Tag Archives: WestportREADS

Roundup: Winter Olympics, Dominique Johnson, Ben Frimmer …

Posted on February 15, 2026 | 6 comments

Amanda Doyle and her daughter Niamh are probably not the only 2 Westporters at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

Amanda and Niamh Doyle, at the Olympics.

But Amanda is probably the only one who posted a video that went viral.

Her clip from the US-Switzerland women’s ice hockey game — of the entire arena singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” — racked up over a million views and 71,000-plus likes, in just one day.

It looks like a great moment. And Amanda’s comment about the true spirit of the Olympics — uniting “beyond borders, languages and differences” — is pure gold.

PS: The hockey game was especially fun for Niamh. She goes to Coleytown Middle School, and plays for the Shoreline Sharks.

PPS: The US won, 5-0.

=================================================

Dominique Johnson is running for re-election.

The 143rd District state representative — serving parts of Westport and Norwalk — and deputy majority leader says she is not taking donations from lobbyists.

Click here for her website.

State Representative Dominique Johnson

===============================================

Congratulations, Ben Frimmer!

The veteran theater educator and director, Staples High School graduate, Emergency Medical Service leader and all-around good guy will be honored May 17.

Schoke Jewish Family Service will present him with its Community Service Award.

JFS says, “With more than 30 years of experience across the arts and public safety, he brings a powerful blend of creativity, leadership, and service to every role he undertakes.

Frimmer is deputy chief of Weston Volunteer EMS, and a tactical emergency casualty care and EMS Instructor.

He served on the board of Temple Israel, and is on its Security Committee. During the pandemic, he was the congregation’s COVID response point person.

Frimmer was a producer of “John Proctor Is the Villain,” and is on the producing team for “The Hunger Games” in London. He has earned kudos for his work as director of Coleytown Middle School’s Company drama program.

He serves on the board of the Westport Country Playhouse, and co-chairs its Development Committee. He holds master’s degrees in teaching and educational theatre from NYU.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

Ben Frimmer

================================================

A reminder: WestportREADS’ keystone conversation is this Thursday (February 19, 7 p.m.)

Eiren Caffall — author of this year’s selection, “All the Water in the World” — chats with Catherine Shen, host of Connecticut Public Radio’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live, about Caffall’s thriller about a flooded future, and a family fighting not to be drowned by a changing world. Click here for more information.

===============================================

We’ve posted photos of horses at Sherwood Island State Park before, in our “Westport … Naturally” series.

But the images never get old. Here’s a shot from yesterday:

 

(Pic/Bob Mitchell)

==================================================

And finally, in honor of the photo above:

(Hey hey! Time to pony up. If you appreciate “06880” — your hyper-local 24/7/365 blog, bringing you everything you need to know about your town — please click here to support our work. Yee-haw!)

6 Comments

Posted in Arts, Library, Local politics, Media, religion, Sports

Tagged , , ,

WestportREADS About Floods To Come

Posted on December 12, 2025 | Comments Off on WestportREADS About Floods To Come

For a quarter century, Westport has READ.

We’ve read for far longer, of course. The Bankside Farmers probably gathered around the hearth with a good book — or at least, the Good Book — back in the 1600s.

But WestportREADS — the month-long community project in which the entire town is invited to read the same work, and the Westport Library offers a variety of programs tied to it — has been around since “only” 2002.

It’s a fun, thought-provoking and wide-ranging event. Yet coming right after the holidays, it probably does not get the attention it deserves.

Hopefully, this year it will.

The very timely 2026 WestportREADS selection is “All the Water in the World,” by Eiren Caffall.

The novel follows the journey of Nonie, a girl with an intuitive connection to water, in a flooded future New York. A small group of families build a makeshift settlement atop the Museum of Natural History. As they try to safeguard the remnants of humanity’s stories and knowledge, a catastrophic storm forces them north up the Hudson River. They seek safety, community, and the possibility of a life rebuilt.

