Tag Archives: Students Demand Action

Roundup: Gun Locks, 2nd Street, Joey Zelkowitz …

Posted on November 12, 2024 | 20 comments

Staples High School students — the teenagers who have endured lockdown drills for as long as they can remember — want action on gun safety.

They can try to affect policy. They can also take action here in Westport.

On Saturday, Aidan Lapatine and Logan Noorily — presidents of the Students Demand Action club — stood on the post Road/Main Street corner.

They gave out gun locks, and talked about safe firearms practices.

Many people stopped to talk, and learn more. The teens talked with parents about proper storage, and with children about safety measures.

Many attendees took locks for family members and friends.

To learn more about gun locks,, mail aidanlapatine@gmail.com.

Aidan Lapatine and Logan Noorily hand out gun locks, stress safety — and demand action.

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Meanwhile, coming soon to downtown: 2nd Street.

The second-hand clothes and accessories store will take over the space vacated by The Loft, next to Shoe-Inn.

Their first Connecticut location — one of about 50 nationwide — opened last month, in New Haven.

The idea to repurpose clothing and reduce waste is not new.

And I don’t mean Goodwill.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Functional Clothing was a popular shop down some stairs, next to the building that is now The Gap.

It was great. I think I may still have some jeans from there.

(Photo/Jem Sollinger)

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Congratulations to Joey Zelkowitz!

The Class of 2013 Staples High School and ’17 Middlebury College football star has been named to Sports Business Journal‘s “New Voices Under 30.”

Zelkowitz, now 29 years old (and called “Joseph”), is a senior associate with JP Morgan’s sports finance group. Previously, he was a financial operations analyst with the New York Yankees. (Hat tip: Amy Schafrann)

Joey Zelkowitz

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Congratulations too to more Stapleites: the school’s Students of the Month.

Seniors Molly Oliver and Nathan Smith; juniors Jocelyn Connors, Matthew Perez and Leila Stein; sophomore Luke Cooper, and freshman Emma Rivel, have been nominated by their teachers.

Principal Stafford Thomas calls them “the ‘glue’ of the Staples community — the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.”

From left: Emma Rivel, Matthew Perez, Leila Stein, Molly Oliver, Jocelyn Connors, Nathan Smith, Luke Cooper.

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The other day, John Brandt brought his illustrative presentation “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” to the Y’s Women.

It demonstrated visually how music is part of our everyday lives, from film and dance to Broadway. Brandt’s journey included “Casablanca,” “Star Wars,” “Titanic,” “Exodus” and “Gone with the Wind”;  Martha Graham and “The Nutcracker,” and “A Chorus Line.”

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Trombonist/composer/bandleader Altin Sencalar brings his magic to this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (November 14, VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 7; $20 music charge, $15 veterans and students).

Sencalar has shared the stage, toured, and/or recorded with Christian McBride, Michael Bublé, The Temptations, Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Ne-Yo, Big Sean and many others. An apt musician to close out the first NextGen Fest.

He’ll be joined by pianist Tylerl Henderson, bassist Gram Kozak, saxophonist Greg Wall and drummer Mike Camacho. Click here for reservations, and more information.

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We’ve had a bumper crop of acorns this year.

Pam Docters spotted these nuts near Compo Road South. They make for a perfect “Westport … Naturally” spread.

(Photo/Pam Docters)

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And finally … in honor of 2nd Street, our soon-to-be-new second-hand clothing store:

(The recording above is 103 years old. “06880” is 15. To help us reach the century mark — or, at least, 16 — please click here. Thank you!)

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Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Local business, Politics, Sports, Staples HS

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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)

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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.

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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.


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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!)

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

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Staples Students Plan Afternoon Of Gun Violence Awareness

Posted on January 17, 2020 | 16 comments

The Parkland massacre 2 years ago — and a subsequent assault rifle scare at their own school — affected, then galvanized many Staples High students.

Elana Atlas was just a freshman. But she organized a national letter-writing campaign to legislators, and created a website — Action Against Gun Violence — filled with background information on school shootings; texts sent by terrified students in the midst of gunfire; counter-arguments to the “right to bear arms” clause; links to gun safety organizations; advice on how to start your own movement — and of course, her letter templates.

