Tag Archives: Jeremy Schaap

Roundup: Downtown Clock, SNAP Aid, Jim Abbott …

Posted on October 26, 2025 | 2 comments

Grand Central Terminal’s enormous clock is a central meeting place.

So is the clock in New Canaan’s downtown.

Soon, Westport will have its own clock. And its own easy-to-meet-up spot.

The handsome new addition — at the corner of Main and Elm Streets, where one-way Main Street becomes 2-way near Gap — is a gift from the Westport Downtown Association. The flower bed currently at the site will be enhanced too.

Two views of the new clock.

The WDA will pay for the purchase, installation, insurance, maintenance and repairs.

The clock will be “a beautiful addition to Westport,” WDA president Maxx Crowley says. Black with gold trim, and 2 sided — saying “Town of Westport” and “1835,” the year of our founding — it fits in with the lampposts currently downtown, and is designed in the same style as the Grand Central clock.

One more land-use approval, and another easement, are still required. Crowley expects the clock to be ready for dedication at the DMA/”06880″ Holiday Stroll (save the date: Saturday, December 6, 4 to 7 p.m.).

Site of the new clock.

=================================================

Westport’s Human Services Department, in partnership with Homes with Hope and the Westport Housing Authority, is monitoring the federal government shutdown, and its potential impact on residents who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.

Human Services officials say, “We understand this may cause concern for families and individuals managing limited resources. You are not alone. Westport’s strong network of community partners is here to help ensure no one goes without food or essential support.”

Officials note:

  • SNAP benefits already loaded onto EBT cards remain available through October 31.
  • If the shutdown continues, November benefits will not be issued, and balances may be inaccessible until federal operations resume.
  • The Connecticut Department of Social Services will share updates at ct.gov/dss. Follow DSS on Facebookand Twitter.
  • End Hunger CT provides advocacy and support: endhungerct.org EHC SNAP Hotline: 866 – 974- SNAP

Local food resources include:

Homes with Hope – Gillespie Center: (45 Jesup Road;  203-226-1661; www.hwhct.org.  Community kitchen: Lunch (12 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m.) daily.
Food Pantry: Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 1:30 to 4 p.m.; Thursday, 1:30 to 6 p.m.

Westport Women’s Club Food Pantry: Access through Westport Human Services, 203-341-1050; humansrv@westportct.gov

Westport Center for Senior Activities: www.westportcsa.org; Daily weekday lunch, and home-delivered meals; contact Paulina Przybysz, 203-341-5097.

Westport Public Schools Free & Reduced Lunch:  click here to apply; Also available: Filling in the Blanks meal program; click here.

Person-to-Person Mobile Food Pantry: Monthly distribution in Westport; www.p2pHelps.org.

Connecticut Foodshare: www.ctfoodshare.org

Need help right now? Call 211 for 24/7 food, housing and social service support statewide.

For support or questions, contact Westport Department of Human Services; 203-341-1050; humansrv@westportct.gov.

================================================

Jim Abbott — the pitcher who, though born without a right hand, rose to Major League Baseball stardom (and threw a no-hitter) — wowed the full crowd Friday night, at the Westport Library.

A screening of the ESPN documentary “Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott” — produced by Westporter Jeremy Schaap — was followed by a conversation with journalist Schaap, ESPN senior producer Mike Farrell, and Westport’s own Dave Briggs.

From left: Dave Briggs, Jim Abbott, Mike Farrell, Jeremy Schaap.

They talked about life, overcoming adversity, and baseball. It was an emotional experience for all.

Abbott answered every question. And afterward he signed every autograph, and posed for every selfie.

Jim Abbott, with a young fan. (Photo/Susan Garment)

Missed it — or want to see it again? Click here or below, for the Library’s video.

==================================================

Speaking of sports: Two Staples teams play for FCIAC (league) championships this week.

The 2nd-ranked boys soccer team faces #1 Greenwich tomorrow (Monday, 6 p.m., Fairfield Warde High). The Cardinals are one of only 2 teams to defeat the Wreckers this year.

Celebrating after the 1-0 semifinal victory over Stamford. (Photo/Gavin Whitaker)

The top-seeded and undefeated (18-0) field hockey team meets #2 Darien on Thursday (5 p.m., Greenwich High). Staples topped Fairfield Ludlowe 4-1 yesterday, earning a chance to defend their FCIAC crown. The Wreckers and Blue Wave have won the last 8 league titles, and one of them will take it again.

The 2025 Staples field hockey team.

Staples’ girls soccer team camethisclose to making it 3 FCIAC finalists. They fell in penalty kicks (5-4) to Greenwich, after regulation time and overtime ended 2-2 on Friday at Fairfield Ludlowe.

==================================================

For decades, UN Day in Westport was a chance to celebrate our town’s long ties to the United Nations.

These days, our country’s relationship with the world body — whose headquarters are just an hour away — is controversial, and fraught.

Still, as always, the flags of dozens of member nations flew this weekend on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.

Steinkraus Cohen — a longtime Westporter — dedicated her life to service and hospitality. Through jUNe Day and other events, she brought tens of thousands of international visitors to Westport. In 1965, she established the tradition of flying flags from the bridge that now bears her name. This year marks its 60th anniversary.

(Photo/Alison Wachstein)

==================================================

Through the first 6 days of early voting, 5.03% of eligible Westport voters have cast ballots.

The breakdown:

  • Democrats: 585 of 7,953 eligible voters (7.36%)
  • Republicans: 137 of 3,338 eligible voters (4.10%)
  • Unaffiliated: 230 of 7,581 eligible voters (3.03%)

Early voting continues today (Sunday), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

The early voting schedule this coming week, also at Town Hall:

Monday, October 27              10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 28              8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 29        10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, October 30            8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, October 31                 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 1           10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, November 2             10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

==================================================

Deadheads: Listen up!

The next “Supper & Soul” concert features the Spadtastics.

“Connecticut’s premier tribute act” comes to the Westport Library November 8 (7 p.m.). They’ll play 2 full sets, recreating a show from the 1970s.

The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce’s Supper & Soul series usually incudes a pre-show dinner, and post-concert drinks.

Due to the length of this event, there is no dinner. But attendees can enjoy a “Dead-inspired” drink before or after the music, at Basso, Massi Co, Spotted Horse or Walrus Alley.

(Beer, wine, spiked seltzer and water will be available at the Library.) Click here for tickets ($30).

================================================

Speaking of the Chamber of Commerce: Their annual Halloween window painting contest took place yesterday.

Young artists were busy all over town. Winners will be announced this week.

Hard at work — and looking spooky.

=================================================

The Weston History & Culture Center’s new interactive exhibit — “Weston at Work” — explores the town’s agriculture, manufacturing and textile past.

Kids can card wool, weave on a loom, and use a rope and pulley to raise a hay bale. Immigrants, people of African descent, women and children who helped put Weston to work are included in the show.

