Gunnar Eklund is a senior at Staples High School. He is president of the debate team. He is also an executive board member of BridgeBuilders, helping organize discussions with the Y’s Men of Westport that foster civic dialogue. Last year he was on the school’s “We the People” team, which placed 8th in the nation.
Recently, Gunnar worked on Addison Moore’s successful campaign for the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). He has spent his summers as a Camp Mahackeno counselor, and a legal intern. Passionate about public service, he plans to study political science in college, focusing on medical ethics.
This morning, Gunnar represented Westport’s youth at the town’s annual Veterans Day ceremony in Town Hall. In a powerful, insightful speech, Gunnar said:
Thank you for being here today as we come together to honor the veterans of our community. We are here to commemorate the men and women who have served, and who continue to serve, our country with courage, sacrifice, and heart.
My name is Gunnar Eklund, and I’m a 12th grade student at Staples High School. Today I’m honored to share my perspective, speaking on behalf of my generation as we celebrate the veterans among us.
Gunnar Eklund delivers today’s Veterans Day address.
As students, we grow up learning about wars and battles. In social studies classes we typically discuss dates, history and outcomes: which nation won, which country lost, and what changed.
The common trend is a focus on the military at the macro level. But Veterans Day asks us to look closer, beyond the maps, timelines and textbooks, in order to recognize the individuals who lived those events.
Every single veteran has a story alongside their service. Before we dive into those stories, however, it’s important to pause and think about what service truly means. For my generation, one that has grown up without the draft, service is something we’re still learning to understand.
Gunnar Eklund (center), with veterans and participants in today’s ceremony. The Westport Community band played the national anthem and “Taps”; 1st selectwoman Jen Tooker spoke, and a memorial wreath was laid by VFW and American Legion auxiliaries.
Service, at its core, is about commitment and honor. When a person joins the military they take an oath. They commit to live and act beyond themselves for the common good of their country, their community, and their family.
The oath is far more than codified words. It’s a promise to uphold values like honor, integrity and duty, even in the face of danger or death.
Service is also a mindset. It’s the willingness to act for something larger than your own comfort. And while many of us may never wear a uniform, the virtue behind the commitment, and mindset of service is something we can all aspire to in our own lives.
To understand what service truly looks like, it helps to hear the stories of those who have lived it. In my family and community, there exist remarkable examples of courage and sacrifice that help bring the idea of service to life.
In my own family, my great0grandfather served under General Patton’s army, which went into France and Belgium, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.
Years later my grandfather, Edward Slavin, joined the military during Vietnam, becoming at one point the youngest American drill sergeant, at age 17.
His leadership and dedication left a lasting mark. Over the years he received letters of gratitude from those he had helped, with people writing to tell him that his guidance and courage had saved their lives.
Howard Munce — a World War II Marine platoon sergeant at Guadalcanal, and noted Westport artist — painted this. David Meth has a signed original.
Of the anecdotes my family has shared with me, my favorite remains the story of Perry Watson, a friend of my great-grandfather.
In World War II he was a part of the flash-and-sound unit, locating enemy artillery by performing advanced calculations with sound and light. On one mission, his commander asked him to swim across a river while carrying wires in his mouth to complete a critical measurement.
It was the middle of winter, and the area was under enemy fire. Watson, an honorable man, volunteered for and accomplished the task. But the sounds of bombs detonating above him deafened him for life.
This magazine cover by Westport artist Stevan Dohanos honors residents serving in World War II. It stood at our original Town Hall (now Massi Co). Those servicemembers are now memorialized on a plaque in Veterans Green, across from the current Town Hall.
Stories like these remind us of the incredible cost of service. Behind every medal and every uniform, there are human lives marked by sacrifice and loss. Millions of men and women have given their lives in defense of this country. Their sacrifices are staggering, but rarely do we pause to appreciate them.
In a time as divisive as today, fewer people seem proud to be American.
Patriotism can feel complicated, even controversial. Veterans Day reminds us that pride in this country does not mean agreement with every policy. It’s about honoring the values, liberty and sacrifices that make this nation possible in the first place.
The generations that came before us, including the so-called Greatest Generation, did not serve for applause or personal gain. They served because it was the right thing to do. They understood that safety is not guaranteed. And above all, they honorably faced unimaginable pain and sacrifice without any expectations of reward.
