Janine Scotti has lived in Westport since 1998. The former owner of S.C.R.U.B.S Cleaning, and Da Pietro’s Restaurant and Zest Café and Restaurant with her husband, chef Pietro Scotti, she is now a special education paraprofessional in Darien. Her children, Tomaso and Lucia, are Staples High School graduates, and University of Connecticut Huskies.
On Thursday night Janine was very moved by “Tuesdays with Morrie,” the Westport Country Playhouse production kicking off the 2025-26 season. She writes:
Janine Scotti
My heart broke open, deeply touched and moved by this play. Deeply touched and moved by the 2 men on the naked stage. I don’t think I can use the word actors, because to me it was just Mitch and Morrie — a student and a professor.
As the final moment arrived and Mitch played the piano, I thought about my own piano — the one I just played again after many, many months.
On top of my piano in the entrance of my home are photos of people who have been very special and dear to me. They are people from my community here in Westport, who have died this past year or so.
Also on the piano are my mother’s and aunt’s ashes, and a photo of the gravestone my mother had made in the last years of her life for a grave where her 5-day old baby Paul, my brother, was laid to rest years before I was born.
Janine Scotti’s piano.
Those people have taught me many things, but a common thread ties them all together.
They were selfless when it came to giving to their community.These photos stay in the center of my home, because their faces bring me joy and inspire me daily. I will share who they are with you.
Bill Vornkahl: my dear friend from my church. Bill could tease me at the drop of a hat, but we shared a passion: parades and marching bands. Bill shared his talents with us all. For decades he organized our Memorial Day parade — a year-long task he loved.
Bill Vornkahl (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
Betty Lou Cummings: the first person I volunteered with in Westport. She filled my heart with joy every time I had the pleasure to be by her side. Her list of service to Westport is endless. I am grateful to see her smiling face every day as I pass my piano.
Betty Lou Cummings (Photo/Doris Ghitelman)
Carolyn Kramer: my quiet friend, my mentor on the altar guild at my church. I watched her ramp up her service to others every year of her life. Her presence in my life, watching her serve with kindness and gentleness, lives in my heart.
Carolyn Kramer
Tim Lewis: From the first moment I met him at Kings Highway School, I saw his generosity towards others. When he died I went back to look at texts from him. He showed me how to see other people. He let me use his back yard to throw a surprise party for a 9-year-old missing her mom; he asked me to lead a commission, which blew me away, and he texted me when we closed Da Pietro’s, with kind words of acknowledgement and wishing us good luck in the future. He showed me how to see others in my community.
Tim Lewis
The piano top is flanked by my parents and grandparents, who also dedicated their lives to their communities.
What are we without community? I feel blessed to be here in Westport, meeting people like you.
Mitch was lucky to meet Morrie. I was blessed that this play came to the Playhouse. It made me think about all of you: my community.
Jamie Greenwald graduated from Staples High School in 1982.
That was over 40 years ago. But he has never forgotten the impact a friend’s mother — Betty Lou Cummings — made on him.
The former Westport 2nd selectwoman, longtime civic volunteer, and ever-smiling presence — died on January 3. Today, Jamie offers this fond remembrance:
As a young person I was admittedly a bit wild, or more than a bit. I experienced life and developed my boundaries by trying all the nutty things a kid could dream up.
Thankfully I survived, and ended up thriving well enough in life, love, with family and friends. The Cummings family was all of these to me, helmed primarily by Betty Lou, which I’m sure Tom will attest to.
All my “friends” in my early years were transient — a single play date at my house or theirs. Their mothers saw the “free spirit” within me, and quickly decided that once was enough for their special son.
So long-term friendships were hard to come by for me. Except for one: Betty Lou’s son Mark — a friendship blessed often by Betty Lou, and her divine gift of light and love which so many in her close circle felt from her. This friendship with Mark continues today, 57 years after our first play date.
For me, Betty Lou’s support was life-altering and inspirational. She saw in me something I did not and could not see in myself. Maybe it was actually there and she could see right through me to some goodness or positivity. Maybe she gave me the benefit of the doubt, or maybe she saw nothing at all but knew Mark enjoyed being with me so she smiled and prayed and hoped I would end up alright and not ruin her dear son.
Betty Lou Cummings and Jamie Greenwald
Betty Lou surely had a way about her. Whatever crazy plot I would dream up with her son, she would give us a slap on the wrist, then hold my wrist for a time and look at me convincingly (through a good long, uncomfortable yet loving stare), telegraphing that we are destined for great things in life. Whenever we messed up, Betty Lou and Tom scolded us, called us knuckleheads, and then hugged us forevermore.
As a child I spent most of my free time at the Cummings homes, soaking up Tom’s creativity and Betty Lou’s love and belief in me. I call her my second mom. But a mom is a mom. And she was one of two. I could not have felt more a part of her pack of monkeys.
