Tag Archives: Suzanne Sheridan

Roundup: Lottery Win$, Jeremy Schaap, James Naughton …

Posted on September 18, 2023 | 1 comment

Westport figured prominently in 2 recent Connecticut Lottery wins.

A Milford resident won $1 million with a “$1,000,ooo Extreme Cash” scratch-off ticket sold at the Wheels gas station on Post Road East. The odds, the Lottery website says, are one in a million.

In addition, a Westporter won $300,000 in the same contest. The ticket was bought at B.J.’s Wholesale Club in Wallingford. 

A third connection: Westport resident Rob Simmelkjaer is chair of the Connecticut Lottery board of directors.

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Among Westport’s many ESPN connections, Jeremy Schaap is one of the best known.

The 1988 Staples High School graduate has been with the network since 1994. He hosts E:60 and Outside the Lines, ESPN’s showcase journalism shows, and the award-winning weekly radio show and podcast The Sporting Life.

Schaap has covered the Summer and Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup, Tour de France, World Series, Super Bowl, tennis and golf US Opens, Wimbledon, Final Four .. you get the idea.

He won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for his story exposing the plight of World Cup migrant laborers in Qatar, as well as the Dick Schaap Sports Emmy — named for his father — for a profile of chess champion Bobby Fischer.

He interviewed Bobby Knight after he was fired by Indiana, and Darryl Strawberry after his colon cancer diagnosis.

This Thursday (September 21, 7 p.m.), Schaap joins fellow Westport journalist Dave Briggs in a conversation at the Westport Library. They’ll take about his long career, including sports, the media and much more.

Click here to register, and for more information.

Jeremy Schaap

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Westport Sunrise Rotary Club’s early morning speakers are always interesting.

This week’s guest is particularly note-worthy. And the public is welcome to attend.

On Friday (September 22, 7:45 a.m., Green’s Farms Congregational Church), Tony Award-winning actor and Weston resident James Naughton will talk.

But not about his career. Naughton’s topic is the Medical Assistance in Dying Act. He’s a powerful advocate for state legislation that would allow adults with a terminal illness to submit written requests for lethal medication. Under the proposed bill, adults who have been residents of Connecticut for at least a year and have been given less than 6 months to live can submit 2 written requests for lethal medication, at least 15 days apart.

Naughton is to help people at the end of life, for whom hospice palliative care is not enough, because his late wife Pamela was in that same situation.

Email president Liz Wong at info@WestportSunriseRotary.org if you plan to attend, or have questions. Coffee, bagels and muffins are served starting at 7 a.m.

James Naughton

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Have a heart!

That’s the suggestion of Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services — and the theme of their fundraising gala.

“The Heart of Westport” will raise money to replace our first responders’ Automated Electronic Defibrillator (AED) machines. The event is October 21 (Christ & Holy Trinity  Church, 6 p.m.).

Hosts include WVEMS president Michael Burns, celebrity stylist Jeni Bianco, and Westport Moms Megan Rutstein and Melissa Post.

The $75,000 goal will ensure that every Westport emergency vehicle — EMS, Police and Fire — to have life-saving machines. Current machines are becoming outmoded.

The event includes food, drinks, entertainment, and auction items donated by well-known Westporters.

Click here for tickets and more information. For questions and sponsorship opportunities, email jenielizabeth@gmail.com.

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Aztec Two-Step 2.0’s “Simon & Garfunkel Songbook” show has drawn raves everywhere.

This Saturday, area residents can see it in (almost) their back yard.

Rex Fowler and Dodie Pettit bring their show to the SHU Community Theatre, in the heart of Fairfield. Show time is 8 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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Speaking of music: The October 1 “First Folk Sunday” is special. It’s the release party of Suzanne Sheridan’s “Standing Ovation” CD. It includes the country hit “90 Pound Suburban Housewife Driving in Her SUV.” (Yes, Westport — Sheridan’s longtime home — was her inspiration.)

Every audience member gets a free copy of the CD — and a slice of cake.

At First Folk Sunday (VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, 12:30 p.m.; $10 cover charge), Sheridan (vocals and guitar) will be accompanied by Bob Cooper (keyboards).

