Tag Archives: Michael Douglas

Roundup: VFW Flags, Michael Douglas, Wynston Browne …

Posted on October 28, 2024 | 16 comments

Saturday was a red-letter day in Westport.

Actually, a red-white-and-blue day.

Early in the morning, community volunteers — including Scouts from Troops 39 and 139 — gathered at Assumption Cemetery on Greens Farms Road

They placed new flag holders and flags on the graves of  veterans.

“Today was about recognizing our heroes, and making sure their sacrifice is remembered,” says Phil Delgado, quartermaster of VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, which funded the project.

Donations to help fund more flags and holders are welcome; email delgadopa@icloud.com. If any veterans’ graves were missed (not all had military inscriptions), email VFW Auxiliary member Patty Kondub: Nortonpk@icloud.com.

(Photos courtesy of Andrew Colabella and Patty Kondub)

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This past Tuesday, a Stamford gala celebrated Michael Douglas’ career as an actor, producer, nuclear disarmament activist and philanthropist. The event was a benefit for the historic Avon Theater.

Among the star-studded crowd were politicians and businesspeople. Plus 3 former Downshifters — buddies from Douglas’ teenage years in Westport.

The trio flew in from across the country: Charlie Taylor (Kentucky), Tom Hatch (New Mexico) and Morgan Smith (Idaho).

Michael Douglas with Charlie Taylor, Morgan Smith and Tom Hatch, at Stamford’s Avon Theater.

The Downshifters were a civic-minded, educational and fun hot rod club, in the 1950s and ’60s. Parents Magazine named them one of the 14 outstanding youth groups in the country. (“There must have been a father in town who worked for them,” a member said.)

(Click here and click here for some great Downshifters back stories. Click here for one featuring Michael Douglas himself.)

A young Michael Douglas. He attended Bedford Junior High School, but his parents shipped him off to boarding school instead of Staples.

The Stamford event — emceed by Terre Blair — included a short film clip of Taylor’s music, with images of cars and people from the Downshifters days. Douglas was stunned.

Another, less important video tribute, came from Michael Bloomberg.

(Click here for the Downshifters video. The music is as good as the photos. After his hot rod days, Taylor had successful dual careers, with Vanderbilt University and as a noted Nashville singer/songwriter.)

As for Michael Douglas hot rod: He had a 1947 Mercury, with a Model A axle in the back. It was named the “Ruptured Duck.”

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Speaking of film stars: Wynston Browne has enjoyed quite a whirlwind of activity.

The Staples High School senior — a non-speaking autistic teenager whose communication via a typing device has opened up his own world, and shown the rest of the world his remarkable, wide-ranging and tremendous intelligence — was featured in a News 12 profile.

On Saturday, the Cablevision team — including host Mark Sudol and Frank Bruce Rosen, who conceived of and filmed the piece — were honored as an Emmy winner.

Wynston Browne

Meanwhile, the film “Presumed Incompetent” — starring and inspired by Wynston’s life — has been accepted as a finalist at both the Santa Monica, California ETHOS Festival (November 9) and New York’s Big Apple Film Festival (December 12, 657 West 57th Street, 5:45 p.m.; click here for tickets. Click here for a link to Wynston’s acting reel.)

ETHOS is an awards program and film festival recognizing impact-driven films casting lights on critical current social causes and themes.

Wynston will do talkbacks — using his communication devices — at both the ETHOS and BAFF festival screenings.

“06880” is proud to say we knew and admired Wynston even before he was a star!

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Everyone was a winner at Saturday’s Challenger baseball’s 12th annual Halloween game and party.

The Westport Winners — the team that competes in a league for boys and girls with disabilities — squared off for an intra-squad game: Team Spooky vs. Team Scary.

Thirteen buddies from middle school age to adult joined the young athletes, along with many families and spectators.

Afterward, everyone enjoy pizza and Halloween treats.

The vibe was as fantastic as the weather.

Dressed for Halloween — and baseball. (Photo/Beth Cody)

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Clarendon Fine Art — the great gallery at the head of Main Street — welcomes Craig Alan next month.

A reception for the solo show — featuring the artist’s distinctive images of iconic faces, buildings and abstracts, in hundreds of intricately painted figures — is set for November 22 (6 to 8 p.m.). Click here for details.

