Sustainable Westport takes their mission seriously.
And means much more than just composting, recycling and electric vehicles.
Next month, the non-profit teams up with the Senior Center and Westport woman’s Club to collect lightly used durable medical equipment, to support Wheel It Forward. Click here for a full list of items (there are many!).
Crutches, canes, wheelchairs and similar items can be dropped off at the Woman’s Club (44 Imperial Avenue), on Saturday, November 15 (8 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, November 16 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
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In 2022 Westport Writers’ Workshop lost longtime instructor Jessica Speart to breast cancer.
To honor her life, and so many others affected by the disease, they’re hosting a fundraiser this Thursday (October 16, 6:30 p.m.).
This is not your usual gala. It’s not even a party.
For $50, participants can join instructor and breast cancer survivor Christine Pakkala in writing to prompts.
In a Heartbeat — the life-saving organization that offers free screenings for children, teens and young adults, to prevent death from sudden cardiac arrest — celebrates 10 years of saving lives this Thursday (October 16).
From 6 to 9 p.m. (Aitoro Appliances, 401 Westport Avenue, Norwalk), guests will enjoy great food from restaurants like Kawa Ni and Gruel Britannia, raffles and a live auction.
Nearly 80,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s in Connecticut.
Many more family members and friends are affected by the disease, as caregivers.
On October 26 (10 a.m.), the annual Fairfield County Walk to End Alzheimer’s steps off at a new location: Sherwood Island State Park. Dave Briggs is the MC.
Angela Buchdahl is one of the most influential rabbis in America — and a longtime colleague and mentor of Temple Israel’s Rabbi Michael Friedman and Cantor Julia Cadrain.
On October 28 (7 p.m.) she’ll be at Temple Israel, discussing her new book. “Heart of a Stranger” is a stirring account of her journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming an internationally admired religious leader. Click here to register, and for more information.
This morning, “06880” reported on the first day of construction for the new Long Lots Elementary School. Homeowners just south of the property reported that carefully drawn plans had been disregarded, resulting in clearance of an estimated 6,000 square feet of mature vegetation and growth beyond the construction road.
This afternoon, the Long Lots School Building Committee responded. They told “06880”:
This statement is intended to address the story regarding the over-clearing of vegetation on the Long Lots campus in close proximity to a resident’s home. We would like to explain what happened, and what steps are being taken to address the situation.
Despite the extensive planning and multiple site visits conducted to review the area on the east side of the Long Lots campus which was designated for limited clearing, some additional vegetation beyond the intended scope was mistakenly removed by the contractor as the road for construction vehicles was installed.
It was a mistake and should not have happened. The issue has been reviewed extensively with all involved to ensure mistakes like this are not repeated.
Pre- and post-construction views.
To remedy the situation, a plan has been developed to plant a large evergreen buffer (in addition to similar plantings which will be planted on the site in the future) in the affected area within the next 1 to 2 weeks.
The homeowner who is most affected by this over-clearing will be involved in the placement of the trees in advance of the plantings. The Building Committee’s project manager has already been in contact with the homeowner. A separate letter to Planning and Zoning which details this remediation is also in the process of being delivered.
While we sincerely regret this error at the start of the new school construction process, we also see the proposed remediation as an opportunity to improve the plans for the final result. Upon project completion, the landscape buffer between the school property and the residence closest to the east side of the campus will be enhanced over the previous mix of unkept trees and the initial proposed single layer of evergreens.
Again, we regret the mistake and we will work to ensure it is not repeated.
Plans are moving forward for the new Long Lots Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker reports that the end of this month, or early October, will see “groundbreaking for the geothermal wells and site mobilization.” It’s the first major step in the construction process.
For updates, documents and more details, click here.
He was 33 years old. Today, he would be a grandfather.
Jonathan’s wife, Julie Whamond, is a Westport resident, and Representative Town Meeting member. She also volunteers as a docent, at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York.
Yesterday she and fellow RTM member Andrew Colabella visited the museum. They paused in front of a mural of blue tiles. Each represents one of the 2,977 people killed that tragic day, 24 years ago.
Andrew Colabella and Julie Whamond, at the 9/11 Museum.
Behind that wall is where the chief medical examiner office’s. Nearly a quarter century later, they store and test remains every day. Over 1,000 have yet to be discovered.