Musicians on the CD include Chris Coogan, Beth Styles, Andy Gundell, Ed Thompson, Scarlett Lee Moore, John Lathan, Mary Bond Davis, Leslie Miller, Jeff Gomard, the late Giff Foster and Matt Nozzolio, John Moses, Mike Mills and “Children of the Sun” Drumming Circle, and The Studebakers of Austin, Texas.

The songs were recorded over several years, in studios in various towns and cities.

Click here for tickets to Sheridan’s release party. For more information, email info@firstfolksunday.com, or call 203-222-1441.

Suzanne Sheridan

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For a while, the Post Road East wood pile at the corner of Roseville Road looked a little less haphazard and dangerous than before.

No longer.

Here was the scene yesterday:

(Photo/Molly Alger)

A word to the crew working on the Route 1 renovation project: “Be careful out there.”

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One of the joys of Compo Beach’s  South Beach is scrambling up the trees near the kayak launch.

Kids do it all the time.

Yesterday, Ken Schwarz did it too.

Why is this “06880”-worthy?

Because he’s 87 years old.

There’s a saying: “Once a kid, always a kid.”

No kidding!

(Photo/June Rose Whittaker)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is not a banana.

Or a banana slug.

It is, Steve Halstead assures us, a spicebush swallowtail larva.

And, he says, it will eventually morph into a beautiful adult butterfly.

We’ll take it over a spotted lanternfly any day.

(Photo/Steve Halstead)

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And finally … in honor of our Westport-related Connecticut Lottery winners (story above):

(“06880” could buy lottery tickets. But we prefer to rely on the support of our readers. Please click here to donate. It’s a sure bet. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Suzanne Sherman Propp, Post-High School Plans, Teens Work …

Posted on April 29, 2023 | 3 comments

Suzanne Sherman Propp came to her current gig — a very popular Greens Farms Elementary School music teacher — after a long career as a performer. (She learned her craft growing up in Westport, and as a Staples High School student.)

Suzanne Sheridan is a longtime resident, and well-known musician too. She recently started the “First Folk Sunday” series at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.

People sometimes confuse the 2 Suzannes.

A week from tomorrow — May 7, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. — Suzanne Sherman Propp headlines Suzanne Sheridan’s First Folk Sunday.

She’ll be joined by Bob Cooper. Her husband, Peter Propp, will bring his mandolin for a few tunes.

There’s brunch, and a cash bar (including mimosas and make-your-own Bloody Marys). The cover is $10; click here for tickets.

Suzanne Sherman Propp and Peter Propp.

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Staples High School’s counseling department does a great job helping seniors get into college.

But they’re just as focused on supporting students considering paths other than traditional 4-year degrees.

“Finding Your Path: Exploring Post-High School Options” (May 9, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library) features representatives from the military, community college, vocational school, and gap and postgraduate programs.

Local graduates who pursued those paths will be there too, to talk about their experiences and answer quesitons.

Students of all ages, and their families, are invited.

2011 Staples graduate Asia Bravo joined the military — and was accepted into its new Space Force program. She is shown here with B. Chance Saltzman, director of space operations.

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Middle and high school students looking to make money through outdoor yard work this spring and summer can join Westport’s Department of Human Services “We Do Walkways” program.

It’s a great way to connect teenagers with senior citizens. The suggested minimum is $15 an hour; chores are limited to outside.

Students must complete an enrollment form and receive parental permission to participate. Contact Westport’s Department of Human Services at 203-341-1050 or email humansrv@westportct.gov with questions.

Seniors can join the “We Do Walkway” list by calling Human Services at 203-341-1050 or emailing humansrv@westportct.gov.

Teenagers: lend a hand!

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Author, author!

This Thursday (May 4, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.), the Westport Senior Center hosts a “Meet the Authors” event.

More than a dozen local authors will discuss their books, in an informal questions. They’ll sell and sign them too. Light refreshments will be served.

Scheduled to appear: Winston Allen, Jill Amadio, Ronald Blumenfeld, Prill Boyle, Elaine Breakstone, Don Harrison, Scott Kuhner, Deborah Levinson, Diane Lowman, Allia Zobel Nolan, Penny Pearlman, Mark Perlman, Deborah Quinn, Lynn Ellen Russo, Patricia Sabena, Sue Stewart, Elizabeth Thomas Jean Marie Wiesen.

