Chuck Greenlee thought the rest of us non-concierge patients should see it too. CPW graciously agreed. Here you go:
What is RSV?
Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in 1-2 weeks, but RSV can be serious, especially in infants and older adults.
It can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, when you have direct contact with a person who has the virus, such as kissing a baby, or when you touch a surface with the virus on it and then touch your face before washing your hands. People with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days, and can become contagious 2 to 3 days before having symptoms.
Diagnosis: The most common is the rapid diagnostic test. This test looks for RSV RNA in nasal secretions. The results are usually available in 1 hour.
Treatment: Supportive. There are no specific antivirals
Prevention: There are no vaccines against RSV
What is Influenza?
Influenza (“flu”) is a contagious respiratory virus that can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can even lead to death, even in healthy children and adults. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, sore throat, runny nose, body and muscle aches, cough, and less commonly nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
It spreads similarly to RSV.
Diagnosis: Rapid diagnostic tests are becoming the gold standard. Performed by swabbing nasopharyngeal or throat secretions results are available in 15-30 minutes.
Treatment: Specific antiviral flu drugs can decrease the risk of serious complications, hospitalization and death and also shorten the duration of symptoms. Antivirals work best when given within 48 hours of when symptoms appear.
Prevention: The best way to prevent flu is to receive a vaccination every year. The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get vaccinated annually. The best time to get vaccinated is in the fall, before influenza viruses begin spreading in your community. However, vaccination throughout the flu season is still beneficial.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus discovered in 2019. Some people who are infected may not have symptoms. For people who have symptoms, illness can range from mild to severe. Adults 65 years and older and people of any age with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for severe illness.
The virus spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
Diagnosis: Three main types of tests confirm a COVID-19 diagnosis:
NAATs (such as PCR based tests) are most often performed in a laboratory or clinic setting. They are typically the most reliable tests for people with or without symptoms.
Antigen tests produce results in 15-30 minutes. They are less reliable than NAATs, especially for people who do not have symptoms. To best detect infection, a negative antigen test should be repeated at least 48 hours apart.
Self (or “at-home” tests) are usually antigen tests that can be taken anywhere without having to go to a testing site. Follow FDA and manufacturer’s instructions, including the number of times you may need to test.
Treatment: Depends on the severity of infection and is constantly evolving. There are antiviral drugs for COVID-19.
Prevention: People ages 5 years and older should complete the COVID-19 primary series vaccines and boosters (including mix and match shots) to prevent getting and spreading the illness.
How can I stay healthy?
Avoid contact with people who are sick. If you need to be around a sick individual, wear a well fitting mask (N95 or surgical) and make sure to cover your mouth and nose.
Stay home if you have symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand rub that contains 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
VACCINATE yourself against influenza and COVID.
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Over 100 people hoped to join Thursday’s Westport Representative Town Meeting’s Planning & Zoning Committee session on the text and map amendments that may lead to the redevelopment of Saugatuck.
The RTM Zoom link could handle only 100 guests. The meeting was canceled — and a new Zoom maximum set, of 500 attendees.
Meetings have been rescheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, January 10 and 12, at 6:30 p.m. Click here for the link.
The RTM’s Transit Committee will also meet on those dates and times, to discuss Saugatuck. Click here for the link.
In related news, members of the RTM Planning & Zoning Committee joined principals for the proposed Hamlet at Saugatuck project and other Westporters on a field trip to the site yesterday.
RTM members and others tour Saugatuck. They’re at the Morton’s parking lot, behnd Tarantino. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
In other RTM news: the non-partisan legislative body seeks candidates to fill the District 6 vacancy created by the death of Cathy Talmadge.
Residents of RTM District 6 interested in filling the vacancy should send a resume by January 20 to Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton: JDunkerton@westportct.gov.
No parent ever wants to hear: “Your child has cancer.”
Liz Vega and Tracy Cramer described their journeys yesterday, to members of Westport’s Sunrise Rotary Club.
Both women are from Circle of Care, a local non-profit helping families whose children battle cancer. Since 2003, the group has provided nearly $5 million in direct support.
The women offered sobering statistics — and inspiring stories — from their own lives, and those that Circle of Care has helped.
