Pic Of The Day #2913

Westport Library (Photo/John Nunziato)

Unsung Heroes #377

Some people say they were “just doing their job.”

But the Westport Police Department had 3 big jobs on Saturday.

They monitored the massive “Hands Off!” protest on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.

Nearby, hundreds of visitors flocked to the Westport Library, for VersoFest.

And not far away, in the middle of it all, was the funeral service for retired Police Chief Ron Malone.

All that is without the normal Saturday Post Road traffic.

Sure, our police officers — including Chief Foti Koskinas, who seemed to be everywhere — were just doing their job.

Police Chief Foti Koskinas, at Saturday’s protest. (Photo/Alan Shinbaum)

But they did it with plenty of professionalism, politeness, and understanding that “To Protect and Serve” are not just words on their cop cars.

They kept the protesters safe. They helped drivers navigate through. They answered questions from visitors. And they gave their former chief the sendoff he deserved.

We are lucky that our police officers — those on patrol and special duties, and those who lead them — do such a good job, “just doing their job.”

They’re the police, sure. But they’re also human.

Saturday was tough. There was a lot going on, with a lot of moving parts. Thanks to the Westport Police Department, those parts all worked together.

Keeping protesters safe, and traffic moving. (Photo/Dan Woog)

(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)

Roundup: Church Lane Closure, Savvy Smoker Seizure, Our Climate …

With strong support from landlords, and a boost from Westport Downtown Association president Maxx Crowley, the Board of Selectwomen voted yesterday to once again close Church Lane to parking, paving the way for outdoor dining, pedestrian strolling and music.

This year’s dates — May 15 to October 5 — are slightly less than in previous years. But they’re a bit longer than the original proposal.

Major landlords David Waldman and Roger Leifer supported the closure. So did restaurateurs from Spotted Horse, The Blondinit and Pink Sumo, who noted they were in favor despite losing parking in front of their businesses. One business owner in Sconset Square (Bungalow) objected.

This will be the sixth summer for the Church Lane closure. It began in 2020, in response to the COVID pandemic.

Donations to the Westport Downtown Association help pay for the music. Venmo @WDA-DowntownWestport, or click here.

Outdoor dining on Church Lane. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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The third time was not the charm.

Or the fourth.

For the fourth time since December 2023 — and second in 2 months — Savvy Smoker has been busted.

The vape-and-more — apparently, much more — Post Road East store was searched yesterday by Westport Police detectives, and members of the state Drug Control Division.

They found  pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, canisters of THC flower, THC resin products, THC vape cartridges, and THC edible products. All are illegal, at that location.

Less than 2 months ago — on March 11 — police investigated non-licensed cannabis sales, and complaints of sales to minors. Numerous marijuana and THC products were seized, and a sales associate arrested.

Westport Police received information that non-licensed cannabis sales were continuing, resulting in yesterday’s search.

The investigation is ongoing. Additional arrests are anticipated.

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Speaking of police: They made 3 custodial arrests between April 2 and 9.

A 38-year-old Shelton man was charged with criminal attempt to commit larceny, identity theft and forgery, after an investigation into the theft of mail containing personal checks.

A 41-year-old Brooklyn man was charged with larceny, following the theft of $2,700 worth of merchandise from Ulta Bueaty. Employees described his vehicle, and he was stopped on the Sherwood Island Connector.

A 62-year-old Weston woman was arrested for driving under the influence, and failure to drive in the propero lane, following a 12:15 a.m. accident at Weston Road and Merritt Parkway Exit 42.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

  • Driving while texting: 39 citations
  • Failure to renew registration: 11
  • Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 11
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
  • Driving while texting (3rd or subsequent offense): 2
  • Distracted driving: 2
  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 2
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 2
  • Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 2
  • Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
  • Passing in a no-passing zone: 1
  • Failure to obey stop sign: 1
  • Failure to display license plates: 1
  • Improper use of markers: 1
  • Improper rear marker lamps: 1

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It’s your yard. And our climate.

That’s the name of Sustainable Westport’s newest initiative.

“Your Yard, Our Climate” invites Westporters to “reimagine their outdoor spaces as powerful tools in the fight against climate change — demonstrating that meaningful environmental progress can start right at home.”

From April through June, the program will feature a series of events and educational programs to help residents transform their yards into vibrant, climate-positive habitats.

Experts will help residents explore practical ways to rethink lawns, support pollinators, choose native plantings, and adopt sustainable landscaping practices, on any size property.