Prill Boyle is among the many excellent authors at the Senior Center. (Photo/Suzanne Sheridan)

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Harbor Watch needs a new boat.

The Earthplace-based organization — which for decades has monitored and restored local waterways — must get a new vessel, for research and education programs. It is imperative to maintain their biological and chemical data.

Tickets are on sale for their “Cocktails & Clams” fundraiser (June 10, 5 to 7 p.m.). The Copps Island Oysters location in Norwalk offers an unlimited and very fresh raw bar, hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, live jazz, silent auction — and spectacular views of Long Island Sound.

Tickets are $200 each; click here. Sponsorships are available too; click here. To donate for the new boat, click here.

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Reminder: The launch party for “Pick of the Pics” — the “06880” book highlighting over 100 of our blog’s best Pics of the Day — is tomorrow (sunday, April 30, 2 to 4 p.m., Savvy + Grace, 146 Main Street).

Books will be available for purchase at a special price of $20 (regular Amazon price: $24.95).

I’ll sign copies; so will Lyah Muktavaram, my “06880” intern who did 99% of the work on it.

Photographers featured in the book can pick up a free book at the launch party too.

Can’t make it? Click here to order!

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Speaking of books:

After a great run in Saugatuck, Fairfield County Story Lab is moving.

On Monday, the popular workplace for writers leaves its 21 Charles Street top-floor space for 95 Mill Plain Road, in the Fairfield Arts District.

They have to give up their prime Saugatuck spot for an equally great site a few miles east. They’ll still be near plenty of restaurants, right near a train station and I-95.

Fairfield County Story Lab offers a free work day for writers and creatives (and a free week for former members). Call 203-374-8343 for more details.

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Yesterday’s weather was forgettable.

But one couple will always remember it.

They got married — in the wind and intermittent rain — by the Compo Beach cannons.

Congratulations to the new bridge and groom — whoever you are!

(Photo/Gara Morse)

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The Westport Weston Family YMCA’s 100th anniversary celebration continues, with a yoga fundraiser May 11 (10 to 11 a.m.).

100 participants in a “Breath, Body & Balance” class at the Mahackeno Outdoor Center will be led by Greg Barringer.

There’s a $100 registration fee/donation per person. Funds go to the Y’s Financial Assistance Program, serving under-resourced families and those in need.

Participants get a high-quality 100-year anniversary yoga mat, and a flower from Blossom +Stem. Click here to register.

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Members of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston, and spouses, toured Stamford’s 400,000-square foot world headquarters of NBC Sports this week.

It was an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at all that goes into a telecast that most of us take for granted.

Tour guide Terri Leopold shows off the NBC Sports facility. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Sorelle Gallery’s new exhibition, “Connected Layers,” features abstract artists Julia Contacessi and Teodora Guererra.

It opens Friday (May 5, 19 Church Lane), with a reception set for Saturday (May 6, 3 to 6 p.m.). Click here for more information.

Julia Contacessi

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Westporters know Ed Gerber for his preservation work around town.

He’s also a trustee of Historic New England. In that role, he’s sponsoring a “Connecticut Preservation at Work” speaker series.

The free event kicks off June 2 (2 p.m., Metro Art Studios, 345 Railroad Avenue, Bridgeport) with speeches by the co-owners and developers of historic Crown Corset Factory, Bridgeport’s director of business development and more. For more information, click here.

Ed Gerber

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It will rain all day today. And tomorrow.

So here’s a “Westport … Naturally” photo — taken a couple of days ago — to remind us all that the weather here has been pretty good this spring.

And remember: April showers bring May flowers.

The calendar guarantees that April showers end tomorrow night.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

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And finally … April 29 is Eeyore’s birthday. He’s 40 today — and every day.

What a life!

(Our “06880” Roundup tells you what’s going on in Westport — today, and every day. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Tacopina, Addarios, Autism …

Posted on April 5, 2023 | 29 comments

Westport was represented at yesterday’s historic arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building.

Directly next to former President Trump at the proceedings was one of his key attorneys, Joseph Tacopina.

