Sheffer Gallery), Tom Kretsch (“A Symphony of Color,” South Gallery), and Linn Cassetta (“Eggcentric,” Jesup Gallery).
Each exhibit will have a separate reception (6 p.m.) and artist conversation (7 p.m.), with Artists’ Collective of Westport co-founder Miggs Burroughs. Moen’s is set for August 13; Kretsch’s is August 27, and Cassetta’s is September 17.
What’s new in the world universe of amateur telescopes?
Wesetport Observatory Bob Meadows is just back from the 89th annual convention of amateur telescope makers. He’ll describe all the innovations at the Westport Astronomical Society’s next lecture: August 19 (WAS classroom, 8 p.m.)
The event will also be livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube.
Seen at the Westport Observatory. (Photo/Frank Rosen)
And finally … on this date in 1789, The Department of War was established.
(Politics, food, art, entertainment … just another day on “06880.” If you learn about your town — or anything else — from our daily Roundups, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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