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.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie led the ceremony yesterday, accompanied by the Staples Orphenians, town poet laureate Donna Disch, and a small group of children who counted down the numbers.
The tree is in front of Town Hall, on Myrtle Avenue.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie leads the countdown …
… and poses with the Orphenians …
… ta da! (All photos/Dan Woog)
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The 85th annual Candlelight Concert is the Staples Music Department’s gift to the town. This year’s shows are Friday, December 12 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 13 (3 and 8 p.m.).
The always-hot tickets went on sale this morning at 9 a.m (www.StaplesMusic.org). They’re free — but donations to the Staples music program are greatly appreciated.
There are other ways to support our young musicians too. The poinsettias that decorate the stage can be ordered here, then picked up at the end of the final show.
Also available, at all performances: “Candlelight Cookies” from Alina’s. They’re just $6 — and each includes a coupon for a free cupcake. Click here to order.
Finally: Staples’ Tri-M Music Honor Society again sponsors “CanDelight” — a canned food donation drive benefiting the Homes for Hope food pantry. Collection bins will be in the lobby before every concert.
Poinsettias set the stage for Candlelight. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Nearly every seat was filled last night, for the Westport Country Playhouse’s final Script in Hand reading of 2025.
“What The Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck was one of the most timely in the long-running and popular series.
The star, Nina Hellman, grew up in Westport and was a member of Staples Players. She now lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jeremy Shamos, who was also in the show.
Every audience member received a copy of the US Constitution. (Hat tips: Susan Garment and Dave Matlow)
The “Constitution” crew, Standing (from left) Liz Beatty (stage manager), Jocelyn Shek, Nina Hellman, Mark Shanahan (Playhouse artistic director), Amanda Charlton (director). Seated: Jeremy Shamos. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
New Yacht City’s tribute to music of the 1970s and ’80s — Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald and more — rocks the VFW this Saturday.
Doors open at 6 p.m. The band comes on at 8. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Click here to purchase.
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The Westport Farmers’ Market winter location — Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center — is warm and cozy.
It’s the perfect place for “Operation Warm Hug.” This Thursday and Saturday (December 4 and 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), they’re collecting new and gently used coats, hats, mittens and gloves, for nOURish clients in Bridgeport.
All donations are “warmly” welcomed.
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Meanwhile, not far from the VFW, Railroad Place was closed temporarily yesterday morning.
A truck on the 1-way section of Franklin Street took down a utility pole, which landed on a car. There were no injuries.
Acoustic band On the Trail brings their bluegrass/contemporary pop/traditional blend of music to Voices Cafe this Saturday (December 6, 8 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
Tickets for the “toe-tapping” show are $25. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
A Holiday Pop-Up Shop is set for December 10 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; The Residence at Westport, 1141 Post Road East).
It features pottery, jewelry and other gifts, all from local artisans.
The Residence at Westport.
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Guitarist Paul Bollenback and pianist Dave Kikoski highlight this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, December 4; 7:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; VFW Post 399).
They’re joined by bassist Essiet Essiet, drummer Ryan Sands and saxophonisthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1DCWLJ4m8U Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Former Staples High School basketball player Geoffrey Lavaty died November 3, at his Wilton home. He was 86.
The Bronx native grew up in Westport, and graduated with the Class of 1957.
After Rollins College he served for 2 years in the Army, then moved to New York. He sold radio time, then partnered with his father. Their firm — Frank and Jeff Lavaty Associates — represented commercial artists and illustrators, many of them from this area.
Jeff and Ebba Von Koch were married in 1968. They lived in New York and Wilton.
Jeff was an oil painter, displaying his work in local galleries and public buildings. He was also a skilled pool player, an avid freshwater fisherman, a fan of the New York Giants, Knicks, Fats Domino, Pavarotti and Cabernet Sauvignon.
He is survived by his wife; sisters Judy Strauss (Jeffrey) and Jane Cooke (Donald), and cousins, nieces and nephews. Services will be private.
Generations of Candlelight Concert-goers have thrilled to the Staples High School Music Department’s annual gift to the town.
