As they do every week, familiar scenes, abstract ones, and everything in between greet visitors to our online art gallery.
As always, we hope they inspire, entertain and engage every guest.
This is, after all, your gallery. No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we want 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.
Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in.
“The Remarkable Book Shop 1968” (Eric Bosch)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“Otis” — pencil on paper (Bill Fellah)
“Return of the Sun” — Playhouse Square — photograph (Jerry Kuyper)
“Encaustics” (June Rose Whittaker — Available for purchase; click here)
“August Awakening” (Dorothy Robertshaw — Available for purchase; click here)
“Distorted Path” (Patricia McMahon — Available for purchase; click here)
“Blue Landscape” (Amy Schneider)
“5 Shells” — oil on panel, 10 x 10 (Werner Liepolt)
Photographer Mike Hibbard says, “This African Baobab tree was a seedling 2,500 years ago about the time the mammoth went extinct and StoneHenge was being built. The main trunk is hollow and there are openings to get in – a good place to get in out of the heat or rain, if you don’t mind sharing with snakes and stinging insects.”
“My Uncle Sam at the Rail at Hialeah” (Lawrence Weisman)
Untitled (Martin Ripchick)
“Everything is Just Peachy” — graphite and watercolor (Steve Stein)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery –as it has been for 6 years. But please consider an anniversary donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Of course, that’s not the only online concern. Fraud prevention is another.
Jeff Schwartz is a longtime Westport resident. He has an engineering degree, and spent his career in software.
Four years ago, a friend lost his life savings. Now, Jeff sounds the alarm about fraud prevention.
He started by warning the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston. Now he’s reaching out further.
He’s developed an easy-to-use app. CYA (Cover Your Assets) looks at the content of a email. It can check a link or a phone number, and help a user determine whether a message is safe or not. It also restarts your phone, to kick out any bad guys.
He’s testing it now, with the Y’s Men and others.
Jeff is not looking to make money. He just wants to do something for so many people, who are so vulnerable to scams.
It’s not every water bottle refill station that has a dedication ceremony.
But it’s not every town that had an environmental advocate like Sherry Jagerson.
This Sunday (1 p.m.), Winslow Park’s new station will be dedicated in the memory of the longtime Westport resident and community leader, who died in 2024.
The station is part of UnPlastic Westport. The Sustainable Westport initiative reduces single-use plastic by installing water refill stations in parks and public spaces.
Earth Animal joins the event, bringing earth-themed treats and gifts for dogs. Sustainable Westport and the Westport Parks & Recreation Department will also provide reusable water bottles to attendees.
Westporters — human and canine — are invited to Sunday’s celebration.
Sherry Jagerson, at the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve.
Allium — the small restaurant with the devoted following that closed in May, after 4 1/2 years on Railroad Place — will reopen soon, in a new location.
“06880” has reported recently on the local (and national) mahjong craze.
Today, we introduce a small Westport company that could grow big.
Verdant Mahjong is a woman-led business creates and sells a mahjong tile design highlighting New England ecology.
“We loved that mahjong created community, but we also wanted to connect the community to their local environment,” says Merritt Juliano.
The flower tiles feature native plants, which build resilience against flooding and other climate issues. Verdant’s first line, Winter Solstice, highlights native plants that thrive in winter here.
They’re open for presales, with delivery expected in early 2027. For details, click here. Their Instagram is @VerdantMahjong.
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month continues, here is one more way to make a mark.
Westporters Amanda Meltzer and Kaylee Rutchik have organized an event with Fred and Monarch market. This Thursday (October 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), both will donate 15% of sales to Pink Aid.
The national organization — founded in Westport — offers compassionate support, critical resources and emergency financial assistance to underserved breast cancer patients and their families.
Amanda and Kaylee were both diagnosed in their 30s. They became fast friends, and after receiving support from many friends and strangers, now pay it forward.
Westport Farmers’ Market recently concluded the first summer of its weekly partnership with the Norwalk Art Space and Art Space Café.
The program continues this fall.
“Fueling Creativity” began with a simple but powerful belief: Every young person deserves access to nourishing food, meaningful education, and a space where their creativity is celebrated.
Each week, the Farmers’ Market purchases and provides fresh, locally sourced ingredients directly from its farmers. Then chef Caitlin McGowan and Café baker and manager Kelly Clement transform them into healthy, delicious meals.
