Category Archives: Education

[OPINION] Harrington: Staples Athletic Director Must Step Down

Posted on May 14, 2025 | 36 comments

At Monday’s 14-hour Board of Education hearing, members voted 5-1 against overturning superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice’s decision to not renew the contract of boys soccer head coach Russell Oost-Lievense.

Robert Harrington was the only member voting to reinstate the coach, a former Staples captain whose appeal was bolstered by the presence of dozens of players. Harrington writes to “06880”:

1)  The Board of Education failed Westport in the soccer head coach non-renewal hearing. Why did they act like a rubber stamp, and were not concerned with all the withheld evidence and witnesses from our administration?

2) At the tennis coach non-renewal hearing earlier this year, BOE chair Lee Goldstein recused herself. For this soccer hearing, it was first selectman candidate and BOE member Kevin Christie’s turn. Why did Kevin recuse himself, and avoid having to make an important decision? Is that leadership?

3) Staples Principal Thomas Stafford was not in command of any details at the hearing, and represented the Westport Public Schools poorly. Why was he asked to give evidence, yet other valuable witnesses were blocked by Westport Superintendent?

4) I am calling for athletics director VJ Sarullo to immediately step down. When will the drama in the Staples athletics department end?

5) Restoring coaches’ confidence in Westport: What is next for non-renewed soccer coaches?

Robert Harrington

I love being on the Board of Education. But during large parts of a 14-hour testimony on Monday, I felt our community was let down by both our school administration and the actions of the Board of Education.

I am not afraid to vote in a different direction than my fellow board members.

I respect my fellow Board of Education colleagues — but not on this matter. The lack of any questions by the majority of the board toward the administration speaks volumes. Their silence was deafening. The absence of sitting BOE member and nominated Democratic candidate for first selectman Kevin Christie stood out.

I have been a strong supporter of superintendent Scarice on many issues. However,  I was highly disappointed with his decision to block 8+ witnesses from the hearing on Monday. This indicated a clear bias.

There are dozens of emails that board members are being prevented from seeing. What is in them?

There was only a very limited investigation into “the incident” in 2024. The investigation basically only lasted from October 24-29. After this date, no additional information or witnesses were considered.

However, there was no communication or updates to the coaches. The administration was playing the long game, and stretching thing out —  just as they had done with the tennis coach investigation.

I have serious concerns about how this administration conducts investigations. I also saw this in the antisemitic bullying situation with the Goldberg family last year. There seems to be a pattern here. It is my strong view that the very limited investigation into the soccer coaches was an egregious failure of governance and due process.

Furthermore, the performance and lack of clear answers from the three administration witnesses was highly concerning to me. It doesn’t appear that this was concerning to other board members.

An image of “3 stooges” entered my head on my midnight walk home: the superintendent, Staples principal and athletics director. They could barely recall basic facts about the case.

Staples principal Thomas Stafford seemed to recall almost zero details on any of the matters. His testimony was disrespectful to Westport, the players, and certainly the coaches. Was this the best evidence that was on offer for Westport? Are they taking you seriously?

From left: principal Stafford Thomas, athletic director VJ Sarullo and superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, at Monday’s hearing. 

I truly believe athletic director, VJ Sarullo should lose his job. He is overseeing a sports department that is bungling from one crisis to another. Soaring legal costs. A non-renewal case for a long standing tennis coach that was rightly thrown out, as the paperwork wasn’t correctly done.

A community of sportsmen and women and parents that seems to be turning against him. A tone-deaf approach to abolishing the 60+ year tradition of the Bock “S” award. The list is building. Numerous coaches have reached out to me since the hearing on Monday.

Athletic director VJ Sarullo replaced the traditional block “S” with a generic plaque this year.

Monday’s hearing was an embarrassment to Westport Public Schools and our town. There are more hearings on the way – and probably more legal challenges too.

No wonder our athletic director can longer afford to keep a 60-year+ old Block “S” tradition alive, with all these legal bills building up on his watch.

Let me summarize the lack of evidence and transparency in this hearing from your school district:

The Administration objected to 8 witnesses — including the former athletics director (who was trashed by the Superintendent during the hearing, with zero right to respond). They also did not permit the assistant suprintendent for human resources and coaches in other sports programs at Staples to testify, who could provide insight into training and policies.

The Administration prevented us (and you) from seeing dozens of emails. We will never know what is in them.

When I asked our attorney the weekend before the hearing about this exclusion of evidence, it was suggested I might need to recuse myself, and risk being responsible for a “7-fold increase” in legal costs for BOE.

No one that was a witness to either the 2022 or 2024 incidents was called as a witness by our administration. 

Students who were direct witnesses in 2024 came forward to be interviewed by our administration. This was rejected. 

Many current players supported coach Russell Oost-Lievense at Monday’s hearing. 

The administration admitted that a 2022 coach evaluation was not produced — or they don’t have it. (The notice of non-renewal from our administration did not explicitly refer to an incident in 2022. However, it formed a large part of the administration’s oral testimony)

The Administration would nor or did not make available a report into their own independent investigation of the 2022 situation for the hearing. It never presented the report to the coach back in 2022.

– The Administration would not or did not make available the Department of Children and Family Services report from 2022 that found no wrongdoing by the head coach. 

