From pencil and crayon drawing and pouring oil/acrylic mix, to a digital creation in photorealistic style, this week’s online art gallery showcases many genres.
We always welcome all kinds of art. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — whatever you’ve got.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world! (PS: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.)
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited (no, urged) to contribute.
“Hole Card” — pencil and crayon drawing (Ann Chernow)
“Sunset Bay” — digital creation in a photorealistic style (Ken Runkel)
“Sailing at Dusk” (Tom Doran)
“Dogs Are Colored Blind” (Spanky Giddings III)
“Please Don’t Bite My Head Off” — Norway (Lauri Weiser)
“Oiled, Bound, Rubbed, and Smoked — One of the 50 Shades of Chicken” (Mike Hibbard)
“Aging Factory, Afternoon Sun” (Peter Barlow)
Untitled (Cohl Katz)
“Longshore” (Rowene Weems)
“Itch” (Lawrence Weisman)
“Ye Olde Sherwood Island Environs Map” (Steve Stein)
Untitled — Photographer Amy Unikewicz writes: :I snapped these pictures just as the rain stopped, while managing produce donations at the Westport Community Gardens. Walking through the garden paths felt like walking on a sponge. With every step, my boots sunk into the wood chipped pathways after the site absorbed several inches of rainfall.”
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
The largest literary festival in Connecticut returns soon to the Westport Library.
And Saturday, October 21 — the biggest day of the 3-day StoryFest — features more than 40 authors, spanning nearly every genre imaginable. They include big names like Clay McLeod Chapman, Angie Kim, Gabino Iglesias, Caroline Kepnes and Wendy Walker.
A host of panel discussions begin at 10 a.m. That’s in addition to picture book readings for children and teens, author conversations, and a special live taping of Chapman’s Fearmongers podcast (with best-seller Stephen Graham Jones and Josh Malerman, author of Netflix’s “Birdbox”).
Saturday closes with a staged reading of “Gentle Hacksaw,” the new play from Eric LaRocca.
Now in its sixth year, StoryFest is the Library’s annual celebration of reading, writing, ideas and community. This year’s event runs from Friday, October 20, through Sunday, October 22, and includes a keynote conversation with renowned author Neil Gaiman, a writers’ workshop, “Pinkalicious” author Victoria Kann, and virtuoso guitarist Gary Lucas.
Below is a closer look at the Saturday lineup for Saturday, October 21. Click here for full descriptions; click here to register for a free Saturday day pass; click here to buy tickets for the staged reading of “Gentle Hacksaw.”
Book readings for kids
10-10:30 a.m.: Tommy Greenwald and his son Charlie read from “The Rescues” (grades K-4)
10:30-11 a.m.: Stephen G. Bowling reads from the Mom’s Choice Award-winning picture book “Grandma’s House is Haunted”
11-11:30 a.m.: Sivan Hong and Sally J. Pia read from the “Super Fun Day” book series and “The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn”
Panel Discussions and Conversations
10-11 a.m.: “Peek-a-Boo, I See You: Inclusivity in Children’s Literature”
11 am to noon: “Putting It Together: Ellen Datlow Presents…”
Noon-1 p.m.: “Killer Women: Writing Crime from a Female Point of View”
1-2 p.m.: “On Leaving and Returning: Writing the Body Home”
2-3 p,m.: “Community Into View: Writing Race, Culture and Identity”
3-4 p.m.: “Scream with Me: Heartache, Humor, and Horror”
4-5 pm: The Incredibly True Adventures of… Twists and Turns on the Writer’s Path”
5-6 pm: “On the Edge of Our Seats: Writing Suspense and Anticipation”
Deep dives with authors and artists, moderated by Kerstin Rao
12-12:30 p.m.: Rowan MacColl and Connor McCann on “Comic Art”
1-1:30 p.m.: Eric LaRocca and Owen Egerton on “Writing for the Stage”
2-2:30 p.m.: Gabino Iglesias and Ellen Datlow on “Editing Anthologies”
3:30-4 p.m.: Lizzie Stark and Cassadra Khaw on “Game Writing”
Live podcast
5-6 p.m.: Clay McLeod Chapman records his “Fearmongers” podcast live, with Josh Malerman and Stephen Graham Jones.
Staged reading
7 p.m. doors; 8 p.m. show: “Gentle Hacksaw”: a startling new drama of religion, identity and violence.
Click here for more information on the entire 3 days of StoryFest.
(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local blog. Please support our work by contributing here. Thank you!)
