We’re celebrating both in our online art gallery this week. But no matter what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
This feature is open to all. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Just email a jpeg to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“A Burst of Love” — acrylic impasto (Dorothy Robertshaw)
Untitled (Rowene Weems)
Untitled (Duane Cohen)
“Pier-ing Through” (Patricia McMahon)
“Kuhli Moo” — digital illustration (Ken Runkel)
“Cooper, A Beloved Pet” (Roseann Spengler)
“Bull Chasing Bitcoin” — oil on canvas, at Westport River Gallery (Mona)
Mike Hibbard’s caption: “When you have a long, wet tongue, you don’t need a tissue.”
“My Kitchen Drawer” (Jo Ann Davidson)
“Turning Yellow” (Jerry Kuyper)
“Collected Images” (Peter Barlow)
“Automation and AI — Humans Need Not Apply!” — watercolor (Steve Stein)
Untitled (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
It’s mid-February — Valentine’s and Presidents Day season.
Which makes it the perfect time to talk about … sailing.
Gina Lewis’ children have participated in local programs for years. They’ve made friends up and down Long Island Sound.
As parents start to think about summer programs, Gina wants to spread the word about her kids’ sport. She writes:
There are a million reasons Westport is special, but one of the most extraordinary is our incredible access to the coastline — and with it, the sport of sailing.
From first tacking at Longshore Sailing School to competing at a championship level at Cedar Point and Pequot Yacht Clubs, Westport youngsters have an unparalleled opportunity to embrace a sport that builds life skills, confidence, and lifelong friendships.
Fun …
Longshore has been a rite of passage for generations. It’s the perfect introduction to sailing, where countless kids have learned to read the wind, navigate the water, and fall in love with the sport.
But many families don’t realize that once their young sailors are ready for the next level, both Cedar Point and Pequot Yacht Clubs offer incredible junior sailing programs.
You don’t have to be a member to learn to sail. Their programs are open to non-members.
Starting in Optimists — small single handed boats, led by high school and college sailors — kids learn the basics of sailing and navigation. For a few hours every morning they are taught to rig sails, understand the wind and handle a boat out on the water.
The pride and independence they develop is amazing to see, when they bring their parents along for the annual sunset sail.
… independence …
Once kids grow out of Optimists, they have a choice to sail a Laser (single- handed), or partner with a friend to sail a Feva or a C420.
These boats are more complex and faster, allowing young sailors s to continue to grow throughout their teenage years.
… a group lesson …
In the summer, young sailors participate in Junior Sailing Association of Long Island races. They meet and race against peers from Larchmont to Milford, and across the Sound to Oyster Bay and Centerport.
At Staples High School, sailing team members race C420s in the fall (club season) and spring (varsity season).
The team practices at Pequot, and sails in regattas against local high school once a week. (Their Instagram is @staples.sailing.)
… catching the wind …
Our kids enjoy their summer program so much, they now sail year-round with a local team. Sailing has introduced them to people and places from all over the country. They have been fortunate enough to experience amazing places and cultures through sailing.
Both Pequot and Cedar Point boast superb coaching staffs, and an environment where older sailors mentor and guide the next generation. That’s a testament to the camaraderie and character-building the sport fosters.
Westport’s coastline is unmatched. But it’s the access to sailing — and the friendships, skills, and memories it cultivates — that make it even more special.
… and they’re off!
(“06880” regularly covers youth activities, sports — and much, much more. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 work, please click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)
Posted onFebruary 14, 2025|Comments Off on Wallflowers Step Into VersoFest Spotlight
Dylan is coming to VersoFest!
Not Bob. As impressive and high-powered as the Westport Library’s annual music and media festival is, it can’t (yet) snag the Nobel Prize-winning singer/ songwriter/cultural icon.
But his son Jakob — creator, frontman and lead vocalist of the Wallflowers — brings his alt-rock band to the Trefz Forum on Friday night, April 4.
For over 30 years, the Wallflowers have honed a sound that meshes timeless songwriting and storytelling with a hard-hitting, definitely modern musical attack.
They’ve sold more than 10 million albums, and won 2 Grammys.
