Several times a day, readers ask me to post a story about something they’ve lost.
Or found.
Car keys. Phones. Dogs. Stuffed animals. And much, much more.
I’m sorry, I say. I can’t do that. There are too many requests. And though it’s important to you, the interest level is way too low for “06880”‘s 20,000 or so daily readers. Try Facebook’s “Westport Front Porch,” I add.
I always feel bad.
Now I can feel better — at least for people looking for lost stuffed animals, dolls and blankets.
James Delorey has created a Facebook page just for them (the people, and the items).
Westport Stuffed Animal Search & Rescue began after his mother gave James’ infant daughter Mireille a handsome bear, complete with a grandma-knit hockey sweater. It quickly became the tot’s favorite.
But halfway through a walk one day, Mireille’s Bruin was no longer in the stroller.
James raced home, jumped on his bike, and retraced his route.
On a stone wall in front of the Longshore golf course, he spotted the bear. Someone had found it, and placed it safely there.
Whew!
Mireille’s Bruin, on the Longshore wall.
Since then, he’s noticed how often local community pages include photos of lost (and found) stuffed animals.
They’re not just toys, he notes. They’re beloved companions.
James says, “Every post in Westport Stuffed Animal Search & Rescue captures both the smallest and biggest parts of life: the love and angst of childhood, the attentiveness of parents, and the kindness of neighbors.
“Our first success filled my heart. I hope it’s the first of many.”
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Kids are back in school. If they still write that traditional “What I did over summer vacation” essay — hundreds of Westport boys and girls will recount their weeks at Camp Mahackeno.
They’ve done it for 80 years. The Westport Weston Family YMCA’s camp has grown and evolved quite a bit, since the original Y camp began in 1938, at Doubleday Field (between Saugatuck and Kings Highway Elementary Schools — or, as they were then known, Staples High and Bedford Junior High).
No photos exist from the original camp at Doubleday. This is an early scene from the present Mahackeno site.
That first year 58 boys enjoyed sports, nature study, crafts, songs, storytelling, and swimming at Compo Beach.
In 1942 the Y was offered 32 acres, near the then-new Merritt Parkway.
F.T. Bedford — son of the Y’s founder, Edward T. Bedford — said his family’s trust would pay half the price, provided the town ponied up the other half.
Within a few weeks, Westporters pledged their portion: $10,000.
In 1945 — exactly 80 years ago — the YMCA camp had a home of its own.
An early scene: Pledge of Allegiance.
The next year — at F.T. Bedford’s request — the name was changed to “Mahackeno.” That honored “Mahackemo” (with an “m”), a chief of the Norwalke Indian tribe who in 1639 met Roger Ludlow and traded land between the Saugatuck and Norwalk Rivers — including that very spot — for wampum and other goods.
Generations of boys swung on a rope suspended from the parkway bridge, clambered over (and almost drowned under) a giant World War II-surplus float, and swam, canoed and fished in the river.
Fun on the river.
They played baseball on dusty fields, did arts and crafts in rustic cabins, and slept out in the woods.
There was boxing, too.
Girls joined Camp Mahackeno in 1969,
It expanded over the years. Mahackeno now includes a heated outdoor pool with a splash pad, a dock for canoeing and paddle boating, 2 large slides, a climbing and bouldering wall, laser tag and mini-golf.
Campers also enjoy an archery pavilion, playgrounds, a gaga pit, basketball courts, sports fields, picnic areas, fire pits, wooded trails, and an amphitheater.
This year, over 1,000 youngsters attended Mahackeno. Plenty are 2nd, even 3rd, generation campers.
They were joined by nearly 200 teenage and young adult counselors — many of whom had been campers themselves.
Registration for Camp Mahackeno’s next season begins in January.
Until then, enjoy these photos of the early years.
(Most photos courtesy of Westport Weston Family YMCA archives)
In 1953 — 8 years after the camp opened at Mahackeno — Westport artist Stevan Dohanos drew this Saturday Evening Post cover.
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Comedy roars onto the Westport Country Playhouse stage next month.
Comedian Vic DiBitetto — “The Italian Hurricane,” who “churns energy, honesty, and humanity into nonstop laughter” — is booked for Saturday, September 13 (8 p.m.)