Hundreds of choral, orchestra and band musicians create magic. Beautiful works, world pieces, the rousing “Hallelujah Chorus” with dozens of alumni joining on stage — and of course, the traditional “Sing We Noel” processional that begins it all.
That welcoming number is a Staples special. The orchestra begins, slowly and hauntingly. Blue-robed choir members, holding (electric) candles, walk in step down the aisles.
The “Sing We Noel” processional, 2022. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
There is a big downbeat. The singers pivot, facing the audience. Together, they begin: “Dost thou remember the Prophet of old/Who that most wond’rous story told…”
It’s a stirring moment no one who has ever sung, played or heard it will ever forget.
“Sing We Noel” seems stuck in time. The Staples auditorium is one of the few places in the world where it is still performed. The hymn is almost impossible to find on YouTube (a different, jaunty song by the same name pops up a bit more often).
The sheet music went out of print decades ago.
Copies have been Xeroxed many times. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The processional seems — to me, and probably most audience members — a timeless way to begin the Candlelight Concert
But the Staples music instructors have been dissatisfied with their time-honored version. They thought the near-perfect selection could be made even better.
The music they’ve used for years was difficult to conduct. Trumpets and violins jumped octaves. There are many more winds on stage now than before. The band is bigger. There was no direction for saxophones. Vocal parts were in a different meter.
It was time to tweak the arrangement.
The music department partnered with Mark Ceppetelli, a colleague of band director Kevin Mazzarella. He’s an accomplished engraver (someone who prepares sheet music, meticulously formatting it for clarity and readability).
“We wanted to reimagine the piece for winds, and incorporate the singers in a ‘bettter’ way,” says townwide music coordinator Steve Zimmerman. The goal was to “embellish something that’s already excellent.”
This year’s “Sing We Noel” will scarcely sound different to most of the audience. They might not even realize there is an oboe solo, that new percussion parts have been added, or that the brass is brassier.
This year’s brass will be brassier. (Photo/Kerry Long)
“We believe in tradition. And Westport does too. This is a way to make a little more sense musically,” orchestra director Jeri Brima says.
“This maintains the spirit of ‘Sing We Noel’ — in a more inclusive way. The melody is the same. But the sound is fuller.”
Discerning ears will notice the difference. I probably won’t.
Every year, much of Candlelight remains the same.
And every year it evolves.
Now let hosannas ring …!
(For the fascinating back story of how legendary music director John Ohanian brought “Sing We Noel” to Westport, click here. In 2019, Staples graduate Catherine Webster recalled the impact of “Sing We Noel.” Click here to read her words.)
(The 85th annual Candlelight Concert takes place Friday, December 12 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, December 13 at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets are available to the public starting at 9 a.m. today — Tuesday — at www.StaplesMusic.org. They’re free, but donations to the Staples music program are greatly appreciated.)
(Concert-goers can support the Staples music program by purchasing poinsettias that decorate the stage. They can be picked up at the conclusion of the December 13 8 p.m. show. Click here for details.)
(Also available, at all shows: Candlelight Cookies from Alina’s. They’re just $6, and each includes a coupon for a free cupcake. Click here to order. )
Jon Gailmor — a 1966 Staples High graduate, one of the most legendary of all the school’s musical talents, and an official Vermont “state treasure” — died peacefully last night, at his son’s New Orleans home. He was diagnosed with leukemia 18 months ago.
Jon’s family sang and played music at his bedside — including the playful, upbeat “Gonna Die With a Smile If It Kills Me,” which Jon wrote 50 years ago.
Jon Gailmor
At Staples Jon sang in Orphenians, directed by George Weigle. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Jon and fellow Orphenian Rob Carlson formed a folk duo.
Their debut album — “Peaceable Kingdom” — remains a timeless classic for all who heard it.
But Polydor Records did not market it — or them — well. Disillusioned, the singers went their separate ways.
Jon spent time in Europe. In 1977 he moved to Vermont, and became an icon there for nearly 50 years. He was a concert performer, singer-songwriter, musical album creator, kids’ radio show host, and songwriting workshop leader for children and adults.
