But as she prepares to self-publish a book, she knows she must track expenses and sales, calculate net profit, etc.
Online tutorials jump way too fast, she says. So she turned to one of Westport’s most reliable sources for help: teenagers at the Senior Center.
That’s not a misprint.
Every Thursday afternoon all year long, high school students volunteer at the “Tech Hub.” They offer support for devices, software, and anything else computer-, laptop- and phone-related that older residents have trouble with, or questions about.
One view of the Senior Center’s Tech Hub …
The other day, Stacy met Alan Mello. The rising junior at Staples High School was “a natural,” she says.
He asked about her Excel goals. Then — “very patiently” — he walked her through whatever she needed.
“He explained everything as we created a spreadsheet, giving me every opportunity to ask questions, and without making me feel stupid,” Stacy reports.
She left with a great basic template, enough understanding of how to use it — and Alan’s contact info, in case she needed to follow up.
Alan is one of a few dozen volunteers at the Senior Center Tech Hub (not all are there every week). He volunteers because he saw his own 4 grandparents struggling at times with technology.
“I’m super-fortunate that they’re healthy,” he sys. “But they didn’t grow up with this. I’m fortunate that I did. This is a way I can help people like them.”
Alan was not entirely familiar with Excel. But he knew how to learn whatever he needed, and how to explain it to Stacy.
… and another.
That learning process is part of what Alan enjoys about working at the Senior Center. He discovers different devices and systems, and how other people use them.
Some want to interact with technology a lot, Alan says, citing a woman who was eager to learn the difference between AI assistants ChatGPT and Claude.
Others see technology as a burden. “That’s okay,” he says. “I’ve learned to be patient, and how to communicate, so they can feel a little more comfortable.”
Senior Center director Wendy Petty calls the students “friendly, patient and encouraging with everyone they help. The program bridges the generation gap, and for the students, it all seems to come naturally. They give our participants reassurance and confidence, helping with tasks that can feel frustrating or overwhelming.”
Among the issues the high schoolers solve:
Navigating website to make appointments and reservations (very important, as more services are now online-only)
Setting up new cell phones; changing settings, understanding notifications, organizing icons
Transferring and downloading photos
Setting up and and navigating social media like Instagram and Facebook, and connecting with family and friends
Setting up Tile trackers for travel
Troubleshooting email accounts
Answering questions about AI, and exploring how to use it
Registering for Senior Center programs, and using MyActiveCenter.
… and a third.
“If students don’t know the answer to a question, they collaborate to figure it out,” Petty says. “And it’s wonderful to watch these generations working together and learning from each other.”
Someone called Tech Hub “the Senior Center’s ‘Genius Bar.'”
Here’s the genius: It’s a lot closer and easier than an Apple Store or Best Buy.
(The Tech Hub at the Westport Center for Senior Activities is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every Thursday, all year long. During the school year, adult volunteers staff the first hour. For more information, call 203-341-5099.)
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)
Our “Historic Homes of 06880” tour returns for a third great year!
Save the date: Sunday, November 2 (1 to 4 p.m.).
Once again, we’ll open 4 beautiful — and very different — homes to the public. You’ll see loving restorations, creative touches, and some very cool surprises.
Once again, we’re working with KMS Team at Compass to present this fun (and very popular) event.
The 4 homes will be revealed soon. See you November 2!
This Cross Highway barn was part of our 2023 “Historic Homes of 06880” tour. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Want to help shape the future of Westport’s parks?
As part of the Parks Master Plan process, the Parks & Recreation Department hosts a public workshop on September 30 (6 p.m., Westport Library). All community members are invited. It will be run by the town’s consultants, BL Companies.
The Town’s consultant, BL Companies, will provide residents with the opportunity to engage directly with the consultants, share feedback, and learn more about the planning process.
If you’re between the ages of 6 and 18, and you play music — or want to — or you’re the parent of someone who does, check out the Music Collective’s open house this weekend (September 20-21, 3 to 6 p.m.; 1572 Post Road East).
The Collective (formerly the Gig Center) looks forward to showing off its space. Instructors will be there, attendees can try out some instruments. Or sing into a mic.
Jim Savage plays boogie-woogie piano on Saturday (September 20, 6-9 p.m.).
And a Veterans Benefits Luncheon is set for September 25 (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). It’s open to all veterans as part of an ongoing effort to check in on all veterans’ welfare, and connect them with the benefits and support they earned.
Representatives will answer questions, and provide information on services and assistance available to veterans.
RSVPs are encouraged (but not required). Email vfw399ct@gmail.com, and include the number of attendees, or call (203) 227-6796.
