We look back 50 years ago this holiday season — by reposting one of our most commented-on Friday Flashbacks. This one originally ran in 2020. Ho ho ho — enjoy!
When Fred Cantor graduated from Yale University in May of 1975, his parents gave him a 35mm Nikkormat camera. He’d always enjoyed taking photos, with an inexpensive Kodak.
In December he returned to Westport for break, from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
There was a beautiful snowfall. On Christmas Day, Fred knew that downtown would be empty. He’d always enjoyed the “Norman Rockwell-esque” feeling there. He hoped to capture it, without interference.
After 50 years — almost to the day — parts of downtown look very different. Parts look much the same.
After 50 years too, the photos have faded.
But the memories have not.
Gorham Island. The Victorian house has been replaced by a large office building.
Main Street, without any holiday decorations. Gene Hallowell’s Mobil station is now the site of Vineyard Vines.
Further up (undecorated) Main Street, we see Achorn’s Pharmacy on the left (now in Playhouse Square); Oscar’s across the street on the right (soon to be Luya restaurant), and the large furniture store (now, after burning down a couple of years later), The Gap.
The much-loved Remarkable Book Shop has been reimagined as Eleish Van Breems.
Westport Bank & Trust was most recently Patagonia. Soon it will be home to Compass Real Estate. The YMCA building on the left is now Anthropologie.
Ice on the Saugatuck River still looks the same.
Fairfield Furniture has been transformed into National Hall — the original name for the 1800s building. It’s being repurposed for AIG.
Before the Wright Street building rose up behind it — and, later, an architectural firm took over the space — a popular liquor store occupied the busy Wilton Road/Post Road West corner. A decade ago, David Waldman offered to buy this building and move it, creating a right-turn lane from Wilton Road. The town refused. We live with the consequences every day.
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Fred Cantor was a longtime Westporter. The 1971 Staples High School graduate still feels connected to this town — and our blog. Fred writes:
My wife Debbie and I are moving soon for health-related reasons from Oronoque Village, a senior community in Stratford, to a senior community in Southern California.
So we made a visit to Westport. We stopped by my childhood home on Easton Road — where Debbie and I got married in a small family ceremony in 1982 — and the home on Drumlin Road where we lived for 22 years.
Fred Cantor’s childhood home on Easton Road …
Both houses epitomized the era they were built: the 1950s. The Easton Road home was roughly 1,850 square feet. The Drumlin one was approximately 1050 square feet.
I am fortunate in that, in contrast to many childhood friends, stopping by my old stomping grounds feels almost like a step back in time. Neither home became a “Teardown of the Day.”
… and Drumlin Road, where he and Debbie lived for 22 years.
So being back there triggers a variety of memories.
But in going back, it’s not just the memories of family — many of whom are gone now — that make these places feel special.
I realize too what will always make Westport feel like my hometown are the wonderful neighbors and friends from the times I lived in these houses.
We sold our Drumlin home privately to a friend and former neighbor who was looking to return — and Debbie and I are so glad we did. Cheryl enjoys the home every bit as much as we did, and has put such loving care into the property.
When Debbie and I approached our former longtime home Cheryl, in her 60s, was out in the yard cutting the grass and mulching leaves with her very quiet electric mower. Gotta love that.
And seeing our former Drumlin neighbor, the beloved Staples teacher and administrator Gordon Hall, to wish him an early happy 98th birthday brought back memories of the various kind things he and his wife Dot — and several other Drumlin neighbors as well — did for us over the years.
This visit came not long after attending the boys soccer FCIAC championship match in Fairfield. I sat near my former Staples coach, Jeff Lea, former teammate Jim Bacharach, and other Staples soccer alums. This was accompanied by a flood of emails with former Staples teammates during the remarkable postseason run by the 2025 squad.
These combined experiences reinforced the feeling that there have indeed been a number of terrific friends and neighbors over the years who helped make Westport seem like I was living the story in “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
So here’s a farewell toast to all of those people who made me feel lucky to have lived for decades in such friendly and supportive small-town surroundings.
