A large crowd popped over to the Westport Community Gardens yesterday, for a 20th anniversary pop-up event.
People of all ages wandered through the 100-plus individual plots. They marveled at the wide variety of plants; watched the bees and butterflies; admired the pergola and bocce court; chatted with the gardeners — and picked up plenty of vegetables, herbs and flowers too.
(Photos/Karen Mather)
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Yesterday’s “06880” Roundup highlighted Westport Pride’s promotion of a permanent rainbow crosswalk downtown, at Jesup Road and Taylor Place.
Fundraising efforts had already brought in $18,000. But $14,500 more was needed, for materials, labor and installation.
By nightfall, the entire amount had been pledged.
The outpouring of support — from members of the LGBTQ+ community, and beyond — was very heartening, Pride members say.
The goal is to have the crosswalk completed by National Coming Out Day (October 11).
For more information, or to get involved, email westportctpride@gmail.com.
Dr. Nikki Gorman helped prepare the temporary crosswalk in June. A permanent one will be installed soon.
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MoCA Westport celebrated its “Kaleidoscope: A Journey of Creativity, Self-Expression & Unity” exhibit yesterday, with a packed house.
The show highlighted artists who have been supported by the MoCA Gives Back healing arts program at the museum, as well as summer camp participants.
Club 203 — Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities — was well represented. MoCA has enjoyed a strong partnership in the club’s initial year, and looks forward to strengthening that relationship even more in the months ahead.
MoCA art teacher Agata Tria and Club 203 artist Elizabeth Sonne.
Staples High School 2017 graduate Richard Costello is one of many Westporters running in the New York Marathon November 5.
But the former lacrosse player is not just racing for himself. He’s also raising money for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
The organization — founded by our late neighbor Paul Newman to provide free, fun opportunities for youngsters facing life-threatening illnesses — is near to Richard’s heart. He volunteered at the Ashford, Connecticut facility several times, and has been awed by the program’s impact on children and their families.
This is Richard’s second marathon. He competed in Philadelphia last fall.
And finally … today marks the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington.
It is remembered now for Martin Luther King’s riveting “I Have a Dream” speech.
But there was much more — including powerful musical performances.
Marian Anderson sang, 24 years after her first famous concert at the Lincoln Memorial (after the Daughters of the American Revolution prevented her from singing at Constitution Hall).
I could not find any videos of her, at the March on Washington.
But here are 3 other performances, from 60 years ago today:
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In many towns, the selection of the next high school choral director would be about as newsworthy as the purchase of new choir robes.
In Westport, it is Big News.
Since George Weigle moved from Bedford Junior High to Staples in 1959, only 3 others have wielded the baton: Alice Lipson (1988-2010), Justin Miller (2010-12), and Luke Rosenberg (2012-2023).
When Rosenberg resigned last spring to accept a similar position at Greenwich High School, townwide arts coordinator Steve Zimmerman had enormous shoes to fill.
Staples’ choral program is a town jewels. From Candlelight and Pops to many smaller concerts, Orphenians and other groups entertain, inspire and mesmerize audiences. Talented vocalists help make Staples Players a nationally renowned theater troupe.
Singing at Staples is a Very Big Deal.
Lauren Pine
This week, Lauren Pine takes over from Rosenberg. She’ll continues the school’s storied musical tradition.
Zimmerman did not have to look far. Pine spent the past 6 years at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.
She knew Rosenberg well. “High school choral directors are a small world,” she says. He offered his full support.
She knew the Staples program well too. She’s seen choral and Players performances in the auditorium that is now her new home.
Pine’s road to Westport began in Syracuse where she was born, and continued in North Carolina, where her parents worked in medicine.
She studied opera and musical theater at Northwestern University. (Meghan Markle was a classmate, though their paths did not cross.)
Pine’s first job was with a New York software company. She taught voice and piano on the side, and loved it much more.
“The teaching bug bit me,” she says. After earning a master’s in education at Hunter College, and student teaching at a performing arts magnet school, Pine realized she wanted to return to the field.
That led to 10 years as a “starving artist” — and barista, bartender, nanny, you name it — in New York.
Six years ago, she and her husband Will — who works in finance for UBS — had their second child. It was time for the suburbs.
They had been in Darien just a few days; their youngest was just 6 months old — and school was opening 2 days later — when the Fairfield Ludlowe job suddenly opened up.
Pine was hired as the choral, musical theater and a cappella director.
It was an excellent fit.
Her decision this summer to leave Ludlowe for Staples was difficult. She did not have a chance to say goodbye, and thank, a great senior class that she loved.
