Posted onFebruary 2, 2025|Comments Off on Whoop It Up For Staples Hoops
They’re very skillful, insanely quick, truly unselfish, and quite well coached.
The Staples High School boys basketball team is also one of the most fun groups I’ve ever watched.
In any sport. Anywhere.
Basketball might be the ultimate fan’s game. Inches from the floor — with no helmets, masks or pads — every athlete’s every emotion is on full display.
Spectators hear each command given. Swiveling their heads back and forth in a small, packed gym, following each pass, shot and rebound, they’re as much a part of the action as athletes.
Four quarters zip past. And — this season for sure, the Wreckers nearly always win.
“06880” photographer Ryan Allen captures all of that perfectly. (And note: He’s just a sophomore).
He was there last week, as Staples continued their surge with a 73-50 demolition of a solid Fairfield Warde team.
Scroll down to feel the electric atmosphere that (and every) night.
And make plans to be at Staples on Tuesday night (February 4). The Wreckers host Fairfield Ludlowe. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
Huddling up before the game.
Head coach Dave Goldshore gives final pre-game instructions.
Sam Clachko. Three games earlier, he scored his 1,000th point. And he’s still a junior.
Austin Heyer gets set.
Charlie Bowman, surrounded by 3 Mustangs.
Staples graduate and longtime basketball supporter Dylan Curran joins a time-out huddle.
Wrecker fans give full-throated support …
… and high-five the middle school winner of the half-time shooting competition.
“Gimme an ‘S’!”
The bench is behind — literally and figuratively — Dhilan Lowman.
Adam Udell, with the layup. (All photos/Ryan Allen)
(“06880” proudly covers Staples sports — and everything else that goes on at our high school. Plus of course, everywhere else in town. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Max Harper’s death last September shook Staples High School, and the rest of the town.
In its aftermath, his many friends and admirers searched for a way to honor the strong-spirited senior. They did not want his bright light to fade.
Max’s father Marcus found great support from the community, and his colleagues at The Trade Desk in New York.
Together, they devised a way to ensure that Max’s legacy lives on for decades.
Max Harper
To support Marcus and his family, and help other students like Max pursue their dreams, Marcus’ co-workers established an endowed scholarship award through Staples Tuition Grants.
The scholarship has an apt name: The Max Harper – Live Life to the Max Award.
Max certainly did that. Every day he found joy, kindness and meaning in life. His friends and family remember his entrepreneurial spirit, big ideas and new ventures.
With over $50,000 already raised from 150 donations, the annual grant of $2,500 to qualifying students will ensure that Max’s influence continues to inspire others to “live life to the max.”
The Staples Tuition Grants Max Harper – Live Life to the Max Award is open to Staples seniors and graduates pursuing higher education (including vocational schools) who have ADD or ADHD, and demonstrate financial need.
Diagnosed at a young age with ADHD, Max and his family faced significant obstacles finding the right resources. Eventually they discovered a program that provided mentoring, coaching and life skills development, while also offering support for parents.
Building on that inspiration, a broader Live Life to the Max Foundation has been established to support students and families navigating ADD/ADHD.
In partnership with the town of Westport, the foundation is launching a pilot program in early spring. It will focus first on high school junior and senior boys. After the pilot, girls will be included.
Inspired by the program the Harper family discovered, the initiative will provide mentoring, life skills coaching and parental support. After the pilot, it will expand to include girls.
The Live Life To The Max Foundation will be guided by a junior board of students with ADD/ADHD, family members and young educators.
Westport’s Department of Human Services will release more information soon. Email director Elaine Daignault (edaignault@westportct.gov) to express interest or get additional details.
Max was known for his manners, always saying “please,” “thank you” and “I appreciate you.” In his honor, Staples Tuition Grants says, “Please consider supporting this scholarship. Thank you for helping Max’s light continue to shine. And we appreciate you for keeping his memory alive.”
(For information about the Staples Tuition Grants scholarship or to make a donation to the Max Harper Live Life to the Max award, click here. For information about Staples Tuition Grants in general, click here.)
Flowers at Compo Beach, after Max Harper’s memorial service. (Photo/Louise Pepin)
NOTE: This story was published erroneously Sunday, 2 days earlier than scheduled. It is reposted now.
Staples Players made a life-changing impact on Gina Rattan.
