Tessie, at Compo Beach … (Photo/Richard Abramowitz)
… and Guinness … (Photo/Karen Mather)
… and Yogi Bear … (Photo/Cathy Malkin)
… and Koda at the Ned Dimes Marina … (Photo/Jim Hood)
… and someone’s umbrella … (Photo/Mark Mathias)
… on a lonely beach …(Photo/Molly Alger)
… and then, nearby, a sunset (Photo/Jennifer Kobetitsch)
Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn has served The Conservative Synagogue in Westport for over 15 years.
He is president of the Interfaith Clergy Association of Westport and Weston, and past president of the New York Board of Rabbis.
The other day, Rabbi Wiederhorn joined me at the Westport Library for a wide-ranging conversation. He discussed his move from Las Vegas to Westport (“a very good bet”); religious life here; the importance of his interfaith work, and the aftermath of Hamas’ terrorist attacks, both here and in Israel (where his 2 children live; his daughter is part of the IDF).
Rabbi Wiederhorn provides an insightful, nuanced and timely view of his synagogue, his faith, and our town. Click below to view:
Posted in Library, Media, religion
Tagged "06880" podcast, Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, The Conservative Synagogue
Saturday’s Roundup included news about Walter Fischel.
The Westport resident was carjacked and shot in the face in South Africa. His passport, phone and credit cards were stolen.
A GoFundMe page has been created, to help with travel, medical expenses, and living expenses for him and his family.
Many Westporters know the Fischel family. Many also know Valerie Fischel — the name of Walter’s sister.
But the Westport Valerie Fischel, and Walter’s sister Valier — who lives in Maryland — are not related.
Our Westport Valerie Fischel does not have a brother. But — like all of us — she hopes the unrelated man who shares her family name makes a full recovery.
Walter Fischel
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Back when I was a Westport teenager, my friends and I spent a lot of time dodging cops.
Today, that phrase means something different.
Next Monday (November 20, 5:30 p.m., Staples High School fieldhouse), students and police join together, in the Westport Youth Commission’s annual Dodge-a-Cop dodgeball tournament.
Five students play at once, along with a Westport officer. There are winner and loser brackets, with the winners earning prizes. There’s food and drinks too.
The 16 teams will be filled fast. Tickets are $10 per student. The event is sponsored by Gault and Mitchells; all funds raised go to the Homes with Hope and Westport Woman’s Club food pantries.
Tickets are being sold at Staples, during lunch. Questions? Contact Cabry Lueker, Youth Commission chair: cabry2006@gmail.com.
Last year, Staples school resource officer Ed Woolridge (back row, white shirt, blue headband) was on the winning Dodge-a-Cop team. The winners posed with RTM member Andrew Colabella (far right).
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Yesterday, Staples’ Service League of Girls packed over 200 boxes with toys for needy children around the world, as part of Operation Christmas Child.
They filled colorful shoeboxes with items like solar calculators, toothbrushes, Baby Yodas and stuffed animals, then labeled each by age.
The SLOGS initiative — led by Emma Morris and Lily Ashford — enlisted nearly 2 dozen girls.
SLOGs, with their holiday boxes.
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Clemson University won its 2nd ACC championship in 4 seasons yesterday, in a penalty kick shootout over the University of North Carolina — and there were 2 Westport connections.
The Tigers are coached by Mike Noonan. The 1979 Staples graduate (and a star on their ’78 state championship team) won his third overall ACC championship overall. In 2021, he led the South Carolina school to the NCAA Division I title.
Paddy Donovan (Staples ’22) is a reserve keeper on the squad.
The Tigers earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Seedings are announced at 1 p.m. today.
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Over 2 dozen retailers, restaurants and merchants have signed up for the 3rd annual “06880”/Westport Downtown Association Holiday Stroll — and it’s still 3 weeks away.
The Saturday, December 2 (5 to 7 p.m.) event is very family friendly. There’s a visit from Santa, special kids’ activities, photo booth, holiday music from the Orphenians, caroling and more. Headquarters is a tent outside Savvy + Grace.
Among the treats:
Questions? Email Huong Belpedio (operations@westportdowntown.com) or Jessica Isaacs (marketing@westportdowntown.com).
