Many of today’s online art gallery submissions are photos.
They’re (as always) gorgeous. As always too, they circle the globe.
But let’s not slack off, all of you who work in other mediums!
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 to contribute.
“Poppy” (Ken Runkel)
“Sailing in My Dreams” (Tom Doran)
“The Whaleship Charles W. Morgan Returns Home” (Peter Barlow)
“Sunflower in a Sunflower” (Linda Doyle)
“Bee All That You Can Be!” Photographer Bonnie Scott Connolly took this image of a cone flower (echinacea) at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
Untitled (June Rose Whittaker)
“Wyoming” (Rowene Weems)
“It Is So Hot The Trees Are Melting” — western US (Mike Hibbard)
Untitled — swan family on the Lieutenant River estuary, Old Lyme (Susan Lloyd)
“The Hat” (Karen Weingarten)
Untitled — artist Eric Bosch explains, “Every 5 years, the Babson side of my family (200+) gathera at the Babson museum in Rockport, Massachusetts. The organizers requested art, so I did this painting for the occasion earlier this month. The Babsons got off the Mayflower and built a stone cooperage to make oak barrels. The center portion of my painting remains to this day.”
“A Brown Sheep.” Artist Steve Stein explains, “Sheep can be domestic or wild. Their colors range from pure white to spotted, piebald and dark chocolate, depending on a gene that controls melanin.”
“Flat Out” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
They sponsor the mammoth New York City Marathon — and dozens of other races, nearly every weekend throughout the year.
Their 77,000 members include 42 from Westport. CEO Rob Simmelkjaer is a Westporter; so is director of safety and medical logistics Nicole Donovan.
Rob Simmelkjaer (Photo/Benjamin Norris for New York Times)
But since its founding in 1958, NYRR has never done anything in Connecticut.
Next month, that changes.
The club has partnered with the Westport Weston Family YMCA to offer group training.
The program — begun in New York in 2016 — offers coaching, camaraderie and inspiration to runners of all levels.
The Tuesday and Thursday sessions begin September 12, and run through November 2. (NOTE: Though all ability levels are welcome, this is not for slackers. The hour-long program begins at 6:30 a.m. at the Y or near Longshore.)
One group is for runners at a 7:15 mile or faster past; the other is slower.
Each workout begins with a warm-up, and covers running technique, and workouts like intervals or tempo runs. They end with strength and flexibility.
Roberto Mandje
Roberto Mandje — a 2004 1,500-meter Olympic runner and a 7-year Road Runner training veteran — will lead the sessions.
Fleet Feet owner Dave Wright, Fleet Feet coach Jenny Day, and Ironman competitor Sarah Caputo assists Mandje.
Simmelkjaer is excited about the partnership. He’s been a Y member since he moved to Westport 10 years ago. (He sometimes runs the half-mile there, from his home.)
“I see a lot of Westport folks at the finish line of our Road Runner races,” he says. “I know people here run with us after work in New York too.
“There’s a strong running culture in Westport, thanks to Fleet Feet and people like Laddie Lawrence.
“We see people running all over town. But a lot of them run by themselves. Running with others makes a big difference. You tend to be more motivated and accountable.
“It’s very exciting for me to bring New York Road Runners here to Westport.”
(For registration and more information about the New York Road Runners group training at the Westport Y, click here.)
(If you like “06880”‘s work, you don’t have to run anywhere. Just click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
As the Westport Inn bites the dust, and a new college football season looms, longtime “06880” reader and amateur historian Fred Cantor suggests a confluence of those 2 events for our Friday Flashback.
Fred found this fascinating ad from the October 3, 1960 Yale Daily News:
At that time the Yale football team attracted large crowds — including folks who drove up from the tri-state area.
Owners of Westport’s then brand-new “motor hotel” figured they could snag some of the traffic, on the way to and from New Haven.
Back view of the New Englander Motor Hotel. In the front, the Post Road is not visible; beyond it is an artist’s rendition of Long Island Sound, actually a couple of miles south.
The copywriter was right about both bowling (the Backiels’ Westport Lanes was a few hundred yards down the Post Road; it’s now the site of the Bevmax shopping center) and skating (a rink was nearby in the opposite direction, though it was hardly “beautiful”; it remains today, as the indoor Westport Tennis Club, behind the new Tacombi restaurant).
I’m pretty sure though that the lounge was not “famous.”
And — even allowing for less traffic then than now on the “Connecticut Turnpike” (I-95) — there’s no way to make it from Westport to the Yale Bowl in 20 minutes.
