The goal of any good leader is to help those under him or her reach their full potential.
Just a few months into his new job, Erik Barbieri is doing exactly that.
Since taking in February, the Parks & Recreation director has brought a fresh eye to the sprawling department. From Longshore, Compo and other beaches to parks, programs and athletic fields, its work touches every Westporter.
Erik Barbieri, in his Parks & Rec office. (Photo/Dan Woog)
He’s also taken a close look at his staff, and how they’re deployed. With the recent retirements of 2 longtime, valued employees — deputy director Rick Giunta and customer services manager Barb Vornkahl — Barbieri saw a chance to move personnel to new positions.
And empower them to do more.
With several Parks & Rec projects as part of the town’s 10-year capital plan, Michael Giunta has been promoted from senior foreman to a new position: operations superintendent.
His role includes financial and administrative oversight, including revenue collection, reporting, insurance, bids and contracts.
Giunta will also coordinate with the town’s Finance, Human Resources and Public Works Department.
“He’s smart, and impressive,” Barbieri says.
Carmen Roda, the longtime operations manager, is the department’s new recreation superintendent. He’ll be in charge of aquatics, camps and programs.
Two recreation programmers — Max Robbins and Phoebe Koskinas — have been named program manager and program specialist, respectively. They’ll report to Roda.
Carmen Roda (Photo/Dan Woog)
Meanwhile, former administrative assistant Jamie Boone has been given more responsibility as office manager. She’ll take on a bit of Giunta and Vornkahl’s former responsibilities while overseeing all front office operations, like parking emblem sales and seasonal staff, along with social media, e-blasts, and the Memorial Day and Halloween parades.
One employee whose position won’t change is Nick Quatrano. Hired in May as parks superintendent, he’s made a “very impressive” mark already, Barbieri says.
“Everyone is on board,” the director says of his department. “There’s a lot of energy and buy-in. Everyone wants this department to be the best in the country. It’s my job to support them, and help them be successful.”
Barbieri notes that Giunta and Boone are Staples High School graduates, while Roda has served the town for many years, in both Parks & Rec and Westport PAL roles.
That continuity is important, Barbieri says.
So is rewarding them, and all employees, with new opportunities and challenges. He cites the support of 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, and town director of human resources Candice Holley with helping make the changes possible.
The Parks & Recreation Department “is in a great place,” Barbieri says. “We’re pushing to improve facilities and programs, and of course always listening to the public.”
He looks forward to the release of the final master plan, by the end of November.
Before then — tomorrow (Wednesday, October 8, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall) — there is a Board of Finance meeting.
Barbieri will make 3 requests. He’ll ask for $95,000 for architectural and engineering work on the Longshore golf course irrigation system, which is “failing, and getting worse every day.”
Also on tap: $104,420 for architectural and engineering work, and permitting, for bulkhead and seawall replacement at Longshore’s E.R. Strait Marina.
And there’s a need for $40,000, to make emergency repairs on the steps leading from the Westport Library to the Riverwalk.
As Barbieri discovered recently, that too falls under the Parks & Recreation purview.
Unsure who to vote for? Clueless about the candidates?
Two events this week can help.
On Tuesday (October 14, 7 p.m., Toquet Hall) the 3 candidates for 1st selectman will answer questions (from moderators and the audience) on stage. The League of Women Voters Westport and Westport Youth Commission are sponsors. This is a special event for students, but adults are invited.
On Wednesday (October 15, 2 p.m., Senior Center) the LWV sponsors “A Conversation with Board of Finance Candidates.”
This Thursday (October 16, 6:30 p.m., Greens Farms Academy), Westport Journal is sponsoring a 1st Selectman candidates debate. Registration is required; click here.
Coming soon:
Select Board Candidates Debate: October 21, 12 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.
A Seat at the Selectman’s Table: October 21, 6 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by Westport Library Common Ground Initiative. Registration required; click here.
A Conversation with Board of Education Candidates: October 22, 7 p.m., Toquet Hall. Co-sponsored by League of Women Voters Westport and “06880.”
A Conversation with Planning & Zoning Commission Candidates: October 23; 7 p.m. Senior Center. Co-sponsored by League of Women Voters Westport and “06880.”
Candidates Debates: Board of Education, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Assessment Appeals, Board of Finance: October 27, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters Westport.
Candidates Debate: 1st Selectman and Planning & Zoning Commission: October 28, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters Westport.
