Tag Archives: Selma Miriam

Roundup: Helping Jamaica, Ukraine, Homes With Hope, Pink Aid …

Posted on November 16, 2025 | 1 comment

Weston reggae musician Mystic Bowie has strong roots in Jamaica. There’s a Mystic Bowie Cultural Center in Accompong Town.

But after Hurricane Melissa, nearly every home and school must be rebuilt. Families are in urgent need of safety, shelter and support.

Bowie is doing what he can to help. And he wants everyone here to join the effort.

On November 29 his Talking Dreads band take the stage at the Fairfield Theater Company’s Warehouse.

Tickets are $100, $50 and $35. All proceeds support the Mystic Bowie Cultural Center’s Jamaica Relief efforts in Accompong Town. Click here to purchase or donate, and for more information.

Special musical guests will be announced soon. Bowie says, “feel the rhythm, share the love, and stand with us in solidarity as we help bring hope back to the heart of Jamaica.”

Mystic Bowie

==================================================

Jamaica is not the only place with desperate need.

Mark Yurkiw — who has spent the past 3 years raising funds and providing material help to Ukraine, where he has strong roots.

Mark says, “each night hundreds of Russian drones descend, damaging homes, schools and hospitals and across the country. All the wiring in these buildings needs to be reconnected and made safe.

“They are in desperate need of power cords, extension cords, electrical wires, etc.

“I hope ‘06880’ readers who have wires, of any sort or size or length, can drop them at my garage doors (190 Cross Highway).

“They don’t need to work, and they don’t need connectors at the end. (Ukraine uses different connectors.)

“Any tools used to work with electricity are extremely helpful too: pliers, wire cutters, testers, electrical tape, etc. Donations for shipping are also welcome. Slava Ukraini!”

Questions? Email mark.think3d@gmail.com.

Mark Yurkiw, at his garage with Ukrainian art he created.

=================================================

There is need in Westport too.

The (thunderous and well-deserved) applause had scarcely died down after Staples Players’ (sensational) opening night performance of “Les Misérables,” when parent volunteers loaded up the first delivery of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items to Homes with Hope.

Audiences are filling bags for the Westport’s homeless shelter and food pantry. Stew Leonard’s helped, donating 1,000 reusable shopping bags for HwH.

Collections will continue at today’s 2:30 p.m. matinee, and next weekend’s 5 shows. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Staples Players’ audience donations, headed to Homes with Hope. (Photo/Kerry Long)

=================================================

Speaking of Staples: The field hockey’s team quest to three-peat as state champions came to a tough end yesterday.

Longtime archrival Darien eked out a 1-0 victory, in the state class “L” (large schools) final at Wethersfield High School. It was the Wreckers’ only shutout of the year.

The Blue Wave also barely beat Staples in the FCIAC (league) championship. That game was even closer: 2-1 on penalty strokes, after the teams were tied through 2 overtimes.

In other Wrecker sports news, the boys soccer team meets their own rival, Greenwich, in the “LL” (extra large schools) championship today (Sunday).

Kickoff is 3:30 p.m., at Hartford’s Trinity Health Stadium. Click here for the livestream.

==================================================

Speaking still of Staples: What began years ago as a simple request to help raise funds to fight breast cancer has grown into a very important annual “Get Your Pink On” campaign.

Recently, the school’s field hockey team, Gridiron Club, Pyramid Club, Boys Soccer Foundation, Pink Aid Club, and their fans raised funds for the cause.

The initiative began with Tammy Zelkowitz. The mother of a Staples football player was inspired by national sports teams promoting breast cancer awareness each October. If they could do it, she thought, so could Staples.

Pink Aid, which began as a local nonprofit, has since grown into a national organization providing emergency financial assistance and emotional support to underserved and underinsured women battling breast cancer.

Since launching the campaign in 2011, Staples has donated $95,000 to Pink Aid. Congratulations to all who have shown the power of compassion, collaboration and student action.

Staples’ Pyramid Club, Gridiron Club and captains present a $3,112 check to Pink Aid.

==================================================

The news that Bloodroot — the women’s collective vegetarian restaurant/ feminist community center, co-founded by Westporter Selma Miriam — is closing after 48 years in Black Rock has saddened its many devoted fans.

They can gather, reminisce — and learn a lot — on December 2 (6 p.m.). MoCA\CT will screen “A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot.” The 97- minute documentary was released earlier this year.

The showing will be followed by a Q&A with Bloodroot co-founder Noel Furie, and documentary director Annie Laurie Medonis.

The film is presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, “Enough Already: Women Artists from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection.”

In addition, there’s a book signing of Emily Larned’s “40 Years of Bloodroot.” It includes personal-political essays by Miriam and Furie, and photographs.

The event is part of MoCA’s continuing exploration of feminist voices in art, culture and community through Enough Already. Tickets are $10; $8 for seniors and students; free for members. Click here to register, and for more information.

Noel Furie and Selma Miriam: through the years.

==================================================

Speaking of food places: Gofer has closed.

The shop featuring “premium hard and soft serve ice cream, plant-based and fat-free options, smoothies, cakes and more” replaced Silver Ribbon, in the strip mall with Fortuna’s and Greens Farms Spirit Shop, in 2022.

The website still lists Westport, along with Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Riverside, Stamford and Wilton.

Gofer was a few hundred yards from another ice cream outlet, here much longer. They’ve severed ties with Carvel, but continue to do business with a generic “Soft Serve” sign.

=================================================

Work is proceeding on the Sherwood Mill Pond tidal gates renovation project.

There’s plenty of equipment in and around the area.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

The staging area — for those who wonder what’s going on there — is the Compo Beach Soundview Avenue parking lot.

Completion is expected by Memorial Day.