– The Administration reported a misleading call to DCF about a “physical” interaction between a student and (a different soccer coach) in 2024, and knew this not to be the case. Despite this exaggerated report, DCF declined to investigate and notified the administration the same day.

No coaches’ handbook exists in Westport Public Schools. Fortunately. we were told, “We are working on it.”

To be clear: there was no suggestion that head coach Russell Oost-Lievense was physical towards a child. He was not.

Additionally, there was also no suggestion that the head coach had any verbal integrations or disagreements was a student athlete in 2024. He is accused of not reporting a verbal disagreement between another coach and a student.

Both coaches at the hearing said the other coach and student “hugged it out” and resolved their disagreement shortly afterwards, and both apologized to the their teammates.

Furthermore, whilst suspended on full-pay the head coach attended an end-of- season banquet not hosted by the school, nor at the school, and not a school event. He received multiple invitations from booster clubs, players and parents.

He has also asked for clarity, and ultimately left a message to the athletic director informing him that he would be attending the banquet.

The athletic director did not respond or communicate with the head coach about this. Furthermore, neither the superintendent, Staples principal or athletic director attended the banquet, despite the total lack of clarity within the Boys Soccer program. Maybe it wasn’t important to them?

I am glad and proud that head coach Russell Oost-Lievense attended the end of season banquet.

No one in my family plays soccer, and I have never met any of the Staples soccer coaches who were non-renewed in late 2024, until Monday. I was impressed by the head coach and the bond he has formed with his team.

Most of them sat there for 14 hours on Monday. It was a real community. I was proud as a father, and as a board member.

Head coach Russell Oost-Lievense (standing, 3rd from left), with players during a break in Monday’s hearing.

I heard his impactful testimony about how he stood up against bullying on the team in 2022. He immediately reported a truly serious matter back in 2022 to our administration, and they seemingly did nothing.

The compassion and vulnerability from the coach was plain for all to see. He is clearly there 24/7 for these kids, in a role that probably pays $7,000 per a year. He is a full-time teacher in Darien public schools, and has been employed for many years with no issues from that district.

I would be proud for any of my children to have been taught and/or coached by him.

I am deeply concerned with the way this administration and Board of Education have treated this coach.

I know they made the argument on Monday that the program was better off without him. I disagree. The sad statement from me as a sitting Board of Education member is actually the coach maybe better off without Westport or Westport Public Schools.

I have never been more proud than to stand separately from the board, and the embarrassment of a case that the administration made and I witnessed on Monday.

Head coach Russell Oost-Lievense should be reinstated. Staples athletic director, VJ Sarullo should do the right thing, and immediately step down.

(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Email 06880blog@gmail.com for details.)

36 Comments

Posted in Education, Sports, Staples HS

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[OPINION] Staples Students Learn Real Life Lesson About Power

Posted on May 14, 2025 | 19 comments

“06880” founder and executive editor Dan Woog writes:

I told the 50 or so Staples High School students who gathered in Town Hall on Monday morning that they would get a far better education about the real world that day than if they were sitting in class.

I did not know that 14 hours later, that lesson would be how heartless the world can be.

And how little some adults care about them, compared to their own desire for power.

Staples students — boys and girls soccer players, and many others — came early for Monday’s hearing.

Staples boys soccer coach Russell Oost-Lievense’s appeal to the Board of Education, to overturn superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice’s decision to not renew his contract, had all the makings of a TV drama.

There was procedural jousting between attorneys over the admissability of evidence; witness testimony and cross-examination that was at turns riveting and rambling; and a raw, emotional explanation by Oost-Lievense about why — after all he’s been through — he still wanted to lead Staples soccer.

Discussing his work as a special education teacher, his own journey through Westport schools with a learning disability, and his father’s death during his junior year, he described his love for the soccer program, and his desire to give back.

The dozens of athletes in the front rows, there to support him, sat riveted. They’d been sitting for 8 hours already. They’d heard back-and-forth about a verbal argument at a preseason retreat they’d attended.

And they’d heard a discussion about an investigation into it, during which not one of them had been questioned.

They watched as administrators sat smugly on their side of the stage, and Board members sat stone-faced, even during the most powerful testimony.

Staples principal Stafford Thomas, athletic director VJ Sarullo, and superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.

“I think their minds are made up already,” one player said.

“No, they’re supposed to listen to everything, and be impartial,” a teammate countered.

As the night wore on, and the Board of Education retreated upstairs into executive session, the teenagers remained. They ate pizza. They chatted with Oost-Lievense and freshman coach Chris O’Dell.

They waited for word — after testimony, they and many others in the room believed, that showed Scarice’s decision to be “arbitrary and capricious” — that the coach who loved them, and who they loved back, would return to the program they and he adored.

At 11:15 the verdict came, with stunning finality. Five BOE members voted to uphold Scarice’s non-renewal recommendation. Only Robert Harrington voted against it.

At 11 p.m., dozens of Staples students waited for the Board of Education decision. Many left during the day for a class or two, or sports practice, then returned. All watched the proceedings closely. (Photos/Dan Woog)

The Staples players got a lesson in how the world works, for sure.

The world is not fair. It’s not always what they want. It can be arbitrary and capricious.

And so they — and Oost-Lievense’s many supporters, and other Westporters involved with all sports — wonder what’s next.

