Category Archives: Sports

Roundup: Selectmen’s Conversation, JetSet’s Pilates, Walgreens’ Lot …

Posted on December 17, 2025 | 4 comments

The Board of Selectmen invites all residents to join them for an informal community conversation this afternoon (Wednesday, 3 p.m., Town Hall Room 201/201A).

It’s the first in an ongoing series. The goal is to provide “an open, welcoming space for residents to stop by, ask questions, share thoughts, and raise topics of interest related to town government.”

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Following a long run, International House of Pancakes/Westport Pancake Shop closed their Post Road restaurant in 2011.

After sitting empty for 3 years, the building opposite Fire Department headquarters reopened as a nail salon.

Thank god! The closest nail salon at the time was at least 25 yards away.

The nail place eventually went the way of IHOP: past the very slanted roof, to the big business scrap heap in the sky.

After another long vacancy, the landlord has finally found a new tenant.

JetSet Pilates will open in mid-summer. The Miami-based “market leader in Reformer Pilates” has over 100 locations open, or in development.

Excellent news! If there’s one thing keeping Westport from greatness, it’s our lack of a Reformer Pilates studio.

Artist’s rendering of Westport’s JetSet Pilates. 

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Speaking of local businesses, Chris Grimm writes: “You would think, given that their clients are largely sick and old, Walgreens would clear their parking lot of snow.”

For proof, he sent this photo yesterday:

(Photo/Chris Grimm)

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The Artists Collective of Westport’s 12×12 Holiday Exhibit opened last night, at the Westport Country Playhouse barn.

Interestingly, all works are 12×12. And all are for sale, just in time for the holidays.

The show runs through Sunday (December 21, noon to 4 p.m.).

Admiring some of the dozens of 12×12 pieces.

The pianist at last night’s Artists Collective opening was not some random guy. It was Mark Naftalin: founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and Westport resident. (Photos/Susan Garment)

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Like many trail and ultra runners, Jes Parker loves and appreciates the outdoors.

Yet, she knows, runners often engage in behaviors that are not exactly environmentally sound.

Long distance runners, for example, experiment often with gear. Before finding what’s comfortable or works well, they’ve missed return dates, snagged the fabric or others made items non-returnable.

But wait! Don’t throw them out! 

Jes — a Westport resident — is building a business that keeps trail running goods, and other running synthetics, out of landfills.

At the same time, it makes the sport more accessible.

Take2Trail — Parker’s brainstorm (and a great, clever name) — buys those items. She then resells them, at a deep discount.

Parker knows that buying and selling on internet peer-to-peer sites can be unfulfilling. Items are strategically photographed to hide warts; they’re not always delivered; meet-up exchanges fall through.

People hyper-focused on their fitness, family — and full-time jobs — don’t have the time or patience to jump through hoops to keep things out of landfills (or even take them to Goodwill).

Take2Trail a great idea. Fleet Foot owner Dave Wright has helped too, donating some return inventory and other sunk cost items.

Click here for the website. Click here for a podcast about the venture.

Jes Parker, on the trail.

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Congratulations to Scotty Coleman!

The 2022 Staples High School graduate, and current senior soccer player at Johns Hopkins University, has been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America team.

Coleman — a neuroscience major with a 3.95 GPA — is also an All-Centennial Conference 2nd team pick.

He was named to the Allstate NACDA Good Works team for fall sports, for his efforts as president and fundraising chair of Baltimore Scores in STEM. The mentorship program supports local youth pursuing STEM education.

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Staples High School Class of 1963 graduate Sam Pair has published “Le Yankee Noir: The Power of Acceptance.”

The write-up on Amazon says: “In the global aviation industry, where building cross-cultural relationships is essential, cultural gaps and accepting others unlike ourselves remain issues.

“A veteran aerospace engineer with vast experience with inter-cultural bridge building, Samuel E. Pair has created a book that illuminates the value of acceptance and its influence on creating the climate for building trusting cross-cultural relationships.

“The culmination of a frustrating career journey — still healing after multiple rejections to his quest to enter a prominent management development program, an African American aerospace engineer is surprisingly summoned to the south of France in 1994 by French aircraft industry leaders.

“Tasked with managing the oversight of the recovery of a floundering new jet propulsion program for intensely anticipated jet liners, his reflection on the experiences of interacting with French and other nationalities on-site, explores the power of mutual acceptance and its influence on inspiring, motivating and propelling him through a myriad of formidable issues and a life threating condition.

“While ruminating about the significant events and consequential happenings during this twelve-year period, he is drawn to the factors that promoted his transformation, the ability to build relational bridges over cultural divides and contributed to his success. He shares them in this book.”

