In just 5 years, VersoFest has gained a great reputation for its celebration of music, media and creativity.
This year, those 3 elements have reached new, um, records.
Verso Studios — the Library’s media hub — has created a promotional jingle. They’re playing at other Library events, and will be heard at VersoFest too. The 4-day show begins Thursday.
There are 4 versions of the same jingle. Each emulates the styles of major artists in this year’s lineup.
Lyrics and music were created in Verso Studios by Travis Bell, the studio’s in-house producer. He collaborated with Verso advisory board member Les Dinkin, principal of DinkinEsh Presents, who conceptualized the creative project.
The duo used the studio’s AI-based software to draft and refine a set of lyrics for the festival. Then came music generated through iterative prompts.
Ani DiFranco (Photo/Shervin Lainez)
Bell and Dinkin worked on many preliminary versions, before finalizing the right fit for each artist’s sound.
All jingles were created solely from prompts through AI tools. The artist’s recordings or inputs from their recordings were not utilized in any way.
“We believe this may be the first time that AI music tools have been used to create artist-specific jingles by any performance venue, let alone a public community library,” Bell says.
This is not the first “first” for the Westport Library.
In 2022 “Verso Records: Volume One” became the first vinyl record ever recorded, produced, and released by a public library.
(“06880” is your place for all VersoFest news — and everything else going on in town. If you appreciate our coverage of “Where Westport meets the world,” please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Among the many details offered at last night’s Cribari Bridge public meeting, this one passed without further comment: The state Department of Transportation has identified 10 properties and 1 dock as potentially affected by the project.
This morning, Bridge Street resident Werner Liepolt wrote to John McAvoy, Federal Highway Administration division administrator in Hartford: “No map, list of properties, or description of the nature of these potential impacts (temporary or permanent) was provided at the meeting nor, to my knowledge, at previous stage of the project.
“Without this information, it is not possible for affected property owners or the public to meaningfully evaluate or comment on the project’s impacts, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Section 106 review process under the National Historic Preservation Act.”
Liepolt asks CTDOT and the FHWA to provide identification of all properties under consideration for right-of-way acquisition or easement; mapping showing the extent and type of potential impacts, and clarification of whether impacts are temporary (construction) or permanent.
He also requests that the comment period — now set to run through April 17 — be extended, so that the public and affected property owners have “a meaningful opportunity to respond.”
CTDOT has not indicated which 10 properties, and which dock, might be affected — including possible condemnation and eminent domain taking — by the Cribari Bridge project. (Drone photo/Alex O’Brien)
On April 6, all daily parking in Lot 1 — the large one opposite Riko’s Pizza — will revert back to permit-only parking.
The state Department of Transportation has returned Lot 8 (off Saugatuck Avenue, between I-95 and Exit 17) to the town for railroad parking, following several years as a staging area for the 95 bridge replacement project.
That restores approximately 140 daily parking spots.
During COVID and for some time afterward, permit-only lots were underutilized. The WPD adjusted parking allocations by adding daily spaces to Lots 1 and 3 to help offset the loss of Lot 8, and better utilize the lots closest to the station.
Now that commuting levels have returned to near pre-COVID patterns on most weekdays, they’ve readjusted again.
The website will be updated, and signage posted to alert commuters. A new parking map is also being developed, and will be available on the website soon.
Saugatuck train station parking map. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
On April 8 (VFW Post 399; cocktails for purchase 5:45; program 7 p.m.), 3 experts offer advice on keeping safe in the digital age.
Panelists include Westport Police Department Detective James Baker; Connecticut State Police Detective Mathew Hogan, and former Secret Service agent Brian McCabe.
The free event is sponsored by the Westport Republican Town Committee.
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Read to Grow — the great non-profit that ensures children begin life surrounded by books — once again hosts its annual statewide fundraiser in Westport.
“A Night for the Books” is set for May 7 (6 p.m.). The venue is appropriate: the Westport Library.
The evening will highlight the power of books, community, and connection, while raising money for programs that provide books and literacy resources to families across Connecticut.
Dave Briggs — former CNN, Fox, NBC, Turner Sports and Yahoo Finance journalist, and a Westport resident — will emcee.
Twelve Artists Collective of Westport members are creating book-inspired centerpieces, for the auction. Zucca Gastrobar caters the farm-to-table food; Alina’s Bakery adds treats. A giving tree – with gift cards donated by local stores and restaurants — will be part of the “mystery pull.”
