Tag Archives: Laddie Lawrence

Roundup: Paul Shaffer, Christine Ohlman, Laddie Lawrence …

Posted on January 29, 2025 | Comments Off on Roundup: Paul Shaffer, Christine Ohlman, Laddie Lawrence …

For half a century, Paul Shaffer has entertained America. .

On April 6 (11 a.m.), the legendary “Saturday Night Live” performer and David Letterman’s musical director will entertain a few hundred guests, at the Westport Library.

Shaffer’s special mix of music, comedy and entertainment will be on display, as a special attraction for the VersoFest Oral History Podcast. He will also perform on the piano.

He’ll speak with fellow “SNL” alum (and iconic Beehive Queen) Christine Ohlman. She will host the conversation fresh off her Library appearance for her annual Winter Dance Party with her band, Rebel Montez.

The event is sponsored by the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston. Tickets are $25. Click here to purchase.

Shaffer and Ohlman’s appearance is just one of many highlights, during VersoFest’s 4 days of music, media and creatvity, from April 3 to 6. For more information, click here.

Paul Shaffer and Christine Ohlman.

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The Board of Education will hold a special meeting this Friday (9 a.m.). Staples High School boys tennis coach Kris Hrisovulos is appealing the non-renewal of his contract.

The meeting will be held in Rooms 307/309 at Town Hall.

Staples High School boys tennis coach Kris Hrisovulos

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Everyone needs a warm hug.

Thursday, February 6 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) marks the Westport Farmers’ Market’s annual Operation Warm Hug.

There, at their Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center winter home, they’ll collect lightly used coats, hats, mittens, sweaters and sweatshirts, to share with nOURish in Bridgeport.

Our neighbors are cold. Let’s warm them up!

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Longtime — very longtime — Staples High School track coach Laddie Lawrence has a new project.

He’s collaborating with former runner (and later coaching colleague) Amanda Parrish Morgan on a book about his life.

It includes his youth and career as a star Wrecker runner himself, his career, his athletes, his relationships with the town and the running community, and much more.

Amanda hopes that many people who know Laddie will contribute stories about him. Humorous, serious, inspirational — all are welcome.

Click here to fill out a response form. You can also contact Amada directly:  (amandaparrishmorgan@gmail.com.

Laddie Lawrence and Amanda Parrish Morgan, at last fall’s Turkey Trot. 

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Speaking of Staples: Madison Malin was in a thrift store in Alexandria, Virginia last weekend.

Browsing the racks, this item caught her eye:

She snagged it — and then started wondering.

Madison thinks it is at least 40 years old, because it features the old Minute Man logo, not the Wrecker.

“Do you have any memory of these being sold, or an idea where it came from?” she asked “06880.”

Nope! But I’m sure at least one reader does.

If you remember a sweater like this — including when and how it was sold — click “Comments” below.

Go Wreckers! And the Minute Man!

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Speaking of Staples: Congratulations to seniors Alessandro Alderucci, Alexa Fass and Maxwll Manchester; juniors Susan Monaghan and Ella Slade, and freshmen Edison Kousky and Anita Vinokur.

They’re the school’s Students of the Month.

The honor recognizes students who help make Staples a welcoming place for peers and teachers.

Principal Stafford Thomas calls them “the ‘glue’ of the Staples community — the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.”

From left: Maxwell Manchester, Alessandro Alderucci, Alexa Fass, Edison Kousky, Susan Monaghan, Anita Vinokur, Ella Slade.

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February is the shortest month (fortunately). But at Earthplace, it’s packed with activities. Among them:

“Family Campfire: National Bird Feeding Month” (February 8, 1 to 2:30 p.m.): Marshmallows, animals, guided activities and more.

“Bluebird Houses” (February 9, 1 to 3 p.m.): Build a nest box to have ready for spring; designed for school-aged children with caregivers to do togther.

“Snow Moon Hike” (February 12, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.): A guided hike along trails in a full moon; listen for owls, and pick out constellations.