The WH&CC also offers a guided tour of Coley House, to see life in the 1940s. There are 3 exhibits in the Visitors center too: “Twelve Stories of Weston History,” “Images of a Forgotten Village: Valley Forge” (now underneath the Saugatuck Reservoir), and “May I Have This Dance?” (ragtime music).

For hours, ticket information and more details. click here.

Raising a hay bale, at the Weston History & Culture Center.

================================================

MoCA CT has received a $5,000 grant from the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center. Funds will support the museum’s teen council and youth educational programs.

Pictured left to right below: MoCA’s Maggie Farrell, Peter Saverine, Pamela Hovland and  Janice Egan; Drew Friedman Community Arts Center board member Miggs Burroughs, and MoCA;s Sue Donato.

==================================================

Former Westporter J. Gilbert Plantinga died peacefully at his New Paltz, New York home last week, after a long battle with esophageal cancer. He was 73.

Known in Westport by his given name John, he taught himself guitar at 13. That passion shaped the rest of his life.

In 1969, while still in high school, he hitchhiked to Woodstock. According to family lore, he spent the night before the festival camping out with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Bridgeport with a B.A. in music, he later pursued a master’s degree (ABD) at New York University.

A jazz guitarist and composer, Gilbert taught both privately and at NYU.

In midlife, he turned his creative energy toward photography and fine-art printing. Through his New Paltz business, Uptown Light Photo Graphics, Gilbert became a trusted collaborator to photographers across the Hudson Valley and beyond. His own work appeared in numerous exhibitions.

His obituary says, “A member of Mensa, Gilbert was as brilliant and curious as he was stubborn and prickly. Although he wrestled with addiction for much of his life, in his later years he found strength and purpose through service — both as a deacon at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, New York, and through helping others find their way to sobriety.”

Gilbert is survived by his children, Kate Plantinga Mulzet (Joe) and Ben Plantinga; ex-wife and best friend MaryJo Martin; sister Prill Boyle (Michael), and nephews Gabriel Bach and Everett Boyle. He was predeceased by his former wife Slade Ingram Plantinga.

A celebration of life will be held on November 22 (11 a.m.) at the Reformed Church of New Paltz.

Gilbert Plantinga

===============================================

You never know what you’ll see at Sherwood Island State Park.

Yesterday morning, it was 2 riders on horseback.

Dixie O’Brien captured the moment, for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Dixie O’Brien)

==================================================

And finally … in honor of yesterday’s Sherwood Island riders (photo above):

(What time is it? Time to donate to “06880.” Thanks in advance for clicking here, and helping do what we do — 24/7/365. You rock!)

2 Comments

Posted in Downtown, Local politics, Obituaries, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Electric Boat, Jeremy Schaap, DexaFit …

Posted on July 6, 2025 | 4 comments

Westport is a very electric vehicle town.

Now alert “06880” reader Jamie Walsh has seen his first Candela — all-electric — boat. It was moored yesterday at Compo Beach’s Ned Dimes Marina.

(Photo/Jamie Walsh)

Jamie says: “Pretty cool! Those 3 things protruding in the air are the hydrofoils. They lower into the water as the boat accelerates, greatly reducing drag and rocking normally associated with most boats.

==================================================

14-time Emmy-winning ESPN reporter — and 1988 Staples High School graduate, and current resident — Jeremy Schaap has covered just about every event.

In 30 countries, on 5 continents.

Including, in our (almost) back yard, the annual 4th of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Is it a sport? Is Joey Chestnut the Tiger Woods of eating?

Yesterday, another noted Westport journalist — Dave Briggs — sat down with Jeremy to chat about that topic.

And much more.

Their wide-ranging talk included Caitlin Clark envy, transgender sports in America, and much more.

Click here or below, to see and hear it all.

==================================================

Last fall, I had myself scanned — and underwent other tests — at Longevity Powered by DexaFit.

The company — nestled inside Sherpa. the personal fitness and training gym across from Border Grille (not their health food partner) — uses those analyses to help people understand their bodies, and improve fitness.

A Dexa scan is a quick analysis of body composition, detailing muscle mass, bone mass, fat and visceral fat. The report provides insights into a person’s T-score (bone density), ALMI, FFMI, A/G Ratio, and BMC (bone mineral content).

If you don’t know what all that means — neither did I.

But manager Amy Julien explained it all.

The other day, I went back for a follow-up. I had taken some of Amy’s recommendations to, um, heart — and the results showed improvements in areas like muscle gain.

Whew! My improved fitness regime had paid off.

Plus, I did not want to disappoint Amy.

I had not taken up a couple of her other recommendations though, like walking with a weighted vest. She (very) gently tsk-tsked me, and provided a few options.

The good news: I’m in pretty good shape.

On the other hand, I’m not Mr. Olympia.

On the third hand, I don’t want to be. I still have my day job, which keeps me from spending 5 hours a day at the gym.

In the meantime, I’ll keep working out. I’ll follow a few of Amy’s other recommendations. I may (or may not) buy that weighted vest.

And in 6 months, I’ll go back to Longevity to see how I’m doing.

Amy Julien and yours truly. Long may we both live.

==================================================

Westporters are not pleased with the state Department of Transportation maintenance facility construction project, off the Sherwood Island Connector behind Walgreens.

But at least the DOT got into the patriotic holiday spirit this weekend:

(Photo/Tammy Barry)

==================================================

Early Clover — the former Coasters’ lead singer, and Apollo Theater favorite –brought his soul/R&B/Motown show to the Levitt Pavilion last night.

The youngsters he brought up on stage were born decades after Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole and Otis Redding were alive.

But — with a little encouragement — they got right into those legends’ classic grooves.

(Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)

=================================================

Bert Reisman — an accomplished journalist, businessman, and longtime Westporter whose volunteer efforts ranged from the Library to Little League —  died June 25, at his Southbury home. He was 96.

The Brooklyn native (and passionate Dodgers fan) graduated from New York University in 1941 with a degree in journalism.

At NYU he met his first wife, Sydelle Silver. They were married for 43 years before her death.

They left New York for Colorado, where he was a reporter for the Durango Hearld. Bert then wrote for the St. Joseph (Missouri) Gazette and Rochester (New York) Times Union. His feature subjects included Willie Mays, Jonas Salk and Robert Oppenheimer.

Bert left journalism in 1959 for corporate communications. He spent 30 years at IBM, where he spearheaded the public relations launch of the IBM 360.

He was also responsible for award-winning campaigns that featured Charlie Chaplin and the M*A*S*H characters.

In his final position, Bert he oversaw IBM’s advertising, media relations and market research. After reaching mandatory retirement age, he spent 6 years as a senior consultant at Burton Marsteller.

