AAPI Heritage Month — celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — starts this week. AAPI Westport is ready.
Among the events:
- Middle School Anime Night (Friday, May 3; 7 to 9:30 p.m., Toquet Hall; $10). Watch “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods,” play trivia with prizes, and enjoy Japanese snacks and sodas. Open to all students in grades 6-8. Click here to register.
- “Flavors of Fun: Filipino Cooking Demonstration with Denise deCastro of Dee Cuisine” (Friday, May 17; 11:30 a.m. to 1:30pm, Westport Weston Family Y; $40). Learn how to cook lumpia and pancit. Click here to register.
- AAPI 5K run/walk (Saturday, May 18; 9 a.m., West Hartford Town Hall). Click here to register.
- AAPI Westport Book Club discussion of “Yellowface” by RF Kuang (May 22; 6 p.m., Westport Book Shop.
Follow on Instagram: @aapiwestport.
=================================================
This is the night for StartUp Westport’s inaugural Innovator of the Year Award.
Westport’s public/private entrepreneurial partnership honors Jimmy Pitaro, CEO of ESPN. He’ll be interviewed by fellow Westporter (and ESPN host) Mike Greenberg.
Tonight’s (Tuesday) event begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance (click here), $30 at the door.
Jimmy Pitaro. (Photo/Joe Faraoni)
==================================================
Next Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting (May 6, 7 p.m.; Zoom) includes a pre-application to preserve the existing historic building at 125 Riverside Avenue, and also build a new principal building.
During the public session, the P&Z will discuss a proposal by Longshore Hospitality for interior and exterior renovations to the Inn at Longshore.
Click here for the full agenda.
Proposed exterior renovations to the front of the Inn at Longshore.
==================================================
Westport’s coyote problem — highlighted yesterday on “06880” — caught the eye of New York’s Eyewitness News.
Channel 7 reporter Joe Torres came to town. Liz Kaner spotted his van on her street off Roseville Road, asked if he was there to do a coyote story, and told him that her dog had been attacked Wednesday night.
That was the second attack on their road in 2 weeks.
Torres also interviewed Westport Police Lieutenant Eric Woods, and Minette Nelson at Winslow Park.
Click here for the full Eyewitness News story.
Meanwhile, Liz reports: “Snickers sustained 2 abdominal wounds. One was very serious, and required immediate surgery.
“She fared well under the competent and loving care of Schulhof veterinarian Lyndsey Westerfield (who stayed with her well into the night, despite having 2 small children at home).
“Today Snickers seems to have turned the corner. Her wounds are healing nicely, and her disposition is returning back to normal (via the excitable tail wag).”
Screenshot of Liz Kaner, from Eyewitness News.
==================================================
Wakeman Town Farm makes Mother’s Day easy.
Fantastic bouquets — designed by Sarah Shaw Floral — can be ordered through noon on May 7. Pickup is at WTF on Saturday, May 11 (9 to noon). HINT: That’s the day before Mother’s Day.
The cost is $85. The look on your mother’s (or wife’s) face will be priceless.
Also at the Farm:
- “Cooking with Herbs,” with chef Laura Weinman (May 16, 7 p.m., $100; BYOB).
- “Make Fruit Preserves” with award-winning preserver Maureen Estony (June 2, 11 to 1 p.m., $100).
- “Spring Cooking for Grades K-2” (May 20; June 3, 10, 17; 4:15 to 5:45 p.m.; $200).
Click here for more details, and registration information.
Say it with flowers, from Wakeman Town Farm.
================================================
Staples’ Service League of Boys were not the only young people doing good deeds this past weekend.
On Sunday, Troop 36 gave Saugatuck Congregational Church — its chartered organization — a new flag. The previous one, which hung in front of the building, was destroyed by winter storms.
But that’s not all.
After helping out with the church service, Troop 36 members cleaned up the outdoor chapel, adjacent to Winslow Park. It was a troop Eagle project years ago.
Scouts cleared the nearby path, removed trash and debris, replenished mulch and fixed the border. They also removed benches with rotted footings, and will replace them soon.
Troop 36, near the outdoor chapel. From left: Jack Donroe, Calvin Jahansouz, Vishal Puttagunta, Dylan O’Brien, Finn Martens, Kevin O’Brien, Eagle Scout Dylan Kurpiel. Missing: Naveen Podlich.