After performing in shows like “Guys and Dolls,” “The Music Man” and “City of Angels,” the 2004 graduate studied directing at the University of Michigan.
She’s worked at the Royal Albert Hall and Guthrie Theater; assisted the lead producer at Disney Theatrical, and served as associate director for 7 Broadway shows, and the national tour of “Cinderella.”
Gina now coaches actors for theater, film and TV, plus corporate executives. She focuses on helping people communicate, in any area of life.
Gina Rattan
For the past 10 years, Gina has mentored directors in Staples’ One-Act Festival. She helps teenagers bring their vision to the Black Box stage.
But — realizing the impact of her Staples experience 2 decades ago — she wanted to do more.
“Players is an environment where excellence was expected of me. People believed I could do something challenging and great — and that when I screwed up, we could solve problems together,” Gina says.
“I wanted to pass that along to the next generation of kids.”
She talked with David Roth — her Players’ director in the early 2000s, and still in that role — about another project that could empower teenagers.
The result — “A Wrinkle in Time” — can be seen February 7 (sold out) and February 8 (5 and 7 p.m.) at Toquet Hall.
The adaptation of the beloved science fantasy novel, in a non-traditional performing space, excites Gina.
“It’s very different for the actors than being in the light, with the audience in the dark,” says Gina. “It adds excitement. No one can hide.”
The set is minimal, but the spectacle is great, she notes.
She and her actors use the rehearsal process as a “creative laboratory.” Gina, the actors, stage managers and production assistants are all co-creators in the final product.
Together, they “create the mood, and structure the world, in a very exciting way.”
“I could do it all on my own,” Gina notes. “But it’s much more empowering this way. There is a lot of experimentation, collaboration, and opportunities to try, fail, and build resilience.”
Her teenage students realize that there is not just one answer to how to stage a scene, or interpret a character. They do not follow Gina’s commands. Instead, they create a work together.
Gina Rattan (seated on floor) with her young actors. (Photo/Kerry Long)
That’s not easy, the director says. “Self-empowerment is grueling. It takes a lot of energy.
“But the process of discovery is just as important as the result. That’s a hard sell in our culture today. In an educational context, it’s so important.”
Gina enjoys working with the young cast and crew — and not just for their talent, eagerness and willingness to collaborate.
“I didn’t want to direcct kids pretending to be adults, which is what most high school shows have to be. It’s nice to have a show where they can just been teenagers, and relate to their own experiences.”
“At the same time, there’s a fantasy/science fiction element to it. They’re interpreting it all at a sophisticated level.”
Rehearsing at Staples High School, before moving to Toquet Hall. (Photo/Kerry Long)
The audience for “A Wrinkle in Time” is broad, Gina says.
“If you loved the book, you’ll love the show. If you’re a teenager, or a teenager’s parent, you’ll connect with it. And for anyone who’s a fan of science fiction and fantasy, it’s a home run.”
Gina loves this project because the cast and crew “never stop learning.” That’s one of the most important lessons she learned in Players, and throughout her years in the Westport schools: “Learning is fun. Learning is great.”
The teenagers are “developing skills at a formative time in their lives. They’ll have the benefit of those skills for the rest of their lives. I feel very honored to be a part of that.”
(Click here to purchase tickets for “A Wrinkle in Time,” and for more information.
(Staples Players’ spring season continues with “The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The mainstage show runs one weekend only: March 7-9.)
(From Staples Players to the Westport Country Playhouse — and to local stars on Broadway, TV and the movies — “06880” covers our town’s vibrant arts scene. Please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Now in its fourth season as a Westport Library Verso Studios production, the dynamic, well-respected and always-on-the-money Westport financial expert — and an impressive array of guests — teach youngsters (and their parents, guardians, and grandparents) everything they need to know about financial literacy.
This year, the podcast will include video. That makes a lot of cents.
The first episode features University of Virginia professor Chuck Howard discussing expense prediction bias. Future episodes will focus on compound interest, borrowing and credit, college savings and more.
Alert, and warm, “06880” reader Jonathan Berg writes:
“This is no longer any of my business, as my last kid graduated from Staples last year.
“But I just drove past the school bus stop. There’s a wind chill of 16 degrees right now.
“I know from my kids that no one uses lockers, and they don’t want to drag a coat around all day.