Why, for example, would any man or woman want to coach in a school district that does not support its coaches — that, in fact, casts them aside with little regard for their longtime contributions, personal reputations and heartfelt emotions?

Why would any coach not fear that an accusation of bad judgment could lead to non-renewal, without even a suggestion of working together to find a solution?

But why, on the other hand, would some coaches fear any discipline at all, knowing that in some programs, serious lapses of judgment lead to no sanctions whatsoever?

Why would any educator want to work in a district that seems so callous? Oost-Lievense testified that in Darien, where he is a special education teacher, supervisors cared deeply about how he was feeling, throughout his ordeal.

No one in Westport ever asked.

And why, in a district that so often pats itself on the back for its achievements in the classroom and beyond, is there such disregard for the very reason any school exists: the young people in it?

On Monday morning, I thought the many teenagers in the Town Hall auditorium would get a lesson in justice, fairness and compassion.

On Monday night, they got that lesson. They learned that some people care more about power than about those very human bedrock values.

19 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics, Sports, Staples HS

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Board Of Ed Stuns Crowd; Votes Against Soccer Coach

Posted on May 13, 2025 | 80 comments

For 12 hours, 150 students and parents sat patiently in Town Hall. Staples High School boys soccer head coach Russell Oost-Lievense was appealing to the Board of Education the decision by superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice to not renew his contract.

At 11:15 p.m. — after 90 more minutes with the board cloistered in executive session — the BOE returned.

The 75 teens and adults still remaining sat in stunned silence, as the board voted 5-1 to affirm Scarice’s decision. Robert Harrington was the lone vote against. Kevin Christie recused himself, for reasons he did not explain.

Town Hall auditorium was filled, waiting for the hearing to begin.

The long day had featured extensive questioning of Scarice, principal Stafford Thomas, athletic direvctor VJ Sarullo, Oost-Lievense and freshman coach Chris O’Dell.

The major issues were a verbal argument — not physical, as erroneously reported — between a player and assistant coach Harry Ocampo at a preseason retreat, and Oost-Lievense’s alleged failure to report it to Sarullo; a subsequent conversation between the player and Ocampo in a golf cart near the players, and Oost-Lievense’s attendance at the post-season banquet.

From left: Staples principal Stafford Thomas, athletic director VJ Sarullo, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.

Much of the discussion involved policies, procedures, training — and the lack of them.

Other discussion involved the investigation conducted by Sarullo and Thomas. Despite repeated claims of a “thorough” investigation by school officials between October 25 and December 8, not one student at the retreat was interviewed.

The coach’s attorney, Beatrice Franklin, objected strenuously to the exclusion of testimony and emails by several coaches and others, which she said would point to the lack of clear guidelines on reporting, and other issues at hand.

The mediator — appointed by the board — overruled virtually all of Franklin’s objections. He also refused to allow testimony about actions by coaches in other sports that did not result in discipline, which she said would have shown that Scarice’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” (the threshold for the board to overturn the superintendent’s decision).

Mediator Fred Dorsey (4th from left), with Board of Education members Dorie Hordon, Neil Phillips, Lee Goldstein, Abby Tolan and Jill Dillon.

Sarullo was questioned about why his evaluation of Oost-Lievense changed from “gifted head coach taking the program to new heights” in 2023, to all negative in 2024.

He said it was because of a “negative environment” on the team. That drew surprised looks from the more than 2 dozen returning players at Town Hall supporting their coach, throughout the long day.

Under extensive questioning, principal Thomas repeated often that he could not recall many of the events surrounding the investigation, and related matters.

There was discussion too of a 2022 incident, when Oost-Lievense reacted angrily to bullying incidents on the freshman and junior varsity teams. The coach — a special education teacher at Darien High — emotionally described his reactions to reports of bullying of a special education student, citing his long work in special ed.

That 2022 incident led to a Department of Children and Family Services investigation. No evidence of wrongdoing was found, and Oost-Lievense said a DCFS official apologized to him.

The complaint about this fall’s incident at the retreat also was sent to DCFS. Within a day, they declined to investigate.

Scarice explained that Westport holds its employees to “a higher standard.”

From left: Board of Education member Robert Harrington, attorney Beatrice Franklin, coaches Russell Oost-Lievense and Chris O’Dell.

One of the most emotional moments of the long day came when Franklin asked Oost-Lievense why — after all he’s been through — he still wanted his job back.

“I can never give back what this soccer program, the players and families, have done for me, as a player and coach,” he said, his voice breaking. “This is my alma mater, and I love it more than anything.”

He recounted his experience as a player, when his father was dying, and the soccer team was his safe haven. Among his father’s last words to him: “Look after the ones who look to you.”

The audience rose, in a standing ovation.

During a break in the action, Russell Oost-Lievense (back row, 3rd from left) poses with current and returning Staples soccer players.

In closing statements, board attorney Thomas Mooney said, “this is not a popularity contest. The Board of Education has delegated decisions like this to the superintendent. You must apply that policy. There is no evidence that this was ‘arbitrary and capricious.'”

Franklin countered, “‘Arbitrary and capricious’ does not mean you rubber stamp the administration. Did they make their decision supported by evidence, and a thorough investigation?”

She cited many examples: the lack of an investigation, the pattern of not allowing evidence and witnesses, and more.