Click here to order, and for more information.

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Sunday’s snow brought out plowers, shovelers, photographers — and this guy.

Jonathan Rosenoer snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” image outside his front door, near Cross Highway and North Avenue:

(Photo/Jonathan Rosenoer)

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And finally … in honor (sort of) of Jes Parker’s excellent idea for reusing running gear:

(Where would you be without “06880” telling you there will soon be a new Pilates place in town? If you enjoy news like that — and much more — please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thanks!)

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Westport & Pickleball: Tom Lowrie Looks Back, And Ahead

Posted on December 15, 2025 | 1 comment

Tom Lowrie stepped down this year as Westport’s pickleball ambassador.

He earned his retirement. He’s 97 years old.

But as the new year ends, he looks back on the history of the sport here. Among the key dates:

2014: Kevin Cunningham and friends played pickleball in the Longshore tennis courts’ practice area.

2016: With Dan De Vito’s help, the Parks & Recreation Department constructed 2 courts at Compo Beach. 1st Selectman Jim Marpe cut the ribbon.

2019-2024: Parks & Rec lined 4 tennis courts at the Town Farm and Doubleday, creating 8 dual-use pickleball court; Parks & Rec offered a winter program in the Bedford Middle School gym, but the Board of Education refused to paint new lines and the program failed; the Y’s Men created a popular pickleball activity; painting lines on private driveways became popular.

Compo Beach courts (Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)

2025: Under new director Erik Barbieri, Parks & Rec reconditioned the Compo Beach courts; Andrew Colabella organized a rededication ceremony, after the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) named them the Lowrie Courts.

Moving forward, Lowrie offers this wish list for 2026:

  • Enclosed pickleball courts and pavilion at Longshore’s parking Lot F, next to the ER Strait Marina.
  • If the wooden skate park at Compo is removed, it would free up 12,000 square feet. This area could accommodate more pickleball courts, a concrete skate park, a mini-golf course, exercise equipment, or whatever else the town decides.
  • “Friends of Westport Parks and Recreation” was conceived in 2010 as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its mission is to “enhance, preserve, protect and promote Westport’s Parks & Rec facilities and programs.” Let them know your thoughts on pickleball.

Lowrie adds, “Brandon Osterhout is the new USA Pickleball ambassador for Westport.

“I know you will give him your support and creativity in promoting pickleball for Westport. His email is brandon.osterhout@gmail.com. He would love to hear from you all.”

Tom Lowrie posed for the Westport Library’s “I geek…” campaign with appropriate gear. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)

(“06880” regularly covers Westport’s sports scene. To score points with us, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Eartha Kitt, Zohran Mamdani, Kyle Martino …

Posted on December 13, 2025 | 4 comments

The Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service’s ambulances get a lot of use. They save thousands of lives.

Now, some of those lives will be saved in a state-of-the-art, fully stocked new one.

This past week, the Westport Woman’s Club donated a brand new ambulance to WVEMS.

Funds came from a $150,000 donation to the WWC from the Lea Ruegg Foundation, and additional contributions by the Woman’s Club.

Westport Woman’s Club past president Karen Kleine hands  ambulance keys to Westport Volunteer EMS president James Bairaktaris. Looking on are WWC member Donna Richardson, and 1st Selectman Kevin Christie.

The near-half-million dollar project took 3 years to complete, including designing and building.

“The custom ambulance — nicknamed ‘Lea’ — will replace one of our 10+ year-old current ambulances,” says Westport Volunteer EMS president James Bairaktaris.

“We’re blessed to have the Westport Woman’s Club as both our neighbors and supporters, and so, too, all of our EMTs and the patients we’ll help.”

HUGE thanks to the Westport Woman’s Club. But did you know that Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service pays for all their equipment they use to help all of us — from ambulances down to Band-Aids?

You don’t have to give hundreds of thousands of dollars, like the WWC. But if you’d like to donate something, click here. The life you save may be your own.

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More than 70 years after its release, “Santa Baby” remains one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time.

Eartha Kitt sang it in 1953. She later moved to Weston, where she died of colon cancer on — coincidentally — Christmas Day, in 2008.

Her daughter Kitt Shapiro now owns WEST, a very popular women’s shop, on Post Road East.

An older woman came into the store on Thursday. Her name was Joan Javits — and she co-wrote “Santa Baby,” all those years ago. (She’s 97 years old — though she sure doesn’t look it!)

Kitt Shapiro and Joan Javits, at WEST.

It may not be the Christmas miracle of 2,000 years ago.

But it’s still pretty amazing.