Elana Atlas, at work 2 years ago.

Two years later, the epidemic continues unabated. But — rather than being discouraged, or overwhelmed by the pressures of being a Staples junior — Elana is committed more than ever to doing what she can to making America’s schools and streets safe for everyone.

In the aftermath of Parkland, she joined fellow Stapleites Audrey Bernstein, Ruby Coleman, Kaela Dockray, Brooke Kessler, Peri Kessler and Eliza Oren in creating a local high school chapter of Students Demand Action. That’s the national organization — affiliated with Everytown for Gun Safety — fighting for common sense gun reform and usage.

Now, Elana has helped turned it into an official Staples High School club.

She’s sparked a number of intriguing projects. The group is working on an open letter to Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader who has stalled most gun legislation in that chamber. They’re coordinating with student groups around the country — especially in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky — to get viral social media attention.

Staples’ Students Demand Action and the Westport/Fairfield Moms Demand Action chapter presented a panel on gun violence in schools. Elana was one of the speakers.

Next month, and again in June, the students will commemorate Parkland.

Right now, they’re gearing up for their biggest event yet. On Friday, January 24 (3 p.m., Toquet Hall), Students Demand Action sponsors “An Afternoon of Gun Prevention and Activism.”

Toquet will hum with activities. There will be information about local, state and national legislators’ stands on gun laws; signmaking (with photos, to post on social media); voter registration, and speakers, including lawmakers, studens, and Tara Donnelly Gottlieb, whose parents were killed in 2005 during a robbery of their Fairfield jewelry store.

The goal, Elana says, is to show that the Westport gun violence movement remains strong — and help people get involved.

In 2018, Staples High School students stood in the courtyard to demand action on gun violence. They’re still going strong. (Photo/Ali Feder)

“An Afternoon of Gun Prevention and Activism” is open to all. Elana hopes many high school students will attend, and that parents will bring their children too.

“It will be uplifting — not gory,” she promises.

And very, very important.

(Pre-registration is not mandatory, but it helps for planning numbers. Click here to pre-register.)

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Posted in Organizations, People, Politics, Staples HS, Teenagers

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Staples Students Demand Action

Posted on May 25, 2018 | 14 comments

In March, over 1,000 Staples High School students walked out of class. Massed in the fieldhouse, they honored the 17 slain students and teachers of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and demanded sensible gun legislation.

It was a powerful display of activism. But many Westporters wondered whether the teenage leaders could sustain their momentum.

A month later, a smaller — but still substantial — group of students headed to the high school courtyard. In the afternoon, a few dozen assembled on Veterans Green, across from Town Hall.

Again, their message centered on stopping gun violence.

And again, the question hung: Are these kids in it for the long run?

They are.

Last month, Staples High School students stood in the courtyard to demand action on gun violence. (Photo/Ali Feder)

There’s now a Staples chapter of Students Demand Action. That’s the national organization — affiliated with Everytown for Gun Safety — fighting for common sense gun reform and usage. Westport leaders include Elana Atlas, Audrey Bernstein, Ruby Coleman, Kaela Dockray, Brooke Kessler, Peri Kessler and Eliza Oren.

The end of the school year is in sight — the busiest time of year. Seniors have already headed off to internships.

But Students Demand Action are in the thick of things. They meet regularly, to strategize and plan activities.

Their first big event is a #WearOrange campaign. That’s the official color of gun violence — because it was what Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore to honor her. She was killed at age 15 — just a week after performing at President Obama’s 2nd inauguration.

On the weekend of June 1-3, the group will paint the town orange. It’s part of a nationwide effort.

“We’re fighting to take back power from the gun lobby,” says Staples chapter co-founder Elana Atlas.

“We would love for the rest of the community to fight with us as we demand action from legislators on a local, state and federal level, as well as businesses and schools to implement common-sense gun reforms. We need to end the epidemic of gun violence in America.”

(For more information, email westportstudentsdemand@gmail.com)

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Posted in Categories, Organizations, Politics, Staples HS, Teenagers

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