Students gather in an environment built around learning, expression and wellness. They share a meal prepared with real, whole ingredients, while onsite tutors provide academic support and art classes bring their creativity to life.
To learn more about Fueling Creativity or support the Westport Farmers Market’s mission, click here.
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Yesterday’s Roundup noted that the Sunrise Rotary Club’s 35th annual “Westport Uncorked” returns to the newly renovated Inn at Longshore November 5 (6 to 9 p.m.).
The evening — with special wine, great food, and very interesting guests — features 100 sustainable and organic wines, curated by Cory D’Addario of The Fine Wine Company.
We noted that it’s a “fundraiser.” But the proceeds do not stay with the Rotarians.
Funds from the wine tasting — along with Sunrise’s Great Duck Race — are donated to charities and local organizations. Last year, Westport Sunrise Rotary donated $150,000 to charities. The goal this year: even more.
Following the footsteps of historic saxophone duos like Johnny Griffin and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, and Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, a pair of powerhouse horn players — Andy Farber and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall will push each other to creative heights at this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (VFW Post 399; shows at 7 and 8:15 p.m.; dinner begins at 6:15).
And finally … on this day in 1903, the Boston Red Sox won the first modern World Series. They won the best of 9 event, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5 games to 3.
Many Westporters think of Lux Bond & Green as a great jewelry store that’s been in Westport for years.
That’s true. But there is much more to the story.
It is a actually a 128-year-old, 5th generation, family-owned and operated business. Besides Westport, there are locations in West Hartford, Glastonbury, Mohegan Sun, Wellesley (Massachusetts), and soon, Mystic.
Lux Bond & Green has been in Westport for 30 years, anchoring what used to be called Brooks Corner at the Main Street/Elm Street intersection.
To celebrate 3 decades in town, all month long they’ll donate proceeds from all watch batteries, sizing and jewelry cleaning to Swim Across The Sound.
For customers making a purchase who mention Swim Across the Sound, a percentage of that sale will also benefit the non-profit.
LBG partner Roberto Coin also turns 30 this year. The store celebrates with 2 trunk shows. A percentage sales will benefit Connecticut Food Share.
On November 1, Lux Bond & Green will donate another month of watch sizing, batteries and jewelry cleaning to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Mentioning the non-profit during any purchase will generate a donation too.
Meanwhile, every Saturday from October 24 through November 14, there will be surprises like candy and cannoli trucks, and Bridgewater Chocolates.
Old and new customers are invited to stop by and share Lux Bond & Green stories. For more information on LBG, click here.
The Planning & Zoning Commission meeting set for October 19 (6 p.m., Zoom) does not include a controversial item, postponed from last session: lights on Wakeman and PJ Romano athletic fields.
It may be a technical matter. A new 8-24 plan may need to be filed.
If the item is added, “06880” will announce it.
Temporary lights at PJ Romano Field may — or may not — be replaced by permanent ones. (Photo/Tara Welch)
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Westport Country Playhouse kicks off its 2026-27 season in a big way: with a world premiere.
“Ken Ludwig’s Pride and Prejudice, Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley” — a stage sequel to Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice” — runs October 20 through November 7.
Playhouse artistic director calls the show “smart, romantic, wildly funny, and full of surprises.”
Click here for the performance schedule, and ticket information. Special events include Taste of Tuesdays (Oct. 20), Pride Night (Oct. 22), Opening Night (Oct. 24), Sunday Symposium (Oct. 25), Backstage Pass (Oct. 28), Open Captions (Nov. 1) and Thursday TalkBack (Nov. 5).
Tickets start at $50, with discounts for students, senior citizens, educators, military, first responders, Indigenous peoples, professional playwrights and groups, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes. Click here for details.
The cast of “Pride & Prejudice: Part II.” (Photo/Kelsey McFarlan)
The Green’s Farms post office — one of Westport’s true, hidden gems (IYKYK) — has been closed a month. It sustained heavy damage during the September 13 “rain bomb.”
The future does not look good.
A handwritten sign reads: “Temporarily Closed!!! Due to flood damage we will be closed until further notice. No transactions.’
(Photo/Alan Phillips)
Fingers crossed that “temporarily” does not become “permanently.”
Many folks rely on the neighborhood, neighborly PO.
