Category Archives: Arts

Roundup: 15 Bradley Street, Lawrence Langner, Eagle Scouts …

Posted on May 8, 2023 | 3 comments

The 10 properties honored last week by Westport’s Historic District Commission — and 29 North Avenue, featured recently on “06880” and which should win a national award — are wonderful reminders that “new” construction need not always begin with a demolition.

Here’s another.

Cottages & Gardens recently featured Holly Jaffe and David Stephen Johnson’s 1927 Dutch Colonial on Bradley Street, at the Norwalk Avenue corner.

Holly — principal of the boutique design firm Wowhaus — was drawn to “the Norman Rockwell-esque charm, the ‘utterly delightful neighborhood,’ and its proximity to the beach.”

The family lived in the 2,000-square foot home for more than a year before starting the interior renovation in 2021.

That allowed them time to figure out “the smartest way to move forward,” Holly says. “The entire renovation was driven by what we could do to make this the magical place we knew it could be.”

She, architect Jon Halper and Westport builder Alan Dreher maximized the space without changing the footprint.

Click here for the full story, and photos.

15 Bradley Street (Photo courtesy of CT Cottages & Gardens)

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More than 90 years after founding the Westport Country Playhouse, Lawrence Langner will be celebrated.

The Theatre Guild and Langner family will dedicate Westport’s first Literary Landmark, in his honor. The event is May 27 (1 p.m.) at — of course — the Playhouse.

He and his wife, Armina Marshall, founded the theater in 1931, on the site of a former apple orchard and tannery. It became an American cultural institution, presenting dozens of pre-Broadway plays and showcasing the top stars of the day.

In addition to the Playhouse, Langner founded the Theatre Guild. It produced “Porgy and Bess,” “Oklahoma!” and hundreds of other plays and musicals.

He also established the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre, “US Steel Hour” on radio and television, and the American Repertory Company, which toured the world.

The dedication and unveiling of the Literary Landmark are free, and open to the public. The event includes a panel on “Memories of the American Theater.” Richard Somerset Ward, author of the definitive book on the history of the Westport Country Playhouse, will be interviewed by film historian Foster Hirsch. Actors and artists who worked at the Playhouse or other Langner ventures will participate too.

The Literary Landmark’s program, which celebrates important writers and “encourages the dedication of historic literary sites,” is affiliated with United For Libraries and the American Library Association.

Seating in the reception barn is limited. To reserve a seat, email evelangner@att.net.

Lawrence Langner

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Congratulations to Westport’s newest Eagle Scouts!

Xavier Rodrigo, Matthew Fleming, Henry Nowak and Oliver Saitz of Troop 36 received their sashes and pins yesterday, at Saugatuck Congregational Church.

All did their Eagle projects at Sherwood Island State Park. Xavier — now a student at Fordham University — earned his honor 2 years ago; his ceremony was delayed by COVID. The other 3 will graduate this June from Staples High School.

Eagle Scouts (from left): Xavier Rodrigo, Matthew Fleming, Henry Nowak, Oliver Saits.

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Tickets went on sale today for the Westport Library’s “Booked for the Evening” fundraiser.

Laura Linney will be honored on July 13 (8 p.m.), for her work that embraces a love of learning, and enhances our understanding of the world.

Click here to purchase, and for more information.

Laura Linney

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The weather was perfect for yesterday’s 18^th annual STAR Walk & Roll fundraiser at Sherwood Island State Park.

Ariel Levy led the event. Her Westport family has supported STAR — the 70-year-old not-for-profit that serves over 700 people with disabilities, from birth to their senior years, and their families – since she began attending its day program.

Walkers of all ages and abilities enjoyed breakfast, music, arts and crafts, dancing, a photo booth, face painting and food trucks. The event raised over $60,000, with the Levy team out front.

Westporter Laura Blair’s team raised the second highest amount.

Ariel (yellow shirt) and her “Team Levy” at yesterday’s STAR Walk.

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A mama goose and her babies paddled happily at Compo Beach yesterday. Johanna Keyser Rossi was there to record it, for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … in honor of Westport’s 4 new Eagle Scouts (story above):

3 Comments

Posted in Arts, Beach, Library, Real estate, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged 15 Bradley Street, Boy Scout Troop 36, Laura Linney, Lawrence Langner, STAR Lighting the Way

Roundup: Railroad Parking, Clarendon Art, Woman’s Club Show …

Posted on May 7, 2023 | 1 comment

Prices for the Saugatuck and Greens Farms parking lots will increase on July 1.

The new rates are:

Single permit: $400 plus $25.40 state sales tax = $425.40 yearly

Multi-permit: $500 plus $31.75 state sales tax = $531.75 yearly.

Daily parking: $6. That’s the first daily parking increase since 2011.

For full information on railroad station parking, click here.

Weekdays at the train station are more crowded than this weekday shot. (Photo/Caroly Van Duyn)

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Clarendon Fine Art has 80 locations in the UK.

Now they’ve got one in the US.

Their 22 Main Street gallery opened in February. Last night, a large crowd welcomed them, at their official launch party.

