Last night, 60 Westporters protested the United Nations’ appearance in town in the person of Undersecretary-General Christian Saunders.
It was the third time in 2 years that we have protested the UN’s appearance, and it’s important that the town understand why we do it.
Whatever good work the UN does in attacking poverty and providing elegant meeting rooms for debate, it is also a deeply anti-Semitic organization, and it has been at least since 1975, when it declared Zionism is racism — when it declared that the world’s one Jewish nation, built from the ashes of the Holocaust, had no right to exist as a Jewish state.
These photos are from last night’s protest at the Imperial Avenue parking lot, near the Westport Library.
The UN, its agencies and courts, demonize Israel. They have attempted to isolate it, to strangle it, to boycott it, to force it into actions they dictate. And they might well have succeeded without US vetoes.
More recently, through the actions of UNRWA, the UN bears some direct responsibility for the butchery of October 7. (Mr. Saunders, it must be noted, was Acting Commissioner of UNRWA in 2020.)
UNRWA encouraged the self-destructive beliefs of Gazans that they were still refugees who would eventually return to live inside Israel, and educated its young with textbooks that demonized Israel and Jews. The result has been a generation of radicalized young Gazans intent not on building their own country but on destroying their neighbor — Israel.
Further, by pouring money and aid into Gaza, UNRWA in effect left Hamas to build tunnels and buy weapons to further its murderous aims. Hamas leaders are actually on record saying it is not their job to protect Gazans — it is the job of the UN.
UNRWA and the UN also turned a blind eye for weeks or months to the savagery of October 7 and particularly the violence done to women. (Mr. Saunders is currently special coordinator on improving the United Nations response to sexual exploitation and abuse).
We ask Westporters to see the UN for what it is. The UN (as per UN Watch) passed 140 resolutions against Israel in the 7 years before October 7, and only 68 condemning other nations in total — including Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and other such states. The town would never invite an institution that similarly demonized any other group for racial, ethnic, gender preference or identity — so it must not invite the UN.
Some, such as the International Hospitality Committee, also known as the United Nations Association, Southwest CT Chapter, who bring the UN to Westport twice each year, argue that the institution is simply a forum that should not be blamed for the actions of its member states.
Do they really mean to tell us that the UN, meant to stand for a better, inclusive future, should not be blamed for both failing and for intensifying the abuses heaped on Israel? Who would ever make excuses for, say, a PTA whose member parents demanded use of racist textbooks?
To ask the question is to laugh without reply. The UN, more than a forum, is the world’s largest hotbed of antisemitic, anti-Israel, and anti-Zionist rhetoric.
A video preceding Mr. Saunders’ speech illustrated some of the good work the UN does in impoverished regions. We demand that the respect and dignity the UN accords others must be given Israel.
Inside the Westport Library. (All photos courtesy of #EndJewHatred)
If the UN can’t pass that very low bar of decency, it must not be welcomed here. It shouldn’t be welcome anywhere, really, but especially not in a town where so many know firsthand from their families of the abuse Jewish people have faced in many corners of the world.
Please note that we do not seek to squelch legitimate criticism of the policies of Israel’s government. Israelis do it themselves — it’s practically a national sport.
People are entitled to their opinions. But the UN, an international forum, is not entitled to repeatedly denounce Israel alone in a world filled with nations that richly do deserve a denunciation they never receive.
The UN demonizes Israel. Unless and until it finds a way to reform itself, to rid itself of its antisemitic poison, the town of Westport and its people should not welcome it back. Surely we can find other ways to celebrate international community without inviting an organization who raises its voice loudly day after day in denunciation of the world’s one Jewish State.
We were respectfully silent yesterday in our protest, but I’m going to end with a shout to the United Nations: Treat Israel and world Jewry with the respect and dignity you treat everyone else. If you can’t bring yourself to do that — we don’t want you here. Stay home.
(The “06880” opinion pages are open to all. Please send submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com)
When Jen Fava resigned as Parks & Recreation Department director this spring, deputy director Rick Giunta — a native Westporter — took over as interim director. The transition was smooth and productive.
Giunta tells “06880”: “It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve as the interim director over the past 5 months. However, due to personal reasons, I have chosen to step back into my role of deputy director.
“I’ll continue to support the department to the best of my ability, as the search for a permanent director continues. I’m looking forward to working with and supporting the future leadership of the department as we move forward.”
A new director has not yet been named.
Rick Giunta
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Westport 10 — the town’s networking and social organization for Black men and their families — met yesterday, at Jay Norris and Chirag Shah’s Content Studio in Saugatuck.
Guests includes State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, and Police Chief Foti Koskinas.
Westport 10 — whose numbers are far more than that — has an active fall planned.
Among the activities: a meeting with merchants through the Westport Downtown Association (October 23), Halloween masquerade ball (October 30), holiday party and more.
At yesterday’s Westport 10 meeting (from left): Ted Parker, Adam Moore, Trey Ellis, Gene Massie, Jay Norris, Chirag Shah, CD Glin, Rene Hart, Anil Nair, Police Chief Foti Koskinas.
“Westport Uncorked” — the Sunrise Rotary Club wine tasting event (with great food, and non-alcoholic beverages) that has become one of our town’s most popular events, returns to The Inn at Longshore on October 24 (6 to 9 p.m.).
Attendees can taste 100 wines, curated by The Fine Wine Company of Westport. (Well, there will be 100 wines available, anyway.)
Fine Wine Company experts will be on hand to answer questions. Any of the wines can be ordered for delivery.
Every dollar raised goes to charities supported by Westport Sunrise Rotary. Tickets are limited. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
In other Sunrise Rotary news, the club hosted 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker yesterday morning.