See you at the Stroll!
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The thermometer struggled to reach the mid-40s yesterday.
But a number of sailors were out on the Sound.
I thought it was part of the Frostbite series.
Apparently though, it must be a lot colder for those races.
(Photo/Pamela Docters)
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Brilliant fall sunshine yesterday at Willowbrook Cemetery highlights today’s “Westport … Naturally” image:
(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)
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And finally … on this day in 1940, Walt Disney released “Fantasia.” It was an experiment in animation and classical music, and took a while to become a classic.
There is probably no connection between the Fantasia below and the Disney film, but today is one of the most boring days in history.
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Happy National Kindness Day!
To celebrate, “06880” shares the story of a local business that embodies kindness, and pays it forward every day.
And today they’ve got some good, kind news, about what’s ahead.
The Porch at Christie’s opened in May of 2021. Westport owners Bill and Andrea Pecoriello — inspired by their 3 kids’ volunteer efforts while at Staples High School — had already founded Sweet P Bakery.
The Norwalk non-profit teaches baking skills to people with disabilities, then hires them.
The Porch on Cross Highway — which since 1926 was known as Christie’s market, then cycled through several owners (with a very brief spin as a dry cleaners) — had 2 missions: to be a gathering place for the community, and to train and employ people with disabilities.
The Porch at Christie’s, on Cross Highway
Working with organizations like STAR, and local school systems’ special education and transition programs, to teach job skills, The Porch models inclusion, acceptance and kindness, to employees and customers alike.
Plus, it’s a retail outlet for Sweet P.
The bakery employs 6 people. All are graduates of their first baking program. Six more graduate next month.
They’ll be needed. Sweet P’s cookie wholesale operation — whose customers include the Westport Library and Westport Country Playhouse — is robust.
They’re also building an online operation to sell nationwide. They’ll hire people of all abilities for packaging and labeling, along with baking.
“One shift a week can change a life,” the Pecoriellos say.
“For 2 1/2 years, our community and beyond has embraced the Porch and Sweet P Bakery, and our message of kindness and inclusion.
“We have already made a significant impact in creating employment and internship opportunities for adults with disabilities at both locations.”
But they want to do more.
They’ve combined both businesses into one 501(c)(3) non-profit. Now they’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign.
Donations will help the Pecoriellos triple the size of Sweet P’s commercial kitchen; hire the 6 students about to graduate from their baking program; add more jobs for the online business; hire new Porch employees of all abilities, and ensure that The Porch continues as a “community treasure.”
Enjoying work
Porch sales do not cover operating expenses. Fundraising and grants can close the gap.
Finally, the Pecoriellos say, fundraising will help them “model kindness in our community. It is needed now more than ever.”
Happy Kindness Day!
(Click here for more information on the Porch/Sweet P GoFundMe campaign, and to contribute. GoFundMe does not allow American Express donations; to use that card, or donate by check, go to the Sweet P website.)
Posted in Local business
Tagged Andrea Pecoriello, Bill Pecoriello, Sweet P Bakery, The Porch at Christie's
Levitt Pavilion, from Grace Salmon Park (Photo/Patricia McMahon)
All 10 readers who guessed last week’s Photo Challenge got it right.
Everyone knew that the image — 9 framed pictures on a wall, underneath the words “Let’s Eat” — were at Donut Crazy. (Click here to see.)
That’s appropriate. Just as our readers did not go wrong, you can’t go wrong with any choice at the small shop on the eastbound side of the Westport train station. (Unless, of course, you’re on a diet.)
Pat Saviano, John McCarthy, Chip Stephens, Brandon Malin, Shirlee Gordon, Seth Braunstein, Peter Tucker, Wendy Schaefer, Andrew Colabella and Clark Thiemann have all apparently frequented the donut store.
I can’t imagine a better way to spend time or money.
Or calories.
Today’s photo Challenge shows a quintessential fall scene. If you know where in Westport you would enjoy this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Fred Cantor)
(If you play the weekly Photo Challenge, please consider supporting our blog. It takes a ton of work, and we rely on reader contributions. Just click here — and thank you!)
