The fair and just treatment of Staples High School athletic coaches, the role of parental involvement in Board of Education decisions, and the impartiality of an outside arbiter were among the topics discussed at this morning’s BOE Policy Committee meeting.
More than a dozen residents attended the session, in a small Town Hall meeting room.
The turnout — perhaps the largest ever for the Policy Committeee — was driven by recent decisions to not renew contracts for several Staples coaches.
Currently the Board of Ed, or a sub-committee of members, hears appeals by coaches if their contracts are not renewed.
From left: Board of Education member and Policy Committee chair Kevin Christie; assistant superintendent of human resources John Bayers; Board of Ed chair Lee Goldstein, and BOE member Dorie Hordon, at today’s meeting in Town Hall. (Photo/Dan Woog)
A change, added to the Policy Commitee’s agenda earlier this week, would add an option for the BOE to appoint an “impartial hearing board” of 1 or more people.
Policy Committee chair Kevin Christie explained that this change would bring the appeals process in line with other appeals to the board, over issues like expulsion or residency.
During public comment, residents noted that those appeals involve individual students, while decisions on coaches affect teams with dozens of athletes.
A broader question was raised, regarding the role of Board of Education members in personnel issues. Policy Committee members and residents debated whether the BOE, as elected officials, should listen to public input about coaches, then render an impartial verdict, or if someone impartial could do a fairer job.
That raised the question of the impartiality of an outside individual. Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said that person would be selected from a group of attorneys who regularly do such work.
Committee member Dorie Hordon wondered how impartial those outside arbiters might be. They are hired by the superintendent and paid by the school district, she noted. How often do they not affirm his or her decision?
That led to a discussion of how much information board members and the public know about any particular non-renewal decision, then back to a debate about whether the Board of Education should weigh the views of parents and athletes in coaches’ non-renewal decisions.
Policy Committee member and BOE chair Lee Goldstein said that although the public should have input in how the athletic director runs his department, it should not have a say in hiring and firing.
“It is dangerous,” she noted, for either the public or administrators to try to pressure the board, one way or the other.
Hordon injected the idea of treating coaches “justly and fairly” into the discussion.
“I understand the reasoning, but I’m not sure about changing the policy,” she said.
“If we are elected by the community, the community has trusted us to make decisions.”
Resident Joan Gillman urged the Board of Education to focus on “how we can best set up our employees for success.” That includes written reviews about ways to improve, and “a chance for a clear change of direction” before non-renewal.
No decision was reached. Christie and his colleagues said they need time to reflect on the change.
Any policy change would need at least one more discussion in committee, then at least two public discussions by the full Board of Education.
“Caroling Crawl” — a Saugatuck tradition — continues this Saturday (December 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.).
Staples High School’s elite a cappella group the Orphenians will entertain diners at several restaurants, in the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event.
They’ll start at the Saugatuck Rowing Club’s Boathouse, then make their rounds at other restaurants around Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place and the rest of the neighborhood, ending at the Little Pub at Dunville’s.
Add that to the list of specials on Saturday’s menu!
Staples Orphenians’ Caroling Crawl.
================================================
Speaking of Christmas in Saugatuck: Startup Westport — the public/private partnershp for tech entrepreneurs and innovators — chose a perfect location for their holiday party.
Nearly 150 people gathered at Content Studio — Chirag Shah and Jay Norris’ Saugatuck Avenue production studio/meeting/media location — to celebrate the season.
Startup Westport events are always high-energy, with plenty of creative men and women sharing ideas and networking.
Throw in food, drinks, and a DJ, and it was one of the organization’s best events in their very busy 2 years.
Some of the many attendees enjoying yesterday’s Startup Westport holidy party, at Content Studio.
Startup Westport co-founder Jay Norris and his wife Crystal. They celebrated both the party, and her birthday.
A memorial service for Dick Fincher — the Tree Board chair, Earthplace and Staples Tuition Grants board member, and church vestryman, who died October 31 at 86 — will be held Saturday, December 28, at 11;30 a.m. at Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
A reception will follow. The public is invited to attend.
Dick Fincher
=================================================
16 teams of Staples High School students and Westport Police officers hurled balls at each other Monday, in the annual Westport Youth Commission dodgeball tournament.
The event — held in the Staples fieldhouse — has 2 important rules. Each team must include 1 cop. And no aiming at heads.
Otherwise, is a night for ducking, diving, and of course dodging.
