Where in Westport would you see an official-looking sign that says “Beagle Xing” — complete with the image of an alert, about-to-cross beagle? (Click here to see.)
Fairfield County Hunt Club?
That’s a good guess — and the one favored by most responders to last week’s Photo Challenge.
But it’s wrong.
The location — one that only Jen Fridland knew — is the corner of Redcoat and Cavalry Roads, clear across town from the Hunt Club.
But neither Jen nor I — nor anyone else, it seems — knows the back story to the beagle sign. If you do, click “Comments” below.
And click “Comments” too if you know where in Westport you’d see this sight:
This holiday, kids are surrounded by AI-enabled toys, high-tech devices, and the newest fads and trends.
Reading can seem like an old-fashioned, outdated activity.
The Westport Library thinks others.
They’ve just rolled out a Children’s Winter Reading Program (and a companion Adult Winter Reading Challenge). But are designed to showcase the joys of the written word.
Now through February 23, the Children’s Winter Reading Program invites readers and non-readers alike to warm up with a good book. Open to all children and families, the program is wide-ranging: reading independently, being read to, even deciphering the cereal box at breakfast. Any child can participate, in any way.
Reading is tracked by minutes. Youngsters can log time spent reading novels, picture books, comics, newspapers, magazines and more.
They can also include time spent listening to stories read aloud by caregivers, librarians, or teachers. Creativity counts!
After signing up online, participants can visit the Library to receive an activity sheet and 9 color-coded stickers. Completing 10 activities earns a book from the Library’s prize cart. Every additional 50 minutes of reading unlocks more stickers that will contribute to a community artwork display at the Library.
Children who read 500 minutes can take home another book of their choice.
The Library’s reference team has put together 10 categories designed to spark curiosity, and encourage exploration across genres. The categories will be revealed tomorrow.
There are only 2 rules: Each category can only be used once, and each book counts toward a single category. Readers can log their completed books online and track their progress on the challenge leaderboard.
Last winter’s challenge brought 44 readers who read 272 books. Nearly 1/3 completed all 10 challenges.
She works with children ages 3 to 10 and their families, helping them understand the root of challenging behaviors, build confidence, strengthen executive functioning skills, and support social-emotional development — all in a practical, play-based way. The goal is to help family life feel a bit more connected and harmonious.
This winter break she’s offering workshops for children ages 5 to 9. With routines disrupted and energy running high, the workshops focus on social-emotional learning and executive functioning. She helps kids stay regulated, and gives parents a little extra support.
Each workshop blends movement, games, imagination and teamwork.
The recent death of May Britt — the former wife of Sammy Davis, Jr. — at 91 got Adam Stolpen thinking about our “06880” tagline: “Where Westport meets the world.”
The couple married in November 1960. The Guardian says, “At the time, interracial marriage was banned in the majority of US states. The couple received negative press, harassment and death threats.”
So where did they honeymoon?
Westport. Stolpen writes, “For years the Westport Country Playhouse had rented the Frazier Peters house at 1 Spring Hill Road over the summer as a perk for celebrities staring in their productions.
“I was told by someone whose family rented the guest cottage on the grounds that one night neighbors called the Westport Police to complain about noise coming from a party at the house.
“His parents went to the place to see what the trouble was. They found someone playing a piano, as Davis and other celebrities were dancing and singing for each other.
“Needless to say, when Westport’s finest saw the gathering they just said ‘party on.” Davis and Britt did so, for days more.”
Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt.
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Longtime Westport and Weston resident Dr. Stephen Eliot died Thursday.
He practiced psychotherapy locally for 50 years, and was a supervisor with the Psychoanalytic Association of Westchester Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.
He enjoyed playing basketball, baseball, tennis and ping pong, and was a noted youth coach with the Westport Soccer Association. He was also an avid fisherman, who knew every part of Long Island Sound.
Steve is survived by his wife Suzanne; sons Peter (Lana) and Andrew (Sammantha), and daughter Megan (Alex), and grandchildren Clara, Paulina, Hazel, Zoey, Clay, April and Alec.
Funeral services are set for noon today (Sunday) at Temple Israel. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Anti-Defamation League, Temple Israel, or Save the Sound.