And as someone who lives behind the main post office in Playhouse Square, the last thing this town needs is one less post office.
Comedian Kevin Nealon (“Saturday Night Live” and much more) headlined Friday’s “Stand Up For Homes with Hope.”
The annual fundraiser for Westport’s supportive housing and food pantry non-profit filled Fairfield University’s Quick Center.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Nealon. He grew up in Bridgeport, and graduated from St. Joseph High School and Sacred Heart University.
Kevin Nealon, at Fairfield University. (Photo/JC Martin)
Yesterday, the comic visited the Gillespie Center and pantry, on Jesup Road.
What Homes with Hope does is no laughing matter. But it’s great that folks like Kevin Nealon — and the full house at his show — stand up for the work they do.
Kevin Nealon (center) at the Homes with Hope food pantry. He’s joined by staffers and volunteers (from left) Grayson Orr, Sarah Carusone, Katharine Murray and Thomas Samaranayake.
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“06880” held our first-ever Business Buzz last night.
It was a hot event — and very cool.
Ginger Richardson hosted a diverse group of Westporters (and blog readers) at her new sauna-and-cold plunge spot on Post Road East, next to Sherpa Fitness.
Guests enjoyed both extremes — along with drinks from Tuck Gin, and plenty of community spirit.
Dave Briggs is partnering with “06880,” to make Business Buzzes regular events. If your business wants to play host, email 06880blog@gmail.com.
Dave Briggs and Ginger Richardson, at Kiin Sauna. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The Campaign School at Yale’s 1-day “Basics” class for women of all parties who are thinking of running for political office is set for October 24 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) The session is open to men who support those women, too.
Participants learn speaking techniques and networking strategies, and hear from successful alumi.
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation has made a donation, so county residents pay only $25. The cost for people outside the county is $100.
The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters honored Westport’s state representative on Friday, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The CLCV said: “Rep. Steinberg has been a leading voice in the Connecticut General Assembly on clean energy, environmental protection, and public health for more than 15 years. He has played a key role in major environmental efforts, including the plastic bag ban, fracking waste moratorium, GMO labeling, and microplastics legislation, while consistently advancing renewable energy, solar power, and utility accountability.
“As House chair of both the Public Health committee and the Energy & Technology Committee, Jonathan helped shape modern energy policy and led the charge on the State Water Plan to ensure Connecticut’s waters remain protected. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing sustainability, energy affordability, and long-term environmental resilience across the state.”
The 13th annual Air Cooled Classic Car Show takes over Veterans Green (Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
Dozens of very cool (ho ho) autos will be on display. Their owners are happy to answer questions, and show off their vehicles.
It’s sponsored by Westport-based Small Car Company. The club for air-cool aficionados is loosely connected to the car dealership of the same name. It was located on Post Road West, diagonally across from Kings Highway Elementary School. Most recently, it was the site of Carvana.
Air-cooled cars, on Veterans Green. (Photo/Sarathi Roy)
The very compelling “This is Your Life” series continues October 23 at the Senior Center.
Internationally renowned pianist Frederkic Chiu and world-class artist and sculptor Jeanine Esposito will be interviewed by Rozanne Gates, of the Legacy Project USA.
The couple founded Beechwood Arts, a non-profit community that changes the way the arts are experienced and created. They’ll talk about their multi-cultural, multi-faceted and arts-oriented marriage, and how they improve the artistic life of this community.
“This is Your Life” interviews are free, and open to the public. To register, call 203-341-5099.
Jeanine Esposito and Frederic Chiu (Photo/Jane Beiles for the New York Times)
And finally … today is National Coming Out Day. It’s a celebration of people who identify publicly as LGBTQ+ — and a time to encourage those who have been in the closet to embrace their honest, authentic selves.
But the work is as varied, creative and inspiring as ever.
Will next week’s gallery be back to our usual size? That depends on you!
No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we want 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.
Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in.
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (Marina Drasnin)
“Into the Woods — Fall Foliage” (Dorothy Robertshaw — Available for purchase; click here)
“Brother Steve Enjoying the Hemingway Island Fishing Lifestyle” (Eric Bosch)
“Petal Maze” (Nancy Breakstone — Available for purchase; click here)
“FUBAR” — abstract (Jo Ann Miller)
Photographer Mike Hibbard says, “Totem Pole symbol of the elder imparting knowledge into the child. Unorthodox is an understatement for our culture.”
