Addison Moore is the youngest guest we’ve ever had on our “06880” podcast.
He’s also one of the most interesting.
A 2023 Staples High School graduate, and a rising senior at Lafayette College, Addison started one of Fairfield County’s largest youth community service groups.
He is living proof that young people today do care about much more than themselves (and their phones).
Now Addison is taking his activism one step further. He’s planning a run for the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) — the youngest candidate ever.
The other day, Addison stopped by the Westport Library, to chat about his love for this town, his service to it, and his future here. Click below to hear his well-spoken, passionate insights.
As of today, there may be only competitive races in 4 of the 9 Representative Town Meeting districts.
Here’s the breakdown. (NOTE: Each district elects 4 members. The RTM is non-partisan.)
District 1: Incumbents: Andrew Bloom, Matthew Mandell, Kristin Mott Purcell, Chris Tait. Petitioning: Gail Coykendall.
District 2: Incumbents: Jay Keenan, Melissa Levy, Louis Mall, Mike Perry. Petitions not yet returned: Harris Falk, Jenna Petok.
District 3: Incumbents: Ross Burkhardt, Jimmy Izzo, Pamela Troy-Kopack. Incumbent not running: Don O’Day.
District 4: Incumbents: Andrew Colabella, Clarence Hayes, Jeff Wieser. Petitions not yet returned: Victoria Wylie, Charles Lucas, Cara Zimon. Incumbent not running: Noah Hammond.
District 5: Incumbents: Peter Gold, Karen Kramer, Dick Lowenstein, Claudia Shaum.
District 6: Incumbents: Candace Banks, Seth Braunstein, Alma Sarelli. Incumbent not running: David Rosenwaks.
District 7: Incumbents Brandi Briggs, Jack Klinge, Ellen Lautenberg. Petition not yet returned: Joseph Carson. Incumbent not running: Lauren Karpf.
District 8: Incumbents: Wendy Goldwyn Batteau, Rachel Steel Cohn. Incumbents not running: Ari Benmosche, Julie Whamond.
District 9: Incumbents: Jennifer Johnson, Nancy Kail, Sal Liccione, Kristin Schneeman. Petition not yet returned: Addison Moore.
To qualify for the November 4 ballot, candidates must collecct at least 25 signatures from registered voters in their district. Completed petitions must be returned to the town clerk by September 9.
For more information about the petition process or other election questions, contact Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton: 203-341-1105; jdunkerton@westportct.gov.
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Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, August 12) for this year’s Westport Library “Booked for the Evening” fundraiser, with Sara Jessica Parker.
The Emmy Award-winning actor, producer, publisher and businesswoman will be honored September 10.
And — because she wants readers to check out the space, and meet “rock star” office manager Lindy Steinorth — she invites people to email Lindy (westportct@officeevolution.com), or call her (203-635-8770).
Just mention “06880,” for a free trial. PS: Tell Lindy she rocks!
Office Evolution manager Lindy Steinorth (left) and Westport owner Laura Kaufman.
Calling all pickleball players. And fans of Tom Lowrie. And everyone else who wants to celebrate.
On August 23 (3 to 5:30 p.m.), the pickleball courts at Compo Beach will be dedicated in honor of Lowrie.
The 97-year-old is “the father of Westport pickleball” (and much more).
Theree will be an exhibition with professional, nationally ranked players (and prizes). And the Y’s Men’s Hoot Owls will provide musical entertainment.
Bring your own beach chair and refreshments. Watch the pros. Honor Tom. And then play afterward, on the Tom Lowrie Courts.
Aaron Judge, and furry Gus and Penny, are teaming up with Westport Animal Shelter Advocates and Earth Animal, to help homeless dogs in around Connecticut.
Each “Judge” dog toy is $29.99. All proceeds to go to WASA.
This year alone, the non-profit has covered almost $11,000 worth of emergency care for animals abandoned in Westport. Additional funds have been spent elsewhere in the state.
