Category Archives: technology

Roundup: Library Lights, Kids’ Smartphones, Jazz Blowout …

Posted on March 23, 2025 | Comments Off on Roundup: Library Lights, Kids’ Smartphones, Jazz Blowout …

The Westport Library shines brightly every day.

Now it shines at night, too.

From April 3-6, VersoFest will bring visibility to the building. Local branding expert John Nunziato is helping our crown jewel become even more visible.

On Friday night, his vision came to (literal) light:

(Photo/Andrew Colabella)

The palette ties in with the current branding.

In addition, Nunziato has been working with a local high school “street team” to support VersoFest marketing efforts. They’re generating excitement for the opening ceremony (April 5, 10 a.m.), as the Library attempts to become “the loudeset library in history” (#loudestlibrary).

The nighttime lights will remain through April 7.

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OK To Delay is not wasting any time.

The local chapter of the national organization for parents concerned about the effects of early and excessive use of social media and smartphones invites Westporters to 3 upcoming events.

The first, on April 8 (7 p.m., Long Lots Elementary School) is a viewing of “Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition). Physician and filmmaker Dr. Delaney Ruston “takes a deeply personal approach into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction.”

On April 30 (7:3 p.m., The Wonder, 1200 Post Road East), OK To Delay national director Jessica Hirsch will discuss the challenges — and opportunities — of parenting in the digital age, plus collective actions to improve childhood.

Then, on May 8 (2 to 6 p.m., Westport Library), parents can see alternatives to smartphones. Vendors from a variety companies will demonstrate their products. Children are welcome!

OK To Delay organizers Erika Brunwasser, Nicole Glick and Becca Zipkin say, “We are inclusive, and we don’t believe in shaming.”

For more information, email OKtoDelayWestport@gmail.com, or follow on Instagram: @OkaytoDelayWestport.

Westporters say: It’s OK to delay!

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JazzFC can be forgiven for blowing their own horn.

But they’re proud to announce their 3rd Anniversary Birthday Blowout Bash.

It’s April 24 (6 to 10 p.m., VFW Post 399). Over 25 musicians — including  Melissa Newman, Giacomo Gates, David DeJesus, Mike Mossman, Greg Wall, Boots Maleson and Harvey S — are set to jam.

There’s a New Orleans-style dinner (of course), and silent auction too.

Proceeds benefit JazzFC young musician clinics, music college scholarships, and senior center outreach — all throughout Fairfield County.

Tickets are $125, $250 (including premium seating, JazzFC CD, 2 concert tickets and a JazzFC t-shirt or totebag), and $500 (all of the above, plus a 1-hour jazz listening session or improv lesson on any instrument, with Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall). Click here for tickets, and more information.

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Westport is filled with senior executives.

Many — well, at least some — are thinking about reframing their careers.

A free workshop on May 6 (6 p.m., Serendipity Labs, 55 Post Road West) can offer insights.

Mike Raleigh, founder of Graymatter — a networking, advocacy and support community of and for senior executives — hosts a workshop on “Thawing Out the Frozen Job Market and Taking Control of Your Career.

Topics include reframing your career mindset, strategizing for the third act, diversifying opportunities, and personal branding.

The event is free, but pre-registration is required. Click here.

Thinking about a career change? A May 6 workshop could help get your thinking on track. (Photo/Jonathan Alloy)

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Only one team can win the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament.

Only one won Friday night’s March Madness event at the Westport Weston Family YMCA, too.

But everyone — the middle schoolers who played, the Y junior board members who organized and helped, even a local non-profit were winners as well.

Thirty-three youngsters played 3-v-3 (with no adult coaches!). The actual tournament was livestreamed in the nearby Schine Room (with pizza and sodas), for players waiting their turn.

The top 2 teams donated their prize winnings to a non-profit of their choice.

Congratulations to the first place team: Lennox Van Kolken, Eli Moneyhon and
Andrew Freeman. They donated their share to Homes with Hope.

Runnersup were Tyler Talley, Ryan Tackman and Lucas Riera. They chose Livestrong at the YMCA — a program for cancer survivors — to receive their prize.

The event was conceived and executed by junior board director (and Staples High School junior Danny McHugh, with an assist from the Y team. Staples Service League of Boys (SLOBs) refereed. (Hat tip: Kristin McKinney)

From left: winners Lennox Van Kolken, Eli Moneyhon, Andrew Freeman; organizer Danny McHugh; runnersup Luca, Riera, Ryan Tackman, Tyler Talley.  (Photo/Dan McHugh)

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The curtain rises Tuesday, for the first preview of the Westport Country Playhouse production of “Theatre People.”

But you don’t have to wait 2 days for a preview (before the preview).

Westporter Bill Shakos — whose “What Do I Know?” podcast recently debuted — sat down with director Mark Shanahan, and several cast members.

They offered insights into the show, themselves, and more. Click below to listen. Click here for more information on “Theatre People.”