During his 35 years in Westport, Bert was active in local politics, served on the Westport Library board of directors, and was a Little League organizer, umpire and manager.

He met his second wife, Louise, when he moved to Stratford. They were married for 16 years, before her death in 2021.

Bert split his time between Connecticut and Carefree, Arizona, where his passion for golf flourished. He enjoyed being part of the Mulligans, a group devoted to golf, community service and laughter.

He is survived by his children Robin of Westport, Jodie (Mark) Naber of Sanibel Island, Florida, and Mike of Westport, and grandchildren Samantha Sydelle of Providence and Charlie Reisman of Los Angeles.

A funeral service will be private. Donations in Bert’s name can be made to the Amazin’ Mets Foundation. Type in mikereisman@outlook.com when prompted.

Bert Reisman

===============================================

Slava Leykind died Wednesday, from complications after participating in a mountain endurance event earlier in the week. He was 43.

Born in Minsk, USSR, in 1982, he emigrated with his family to Minneapolis in 1988.

In 20024 he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Slava joined General Mills. In 2006 he joined the boutique investment banking firm Sawaya Segalas, and rose one 3 senior partners at what became Sawaya Partners. When it was acquired by Canaccord Genuity in 2021, Slava became co-head of US consumer investment banking for the broader firm.

Yet Slava’s role as a husband and father was his greatest achievement, passion and pride. He is survived by his wife Amy Keller Leykind; children Charlotte, Eloise and Jonah Leykind; parents Art and Nelly Leykind; brothers Gene and Max; parents-in-law Bonnie and Alex Keller; in-laws Nina Leykind, Laura and Alan Isenberg, and Rachel Leykind, and nephews and nieces Deia Leykind, Coby Leykind, Jackson Isenberg, Esme Isenberg and Blake Leykind.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. July 8 at Temple Israel. A private burial will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, a fund in Slava’s name is being established at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Details will follow.

Slava Leykind

================================================

It was hard not to have fun this weekend.

And that goes not just for guys and gals. Gulls, too.

Wendy Levy spotted this pair at Burying Hill Beach. They swooped past, posing just long enough for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Wendy Levy)

==================================================

And finally … happy 50th birthday, to 50 Cent!

(“06880” relies on support from readers like you. Whether it’s $500, $50 — or 50 cents — your donation is important. Please click here, then follow the prompts. Thank you!)

4 Comments

Posted in Beach, Environment, Local business, Obituaries, Sports

Tagged , , , , , , ,

“06880” Podcast: Jeremy Schaap

Posted on May 5, 2025 | 1 comment

Jeremy Schaap is one of ESPN’s longest tenured and most respected journalists.

He began with the network in 1994 — just 6 years after graduating from Staples High School. He hosts “e60,” “Outside the Lines,” “The Sports Reporters” and other shows.

Jeremy has covered the Olympics, World Cup, Tour de France, World Series, Super Bowl, US OPen golf and tennis, men’s and women’s Final Fours, New York Marathon, Daytona 500, NBA finals, Kentucky Derby, and … chess boxing.

Among his awards: 14 Emmys, a Peabody, 2 Edward R. Murrows, and ESPN’s first-ever Robert F. Kennedy Award for human rights and justice reporting. He earned that for revealing the conditions of migrant laborers in Qatar before the 2022 World Cup.

I could go on and on. But I won’t.

Instead, click below to see our very revealing chat on “06880: The Podcast.” Like Jeremy Schaap, it’s a winner.

1 Comment

Posted in Media, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , ,

Roundup: Ukraine, Local Politics, Sports …

Posted on November 19, 2024 | 11 comments

The Sunrise Rotary and Westport Rotary Clubs have pledged $2,500 each, to Ukraine Aid International.

Rotarian Ken Bernhard is seeking more funds, which the national club will match. The goal of $15,000 would purchase water filtration systems, for use in the war-torn nation.

The need is critical, in areas where Russian forces have destroyed water supplies.

UAI founders Marshall and Brian Mayer — who grew up in Westport — described the water filtration systems, and other aid their non-profit provides (including communications equipment, vehicles, and funds for children’s therapy camps) on Sunday, at a special dinner provided by Nômade.

Among the attendees: Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes. Both provided insights into the current status of US aid to Ukraine. Blumenthal — who has traveled there 6 times — noted the bipartisan support, with ties forged on his trips with Republican senators like Lindsay Graham.

Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes at Nômade. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Click below for Congressman Himes’ remarks:

==================================================

The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee holds a public meeting this Thursday (November 21, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 307-9).

The agenda includes reviews of the parking lot project, a review of the public engagement process, and an update on the parking study and feasibility analysis.

Meanwhile, the Long Lots School Building Committee meeting scheduled for today (Tuesday) has been canceled.

==================================================

ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap has done it again.

The Westporter debuted his stunning new documentary, before a large Westport audience crowd.

“Pat Tillman: Life, Death, Legacy” is a profound and impactful look at the life and legacy of the NFL star who volunteered to serve in Afghanistan, then was killed by friendly fire.

Missed it? Click here for details on how to stream the video.

Jeremy Schaap, at the Westport Library. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Briggs)

==================================================

Also last night: A nearly sold-out audience enjoyed the Westport Country Playhouse’s latest Script In Hand reading.

“A Danger to Yourself and Others” took place — appropriately — the week before Thanksgiving, It involved a gas station robbery, library card revocation, love, and much more.

Script in Hand readings are regular — and very popular — Playhouse events.

Script in Hand readings give a great flavor of interesting plays. This is a scene from “A Danger to Yourself.” (Photo/Dave Matlow)

==================================================

It was a day for Clemson orange.

But there was plenty of Staples blue in Cary, North Carolina on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Paddy Donovan — a 2022 Staples High School grad — saved one penalty kick, in the ACC men’s soccer final.

But 2 Clemson teammates missed theirs, and Wake Forest captured the league championship, 7-6, after regulation and overtime ended 1-1.

Among the other local connections: Clemson is coached by 1979 Staples grad (and former state champion) Mike Noonan. He’s led the Tigers to 2 national titles in the past 3 years.

In the stands: Paddy’s parents, Dan and Nicole Donovan. Both are SHS alums too. Dan is a former Wrecker soccer state champion. And his late brother Doug was Noonan’s teammate, on that ’78 state title squad.

Also on hand: former Staples teachers Dave and Marianne Harrison (social studies and physical education, respectively). Both now live in North Carolina.

Next up for Clemson: The NCAA tournament. Donovan and his teammates earned a first-round bye.

From left: Nicole Donovan, Dave and Marianne Harrison, Dan Donovan. All sport Clemson orange.

==================================================

Speaking of sports: The Staples girls rugby program hosts a clinci for all current interested girls, in 8th grade and above, on November 24 (12:30 to 2 p.m., Staples football field).