“Someone banged on my door around midday today, a man I did not recognize. I ignored the pounding. He left after a while, but he left a brochure. I’m guessing it was for a campaign.
“I can’t reach it to read it, because I can’t find my grabber. Maybe tomorrow morning I’ll figure out what it’s about.
“This is a very bad time to go around pounding on people’s doors. We’re all a little nervous about strangers. If he is running for an office, he doesn’t understand the right way to do it.
“I had another candidate stick signs on my property, without permission.
“I also think this barrage of signs is distracting to drivers. Should we vote for the first person in the line of signs, the last person or somebody in the middle? Do they really want to look like lawn maintenance or a tag sale?
“The blight committee is so fastidious about the image of Westport. How can they stomach these hideous signs everywhere on our roadsides?
“If people want to know how to vote, it’s much more informative to consider the statements of the individuals and the information put out by the League of Women Voters, don’t you think?”
(NOTE: Campaign signs are free speech, and permitted on town property. However, they cannot be put on private property without the owner’s permission.)
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Hundreds of human beings gathered yesterday at the Westport Library, to discuss their future — at least, as it relates to artificial intelligence.
The in-depth exploration of AI — and its implications across law, business, healthcare, education and technology — was sponsored by Verso University, the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative.
It spanned 3 sessions. Yale Law School professor Scott Shapiro led off with a discussion of AI’s role in legal reasoning, government ethics, and cybersecurity, alongside Kevin Nguyen, features editor at The Verge.
The second session examined the ways in which AI is shaping Connecticut’s innovation landscape, higher education, healthcare, workforce and legislation.
The final session concluded with reflections from Kate Crawford, one of AI’s leading scholars of artificial intelligence and its material impacts. (Hat tip: Les Dinkin)
Kevin Nguyen and Kate Crawford. (Photo/Dinkin ESH Fotografix)
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Westporters will participate in Saturday’s “No Kings Day” national event.
The October 18 protest against President Trump begins at 11 a.m., at Jesup Green. Participants will march to Veterans Green, for speakers and music. The route follows one taken by Westport’s suffragists, in 1913.
One of the organizers, Darcy Hicks, says: “In Westport, No Kings Day is an opportunity to signal to our local leaders who we are and what we hold dear.
Most of us spend much of our time caring for family, whether that is our children, spouses, or parents. This is about them.
“We are marching for the preservation of the water and air they breathe, for truth in their classrooms, for their healthcare, and for their social security. Most of all, we are marching for the rehabilitation of love, and the right for all of our neighbors, regardless of their faith, gender identity, race, or economic standing, to live with dignity.”
A “No Kings” sign, from Westport’s June protest. (Photo/Pippa Bell Ader)
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I’m not sure what “Fish on the Pumpkin” is.
But it’s one of the seasonal specials you’ll find at Basso’s Halloween party.
It’s October 31. Music starts at 7:30 p.m. Manny Montañez and his orchestra will play — with Chef Renato joining in on percussion. Dancing is encourage.
TAP Strength is all about helping people feel more confident and capable in their bodies. A new program supports an important group: neurodivergent teens and young adults.
The next event in their “Effortless Effort” speaker series is this Tuesday (October 14, 6 to 7 p.m., 180 Post Road East). at its Post Road East studio. It’s a conversation between TAP founder Dr. EJ Zebro and Chelsea Elkind and Lauren Rosenblum, founders of Westport-based NeuroMind. They’ve helped TAP design a program that is inclusive, supportive, and grounded in real-world needs.
Renaissance and Baroque dances, folk songs and vocal masterworks from England, France and Italy fill Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall this Saturday (October 18, 5 p.m.
Soprano Sherezade Panthaki joins Parthenia Viol Consort (praised by The New Yorker as “one of the brightest lights in New York’s early-music scene”).
This was not taken at Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall. But that’s where Saturday’s concert will be.
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Duke University’s women’s crew team had a successful High Point Autumn Rowing Festival — thanks in large part to Mia Khamish of Westport.
Competing against international competition from Edinburgh and Oxford in North Carolina, the Blue Devils snagged 2 first-place finishes.
In the afternoon 8 race, the senior coxswain’s decision-making at a crucial moment made a key difference.
Coach Adrian Spracklen called it “very mature, very smart … a tremendous call that you expect from a senior — someone that’s done it before.” To see the race, click here.
