“Bring hats and gloves for the snowmen, signs/messages of love and peace, etc.,” the pastor says.
“Our snowmen will have hearts and outreached arms. Let’s fill the lawn and show the community what kind of humans we are. Please help share and get the word out. Each snowman represents another person standing up against hate.”
Today, snow covers the Saugatuck Church lawn. This afternoon, the town is invited there, to make “snowmen of love.”
On the night of February 9, Westport Police were notified by a local rabbi to the existence of a snowman with antisemitic features at the Newman Poses Preserve.
The person who found the snowman notified the eabbi and a local blog. On the morning of February 10, Westport Police initiated an investigation which included responding to the Newman Poses Preserve where a snowman was located, but without any antisemitic symbols.
We contacted the complainant and spoke with him about the incident. He reported finding the snowman at approximately 5:40 p.m. on Sunday, Februray 9 while walking in the preserve. The complainant took a photo of the snowman, and then removed the antisemitic symbols prior to leaving the preserve.
The Westport Police Department is investigating the incident, and asks anyone who knows who is responsible for this incident to contact the Westport Police Department at 203-341-6000. Furthermore, we ask that incidents like this be reported immediately to the Police Department so they can be investigated in a timely manner.
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker stated, “This incident does not reflect the beliefs of our community. Westport strives to be a welcoming community, where everyone feels like they belong. I will continue to lead with that goal as my north star, and will work with the Police Department to ensure everyone feels safe and heard.”
Snowman with Nazi symbols, at Newman Poses Preserve.
Herb Podel turns 100 this Saturday. Family and friends celebrated his birthday at Rizzuto’s yesterday.
He has lived in Westport since 1966 — nearly 60 years.
In that time Herb has embraced the local cultural and tennis scenes, and is now an avid participant at the Westport Senior Center.
He was an original occupant of the 35 Bridge Street building (after its conversion from Saugatuck Elementary School), and served as president of the co-op for over 10 years.
He now lives at The Residence at Westport. That’s where you can send “Happy 100th Birthday” cards: Herb Podel, c/o The Residence at Westport, 1141 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880.
Happy 100th, Herb Podel!
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Martha Stewart is back.
The lifestyle mogul — who kick-started her career in Westport, and later became America’s first self-made female billionaire — was the subject of 2 recent documentaries, on CNN and Netflix.
That introduced her to a new generation. They’re intrigued by all things Martha — including her first (of 100) book, “Entertaining.”
Published in 1982, it’s been long out of print. Copies have sold for more than $1,700 online.
Now it’s being reissued.
Her new fans see her as a “cool, badass woman,” she told The New York Times yesterday. Click here for the full story. (It includes a 1982 photo of Martha in her Turkey Hill kitchen.)
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Next month (Sunday, March 9, 3 p.m.), Temple Israel will host a screening “A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting.”
The HBO documentary will be followed by a panel discussion, about how security training saved lives that day.
Join us for a screening of HBO’s powerful documentary, A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, followed by a panel discussion to learn how security training saved lives that day.
Panelists include Stephen Weiss, who was in the building in 2018 when a gunman entered and killed 11 worshipers, and wounded 2 others and 4 police offices; Bryan Bierman, Temple Israel executive director who has grown it into a national gold standard for security practices, fostering strong partnerships with local and federal agencies, and Marc Silverman, acting US Attorney for Connecticut.
And finally … happy 88th birthday (!) to Roberta Flack.
(What better way to start your week than with Roberta Flack — and “06880”? If you enjoy our daily Roundup — or anything else on this hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
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.”
(No matter who takes tomorrow’s Super Bowl, if you click here to support “06880,” you’ll be a winner. Go, team! Rah! Thank you!)
Staples High School Class of 2021 graduate Jamie Mann makes his Great White Way debut this spring in the new show “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.”
The prequel to the popular Netflix show is set 24 years before the TV show’s first season. Jamie plays the teenage version of Ted Wheeler, Mike Wheeler’s jock dad, and understudies James Hopper, Jr.
Alison Jay plays Joyce Maldonado (the Winona Ryder character). She and Jamie became friends in 2022, while working on the workshop for the play at Netflix in Los Angeles.