Old Mill Grocery & Deli is temporarily closed, as owners seek a new operator. The search is going well, they say, and promise an announcement soon. (Photo/Jo Shields Sherman)
When the Westport Country Playhouse was renovated 20 years ago, the cramped lobby with its distinctive smell was transformed into a large, modern space.
Theater-goers worried that the historic posters lining the wooden walls would be lost.
They’re still there, keeping the Playhouse’s long legacy alive.
The other day, this one caught my eye:
I know nothing about the show, other than famed producer/director George Abbott’s name.
But I was sure intrigued by the ticket prices. The best seat in the house was just $2. For 50 cents, you could sit (I assume) in the balcony, with a post in your way.
“Kill That Story” was staged in 1934. The Playhouse had opened just 3 years earlier. The Depression was still wreaking havoc.
But somehow, residents found the coins, or a couple of dollar bills, to go to the theater.
50 years ago this week: All 3 Westport junior high schools opened their football seasons. Long Lots and Bedford were led, respectively, by veteran head coaches Bob Yovan and Ed Hall. Coleytown’s first-year head coach was Bill Stearns, a Staples High English teacher.
Long Lots Junior High head football coach Bob Yovan (left), assistant Tom Marshall (right), and captains, in the 1970s.
(Friday Flashback is a weekly “06880” feature. If you enjoy it — or anything else on our hyper-local blog — please support our work. Click here — and thank you!)
She told “06880”: “I was asked by a member of the public if I was endorsing Camilo Riano. And I responded no, I am not endorsing him. That’s all I said.”
Others stayed home for the virtual Parks & Recreation Commission meeting on the future of Longshore — including the gardens, a new baseball diamond and the controversial siting of new pickleball courts. (They were disappointed. A “technical problem” ended the once-rescheduled meeting once it was clear it could not begin.)
The best time was had by the sold-out crowd at the Levitt Pavilion. Max Weinberg — longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band — brought his “Jukebox” show (with 300 songs that each audience picks) to the banks of the Saugatuck River.
The weather was beautiful. They played for 2 1/2 hours.
And at the end, he invited the audience up on stage, to join the fun.
Max Weinberg and friends, on stage at the Levitt. (Photo/Susan Garment)
Speaking of fun: In preparation for the Compo Beach playground renovation, Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department is looking for ideas.
A planning survey has been sent to Westport and Weston residents. The goal is to “improve the structure, visibility and accessibility” of the popular site, and to add new features.
The project is a partnership with the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Young Woman’s League.
Click here for the survey. It will be live through October 30. For project updates, on Instagram, follow @compobeachplay.
Compo Beach playground.
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Speaking of the beach: As the Hillspoint Road streetscape has changed over the years, there has been one constant: #246.
The tiny wooden shotgun house has stood — if not tall, then proudly — as all its neighbors have been torn down and replaced by far larger homes.
The end is in sight, though, for the 2-bedroom, 1-bath, 695-square foot house that sold last year for $1.5 million.
As the piece noted, our 7-decade relationship began in the aftermath of World War II. Two Westport soldiers — gun sergeant Bob Loomis and heavy machine gunner Clay Chalfant — moved through the Normandy town, just 25 miles from Utah Beach, on their way to Belgium.
Alert reader Mary Manning sent this welcome news along: Clay Chalfant still lives in Westport.
He and his wife Mary are in Greens Farms. In February, they’ll celebrate his 100th birthday.
Best (and early) wishes, sir!
And thank you, all those years ago, for helping begin a transatlantic friendship that flourishes still.
From left: Clay and Mary Chalfant, with then-1st Selectman Jim Marpe.
Westport Police made 4 custodial arrests between September 27 and October 4.
A 27-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct, assault, threatening and strangulation, after a domestic violence argument about a cell phone. He punched, pushed and choked the victim. After leaving, he threatened harm if police were notified.
A 57-year-old woman was charged with disorderly conduct, after arguing with a family member. The victim was assaulted, and injured during a fall.
A 28-year-old woman was charged with driving under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane, following a 1-car crash on Sylvan Road North.
A 34-year-old man was charged with burglary and larceny, after taking keys, checks and paperwork from Westport Auto Craft. Mamaroneck police arrested him during a burglary the same day, and found the items from Westport in his possession.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 6 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 3
Larceny: 1
Disorderly conduct: 1
Operating a motor vehicle while texting: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Earth Animal has a long history with both CT Foodshare and the Mitten Project. Together, they tackle food insecurity.
Once again this year, the Post Road East store will match every dollar donated.
