Today is Veterans Day — an often overlooked, and underappreciated, holiday.
Town officials and VFW Post 399 are hosting services this morning, in the Town Hall auditorium.
At 10:30 a.m., the Westport Community Band will perform marches and patriotic tunes.
The full program begins at 11 a.m. The time and date are significant. The armistice ending World War I — “the war to end all wars” — began at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
After the ceremony, all veterans and other community members are invited to VFW Post 399 for food and drinks.
As America celebrates our veterans Peter Jennings — an 11th-generation Westporter (!), and the Green’s Farms Church historian — reminds us of one man we should remember today.
Charles August Matthias was a member of the Greens Farm’s congregation. Our town’s American Legion Post 63 is named in his honor. Well known locally, he was one of the first Westporters killed in World War I,
August Matthias
The Matthias family farm was located near the intersection of the Post Road and Turkey Hill Road.
When I walked through the Green’s Farm’s Church lower cemetery, I could not locate a gravestone for any family members — except for this large granite marker, with only the name “Matthias.”
Perhaps he was buried without a headstone in the family plot, due to family finances — although the US Government would provide a headstone if an application was submitted.
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Meanwhile, Westport poet laureate Donna Disch offers this poem — “Day of Remembrance” — written specially for today:
During the Great War, the fields of Flanders
drank more blood than rain. Tanks and trenches
mangled the farmland, its fertile soil
scorched and churned. But in the spring
after the War ended, poppy seeds
buried and dormant for decades woke
to a peaceful bolt of light and air.
Wild and unwavering, legions of them
offered themselves to the spring
and summer sun. A red rebellion
of fragile petals and willful stems.
Bearers of remembrance,
paper poppies reappear each November.
We remember “the war to end all wars,”
the wars that followed, and the wars that
rage today. We remember your valor, honor,
sacrifice and service in the literal hell of war.
We remember those who fought, who loved,
were loved and were lost. And every year
the poppies return to flood the fields —
knowing what they know.
The doughboy statue on Veterans Green (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
Posted onOctober 30, 2024|Comments Off on Violins Of Hope: Victory Of The Human Spirit
Some are over 100 years old.
But string instruments rescued from the Holocaust have a new life, thanks to Violins of Hope.
On November 16 (7 p.m., Norwalk Concert Hall), they’ll be featured in a unique performance by the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra.
The concert — set for the week after the anniversary of Kristallnacht — highlights the first-ever local visit of Violins of Hope, a private collection of violins, violas and cellos painstakingly restored by violin-makers based in Tel Aviv and Istanbul.
The instruments — which belonged to Jews before and during the Holocaust, some of which were played in concentration camps or thrown from cattle cars — will also be displayed at high schools, synagogues and churches throughout Fairfield County. The week-long visit features cultural exhibits, performances and community education, with a message of hope, resilience and unity.
Violins of Hope has been featured in print, film and television. The instruments have been used in educational programs worldwide, exhibited in museums, and played in concert halls from Berlin and Tel Aviv to Los Angeles and Washington.
The Violins of Hope visit, coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County, is underwritten in part by donations from Westporters Andy and Carol Boas.
“With the startling rise of antisemitism and swastikas etched on lockers in our schools, our role in the community is more important than ever,” says Shelley Kreiger, founding director of the Holocaust Resource Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County.
“The Nazis used music to humiliate and degrade Jews in ghettos and camps. The NSO concert, and the entire Violins of Hope program, are the ultimate answer to their plan to annihilate a people and instead represent the victory of the human spirit over evil and hatred.”
“Norwalk Symphony Orchestra is truly honored to join with the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County to bring music to life using the Violins of Hope for our community,” says Sandra Miklave, NSO’s executive director.
“We know the healing power of music, and this is multiplied as we play these truly historic instruments. It will be a meaningful and uplifting experience for both the audience and the musicians on the stage.”
The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra will also partner with the Jewish Federation for a children’s concert and instrument “petting zoo” on November 17 at the Discovery Science Center and Planetarium in Bridgeport.
