Tag Archives: Lyman

Roundup: MLK, Lyman, Christmas Trees …

Posted on January 12, 2026 | 11 comments

A reminder: The upcoming Martin Luther King holiday includes 2 important local events.

The speaker for the 20th annual celebration is Jelani Cobb. The renowned journalist, scholar, and dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism will be in conversation this on Saturday (January 17, 1 p.m., Westport Library) with novelist, playwright, filmmaker — and Westport resident — Trey Ellis.

Cobb is a Peabody Award winner, Pulitzer Prize finalist, MSNow political analyst, and New Yorker staff writer. He has written books on Barack Obama and the hip hop aesthetic, in addition to editing other volumes and producing numerous documentaries.

The annual MLK celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport Museum for History & Culture, and the Westport/Weston Clergy Association. The event is free; click here to register.

Jelani Cobb

On Monday (January 19), the Westport Country Playhouse hosts a free screening of the Emmy-winning 2019 documentary “True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality.”

The film focuses on Stevenson’s life and career — particularly his indictment of the US criminal justice system for its role in codifying modern systemic racism — and tracks the intertwined histories of slavery, lynching, segregation and mass incarceration.

The film also documents the monumental opening of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, dedicated to the more than 4,400 lynching victims.

The screening is followed by a discussion with Ellis — one of the film’s executive producers — and TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey Jr., along with questions from the audience. Click here for more information.

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The New York Times ran a photo of Lyman, Ukraine yesterday.

There were 2 connections to Westport — and an ominous caption.

The image — illustrating a story about Russian President Putin’s silence in the wake of President Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro — showed a Ukrainian artillery brigade near Lyman. The town, in the Donetsk region has been a sister city of Westport since shortly after the Russian invasion.

The caption in the online version said simply, “A Ukrainian soldier from the 63rd Mechanized Brigade firing toward a Russian target in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday.”

The print version was much more ominous. It added: “Capturing Lyman is currently a top Russian priority.”

The other connection: The shot was taken by Tyler Hicks. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Times photographer is a 1988 Staples High School graduate.

(Photo/Tyler Hicks for the New York Times)

Hicks had another Ukraine photo yesterday too — on page 1.

There is actually a third Westport connection. Ukraine Aid International — the boots-on-the-ground non-profit, founded by Westporters Marshall and Brian Mayer — continues to collect funds for our sister city.

To donate monthly or one time, just click here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo.) (Hat tip: Bob Mitchell)

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Christmas — even all 12 days of it — are in the rearview mirror.

Also in the rearview mirror (if you’re parking a certain way at the Imperial Avenue lot): dozens of Christmas trees.

Hundreds are stacked neatly in the back.

Toni Simonetti — who sends this photo, with Max waiting patiently in front — wonders if this is where they’re stored, after being picked up by local Scouts.

However they got there, she says: “They smell glorious!”

(Photo/Toni Simonetti)

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Looking for an advanced astro-photography workflow tutorial?

The Westport Astronomical Society’s free lecture series has exactly that.

On February 10 (7 p.m.), veteran WAS astro-photographer Michael Southam offers tips on taking images from the planning stage, through data acquisition, subframe selection, stacking and processing. Attendees should bring a laptop. Click here to register. Click here to become a WAS member. 

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Our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature looks for beauty, wherever our readers find it in town.

Ellen Wentworth spotted this arrangement the other day, at a Senior Center luncheon.

(Photo/Ellen Wentworth)

It’s a little touch, sure. But it sure goes a long way to brighten up this winter.

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And finally … Bob Weir — a founding member who helped catapult the laid-back Grateful Dead into the music stratosphere — died last week. He was 78.

Click here for a full obituary.

BONUS FEATURE: Back in the day, in his Westport studio, filmmaker/animator Jeff Scher made this video for the “Ace of Cups.” The all-female 1960s San Francisco band got reunited after 50 years. Bob Weir was one of several musicians who joined in.

The video is mostly abstract, but includes a portrait of Weir near the beginning.

(Another week, another Monday with a Roundup that roams from our sister city to outer space. And another reminder: “06880” relies on support from readers like you. Please click here to help. Thanks!)

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Posted in Library, Media, Politics, Westport Country Playhouse

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Westport’s Ukrainian Sister City Under Siege

Posted on September 22, 2025 | 3 comments

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the world reacted with horror.

