Tag Archives: US military

Roundup: PopUp Pizza Bagels, Bank Scam Alert, Trash Pickup ….

Posted on March 25, 2023 | 4 comments

The tagline for PopUp Bagels is “not famous, but known.”

They’ll be known a lot more soon.

The Westport-based company’s pizza bagels will now be sold at all Citi Field events in 2023.

So that’s Mets games — and NYCFC (MLS soccer) matches, and concerts.

Forget peanuts. To hell with Crackerjacks. Buy me some pizza bagels!

PopUp pizza bagels, and a Mets-ish hat.

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Westport Police responded Thursday to a potential scam at M&T Bank.

A woman had told a teller that she received a call, saying he and her daughter were involved in a motor vehicle accident. The man said he had the woman’s daughter as hostage, and demanded she withdraw as much money as she could.

He warned her not to text or call anyone. In the background, a woman was rying.

The teller sensed something was wrong, and realized this was a scam. The bank called Westport Police, who advised the woman to contact her daughter at work — where she was fine.

This was the third potential scam in the past week, police say. They thank alert bank employees, and offer these reminders:

  • Do not send any money or gift cards to an unknown person.
  • Make contact with family who claim to be in danger prior to sending money.
  • Call the police if unable to contact family members.
  • Report any potential scam.

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Andrew Colabella writes:

“Tomorrow’s trash pick-up (Sunday, March 26, 11 a.m.) is along Greens Farms Road.

“We will park at the Public Works Garage at the transfer station (they are closed) and make our way to Prospect Road. Depending on the size of group, we will continue on to Hillspoint Road. This location is back by popular demand from residents.

“Wear comfortable shoes or boots, and gloves — and bring a trash bag.”

Looking ahead, Andrew says:

“For 3 years our weekend group of residents, elected/appointed officials and town employees has volunteered to do weekend trash pick-ups in Westport. Our last pick was Elaine Road, which is probably the worst area of trash collecting from I-95.

“I have written and called the state. They are aware, and are picking up along the guardrail in the coming weeks.

“However, the trash that has spilt below is overwhelming. Three weekends ago a group of 12 tackled the steep hill. We completed about 1/8 of it. I have obtained further help to complete the job.

“I have just confirmed with SLOBs (Staples Service League Of Boys) group. They are on for an Earth Day trash pick on Elaine Road, where Westport’s Animal Control building is located.

“We will have 45 from that group. I am inviting employees from Town Hall, Westport Police, Westport Fire, Public Works, VFW, Parks & Recreation and other departments to join us on April 22nd, at 10 a.m.

“With 45 people plus others we can clean up the entire hill, and along South Compo where trash has made its way into the gutter line and sidewalk area.

“Wear boots and gloves, bring a garbage bag and pickers if you have them, and prepare to get dirty. Spread the word. All are welcome. Let’s clean up Westport!”

Westport Animal Control building, on Elaine Drive.

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There are 2 weeks left to save 20% on tickets to the 17th annual Taste of Westport.

The event — a fantastic benefit for CLASP Homes (May 10, 6 p.m., the Inn at Longshore) — always sells out.

Particularly when folks can save big, before April 10.

More than 2 dozen establishments provide all-you-can-eat food and drinks.

Click here for tickets, and more information (including a list of participating restaurants, chocolatiers, and wine and spirits shops).

Can’t make it to the event? Click here, to be part of the Toast the Taste campaign.

To learn more about CLASP Homes, click the video below:

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Staples High School Counseling Department honors Women’s History Month.

The next episode of their “Spark Your Future!” series features “Women in the Military.

The virtual event is set for this Tuesday (March 28, 6:30 p.m.). The panelists — all Staples graduates — include

Dominica Wardell (Staples Class of 2014) is an officer in the Marine Corps. She earned her Wings of Gold as a naval aviator, and now flies the MV-22 Osprey.

Asia Bravo (SHS ’11) served 7 years active duty in the Army. She has now been selected as a member of the United States Space Force.

