Longtime Westporter and noted think-outside-the-box-er Scott Smith has watched the long debate about Westport’s athletic fields.
There are few, compared to neighboring towns. And there very few places to build new ones.
Scott may have a solution. He writes:
The biggest, most convenient site in Westport for ready-made new athletic fields, by far?
Sherwood Island State Park. There are acres and acres of flat grass fields, including a full-sized baseball diamond with rusted backstop, that could easily be refurbished into legit playing grounds for all kinds of sports.
Once upon a time, softball was played here. (Photo/Scott Smith)
These areas are rarely in use during the school year (and most, hardly even in the summer).
Of course, they would have to be equitably shared in any season by all, including local football leagues, rugby clubs and other users.
It’s a public-facility improvement that would not only benefit Westporters in search of new athletic fields to play on, but all Connecticut residents.
There is precedent for the state sharing Sherwood Island with other entities. I love watching the remote airplanes piloted by members of The Country Squire Modelers of Norwalk, a club that has operated by permit in the park since the 1960s.
Country Squire Modelers fly remote planes at Sherwood Island.
What’s more, Friends of Sherwood Island State Park — the nonprofit whose mission is to “preserve, maintain, improve and enhance Sherwood Island State Park for the benefit of the general public” — exists as a possible resource for expertise and connections.
I can’t speak for them, nor for the Westport athletic groups that I expect would be called on to share in the costs of upgrading and helping maintain the fields for their respective sports.
All would have to take part in the necessary negotiations to work out fair usage between town sports groups and others who might want to use them.
Open space at Sherwood Island State Park. (Photo/Scott Smith)
I’ve long heard that “the state” is impossible to deal with. But given the recent botched dealings with the Department of Transportation over the state maintenance facility project, maybe it’s Westport town officials who are the problem?
I don’t want to sound hopelessly naïve. But why wouldn’t we want to explore a public-private partnership with the state that could result in enhanced fields for local athletes of all ages and abilities? Isn’t that what a public park is for?
(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Email 06880blog@gmail.com).
Among Sherwood Island State Park’s 232 acres: plenty of flat land.
The other day, the New York Times reported on Winnie Balboni’s efforts to clean up Parker Harding Plaza, Grace Salmon Park — and all the rest of Westport.
It noted her work as director of volunteers for the Recreation Department and with the town’s Beautification Committee, adding that she hauled “50-gallon, biodegradeable paper garbage bags … scouring hedges and sidewalks, parking lots and the edge of the Saugatuck River, for litter.”
At that point Balboni was in her mid-60s, and had lived in Westport for 32 years. Now she’s been here for 65.
On Sunday, Winnie Balboni turns 100 years old.
Winnie Balboni, in an undated photo at Grace Salmon Park.
In addition to her yeowoman’s work cleaning up our trash, Winnie was a longtime, very active and quite proud member of the Westport Garden Club. She edited its newsletter for many years, and served as president in 1974.
Winnie also helped found Friends of Sherwood Island State Park.
And in 2008, before Westport’s Representative Town Meeting voted to ban the use of plastic bags — the first municipality east of the Mississippi River to do so — 85-year-old Winnie made a ringing speech urging it to do so.
Winnie Balboni, with a cloth bag.
In 2009, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment honored Winnie, at Yale University.
The next year, 1st Selectman Gordon Joseloff presented her with a “WeGreen Westport” award. It celebrated her decades of work — including helping turn an Imperial Avenue landfill into Grace Salmon Park.
She spent many years too as a volunteer with the League of Women Voters.
Oh, yeah: Winnie was an avid hiker, an Appalachian Mountain Club member for many years, and a very accomplished quilter and knitter, who taught many young women important sewing skills. sewing.
How can we celebrate Winnie’s century of life?
Let’s flood her with cards. Whether you know Winnie through her decades in town, or just moved here yesterday — let her know you appreciate her.
Her address is 62 Cross Highway, Westport, CT 06880.
Do it today — Sunday is the big day!
Winnie Balboni (far left) with her 2006 Connecticut Federated Garden Clubs award. Also from left: Maggie Feczko, Louise Demakis, Jodi Mack, Jane Potkin. (Photos courtesy of “A History of the Westport Garden Club 1924-2014,” by Louise Demakis)
PS: The Times story quoted Winnie: “I think my days of bending over and picking up someone else’s trash are over.”