Westport reacted with donations: money, vital goods, help for children, and much more.

Spurred by brothers Brian Mayer and Marshall — Westport natives who founded Ukraine Aid International, a boots-on-the-ground non-profit that delivered needed supplies quickly and efficiently, in the most affected parts of the country — we became the first town in Connecticut to form a sister city relationship with Ukraine.

We were joined by Marigny-le-Lozon, our French sister city for 80 years, since the end of World War II.

In less than a month at Christmastime 2022, Westport raised over $250,000. Our friends in Lyman received (literally) tons of desperately needed goods.

Ukraine Aid International delivered communication equipment, police and trash vehicles, bulletproof vests for utility workers, and portable heaters. Funds from “06880” readers also paid for repairs to hundreds of apartments, plus meals, children’s gifts and more.

Holiday meals in Lyman, 2022.

A second effort brought in over $60,000, for 2 wood pellet machines. Each provided heat all winter long, to 1,000 Lyman residents.

Last year’s holiday drive helped send children from the town to a therapeutic camp in the Carpathian Mountains. Scattered around the country after evacuations, they reunited with friends and teachers.

For 10 days in winter and summer they hiked, played sports, did crafts and art therapy, enjoyed music, watchd movies, and had game nights.

They also took classes, and studied. Through Starlink, they talked to their parents online.

More than three years in, the war in Ukraine has faded from the headlines. But conditions in our sister city are more dire than ever.

Last week, UAI officials spoke with Lyman mayor Oleksander Zhuravliov. His update was both sobering and inspiring.

The town — in the Donetsk region — remains on the front line.

Drones, artillery and glide bombs strike daily. Civilians — elderly families, cars on the road, even mobile shops — are constantly targeted. Six fire trucks and a water carrier have been destroyed.

One scene of recent damage in Lyman …

Yet against all odds, 6,000 residents remain.

Children have been evacuated. Emergency crews and ordinary citizens hold the line.

It’s difficult. Just days ago, during the distribution of pensions in a nearby village, Russian shelling killed 24 elderly residents, and wounded 19 more.

… and another.

To keep Lyman’s community together, a new sister city partnership with Kremenchuk is underway.

The city has set aside 3 large buildings. They’ll be repurposed as housing for displaced families and the elderly; a rehabilitation hub for veterans, and a  medical and social center for children

The project ensures that Lyman’s people remain connected and cared for, until they can return home.

Westport’s donated trash trucks helped restore life after de-occupation, and have been pulled away further from the front lines.

The UAI pellet production line that keeps residents warm in winter may need to be moved again, so it continues to provide heat for the people of Lyman and Donetsk Oblast.

Grateful for a portable stove.

UAI is in constant contact with Lyman leadership, offering aid and support after every devastating attack.

Lyman feels emptier with its children spread across safer regions of Ukraine. But even in exile, they continue their studies online. They proudly report they have already earned 13 national medals.

For the past 3 Christmases, UAI has brought presents to the children of Lyman, in partnership with Westport and Marigny.

This year the tradition will continue, with gifts distributed across Ukraine.

Contributions made now will help immeasurably. Click here to donate online, and for information on checks, Venmo, Patreon and wire transfer.

Under the “Support for” dropdown menu. choose “Lyman.”

Ukraine Aid International — and our friends in our sister city of Lyman — thank you!

 

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Connecticut/Donetsk “Sister State” Alliance Signed. Westport/Lyman Led The Way.

Posted on August 8, 2025 | Comments Off on Connecticut/Donetsk “Sister State” Alliance Signed. Westport/Lyman Led The Way.

Governor Ned Lamont and Governor Vadym Filashkin, his counterpart in Ukraine’s Donestk oblast, signed a historic “sister state” agreement yesterday.

No other US state has a relationship with an oblast in a war-ravaged section of that country.

And it all started in Westport.

Brian and Marshall Mayer — brothers who grew up here — created Ukraine Aid International, shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion.

The non-profit quickly earned a reputation for its ability to deliver much-needed supplies — food, medical and communications equipment, pellet-burning stoves, water filtration devices and more — directly where it is needed.

Marshall Mayer (left), and Donetsk Governor Vadim Filashkin.

Soon — with the backing of 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker — Westport and Lyman, Ukraine became sister cities.