Drawing parallels to real-life stories of curators in Iraq and Leningrad who protected their cultural collections during war, the author asks readers to consider how we endure, what we value, and how we care for one another in uncertain times.

“Caffall created a fully imaginable world within a horrific new future that wasn’t all doom and gloom within a flooded city,” says Jennifer Keller, a member of the WestportREADS selection committee. “‘All the Water in the World’ explores family and climate change in a rich coming-of-age story that we can all relate to in some way.”

From January through March there will be discussion groups (including a lively Book Pub at Walrus Alley); screenings of thematically resonant films; an environmental talk connecting the novel to Westporters’ own lives, and other community gatherings. Click here, then scroll down for the full WestportREADS schedule.

This was 2021. What does the future hold? (Photo/Maria Fusco)

A complementary film series offers cinematic interpretations exploring stories of climate, family, and adaptation. Screenings include “The Day After Tomorrow,” “2040,” “Waterworld” and “Night at the Museum.”

Caffall herself comes to town February 19, for a keynote conversation on her novel. She’ll chat with Catherine Shen, host of CT Public’s “Where We Live.”

Eiren Cafall

Prefacing Caffall’s keynote conversation is a talk on February 12 with executive director of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation James O’Donnell. He brings local context to the global themes woven throughout the novel.

O’Donnell will discuss the real impact of rising sea levels, and offer practical advice to offset the effects of climate change on Connecticut’s shoreline and the Long Island Sound.

Copies of “All the Water in the World” are available for borrowing now, in print, e-book and audiobook formats.

For more information, including outdoor survival techniques, other climate fiction, past WestportREADS selections, etc., click on the WestportREADS home page.

(Westporters read novels — and “06880.” Library programs are free. But because our hyper-local blog lacks its resources, we rely on reader support. Please click here to help us deliver what you read!)

 

Comments Off on WestportREADS About Floods To Come

Posted in Environment, Library

Tagged

Roundup: Cabaret Ole, Art Scholarships, Westport Hardware & Playhouse …

Posted on February 15, 2025 | 1 comment

Staples Orphenians have shared their music with audiences all over the world. They’ve particiated in global educational events too.

This June, the elite high school choral group heads to the Spain Choral Festival

To ensure that every singer can particiapte, they’re hosting a “Cabaret Olé” fundraiser.

The March 30 event (6 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity Church) features members of
grammy-nominated VOCES8 and other Broadway stars, along with tapas, other light bites and a silent auction.

Funds raised will also support the VOCES8 Foundation, which is developing an educational music hub in the Westport area.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

Staples Orphenians

=================================================

Speaking of the arts: Less than 2 weeks remain for high school seniors to apply for $5,000 worth of scholarships.

The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center grants go to students with financial need who want to pursue an arts education at any level — university, community college or an arts school. All Westport 12th graders are eligible, no matter where they currently attend school.

The DFCAC is funding the scholarships. It was founded by Friedman — the downtown property owner, restauranteur (Onion Alley, Cobb’s Mill Inn, Stonehenge Inn) and philanthropist whose first wife Bobbie was an accomplished artist.

The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center also sponsors workshops and projects for students. The center is administered by Nick Visconti, Friedman’s longtime business partner.

To apply, students who currently participate in art classes or art activities should send up to 8 digital images (JPEGs) of their work. It can be any medium — photography, painting, sculpture, drawing, digital art, or other.

Applicants should also submit a statement of up to 300 words describing the value of art in their life, and the world at large.

Send images and the statement (or any questions) to info@DrewFriedmanCommunityArtsCenter.org (subject line: “2025 Scholarship”). The deadline is February 28.

2024 Drew Friedman Scholarship winners Chloe Hackett and Mia Vindola (holding checks) with (from left) DFCAC co-directors Miggs Burroughs and Nick Visconti, and First Selectwoman Jen Tooker.

================================================

Speaking still of the arts: The Westport Country Playhouse and Westport Hardware may seem to have little in common.

But they’ve teamed up on a special “buy one, get one free” offer for the upcoming production of “Native Gardens.”

