Visitors to Compo Beach — and many other places — were treated to a rare planetary lineup Friday.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus were all visible simultaneously after susnet — and all looked like they were all aligned with Earth.
Some of the planets were best viewed with binoculars. But Ferdinand Jahnel captured this interesting shot.
Next to the moon is Venus. Just above the horizon is Mercury (zoom in a bit). The top right looks like Saturn, but Ferdinand thinks it is a plane in motion.
The Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Book Club meets March 27 (6 p.m.) at the Jesup Road store.
They’ll discuss ” Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, and ” A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor,
Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.
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Looking for free kids’ entertainment?
Long Lots Elementary School students perform “Willy Wonka Kids” this Friday (March 7, 7 p.m.) and Saturday (March 8, noon and 3 p.m.). Click here to reserve tickets.
In 2011 — after years of court battles — town officials and neighbors reached an agreement to add lights to the Staples High School football field.
The court-ordered settlement precluded lighting other Westport fields, besides PJ Romano (behind Saugatuck Elementary School), and the Greens Farms Elementary School softball diamond.
The agreement expired a couple of years ago. On Monday — after long negotaitions — the Planning & Zoning Commission approved 5-1 (with 1 abstention) a text amendment to allow lights at other sites.
Each proposal will be reviewed by the P&Z. Among the requirements:
For 25 years, traffic agent Jerry Waldron has been a Westport Police Department staple.
Commuters and residents see him directing traffic at the Route 1 and 33 intersection and by the Cribari Bridge, or patrolling the railroad station and downtown parking lots.
Not bad, for a 90-year-old.
Yesterday, the WPD celebrated Jerry’s milestone birthday, at police headquarters.
Friends, family and officers — current and retired (all younger) — threw him a surprise party.
Jerry was surprised, and grateful.
But he’s not slowing down. He will be back at work tomorrow, directing lunch hour traffic at 1 and 33.
If you see him, wish him a belated “happy birthday.”
Maybe — considering all that traffic — a wave is better than a honk.
Happy 90th, Jerry Waldron!
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In addition to Jerry Waldron’s birthday, this is also Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
In its honor, Lift Wellness Group hosts a hot chocolate pop-up bar today (Wednesday, February 26, 11 a.m.) at their 8 Myrtle Avenue office.
They hope to shine a light on eating disorders, which have the second highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
And, of course, to offer a nice, tasty treat. The public is invited.
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The Compo Beach playground renovation is about to begin.
As “06880” noted yesterday, the Playground Committee has ensured that anyone who bought a fundraising picket during the last rebuild — 19 years ago — can claim it as a souvenir.
Jennifer Seideman offers more good news about the beloved site. She writes:
“While walking at Compo Beach yesterday, I noticed the project has begun. Of course it makes me nostalgic, as my twins were newborns when the last one was installed. We have many fine memories at that playground.
“I saw that the workers were thoughtful enough to gather together some shoes they uncovered while digging up the old playground.
“They created a ‘lost and found’ space on top of a garbage can near the boardwalk. Here is a photo that may help some families with missing shoes.”
“I will look forward to watching the transformation of the playground, seeing many families enjoy it and make it part of their special experiences in Westport as my children did,” she adds.
For 3 weekends next month, Weston’s Lachat Town Farm becomes a Brooklyn restaurant.
That’s the setting for “Seared,” a comedy that brings audiences into a kitchen.
First produced off-Broadway in 2019, the show earned Outer Critics Circle Awards. As garlic and onions sizzle on stage, the play explores conflicts between artistic passion and the pressures of the business world.
“Seared” is produced by Diana Muller, formerly of Play With Your Food lunchtime theater.
Show dates are March 7 through 23: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Voices Café often attracts interesting artists, from up and down the East Coast.
On April 5, one of them is a homegrown talent.
In fact, very talented.
Dustin Lowman — a 2011 Staples High School graduate, now making his name as a New York-based singer/songwriter — opens for Lucy Kaplansky.
Dustin says: “In the years since leaving Westport, I’ve forged an unconventional path, using the tools that growing up there afforded me.
“The path has been winding — from Vermont to Nashville to Chicago, and lately to Brooklyn — but its ineluctable root is Westport. I think at 32 that I’m too old for the title ‘The Prodigal Son’; nonetheless, returning to Westport to perform is like the most wonderful version of show and tell: showing the people who gave me so much what their gifts have done for me, and telling them the story of what I’ve tried to do with them.”
