Two formal events for high school students — Counties, and Red & Whites — were held this weekend.
Among the attendees: actors from Staples Players …
(Photo courtesy of Ian Warburg)
… and a different kind of players: Staples High School soccer seniors …
If you think José Feliciano rests only on his “Feliz Navidad” laurels: Think again.
The singer/composer has won 8 Grammy awards, and released over 60 albums.
His newest debuts today. “Behind This Guitar” features a cover of “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac.
The recording is getting great media attention. But what makes it especially gratifying to the Weston resident — a devoted husband and father — is that his son Jonnie is the drummer.
And, when José and his band appeared on”Good Day NY” yesterday, he and Jonnie were joined by guitarist Trevor Coen. He’s a Staples High School graduate, and longtime professional musician.
Also on the set: Steve Sasloe of the Westport Music Center. He’s José’s music director and keyboardist (and host for occasional rehearsals).
“Behind This Guitar” is — like everything José Feliciano touches — pure gold.
Let’s hope it goes platinum.
(Hat tip: Fred Cantor)
Posted in Entertainment, Media, Staples HS
Tagged "Behind This Guitar", "Good Day NY", Johnny Feliciano, Jose Feliciano, Trevor Coen
Sam Gold is an Apple fanboy.
For his bar mitzvah, he chose a visit to San Francisco — and the company’s headquarters — over a party.
His YouTube channel covered Apple the way the British press covers Harry and Meghan.
But Sam’s greatest accomplishment may be The (Unofficial) Apple Archive. Painstakingly and lovingly, using tools like the Wayback Machine, he amassed over 15,000 print and TV ads, keynote speeches, internal training videos and other material — even macOS and iOS wallpapers. The earliest is from 1979.
Previously, the material was posted on his own YouTube channel, and a Google Drive folder. Earlier this month, he uploaded all the video — nearly a terabyte of data* — to Vimeo.
Last week, the $1 trillion company sent him hundreds of takedown notices. Apple had removed nearly every video. Just 200 or so remain.
Sam is a Staples High School senior.
Sam Gold, as a Staples High School sophomore.
The news rocketed around the internet. The Verge — Vox Media’s tech news network — noted:
The takedowns shouldn’t really surprise anyone, since 1) these videos do presumably all belong to Apple, not Gold, 2) companies generally have a duty to protect their intellectual property, and 3) because Gold and Apple have seemingly been playing a game of whack-a-mole for a while now.
First came shock. “Do you know what it’s like getting 700 email notifications on your wrist in like 2 minutes?” Sam asked The Verge, referring to his (of course) Apple Watch. “Your wrist sorta goes numb from the vibrations.”
Then Sam fought back.
“My videos may be down but my spirit is up,” the homepage of Sam’s Apple Archives reads. “Standby please.”
A screenshot of Sam’s home page.
Sam — who has not heard directly from Apple or its lawyers, despite emailing Apples’s VP of marketing communications — told The Verge that company employees, both past and present, have shown “overwhelming interest and support for what I’m doing.”
He understands that Apple “doesn’t dwell in the past.” But, he adds, “public company history preservation is invaluable for their devoted consumer base and researchers alike.”.
Sam would love to work with Apple, to create an official archive.
But for now, he’s figuring out how to get his massive archives back online.
Any copyright lawyers want to help? Email samhenrigold@gmail.com.
As a bonus, Sam will help you with any tech questions you have, for the rest of your life.
*Exactly how much is a terabyte? “A shitload,” Sam explains.
An early Apple ad, on Sam’s archive.
Posted in Categories, Media, People, Staples HS, technology, Teenagers
There are 169 towns and cities in Connecticut. But 2 Westporters — one current, one former — have made Connecticut Magazine’ s “40 Under 40” list. The feature celebrates 40 Nutmeggers doing interesting and/or important work, all before their 40th birthday.
Andy Friedland now lives in New Haven, but he grew up here. Here’s the magazine’s shout-out to the 2008 Staples High School graduate:
With a sharp rise in hate crimes statewide nationally and internationally in the past 3 years, Friedland’s job as associate director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Connecticut office keeps him busy.
A former team leader with AmeriCorps, he is a primary responder to combat anti-Semitism, other bias incidents and all forms of bigotry. He works with schools, law enforcement and “whoever comes into the picture” to educate people about anti-Semitism and its local origins.
Friedland has led educational programs on topics such as the Holocaust and genocide and the separation of church and state. He has lobbied for and testified for the ADL’s initiative Backspace Hate for legislation to address online harassment, including cyberstalking.