Part of Jonathan’s remains are kept on site. It is the final resting place for many victims.
As a docent, Andrew says, Julie tells the story of 9/11, and her personal connection to it. It, and she, serve as “a primary source of evidence of the impacts of terrorism that day,” he says.
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Tomorrow’s Slice of Saugatuck is on!
Delayed one week by rain, the annual Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event will fill Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place and Bridge Square with 7 bands, tons of kids’ activities, retail offerings — and more 2 dozen restaurants and food purveyors, handing out tasty samples.
The Norwalk Art Space’s Arts Bash will have a very distinct Westport flavor.
The October 9 event (6 p.m., 455 West Avenue, Norwalk) — featuring exhibits, music, cocktails and gourmet bites, raising funds to provide free art education and exhibition opportunities to under-represented students and artists — will honor Melissa Newman, for her many contributions to arts and arts education.
The longtime Westport resident is a noted artist, writer, teacher, sculptor, painter — and jazz singer.
A Norwalk Art Space board member, Newman is also a dedicated mentor. “Her multifaceted artistic career and deep-rooted passion for the next generation of creatives make her an ideal honoree for this year’s celebration,” the Art Space says.
Another Westport connection: The Arts Bash co-chair is local resident Dale Najarian.
During the Gilded Age, America’s favorite sage, sociologist, philosopher and
news analyst was Mr. Dooley — a bartender invented by Chicago newspaper editor Finley Peter Dunne.
Though hardly remembered today, Dunne’s humorous newpaper columns were read all over the world. Mr. Dooley’s opinions were read at White House cabinet meetings; robber barons and politicians lived in fear of the bartender’s sarcasm.
Starting tonight, Mr. Dooley comes to life at the Westport Community Theatre in “Dooley at the Bar,” a one-man show created and performed by Alexander Kulcsar.
The play — which opens WCT’s 68th season — runs for 10 performances, on Fridays and Saturdays (7:30 p.m.) and Sundays (2 p.m.), through September 28.
The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters and State Representative Jonathan Steinberg discuss “climate wins from the 2025 legislative session, and plans for the future” on September 17 (9:30 a.m., Westport Library). The public is invited.
The American Parkinson Disease Association Connecticut Chapter holds its annual “Optimism Walk” at Sherwood Island State Park on September 20 (11 a.m.). The event raises awareness and funds. Click here for more information.
School has begun. The temperature is slowly dropping.
But the Levitt Pavilion continues to offer great entertainment.
DNR — the nearly-all-physician classic rock band — played to an enthusiastic crowd last night.
They’ll be back again just a few yards away on November 1. That show is indoors, at the Westport Library. It’s a benefit for Norwalk Hospital’s Whittingham Cancer Center.
Westport’s interesting race for 1st selectman just got even more intriguing.
David Rosenwaks will be the town’s first-ever Independent Party-endorsed candidate. Having secured more than enough signatures, he’ll have his own line on the November 4 ballot.
He joins Democratic-endorsed Kevin Christie, and Don O’Day, the Republican-endorsed candidate who is now unaffiliated.
Rosenwaks, 48, spent 25 years as an unaffiliated voter. He became a Democrat less than a year ago, but is now joining the Independent Party.
David Rosenwaks
Party politics is one of the reasons Rosenwaks is running for the town’s top job. A first-term member of the non-partisan Representative Town Meeting, he says, “I want to change the tenor of town government. As an Independent, I’ll answer to one entity: Westport and its citizens.
“A lot of decisions have been made before weighing all views. A lot of people feel unheard and undervalued.”
Rosenwaks envisions a return to former 1st Selectwoman Diane Farrell’s “Brown Bag Lunches.” A member of the RTM’s Information Technology Committee, he also hopes to “modernize and digitize” the town’s technology system.
Rosenwaks and his wife, actor Liz Fye, moved to Westport from New York at the beginning of COVID. They felt “blessed” by the school system, Library, beaches and rich arts heritage.
Rosenwaks dove into all aspects of the town. He attended commission and TEAM Westport meetings, Westport Library events, the Senior Center, the Westport Country Playhouse and more. He is a member of the Westport Arts Advisory Committee, joined the Citizens Police Academy, served on the PTA Council in a technology role, and coached recreation soccer.