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Next up in the Wakeman Town Farm Dahlia Growing Series: a hands-on demonstration on dividing them for spring.

Master gardener Paul Rossi and farmer Dasha Horton lead the April 26 (10 a.m.) event. They’ll also cover where to source your dahlias, and how to start from cuttings.

Bring your own clumps. Starter kits will be on sale. Click here to register, and for more information.

Dahlias, duh.

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On Friday morning, Kings Highway Elementary School families participated in an early morning “Rise & Feed” event.

They made 25 lunches for Homes With Hope. Trader Joe’s generously donated the food.

Kings Highway PTA co-president Christina Royce and her daughters, with some of their lunch bags.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image shows Riverside Park:

(Photo/Nancy Axthelm)

That’s today, anyway. In a couple of weeks, it will be bursting with color.

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And finally … in honor of the lighting of the Westport Library (story above):

(Sure, it’s Sunday. But as we do every day, 24/7/365, “06880” offers another Roundup, chock full o’ news you can use. We do it every day. All we ask is a bit of reader support. Please click here. Thanks!)

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Friday Flashback #441

Posted on March 14, 2025 | 8 comments

Students today have more computing power in their pockets than the Apollo astronauts did on their missions to the moon.

Artificial intelligence is poised to change learning in ways that we humans cannot begin to imagine. (Should we ask ChatGPT what’s ahead?)

But it was only a few years ago — okay, a few decades — that calculators were incredible new devices.

The other day, Sabrina Bunks found a couple of Westport News photos, from 1974. She posted them on social media.

One (below) shows students Paul Flaxman and John Lamb posing in presumed awe as they “operate” a calculator that can “compute, calculate and perform higher mathematical functions” — an important skill in “the machine age.”

Another photo showed Sabrina herself, seated at a table next to Joanne Macieski and Brad Siff, watching a “teletyper” to see whether the program they wrote would work.

Sure, we can laugh at these gee-whiz photos today.

But 5 decades from now — in 2075 — what will the readers of whatever “06880” becomes think about our “simple” cellphones, let alone our wary embrace of AI.

Assuming, of course, that the human race is still around then.

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

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Queen Elizabeth’s Remarkable Westport Visit

Posted on March 9, 2025 | 5 comments

Remember the time Queen Elizabeth II visited Westport?

Neither do I.

But check out the internet:

Queen Elizabeth II visited Westport, Connecticut in 1954. Some people who were there remember the event, and the Remarkable Theater in Westport honored her with a showing of “The Queen.”

That’s a remarkable statement. And not just because the Remarkable Theater did not exist until 66 years later.

It’s remarkable because it did not happen.

And even more remarkable because artificial intelligence says it did.

Queen Elizabeth, circa 1954.

Local resident Gary Shure is on vacation this week. The other day he drove through Westport, New Zealand — the scenic South Island town that is one of about 2 dozen Westports scattered around the world.

He Googled the queen, and Westport CT. AI — which now appears at the top of many Google searches — quickly returned the utter nonsense that a year after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II came to our town.

It’s much more likely that the new queen visited our New Zealand counterpart. They’re part of the British Commonwealth, after all.

The United States, meanwhile, fought a famous war to get away from the royal family.

Welcome to Westport, New Zealand, that is.

What Google — the non-AI version of it, anyway — does say is that the Remarkable Theater did show the movie “The Queen” in September 2022, shortly after the long-reigning monarch’s death.

Artificial intelligence is good for many things.

But it remains just that: artificial.

Meanwhile, remember the time King George came to Westport, and had tea with George Washington at Marvin Tavern?

That was a remarkable day in our town’s history, for “shure.”

Queen Elizabeth II, in Westport, Connecticut. (Photo courtesy of News12).

(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world” — with real, non-artificial news. If you appreciate human journalism, please click here to support us with a contribution. Thank you!) 

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Posted in Entertainment, Places, technology, Totally random

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Roundup: Westport Arts, Staples Basketball, Tooker Campaign …

Posted on March 7, 2025 | 4 comments

Since 2002, the Malloy Lecture in the Arts — sponsored by the late artist Susan Malloy — has brought major creative voices to Westport. Speakers included Arthur Miller, Joyce Carol Oates, Christopher Plummer, Clive Davis and Salman Rushdie sparking thought-provoking and engaging conversations.

Now, through the Malloy Fund for the Arts, The Westport Library has relaunched the series. A new event celebrates Westport’s artistic legacy, while looking toward its future.

A large crowd attended last night’s reimagined concept. Weston actor James Naughton moderated a panel with graphic artist Miggs Burroughs, Staples High School graduate and Broadway director Gina Rattan, artist/singer/actress Lissy Newman, and arts leader Melody James.

Ann Sheffer — the passionate arts advocate, philanthropist and Malloy’s niece, whose family’s contributions have helped shape the cultural fabric of Westport, opened the evening.