PS: Among the lyrics Eartha Kitt sang were:

Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought at Tiffany’s.

I wonder if after leaving WEST, Joan Javits crossed the street and walked a few yards west.

To buy some decorations at — you know the rest.

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Since graduating from Staples High School in 1999 — as the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year — Kyle Martino has done many things.

He earned MLS Rookie of the Year honors, played alongside David Beckham, and made 8 appearances with the US men’s national team.

He was an NBC Sports analyst for the Premier League, and ran for US Soccer president.

Now Martino — who recently moved back to Westport — is a staunch advocate for bringing soccer to underserved communities and neighborhoods around the country.

He’s got a staunch ally: New York City’s next mayor, Zohran Mamdani. (He’s a huge soccer fan — and former player — himself. Click here for a cool story.)

The other day, Martino and Mamdani chatted about the city’s role in the world game — from access to all, to the upcoming World Cup. It was an intriguing discussion. Click here or below to listen in.

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What’s better than the weekly Westport Farmers’ Market?

Two in a week!

Today (Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center) is their annual Holiday Artist Market.

Over 30 local vendors — jewelers, woodworkers, potters — offer handcrafted gifts.

There’s coffee, carolers and more.

Including, of course, the usual farm favorites.

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Westport’s annual Holiday Giving Program supported more than 80 households and 154 children last year.

This year the need is greater: 167 children from over 90 households qualify for support.

Many Westport families struggle quietly with job loss, rising living costs, and unexpected hardships.

Many local parents work 2 jobs, while caring for young children without reliable childcare. After rent, utilities, babysitting and medical expenses, there is often nothing left for presents.

The Family-to-Family Holiday Giving Program provides modest gift cards that allow parents to choose gifts, and bring comfort and joy back into their homes.

Residents can support the program through:

  • Online donations at www.westportct.gov/donate
  • Mailing contributions to: Westport Department of Human Services
    Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport, CT 06880
  • Dropping off donations at Town Hall by appointment (203-341-1050).

Residents seeking assistance may contact Human Services at 203-341-1050 or humansrv@westportct.gov. For program questions, email adaugelli@westportct.gov, or call 203-341-1183.

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Hanukkah begins tomorrow, at sundown.

Jolantha — Weston’s favorite pig — is ready.

(Photo/Hans Wilhelm)

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Longtime Westport resident Hymie Malbin died peacefully on Tuesday, surrounded by his family. He was 98 years old.

At age 2, the native of Poland emigrated with his family to South Africa. Though he did not finish high school, his lack of formal education did not preclude his success.

Most family members still in Poland were killed in the Holocaust. Hymie joined the South African Zionist movement. In 1948 he joined volunteers and war refugees bound for the new state of Israel, a defining chapter in his life. Years later, on the 50th anniversary of Israel’s independence, he was honored by the IDF.

Hymie returned home to South Africa. In 1958 he founded a brassiere company, Charmfit. It expanded into companies that manufactured lingerie, dresses, handbags, leather goods and plastics, and became the largest toy manufacturer in South Africa. Charmfit went public in 1968.

In the late 1970s Hymie and his wife Marge made the difficult decision to emigrate to London, then several years later to Westport where their children and grandchildren thrived.

Their home was an anchor, welcoming friends and family from around the world.

While Hymie formally retired in his 50s, he never stopped working. He developed interests in real estate, building and flipping homes, and was actively engaged in the markets.

He learned to sculpt, and was an avid bridge and tennis player and golfer, and swam into his 90s.

Hymie is survived by Marge, his wife of 75 years; daughters Rochelle Malbin and Hazel Malbin Shulman (Stephen), son Peter, and grandchildren and great- grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Jonathan Malbin.

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Another day, another coyote.

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from Leigh Gage. She spotted this “large German shepherd-sized” creature mid-afternoon yesterday, on Manitou Road.

“He saw me, but just kept trotting,” Leigh says.

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And finally … in honor of that amazing Eartha Kitt/Kitt Shapiro/Joan Javits/ WEST story (above):

(Joan Javits didn’t write it, so we will: “Santa baby, bring me readers who will click this link, and donate to this blog, wink wink … Of course, all the elves at “06880” thank you!)

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Posted in Local business, Obituaries, Sports, Staples HS

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Roundup: Donation Drop-offs, Swim Club Tryouts, Sherwood Island Solstice …

Posted on December 12, 2025 | Leave a comment

Westport Country Playhouse is getting in the holiday spirit.

And not just just with it’s production of “A Sherlock Carol.”

The family-friendly show is certainly an attraction.