==================================================

Over 50 volunteers showed up, for Wreathing for Community’s recent project.

They created 60 beautiful wreaths. Fifty apartments at Norwalk’s Open Doors Shelter are now hung with the handsome creations. Ten more are spread throughout the community center.

Faith Sargent — who organized the event — thanks all the wreath-makers, as well as the dozens of people who donated florals, wreath bases, ribbon and tools.

Many donated food, which also helps sustain Open Doors residents during the holiday season.

To learn more about Wreathing for Community, email faithasargent@gmail.com.

Some of the many wreath-makers, with their creations.

==================================================

The curtain rises this week for Coleytown Middle School’s musical.

“Dare to Dream Jr.” is an hour-long, fun-filled show — perfect for kids of all ages. Shows are 6 p.m. Thursday (November 20) and 7 p.m. Friday (November 21). Click here for tickets.

The cast of Coleytown Middle School’s “Dare to Dream Jr.”

==================================================

This is a long fall.

And we’re loving every day of it.

Today’s leaves-are-still-hanging-on “Westport Naturally” comes from Timber Lane.

But it could be many other places around town.

We are very lucky indeed.

(Photo/Celia Campbell-Mohn)

==================================================

And finally … in honor of Coleytown Middle School’s “Dare to Dream” show (story above):

(Here’s “06880”‘s dream: That everyone who enjoys our hyper-local blog — and has the means to — chips in by clicking here to support our work. Hey, a boy can dream …)

1 Comment

Posted in Local business, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Bloodroot, Take Back Connecticut, Westport Literature Prize …

Posted on June 19, 2025 | 15 comments

For nearly 50 years, Bloodroot has served delicious vegan food — spiced with healthy amounts of feminist ideology, and a side helping of social justice-type books — in a funky, you’ve-got-to-know-it-to-get-there spot on Bridgeport’s Black Rock Harbor.

Co-founder and longtime Westporter Selma Miriam died in February, 2 weeks short of 90.

But Bloodroot lives on. It’s gotten plenty of national attention. (Just the other day, it was mentioned on Brian Lehrer’s WNYC show as a restaurant well worth taking a detour to.)

Now it’s the focus of a feature documentary.

“A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot” debuts Sunday (June 22) at the 38th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival in Hartford.

Miriam saw the video in November, and loved it. Click here or below for the trailer. (Hat tip: Sal Liccione)

==================================================

On the other end of the political spectrum: This bus — part of the “Take Back Connecticut” tour — drew plenty of attention, as it drove through Westport yesterday.

Here’s one view, in front of Splash car wash. Images include the flag raising at Iwo Jima, Martin Luther King, Donald Trump after the assassination attempt, and — oddly — John F. Kennedy, just before he was killed in Dallas.

(Photo/Chris Tait)

Here’s another image, from Main Street:

(Photo/Sal Liccione)

==================================================

When the world shut down 5 years ago during COVID, VFW Post 399 sponsored a blood drive.

They had one the next month. And the month after that …

On June 27 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the VFW reaches a milestone: their 60th month in a row collecting blood.

In those 5 years, they’ve welcomed over 2,700 donors. And impacted countless more lives.

This month’s Red Cross blood drive is sponsored by the VFW’s neighbor, the Goddard School.

Donors are encouraged to schedule appointments in advance. Click on www.RedCrossBlood.org; use the sponsor code VFWWESTPORT. Or call 800-733-2767.

Give blood here!

=================================================

The Levitt Pavilion hosts 4 free shows, from tonight through Sunday.

  • Thursday (today): Juneteenth special: Leon Tumbo and Sug Daniels
  • Friday: Dogs in a Pile
  • Saturday: Theo Kanel with Katie Lynn Sharbough
  • Sunday: The always-popular Frank Mastrone & Friends.

Click here for details about artists, start times, more — and how to reserve your free tickets.

Tonight: Leon Tumbo and Sug Daniels.

==================================================

After a 5-year hiatus, the Westport Parks & Recreation Department men’s basketball summer league returns to Compo Beach, on Monday nights.

All Westport and Weston residents are eligible to sign up. The deadline is June 27th. Click here to register, and for more information.

Hoop dreams. (Photo/JD Dworkow)

=================================================

“The Edge of Water” by Olufunke Grace Bankole, “O Sinners” by Nicole Cuffy and “Rabbit Moon” by Jennifer Haigh are finalists for the 2025 Westport Prize for Literature.

It is awarded annually, to honor an original work of literary fiction that is both relevant and timeless.

This year’s winner will be honored at The Westport Library on November 6. The conversation with the winning author will be moderated by The Yale Review editor Meghan O’Rourke.

This is the third year for the $10,000 prize. The first grant went novelist Zadie Smith for “The Fraud.” The 2024 recipient was Alejandro Puyana, for his debut novel, “Freedom is a Feast.”

Submissions for the 2025 prize were read and vetted by nearly 50 volunteer readers. The best-reviewed manuscripts advance to the jury, which will select the winner.

==================================================

Westporter Soha Ellaithy led a group of Fairfield County mothers, who raised over $30,000 to support the Leonard Education Organization (LE•O).

The non-profit provides college tuition assistance and job placement services to under-resourced students from around the world.

Raising funds, for a great cause.

==============================================

Yesterday’s morning fog kept the crowds down at Sherwood Island State Park.

But — as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows — the geese sure didn’t mind.

(Photo/Pamela Docters)

==================================================

And finally … in honor of Juneteenth:

(“06880” is your hyper-local source for news, information, features, and lots more. We rely on support from readers like you. Please click here to help. Thank you!)