The Staples High graduate rowed for the Connecticut Boat Club.
Mia Khamish
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Yeah, yeah, we’ve posted a couple of close-up “Westport … Naturally” photos recently of bees doing their thing with flowers.
And finally … today is the birthday of James “Sugar Boy” Crawford.
The New Orleans R&B musician wrote “Jock-a-Mo” in 1954.
A Mardi Gras standard, it became a hit a decade later for the Dixie Cups, as “Iko Iko.” It was recorded by many other artists too, including Dr. John, Belle Stars, the Grateful Dead, Cyndi Lauper, and (as “Geto Boys”) by Glass Candy.
But Crawford’ s career ended in 1963. A severe beating at the hands of state troopers incapacitated him for 2 years. In 1969, he decided to sing only in churches. He died in 2012, at 77. He is now in the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
(No matter who you vote for, there’s one decision we can all agree on: When you click here to support “06880,” everyone wins! No recount necessary … thank you!)
Rick Jaffe was trained as a management consultant and a software engineer. After attending last week’s Parks Master Plan public workshop, he sent this letter to Westport Parks & Recreation Department director Erik Barbieri:
Last night’s Public Workshop showed me a critical flaw in our town’s Parks Master Plan process: We are trying to solve a problem without first having determined what that problem is.
We are building a 10-year Parks Master Plan for enhancing our town’s parks offerings without first having figured out what park-related resources we as a community need.
When I was a member of our town’s Representative Town Meeting, I tried to interest your predecessor to spearhead a ‘Needs Assessment’ to figure out what parks resources would best fit our community’s needs, and compare that to what our town currently offers.
Then we could build a long-term plan that would include evaluating our current parks resources, and identifying opportunities for change and improvement to come closer to the ideal of providing the best possible parks for our community.
When we put the cart before the horse as we are doing now, solving the Parks Master Plan process without first knowing what we want the Master Plan to lead to, we make mistakes in identifying what to do and what not to do, and with what priority.
The result will be a less-than-optimal plan and, eventually, less than optimal parks resources available to our community. Without the Needs study, we may miss important issues. A community suggestion coming from your Public Workshops can easily be overlooked, or recognized but prioritized too low, for want of support from actual data.
Here are two examples. An outdoor fitness center, or a network of outdoor fitness centers, is so valued by communities that recently AARP funded this one, and installed one in 53 US states and territories.
(FitLot’s inventor lives so close to us that they could be here to talk about it in minutes if we ask).
And what about a splash pad for kids? Other communities love them. From my personal observation (admittedly short on hard data), splash pads provide significant squeals of delight per square foot.
Splash pad.
There are communities out there that engage in the process of getting various user groups, like teenagers, to design their own parks, thereby maximizing the chance that those user groups will benefit.
Without a Needs Assessment the planning process is guided by feel, lucky guesses and experience.
Our town is unique and has unique needs, ones that require real community input to identify needs along with resources that are already in place that can be leveraged to better fit the lifestyles of our community members.
This is our chance to revamp the parks resources in Westport in a way that will not require a Master Plan re-do down the line because the actual needs and wants of the Westport community – as identified by the members themselves – were not addressed.
We can fix this, but we have to do it now, before the cart is cast in cement before the horse.
(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com. To support this hyper-local blog with a tax-deductible contribution, please click here.)
The New York Giants and Gatorade have selected the Staples football team’s first-year coach as High School Coach of the Week.
The Wreckers are now 4-0, after pummeling Darien on the road last Saturday, 31-6. It was Staples’ first victory over the Blue Wave in 13 years.
The honor comes with a $2,000 check from the Giants Foundation and Gatorade for the football program. Jacowleff will also receive a certificate signed by Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and be honored at a dinner following the season, and a 2026 pre-season game.
Staples football head coach Matty Jacowleff.
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The art featured this fall in the Westport Library aligns with StoryFest — the multimedia homage to storytelling.
The exhibits — on display now through December 16, include:
The exhibit features renowned photographers Philippe Halsman, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Eliot Porter and Lucia Nebel White, and Westport photographers Larry Silver, David Kalman, Spencer Platt, Lynsey Addario and more.
Larry Morse’s “Black Men Reading” (opening reception October 29 at 6 p.m.; conversation between Morse and Westport artist Miggs Burroughs at 7).
