“06880” has learned that Westport police have every reason to believe the lockdown at Staples High School is a false alarm.
Multiple schools across the state received the same threat. As a precaution, police are conducting a room by room search.
A source told “06880” that SWAT teams had been sent to schools in Stamford and Bridgeport earlier today.
“Is My Teen Just Moody? An Overview on Adolescent Depression” is the depressing — but very important — title of a Westport Public Schools’ workshop.
Set for November 3 (7 p.m., Bedford Middle School auditorium), it offers parents ideas for distinguishing “normal” teenage mood swings from symptoms of something more serious.
The event explores signs and symptoms of clinical depression, and offers treatment options.
Presenter Elizabeth Cotter of Effective School Solutions ha over 20 years’ experience as a therapist, program director and in clinical leadership roles.
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Traffic was normal — that is to say, busy — yesterday at noon.
Pat Prenderville was 5th in line on Imperial Avenue, waiting for the Post Road/Myrtle Avenue light.
Suddenly, the driver of a white Audi pulled in front of all the cars waiting in Pat’s line, and zoomed to the front.
In the left lane.
And proceeded to wait there — now first in line — until the light changed.
The very entitled white Audi. (Photo/Pat Prenderville)
The Very Very Very Important Driver then headed straight across, onto Myrtle.
“It’s amazing they weren’t hit by cars turning onto Imperial,” Pat says.
It’s also amazing that I’m not amazed anymore to hear — and see — stunts like this one.
PS: It was lunchtime, so this was not a teenage driver.
And you wonder why kids drive like they do.
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Club 203 — Westport’s new social group for adults with disabilities — had its second event this week.
Once again, it was a smashing success.
Attendees, their guests and volunteers came dressed for Halloween. Trunks were decorated, and filled with treats, Scary movie clips played on the Remarkable Theater screen, and there was dancing and games for all.
As they did at their first outing, Club 203 members greeted old friends, met new ones, and had a blast..
Next up: Gaming and Pizza Night (November 19, Toquet Hall). For more information, click here.
Club 203 members Jamie Taylor and Andreas Wagner enjoy the Halloween party.
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With nearly 300 members, Staples’ Service League of Boys is the high school’s largest club.
They spend most meetings planning events. But this week they Jay Paretzky of Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services led hands-on CPR and AED instruction for the teenagers — and their parents.
Other meetings are “working” sessions. For example, SLOBs will pack and deliver hundreds of snack bags for Bridgeport schoolchildren.
SLOBs has a great reputation, at Staples and throughout the community. It’s not hard to see why.
SLOBs’ CPR training.
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Speaking of Staples: Jo Shields was impressed to find this message chalked on the high school sidewalk the other day, next to the main entrance:
(Photo/Jo Shields)
It says “Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of bravery.”
Similar messages could be seen on sidewalks all around the school. They’re part of the Guidance Department’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of mental health.
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MoCA Westport’s first-ever Open Mic last night sounds great!
Sixteen performers — as young as 14, and as old as 87 — shared poems and music with the community. Westport poet laureate Jessica McEntee also participated. Performers ranged in age from young as 14 to as old as 87.
Click here for the full program.
Vivian Shamie performs at last night’s “MoCA Some Noise” open mic event. (Photo/Cynthia Dempster)
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes courtesy of Susan Leone. It was taken from the Riverwalk, behind the Library.
Once again, she — and her friend — remind us how fortunate we are to live here.
(Photo/Susan Leone)
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And finally … on this day in 1879, Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his incandescent light bulb.
Westport superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice says:
“This morning, a call was made to the Westport Police Department that warranted a lockdown at Staples High School.
“As a precaution, Bedford Middle School was placed in a ‘shelter in place.; The WPD is on scene at this moment investigating and the building is secure.
“When a school is in a lockdown or ‘shelter in place,’ no visitors are allowed on campus. All district schools have implemented safety procedures until this matter is resolved.”
Posted in Education, Police, Staples HS
Tagged Bedford Middle School, Staples High School, Westport Public Schools
Two-way traffic, golf improvements, more waterfront views and access, and pickleball courts are all possibilities for Longshore.