But, it added, “in the next breath, she pointed to pockets of litter along the road that most people ignore, but that she just cannot dismiss.”
She kept her crusade going for many more years.
Now it’s our turn to continue cleaning up our town.
Just as soon as we send that birthday card to Winnie Balboni.
(Hat tip: Dick Lowenstein)
(Every day, “06880” covers Westport — from its oldest residents, to the youngest. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Linda Sugarman writes: “When Dr. King visited Temple Israel in 1964, he met illustrator Tracy Sugarman. Tracy — my father-in-law — decided to go to Mississippi, to belp register voters.
“The result of that experience was ‘Stranger at the Gates,’ published in 1966. Over the years after the Mississippi Freedom Summer, Tracy, his wife June, and their friends Bill and Ellie Buckley created an educational film production company called Rediscovery Films.
“They produced many films about the people involved in that summer, and about the continuing struggle throughout the South for recognition and support of the quest for civil rights and attaining the vote.
“The Westport Library has copies of all of their films, and of the book written by Tracy during that critical time.”
That book is displayed on Martin Luther King’s desk in this photo:
There’s always something special at the Westport Farmers’ Market.
Next month, it’s extra special.
On the first 2 Thursdays — February 2 and 9 (Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center, 7 Sylvan Lane, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) — you can drop off gently used winter coats, mittens, hats and gloves, plus medical supplies. All are desperately needed in Ukraine.
Cash contributions to help with shipping costs are always needed.
Questions? Want to help? Email Mark Yurkiw: mark.think3d@gmail.com.
No, it’s not a big deal. Unless you were one of those who had to squeeze past the already-narrow lane that people also walk through to get to the store.
Or unless everyone else decided to park the same way.
If there’s few people around to see a Compo Beach “Westport … Naturally” sunset, does that make it any less glorious?
Countless Westporters know and love Cathy Talmadge.
Those who don’t, should. Every resident’s life has been touched, and impacted, by hers.
Cathy’s longtime friend Amy Ancel calls her “a passionate, tireless volunteer and leader with Wakeman Town Farm, Earthplace and Friends of Sherwood Island.”
Cathy is also a member of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting. Over the past 15 years she has served on the RTM’s Public Works and Environment Committees.
She works quietly yet doggedly to help make Westport a better place to live.
Cathy Talmadge.
Cathy is now seriously ill.
Her friends at Wakeman Town Farm want her to know what an inspiration she has been to them, and so many others. Cathy’s friend and colleague Christy Colasurdo writes:
When I met you more than 15 years ago, I was in awe. You were a wonderful cook, gardener, traveler, swimmer, environmentalist, and served on at least 2 town boards.
And that’s just skimming the surface.
You clearly relished your role as a conduit between the players in town and the organizations you served. You knew everyone who was anyone, and they obviously knew and respected you.
But the thing that impressed me the most was how you were always the first to quietly jump in to lend a hand, whether it was wrangling permits from the liquor control board, rolling up your sleeves to sew masks during COVID or dropping off used file folders to cut down on paper waste.
When I think of you, I picture you in your sunny kitchen with a soup bubbling on the stove and a golden retriever and Siamese cat at your feet, switching out your seasonal planters, or working away at your sewing table. You befriended and surrounded yourself with local environmental “greats” like Sal Gilbertie and Norm Bloom, and you were viewed as a civic leader on par with these giants for your commitment to Earthplace, Sherwood Island, the RTM, Wakeman Town Farm and other local organizations fighting for a more sustainable environment.
Cathy Talmadge, at Wakeman Town Farm.
At the Farm you were one of the pioneers, putting yourself in the mix to ensure a successful initial renovation of the aging Wakeman residence to provide a cozy and warm welcome to the first caretaking family.
After this you took on the dual roles of town liaison and farm treasurer, helping create accounting systems, guiding budget decisions, managing the Farm’s first audit and so much more.
To many of us at the Farm you were a valued team player and, more than this: family.
I was deeply affected by your fight through serious illnesses, leading to your kidney transplant last year.
Thank you for your friendship, and for being such a wonderful person. Please know that you have always been an inspiration to me and many others. and that we are with you now.
Wakeman Town Farm raised nearly $100,000 at their annual Harvest Fest. The evening featured fantastic food and drinks, a kick-ass band, and the always-special pastoral setting.
