Tag Archives: mental health

Roundup: Shawarma, Shonda, Stories …

Posted on June 5, 2026 | 10 comments

If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

And if life hands you antisemitism, make shawarma.

Last month, someone across from The Blondinit restaurant yelled “F— Israel! You’re committing genocide” as Jonny Daniels left the Israeli restaurant. He posted about the incident on social media. The video went viral.

Now, The Blondinit invites the community to come together on Thursday (June 11) for “Stars, Stripes & Shawarma.”

The day and evening are dedicated to raising awareness about antisemitism, and its growing impact it on communities here and abroad.

Daniels — a British-Israeli activist and advocate for Jewish communities and the State of Israel — will be at the event.

Organizers say, “While the incident was deeply troubling, it also sparked a conversation about the importance of education, dialogue, and community engagement in confronting hatred and misinformation.

“Rather than allowing the moment to divide, The Blondinit and Daniels chose to transform it into an opportunity to bring people together, raise awareness, and support organizations dedicated to preserving Jewish history and combating antisemitism.”

Guests are encouraged to gather with friends and family for dinner at The Blondinit. Daniels will discuss modern antisemitism, the importance of education and remembrance, and the need for meaningful conversations rooted in understanding and humanity.

A portion of proceeds from sales throughout the day will be donated to From The Depths, an international organization dedicated to Holocaust remembrance, Jewish heritage preservation, education and humanitarian initiatives.

To make a reservation, learn more or support the initiative, click here.

“Stars, Stripes & Shawarma”

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Shonda Rhimes gives plenty to Westport. She supports many great causes — some publicly, others behind the scenes.

We’re in good company.

She’s just given something to the Obama Presidential Center Museum: the Oval Office set from “Scandal.”

It’s the same one — noted here and below in this Bluesky post — used by “President Fitzgerald Grant” for 7 seasons.

Not gonna lie, this is a badass museum donation.🇺🇸 Shonda Rhimes donated the Oval Office set from Scandal, the same one fictional President Fitzgerald Grant called home for seven seasons.Now it’s part of the Obama Presidential Center Museum

— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) 2026-06-04T13:07:37.855Z

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The Long Lots School Building Committee offers a presentation of the elementary school and Stepping Stones pre-school project next Wednesday (June 10, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

The opening date has been pushed back to January 2028.

Artist’s rendering of the new Long Lots Elementary School. 

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For many people, the Westport Library is a home away from home.

And “home” is the theme, as Storytelling Sundays returns to the Library on June 28 (2 p.m.).

Five great storytellers will share their interpretations of home: Jennifer Munro, a National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence recipient; Nina Lesiga, Women’s Storytelling Festival and Generation Women participant; Wendy Mages, professor at Mercy University; Rona Levine, yoga teacher, energy healer, and herbalist, and ChaChanna Simpson, curator, host and writer. For more information, click here.

ChaChanna Simpson

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Also at the Westport Library: a Pride Month combination of stand-up comedy and life story, on the big screen.

“Miss Personality: An Evening of Big Laughs, Big Heart & Big PRIDE” (June 18, 6:30 p.m.) with Mina Hartong is “a hilarious and heartfelt look at identity, reinvention, community, and finding your voice.”

Following the screening, Mina will join writer Susan Rukeyser and comedian/ activist Jamie Machotka in a conversation about storytelling, comedy and LGBTQ+ experiences. Click here for more information.

Mina Hartong

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Westonite Chris Fuller’s “Cheese Fries & Chili Dips” — a moving and hilarious 2-person cabaret-style show — comes to the Westport Woman’s Club next Friday (June 12, 5:30 p.m. reception, 6:30 show).

The production follows Chris as he chases his lifelong dream of playing on the PGA Tour while navigating the challenges of bipolar disorder, and the nonstop commentary inside his own head.

A talkback immediately after the show with mental health experts will focus on healing, and breaking stigmas.

Tickets are just $5. Proceeds help fund the WWC’s many philanthropic projects. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

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In 1993, Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella’s cousin John DiGiovanni was killed in the first World Trade Center bombing.

Yesterday — in the aftermath of the victory by New Jersey congressional candidate Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon whose life-saving work in the Army has been contrasted with his former association with a Muslim cleric who masterminded the attack — Colabella was interviewed on Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus.”

He called Hamawy’s victory “a disheartening threat to democracy,” and “an insult to injury” for victims’ families. Click here for the full segment.

Screenshot of Andrew Colabella on Fox News.

