Tag Archives: Shonda Rhimes

Roundup: Cans, Downtown Charette, Jodi & Scott …

Posted on August 22, 2023 | 8 comments

On Sunday, Tom Kretsch and his wife Sandi headed to Compo’s South Beach, by the trees near the kayak launch.

A large group of Staples High School students and parents were setting up for an end-of-summer/start-of-school bash.

Not far away Tom saw a woman with a baby on her back, and 2 other kids tagging along. She stopped at every trash can, gathering cans for redemption.

She halted for a bit, to watch the picnic. Someone came over, with pizza for her and her children.

A few minutes later the woman continued walking, and picking through the trash.

(Photos/Tom Kretsch)

“It was quite a contrast, seeing someone scrounging for cans on our beach, and other people enjoying life on the beach,” Tom says.

“I wondered how she got there, with 3 kids and those heavy bags. What a world of haves and have-nots.

I’ve never seen anything like that on Compo Beach. On we journey, counting our blessings.”

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A reminder: Tonight (Tuesday, August 22) is the open house “charrette”: a public review and feedback meeting covering additional plans for the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s “Master Plan for Downtown Parking and Pedestrian Areas: Reconnecting the Riverfront.”

Particular focus will be on the Parker Harding Plaza design.

The session begins at 7 p.m. (Westport Library) All residents and downtown stakeholders are invited to attend.

Information on the project is available on the DPIC website. Feedback is welcome in its comments section.

DPIC also conducts regular public meetings, typically the 2nd Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m.

Parker Harding Plaza cut-through road (left), and Saugatuck River. (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)

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Westport Community Gardens continues its 20th anniversary celebration with another pop-up garden stand.

Everyone is invited to explore the Gardens — and adjacent Long Lots Preserve — and pick up very fresh produce, herbs and flowers this Sunday (August 27, 10 a.m. to noon).

Straight from the Community Gardens. (Photo/Karen Mather)

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The Rhimes girls held a very successful lemonade-and-ice-cream fundraiser for Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services this weekend.

They raised over $4,000 for the great organization (which, many people don’t realize, runs almost entirely on donations).

The feeling of helping a good cause was enough. But the youngsters were rewarded yesterday. President Mike Burns led a personal tour of the facility — and personally thanked the girls.

WVEMS president Mike Burns and EMS member Sammi Henske flank the Rhimes family. (Photo courtesy of Shonda Rhimes)

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James Naughton and Carole Schweid entertained a full house last night.

The “Play With Your Food” creator led the actor/director in a discussion on his life on stage and screen — and as a passionate advocate for Connecticut’s Medical Aid in Dying legislation.

Naughton talked about investing in theater (he’s been quite lucky), his work with Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and many others, and the joys and frustrations of a life in the arts.

The evening included a screening of the short film “Not the Same Clarence.” The film, featuring Jim and his son Greg Naughton, depicts the realities of caring for a parent with dementia, and its impact on their lives.

The Y’s Men of Westport and Weston sponsored the event.

James Naughton and Carole Schweid. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Speaking of acting: Jodi Stevens and Scott Bryce are expanding SBEstudio — their Weston performing arts school — to Saugatuck Congregational Church.

Jodi (a Broadway veteran and voice, singing and acting coach for over 20 years) and Scott (her Emmy-winning producer/director/actor husband, and a former Staplesl Player) offer new programming too, including a spring 6-week film and TV intensive course.

A grand opening is set for this Sunday (August 27, 2 p.m.).

Musical theater group classes and private lessons are available from ages 4-5 (Broadway Beginnings) all the way to 15-18 (Young Professionals). A new Broadway Babies class, for ages 2-3, is in the works.

The Bryce family has a long history with the Saugatuck Church. Scott’s mother Dorothy was deacon emeritus, a founding member of the Interfaith Council of Westport, Weston, Wilton, and a founder of the Theatre Artists Workshop.

Jodi’s scholarship program for talented students without means will continue, under a new name: The SBEstudio Dorothy Bryce Scholarship Fund.

For more information on the Saugatuck Church and Weston programs, click here, email info@sbestudio.com, or call 203-247-6569.

Scott Bryce and Jodi Stevens (Photo courtesy of Celebrity Parents)

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Agent Orange has killed more than 300,000 US military veterans since our country left Vietnam in 1975.

The toll continues to rise.