PS: If you’re not a veteran, but know one: Please pass the word!
Mark Shanahan has earned standing ovations as the Westport Country Playhouse artistic director.
But he works his magic away from the local stage too.
Shanahan is the writer and director of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp’s annual Fandango Benefit Gala. It’s this Saturday night, at the Ashford camp in northeastern Connecticut. Shanahan took over the role from the Playhouse’s Anne Keefe, several years ago.
The Playhouse is a strong supporter of the event.
The camp — which creates joy and community for seriously ill children and their families — shares a long bond with the WCP.
Westporters Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward supported both institutions generously. Many Playhouse staff members volunteer at Hole in the Wall throughout the year.
The Playhouse also raises funds for the Camp every December, through audience donations at “A Sherlock Carol.”
Club203 kicked off the 2025-26 year in style Tuesday, at Weston’s Lachat Farm.
Members of Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities kicked up their heels, danced with Marca, and enjoyed great food catered by Carmine Cenatiempo of Calise’s Deli.
MOCA offered art projects, Skip’s Good Humor ice cream added dessert, and the volunteers helped everyone make the most of the great Lachat setting.
Art by MoCA, at Club203. (Photo/Stacie Curran)
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Heating season (and heating bills) are near.
Fortunately, beginning October 1 income-eligible Westport residents can apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program.
Those who previously qualified for assistance through Westport’s Department of Human Services will receive application instructions in the mail. Residents wishing to apply for the first time should call 203-341-1050 or email humansrv@westportct.gov.
To qualify, household income must be at or below 60% of the state median income. The maximum income for households is:
Households of one (1) $47,764
Households of two (2) $62,460
Households of three (3) $77,157
Households of four (4) $91,854
Households of Five (5) $106,550.
Applicants must have recent copies of heating, electric, water, lease or mortgage statements, and other proof of income documents.
On Saturday, 1,500 guests will enjoy lobster, steak, veggie burgers, all the trimmings, beer and wine and other beverages — plus music, kids’ activities and much more — at the Westport Rotary Club’s annual LobsterFest.
At Tuesday’s weekly meeting, longtime member and LobsterFest maestro Rick Benson updated members on logistics. All hands will be on deck, raising $400,000 for charitable organizations in Fairfield County and abroad.
Rick Benson, and his map.
Rotarians also heard from Wendy Petty. The Senior Center director said that 25% of Fairfield County residents are over the age of 65. The Center has seen a commensurate increase in membership over the past few years.
The Senior Center hosts over 100 classes each week, along with a tech hub, nutrition program, and a quarterly veterans’ coffee.
Wendy Petty (Photos/Dave Matlow)
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Westport’s other Rotary Club — Sunrise — celebrates International Day of Peace this Sunday (September 21, 2 p.m.), by sharing peace through music and humor.
The event — “Songs and Reflections on Peace, Kindness and Fun” features performances by the Whirled Peas Band, with members from area Rotary clubs and special guests David Friedman, Shawn Moninger, Eric Šebek and Samantha Talora.
There is a great back story to today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
But first, marvel at this creature:
(Photo/Seth Schachter)
Seth Schachter encountered this massive reptile yesterday on Maple Lane, near Burying Hill Beach.
A neighbor helped him get it to safety. Otherwise, Seth is sure it would have been struck by a car.
Turtles can live well beyond 100 years. This guy might have been roaming Greens Farms at the dawn of the automobile age.
Seth and his neighbor used a broom and a large blue recycling bin — something that was definitely not around when the turtle was born — to move it along.
And finally … sure, we honored this group just the other day, when Mark Volman died.
But thanks to the item above, they’re worth revisiting, with a different song:
(If you enjoy “06880,” we hope you’ll be part of our November 2 “Historic Homes” tour. We also hope you will click here, to make a tax-deductible contribution supporting our work. Thank you!)
To all the people in the “06880 community” of a certain age: If you haven’t been to the Westport Center for Senior Activities (Senior Center), you are missing out!
I nominate for unsung heroes the entire WCSA staff.
They are all the best: friendly, helpful, sympathetic, always smiling, and always giving a friendly “hello” when you walk through the doors.
Senior Center staff (from left): Denise Puskas, Jenny Townsend (no longer on staff), Felicia Smith, Bobby Novack, Jason Wilson (no longer on staff), Wendy Petty, Diana Andrews, Kaila Morgan, Holly Betts, Paulina Przybysz, Lawrie Williams. Not pictured: Luis Angel Atamiz, San Chaz, Rick McVay.