But she was excited by the talent and resources at Staples, and ready for the next step in her career.
She’ll “pick up where Luke left off,” she says. After COVID, there is room to grow the number of singers. She looks forward to building on her a cappella background.
Lauren Pine, with a wall hanging in her new Staples High School choral room.
Rosenberg, she says, “is on speed dial.” He recently showed her “all the hidden treasures” of the choral room, and is only a phone call away if she has questions.
But although she and he share “the same mannerisms and repertory choices,” she will make her own mark, in her own way.
“I don’t develop singers. I develop musicians,” Pine says of her teaching style.
“It’s a lot of theory, a lot of ear training, rather than ‘teaching to the concert.
“At they end of the day, they’ll go off to college, and careers. Maybe later, they’ll pick up music again. I want them to be able to problem-solve, and do something with that music, so they can have it for life.”
The first time most Westporters will see Pine is at the Candlelight Concert. Fairfield Ludlowe produced a similar show.
Lauren Pine will conduct her first “Sing We Noel” processional at this year’s Candlelight Concert. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Staples’ 82-year tradition is “coveted by the community,” Pine knows. “The scope is huge.”
Her first impressions of Staples are good ones. “They rolled out the red carpet,” she says. “Steve (Zimmerman), the whole staff, the admins have been amazing. This is a well-oiled machine.”
She reached out to current students during the summer. And — in a baptism by fire — the Orphenians she’d never led sang the national anthem before 800 staff members at last week’s opening convocation.
Last week — even before she officially met her students — Lauren Pine led Staples singers in the national anthem, at the Westport Public Schools’ opening convocation. (Photo/DanWoog)
On Lipson’s first day in 1988, she conducted an early run-through of the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
Pine’s first day includes singing, and ice-breakers.
“Singers are vulnerable,” she notes. “I want them to not only trust me, but the feel a comfort level. It’s all about building a community, a safe place to express yourself, and have a social and emotional outlet you might not get in other parts of the day.”
Lauren Pine joins a short list of legendary Staples High School choral directors. From left: Alice Lipson, George Weigle, Luke Rosenberg.
Pine’s husband is also a singer. They met at the New York Choral Society — “it really was ‘eyes across the room'” — and both are now on the board of the Stamford Chorale. (Rosenberg sings there too.)
Her daughter is a dancer. Her son does karate. Both are also musicians.
In their free time, Pine and her family (including a golden retriever) enjoy the outdoors: biking, camping, kayaking and “exploring Connecticut.”
For her own musical interests, she lists 4: opera, musical theater, jazz and pop.
And her favorite artists? “It’s a tie between Ella Fitzgerald, who I named my daughter after, and Kelli O’Hara, who I have seen in almost every Broadway show of hers.”
She first saw O’Hara — now a Westport resident — in “The Light In The Piazza” at Lincoln Center, and fell in love with her voice.
“She gave me hope that someone like me, with a similarly and classically trained voice, could also be a Broadway star.”
Now — following in Staples’ grand, decades-long tradition — Lauren Pine will train the next generation of voices.
Some may become Broadway stars.
All will cherish their Staples vocal experience.
(“06880” covers the “4 A’s” of the Staples High School experience: academics, arts, athletics and activities. If you enjoy our work, please click here to support this blog. Thank you!)
The Staples High School junior’s parents were born and raised there. He and his family travel often, to visit family. Sam has dual citizenship, and speaks fluent Portuguese.
He’s an active and involved teenager. He plays varsity soccer; helped collect thousands of dollars for Westport’s sister city of Lyman, Ukraine; is vice president of Enable (a club that prints 3D hands for people who cannot afford prostheses); is a member of the National Math and Science Honor Societies, and takes flying lessons at Danbury Airport.
Sam also co-founded Staples’ chapter of Associaçáo Médico do Floresta. The Brazilian non-profit helps indigenous and underserved populations in remote areas, providing services like dental care, eyeglasses and surgeries.
Fundraising is important. But this summer Sam went the extra mile — literally.
He spent a week in the Amazon with the Ribeirinhos. The traditional population relies on fishing, and growing bananas and macachera; they receive very little help from the government.
Sam traveled with about 20 others — all Brazilian, primarily doctors, and a Globo filmmaker — to provide help.
He was the youngest volunteer. The next oldest was in his 30s.
Sam Rossoni, in an Amazonian village.
Sam traveled by himself, from Sao Paulo to Manaus. He joined the group there, for a 10-hour boat trip up the Rio Negro, to a village called Tapiíra.
From that base, they worked. Eye doctors performed tests; dentists and gynecologists provided their services.