She asked members what issues they were most interested in hearing updates about. Among them: affordable housing, traffic, downtown plan, schools, handicapped access, Longshore upgrades, the Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, Cribari Bridge, Saugatuck River dredging, and road and sidewalk construction in town.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, at the Sunrise Rotary Club.
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The Westport Library has launched its 2024-25 annual appeal. The fundraising goal of $325,000 would secure full funding for the Library’s operations, and allow it to continue to provide the vast majority of programming for free or low cost.
The town of Westport funds 77% of the Library’s operating budget. The remaining 23% is raised through special events and private donations, like those provided during the annual appeal.
The Library welcomes 350,000 visitors a year. The theme for this year’s appeal is “Invest in Lifelong Learning.”
Click here to donate to the appeal, and for more information.
The 1st anniversary of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel will be honored with a community gathering tomorrow (Sunday, October 6, 12 to 3 p.m., Compo Beach).
The event includes words and songs (1:30 p.m.). 101 chairs will represent the hostages still held in Gaza.
The public is invited.
These chairs at Compo Beach represented the hostages held last November, a month after the Hamas attack. (Photo/Mia Bomback)
Long time resident Jo Ann Miller has put away her paint brushes and is pounding away at the keyboard.
Her initial novella. “Terrorist Vengeance,” is doing so well that she is out with another short story. “Eulogy” describes the passing of a wannabe billionaire who is hardly praised by his 4 wives and 4 children at his funeral.
“Funny, witty and a super read,” praises the Houston Chronicle. It will be available on Amazon soon.
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Today (Saturday, 11 a.m to 1 p.m.), the Westport Weston Family YMCA celebrates its 10th anniversary of the Bedford Family Center at its Mahackeno site.
The family event includes bounce houses, crafts, live entertainment with a magician, refreshments including birthday cake, and giveaways.
Now that the presidential and vice presidential debates are over, you can watch another one, live and in person, right here at Town Hall.
On Thursday (October 10, 7 p.m),, Westport’s League of Women Voters hosts candidates for State Senate District 26, and State Representative District 136.
Questions can be sent in advance to lwvwestportct@yahoo.com.
The debate is co-sponsored by the PTA Council, Westport Sunshine Rotary Club, Y’s Men, Y’s Women and Westport Rotary Club.
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The Joggers Club has moved back to Compo Beach.
All members are welcome; no beach sticker is needed.
The group meets every Saturday at 8 a.m. Weekly runs can be found on their Strava, Facebook and Instagram pages.
Dues are $50 a year. New members get a free Lululemon shirt ($68 retail). Click here for more information.
Longtime Westport resident Barbara Macieski died peacefully at home on Wednesday. She was 89.
The Bronx native earned a degree in history at the University of Bridgeport, where she met her future husband Ford Macieski.
They were great dance partners. Barbara was also known for her excellent taste in shows to stream and books to read.
Barbara had a career in commercial lending, but her true joy were her 6 children, 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Her family says, “She guided us, nurtured us, healed us, admonished us, and cheered with us our individual and collective good fortune. A confidante, a therapist, a financial advisor, and an ear to hear our trials and tribulations. We all checked in with her daily.”
Barbara was predeceased by her husband Ford and daughter Katy. She is survived by her children Lisa Mann (Russ), Robert, Daniel (Karen), Joanne Carpenter (husband Rick) and Jessica Aysseh (Alex); grandchildren Katy Mann (Ben Bien-Kahn), Samuel Macieski, Kevin Carpenter (Maggie Rogers), Benjamin Macieski, Becky Wiezik (Don), Maggie DelPresto (Jeff), Ellie Mann, Maddy Mann, Coco Aysseh and Lilly Aysseh, and great-grandchildren Ford Wiezik, Leo Mann, Theo DelPresto and Ford Carpenter.
Memorial contributions may be made to LIV IT UP, which provides support services and programming for neuro-diverse adults.
Barbara Macieski (4th from left), with her children.
And finally … in honor of Westport Sunrise Rotary’s “Uncorked” fundraiser October 24 at The Inn at Longshore (story above):
(If you think there’s nothing to do in Westport, you’re not reading “06880.” If you ARE reading this hyper-local blog — which of course you’re doing now — please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
To the chagrin of many builders, homeowners, architects and others who have worked with her, Mary Young is stepping down as Planning & Zoning Department director. Her last day is Friday.
Mary tells “06880”:
It has been an immense honor and privilege to serve the residents of Westport since 2002. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years. When you love what you do, it hardly feels like work, and I truly cherished my time here.
Land use decision-making is inherently a collaborative process, and Westport is fortunate to have residents who are dedicated to volunteering their time for the greater good and shaping a brighter future. I have been blessed to collaborate with countless unsung heroes who tirelessly advocate for transparency and meaningful change.
As I step aside, I sincerely hope that the residents of Westport will embrace my successor, who has truly earned this position. I believe my legacy will thrive in her continued success. Thank you all for your support and commitment to the Westport community.
I’d like to add my personal thanks to Mary. She has always treated the media with fairness and respect. She is quick to respond to questions, always forthright, and extremely knowledgeable. Thank you, Mary, for making my job easier — and for always having Westport’s best interests in mind.
The annual Halloween window painting contest returns Saturday, October 26.
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce is looking for painters for the popular 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event.
Elementary and middle school children paint a store window they request, or that is assigned to them.
Elementary and middle schools winners in 3 categories — Scariest Art Work, Best Halloween Theme and Most Original — earn gift certificates. Click here to sign up.
That’s just the start. On October 29, the Parks & Recreation Department’s annual Halloween Parade begins at 3:30 p.m., at the Post Road East/Main Street intersection.
Costumed kids will walk to Avery Place, then enjoy festivities on Veterans Green across from Town Hall.
Westport resident Dave Briggs films intriguing videos for Cheddar, the business, finance and tech website.