DiBitetto “says what you’re thinking, but are afraid to say out loud,” the Playhouse notes.
He has created video characters like Uncle Vic’s Garage, Tony Gaga, That Guy, Frankie Pentangelli, Scarface, Rocky, Fool by the Pool, and Ticked Off Vic, as well as Yankee and Giant locker room and press conference satires.
And you know that “Bread and Milk” video on TV and the news every time it snows? That’s DiBitetto too.
In 2017, Emma Shannon and Izzy Bodian Connor went postal.
The Staples High School Class of 2002 longtime friends — dating back to Girl Scouts and Bedford Middle School — were appalled by the first days of the first Trump administration.
They created Let’s Go Postal — a “one-stop shop for a postcard protest party.” They designed kits with attention-grabbing postcards, talking points and sample letters for timely isues, along with addresses for users’ congressional representatives, stamps and pens.
Plus a corkscrew. “It helps the drinks — and the ink — flow,” they said.
Izzy Bodian Connor and Emma Shannon.
Let’s Go Postal did not change the world. Or Donald Trump.
But 4 years later, a new president was elected. The ex-president retreated to Mar-a-Lago, blathering about a stolen election.
Emma went back to work as a freelance creative director. Izzy returned full-time to her work as a sales director. All was right, they thought, with the world.
Four years later, Trump is back — with a vengeance.
So are Emma, Izzy, and Let’s Go Postal.
2017 now seems like both “yesterday, and a lifetime ago,” Emma says.
“We had a great run from 2017 to 2020. Then collectively, the nation took a deep breath. We thought we could sit back. Our work was done.
When “2024 happened, we thought ‘4 more years. We’ve been through this. We can survive it.'”
The past 7 months, though, have been “so different, so much worse. The grownups have left the room. Trump has been left to be his most evil self.”
Almost immediately after the inauguration, Emma says, the women realized that they had to “unretire.”
Inspired by protests around the country — including those in Westport, which Emma and Izzy watched with interest from their homes in Brooklyn and Washington, respectively — they went back to work.
“We wanted a way for people in Westport, and the nation, to exercise their right to protest,” Emma says. “Locally and nationally, politicians have to know we are not okay with this.”
And — 4 years is indeed a long time — they added social media to the mix. They signed another former classmate and friend, Carter Downing, to ramp up that presence. The Queens resident is a fulltime social media community manager.
“Instagram stories and reels, TikTok — they are so many more tools to reach our audience now, and collaborate,” Emma notes.
But the goal is still the same: to empower citizens to reach out to their elected officials, at national, state and local levels, on issues large and small.
Everyone’s voice is important, Emma says. Voters in red states need to let their representatives know if they disapprove of current policies; those in blue states need to urge them to keep pushing back.
Those in purple (swing) states have a special duty to make their thoughts known, she adds.
Emma is thinking about the future — and not just for herself. She is 30 weeks pregnant.
Izzy Bodian Connor and Emma Shannon have families, and full-time jobs. But they’re spending lots of time on politics, too.
“We’re only 7 months in” to the Trump administration, she notes. “What will the next 3 1/2 years bring?”
Through Let’s Go Postal, she and Izzy hope to encourage a groundswell of opinion, to help affect change through those with power: elected officials.
What will success look like?
“I would love to retire — for the second time,” Emma says.
(“06880” often covers Staples High School graduates, new business ventures and politics — and sometimes, like today, the intersection of all 3. If you enjoy these stories, please support “06880.” Thanks!)
The Democratic Town Committee’s Nominations Committee has recommended Craig Schiavone to run for the Planning & Zoning Commission.
If selected by the full DTC on Thursday, she’ll join Michael Cammeyer and Bre Injeski on the slate. They were nominated last month. Neil Cohn was nominated too but opted not to run for re-election, necessitating a replacement.
Schiavone’s career spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors, with experience in real estate development, town planning and architectural preservation. She has co-chaired the Saugatuck Transit Development Master Plan Commission, served on the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, and was a member of the Westport 2020 Task Force & Implementation Committees.