Fred Cantor and Debbie Silberstein wave goodbye. (Photo/Tracy McIntosh)
Representative Town Meeting member Matthew Mandell offers this update on the Hamlet at Saugatuck project:
Tonight (Monday, April 7, 6 p.m., Zoom), the third agenda item will be a discussion of the proposal.
April 28 is the date for public comment only, in person at Town Hall.
The Flood & Erosion Control Board met last week, and continued their Hamlet hearing to May 7. That may disrupt the Conservation Commission schedule, which is currently set for April 23 and 30.
The Architectural Review Board meets on April 10. They have not yet completed their review of the project.
Mandell says: “P&Z will go deep into May at this point” in its Hamlet discussion. “June is looking more and more a reality.”
The RTM member adds: “There are still other pieces – an 8-24 for use of town property will also need to be filed with P&Z, and that could slow up the timeline.
“The Historic District Commission will have to weigh in as well, as every building involved is under their jurisdiction, not just the historic ones on Railroad Place. The Board of Selectwomen acting as the Traffic Authority will also need to render decision on traffic and parking issues.
“A group of citizens, concerned with the impacts of the project, and calling itself the Westport Alliance for Saugatuck has formed and has become active.” Click here for their website.
Click here, then scroll down for all pending applications and recent approvals related to the Hamlet at Saugatuck.
The 21 Charles Street office building would be renovated, in the Hamlet’s plans. This view looks north on Charles Street. Franklin Street would become two-way — but only between Charles Street and Railroad Place (right side of rendering).
Four great days of the 4th annual VersoFest ended yesterday.
Paul Shaffer — legendary “Saturday Night Live” performer, and musical director for both David Letterman and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — entertained a capacity Westport Library crowd.
He chatted with fellow “SNL” alum (and iconic Beehive Queen) Christine Ohlman. (He brought jingle bells too, in homage to Darlene Love’s famous
“Baby Please Come Home” Letterman appearances at Christmas.)
Paul Shaffer and Christine Ohlman. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
VersoFest is a huge undertaking. Congratulations to all who helped bring Patti Smith, the Wallflowers, 5iveFingaz, Bruce Springsteen’s people, and so much more to the “loudest library on earth.”
Speaking of which: The website I Love Libraries just gave it a shoutout.
The story — “The Hippest Damn Library in the Country” includes that exact quote from Talking Heads’ Chris Frantz.
It adds Doors drummer John Densmore’s description: “The coolest damn library, ever.”
Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Dennis Jackson)
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At the risk of sounding self-promotional — but with the goal of promoting one of my favorite organizations in Westport — I pass along the news that A Better Chance of Westport is honoring me with their first-ever “Community Ally Award.”
It will be presented at the annual Dream Event gala (April 26, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library).
It’s a huge honor, for sure, and one that could be given to countless men and women who have helped the non-profit thrive over more than 2 decades, as it has provided educational and life benefits to dozens of young men of color from less-advantaged communities.
I will be thinking of all of them at the fundraiser. And I’ll be honored to honor the scholars themselves.
The highlight — as always — will be the speeches by the graduating seniors, and a returning alum (this year, Yoel Hooper-Antunez).
Click here for tickets, and more information. I hope to see you there!
The gateways to Westport just got a nice more welcoming.
This past weekend, 6 Rotary Club signs were updated. They include the new Rotary International logo, and include a 4-sided inspirational message.
It is a wish for peace to prevail in our homes, schools, communities, and on earth.
Westport’s 2 Rotary Clubs worked together on the project, with global peace builders Rick Benson and Dennis Wong.
The signs are at I-95 Exit 17 (on the northbound island); the Sherwood Island Connector across from the transfer station; Post Road East, at the Southport line; Post Road West, in front of Whole Foods; Merritt Parkway Exit 41, across from the former Red Barn restaurant, and on Route 136 near Norwalk.
The sign by Merritt Parkway Exit 42 disappeared a few years ago.
Rotary sign near Merritt Parkway Exit 41.