Sam helped register patients. He worked on the database. And he helped the dentists, teaching villagers proper brushing techniques.
Sam Rossoni teaches toothbrushing techniques.
The volunteers traveled beyond Tapiíra, visiting even smaller settlements along the Unini River.
Seeing first hand those lives — without electricity, and water available only by carrying buckets down and up steep hills to a river — made an enormous impact on Sam.
He was immersed in their lives. He slept in a hammock. He saw — and ate — alligators and turtles.
Sam Rossoni and a catfish, on the river.
He spoke with villagers, and learned about their distrust of corrupt, unhelpful governments.
He also enjoyed lighter moments, like swimming with local boys, and scoring the winning goal — barefoot — in a makeshift soccer game.
One day, the Ribeirinhos cooked fish for the volunteers, with lime juice, green onions and peppers. Sam calls it “definitely one of the best meals I’ve ever had.”
Grilled and fried local fish, farinha quebra dente (“teeth-breaking flour”), and a sauce made from lemon juice, pepper and green onion.
“They were so nice, generous and welcoming,” he says of the people he met. “They told me about their daily lives. It’s so drastically different from mine.”
“Before going, I knew the situation was bad,” Sam says. “But now I realize how much I take things like electricity and water for granted.”
Of course, he notes, “I only witnessed it. I didn’t experience it, the reality of it, the way they do, every day.”
Sam Rossoni, with new friends.
Sam is even more inspired now to “find the most efficient and effective ways to help people, in a way they want to be helped.”
He adds, “I knew this trip would be special. But it was so much more than I could have imagined. It was happy, sad — all sorts of emotions, combined into one. It was definitely life-changing.”
He returned home “a new student, a new volunteer, a new person.”
(“06880” often tells stories of young Westporters, doing interesting, challenging and important things. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
Stephen Rothenberg reports from the Westport Community Gardens: “Spotted, and smushed.”
The SLF is a sap-feeding plant hopper native to China. It is believed to have entered this country as an egg mass stuck to a shipment of stone sent to Pennsylvania in 2012. Since then, that state’s agriculture, vineyards, forests, nurseries and residential areas have suffered serious damage.
The spotted lanternfly made its way into Connecticut in 2021. The state Agricultural Experiment Station issued a quarantine order. The hope is that the pest will be slowed long enough to find a treatment to control or eradicate it.
The beautiful-looking insect affects fruit trees, grapes, hops and ornamental trees. The nymphs (immature stage of the SLF) and adults feed on sap from trees and vines, causing them to weaken. Excretions from the SLF stick to the leaves; black sooty mold grows, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize properly. This reduce crop yields, and weaken trees and plants further, eventually destroying them.
It can also wreak havoc on lawn furniture, sidewalks, sides of buildings, car tires and everything else outside, making them a sticky mess.
More guest artists have been added to the Westport Country Playhouse’s benefit concert, “An Evening with Justin Paul & Friends, with Kelli O’Hara and James Naughton” (September 9, 8 p.m.).
Joining Tony, Oscar and Grammy Award-winning (and 2003 Staples High School graduate) Justin Paul are friends from his films, stage musicals, and other projects.
Two are from Westport: former Staples Player Jacob Heimer (Broadway’s “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”), and Stacie Morgain Lewis (“Wicked,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Urinetown,” “Titanic”).
Other guests include Loren Allred (vocalist on “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman”), Andrew Barth Feldman (“Dear Evan Hansen”); Grammy nominee Mykal Kilgore (“Motown the Musical,” “Hair,” “The Book of Mormon”); Tony winner Aaron Tveit (“Moulin Rouge! The Musical!”), and Jessica Vosk (“Wicked”).
Headlining with Paul (“La La Land,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Greatest Showman”) are Kelli O’Hara (Tony Award for “The King and I”), James Naughton (Tony Award for “City of Angels” and “Chicago”), and Greg Naughton (founding member of folk-rock group The Sweet Remains).
Director Caley Baretta — another former Staples player — is senior manager of creative development at Disney Theatrical Group. Producer Ben Frimmer is well known as Coleytown Middle School’s longtime theater instructor.
“It’s been said boat owners enjoy 2 immeasurable highs: First when they buy it, then when they sell it.
“Dog parents {please don’t call them ‘owners’) achieve nirvana only once. The loss is off the charts on the Richter scale of sadness. No one adopting a pup thinks about the dreaded end. The fact is, our pets just don’t live long enough.
“When word filtered down that we lost our beloved Oskar, we were embraced with tearful hugs from our friends and Oskar’s buddies’ parents. What was especially touching were the kind condolence notes left in our mailbox by our caring Westport neighbors whom we only have a nodding relationship with. Mega-shoutouts are in order to these compassionate folks.