The idea for this series began in 2020, inspired by daily subway commutes where Morse observed fellow passengers, including the occasional sight of Black men with books in hand. Those moments transcended timely happenings, and spoke to deep-rooted aspects of identity, dignity, and representation.
“Art of the Album: Modern Blues” showcases a selection of LPs featuring Westport resident and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mark Naftalin’s performances on keyboard, including with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. From Mother Earth’s “Living With the Animals” to Brewer & Shipley’s “Tarkio,” these albums capture the cultural time when vinyl packaging were both a canvas and a keepsake.
Staples High School Class of 1973 graduate Bob Gill died peacefully in February in Honolulu. He was 69.
An Eagle Scout, Bob earned a gymnastics scholarship — and a bachelor arts in education — at Arizona State University.
Bob in the Los Angeles and Honolulu public schools. The North Shore, with its culture and surfing challenge, became his home.
He was also an actor, model and house painter.
Bob is survived by his siblings Jeffrey, Steven (Sally) and Kirsten Bartie (Steve). He was predeceased by his parents Robert and Olivia, and brother Gary.
A memorial will be held this Sunday (October 12, 11:45 a.m., Willowbrook Cemetery).
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Connecticut Humane Society.
Longtime Westporter Jo Ann Arciola died peacefully at her home on Wednesday, surrounded by her family, after a brief illness. She was 78.
The Boston native found her professional home at Resnick Advisories, where she spent more than 20 years. She was noted for her dedication, integrity and kindness.
Jo Ann was an avid reader, traveler and cook. Her family says, “her kitchen was a place of warmth, laughter, and love.”
Jo Ann is survived by her husband of 58 years, Sam Arciola, Jr.; son Sam Arciola III (Kelly); grandsons Sam Arciola IV and Dominic Arciola; brothers-in-law Carmen Arciola of Florida and Jay Westerhold of Virginia; many nieces and nephews, and her dog Romeo. She was predeceased by her brother Edward Austin, sister Eleanor Westerhold, and Joseph Arciola.
A memorial service is set for Thursday (October 16, 11 a.m., Assumption Cemetery, 73 Greens Farms Road).
And finally … in honor of Mark Naftalin, and the album cover exhibit at the Westport Library (story above):
(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local blog — your source for news, events, photos, and everything else about our town. We rely on reader support. Please click here — and thank you!)
Posted onOctober 9, 2025|Comments Off on Inspiring Innovators: StartUp Westport Honors Mark Shapiro And Sweet P Founders
Innovation is not easy.
It takes creativity, vision, communication, teamwork, hard work, and much more.
Including humility, and the willingness to try — and fail.
StartUp Westport is our town’s public/private collaboration for innovators in a wide array of areas.
Yesterday, the organization presented 2 awards — Innovator of the Year, and Community Impact Innovator — to 3 Westporters who exemplify StartUp Westport’s mission.
And its energy.
A full house at the Westport Library honored Mark Shapiro, and Bill and Andrea Pecoriello.
The large audience was inspired by the trio.
They learned a lot from them too.
As president and COO of TKO Group Holdings, and president and managing partner of WME Group, Shapiro has helped shape some of the most influential names in sports and entertainment.
After a powerful introduction by Jay Williams — the Westporter, a former Duke and NBA star and now a television analyst — Shapiro sat with CNBC journalist Sara Eisen.
Jay Williams introduces Mark Shapiro.
He described his arrival in Westport — a community that had everything his family wanted, plus a professional editing facility halfway between New York and ESPN’s Bristol headquarters — before pivoting to lessons on leadership.
Shapiro has played key roles at ESPN, Six Flags, Dick Clark Productions and now WME, where his portfolio ranges from athletes and entertainers to journalists and brands. He works with everyone from Denzel Washington to the Professional Bull Riders League.
His work is all about being “a participant, not a passenger.”
Mark Shapiro and Sara Eisen, onstage at the Westport Library.
Shapiro talked about the human side of building a corporate culture: nurturing the talents of others, supporting them, placing high demands on them, trusting them, and holding them accountable.
“At the end of the day, everything is about relationships,” Shapiro said. “You don’t just go to people only when you need something.”
Shapiro makes decisions based “half on gut, half on data.” He fails “every single day,” he noted. (Including sometimes not checking in with his wife and family at least once daily, the greatest failing of all, he said.)