Art by Craig Alan

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There are just 3 days till Halloween.

So naturally, today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature features:

(Photo/Copyright DinkinEsh Fotografix)

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And finally … on this date in 1893, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique” premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia.

He died 9 days later, of cholera.

(Today — if you enjoy any of these Roundup stories — “06880” challenges you to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Looking back, Media, Sports, Transportation

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Roundup: Bayberry & Cross Highway, Alisyn Camerota, Michael Douglas …

Posted on July 27, 2024 | 55 comments

One of the most dangerous intersections in Westport — Cross Highway and Bayberry Lane — just got (hopefully) quite a bit safer.

The town has installed new warning and stop signs in all 4 directions. All flash brightly. The aim is to attract the attention of drivers before they plow onward.

It’s a great start. And a great reminder to pay attention! 

You can’t see the flashing stop sign. But it sure stands out. (Hat tip and photo/Carl McNair)

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The weather was perfect. The vibe was cool.

And every seat was taken last night, at the 3 Church Lane restaurants with outdoor dining: Spotted Horse, The Blondinit and Pink Sumo.

Live music added to the fun.

Just another reason to love summer in Westport — and more proof that downtown has its mojo back.

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Sure, it’s still July.

But school will be open before we know it.

To make sure everyone has what they need, the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force is collecting supplies. They’ll go to residents of the 2 Domestic Violence Crisis Center safe houses that serve our area, and DVCC’s clients.

The Westport Rotary Club and Positive Directions are important partners. The collection begins tomorrow (July 28), and runs through August 4.

Among the new items needed: backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons, lunch boxes, 3×3 sticky note pads, 3-ring binders, graphing calculators, and gift cards (Target, Walmart, Amazon, Staples, etc.).

Donations can be left in collection bins at the Westport Police Department (50 Jesup Road) and Positive Directions (90 Post Road West).

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Westporters know Alisyn Camerota as a CNN anchor/ correspondent.

She recently branched into memoir writing. In “Combat Love: A Story of Leaving, Longing and Searching for Home,” the Westport resident explores her teenage years in the 1980s music scenes of the Jersey Shore and New York City, along with her difficult relationship with her mother.

Soon, we’ll see “Combat Love” on film and TV screens. It’s in development by the producers of Broadway musicals like Alanis Morisette’s “Jagged Little Pill” and Green Day’s “American Idiot.” (Hat tip: David Meth)

Alisyn Camerota

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Speaking of writing: Here’s something to write home about: The Westport Writers’ Workshop is 20 years old.

The non-profit celebrates the milestone September 6, with a bash at the Saugatuck Rowing Club.

The event includes dinner, drinks, dancing to the Dylan Connor Trio, a silent auction, and tributes to important people like founder Jessica Bram and former Executive director Valerie Ann Leff.

Tickets are $150, and include an open bar. Click here, then scroll down to purchase.

Funds raised help underwrite WWW’s outreach programs that serve underrepresented populations, like the Bigelow Senior Center, Moms of Children with Disabilities, and STAR. These programs allow students to discover their voices, guided by accomplished faculty members. 

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Longshore golfers were surprised yesterday to see a cart, sporting a political message:

It looked like a Parks & Recreation Department vehicle.

But it wasn’t.

Parks & Rec officials said it belonged to a nearby resident, out for a spin.

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Michael Douglas spent his youth in Westport. (He did not graduate from Staples High School; after junior high, he was shipped off to boarding school.)

The veteran film and television actor and producer returns to the area October 22. Stamford’s Avon Theatre will present him with its Lifetime Achievement Award

Click here for tickets.

A young Michael Douglas lived on Webb Road.

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When Team Velominati sets a goal, they don’t mess around.

On August 3-4, Coastal Bridge founder and Westporter Bill Loftus will ride with the group — many of whom are local residents — across Massachusetts, in his 7th Pan-Mass Challenge, to fund cancer research at Dana-Farber in Boston.

Team Velominati’s goal: $750,000.

This year is particularly exciting. The Pan-Mass Challenge will pass $1 billion in donations over its 44-year history, making it the largest athletic fundraiser in the country.

