Happy belated birthday to Michael Calise! One of Westport’s most celebrated citizens turned 83 yesterday.
Andrew Colabella salutes “one of the many outspoken, preserving, and caring fighters of Westport.” He writes:
“Michael has worked hard to preserve the cultural identity of our town by purchasing land and historic homes for preservation of what our town once was, and is holding on to.
“You can find him often at Town Hall, for Planning & Zoning, Flood and Erosion Control, Zoning Board of Appeals and RTM meetings.
“Summer nights Michael walks from the oasis of trees on Compo’s South Beach to the jetty, Fiona’s Disappearing Island, and back.
“Fall and winter nights he can be found at Luciano Park with his friend and their dogs, playing together. Happy birthday, Michael!”
Michael Calise at a recent “06880” party, and in the Staples High School Class of 1958 yearbook.
Ukraine Aid International — the organization founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer — helps Fairfield County towns partner with similar-sized communities in Ukraine.
Westport was the first. Stamford, Easton and Greenwich followed suit.
Now Weston has done the same.
In this week’s “What’s Next in Weston,” 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor describes the relationship, and offers details on how Westonites can help their new friends, during this very difficult time.
Click below to listen. The podcast is a production of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.
Yesterday, “06880” introduced The Blondinit. The Israeli restaurant opens this summer in the former Church Lane space of Manna Toast.
It’s not the only new place with cuisine from that part of the world.
Cava will take over the newly remodeled spot next to Westport Hardware, across from Fresh Market.
As first reported on Westport Journal, it’s a national fast food chain with over 100 outlets. Among them: New York, Westchester and Greenwich.
The menu includes pitas (crispy falafel, spicy chicken and avocado, spicy lamb meatball and Greek chicken), and salad bowls (spicy chicken, zesty falafel, lemon chicken, harissa avocado, lentil avocado, tahini caesar and more).
Need documents or other stuff shredded? Want to support cancer research?
You can do both at once this Saturday (May 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., William Raveis rear parking lot, 47 Riverside Avenue).
The real estate firm is sponsoring another “Shred It for Cancer Research” event.
The suggested donation is $10 per box or large shopping bag; $20 per large garbage bag (cash or check).
Staples do not need to be removed. You can watch the shredding happen — without even getting out of your car.
100% of every donation benefits the William Raveis Charitable Fund, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
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Quote of the Day:
“Part of me was obviously happy that Donald Trump was not branded a rapist.” — Joseph Tacopina, the former president’s lawyer and a Westport resident, after a jury found his client liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll. She was awarded $5 million in damages.
This week’s “What’s Next in Weston” podcast features 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor, with details on how American Rescue Plan Act money is being used to deliver improvements in many areas of Weston.
It covers lots of areas, and answers many questions. Click below to listen to the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston production.
Much of the Greens Farms Association’s work involves zoning.
So the guest speaker for their annual meeting (May 18, 7 p.m., Green’s Farms Church) makes a lot of sense.
Danielle Dobin, chair of the Westport Planning & Zoning Commission, will discuss that topic, including affordable housing, upcoming developments and more.
The meeting includes a recap of the Association’s 2022 activities, and a look ahead to the coming year. Non-members are welcome.
Green’s Farms Church — one of the icons of the neighborhood — is the site of the Greens Farms Association’s annual meeting.
Unlike Sam Cooke, Westport students do know much about history.
Last Saturday was Connecticut History Day — the state-level part of a national competition. The them was “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.”
Seven teams from Staples High School (Senior Division) and Bedford and Coleytown Middle Schools (Junior Division) finished in the top 3 in their categories. There were also 2 special prize winners.
The Staples winners are:
1st place, Individual Performance: Camille Mergenthaler (“Food Network; Pioneering Opportunities for Women in the Culinary Industry”).
2nd place, Individual Exhibit: Kate Rodriguez (“The Boom Heard ‘Round the World: The Development and Deployment of the Atomic Bomb”).
2nd place, Group Exhibit: Perrin Root, Oliver Oren, Evan Wallitt, Claudia Trinchi (“Laying Down Frontiers of the Future: The Transcontinental Railroad’s Economic and Cultural Influence”).
3rd place, Group Website: Levi Nested, Elliott Galina, Jake Wadley, William Fleming (“From TV Dinners to Fast Food Nation: The Cultural Impact of Processed Foods in America”).
Special prizes, Outstanding Entry Related to Civics, Government or Citizenship: Liam Furlong (“Ulysses S. Grant and His Effect on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1800s”).
Special prize, Outstanding Entry in American Legal History: Katherine Fitzgerald, Lola Lamensdorft, Rhiya Anand, Sophie Cochran (“Margaret Sanger: The Creation of Birth Control”).
The Bedford winners are:
1st place, Group Documentary: Siri Klassen, Gargi Karve, Elise Yan (“From the Farmland to the Runway: How Denim Revolutionized the
Fashion Industry Through Affordability and Transformative Styles”)
2nd place, Papers: Blake Carson (“An Unexpected Frontier: How the Civil War Exposed Medical Shortfalls and Prompted Change”).
