In the early 1920s, postcards were a popular way of communicating. They were quick, cheap — and the fronts told stories of where the writers happened to be.
Even if artists sometimes took liberties with their scenes.
Seth Schachter collects old Westport postcards. This one intrigued him, because the vista is so hard to determine.
Is this an actual Westport vista? If so, from where? What are those buildings, on the left and in the distance?
Click “Comments” to offer your thoughts.
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Kristen Stroud posted this important — but depressing — information on social media:
“My family owns Malone’s Refuse Service. A customer brought to our attention that someone is fraudulently soliciting holiday tips.
“The person placed these cards (photo below) in mailboxes, hoping the customer will then mail them a holiday gift. This person is not employed by Malone’s Refuse Service. We will be reporting it to the police.
“Between this scam and all of the recent issues with check washing and mail being stolen, if you would like to gift your actual refuse collector, you can email me at malonesrefuse@gmail.com and we will figure out the safest way to do so.”
Calling Sherlock Holmes!
Or really, any 1st grader who can read.
With the address provided, it should not take long to crack this case wide open.
Every organization in Westport (and beyond) asks Miggs Burroughs for favors.
He always obliges.
For over 30 years, the talented and generous artist/graphic designer (and longtime runner) has designed t-shirts for the Pequot Running Club’s annual “Turkey Trot.” Proceeds go to the club, and charity.
They’re great souvenirs. Then they end up in the bottom of runners’ drawers, replaced by their next race t-shirt.
This year Miggs commemorated 45 years of Turkey Trotting. He chose historic national and world events from those past years, and included them in the design.
Uh oh.
A Tik Tok user named “Crawlie” — who did not run in the race, and apparently had way too much time on her hands — did not like Miggs’ choices. She posted her thoughts.
For reasons known only to Tik Tok users, Crawlie’s post has received over 688,000 views. It’s generated more than 2,800 comments.
Most people did not share her outrage.
In fact, requests to buy t-shirts have poured in from across the country.
Take that, Crawlie!
PS: Another Tik Toker attempted a Billy Joel/”We Didn’t Start the Fire”-style video. It’s pretty weak. Still, it gives you an idea of the “controversy” surrounding the shirt.
… and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker made brief remarks (including a shout out to the Public Works Department, for decorations). She then asked kids in the crowd to join her, counting down “3 … 2 … 1!” …
… and wham! Last night, Westport’s Christmas (aka Holiday) tree was lit, in front of Town Hall by Myrtle Avenue.
(Photos/Dan Woog)
Missed it? No problem!
There’s another tree lighting tonight (Friday, 4:30 p.m., Wakeman Town Farm). Stick around for carols and treats, too.
Speaking of Christmas songs: The Saugatuck Caroling Crawl returns a week from tomorrow (Saturday, December 10).
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event was last held in pre-COVID 2019.
This year once again, 6 Staples Orphenians will sing holiday songs, moving from one restaurant to the next. They’ll hit 14 in all.
Carolers begin their rounds at the Boathouse at 6:30 p.m. They’ll head to Parker Mansion, Kawa Ni, The Whelk, Tutti’s and the Black Duck, before making their way to Railroad Place to sing at Tarantino, Harvest, Romanacci and Allium.
They finish by 8:30 p.m., after entertaining diners at Match Lobster Burger, Rizzuto’s, Viva Zapata and Dunville’s.
Participating Orphs include Sophia Betit, Madelyn Spera, James Dobin-Smith, Alyssa Lee, Deneil Betfarhad and Ethan Tober will be performing.
The Westport Farmers’ Market adds a special “Holiday Artists’ Market” a week from tomorrow (Saturday, December 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center, 7 Sylvan Lane). The market features a wide range of handcrafted gift ideas, from 25 local artists.
Carolers will entertain. Bubble & Brew will provide cold and hot beverages, plus sweet treats. Chef Dan Kardos will bring his Oak & Oar food truck too. “Mark(et)” the date right now.
Today we feature a different scene, from almost the exact same spot:
After zipping past several prominent “One Way/Do Not Enter” signs, the driver continued the wrong way, refusing to back up or turn around — even when told to. (Had she looked around, she might have noticed every other car pointed in the other direction.)
The driver never stopped (or acknowledged reality). She just kept going, all the way to the Post Road.
‘Tis the holiday season. So Westport Country Playhouse ends its 2022 Script in Hand series on December 12 with …
… “Bad Jews.”