Before the event (3 to 5 p.m.), families can pick up free children’s books, at the Read to Grow bookmobile.
The organization’s programs include Books for Babies, which gives newborns in Connecticut hospitals their first book; Books for Kids, through which families request free books delivered directly to their homes, and the statewide bookmobile.
In what has become an annual tradition, the Westport PAL 8th grade boys and girls basketball players took the court at Madison Square Garden this week, before the Knicks game.
For the past few years, the NBA (through its Jr. Nicks program) team has offered PAL a great experience. Young players attend the pre-game shootaround, scrimmage on the Garden floor, then watch the game.
Thanks, Jr. Knicks — and Westport resident and former Staples player Brett Tessler — for making it happen.
Westport PAL players, at Madison Square Garden.
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Want to laugh on April 1 — without being a fool?
VFW Post 399 is hosting a free comedy night, with local comedians.
The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Open mic sign-ups begin at 7.
For questions and more information, email meganharvist@gmail.com.
IYKNY.
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Speaking of entertainment: Corky Laing is no stranger to Westport.
The legendary drummer for Mountain has played — and hung out — here before
Can’t quite place Mountain? They’re the “Mississippi Queen” band.
Laing provided the iconic cowbell intro.
He returns April 11 (7 p.m., VFW Post 399), this time as a special guest with Ten$Grand Band.
Up next at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport: “Birthday Club.”
The play — about 5 friends who reunite to celebrate a milestone birthday, and confront changes in marriage, career, health and identity, while examining what has sustained their friendships over decades — will be presented March 27 and 28 (7 p.m.) and March 29 (2 p.m.).
The story “gives space to regret, loyalty and second chances, revealing the warmth and resilience that shape enduring friendships.”
The production is presented by UU Players. Tickets are $25 at the door; students with ID are free. All proceeds support UU Westport.
At last summer’s Pequot Library book sale, teenager Morgan Kofron bought an antique family Bible.
Soon after, it was learned that the Bible had belonged to the Adairs — Black and Indigenous (Shinnecock) landowning family who played a significant role in the economic and cultural history in both Westport and Fairfield.
The Adair family papers are preserved at the Westport Museum for History & Culture. The Bible will now be added to those materials.
Adair family Bible.
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It’s been a while since we featured Man’s Best Friend as a “Westport … Naturally” item. Our bad.
And finally … Vera Lynn was born on this day, in 1917. The English singer — whose performances lifted all of Great Britain during World War II — died in 2020, at 103.
(They just don’t make ’em like Vera Lynn anymore. Fortunately, “06880” remembers her. But we also do a lot more than that. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
It was the most iconic anti-war image of the Vietnam era: A flower, set against a yellow background, with the words — suggesting a child’s handwriting — “War is not healthy for children and other living things.”
Designed in 1965 by activist/artist/mother Lorraine Schneider, it became the logo for an organization called Another Mother for Peace.
It was incorporated into posters, flyers, newsletters, datebooks, buttons, cards and jewelry, and became an internationally recognized plea for peace.
More than half a century later, it’s back.
Westporter Cathy Utz and Fairfield resident Grayson Craddock have resurrected, redesigned and redeployed it, to fight another war: the one against social media.
Cathy Utz
A 1979 graduate of Staples High School, Utz was too young to participate in anti-Vietnam marches or rallies.
But she knew the poster well. It hung for years in the home of Estelle Margolis, the mother of a family friend and a longtime Westport peace advocate.
Today, Utz is a therapist. Her 3 sons are adults. But in her work she sees the negative impacts of social media on young people, and their families.
Craddock’s children are 15, 13 and 7. He too knows the pressures and problems caused by social media.
Craddock — a graphic designer — works with Utz’s husband, Tom Greenwald, in Broadway advertising.
Grayson Craddock
He was unfamiliar with the “War is not healthy …” design. But when Utz came to him with the idea of recreating it for the modern era, he understood the need.
And what was needed.
He had to transfer the feel of the poster, without infringing on creative rights. And it had to feel as if a young person made it.
Craddock worked with paper. He spent a day cutting out pieces, and arranging them with a glue stick. Then he took photos.
When Craddock showed his work to friends, they understood immediately. Even more tellingly, they noticed it evoked child’s play, like crafts, which have fallen out of favor lately.
Because of the pull of social media.
In the 1960s, Schneider’s art raised money for Another Mother for Peace.
Utz and Craddock — who donated all his time and talent — searched for a modern-day non-profit that could benefit from this one.