“When things settle down, we’ll look for another dog to join our family. The local rabbits that Oskar chased (and never caught) are probably hoping we move slowly on this. I’m sure they think a little respite is in order.”
Oskar
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Arthur Lipner & the Caribbean Cruisers put on quite a show last night, at the Levitt Pavilion. Even the lighting was red-hot.
(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
Tomorrow night’s show is one of the summer’s big ones: Daryl Hall, with special guest Todd Rundgren.
It sold out quickly. But a few tickets have been returned, by people who now cannot attend.
The gala and cocktail party tickets are for both the pre-concert cocktail party sponsored by Roz and Bud Siegel, at Don Memo and Walrus Alley.
Concert-only tickets are available too for the show made possible by the Arthur & Claudia Cohen Foundation. But everyone can enjoy the Levitt parking lot, as it becomes a plaza with food trucks from the Blind Rhino, Little Pub and College Creamery Ice Cream, plus a full bar operated and sponsored by Rizzuto’s.
Every week, the Westport Rotary Club learns something new.
This week’s subject was Urban Impact of Black Rock.
Executive director Bob Niedermeyer described the organization’s mentorship support for kindergarten through 12th grade students living in Bridgeport’s PT Barnum Public Housing Complex.
100 volunteer mentors form long-term relationships with their students. and become involved in their lives beyond the classroom.
Staples’ Class of 1965 is one of the most legendary in the high school’s 139-year history. (No, I was not a member. But they blazed the way for us youngsters well.)
To prepare for their 60th reunion in 2 years, they’re scouring the globe for classmates.
Click here to add your name to the database. If you’re not on Facebook, or have questions, email Kaempfer@mcarthurglen.com.
Members of Staples’ Class of 1965 remember when the school was 9 separate buildings. (This view is from 1959; an addition was finished in 1964).
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Former Westporter Betty Lu Grune died peacefully last week in Florida, surrounded by her family. She was 93.
Her father was a US Navy chaplain. Betty Lu lived in many US and international locations. She met her husband, George Grune, at Duke University during the first weeks of college.
Betty Lu graduated from Duke in 1951, with a B.A. in English. She married George in 1952. They lived in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania before moving to Westport. They were here for 33 years.
Betty Lu was active in the Newcomers Club, PTA and Westport Garden Club. She also served as chapter president of the PEO philanthropic organization.
In 1988 the Grunes retired to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where they supported local organizations including the Jacksonville Symphony, Cummer Museum, Players by the Sea, and Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida.
Betty Lu was a vibrant participant in countless events in support of her husband, the former chairman and CEO of Reader’s Digest Association. She took great pride in her 3 sons.
Betty Lu was predeceased by her husband George, and siblings Virginia May (Achtmeyer) Adams, Fern Marie Atkin and Francis Lee Albert, Jr. She is survived by her sons George Jr. (Judy) of Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, and their children Heather, Lindsey and George III; Robert (June) of Ponte Vedra Beach), and their children Alexandra, Robert Jr. and Jordan; and Steven (Nancy) of Darien, and their children Steven Jr, Natalie and Kevin.
A service to celebrate Betty Lu’s life will be held later at the Palms Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Click here to leave an online tribute.
Today’s compelling “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from the Community Gardens.
Photographer Lou Weinberg explains: “Compared to other native North American birds, goldfinches are late breeders.
“They start building nests in late June and early July, when thistle and milkweed are going to seed. Goldfinches like to use the seeds in their nests, and also as food for their young.
“The Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve have ample quantities of thistle and milkweed growing, along with one of their favorites, the sunflower.”
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice and Police Chief Foti Koskinas have an excellent working relationship.
They share a key goal: keeping every Westport student and staff member safe, from before the start of the school day to the end of the final extracurricular activity.
But Staples High School is a sprawling, 500,000-square foot building. Cell service is spotty. In an emergency, 911 is not always an instant call away.
The enormous Staples High School campus. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
Thanks to a collaboration between Scarice and Koskinas. that may soon change.
This Wednesday (August 23, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), Scarice will ask the Board of Finance for $630,000. The funds are for an enhanced security communications system, adding to the current capability to contact emergency services.
In addition, Koskinas will request $432,063. That money would pay for 3 officers to patrol 3 campuses: Coleytown Middle/Coleytown Elementary School; Kings Highway/Saugatuck Elementary; and Long Lots/Greens Farms Elementary. One officer already patrols the Staples/Bedford Middle School campus.
The officers would help with traffic, unwelcome visitors and similar issues. They would enter the schools only for emergencies.