Shapiro advised: “Learn from your mistakes. Don’t dwell on them. Have faith that your team take care of it.”
The Pecoriellos — founders of Sweet P Bakery — were cited for “their dedication to social good, and sustainable business practices in the local community.” The company trains and provides jobs for adults with disabilities, teaches transferable skills, and builds independence, confidence and a sense of belonging.
Bill and Andrea Pecoriello, before the ceremony. (All photos/Dan Woog)
Andrea Pecoriello described Sweet P’s growth since its founding in 2019. It has trained and employed 19 people; moved from an 800-square foot bakery into a facility 4 times larger, and now ships its (amazingly delicious) cookies nationwide. (They’re at Yankee Stadium too.)
“We make cookies. But we also solve problems many people don’t even know exist,” she said. There are 19,000 adults with disabilities in Fairfield County — 70% of whom cannot find work.
Sweet P Bakery has 2 bottom lines, Pecoriello concluded: “financial and social. Our innovation addresses how business can serve society.”
UN Day is October 24. This year as never before, the international organization is wracked with controversy.
The night before, Under-Secretary-General Christian Saunders will be at the Westport Library. He’ll speak on “The UN at 80: Current Challenges and Future Possibilities” (October 23, 7 p.m.).
The event is part of the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Lecture Series, established by the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut.
Today is the 2nd anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack.
The Blondinit will honor the memory of those lost in Israel, and those still held captive, by donating a portion of proceeds from all meals and drinks — dine in or take out at the Church Lane restaurant, and delivery — to United Hatzalah.
The volunteer-based emergency medical services organization provides free, lifesaving care to anyone in need across Israel. With more than 8,000 trained medics and an average response time of under 3 minutes, they save lives every day using innovative tools like ambucycles and GPS technology.
Entirely funded by donations, United Hatzalah was among the first responders during the October 7 attacks. They continue to provide critical emergency aid throughout the country.
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On a more joyful note, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot began at sundown last night.
The festival commemorates both the fall harvest, and 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt.
Celebrated for 7 days, it involves building a temporary hut (sukkah), which symbolizes the fragile, temporary shelters of the Israelites, and reminds observers of God’s protection.
This sukkah was built yesterday near Compo Beach:
(Photo/Richard Fogel)
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Survive-OARS — the inspirational (and very competitive) Saugatuck Rowing Club team made up of breast cancer survivors — heads to the Head of the Charles on October 18. It’s the biggest regatta in the world.
Six days before — this Sunday (October 12, 1 to 4 p.m., Saugatuck Rowing Club, rain or shine), the public can honor these strong, spirited women.
Every ticket and donation (all tax-deductible) will fuel the Survive-OARS’ life-changing program of strength, empowerment, resilience and sisterhood.
The afternoon includes music by the Bad Dog Buddy Band, nibbles and more (full raw bar, clam chowder, pumpkin bisque, charcuterie, apple crisp).
One of the highlights: turning the Saugatuck River pink, with 50,000 rose petals. That’s quadruple the usual, already stunning number.
A moment of silence will honor all the lives touched by the insidious disease.
Petals can be dedicated to a loved one, or the Survive-OARS program. Messages can be written on (biodegradable) paper, and lofted into the river along with the petals.
Tickets are $75. Can’t be there? Purchase and dedicate rose petals, to be scattered in your name ($50 or $25). Click here for more information. Questions? Email diana@survive-oars.org.
The last time we checked in with Max Orland — the 2006 Staples High School graduate who overcame a speech and language disability to work with the New York Mets, US Open (center court, for Federer and Serena Williams), Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Northeastern University — he was hired in golf operations at the prestigious Tiburón Club in Naples, Florida.
Now he’s a published writer. His piece in Tri- State Golf Magazine is an inspiring account of the challenges he’s overcome, the milestones he’s reached, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. (Click here to read.)
It focuses on his move away from all that was familiar, to South Florida. It’s very well-written, filled with strong examples, and a testament to Max’s talent, perseverance and character.
The other day, Max was in Westport. He headed to Staples — as he always does — to see Sara Levesh Prior, a teacher who was so helpful to him 20 years ago.
“I was so fortunate to go to school there,” Max says. “It really launched me to some great accomplishments. I am forever grateful for Staples and Westport.
I owe gratitude to a lot of people there, like the baseball coaches, who were rooting for me.”