Players from the University of New Haven Women’s Rugby Team will be lead the event. It’s a chance for girls (and their parents) see what rugby is all about, ask questions, and meet athletes. No prior experience is required.

The Staples girls rugby season runs from March through June.

Staples High School girls rugby. (Photo/Dylan Chatterjee Photography)

==================================================

It’s been an November to remember.

Just over a week before Thanksgiving, this is the still-splendrous scene at Celia Campbell-Mohn’s home, off Roseville Road:

(Photo/Celia Campbell-Mohn)

==================================================

And finally … on this day in 1493, Christopher Columbus landed on an island he first saw the day before. He named it San Juan Bautista. Today we know it as Puerto Rico.

The island has given the world many great gifts. Among them: our neighbor, longtime Weston resident José Feliciano.

(“06880” is where Westport — and Weston — meet the world. If you enjoy the connections you find here, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

11 Comments

Posted in Education, Library, Local politics, Politics, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Field Hockey, Jeremy Schaap & Pat Tillman, Jeff Scher & Tom Petty …

Posted on November 17, 2024 | 3 comments

It’s getting routine.

But it never gets old.

The Staples High School field hockey team won their 6th state championship — and 2nd in a row — yesterday.

The Wreckers beat Darien 5-2, at Wethersfield High School. They put the game away with 3 straight goals, breaking a 2-2 draw. Goals came from Leah Larit (2), and Emma Larit, Alex Hackett and Sofia Fidalgo.

It was a clash of titans. Staples was seeded first in the class “L” (large schools) tourney. The Blue Wave were second.

They’re longtime rivals. The Westporters — ranked number 8 nationally — lost only once all year, to out-of-state Camden (New Jersey) Catholic. Darien had only 2 losses before yesterday. Both were to Staples.

And … the Blue Wave were victims of the Wrecker juggernaut in this year’s FCIAC final, and last year’s championship game as well.

Well done, coach Ian Tapsall and all the girls. Now, Darien and the rest of Connecticut: Get ready for a three-peat!

Staples field hockey: once again, state champs! (Photos courtesy of Staples High School Athletics)

==================================================

Speaking of sports: ESPN journalist — and Westport resident — Jeremy Schaap hosts a special screening of his new E60 documentary tomorrow (Monday, November 18, 7 p.m., Westport Library).

“Pat Tillman: Life, Death, Legacy” highlights his career as a football star with the Arizona Cardinals, followed by his life as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan. His death (by friendly fire) received national attention.

After the film, Schaap will lead a discussion about it, and Tillman’s legacy.

==================================================

Chris Knapp has just published his first novel.

And the New York Times — no easy reviewer — loves the first effort, from the 2002 Staples High School graduate.

Hilary Leichter writes:

Public and private moments of upheaval are the catastrophes in Chris Knapp’s fantastically dense and omnivorous debut novel, “States of Emergency.”

Climates both marital and global, existential terror and immediate terror, the dissolution of borders between countries and also people — such a list only simplifies the vertiginous simultaneity achieved in these pages.

Knapp doesn’t just tighten the perceived distance between our inner lives and the world around us; he erases it.

The result is a masterfully digressive story that moves across perspectives, time zones and time periods.

Imagine a 24-hour news cycle that name-checks Walter Benjamin, Frantz Fanon, the New York City water supply, the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges and Chris Martin’s 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, and you’ll have something approximating the serious and often playful intellectual terrain of this novel. Knapp’s narrator is a flâneur with push notifications.

Click here for the full review. Click here for more information, and to order “States of Emergency.” (Hat tip: Jeff Wieser)

Chris Knapp

=================================================

1972 Staples High School graduate Jeff Scher is a filmmaker and animator. He works in a Cross Highway studio, a few steps from his house.

He says: “In the pursuit of tiny post-election joys, here’s a new video I made for the Tom Petty estate. It premiered Friday.

“It’s an unreleased song from the ‘Long After Dark’ album that’s been re-released, with new songs from the original session.”

The video includes a couple of shots based on Compo Beach.

==================================================

The Heida Hermanns Piano Competition never gets the local attention it deserves.

But the event — set for November 22 and 23, at MoCA CT — is one of the most prestigious in the piano world. It celebrates emerging talents, ages 18-35.

This year’s 3 international finalists — Nick Bai, Carter Johnson and Yongqiu Liu — were chosen from over 70 pianists, who submitted videos of their performances. The trio will premiere a new commissioned work, by composer Lowell Liebermann.

Chair of the jury panel is Frederic Chiu, the local resident, internationally known pianist, and a previous Hermanns winner. The winner receives $10,000.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

2024 Heida Hermanns finalists.

==================================================

Speaking of music: On November 24 (The Klein, Bridgeport; 6:30 p.m.), longtime Westport resident and nearly as longtime  instructor Bernice Friedson will receive the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras’ inaugural Inna Berson Wetmore Excellence in Teaching Award.

Friedson “demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of music education, inspires young musicians, and makes meaningful and lasting connections to their students and our community through their teaching,” the honor says.

Friedson grew up half a block from Carnegie Hall. She gave her first recital at age 7, and later performed on WQXR and WNYC.  As a teenager, she played with the New York Philharmonic and NBC Symphony.

She studied at Juilliard and Mannes Schools of Music. At 18 she auditioned for conductor Leopold Stokowski, and was accepted into both the City Center Opera and RCA Recording Orchestras.

After moving to Connecticut, Friedson played with the Norwalk, New Haven and Stamford Symphonies, and served as concertmaster for the Greater Bridgeport, Danbury and Ridgefield Symphonies, Connecticut Ballet, and Connecticut Grand Opera. She was concertmaster, violin soloist and assistant conductor of the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra, and founded the Connecticut String Quartet.

Friedson helped found the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Youth Orchestra (now GCTYO) in 1961. She was also a founding member of the Fairfield County String Teachers Association, and a specialist at Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County.

She continues to teach violin and viola, coach chamber music groups, and prepare students for auditions at at her Westport studio.

Bernice Friedson, with instruments created by her violin-maker father.

==================================================

Looking for activities, entertainment, volunteering, resources?

These ideas come from Westport’s Department of Human Resources.

Today (Sunday, November 17):

Also ahead:

Local Programs and Resources:

Westport Human Services links to programs and services:

Donate to food pantries:  Homes with Hope and the Westport Woman’s Club, or reach out to Westport Human Services for food resources.

Click here for information on foster families.

==================================================

“06880” photographers can’t get enough of this full moon.

Matt Murray snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” image yesterday, as it rose over Sherwood Mill Pond.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

=================================================

And finally … on this date in 1973, President Nixon told 400 Associated Press managing editors, “I am not a crook.”