The Donetsk town is close to Russian front. Generous Westporters raised $250,000 for Lyman during the 2022 holiday season. The funds provided shelter, warmth and water.

Another $50,000 was raised the following spring. Tooker and then-Police Chief Foti Koskinas visited their counterparts in Lyman, raising spirits there and driving home the urgent need for help here.

A recent fundraising effort helped send Lyman youngsters to a therapy camp in the Carpathian Mountains.

An apartment building in Lyman.

Westport’s other sister city, Marigny-le-Lozon, added important aid too. The French village has shared a relationship with our town since World War II.

After the Westport-Lyman relationship, Ukraine Aid International helped 6 other Connecticut towns and cities establish sister city friendships.

Lamont’s proclamation binds our state with their oblast.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Representatives Rosa DeLauro and John Larson, State Senator Ceci Maher, 1st Selectman Tooker, UAI president Katya Wauchope and UAI executive director Marshall Mayer were all on the call with Lamont yesterday.

Governor Lamont (top row, right), Senator Blumenthal (bottom row, left), and others on yesterday’s Zoom call.

“Westport led the charge,” Marshall Mayer told “06880” yesterday. “Then other cities and towns came together.” Together, over $2.5 million — all in private donations — has been raised in Connecticut for Donetsk since the invasion began.

UAI notes, “What began as a local movement of compassion has grown into an enduring public partnership rooted in solidarity, resilience, and shared democratic values.”

The “sister state” agreement will promote cooperation at the state and local levels — including both public and private groups — in areas like healthcare, education, culture and sports.

With the partnership in place, Ukraine Aid International has turned to 2 immediate needs.

They’re raising $40,000 for a large water filtration system for Kramatorsk, Stamford’s sister city. It will help the entire region — including a hospital that serves Lyman.

They hope to secure a vital MRI machine too. Any “06880” reader with access to one — perhaps through connections in the healthcare industry — can email marshall@ukraineaidinternational.org.

Meanwhile UAI is also seeking a “sister state coordinator,” to help with fundraising, collections and more. If interested in the paid position, email Marshall Mayer at the address above.

(To learn more about Ukraine Aid International — including how to donate — click here.)

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Roundup: Cribari Bridge Lighting, Lyman Fundraising, Small Business Day …

Posted on November 30, 2024 | 4 comments

Two days after they were ordered, the holiday lights to brighten the William F. Cribari Bridge arrived.

An energetic, efficient and very committed group of Westporters made sure that the beloved annual tradition — in danger when the lights were removed, and the long-time sponsor stepped back — continues.

The lights will be hung Sunday night, starting at 10 p.m. (the bridge will be closed during that time).

The gala bridge lighting is set for 5 p.m. Monday. The entire town is invited.

Westport PAL — one of the lights’ sponsors — will have collection boxes for the toy drive they run, with the Westport Police Department. Unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the bridge, and the Bridge at Saugatuck restaurant.

The restaurant will also offer half-priced wine and beer from 5 to 8 p.m.

Cribari Bridge lights. (Photo/January Stewart)

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Westport’s fundraising drive — to send children from our sister city of Lyman, Ukraine to a camp in the mountains, a respite from a third winter of war — has gotten off to a slow start.

Our goal of $56,000 would enable 200 boys and girls to enjoy time together, with teachers and therapists, at Karabin. The sports, crafts, games and movies — along with schoolwork — takes place in a setting far removed from their hometown, a few miles from the Russian front.

Right now, Lyman’s youngster have been evacuated. The therapeutic camp is a chance to enjoy normalcy, with friends and trusted adults.

It costs about $280 to send one child to Karabin, for 10 days.

How about it, Westport? Can we raise $56,000, to ensure that 200 kids in our sister city enjoy time away from the terrors of the past 3 years? 

Just click here. Under “Designation,” choose “Westport-Lyman sister city” from the dropdown menu. You can also choose a monthly or one-time donation. If you use the mail or Venmo option, please make a note: “For Westport-Lyman.”

Students from Weston’s sister city of Siversk, at the Karabin camp. Westport is raising funds for children from Lyman, our sister city.

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Yesterday was Black Friday. Next week is Cyber Monday.

Today is Small Business Saturday.

There are plenty of local stores to choose from. They’re the heart and soul of our town. Think local!

Meanwhile, next Saturday — December 7 — is another opportunity to support small businesses.

