It’s Saturday morning — time once again to open the doors to our online art gallery.
As always, everyone is welcome to enjoy our collection.
And submit.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and (yes) needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world! (PS: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.)
“Yet Another Chagall: The Tribe of Issachar” — Artist Steve Stein explains, “Issachar was the 5th of 6th sons of Jacob with Leah. The name translates to ‘his reward will come.’ Yet of the 12 tribes, no one uses Issachar as a name for their kids!”
“Sentient” — Photographer Jerry Kuyper says this is 8 feet tall, including 2 feet of rock below the surface. It’s part of the “Rock On! Celebrating Stone in the Garden” exhibit at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts.
“Man vs. Nature” (Tom Doran)
“Roses” (Amy Schneider)
“Stone Planter with Flowers” (Karen Weingarten)
Untitled — Photographer Ellen Horowitz notes, “Yes, the elephant was that close!”
The Democratic Town Committee’s endorsed slate of candidates for November’s local election includes familiar names.
And a couple of new looks.
Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein and secretary Neil Phillips, Planning & Zoning Commission vice chair Paul Lebowitz, and Zoning Board of Appeals chair Jim Ezzes will all stand for re-election.
Danielle Dobin — chair of the P&Z — was nominated to run for the Board of Finance. She is in the middle of her current term, so if elected to the BOF would have to resign.
Nancie Dupier is moving from Westport due to a job change, and must vacate her seat on the Board of Finance. Because she made that announcement this week, the DTC must reconvene to interview candidates. A new nominee will be announced soon.
When Dr. Parthena “Penny” Proskinitopoulos took over as the new principal of Coleytown Middle School yesterday, her commute scarcely changed.
For the past 2 years, she’s been an assistant principal at Staples High School, a mile or so south of her new post.
The appointment by superintendent of school Thomas Scarice was approved this week, by the Board of Education.
Proskinitopoulos’ career began in 2006, as a middle school social studies teacher in Fairfield. In 2014 she became a technology integration specialist. She then served one year as an interim assistant principal at Roger Ludlowe Middle School.
At Staples, she earned praise as administrator in charge of the Response to Intervention program.
Proskinitopoulos earned a BA in psychology from St. John’s University, and a master’s of arts in teaching and 6th year diploma in educational leadership from Sacred Heart University. Her doctorate of educational leadership comes from the University of Bridgeport.
Speaking of police: the Westport Department and Kneads Bakery Café Mill are partners in “Coffee with a Cop.” It’s next Wednesday (July 26, 8 to 9:30 a.m.), at Kneads on Riverside Avenue.
There are no speeches or agendas — just honest conversations about issues affecting our community,
The Westport Public Schools and Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University are collaborating on 2 virtual sessions, for parents and caregivers. Both provide insights and tips on creating a love of reading and science.
“Fostering Future Scientists: Helping Your Kids Learn About the Natural World” is set for next Tuesday (July 25, 7 to 7:45 p.m., grades K-3; click here to register) and Wednesday, July 26 (7 to 7:45 p.m., grades 3-8; click here to register).
Sure, bees sting. But they do so much more. A free webinar will help kids learn about the natural world.
Westporter Dan Gross is a financial and economic journalist. Edmond Safra has been called “the greatest banker of his generation.”
Last year Gross — who, like Safra, traces his heritage to Syria — wrote “A Banker’s Journey: How Edmond J. Safra Built a Global Financial Network.” It traces the financier’s remarkable journey from Beirut to Milan, Sao Paolo, Geneva and New York.
Yesterday, Maria Maloof — a Lebanese journalist — interviewed Gross. Fellow Westporter Avi Kaner made the introduction.
Check out the translation at the bottom in the video below, to see how the story of the Lebanese Jewish banking titan was shared with the Arab world.
The 1-day MoCA Westport exhibition (August 27, 12 to 4 p.m.), features works from “MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts” and Camp MoCA participants.
It’s a celebration of MoCA’s commitment to offer equitable access and meaningful experiences, including employment and access to the arts, to under-resourced community members.
Healing arts classes were led by MoCA instructors. Works reflect participants’ inspiration, joy and deeper connection to the world they experienced through the healing power of art.
Over 200 pieces of camper artwork will be displayed. All are being created at this summer’s camp.
There is a suggested donation of $10 per adult. For more information on MoCA Gives Back, Camp MoCA or Kaleidoscope, click here.