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“Looking for History: Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey & Michael Borders” — MoCA\CT’s next exhibit, exploring how history is remembered, imagined and contested through monument, memory, and labor — arrives just in time for America’s 250th anniversary.

An opening reception — celebrating Shaefer’s “Colossi” and Harvey’s “The Disappointed Tourist” — is set for June 25 (6 p.m.).

The show — with 3 different artists — runs through November 15. For more information, click here. 

 

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Father’s Day is June 21.

Three days later (June 24, 6 p.m.), the Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Club selections are — discusses selections about fathers and children. They are “Midair” by Frank Conroy, “Today Will Be a Quiet Day” (Amy Hempel) and “The Hare’s Mask” (Mark Slouka).

Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.

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“Stressed Self to Best Self” — co-written by Westport author Nick Propper — will be published in October.

But it’s already available for pre-order.

Propper works with senior leadership teams at leading organizations like Procter & Gamble and Goldman Sachs. He is also a high-level advisor and facilitator in the US Air Force and federal intelligence community, on building sustainable human performance.

The book focuses on “how to show up at our best, for the people and things that matter most to us, in today’s highly volatile world.” It introduces practical frameworks and tools to help readers manage stress, recover more intentionally and optimize their human energy. Click here for more information, and to order.

 

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Photographer Yulee Aronson calls today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo “The Gourd and the Appleseed.”

If you’ve got a different interpretation, and would like to add your own title, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Yulee Aronson)

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And finally … on this date in 1968, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was killed.

That night, he won both the California and South Dakota primaries. He told supporters in Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel ballroom, “My thanks to all of you, and it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there.”

Walking through the kitchen, he was shot 3 times by 24-year-old Sirhan Sirhan. Five other people were also wounded. Kennedy died 25 hours later.

(“06880” is where Westport meets the world. We rely on readers like you to support all that we do. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Mental Health Matters: Supporting Parents When Kids Need Help

Posted on May 24, 2026 | 1 comment

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Each week, Timothy Schmutte — a Westport resident, clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine — and his wife Elenee Argentinis will address a different mental health issue that impacts Westporters.

This week, they focus on parents, when children need help. Names and details have been modified, to protect privacy. Timothy and Elenee write:

When a child or teenager struggles with mental health issues, their parents also face challenges.

Although most parents find raising a child to be rewarding and enjoyable all or most of the time, parenthood is also tiring and stressful, which can bring on or worsen existing mental health issues.

In fact, being a parent increases the risk of depression and anxiety, as described in a recent Surgeon General report. Parent stress levels are 50% higher than non-parents’ levels.

But it is important to highlight that parents often benefit from individual support when their child faces mental health challenges.

Families are an interconnected system. Speaking with a therapist separately, even when your child is initiating therapy, can be helpful for both you and your child.

When a child has challenges, adults can talk with therapists too.

Not only can you learn how to support your child’s recovery, but you may also have grief to process, frustration to express, and worry to manage privately as your family navigates a difficult time. Directly engaging with a therapist to learn more effective coping skills can help kids recover faster — and help parents feel empowered.

A practical example is Benji, a 10-year-old who had stopped going to school. During COVID, he started developing separation anxiety, which intensified over the years. What started with returning to his parents’ bed to sleep became insisting that his parents be nearby during sports practice, resisting play dates at friends’ homes, and finally refusing to ride the school bus.

By the time Benji’s mother called for help, she was exhausted from round-the-clock care. She was also desperate, as administrators were pushing to transfer Benji to a specialized therapeutic school due to multiple absences.

Benji’s mental health care required his mom to have her own sessions to help her cope with the stress of the situation, and teach her a parent-based approach for Benji’s separation anxiety and school avoidance.

In addition to learning how to manage her own upset, she learned how to respond more supportively to Benji’s anxiety. Working together, we created a structured plan that progressively encouraged Benji to tolerate his anxiety while engaging in previously avoided activities.

One example: going to school for only 30 minutes in the counselor’s office to play games, followed by gradual increases in time spent in the classroom with the counselor, then with a paraprofessional, and finally by himself.

Dr. Timothy Schmutte offers advice for parents, and their children.

Coupled with similar activities at home in which he progressively spent more time outside of his comfort zone, within 4 months Benji was back in his classroom for full days, and enjoying play dates with friends. His parents had their first “date night” in years.

Sometimes parents also need separate therapy sessions to deal with their own challenges. A parent’s anxiety, depression, substance use or other mental health concerns can be triggered or worsened by a child’s challenges.