The event includes science demonstrations and musical activities for young families. All proceeds from both events support the educational work of the Holocaust Resource Center of Greater Fairfield County.
Organizers have donated 2 tickets to “06880.” They will go to the first reader who requests them. Email 06880blog@gmail.com, with the subject line “Violins of Hope tickets.” UPDATE: The tickets have already been claimed.
Tickets for students, educators and Holocaust survivors are free. Other readers can get a 60% discount. Click here, then use the code “VOH-60.”
Comments Off on Violins Of Hope: Victory Of The Human Spirit
Michael Szeto and his wife Valerie were on their daily walk with their dog JoJo yesterday.
JoJo kept pulling them toward a sewer drain on the corner of Quentin Road and Compo Beach Road.
As they got closer, the couple saw 2 tiny claws reaching out of the storm drain. They thought it was a Halloween decoration.
But then they noticed a nose sticking out of the grate. A trapped raccoon was hanging on desperately, to escape the rising water.
They called the Westport Police. While waiting for help, passerby Althea Heisler took action.
She got on the ground and stuck her hand in the sewer, to hold the animal as it started to lose its grip on the sewer grate. Somehow, Althea kept the raccoon above water until Westport Animal Control Officer Peter Reid, followed by the Fire Department. arrived.
They lifted the grate and freed the raccoon. Without giving thanks, it scampered off toward nearby Gray’s Creek. (Hat tip: Julie Loparo)
Animal Control Officer Peter Reid (yellow vest) and Westport Fire Department officials work to free the trapped raccoon. (Photos/Michael Szeto
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Ed Hynes first became interested in the 1777 British march from Westport to Danbury as a child, when he learned his neighbor’s house was partially burned by the Redcoats during the raid.
On Thursday, he spoke to the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston about that historic event. He described the landing at Compo Beach, the trek to burn the patriots’ arsenal, and the Battle of Compo Hill, as they returned to the shore.
But you don’t have to be a Y’s Man to hear Hynes’ wisdom. Click below, for his very informative presentation.
Nearly a dozen pots of chili — beef, sausage, moose, vegetarian, you name it — were ladled out yesterday, at the VFW.
Along with many varieties of both toppings and cornbread, plus a DJ, drink special, prizes and a raffle.
Greg Gunther of the Westport Police Department repeated last year’s win in the Chili Cook-off. Second place went to Lynn Ryder of Westport Emergency Medical Services. Virginia Ferrari of the VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries was third.
The packed hall was a fundraiser for an important VFW and Auxiliary project: purchasing and installing posts for American flags, to honor the graves of 1,200 veterans at Westport cemeteries.
The goal is $6,000. Let’s hope those flags are flying soon.
Lots of chili choices last night at the VFW. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Also yesterday: the ALS United Connecticut event to honor all those affected by Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and remember those who have died, at Sherwood Island State Park.
Those who could walk, did. Those who could join them in wheelchairs, did too.
The weather was beautiful. The atmosphere was both serious and celebratory. The fight against ALS continues.
A few of the many participants at yesterday’s ALS United Connecticut event.
You can’t talk about American folk music without Woody Guthrie.
Two days before Election Day, First Folk Sunday honors the influential singer/songwriter/icon of democracy and freedom.
Suzanne Sheridan, First Folk Sunday’s headline singer and artistic force, will be joined for the tribute by Matt Lavigni, Paul Bluestein, Susan T. Reid, Myra Healy and Colin Healy.
Doors open at noon, at the Saugatuck Rowing Club. The music cover charge is $15. Table service is available for brunch, lunch and cocktails. Click here for tickets. For more information, call 203-984-7562.
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Congratulations, Mike Noonan!
The 1979 Staples High School graduate — who won a state championship with the boys soccer team, then earned All-America honors at Middlebury College — has just picked up the 400th win of his coaching career.
As head coach of the Clemson University men’s soccer team, Noonan is 5th among active Division I head coaches in career wins.
The Tigers have won 2 national championships in the past 3 years. Noonan’s squad has also captured 4 ACC titles.
:My faith in humanity was restored yesterday morning.