Spoiler alert: It’s a comedy.
The night after their grandfather’s funeral, 3 cousins engage in a verbal (and sometimes physical) battle. There’s Daphna Feygenbaum, a “Real Jew” who is volatile, self-assured and unbending; her equally stubborn cousin Liam, a secular and entitled young man with a shiksa girlfriend Melody in tow, and Liam’s brother Jonah, who tries to stay out of the fray.
There’s live music at 6 p.m. in the lobby before the show. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Countless Westporters know and love Cathy Talmadge.
Those who don’t, should. Every resident’s life has been touched, and impacted, by hers.
Cathy’s longtime friend Amy Ancel calls her “a passionate, tireless volunteer and leader with Wakeman Town Farm, Earthplace and Friends of Sherwood Island.”
Cathy is also a member of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting. Over the past 15 years she has served on the RTM’s Public Works and Environment Committees.
She works quietly yet doggedly to help make Westport a better place to live.
Cathy Talmadge.
Cathy is now seriously ill.
Her friends at Wakeman Town Farm want her to know what an inspiration she has been to them, and so many others. Cathy’s friend and colleague Christy Colasurdo writes:
When I met you more than 15 years ago, I was in awe. You were a wonderful cook, gardener, traveler, swimmer, environmentalist, and served on at least 2 town boards.
And that’s just skimming the surface.
You clearly relished your role as a conduit between the players in town and the organizations you served. You knew everyone who was anyone, and they obviously knew and respected you.
But the thing that impressed me the most was how you were always the first to quietly jump in to lend a hand, whether it was wrangling permits from the liquor control board, rolling up your sleeves to sew masks during COVID or dropping off used file folders to cut down on paper waste.
When I think of you, I picture you in your sunny kitchen with a soup bubbling on the stove and a golden retriever and Siamese cat at your feet, switching out your seasonal planters, or working away at your sewing table. You befriended and surrounded yourself with local environmental “greats” like Sal Gilbertie and Norm Bloom, and you were viewed as a civic leader on par with these giants for your commitment to Earthplace, Sherwood Island, the RTM, Wakeman Town Farm and other local organizations fighting for a more sustainable environment.
Cathy Talmadge, at Wakeman Town Farm.
At the Farm you were one of the pioneers, putting yourself in the mix to ensure a successful initial renovation of the aging Wakeman residence to provide a cozy and warm welcome to the first caretaking family.
After this you took on the dual roles of town liaison and farm treasurer, helping create accounting systems, guiding budget decisions, managing the Farm’s first audit and so much more.
To many of us at the Farm you were a valued team player and, more than this: family.
I was deeply affected by your fight through serious illnesses, leading to your kidney transplant last year.
Thank you for your friendship, and for being such a wonderful person. Please know that you have always been an inspiration to me and many others. and that we are with you now.
Several trees came down, all over town. Jo Shields reports says that one, on North Avenue south of Charcoal Hill, took down power lines.
A Fire Department truck waited an hour and a half for Eversource crews to arrive. (She was told they were working on Newtown Turnpike lines.)
Power lines down on North Avenue. (Photo/Jo Shields)
Traffic was diverted, but turning around was not easy on the northern curve. It was especially tough for an 18-wheeler hauling vintage cars. It had to back down North Avenue for a third of a mile. Meanwhile, cars tried to get around it — despite the closed road ahead.
Jo directed traffic by Coleytown Elementary School, helping the truck make it down the road.
An 18-wheeler backed carefully down North Avenue, until it reached Easton Road (shown here). (Photo/Jo Shields)
But the Westport Library’s 2023 VersoFest will have a strong Rolling Stones presence. Record producer Steve Lillywhite — whose credits include not only “the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band ever,” but also U2, the Dave Matthew Band, Phish, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, the Psychedelic Furs, XTC, Morrissey, the Pogues, Guster, the Killers and more — has just been signed as a headliner.
Last spring’s inaugural VersoFest was a smash. The 2nd annual music and media conference and festival will draw even more media creators, artists and fans to the Trefz Forum, and meeting rooms throughout the Library.
Lillywhite’s April 1 appearance will include a conversation with Chris Frantz, the Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummer, and a Sturges Highway resident.
Lillywhite began as a staff producer with Island Records. With great success in pioneering recording ethos and technique (and popular sales), Lillywhite was made a Commander of the Order of The British Empire for his contributions to music in 2012.