The “06880” Westport Downtown Association Holiday Stroll features over 70 merchants, offering discounts, deals, gifts and freebies. Click here for details.

WEST Boutique on Post Road East is one of many locally owned businesses.

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Here is an update on the Thanksgiving Day house fire, near the Westport border.

At 3:42 p.m., Weston Fire was alerted to a fire at 40 Weston Road. The garage fire spread quickly into the 10,000-square-foot residence. Firefighters’ efforts were thwarted by dangerous fire conditions and structural collapse.

In addition, a vehicle drove over the water supply hose on Weston Road, damaging the line and stopping the flow of water for several minutes.

The 25 or so people inside the home escaped without injury. But the house is uninhabitable, and the heat from the fire melted the plastic on some cars in the driveway, CT Insider reports.

Personnel remained on the scene for over 16 hours, battling the blaze. Mutual aid assistance was provided by several fire departments including Westport, along with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Weston Public Works Department, Weston Police Department, Westport Police Department and Weston EMS.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Weston Fire Marshal. Preliminary investigation shows it began in the garage, the result of frying a turkey. (Hat tip: Bill Dedman)

Thanksgiving Day house fire in Weston. (Photo and details courtesy of Weston Volunteer Firie Department)

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At Staples High School, Class of 2019 graduate Ryan Smith won 2 cross country state championships.

He went on to Bates College, where he competed in back-to-back NCAA national championships.

On Thursday, he won Pequot Runners’ 47th annual 5-mile Turkey Trot.

Wearing his Staples white singlet, he crossed the finish line, soggy but triumphant, in 24:54.

Not far behind — in third place — was current Staples track athlete Sam Zwick-Lavinsky.

Click here for all results.

Ryan Smith

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It’s a natural fit: Dogs, and wide-open beaches.

Obeying the sign to keep off the boardwalk, Bobo shows how to enjoy Compo correctly, in today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo.

(Photo/Sunil Hirani)

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And finally … today is the 100th birthday of satirist Alan Sherman. He had a brief heyday in the early 1960s — including the novelty smash hit below —  before dying in 1973, 10 days before his 49th birthday. He had been undergoing treatment for emphysema, asthma, and obesity, and died of respiratory failure.

(Celebrate Small Business Day by supporting this small business: “06880.” Your hyper-local blog relies on readers’ contributions. Please click here — and thank you!)

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Posted in Children, Local business, Politics, Restaurants, Saugatuck, Sports, Staples HS, Weston

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Roundup: Tyler Hicks’ Lyman, Connecticut Mag’s 40 Under 40, Farmers’ Market’s Lectures …

Posted on December 31, 2022 | 1 comment

As the year ends, Westporters look back on a tough one. COVID is still hanging around. The stock market plummeted. Our nation is politically divided.

Compared to Ukraine though, we live on Easy Street.

Our new sister city of Lyman is entering its 10th month of hell. The Russians are gone after 5 months of occupation. But they left devastation behind.

Buildings lack roofs and walls. There is virtually no electricity or heat. Fire trucks and police cars were demolished. Debris is everywhere.

You can click here to read the latest devastating news, from yesterday’s New York Times. (This news just in: Earlier today, a Russian missile hit the police station. Only 2 patrol cars are left in the town.)

You can see some brutal images too — taken, coincidentally, by Westport native/Staples High School graduate/Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Tyler Hicks.

A Lyman firefighter battles a blaze with just a trickle of water, in bitter cold. (Photo/Tyler Hicks for the New York Times)

On this final day of 2022, please help Westport’s drive to help Lyman.

Our goal is $250,000. As of yesterday — less than 2 weeks after we began — we’ve raised $219,200. Wouldn’t it be great to reach our target today?

Tax-deductible donations can be made to Lyman through Ukraine Aid International — the non-profit co-founded by Westporter Brian Mayer. Please click here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other tax-deductible donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo). You can also donate directly, via Stripe (click here). 

(Hat tips: Elisabeth Keane and Sharon Fiarman)

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After Italian and Chinese food, what’s next?

Peruvian.

When blandly named but popular Westport Chinese Takeout closed in October, it left a void in Saugatuck.

That’s where — decades earlier — the original Arrow Restaurant began. (The name comes from the angle of the road, where Franklin Street meets Saugatuck Avenue.) When it outgrow that location, the Arrow moved around the corner to Charles Street.