Attorney Joseph Tacopina sat at former President Trump’s left, during yesterday’s arraignment. (Photo/Curtis Means for EPA)

The Westporter — founder and lead trial attorney of Tacopina Seigel & Deoreo — is no stranger to big cases.

His firm’s website says:

Mr. Tacopina is one of the country’s most respected high-stakes trial attorneys, having successfully tried more than 100 cases in his distinguished career. He frequently represents clients in high-stakes civil, criminal and commercial litigation, zealously advancing their interests and often recovering substantial money damages.

In 2011, he was the featured speaker at Staples High School’s baccalaureate ceremony, the night before graduation.

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Last year, New York Times photojournalist Lynsey Addario captured an image that shook the world.

The 1991 Staples High School graduate was in Irpin, Ukraine, shortly after the Russians invaded. She was just a few yards away, when a mortar killed a woman, her 2 children and a friend.

The grim photo was published worldwide. It brought home the viciousness of the Russian attacks, and remains a defining image of the war.

Lynsey Addario’s photograph of the carnage in Irpin.

Addario — a previous Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Award winner — will no doubt earn many honors for that shot. She’s already won one: a George Polk Award for photojournalism.

Established in 1949 by Long Island University to commemorate a CBS correspondent murdered the previous year while covering the Greek civil war, they highlight “investigative and enterprising reporting that gains attention and achieves results.” 

Polk Award winners will be honored April 14 at the New York Athletic Club, the day after a seminar on LIU’s Brooklyn campus. “When Covering War Gets Personal” will feature several winners, delving more deeply into their stories.

But Lynsey is not the only Addario woman in the news.

Her sister Lauren — a 1984 Staples grad — plays drums in a band called mineral Hill. They’ve jusd been nominated for an award for original music, by the New Mexico Music Awards.

ZZ Top will perform at the ceremony, next month in Albuquerque.

By day, Lauren teaches media arts and technology, and directs the Cultural Technology Internship Program at New Mexico Highlands University.

Congratulations, Lynsey and Lauren!

Lauren Addario

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April is Autism Acceptance Month. The Westport Police Department is using the event to promote education, and a greater understanding of autism.

They note: “Rates of autism have grown steadily in Westport and nationally, as early diagnosis has become more accessible. Autism touches most of our lives, and is a part of our community. Westport Police are committed to supporting those with autism and their family members, year-round.”

Many officers have bought Autism Acceptance Badges. They’ll wear them on their uniforms throughout April.

Autism Acceptance Month is a good time for a reminder about Westport’s Disability Registry, a combined effort of the Westport Disability Commission, Human Services and Police Department.

The confidential registry provides information to assist police and other emergency workers to address the needs of residents of all abilities. Click here for more information, and to sign up.

In 2021, Westport Police officers showed off their autism badges.

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Last week’s “Evening of Africa” at Wakeman Town Farm was a smash.

Attendees raised $37,000, close to the $50,000 Unite needs for its food program in Tanzania this harvest season.

The funds will help purchase maize from over 300 small-scale farmers, providing them with fair prices as well as 2 hermetic bags each, so they can safely store some of their harvest pest-free to use throughout the year.

Money will also increase the fleet, to transport raw maize from remote villages to to United Food Program’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam. There it will be cleaned, processed and packaged as final maize flour products, for retailers, wholesalers and consumers.

Finally, Unite can purchase, retrofit and install and 40-foot container, to serve as extra storage for its grain inventory.

Click here, here and here for videos from the event. Click here to contribute. Click here to commission an oil painting by Unite’s partner artist Maliondo Amini.

Attendees at the Unite for Africa event.

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By day, the 2nd floor at 11 Riverside Avenue is a normal art gallery (though one with exceptional work, and a great old-building vibe).

Every so often at night, it turns into a salon.

Owner Michael Chait invites very cool people, to lead informal conversations with in a warm, learn-from-each-other atmosphere.

His next one is even more intriguing than usual.

Tim Manners — a Westporter, and author of “Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankee Hero” will discuss his subject, legendary 1927 “Murderers’ Row” pitcher Waite Hoyt.

It’s an in-depth book, written with the help of Hoyt’s son.

An organist will play baseball-themed music. “Gates open” at 7 p.m. on April 27.