“As the sun was setting Friday, I accidentally dropped an Apple Watch keychain charger (not cheap), with my health club entry pass attached, near my car when leaving the Trout Brook Valley Preserve off-leash trail lot.
“I did not realize this until I got home. I drove back first thing Saturday morning. Not only was another dog owner kind enough to move her car to let me look where I had parked on Friday, but she aided me in the search.
“After a few minutes without luck, I checked the trail map box by the entrance. A kind soul had found my device, and placed it inside on top of the trail maps.
“It is nice to know that good people still live all around us, despite the discouraging headlines and political climate of these troubled times. Perhaps there is hope for us all yet, and a reason to be optimistic that all will be okay.
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Sugar maples make their first appearance in a “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Topsy Siderowf spotted these beauties at Long Lots Elementary School:
And finally … the First Folk Sunday tribute to Woody Guthrie (story above) reminds us that, nearly a century ago, the Oklahoma native was writing songs about America’s potential — and problems.
Among the topics he addressed: immigration, migrant workers, capitalism, religious hypocrisy, and the wonders of our nation.
(This blog is your blog … from Saugatuck Shores, to Sherwood Island. Please take a minute or two to click here, and support our hyper-local work. Thank you!)
Metal detecting: healthy hobby, or one step removed from tinfoil hats?
We’ve all seen the guys (and they’re always men) wielding their instruments at Compo Beach. What are they looking for? What do they actually find?
Outdoor writer Wesley Littlefield has some answers. He says:
Most Westporters don’t give much thought to the ground below their feet.
However, that ground is a rich trove containing artifacts from pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Every year, modern “treasure hunters” comb this ground with metal detectors, hoping to uncover buried relics and bring pieces of history to light.
Some “metal detectorists” are motivated by profit. They hope to unearth lost valuables like jewelry.
For many, it’s simply a rewarding hobby that gets them outdoors. It is made more enjoyable by the possibility of finding a long-lost relic.
Thanks to its rich Colonial-era history, Connecticut is considered a prime place for metal detecting.
The Westport shoreline was strategically important for the military during the Revolutionary War, with Compo Beach serving as the landing site for British forces during the Danbury Raid of April 1777.
Metal detectorists can still find military relics from the early American militias at Compo, such as musket balls, bullets and military buttons.
A Confederate button.
Metal detecting is legal on state beaches in Connecticut, including Compo.
You don’t need a permit, but there are restrictions. You cannot dig in vegetated or dune areas, and you can only dig by hand.
If you want to dig at other historical sites in Westport or other areas of Connecticut though, the rules are more complicated.
For example, you can use a metal detector on Bureau of Land Management property, but you are not allowed to dig.
Basically, you are limited to anything you find on the surface. In the rare chance you do find a historical or cultural artifact on the surface, you are not allowed to keep it.
Historical sites are completely off-limits for metal detecting. Archeological sites on state lands are also off-limits — unless you have a permit from the Connecticut Historical Commission (which is hard to get, unless you have a graduate degree in archeology or related field). Most sites are off-limits to metal detectorists.
So aside from Compo Beach, where can you legally use a metal detector in Westport? The answer is private property— but only with permission from the owner.
As Westport metal detectorist David Ader told “06880,” areas around old homes are prime detecting spots. He uses historical maps to locate the foundations of old structures that are hidden or buried in the woods.
David Ader, at work.
With a group of fellow metal detectors, Ader has found a Confederate States of America button, an iron tomahawk likely from the Revolution or French and Indian War, and coins from as far back as the 1600s.
Getting permission from the landowner is crucial. Some worry their land will be dug up or damaged. There’s also the issue of liability, if a detectorist is injured while on their property.
To assure property owners, many detectorists sign legal waivers. It’s also considered good practice to always fill your holes, and offer to share any finds with the property owners.
To get started with metal detecting, the Westport Library has great books and resources (click here).
There are numerous places in Connecticut to rent a metal detector, usually for $25 per day or $100 per week.
And remember: If you aren’t sure whether it’s legal to detect, dig or take an artifact, ask first!