 

15 Comments

Posted in Arts, Beach, Entertainment, Library, Politics, Restaurants, Sports

Tagged , , , , , ,

Roundup: Bird Flu Followup, Final Winter Farmers’ Market, Paella At Basso …

Posted on March 12, 2025 | 2 comments

After reading yesterday’s “06880” story on bird flu in Westport, a reader noted that the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection does not cite any cases in Westport.

Peter Reid — the town’s animal control officer, who provided much of the information to “06880” — says: “I informed DEEP wildlife division in February that we were seeing high goose mortality in Westport. They told me they were aware that avian flu is afflicting geese in the state, and would not be testing any additional specimens.

“I think the lack of confirmed cases in the statistics cited by the ‘06880’ reader simply indicates that no test was conducted on a carcass sourced from Westport.

“DEEP is well aware of the presence of avian flu in the state, and has noted it on their websites. However, that agency likely does not have the budget to test every bird. (Necropsies can cost several hundred dollars per bird).

“Absent a positive test result, and any other convincing explanation for the high rate of bird deaths, I think we have to consider it likely that avian flu is striking birds in Westport.

“Geese fly where they will, and do not recognize our political boundaries, so some will inevitably land in Westport. So far a relatively small percentage of geese have been infected. These are the carcasses people are seeing.

“In the past few weeks we are also noting high mortality in hawks, crows and vultures, the species most likely to scavenge the carcasses of dead geese. These birds are exhibiting the same neurological distress we saw in the infected geese, and mortality is close to 100% in infected birds.

“I would stress that we have not seen any cases in the songbird population, or received any reports from elsewhere in the state, so leaving feeders up should be fine for now.

“Avian flus have hit this area before, and in the past these flu events seem to subside by mid-summer.”

Dead birds, in Ned Dimes Marina.

==================================================

One more sign that spring is near: Tomorrow’s Westport Farmers’ Market is the last of the winter.

After the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. event at Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center, the farmers take a break. The outdoor market opens May 8.

Executive director Lori Cochran has a special message for all. She says:

“As we look back with gratitude for those that paved the way for this local food community, I am reminded of the importance in remembering what we have been taught — what we have learned.

“Selma Miriam of Bloodroot Restaurant, who recently passed away, comes to mind. Selma and Noel have supported this market since it opened 17 years ago. Their restaurant of 48 years buys from this market weekly.

“Selma has held me to task since the day we met. Her strength was palatable — she was mighty. Her love for growers and her community was heartfelt — she showed it with ease and passion. Her genuineness and commitment to her beliefs were and will remain inspiring. Selma will be missed by this market, this community and me.

“Thank you Selma, for the many gifts you shared with WFM.”

Selma Miriam: Westport Farmers’ Market friend.

=================================================

The Grand List is out. Got a gripe?

The Board of Assessment Appeals meets Wednesday, March 19, (7 p.m., Town Hall green room, downstairs) to hear from taxpayers who are “aggrieved by the doings of the assessor on the Grand List of October 1, 2024, and the 2023 Supplemental Motor Vehicle list.”

Residents should bring supporting documents to the session.

=================================================

Coming up at Wakeman Town Farm:

Cocktails and dinner fundraiser for Altadena Girls (program for teenagers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires): March 20, 7 p.m.; $250; click here for details.

“Goat togethers”: Chances for families and small groups to cuddle with newborn goats (“kids with kids”); 30-minute sessions, $20; click here for details.

Spring break 1-hour farm playdates: March 14 and 15, 10 a.m.; ages 1-3; click here for details.

Wakeman Town Farm goats. (Photo/Michelle Cardello)

=================================================

Sure, you order paella. But can you make it?

Basso Restaurant & Wine Bar can help. On Sunday, March 23 (12:30 p.m.), chef Renato Donzelli offers a “paella-making showcase.”

Attendees will learn the history of paella; how to select tools, pan and rice; the “secret ingredient,” and (of course) how to cook it.

The $130 ticket includes a course of traditional Spanish tapas, wine, printed materials — and paella. Click here to register, and for more information.3333

Paella!

==================================================

Students from Staples High School, and Bedford and Coleytown Middle Schools, didn’t just do well at the recent Connecticut History Day competition.

They crushed it.

Dozens of Westport students submitted entries that focused on this year’s theme, “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”

Middle school students placing in the top 3 in various categories, advancing to the statewide competition, include:

  • Zayd Hemdan (“Harvey Milk: A Voice for Equality, A Responsibility for Change”)
  • Avery Hand (“The Scopes Trial: Rights and Responsibilities in Education”
  • Hanna Calandro (“Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal”)
  • Hugh Devine and Arjun Aujla (“Clay vs. USA”)
  • Serena Beitel and Charlotte Worraker (“FDR and the Four Freedoms Speech”)
  • Zoe Abrams (“How Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Advanced Womens’ Rights in the Workplace”)
  • Penelope Whitbourne (“Rebel, Rebel: David Bowie and the First Amendment”)
  • Ashley Charise, Maia Steigler, Janaki Velugula (“1970 Kent State Shooting and the Effect on America”)
  • Paige Turnbull, Reiko Nagata, Charlotte Carkey (Junior Individual Website)
  • Evie Sloan (“Order 9066, Why it Happened, Who it affected, and What it Impacted”)

Staples High School students advancing to the state competition include:

  • Amelia Berkowitz, Jori Altman (“The White Rose: How Student Activists Redefined Nonviolent Youth Resistance”)
  •  Jessica Anderson, Siri Klassen, Maddie Sine (“COINTELPRO: The FBI’s Hidden Agenda”)
  • Brendan Whitbourne (“WWII and the Birth of Human Rights”)
  • Juliet Cutler, Gavin Jamali (“Voices of Empowerment: Women’s Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities in the Harlem Renaissance”)
  • Sam Viner, Emm Himes, Ethan Selva (“Stepping Up to the Plate: Jackie Robinson’s Impact in the Fight for Civil Rights”)

Hugh Devine and Arjun Aujla, with their medals.