CEO Helen Swaby loved Westport, from the moment she saw it. She calls our town ‘a flourishing cultural and creative center (which), like Clarendon, has a strong commitment to preserving community, traditions, and quality of life.”

The world’s largest gallery group wants to make art “accessible to all.” They showcase an eclectic portfolio of artists, across a broad range of genres.

The new 2-story building features an international portfolio of originals, collector’s editions, and sculpture from famous names, alongside emerging talents.

Works from artists like Picasso, Miro, Warhol and Hockney; cutting edge pop, street, and contemporary art; more traditional work including landscape, wildlife, still life, figurative and abstract art, is all on view — and sale — at Clarendon.

Clarendon’s 2nd floor. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Speaking of art: There are plenty of great works at this weekend’s Westport Woman’s Club 8th annual show.

Yesterday, there was also A-list entertainment.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame keyboardist Mark Naftalin (Paul Butterfield Blues Band) and Crispin Cioe — who has played sax with James Brown, the Rolling Stones, Solomon Burke, Darlene Love, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Robert Palmer, Bronski Beat, the Ohio Players, Usher and others — offered music to admire art by. Both are Westporters.

The show ends today: 2 to 5 p.m., 44 Imperial Avenue.

Mark Naftalin and Crispin Cioe, at the Westport Woman’s Club. (Photo/Miggs Burroughs)

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In an age when every youngster seems to be on a device — and/or traveling up and down the East Coast playing youth sports — it’s nice to see that these kids had good old-fashioned fun yesterday, decorating a driveway on Gorham Avenue.

Elle and Axel Enslin, their mom Kara, and Charlotte Peters, hard at work.

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Lovely lilacs are today’s “Westport … Naturally” featured flower. Thank you, Dana Kuyper!

(Photo/Dana Kuyper)

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And finally … it’s great having Mark Naftalin as our neighbor (see story above). He is very generous with his time, and talent.

He’s sure had a legendary career. Here’s one small sample, from 1965:

(Get your mojo working — and support “06880.” Just click here — and thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Arts, Children, Entertainment, Transportation

Tagged Crispin Cioe, Mark Naftalin, train station, Westport Woman's Club

Online Art Gallery #160

Posted on May 6, 2023 | 3 comments

Peter Barlow was a young man in Westport when Queen Elizabeth was crowned.

Today — older, but still quite active, in his eastern Connecticut home — he celebrates King Charles’ coronation.

Peter’s painting is one of a baker’s dozen works of all kinds in today’s online art gallery. As always, the range of subjects and mediums is both wide and impressive.

This is your feature. Everyone is invited to contribute. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions.

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.)

“King of Diamonds” (Peter Barlow)

“Channeling O’Keefe” (Amy Schneider)

Untitled (Ellin Spadone)

“Old Mill Solitude” (Fred Cantor)

Artist Ken Runkel says “Lighthouse Man_2” was “inspired by the great Surrealists of the era (a touch of Dali, a dash of Magritte).”

“Whoa! Judge Not That Ye Be Not Judged” (Mike Hibbard)

“Flamingo: The Only Bird Not Seen in ‘Westport … Naturally'” (Steve Stein)

“Fais Do Do” — abstract acrylic resin epoxy (Patricia McMahon)

“Pablo’s Girls” (Ann Chernow)

“Dancing Musical People” — encaustc wax (Dorothy Robertshaw)

“Marlboro Man Still Smoking” (Karen Weingarten)

“A Colorful Sail” (Anne Bernier)

“Nocturne” (Lawrence Weisman)

3 Comments

Posted in Arts

Tagged Amy Schneider, Ellin Spadone, Karen Weingarten, Lawrence Weisman, Mike Hibbard, Patricia McMahon, Peter Barlow, Steve Stein

[OPINION] Living With Regret

Posted on May 6, 2023 | 11 comments

Ron Berler is a 1967 Staples High School graduate. He writes magazine and newspaper stories on a variety of subjects, from education to guns. Today, he focuses on baseball.

We’ve all done things in life we regret. And we regret them all the more for never having owned up to them, for never having made things right.

Major wrongs, minor wrongs, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes it’s the small ones that trouble us most, if only because they were so avoidable. A word of thanks here, an unprompted act of kindness there. That’s all it would have taken to avoid a regret – or to fix it.

An avoidable act of mine was to never tell Craig Matheson, the decades-long director of the Staples Players, how much it meant to me to be cast in one of his plays.

Even today, performing in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is among my most cherished memories. I still don’t quite understand why I landed the part. I wasn’t much of an actor; the theater critic for the Town Crier, Westport’s local newspaper, described my performance – generously, I thought – as “entirely adequate.”

Ron Berler (center( in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

But in gifting me that part, Mr. Matheson opened a world of art to me that I hadn’t truly appreciated, filled me with a new sense of confidence and introduced me to a circle of cast and crew to whom I still feel a bond.

Years later, having been away from Westport for decades, I walked into a Post Road restaurant in which Mr. Matheson happened to be dining. It was my opportunity, finally, to properly thank him, to make things right. He was grateful for my words, but not nearly so grateful as me for the chance to finally say them.

Craig Matheson — founder of Staples Players — was very involved in the Saugatuck Church too. In 2010, for its 175th anniversary celebration, he played the role of founding father Daniel Nash.