Connecticut has good laws, Friedland says, but adds that it’s important to “keep laws up to date and take on the issues that are really important and dangerous.”
Andy Friedland (Photo by Harold Shapiro for Connecticut Magazine)
Dan Orlovsky grew up in Shelton, but lives here now. His writeup says:
Orlovsky has been famous in Connecticut since he was a teenager. In 2000, the senior quarterback led Shelton High School to an undefeated season and the Class LL state championship before being named state player of the year.
Despite receiving interest from traditional college football powerhouses, Orlovsky stayed in state and attended UConn. He rewrote the school’s record book — still holding every major passing mark in Huskies history to this day — and also led UConn to the program’s first bowl game, a 39-10 win over Toledo in the Motor City Bowl in 2004. Orlovsky was named MVP of the game.
The Detroit Lions selected Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Serving mostly as a backup QB in his 12 years in the league, Orlovsky was uniquely preparing himself for his second career as an ESPN football analyst.
Orlovsky was already considered a rising media star when he joined the network in 2018. Now he provides color commentary in the broadcast booth (he recently called the Camping World Bowl on TV and the Rose Bowl for radio) and intelligent and insightful analysis on studio shows including Get Up!, NFL Live and SportsCenter.
Dan Orlovsky (Photo by Melissa Rawlins/ESPN for Connecticut Magazine)
Congratulations, Andy and Dan. And to all you other Westporters under 40: Get to work!
(For the full “40 Under 40” story, click here. Hat tip: Amy Schafrann)
Posted in Media, Organizations, People, Sports, Staples HS
Tagged Andy Friedland, Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut, Connecticut Magazine, Dan Orlovsky, ESPN
Growing up in Westport, Max Rudin was fortunate to have excellent teachers. Some sparked his interest in science. Others taught him to write.
Their work paid off. Max recently published his first book. “A Truly Dead Rock (The Solar System Century)” imagines life 82 years from now, when the moon has been colonized — and residents want to become independent.
Writing a book is a fantastic achievement. That’s especially true for Max.
He’s only a sophomore in high school.
Max Rudin
He credits Coleytown Elementary School teacher Edward Wolf and Coleytown Middle School’s Keenen Grace for encouraging his passion. At CMS, Max was part of the Science Olympiad team.
Last year, as a Staples High School freshman, English instructor Heather Colletti-Houde taught him how to delve into texts. “So I didn’t just write a story,” he explains. “I really delved into the theme.”
Max began writing around Christmastime 2018. It took him nearly a year — and 7 drafts — before he finished. He published via Amazon on Thanksgiving.
His research included arcane topics like lunar geography. “I had to plan a realistic route they would take, from the moon’s north pole to south pole,” Max explains. He also had to study nuclear fusion.
As for the writing process, Max says he learned about “putting myself in the minds of my characters. I had to see myself on the moon, and how I’d venture across it.”
He’s marketed his book via his YouTube channel — another outlet for Max’s science interests. “Gravity Max” began when he was 10. Every week, he and his friend Sebastian Malino share their love of astronomy, astrophysics, math and sci-fi.
Feedback to “A Truly Dead Rock” has been good, Max says. Readers appreciate both the hard science, and the plot that is “grounded in reality.”
Max — who is now a sophomore at Pineview in Sarasota, Florida, where his parents moved — is already working on a sequel.
Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke: Move over!
(To order “A Truly Dead Rock,” click here.)
Comments Off on Max Rudin’s Truly Dead Rock
Posted in Arts, People, Staples HS, technology, Teenagers
Tagged "A Truly Dead Rock", Max Gravity, Max Rudin, science fiction
When it comes to state pride, Connecticut is not exactly Texas.
We don’t go around demanding, “Don’t mess with Connecticut.” There’s no special hand signal to cheer for UConn. We don’t look nostalgically back on the days when we were an independent republic.*
That was not news to Roscoe and Tory Brown. Back in 2014, when the siblings — both Staples High School graduates — launched 203, the apparel and accessories company celebrating the Zip Code area code — they knew there were not a lot of ways to celebrate “our state, our home.”
But as they traveled around Connecticut, selling their t-shirts, hoodies, hats and other gear through pop-up shops at community events, they realized Nutmeggers** were actually enthusiastic about this place.
Roscoe and Tory Brown, and some of their merchandise.
Roscoe and Tory also noticed at those events that people and organizations were continually giving back, to charities and local non-profits.
