A red tulip is used as a symbol of hope and strength, for those living with the disease.
It is also the theme of a small book, with a big heart.
“The Little Parkinson’s Book of Positivity and Joy” was written by Westport Weston Family YMCA member Kathleen Featherston. It was featured on the Michael J. Fox Foundation website, and will be showcased next month at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Phoenix.
It describes her deeply personal, inspiring journey through life with Parkinson’s. It’s one not of despair, but resilience, grace, and a profound appreciation for life’s simplest blessings.
Kathleen Featherston, with her book.
Kathleen’s diagnosis in 2021 changed her life. But instead of retreating into fear and uncertainty, she made a choice to look up.
She laced up boxing gloves — literally — at the Westport Y. Their Parkinson’s program includes boxing, dance and speech classes.
Kathleen discovered that physical movement could be both medicine and metaphor. Each punch thrown, each round survived, was a declaration: “I am still here. I am still fighting. I am still full of joy.”
Kathleen Featherston fights against Parkinson’s.
From that spirit, her book was born. It is not a clinical guide or a sympathy card. Instead, it is “a companion — a tiny book full of enormous light, for anyone who needs a reminder that joy waits in the small moments.”
“The Little Parkinson’s Book of Positivity and Joy” can be purchased on Kathleen’s website, Amazon, The Post (1799 Post Road East) and CoCo & Company in Southport.
All proceeds go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and Parkinson’s Body and Mind — a local non-profit that has partnered with the Westport Y’s Parkinson’s program.
The Y and Parkinson’s Body & Mind are teaming up once again for the Michael J. Fox Unity Walk in New York, April 25.
Contact the Y to join the walk, and raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. (Hat tip: Bob Levy)
(“06880” regularly highlights Westporters doing remarkable things. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Westport Center for Senior Activities offers a number of wellness programs.
Three are dedicated specifically to support people living with Parkinson’s. They include:
Boxing: A high-energy class to improve balance and coordination, taught by fitness instructor and boxer Dan Lewis. Thursdays, 2-3 p.m.; July 10-September 25. $60.
Fitness: A movement-based fitness program to enhance strength, flexibility and mobility, taught by fitness instructor Beth Dalen. First 3 Wednesdays of each month, 10:15-11 a.m.; July 9-September 24.
Support Group: Guided discussions offering emotional support, shared experiences and practical strategies for living with Parkinson’s. Guest speakers address specific topics. The group is facilitated by nurse Diane Bosch. 10:15-11 a.m.; July 23, August 27, September 24.
To learn more, call assistant director Holly Betts (203-341-5096) or program specialist Joe Anastasi (203-341-1066).
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Free entertainment is on tap this weekend, at the Levitt Pavilion.
Early Clover — the former Coasters’ lead singer and Apollo favorite pays tribute to Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Otis Redding and more tonight (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.).
Tomorrow it’s Jake Swamp & the Pine, with Kali Stoddard-Imari (Sunday, 6:30 p.m.). Songs range from acoustic anthems to hoedowns to waltzes, drawing on influences from folk, bluegrass and pop.
Speaking of shows: The Old School Revue All-Stars have a great reputation. So does the Weston History & Culture Center’s “Music at the Barn” outdoor summer concert series.
So the band’s appearance on Sunday, July 13 (5:30 p.m.) should be an extra-special evening. They’ll play classic R&B, rock, soul, jazz and swing tunes.
Current and former members have toured and/or recorded with Steely Dan, the Average White Band, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Jose Feliciano, Tower of Power, Hall & Oates, the Blues Brothers, Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin.
Bring a lawn chair, and a picnic (no food truck). Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for non-members; purchase here or at the show.
Marina Drasnin — the photographer and artist who left Los Angeles for Westport after the wildfires, and was featured recently in “06880” — is this month’s guest exhibitor at the Westport Book Shop.
She’ll show her very personal and evocative collection, “ad-DRESSING-life,” featuring her hand-beaded and story-imbued miniature dresses. Each one represents a meditation on love, loss and memory, created during her husband’s 5-year battle with illness.
Marina studied at the Sorbonne. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in Boston, Los Angeles and Paris.