And finally … speaking of Sammy Davis Jr., there’s “Candy Man.”
FULL DISCLOSURE: I hate this song. It is on my list of Top 10 Worst Songs of All Time — right down there with “Honey,” and the Christmas kid with his shoes.
(Sure, you can give “06880” candy. Or wine. But we really prefer a tax-deductible contribution, to support our work. Just click here. Thank you — and happy holidays!)
Yesterday’s “06880” lead story told the tale of 2 sisters from Oklahoma — members of the Staples High School Classes of 1961 and ’63 — who returned to Westport this month, for the 85th annual Candlelight Concert. They sang the closing “Hallelujah Chorus” on the same stage they’d stood on more than 60 years earlier.
In the piece, Lucy Weberling wondered why the music department’s annual “gift to the town” is not livestreamed. Thousands of alumni — and grandparents, relatives and friends — across the country would watch. Many have asked the same question.
I put it to Steve Zimmerman, townwide coordinator of arts for the Westport Public Schools. His response provides an interesting look behind the scenes at Candlelight — and into other areas of modern life we may not always think about. Steve writes:
This question comes up often. The reality is that it is the cumulative impact of many complex factors, rather than any single challenge.
First, and foremost, while our concerts are free to the public, the district currently funds a significant amount each year in production costs to ensure a high-quality in-person experience. We can’t simply raise ticket prices or add a new budget line to add streaming.
The Candlelight Concert is an enormous undertaking. (Photo/Jennifer Petrosinelli)
Since the 75th anniversary, the scope of our program has changed. Candlelight now includes a wide range of student-led small ensembles that vary from year to year, from chamber groups such as the piano, violin and oboe trio, to the 16-member women’s a cappella ensemble, to a full rock band with multiple guitars, keyboards and drums. Each instrument has unique requirements to be miced and balanced.
And these groups appear both before and after the combined choir and orchestra of more than 200 students, which has its own challenges (particularly in amplifying the choir). With performers spread across the stage and hall, managing sound reinforcement for the live audience alone is already extremely complex.
Adding a livestream introduces a separate and substantial technical challenge. The audio mix that works well in the room does not translate cleanly to broadcast. To do this properly, we would need a second audio engineer and mixing console to create a dedicated livestream mix, along with many additional microphones. We would also need a producer to manage camera selection and transitions, as we did for both the 75th anniversary and COVID-era broadcasts.
Student ensembles add technical production challenges. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Beyond production logistics and costs, licensing has become a significantly more complex hurdle over the past decade as streaming has expanded all over. Media consolidation and corporate buyouts have placed large catalogs of music, including works by relatively minor composers, under the control of major media conglomerates. As a result, rights decisions that were once straightforward are now handled by large corporate entities whose licensing models are designed around commercial streaming and revenue generation.
We currently pay approximately $1,500 annually for our School Music License, and maintain additional licenses with BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC to cover public performance and audio broadcast. Adding live video streaming would require an additional license, which we estimate would increase annual costs by at least $1,500.
Some works still fall outside these agreements and require individual permissions. In cases involving large rights holders such as Disney, works that originated with relatively minor composers are now owned by major corporations, which often requires extensive outreach to identify the correct contact, and can result in fees of up to $1,000 for a single short choral work.
Music rights add significant costs. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Candlelight performances also include original compositions, such as the vignettes created this year. Some composers, particularly those who are mindful of their professional online presence, are not comfortable having these smaller works broadcast publicly under their name, which adds another layer of complexity.
The level of administrative effort needed to secure rights is currently not possible for teachers. More broadly, we are operating in an era when content owners are increasingly attentive to streaming and enforcement. I act cautiously to protect the district and town, particularly given our community’s strong ties to the arts and media industries and the scrutiny that can accompany questions of fair use. Things are changing, but slowly.
In short, while we would absolutely like to explore live streaming in the future, doing so responsibly would require additional staffing, equipment, licensing and budget. Our goal is to pursue this only if it can be done in a sustainable and high-quality way.