“All My Dandelions are Going Poof” — watercolor (Steve Stein)
Untitled (Lawrence Weisman)
Entrance is free to our online art gallery –as it has been for 6 years. But please consider an anniversary donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
On Wednesday, the Board of Finance unanimously voted to accept nearly $900,000 in federal funding, through a Safe Streets for All grant.
On November 10, the RTM will be asked to give final approval.
Walk Bike Westport — which has championed the grant — says, “board members asked thoughtful, challenging questions of the town’s Department of Public Works and consultant Tighe & Bond, emphasizing something we wholeheartedly agree with: Securing this funding is only the beginning. Making sure it’s spent wisely and leads to meaningful improvements is what matters most.”
Walk Bike Westport thanks 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, Public Works director Larry Roberts and town engineer Keith Wilberg for their presentations, and work on the proposal.
“We are proud to be part of this community and optimistic about the incredible potential Westport has to become a safer, more walkable and bikeable town,” organizers say.
Some of the participants in last year’s Bridge to Bridge walk.
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For a few weeks, residents have admired the town’s newest outdoor sculpture.
On Tuesday (October 13, 5 p.m.), Westport will formally welcome “The Couple,” with a reception at Riverside Park.
The sculpture was donated to the Westport Public Arts Collection by philanthropist and long-time Westporter Susan Malloy.
In 1991, she and her husband Edwin commissioned William King to create an aluminum 12-foot high 2-person grouping for their Dogwood Lane property.
After her death in 2015, “The Couple” was installed at Earthplace. When the Westport Arts Advisory Committee sought a more accessible and visible home for the work, they recommended Riverside Park.
The move was possible with the help of Susan’s family: granddaughter Meredith, son Timon and niece Ann Sheffer.
With support from Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department, the installation was completed in August.
WAAC oversees the installation and care of Westport’s sculptures and monuments. In addition to The Minuteman monument and Doughboy statue on Veterans Green, Westport maintains 15 sculptures on town and school property.
In 2024, WAAC initiated a “loan program” with area artists. For an annual stipend, sculptors loan their sculptures to Westport for 5 years.
Since 2024, WAAC has overseen the installation of 5 “borrowed” sculptures: “Passages” by Westporter Niki Ketchman (Pasacreta Park); “Tulip Bulb” by Emily Teal (Grace Salmon Park); “Egrets” by Babette Bloch (Canal Park); “Enso” by Mark Zaref (Eloise Ray Park), and “Queen of Hearts” by Carole Eisner (Westport Center for Senior Activities.) Click here for more information.
“The Couple,” at Riverside Park
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The weather is getting chillier. The Westport PAL Rink at Longshore is nearly ready to reopen.
And Mar Jennings is preparing to return as head coach and program director for the popular Learn to Skate program.
Jennings – a lifestyle expert, TV host and real estate agent — is also a world champion gold medalist. Under his leadership, the US Figure Skating-sanctioned program offers a welcoming, confidence-building environment for toddlers taking their first steps, youth developing competitive skills, and adults rediscovering their love of the ice.
The 10-week Learn to Skate curriculum provides progressive instruction, merit badge evaluations, and a supportive environment to nurture personal growth.
Westporter Sara Kempner is director of creative campaigns and collaborations at the US Vote Foundation. The nonpartisan non-profit helps millions of American citizens around the world cast ballots.
They get their message out in fun, creative ways. A recent campaign involved placing a QR code linked to voter registration on pizza boxes.
With flowers blooming behind Town Hall, and Connecticut’s new no-excuse absentee voting policy rolling out, Sara figured she’d feature her hometown in a national spot.
Click here or below for the result — starring local ballerina Isabella Corridon.
But that’s not all. Another reel will feature local yoga and Pilates teacher Vicki Lopez. She’ll show how breathing techniques can quell anxiety about voting (and how to use your time in the voting line well).
Three years after the October 7 attacks, Chabad of Westport will host Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, former chief of the IDF General Staff, for an important community conversation.
This will be one of his first public speaking engagements since stepping down as chief of staff a year and a half ago.
The event is November 2 (7:30 p.m.; sponsor reception at 6:45).
Halevi served as Israel’s top military commander for 515 days following October 7, leading the IDF through one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history.