VersoFest is set for March 30-April 2. Many more artists and contributors will be announced soon.
The Westport Police have released arrest reports for the November 24-30 period.
Four people were detained in custody. One was charged with possession of child pornography; one with failure to appear; one with both operating a motor vehicle under suspension and failure to keep plates readable, and a fourth with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, operating a motor vehicle under suspension, operating an unregistered vehicle, and improper stopping or turning.
The following citations were issued:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 8
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 6
Misuse of plates: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 3
Stop sign violation: 3
Insurance fails to meet minimum requirements: 2
Speeding: 1
Following too closely: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signal: 1
Violation of any traffic commission regulation 1
Driving with an out-of-state license after 30 days: 1.
Historical plaques from the Westport Museum for History & Culture honor the heritage of over 470 local homes.
The latest is for the longest known continuously operating store.
Old Mill Grocery & Deli has served the neighborhood (and beyond) since 1919, when it was built by Harry F. Sherwood. He hired Sylvester and Florence Young to operate it; in 1927, they bought from him.
In 1929, the Youngs sold ½ interest in the store to Kenneth Montgomery. Both families operated the market until 1937, when the Youngs sold their half interest to Mabel Montgomery.
She died in 1960; he son Kenneth ran the store until his death in 1985. The next year, it was transferred to Old Mill Associates. Several owners followed, and the name changed to Elvira’s and then Joey’s by the Shore. The current owner — as of last year — is Soundview Empowerment Alliance (SEA) Inc.
Bob Weingarten (far right), house historian and plaque coordinator at the Westport Museum for History & Culture, presents the sign to founding members of the non-profit that rescued and preserved the community market. From left: Chris Tait, Tom Febbraio, Jim Hood, Emil Zobl, Ian Warburg. In front: Koda.
Sure, it’s just the first day of December. But we’ll be hard pressed to find decorations any day the rest of this month that top these, at 134 Birch Hill Road in Weston:
Westport will be well represented at “Layers Revealed” — the new exhibit at Norwalk Art Space.
Photographer Jerri Graham and artist Melissa Newman are in the show, which explores “all of life’s intricacies and complexities.”
“Slowly, the layers of our lives are revealed and once they are, we fully come through,” Graham says. Through “each frame of the camera,” she aims to highlight “a fraction of a second of a life that will be lived for a time unknown. Within these fractionated layers, we find our lives and ourselves.”
“Layers Revealed” encourages viewers to explore the many cycles and layers of humanity, nature, beauty, creation and decay.
At the opening reception December 15 (6 to 8 p.m, 455 West Avenue, Norwalk), Graham will take portrait photos at a pop-up space.
She’ll also host 3 portrait photo sessions (December 18, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.; January 8 (10 a.m. to noon) and January 15 (noon to 2:30 p.m.). Book sessions at 203-252-2840; donations are accepted. Students ages 13 to 18 who are interested in helping Graham (and learning about lighting, composition and more) can apply here.
On January 15 (3 p.m.), Graham will give a talk. On January 28 (11 a.m.), Newman — who is also a vocalist — will join guitarist Tony
Lombardozzi for a jazz brunch performance at The Norwalk Art Space.
Also nearby: The Mark Twain Library Art Show celebrates its 50th — that is, golden — anniversary with an event about gold.
“Gleam, Gossip & Gold: Love and Loss in American Art” is the title of the December 8 (7:30 p.m., in-person and Zoom) presentation. Westport art Dr. Robin Jaffee Frank will discuss the “untold dramas behind American art objects that were crafted in the precious metal.”
Frank is the former chief curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, and senior associate curator of American paintings and sculpture at the Yale University Art Gallery. Her Ph.D. in the history of art is from Yale.
Another Westport connection with the Mark Twain Art Show (December 3-11): Artist (and former teacher) Werner Liepolt has had a piece (“Dune Restoration #4) juried in.
It was originally shown in the “06880” online art gallery.
And finally … Christine McVie — Fleeetwood Mac’s noted singer/songwriter/ keyboardist — died yesterday. She was 79, and had been in ill health. Click here for a full obituary.
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Just 2 shopping days remain before the 2nd annual Holiday Stroll.
Which is fine. The Stroll — on Saturday, December 3 (5 to 7 p.m.) — is where you can take care of all your holiday shopping.