Click here for tickets about the show at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport, and more information.
When audiences fill the auditorium for a Staples Players production, they know they’ll be entertained by a cast of very talented teenagers.
Next month will be no different.
Except that the Players will be joined by men and women far past their teenage years, including 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas, Staples principal Stafford Thomas, Wrecker boys basketball coach Dave Goldshore, Broadway star Kelli O’Hara, former State Senator Will Haskell, several popular teachers … and, um, “06880”‘s own founder and editor Dan Woog (aka me).
Four members of that quasi-illustrious cast will take the stage each night, in Players’ spring production: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Anyone who saw the musical during its long Broadway run knows it is touching, sweet, and laugh-out-loud funny.
Who will win the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee?
And, because the audience participates so directly, each show is different and unique.
Also unique: co-directors David Roth and Kerry Long’s selection of the comedy.
Traditionally, Players’ spring production has been big and showy. This year, they looked for something smaller and lighter.
They’d wanted to do a “Putnam Spelling Bee” — a great ensemble piece — for a while. In 2025, the timing was right.
Still, Players is a large organization. Roth and Long found a way to expand the show for a cast of 25.
Several cast members prepare for the show. (Photos/Kerry Long)
As expected, it’s been “super fun,” Long says. “Every day at rehearsal, I laugh at something new.”
The spontaneity of bringing spellers from the audience — and the improvisation that follows — is part of its charm.
Long admits, “it’s scary for us on stage.” Yet she and Roth are excited to see their actors rise to the challenge.
Also different from most Players’ productions: The actors play characters who are younger than themselves. Usually, their roles are older.
“The characters are larger than life,” Roth says. “They really embrace that.”
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is less than 2 hours long, including intermission.
The curtain rises Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Additional performances are Saturday, March 8 (2 and 7 p.m.), and Sunday, March 9 (2 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
(“06880” regularly covers Staples Players productions — and everything else going on at our schools, and in our town. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Westport Country Playhouse show dramatically — and humorously — captures a culture clash, when 2 sets of well-intentioned neighbors fued in a backyard dispute over property lines.
The play runs through March 8.
(From left): Paula Leggett Chase, Lined Genao, Anthony Michael Martinez and Adam Heller head the cast of performers. (Hat tip and photo/Dave Matlow)
Tryouts are near for the very popular Westport Swim Club.
The WSC provides developmental training for youngsters in grades 2 through 8. They build foundational skills, while preparing them for competitive swimming in all 4 strokes.
Practices take place at the Staples High School pool, in a supportive, growth-oriented environment for swimmers of all levels.
30-year Westport resident Bob Goldstein died peacefully February 17, with his wife Candy and dachshund Bruno by his side. He was 84, and had battled pancreatic cancer.
He was a magna cum laude graduate of Texas Christian University. Years earlier, at 8 years old, Bob decided he would someday be a bank president. He got his first banking job at TCU, in a mailroom, and quickly advanced to management.
He spent his early years as a banker in various parts of Texas. His career then took him to the Northeast, as a CEO and chair of a series of banks.
Bob’s knowledge of risk management, regulatory requirements and asset quality helped him turn around troubled banks, grow community banks and create value for shareholders. He held leadership roles in 20 financial institutions in 11 states.
Bob also served in the Texas National Guard, and played druns in a rock/jazz/country band at Fort Worth clubs. He loved spending time with his family and dog.
Civic engagement was also important. He served as a director on community boards including the Norwalk Hospital Foundation, the Jewish Home for the Elderly, Honey Hill Care Center, Texas Christian University Association, Hermann Hospital Steering Committee and the Children’s Miracle Network.
He was a member of the New York Real Estate Board of Governors and served as a faculty member of the Graduate School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
His family says “he will always be remembered for his personal integrity, sense of justice, sparkling smile, great sense of humor and love of animals.”
In addition to his wife Candy (Koizim), Bob is survived by his children Sandra Tanner, Robbi Russey Goldstein (Kevin), Griffin Goldstein (Laurie) and Amy Goldstein (Jenn); grandchildren Wesley Holt, Sam Holt (Kelsey), Ben Holt, Daniel Tanner (Ellen), Keith Goldstein, Jake Goldstein, Lexy Campos Goldstein and Coty Campos Goldstein, and great-grandchildren Jane and Mabel Tanner.