Staples’ Teen Awareness Group co-sponsored the tourney. Entry fees help fund their projects.
The Dodge-a-Cop champs! From left: James Penny, Anthony Armentano, Charles Clark, Casey Bag, Nicholas Weil, Officer Mike Davis. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
Margery Fisher — a longtime Coleytown Middle School librarian, children’s book author and the wife of noted illustrated Leonard Everett Fisher — died peacefully at home on Friday. She was 94.
After majoring in mathematics and earning Phi Beta Kappa honors at Mount Holyoke College, Margery was recruited by IBM to teach at their school in New York City.
She soon became a system service representative, one of the very few women in the IBM business machine program and pioneering computer path.
While at IBM she met and married her husband of 71 years. She and Leonard moved to New Haven. IBM transferred Margery to its office there. For the next several years she serviced IBM’s growing business machine products, from industrial computers installed in hardware stores and grocery stores to the United States Navy’s first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus.
Margery left IBM prior to the birth of their children. After moving to Westport she earned a master’s degree in library science at Southern Connecticut State University.
She served as Coleytown Middle School’s librarian for 25 years, retiring in 1995.
Margery was the author of 2 children’s books, for which her husband provided the illustrations: “But Not Our Daddy” and “One and One.”
Margery continued her interest in children’s literature after retiring. She joined the Bank Street College Book Committee, creating, editing and publishing world-wide yearly lists of the best in North American children’s literature.
Margery and Leonard lived in Westport for more than 68 years. They traveled the world together from England (33 times) to the Panama Canal, Italy, Russia, Egypt, China, Hawaii, Normandy and Maine.
Margery is survived by her children Julie Fisher (Robert Aldoroty), Susan Fisher Plotner, and James Fisher (Pamela Viglielmo); grandchildren Lauren, Michael, Samuel, Jordan, Gregory and Danielle, and her sister Betty Meskin Pincus.
Donations in Margery and Leonard’s name can be made to the “Margery & Leonard Everett Fisher Endowment for Children’s Books in the Arts,” c/o Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road, Westport, CT 06880.
Margery Fisher
=================================================
Longtime Westport arts community member and philanthropist Gary Cosgrave died peacefully on Monday. He was 82.
A graduate of Mamaroneck (New York) High School, Gary did not go to college because he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia. Nevertheless, he achieved remarkable business success.
After the passing of his father, Paul, Gary took over the family business, PROGroup, and as chair and CEO turned it into a conglomerate of 5 businesses: Pro Hardware. Garden Master and Farm Mart, as well an advertising agency and distribution business.
For over 25 years Gary was an active member of Vistage, a worldwide business advisor group. After selling his business in 2011, Gary continued to mentor business executives and entrepreneurs, and was on the board of Soluxe Inc., parent company of Solomon Community Solar LLC.
Gary served for many years on the boards of the Westport Country Playhouse and MoCA CT. In 2012 he was honored by the Westport Art Center for his success as chair in stabilizing the group’s finances and developing a new strategic vision.
He was a major donor to the Southport School, an independent day school for cerebrodiverse children dealing with challenges like dyslexia, and to Seeds for Peace and Operation Smile.
An accomplished sailor and scuba diver, Gary threw himself into underwater photography. He built an impressive portfolio of stunning images that he published as books, sold and displayed widely. He co-authored a book, “Stop, Think and Dream: Be the Difference That Makes a Difference (Teens for Planet Earth),” empowering New York City teenagers.
Gary survived by his fiancé Dina Upton of Westport; son Terry Cosgrave of Colorado Springs, and grandchildren Michaela Patry, Lily Cosgrave, Isabell and Ella Rosenberg. He was preceded in death by his wife Ruby, daughter Tracey, and brothers Jack and Victor.
Gary’s ashes will be interred at his family plot at Lakeview Cemetery in New Canaan on February 8 (10:30 a.m.), followed by a celebration of his life at Rive Bistro (11:30 a.m.).
Claudia Sherwood Servidio — one of our very talented “Westport … Naturally” contributors — finds beauty everywhere.
She shot this image yesterday, at rainy Sherwood Island State Park:
=================================================
And finally … Robert Moses — the urban planner responsible for the construction of hundreds of highways, bridges, tunnels, playgrounds, beaches — and a World’s Fair — in and around New York, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse, was born on this day in 1888. He died in 1981.