In addition, a peace pole was installed at Compo Beach. It’s part of the renovation of the playground — a major project of the Westport Rotary Club, in honor of its 100th anniversary.
Compo Beach playground peace pole. (Photo/Matt Murray)
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The new documentary short adaptation of “America’s Lost Band” — the story about The Remains, the legendary-but-never-quite-made-it band with Westporters Barry Tashian and Bill Briggs, who opened for the Beatles on their final US tour — is drawing plenty of attention.
Feature stories in the Boston Globe, Deadline Hollywood and Hartford Courant have praised the film, and shined a new light on the rock group.
Rock at Night called it a “priceless documentary.” It’s produced by longtime Remains fan — and 1971 Staples High School graduate — Fred Cantor.
Interested? Tonight (Monday, 9:30 p.m.) “America’s Lost Band” has its television premiere on CPTV.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), it begins streaming on PBS platforms, and YouTube.
Speaking of music: On Friday, high school jazz ensembles from around Connecticut — and as far away as Montreal — performed in the Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival at Greenwich High School.
Of course, Staples was there.
And of course, conductor Kevin Mazzarella’s musicians sounded superb.
Bands performed from 8 a.m. through 7 p.m. Two hours were set aside for instrumental master classes, and a performance by the faculty ensemble.
Staples Jazz Ensemble, with conductor Kevin Mazzarella (far left). (Hat tip and photo/Michael Mossman)
Just added to the Levitt Pavilion calendar: The Disco Biscuits’ 30th anniversary tour (June 28, 7 p.m.).
The Philadelphia group pioneered “Trance-Fusion” — bridging the gap between electronic dance music and jam rock.
Members pre-sale tickets are available today (Monday), at 10 a.m. Tickets for the general public begin Friday (April 11, 10 a.m.). Click here to order.
Among the upcoming events sponsored by Neighbors & Newcomers of Westport (which, if you think of it, encompasses just about everyone in town):
Spring coffee (April 11, 10 a.m., Mrs. London’s Bakery). Email membership@neighborsandnewcomersofwestport.com for more information.
Book group (April 24): “Olga Dies Dreaming,” by Xochitl Gonzalez). Email pohal@aol.com for details.
Cooking group (April 23): Alice in Wonderland High Tea: Themed dishes like
“Eat Me” cookies, tea sandwiches, scones and imaginative pastries; appropriate dress optional. Email mia.goldman@yahoo.com for details.
And finally … in honor of the Staples Jazz Ensemble’s appearance at the Essentially Ellington event (story above):
(Welcome to another week — and another week of “06880” Roundups. As always, we’ll bring you tons of information, and news you can use. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Board of Finance begins its review of 2 proposed 2025-26 budgets on March 5 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium; livestream on Cablevision Channel 79, and westportct.gov).
First Selectwoman Jen Tooker will present the town budget. Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein offer the Westport Public Schools budget.
Click here to view Tooker’s proposed budget. Click here for Scarice and Goldstein’s proposed budget.
The band — including Staples High School grads Barry Tashian and Bill Briggs — were “how you told a stranger about rock ‘n’ roll,” raved young music critic Jon Landau.
They tore up Boston and New York, were signed by Epic Records, appeared on “Ed Sullivan” and “Hullabaloo” — and, in 1966, were an opening act on the Beatles’ last tour.
Then — on the brink, perhaps, of superstardom — the Remains broke up.
The Remains, back in the day.
Their story was told off-Broadway. Now they’re the stars of a PBS documentary.
“America’s Lost Band”captures the group on its return to Los Angeles, for the first time in 40 years. It shows the bond between 4 close friends, and the power of music that united them, decades after comingthisclose to the top.
The documentary was adapted from a feature-length film that played at film festivals 15 years ago. It was never released publicly, due to licensing costs and rights issues.
The film was produced by Fred Cantor. The 1971 Staples High School graduate — a longtime Remains fan and chronicler — previously produced “The High School That Rocked!,” about bands like the Doors, Yardbirds and Cream who played at Staples. It was the only documentary short at the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Film Series.