But there’s more. Three important groups — the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Norwalk Toys for Tots, and Westport Homes with Hope food pantry– are recipients of donations that can be dropped off during “A Sherlock Carol”‘s December 13-21 run.

There will be collection boxes in the Playhouse lobby whenever the box office is open (Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.), and during performances.

For The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, curtain speeches will invite monetary donations from the audience.

“The bond we share with The Hole in the Wall Camp remains especially close to our hearts,” says Playhouse artistic director Mark Shananan.

“It would make Camp founder Paul Newman and our own former artistic director Joanne Woodward very proud to see the relationship between our organizations still going strong.“

In fact, Shanahan’s involvement with the camp helped inspire “A Sherlock Carol.”

It’s the story of a grown-up Tiny Tim turning his personal experiences into a lifelong commitment to helping others — “just like so many people at Camp do,” Shanahan says.

Meanwhile, Norwalk Toys for Tots seeks new, unwrapped toys and books for children in need — including books in Spanish and Haitian Creole — for ages newborn to 18. Donations benefit local agencies and families in Norwalk, Fairfield and Westport. Click here for more information.

Westport’s Homes with Hope — dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Fairfield County — needs items for its food pantry: pancake mix, cooking oil, condiments, laundry detergent (small containers), feminine care products, canned fruit, cold cereal, salt and pepper, jelly, cleaning wipes, and gift certificates to Walmart and Stop & Shop. Click here for more information. 

To learn more about “A Sherlock Carol” — including ticket purchases — click here.

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All 2nd through 8th grade boys and girls are invited to try out for the Westport Swim Club.

It’s a great program — big on fun, friends and fundamentals — that helps get youngsters ready for the Staples High School program, either next year or a few years down the line. The winter session starts January 7.

Tryouts are December 15 (5:15 to 6:30 p.m.), January 5 (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.), January 10 (4 to 5 p.m.) and January 11 (9:45 to 10:30 a.m.). Click here to sign up.

More details are in the graphic below. Questions? Email swimwestport@gmail.com.

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Sure, it’s cold. Crowds have thinned considerably at Sherwood Island State Park.

But there’s still plenty to do. And plenty of room to do it in.

The Winter Solstice is 10:03 a.m. on December 21. Starting at 10, Friends of Sherwood Island will meet at the main pavilion for winter seed sowing in milk jugs.

After collecting seeds of native flowers in the dunes, members will help attendees cut a milk jug, drill holes in the bottom, fill it with special potting soil, and add seeds and water.

Then bring it home to leave outside until spring. (Jugs brought indoors will not germinate. Seeds need the winter cold.)

There’s hot chocolate, snacks and a “special visitor.” It’s free (but no pets). Bring empty, washed milk jugs (maximum 3 per family).

Then, on January 1, Friends of Sherwood Island invite everyone to start the new year with a breezy walk along the beach. Children and dogs on short leashes are welcome. Meet in front of the Nature Center at 11 a.m.; follow signs to the East Beach area.

Dress in layers. Bring a hot beverage and snack.

Questions? Call Michele: 203-247-1390.

Seeds for spring.

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Happy (upcoming) birthday! Keith Richards turns 82 on December 18. Time is certainly on his side.

It would be a bit intrusive to suggest we head over to his house to serenade the Rolling Stones guitarist.

But maybe a card or note? Just mail it to “Keith Richards, Weston, CT 06883.”

I’m sure that won’t be the first time someone has done that.

Keith Richards, at the Westport Library in March. He received the first-ever Governor’s Award of Excellence. (Photo/Ryan Allen)

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Speaking of the Stones: American Colors by Henry Lehr’s trunk show tomorrow (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) features the Rolling Stones and Revo.

The “exclusive sunglass collaboration (was) inspired by the icons who changed how we hear — and how we look.”

Will Keith be there?

Probably not.

Hey — you can’t always get what you want.

 

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Wednesday’s weather was not exactly ducky.

But Jamie Walsh headed to Compo Beach. That’s where he saw — and shot — today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

(Photo/Jamie Walsh)

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And finally … in honor of Westport Swim Club’s next season (story above):

(We’re not exactly drowning, here at “06880” central. But we do rely on reader’s support, to help us publish our hyper-local blog. Please click here to contribute. Every little bit helps. Thank you!)

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[STUDENTS SPEAK] Staples High: A Tale Of 2 Locker Rooms

Posted on December 5, 2025 | 27 comments

Siobhan Jebb is a 2024 Staples High School graduate, and former co-captain of the volleyball team. She attends the College of Charleston, double majoring in political science, and women’s and gender studies.