The Wood Brothers brought their progressive Americana sound to the Levitt Pavilion last night, as the 51st season of great outdoor entertainment continued.
Former Westport teacher Lois Green died peacefully at her North Carolina home on May 18. She was 95.
The Adelphi University (BA) and Fairfield University (MA) graduate and her family were longtime residents of Westport, apart from a stay in Sydney, Australia between 1970 and 1977.
Lois taught special education and reading in the Westport Public Schools, ranging from kindergarten to high school.
She served as a Westport Education Association representative, and volunteered with the League of Women Voters.
After retirement she continued her advocacy as a court appointed guardian ad litem, representing foster children with special education needs in the courts and school systems. Lois supported many human rights, social justice and environmental causes.
Lois had a passion for learning as well as teaching. She was an inaugural member of a philosophy class at the University of North Carolina that brought college-age students and older community members together to share perspectives. She attended classes until a few weeks before her final illness.
She and her late husband Paul were world travelers, by car, ship, foot and plane.
Lois is survived by her children Julie Altschuler (Scott), Mark (Michele Karel), and Jonathan (Christiane Auston); grandchildren Rena Behar (David Gabriel), David Behar, Michael Green (Andrea Hinojosa Nieto), Lizzie Green, Sarah Green and Owen Auston-Babcock, nephews, and her lifelong dearest friend, Arlene Wang.
Lois Green
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In these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, there’s nothing more soothing than today’s Saugatuck River “Westport … Naturally” scene.
And finally … in honor of the Aaron Judge dog toy promotion (story above):
(We won’t judge you if you don’t support “06880.” But on the other hand: If you’re reading this, and enjoying us, and learning about our town, why don’t you? Please click here — and thank you!)
Anna Mahon was a Division I athlete at the University of Vermont. She threw the hammer 160 feet in practice.
If her coach was watching though, she dropped to 140 feet.
In meets, she managed only 120.
Before her junior year, Anna addressed her performance anxiety with the help of a sports psychologist.
She went on to compete in the 2004 Olympics, in Athens.
Two decades later, that athletic background — and her understanding of how human beings act, learn and grow — stands Dr. Mahon in good stead.
Dr. Anna Mahon
The former psychology and English major — and Olympian — is Westport’s new assistant superintendent of schools for teaching and learning. She replaces Dr. Anthony Buono, who retired.
Mahon is a versatile athlete. In addition to track (hurdles, long jump, shot put), she was a 4-year swimmer at Stamford High. At UVM, a coach saw her potential as a hammer thrower.
But what she calls “significant performance anxiety” dogged her — and not just on the field. “I was not a good test taker. I got nervous with assessments,” she says.
She sought out noted sports psychologist Dr. Alan Goldberg. Her confidence — and distances — surged. She missed qualifying for the 1996 Olympics (where women’s hammer throw was an exhibition sport) by one spot.
She then followed several family members into teaching, and earned a master’s in education at Boston University.
She was hired as a Darien High School English teacher. But she missed competing, so she also trained for up to 25 hours a week with the Southern Connecticut State University coach.
She continued to work on the mental aspect of her sport. As she grew as a teacher, she used her own personal growth to help students through their own stresses.
Mahon and her husband Sean — a former high jumper on SCSU’s national championship team — bought a home in Orange.
The commute was tough. He was beginning his caeer as a physical education and health teacher at Amity Regional High, just 4 miles away (he is now the department chair), so she began teaching there too.
John Brady — a former administrator in Westport — took over as suprintendent for Amity Regional School District #5.
“He also brought the Westport concept of the 3 A’s — academics, arts and athletics — to the district,” Mahon notes. “He had a very strong vision of excellence.”
His support of her travel for her sport ws important as well, she says. From 2004 to 2012 she coached men’s and women’s throwers at Yale University. Her athletes set national and school records.