(Sports, music, literature — and everything else going on in town — are all part of today’s Roundup. Just like every day. If you enjoy our hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

3 Comments

Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Library, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Lottery Win$, Jeremy Schaap, James Naughton …

Posted on September 18, 2023 | 1 comment

Westport figured prominently in 2 recent Connecticut Lottery wins.

A Milford resident won $1 million with a “$1,000,ooo Extreme Cash” scratch-off ticket sold at the Wheels gas station on Post Road East. The odds, the Lottery website says, are one in a million.

In addition, a Westporter won $300,000 in the same contest. The ticket was bought at B.J.’s Wholesale Club in Wallingford. 

A third connection: Westport resident Rob Simmelkjaer is chair of the Connecticut Lottery board of directors.

==================================================

Among Westport’s many ESPN connections, Jeremy Schaap is one of the best known.

The 1988 Staples High School graduate has been with the network since 1994. He hosts E:60 and Outside the Lines, ESPN’s showcase journalism shows, and the award-winning weekly radio show and podcast The Sporting Life.

Schaap has covered the Summer and Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup, Tour de France, World Series, Super Bowl, tennis and golf US Opens, Wimbledon, Final Four .. you get the idea.

He won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for his story exposing the plight of World Cup migrant laborers in Qatar, as well as the Dick Schaap Sports Emmy — named for his father — for a profile of chess champion Bobby Fischer.

He interviewed Bobby Knight after he was fired by Indiana, and Darryl Strawberry after his colon cancer diagnosis.

This Thursday (September 21, 7 p.m.), Schaap joins fellow Westport journalist Dave Briggs in a conversation at the Westport Library. They’ll take about his long career, including sports, the media and much more.

Click here to register, and for more information.

Jeremy Schaap

==================================================

Westport Sunrise Rotary Club’s early morning speakers are always interesting.

This week’s guest is particularly note-worthy. And the public is welcome to attend.

On Friday (September 22, 7:45 a.m., Green’s Farms Congregational Church), Tony Award-winning actor and Weston resident James Naughton will talk.

But not about his career. Naughton’s topic is the Medical Assistance in Dying Act. He’s a powerful advocate for state legislation that would allow adults with a terminal illness to submit written requests for lethal medication. Under the proposed bill, adults who have been residents of Connecticut for at least a year and have been given less than 6 months to live can submit 2 written requests for lethal medication, at least 15 days apart.

Naughton is to help people at the end of life, for whom hospice palliative care is not enough, because his late wife Pamela was in that same situation.

Email president Liz Wong at info@WestportSunriseRotary.org if you plan to attend, or have questions. Coffee, bagels and muffins are served starting at 7 a.m.

James Naughton

==================================================

Have a heart!

That’s the suggestion of Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services — and the theme of their fundraising gala.

“The Heart of Westport” will raise money to replace our first responders’ Automated Electronic Defibrillator (AED) machines. The event is October 21 (Christ & Holy Trinity  Church, 6 p.m.).

Hosts include WVEMS president Michael Burns, celebrity stylist Jeni Bianco, and Westport Moms Megan Rutstein and Melissa Post.

The $75,000 goal will ensure that every Westport emergency vehicle — EMS, Police and Fire — to have life-saving machines. Current machines are becoming outmoded.

The event includes food, drinks, entertainment, and auction items donated by well-known Westporters.

Click here for tickets and more information. For questions and sponsorship opportunities, email jenielizabeth@gmail.com.

===============================================

Aztec Two-Step 2.0’s “Simon & Garfunkel Songbook” show has drawn raves everywhere.

This Saturday, area residents can see it in (almost) their back yard.

Rex Fowler and Dodie Pettit bring their show to the SHU Community Theatre, in the heart of Fairfield. Show time is 8 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.

==================================================

Speaking of music: The October 1 “First Folk Sunday” is special. It’s the release party of Suzanne Sheridan’s “Standing Ovation” CD. It includes the country hit “90 Pound Suburban Housewife Driving in Her SUV.” (Yes, Westport — Sheridan’s longtime home — was her inspiration.)

Every audience member gets a free copy of the CD — and a slice of cake.

At First Folk Sunday (VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, 12:30 p.m.; $10 cover charge), Sheridan (vocals and guitar) will be accompanied by Bob Cooper (keyboards).

Musicians on the CD include Chris Coogan, Beth Styles, Andy Gundell, Ed Thompson, Scarlett Lee Moore, John Lathan, Mary Bond Davis, Leslie Miller, Jeff Gomard, the late Giff Foster and Matt Nozzolio, John Moses, Mike Mills and “Children of the Sun” Drumming Circle, and The Studebakers of Austin, Texas.

The songs were recorded over several years, in studios in various towns and cities.

Click here for tickets to Sheridan’s release party. For more information, email info@firstfolksunday.com, or call 203-222-1441.

Suzanne Sheridan

=================================================

For a while, the Post Road East wood pile at the corner of Roseville Road looked a little less haphazard and dangerous than before.

No longer.

Here was the scene yesterday:

(Photo/Molly Alger)

A word to the crew working on the Route 1 renovation project: “Be careful out there.”

==================================================

One of the joys of Compo Beach’s  South Beach is scrambling up the trees near the kayak launch.

Kids do it all the time.

Yesterday, Ken Schwarz did it too.

Why is this “06880”-worthy?

Because he’s 87 years old.

There’s a saying: “Once a kid, always a kid.”

No kidding!

(Photo/June Rose Whittaker)

==================================================

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is not a banana.

Or a banana slug.

It is, Steve Halstead assures us, a spicebush swallowtail larva.

And, he says, it will eventually morph into a beautiful adult butterfly.

We’ll take it over a spotted lanternfly any day.

(Photo/Steve Halstead)

==================================================

And finally … in honor of our Westport-related Connecticut Lottery winners (story above):

(“06880” could buy lottery tickets. But we prefer to rely on the support of our readers. Please click here to donate. It’s a sure bet. Thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Entertainment, Media, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Cross Highway Work, Post Road Trees, Moscow Muppets …

Posted on March 8, 2023 | 9 comments

The dangerous stretch of Cross Highway between North Avenue and Bayberry Lane is slated for improvements.

Residents can review proposals at a public information meeting next Tuesday (March 14, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Department of Public Works engineering staff and other town officials will discuss and answer questions regarding the proposals, and any potential impacts to the neighborhood.

The design engineer will participate online, with data and drawings.

Proposed concepts range from minor traffic sign upgrades to complete intersection reconstruction. They include, but are not limited to:

  • Adding crosswalks in key areas
  • Construction of new and/or repair of existing sidewalks
  • Adding revised signage along the right-of-way
  • Relocation of utility poles
  • Installation of traffic signals
  • Roadway widening at the intersections to realign approach and turning lanes
  • Installation of roundabouts at the intersections
  • Bridge replacement over Dead Man’s Brook.

For questions about the project, call town engineer Keith Wilberg at 203-341-1128, or email kwilberg@westportct.gov.