And finally … in honor of the mixed messages at Myrtle and Main (story above):
(Like clockwork, here’s today’s Roundup. If you appreciate this daily feature — or any other part of “06880” — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
It’s been a while since we checked in with our ospreys.
Carolyn Doan visited the Fresh Market raptors on Saturday. She reports:
“I found mom on the very top of a neighboring pine tree. She was giving herself full view of the action around her.
“To her left, the first of her 3 chicks had fledged and was enjoying space away from his sisters. To her right, 2 female nestlings were front and center in the nest, getting ready for their first flight. It may happen this week!”
Speaking of our fine feathered friends: “Birdbrain” is not a compliment.
But for the past few years, birds have been bright enough to build nests on top of a fire alarm signal box in the Playhouse Condominiums parking garage.
It’s warm. It’s protected from both weather and predators. And because they’re birds, “home” is a lot easier to access than residents who battle the shopping center traffic every day.
Still, bringing a chick into the world is not easy. In years past, the condo’s cleaning crew has dismantled the nest; other times, the parents abandoned it.
But this year, all’s well in birdland.
The Playhouse Condos proudly announces its newest resident:
Chick, atop the fire alarm box. (Photo/Dick Truitt)
On Saturday, the Westport Community Gardens held an open house.
Dozens of residents of all ages flocked to the Hyde Lane oasis. They toured the 100-plus plots; marveled at the wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers grown there; enjoyed the pergola and bocce court, and toured the Long Lots Preserve that rings the plots.
Gardeners shared tips — and some of their bounty too.
Enjoying the Westport Community Gardens… (Photo/Lou Weinberg)
Last week, members of Club203 enjoyed art classes at the museum. The next Club203 art class is August 14 (6 p.m.).
The organization — Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities — is just one of several MoCA Gives Back partner groups.
The goal of the MoCA program is to offer art experiences to all, through high-quality programming, and strong outreach to under-resourced populations.
MoCA Gives Back is successful, thanks to dedicated volunteers and instructors.
An exhibition on August 27 will showcase works created by MoCA Gives Back participants.
Meanwhile, Friday night’s MoCA Some Noise: Open Mic Night offered performers a chance to share poetry, readings and acoustic music in the gallery. More are planned.
But that gives us 4 days for the weather to clear before Thursday’s 9th annual “06880” blog party.
We’re all set for 6 p.m (July 20). The site is Compo Beach — the alcohol-is-okay South Beach, by the trees (the opposite end from the cannons).
Bring your own food, beverages (no glass bottles!), beach chairs and blankets. We can always use a folding table too.
Our blog party is a community gathering – a chance to meet and mingle with the diverse “06880” community (both online and real). It’s fun, un-fancy, and free!
We extend a special welcome to all our new “06880” readers. And those who have never come to our bash. See you July 20!
Patti and Doug Brill and friends say: “Come to the blog party!”
Longtime Westporter Bernard Dorogusker died on June 29, with his family at his side. He was 97.
The Bronx native was born to immigrant parents. Times were not easy, but he and his 2 siblings experienced a full New York City childhood. He helped in his father’s store, and sold comics on the corner and hot dogs at Yankee Stadium. At 13, he attended the 1939 World’s Fair.
Bernie served in the Army in the European Theatre under General George S. Patton, Jr.
After his service he attended RCNY and the RCA Institutes for post graduate work in radio and electrical engineering. He loved everything about computers, instrumentation and technology, and started his career building computers at IBM.
This led to a decades long engineering career at the Perkin Elmer Corporation. He worked on government projects, including instrumentation for aircraft and the Hubble Space Telescope.
He met his wife, Barbara Helen Zepko, at Perkin-Elmer. They married in 1959, settling down to start a family near Compo Beach.
Bernie’s passion for all things sports included racing cars, skiing and sailing. In the early 1960s he turned in his iconic Austin Healey to focus on One Design competitive sailing.
Bernie was fascinated by wind patterns, aerodynamics and sail performance, and spent years studying data and research.
Cedar Point Yacht Club became his second love (after his family), and Bernie and his Thistle #1124, “Zelda III,” were a fixture of an award-winning fleet for many, many years.
He was instrumental in growing various fleets at the club, and was a master technical scorekeeper for all things racing at CPYC. After decades of successful racing he retired his boat, and became principal race officer for the cruising fleet. The cruising class honors him every year with the Bernie Dorogusker Trophy for every division in their Wednesday night series.
