Roundup: Candidate Forums, Candidate Signs, AI & Us …

Posted on October 12, 2025 | 5 comments

Early voting starts a week from tomorrow (Monday, October 20).

Unsure who to vote for? Clueless about the candidates?

Two events this week can help.

On Tuesday (October 14, 7 p.m., Toquet Hall) the 3 candidates for 1st selectman will answer questions (from moderators and the audience) on stage. The League of Women Voters Westport and Westport Youth Commission are sponsors. This is a special event for students, but adults are invited.

On Wednesday (October 15, 2 p.m., Senior Center) the LWV sponsors “A Conversation with Board of Finance Candidates.”

This Thursday (October 16, 6:30 p.m., Greens Farms Academy), Westport Journal is sponsoring a 1st Selectman candidates debate. Registration is required; click here. 

Coming soon:

  • Select Board Candidates Debate: October 21, 12 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.
  • A Seat at the Selectman’s Table: October 21, 6 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by Westport Library Common Ground Initiative. Registration required; click here. 
  • A Conversation with Board of Education Candidates: October 22, 7 p.m., Toquet Hall. Co-sponsored by League of Women Voters Westport and “06880.”
  • A Conversation with Planning & Zoning Commission Candidates: October 23; 7 p.m. Senior Center. Co-sponsored by League of Women Voters Westport and “06880.”
  • Candidates Debates: Board of Education, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Assessment Appeals, Board of Finance: October 27, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters Westport.
  • Candidates Debate: 1st Selectman and Planning & Zoning Commission: October 28, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters Westport. 

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Speaking of voting, Lynn Flint writes:

“Someone banged on my door around midday today, a man I did not recognize. I ignored the pounding. He left after a while, but he left a brochure. I’m guessing it was for a campaign.

“I can’t reach it to read it, because I can’t find my grabber. Maybe tomorrow morning I’ll figure out what it’s about.

“This is a very bad time to go around pounding on people’s doors. We’re all a little nervous about strangers. If he is running for an office, he doesn’t understand the right way to do it.

“I had another candidate stick signs on my property, without permission.

“I also think this barrage of signs is distracting to drivers. Should we vote for the first person in the line of signs, the last person or somebody in the middle? Do they really want to look like lawn maintenance or a tag sale?

“The blight committee is so fastidious about the image of Westport. How can they stomach these hideous signs everywhere on our roadsides?

“If people want to know how to vote, it’s much more informative to consider the statements of the individuals and the information put out by the League of Women Voters, don’t you think?”

(NOTE: Campaign signs are free speech, and permitted on town property. However, they cannot be put on private property without the owner’s permission.)

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Hundreds of human beings gathered yesterday at the Westport Library, to discuss their future — at least, as it relates to artificial intelligence.

The in-depth exploration of AI — and its implications across law, business, healthcare, education and technology — was sponsored by Verso University, the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative.

It spanned 3 sessions. Yale Law School professor Scott Shapiro led off with a discussion of AI’s role in legal reasoning, government ethics, and cybersecurity, alongside Kevin Nguyen, features editor at The Verge.

The second session examined the ways in which AI is shaping Connecticut’s innovation landscape, higher education, healthcare, workforce and legislation.

The final session concluded with reflections from Kate Crawford, one of AI’s leading scholars of artificial intelligence and its material impacts. (Hat tip: Les Dinkin)

Kevin Nguyen and Kate Crawford. (Photo/Dinkin ESH Fotografix)

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Westporters will participate in Saturday’s “No Kings Day” national event.

The October 18 protest against President Trump begins at 11 a.m., at Jesup Green. Participants will march to Veterans Green, for speakers and music. The route follows one taken by Westport’s suffragists, in 1913.

One of the organizers, Darcy Hicks, says: “In Westport, No Kings Day is an opportunity to signal to our local leaders who we are and what we hold dear.

Most of us spend much of our time caring for family, whether that is our children, spouses, or parents. This is about them.

“We are marching for the preservation of the water and air they breathe, for truth in their classrooms, for their healthcare, and for their social security. Most of all, we are marching for the rehabilitation of love, and the right for all of our neighbors, regardless of their faith, gender identity, race, or economic standing, to live with dignity.”

A “No Kings” sign, from Westport’s June protest. (Photo/Pippa Bell Ader)

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I’m not sure what “Fish on the Pumpkin” is.

