TEAM Westport’s Teen Diversity Essay Contest has never shied away from important topics.
This year’s prompt is particularly important — and topical.
“Identity” is the topic of the 2025 contest, sponsored by the town’s multicultural organization.
The contest is open to students attending both public and private high school in Westport. Those who live in Westport and attend public or private high school elsewhere — or are home-schooled here — can also participate.
This year’s essay prompt says:
TEAM Westport is dedicated to addressing issues of bias and discrimination related to race, religion, ethnicity, and LGBTQIA+ identity that negatively impact our town’s goal of being a welcoming community for all who live and work here. The recent introduction of the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate” initiative in Westport’s schools strives to create an environment where all students feel they belong and are free from bias, bullying, or hatred.
In our community, each person’s unique identity — shaped by their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other aspects of who they are — contributes to the character of Westport. In 1,000 words or less, we invite you to reflect on how your own identity shapes your perspective and the experiences you have in Westport. Please address the following considerations in your response:
Which aspects of your identity feel most central to how you wish to be understood and accepted?
How do aspects of your identity shape your daily school and community experiences, including both challenges and opportunities in expressing these parts of yourself?
What specific changes could our community make to decrease identity-based bias, bullying and hate?
The entry deadline for the essay contest is 11:59 pm on March 10.
The Westport Library co-sponsors the event. They’ll host the winners at a special ceremony on April 28.
The prompt and contest entry rules are available online at teamwestport.org.
Subject to the volume and caliber of entries received, at the discretion of the judges, up to 3 cash prizes will be awarded. The first prize is $1,000; second place is $750, while third is $500.
“Our community conversation to uncover ways to ensure that there is ‘No Place for Hate’ is ongoing,” says TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey Jr. “As we launch our 12th year of the Essay Contest, nothing could be more current than the issue of personal identity. We invite our young people to share their experiences around identity to help shape a world in which everyone belongs with mutual respect.”
First Selectwoman Jen Tooker adds, “This community encourages constructive, respectful dialogue. As representatives of our talented and thoughtful population, the youth of Westport can be instrumental in sharing diverse ideas that ensure that everyone who lives, works, plays, and learns here feels welcomed and valued.”
Prior prompts have tackled topics from white privilege and Black Lives Matter to micro-aggressions and dialogue.
“We’re honored to co-sponsor and host the 2025 TEAM Westport Diversity Essay Contest,” says Westport Library executive director Bill Harmer.
“One of our goals as a Library is to foster inclusivity, understanding, and belonging, and to provide the tools for students learn and thrive. Personal identity is achieved through exploration and conversation, a product of introspection and community engagement — all core to the mission of the Library and representative of the remarkable students Westport engages.”
At the 2024 TEAM Westport Teen Essay Contest celebration (from left) First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey; winners Teya Ozgen, Sophia Lopez and Olivia Morgeson; Staples High School principal Stafford Thomas; Westport Library executive director Bill Harmer.
It’s an important job — but typical of her long public service.
She’s co-chaired the Downtown Plan Implementation Committe. Beford that, she was a Representative Town Meeting member, and Westport’s 3rd selectwoman.
The other day, we chatted at the Westport Library for an “06880” podcast. Click below to hear more about Melissa’s work with CAGV, and her other efforts in Westport.
Herb Podel turns 100 this Saturday. Family and friends celebrated his birthday at Rizzuto’s yesterday.
He has lived in Westport since 1966 — nearly 60 years.
In that time Herb has embraced the local cultural and tennis scenes, and is now an avid participant at the Westport Senior Center.
He was an original occupant of the 35 Bridge Street building (after its conversion from Saugatuck Elementary School), and served as president of the co-op for over 10 years.
He now lives at The Residence at Westport. That’s where you can send “Happy 100th Birthday” cards: Herb Podel, c/o The Residence at Westport, 1141 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880.
Happy 100th, Herb Podel!
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Martha Stewart is back.
The lifestyle mogul — who kick-started her career in Westport, and later became America’s first self-made female billionaire — was the subject of 2 recent documentaries, on CNN and Netflix.
That introduced her to a new generation. They’re intrigued by all things Martha — including her first (of 100) book, “Entertaining.”
Published in 1982, it’s been long out of print. Copies have sold for more than $1,700 online.
Now it’s being reissued.
Her new fans see her as a “cool, badass woman,” she told The New York Times yesterday. Click here for the full story. (It includes a 1982 photo of Martha in her Turkey Hill kitchen.)
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Next month (Sunday, March 9, 3 p.m.), Temple Israel will host a screening “A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting.”
The HBO documentary will be followed by a panel discussion, about how security training saved lives that day.
Join us for a screening of HBO’s powerful documentary, A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, followed by a panel discussion to learn how security training saved lives that day.