A few times a year, a few lucky folks get to share a private Saturday morning of movement, breakfast, conversation and community, on a rooftop overlooking the Saugatuck River.
Jennifer Ruspini offers a chance to “step away from the noise. Say hello to the neighbor you have not had time to meet. Move gently. Enjoy the morning without pressure, a sales pitch, or a crowded room.” It’s complimentary, too — with gifts from Southern Tide.
Yesterday was moving day for the Sherwood Mill Pond crane.
After many months — many more months than expected — repairing the tidal gates, the project seems to be nearing an end.
This scene in the Old Mill Beach parking lot was no doubt welcomed by many nearby residents — so long as the machinery is finally gone.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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Jude Siegel grew up in Westport. Her father owned Westport Pharmacy downtown, across from the Library on Post Road East. Jude is a 1964 Staples High School graduate.
Since 1973, she has lived in Oregon — first on farms in the Willamette Valley, now in Portland.
She has long taught nature and bird journaling — a combination of drawing, watercolor and writing — to children and adults.
“This time of year,” she says, “I get homesick for the land, beaches and beauty of Connecticut.”
Of course, it is beautiful in Oregon too. Jude captures that beauty every year, in a watercolor and pen bird calendar she draws and produces.
“Birds bring such joy to our daily lives,” she notes. “It gives me peace to draw and paint them. I like the idea that they then go out on the calendar pages to people all over, and grace their lives as well.
This year’s calendar is now available for purchase. They’re $35 each, plus $5 per calendar for shipping. Email colorfuljude@gmail.com. (Originals are available for purchase. Just ask!)
One month, in Jude Siegel’s 2027 calendar.
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From nature to music: The next Christ & Holy Trinity Church “Music & Arts” event is New York Polyphony. The 4-part choral ensemble — called “larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” by NPR — performs on October 17 (5 p.m.). A reception follows.
And finally … on this date in 1701, the Collegiate School of Connecticut was chartered in Old Saybrook. Today we know it as Yale University, in New Haven.
(Happy 325th anniversary, Yale! You’re just 308 years older than “06880.” And while they have a $44.1 billion endowment, we don’t. To help us close the gap, please click here. Thank you!)
Mark Edwards is a familiar Staples High School name.
The 1988 graduate captained the lacrosse and ski teams. He played football and tennis too. This summer, he revived the Compo Beach volleyball tournament.
Now a highly regarded speaker to sales teams, corporate leaders and college audiences about reading people and managing pressure, he’s written his first book.
“The Elements of Golf and Business: Reading the Green, Reading the Room” maps the Big 5 personality traits onto 5 classical elements (fire, earth, air, water and aether) to show how the instincts revealed over 18 holes are the same ones that shape a negotiation, leadership decision or client relationship.
It includes a self-assessment and an original golf game for foursomes.
On October 19 (6 p.m., The Clubhouse), Mark gives his first public talk based on the book.
He’ll discuss each trait using case studies from names like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Scottie Scheffler and Ben Hogan, along with pop culture moments and business lessons learned over the past 25 years.
“I want my first audience to be the community I grew up in,” Edwards says.
“Golf has a way of showing you who people really are when the pressure is on. I’m happy to put myself in that seat first.”
A $10 ticket includes appetizers. For $20, you also get a signed copy of the book. Click here to purchase. After the talk, guests can stay for Monday Night Football.
Mark Edwards
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Westport Country Playhouse was buzzing on Monday.
Tom Hanks, Wendie Malick and Tony Shalhoub performed in the 100th play reading in the 20-year-old Script in Hand series.
If you missed the historic event: too bad! In any event, here’s the curtain call:
Tony Shalhoub, Wendie Malick, Tom Hanks. (Photo/Kerry Long)
The museum’s executive director Robin Jaffee Frank, artist Rick Shaefer, architect and urban policy leader Rick Bell and executive director of the Avon Theatre Film Center Peter Gistelinck offer a provocative conversation, inspired by Shaefer’s monumental “Colossi” drawings on exhibit now (October 24, 4 p.m.).
They’ll discuss the enduring human impulse to build walls, and what they reveal about ambition, history, borders and our relationship to the landscape.
The event is free, but registration is required; click here.
On October 29 (7 p.m.), the East Coast Contemporary Ballet Salon Series comes to MoCA, for an intimate evening of dance, discovery and conversation.
