What’s up with the log pile at the corner of the Post Road and Roseville Road?
How about a major new project: renovation of Long Lots Elementary School?
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker answers those questions, from Dick Kalt of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.
This Y’s Men podcast is released every 2 weeks. Click below to listen. If you have a question for the next episode, email: westport@ysmenwestportweston.org.
In the wake of yesterday’s elementary school shooting in Texas, police officers were assigned today to all 8 Westport school buildings.
Around noon, the officer at Long Lots Elementary School was alerted to an odor of smoke in the auditorium. Seeing smoke, the officer activated the fire alarm to evacuate the school.
The Westport Fire Department responded with 4 engines, 1 ladder truck, the safety officer and shift commander.
The first arriving unit found the school evacuated and a small fire burning in the wall of the auditorium. The police officer who found the fire had used an extinguisher to put out most of the fire. The fire department gained access to the inside of the wall and extinguished the remaining fire.
The auditorium is behind the main entrance to Long Lots Elementary School.
The small fire was contained to a wall in the auditorium. An investigation by the Westport fire marshal’s office determined the cause to be an electrical short.
Students and staff returned inside shortly before 1 p.m. Out of an abundance of caution, students were dismissed at 1:15 for the rest of the school day.
The fire department was assisted on scene by the Fairfield Fire Department, Westport Police Department and Westport EMS. There were no injuries to first responders, students or staff.
The Westport Fire Department notes, “The quick actions of the police officer and execution of a well-practiced evacuation plan contributed to this successful operation.”
It’s always fun to return to your old elementary school.
Especially if it’s as an Olympic champion.
Fifteen years ago, Julia Marino was a Long Lots student. This morning — now an Olympic silver medalist — she was back.
Before the assembly, Julia and her mother Elaine posed with an “Einstein” costume the Olympian wore in 3rd grade.
Energy was high, as nearly 600 students, staff, central office administrators and PTA members gathered in the auditorium for the first school-wide meeting since COVID struck 2 years ago.
With the Olympic theme playing and Mark Carmody — her former phys. ed. teacher, still at the school — serving as host, Julia came on stage to thunderous applause.
Host Mark Carmody read student questions. Julia Marino answered them all, with honesty and humor.
Video clips showed Julia on her 2nd spectacular slopestyle snowboard run. Students also saw her great display of sportsmanship, piling on the New Zealand athlete who had just edged her out for the gold medal.
“Everyone wants to win. You go to the Olympics to get gold,” Julia told the crowd.
“But it’s so important to be there for your friends. Even if they do better than you, it’s great to support them.”
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice and Julia’s mother Elaine enjoyed the assembly.
Julia answered students’ questions too. They ranged from the names of former teachers, her birthday (September 11) and whether she’s married (no) to her favorite part of the Olympics (“hanging out with my friends from different countries”), what she’d do if she weren’t snowboarding (film and photography), her favorite subjects at Long Lots (PE and art), whether she’s still friends with Long Lots kids (yes!), her other sports (soccer, basketball, softball, skateboarding and more), her favorite video games (Nintendo Switch and Mario Kart), her biggest challenge (overcoming fear of hitting big jumps), and advice to new snowboarders (“get butt pads — you’ll fall a lot”).
After gifts of flowers and a Long Lots swag bag, principal Kim Ambrosio unfurled a sign honoring the Olympic champion. It will hang in the gym.
Principal Kim Ambrosio (far right) and the new sign.
The assembly ended with Julia joining in, as students sang the school song.
Once a Lion, always a Lion.
Julia Marino’s 5th grade writeup, in the Long Lots yearbook. How many elementary school students’ dreams come true?!
IMPORTANT ALERT: The “Roundup” will join me on vacation for a few days. “06880” will continue as usual, but you won’t see the Roundup until the weekend. My apologies — but hey, everyone else is away too!
======================================================
It’s taken a couple of weeks, but the paving projects at Long Lots Elementary School and Wakeman Fields is done. The dust and gravel are finally gone.
That’s good news for everyone — except Splash Car Wash.
(Photo/Dan Woog)
=======================================================
Like the photo above, last night’s Levitt Pavilion concert was a bit soggy.