Last year, Earth Animal raised $53,000. This year’s goal: $60K.
CT Foodshare sources healthy food donations from the food industry, retail stores, farms, and generous donors. They are donated through a network of over 480 food pantries, community kitchens and meal programs.
The first part of the fund drive is “Pumpkins for Good.” Locally grown pumpkins and gourds will be sold all this month at Earth Animal.
During the holiday season, the store will sell ornaments, handmade mittens and dog treat Advent calendars. They’ll sponsor other fundraisers too. Stop in to Earth Animal to learn more.
Wakeman Town Farm and Patagonia are partnering to show short film about how food connects to climate change. “Unbroken Ground” screens on October 23 (7:30 p.m., WTF Tim’s Kitchen).
After the film, Ellie Angerame od Green Village Initiative leads a discussion on how a community can make a positive impact.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Westport Book Shop’s October guest artists are Jane Lubin and Toby Michaels. Both are survivors of the disease.
A reception is set for October 18 (6 to 7:30 p.m.).
Their art is on display at the Jesup Avenue store through through October 31. All work is available for purchase. To learn more about Toby and Jane, click here.
Jane Lubin and Toby Michaels, at the Westport Book Shop.
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It’s a cappella for all! (And for a great cause too.)
The Princeton Nassoons sing at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport October 18 (7 p.m.). The Beachside Express is their excellent opening act.
Admission is free. But voluntary donations support UU’s social justice partner, the Domestic Violence Crisis Center.
The Nassoons are one of the country’s oldest collegiate singing groups. And the vocal coach for Beachside Express — Greens Farms Academy’s elite group — is Mike Costantino, a longtime UU Westport member.
With so much controversy in Westport — the Community Gardens, the meaning of “shall,” Board of Education candidates and more — now is a good time to take a deep breath, step back, and admire what we have in Westport.
Nancy Lally’s “Westport … Naturally” photo for today is a great place to start.
And finally … the songs in the photo of Max Weinberg’s Jukebox show (story above) is just a sampling of the 300 he offered last night to Levitt Pavilion concert-goers.
Here, for your listening/dancing/air guitar pleasure, are 3 of them:
(Whew! There sure is a lot going on in Westport. And “06880” covers it all. If you believe in local journalism, please support this hyper-local blog. Just click here. Thank you!)
A new Long Lots Elementary School would be built on the baseball diamond adjacent to the current school. A new field would replace the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, now on the southern edge of the property.
The Long Lots School Building Committee voted unanimously last night in favor of that concept.
Plan C, recommended last night. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
The decision in the Town Hall auditorium was the culmination of nearly two dozen meetings, and a year of studies.
It also followed 3 months of passionate pleas by residents to save the 20-year-old garden. Over 100 gardeners were joined by scores of others, citing environmental, educational, health and other benefits of the plots.
Last night’s vote was the end of the first phase of the Long Lots project, and the beginning of the next. The LLSBC will forward its recommendation to First Selectwoman Jen Tooker. If she accepts it, it then proceeds through various town bodies, including the Board of Finance, Planning & Zoning Commission, Representative Town Meeting — and of course the Board of Education.
The public will have “many, many, many opportunities to voice support or opposition, to bodies that may or may not approve it,” said Building Committee member Don O’Day.
LLSBC chair Jay Keenan noted that the building and parking lot will change shape, as the process continues.
Long Lots School Building Committee last night, at Town Hall. Chair Jay Keenan is 5th from left. (Photos/Dan Woog)
The meeting began with a reiteration of last week’s presentation by Newfield Construction. It included three “concepts”: renovate the existing 70-year-old school; renovate with additions, or build a new structure, with cost and timetable projections for each. (Click here for the full feasibility study.)
Plan C — an entirely new building — is approximately 126,000 square feet, with a construction timetable of 18 to 26 months. The estimated cost is $92.1 million.
Before the vote, a dozen residents spoke. Their questions and comments ranged from the possibility of sending Long Lots children elsewhere to enable renovation (“not possible” for a variety of reasons, committee members said), to issues with wetlands and traffic, and concerns about artificial turf fields.
Joe Vallone addresses the Building Committee.
Architect Joe Vallone repeated his idea — first raised at last week’s meeting — of a 3-story, energy-efficient building. Committee members responded that it would not work due to educational specifications for young children.
“How many people think the gardens should be demolished?” Vallone asked. No one answered.
“How many think the gardens should be saved?” he continued. There was strong applause, from the half-filled auditorium.
Keenan then called for a discussion of the concepts. O’Day said he supported C. “It’s the best use of the site. It reduces the duration of construction. I understand it means rebuilding the gardens.”