A reception is set for July 16 (6 to 7:30 p.m.).
Meanwhile, the Book Shop’s Short Story Book Club meets July 24 (6 p.m.) to discuss “A Cup fo Cold Water” by Edith Wharton (1895) and “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather (1905).
Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.
Including — on the steeple, and a flag — Assumption Church.
Work has been going on there for a while. But this weekend, it really catches your eye.
(Photo/Janine Scotti)
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Thursday’s wind storm was brief, but powerful.
Especially at Robin Frank’s house. Two umbrellas on metal poles nearly crashed through the kitchen window while she was making dinner.
This one — reaching the second floor — was especially scary:
(Photo/Robin Frank)
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Leslie Byelas — a noted lawyer, and former assistant US Attorney in Connecticut — died Wednesday in hospice care, at his Fairfield home. He was 88.
The Bridgeport native received an undergraduate degree in 1958 and a law degree in 1961, both from Boston University. He served in Connecticut’s Office of the Judge Advocate, and the US Army Reserve.
Les had a longtime legal practice in Westport. He retired in 2020, after 59 years in the profession.
In addition to his wife Ellen Lubell, Les is survived by his sons Michael and Jonathan, stepdaughter Karina Lubell, sister Ruth Byelas, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Amy Bloom and Bill Mainor, grandchildren Tristan Mareuil and Axel Mareuil, and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, the Connecticut Food Bank, and Connecticut Humane Society.
Les Byelas
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We get lots of sunset photos at “06880.”
But Cabry Lueker’s image of Burying Hill Beach is particularly compelling, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Bob and Doree Levy are avid Westport Weston Family YMCA members.
They spend much of their time in the pool. But 3 years ago, he saw a woman teaching someone how to box.
She was Brenda Waldron, the instructor for a class of people with Parkinson’s.
Brenda Waldron, at the Westport Y.
Bob had never hit anyone — or been hit — in nearly 8 decades of life.
But he told Brenda he’d love to help.
Ever since, Bob has taught boxing to individuals with the disease.
The volunteers and 30 people with Parkinson’s meet Mondays and Thursdays, at 12:30 p.m.
Bob is not an expert on the disease. But he has seen the positive impact the class has on everyone involved.
“Boxing provides numerous benefits,” he notes. “It enhances strength, improves balance, and aids in memory retention. The coordination required to remember the sequence of numbers corresponding to each punch is particularly beneficial.”
In addition, he says, “the group fosters a strong sense of camaraderie and unity, embracing the ‘all for one and one for all; spirit of The Three Musketeers. This bond has made this group one big family.”
The group has also made an impact on Bob’s life.
“I am an old man now,” he says. “Since my youth, I have always believed that helping others is the reward.
“It does not cost anything to open a door for someone, greet them with a smile, or spread positivity.”
And it cost Bob just a few dollars to give his boxing class a gift.
The other day, for the third year in a row, Bob handed “Knock Parkinsons Out” t- shirts to members of the class.
The boxing class.
“Thank you Parkinson’s group,” Bob says. “I truly have been blessed.”
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — a daily source for stories about our town you won’t read anywhere else. We rely on reader support. If you enjoy our work, please click here to help. Thank you!)
The Delta variant is causing concern across Connecticut. Late last night, 1st Selectman Jim Marpe issued this statement:
“As you know, Westport has already re-instituted the requirement for everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks indoors in public buildings as recommended by the CDC and the State Department of Health.
“Westport residents have been very diligent in getting vaccinated, with full vaccination rates approaching 90% for the eligible population.
“Nevertheless, the COVID virus knows no municipal or county boundaries, and a significant portion of our workforce commutes into Westport every day from areas of the state that may have had less success in vaccinating their population.
“As a result, I will be working with our COVID Emergency Response team, which includes the Westport Weston Health District leadership, to consider what additional steps our community should take within the Governor’s Executive order to further limit our residents’ exposure to the virus through masking requirements.
“I will be meeting Friday morning with my counterparts from the Western Connecticut Council of Governments to better understand our options, and to attempt some consistency of masking guidelines across the region. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to wear a mask indoors, particularly in any crowded setting and, for those who are eligible to be vaccinated and have not done so, to please get vaccinated.”