So they launched an annual “203 Community Day.” Each year, it’s held the week of February 3rd. (2/03 — get it?!)
This year, Roscoe and Tory are helping ease a post-holiday problem. Every January, donations to homeless shelters drop drastically. Socks and underwear are desperately needed, yet always in scarce supply.
So “The Two-Oh-Three” has teamed up with Half Full Brewery. This Friday (January 31, 4 to 10 p.m., 43 Homestead Avenue, Stamford), they’ll collect new, unopened packages of socks and underwear there. The goal is 600 pairs. They’ll present them to shelters on 2/03.
But it’s not just a drop-off. Roscoe and Tory invite donors to stick around at the brewery for food, beverages, music and fun.
As an added incentive, every donor gets a free, special edition “Two-Oh-Three” beer.
What? You didn’t know Connecticut had its own beer?
Take that, Texas!
(Can’t make it to Half Full Brewery in Stamford? You can drop off donations at Two-Oh-Three’s office: 1869 Post Road East, Westport. If they’re not there, just put them in the box by the door.)
*Because we weren’t.
** Our official name. It’s not quite as crisp as “Texans.”
With shirts and windbreakers, Two Oh Three apparel says there’s no place like “home.”
Posted in Local business, People, Staples HS
Tagged Halfl Full Brewery, Roscoe Brown, The Two Oh Three, Tory Brown
Regan Good never expected to work at Bridgewater.
Her father was noted civil rights journalist Paul Good. Her mother Ruth was a poet. A graduate of Barnard and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop — and before that, a Staples Players actor and Orphenians singer, in the high school’s class of 1985 — Regan was always passionate about words.
After “the starving years” as a freelance writer, editor and fact-checker — plus a stint in publishing at St. Martin’s Press — Regan joined a Manhattan hedge fund. They were hiring artists, to “flesh out their culture.” She worked in recruitment.
That led to Bridgewater.
Regan Good
She calls her experience “a Randian nightmare.” She made $750 a day — “which a poet can’t pass up” — but, she says, “I can’t even tell you what I did there.”
Regan lasted a year and a half, at the largest hedge fund in the world
But living in Brooklyn, and commuting back to her home town, sparked a new appreciation of Westport for Regan. She sat in her office at Nyala Farm, looked across the former dairy meadow, and saw the house where her father once lived.
“My mind went back, mourning for the ’70s,” she says.
Regan has not lived in Westport for 25 years. She seldom returns now. But she still feels connected. She still considers it “my town. It’s where I came to consciousness. It’s where I began to think thoughts. It’s a place with primordial feelings for me — the physical and intellectual place I grew up in.”
As her mind flashed back to places like the flooded marsh on Old Road, where she skated in winter — and as she thought about her father, mother and brother, all of whom have died — Regan wrote poetry.
Now they’ve been published. “The Needle” is a collection of Regan’s work. There are poems about Brooklyn, Maine and Iowa.
But Regan keeps coming back — literally and figuratively — to Westport.
She writes about the Saugatuck River, Nyala, making jelly, and worms and wasps. She writes about Bridgewater. One poem is dedicated to her childhood friend, Paige Griglun.
Nyala Farm holds special meaning for Regan Good. (Photo/David Squires)
You don’t have to be from Westport (or Brooklyn, Maine or Iowa) to be moved by Regan’s work. Her poems are vivid, accessible and universal.
But, at the core of many, is the town where Regan grew up, and which nurtured her sense of self and the world.
“My mind keeps going there,” she says. “I just follow it.”
Some of her favorite poems include “To the Saugatuck River and Its Source at Sugar Hollow,” “The Dairy Still Stands,” and “Reverse Commute Through Grand Central: All Doors Open at Westport, Connecticut.”
The Saugatuck River looms large in Regan Good’s life. (Photo/John Kantor)
Her poems have drawn great praise. Poet Tom Thompson says:
“The Needle” comes barreling out of time in an utterly original and necessary way. The poems inhabit a landscape that is recognizably our own but at the same time ancient, burning with celestial fire and hunger. intoxicating and grounded in the stuff of the earth, with echoes of Stevens and Yeats, “The Needle” is extraordinary.
Of course, a poet — even one who worked at Bridgewater — cannot subsist on poetry alone.
Regan teaches writing at Barnard, Pratt and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
And she’s just finished a memoir about Westport.
It’s called “The Good Family.” Get it?
Regan Good truly does have a way with words.
(To order a copy of “The Needle,” click here.)