Veterans at last year’s ceremony. (Photo copyright Ted Horowitz)
Today, as we honor our veterans, let us remember that their courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment reminds us of what it means to live beyond ourselves.
If we can carry even a fraction of that dedication in our daily lives, then their legacy lives on.
We must not forget these individuals, and we should all work to preserve their stories. Let us stand with gratitude and resolve as we honor the humanity behind every uniform.
The Greens Farms Elementary School art teacher — a well-known artist himself — believed that every Westport student should experience art every day.
Burt Chernow
He began collecting works. Through his network of local, then national and international artists — and soon, their contacts — he built an impressive collection.
Today the Westport Public Art Collections include over 2,000 paintings, photographs, sculptures and more. They are displayed in every school, municipal buildings like Town Hall, the Senior Center and Fire Department headquarters, and in outdoor parks.
Anne Boberski co-chairs WestPAC, with Jennifer Fridland. Like everyone else in the organization, she is a volunteer.
Boberski — who has curated exhibits at large museums — got involved with WestPAC in 2019, soon after moving here.
The collection is “integral to Westport’s identity,” she says. But there is so much WestPAC art all around, we sometimes take it for granted.
“Giants of the Blues,” for example — Westport artist Eric von Schmidt’s remarkable 7-piece work of American blues, jazz and folk musicians from the 1920s through ’60s, which hangs in the Staples High School auditorium lobby, and on surrounding walls — is scarcely noticed by the students and staff members who pass by every day.
“Blues Piano Players” — one of 7 works by Eric von Schmidt that make up “Giants of the Blues” — moves from Staples to MoCA CT in February.
The enormous works — which von Schmidt donated to WestPAC, rather than the Smithsonian — deserve a broader audience.
From February 26 through April 26, they’ll be shown as part of MoCA’s “Art, Jazz and the Blues” exhibit.
That illustrates one of WestPAC’s dilemmas. Though Chernow’s original vision was to bring art to students, school hallways, classrooms and offices are not always accessible to the public. As security has tightened in recent years, it’s harder than ever for non-school personnel to enjoy so much remarkable art.
Stevan Dohanos’ work — with Staples students as models, later used as a Saturday Evening Post cover — has been on display in various sites. In 2016, it hung at Staples High School.
So — in addition to town buildings — the organization has partnered with MoCA CT, the Westport Library and the Parks & Recreation Department.
Tonight (Wednesday), for example, the Library hosts a reception (6 p.m.) and talk by guest curator Arthur Nager (7 p.m.) for its new exhibit, “Every Picture Tells a Story: Photographs From the Westport Public Art Collections.” It’s on view through December 16.
Inside the schools too, WestPAC is trying to make their collections stand out more. They’re installing “dedicated gallery spaces,” with temporary rails, to highlight their works.
They’re also collaborating with art, social studies and English teachers, to incorporate each school’s collection into curriculums.
Meanwhile, WestPAC continues to do its work. Members are adding to the collections, preserving and conserving older ones, and looking for new spots — like the latest, Grace K. Salmon and Canal Parks — to share Westport’s remarkable arts legacy with everyone.
Emily Teall’s “Tulips” has been installed at Grace Salmon Park. (Photo/Kelly Pollard)
(To celebrate WestPAC’s 60th anniversary, they’re seeking donations to help care for, frame, conserve and otherwise aid the collection. Click here, or send to WestPAC, Box 92, Westport, CT 06881. For more information on WestPAC, click here.)
Bernard Chaet’s oil painting “Sunset Through the Trees” was an early gift to WestPAC. In 2023, Friends of WestPAC and the Westport Arts Advisory had it professionally cleaned and conserved.
(“06880” reports regularly on Westport’s arts and education scenes. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Carl Swanson’s family moved to Westport in the summer of 1955. They quickly experienced 2 hurricanes — Connie and Diane — with their 26 inches of flooding.
Jo Ann Miller — who later married Carl — moved here in 1984, during Hurricane Diana. It too crippled much of the state.
Now — after decades in Westport — they are moving to Bermuda.
But not before a big moving sale. Among the items: sculptures by their late friend Kelley Spearen, Jo Ann’s engaging artwork, tools, sports equipment, kitchen appliances and much more.
The Saturday sales are August 9 and 23 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at their home off North Avenue, near the Bedford Middle School entrance (follow the signs).
All proceeds will benefit 2 local groups: VFW Post 399, and “06880.”