“How could Staples be better off without Russ?” she asked. “All I want for my kids is to have a coach like him.”

For 90 minutes — until 11:15 p.m. — Staples players waited for the Board of Education to exit executive session. (Photos/Dan Woog)

When — 90 minutes later — the board rendered their decision, the large crowd (including dozens of boys and girls soccer players, and alumni) who had stayed for 14 hours were stunned.

They wondered how a supposedly neutral “mediator” had ruled against Oost-Lievense dozens of times, before and during the hearing.

They asked how he could have excluded wide swaths of evidence, directly relevant to coaching, training, procedures, and discipline.

They were puzzled that the “arbitrary and capricious” discussion did not include information about the lack of disciplinary action against coaches in other sports, for sometimes more egregious offenses.

“It seemed pretty clear the board had no interest in doing actual justice,” one said. “Russell could have shown a murder weapon and a body. They still would have ruled against him.”

80 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics, Staples HS

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Staples Coaches Deserve To Be Heard Fully. They May Not Be.

Posted on May 9, 2025 | 30 comments

I’ve lived in this town my entire life.

I graduated from Staples High School. I worked there in many capacities, from 1982 until 2021. I was especially proud to spend 19 years as head coach of the boys soccer program.

I have always supported the school, the administrators who run and oversee it, and the superintendent and Board of Education.

Today however, I am heartbroken, ashamed, and furious with my alma mater, and those who oversee our school district.

Seven months after suspending head boys soccer coach Russell Oost-Lievense and freshman boys coach Chris O’Dell — both former Staples captains who have given back to the program and town for 9 and 20 years, respectively — and 4 months after not renewing their contracts, the Board of Ed has finally granted one of them (Russell) an appeal hearing.

Russell Oost-Lievense, in front of the Staples boys soccer trophy case.

It’s scheduled for this Monday (May 12), 9 a.m. in the Town Hall auditorium.

But it may be a show trial.

A hearing is not a court of law. The Board of Ed is both judge and jury.

Their own lawyer has determined which witnesses may be called, and what evidence — for example, Freedom of Information Act-available emails — may be considered.

Russell and Chris — beloved by nearly all their players, well-respected in the soccer community, Staples grads and good human beings — are being treated like criminals.

Actually, worse. Criminals have their day in court. The jury does not hire an attorney who determines what evidence they can and cannot see, and who they can and cannot hear from.

In a court of law, that’s decided by an independent judge.

Not here. In this case, there are crucial pieces of evidence that — because the superintendent objected to them — the Board of Ed’s attorney will simply not allow to be introduced.

They include testimony about a lack of athletic department policies and training pertaining to the case, the manner in which allegations against other coaches have been handled, and much more.

Those pieces of evidence, I believe, are crucial to the 2 coaches’ appeals.

But if the board does not see and hear them — because the superintendent objected to them, and the attorney the Board of Education hired deemed them “irrelevant” — then justice will not be served.

And two excellent coaches, excellent people, and excellent representatives of the school they graduated from (and love) will be kicked to the curb.

Our Board of Education can do better. Our superintendent can do better.

And the student-athletes who adore these coaches — and, agonizingly, cannot attend a 9 a.m. hearing to support them — deserve much, much better.

30 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics, Sports, Staples HS

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[OPINION] Staples Students Are Not “Social Media-Addicted Zombies”

Posted on May 7, 2025 | 25 comments

On Tuesday night, the Board of Education held a listening session. The topic was a proposed “bell to bell” smartphone ban at Staples High School. Several speakers referenced the “Ok to Delay” group. 

A Staples parent, who has spent many years serving on PTAs and other youth-oriented boards, is concerned with the tone that group has tken.

She worries that the movement will impact her younger children if her family does not join in, which is why she asked for anonymity. She writes:

The name and educational mission attached to “OK to Delay” is innocuous. It implies that it is “OK” to delay your young children’s technology and social media use.

“OK” in our vernacular typically connotes a personal choice. As an educational resource for parents navigating a technologically advanced society, this mission is admirable. It is supported by many elementary and middle school parents, even those with older teens.

Highlighting the pros and cons, the realities and myths is useful, in light of many findings about technology, and children’s health and safety.

The mission of this organization, based on its own literature and website, is to “protect middle school from smartphones and social media.”

Since Ok to Delay could not achieve its goals at our already phone-free middle schools, the group decided to lobby at the high school level.

Staples parents are typically represented by our PTA, whose executive board made a unanimous recommendation against a bell-to-bell ban at Staples. They cited many valid reasons, which have already been covered on “06880.”

Rather than stating to the high school parents who approached them that the high school is outside of their purview, and that they defer to our own parent organization on this issue, Ok to Delay opted to help wage a battle against the Staples PTA.

Staples High School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Where has this battle occurred? Ironically, on social media.

Ok to Delay has begun, through its Instagram campaign and anonymous online petition, to label the Staples students as having a crisis they are trying to help solve.

Even their recent Instagram post encouraging parents to come to the townwide meeting to discuss the topic is filled with false impressions of Staples students.

“Want to see our Staples (or future Staples) students focused on learning and socializing while in school. Us too!” As opposed to what?

Staples has a phone-free classroom policy. With some exceptions when teachers do not enforce the ban, Staples students are inside their classrooms learning.