Betty Lou’s belief in me, her constant light of love and optimism, her lack of judgment and her ability to make me feel that I would impact the world in a positive way one day, infected me. It saved me. It motivated me. To no small extent it made me who I am today.
Now, I am not anything special to be sure, but I am alive, I have an amazing wife, I have a special family, many friends, and I am surrounded by love. I try every day to do my best to impact the world in positive ways, both big and small, and this drives my thinking daily. Paying it forward, I do my best to help young people find their way in life, both my own kids and their friends, and anyone else who I can support along the way.
Not all young boys have a Betty Lou rooting for them and supporting them, and many don’t get a second chance when they do something stupid. I am one of those fortunate few who did have Betty Lou. And I will always be thankful and filled with gratitude and appreciation for the many gifts she bestowed upon and within me.
She made all the difference to me as a young person, and now as an older person. She may not be with us in the physical form, but a bright and loving energy like Betty Lou’s cannot be turned off. She is well somewhere, and her brightly glowing spirit is helping those who need to be supported and inspired. She will be dearly missed until we all see her again.
It was with great sadness that I learned of Betty Lou Cummings’ passing. Westport has lost an exceptional member of our community, and she will always hold a place alongside the great contributors to our town. Her cheer, her infectious happiness, and her love of life and community were unmatched. She will be remembered and appreciated forever.
Betty Lou’s involvement and generous commitment to Westport was unquestioned and steadfast, beginning with her participation in the resistance to having a nuclear power plant built on Cockenoe Island. She was one of the leaders of that movement. Today we have Betty Lou, among others, to thank for helping to maintain the natural beauty of that town asset.
She was a pioneer in female representation in Westport. After she served roles as second selectwoman and as an RTM member, she continued to actively and passionately champion for programs and civic issues that affected the entire community.
This included, but certainly was not limited to, volunteering and fundraising for the Westport Library and the Westport Center for Senior Activities, and organizing events for CLASP Homes. For decades, and with an enthusiasm that was unrivaled, Betty Lou proudly judged the Memorial Day parade floats and organized Super Bowl parties at the Senior Center.
I have so many personal fond memories of Betty Lou at many of these special events. With her pom-poms and pigtails, she unabashedly exuded joy. I so enjoyed her laughter and her company, but mostly, I respected her ability to engage everyone and make an entire room a bit brighter with her presence.
The town of Westport has been fortunate to have had Betty Lou as one of its leading citizens. I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the many residents whose lives she enhanced and touched.
Betty Lou Cummings and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, at the Memorial Day parade. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
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Bridgewater is cutting 7% of its workforce.
That’s about 90 employees, out of the 1,200 or so at the company’s Nyala Farm headquarters adjacent to I-95 Exit 18.
The firm — one of the largest hedge funds in the world — once had 2 sites in Westport. The other was in the Glendinning building on Weston Road.
An office on Fifth Avenue, to “complement” the one here, will open this winter.
Click here for details, and for more Wakeman Town Farm activities.
Wakeman Town Farm alpaca mug.
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Earthplace Summer Camp registration is now open.
Youngsters of all abilities ages 2-15 are welcome to enjoy nature-based activities, and experience over 50 “animal ambassadors.” There are weekly sessions, from mid-June through mid-August.
Click here for more information. Questions? Email summercamp@earthplace.org.
Having fun at Earthplace summer camp. (Photo/Jaime Bairaktaris)
Many times, the Westport Astronomical Society’s lecture series guests appear via Zoom, from around the galaxy (or at least the planet)
On January 21 (8 p.m.), the WAS welcomes their own board member Dr. Kevin Green, to the observatory classroom.
The University of New Haven Physics Department member will discuss the ongoing work of observing asteroids at WAS, and surrounding telescopes. The talk includes short presentations from his team of young, talented observers.
Dr. Green spearheads observations of asteroid occultations at the Westport Astronomical Society and University of New Haven, among others.
For those who can’t be there live, the talk will be livestreamed on YouTube and Zoom.
Dr. Kevin Green
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As the nation focuses its attention on Washington — in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, and the inauguration on January 20 of Donald Trump — the National Mall plays a prominent role.
Who knew there are stables there?
And if you did know, it’s unlikely you realized they were designed by a Westport architect.
In early 1976, in preparation for the Bicentennial, a small group of simple wooden stalls were erected for horses of the US Park Police. Though designed to be temporary, they have been used ever since.
A few years ago, a new building was constructed with stables and support spaces, administrative facilities, and a public information and education gallery. The public can now see the police horses in their stalls, and in paddocks in front.
It was designed by Tasos Kokoris. For many years, he has lived and worked in town.
Add that to your list of “must-sees,” the next time you’re in our nation’s capital. (Hat tip: Morgan Mermagen)
Tasos Kokoris’ horse stables, on the National Mall.