Tickets are $20. Seats are limited. Click here, or Venmo @Michael-Chait. Questions? Call 203-243-1995.

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Over the past year, Jazz at the Post has become a Westport institution.

Now a new musical event debuts at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399: “First Folk Sunday.”

Starting May 7, and continuing the first Sunday of every month (12:30 to 2:30 p.m.), longtime and very talented Westport singer Suzanne Sheridan will offer music of the 1960s, ’70s, and “good songs from all time.”

Guest artists will join her. Next month, it’s keyboardist Bob Cooper.

There’s a $10 cover. Brunch and a cash bar are available too. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Suzanne Sheridan

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Five whiskeys from around the world will be featured at the Weston History & Culture Center’s April 29 fundraiser (7 p.m.).

Tasting will be led The Academy Drinks CEO Jessica Spector. Also on the menu: appetizers from Old Mill Grocery, specialty cocktails, beer, wine and a silent auction.

Tickets are $100 each. and can be purchased at: Click here to purchase, and for more information.

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Johanna Keyser Rossi spotted the first migrating white crane of the season the other day, by the Westport Library Riverwalk.

Her photo is perfect for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … in honor of the first Roundup item above …

(From the courts of New York to the war in Ukraine, “06880” connects the Westport dots. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Local business, Police, Politics, Sports, Weston

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Roundup: Lynsey & The Library, Supper & Soul, Fiscal Firecrackers …

Posted on March 4, 2022 | 1 comment

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Lynsey Addario has been in the news a lot lately. The 1991 Staples High School graduate and Pulitzer Prize winning/MacArthur fellow photojournalist has taken harrowing photos of Ukraine, for the New York Times. Earlier this week, she gave an insightful interview to Katie Couric.

Lynsey has been doing great work for years. And in January — several weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine — the Westport Library featured a special exhibit of her photos.

“Veiled Rebellion: Women of Afghanistan” began with a 2009 assignment from National Geographic.

Cultural and societal taboos make it extremely difficult to photograph women in that conservative country. But Lynsey persevered, gaining trust and shooting remarkable, intimate images. They cover home, work, religious and recreational life.

The exhibit is on display in the entrance gallery through June 15. They’re just part of the 34 photos that Lynsey donated to the Westport Public Art Collections.

Lynsey Addario’s “Veiled Rebellion” exhibit at the Westport Library.

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And speaking of Lynsey Addario: Here is a photo she took yesterday, at President Volodymyr Zelensky’s press conference in Kyiv.

A good picture tells 1,000 words. This one speaks volumes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, at his press conference yesterday in Kyiv. (Photo/Lynsey Addario for The New York Times)

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Tyler Hicks — Lynsey’s New York Times colleague, and a 1988 Staples graduate — continues to capture compelling photos as well.

This was shot yesterday in Dachne, a village near Odessa. Bombs at midday killed one person there.

(Photo/Tyler Hicks for The New York Times)

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One more sign we’re emerging from the pandemic: The Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce and Westport Library are bringing back “Supper & Soul.”

The first dinner and concert event in 2 years is set for Saturday, May 7. Cris Jacobs — a Blues Views & BBQ favorite — presents a concert in the Library Forum, following dinners at various restaurants throughout downtown.

Participating downtown restaurants are 190 Main, Amis, Arezzo, Basso, Capuli, De Tapas, Don Memo, Manna Toast, Spotted Horse, Wafu and Walrus Alley.

One ticket buys a 3-course meal at any of 11 participating restaurants, plus the concert — and happy hour-priced drinks afterwards, at any of those restaurants.

Tickets are $90 per person; concert-only tickets are $40. For more information and tickets, click here.

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Money. It’s what makes Westport (and the world) go round.

Want to be entertained, educated and empowered about it?

Check out Galia Gichon’s new podcast: “The Fiscal Firecrackers.” The 20-year finance industry veteran, with an MBA in finance — and a Westport mom — has teamed up with comedic actress Susan Yeagley (Jessica Wicks on “Parks and Recreation”) and Jill Leiderman (a producer with Jon Stewart, David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel).

It’s available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Punk is coming to MoCA.