As for “Dine well!”: Westport had its share of restaurants.
Among them, right next door to the New Englander was Bob Charpentier’s Bantam:
What a menu: Steaks. Chops. Lobster. And frogs [sic] legs!
Bantam Restaurant.
A few years later, Bantam became Chubby Lane’s — Westport’s first $1 hamburger place.
Bob Charpentier opened a butcher shop across the street. He supplied the great meat for those great Chubby’s burgers.
Charpentier’s Butcher Shop is now Border Grille.
And the Bantam/Chubby Lane’s/Ocean House (and other restaurants)?
Today it’s the site of Willows Pediatrics.
(If you enjoy our Friday Flashback feature, please consider a contribution to “06880.” Any amount — in 1960 or 2023 dollars — is welcome! Just click here. Thank you!)
The on-scene investigation of the “untimely death” of a 56-year-old woman — found yesterday at 11 a.m. — was completed at 12:45 this morning by the Westport Police Detective Bureau, assisted by the Connecticut State Police Major Crime unit. The investigation remains active.
The woman was identified as Jennifer Lindstrom, of 3 Oak Ridge Park. Westport Police responded to the residence after a housekeeper found her unresponsive at the bottom of a staircase leading to the basement.
Among the hidden-in-plain-sight treasures of Westport: Frazier Forman Peters houses.
Between 1924 and 1936, the architect designed and built over 40 distinctive stone homes in Westport (and more in surrounding towns).
On November 5 Histoury — a non-profit dedicated to significant buildings — offers a bus tour of 20 Frazier Forman Peters houses. Experts will offer commentary on their designs and histories. Several interior tours will be included.
Tickets are $75 for adults, $49 for students. Click here to purchase. For more information on Frazier Forman Peters, click here.
A Frazier Forman Peters house on Riverview Road with fieldstone facades, slate roof and copper gutters.
Here’s our first Halloween-related story of the year. (No, it is not Dunkin’s pumpkin lineup — although it is already available.)
This is about CLASP‘s “Rockin’ Halloween Bash.” Set for October 20 (Fairfield Theatre Company), it features lite bits from Little Pub, and live music from Band Central — the popular group made up of clients at the organization providing group homes and other services for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.
The 6th annual Westport Library event — the largest literary event in Connecticut — has just secured Stephen Graham Jones as moderator for the keynote conversation with Neil Gaiman.
Tickets are available starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 22. Click here to order. The event is free, but seats are limited.
In addition, Eric LaRocca will cap a full day of Saturday events with a staged reading of his new play, “Gentle Hacksaw.”
Tickets for LaRocca are $20, and are available now. They include a reception with StoryFest authors, small bites and a cash bar.
From left: Stephen Graham Jones, Neil Gaiman, Eric LaRocca.
A bit earlier than October — Sunday, August 27 — MoCA sponsors “Kaleidoscope,” a 1-day exhibition featuring works from MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts, as well as Camp MoCA Westport participants. Food trucks will be on site.
Oliver Bub is rowing his boat — all the way to Serbia.
Or at least, in the Balkan country.
The Staples High School 2014 Biology Student of the Year is part of the men’s eight team that will represent the US at the World Rowing Championships next month in Belgrade. He was an alternate on last year’s squad.
The 6-6, 205-pound Dartmouth College graduate was Saugatuck Rowing Club’s 2015 Most Valuable Oarsman. He lives now in Oakland, and rows for the California Rowing Club. (Hat tip: Lisa Marriott)
“Monarchs in Motion” — a free September 7 (6 p.m.) event at Earthplace — does not refer to King Charles’ recent ascension to the throne.
It’s about “understanding how insect movement and dispersal ecology informs conservation planning.” Speaker Dr. Kelsey Fisher is an “insect movement ecologist.”
There is space for 100 people. Click here to register, and for more information.
Earlier this month, the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club honored 34 members with Paul Harris Society awards.
They’re presented to Rotarians who give $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. New fellows include Holly McCarthy, Mike Hibbard, Gail Lavielle, Jeff Cohen, Helen Garten, Anil Nair, Liz Wong, Tim Wetmore, Jacquie Masumian, Karen Klein, Jen Tooker, Bruce Paul, Ron Holtz, Yvonne Senturia and Barbara Levy.
Those honored for donating $2,000 were Tom Ayres, Jane Ross, Linda Bruce, Eileen Flug, George Masumian, Mark Mathias and Carole Rubenstein.
