Tuesday’s celebration of 93-year-old beloved Balducci’s cashier Charlotte — and the presentation of a $28,950 check, donated by generations of grateful customers — was one of Westport’s best stories of the year. (If you missed it, click here to read.)
But Charlotte was not the only star of the day.
The idea came from — and was executed by — Dan Frank. He knows, and loves, Charlotte through his job as an Instacart shopper.
In just 4 days he posted it on social media, helped it spread, coordinated with Balducci’s managers, arranged for a check, and ensured that a large crowd was on hand (on one of the busiest days of the year) to honor and toast Charlotte.
Charlotte, with Dan and her check at Balducci’s. (Photo/Ryan Allen)
So who is Dan Frank?
A Weston High School graduate, he studied finance and entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. He earned a master’s in education from the University of Minnesota, then studied sports broadcasting at Sacred Heart.
Sports is his true love. He was a lead agent at a player management firm and a play-by-play announcer for the University of New Haven.
His favorite gig was at his alma mater, Weston High. There, he did a number of jobs for the athletics department. He was best known for creating highlight videos of the previous day’s games and matches. Students and staff loved them, and him.
Dan Frank, at work.
Christine Marra — the woman who told me about Dan Frank’s gift project for Charlotte — did not know him.
Before contacting me, she checked him out. The comments from his Facebook friends — about his fundraising and other activities — assured her that Dan was not only legit, but loved.
She helped him get one of those big fake photo-op check at the Staples store. He lives 5 minutes away, and met her there.
As soon as he walked in, someone high-fived him. Christine realized Dan is nearly as admired as Charlotte.
Dan Frank, at the Balducci’s ceremony. (Photo/Ryan Allen)
Dan’s brief speech at the Balducci’s ceremony was heartfelt and humble.
“I come here for work several days a week,” he said.
“I come in thinking about my own needs. But every interaction with you lifts me up. You make every day better.”
Growing emotional, he continued, “Charlotte, you have an extraordinary impact on people. You restore my faith in humanity.”
He handed her a large copy of the large check, “with love and gratitude.” Giving, he concluded is “the best way to give back.”
Speaking of giving: “06880” can give back to Dan Frank, too.
After leaving Weston High, he spent a couple of years in Aruba. Instacart is not his career goal. He’s trying now to get back into the field he loves.
Dan Frank and friend.
Sports media, sports marketing, sports broadcasting — that’s where he wants to be.
Dan’s work this week raising nearly $30,000 for a cashier who inspires him shows his energy, commitment, skills and savvy.
It’s time for one more Christmas miracle. If there is an “06880” reader out there who can hire Dan for a sports position — or has a lead on one that might align with his background — click “Comments” below. Or email 06880blog@gmail. com.
Dan Frank paid it forward. Let’s keep the good work going!
BOXING DAY BONUS: Click below for Josh Allen’s video, with Dan and Charlotte from Tuesday’s ceremony.
A disturbing antisemitic incident has had a very positive outcome.
Late Monday evening, Rabbi Michael Friedman sent this message to his Temple Israel congegants:
Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, on the day before Kol Nidrei, and just a few days after the first anniversary of October 7, a swastika was etched on the football locker of a Jewish student at Weston High School.
A swastika etched on a Jewish student’s locker is different from a swastika drawn, for example, on a bathroom stall or the seat of a school bus (both of which have also happened locally in recent years), because this is a targeted act.
But the story I want to tell you is not one of persecution and antisemitism. Instead, this is a story of resilience and pride, and about the great faith we should have in the next generation.
The student on whose locker the swastika was etched — who grew up here at Temple Israel — was brave enough to inform coaches and the athletic director.
Weston High School athletics
Then later that very evening another Jewish student on the football team — also a Temple Israel student — recorded a courageous and emotional message to his teammates about the impact this swastika had on him, and posted it on the team’s internal chat.
The school administration and town police swiftly coordinated a thorough investigation, according to the policies and procedures that they have in place. Ultimately the investigation was inconclusive; we don’t know who etched the swastika.
A group of Temple Israel teens had recently formed the Jewish Student Union at Weston High School, and swiftly jumped into action.
They approached the principal and administration, advocating for a schoolwide assembly to address the incident. These teen leaders envisioned, shaped, organized, executed and led that schoolwide assembly on Friday morning. They demonstrated initiative and leadership throughout the process.
The assembly included words from the targeted student, the testimony of a Holocaust survivor which was paired with an engaging video, and a message from Senator Blumenthal that the students them themselves had reached out and obtained.
The students also asked me to speak. I taught about the power of symbols, which not only stand for something concrete but also invoke certain emotions and feelings.