The other day he was at a New York location of Dig, the Northeast restaurant chain. Dave was shooting a story on Bite, whose AI-powered kiosks are found at quick-serve spots everywhere.
Chatting with Bite CEO Brandon Barton about the advantages of self-service — ease and comfort; more opportunities for add-sons; “friction-less and pressure-less,” and of course potential cost savings — Dave learned that Barton is also a Westporter.
But that’s not all. Turns out Dig founder Adam Eskin also lives here.
Sounds like Dig needs to open a location here. Then Dave can tape another video, without any of the principals leaving town.
Screenshot of Dave Briggs (left) with Brandon Barton.
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Last year’s Volunteer Fair was a great success.
This year’s event (Saturday, October 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m,, Westport Library), will be even bigger and better.
The adult and youth fairs are combined into one, presenting even more opportunities for volunteerism with many non-profits, organizations, and town boards and commissions. Education, housing, government, youth, seniors, the environment — those interests, and many others, are all represented.
Adult and teen attendees can speak with staff members, and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Click here for more information.
Last year’s Volunteer Fair, at the Westport Library.
Got an old vehicle you’d like to get rid of, but refuse to donate it to 1-800-KarsForKids because they’ve tortured us with the most obnoxious jingle in the history of advertising for the past 20 years?
The Westport Fire Department wants you! (And yours.)
They train for life-saving rescues by using donated cars and trucks.
Any make, model or condition is fine. It can be damaged, even non-working.
Like NPR, they’ll even tow it for free.
For more information — or to cut right to the chase, and schedule a pickup — call 203-341-5003, or email jkronenberger@westportct.gov.
Westport firefighters practice on a donated vehicle. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
This Sunday (October 6, 11 a.m., meeting at the Westport Country Playhouse parking lot), the Westport chapter of RunForTheirLives commemorates the first anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel with a “peaceful and apolitical march through town.”
Marchers will carry signs to remember the 101 hostages who remain in captivity. They’ll be joined by local clergy from different denominations, and community leaders.
Every Sunday for a year, residents have marched through town, in all kinds of weather.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker’s newest “In Focus” newsletter has been posted to the town website.
Among the items: an update on the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s work, and a reminder about illegal clear-cutting, filling and dumping in and near wetlands and watercourses.
The Westport Police Department’s “Coffee with a Cop” yesterday morning, at McDonald’s, was a great success.
Many patrons stopped for a chat with our officers. There were smiles all around.
And no tickets.
One “06880” reader appreciates the outreach, but offers a suggestion for next time: Choose a locally owned coffee shop, rather than one of the biggest chains in the world.
Coffee and conversation. (Photo courtesy of Westport Police Department)
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Speaking of cops: Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between September 25 and October 2.
A 40-year-old man from Nutley, New Jersey and a 32-year-old man from Paterson, New Jersey were charged with larceny, and criminal attempt to commit larceny, following a shoplifting at Ulta Beauty. Officer stopped the suspects’ vehicle on Post Road East, near the Fairfield line. A female suspect has been identified, and is being investigated.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 10 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 6
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 6
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 5
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulation: 5
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 4
Traveling too fast for conditions: 2
Following too closely: 2
Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 2
Improper use of marker plates: 2
Reckless endangerment: 1
Transporting a child 5-8 years old, 40-60 pounds without restraints: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Unreadable plates: 1
Failure to cancel registration: 1
Illegal operation by a motor carrier: 1
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Over the last 15 years, the Push Against Cancer fundraiser has grown from a small community fundraiser to a giant push-up festival raising funds to support The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, aiding children with serious illnesses.
Hundreds of Westporters will join the push-up marathon on Sunday, October 20 (8 a.m., Staples High School).
Registration starts at $40 per participant. It includes Push Against Cancer gear, and a fundraising web page to engage friends and family. Click here to sign up, and for more information.
Unite the World With Africa Foundation‘s Westport supporters are collecting medical supplies for Kitanga, a small Tanzanian village that is accessible only by water.
Items needed include stethoscopes; blood pressure machines; pulse oximeters; green, dark blue or black scrubs (small); glucometers and hemoglobinometers.
Odds are, you don’t have any of those lying around your house.
No problem!
Click here; the select the “Unite Medical” address at checkout to have the items shipped directly.
If you actually have them on hand — or want them shipped to you — you can drop them off at Village Pediatrics, 323 Riverside Avenue.
Residents of Kitanga, Tanzania need medical supplies.
“Moms in Security” — a Westport-based nonprofit focused on ending human trafficking and child exploitation — hosts a fundraising 5K walk at Compo Beach Saturday (8 a.m.).
All ages are invited. Click here to register or donate. All proceeds support Moms in Security’s programs and initiatives.
Jaime Hastings, executive director of the Arthur Miller Foundation, spoke Tuesday to the Westport Rotary Club.
For the past 10 years, the Arthur Miller Foundation has been increasing equitable access to quality theater education for public school students by certifying and supporting teachers to build sustainable in-school theater programs.
They currently support theater teachers in New York City, Bridgeport, and Norwalk Public Schools.
Sure, we posted a great bee photo on Monday, right here in “Westport … Naturally.”
But this one is equally cool. Photographer Jen Greely says: “This early fall scene in my garden shows 3 bees nectaring from a single dahlia. I guess it’s more fun with friends.”
And finally … between Tanzania, Israel, schools in Bridgeport and Norwalk, and stories in our own back yard, today’s Roundup proves once again that “06880” is truly “where Westport meets the world.” So …
(If you enjoy learning about Westport — and the world — through “06880,” please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Sigrid Schultz has been remembered — belatedly — in her longtime hometown of Westport, with a parking lot named in her honor.
But there is a lot more to her story than that.