From left: Melody James, Lissy Newman, Gina Rattan, Miggs Burroughs, James Naughton last night. Behind them on the Westport Library stage are posters of Westport Country Playhous shows. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Also last night: the Staples High School boys basketball season came to an end.

The Wreckers — ranked #4 in the state Division I basketball tournament — fell 67-56 to #5 St. Bernard-Uncasville, in the quarterfinals. The game was played before a large, raucous crowd at Fairfield Warde High.

The loss was bitter. The Saints edged Staples earlier in the regular season, and topped them 2 years ago in the state championship.

But the future is very bright. The blue-and-whites graduate only 2 seniors who saw substantial time: Adam Udell, the MVP of the FCIAC title game who led his squad to their first league championship in 62 years, and Charlie Bowman

All the other retutnrees — and the deep bench — are underclassmen.

Congratulations to coach Dave Goldshore, and his team, on a superb year!

Adam Udell. (Photo/Ryan Allen)

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Last night was filled with activity. StartUp Westport (the town’s public/private tech entrepreneur/innovator partnership) packed The Clubhouse (the town’s neweset and coolest event space) for their annual networking and social get-together.

Among the energetic crowd (below, from left): Nat Brogadir, Sam Hendel, Jay Norris, Noah Fenn and Dan Bikel.

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As “06880” reported first on Monday, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker is running for governor of Connecticut.

Her campaign just released her first official video. Click below to see:

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The Grand List is out. Got a gripe?

The Board of Assessment Appeals meets Monday (March 10, 7 p.m., Town Hall room 201) to hear from taxpayers who are “aggrieved by the doings of the assessor on the Grand List of October 1, 2024, and the 2023 Supplemental Motor Vehicle list.”

Residents should bring supporting documents to the session.

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After very successful events focused on women, minorities and young entrepreneurs, StartUp Westport is planning its next major event.

This time, it’s “Innovation in Sports.” The event is April 30 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library).

Among the topics: emerging technologies in athlete performance and data analytics; advancements in fan engagement, sponsorships, and media, and how startups and leaders are reshaping the sports business landscape.

Moderator Andrew Marchand is senior sports media columnist at The Athletic (and a 1986 Staples High School graduate). Panelists include NBC Sports president Rick Cordella, and Westporter Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of the New York Roadrunners Club.

Click here to register, and for more information.

In other StartUp Westport news, the mentorship program continues to thrive. This month’s session — “Legal Bootcamp for Startups and Founders” — will be led by Jack Sousa, partner at Wiggin & Dana, on Monday (March 10).

Next month’s Mentorship Circle is on “The Key Steps to Launching a Successful Non-Profit.”

To register and for more information, click here.

StartUp Westport’s special interest groups are very active too. Upcoming:

Investor SIG: Advanced Startup Due Diligence (March 24, 2025, 6 p.m., Serendipity Labs). Connect with other experienced investors; gain advice on how navigating the world of startup due diligence and fundraising.

Women in Tech & Innovation SIG: BRAND YOU: Creating and Managing Your Personal Brand (April 24, 6 p.m., Serendipity Labs). Insights, tools and tips to help build a strong, authentic personal brand. Click here to learn more about Startup Westport’s special interest groups.

Andrew Marchand

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“Pink Chicken” does not sound particularly appetizing.

But that’s the name of a new children’s clothing store — “renowned for its vibrant colors, original prints and family focused designs” — opened yesterday in Sconset Square.

The boutique is Pink Chicken’s ninth US store, joining those in New York, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and California.

A “Flock Party” is set for Saturday (March 8, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The event includes special offers, face painting, florals and sweet treats.

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It’s great that your kids play sports.

It’s not great that they grow out of their equipment. It just hangs around, cluttering your house.

Sustainable Westport can help. They’ve launched a “Play It Forward” program, giving used sports equipment a new life.

They’re kicking off with soccer. Westporters can drop off shoes, shin guards and balls at the Westport Weston YMCA from today (March 7) through March 22.

On March 24 (4 to 7 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity Church), residents can brose for needed items. It’s not necessary to have donated anything to shop.

Any remaining items will be donated to the Bridgeport Field of Dreams Foundation. For more information, click here.

The program may expand to other sports.


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Online registration begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday (March 11) for 2 of the most popular Parks & Recreation Department summer programs: Camp Compo and RECing Crew.

Registration opens the next day (March 12, 9 a.m.) for all other spring and summer offerings.

Parks & Rec officials urge residents to log in now to their online accounts, to verify family information.

Log in and select “Manage Family Member” (bottom right). Click the first name in the column under “My Family Members” to check key details. Verify date of birth and ensure your child’s grade (as of September 2025) is correct. Click “Save” at the bottom.

Go to the “Contact Information” tab and review/update your contact details. Click “Save” again. Repeat for each family member in your profile.

Address Change? Email us at recreation@westportct.gov with updated information.

Login issue? Don’t create a new profile. Email recreation@westportct.gov, or call 203-341-5152.

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Speaking of Parks & Rec: It’s that time of year again.