But Mimi & the Podd Brothers brought their special mix of jazz, classical and soul to an appreciative audience. It was another wonderful night under the stars — even if you couldn’t see them.
The Levitt is dark tonight, as it is every Monday. Click here for the full calendar, and free ticket information.
Mimi & the Podd Brothers (JC Martin)
=======================================================
Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate David Jones has been involved in some very interesting ventures. His latest has him particularly excited.
“Granular fertilizer is destroying the plant,” he says. “There are too many chemicals. The runoff gets into water tables and aquifers.”
NTP Technologies’ new product is water-infused, with nitrogen. There are no chemicals at all.
They’ve built a machine that reacts the plain tap water through electricity, creating high nitrogen content.
“We want to change farming forever,” Jones says. They’ve got a building in Florida, and a strong management team.
Intrigued? Want to learn more? Email djones@ntptechnologies.com.
=====================================================
Today’s soothing “Westport … Naturally” photo reminds us that it is almost mid-August. And that means September is just around the corner…
(Photo/Lauri Weiser)
======================================================
And finally … on this date in 1936, Jesse Owens won his 4th gold medal at the Berlin Olympics.
He was not scheduled to compete in that 4th event — the 4×100 meter sprint relay — but the head coach replaced Jewish sprinters Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller with him and Ralph Metcalfe.
Owens’ performance was said to have “single-handedly crushed Adolf Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy.”
I don’t remember any songs honoring Jesse Owens’ accomplishments. Well, there is one that mentions him — “Jesse Owens,” by the rapper Rowdy Rebel — but it’s got waaaaaay too many drug, misogynistic and “N-word” references to post here.
So these will have to do.
Posted in Education, Entertainment
Tagged David Jones, Levitt Pavilion, Long Lots Elementary School
==================================================
Long Lots Elementary School students love to read. And they love sharing books with others.
The other day, as part of a “Reading Across America” project, students and staff brought in 1,200 new and gently used K-5 children’s books. Bridgeport’s Lighthouse Program will donate them throughout the city. Westport and Bridgeport Police officers, and Connecticut State Police, helped with collection and distribution.
Way to go, Long Lots Lions! (Hat tip: Ned Batlin)
(Photo/Trooper P. Muniz)
======================================================
Sure, you lost an hour of sleep last night. But look what this late winter day has given us:
Blooming crocuses on Riverside Avenue (Photo/Katherine Ross)
=======================================================
Michael Catarevas writes:
“This is what happens when the neighbor on one side has a deer fence on their property, and the other side neighbor’s backyard is swampy. We have drainage pipes in the backyard, so the ground is nice and dry.”
(Photo/Michael Catarevas)
And finally … On this day in 1794, Connecticut’s own Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin.
Posted in Children, Education, Environment, Police
Tagged Crocuses, Deer, Long Lots Elementary School, Westport Police Department
The big day is Tuesday. Nearly 6 months after closing — and a week after the original date — students return to Westport schools.
Many things will be different. They’ll attend in shifts: half in classrooms, half studying remotely. Desks will be 6 feet apart. Some hallways will be one-way. And those are just a few of the changes COVID has wrought.
Some youngsters have not even driven past their schools in half a year. To remind them of what they look like, here is a special “Friday Flashback” drone gallery. All images are courtesy of multi-talented and spectacular Staples High School senior Brandon Malin. (Click on or hover over any photo to enlarge.)
To start off, here’s the school he’s headed back to:
Bedford Middle School
Coleytown Middle School (construction project)
Coleytown Elementary School
Greens Farms Elementary School
Kings HIghway Elementary School
Long Lots Elementary School
Saugatuck Elementary School
Bonus feature: Greens Farms Academy (All drone photos/Brandon Malin)
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a story on High Point Road. In the midst of highlighting all the joys of the longest dead-end street in town — the road I grew up on — I complained that kids there no longer rode bikes to school, the way my friends and I did.
Maybe — because I regularly pass so many parents waiting for their kids’ buses on nearby North Avenue (and don’t get me that they drive to the beginning of roads like Adams Farm and Greystone Farm Roads to pick them up, aaaargh!) — I just assumed that High Point parents did the same.
My bad.
