Since summer, a Mercedes sedan was parked on Myrtle Avenue, in the closest spot to the front exit from Town Hall.
It’s been there ever since.
Alert Westporters wondered what’s up. Dust settled on the car. Street cleaners swept around it, giving it a distinctive border.
Summer turned into fall. Leaves turned and fell. Frost arrived.
Still the car sat there.
The car, last summer. (Photo/Michael Moore)
We may now have an answer — of sorts.
A two-page letter has been taped to the rear window.
“Congratulations,” it begins. “you are now standing next to Hank the Tank.”
The note tells the story of the car — nicknamed, clearly, “Hank the Tank.”
It belonged to a mother who chauffeured her daughter to school and sports.
When the teenage girl inherited the car, it went to the dump and Dunkin’ Donuts. the beach and concerts. It got a speeding ticket on North Avenue.
It carried the driver’s many friends on every road in Westport. Lots of their stuff still sits in Hank the Tank.
Page 1 of the letter …
The girl who drove the car has moved on to college, the letter explains. But “saying goodbye to Hank the Tank is difficult,” the letter continues. “Some people have a harder time letting go than others.”
… and page 2.
But, the note concludes, Hank the Tank will soon be gone.
it will be less of a bother than it is, taking up a Myrtle Avenue parking space for many months.
It will continue to be useful, however.
Hank the Tank is being donated to the Westport Fire Department. It will be used for drills and education.
There’s always a story behind the story. Thanks, Hank the Tank, for sharing yours. (Hat tip: Svea Vocke)
Posted onNovember 9, 2021|Comments Off on Schools Survey: Input Sought From All Westporters
As part of the Westport Public Schools’ efforts to develop a long-term strategic plan, a series of surveys has been sent to parents, staff members, administrators, and students in grades 5 through 12.
But all Westporters have a stake in our school system.
“As we project the world our students will inhabit as young adults, it is critical to have robust input from all members of the school community,” says superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.
He and fellow educators have developed a survey for Westporters without students currently in the school system.
Information gathered from the surveys will be combined with feedback from spring and fall focus groups, and a variety of other data sources, for the initial design of the plan.
“Your contribution in completing this survey will help inform this work,” Scarice says. The deadline is November 15. Click here for the survey.
Comments Off on Schools Survey: Input Sought From All Westporters
Tonight marks the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht — the night the Nazis’ repressive policies toward Jews turned violent. At least 91 men, women and children were murdered; 1,000 synagogues were attacked and vandalized, with over 300 demolished, and at least 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed.
The number of eyewitnesses to those horrors is rapidly fading. But tonight, a special commemoration (Tuesday, Saugatuck Congregational Church, 7 p.m., in person and livestream) includes Ruth Zimbler. As a child, she watched her synagogue in Vienna burn.
Two days later, she and her 6-year-old brother escaped on the Kindertransport to the Netherlands. Her story — filled with love, hope and optimism — is a chance to hear from a survivor who was old enough to remember, and at 93 still young enough to tell her story.
The event will be moderated by Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, professor of Germanic Studies at Fairfield University. Click here for the YouTube livestream link; click here for the Facebook link.
Co-sponsors include The Conservative Synagogue, Temple Israel, Federation for Jewish Philanthropy, and Merkaz Community High School for Judaic Studies.
At 5:55 a.m. this morning, Westport Police officers responded to Saugatuck Shores on a report of an elderly male who was missing.
Officers immediately searched the area, and saw the man partially submerged in the water. Working quickly in the cold, they deployed a canoe located nearby.
One officer held the man’s head above the water, while others lifted him into the canoe. Once ashore, the Westport Fire Department helped bring him to waiting EMS personnel.
They evaluated the man, and transported him to the hospital for further treatment.
While his condition is unknown, any injuries did not appear life=threatening.
Police, Fire Department and EMS personnel work together during this morning’s water rescue. (Photo courtesy of Westport Police Department)
Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center once again hosts the long-running institution. The winter market opens Thursday, November 18. It runs every Thursday (except Thanksgiving) through March 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
It’s open-air, throughout 3 greenhouses. Favorite summer vendors return, with high-quality locally grown or raised fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, milk, baked and prepared foods, plus handmade items.
WFM kicks off the season with a celebration. Bubble and Brew, and Parlor Pizza, will set up trucks outside the greenhouses. Staples graduate Luke Molina will play music. while Mae Farrell entertains youngsters in the Get Growing program with a nature-inspired craft.
A Riverside Avenue improvement project — involving demolition of the concrete roadwaym and reconstruction of the pavement — begins today.
Traffic on Riverside Avenue between Bridge Street and Saugatuck Avenue (the area of Viva Zapata and the Saugatuck Rowing Club) will be restricted to northbound (headed toward the Post Road) vehicles only. All southbound traffic will detour down Saugatuck Avenue to Charles Street.
During paving — planned for this Thursday and Friday — the road section will be closed to all but local traffic. All other traffic will be detoured around Charles Street and Saugatuck Avenue.