The Coleytown Winners are:
2nd place, Individual Website: Jonah Frey (“How Amateur Radio Changed the Nation”),
F0r more information on Connecticut History Day, click here. For a list of all winners, click here.
From left: Evan Wallitt, Perrin Root, Oliver Oren in front of their Transcontinental Railroad project.
Nearly 40 years after Hall & Oates did not appear in Westport, Daryl Hall will be here.
That 1985 non-event is the stuff of local legend. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the town, Hall & Oates were signed for a special concert at Longshore.
Except the signing was done by a Westport nanny, who had no connection with the duo. It was, to use the technical term, BS.
Nearly 4,o0o people thronged Longshore, on a beautiful day.
They waited … waited … and waited. No Hall. No Oates. Nothing.
Staples High School student Cary Pierce had a band. They stepped up, saving the day (and kick-starting Cary’s eventual career, as one half of Jackopierce).
Now — in a new millennium — Daryl Hall has been signed for a Levitt Pavilion gala. He will be here August 24.
And there’s more: Todd Rundgren joins, as a special guest.
Levitt member pre-sale begins today at 10 a.m. Public sale starts Friday, at 10 a.m. Click here for all tickets. Click here for sponsorship opportunities.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is sill going strong. Four decades later, we’ll get to see for ourselves.
Hall and Oates, back in the day.
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More entertainment: Music returns to Church Lane June 2.
Area artists have already been booked, to add to the al fresco enjoyment of restaurants like Spotted Horse and soon-to-open The Blondinit.
The entertainment runs through September 30.
Click here for a full schedule — and a link to donate to the cause.
Staples High School’s Jazz Ensemble rocked the National Jazz Festival this past weekend in Philadelphia.
They placed 2nd in the top division, with drummer Witt Lindau receiving one of 3 Outstanding Musician medals. .
This is the second time the jazz program at Staples has been recognized nationally in recent years. The Staples High School Jazz Combo received first place in Small Ensemble Live Performance at the 2021 National Jazz Festival.
Congratulations to instructors Phil Giampietro, Gregg Winters, and all the young, award-winning musicians: seniors Jason Capozucca, Jaime Paul, Ana Jahnel, Delaney McGee, Henry Now, Jet Tober and Witt Lindau; juniors Freddie Aldridge, Zach Abramowitz, Deneil Betfarhad, Spencer Geiss, Ethan Walkmark and Matt Weiner; sophomores Sam Rondon, Tommy Linn and Cooper Paul, and freshman Charlie Beckwith.
The Staples High School Jazz Ensemble. Director Phil Giampietro is in the front row, at right.
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Today’s “What’s Next in Weston” with 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor covers the plan and timeline for construction of Weston’s first sidewalks. Click below for insights into this town-changing event, courtesy of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.
Speaking of podcasts: Beth Berger sends along a link.
In it,, former Westporter Blanche Napoleon is interviewed about her friendship with Dan Hartman. In the 1970s she made music with him in his “schoolhouse” studio here.
Blanche was a background singer on some of Dan’s biggest disco hits (“Instant Replay”, “Relight My Fire”, “Love Sensation”). They remained good friends until his death from AIDS in 1993.
“It’s a great piece of Westport musical history,” Beth — who is now friendly with Blanche, her Palm Beach neighbor — writes.
The expanded Bruce Museum reopened 3 weeks ago. It showcases community, art, science and education, in a natural light setting.
Yesterday, the Y’s Women enjoyed a fascinating presentation by executive director and CEO Robert Wolstertoff.
The painting, sculpture, mineral and science galleries (the latter featuring penguins past and present) are free on Tuesdays. Free passes to the Bruce (and other museums) are available at the Westport Library.
Robert Wolstertorff at the Y’s Women meeting.
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Sunday’s rain did not deter Pam Constantikes’ friends.
A crew from Staples High School’s Class of 1981 walked to raise money for research to end pancreatic cancer, in her honor.
They note that contributions can still be made. Click here to help.
Walking for Pat Constantikes (from left): Suzanne Sherman Propp, Patty Kondub, Linda Prestegaard, Ann Wriedt Sisto, Lauren Tarshis, Susan Charlton Wallace, Helen Rauh Glenn.
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A new monthly podcast for the Westport Library’s Verso Studios features 2 familiar faces: Westport Writing Workshop leaders Patricia Dunn and Tessa Smith McGovern.
“Go Ahead, Write Something” is for “writers who want motivation and the deep-down truths about getting published, and how to find joy in writing and sharing your work with the world.”
The podcast launch begins this month. Five episodes are available via traditional podcast aggregators. Among them: Dunn and Smith McGovern’s StoryFest 2023 discussion with bestselling fantasy author Naomi Novik.
So it was appropriate that this one — the subject of today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — was fishing for dinner the other night behind the police station.