After digging, the hole will be filled back in.
(If you dig “06880,” please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Sigrid Schultz has been remembered — belatedly — in her longtime hometown of Westport, with a parking lot named in her honor.
But there is a lot more to her story than that.
Serving as the Chicago Tribune’s Berlin bureau chief from 1926 to 1941, Schultz masked her intense loathing for the Nazis in order to cultivate contacts at the highest level of the Third Reich. Among her many accomplishments, Schultz interviewed Adolf Hitler several times. She also fearlessly cast a barb at Hermann Göring for his failed attempt to have her arrested.
She boldly covered the persecution of Jews, was one of the first to report on abuses at the German concentration camps, and was once called “Hitler’s greatest enemy.”
Yet for all her accomplishments, Schultz’s story is largely untold.
Vanessa Johnston is working on a documentary film about her. It will explore her extraordinary career, from her heady days as a young reporter covering the Weimar Republic, to her writing in secret under an alias to avoid Nazi censors, on through her anguish at seeing the Buchenwald concentration camp, then her relatively obscure life in Westport.
Tomorrow (Thursday, September 19, 7 p.m., Westport Museum for History & Culture), Johnston will preview her unfinished film. There’s a talkback with the producer, and a look at a one-night-only display of artifacts owned by Schultz.
Click here for tickets ($5 for members, $10 for non-members). Proceeds support the museum’s exhibitions, programs and research.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Joseph J. Clinton Post 399’s 51st straight monthly Red Cross Blood Drive honors lance corporal Charles Rochlin, of the Marine Corps.
The 2003 Staples High School graduate spent 7 months in Iraq. He was on leave in Westport when he died in an automobile accident.
The blood drive is this Friday (September 20, noon to 5 p.m.).
Click here for an appointment; use sponsor code VFWWESTPORT. You can also call 800-733-2767.
CraftWestport returns to the Staples High School fieldhouse November 2-3. Over 175 vendors kick off the holiday shopping season, with thousands of products in mediums like ceramics, textiles, woodworking, jewelry, glass art and more.
Plus food items like bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup, hand-painted chocolates, teas, honey, cheese spreads, curds, baked goods, and skincare products, soaps, candles, etc.
All-weekend admission is $11; seniors $10, children 12-18 $5, children under 12 are free. Click here for more details. CraftWestport is presented by the Westport Young Woman’s League.
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The one good thing that has come out of the death of Rachel Doran — the 2015 Staples High School graduate who died just before her senior year at Cornell University after a rare reaction to common medication — is Rach’s Hope.
The non-profit provides nutritious food, lodging, transportation and encouragement to family members when a child is in intensive care.
Well, there’s one other good thing: community participating in “Walk the Extra Mile … for Rach’s Hope.”
The 4th annual event is Sunday, October 6 (Compo Beach Ned Dimes Marina, 3 p.m.).
The day includes community spirit, fresh air, a fun beach walk, live music by Ellis Island Acoustic, the Pizza Pie Wagon truck, wine and beer courtesy of Greens Farms Spirit Shop, and Rach’s signature black and white cookies.
All are welcome. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Rachel Doran
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A clarification on yesterday’s Roundup post about CLASP’s “Music Through the Decades” benefit (October 18, Fairfield Theatre Company).
Band Central — the great entertainment — is not “the CLASP house group.”
Band Central is made up of very talented professional musicians. At different times, members have played with very high-powered groups — including the Rolling Stones.
Band Central was created to unite a community of non-profits, musicians, donors, and audience members through themed music concerts. They’ve raised $6 million for over 60 Fairfield County organizations, and produced more than 150 events.
The October 18 show will raise funds to support CLASP’s clients, with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A 6:30 p.m. pre-party includes light bites from Blue + Berries and Little Pub. The main event kicks off at 7:30.
Guests are encouraged to dress in the fashion of their favorite decade.
Tickets are $45 in person at the FTC office, $54 online or by phone (203-319-1404).