(Photo/Karen Como)

Contractors are busy preparing Compo Beach for the upcoming season.

The sand is looking good. Let’s hope the weather gods are with us, and that there’s no late-winter storm to wreck all that good work.

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Westport Police made 5 custodial arrests betwen February 26 and March 5.

A 26-year-old Westport man was charged with assault, strangulation, unlawful restraint, threatening and interfering with an emergency call. A complainant reported that over the course of the past few years, they were the victim of mental and physical abuse by their live-in boyfriend. He was released after posting $100,000 bond.

A 57-year-old Fitchburg, Massachusetts man was charged with larceny, payment card theft and identity theft, following an investigation into valuables taken from a locker at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.

A 52-year-old Norwalk man was charged with identity theft and criminal attempt at larceny, after an investigation intoto 2 checks stolen from a mailbox in September. He was held on $25,000 bond.

A 40-year-old Bridgeport woman was charged with failure to appear. She was pulled over for a motor vehicle violation, and was found to have an active rearrest warrant for an incident that occurred in Newington in 2013.

A 41-year-old Eastchester, New York man was charged with failure to appear, after being pulled over for a motor vehicle violation. He had an active rearrest warrant for an incident that occurred last year in Westport.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 6 citations
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 4
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
  • Speeding: 2
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 2
  • Evading responsibility: 1
  • Driving while texting: 1
  • Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
  • Failure to obey stop sign: 1
  • Failure to display lights: 1
  • Improper marker lights: 1
  • Failure to obey traffic commission regulations: 1
  • Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
  • Failure to renew registration: 1

Turn on those headlights!

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Tammy Barry provides today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, and wonders: “Compo Beach or Jersey Shore?”

It’s Compo, of course. (Cockenoe Island gives it away).

Wednesday — when this image was taken — was blustery. Today should continue windy, with gusts of perhaps 40 miles an hour.

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And finally … in honor of Westport’s newest store, Pink Chicken (story above):

(Seriously, where else but “06880” would you find all this stuff? And in one place?! Crazy. But it’s here — every day — on your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

 

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Posted in Beach, Children, Library, Local business, Police, Politics, Sports, Staples HS, technology

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Roundup: License Plate Readers, Hostage Walk, College Mental Health …

Posted on February 22, 2025 | 14 comments

When the Board of Selectwomen meet Wednesday (February 26, 9 a.m., Town Hall auditorium), they’ll discuss the usual types of items: road closures for events like the Memorial Day parade and road races, sewer connections, etc.

One item is different: approval of a maintenance agreement between the town and the state Department of Transportation “for permission to work within the highway right-of-way to install, maintain and replace automatic license plate readers.”

The town already has one set of license plate readers, at I-95 Exit 17. This agenda item is for another set, at I-95 Exit 18 at the Sherwood Island Connector.

The readers are a response to the rash of car thefts in the area. They give the Westport Police Department a head’s-up if a stolen car is entering town off the highway — or headed out of here, onto it.

The selectwomen’s approval is needed to ensure the state that local officials will maintain the devices.

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Early reviews are in for “Native Gardens” — and they’re raves.

Westport Country Playhouse’s current production — a hilarious yet thought-provoking show about a neighborly dispute that turns into a battle of cultures — gets high marks for its acting, message, and breathtaking set.

The show runs through March 8. Click here for tickets, and more information. Click below for the trailer:

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Tomorrow’s Run4TheirLives walk honors the Bibas family. The 2 boys, ages 4 and 9 months, were killed by Hamas, after being kidnapped from their kibbutz. The fate of their mother is unknown.

As they’ve done for over a year, Westporters will gather at 11 a.m. in the Westport Country Playhouse parking lot on Sunday, then walk through town.

They will say the Mourner’s Kaddish, carry orange balloons in memory of the flame-haired brothers, and pray for their mother.

All Westporters of all ages are invited to join. Wear orange sweaters, coats, hats or reflector vests; bring orange balloons or Bibas signs.

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In November, Startup Westport’s “Young Innovators” forum drew an SRO crowd to the Westport Library.

Entrepreneurs and investors from their 30s through 70s were awed by presentations from a quartet of Staples High School alumni — none older than 25 — who have crushed the tech world.

The star of the star-studded panel was Dylan Diamond. The 2017 grad is co-founder and CEO of Saturn. The Gen Z calendar app has raised $68 million, scaled to millions users, reached 18,000 schools, and hit #1 in the App Store  — all after starting out as a high school project.

The event was moderated by Molly O’Shea. The oldest person on stage — she graduated from Staples in 2014 — is no slouch herself. A venture capital investor, Molly founded Sourcery, the VC deal and startup trend newsletter.

Now she’s posted a podcast with Dylan. It opens with a huge shout-out to the Startup Westport event (which she links to, and includes in every Sourcery social post).

Click below for Molly and Dylan’s very insightful — and entertaining — chat.

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There are many ways to prepare students for college. Sometimes overlooked — but crucial — is to focus on mental health.