Work has begun on Lomito. The windows are still papered over. But there are new steps, and a spiffy logo. Two signs promise: “Opening soon.”

(Photo/JD Dworkow)=======================================================

Connecticut Magazine is out with their annual “40 Under 40” list.

Among the 40 people under 40 years old who are “changing the game in Connecticut and beyond”: Westporters Drew Angus and Julia Marino.

The writeup on Angus — a 2007 Staples High School graduate — says:

Finding success as a musician is not easy, explains this Bridgeport-based and Westport-raised singer-songwriter. “In this business, behind all the accomplishments and successes are many more unsuccessful projects and ideas that just never quite worked out,” Angus says. “It takes a certain kind of drive and a sick love for things not working out to be successful in creative ventures like music.”

Fortunately for him and fans of music everywhere, Angus has that drive, as his easy-to-listen-to, melodic New Americana music propelled him to be a finalist on American Idol in 2016. He’s also shared the stage with Harry Styles and Nile Rogers on Saturday Night Live, as well as Pat Benatar, Ann Wilson of Heart, and Andrea Bocelli. He has also toured with Marc Broussard and last summer impressed his hometown music fans with a set at Sound on Sound festival in Bridgeport.

When asked what advice he has for aspiring songwriters, he urges artists to not over-revise their work. “Finish those songs and put them out,” he says. “There’s a point of diminishing returns when changing lyric, melody or mix on a song no longer makes it better but just different or actually worse. Sometimes version one is actually the magic take.”

Drew Angus

For Olympic silver medalist Marino, it reads:

Lots of notable folks can boast about throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for a Red Sox game at fabled Fenway Park, including slopestyle and Big Air snowboarder and Westport native Marino. But she also has bragging rights none of those others can touch. In 2016, Marino, then an 18-year-old World Cup newcomer, replaced an injured teammate to compete in the Polartec Big Air event held at Fenway Park … and won.

A hit at Fenway, she returned to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in 2017, and again for a Red Sox-Yankees game in August 2022. Eighteen was a good age for Marino, who that year also became the first woman to land a double in slopestyle competition, according to her U.S. Ski & Snowboard team bio, landing two in the same run, a cab double underflip and a double backflip. Marino is most famous, of course, for winning a silver medal in women’s slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympics (slopestyle is snowboarding down a course filled with terrain-park features and obstacles like rails and jumps.)

Also a 2018 Olympian and a seven-time X Games medalist, Marino loves photography, making videos, and spending time outdoors with her family and dog.

Julia Marino, on the Olympic podium.

Click here for the full Connecticut Magazine “40 Under 40.”

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The Westport Farmers’ Market: It’s not just for fresh produce anymore.

Well, everyone knows that. But here’s more proof, if anyone needs it:

Through January, the Market will host a 4-part lecture series, Thursdays at 1 p.m. at Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center on Sylvan Lane.

Each presentation is 20 minutes, followed by a Q-and-A.

  • January 5: “Yoga is (Not) a 4-Letter Word: Demystifying the Practice” (Abbey Chase, owner, Abbey Chase Yoga)
  • January 12: “Muscle Activation, Neurological Inhibition, and Chronic Pain” (Dr. Andrew Crape)
  • January 19: “The Lymph” (Rev. Dr. Mark L. Heilshorn owner, Dharma Massage Therapy)
  • January 26: “Gut Healing and Anti-inflammatory Bonebroth Detox Soup” (Christine Beal Dunst, CEO and co-founder, Embody Wellness Company).

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This photo is a bit of a mystery.

Matt Murray noticed all these shoes lined up at Old Mill Beach.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

There was no one nearby. No one swimming.

Who owns them? Why are they there?

Maybe it’s part of SyFy’s annual “Twilight Zone” marathon. The annual event — an homage to the show and its creator, former Westporter Rod Serling — began at 5 a.m. today. It runs through 4 a.m. on Tuesday.

Click here for the full schedule.  (In case you’re wondering: “A Stop at Willoughby” — the classic Westport-themed episode — airs Monday, at 5 p.m.)

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Congratulations to Dr. Cindy Dunbar. The 1976 Staples High School graduate  was recently inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.

A Harvard graduate who specializes in hematology, she’s had an amazing career. Click here for an in-depth interview. (She begins with her youth in Westport — and her interest in music and theater. It continues to this day.)