The tent … (Photo/Gregg Bromberg)
… the food … (Photo/Dan Woog)
… the band … (Photo/Dan Woog)
… and the $20,000 check from Earth Animal. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Yesterday also marked the final day of StoryFest, the Westport Library’s celebration of the story in all forms. It’s the largest literary festival in Connecticut.
Panels included this one on activism …
… and the finale, which included food, drink, and the “Reading Glasses” podcast, live from the Library stage.
Friday was a big night for Staples High School football.
After an address by 3 active servicemembers, quarterback Caleb Smith led the Wreckers to a 42-13 rout of Conard-West Hartford. It was the season opener for both teams, at Paul Lane Field.
And the Gridiron Club presented Catch-a-Lift founder Lynn Coffland with a check for $23,000. Funds were raised this summer by the club and players, who participated in the “Murph Challenge.” The money helps post-9/11 combat wounded veterans, with gym memberships and fitness rehabilitation.
The Wreckers travel to St. Joseph next Saturday, for a 1:30 p.m. contest.
Gridiron Club and Catch-a-Lift representatives are all smiles Friday night.
And one of Westport’s most big-hearted restaurants is helping.
Jimmy Nuzzo — known to many as “DJ Jimmy Jams” — was born with a congenital heart defect. After open-heart surgery at age 7, he lived a healthy life for years. He owns Dance to the Music Entertainment, and is a loving husband and father.
Now he needs a new heart — and liver.
Jimmy Nuzzo (3rd from left), with his family.
On Sunday, August 28 (4 to 7 p.m.), Tutti’s on Riverside Avenue is offering a $25 penne with meatball dinner — large enough to feed 2 people. It’s to-go (and cash) only. 100% of the proceeds go to help Jimmy.
Chabad of Westport hosts “Kugel with a Twist” (September 7, 7 p.m.).
The Nosher editor Shannon Sarna Goldberg and Connecticut food blogger Liz Arronson Rueven will chat about modern takes on Jewish comfort food.
It’s free, and open to the community. However, attendees are asked to bring one kosher item (dried fruit, raisins, dates, nuts, tomato/spaghetti sauce, cereals, oatmeal, jelly, canned tuna, ketch, mustard, mayo, vegetable/corn oil) to stock Chabad’s mobile kosher food pantry, to arrive this fall.
Anyone donating $180 to held fight food insecurity will receive a signed copy of Sarna’s “Modern Jewish Comfort Food.”
Longtime Westporters Carl Addison Swanson and his editor Jo Ann Miller have just published their 54th book,
It details Swanson’s experiences — some fictional — during his 1969 Vietnam tour. tour.
“365 Days and a Wake-up” is “not your normal war novel with blood, guts and gore,” Swanson says.
“I was watching ‘M*A*S*H,’ the movie, on late night TV, and remembered some of the humorous things, amidst the insanity, of events which occurred. I attempted to capture them.”
Swanson, known for his fast-paced, plot-driven narratives as well as his prolific publications, owns a Bermuda publishing house, and is a senior editor at a national magazine.
“365 Days” is available Labor Day. The hardback version follows in mid-October. Click here to order. Click here for Swanson’s website.
The actor/car racer/philanthropist died in 2008, but his life in Westport with Joanne Woodward is featured in the CNN/HBO film “The Last Movie Stars.”
Arthur Klausner sends along a recent Tweet that “stars” Newman’s friend, Robert Redford. In the clip from 1980, the former Weston resident recalls a long-running practical joke the two men played on each other, involving melted-own automobiles and their homes.
The Levitt Pavilion has just added a new ticketed show.
Orebolo — featuring Rick Mitarotonda, Peter Anspach and Jeff Arevalo of Goose — take the stage on September 7 (7 p.m.).
The trio has built a national following nationwide. Formed during the initial COVID surge, they shared a home. They learned new covers, and explored Goose’s deep catalog acoustically.
Tickets are $15 (members) and $18 (non-members, plus a $2 facility fee). Member pre-sale is active now; public tickets are available Monday (August 22) at noon. Click here to order, and for more information.
Orebolo
In other Levitt news, an opening band has been added to this Sunday’s (August 21, 6:30 p.m.) Allison Russell ticketed show.
