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)
(“06880” is your hyper-local source for everything you need to enjoy spring — and summer, fall and winter. Please click here to support our work with a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
More than 70 years ago, Westport scrapped its annual town meeting.
The New England tradition — dating back to colonial days — had gotten unwieldy, as our community grew in the post-war years.
But town meetings still live on in Vermont.
When the AP went looking for a place to illustrate how in these polarized times local government can still work, they found Elmore.
The town of 886 cherishes its March town meeting. And part of the reason is the moderator: Jon Gailmor.
Townspeople there have called him a neighbor for over 40 years. But Westporters still remember him as a member of Staples High School’s Class of 1966.
He sang with Orphenians. After graduation, he and classmate Rob Carlson formed a duo that earned a cult following up and down the East Coast.
After time in Europe, Gailmor settled in Elmore. He’s become a Vermont state treasure — an actual title — as a singer. In addition to performing, he runs songwriting workshops for kids.
(Last fall, he returned to Westport. He headlined Suzanne Sheridan’s First Folk Sunday at the VFW)
The AP story says that after moving north, Gailmor “found the town meeting tradition nothing short of miraculous. It wasn’t some politician spouting off, but real people taking part …. You feel important. You feel like you are being listened to.”
Click here to read the full article. (Hat tip: Tom Allen)
Jon Gailmor, at the Elmore Town Hall. (Photo courtesy of AP/David Goldman)
Tickets went on sale today for one of Westport’s best — and most fulfilling — fundraisers: CLASP Homes’ “Taste of Westport.”
The 18th annual event is set for May 22 (6 p.m., Inn at Longshore). As always, the Taste brings together the area’s best food and drink providers. There’s a wide array of dishes, and spirits from more than 2 dozen local establishments.
New this year: a vodka and caviar bar, and tequila tasting.
Plus music by the always-popular. Bar Car Band, and a very extensive silent auction.
It all benefits CLASP. The nonprofit provides homes, support and services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tickets are $150 per person until April 12, then $175 after. Click here to purchase. PS: It always sells out.
“Eighteen Fairfield County residents are visiting Israel this week on a mission to learn how the country is coping with the war, and to help where there are labor shortages.
“More than 200,000 Israelis have been forced to flee from their homes since the war began: about 100,000 from Gaza and 100,000 from northern Israel where, a few miles from the Lebanese border, Hezbollah regularly launches low-flying, hard-to-intercept missiles. Most families are housed in hotels and private homes around the country.
“The Connecticut delegation, organized by the Jewish Federation of Fairfield County, packed food boxes for these displaced families. They are volunteering with Pantry Packers, the oldest continuously operating network of social services in Israel
“They also met with hostage families.
“It’s been an amazing trip. Next we head to one of the destroyed kibbutzim, and the Nova Music Festival site. It will be an incredibly emotional day.”
Westporters on the Israel mission trip include (from left): Jeffrey Mayer, Lynn Rabinovici, Lisa Hayes, Stephanie Gordon, Sonia Ben Yehuda and Nancy Diamond.
Carl Addison Swanson has lived in Westport since 1952.
He cares about the town — and wants it “safe and fun.”
Several years ago, he pushed for the installation of solar speed monitors near his home off North Avenue. He lives near Bedford Middle School, at the bottom of the hill from Staples where — unless there is school traffic — drivers routinely zoom by.
Are they working?
He went out Monday (10 a.m.), Tuesday (2 p.m.) and Wednesday (5 p.m.), and checked the speed of 50 southbound cars.
The average speeds:
Monday: 48 mph
Tuesday: 32 mph (school buses were slowing traffic)
Wednesday: 52 mph.
“It seems the speed monitors are not really slowing cars and trucks down that much,” Carl says.
“Funny, as I stood there taking notes, cars/trucks did slow. But that said, a 2015 study found that these types of monitors are not meant to slow cars down more than 10 mph.”
Carl believes that North Avenue — home to 4 of Westport’s 8 schools — needs traffic lights.
“Space them from Coleytown to past Staples,” he says, and traffic will quickly find alternative routes.
Solar-powered speed monitor on North Avenue. (Photo/Carl Addison Swanson)
Civic Learning Week is an annual non-partisan effort, highlighting civic education in local communities.
The Westport Public Schools were active participants.
The week included middle school classroom activities about civic engagement. At Staples High School, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker answered questions from students regarding her career path, job responsibilities, and more.
She also congratulated the students who will represent Staples at “We The People,” a national competition involving simulated congressional hearings in Washington next month.
The Staples team recently qualified by tying for first place at the state competition with Trumbull High.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, with Staples High School’s “We the People” team, during Civic Learning Week.
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Noted artist and Staples High School graduate Michael Gish died earlier this month in Providence. He was 98.
Mike joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1943, at Dartmouth College. In 1944, after learning his older brother, USMC PFC Jim Gish, had been killed in action on Saipan, Mike left school to complete his aviation training with the Marine Corps.
Too young to see combat in WWII, Mike retired from the Marines as a naval pilot in 1946 to complete his education. He received an bachelor’s degree in fine art from Dartmouth in 1949.