History Day winners.

=============================================

This month’s Westport Book Shop guest exhibitors are students.

Barbara Silk, Angelina Wu, Frankie Gray, Agnes Paulsson, Paula Fleming and Cynthia Ellis all study with instructor Connie Manna.

A reception is set for March 19 (6 p.m.). The exhibit will be up all month.

March art exhibit, at Westport Book Shop.

==================================================

More signs of spring, in our “Westport … Naturally” feature: these crocuses, in Elizabeth Levey’s yard near Longshore.

(Photo/Elizabeth Levey)

==================================================

And finally … happy 76th birthday to James Taylor!

(You’ve got a friend in “06880.” We’re here for you, 24/7/365. We hope you’ll be a good friend to us, too. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

2 Comments

Posted in Arts, Children, Education, Environment, Local business, Restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Shonda Rhimes, Old Dominion, Selma Miriam …

Posted on February 13, 2025 | 4 comments

Shonda Rhimes has stepped down as treasurer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Emmy-winnng producer/director/screenwriter/author/CEO of Shondaland — and a Westport resident — resigned after President Trump fired the longtime president of the Washington arts institution, and was named chairman of the board by new members he had appointed.

Opera star Renée Fleming also stepped down from the board. And Ben Folds said he would resign as an adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, which operates under the Kennedy Center umbrella.

Shonda Rhimes, at the Westport Library. (Photo/Jerri Graham Photography)

=================================================

Chairs of 4 major Westport bodies have written a joint letter.

Lee Caney (Board of Finance), Lee Goldstein (on behalf of the Board of Education), Paul Lebowitz (Planning & Zoning Commission) and Jeff Wieser (moderator, Representative Town Meeting), express their “disgust at the creation of the antisemitic snowman which appeared recently.

“That might be the act of one very misguided person, or it may be the view of other Westporters who do not respect the diversity of our vibrant community.

“We want to state as representatives of every member of this wonderful community, however, that the snowman has no place in Westport and is a despicable act. It is shameful that anyone would harbor such hate, and we hope it will never occur again in the town we love.”

Town leaders reacted to this snowman, built last Sunday at the Newman Poses Preserve.

==================================================

How do you celebrate winning 7 straight Country Music Association Group of the Year awards?

If you’re Old Dominion, you play 7 shows at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.

And you give the money to charity.

The band — which includes guitarist/vocalist Brad Tursi, a 1997 Staples High School graduate — raised a cool $1.25 million.

They gave it (of course) 7 charities: MusiCares, Save the Music, Backline Care, Opry Trust Fund, CMA Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Ramsey Foundation.

And — this really shouldn’t be a side note — the “7 for 7 Residency” the band set a record for most consecutive shows in Ryman’s history.

“06880” reader Tricia Summers — who went to 2 of the shows, and loved them — sends along this photo of Tursi, at the Ryman:

(Photo/Tricia Summers)

=================================================

A memorial service for Selma Miriam — the co-founder of Bloodroot vegetarian restaurant, and a longtime advocate for feminism and social justice who died earlier this month at 89 — has been set.

It will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the United Congregational Church of Bridgeport (2200 North Avenue).

Selma’s many friends and admirers are invited.

Selma Miriam

=================================================

Last Saturday’s food drive to stock the Homes with Hope pantry was a huge success.

As they do every year just before the Super Bowl, the Sunrise Rotary Club and Westport Police Department collected over 500 bags of food and supplies, and more than $1,500 in cash, outside Stop & Shop.

But it was not the only drive held that day.

Addison Moore — a 2023 Staples High School graduate, winner of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneur award, and now a pre-law student at Lafayette College — ran his own effort.

He organized it quickly, out of concern that a predicted snowstorm would impact the Gillespie Center’s stock.

He set up near the Westport Library, and in just a few hours collected a couple of hundred pounds of food.

It takes a village. Congratulations, Addison — and all who donated, to either food drive — for being part of ours.

Addison Moore, with his food collection.

==================================================

Susie Kowalsky read yesterday’s Roundup story on compostable cups and containers with interest.

She writes: “Rizzuto’s and Casa Me both use compostable containers for takeout and doggy bags. I’m sure there are more in town, but these are two I frequent.  They are sturdy, and do not leak.”

Details on a Casa Me compostable container.

==============================================

Presidents Day is known not for celebrating presidents, but for deals.

Mattresses, TVs, cars … they’re all on sale this weekend.

So are 25% 2-play subscriptions to the final shows of the Westport Country Playhouse’s “Season of Laughter.”

“Native Gardens” (February 18 through March 8) and “Theatre People” (March 25 through April 12) are the shows. Click here to learn more about them.

To access the discount, click here. A code will be provided beginning Saturday at westportplayhouse.org, and on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and Instagram (wcplayhouse).

(In addition to the Presidents Weekend special promotion, the Playhouse regularly offers discounts on single tickets to students, senior citizens, educators, military and first responders, Indigenous peoples, professional playwrights, and groups, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes.  Click here for details.

Playhouse seats are 25% off, this Presidents Day weekend. (Photo/Robert Benson)

================================================

It’s not always easy for senior citizens to live in the suburbs.

Fortunately, Westport’s Department of Human Services has resources for residents who need help with outdoor tasks like yard work, snow removal and other light chores.

The office has a list of middle and high school students who want to help. The recommended fee is $16 per hour, but both sides are welcome to negotiate a different agreeable amount.

Seniors who require assistance with outdoor chores can call the Department of Human Services at 203-341-1050, or email humansrv@westportct.gov.

Middle and high school students who want to help can use the same contact information above. Written permission from a parent or guardian is required.

Local teens are eager to help seniors.