Plans were unveiled Wednesday night, at a Parks & Recreation Commission Zoom meeting.
As first reported by Westport Journal, commissioners heard and saw preliminary “concept” diagrams” from Stantec. The Canadian landscape architect, planning and engineering firm has been hired to develop a 10-year capital improvement plan for the 168-acre town-owned park.
Options include:
Preliminary ideas for Longshore.
The ideas — still in the discussion phase — are called “light” by both Gary Sorge of Stantec and Jennifer Fava, Parks & Recreation director.
Members of the public can examine diagrams up close, ask questions and offer feedback to the consultants at upcoming Westport Library open houses:
Wednesday’s presentation to Parks & Rec is available on the project website: Stantec Longshore Club Park.
A survey will be available on the website beginning October 31.
Plans showing changes to the entrance and exit roads.
Boat by Owenoke (Photo/Katherine Bruan)
Halloween comes early!
The annual downtown Children’s Halloween Parade is set for next Wednesday (October 26). Kids and parents meet at the Post Road East/Main Street intersection at 3:30 p.m.
They’ll march up Main Street, turn right to Avery Place, then turn left on Myrtle Avenue to Town Hall and Veterans Green. Children may trick-or-treat along Main Street and outside Town Hall.
Entertainment, refreshments and a small gift will be provided on Veterans Green across from Town Hall at 4 p.m.
The Parks and Recreation Department, Westport Downtown Association and Westport P.A.L. are sponsoring the event. It’s for all children — “especially those 8 and under.”
NOTE: There is no parkin on Main Street between 2 and 4 p.m. during the parade.
Seen at a previous Halloween parade.
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The Westport Education Association is raising funds to honor one of its own.
Beloved Staples High School technology education teacher Mike Sansur was killed Saturday, when his vehicle was rear-ended on I-95. His 21-year-old son — who is studying to be a teacher too — is hospitalized with serious injuries.
A GoFundMe page will help defray medical costs for Mike’s son, and help with future college costs for his 2 high school daughters.
The WEA says, “Mike touched the hearts of all students who walked through his door. A former student said was the “the only class where I felt like I belonged. He opened up a world of possibilities, and a desire to learn more. He taught the importance of attention to detail, design, and craftsmanship, which influenced me to pursue architecture. As I write this, the lamp he helped me build is still on my desk. Its light will not go out.”
Click here to contribute, and for more information.
Mike Sansur
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In the wake of “The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man” — Paul Newman’s new memoir — it’s hard to keep up with media mentions.
But a story in the current issue of The New Yorker caught my eye.
Twice, writer Louis Menand references the book’s genesis: over 100 interviews with and about the actor, conducted by his screenwriter friend Stewart Stern.
But in 1991, Newman asked Stern to stop. In 1998, Newman “took the cassettes to the dump and burned them all.”
Later, Menand mentions the incident again: “the auto-da-fé at the town dump seems a pretty clear indication that Newman did not want a memoir.”
The New Yorker is well known for its rigorous fact-checking.
It seems pretty clear that “the town dump” is our town dump. After all, this is where Newman lived. It’s where he kept the tapes.
But wait! We don’t have a “town dump.” It’s a “transfer station.”
And there’s no place there to burn anything.
So … maybe Paul Newman did not burn those hundreds of tapes here, but somewhere else?
Or maybe they were never burned at all?!
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One of the major themes of “From the Mississippi Delta” — the current Westport Country Playhouse production — is civil rights.
That’s inextricably tied in with voting rights. So — with an election looming next month — Westport’s League of Women Voters is offering political information in the Playhouse lobby through the show’s run. It ends on October 30.
For over 70 years, the LWV has been a non-partisan Westport institution. They do not support individual candidates; instead they advocate for voter education and enfranchisement. They actively register voters, and organize candidate debates.
Before each performance of “From the Mississippi Delta,” LWV volunteers will offer information on times, locations and requirements for voting in the November 8 mid-term election, including how to get an absentee ballot and online registration.
They will conduct in-person voter registration for people with valid identification (driver’s license, passport, or Social Security card).