“Lost Band” was directed by Michael Stich, longtime director of “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
It will premiere on Connecticut’s PBS station, CPTV on April 7 (9:30 p.m.), and stream nationwide on CPTV’s platforms.
The checks have been cashed. The food has been distributed.
And Earth Animal thanks everyone who contributed to the Post Road store’s holiday Mitten Project.
The pet supply store raised an astonishing $75,737 to combat food insecurity in Connecticut.
The money came from sales at Earth Animal, participation in Shop & Give events hosted by the local business community, private donations, and contributions from customers.
Earth Animal Ventures, based in Southport, matched every dollar raised.
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Staples High School students struck gold (and silver, and bronze) at the Connecticut STEM Fair.
Under the mentorship of teacher Amy Parent, young researchers presented innovative work across multiple categories at the virtual event earlier this month.
William Boberski captured first place in the Health and Medical Science category (completed projects), for research on diet composition’s effects on lifespan and colorectal cancer progression, using the Drosophila midgut model.
In the same category (for research proposals), Alexis Krenzer placed first for her plan to study curcumin’s potential role in epidermal growth factor driven cancers using C. elegans.
Ezra Schwartz took third, for his proposal on improving glenoid labral tear diagnosis through deep learning applications.
Jonathan Dobin-Smith snagged first place in the Environmental category, for a proposal to mitigate CO2 emissions through bio-concrete development using Cupriavidus necator.
William Kwong tied for second, with research on using curcumin to protect against microplastic damage in C. elegans.
Kendra Chen presented compelling research on generating biofuels from Connecticut microalgae, using bicarbonate as a carbon source.
The STEM Fair drew more than 250 student researchers, and as many judges from science and technology professions.
CT Stem Foundation is an all-volunteer organization. They are always looking for volunteers, including fair judges. Click here for more information.
Seniors Aviva Ross and Amire Williams, juniors Benjamin Peterson and Emmett Zahler, sophomore Giselle Colon and freshman Noa Katz are Staples High School’s February Students of the Month.
Nominated by teachers, they “help make Staples a welcoming place for peers and teachers alike. They are the ‘glue’ of the school community: kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students who make Staples the special place it is.”
From left: Emmett Zahler, Aviva Ross, Amire Williams, Noa Katz,, Giselle Colon, Benjamin Peterson.
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Of the many fundraisers at Sherwood Island State Park, STAR’s Walk & Roll is one of Westport’s favorites.
The non-profit supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. This year’s event — bringing together people of all ages and abilities (the “roll” refers to the many attendees in wheelchairs) — is May 4. Money raised helps STAR continue providing essential programs and services.
For this year’s 20th annual event, STAR invites artists, designers and other creative types design the logo. The winning entry will be featured on t-shirts and promotional materials.
Contestants must take a guided tour of STAR’s Norwalk headquarters to gain inspiration and insight into STAR’s mission. Email kguthrie@starct.org to schedule a visit, or more information. The deadline is March 7.
Today, Yurkiw and his fellow volunteers will ship another container. This one is filled with $250,000 worth of used medical equipment, from a nursing home in Wilton.
They’re also raising another $8,000, to cover the costs of whatever they can’t ship today.
To donate money, equipment, medical supplies, or volunteer your time, click here call Ridgefield Responds: 646-873-0050. To donate to Ukraine Aid International, click here.
Mark Yurkiw has not forgotten his Ukrainian roots.
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Caribbean mountain folk music, bluegrass, country and gospel come together March 1, at Voices Cafe.
And it’s all in one show.
Rick Reyes & Santos de Palo highlight the 8 p.m. concert, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport. The band includes guitar, drums, sax, bass and cuarto.
Voices Cafe offers tables or individual seating. Coffee and sweets are vailable for purchase; guests can bring their own beverages and snacks. Cconcerts support social justice programs in the area.
Tickets are $25 each. Click here for more information.