Judith Voss — a Westport resident for 50 years — died December 16. She was 83.
The Wisconsin native was valedictorian of her high school class in 1959. After earning a BA in education from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, Judy taught middle school English in suburban Milwaukee.
Six years later, on a blind date, she met her future husband Ted, who had just finished law school and would soon be drafted into the Army.
After their wedding in 1968 Ted returned to Heidelberg, Germany where he was stationed. After finishing teaching for the school year, Judy joined. She saved love letters from their time apart.
After returning to the US in 1970, the couple lived in Milwaukee and Indianapolis. They settled in Westport in 1974.
Judy was an avid tennis player, and became a bridge bronze lifetime master. She also took great joy from cooking, baking, gardening, and looking after her home.
Other pastimes included running, yoga and The New York Times crossword puzzles. A voracious reader, Judy was an enthusiastic supporter of the Westport Public Library.
Judy is survived by her daughter, Trista Soh (Edward), and granddaughters Evelyn and Madeline. Her husband Ted died in 2020.
And finally … Peter Yarrow — one-third of the legendary Peter, Paul & Mary trio — died yesterday in New York. He was 86, and suffered from bladder cancer.
Mary Travers — the golden-voiced contralto, with several ties to Westport — died in 2009, in Danbury.
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Betty Lou Cummings — a Westport resident for over 58 years, who made her mark on town in innumerable ways — died suddenly from an accident on January 3. She was 90.
Pennsylvania native Betty Lou Lundstedt recently celebrated her 69th wedding anniversary with her college sweetheart Thomas. She was a graduate of Michigan State University, with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education and dance.
At MSU. she was one of the first 6 females cheerleaders. She later taught at MSU, and Vassar College.
Early in their marriage the Cummingses lived in Waco, Texas and Poughkeepsie, New York, where she became the YMCA director.
Betty Lou Cummings
Her family says, “Encouraging others to achieve higher goals through cheerful interactions was a mark of Betty Lou’s enduring presence. This was the continuing gift she brought to everything she did.”
Her many achievements include Connecticut state champion for sewing, president of the Staples High School PTA (1981), Sportsmen of Westport (1991), YMCA Faces of Achievement (1998), and the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Award (2003).
In midlife her interests and leadership expanded into politics. She was elected as Westport’s second selectwoman, and served from 1993 to 1997.
During her years as a community leader, she supported many important projects, including founding the Apple Festival, fundraising for CLASP, and the Westport Library’s Riverwalk and River of Names projects.
She was instrumental in the town’s purchase of Cockenoe Island, preventing construction of a nuclear power plant.
She helped organize Random Acts of Kindness Days, and will be remembered as a joyful presence in her role as a judge for Westport’s annual Memorial Day parade.
Other public service included selection as a delegate to Russia and China for Bridges for Peace.
Betty Lou Cummings (left) and Joanne Nistico, advertising the Apple Festival.
She and Tom were ardent world travelers, visiting over 100 different countries. She loved seeing cultures and wild animals, and viewed the world as a miracle.
The Cummings family spent 50 memorable years skiing at Okemo, and 13 with fun-filled gatherings at Ocean City.
Her family adds, “She made sure every holiday was a full experience of love, recognition, and her delicious homemade cakes. She developed a deep skill as our historian and chronicler of activities with her newsletters and holiday cards.
“Betty Lou will be remembered as a generous, deeply caring and compassionate person of principle. She spent her life advancing the positive whenever she could with enthusiasm, hard work, her laughter and her winning smile. Along the way, Betty Lou met any challenge head-on, was resilient, constructive and always optimistic.”
Betty Lou and Tom Cummings, at their 69th wedding anniversary last month.
Betty Lou is survived by her husband; sons Mark (Lisa Livingston) of Modesto, California; Mathew (Michele Grether) of Trumbull, and Todd (Kate Francek) of Fairfield; grandchildren Mathew Jr., Ella, Caroline, Zoe and Toby; sisters Janet Hanes and Diane Martin, and brother Roy Lundstedt. She was predeceased by her son Edwin, and brothers Jack and Bob.
Visitation is set for Friday (January 10, 4 to 8 p.m., Harding Funeral Home). Her memorial service is Saturday (January 11, 10 a.m., Saugatuck Congregational Church). Burial will be private.
Betty Lou Cummings — a personal and political dynamo who in more than 4 decades in Westport made her formidable mark on nearly every aspect of local life — died Friday night.
She was 90 years old. She and her husband, former IBM executive Tom Cummings, celebrated their 66th anniversary last month.
Betty Lou and Tom Cummings at their 66th wedding anniversary last month.
If there was a job in Westport that needed doing, Betty Lou did it.
She served as second selectwoman, with 1st Selectman Joe Arcudi. (An ardent Republican, she later switched parties and became an equally committed Democrat.) She was also elected to the Representative Town Meeting.
