On Wednesday, my family and I discovered an offensive sticker placed on our “Black Lives Matter” sign. Someone came onto our property, and placed it there.
The sticker placed on a Westporter’s sign, on their property.
Whatever happened to civility? Difference of opinions? Discussion?
The values I was taught decades ago here in Westport, by family, church and school, are under assault, right here in “River City”!
I would happily sit and converse about our differences. We are proud to display our concern for civil rights, social justice, and defeating racism.
Our first BLM lawn sign was stolen. We reported it. The police came.
We replaced it immediately with a hand-painted sign, right after George Floyd was killed. It has stood on our front lawn since spring of 2020.
It’s our right to display our support of factual history, all people’s history being taught, and our concern over voter suppression, and violence.
The lawn sign, with its sticker.
I grew up in this town. The progress of civil rights has been my concern for decades, as it was and is for many Westporters.
What shocked me about this sticker assault was the personalized insult of the attack: “F—k you for voting for Biden.”
Really? I am a product of the Westport school system. I grew up in a time of stellar history and English teachers. We were taught to verify opinion with facts, support our statements with outside resources, discuss our differences and listen to one another — to speak our minds with passion, but also to respect differences.
Civility and civics were taught, along with the fundamental agreement that elections are decided by our democratic participation and voting.
My family moved to Westport in the 1940’s. As a long-time Westporter, I’m upset that someone came into our yard, defaced our sign and attacked our opinion.
I respect their right to vote the way they choose. But civil rights, expanding rather than shrinking voter registration, respecting proven vote results, and improving law enforcement training with sensitivity to racism and tactics to defuse conflicts are issues we care about deeply.
Want to have coffee and chat about those ideas? I do!
But this was a crude act of censorship, bullying and cowardice.
I remember when conservatives were not so fragile. This sticker is an attempt to erase our large message with a small and petty one.
Our hearts, minds, ideas and signs are bigger than this. We will continue to display our sign proudly, despite this act of shameless vandalism.
Due to the current climate, I have asked Dan to withhold my name.
(“06880” is proud to provide a forum for debating ideas like these. Please click here to support our work.)
In the aftermath of this morning’s lockdown at Staples High School, and a “shelter in place” order at Bedford Middle School, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice provided this information:
This morning the Westport Police received a phone call indicating a potential threat at Staples High School. Although we have since learned that multiple schools across the state received the same threat, at the time, the response protocol warranted a thorough onsite evaluation of Staples, including an armed room by room threat assessment.
The incident began at 9:10 a.m. Westport’s Emergency Communications Center received a call from a person reporting an active shooter inside Staples High School.
The patrol and detective divisions as well as officers in administrative rolls immediately went to the school. As officers were responding they contacted the School Resource Officer, who said there was no indication of a problem at the location.
Despite the possibility of a hoax, the high school was placed on lockdown. Police proceeded as if there was an active threat.
Because police weapons were visible to students and staff, teachers were asked to focus on the social/emotional needs of students for the rest of the day. Emotional support was available for anyone who needed it.
Scarice added, “While this evaluation was conducted, all of the other schools in Westport were supported with an onsite police presence and put into place appropriate safety protocols.
“We are grateful for the swift response of our police department and the communication between the schools and WPD in handling this matter.
Nearly an hour after Staples High School went into lockdown this morning, an ambulance and police car sat outside the building. (Photo/Jim Honeycutt)
Connecticut is not the only state targeted for fake threats.
According to a Washington Post article last month — sent today to “06880” by reader Tracy Porosoff — “a troubling scenario” is happening in schools across the country. The story begins:
A call comes in about a shooting at the school. Someone has a gun. Police respond, only to discover the report was a hoax.
More than a dozen schools in Minnesota were targeted with “swatting” incidents, reports of a false shooter or mass-casualty event. Threats in Denver forced the city to shut down all 25 of its public library branches, and an area high school to cancel classes Wednesday amid a surge of hoaxes reported at schools across the state. A Texas teen was arrested for calling in a fake threat to a campus as a “joke,” prompting a warning from Fort Worth police against school hoaxes.
The calls are part of a trend that is disrupting school days, prompting lockdowns and further traumatizing communities already on edge. Although these threats are fake, the menace of real violence looms just months after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at a Uvalde, Tex., elementary school…
Schools in 14 states — Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia — have reported swatting incidents since Sept. 13, according to the national group of school resource officers.
With a 6-part HBO Max series and a newly published memoir, Paul Newman has been back in the spotlight lately.
Both include plenty of details about his half century in Westport.
It’s well known that Newman and his wife, fellow actor Joanne Woodward, found our town thanks to the Nike Sites.
Proposed at the height of the Cold War as missile defense systems to protect electronics manufacturing facilities in Bridgeport — with the missiles housed underground on North Avenue, and a launch center on Bayberry Lane — they were highly controversial. (Click here for the full back story.)
Westport writer Max Shulman wrote about the Nike Sites — the town’s reaction, and how it dealt with frisky GIs — in his novel Rally Round the Flag, Boys!
In 1958, the book became a movie. Newman and Woodward played characters based on town official Ralph Sheffer and his wife Betty. They soon moved here — and never left.
The defense system was outdated from the moment it opened. In 1960, control was transferred from the US Army to the National Guard. The Nike Sites were closed 3 years later.
The Bayberry Lane barracks are now the Aspetuck Health District office; behind it is the Westport Astronomical Society’s observatory. (Now it makes sense why those structures are there, right?)
A typical Nike site — much like the North Avenue one. Missiles were buried underground.
For years the North Avenue site — just north of Staples High School — was abandoned. In 1973, the US government transferred control of the land to the town.
Neither CNN nor Newman’s memoir mention what happened next.
The Westport Astronomical Observatory — the former Nike Site launch center on Bayberry Lane — in 1975.
On October 1 of that year, a ceremony was held. Paul Newman took part.
He called it “a great day for Westport.” The Staples band played a couple of tunes, including — inexplicably — “On Wisconsin” and Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.”
Paul Newman (far left) at the Nike Site ceremony on October 1, 1973. From left: 2 unidentified men; 1st Selectman John Kemish. (Photo courtesy of Jim Kemish)
First Selectman John Kemish said, “The land once needed for war will now be dedicated to the pursuit of peace. The property will now be redeveloped by our Board of Education as a facility for our children.”
It took a while for that to happen.
A plan to create a “Workshop to Nike” for Staples students — with bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, storage space, dorm rooms and a dining hall for any school group to use — was never completed.
Project Adventure — a one-quarter physical education option — installed a ropes course, high wire and 30-foot balance beam there. It too was abandoned.
Generations of Staples graduates recall the Nike Site as an overgrown, unpatrolled area — perfect for teenage mischief, tantalizingly close to the school.
Finally, the town found good use for the land. Today — shorn of any trace of both the military and its then-derelict state — it is the site of Bedford Middle School.
Few people remember those days. Fewer still remember the Paul Newman connection.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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:
Making the current entrance two-way; the exit road would be reserved for pedestrians and bicyclists
New traffic patterns near the first tee
Walking paths — especially along the waterfront near Hendricks Point, site of the current driving range
Additional parking near the driving range
Construction of a new golf clubhouse
Pickleball courts, and a pavilion.
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, October 26: (10 to 11:30 a.m.; 3 to 4:30 p.m.; 7 to 8:30 p.m.)
Saturday, October 29: (9:30 to 11 a.m.; 1 to 2:30 p.m.).
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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