What do Staples students do at lunch or during free periods?  They socialize.

“Want to utilize the school day as an opportunity to have 8 less hours of social media and screen time?” This statement is meant to provoke.

It is not, like many things in our time of disinformation, an accurate picture of who the Staples students are.

They do not lack for learning time. And they are certainly not inside their high school for 8 hours glued to social media; they know they don’t have the time.

Staples High School high honors graduates, with principal Stafford Thomas (far right) and vice principal Pat Micinilio (far left).

Is it perfect at Staples? The PTA has stated very clearly there are ways to improve upon the current policy.

Superintendent Scarice let the pot boil over. Without decisive action on his own proposed phone ban, he has opened the door to activism and antagonization.

Worst of all, he has let Staples students be labeled as something they are not.

They are hard workers. They are learners. They are achievers. They apply to esteemed colleges. They win academic honors. They compete for state athletic titles. They put on tremendous musical performances.

They are your babysitters. They are your lifeguards. They work downtown. They are your interns. They pick up your Christmas trees. They bring innumerable hours of community service to our town. via SLOBs and the National Charity League.

They help our elderly and our underserved. They fill our food pantries. They work your birthday parties and your summer sports camps. They are your children’s friends’ siblings.

They aren’t social media addicted zombies. Their phones support many of these pursuits, academic and job-related. Their mental health, according to our own data, is improving.

Staples High School baseball players are role models for younger children …

They drive past your signs and know they are being judged.

And they know that suddenly, through all their work at Staples to become technologically responsible near-adults on the verge of the real world, that their families have prepared them for, our town and many residents within it have suddenly labeled them a “problem.”

High school is hard enough in 2025, without the labeling from other adults.

Be careful with our children, OK to Delay.  Don’t create a false narrative about the Staples students to serve your purposes. Don’t stereotype them to get your way.

… and entertain. Staples Players’ spring production was “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” (Photo/Kerry Long)

Educate; don’t agitate.

Consensus is not possible on this issue. The ban very well may take hold.

But caricaturing our kids in your campaign is not far off from the ills of social media you seek to protect your own kids from.

The Staples community must work together to solve the real, not globalized, issues within the high school.

(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. To submit a piece, email 06880blog@gmail.com)

 

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Posted in Education, Staples HS, technology, Teenagers

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Roundup: Hunt Club, E-Bike Safety, Sailboat Racing …

Posted on May 7, 2025 | 5 comments

After several years and 2 attempts, the Fairfield County Hunt Club will build a new racquets facility.

On Monday, the Planning & Zoning Commission voted to approve the 22,000-square foot indoor tennis and squash court building.

The original plan — for outdoor paddleball courts — met strong opposition from neighbors.

This time, residents on nearby Hunt Club Lane opposed the size of the structure, and possible noise from HVAC machinery.

The P&Z vote was 6-1. John Bolton opposed.

Also on Monday, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) unanimously approved the Board of Education’s $150.4 million operating budget.

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Last night, in what has become an annual ritual, the RTM voted 28-2 to restore Wheels2U’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Westport Transit District directors Peter Gold and Karina Betfarhad thanked the 400 residents who wrote letters in support of the service, which links riders with the 2 train stations, and their homes, jobs and other spots in town.

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E-bikes are e-verywhere.

To raise awareness about safety, the Westport Police Department is sponsoring a community forum.

The May 13 event (6:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) will cover rules and regulations (for riders and motorists), street awareness, and tips and resources for all ages. A Q-and-A session will follow.

The evening will feature law enforcement officials and safety director Charles Foster of SCBC Safe Rides.

Class 3 e-bike.

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Speaking of safety: a car fire broke out during the Westport Rotary Club’s meeting yesterday, at Green’s Farms Church.

While the service organization was handing out $285,000 in grants at its annual awards luncheon, to 46 Fairfield County non-profits, Westport firefighters doused the blaze. There were no injuries, and no damage to the building.

Meanwhile, all the funds were handed out successfully, and received gratefully. The recipients provide services for victims of homelessness, food insecurity, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health and other challenges.  Of the nearly 4 dozen awardees, 1/3 ar based in Westport. 

The grants come from the Rotary Club’s annaul LobsterFest. Mark your calendar: This year’s is September 20.

A small part of the large Rotary Club crowd. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)

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If you’ve ever sat on the beach, watched sailboat races and wondered what it’s like to be on the water: This could be your summer.

You can join a boat — for free.

  • Cedar Point Yacht Club is looking for crews, for various fleets:
  • Atlantic (Saturdays, Sundays)
  • Flying Scot, Lightning, Thistle (Saturdays)
  • Vanguard 15 (Thursday, Fridays [women], Sundays

Cruising Class (Wednesdays, Saturdays). Click here for opportunities. Captains will welcome you aboard.

Cedar Point racing. (Photo/Richard Gordon)

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Wakeman Town Farm thinks of everything.

Including “Sensory Safari: Farm Fun for Neurodiverse Kids.”

The gentle, sensory-friendly animal adventure is designed for children ages 3-8.

The 45-minute session includes the chance to interact with  goats, alpacas, sheep, rabbits and chickens.

The relaxed pace includes plenty of time to observe, touch (as comfortable), and engage with the animals in a calm, supportive environment.