Indelibly affected by the death of his brother, Mike decided to pursue art and the military as a career. He continued his education at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, in 1951 as a visiting student. Mike received a master’s in fine art from Yale University in 1964.
Mike then returned to active duty with the Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot, advancing to lieutenant colonel. In 1967 he was sent to Vietnam as a “combat artist.”
Mike received the Air Medal, for flying 24 combat missions. One of his paintings, “Studies of Helmets in the Sand,” was chosen to be the poster for the National Vietnam Memorial.
In 1991, at the age of 65, Mike became a full colonel in the Marines when he deployed to Iraq. As a combat artist for Operation Provide Comfort, he documented Kurdish refugees from the First Gulf War.
In 1993 Mike went to Somalia, where he continued his documentation of refugees and displaced people during Operation Restore Hope. Mike’s paintings have been displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Washington, as well as the Smithsonian Museum.
A large part of Mike’s work reflects his love of still life and landscapes, particularly New England and his beloved Block Island. A prolific painter who worked well into his 90s, Mike was also a full professor of art at Fairfield University.
He was predeceased by his wife Marguerite (Drouin). He is survived by his children Charlotte Wall (Steve) of Southport, North Carolina; Peter (Robin Kaiser) of Hanover, New Hampshire, and Carl (Elizabeth) of Palo Alto; grandchildren Carla and Stephanie Wall; Sophia, Miranda and Olivia Gish, and Peter and Henry Gish, as well as his partner of many years, Marilyn Bogdanffy.
A memorial service will be held at the Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction, Vermont (May 18, 4 p.m.. Another ceremony will be held on Block Island this fall. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made One to the U.S. Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Mike Gish
One of Mike’s many fans told “06880”:
“We, along with many other admirers of him as a painter and a person, were saddened to note the death of Mike Gish. We acquired a number of his pieces –oils and watercolors that reflect the luminosity of his palette and the range of his interests, from Block Island to the cliffs of Normandy to a barn in Fairfield.
“We were introduced to him in the mid-1980s when, quite by happenstance, we visited his studio with a real estate agent who was showing the house. We were struck in particular by a small study of a couple of Adirondack chairs.
“Wondering if we might acquire it, we learned he was about to have a show at a local gallery. That led to an invitation to the preview. We went, expecting only to browse more of his work, but then — in a familiar story — we were so struck by this wonderful rendering of a familiar Westport landmark that we amazed ourselves by buying it.
“It has held a place of honor in our house ever since.”
And finally … I’ve posted this song by Jon Gailmor before.
But because:
It’s one of my favorite songs of all time, about one of my favorite states, and …
I mentioned it in the very interesting item about Jon (above), and …
This is my blog …
I’m posting it again. Enjoy!
(Today — like every day — our Roundup is jam-packed with a wide variety of info. If you enjoy this daily feature, please support our work. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Jesup Green — specifically, plans for converting 20% of it (near the police station) into 44 parking spaces — is the first agenda item at Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting (March 25, 7 p.m., Zoom).
The intent of the Jesup part of the plan to be presented by Department of Public Works director Pete Ratkiewich on Monday is to relocate the parking spaces lost to the proposed redesigned Parker Harding Plaza, to the upper portion of Jesup Green. The plan includes removing 3 healthy mature pine trees, and relocating several other trees.
Three pine trees at the upper part of Jesup Green would be removed, under a proposed parking lot plan. (Photo/Jennifer Johnson)
Ultimately, the town intends to create another plan for the parking spaces currently located on lower Jesup (known as the Taylor lot). The concept for that plan is to move the Taylor lot parking away from the Saugatuck River, toward the green. Funding for that plan has not yet been approved by the Representative Town Meeting.
The new Jesup Green spaces would alleviate parking when Parker Harding is closed for renovation, and make up for spaces lost after the redesign is completed. It would also provide parking for downtown employees.
In August 2020 — amid widespread power outages due to Hurricane Isaias, and during the pandemic — Westporters observed social distancing on Jesup Green, to access the Library’s Wi-Fi.
RTM member Jennifer Johnson — whose district includes downtown — believes that the town needs completed plans for both Parker Harding and Jesup Green before any decision to is made to alter Jesup Green. She writes:
The RTM has not approved funding for design yet.
The RTM Transit Committee — which has jurisdiction over parking — has not approved the plan to convert 20% of Jesup Green into parking.
Jesup Green is our town green. Yes, we occasionally use Veteran’s Green, but there’s something far more special about Jesup. We should keeping it as open space, in addition to the view of the water.
The Green is where we mark important town events together. Who could ever forget the day when the town gathered to honor the Westport Little League World champions?
Jesup Green ceremony honoring the 2013 Little League World Series finalists. (Photo/Jeb Backus)
The Green is where kids can run without falling into the river.
I think the town needs an overall plan — plus a sense of the total cost — before Jesup Green is ripped up for more concrete (and trees taken out).
I fear “interim” could become permanent if we run out of funding trying to complete other capital projects first.