“I learned a lot from the people who have been here for years,” Rosenwaks said. “They helped me understand how this town grew and evolved into what it is now.”
At the same time, he says, “Westport is at an inflection point. The average age is 39 to 45, depending on the data you use. We’re ready for the next evolution of the town. I’m confident I can be the bridge between those who have been here for decades, and the more recent arrivals.”
His RTM District 6 race was very competitive: 7 candidates for 4 seats. He knocked on 700 doors, and heard a diversity of viewpoints on a variety of topics.
David Rosenwaks
In the past 5 years, Westport has grappled with some major controversies.
Rosenwaks — a Long Lots Elementary School parent — was disturbed by the overcrowding and neglect at his children’s school. At the same time, he says, “the Community Gardeners should have been handled differently. They deserved a more honest approach up front.”
Redistricting 30 children “across the river, at 2 of the worst times of day” was an example of decisions being made “piecemeal, not holistically,” he says.
Rosenwaks was also disturbed at the Board of Education’s handling of Staples High’s soccer coaches.
“Over 100 kids sat in Town Hall for 14 hours,” he says. “Their voices were not heard. They were disilliulsioned. That’s a problem for their future, and the future of the town.”
As for the Hamlet, he says, “the majority of people in Westport want some development. But not to the extent of what was proposed. How did we get here, held hostage by a developer that doesn’t connect with what most people want?”
after graduating from Dartmouth College, Rosenwaks joined Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup as an investment banker.
He then co-founded a multi-billion dollar asset management firm, StoneCastle Partners. After selling it a decade later he pivoted to singing, songwriting and art collecting.
He’s recorded with Paul Shaffer and Phil Ramone. Rosenwaks’ original music has appeared in independent films. He headlined shows at the Public Theater, Joe’s Pub, and BB King’s.
Now, he says, “I spend most of my time dedicated to the town.”
Which brings him back to the reason he is running.
“I want what’s best for my family, my neighbors, and the town of Westport,” Rosenwaks says.
“I want everyone to feel involved. Whether it’s Jesup Green or a parking lot, every decision should be about what’s best for Westport.”
To run on the Independent Party line, Rosenwaks needed signatures from 1% of the number of people who voted in the previous selectperson’s race: 85 registered voters.
He submitted 132.
Now he awaits official certification, from the Independent Party.
He is running solo for the top spot. According to the Town Charter, if a person elected 1st selectman “has not been nominated by political party, the 2 defeated chandidates for First Selectman having the high number of votes shall be elected Selectman.”
It is unclear if that means the 2nd and 3rd selectmen would be the 2 other candidates for that position (Christie and O’Day, in whichever order they finish), or if the candidates of the runner-up party with the most runner-up votes would serve as 2nd and 3rd selectpersons, respectively (Christie and Amy Wistreich, or O’Day and Andrea Moore).
Either way, Rosenwaks says, “I will be happy to work with any combinatiion of ‘defeated candidates. Leadership comes from the top.”
There will be no referendum on Long Lots Elementary School.
Toni Simonetti had 14 days to collect 2,015 signatures — 10% of all eligible voters in the most recent election. She hoped to slash the proposed $103,190,124 expenditure for a new school to $90 million.
Yesterday was the petition deadline. Only 71 signatures were turned in. The drive was 1,944 signatures short.
Planning will proceed for a new Long Lots, without a referendum.
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Good news!
The most recent bacteria tests for Compo and Burying Hill came back negative yesterday. The beaches have reopened.
Whew!
Everyone back in the water! (Photo/Rowene Weems)
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Tickets are selling well for Wednesday’s fireworks show at Compo Beach — aka Westport’s Best Party of the Year. Only a small number remain.
A few residents have asked about this year’s price increase, the first in several years.
Westport PAL — the longtime co-sponsor, and beneficiary of the fundraiser — explains that costs have risen dramatically for everything: the barge, insurance, and the fireworks themselves.
Melissa and Doug Bernstein generously underwrite part of the costs, as they’ve done for years. Without their help, PAL would net only about $2,000.
Proceeds helps fund PAL programs that serve programs that serve thousands of youngsters each year, plus the Longshore skating rink and college scholarships. Click here to learn more about PAL.
Tickets (cash or check) are available at the Parks & Recreation Commission office at Longshore (near the golf course first tee) during office hours, and any time at the Westport police station on Jesup Road.