Events include a native plant sale, “Lights Out Connecticut,” compost workshop, Spring Garden Fest at Wakeman Town Farm, tomato master class and more.

Sustainable Westport says: “The initiative emphasizes the significant role that personal choices in our outdoor spaces play in addressing the climate crisis. Whether it’s planting trees that improve air quality, reducing lawn space to support biodiversity, or shifting to eco-friendly yard care practices, each action contributes to a healthier, more climate-friendly Westport — and planet.”

For more information on events, click here.

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Speaking of nature: A dolphin washed up on Saugatuck Shores yesterday, near Cedar Point Yacht Club.

Andrew Colabella emailed the Conservation Department, Aspetuck Health District and Animal Control, for assistance in removing it. He hopes a test will reveal what happened.

(Photo/Haley Burns and Andrew Colabella)

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In the 2 months since it opened, The Clubhouse has become Westport’s go-to events space.

Between its simulators, karaoke rooms and bar/restaurant with ginormous screens (March Madness was huge), the Post Road East gathering spot is taking the town by storm.

Owners Tim and Emily Zobl paused yesterday, for the official ribbon cutting.

From left: 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, owner Tim Zobl, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, owner Emily Zobl, Chamber of Commerce director Matthew Mandell, 3rd Selectwoman Candice Savin. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Guests then headed upstairs, for the reveal of the new rooftop lounge.

It’s a large, open and fun space, with tables, TV screens, cornhole — and another bar.

When it opens next week, it will add one more outdoor option to Westport’s entertainment scene.

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Since 1943, Staples Tuition Grants has provided need-based assistance to Staples High School graduates. Last year STG awarded $381,500 to 105 students.

That money comes from donations. And, on May 1, some of it will come from Millie Rae’s shoppers.

On that day, the store at 1011 Post Road East will give 10% of all proceeds from sales of its gifts, decorations, jewelry and household items to STG. From 3 to 6 p.m., there will be “sips and nibbles” too.

The event comes right before Mother’s Day, graduation day — and the awarding of Staples Tuition Grants’ 2025 scholarships.

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Speaking of Staples: The school’s University of Connecticut Early College Experience program flies under the radar. (Though a story last year described how Staples students take courses in high school for a fraction of the cost of normal college tuition; they’re weighted like AP courses, to determine GPAs).

But the word is out. And UConn just announced that Staples has the sixth highest number of students enrolled in the program in the state: 354.

Go Wreckers! Go Huskies!

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It’s not often that national events find their way onto the agenda of a local board.

But this morning’s meeting of the town’s Pension Investment Committee (11 a.m., Zoom: Meeting ID: 835 5789 3813; Passcode: 452326) has just one item to discuss: “current market volatility.”

Let’s hope they know what they’re doing. Because not too many others do.

 

S&P 500, April 2-9.

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The Westport Country Playhouse “Family Festivities” series continues May 3 (1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with “Pete the Cat: The Musical.”

It’s recommended for grades pre-K through 3. All tickets are $30. Check out the trailer below, then click here for tickets.

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You can almost feel the buds about to burst, in today’s evocative “Westport … Naturally” photo of Schlaet’s Point, where Compo Beach laps up against Hillspoint Road.

(Photo/Patricia McMahon)

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And finally … in response to the getting-to-be-regular news about Savvy Smoker (story above):

(Downtown, business, police, environmental — if there’s news in Westport, you’ll read about it on “06880.” We rely on readers to help us do it. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Enufelon!

The Staples High School graduate is a successful entrepreneur. Capitalism has been good to him.

He was an early, and happy, Tesla owner. But even before Elon Musk took his chainsaw to government, the Westport native was uncomfortable with the man behind the automobile.

And with others of Musk’s ilk too: the Bezoses, Kochs and Zuckerbergs, billionaire-types who used their wealth to take government policy matters into their own hands.

In conversations with friends, and in writing, the Staples grad grasped at words to describe those people buying politicians and political favors — as well as those capitulating to them, on the receiving end.

“Oligarch, robber barons — those are anachronistic terms,” he says. “There was nothing in the vernacular.”

So he set out to create one. (The man prefers to remain anonymous. He wants the focus to be on his project, not on him.)

He came up with “Enough Elon.” Playfully, he turned it into one word, spelled phonetically: “Enufelon.”

Then — he is, after all, a very successful entrepreneur — he set about branding it.

He wanted to create an icon, or unifying symbol, to knit together and help galvanize the millions of people who, he knows, feel as he does.