Carl and Jo Ann’s generosity is apt. He is a writer, and long-time participant in and contributor to this blog. Jo Ann is the daughter of Lt. Gen. Thomas Miller (USMC-deceased), and the goddaughter of astronaut John Glenn.
“We have been blessed to have lived in this town for so long. It is time to give our last goodbye, to benefit those who give to the community every day,” Jo Ann says.
Thank you, Carl and Jo Ann, for your thoughtfulness — and for all you have done for our town, for so many years.
Carl Addison Swanson and Jo Ann Miller have already donated one of Kelley Spearen’s sculptures to Wakeman Town Farm.
Speaking of art: Tomorrow (Tuesday, August 5, 11 to 11:30 a.m., Senior Center), the Westport Permanent Art Collections highlights the work of 5 of Westport’s most noted and beloved artists.
Works from Howard Munce, Susan Malloy, Alfred Willmott, Estelle Margolis and Stevan Dohanos will transport attendees back to the Westport of the 1950s.
Among the works: Dohanos’ “Star Pitcher,” which “06880” featured a few days ago:
This weekend, Westport’s lifeguards took time out from saving people, searching for lost kids and applying Band-Aids, to compete in the annual Lifeguard Olympics, at Compo Beach.
Among the events: races, and a tug of war.
The Olympics were coordinated by senior foreman Mike Guinta, and aquatics director Danilo Sierra-Giraldo.
Stevan Dohanos drew a remarkable 123 covers for the Saturday Evening Post.
Living in Westport, he drew inspiration from many local scenes.
And he used many Westport residents as models.
Millions of Americans enjoyed this Saturday Evening Post cover on July 20, 1946 — almost 79 years ago, to the day. It was almost certainly inspired by — and drawn in — Westport:
Though a few of the boys wear uniforms, they are not Westport Little Leaguers. The organization did not begin here until 1954.
Do you recognize the house? It looks like it could be on Riverside Avenue, Imperial Avenue, Compo Road South — or many other places in town.
And — a longer stretch — does anyone know any of the kids?
If you’ve got any insights into the back story of this work called “Star Pitcher,” click “Comments” below.
Play ball!
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
On December 4, 1943, the Saturday Evening Post cover featured Westport illustrator Stevan Dohanos’ painting of our town’s Honor Roll.
It stood in front of the old Town Hall (now Don Memo and Walrus Alley restaurants). The magazine called it “Honoring the Dead.”
In fact, it honored all the Westporters then serving in World War II. In late 1943, victory was not yet assured. It was a terrible time. Many of those whose names were outside Town Hall did not make it home.
Town Hall is now on Myrtle Avenue. Plaques across the street — on Veterans Green — memorialize Westporters killed in several wars. This is the one for World War II:
Veterans Green is also where a ceremony takes place, immediately after today’s parade (approximately 10:30 a.m.). It is sobering and inspiring; mournful and uplifting.
It does not take long. There are a couple of speeches, some rousing march music, the laying of a wreath, the playing of “Taps.”
So many Westporters have sacrificed so much, to ensure the freedoms we have today.
The brief Veterans Green ceremony is one small way by which we can honor them.
If you have been to the Memorial Day ceremony, you know what I mean.
Nearly a decade ago, our Friday Flashback honored Stevan Dohanos.
Since then, we’ve welcomed an influx of new residents. Many Westporters today have never heard of Stevan Dohanos. Here’s a look back at that story, as timely today as then.
Stevan Dohanos is best known for his 123 Saturday Evening Post covers.
But the Westport illustrator was also a noted US stamp artist. He designed several dozen — the number varies, according to who’s counting — honoring a wide range of subjects, including American presidents, NATO and the statehoods of Alaska and Hawaii.
Dohanos also created Christmas stamps. In 1989, Westport served as that year’s official “first day of issue” post office.
Dohanos’ other holiday stamps ranged from the classical, like this 1969 scene …
… to the playful, like this in 1970…
… to the religious, in 1975:
Of course, Dohanos drew holiday scenes for the Saturday Evening Post too. This cover — from December 13, 1947 — is called “Rural Post Office at Christmas.” (The sign says “Georgetown.”)
As chair of the Stamp Advisory Committee, Dohanos oversaw the art design of more than 300 stamps. He was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and served under 7 presidents.
Stevan Dohanos died on July 4, 1994, at his Westport home. He was 87 years old.