“So they’re out there waiting for the bus in 16 degrees with no coat on, shivering.
“There’s a lot of sickness going around. I would think kids are going to get sicker out there every morning. I don’t really have a solution here, other than maybe drive your kids to school when it’s this cold if you can.
“Just a thought from a habitually concerned father.”
I don’t have kids, so I’m just a habitually concerned random guy. But here’s another solution: Tell your kid to wear a coat, toss it randomly in the cafeteria along with all the sports equipment and other stuff kids leave there, then pick it up at the end of the day.
Brand Nu Apparel popped up last summer, on Post Road West. Marcello DeAguero’s temporary shop offered athletic wear and street wear, “designed for creators of all kinds — athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and dreamers.”
Now Marcello has taken the next step: a long-term retail location in Westport. Brand Nu Apparel is now open at 877 Post Road East (the building between Pizza Lyfe and the Sherwood Diner). Click here for details.
The Westport Business Networking International chapter’s next Visitor’s Day is January 23 (United Methodist Church, 7 a.m.; networking, business meeting, coffee and homemade baked goods).
Westport BNI has 55 members, with only 1 per category. Classifications available now include estate attorney, residential contractor, salon, restaurant, hotel, home security, personal trainer, photographer, caterer or bakery, commercial real estate, florist, event/wedding planner, travel/tour operator, automotive repair, roofer, nutritionist, physical therapy, promotional products and more.
In the past year, the group has passed over $3.3 million in closed business.
All visitors must pre-register. Contact Matthew Cummings of M&T Bank at (mcummings2@mtb.com) to sign up in advance. Click here for the BNI website.
In mid-August of 1966, the Board of Education still had not found someone to replace Ray Walch, who resigned after less than a year at Staples High School.
Almost in desperation, they offered the job to the 42-year-old World War II veteran. He had just completed his first year in Westport as an assistant superintendent, after serving as a Norwalk guidance counselor.
The Board of Ed figured he’d be a decent caretaker, while they looked for someone more qualified.
Calkins came in with a mission. He wanted to harness the talents of students and faculty alike, to make Staples “unique.”
He was the right man, at the right time.
Jim Calkins
The massive unrest of the 1960s — the Vietnam War, drugs, the sexual revolution — were all underway when Calkins arrived. While other schools were rocked by change, Calkins charted a different course.
He embraced students — intellectually, emotionally, even literally, with an arm around the shoulder or a hug.
His office door was open to all (though some students bypassed his secretary, and climbed in through an open window). He addressed problems with reasoned discussions and compromise, rather than one-sided edicts. He said he loved his students, and they loved him back.
In January of 1967 — less than half a year after arriving — the Board of Ed made Calkins’ position permanent.
Over the next 8 years, he made quite a mark on Staples. He abolished study halls, and instituted an open campus. He liberalized the dress code; girls could now wear slacks, and boys blue jeans. He encouraged experimental courses, and championed a Student Lounge.
Principal Jim Calkins often called school-wide meetings in the gym. He stands far right in this 1970 photo, nearly engulfed by students.
Calkins’ most notable accomplishment may have been the Staples Governing Board. A toothless student council was out; taking its place was a unique body with 10 students (4 seniors, 3 juniors, 3 sophomores) and an equal number of adults (3 administrators, 7 teachers).
It was not an advisory board. The SGB had real power — over curriculum, school rules, use of the building — everything, in fact, except staffing and budgets.
The principal had a “suspensive veto.” But it could be overridden by a 75% vote of the SGB.
In 1970, the SGB debated removing special dress codes for athletic teams. Junior Greg Katz (standing left) wanted to try out for the baseball team without cutting his hair. The SGB affirmed that right. Katz went on to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
The Staples Governing Board drew national attention — both positive and negative.
The SGB lasted only a few years. It was weakened when Calkins took a sabbatical leave during the 1972-73 school year; it survived only a few years after he resigned in 1975, for personal and professional reasons (including earning his doctorate).
But in his near decade as Staples principal, Jim Calkins made an enormous impression on the school, and everyone in it.
Jim Calkins died in 2006. This year, his son Michael finally cleared out his family’s home.
Not long ago, Michael gave me a gift: a large box, filled with Staples memorabilia, his father’s Ph.D. dissertation, national magazine and newspaper stories about the SGB, and more.