==================================================

A large crowd packed Riko’s Pizza last night, for a combined social event of the Westport and Fairfield Chambers of Commerce.

It was an introduction to the new Saugatuck restaurant for some, and a chance to network for all.

Chambers of Commerce, at Riko’s Pizza. (Photo/Matthew Mandell)

=================================================

Jolantha — Weston’s favorite pig — gets dressed up for every holiday.

She especially loves Valentine’s Day.

(Photo/Hans Wilhelm)

“06880” has chronicled Jolantha’s many intriguing costumes. Now you can see them all, in one place.

Her friend Hans Wilhelm has created a website — with photos, and her story.

It is quite a tail — er, tale.

Click here to see, and read.

=================================================

Daniel Purcell III — co-owner of Purcell Moving Inc., with his brother Larry, and former owner of Westport’s Sportsman’s Bar — died February 10. He was 82.

He enjoyed playing softball, boating with his family, tinkering with cars and trucks, long car rides, flea markets, and time with family and friends.

He played shuffleboard with his daughter Sandra at the Ukrainian Club in Southport on Monday nights He was also president and lifetime member of the Screwballs

Daniel is survived by his wife Stacy; daughters Laura Romano (Rob) and Sandra Scotto (Rob); granddaughters Ashley Gorkin (Elliot) and Kaitlyn Scotto; great-granddaughter Olivia Barbara Gorkin; 2 sisters, 4 brothers, sisters-in-law and brothers-in laws, nieces and nephews, and a great-nieces and great-nephews.He was predeceased by his first wife Barbara, and son Donald.

A celebration of life will be held at the Eagles Club (6 Mott Avenue, Norwalk) on June 10 (3 to 7 p.m.). Condolences may be left online. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.

Daniel Purcell

==================================================

Geese obey the sign. They refuse to land, and just skim the surface in today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature image.

(Photo/Carl McNair)

==================================================

And finally … let’s hear it again for Westport’s own (sort of) Old Dominion (story above):

(From the Kennedy Center to Ryman Auditorium — if there’s a Westport angle to a story, “06880” finds it. If you appreciate our hyper-local, worldly coverage, please click here. Thanks!)

4 Comments

Posted in Arts, Environment, Local politics, Obituaries, Politics, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Selma Miriam: Obituary

Posted on February 8, 2025 | 4 comments

Selma Miriam — the long-time Westporter, co-founder of Bloodroot vegetarian restaurant, ardent feminist and crusader for social justice — died Thursday at her Saugatuck home. She was 2 weeks shy of her 90th birthday.

“06880” posted a tribute to her life yesterday. Here is her obituary.

Selma was born in Bridgeport on February 25, 1935.

She graduated from Jackson College (Tufts University) in 1956, with a joint degree in psychology and biology.

Selma Miriam

She was a landscape architect, rock gardener and orchid cultivator.

A feminist political activist, she was friends with many thought leaders including poet Audre Lorde, novelist Rita Mae Brown, philosopher and theologian Mary Daley,  folk singer Alix Dobkin, artist Judy Chicago, and many more.

In the 1960’s, Selma and her then-husband Abe Bunks became involved with the National Ethical Youth Organization. They hosted teenagers in their home, to discuss important issues of the day.

Selma felt privileged to be around deep-thinking teens, and they opened up to her.

She also was integral in bringing Project Concern to Westport. The program brought Black youngsters from Bridgeport into Westport schools, and changed many lives.

She was a creator of the Bloodroot collective in the late 1970s. It became the Bloodroot restaurant, which embraced seasonal vegetarianism as a feminist ideal.

Selma Miriam and Bloodroot co-founder Noel Furie. (Photo/Penny de los Santos for the Washington Post)

Bloodroot has published a half dozen cookbooks  It has been covered extensively in the media, including the New York Times, Washington Post and Edible CT East. Documentaries include Bloodroot and A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot.

Selma was active in the League of Women Voters and the National Organization for Women.  

Selma Miriam

Her daughter Sabrina says, “Selma was an amazing woman. She was the rarest of people: someone who lived her life authentically without compromise. Smart as hell. She figured out how to create a world that reflected what was important to her regardless of obstacles. What a role model!”

She is survived by her children, Sabrina and Carey, and longtime partner, Carolanne Curry.

A celebration of Selma’s life will be held at a date to be determined.

Selma Miriam, with her children Sabrina and Carey Bunks.

4 Comments

Posted in Obituaries, Politics

Tagged ,

Remembering Selma Miriam

Posted on February 7, 2025 | 11 comments

Selma Miriam — a longtime Westporter, co-founder of Bloodroot vegetarian restaurant, and a lifelong advocate for feminism and social justice — died yesterday, at her Saugatuck home. She was 2 weeks short of 90.

Carolanne Curry calls Selma “my friend, my love and my life partner for the past 37 years. She was pain-free after so much pain.

Selma Miriam

“Hospice helped honor her wish to be at home with a deep and caring kindness.

“Noel, her partner at Bloodroot for the past 47 years, was here to help navigate through this overwhelming experience.

“For the moment I have no other words to share, except to say I am one incredibly lucky woman to have been part of Selma’s life.”

Selma’s son Carey adds: “Some really do march to the beat of a different drum, remaking the world to their own vision.” He calls her a “landscape architect, weaver, feminist, political revolutionary, and founder of the storied Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant.”

A full obituary will be posted when available.

===============================================

Without Selma Miriam, there would be no Bloodroot.

And without Bloodroot, social justice in Connecticut would be very different indeed.

In March of 2017, when Bloodroot celebrated its 40th anniversary, “06880” posted this story.

In January, hundreds of local women protested the new president. Earlier this month, some skipped work to demonstrate the impact of “A Day Without a Woman.”