Bernie also was instrumental in publishing a book on Cedar Point’s history.
Seth Vanbeever honored him with a social media post. Seth wrote:
“35 years ago I was in the junior sailing program at Cedar Point. I wanted to race on the big boats, the cruising class, in the Wednesday night series. No one wanted to take a 12-year-old on the boat.
“I went to the race committee and asked if they needed any help. Bernie, who was in his 60s, said, ‘Shuuuuur’ in his New York accet.
“Bernie didn’t put me to work. He taught me to how to do race committee. He took me under his wing (while explaining Bernoulli’s principle) for the next several years.
“I did race committee on Wednesday nights, raced Thistles on the weekends with Bernie and Walt Stuebner. We even sailed in the Frostbite Series at Essex Yacht Club.
“these two men taught me a tremendous amount about the sport of sailing. I will always remember Bernie.”
Bernie is survived by his wife Barbara of Trumbull; daughters Robin of Boxford, Massachusetts and Laurie of Trumbull; grandsons Erik and Alex Weisensee; brother Alvin, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Renie Zinsmeister.
A graveside service with military honors will be held this Friday (July 21, 11 a.m., Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield). A memorial service at the Cedar Point Yacht Club will take place at a later date.
And finally … Andre Watts died last week, at his Bloomington, Indiana home. He was 77, and suffered from prostate cancer.
The New York Times called him “a pianist whose mighty technique and magnetic charm awed audiences and made him one of the first Black superstars in classical music.”
He was “an old-world virtuoso — his idol was the composer and showman Franz Liszt — with a knack for electricity and emotion. He sometimes hummed, stomped his feet and bobbed his head while he played, and some critics faulted him for excess. But his charisma and his technical powers were unquestioned, which helped fuel his rise to the world’s top concert halls.” Click here for a full obituary.
(If you enjoy our decade of osprey coverage — or anything else “06880” does — please consider a contribution. Just click here — and thank you!).
Posted onJuly 15, 2023|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #170
Welcome to our 170th online art gallery.
We opened in the early days of the pandemic, as an opportunity for “06880” artists hunkered down at home to share their work with the world.
More than 3 years later — now back to near normal — we’ve done what all artists do: We’ve grown and evolved.
But one thing has not changed. We still need your submissions.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and (yes) needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world! (PS: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.)
“Beautiful Boarge.” Photographer Mike Hibbard says:“Pluck the blue flower and float it, face up, on white wine. Sip and refill very carefully. A transformation (of the flower) occurs in about 30 minutes.”
Untitled (Judith Katz)
Untitled (Santiago Lozano)
“After the Storm” — pastel on paper (Clayton Liotta)
Untitled — Italy (Lauri Weiser)
“Sunny Cityscape” — acrylic paper (Lis Hisgen)
Untitled — Martha’s Vineyard (Wendy Levy)
“Planting” (Lawrence Weisman)
“Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight” — pencil and crayon (Steve Stein)
“Rudder, Prop, Keel, and Bottom — Sloop Joanne B” (Peter Barlow)
“Warmth” (Tom Doran)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Staples High School has a new — and official — MLB prospect.
Hiro Wyatt — the superbly named Staples High School baseball hero who graduated last month, after helping the Wreckers comethisclose to the state championship — was drafted this afternoon by the Kansas City Royals.
The right-handed pitcher was chosen in the 3rd round. He was the 75th pick overall.
According to CT Insider’s GameTimeCT, Wyatt will join a Kansas City affiliate once he signs his contract. He had been committed to the University of Southern California.
This past spring, Wyatt went 8-0. He struck out 107 batters and walked only 11, in 54.2 innings pitched.
He allowed 4 earned runs all season, with a 0.51 ERA and a 0.677 WHIP. He also hit .367 with 6 doubles, 3 home runs and 17 RBIs.
He was named GameTimeCT MVP, Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year and CHSCA Player of the Year. He holds Staples records for strikeouts per 9 innings (17.64), most strikeouts in a game (18), scoreless innings streak (42.1) and single-season strikeouts (107).
Wyatt is the 4th Staples baseball player drafted in the past decade. He follows Chad Knight (2019, 31st round, New York Yankees), Ben Casparius (2017, 5th round, Los Angeles Dodgers) and David Speer (2014, 27th round, Cleveland Indians).
