Tag Archives: Charles Lindbergh

Roundup: SLOBs, AWARE, ROMEOs …

Posted on May 21, 2023 | 17 comments

Yesterday’s weather drove all but the hardiest yard workers indoors.

In anticipation of today’s sunshine — and, more importantly, to get ready for the 7th annual Dog Festival (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), a crew of SLOBs (Staples Service League of Boys) headed to Winslow Park to help.

“This was Westport at its best,” praises Matthew Mandell, executive director of the Dog Fest sponsor, the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.

“This was the most challenging prep for the event ever.”

Winslow Park will look great today, as thousands of dogs and their owners enjoy everything from obstacles courses and competitions to a K-9 demonstration and vendors.

And they’ll have a bunch of SLOBs to thank.

SLOBs set up for the Dog Festival. (Photo/Matthew Mandell)

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Also working outside yesterday: a hardy bunch of Westport Sunrise Rotary volunteers.

As they had promised Westport’s Department of Human Services, they showed up — dressed for the occasion and with their usual boundless energy — to help clean up a local resident’s home. The event was part of the international organization’s annual Day of Service.

They removed high grass, tree limbs, weeds and more from the property of a resident who was unable to do so, or afford to pay for it.

A brief pause from hard work. (Photo courtesy of Rob Hauck and Bruce Fritz)

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The foul weather also forced AWARE’s annual soiree indoors.

Over 100 folks crammed into a private home — rather than the back yard — to celebrate the organization, and its partner.

AWARE stands for Assisting Women through Action, Resources and Education. Each year, they work with a different organization, offering financial resources, hands-on and moral support, and friendship.

For the past year, they’ve joined with Her Time. The Bridgeport non-profit assists women affected by incarceration and domestic violence.

The food and drinks were delicious. The fundraising went well. And “AWARE-ness” about Her Time was raised high too.

AWARE members and Her Time representatives spent a “family” evening together. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Also indoors last night: Actress/singer/songwriter (and 2013 Staples High School graduate) Michelle Pauker returned to MoCA Westport. Her Joni Mitchell tribute was part of the “Music at MoCA” series.

Last summer, Michelle performed “Broadway Through The Ages” for a sold-out crowd in the Museum’s gallery.

Her composer/director, Jake Landau, was a Staples classmate. The Juilliard and Oxford graduate is a quickly rising composer and conductor.

Next in the Music at MoCA series: Vanisha Gould, a Jazz at Lincoln Center Emerging Artist (June 10, 7 p.m.). She and her quartet will perform originals and selections from the Great American Songbook. Click here for tickets and more information.

From left: Michelle Pauker, Rachel Hoy and Ravi Campbell, last night at MoCA Westport. (Photo/Lily Hultgren)

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After decades of getting ready for the 7:30 a.m. bell, retired teachers have the luxury of sleeping in.

But former Staples High School educators find a variety of ways to stay active and engaged. They lead full, interestinglives.

Every so often they get together (though a bit later than 7:30) to compare notes, and talk about their lives then and now.

They call themselves ROMEOs: Retired Old Men Eating Out.

How many of these legendary teachers did you recognize?

Here they are (clockwise from lower left): Toby Watson, Al Jolley, Stan Rhodes, Werner Liepolt, Pete Van Hagen, Bruce McFadden, Jim Honeycutt, Ed Bludnicki, John Pepe, Jeff Lea, Jim Wheeler.

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Remember James Comey?

Before he became FBI director (and was fired by President Trump), he was general counsel at Bridgewater Associates, the Westport-based world’s largest hedge fund. He lived here too, in Greens Farms.

Comey’s new gig is mystery writer. He next book — “Central Park West” — will be published May 30.

It takes place at a fiction version of “the world’s largest hedge fund.”

Hmmm … will any other bits of Westport make it into the book?

I’m not buying it to find out.

But if anyone else does, please let me know. (Hat tip: Allen Siegert)

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Drew Angus has spent the last 3 months in Nashville. He’s writing songs, and playing with very talent musicians.

On June 8, the 2007 Staples High School graduate takes the stage at Fairfield Theatre Company, to share stories and songs from his time there.

Drew will be joined by Westonite Jeremy Goldsmith on guitar, Wilton’s Spencer Inch on drums, Nick Trautmann (Darien) on Bass, and non-Nutmegger Adam Bonomo (keyboard). A few special guests may join them.

Click here for tickets. Click here for more on Drew Angus.

Drew Angus

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Yesterday’s “06880” noted that it was the 96th anniversary of the day Charles Lindbergh took off on the first-ever non-stop solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

Naturally, there’s a (sort of) Westport connection. (Beyond the fact — which I forgot to note — that Lindbergh and his family lived for several years on Long Lots Road.)

Longtime resident and avid “06880” reader Matt Murray’s grandmother was a friend of the engine builder/designer Charlie Lawrence.

The day before the flight, he asked Matt’s grandmother, “Do you want to see this fellow take off from Roosevelt Field at 5 a.m. to fly solo across the Atlantic?”

She replied, “Charlie, you’re drunk,” and did not go.

But because she was fluent writing and speaking French, Charlie asked her to write Lindbergh’s letter of introduction for when he landed.

As a thank you, she later received a picture of Lindbergh and Lawrence — and their signatures — just before he flew away.

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There’s always something to see on Soundview Drive.

Tammy Barry took the popular stroll the other day, and spotted these irises. They won’t be there long. Fortunately, she snapped this shot for “Westport .. Naturally.”

(Photo/Tammy Barry)

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And finally … on this day in 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded “Ohio.” Neil Young wrote the song about the murder of 4 people at Kent State University, 2 1/2 weeks earlier.