Jakob Dylan
Their recordings include 1996’s “Bringing Down the Horse” — with hits like “One Headlight,” “Three Marlenas,” and “6th Avenue Heartache” — as well as “Breach,” “Rebel, Sweetheart” and “Glad All Over.”
In recent years Dylan stepped outside the band, with a pair of acoustic, rootsy records, then with the 2018 film “Echo in the Canyon.” He collaborated on the soundtrack with Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Beck and Fiona Apple.
Dylan returned to the Wallflowers in 2021, with a fresh group of musicians.
Despite the hiatus, Exit Wounds was a return to the band’s signature sound, even as Dylan surrounded himself with a fresh cast of musicians.
“I came up in an era of great rock ‘n’ roll bands making great music, and it’s the way I always imagined I would do it one day,” he says.
“That’s always been my vision with the Wallflowers: to be a great rock ‘n’ roll band. I’ve worked on it for 30 years now, and I still have a lot to say. It’s something I started a long time ago, and it’s far from finished.”
The Wallflowers’ show is not the only VersoFest highlight. The night before (April 3), rock star and National Book Award winner Patti Smith kicks off the 4-day festival.
In addition to the Wallflowers and Smith, this year’s VersoFest includes hardcore punk pioneer Henry Rollins, and longtime David Letterman music director Paul Shaffer.
There is a symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” special exhibits by local graffiti artist 5ive Fingaz, a gospel revival, workshops and more.
Click here for details on all the VersoFest events — and to purchase tickets.
Comments Off on Wallflowers Step Into VersoFest Spotlight
Saugatuck was Westport’s first commercial and residential center.
In the 1830s, when we broke away from Norwalk, Weston and Fairfield it was a thriving place, with wharves, businesses, factories, churches, schools and farms.
So why did our town fathers choose the name “Westport,” instead of “Saugatuck”?
The story I always heard is that a state representative did not like being called “the legislator from Succotash” in Hartford.
Other reasons: it was a simple description of a port west of Fairfield; it was an acknowledgment that the new town was more than just Saugatuck, and that a new name symbolized a fresh start.
A section of Robert Lambdin’s “Saugatuck in the 19th Century” mural. It hung for many years in the Saugatuck branch of Westport Bank & Trust, on the corner of Charles and Franklin Streets.
And that, I thought, was that.
But Jeff Van Gelder — a native Westporter, and Staples High School graduate — recently unearthed a New York Times story from December 2, 1923.
“Leading citizens,” the paper says, launched a “Back to Saugatuck” movement, to restore the original, distinctive name.
There was only one other Saugatuck in the world, they argued (in Michigan — named by a former resident of our town). However, there were 18 other Westports in the US, and 22 around the world.
That caused “onfusion of the mails and the long-distance telephone calls intended for the different Westports,” the Times reported.
The Connecticut Westport — population nearly 5,000 — claimed “the largest and most noted art colony in the United States.” It boasted “a dozen different industrial plants.” And it recently completed a Young Men’s Christian Association, thanks to a $300,000 gift from E.T. Bedford.
Westport’s brand-new YMCA.
“Saugatuck,” the Times said, came from an Indian word “Sauki-tuk,” which meant “outlet from a tidal river.”
The “agitation for the restoration of the town’s old name” was led by John Adams Thayer. It was supported by Professor Harry M. Ayres, who was a member of the Connecticut Legislature, “and many othe prominent citizens who believe the community will benefit by such a change.”
But that seems to be the high water mark for the proposal. The Times did not report on it again.
We had been Westport for 88 years.
Now — 101 years later — we still are.
A detail from Lambdin’s mural shows the Bridge Street (now Cribari) Bridge.
(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!)
Coleytown Middle School theater students got a special treat Wednesday.
Westport Country Playhouse technical director Jason Thompson led a tour of the theater, for Coleytown Company’s tech crew.
It was not a random invitation. Thompson is working with the students to build the set for “Matilda,” the CMS show that runs April 4-6.
The visit was coordinated by Ben Frimmer. He wears 3 hats: theater arts educator for Westport Public Schools, director of Coleytown Company, and Playhouse trustee.
“I want to make Westport students more aware of the only professional theatre in Westport,” he says.