Mahon was named associate principal in 2010, and principal in 2015. Another superintendent during that time was former Westport administrator Chip Dumais.
Mahon — who had earned a doctorate — had no intention of leaving Amity. But an assistant superintendent position opened up in Brookfield. The opportunity to work in a variety of areas — curriculum, human resources, special education and more — was appealing.
Which brings her to her next exciting professional challenge: Westport.
“Anthony (Buono) left this office in tip-top shape,” Mahon says. “The curriculum documents are all online. I’m here to support that work.”
And take it to the next level. She looks forward to working on Westport’s AI initiative.
Westport is “a state and national leader” in examing the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning, she says. Six groups are working on various elements, under superintendent Thomas Scarice’s direction.
“We’re examining everything, from vision and ethics to the impact on students and teachers,” Mahon adds.
She is excited too by the work CJ Shamas, Ashley Moran and others are doing in the area of growth mindset for continuous development. Their work can be scaled out to the entire district.
“My experience at the highest level of competitive sports has instilled in me a profound understanding of discipline, resilience and perseverance,” she says.
Those qualities “are eseental for fostering a growth mindset within our school community.”
Mahon believes that those and many other past experiences align with the Westport Public Schools’ “clear vision of good leadership.”
Since she began on July 1, she has met with principals, program leaders and coordinators. She’s met elementary school families too, as they check in at libraries for summer reading.
“It’s nice to start in July. But now I’m ready for school to start,” Mahon says.
Dr. Anna Mahon, in her Town Hall office. Her daughter’s swim posters are on the wall. (Photo/Dan Woog)
It will be an active fall. But Mahon has always been on the go.
Last year, her family went to Paris for the Olympics They were in the Stade de France — the same venue where in 2003 she placed 7th at the World Championship. (She finished in the mid-20s, out of 50, at the Olympics the following year.)
Mahon no longer competes. But she’s an avid spectator for her daughter Grace, a University of New Hampshire swimmer, and football-playing son Lance. After a post-grad year at Choate Rosemary Hall, he’ll play at the State University of New York-Stony Brook.
They (and their 2 dogs) enjoy getting away to their second home in Vermont, for skiing and snowmobiling.
From those sports to her younger years, as a swimmer and hammer thrower, Dr. Anna Mahon has been an individual sport athlete.
But a colleague who has worked with her since July 1 uses a team sport analogy to describe her impact on the Westport Public Schools.
He calls her “a grand slam.”
(“06880” frequently covers the education beat: schools, achievements, trends, staff and students. If you enjoy these stories, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Disaster was averted this afternoon off Compo Beach.
But not before dozens of police and pleasure boats searched Long Island Sound, and hundreds of beachgoers watched with worry.
The drama began when an abandoned kayak was spotted a couple of hundred yards offshore.
The Westport Police leaped into action. So did those from other jurisdictions. Fire Department trucks raced to the scene.
Chris Tait — the District 1 Representative Town Meeting member, on his boat in the water — saw Westport Police pull a kayak out of the water. He heard them radio an appeal to all boaters in the area, to be on the lookout for anyone who might have been in the kayak.
Westport Police boat, searching Long Island Sound off Compo Beach. (Hat tip and photo/Jim Hood)
Chris called his daughter Emmah — a Staples High School graduate, and rising sophomore at Colorado State University — who was in another boat. He told her what was happening.
“Oh yeah,” she said. “I picked him up!”
Emmah told Chris that earlier in the afternoon, she had seen a man hanging on to a kayak, waving in distress.
He was not wearing a life preserver, and appeared exhausted.
She helped him into her boat. He said he had been in the water for about 45 minutes.
They tried to get his kayak into Emmah’s craft, but could not.
So the man — a Westport resident in his 40s — sat next to Emmah’s dog, as she brought him back to Ned Dimes Marina, where his car was parked.
Apparently, he told no one that his kayak was still floating in the Sound. He got in his car and drove home.