In fact, “Punk Coming” is the name of the local museum’s next exhibition. A diverse group of photographers, filmmakers and artists whose work defined the punk era in 1976 New York City, as well as contemporary works heavily influenced by the movement, kicks off with an opening reception on March 26 (6 p.m.)

The show runs through June 5. It features over 30 artists with additional programming, events and concerts throughout the spring.

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Suzanne Sheridan grew up on protest music.

On Saturday, March 12 her Westport-based Suzanne Sheridan Band performs at the Unitarian Church’s Voices Café (and via livestream), . They’re dedicating the concert to “the freedom-loving people of Ukraine.”

On the bill: favorite songs from the likes of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and others.

All proceeds will go to Save the Children, to provide food, water, clothing, medical supplies, emergency assistance and toys to Ukrainian refugees entering Poland, Romania and Lithuania. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Suzanne Sheridan

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Artist/author/naturalist James Prosek spent years trespassing on the Aspetuck Reservoir.

On April 6 (7 p.m., Westport Library), he turns that experience into this year’s Aspetuck Land Trust Caryl and Edna Haskins Lecture. In “Trespassing and Conservation,” Prosek will talk about how growing up near the reservoir shaped his appreciation of the natural work, his career, and his art. Click here for tickets, and more information.

James Prosek

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Tomorrow’s rally in support of Ukraine (Saturday, March 5, 11 a.m. Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge), includes a silent auction of 3 native hand-embroidered shirts.

Proceeds will go to 2 aid organizations: Save the Children, and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. A QR code will be available to help with the bidding.

One of the 3 Ukrainian shirts.

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There’s nothing like a comedy/drama about midlife crises and aging parents.

Westport Country Playhouse’s next Script in Hand play reading tackles those subjects. “Dot” is set for Monday, March 14 (7 p.m., live) and on-demand streaming (March 17 through 20).

Script in Hand shows offer intimate storytelling. Professional actors bring words to life, without sets or costumes.

The Playhouse describes “Dot”:

In their West Philadelphia home the Shealy family, headed by proud, lovable matriarch Dot, is ready to celebrate the Christmas holiday. But the family must grapple with more than exchanging presents as Dot’s memory is beginning to slip.

While her 3 grown children reunite, each with their own personal challenges to attend to, they must also struggle with how to best care for their mom as she faces the difficulties ahead.

For tickets and more information click here, call 203-227-4177 or email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org.

“Dot” playwright Colman Domingo

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Longtime Westporter Elizabeth Izzo Petretta died peacefully at home on Monday. She was 85.

Born in Caserta, Italy to Luigi and Maria Izzo, she and her family moved to Westport in the 1950’s. That’s where she married her beloved husband, Rocco Petretta.

With Elizabeth’s support, Rocco’s Restaurant was established in 1975 on the Post Road. She worked there for many years.

She enjoyed cooking for her family and friends, sewing and crocheting. She especially loved spending time in her garden. She loved to take care of others, always with a smile. She was her happiest when she was with her family.

Her faith was extremely important to her. She was a lifelong parishioner and volunteer at Assumption Church.

She is survived by her husband Rocco and their daughters Emily (Vinny) Engongoro and Michelle Hankey; grandchildren Christopher Engongoro, Chloe and Olivia Hankey; siblings: Angelina (Joseph) Carusone of Verona, Italy, Josephine Bertoldo of Meriden, Antonia Prentice of Monroe, Anthony (Margie) Izzo, of Tar Heel, North Carolina, Jospeh Izzo and Ann Izzo of Westport, and her many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated this Saturday (March 5, 10 a.m. at Assumption Church. Interment will follow in Assumption Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society. Condolences for the family may be left online.

Elzabeth Petretta

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On Tuesday, a flock of robins visited Elisabeth Keane’s yard, off South Compo.

“They did not faze the woodpecker who is here every day,” she reports, as she sends along today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

(Photo/Elisabeth Keane)

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And finally … on this day in 1837, the city of Chicago was incorporated.

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Library, Obituaries, Restaurants, Westport Country Playhouse

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Levitt Announces June Slate

Posted on June 7, 2021 | Comments Off on Levitt Announces June Slate

When Staples principal Stafford Thomas took the Levitt Pavilion stage at Saturday’s annual Pops Concert, he announced: “We’re baaaack!”