A clinical psychiatrist at the Yale Department of Psychology with a private practice, she spoke about her work as lead psychologist at Mountain Seed Foundation. It provides healing camps in places like the Austrian Alps for veterans of foreign wars who are suffering from trauma or war loss, and their families.
The week-long program includes physical activities like mountain climbing, zip lining, nature walks and art therapy.
Amit Oren (Photo/Ellin Curley)
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On Sunday night, Alex Sherman was walking his dog near Compo Road South.
Alex got to hear Peter Frampton’s concert (for free).
Plus, he spotted this cool-looking owl on Baker Street. It’s a great image, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … in the midst of one of the most polarized times in American history, today is National Respect Day.
(If you respect “06880” — or even just like it a little bit — please consider a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. Just click here. Thank you!)
The biggest “Booked for the Evening” crowd in its 25-year history loved Thursday’s event.
Tennis star and human rights icon Billie Jean King was honored by the Westport Library. ESPN journalist (and Westport resident) Chris McKendry and Chris Evert shared the stage, for an illuminating and insightful hour of conversation.
The program began with a compelling video by Westporter Doug Tirola. It traced King’s life and legacy, in a way that surprised and delighted even her.
But the Library produced another video too. It did not get as many views as Tirola’s.
It sure deserves too.
In recognition of King’s “Battle of the Sexes” — the 1973 exhibition in which she defeated Bobby Riggs in 3 straight sets — Library digital strategist Ashley Hyde, and her social media cohort Kerri Gawreluk, collaborated on a recreation.
This one was 2024-style. And the setting was not the Houston Astrodome, but the Westport Library.
Kerri — a lifelong Billie Jean fan, feminist and activist — was cast as King. Ashley played Riggs. (Both certainly looked the part.)
On the right: Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, 51 years ago. Left: Bobby and Billie Jean, in 2024.
Game on!
With Kerri taking the concept to its library extreme, the pair engaged in 4 competitions: speed shelving, reserve book rally, reading under pressure, and chess-nis.
Kerri and Ashley took turns shooting, while also acting. (“Thank goodness for tripods,” Ashley says.) Ashley made the final edits.
You can probably guess who won.
But be sure to watch the quick video below for a surprise ending.
It’s a Grand Slam.
(All day, every day, “06880” brings you the news: serious, important, and fun. If you enjoy our work, please click here to support us. Thank you!)
In times of tragedy, a community rallies together.
Everyone does what they can.
For Trader Joe’s, that meant donating flowers.
Hundreds of them.
On Wednesday evening — a few hours after senior Max Halper was killed on his dirt bike — Staples High School’s Superfans club announced plans for a 9 a.m. gathering the next morning at Compo.
Attendees were encouraged to bring flowers. Petals would be placed in the water, in a time-honored ritual of remembrance.
But where would all those teenagers gets flowers, on short notice?
The supermarket chain took care of the details. They provided hundreds of flowers, for all who were there.
Trader Joe’s was not looking for publicity. They did it, the manager said, because they’re part of the community.
And, in times of tragedy, that’s what a community does.
Flowers and petals, at Compo Beach. (Photo/Luca Caniato)
A reminder: The 12th annual Slice of Saugatuck Festival — postponed by rain last week — is set for tomorrow (Saturday, September 14, 2 to 5 p.m.).
The family-friendly event features food tastings, retail experiences, 7 bands, 4 bouncy houses, a balloon bender, an antique fire truck, 2 beer/wine gardens and more.
The price is $15 per adult; $5 for children under 13; age 5 and under are free. Admission is available on-site.
Fire Chief Nick Marsan says: “It is with profound sadness that the members of the Westport Fire Department extend our deepest sympathies to the Harper family, and the friends and families affected by Wednesday’s tragic event.
“Our hearts ache for the loss of life, and the profound impact this has had on our community. Please know that we stand with you, ready to offer any support we can.
“We also commend all first responders who worked tirelessly amidst challenging circumstances, and remind them that they too are not alone.
“We admire the strength and resilience that defines our community, as we come together in mourning.”
That was a village near the Weston-Redding border. It was indeed a forge: Workers made iron and steel there, for the War of 1812, the railroads and the Civil War.