The family is grateful to Regional Hospice for the exceptional care they provided. Special thanks go to his wonderful caregivers, especially Jessica Floissac and Adriano Lima.
Funeral services will take place on February 28 (11 a.m., Spear Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield). Interment will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery.
We haven’t had too much snow. But it’s come regularly. And for days, the temperatures have struggled to get above freezing.
That’s winter in our town, 2025. Howard Edelstein captured the view from Harbor Road, looking toward Longshore, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … Johnny Winter was born on this date in 1944. When he died in 2014, I wrote this story about his time in Westport.
(Another day, another Roundup, another reminder that “06880” relies on reader support. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please click here. Thank you!)
The Board of Finance begins its review of 2 proposed 2025-26 budgets on March 5 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium; livestream on Cablevision Channel 79, and westportct.gov).
First Selectwoman Jen Tooker will present the town budget. Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein offer the Westport Public Schools budget.
Click here to view Tooker’s proposed budget. Click here for Scarice and Goldstein’s proposed budget.
The band — including Staples High School grads Barry Tashian and Bill Briggs — were “how you told a stranger about rock ‘n’ roll,” raved young music critic Jon Landau.
They tore up Boston and New York, were signed by Epic Records, appeared on “Ed Sullivan” and “Hullabaloo” — and, in 1966, were an opening act on the Beatles’ last tour.
Then — on the brink, perhaps, of superstardom — the Remains broke up.
The Remains, back in the day.
Their story was told off-Broadway. Now they’re the stars of a PBS documentary.
“America’s Lost Band”captures the group on its return to Los Angeles, for the first time in 40 years. It shows the bond between 4 close friends, and the power of music that united them, decades after comingthisclose to the top.
The documentary was adapted from a feature-length film that played at film festivals 15 years ago. It was never released publicly, due to licensing costs and rights issues.
The film was produced by Fred Cantor. The 1971 Staples High School graduate — a longtime Remains fan and chronicler — previously produced “The High School That Rocked!,” about bands like the Doors, Yardbirds and Cream who played at Staples. It was the only documentary short at the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Film Series.
“Lost Band” was directed by Michael Stich, longtime director of “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
It will premiere on Connecticut’s PBS station, CPTV on April 7 (9:30 p.m.), and stream nationwide on CPTV’s platforms.
The checks have been cashed. The food has been distributed.
And Earth Animal thanks everyone who contributed to the Post Road store’s holiday Mitten Project.
The pet supply store raised an astonishing $75,737 to combat food insecurity in Connecticut.
The money came from sales at Earth Animal, participation in Shop & Give events hosted by the local business community, private donations, and contributions from customers.
Earth Animal Ventures, based in Southport, matched every dollar raised.
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Staples High School students struck gold (and silver, and bronze) at the Connecticut STEM Fair.
Under the mentorship of teacher Amy Parent, young researchers presented innovative work across multiple categories at the virtual event earlier this month.
William Boberski captured first place in the Health and Medical Science category (completed projects), for research on diet composition’s effects on lifespan and colorectal cancer progression, using the Drosophila midgut model.
In the same category (for research proposals), Alexis Krenzer placed first for her plan to study curcumin’s potential role in epidermal growth factor driven cancers using C. elegans.
Ezra Schwartz took third, for his proposal on improving glenoid labral tear diagnosis through deep learning applications.
Jonathan Dobin-Smith snagged first place in the Environmental category, for a proposal to mitigate CO2 emissions through bio-concrete development using Cupriavidus necator.
William Kwong tied for second, with research on using curcumin to protect against microplastic damage in C. elegans.
Kendra Chen presented compelling research on generating biofuels from Connecticut microalgae, using bicarbonate as a carbon source.
The STEM Fair drew more than 250 student researchers, and as many judges from science and technology professions.
CT Stem Foundation is an all-volunteer organization. They are always looking for volunteers, including fair judges. Click here for more information.
Seniors Aviva Ross and Amire Williams, juniors Benjamin Peterson and Emmett Zahler, sophomore Giselle Colon and freshman Noa Katz are Staples High School’s February Students of the Month.
Nominated by teachers, they “help make Staples a welcoming place for peers and teachers alike. They are the ‘glue’ of the school community: kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students who make Staples the special place it is.”
From left: Emmett Zahler, Aviva Ross, Amire Williams, Noa Katz,, Giselle Colon, Benjamin Peterson.