A recent 3-car accident at the intersection of Cross Highway and Bayberry Lane. (Photo/Westport Fire Department)

=======================================================

Alert “06880” reader Bob Weingarten writes:

“I drove by the Linxweiler Homestead house at 655 Post Road East (between Fresh Market and McDonald’s) — given to the town in 1981 — and saw 10 or so red ribbons on trees in the front and side of the property.  This is normally an indication that the trees will be eliminated.

“Very strange. There seems to be too many to be ‘sick’.”

The tree warden has not responded to a request for comment.

Trees with red ribbons by Linxweiler House: the view from Post Road East …

… and from Crescent Road. (Photos/Bob Weingarten)

======================================================

The #7-ranked Staples High School boys basketball team easily dispatched #26 Manchester last night, in the first round of the state Division II tournament.

The score was 74-39, and the game was not even that close. But what the large crowd will remember most happened a few seconds from the end.

The Redhawks coach substituted in a player with a developmental disability. A Staples player fouled him softly, but deliberately, at the 3-point line, giving him 3 free throws.

He missed them all — not by much — but the referee detected a lane violation on the third. The young athlete sank his 4th attempt — swish! — to the roar of both teams, and fans on both sides of the gym.

The win advances Staples to the round of 16. They host #23 RHAM — an upset 61-52 winner over Enfield — tomorrow (Thursday, March 9). Game time is 6:30 p.m. (Hat tip: Jordan Schur)

=======================================================

Television producer/filmmaker/author Natasha Rogoff talks about her debut book, “Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia” tomorrow — and the public is invited.

It’s a true story from the mid-1990s, when the Soviet Union renounced communism and moved toward democracy. Amid bombings, assassinations and a military takeover of the production office, Rogoff and a talented Moscow team of artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers and puppeteers brought laughter, learning and a new way of seeing the world to children in Russia, Ukraine and across the former Soviet empire.

The Westport Library event (March 9, 10 a.m.) is sponsored by the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.

Click below for more information:

=======================================================

A wide variety of films will be shown at Friday’s “Teen Festival” at MoCA Westport (March 10, 6 p.m., 19 Newtown Turnpike).

High school students from around the area have submitted short films. Some are serious; some are funny — all are intriguing and worht seeing.

Tickets are $5 in advance (click here), $10 at the door). Proceeds fund the work of the Teens at MoCA club. Light snacks will be served.

==================================================

Jeremy Schaap — award-winning journalist, author, host of ESPN’s “E:60” and “Outside the Lines,” and a 1986 Staples High School graduate and current Westporter — spoke at the Westport Rotary Club’s lunch meeting yesterday.

Schaap — son of legendary sportscaster and writer Dick Schaap — described growing up immersed in the New York sports world when the Yankees, Mets, Jets and Giants loomed large.

Yet he called Mike Tyson one of his most fascinating interview subjects. They’ve spoken over 100 times, and “he’s the athlete that most let you into how he was thinking.”

Schaap was interviewed by his longtime friend Karl Mergenthaler (Staples ’87), Westport Rotary Club president.

Jeremy Schaap, at yesterday’s Westport Rotary Club meeting at Green’s Farms Church. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)

====================================================

Looking for a Westport-themed St. Patrick’s Day gift? Or yourself?

You’re in luck!

“Finding Westport” has just introduced a new collection of hoodies, tees, tank tops, blankets, mugs and more. Click here to see, and order.

 

=====================================================

Young LGBTQ+ people are making their mark on Westport, and the world.

Now they’re eligible for a scholarship, up to $1,000.

Sponsored by Westport Pride, it is open to anyone who has planned or been part of activities or organizations in the LGBTQ+ community; anyone who feels their experiences as a young queer person has shaped their perspective as an aspect of themselves, or LGBTQ+ individuals who produced art that highlights the history, struggles or triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community.

High school students in Westport are eligible. Applications are available here, or at the Staples High School College & Career Center. Applications include an essay, video or art piece, and small write-up.

The application deadline is March 31.

======================================================

All 3 Westport selectwomen visited Staples High School on Monday, to celebrate Civic Learning Week. The goal is to empower students to become active, engaged members of their community.

In a meeting moderated by seniors Scarlett Siegel and Spencer Yim, Jen Tooker Andrea Moore and Candice Savin answered questions from students. Topics ranged from the structure of town government to efforts to address sustainability, traffic and other areas.

Members of the Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society assisted with the event.

Celebrating Civic Learning Week (from left): Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice, moderators Spencer Yim and Scarlett Siegel, and selectwomen Jen Tooker, Andrea Moore and Candice Savin.

=======================================================

A Compo Beach sunset shows off our town’s beauty, in today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature:

(Photo/Jonathan Alloy)

=======================================================

And finally … David Lindley was not a household name. But the session guitarist played on some of the most famous recordings by Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart and others. He performed on his own too.

Lindley died Friday, at 78. He had suffered from kidney trouble, pneumonia and other ailments. Click here for a full obituary. Click below to hear his work:

(Please make sure “06880” is not running on empty. Click here to contribute. Thank you!)

9 Comments

Posted in Education, Entertainment, Environment, Staples HS, Teenagers

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: S&S Dugout, Warming Stations, Miami Dolphins …

Posted on February 3, 2023 | 5 comments

It’s a few yards over the Westport line in Southport. Most folks don’t give it a second glance.

But the S&S Dugout — a scruffy diner on the right side of the Post Road — has been a favorite go-to, for no-nonsense food, for many regulars since 1950.

No more. No more roast beef, hot sausage, home fries, omelets, burgers, dogs, shakes, or bacon egg and cheeses. It wasn’t healthy, but it was good.

The door to the old place is now closed. A “For Lease” sign hangs in the window. Let the memories begin.

Here’s mine: One day when I was a student at Staples High School, and “Ed’s Dugout” was (my friends and I thought) a secret hangout, we walked in and saw Haystacks Calhoun.

The wrestler was 6-4. He weighed over 600 pounds.

And — to our awe — he took up 2 stools. Plus all the space in between.

RIP, the Dugout. You were one of a kind.

S&S Dugout in Southport.

=======================================================

Baby, it’s (gonna be) cold outside.

Below-zero wind chills are forecast through tomorrow morning. (It warms up quickly after that.)

Westport will open these warming centers today:

  • Senior Center (until 4:30 p.m. today)
  • Library (until 6 p.m.).
  • Westport Museum for History & Culture (Until 5 p.m.).
  • Westport Weston Family YMCA (until 6 p.m.). 
  • MoCA (until 4 p.m.).

Westport residents facing hardships due to the cold weather should contact Human Services (203-341-1050, until 4:30 p.m.).

PS: It’s a good idea to keep your faucets dripping tonight, to prevent frozen pipes. See below for tips:

=======================================================

When the temperature rises on Sunday, residents are invited to the next trash pick-upu.