1st Selectman Jim Marpe encourages everyone to wear a mask indoors.
Back-to-school time means many things. Including: It’s time to help youngsters in need go back to school.
Each year, Westport’s Department of Human Services helps local families who lack the financial means to purchase back-to-school supplies and/or provide reliable after-school childcare for their children.
The pandemic has exacerbated that need.
Family program coordinator Annette D’Augelli says, “Ordinarily, the Back-to-School program provides basic school supplies to lessen the financial burden on families struggling to make ends meet.
“The post-pandemic Back-to-School program requires more than backpacks, pens and pencils. Community donations help reinforce a child’s sense of hope and stability by ensuring they have the tools they need to excel in school, and opportunities to participate in after-school activities so their parents can focus on getting back to work.”
Tax-deductible donations, in the form of cash or gift cards (Staples, Target, Walmart, etc.) through “We Care Westport,” Human Services’ donation portal. Click here to donate; then choose “Family to Family Programs – Seasonal Program – Back to School.” Checks payable to the “Town of Westport/DHS Family Programs” can be sent to Human Services, 110 Myrtle Ave Westport, CT 06880.
If you or someone you know requires assistance, call 203-341-1050 or email humansrv@westportct.gov to speak confidentially with a social worker.
The Department of Human Services’ Back to School program helps youngsters get backpacks — and fill them with supplies.
In 2011, JoyRide became Westport’s 1st cycling studio.
This month, they become the first local gym to require all customers and employees to submit one-time proof of COVID vaccination to attend any of their Connecticut studios (Westport, Darien, New Haven).
Effective August 16, proof can be provided via an actual immunization card, or a photo of it. It can be presented at check-in, or sent via email to info@joyridestudio.com.
JoyRide also notes that the CDC encourages wearing masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Speaking of exercise: A customized program for people with Parkinson’s starts soon at he Westport Weston Family YMCA. The goal of the program — which includes boxing, yoga and tai chi classes — is to reduce symptoms.
A support group for Parkinson’s patients and their care partners is also offered.
For details click here, and watch the video below.
Alert — and concerned — “06880” reader Bob Mitchell writes:
“A reminder: Please walk on the proper side of the street, facing traffic on the left side of a 2-way street. It drives me crazy to maneuver around walkers, particularly families with kids, strollers or dogs, walking with their backs to oncoming traffic, oblivious to potential danger.
“Walking the proper way is not only safer and more comfortable (no looking over the shoulder), but it is state law.
I suspect many people don’t know this. We are lucky there have not been any incidents (that I know of).”
The folks in front are walking properly on Canal Road. Those in the rear are not. (Photo/Gene Borio)
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is fascinating — and educational.
Photographer Lou Weinberg — who in his spare time serves as director of Westport Community Gardens — says: “Dragonflies are models of flight. They can even fly backwards. Plus they love to be photographed. I love these insects. Nature wins!”
“Willie Winfield, whose silken lead vocals with the Harptones in the 1950s made him a favorite of doo-wop connoisseurs, even though the group never achieved wide mainstream commercial success, died on July 27 in a hospital in Brooklyn. He was 91.”
I had never heard of him (or the Harptones). But I sure know this beautiful song:
Paul Green — one of Westport’s most beloved and inspirational citizens — died yesterday. He was 94.
More than 6 years ago, I chronicled Paul’s long — and strong — battle against a deadly disease. He continued fighting long after those words appeared. I wrote:
Nineteen years ago, Paul Green was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
His 1st reaction was to fight back.
His 2nd was to figure out how.
His 3rd was to apply what he’d learned: that movement like exercise and dance can slow the progression of that torturous disease.
Last night at the Saugatuck Rowing Club, Paul — 88 years young — was the star attraction. A video highlighting his avid, ongoing work was shown. It serves 2 purposes: educating Parkinson’s patients about the benefits of exercise, and raising funds for a foundation Paul started.
Paul Green, hard at work at the Saugatuck Rowing Club.