Jamie had been on the Netflix set before. He starred as Brody in “Country Comfort,”during part of his junior and senior year at Staples High School.
Westporters know Jamie from his roles with Staples Players, and as a longtime student of Cynthia Gibb’s Triple Threat Academy. (Jamie now teaches dance classes and offers private dance and acting coaching).
During Bedford Middle School, Jamie played Billy Elliot in theaters throughout the East Coast. He will graduate remotely, with a BFA from the University of Michigan’s musical theater program this spring.
“Stranger Things” opens on April 22. Previews begin March 28. For tickets and more information, click here.
Jamie Mann (Photo/Michael Kushner)
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Speaking of theater: “Broadway’s Bad Boys” opened at the Westport Country Playhouse last night. The 4-night run ends Sunday.
Performed by 3 Broadway actors — Sam Gravitte (“Wicked”), Kevin Massey (“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”) and Julius Thomas III (“Hamilton”) — who played villains in musicals, the production includes “Phantom of the Opera,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and Professor Harold Hill of “Music Man.”
Curtain call at the Westport Country Playhouse last night. (Hat tip and photo/Dave Matlow)
Speaking still of entertainment: It’s only January, but the Levitt Pavilion has announced its first acts of the season.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and The Infamous Stringdusters — those are bands — will be joined by New York’s Melt, on June 1.
The funk/bluegrass/indie soul tour will play just 5 venues across the Northeast. Ours is one of them.
It won’t be the Levitt’s opener, though. The 2025 season runs from may through October, with a combination of paid-ticket shows and 50 free dates. More shows will be announced soon.
Tickets go on sale today (Friday), at 10 a.m. Click here to purchase, and for informatio on the “enchanced concert experience” package.
A capacity crowd filled the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum last on Sunday, for our town’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration.
The event included a wide-ranging discussion with noted producer Shonda Rhimes, and novelist/playwright/professor Trey Ellis. Both are Westport residents.
If you missed it — or if you were there, and want to see it again (along with a pair of great performances by gospel singer Christian Servance) — click below:
We followed up by noting that a third wind phone — a disconnected rotary telephone, through which users can stay connected with loved ones who have died — was just installed at Greenfield Congregational Church.
Now there’s more news about Lynda, a longtime Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport member and staunch advocate for medical aid in dying legislation.
This is a story about choice, not death.
Lynda Bluestein would not take ‘no’ for an answer. Because Medical Aid in Dying is not legal in Connecticut, Lynda is forced to find another way to die peacefully.
This is an intimate and gripping look into what it takes to legally die on one’s own terms in the United States. Other Side delves into the systemic, familial and emotional complexities of navigating an untrodden medical landscape while terminally ill.
A 90-minute documentary about her life and death — “Other Side” — has just been accepted by South by Southwest.
Its world premiere is scheduled for the prestigious film festival in March.
Yesterday, Westport Police received a report from a friend that William Hill has not been seen since Monday.
He is homeless, avoiding shelters, but visits friends at Sasco Creek Village daily. Given the extreme cold this past week, friends and the Police are extremely concerned for his welfare.
Hill is 62, between 5-7 and 5-11 tall, medium build, with salt and pepper hair, and a moustache. He was last seen wearing a black jacket and pushing a gray Trek bicycle with a rack, carrying bags and a knapsack on his back.
Anyone with information that can help locate William Hill should call the Police Department: 203-341-6000.
Her third novella in the “Abbey Lane” fiction series, “Deadly Donations,” has just been published.
Here, the former investigative reporter turned private detective encounters the effect of huge donations by foreign countries to American universities.
The Network Contagion Research Institute reports that over $47 billion has been donated, much of it not reported, and coming from authoritarian Middle East countries.
Meanwhile, hate crimes and antisemitic acts increased over 200% on campuses. When Abbey’s activist client is murdered, she delves into those corrupt donations. Click here to purchase on Amazon.
And finally … Never heard of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong — the band that will headline the June 1 Levitt Pavilion concert (story above)?
Click below!
(Every day, the Roundup highlights future events, recaps past ones, and covers everything else in between. If you enjoy our hyper-local coverage, please click here to support our work. Thannk you!)