In 1976, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Mike Calise in the 24th round. (Hat tip: Jeff Mitchell)
Roe Halper has been a professional artist in Westport for 63 years.
Her work has evolved from social commentary (her woodcuts hung in Martin Luther King’s home) to dance, then nature, and finally abstraction in many forms.
She has worked in woodcarving, pen and ink, and clay. Now she concentrates on acrylic painting.
Roe’s current exhibition, “Circles and Rectangles,” is on view at One River Gallery (next to Shearwater Coffee) through July 30.
On Saturday, July 22 (1 to 2:30 p.m.), she’ll give a class for “older students,” using circles and rectangles.
It’s not her first time as an instructor. For the past 25 years, Roe has taught art to talented high school students, in her studio.
What’s the connection between the Volkswagen emissions cheating settlement, and Weston?
Plenty.
In this week’s “What’s Next in Weston” podcast, 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor describes how money from that case will help her town build new infrastructure.
Spoiler alert: It will support the use of electric vehicles, and reduce harmful emissions.
The podcast is produced by the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston. Click below to see:
Last night at the Westport Library, the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston presented a talk on “Humanity Through Technology.”
Sam Gustman — associate dean and chief technology officer at the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation and USC Libraries — discussed the ground-breaking ways in which Holocaust victims have been recorded for posterity.
Long after they are gone, people will be able to “interview” them, learning their stories.
The Shoah Foundation’s technology, on view at the Westport Library. (Photo/Bruce Borner)
Speaking of technology: What’s the future of astrophotography?
Richard S. Wright Jr. — contributing editor for Sky & Telescope magazine — shines a light on the subject July 18 (8 p.m., virtual; click here for the Zoom link; click here for the YouTube link).
He’s the next guest lecturer at the Westport Astronomical Society’s free online science series.
Viewers will have a chance to ask questions at the end. Click here for (much more) information.
Richard S. Wright Jr.
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Westport has many notable advertising, marketing and PR people.
Yesterday, one of them became an official “notable leader.”
Michael Gordon was one of 75 men and women in the tri-state area, cited by Crain’s.
His writeup says:
As chief executive of the public relations firm Group Gordon, Michael Gordon oversees client work spanning the corporate, social impact, and crisis practices. He also participates in media engagements and webinars regarding industry trends, such as the influence of artificial intelligence on public relations.
Gordon has led key social impact launches, such as the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s restroom finder app. He serves on councils to support undergraduate financial aid and first-generation college students at the University of Pennsylvania, and has been honored by Connecticut’s Anti-Defamation League for his leadership. Gordon has served on the board of the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition.
Westporters know him for him as a former Board of Education chair. Congratulations, Michael!
Michael Gordon
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“Dial M for Murder” opens tonight at the Westport Country Playhouse.
Audience members will enjoy the show — and the garden outside. It’s in full bloom, as today’s “Westport … Naturally” image by Molly Alger shows.
And finally … Peter Nero died Thursday in Florida. He was 89.
The New York Times said the pianist “soared to popularity in the 1960s with a swinging hybrid of classics and jazz and kept the beat for nearly six decades with albums, club and television dates, and segues into conducting pops orchestras.”
(If you read about Hiro Wyatt — or any other interesting Westporter — on “06880,” you too can be a “hero.” Just click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Since 1958, the high school drama troupe has produced hundreds of musicals, dramas, Shakespeare plays, even an original anti-war show that won national awards and ended up at the UN.
Some people know the back story: In the ’50s, Staples student Christopher Lloyd asked his English teacher, Craig Matheson, for help starting a drama club.
Yes, that Christopher Lloyd. The rest is theatrical history.
Ten years later, Mark Groth served as president of Players’ Stage and Technical Staff. Now — nearly 6 decades after that — he has a story to tell.
And it involves Christopher Lloyd.
“Great Scott!”
You hear that voice, and you know immediately who it is.
I was watching the “Mandalorian” (I know, I’m slow), and I heard it.
Holy %#*!! That’s Christopher Lloyd, as a bad guy.
He is now is 84 years old. Back at the Players’ 50th anniversary alumni celebration, Peter Hirst and I had a chance to talk to Craig Matheson about Players’ history.
He told us stories about Christopher Lloyd, and some “interesting” tales about what he was like back then.
Craig was incredibly supportive of him, and made sure he graduated. Chris really was the first Staples Player alum.