Emily Troelstra (SHS ’13) served as a Navy officer aboard the USS Princeton. After medical separation from the military, she is pursuing a master’s degree in athletic training at George Mason University.

Amanda Troelstra (SHS ’18) is an active duty signal officer and satellite communications platoon leader in the Army.

The program is open to students in all grades, and their families. Scan the QR code below to register.

If you are not able to attend live, the webinar will be recorded and shared in a follow-up email.

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Bedford Acting Group’s spring production — “Seussical Jr. ” — opened to great reviews last night.

Two more performances are set for today (Saturday, March 25): 3 and 7 p.m.

Directed by Ryan Smith, the story of friendship, loyalty and love comes through strongly with great choreography, an intriguing set, and of course excellent acting by future Staples Players.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

A scene from “Seussical Jr.” (Photo/Kerry Long)

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Westporter Mike Greenberg — host of ESPN’s “Get Up” and “NBA Countdown” — is off the air for a bit.

He underwent a cardiac ablation Monday. The procedure corrects heart rhythm problems. is slowly on the mend after he underwent a heart procedure on Monday.

His wife Stacy posted on Twitter: “Recovery is slow, he has to do nothing and believe me…. he’s not great at that! We both really, really appreciate all the nice messages.”

“06880” joins Mike’s million-plus Twitter followers in wishing him a speedy recovery. (Hat tip: Jack Krayson)

Mike Greenberg

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All around Westport, there are many signs of spring.

Lauri Weiser spotted this one in her yard, at Lansdowne Condominiums. It’s a “Westport … Naturally” natural.

(Photo/Lauri Weiser)

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And finally … Fuzzy Haskins, “a foundational member of the vocal group that morphed into Parliament-Funkadelic, the genre-blurring collective led by George Clinton that shook up the pop music world in the 1970s,” died last week in Michigan. He was 81, and suffered from diabetes. (Click here for a full obituary.)

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(As you bring on the funk, please consider a contribution to “06880.” Click here — and thank you!)

4 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Local business, Police, Restaurants

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“Scrappy” Says: The Military Needs Westporters. And Westporters Need The Military.

Posted on May 30, 2019 | 19 comments

As graduation looms, Staples High School seniors have one foot in the only life they’ve ever known. The other edges tentatively into the unknown.

Most, however, head in the same direction: college. A few will take a gap year, or go to work. An even smaller number march toward a very un-Westport-like destination: the military.

One Staples grad wishes more would consider the armed forces.

“Scrappy” — his nickname, because he’s “a small dog who loves to fight” — graduated in 2004. He’s not using his real name, because of the sensitive nature of his work.

He thinks only 3 others from his class joined the military: one entered a military academy; one enlisted right after high school, another after college.

Scrappy took the path of “every Fairfield County kid”: he went to college, then worked at a hedge fund.

“It was the most miserable period of my life,” he says.

He searched for something more fulfilling. Air Force Special Operations fit the bill.

He trained for nearly 2 years. His first time back in Westport — after spending 10 months in 4 different states — he realized it was “different” than the rest of the country. His eyes had been open wide.

Yet Scrappy did not realize how different until another visit. He’d been in Libya — not far from Muammar Gaddafi when he was killed — and now sat at the Black Duck bar, with a friend.

They’d shaved their war beards. They looked not unlike the 2 guys sitting nearby, wearing polo shirts with the Bridgewater logo.

“They were talking about how hard their day was,” Scrappy says. “They’d had to endure 4 meetings!”

Years later, he still shakes his head at that image.

“They were able-bodied 25-year-olds. They could have done a lot more to save the world than short the price of copper.”

Scrappy feels he is doing his part. He’s been deployed 6 times — to Afghanistan, the Middle East, all over Africa. Much of his work has been in the intelligence community.

Everywhere, he meets someone from Fairfield County. They’re always surprised at which town he’s from. Very few Staples graduates do what he does.

Their unfamiliarity with the military shows when they ask things like, “Did you kill someone?” (“I’ve been trained to do heinous things,” he admits.)