Click here for a more scientifically oriented piece. (Hat tip: Ed Stalling)

Dr. Cindy Dunbar

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It wouldn’t be a holiday without a photo of Jolantha.

Weston’s favorite pig welcomes the new year in (as always) style:

(Photo/Hans Wilhelm)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image combines a favorite subject (the beach) with a manmade-but-natural offering.

As the holidays wind down … enjoy!

(Photo/Patricia McMahon)

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And finally … who needs Guy Lombardo (or Dan Fogelberg), when we’ve got Mariah Carey?!

 (The year is not yet over! You’ve still got a few hours to support “06880” — and, because we’re a non-profit, take a tax write-off. Please click here. Thank you!)

 

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Roundup: Lyman Donations, Amazon Fresh, Saugatuck Church …

Posted on December 22, 2022 | 7 comments

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House and speech before Congress yesterday reminded Americans that Ukraine’s war against Russian occupation continues, even as media attention has waned.

Westporters don’t need that reminder.

Since we announced our “Building Bridges” campaign with our new sister city of Lyman on Monday, residents (and their families and friends) have raised $105,909. That’s an outstanding outpouring of generosity!

We need less than $145,000 more to reach our goal of $250,000. That will provide 150 homes ruined during the Russian occupation with new roofs, windows and more — plus a generator for every one. And a water filtration system for the entire devastated town.

We hope to reach that goal by Christmas (Sunday). Thanks to our partnership with Ukraine Aid International — a non-profit founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer — all material can be delivered 3 days later.

Please click here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other tax-deductible donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo). You can also donate directly, via Stripe (click here). 

Support for the effort comes from Rabbi Michael  Friedman of Temple Israel. He says:

“We are all inundated with requests for charitable contributions at this season of the year. Yet a personal call to help specific people in a specific city — even if it is very far away — gives our heartstrings a special tug. What a fabulous way to directly aid fellow human beings in dire need.”

Rabbi Michael Friedman, Temple Israel

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At least once a week, someone asks “06880”: What’s up with the Amazon Fresh store that was supposed to replace Barnes & Noble? Nothing has happened there for months.

We’re not the only town left in — literally — the dark.

An answer comes from The Real Deal. The New York real estate website says that since September, Amazon has not opened a new Fresh store. At least 7 locations appear to be completely built out, but unopened. Another 26 locations are like ours, with development halted.

There are “zombie stores” in several states.

The Real Deal explains:

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s cheaper for the company to keep the stores in place while not operating, rather than ditch the stores altogether. While the company is on the hook for rent, maintenance and taxes, shutting down a store could also force Amazon to pay a fee for a lease withdrawal or severance to hired employees.

Click here for the full story. In the meantime, if you want to give Amazon money for groceries, go to Whole Foods. They have not yet closed that part of their operations yet. (Hat tip: John McCarthy)

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Yesterday’s innovative “Holiday Card” — actually, a series of large images projected on the front of Saugatuck Congregational Church, thanks to the AV team of Craig Patton and Mark Mathias — was even more stunning that anyone expected.

(Photo/Richard Hyman)

The show will be repeated tonight and tomorrow (weather permitting), from 5 to 8 p.m. The best viewing spot is probably the Colonial Green parking lot, across the street.

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Jarret Liotta has many memories from his time in Los Angeles. Once, he attended a Passover Seder with Mel Brooks. The 1983 Staples High graduate quipped, “I didn’t know you were Jewish!”

Now — as Hanukkah collides with Christmas — Liotta is “proud to re-present a shot, low-quality video” he made back in those days.

He thinks Mel Brooks would have appreciated it.

Liotta’s latest film, “Small Town Movie,” is “a light comedy that explores racism, gun violence and the cancel culture.”

He calls this Christmas vs. Hanukkah piece “probably more controversial.”

You be the judge.

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The Westport Police have released arrest reports for the December 14-21 period.

Five people were detained in custody. The charges for each:

  • Conspiracy to commit larceny, interfering with a police officer, assault on public safety personnel.
  • Reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to sell a controlled substance.
  • Burglary, threatening, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief.
  • Possession of burglar tools, conspiracy to commit larceny, criminal attempt to commit larceny, disobeying the signal of an officer, misuse of plates, reckless driving, failure to signal properly.
  • Manufacture or possession of burglar tools, conspiracy to commit larceny, attempt to commit larceny.