That was a moment I’ll always cherish. But like so many of us, I’m guilty of other oversights that I’ve never managed to correct.

I’m 73 now, and those missed opportunities – by now, some of them lost opportunities – continue to nag at me. It takes so little to be kind, to be thoughtful. The best I can express it is through an essay I wrote recently for the opinion page of the Chicago Tribune, regarding another person I dearly wanted to thank, but who died before I was able to do so. Gratitude is such an easy gift to give.

The Tribune has a paywall. I posted it also on Medium. I thought “06880” readers would appreciate it too.

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How do you thank someone who has passed?

Oscar Zamora was a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in the mid-1970s. He wasn’t very good, to put it kindly. During his Wrigley Field tenure, Cubs fans would serenade him as he exited the game, often in mid-inning after having surrendered a blizzard of runs. Here is a sample verse, sung to the tune of the long-ago Dean Martin hit, “That’s Amore.”

When the pitch is so fat
That the ball hits the bat,
That’s Zamora!

From the press box where I sometimes sat, he seemed to accept the razzing with equanimity, as if he agreed it was deserved. I was a young reporter at the time, and after games I’d pass him in the clubhouse as he dressed quietly at his locker, while I sought out one or another of his more prominent teammates.

Zamora pitched for the Cubs for parts of three seasons, and I can’t remember ever interviewing him for a story or even stopping to chat. He was one in that category — an interchangeable part, a minor actor who wouldn’t last long in the game.

Zamora was 31, in his second big-league season, on the day in May 1975 when we came closest to sharing a real conversation. My target that afternoon, as I strode past his locker, was one of his teammates — a star infielder I knew slightly who would win the league batting title that year. I had a favor to ask.

Like Zamora and his Cubs teammates, I too played the game, though not credibly enough to have made my high school team. Still, baseball was my passion. I played shortstop for a bar-league softball team, and my bucket-list dream was a new glove. Not just any glove — a major league-quality one, made of a grade of leather and stitching so fine, it was manufactured exclusively for professional ballplayers.

No problem, the infielder said. He named a price and I handed him the money. A week later, I returned to the clubhouse and the infielder waved me over. He reached into his locker and tossed me a new glove.

I thought he was joking at first. It was a Wilson A2000 — a popular model readily available in any decent sporting goods shop. Not a pro-quality one. Not at all what I’d asked for, or desired. I stood there silent, head dipped, feeling taken, staring at this unwanted object.

Word spread round the clubhouse about what had transpired. One of the infielder’s teammates, centerfielder Rick Monday, eyed the Wilson A2000 and shook his head. “If you wanted a glove, why didn’t you ask me?” he said, shooting a look at the infielder before returning to his locker.

Ron Berler

I was still staring at the retail-store glove when Zamora, the pitcher to whom I’d never spoken, approached. “Here,” he said. “Take this.” In his hand was a Rawlings Heart of the Hide professional-model glove. “It’s my backup,” he said, meaning the one he used during pregame drills.

I was too stunned at first to speak. I took his gift and turned it gingerly in my hands, as if I were examining a piece of fine jewelry. “I don’t know how to thank you,” I finally managed and kept repeating. The glove was the stuff of my dreams.

You’d think after such unprompted kindness that I would have sought him out regularly in the clubhouse, sat with him at his locker and gotten to know him as a treasured acquaintance, if not as a friend. I certainly had the time and opportunity. But I was 25, self-absorbed, oblivious. To my shame, I never did. By the time I realized my error, my loss, he had left the game. I never saw him again.

Zamora’s glove, though — that was a different story. I would take the field wearing his gift for the next 45 years, until I turned 70, till suddenly ground balls I had once readily handled seemed to come at me like sniper fire. It was time to retire.

Time for the glove to retire, too. Over the years it had taken a battering, its leather worn raw and thin, like a faded house stripped of its paint.

The glove.

I’m 73 now and haven’t played catch since hanging up my cleats. But every so often, I slip on Zamora’s glove and flex it till the pocket brushes my palm, till it feels as it did on the ball field, like a second skin. And I think, too, of the man who’d once worn it and of his selfless generosity.

Last December I sought to contact Zamora, to tell him about the glove and what it still means to me. But mostly, I hoped to get to know him. A Major League Baseball Players Association representative, wanting to help, mailed a letter to his last known address but received no response. Later, I learned he had opened a Miami shoe store after retiring, and I located Cosme de la Torriente, the attorney who had handled his business affairs.

I was too late, de la Torriente told me over the phone. Zamora died four years ago. He was 75.

The attorney and I spoke for almost an hour. Zamora had been not only a client but also his friend. He told me Zamora had emigrated from Cuba to Miami as a child and had returned to Miami after retiring from the game. The two had played local ball together and sometimes had gone nightclubbing.

“Oscar knew everybody, and everybody knew him. He loved people,” de la Torriente said. “What he did for you, that was his character. You would have liked him.”

I wish I’d made the effort.

11 Comments

Posted in Arts, Looking back, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged Craig Matheson, Ron Berler, Staples Players

Roundup: Music Honors, Library Book Sale, Twiddle …

Posted on May 5, 2023 | Comments Off

It’s getting to be routine. But it never gets old.