A pair of Saturday Father’s Forums — places for fathers to talk about parenting challenges and strategies — are set for January 25 and February 22. Both are from 9 to 10 a.m., at Toquet Hall.
They’ll be led by Vince Benevento, founder and CEO of Westport’s Causeway Collaborative. The forums are sponsored by Westport Together. For more information, click here.
Father and son.
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It’s purely coincidental — given the recent tragedy in Los Angeles — but the current exhibition at MoCA CT is called “On Fire.”
Curated by Ive Covaci, Anne Boberski, and the Westport Public Art Collections Committee, it includes over 75 works in a variety of media.
The exhibit explores the ways in which artists from the 1930s to today have envisioned and responded to the interrelationships of energy, infrastructure and the environment.
This 4th annual exhibition by WestPAC at MoCA is inspired by 8 paintings, “The Evolution of Heat,” created by Ralph Boyer in 1934 for the old Staples High School as part of a WPA project.
The paintings usually hang at Westport’s central fire station, so this is a rare opportunity to see them in a museum setting.
Contemporary works — including scenes of local bridges, waterways and infrastructure — ask visitors to consider the past and imagine the future of our community.
The gallery is open Thursdays (4 to 8 p.m.), and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (noon to 4 p.m.). The exhibit runs through March 2.
Upcoming programs include:
January 23 (5 p.m.): Exhibition tour with curators Anne Boberski and Ive Covaci, co-chairs of the WestPAC Committee.
February 27 (6 p.m.): Community conversation: “Art, Infrastructure, and the Environment,” moderated by Ive Covaci.
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Pamela Rae Schuller — a “comedian, speaker and advocate who brings a unique perspective to inclusion through humor and storytelling” — will be here on February 6 (7:30 p.m., Chabad of Westport).
A recent photo of a Cybertruck parked in a handicap spot at the Westporot Weston Family YMCA — without a visible sticker — brought this comment from the owner:
“I have Parkinson’s and a handicap sticker from CT for more than 2 years.”
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Right before the snow, Anne Bernier snapped this shot of Deadman Brook, near the Levitt Pavilion and Imperial Avenue parking lot.
“I thought it beautifully encapsulated these cold, bright, winter days in Westport,” she says.
It does — which is why it’s today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … in honor of the 2 events happening simultaneously today, along with the Westport Together event on January 25 (story above):
(Sure, it’s a holiday. But in the nearly 16 years since “06880” began, we haven’t missed a day. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
This story has become a Martin Luther King Day tradition on “06880.” At this point in our nation’s history, today — more than ever — we should think about the history of our nation before Dr. King was born.
And where we are, nearly 6 decades after his death.
Today is Martin Luther King Day. Westporters will celebrate with a day off from school or work. Some will sleep in; others will shop, or go for a walk. Few will give any thought to Martin Luther King.
Twice, though, his life intersected this town in important ways.
The first was Friday night, May 22, 1964. According to Woody Klein’s book Westport, Connecticut, King had been invited to speak at Temple Israel by synagogue member Jerry Kaiser.
King arrived in the afternoon. Kaiser and his wife Roslyn sat on their porch that afternoon, and talked with King and 2 of his aides. She was impressed with his “sincerity, warmth, intelligence and genuine concern for those about him — our children, for instance. He seemed very young to bear such a burden of leadership.”
Martin Luther King, with Sarah and Tema Kaiser at their home on Brooklawn Drive, before his Temple Israel appearance. Their brother Michael had a cold, and was not allowed near Dr. King.
King’s sermon — to a packed audience — was titled “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.” He analogized his America to the time of Rip Van Winkle — who also “slept through a revolution. The greatest liability of history is that people fail to see a revolution taking place in our world today. We must support the social movement of the Negro.”
Westport artist Roe Halper presented King with 3 woodcarvings, representing the civil rights struggle. He hung them proudly in the front hallway of his Atlanta home.
Artist Roe Halper (left) presents Coretta Scott King with civil rights-themed wood carvings.
Within a month Temple Israel’s rabbi, Byron Rubenstein, traveled south to take place in a nonviolent march. He was arrested — along with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
In jail, the rabbi said, “I came to know the greatness of Dr. King. I never heard a word of hate or bitterness from that man, only worship of faith, joy and determination.”