Betty Lou Cummings, outside her home in 2020.
A longtime member of Friends of the Senior Center, she was one of that institution’s staunchest advocates. For years she helped organize an annual Super Bowl party there, complete with Staples High School cheerleaders.
(She had a special fondness for cheer. In 1954, while a student at Michigan State University, she became one of the first female cheerleaders in the entire Big 10.)
Betty Lou founded the Apple Festival. For 20 years she ran the annual autumn event, a fundraiser for CLASP that drew thousands to Staples High School.
Betty Lou Cummings, at the Apple Festival.
She was a lead organizer and fundraiser for 2 Westport Library projects: the Riverwalk along the Saugatuck River, and the River of Names tile mural, which hung in the lower lobby of the building, before renovation.
Betty Lou served on committees celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Staples High School in 1984, and the 50th anniversary of the town’s purchase of Cockenoe Island (2017). She helped organize Westport’s “Random Acts of Kindness Days,” too.
Betty Lou was a proud resident of Saugatuck Shores. She spent 20 years fighting for sewers for the neighborhood.
And every May for decades, Betty Lou took her place in front of Town Hall. She was an ever-smiling judge for the Memorial Day parade.
Betty Lou Cummings, at the 2023 Memorial Day parade. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
A full obituary will be forthcoming, with information on services and donations in her name.
(In 2011, Betty Lou Cummings recorded a video for the Michigan State University Alumni Association. She talked about her cheerleading experience there. Click below to see.)
Last weekend, the Westport Transit District rolled out a soution to holiday shopping traffic.
This weekend, Wheels2U — the on-demand train station service — will operate once again.
Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday (December 20 -21), a Wheels2U vehicle will pick you up anywhere in Westport. It will take you downtown, then back home again when you’re through.
Stops are at Jesup Green opposite the Westport Book Shop, and Elm Street across from Serena & Lily.
Download the Wheels2U app, and book your ride 20 minutes before you want to leave. Rides are just $2 per passenger, open to all Westport residents and visitors. Children 12 and under must ride with an adult.
Westporters learned a lot about investing — and sports, and politics — when billionaire financier/former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and fellow TV personality Dave Briggs, chatted onstage at the Westport Library last month.
Yesterday, a national audience learned from the 2 Westporters too.
Their interview was featured on CNBC, when Lasry went on the business channel to discuss investing in college sports.
VFW Post 399 is a warm, welcoming place for any meeting. There are plenty of veterans-related events there — and many others with outside groups, that rent the Riverside Avenue facility (for a very modest sum).
The vibe was especially warm earlier this week. The VFW, American Legion and auxiliary enjoyed spicy chili, before their end-of-year meetings.
Happy 69th anniversary to former 2nd selectwoman/Apple Festival founder/ longtime town volunteer Betty Lou Cummings and her husband Tom, a former IBM executive.
Here’s to many more enjoyable years, at your Saugatuck Shores home.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature takes us to Grace Salmon Park.
The small riverside oasis on Imperial Avenue has many devoted users. Some were upset the other day, to see significant sections laid bare.
It’s all goodo. The work was part of the town’s Invasive Species Management Project. Run collaboratively by the Parks & Recreation and Conservation Departments, the goal is to remove invasives, to improve wetland health and biodiversity.
Grace Salmon Park looks a bit different these days. It’s more of a gem than ever.
And finally … On this date in 1971 the live album from the Concert For Bangladesh, held 6 months earlier in Madison Square Garden, was released. It went on to win a Grammy, for Album of the Year.
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This week, the Long Lots School Building Committee provided updates to the Boards of Finance and Education.
In the weeks ahead, they plan to meet with Long Lots neighbors. The LLSBC will
“listen to all questions, suggestions and concerns from the neighbors and discuss the current school design. We will restate that water management, both during and after the project, is a key priority for the LLSBC and the town. We will acknowledge that the project will be disruptive for the neighbors and affirm that we will do our best to mitigate the disruption and listen to the neighbors throughout the process.
The LLSBC will also meet with the Long Lots PTA, to “discuss the project and listen to parents’ questions, suggestions and concerns about the design of the new school including parent and bus drop offs, project timing, safety, and efforts to minimize disruption for all parties during construction.
In a meeting with the Planning & Zoning Commission, they provide an update on the project.
The LLSBC and design team will also meet with the members of the Westport Community Gardens. They will “listen to questions and seek input and suggestions about the construction of the new relocated Community Garden. The new garden is currently forecast to be ready, along with the new athletic fields and parking lots, the year following completion of the new school building.
“Currently the first planting season in the new relocated garden would be in the spring of 2028. We’ll reaffirm that this growing season (2024) will be the last for the current garden as mobilization and construction is forecast to begin in the spring of 2025.”