Panelists include Stephen Weiss, who was in the building in 2018 when a gunman entered and killed 11 worshipers, and wounded 2 others and 4 police offices; Bryan Bierman, Temple Israel executive director who has grown it into a national gold standard for security practices, fostering strong partnerships with local and federal agencies, and Marc Silverman, acting US Attorney for Connecticut.
And finally … happy 88th birthday (!) to Roberta Flack.
(What better way to start your week than with Roberta Flack — and “06880”? If you enjoy our daily Roundup — or anything else on this hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Call it what you will: Knitting Central (7 years). Westport Yarns (14 years). Stitch Haven (this month).
The names change, but the heart remains. The Post Road East business is a one-stop shop for yarn, needles and hooks, accessories — and classes and more, for Westport’s substantial knitting community.
Beth Berkowitz is the new owner (and responsible for the name change). She’s passionate about her hobby.
And she has a life-changing story to tell about it.
Beth Berkowitz
Three years ago she had difficulty using her right arm. Doctors told her she needed rotator cuff surgery.
Beth had led a very active life. She played tennis, pickleball and golf. She walked her dogs, and painted. Now the pain was too great to even put acrylic on canvas.
Looking for an activity she could do — and for a social outlet — she discovered the local yarn store’s classes and lessons.
“It was a warm, welcoming and cozy environment,” Beth says.
She learned to knit, and became a frequent fixture.
“Whenever I sat down to knit, I felt calm and relaxed,” Beth says. “It became better than meditating for me.”
She surprised herself with her ability to makek items she could wear. “I could create an actual garment from a bunch of string!” she says.
Her doctor warned her that after surgery, she would not be able to do most activities for 6 months.
But knitting requires only hands and wrists. Needles are quite light. Just a few days after her operation, she was back to work.
In fact, Beth says, knitting gave her a head start on physical therapy. Because the rest of her arm muscles did not atrophy while she wore a sling, her recovery progressed quicker than usual.
Taking classes and meeting her knitting friends was great for her spirit too.
Knitters (from left): Tracey Sparks, Pinaki Vazarkar, Mihal Spitzer, Michelle Bloom, Rose Puza and Jeanine Narita.
When she heard that the owner of Westport Yarns was looking to sell — and that if she did not find a buyer, she might close — the more intrigued she became.
Despite a busy life selling real estate, traveling and spending time with her family, Beth looked into the financials.
Then came COVID. The shop stayed open, selling online and allowing drive-by purchase pick-ups.
A few months passed. Beth figured a buyer was lined up.
Then the owner asked Beth if she was serious about her interest.
She quickly said “yes!”
Pam Grushkin (left) is Stitch Haven’s store manager. She designs patterns, and teaches crochet and knitting. Julie Van Norden, is an instructor and sales associate, with a talent for color selections.
Beth had already started to help the staff, during busy times. She was already knitting there. It felt like a natural evolution.
Examining the records, she saw that although most years were busy, with plenty of sales of yarn and other supplies, operating costs were high.
Beth took it as a challenge. She realized there were opportunities for an energetic new start.
She bought the business. She kept most of the beloved staff, and the elements that worked well. She introduced efficiencies.
Still, the start-up costs were high, as she helped the prior owner through the holiday season.
On January 6, Beth officially took over.
Stitch Haven is still in transition. There have been a few technology hiccups.
But things are smoothing out. Loyal customers remain; new ones are finding the store.
The “Westport Yarns” sign will soon say “Stitch Haven.”
As spring and summer near, Beth has ordered plenty of cotton yarns and blends.
“This is a great time to start projects that can worn in warmer months,” she says. “And you can get a jump on a holiday gift over the summer, to be ready for next winter.”
A new “Stitch Haven” sign is coming soon. In the meantime, she invites everyone to check out the shop that still says “Westport Yarns,” near Party Harty and Cava across from Terrain and Fresh Market.
Meanwhile, she promises, “we will keep everyone in stitches!”
(“06880” covers many local business: old, new, and old ones that are new again. If you enjoy our hyper-local stories, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
And the answers to last week’s Photo Challenge were simple.
“The Duck!” many readers said. A few shortened it to just “Duck.”
They were right. Mary Lou Roels’ image of a sign that said “A good drinking place is a good place to be” — a direct quote from that famed drinker, Benjamin Franklin — hangs oveer the bar. (Click here to see.)
Susan Iseman, Seth Braunstein, Susan Weingarten, Jane Nordli, Sal Liccione, Diane Silfen, Andrew Colabella, Wendy Schaefer, Arthur Hayes, Brian Schwartz, Will Gibson, Karen Como, Janice Strizever, Martha Witte, Rachel Halperin, Jonathan McClure and Diana Pils Marino all have spent enough time at the Duck to quickly answer our not-so-difficult Photo Challenge.
