Sometimes students can’t see the connection between a classroom, and the real world.
For 4 Staples High School juniors who took Dr. Humphrey Wong’s 3D Engineering and Design course, nothing could be clearer.
Or more life-changing.
Two years ago, Hugo Jacques, Sebastian Rodriguez, Jacob Rybchin and Preston Siroka were second semester freshmen. Passionate about engineering, they were fascinated to learn that prosthetic arms could be produced by a 3D printer.
Clockwise, from upper left: Preston Siroka, Hugo Jacques, Jacob Rybchin, Sebi Rodriguez.
It’s a low-cost solution to a high-tech problem. And when they heard from Dr. Wong about e-NABLE — an online community of 40,000 volunteers from over 100 countries who use 3D printers to make prosthetic upper limb devices for children and adults — they knew they had to help.
The teenagers formed Staples’ e-NABLE Club. They became part of the international network, with help from the Yale University chapter.
But there was one big problem: Staples’ 3D printer.
It’s slow. It’s not always reliable. It’s used by many people.
Printing a prosthetic hand is more intricate than most projects. A single error means the entire process must begin again.
One view of a 3D-printed prosthetic hand …
So Hugo, Sebastian, Jacob and Preston vowed to buy their own printers.
3D printers cost $300 to more than $3,000. The least expensive filament is $20 a roll; carbon is more.
Club members — there are now more than 20 young men and women — began fundraising the usual way: bake sales.
They are passionate about their work.
“A traditional prosthetic can cost up to $50,000,” says Sebi, who in addition to e-NABLE is president of Staples’ Pre-Med Club, and runs track. “These are much cheaper. We’re giving back in an innovative, creative way.”
… and another.
Through e-NABLE, volunteers find children, veterans and others. Some have functioning wrists; others need full arms.
Volunteers use software to create a design based on an individual’s needs, then print the prosthetic. There can be 20 different pieces to print; they are then fitted together, with wires and screws.
The entire process takes anywhere from a week to a month. The actual printing process takes many hours.
“I always knew I wanted to do something with engineering, and learn CAD (computer-aided design),” says Jacob, who also plays soccer and rugby.
“This is a way to make something that can change someone’s world.”
Staples’ e-NABLE Club. Advisor Dr. Humphrey Wong kneels in front, 2nd from left.
Hugo — who in his spare time is a saber fencer — appreciates the chance to “make a big impact without being in a big company.”
Right now, club members are preparing to create 2 prosthetic hands, before spring break.
They’re also raising money. They need reliable printers, and materials. They’ve created a GoFundMe page, and seek support. Click here to help.
But, they note, “this isn’t just about money. It’s about giving someone a hand (literally). It’s about being part of a community that’s all about using our passion for a great cause.”
(Click here for the Staples e-Nable Facebook page. Click here for their Instagram. To learn more about e-NABLE — including inspiring success stories — click here.)
The streetscape of Railroad Place is quite interesting.
It’s hard to see from a distance. There’s not much room across the narrow street. And those who can look up are usually too busy peering down the tracks, waiting for a train.
Or hustling off one, intent on getting wherever they’re going.
But if you do glance up, you’ll see some windows above Harvest restaurant. The shutters bear the letter “H.” (Click here to see.)
That was the subject of last week’s Photo Challenge. Janice Strizever, David Sampson and Andrew Colabella look up enough on Railroad Place to know last week’s answer.
Do you know this week’s challenge? If you recognize it, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Johanna Rossi Keyser)
(If you enjoy our weekly Photo Challenge, please click here to support “06880” with a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)
Clover Farms (now Stew Leonard’s) had a milk vending machine on Riverside Avenue. Il Pastaficio has a machine that sells fresh pasta — the first in the world, owner Federico Perandin says.
So it should be no a surprise that Temple Israel has launched the world’s first Jewish vending machine.
But it is.
Rabbi Michael S. Friedman calls the machine “a one-stop shop for living a Jewish life. It puts Jewish rituals in easy reach, providing a simple yet profound way to engage with Jewish tradition.”
The machine vends a variety of Jewish items, from Shabbat candles and mezuzah scrolls to Israeli snacks.
Assistant Rabbi Zachary Plesent adds, “At Temple Israel, we’re not just embracing innovation; we’re making it a tangible part of our community. This Jewish vending machine physically manifests our commitment to making Jewish tradition accessible to everyone.”
Everyone is invited to see and enjoy the Jewish vending machine. It’s inside the building, near the stairs.
Rabbi Michael Friedman, with the world’s first Jewish vending machine.