If they wanted a place to organize, strategize — and eat a delicious, healthful meal — they could have headed to Bloodroot.

For 40 years, the Bridgeport restaurant/bookstore has been a feminist hangout and outpost. It was there at the start of the women’s movement. It nurtured the hearts, minds and stomachs of generations of activists.

It’s still there. But how many people know of Bloodroot’s Westport roots?

In 1961, Selma Miriam was a self-described “mama with 2 kids.” A landscape designer working with the famed Eloise Ray, her one requirement for a house was that it have a garden.

She found a perfect spot on Hiawatha Lane. Nearly 60 years later, it’s still home.

During her first decade in Westport, Selma got involved in the burgeoning women’s movement. She was president of Westport’s NOW chapter. So was Noel Furie.

It was the 1970s. Women’s bookstores were opening around the country. Selma and Noel liked the idea.

They also liked to cook. The idea of a vegetarian restaurant/bookstore was born.

She and Noel looked at locations along the Post Road, and in Wilton. Everything was ugly.

Then they heard about a plot of land in Black Rock, right on Burr Creek. There was room for a garden. Birds flitted. The light was natural.

Bloodroot is tucked away, off a residential street in Black Rock.

Selma went to nearly every bank in Fairfield County. None would give a woman a mortgage — though they never said it quite that way.

Finally, Harvey Koizim — the founder of Westport’s County Federal Bank — agreed to a 10-year balloon mortgage.

Bloodroot opened in 1977, on the spring equinox.

Selma liked the idea of women working together, sharing common wisdom. She did not like the idea of women serving anyone. To this day, diners give their orders at a window by the kitchen, then pay. When meals are ready, their names are called. When they’re done, they bus their own dishes.

The menu, the kitchen, and Noel Furie.

It took a while for people — especially men — to understand Bloodroot. Salesmen would arrive, look at Selma, and ask for her husband.

Irene Backalenick wrote about Bloodroot for the New York Times. When an editor called to arrange a photogapher, Selma asked for a woman.

The paper sent a man. He used a fisheye lens, which Selma says “made all our heads look swollen.”

The other day — for a story on Bloodroot’s 40th anniversary — the Times sent another photographer. She was all over the place, taking hundreds of shots. Her husband — a Times opinion page editor — simultaneously served as her assistant, and held their 8-month-old baby.

“What a difference!” Selma says. “And it all seemed so natural.”

Selma Miriam, during a quiet moment at Bloodroot.

During its 40 years, Bloodroot has employed countless people: high school and college students, dropouts, middle-aged, part-time and full-time. All are women.

Several current employees come from Mercy Learning Center, Bridgeport’s literacy and life skills center for low-income women. They’re Haitian, Ethiopian and Congolese. “Such wonderful people,” Selma says. “They have great cooking knowledge. And an incredible work ethic.”

Bloodroot’s Ferris Avenue location — in the middle of a residential neighborhood — is not easy to find.

“We don’t get walk-in trade,” Selma says. “People have to find us.”

But find Bloodroot they did. They came for the food and/or the books. They stayed for the community.

One big change has been in the bookstore. In the beginning, Bloodroot played a huge role helping women find feminist books and magazines.

Over the years, two factors — Barnes & Noble, then Amazon — have destroyed women’s bookstores. (Including, ironically, the Amazon Cooperative in Minneapolis, the first feminist bookstore in the country.)

The bookstore section of Bloodroot.

Now, Selma says, she sells one book every couple of weeks. She took up the slack by publishing cookbooks. There have been 4 so far, plus a 2-volume “Best of Bloodroot.” There are calendars too, with 13 new recipes a year.

Of course, you don’t have to buy her recipes. Ask, and she’ll tell you. “The more we share with each other, the better we’ll all be,” she says.

At 82, Selma still loves Bloodroot. She is especially excited about the menu.

She continues to develop new dishes. She’s using more plant-based food, and has introduced vegan cheese, butter and whipped cream to diners.

The warm, welcoming interior of Bloodroot.

Three things keep Selma going. “The place is beautiful. I love to cook. And I love the diversity of people,” she says.

Her customers are loyal. (And — despite her initial belief that men would  not come — they include both genders.) The staff, in turn, feels a strong connection with their diners.

Selma has big plans for Bloodroot’s 40th year. She’s looking back by playing women’s music from the 1970s and ’80s.

And she’s looking ahead by inviting vegetarian restaurants from around the state to her place.

They bring their best dishes, to show Bloodroot customers the wide variety available. “I don’t cook Indian food or Jamaican food,” Selma says. “But that’s vegetarian too.”

She invites them for another reason too: to bring people together, in a warm, beautiful place.

That’s the community Selma Miriam created.

That’s Bloodroot.

(Click here for more information on — and directions to — Bloodroot.)

11 Comments

Posted in Local business, Obituaries

Tagged , ,

Roundup: TEA Talk, Gun Safety, Bloodroot …

Posted on November 9, 2024 | 3 comments

Matt Davies — the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist (and 1985 Staples High School graduate) — headlines this year’s TEA Talk.

The annual Westport Arts Advisory Committee event is always a thoughtful conversation featuring thinkers, educators and artists.

This year’s TEA Talk — set for the Westport Library on Sunday, November 17 (2 p.m.) — explores “Humor in the Arts: When a Ha-ha is a No-no.”

Davies and his fellow panelists (writer/actor/comedian Olivia Levine, satirical fine artist Norm Siegel, and playwright/screenwriter Frederick Stroppel) will discuss the impact of social media on humor and satire; the challenges of balancing humor with respect and inclusivity; the role of irony and absurdity in contemporary art, and the changing nature of audience expectations and reactions.

WAAC co-chair Nancy Diamond moderates the sure-to-be-insightful event. Click here to register.