“Coleytown has one of the strongest middle school tech programs in the country. But I think it’s critical we expand students’ knowledge past what we do at school. This trip allowed them to experience the world of professional technical theatre.”
Coleytown Company’s tech crew toured the historic Playhouse, visited the scene shop, and watched set building underway on stage for the opening next week of “Native Gardens.”
Jason Thompson, Playhouse technical director (right) and Matthew Melchiorre, Playhouse director of production (left), explain set construction of “Native Gardens” to Coleytown Company’s tech crew.
Speaking of the Playhouse: They’ve added 2 new events to their April calendar.
“Me, Myself, and Barbra” is a tribute to Ms. Streisand, by Jenna Pastuszek. She was inspired by a meeting with the singing star, who inspired her to embrace her inner Barbra.
The show is April 24 — Streisand’s birthday. Tickets are $45 and $40; pre-show party and show tickets are $55 and $50. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
“2 Motherpluckers” is a musical, featuring a pair of guitar-playing, songwriting local moms — Julie Foldesi and Stacie Morgain Lewis — on a hilarious journey through the bumps of motherhood.
Broadway star/Westport resident compares it to “the Indigo Girls meet Kristen Wiig.”
The Lucille Lortel White Barn Center show is April 29 (7 p.m.). All tickets are $20. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Three new art exhibits are on display at The Westport Library. “Good Bones: 60 Years of Multi-Dimensional Commentary” by Nina Bentley, “City Sights” by Susan Fehlinger, and “Art and Jazz” by Jean Krasno run through March 25.
Bentley’s art is often conceptual in nature, offering poignant commentary on a wide array of social issues. “Good Bones” is a retrospective of decades of her work, composed of sculpture, prints, pen and ink, and multimedia assemblages.
Fehlinger worked for 35 years as a television producer in New York City. Yearning to paint, she left her job in 2003 and embarked on a career as an artist.
Her style emphasizes texture, color, and light. Her compositions play with scale, placement, and negative and positive spaces.
Krasno is inspired by the magic of jazz music, conveyed through the rich voices, poetic lyrics and rhythmic performances of artists like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington.
“Art and Jazz” creates a sensory experience that combines her art with the music that sparked its creation, incorporating a listening component with QR codes that link to jazz songs.
The Westport Board of Education Policy Committee’s next meeting is February 27 (11 a.m., Town Hall Room 309).
Discussion items include:
Second reading of possible revisions to the suicide prevention and intervention policy.
First reading of possible revisions to existing policies involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, non-discrimination, and sex-based discrimination and harassment.
First reading of a possiible new policy on transportation.
Discussion of a policy on survey of students/student privacy.
Meanwhile, one of the agenda items for the Planning & Zoning Commission’s February 24 meeting (6 p.m., remote; click here for the link) is a special permit request by Fairfield County Hunt Club.
They’re applying to build an indoor racquet sport facility, for club members and guests.
A late model Audi was stolen around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, from the parking lot at Bridge Square.
The thief opened the door, and drove off. It appears the keys might have been left in the car.
The epidemic of car thefts continues in Westport. Once again, “06880” reminds residents to lock your cars — always. Never leave your keys in your cars. Always be aware of your surroundings. And if you have a garage: Use it! (Hat tip: Ben Meyer)
Eve Potts spotted this at the Regents Park condos, after our most recent storm. It’s today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature. She calls it “Nature’s Sculpture.”
(Photo/Eve Potts)
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And finally … Happy Valentine’s Day, to all who celebrate it.
There are squintillions of songs to choose from. These 3 seem to cover it well:
(Sure, you can show your love for “06880” with flowers or chocolate. But we prefer that you click here, and make a tax-deductible contribution. Hey, we’re honest! Thank you all …)
Richard Kent has followed college sports since the 1960s.
He’s especially passionate about basketball — the Ivy League in particular. Last summer he published “The Madness of Ivy Basketball” — an ode to the 8-team institution.
Kent says that April 7, 2025 will be the most momentous day in American sports history.
The action won’t be on a court, however.
It will be in one.