This year, Loftus is dedicating his ride to his teammate Scott Logie, who is battling cancer.

To help Team Velominati, click here.

Dave Hazard and Bill Loftus (right) crossing the finish line at mile 192 in Provincetown during the Pan-Mass Challenge.

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“Freedom is a Feast” by Alejandro Puyana, “How to Read a Book” by Monica Wood, and “skin & bones” by Renée Watson are the 3 finalists for the 2024 Westport Prize for Literature, The $10,000 is awarded for an original work of fiction that explores issues in contemporary society.

This year’s winner will be announced next month, and honored at The Westport Library on September 21, in conjunction with StoryFest, the annual literary festival.

The recipient will also sit on a StoryFest panel. Confirmed authors for the event include Roxane Gay, Christopher Golden, Joe R. Lansdale, Claire Messud and Peng Shepherd. Click here for the full list.

Submissions for the 2024 Westport Prize for Literature were vetted by nearly 50 volunteer readers. A jury will then select the winner.

From left: Alejandro Puyana, Renée Watson, Monica Wood.

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Alice and her baby Apricot are today’s “Westport … Naturally” subjects.

They — along with baby Raisin — live at Wakeman Town Farm. The public can visit (and snuggle) with them. Click here for reservations, and more information.

(Photo/Michelle Cardello)

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And finally … on this date in 1890, Vincent van Gogh shot himself. He died 2 days later.

(Van Gogh cannot contribute to “06880.” But you can! Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Dank u wel!)

 

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Posted in Downtown, Library, Local business, Media, Politics, Restaurants, Transportation

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Question Box #6

Posted on May 21, 2022 | 16 comments

Our Question Box is once again full.

Unfortunately, I have almost none of the answers. I thought I knew a lot about Westport. Now I see how clueless I am.

So readers: Please chime in with any additional information. Click “Comments” below.

If you’ve got a question for our box, email 06880blog@gmail.com

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Why are there so many streets without sidewalks? (Monica Buesser)

This is an eternal question — particularly by newcomers from Manhattan and Brooklyn.

There are a few reasons:

  • Money
  • No one asked for them in a particular area
  • A desire to cling to a “rural” feel
  • Postwar Westport grew around cars and bikes — not feet.

So here’s my question: In the areas where we do have sidewalks, why do people walk instead on the road?

The Imperial Avenue sidewalk. Sometimes, people even use it.

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Who was the “Webb” in Webb Road?

I have no idea. All I know is it’s a nice street off Whitney. And I think Michael Douglas lived there — at least for a while — with his mother.

For that matter, who was Whitney? The Abbott of Abbott’s Lane? The The Pamela and Plunkett of their Places?

This should keep the Answer Box of our Question Box filled. If you know the back story of interesting Westport road names (though not, obviously, Main Street, North Avenue or the like), let us know!

I think a young Michael Douglas once lived near Webb Road, on Whitney Street.

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I notice that some newer driveways have a threshold of Belgium blocks or similar. Why?

Belgium blocks

Also, some quite new driveways seem to have a drain as a threshold. Why and where does it drain, if at all? 

Driveway drain.

Finally, most homes simply have a driveway with no threshold blocks or drain. I presume this is before anyone decided to put them in. (Mark Mathias)

No drain (Photos/Mark Mathias)

Here’s the “06880” answer: I have no idea.

If a builder/driveway specialist out there knows the answer — or a homeowner thinks he or she does — please weigh in.

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I think I know the rivers and reservoirs in our area. But I wonder: Does any map show the creeks, streams and brooks? All I found is that you can step over a brook, jump over a creek, wade across a stream and swim across a river. (Jeff Jacobs)

Muddy, Willow and Deadman — those are 3 of our brooks (which I’ve always thought of as “streams” too). I’m not sure if we have a creek.

There’s our old friend Google (as in Google Maps). You’ll need to zoom out or in, depending on your settings.

But maybe there’s a geological survey or topographical-type map that’s better. If you know of one, please share!

Deadman Brook flows into the Saugatuck River by the Levitt Pavilion. I’m not sure if you could actually “step over” this. (Photo/Judy Jahnel)

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There’s a big rock off Saugatuck Shores named Seymour Rock. Any idea who Seymour was? (Jack Harder)

Nope. And to be honest, I’ve never heard of Seymour Rock in my life.