I showed a series of symbols on the screen and asked students to share what that symbol made them feel.
When we got to the swastika, Jewish students were able to share in front of their peers how the etching of a swastika on a Jewish student’s locker made them feel targeted, and how the act reverberated throughout the Jewish community of our town.
Finally a representative from the ADL taught about strategies by which one can oppose hate.
The assembly was an excellent and impactful educational experience for the entire school. I want to underscore that the students themselves envisioned, created, shaped and ran the assembly from start to finish. And I credit the school administration for trusting and supporting them, and for giving them the opportunity to stand up and lead.
I am so very proud of the Temple Israel teens who took action following this antisemitic incident.
When the response to an act of hate could have been fear or silence, what the high school community saw instead was courage and pride. Each of them — starting with the one whose locker was targeted, continuing to his football teammate, and then to the many leaders of the JSU — provide a model for all of us.
Many of them began in our Early Childhood Center. All of them were (or are) students in our Kesher program. They embody what success looks like for all our children: to be knowledgeable and proud Jews, and when the time comes for them to act in the world, they do so with courage and integrity.
Thanks to them, even in these trying times which can often feel very dark, we know that the future is very bright.
A true piece of American history came to Westport yesterday.
The Bible George Washington used when he was sworn in as our nation’s first president — on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City — was on display, at Temple Masonic Lodge #65. That’s the building on the Post Road East/Imperial Avenue corner, shared with Harding Funeral Home.
The occasion was the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Westport Masons’ chapter.
White-gloved Masons guard the famous Bible, as Westporters watch at a respectful distance.
The Bible — which was also used at the inaugurations of 4 other presidents, and at Washington’s funeral — is owned by St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 1 in New York.
They display it occasionally around the country, but this is its first visit to Connecticut.
Washington was a Mason. So were other famous Americans, including Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Connecticut native Nathan Hale.
Yesterday’s Roundup noted that the Westport Rotary Club awarded $200,000 in grants to 41 area non-profits.
Who got all that largesse?
After School and Summer School Programs
Connect Us – Bridgeport
Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders – Bridgeport
Earthplace – Westport
Builders Beyond Borders – Westport
Westport Department of Human Services – Westport
Horizons at Notre Dame – Bridgeport
Horizons at Greens Farms Academy – Bridgeport
Horizons at Norwalk Community College – Norwalk
The Carver – Norwalk
Urban Impact of Black Rock – Bridgeport
Westport Country Playhouse – Westport
First Serve Bridgeport – Bridgeport
Services for Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Westport Book Sales Ventures – Westport
CLASP Homes – Westport
My Team Triumph – Westport
St. Catherine Center for Special Needs – Fairfield
Club 203 – Westport
Team Woofgang & Co. – Bridgeport
Services to Address Homelessness and Food Insecurity
Homes with Hope – Westport
Homes for the Brave – Bridgeport
Off The Streets – Bridgeport
Open Doors CT – Norwalk
Food Rescue US – Stamford
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Primarily for Children
Positive Directions – Westport
Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center – Norwalk
Kids in Crisis – Greenwich
K-12 Formal Education for Children from Low Income Families
Park City Prep Charter School – Bridgeport
Adam J. Lewis Academy – Bridgeport
A Better Chance – Westport
Services for Low Income Adults, Primarily Immigrants
Mercy Learning Center – Bridgeport
Caroline House – Bridgeport
Burroughs Community Center – Bridgeport
CT Institute for Refugees and Immigrants – Bridgeport
College Scholarships for Students in Need
Staples Tuition Grants – Westport
Norwalk Housing Foundation – Norwalk
The Susan Fund – Westport
Services for Domestic Violence Victims
Domestic Violence Crisis Center – Stamford
Emergency Medical Services
Westport VEMS – Westport
Legal; Services for Children from Low Income Families
Center for Children’s Advocacy – Bridgeport
Services to Address Recidivism
HomeBridge Ventures – Bridgeport
Activities for Seniors
Friends of the Westport Senior Center – Westport
The next time you see info on a Rotary Club fundraiser: Keep this list in mind.
And buy a ticket!
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For nearly a decade, Alan Sterling’s “Gloria” oyster boat was moored in Gray’s Creek.
After spending its final months disintegrating on shore — washed up on a bank during a storm — it was demolished and removed last week.
Here’s a view of Gray’s Creek today:
(Photo/Matt Murray)
It looks serene and lovely.
But without Gloria, it’s just not the same.
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“The Outsider” is coming to the Westport Country Playhouse.
No, not the Broadway musical based on the coming-of-age novel of the same name.
“The Outsider” — written by Paul Slade Smith and directed by Mark Shanahan — is the next “Script in Hand” offering.