“Doubt: A Parable” — the thought-provoking play running now at the Westport Country Playhouse — has earned great praise.
But no one has mentioned that Kerstin Anderson — the woman playing the young nun — has a Westport connection. She’s the daughter of 1976 Staples High School graduate Ted Anderson, and the niece of longtime “06880” reader Britt Anderson.
Neither Ted nor Britt live in Westport now. But both were on hand opening night. They were proud of Kerstin — no “doubt”!
Kerstin Anderson and her aunt Britt Anderson, at the Westport Country Playhouse.
Westport artist Steven Parton’s oil painting, “Anticipation,” is being shown at the 93rd Grand National Exhibit of the American Artists Professional League, in New York’s Salmagundi Club.
The Staples Players directors watch the movie often. Their high school students do too.
It evokes not just nostalgia for the 1950s — its setting — but for the 1970s too, when the classic movie was made.
The music, theme and ensemble casting make it the perfect vehicle for Players’ return to the stage. “Grease” marks the troupe’s first major mainstage show since COVID struck, just hours before the opening night of “Seussical” in March 2020.
The curtain rises this week. Roth says his actors are excited for the show — and so is the town.
“Everyone knows ‘Grease,'” Roth says. Some remember the original Broadway production; many more know the movie that followed.
“Greased Lightning” (senior Ryan Porio, center). (Photo/Kerry Long)
But — as always — Players puts their own spin on it.
“A lot of people think it’s about a girl who has to make herself look sexy, to be attractive to a boy,” Roth says. “But we delved into the history. Who were the greasers and the Pink Ladies in the ’50s? They were the forerunners of people who fought for women’s rights.”
In 1959, he says, America was “the era of ‘Father Knows Best’ and ‘Leave it to Beaver.’ The traditional American home was expected to have the wife stay home looking pretty, wearing an apron while preparing a meal for her husband and children.”
However, he adds, “We feel that the greasers and, more importantly, the Pink Ladies are rebelling against this traditional mold of femininity.
“Our actors understand: Sandy doesn’t randomly end up with these people. She chooses Danny and the Pink Ladies. Somehow she finds her people, and becomes true to herself.”
The production is “really fun. It’s got all the singing and dancing everyone loves. It’s definitely PG,”: although it is not “squeaky clean.” With a large ensemble cast, many actors get a chance to shine.
“Summer Loving” (Photo/Kerry Long)
Despite the allure of “Grease,” Roth and Long were not sure if audiences would embrace a return to indoor theater.
They have. Ticket sales are brisk. The shared experience of sitting in the theater, knowing the words to every song, is alluring.
“People are anxious to get back to the real world,” Roth says.
Whether that’s the world of 2021, or the 1950s.
(“Grease” will be performed on Friday and Saturday, November 12, 13, 19 and 20, at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are set for Sunday, November 14 and Saturday, November 20 at 3 p.m.. Tickets may be purchased online here, or in the lobby 30 minutes prior to the show, if available. All audiences must provide proof of vaccine [a photo is fine] or proof of a negative COVID test taken no more than 72 hours prior to the show. Arrive at least 30 minutes before showtime. Masks must be worn at all times.)
Saugatuck Congregational Church has been awarded a $50,000 Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program grant. Funds allow congregations to support their pastors with the gift of extended time away from their ministerial duties and responsibilities.
Rev. Alison Patton will begin her 3-month sabbatical in June. She will volunteer with a marine conservation program in the Maldives, and spend time with her family on a regenerative farm in Costa Rica.
Patton says, “I used to think I wanted to be a marine biologist. I now know I’m not a scientist; I am an admirer of the natural world in all its rich biodiversity. In the face of a worsening climate crisis and multiplying threats to biodiversity, I believe we are called to help craft a sustainable future for our planet. I am excited to use this time to take a deep dive into 2 biodiverse environments, to witness the impact of climate change, explore what’s being done to combat it and share some of that adventure with my family.”
Kim Mathias — moderator of Saugatuck’s Church Council — says the congregation will also benefit from this time of rest and renewal.
“Spending time outdoors during the pandemic and working on this grant application have fueled SCC’s interest in environmental issues,” she notes. “While Patton is away, the congregation will deepen its connection with our local ecosystem, exploring the beautiful coastal community of Westport and surrounding towns and digging deeper into the issues surrounding climate change. They look forward to renewing relationships with one another while learning how to better protect our coastal environment.”
Rev. Alison Patton
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AAPI Westport was created in March 2021, following a rise in violence and racism against the Asian community. The mission of the group — which stands for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — is to foster a sense of belonging within the community, while increasing AAPI visibility and awareness throughout Westport and beyond.
The organizers — all mothers — hope to create an environment where their children feel proud of their heritage.
It seems like every week, the Staples High School girls swim and dive team sets new records.
The latest came at the FCIAC championships last week. And not 1, but 3 records fell.
In a big way.