But a quick search confirmed it. Last year, Westport Local Press ran a photo of Longshore Sailing School students exploring it — as a “rite of passage” — off Bluff Point.

So ask John Kantor. Or Jaime Bairaktaris. They’ll rock it.

Seymour Rock (Photo courtesy of Westport Local Press)

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Have a question? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. 

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Roundup: Ramadan, Michael Douglas, Daffodils …

Posted on April 28, 2021 | 9 comments

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It’s a Ramadan tradition for Muslims to visit civil service offices, meet executive officers in person, and thank them for their contributions.

Yesterday, Feroz Virani, Adil Kassam and Tameeza Asaria — members of the Ismaili Muslim community — presented 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Robert Yost with a gift of appreciation.

At Town Hall …

… Police headquarters …

… and the fire station. (Photos courtesy of Town of Westport)

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Westport Republican Town Committee member Jim Campbell has tossed his hat in the ring: for chair of the Connecticut Republican Party.

A former chair of the Greenwich Republican Town Committee whose early and avid support of Donald Trump was chronicled in Evan Osnos’ New Yorker story “How Greenwich Republicans Learned to Love Trump,” Campbell is an executive with Frontier Communications.

Jim Campbell

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The cover story for AARP Magazine’s April/May issue is Michael Douglas.

In a long interview about his life and career, the 76-year-old actor mentions his teenage years in Westport:

I was into hot rods, tinkering with cars. I worked at a Mobil station at one point, and my first real award was Mobil Man of the Month. I was also a member of a group called the Downshifters. A little bit like the Jets in West Side Story: [sings] “When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way.”

I had a D.A. — when you’d comb your hair to look like a duck’s ass — the D.A., we called it. We were known to spend a little time locating automobiles that had parts that we wanted. Not proud about it, but it kept me out of a lot of other trouble.

Click here for the full interview.

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Scott Smith writes: “I can’t remember a prettier season for daffodils and forsythia. I read an New York Times article on tulips that suggested the snow cover this winter may have helped. I

“I don’t recall buying any type of daffodil with multiple blooms, though I know some such varieties exist. So when I spotted this pretty bloom in my yard, I wondered if I have some sort of self-evolved mutant. Anybody else around town have this sort of daffodil?”

Daffodil lovers: Click “Comments” to respond!

(Photo/Scott Smith)

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Speaking of blooms: The Westport Garden Club’s annual plant sale has a new venue: Jesup Green. The date is Friday, May 14 (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.).

Also new this year: the option to pre-order plants online, for curbside pickup. The ordering page goes live May 1, at http://westportgardenclub.org.

Held annual since 1928 (except during World War II, and last year’s pandemic), the event features over 1,000 homegrown perennials from members’ own gardens, with a special section of Connecticut native plants. Club members will be on site, for advice. Each plant has a tag with care information too.

The Westport Book Shop — across Jesup Green — will offer a selection of garden books.

Proceeds from the sale — and the club’s booth at the Westport Museum for History & Culture’s May 1 Spring Market — support the club’s projects, including maintenance of local public gardens and parks. For more information, click here.

Getting ready for the sale.

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Westporter Melissa Bernstein has been very open about her lifelong battle with existential anguish and depression. LifeLines — the multimedia platform recently launched, in collaboration with Doug, her husband and fellow Melissa & Doug toy company founder — has gotten great publicity.

One of the most in-depth and powerful stories was just published in the Washington Post. Click here to read. (Hat tip: Marc Selverstone)

Melissa Bernstein reads her “LifeLines” book.

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Food insecurity and cancer are both difficult situations. Too often, they go together.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Pink Aid is helping struggling moms feed their families. With every the breast cancer support group will purchase food cards for women battling both breast cancer and financial hardship.

Pink Aid will send every donor’s mother a card acknowledging the meaningful gift. For every donation of $100 or more, they’ll send the donor (or donor’s mom) a reusable insulated grocery bag. Click here to donate.