Diane — a C-suite executive whose son I had treated for OCD in the past — reached out to me for help with her anxiety, insomnia and growing irritability that began after a promotion.

Another client, Juan, consulted me because he was unsure what to tell his young children about his cancer diagnosis.

Kirstin was overwhelmed when her aging father became severely depressed. She worried about being there for him as well as her teenagers.

Parents need to take care of themselves, not only for their own well-being but for their families as well. Sometimes the demands of parenting can be so great we neglect our own care. The best parent is a healthy one.

So it’s common for parents of kids and teens with mental health issues to need support as well. Getting help as a parent can help you build useful skills to apply at home, and support the resilience you need to manage the challenges of parenting.

(“06880” is all about community building — and community support. If you find stories like this helpful, please consider clicking here to support this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Mental Health Matters: Recognizing And Acting On Teen Concerns

Posted on May 14, 2026 | 1 comment

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Each week, Timothy Schmutte — a Westport resident, clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine — and his wife Elenee Argentinis will address a different mental health issue that impacts Westporters.

This week, they focus on how to recognize situations when adolescents may need help. Names and details have been modified, to protect privacy. Timothy and Elenee write:

“Max” was a forward on the high school rugby team. A collision with another player caused a concussion, which took several weeks to resolve.

After being cleared by his doctor to return to playing, Max enjoyed practices. But the night before games he complained of an upset stomach, headache, or other symptoms to avoid playing. His symptoms “magically” disappeared when friends called to get together.

“Sarah” started sophomore year at a Westport private school. Most students already had established friendships. She found it hard to make connections. At her prior school she was a theater star, but now she did not get a leading role. Her grades were notably lower than at her prior school. When her parents asked about her day, she gave short responses like “fine” or “O.K.” She seemed withdrawn, and had secretly started cutting herself to deal with her suffering.

“Axel” had played baseball since age 7. He’d managed his ADHD successfully with medications, but high school brought new challenges. Several boys on the team smoked carts (vaping marijuana), which he used to fit in. Many had also gotten fake IDs, and used them at bars in Norwalk. High school was proving to be a big step up in academic demands. Axel found that vaping and drinking provided a convenient escape from the stress.

What’s common to these vignettes? Before high school, these teens were on successful paths. But high school and teen life came with new challenges, complexity, and adversity that they did not have the tools to cope with alone.

Being a teenager today is arguably harder than it’s ever been. Last week, we mentioned some key statistics worth repeating. The 2025 Connecticut School Health Survey found that in the previous 30 days, 21% of high schoolers reported that their mental health was “not good,” either always or most of the time. One- third of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost daily for at least 2 weeks in a row, to the extent that they stopped doing activities. Staples seniors’ use of alcohol is, on average, 10 percentage points higher than the national average.

So, we still have work to do to help equip Westport teens with the tools to deal with the challenges of their generation.

It starts with shifting our own beliefs about mental health. For prior generations, seeing a therapist was usually reserved for times of crisis. Rather than wait for a breaking point, if parents can identify early signs of challenges and reach out for help, it may help many teens avert a mental health crisis.

How can you tell a teen needs help? Like many things, it depends. It starts with having a good sense of your teen’s baseline (normal everyday) behavior, so you can gauge changes in frequency, intensity, and duration of behaviors.

  • Communication: Changes in a teen’s depth and specificity of information shared is important. So are changes in the topics they mention (for example, negative views of self, life, social circle, appearance etc.,).
  • Mood: Frequent anger, testiness and stonewalling are strong signals that something is wrong.
  • Sleep: Changes in sleep (oversleeping, hyperactivity or excessive daytime fatigue).
  • Friends: Social withdrawal or abrupt changes to their friend group are especially important at this age.
  • Weight and diet: Noticeable weight gain or loss can be a sign of depression, eating disorders and other problems.
  • Screen time: 4 or more hours of daily screen time are strongly associated with teen depression, anxiety and behavior problems. If time online has increased (or teens resist parental time limits), this is important.

If something feels off, trust your instincts.

Reaching out for help can feel daunting. Picking up the phone to call a therapist can feel like an admission of failure or fault. But that notion is part of an old paradigm we should leave behind. When a child shows symptoms of physical illness such as a sore throat, ear pain or fever, we know when to call a doctor.

The same should be true for mental health. If we can flip our internal script about what it means to get mental health support, together we can bend the curve on teen mental health.