She hand-picked Bailen, after opening with them at the Edmonton Folk Fest. Children under 12 are free (with an adult in the BYO-lawn chair section).
As for Allison: she released a new single yesterday, featuring Brandi Carlile:
Also this weekend: a pair of Friends of Sherwood Island State Park programs.
Tomorrow (August 20, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.), 2 interns with a big net will set up on the beach across from the Nature Center. They’ll show how many creatures they can pull out of Long Island Sound.
On Sunday (August 21, 2 to 3:30 p.m.), butterfly expert Michele Sorensen will lead a walk. She’ll start at the Nature Center porch, then explore nearby gardens and dunes for a variety of species. Buckeyes, swallowtails, sulphurs, fritillaries, monarchs, skippers and pearl crescents are all possible. It’s suitable for ages 5 and up.
Native Westporter and Pepperidge Farm manager Agnes “Aggie” Veno died peacefully last week, with her family by her side. She was 67.
Aggie was passionate about arts and crafts, and participated in craft fairs throughout Fairfield County. She was especially good at crocheting. She was also an excellent cook and baker, who enjoyed gatherings with her extended family.
She was an avid volunteer at St. Luke Church too.
She is survived by her mother Marie, sister Joann (Steve) Porch, godson Nicholas Vena, Jr., and many cousins, including Sadye Bella Bustillo, who had a special place in her heart. In addition to her father Andrew, she was predeceased by her brother, Andrew J. Veno, Jr.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held today (Friday, August 19, 10 a.m., St. Luke Church). Interment will follow at Assumption Cemetery in Greens Farms.
One of Staples High School’s most accomplished athletes has gotten very little recognition this year.
Yesterday, junior Francine Stevens represented her girls track and field team at the New England Championship, in New Britain. She finished 4th at 400 meters, with a time of 57.85.
Francine holds 7 school record. Last week she broke her own, at the state open meet.
Next weekend she heads to Greensboro, North Carolina. She’ll compete against the nation’s best in 100, 200 and 400 meters, at the Adidas Nationals.
Congrats too to Luke Brodsky and Alex Gudarrama. They won the state invitational doubles tennis championship, with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 defeat of a Darien duo.
Tighe Brunetti reached the finals too, but fell to Tighe Brunetti fought hard but fell to Fairfield Warde 6-4, 6-2.
Luke Brodsky and Alex Guadarrama.
Staples has one more individual state champion: Anna Lemcke.
The senior broke 80 for the first time in her golfing career, and tied for first place in the state open tournament at the Black Hal Club in Old Lyme.
It’s a remarkable achievement: In last year’s open, she finished second to las.
Anna’s choice of college is perfect for a golfer: the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland. (Hat tip: Valerie Smith-Malin)
Staples' Anna Lemcke shares medalist laurels with Berlin's Libby Dunn at the State Open, shooting a 79 at the Black Hall Club. #ctgolfpic.twitter.com/BKyoeBkOs7
One final sports note: Yesterday, the Angels won the Little League championship.
But for Pell Schmeisser, that honor paled beside another: He was named the winner of the Perrin Delorey Sportsmanship Award. Perrin, a Little Leaguer, died in an automobile accident in 2018, after a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Previous winners include Jack Hanlon and Dylan Burdeshaw. (Hat tip: Lauren MacNeill)
The Little League champion Angels. Perrin Delorey Sportsmanship Award winner Pell Schmeiser is in the bottom row, far left.
Friends of Sherwood Island’s annual meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. today (Sunday, June 12), in the state park’s main pavilion. All are welcome.
Guest speaker Juliana Barrett will speak on “Climate Change and Connecticut’s Coastal Forests.” She is an educator with the Institute for Climate Resilience and Adaptation, part of the University of Connecticut’s Sea Grant program.
The meeting includes a tribute to the Nature Center’s architect and benefactor, Westporter Peter Wormser.
Meg Kirby — co-owner and namesake of Peggy’s Cottage, the popular all-things-Irish store across from Stop & Shop — died Friday afternoon. She had battled illness, but passed peacefully.
Her husband, Brian Ellard, says: “She loved her little shop, and put her heart and soul into filling it with special things. Heading off to work every morning and looking forward to seeing everyone for a chat put a big smile on her face. I thank everyone for their love and support over the last few years, especially the last few months.”