Plus: Where your kids can meet Santa, enjoy face painting and get balloon animals.
All with live caroling (you can join the singers!), and lots of free food nibbles and hot chocolate (some happy hour drink prices too).
The Holiday Stroll — co-sponsored by “06880” and the Westport Downtown Association — covers a wide swath. The main tent will be on Main Street (in front of Cold Fusion).
Over 40 stores and restaurants have joined in, from Sconset Square to the Post Road, Church Lane and across the bridge to the west bank of the river too.
Highlights include Greens Farms Academy’s Harbor Blues (5 p.m.), and the Staples High School Orphenians at 6:30.
Staples’ Orphenians return to the Holiday Stroll. New this year: Greens Farms Academy’s Harbor Blues, and professional singers leading carolers (starting at Sconset Square at 5).
There’s more! Professional singers (and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker) will start at 5 p.m., at Casa Me (the new Sconset Square restaurant). Everyone is invited to tag along (and sing), as the group makes it way up the Post Road and onto Main Street.
All week long, retailers and dining spots have added their names to the Stroll Here’s the latest list of participants, and what they offer:
Artistex Salon & Spa: Oribe gift box $125 — choose any 3 Oribe products, plus free service card
Awesome Toys & Gifts: $10 gift card to first 100 kids
Bartaco: Hot chocolate on their patio
Basso: 15% discount to all diners mentioning the Stroll
Black Bear Wines & Spirits: 15% off all wines
Blossom + Stem: Complimentary mini-bouquets, and a chance to win a fresh holiday prize
Bobbles & Lace: Glass of wine & Bobbles Bucks ($$$ off your purchase)
Bridgewater Chocolates: Complimentary chocolate tastings and hot chocolate
Brooks Brothers: The entire store is 30% off all weekend
Capuli: Giving out churros
Capuli’s churros are some of the many restaurant treats. Nearby Post Road neighbors like Jeera Thai and WEST are also joining the Stroll.
Chocolatieree: toasted peppermint s’mores
Cold Fusion Gelato: Handing out wrapped chocolates
Don Memo: Giving out festive adult and children’s beverages
Fred: Complimentary holiday treats
Jeera Thai: 20% off on takeout meals
Joe’s Pizza: Garlic knots
Kerri Rosenthal: 15% off read-to-wear and accessories
La Fenice: Buy 1 regular coffee, get 1 free
Le Rouge Aartisan Chocolates: Free hot chocolate
Lift Wellness Group: Discount on bundled psychotherapy and nutrition services; gift cards with 10% discount
Lux Bond & Green: Refreshments and surprises
Manna Toast: Hot chocolate
Megan’s Martha’s Vineyard Boutique: 20% off, and a giveaway bundleMoxie Salon & Beauty Bar: Spin The Wheel to Win! 20% off hair extensions; $20 off voucher; $25, $50, $75, $100, $200 gift certificates; complimentary spray tan or blowout; $50 off Balayyage or Ombre; complimentary makeup application, girls hair tinsel and/or braids
Nomade: Candied almonds in bamboo cone, and cookies
Noya Jewelry: Hot holiday drinks
Rye Ridge Deli: Free hot chocolate, tea, coffee
Savvy + Grace: Holiday treat, and mailbox for kids to drop off letters to Santa (Parents: include a stamped, addressed envelope, and Santa will write back!)
Kids can drop off letters to Santa at Savvy + Grace. With a stamped, addressed envelope, he’ll write back. Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Scout & Molly’s: 20% off purchase, light snacks
Sorelle Gallery: Gift boxes with discounts from 5 to 15% for any Holiday Collection item; light festive refreshments (prosecco, candy canes, sparkling water, etc.)
Sundance: 30% off apparel with a $150 purchase
The Cashmere Sale of Westport: Holiday candy
The Tailored Home & Studio Café: Complimentary Santa’s cookies and hot chocolate; 50% off sale on all pillows
The Toy Post: A small toy for each child
Tiffany: Complimentary standard engraving on new purchases
‘Upnorth: 20% off, and a giveaway
Vuori: 20% off purchases
WEST: Raffle for $150 gift card (no purchase necessary); winner drawn at 7:30 p.m.
Walrus Alley: Happy hour prices for food and drinks
Westport Book Shop: Free book, and a coupon for a future visit
Winfield Street Street Coffee: Hot cocoa and cruffins (pecan cinnamon rolls with a croissant dough)
Yoga45: Participation in a yoga event.