In his new book “Agent Orange: A Short Sickening Saga of War,” Staples High School graduate/longtime Westport/prolific author Carl Addison Swanson explores the subject.

Amazon calls it “the tragic story of a Vietnam Veteran who, after 50 years of good health, is stricken with a heart disease connected directly to his exposure to the chemical AGENT ORANGE during the war.”

It is available on Kindle. Click here to order, and for more information.

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The last date of lifeguards at Burying Hill Beach is this Thursday (August 24).

Compo Beach lifeguards continue through September 4.

Beach stickers are required through September 30.

Burying Hill Beach lifeguards’ last day is Thursday. (Photo/Yvonne O’Kane)

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Traffic alert: The Department of Public Works’ annual roadway crack seal program begins this Thursday (August 24).

The work will continue for 2 weeks, on 15 miles of roadway. Be alert for 1-way traffic throughout the project.

Crack sealing ahead!

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This week on “What’s Next in Weston,” 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor introduces Carol Baldwin, president of the Friends of Lachat Town Farm.

It’s the first of a 2-part series, covering the programs offered at “The Coachella of Fairfield County.”

The podcast is produced by the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.

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MoCA’s fall exhibition — “Purvis Young: This is the Life I See” — features 36 large scale works by the American “outsider artist.”

This is the first time that the works, from the collection of Lynne and Jack Dodick, have been on public view.

The exhibition open September 15, and runs through December 29. A reception is set for September 14 (6 p.m.; free for members, $10 for non-members. Click here to register.) Advance registration is required.

Purvis Young (1943 – 2010) was a self-taught artist who dealt with the plight of the underprivileged and the consequences of racism and daily violence through a highly distinctive visual style. He lived his entire life in the Miami neighborhood of Overtown, once an entertainment destination as well as a Black neighborhood in the segregated South. Click here for more details.

“Shackled in Blues” (Purvis Young)

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Barry Kresch has spent several months observing nature, up close and personal.

He writes: “A pair of cardinals built a nest in a small tree outside my kitchen window. It was fairly low, so I was able to get some shots into it without disrupting the proceedings.

“I got much of the life cycle: first egg, mom sitting, chicks hatched, dinner is served, junior ready to take wing.

“After they left, I removed the nest. My wife told me they decay and get parasites, so the birds don’t reuse them.

“The same or another nesting pair then repeated the cycle. This time the nest was higher in the tree, not conducive to photos.”

This “life cycle” photo is perfect for our “Westport … Naturally” feature:

(Photo/Barry Kresch)

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And finally … on this day in 2011 Nick Ashford — half of the husband-and-wife songwriting/production team Ashford & Simpson, and a former Westport resident — died of throat cancer. He was 70 years old.

(Reach out and touch … “06880” with your supporting hand. Please click here to make a contribution. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Downtown, Local politics, Weston

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Roundup: Dog Park, Distracted Driving, Nice House …

Posted on October 15, 2022 | 9 comments

Right now, there are no fenced dog parks in Westport. (Winslow Park is enclosed, but there are many gaps and areas without walls or fences.)

Andrew Colabella wants to change that.

The Representative Town Meeting member worked with Karen Kramer and Matthew Mandell to create a petition. The goal is to gauge support, to show town officials the need. Click here to see.

There are gates, and some new fences, at Winslow Park. But it is not a fully enclosed dog run. (Photo/Nell Waters Bernegger)

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The Westport Police Department is participating in the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s high visibility distracted driving enforcement campaign. The campaign — beginning today, and running through October 31 — will increase efforts to enforce distracted-driving laws.

Connecticut law prohibits the use of any hand-held mobile device while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers who are 16 or 17 years old are prohibited from using a cell phone or mobile device at any time — even hands free.

The fine for the first offense is $200. It’s $375 for the second ticket, and $625 for the third and subsequent offenses.

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Who knew so many “06880” readers also read the New York Post?

I’d need an entire haberdashery to hand out hat tips to everyone who sent me the tabloid story noting Shonda Rhimes’ purchase of Doug and Melissa Bernstein’s 11-bedroom home. The 7.5-acre property also includes a basketball court, bowling alleys, arcade, home theater, playroom, billiards room, 8 fireplaces, kitchen with a pizza oven, tennis court, pool, playground, and outdoor seating and dining areas.