(Holy Moses! If you appreciate “06880”‘s daily coverage of all things Westport, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Kris Hrisovulos has quite a resumé as Staples High School boys tennis coach.
In 14 years at the helm, he has won 8 state championships and 5 FCIAC titles.
He was a 2022 finalist for National High School Tennis Coach of the year; the ’22 State Coach of the Year, and ’19 Sportsman of the Year. The winningest coach in Wreckers’ boys tennis history, he is also a Staples High School grad. As a member of the Class of 1999, Hrisovulos starred in both tennis and soccer.
He is respected and admired by generations of players and parents. Now, however, he is fighting a decision by the school to not rehire him.
According to a GoFundMe page for donations to his legal representation, he is also battling to “clear his name from unjust accusations” that led to the administrative decisin.
“The legal expenses to defend himself already amount to almost four times the stipend volunteer coaches like Kris get at the school for their priceless contribution to the community,” the GoFundMe page says.
It adds: “The school has failed to provide any details — including the results of a thorough investigation, or if one ever took place — and it is therefore unclear what information is public and can be shared at this point.
“What we do know is the strength of Coach Kris’ character, professionalism, and love for tennis education …. (T)he outpouring of support from players, parents, and residents speaks volumes about his record, his character and contributions to the Westport community.”
Athletic director VJ Sarullo declined an “06880” request for comment.
Speaking of which: The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport invites everyone to a special meditative service in their Lyons Plains Road sanctuary this Friday (December 20, 7 to 8 p.m).
It is “a quiet, reflective time for those of us who need such space in the midst of so much activity.”
The UU church adds: “This time of year, with so many holidays and celebrations, can bring joy and excitement to many. At the same time, it can also bring up memories of friends and family who are gone; of the challenges in our lives we are facing; and of the long nights that bring on the winter blues. This time to come together will help to dispel these blues and bring light into our lives.”
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation also invites residents to the Christmas Eve service (December 24, 9 p.m.).
Speaking yet again of Christmas: Chabad Lubavitch of Westport is hosting a “Chinese Chanukah Party” at 5:30 p.m. that day.
There’s a good reason for the date: It’s also the first night of Chanukah.
The event includes a menorah lighting, fire show, latkes and donuts — and of course (because this is Christmas) Chinese food. Click here for more information.
================================================
Speaking still of the holidays: Westport’s winter fundraising drive — to send children from our sister city of Lyman, Ukraine to a camp in the mountains, a respite from a third winter of war — continues slowly.
Our goal of $56,000 would enable 200 boys and girls to enjoy time together, with teachers and therapists, at Karabin. The sports, crafts, games and movies — along with schoolwork — takes place in a setting far removed from their hometown, a few miles from the Russian front.
Right now, Lyman’s youngster have been evacuated. The therapeutic camp is a chance to enjoy normalcy, with friends and trusted adults.
It costs about $280 to send one child to Karabin, for 10 days.
How about it, Westport? Can we raise $56,000, to ensure that 200 kids in our sister city enjoy time away from the terrors of the past 3 years?
Just click here. Under “Designation,” choose “Westport-Lyman sister city” from the dropdown menu. You can also choose a monthly or one-time donation. If you use the mail or Venmo option, please make a note: “For Westport-Lyman.”
Students from Weston’s sister city of Siversk, at the Karabin camp. Westport is raising funds for children from Lyman, our sister city.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee meeting set for this Thursday (December 19) has been canceled.
=================================================
Jazz at the Post ends the year with a bang!
Guitarist Paul Bollenback headlines this Thursday’s shows (December 19, 7:30 and 8:45 p..; dinner from 7; VFW Post 399; tickets $20, veterans and students $15).
He’ll be joined by bassist Bill Moring, drummer Rudy Royston and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.
And finally … on this date in 1903, the Wright brothers made the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
(As noted above, every family has its own holiday tradition. Here’s one all can embrace: a year-end gift in support of “06880.” Please click here to start it off. Thank you!)
Their primary focus is attending to the needs of impounded dogs at Westport Animal Control. WASA provides funds for vet care, exercise and training.
They perform home and reference checks, to ensure the canines are placed safely in loving homes.
WASA runs a small fostering network for homeless dogs from other Connecticut animal control facilities, or that come from Fairfield County residents and must be rehomed.
WASA also assists pet owners who struggle financially to provide vet care and adequate nutrition for their pets.