King touched Westport again less than 4 years later. On April 5, 1968 — the day after the civil rights leader’s assassination in Memphis — 600 Staples students gathered for a lunchtime vigil in the courtyard. Nearby, the flag flew at half-staff.
A small portion of the large crowd listens to Fermino Spencer.
Vice principal Fermino Spencer addressed the crowd. Movingly, he spoke about his own experience as an African American. Hearing the words “my people” made a deep impression on the almost all-white audience. For many, it was the 1st time they had heard a black perspective on white America.
No one knew what lay ahead for their country. But student Jim Sadler spoke for many when he said: “I’m really frightened. Something is going to happen.”
Dr. Martin Luther King
Something did — and it was good. A few hundred students soon met in the cafeteria. Urged by a minister and several anti-poverty workers to help bridge the chasm between Westport and nearby cities, Staples teachers and students vowed to create a camp.
Within 2 months, it was a reality. That summer 120 elementary and junior high youngsters from Westport, Weston, Norwalk and Bridgeport participated in the Intercommunity Camp. Led by over 100 Staples students and many teachers, they enjoyed swimming, gymnastics, dance, sports, field trips, overnight camping, creative writing, filmmaking, photography, art and reading.
It wasn’t easy — some in Westport opposed bringing underprivileged children to their town — but for over a decade the Intercommunity Camp flourished.
Eventually, enthusiasm for and interest in the camp waned. Fewer Staples students and staff members wanted to devote their summer to such a project. The number of Westporters willing to donate their pools dwindled. Today the Intercommunity Camp is a long-forgotten memory.
Sort of like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Even on his birthday.
Martin Luther King Day bonus feature:In the late 1950s, Westporter Tracy Sugarman took his son Dickie, and Dickie’s friend Miggs Burroughs, to a picnic in Stamford.
Rev. Martin Luther King was there, at the invitation of the host: Jackie Robinson.
Sugarman — a noted illustrator – was also a civil rights activist.
Miggs — a junior high student — took the Minox “spy” camera he’d bought earlier that summer.
He still has those photos. Here are the 2 pioneering Black Americans: Martin Luther King and Jackie Robinson.
But fires on the West Coast are a huge concern here too. Many Westporters know relatives and friends affected by the blazes.
And disasters like these can lead to increased insurance premiums nationwide.
Realtor Judy Michaelis says, “it’s essential to take steps now to understand and mitigate risks where possible.”
She assesses property risks through Risk Factor, a tool from the non-profit First Street Foundation.
While wildfire risk in Westport is very low, flooding is a more pressing concern. Judy says that 3,074 properties in Westport — 35% of all properties — risk flooding within the next 30 years.
Enter your address on the site to access a free, detailed flood risk report. This resource is invaluable for understanding and addressing your property’s vulnerability.
Even if your risk is low, Judy adds, you should check in with your insurance agent to ensure your coverage is adequate for replacement costs. They’ve increased significantly recently.
Floods are increasingly frequent in Westport. (Photo/Matt Murray)
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Governor Ned Lamont has activated the state’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol, in anticipation of upcoming plunging temperatures.
It’s in effect from tomorrow (January 19, 6 p.m.) through Friday, January 24, noon).
Westport has several warming centers. They include:
Westport Senior Center: Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Westport Library: Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Westport Museum for History & Culture: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. through 5 p.m.
Westport Weston Family YMCA: Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
MoCA Westport: Thursday, 12- 8 p.m.; Friday, 12-4 p.m.
For assistance, contact Westport Human Services at 203-341-1050 Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Y is one of Westport’s 5 warming centers.
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Another topic of interest for all residents is traffic.
The Safe Streets for All (SS4A) draft of the Westport Safety Action Plan, prepared by consultants, is now available for review and public comment. Click here to read it.
Comments can be sent to SS4A@westportct.gov online or by attending the public meeting scheduled for January 29 (not yet on the town calendar).
Meanwhile, across the green from the Library, Pause + Purpose — the Jesup Road yoga and meditation center — is closing its studio.
However, gatherings will continue to be held elsewhere.