The class is run by Jewell Ailes, an educator who works in an intensive resource room one-on-one with students with ASD and other special needs.

Wednesday classes are May 21 and 28, and June 4 and 11 (4:15 to 5 p.m.). For more information and to register, click here.

Fun at Wakeman Town Farm.

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Last month, Cory Booker delivered the longest recorded speech in US Senate history. For 25 hours and 5 minutes, he protested President Trump, and his administration.

He’ll speak for considerably less time next month, in Westport.

But the New Jersey Democrat will be here, raising funds for his re-election campaign. The event is June 6, 5:30 to 7 p.m. For details, email lizmilwe@gmail.com.

Senator Cory Booker

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Henry Patrick Raleigh was a noted Westport illustrator. He drew for magazines like the Saturday Evening Post and Colliers.

The Society of Illustrators calls him a “’star’ during the Golden Age of American Illustration (1900–1930). His graceful, fluid drawings, usually of crowded social scenes, were done in line, wash or colored inks and seemed to flow from his fingertips….

“Home to Raleigh was what is now the famous artist’s colony of Westport, Connectict. He, George Wright, Frederick Dorr Steele and Rose O’Neill helped pioneer that area’s popularity.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald — another noted Westporter — called his work “the best illustrations I’ve ever seen.” Decades later, in 1991, art historian Benjamin Eisenstat said, “Raleigh was the highest paid illustrator in America, and perhaps the world.”

The home he once lived in — 167A Compo Road South — is now on the market.

Built in 1913, the 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 2,103-square foot house on 2 acres is listed for $1.895 million.

Let’s hope it appeals to someone who appreciates the history behind it.

And wants to keep it.

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Plenty of Westporters celebrated Cinco de Mayo on Monday, at several of our town’s Mexican restaurants.

But no one had a better time than Andrew Colabella. The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member, and man about town, celebrated in style at Viva Zapata.

(Photo/Matthew Mandell)

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From the Revolutionary Era to today, artists have explored our nation’s evolving understanding of itself through depictions of Old Glory.

On May 29 (6 p.m., MoCA CT), Dr. Robin Jaffee Frank’s “O Say Can You See: Artists Reimagine the Flag” gallery talk will describe how artists incorporate the stars and stripes into their work, to “achieve aesthetic ends, critique social and political inequities, celebrate freedom and democracy, support and mourn our troops, and express despair and hope.”

For tickets and more information, click here.

The American flag, in a variety of artworks.

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The “06880” panel on youth sports is 1 week from today.

We’ve partnered with Tommy Greenwald — the famed youth adult sports fiction writer, former Staples athlete (and father of 3 athletes) — to present “Fair Play and Foul Behavior: Issues Facing Youth Sports in Today’s World.”

It’s May 14 (7 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria).

Topics include the achievement/pressure balance, referee abuse, sport specialization, cost, the “academy” syndrome, myths and realities of college recruiting, and more.

I’ll moderate the event, and include time for audience questions. Panelists are:

  • VJ Sarullo, Staples athletic director
  • Dave Smith, father of 4 athletes who writes frequently on youth sports topics
  • Caleb Smith, former Staples quarterback and lacrosse star, now playing football at the University of Connecticut
  • Heather Talbott, PAL girls lacrosse co-president and basketball organizer; former lacrosse player at Lehigh University
  • Mark Pressman, longtime football and softball official
  • And of course Tommy Greenwald himself.

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At first glance, today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo looks sooooo cute.

(Photo/Richard Fogel)

But then you remember that the 5 cute little babies will grow up to be 5 honking, grass-eating, pooping adults, and, well …

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And finally … on this date in 1824, Beehoven’s Ninth Symphony — perhaps his most famous — had its world premiere in Vienna.

(Beethoven had patrons. “06880” is not a musical genius — just a hyper-local blog. But we depend on donors too. Please click here to support our work. Meanwhile, enjoy the music!)

 

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As Board Of Ed Listens, Speakers Favor Staples Smartphone Ban

Posted on May 7, 2025 | 5 comments

Students don’t know their classmates’ names, because they seldom look up from their phones.

Those phones offer addictive dopamine rushes.

And when students go tech-free, it’s like they’re different people.

Those were some of the sentiments expressed last night, at a special Board of Education meeting. The session, at Coleytown Middle School, was held to hear residents’ thoughts on a proposed smartphone ban at Staples High.

Right now, phones are not supposed to be used during class. The proposal, from superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, could involve “pouches,” like those at Wilton High. They are locked at the beginning of the school day, and unlocked at the end.

Students handing in phones, to be locked in pouches. (Photo/Allan Jung for Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

The overwhelming majority of speakers favored some sort of ban.

And the vast majority of speakers were adults. Very few students attended.

Moderator Velma Heller — a retired teacher and administrator, and former Representative Town Meeting (RTM) moderator — began by asking attendees if they support a “bell to bell” phone-free high school.

Larry Perlstein, whose daughter is a junior, does not.

Larry Perlstein (Photo/Katherine Phelps)

“Today’s world is all about devices,” he said. “You can’t survive without it. Kids need to learn how to use it appropriately.” He would, however, support a “phased-in” ban.

But Perlstein proved to be an outlier.

Victoria Marcus has elementary age children. She also teaches high school in Bridgeport. She’s the one whose students don’t know classmates’ names, and said, “bell to bell is my time with students.”