At yesterday’s Sunrise Rotary Club meeting (from left): Steven Chin (Rotary), Tracey Cramer and Liz Vega (Circle of Care), Bruce Paul (Rotary). (Photo/Mark Mathias)
Speaking of health: The Westport-based Shmaruk family non-profit PCT4PC recently presented a $50,000 check to the Norwalk Hospital Foundation. The donation supports pancreatic cancer early detection research conducted by Dr. Richard Frank, oncologist/hematologist and director of clinical cancer research at Norwalk Hospital.
The Shmaruk family formed PCT4PC in 2021 when Ben Shmaruk, now 23, set out to hike the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail to raise money for pancreatic cancer research.
He honored his father Alan, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2019. Ben’s sister Julianna, 21, managed social media accounts detailed the hike. To learn more about PCT4PC, please visit PCT4PC.com.
Alan Shmaruk died last, after living for nearly 3 years with the deadly disease. He is remembered at Norwalk Hospital for his unrelenting and inspirational positive. An exam room will be named in his honor at the Norwalk Hospital Whittingham Cancer Center.
(From left): Ben, Julianna and Dawn Shmaruk, and Dr. Richard Frank.
And finally … on this day in 1894, Thomas Edison made a kinetoscopic film of someone sneezing. Also today his employee, William Kennedy Dickson, received a patent for motion picture film.
Every week is a new experience. But always: This is your feature. All readers are invited to contribute. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions.
All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and (yes) needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world!
(NOTE: The online art gallery will be closed next week. We’ll reopen on January 21. Come visit then!)
“Winter Sunset” (Karen Weingarten)
“Winter Walk” (Werner Liepolt)
“Waterfall” (Amy Schneider)
“Dancer” — mixed media (Peter Barlow)
“Mommy, I’m Scared” — Photographer Mike Hibbard says of this photo from Tanzania: “Will 2023 bring us humans more or less fear?”
The Westport Library offers many ways for users to explore and grow.
Now it can offer a lot more.
The Nancy J. Beard Foundation has just made a landmark pledge. It’s the largest to support operations in the Library’s 114-year history
The new Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund will support educational courses, lectures, special workshops and hands-on training activities. The goal is to sustain, educate and engage the community.
“The Westport Library has a strong historical identity as a center for knowledge and learning, a resource for personal development, and a place to gather for cultural and community engagement,” says executive director Bill Harmer.
“This generous gift will allow us to build on the work we’ve done and expand the reach and the scope of our programming. We are incredibly grateful to Nancy and the entire Beard family for their generosity, support, and belief in us and our mission.”
The fund will help expand Library programing and support assets like mobile technology, the Verso Studios’ video and TV media suite, and the Library’s recording studio and post-production suite.
The Nancy Beard Foundation gift will help support the Westport Library’s Verso studios. (Photo/Brendan Toller for Westport Lifestyle Magazine)
“The Westport Library is a hub for the community, a gathering place, and a place of learning and conversation,” says Beard. “We love that the Library is active in the community, open and accessible to everyone. We hope this gift allows it to stay that way and to expand its great work so it can be a beacon for the community in the years to come.”
Nancy and her husband Gene moved to Westport in 1969, and have been active members of the community.
Nancy and Gene Beard.
The Beards made their first donation to the Library 26 years ago. They’ve given regularly since then, including the 2019 transformation project.
Nancy was involved with Cub Scout, served as a teacher’s aide in elementary and middle schools, and volunteered with the Red Cross and Norwalk Hospital.
In addition to its support of the Library, the Nancy J. Beard Foundation has given to Assumption Church, Yale University, Save the Children, the Mercy Learning Center, Norwalk Hospital, and various food pantries.
Gene Beard established the Beard Center for Leadership in Ethics at Duquesne University and was a significant contributor to the Eugene P. Beard Faculty Fellowship in Ethics at the Harvard University Edmond J. Safra Center.
“Giving back to the community has always been important to us, which is why we wanted to create this endowment fund for the Library,” Nancy Beard says.
“Westport is a special place, as is The Westport Library. We want to do everything we can to grow that sense of community, and we’ve always viewed the Library as central to that role. We’re excited to see this fund make a difference, and we’re thrilled to play even a small role in supporting the Library’s future.”
The Fairfield resident — and, for the past 11 years, Weston Senior Activities Center director — was announced today as the new director of the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
Pfister — who led Westport’s Senior Center for 36 years — retired December 31.
Wendy Petty
Petty led Weston’s Senior Center expansion through fundraising, capacity-building and advocacy. She established partnerships with local organizations, volunteer networks, colleagues and social services agencies, to develop innovative social and recreational opportunities for seniors.