But it’s one of the seasonal specials you’ll find at Basso’s Halloween party.

It’s October 31. Music starts at 7:30 p.m. Manny Montañez and his orchestra will play — with Chef Renato joining in on percussion. Dancing is encourage.

So are costumes are encouraged (but not required). Click here for reservations.

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TAP Strength is all about helping people feel more confident and capable in their bodies. A new program supports an important group: neurodivergent teens and young adults.

The next event in their “Effortless Effort” speaker series is this Tuesday (October 14, 6 to 7 p.m., 180 Post Road East). at its Post Road East studio. It’s a conversation between TAP founder Dr. EJ Zebro and Chelsea Elkind and Lauren Rosenblum, founders of Westport-based NeuroMind. They’ve helped TAP design a program that is inclusive, supportive, and grounded in real-world needs.

To RSVP or for more information, email info@tapstrength.com.

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Walk ALS comes to Sherwood Island State Park this Saturday (October 18). Registration begins at 10 a.m. The walk kicks off at 11.

Click here for details, and more information.

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Renaissance and Baroque dances, folk songs and vocal masterworks from England, France and Italy fill Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall this Saturday (October 18, 5 p.m.

Soprano Sherezade Panthaki joins Parthenia Viol Consort (praised by The New Yorker as “one of the brightest lights in New York’s early-music scene”).

A reception follows the concert. Click here for tickets, and more information.

This was not taken at Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall. But that’s where Saturday’s concert will be.

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Duke University’s women’s crew team had a successful High Point Autumn Rowing Festival — thanks in large part to Mia Khamish of Westport.

Competing against international competition from Edinburgh and Oxford in North Carolina, the Blue Devils snagged 2 first-place finishes.

In the afternoon 8 race, the senior coxswain’s decision-making at a crucial moment made a key difference.

Coach Adrian Spracklen called it “very mature, very smart … a tremendous call that you expect from a senior — someone that’s done it before.” To see the race, click here.

The Staples High graduate rowed for the Connecticut Boat Club.

Mia Khamish

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Yeah, yeah, we’ve posted a couple of close-up “Westport … Naturally” photos recently of bees doing their thing with flowers.

In this one, the flowers are the focus.

Literally.

(Photo/Juliana Rosenoer)

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And finally … today is the birthday of James “Sugar Boy” Crawford.

The New Orleans R&B musician wrote “Jock-a-Mo” in 1954.

A Mardi Gras standard, it became a hit a decade later for the Dixie Cups, as “Iko Iko.” It was recorded by many other artists too, including Dr. John, Belle Stars, the Grateful Dead, Cyndi Lauper, and (as “Geto Boys”) by Glass Candy.

But Crawford’ s career ended in 1963. A severe beating at the hands of state troopers incapacitated him for 2 years. In 1969, he decided to sing only in churches. He died in 2012, at 77. He is now in the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.

(No matter who you vote for, there’s one decision we can all agree on: When you click here to support “06880,” everyone wins! No recount necessary … thank you!)

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[OPINION] Needs Assessment Needed Before Parks Master Plan

Posted on October 12, 2025 | 20 comments

Rick Jaffe was trained as a management consultant and a software engineer. After attending last week’s Parks Master Plan public workshop, he sent this letter to Westport Parks & Recreation Department director Erik Barbieri:

Last night’s Public Workshop showed me a critical flaw in our town’s Parks Master Plan process: We are trying to solve a problem without first having determined what that problem is.

We are building a 10-year Parks Master Plan for enhancing our town’s parks offerings without first having figured out what park-related resources we as a community need.

When I was a member of our town’s Representative Town Meeting, I tried to interest your predecessor to spearhead a ‘Needs Assessment’ to figure out what parks resources would best fit our community’s needs, and compare that to what our town currently offers.

Then we could build a long-term plan that would include evaluating our current parks resources, and identifying opportunities for change and improvement to come closer to the ideal of providing the best possible parks for our community.

When we put the cart before the horse as we are doing now, solving the Parks Master Plan process without first knowing what we want the Master Plan to lead to, we make mistakes in identifying what to do and what not to do, and with what priority.

The result will be a less-than-optimal plan and, eventually, less than optimal parks resources available to our community. Without the Needs study, we may miss important issues. A community suggestion coming from your Public Workshops can easily be overlooked, or recognized but prioritized too low, for want of support from actual data.