For the 11th year in a row, the Westport Public Schools have been named a “Best Community for Music Education,” by the NAMM Foundation.

The honor goes to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in providing music access and education to all students.

The application process includes questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. The Music Department cites partnerships with organizations like the Westport Library, Levitt Pavilion, PTA Cultural Arts, WestPAC and Westport Arts Advisory Committee.

Encore!

Westport music instructors take bows, at the Levitt Pavilion Pops Concert.

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The Westport Library’s spring book sale starts today (Friday).

Thousands of gently used books for children and adults are available in over 50 categories, plus vintage children’s and antiquarian books, music CDs, and movie and television DVDs.

Of special interest: Books donated from the homes of former US cabinet member Joseph Califano; NBC Sports producer Ricky Diamond, and philanthropist and educator Elisabeth Luce Moore, sister of Henry Luce (Time-Life founder). Many of the books in the Califano collection have been signed political, journalist, literatary and entertainment figures.

Plus a collection of works by or about James Joyce, and an extensive collection of history books, especially US and world politics, and World War II.

The “Fiction for $1” room is back by popular demand, filled with hardcover fiction, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and young adult fiction, plus paperbacks, just $1 each.

Vinyl records, graphic novels and manga will be available at the Westport Book Shop, across Jesup Green from the Library.

Friday, May 5: Noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 6: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 7: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; almost everything half-price.
Monday, May 8: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: fill a logo bags for $8 (or fill your own equivalent-sized bag for $5), or purchase individual items for half price.

Westport LIbrary Book Sale

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Years ago, as a student at Providence College, Alison Reilly became interested in American Sign Language.

This year she began exploring how to add it to the Staples High School curriculum. She cites the benefits of learning any language, including improved memory, attention and problem-solving skills, and increased cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Studies have shown that learning ASL can have cognitive and academic benefits for students. Learning a second language has been shown to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, and ASL is no exception. In addition, learning ASL can help students become more culturally aware and sensitive, and demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Schools like Brown, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Berkeley, Michigan, Penn and Yale all accept ASL as fulfilling students’ world language requirement for admission.

Fairfield, Wilton and Greenwich already include ASL in their course offerings, Reilly says.

Assistant superintendent of schools of teaching and learning Anthony Buono says, “We currently offer ASL online as an elective. We have had conversations about offering it as a World Language option, but nothing formal has transpired.

“One significant challenge is finding certified teachers. Darien is currently searching for a teacher and has been unable to find one.”

Reilly says she’ll keep “06880” posted on the progress of her initiative.

Artist/photographer Miggs Burroughs created “Signs of Compassion,” by asking 30 Westporters to sign a different word, in Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name.

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In his work with “CBS Sunday Morning,” PBS’ “Nova,” the Missing Manuals tech guides and more, David Pogue calls himself a “professional explainer.”

At Monday’s Y’s Women meeting (May 8, 11:15 a.m., Green’s Farms Church), he’ll explain something all of us have heard about, but few understand: artificial intelligence.

It’s useful — and terrifying. An app can write anything you ask it to: Letters, song lyrics, research papers, recipes, therapy sessions, poems, essays, software code.

Other apps create music, perfectly mimic anybody’s voice, and generate complete video scenes from typed descriptions.

His talk is so important, the Y’s Women are inviting everyone to come. So be “wise”: Go hear David Pogue.

And get even wiser.

David Pogue, professional explainer.

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The Westport and Fairfield Senior Centers co-hosted a “Meet the Authors yesterday, in Westport Nearly 2 dozen local authors chatted informally about their works (and sold copies).

Susan Garment buys an autographed copy of “I Pried Open Wall Street In 1962: Overcoming Barriers, Hurdles and Obstacles – A Memoir” from author Winston Allen. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Twiddle — the Vermont-based ensemble that played to sold-out Levitt Pavilion crowds last summer — returns for a 2-day, 4-set festival July 21-22. (Click here for a great video of that weekend.)

It’s extra special, because soon after, they’ll take an indefinite hiatus from touring.

The Twiddle Festival also includes Lespecial, Kung Fu, Oh He Dead, and one more band to be announced soon. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Twiddle

The Levitt Pavilion recently announced a new slate of free shows, too.

The Suffers — an 8-piece Gulf Coast Soul/rock/country/Latin/Southern hip hop/Stax and Muscle Shoals band from Houston — take the stage July 14.

Calexico’s “Feast of Wire 20th Anniversary Tour” is August 17.

Click here for free tickets, and more information.

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Club 203 — Westport’s social group for adults with disabilities — heads to Longshore for their next event.

The picnic at Evan Harding Point includes card games, MoCA art, the Super Duper Weenie food truck, a giveaway, and a special surprise.

The date is May 25 (6 to 7:30 p.m.). Click here to RSVP, and for more information.

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Do you have questions about aging, like who will protect your financial assets, how to navigate healthcare, and whether you can age in place?

The Residence at Westport hosts a panel on “Navigating Senior Care Options” (May 16, 2 p.m., 1141 Post Road East).