He hired a designer, to bring his ideas — something simple, yet alarming or menacing looking — to life.

The result, after several iterations, is this:

(Along the way — in a very telling moment — the designer expressed concern about the project. “Are you worried about retribution?” the entrepreneur asked. “Yes,” the designer said. Enufelon’s creator promised anonymity, but notes, “What kind of world do we live in, where people are so fearful about something like this?”)

The Westport native secured the Enufelon.com domain, and developed a website. In addition to spreading the word about his word, it offers branded products (coffee mugs, stickers, caps, tees, totes and posters), and provides opportunities to sponsor special events, and license the trademark.

He welcomes collaboration. For example, a union — or politician like Bernie Sanders and AOC – that sells products on their site, can sell Enufelon swag too.

One goal, says the wordsmith, is for “enufelon” to become a symbol of solidarity for the resistance.

Another is for the word to be used regularly, and become part of the lexicon.

A third is to create a .org subsidiary — much as how OpenAI began before spinning out a commercial, for-profit entity. Enufelon’s “.org” could facilitate and sponsor public services such as watchdog groups, think tanks, research into private philanthropy and more.

Items for sale in the “Stuffelon” store, at Enufelon.com. 

Enufelon’s inventor notes that trademarked brand names may eventually find their way into the dictionary.

“Escalator” and “thermos,” he says, were once trademarked.

Will “enufelon” one day join them?

On one hand, he hopes so.

On the other hand, wouldn’t it be nice to have it become as anachronistic as, say, oligarch and robber baron?

Pic Of The Day #2912

Grace Salmon Park sundial (Photo/Jay Dirnberger)

[OPINION] Parent Group Opposes PTA Opposition To Cellphone Ban

In the aftermath of this morning’s Staples High School PTA executive board letter opposing superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice’s proposed cellphone ban — and a letter that followed from a Staples teacher, supporting it — a third group has weighed in.

A parent forwarded a petition being circulated around town. Headlined “Letter in Support of a Phone Free Environment at Staples,” and with nearly 400 comments, it says:

Dear Members of the Board of Education:

We write to you as a group of Westport public school parents who strongly support the superintendent’s recommendation for a bell-to-bell ban on smartphones at Staples High School.

Collectively, we have had thousands of hours of conversation in our community about how to ensure that Westport Public Schools continue to be exceptional places where our kids flourish, both academically and socially.

We have the benefit of data and experience from hundreds of other districts that have had an “away for the day” policy, including our own neighbors in Wilton and at Greens Farms Academy.

Greens Farms Academy bans cell phones.

Countries around the world are banning phones in schools and social media for minors. Twenty-three states have phone bans or restrictions on phones in schools. The evidence is overwhelmingly positive, and highly instructive to us in Westport.  Westport should not be behind on this important public health measure.

The documented benefits include:

1. Enhanced focus in the classroom:  By removing smart phones from the academic learning environment, students can more deeply engage with their teachers and with each other.

A 2023 study by the non-profit Common Sense Media found that students receive a median of 237 phone notifications a day, a quarter of them (nearly 60!) during school. I

In addition, research out of the University of Chicago confirms that even the mere presence of a cell phone reduces cognitive capacity.

Kids today have an average attention span of about 8 seconds (McSpadden, 2023). That’s less than it takes to read this paragraph. Here’s the science behind it: The brain adapts to what we feed it, and with digital media promoting quick-hit content, kids’ brains are rewiring to prioritize short bursts of engagement over deep focus.

Students’ brains are affected by cellphone use.

The good news is the brain is adaptable. With intentional habits, kids can strengthen their attention spans, reduce digital over-stimulation, and regain control over their focus. Taking phones away during school is ONE meaningful step towards helping this rewiring.

2. This policy is pro-teacher: Teachers are no longer in the position of “policing” phone use and can focus on their job as educators.

3. Social connection and mental health: Our phones are leading to a mental health crisis among teenagers worldwide, and early research points to the fact that the bell-to-bell policies are working.  In schools that enact such a policy, educational outcomes and student mental health are improving, and bullying is down.

4. Cost-Benefit Analysis: While opponents of the ban at Staples have cited the cost, this is not a reason to allow phones in schools. School administrators are spending countless hours investigating incidents of bullying and unacceptable conduct using social media and other platforms. This measure, in schools that have enacted a similar policy, have seen dramatic reductions in the the number of incidents and in turn, a reduction in the cost of investigations.