Matt Davies’ post-election cartoon. (Copyright Newsday)

==================================================

Concerned about gun safety?

Staples High School students Aidan Lapatine and Logan Noorily are.

And they’re doing something about it.

They run the Students Demand Action club. Today (Saturday, November 9, noon to 3 p.m.) they’ll give out free gun locks, at the Post Road East/Main Street corner (near Starbucks, across from Fred).

Questions? Want to learn more about gun locks? Email aidanlapatine@gmail.com.

==================================================

Any Artists Collective of Westport show is great (and fun).

The next one will is also practical. Over 100 works — in a wide variety of styles, genres and materials — will be shown.

And sold. They make great holiday gifts. And all are 12″ x 12″, making them easy to ship.

The show runs from Thursday, November 21 through Sunday, November 24 (noon to 4 p.m., Sheffer Barn at Westport Country Playhouse). A reception on Wednesday, November 20 (6 to 8 p.m.) is a great chance to meet the artists, and enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres.


==============================================

For nearly 50 years, quietly — but fiercely — Bloodroot has raised consciousnesses, fought for women’s rights, and served great food on a side street near the water in Bridgeport.

Now, the institution — co-founded by longtime Westporter, 89-year-old Selma Miriam — is getting the film treatment it deserves.

“A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot” premieres tomorrow (Sunday, November 10, United Congregational Church, 2200 North Avenue, Bridgeport). The 80-minute documentary will screen twice, at 5 and 7 p.m.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

Selma Miriam, during a quiet moment at Bloodroot.

==================================================

Speaking of great food: Yesterday’s Roundup story on Wakeman Town Farms’ “Thanksgiving Pies for Good” — the sale benefiting CTFoodShares — did not include a link to purchase the apple, apple crumb, blueberry, blueberry crumb, cherry, cherry crumb and pumpkin delights. (Or the à la mode ice cream that’s also on sale.)

So: Click here to order. The deadline is noon on November 22.

Thanksgiving can’t come soon enough.

==================================================

Tomorrow (Sunday, November 10, 1 p.m., Room 210), the Westport Library hosts an “illuminating” event.

The public is invited to use one of their state-of-the-art 3D printers to create solar-powered lanterns for Open Doors, a homeless shelter in Norwalk.

No experience is needed, to help provide lighting solution for unhoused people, improving their safety and well-being during nighttime hours.

Created and designed by Staples High School sophomore Rohan Sareen and senior Shreyas Gorre, the lanterns use lights, wires, batteries and solar panels for sustainable illumination.

Shreyas Gorre and Rohan Sareen, with their solar-powered lanterns.

==================================================

Despite the rise of the internet, Consumer Reports continues to be the gold standard for product reviews.

This past week, the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston brought CR experts Ellen Kunes, Barrie Rosen and Jen Shecter to the Westport Library for an inside look at those reviews.

Click below for a video of the informative and engaging presentation.

=================================================

A celebration of the life of Lis Comm — the longtime Staples High School English teacher and town-wide director of language arts, who died in August — will be held this Thursday (November 14, 3 p.m., Westport Woman’s Club).

Her husband and fellow Staples educator, Frank Corbo, invites Lis’ many former colleagues, students and parents to the ceremony.

Lis Comm

In addition, a celebration of the life of Dan Szymczak — the 1996 Staples High School graduate who died last week — is set for Sunday, November 17 (3 to 8 p.m., 1920 Bar & Bistro, 2 Wilton Avenue, Norwalk). The public is invited.

Dan Szymczak

=================================================

Callie Jo Meehan died peacefully at her Westport home, after a lengthy illness. She was 58.

Raised in the small town of Hazen, North Dakota, Callie took part in nearly every activity available. She enjoyed sports, music, theater and civics, as well as the family farm tradition of butchering and sausage-making each fall.

At Harvard University she participated in cheerleading and softball, and earned a varsity letter playing volleyball.

Following graduation Callie began a career in banking in Minneapolis and Philadelphia. She retired to focus on her family. They moved to Charlotte and Dallas, before settling in Westport in 2005.

She participated in the Junior League of Philadelphia, Charlotte and Dallas, and bible studies. She attended services at Saugatuck Congregational Church.

Callie is survived by her husband John; their children Grace, Claire and Peter; son-in-law Tate Johnson; parents Harvey and Kathy Huber, and sisters Christie Obenauer and Stephanie Huber.

The Meehan family thanks the many friends and caregivers who supported and assisted Callie and her family during her illness.

Callie Meehan

==============================================

Westport Human services offers this calendar:

Open Enrollment and Energy Assistance:

Local Programs and Resources:

Westport Human Services links to programs and services:

Donate to the Homes with Hope or Westport Woman’s Club, or contact Westport Human Services for food resources.

Connecticut has a shortage of foster families. Click here to learn more.

Questions? Contact Westport Human Services 203-341-1050 or humansrv@westportct.gov

==================================================

This might be the first time a gingko tree has been featured in “Westport … Naturally.”

You can find this beauty near Rive Bistro.

(Photo/Judith Katz)

==================================================

And finally … today is one of the most important days in world history.

On November 9, 1961, the Beatles met Brian Epstein after a performance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. He soon became their manager.

(Today is just another day in our “06880” life. But you can make it special, by clicking here to support Westport’s hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

3 Comments

Posted in Arts, Library, Obituaries, Restaurants, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Compo Yacht, Bloodroot, Milkweed …

Posted on June 10, 2024 | 6 comments

Every so often, a yacht anchored off Compo Beach draws the attention of normally blasé beachgoers.

In 1966, when Mia Farrow — a Westport resident — was 21 and Frank Sinatra was 50, they spent time on his vessel. Their marriage lasted 2 years.