It’s 11 a.m. (February 5), at the Imperial Avenue parking lot. Volunteers should bring gloves, garbage bags and boots — and dress warmly.

Questions? Email acolabellartm4@gmail.com.

A recent trash pick-up on Greens Farms Road. This Sunday, the site is the Imperial Avenue parking lot.

======================================================

The Miami Dolphins are not playing in this year’s Super Bowl.

But in 1972, they did something the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles can never match (at least this season): go undefeated all year.

This Thursday (February 9, 7 p.m., Westport Library) longtime ESPN reporter/”E:60″ host/1988 Staples High School graduate/current Westporter hosts a screening of his new film, “The Perfect Machine.”

The documentary includes interviews with 16 members of that history-making team, including Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, Larry Little, Bob Griese and Joe Namath.

Afterward, the 11-time Emmy Award winner will answer questions.

Jeremy Schaap

=======================================================

Also ahead at the Library:

  • The “State of the Town” meeting, with 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein this Sunday (February 5, 2 p.m.; Trefz Forum and livestream).
  • “Energy Rates”: State Senator Ceci Maher, and State Representatives Jonathan Steinberg and Anne Hughes, host a meeting about rising energy prices (Monday, February 6, 7 p.m., Trefz Forum).

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein, at last year’s “State of the Town” meeting.

======================================================

For 14 years, Earth Animal — the great Post Road store for our 4-legged friends — has supported those of us in need, with only 2.

Their holiday “Mitten Project” raises funds to address food insecurity. For $5, customers buy “mittens,” which they sign to be hung in the shop windows. Holiday items and donation boxes add to the haul.

And Earth Animal matches every penny donated.

Last year’s fundraising was impressive: $38,000.

This year’s was spectacular. Yesterday, Earth Animal owners and employees presented a check for $53,000 to CT Foodshare.

That funds an astonishing 106,000 meals. Thank you, Earth Animal — and all who helped! (Hat tip: Betsy Pollak)

Earth Animal and CT Foodshare officials, at yesterday’s ceremony.

======================================================

Ten Staples High School student-athletes have signed letters of intent to play NCAA Division I sports.

The list includes:

  • Tyler Clark (lacrosse; United States Military Academy)
  • Mia Guster (swimming and diving; Lafayette College)
  • Parker Lenoce (swimming and diving; Princeton University)
  • Emma Nahon (field hockey; University of Pennsylvania)
  • Leo Sequenzia (lacrosse; Providence College)
  • Francine Stevens (track and field; Cornell University)
  • Riley Twiss (swimming and diving; Bucknell University)
  • Kate Whitaker (swimming and diving; Lehigh University)
  • Hiro Wyatt (baseball; University of Southern California)
  • Chris Zajac (baseball; Indiana University).

A special signing ceremony was held Wednesday, at Staples. Click here to see.

=======================================================

Bingo is back!

The Westport Young Woman’s League’s “Galentine’s Day” fundraiser returns, for the first time since pre-COVID 2019.

The event is set for February 9 (7 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity Church). The evening includes prizes and treats. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Proceeds benefit WYWL grants programs. After the previous Galentine’s Day Bing, the organization distributed $80,000 to 18 area charities. Click here for the list.

=======================================================

The Greens Farms Garden Club is a new beneficiary of Stop & Shop’s Community Bag Program.

Throughout February, whenever a $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at the Westport supermarket, $1 will be donated to the club.

Funds will go to projects like the Atrium at Earthplace, Growing For Good vegetable gardens at  Wakeman Town Farm, and Prospect Gardens.

====================================================

Longtime Westporter, former RTM member and civic volunteer Peter Nathan died on Saturday. He was 89.

After graduating from the University of Connecticut, Peter served as a captain in the Marine Corps.

He spent his business career of nearly 60 years in the exhibition, conference and event industry. He and his company, Clapp & Poliak, are credited with organizing the first US events in the former Soviet Union and China.

After his company was acquired by Reed Exhibitions, he became the senior staff member at the Javits Convention Center. In 1996 he formed his own firm, PWN Exhibicon, and produced the only 2 exhibitions sanctioned by the American government in Cuba.

Peter helped transform a primarily domestic exhibition industry into a global one. He served on every major board and commission, and received numerous awards. He was a frequent guest speaker at conferences. Videos of him are on display at the Washington Convention Center and McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

He was elected 4 times as a member of the Westport Representative Town Meeting. He also served as an officer and club chairman of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston; a governor-appointed member of the Connecticut Judicial Review Council, and an advisory member of the Mid-Fairfield County Child Guidance Center and Domestic Violence Crisis Center.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Lois (Sandy) Nathan; children Tamara, Corynne, Mark and Leslie, and their spouses Gary, Dina and Bryan; 9 grandchildren and their spouses, and 1 great grandchild.

A date for a celebration of life will be forthcoming. Contributions can be made to the Westport Library, Senior Center or Westport Country Playhouse.

Peter Nathan

=====================================================

The other day, Deanna Forman sat in her car at Staples High School, waiting for her daughter to finish Players rehearsal. The “face” on this tree caught her eye — and made her think of our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Deanna Forman)

=======================================================

And finally … in honor of tonight’s weather:

=======================================================

(On the coldest day of the year, please warm the “06880” coffers with a contribution. Just click here — and thank you!).

 

5 Comments

Posted in Environment, Library, Local business, Obituaries, Restaurants, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , ,

Roundup: Dance Party, Menorah, Yuki Kitchen …

Posted on December 8, 2022 | 1 comment

I’m an idiot.

I posted yesterday’s Roundup story about the Hackett family’s used sports equipment drive — it benefits Leveling the Playing Field, a non-profit that helps youngsters in need — without including where to drop the cleats, balls and more off.

They’ll be at the Granola Bar this Saturday and Sunday (December 10 and 11), from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Click here for a list of items you can donate. You know you’ve got some of it lying unused all around your house!

From left: Max Levitt (Founder of Leveling The Playing Field), Alex Hackett, Daisy Hackett, Chloe Hackett

=======================================================

Before COVID, Julie Whamond hosted a dance party every year. It was her gift to friends — a way to let off steam during the stressful holiday season.

This year, it’s back.

And it’s better than ever. Julie is using the festivities to raise donations for Westport’s Warm-Up Fund.

The Fund — an initiative of Westport’s Department of Human Services — helps income-qualified residents with their home heating expenses.

The date is next Wednesday (December 14, 7 to 10 p.m.). Julie secured Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall. She hired a DJ.

Now she just needs even more folks to attend. Whether you know Julie or not: You’re invited!

Venmo a $30 (or more) donation: @Julie-Whamond. Wear festive attire. Bring a drink or snack to share. Then party down for the Warm-Up Fund.