Serving as the Chicago Tribune’s Berlin bureau chief from 1926 to 1941, Schultz masked her intense loathing for the Nazis in order to cultivate contacts at the highest level of the Third Reich. Among her many accomplishments, Schultz interviewed Adolf Hitler several times. She also fearlessly cast a barb at Hermann Göring for his failed attempt to have her arrested.
She boldly covered the persecution of Jews, was one of the first to report on abuses at the German concentration camps, and was once called “Hitler’s greatest enemy.”
Yet for all her accomplishments, Schultz’s story is largely untold.
Vanessa Johnston is working on a documentary film about her. It will explore her extraordinary career, from her heady days as a young reporter covering the Weimar Republic, to her writing in secret under an alias to avoid Nazi censors, on through her anguish at seeing the Buchenwald concentration camp, then her relatively obscure life in Westport.
Tomorrow (Thursday, September 19, 7 p.m., Westport Museum for History & Culture), Johnston will preview her unfinished film. There’s a talkback with the producer, and a look at a one-night-only display of artifacts owned by Schultz.
Click here for tickets ($5 for members, $10 for non-members). Proceeds support the museum’s exhibitions, programs and research.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Joseph J. Clinton Post 399’s 51st straight monthly Red Cross Blood Drive honors lance corporal Charles Rochlin, of the Marine Corps.
The 2003 Staples High School graduate spent 7 months in Iraq. He was on leave in Westport when he died in an automobile accident.
The blood drive is this Friday (September 20, noon to 5 p.m.).
Click here for an appointment; use sponsor code VFWWESTPORT. You can also call 800-733-2767.
CraftWestport returns to the Staples High School fieldhouse November 2-3. Over 175 vendors kick off the holiday shopping season, with thousands of products in mediums like ceramics, textiles, woodworking, jewelry, glass art and more.
Plus food items like bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup, hand-painted chocolates, teas, honey, cheese spreads, curds, baked goods, and skincare products, soaps, candles, etc.
All-weekend admission is $11; seniors $10, children 12-18 $5, children under 12 are free. Click here for more details. CraftWestport is presented by the Westport Young Woman’s League.
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The one good thing that has come out of the death of Rachel Doran — the 2015 Staples High School graduate who died just before her senior year at Cornell University after a rare reaction to common medication — is Rach’s Hope.
The non-profit provides nutritious food, lodging, transportation and encouragement to family members when a child is in intensive care.
Well, there’s one other good thing: community participating in “Walk the Extra Mile … for Rach’s Hope.”
The 4th annual event is Sunday, October 6 (Compo Beach Ned Dimes Marina, 3 p.m.).
The day includes community spirit, fresh air, a fun beach walk, live music by Ellis Island Acoustic, the Pizza Pie Wagon truck, wine and beer courtesy of Greens Farms Spirit Shop, and Rach’s signature black and white cookies.
All are welcome. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Rachel Doran
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A clarification on yesterday’s Roundup post about CLASP’s “Music Through the Decades” benefit (October 18, Fairfield Theatre Company).
Band Central — the great entertainment — is not “the CLASP house group.”
Band Central is made up of very talented professional musicians. At different times, members have played with very high-powered groups — including the Rolling Stones.
Band Central was created to unite a community of non-profits, musicians, donors, and audience members through themed music concerts. They’ve raised $6 million for over 60 Fairfield County organizations, and produced more than 150 events.
The October 18 show will raise funds to support CLASP’s clients, with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A 6:30 p.m. pre-party includes light bites from Blue + Berries and Little Pub. The main event kicks off at 7:30.
Guests are encouraged to dress in the fashion of their favorite decade.
Tickets are $45 in person at the FTC office, $54 online or by phone (203-319-1404).
A clinical psychiatrist at the Yale Department of Psychology with a private practice, she spoke about her work as lead psychologist at Mountain Seed Foundation. It provides healing camps in places like the Austrian Alps for veterans of foreign wars who are suffering from trauma or war loss, and their families.
The week-long program includes physical activities like mountain climbing, zip lining, nature walks and art therapy.
Amit Oren (Photo/Ellin Curley)
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On Sunday night, Alex Sherman was walking his dog near Compo Road South.
Alex got to hear Peter Frampton’s concert (for free).
Plus, he spotted this cool-looking owl on Baker Street. It’s a great image, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … in the midst of one of the most polarized times in American history, today is National Respect Day.
(If you respect “06880” — or even just like it a little bit — please consider a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. Just click here. Thank you!)
Every June since the 1950s — just a few years after the United Nations moved into its New York headquarters, and spurred by the work of UN advocate/ secretary to Eleanor Roosevelt/Westport resident Ruth Steinkraus Cohen — we have welcomed ambassadors, government officials and staff members to town.
On a (hopefully beautiful) early summer Saturday, we offer hospitality and friendship. There’s a breakfast and low-key greeting ceremony. Then our guests, their families and volunteer hosts spend the day in a variety of ways: at the beach, Earthplace or Wakeman Town Farm; playing golf, tennis or soccer; shopping, dining and relaxing.
Through the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the end of colonialism and the rise of new global powers, the tradition has endured.
It’s one of those things that makes our suburban community different from many others.
jUNe Day flags fly on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge. It’s named for the founder of the annual Westport event.
They were fully respectful. They were totally silent.
But their t-shirts, signs and flyers sent a message. They were angry about the UN’s “egregious bias against Israel, and the fact that our tax dollars are being used to host representatives of the United Nations, particularly this year, after the horrific events of October 7, and the consistently glaring antisemitic/anti-Israel efforts to delegitimize the only Jewish state.”
They cited many other reasons why they believe they UN has become “a highly politically divisive organization.” Inviting employees here, they said, “is simply no longer acceptable to us….We are all for international hospitality, but we should be hosting an organization that stands for universal equality for all.”
jUNe Day protestors, on Jesup Green. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Bill Hass disagrees.