Barrie Rosen — mother of a 7th grader — fully supports the ban, beginning next year. “We have heard from Wilton that it is beneficial,” she said. “It is time for action.”

Susanne Hall Armstrong, who has a junior at Staples, supports the ban. Her older children do too, she said, citing the potential for greater social interactions.

John Schwartz — who called phones “addictive,” with their dopamine rush — said that his daughter’s grades improved when he took her phone away.

Staples High math teacher Maggie Gomez recounted a conversation with a freshman. He looked up from a lunch table, and saw all his friends on phones.

“The ban will only do your children good,” Gomez said.

Some parents cited concerns about the proposed ban. One said that using pouches to lock phones is not a good use of teachers’ time.

Noting that teenagers often find ways around rules, he said, “My kids are going to have a device in the building. Period.”

He added, “as parents, we expect to be able to reach our kids.”

Tracey Brenner, the mother of elementary schoolers, countered, “A phone is not a safety device. It is a parental safety device.”

Nathaniel Martin, whose son is an 8th grader, urged the Board of Education to analyze the history of phone use. “We need excellent evidence as to why they should have phones,” he said.

Board of Ed members listened to all sides. They’ll render a decision later.

As the meeting ended, parents texted their spouses to say they’d be home soon.

Their children were already home, studying.

And perhaps on their phones.

(Reporting by “06880” intern Katherine Phelps)

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Posted in Education, technology, Teenagers

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Dylan Robbin’s Holocaust Story: 9th Grader Says “Never Forget”

Posted on May 5, 2025 | 15 comments

“Never forget.”

One of the great fears of the rapidly dwindling number of Holocaust survivors is that it will be forgotten.

The horrors of the 1930s and ’40s, the evil that can be done when no one stands up, the lessons learned — all may be lost in just a couple of generations.

Dylan Robbin is 3 generations removed from Nazi Germany. But he is making sure that no one will forget.

Dylan Robbin

Dylan is a typical Staples High School freshman. He plays football, and is part of Inklings, WWPT-FM and the Service League of Boys.

Two years ago, Dylan was preparing for his bar mitzvah. A key part of the coming-of-age rite is a project demonstrating commitment to Jewish values.

Dylan had had heard stories of his family’s personal history in the Holocaust. In some ways, it was similar to millions of others: His paternal great-grandfather, a cardiologist named Samek “Samuel” Rubinstein from Krakow, Poland, was targeted by the Nazis.

In another way though, it was special. Dr. Rubinstein was Oskar Schindler’s physician.

The German industrialist — a member of the Nazi party — saved the lives of 1,200 Jews, by hiring them for his enamelware and munitions factories in occupied Poland.

Dylan’s great-grandfather worked there, treating Schindler and his employees

Dr. Rubenstein’s Krakow ghetto ID card.

But that’s not all.

In 1944, as the Russians closed in on the Eastern Front, Dr. Rubinstein and many of Schindler’s employees were transported to Auschwitz and Mauthausen.

While at the Mauthausen concentration camp — where he helped treat prisoners — Dr. Rubinstein met Simon Wiesenthal. After surviving 4 camps and a death march, Wiesenthal dedicated his life to tracking down Nazi war criminals. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles is named in his honor.

Yet there may have been no center — and no convictions of Adolf Eichmann, and many other Nazis — if not for Dr. Rubinstein.

At Mauthausen, as Wiesenthal shrank to just 80 pounds, the doctor kept his spirits up.

Simon Wiesenthal (left) and Dylan Robbin’s grandfather reunited after the Holocaust.

In gratitude, Wiesenthal gave him several drawings. Years later while cleaning out his apartment, Dylan’s grandfather found them. The family donated them to the United States Holocaust Musuem in Washington.

A drawing by Simon Wiesenthal, given to Dr. Rubinstein. It is now housed at the United States Holocaust Memory.

Though his great-grandfather was not on Schindler’s list of Jews he saved — memorialized in the 1982 book “Schindler’s Ark” and 1993 movie “Schindler’s List” — Dylan realized that his ancestor’s story needed to be told.

He began researching it. The more he learned — including watching “Schindler’s List” — the more fascinated he became.

There was, for example, the story of Sam Soldinger. He survived Mauthausen — and 6 other concentration camps — and knew Dr. Rubinstein.

Dylan discovered that Sam’s story is told in a museum exhibit in Chandler, Arizona, and that Sam’s daughter Laura wrote a book called “Death & Diamonds: A Holocaust Survivor’s Inspiring Journey of Survival, Faith, Hope, Luck and the American Dream.”

Amazingly, Laura lived just 30 miles from Dylan’s grandparents in Arizona. The 2 families had an emotional visit, sharing stories about their relatives, Schindler, and the journeys their families have taken.

Laura told Dylan’s grandfather, Mark Robbin, “I would not be alive if were not for your father.”

“That’s a story that needs to be shared,” Dylan says.

He has many other stories. And — beyond his bar mitzvah project — the teenager wants to share them with as many people as he can.

One way is through the video he made 2 years ago. (Click here to see.)

“There’s so much antisemitism today,” he says. “There were swastikas in Weston and Wilton. It may never go away. But if people in Westport and the US hear personal stories, it could help.