Hundreds of Westporters gathered yesterday at Town Hall, as the town honored its — and America’s — men and women who served in the military, on Veterans Day.
As he has done for decades, Korean War vet Bill Vornkahl helped organize the ceremony.
Participants included the Westport Police Department, Connecticut Air National Guard, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Greens Farms Academy student Jared Lessing, Westport poet laureate Jessica Noyes McEntee, and the Westport Community Band.
The World War I doughboy statue on Veterans Green, at dusk on Veterans Day. The holiday began as Armistice Day, honoring the 11 a.m., November 11 official end of “the war to end all wars.” (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
A luncheon at Veterans of Foreign Wars Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 followed the official town ceremony.
A table is always set at the Riverside Avenue club, in remembrance of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
Yesterday, it was decorated especially for Veterans Day.
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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Last night’s “Speaking of Music” series at the Westport Library focused on jazz.
A large crowd listened — and learned about — America’s unique genre.
The event was organized by Staples High School Class of 1966 graduate Roger Kaufman and friends.
Vocalist Audrey Martells was a star of the show.
From left: Bill Harris, Ben Kinney, John Fumasoli. (Photos/Ted Horowitz)
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There are thoughtless people.
There are obnoxious people.
And then there are people whose sense of entitlement is so mind-blowing, they defy description.
Mike Hibbard spotted this yesterday, on an Aspetuck Land Trust trail:
“Someone thinks there is a Poop Fairy, and left this bag for it,” Mike says.
“I wonder what will be under that person’s pillow in the morning?”
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Stephen Kempson is not your usual tailor.
Tradition rules at the bespoke clothier’s shop. But there’s always something new and different too.
Next up: “Sip and Shop, With Live Jazz.” It’s this Thursday (November 16, 5 to 8 p.m.), at the intriguing Post Road Space overlooking the Saugatuck River.
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Over the years, our “Westport … Naturally” has run dozens of deer pictures.
Readers have spotted them all over town, in all types of poses.
But this is the first time I’ve ever seen Bambi at the beach.
Patrick Riordan took this shot yesterday morning, soon after sunrise:
(Photo/Patrick Riordan)
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And finally … on this date in 1984, Madonna released her 2nd studio album. “Like a Virgin” became her first #1 record in the US. The producer was Chic front man — and not-yet Westport resident — Nile Rodgers.
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The election is over. The mailings stopped. The lawn signs are (mostly) gone.
But Mark Mathias has a gripe.
The longtime Westporter and active civic volunteer writes:
Running for public office is a noble calling. Serving is rarely easy. Neither is becoming elected.
One of the tools candidates use is email marketing. It’s fast, effective and easy.
If your Inbox is anything like mine, you received a lot of emails from candidates.
Yet I didn’t sign up to receive any of them. So how did they obtain my address?
Mark Mathias
I have a system that lets me track emails. I create a unique email address for everyone I give my email address to. Then, whenever I receive an email, I know the source.
For example, I have given specific emails to the town of Westport for beach passes, taxes and the like. I intend these to be used solely for official town purposes.
Through Freedom of Information requests, the town provides these email lists to anyone who requests them. Candidates for public office are frequent requestors of these email lists, but sitting RTM members and any member of the public can and do make requests.
These lists are then uploaded by people to email services like Constant Contact and MailChimp.
However, doing so violates the Terms of Service for these companies, all of which require email addresses to have explicitly opted in. Here’s a snippet from MailChimp:
And here’s how MailChimp defines Spam:
The key word here is “Unsolicited.” I did not request or give permission for these people to send me email.
Constant Contact has similar rules for “permission-based marketing.” I have not given the senders my permission.
Here’s an example from an email I received from candidate from this week’s election:
Yes, I gave my email address to the Town of Westport for “the town” to use. But giving it to the town did not give anyone else permission to use that information.
I got a similar notification from a sitting RTM member recently.
So what can be done?
First, it is my hope thatall users of email systems will honor the Terms of Service of the provider.+
Second, if you start receiving emails from people for whom you didn’t request, do two things:
PS: How do you track who is providing your email address?
If you’re a Gmail user, you can add a “+” after your name, and some text.