A few years ago, the 185-foot Rosehearty — previously owned by Rupert Murdoch, but sold to a Staples High School graduate building a home near Saugatuck Shores — drew admiring gazes (and plenty of envy).

Yesterday, it was Gene Chaser’s turn.

Gene Chaser, off Compo Beach. (Photo/Rob Feakins)

It’s 182 feet — just a yard shorter than Rosehearty. And it too has an intriguing back story.

Rob Feakins found a 2022 story on Robb Report. The yacht is owned by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, a “Connecticut-based DNA sequencing specialist.”

Launched in late 2020, Rothberg converted spaces inside and out into laboratories and hubs for scientific projects.

Four Caterpillar diesel engines with a combined 5,600 horsepower push it to 26 miles per hour.

There’s space to land a helicopter, carry a fleet of tenders and toys, and stow a converted shipping container full of ATVs and motorbikes.

With her massive, Transformer-like, 13-ton-capacity crane extended, the yacht’s Fjord 42 tender, 28-foot OXpro AL8 landing craft, 20-foot Zodiac RIB and a fleet of jet skis can be hoisted and stowed on the deck.

Gene Chaser is used for family trips to the Bahamas and Caribbean, then north to Maine and Connecticut for the summer. Scientific experiments are conducted along the way.

To read the full Robb Report story, click here.

Not the British — this is Gene Chaser. (Photo/Dan Woog)

=================================================

Over 100 people headed to Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall yesterday, for a special viewing of Homes with Hope‘s 40th anniversary video.

The documentary — created by former Westporter Livio Sanchez — spotlights the 4-decade history of our town’s homeless shelter, supportive housing and food pantry non-profit.

It is an honest look back at the hurdles its founders faced. It’s also an inspirational tale, one that — as various interviewees emphasize — should be replicated by suburban towns across the country.

Craig and Bryan Gillespie — sons of co-founder Dr. Jim Gillespie — and other family members were at the event. The Gillespie Center men’s shelter is named for him.

Future showings will be announced on “06880.” It’s a must-see look at what remains an important, complicated issue, and an unvarnished history of how our town has dealt with it.

Craig Gillespie (with microphone) and, from left, former Homes with Hope CEO Jeff Wieser, board chair John Walsh, vice president and COO Paris Looney, and president and CEO Helen McAlinden.

==================================================

For nearly 50 years, quietly — but fiercely — Bloodroot has raised consciousnesses, fought for women’s rights, and served great food on a side street near the water in Bridgeport.

Many Westporters know and love it.

Others have never heard of it.

Now the Washington Post has given it the full-story treatment.

Including plenty of shout-outs to its co-founder, longtime Westport resident Selma Miriam.

At 89 years old, she deserves every accolade.

The story says:

Since 1978, diners have stepped over the threshold to find themselves enveloped by the inclusive yet pro-female culture created by the Bloodroot Collective, a group of feminist and lesbian activists from the Bridgeport community seeking to put women’s issues at the center of the plate….

For Noel Furie, now 79, and Selma Miriam, 89, Bloodroot’s co-owners, the goal was to build a self-sustaining feminist community that would embrace global cuisine and where women, lesbian and straight, could feel supported. The concept appears to have worked as today’s diners eat platters of housemade injera and misir wat beneath hundreds of vintage photographs of women, picked up at yard sales and donated by friends, that line the walls.

The Post notes that “of the 200-plus feminist restaurants, cafes and coffeehouses that opened across the United States during the 1970s and ’80s … just one remains: Bloodroot.”

To read the full story, click here. (Hat tip: Eileen Lavigne Flug)

Bloodroot founders Selma Miriam (left) and Noel Furie, at their restaurant. (Photo/Penny de los Santos for Washington Post)

==================================================

Saturday’s Entitled Parking award goes to …

(Photo/Steven Goldstein)

Sure, it’s the far side of the Stop & Shop parking lot.

But it wasn’t empty — look at the other cars.

If everyone in the lot decided to park like that …

Meanwhile, this guy (or gal, though I’d bet the farm it’s the former) is just lucky 2 other drivers decided not to park very close, in the empty spots on either side.

==================================================

Scout Troops 39 (boys) and 139 (girls) held a Court of Honor yesterday, at Green’s Farms Church.

Congratulations to the 4 new Eagle Scouts (left to right, in the photo below): Amelia Gura, Anabelle Lott, Lucas Fischel and Justin Juliano.

Westport is proud of you!

==================================================

Every year, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary — created in honor of one of the children murdered at Sandy Hook — holds a Butterfly Party in Newtown.

This year’s was on Saturday. It would have been Catherine’s 18th birthday.

The day included pet adoptions, kids’ crafts and more. 

Westporter Tracy Porosoff and her daughter bought a milkweed plant. It will provide food for butterflies in their yard — much needed, as their numbers decline.

Tracy says, “If Westport families could make their garden butterfly-friendly, that would be a wonderful way to honor Catherine’s memory — and help the earth.”

To learn more about Pollinator Pathway, click here.

Milkweed, already planted in Tracy Porosoff’s garden.

==================================================

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — and nature lesson — comes from the superb, indefatigable, and very knowledgeable wildlife photographer Johanna Keyser Rossi.

She writes: “I kept hearing chirping from a tree in Grace Salmon Park. I saw what looked like a small bee hive. But then I saw the orioles feeding their chicks.

“It was very windy. That is a very strong nest.”

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

=======================================================

And finally … in honor of Bloodroot’s 47 years (and its shout-out from the Washington Post):

(Whether you own a yacht, a sailboat, a kayak or a rubber ducky, we’re grateful for your support of “06880.” Whatever level feels comfortable is happily accepted. Please click here — and thank you!)

6 Comments

Posted in Beach, Environment, Restaurants

Tagged , , , , ,