They will “also highlight that the First Selectwoman met with the Garden Steering Committee in late August and offered to work with the gardeners to move them to the Baron’s South property adjacent to the Senior Center. This move would allow the new gardens to open significantly sooner than the spring of 2028, which was the main impetus for the LLSBC to suggest this in our initial recommendation in October of 2023. The discussions between the First Selectwoman and the Garden Steering Committee regarding a move to Baron’s South are outside the scope of the LLSBC and the construction of the new Long Lots school.”
Plans are moving ahead for construction of the new Long Lots Elementary School.
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With less than a month to go before the presidential election, political signs are popping up all around town.
Some are for Harris/Walz. Others tout Trump/Vance.
They’re not generally noteworthy. But one on Saugatuck Shores caught our eye.
It wasn’t the message. It was the messenger.
The sign belongs to Betty Lou Cummings.
The 90-year-old and still very active volunteer is well known in town. In nearly 50 years here she founded the long-running Apple Festival, organized fundraisers like the Riverwalk and Westport Library River of Names, advocated for the Senior Center advocate, and served on the Representative Town Meeting.
She is also a former 2nd Selectwoman.
A Republican 2nd Selectwoman.
Betty Lou Cummings. Back in the day, she was a Michigan State cheerleader.
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Tickets to Staples Players’ “Elf: The Musical” go on sale tomorrow (Saturday, October 12, 10 a.m.). Click here to purchase.
Performances for the family-friendly show are November 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 7 p.m., and November 16, 17, 23 at 2 p.m.
“Elf” tells the story of a suspiciously oversized elf named Buddy who has been raised by Santa in the North Pole. Overhearing the news that he’s actually a human, he embarks on a journey to New York City in a quest to find his father, who, he soon discovers, is on the naughty list.
Buddy’s own half-brother also doesn’t believe in Santa. Buddy decides to change the outlook of his new family and bring the true meaning of Christmas back into New York City. Along the way he discovers friendship, romance, and his true identity.
A rare sighting on the Saugatuck River yesterday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 399 stirred excitement: the arrival of dredging equipment.
The last previous work there was 20 years ago.
Dredging operations are expected to begin today.
(Photo/Phil Delgado)
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Twenty current and former members of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting celebrated Restaurant Week yesterday, with lunch at The Boathouse.
The annual Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event — actually 2 weeks — ends Sunday. Click here for a list of participating restaurants, with links to their menus.
Ken Feinberg — who as special master of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund was responsible for the disbursement of over $7 billion dollars — is the special guest at next Thursday’s “Common Ground Conversation” at the Westport Library.
At “Civil Discourse to Resolve Complex Disputes,” the October event (7 p.m.)
Feinberg will share his experience and expertise in bringing people together to analyze, understand, and resolve complex disputes. Steve Parrish will moderate the discussion.
The Common Ground initiative will also be livestreamed. Click here for the link.
Speaking of the Library: How much we know about our environment and how we interact with it is the theme of their newest Verso Studios podcast, “Real World.”
A collaboration with Marisa Manley, the goal is “to explore, celebrate, and help listeners understand and possibly improve the built and created environment which surrounds us,” she says.
“We examine what the world is made of, how it came to be this way, and how it functions — in sometimes surprising ways.”
Episodes focus on everything from high-rise buildings and street signs to leggings and rocking chairs. Manley explores how they were designed, how they can be improved, and how they benefit all of us.
The podcast debuted Wednesday with 3 episodes, each 15 minutes long. An additional episode drops every other week.
Two of our town’s most exciting groups of people — StartUp Westport, and creative Staples High School graduates — join forces on November 25 (Westport Library, 6:30 p.m.).
The public/private partnership for our tech and innovation community hosts the first Young Innovators Forum. It’s a celebration of the groundbreaking innovations developed by remarkable alums.
Staples’ computer science program has nurtured a generation of young entrepreneurs. Visionary founders — all under the age of 26 — have launched transformative technologies and startups that are reshaping industries and attracting significant investment.
They’ll speak about challenges they’ve faced, solutions they’ve found, funding and investment, and the future of innovation in Westport.
Panelists — all from Staples — include Dylan Diamond, co-founder and CEO, Saturn Technologies; Max Hammer, co-Ffounder and CEO, CrowdVolt; Josh Karol, co-founder and CTO, CrowdVolt, and Jack Sharkey, co-founder and CTO, Whop
Staples alum Molly O’Shea — a venture capital investor and founder of Sourcey, will moderate.
Staples boys soccer fans were excited yesterday by the Wreckers’ 7-0 defeat of St. Joseph, at Wakeman Field.
But no one was more thrilled than several dozen boys and girls from Luis Marin Elementary School. The Bridgeport youngsters — participants in the Lighthouse program — have been mentored this year by members of the Staples team.
Among the project leaders: senior Alex Kuster. He also donated 1,200 childhood books to the program.