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( “0688o” — your hyper-local blog — is a non-profit; contributions are tax-deductible. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

17 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Staples HS

Tagged AWARE CT, Bridgewater Associates, Charles Lindbergh, Dog Festival, Drew Angus, Her Time, James Comey, Michelle Pauker, MoCA Westport, SLOBs, Westport Sunrise Rotary Club, Winslow Park

Roundup: Bolts, Ospreys

Posted on May 22, 2021 | 2 comments

Uest

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Yesterday, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice addressed the easing of COVID restrictions in Connecticut. He said:

Both the CDC and state Department of Public Health have maintained their recommendation for masks inside the school building for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff for the remainder of the current school year. However, with our low community transmission rates in both the town and our schools, as well as an increasing number of vaccinated staff and students, masks will no longer be required for students when outdoors for both recess and PE.

The State Department of Education announced that there will be no remote learning requirement for the upcoming school year (2021-2022). The Westport Public Schools will not offe remote learning as a permanent instructional option for next school year, unless otherwise mandated by the CSDE. The remote learning option, like a number of other approaches and investments, has been critical to our remarkable success this year. Although students have experienced success in this pandemic year, if anything else, this year clearly proved that there is no replacement for in-person learning. We look forward to welcoming all students in-person for the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

As the end of year events begin to pick up, I ask that we all do our part to continue to thank our faculty, and all of our support staff across the system, for their extraordinary work this year. There was no playbook. We approached the year in 4-6 week increments. Yet as we look back, we carefully navigated a generational pandemic to serve our students and while earnestly attending to their social, emotional, and academic needs. A great deal will be written about this era. I, for one, will remember the people and the acts of kindness, commitment, and professionalism that carried us towards an increasingly brighter light at the end of this tunnel.

No more masks at recess!

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The town of Westport has leased 2 new Chevy Bolts for staff field work. They’ll be used for municipal inspections by the Public Works Engineering Division and the Assessor’s Office.

A cost benefit analysis has proven that these vehicles are both environmentally friendly, and cost effective.

The choice of Chevy Bolts was based on their overall low price, good reputation, and compact size. The cars also have a low maintenance cost and a longer expected service life than competitors. Both vehicles are at the standard option level.

1st Selectman Jim Marpe says, “We are very proud of Westport’s advancement in electric vehicle usage and municipal charging stations. Investments such as the Police Department’s purchase of a Model 3 Tesla are proving to be beneficial, and we expect the same for the municipal fleet. These Bolts help move Westport closer toward meeting sustainability goals.”

From left: Assessor Paul Friia, 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, Dawn Henry of Sustainable Westport, Finance director Gary Conrad, Public Works director Peter Ratkiewich with the new Chevy Bolts.

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Several readers have not seen the Fresh Market ospreys for awhile. I asked “06880”‘s resident expert, Carolyn Doan, for an update She says:

“The osprey are incubating right now. so they are very difficult to see in a nest that is high up.

“Usually the female does most of the sitting while the male brings back food. He does take over for her from time to time to give her a much needed stretch or break. She is the one with a more speckled chest. His chest is more white (in case you wanted to try and discern between the two if you notice one in a tree).

“If not fishing, the one taking a break is usually in a nearby tree. In this case there is a big pine tree to the right of the Fresh Market nest. You can usually see one of the pair there. Or look across the street behind Dunkin Donuts. At the top of a bare tree behind the building you will see a large bird. (Usually the male. He loves this spot for some reason.”)

“The babies are due at the end of the month!”

A recent osprey photo. (Carolyn Doan)

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Surprise! Beechwood Arts — the innovative, immersive series — opens its grounds tomorrow (Sunday, May 23, 52 Weston Road), from noon to 5 p.m.

The copper beech and other trees and flowers are blooming. And, founders Frederic Chiu and Jeanine Esposito say, they miss their Sunday afternoons with their friends.

“Stop in to say hello, have a lemonade, walk the grounds, bring your own picnic,” they say.

“The main house will not be open. But it’s likely you’ll hear Frederic practicing for his Classical Smackdown II (Thursday, May 27, 7 p.m.)

“Our 5-star rated carriage house and studio summer retreat will be open, so you can take a peek while you’re here.” Both will be listed for summer rent on AirBnB June 1.

The Beechwood grounds.

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Yesterday’s mention of the anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic prompted this email from alert — and history-minded — reader Matt Murray:

“My grandmother was a friend of the engine builder/designer Charlie Lawrence (2nd autograph from left in photo below).

The day before the flight, Mr. Lawrence asked my grandmother, ‘Do you want to see this fellow take off at 5 a.m. to fly solo across the Atlantic?’

“She replied, ‘Charlie, you’re drunk.’ She did not go. But because she was fluent in French, he asked her to write Lindergh’s letter of introduction for when he landed. As a thank you, she received this picture of Lindbergh and Lawrence and their signatures, taken just before he took off.”

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Yesterday’s “06880” also brought mention of Margot Liotta. The 2019 Staples High School graduate was one of 4 recipients of a Drew Friedman Community Arts Center Foundation scholarship.

Turns out she’s as artist in more ways than one.

In addition to the photograph that helped win her a grant, she’s a bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She’s transferrin to Berklee College of Music — and has just released her first song, “Aries.”

Her boyfriend and former Staples classmate, Zach Rogers, produced it, and plays guitar. He’s transferring to Brown University.

Margot and Zach have played together for several years. They’ve done gigs at Wakeman Town Farm — and will play there again this summer.

A third ’19 grad, Kevin Ludy, did the artwork and promotion. He’s studying music management at Syracuse University.

Click here for various ways to hear (and purchase) “Aries.”