It’s set for Monday, June 10 (7 p.m.).
This “Outsider” is “a timely and hilarious comedy that skewers politics and celebrates democracy.
“Ned Newley doesn’t even want to be governor. He’s terrified of public speaking; his poll numbers are impressively bad. To his ever-supportive chief of staff, Ned seems destined to fail.
“But political consultant Arthur Vance sees things differently: Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office. Unless the public is looking for … the worst candidate to ever run for office.”
All seats are $30. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Michael Friedman’s great Church Lane pop-up shop — featuring his very cool, very close-up and personal photos of rock stars like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, The Band, Paul Butterfield, Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Winter — after next weekend.
They’re open noon to 6 Friday through Sunday, and by appointment (203-247-6869).
Now is the time to put in special orders. There’s 20% off any image, of any size (with still time to frame before Father’s Day).
And there’s 25% off framed prints currently on display.
Friedman’s shop was a perfect place where rock met pop(up). Be sure to check it out, before it checks out.
Weston High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian are not just the top 2 students in the Class of 2024.
They’re also close, longtime friends.
Valedictorian Sophie Rutkowski has dedicated herself to science research. She presented her work to the North American Black Fly Association, and studied endometrial cancer.
She also did independent study on Eastern European literature,
Musically, Sophie finds joy playing the flute and piccolo. Her groups include Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz and Pit Orchestra. She is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and Music Mentors.
Other volunteer efforts include National Honor Society, Lachat Town Farm, and Weston High swim team community service.
Sophie is also an AP Scholar with Distinction, and has won the University of Michigan Book Award, rhe Marie Curie Award, and is part of the National Junior Classical League Latin Honor Society.
This fall, she will attend Columbia University.
Salutatorian Natasha Jain has lived in Weston since 1st grade. She is a member of the WHS Green Team and Fighting Against Climate Injustice. She has competed in mock trial competitions since middle school, and helps coach the junior mock trial team at Weston Middle School.
Natasha plays the clarinet in the Wind Ensemble, and piano outside of school.
She is a member of the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society.
Natasha is also an accomplished dancer in the Indian classical form of Bharatanatyam. She recently performed a 3-hour on-stage solo dance in front of a large audience.
Natasha will attend Tufts University, and plans to major in neuroscience.
Homeowners may not know that cash discounts are available not only at gas stations, but also (in a somewhat bigger transaction) real estate.
Our friends at KMS Team at Compass say: “A study of over 2 million sales from across the country during 1980 – 2017 revealed that, on average, mortgage buyers paid 11% more than cash buyers. A more recent study of data through 2021 pegged the premium at 8%.
Locally, over the past 12 months, more than half (50.4%) of Westport real estate transactions were recorded as cash sales.
Mortgages and closing costs can mount up. In fact, New York has a graduated mortgage tax, tacking on an additional 2% or so to record mortgages on city purchases.
Click here to read more about borrowing and closing fees, including a comparison between Connecticut and New York.
The asking price for this 5-bedroom, 9-bathroom, 7,435-square foot house on 2.51 acres at oddly named Pan Handle Lane is $5,499 million. The mortgage is estimated at $38,730 a month. There may be a cash discount.
If you’re headed to today’s Dog Festival at Winslow Park, take a detour before or after to the Shell station across from the Westport Country Playhouse parking lot entrance.
The Staples High School wrestling team is running a fundraising car wash, from noon to 3 p.m.
Who knows? They might even rinse off your pooch.
They can wrestle — and wash your car!
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We are surrounded by so much greenery, we don’t always appreciate it.
Claudia Sherwood Servidio does. Her shot of Vista Terrace, inside Longshore — today’s “Westport … Naturally” image — reminds us that all around town, we are surrounded by beauty.
And finally … in honor of “The Outsider,” coming soon to the Westport Country Playhouse (story above):
(If it’s happening in Westport, “06880” will tell you about it. Please tell us you appreciate our work, with a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
It’s early August. Soon, high school sports teams start pre-season practice. The fall season is just a few weeks away.
At Weston High, that means cross country, field hockey, football, soccer, swim and dive, and volleyball.
Plus e-sports.
Don’t laugh. Don’t make snide remarks about “sitting in front of a computer playing video games.” Don’t show your ignorance.
E-sports is a billion-dollar business. Nearly 200 colleges offer $10 million in scholarships to players.
Weston — which includes e-sports as a varsity sport — is a leader in Connecticut. And Connecticut is a leading state, nationally.
Dan Ungar is the Trojans’ coach. It’s one of his many jobs in Weston — he’s also a special education paraprofessional, and runs an after-school fitness program — and his passion for it is clear.