On Tuesday (February 25, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library), Dr. James Geisler will discuss mental health challenges on college campuses, and help parents support their children’s transition to higher education. For more information, click here.

Graduation is fun. But preparing for the next step is very important.

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This year’s Westport Woman’s Club gala celebrates women who have made significant contributions to philanthropy and service to the community.

The April 5 event (6 p.m., Patterson Club, Fairfield) will be emceed by Scott Foley. His 30-year career in films and on TV include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scream 3,” and (currently) “Will Trent” and “La Dolce Villa.”

He lives in Westport with his wife, 3 children and many pets.

The evening includes a performance by the R&B, soul and dance band the  Bernadettes, plus a silent and live auction.

Guests will enjoy a vibrant performance by The Bernadettes, an R&B/Soul and Dance band, creating a lively atmosphere as well as an opportunity to bid on wonderful silent and live auction items.

Click here for tickets, and more information. Sponsorships are available for $1,000 (to provide clothing for children in need), $5,000 (a need-based scholarship for a graduating senioro) and $10,000 (225 bags of food to struggling families).

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Kings Highway Elementary School students spent Kindness Week spreading joy — within the building, and the entire district.

Every student helped design and create a “kindness rock” — a KHS tradition.

Fifty of them will be delivered to Westport’s 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and Staples High — along with a video message explaining their significance, and how each school might use them.

That’s “kind” of a great idea!

Kings Highway’s “kindness rocks.”

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As a 2-year captain of Staples’ boys soccer team, Mike Dobbs earned renown on the field. Like any soccer player (except the goalkeeper), he did plenty of running.

After a start at Athletic Shoe Factory in Westport, he’s spent his professional career in the running shoe industry. And he’s still running — though on roads, not soccer pitches.

Mike will compete in the Boston Marathon in April. It’s a way to compete — and raise money for Dana Farber Cancer Research, in honor of his late mother Sharon (a well-known and dedicated Westport Soccer Association volunteer).

The funds Mike raises will go to the Claudia Adams Barr Program. Click here for more information, and to contribute to his campaign.

Mike Dobbs

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There’s always something going on at MoCA CT. Ahead:

Upcycle Sculpture Workshop (today, Saturday, 1 p.m.): Tour of WestPAC’s :On Fire” and the high school exhibition “Humans & Nature”; then create sculptures with artist Remy Sosa.

Darwin Shen (violin), Michelle Kim (piano): Putting on the Fritz  (Sunday, February 23, 4 p.m.): Recital of rarely performed, newly discovered and reconstructed works by Fritz Kreisler.

Art Adventures! Drop-Ins for Kids (Saturdays, 12 to 1:30 p.m.): For children of all abilities: multi-media classes with space to explore new techniques and expression through art.

Community Conversation: Art, Infrastructure, and the Environment (February 27, 6 p.m.): Moderated by curator Ive Covaci; a diverse panel of speakers discuss the intersection of art, sustainability, and community resilience.

Upcoming Art Workshops: Hands-on classes include Ceramic Multi-Bowl Building with Leah Corbett (March 6) and Basket Weaving with Tina Puckett (March 8).

East Coast Contemporary Ballet: Galerie de Danse (March 6 and 7, 7:30 p.m.): Dance  and live music in a gallery setting. .

RSO Quartet: Daylight & Dances (March 8, 7 p.m.): Sring players of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra; works by Haydn, Price, Bartok and Puccini.

Sound Healing Meditations with SoulOSoaring (March 18, 6 p.m.): Healing practitioner Terry Eldh uses crystal alchemy singing bowls, crystal harp and koshi chimes.

Current Exhibition, through March 2: “On Fire”: Over 75 works in a variety of media; explores how artists from the 1930s to today have envisioned and responded to the interrelationships of energy, infrastructure, and the environment. The 4th annual exhibition by Westport Permanent Art Collections, inspired by 8 paintings created by Ralph Boyer in 1934 for the old Staples High School, as part of the Federal Public Works of Art Project. These paintings usually hang in the Westport central fire station.

For more information on MoMA CT, click here.

MoMA’s “On Fire” exhibition.

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This kingfisher bird hangs out by the bridge between the Imperial Avenue parking lot and the Westport Library parking lot.

He seemed to be looking sideways — right at Johanna Keyser Rossi — as she captured him for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … on this date in 1872, the Prohibition Party held their first national convention, in Columbus, Ohio. It took nearly 50 years, but the 19th Amendment went into effect in 1920. Thirteen years later, it was repealed.

(“06880” relies on reader support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. We’ll drink to that!)

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Posted in Arts, Library, Police, Politics, Sports, Staples HS, technology

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Tucker Peters: Harnessing AI For Students’ Good

Posted on February 20, 2025 | 7 comments

If you’re under 50, you grew up with computers. If you’re under 35, you’re the same age as the internet. If you were born in this century, you can’t imagine a world without smartphones.

No one had to teach those “digital natives” anything.