“Along the Lines” — the Connecticut Department of Transportation podcast — recently hosted Matt Pentz.
The Norwalk Transit District CEO discussed “micro-transit” — including its place in Westport. (Norwalk Transit operates Westport’s buss.) Click here to listen. (Hat tip: Sal Liccione)
If you love remember and/or love Coney Island — and who doesn’t? — you’ll enjoy Robin Jaffee Frank’s 2-part look at the historic site.
On April 4 and 11 (6:30 p.m.), she’ll be at the Westport Museum for History & Culture. Her talks are in conjunction with the museum’s “Playful Pastimes” exhibit.
Building on Frank’s exhibition and book “Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland,” Frank will explore Coney Island’s appeal as a subject for artists and filmmakers, from the Civil War to today.
“Their visions of Coney Island imagined the future and later recalled the past, conveying changing ideas about leisure, and exploring the mixing of people of different races, ethnicities, classes, and sexual orientations, transcending social boundaries,” Frank says.
Three of Artists Collective of Westport member Béatrice Crane-Baker’s works have been chosen for a Connecticut Center for Contemporary Printmaking show in Norwalk. It runs from June through August.
When it closes some of the prints may go the Litho Werkstatt in Berlin, part of a swap arrangement between the German gallery and the printmaking non-profit.
And finally … when you saw “Coney Island,” you knew this was coming, right?
(Whether you’re from Brooklyn, or you’re a Westport native, or landed here from anywhere else: You’re part of this “06880” online community. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Posted onMarch 24, 2024|Comments Off on VersoFest: The Full Hip Hop, Glam, Rock, Punk, Vinyl, Radio, Art Schedule (And More)
VersoFest has made some impressive individual announcements about this year’s events.
But when they’re all listed together in one spot, the 5 days of music, media and creativity become truly spectacular.
Here’s what’s on tap, from April 3-7 at the Westport Library’s 3rd annual event:
Concerts
The Lemon Twigs and DJ Hysterica (Thursday, April 4, 7 p.m., $20)
Spin Doctors, Nick Depuy (Friday, April 5, 7 p.m., $50)
Lemon Twigs, DJ Hysterica, Nick Depuy, Spin Doctors
Verso Visionaries
Chuck D in conversation with Johnny Temple, Akashic Books (Wednesday, April 3, 7 p.m.)
Tony Viscnoti in conversation with Paul Cavalconte, WFUV (Saturday, April 6, 1 p.m.)
John Densmore (Doors drummer) in conversation with Alisyn Camerota, CNN (Saturday, April 6, 4:30 p.m.)
Panel Conversations
I Thought I Heard You Speak: Women at Factory Record (Saturday, April 6, 3 p.m.)
Connecticut, WPLR, and the Birth of Buckingham/Nicks Era Fleetwood Mac (Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m.)
Glam to Punk — A Fashion Roundtable: Alice Cooper, Bowie, Blondie and Beyond, with Cindy Dunaway and Tish & Snooky (Manic Panic); special guest Dennis Dunaway, moderated by Christine Ohlman (Sunday, April 7, 1 p.m.)
51 Years of “Wild Style,” the 1st Hip Hop Motion Picture (Sunday, April 7, 3 p.m.).
Alice Cooper will not be at VersoFest — but glam and punk fashion will be.
Workshops
Hands on Hip Hop History, presented by TeachRock (Wednesday, April 3, 4 p.m.)
Pitch Your Podcast! With Connecticut Public, featuring Meg Dalton, Jack Hitt and special guests (Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.)
Musician Career Coaching: Know Your Worth, Set Your Rate and Get Piad with Matt Starr (Saturday, April 6, 3 p.m.)
Mind Your Business: Legal Workshop with Marcus Thomas (Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m.)
Video Game Composing with Tom Salta (Sunday, April 7, 12:30 p.m.)
Unlock the Secrets of Radio Airplay for Emerging Artists with Peter Gray (Sunday, April 7, 2 p.m.)
And More …
Exhibit: Thinking Inside the Box, multi-media art installation (all weekend)
Diamond Dogs at 50, David Bowie Exhibit by Paul Brenton with designer Mark Ravitz (all weekend)
VersoFest Record Fair, Presented by Record Riots (Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m.)
Several big capital spending projects loom in Westport.
What are the rationales, goals and processes?
Town Hall and Westport Public Schools leaders share insights this Tuesday (March 26. 7 p.m., Westport Library), in a community conversation.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice will present their capital spending strategies and rationales. A panel of experts will discuss possible funding strategies, capital planning best practices, and the approval process for achieving capital spending goals. An audience Q-and-A session follows.