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Of the many fundraisers at Sherwood Island State Park, STAR’s Walk & Roll is one of Westport’s favorites.
The non-profit supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. This year’s event — bringing together people of all ages and abilities (the “roll” refers to the many attendees in wheelchairs) — is May 4. Money raised helps STAR continue providing essential programs and services.
For this year’s 20th annual event, STAR invites artists, designers and other creative types design the logo. The winning entry will be featured on t-shirts and promotional materials.
Contestants must take a guided tour of STAR’s Norwalk headquarters to gain inspiration and insight into STAR’s mission. Email kguthrie@starct.org to schedule a visit, or more information. The deadline is March 7.
Today, Yurkiw and his fellow volunteers will ship another container. This one is filled with $250,000 worth of used medical equipment, from a nursing home in Wilton.
They’re also raising another $8,000, to cover the costs of whatever they can’t ship today.
To donate money, equipment, medical supplies, or volunteer your time, click here call Ridgefield Responds: 646-873-0050. To donate to Ukraine Aid International, click here.
Mark Yurkiw has not forgotten his Ukrainian roots.
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Caribbean mountain folk music, bluegrass, country and gospel come together March 1, at Voices Cafe.
And it’s all in one show.
Rick Reyes & Santos de Palo highlight the 8 p.m. concert, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport. The band includes guitar, drums, sax, bass and cuarto.
Voices Cafe offers tables or individual seating. Coffee and sweets are vailable for purchase; guests can bring their own beverages and snacks. Cconcerts support social justice programs in the area.
Tickets are $25 each. Click here for more information.
And back story. She writes: “It’s morning. I lie in bed wrapped snug as a mummy in my quilt. I can see through the slit of space between the window and the shade that the leaves on the rhododendron bush outside are curled as tight as a Cuban cigar against the frigid polar air. Maybe I’ll stay in bed for a while. Maybe I’ll fall back asleep.
“But no. I spot 2 invading stink bugs, seeking indoor warmth — one clinging with all six legs to the TV screen, perhaps remembering the heat of last night’s news; the other snug as a bug on the the rug.
“Oh wee beasties, innocent intruders, I should feel sorry for you. You mean no harm. Like me, you only want to be warm.
“And you don’t even stink until I squish you.”
Stink bug, before squishing. (Photo/Mary-Lou Weisman)
And finally … on this date in 1878, the first telephone directory was issued. The city: New Haven, Connecticut.
(“You can keep the dime,” Jim Croce sings. Or, you can give it — and any other amount — to “06880,” to help support this hyper-local blog. Please click here. And thank you!)
My reason for being is music,
And to reach a few hearts if I can …
For 6 decades, Jon Gailmor has created music.
Along the way, he has reached countless hearts.
After graduating from Staples High School he wrote, sang and toured writing, with 1966 classmate Rob Carlson. The duo’s album, “Peaceable Kingdom,” was beautiful — yet poorly promoted by Polydor.
Disenchanted with the music business, Gailmor left Westport for Vermont. He crafted a life there as a singer/songwriter, radio show host, children and adults’ workshop leader. He represented his beloved state at the Kennedy Center’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, wrote a campaign song for Burlington mayoral candidate Bernie Sanders, and was named an official Vermont treasure.
Last year, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Gailmor — who just a few weeks earlier had been the subject of an AP story as moderator of Elmore’s town meeting, the epitome of that fading New England tradition — left the land he’d known for 60 years, to be treated in New Orleans and live a few minutes away from his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
Jon Gailmor in Vermont. (Photo courtesy of Associated Press)
Shortness of breath struck quickly last spring. Gailmor’s doctors at the University of Vermont Medical Center were excellent.
But his son Aaron urged him — and Gailmor’s daughter Maya, who worked at Stowe and lived with him — to head south.
The decision was gut-wrenching — but the right one. Gailmor sold his house in Elmore, packed up his and Maya’s lives in a U-Haul, and in October drove to his new Louisiana home.
New Orleans was not unfamiliar. Before marrying his wife Cathy, who died in 2022 of ALS, he had a girlfriend of 7 years whose family lived there.
Aaron loved New Orleans too. It was where he followed his wife, and established Brass Roots, a very successful healthy snack food company that made it to “Shark Tank.”
“This is an amazing city,” Gailmor says. “Perfect strangers say ‘Hi, sweetie, how’s it goin’?”