They found the Organization for Social Media Safety. Called “the first consumer protection organization exclusively focused on social media, they help protect against social media dangers like cyberbullying, sextortion, sexual harassment, anxiety, depression, suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, substance abuse and trafficking.
They work with schools, youth groups and corporations, and have developed both a K-12 curriculum and free program for parents.
Craddock also designed a website: SocialMediaIsNotHealthy.com. Through it, he and Utz offer merchandise with the updated design, including posters, mugs, t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, bumper stickers, decals — and smartphone cases.
“We are well aware of the irony that our message has to go out via social media,” Utz says.
“Social media by itself is not bad. But we have to be aware of its bad effects.”
The website, she and Craddock hope, will “remind us to be more mindful, and dial our use back.”
(“06880” encourages limited social media use. But before you shut off your device today, please click here to contribute to “06880.” Our blog IS healthy, for children and other living things. Thanks!)
As the state Department of Transportation meeting about the Cribari Bridge nears (March 19, 6 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), 2 complementary petitions are circulating.
One — newly launched — calls for preservation of the 143-year-old span as a functional and picturesque community landmark. It emphasizes the bridge’s historic and visual importance to Westport, and urges that it be maintained as close to its present character as possible.
The petition says, “It’s essential that we keep the bridge a functional and picturesque icon, retaining its place not only in our community but also in our hearts. Click here to see.
An earlier petition focuses on a clear outcome: preserving the bridge itself.
It calls for full federal oversight and procedural transparency in the planning process. It asks that all required public engagement, regulatory review and historic preservation standards be fully and openly applied before decisions are finalized.
Specifically, it seeks confirmation that cumulative and long-term impacts — including effects on National Register structures and the Bridge Street Historic District — are thoroughly evaluated under applicable federal preservation guidelines. Click here to see. (Hat tip: Werner Liepolt)
The Cribari Bridge is the oldest one of its swing type in the country. (Photo/Mark Mathias)
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Westport’s newest restaurant opens tomorrow.
And — judging by a sneak preview yesterday — it will be one more jewel in the town’s culinary crown.
Felice takes over the 2nd-floor Main Street space occupied most recently by Mexicue. (Before that, it was Onion Alley and Bobby Q’s.)
In just a couple of months, they’ve done a complete makeover. The large, space has been made warm and inviting, with both Tuscany and contemporary décor. A large bar separates 2 rooms, with tables and banquettes.
Westport is Felice’s newest location, following very popular locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and Florida. Diners yesterday who love the Upper East Side restaurant say this one follows its worthy lead.
Felice will be open 7 days a week, for lunch (weekdays, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), dinner (Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.) and brunch (Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
As graduation season approaches, singer-songwriter Owen Daniel has announced a graduation performance contest.
The winner of the contest — celebrating his new single, “Hundreds of Miles” — will get a live acoustic performance of the song at a graduation ceremony.
Daniel is an upcoming graduate himself. He is a senior at Weston High School.
“Hundreds of Miles” reflects on moving away from home, navigating emotional distance, and entering a new chapter of life. Its themes resonate too with anyone experiencing change or growth.
Students, parents and school administrators can enter by clicking here. The deadline is March 31.
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Tether — the largest stablecoin company in the world — is investing $200 million into Whop.
That gives the platform — which connects buyers and sellers in the digital economy, focusing on influencers and content creators, and whose co-founder and chief technology officer is 2018 Staples High School graduate Jack Sharkey — a valuation of $1.6 billion.
Sharkey says the partnership “marks a major step in building the world’s largest internet market. Tether is committed to enabling everyone in the world to participate in the new internet economy. The way humans work and create value is changing fast. The world needs both an open internet market giving people a platform to conduct business, as well as a transparent payments network.
“There is enormous opportunity when you combine Tether’s global scale and wallet technology with Whop’s community of next generation entrepreneurs.
“In partnership with Tether, we will be scaling infrastructure in real-time for new business models as they emerge across the globe.”
Earlier investors include Bain Capital Ventures, The Motley Fool Ventures and Peter Thiel.
“They believed in us when Whop was just a sneaker bot rental marketplace,” Sharkey adds.
“My co-founders and I met as teenagers on the internet selling software. We first launched Whop as a way to sell our software to people in Facebook and Discord forums.
“Prior to Whop, the place we found customers was different from the place we collected payments, different from the place we talked to customers, and there wasn’t a central place to “do business” on the internet.”
Jack Sharkey (right) gets his entrepreneurial drive from his father Scott (left) — the founder of Westport-based Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, and Every Home Should Have a Challah.