Today, all the remain are stone walls, hitching posts, foundations and roads.
But you can’t see them. They lie 100 feet below the surface of the Saugatuck Reservoir.
James Lomuscio knows all about Valley Forge. The journalist and former Westport News editor wrote “Village of the Dammed: The Fight for Open Space, and the Flooding of a Connecticut Town.” The book chronicles the land that was sacrificed to provide water for the area.
On October 10 (7 p.m., Westport Library), Lomuscio will discuss his book, the village, and what it all meant and means, at Aspetuck Land Trust’s Haskins Lecture.
Time to clean out your closets, and dump your dressers.
The Westport Woman’s Club is seeking donations (tax-deductible!) of new or gently worn clothing and accessories, for their Epic Clothing & Accessories Sale.
You’ll be in good company. Winged Monkey is providing new dresses for this year’s fundraiser.
Donated items may be dropped off Mondays through Fridays, between 9 a.m. and noon, and 1-4 p.m., at the Woman’s Club (44 Imperial Avenue), through October 25.
Items sought include women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, and accessories like shoes, boots, handbags, scarves, jewelry, etc.
Torn or soiled items will not be accepted, nor will personal items such as undergarments, lingerie and bathing suits.
The Epic Clothing & Accessories Sale is set for November 8-10. Entry is free, with $10 early bird access for one hour prior to the first day.
Funds from the sale help support the Woman’s Club philanthropy, including the town food closet, need-based scholarships, and many local charities.
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Summer is winding down. Sunday, September 22 marks the first day of fall.
But September is beautiful for boating. And craft of all are out on the Sound these days.
Hot on the heels of his 2nd place finish in an Atlanta NASCAR race, Parker Kligerman is retiring from racing.
According the the Jayski’s website, The 2009 Staples High School graduate “won’t be returning to Big Machine Racing for the 2025 Xfinity Series season, and is done pursuing full-time rides at NASCAR.”
He “returned as a full-time competitor in 2023, after more than a decade of making sporadic starts for multiple teams across all 3 national touring levels. He finished the 2023 season 10th in the championship standings, with a career-high 8 top-5 finishes.”
Kligerman said the decision was difficult, and evolved over many months. Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Frank Rosen)
Parker Kligerman
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With only 1 stall per bathroom — and just 3 bathrooms in the entire Compo South Beach structure — the wait for a vacancy can be long.
These gulls spent a lot of time at Compo. They’re probably used to it.
Jacque O’Brien captured their patience, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … this date in 1814 marked a turning point in the War of 1812.
During a battle in which the British failed to capture Baltimore, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem called “Defence of Fort McHenry.”
It was published within a week, to the tune of a popular drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven.”
The song with Key’s lyrics became known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” More than a century later, it became our national anthem.
There are countless versions of the very-difficult-to-sing song. One of the famous is by Weston’s own José Feliciano.
In 1968, he performed the anthem in Detroit, before Game 5 of the World Series. His slow, jazzy, Latin-inflected take caused a national controversy.
No singer had ever attempted such a non-traditional version before. Feliciano was accused of “desecrating” and “disrespecting” our national anthem. For several years, his career was damaged.
Today, of course, it’s expected for singers to offer their own — often too long, and convoluted — takes on “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
And José Feliciano is one of the most popular, and beloved, singers in the world.
Oh, yeah: In 2010, José was invited back to Detroit, to perform the anthem again.
His reception 42 years later was quite a bit different.
(“06880” is indeed where Westport meets the world. If you enjoy our work, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Every year on September 11, Westport Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella attends the memorial service at Ground Zero.
He was there today with John Ryan. In 2002 the New York detective found Andrew’s cousin’s headstone — a memorial to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing victims — while cleaning the grounds. Andrew and John have been friends ever since.
The Ground Zero ceremony is always intensely moving.
This morning’s event was particularly poignant.
At the site were a number of dignitaries, from both parties. In the midst of a heated campaign — and just 12 hours after last night’s debate — the mood was “peaceful, cordial, friendly and respectful,” Andrew reports.