On that day, final approval is expected for a historic$2.78 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement. The ruling, in California federal court, sets the foundation for athletes to receive money directly from colleges.
The National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA) and 5 power conferences have agreed that schools can directly compensate athletes, for the billions of dollars those students are earning for their institutions.
Since 2021, college athletes can receive “name, image and likeness” (NIL) compensation through third parties, including brand endorsements, merchandise sales and “NIL collectives.”
The April 7 guidelines are also expected to include roster caps for individual sports, which will replace current scholarship limits. For example, men’s lacrosse teams are now limited to a scholarship equivalency of 12.6; women’s teams have 12.
Under the settlement men’s rosters will include up to 48 players, while women’s rosters can expand to 38.
This will have a seismic effect on college athletics, in all sports.
And even though the Ivy League does not permit athletic scholarships, it will be affected, Kent predicts. With money flowing even more freely to athletes at other top colleges — think Virginia, Georgetown and Duke — the Ivies may become less attractive to students in towns like Westport.
Kent is no barstool observer. A Westport resident since 1992, he grew up in New Haven. He sold pennants and programs at the Yale Bowl; is the color commentator for many men’s and women’s basketball games on Yale radio station WYBC, and contributes stories to Ivy Hoops Online.
He is not, however, a Yale alum. Kent calls himself “the proud owner of a rejection letter” from the school. He graduated from Rutgers University, then earned a law degree at Boston College.
His day job is as a litigator. He specializes in fathers’ rights. He’s written 11 books, on subjects ranging from parental law to Roger Federer.
Kent also teaches sports law at Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business, and Rutgers’ law school.
Richard Kent
With leagues like the Big 10 and SEC soon to be permitted to pay up to $20.5 million directly to athletes — on top of the sums already permitted through NIL collectives and other means (a Duke quarterback just signed a 2-year, $8 million deal; University of Connecticut women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers’ NIL deal is worth more than the WNBA maximum salary) — Kent predicts a “revolution” in college athletics.
One in which the Ivy League will not participate.
As a result, Kent says, they’ll leave themselves far behind.
While the Ivies allow NIL money to be paid to student-athletes, they don’t encourage it. There are no official Ivy League collecticuves (though, Kent says, he knows of at least 3 men’s basketball players being paid by alumni).
Already, that principled stance has caused an exodus. Players have left Yale, Harvard and Penn for Michigan, Georgetown and Villanova, respectively.
“The Ivy recruiting mantra has always been ‘you’re making a 40-year decision, not a 4-year one,” Kent says.
But as the college athletics landscape changes, greater amounts of money in exchange for playing sports will become increasingly attractive.
Of course, noteveryone will share equally. Fifty percent of the revenue that will go directly to athletes is earmarked for football players. Another 18% goes to men’s basketball, with 5% to women’s basketball.
The remaining 27% will be divided up by every other sport: lacrosse, soccer, baseball, softball, rowing, ice hockey, etc.
It’s not just the power conferences and Ivy League that will be impacted by the April 7 ruling, Kent notes.
The entire world of college sports — including Division II and III, and the NCAA itself — will be affected.
“I don’t know what the NCAA is anymore,” the attorney, professor and writer says.
“I don’t know what role they’ll play in the future. We’re really looking at what could be semipro athletics.”
Shonda Rhimes has stepped down as treasurer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The Emmy-winnng producer/director/screenwriter/author/CEO of Shondaland — and a Westport resident — resigned after President Trump fired the longtime president of the Washington arts institution, and was named chairman of the board by new members he had appointed.
Opera star Renée Fleming also stepped down from the board. And Ben Folds said he would resign as an adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, which operates under the Kennedy Center umbrella.
Shonda Rhimes, at the Westport Library. (Photo/Jerri Graham Photography)
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Chairs of 4 major Westport bodies have written a joint letter.
Lee Caney (Board of Finance), Lee Goldstein (on behalf of the Board of Education), Paul Lebowitz (Planning & Zoning Commission) and Jeff Wieser (moderator, Representative Town Meeting), express their “disgust at the creation of the antisemitic snowman which appeared recently.
“That might be the act of one very misguided person, or it may be the view of other Westporters who do not respect the diversity of our vibrant community.