The event is all about giving back, too. A box will be set up for donations for the Westport PAL holiday toy drive. Everyone is invited to bring an unwrapped, new gift (or two!).
See you Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Stroll! (For more information, click here.)
Hard to believe, but “06880” has never hailed Sybil Steinberg as an Unsung Hero.
The contributing editor and — for many years — book review section editor for Publishers Weekly is a well known and beloved Westport Library treasure.
Her curated recommended reading recommendations — called simply “Sybil’s List” — have entertained, inspired and kept local readers busy for years. A number of Westporters will not read a book unless it’s been vetted by Sybil.
During COVID, she took her talks to Zoom. Suddenly her grateful audience expanded far beyond her hometown.
Now she’s back live, at the Trefz Forum. Happily, the Library films her talks.
A gifted interviewer for Publishers Weekly, Sybil does the same when writers visit the Westport Library.
Sybil and her late husband, the equally well respected Dr. Steinberg, moved here in 1960. (The last name is familiar for another reason: Their son Jonathan has served as Westport’s representative for 7 terms.)
Now well into her 80s, Sybil Steinberg shows no sign of slowing down. She’s got many more books to read, and recommend, in her role as the town’s literary guru.
And — stopping only briefly for kudos — as our “06880” Unsung Hero of the Week. (Hat tip: Mary Condon)
Sybil Steinberg
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com)
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Popup Bagels — the Westport-based company that has taken the tri-state area by storm (including several out-of-the-suburbs-and-into-the-city awards at Brooklyn BagelFest) — has some eye-popping news.
They just closed on a second round of (poppy) seed funding. Founder and CEO Adam Goldberg calls it “a few million dollars — more than a couple.” That’s on top of about $250,000 last year.
The most recent funding was led by film producer John Davis. Other investors include actors Patrick Schwarzenegger and Paul Rudd; swimmer Michael Phelps, and NFL players JJ and TJ Watt, and Michael Strahan.
The company will now hire a team to examine expansion ideas, including more locations in the New York area (and possibly adding Los Angeles). They’ll also add production capability.
Click here for the full story, from Restaurant Business.
Adam Goldberg, with his Brooklyn BagelFest awards.
“Spirited” — the Christmas-themed musical comedy retelling of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” — has opened to great reviews. It’s in theaters, and streaming on Apple TV.
The music-writing team includes 2003 Staples High School graduate Justin Paul, and his songwriting partner Benj Pasek (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “La La Land,” “The Greatest Showman”).
Justin — also credited as an executive producer — said he had “a blast” working on the score during the pandemic, on Zoom.
In this quick, intriguing interview below, he provides a bit of the back story:
Speaking of cinema: “Small Town Movie” is making its way to distribution.
And that “small town” is Westport.
Jarret Liotta — a Staples High School graduate, now a journalist and writer — filmed the dark satire that tries to make sense (“or non-sense”) of racism, gun violence and modern cancel culture in an “average, upper middle class, affluent Connecticut town.”
The timely script will make audiences laugh. “Or furious, depending on their mood that day,” Jarret says.
His goal is to “poke fun at everyone equally, regardless of their social or political views. Hopefully it provides a minor epiphany for everyone — about themselves and the comical world in which we live.
“If Westporters enjoyed my smarmy columns and editorial writing in the past, they’ll probably adore this flick,” Jarret — former editor of Westport Journal — adds.
“If they hated them, this will help them hate me even more.”
The film includes original music by Staples grads Tom Shaner and Margot Liotta.
Jarret plans a screening in Westport after the holidays. Then, he hopes, it will start getting attention from film festivals.
The Staples football team’s quest for a state tournament semifinal berth fell a few agonizing inches short last night.
The Wreckers — seeded 4th in the “LL” (extra large schools) division — dropped a 23-22 heartbreaker to #5 Fairfield Prep, at Paul Lane Field.
The game came down to the final seconds. With no timeouts left, Staples junior quarterback Caleb Smith brought his team 77 yards in the final 2:22. A pass into the end zone was broken up with 3 seconds to go. A final 29-yard field goal attempt was just wide.
Congratulations to coach Adam Behrends and his squad for an excellent 9-2 season. This was the Wreckers’ first playoff game in 7 years.