As a senior, Siobhan wrote about the inequity between the boys and girls locker rooms at Staples. On Wednesday — more than a year later — the Board of Finance voted to spend $30,000 in soft costs, to explore creating 1 or 2 “team rooms” for girls varsity sports.

Siobhan’s piece has been adapted for a “Students Speak” submission.

I am jealous.

As I walk through the Staples girls locker room, I fantasize about a space that I could have used. But reality quickly interrupts that thought.

I see a pile of crutches, rusted and molded ceramic in our “showers,” ripped boxes, caution tape, and worn pieces of paper saying “Do Not Use” stuck to the wall.

The sign is not needed. The showers are too unsanitary, and besides, broken.

A handicap shower in the Staples girls locker room …

Not to mention a wooden table propped on its side, blocking girls from getting into the shower stalls — as if we would want to, in their condition.

I am jealous. I feel angry. Despite playing volleyball at Staples, I haven’t grasped the gaps in athletics here — specifically with the locker rooms — until senior year.

Looking back, I hated going to the girls locker room before and after gym class. The lighting is depressingly dim, and the space feels like an abandoned basement.

… and another view.

Turning the corner into the bathroom I would catch the “shower room” in the corner of my eye, but never paid much attention. It was never discussed.

I never thought of our locker room as “bad,” because I had no idea what the boys had access to, or what girls sports have access to at other schools.

After 4 years in the athletic program, 3 as a varsity player and 1 as co-captain, it wasn’t until my final year that I became aware of the inequity.

It was just weirdly accepted, like everyone was waiting for someone to step up.

Why wasn’t this talked about? Why do we allow girls to wonder why they aren’t worthy of the resources and space the boys have? One could argue I was one of those girls.

Staples boys locker room showers.

The boys have not 1 but 2 locker rooms. One includes clean showers. This doesn’t sit right, as I walk past what’s supposed to be the handicap shower stall in the girls locker room.

I see paper taped on the wall: “SHOWER CLOSED MAINT. DEPT.” The date on the bottom says “12/06.”

2006 burns in my brain. I take a deep breath. But it brings dust and a damp smell, which only angers me more.

The girls showers have been closed for 19 years.

I am jealous. My best friend Liv, in Mamaroneck, New York, got to clean out her cubby at the end of her volleyball season. I didn’t.

I am confused. I saw the customized cubby lockers for the boys at Staples, while girls don’t bother learning their locker combos because our backpacks can’t fit.

Throughout my last high school volleyball season, I became more aware and annoyed that we didn’t have an appropriate space to go as a team. A space we could talk together, a setting away from the coach, the court, the opposing team and the scoreboard.

I talked about it with Liv. I asked if having a nice locker room was something I should be upset about missing out on. She told me she couldn’t imagine not having a proper locker room.

She spoke about how the varsity locker room became a safe, sacred space before and after home games. It was comforting to have a room away from the coach, so the captains could talk to the team or teammates individually.

Last month, Liv showed me Mamaroneck High’s girls locker room and varsity locker room. I was in awe.

Mamaroneck High School girls varsity locker room.

They get clean working showers. They make name tags for their cubbies. They take their sneakers and knee pads off together. They get designated spots for their bags, and coat hangers for their windbreakers.

They get a television for film sessions. They get a mini-fridge for drinks and snacks. They get a whiteboard to plan plays and drills.

My varsity team and I should’ve gotten all those things too. The boys at Staples get all those things, and more.

I thought about how messed up the situation is here, and how nobody ever talks about it. But many people joke about it.

Much of the time, the person making the joke was a female athlete herself. I myself have made jokes and sarcastic comments about our laughable locker room, as Staples hangs a banner of our “US News & World Report” highest ranking above one of the main entrances.

Staples football and boys lacrosse locker room. In the winter, it becomes the wrestling practice room. (All photos/Siobhan Jebb)

Nothing changes if nothing changes. I changed my anger and jealousy into motivation and fuel.

I want to make a difference, since it looked like no one else will. If I can help create a new, appropriate and equal locker room for female athletes at Staples High School, I will feel accomplished.

I don’t want my beloved underclass teammates I have grown to know and adore to feel like they don’t matter, or aren’t worth the same facilities and spaces the boys are. I just hope my story has a happy ending.

(To submit a “Student Speaks” — or for questions about this feature — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We will work with students to help craft their story. Anonymity, if requested, is assured.) 

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Finance Board Okays Staples Auditorium Renovation; Girls Locker Upgrade Begins

Posted on December 4, 2025 | 8 comments

Thousands of Westporters thrilled to last month’s Staples Players production of “Les Misérables.”