“I want to get this out. People need to realize the Holocaust was a real thing. It was awful. It was inhumane. This needs to be told. I haven’t done enough of that yet.”

Dylan Robbin, at his 2023 bar mitzvah.

While at Bedford Middle School last year, Dylan’s language arts class read “Night,” by Elie Wiesel. Dylan mentioned his project to his teacher, Alison Antunovich, who suggested he present it to the class.

This year, the BMS Culture Club watched the video.

“People my age know what the Holocaust was. But they don’t understand it,” Dylan notes.

“Personal stories can convey the reality of it. We need this now, more than ever.”

Dylan’s family’s story is certainly personal. After being freed from Mauthausen, and making his way to the US, Dr. Rubinstein changed his name. Samek “Samuel” Rubinstein became Dr. Stanly Robbin.

He had a successful career in this country. In addition to medicine, he founded and chaired the Long Island Holocaust Memorial Commission. He designed the Long Beach Holocaust Memorial Monument in Nassau County. Dedicated in 1987, it received international recognition, and was the subject of an Austrian Broadcasting Corporation documentary.

Long Beach Holocaust Memorial, designed by Dr. Stanley Robbin.

Dr. Robbin’s great-grandson Dylan Robbin now lives comfortably in Westport.

But he will never forget.

And he is doing his best to make sure that no one else does, either.

(Dr. Rubinstein’s stories — and many others — are told in “Schindler’s Legacy.” Dylan used the 1995 book as oart  of his research.

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Community Gardeners Dismantle Cherished Spot

Posted on May 1, 2025 | 50 comments

Yesterday marked the deadline for Westporters to remove items from the Community Gardens.

Instead of preparing for spring, 120 families spent days salvaging soil, plants and structures. Some had been involved since the garden began, 20 years ago.

The site will become a staging area when construction begins on a new Long Lots Elementary School, some time in the future.

Later, it will become an athletic field.

A new location for the Community Gardens has not yet been found.

Alison Freeland and her husband spent Tuesday there, with shovels and a wheelbarrow.

“Many of the gardeners said they felt like they were at a wake or funeral,” Alison says.

The gardens’ demise was especially hard “for a lot of seniors, for whom this was a true community.”

Alison’s photos chronicle the final days of the Hyde Lane Community Gardens.

(All photos/Alison Freeland)

(“06880” is your hyper-local source for news, events — and photo-journalism. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Staples Students Share Shakespeare

Posted on April 30, 2025 | 4 comments

It’s one thing for high school students to connect with Shakespeare.

Some do. An inspiring teacher or formative experience can help them understand the timeless appeal of The Bard’s explorations of life, love, death, revenge, grief, jealousy, murder, magic and mystery. 

It’s another thing entirely for third graders to get it.

But students at Edison Elementary School in Bridgeport are fortunate to have Chris Cormier as a teacher.

And Chris is fortunate to have connected with Diane Lowman.

Diane Lowman

For many years, Lowman — Westport’s first-ever poet laureate, who earned a master’s degree in Shakespeare studies through the University of Birmingham (in Stratford-upon-Avon) — has collaborated with “Mr. C,” and the Edison students.

She visits regularly, teaching them the ins and outs of the world’s most famous playwright. They are always eager to learn.

Earlier this year, Lowman contacted Staples Players directors David Roth and Kerry Long. Could the high school’s prestigious drama group help the Edison youngsters learn a bit more about Shakespeare?

Timing is everything, as we know from “Julius Caesar.”

Roth’s Theater III advanced acting class had been working on scenes from “Macbeth.”

So one morning this month, the Bridgeport boys and girls arrived excitedly at Staples.

They played a concentration game with Roth and the class. They talked about the Shakespeare plays they had studied.

Getting to know each other. Staples Players director David Roth is at left. Edison School teacher Chris Cormier is 6th from right.

They watched Roth’s class perform 2 “Macbeth” scenes. Afterward, the Edison children asked questions, about the play and theater in general.

A scene from “Macbeth,” with Cat Betit and Will McCrea.

Then — with everyone sitting on the Black Box floor — they enjoyed pizza and juice boxes.

A post-play treat.

Roth and Long were amazed at how much the youngsters knew, after just an hour a week with Cormier and Lowman.

“They asked great questions,” Long says. “They really understood what they were talking about, and raised questions about themes of the play.”

“It’s incredibly gratifying for this Shakespeare nerd to see the kids respond so positively, and make so many connections with The Bard,” Lowman adds.

“Having David, his students and Kerry bring this to life was such a treat. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship and an annual tradition.”

Learning together: Mikey Winkler and 3rd graders.

Roth and Long asked Lowman if she could do something similar, for more classs. Cormier said he’d help.

As for Cormier himself: Edison Elementary School has no budget to support trips like the one to Staples.

The cost for a bus is not insignificant. Students sold ice cream at Friday lunches for $1 each, but that did not cover the entire transportation and food bill. Cormier made up the difference.

“I know that Westport could easily pitch in,” Long says.

She and Roth have created a GoFundMe page, for donations.

Whether you’re a Shakespeare fan, or just want to help a group of Bridgeport kids expand their horizons, click here.

Because, as we all know, “Fortune reigns in gifts of the world.”

Theatre III and Edison Park students, with their teachers. (All photos/Kerry Long)

 

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