Today, all of us are learning about artificial intelligence.

Some are excited by it. Others are terrified.

No one is sure where it will lead. But Tucker Peters wants to be part of its trailblazing path.

Tucker Peters

Tucker’s name is familiar to “06880” readers. At Staples High School he was president of Model UN, captain of the sailing team, member of the Service League of Boys — and an Unsung Hero.

As a rising junior, he saved the life of a fellow teenage sailor trapped and unconscious under a boat. Tucker freed him from his harness, and performed CPR.

Tucker is now a freshman at the College of William & Mary. At Staples his interests were history, government and finance.

But now he’s watched fellow students — and professors — struggle to understand artificial intelligence. Some rely on it too much, or misuse it. Others shy away from it.

Tucker embraces AI. He’s an evangelist for its potential, particularly with high school and college students.

He developed a new tool and website called GenEdu, to help harness the power of AI for educational good.

And — it doesn’t get more meta than this — though he never took a coding class, he used AI to teach himself how to develop his new product.

“AI” encompasses a suite of tools. Many people have heard of ChatGPT, but that’s just one model. Others include Perplexity, Claude and Lama.

Each has strengths and weaknesses. GenEdu offers a way for students and researchers to find the most appropriate model for their particular needs, then learn the best ways to interact with it and its content.

The idea, in other words, is not to get AI to write a student’s paper. It’s to teach them how to use AI to streamline research, extract insights, and become a tutor beyond what any professor can offer during class and limited office hours.

The easy-to-use interace of GenEdu.

Tucker notes that all kinds of study material can be uploaded to an AI “tutor,” in formats like PDFs, Word Docs and more.

In the works: using AI as test prep, for the SAT, ACT and LSAT.

Though AI streamlines learning, human input is still important. This fall and winter Tucker often stayed up to 2 a.m., sending new prompts and learning about errors.

A typical prompt: “Explain neural networks to me like I’m 5 years old.”

By using AI to teach himself how to harness and optimize AI, Tucker has realized that — just like computers, the internet and smartphones before it — artificial intelligence will change the world.

Tucker Peters at his June graduation from Staples, with (from left) his father Gary, mother Jody and sister Graysen. He credits them with “keeping me sane after all those 2 a.m. nights.”

The downside: “People use it incorrectly,” Tucker says.

“They lose agency. I know kids who use it for every homework assignment. The power of AI is to enhance your life, not take it over.

“This can’t be a moment in history where we just stand around and watch. We need to stand by, and understand how it works.

“There are AI bots now that won’t answer homework questions. They just lead you to think, and come to conclusions on your own.”

GenEdu aims to connect students with AI models like those, in one easy-to-navigate place.

Just a few months out of Staples, he follows with interest the school’s still-uncertain relationship with artificial intelligence.

He is excited by superintendent Thomas Scarice’s plan for pilot programs, beginning next month, in the 6th grade at Bedford Middle School (language arts, math, science and social studies), and across a small number of science electives at Staples.

“They have to be smart, and careful,” he warns.

Just as Tucker Peters has been, as he uses AI to help create his own AI tool.

(Click here for the GenEdu website.)

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TikTok: Students Speak

Posted on February 15, 2025 | 5 comments

TikTok is a staple of many Staples High School students’ lives. During the recent debate over its possible shutdown in the US, “06880” interns Avni Krishna and Camille Blundell set out to explore the app, and its hold on Westport teenagers. They write:

With over 1.582 billion users worldwide, TikTok stood to lose a whopping 170 million from its American audience when the Supreme Court upheld a ban on the beloved app.

Of that 170 million, 63% are ages 13-17. This large following meant the ban would be severely felt in communities of teens, both on TikTok and in real life.

Not only was it used as a creative and entertainment outlet for many, but it was also a place where community and like-minded individuals could find one another.

There was an initial shock, as teens opened their app and found it unscrollable. But the grief was rescinded in less than 12 hours.

What did they do during the half-day period of dopamine withdrawals? For many teens, the ban meant going onto other popular apps that had implemented a TikTok-like feature of short-form content in a scrollable algorithm.

Yet whether it was YouTube shorts, Rednote, Instagram reels, or even picking up a book, teens yearned for their familiar app.

When the app returned, many saw noticeable differences with their “For You” pages. First, users were greeted with a message stating, “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”

This raised alarm bells, as a government and president’s involvement in an app regarding free speech can get complicated.

Users pointed out that political content was being censored, and artists and editors found it harder to meet the app’s harsh creation guidelines.

For many young people, this created a sense of dread. On one hand, the app that has been a staple in many Gen-Zers’ lives was back. On the other hand, the worries of creative and political censorship caused many to feel conflicted about their app use.

To learn more about youth’s perspective on the ban, we talked to 2 Staples students, senior Mia Bomback (who had a TikTok video go viral of her acceptance to Dartmouth) and sophomore Charlotte Brookebanks.