But at the same time — as Emmah pulled into her slip — a police boat sped out of the marina. A boater had just called in a report of an upside-down kayak.
Chris quickly texted a photo of the kayak — which had been distributed earlier, by Westport Police — to Emmah.
Kayak, in police vessel.
She confirmed that it was the abandoned kayak.
Chris informed the police. All units returned to shore.
Congratulations and thanks to all the boaters — police and private — who responded.
And of course to Emmah and Chris Tait, for their alert and crucial help too.
That door was the subject of last week’s Photo Challenge. Tom Green, Diane Bosch, Cathy Malkin, Amy Schneider, Andrew Colabella and Jonathan McClure all nailed it.
With a variety of descriptions of the house.
Meanwhile: Hooray! It’s “wine o’clock.”
If you know where in Westport you’d see this sign, click “Comments” below.
We’ll drink to that.
(Photo/Kira Ganga Kieffer)
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Many Staples High School students have interesting summer gigs.
Take Nolan Francis. The rising senior worked at Yale University’s Choate Lab, researching a rare skin condition called ichthyosis, or epidermal differentiation disorder (EDD). It can lead to fatal heart disease, or a significant decline in quality of life.
Recent cuts to the National Institutes of Health have “pushed the possibility of a cure from the near future to a far-fetched aspiration,” Nolan says.
A labmate, 2nd-year medical student Devin Seli, is affected by EDD. Twice a week, he swims with a triathlon group at Compo Beach.
So Nolan, Devin and a few others from the lab decided to raise awareness — and funds.
All donations will go to the Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types, which bridges the financial gap for people with the disorder. FIRST has also awarded millions of dollars in research grants to laboratories.
PS: Here’s a bit more about Nolan, a definite rising star. His work in Staples’ Scientific Research Program earned him 4th place at the state High School Science Symposium. He also received the International Society for In Vitro Biology award at the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.
He is on Staples’ STEM Journal editorial board, and is the incoming vice president of the Sciene National Honors Society. He’s also an AP Scholar with Distinction, and founded the current iteration of Staples’ National English Honor Society.
He has volunteered at Norwalk Hospital’s Catheterization Lab, and was a counselor at Camp Discovery, for children unable to attend mainstream sleepaway camps due to medical conditions.
He plays violin in the Symphonic Orchestra. He was the first-ever junior to be captain of Staples’ boys swim team. He received the inaugural Junior Leadership Award at the Scholar-Athlete banquet. And he’s been involved with the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Special Olympics swim program since 2018.
For well over a quarter of that time — 14 years — Hal Shupack served on the board of the non-profit, dedicating to ending homelessness and food insecurity in Fairfield County.
On Friday, the Gillespie Center’s courtyard was named for the longtime Weston resident. A former 1st Selectman, he died in 2020, at 84.
Homes with Hope president and CEO Helen McAlinden said that from her first days “he took me under his wing, showed me around Weston, and taught me everything I know about the town. His knowledge, kindness, and deep-rooted commitment to the community were inspiring, and contagious.
“Hal lived his values every day, whether through his leadership as first selectman, his tireless work on countless boards and committees, or his long-standing dedication to Homes with Hope. His warmth, his wit, and his deep care for people made a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.”
Several dozen guests — including members of Shupack’s family — attended the ceremony.
Since opening last month, Gruel Brittania has become one of Westport’s favorite restaurants.
The Cross Highway parking lot is often full. Occasionally, customers park on nearby Vineyard Lane.
Yesterday, this driver did not want to walk the extra 50 steps. He (or she) planted his (or her) car smack in the middle of the exit:
(Photo/Andrew Bangser)
To be clear: That white vehicle is blocking the exit (and a couple of cars on the right).
That empty space next to it? That’s a legit parking space.
I’m sure the Brits have a better word than we do for “entitled jerk.”
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Speaking of confusion: Signs have been placed on downtown streets, indicating new parking rules.