Posted in Arts, Local business, People, Places, Staples HS
Tagged "The Needle" poetry, Bridgewater Associates, Regan Good
When Billie Eilish swept the top honors at last night’s Grammy Awards, Westporters — at least, those who are close readers of “06880” — felt a bit of pride.
As reported here in October, the entertainer — whose full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell — lives in LA, with her brother Finneas, and her parents.
But she has local ties. Her father. Patrick O’Connell, grew up at the top of Compo Hill. A 1975 Staples High School graduate, he was an active member of Staples Players.
Billie Eilish and her father, Patrick O’Connell.
Billie won Grammys for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and was named Best New Artist. She was nominated for — but did not win — Best Pop Solo Performance.
Finneas earned a Grammy as Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. He worked on 10 albums, including his sister’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
They’re not the only winners with a Westport connection. Ranky Tanky — who celebrate the Gullah slave culture that still lives in South Carolina, combining spirituals, poems, children’s songs and lullabies with fresh, jazz-inflected music — won Best Regional Roots Music Album. for “Good Time.”
Ranky Tanky were among the first artists signed by Steve Ruchefsky and Rondi Charleston’s Resilience Music Alliance. Based in Westport, the label empowers musicians who explore, challenge and celebrate the human condition of (you guessed it) resilience.
In 2018, Ranky Tanky played to a packed audience at the Levitt Pavilion.
At the Spoleto Music Festival, Steve Ruchefsky and Rondi Charleston presented Ranky Tanky with plaques commemorating the #1 performance of the first release on the Westporters’ label, Resilience Music Alliance.
In addition there were 2 Westport-ish nominees for Best Children’s Album, though neither won. Daniel Tashian (“I Love Rainy Days”) is the son of Barry and Holly Tashian. He fronted the legendary rock band the Remains; she was a noted singer herself. The couple now live, record and write in Nashville, where Daniel grew up.
Kaitlin McGaw (“The Love”) is part of Alphabet Rockers, which “empowers kids with hip-hop.” Her grandparents are Westporters Ed and Kay See.
Interestingly, the O’Connell, Tashian and See families families all lived on Compo Hill. There must be something in the (Old Mill) water.
Here’s one more local connection to the Grammys — though it’s a stretch.
“Oklahoma!” was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album. The composer lived for many years on Hulls Farm Road in Fairfield, just over the line from Westport’s Long Lots Road.
His name: Richard Rodgers.
I’m sure I missed at least one other Westport tie to last night’s Grammys.
Click here for the full list. If you find someone in any category — jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk, reggae, Christian music, whatever — let us know in the “Comments” below.
Posted in Entertainment, People, Staples HS
Tagged Billie Eilish, Daniel Tashian, Finneas O'Connell, Grammy Awards 2020, Ranky Tanky
The state of the town is strong.
The state of our schools is too.
Those verdicts were delivered by 1st Selectman Jim Marpe and Board of Education chair Candice Savin yesterday.
A large, inquisitive crowd packed the Westport Library. The 3rd annual State of the Town meeting was sponsored by our 2 Rotary Clubs.
Marpe began by citing 2 newly improved facilities: the library itself, and the Senior Center.
He also mentioned that Westport has the highest life expectancy in Connecticut, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Our neighborhood averages range from 82 years all the way to 89 (Old Hill area). Who knew?!
1st Selectman Jim Marpe, at yesterday’s “State of the Town” meeting.
Among the 2019 accomplishments, Marpe pointed to:
The Westport Fire Department has made a determined effort to educate Westporters about fire safety.
Building in Westport is becoming easier, with enhanced communication among town bodies. (Photo/Jaime Bairaktaris)
Of course, there are challenges. Marpe mentioned:
Marpe concluded his prepared remarks by noting:
Westport is and will continue to be among the most attractive towns in the tri-state area to raise a family, educate children, create and grow a business, and retire.
We are a truly rare and wonderful combination of a small, charming New England town committed to celebrating our past and preserving our history, and also a cutting-edge community that fosters innovation, creativity and progress.
Westport preserves its past and looks to the future, says 1st Selectman Jim Marpe. (Photo/John Videler for VIdeler Photography)
Board of Ed chair Savin said that the Westport School District is “strong, and getting stronger,” in areas like academics, arts, special education and athletics.
She noted the district’s focus on social and emotional health, safety and security — and combating vaping.
Among the challenges: reopening Coleytown Middle School, the budget, and the search for a new schools superintendent.
She said the board and community must “continue to invest in students, professionals and infrastructure.”
Board of Education chair Candice Savin’s presentation included slides like these, showing renovations to Coleytown Middle School.