They took a special bus trip to Westport yesterday, to cheer on their idols. They were greeted before the game. At halftime, they participated in a penalty kick contest.
And afterward, they celebrated with the teenagers who this fall have become their friends.
Staples players and Luis Marin students, after the game. (Photo/Mike Beebe)
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Speaking of sports: This weekend, the Staples rugby team starts its fall touch program. It runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Sundays through November 24, at Staples’ Loeffler Field, for 8th-12th graders — and parents. No experience is necessary.
An open house is set for October 20, to answer parents’ questions.
In the interest of safety and efficiency — and to accommodate commuters and school traffic — the milling and paving project of Long Lots Road will be conducted outside regularly established days and hours.
Work will be done on two Saturdays — tomorrow and October 19 — and this Monday, the Columbus Day holiday.
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Posted onAugust 9, 2024|Comments Off on Roundup: Betty Lou Cummings’ 90th, 5 M’s Music, Big Y …
Happy 90th birthday, Betty Lou!
Betty Lou Cummings — former 2nd selectwoman, founder of the long-running Apple Festival, organizer of fundraisers like the Riverwalk and Westport Library River of Names, Senior Center advocate and much, much more — had a landmark birthday last week.
This Sunday, her extended family celebrates the big event.
Here’s to 90 more!
Betty Lou Cummings, and her husband Tom.
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There’s always something cool going on at the Westport Library.
Here are 2 of the coolest: Weston resident Richard Wiese — president emeritus of New York’s historic Explorers Club, and host of Emmy-winning TV show “Born to Explore,” hosts “A Night at the Explorers Club” (Thursday, August 15, 7 p.m.).
Wiese will be joined by a great lineup of explorers, including Lhakpa Sherpa (record holder for the most Mt. Everest summits by a woman), Dr. Nina Lanza (principal investigator on the Mars Rover’s ChemCam), and astronaut Richard Garriott (Explorers Club president, and a pioneer in private space exploration).
Also appearing: Morad Tahbaz, co-founder of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation; documentary filmmaker Brendan Hall; Rebecca Hui, entrepreneur and founder of cultural preservation company Roots Studio, and artist/writer James Prosek. Click here for more information.
Explorers galore at the Westport Library.
A musical excursion to the 5 M’s — Memphis, Macon, Muscle Shoals, Motown and Miami — that influenced so much of our musical history is set for Sunday, August 18 (2 to 5 p.m.).
Part of Roger Kaufman’s “Speaking of Music” series, it includes the vocal talents of Dennis Collins (Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway), backed by Sharon Collins, Billy Genuario, Stephanie Harrison and T’Zelle Wilson.
Also on stage: the Old School All-Stars band (Bob Cooper, Tim DeHuff, Dave Edwards and Tyger MacNeal), and the Saugatuck Horns (Bob Carlson, Fred Scerbo, and former Rolling Stones sideman Crispin Cioe).
Special guest — local author, bassist and musicologist Brian Torff — will tell stories of his journeys to the 5 M’s. Click here for more information.
Both events are free.
Crispin Cioe
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When will Big Y open?
We’re not sure. Progress has been slow, since the supermarket chain took over vacant space from the abortive Amazon Fresh property (which had been planned to replace the old Barnes & Noble, on Post Road East).
But they’re finally ready to hire. This sign now appears:
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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Also opening: Henry Lehr.
Or, we should say, re-opening. Or even, re-re-opening.
A pop-up shop appeared for a couple of weeks. Around Labor Day, a regular store will take over that 66 Post Road East location, next to the (current) Barnes & Nobel, and LoveSac.
It’s a return, of sorts. Henry Lehr was a successful business for many years, on Main Street.
They closed in 2014. There are now several successful stores in the Hamptons.
And — soon — they’ll be back to their Westport roots.
The shuttered Henry Lehr on Main Street. (Photo/Dave Matlow for WestportNow)
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Retail changes are in the works in Weston too.
According to Weston Today, Josh and Jessica Tolk — owners of Lunch Box, the diner-style restaurant in Weston Center — hope to rebrand it, into a bar and grill.
The 47-year-old spot will continue lunch and dinner service, with expanded days and hours of operation. They also may return to breakfast service in a modified format, and continue takeout and delivery service.
The Tolks also seek approval of a new entrance, facing Weston Road. Click here for the full story.
New Lunch Box: artist’s rendering (Courtesy of Weston Today)
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“Remi’s Run for Parker’s Cure” is a colorful community event, for a great cause.
The morning of fun, fitness and philanthropy is set for Sunday, August 25 (10 a.m. to noon, PJ Romano Field track).
The color run is part of Remi Rutstein’s bat mitzvah project. It’s dedicated to her cousin Parker, who is battling a rare genetic brain disorder known as HIST1H1E.
Participants — grouped by age — will run or walk around the track, while being splashed with colorful, non-toxic powders. By the end of the run, everyone is a living rainbow.