“Craft and Sip: Pressed Flower Candle Holders” (February 13, 6 to 8 p.m.); Bring drinks and snacks, then join friends to create a simple craft.

“Maple Sugar Magic” (February 23, 1 to 3 p.m.): Help tap a tree, then sample maple goodies around a campfire.

“Wild Roots: Conserving Genetic Diversity with Native Plants” (February 27, 7 to 8 p.m.)

In addition, Earthplace offers full- and half-day Vacation Day Camps over winter break (February 17-21). The theme is “Food Preservation with Natural Cooking.”

Click here for details, on the Earthplace website.

Questions? For nature programs and events, email v.swain@earthplace.org. For Vacation Day Camp, email s.bell@earthplace.org.

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Aspetuck Land Trust helps you get ready for spring, with a series of free virtual lectures. They include:

“Native Bees and Honey Bees: What You Don’t Know” (today, January 29, 1 to 3 p.m.; click here to register, and for more information).

“The Science of Plant Survival Strategies in Garden Design” (Thursday, January 30, 1 to 2 p.m.; click here to register, and for more information).

“Bees Beyond Honey: Understanding Native & Managed Pollinators” (February 20, 6 p.m.; click here to register, and for more information).

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

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Just ahead of Valentine’s Day, the next Westport Country Playhouse Script in Hand play reading is “Back Talk.”

The new romantic comedy — about first dates and second thoughts — is Monday, February 3 (7 p.m.).

Artistic director Mark Shanahan looks forward to “a warm, romantic comedy on a chilly night in February.”

All tickets are $30. To purchase, and for more information, click here.

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Molly Alger calls this the “Whitney Street Breakfast Club.”

We call it “Westport … Naturally'” feature. Mangia!

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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And finally … in  honor of a couple of the upcoming book by coach Laddie Lawrence (story above):

(Run … don’t walk … to the bank, to support “06880.” Or — much more easily — simply click here. Your hyper-local blog thanks you.)

 

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If You See A Bunch Of Septuagenarians …

Posted on September 20, 2024 | 5 comments

If you see 90 or so white-haired, spunky septuagenarians around town this weekend, there’s a reason: The Staples High School Class of 1964 is celebrating their 60th reunion.

(Note: That sentence is not mine. It came directly from one of the organizers, Deb Holliday Kintigh.)

The weekend includes the usual reunion activities: a cocktail party, dinner and Compo Beach gathering.

But there’s a lot more — including ideas other reunion classes might steal (er, borrow).

In a “Deep Dive” this afternoon (Friday), 6 reunion-goers — selected from many proposals — will offer insights into their careers, volunteer work and passions that impacted their lives, and others.

The diverse span of experiences features Tom Dublin, who co-created a women and social movements document history website subscribed to by libraries and universities; former Staples lacrosse coach Paul McNulty, who coached and built an integrated football team in Mississippi; Nancy Wilson, who founded a Quaker school, and now teaches in a prison; Tim Honey, who spent a foreign exchange year in South Africa, and has revisited the much-changed country since apartheid ended; Sandi Crosby Goldie, who works on climate change, and Melody James, talking about bridging silence and sound, pioneering medical technology and navigating the opposition to the cochlear implant.

The session will be videotaped, to be shared with a wider audience.

In 1962, the Staples Class of ’64 presented the director of the World Health Organization with a check the class raised to support the WHO. Among the attendees: Tim Honey (striped jacket, center). He will be part of today’s “Deep Dive.”

The other new event is “Roundtable Short Stories,” following the Saturday morning breakfast. There will be talks from current students, and principal Stafford Thomas.

Then, after a tour of the “new” school (as of 20 years ago), led by alum (and longtime track and cross country coach) Laddie Lawrence, the class will gather in a circle.

A mic will be passed, for anyone to share 3 to 5 minutes of whatever they wish.

The Staples High School that the Class of 1964 remembers.

The Saturday banquet at the Norwalk Inn includes song parodies by Eric Multhaup, Sylvia Robinson Corrigan, Nancy Wilson and Melody James, a solo Linda Clifford, and a compilation/adapted scene from Staples Players’ 1962 production of “Our Town,” with John Parriott, Claudia Daub Crawford and Melody James.