And back story. She writes: “It’s morning. I lie in bed wrapped snug as a mummy in my quilt. I can see through the slit of space between the window and the shade that the leaves on the rhododendron bush outside are curled as tight as a Cuban cigar against the frigid polar air. Maybe I’ll stay in bed for a while. Maybe I’ll fall back asleep.
“But no. I spot 2 invading stink bugs, seeking indoor warmth — one clinging with all six legs to the TV screen, perhaps remembering the heat of last night’s news; the other snug as a bug on the the rug.
“Oh wee beasties, innocent intruders, I should feel sorry for you. You mean no harm. Like me, you only want to be warm.
“And you don’t even stink until I squish you.”
Stink bug, before squishing. (Photo/Mary-Lou Weisman)
And finally … on this date in 1878, the first telephone directory was issued. The city: New Haven, Connecticut.
(“You can keep the dime,” Jim Croce sings. Or, you can give it — and any other amount — to “06880,” to help support this hyper-local blog. Please click here. And thank you!)
The other day, longtime reader/1971 Staples High School graduate Fred Cantor was looking for photos to illustrate his “06880” ode to the Merritt Parkway.
He stumbled on this ad for the Red Barn restaurant — a longtime meeting spto for friends from other towns, just off Merritt Exit 41 — from the December 8, 1957 Sunday Herald:
Fred wonders: Were “maids” commonplace in Westport in the 1950s?
He was intrigued at the “air-conditioned” promotion (in December!). He writes: “I suppose AC was not so common in homes back then (and possibly not even in restaurants).”
He also asks, “What does ‘Member credit card plans’ mean?”
Fred notes that in 1957, $2.95 was the equivalent of $32.75 today. So, he says, “that dinner offer of appetizer, entrée, dessert and beverage was a pretty good deal.
Finally, he says, proprietors Harry and Dorothy Davega owned the Red Barn for many years. He wonders if any “06880” readers have memories of them.
A painting of the historic Red Barn property …
… and a photo by Lynn Untermeyer Miller.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
Avid “06880” reader Fred Cantor spent many years in Westport. He lives now in Stratford — just up the Merritt Parkway from here.
Today, Fred offers this ode to the historic road:
Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind us of the distinctiveness and beauty of something we might otherwise take for granted.
That happened some years back. A friend traveled on the Merritt — I think for the first time — and said it was one of the most beautiful roadways she had ever driven on.
This woman grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, went to college in the foothills of the Adirondacks, and has spent nearly her entire adult life in southern California, so she has been on her share of majestic roads.
That beauty of the Merritt was reinforced for me recently by the cascading leaves on a windy day from vibrant fall foliage on a trip, when I traveled the entire length of the Parkway to visit my mom. It felt almost as if I were in a scene from an MGM movie in Hollywood’s Golden Age.
I first heard about the Merritt Parkway well before I ever saw it. Friends of ours in Fresh Meadows, Queens used to go for what they called “a drive in the country” on the Merritt in the early 1960s. They would end up having a meal at a place that sounded idyllic: the Red Barn.
It would have been impossible to know back then that not too far down the road (no pun intended), the driveway entrance to our future home on Easton Road would be the distance from the Merritt Parkway bridge of a Y.A. Tittle to Del Shofner pass (and that I would go back and forth through that underpass countless times).
Merritt Parkway bridge. (Photo/David McKenzie)
The bridges that pass over the Merritt are visual attractions in their own right. Their fascinating back stories (along with other interesting history) can be found here.
Today, sculptures like this one atop the James Farm Road Bridge near our home in Stratford catch our eye:
(Photo/Fred Cantor)
Of course, that “drive in the country” is not quite the same today with the increased traffic. But if you go on an off-hour, I still highly recommend driving on the Merritt, as opposed to I-95.
(Click here for a 2009 “06880” story honoring the Merritt Parkway.)
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But plenty of Westport who root for the Queens team were nonetheless excited in the 9th inning of last night’s Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
Ben Casparius — the 2017 Staples High School graduate, who was called up to the majors in August, and has responded well in relief — closed out the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 9-0 win, at Dodger Stadium.