Karen Scott was the KMS Partners at Compass broker who sold the property to the producer/screenwriter/author/global media company CEO/Television Academy Hall of Fame inductee’s agent.  Rhimes will move from elsewhere in Westport; the Bernsteins have bought another home here.

Click here for the full New York Post story.

Shonda Rhimes’ new home.

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Meanwhile, another New York newspaper — the Times — this week ran a Critic’s Notebook piece headlined: “Has War Changed, or Only War Photography?”

It begins by citing a 1991 Staples High School graduate and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist:

Lynsey Addario began taking war pictures when the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001. Only two-thirds of a century had elapsed since Robert Capa documented the Spanish Civil War. But to go from the exhibition of Capa’s Spain photos at the International Center of Photography to the Addario show at the SVA Chelsea Gallery is to traverse not just time and geography but a profound shift in sensibility. Capa’s pictures express his belief in war as a conflict between good and evil. In our time, which is to say in Addario’s, unwavering faith in the justice of one side has perished, a casualty of too many brutal, pointless, reciprocally corrupt wars.

Addario over the last two decades has taken her camera to some of the most dangerous places on earth. A MacArthur fellow, she is a freelance photographer who shared a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting awarded to The New York Times in 2009 for its coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Like Capa, she calls herself a photojournalist, not an artist. She has said that she is dedicated to “using images to undo preconceptions and to show a reality often misunderstood or misrepresented.” She has also named Capa as one of her main influences, even though many of the preconceptions she seeks to undermine are those he enshrined.

Click here to read the full story. (Hat tip: Kathie Motes Bennewitz)

In one of Lynsey Addario’s most famous photos, Ukrainian soldiers try to save the father of a family of four — the only one at that moment who still had a pulse — moments after being hit by a mortar while trying to flee Irpin, near Kyiv. (Photo/Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County has received a $5,000 grant from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.

It’s for their Dignity Grows chapter, part of a national network to fight period poverty among nearly 30% of menstruators in the U.S. Donors and volunteers fund and pack monthly totes of hygiene and period essentials. They’re delivered free of charge to partner agencies, who then provide them to their clients. 

From last September through June, the Federation organized 10 packing events — many in Westport — and delivered 800 totes. The grant will help them expand their reach, to meet a growing need.

A packing event hosted by Sharon Navarro (top right, 3rd from right) and Jen Frank (bottom row, 2nd from right). All participants are Westport residents — except the lone male, Ofek Moscovich. He’s the Federation Israel emissary spending a year here. The group packed 100 totes for LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport.

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Who knew there were “professional carvers”?

On Thursday (October 20), you can meet one. DeTapas restaurant hosts one. He’ll serve a “world-class jamon,” paired with special Spanish wines.

The carver will go from table to table, from 5:30 p.m. on. The cost is $45 per person. Guests can stay and enjoy dinner afterward. To RSVP, use Open Table, or contact the restaurant: hola@detapasrestaurant.com; 203-557-0257.

Owner Carlos Pia in his handsomely decorated De Tapas restaurant.

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Speaking of restaurants:

After a successful summer, La Plage pivots to fall. Highlights include “Mussels Wednesday” (Pemaquid Maine mussels with non-stop fries service, paired with a special Pilsner from Spacecat Brewing in Norwalk); “Lobster Bake Thursday” (with head-on shrimp, mussels, clams and andouille), and “Paella Sunday” (clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, chicken, chorizo).

La Plage also offers a “Halloween Bash” (Sunday, October 30). The winning costume earns 2 tickets to the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve dinner and gala.

Killer water views at La Plage.

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Looking for money?

Connecticut has just published a new “Big List” — names of people owed money from various sources, currently held by the state treasurer.

The website (click here) guides users through a form to complete and have notarized.  

If you get a windfall, consider sharing it with Dennis Jackson — the “06880” reader who found the site.

And, of course, with “06880.”

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The Joggers Club is not running out of great ideas.

Besides Fun Runs every Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. at Compo Beach, and Track Night every Wednesday at 6:q5 p.m. (Staples High School), they’re taking part in races throughout the state. Among them:

  • Pumpkin Run: October 30 (costumes encouraged)
  • Jamie’s Run for Children: November 6 (DJ Party after)
  • Hot Coco 5K: November 12 (“Hottest Race in November”)
  • Branford Thanksgiving 5K: Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Run for Children: December 4 (free beer and live music).