Scarice is excited by the potential for vastly enhanced security — including the “Campus Shield” system he is proposing for Staples.
It uses radio frequency, the same system utilized by the military and first responders. (In the recent Maui wildfires, that was the only means of communication when cell service went down.)
A 1-inch by 1 -inch fob attaches to a staff member’s identification lanyard. In the event of any 911 emergency — a violent intruder, say, or a health issue — the staffer would press the fob for 2 seconds.
Within 5 seconds — and with unfailing reliability — the emergency dispatch center is notified.
A screen shows the name and profile of the faculty member, and the exact location in the building the call comes from. The nearest security camera is activated, showing the dispatch center exactly what is happening.
Every staff member with a lanyard — administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, coaches — would have the security fob.
Scarice says, “this tool enhances our current communications capability by providing instant, unfailing access to emergency responders. It is my highest recommendation, in conjunction with the Chief’s increase in officers dedicated to our schools.
“What excites me most is that this tool uses the exact same method that first responders and the military use for communications: radio frequency. This elevates our capabilities to communicate in an unfailing manner with first responders, in the event a call is necessary.”
The Board of Education has already unanimously supported Scarice’s request. The $630,000 cost might be partially offset by a state grant.
If the Board of Finance gives its okay, the security plan would go to the Representative Town Meeting for final approval.
The on-scene investigation of the “untimely death” of a 56-year-old woman — found yesterday at 11 a.m. — was completed at 12:45 this morning by the Westport Police Detective Bureau, assisted by the Connecticut State Police Major Crime unit. The investigation remains active.
The woman was identified as Jennifer Lindstrom, of 3 Oak Ridge Park. Westport Police responded to the residence after a housekeeper found her unresponsive at the bottom of a staircase leading to the basement.
Among the hidden-in-plain-sight treasures of Westport: Frazier Forman Peters houses.
Between 1924 and 1936, the architect designed and built over 40 distinctive stone homes in Westport (and more in surrounding towns).
On November 5 Histoury — a non-profit dedicated to significant buildings — offers a bus tour of 20 Frazier Forman Peters houses. Experts will offer commentary on their designs and histories. Several interior tours will be included.
Tickets are $75 for adults, $49 for students. Click here to purchase. For more information on Frazier Forman Peters, click here.
A Frazier Forman Peters house on Riverview Road with fieldstone facades, slate roof and copper gutters.
Here’s our first Halloween-related story of the year. (No, it is not Dunkin’s pumpkin lineup — although it is already available.)
This is about CLASP‘s “Rockin’ Halloween Bash.” Set for October 20 (Fairfield Theatre Company), it features lite bits from Little Pub, and live music from Band Central — the popular group made up of clients at the organization providing group homes and other services for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.
The 6th annual Westport Library event — the largest literary event in Connecticut — has just secured Stephen Graham Jones as moderator for the keynote conversation with Neil Gaiman.
Tickets are available starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 22. Click here to order. The event is free, but seats are limited.
In addition, Eric LaRocca will cap a full day of Saturday events with a staged reading of his new play, “Gentle Hacksaw.”
Tickets for LaRocca are $20, and are available now. They include a reception with StoryFest authors, small bites and a cash bar.
From left: Stephen Graham Jones, Neil Gaiman, Eric LaRocca.
A bit earlier than October — Sunday, August 27 — MoCA sponsors “Kaleidoscope,” a 1-day exhibition featuring works from MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts, as well as Camp MoCA Westport participants. Food trucks will be on site.
Oliver Bub is rowing his boat — all the way to Serbia.
Or at least, in the Balkan country.
The Staples High School 2014 Biology Student of the Year is part of the men’s eight team that will represent the US at the World Rowing Championships next month in Belgrade. He was an alternate on last year’s squad.
The 6-6, 205-pound Dartmouth College graduate was Saugatuck Rowing Club’s 2015 Most Valuable Oarsman. He lives now in Oakland, and rows for the California Rowing Club. (Hat tip: Lisa Marriott)
“Monarchs in Motion” — a free September 7 (6 p.m.) event at Earthplace — does not refer to King Charles’ recent ascension to the throne.
It’s about “understanding how insect movement and dispersal ecology informs conservation planning.” Speaker Dr. Kelsey Fisher is an “insect movement ecologist.”
There is space for 100 people. Click here to register, and for more information.
Earlier this month, the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club honored 34 members with Paul Harris Society awards.