They’ll present a short excerpt from their upcoming fall season, then go behind the scenes to show their creative journey. Click here for tickets.
Coming up at Lachat Town Farm: “Spirits of 1776: A Haunted Experience.”
The Weston farm takes visitors back to the 1770s, as the Revolution unfolded and danger lurked in every field.
In an immersive, interactive production, audiences encounter ghostly battles of fallen soldiers and rebels, along with witches, tricksters and evil spirits.
Participants walk on wooded trails and varied terrain in a 45-minute guided adventure filled with live actors and chilling surprises. Parental discretion is strongly advised, as some scenes may be too scary for younger audiences.
Performances are October 22-25, at 6:30, 6:50, 7:10, 7:30 7:50, 8:10 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
The Bridgeport non-profit provides free music lessons and musical summer camp to public school students in grades K-12.
It fills an enormous need: Only 8 out of the city’s 34 public schools offer any type of music programming.
On November 8 (5 p.m., Fairfield Theatre Company), KEYS hosts their annual fundraiser.
It’s free — the board covers the cost. Of course, contributions are warmly welcomed.
$300 covers 15 music lessons for 1 student; $450, 1 day’s lunch for KEYS
summer program students; $600, a 1-month paid internship for a KEYS alumnus; $1,200, a 4-week summer program scholarship; $1,500, a concert at the University of Bridgeport; $2,500, a KEYS scholarship for the University of Bridgeport; $5,000, instruments, maintenance, repairs, and supplies; $7,000, 1 student for 2 years of music education; $10,000, a KEYS music program at1 school for a full year; $15,000, 1 ensemble at the Saturday program
Last year, 3 New York City Marathon runners raised $19,000 for Positive Directions.
This year, 5 — George DeNoto, Doug Feinberg, Piya, Brian McGarvey and Gianna — are aiming far higher: $60,000. They’re already more than 1/3 of the way there.
Each has their own reason for running. But all involve mental health.
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between September 30 and October 6.
A 37-year-old Westport man was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, after 2 videos of child pornography were emailed to him. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
A 48-year-old Westport man was charged wit assault and disorderly conduct, after a verbal argument escalated into a physical one. He was released on a $7,500 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to renew registration: 9 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 5
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 4
Operating a school bus while using a handheld telephone: 3
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Speeding: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 2
Failure to grant right of way: 2
School zone violation: 1
Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
Failure to drive right: 1
Improper use of marker: 1
Violation of motor vehicle license class: 1
Three school bus drivers were charged recently with using handheld telephones. (Photo/Amy Schneider)
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Bob Weingarten spotted this bird — today’s “Westport … Naturally” subject — sitting on a mailbox.
However, he says, when he got closer it did not move.
And finally … in honor of the 5 people raising funds for Positive Directions, at the New York Marathon (item above):
(You don’t have to run — or even walk — to support “06880.” Just click here, to make a tax-deductible donation that keeps this hyper-local blog running smoothly. Thank you!)
Sure, Staples Players performed “Urinetown” a few months ago.
But they also staged it in the spring of 2017.
That’s the version we’re posting today. Thanks to Jim Honeycutt, former media teacher, for compiling the highlights of directors David Roth and Kerry Long’s show. Click here or below to see.
What have cast members been up to in the 9 years since?
Avery Mendillo (Penelope Pennwise) is a New York–based actor and singer with roots in musical theatre, and a career in film and TV. She recently filmed her first feature film.
Remy Laifer (Bobby Strong) is a New York-based actor and musician. A graduate of Northwestern University’s theatre program, he has appeared on television in NBC’s “New Amsterdam.” His film work includes “Escape from Myrtle Broadway” and “3 Worlds, 1 Modern Romance.”
Jacob Leaf (Officer Lockstock) is a professional actor. He has appeared in “Mamma Mia!,” “Gypsy,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Eurydice” and more.
Zoe Samuels (Hope Cladwell, UGG Secretary) is an associate strategy director at Edelman. She graduated with a degree in theater and Chinese from Middlebury College.
Antonio Antonelli(Hot Blades Harry, Wiley Fred) is an actor and crew member. He voiced the character Shane in “Santaman,” an appeared as Wes in “Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow.”