Originally from Southern California, Petty and her husband Jim raised their children in Weston. She has a BA in counseling and human Services from Notre Dame de Namur University.
In addition to her specialty in senior services, Petty has experience in non-profit operations, team leadership, grant and program development, and budget administration.
“I am very happy to welcome Wendy to Westport’s Center for Senior Activities,” says 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker. “She brings professional expertise, operational management and local knowledge to the Human Services team and, most importantly, to the WCSA.”
Petty says, “I am very excited to join WCSA’s team and look forward to building on their success as an exemplary hub for local seniors. Together, we will continue to provide the best possible care and service to the senior community.”
In her free time Petty enjoys running, taking long walks with friends, and spending time with family. She and her husband are active in the local car enthusiast community, and enjoy weekend rallies on the back roads of Connecticut.
Westport Senior Center
“The Senior Center’s success can be attributed to a variety of factors, including a Town administration that prioritizes seniors, participants who both contribute and drive programming, and our professional staff members who facilitate connections and run the programs day in and day out,” says Human Services Department director Elaine Daignault, which oversees the Senior Center.
“Under Sue Pfister’s leadership, the WCSA’s dedicated team helped to build the center of Westport’s dreams.
“Today, we prepare for a new era of growth and prosperity for our most esteemed senior residents. I could not be more excited to welcome Wendy to the team.”
In addition to Petty’s appointment — effective February 1, 2023 — Tooker promoted Holly Betts to assistant director of the Senior Center, and Jason Wilson to program specialist, effective immediately.
For decades, the pedestrian tunnel between Main Street and Parker Harding Plaza was — well, not exactly what you’d expect in a downtown like Westport.
While not as scary as the one in “A Clockwork Orange” — where Alex performs “a bit of the old ultraviolence” — it was poorly lit, dirty and dank.
In 2015 it was reborn as the “Tunnel of Love & Community” (abbreviated of course as TLC). Miggs Burroughs’ 16 stunning lenticular images show Westporters connecting with each other. Each changes, depending on the angle you view them from.
The passageway is now bright and alluring. It’s (almost) a tourist attraction.
But for 20 years in between — from 1995 to 2015 — a mural hung in the tunnel.
(Photo/Jarret Liotta)
Created by Westport children to celebrate the first “Westport Weston First Night,” it was a colorful portrayal of downtown.
It wasn’t great art. But it was fun, big, and ours.
The mural lasted 20 years. First Night — the New Year’s Eve family-friendly, non-alcohol celebration with music, fireworks, ice sculptures and much, much more — lasted a bit longer: until 2017.
Its demise — years after many similar events across the country faded — was due largely to a lack of volunteers, and decreasing attendance.
In the 5 years since, Westport has welcomed an influx of new, young families. Downtown too has seen a renaissance.
Perhaps next year we can revive First Night.
With, maybe, a kickoff event in the Tunnel of Love & Community.
Horse-drawn First Night sleighs, right outside the Tunnel of Love.
The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will hold a special public hearing on January 17 (7:30 p.m., Zoom) to review last month’s Planning & Zoning Commission decision to create a new zoning and map amendment in Saugatuck.
The vote rezoned 11 properties, and could pave the way for the new Hamlet at Saugatuck retail/hotel/marina project.
The RTM’s Planning & Zoning Committee planned to hold a public meeting to review the P&Z Commission’s decision last night. However, due to a Zoom glitch allowing a maximum of 100 people to attend at a time, with more seeking to participate, the meeting was canceled.
Further meetings are set for January 10 and 12, via Zoom (7 p.m.). The RTM Transit Committee will also meet on Monday, to discuss Saugatuck. Click here for agendas and details.
Details on the January 17 public hearing have not yet been released. It will be livestreamed at www.westportct.gov, and aired on Optimum channel 79 and Frontier channel 6020.
The shaded area includes the new text and map amendment boundaries.
This year, Westport celebrates more than Martin Luther King Day.
It’s a full Martin Luther King weekend.
On Saturday (January 14), the Westport Library features several community events.
Junauda Petrus and local artists offer workshops in creative mediums, culminating in a panel discussion on justice, art and healing. They include:
11 a.m. to noon: Writing Workshop with Shanna T. Melton, a poet, painter and art educator in Bridgeport. The author of “Unraveling My Thoughts” and founder of The Writer’s Group, she is also an arts consultant who integrates social justice and community engagement in her creative workshops, performances and events.