The Joggers Club offers a free race bib to each of those races to one member — and discounted coupons for everyone else.

Club membership is $50 a year (new members get a free Endurance Brooks racing shirt. Click here or on Instagram or Facebook for more information.
$50 a year (And new members get a free Endurance Brooks racing shirt)

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Boo!

The scene outside Winslow Park Animal Hospital changes with the holiday. It’s clear what’s next:

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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We’ve featured wasp nests before, in our “Westport … Naturally” series.

But I don’t think I’ve seen any as large — and scary-looking — as this. Pete Powell spotted it on the Longshore golf course, opposite the green at hole 13.

You sure don’t want to hit a ball near there.

(Photo/Pete Powell)

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And finally … in honor of the Connecticut state treasurer’s trove:

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Posted in Environment, Local business, Local politics, Media, Real estate, Restaurants

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Roundup: Shonda Rhimes, Moving Up, Pollinator Pathway …

Posted on June 21, 2022 | 5 comments

Shonda Rhimes — the producer/screenwriter/author/global media company CEO/Television Academy Hall of Fame inductee — entertained, inspired and wowed a sold-out crowd at last night’s Westport Library “Booked for the Evening” fundraiser. Actors Tony Goldwyn and Scott Foley were there too.

The leader in both her industry and for women of color, Rhimes is known for telling great stories (check out Netflix!). On stage before an appreciative audience, in a conversation with Vanity Fair editor Rhadika Jones, she spent her evening in Westport doing exactly that.

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

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This is “Moving Up” week.

Ceremonies are held at Westport’s 2 middle and 5 elementary schools.

Dylan Chatterjee captured this scene yesterday, outside Bedford, where his sister Mia was celebrated. It seems symbolic: 8th graders moving toward the light of Staples High School, both literally and figuratively.

(Photo/Dylan Chatterjee)

Congratulations to all 5th and 8th graders — I mean, rising 6th graders and freshman — all over town!

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Happy Pollinator Week!

To celebrate, Pollinator Pathways organizers in Westport and surrounding towns are showcasing properties — both public and private — where habitat-friendly landscaping is done. They’ll also provide information on how homeowners can create Pollinator Pathway yards of their own.

It’s this Saturday (June 25) at 4 separate Westport sites, all 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Earthplace (3 gardens), Prospect Road (privately owned), Smith-Richardson Wildlife Preserve (2 meadows) and Wakeman Town Farm (a 100-foot pollinator border).

Weston’s Onion Farm tour is also Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guides and gardeners will be on hand, to answer questions.

Click here, then scroll down to plan your tour. You’ll also see Pollinator Pathway tours throughout Fairfield, New Haven and Westchester Counties.

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 The Westport Public Schools and Westport Weston Family YMCA have teamed up to coordinate child care — before and after school – for youngsters in grades K-5, during the coming school year.

The program includes arts and crafts, STEM activities, themed projects, outdoor and physical activities, homework help and snacks.

Transportation will be provided to and from the elementary schools, and YMCA.

The before-school program runs from 7 to 9 a.m. for Coleytown, Greens Farms, Kings Highway and Long Lots Schools, 7 to 8:30 a.m. for Saugatuck.

The after-school program runs from dismissal until 6 p.m. Students who sign up for any youth programs taking place during after-school care hours — karate, swim lessons, soccer shots, basketball, gymnastics, fencing or dance — will be accompanied to their program by a staff member. There is a separate fee for those programs.

3-, 4 and 5-day signups are available. Click here for more information, and to register.

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Sure, it was 2 days ago. But we can’t resist a good photo. Here’s a bird’s-eye view of the Levitt Pavilion during Sunday’s Michael Franti & Spearhead show:

(Photo/JC Martin)

Encore: Here’s a video of Michael, complete with a shout-out to Westport:

Looking ahead, the Levitt celebrates the final days of Pride Months with 2 performances.

Isle of Klezbos is this Thursday (June 23, 7:30 p.m.). New York magazine says their repertoire ranges from “rambunctious to entrancing: Neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies, Yiddish swing & retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards, and genre-defying originals.”

It’s about time Levitt had some Yiddish swing and late Soviet-era Jewish drinking songs! Click here for (free!) ticket information.