The Mets went down 1-2-3, in the fourth-largest shutout win in postseason history.
The Dodgers have now matched the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the longest scoreless streak ever — 33 innings — in a single postseason.
Game 2 is today at 4 p.m. EDT (Fox/FS 1).
Ben Casparius (Photo courtesy of Dave Briggs)
Click here to watch the inning he pitched. Click below for a great post-game interview.
Three days ago, our Friday Flashback referenced the many bands that played concerts at Staples High School, in the 1960s and ’70s.
If it sounded too good to be true — a hallucination, perhaps — here’s proof.
“The High School That Rocked!” — the 2017 documentary that chronicles concerts at Staples by the Doors, Cream, Rascals, Animals, Remains, Sly and the Family Stone, and others (including a very young, pre-Aerosmith Steve Tyler) — is available to stream today.
Fred Cantor — a 1971 Staples grad who, to his everlasting regret, missed those shows — made the film with Casey Denton, a 2014 Staples grad who was born way after that golden era. The film earned kudos on the festival circuit.
Lynsey Addario’s latest New York Times story is one of her most harrowing.
“Mom, I Want to Live” chronicles the struggles of a young 6-year-old Ukrainian girl. She’s battling cancer, while her country battles the Russian invasion.
Her father was killed on the front line.
Addario — a Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur “genius grant” winner, who graduated from Staples in 1991 — contributed both the compelling photos and riveting text.
Click here to see, and read. (Hat tip: Mary Condon)
Lynsey Addario’s photos capture the heartbreak — and occasional joys — of a 6-year-old girl in Ukraine. (Photo/Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)
Today is both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.
The second holiday began in Berkeley, California, in 1992, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas (October 12, 1492). It recognizes that America was not “discovered”; millions of people already lived here.
Indigenous Peoples Day has since been adopted by other cities and states.
In 2021, Joe Biden became the first president to issue a proclamation honoring the holiday.
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This month’s Connecticut Magazine cover story highlights 20 movies filmed in our state.
Though a number — well-known and lesser — have been shot here, the story mentioned only 3: “The Stepford Wives,” “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,” and “The Last House on the Left.”
“06880” has looked back at both before. (For examples, click here and here.)
But indefatigable amateur historian Fred Cantor has unearthed another interesting connection.
Next week marks the 69th anniversary of a Westport Town Crier story about the filming of “Gray Flannel Suit,” and the excitement it generated.
The October 13, 1955 piece begins:
Untold loads of washing went un-done, and hundreds of breakfast dishes languished in the sink this week, as Westport women flocked to the railroad station to double as squealing movie fans and rabid autograph hunters.
The center of attraction was Gregory Peck who came to town Tuesday in a blue worsted suit to film location shots for 20th Century Fox’s “Man in the Grey [sic] Flannel Suit,” accompanied by a crew of 150 technicians and “background people,” imported from Hollywood and New York.
The star, and the extras.
Do you remember when Hollywood came to Westport — for “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,” or any other movie?
We want your story! Click “Comments” below.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
I nominate Staples reunion organizers for Unsung Heroes recognition.
Think about it: The rest of us simply show up and enjoy seeing old friends and/or reconnecting with old classmates — a bond we perhaps recognize as increasingly special as we age (and lose old friends as part of the life cycle).
How many people are out there who have shared memories with you of events, both big and small, that happened not just at Staples, but also at your elementary school or junior high?
And how many people exist who might remember some small incident involving your parents at your home or elsewhere that was lost in the deep recesses of your brain, until a decades-old friend triggered that recollection?
Long-lost precious memories perhaps waiting to be rediscovered — these are just some of the benefits of a reunion. Again, virtually all of us simply sign up, attend and reap those rewards.
Staples High School Class of 1971 (and friends) gather in the Ned Dimes Marina clubhouse, for a recent mini-reunion. (Photo/George Drapeau)
But a great deal of work goes into making it happen, by volunteer organizers.