Representatives from Cohen & Wolf, Constellation Health Services, Growing Options, Hartford Healthcare Geriatric Medicine, Moneco Advisors, National Heath Care Associates, Privatus Care Solutions, Stardust Move Managers, The Carolton and William Raveis Real Estate will join The Residence experts.

RSVP: lscopelliti@residencewestport.com; 203-349-2002.

The Residence at Westport.

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Westport artists Dale Najarian and Tomira Wilcox are featured in the “Shadows Revealed” exhibit at Sono1420 craft distillers in South Norwalk.

Proceeds from a portion of sales, and an artwork raffle at the opening reception May 11 (6 to 8 p.m.) benefit The Rowan Center sexual assault resource agency.

Artwork by Dale Najarian.

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Laurel Canyon comes to Westport on May 13.

Voices Café’s next concert (8 p.m., the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport) features with The Bar Car Band. Their “Songs & Stories of Laurel Canyon” — with the music of Carole King, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds and more — is a benefit for the Green Village Initiative.

The Bar Car Band includes Nina Hammerling on vocals, Russell Smith on guitar and vocals, plus Joe Izzo (drums), Scott Spray (bass), Tim DeHuff (guitar), Tim Stone (keyboards), David Allen Rivera (percussion), Amy Crenshaw (vocals) and narrator Hadley Boyd.

There’s café-style seating (at tables) or individual seating, plus room for dancing. Bring your own beverages and snacks; snacks are available for purchase too. Tickets are $25 each. Click here for tickets and more information.

The Bar Car Band

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LaBeaute Artistry Brow & Nails has just opened, in the rear of the 234 Post Road East building that is anchored by Calico (just east of Imperial Avenue).

Owners Penny Yi and her sister, and their team, specialize in designs and nail extensions. They offer mani and pedi, microblading, brows lamination, tinting, waxing and other services.

Right now, there is 20% off for promgoers and new clients. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 203-349-5655.

Nails by LaBeaute.

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The first rainbow of the year rose yesterday evening.

Mary Beth Stirling spotted it over Compo Beach. She notes that it’s just in time for today’s Full Flower Moon.

And Cinco de Mayo.

(Photo/Mary Beth Stirling)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is more proof — not that any is needed — that spring has arrived. Sunil Hirani captured this image on Riverside Avenue.

(Photo/Sunil Hirani)

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And finally … in honor of Voices Café’s Laurel Canyon show (story above):

Comments Off on Roundup: Music Honors, Library Book Sale, Twiddle …

Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Library, Local business, Staples HS

Tagged Club 203, David Pogue, LaBeaute, Levitt Pavilion, The Residence at Westport, Twiddle, Voices Cafe, Westport Music Department, Y's Women

Roundup: Mothers Day, Rowene Weems, Mystery Boxes …

Posted on May 4, 2023 | 4 comments

Fig Linens and Home — a small woman-owned business in Westport since 2003 — has your Mothers Day covered.

Their advice (whether you shop at their 66 Post Road East store or not) is:

The perfect Mothers Day gift is different for every mom. Finding the perfect pick is dependent on choosing what your mom loves.

Some questions to ask yourself to pick the ideal Mother’s Day present include:

Do any gifts align with her interests? Think of the things your mother loves most, and the things she does every day. Making a list of her hobbies and activities can help you brainstorm gift ideas.
Is it something you can see her using? Traditional gifts include things flowers, spa treatments and chocolate. If you never see your mom utilizing any of those, it’s time to re-evaluate. We often recommend gifts like luxury robes, silk slippers and relaxing candles, because they are usable every single day.
Would she buy it for herself? The best Mothers Day gift strikes a balance between being something she’ll want and use, while being something she probably wouldn’t splurge on herself. If your mom gets a massage every week, a massage gift card probably isn’t the best gift. Think instead of items you don’t think she would purchase, but that she would love.

PS: Mothers Day is a week from Sunday: May 14. Don’t forget!

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Westport Police made 4 custodial arrests between April 26 and May 3.

One was for burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, larceny and criminal mischief, following a break-in at Riverside Sunoco of $3,600 worth of cigarettes and vaping devices.

Another arrest was for criminal attempt to commit larceny and forgery, after an attempt to cash a fraudulent business check for $18,500 at TD Bank.

A third was for criminal attempt to commit larceny, breach of peace and threatening, following mail theft by the neighbor of a Westport resident.

The fourth arrest was for failure to appear in court, after a September motor vehicle accident.

Police also issued the following citations:

Traffic control signal violations: 6
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5
Failure to comply with state traffic regulations: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 3
Distracted driving (not cellphone): 2
Traveling unreasonably fast: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Failure to obey stop sign: 2
Improper use of markers: 1
Assault 3rd degree, physical injury: 1
Speeding: 1
Operating a motor vehicle while texting: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Failure to register a commercial vehicle: 1
Unreadable license plate: 1

An arrest was made after a break-in yielded $3600 worth of cigarettes and vaping devices.

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The Westport Book Shop’s Artist of the Month is an “06880” favorite: Rowene Weems.

The photographer will display “Wish You Were Here: Postcards from Westport.” The 16 photos depicting scenes around town are part of a larger series of “love notes” to Westport.