As president of the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut — the organizer, with Westport officials and volunteers, of jUNe Day — he firmly believes in the organization’s mission.
And he wants our town’s tradition to continue.
Hass told “06880”: “For nearly 60 years, Westport has supported jUNe Day as an opportunity for Westporters to offer hospitality and friendship to UN staff and delegates.
“This derives from a recognition that the United Nations is the only organization created to maintain global peace and security in which nearly all the countries of the world are represented. In a world of deeply divergent interests, it is essential that lines of communication be kept open concerning current conflicts and other global challenges. And, in this age of nuclear weapons, global peace is not only a lofty ideal, it is critical for the survival of the human race.
“Westport is a welcoming and diverse community with many residents also having lived and worked abroad. Many here realize that what affects those halfway around the world can also impact us.
Bill Hass speaks at this year’s jUNe Day welcoming ceremony. First Selectwoman Jen Tooker is seated at left. (Photo/Dan Woog)
“In 1962, the world came very close to experiencing the terror of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis. At that time, the UN Security Council and Secretary-General U Thant provided a breathing space that made it possible for the Soviet Union and the United States to step back from the brink of disaster and allow back channel and other quiet diplomacy to resolve the crisis.”
(Thant’s daughter Aye-Aye is a longtime Westport resident.)
“We sometimes hear that the UN is doing nothing, but the Secretary-General’s use of quiet diplomacy is an essential tool for helping to resolve difficult situations and crises.
“Earlier in the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Secretary-General quietly negotiated an agreement to permit the export of Ukrainian grain to countries in desperate need. Also, a multitude of UN agencies maintain peace in areas attempting to recover from conflict, provide disaster relief, and address key global issues such as climate change, immigration and the plight of refugees.
“Expenses for jUNe Day are borne by the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut, the UN Staff Union and modest reservation fees. We are very grateful to the town for opening many of our recreational facilities to UN guests as well as the Wakeman Town Farm, and for the warm welcome extended by our First Selectwoman. Earthplace is also much appreciated as a favorite destination of our guests.
“Our jUNe volunteers observed that UN guests who represented so many member states deeply appreciated Westport’s hospitality, and noted the right of people to protest peacefully.
Enjoying jUNe Day at Jesup Green, not far from the protest. (Photo/Dan Woog)
“It is important to acknowledge the concerns of those who protested on jUNe Day. Some even may have relatives or friends who were killed or injured on October 7, or at other times in Israel’s history.
“On October 7, 2023, in response to the attack by Hamas on Israel, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned ‘in the strongest terms the attack by Hamas against Israeli towns.’ He also extended his ‘deepest condolences to the families of the victims” and called for “the immediate release of all the abducted persons.’ Finally, he stressed that ‘violence cannot provide a solution to the conflict, and that only through negotiations leading to a two-State solution can peace be achieved.'”
“Some Westport protestors alleged bias by the UN against Israel. It is important to distinguish between the UN organization and the position of some of its member countries.
“The Secretary-General and the staff are required by the principles of the UN Charter to treat Israel and, indeed all UN member countries, with dignity and respect and without discrimination. There exists honest disagreement on many issues related to this conflict. It is a disservice to the UN to construe its disagreement with some of the policy choices of the government of Israel as antisemitic.”
A couple of hundred United Nations employees — staff members and their families (with an occasional ambassador) — come from New York, by train or bus.
jUNe Day guests, enjoying a Jesup Green Breakfast.
They’re welcomed at a brief breakfast, by town officials. A message from the Secretary-General is read.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker (seated, left) waits to give jUNe Day greetings. At the podium is Bill Hass, United Nations Association Southwest Connecticut chapter president.
Then they head out, with local volunteers, to experience a summer day in the suburbs. They’re invited to Longshore, Compo, Earthplace and Wakeman Town Farm. They swim, play tennis and golf and soccer, shop and eat.
It’s a well-oiled machine.
Today, for perhaps the first time ever, a bit of politics intruded.
Over 150 residents partnered with the Connecticut chapter of #EndJewHatred to organize a protest.
It was silent, out of respect for the town and Great Duck Race activities, going on simultaneously.
Part of this morning’s crowd at Jesup Green.
The event began at the Westport Woman’s Club parking lot, with prayers for the hostages and Israeli Defense Forces.
Holding signs and wearing t-shirts, protestors then walked a short distance to Jesup Green.
Organizers told “06880”: “We are Westporters. We are Westport neighbors who support the town’s economy.
“We are Jews. Maybe some of us are non-Jews.
“We are Zionists.
“We are parents. Maybe some of us have college students who face extreme antisemitism on their campuses.
“We are angry about the UN’s egregious bias against Israel, and the fact that our tax dollars are being used to host representatives of the United Nations, particularly this year, after the horrific events of October 7, and the consistently glaring antisemitic/anti-Israel efforts to delegitimize the only Jewish state.”
Celia Kaner Offir (left) and Elise Meyer. In Israel, Celia met the father of the 2 kidnapped brothers, whose faces are on her poster.
They said that the UN has “done nothing to release the remaining 116 hostages, representing 54 different countries— not just Israel — over the last 9 months.
“The UN was silent on the rape and sexual violence used against Israeli women on October 7 for months.
“Staffers of the UN agency of UNRWA were directly involved in the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent murder and kidnapping of Israelis.
“The UN will still not condemn Hamas using its name.
“The UN singles out Israel with resolution after resolution while countries like North Korea and Iran are barely sanctioned.”
“The preposterous false charges of genocide against Israel are meritless, counterproductive and hypocritical.”
(All photos/Dan Woog)
Organizers added, “we understand that jUNe day has gone on here for 50-plus years.
“We understand that in its inception, it was not meant to be a political statement or event. However, today, the UN is a highly politically divisive organization, and inviting their employees to our town for a day in the sun is simply no longer acceptable to us.