He meant that his high school’s singers, orchestras and bands were back performing live, outdoors.

Saturday night at the Levitt Pavilion. (Photo/Dan Woog)

But it was a reopening of the famed summer entertainment center too. After sitting dark during the very dark pandemic year of 2020, the Levitt has announced its June calendar.

Get ready for:

Charles Turner & Uptown Swing (Sunday, June 20, 7 p.m.): Jazz vocals, vibrant swing, vrituosic bebop and vital blues.

Treehouse Comedy (Tuesday, June 22, 7 p.m.): Sit down in your lawn chair for great standup.

Aztec Two-Step 2.0: Rex Fowler, Dodie Pettit & Friends (Thursday, June 24 , 7:30 p.m.): The long-running, beloved band’s latest incarnation, based right here in Westport. 2- and 3-part harmonies, multi-instrumental arrangements and dazzling guitar work. Special guest: Chris Coogan on keyboards.

P.J. Facifico: Full Band Show (Friday, June 25, 7:30 p.m.): The band’s debut single, “Coming Up For Air,” premiered on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and shot to #1 on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter chart.

Binky Griptite Orchestra (Sunday, June 27, 7 p.m.): Binky was a founding member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. He’s played with Janet Jackson and Amy Winehouse, and hosts WFUV’s popular Saturday night Boogie Down dance party. Now Binky is heavy into 1940s rhythm ‘n’ blues.

Binky Griptite

The  Suzanne Sheridan Band (Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m.): The singer-songwriter and guitarist channels Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Carole King, Carly Simon, Gordon Lightfoot and more. She tours internationally, from her Westport base.

Joanie Leeds: Children’s Series Launch (Wednesday, June 30, 7 p.m.): The 2021 Grammy winner for Best Children’s Album returns with an all-new show. She’s inspired by Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Ruth Bade Ginsburg  and more.

All above shows are free. To reserve a ticket, click here; then click on the show you want to see, for a link to options for a 2-, 4- or 6-person pod.

Ticketed benefits include Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers (June 14, sold out), and The Lone Bellow (Friday, August 6; click here for details and tickets).

Click here for more information on the Levitt Pavilion’s June schedule. The July calendar will be announced soon.

The Levitt Pavilion June season opens soon. (Drone photo/Dave Curtis, HDFA Photography.com)

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In Historic Times, Documenting Family Histories

Posted on March 31, 2020 | 2 comments

A few years ago, Jeri Johnson’s husband Ed was dying. She had one request: Could someone document his life story?

The Legacy Project could.

The brainchild of longtime Westporters Suzanne Sheridan and Rozanne Gates, it’s a chance to do something we always talk about but seldom find time for: document our lives, for our families and all who will follow.

Thanks to his wife’s determination — and the talents of Suzanne and Rozanne —  Ed told his life story. His children and grandchildren now have a fuller understanding of how he became the man he was.

Others can learn about him too. The book the Legacy Project USA created — “A Tale of Courage in Red, White, and Blue” — is now in the Weston Library.

Suzanne Sheridan and Rozanne Gates

For more than a decade, the Legacy Project has documented other local residents’ stories too, including Dick Pauker (businessman, sculptor and an original founder of the Westport Arts Center); Colleen Plantinga (mother of Prill Boyle, prominent member of the Westport Garden Club and Saugatuck Congregational Church), and Sally Sellars (whose husband Howard Lathrop designed the new Museum of Contemporary Art).

The Legacy Project offers many options. Life stories can be documented and preserved as audio or video recordings, photo albums or authored biographies.

As many people stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic now understand, many things we’ve always done in person can now be done by phone, or remotely. That’s true of Legacy Project USA interviews too.

In these self-isolating days, we’re finding time to go through those long-delayed projects. We’re also realizing that when life is precious, documenting our histories becomes more important than ever.

Suddenly, The Legacy Project is at the top of our to-do lists.

(For more information, click here or call 203-222-1441.)

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“Concerts and Cocktails” Come To The River

Posted on April 9, 2019 | Comments Off on “Concerts and Cocktails” Come To The River

Chris Coogan, Suzanne Sheridan and Mark Krueger are 3 very talented people.