(“06880” is all about community building — and community support. If you find stories like this helpful, please consider clicking here to support this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Mental Health Matters

Posted on May 5, 2026 | 6 comments

Timothy Schmutte is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. In his private practice he focuses on children and teens with a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and OCD, and the challenges of people over 50 like grief, job loss, and coping with severe illness. 

Tim often works with his wife, Elenee Argentinis, to create mental health content. Elenee has a law degree, and has worked in the life sciences industry for more than 20 years. Together, they are raising 2 high school-aged boys in Westport.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Tim and Elenee are helping “06880” readers understand mental health, from several angles. This is their first piece.

Most of us think of Westport as one of the most idyllic communities in the country. With picturesque beaches, downtown boutiques and winding tree-lined roads, Westport seems like the perfect place to live.

When it comes to mental health, at first blush it seems to be true.

In “The State of Mental Health in America,” created by the organization Mental Health America, Connecticut ranks as the state with the lowest rates of mental illness and substance abuse in youth and adults. 

Dr. Timothy Schmutte

Local data is hard to come by. But the 2024 Westport Youth Survey conducted by Positive Directions also reports some good news. Rates of teen substance abuse in Westport have decreased since the pandemic. Use of tobacco, alcohol, vaping, marijuana and abuse of prescription drugs have all declined since 2021.

But as with most things, the devil is in the details. The last Westport 2025 Equity Report published by DataHaven raised several key issues related to mental health.

For example, 1/3 of all Westport families are cost-burdened by home ownership; economic stress can contribute to mental illness.

In the western Connecticut community of municipalities that includes Westport, rates of anxiety and depression are highest in adults 18-34 (20% and 18%).

Westport high school seniors’ use of alcohol (38%) is much higher than the national average (24%), and 23% of all Westport High schoolers reported gambling. 

Data at the state level suggests that up to 30% of high school students have felt sad or hopeless daily for more than 2 weeks within the last year. 12% have considered attempting suicide, and about 6% tried.

Elenee Argentinis

What does all this mean? Mental illness, from addiction (e.g., drugs, alcohol, vaping, gambling and screen time) to mood disorders (anxiety, anger and depression) and other unhealthy behaviors are still problems for our community.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To emphasize the importance of mental health in Westport we writing “Mental Health Matters,” a short series exploring mental health in our community by looking at teens, parents and older adults.

Our goal is to raise awareness about the unique mental health challenges each group faces, as well as how to recognize them and get help.

Mental Health Awareness month was established in 1949 by the National Association for Mental Health (now called Mental Health America), after passage of the 1946 Mental Health Act and the end of World War II, with a wave of soldiers affected by the war.

Before these milestones, mental illness came with shame, stigma and often maltreatment of patients in mental institutions.

Connecticut played an important role in destigmatizing mental illness, and in mental health care reform.

Clifford Beers, born in New Haven in 1876, led mental health care reform here. A Yale graduate, he suffered maltreatment and abuse in Connecticut mental institutions during episodes of depression and paranoia.

He published “A Mind That Found Itself,” recounting his abuse. He founded the Connecticut Society for Mental Hygiene (renamed Mental Health Connecticut) and the National Committee for Mental Hygiene (now Mental Health America). He founded the first outpatient mental health clinic the United States, the Clifford Beers Clinic, in 1913.

Here in Westport, we had 2 mental health facilities. The Westport Sanitorium was located at the corner of Post Road East and Compo Road North (now Winslow Park), in the former mansion of State Senator Richard Henry Winslow. beginning in 1891.

Westport Sanitarium, at the corner of Post Road East and Compo Road North.

Nine years later, McFarland’s Sanitorium was opened on Long Lots Road. It become Hall-Brooke Hospital, and absorbed into St. Vincent’s Medical Center. It was acquired by Hartford Healthcare in 2019.

Part of Hall-Brooke Hospital, on Long Lots Road.

It’s difficult to get a precise read on the number of mental health care providers in Westport. But Healthgrades notes upwards of 600 practitioners and over 200 psychiatrists in Fairfield County.

Yet many practices are booked, and waitlists are months long.

Cost is another issue. Many practitioners in our area take “private pay” only, because insurance companies reimburse too little, and limit the number of sessions they cover.

So thank goodness for Mental Health Awareness Month. We’ve come a long way in recognizing and caring for mental illness.

But we’ve still got a long way to go.

In our next article, we’ll talk about teen mental health. Until then: Be well.

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StartUp Westport Helps Start Mental Health Platform

Posted on June 24, 2025 | 4 comments

StartUp Westport started just 2 years ago.