Wendy Petty is the Senior Center director. She is a very special person: friendly and helpful to all. She spends time in the lobby greeting and talking to seniors as they enter. She capably manages the staff, and keeps the Center running smoothly.
I always learn new things from Holly Betts, the assistant director. She has great catering skills, and makes wonderful hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats for all the special events. Holly also manages over 90 classes, lectures and special programs every week. The best!
Paulina Przyzysb is the nutrition program coordinator, managing home-delivered meals and the kitchen. I love working with her on Mondays. It is a great kitchen with wonderful menus, serving healthy lunches 5 days a week.
Luis is our super skilled chef, helped by Rick who keeps the kitchen in tip-top shape. The home-delivered meals program provides daily food assistance to many people in town.
Chef Luis.
Bobbie and Lawrie are the two Center custodians. They are always ready to move furniture, set up rooms, keep things clean and provide a hand.
Kaila Morgan is a social worker in the Department of Human Services. She spends many hours at the Center, helping navigate the many state and local programs available to seniors. She is ready and willing for all.
Last but not least are Felicia, Denise and Diana – the first beautiful and friendly faces you see when you walk through the doors. They sign people up for classes, special events, lunches, bingo and much more. They have full knowledge of everything at the Center, and are dedicated to helping everyone.
PS: We cannot forget the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities. They put on great Sunday music programs, and sponsor films, lectures and other performances on Fridays.
As a senior myself, there is much to be grateful for, thanks to the superb WCSA staff.
I’m sorry if I have forgotten anyone. Please chalk it up to “a senior moment”!
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)
This Sunday, Westport’s dog park really goes to the dogs.
The 7th annual Dog Festival takes over Winslow Park on May 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event — produced by the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce and TAILS — celebrates all things canine.
The day includes guide dog and training demonstrations, a police K-9 presentation, an obstacle course (the winner gets a year’s supply of dog food), adoptables, kids activities, food trucks, information on non-profits, and more.
Prizes will be given for best tail wagger, best dressed, best kisser, best trick, best lap dog over 50 pounds and dog that most looks like its owner. Dog owners can register for the competitions at the festival, or online.
Surrounding the main activities are over 60 pet-related vendors, picture taking, caricatures, face painting, balloon bending and giveaways.
Proceeds from the entrance fee of $10 per person, and $30 for a family of 4 will benefit nonprofit organizations. So far, over $36,000 has been donated by the Chamber to local groups.
Parking is available at business lots along Post Road East. Click here for more Dog Festival information.
For months, the Board of Education has discussed an “Equity Study Action Plan.” The goal is to help all students feel a sense of belonging.
The debate continued Monday night, for 3 hours. But one of the most compelling comments came not from a board member, but from a teenager.
One who cannot even speak.
Wynston Browne — an autistic Staples High School sophomore — has made remarkable progress over the past 2 years, using a spelling device. His parents and teachers realize now that a very keen and incisive mind had been locked away for over a decade. Wynston’s goal is to be a neuroscientist.
On Monday, Wynston typed. His words appeared on screen: “I want to do things that all kids my age do. I want to eat lunch with friends in the Staples cafeteria, and laugh instead of being laughed at. I want to attend classes that are challenging.”
And, he concluded: “Everyone got it wrong, for so long. It’s time to make it right, starting now.”
Click here to see Wynston’s compelling 6-minute speech. He did not speak out loud — but his words said it all.
Effective immediately, the Westport Fire Department has banned all outside burning until further notice. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the entire state, due to extremely dry conditions.
The ban includes all recreational campfires and fire pits. Brush fires spread rapidly, and can threaten homes and property.
Westport Rotary club’s weekly lunches are always illuminating.
For 39 local non-profits, yesterday’s was also lucrative.
In a ceremony at Green’s Farms Church, the civic group distributed grants to each one. Funds came from the more than $200,000 raised by ticket sales and from sponsors of September’s LobsterFest.
Giving Committee chair Peter Helt handed charitable checks to representatives of, among others (in alphabetical order): A Better Chance of Westport, Builders Beyond Borders, Carver Foundation of Norwalk, Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Mercy Learning Center, Norwalk Housing Foundation, Positive Directions, Remarkable Theater, Staples Tuition Grants, Westport Book Sales Ventures, Westport Country Playhouse, and Westport Volunteer EMS.
75 percent of LobsterFest proceeds go to local organizations; 25 percent to international organizations.
Rotarian Rick Benson described a few of those projects, including water sanitation efforts in Kenya and providing medical equipment to a hospital in Uganda.
Rotary Club members and grant recipients, at Green’s Farms Church.