“Then we have a playlist of ’60s and ’70s music,” says co-organizer Melody James.

“We plan to boogie — well, move and sway.”

The reunion ends Sunday. The Compo Beach picnic features a hootenanny (remember those?), games and food, plus a tribute to departed classmates with a reading of names, and music by Mike Haydn.

Welcome back, Class of 1964! Have a great reunion — and many more.

NOTE: The Class of ’64 also has one of the best reunion websites anywhere. Click here to see.

(Whether you were in Staples’ Class of 1964, 2024 — or never went there — you’re part of our community. And part of our “06880” online community too. Please click here to support our work.)

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Unsung Heroes #350

Posted on September 11, 2024 | 4 comments

The running community is special.

They’re fit, but friendly. They’re competitive, but close. They run for various reasons — to win a race, do their personal best, or simply finish — and at various paces, but they all love to run.

And they don’t get a lot of publicity.

For an activity that’s been around for over 60 years, the Westport Road Runners races get very little attention.

Unless you’re near Compo, Burying Hill Beach or Longshore on a Saturday morning, you don’t know the long-running (ho ho) series even exists.

The series of 10 races — each longer than the week before — culminates in a 10-miler the Saturday before Labor Day.

Road Runners was one of the only such events when it began in the 1960s. The Labor Day race was particularly popular, attracting some of the top athletes in the Northeast.

Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department has sponsored Road Runners since its inception. Co-sponsors now include Pequot Runners and Fleet Feet. The selectwoman’s office and Police Department offer important assistance.

And they’re off! The start of a Westport Road Runner race.

But the man making it work for nearly all that time — all but 3 of its 62 years — is Laddie Lawrence.

A star runner in Staples High School’s Class of 1964 — and now, for well over 50 years — the Wreckers’ cross country, indoor and outdoor track coach — he does it all.

He sets up the course, oversees every aspect of each race, then cleans up. There would be no Road Runners without Laddie Lawrence.

He just finished his 59th year as Road Runners director. If that sounds like a long time: It is.

Lawrence was recently recognized as the longest-serving race director in the world by Road Race Management Inc.

Laddie Lawrence, at a Road Runner race finish. 

Of course, he cannot do it all himself.

Regulars who have served for years include Jim Gerweck, Charlie Wolgast, Ray Prezkop, Dave Parise, Anne Parise and Mary Parise.

This year’s group of recent alumni or current Staples athletes includes Morgan Samuel, Will Boberski, Oliver Samuel, Jonas Varnas, Michael Bernier, Ben Buchalter, Alex Price, Luke Rabacs, Daisy Seaborne, Preston Siroka, Nate Hordon, Mikhail Mikhalchuk, Oliver Galin, Connor O’Neill and Samuel Zwick Lavinsky.

All are today’s Unsung Heroes.

But Laddie Lawrence wins this week’s gold.

(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)

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The Laddie Lawrence Track!

Posted on May 22, 2021 | 9 comments

Current and former athletes, grateful parents, top-class and recreational runners, and local politicians all jogged (okay, drove) to Staples High School this morning.

The lanes around the football field were officially dedicated as the “Laddie Lawrence Track.” It was a fitting tribute to the man who, more than 50 years ago, began his career as an athlete there.

Best of all, Lawrence was on hand to enjoy the honor. He continues to coach 3 sports at his alma mater.

Laddie Lawrence thanks the crowd at the new “Laddie Lawrence track.” (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

After earning a full scholarship to Southern Arkansas University, the 1964 Staples graduate embarked on a teaching and coaching career in Westport. As head of Staples’ cross country, indoor and outdoor track programs — for decades, girls as well as boys — Lawrence has won (perhaps) more championships than all other coaches at the school combined.

He’s amassed 34 undefeated seasons; 34 FCIAC titles; 42 state class or open championships; 2 New England titles … you get the idea.