They’re presented to Rotarians who give $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. New fellows include Holly McCarthy, Mike Hibbard, Gail Lavielle, Jeff Cohen, Helen Garten, Anil Nair, Liz Wong, Tim Wetmore, Jacquie Masumian, Karen Klein, Jen Tooker, Bruce Paul, Ron Holtz, Yvonne Senturia and Barbara Levy.
Those honored for donating $2,000 were Tom Ayres, Jane Ross, Linda Bruce, Eileen Flug, George Masumian, Mark Mathias and Carole Rubenstein.
Donors at the $3,000 level were Bill Harmer, Ann Lloyd, Steve Violette, Joe Renzulli and Arnold K. Wolgast.
Sheilan Keenan contributed $4,000; Hal Levy and Rick Jaffe gave $5,000; Bob Galan, $6,000; Brian Strong and Arlo Ellison, $8,000, and — topping the Paul Harris Society list — Eric Zielinski and Martin Burger, at $9,000.
Tessie DeMattia — a chef who worked for over 40 years with her brother Frank DeMace, the founder of Mario’s Place — died Tuesday.
Tessie is survived by her daughter, Linda Voulgarakis (John) of West Haven; son James of Dummerston, Vermont; grandchildren Dawn Blinn, Libby Mazzella, David Aronson, Nikki Voulgarakis and Harry Voulgarakis, and 4 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband Liberty Michael DeMattia, she was predeceased by her daughter Sandra Blinn; siblings Dominick, Frank, Michael and Joseph DeMace and Marie Wallacem and granddaughter Jacqueline Perez.
A funeral service will be tomorrow (Friday, August 18, 11 a.m., Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, Fairfield). Friends may greet her family one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Two years ago, Staples High School sports fans enjoyed junior Zach Brody’s call of the Wreckers’ girls soccer state championship match on WWPT-FM.
Last winter Zach was courtside at Mohegan Sun, announcing the boys basketball title contest.
Those broadcasts drew hundreds of listeners.
Zach Brody
This Sunday at 7 p.m., millions will hear — and see — Zach. He’ll be behind the mic when the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies meet at neutral Bowman Field, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania during the Little League World Series.
It’s a legit Major League Baseball game. And — just 2 months after graduating from Staples — Zach will be a legit ESPN announcer.
The event is part of ESPN 2’s “KidsCast.” Zach was selected from 114 students at the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp to air a full MLB game, on national television.
“KidsCast” may be a misnomer. Though Zach is still a teenager, he’s honed his skills through Staples’ intensive, high-level curriculum. He’s as serious about his work — and as good — as pros like, well, Bruce Beck.
Zach took full advantage of Staples. He played basketball and tennis; was a cellist in the Orchestra, and served as president of the Unified Sports Club, for special needs youngsters.
A friend who had taken a radio class with Geno Heiter raved about the instructor. But Zach marked it on his sophomore year schedule only as an alternative, in case he did not get into another elective.
He did not — to both his and the student-run station’s benefit.
Zach Brody (center), with his WWPT co-executive producer Devon Jacobs and instructor/advisor Geno Heiter, at the Drury Awards for high school broadcasting. The duo — and station — won several honors.
“I love all sports. And ‘PT has a huge sports culture,” Zach says.
“It’s so inviting and inclusive. Sophomores can debate on the air with seniors. We all build cool relationships around a common passion.”
He learned the trade. Over 3 years he called football, boys and girls soccer and basketball, and baseball.
For 2 summers, he attended the Bruce Beck Camp at Iona College. He learned breaking news, SportsCenter-style news, commentary, podcasting, and play-by-play. The latter included calling an old New York Knicks game, with one of their broadcasters.
“It was very professional. There’s a friendly feel, with lots of collaboration. But there is also competition,” Zach says.
He listened to and watched his fellow campers intently. He heard feedback about everyone.
Meanwhile, he honed his own style.
Zach Brody, courtside at Mohegan Sun for Staples High School’s boys basketball state championship game. WWPT-FM broadcast that contest, and the state final in another division too.
“I like to have fun on the air,” Zach says. “I embrace the big moments, but I try to keep it light. I like getting a smile or chuckle from my partner or listeners.”
Of course, he says, “I’m still learning, growing and developing.”
Campers do not apply for the ESPN 2 KidsCast gig. The network selects 3 young broadcasters, based on tapes from the Beck camp. Zach got the call about making the call the other day.
He’ll work with ESPN producers, and their crew. He’ll do the usual intense prep work.
But Sunday night’s broadcast isn’t the only big thing happening in Zach’s life.
Yesterday, he left for college. He’s about to begin his freshman year at George Washington University.
He asked for — and got — permission to leave for a few days, right in the middle of orientation.
Zach Brody, in the Staples football broadcast booth.