Chris Coogan

Chris and Suzanne — both Westporters — have been musical buddies for 20 years.

Mark lives in Branford, and has an art studio in Wallingford. But he wanted to start a gallery here. He asked his friend Suzanne to help him figure out the ins and outs of our town’s cultural life.

She was happy to help. He opened X.po.zur Gallery at 263 Riverside Avenue a year ago. His out-of-the-box exhibits have gained notice and praise.

Mark’s passion is bringing community together around art in all forms — including music and photography.

Suzanne is a noted photographer, as well as musician. Her recent X.po.zur photo show “The Wisdom Goddess Project” — featuring remarkable women — was a huge hit. (It’s now at the Weston Senior Center.)

As the gallery hummed — and she thought about Mark’s community-building concept — Suzanne came up with a new idea: concerts and cocktails on the river.

She loved the chance of collaborating with Chris to headline a jazz show.

This Thursday (April 11, 6 to 8 p.m.) she’ll perform American songbook standards. She’ll be joined by John Mobilio and Greg DeTroy.

On Thursday, May 9, Chris and Ben Dean play gypsy jazz.

It takes place in an art gallery, on the river. There’s wine and hors d’oeuvres.

“Sounds” like Mark knew what he was doing when he asked Suzanne to help him understand Westport’s cultural bones.

(For tickets and more information, click here.)

 

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This Old (Out)House

Posted on May 7, 2015 | 6 comments

“06880” readers have been following the Westport Historical Society’s quest to identify a series of old houses — photographed through a 1930s WPA project — prior to an exhibit documenting the changing face of local homes.

This may not be an old house worth saving. It’s actually an outbuilding.

Sue Gold

Okay, okay — it was an outhouse.

We know exactly where, too: Suzanne Sheridan’s property, on North Avenue just north of Coleytown Road.

But Susan Gold — the Historical Society president — is happy to try to save it from being torn down.

Okay, that’s not what she’s trying to do. She was actually being photographed by  Suzanne, to promote her other gig (teaching yoga).

Hey, I thought it was funny.

Bathroom humor, if you will.

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Showing Pat Robertson Some Love

Posted on July 12, 2013 | 11 comments

The other day, a viewer asked Pat Robertson if it was okay to “like” Facebook photos of same-sex couples.

The “700 Club” host/failed presidential candidate/former Southern Baptist minister crawled out of his cave long enough to reply that Facebook needs a “vomit” button for such pictures.

“You’ve got a couple of same-sex guys kissing, do you like that?” he rumbled.

“Well, that makes me want to throw up. To me I would punch ‘vomit,’ not ‘like,’ but they don’t give you that option on Facebook.”

Then he chuckled, at the absurdity of this wacky 21st-century world. (Click here or below to see Rev. Robertson’s full answer.)

That did not sit well with another religious figure. Rev. Debra Haffner — co-founder and president of the Religious Institute, the Westport-based multifaith organization advocating for sexual health, education and justice in faith communities and society — set up a Tumblr page filled with love, not hate.

“Such comments make it sound as if Rev. Robertson has never seen the love and the joy on the faces of same-sex couples,” the page — called “Show Pat Love!” — says.

The Tumblr invites users to share same-sex couple photos — and promises to forward a link to all submissions to Rev. Robertson’s attention.

Dozens of photos have already been posted. There are male couples, and female couples; white, black, Hispanic, Asian and biracial couples; couples with kids, and couples with dogs; couples posing in churches and temples, atop mountains and on beaches.

In other words: same-sex couples doing just what opposite-sex couples do on their wedding days.

One of the 1st couples to be featured is Suzanne Sheridan and Rozanne Gates. The longtime Westporters posted a joyful shot from their wedding ceremony at the Unitarian Church.

Suzanne Sheridan and Rozanne Gates

The minister is Rev. Frank Hall. Also officiating: Rev. Barbara Fast, of the Danbury Unitarian Church.

Interestingly, Debra Haffner is associated with the Unitarians  too. When she’s not running the Religious Institute, she serves as a community minister at the Westport church.

Where, clearly, there is plenty of love to go around.

And enough to spare, even for a grumpy old man living out a different century in a Virginia cave.

(Click here for the “Show Pat Love!” Tumblr.)

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