Past and current athletes presented Laddie Lawrence with a giant card of appreciation. (Photo/Andrea Moore)

He’s a member of the national, state and Fairfield County Halls of Fame.

Laddie Lawrence (blue striped shirt) with (from left) Andrea Moore, Board of Finance vice chair who ran for Lawrence in the 1980s; 1st Selectman Jim Marpe; Lawrence’s wife Katie; RTM member Andrew Colabella; 2nd Selectwoman Jen Tooker.

Since 1966, Laddie — he’s known by one name, like Pele, Bono or Cher — has headed up the Road Runners Club. That’s about as long as he’s been in charge of the Westport Parks & Recreation summer road race series. And its Thursday evening age group track meets.

Congratulations, Laddie. Here’s to thousands of more wins, dozens of more trophies, and many more years enjoying “your” track.

(Photo/Andrew Colabella)

FUN FACT: Two nearby athletic facilities at Staples are named for other coaching legends: Albie Loeffler Field (soccer) and Jinny Parker Field (field hockey). Both were physical education teachers when Lawrence attended the high school — and later became his coaching colleagues.I

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Roundup: Art Show, Laddie Lawrence Track, Nature …

Posted on April 18, 2021 | 7 comments

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The Westport Woman’s Club Art Show makes a triumphant return on Saturday and Sunday, May 22-23 (2 to 6 p.m., 44 Imperial Avenue).

The 6th annual open house features some of the area’s best known and most loved artists and photographers; Nina Bentley, Amy Bock, Trace Burroughs, Susan Fehlinger, Judith Orseck Katz, Tom Kretsch, Susan Leggitt, Kerry Long, Michael Lender, Carole McClintock, Bernard Perry, Jon Puzzuoli, Katherine Ross and Jo Titsworth.

There’s wine and snacks too — just like old times!

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The Woman’s Club Art Show is not the only event scheduled for May 22. At 11 a.m., the Staples High School track will be officially named for Laddie Lawrence. The 1964 graduate has served as a Staples coach — and Westport’s unofficial but beloved running guru — for 50 over years. (Hat tip:Andrew Colabella)

Laddie Lawrence: forever young, and forever admired.

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Seen this morning at Baron’s South. Roberta Delano says, “He just kept looking at me, with the morning sky behind him.”

(Photo/Roberta Delano)

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Springtime beauty, on River Lane:

(Photo/Larry Untermeyer)

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And finally … today is National Lineman Appreciation. Utility workers, not football players.

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Roundup: Laddie Lawrence, Christian Siriano, Stephanie Szostak, More

Posted on September 18, 2020 | 4 comments

Starting Monday (September 21), the Board of Education will resume in-person meetings.

Board members, administrators and invited speakers will all be present. Members of the public can participate via real-time broadcasts, and comment via Google Docs.

“Unfortunately, we cannot predict or control the turnout at our meetings, and a large gathering at a public meeting of the board could pose a public health risk,” the Board says.

“In evaluating the viability of a limited number of socially distant seats for the public in person, the logistical challenges of ensuring social distancing and mask-wearing, determining who is allowed into the meeting and who is turned away, etc., are substantial and might interfere with the work of the board in real time.

“We are heartened by the substantial increase in public participation through our use of Google Docs. This method will continue to afford anyone who feels uncomfortable about coming out to a public meeting during a pandemic a voice in our decision-making process.”

As Architectural Digest notes, fashion designer Christian Siriano moved to a modern house near Compo Beach a few months ago.

And as alert “06880” reader Mary Hoffman notes (via the Wall Street Journal), the backyard of that home was the site yesterday for a fashion show. Among the guests: Billy Porter.

Siriano famously dressed Porter in a tuxedo ballgown for the Oscars.

Billy Porter in Westport. (Photo/Charlie Sykes for AP)

After 55 years as a summer staple, the Westport Parks & Recreation Roadrunner races went virtual this year.

The weekly events — starting first with a couple of miles, increasing each Saturday to a 10-mile run just before Labor Day — are the baby (and now near senior citizen) of Staples High School’s longtime track coach and guru Laddie Lawrence.