PS: Max has a new (and very exciting) gig. He’ll be working in operations for the NBA’s Miami Heat. Good things happen to great people!
Max Orland
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Club203 — Westport’s social organization for adults with disabilities — celebrates Halloween early.
Their October 16 (6:30 p.m.) event at Earthplace is “a spooktacular night under the stars.” It includes music, a “trick-a-tree” trail” for treats, pumpkin painting, a fire pit, and a chance to hang out with friends.
Staples’ Candlelight Concert is over 2 1/2 months away.
But the school’s music department is deep in preparations for the 85th annual gift to the town.
Ten years ago — for the 75th anniversary — a special CD included selections from many previous shows. The oldest — “The 12 Days of Christmas” — was from 1953.
This year, the department wonders: Are there older Candlelight recordings anywhere? And when was the first concert recorded by a movie camera (or camcorder)?
If you’ve got a long-ago LP, movie or video, contact Steve Zimmerman, district arts coordinator: szimmerman@westportps.org. (PS: Please let “06880” know too!)
This photo is from the 1979 Candlelight Concert. It was already nearly 40 years old. There have been over 40 Candlelights since.
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Pequot Runners — organizers of the very popular Thanksgiving Day 5-mile race and 2.6-mile walk — are sponsoring a kids-only race this Sunday (October 19, Greens Farms Academy)
There are 2 distances: 1.5 miles (4th-5th grade boys and girls, 9 a.m.) and 2 mles (5th-6th graders, 9:30 a.m.).
“06880” received dozens of harvest moon photos last night. We couldn’t use all — or even a small part — of them.
But here is one, as it rose over (of course) Compo Beach:
(Photo/Nancy Lally)
And another, over Old Road:
(Photo/Ben Meyer)
The full harvest moon was framed beautifully, in this sculpture by Hans Von de Bovemkamp on Judy Point Lane, near Saugatuck Shores:
(Photo/Roger Leifer)
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The Staples boys soccer online silent auction has begun.
Items include soccer training with varsity players (for goalkeepers too!), a ball signed by the varsity team, a ski on/off weekend at Stowe, Knicks tickets, diamond earrings, writing consultations with “06880” founder Dan Woog, and much more.
Multi-instrumentalist (bass, guitar, harmonica, looper, vocals) Brian Torff stars this Thursday, at Jazz at the Post (VFW Post 399; 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. shows; dinner from 7).
Most of our daily “Westport … Naturally” photos show Westport at its best: the beauty and wonder we often appreciate (but not always).
Today’s shows Gray’s Creek, between Longshore and Compo Beach Road.
But while it is a town jewel, some people don’t always treat it that way. For example:
(Photo/Nathan Greenbaum)
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And finally … speaking of last night’s harvest moon:
(Another day, another Roundup chock full of news, events, photos and more. If you enjoy this daily feature — or any other — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Something about sports intrigues photographers — and not just the action.
Athletes’ emotions are on display, for all to see.
That’s especially true in high school, where everyone is so close to the action.
Soccer is an especially great sport to shoot. With no helmets hiding faces, a talented photographer can capture the highest highs, the lowest lows, and the intense concentration and light moments in between.
Ryan Allen is an outstanding photographer. The other day, he was at Fairfield Ludlowe for the Staples match.
The Wreckers won, 3-0. They’ve won a lot lately. With a 10-2 record, they’re poised for a deep run in the FCIAC and state tournaments.
Here are a few of Ryan’s images. They show what high school sports are all about.
PS: Ryan is only a high school junior. Wow!
Wreckers get ready.
Gabe Duque
Nico Reyna
Brendan Allen (2nd from left) celebrates his goal.
Drew Hill
Coach Liam Witham
Dueling huddles, before the second half begins.
Noah Rossoni
Owen Perry (center), after his goal.
Ford Epstein
Josh Whitaker
Brendan Allen
Jack D’Amore
Chase Cammeyer
Spencer Girling, Emmett Zahler and Josh Whitaker.
The 2025 Staples boys soccer varsity team. (All photos/Ryan Allen)
Over 1,000 Westporters will flock to Greens Farms Elementary School this Sunday.
Westport Moms’ 5th annual Family Fun Fall Festival (October 5, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) is one of the highlights of the year for kids (and parents).
Activities include a ninja wall, pottery making, pumpkin decorating, face painting, a bounce house, games, basketball clinics, chess matches, hair tinsel, and more.