But the public/private partnership for tech, innovation and entrepreneurship has already helped bring several half-formed ideas to fruition.

The latest is Halespring.

Michael Hermus

It’s the brainchild of Michael Hermus. The MIT-trained, 2-time software company founder and former chief technology officer of the US Department of Homeland Security knows his way around systems.

But when a family member struggled with mental health challenges, the family spent years navigating the mental healthcare landscape. They were drowning in a world of disconnected providers, endless forms and communication breakdowns.

“Therapists, psychiatrists, school staff and pediatricians all try to help. But they’re not talking to each other enough,” Hermus says. “And families are often left out of the conversation entirely.”

So he built a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform that allows outpatient mental health providers to communicate about their patients. The result is a more collaborative and streamlined approach.

Halespring just launched a consumer platform. It provides patients and caregivers with powerful tools to connect with providers, manage care, and advocate for loved ones.

The mother of a son who receives complex autism support says Halespring offers “visibility into his OT, ABA, psychiatry, talk therapy, school interventions, and pediatrician visits. It saves us time, so my husband and I can focus on his progress.”

Hermus joined StartUp Westport in 2023. He met vice president Peter Propp. He invested in Halespring, and now works on marketing and strategy as an advisory board member.

“Passionate founders are so important for successful startups,” says Propp.  “Passionate founders like Mike who can code an entire platform and improve it when needed are quite rare.”

The platform includes secure messaging, a document hub for sharing forms and assessments, and a clear overview of care teams. Westporter Dr. Frank S. K. Appah Jr., Halespring’s lead clinical advisor, calls it “the missing connective tissue.”

The platform is available at Halespring.com, with both free and premium options.

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Rhone Arriving In Westport

Posted on July 19, 2023 | 5 comments

When I say “men’s apparel,” you probably don’t think “wellness.”

And you certainly don’t think “mental health.”

But Rhone does.

They’re a “premium men’s wellness brand that creates best in class performance-driven apparel engineered for an active lifestyle.”

They use their platform and products to address complex issues men face. Rhone raises awareness around the mental health crisis, provides men with tools and resources to navigate relationships — and sells a line of versatile clothes along the way.

Next month, Rhone comes to Westport.

They’ll open at 7 Main Street, the former Loft/Lou & Grey location. It will be their flagship Connecticut store, one of about a dozen nationwide. They also sell at all Equinox locations, plus Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, and more than 350 gyms and specialty shops.

Nate Checketts

But Rhone is clearly a Connecticut company. Co-founder and CEO Nate Checketts was a football star at New Canaan High School (Class of 2001).

“You meet the best people in this state,” he says. “They’re in high-profile jobs, but they’re also very involved in their communities. And then on the side, they do triathlons.”

He’s a huge Westport fan too. He knows the town well, from the days when he mother took him and his 5 siblings shopping on Main Street, and to the water.

Checketts — whose father Dave was a CEO or owner of the Utah Jazz; New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, and Madison Square Garden, among others — went the “traditional Fairfield County route” of finance and consulting.

But at Brigham Young University he picked up the entrepreneurial bug. He was involved in an early online food ordering platform.

A stint at National Football League headquarters convinced him he was “not a corporate guy.” But it was a great place to learn how a successful corporation works. “I kept my eyes open all the time,” Checketts says.

His mother’s Christmas gift of Lululemon sweatpants to the extended family sparked a discussion with his brother-in-law. “Should guys be wearing this brand?” they wondered.

For a year, they talked on train rides to New York about creating a “best in class brand that men would be proud to wear.”

Rhone shirt and shorts.

At the same time Checketts was concerned with some of the messages about masculinity that his young sons were absorbing from society. He wanted to find a way to show them that “men can do good things in life without an overly machismo sense of self,” he says.

“There can be a balance: kindness, acceptance, and also physical pursuits, and taking care of their body and mind.”

Though men are more apt to commit suicide than women, they are less likely to seek therapy for mental health issues. Checketts has friends who have struggled; he recently lost a friend to suicide.

So — along with the shirts, hoodies, jackets, vests, pants, shorts, boxers, belts, shoes, socks, hats, bags and wallets Rhone sells — they offer signature programs like “Mind & Muscle.” They’re 25-minute workouts, followed by group therapy.

That’s just one of the ways Checketts says Rhone will be involved in the Westport community. And the town has already reached out to him.

Celebrity trainer Eric Johnson invited Checketts to a session. Television personality Dave Briggs asked how he could help.