It’s not an albino — the technical term is leucistic, for “reduced pigmentation” — but it’s a fascinating subject for “Westport … Naturally” nonetheless.
And finally … on this day in 1817, the earliest form of a bicycle was driven by Karl von Drais. It had no pedals; the rider straddled a wooden frame supported by two wheels, and pushed the vehicle along with his feet while steering the front wheel.
The bicycle’s original name: “dandy horse.”
(“06880” relies entirely on donations from readers. Please click here to help.)
That’s Westport’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Day (Greens Farms railroad station, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
Sponsored by the Department of Public Works, it’s a free program for residents of Westport, Norwalk, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich.
Among the items accepted: gasoline, kerosene, spray paint, paint strippers, paint thinners, solvents, paints, stains, turpentine, varnishes, wood preservatives, degreasers, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, bleach, charcoal lighter, cleaning chemicals, drain cleaners, mercury thermometers, moth balls, pet flea shampoos, photo chemicals, rug shampoos, spot removers, art supplies and paints.
Before bringing household hazardous material to the collection site:
Make sure items are clearly labeled
Do not mix chemicals. Incompatible products may react, ignite, or explode, and mixed waste may become non-recyclable.
Keep products in original labeled container.
Place leaky containers in clear plastic bags.
Tighten lids of all containers and pack items in sturdy cardboard boxes lined with paper.
Put boxes in the trunk or in the back of the vehicle away from passengers.
Leave pets and children home.
Keep your windows open and drive directly to the collection site.
REMINDER: Westport residents can recycle antifreeze, motor oil, batteries of any type, light bulbs and electronics at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon.
Of course Earth Day is not today (as I mistakenly said yesterday). Which means all the events sponsored by Friends of Sherwood Island will not take place tomorrow.
The correct date for the Sherwood Island activities is Saturday, April 23. They include:
Friends’ Garden Team Activities (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Friends’ table on East Beach across from the Nature Center).
🌱Bring a reusable water bottle; get a “Protect Our Wildlife” sticker (while supplies last).
🌱Tour the Dunes Restoration project site; plant a stem of American Beach Grass.
🌱Learn about native plant species planted for wildlife at the park; get a list for planting at home.
“Why Reducing Food Waste is Critical to a Sustainable Future” (9:30 to 11 a.m.).
“Walk Through Sherwood Island’s History (From 12,000 Years Ago)” (noon to 1:30 p.m.).
“Salt Marshes and Marsh Migration at Sherwood Island” (12:30 to 2 p.m.)
“Environmental Role of Trees at the Park”(2 to 3:30 p.m.)
Aspetuck Land Trust celebrates Earth Day too (naturally).
Next Friday (April 22, noon) there’s a virtual “Lunch & Learn” webinar called “2/3 For the Birds.” That’s because birds need 70% (approximately 2/3) native plants to maintain healthy population levels. Click here to register.
The next day (Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m. to noon, Trout Brook Valley Jump Hill Preserve), there’s a vernal pool hike with wetland scientist Edward Pawlak. Space is limited; click here.
On Sunday, April 24 (10:30 a.m. to noon, Trout Brook Valley orchard and blueberry patch), the Spring Hawk Walk returns. Raptor specialist Larry Fischer hopes to catch one or more hawks to present to the group, while discussing fascinating details about those extraordinary creatures. Space is limited; click here.
Westport Pride gets a jump on the festivities May 19 (6 p.m.). Three teams of “chef-testants” (a local chef, plus members of the local LGBTQ community and allies) has 30 minutes to whip up an appetizer and entrée — using items in a mystery box — for 5 judges in a “Queer Cook-Off.” It all takes place in Aitoro Appliance’s Norwalk kitchens.
Celebrity chefs include Bill Taibe (owner/chef of Don Memo, Kawa Ni, The Whelk), Jes Bengtson (executive chef of Terrain Café and Amis Trattoria), and Arik Bensimon (executive chef of the Monogram Design Center).
Judges include Brian McGunagle (founder, Westport Pride), Tony Aitoro (CEO, Aitoro Appliance), Matt Storch (chef/owner of Match and Match Burger Lobster), Stephanie Webster (founder/editor-in chief, CTBites) and yours truly (Dan Woog, executive editor of “06880”).