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Yesterday’s Roundup noted the death of Neil Sedaka — a 20-year Westport resident, beginning in the late 1970s.
When he headlined a Levitt Pavilion benefit concert in 1982, Miggs Burroughs interviewed him.
Miggs remembers him as “a very sweet and gentle man,” and sends this photo of them together:
And finally … one more tribute to our former neighbor, the late Neil Sedaka:
(February is already over — we’re 1/6 of the way through 2026. If you forgot your New Year’s resolution to help support “06880”: No problem! Just click here. And thank you!)
Posted onFebruary 22, 2026|Comments Off on Roundup: AI Widget, Audra McDonald, Food Pantry …
The good news: In less than 2 weeks since its debut, our new “06880” AI widget has field hundreds of questions.
The less-than-good news: Many readers are using it like Google search, rather than the much more robust engine it is.
Queries like “geese,” “Players,” “Staples,” “Hamlet” and “library” are not the best way to interact with our AI widget.
To get a much deeper answer — one that scrapes all 17 years of “06880” content, as designed by Westport-based Thought Partnr — you should ask things like:
“How do they manage geese at Longshore?”
“What is Staples Players known for?”
“Why was the Hamlet at Saugatuck plan rejected?”
“What activities are planned for VersoFest?”
Here’s a great example of a query from yesterday: “I’m thinking of moving to Westport with a young family. What are the pros and cons I should consider?”
Think of it as a conversation starter. The widget will respond; you can then continue the conversation, refine it, or simply walk away more knowledgeable about a local subject.
We’re all used to typing in a word or two in a search engine. We get a list of links that we then plow through.
But that’s not our AI widget. It responds in complete paragraphs, and invites an ongoing dialogue.
Bottom line: Take a few extra seconds to frame your question — just as you would with a friend. Give your AI buddy enough information to offer a complete, detailed response.
The more you use it, the better you’ll get.
And the smarter our AI widget will become too.
PS: Coming soon: AI for our “06880” app.
The arrow points to our AI widget.
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Emmy, Grammy and 6-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald returns to the Westport Country Playhouse May 19, for an encore evening of music
The singer/actor — a National Medal of Arts recipient, and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People — last appeared here in February of 2024.
For 4 hours yesterday morning, volunteers from the Saugatuck Congregational Church Missions Board, the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Sunrise Rotary unloaded supplies at the church, then packed 12,500 shelf-stable meals — with oatmeal/apple/vitamin packets — for a program run by EndHungerNE.
Norwalk and Wilton Rotarians helped too, along with other Westporters.
Then, they delivered the cases: 22 to the Gillespie Center, 20 to Open Door in Norwalk, and 14 to a food pantry in Norwalk.
At a time of rising food insecurity, they will fill a great need. (Hat tip: Mark Mathias)
Assembly line volunteers, at Saugatuck Church. (Photo/Katie Phillis)
Yesterday’s Roundup included an item about a new bird flu in the tri-state area. It’s killed more than a dozen geese, at Compo and Burying Hill Beaches.
That’s not all. A dead red-breasted merganser was found in a yard near Compo.
The disease does not seem to affect humans. But be careful out there!
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Longtime Westport teacher and women’s issues volunteer Patricia MacBride Hendrickson died peacefully at her Maine home in June. She was 95.
After graduating in 1952 as a biology major from Brown University, she worked in microbial genetics at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. After traveling solo in Europe, she married Donald Hendrickson, a chemical engineer, in 1955. They lived in Westport for 40 years before moving to a retirement community in Topsham, Maine in 2006.
For 2 decades, Pat taught advanced biology and ecology courses at Staples High School. She was enriched by her students, and her passion for the subject inspired many to choose careers in the sciences.
She received honors for her work as regional director of the Brown University National Alumni Schools program.
After retiring in 1991 Pat was active in politics, serving as president of the Democratic Women of Westport. She was one of 6 founders of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale. She served on the board for 6 years, including positions as vice president, president and admissions director.
A passionate believer in women’s personal liberty, she initiated in 1993 an all-volunteer security escort service for the Summit Women’s Center in Bridgeport, and coordinated the effort for a decade.
She received awards and recognition from CT Naral, CT NOW and the National Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
In 2003, she was co-founder and president of the Rosie Fund, the first abortion fund in Connecticut, which supports needy women’s right to choose. She was a longtime board member and then the President of the Y’s Women of Westport, a large women’s group in Westport.