The CEO is excited to open in Westport. So is the corporate staff, at Rhone’s Stamford headquarters.

Interior of an already-open Rhone store.

Meanwhile, about that name …

“The Rhône River starts at a Swiss glacier, and runs through France,” Checketts explains.

“I lived there for a few years. I loved the region. It was part of the Roman Empire, on the trade route. Van Gogh painted it.

“The Rhône River is all about aesthetics and function. Just like our clothes look great, and are also deeply functional.”

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Roundup: Depression, Dumb Driving, Club 203 …

Posted on October 21, 2022 | 7 comments

“Is My Teen Just Moody? An Overview on Adolescent Depression” is the depressing — but very important — title of a Westport Public Schools’ workshop.

Set for November 3 (7 p.m., Bedford Middle School auditorium), it offers parents ideas for distinguishing “normal” teenage mood swings from symptoms of something more serious.

The event explores signs and symptoms of clinical depression, and offers treatment options.

Presenter Elizabeth Cotter of Effective School Solutions ha over 20 years’ experience as a therapist, program director and in clinical leadership roles.

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Traffic was normal — that is to say, busy — yesterday at noon.

Pat Prenderville was 5th in line on Imperial Avenue, waiting for the Post Road/Myrtle Avenue light.

Suddenly, the driver of a white Audi pulled in front of all the cars waiting in Pat’s line, and zoomed to the front.

In the left lane.

And proceeded to wait there — now first in line — until the light changed.

The very entitled white Audi. (Photo/Pat Prenderville)

The Very Very Very Important Driver then headed straight across, onto Myrtle.

“It’s amazing they weren’t hit by cars turning onto Imperial,” Pat says.

It’s also amazing that I’m not amazed anymore to hear — and see — stunts like this one.

PS: It was lunchtime, so this was not a teenage driver.

And you wonder why kids drive like they do.

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Club 203 — Westport’s new social group for adults with disabilities — had its second event this week.

Once again, it was a smashing success.

Attendees, their guests and volunteers came dressed for Halloween. Trunks were decorated, and filled with treats, Scary movie clips played on the Remarkable Theater screen, and there was dancing and games for all.

As they did at their first outing, Club 203 members greeted old friends, met new ones, and had a blast..

Next up: Gaming and Pizza Night (November 19, Toquet Hall). For more information, click here.

Club 203 members Jamie Taylor and Andreas Wagner enjoy the Halloween party.

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With nearly 300 members, Staples’ Service League of Boys is the high school’s largest club.

They spend most meetings planning events. But this week they Jay Paretzky of Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services led hands-on CPR and AED instruction for the teenagers — and their parents.

Other meetings are “working” sessions. For example, SLOBs will pack and deliver hundreds of snack bags for Bridgeport schoolchildren.

SLOBs has a great reputation, at Staples and throughout the community. It’s not hard to see why.

SLOBs’ CPR training.

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Speaking of Staples: Jo Shields was impressed to find this message chalked on the high school sidewalk the other day, next to the main entrance:

(Photo/Jo Shields)

It says “Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of bravery.”

Similar messages could be seen on sidewalks all around the school. They’re part of the Guidance Department’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of mental health.

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MoCA Westport’s first-ever Open Mic last night sounds great!

Sixteen performers — as young as 14, and as old as 87 — shared poems and music with the community. Westport poet laureate Jessica McEntee also participated. Performers ranged in age from young as 14 to as old as 87.

Click here for the full program.

Vivian Shamie performs at last night’s “MoCA Some Noise” open mic event. (Photo/Cynthia Dempster)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes courtesy of Susan Leone. It was taken from the Riverwalk, behind the Library.

Once again, she — and her friend — remind us how fortunate we are to live here.

(Photo/Susan Leone)

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And finally … on this day in 1879,  Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his incandescent light bulb.

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You Are Not Alone: Students Raise Awareness Of Mental Health

Posted on March 17, 2022 | 4 comments

For years, discussion of mental health has been taboo. People have suffered in silence, not wanting to be judged by family, friends or colleagues.

Finally, mental health has become a mainstream topic. One of the most important places to talk about it is school.

To prepare for Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the Staples High School Climate Committee and Teen Awareness Group (TAG) are launching a community-wide campaign. The goal is to raise awareness, and let people know they are not alone.

TAG — a youth-led non-profit and school club — is working on a documentary for their annual “Get Real Day” at Staples in May. The goal is to bring local stories of mental illness and substance abuse to students to encourage conversation, reduce stigma, and provide support and resources to students.