Next week, it’s “Queer + Quiet”: an evening with Treya Lam (Tuesday, June 28, 7 p.m.). They’ll “lift up the underrepresented, quiet, marginalized voices in the BIPOC trans, non-binary, queer community.” Click here for (also free!) ticket information.

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Speaking of Pride: Fairfield County Story Lab opens this Sunday’s Write-In to all LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly writers and creatives — for free.

At 2 p.m. June 26, there’s an hour of socializing. Work on projects follows from 3 to 4:30; then there’s a wrap-up chat.

The Story Lab is a shared workspace, on the 4th floor of Saugatuck’s 21 Charles Street office building. Click here to reserve a spot.

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The June 27 (7 p.m.) Westport Library showing of the award-winning documentary “Four Winters” is noteworthy.

The film tells the story of the 25,000 Jewish partisans who battled the Nazis and their collaborators from the forests of Eastern Europe. The men and women — many in their teens — blew up trains, burned electric stations and attacked enemy headquarters.

But there’s also an important local connection: “Four Winters”‘ writer/producer/director Julia Mintz is a Weston High School graduate.

For more information, click here.

NOTE: “Four Winters” supporters have designed a program for screenings and talkbacks at colleges that don’t have Jewish Studies departments, or funding for Holocaust programming. Click here to donate.

Weston native Julia Mintz, with an interviewee for “Four Winters.”

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Lou Weinberg is the passionate, creative and very hands-on director of the Westport Community Gardens. He knows flowers, trees, grasses and bushes — and birds, bees, rabbits and all other wildlife there.

He’s also a gifted photographer.

Here’s his description of today’s stunning “Westport … Naturally” photo: “This gray catbird is eating a berry from a serviceberry tree. This native tree produces flowers and an abundance of fruit for a multitude of birds this time of year. If you like birds, plant serviceberry trees!”

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

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And finally … because this is the first day of summer:

(Do you like our daily “Roundup”? Help keep it coming. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to “06880” — and thank you.)

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Posted in Arts, Children, Education, Entertainment, Environment, History, Library, YMCA

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Roundup: Hiawatha Lane, Staples Key, Twiddle …

Posted on June 2, 2022 | 7 comments

The long legal battle to stop construction of 157 apartments on Hiawatha Lane may be over.

Hartford Superior Court Judge Marshall Berger issued a summary judgment ruling on Tuesday, in favor of developer Summit Saugatuck. The ruling may effectively end efforts by the plaintiffs — residents of the neighborhood off Saugatuck Avenue, near I-95 Exit 17 — to halt the project.

At issue were deed restrictions, limiting some properties in the area to single-family development.

At issue were deed restrictions of some properties in the area, limiting each lot to single-family development. At least 2 of those parcels are included in the Summit plans.

Owners of the other properties included in the deed restriction filed suit against Summit for breaching the restriction. They asked the court to prevent Summit from proceeding with the development, after its approved by Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission.

Berger ruled that the easement did not reach the necessary legal requirements for it to be enforceable against the Summit properties. (Hat tip: Gloria Gouveia)

Artist’s rendering of one of the buildings at Summit Saugatuck’s Hiawatha Lane development.

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Congratulations to Sasha Maskoff. The talented senior — a pianist who has played at Carnegie Hall (and last December’s spectacular Candlelight Concert), and tutors young students — is the 2022 Staples Key winner.

The award — donated by Westport’s Kiwanis Club — is considered the most prestigious at the high school. The other finalists were Jasper Cahn and William Heisler.

The honor was announced by principal Stafford Thomas, at last night’s annual awards ceremony. Arts, English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language and other awards were presented too.

Thomas also presented 15 Principal’s Awards, for outstanding service and contributions, to Slade Anastasia, Nick Augeri, Caroline Coffey, Catherine Cunningham, Amy Ginzburg, Emorej Hunter, Matthew Jordan, Elle Laub, Madeline Michalowski, ishan Prasad, Noah Robison, Ally Schwartz, Max Udell and Ella Williams.

Two members of each class received Staples Awards for Character: seniors Chloe Nevas and Nick Prior, juniors Jacob Baker and Miriam Hurley, sophomores Gianna Amatuzzi and Caroline Hechter, and freshmen Dylan Phillips and Mieszko Solowinski.

Staples High School principal Stafford Thomas, at last night’s awards ceremony. (Photo/David Pogue)

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Stop twiddling your thumbs. Get tickets for Twiddle!