Noon to 1 p.m.: Self-Portrait Workshop with Alicia Cobb, a visual artist, fine body painter and teaching artist in Bridgeport. She honors her ancestors, and creates art for those who couldn’t. Breaking away from conventional canvas and concepts, Alicia creates stories of survival and beauty on human skin and through fine art.
1 to 2 p.m.: Art Workshop
2 to 3 p.m.: Workshop with Junauda Petrus, a creative activist, writer, playwright and multi-dimensional performance artist. Born on Dakota land, West-Indian descended and African-sourced, her work centers around Black wildness, futurism, ancestral healing, sweetness, spectacle and shimmer.
3 to 4 p.m.: Justice, Art and Healing panel discussion with Junauda Petrus and guest artists; moderated by Connecticut poet laureate, author and artist Antoinette Brim-Bell,
Click here for more details about the free Library events, and registration.
On Sunday (January 15, 3 p.m.), Petrus will deliver a keynote address at the Westport Country Playhouse.
The program includes a dance performed by the Regional Center for the Arts.
Click here to register for the free Westport Country Playhouse event.
The Playhouse — partnering for the weekend with the Westport Library, TEAM Westport, Westport/Weston Interfaith Council, and Westport/Weston Interfaith Clergy, says:
“Together, we invite our entire community — those who live, work, study and participate in the life of Westport, Fairfield County, and adjacent counties — to join us as we begin the work needed to continue King’s call to action, as urgent now as it was in 1968.
“For members of a community such as Westport, that begins with a challenge to understand our place of comfort and the work we each, as individuals, need to do to transform ourselves and our society into a more equitable and just one.”
Westport’s 17th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration begins next Friday (January 13), with Petrus leading student workshops in various schools.
The Remarkable Bookcycle is enjoying its winter home on Main Street, outside Savvy + Grace.
It’s all good. Except: It needs books!
They can be dropped off in the Bookcycle itself, or with Annette Norton in her Savvy + Grace. (No yellowing softcovers, please.)
The back story: Jane Green — yes, that Jane Green — and her husband Ian Warburg created the Remarkable Bookcycle as a tribute to the beloved pink book shop — the Remarkable — that sat on the Main Street/Parker Harding Plaza corner for 34 years.
The Bookcycle is a free library that moves between Compo Beach and Main Street — reminding everyone, Jane says, “of the many charming idiosyncrasies, and the many creative people, that made us fall in love with Westport in the first place.”
Jane Green, and the Remarkable Bookcycle on Main Street.
As contributions for Westport’s sister city of Lyman, Ukraine continue to come in — $4,500 over the past 2 days — our 3-week fundraising total stands at $246,300.
That’s just $3,700 of our $250,000 goal.
Meanwhile, Brian and Marshall Mayer — native Westporters, and our partners on the ground through the Ukraine Aid International organization they founded — are in Europe. They are sourcing material and goods to help Lyman, as it emerges from several months of Russian occupation.
Tax-deductible donations can be made to Lyman through Ukraine Aid International. Pleaseclick here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other tax-deductible donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo). You can also donate directly, via Stripe (click here).
Food for thought: The Westport Library’s January 10 (7 p.m.) event.
Michel Nischan dishes on “Dinner Disrupted: The Power of Food.”
The Library says: “Food has the power to transform. From where it is grown through consumption, food transforms us along its journey from seed to plate. But what journey is your food taking? And is it reaching everybody? Do we all have access to healthy and nutritious foods?”
Nischan — former partner with Paul Newman in The Dressing Room restaurant; 4-time James Beard Award-winning chef; founder and president of Wholesome Crave, which sells responsibly sourced, plant-forward soups to large-scale dining facilities, and co-founder of Wholesome Wave, the nonprofit food equity organization — will talk about food access, food choice, and how to create a more equitable and sustainable food system.
Yesterday’s Roundup mentioned a new store — Courtgirl — moving into 125 Main Street soon. They sell tennis and golf products in private clubs, pro shops and sports stores. This will be their first retail outlet.
Patti Brill — one of Westport’s 12 zillion pickleball players — wondered if “tennis products” included her sport.
The answer: Yes! Courtgirl will sell pickleball gear.
I don’t play. (I know, I know …). So I don’t know what “pickleball gear” is.
The bike tour that raises money for cancer survivors through 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100-mile rides through Connecticut (and virtually) draws dozens of Westport cyclists (and contributors).
Registration opens January 17. Click here for details.
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