1958 yearbook photo and writeup. (Courtesy of Jack Backiel)
Back to now. I am not a big fan of “fan expos,” with their stable of “celebrities,” and all manner of costumes, merchandise and true believers in full array.
But I saw that Christopher Lloyd would be at the Denver Convention Center, not far from my home.
The ticket was mostly affordable attendance, with a stunning cost for the live autograph session.
As Doc Brown would say, “well, what the hell.”
The room is about 1 1/2 football fields. It held over 200 exhibitors. There were 40 signing tables for autographs of stars.
I got there at 3 p.m. for a 4 p.m. signing time. Thirty serious fans were already in line — including a full-dress Doc Brown (white coat, white wig, carrying an RC car controller with antenna).
They were selling posters, model DeLoreans (at about the price of a real one), key chains, etc.
Chris showed up at 4:20, and started signing. He took a break just as I got to the front.
I was up first when he came back. I introduced myself as a 1967 Staples Player from Westport. I told him that Craig Matheson, who he might remember, spoke of him as being there at the beginning.
I said Craig has told us some stories about him. He smiled said, “let’s not get into that.”
I explained it was apparent he was the very first Players alumnus. I wanted his autograph to put in the Players archives, so folks could see it and celebrate his history.
I told him Craig was very proud of his trifecta resume of cinema, television and live theater.
He was very pleased, and signed the sheet I brought. I told him it was only 6 decades, but if he would accept, I would like to finally give him his own Players t-shirt.
I had my 50th anniversary t-shirt that I had only worn once, newly washed and ironed. He was very moved.
I handed it to him, and asked if I could get a photo. He smiled, held it up and thanked me.
I thanked him for a lifetime of enjoyment of his work. He reached out and shook my hand.
It was an honor to meet and talk with him. He is a charming man — and still working.
And — speaking of the future: “Back to the Future: The Musical” is in previews right now. The official opening date is August 3.
(“o6880” covers Westport’s past, present and future. Please click here to support our work, with a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Colorado Governor Jared Polis takes a selfie with Christopher Lloyd. (All photos/Mark Groth)
Not one but two of today’s submissions were inspired by Martha’s Vineyard.
Perhaps that’s not a surprise. The island off Cape Cod is a summer home for many Westporters.
Also no surprise: The breadth and depth of genres and styles in this week’s gallery.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and (yes) needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world! (PS: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.)
“Schooner Shenandoah, From Vineyard Haven” — acrylic on Masonite (Peter Barlow)
Untitled — Martha’s Vineyard (Wendy Levy)
“Calypso Cubo” (Santiago Lozado)
“Tranquility” — acrylic (Valerie Fischel)
“Hippo” — graphite on paper (Clayton Liotta)
“View From a Puddle” (Lauri Weiser)
“A River of Life Runs Through It” (Mike Hibbard)
Untitled (Tom Doran)
“Remember How Much Fun We Had Playing Cards When You Were Little” — pastel on paper (Roseann Spengler)
“Lift” (Lawrence Weisman)
“A Captain Jack Sparrow Found in the Caribbean” — Artist Steve Stein says, “There are 138 species of sparrows spread throughout the world, making it the most widely distributed wild bird.”
“A Pouring of Summertime” — Artist Dorothy Robertshaw calls this “a combination of ice cream sherbet beach days, green forest hikes, sunshine and coastal holidays.”
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker announced last week that “in coordination with the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, discussion and reviews scheduled for town boards, committees and commissions in the upcoming weeks regarding the current proposal for the reconfiguration of the Parker Harding Plaza Parking Lot will be postponed.”
Still, last night’s Flood & Erosion Control Board agenda noted that town engineer Keith Wilberg would discuss plans to “revise the existing roadway and parking lot, build sidewalks, a riverfront boardwalk, and park areas, and to relocate trash and recycling dumpsters.”
John McCarthy reports that the board was told last night that the town pulled the Parker Harding application. However, a new application would be back, “possibly as early as September.”
Tomorrow (Friday, July 7, 10 a.m.), the Tree Board will hold a special meeting — at Parker Harding — to “observe and note the site and conditions of the trees” there.
The Tree Board will observe conditions at Parker Harding Plaza.
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Temperatures in the 90s — combined with humidity and smoke from Canadian wildfires — will make today very uncomfortable. Vulnerable populations will be especially affected.