Donors at the $3,000 level were Bill Harmer, Ann Lloyd, Steve Violette, Joe Renzulli and Arnold K. Wolgast.
Sheilan Keenan contributed $4,000; Hal Levy and Rick Jaffe gave $5,000; Bob Galan, $6,000; Brian Strong and Arlo Ellison, $8,000, and — topping the Paul Harris Society list — Eric Zielinski and Martin Burger, at $9,000.
Tessie DeMattia — a chef who worked for over 40 years with her brother Frank DeMace, the founder of Mario’s Place — died Tuesday.
Tessie is survived by her daughter, Linda Voulgarakis (John) of West Haven; son James of Dummerston, Vermont; grandchildren Dawn Blinn, Libby Mazzella, David Aronson, Nikki Voulgarakis and Harry Voulgarakis, and 4 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband Liberty Michael DeMattia, she was predeceased by her daughter Sandra Blinn; siblings Dominick, Frank, Michael and Joseph DeMace and Marie Wallacem and granddaughter Jacqueline Perez.
A funeral service will be tomorrow (Friday, August 18, 11 a.m., Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, Fairfield). Friends may greet her family one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Westport resident and former Representative Town Meeting member John McCarthy organized a petition, asking the RTM to review the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s “goals, process and proposed plans” for Parker Harding Plaza.
The petition, with the signatures of 61 electors, was delivered to the Town clerk on June 27.
On Monday, assistant town attorney (and former RTM moderator) Eileen Lavigne Flug advised RTM moderator Jeff Wieser to reject the request.
Her memo to him, as well as 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Town Attorney Ira Bloom, said:
You asked me to review a petition from John McCarthy and over 20 other electors received by the Town Clerk on June 27, 2023, requesting that you place on the September 5, 2023 Representative Town Meeting (“RTM”) agenda, “A review of the [Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s (DPIC’s)] goals, process and proposed plan for Parker Harding, to be led by the lead petitioner [John McCarthy], with an invitation of the Chair of the DPIC to present if desired, with time reserved for RTM member and public comments
following the review.”
Section C5-6(C) requires the Moderator to place on the RTM agenda “such matters as…20 electors…may request.” It is your decision as Moderator to determine whether the petition requests an agenda item that is actually within the RTM’s purview. I understand from your email to Mr. McCarthy that you have already advised him that this is not an actionable item by the RTM, and I agree.
This screenshot from the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee shows the Parker Harding lot, and its proximity to the Saugatuck River.
This memo will elaborate on legal advice I gave you in our prior discussions about this.
The Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut has stated that: “Common sense is to be employed in the construction of a charter…. A city charter … ‘must be
construed, if possible, so as reasonably to promote its ultimate purpose.’ … ‘The unreasonableness of the result obtained by the acceptance of one possible alternative interpretation of an act is a reason for rejecting that interpretation in favor of another which would provide a result that is … reasonable.’”
Section C5-6(C) cannot reasonably be read to require that any item presented as described in that section must be placed on an agenda. Moderators have determined several times in recent years that petitioned items are not appropriate for the RTM agenda, including while I myself was Moderator.
Petitions to the RTM that have been denied in the past include a petition to overturn a Planning and Zoning Site Plan and Special Permit (which the RTM does not have the authority to do), and petitions to add an RTM rule or adopt an ordinance that would conflict with the Town Charter.
The purpose of an RTM meeting is to consider actionable items within the RTM’s purview. The purpose is not to provide a public forum for a discussion of any topic that 20 or more electors wish to discuss in a televised meeting in the Town Hall auditorium. There are other venues and forums for such discussions.
The RTM has an essential role in Town government. The RTM’s role in the proposed Parker Harding reconstruction is to consider whatever upcoming appropriations may be requested by the administration and recommended by the Board of Finance. In addition, if the P&Z were to issue a negative 8-24 or approve a map or text amendment relating to the project, the RTM may be asked to review that. There will be ample time for the public to express its views on the plans and the desirability of the project at the RTM committee meetings and the meetings of the full RTM when any such item is on the agenda.
McCarthy responded to Wieser:
Thank you for sending me the attached letter from Eileen Flug regarding our certified petition to the RTM which was delivered on June 27, 2023. Having worked on the RTM with both of you, I am quite perplexed as to how you and Eileen can both take the position that the Parker Harding matter should not be put on the agenda of the September 5th meeting. You know that this is an incorrect position to be taking.
The petition was signed by 61 Westporters who all took at face value the promise of the RTM as written in its Rules of Procedure (Sec. A162-6) as appended to the Town Charter where it says.