Internationally noted photographer (and longtime Westport resident) Larry Silver will discuss his 7 decades of work at MoCA CT on September 6 (5 p.m.). The event is in conjunction with the current exhibiton of Tod Papageorge’s beach and pool photos.
Silver’s images range from the streets and subways of his native New York, to iconic shots of Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach. That 1954 series captured bodybuilders flexing, gymnasts soaring, and beachgoers basking in the sun.
Silver’s Connecticut photos, meanwhile, use natural framing, weather and light to capture this region’s character.
Silver’s photographs are held in over 50 major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. To learn more, click here for Silver’s website.
Larry Silver’s 1980 “Beach Showers, Westport, CT.”
Meanwhile, on Broadway: Staples High School Class of 2021 graduate (and former Players star) Jamie Mann — a cast member of Broadway’s “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” — steps on as James Hopper, Jr. next month. He’ll star in all 4 performances the weekend of September 13-14.
Players directors David Roth and Kerry Long say, “Break legs, Jamie!”
Jamie Mann
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Congratulations to 4 new Westport Fire Department lieutenants!
Deputy fire marshal Robert Lenois, and firefighters Michael Peck, Ronald Burgess and Todd Hall were promoted Tuesday, in a ceremony at the Post Road fire station.
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between August 20 and 26.
A 41-year-old Bronx man was chared with larceny, burglary and criminal mischief, following an investigation into a break-in at the Longshore golf pro shop last September. Clubs and bags with a value of nearly $12,500 were taken. The suspect was identified after an arrest in New York, following similar golf pro shop burglaries. He was held on $100,000 bond.
A 30-year-old Norwalk woman was charged with larceny, following an investigation into a 2023 shoplifting incident at Ulta Beauty.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Driving while texting: 9 citations:
Failure to renew registration: 7
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 5
Speeding: 4
Traveling unreasonably fast: 4
Distracted driving: 3
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 3
Speeding in a school zone: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Breach of peace: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Driving while texting (2nd offense): 1
Driving wrong way on a 1-way street: 1
Failure to drive right: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Improper passing: 1
Following too closely: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Failure to cancel registration within 10 days: 1
Failure to comply with state traffic commssion regulations: 1.
Infractions in a school zone bring added penalties.
At 7:45 a.m. yesterday, a motor vehicle rolled over on Riverside Avenue.
Three people — including one child — were taken by Westport Emergency Services to Norwalk Hospital for evaluation.
Five vehicles were damaged. Fortunately, all were right in front of Westport Auto Craft body shop.
Riverside Avenue was closed in both directions for a while.
Several “06880” readers ask: How do you manage to roll your car on Riverside Avenue — during rush hour.
It’s a great question.
Be careful out there!
Rollover on Riverside Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
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Looking ahead to the day before Halloween?
CLASP Homes — the non-profit that provides care, support and services to adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities — hosts a “wickedly fun concert” fundraiser on October 30 (6:30 p.m., FTC Stage One, Fairfield).
Band Central — CLASP’s favorite group — plays the best of the ’80s and ’90s. There’s a pre-party too, with light bites.
Eleish Van Breems Home second sale is set for next month — at the Westport Country Playhouse barn.
Items include Gustavian and mid-century Scandinavian furniture, rugs, accessories, books and signature designs.
After a sneak preview for the trade (September 12, 3 to 5 p.m.), the sale opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14 (10 a.m to 6 p.m.)
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Speaking of sales: The 4th juried PopShop Market is set for the Westport Museum for History & Culture on September 20 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
Vendors will sell handcrafter jewelry, vintage and antique finds, adult and children clothing, gifts and lifestyle goods.
Kenneth Klein — a 1978 Staples High School graduate, and member of the family that owned Klein’s Department store on Main Street — died unexpectedly on August 21. He was 65.
The son of Stanley Klein, and grandson of Henry Klein, he studied business administation and played football at Roger Williams College.
After working at Klein’s, he ran his own landscaping and plowing business. Hen then worked at Pitney Bowes and General Electric.
Ken loved the Dallas Cowboys, snowmobiing in Vermont, and hosting poker games.
He is survived by his wife Carol; daughter Richelle Salvas of Charleston, South Carolina; sister Carol of New York; stepmother Phyllis of Westport, and nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his sister Susanne Klein-Hertzel, and his parents.