The most recent Road Race Management newsletter — aimed at race directors and industry professionals — highlights Lawrence’s long involvement with the series. There’s an extensive interview looking back on 55 years, and vintage photos. Click here to see.

Laddie Lawrence, at a Roadrunner race finish line.

The Westport Library edges one step closer to normalcy. On Monday (September 21), the Library Store begins offering personal shopping appointments.

The 15-minute sessions can be in person or virtual (via FaceTime or WhatsApp). Slots are available weekdays, from 2 to 6 p.m. Click here to schedule.

The Store accepts credit cards, checks, Apple Pay and Google Pay — no cash. Purchases made virtually will be scheduled for pick up weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, click here.

Last night’s Remarkable Theater screening of “Top Gun” — a fundraiser for the Catch a Lift Fund — drew a great crowd to the Imperial Avenue parking lot.

Fall is almost here. But Westport’s love of the pop-up drive-in theater — and support for excellent causes — has not wavered one bit.

Dave Briggs’ intriguing Instagram Live interactive interviews continue today (Friday, September 18, 6:30 p.m.). The former CNN, NBC Sports and Fox News anchor’s guest is Westport’s own noted actor Stéphanie Szostak (“A Million Little Things,” “The Devil Wears Prada”).

You can listen — and participate — on Instagram:@WestportMagazine.

The other day, “06880” mentioned Positive Directions’ new Teacher Support group. It meets weekly via Zoom. The cost was $40.

Now, however — thanks to the generosity of Positive Directions’ board of directors –this group will be underwritten. It’s now free to all teachers and school personnel. Email amiceli@positivedirections.org, or call 203-227-7644 to reserve a spot.

Groove is known for its trendy clothes, for women, children and babies.

But on Saturday, October 24 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the Post Road West boutique welcomes Dana Ciafone to a book signing. The author of Celebrating Bentley — the kids’ book about a boy and his dog — will be there. All profits go to Little Black Dog Rescue.

And finally … in these days of wildfires, hurricanes and much more, it’s nice to hear James Taylor’s soothing voice. No matter how dark the lyrics. (Hat tip: Jerry Kuyper)

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[OPINION] Fred Cantor’s 24 Hours In “Our Town”

Posted on September 30, 2019 | 20 comments

Alert “06880” reader — and longtime Westporter — Fred Cantor hears frequent laments about the changes in town since “whatever decade people grew up here in.” Of course, he admits, things are different.

But, Fred notes, the small-town feel that existed when his family moved here in 1963 is still alive and well. As proof, he offers a series of events that occurred recently, in just one 24-hour period.

Bruce Davidson, from his Staples High School yearbook.

It started with a visit to a local periodontist which, believe it or not, proved enjoyable overall. That’s because he’s Dr. Bruce Davidson, Staples High School Class of 1965, a family friend from back in the day and a former soccer teammate of my brother Marc. Bruce has practiced for decades at the same location on the Post Road, near Sylvan Avenue.

After a thorough exam and patient clarification of potential issues raised by X-rays taken in California, there was time to catch up and hear, among other things, about the status of a documentary film by Bruce’s brother, Doc (Staples ‘70).

After my appointment I drove to Cohen’s Fashion Opticals to pick up new glasses, which were almost ready. No problem: It was close to lunchtime, so I headed a few doors down to Gold’s. Owner Jim greeted me warmly.

I had a delicious turkey salad sandwich. The food at Gold’s is every bit as good today as when my parents first took me there in the 1960s — and the setting seems exactly as it did back then.

Jim Eckl and his wife Nancy have owned Gold’s since 2003.

Later in the day, I enjoyed a timeless outdoor Westport scene: a large crowd gathered on the hill to watch a Staples soccer game, on a beautiful Friday afternoon.

I had not arranged to meet anyone there. That didn’t matter. I sat with Bill Mitchell (Staples ’61) and former soccer coach Jeff Lea. We shared a few laughs and some entertaining stories. Dave Wilson (a Staples captain in 1974) was there too.