Colin McKechnie (Tiny Tom) is part of the premiere of Dance With Us with DGDC. He graduated from Ithaca College g with a BFA in acting, and a minor in dance. A stage and screen actor, he is playing Tony in the film adaption of Stephen King’s “I Know What You Need.”
Brooke Wrubel(Little Becky Two Shoes, Hidalgo Jane) is a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University specializing in Early Christian, Byzantine and Western Medieval Art, with a focus on the development of pilgrimage shrines across Italy, Greece and the Holy Land. She holds a BA in art history and Italian studies from Bowdoin College, and an MA in the history of art from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sophia Sherman(Josephine Strong, Tawny Tess) studied acting and performing arts management at the University of Michigan. Based in Los Angeles, Sophia has focused on screen acting.
Chad Celini(Shem the Shameless) is an actor and performer who works in regional theater and independent productions. He has appeared in “Godspell,” “Curtains” and holiday musical revues, and on screen in the 2025 film “Game Over.”
Nick Rossi(Otto the Spoon) is a professional singer, actor and musician. He has appeared regionally in “Master Harold … and the Boys,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Pericles,” “La Cage Aux Folles” and “Jersey Boys.”
Jackie Rhoads (Mrs. Millennium, UGG Secretary) is a filmmaker, actor, writer and producer, who studied film at Vanderbilt University. She creates and stars in videos on her YouTube channel, which has over 20,000 subscribers, and supports the development team at Fivestone Studios, a production company based in Nashville.
Mikayla Czizik (Nurse Clackett) is a New York-based actor, singer and dancer. She graduated with a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch and the Atlantic Acting School. She played Ash in her UK and Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut
Mia Kobylinski(UGG Secretary) is a performer and creative visual artist. She is also a professional visual artist and filmmaker under her brand MAK Filmworks, capturing film photography and media content across the West.
Jake Watzman (Ensemble, the Poor) is a voice actor and theatre performer. He graduated with a BA in theatre from Muhlenberg College. He is recognized for his work in indie animation, visual novels, and voiceover projects.
Last year, Walk Bike Westport sponsored a fall “Bridge to Bridge” walk.
Dozens of residents and politicians — hey, it was the height of campaign season — strolled from Jesup Green, over the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge, to Saugatuck.
They passed the Cribari Bridge, and had breakfast at Kneads.
The “Bridge to Bridge” event returns Sunday, October 18 — this time on wheels.
It begins at 3:30 p.m. with a bike safety talk. Then comes a 3-mile ride to Saugatuck, and back. Everyone ages 8 and up is welcome. Helmets are required.
The 2001 Staples High School graduate has just been named to Variety’s 2026 edition of its annual “10 Broadway Stars to Watch.”
Variety says: “Years ago, Duchan was warned not to expect success as a librettist until he was in his 40s: ‘I’ve always understood this career as something of an endurance test.’
“At 43, he’s making his Broadway debut with ‘Purple Rain,’ the stage version of the classic Prince album and film, about the rise of a tormented young musician known as the Kid. Duchan’s big break comes more than a decade after he emerged on the New York theater scene with 2012’s Off Broadway musical “Dogfight,” based on the 1991 movie starring River Phoenix. [Co-written by former Staples Player and friend Justin Paul.]
“’We’re trying to honor what’s singular about Prince while crafting a fictional character separate from him,’” Duchan says.
“An adept multitasker (and an expert at translating from screen to stage), Duchan is working on another major musical adaptation, ‘Practical Magic,’ based on the 1998 fantasy comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witchy sisters.
“’These are just the two you know about!’ Duchan teases. ‘I spend all day, every day, thinking about musical-theater storytelling. If I haven’t clocked my 10,000 hours yet, I’ve gotta be pretty close.’”
After yesterday’s very active afternoon — including the Slice of Saugatuck, Westoberfest and Earthplace’s Fall Festival — the action continued at night.
The Westport Country Playhouse celebrated 95 years of entertainment with a high-energy gala.
From “Hamilton,” “Shrinking” and “The Wonder Years” to our own Kelli O’Hara and James Naughton, the stars were out in force.
The pre- and post-parties were off the charts too.
Gala performers (from left): Santino Fontana, Kelli O’Hara, James Naughton, Wendie Malick, NaTasha Yvetter Williams, Tamar Greene, Javier Muñoz, Patty McCormack, Dan Lauria. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Westport Pride — the town’s non-profit dedicated to creating an affirming, supportive LGBTQ+ community — “proudly” announces a leadership transition.