The following citations were issued:

  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 12
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 5
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 5
  • Violation of any traffic commission regulation: 4
  • Stop sign violation: 3
  • Failure to drive in the proper lane: 3
  • Insurance coverage fails minimum requirements: 2
  • Disorderly conduct: 1
  • Traveling too fast for conditions:1
  • Cell phone, 1st offense: 1
  • Failure to yield to a pedestrian: 1
  • Tinting windows: 1
  • Failure to keep plates readable: 1
  • Misuse of plates: 1
  • Failure to display lights: 1

One citation was issued last week for overly tinted windows.

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Speaking of the police:

The license plate on this car may signal “Never Guilty.”

But that looks an awful like a ticket on the windshield.

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At first glance, this looks like a “holiday lights” photo:

(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)

A closer look, though, shows it’s traffic clogging Charles Street yesterday afternoon, coming off I-95.

Eventually of course, everyone got through. It’s just late on a holiday afternoon — and, probably, a bit of Waze action too.

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The photo above provides a great segue to this item: Wheels2U is growing every day. Last month, the door-to-door ride service provided rides for over 2,300 people directly from their homes and offices, to and from the train station.

The service will take 2 brief holidays — December 26 and January 2 — before resuming full steam ahead.

For more information about Wheels2U, click here. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, click here.

Santa ditches his sleigh for Wheels2U.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image was spotted yesterday at Sherwood Island State Park, by John Kantor:

(Photo/John Kantor)

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And finally … on this day in 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven conducted and performed in Vienna, with the premiere of his 5th and 6th Symphonies, 4th Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy.

It must have been quite a show.

 

 

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Roundup: Ukraine Aid, NYU Scam, All-State Football …

Posted on December 20, 2022 | 3 comments

The first day of Westport’s drive to raise $250,000 for our new sister city of Lyman, Ukraine went well.

As of last night, over $73,000 had been donated. That’s nearly 1/3 of the way to repair 150 homes destroyed by Russian forces, give generators to all, and provide a water filtration system to the town.

Thanks to a partnership with Brian and Marshall Mayer — the Westporters who founded the non-profit Ukraine Aid International — the supplies can be delivered to the desperate town within 3 days.

As noted yesterday, the goal of $250,000 — by Christmas — is certainly reachable. It’s only $10 for every resident of Westport.

Of course, not everyone can afford that. If you can, please consider a donation for those who cannot.

To donate to the non-profit, just click here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo.) You can also donate directly, via Stripe (click here). 

“06880” reader Jamie Klein has a great idea. She sent yesterday’s story to neighbors and friends, with this note:

This is one example of what is special about living in this town. What a great gift for someone in your family, or as a thoughtful hostess gift for one of the parties you may be attending.

As we enter the holiday season the message of miracles and hope are a theme across all faiths, and from our small place on this earth, we can make a miracle happen.

Thanks for all who have contributed to help rebuild Lyman, and all who will do so. Let’s double that $73,000 by tonight!

Christmas in Lyman. 150  out of 240 homes have been destroyed — including this one.

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Meanwhile, another local drive for Ukrainian aid bore fantastic fruit.

When Mark Yurkiw learned there was space in a container leaving in 10 days, he acted fast.

He put out the word on “06880.” In just over a week, readers delivered 8 whole house generators, 8 gas chain saws, 8 phone power banks, 20 sleeping bags, 20 flashlights, 2 kerosene heaters, plus boxes of rechargeable batteries, winter blankets, pillows, and children’s warm winter clothing, to his door.

All those items are now on their way to that embattled nation. Each one can help change lives.

“Thank you, Westport!” Mark says. “It takes a village.”

Ukrainians Ross Voytovych (now of Ridgefield) and Dima Dovgan (Redding) move equipment to be loaded on to a tractor trailer.

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Westport’s downtown Hanukkah menorah is back.

It will be lit tomorrow (Wednesday, December 21) at 5:30 p.m., in front of Anthropologie on the Post Road at Church Lane. The entire community is invited, with jelly doughnuts and chocolate gelt for all.

Bill Mitchell of Mitchells — long involved in interfaith efforts — will have the honor of lighting the candles.

This menorah and lighting is a joint effort of Beit Chaverim, Chabad of Westport, Temple Israel, and The Conservative Synagogue.