Whether you’re a dog owner, dog lover, or stay far from Winslow Park and off-season Compo Beach, WASA’s year-end video is well worth watching.
It was produced by Staples High School Class of 2021 graduate Brandon Malin. He began volunteering with WASA at age 7, and has been a great fantastic friend to them (and their dogs) ever since.
Brandon is also an exceptionally talented photographer and videographer.
WASA notes: “We ‘stay in business’ because of the support we receive from Westport residents, businesses, and town departments. We are not subsidized by the town of Westport.”
Click here to support WASA. Click below to see Brandon’s great WASA ’24 video.
Attention, Staples Orphenians alumni — and everyone else who loves our high school’s elite a cappella group!
An “Orphs Alumni” Christmas caroling event is set for downtown Westport, this Friday (December 20, 3 to 4 p.m.).
Singers will meet at the Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church parking lot.
Orphs: Bring your voices. You’ll have a great time.
Downtown shoppers: Bring your ears. You’re in for a treat.
In 1980, George Weigle led these Orphenians on a downtown Christmastime caroling stroll. Will some alumni from this group — now 60 years old — be back on Main Street on Friday?
===============================================
Speaking of the Staples Music Department: With musicians and audience members still on a high after this weekend’s Candlelight Concert (and everyone else kicking themselves for not getting tickets), here’s one more look at the 84th annual gift to the town.
Kevin Mazzarella is in his first year as band director at the high school. But it’s clear from the photo below — as he leads the symphonic band, symphonic orchestra and choral ensembles (including dozens of alumni) in Saturday’s rousing “Hallelujah Chorus” finale — that he’s as excited by Candlelight as everyone else from the past 8 decades.
Speaking of strange sights: Our “06880” tagline is “Where Westport meets the world.”
But we never expected to see this sight, from deep in the heart of Texas (Plano):
Ellen Wentworth’s cousin spotted it, and sent it to her.
Yee haw!
===============================================
With its winter semester near, Westport Library’s Verso University has announced 8 new courses. They are:
Poet of Wonder: Robert Frost (January 8, 15, 22; 10:30 a.m. to noon). Explore Frost’s work with Westport poet laureate Donna Disch in a 3-part seminar. Delve into all that is “lovely, dark and deep.” Each session will focus on a different selection.
Suspicious Papers: A Vintage Ephemera Collage Workshop Series (January 8, 15, 22; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Artist and ephemera dealer Alesia DiFederico explores mixed media collage using authentic bits of history, inks, paints, and imagination. Creating art is for everyone; the joy is in the do
Exploring Wines of Italy (January: 9, 16, 23, 30; 3 to 4 p.m.). Sommelier Barbie Messa leads a wine tasting class that dives deeply into Italy’s rich traditions.
Storytelling for TV and Film (January 9, 16, and 23; 6 to 7:30 p.m.). Scriptwriter Gigi Rios New helps explore the fundamentals of storytelling for the small and big screens, plus script formatting techniques.
Leadership Literacy (February 5, 12, 19, 26; 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.). Harvard leadership scholar Barbara Kellerman focuses on studying literature about concepts of power, authority and influence.
Tarot 101: A Journey to Self-Discovery (February 5, 12, 19, 26; 2 to 3 p.m.). Author, astrologer, and tarot expert Maria Sofia Marmanides teaches the 78 cards of tarot.
Write, Craft, Create: A Wellness Practice in Making Handmade Cards
(March: 5, 12, 19; 1 to 2 p.m.). Instructor Kerstin Rao, the Westport artist behind Vivid Cottage, provides a safe space for participants to tap into their feelings and craft earnest messages.
Introduction to Ikebana (March: 13, 20 & 27; 10 a.m. to noon). Sogetsu Ikebana is a modern form of the ancient art of Japanese flower arranging, using living materials. Shizue Pleasanton teaches the aesthetic discipline and traditional principles of the form.
For information on Verso University courses, including registration, click here.
And finally … in honor of the newest addition to the police station tower (story above):
(When we figure out Westport drone mystery, you’ll read about it first on “06880” — just like you do so often, on so many topics. If you enjoy our coverage, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
This weekend’s Candlelight Concert was traditional, rousing, haunting, majestic, brassy and inspiring.
It always is.
Arriving for the show.
For 84 years, the Staples High School Music Department has offered this gift to the town.
A variety of choirs, orchestras and bands perform. Their selections are well-known and obscure. They are classical and contemporary; American, European and African.