For example, if Tesla.com asks for your email address, type in “yourname+tesla.gmail.com.” If you get an email from another company, you’ll know that your email was given, lent, sold to or stolen by someone.
(You never know what you’ll learn from “06880.” To keep randomly great info like this coming, please make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here. Thank you!)
Posted in Local politics, technology
Tagged Constant Connect, email, Gmail, MailChimp, Mark Mathias, Representative Town Meeting
The rain garden behind the Levitt Pavilion collects, filters and cleans stormwater runoff, before it enters the Saugatuck River. (Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
50 years ago tomorrow — November 12, 1973 — Time magazine published their first editorial ever. It called for the resignation of President Nixon.
The cover read “Nixon’s Jury: The People.” It showed 12 people, in various stages of contemplation about the Watergate scandal-engulfed chief executive.
That cover was drawn by Miggs Burroughs.
He was just 27 years old. Less than a decade earlier, he’d graduated from Staples High School.
“It was not my proudest moment artistically,” he recalled yesterday.
Because of an extremely tight deadline, he worked in the Time/Life office. Staffers ordered paint and supplies from the Arthur Brown Art Store nearby.
Then they stood over Miggs — with the doors barred — until he was done.
Because of its historical significance — it was the magazine’s first editorial, after all, the magazine is now in the Smithsonian Museum.
“Not the best looking jury ever convened,” Miggs added.
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As temperatures drop, the Westport Fire Department has partnered with Bridgeport Rescue Mission for a “Share the Warmth” coat drive.
New or gently used (and clean) winter coats, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and snowsuits can be dropped off at Fire headquarters (515 Post Road East), the Senior Center and Town Hall through December 15.
Several schools will have collection boxes at their entrances, too.
Westport firefighters will sort and transport the items to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
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The Secretary of the State’s office has released official turnout results for Tuesday’s election.
In Westport, 45.6% of eligible voters cast ballots. That’s up from 43.1% in 2021 — the last town-wide election (although that also included state-wide races, like governor and the General Assembly).
Throughout Connecticut, turnout was 33.3% — exactly one-third of eligible voters.
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Last month, Westporter Walter Fischel was evacuated from Ashkelon, Israel, where he had lived and worked for 9 months. Because there was so much uncertainty around when and if he would return to work, he decided to travel.
Last week he landed in South Africa to visit friends. On his way to meet them, he was carjacked and shot in the face.
Though he will make a full recovery, his passport, phone and credit cards were stolen.
He got a new passport and should be well enough to travel next week, but his accounts have been frozen since the robbery and he is unable to book a flight home.
All funds raised will go directly to Fischel, to assist with travel, medical expenses, and living expenses for him and his family.
Click here for the GoFundMe page.
Walter Fischel
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Linda Doyle writes:
“Back in the spring I bought some pre-cut butternut squash from Trader Joe’s. At the bottom of the tray I found 1 seed, and put it in water.
“It sprouted, so I stuck it into a small pot with soil. It turned into a little plant.
“Thrilled to see the growth, I stuck it in the ground. Amazingly, that 1 seed became a huge vine over 25 feet long!
“My daughter Mikayla and I tended to it all summer. We just harvested 5 beautiful monster-sized butternut squashes. Never underestimate the power of one small seed!”
Mikayla and Linda Doyle, and their butternut squashes.
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Aspetuck Land Trust’s next “fall lunch and learn” webinar could not be more timely.
Arborist Chris Teter discusses fall foliage (Friday, November 17, noon to 1:30 p.m.). He’ll explain the biology of leaves on trees and shrubs in autumn, highlight their significance in the ecosystem, then connect it to urban and suburban settings.
He’ll also provide information on how to use leaves to enhance both beauty and ecological value.
Click here to learn more, and register.
Just another fall day, at Staples High School. (Photo/Dayle Brownstein)
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Speaking of foliage: Todd Suchotliff’s shot of the Longshore entrance road on Tuesday is today’s very worthy “Westport … Naturally” image:
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And finally … in honor of Miggs Burrough’s Time magazine cover, 50 years ago tomorrow (story above):
(From Watergate to winter coats, butternut squash to fall foliage, “06880” is your place for hyper-local news. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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