Mohegan has moved into the mini-strip mall near Stanton Miles, on Post Road East by the Southport border.
Alert “06880” reader Stacie Curran noticed — particularly, the lights.
(Photo/Stacie Curran)
“I thought neon signs were prohibited in Westport,” she wrote.
I emailed my go-to at Town Hall: Planning & Zoning director Mary Young.
She was out of the office. But zoning official Laurie Montagna replied:
“Yes, we have a regulation that prohibits neon signs. 33-3.14 says, ‘Directly-illuminated gaseous signs, such as neon tube signs, that are visible from outside the building shall be prohibited.’
“Unfortunately, almost all signs installed today that look like neon, are actually LED signs.”
I’m no signage expert (or chemist). But if it looks like a duck …
Tonight’s kickoff of a 3-part Westport Library series on cardiac health has been postponed, due to anticipated bad weather.
The session on coronary artery diseases planned for this evening (March 14) has been pushed back to March 22. The discussion on valvular heart disease planned for that date will be rescheduled. The atrial fibrillation talk is still set for April 17.
The cardiac series is curated by Andrew Wilk, and led by Dr. Robert Altbaum.
Andrew Wilk’s first session on heart disease will now begin on March 22.
The Staples High School boys basketball took a huge step toward the state championship last night.
Ranked #7 in the CIAC Division II tournament, the Wreckers upset #2 Holy Cross-Waterbury 61-47, in the upstaters’ gym.
The quarterfinal win vaults the blue-and-whites into the state semis. They’ll meet #3 Fairfield Warde tomorrow (Wednesday, March 15), at a neutral site and time TBD.
The Mustangs defeated the Wreckers 51-44, in their regular season matchup earlier this year.
Staples was led by Chris Zajac and Cody Sale (16 points) each, Sam Clachko (11) and Charlie Honig (10).
The 2023 Staples High School boys basketball team.
Staples’ boys basketball team has snagged all the headlines this winter.
But the school also fields a fencing team.
And not just any fencing team. A 2-time state champion one.
The Wreckers’ boys foil fencers defended their Connecticut crown last weekend.
And they’re only 2 years old.
In that time they’ve grown from 9 participants to over 20 male and female fencers. Beginners are welcome.
They practice 3 times a week, all year long. They’re coached by Westport resident Delphine DeVore, a world-ranked fencer. She’s a member of the Columbia University fencing team, and volunteers her time to work with Staples.
Club leaders, including founders and co-captains Max Peterbarg, PJ Loranger and Gleb Symonchoy are pursuing full recognition as a team sport. They hope to have enough fencers to field both boys and girls teams next year in foil, epee and saber — at both the varsity and junior varsity levesl.
For more information, check out the Instagram account: @staplesfencing.
From left: Coach Delphine DeVore, and team members Gleb Syomichev, PJ Loranger, Eric Wilson and Max Piterbarg
Refined Lash Studio on Post Road East — across from Design Within Reach — is closing.
A note to clients from “Miss Vic” says: “It is with great hesitation that this chapter of my life must come to a close. I have decided to move back to the West Coast.
“I want to thank every person who ever booked with me, shared personal stories with me, and those who’ve been with me since the beginning. I hope to remain a part of your life even without a professional relationship.
“I will do my best to accommodate all schedules and send updates of my departure. I don’t have a definitive end date, I just wanted to give as much notice in advance possible.”
Sounds like it’s your “lash chance.”
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Today’s weather forecast forced the postponement of the Connecticut Appalachian Mountain Club’s presentation of “Exploring the Colombian Amazon” with Ida Lowe.
The new date is next Tuesday (March 21, 6:15 p.m., Saugatuck Congregational Church). Appetizers, pasta dinner, salads, drinks and desserts will be served. It’s $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, email easasso7@icloud.com.
This week’s “What’s Next in Weston” is part 1 of a 2-part program. 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor discusses her town’s upcoming property revaluation , including how’s done, by whom, and how it leads to the mill rate used going forward.
The podcast (click below to listen) comes courtesy of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.
Grammy nominee Paul Bollenback headlines this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (March 16, shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399).
He’s joined by a hot rhythm section: Essiet Essiet on bass, Sylvia Cuenca on drums, and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” on sax.
Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
And finally … in honor (?) of Westport’s newest store, and its bright lights:
(Whether it’s a new smoke shop or a lash store closing, “06880” has got our retail scene covered. Please click here to help support all that we do. Thank you!)
A dog park in Weston has gone through every approval process — and been litigated in court.
Engineering tests have been conducted. Plans have been modified. Money has been raised. Still, the controversy continues.
First Selectwoman Sam Nestor discusses all this — including another lawsuit filed by a woman who has, literally, “no dog in this fight” — on the latest “What’s Next in Weston.”
This new episode in the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston podcast series proves that when it comes to political fights over land use, Weston is at least equal to its more famously contentious neighbor, Westport.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
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