The clippings, Staples Players programs and other items in the box were interesting. But what was most compelling were dozens of letters Calkins had saved.
They came from grateful students, parents, teachers and town leaders. They were intensely personal, filled with cherished anecdotes.
A typical note to Mr. Calkins, from 2 students.
Today, very few people thank others — let alone a school principal. If we do, it’s by email. Unless we print that out, it’s gone forever.
But these letters — written in distinctive handwriting, or typed by a secretary; on flowered notecards and lined paper; meticulously saved, over half a century ago — tell a remarkable story.
I have skipped on Senior Skip Day since I was a soph. But this year was different. We thought that maybe we could prove to you that we appreciate all the things you have done for us. It isn’t so bad to go to school. Thank you for everything Mr. Calkins. You’re the greatest.
I would like to express my wholehearted thanks to you for allowing the girls to wear slacks during exam week. It made many of us feel much more comfortable than we could be dressed in regular school clothes, especially during times of such intense pressure.
My wife and I want to express our gratitude and thanks for appearing as a character witness for my son and the other 4 boys on Tuesdays. Our lawyer felt you alone turned the tide, resulting in jail sentences being suspended. It’s been a long 3 months, but if our son becomes a better man because of this, and you, it’s all been worth it.
You have taught me how to live. You have shown me what I’ve got and how to use it. I am proud to say “I go to Staples High School.” I hope you will say one day of me, “I am proud he went here.”
(“06880” is your source for all things Westport — including history. If you appreciate an occasional look back — or anything else we post — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The chatter is too loud to ignore. All around town, people are asking: What is happening with Staples High School sports?
Rumors abound: of parents demanding more playing time — and captaincies — for their kids. Of highly respected coaches being suspended, or not having their contracts renewed.
Of an opaque environment in which coaches have few rights and little guidance, athletes see so much yet have such little say, and rules — for players and parents — are not always followed.
[Full disclosure: I served as the Staples varsity soccer coach from 2003 to 2021. I was an assistant coach for over 20 years before that.]
The stories circulating around town involve several sports, and boys and girls teams. Details differ, but one element is the same: parental involvement in personnel issues.
High school coaches are not in the job for the income. They’re in it for the outcome.
They love their sport. They love their athletes. They love the chance to give back to both.
Several of the coaches affected by parental pressure are Staples graduates. Giving back to their alma mater is a gift they cherish.
No coach is loved by 100% of their athletes. That’s life.
No teacher is loved by 100% of their students, either. And no boss by 100% of their employees. That’s life too.
Here’s what else is life: Getting cut. Getting benched. Getting put in a new position. Not getting named captain. Not getting recruited.
Sports teaches many lessons, including how to deal with setbacks like those. Who hasn’t heard the story of Michael Jordan being cut from his high school basketball team as a sophomore?
As a sophomore, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. The rest is history.
There are no Michael Jordans at Staples right now. There are just a few hundred boys and girls playing sports they enjoy, for competition and camaraderie and (in a few cases) college, with friends they like and coaches they (most of the time) admire and look up to.
But those coaches now operate in an atmosphere of uncertainty, even fear. They feel they can be targeted easily, by one or a few parents.
Coaching is stressful enough, without worrying about parental interference (or just the threat of it), compounded by educators unwilling to back their coaches, and give them the tools to succeed.
The troubling environment can continue after the season ends. Even after years of coaching, coaches may be held to inconsistent or unwritten expectations.
All they have is the good will of the athletes they’ve coached, and those athletes’ parents — along with their records, both those that can be quantified (wins and losses), and those that can’t (life lessons taught, impacts on players’ lives).
That means something. But, it seems, that does not mean enough when a parent complains.
The rumblings around town about Staples sports are real, and rising.
And the rumblings won’t go away. As in any sport, this won’t be over until the final whistle blows.
Sports are filled with intense highs — and disappointments too. All are part of the high school experience. (Photo/Brian Watkins)
As our nation’s housing crisis worsens, Americans want to help.
We donate funds, clothes and toiletries to organizations that work with unhoused people. We hope this lightens their burdens.
Two Staples High School students have given them light — literally.
Last summer, rising senior Shreyas Gorre and sophomore Rohan Sareen were looking for a way to use their engineering skills to help the community.