It will moderate only slightly tomorrow.
Signs of heat-related illness include muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, fainting, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Children, adults 65 and older, those without access to air conditioning, outdoor workers and those with chronic health conditions are most vulnerable.
For someone experiencing heat-related illness: Move to a cool place, drink water, place cold cloths on the body and seek medical attention. For additional safety tips and information, click here.
The Westport Fire Department advises:
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water, even if not thirsty. Avoid excessive caffeinated or alcoholic beverages.
Seek shade and limit outdoor activities: Take breaks, pace yourself, and stay in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Use sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Check on vulnerable people: Monitor the elderly, young children, and those with pre-existing conditions. Ensure access to a cool environment.
Several cooling centers will be today and tomorrow:
Westport Weston YMCA(5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.), with showers.
MoCa Westport(noon to 4 p.m.).
Senior Center(8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
Westport Library (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
MoCA Westport is a cool cooling center, in more ways than one.
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Westport Police made one custodial arrest between June 28 and July 5. A woman was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, and failure to drive in the proper lane, following a 1-car crash at Canal Park on Kings Highway North.
Westport Police also issued the following citations:
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 6 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 2
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 2
Speeding: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Improper passing: 1
Failure to yield right of way: 1
Driving with a foreign license after 30 days: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Violation of license class: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without tint inspection: 1
Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 1
One driver was cited for improper passing. This is not a view of the actual offense.
The original opening date for Tacombi was December 2022.
Seven months later, nada.
But it looks like the first margarita may be poured soon.
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
Danny Meyer’s restaurant — which is expanding beyond Manhattan and Brooklyn — takes over the former AJ Farm Stand.
The website calls Tacombi “a Mexican company founded on the soft sands of the Yucatan … focused on sharing authentic taco culture. Our taqueros proudly work every day to preserve and share Mexico’s culinary traditions — and we do it sustainably with wholesome, simple ingredients free of antibiotics, hormones, genetic modification or artificial additives & preservatives.”
Westport is not the only area town with a storied arts history.
This Sunday (July 9, 1 to 4 p.m., Weston History & Culture Center) marks the opening of a new exhibit.
“Weston Illustrated: Penned, Painted & Sculpted” tells the story of influential artists between 1919-1965, and their connection to both the locals and locale of Weston.
It includes pieces on loan from the Friends of the James Daugherty Foundation, the Jenny Moore Collection, Westport Public Art Collection, Weston Public Library, Wilton Historical Society and WHCC’s collection.
Admission is free for WHCC members; non-members pay $5 (adults), $3 (children). If you mention the “CT Summer at the Museum” program at check-in, Connecticut children and one accompanying state resident adult can visit free.
The exhibit runs until February 25, 2024. The museum is open every Sunday and Thursday, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Speaking of the arts; Ellen Ehli is the Westport Book Shop’s featured artist for July. She’ll exhibit original multi-media paintings on paper and canvas.
Ehli is a self-taught abstract artist. Working with acrylic paints, pastes, oil pastels and other mixed media, she explores texture and depth to create one-of-a-kind works. She describes her style as “retro inspired organic shapes combined with a harmonious palette.”
All pieces are available for purchase. For more of her art, click here.
Jeffrey Hatcher — creator of the new Westport Country Playhouse adaptation of “Dial M for Murder — is the guest at a Sunday Symposium, following the July 16 3 p.m.
He’ll discuss how he re-thought the classic tale of blackmail and revenge.
The event will be moderated by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, who also directs the production.
The Symposium program is free and open to the public. No performance ticket is necessary. It begins immediately after the show, at approximately 5 p.m. Click here for more information on the show, including tickets.
The Orphenians have returned to Westport, after a musical, educational and inspirational trip to Hawaii.
One day, Staples High School’s elite a cappella group visited the USS Arizona Memorial, above the remains of the battleship sunk on December 7, 1941.
Phillip Sullivan in a somber moment, on the USS Arizona. Many Orphenians had relatives who served in World War II.
Before leaving, they returned to Pearl Harbor. This time, on the deck of the USS Missouri –where the peace treaty ending World War II was signed — the Orphenians offered passersby a stirring rendition of our national anthem.
Starting today, Connecticut residents 21 and older can grow marijuana at home. Plants should be kept indoors, away from children and pets and not visible to the public.
There are limits: 3 mature and 3 immature plants, and no more than 12 plants per household.