Guests can observe the competition while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and beverages. It’s a fundraiser for Westport Pride — and a great way for the LGBTQ community and allies to get together, get ready for Pride (and eat well). Click here for tickets.
Staples High School soccer fans knew Alan Fiore as a passionate, high-scoring attacker.
Music fans will soon know him as an indie pop/rock artist.
The 2021 SHS graduate — now studying at Berklee College of Music — has just released his first song. “Take the Bait!” was inspired by artists like Dayglow, the 195, the Bleachers and COIN.
Alan produced, mixed and mastered it all himself. Click here for links to all streaming platforms. Click here for Alan’s website, and more music.
Department staff has staked out an area near the site, keeping people away from the fragile birds and their eggs. A sign offers information about the threatened wildlife.
Speaking of shorebirds: A week from tomorrow is Earth Day. But the big events at Sherwood Island State Park are Saturday, April 23.
Friends of Sherwood Island offer several events. They include:
Friends’ Garden Team Activities (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Friends’ table on East Beach across from the Nature Center).
🌱Bring a reusable water bottle; get a “Protect Our Wildlife” sticker (while supplies last).
🌱Tour the Dunes Restoration project site; plant a stem of American Beach Grass.
🌱Learn about native plant species planted for wildlife at the park; get a list for planting at home.
“Why Reducing Food Waste is Critical to a Sustainable Future” (9:30 to 11 a.m.).Host: Pippa Bell Ader, Sustainable Westport Zero Food Waste Challenge. Ongoing at the Friends’ table outside the Main Pavilion.
“Walk Through Sherwood Island’s History (From 12,000 Years Ago)” (noon to 1:30 p.m.). Host: Cece Saunders, owner of Historical Perspectives in Westport. Guided walk. Meet at the Friends’ table outside the Main Pavilion.
“Salt Marshes and Marsh Migration at Sherwood Island” (12:30 to 2 p.m.) Host: Michele Sorensen, environmental educator, captain of the Friends’ garden team. Guided walk; also pick up plastic waste on the marsh. Gloves and bags provided. Meet at the Friends’ table on East Beach across from the Nature Center.
“Environmental Role of Trees at the Park” (2 to 3:30 p.m.) Host: Louis Pietig, Friends’ of Sherwood Island Advisory Council member. Guided walk. Meet at the Friends’ table outside the Main Pavilion.
Did you miss VersoFest? Or do you just want to relive last weekend’s Westport Library first-in-any-library-anywhere music and media festival?
Click below for a short highlight video. Jerri Graham and Verso Studios’ vivid photos will bring it to life. And get you psyched for the 2023 show, already in the planning stages.
The curtain came down on “The Descendants” last weekend. But the final act came later.
Staples Players’ talented costume crew — the behind-the-scenes students and parents led by Christie Stanger, who designed and created so many wonderful outfits — had a great idea: bling out a young audience member’s own clothes to look just like the costume of one of the Descendants!
This lucky, randomly chosen winner had her jean jacket and leggings made to look just like Evie’s. She also got a bunch of cool Evie-like accessories. She even got to meet Evie after the show.
Speaking of entertainment: Not much gets by Fred Cantor.
The other night he watched “The Drowning Pool.” The 1975 noir film starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward streamed on TCM.
At the end — yes, Fred watched the credits — he saw that it was “A Coleytown Production.”
Digging further, he found that “Coleytown Productions Inc.” is a California corporation formed in 1969. It dissolved in 2014. Joanne Woodward was the CEO.
Other copyrights held by Coleytown Productions included 2 other Paul Newman films: “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” and “Pocket Money.”
Screenshot from “The Drowning Pool.” (Photo/Fred Cantor)
The other day, “06880” noted that Drew Coyne was named Connecticut’s Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year.
Now the highly lauded and popular Staples High School social studies instructor is vying for national Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year honors.
Every nominee for the $10,000 demonstrates “a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest.” The winner will be announced in June.
After 7 years of providing a dedicated gluten-free, organic, non-GMO-certified commercial kitchen, C&K Community Kitchen no longer maintains its gluten-free status. It still “enthusiastically stands on its devout organic, non-GMO foundation.”
Questions? Contact Sarah Kerstin Gross (candkcommunitykitchen@gmail.com), or call 203-226-0531.
Dale Najarian is the Westport Book Shop’s latest guest exhibitor.