The fun also includes breakfast from Lyfe Café, a candy truck, sports and games, tattoos, a DJ, and plenty of surprises.
Remi says the event is a way for Westporters to come together and celebrate Parker, raise awareness, and contribute to the search for a cure.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Click here to register, and for more information and contributions.
Long-time Westport resident — and 1950s country & western artist — Mimi Roman (Mimi Roth) performs this Sunday (August 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 148 East Avenue, Norwalk), at the 6th annual Italian American Police Society Vincent Penna Jr. Car Show. Click here for car show details.
She’ll be joined by Clue & The Honeytones.
The car show raises funds for the Vincent Penna Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund. It awards money to the education of local children.
Penna died suddenly in December 2020 at age 51, leaving behind his wife and teenage sons, plus countless family members, friends, colleagues and fellow officers who admired his passion for his family and community.
Penna was an officer with Westport for 26 years, becoming deputy chief before retiring in 2017.
The event will have hundreds of classic and exotic cars, and thousands of automotive enthusiasts. There is a $20 fee to enter a car; spectators are free.
Besides music, there are raffle prizes, food trucks, trophies and more — including over $40,000 in prizes.
Click here for a video of Mimi singing on the Orleans Hotel & Casino main stage in April — the day after her 90th birthday.
And finally … that 5 M’s Westport Library program, with music from Memphis, Macon, Muscle Shoals, Motown and Miami (story above), seems very cool.
There are squintillions of songs I could pick from those legendary towns. Here’s one, with ties to two.
Otis Redding grew up in Macon, Georgia, and lived there for much of his too-short life.
Wikipedia says: “You Left the Water Running” is a soul music song written by Dan Penn, Rick Hall and Oscar Franks. It has been recorded by Wilson Pickett, Maurice and Mac and most notably by Otis Redding….
In 1966, Redding was visiting FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama when studio owner Rick Hall requested Redding help them with an upcoming session. Wilson Pickett was to record “You Left the Water Running,” and Hall wished for Redding to record a demo to assist with the production. A simple recording was made and Redding made some overdub additions, and Pickett made his recording similar to Redding’s version.
Ten years later, (music journalist Dave) Marsh was mailed a promo copy of “You Left the Water Running” by Otis Redding on Stone Records….
Marsh was fascinated by the song, and mentioned the new single to several friends, including his attorney, who also happened to represent the Otis Redding estate. He soon found out that Stone Records had not obtained the Redding family’s permission to release the long lost demo recording, and demanded the single be pulled from circulation.
When Marsh asked the label’s distributor what was to become of the single, he was informed that they were to be destroyed. Instead, Marsh purchased the copies that remained, and gave them out as gifts, with the attorney’s permission. As a result,the single (Stone 209) is now highly valuable.
(Westport connection: 1961 Staples High School graduate Charlie Taylor — a talented singer/songwriter, and frequent “06880” commenter — is a longtime friend of Dan Penn.)
(Don’t leave the water running! And don’t forget to support “06880,” your hyper-local blog. Just click here. Thank you!)
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The Westport Library board of trustees has issued a statement regarding the River of Names mural. They say:
In recent days, we have listened to, heard, and read the comments from some members of the community regarding the decision of The Westport Library Board of Trustees to not reinstall the River of Names tile wall at The Westport Library.
To address the concerns raised and to avoid any misunderstandings, below is a timeline of the River of Names project:
The River of Names was a fundraising effort for a Library Capital Renovation project in the late 1990s (1997-98). Contributions ranging from $100 to $1,500 were sought. Former Second Selectwoman Betty Lou Cummings and Dorothy Curran, a trustee of the Library Board at that time, co-chaired and graciously led the effort.
Marion Grebow of Grebow Tile Fundraising Murals was contracted to create the tiles, which were installed onto a reinforced, interior wall on the Library’s Riverwalk Level. Thus, due to how they were adhered, tiles cannot be separated without causing damage. The entire wall is approximately 26 feet long and 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 6,000 pounds.
The River of Names was hung in the lower level of the Westport Library.
Plans for the Library’s 2017-19 Transformation Project called for the removal of the interior wall that held the River of Names and other walls on the Riverwalk Level to create a more open, light-filled enclosure that allowed for greater use of the space and views of the Saugatuck River. A space on the second floor was designated in the plans for the tile wall.
Prior to start of construction, the Library hired Crozier Fine Arts, a leading art storage and logistics firm, to remove the River of Names tile wall. The wall was professionally disassembled into sections, at considerable expense to the Library, in order to remove it safely.
Prior to removal, the tile wall and the individual tiles were each professionally and meticulously photographed for posterity and preservation.
Since the transformation build started, the River of Names has been in climate-controlled storage at the Crozier facility, at the Library’s expense.
To make sure future generations are aware of the project, the Library created a dynamic River of Names digital platform that showcases the tile wall in its entirety. It is available on the Library’s homepage.