The LWV will also explain the ballot referendum about adding days to voting in Connecticut. Right now, we are one of only one 4 states that limits voting to one day.
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Before Halloween and Election Day, there’s another holiday.
United Nations Day is not a big one. Except for the people who believe in things like, um, world peace.
To celebrate, the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut is sponsoring a talk and Q-and-A at the Westport Library (October 24, 7 p.m.).
Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-founder of the Yale Forum on Religion & Ecology, will speak on “Reimagining Our Environmental Future Together.” Her goal is to inspire people to “preserve, protect and restore the earth community.”
After nearly 3 COVID years away from cabaret, Leslie Orofino is back. And “Laughing at Life.”
This Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Lecture honors the founder of the UNASC. She was a longtime Westporter, and advocate for all things UN-related.
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Speaking of world peace: World-famous photojournalist (and 1991 Staples High School graduate) Lynsey Addario has spent more than 2 decades reporting in the face of conflict, corruption and censorship. She’s done it in the Middle East and Africa; now she capturing the horrors of war in Ukraine.
On November 9, she’ll receive a “Courage in Journalism” award from the International Women’s Media Foundation.
The virtual ceremony is set for November 9 (5:30 p.m.). CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell will host. Click here for free registration, and more information. (Hat tip: Naree Viner)
Lynsey Addario
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Westport’s prized vocalist joins director (and fellow townie) Louis Pietig in 2 performances at New York City’s Don’t Tell Mama.
“Laughing at Life” — that’s the show’s name — is a “foot-stomping, life-affirming journey of love.” It includes songs by Alberta Hunter, Fats Waller, Cole Porter, Bob Dylan and many others.
The first show is this Saturday (October 22); the next is Sunday, October 30. Both are at 4 p.m. There’s a $20 cover, with a 2-drink minimum. Click here for reservations.
Leslie Orofino
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Not much gets by Bob Weingarten.
He spotted frost yesterday morning on a Morningside Drive South roof.
“It’s the first of the season,” he reports.
Spring arrives in 152 days.
Frosty roof. (Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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Autumn continues to awe. Jonathan Alloy sends along today’s spectacular “Westport … Naturally” foliage. It’s at Long Lots Elementary School. Similar scenes can be found all over town.
But not for long.
(Photo/Jonathan Alloy)
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And finally … On this date in 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed in the Mississippi woods. Six people, including 3 band members, were killed.
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You can see some of the best short films of the year at the Tribeca Film Festival.
But you don’t have to.
Beginning October 27, you can take the much shorter trip to the Westport Library.
The “Short Cuts” Film Festival returns that day to the Trefz Forum. It’s as entertaining as its clever name.
Tribeca screens about 3,000 international short films each year. They choose 90 for their festival, says Short Cuts producer Nancy Diamond.
She and her crew preview most of them. They choose 12 to 15 films for the Westport event.
Diamond launched Short Cuts in 2010, after realizing there were few venues where the public could see short films.
In Norway’s “Night Ride” — winner of Tribeca’s Best Narrative Short Award — Ebba assists a fellow tram rider with surprising results.
A scene from “Night Ride.”
The Best LGBTQ short at the Cleveland International Film Festival, “Coming Out With the Help of a Time Machine” blends science fiction with contemporary social issues.
“Pete” — an animated selection — follows a young girl who wants to play baseball with the boys.
“Five-O” was directed by 7 French film students. It explores whether a street drug lookout can escape his world and become an opera singer.
“Sparring Partner” — written by Tony Award winner Neil LaBute — offers strong verbal bantering, and features “Saturday Night Live” cast member Cecily Strong.
“Sparring Partner” director J.J. Kandling will appear at Short Cuts in person after the films, for a conversation with Diamond and to answer questions from the audience.
Short Cuts Film Festival continues November 17, with an evening of documentary shorts.
The 2022 season ends December 8, with a second program of narrative shorts.