Moderator Jeff Wieser then read questions from audience members.
Marpe was asked about his biggest budgetary challenge. “The capital forecast — school and town projects,” he said.
Regarding empty storefronts on Main Street, he pointed to new businesses coming in, along with “mom and mom” stores owned by local residents. He noted that the P&Z wants to improve efficiencies of town processes, and praised Regency Centers — owners of several large Westport shopping areas — for recent upgrades of their properties.
Marpe also said that the Downtown Merchants Association and Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce are working hard to attract new businesses.
Asked about the relationship with the Westport Museum for History & Culture, the 1st selectman said that the town no longer stores records there, eliminating a $7,500 storage fee. He said that although this year the town helped fund the Museum’s First Light celebration, he was “troubled” when he realized some of the money went toward employees’ salaries.
“We are working with them to recover that portion” of the funds, he said.
However, Marpe added, “the tone of a lot of comments (on ‘06880’) were not what Westport is about. It was like cyber-bullying. I appeal to residents to step back. You’re talking about people who live down the street from you.”
Regarding traffic, Marpe said the most significant impact comes from Waze. He acknowledged frustration with timing of Post Road lights, and said the town is in “regular communication” with the state Department of Transportation.
When the highways get crowed, Waze sends drivers through Westport.
As for Joey’s at the Shore, Marpe described the town’s 30-year relationship with the former beach concessionaire. He said they parted ways “without hard feelings.” An RFP has been issued for Compo, the skating rink/pool and golf course halfway house.
Seven or eight “well qualified” responses have been received. Bids will be open this week, and Marpe is optimistic that the new concessionaire will continue Joey Romeo’s “warmth, style, sensitivity and food.” He warned though that it may not be “fully operational” by the start of beach season.
In response to Board of Ed questions, Savin said that there are contingency plans in case CMS is not ready to reopen next fall; that pushing school start times back 30 minutes for all schools will be on the February 3 and February 10 agendas, and that declining enrollment is more challenging at the middle school level (because of the team approach) than in elementary schools and Staples High.
When the meeting was over, the town officials were not through. Members of the audience continued to ask questions. Marpe and Savin kept answering them.
About 3 years ago, Eric Emmert and his wife Kelly got the entrepreneurial itch.
He was commuting from Westport to New York, where he traded high-yield bonds. She worked in sales and marketing.
They looked at various options, including a medical supply company. Meh.
Then they found a gelato business. Bingo!
“Everyone loves the ice cream guy,” Eric notes.
Eric and Kelly Emmert, and their gelato.
At the end of 2016, the couple bought Cold Fusion. The Massachusetts-based firm makes and distributes gelato and sorbet — all by hand, using all-natural, locally sourced ingredients. There’s a line of vegan sorbets, and every item is kosher-certified.
The website explains: “The result of all of this love and dedication is a silky, cool, uplifting fusion of flavor.” (Eric’s favorite: salted caramel chunk.)
A Cold Fusion sampling.
“Gelato is healthier than ice cream,” Eric says. “There’s less fat and fewer calories. And the taste lingers more.”
Sure, it’s a great, fun product. But the couple did not sit around smacking their lips. They restructured Cold Fusion, and grew it.
Working with a new distributor, they’re marketing Cold Fusion up and down the East Coast. You can find it here at Mystic Market and Rizzuto’s; it’s also sold at Walrus + Carpenter restaurant in Bridgeport, and other restaurants around Hartford and Providence. There’s a retail store in Newport, Rhode Island.
The factory is in Massachusetts. Eric and Kelly hope to move the facility closer to home. “I’ve looked at half the vacant spaces in town,” he says.
In their 13 years in Westport, raising 2 daughters here, both have sunk roots into the community. Eric has coached basketball and softball, and been an age-group commissioner. Kelly has coached basketball and volleyball, been a Girl Scout leader, and a member of the Westport Young Woman’s League.
The owners donate Cold Fusion products to local functions, like Homes with Hope’s White Party, the Staples High School PTA holiday lunch and Kings Highway Elementary School’s 5th grade moving-up ceremony.
Gelato is now Eric’s full-time business. Kelly continues in her corporate job, but adds her marketing acumen to Cold Fusion.
The Emmerts are so excited for future growth, they can almost taste it.
Something they might not be able to say if they’d bought that medical supply company, instead of this one 3 years ago.
Posted in Environment, Local business, People, Staples HS
Tagged Cold Fusion gelato, Eric Emmert, Kelly Emmert
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