Pat enjoyed travel, the natural world, wildlife, birding and botany. She traveled extensively, including Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Africa, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Alaska and the Virgin Islands.
After the death of her husband in 2012 she remained engaged in national and local politics. She traveled to visit family, hosted friends and family at her home, and took excursions and vacations to beautiful locations in Maine.
Pat is survived by her children Andrew, Laura Hendrickson (Rupert Stasch) Rupert Stasch and Julia, and granddaughter Madeleine. She was predeceased by her husband Donald, fraternal twin sister Pamela MacBride Colgate, and a brother, Roger MacBride.
A private burial will be held at the family plot on Cape Cod. Contributions may be sent to The Brown University Elise Lea MacBride Memorial Book Fund, Office of Planned Giving, PO Box 1893, Providence, RI 02912.
And finally … today marks the actual birthday of George Washington.
The Father of Our Country was born on this date 294 years ago — in 1732.
For decades, Americans celebrated this as a federal holiday. It has since morphed into Presidents Day, on the third Monday in February. The idea is to honor all Presidents (including Abraham Lincoln, born February 12) — and give everyone a 3-day weekend, while goosing sales of mattresses and cars.
An instrumental piece called “The President’s March” was composed by Philip Phile in 1789 to honor Washington’s inauguration. Joseph Hopkinson added lyrics in 1798. The song became very popular, and was often performed at official events.
When Staples High School said that the deadline to submit senior baby pictures to the yearbook was the next day, I said to myself, “I have hundreds!”
Then I read the specifications of what and how to submit, and felt lost.
Of course I had plenty of recent ready-to-download-and-send photos of my daughter’s toddler and teenage years. But I remembered that all of our actual baby pictures from 2008 are stored on CD-ROMs.
Remember these?
So I turned to the younger generation: my children. My puzzled and confused high schooler and middle-schooler) asked, “CD what?!” They could not help.
Having recently moved to a new home within Westport, our old desktop computer was still in a box somewhere.
We all use laptops. None has an external CD drive.
The deadline was near. All I had was a CD, and some physical photos in family albums. The instructions specified “no low resolution pictures of a picture.”
I thought the Westport Library must have a CD drive, where I could upload my picture to send to the yearbook.
I drove over with an hour until deadline, and headed to the computers. All I saw were USB ports.
I walked over to the reference department. Michelle Fleisher listened to my problem, then sprang into action.
Help!
She didn’t know if she could help. But she called to find answers.
Within minutes, a man appeared — with an external CD drive. He said I could sign it out, to take home.
Michelle insisted we try it right there, and connected the device. She walked me through each step.
I am not the most technologically savvy person. But I learned something new.
I want to thank Michelle. She not only answered a simple question; she also offered patience, a friendly attitude, and a willingness to assist, teach and guide me.
She went above and beyond. I submitted my child’s baby photo in the correct format, on time — and was even able to store all my images to an updated digital folder, for future use.
Saved from a CD — and submitted on time.
Thank you, Michelle. The Westport Library is lucky to have you!
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
When Gunnar Eklund and Graysen Peters headed to the Senior Center last Friday to meet with members, they figured there would be a generation gap.
After all, they’re a very different type of senior: 12th graders.
But instead of trying to explain their lives to a bunch of older people, they settled into an easy conversation. Amid banter and laughter, both sides asked questions, and offered honest responses.
The Senior Center seniors surprised the Staples seniors with their knowledge of AI. The teenagers surprised the Baby Boomers and Silent Generation by not reflexively opposing the high school cellphone ban.
And when their time was up, they all stayed for another hour, chatting and listening and learning from each other.
Gunnar Eklund and Graysen Peters (standing), at the Senior Center.
The “Seniors Meet Seniors” event began with an invitation from the Center, to Steven Greenberg’s Friday morning chat group. Staples assistant principal Christine Cincotta recommended Gunnar and Graysen.
Through their activities — he’s on the debate team; she’s in Model UN; both competed nationally with Staples’ We the People class — they know how to communicate.
Still, they wondered how well they could connect with a much older group.
Yet barriers quickly fell. What they thought would be a “presentation” turned into, Gunnar says, “a Socratic seminar.”
Gunnar Eklund
The Senior Center attendees wanted to know, for example, the best way to communicate with their grandchildren. Together, they agreed that phone calls — scheduled consistently, if possible — have much more impact than texts. Actual written letters are important too.
That resonated with the teens, They knew their own grandparents enjoyed connecting with them. But the conversation reinforced how important that is.