Services will be held September 4 (1 p.m., Abraham Green & Son Funeral Home, Fairfield), followed by burial at Congregation Beth El Memorial Park in Norwalk. For the ivestream and to send condolence message, click here.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a favorite charity in the name of Kenneth R. Klein.
And finally … in honor of Larry Silver and Tod Papageorge’s beach photos at MoCA CT (story above):
(Summer’s almost gone. Fall will be here soon. Whatever the season, it’s always a good time to support “06880” with a tax-deductible donation. Please click here. And thank you!)
He’s entrepreneurial. He’s passionate about technology. He’s creative.
And he’s a very quick learner.
At 12 years old in the summer of 2018, the young Westporter wanted to make money. He found a few water bottles in the pantry, and tried to sell them on his driveway for $1. A couple of people “pity bought” them.
His father John said, “If you want to do this, do it right.”
They created an LLC in his name: 88mphEnterprises (a “Back to the Future” reference).
He got a permit to sell snacks at youth soccer games, and loaded up at Costco. “Standastic” accepted credit cards. He wheeled his goods around in a wagon for “mobile delivery.”
A young — but entrepreneurial — Jay Babina.
A couple of years later at an estate sale with his father, he saw Healthkit radio meters for $10 each. Jay bought them, then resold them on eBay. He learned a lot about listings — and here is his thriving online store today.
He branched out to Amazon, and just hit the $100,000 mark.
That business funds his Westport Tech Museum.
One of the most fascinating hidden gems in town — and it will stay that way, because it’s not open to the public — the museum is a large attic filled with over 500 computers, video games, calculators, cameras, radios and more.
Jay Babina’s Westport Tech Museum.
From a Commodore Amiga 1000, Osborne 1, Apple IIe and an original Macintosh, to a 1914 Victrola that still plays, 1910 Edison light bulb that still shines, and a 1905 crank telephone that still rings, Jay scoured the world (and eBay) to find rare, important, classic, quirky and historic products.
Last spring, Jay’s dad bought a photo scanner, to scan family photos.
You or I would say, “Meh.” Jay thought: Ka-ching!
He ran the numbers, researched the competition, and developed a pricing model.
No matter how the photos were taken, Jay can digitize them.
He tested the concept with family and friends. He quickly realized they wanted more than just photo scanning — for example, transferring CDs to thumb drives.
Some of the types of media Jay accepts for digitizing and transfer.
And it wasn’t only photos. Someone asked about scanning old documents. Jay bought a flatbed scanner, for that service.
Jay Babina, at his workstation.
Jay is now a sophomore at Manhattanville College. He devotes weekends to his new business. He calls it Scans by Me.
Yes, that’s an homage to the Ben E. King classic. Jay is not only creative; he’s also a fan of great music.
(To learn more about Scans By Me, click here; email jay@scansbyme.com, or call 475-444-3040.)
(“06880” often covers businesses in town, the creative endeavors of Westporters — especially young people — and, like today, their intersection. Please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Thousands of Westport students returned to school yesterday. Hundreds of teachers were there a few days earlier, preparing to greet them.
There’s something about the start of a new school years. Floors glisten. Rooms smell fresh. Even the doorknobs shine.
Cafeterias, gyms, auditoriums — all are ready for the onslaught of kids and adults.
But those floors don’t wax themselves. Desks are not suddenly polished. Broken hinges and blinds can’t magically be fixed.
It takes a crew of custodians and maintenance people to do it.
And the Westport Public Schools have some of the best.
Ready for another year
They’ve been working all summer — since, literally, the day classes ended in June.
It’s hard, physical work. There is much to do. Ten months of constant use takes a toll.
But the men and women on our custodial and maintenance staffs do it. Quietly and efficiently, they make sure that everything is in order, so our teachers can teach and our kids can learn, in all the places we see, and maybe we don’t.
Too often, we look right past them as they clean floors and empty trash. Too seldom do we say thank you.
But without those essential workers, we would have no schools. Today — and every day — they are our Unsung Heroes.
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
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“We had a great run from 2017 to 2020. Then collectively, the nation took a deep breath. We thought we could sit back. Our work was done.