Rowene moved to Westport from Wyoming 4 years ago. She says, “The beauty of Westport’s waterside landscape is such a lush contrast to my Rocky Mountain home. I find it a continuing source of inspiration.”

Rowene’s photography will exhibited at the Book Shop on Jesup Road through May 31. All pieces are available for purchase.

Rowene Weems with her photos, at the Westport Book Shop.

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We can’t make this stuff up.

The former site of State Cleaners — the near-70-year business that closed this winter, at the rear of 180 Post Road East — will soon have a new tenant.

It will fill a gaping need in Westport. It’s just what we need! Check it out below:

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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Bob Mitchell sends this photo —

— and writes: “These have appeared all over my neighborhood – Redcoat and Cavalry Road. Any idea what they are? Something to do with cable?”

That’s above my pay grade. But “06880” readers will know. Click “Comments,” so we are all up to speed.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature — taken on Imperial Avenue — is one of our most gorgeous ever.

Then again, it is mid-spring in Westport.

(Photo/June Rose Whittaker)

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And finally … happy belated (yesterday) 89th birthday, Frankie Valli!

(Whether you’re a Jersey Boy or a Westport girl, you can support “06880.” Please click here — and thank you!)

4 Comments

Posted in Arts, Local business, Police, Totally random

Tagged Fig Linens and Home, Nail Blanc, Rowene Weems

Roundup: Budget, Westport10, Gravity …

Posted on May 2, 2023 | 2 comments

Last night, Westport did easily something the US Congress struggles with.

It passed a budget.

The Representative Town Meeting approved the town side of spending for 2023-24: $81.3 million.

The Board of Education Budget — approximately $152 million — will be debated tonight (7:30 p.m., Town Hall). If approval does not come tonight, a second meeting could be held tomorrow, at the same time and place.

The town budget passed unanimously. It included the Transit District’s full budget of $291,231, which was approved 33-1 after having been lowered by the Board of Finance to eliminate Wheels2U service. Louis Mall voted nay, while Peter Gold — who also serves as the Transit Director director — abstained.

Gold said he and his colleagues received over 325 letters in support of restoration. He said, “Their emails made it clear just how much the Wheels2U service means to all segments of the Westport population, and to those who commute to work in Westport.”

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The other day, News12 reported on Westport10 — the social and networking group of Black men and their families, whose mission is to make Westport a more diverse and welcoming town.

Yesterday, they aired a second segment. This one focuses on founder Jay Norris, and several other members. It’s a great look at another important slice of Westport life. Click here to see.

Westport10, on the News12 website.

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Speaking of Jay Norris:

He’s helping organize tonight’s Common Ground session at the Westport Library (Tuesday, 7 p.m.).

The event includes a conversation with former Congressman Roy Blunt — a Missouri Republican known for his bipartisan work — and Steve Parrish, whose consulting firm specializes in corporate social responsibility and public affairs.

The aim of the initiative is to host positive, productive conversations on how we work together as a civil society, encouraging respectful, constructive dialogue while tackling challenging, controversial issues.

The Library leads the effort, with community leaders representing a wide array of constituents and views. Click here for more information.

Senator Roy Blunt

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As Frederic Chiu and Jeanine Esposito prepare to sell their beloved Beechwood estate, they’re planning one last event.

They’re partnering with realtor Cyd Hamer to give prospective buyers a very cool look inside. A “Spring Soirée” this Sunday (May 7, 3 to 6 p.m.) includes 3 mini-concerts by Frederic, the internationally renowned pianist.

Each will be followed by a house tour of secret spaces and buildings, with Champagne and sweet bites.

Space is limited; all guests must click here to register.

Beechwood House, with its magnificent copper beech tree.

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“Einstein’s Ears: The New Astronomy of Gravitational Waves” is the topic of the next Westport Astronomical Society webinar.

Scott Hughes, associate professor of physicals at the Massachusetts Institute of Technbology, talks about the quest for gravitational waves, and all kinds of related stuff.

It’s May 16 (8 p.m.). Click here for the Zoom link; click here to watch on YouTube.

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Save the date: MoCA Westport’s annual arts celebration/fundraiser “The Surrealist Soirée: A Bash Beyond Reality” is set for September 30.

Tickets start at $325 per person. Click here for more information.

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This bobcat sits serenely for his “Westport … Naturally” close-up.

(Photo/Sean Hogan)

But there was plenty of action nearby. Photographer Sean Hogan spotted this guy on Bay Street — right near the heart of downtown.

Or course, he has every right to be there. His crew was here long before ours.

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And finally … in honor of the upcoming Westport Astronomical Society lecture:

(“06880” covers the arts, the sciences, the environment, and anything else with any Westport connection. Please click here to contribute — and thank you!)

2 Comments

Posted in Arts, Library, Local politics, Media, Politics

Tagged Beechwood, Frederic Chiu, Jeanine Esposito, MoCA Westport, News12, Westport Astronomical Society, Westport Representative Town Meeting, Westport10

Terry Eldh Sings Sounds Of Healing

Posted on May 2, 2023 | 3 comments

It’s one of those “Westport connections” stories.