The men and women had heard about Staples’ cellphone ban. They were surprised — and pleased — to hear Gunnar and Graysen say they both feel more connected to others now, at lunch.
The older seniors were curious whether cursive writing is still taught. Graysen feels fortunate that her parents taught her how to sign her name; she and her friends struggle though to read cursive. Gunnar, meanwhile, learned it in a previous private school.
The Stapleites were surprised — and impressed — that the Senior Center members know a lot about artificial intelligence. Many use it.
Graysen Peters
When asked whether AI affects critical thinking, the teens offered personal perspectives.
Graysen said her teachers have taught her to use it in a good way. She knows how to fact-check. She does see some students use it as a shortcut.
Gunnar and his friends don’t really want to use it, he said; it takes away from critical thinking. He thinks many Staples teachers are too lenient about AI use.
Both explained about the technology to supposedly detect if students use artificial intelligence to write papers — and the harm that has come from false accusations.
Near the end, Gunnar asked what advice the seniors had for young people.
The main idea was simple: “Be kind!” (“Be kind on the road, too!” one joked.)
They’ve learned that being kind pays off in the long run, they told the teens.
“They said being kind makes you feel better,” Gunnar noted. “It gives you more positive experiences in life.”
Like, say, the experience of chatting about the world as it was, is, and will be one day, when today’s high school seniors are senior citizens.
Gunnar Eklund and Graysen Peters (middle row, 2nd and 4th from left), and the 2025 We the People team in Washington, DC.
(“06880” regularly covers Staples High School, the Senior Center — and everyone of every other age in Westport too. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Thanks to all who have tried our new “06880” AI widget.
We introduced it yesterday. Several hundred readers clicked on the box, to explore 17 years of blog posts.
Missed the story? Click here. And where is the widget? Top right, on the home page. (Sorry, it’s not yet available on the app.)
Some people were excited by the deep-dive results. Some were not.
Remember: Using artificial intelligence is different from clicking on our archive box.
A regular search engine will look for all references to whatever you type in. That’s fine if you want, say, a list of stories that contain, say, “Long Lots Elementary School” or “Kevin Christie.”
Our AI widget does much more. But only if it understands your prompt.
You’re better off saying, “What were the main arguments for and against renovating Long Lots Elementary School?”
Or “What promises did Kevin Christie make during the 2026 first selectman race?”
Think of the AI widget as a conversation partner. You wouldn’t simply ask someone, “Jen Tooker?” would you?
(Unless you thought you were meeting the former 1st selectwoman, but were not sure.)
It takes some getting used to.
And the “06880” widget is getting used to our readers too.
Stick with it. Work with it. Learn from it. The results will be worth it.
PS: The old “archives” box is still there, where it always was: on the right side, halfway down. Just type in general search keywords — “Long Lots Elementary School,” say — and you’ll get all those exact matches.
Here’s where to find our new “06880” widget.
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Sure, the Levitt Pavilion — and everything else here — is covered with snow.
But eventually, we’ll be outdoors, in lawn chairs, listening to …
Matteo Bocelli.
The Italian singer — and son of tenor Andrea Bocelli — will step on the Westport stage July 10. It’s part of his “Falling in Love” world tour.
Member tickets went on sale yesterday. The public sale begins at 10 a.m. Friday (February 13).
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the Levitt reminds everyone: Tickets to Bocelli “are certainly romance-infused.”
As for presents: A Pavilion gift card can be used toward any paid ticket shows, as well as membership.
The season runs from late May to mid-October. It includes several paid-ticket events, along with over 50 free shows. (Hat tip: Karen Como)
Jake Sussman knows something about smart kids, and learning disabilities.
The Westport native — who struggled mightily with ADHD before graduating from the Forman School, then the University of Hartford — ultimately learned to advocate for himself.
Now, as co-founder (with his brother Max) and president of Superpower Mentors, he connects men and women who have gone on the same journey he did, with people who are just learning how to cope with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other learning differences.
Jake’s advocacy continues on February 28, at Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Inc.’s 8th annual Parent Conference
He’ll be part of the daylong conference at Fairfield University). It provides parents and educators with hands-on resources to help children
with learning and attention differences succeed.
The schedule includes round-table sessions, panel discussions, exhibitors, and opportunities to speak with private school administrators, tutors, and businesses that focus on assistance for children with learning difficulties.
But the “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent, “Nova” host, best-selling author– and so much more — still has many friends here.