The non-profit is called Nevah Surrendah to Parkinson’s. The name honors Paul’s always-optimistic attitude — and pays homage to his hero Winston Churchill’s legendary exhortation. (And his accent. Paul also pronounces it “nevah surrendah” — he’s from Boston.)
The site was perfect. Rowing is one of the many activities that keeps Paul’s Parkinson’s in check. The Saugatuck club has been his home away from his Old Mill home for years.
The rowing community is a close and very friendly one. Paul is one of its true idols — and a real favorite. (Particularly with the ladies.)
Last summer, the Saugatuck Rowing Club was the site of another tribute to Paul, and his Nevah Surrendah foundation. Scenes from that event — and a July dance-and-exercise session at the Senior Center — have been incorporated into the compelling video that premiered last night.
Paul Green, keeping active in the boathouse he loves.
The video begins with scenes of reggae artist Mystic Bowie and Zumba instructor Eddie Calle leading at the Senior Center. The music is infectious; the smiles are heartfelt, and the scenes of older men and women — some with caretakers, others with grandchildren — moving slowly but rhythmically to the sounds of ska are inspiring.
Paul hopes that the video will show others with Parkinson’s — or any movement disorder — how to exercise for improved balance, a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle.
Interviews with Paul’s neurologist, Dr. Amy Knoor; his physical therapist, Tara Maroney and his chiropractor Dr. Joshua Lander prove that Paul has not only nevah surrendahed — he’s thrived.
And as he’s done for nearly 2 decades, he’s helping others thrive.
“Paul is such an inspiration,” one of the rowers interviewed on the video says. “We think we’re working hard. Then we see him out on the water — with such a smile on his face!”
The same smile he wore all last night, as he greeted and danced his way through a throng of family members, friends and fans.
Nineteen years ago, Paul Green was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
His 1st reaction was to fight back.
His 2nd was to figure out how.
His 3rd was to apply what he’d learned: that movement like exercise and dance can slow the progression of that torturous disease.
Last night at the Saugatuck Rowing Club, Paul — 88 years young — was the star attraction. A video highlighting his avid, ongoing work was shown. It serves 2 purposes: educating Parkinson’s patients about the benefits of exercise, and raising funds for a foundation Paul started.
Paul Green, hard at work at the Saugatuck Rowing Club.
The non-profit is called Nevah Surrendah to Parkinson’s. The name honors Paul’s always-optimistic attitude — and pays homage to his hero Winston Churchill’s legendary exhortation. (And his accent. Paul also pronounces it “nevah surrendah” — he’s from Boston.)
The site was perfect. Rowing is one of the many activities that keeps Paul’s Parkinson’s in check. The Saugatuck club has been his home away from his Old Mill home for years.
The rowing community is a close and very friendly one. Paul is one of its true idols — and a real favorite. (Particularly with the ladies.)
Last summer, the Saugatuck Rowing Club was the site of another tribute to Paul, and his Nevah Surrendah foundation. Scenes from that event — and a July dance-and-exercise session at the Senior Center — have been incorporated into the compelling video that premiered last night.
Paul Green, keeping active in the boathouse he loves.
The video begins with scenes of reggae artist Mystic Bowie and Zumba instructor Eddie Calle leading at the Senior Center. The music is infectious; the smiles are heartfelt, and the scenes of older men and women — some with caretakers, others with grandchildren — moving slowly but rhythmically to the sounds of ska are inspiring.
Paul hopes that the video will show others with Parkinson’s — or any movement disorder — how to exercise for improved balance, a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle.
Interviews with Paul’s neurologist, Dr. Amy Knoor; his physical therapist, Tara Maroney and his chiropractor Dr. Joshua Lander prove that Paul has not only nevah surrendahed — he’s thrived.
And as he’s done for nearly 2 decades, he’s helping others thrive.
“Paul is such an inspiration,” one of the rowers interviewed on the video says. “We think we’re working hard. Then we see him out on the water — with such a smile on his face!”
The same smile he wore all last night, as he greeted and danced his way through a throng of family members, friends and fans.
(Click here for more information on the Nevah Surrendah foundation — and to view the Paul Green video.)
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