The livestream produced for our 75th anniversary was successful in part because it was a one-time expense and a much simpler production. Similarly, the COVID-era Candlelight broadcast was a significant production. and required nearly 2 years to fully absorb financially. Our current program structure and the unique nature of these events make routine livestreaming a far more demanding undertaking.
I appreciate the desire to experience Candlelight from afar and recognize that these challenges are not insurmountable. Over time, this may become more feasible financially and logistically.
For now, the only way to experience Candlelight is to be in the audience — including onstage, for the “Hallelujah Chorus.” (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
(Do you have a question about any aspect of Westport life? Ask us! Email 06880blog@gmail.com.)
The Westport Woman’s Club Ruegg Grants are generous gifts, to non-profits that (like the WWC itself) provide important community services.
On Thursday, they honored VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, with a $10,000 check.
The VFW will use the funds for its monthly free Veteran Benefits and Welfare Check luncheon program.
It reaches veterans facing challenges like PTSD, aging concerns or financial hardship. Many veterans are unaware of the benefits and support services available to them.
In addition to this outreach, Post 399 recently hosted its 66th consecutive monthly American Red Cross Blood Drive, and the Wreaths Across America program that placed American flags on the graves of over 1,200 local veterans.
Other VFW projects include Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies. The post is also helping plan 250th birthday events for the USA.
VFW quartermaster Phil Delgado (2nd from left), and VFW and Westport Woman’s Club representatives, with the $10,000 “check.”
Building on its Thanksgiving meals for students at Capital Prep Harbor School, A&S Westport and Conlon Amendola did the same for Christmas.
Twenty families received a full meal, each serving 6 people: ham with glaze, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, chocolate and red velvet bûches de Noë
Many Westporters helped with donations. Once again, Dr. John Corino of Norwalk Dental Arts gave a significant gift.
Dr. Joan Miller of Capital Prep Harbor School (center), with honor students who helped distribute the meals.
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Sunrise Rotary Club’s Friday morning speakers are always interesting.
But Rachel Precious — well, aw, shucks.
The 2006 Staples High School graduate, and conservation biology major at the University of Massachusetts, now owns Precious Oysters (I know, right?).
She told the Rotarians (nearly) everything there is to know about oysters.
Then she gave a shucking demonstration. And — at a time when most Westporters are drinking coffee and eating breakfast — the members sampled some.
Rachel spent 5 years farming oysters in the area, including Sherwood Mill Pond.
Today she runs her own oyster catering business, and is building her own oyster restaurant. She also serves as chair of the Connecticut chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, sits on Senator Murphy’s Long Island Sound Advisory Council, and leads an adaptive climbing club at a rock climbing gym.
Rachel Precious, and an oyster. (Photo/Katie Augustyn)
They’re in other places too. Charles Rosoff says, “I would love it if I had a nickel for every time I saw a dog in a grocery store, ice cream store and restaurant. What is wrong with people?”
And finally … on this date in 1915, he last Australian troops were evacuated from Gallipoli. It was one of the most significant — and consequential — battles of World War I.
And our “06880” artists know it. Several submissions to this week’s online art gallery reflect the spirit of the season.
And the weather.
Thanks, as always, to all our artists. No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, mixed media, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Tinsel & Toes” (Patricia McMahon — Available for purchase; click here)
“Home for the Holidays” (John Maloney)
“Even Penguins Love Christmas” — watercolor (Caroline Walton Howe)
“Great Barrington” (Wendy Levy)
Untitled (June Rose Whittaker — Available for purchase; click here)
“It’s Frosty Outside” — acrylic impasto, 21×21 (Dorothy Robertshaw — Available for purchase; click here)
Staples High School’s first Candlelight Concert was in 1941.
Lucy Weberling took part in the 20th Candlelight, in 1960. But she’s never forgotten it. She was here in Westport for last weekend’s concert — the 85th.
It was a long journey. Lucy lives in Oklahoma. She writes:
My Staples Class of 1961 was the first class to go all 3 years in the “new” building. (In 1958, the high school moved from Riverside Avenue — now Saugatuck Elementary School — to a campus of 6 unconnected buildings on North Avenue.)