Jon Gailmor
The diversity excites him — particularly after Vermont. “My heart will always be there. But it is not a very diverse place,” Gailmor says with characteristic understatement.
“And I don’t miss the weather.”
Gailmor — whose optimism makes Ted Lasso look like a sociopath — has made the most of his move.
He continues to make magical music. He’s reaching more than a few hearts — including strangers who quickly become friends in his new home town.
Jon Gailmor: Still singing.
Gailmor’s new (and excellent) hospital is Ochsner Medical Center. He loves its motto: “Long Live You.”
When a nurse said “Okay Jon, I’m gonna grab your vitals,” a creative lightbulb went off over his head.
“Any normal person would know she meant pulse, blood pressure, etc.,” Gailmor says.
His mind works differently. As a songwriter, he knew he had to work “grab them vitals” into a tune.
He sure did:
The oncology head loved it. So did the marketing department. They used Gailmor (though not that song) in a commercial that aired locally during the Super Bowl.
Which, of course, was played right there in The Big Easy.
But that wasn’t all.
Inspired by a sign in a CVS that said “Heroes Work Here,” he expanded the idea to incorporate all the doctors, nurses and staff at Ochsner.
Among the lines:
I’ll give you the finger when you check my O2
You heal all my boo-boo’s when I’m all black and blue
You mop, give me meds and deliver the stew
So good to know heroes work here
Comic book heroes indeed have their place
On the screen and in dreams they’re so brave
But none can compare to the humans who dare
To work hard here with real lives to save.
You work through wee hours from darkness to dawn
I see your eyes shining, even with the mask on
Making magic from messes when hope seems all gone
So glad that you heroes work here.
Gailmor’s artist friend Bonnie Acker created a collage around the theme. Everyone at Ochsner loved — and appreciated — the message.
Heroes work at Ochsner Medical Center.
So did many others — postal workers, trash collectors, school crossing guards – whom Gailmor has hailed.
“The world would be a better place if we acknowledge people like this,” Gailmor says simply.
Gailmor’s recent bone marrow biopsy was clean. He’s waiting for the results of another. If that news is positive, he’ll be in remission.
Whatever happens, he says, “I’m here with my family. My medical care is wonderful. To have found my passion so long ago, and be able to pursue it all my life … I’m a very lucky guy.”
Almost as lucky as all those people in Connecticut, Vermont, New Orleans — and everywhere else — whose hearts have been reached by Jon Gailmor’s music.
(“06880” regularly features Staples alumni, doing interesting and important things. This blog is “where Westport meets the world.” If you enjoy our coverage, please click here to support it. Thank you!)
The Westport Weston Family YMCA is many things, to many people.
Now — thanks to a partnership with Superpower Mentors — it is reaching out specially to students ages 10 through college and beyond with dyslexia, ADHD and other learning differences.
Y families now get reduced rates for Superpower Mentors’ services. The organization — created and run by Westport native Jake Sussman, who struggled with ADHD before graduating from the Forman School, then the University of Hartford — provides one-on-one support to build confidence, develop executive functioning skills, and prepare for success in school, work and life.
Superpower Mentors does it by matching students with peer mentors who share their learning differences, smf understand their challenges firsthand. They’re paired by interests too — sports, music, technology, the arts and more — creating an even strong connection.
Mentors offer guidance in time management, study habits and emotional well-being. Over 90% of mentees show increased confidence and success after just a few months.
Information sessions to help families learn more about the program are set for March 11 (12, 6 and 7:30 p.m.) Parents can meet the Superpower Mentors team, ask questions, and explore whether the program is a good fit for their child.
To prepare for a discussion of adapting 5 buildings at Baron’s South for affordable housing, the Planning & Zoning Commission will inspect them next Tuesday (February 25, 2 p.m.).
The public is invited, but no public comment will be taken.
“Golden Shadows,” the largest of the 5 buildings at Baron’s South. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
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“Native Gardens” bloomed last night at the Westport Country Playhouse.
The comedy — about neighbors from different cultures who clash over the property line separating their gardens — runs through March 8.
Author Karen Zacarías will be in the audience tonight (Wednesday). American Theatre magazine recently cited her as one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the US.
Click here for tickets, and more information. Click below, for a video preview:
Upcoming Westport Farmers’ Markets include “effortless” discussions.