Then they went right back to drinking.
This week’s Challenge includes a cell tower. There are plenty of those in town. But which one can be seen not far from this intriguing light fixture?
If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Scott Smith)
(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!)
Last night, a couple hundred of his closest friends and fans showed up at VFW Post 399, for a surprise party.
The Representative Town Meeting member/civic volunteer/constant voice of conciliation and reason/former hardware store owner/Staples High School graduate is the one person who could bring together so many people.
The bar and dining room were jammed with folks from all walks of Westport life: politicians of both parties, classmates, former customers, and tons of townies (and newbies).
His parents — his father, AJ (Red) Izzo is also a Staples grad — were there too.
The date for the Sunrise Rotary Club and Westport Police Department’s winter canned food drive for Homes with Hope is no accident.
Held annually the day before the Super Bowl at Stop & Shop, it’s planned for a day when many Westporters are shopping for their big party.
The idea is that in addition to chips, guac, wings and whatever else they’re serving, they’ll bring (or buy) some canned goods (or donate money).
The large pre-Super Bowl party was even bigger yesterday, because of the snow predicted to start last evening.
As every Westporter knows, any forecast sets off a shopping frenzy.
Gotta stock up on milk and eggs (even if those prices did not magically drop on January 20).
Shoppers were exceptionally generous yesterday. Homes with Hope’s food pantry is now well stocked.
Thank you, Westport! The Eagles or Chiefs will not be the only winners today.
Sunrise Rotary, Westport Police and Homes with Hope volunteers yesterday, outside Stop & Shop (from left): Bruce Fritz, Anna Rycenga, Helen McAlinden, Chief Foti Koskinas, Rick Jaffe, Dominick Carr, Craig Bergamo, Thomas Engels.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas (left) joins volunteers, as a truck is loaded with donated goods for the Homes with Hope food pantry.
Meanwhile, at the Homes with Hope food pantry on Jesup Road, volunteers stock the shelves with newly donated goods.
Speaking of volunteer efforts: If you have trouble keeping up with Westport non-profits’ events, or are looking for cool things to do — or both — check out the Celebrate Westport calendar.
Located on the town website — under the not-entirely-intuitive “Experience” tab — it’s a treasure trove of too-hidden information.
Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce: Business after hours Valentine’s Event, with the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.
Greens Farms Garden Clubis looking for volunteers to help plant and harvest from April to October at their Westport locations: Prospect Gardens and Wakeman Town Farm. Harvests are delivered to Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, and the Gillespie Center here. Email Gael Ficken: themagicallion@msn.com.
Westport Woman’s Club will host their Spring Gala on April 5.
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The Westport Community Theater canceled last night’s performance of “Pride and Prejudice,” because of the impending snow.
To make up, they’ve added a performance this Thursday (February 13, 7:30 p.m.). Click here for details, and tickets.
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MoCA is making the most of the short month of February. Upcoming events nclude:
Valentine’s Candle Making Workshop with Oh D’ Luxe (February 12, 6 p.m.).
Art Workshops: Basket Weaving with Tina Puckett, Ceramic Multi-Bowl Building with Leah Corbett.
MoCA Some Noise: Open Mic (February 21, 6:30 p.m.): Acoustic music, poetry, slam poetry; all are invited.
Darwin Shen, violin and Michelle Kim, piano: (February 23, 4 p.m.): A recital of rarely performed, newly discovered and reconstructed works by Fritz Kreisler. Community Conversation: Art, Infrastructure, and the Environment (February 27, 6 p.m.): Moderated by curator Ive Covaci, with a diverse panel talking about the intersection of art, sustainability, and community resilience. Speakers include for townwide emergency director Nate Gibbons, Fire Chief Nick Marsan, architect Joseph Strickland, Teens at MoCA co-president Lily Hultgren, and a Sustainable Westport representative.
Art Adventures Drop-Ins for Kids (Saturdays, 12 to 1:30 p.m.): Nulti-media classes offer a creative space to explore new techniques and expressions.
For more information, including registration, click here.
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Are you more science-y than artsy?
On February 18 (8 p.m.; virtual) the Westport Astronomical Society’s free monthly lecture series presents Montana Williams, discussing “Tuning into the Universe: The Science of the Very Large Array.”
She is a 5th-year Ph.D. student at New Mexico Tech in Socorro — the town that is home to the array operations center for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Large Array.
Most of her time is dedicated to imaging non-thermal emission from classical novae using NRAO’s Very Long Baseline Array (or, as she says, “looking at cute star explosions”).
She is also a tour guide at the VLA, leading public tours so everyone can enjoy radio astronomy and the “cute antennas.”
Back to the arts: On March 2 (2 p.m.), the Weston History & Culture Center hosts an interactive West African dance workshop.