All programs run from 7 to 9 pm. Tickets are $25; refreshments and popcorn will be served. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Comments Off on “Short Cuts” At The Library
Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Library
Tagged Short Cuts Film Festival
Burying Hill fisherman (Photo/Jenae Weinbrenner)
Several years ago, a company called Renovation Angel updated David Pogue’s 20-year-old kitchen. They did the demolition, hauling and cleanup — for free.
The Pogues got a tax deduction. Renovation Angel then resold the Pogues’ old kitchen, People renovating their ow kitchens got luxury items for a fraction of the price.
The best part: All those proceeds went to charity. Renovation Angel donates to programs for addiction recovery, at-risk children, job training and social entrepreneurship. You can read all about it here.
Recently, David and his wife Nicki wanted to update their main bedroom bathroom. Renovation Angel works only with kitchens. But David persevered — and has another great everyone-wins story.
Second Chance performs similar work with bathrooms. The non-profit “provides people, materials and the environment with a second chance.”
Second Chance arruves at the Pogues’ home …
They “deconstruct buildings and homes, salvage usable materials, and make those and other donated items available to the public for reuse” at a 200,000+ square foot retail center.
The revenue generated provides job training and workforce development for people with employment obstacles in the Baltimore area.
Pogue’s builder pulled out everything from the old bathroom — sinks, shower doors, toilet, cabinets, tub, etc. — and put it in the garage.
Second Chance sent a big truck and 8 big men to wrap, protect and load it all into a truck.
… and workers clear out bathroom equipment. (Photos/David Pogue)
Once again, it was a win for everyone. The Pogues gained a tax deduction and free hauling. Second Chance gained the opportunity to employ people who need the jobs. The people of Baltimore gained inexpensive building materials that gain a new life.
Landfill gained nothing.
Thank you, Second Chance, for giving a second chance to “people, materials and the environment.”
And thank you, David Pogue, for recognizing such a worthy Unsung Hero.
(To nominate an Unsung Hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com)
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Candidates for State Senate and House seats squared off yesterday, at the Westport Library. The debate was sponsored by the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce. Chamber director Matthew Mandell moderated.
Among the main topics: reproductive rights and affordable housing.
Candidates at yesterday’s Westport Library event. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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Bob Weingarten reports on the latest tree-cutting: He estimates more than a dozen have been felled at 31 Turkey Hill Road South, “and more” to come.
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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Fall is in full force. But the Westport Farmers’ Market plows on in its summer location — the Imperial Avenue parking lot — every Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
They’ll be there another month, through November 10.
In addition to vendors with seasonal vegetables and fruits, meat, milk, cheese, seafood, baked goods, prepared foods (plus knife, scissors and tool sharpening), the Farmers’ Market hosts different musicians each week.
Tomorrow (October 20), hear Picnic on the 4th of July. Guitars, banjo, harmonica, washboard and vocals offer “new grass” music – songs with a bluegrass twist. The band includes Westporters Louis Fuertes and Pat Blaufuss.
Picnic on the 4th of July band members (from left): Martin Daniels, Jeff Carroll, Pat Blaufuss, Louis Fuertes. (Photo /Lynda Carroll)
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Westport Country Playhouse has added a 5th play — the comedy of manners “The Cocktail Hour” by A. R. (Pete) Gurney, to its 2023 seaso
“Pete Gurney has been a Playhouse audience favorite for many decades,” says WCP artistic director Mark Lamos, who will direct the show.
“My long association and friendship with him, both at the Playhouse and Off-Broadway, makes me happy to be reunited with his work.”
For more information on the 2023 season, including tickets, click here.
Westport Country Playhouse (Photo/Lynn U. Miller)
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Several dozen Westporters received flu shots yesterday, at the Senior Center.
The event was sponsored by the Aspetuck Health District. The Fire Department’s Rescue 3 unit was on hand to help.
Getting ready for flu season. (Photo/Molly Alger)
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Sherwood Mill Pond presents ever-changing scenes — perfect for “Westport … Naturally.”
This morning, Matt Murray spotted egrets in the fog:
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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And finally … Peter Tosh was born today in 1944. From 1963 to 1976 he, Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer were the heart of the reggae band the Wailers. He then became a successful solo artist. He was killed in 1987 during a home invasion, at age 42.
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