But, he added, the gardens would need to be shut down anyway, as the entire Long Lots property would become a construction zone.
Other committee members called C “the best approach with the best layout,” the “best one for traffic, safety and education,” and the best for neighbors.
Several said that they had originally favored renovating the current school. They changed their minds based on cost ($107.5 million), time frame (36 months), and disruption to students during construction.
With little more to say, Keenan called for a vote.
Every hand was raised.
(If you support local journalism, please support “06880.” Click here for a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
At this morning’s TEAM Westport meeting, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker addressed the recent rise in tensions over town affairs. She said:
When this community elected me as your first selectwoman, I made a promise to all of you that I would take action on a number of priorities.
I pride myself in being a leader that gets things done. Many of these decisions will affect the future of Westport. We are fortunate to have such an engaged community, and when this many people share their different opinions, emotions can run high.
I also pride myself on being a leader that listens to everyone. I feel strongly that people need — and deserve — to be heard.
First Selectwoman Jen Tooker
Please know that I read each and every correspondence that is received. We won’t always agree, but we should all have the best interest of our town at heart. It’s critical that our decision-making process remains transparent and, importantly, civil.
A recent report indicates civil discourse is in jeopardy even at a local level. It is entitled “Threats and Harassment: The Cost of Local Government Leadership.” It is a sobering article featuring data about communities just like ours. Westport is not exempt, and must do better.
I will continue to lead by listening to all viewpoints. I will not be afraid to take action that I believe is in the best interest of Westport – that is what this community elected me to do.
I am committed to ensuring everyone feels like they belong here, not only our residents and business owners, but our elected and appointed officials as well.
This has been a core tenet of my administration from the beginning – and it remains a top priority.
I’m asking each of you to join me in keeping our discourse civil and productive. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. It’s incumbent on all of us to take an active role in this. That is the only way we will be able to collectively make good decisions on behalf of Westport.
Yesterday, “06880” published an “Opinion” piece by Candice Savin. The Democratic 3rd selectwoman and former Board of Education chair said she was “shocked, disappointed and highly concerned” about Republican Board of Ed candidate Camilo Riano, and worried about what it means “for the future of our top ranked school district.”
Today, Riano and fellow Republican Board of Education candidate Jamie Fitzgerald respond. They say:
Another day, another lengthy character assassination by Westport Democrats or their allies directed at Camilo.
How many thousands of words can be used to express outrage over one single word, “grooming,” that was used to protest inappropriate sexual content put in front of our children? At this point, we believe Westport voters can decide for themselves how they feel about that.
Camilo Riano
The much more important thing to do at this juncture is to turn our attention to what is really going on here, politically. Westport Democrats are clearly panicked about losing their control of our Board of Education.
So they are engaging in character assassination as a distraction from what voters in Westport are actually worried about: how the major initiatives of the Goldstein-controlled board are damaging the quality of education in Westport.
The Goldstein/Phillips campaign sent out their email on books, and fired up their proxies to try to tear Camilo apart as a human being, precisely because they don’t want to have this conversation.
But we do.
The 2 major initiatives championed by our rivals — equity and a strategic plan based around social emotional learning — rely on deeply flawed philosophies that are already degrading the quality of education in Westport.
Goldstein and Phillips try to take credit for a favorable ranking of our school district in a recent survey. We agree that our schools are still benefiting from a foundation of excellence that was laid over many decades. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it didn’t collapse in a day.
But to borrow a term from the NYU Metro Center, even though we are only at the beginning phases of “dismantling” the educational approaches and strategies that made Westport a leading school district, we are already seeing signs of trouble.
Earlier this year, the administration acknowledged enrollment fell short of expectations as parents are either pulling their children from Westport Public Schools or choosing not to enroll the younger ones in the first place. As we have campaigned, we have in fact heard a great deal of dissatisfaction with the educational experience in our schools, which has led many families to abandon them.
The emerging problems are particularly acute at the elementary level, and Camilo has witnessed this firsthand. Saugatuck Elementary, where Camilo sends his own 4 children, is now ranked 56th in Connecticut, a far cry from number one.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: According to the 2023-24 Niche rankings, Saugatuck Elementary School is ranked #10 out of 575 elementary schools in Connecticut. All other elementary schools are also in the Top Ten: Greens Farms #2, Coleytown #4, Kings Highway #5 and Long Lots #8. Overall, the Westport Public Schools are ranked #1 in the state.]