Here are two examples. An outdoor fitness center, or a network of outdoor fitness centers, is so valued by communities that recently AARP funded this one, and installed one in 53 US states and territories.

Outdoor fitness center. (Photo/Dan Foard, Videophotog Productions)

(FitLot’s inventor lives so close to us that they could be here to talk about it in minutes if we ask).

And what about a splash pad for kids? Other communities love them. From my personal observation (admittedly short on hard data), splash pads provide significant squeals of delight per square foot.

Splash pad.

There are communities out there that engage in the process of getting various user groups, like teenagers, to design their own parks, thereby maximizing the chance that those user groups will benefit.

Without a Needs Assessment the planning process is guided by feel, lucky guesses and experience.

Our town is unique and has unique needs, ones that require real community input to identify needs along with resources that are already in place that can be leveraged to better fit the lifestyles of our community members.

This is our chance to revamp the parks resources in Westport in a way that will not require a Master Plan re-do down the line because the actual needs and wants of the Westport community – as identified by the members themselves – were not addressed.

We can fix this, but we have to do it now, before the cart is cast in cement before the horse.

(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com. To support this hyper-local blog with a tax-deductible contribution, please click here.)

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Posted in Local politics, Sports, Westport life

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Pic Of The Day #3097

Posted on October 11, 2025 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #3097

Saugatuck River, at Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge (Photo/John Maloney)

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Superintendent’s Update: AI, Smartphones, Facilities

Posted on October 11, 2025 | 6 comments

Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice offers this update:

Autumn has arrived! My family woke up this morning to a thermostat reading 58 degrees inside the house, a sure sign the season has officially settled in. With Halloween around the corner and fall activities in full swing, there’s great energy across our schools. The district is off to a strong start, and we continue to build momentum each week.

Below are a few brief updates on important district initiatives.
 
AI in Westport: Human‑Centered, Future‑Ready
With the exception of safety and security, I do not believe there is any topic more urgent, or more defining for the future of education, than artificial intelligence. The questions before us are not if we should engage with AI, but how: How do we use it to reclaim time, elevate performance (of students and educators), and prepare our students to lead in an AI world?

Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.

On October 23, in partnership with members of our faculty and administration, I will present the District Strategic Plan to the Board of Education. A central feature of this plan is a forward-looking vision for AI, one that embraces its potential while confronting its challenges head-on.

But make no mistake: This is not a plan about technology. It is a plan about humanity, about ensuring that as AI transforms our world (it already has), our schools become the place where what is most human is preserved, strengthened, and celebrated.

Our guiding principle, “AI Powered, Human Centered,” reflects both a commitment and a challenge: to use AI to amplify human potential, not replace it. This is about preparing students not just to live in an AI-driven world, but to lead in it, with creativity, empathy, and ethical purpose.

Over 50 faculty members have participated in the drafting of our plans, while all faculty members, over 500, had opportunities to provide feedback on the district AI vision and Code of Ethics.

I invite all parents and community members to join us for this important presentation on October 23 (7 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria), as we share how our district intends to set the pace for what public education can, and must, be in the age of AI.

Phone Free Schools Update
On Thursday night a team of administrators, faculty and students presented the implementation plan to the Board of Education for the Staples Phone-Free Initiative, which will begin on November 5.

It has been 16 months since my initial recommendation, and during that time the district has engaged in thoughtful discussion and collaboration among faculty, administrators, students and parents to establish a phone- and smart technology-free school day, from the first bell until dismissal.

Smartphones, smartwatches and wireless headphones are all banned on November 5.

As Staples Principal Stafford Thomas emphasized in his remarks, our goal is to foster stronger human connection, greater engagement in learning, and a healthier, more focused school culture.

Beginning November 5, our entire district (K–12) will be fully committed to a phone- and smart technology-free learning environment. As with all district initiatives, we will implement thoughtfully, learn from our experience, and make adjustments where needed.

An implementation update will be provided to the Board of Education later this school year.

District Facilities and Capital Projects
Over the past several years, the district has made a concerted effort to maintain and improve our facilities, as outlined in our Capital Improvement Plan. A top priority has been ensuring the integrity of our buildings, from mechanical systems to exterior envelopes, to create safe, efficient and modern learning environments.

Recent examples include new roofs at Saugatuck Elementary School and Staples High School, as well as HVAC upgrades across the district.