Terry Eldh — a conservatory-trained singer — was invited to perform at the wedding of 2 friends from Staples High School: fellow cheerleader Karen Waltrip and football star Dan Bennewitz.

Karen’s father Bill — the president and CEO of Pan American Airlines — introduced Terry to the secretary of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. The non-profit provides grants to opera singers on the brink of international careers.

Terry did not get one. But the secretary introduced her to Larry Stayer, James Levine’s right-hand man at the Metropolitan Opera.

He did not hire her. But he offered encouragement.

“Get your technique together,” Stayer told Terry. “You can make this a career.”

His positive feedback changed her life.

She left her job on Wall Street — hey, singers have to pay the bills — and landed a summer workshop role as Susanna in “The Marriage of Figaro.”

Terry was on her way.

Until then, her life had unfolded in typical fashion — typical for a multi-faceted Westporter, anyway.

Terry Eldh

Her parents moved here in the middle of her sophomore year. “Staples was the perfect place for me,” Terry says. She sang with the elite Orphenians, starred in Players’ “Wizard of Oz,” and captained the cheerleading team.

She spent the summer before senior year in Turkey, as an American Field Service exchange student.

Terry then studied music, business and French at the University of Connecticut. She did a junior year abroad, at the University of Rouens. On a whim, she auditioned for the conservatory there. She got in — and won first prize at the year-end competition.

“I was just there for fun!” she marvels.

Terry then spent a year at the Manhattan School of Music. But when they wanted her to commit to 4 more years of vocal classes, she joined the “real world” of temping, then institutional sales for a boutique brokerage firm.

After “Figaro” and 3 apprenticeships, she began landing roles.

In the late 1980s, friends were hired for Broadway shows that required classical techniques: “Les Miserables,” “Miss Saigon,” “Phantom of the Opera.”

The actors’ union was stronger than the opera singers’. Health insurance was better. And long-running shows “allow you to have a life,” Terry says.

She went to a Broadway “cattle call” auditions, then 2 callbacks.

Several months passed. In the fall of 1991, director Hal Prince invited her to sing for him.

Soon, she was covering Carlotta.

She stayed with “Phantom” for 8 years.

After Broadway, Terry did many things: corporate seminar facilitation, legal temping, church singing. Her sight reading skills landed her work at Alice Tully and Carnegie Halls. She sang locally at the Levitt Pavilion, too.

Terry Eldh at the Levitt Pavilion, last summer. (Photo/Dan Woog)

She does not know where the next turn of her life path came from, but she explored healing.

An introductory Reiki course intrigued her. She studied to the master level, and beyond.

More than 2 decades ago, she heard about “sound healing”: using instruments, music, tones and other sonic vibrations to balance and heal the body, mind and spirit. Over the years, she became a sound healer.

When COVID struck, Terry was working at GE Capital. With stress levels high at the beginning of the pandemic, the head of their wellness program invited her to livestream a sound meditation for the entire division.

She took a quick course in how to livestream effectively.

Over 100 employees tuned it. Feedback was excellent.

Terry realized she could fill an important need. She created an LLC for SoulOSoaring, and set up a website.

A year ago, Terry retired from GE. She’s now a full-time sound healer, with a Southport studio.

She offers in-person and online sound meditations (“baths”) for individuals, groups and corporations.

She trains people who want to use alchemy crystal singing bowls. She sells the bowls too, for personal use or gifts.

Terry Eldh, with her alchemy crystal singing bowls.

Sound healing “slows down brain waves,” Terry explains. “You get to a meditative state, closer to your subconscious, so healing can take place.”

Many clients are already wellness practitioners. They want to add sound healing to their modalities, or do it exclusively.

Others are curious. They soon become believers, Terry says.

“This is my path,” she says. “I’m so drawn to it. I’m following the bread crumbs in front of me.”

Hear, hear!

(Click here for Terry Eldh’s website. On May 10, Terry will be part of the 6 p.m. “Self-Checkout” monthly mindfulness series at the Westport Library. Click here for more details.)

(When Staples graduates forge new paths, “06880” is there. Please click here to help us tell their stories. Thank you!)

3 Comments

Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Local business, Staples HS

Tagged "Phantom of the Opera", SoulOSoaring, sound healing, Terry Eldh

Roundup: Suzanne Sherman Propp, Post-High School Plans, Teens Work …

Posted on April 29, 2023 | 3 comments

Suzanne Sherman Propp came to her current gig — a very popular Greens Farms Elementary School music teacher — after a long career as a performer. (She learned her craft growing up in Westport, and as a Staples High School student.)

Suzanne Sheridan is a longtime resident, and well-known musician too. She recently started the “First Folk Sunday” series at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.

People sometimes confuse the 2 Suzannes.

A week from tomorrow — May 7, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. — Suzanne Sherman Propp headlines Suzanne Sheridan’s First Folk Sunday.

She’ll be joined by Bob Cooper. Her husband, Peter Propp, will bring his mandolin for a few tunes.

There’s brunch, and a cash bar (including mimosas and make-your-own Bloody Marys). The cover is $10; click here for tickets.

Suzanne Sherman Propp and Peter Propp.