And they did it in an auditorium that is essentially unchanged from the time current director David Roth was a student in Players.

He graduated in 1984.

Several Players officers spoke eloquently at last night’s Board of Finance meeting about the need for renovations. (Last year’s production of “Elf” was almost canceled, after a problem with rigging.) Griffin Delmhorst — Jean Valjean in “Les Mis” — delivered Roth’s comments, as the director could not attend.

With a large number of Players and parents in attendance, the BOF voted to spend $3,037,790 on rigging, lighting and sound improvements. The renovations will make the sound ADA-compliant too, with headsets for audience members who request them.

The most recent renovation to the Staples auditorium was over 30 years ago.

The Finance Board also heard a request to create 1 or 2 “team rooms,” in a section of the existing girls locker room. Coaches and athletes made strong comments about the need for those rooms — and for upgrading the girls locker room used for physical education classes too.

Board members expressed mixed views about the current disparities between boys and girls locker rooms. There is currently also a separate team room for the boys football and lacrosse squads, but none for girls sports.

In addition, the boys locker rooms were upgraded over 2 decades ago. The girls facilities were not.

The girls locker room at Staples …

Members Danielle Dobin and Jeff Hammer voiced strong comments about the differences.

A motion in favor of spending $30,000 — for design costs for team rooms only — passed.

… and the boys showers. (Photos/Siobhan Jebb)

The Board of Finance also approved several other expenses:

  • $25,000 for wireless access points on the Staples athletic fields.
  • $25,000 in soft costs to explore a concession stand with bathrooms at Staples’ Paul Lane Field.
  • $32,000 in soft costs to consider upgrading science laboratories at Bedford Middle School.
  • $70,000 in soft costs for roof replacement at Greens Farms Elementary School.
  • $181,500 in hard costs to replace a motorized partition in the Saugatuck Elementary School gymnasium.
  • $172,970 for painting exterior facades of Westport schools.
  • $220,000 in soft costs to explore upgrading the Longshore water supply system.
  • $440,000 for the analysis, design, permitting and preparation of sidewalks on Easton Road, near Coleytown Elementary and Middle Schools. The state of Connecticut will pay the full cost of construction.

The Board of Finance did not vote on a request of $124,000 to replace the Levitt Pavilion stage. There was debate over who is responsible for covering that cost.

Earlier in the Finance meeting, Dobin and Liz Heyer were elected chair and vice chair. The votes were unanimous.

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“06880” Podcast: Dave Grossman

Posted on December 2, 2025 | 1 comment

Dave Grossman is the rowing director and boys head coach at Saugatuck Rowing Club.

His rowing career began there in 2005. He quickly began coaching too. Dave was a 4-year member of the Hobart College team. He competed at the Head of the Charles Regatta, national championships and Henley Royal Regatta.

The other day, Dave came ashore to the Westport Library. We looked back, in this 25th anniversary year for Saugatuck Rowing Club’s modern facility, at its growth and evolution (and the role the Winklevoss family has played). We talked about the sport of crew: who it attracts, what it takes to compete, and the impact it has on rowers of all ages.

We talked too about Dave’s life, on and off the water. Click here or below, for a fascinating half hour.

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Friday Flashback #478

Posted on November 28, 2025 | 9 comments

As Stew Leonard’s prepares for the holiday — and shoppers prepare to brave the crowds there — it’s a good time to look back at warmer weather.

And the original Stew Leonard.

But not as a mega-store owner.

Longtime Westporter Larry Hoy — son-in-law of famed illustrator and Westport resident Ed Vebell — writes:

I’ve had these illustrations set aside for years, because I am a water skier and I thought they were really cool.

Ed had told me they were of Stew Leonard and done a long time ago, but I didn’t see much info on the drawings.

Stew Leonard, by Ed Vebell

I recently ran into Stew Jr. I asked him if he wanted them, and brought them over.

Stew Sr.’s wife Marianne was overjoyed. She is putting them up in her house, along with his trophies.

Turns out Stew was a national champion trick skier in 1957. Ed, who had moved to Westport in 1953, had been commissioned to do illustrations of him for a 1956 Sports Illustrated story, “Water Fun.”

The connection between these 2 guys just came to light when Marianne called to thank us. We started to realize what a great story this is.

Stew was famous for his revolutionary marketing concepts (recognized by Harvard Business School) and a national champion water skier.

Ed was a famous illustrator (his Nuremberg Court drawings are in the Holocaust Museum) and an Olympic fencer (qualifying for the 1952, ‘56 and ‘60 Games).

Their paths crossed in 1957. But both families are just now getting all the details of their story together.