Staples music director John Ohanian created the Candlelight Concert in 1941.
I was in choir, chorus, band and orchestra, under Mr. John Ohanian and George Weigle. I loved all the fantastic arts programs at Staples, and majored in music at Southern Methodist University in Dallas following high school.
My sister Janet Weberling (now Holly Redwood), also was active in the music programs in Staples. She want on to Northwestern University, in marketing.
About 10 years ago I got interested in livestreaming the Staples Candlelight service, and was successful. We sang along to the whole program. It was so uplifting and exciting — really adding to the holiday spirit.
Then they took it way, probably due to ASCAP/BMI issues. I know, because I owned a music venue for a while.
[NOTE: “06880” asked Stephen Zimmerman, the public schools’ town-wide arts coordinator, why Candlelight is not livestreamed. He said that while the music department would like to explore livestreaming in the future, doing so would require additional staffing, sound equipment, licensing and budgets. They will pursue it if, financially and logistically, it can be done in a sustainable, high-quality way.]
I still play music. I taught it in all levels in schools, play in bluegrass and other roots music groups, and jam with friends and other musicians.
I am on the board of bluegrass festivals, and lead yoga sessions at various bluegrass festivals nationally. I also sing in my Unitarian Universalist church choir here in Tulsa.
My sister also sings in the UU choir. Tulsa hosts the Woody Guthrie Center, the Bob Dylan Center, and Leon Russell’s Church Studio. We are all about music.
We have quite an important Native American culture too. There are 39 tribes here, and the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.
George Weigle was the choral director when Lucy Weberling sang at Staples.
As I get older, and want to experience some of what you might call my “bucket list” ( I don’t call it that), and because my son works for American Airlines, and I can fly either standby or a 20% discount, I thought: Why not go to the Staples concert?
I wrote to Staples, got names of teachers in the music department, and asked about assurance of tickets. (I probably bugged them a lot, but I didn’t want to make plane reservations unless I was sure to get tickets.)
My sister and I made our reservations, I got in touch with my friend Chris Burdette, who also sang in the Staples choir, and we made our plans.
We also wanted to see the holiday lights in New York City. I got in touch with family, and planned that for the day before the concert.
The trip went well. There was a gridlock alert. It was hugely packed. We could barely move. But we saw some lights, and the Rockefeller Center tree from afar.
When it came time for the Candlelight concert, it was so thrilling to enter into the building to a chamber music group welcoming us.
I hurried to find seats. We ended up in the front row — not the best, but the only ones available.
Lucy Weberling at the Candlelight Concert. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Tears came to my eyes as “Sing We Noel” began. It was almost holy.
The selections represented many other religions and ethnicities. That’s so important, and something I miss living in Oklahoma (although we do have a lot of Hispanic, Asian and Muslim heritage here).
The “Kije Suite,” “Bogoroditse Devo,” “Ogo ni fun Oluwa,” “Stille Nacht” — and then the magnificent “Gloria” by John Rutter – all were fantastic.
The view from the audience.
The Candlelight Vignettes — a super version of “Carol of the Bells,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “Waltz of the Flowers,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Sleigh Ride”
(wow!), and … the “Hallelujah Chorus!”
I was thrilled to get up and sing along with the choir. Even though I was hoarse, and was with the sopranos.
Lucy Weberling (front, 2nd from left), with alumni and current singers, in the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
This concert will live as one of my most favorite memories and experiences. I still am basking in the glory of the music program at Staples High School. You Westporters are so fortunate to get to send your kids to this marvelous school.
My sis and I were/are so lucky that, when our dad was transferred to the New York office of his company, MW Kellogg, that he chose Westport as our place to live.
I hope to come back again next year. What a wonderful experience!
Al Willmott was a noted Westport artist. He died in 2006, at 83.
But longtime Westporters remember his pen-and-ink scenes of Westport, created each year as Christmas greetings.
They’re decades old now.
The stores and restaurants change. But we can all recognize downtown, at Christmastime.
Al’s illustrations are timeless.
And timely.
Main Street
Saugatuck River, west bank. National Hall is at left.
Gorham Island
The Ships restaurant is now Tiffany.
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