Westport’s greatest party returns July 2. (Photo/Elissa Moses)
Our second “06880” Instagram Live yesterday was certainly lively.
Dave Briggs and Dan Woog explored the “Don’t Kill the Old Mill” campaign, in support of Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
And we did it from the communal table, inside the very popular Hillspoint Road spot.
We were joined by several OMG notables, including owner Graziano Ricco of Romanacci’s; Jim Hood and Ian Warburg of the non-profit Soundview Empowerment Alliance, owner of the 106-year-old building, Matthew Mandell of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce, and Chris Tait, an Old Mill neighbor and staunch supporter.
They explained what OMG means to the neighborhood. We took questions from viewers too.
The Levitt Pavilion offers 2 free shows, and 1 other, this weekend.
The Tom Petty Project kicks things off tonight (Friday, 7:30 p.m.). All free tickets have been claimed, but returned tickets will be redistributed at the box office before the show.
A few tickets are still available, at various prices, for tomorrow’s Disco Biscuits cconcert (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.).
Artemis takes the stage Sunday (7 p.m.), for a free show.
Edwin A. Audley — a former Westport Police captain, and founder of the Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service — died last month in Winter Haven, Florida. He was 87.
The Westport native graduated from Staples High School in 1955. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1958, then joined the Army Reserves as a senior aircraft mechanic until 1962.
Ed joined the Westport Police Department in 1961. He was promoted to sergeant, lieutenant, inspector, then captain in 1990. He retired in 1993.
Ed founded the WVEMS in 1979. He became an Emergency Medical Technician instructor in 1987.
In Florida, Ed was president of the Winter Haven Rose Society.
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth; brother Harry Audley (Pat), daughters Kimberly, Susan Palmer (Mark) and Victoria; 4 grandchildren, 5 great- grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on July 12 (Assumption Church, 10 a.m.).
Click here to leave online condolences. Donations can be made to the Edwin Audley Scholarship Fund, c/o Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, 50 Jesup Rd. Westport, CT 06880.
Ed Audley
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Former Westporter Priscilla Boyle died last Friday, surrounded by her family. She was 96.
She graduated from Lesley College, then taught kindergarten in Watertown, Massachusetts for 9 years before marrying Charles Boyle in 1958. They moved to Westport in 1963, and raised 3 children here.
Priscilla was involved with tennis, the Weston Field Club and bridge.
She was an active member of Assumption Church for over 6 decades. She shared her faith through Eucharistic Ministry, prayer groups, book clubs and as a catechism teacher, with a special dedication to preparing children for their First Communion.
Later, Priscilla became a welcoming presence at the Westport YMCA as a receptionist.
Priscilla was predeceased by her husband and her siblings Mary Alice Connolly, James W. Scanlan, Anne T. “Nancy” Batal and Francis V. Scanlan. al.
She is survived by her children Charles “Chip,” Susan Improta (Paul), and Elizabeth Boyle; grandsons Kenneth and Philip Improta, sister-in-law Alice Scanlan, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A celebration of Priscilla’s life will be held at Assumption Church on July 15 (11 a.m.). In lieu of flowers, donations in Priscilla’s memory may be made to Smile Train.
Priscilla Boyle
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June is ending the way it began: with plenty of colors.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” yellow-and-green scene is from Whitney Street.
And finally … Mick Ralphs — the Mott the Hoople and Bad Company guitarist/ songwriter — died. He was 81, and had bedridden after suffering a stroke in 2016. Click here for a full obituary.
(You’re in good company if you support “06880” with a tax-deductible contribute. Please click here. And thank you!)
On Thursday, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) unanimously approved a $103 million request, for the new Long Lots Elementary School project.
Toni Simonetti says the actual cost is $129 million.
She thinks it should cost $90 million. Now she’s gathering signatures on a petition for a referendum, to decrease the appropriation to that sum.
It’s no easy task. She needs 1,860 signatures — 10% of the town’s registered voters — by June 26.
Simonetti — a longtime Westport Community Gardens member, and vocal opponent of replacing the gardens with an athletic field — does not oppose the new school.