“I’m over-the-moon excited,” he says about Sunday’s broadcast.
“I’m confident in my abilities. As long as I keep doing more than what’s expected, I’ll feel prepared.
“I know I’m very lucky to have this opportunity. I’m stoked.”
(“06880” often features the accomplishments of Staples graduates like Zach Brody. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
When Jacob Kitchner was growing up in Westport, a good friend died by suicide. He had always wanted to be an Eagle Scout. Jacob vowed to earn that rank, in his friend’s honor.
As a Staples High School senior, he achieved his goal.
That same year, shortly before Christmas, Jacob’s older brother Brian Anderson was killed in an automobile accident. Jacob pledged he would do something that would have made Brian proud.
Two months before graduation ceremonies in 2019 — with his Staples degree in hand — Jacob enlisted in the US Army. He served as a military police officer. Four years later, he’s in the Army National Guard.
Jacob Kitchner
Jacob — a football, wrestling, ice hockey and rugby athlete at Staples, and who played euphonium in the Staples and Western Regionals band (his father Lou Kitchner is the very popular band director at Bedford Middle School) — has led a life that surely honors his brother and friend.
In addition to his National Guard service, he now has 2 full-time jobs. He’s a front-of-the-house team member at Tacombi, the new Post Road taqueria.
He has a 4.0 and has been invited to the National Honor Society at American Military University, where he is studying criminal justice on a pre-law track.
In addition Jacob has his own landscaping business, which he started from — well, the ground up.
Jacob got experience with a company in Bridgeport. “It was very hands-on,” he says. “I could really see the results of my work. There was immediate gratification.”
He learned as much as he could, and researched how to start a business.
A man from a Scag Mowers dealership mentored him on equipment: what to buy new, what to look for used.
When Jacob was searching for a truck the Farahona family brought him home, fed him dinner, and gave advice on starting an LLC.
Jacob Kitchner, with his truck …
With a credit union loan he bought commercial mowers, leaf blowers, snow blowers, and equipment for mulching, weed control, pruning, waste disposal and more.
At 22 years old, he was a business owner.
But Operations Lawns Landscaping is more than just a business to Jacob.
“It’s run by an American soldier. That means there’s fast response time, and a high level of responsibility,” he explains.
He posts his values on his website: duty, loyalty, respect, honor and integrity. He is dedicated to “finishing every mission” the right way, he says.
“Being a soldier is about a lot more than serving,” Jacob notes. “It’s fulfilling every task, the right way. I won’t leave a property until everything is A-OK.”
… and spreading hay.
At his very first job, his lawnmower broke. Jacob apologized, went to Home Depot, spent $600 on a new machine, then returned to finish the job.
“There’s a saying in the military: ‘We will square you away,” Jacob says. “It means ‘making everything right.’
“That’s my saying too. Your lawn is like a square. I’ll square it away for you.”
(To learn more about Jacob Kitchner’s Operation Lawns Landscaping, click here.)
The Westport Library’s recent 3-part medical series — focusing on cardiac issues — really got to the, um, heart of things. Each session drew SRO crowds.
Next up: a 3-part series centering on the brain.
Once again, recently retired physician Dr. Robert Altbaum has curated a team of experts, and will moderate each evening.
September 7: Dr. Daryl Story will discuss strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), along with how to maximize chances for recovery.
October 30: Dar. Dario Zagar on headaches and migraines, including new therapies.
November 21: Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, on new research into dementia.
Dr. Robert Altbaum
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Rachel Doran — the 2015 Staples High School graduate who died just before her senior year at Cornell University after a rare reaction to common medication — was honored yesterday in Ithaca.
Cornell Human Ecology remembered her contributions to the campus through her “intellect, creativity, warmth and sense of humor.”
Her legacy will now live on. An exhibit space in the Human Ecology Building — where she developed her talents as a curator — was named in her honor.
Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities — the non-profit that identifies, schedules, funds and runs an array of programs at the Senior Center — recently elected new board officers.
Pictured below (left to right): Sue Kane, secretary; Marsha Darmory, co-president; Wendy Petty, Senior Center executive director; Diane Bosch, co-president; Molly Alger, treasurer.
Lifelong Westport resident Mary Q. Bulakites died peacefully on August 4 at her home. She was 95.
Mary worked as a clerk in the Assessor’s Office for the town of Westport for many years. She retired in 1980.
Mary was a member of Assumption Church, and the Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post Ladies Auxiliary.