As parents, we understand that many people want their kids to have phones at school so they can reach them in the event of a very rare and unlikely emergency.  But it’s worth noting that safety experts disagree.

In addition, parents have voiced many concerns about logistics of implementing a phone ban at a large school such as Staples.

We agree that there are logistical concerns in making this happen. We acknowledge that there will be growing pains.Teachers and the administration will have to figure out other ways to teach, learn, and manage schedules. But these are issues for our school administrators to solve. Our entire generation of parents went to high school without a smartphone. It is doable. It is necessary.

It is time for our community to step up more meaningfully to help our kids live healthy, connected, engaged lives as learners and citizens in this increasingly dangerous digital age.

Thank you.

 

[OPINION] Staples Teacher Supports Cellphone Ban

This morning’s “06880” Opinion piece from the Staples High School PTA executive board — opposing superintendent of school Thomas Scarice’s proposed full ban on cellphones in Westport Public Schools — drew plenty of public comments, on all sides of the issue.

It also drew a private email, from a longtime Staples teacher. The teacher used their name but requested anonymity, due to district regulations about posting on social media. The teacher writes:

There is most certainly a problem at Staples with cell phones. That parents are relying on students saying that there is not a problem is laughable.

I urge any parent to have an honest conversation with a Staples teacher. You would hear the exact opposite.

Students are completely  addicted to their phones.  As a teacher who strictly enforces the putting of phones in the holder for all classes (grades 9-12), I can say without a doubt that every single day I encounter resistance from students, even though my stance and policy on phones has not changed since the first day of school, or within the last 5 years.

Every week I confiscate phones, bring them down to the assistant principals’ office, email/call home, and follow up with the admin after class.

Cell phone holder.

The reason many teachers do not enforce the phone holders is that it is exhausting. No matter how consistent teachers are with their phone policies, the students are extremely resistant (and unfortunately somewhat rude) to giving them up, even during a class.

Having taught at Staples for over 20 years, I can say that phones have no positive impact on the school day.

I understand that students and parents feel that students will have difficulty navigating their schedules. Students are unaware of their schedules precisely due to the Saturn app. Before Saturn, my students always knew their schedules.  They either had them printed out or they had them memorized over time. There was never an issue with students not knowing where they were going.

If students could use phones responsibly we would not be here. But every day students are sneaking phones, leaving class under the guise of having to use the bathroom and then scrolling through social media. I see it every single day here at Staples.

Phones are specifically designed to be addictive. Our students are being asked to monitor their use against a device that is using their own brains to work against what is best for them.

Every notification excites — and distracts — students.

I implore all parents to support the superintendent’s proposed ban on phones at Staples. Your children are not benefiting at all by having access to their phones throughout the school day.

We are doing a disservice to them. I deeply hope the community will come together to realize what is best for these students.

 

 

 

 

Roundup: “Born To Run” At 50, The Pledge At Y’s Men, Inam At Clarendon …

One of this year’s VersoFest highlights was a compelling panel discussion, honoring the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album.

Arlen Schumer (art director of Thunder Road, the first magazine dedicated to Springsteen’s life and music) and Dick Wingate (former music industry senior executive who managed Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town”) moderated the event, with Mike Appel, Springsteen’s first manager and co-producer of “Born to Run”; Michael Pillot, former Columbia Records promotions director; Robert Santelli, executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives, and Kenneth Womack, co-author of “Bruce Songs.” 

If you missed it: click below.

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When Congressman Jim Himes visited the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston last week, the traditional opening Pledge of Allegiance included a preamble written by and delivered by US Navy veteran (and Staples High School graduate) John Brandt.

Click below to watch:

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Christy Colasurdo and Liz Milwe — Wakeman Town Farm leaders for over 12 years — updated the Westport Rotary Club on the continuing evolution of the Cross Highway sustainability and education center.

Among the topics: The planned major addition of a barn. So far, $150,000 has been raised for construction.

Other updates included activities for families and children: vegetable gardens, workshops, camps, youth programs and more.

Christy Colasurdo and Liz Milwe, at the Westport Rotary Club. (Hat tip and photo/Dave Matlow)

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Inam — the artists specializing in forests, rivers and changing seasons — will greet visitors to Clarendon Fine Art on April 26 (6 to 8 p.m.).

The gallery will cover sales tax for all purchases made at the event.

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Former Westporter Susan Reeves died peacefully in Niantic on Sunday, surrounded by her family. She was 94.