According to a 2018 Norwalk Hour story by George Albano, the 26-year-old “Norwalk milkman” won the North American Water Ski Championship in ’57 — after picking up the sport just a year earlier.

He learned through trial and error on Saugatuck Shores. He and his brothers Leo and Jim dug out what they called “Bermuda Lagoon,” and practiced.

Stew Leonard in action. (Photo courtesy of The Hour)

Leonard told Albano, “Those days you delivered milk to people’s houses. So I started work at 3 a.m., and was done by 11:30. That was the edge I had, that and I had the lagoon. I was able to practice till dark.”

At the national event, he competed against water skiers from Florida and California, who practiced all year. “We had July and August,” he said.

Leonard also invented and patented a “Skee-Trainer.” Attached to a tow rope, it was designed to teach people to water ski. He sold them through Sears & Roebuck.

The future supermarket mogul was a multi-sport athlete. He was a goalie on the Norwalk High School ice hockey team. They played at the old Crystal Rink on Crescent Street. (The ramshackle building — fondly called the “Crystal Ice Palace” — drew notables like Olympians Carol Heiss and Dorothy Hamill. It’s where Paul Newman practiced too, for his 1977 movie “Slap Shot.”)

Stew Sr. also pole vaulted for Norwalk High and the University of Connecticut. But water skiing was his favorite sport. He retired in 1961 after injuring his back while practicing tricks. He became a lifetime member of the American Water Ski Association.

In 1976, Stew Leonard was honored for his water ski achievements by the Sportsmen of Westport.

His other accomplishments — including turning his father’s milk business into what Ripley’s called “the world’s largest dairy store” (albeit one that sells lobsters, flowers, wine and cashmere) — are stories to be told another day.

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Staples Players, Athletes, Alums … Wow!

Posted on November 25, 2025 | 2 comments

The honors keep coming for the Staples High School boys soccer team.

In addition to being state champions, they are ranked #1 in the nation by Max Preps.

It’s been more than 20 years since the Wreckers were rated that high. This week, they edged out perennial #1 St. Benedict’s Prep of New Jersey. What a kick!

#1 in the nation! (Photo/Melissa Garrity)

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Speaking of remarkable Staples achievements: Players actors, pit orchestra — even the box office — have all received lavish praise, for their part in the rousing success of “Les Misérables.”

The tech crew — set designers and builders, lighting and sound — have gotten well-deserved kudos too. The turntable was particularly impressive.

But here’s one more member who may have been overlooked.

Because he toiled — literally — behind the scenes.

Junior Theo Rowan spent all 10 performances on stage, but beneath the back bridge. He made sure that each turntable cue went according to plan.

A couple of times, it malfunctioned. Theo thought quickly, and solved the problems so the show could go on.

Bravo, Theo! You were indeed the “master of the house.”

Theo Rowan, on stage. (Photo/Kerry Long)

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Speaking still of Staples Players: 2024 graduate Cameron Mann has been added to Hulu’s “Foster Dade” pilot, Variety reports.

The show is a “sophisticated mystery set at an East Coast boarding school that explores privilege, scandal, sexuality, and masculinity amid the rise of social media, millennial anxiety and pharmaceuticals.”

Cameron has appeared on TV and movie screens in a number of roles, including “Mare of Easttown” and “Eddington.” He is a sophomore at the University of Michigan.

Fun fact: His mother, Jill Johnson Mann, grew up 2 houses from Aimee East, in a small Rochester, New York suburb. Aimee’s daughter Chloe East is also in the “Foster Dade” cast.

Cameron Mann (Photo/Michael Kushner)

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And … one more Staples Players alum story.

Class of 2003 graduate Justin Paul and his writing partner Benj Pasek are teaming up with J.P. Brammer to bring one of their favorite animals to the page.

People magazine calls their new book, “Axl the Axolotl Is Not a Frog,” a “funny and inspiring picture book about ‘learning to love and what makes you different.'”

Pasek and Paul — whose previous Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award-winning projects include “Dear Evan Hansen,” “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman” — tell People: “We hope this character and the world he inhabits inspire readers of all ages to embrace and celebrate the things that make them uniquely themselves, in this first of hopefully many Axl stories to come.” Click here for the full story.

Justin Paul has not forgotten his Staples Players roots. Last year, he worked with the cast of one of his earliest shows: “James and the Giant Peach.” (Photo/Kerry Long)

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Tacombi — Danny Meyer’s Mexican restaurant — appears to have closed. It opened near Stop & Stop just over 2 years ago, building on 11 locations in trendy New York neighborhoods.