The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Westport, and the Westport Library’s Common Ground initiative.
Longshore is one of several large capital projects planned for the future.
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Two virtual meetings next week have implications for Riverside Avenue.
Oak trees on 2 properties host bald eagles that perch in the trees while fishing. The trees may be removed if development plans go through.
On Monday (March 25, 7 p.m.), the Planning & Zoning Commission continues with Text Amendment #841. That involves a 1756 house, at 125 Riverside. Click here for more information; click here for the Zoom link.
The next night (March 26, 7:30 p.m.), the RTM Environment Committee discusses development on the Saugatuck River at 79 and 125 Riverside Avenue, and its impact on wildlife. Click here for the Zoom link.
In the 6 years since the Parkland High School shooting, Fred Guttenberg has become one of America’s most prominent anti-gun violence advocates.
On May 21 (noon), he’s the guest speaker at CT Against Gun Violence’s spring benefit luncheon. He’ll discuss his — and his fellow activists’ — efforts to turn pain into purpose, as well his book “Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me about Recovery, Purpose and Hope.”
Since its founding in 1993, CAGV has lobbied effectively for some of the strongest gun laws in the country.
They were behind Connecticut’s 1993 assault weapons ban, the 3rd in the nation. Since Sandy Hook, they’ve worked closely with the state legislature to enact universal background checks, an expanded assault weapons ban, and limits on large capacity magazines.
Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone are stars of a new film, “Eddington.”
They’ll be joined by a rising young star: Cameron Mann.
The Staples High School senior played the surprise killer in “Mare of Easttown.” He has been seen on “For Life,” Law & Order,” “New Amsterdam” and “Daredevil” — and had significant roles with Staples Players.
The film began production this month.
Cameron Mann (Photo/Michael Kushner)
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Today’s predicted rain has postponed WestportMoms’ Easter Egg hunt to this coming Friday (March 29, 11:45 a.m. for 2-5-year-olds, 12:30 p.m. for 6+ — schools are closed, for Good Friday).
Just a week remains in the Westport Transit District’s annual poetry contest.
This year’s theme is “acrostics.” That’s where the first letter of each line spells something special — in this case, “Wheels2U.” For example:
Why are you still driving? How about trying the bus? Easy, Efficicent, Lively conversation with fellow commuters. Simple to use 2 get to the train. U should give it a try.
Gift certificates to Westport restaurants of their choice — ranging from $100 to $25 — will be given to the top 7 poems.
The contest is open to all residents of Westport. Enter as often as you like.
Entries should be sent to pgold@westportct.gov no later than March 30. Put “Acrostic Contest” in the subject line; include your name, address and email. For more details, click here and scroll down.
“Bonfire from the Holy Spirit” –the first single from 1971 Staples High School graduate Brian Keane’s soundtrack from the new PBS “Dante” series — has been released.
From time to time, “06880” posts “entitled parking” photos.
This one — from the heart of Main Street — is equal parts entitled and thoughtless.
(Photo/Evan Chevrier)
What’s even more remarkable, says photographer Evan Chevrier, is that at the time he took the image, there were no other cars in front of or behind them.
“Rumors” — Neil Simon’s fast-paced farce — is on stage tonight (Saturday, March 23, 7 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sunday, March 24, 2 p.m.) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.
There’s a suggested donation of $25, for the UU Players’ performance.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature combines something created by nature, and another by man.
(Photo/Richard Fogel)
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And finally … on this day in 1775, patriot Patrick Henry delivered his most famous line — “Give me liberty, or give me death!” – at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond.
(Today — and every day — “06880” fills you in on what happened, is happening, and will happen in Westport. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
An avid fan of our online art gallery wondered last week about AI- generated artwork, which has been included in our collections.
I asked the creator, Ken Runkel, for his thoughts. He says:
“I do use AI as one of the ‘tools’ in my art creation process. I am also a digital photographer, and create many pieces of art that are strictly photography. Some may employ techniques such as ICM (Intentional Camera Movement), or have been edited in one or more Adobe applications before resulting in a final product.
“A large portion of work in my portfolio is a combination of processes, starting with a photograph that I shot that is then fed into an AI engine for interpretation. AI will then output multiple written descriptions of the photograph based on what it ‘sees,’ each slightly different from the next, and give me the option of having the computer generate multiple images for each interpretation I select.
“I do not hide the fact that I use AI. In fact, it is a prominent part of my ‘about me’ description on my portfolio website. as well as in my bios on all social media platforms that I use.