(Hat tip: Paul Ehrismann)
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
In the first week of August in 1949 — almost exactly 75 years ago — Life magazine put us on its cover.
The most popular publication in America — read by tens of millions — headlined the story “Fairfield County: Country Home of Smart New Yorkers.”
The 10-page spread — nestled among stories on the return of the last World War II prisoners, a feature on circus impresario John Ringling North, and editorials on “schools, steel and statism” — began:
Between the sailboat-dotted waters of Long Island Sound and the woodsy border of New York State, in the corner of Connecticut that juts down toward Manhattan Island, lies Fairfield County.
Its scalloped shore lie gives it hundreds of miles of valuable waterfront property, while the rolling country inland offers countless sites for a home with a view and even room to farm.
For all its rural atmosphere it is swiftly reached from New York City by the electrified New Haven Railroad and the high-speed Merritt Parkway.
Life’s caption reads: “Tea on the lawn replaces cocktails for the family of H.S. Richardson (center), who is chairman of the executive committee of Vick Chemical Co. The Richardsons’ “Mount Vernon type” house is on the so-called “Gold Coast” of Greens Farms … This area along the shore of the Sound is the home of the county’s very conservative ‘Proper New Yorkers.'”
One-tenth of the county’s population, Life said, “is supported by well-paid jobs in Ne York …. Thousands of successful New Yorkers, attracted by the rolling hills, the leisurely life and other New Yorkers, have flocked to towns like Greenwich, Darien, Westport, and Redding.”
They “sail their boats, ride their horses, drive around in their station wagons and lead a luxurious life.”
Of course, Life noted, “their existence is not utopian. The commuter’s day revolves around the 7:43 to New York in the morning and the 5:16 out at night.
“But for the New Yorkers who can, or think they can, afford a country home, Fairfield County is probably the best — and the newly fashionable — place to have it.”
Life said: “The Railroad Club Car is an exclusive, air-conditioned arrangement for wealthy commuters who prefer not to ride in coaches. This one … costs a member $140 a year besides the regular commutation fare.”
Two pages were devoted specifically to Westport.
Titled “Its ‘idea people’ live around Westport,” the story said:
Among the first New York “discoverers” of Fairfield County were artists and authors who moved there shortly after the turn of the century because their commuting schedule was not so rigorous as that of the businessman. They also liked its atmosphere of old New England.
Today Fairfield County as almost as many ‘idea people’ as it has people of wealth. Many of the authors, artists and actors live around the town of Westport, a onetime colonial shipping center just west of the town of Fairfield.
There are probably more professional artists within a 25-mile radius of Westport than in any comparable spot in the U.S.
The Westport Artists Club, which was formed only four years ago, already has 148 members.
Life noted: “Country Playhouse in Westport gives better than average plays, including tryouts of Broadway-bound shows. Here Eddie Dowling (in bow tie) and Meg Mundy (behind Dowling) rehearse a popular old one, ‘The Time of Your Life.'”
The Westport section included these photos:
Westport artist Stevan Dohanos (left), who illustrated many Saturday Evening Post covers, paints an Easton church.
StevThe caption reads: “Eva Le Gallienne takes a nap on the lawn of her Westport home. She lives in a farmhouse, has 15 acres of land where she keeps chicks and cairn terriers. She has lived there 22 years, calls it a ‘retreat from theater people.’ This summer she made a one-week appearance in the Westport Playhouse.”
These photos show (left) Metropolitan Opera conductor Fritz Reiner, and James and Laura Fraser, sculpting outside their studio. “He designed the buffalo nickel,” Life’s caption notes.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
Posted onJune 13, 2024|Comments Off on Roundup: Remarkable Theater, Arezzo, Earthplace …
The curtain may rise again for the Remarkable Theater.
Yesterday, the Board of Selectwomen unanimously approved a request for a permit to show movies in the Imperial Avenue lot this summer.
The dates would be Mondays (when the nearby Levitt Pavilion is dark) and Wednesdays (when the Levitt’s Children’s Series — which ends earlier than other shows is scheduled). Movies cannot be seen on the large outdoor screen until the sun goes down.
The Remarkable Theater debuted during the COVID year of 2020. It was an instant hit, providing entertainment, opportunities for non-profit groups to partner on fundraisers, and employment for people with disabilities.
After successful seasons in 2021 and ’22, scheduling difficulties prevented the Remarkable Theater from operating last year.
Theater officials hope to confirm their opening — and announce their schedule — soon.