Both are led by TAP Strength’s EJ Zebro, from noon to 1 p.m. On February 27 he’ll speak with Bena Kallick on “Effortless Aging.” The March 3 topic is “Effortless Wellness,” with Jennifer Boyd.
The Winter Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center (7 Sylvan Lane).
As always, there are 3 dozen vendors, plus lunch options like pizza, Thai and Mexican food, oysters and more.
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Westport is quiet this week. With schools closed for winter break, families have taken off for spots warm (Florida, the Caribbean) and cold (Vermont, Utah).
Two dozen Staples High School students and 4 teachers have gone somewhere else: Japan.
Their 9-day tour has a STEM focus. They’re visiting a testing facility for maglev trains, and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.
They’re also having traditional experiences, like seeing Mt. Fuji, shrines and gardens, and attending tea ceremonies and a sushi-making class.
The Compo Beach playground’s “community build” renovation is set for April 21-26.
In preparation, fencing has already appeared.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
The renovation will include new accessible equipment for children of all abilities; widened walkways; safer surfacing around the swings, and replacement of the weathered fence.
It’s a major project of the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Young Woman’s League, with help from the Parks & Recreation Department and other organizations.
And finally … in honor of the Westport Y’s partnership with Superpower Mentors (story above):
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Posted onFebruary 14, 2025|Comments Off on Wallflowers Step Into VersoFest Spotlight
Dylan is coming to VersoFest!
Not Bob. As impressive and high-powered as the Westport Library’s annual music and media festival is, it can’t (yet) snag the Nobel Prize-winning singer/ songwriter/cultural icon.
But his son Jakob — creator, frontman and lead vocalist of the Wallflowers — brings his alt-rock band to the Trefz Forum on Friday night, April 4.
For over 30 years, the Wallflowers have honed a sound that meshes timeless songwriting and storytelling with a hard-hitting, definitely modern musical attack.
They’ve sold more than 10 million albums, and won 2 Grammys.
Jakob Dylan
Their recordings include 1996’s “Bringing Down the Horse” — with hits like “One Headlight,” “Three Marlenas,” and “6th Avenue Heartache” — as well as “Breach,” “Rebel, Sweetheart” and “Glad All Over.”
In recent years Dylan stepped outside the band, with a pair of acoustic, rootsy records, then with the 2018 film “Echo in the Canyon.” He collaborated on the soundtrack with Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Beck and Fiona Apple.
Dylan returned to the Wallflowers in 2021, with a fresh group of musicians.
Despite the hiatus, Exit Wounds was a return to the band’s signature sound, even as Dylan surrounded himself with a fresh cast of musicians.
“I came up in an era of great rock ‘n’ roll bands making great music, and it’s the way I always imagined I would do it one day,” he says.
“That’s always been my vision with the Wallflowers: to be a great rock ‘n’ roll band. I’ve worked on it for 30 years now, and I still have a lot to say. It’s something I started a long time ago, and it’s far from finished.”
The Wallflowers’ show is not the only VersoFest highlight. The night before (April 3), rock star and National Book Award winner Patti Smith kicks off the 4-day festival.
In addition to the Wallflowers and Smith, this year’s VersoFest includes hardcore punk pioneer Henry Rollins, and longtime David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer.
There is a symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” special exhibits by local graffiti artist 5ive Fingaz, a gospel revival, workshops and more.
Click here for details on all the VersoFest events — and to purchase tickets.
Comments Off on Wallflowers Step Into VersoFest Spotlight
Coleytown Middle School theater students got a special treat Wednesday.
Westport Country Playhouse technical director Jason Thompson led a tour of the theater, for Coleytown Company’s tech crew.
It was not a random invitation. Thompson is working with the students to build the set for “Matilda,” the CMS show that runs April 4-6.
The visit was coordinated by Ben Frimmer. He wears 3 hats: theater arts educator for Westport Public Schools, director of Coleytown Company, and Playhouse trustee.
“I want to make Westport students more aware of the only professional theatre in Westport,” he says.
“Coleytown has one of the strongest middle school tech programs in the country. But I think it’s critical we expand students’ knowledge past what we do at school. This trip allowed them to experience the world of professional technical theatre.”
Coleytown Company’s tech crew toured the historic Playhouse, visited the scene shop, and watched set building underway on stage for the opening next week of “Native Gardens.”