=================================================
On May 6 (4 p.m., Staples Field), the Wrecker baseball team honors the resilience and strength of people who have triumphed over breast cancer.
The event will recognize individuals who have shown exceptional courage in their battle against breast cancer. The first pitch will be thrown by noted breast oncologist, Westport resident Dr. Richard Zelkowitz.
Attendees — who are encouraged to wear pink — will have opportunities to support the Saugatuck “SurviveOars” Rowing Program, purchase pink items, receive pink giveaways, and engage with the Staples High School baseball community.
=================================================
Sure, the temperature climbed near 80 yesterday.
But the temperature was only 48 degrees yesterday morning. And the water was even colder.
That does not deter Andy Berman, who swims nearly every morning. He was joined Monday by Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella and Matt Davis.
“It has so many health positives!” Andrew said.
Through chattering teeth.
From left: Matt Davis, Andrew Colabella, Andy Berman.
==================================================
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival draws 400,000 visitors each year, over 10 days, for a musical and culinary all-you-can-consume buffet.
Proceeds fund civic causes (including recovery from Hurricane Katrina), and keep the spirit of the birthplace of jazz alive. Over the years, Jazz Fest expanded to include a greater variety of musicians. This year’s headliners are the Rolling Stones.
Richard Epstein learned about Jazz Fest from friends, and was hooked. The Staples High School graduate has had a dual career — dentist and musician — since moving back to the area in 1976.
He plays bassoon in the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra, and sax with the Westport Community Band.
But his “ultimate play time” is his radio program. “Sometimes Classical” blends just about every genre of music imaginable. It airs on WPKN-FM (89.5) for 3 hours, every other Wednesday afternoon.
Epstein introduced himself to WWOZ, Jazz Fest’s official radio station, as a kindred free-form spirit. They were starting to simulcast Jazz Fest, letting other media outlets tap into their live coverage.
WPKN is now in its 4th year of simulcasting parts of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Tune in this weekend (May 3-5) for the final weekend of Jazz Fest ’24. Click here to see WPKN’s Jazz Fest programming.
=================================================
Speaking of jazz: This week’s Jazz at the Post features The Jim Royle Caribbean Jazz Connection. Leader and drummer Bryan Garbe has crossed genres of jazz and Caribbean Latin styles for years.
The Connection features Jim’s former student and steel pan player Bryan Garbe. The acclaimed percussionist grew up in Fairfield.
The band also includes John Mobilio on bass, Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall on saxes, and pianist David Childs.
There are 2 shows at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 this Thursday (May 2): 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Dinner service begins at 7. The music cover is $20 ($15 for veterans and students.)
Reservations are strongly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
Jim Royle.
==============================================
Longtime Westport resident Robert McCarthy died Saturday at home, surrounded by family. He was 94.
Bob served in the Navy aboard the USS Zellars, during the Korean conflict. He owned a successful plumbing business for over 60 years, and was known for his “smarts, humor and dedication to his customers.”
He enjoyed his family, golf, the beach and his wife of 68 years Jennie’s homemade manicotti.
Bob coached baseball, and was a member of the VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, the Knights of Columbus, and the Westport Volunteer Fire Department. He also served on the Church of the Assumption Parish Council.
The Norwalk native was predeceased by his wife, sisters Jean and Mary, and brother Walter.
Bob is survived by his children Kevin (Beth) of Westport, Brian (Lena) of Fairfield, Kathy Sabitsky (Stan) of Milford, and Brennan (Jenny) of Westport; grandchildren Justin, Sarah, Kaitlin, Josh, Matt, Nick, Zach, Jack and Charlie; great-grandchild Maeve, and numerous nieces and nephews.
His family will receive friends on Thursday (May 2, 4 to 7 p.m., Magner Funeral Home, 12 Mott Avenue, Norwalk). A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 3, at Assumption Church. Burial with full military honors will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Connecticut Hospice or the Tunnels to Towers Foundation.
Bob McCarthy
==================================================
The recent warm weather has brought people — and gulls — downtown.
Pamela Docters snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” image, by Library Riverwalk.
(Photo/Pamela Docters)
=================================================
And finally … On this day in 1975, Communist forces gained control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ended, with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Dương Văn Minh.
(“06880” — your hyper-local blog — relies on readers like you. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