The downtown menorah, in 2020. (Photo/Arlene Yolles)

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Who knew so many Westporters read the New York Post?

A dozen or so readers sent links yesterday to the tabloid’s story that began:

A former New York University director of finance allegedly siphoned $3.5 million meant for minority and women-owned businesses and blew some of the cash on herself — including on an $80,000 pool for her Connecticut home, prosecutors said Monday.

Cindy Tappe, 57, was charged with diverting funds from New York State Education Department grants into shell companies that she created over a six-year scheme that was discovered in 2018, when she left NYU, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Some of the embezzled money went to expenses related to the grants or employee reimbursements — but at least $660,000 ended up in Tappe’s own pockets, according to the indictment.

She allegedly spent the dough on personal expenses, including the pool and renovations on her her home in Westport, Connecticut.

The scam started with a $23 million grant awarded to NYU’s Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and Transformation, where Tappe worked, with the cash meant to go to state programs to help special education students and those learning English.

Though the press release from the New York State Comptroller lists her as a Westport residence, no one here has verified that.

And the Post’s photo shows the house below. According to Peter Blau, it’s at 87 Juniper Lane, New Canaan.

Sure looks like Westport.

Or New Canaan.

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The good news is: Staples High School has two All-State first team selections — out of only 26 in all of Connecticut. Congratulations, Caleb Smith and Tyler Clark!

The interesting twist: They’re longtime friends — and grew up on the same small street.

There are only 9 homes on Twin Falls Lane. So more than 20% of them are the homes of All-State football players!

PS: Congrats too to James Hillhouse, who made the All-LL/L (large schools) all-state squad.

(From left): Tyler Clark, Caleb Smith, James Hillhouse.

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All you ever wanted to know about white oaks is now on a video starring Westport Tree Board member Dick Stein.

Produced by fellow member Frank Rosen, the 8-minute piece covers their distinguishing features, history in Westport (the Bedford family helped with acorns), and more.

It was filmed in familiar places, like Sherwood Island State Park. Click below to learn about those ubiquitous (and handsome) species.

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Yesterday’s Roundup included an item about a car crash on Riverside Avenue.

An “06880” reader who lives on that street calls it “the lawless road of Westport.”

His car was parked legally. But a driver took the turn by Destination Haus too fast, and slammed in to the side of his car.

That was the 4th time a car has been hit in that area this year — and the second time for the reader.

The first time, he lost a mirror and the car suffered some scratches. This time, his vehicle was not as lucky:

“The owners at Destination Haus, and people working at 50 Riverside, are too scared to pull out,” the reader says.

It’s so bad that when Destination Haus has events, they have to hire police officers. But the last 3 times, the officer says he was nearly hit.

Several times.

Slow down! Even if you don’t care about anyone else, just think how much time it takes out of your day after you smack into someone.

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Speaking of traffic: Everyone (except the speeders themselves) is looking for a way to slow drivers down.

Peter Gold spotted one possible solution yesterday, on Thomas Road:

(Photo/Peter Gold)

Hanukkah began Sunday night. So — as this “tasteful” photo shows — there are “0 Days” left.

(Photo/Pam Kessselman)

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Speaking of Hanukkah etc. … The Jazz at the Post folks say: “It’s that time of year again. Why have our favorite holiday tunes been relegated to lifeless background music, advertising jingles or Muzak?

“In the hands of inspired musicians, the holiday repertoire makes for a fine opportunity for a night of hard swinging jazz.

“Name your holiday: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, even Festivus (for the rest of us) — we got it covered!”

This Thursday (December 22), Jazz at the Post (VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399) hosts a “Holiday Swingfest.” The lineup includes pianist Dave Childs, drummer Greg Burrows, bassist Joe Fitzgerald, and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.

“Special guests and elves are sure to drop by” too, they say.

Shows are 7:30 and 8:45 p.m., with dinner beginning at 7:30. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

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And speaking (still) of the holidays:

Cecily Anderson is a talented art teacher.

How talented? Check out this great holiday installation piece. It’s drawing stares — and raves — at its pop-up location, right there at BMS. (Hat tip: Kerry Long)

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No, it’s not a sad little Christmas tree.

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows — according to photographer Molly Alger — a “brand new tiny tree at the top of Baron’s South walking path.”

It was the only one like it she saw.

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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And finally … in honor of the Tree Board’s white oak tree video (story above):

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