The teens designed a solar-powered lantern. Incorporating lights, wires, batteries and solar panels, they provide safety and comfort for people living many hours a day in darkness.
But how could 2 teenagers produce solar-powered lanterns?
With a 3D printer, naturally.
Rohan Sareen (left) and Shreyas Gorre, with solar-powered lanterns.
In November, Shreyas and Rohan invited residents to the Westport Library. There, they taught attendees — some of whom had no experience with the MakerSpace — how to assemble the lanterns. In addition to 3D printing, the project included soldering and circuitry.
Shreyas and Rohan know the MakerSpace well. They serve as senior coordinator and technology coordinator, respectively.
In late December — thanks to the Library Makerspace’s Ultimaker S5 and brand-new Bambu P1S 3D printer — the devices were finished.
Eight solar-powered lanterns were distributed to Open Doors, the Norwalk-based nonprofit that provides services to unhoused people.
The volunteers “loved seeing their printed parts turn into something that can truly improve lives,” Rohan says.
“It is incredible to see the work you have done have a real impact on the community,” Shreyas adds.
The 2 friends hope to run this program again this winter, with an updated lantern design and more volunteers. Anyone — of any age — interested in joining the program should email rohanjsareen@gmail.com or shreyasgorre@gmail.com.
Contributions to cover the costs for materials of these lanterns, and help fund similar projects at MakerSpace, are always welcome. Click here to donate.
MORE LIGHT: This is not Shreyas Gorre’s first community-minded venture. Last spring, “06880” profiled his work with Serve2Sustain.
The non-profit workd with local tennis clubs to collect used balls. They’re sent to a facility where machinery separates materials for reuse. They then go to RecycleBalls and Laykold, which supplies tennis courts for events like the US Open. Click here for that story.
Our town’s social organization for adults with disabilities gathered at the Westport Academy of Dance last night, for “moving, grooving, board-breaking, ballet-shaking, foot-stomping frolic.”
Club203 organizers thank Craig, Nancy, Megan, Mr.Dave & Pam from the studio; Sensei Palardy’s martial arts, MOCA CT’s art station, and a team of great volunteers, including members of the Westport Rotary Club.
Meanwhile, every attendee brought enthusiasm, exuberance and joy. Click here for more information on Club203.
Registration is filled for next week’s Westport Library panel examining the news media and the 2024 election.
But the Library may have space for the January 12 event, if there are no-shows. People arriving at 1:30 p.m. will be seated, if possible.
The panel includes CNN host John Berman, national journalists Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs, “06880” executive editor Dan Woog, and US Senator Richard Blumenthal. Students and staff from Staples High School’s Inklings will also take part.
The Y’s Men of Westport & Weston are co-sponsoring the event. Past president John Brandt will moderate.
Clockwise from top left: Alisyn Camerota, John Berman, Dave Briggs, Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Speaking of the Westport Library: It opens at 10 a.m. tomorrow and the following Sunday (January 5 and 12) — but only for high school students preparing for mid-term exams, papers, study sessions and project planning.
The Library offers a welcoming space for teens during this high-stress season.
Doors will close at 12:30 p.m., so the staff can prepare for their regularly scheduled opening. Students in the building can stay until doors open to the general public at 1.
Westport Country Playhouse will honor Martin Luther King on his holiday next week, with a free screening of “King in the Wilderness (January 20, 7 p.m.).
The Emmy Award-winning 2018 film follows Dr. King from the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in April 1968. The film includes some never–seen interviews with people closest to King, interspersed with historical archives.
Interviewees include Andrew Young, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Joan Baez, Jesse Jackson and C. T. Vivian.
One of the film’s producers is Trey Ellis. The playwright — a Westport resident — directed the Playhouse’s 2024 Script in Hand reading of “Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing.”
The event is part of the 19th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, in partnership with the Westport Library, TEAM Westport and Westport/ Weston Clergy Association. Click here for more information.
The first “06880” story on Vivek Kanthan ran nearly 5 years ago.
The Westporter had just become a New York state karting champion. Impressively, he had taken up the sport only a couple of years earlier.
Plus, he was just 10 years old.
Vivek Kanthan, with some of his trophies in 2020.
The story (click here) described Vivek’s route to the top: his preparation, patience, and will to win.