Quarterback Caleb Smith. (Photo/John Nash courtesy of The Ruden Report)
WestportMoms’ Holiday Shopping Event always draws a huge crowd to the Westport Country Playhouse. Vendors offer nearly everything shoppers need to complete their gift list.
This year, it’s moving inside, to the Playhouse barn. (Some tables will be outside too). It’s set for this Friday (December 2, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
Warm drinks will be provided. Those WestportMoms think of everything.
Westporters raveled to Guatemala this month to help expand a local English academy, and also create healthy cooking stoves for local families.
Led by Howard Greene, chair of the non-profit Friends of BEA, the group spent a week building 2 middle school classrooms, painting the exterior, erecting a fence, and working in homes to build energy-efficient and properly ventilated cooking stoves. They also met students, and observed classes.
Among the volunteers: Howard and Joyce Greene, Jeff and Nancy Plotkin, Dan and Ivy Guetta, Robert and Heidi Flicker, Tony and Amy Riggio, Steve and julie Lewine, and Mark Mathias.
The Guatemala group.
Balanya English Academy provides high quality, English-based education, and supportive services to students, their families and the local community. The goal is to prepare graduates to work in an increasingly globalized world.
Longtime Westport resident Dr. Paul Schulman died peacefully in his sleep last month, doing what he and his late wife Susan loved: traveling overseas. He was 89 years old.
He was the highly respected chief of hematology and oncology at Norwalk Hospital. He also served at both Yale New Haven Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York.
Paul was born in New York, graduated from Columbia College and SUNY Medical School, and served in the US Air Force.
After he and Susan married in 1965 they moved to Westport, and purchased a home on Twin Oaks Lane in 1968 in anticipation of a family. They raised Heidi and Bruce, both of whom graduated from Staples High School.
Paul coached Little League baseball and softball. He played tennis with friends, enjoyed Westport Pizzeria, and dropped in at Harvey’s Liquor Locker and Klein’s (to purchase action thrillers). Paul and Susan spent many weekend nights dining at Mario’s.
He and Susan shared a passion for art and antiques, especially clocks, which he collected and wound every Sunday. Their collections were fueled by their intrepid travel. Paul and Susan were among early visitors to Antarctica, Burma (now Myanmar), China, and New Guinea, among many other destinations.
After spending nearly 40 years in Westport, Paul and Susan retired to South Carolina and Marbella, Spain. After Susan died in 2016 Paul moved into Fox Hill Residences in Bethesda, Maryland, near where his son lives with his family.
Paul was an active member of the Fox Hill community, participating in the quarterly “radio show,” passing evenings at his end stool at the bar, and watching his grandsons in sports and school activities. He became dear friends with the late Rhoda Herman. Together they enjoyed weekends at her country home in Leesburg, Virginia.
Paul is survived by his children Bruce (Frazier) and Heidi Greenwald (Brad), and 5 grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a memorial page at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
A service to celebrate his life will be held in Bethesda in January. Email Bruce (bschulman@hotmail.com) for details.
And finally … Louise Tobin died Saturday in Texas. She was 104.
In 1939, the vocalist with Benny Goodman’s orchestra was ready for national fame. But her husband — bandleader/trumpeter Harry James — had her put her career on hold, to further his own career.
They divorced 4 years later. She raised 2 sons, and was forgotten. But her career was jump started years later in New Orleans, when Al Hirt recognized her and invited her on stage.
Lying nearly 2 1/2 miles under the sea, 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland — and hard to find even with GPS — it’s become a bucket list item for hard-core enthusiasts (“Titaniacs”).
You or I would pay $250,000 to visit, via oil rig servicing ship, then a specially deigned 5-person submersible vehicle.
For David Pogue, it’s just part of his job.
The longtime Westporter leads a more interesting life than most of us dull neighbors. His wide-ranging resumé includes technology writer for the New York Times, Scientific American and Yahoo (plus author of the wildly popular “Missing Manual” series); PBS “Nova” host, and (of course) Broadway conductor.
David Pogue hosting “NOVA.” He stands behind a periodic table “table.”
He’s also a “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent. In his role as “explainer,” he covers everything from cryptocurrency to the war in Ukraine.
Like millions of others, Stockton Rush is a fan of the show. He’s also the founder and CEO of OceannGate, the company that sponsors those $250,000-per-person voyages to the site of the wreck, and the dive that follows.
He suggested a story to the producers. They proposed it to Pogue. “I just about lost my mind with excitement,” he says.