Freshman Annam Olasewere set a state and FCIAC record in the 50 yard free, with a time of 22.77. Her 50.18 in the 100 yard free also set a new FCIAC record.
Senior Jessica Qi finished second in that event, with a season best 52.21. Qi also took second in the 200 free with a time of 1:56.05
The relay team of freshman Annam Olasewere, Ayaan Olasewere and seniors Ella Alpert and Jessica Qi set a new FCIAC record in the 200 free relay (1:36.27) and also won the 400 free relay (3:31.87)
Staples moves on to compete in the Class LL and state open championships. More record-setting performances may be in the works.
Winning 400 meter free relay: From left to right Ella Alpert, Annam Olasewere, Ayaan Olasewere and Jessica Qi
Speaking of sports: The Staples High School boys soccer team raised thousands of dollars for their program — and several thousand more for Bridgeport Central High School’s soccer team — at last night’s annual Quiz Night.
The winning trivia team — Jacob Greenberger, Jackson Hochhauser Spencer Levine, Murilo Moreno, Jaden Mueller and Caleb Tobias. plus Oliver Clachko, wrestler/lacrosse player Nick Augeri and lacrosse player/WWPT-FM sports director Max Udell — answered questions like “What was the first word spoken on the moon?” (“Houston”), what is the only mammal that can fly (bats), and what is the first game played in “Squid Game” (Red Light Green Light).
They also took first place last year during COVID, when Quiz Night was virtual. This year’s event — which drew about 150 participants — returned again to the Staples cafeteria.
Move over, Kelli O’Hara. Westport’s got another Broadway star.
Middle school student Jaden Myles Waldman made his debut last month in the Roundabout Theatre Studio 54’s “Caroline, or Change.”
He plays Noah, the young son of a Jewish family in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1963. In the wake of his mother’s death from lung cancer, he sees the 39-year-old Black woman who cares for him (and the household) as a substitute parent. She deals, meanwhile, with her own difficult circumstances, including raising her children without a husband.
Jaden Myles Waldman as Noah Gellman, with Sharon D Clarke in the title role of Caroline Thibodeaux.
Three young actors alternate as Noah Gellman. The New York Times’ Jesse Green saw Jaden in the role, and gave the “devastating, uncomfortable, crucial musical” (with book by Tony Kushner) an excellent review. (Click here to read.)
“Caroline, or Change” is quite a story. So is Jaden’s route to the role.
Jaden — who has also appeared on television in “Pinkalicious & Peterrific,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “The Plot Against America” — was asked to audition for Noah 2 years ago He listened to the original Broadway cast album, and loved the mix of music: klezmer, blues, show tunes, Motown, Mozart and girl groups.
He liked the chance to play a Jewish boy — “after being in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” he notes — and with a limited run, he appreciated that it would not take him away from school, soccer or friends for too long.
That was before COVID. Jaden loves to sing, but had never take voice lessons. He worked with Westporter Lynn Riegler to learn the music, then with a New York voice teacher. The music was challenging, but exciting.
Jaden Myles Waldman
The pandemic shut the show down before it could open. Jaden kept up his voice lessons, gaining more confidence each month.
Now Broadway — and “Caroline” — are back.
The show is complex. One special challenge is a fight scene with the title character. Jaden — out of breath from running around in the previous number — must punch and kick Caroline, all while singing a powerful song.
A greater challenge was not knowing if he’d outgrow the part during the shutdown. Some of the young actors did. Jaden had a bittersweet feeling when he learned that Roundabout was sticking with him.
The best part of the show is riding on the turntable, flying in to the moon. “You have to see the show” to understand that reference, he says.
He considers every cast member a friend. “Not just the kids,” he says. “The adults are super awesome too. Everyone is nice and fun, and so funny. It’s never boring.”
Jaden Myles Waldman (center) with fellow cast members Jonah Mussolino and Alexander Bello.
He’s gotten support from school administrators. He was tutored for 3 hours a day at the theater during rehearsals and tech. He’s augmented that with trips to places like the Met and 9/11 Museum.
In addition, he says, “my mom (Stacie) makes me do things like figure out tips at restaurants.”
Jaden spends off days back in school. He missed it during rehearsals — along with his friends, and club soccer.
The run ends January 9. Then Jaden Waldman goes back to being a completely normal Westport kid.
When you’re stopped at the westbound light by Playhouse Square — and who isn’t — you can grip the wheel and glare ahead.
Or you can glance to your right. There — on the front lawn of Winslow Park Animal Hospital — sit statues of a dog and cat.
They’re fun to look at. They’re even more fun before a holiday. July 4th, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day — whatever the occasion, the vets dress up their pets accordingly.
With Halloween looming, the dog sported a monster’s head. That was the timely subject of last week’s Photo Challenge. (Click here to see.)
Abby Tolan, Julie Shapiro, Seth Braunstein, Molly Alger, Isabelle Breen, James Waldron and Jalna Jaeger all know about the holiday statues. Now — when you’re stuck at this Post Road light — you can enjoy it too.
And enjoy this week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
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