She attended Gettysburg College, where she was Homecoming Queen as a freshman and met her future husband, Donal. They married in 1951 and settled in Westport. For 50 years they connected with nature there, and raised 3 daughters.

Sue was active in the Westport Garden Club, and built lifelong friendships there. She was president from 1977 to 1979. She cared for cemeteries and public gardens,tended tomato starts in preparation for the annual Plant Sale, and hosting tea parties for Garden Club friends.

She was proud of her involvement developing Grace Salmon Park, and the restoration of Adams Academy.

Sue excelled at flower arranging, acrylic painting, sewing and quilting.  The results were shared with family, including quilts for weddings, graduations and births.

Sue and Don also enjoyed skiing and boating (on their 38-foot powerboat “Susan”) with their family. Each summer culminated in a month with longtime friends on Martha’s Vineyard.

As she aged, kayaking became a way to connect with the water.  At 90 she purchased her first kayak. At 91 she kayaked in the Pacific Northwest San Juan Islands with her daughter.

Susan is survived by her daughters Linda Morrissey (Kevin), Donna Abbott (Ted) and Lisa Zenner (John); grandchildren Kaylin, Kyle, Lindsay, Greg, Thomas and Elizabeth, and great-grandchildren Bryce, Tucker, Caleb, Maverick, Lily, Lydia, Isla, Teddy and Lucy. She was predeceased by her husband of 68 years, Donal.

Her family thanks caregivers Ann Marie, Taylor, Lynne, Elizabeth, Jessica and Terri; her trainer Axel, who kept her physically strong enough to adventure in her 90’s; the team at VITAS Hospice, and pastor Ben of Christ Presbyterian Church.

Celebrations of life will take place in June. Donations in Susan’s memory can be directed to Christ Presbyterian Church, PO Box 543, Niantic, CT 06357.

Susan Reeves

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image comes from behind the police station.

Johanna Keyser Rossi writes: “I’ve seen these swans attempting to build a nest there. It’s not an ideal place — not much foliage to hide in.”

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … Clem Burke, “whose energetic, versatile drumming provided the beat for the band Blondie as it churned out post-punk, disco and rock hits” (says the New York Times), died on Sunday. He was 70, and had battled cancer.

Click here for a full obituary.

(“06880” is your hyper-local source for news you can use. If you enjoy our daily Roundup — or anything else we publish, several times a day — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

[OPINION] Staples PTA Executive Committee Urges Ban On Cellphone Ban

The Staples High School PTA Executive Committee wrote a letter regarding superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice’s proposed cell phone ban. It was to be read at last Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.

When the session was canceled, the letter was emailed to all BOE members. A member shared it without consent, and it was published by a local media outlet.

The Staples PTA Executive Committee says: “To ensure transparency, we would greatly appreciate it if ‘06880’ shares this letter in its entirety with the Westport community. Anyone wishing to engage in further discussion should email us at shs_pta@westportps.org.”

Dear Members of the Westport BOE:

We, the members of the Staples High School PTA Executive Board, write to you as a united group concerning Superintendent Scarice’s proposed bell-to-bell cell phone (and personal device) ban at Staples High School.

For context, we are deeply committed to Westport Public Schools. We are the mothers of 25 current Staples students, 10 Staples graduates, and 11 kids rising from elementary and middle school.

Collectively we’ve spent 181 years inside of WPS, and our members have volunteered on 40 WPS executive PTA boards, including 15 turns as president. You’d be hard pressed to find a group more invested, with more historical knowledge, and with more school spirit than the current Staples PTA.

Cell phones are currently allowed, in certain places and times, at Staples High School.

First, we do not support the personal use of cell phones in the classroom. We believe kids should not have unfettered access to their phones, nor should they use phones for any unapproved personal reason inside of the classroom. That said, we unanimously oppose a school-wide cell phone (and personal device) ban, and we unanimously oppose the purchase of Yondr bags.

As you consider the various options on the road ahead, we feel it important to share 3 requests made to Superintendent Scarice at a meeting on March 19th:

  • That separate community conversations be planned between parents — one for K-8, and another for 9-12.
  • That a committee be formed, consisting of teachers, admins, students and parents.
  • That the survey be sent after the community conversation. We are disappointed that none were realized.

You are already aware of our concerns for the replacement of cell phones inside the classroom as integrated by teachers. Many among our Staples staff count on – and expect – phones to be used by students as cameras, video recorders, calculators, scanners, and more. No workaround has been presented for these uses.