A note to clients says, “Pause + Purpose is not a building; it’s us. It’s the spirit we’ve created together. This evolution is not an ending but a continuation—an opportunity to serve not only this cherished community but many others in deeper, more impactful ways.
“Our mission, our heart, is not confined to walls. Wherever we gather, Pause + Purpose will remain a place for healing, connection, and belonging.”
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Orin Ganz’s daughter Eden Zechariah was murdered by Hamas, after the terror group invaded Israel.
Since then, she has dedicated herself to “defeating the darkness.”
Tomorrow (January 19), the Schneerson Center for Jewish Life CT (11:30 a.m., 228 Saugatuck Avenue) presents a “lunch and listen” event.
Ganz will speak via Zoom from Israel about “Flying with Broken Wings; Tools for Coping with Life’s Challenges, and Developing Mental Resilience.” Click here for more information.
Eden Zechariah
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Former Westport resident Madeleine Conway died recently. She was 87, and lived in Delray Beach, Florida.
A native of the Netherlands who moved to Long Island in 1940, she graduated from Bryn Mawr College, and Columbia University’s School of International Affairs.
Madeleine helped artists launch their New York careers in the 1970s. She wrote
prominent in the art world She co-wrote “The Museum of Modern Art Artists’ Cookbook” and “Gourmet to Go: The New York Guide to Dining Out at Home.”
She was a trustee emeritus of The Perez Art Museum in Miami. Her family, art, reading and travel were her biggest passions.
Madeleine was predeceased by her husbands Paul Conway and Stanley Rubenfeld, and her good friend Victor Rubino. She is survived by her son Andrew Conway (Jill), daughters Victoria Newman and Alexandra Conway Marks (Steven), 7 grandchildren, and sisters Dorothy Bennett (Richard)
and Jacqueline Walker (Arthur).
Donations may be made in Madeleine’s name to Colorectal Research Foundation
at Memorial Sloan Kettering (c/o Dr. Lagunes Reidy or eheald@pamm.org at the
Perez Art Museum.
Madeleine Conway
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As temperatures are set to drop, let’s not forget our feathered friends.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows the importance of keeping everyone — and everything — fed and healthy.
And finally … A. A. Milne was born on this date, in 1882. The English author, poet, and playwright died in 1956.
(“06880” helps you prepare for all kinds of weather — and brings you all kinds of news. That’s the way we roll, 24/7/365. To support our hyper-local coverage, please click here. Thank you!)
If you made a new year’s resolution to get a better handle on your child’s relationship with social media — or even if you didn’t — you might be interested in a special Westport Together/Westport Public Schools meeting this month.
Max Stossel — the founder of Social Awakening, an organization that helps young people survive and thrive in today’s world — will talk about “Social Media & Your Kids.” The event is January 29 (7 p.m., Bedford Middle School).
Stossel has extensive social media experience. He ran social media for big brands, and worked for a social media company.
Over the past 10 years he has addressed more than a million students, parents and educators about social media’s impact on our lives, and has developed resources to manage that impact.
Just in time for the cold, the Gillespie Center has reopened its doors.
The homeless shelter for 15 men — along with 5-bed Hoskins Place, for women — recently concluded a 7-month renovation.
Homes with Hope’s safe, comfortable place has already welcomed residents who had been sleeping in the train station, in cars and trucks, and at other HwH facilities.
The Westport Rotary Club will provide tonight’s meal. There’s a ribbon-cutting and celebration for the newly designed kitchen too.
For a “tour” of the facility — including bedrooms, meeting rooms, the food pantry, kitchen and more, click below.
From 3,000 miles away, Westporters have watched with despair as fires ravage Los Angeles.
Nearly everyone here knows someone in Southern California. Many residents wonder what they can do.
“06880” reader Anne Levine suggests a donation to AmeriCares. It’s the first choice for she and her husband Bob whenever a disaster strikes anywhere in the world, she says.
“It is a really well run organization, doing good things everywhere — andoften overlooked,” she adds.
Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service’s 2 new ambulances will be delivered this summer.
Both are being customized in New Jersey to meet Westport’s needs, on roads and highways, and at schools, homes, businesses, beaches and parks.