On-street limits have been lowered from 3 hours to 2. (They remain 3 hours in downtown parking lots.)
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
There’s just one problem: The sign says enforcement begins at 7 a.m. Notices from the town — and the Board of Selectwomen vote — is for 8 a.m.
“06880” reached out to town officials for clarification. We have not yet heard back.
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Tickets are on sale now Westoberfest.
The 8th annual festival — sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association — rolls into town October 4 (noon to 6 p.m.).
On tap: family activities, craft beers, live music, vendors, food, contests — and a few surprises.
Organized in collaboration with The Grapevine and Castle Wine & Spirits, everyone with access to the beer tasting tent receives a free tasting glass and koozie.
There are several ticket options including with or without admission to the beer tasting tent. Seniors and children 4-12 years old get special rates; children under 4 are free. Click here for details, and to purchase.
For the past 24 years, Westporter Ellen Bowen has joined her brother David Paine’s non profit, 911Day, to honor the victims, heroes and first responders of that tragedy.
It’s a day of remembrance — and service.
What began as a small project — painting a teachers’ lounge in a school in lower Manhattan — has grown to an initiative in 21 cities.
30,000 volunteers pack over 9 million meals– in one day — for food banks and pantries.
This year for the first time, the Meal Pack program comes to Connecticut.
Bridgeport’s Total Mortgage Arena and 9/11 Day seek volunteer teams (6 members and more) from companies and businesses, to 2 spend 2 hours packing meals.
Ellen says, “This is an inspiring and rewarding way to spend a couple of hours giving back — just like we all tried to do on that tragic day 24 years ago.”
Paul Scheulefe is a Boston-area native. He lives there now.
But he spent 25 years in Weston. He commuted to New York; after retiring, he taught English at Brunswick Academy and Fairfield Country Day School. he also coached lacrosse, and founded the Weston Lacrosse Club.
He honed his writing skills at the Westport Writers’ Workshop. He’s just published his first novel, “Damaged Goods.” Set during the financial crisis of 2008, it’s about a high-powered Wall Street trader’s existential crisis after learning he is the custodian of his estranged late sister’s frozen eggs.
Of special interest to “06880” readers (who Scheufele hopes will become “Damaged Goods” readers: The story is set in Westport.
Feedback to his “family drama” book — part of the Ann Patchett/Jodi Picoult genre — has been excellent, he says. Click here to buy.
James Lovell — the commander of the Apollo 13 spacecraft whose return to Earth following a massive explosion as it neared the moon in 1970 captivated the world (and, later, movie audiences in “Apollo 13”) — died Thursday. He was 97.
Richard Wiese — a longtime Weston resident, and president of The Explorers Club — knew Lovell.
He says, “Although Jim stopped traveling to space decades ago, he continued to be an inspiration to people young and old by encouraging their interest in science, and leading by his own example – one must be bold to turn the impossible into reality.
“Captain Lovell’s life and legacy are in keeping with the highest traditions of The Explorers Club. For those of us who knew him, Jim was a humble, down-to-earth friend. Legends aren’t only made in space — sometimes, they’re made in the way they treat people here on Earth.”
James Lovell (left) and Richard Wiese, Explorers Club president.
And finally … in honor of the gorgeous sturgeon moon (photo above):
(A beautiful moon, a beautiful weekend day, a beautiful “06880” online community … we are blessed. Enjoy the first two. And if you enjoy this blog, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
And the average American consumes up to 1,000 microplastic particles from bottled water — every week.
51 trillion tons of microplastics float in our oceans. Together they weigh over 234,000 tons — and pollute even the deepest parts of our marine ecosystems.
Microplastic particles reduce photosynthesis in crops like wheat, rice and corn by up to 14%. That puts up 400 million people at risk of starvation, over the next 20 years.
A minuscule amount of the world’s plastic water bottles.
Those frightening statistics come from Sienna Schwartz.
But the young Westporter does more than just warn people about our wasteful ways, and our planet’s grim future.