At a recent meeting, the Board of Education reviewed the updated 5-year Capital Improvement Plan and proposed projects for the 2025–2026 school year. The Board’s Finance and Facilities Committee also examined these projects in detail. Supporting documents, including information on district painting projects, can be found here.

The Staples auditorium — built in 1958, shown above in 1970, and made part of the new building in 2025 — has not been upgraded in 30 years.

Proposed 2025–2026 projects include:

  • Staples auditorium upgrades
  • Installation of wireless access points for Staples athletic fields
  • Concession stand/bathroom for Staples fields
  • Renovation of the Staples girls’ locker room
  • Upgrades to Bedford Middle School science labs
  • Roof replacement at Greens Farms School
  • Replacement of motorized folding partition in the Saugatuck gym

The Board of Education will continue to review these recommendations and advance approved projects to the Board of Finance and Representative Tonw meeting for funding consideration. I will keep the community informed as this process moves forward.

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Roundup: Sunday Walk Postponed; $10,000 Grant; Pink Aid …

Posted on October 11, 2025 | Comments Off on Roundup: Sunday Walk Postponed; $10,000 Grant; Pink Aid …

With uncertain weather forecast for tomorrow (Sunday), Bike Westport is postponing its Bridge-to-Bridge Walk. The new date is Sunday, October 19.

Organizers say, “While we don’t think weather should ever keep us from being outside, we want this to be a fun, safe, and memorable walk for everyone — families, neighbors and candidates alike.”

The event feature candidates for First Selectman, RTM and other local offices walking from Jesup Green along Riverside Avenue to Kneads, one of the town’s busiest and most important walking and biking routes.

The 45-minute walk highlights Westport’s opportunities to improve walkability, bikeability, and safety along this key connection between downtown and Saugatuck.

 

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Does your non-profit want $10,000?

The Westport Woman’s Club seeks applications from local organizations for their annual Ruegg Grants. Over $200,000 have been awarded since 1995.

Proposed initiatives should be projects that benefit the Westport community, focusing on areas like social services, health, safety, arts, or education.

Applications are due by October 30. Click here for the application form, and more information.

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Congratulations also to Pink Aid!

The non-profit providing emergency financial aid to breast cancer patients is celebrating 15 years of monetary and emotional support. Thousands of patients have not had to choose between treatment, or food and rent.

Founded in 2011 by area residents,  Amy Katz, Andrew Mitchell-Namdar, Renee Mandis and Amy Gross, its needs remain great. Breast cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat — and the burden extends far beyond medical bills.

In just a decade and a half, Pink Aid has distributed over $13.7 million to more than 60,000 people, throughout the nation.

The non-profit’s “Evening of Glitterati” Gala on October 16 at Mitchells of Westport is — as always — sold out.

But PinkAid always welcomes volunteers and donors. To learn more, click here.

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Congratulations also to Corporal Ed Wooldridge!

The very popular Staples High School resource officer has been named Westport Police Department’s Officer of the Year!

Wooldridge joined the WPD in 2017, following a 23-year career with the Connecticut State Police.

He was named the town’s first-ever school resource officer the next year.

The WPD says: “Through his hard work and solid relationships within the school community, what began as a trial position has grown into an integral part of the Westport Police Department.

“Today the Department’s School Security Unit includes officers in nearly every school in town, providing not only security, but mentorship, trust and accessibility to students and families. The success of this program can be traced directly to Corporal Wooldridge’s leadership. and the example he set as the first to wear that role.”

Corporal Ed Wooldridge

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Fall is here!

It’s a time of pumpkins. Apple cider. Crisp air. Beautiful leaves. Falling leaves.

And removing leaves.

It’s a longtime suburban ritual. Minus the when-I was-a-kid option of burning them. (If you don’t know that smell, you haven’t really experienced autumn.)

But is raking/blowing/bagging/hauling those leaves away the best solution?

Alert “06880” reader Jon Rosenoer sent an intriguing New York Times story.

Headlined “Why Leaving the Leaves is Better for Your Yard,” it begins:

Coming soon to a backyard near you: leaf drop. What’s your aftercare plan?

This fall, gardeners can turn to new research to inform their decisions on how to manage the cleanup — whether or not to “leave the leaves,” as the ecologically focused rallying cry has been in recent years.