Air Force Special Operations members serve in hot spots around the world.

They also assume he has PTSD. “That comes straight from the media,” Scrappy says. “But it’s like arguing with a 4-year-old. They can’t believe I’m fine.”

Westport’s disengagement from the military — and what the military does — hit Scrappy hard when he was with some old friends at a restaurant here. They had no idea our troops are still fighting — and dying — in Afghanistan.

“There’s no military base anywhere near here,” Scrappy notes. “Our taxes haven’t risen to fund war. Westport is a worldly town. But unless you know someone who serves, this is a part of American life that people here just don’t think about.”

Scrappy remembers that a previous Staples principal “hated” the military. She banned recruiters from campus, and discouraged students from applying to the service academies.

He believes the military needs members from this area. “Fifteen years from now, there won’t be enough people to fill our ranks. Between obesity, ADHD and drugs, there’s going to be a shortage of able bodies.”

Scrappy calls Fairfield County “a great breeding ground for the military. People here are healthy, intelligent and worldly.” Most members of Special Ops and the intelligence community have college degrees, he notes.

The intelligence community needs intelligent people.

His service has not been easy. Scrappy broke his back. He endured 13 surgeries. He’s deaf in one ear.

The last 10 years have been “the worst experience of my life — and the greatest.” He married a team member — a doctor he met on active duty in England. His combat search and rescue team saved over 120 lives. Their motto — “That Others May Live” — is ingrained in all that he does.

He’s helped rescue Americans — and Taliban and Al Qaeda members. “We try to kill them. But if they’re injured, we try to save them. We need to get intelligence from them too.”

Scrappy has traveled all over the world. He’s seen places few Americans ever go to. He has met “the coolest, greatest, most resilient” people in Somalia and Kenya. “Experiences like those change you dramatically.”

The military has taught him “stress inoculation.” He has learned how to keep his head in the most dangerous situations, engineer a solution, and push on.

“That’s the most valuable tool anyone can have,” Scrappy says. “It goes far beyond how to strip a weapon or jump out of a plane.”

Scrappy says that after being in a dozen firefights — and stabbed in close combat — he was scared only once.

It happened here. He went to Westport Pizzeria — and found it was gone.

Panicked, he called his mother. To his relief she told him it’s still here, around the corner on the Post Road.

19 Comments

Posted in People, Politics, Restaurants, Staples HS

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Mailbox Pranks And Military Pride

Posted on November 24, 2012 | 30 comments

Earlier this week, an “06880” reader signing herself only “Mrs. Veteran” wrote:

This morning we woke up to our mailbox smashed down. It’s an age-old vandalism/prank of high school kids. This time an extremely large pumpkin took it down.

This is a continuing problem. Our neighbors dealt with it for weeks on end a few years ago. They took steps to make sure they weren’t targeted again, by putting metal poles on either side of their mailboxes. In the dark they were not visible, so the kids got a nasty surprise when they tried to take out the mailboxes with baseball bats.

My husband’s mellow attitude is “kids are kids, and this sucks.”

However, I will mention that he is a veteran who served over a decade in the U.S. Army. His Middle East tours lasted up to 14 months at a time.

I think kids in this town need a reality check sometimes, as they drive their BMWs to school or speed down neighborhood streets not considering the lives they could take (children and pets). And I know that not all Westport kids drive BMWs.

The reality check comes when they realize the mailbox they took out belongs to a veteran, a man who served his country to give them the very freedom to throw a pumpkin and damage our property. At this very moment that veteran and his young child are in the garage fixing our mailbox. That’s the same whose entire first year of life he missed — crawling, walking, talking, laughing, smiling, etc. — to fight on foreign soil for their freedom.

I won’t have any way of knowing if these kids read “06880,” but I would appreciate some sort of acknowledgement, even if it’s on behalf of others who had their mailboxes taken down, others who are not comfortable stating their feelings, and others who may just read this and say, “I wonder what my kid was doing last night.”

30 Comments

Posted in Westport life

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