Connecticut legalized adult-use cannabis in July 2021. Recreational sales began in January. For a full CT Mirror story, click here.
Lynsey Addario is featured in tomorrow’s New York Times Magazine.
The Staples High School Class of 1991 graduate/Pulitzer Prize- and MacArthur Fellow winnerphotographed, videoed and wrote the text for “A Boy’s Life on the Front Lines.”
It’s a tragically inspiring and moving account of an 11-year-old Ukrainian, navigating a childhood transformed by war.
But you don’t have to wait until tomorrow. Click here for the raw reality of one young life, in a brutal war that rages still. (Hat tips: John Hartwell and Roberta Wise)
Life amid the rubble. (Photo/Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)
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Miggs Burroughs has been a Westport Weston Family YMCA member for decades.
He hasn’t been around as long as the Y itself. But the award-winning artist is helping the community organization celebrate its 100-year anniversary, with a fun, engaging “This is My Y” selfie project.
To take part, take a selfie (or have someone snap a photo of you) while you are in or around the Y — a spot where you would say, ‘This is my Y.” Shooting hoops, pumping iron, doing Pilates, swimming — it’s all good.
Then email it to 100years@westporty.org. The deadline is August 4.
NOTE: Please send high-quality images(largest/actual size). And please don’t include other people’s faces in your photo.
Not a selfie — but a celebration of one of the Y’s many activities.
Another important institution — the Westport Country Playhouse — hosts “Summer Thrillers: A Mystery Author Discussion” — as part of its second summer production, “Dial M for Murder.”
Mystery authors Christin Brecher, Edwin Hill and Andrea Penrose will discuss the mysteries of mystery writing on July 9 (2 p.m., WCP barn; free with reservation — click here).
There’s time for an audience Q-and-A. Books will be on sale, with authors available for signing.
“Dial M for Murder” — the classic suspense thriller about a devious husband, his wealthy wife and her lover — runs July 11 through 29. Click here for more information, and tickets.
Every year at the fireworks, thousands of Westporters have fun walking and biking up and down the beach exit road.
Closed to traffic, with parties up and down (and in the middle of) the street, it’s a bit like Venice Beach in California (Westport-style).
Every year, I wonder — right here on “06880” — why we can’t do this more often. Wouldn’t it be great, I ask, if on 2 or 3 Sundays every year, Soundview is closed to vehicles? Bands could play. Jugglers could juggle; face painters could face paint. Everyone would have a blast.
Every year, people say “What a cool idea!”
And every year, there’s no follow up.
So, here’s my challenge: If you’d like to explore the idea of closing Soundview Drive to traffic a couple of times each summer, click “Comments” below. Or email 06880blog@gmail.com.
Hopefully, other Westporters think this is a “sound” idea.
Strolling along Soundview Drive. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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The other day, Richard Hyman spotted several Mylar balloons near the Sherwood Island State Park shore.
“They bring short-term joy, but long-term pain: to animals that mistakenly eat them and die.” he says.
To learn more, he offers this link to a non-profit group, Balloons Blow.
Sorelle Gallery’s next exhibition, “Kaleidoscope,” features new artwork by Connecticut artists Kelly Rossetti and Alina B. It opens Thursday (July 7), with a reception the next day (Friday, July 8, 3 to 5 p.m.).
The Brooklyn Polytech graduate spent a long career in space exploration, most notably as a senior engineer on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope under Perkin-Elmer. He was honored by the Goddard Space Flight Center for his contributions to the success of the HST.
He also served as an engineer on the KH-9 Hexagonal and inception of the Kitt Peak Observatory, one of the largest solar telescopes in the world.
Bob was a long-time member of Temple Israel, and an active contributor to libraries in Westport and Norwalk. He donated extensive documents on the Hubble program.
Bob was good friends with New York comic writers Jerry Marcus, Orlando Busino, Dana Fradon and more. He was very proud of the superheroes created by family members Martin Goodman and Stan Lee.
Bob is survived by wife, Ruth-Anne; children Steve (Jolie Chan), Leora Freedman (Eric); stepdaughters Jody Melissa and Lorraine Ring, and grandchildren Nessiya, Molly-Anne, Ila, Claire, and Alec.
This osprey headed home the other day, past the library, after picking up a meal for the family. It didn’t stop — but Ellen Patafio captured the “Westport … Naturally” image well.
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