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From the Cincinnati Reds to Greens Farms Academy. That’s the unusual career path for the private school’s new athletic director. Eric Lee — senior director of player development for the MLB team — begins his next job in early July. He replaces Tauni Butterfield, who is moving to North Carolina after 2 decades at the Beachside Avenue school.

Lee’s 8 years with the Reds includes stints at director of baseball operations and senior director of international operations. He played baseball at Haverford, where he earned a BA i political science. He then taught world history and coached coaches baseball at basketball at Hawaii Preparatory Academy before returning to Haverford as an assistant dean of students and assistant baseball coach. He also worked and coached at National Presbyterian School in Washington, DC — and earned a law degree from the University of Maryland.

Eric Lee

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And finally … on this day in 1965 Luciano Pavarotti mad his La Scala debut in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of “La Bohème.” Here he is, 21 years later:

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Posted in Education, Entertainment, Environment, Local politics, Police, Politics, Sports

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Michael Douglas: Once A Downshifter…

Posted on June 29, 2018 | 33 comments

Michael Douglas has had quite a life.

The actor/producer/son of Kirk Douglas has won Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. He’s a political activist, and the husband of Catherine Zeta-Jones.

He spent some of his growing-up years in Westport. He did not go to Staples High School — his parents shipped him off to Choate — but he did join the Downshifters. That’s the hot rod club that flourished here in the 1950s and ’60s.

Michael Douglas is still making movies. And while promoting “Ant-Man” on Dan Patrick’s radio show this week, the talk turned to those long-ago days.

A screen grab from the Dan Patrick Show website.

He had a 1947 Mercury with a Model A axle in the back, the actor said. The car was named the “Ruptured Duck.”

He said he pretended to be a tough guy. “Tough being a tough guy in Westport,” Patrick noted.

And that was that. Host and guest moved on to other things.

But it’s nice to know that in some ways, Michael Douglas has never moved far from the Downshifters.

 

(Hat tips: Jim Harman and Carl Swanson)

 

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Posted in Entertainment, Looking back, People, Staples HS, Transportation

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Downshifting

Posted on September 15, 2015 | 11 comments

Well-known fact: Michael Douglas was a teenager in Westport.

Less well-known: He was a member of the Downshifters hot rod club.

Virtually unknown, unless you grew up in Westport in the late 1950s and early ’60s: Westport had a hot rod club.

Meetings were held at the Y.  Members brought their girlfriends — but they sat outside.

Inside, there were formal presentations on cars — carburetors, brake systems, that sort of thing. Dues were collected, officers elected and minutes recorded.

Michael douglas 2

But the Downshifters were not a book club or sewing circle. They found spots around town to race (like “the asphalt near Mahackeno” — presumably, now the entrance to the Y). They “had something to do” with the Dover Drag Strip, just across the state line in Dutchess County.

The Downshifters are now receiving Social Security. The gears they shift are probably automatic.

But the club lives on in the memories of all its members (and their girlfriends, who sat outside).

Charlie Taylor, today.

Charlie Taylor, today.

As part of this weekend’s Staples High School’s Class of 1960 reunion, Charlie Taylor and Mike James will talk about the Downshifters. They’ll show photos and memorabilia, and discuss the possibility of a movie about the group. (Michael Douglas, anyone?)

Charlie and Mike are great storytellers. (They also have intriguing, non-hot-rod back stories. Charlie is a noted Nashville musician, while Mike was a prominent political activist.)

On Saturday though, they’ll concentrate on their Downshifter days. Those engines provided the soundtrack for some of the best times of their lives.

(The Downshifters talk is this Saturday, September 19, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in the Westport Library 2nd floor seminar room. It’s free, and open to the public.)

 

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Posted in Looking back, Organizations, Staples HS, Teenagers, Transportation

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Downshifting With Michael Douglas

Posted on August 15, 2015 | 9 comments

Westporters who grew up here in the late 1950s and early ’60s remember Michael Douglas. The son of actor Kirk Douglas did not go to Staples — he’s a Choate grad — but he was friends with many who did.

He’s been gone for decades. Does he remember Westport at all?

Apparently. Check out a recent post on his personal Facebook page:

Michael douglas 2

The Downshifters were legends. To read more about them, click here.

To learn more about Michael Douglas, join Netflix.