She’s doing something about it.
Move over, Greta Thunberg. Make way for Sienna Schwartz.
Sienna Schwartz
The Staples High School rising junior has created a superb website and Instagram.
Speckless — whose tagline is “Everyday Choices. Extraordinary Impact” — is well-designed, and wide-ranging.
It raises awareness of the dangers of microplastics. It offers simple actions anyone can take. And it provides links to practical alternatives to plastic products.
Speckless is the antidote to 2 constant complaints: We’re destroying our environment. And young people don’t care about anyone except themselves.
Sienna is passionate about both human and envornmental health. When she realized the extent of microplastics — they’re in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe — she was equally stunned by how few people realize the dangers.
Her research began while writing a proposal for a study she plans to conduct this year. It focuses on how microplastics affect C. elegans worms under different bacterial environments.
After spending hours each day diving into scientific papers, she realized the wide spread of microplastic pollution.
That led to #MicroplasticMonday posts. She searched online for practical, high-impact swaps, which turned into #SustainableSwapFriday series.
She found dozens of microplastic-free products too: bottles, mugs, cast iron skillets, ceramic mixing bowls, glass spice jars, shampoos and conditioners, shorts, baseball caps, windbreakers, and much more.
Three of Speckless’ many microplastics-free products.
Feedback has been great, Sienna says. Readers are often shocked to learn the extent — and danger — of microplastic particles.
Her hope of course is that people then take action: reducing use, finding alternatives, educating others.
Microplastics are tiny. Individual actions are, too.
But Sienna Schwartz knows that, together, we can make an impact on our soil, our oceans, our air.
In the aftermath of ROAN Ventures’ announcement yesterday that they plan to file an 8-30g application, to build 400-500 units of housing — 30% of them affordable, under a state formula — following the Planning & Zoning Commission’s rejection of their Hamlet at Saugatuck multi-use proposal, “06880” asked town officials for their reaction.
P&Z members said they could not comment, due to a pending lawsuit. On Thursday, ROAN went to court to appeal the Hamlet decision. Town attorney Ira Bloom reacted to that news, saying, “The Planning & Zoning Commission spent a tremendous amount of time on this application, and I feel very comfortable defending the resolution denying the application.”
An early rendition of the proposed 8-30g affordable housing project.
Democratic Party-endorsed candidate Kevin Chrsite says, “The future of Saugatuck is critical to Westport’s future. Is this forthcoming application really what’s best for Westport, the developer, and the developer’s investors?
“What’s best for Westport is a solution that addresses the needs of our community. So much dialogue and effort has been invested to meet the town’s needs for mixed-use development in Saugatuck through The Hamlet. We should build on that foundation. It is in everyone’s best interest to come together and deliver a solution that works for Westport and all involved.”
Republican Party-endorsed candidate Don O’Day says, “This application was certainly not unexpected. Town leadership, both now and in November, must work with ROAN within the parameters of the current 8-30g law, to ensure the best possible outcome for Westport. While we all know that 8-30g significantly limits local zoning controls, we will have no input unless we are willing to engage.”
Independent Party candidate David Rosenwaks says, ‘The majority of people in Westport want some development. But not to the extent of what was proposed. How did we get here, held hostage by a developer that doesn’t connect with what most people want?
“I am not pleased that Westport has been put in this position. Having just launched my campaign yesterday, I’m continuing to review the 8-30g proposal in light of the voices of our residents. In an ideal world, we would be able to come back to the table with the developers and try to find a middle ground.”
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Mahon and her husband Sean — a former high jumper on SCSU’s national championship team — bought a home in Orange.
Westport is “a state and national leader” in examing the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning, she says. Six groups are working on various elements, under superintendent Thomas Scarice’s direction.
Sienna is passionate about both human and envornmental health. When she realized the extent of microplastics — they’re in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe — she was equally stunned by how few people realize the dangers.