“I make no apologies for exploring and using this technology in my work. I recognize that it is considered the ‘black sheep’ of the art world for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it is largely misunderstood by the general public. Because of this, it is feared. Some believe that it strips away creativity and authenticity.
“But these very same concerns and fears have been faced countless times throughout the history of art. Photography is probably one of the more recent examples.
“Many people believed that photography could not be art because it was made by a machine rather than by human creativity. Many also saw it as a threat to ‘real art.’ Sound familiar?
“A second view was that photography could be useful to artists for reference but should not be considered as equal to drawing and painting. There are likely people who still believe this to be true.
“A third point of view felt that photography might eventually be as significant an art form as painting. This group, including hobbyists and tinkerers, avidly explored its potential.
“It seems likely, in fact, that photography was one of the major catalysts of the Modern Art movement: Its influence led to decades of vitality in the world of painting, as artists were both inspired by photographic images and pushed beyond realism, and rethought the very nature of art.
“Without photography, perhaps modern art would never have existed. Personally, I think AI will have a similar impact on the world of art.”
Now, on to this week’s gallery. Remember: No matter what your theme or medium — and whether you’re a first-timer or oldtimer: We welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Including digital works!
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Behind the Wall” — digital composite (Ken Runkel)
“Dining on Effervescent Light” (Mike Hibbard)
“The Conductor” (F. Faucher) — at Westport River Gallery
“Bryant Park, New York City” (E. Bruce Borner)
Untitled collage (Cohl Katz)
“Violet Explosion” (Amy Schneider)
Untitled — at Burying Hill Beach (Wendy Levy)
“Pruning Love” (Maj Kalfus)
“Ornate Police Station is part of UConn’s Avery Point Campus at the southeast shore of Connecticut.” Photographer Peter Barlow says: “This view introduced me to the the estate of Morton Plant, who owned many yachts over 100 feet. He is mostly unknown now, but he was quite decent as these people go and funded lots of good things. His huge mansion still exists there, but UConn put in their own new buildings. This was the original gatehouse for the Morton F. Plant estate.”
“The Painted Desert” (Steve Stein)
“What Was I Thinking?” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
One of the best things about Westport is the Parks & Recreation Department amenities.
And one of the best things about spring is the chance to get outside and enjoy them.
Here is just a sampling of what Parks & Rec offers:
Longshore Golf Course:
The course opens Monday, April 1 (no fooling — and of “course,” weather permitting). To book a tee time, click here.
18th hole. (Drone photo/John Videler for VidelerPhotography.com)
Beach parking stickers: Vehicle parking emblems are required for all town beaches beginning May 1. They can be purchased online, or at the Parks & Recreation office (at Longshore, near the golf course 1st tee) weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
(Photo/Mark Marcus)
Dogs at town beaches:
Animals are not allowed at Compo, Old Mill or Burying Hill beaches, in or out of vehicles, from April 1 through September 30.
Soon to be a scene of the past (for a while). (Photo/Nicola Sharian)
Compo Beach playground renovation project: The Compo Beach Playground Committee, led by the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Young Woman’s League, will renovate the iconic structure.
They’ll present a proposed plan to the Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday, March 27 (7:30 p.m., Zoom). Click here for information.
Compo Beach playground.
Annual Clean-Up Day:
Westport Parks & Recreation’s Annual Clean-Up Day is set for Saturday, April 27. Past participants will receive invitations this coming week.
If you or your civic group have not participated in the past but want to get involved, email jboone@westportct.gov
Parks and Recreation Programs: Some spaces are available in spring and summer programs. Click here for information.
Boating:
Residents who have a slip at a town marina may bring their boats in starting April 1. If you need assistance docking, contact the dockmaster on VHF channel 11 or by calling 203-341-1062. Boaters must send a copy of this year’s boat registration to Rick Giunta (email rgiunta@westportct.gov, or deliver to the Parks & Rec office at Longshore, near the 1st tee).
Dry stall assignees:
Dry stall decals will be mailed to you before May 1. Place the decal on your vessel where it can be seen by staff. Dry stall vessels may be placed on storage racks beginning May 1. Any vessel stored before May 1 will be removed, and may be auctioned off.
If you’re interested in a place to store your kayak, sunfish, paddleboard or other small boat for the summer season, click here for a dry stall application. Wait times are 1-2 years.
Kayaks at Compo Beach. (Photo/Eric Bosch)
Animals on town athletic fields, playgrounds, beaches and Longshore Golf Course:
Animals are prohibited from all athletic fields and playgrounds at any time, including the Longshore golf course. Animals are prohibited from town beaches from April 1 through September 30.
Dogs at Wakeman Field. (Photo/Marc Katz)
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