Click below to hear their thoughts:

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[OPINION] AI Snags Innocent Student; Policy Needs Work

Posted on February 11, 2025 | 38 comments

Carly Waldman is a junior at Staples High School. She is a varsity swimmer, and has lived in Westport since she was 8 years old. She writes:

I’ve always been a good student and kid. I’ve never gone to the principal’s office; I don’t sit in the bathroom and vape; I work hard and complete my assignments on time.

As much as I sometimes want to skip my AP social studies class, I show up every day with only minor grumblings. I take pride in my work, and was incredibly happy with the essay I wrote on hate speech I had just submitted for my class. That’s why it was shocking to me when, the week of midterms, my favorite teacher called me outside the room and accused me of cheating.

It had taken me 2 weeks of research, drafting, and revising to write this piece. When I finally turned it in, I felt quite accomplished. It was one of those moments when you know you did well, where you can almost picture the teacher nodding in approval as they read it. But that moment of confidence was short-lived.

Carly Waldman

My teacher stood before the class a week later, explaining that she had been reading essays that didn’t sound like students’ typical writing. Too many felt eerily polished, structured in a way that suggested a human didn’t write them. She said she was concerned — so concerned, in fact, that she had decided to have us all submit our essays to Turnitin.com, the AI detection website our school uses – although it shouldn’t. 

Turnitin.com has historically been used as an anti-plagiarism tool. The AI-detection piece has just started to be incorporated over the past few years in schools; it is imperfect and illegitimate. The site itself warns against using it to accuse students of AI-generating written work due to its fallibility. Yet, that was the sole basis of the accusation against me.

I didn’t hesitate submitting my essay to Turnitin when requested to do so, because I knew I had written the piece myself. A full month passed and I assumed everything had blown over — until 2 days before midterms when my teacher suddenly pulled me aside.

She looked upset as she told me my essay had been flagged due to Turnitin’s AI detection, that there was nothing I could say or do, and that she had already reported my name to the school as per mandated school policy.

I blinked, trying to process what she had just said. I wanted to show her my notes, drafts, and the hours of effort that had gone into my writing. But before I could say anything else, she shook her head.

I was told I would have to come in the following Monday – after 4 hours of midterm exams, and do an alternative, supervised written assignment – yet, in doing so I could only get my grade up to a 50%. If I didn’t do this, I would get a 0 on the essay I had worked on so hard.

She told me the only way I could fight this was to go through the appeals process. My stomach dropped. The appeal process. It sounded like a bureaucratic nightmare where I’d have to sit in front of a panel of teachers, defending my own work — a student on trial. The idea was infuriating. I wasn’t even allowed to explain myself before I was labeled guilty.

I left the class feeling like the ground had been pulled from under me. The stress of midterms was already suffocating, but now I had this added weight on my shoulders.

I called my parents for support, unclear about what to do and wanting to talk to them before they got notice from the school. My guidance counselor, someone I trusted, could only offer sympathy and a breakdown of the appeal process. 

But what I needed wasn’t sympathy — I needed justice. I needed someone to believe me.

The next day and a half was stressful and anxiety-inducing. Could this affect my entrance to college? Would one of my favorite classes and teachers forever think I was a cheater?

After the teacher called my parents, she agreed that she needed to bring my essay to the department head and take a second look, a human look, at the piece I wrote.

My name was quickly cleared when they determined I wrote it; even a personal story from 10th grade was flagged as “likely AI-generated.”

But that didn’t erase the unnecessary stress that the situation created. The teacher suggested my parents write to administration. The head of the department and the principal agreed to a meeting with my parents and me. However, I felt like I wanted to handle this by myself so I went to the conference on my own. (That was a little nerve-wracking!)

The worst part of all of this was the fact that no one could really explain how this had happened. When I met with the principal and the head of the department, they were polite but vague. They acknowledged the mistake but didn’t offer any real solutions.

If AI detection software is this flawed, why are we putting so much faith in it? Why are students being presumed guilty based on an algorithm’s judgment?

Situations like mine shouldn’t happen again. Schools need to approach these accusations with more care. Instead of immediately flagging students as cheaters, teachers should talk with the student, ask about their writing process, and consider the evidence beyond AI-detection software. Technology is not perfect, nor is the system that blindly trusts it.

I worked hard on my essay. I knew my own words. And yet, for a time, I was treated as if my voice didn’t belong to me.

That’s not how justice should work. That’s not how education should work. If schools want to encourage integrity and prioritize mental health, they should rethink their policies on Gen-AI accusations, because I doubt I’m the first or last person who has gone or will go through this awful process. 

(“06880” is proud to give Westport students a voice. They are our future. As for the future of this hyper-local blog: Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution, supporting our work. Thanks!)

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Posted in Education, Staples HS, technology, Teenagers

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Scarice Update: Smartphones, No Place For Hate, AI

Posted on February 8, 2025 | 15 comments

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice says:

As we get ready to hunker down for the Saturday night snow, I’d like to share some district updates:

Smartphone/Wearable Technology Update

As I shared in my update to the community last month, we will continue to take the time to learn, listen and thoughtfully plan as the school community considers my recommendation to restrict access to smartphones and wearable technology during the school day across all grade levels.