The Vermont-based band — which enjoys a strong Fairfield County following — will perform at the Levitt Pavilion on July 29-30).

Doors open at 3 p.m. for the Friday event. Twiddle will do 2 sets; they’ll be joined by Mihali and The Nth Power.

Saturday begins with a special 1 p.m. VIP acoustic set. Doors open to the public at 3 p.m. Twiddle will do 2 more sets. Dwight & Nicole and Eggy are on the bill too.

Member tickets are available now. Public tickets – with early-bird pricing — begins at noon today. Click here for details.

A few tickets are still available for Tower of Power’s “Stars on Tour” Levitt appearance this Saturday (June 4, 7:30 p.m.).

Click here for more information, including purchases for all ticketed shows.

Twiddle(Photo/©Jay Blakesberg)

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Monday, June 20 (8 p.m.) is the new date for the Westport Library’s “Booked for the Evening” with Shonda Rhimes. It was postponed from earlier this week.

All seats have been sold for the in-person event. However, tickets are available to watch via Zoom. Click here for details.

Shonda Rhimes

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Jackie Ferrentino spotted today’s “Westport … Naturally” star the other day, in a Long Lots tree:

(Photo/Jackie Ferrentino)

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And finally … Depeche Mode synthesizer player Andy Fletcher died last week in Britain. He was 60.

He co-founded the band, and helped develop its electronics-heavy sound. Click here for a full obituary.

7 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Library, Real estate, Staples HS, Teenagers

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Roundup: Buffalo, EMS, Flower Moon …

Posted on May 17, 2022 | 1 comment

First Selectman Jen Tooker says:

“The scene in Buffalo this past weekend was horrifying, and I send my deepest condolences to all those affected.

“Along with help from TEAM Westport, our law enforcement colleagues, our houses of worship and our extensive non-profit organizations, we continue to strive to ensure that this community is a place where residents, business owners and visitors feel safe, supported, and have a sense of belonging.

“This important work is ongoing, and there is still progress to be made. As first selectwoman, I want to personally re-state my commitment to these efforts in Westport. Thank you for your support on this journey.”

Nine of the 10 victims of the mass execution in Buffalo.

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This is Emergency Medical Services Week.

It’s long overdue.

Westport EMS deputy director Marc Hartog knows this has been an exceptionally tough couple of years.

“The EMTs and paramedics of Westport EMS continue to rise to the challenge every day, and play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our community.” he says.

“Relieving pain and suffering, caring for sick and injured patients, saving lives is just part of the experience of responding to the public’s calls for help. EMS providers, whether paid or volunteer, take on many crucial roles every day: healthcare professional; emergency manager; social worker; crisis counselor; consoler; caregiver.”.

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker adds “EMS Week is a chance for our town to recognize the service and sacrifice exhibited by our EMS personnel over the past year, and to express our gratitude for all they continue to do, day in and day out, for our community.”

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker with an EMS Week proclamation. (From left): Police Chief Foti Koskinas, EMS crew chiefs Larry Kleinman and Rick Baumblatt, EMS deputy director Marc Hartog, EMS crew chief Eric Hebert, Deputy Police Chief/EMS director Sam Arciola.

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Sunday’s Super Flower Blood Moon/lunar eclipse was very cool.

It was also not easy to photograph.

Many Westporters tried. You sent your shots to “06880.” Thank you!

We did not have a Best Images contest. But if we did, the winner would be Nancy Lally.

Check them out below. You’ll be over the moon.

(Photos/Nancy Lally)

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Nearly everyone who owns a convertible loves to show it off.

Here’s your chance to impress the entire town.

Organizers of the Memorial Day parade need a few open-tops for the May 30 event. They’re used to transport dignitaries, like veterans (including the grand marshal).

If you’ve got a convertible to lend, contact Deborah Detmer at the Parks & Recreation office: 203-341-5091; ddetmer@westportct.gov.

It doesn’t get more classic than this. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

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After 2 online-only years, 2022’s “Booked for the Evening” with TV producer/ screenwriter/ author/CEO Shona Rhimes will be the most financially successful in the event’s 20 year history.

And anyone, anywhere can add to the fundraising.

Tickets for the virtual livestream (June 1, 8 p.m.). are still available. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

Shonda Rhimes

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By day, it’s the Farmers’ Market. At night, it’s the Remarkable Theater.