They need our help. TAG is looking for Westporters, Staples alumni, current students or teachers who are willing to share their stories through both text and video. Organizers say: “We want people to know this is a ‘we’ problem, not a ‘me’ problem.”

If you’d like to share your story, email Kelly Konstanty at kellyk12@me.com by April 15. Put “Mental Health Awareness Month” in the Subject line.

TAG — and the entire community — thank you.

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Roundup: Real Estate, Brunch, Mental Health …

Posted on October 8, 2021 | 8 comments

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Westport’s real estate market continues to sizzle.

According to Brown Harris Stevens, though the 189 homes that closed in Westport in the 3rd quarter of 2021 represented a 29% decrease from the same period last year, that’s still the 2nd highest number of closings for the quarter in 20 years.

The average house closing price rose 5o $1.86 million, a 9% year-over-year increase and the highest for any quarter in Westport in the past decade.

Homes on average sold for 101.4% of the list price — the 2nd straight quarter it’s been over 100%.

Closed houses in the 3rd quarter spent an average of 58 days on the market — a record low. (Hat tip: Roe Colletti)

This house at 5 Hedley Farms Road in the Greens Farms neighborhood is on the market at $12.6 million.

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There’s something new on the menu at La Plage: brunch.

The highly touted restaurant at the Inn at Longshore starts serving this Saturday and Sunday (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).

There’s a raw bar and a la carte menu. The $25 prix fixe brunch includes a bloody mary or mimosa. The kiddy brunch menu is $15 — without, of course, the alcohol.

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Dogs and music are the themes of the Remarkable Theater’s next 2 movies.

The Imperial Avenue drive-in screens “Togo” tomorrow (Saturday, October 9, 6:45 p.m.). Appropriately, it’s the day before the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce Dog Festival. Canines are welcome.

“The Last Waltz” — the great film about the great band — will be shown Tuesday (October 12, 6:30 p.m.).

Click here for tickets and more information.

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Westport’s 25th annual Mental Health Breakfast is set for October 26 (8 a.m., Westport Library). Residents can attend in person, and join virtually.

The event will address the intersection of youth mental health and substance abuse. Dr. Aaron Wiener will offer insights about youth drug trends and the potential impact of recent marijuana legalization, followed by audience questions and further opportunities for discussion and networking among providers.

Click here to register in person. Click here for the virtual program.

Dr. Aaron Weiner

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The town has just received a big gift. Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs in New York donated 23 prints, created in the 1970s by noted artist Richard Hunt (b. 1936) to the Westport Public Art Collections.

The gift helps realize the Westport Arts Advisory Committeee’s initiative to “contemporize and diversify the public art collection,” says town arts curatoro Kathie Bennewitz.

The works will be featured in a 2022 exhibition at MoCA, showcasing WestPAC’s recent accessions and rich holdings.

1st Selectman Jim Marpe and town arts curator Kathie Bennewitz flank Noah Dorsky,. They admire the Dorsky Gallery’s gift of 23 prints.

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There’s no end to the wonders of “Westport … Naturally.”

Yesterday it was termites. Today we feature a mushroom. Matt Murray spotted this beauty in the small park on Compo Beach Road by Gray’s Creek — not far from the graves of men who died at the Battle of Compo Hill.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … “The Last Waltz” — next Tuesday’s Remarkable Theater feature (see above) — includes some remarkable performances. None is as memorable as this closing number:

 

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Melissa Bernstein Offers Hope For Anguish, Depression

Posted on March 8, 2021 | 13 comments

In the toy industry, Melissa Bernstein is a rock star.

The world knows her as co-founder and chief creative officer — with her co-founder husband and fellow native Westporter — of Melissa & Doug. The $500 million company is legendary for its toys that encourage interactive, hands-on play, and spark the imagination of children in a way screens and high-tech never can.

Yet for most of her life, Melissa Bernstein did not even know herself.

She and Doug built the business from scratch. It was their idea, their execution, their 32 years of hard — yet very fulfilling — work.

Melissa Bernstein, with some of her creations.

They married in 1992. They have 6 accomplished children, ranging in age from 27 to 13. They built a beautiful home.

Yet all along — for as long as she can recall — Melissa lived with existential anguish and depression. It made her who she is.

And at times, it made her want to end her life.

Existential anguish and depression is not a DSM diagnosis. But her torment — a crisis of doubt and meaning — was frighteningly real. It was “the darkest nihilism. Life seemed absurd and futile.”