“Sometimes the status quo needs to change. Just because we’ve operated one way for 50 years, doesn’t mean it’s appropriate going forward.
“We are all for international hospitality, but we should be hosting an organization that stands for universal equality for all.”
An award-winning journalist/filmmaker with extensive experience covering Gaza, and a former head of the Israeli Prison Service Intelligence Division will take the stage at The Westport Library next Tuesday (April 16, 7 p.m.).
Shlomi Eldar and Dr. Yuval Biton will discuss the impact of Yahya Sinwar’s leadership on Hamas. He is widely believed to have helped mastermind the October 7 terror attack in Israel.
Eldar has spent more than 30 years covering Gaza, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority for Israeli television. He has been awarded Israel’s most important media award, the Sokolov Prize, and 2 Ophir Awards (Israel’s Oscar equivalent) for his documentaries.
Dr. Biton was on the medical team that removed Sinwar’s brain tumor as he served a 20-plus-year sentence in an Israeli prison. He spent many hours with the Hamas leader during his prison term. Hamas kidnapped and killed Dr. Biton’s nephew on October 7.
The conversation is presented in partnership with the Bennett Center at Fairfield University and the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County.
Cabry Lueker became perhaps the youngest person to deliver a Representative Town Meeting invocation, at Tuesday’s meeting.
The Staples High School senior — and co-chair of the Wesetport Youth Commission — thanked the Westport Public Schools for the close relationships he’s forged with teachers and peers, and the academics and clubs he’s been exposed to.
Cabry also described his fulfilling work on the Youth Commission. Noting past projects like the Compo Skate Park, Toquet Hall, Dodge-a-Cop and iMentor, he said the Commission “symbolizes the power and importance of the youth in our town.”
He concluded, “I hope we can all keep legacy and leadership in mind as we navigate issues, especially contentious ones, in our town.”
Cabry Lueker offers the RTM invocation. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between April 3 and 10.
Two Waterbury men, ages 22 and 20, were arrested for larceny, and criminal attempt to commit larceny, following an investigation into a September motor vehicle theft of an unlocked vehicle, with the key fob inside, near Church Lane. The vehicle was used the next day during a home invasion in Westport. Both men had previously been arrested for their involvement in that crime.
A 36-year-old Stamford man was charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license, traveling unreasonably fast, engaging police in pursuit and violation of traffic control signals, after an officer with radar on Riverside Avenue clocked the vehicle traveling 51 miles an hour in a 30 mph zone, at 12:15 a.m. The driver went through a red light at Post Road West before eventually stopping on Wilton Road.
A 27-year-old Greenwich man was charged with larceny, and criminal attempt to commit larceny, after a fraudulent check was deposit at First County Bank, and funds were then withdrawn from it.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 4 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 3
Driving while texting: 2
Speeding: 2
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
Failure to register a commercial vehicle: 2
Disorderly conduct: 1
Interfering with an emergency call: 1
Creating a public disturbance: 1
Reckless driving: 1
Evading responsibility: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Following too closely: 1
Improper passing: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 1
Failure to return plates: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
Failure to carry a license: 1
Misuse of license plates is no laughing matter. It can result in up to 30 days in jail, a fine up to $500, and possible license suspension.
Kammy Maxfeldt — the longtime and much-loved Birchwood Country Club golf pro — died April 4. She was 63, and had battled cancer.
Her obituary says, “Family and faith were most important to Kammy. She took love seriously, and sacrificed her time and talent to do anything for her family and friends. Her Birchwood family, and Norwalk/Port St. Lucie network of friends meant the world to her. Kammy was a faithful Christian, with a strong connection to the Jewish community as well.”
She fell in love with golf at a young age, playing with her father in Holdrege, Nebraska. She competed in her first tournament when she was 10, and played on the Holdrege High School team.
Kammy then played at the University of Oklahoma
She played 84 of the top 100 golf courses in the US, and had 13 holes-in-one.
Kammy worked at golf courses in Oklahoma, Tennesse, Texas, Florida and New York. She spent her final 21 years as head pro at Birchwood.
She enjoyed teaching golf, especially to children (to whom she also taught life lessons).
Kammy was the 2013 National LPGA Professional of the Year, and ranked the #1 instructor in Connecticut by Golf Digest for 2022-2023. She was the 2024 Metropolitan Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year.
She is survived by her mother, Emma June; sister Darcy Bomer (Gerard); brother Trent; niece Devri Penrod (Aaron); nephew Bryce Bomer; uncles Merle Nelson (Sherri) and Lonnie Nelson (Tricia); aunt Bettie Louise Murdoch; shih tzu “Little Man Bogiem”; and many friends.
There will be a gathering of family and friends, and a celebration of life, on April 19 (12 p.m.) at the Hermitage Funeral Home in Old Hickotry, Tennessee. Click here to share memories and expressions of sympathy for the family.
Kammy Maxfeldt
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Jesup Green has been all over the news lately.
We don’t know whether the trees at the top will remain, or be removed for parking spots.
Perhaps these pine cones were arranged in a message about its future. Perhaps someone randomly created this heart.
Whatever the reason, it makes a nice “Westport … Naturally” photo.
And finally … Cabry Lueker’s RTM invocation (story above) is a reminder of the importance of youth voices. Sure, this song is from 1967. But it still resonates:
(Young or old; new resident, old-timer or long gone — no matter who you are, “06880” is your hyper-local blog. We rely on every one of you for support. Please click here to contribute. Thank you!)
Nancy Diamond is traveling in Israel, on a mission trip sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County.
She’s joined by fellow Westporters Sonia Ben Yehuda, Stephanie Gordon, Lisa Hayes, Jeffrey Mayer, Lynn Rabinovici Park and Shirah Sklar.