Oh, yeah: a DJ, Mad Science show, character photo ops, and pizza and tacos food trucks too.
In 2020, the Westport resident wrote a buzzy article for The Atlantic about the extreme measures taken by parents in their quest to mold their children into recruitable niche-sport athletes.
The lengthy piece appeared to be well-researched. A New York Times columnist called it “excellent,” and insightful in its depiction of high-end athletic recruiting as an accelerant of inequality in college admissions.
But 2 weeks later The Atlantic retracted the article. A scathing Editor’s Note accused Barrett of serious journalistic crimes, adding it could not “attest to the veracity” of her portrayal.
The Atlantic revoked Barrett’s rights to her own work, dissolved her contract, and blocked a Hollywood agency from acquiring the right to produce a spinoff TV series based on her article (entitled “The Mad, Mad World of Niche Sports Among Ivy League-Obsessed Parents).”
Barrett responded by filing a lawsuit. She claimed her article was accurate, and that Atlantic editors had breached her contract and slandered her with provably false accusations.
In September of 2024, federal judge Loren Alikhan appeared to side with Barrett. In a 38-page ruling, she rejected The Atlantic’s motion to dismiss Barrett’s case, and ruled that the majority of her defamation claims would stand.”
The judge also ruled that Barrett was a private figure — meaning she would not have to prove at trial that The Atlantic harbored “actual malice” against her, but merely that it published defamatory falsehoods that torched her reputation.
Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that The Atlantic had “quietly settled” with Barrett. The paper said that the magazine agreed to pay her over $1 million — and issued a series of corrections and “clarifications” to its online Editor’s Note.
Staples High School senior Oliver Vynerib — who recently received a Westport Green Building Award for exemplifying sustainable practices by supporting deconstruction on Westport properties at 5 Sycamore Drive and 159 Easton Road — will give a presentation about “deconstruction” to builders and residents looking to learn more.
Oliver founded HomeCycle CT in 2023. Its mission is to connect residents and builders with nonprofits to deconstruct homes — that is, dismantle buildings otherwise scheduled for demolition, then donating the building components to reduce landfill waste.
HomeCycle is a bridge between builders, donors and nonprofits, and provides guidance on donations and the tax deduction process. Salvageable items from home remodels are also eligible for donation. To learn more, email olivervynerib@gmail.com or call 203-919-0202.
Oliver Vynerib receives his Green Building Award from 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker. Town officials look on.
Melissa Newman — a longtime Westporter, and favorite of Jazz at the Post as long as it’s been around — returns tomorrow (Thursday, October 2), to the weekly VFW show.
The vocalist is joined by Tony Lombardozzi (guitar), Phil Bowler (bass) and Bobby Leonard (drums).
Now she is backing the school’s housing vision. She pledged $15 million to name one of the new undergraduate residence halls.
The 5-story Shonda Rhimes Hall is both the first Dartmouth building named for a woman, and the first named for a Black alum. It opens in 2028. (Hat tip: Andrea Cross)
Shonda Rhimes, and her new dorm. (Rendering by Elkus Manfredi Architects; photo courtesy of Shondaland)
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This Saturday’s Staples-Fairfield Warde boys soccer game will be a great one.
And not just because the Wreckers and Mustangs are 2 of the top teams in the FCIAC.
After superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice and the Board of Education refused to renew the contracts of Staples head coach Russell Oost-Lievense and staff member Chris O’Dell, they were quickly hired as Warde assistants. They’ve been embraced by the players, athletic department and administrators.
O’Dell and Oost-Lievense are very happy in Fairfield. But they still love the Westport program, where both were high school captains (in 1994 and 2007, respectively).
So they’ve made Saturday’s 1 p.m. match at Warde’s Tetreau Field into not an us-against-them affair, but a we’re-all-in-this-together one. It’s called the “Gold Game.”
Led by the Warde parents, working with Staples parents, players on both teams have purchased game day socks, to raise funds to fight pediatric cancer through LivFree.
Players on the 2 squads are also soliciting donations of prizes. They’ll be used for a “Goals for Gold” penalty kick event for youth players, before and after the game.
There’s much more on Saturday, including giveaways — plus, of course, a great game.
Oh, yeah: Why is the theme “gold”? Supporters of both teams are encouraged to wear that color — not Staples blue, or Mustang red.