They’ll be glad to know that — 12 years after he stopped writing his very informative New York Times tech column — he’s back on that beat.
With Substack.
Pogue’s first piece is headlined “Dammit! Tesla’s Self-Driving Has Gotten Amazing. Just kind of wish the tech came from a better company.”
It’s a great look inside recent advances in this aspect of the auto industry. (Spoiler alert: You’re no longer likely to die.)
Near the end, Pogue poses a series of questions I’ve never seen anywhere else:
What happens to car insurance when people aren’t driving? What happens to driver’s ed and driver’s licenses, when even a 12-year-old can hail a self-driving taxi? What happens to car ownership when it no longer makes economic sense?
When only a fraction as many people own cars, will they convert their garages to living space? What happens to parking lots? Will the layout of cities change?
His Substack is free. There are no ads or paywall — just David Pogue, at his best.
A large crowd enjoyed the Westport Country Playhouse’s February Script in Hand offering on Monday.
The 1-person performance of “The Goldsmith” was all about Sharone Sayegh. The Broadway actor wrote the script, and played various family member roles in the sentimentally humorous show about her Iraqi/Israeli family, who emigrated to Los Angeles.
Actor Sharone Sayegh (front, center) with (from left) director Zachary Prince, Playhouse artistic director Mark Shanahan and stage manager Jinghong Zhu. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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Speaking of theater: The Y’s Women went “backstage” on Monday.
Kevin Connors — executive artistic director of Music Theater of Connecticut — described the power of lighting and projection to touch an audience, change a mood and impact a play.
“Theater is not just observed” at MTC, he said. “You are right in the middle of it.”
Kevin Connors, at the Y’s Women meeting. (Photo/Vera DeStefano)
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Westport Museum of History & Culture executive director Ramin Ganeshram is also a food writer. Her book The General’s Cook: A Novel is about Hercules Posey, the African-American chef enslaved by George Washington who self-emancipated in 1797.
On Monday the New York Times published her piece about cherry bounce, titled “This George Washington Story Is Actually True.”
The subhead says: “While tales of his copping to chopping a cherry tree were just lore, the nation’s first president did partake of this cherry drink.” Click here to read the story (with a link to the recipe.)(Hat tip: Tom Prince)
(Graphic/Luke Wohlgemuth for the New York Times)
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We’ve featured plenty of fine feathered friends, in our “Westport … Naturally” daily post.
But we may never have seen as close a close-up as this:
Since our first post in 2009, “06880” has published over 20,100 stories.
Thanks to our “Search the Archives” box, you could find any of them. “Cribari Bridge,” “Community Gardens,” “Remarkable Book Shop” — type in keywords (don’t forget the quotation marks!), and you’d get every reference, from most recent to oldest.
Then your work really began. You had to click on each story individually. The search engine did not distinguish between, say, a story about a Cribari Bridge Department of Transportation hearing, holiday lights there, or a photo of it.
And you couldn’t search the Comments section — that rich repository of over 180,000 opinions (plus bombast and bile).
But “Search” is so yesterday.
Now it’s 2026. AI is taking over the world.
Today, “06880” introduces a new way to explore our blog.
It’s as hyper-local as we are. And as revolutionary as any AI search engine on any blog like this, anywhere.
We call it “the ‘06880’ Widget.” It’s the product (of course!) of a Westport business.
With it, you can take a deep dive into not just what “06880” has written about, but how those stories tie together. How readers responded to them. And what it all means for you, your life here, and what’s ahead.
The “‘06880’ widget” floats in the upper right hand corner of every page. (NOTE: It’s not yet available via a button on the app. That’s coming soon.)
The arrow points to our new “06880” AI widget.
Click on the box, and type in a request:
“Tell me about last year’s real estate trends.”
“What do readers think about the Community Gardens?”
“What should newcomers know about Westport?”
“What events are happening on Saturday, February 14, 2026?”
“What was the restaurant before The Bridge at Saugatuck?”
You’ll see 3 dots. AI plows through 17 years of “06880” posts — and only “06880” — to deliver, within seconds, a comprehensive reply.
i asked our AI widget what readers think about the Community Gardens. This is the start of the reply.
Many responses include clickable links, bringing you to a relevant story.
AI is not perfect, of course. It hiccups. And — as with any AI engine — the quality of the response relates directly to the clarity and specificity of the prompt.
The more you use it, the better you understand how to frame your request.
For example, “What is the best Italian restaurant?” is not a good question. “What readers say about Westport’s Italian restaurants?” is better.