It’s been both a sobering and inspiring journey. Nancy writes:
Five days into our trip to war-torn Israel we were given unusual access to the sites of the October 7 massacre, when Hamas terrorists conducted a surprise attack on young concert-goers and residents on the border with the Gaza Strip. Most of the areas our group visited are still being treated as crime sites.
Our 18-member group met with residents of two kibbutzim, agricultural settlements that suffered some of the worst brutalities. Families were shot in their homes; women were raped and beheaded; bodies were dismembered and booby trapped with explosives.
In Kibbutz K’far Aza, 63 residents were massacred. Nineteen were kidnapped and taken a few kilometers away to Gaza.
Israeli kibbutz, after the terrorist attack.
Although 14 of the hostages have been returned, a kibbutz resident told us, “Until the rest are back, we cannot move on. We are still at the beginning of the story, and we don’t know where it will go.”
Remembering missing hostages, at a kibbutz.
The scenes at the kibbutzim were horrific: homes pockmarked with bullet holes and burned. Shoes, toys, mattresses and burned appliances strewn about the yards. Red symbols on doorways indicated how many bodies were inside and whether they had been cleared of explosives and terrorists. This process took some 10 days.
Post-attack information — and a sign from a more peaceful time.
We heard first hand descriptions of the ways in which families had sought refuge in safe rooms, some for more than 24 hours. Some fought back, and some lost their lives.
Very few residents have returned to their settlements. Most are refugees in their own country, having been resettled around the country. Several families are housed in our hotel in Tel Aviv, using the lobby as their living room.
As the air shook with the reverberations of Israeli shells exploding a few miles away inside Gaza, the group visited the site of the Supernova music festival where Hamas killed 364 men and women — most in their early 20s — and kidnapped 44.
The festival site has become a spontaneous monument. Pictures of the victims have been propped on steel poles; volunteers placed candles at the foot of the poles, and families have added personal touches including personal notes, flowers, memorabilia, and QR codes for information about the victims. It was heartbreaking to see hundreds of beautiful, young, faces now no longer alive.
The music festival site is now a monument.
Perhaps the most spine-chilling comment we heard came from a kibbutz resident: “This massacre is not an Israeli problem or a Jewish problem. The terrorists have shown us the playbook for their next attack on the West.”
Our group left the Gaza border area exhausted and emotionally drained, but strengthened in our resolve to share these first-hand accounts.
Remembering victims of October 7. (All photos courtesy of Nancy Diamond)
More than 70 years ago, Westport scrapped its annual town meeting.
The New England tradition — dating back to colonial days — had gotten unwieldy, as our community grew in the post-war years.
But town meetings still live on in Vermont.
When the AP went looking for a place to illustrate how in these polarized times local government can still work, they found Elmore.
The town of 886 cherishes its March town meeting. And part of the reason is the moderator: Jon Gailmor.
Townspeople there have called him a neighbor for over 40 years. But Westporters still remember him as a member of Staples High School’s Class of 1966.
He sang with Orphenians. After graduation, he and classmate Rob Carlson formed a duo that earned a cult following up and down the East Coast.
After time in Europe, Gailmor settled in Elmore. He’s become a Vermont state treasure — an actual title — as a singer. In addition to performing, he runs songwriting workshops for kids.
(Last fall, he returned to Westport. He headlined Suzanne Sheridan’s First Folk Sunday at the VFW)
The AP story says that after moving north, Gailmor “found the town meeting tradition nothing short of miraculous. It wasn’t some politician spouting off, but real people taking part …. You feel important. You feel like you are being listened to.”
Click here to read the full article. (Hat tip: Tom Allen)
Jon Gailmor, at the Elmore Town Hall. (Photo courtesy of AP/David Goldman)
Tickets went on sale today for one of Westport’s best — and most fulfilling — fundraisers: CLASP Homes’ “Taste of Westport.”
The 18th annual event is set for May 22 (6 p.m., Inn at Longshore). As always, the Taste brings together the area’s best food and drink providers. There’s a wide array of dishes, and spirits from more than 2 dozen local establishments.
New this year: a vodka and caviar bar, and tequila tasting.
Plus music by the always-popular. Bar Car Band, and a very extensive silent auction.
It all benefits CLASP. The nonprofit provides homes, support and services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tickets are $150 per person until April 12, then $175 after. Click here to purchase. PS: It always sells out.
“Eighteen Fairfield County residents are visiting Israel this week on a mission to learn how the country is coping with the war, and to help where there are labor shortages.
“More than 200,000 Israelis have been forced to flee from their homes since the war began: about 100,000 from Gaza and 100,000 from northern Israel where, a few miles from the Lebanese border, Hezbollah regularly launches low-flying, hard-to-intercept missiles. Most families are housed in hotels and private homes around the country.
“The Connecticut delegation, organized by the Jewish Federation of Fairfield County, packed food boxes for these displaced families. They are volunteering with Pantry Packers, the oldest continuously operating network of social services in Israel
“They also met with hostage families.
“It’s been an amazing trip. Next we head to one of the destroyed kibbutzim, and the Nova Music Festival site. It will be an incredibly emotional day.”
Westporters on the Israel mission trip include (from left): Jeffrey Mayer, Lynn Rabinovici, Lisa Hayes, Stephanie Gordon, Sonia Ben Yehuda and Nancy Diamond.
Carl Addison Swanson has lived in Westport since 1952.
He cares about the town — and wants it “safe and fun.”
Several years ago, he pushed for the installation of solar speed monitors near his home off North Avenue. He lives near Bedford Middle School, at the bottom of the hill from Staples where — unless there is school traffic — drivers routinely zoom by.
Are they working?
He went out Monday (10 a.m.), Tuesday (2 p.m.) and Wednesday (5 p.m.), and checked the speed of 50 southbound cars.