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Staples High School’s counseling department does a great job helping seniors get into college.

But they’re just as focused on supporting students considering paths other than traditional 4-year degrees.

“Finding Your Path: Exploring Post-High School Options” (May 9, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library) features representatives from the military, community college, vocational school, and gap and postgraduate programs.

Local graduates who pursued those paths will be there too, to talk about their experiences and answer quesitons.

Students of all ages, and their families, are invited.

2011 Staples graduate Asia Bravo joined the military — and was accepted into its new Space Force program. She is shown here with B. Chance Saltzman, director of space operations.

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Middle and high school students looking to make money through outdoor yard work this spring and summer can join Westport’s Department of Human Services “We Do Walkways” program.

It’s a great way to connect teenagers with senior citizens. The suggested minimum is $15 an hour; chores are limited to outside.

Students must complete an enrollment form and receive parental permission to participate. Contact Westport’s Department of Human Services at 203-341-1050 or email humansrv@westportct.gov with questions.

Seniors can join the “We Do Walkway” list by calling Human Services at 203-341-1050 or emailing humansrv@westportct.gov.

Teenagers: lend a hand!

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Author, author!

This Thursday (May 4, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.), the Westport Senior Center hosts a “Meet the Authors” event.

More than a dozen local authors will discuss their books, in an informal questions. They’ll sell and sign them too. Light refreshments will be served.

Scheduled to appear: Winston Allen, Jill Amadio, Ronald Blumenfeld, Prill Boyle, Elaine Breakstone, Don Harrison, Scott Kuhner, Deborah Levinson, Diane Lowman, Allia Zobel Nolan, Penny Pearlman, Mark Perlman, Deborah Quinn, Lynn Ellen Russo, Patricia Sabena, Sue Stewart, Elizabeth Thomas Jean Marie Wiesen.

Prill Boyle is among the many excellent authors at the Senior Center. (Photo/Suzanne Sheridan)

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Harbor Watch needs a new boat.

The Earthplace-based organization — which for decades has monitored and restored local waterways — must get a new vessel, for research and education programs. It is imperative to maintain their biological and chemical data.

Tickets are on sale for their “Cocktails & Clams” fundraiser (June 10, 5 to 7 p.m.). The Copps Island Oysters location in Norwalk offers an unlimited and very fresh raw bar, hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, live jazz, silent auction — and spectacular views of Long Island Sound.

Tickets are $200 each; click here. Sponsorships are available too; click here. To donate for the new boat, click here.

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Reminder: The launch party for “Pick of the Pics” — the “06880” book highlighting over 100 of our blog’s best Pics of the Day — is tomorrow (sunday, April 30, 2 to 4 p.m., Savvy + Grace, 146 Main Street).

Books will be available for purchase at a special price of $20 (regular Amazon price: $24.95).

I’ll sign copies; so will Lyah Muktavaram, my “06880” intern who did 99% of the work on it.

Photographers featured in the book can pick up a free book at the launch party too.

Can’t make it? Click here to order!

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Speaking of books:

After a great run in Saugatuck, Fairfield County Story Lab is moving.

On Monday, the popular workplace for writers leaves its 21 Charles Street top-floor space for 95 Mill Plain Road, in the Fairfield Arts District.

They have to give up their prime Saugatuck spot for an equally great site a few miles east. They’ll still be near plenty of restaurants, right near a train station and I-95.

Fairfield County Story Lab offers a free work day for writers and creatives (and a free week for former members). Call 203-374-8343 for more details.

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Yesterday’s weather was forgettable.

But one couple will always remember it.

They got married — in the wind and intermittent rain — by the Compo Beach cannons.

Congratulations to the new bridge and groom — whoever you are!

(Photo/Gara Morse)

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The Westport Weston Family YMCA’s 100th anniversary celebration continues, with a yoga fundraiser May 11 (10 to 11 a.m.).

100 participants in a “Breath, Body & Balance” class at the Mahackeno Outdoor Center will be led by Greg Barringer.

There’s a $100 registration fee/donation per person. Funds go to the Y’s Financial Assistance Program, serving under-resourced families and those in need.

Participants get a high-quality 100-year anniversary yoga mat, and a flower from Blossom +Stem. Click here to register.

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Members of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston, and spouses, toured Stamford’s 400,000-square foot world headquarters of NBC Sports this week.

It was an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at all that goes into a telecast that most of us take for granted.

Tour guide Terri Leopold shows off the NBC Sports facility. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Sorelle Gallery’s new exhibition, “Connected Layers,” features abstract artists Julia Contacessi and Teodora Guererra.

It opens Friday (May 5, 19 Church Lane), with a reception set for Saturday (May 6, 3 to 6 p.m.). Click here for more information.

Julia Contacessi

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Westporters know Ed Gerber for his preservation work around town.

He’s also a trustee of Historic New England. In that role, he’s sponsoring a “Connecticut Preservation at Work” speaker series.

The free event kicks off June 2 (2 p.m., Metro Art Studios, 345 Railroad Avenue, Bridgeport) with speeches by the co-owners and developers of historic Crown Corset Factory, Bridgeport’s director of business development and more. For more information, click here.