The Westport artist is showing several abstract landscapes on wood panels. She works in several mediums, including watercolor, acrylics, mixed media and oils. She also has a passion for photography.
Najarian earned a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She worked for over 15 years as a graphic designer and art director at design firms and advertising agencies in New York, Philadelphia and Washington.
She serves on the advisory board for the Norwalk Art Space, the executive board of the Artists Collective of Westport, and is a board member and project manager for #UNLOADusa.org, a nonprofit organization using arts to talk about gun violence in America. She is also an active member of the Greenwich Arts Council and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
Longtime Saugatuck Co-op resident Johanna Straczek died peacefully last month, at 96. Her family says she “lived a full and vibrant life.”
She started her own accounting firm and worked daily at a front desk, even after selling the company years ago.
“Always dressed with taste and seldom without a signature chapeau, her slight but powerful presence graced our town with a genuine air of European culture,” her obituary says.
Born in Austria in 1925, Johanna learned multiple languages and studied opera in Vienna before coming to the US. She attended Sacred Heart University, sharpening her business acumen.
She became a fellow of the National Tax Institute, was a longtime Rotarian, and member of several tax associations.
As treasurer of the Saugatuck Co-Op on Bridge Street, where she lived, she is remembered for her dedication volunteer work, and her soprano voice that she gifted at holiday parties (especially “Stille Nacht/Silent Night”).
Johanna is survived by her sister, Vera Romatko and brother Carlo Romatko. She was predeceased by her husband John and sister, Nadia Romatko Krower.
A celebration of her life is set for April 20 (Unitarian Church, 11 a.m.).
The other day, David Ader searched for wild mushrooms at the Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum.
Instead he found this tree. He writes: “What you see are fresh scratches from a claw. Given where they were on the tree, I assume it was a small bear. The claw marks are very different from, say, a deer rubbing antlers, which would be higher up.”
He has not seen the bear this year. He is, however, “hopeful.”
And finally … Bridgeport’s Sound on Sound Festival features some big names September 24 and 25. Among them: Dave Matthews, the Lumineers, Stevie Nicks and Brandi Carlile,
The biggest might be Ringo Starr. He kicks things off September 23.
That’s quite a coup. You know he don’t come easy. (Hat tip: Mark Yurkiw)
Twenty years ago, officials at Sherwood Island bulldozed all their dunes away. They wanted state park visitors to have an unimpeded Long Island Sound view, from the parking lot and concession stand.
It was not a great idea. It affected the coastal wildlife habitat, and lessened the shoreline’s resiliency to rising seas.
Five years ago, Friends of Sherwood Island board member Michele Sorensen wondered how her group could improve the dune habitat. Ecologist Juliana Barrett met Michele and then-park supervisor Jim Beschle on April 5, 2017. She said that to build out the dunes, they had to plant dominant grass before April 15, or after November 15.
That afternoon Michele ordered 800 American Beach Grass culms. She corraled up a small team of volunteers — including 2 grandchildren — to spend 4 days during Easter, planting.
Michele Sorensen, at the start of the dune restoration project.
The project has continued ever since.
Every year during Fairfield County Giving Day, the “Friends Garden Team” fundraises to buy plants, tools, signs and supplies. Michele provides a matching grant of up to $1,000. Last February’s effort was the best yet.
Westporter Bill Yaffa — whose company sells erosion control cloth — suggested using it at the park. An experimental sand patch had a 97% success rate (far better than the usual 60-85%). This spring the group will expand the areas they plant in sixfold, using jute cloth.
The dune restoration project, last August.
Since 2019 — when Michele became a University of Connecticut advanced master gardener — she has been assisted by nearly a dozen other master gardener graduates and interns from around Fairfield County, and local helpers like Westporter Lavinia Larsson and Barbara Dahm, now in her 80s.
Barbara’s connection with Sherwood Island dates back to when her parents brought breakfast, lunch and dinner, spending all day at the beach.
Current Staples High School sophomore Jackson Cregan and his father Johannes were key members of last November and April’s plantings too.
Jackson Cregan, hard at work.
Birds, butterflies and many other creatures have taken advantage of the restored dune habitat.
And no one has complained that they can’t see the shore from the parking lot or concession stand.
Friends Garden Team members Heather Williams (Westport Shellfish Commission) and Westporter Barrie Holmes, with hundreds of plantings.
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