Jon Gailmor (left) accompanies a group of Vermont schoolchildren. His workshops taught them how to write songs — and perform them.
He recorded 6 albums, won numerous awards, was named a “state treasure” by the governor, and was Vermont’s representative to perform during the 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Jon received the Mayor’s Peace Prize in Burlington, and a Silver Citation from the Vermont Arts Council. In 1996 he carried the Olympic Torch through Brattleboro, on its way to Atlanta.
Jon was also a longtime moderator of the annual meeting in his town of Elmore. When the AP explored the role of town meetings in polarized times, they focused on Elmore — and Jon. Click here to read that story.
Jon Gailmor, at the Elmore Town Hall. (Photo courtesy of AP/David Goldman)
His ties to his adopted state were strong. He expressed his deep love for Vermont in his song “Long Ago Lady.”
Jon and Rob played together again 15 years ago, at the Staples Class of ’66 reunion. For all who were there, it was a magical moment.
Jon Gailmor (left) and Rob Carlson in 2018, at the Weston Grange. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Jon performed several times this past decade in Westport, most recently to a sold-out “First Folk Sunday” crowd at the Boathouse restaurant.
Last year, after Jon moved to New Orleans — where his son Aaron lives — for leukemia treatment, he continued giving back.
The surest sign of the holidays yet: Candlelight Concert tickets are available next week.
The 85th annual event — one of the most beloved of all Westport traditions — takes place Friday, December 12 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 13 (3 and 8 p.m.).
Since 1941, this annual gift to the Westport community showcases the talents of more than 200 students in Staples High School’s nationally recognized music program.
Tickets are available to the public starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2. Log on to www.staplesmusic.org. (Warning: They sell out quickly!)
There is no charge for Candlelight tickets. However, donations to support the music program are accepted.
Hundreds of students make Candlelight magic. (Photo/Kerry Long)
This year’s Candlelight promises a show filled with “reflection and joy — a celebration of timeless music and new beginnings.” Choral ensembles, and the symphonic orchestra and band, will offer a wide range of works, honoring the holidays in a variety of ways.
The program opens with Susato’s spirited “La Morisque,” and the treasured Candlelight processional, “Sing We Noel.”
That leads into “Ashlosha D’Avarim,” a musical setting of the Pirkei Avot verse that highlights the enduring values of truth, justice and peace.
The audience is then taken on a journey through vivid musical landscapes, from the brisk energy of Prokofiev’s “Troika” to the lush harmonies of Rachmaninov’s
“Bogoroditse Devo,” and the radiant optimism of Rosephanye Powell’s “Ogo ni fun Oluwa.”
A highlight of the evening is John Rutter’s “Gloria.” Over 200 students share the stage for this cornerstone of contemporary choral music.
Candlelight will also feature favorites performed by student-led ensembles.
The concert concludes with Leroy Anderson’s iconic “Sleigh Ride,” followed — as always — by Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” Alumni join the musicians on stage, for the rousing finale.
NOTE: In the spirit of the season, the Staples Tri-M Music Honor Society will again sponsor “CanDelight” — a canned food donation drive benefiting the Homes for Hope food pantry. Collection bins will be in the lobby before every concert.
This year’s poster was designed by art and music student Connor Yuan.
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!
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
(“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!)
The 2-week, 10-show run of Staples Players’ “Les Misérables” has ended.
All those lucky enough to see it are talking about it.
They will be, for quite a while.
Rachel Markus speaks for many. She says:
Ten shows. Hundreds of costumes. Countless hours of rehearsals. Technical learning, testing, set building, painting, prop making, wigs, makeup, meals for 70+ students, rides to and from Staples, publicity runs, student and professional musicians providing the score, a successful food drive, and — by my estimate — over 8,000 tickets sold.
Ten thousand lives touched.
My gratitude is unbridled. To the firector and producers, to the entire Staples Players cast and crew, to the Players parents who volunteer in every imaginable way, and to the former Players parents who continue to show up — taking on major roles like costuming — simply for the love of theater, students, and the staff and advisors who guide them.
It truly takes a village.