Jason Thompson, Playhouse technical director (right) and Matthew Melchiorre, Playhouse director of production (left), explain set construction of “Native Gardens” to Coleytown Company’s tech crew.
Speaking of the Playhouse: They’ve added 2 new events to their April calendar.
“Me, Myself, and Barbra” is a tribute to Ms. Streisand, by Jenna Pastuszek. She was inspired by a meeting with the singing star, who inspired her to embrace her inner Barbra.
The show is April 24 — Streisand’s birthday. Tickets are $45 and $40; pre-show party and show tickets are $55 and $50. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
“2 Motherpluckers” is a musical, featuring a pair of guitar-playing, songwriting local moms — Julie Foldesi and Stacie Morgain Lewis — on a hilarious journey through the bumps of motherhood.
Broadway star/Westport resident compares it to “the Indigo Girls meet Kristen Wiig.”
The Lucille Lortel White Barn Center show is April 29 (7 p.m.). All tickets are $20. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Three new art exhibits are on display at The Westport Library. “Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Commentary” by Nina Bentley, “City Sights” by Susan Fehlinger, and “Art and Jazz” by Jean Krasno run through March 25.
Bentley’s art is often conceptual in nature, offering poignant commentary on a wide array of social issues. “Good Bones” is a retrospective of decades of her work, composed of sculpture, prints, pen and ink, and multimedia assemblages.
Fehlinger worked for 35 years as a television producer in New York City. Yearning to paint, she left her job in 2003 and embarked on a career as an artist.
Her style emphasizes texture, color, and light. Her compositions play with scale, placement, and negative and positive spaces.
Krasno is inspired by the magic of jazz music, conveyed through the rich voices, poetic lyrics and rhythmic performances of artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington.
“Art and Jazz” creates a sensory experience that combines her art with the music that sparked its creation, incorporating a listening component with QR codes that link to jazz songs.
The Westport Board of Education Policy Committee’s next meeting is February 27 (11 a.m., Town Hall Room 309).
Discussion items include:
Second reading of possible revisions to the suicide prevention and intervention policy.
First reading of possible revisions to existing policies involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, non-discrimination, and sex-based discrimination and harassment.
First reading of a possiible new policy on transportation.
Discussion of a policy on survey of students/student privacy.
Meanwhile, one of the agenda items for the Planning & Zoning Commission’s February 24 meeting (6 p.m., remote; click here for the link) is a special permit request by Fairfield County Hunt Club.
They’re applying to build an indoor racquet sport facility, for club members and guests.
A late model Audi was stolen around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, from the parking lot at Bridge Square.
The thief opened the door, and drove off. It appears the keys might have been left in the car.
The epidemic of car thefts continues in Westport. Once again, “06880” reminds residents to lock your cars — always. Never leave your keys in your cars. Always be aware of your surroundings. And if you have a garage: Use it! (Hat tip: Ben Meyer)
Eve Potts spotted this at the Regents Park condos, after our most recent storm. It’s today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature. She calls it “Nature’s Sculpture.”
(Photo/Eve Potts)
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And finally … Happy Valentine’s Day, to all who celebrate it.
There are squintillions of songs to choose from. These 3 seem to cover it well:
(Sure, you can show your love for “06880” with flowers or chocolate. But we prefer that you click here, and make a tax-deductible contribution. Hey, we’re honest! Thank you all …)
Tonight’s predicted snowstorm has thrown tomorrow’s Super Bowl party — scheduled for the Westport Senior Center — for a loss.
Officials have already canceled the event.
Snow is expected to start this evening, and continue through tomorrow morning, with perhaps a mix of sleet. Five to 8 inches are expected.
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Speaking of the Super Bowl: This week the Kings Highway Elementary School PTA, staff, students and Caring Council members hosted their first-ever SOUPer Bowl collection.
Throughout the week, students and staff donated soup (and other canned goods) in their favorite team’s collection box.
Yesterday, all donations were given to the Gillespie Center’s food pantry.
Nearly 500 cans were collected. And the winner was …
Philadelphia Eagles 271 cans, Kansas City Chiefs 214.
Kings Highway PTA member Ellen Mondshine, with her sons Nathan and Owen.
“He and the entire Westport Police Department have provided consistent support to our synagogue and the entire Jewish community over the years” says Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn.
“This past year, following the events of October 7, that support has been stronger than ever. We are truly blessed to know that Chief Koskinas and the WPD are always there for us.”