“We want to state as representatives of every member of this wonderful community, however, that the snowman has no place in Westport and is a despicable act. It is shameful that anyone would harbor such hate, and we hope it will never occur again in the town we love.”
Town leaders reacted to this snowman, built last Sunday at the Newman Poses Preserve.
How do you celebrate winning 7 straight Country Music Association Group of the Year awards?
If you’re Old Dominion, you play 7 shows at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.
And you give the money to charity.
The band — which includes guitarist/vocalist Brad Tursi, a 1997 Staples High School graduate — raised a cool $1.25 million.
They gave it (of course) 7 charities: MusiCares, Save the Music, Backline Care, Opry Trust Fund, CMA Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Ramsey Foundation.
And — this really shouldn’t be a side note — the “7 for 7 Residency” the band set a record for most consecutive shows in Ryman’s history.
“06880” reader Tricia Summers — who went to 2 of the shows, and loved them — sends along this photo of Tursi, at the Ryman:
(Photo/Tricia Summers)
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A memorial service for Selma Miriam — the co-founder of Bloodroot vegetarian restaurant, and a longtime advocate for feminism and social justice who died earlier this month at 89 — has been set.
It will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the United Congregational Church of Bridgeport (2200 North Avenue).
Selma’s many friends and admirers are invited.
Selma Miriam
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Last Saturday’s food drive to stock the Homes with Hope pantry was a huge success.
As they do every year just before the Super Bowl, the Sunrise Rotary Club and Westport Police Department collected over 500 bags of food and supplies, and more than $1,500 in cash, outside Stop & Shop.
But it was not the only drive held that day.
Addison Moore — a 2023 Staples High School graduate, winner of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneur award, and now a pre-law student at Lafayette College — ran his own effort.
He organized it quickly, out of concern that a predicted snowstorm would impact the Gillespie Center’s stock.
He set up near the Westport Library, and in just a few hours collected a couple of hundred pounds of food.
It takes a village. Congratulations, Addison — and all who donated, to either food drive — for being part of ours.
She writes: “Rizzuto’s and Casa Me both use compostable containers for takeout and doggy bags. I’m sure there are more in town, but these are two I frequent. They are sturdy, and do not leak.”
Details on a Casa Me compostable container.
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Presidents Day is known not for celebrating presidents, but for deals.
Mattresses, TVs, cars … they’re all on sale this weekend.
So are 25% 2-play subscriptions to the final shows of the Westport Country Playhouse’s “Season of Laughter.”
“Native Gardens” (February 18 through March 8) and “Theatre People” (March 25 through April 12) are the shows. Click here to learn more about them.
To access the discount, click here. A code will be provided beginning Saturday at westportplayhouse.org, and on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and Instagram (wcplayhouse).
(In addition to the Presidents Weekend special promotion, the Playhouse regularly offers discounts on single tickets to students, senior citizens, educators, military and first responders, Indigenous peoples, professional playwrights, and groups, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes. Click here for details.
Playhouse seats are 25% off, this Presidents Day weekend. (Photo/Robert Benson)
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It’s not always easy for senior citizens to live in the suburbs.
Fortunately, Westport’s Department of Human Services has resources for residents who need help with outdoor tasks like yard work, snow removal and other light chores.
The office has a list of middle and high school students who want to help. The recommended fee is $16 per hour, but both sides are welcome to negotiate a different agreeable amount.
Seniors who require assistance with outdoor chores can call the Department of Human Services at 203-341-1050, or email humansrv@westportct.gov.
Middle and high school students who want to help can use the same contact information above. Written permission from a parent or guardian is required.
Daniel Purcell III — co-owner of Purcell Moving Inc., with his brother Larry, and former owner of Westport’s Sportsman’s Bar — died February 10. He was 82.
He enjoyed playing softball, boating with his family, tinkering with cars and trucks, long car rides, flea markets, and time with family and friends.