On May 27, the Imperial Avenue parking lot — home to both — hosts a special film showing.

“Biggest Little Farm” — the award-winning 2018 documentary about the 8-year quest of a couple to trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland (and a dream) — is set for May 27. Sustainable Westport co-sponsors the event.

Tickets to this family-friendly event are $25 per vehicle. Tailgating (with food from the Market the day before?) starts at 6 p.m. The screening is at 8. Bees Knees — a popular WFM vendor — will selling their signature frozen pops.

For more information and tickets, click here.

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The next Artists Collective of Westport pop-up show is May 26-29 (2 to 6 p.m. each day; the Westport Country Playhouse barn). There’s an opening reception May 25 (6 to 8 p.m.), and artists’ talks on Sunday, May 29 (4 p.m.).

Participating artists include some very familiar names: Peg Benison, Louise Cadoux, Jeanine Esposito, Jane Fleischner, Rebecca Fuchs, Holly Hawthorne, Katya Lebrija, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Steve Parton, Nancy Reinker, Debbie Smith, Cindy Wagner and Lee Walther.

To learn more about this great Collective, click below.

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The other day, Connecticut Public Radio aired an interesting story headlined “How Medical Aid in Dying May Change the Way We Live.”

one of the guests is Lynda Bluestein. A longtime member and former board chair of Westport’s Unitarian Church, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now she’s working hard to get “medical Aid in dying” legislation passed in the state.

Westport’s State Senator Will Haskell and State Representative Jonathan Steinberg were very public supporters of a recent bill attempting — for the 16th time — to get Connecticut legislation passed. Once again, the bill did not make it out of the Judiciary Committee.

Click here for more details, and to listen.

Lynda Shannon Bluestein (Photo courtesy of The CT Mirror)

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Saturday’s fundraiser for AWARE — the great, generous non-profit (Assisting Women with Actions, Resources and Education) — was postponed a day by rain.

Attendees had a wonderful time. And if you’re not “aware” of how much they do for women and children in the area, click here.

Enjoying the AWARE event (from left): Erica Davis, Amy Saperstein, Allegra Gatti Zemel, Michele Glassman, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Mafe Cala, Stephanie Tobin.

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Andy Gundell has been nominated for a regional Emmy Award, in Original Composition and Arrangement. It is for music from a Black Lives Matter program that streamed online in February 2021 from the Unitarian Church in Westport. Gundell is a 13-time Emmy winner already.

The program — “Revealing History–How We Got Here, Why It Matters” — was produced by the church’s Women’s Group. It is a powerful multi-media tribute to the BLM movement, and the history of racial injustice in America. Click here for a link.

Andy Gundell

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows birds of a feather flocking together, at Compo Beach near the kayak launch.

It won’t be long before they’re joined — at least, not far from the rocks — by crowds of humans, flocking together too.

(Photo/JD Dworkow)

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And finally … if you’re on the fence about lending your convertible for the Memorial Day parade (see story above), this might inspire you:

 

 

 

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Roundup: Street Sweeping, Trees Falling, Album Releasing …

Posted on April 20, 2022 | 4 comments

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1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker has invited Westporters to meet — by RTM district — at Town Hall. She and other town officials listening to their concerns.

And responding.

Dave Lowrie writes:

“Many thanks to officials and the Westport Police Department for the ongoing traffic and safety meetings by district over the last few months. And thanks also to our District 7 neighbors who voiced their concerns in person and via email.

“As a green pedestrian, my issue centered on walking and biking access along North Bulkley Avenue toward the Post Road. Two days after the meeting, through Monday, Public Works road chief Joe Izzo and his crew of 2 sweepers cleaned the shoulders along North Bulkley, and all side roads.

Kudos to 1st Selectwoman Tooker for moderating the Town Hall session, powerhouse RTM member Brandi Briggs and her counterparts for engaging constituents, town engineer Keith Wilberg and his staff. and concerned members of the Westport PD.”

North Bulkley Avenue, looking toward Old Road. (Photo/Dave Lowrie)

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Amy Ancel has been watching the osprey nest at Terrain. She writes:

“Sadly, it’s been empty for some time. The male returned in March. In early April I last saw him on the platform, loudly and plaintively calling his heart out to his mate. I don’t think she ever returned.