We are concerned about the unintended consequences of a cell phone ban, and believe that if kids cannot access phones during their free time, they will instead be more inclined to do personal business on their computers during classroom time, and thereby create a tremendous problem for teachers.

Regarding the wuperintendent’s justification for a ban, we maintain – based on hundreds of conversations with parents, students and even teachers – that there is not a cell phone problem inside of Staples High School.

Further, while there is a policy governing cell phone use, it is rarely enforced, largely up to teacher discretion, and unknown to most students and parents.

Should the WPS BOE deem Staples a candidate for tighter cell phone regulations, then why not just tighten the rules? And have students – and their parents – sign a code of conduct, just like we do for internet use and plagiarism. We are confident this is a prudent place to start.

We believe students should have access to their phones during lunch and free periods. We’ve heard you when you say that the lunchroom is a good place to have a conversation and “just talk.”

But if you were to visit the Staples cafeteria, you’d see that’s exactly what they do: they talk. Even with their phones on their person.

And please understand cell phones are how our students find one another in the lunchroom. It’s a huge space with hundreds of kids on a rotating schedule. They use their cells to find their friends, then sit and talk.

These are not Staples students. But they could be.

Much of this conversation relates to social media usage. The Staples PTA does not believe students should use–or have access to–social media during classroom time.

We are surprised that the Westport Public Schools do not block these sites off of the district networks. That seems like an easy solution. In addition to considering a clearer cell phone policy, we ask that you consider blocking these sites before a bell to bell ban.

Most concerning of the proposed cell phone ban is the cost associated with Yondr bags. Wilton Public Schools spent $80,000 with Yondr (not $1,800 as reported by the Westport Journal) – with a smaller student population (1,200 at Wilton HS versus Staples’ 1,700+), and magnetized the outside of their one school entrance. Staples uses 5 separate student entrances.

That doesn’t even take into account the manpower needed to lock and unlock the Yondr “stations” multiple times during each school day, and the staff needed to maintain the bags themselves. If Yondr bags are to be used, it’s prudent to plan extra head count to the Staples staff for these roles. And they are a recurring cost.

Yondr bags have a limited shelf life. and every freshman class will need new ones, at a cost of $25-30 per unit. That doesn’t account for lost and broken bags (currently at a rate of 2/week reported in Wilton).

Students entering Northbridge High School in Massachusetts present their Yondr pouches — with phones inside — to be locked. (Photo/Allan Jung for Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

Has anyone determined where the Yondr magnets will be mounted? They are affixed to concrete poles outside of Wilton High School; the Staples facade is glass and brick. Are there construction costs associated with bringing Yondr to Staples?

Finally, we know that the Staples population will soar to well over 1,800 in the next few years, and so we ask, what are the actual costs, both for now and into the future?

As an overall question: What is the perceived defined problem, and what is the measurable solution? We believe that a cell phone ban is a movement–applicable to elementary and middle schools–as opposed to an actual Staples problem, and without a clear issue to solve or goal to meet, this is all just symbolic.

We also maintain that our Staples students are bright, motivated, eager to learn, gracious with their time and community support, and overall good citizens. The Staples PTA is profoundly confident that if given structured rules around cell phone usage inside the classroom, our students will rise to occasion, without requiring a punitive, prison-like environment.

There is one constant report among Staples graduates: that they leave Staples High School ready for the next level, whether that be college, the work force or the military.

That is a testament to everyone involved in their educational journey, and why Staples is the #1 high school in the state. So let’s treat these students as the young adults they are.

Let’s give them parameters and structure, but most importantly, let’s give them latitude. Let’s trust them with their free time, to make good decisions, and embody the Westport Public Schools’ value system.

Let’s work together to empower them.

Sincerely,
Jodi Harris, Co-President
Stefanie Shackelford, Co-President
Elena Caggiano, VP-Past President
Marie Tyber, VP-Secretary
Lara Willis, VP-Treasurer
Michelle Macris, VP-Treasurer
Aileen Brill, VP-Ways & Means
Jenny Sydor, VP-Ways & Means
Ying Stafford, VP- Communications Sandy Srihari, VP-Volunteers
Tracy Benton, VP-Volunteers
Karina Betfarhad, VP-Graduation
Amie Peck, VP-Graduation
Pamela Bernstein, VP-Community Outreach
Maria Mulvehill, VP-Community Outreach
Caroline Hendley, VP-Member at Large

 

 

Pic Of The Day #2911

Compo Beach clouds. (Photo/June Rose Whittaker)