In fact, she says, she wants a new building to replace the current “rotting, moldy, unhealthy and shabby” one,
However, she says, $129 million is too much. Her figure is based on the $103 million appropriation; $6.7 million previous allocated, and $20 million in debt service interest.
She says that will result in a 4% tax increase, beginning next year. That would translate, she says, to $1,200 more per year for a $2.1 million home, the Westport average. Personal property and motor vehicle taxes will rise 4% too.
Simonetti posted those figures, and more — including her issues with the RTM process — on Substack.
Artist’s rendering of the proposed Long Lots courtyard.
But a variety of businesses in Saugatuck Center invite everyone to block party this Sunday (June 22, 2 to 4 p.m.).
In and around the Whelk plaza, there will be live music, small bites, lawn games, and fun for all ages. It’s sponsored by “your favorite local businesses.”
See you there!
Block party time!
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Alex Edelman — called “the Jewish voice of his generation,” whose shows blur the line between standup comedy and narrative-driven storytelling — brings his show to Temple Israel next month (July 30, 7 p.m.).
And finally … on this date in 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, spent the next 17 years building her mausoleum. Today we know it as the Taj Mahal.
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice sent this note today to Westport families and faculty:
As you have likely heard already (good news travels fast!), last night the RTM voted to approve construction of a brand-new, state-of-the-art Long Lots Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool!
This decision marks a transformative moment for our students, our educators, and the entire Westport community.
As I mentioned last night, this vote is far more than an approval of bricks and mortar, it is a testament to our values, reflecting our town’s unwavering commitment to our children, to public education, and to a future which will continue to be built on decades of excellence in our schools.
We have long known that the Long Lots facility has reached the end of its useful life, and that the miraculous work in Stepping Stones Preschool has been performed in subpar settings.
The current Long Lots Elementary School …
I would be remiss in not acknowledging the people who have performed at the highest levels, in inferior conditions, namely, the maintenance team who have kept these schools spotless in spite of worsening conditions, the faculty and support staff who have delivered year in and year out, and the administrative team who have led through disruption, facility failures, and emotional distress.
Finally, on behalf of the entire district, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the parents of Long Lots and Stepping Stones. You spoke up, showed up, and never gave up, even knowing your own children might not benefit directly. You stood up not just for your own families, but for future generations of Westport students. Your selfless advocacy is a powerful reminder of what it means to believe in something bigger than ourselves.
This moment did not happen by chance. It was made possible by years of advocacy from our Board of Education, support from our Board of Finance and First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker, and thoughtful planning (and hours and hours of work) from our Long Lots School Building Committee and town staff.
Finally, I want to thank the RTM for the rigor of their approval process, and for the unanimous vote last night, sending a strong message of values to the entire community.
… and the new one.
We now turn toward an exciting chapter, the design and construction of a future-facing school that will serve generations to come. One that will be safe, sustainable, inclusive and inspiring, a space that supports every student and reflects the values of the community around it.
This is a proud day for Westport. And it’s just the beginning.
We’ll be sharing more about next steps and opportunities to stay engaged in the coming weeks and months.
For now, let’s take a moment to celebrate—this celebratory moment belongs to the entire community.
Last night, the Representative Town Meeting unanimously approved a new Long Lots Elementary School.
The long — and long-delayed — project got the final go-ahead, after recent approvals from a variety of other town bodies.
Artist’s rendering of the Long Lots Elementary School courtyard.
Work remains — including putting the $103.2 million contract out to bid.
The only delay would be a townwide referendum, based on the cost. A petition would need to be signed by 10% of registered voters — 1,860 people — by June 27.
But when the vote was over last night, town officials — including selectwomen, RTM and Board of Education members, and the Long Lots School Building Committee — headed the short distance from Town Hall to the Spotted Horse, to celebrate.
(Photo/Andrea Moore)
From left: Don O’Day, Jay Keenan, Tim Wetmore, Joe Renzulli, Kevin Christie, Srikanth Puttagunta, Liz Heyer. All are on the Long Lots School Building Commitee, including ex officio members Christie (Board of Education) and Heyer (Board of Finance). (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
The Staples High School boys lacrosse team shoots for the state championship tomorrow (Saturday).
The Wreckers — seeded #3 in the “LL” (extra large schools) tournament — take on #4 Darien. Faceoff is 12:30 p.m., at Fairfield University.