“It was heartbreaking to hear. I’m just a curious and casual observer, but I think we’ve lost our dear and favorite breeding couple for good. It’s so sad. Nature is brutal.”

Have any “06880” readers spotted the osprey recently? If so, click “Comments” below.

Ospreys, in early April. (Photo/Carolyn Doan)

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It was not exactly the Welcome Wagon.

Last week, a family moved in to a newly built Gorham Avenue home.

In Monday night’s rain and windstorm, a tree fell on their property.

There was a bit of damage to their porch, and lovely copper roof.

All we can tell them is: It’s not always like this!

Cleaning up on Gorham Avenue (Photo/Mark Mathias)

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Tickets to see multimedia superstar Shonda Rhimes in person at the Westport Library’s “Booked for the Evening” fundraiser have sold out.

But Westporters — and anyone else — can still join the June 1 (8 p.m.) celebration, via livestream. Tickets are $25; click here to purchase.

No recording will be made of the program.

Shonda Rhimes

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Gabriele’s has added lunch and brunch to its dinner menu.

The Italian steakhouse that replaced Positano next to the Westport Country Playhouse is now open Tuesday through Friday noon to 2:30 p.m., and weekends 11:30 am to 2:30 p.m.

Dig in!

Gabriele’s Steakhouse.

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Among other highlights, Westport Library’s VersoFest featured the debut of the first independent record label of any public library in the country.

There’s a limited pressing of the yellow vinyl and digital album, featuring some of the best emerging and eclectic talent in the tri-state region.

All preorders of “Verso Records: Volume 1” come with digital downloads of Daniprobably’s “Cowboy” (indie pop), Alexandra Burnet & the Stable Six’s “You’re Okay” (ethereal singer/songwriter); Ports of Spain’s “All You Can Carry” (indie rock), and The Zambonis’ “Gretzky Twist” (hockey rock).

Click here for details.

The album cover, designed by Tammy Winser.

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The pandemic pushed Staples High School’s Class Of 1970 50th reunion back 2 years. They’re on for this year, on August 26-28  — and they’re turning it into a joint celebration of their 70th birthdays.

The high point — as always for their class — is a Saturday Night dinner-dance at Norwalk Inn, with live music from the class band Smoke.

Reservations must be made online (click here). The deadline is July 20. For more information, call Mark Smollin: 626-584-3997.

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Our “Westport … Naturally” feature is big on nature — flowers, trees, animals. We seldom include human beings.

But Rowene Weems captured this intriguing photo Monday, near Winslow Park. Tree trimming is important work.

A few hours later, wind and rain caused power outages for over 1,100 Westporters.

Hopefully, none in this area.

(Photo/Rowene Weems Photography)

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And finally … because today is 4/20:

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Book It: Shonda Rhimes!

Posted on February 15, 2022 | Comments Off on Book It: Shonda Rhimes!

The only thing more interesting than the announcement of the Westport Library’s “Booked for the Evening” guest is the evening itself.

Itzhak Perlman, Patti Smith, Nile Rodgers, Justin Paul and Frederic Chiu brought music. Will Shortz brought crossword puzzles. Lynsey Addario brought photographs.

Tom Brokaw, E.L. Doctorow, Calvin Trillin, Wendy Wasserstein, Pete Hamill, Martin Scorsese, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Halberstam, Oscar Hijuelos, Adam Gopnik, Jon Meacham, Ron Chernow, Alan Alda and others brought profound insights into their work, and the world.

On June 1, Shonda Rhimes brings her reputation as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. That’s what Time magazine called her last year. And in 2007.

Shonda Rhimes

The television producer, screenwriter and author is CEO of the global media company Shondaland. They tell innovative stories through brand partnerships, merchandise and content for film, streaming, audio, digital and editorial.

Rhimes — an inductee into the Tlevision Academy Hall of Fame — has helped shift the entertainment industry’s business model, and changed the face of television.

“From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to ‘Bridgerton’ to her latest television series ‘Inventing Anna,’ Shonda Rhimes is recognized as one of the most inspiring, creative forces in media today,” says Library executive director Bill Harmer.

“Ms. Rhimes epitomizes the intent behind the Booked honor: to recognize an individual whose work reflects the purpose of the Library, which is to nurture the love of learning and to enhance our understanding of the world.”

Information on tickets and sponsorships will be posted soon on the Library’s website.

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