A who’s who of Westporters received Rotary Club honors on Tuesday.
Each also received an honorary Paul Harris Award — the highest Rotary recognition.
Westport Public Protection Awards went to Firefighter Paul Spennato, Corporal David Scinto and Volunteer EMS President Michael Burns (who also received a Community Service Award).
Westport Community Service Awards were given to Ken Bernhard, attorney, civic leader and community volunteer; Susan Pfister, former director of the Westport Senior Center; Gately Ross and Johanna Martell, co-directors of Sustainable Westport; Honorable Lisa Wexler, probate judge, and Pete Wolgast, civic leader and community volunteer.
Corporal David Scinto receives his award from Rotary member Lyla Steenbergen. Police Chief Foti Koskinas looks on.
Pete Wolgast (right), with longtime Rotarian and former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe. (Photos/Dave Matlow)
2nd annual Moth Ball (July 12, 8 to 11 p.m.; $10 adults; under 21, free). Moth experts discuss moth ecology, and identify moth species. Dress up in a moth costume. Crafts and refreshments included).
For registration and more information, click here, or email v.swain@earthplace.org.
For over 9 decades, the Westport Country Playhouse has been making musicals.
Next month, “They Made It a Musical!” comes to the historic stage.
A concert celebrating Broadway’s greatest musicals is set for July 18, 19 and 20 (8 p.m.), with a July 20 matinee (3 p.m.).
Broadway veterans and a live band offer songs and stories showcasing the origins of “Oklahoma!” (whose origins include the Playhouse), “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Titanic,” “Hamilton” and many more.
Two new art installations open soon, in all 3 Westport Library gallery spaces.
The Artist Collective of Westport’s “Piece By Piece” and “Word: Visual VS Verbal Art Show” will fill all 3 of the Library’s gallery spaces.
For “Piece by Piece,” 48 artists from the Collective each created an individual piece — part of a larger painting — replicating it in their own style. None know what the final painting will look like until it’s revealed at the opening reception (June 20, 6:30 to 8 p.m.).
The reveal will be a fun way to see how each artist interpreted the 12″ x 12″ section they were given.
The Collective’s “Visual VS Verbal Art Show ” will also open that evening, with art on many of Library walls and the large Trefz Forum screen.
A year ago, Staples High School graduate Jake Thaw previewed his upcoming University of Michigan football season, at a special meeting of the Michigan Alumni Association of Fairfield County
The Wolverines went on to win the national championship.
After appearing in that game, Thaw — a punt returner and wide receiver — has transferred to Delaware.
But once again, local alums can hear the football forecast from someone who knows.
Lys Goldman — a 2021 Staples grad, and rising senior at UM, will speak at Pizza Lyfe on July 7 (2 p.m.).
Lis is a senior sports editor and senior layout editor for The Michigan Daily. She covers UM football, ice hockey, women’s basketball and other sports.
Lys also designs most sports print pages — including the national championship cover.
Next month’s event is free — and open to all. No Michigan connection is needed. Click here to register.
Lys Goldman
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Staples High School Class of 1976 graduate Tim Garvin is now president and CEO of United Way of Central Massachusetts.
In preparation for their 104th annual Community Celebration, they decorated their offices with vintage posters, artifacts and awards.
One poster from the 1950s caught his eye.
Looking closely, he realized it was more than just intriguing: The artis was Stevan Dohanos.
The Westport illustrator — a longtime cover artist for the Saturday Evening Post, US stam designed and founding member of Famous Artists School — created this work:
“I am that his work and Westport heritage are on display in our United Way offices in Worcester,” Tim says.
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There’s a reception for Dorothy Robertshaw — the Westport Book Shop featured artist of the month — tonight (Thursday, 6 to 7:30 p.m.) at the Jesup Road store.
Inspired by nature, she creates richly textured, exuberantly colorful waterscapes and landscapes she sees in her mind’s eye. She works in oil, acrylic, encaustic wax, pastel, wood, glass and mixed media.
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Rushing to or from a train, it’s easy to overlook the gorgeous gardens at the Westport station.
But that would be a shame.
So now — assuming you’re not running to or at the station — relax, and enjoy today’s “Westport … Naturally” image:
And finally … on this day in 1966, the Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that the police must inform suspects of their 5th Amendment rights before questioning them.
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Comments Off on Roundup: Remarkable Theater, Arezzo, Earthplace …
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