(Click here for the link to Monday’s P&Z meeting. It is also available on Optimum Channel 79 and Frontier Channel 6020).
Waite Hoyt was a vaudeville song-and-dance man, who performed with Mae West.
He drank champagne with Al Capone, went to a drag show with J. Edgar Hoover, and worked as an undertaker.
Among the first members of Alcoholics Anonymous — and one of the first to speak publicly about his battle with the disease — he was sober for the next 45 years.
Waite Hoyt was also a star pitcher on the 1927 New York Yankees. Many call that “Murderers Row” team with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig the best baseball team ever.
New York Yankee teammates Waite Hoyt and Babe Ruth.
Hoyt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969 — the same year as Stan Musial and Roy Campanella.
Although everyone remembers Ruth, Gehrig, Musial and Campanella, Waite Hoyt has been largely forgotten.
But he’s the subject of a great new book by Westport author Tim Manners. “Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero” is out just in time for the start of a new baseball season.
Like most others, Manners — who describes his baseball fandom as “between casual and avid” — had never heard of Hoyt.
Then one day, more than a year after he’d started working with Chris Hoyt at Westport’s Glendinning Company, his colleague casually said, “My father was a Hall of Fame pitcher with the Yankees.”
Manners Googled “Waite Hoyt.” He was astonished to learn about his life, on and off the diamond.
And equally amazed that a man who spent 21 years in the major leagues, played in 6 World Series, won 3, and in that famous ’27 year led all of baseball with a . 759 winning percentage, is now basically unknown.
(Except in Cincinnati. More on that later.)
Manners grew up in the Cranbury section of Norwalk, but considered Westport “my town.” He spent hours in the Library, then worked in PR in a Post Road office with Staples High School graduate Rick Leonard, doing business-to-business marketing.
That evolved into a magazine aimed at marketers. He then joined Glendinning, the Weston Road marketing firm, as a writer.
That’s where he met Chris Hoyt — and learned about Waite.
Tim Manners (Photo/Michael Chait)
Hoyt’s baseball career fascinated Manners. But so did every other aspect of his life.
His father was a vaudevillian (and baseball fan). His mother, by contrast, was “very prim and proper.”
Before joining the Yankees, Hoyt was the youngest player ever signed to a professional contract. (He got a $5 bonus.)
Just 15 (hence his “Schoolboy” nickname), he spent 3 years in the minors. Those were “rough and tumble” years, Manners says. Players cleared rocks from fields. Locker rooms lacked showers. Alcohol and women were everywhere.
To make extra money, Hoyt got a job as a funeral director. One day, when he was scheduled to both play for the Yankees and bury someone, he packed a body in the back of his car and drove to the park. He pitched, then finished his work.
After retirement, Hoyt was one of the first former players to become a sportscaster.
Prior to that, athletes were considered “too dumb and inarticulate” for the job, Manners says.
Hoyt demolished that stereotype. His Cincinnati Reds broadcasts were so entertaining — particularly his story-telling between innings and during rain delays — that listeners who heard them and are still alive, continue to revere him.
Waite Hoyt, at the radio mic.
At his Hall of Fame induction speech, Hoyt expressed one regret: that he had not become a journalist.
“Unfulfilled dreams resonate with a lot of people,” Manners says. “But just think of the number of journalists who wish they had been athletes!”
Yet “Schoolboy” would not have been written, without a bit of luck.
Four years ago — 2 weeks after COVID struck — Manners visited Chris Hoyt in Arizona. Hoyt showed Manners some of his dad’s memorabilia. Manners asked if there was any more.
A couple of weeks later, 8 large boxes arrived at Manners’ home, off Compo Road South.
He worried there might not be much worthwhile.
But as he dug through the letters, photos, news clippings, diaries and notes, he found plastic binders filled with transcripts of interviews Hoyt had done years earlier with his niece.
Suddenly, Manners realized, he could write not a biography, but a memoir. Waite Hoyt’s story would be told in his own voice.
Waite Hoyt, in action.
An agent helped sell the proposal to the University of Nebraska Press — one of the top baseball book publishers in the country.
“Schoolboy” will be published officially on April 1. It’s already shipping on Amazon.
The audience, Manners says, is baseball fans. But it’s also a very human story.
“There’s a bit of the ‘road not taken’ in it, which resonates with people,” the author says.
“And of course, his battle with alcohol is also very important.”
(When Hoyt was broadcasting, one of the Reds’ sponsors was the Burger Brewing Company. When he went public about his alcoholism, Hoyt was sure he would be fired. But the company stood by him.
(“He was an alcoholic who promoted beer on the radio,” Manners notes. “He made it work.”)
Early feedback has been great (particularly from Cincinnati readers).
Bob Costas loved it too. He enjoyed an advance copy so much, he sent several paragraphs. What was intended to be a blurb turned into the foreword.
Manners is ready now for the interview circuit. He hopes for some local events, perhaps at the Library and Barnes & Noble.
It could make a great movie too, in the right hands.
Perhaps it could be called “Waite Hoyt: Field (And Vaudeville Stage) (And Funeral Home) of Dreams.”
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