This approach is solidly in place for grades K-8. We have maintained the current system at Staples High School, which allows limited access during non-instructional periods, as we evaluate our next steps and consider interventions that fully restrict access during the school day.

Last week over 300 parents attended an outstanding community session on the topic of social media, smartphones, and other related issues in a keynote presentation/Q & A by Max Stossel. The feedback was incredibly positive.

When I learned that Wilton High School was implementing a full smartphone ban, I decided to slow our process down so that we can learn from our peers’ experience.

Today I would like to recap the efforts taken so far, what is on the horizon, and what I anticipate as culminating steps.

Efforts taken so far:

  • Last June I provided the Board of Education with my recommendation and supporting rationale
  • In September, I worked to personally engage all Staples faculty in small groups to gather their input and feedback. While some opinions varied, a strong majority supported moving toward greater restrictions on smartphone use, including a full ban during the school day.
  • Staples High School hosted filmmaker and primary care physician Dr. Delaney Ruston in grade level student assemblies, along with a parent evening event.
  • Last week, the district hosted former social media strategist Max Stossel at both middle schools for grade level assemblies and an evening parent event.
  • A comprehensive research review has been conducted to accurately identify the latest findings on the impact of smartphones and wearable technology on student learning and well-being. This will be part of any final presentation and action steps.

Next Steps:

  • In November, Wilton High School implemented a full smartphone ban. Their experience has provided us with an opportunity to learn before finalizing any changes in our district. Our site visit is February 13. A team of Staples faculty and administrators will attend, along with a parent representative and 2 reporters from the Staples student newspaper, Inklings.
  • A town hall event for parent input/feedback, as well as one for students will be held after the site visit.

Culminating Steps:

  • Following the site visit and town hall events, I will bring this topic back to the Board of Education to share my recommendations for next steps.  I suspect this will be in the early spring.

Stay tuned as we continue this deliberate process to ensure we make the best decisions regarding the presence of smartphones and wearable technology in our schools.

No Place For Hate Gallery on District Website: 

The district is committed to implementing the No Place for Hate program. We have developed a microsite on our website with the overview. In addition, we have added a photo gallery.  You can stay up to date on the activities by following the postings on the microsite.

AI Pilot:  

In December I recommended to the Board of Education that the district pursue a bold strategic vision to position the Westport Public Schools as a national leader in public education’s artificial intelligence revolution. I will return to the Board of Education in the spring with a clear strategic plan to these ends.

In the interim, I am enthused to share that Westport has been selected as one of 7 districts to participate in an AI Pilot through the State Department of Education.

This pilot will occur in March, April and early May in the 6th grade at Bedford Middle School (language arts, math,sScience and social studies), and across a small number of science electives at Staples.

Parents of students in this pilot will receive additional information before the pilot begins. The curriculum units will not change, but the use of the tool SchoolAI will be employed by faculty. This tool has been approved by the state Department of Education and aligns with the Connecticut Data Privacy Act.

Results of the pilot will be shared widely, and help inform long term efforts in the district. This pilot will serve as one effort to consider the role of AI in our schools. Much, much more to come on this topic in the coming months.

 

(“06880” regularly covers Westport schools: achievements, trends, issues and more. If you appreciate our hyper-local coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Exploring The Internet Netherworld: Optimum Or Frontier?

Posted on January 12, 2025 | 42 comments

Dave Wilson wants to be an educated consumer.

That’s not easy — at least, not when he’s looking at internet providers.

He went to the Optimum store next to Fresh Market to get information about his current plan.

Right now he has 2 cable boxes and 2 phone lines, plus DVR and a core package. With taxes, it’s over $300 a month.

The MSG channels, for Knicks and Rangers games, were just blocked, due to an inability of Optimum and MSG to agree on carriage fees, Dave adds.

“I’m not even sure what the core package gives me now,” he says. “It’s so messed up.”

The Optimum folks could not print anything out, or even provide many details about different plans. “It varies,” they said vaguely.

Instead, they gave Dave a phone number to call, to learn more and negotiate.

He went to Optimum’s Norwalk location, and got nowhere there either.

“These locations are set up to sell phones and exchange cable hardware,” he says. “They’re very non-friendly consumer environments. It’s so strange to run a business this way.”

Frontier was no better.

He ended up on the phone with a call center “in some netherworld. They can’t fully describe or explain their offerings either. And they can’t email me information, ‘due to company policy.'”

All Dave wants is to educate himself about options (and get documentation of what he’s offered, so there is no bait-and-switch).

Since Dave can’t get much (or any) info from the companies himself, he hopes “06880” readers can help.

What do you know abou the cost of Optimum and Frontier? The quality of service? What are their strengths, weaknesses and differences?

Click “Comments” below. As always, please use your full, real name.

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