Boy, is this a cool tool!
“06880” readers love Tutti’s, owned by Pasquale and Maria Funicello (above). The “‘06880 widget’ knows what those readers say.
The “‘06880’ widget” was developed by ThoughtPartnr. The Westport-based startup creates practical, easy-to-use AI tools for local businesses and community organizations.
While big tech companies build AI for Fortune 500 firms, ThoughtPartnr leverages its proprietary local language model to create AI for “Main Streets”: Chambers of Commerce, stores, libraries, Y’s and other community institutions.
The company was founded by Westport resident Jay Norris, with fellow residents Anil Nair and Matt Snow.
From left: Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce director Matthew Mandell, with ThoughtPartnr’s Jay Norris, Anil Nair and Matt Snow. (Photos/Dan Woog)
ThoughtPartnr’s team — including Michael Salzinger — insert code into the site’s HTML. The widget scans the site every day to stay current.
For a Chamber of Commerce, the AI widget can answer questions like, “What stores specialize in home decor?” For a Y it might be, “Are there swim programs for 4-year-olds?”
For “06880” meanwhile, there is 17 years’ worth of stories and comments to analyze, summarize and offer up, to anyone who wants to know.
If you have questions about this story, don’t email “06880.”
Just ask our widget.
(Our new widget is just one more feature, for our ever-helpful, always-evolving “06880.” To help support all that we do, please click here.)
Beach sunsets. Dogs. Entitled parkers — they keep coming.
Many are good. Some are similar. All are appreciated.
I’m a sucker for drone shots. They offer a perspective on Westport we seldom see. They enable us to look at our town in fresh, unique ways.
The other day, I got this one. It shows a frozen Saugatuck River, near the Levitt Pavilion:
It came from Alex O’Brien. He said he loves taking aerial photos around town, and recently started his own company: Westportdronephotography.com.
I didn’t recognize the name. I asked for more images, and offered to chat by Zoom.
That’s when I learned that Alex is 13 years old — and not even a full-time Westporter.
Alex O’Brien, with his drone.
His parents moved here from New York during COVID. He went to Saugatuck Elementary School. They moved back, but return to their Westport home on weekends.
Alex is an 8th grader at St. Ignatius Loyola School. In addition to drone photography, he loves engineering and using his 3D printer. He’s part of the National Children’s Chorus. They’ll perform this spring at Carnegie Hall.
Last year, they toured Australia. Alex sang at the Sydney Opera House. He told me that off-handedly, as if every middle schooler does that at some point.
Alex began drone photography after getting a DJI Mini 4 Pro for his birthday. He realized people might want to buy his shots, so he got a domain and set up his business.
Alex O’Brien flies his drone over the Saugatuck River.
It’s Westport-only right now. Manhattan has restrictive bans on recreational uses.
So Alex has gone to town, in our town.
He loves shooting Compo Beach, the river, and many other interesting places.
Compo Beach
Drone photography has helped Alex learn about Westport. It’s also helped him see the beauty all around.
Sunsets and beach scenes “could be like vacation spots,” he says. “But they’re here.”
Summertime ritual: a Levitt Pavilion concert.
Marketing is mostly word of mouth, through family and friends. Requests come in on his website.
On it, he says: “My passion lies in capturing breathtaking aerial images of the local landscape. I take pride in being a 13-year-old Westport local, bringing a fresh perspective to the art of drone photography. My goal is to share the beauty of our area through the unique and beautiful photos captured by drone, both with locals and those further afield.”
Downtown Westport.
But — just as Alex buried the Sydney Opera House story — there’s one other aspect of his business to report.
He’s donating 10% of all profits to Homes with Hope‘s food pantry.
Alex — who has celiac disease — cannot eat gluten.
In 5th grade, during a Saugatuck Elementary walkathon, he learned about the HwH pantry. Every month since, he and his mother bring a gluten-free donation.
They also gave a gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner to a local family.
The great note he received — and the smiles he sees at the food pantry — help him realize the importance of giving back.
Cribari Bridge.
Alex looks forward to hearing from “06880” readers about new places to photograph.
It would be great too to get a few jobs, to keep his drone busy.
And the Homes with Hope pantry well stocked.
Ned Dimes Marina
Looking toward Old Mill Beach.
Saugatuck River (Saugatuck Elementary School at lower right)
Frozen river (All drone photos/Alex O’Brien)
(Every day, “06880” offers fresh perspectives on Westport. If you enjoy learning about our town — from new and ever-changing angles — 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!)
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