TCS will also honor Dick Kalt, long-time leader of TCS’s Security Committee, and his wife Lydia for their ongoing dedication to the synagogue. The rabbi says, “Dick has played a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of the congregation for many years.”
Formerly known as The Conservative Synagogue, TCS recently changed its official name to The Community Synagogue to better reflect its mission and values. while retaining the TCS initials.
“Our membership felt that The Community Synagogue better represented what we strive to be — a wide tent of congregants who grew up secular, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, or not Jewish at all.” Rabbi Wiederhorn says.
“We are an inclusive, egalitarian yet traditional synagogue that is proud to support the people, land and state of Israel. We open our doors to partners and friends throughout the community to celebrate interfaith work, adult education, social action, youth programming, and more.”
For more information about the March 15 gala, and to purchase tickets, click here.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas
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After 3 months of intensive work, Hansen Marine Contractors is nearing completion of dredging operations at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 399, Bridgebrook Marina, and Saugatuck Rowing Club.
The company’s Erik Hansen told VFW quartermaster that they found 2 unexpected challenges in the dredging area near the Saugatuck Rowing Club: a discarded mushroom anchor, and over 30 cubic yards of clam shells.
Hansen says he never saw so many clam shells in his lifetime. “It was like digging up solid concrete.”
Years ago, the site adjacent to the Rowing Club was Mansion Clam House. Delgado wonders if they dumped their clam shells into the river throughout the years.
The source of 30 cubic yards of clam shells?
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The Westport Library rocked its Winter Dance Party last night.
Christine Ohlman & her band Rebel Montez entertained a large and appreciative crowd.
Ohlman — rhe platinum blonde “Beehive Queen,” and “Saturday Night Live” regular — is no stranger to the Library. She collaborated with Mark Naftalin — the Westport resident and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician — on his “Blue Sunday” series, and has appeared at VersoFest.
Ohlman’s career includes appearances with Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Smokey Robinsons, Graham Nash, Steve Miller, the B52s and Elvis Costello. She has sold out the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s David Bowie tribute and the WC Handy Festival in Muscle Shoals.
She has recorded with Al Green, Bruce Springsteen, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, George Harrison, Sting, Ian Hunter, Bonnie Bramlett, Ronnie Spector, Charlie Musselwhite, Irma Thomas and Chrissie Hynde, among others.
Christine Ohlman and her band, at the Westport Library. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
Longtime Westport resident Timothy Walker died peacefully on Tuesday. He was 94.
A Boston native and avid sailor, he was a lifelong Red Sox fan.
After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1949, Tim attended Union College. His studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. He spent much of his time on the Korean Peninsula.
He returned to Union, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. Tim helped design and build telephone offices for New York Telephone, followed by a long career in management at AT&T.
He left corporate America at age 55 to his own consulting business.
Tim married his wife Betty in 1977. Their partnership lasted almost 50 years. They shared a love of travel, music, friendships, their children and animals.
Tim was an expert in tree care. He climbed and pruned large trees, fought fires as a volunteer. He also participated in disaster relief as a ham radio operator.
Tim was a captain in the Greenwich volunteer fire department, and chief of the Mountain Lakes, New Jersey volunteer fire department.
A Westport resident since 1988, he served on the Flood and Erosion, and Conservation Commissions.
His golden retriever, Clyde, was his constant companion. Tim was a supporter of animal rescue, adopting his beloved great Pyrenees Casey and Bonnie, who were daily visitors to Winslow Park.
Tim is survived by his wife, Betty, daughters (Don Cawrse) and Laurel Risom (Allen Cyr), sons Timothy and Andrew (Sydney), stepdaughter Ruth (Rob Ayles), 9 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; his sister, Sarah Thomson; many nieces and nephews, and his canine companion, Murphy. He was predeceased by his brother, Thomas Walker.
A celebration of lfe will be held later this spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Greater Norwalk Amateur Radio Club, 304 Main Avenue, Suite 115, Norwalk, CT 06851.
And finally … if James Dean were still alive, he would turn 94 years old today. The now-legendary actor died in 1955, at 24, after appearing in just 3 major films: “Rebel Without a Cause,” “East of Eden” and “Giant.”
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The Wallflowers’ show is not the only VersoFest highlight. The night before (April 3), rock star and National Book Award winner Patti Smith kicks off the 4-day festival.