The ageless Laddie Lawrence (Staples ’64) also joined us for a while; so did former Westport Late Knights soccer teammate, Alex Anvari. Somehow Alex’s little boy Emerson has grown up — he’s 6-1 now!—to be a Staples senior who, to my delight, is on the varsity team.

Enjoying Staples soccer on the Loeffler Field hill (from left):L Fred Cantor, Jeff Lea, Bill Mitchell, Laddie Lawrence.

It was the last weekend of summer, with near-perfect temperatures, so after the game my wife Debbie and I headed to Compo to enjoy the sunset. As often happens, we ran into a couple of longtime Westporters.

I also had a nice chat with Joey Romeo, the owner of Joey’s By the Shore. He is every bit as friendly as any Main Street storeowner was in the 1960s.

Compo Beach sunset. (Photo/Fred Cantor)

The next morning I was walking on Bridge Street toward the train station. A car pulled over. The driver was Staples alum Mike Elliot; he offered me a ride. I explained that walking is my regular exercise these days.

As I neared the station, another car stopped. Staples classmate Bob Uly wanted to know how I was doing health-wise.

It was just 24 hours. Nothing truly out of the ordinary happened.

But those little slice-of-life occurrences demonstrate, at least for me, that certain “Our Town”-like qualities still very much exist here.

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Norma Minkowitz: Artist On The Run

Posted on May 20, 2019 | 4 comments

Norma Minkowitz has quite a routine.

In the morning she goes to The Edge. Three days a week, she runs 1.5 miles on the treadmill. Then she does lunges, curls and core work with a trainer. She follows up with an hour-long spin class. The other days, she runs outdoors.

Then she heads back to her Westport home. She climbs the stairs to her studio, and begins a full day of work as an artist. “I run from one piece to another,” she laughs.

A few of Norma Minkowitz’s pieces, in her Westport studio.

Next month, Norma interrupts that routine. She heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a national championship track meet. She’ll compete in the 1500, 800 and 400 meter runs.

She hopes to win a US title in her age group: 80 to 84 years old.

At 81, Norma has spent fully half her life in Westport. She met her husband Shelly at Cooper Union. She studied fine arts; he was an engineer.

Jobs with Sikorsky and PerkinElmer brought them to Connecticut. But he changed careers, becoming a home builder. Harvest Commons is his work. Four decades ago, he built their house on Broadview Road.

Meanwhile, Norma pursued her own career. In the 1960s she began working with fiber. “Back then it was considered ‘arts and crafts,'” she says. “Now it’s a fine art.”

Norma Minkowitz, and 2 of her works.

Her specialty is crocheted cotton thread. She also does pen and ink, and sculptures.

Her style is “very personal,” she says. “It has a dark edge, about life, mortality and human nature. I’m interested in sequences, and how things evolve.”

Her art grows stronger every year, Norma notes. “I’ve pared things down to simple lines, shapes, forms and meaning.”

Norma’s work is now in 32 museums. And they’re big: the Metropolitan, the de Young, the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Norma Minkowitz, before the 1987 New York Marathon.

She came to running later in life. In 1985, a friend talked her into training for the New York Marathon. She did not prepare well, and lasted “only” 20 miles.

The next year, Norma trained with a coach. At 49 years old, she completed all 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 6 minutes — a 9:25 per mile pace.

The year after that, she had bronchitis. She ran anyway.

But, Norma says, she is “not in love with long races.” In 1986 she began running shorter distances, in the Westport Parks & Recreation summer series organized by legendary track coach Laddie Lawrence.

Those were more her speed. She’s participated every year since.

These days, she often trains with 4- or 5-kilometer runs. It sounds daunting. But Norma insists, “that’s not real long distance.” After training, she feels “healthy, strong, accomplished — and tired.”

She also feels “like I’ve done something for my body. Maybe it’s the blood going to my brain.”

Running helps her artwork, Norma says. In her studio, she often stands. “Artists have to be strong,” she notes.

She sees people her age who “hardly move.” No one says that about Norma.