Thank you to the local businesses and benefactors who donated funds and meals, helping make this production possible and giving students the fuel they needed to rehearse “just one hour more.”
Thank you to every patron who came, cried, cheered and celebrated the passion and dedication behind this majestic, epic run — one that rivaled professional productions. This community values the arts. It expects excellence, rewards it, and spreads the word when a show cannot be missed.
Staples Players’ “Les Misérables” was more than a testament to teamwork or the power of music and drama to move us. It was months of quiet, unsung sacrifices that culminated in roughly 1,650 minutes of transformation and transcendence. No one sat in a suburban high school auditorium — together, we were transported to 19th-century France, into a world of love, pain, loss, and revolution.
To everyone in 06880 and beyond who contributed to this unforgettable theatrical run: You are the heroes.
Staples Players’ astonishing production of “Les Misérables” concludes its 10-show run this afternoon (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.; click here for information).
Before the (spectacular) set is struck, however, it’s worth praising Players once again.
Today, kudos go to the tech crew: the young men and women who seldom get the credit they deserve, but without whom there would be no show at all.
These very talented, tremendously hard working, incredibly dedicated students build sets, oversee lighting and sound, create costumes, and do much, much more.
Once the play begins, it’s run entirely by students. They are responsible for keeping things moving smoothly — even when they go awry.
Colin Walker says, “I have the fortunate privilege of being the technical director. I get to be with these students on a daily basis. I see how hard they work. They make invaluable contributions to the success of the show.”
They sure do. Take a bow, “Les Mis” tech crew!
Staples Players tech crew, on set. (Photo/Colin Walker)
Jillian Elder’s Westport Holiday Lights Collection features local landmarks like the Cribari Bridge, Minute Man monument and Compo Beach cannons. Each piece is available on shirts, prints, mugs and totes.
New at the online shop: Westport Is my Happy Place. It’s a tribute to the town’s charm and creative spirit.
Esterina D’Amico, who was born in her parents’ Westport home, and was a lifelong resident, died Thursday, in Norwalk Hospital. She was 95.
Ester spent more than 40 years as an administrative secretary for PerkinElmer in Norwalk. She was a faithful parishioner of Assumption Church. She loved traveling the world, and was an accomplished skier.
She is survived by her brothers Anthony and Peter D’Amico; sister Geraldine Stauss; 17 nieces and nephews; and many grandnieces and grandnephews.
She was predeceased by her brothers Edward, Rudolph and Anthony, and sisters Adeline Coviello, Margaret Incerto, Mary Aldrich and Josephine D’Amico.
A funeral Mass of Christian Burial is set for Tuesday (November 25, 11 a.m., Assumption Church). Interment will follow in Assumption Cemetery on Greens Farms Road.
The family will receive visitors at Harding Funeral Home from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Condolences may be left online at www.hardingfuneral.com. Contributions in Ester’s memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
(While someone’s been working on the railroad, we’ve been working on “06880.” Our daily Roundup — and everything else — doesn’t fall from the sky! Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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.
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.
Jen Tooker’s 16 years of service to Westport — as 1st selectwoman, 2nd selectwoman, and a member of the Boards of Finance and Education, and Conservation Commission — were celebrated last night, at Romanacci.
Organized by former 2nd selectwoman Andrea Moore, it brought together people from every chapter of Tooker’s public life.
In the room were former Westport Select Board members Jim Marpe, Avi Kaner and Tammy Pincavage, plus many other elected town officials and longtime friends who worked with her, and admired her dedication.
Tooker was surprised when she walked in, and touched by the outpouring of appreciation. Kaner notes, “there were heartfelt stories, laughter, and genuine gratitude for her steady leadership, warmth and unwavering commitment to Westport and its residents.”
Jen Tookekr (2nd row, 2nd from right, with former 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore and 1st Selectman Jim Marpe), at Romanacci.
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The Westport community has come through — big time.
Yesterday, Deputy Fire Chief Matt Cohen and Lieutenant Rob Lenois — president of the Westport Firefighters Charitable Foundation — joined volunteers with the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
Thanks to the generosity of the Westport community, they donated 1,000 turkeys — and sides — to support a 3-day Great ThankGiving Project event.