That’s the same stadium where — 3 days ago — the blue-and-whites scored a spectacular semifinal victory.
Down 9-5 with less than 5 minutes to play, they stunned #2 Ridgefield with 5 straight goals. Tristan Schaefer netted the game winner, with just 2.4 seconds remaining.
Will Fleming had tied it up 9-9, with 33 seconds to go. Adam Udell notched the 2 goals before that.
Coach Will Koshansky’s squad is gunning for their 3rd state title in 4 years. They won it all in 2022 and ’23 — the first Connecticut championships in their history.
Go Wreckers!
Tristan Schaefer (91) celebrates his clutch game-winning goal against Ridgefield. (Photo courtesy of Staples Boys Lacrosse)
Speaking of sports: Last August, Ben Casparius was pulled up from the minor leagues, to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Two months later, he helped pitch them to a World Series championship.
This spring, the 2017 Staples High School graduate secured a roster spot with the team, as a relief pitcher.
Now he’s a starter.
According to MLBTradeRumors.com, “he’s done nothing but produce in the majors …. His 44 innings of work this season have seen him produce a 2.86 ERA with a 1.89 FIP while striking out 26.0% of his opponents and walking just 5.1%. Those numbers are nothing short of brilliant.”
The Yankee Doodle Fair — for a century, Westport’s favorite end-of-school tradition — opened last night.
It continues today and this weekend, at the Westport Woman’s Club and adjacent Imperial Avenue parking lot.
Today (Friday) it’s 6 to 10 p.m. Tomorrow (Saturday) the fair runs from 1 to 10 p.m. It winds up Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m.
In addition to carnival rides and games, there is plenty of food. And, of course, a raffle. Proceeds from the fair help the Woman’s Club fund many charitable activities and scholarships.
(Photo/Lauri Weiser)
More photos to come tomorrow, from the very talented Ryan Allen!
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Elle Michel Deran is an actor, the founder of Pussyboy Apparel, one of the nation’s leading trans influencers, and a 2013 Staples High School graduate.
Now — smack in the middle of Pride Month — she and Ezra Deran Michel are featured in a Cosmpolitan project called “Love Transcends.”
In it, the couple — who just moved from Los Angeles to a tiny town in Jalisco, Mexico — talkabout why they left the US, sobriety, “how accountability can be sexy, and why both being trans makes it easier to cope whenever their relationship gets tough.”
The Wakeman Town Farm farm stand opens tomorrow (Saturday, June 14).
It will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It features fresh produce, honey, artisanal baked goods, extra virgin olive oils and gourmet balsamic vinegars, Chaga mushroom elixirs and salsas — plus fresh cut flower bouquets and WTF logowear.
Visitors can also walk through the gardens, say hi to the animals, and chat with the farmers.
Meanwhile, Wakeman Town Farm is looking for volunteers (ages 16+) to prepare and plant gardens (Wednesdays and Fridays, 2 to 4:30 p.m.). Email info@wakemantownfarm.org.
Among their many tasks, Westport’s League of Women Voters does a great job educating residents about the political process — everything from registering and voting, to why municipal elections are important.
Yesterday, LWV members got educated themselves.
The guest speaker at their annual luncheon was Stephanie Thomas. Connecticut’s secretary of the state spoke in depth — and passionately — about our relatively new early voting process. She provided background, statistics, and strong affirmation for its impact on turnout.
She also stressed the need for continuing voter education.
That’s what the League of Women Voters does constantly. And as Thomas knows, in Westport they do it very, very well.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, at the LWV’s annual meeting at Green’s Farms Church. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Much of today’s national politics has been called a dumpster fire. We can argue that all day.
But yesterday, there was a literal dumpster fire on Hales Court.
Quick work by the Westport Fire Department kept it from spsreading to a nearby residence.
There are still a few random spots in town — a bank and store, for example — with signs or floor decals reminding patrons of the need for “social distance.”
That COVID-era phrase is now just a bad memory. If we notice the notices at all, we just ignore them.
But what about these signs, at Fresh Market?
(Photo/Dan Woog)
When was the last time anyone called in a curbside order?
Probably the same time the sidewalk and road in front of the entrance was not under construction.
Julie Loparo of Westport Animal Shelter Advocates writes: “We hope to find not only a possible owner, but to secure donations for a young cat’s emergency care.