Mary was predeceased by her husband George, her first husband Joseph McCaffrey, her sister Kathleen Quinn Marcroft and her daughter Kathi LeBlanc. She is survived by her grandson Ian LeBlanc (Ashley) of Norwalk, granddaughter Karis LeBlanc (Dmitry) of Brookly,, and great-grandchildren Aurora and Merida LeBlanc.
A graveside service will be held this Tuesday (August 15, Assumption Cemetery. Kings Highway North, 2 p.m.). Click here to leave online condolences. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services.
And finally … Tom Jones died Friday, at his home in Sharon, Connecticut. He was 95.
Not the Welsh heartthrob. This Tom Jones wrote the book and lyrics for “The Fantasticks.” The show opened in 1960, and ran for an astonishing 42 years.
It all started with the memorable opening number. Click here for a full obituary.
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Over the years, Wakeman Town Farm’s Harvest Fest has “grown” to become one of the best fundraisers, in a town that has plenty of them.
This year’s event (Saturday, September 9, 6 p.m.) will again feature season fare by local farmers and chefs, wine and signature cocktails, live music, auctions and more.
The food station setup encourages mixing and mingling. Seating in the outdoor tent is limited; tickets go fast. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Season 3 of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” includes an all-star cast: Meryl Streep, Martin Short, Steve Martin and Paul Rudd.
And — to keep things interesting — this season the “murder investigation” heads to Broadway.
To do that element right, the New York Times says, producers “enlisted the aid of a musical theater supergroup led by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known for their work on ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and ‘La La Land.’”
Before earning “supergroup” status, Justin was a kid — okay, a rising star even then — in Westport.
He graduated from Staples High School in 2003.
He likened the “Only Murders” experience to “theater camp.”
He told the Times: “It was just through and through a Broadway experience — there are just cameras filming it. There was that same sort of ensemble sense, whether it was Meryl or Paul Rudd or Marty or Steve, that everybody was making this show together.”
The show debuted Wednesday. Click here for the full New York Times story. (Hat tip: John Nathan)
Justin Paul and Benj Pasek, at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. (Photo/Paul Drinkwater NBC)
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between August 2 and 9.
A man was arrested for illegal possession of personal information, illegal trafficking in personal information, and identity theft, following a complaint by a resident that a check had been altered and cashed.
Police also issued the following citations:
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 5 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
Disorderly conduct: 1
Simple trespass: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
One person was arrested for trespassing this week.
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Westport’s Department of Human Services’ annual Back-to-School and Afterschool Childcare Campaign for families in need is underway.
Director Elaine Daignault calls the effort “a reminder that many local families struggle to afford basic school supplies, new clothing, and in some cases reliable afterschool care for their children throughout the school year.
“In addition to giving kids the tools for success in school, we recognize the importance of safe and nurturing environments for children outside school hours. Children involved in after-school programs with their peers feel more connected to the community and perform better in school. Reliable childcare allows parents to focus on their jobs with peace of mind, knowing their children are well cared for and engaged in enriching activities.”
Tax-deductible contributions can be made in 3 ways:
Online: Click here, then click “Family to Family Programs – Seasonal Program.”
Check: Payable to “Town of Westport Human Services” (Family Programs – “BTS” or “Afterschool Program” in the memo line); mail to 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport, CT 06880.
Walmart gift cards: Drop off or mail to Westport Human Services, Room 200 at Town Hall (see above address).
School supplies help children academically — and socially.
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Koda lives near the beach. He usually hangs out at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
Yesterday he ventured out to the Westport Farmers’ Market.
Unfortunately, he saw this sign:
(Photo/Jim Hood)
OMG! I guess it’s back to the beach …
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Speaking of the Sound:
The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism’s next “Havdalah on the Beach” is tomorrow (Saturday, August 12, 6;30 p.m., Compo).
Bring your own dinner, and a chair or blanket. CHJ provides cold drinkds and dessert.
What can you expect? “A short Havdalah service, and a lovely relaxed evening with friends,” CHJ says.
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Mushrooms are a prime Westport Farmers’ Market attraction.
Sunil Hirani took several photos yesterday. This was one of the best — definitely “Westport … Naturally”-worthy.
(Photo/Sunil Hirani)
I’m sure he bought some of the very photogenic ‘shrooms too.
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In addition, Koskinas will request $432,063. That money would pay for 3 officers to patrol 3 campuses: Coleytown Middle/Coleytown Elementary School; Kings Highway/Saugatuck Elementary; and Long Lots/Greens Farms Elementary. One officer already patrols the Staples/Bedford Middle School campus.
A 1-inch by 1 -inch fob attaches to a staff member’s identification lanyard. In the event of any 911 emergency — a violent intruder, say, or a health issue — the staffer would press the fob for 2 seconds.