“The Moderator or, in the event of the Moderator’s inability to act, the Deputy Moderator or, in the event of the inability of both, the Town Clerk shall place on the agenda of the Representative Town Meeting such matters as the First Selectman, two Representative Town Meeting members or 20 electors of the Town may request by written notice delivered to the Moderator or the Town Clerk not less than 14 days prior to a Representative Town Meeting,…”
I also note that the per the Town Charter that “the term “shall” is to be construed as being mandatory” ( Sec. 1-2. – Definitions and rules of construction.)
So as this non-lawyer (and a few lawyers I have spoken with) sees it, as RTM Moderator you are mandated by the Town Charter to place onto the agenda of the next meeting the matter that was requested by more than 20 electors on a duly certified petition.
I trust you will do the right thing and place it on the RTM Agenda when it comes out on Monday August 21st.
Alert “06880” reader Emily Lerman Taylor had a recent traumatic encounter with a strange-acting animal.
She says she’s not alone. She described her experience, and sent videos. WARNING: The videos are graphic. “Turn the sound off if you are near children,” she says.
Emily writes:
On the afternoon of August 3, I was in my front yard with my 1-year-old daughter and our 2-year-old labradoodle, when a raccoon hobbled out of the woods and, completely unprovoked, attacked my dog Riggins.
I screamed in sheer terror. When I did, the raccoon ran toward me and my baby.
Thanks to a helpful and caring neighbor, I escaped with my baby and trapped the raccoon in my garage.
I called Westport Animal Control and got an answering machine, twice.
Frantic, I called the police, explaining the situation. They dispatched Animal Control directly, letting them know I already had the raccoon trapped in my garage, and that my dog was injured.
They came, killed the raccoon, and sent it off for testing. It tested positive for rabies.
My baby and I were not harmed (physically). My dog got a nasty bite. He received medical care and seems to be healing well so far.
Because we always keep up to date on vaccinations, he is extremely unlikely to become infected. The rabies vaccine is incredibly effective. Vaccinate your pets!
(If anyone wonders why it’s important to keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date — besides “it’s the law” and “it protects the whole community” — the answer is that without a vaccination, our dog would have been euthanized).
Because many of my family members were exposed to the raccoon saliva on the dog’s fur following the incident, we are now all undergoing rabies vaccine treatment ourselves. This involves multiple shots on 4 separate days, over the course of 2 weeks.
We can only receive our shots at the emergency room, and cannot schedule them ahead of time, so we’ve spent many hours at the hospital this week.
Between that and the fevers/vomiting my children have experienced as side effects, it has been an inconvenience to say the least. But it is one that, given the circumstances, is undoubtedly worth it.
Rabid raccoon (though not the one that attacked Emily’s dog.
As for our dog, the state required he be put in a 45-day “confinement,” in the very unlikely chance he becomes rabid in the coming weeks.
We found a facility that can care for him and is trained in rabies confinement procedure, but we are devastated that he must recover from his injuries without the love and comfort of the only family he’s ever known.
Additionally stressful is the financial burden that comes with surgically treating and then boarding a dog for 45 days. But again, as far as we are concerned, it is undoubtedly worth it.
Riggins, on the mend.
This incident has been horrible for our family all around, but we are acutely aware that it could have been infinitely worse.
A rabid animal is terrifying and deadly, and my mind continues to flash to images of what could have happened had that raccoon gotten to my baby.
As the days go by, I continue to hear from people who have called in numerous reports of suspicious animals with little to no response from authoritie s— and the more stories I hear, the angrier and more frustrated I become.
In all likelihood, this raccoon had been reported on before. But until it attacked my dog and came for me and my child, and until I went to the trouble of trapping it in a confined space myself, no relevant local government agency did a thing.
I’m hoping now they will act on all calls, not just the ones involving violence and harm. Being solely reactive is only acceptable when there is no opportunity to be proactive. That’s not the case here.
Opportunities to be proactive have been abundant. The people of our community have been doing their part to protect themselves and each other. Local government agencies need to do theirs. I’m hoping these videos, and this story, can play a role in making that happen.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Board of Selectwomen yesterday agreed to a request from the Remarkable Theater to use the Imperial Avenue parking lot from August 28 through November 3.
This marks the 4th year for the popular Imperial Avenue pop-up drive-in. The “curtain rose” for the first 3 — beginning with the socially distanced season of 2020 — in late spring.
A schedule will be announced soon. Meanwhile, representatives of any organization interested in sponsoring a movie should contact Doug Tirola: doug@4throwfilms.com.