That campaign has spread awareness that fallen leaves provide overwintering habitat for many ecologically critical organisms. But that’s not all they do. Now, we can look at theconsequences of leaf removal by the numbers, data that makes a more nuanced case for a gentler approach that supports plants and soil, and also offers insights into the most effective how-to practices to employ.

The effects of leaf removal were the subject of a two-year study published in March by Max Ferlauto, state entomologist for the Maryland Natural Heritage Program, and Karin T. Burghardt, an ecologist and associate professor at the University of Maryland.

Click here for the full article.

Familiar fall ritual. (Photo/Bob Weingarten)

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Speaking of fall: Upcoming this month at Earthplace …

“Kids’ Night Out: Spooky Creatures” (October 17, 6 to 9 p.m.; ages 4-13; members $50, non-members $60): Costumes encouraged!

“Murder Mystery Campfire” (October 18, 7 to 9 p.m.; ages 21+; members $45, non-members $50): Spooky tales and thrills under a starry night: a live-action “whodunnit” around the fire. Solve a murder before it happens again. Light refreshments.

“Owl-ween Campfire” (October 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m.; $25 members, $35 non-members): Meet an owl up close; hear a spooky tale at the campfire; roast marshmallows and make s’mores.

“Pumpkin Carving and Painting” (October 26, noon to 2 p.m.; $30 for 1 pumpkin, and 1 table for up to 5): Earthplace provides all the supplies (and takes care of clean-up). Leftover pumpkins are composted, or fed to the animals.

For registration and more information, click here. Questions? Email v.swain@earthplace.org.


Murder mystery by the Earthplace campfire!

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No, you’re not hearing things. And your car is fine.

Last night, the Public Works Highway Department was scheduled to install “safety rumble strips” on 3 road.

Rumble strips are the slightly raised portions of a road designed to alert inattentive or drowsy drivers that they’re about to do something seriously wrong. (You’ll notice them on Wilton Road, near the Westport Weston Family YMCA).

The 3 streets are Roseville Road (Colony Road to Post Road East), Kings Highway North (Edge Hill Road to Wilton Road), and Old Hill Road (Jennifer Lane to Partrick Road).

Rumble strips

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20 current and former Representative Town Meeting members, and Town Clerk office staff, enjoyed lunch recently at Tarantino,

The occasion was Restaurant Week. It’s become a tradition: This was the 4th year the legislative body has done this.

Restaurant Week (actually, 2 weeks) ends tomorrow. Click here for details.

(Photo courtesy of Matthew Mandell)

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Congratulations to Westport’s Department of Human Services!

The Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging has named them a “Community Focal Point.” The honor specifically recognizes Westport’s Center for Senior Activities — a Human Services program — as “a trusted hub where residents of all ages and abilities can find support, resources, and connection.”

The award highlights the dedication of Westport’s Human Services and Senior Center staff, who every day treat seniors and people with disabilities with kindness, respect and empathy. From daily programming to 1-on-1 support, the staff consistently go above and beyond to ensure every resident feels valued.

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There’s a great community of dog lovers at Winslowo Park.

On Thursday, some of them — and their 4-legged friends — took a field trip to Burying Hill Beach.

They called it a “Yappy Hour.” Yip-pee!

(Photo/Duane Cohen)

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Drew Angus — the talented, popular singer/songwriter (and 2007 Staples High School graduate) — is releasing “Wildflowers.”

He’s worked on it in Nashville. He honed it on the road. Now you can click here for pre-orders, and enjoy it yourself.

Drew Angus

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Yellow foxtail grass makes its first “Westport … Naturally” appearance today.

It glows in the sun, at Longshore’s ER Strait Marina.

(Photo/Pam Docters)

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And finally … John Lodge, who the New York Times says “brought supple bass lines, soaring falsetto harmonies and deft songwriting to the British rock group the Moody Blues as it moved from its R&B roots toward a lush, symphonic sound as pioneers of progressive rock,” died recently. He was 82.

Click here for a full obituary.

(Another day, another Roundup filled with shout-outs, upcoming events, news about rumble strips, and tons more stuff you never knew you needed to know. Please click here to support us. Thanks!)

 

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Online Art Gallery #287

Posted on October 11, 2025 | Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #287

Fall is in the air.

And in our online art gallery.

There’s something about the season that brings out special creativity in our readers.

Of course, there’s always more than one theme here.

And always more than meets the eye.

No matter how young (or old) you are; what 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.