Questions? Email Whamondjoy@gmail.com.

====================================================

The Westport Police have released arrest reports for the December 1-7 period.

Two people were detained in custody. One was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, failure to obey traffic control signal, and failure to drive in the proper lane.

The other custodial arrest was for conspiracy to commit burglary; oeperating a motor vehicle without a license; failure to renew registration; misuse of plates, and insurance coverage fails to meet minimum requirements.

The following citations were issued:

  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 18
  • Stop sign violation: 4
  • Violation of any traffic commission regulation: 3
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
  • Failure to display plates: 2
  • Misuse of license plates: 1
  • Insurance coverage fails to meet minimum requirements: 2
  • Following too closely: 1
  • Failure to renew registration: 1

Not a suggestion. A command.

====================================================

Longtime ESPN reporter, E60 host Jeremy Schaap — a 1988 Staples High School graduate, and current Westport resident — never shies away from important issues.

He is the lead reporter and narrator of a new film, “The  Survivor.” The documentary examines the 1972 Munich Massacre. That September, terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletics at the Summer Olympics.

Schapp will screen the film at the Westport Library on Monday (December 12, 7 p.m.). Immediately afterward, the 11-time Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist will host a talkback

Schaap traveled to Israel and Germany to tell the story through the eyes of 86-year-old Israeli race walker Shaul Ladany. He survived the massacre — as he had World War II and the Holocaust, when he was a child.

“In his long life, Shaul Ladany has seen up close the worst of humanity,” says Schaap. “Not only has he survived, he has pressed forward, constantly, to lead a life of achievement. The lessons of his life are valuable to us all. I was honored to be part of the team that told the story of what he endured and what he witnessed. Ladany’s story is not so well-known here in the United States — but it should be.”

The Munich Massacre was the first terrorist attack broadcast live on television around the world. “The Survivor” breaks down the tragedy through archival video and news reports, along with new interviews and reporting.

Jeremy Schaap

====================================================

Open Rice — the Chinese food takeout place between Sherwood Diner and Earth Animal — closed in June.

It’s been replaced by Yuki Kitchen. The Japanese food takeout place features sushi, bento boxes, noodles and more. Click here for the menu.

Yuki Kitchen (Photo/Dan Woog)

======================================================

What will you do with over 500 pairs of shoes?

If you’re Soles4Souls — the non-profit that collects new and gently used shoes — you’ll distribute them to people in need.

And you’ll do it with Westporters’ help.

This holiday season, Ken Bernhard and Ted Freedman led a drive that collected all those 500-plus shoes here. Collection boxes were placed at Town Hall, police headquarters and the Senior Center.

Ken and Ted thank all who contributed. It’s one small step — now, in proper shoes — to help break the cycle of poverty.

======================================================

An outdoor menorah will be lit on December 20 — and everyone is invited.

The event — on the 3rd night of Hanukkah — is set for Weston Center, at 6:15 p.m.

Doing the honors are Rabbi Levi & Chanie Stone, co-directors of the Chabad Schneerson Center. There’s live music too.

Hanukkah gelt and cookies, doughnuts and dreidels will be distributed to all.

======================================================

The Westport Rotary Club presented its annual Community Service and Public Protection Awards on Tuesday.

Recipients included artist and homeless advocate Nina Bentley; former Westport 1st Selectman Jim Marpe; RTM veteran Velma Heller; the Westport chapter of the National Charity League (represented by member Lisa Price), and Builders Beyond Borders executive director Amy Schroeder-Riggio.

Firefighter Rob Lenois and police officer Kevin Smith also earned awards for individual acts of heroism.

Nina Bentley receives her Westport Rotary Club award from Karl Mergenthaler and Leslie Roberts. (Photo/Jeff Wieser)

======================================================

These women don’t need shoes. Flip-flops are fine.

All year long.

(Photo/Tammy Barry)

They swim every Friday and Sunday — yes, even now.

The water temperature these days is 50 degrees. The air temperature is lower.

It will get a lot lower soon. But they promise to be in the water, when the rest of us are sitting lazily by a fire.

To each her own.

And congrats!

=================================================

A concerned reader emailed this photo yesterday:

It shows oil on the Saugatuck River, just below the Cribari Bridge.

“I don’t know where it’s coming from,” he says. “But it’s been there all day.”

======================================================

George Billis Gallery is moving again.

After opening on Main Street in late 2020 — in the midst of COVID, the 3rd outpost after New York and Los Angeles — the exhibit space moved to Post Road East.

Next stop: Fairfield. The 1700 Post Road location opens January 1.

“I love Westport. But the rent it too high for permanent space,” owner George Billis says.

He looks forward to welcoming customers to his new gallery. And hopes they’ll stop by before he relocates, for the moving sale going on now.

The first site of George Billis gallery, on Main Street.

=======================================================

The moon sets every morning. That gets less love from “06880” photographers than when it rises, and hangs high in the sky.

And a lot less love than sunrises and sunsets.

So today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shines a light on the moonset. It was taken this morning by Matt Murray, and shows Sherwood Mill Pond, looking west toward Hillspoint Road.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

=======================================================

And finally … Joyce Bryant died recently, in Los Angeles. She was 95, and suffered from Alzheimer’s.

I’d never heard of her. But according to her New York Times obituary, she was :a sultry singer of the 1940s and ’50s who broke racial barriers in nightclubs and raised the hackles of radio censors before setting aside her show business career in favor of missionary work, then reinventing herself as a classical and opera singer,”

Click here for her fascinating life story. Click below to hear a bit of her work:

(Obscure nightclub singers, police reports, menorah lightings, new Japanese restaurants — “06880” brings you all the Roundup news, every day. If you enjoy our work, please click here to contribute. Thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Beach, Environment, History, Police, religion, Restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Remembering Joe Valerio

Posted on May 20, 2021 | 8 comments

Joe Valerio — noted producer of ESPN’s long-running Sunday morning “Sports Reporters” series, and a longtime Westporter — died Sunday, of pancreatic cancer. He was 71.

Valerio began in the programming department in ESPN’s first days. But he was best known for overseeing “The Sports Reporters.” The show aired weekly, from 1988 through 2017.

ESPN reporter — and fellow Westporter — Jeremy Schaap paid tribute to Valerio:

According to ESPN, “Valerio was known for his passion, sharp wit, and smarts. A groundbreaking program featuring newspaper columnists debating issues in sports, The Sports Reporters helped usher in a new genre of sports studio programming, while bolstering the profile of some of the most renowned sports personalities in the industry.”

(In 2017, Schaap reflected on “Sports Reporters”‘ impact. His comments include thoughts about Valerio. Click here to read. Click here for more on Valerio, from ESPN; click here for other tributes. Hat tip: David Tetenbaum)

Joe Valerio

 

8 Comments

Posted in Media, Sports

Tagged , ,