Jamie Fitzgerald
It is at the elementary level where the district’s accelerating shift away from traditional academic foundations, in favor of politicized approaches based on establishing racial equity and emotional programming, has already had its greatest impact.
It is worth noting, in the same Niche poll that our competitors cite, Staples High School is in fact not the number one ranked public high school in Connecticut, but is now second to New Canaan High School.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: See note above; for 2023-24, Niche ranked Westport first, New Canaan 2nd.]
The majority of the New Canaan Board of Education is controlled by elected Republicans, who have taken a principled stand against the same highly politicized DEI agenda that their own local activists are trying to foist upon the school system. Do not believe the myth that erasing academic standards and racializing education does anything to enhance student outcomes.
The erosion of rigor, the politicization of the curriculum and the classroom, the preference for emotional manipulation over educational fundamentals — these are real points of differentiation between the two tickets. This is what voters need to be talking about. Even if our rivals just want to engage in partisan antics, we will continue to do so.
We just dropped “Part 2: Equity,” the second installment of our Fireside Chat Series. You can watch it here.
It follows our well received “Part 1: Introductions,” which provides background on who we really are as candidates and parents in the community, available here.
There are real substantive issues in this election, and the stakes could not be higher. Let’s call it quits on the political posturing and have these important discussions.
By a 29-6 margin Tuesday night — and following 2 hours of debate — the Representative Town Meeting turned down a petition by resident John McCarthy.
If passed, the measure would have compelled the RTM moderator to place on the agenda any matter brought to it by 20 electors. Defeat of the measure now allows the moderator discretion in whether or not to bring a petition before the body.
McCarthy told “06880”: “This statement by the RTM invalidates over 150 years of precedent and takes away the right of Westport voters to petition the town government on matters that they find important.
“This is a low point for the RTM and the individual members who voted against making a statement that would have affirmed a right of Westporters which has been assumed to exist for generations.”
RTM moderator Jeff Weiser told “06880”: “Despite a lot of the concern by certain residents during this challenge to the way the RTM has always acted, the RTM, through its impressive volunteer members, will continue to be an extraordinary, transparent, democratic institution that Westport will be proud of. “
Westport’s Department of Human Services and Domestic Violence Task Force honor it by collecting used cell phones and iPads, to benefit the Domestic Violence Crisis Center of Norwalk and Stamford.
The DVCC provides free, confidential services to victims of domestic violence and their children in Westport, Weston and surrounding towns.
Used cell phones or iPads are given to clients to assure their safety, and avoid tracking by their abuser. Devices should be no more than 4 years old, and reset to factory settings.
Donation bins are located at Westport Town Hall and the Senior Center. they’re available weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Other events this month include:
Tomorrow (Friday, October 6, 11 a.m.): A Domestic Violence Month proclamation at the Westport Police Department, 50 Jesup Road.
Wednesday, October 18 (7 p.m., Senior Center): The DVTF hosts a screening and discussion of “The Fire That Took Her.”
Thursday, October 19: Wear purple and get coffee with the Domestic Violence Awareness sleeve at Kneads, Garelick & Herbs, Coffee An’, The Porch and Winfield Street Coffee; then snap a selfie and join the social media campaign with the hashtag #purplethursday, and tag @DVCCCT and @WESTPORTDOMESTICVIOLENCETASKFORCE on Facebook.
For more information on all events, click here or email humansrv@westportct.gov. To get involved with the Domestic Violence Task Force, email jcabana@westportct.gov.
Cell phones can be lifesavers for domestic violence victims.
For 5 days only — tomorrow (Friday) through Tuesday, October 10 — there’s a special sale: 25% off $45 tickets.
The event includes light bites, and music by Band Central. All proceeds benefit CLASP’s mission of providing loving homes and inspirational opportunities for adults with autism and developmental disabilities.
Costumes are optional. For tickets and more information, click here.
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It’s been 18 months since Charlie Capalbo died, a month before his 24th birthday.
But the Fairfield hockey player — and grandson of Westport writer Ina Chadwick — continues to be remembered, and memorialized, every day.
He battled acute myelogenous leukemia for 5 years. He was in remission 3 times, and survived several life-threatening complications.
He maxed out every chemo, radiation, immunotherapy available. A bone marrow transplant from his younger brother Will in 2019 bought him some good time.
He overcame lower extremity paralysis from treatment twice, relearning to walk both times while at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
Friends and strangers are raising funds for AML research. They’re nearing the $500,000 mark.
Will is now the men’s lacrosse graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville University. He’s gotten the entire program involved.
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