Her mother remembers Melissa screaming every day, for the first year of her life. It was not colic; these were terrifying shrieks. “I had no words or creative solutions to what I was feeling,” Melissa says.

Melissa and Doug Bernstein.

Melissa grew up with that pain. But she was creative too. She wrote verses, and was a musician. But in college, realizing she would never play professionally, she quit music cold turkey.

She sought solace in academic performance. Looking back, she says, that turn “took me out of my heart, and into my head.” She felt “completely and utterly worthless.”

It was a coping mechanism involving denial, resistance, avoidance and dissonance, Melissa realizes now.

She created a “perfect, fictitious world” in her head. She lived in that “blissful place, filled with imaginary friends,” for at least a decade.

To the outside world, Melissa projected a façade of perfection. She worked, volunteered with the Levitt Pavilion, Music Theater of Connecticut and July 4th fireworks. She ferried her children to every sport and activity. The biggest criticism of her as a parent, she says, was that she seemed “emotionless.”

Doug and Melissa Bernstein, with their 6 children.

“Part of my validation was being a martyr,” she says. “I had to put one foot in front of the other. I had to think of my kids before me.”

Doug did not have an inkling of what Melissa was going through. But neither did she.

“I couldn’t let this demon come up,” she notes. “If I did, it would have taken me down.”

Five years ago, Melissa began to “connect the dots in a profound way.” She was exhausted. “I wanted to stop racing. It’s hard to resist everything you feel and are,” she says.

She listened to podcasts like “The Good Life Project.” She read Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning.” She learned that “as humans, our number one motive is a search for meaning.”

Melissa says, “My heart stopped. With profound alacrity, I knew what I was afflicted with.”

The more she learned, the more she realized that highly creative people — Beethoven, Mozart, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Emily Dickinson, Hemingway — shared her anguish.

For the first time in her life, Melissa did not feel alone.

Understanding her hypersensitivity to “both the beauty of the world, and unbearable pain,” she cried for 3 days.

She had awakened a window into her soul. She came to terms that her creative blessing was also a curse.

Melissa Bernstein

All those verses she’d written; all the toys she’d developed — they were outward signs of who Melissa Bernstein is. Now, she knew, she had to accept internally who she is too.

She could not do it alone. With the help of therapist Loredana Trandu, she has learned to make sense of her life.

“My journey with her was arduous. It was the lowest I ever felt,” Melissa says. “But she was there every step of the way. She’d been to that spot. I wasn’t scared.”

Now, Melissa wants to help others.

First, she shared her story on Jonathan Fields’ “Good Life” project. Hundreds of listeners responded. Their words were soulful and heart-wrenching. One told Melissa, “you put words to what was ineffable and hidden.”

She emailed or called every one. She followed up in depth with nearly 100.

Now, she and Doug have developed LifeLines. An ecosystem — books, videos, podcasts, community — its goal is to “help frame those soul-searching questions that allow you to explore your authentic self and discover what makes you tick.”

Melissa Bernstein reads her “LifeLines” book.

LifeLines is based on 3 premises:

  • You are not alone
  • We all have the capacity to channel darkness into light
  • We will not find true fulfillment and peace until we look inward and accept ourselves.

Completely free — funded by the Bernsteins — it’s about to roll out nationally. Major media like the Washington Post, USA Today, People, Elle magazine and “Good Day New York” are covering LifeLines this week and next.

Westporter David Pogue airs a segment on “CBS Sunday Morning” this weekend (March 14).

David Pogue tapes a segment with Melissa Bernstein, in her Westport home.

LifeLines has become Melissa’s life. She has recorded nearly 3 dozen podcasts, and oversees every aspect of the project. Yet she still takes time each day to speak to individual men and women — people just like her, who feel the same overpowering existential anguish and depression.

Being on the national stage — and speaking to strangers — is important. But Melissa is our neighbor. Sometimes the hardest part of baring our souls is doing it to those who know us well.

The other day at a Staples basketball game, a woman looked away when they met. Then she said, “I’m so sorry.”

Melissa felt badly that the woman felt so uncomfortable.

“We need a huge education program,” she says. “We know what to say, and not say, when someone dies. Now we need a new national conversation on how to talk about mental health.”

It’s taken Melissa Bernstein her entire life to discover herself, and open that internal dialogue. Now, with LifeLines, she’s opening up to the world.

The chief creative officer of one of the world’s leading toy companies is playing for keeps.

(PS: On Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m., the Westport Library hosts a conversation with Melissa — and me — about her journey. Click here to register.)

 

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