Customization includes “every eflective stripe, emergency light, siren, horn and door.”
The previous Type II Chevrolet chassis will be changed to a medium-duty Freightliner chassis. It is stronger, and will last longer, WVEMS says.
The ambulances are purchased entirely through donations from local organizations and private citizens. WVEMS presidennt Jaime Bairaktaris says, “the tradition of grassroots philanthropy has sustained our town’s EMS since 1979, and we’re honored that it continues through today.
Donations to WVEMS — for ambulances, and all other expenses — are always welcome. Click here for more information.
1st Class Detective Phil Restieri — a 32-year Westport police officer, with 26 years in the Emergency Medical Service — officially retired yesterday.
He started his career in Westport as a special officer in 1993, becoming a full time patrolman in 1996. He became a detective in 2021.
Congratulations, Detective Restieri, on your retirement. Thank you for your service!
Officer Phil Restieri (right), and his grandfather Nick, back in the day.
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Speaking of police: Westport officers made 1 custodial arrest between January 1 and 8.
A 21-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with illegal possession of personal ID information, identity theft, and conspiracy to commit both crimes, after an investigation that began with an armed hijacking in Bridgeport last September.
A week later the stolen vehicle was recovered after crashing into a Wilton police officer. Two occupants of the vehicle fled, but were later arrested.
Westport Police were notifed by Bridgeport police that checks belonging to WEstporters had been seized. The suspect was arrested, and held on $75,000 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 14 citations
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 3
Speeding over 70 mph: 1
Cellphone use, 2nd offense: 1
Following too closely: 1
Improper turn: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 1
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Although Unitarianism and Universalism both have origins as liberal Christian traditions, they embrace diverse teachings from different global religions and philosophies.
It’s fitting, then, that the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport sponsors a “Crossing Paths” program.
It offers youngsters in grades 5-8 a chance to learn about and experience different faiths, such as Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Quakerism, Paganism, and Indigenous beliefs.
The program includes field trips to other houses of worship.
Meetings are Friday evenings or Saturdays, depending on where they are vising. The program begins January 26, and is free. Caregivers and parents are welcome to join in field trips.
The 1991 Staples High School graduate — and Pulitzer Prize-, MacArthur “genius grant”-winning New York Times photojournalist and writer — is featured in last Sunday’s Times Magazine.
“Living or Dead, We Want Our Sons Back” is her photo and text look at women in Syria, as they “pick up the pieces of a broken nation.” Click here to see, and read.
(Photo/Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)
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It’s hard enough writing a book, screenplay, or any other work.
Then you’ve got to get it published.
Westport Writers’ Workshop can help. Their 4th annual Pitch & Publish Conference takes place March 22 (Westport Library).
The event is aimed at writers seeking a literary agent, seeking education about the industry at large, or looking to meet and be inspired by authors, agents and editors.
The conference includes a Friday night (March 21, 7-9 p.m.) welcome party for all participants at WWW (25 Sylvan Road), plus Saturday’s panels, 1-on1 pitches, book signings, lunch and wrap party.
New sessions this year are “Crowd Source Your Comps on Zoom” and “Adapting Your Prose into a Screenplay.”
Individual tickets are $350 each (walk-ins accepted); tickets for the conference plus two, one-on-one pitches with literary agents are $600 each (early bird discount of $75 if registered by February 3), $675 each thereafter.
Click here for registration, and more information.
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Bob Weingarten notes, “the town redid the sidewalks on both Morningside Drive South and Hillandale Road.
“They also modernized the sidewalk by providing ramps at each intersection. I compliment the town for providing these ramps, which allow disabled people to better navigate the crossings. Thanks to the town planners.”
Morningside Drive South, at Hillandale Road. (Photo/Bob Weingarten)
BTW: If you haven’t yet seen “A Complete Unknown” — the biopic about Bob Dylan’s early Greenwich Village years, including his tempestuous relationship with Baez — be sure not to miss it.
Like so many others, I went with low expectations. And like so many others, I was very impressed.
(Another day, another “06880” Roundup filled with news you can use. Another day too when we remind you: We rely on reader support. Click here to contribute to your hyper-local blog. Thanks!)
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