(Hat tip: Bill Banks)

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Posted in Entertainment, Looking back, Organizations, People, Transportation

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Word On The Street (And We Do Mean “Street”) …

Posted on January 7, 2015 | 6 comments

… is that Michael Douglas is making a movie about Westport.

An unconfirmed source says that the famed actor/producer’s new project looks back on his teenage days here. It will focus on his beloved Downshifters — the club that met at the Y to talk about, learn about, work on (and sometimes race) cars.

American Graffiti: Eat your heart out.

In 2013 -- while filming "And So It Goes" in Bridgeport -- Michael Douglas drove Westporter Bill Scheffler's Mercedes.

In 2013 — while filming “And So It Goes” in Bridgeport — Michael Douglas drove Westporter Bill Scheffler’s Mercedes.

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Posted in Entertainment, Looking back, Organizations, People, Transportation

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Bill Scheffler’s Benz Is A Movie Star

Posted on July 29, 2014 | 3 comments

There’s something about Michael Douglas and Westport cars.

Growing up here, he was a member of the Downshifters — the high school club that met at the Y to talk about, learn about, work on (and sometimes race) cars.

Last summer, he filmed “And So It Goes” in Bridgeport. Directed by Rob Reiner, and also starring Diane Keaton, it’s about a self-absorbed realtor suddenly left in charge of a granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off. It was released last week.

Besides the familiar Black Rock scenes (and familiar former Westport actor), there’s a familiar car.

Michael Douglas driving Bill Scheffler's Mercedes.

Michael Douglas driving Bill Scheffler’s Mercedes.

Westporter Bill Scheffler’s 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SE Cabriolet takes a star turn. With the star.

Douglas drives it — and it is featured prominently in the promos.

Scheffler bought the Benz in January 2013, at a Scottsdale auction. It’s a fairly limited production car — about 3100 hard tops and convertibles were made over the model’s 6-year life — and was built to rigorous standards.

The auction catalogue says the 300SE offered “a stirring combination of luxury and performance along with technical specifications better than anything else of its era.”

So how did Scheffler’s car make it onto Rob Reiner’s set?

It was spotted by a “talent scout/car wrangler” while being restored in Stratford.

And so it goes.

Michael Douglas poster

 

 

 

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Posted in Entertainment, Looking back, People, Transportation

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Miggs And Michael

Posted on August 10, 2013 | 3 comments

Most people, if they saw Michael Douglas in a restaurant, would do 1 of 2 things: They’d ask for his autograph. Or they’d stare.

Miggs Burroughs is not “most people.”

The other day, he saw the actor at Barcelona in Fairfield. Miggs — a well-known artist/designer — had a great opening line for the even better-known actor.

Michael Douglas -- older than when he wanted to be a stuntman, younger than today.

Michael Douglas — older than when he wanted to be a stuntman, younger than today.

Miggs reminded Michael that they were tennis partners at Westport legend Doc Marshall’s camp, held on the courts behind Bedford Junior High School (now Saugatuck Elementary) when the boys were 10 or 12.

As Miggs tells it: “Michael’s jaw  dropped with surprise, or maybe I was standing on his foot.”

Miggs remembered that Michael “hurled himself over the net and rolled around on the ground because, as he told me then, he wanted to be a stuntman when he grew up.”

Miggs continues: “Well, when the son of Spartacus” — or, anyway, Kirk Douglas, who played Spartacus in the movies — “tells you he wants to be a stuntman, then I wanted to be a stunt man too.”

So later in the week Miggs threw himself off the roof of a neighbor’s chicken coop. Unlike actual stuntmen — or Spartacus — Miggs did a nasty face plant on the ground. His nose split open.

He ran home. Covering his face, he dashed into the living room, where his parents were entertaining friends.

They asked what was wrong. Miggs dropped his hands. A torrent of blood spilled on the carpet, as the guests ran for cover. 

“Since it was all his fault, I should have asked Michael to autograph the scar on my nose from the stitches,” Miggs says.

“But I didn’t think of it until now.”

Miggs Burroughs. You can barely see his scar.

Miggs Burroughs. You can barely see his scar.

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Posted in Entertainment, Looking back, People

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