Well done, Westport Fire Department — and Westport neighbors!
From left: Tatyana Rozetta, Bridgeport Rescue Mission volunteer manager; Westport Deputy Chief Matt Cohen; Laurie Molner, BRM director of development; Lieutenant Rob Lenois, Westport Firefighter Charitable Foundation president.
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But wait! There’s more! On Wednesday, “06880” posted a story on a partnership between A&S Westport Fine Foods and the Conlon Amendola law firm.
They were donating 50 full Thanksgiving dinners — fresh turkeys, hams and sides — to families at Capital Prep Harbor School in Bridgeport.
They hoped a few readers could provide funds for dessert (pies).
The phones did not stop ringing. Within 24 hours all 50 pies were sponsored, by residents and former Westporters across the country.
Dr. John Corino of Norwalk Dental Arts, and an anonymous loyal A&S customer, added generous donations, allowing the meals to be increased even more.
The meals were prepared by A&S. They were delivered yesterday, then unloaded and distributed by the school’s National Honor Society students.
The drive was so successful, A&S and Conlon Amendola are planning another for Christmas, also for Capital Prep Harbor School.
Come on, “06880” readers! Email chefalpiz@gmail.com to learn how you can help.
From left: Patricia Pizzirusso (A&S), Jacquelyn Conlon and Bonnie Amendola (Conlon Amendola), Chenelle James and Dr. Joan Miller (Capital Prep Harbor School), with a few of the 50 dinners.
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And now, turning to the next big holiday:
The town’s annual tree lighting is set for the Town Hall lawn on Monday, December 1 (5 p.m.).
The Staples High School Orphenians will sing. The Westport Museum for History & Culture provides hot chocolate.
And — as always — little kids will count down to the big reveal.
Let there be (holiday) light! Here’s a look back at 2024. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Westport was one of hundreds of participants yesterday, in the first of 2 “Fall of Freedom” days.
The event — “an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation” — involved galleries, museums, comedy clubs, theaters and concert venues across the country, with exhibitions, performances and pubic events.
Locally, the Westport Library hosted a showing of “The Librarians.” The award-winning 2025 documentary shows an unlikely group standing up as “first responders in the fight for democracy and our First Amendment rights.”
With just 2 weeks notice, a full house filled the Trefz Forum, for the screening and a discussion. Panelists included (below from left, in photo): Westport screen and stage writer and Columbia University professor Trey Ellis; director/producer Kim A. Snyder; producer Maria Cuomo Cole; Connecticut state librarian Deborah Schander, and author Oliver Radclyffe.
By now, you must have heard of Staples Players’ stupendous production of “Les Misérables.”
The whole town is talking about it.
With a Players record-setting 10-show run, there are 3 more opportunities: today (Saturday, November 22, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sunday, November 23, 2:30 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
We’ve hailed the 70-plus actors often. They deserve all their kudos, and more.
But let’s not overlook the spectacular 30-piece pit orchestra, or the dozens of students (and adults) who constructed the jaw-dropping set.
We can’t show the musicians. They’re off stage (though hopefully they’ll get a bow tonight or tomorrow).
Speaking of Staples accomplishments: 1991 graduate Lynsey Addario is one of the most acclaimed photojournalists in the world.
The Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Fellow winner has covered famines, civil wars, maternal mortality and more for National Geographic (among many others).
As part of the “Ask a Nat Geo Expert Anything” series, Addario speaks answered questions about the perils of her work, the personal price she pays, and how to get into photography.
Staples High School Class of 2008 graduate Leo Stagg is listed as “Head Automation” for the production.
We’re not not sure what that means. But it comes right after “Head Carpenter,” and just before “Head and Deck Electrician.” So Leo — who learned his tech chops with Staples Players — is one of the many unheralded crew members, without whom the curtain could not rise. (Hat tip: Lisa Marriott)
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Bob Weingarten spotted — and sends along — today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
He writes: “I just saw these trees changing from summer into winter, at Hillandale Road and Morningside Drive South. Amazing how uniform the change is.”
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