Dan Ungar was featured on the PlayVS e-sports website.
He’s quick to note that e-sports — aka “online gaming competition” — really is a sport.
It involves teamwork. It demands communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and leadership.
The action moves fast. Situations change rapidly. Teammates must be laser-focused.
And they’re in it to win it.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) oversees all high school sports in the state. They were the first state organization in the US to sanction e-sports, back in 2018.
Five years later, the National Federation of High School Associations — the official US oversight body — has e-sports partnerships with nearly 2 dozen states.
Games include League of Legends, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. One season runs from fall through December. A second one is January through the end of April.
Weston High School Trojans
Ungar is a full varsity coach. He goes to the same meetings, and is held to the same standards, as any basketball or lacrosse coach. He has “the full backing” of school administrators.
Athletic director Mark Berkowitz often asks, “What do you need?” Ungar says.
(Other resources come from PlayVS, the official CIAC and NFHS e-sports platform partner.)
E-sports players are, in many ways, treated equally too. Flyers show upcoming matches; results are announced on the morning TV show; the team has a dinner, and gives awards.
There are differences, of course. Instead of crowded bleachers at fields or the gym, only a few spectators fit in the computer lab, where competitions are held.
Though meets are virtual, the state championship is live, at Quinnipiac University’s modern e-sports arena.
“That was like playing with the pros,” Ungar says. “It was so exciting. The kids deserved that atmosphere. They represent our school, and are proud of it. They work hard.”
Their hard work pays off. Both captains who graduated this June earned e-sports scholarships — one to Clark University, the other to Clarkson.
Ungar — who was one of the first 8 e-sports coaches in the country, when he started 6 years ago — has a roster of about 20 players. (Some schools in the state have up to 60.)
They represent “every type of kid imaginable,” the coach says.
“We’ve got both genders, and non-binary. They’re difference races. But they’ve become a team, and a family.”
Like any varsity coach, Ungar balances the demands of the present with the need to build for the future. This year, he’s excited to welcome a talented crop of incoming 9th graders.
“The sky’s the limit,” he says — referring both to the Weston team, and the future of e-sports.
ESPN airs competitions. They sell out Madison Square Garden.
Ungar’s e-sports players dream of being engineers, computer and software programmers and game designers.
One may even become a professional e-sports player.
“06880” has learned that Westport and Weston school officials have started preliminary negotiations to consolidate the 2 districts. The reason: substantial budget savings for both towns.
The plan would involve Weston High School students attending Staples. With approximately 1,700 students at Staples, and 800 at Weston, double sessions may be needed.
Weston High, meanwhile, would become a middle school for students from both towns. Coleytown would be the obvious choice for closure, due to its proximity to Weston.
Coleytown El may also be shuttered. Students would be distributed throughout Westport’s 4 other elementary schools.
The two Coleytown schools could then be sold, presumably to private developers. One possible use — though no one will say so publicly — is for a new YMCA.
Weston High School
“Weston students went to Staples until 1970,” Westport superintendent of schools Dr. Elliott Landon said. “This sounds radical, but it is something that the 2 towns did for many years. In today’s economic climate, we have to look at every option.”
The proposal is far from firm, Landon emphasized. He did confirm that talks have been held with his Weston counterpart, Jerome R. Belair.
“I think this is the kind of innovative, out-of-the-box thinking that we encourage all our students to engage in,” said Staples principal John Dodig.
“I don’t know much about Weston, but the superintendent has asked me to find out. I’m sure they have areas of strength that we could build upon, just as we have a number of strong programs that Weston students could benefit from.”
“We either consolidate buildings, or cut personnel and programs,” explained Westport Board of Education chairman Don O’Day.
“Is this a solution I would choose? No. But in today’s economic climate, we may have no other choice.”
The 2 towns have cooperated educationally long after Weston High opened. Two examples: the high schools field a Staples-Weston co-op ice hockey team, while for several years the Staples gymnastics team practiced in Weston.
“06880” will provide updates as the talks continue. But we wonder: If Weston rejoins Westport, what about Wilton? Until 1955, Wilton students attended Staples too.
(For more on the proposed Westport-Weston schools consolidation plan, click here.)
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The assembly was an excellent and impactful educational experience for the entire school. I want to underscore that the students themselves envisioned, created, shaped and ran the assembly from start to finish. And I credit the school administration for trusting and supporting them, and for giving them the opportunity to stand up and lead.
The 2 towns have cooperated educationally long after Weston High opened. Two examples: the high schools field a Staples-Weston co-op ice hockey team, while for several years the Staples gymnastics team practiced in Weston.