“Fallen Leaves” (Karen Weingarten)

Untitled (John Maloney)

Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)

“Einstein” — ballpoint ink on paper (Bill Fellah)

“A Slice of Still Life” (Jerry Kuyper)

Untitled (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)

“Always Be on the Lookout for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (Mike Hibbard”)

“Mommy and Me” — oil on canvas, 24 x 24 (S. Guccione — Available for purchase — click here)

“Houses in Eze” — watercolor (Kathleen Burke — Available for purchase; click here)

“Two Dozen Roses” — watercolor with computer background (Steve Stein)

“By the Light of the Electric Moon” (Dorrie Barlow Thomas)

“Jane and Friend” (Martin Ripchick)

“Compo Playground” (Lawrence Weisman)

(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)

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Julian NoiseCat’s StoryFest Launch: The Westport Connection

Posted on October 11, 2025 | 2 comments

StoryFest — The Westport Library’s annual literary festival — kicks off its 8th year on Monday.

That’s also Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

There is a Westport tie-in.

Actually, several.

At 7 p.m. Monday (October 13), Julian Brave NoiseCat launches his new memoir, “We Survived the Night.” He’ll join Ramin Ganeshram, executive director of the Westport Museum for History & Culture, for a keynote conversation.

The book’s official release is the next day.

Julian Brave NoiseCat

StoryFest — the largest literary festival in Connecticut — draws scores of authors and hundreds of readers, writers and fans each year. With an interdisciplinary career, NoiseCat’s work aligns with the mission: a celebration of storytelling in all forms, across all types of media.

His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post and The New Yorker. In 2021 he was named to Time Magazine’s “100 Next List of Emerging Leaders.”

NoiseCat’s film “Sugarcane” was nominated for an Academy Award. It follows an investigation into abuse and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat’s family was sent to in British Columbia.

The writer/filmmaker will be introduced Monday by Valerie Seiling Jacobs. It promises to be more than a cursory recitation of his bio.

Valerie Seiling Jacobs

In 2012, Jacobs — a longtime Westporter and corporate lawyer for over 2 decades, who had pivoted to a second career teaching writing at Columbia University — met NoiseCat in her small “University Writing” class.

It was a demanding, intensive course. The first-year student immediately stood out.

“He was so focused on improving his writing,” she recalls.

The topics he chose — social justice, climate change, Native Americans — were important to him. But he wove them into larger stories, Jacobs says.

That’s what his current writing does too, she says. “It’s personal and investigative, while serving a larger purpose.”

For the next 3 years, Jacobs read his work in the Columbia newspaper. A few years later, she saw an article on Native American rights in The Guardian.

“It was fascinating. Then I noticed his byline,” she says. She reconnected with her former student.

His writing showed up often in her news feeds. She saw “Sugarcane” in New York. She was proud — but not surprised — when it won awards, including Sundance Film Festival and Critics’ Choice.

They corresponded occasionally. When she learned he’d be at StoryFest, she told him she lived in Westport. They arranged for Jacobs to introduce him.

NoiseCat’s new book has received plenty of advance praise. Rebecca Solnit called it “a beautiful, wrenching, important masterpiece, both a memoir and something that reaches far beyond the personal.”

Oprah Daily named it one of the best books of this fall.

More than a dozen years after Julian Brave NoiseCat took Valerie Seiling Jacobs’ intensive writing course, she is not at all surprised.

StoryFest runs from October 13 to 20. It opens with NoiseCat’s book launch, and ends with a 10th anniversary celebration of Shonda Rhimes’memoir “Year of Yes.” Tickets for the NoiseCat event are $30, and include a copy of the memoir. The price is the same for 1 or 2 seats, and 1 book, A signing follows the talk. Click here for full details of StoryFest ’25,

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Pic Of The Day #3096

Posted on October 10, 2025 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #3096

Compo Beach fisherman (Photo/Ed Simek)

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Friday Flashback #471

Posted on October 10, 2025 | 6 comments

Our Friday series has flashed back once or twice to the construction of Parker Harding Plaza.

But with the much-disliked-but-also-much-used parking lot (not really a “plaza”) back in the news, it’s time to take another look back.

Parker Harding — named for Emerson Parker and Evan Harding, civic leaders who had a hand in its creation — was built on landfill, in the postwar years when Westport was growing like lanternflies.

From the beginning of Main Street in the 1700s through the 1950s, the Saugatuck River lapped up against the backs of buildings on its west side — first homes, then businesses.