It also noted his ultimate goal: to be a Formula 1 racer.
For 5 years, Vivek has raced to the top. The courses grew more challenging. He got faster. His trophies piled up — including a US national title and Supernationals vice-championship, both in his first 2 years of racing.
He added a World Superfinal and Italian Trofeo in 2022. In his rookie junior season in 2023, he reached the FIA European podium. He is now a junior kart racing world champion.
This year — even before getting his driver’s license — 15-year-old Vivek Kanthan is on track to become a Formular 1 race car driver.
Vivek Kanthan, on the track.
Many Americans know the sport through “Drive to Survive,” the Netflix series.
They also know that the last American to win a Formula 1 championship was in 1978 — when Jimmy Carter was president.
Vivek’s new goal is to break that drought.
Vivek — who has spent the past couple of years flying dozens of times between the US and Europe — has just signed with a top Spanish team. He will make his single-seater debut in March with Campos Racing, in Spanish Formula 4.
Vivek Kanthan, today.
We’re stuck in Westport. But we can follow his journey through Instagram (@vivekkanthan) or his website.
Posted onDecember 25, 2024|Comments Off on Roundup: Marigny, Lyman, Polar Plunge …
For the second year in a row, our friends in Westport’s sister city of Lyman, Ukraine have enjoyed a better Christmas, thanks to the generosity of our friends in our other sister city: Marigny-Le-Lozon, France.
In the years following World War II, Westporters sent hundreds of holiday gifts to the boys and girls of the small Normandy town. They never forgot Westport. (The name lives on, in a plaza, pharmacy and Town Hall meeting room.)
Two years ago, our Marigny amis suggested we both help another war-torn town, 80 years later.
Since then, Lyman — in the Donetsk region, not far from invading Russian troops — has received much-needed support from Westport and Marigny.
The most recent gifts were to 500 youngsters, many of whom have been forced from their homes. Thanks to Marigny, they will still have Christmas.
Plans are underway for the children of Lyman to correspond with their counterparts in France.
Of course, the need for help in Lyman remains great. Westporters are now raising funds to send students there to a therapeutic camp in the Carpathian Mountains. They’ll reunite with friends, while teachers and counselors help them feel like kids again.
To donate, please click here. Under “Designation,” choose “Westport-Lyman sister city” from the dropdown menu. You can also choose a monthly or one-time donation. If you use the mail or Venmo option, please make a note: “For Westport-Lyman.”
The long-range forecast predicts a temperature of 47 on New Year’s Day.
And rain.
The warm temperature is good news for Polar Plungers. The rain — hey, when you jump in Long Island Sound on January 1, you’ll get wet anyway.
The Polar Plunge — set for 11 a.m. New Year’s Day, at Compo Beach — is Abilis’ annual fundraiser.
For 74 years, the non-profit has provided programs and services for children and adults of all abilities from birth throughout their lives, with day, transition, employment and residential programs.
The “Freezin’ for a Reason” Polar Plunge will raise funds for Abilis’ Gardens & Gifts Shop. Located in Greenwich, it provides retail job skills training and meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
For more information about Abilis’ Compo Beach Polar Plunge, and to register, click here.
Another great organization is Catch a Lift. The national non-profit provides gym memberships and home gym equipment to help wounded post-9/11 service members heal physically and mentally, through physical fitness.
For the past decade, Westport has had a special relationship with Catch A Lift. Residents have donated funds, welcomed veterans, and joined in workouts at venues like the police station, VFW, beach and Birchwood Country Club.
The vets give plenty back in return — as role models, and serving as “angels” for children, teens and adults with disabilities through myTeamTriumph.
Catch a Lift has completed another successful, important year. Whether you’ve been involved with them or not, you’ll find the video of this year’s 10th annual event — held on the September 11 weekend at the Patterson Club — very inspiring.
Then click below, for the 2024 Catch a Lift highlight reel:
To learn more about Catch a Lift — including how to donate — click here. (Hat tip: Adam Vengrow)
Our “Westport … Naturally” feature often includes beach scenes and/or dogs. One canine in particular — Patricia McMahon’s Levon — is a regular subject.
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: danwoog@gmail.com. Thanks!)
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The stories circulating around town involve several sports, and boys and girls teams. Details differ, but one element is the same: parental involvement in personnel issues.