As part of the original design for the Transformation Project, the tile wall was to be reinstalled in the renovated space on the upper level, outside the Children’s Library. It would have been mounted and wrapped around a corner, where patrons could see it and enjoy it for many years. This location was unequivocally rejected by the individuals involved in the original development of the tile wall because it wrapped around a corner.
(From left): Former 2nd Selectwoman Betty Lou Cummings, tile artist Marion Grebow and historian Dorothy Curran. All were involved in the River of Names project.
Upon the rejection of the proposed location, the builder, along with the trustees, re-analyzed the design and determined that there was no other suitable location in the building to re-hang the tile wall, according to the requirements provided by the individuals involved in the River of Names original development.
At that time, and for several years afterward, we explored, in earnest, both public and private locations in town to re-hang the River of Names on a reinforced wall. While one location was potentially identified, the funding to prep the space and reinstall did not exist.
The Library honors the donors whose names were recorded on the tile wall. Their names are listed on the new donor wall located at the main entrance that was designed as part of the recent Transformation Project.
In September 2019, the Library Board met and decided unanimously to keep the tile wall in storage, and cover the storage fees, hoping another location could be found. The Board informally discussed that paying to store the wall for an additional three years was reasonable.
The Westport Library (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
In October 2021, as the town was reviewing its public art collection, the Board asked the Library staff to contact community partners to obtain their points of view on the River of Names. The staff reached out to representatives of the Town’s Art Advisory Council, TEAM Westport, and the Westport Museum for History and Culture. These organizations independently expressed concerns about historical inaccuracies and the lack of representation of diverse people who played a significant role in Westport’s history. These opinions have been shared publicly.
The Library’s Board of Trustees confirmed the decision to not reinstall the River of Names. The decision was made after years of thoughtful discussions, looking at multiple points of view and consideration of numerous factors.
In April 2022, members of the Board met with Dorothy Curran and Betty Lou Cummings and informed them that there was no place to reinstall the wall at the Library and reminded them that they were welcome to have it. The Library offered to pay storage through the end of the year, or longer, if they needed additional time.
The Library has offered and remains open to transfer ownership of the River of Names to any responsible party who demonstrates a reasonable interest.
The decision not to reinstall the tile wall was one made by the Library’s Board of Trustees and the Board alone. We appreciate that not everyone agrees with the board’s conclusion, and we understood that it might not be universally popular, but it was made in good faith based on the mission and values of the Library.
We love Westport for many reasons, and one of the things we cherish most is that Westporters are passionate and engaged. We believe that reasonable people can disagree, at times strongly, on an issue, and we support that conversation. In fact, it aligns with the Library’s stated commitment to empower the individual and strengthen the community through dynamic interaction and the lively exchange of ideas.
The Board advocates for civil conversations that are respectful and topical, not derogatory, or personal. We ask that varying points of view be shared respectfully and for the ongoing discussion to be one of learning, sharing, decency, courtesy, and growth.
We are grateful for our continued partnerships with the Town’s Art Advisory Council, TEAM Westport, and the Westport Museum for History and Culture. The Westport Library looks forward to continuing to work on our shared interests with the goals of enriching the lives of the residents of Westport and beyond. It is unfortunate that through this recent discourse, these organizations are being attacked for a decision the Library’s Board of Trustees made regarding the tile wall.
The motto of the Library is “open to all” — and we truly see it that way. That is not only those who agree with this decision or those who will disagree with a future decision. The Library is for everyone, a gathering space and a community resource. We are thankful to all who have reached out to share their thoughts constructively. Please know we have listened and regarded every opinion. And we look forward to sharing this community space — in the days, weeks, and years to come.
The Apple Festival has been gone now far longer than it ran.
But for 18 years — from 1982 to 1999 — it was one of the highlights of autumn in Westport.
Conceived by Staples High School PTA leader (and, later, 2nd Selectwoman) Betty Lou Cummings, it was a celebration of apples, apple cider, apple pies — and a huge fundraiser for Staples organizations.
Betty Lou Cummings and a gift basket filled with (probably) apples.
The fieldhouse was filled with up to 10,000 visitors. Booths, games, food, fun — it was all there. Any high school club or team could offer anything.
One of the most popular, year after year, was Staples Players’ Haunted House. Coming right before Halloween — and with teenage actors eager to entertain (and scare) little kids, it was a no-brainer.
The cast of Staples Players’ Haunted House.
Eventually, CLASP joined as a sponsor, and recipient of funds.
With Election Day around the corner, the Apple Festival also attracted politicians. Bob Dole showed up one year, stumping for someone I’ve long since forgotten.
Today, the Apple Festival — like the Great Race and Festival Italiano — is just a memory.
We’ve got new traditions, like the Slice of Saugatuck.
How do you like them apples?
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