At Ground Zero this morning (from left): Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Chuck Schumer, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former President Donald Trump, Senator JD Vance (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
Connecticut’s 9/11 Memorial, Sherwood Island State Park, on September 11, 2024. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
Westport Weston Family YMCA, today … (Photo/Dan Woog)
No matter what else goes on today — September 11, 2024 — the shadow of September 11, 2001 hangs over us all.
That horrible day changed our lives forever. We know it now — and we sensed it then.
Here’s what I wrote 3 days later — September 14, 2001 — in my Westport News “Woog’s World” column.
It was a bit past noon on Tuesday, the Tuesday that will change all of our lives forever.
Fifty miles from Westport smoke billowed from what, just hours before, was the World Trade Center.
A number of Westporters once worked there. The twin towers were never particularly beautiful, but in their own way they were majestic. Whether driving past them on the New Jersey Turnpike, flying near them coming in to the airport, or taking out-of-town friends or relatives to the top, we took a certain amount of pride in them.
We’re Westporters, but in a way we’re also New Yorkers. The World Trade Center symbolized that, though we live in suburban Connecticut, we all feel in some way connected to the most exciting, glamorous, powerful city in the world.
And now that same city was under attack. From the largest McMansion to the most modest Westport home, men and women frantically tried to make contact with spouses, relatives and friends who work in downtown Manhattan.
The iconic 9/11 photo was taken by Westport’s Spencer Platt. He lived near the Twin Towers on that awful morning.
At Staples High School, teenagers who grew up thinking the worst thing that can happen is wearing the wrong shirt or shoes, were engaged in a similar quest.
Many of their fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers work in New York. Many others knew loved ones who were flying that morning, or in Washington, or somewhere else that might possibly become the next city under siege.
Meanwhile, on Whitney Street, a pretty young woman dressed in her best late-summer clothes rode a bicycle down the road.
It was, after all, a beautiful day. Along the East Coast there was not a cloud n the sky — not, that is, unless you count the clouds filled with flames, dust and debris erupting from the collapse of the World Trade Center.
It was a perfect day to ride a bicycle, unless of course you were terrified you had lost a loved one, were glued to a television set wherever you could find one, or were so overwhelmed by grief and rage and fright and confusion because you had no idea what was next for America that riding a bicycle was absolutely the furthest thing from your mind.
On the other hand, perhaps riding a bicycle was exactly the right reaction. Perhaps doing something so innocent, so routine, so life-affirming, was just was some of us should have been doing.
If tragedy teaches us anything, it is that human beings react to stress in a variety of ways. Who is to say that riding a bicycle is not the perfect way to tell Osama bin Laden, or whoever turns out to be responsible for these dastardly deeds, that America’s spirit will not be broken?
But I could not have ridden a bicycle down the road on Tuesday. I sat, transfixed, devouring the television coverage of events that, in their own way, may turn out to be as transforming for this world as Pearl Harbor was nearly 60 years earlier.
I could not bear to watch what I was seeing, but neither could I tear myself away. Each time I saw the gaping holes in those two towers, every time I saw those enormous symbols of strength and power and (even in these economically shaky times) American prosperity crumble in upon themselves like a silly disaster movie, the scene was more surreal than the previous time.
Life will be equally surreal for all of us for a long time to come.
I wondered, as I watched the video shots of the jet planes slam into the World Trade Center over and over and over again, what must have been going through each passenger’s mind.
Like many Westporters, I fly often. Like most I grumble about the delays and crowded planes, but like them too I feel a secret, unspoken thrill every time the sky is clear, the air is blue and the scenery terrific. Tuesday was that kind of day.
For the rest of my life, I suspect, flying will never be the same. And the increased security we will face at every airport, on each plane, is only part of what I fear.
So much remains to be sorted out. We will hear, in the days to come, of Westporters who have lost family members and friends in the World Trade Center. We will hear too of those who have lost their jobs when their companies collapsed, either directly or indirectly, as a result of the terrorism.