After years of COVID-fueled frothy growth, trends appear to be leveling, according to Judy Michaelis.
Some July 2023 statistics, with July 2022 (in parentheses) for comparison:
New listings: 40 (48)
Number of properties for sale: 97 (124)
Number of properties sold: 53 (48)
Average days on market: 61 (55)
Average list price: $3,023,148 ($2,752,077)
Median list price: $2,450,000 (2,137,500)
Sales price/list price ratio: 103.8% (105.4%)
Average sales price per square foot: $574 ($726)
Click here for a full report. (Hat tip: Judy Michaelis)
The most expensive property for sale in Westport right now is this 9-bedroom, 8 1/2-bathroom, 10,959-square foot home on 3 acres, at 50 Sylvan Road North. It is listed for $3.9 million.
Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between August 9 and 16.
A man at the International Wine Shop was charged with illegal sale of alcohol to a minor after 2 18-year-olds were seen leaving the store after making a purchase. He confirmed he had not checked identification of the buyer.
An investigation into the theft of a motor vehicle and credit cards led to charges of larceny, payment card theft, illegal transfer, fraud, forgery, illegal use of a payment card and identity theft.
A woman was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 5 citations
Failure to obey traffic control signal: 3
Failure to renew registration: 2
Distracted driving: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Speaking of police: Around 4:44 p.m. on August 7, Awesome Toys reported the theft of a “Traxxas” truck and art supplies.
Captured on film, the suspect appears to be 6-2, 220 pounds.
Four days later, on August 11, the same man returned. He filled 2 large bags with items, and left without paying.
Suspect in Awesome Toys theft.
Westport Police ask for help identifying the suspect. Email swongwon@westportct.gov, or call 203-341-6080.
=============================================
Two Connecticut residents died after contracting infections from a flesh-eating bacteria that can be caused by eating raw oysters or swimming in saltwater, the New York Times reports. A third person survived.
“Infections from the bacteria, called Vibrio vulnificus, are rare but extremely dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in five people who become infected die. Many survivors lose limbs to amputations, according to the C.D.C.”
People with open wounds should avoid swimming in warm seawater. Those with compromised immune systems should be careful eating or handling raw seafood.
Vibriosis is caused by a bacteria found in salt water, during warm weather. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and chills, slong with ear infections, sepsis and life-threatening wound infections.
Two of the state victims had open cuts, in Long Island Sound. A third became sick after eating raw oysters, though not at a restaurant here. Their towns were not identified.
As ocean temperatures rise, infections may spread.
The Times notes,”Connecticut has seen a few cases in recent years. One person died of a Vibrio vulnificus infection in the state in 2019. In 2020, five cases were reported; all recovered. The people who became infected had open wounds and were exposed to salt or brackish water.”
Inspectors have never detected the infection in Connecticut’s commercial oysters. Click here for the full story.
Speaking of the Times: Its “Ethicist” column often tackles thorny issues.
Yesterday’s will resonate with many Westporters. A reader wrote:
I live on Cape Cod, and I have recently noticed something of a current trend in which beachgoers claim valuable (and sometimes scarce) real estate by arriving several hours early to set up chairs, blankets and umbrellas before leaving to return (in some cases several hours later) to eventually move into their pre-claimed territory.
I always thought that you had to be on hand to occupy some piece of public space. Does an empty chair or blanket constitute actual occupancy? Do such phantom claims have any merit? Would someone have the right to ignore such maneuvers by removing these chairs or blankets? If so, what should be the response to the claimant who might return to find their items no longer claiming possession?
“The Ethicist” replied:
The aim of such public space is to allow as many people as possible to make the proper use of it. That aim is undermined by absentee claims that prevent others from enjoying a spot on the beach for extended periods. It’s fine to leave evidence of occupancy if you’re just going off to get an ice cream, say, or to visit a restroom. If you do this, though, it might be wise to leave an explanatory note. (“10:15, buying a snack, back by 10:45.”) That’s within the spirit of the social convention. But your beach-blanket buccaneers are abusing this convention and effectively privatizing what should be public.
At the same time, moving other people’s things isn’t to be done lightly. You’ll certainly want to be sure that their owners haven’t just stepped away for an acceptable interval. The social conventions about claiming areas in these public settings are not, of course, precise. Half an hour or so strikes me as a good marker in most such circumstances, but take a poll among people you know. If the beach-spot hogs return while you’re around, you can show them where their possessions are and tell them that you waited for a while and assumed they were not returning. (Should you ever mistakenly displace a bathroom-breaker, you should apologize and immediately cede the spot.)