Led by Jolyn Walker, dancer and owner of African Expressions, it’s great for families with children ages 5 and up. Jolyn will teach traditional dance steps and share her knowledge about dances from the West African country of Ghana.
Too shy to dance? You can play traditional instruments during the program.
Last year, “Virtually Ours” — a musical rom-com about 5 busy professionals in their late 20s and early 30s who turn to an AI-driven dating app to find their perfect mate — was presented to a full house, at an Emerging Artists Theater showcase.
Two of the 4 writers are Westporters: Eva Grant Rawiszer and Diana Sussman.
Next month (March 3, 7 p.m.) it will again be showcased there.
It’s already sold out. Too bad — because there’s an added attraction this year.
Theatergoers can fill out a questionnaire, and be matched with another person at that performance, where they will meet face to face.
Dating apps are not perfect. But at least everyone there will be passionate about theater.
And interested in romance.
Click here for more information. The show’s Instagram is @virtuallyoursthemusical.
Two Westporters — TAP Strength founder Dr. EJ Zebro and Bena Kallick, founder of the Institute for Habits of Mind — will deliver the keynote address at the April Habits of Mind conference in Rochester, New York.
Their topic is “Leading From Within: Cultivating Your Inner Strength with Habits of Mind, Movement, and Heart.”
Trees frame a Soundview Driv sunrise a couple of days ago, in today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Those limbs look a lot different this morning.
(Photo/Pam Kesselman)
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And finally … in honor of the next Westport Astronomical Society lecture (story above):
(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” And — what the heck — the entire universe. If you enjoy being part of our online community, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
This week, in a letter to all Westport Community Gardens members, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker outlined her recommendation for a new site: Baron’s South, adjacent to the Senior Center.
The Gardens’ steering committee takes strong issue with that proposal. They write:
Dear First Selectwoman Tooker,
This letter serves as a response to your continued efforts to designate Baron’s South as the future location for the Westport Community Gardens.
We appreciate the time and effort you have dedicated to promoting what you believe to be a viable and beneficial alternative to the current site at Hyde Lane. We recognize your intent to make thoughtful decisions for our community.
Westport Community Gardens (left), east of Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
However, we believe that the Baron’s South location does not meet the critical requirements for establishing a sustainable, thriving community garden. Specifically, there are several concerns regarding the site that we would like to address.
Sunlight Availability
A successful community garden requires ample, direct sunlight, which the proposed site at Baron’s South does not offer. The area is heavily shaded by mature trees to the east, south and west — precisely the directions where sunlight is most needed.
Creating the proper growing conditions would require the removal of dozens of mature trees from both public and private land, an action we, as a committee, are not comfortable pursuing.
Terrain and Accessibility
A significant portion of the Baron’s South property is sloped. This introduces both erosion concerns and challenges for our senior gardeners, who make up a large portion of our membership.
Sloped land not only complicates planting and maintenance but also creates additional risks for gardeners who rely on flat, accessible terrain.
The proposed new site, at Baron’s South.
Parking and Accessibility
As you mentioned, the Westport Center for Senior Activities is an extremely popular location, and parking there is already limited. Gardeners often need to carry equipment, soil, plants, and other materials, which makes the current proposed site impractical. Distant or diverted parking options would impose undue strain on the gardeners, particularly those with physical limitations.
Additionally, it has been suggested that time limitations at the Senior Center parking lot may be imposed, which would not resolve the issue of restricted access during the school’s operating hours. This would essentially mirror the time constraints already proposed for the school property, further limiting the usability of the site for the Community Garden.
Invasive Species
The Baron’s South area is currently infested with invasive species, including bamboo, which is notoriously difficult to eradicate. It has taken nearly 2 decades of effort to manage invasive plants around the Hyde Lane location. Repeating this process at the proposed site would be a significant undertaking and should not be underestimated in terms of the time, effort, and cost involved.
Before creation of the Long Lots Preserve, invasive vines choked trees.
Soil
We believe that the town should proactively clean up the land to better assess its true potential for a community garden or other recreational use. Without this step, it is difficult to make a fully informed decision about whether this location is truly suitable for gardening or if other recreational purposes would be a better fit.
We remain open to exploring other potential locations in town that could meet the essential criteria for a community garden, including ample sunlight, flat terrain, adequate parking, accessibility, and a reliable water supply.
Locations like Winslow Park may offer a more suitable alternative, and we hope that further discussions can explore these options.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to continuing this conversation.
Sincerely,
The Westport Community Gardens Steering Committee
Louis Weinberg, chair
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The contest is open to students attending both public and private high school in Westport. Those who live in Westport and attend public or private high school elsewhere — or are home-schooled here — can also participate.
The Westport Library co-sponsors the event. They’ll host the winners at a special ceremony on April 28.