One reason she loves her spin class is meeting so many nice (and young) people. “Some of them tell me they wish their mothers did this,” she says. “And their mothers are younger than I am!” She’s made many friends through the running community.

Her fellow spinners — and runners, and artists — are in awe of Norma’s accomplishments. They know how committed she is. And how hard she is training for the upcoming National Senior Games at the University of New Mexico.

Three years ago — at 79 — Norma Minkowitz led a pack of much younger runners.

It’s a big deal. Over 13,500 “seniors” — ages 50 to 100 — will compete in age group categories. Events include swimming, diving, biking, paddleball, bowling, golf, pickle ball and pole vault.

She qualified for her 3 track races last year, in a downpour in New Britain and a follow-up meet in New Jersey. Her times were well below the cutoffs.

But she’s leaving nothing to chance. She has no idea how the high altitude will affect her. So she’s working with former Staples High School runner and coach Malcolm Watson.

Last month, she ran in the Westport Young Woman’s League Minute Man race. Her mile time was 10:30. “That’s pretty good for 81,” she says.

It is indeed.

Two of Norma Minkowitz’ medals, from the Senior Games qualifying meet in New Britain.

“It’s exciting,” Norma says of the upcoming national meet. “I’m a novice. But you never know…”

And if Albuquerque goes well, there’s the 2020 Senior Olympics in Fort Lauderdale.

“That’s sea level,” Norma says with relief. “On the other hand, there’s the heat…”

(Click here for more information on the National Senior Games. Click here for Norma Minkowitz’s art website. Hat tip: Mitch Thaw.)

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Westport Celebrates The Legendary Laddie

Posted on July 28, 2018 | 18 comments

Dozens of former Staples High School runners — along with friends and fans from the Westport road race series and Pequot Runners — came from as far as California today to honor Laddie Lawrence, and his 50 years of coaching.

It was supposed to be a surprise. But when you’ve touched as many lives as Laddie, the secret was bound to get out.

Still, it was a wonderful and emotional afternoon. In half a century as the town’s running guru — including not only Staples cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and the summer and fall races, but also Thursday evening age group meets — Laddie has created a community of runners of all ages and abilities.

Former Staples teammates from his Class of 1964 were there. So were rival coaches — and Paul Lane, the former Staples coach who first introduced him to track. Parents came too. But most of all, there were runners, present and (recent and distant) past.

Laddie’s Staples classmate, artist Miggs Burroughs, gave him a special gift: this lenticular photo of him, back in high school and today.

He’s won an insane number of championships. His athletes have become All-Americans, and earned college scholarships. But today was a time for everyone, of every speed, to gather together and say “thanks” to a mentor and friend.

Best of all: This was not goodbye. Laddie is not retiring.

Actually, knowing him, he’ll coach another 50 years.

Laddie Lawrence: forever young, and forever loved.

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Tracking Hannah DeBalsi And Henry Wynne

Posted on February 29, 2016 | 3 comments

This weekend, the national track spotlight shined on Westport.

Yesterday, Hannah DeBalsi became the 1st athlete — male or female — ever to win 4 New England indoor track championships. The Stanford-bound Staples High School senior blazed to a 10:29.46 time in the 2-mile run.

(Photo credit/StaplesSports)

(Photo credit/StaplesSports)

In 2013, as a freshman at the same venue — the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston — DeBalsi watched Henry Wynne win the New England 1000-meter run for Staples.

This year — the day before — Wynne ran a 4:01.15 mile for the University of Virginia, at the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. He added more points by helping the Cavaliers win the distance medley (his 1600 split was a blazing 3:56.37), and placing 2nd at 3000 meters.

The Reggie Lewis Center is a favorite place for both DeBalsi and Wynne. In January, that’s where he ran a sub-4-minute mile.

(Click here, then scroll down for alert “06880” reader Jeff Mitchell’s video interview with Wynne, after Saturday’s race. The 2013 Staples grad gives shout-outs to Staples track coaches Laddie Lawrence and Malcolm Watson.)

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