It’s best when these issues can be settled through social, rather than statutory, means. Certain beach towns in Spain, I’ll note, punish such infractions with stiff fines on beach-spot hogs; the Italian Coast Guard has even seized unattended towels, umbrellas and chairs, holding them until their owners pay a penalty. Let’s hope that at your beach, norms and social sanctions will eventually suffice to discourage these parasol-planting land-grabbers.
Remember that the next time you’re heading to the fireworks.
Or — on any day — thinking of reserving one of those South Beach picnic tables that say (quite clearly) “Tables May Not Be Reserved.” (Hat tip: Jay Petrow)
Reserving early spots for the fireworks, 2018. The arms race has grown substantially since then. (Photo/Doris Ghitelman)
Two years ago, Staples High School sports fans enjoyed junior Zach Brody’s call of the Wreckers’ girls soccer state championship match on WWPT-FM.
Last winter Zach was courtside at Mohegan Sun, announcing the boys basketball title contest.
Those broadcasts drew hundreds of listeners.
Zach Brody
This Sunday at 7 p.m., millions will hear — and see — Zach. He’ll be behind the mic when the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies meet at neutral Bowman Field, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania during the Little League World Series.
It’s a legit Major League Baseball game. And — just 2 months after graduating from Staples — Zach will be a legit ESPN announcer.
The event is part of ESPN 2’s “KidsCast.” Zach was selected from 114 students at the Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp to air a full MLB game, on national television.
“KidsCast” may be a misnomer. Though Zach is still a teenager, he’s honed his skills through Staples’ intensive, high-level curriculum. He’s as serious about his work — and as good — as pros like, well, Bruce Beck.
Zach took full advantage of Staples. He played basketball and tennis; was a cellist in the Orchestra, and served as president of the Unified Sports Club, for special needs youngsters.
A friend who had taken a radio class with Geno Heiter raved about the instructor. But Zach marked it on his sophomore year schedule only as an alternative, in case he did not get into another elective.
He did not — to both his and the student-run station’s benefit.
Zach Brody (center), with his WWPT co-executive producer Devon Jacobs and instructor/advisor Geno Heiter, at the Drury Awards for high school broadcasting. The duo — and station — won several honors.
“I love all sports. And ‘PT has a huge sports culture,” Zach says.
“It’s so inviting and inclusive. Sophomores can debate on the air with seniors. We all build cool relationships around a common passion.”
He learned the trade. Over 3 years he called football, boys and girls soccer and basketball, and baseball.
For 2 summers, he attended the Bruce Beck Camp at Iona College. He learned breaking news, SportsCenter-style news, commentary, podcasting, and play-by-play. The latter included calling an old New York Knicks game, with one of their broadcasters.
“It was very professional. There’s a friendly feel, with lots of collaboration. But there is also competition,” Zach says.
He listened to and watched his fellow campers intently. He heard feedback about everyone.
Meanwhile, he honed his own style.
Zach Brody, courtside at Mohegan Sun for Staples High School’s boys basketball state championship game. WWPT-FM broadcast that contest, and the state final in another division too.
“I like to have fun on the air,” Zach says. “I embrace the big moments, but I try to keep it light. I like getting a smile or chuckle from my partner or listeners.”
Of course, he says, “I’m still learning, growing and developing.”
Campers do not apply for the ESPN 2 KidsCast gig. The network selects 3 young broadcasters, based on tapes from the Beck camp. Zach got the call about making the call the other day.
He’ll work with ESPN producers, and their crew. He’ll do the usual intense prep work.
But Sunday night’s broadcast isn’t the only big thing happening in Zach’s life.
Yesterday, he left for college. He’s about to begin his freshman year at George Washington University.
He asked for — and got — permission to leave for a few days, right in the middle of orientation.
Zach Brody, in the Staples football broadcast booth.
“I’m over-the-moon excited,” he says about Sunday’s broadcast.
“I’m confident in my abilities. As long as I keep doing more than what’s expected, I’ll feel prepared.
“I know I’m very lucky to have this opportunity. I’m stoked.”
(“06880” often features the accomplishments of Staples graduates like Zach Brody. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
The purpose of an RTM meeting is to consider actionable items within the RTM’s purview. The purpose is not to provide a public forum for a discussion of any topic that 20 or more electors wish to discuss in a televised meeting in the Town Hall auditorium. There are other venues and forums for such discussions.