Sherwood Island State Park is the site of Connecticut’s official 9/11 Memorial. (Photo/David Squires)
We will drive along the New Jersey Turnpike, or stand on a particular street in Manhattan, perhaps even take out-of-town guests to gaze at the landmark we will come to call “the place the twin towers used to be.”
Our casual grocery store and soccer sideline conversations will be filled with stories: who was where when the terror first hit, and what happened in the hours after.
Our newspapers and airwaves will be clogged with experts trying to explain — though that will never be possible — what it all means for us, in the short term and long term, as individuals and a society.
Our world has already changed, in ways that will take years, if not decades, to understand. We are nowhere close to comprehending the meaning of all this.
The world will go on, of course. Our planet will continue to spin; men and women will continue to commute to New York, and pretty women in Westport will continue to ride bicycles down Whitney Street.
At the same time, sadly, none of that will ever be the same.
Among the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11, 161 were from Connecticut.
Two lived in Westport: Jonathan Uman and Bradley Vadas. Brothers Keith and Scott Coleman grew up here. All worked at the World Trade Center.
They were sons, fathers and brothers. They had much of their lives still ahead of them.
Today, we remember all those killed that day. Twenty-three years later, we still grieve.
Today marks the 200th anniversary of a great moment in local history. (Of course, this was 11 years before Westport broke away from Norwalk, Wilton, Weston and Fairfield to become its own town.)
Josh Berkowsky has unearthed this fascinating bit of history: Two centuries ago today, Marquis de Lafayette’s visited here.
This 1824 portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette now hangs in the US House of Representatives.
In 1824 the French nobleman and military officer — who half a century earlier had joined the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the Revolutionary War — returned to this now-established country, already 50 years old.
(It was not his first time here. In 1780 he is said to have discussed war strategy with General Washington and Comte de Rochambeau at the Disbrow Tavern — where Christ & Holy Trinity Church is today).
Lafayette arrived in New York on August 15, 1824, accompanied by his son (Georges Washington) and his secretary.
He was greeted by a group of Revolutionary War veterans who had fought alongside him many years before. There were 4 days and nights of celebration in the city.
Lafayette left for what he thought would be a restful trip to Boston. But cheering citizens welcomed him with celebrations, in nearly every town along the way.
Josh found this official description of Lafayette’s stop here:
At Saugatuck the militia were prepared throughout the day, to fire a salute; but owing to the lateness of the hour when the cavalcade approached, it being 10 at night, the villagers could do no more than give their loud huzzas, as the General passed.
Although we sadly could not give the hero of the Revolution the welcome he deserved as he passed through our little Burgh, not yet then a town, our neighbors gave him more than a sufficient welcome to make up for it.
“Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge” (John Ward Dunsmore, 1907)
He arrived at Norwalk, at 8 o’clock P.M. where his arrival was announced by a salute from the heights, and discharges of musketry.
Two companies of uniform militia were in waiting to salute him. An arch was formed across the bridge, with the following inscription — “Welcome Lafayette,” in large letters, on a white ground.
On one side of the arch, the American flag was displayed, and on the other a French flag. As the General had been expected from about 11, A.M. Norwalk was filled with people from the surrounding country, at an early hour in the day, who remained anxiously waiting until the time of his arrival. All business in the town was suspended.
The General arrived at Fairfield about half past ten at night. In this beautiful town, great preparations were made to receive him; but as he had not made his appearance at a late hour, it was supposed he would not arrive until the following day.
It was calculated the fit between 1000 and 1200 persons were collected here, including the inhabitants.
They all remained until late in the evening, still hoping that he might be on his way; but they were at length reluctantly compelled to give up the hope, and all retired, except a few of the most distinguished inhabitants of the town, who remained at the Washington Hotel, until the General arrived.
From here, the war hero continued to Bridgeport, Stratford and then Hartford, where he met with the son of our Revolutionary governor, Roger Sherman.
Josh notes: “This goes to show we’re a small part of the tapestry that makes up our country, and to try and remember what the Marquis and many other fought for, in his own words, that ‘Humanity has gained its suit; Liberty will nevermore be without an asylum.'”
Marquis de Lafayette
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