It takes a tremendous amount of practice, preparation and care, by hundreds of talented musicians, their committed and caring teachers, and many others who work hard behind the scenes.
Volunteers festoon the lobby with festive touches.
From the unique “Sing We Noel” processional to the alumni-filled “Hallelujah Chorus,” the Candlelight Concert is Westport’s way of celebrating the season.
Not everyone could get tickets to the 3 shows. But today, thanks to Lynn Untermeyer Miller’s brilliant photography, we all can bask in its glow.
As she has for decades, Alice Addicks greets concert-goers.
Lauren Pine rehearses her choir an hour before showtime.
The audience settles in.
“Sing We Noel” processional.
Orchestra director Jeri Brima.
Ludovit Pauliny takes a bow, after soloing on “Danse Bacchanale.”
One part of the lighter “Wreck the Halls” …
… and another.
From left: Band director Kevin Mazzarella (in his Candlelight debut), orchestra directors Carrie Mascaro and Jen Brima, and assistant band director Caitlin Serpliss acknowledge applause.
New York Times chief theater critic Jesse Green gave a rave review to “Cult of Love,” the new show that opened Thursday at the Helen Hayes Theater.
He likes the “rip-roaring home-for-the-holidays dramedy” for its plot, direction, music and more.
He also praises playwright Leslye Headland. This is the 1999 Staples High School graduate’s Broadway debut. But she’s earned kudos before, as a playwright, screenwriter and director (“Bachelorette,” “Sleeping With Other People,” “Russian Doll,” “The Acolyte”).
“Cult of Love” is Headland’s final work in a series called “Seven Deadly Plays.” Inspired by the 7 deadly sins, this one is about pride. It was first staged in Los Angeles in 2018.
The play focuses on 4 adult children of one family and their partners, coming home for a contentious holiday gathering.
Green writes: “Though ‘Cult of Love,’ like many unhappy family reunion plays, draws big buckets of humor from the toxic brew of religion and repression, those buckets also draw blood.
“Headland knows just how to get there, suggesting deep familiarity with the territory. But she also has a gift for complication and construction, as was already evident in “Bachelorette,” her Bridezillas Gone Wild breakthrough play of 2010…. Loading pattern on pattern — a holiday-season design don’t for most — is for her an opportunity to dizzy us down to hell.”
Click here for the full Times review. Click here for more information about “Cult of Love.” (Hat tip: Tommy Greenwald)
The Board of Education’s Policy Committee meets Wednesday (December 18, 9 a.m., Town Hall Room 307), with a wide-ranging agenda.
They’ll discuss the first reading of possible revisions to graduation requirements; admission to the Westport Public Schools at or before age 5 and assignment to grade levels; and student attendance, truancy and chronic absenteeism.
The committee will also discuss health concerns “such as lice,” and a possible new civility policy.
meanwhile, the Long Lots School Building Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed to Wednesday (December 18, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 307/309. The agenda has not yet been posted.
Speaking of schools: All month long, Kings Highway Elementary School students have collected gifts for their annual Holiday Bear drive.
Each year, the Connecticut Education Foundation’s Holiday Bear provides gifts for children whose families face financial or other hardships.
The KHS Caring Council helped package 25 Holiday Bear bags.
Meanwhile, yesterday the school helped raise funds for Connecticut Children’s Hospital.
Students also wore pajamas as part of a statewide spirit day.
It’s been an eventful month for Kings Highway!
A few of Kings Highway’s many holiday bags.
=================================================
John McKinney is the newest member of the Connecticut Mirror’s board of directors.
The Mirror is state’s non-profit, non-partisan, digital source for public policy, government and politcal news.
McKinney — a descendant of Westport’s famed Bedford family — is also a trustee of the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
The former State Senate minority leader and a Republican candidate for governor, he was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont to the Liquor Control Commission in 2021.
McKinney serves on the advisory board of Operation Hope, a homeless shelter in Fairfield. He and his family help provide housing and care for people with AIDS through the Stewart B. McKinney Foundation. It is named for his father, the longtime US Congressman from Westport’s district.
And finally … on this date in 1819, Alabama became the 22nd US state.
(Whether you’re here in Westport, way down in Alabama, or anywhere else, “06880” is your hyper-local source for news, events and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Lynn Untermeyer Miller hasn’t seen every Candlelight Concert.
There have been 84 years of them. The Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate is only 71 years old.