It may have been picturesque. But the sewage pipes that emptied directly into the river were definitely not.

Here is what construction of the then-modern, much-needed parking area looked like:

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Maroc)

John and Mary Kowalsky, watching Kowalsky Brothers equipment create Parker Harding Plaza. (Photo courtesy of Christopher Maroc)

(Photo courtesy of Jim Ezzes)

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Coach Of The Week, Library Art …

Posted on October 10, 2025 | 6 comments

Congratulations to Matty Jacowleff!

The New York Giants and Gatorade have selected the Staples football team’s first-year coach as High School Coach of the Week.

The Wreckers are now 4-0, after pummeling Darien on the road last Saturday, 31-6. It was Staples’ first victory over the Blue Wave in 13 years.

The honor comes with a $2,000 check from the Giants Foundation and Gatorade for the football program. Jacowleff will also receive a certificate signed by Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and be honored at a dinner following the season, and a 2026 pre-season game.

Staples football head coach Matty Jacowleff.

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The art featured this fall in the Westport Library aligns with StoryFest — the multimedia homage to storytelling.

The exhibits — on display now through December 16, include:

“Every Picture Tells a Story: Photographs from the Westport Public Art Collections (opening reception October 15 at 6 pm; presentation by photographer Arthur Nager at 7): Portraits, landscape studies, and historical, documentary, and abstract imagery in black and white and color.

The exhibit features renowned photographers Philippe Halsman, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Eliot Porter and Lucia Nebel White, and Westport photographers Larry Silver, David Kalman, Spencer Platt, Lynsey Addario and more.

Larry Morse’s “Black Men Reading” (opening reception October 29 at 6 p.m.; conversation between Morse and Westport artist Miggs Burroughs at 7).

The idea for this series began in 2020, inspired by daily subway commutes where Morse observed fellow passengers, including the occasional sight of Black men with books in hand. Those moments transcended timely happenings, and spoke to deep-rooted aspects of identity, dignity, and representation.

“Art of the Album: Modern Blues” showcases a selection of LPs featuring Westport resident and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mark Naftalin’s performances on keyboard, including with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. From Mother Earth’s “Living With the Animals” to Brewer & Shipley’s “Tarkio,” these albums capture the cultural time when vinyl packaging were both a canvas and a keepsake.

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Staples High School Class of 1973 graduate Bob Gill died peacefully in February in Honolulu. He was 69.

An Eagle Scout, Bob earned a gymnastics scholarship — and a bachelor arts in education — at Arizona State University.

Bob in the Los Angeles and Honolulu public schools. The North Shore, with its culture and surfing challenge, became his home.

He was also an actor, model and house painter.

Bob is survived by his siblings Jeffrey, Steven (Sally) and Kirsten Bartie (Steve). He was predeceased by his parents Robert and Olivia, and brother Gary.

A memorial will be held this Sunday (October 12, 11:45 a.m., Willowbrook Cemetery).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Connecticut Humane Society.

Bob Gill

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Longtime Westporter Jo Ann Arciola died peacefully at her home on Wednesday, surrounded by her family, after a brief illness. She was 78.

The Boston native found her professional home at Resnick Advisories, where she spent more than 20 years. She was noted for her dedication, integrity and kindness.

Jo Ann was an avid reader, traveler and cook. Her family says, “her kitchen was a place of warmth, laughter, and love.”

Jo Ann is survived by her husband of 58 years, Sam Arciola, Jr.; son Sam Arciola III (Kelly); grandsons Sam Arciola IV and Dominic Arciola; brothers-in-law Carmen Arciola of Florida and Jay Westerhold of Virginia; many nieces and nephews, and her dog Romeo. She was predeceased by her brother Edward Austin, sister Eleanor Westerhold, and Joseph Arciola.

A memorial service is set for Thursday (October 16, 11 a.m., Assumption Cemetery, 73 Greens Farms Road).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tunnel To Towers Foundation. Condolences may be left online at http://www.hardingfuneral.org.

Jo Ann Arciola

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This is our first “Westport … Naturally” photo of the season to focus on fall stuff.

It will not be the last.

(Photo/Richard Fogel)

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And finally … in honor of Mark Naftalin, and the album cover exhibit at the Westport Library (story above):

(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local blog — your source for news, events, photos, and everything else about our town. We rely on reader support. Please click here — and thank you!)

 

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