(CBS stockholders, relax: The network paid only for his and the camera crew’s room and board.)
Like most of us, Pogue had no idea “normal people” could visit Titanic.
Like the pro he is, he read up on the ship, and James Cameron’s dives for his famed movie. Among other things, Pogue learned that when you try to dive in the North Atlantic, everything goes wrong.
He set out from Newfoundland this past summer. His fellow ($250,000) passengers included, predictably, a hedge fund guy and his son; an industry magnate, and an AI pioneer who sold a bunch of companies.
But Renata Rojas stole the “CBS Sunday Morning Show.” She’d wanted to see Titanic since she was a little girl. Now she works in the loan department of a bank. She spent 30 years saving for this adventure.
Renata Rojas hoped to fulfill a lifelong dream.
Pogue slept little in the days before the dive. Part of the reason was nerves. The other part was the rolling of the ship at sea.
He worried about 3 things: The sub would collapse under the 6,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. (Think of 46 school buses parked on your sternum.)
Second, he feared that the oxygen scrubbers — the same used on spacecraft — might break down.
Third: What if the ballast system to return to surface didn’t work?
David Pogue gets comfortable in the Titanic submersible.
Fortunately, every system has a backup. And the deeper the submersible goes, the tighter the water presses the titanium endcaps on to the carbon, making it actually more waterproof. (For more on the actual dangers, click here for Pogue’s “Unsung Science” podcast.)
Of course, none of that helped when he was asked to sign a release form. It noted that the submersible was an experimental vessel not approved by any regulatory body. And that the dive could result in “physical injury, disability, emotional trauma or death.”
“Where do I sign?” he asked.
David Pogue reads the release form.
Pogue was bolted into the sub from the outside. “That freaks out a lot of people,” he notes.
But inside the minivan-sized submersible, he felt comfortable. Of course there’s no temperature control, so it’s very hot at the start, frigid at 2.4 miles below the surface.
There were 5 potential dive days.
The first dive was aborted due to mechanical problems. Days 2 and 3 were scrubbed by weather.
Uh oh. What if — after all that preparation — the Titanic dive turned out to be its own disaster?
On Day 4, Rush took the first set of paying passengers down to the sea floor. However, communication problems prevented them from finding the wreck. They spent 4 hours looking at … nothing. (OceanGate will give them a free do-over next summer.)
Pogue was freaking out. He’d spent 12 days documenting an expedition to the Titanic that never got there. Yikes.
Happily, on the final day the remaining customers made a successful dive. They had “an incredible experience,” Pogue says.
“CBS Sunday Morning” had only enough time to show 45 seconds of the passengers’ video. Pogue offers “06880” readers a special bonus: a link to 12 minutes more:
So how did Pogue spend the rest of his time on the chartered oil rig service ship?
He toured the engine room. He interviewed the captain and first mate (and got a course in piloting the state-of-the-art, $300 million vessel).
He saw huge pods of dolphins and whales.
And each night, 4 Titanic and deep sea experts gave educational talks.
Ever the entertainer, Pogue spent one bad-weather day writing rhyming clues for a scavenger hunt. The payoff was a brilliant word puzzle that his son Kell had written for the occasion. Check out this exclusive video:
The story ran this past Sunday. Viewers reacted strongly on social media.
One was “disgusted” that people would “piss away” all that money “just to see a wrecked ship.” Another claimed he would not go even if paid $250,000.
Pogue has a different view.
For one, he has new respect for how hard it is to reach Titanic. Every expedition faces mechanical and weather problems.
For another, he thinks OceanGate could be more transparent about how low the odds are of reaching the wreck. They run 5 expeditions — each lasting 8 days — over the summer. Usually, they get down to Titanic only twice. Sometimes, they don’t succeed at all.
Third, Pogue appreciates that “most people would never in a million years pay that kind of money for this kind of trip,” whether for price, risk or claustrophobic reasons.
But, he adds, a certain percentage of the population thrives on thrills like that. They have the money — or save up to take the trip.
“Having lived with 6 of these folks at sea for 8 days,” he says, “I’m convinced they got what they were looking for.”
Renata — the woman who saved for 30 years to see Titanic — told Pogue, “I feel like I was missing something in my life. Now it’s not missing. I can die happy.”
You can’t put a price on that.
To see David Pogue’s full “CBS Sunday Morning” segment, click below:
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