Cathy Malkin has spent her career around animals. She says: “Unlike humans, our pets don’t need special glasses during the eclipse.”
Still, Yogi Bear would rather be safe than sorry:
(Photo/Cathy Malkin)
Experts do note that dogs and cats may exhibit brief periods of confusion or fear during the event.
Today’s peak eclipse is at 3:26 p.m. The sun in Westport will be 90.7% obscured.
Of course, that will happen whether or not there are clouds in the sky, to amaze humans and confuse pets.
==================================================
Fashion and hip hop closed out VersoFest yesterday. The 5-day event was the best attended and most diverse in the 3-year history of the Westport Library event.
The penultimate event was “Glam to Punk Fashion Roundtable: Alice Cooper, Bowie, Blondie and Beyond.” Christine “The Beehive Queen” Ohlman moderated.
Christine Ohlman (left) leads the fashion panel.
The finale was “Hip Hop Panel and Performances: 51 Years of Wild Style, the First Hip Hop Motion Picture” with Tony Tone (Cold Crush Brothers).
Hip hop on stage. (Photos/Dinkin Fotografix)
VersoFest ’24 drew plenty of Westporters — and many others from throughout the tri-state region.
All were impressed by the depth and breadth of the programming, as well as the venue. Those who had never been in the Westport Library before were awed by the space.
And amazed that no one said, “Be quiet. This is a library!”
Congratulations to all who made it happen: Library staff, sponsors, performers, panelists, and anyone else.
Rock on!
==================================================
For 3 years, Peter Swift has overseen the compost effort at the Westport Community Gardens.
Now, the recycling effort is bearing fruit — or at least, the organic version of “black gold.”
This was the scene this weekend, at the Gardens:
(Photo/Peter Swift)
==================================================
In the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, WMMM was Westport’s local radio station.
Broadcasting from studios above Oscar’s (now Rye Ridge) Deli, 1260 AM offered local news and sports, plus middle-of-the-road music.
They were there for the Save the Children radio auction, the Great Race, Festival Italiano and the Oyster Fest.
Of course, John LaBarca hosted a weekly Italian house party — and made trips (as Santa) to deliver holiday gifts to the Southbury Training School.
WMMM is no longer (though the FM station lives on, as 50,000-watt WEBE 108). WMMM’s last owners — the Graham family — donated WMMM to Sacred Heart University. In 2000, the call letters were changed to WSHU-AM.
But WMMM is back, at 105.5. Those are the call letters now of a radio station serving the Madison, Wisconsin area.
I don’t know how former Westporter John Kelley stumbled on the station, but he shared the news with “06880.”
PS: When WMMM was our station, the letters stood for “Modern Minute Man” (owner Red Graham owned Minuteman Travel, too).
Out in Wisconsin these days, they call it “Triple M.”
The “new” WMMM …
… and the original.
=================================================
The Fortunoff brothers — Aaron, a Staples High School freshman, and Brett, a Bedford Middle School 7th grader — spent all of yesterday outside Stop & Shop.
The boys were collecting cereal and donations for Cereal4All. The non-profit provide cereals to local food pantries.
Their hard work paid off. Shoppers donated 989 boxes of cereal, and added $2,100 in cash.
If you missed the Fortunoffs, but want to help, you can Venmo @lauriefortunoff, or click here for an Amazon wish list.
There will also be a collection box at Temple Israel in Westport throughout May.
Aaron and Brett Fortunoff, with a few of their many cereal boxes.
=================================================
Suzuki Music Schools are best known for their violin instructions.
Sophie B. Hawkins does not play the violin.
No matter. The Westport-based singer/songwriter is the special guest performer at Suzuki’s annual gala (April 26, Aspetuck Country Club, Weston). She’ll be accompanied by Suzuki students.
The event includes a cocktail hour with open bar, dinner, and a live auction.
Last year’s gala raised nearly $40,000 to support their Bridgeport Outreach programs, to provide music lessons to children in need.
This year’s goal: raise enough funds to provide violins for those children to take home for practice.
Click here for tickets, and more information.
Sophie B. Hawkins
================================================
Coming up at MoCA Westport:
Community Conversations: “It Will Go On” curator Victoria McCraven and Black Art Library founder Asmaa Walton (Thursday, April 11, 6 to 7 p.m.; Zoom only): A discussion about the current exhibit, and New England’s first Black art library installation. Click here to register, and for more information.
MoCA Some Noise: Open Mic Night (Friday, April 26, 6:30 p.m.): A night of creativity and talent, celebrating the power of expression and connection through music, poetry and more. Click here for more information.
Voices of Women: Natalia Kazaryan (Saturday, April 27, 7 p.m.): Georgian pianist Natalia Kazaryan celebrates the contributions of women composers. Click here for tickets, and more information.
=================================================
Stéphanie Szostak — the Westport actress whose credits include “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Iron Man 3” and “A Million Little Things.” — is a keynote speaker at the American Cancer Society’s annual Women Leading the Way to Wellness luncheon (May 15, 11 a.m., Stamford Marriott).
Szostak speaks often about overcoming failure, being an outsider and living with authenticity.
Kitt Shapiro — owner of WEST boutique, and a longtime supporter of the ACS — is a tri-chair for the event.
The luncheon highlights the importance of being one’s own health advocate. Over the past 10 years it has raised more than $1 million to support women’s health research, advocacy and more.
Click here for tickets, and more information.
Stéphanie Szostak
============================================
I have never been in the bathroom at Village Pediatrics.
But Tracy Porosoff has.
Intrigued by the décor, she took a photo.
Look what I’ve been missing:
(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
==================================================
A deer silhouetted in the Vista Terrace woods, in Longshore near the 1st and 2nd holes on the golf course, starts this week’s “Westport … Naturally” feature off on a handsome note.
(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)
==================================================
And finally … Happy International Trombone Week!
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — and we rely on support from readers like you. Please click here to help. Thank you