We — and they — are all in this together.
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You never know what you’ll find on “06880.”
Or what you’ll see when “06880” wanders around town.
The other day, I was downtown with Thomas Samaranayake (@thomas_sam123) — “06880”‘s fantastic social media guru — plus Frank Rosen and Mark Sogofsky, longtime News 12 producers who have started their own video company.
They offered to create an Instagram “donate to ‘06880’ video for (and with) me. (Many desktop, laptop and mobile users know this blog relies on reader support; most who follow us on social media — @06880danwoog — don’t.)
The Wall Street Journal has just introduced one of the most colorful to its readers.
The home, on Beachside Common above Burying Hill Beach, belongs to biotech entrepreneur/investor/scientist Alan Walton and his wife Elenor.
They bought the 1970s contemporary in 2000 for $6.3 million. It was expanded and “reimagined” in the 1990s — for $13 million.
The exterior …
With its floating staircase, periscope skylights, rainbow glazing purple carpet — and a 150-foot multicolored tile pathway that “meanders” through the house — it’s not for everyone. (Several online commenters made that quite clear.)
Alan died in 2015. Elenor died this past February. The couple was a much-admired part of their tight-knit neighborhood.
In her will, Elenor told her children to sell the property.
“06880” has reported on Saturday’s very successful LobsterFest. The Westport Rotary Club raised about $400,000 for a variety of non-profits, in Fairfield County and abroad.
Here’s another part of the story that’s worth telling.
CORR — Collective Oyster Recycling & Restoration, a non-profit that organizes a statewide sustainable shell recovery and recycling network, reclaiming shells from restaurants, seafood businesses and events, diverting them from landfills to use in shellfish restoration projects — was at Compo Beach, working hard.
They gathered used oyster shells from the Copps Island raw bar crew, and from festival goers at the waste disposal area.
CORR collected 175 pounds of shells — 7 buckets worth. They will be dumped back into the Sound to create new oyster reefs (baby oyster larvae attach to the old shells). (Hat tip: Hunter Peterson)
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Golfers are familiar with birdies and eagles at Longshore.
They may be surprised to find a coyote there too.
A pair of hawk-eyed “06880” readers sent photos from the course. Fore!
Enjoying a sand trap … (Photo/Robert Crowley)
… and at the 4th hole … (Photo/Tim Steele)
… and heading toward the next one. (Photo/Colin Livingston)
Faherty celebrates its first year at 26 Main Street with a “Day of Gratitude + Good Vibes.”
They’ll showcase their new fall; give away free totes — and donate 10% to Sweet P Bakery, the company owned by Westporters Bill and Andrea Pecoriello that trains and employs people with disabilities.
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Jazz at the Post’s “September Piano Madness” ends this Thursday (September 25; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7).
Azerbaijan pianist Amina Figarova returns to VFW Post 399. Last year’s performance of “Suite for Africa” during her CD release tour, with her sextet and the Matsiko World Orphan Choir, was stellar.
She’ll be joined by flutist Bart Platteau, trumpeter Josh Bruneau, bassist Mark Lewandowski, drummer Ryan Sands and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Longtime Westport resident Elaine Levy died peacefully on Sunday. She was 86, and had battled cancer.
The University of Pittsburgh graduate had a lifelong love of learning.
She met her future husband, Roy Levy, on Nantucket. They moved to Westport in the early 1960s, and raised a family here.
Elaine also built a career in Westport’s retail world, working in fashion and furniture.
She was known for her love of tennis, vibrant social life, and and joy in entertaining and dining out.
Elaine was predeceased by her husband, and by her sister Nina Fingerhood. She is survived by her daughter, Annie (Sam Vail), son Joshua, and grandchildren Roy and Graceanne Vail.
A private celebration of her life will be held September 26. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, designated for small cell lung cancer research.
Sonny Curtis — a singer-songwriter who performed with Buddy Holly (and was his pallbearer), opened for Elvis Presley and wrote hits like “I Fought the Law” (plus the theme song for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which he also sang) — died Friday in Nashville. He was 88.
And finally … in honor of Ryan Inzero, the amazing “sign spinner” in the “06880” donation story above:
(Our “06880” fingers are tired, from all this Roundup typing. But we do it for you! If you enjoy, learn from or just kinda like our hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Comments Off on Roundup: Shonda Rhimes, Soccer Coaches, Sign Spinner …
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