Liz Falk takes over as president; Kate Grodd is vice president. Brian McGunagle moves into the role of president emeritus.
McGunagle founded Westport Pride in 2020. Under his leadership the organization established the annual Westport Pride celebration, built partnerships with Westport’s public schools, and helped bring the town’s rainbow crosswalk to life.
He is stepping back from day-to-day leadership to focus on his family and new business ventures. He will also take a more active role in his sons’ PTA.
Falk has served on the Westport Pride board as treasurer. She has a background in non-profit and for-profit management and consulting, and has started and run small businesses.
The Staples boys soccer silent auction is halfway to its fundraising goal. Plenty of items are still available.
Among the highlights: Stowe and Okemo stays, Yankees tickets and memorabilia, performance training sessions, college consulting, wellness packages, and private soccer clinics with varsity players. (Who, by the way, are 9-0-0 so far this season.)
Proceeds help fund coaches, fields, equipment and other resources that keep the program running.
And finally … congratulations again to Peter Duchan (story above).
(Prince’s video has nearly 300 million views. We can’t match that at “06880.” Then again, we are a hyper-local blog. We’re here for you. If you enjoy our niche work, please click here to support it. Thanks!)
Rain postponed the Slice of Saugatuck from last week to today.
It rained briefly yesterday too. But that did not step a crew of Staples Service League of Boys (SLOBs) — and their moms — from helping set up for this afternoon’s Slice.
The 14th annual Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., all around Saugatuck. Click here for full details.
SLOBs and moms set up for the Slice of Saugatuck.
The Slice is not the only big event today.
Also on tap:
Westoberfest, sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association (1 to 5 p.m., Elm Street); click here for details.
The Artists Collective of Westport’s annual trunk show is much more than, well, art sold from actual car trunks.
There’s music and food (and easels, panels and tables too).
The next one is tomorrow (Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), at the Westport Library’s lower parking lot.
Bring a large vehicle, to haul away your purchases.
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Westport resident Scott Foley joins Harrison Ford, Jason Segel and Jessica Williams for season 4 of Apple TV’s “Shrinking.
He’ll play a therapy patient, in the show about a grieving therapist who tells his clients exactly what he thinks.
Foley is a busy man. According to Deadline, he’ll also appear in a regular role on the Hulu pilot “Young Americans,” playing Judd Burchfield, president of the US.
And he’ll return too as Sean Kelly, in the second season of ABC’s “Scrubs” revival.
The first absentee ballot of this election season was given to Ken Stamm.
He reports, “There was no line in Room 105. But they did have a tray of outgoing ones, which by law had to wait until Friday to be mailed out.”
For the first time, Ken notes, there is no need to be out of town, or sick, to receive an absentee ballot.
The envelope looks a bit different, he says. But the drop box behind Town Hall is there, as always.
2026 ballot materials. (Photo/Ken Stamm)
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Scott Froschauer — a noted artist, sculptor and 1988 Staples High School graduate, whose “colorful public artworks turned familiar street signs into messages of kindness, optimism and reflection,” died Wednesday, according to WeHo Times. He was 57, and friends said he died peacefully in his sleep.
Scott Froschauer, with one of his signs in West Hollywood. (Photo courtesy of WeHo Times)
Ann Sheffer — the 1966 Staples graduate active in the arts scene both here and in Southern California — commissioned one of Scott’s signs for the Westport Arts Advisory Committee. Placed downtown, it celebrated Miggs Burroughs and Ann Chernow’s “Welcome to Art Town” newspaper column.
And finally … there’s a lot going on in Westport today (story above). Cue the action!
(Of course, “06880” is always where the action is. And the stories, news, comments, photos — you name it, it’s here. If you enjoy all the action, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
A couple of familiar Westport scenes lead off this week’s online art gallery.
We introduce a new artist too. Peter Gold — a Representative Town Meeting member and Westport Transit District director spends his spare time turning objects on a lathe. A variety of his work is for sale.
Which reminds us: No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we want 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.
Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in.
“The Mill Pond” (Michael Tomashefsky — Available for purchase; click here)
“Summer Stock at the Old Westport Playhouse” (Eric Bosch)
Untitled (Michael Chait — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (June Rose Whittaker — Available for purchase; click here)
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