The average speeds:
Monday: 48 mph
Tuesday: 32 mph (school buses were slowing traffic)
Wednesday: 52 mph.
“It seems the speed monitors are not really slowing cars and trucks down that much,” Carl says.
“Funny, as I stood there taking notes, cars/trucks did slow. But that said, a 2015 study found that these types of monitors are not meant to slow cars down more than 10 mph.”
Carl believes that North Avenue — home to 4 of Westport’s 8 schools — needs traffic lights.
“Space them from Coleytown to past Staples,” he says, and traffic will quickly find alternative routes.
Solar-powered speed monitor on North Avenue. (Photo/Carl Addison Swanson)
Civic Learning Week is an annual non-partisan effort, highlighting civic education in local communities.
The Westport Public Schools were active participants.
The week included middle school classroom activities about civic engagement. At Staples High School, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker answered questions from students regarding her career path, job responsibilities, and more.
She also congratulated the students who will represent Staples at “We The People,” a national competition involving simulated congressional hearings in Washington next month.
The Staples team recently qualified by tying for first place at the state competition with Trumbull High.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, with Staples High School’s “We the People” team, during Civic Learning Week.
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Noted artist and Staples High School graduate Michael Gish died earlier this month in Providence. He was 98.
Mike joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1943, at Dartmouth College. In 1944, after learning his older brother, USMC PFC Jim Gish, had been killed in action on Saipan, Mike left school to complete his aviation training with the Marine Corps.
Too young to see combat in WWII, Mike retired from the Marines as a naval pilot in 1946 to complete his education. He received an bachelor’s degree in fine art from Dartmouth in 1949.
Indelibly affected by the death of his brother, Mike decided to pursue art and the military as a career. He continued his education at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, in 1951 as a visiting student. Mike received a master’s in fine art from Yale University in 1964.
Mike then returned to active duty with the Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot, advancing to lieutenant colonel. In 1967 he was sent to Vietnam as a “combat artist.”
Mike received the Air Medal, for flying 24 combat missions. One of his paintings, “Studies of Helmets in the Sand,” was chosen to be the poster for the National Vietnam Memorial.
In 1991, at the age of 65, Mike became a full colonel in the Marines when he deployed to Iraq. As a combat artist for Operation Provide Comfort, he documented Kurdish refugees from the First Gulf War.
In 1993 Mike went to Somalia, where he continued his documentation of refugees and displaced people during Operation Restore Hope. Mike’s paintings have been displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Washington, as well as the Smithsonian Museum.
A large part of Mike’s work reflects his love of still life and landscapes, particularly New England and his beloved Block Island. A prolific painter who worked well into his 90s, Mike was also a full professor of art at Fairfield University.
He was predeceased by his wife Marguerite (Drouin). He is survived by his children Charlotte Wall (Steve) of Southport, North Carolina; Peter (Robin Kaiser) of Hanover, New Hampshire, and Carl (Elizabeth) of Palo Alto; grandchildren Carla and Stephanie Wall; Sophia, Miranda and Olivia Gish, and Peter and Henry Gish, as well as his partner of many years, Marilyn Bogdanffy.
A memorial service will be held at the Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction, Vermont (May 18, 4 p.m.. Another ceremony will be held on Block Island this fall. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made One to the U.S. Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Mike Gish
One of Mike’s many fans told “06880”:
“We, along with many other admirers of him as a painter and a person, were saddened to note the death of Mike Gish. We acquired a number of his pieces –oils and watercolors that reflect the luminosity of his palette and the range of his interests, from Block Island to the cliffs of Normandy to a barn in Fairfield.
“We were introduced to him in the mid-1980s when, quite by happenstance, we visited his studio with a real estate agent who was showing the house. We were struck in particular by a small study of a couple of Adirondack chairs.
“Wondering if we might acquire it, we learned he was about to have a show at a local gallery. That led to an invitation to the preview. We went, expecting only to browse more of his work, but then — in a familiar story — we were so struck by this wonderful rendering of a familiar Westport landmark that we amazed ourselves by buying it.
“It has held a place of honor in our house ever since.”
And finally … I’ve posted this song by Jon Gailmor before.
But because:
It’s one of my favorite songs of all time, about one of my favorite states, and …
I mentioned it in the very interesting item about Jon (above), and …
This is my blog …
I’m posting it again. Enjoy!
(Today — like every day — our Roundup is jam-packed with a wide variety of info. If you enjoy this daily feature, please support our work. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
A Colony Road resident was drinking coffee this morning.
Glancing outside, he saw a young man — late teens or early 20s — walking down the street, hauling a dumpster.
He stopped at a house across the street, with an Israel flag on the lawn. He seemed to check to see if anyone was looking, then stuffed the flag in his dumpster and continued walking.
The resident got in his car, and took a picture:
Worried what would happen if he confronted someone who would do such a thing, he returned home and called the police.
When he went back out a few minutes later, the young man “seemed to have disappeared,” the resident said. “Maybe he was picked up by someone.”
A detective quickly arrived.
The neighbor had already replaced her Israel flag. But as the officer and the resident who called were at his front door discussing the incident, a white car with New York plates pulled up across the street.
Someone different from the first incident jumped out, grabbed the new sign, and zoomed away. He did not see the police car — but the detective saw it all.
He tried to pursue them, but was too late.
“I’m pretty sure what I saw the first time,” the Colony Road resident.
“I was hoping though, there might be a reasonable explanation. But I know what I saw the second time. Those signs were definitely stolen.”
He’s right.
That resident’s 2 flags were not the only ones taken. A resident told “06880” that other Israel flags — perhaps a dozen, up and down Colony Road, Salem Road and Terhune Drive — have also disappeared.
Anyone with any information should call the Westport Police: 203-341-6000.
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