He played shuffleboard with his daughter Sandra at the Ukrainian Club in Southport on Monday nights He was also president and lifetime member of the Screwballs
Daniel is survived by his wife Stacy; daughters Laura Romano (Rob) and Sandra Scotto (Rob); granddaughters Ashley Gorkin (Elliot) and Kaitlyn Scotto; great-granddaughter Olivia Barbara Gorkin; 2 sisters, 4 brothers, sisters-in-law and brothers-in laws, nieces and nephews, and a great-nieces and great-nephews.He was predeceased by his first wife Barbara, and son Donald.
A celebration of life will be held at the Eagles Club (6 Mott Avenue, Norwalk) on June 10 (3 to 7 p.m.). Condolences may be left online. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.
And finally … let’s hear it again for Westport’s own (sort of) Old Dominion (story above):
(From the Kennedy Center to Ryman Auditorium — if there’s a Westport angle to a story, “06880” finds it. If you appreciate our hyper-local, worldly coverage, please click here. Thanks!)
Duane Cohen is a native Westporter. He still lives here. He writes:
With the recent dismantling of government agencies by the Trump administration, I felt compelled to dig up a memory I would rather keep buried.
However, my story is important to recognize the progress we have made, understand how far we have come, and realize how scary it is to have Trump dismantling our protections.
In December 1970, at age 17, I enlisted in the US Navy. At age 18 while on active duty, I was injured when I fell 10 feet on my back during a storm that also caused our ammunition ship to lose its radar antenna, and crack the hull.
Duane Cohen, in the Navy.
When we returned to the States, I sought medical treatment. It was determined I had hearniated a disc in my lower back. I still have it, 50 years later.
The disability was determined to be 10% disabling. With therapy and exercises I gained and maintained work to support myself and my family.
In the early ’70s, returning veterans were able to take a Post Office entrance exam at any time, and were given a preference for hiring.
I took the entrance exam. I was hired in a probationary job, loading and unloading trucks at the Danbury Post office for 90 days.
At the end of the probationary period, I was offered a position as a mail carrier in Norwalk.
I accepted the position, and was hired by the Norwalk postmaster on a Friday afternoon. I was told begin work on Monday morning.
When I reported for work on Monday, I was told to leave. I did not have a job. The medical examiner (who never examined me) said I was “not a candidate” because of my disability.
I was told I had no recourse, because there were no laws against discriminating against a disabled person
Duane Cohen, then …
I had nowhere to go, no one to help. I wrote letters. I went to the VA, Disabled American Veterans, and many military and legal organizations. I was told every time, “If the PO won’t hire you, it’s for your own good. You can’t do the job. Find something else.”
But I knew they were wrong. That is when I found someone at legal services in Norwalk who took my case for free.
My doctor and I certified that I could do what was required, carrying up to 35 pounds of mail.
Somehow, the story was picked up by the New Canaan newspaper. After the article came out, people started helping.
Letters were sent to Rosalynn Carter, the president’s wife, who was advocating for disabled veterans.
I received a letter from Senator Ribicoff, who asked to meet with me in his office. He arranged for me to be examined by the Post Office medical dxaminer, for the first time. I passed the exam.
My case went before a judge. It was determined that the Norwalk Post Office had hired me, and was now discriminating against a disabled employee by not allowing me to do my job. It was determined the postmaster had hired me before the chief medical officer was able to determine his discrimination, which he would have gotten away with. If the postmaster had not hired me, in those days they could have discriminated against me for being a disabled person, let alone a Vietnam veteran.
I won the case with all my back pay, night differential, and all benefits from the day I was hired, including seniority.
… and now.
When I was asked where I would like to work, I wanted to be as far away from the Norwalk postmaster as I could be. I elected to work in Stamford.
Within a few months, the Norwalk postmaster was promoted. He became the Stamford postmaster, in charge of Darien, Westport and Greenwich.
He then unjustly fired me twice. He had to rehire me both times, with back pay. Fortunately, as a civil servant I was protected by the Equal Opportunity Commission and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
The EEOC and many other agencies in place to protect us from bullies like the postmaster are being eliminated by Trump.
That is why I dusted off this memory. We cannot go back!
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The Wallflowers’ show is not the only VersoFest highlight. The night before (April 3), rock star and National Book Award winner Patti Smith kicks off the 4-day festival.
On that day, final approval is expected for a historic