But she’s been to plenty, beginning with her years as a student.
She’ll be there again this week, for the Staples Music Department’s annual gift to the town.
She’ll be joined by hundreds of other grateful Westporters. Parents will proudly watch their teenage singers, and orchestra and band members, as they perform complex pieces with talent, passion and pride.
A small part of the large Candlelight Concert.
Westporters whose own kid have long graduated — or never went to Staples, or are not yet there — will thrill to the concert too, appreciating the mix of tradition and change that has sustained the Candlelight Concert for over 8 decades.
Middle and elementary school boys and girls will dream of the day they can take part in the remarkable event.
And alumni will stride, with excitement and smiles, onto the stage for the finale: a rousing rendition of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” The massed group — a couple of hundred current musicians, and dozens who preceded them — is part of what makes the Candlelight Concert so special.
The “Hallelujah Chorus” ends the Candlelight Concert. The “Sing We Noel” processional begins it. (Photos/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
But none of it would happen without this week’s Unsung Heroes: the Music Department.
The staff — Jeri Brima, Carrie Mascaro, Kevin Mazzarella, Lauren Pine, Caitlin Serpliss and Gregg Winters, plus townwide music coordinator Steve Zimmerman and administrative assistant Liz Shaffer — have been working toward this moment since the summer.
They have great talent to work with. Our superb middle and elementary school music teachers deserve a great hand, for preparing the high schoolers so well.
John Ohanian created the first Candlelight Concert, in 1940.
No list of Unsung Heroes would be complete without the men and women who created, nurtured and grew the Candlelight Concert, from before World War II to today.
John Ohanian, George Weigle, John Hanulik, Bob Genualdi, Jack Adams, Nick Mariconda, Alice Lipson, Luke Rosenberg, and many other music educators, are the reason Candlelight has evolved, flourished — and made the holidays special — for over 80 years.
They, and everyone else associated with the Candlelight Concert, are true Unsung Heroes.
Take a bow!
ENCORE: One of the great Candlelight traditions is the “Sing We Noel” processional. Click here to learn about its unique back story.
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)
Alison Camerota surprised her many fans Sunday — first on Instagram, then on the air — by announcing it was her last day with CNN.
After 10 years with the network, the Westport resident signed off with a smile.
Alisyn Camerota’s Instagram post.
She recalled interviewing “presidents and heroes and extraordinary people (in) peak career experiences that I had dreamed of since I was a teenager.”
She thanked her colleagues and her viewers, and encouraged them to follow her on Instagram (@alisyncamerota) for updates on what’s ahead.
In a social media post minutes later, she said: “I’m on to new horizons. I’ll just share this bit of wisdom. New horizons are great when you’re ready for them. There have been times in my life when I was not ready to leave a place that I loved and that was really sad and really hard. But I think am ready to leave this place that I’ve loved.”
Before joining CNN in 2014 — where she was a co-anchor on “New Day,” “CNN Newsroom,” “CNN Tonight” and, most recently, “CNN Newsroom” — Camerota worked at Fox News.
Westport has another NCAA Division I national champion.
Marissa Shorrock is a goalkeeper on the University of North Carolina women’s soccer squad. The Tar Heels won their 23rd championship last night in Cary, North Carolina. They defeated Wake Forest University 1-0.
The 2020 Staples graduate was not in the nets (teammate Clare Gagne was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Defensive Player). But she’s got her championship ring.
At Staples, her 14 shutouts as a senior helped her team to a 19-1-2 season. She also played 4 years of varsity lacrosse and basketball, helping the hoopsters to the state semifinal.
Shorrock walked onto the Bowdoin College soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams, before seasons were canceled due to COVID. She transferred to Yale University, appearing in 22 games over 3 years at Yale after walking-on midseason in 2021. She started 20 matches. Shorrock helped the Bulldogs break the program’s consecutive shutout record, and tie the record for shutouts in a season in 2022.
After graduating with a degree in economics from Yale last spring, Shorrock transfered to UNC with one more year of eligibility. (Hat tip: Don Kubie)
Marisa Shorrock, with the national championship trophy, and her new cap. (Photo courtesy of David Shorrock)
Yogi Bear stopped by the Westport Police Department/Westport PAL toy drive this past weekend.
He donated to the great cause, and thanked the officers for all they do.