These responsibilities include outreach via social media, email and texts to classmates and teachers; negotiating terms and contracting with hotels, restaurants and other venues; creating a website; decorations; creating favor bags and name tags; recognition of students who have passed; coordinating it all, and much, much more.
Reunion-goers enjoy events that seem seamless. But the work put in by organizers is enormous — and unseen.
The results are certainly worth it. The organizers are unsung heroes.
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)
The LGBTQ organization of the same name invites everyone to Jesup Green this Sunday (June 2, 12 to 3 p.m.) for the annual celebration.
Girl Scout Troop 51003 will raise the pride flag. Then comes an array of local talent, featuring performances by Bridget Reddy, The Corduroys, Imogen Medoff, Next Day Delivery, Alyssa Lee, Josie Pines, Echo Bodell, and Jonathan Ridel of The Rubber Skulls.
The family-friendly day includes’ children’s arts and crafts, face painting and yard games.
Food trucks and local vendors will be on on site. Local author Nikkya Hargrove will sign copies of her new novel, “Mama: a Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found.”
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker will declare June as Pride Month in Westport, underscoring the town’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The afternoon includes local drag queens The Latin Doll and Bleach.
Cantor Julia Cadrain of Temple Israel and Rev. Kari Nicewander of Saugatuck Congregational Church will offer prayers and blessings at the start and conclusion of the event.
“It’s A Hollywood Life!” — the documentary that captures the story of longtime Westport resident Susan Granger’s 80+ years in and around the movie industry — continues its successful rollout.
Yesterday, News 12 Connecticut ran a story. It included interviews with Granger and the film’s producer, 1971 Staples High School graduate Fred Cantor. Click here for Mark Sudol’s report.
The piece followed word that the Chain NYC Film Festival — the long-running indie film event — selected “It’s A Hollywood Life!” as one of 18 documentary shorts for 2024. A screening date will be announced soon.
Earlier this month, the video generated the second highest ticket sales at the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival.
But wait! There’s more!
The film recently received a 2-thumbs-up review. From Beneath The Hollywood Sign — a blog devoted to movie history — called the documentary “a fascinating film that any classic cinema fan should see.”
Westport’s social organization for adults with disabilities ends it with a bang next Wednesday (June 5).
The Beach Bash begins at 6:30 p.m., at Ned Dimes Marina.
Highlights include the Super Duper Weenie food truck, cookies donated by Big G, outdoor games, and art by MOCA. Click here for details, and registration.
Tobacco has a long history in the US — including Connecticut.
It’s been an important crop upstate.The gold standard for cigar wrappers comes from tobacco grown here.
In the 1940s, teenaged Martin Luther King Jr. spent 2 summers harvesting the crop in the Farmington Valley. It was his first look at the world outside the Deep South.
“Stepping Into the Shade” — a documentary series — debuts this Saturday (June 1, Westport Library).
It tells the story of tobacco from this state’s perspective, illuminating its integral role in agricultural history and highlighting the workers who came from around the world to “toil in the soil.”
The free event begins with a 5 p.m. reception. A screening of scenes from the series begins at 6, followed by a panel discussion and Q-and-A.
The evening closes with a VIP reception, featuring food representing the cultures and ethnicities in the series. Click here for more details, and to register.
Click here to watch the trailer for “Stepping Into the Shade.” The series was produced by the Eastern Connecticut State University Department of Communication, Film and Theatre.
There is no smoking in the Westport Library.
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Express Edit is closing.
The fashion retailer’s parent company, Express Inc., has filed for bankruptcy. The 125 Main Street store is one of 4 locations in Connecticut that will be shut, out of 95 to close nationwide.
The next United Methodist Church Jazz Vespers service is this Sunday (June 2, 4 p.m.).
Featured musicians include Mae Czuba (vocals and saxophone), John Hoddinott (guitar), Tyler Sherman (bass) and Dan Jantson (drums).
The public is invited. There is a free will offering. The church also collects non-perishable food donations, for local pantries. Refreshments and conversation follow the service.
And finally … after reading about the Library’s upcoming film premiere (story above), you knew this was coming, right?
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