The 1972 Staples High School graduate — now back in Westport, working in a Cross Highway studio a few steps from his house — has created everything from an HBO documentary about a Holocaust survivor, toholiday videosfor Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and a short film about summer and water.
He made the official video for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children.”
Now he’s made another one for Graham Nash’s new album. It’s environmentally themed — and there’s a “no mower” section that’s very Westport.
Wheels2UWestport’s Park Connect returns this summer. The service — funded by Connecticut’s Departments of Transportation, and Energy and Environmental Protection — provides free rides to and from anywhere in Westport and Sherwood Island State Park.
Similar free-ride programs are available at 6 other state parks.
Rides are available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and holidays, beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day.
Rides are available through the Wheels2U app Westporters use to and from the train station.
For more information about Wheels2U and Park Connect, click here. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, click here.
Sherwood Island — Westport’s “other” beach — is Connecticut’s first state park.
The Westport Woman’s Club and Congregation for Humanistic Judaism team up for an important event this Sunday (May 21; light breakfast, 9:30 a.m.; program, 10 a.m., 44 Imperial Avenue; click here for the livestream link with passcode 581845).
Dr. Deborah Varat, professor of art history at Southern New Hampshire University, presents “Arthur Szyk’s ‘The New Order’: How the Cartoons of a Polish Jew Helped Prepare the US for War.”
The cartoonist’s work helped Americans visualize and personalize the Nazi evil, against which they ultimately had to fight. Today his illustrations and impact on moving American public opinion toward readiness for war are commemorated in museums around the world. For more information on Szyk, click here.
Arthur Szyk’s “Freedom From Fear.”
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Lime Rock Park celebrates the 37th anniversary of Paul Newman’s Trans-Am win with an exhibit of his racing estate on May 27, during the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic.
It includes helmets, racing suits and other memorabilia that former Westport resident Newman used during his storied career. Click here for tickets. (Hat tip: Frank Rosen)
The multi-talented musician (guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica and many other instruments) has incorporated Caribbean, African, Indian, Hawaiian and South Pacific sounds into his blues/rock/gospel/funk repertoire.
He has played all over the world — including, in 1971 and ’73, at Staples High School. He returned in 1974, to the Westport Country Playhouse.
(It’s a dog’s world, as the first story above explains. Don’t be a bitch. Help support “06880.” Please click here. Thank you!)
The Fairfield resident — and, for the past 11 years, Weston Senior Activities Center director — was announced today as the new director of the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
Pfister — who led Westport’s Senior Center for 36 years — retired December 31.
Wendy Petty
Petty led Weston’s Senior Center expansion through fundraising, capacity-building and advocacy. She established partnerships with local organizations, volunteer networks, colleagues and social services agencies, to develop innovative social and recreational opportunities for seniors.
Originally from Southern California, Petty and her husband Jim raised their children in Weston. She has a BA in counseling and human Services from Notre Dame de Namur University.
In addition to her specialty in senior services, Petty has experience in non-profit operations, team leadership, grant and program development, and budget administration.
“I am very happy to welcome Wendy to Westport’s Center for Senior Activities,” says 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker. “She brings professional expertise, operational management and local knowledge to the Human Services team and, most importantly, to the WCSA.”
Petty says, “I am very excited to join WCSA’s team and look forward to building on their success as an exemplary hub for local seniors. Together, we will continue to provide the best possible care and service to the senior community.”
In her free time Petty enjoys running, taking long walks with friends, and spending time with family. She and her husband are active in the local car enthusiast community, and enjoy weekend rallies on the back roads of Connecticut.
Westport Senior Center
“The Senior Center’s success can be attributed to a variety of factors, including a Town administration that prioritizes seniors, participants who both contribute and drive programming, and our professional staff members who facilitate connections and run the programs day in and day out,” says Human Services Department director Elaine Daignault, which oversees the Senior Center.
“Under Sue Pfister’s leadership, the WCSA’s dedicated team helped to build the center of Westport’s dreams.
“Today, we prepare for a new era of growth and prosperity for our most esteemed senior residents. I could not be more excited to welcome Wendy to the team.”
In addition to Petty’s appointment — effective February 1, 2023 — Tooker promoted Holly Betts to assistant director of the Senior Center, and Jason Wilson to program specialist, effective immediately.
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Senior Center director Wendy Petty calls the students “friendly, patient and encouraging with everyone they help. The program bridges the generation gap, and for the students, it all seems to come naturally. They give our participants reassurance and confidence, helping with tasks that can feel frustrating or overwhelming.”