The toy drive continues this coming weekend. New, unopened and unwrapped toys for all ages and genders — along with cash to buy toys — will be collected at Athletic Shoe Factory (1560 Post Road East) Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
You can also drop off unwrapped toys at Police headquarters on Jesup Road (any time), or Awesome Toys & Gifts and The Toy Post, during business hours.
Yogi Bear and friends, at the Police Department’s toy drive collection spot: Athletic Shoe Factory. (Photo/Cathy Malkin)
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker talked about issues on many residents’ minds. She reported that while Post Road traffic remains a big problem, many stop signs and sidewalks have been added all around town.
Parking is still a work in progress.
The 1st selectwoman also discussed Longshore improvements (more pickleball courts, an 18-hole golf clubhouse, a pool upgrade), and Long Lots Elementary School construction (expected to begin this spring, with completion in 2027).
After Tooker’s talk, Y’s Women enjoyed a holiday concert by Staples’ elite Orphenians a cappella group, in the acoustically wonderful Green’s Farms Church.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker (center), with Y’s Women president Vera DeStefano and vice president Catherin Albin.
Congratulations to Staples’ December Students of the Month.
Seniors Olivia Berg and William Vanamee, junior Madeline Leventhal, sophomore Nathaniel Maurillo and freshmen Gabriella Juliano and Kai Massicott were nominated by their teachers.
They make Staples a welcoming place for peers and teachers, and are, principal Stafford Thomas says, “the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together.”
From left: Kai Massicott, Gabriella Juliano, Olivia Berg, Madeline Leventhal, Nathaniel Maurillo, William Vanamee.
After apprenticing as a youngster with jazz legends Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and others, the trumpeter forged a brilliant career as a soloist, arranger, music director and educator.
This Thursday he brings his talents to Jazz at the Post (December 12, VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner service from 7; $20 tickets, $15 for veterans and students).
Mossman willk be joined by pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Phil Bowler, drummer Ryan Sands and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets.
And finally … on this date in 1817, Mississippi became the 20th US state.
(“06880” is your hyper-local source of news you can use. If you appreciate our work, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
The Thanksgiving Day fire just over the border in Weston destroyed one family’s home. It disrupted the holiday for their 26 guests — and for dozens of firefighters and other first responders from several towns.
Carmine Cenatiempo did not battle the blaze. But he deserves a shout-out nonetheless. Weston Emergency Medical Technician Ben Frimmer writes:
“Our crew was on scene for over 16 hours. When an event like that happens, we feed our teams in the field.
“It’s challenging to find food at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Curtis Gunn called Carmine (who owns Calise’s Market in Westport.
“Within an hour and a half, he had left his own Thanksgiving meal, cooked and delivered food to feed the team. I was quite impressed with his selflessness.”
Both Staples High School football games this year this year against Greenwich were shutouts.
Each team won one of them.
Unfortunately for the Wreckers, the Cardinals’ victory came yesterday, 14-0 in the semifinals of the state “LL” (extra large schools) tournament.
It was revenge for the visitors, who were trounced 27-0 at the same Paul Lane Field on Thanksgiving Day.
Staples — ranked second in the state tourney ends the season 10-2. Greenwich, seeded #3, advanced to the title game against #5 West Haven. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, at Central Connecticut State College.
Speaking of sports: There was a reunion of sorts in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Staples graduates Lau ten Cate and Dylan Hoke were on opposing teams — for Amherst and Connecticut College, respectively — in the championhship match of the NCAA Division III men’s soccer tournament.
After scoreless sregulation and overtime, Amherst won 4-3 on penalty kicks.
Ten Cate — who played for Beachside’s MLS Next academy team during his high school years — has been injured this year, and did not play in the final. Hoke, a former Wrecker and Beachside athlete, played 93 minutes. He had an excellent freshman season for the Camels.
Every Sunday since Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, a group of residents has marched through town. They remind passersby of the need to bring the hostages home.
Yesterday, Jennifer Wolff reports, they were joined by a special guest: Santa Claus.
The Big Guy even chanted: “Bring them home now!”
Santa Claus, with yesterday’s Run4TheirLives marchers.
And finally … on this date in 1851, the first YMCA was established n North America. It opened in Montreal.
(Sports, politics, heroes — they’re here today, and every day, at “06880.” If you appreciate our hyper-local coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
That led to a discussion of how much information board members and the public know about any particular non-renewal decision, then back to a debate about whether the Board of Education should weigh the views of parents and athletes in coaches’ non-renewal decisions.