Google says it is “temporarily closed,” but a recording on its phone number says “closed” — leaving out “temporarily.”

Meyer’s other Westport eatery — Shake Shack — appears to be doing quite well.

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Not far from Tacombi, there’s another change.

The house on the corner of Maple Avenue North and Old Road has been demolished.

For years, it was the subject of Blight Prevention Board discussions and enforcement actions.

(Photo/Jack Krayson)

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Westport psychotherapist Dr. Allyson Maida has published a new book.

“180: A Counterintuitive Method for Personal and Professional Change” is about brain function and behavior. Written in an easy, conversational style, it’s brief, to the point, and filled with relatable examples

The “180” comes from the fact that while people often promise themselves things will be different, somehow and somewhere, they tend to end up back (or close to) where they began.

Maida offers a 5-step guide to reshape brain connections rather than battling them, so real change can last. “for the most part, it’s all in your head,” she says.

Click here for more details, and to order.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image features a big — very big buck.

Steve Halstead knows him well. He eats at their backyard feeder regularly.

When he’s not posing for a photo like this, anyway.

(Photo/Steve Halstead)

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And finally … Jimmy Cliff died yesterday. The singer who helped introduce reggae to the world was 81.

I was part of that audience. Shortly after “The Harder They Come” — the film he starred in — was released, it was shown at the Westport Country Playhouse.

That was my introduction to the Jamaican genre. Though Cliff’s fame was eclipsed by Bob Marley, that soundtrack remains one of my favorite albums of all time.

Click here for a full obituary.

(“06880” continues to salute the many achievements of Staples students and graduates. We cover everything else in Westport, too. If you enjoy this blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)

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Remembering Perrin Delorey: With Love And Hoops, For A Great Cause

Posted on November 23, 2025 | 4 comments

On Friday evening, the Staples High School fieldhouse rocked. Over 120 Service League of Boys members and friends paid $25 each to join an energetic basketball fundraiser.

The beneficiary was a cause close to home: Staples Tuition Grants.

But the event was even more meaningful, for the many participants who remember Perrin Delorey: an elementary school baseball and hockey player, and Cub Scout. In his honor, Westport Little League presents a Perrin Ryan Delorey Sportsmanship Award each year, to players who model his sportsmanship and team spirit on the field. 

Perrin Delorey at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, with Ted Williams. Perrin was a huge Boston Red Sox fan.

He would have been a Staples senior this year.

His friend Philip Sullivan writes:

This evening, I participated in my 4th and final SLOBS basketball fundraiser.

Next spring, the class of 2026 will graduate without our beloved classmate, Perrin Delorey. Tonight’s basketball fundraiser will benefit a scholarship named to honor Perrin’s memory.

Perrin was a 4th grade student at Greens Farms Elementary in 2018 when he died in a car accident shortly before summer break.

As a class, we were devastated. But for me the tragedy struck also at home. Perrin was my first cousin, and my best friend.

Perrin Delorey’s cousin Philip Sullivan (right), with Staples Service League of Boys fundraising chair Zach Gillman.

To preserve his memory, and to honor him by recognizing another member of our class with a Staples Tuition Grant, I am partnering with friends and family to create an endowed award in Perrin’s name.

The first award will be given to a member of the Staples class of 2026 this spring.

We have already raised more than $10,000 toward our goal of $25,000 to establish the award. Last night, the award was the very fortunate beneficiary of the basketball fundraiser.

A huge turnout for the Perrin Delorey Staples Tuition Grants fundraiser.

Many of Perrin’s friends were there, as was Perrin’s and my grandfather, Bill Ryan. He served as one of the referees.

To all who have participated and supported our efforts to grow this award, I extend my warmest thank you. If you would like to contribute directly to the Perrin Ryan Delorey “Do Your Best” Award, please click here.

Congratulations to SLOBs organizers: president Rei Seltzer, fundraising chair Zach Gillman, Philip Sullivan, and all the SLOBs who helped run the event. There are over SLOBs this year. Besides the STG fundraiser, they participate in a wide variety of volunteer projects, all year long.

Congrats too to the basketball champions: Evan Sealove’s team; to all 40 teams of participants, and to all the parent and student volunteers as referees, timers and more.

Thanks too to Pizza Lyfe: donors of 35 pizzas for the hungry crowd.

The winners were all freshmen! From left: Emanuel Linvald, Augie Francis, Brody Chlupsa, Evan Sealove.

Jordan Ginsberg, Sportsmanship Award winner.

 

Among the many participants: Perrin’s friends (from left) Michael Brennan, Jacob Marcucio and Charlie Curran.

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