Biking to school from High Point is alive and well. Here’s a shot of Long Lots Elementary the other day:
(Photo/Tally Jacobs)
When they’re older, many youngsters walk from High Point to Bedford Middle School too.
“This time outdoors is an important part of the kids’ day,” says High Point parent Tally Jacobs.
“It says so much about Westport that kids take advantage of their proximity to the schools, the fresh air, the independence and community feeling that results from walking and biking.”
Of course, walking to Staples — directly behind homes on the west side of the road — is a different story. Most High Point kids with their licenses drive to high school — even though it takes longer.
I’m can’t make fun of them for that.
I did the same thing, waaaaay back in the day.
(Hat tip: Amy Hochhauser)
Talented Bridgeport artist Cleiton Ventura painted this mural, at Long Lots Elementary School. He worked on it with assistance from 5th graders.
He also painted this, at the newly opened Chabad of Westport — the former Three Bears restaurant.
Posted in Arts, Children, Education, Pic of the Day, religion
Tagged Chabad of Westport, Cleiton Ventura, Long Lots Elementary School
Amy Chatterjee sent this along, on behalf of a group of Long Lots Elementary School parents:
This past week we learned that we will say farewell to Long Lots principal Jeffery Golubchick.
He is a lifelong educator, who prior to running one of our outstanding elementary schools cut his teeth as a teacher in the New York City public school system (as did both his parents before him!).
Jeffrey Golubchick and Amy Kass. (Photo/Jenny Anderson)
He married his wife Amy last summer in New York City, where they currently live. We think it appropriate to share our thanks publicly for all he has given to the Westport community over the last 2 1/2 years.
Teachers and school administrators come in and out of our children’s lives each year. Whether they plan to stay in our community for a few years or their entire careers, the best educators behave as if they are doing their life’s work. They always look for ways to become better, more knowledgeable, more impactful.
Mr. Golubchick made it his mission to be great at his job. Whether he was focused on curriculum development, bringing the magic of live theater to the lower grades, lobbying for building improvements or taking time to visit every classroom to really know our children and hold our teachers to the highest possible standards, Mr. Golubchick honored his work by doing it the best way he knew how.
No teacher, no staff member and no child was insignificant. Every role was important and worth doing well. He never stopped trying to get better, and challenged those around him to do the same.
Jeffrey Golubchick and the Long Lots Lion, at a school party.
In life we can only hope to bring so much to a role that we fundamentally change the experience for those around us. Too many families to count have stories of Mr. Golubchick’s compassion, professionalism and dedication to this community. Probably hundreds of students have stories of positive interactions with Mr. Golubchick.
We know that any principal must walk a delicate line, simultaneously wearing the hats of disciplinarian, cheerleader, arbitrator, educational architect and advocate for many different constituents. One’s cumulative impact in these multiple roles can never be listed on a resume, and if done right will never please everyone. Mr. Golubchick’s impact will be appreciated and remembered by so many of us who were touched by it.
While Mr. Golubchick will start a new chapter, his legacy will live on for years because of his hard work. From upgrades to the building and the birth of musical theater at Long Lots, to his awareness of the evolving demographics in our community and the needs of working mothers, we will not forget the initiatives that Mr. Golubchick introduced to Long Lots.
Thank you Mr. Golubchick for everything! For giving so much of yourself to each of us, and for your passion and dedication to creating a modern education environment for our children to thrive in. Enjoy whatever will come next for you. We are sure that it, and you, will be great together.
Posted in Children, Education, People
Tagged Amy Chatterjee, Jeffrey Golubchick, Long Lots Elementary School
On a national level, our rhetoric may be white-hot.
Despite that — or maybe because of it — here in Westport, our kids are playing nice.
Long Lots Elementary School has developed a Caring Council. Last week, students and their faculty advisors, Lori Grindrod and Cecilie Schachte — with the full support of principal Jeffrey Golubchick — rolled out an important event for the entire building.
“Kindness Week” included:
Long Lots bus drivers enjoy Kindness Week treats.
The Westport school system has embraced “kindness with sincerity” as a guiding principle. Is it naive to ask if some of our leaders in Washington could follow suit?
(Hat tip: Amy Chatterjee)
Long Lots 3rd graders created this quilt, showing what kindness means to them.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)