“After being struck by a car on Tuesday, on Easton Road, he was taken to the VCA emergency clinic in Norwalk by Westport animal control officer Joe Saponare. He has been treated for shock, abrasions and a fractured pelvis.
“He will be released to the care of a WASA volunteer today. His emergency care to date has cost $2,750. Donations can be made here. For more information, email wasa1@optonline.net, or call (203) 557-0361.
Emergency cat care needed.
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Speaking of animals: Deer are everywhere in Westport.
Including Old Mill Beach.
Robin Tauck spotted this pair yesterday — heading in opposite directions — and sent us this photo, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Robin Tauck)
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And finally … happy Friday the 13th!
(From sports stars to trans influencers, and Wakeman Town Farm to the League of Women Voters, “06880” is where Westport meets the world. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Long Lots Elementary School project took a major step forward last night. The Board of Finance voted unanimously to approve a $103 million request for the new building.
The final step comes tonight (Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium). The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) has 2 agenda items: to approve the same appropriation request, and to approve the actual application by the town “to construct a new elementary school, parking lot, athletic fields, playgrounds, and associated site and utility work.”
Artist’s rendering of the new Long Lots Elementary School.
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There’s a lot of news today from the Westport Country Playhouse.
Bruce Miller — archivist for the 94-year-old theater — offers these details on Tony Awards won on Sunday by Playhouse “alumni”:
Natalie Venetia Belcon won Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for “Buena Vista Club.” She appeared in the 2007 Playhouse production of “Being Alive!”
Sam Pinkleton earned Best Direction of a Play for “Oh, Mary!” He was in the 2010 WCP production of “She Loves Me.”
Francis Jue won Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for “Yellow Face.” He was seen in this year’s Script in Hand reading of “Back Talk.”
Other Playhouse alums who worked on “Buena Vista Social Club” were set designer Arnolfo Maldonado (who designed the WCP’s “4000 Miles,” and wig designer J.Jared Janus (who, among many other plays, recently did “Theatre People.” (Hat tip: Dave Matlow)
The Westport Country Playhouse stage is not too far — geographically or artistically — from Broadway.
In addition, the Playhouse will participate in “Connecticut Open House Day” on Saturday (June 14, 1 to 5 p.m.).
The free event includes self-guided backstage tours, kids’ activities, music and food trucks.
At 1, artistic director Mark Shanahan unveils the 2025-26 productions. Anyone renewing or purchasing a subscription will be entered to win 2 tickets to an upcoming show.
One of the coolest parts of a Playhouse tour: the hundreds of head shots lining the walls, near the dressing rooms and green room. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Meanwhile, the Playhouse has just added a new solo play.
“The Goldsmith” (July 11, 8 p.m., Lucille Lortel White Barn) stems from Broadway actress Sharone Sayegh’s true family’s journey.
It’s “a treasury of stories woven through the golden jewelry passed down through her family across countries, borders, and generations. Each piece of jewelry takes us further along her family’s journey from Iraq to Israel, and then to America, where Sharone grapples for love as a first generation Iraqi, Israeli, American Jew.”
It was a powerful performance, with Broadway veterans taking on the characters and belting out 18 songs — some pop, some ballads — all written by Sophie.
The packed house gave Sophie and the actors a standing ovation.
Veteran TV journalist Anne Craig chatted with Sophie about the musical: why she wrote it, and how much of the material mirrors her own life experience.
And finally … we cannot sum up the life of Brian Wilson better than the New York Times‘ Ben Sisario does:
Brian Wilson, who as the leader and chief songwriter of the Beach Boys became rock’s poet laureate of surf-and-sun innocence but also an embodiment of damaged genius through his struggles with mental illness and drugs, has died. He was 82.
Like many “06880” readers of a certain age, I saw them in concert several times. One time, in Miami, they were young and fresh — and the opening act was a pre-“Piano Man” Billy Joel.
Decades later, at a Levitt Pavilion fundraiser, the “Boys of Summer” had morphed into a listless version of the “Grandfathers of Summer.” Brian Wilson had stopped performing long before.
But today, let’s remember his genius — and the music that made us all feel young and immortal.
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To run on the Independent Party line, Rosenwaks needed signatures from 1% of the number of people who voted in the previous selectperson’s race: 85 registered voters.