The show’s theme is “good fences make good neighbors (or do they?)” — and of course Westport Hardware sells every type of garden accessory imaginable.

For more information, and tickets, click here, or call the box office (203-227-4177). Use or mention the prmoo code “COMMUNITYBOGO.”

Fences — common to the Westport Country Playhouse and Westport Hardware.

==================================================

Congratulations to John DiBartolomeo!

The 2009 Staples High School basketball star — who went on to earn Division III National Player of the Year honors at the University of Rochester — has had a long professional career in Israel.

On Thursday, his Maccabi Tel Aviv team won the prestigious Israeli Cup.

Click here to read all about his pro career. (Hat tip: Chuck Haberstroh)

John DiBartolomeo

================================================

Speaking of sports: DiBartolomeo’s fellow 2009 Staples graduate Parker Kligerman won his 4th-ever NASCAR Truck Series race this week, an event leading up to the Daytona 500.

But he was disqualified an hour later. His truck failed ride height checks, and was too low in the rear. His team said they’d appeal.

Click here and click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Frank Rosen)

Parker Kligerman

==============================================

Yesterday’s “06880” Friday Flashback noted that there are 19 Westports in the United States, and 22 around the world.

Right on cue (and it was actually the next day there), Pippa Bell Ader checked in.

She and her husband David are in New Zealand, visiting her sister. Here’s one of the Aders’ stops, on the west coast of the South Island:

==================================================

Doris Ghitelman captured yesterday’s full “snow moon” yesterday. Her intriguing “Westport … Naturally” image was taken at the Saugatuck train station.

(Photo/Doris Ghitelman)

==================================================

And finally … on this date in 1764, the city of St. Louis was established in Spanish Louisiana (now Missouri).

(If it happens in Westport, Connecticut — or Westport, New Zealand — you’ll read about it on “06880.” If you enjoy our hyper-local coverage, with a global twist, please click here. Thank you!)

 

1 Comment

Posted in Arts, Library, Local business, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Roundup: WestportREADS, Popup Bagels, River Dredging …

Posted on January 6, 2025 | 6 comments

Copies of this year’s WestportREADS selection — “In the Distance,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hernan Diaz — are available for borrowing now, at the Westport Library.

Community-wide events are planned around the book over the next few eeks. The highlight is a keynote conversation with Diaz, on February 13.

“In the Distance” is a compelling story about a young Swedish immigrant who travels east from California in search of his brother.

It’s available at the Library as a physical copy, e-book and audiobook.

For more information about WestportREADS — including a calendar of discussions, films and more — click here.

================================================

Popup Bagels — the Westport-based pickup business that spread first throughout Fairfield County, then to the Big Bagel Boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn — has just opened at the Boston Seaport.

That makes 10 permanent locations in 3 states. The Westport site is 971 Post Road East (behind Cycle Dynamics).

More stores will be build in the Southeast over the next few months, founder Adam Goldberg says.

Time to change their motto? “Not famous but known” may no longer cut it.

Adam Goldberg, with his Brooklyn BagelFest award.

==================================================

Dredging continues on the Saugatuck River. VFW Post 399 is working on its docks, providing greater access to boats.

Werner Liepolt captured a view of equipment making its way past the Saugatuck Rowing Club:

(Photo/Werner Liepolt)

==================================================

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is a serence Compo Beach shot — with the obligatory gull.

(Photo/Ed Simek)

==================================================

And finally … in honor of Popup Bagels’ new location (but not related at all to the water they use in boiling):

(Red Sox, Yankee and all other fans agree on one thing: “06880” is Westport’s 24/7 hyper-local source for news, information, photos and more. And everyone can click here to support us. Thanks!)

6 Comments

Posted in Environment, Library, Local business

Tagged , , ,

Westport Reads “In The Distance”

Posted on December 7, 2024 | 2 comments

Westporters love to read.

Hardbacks, paperbacks, e-books, audiobooks; fiction, non-fiction, mystery, horro; popular, obscure — you name it, we devour it.

There is pleasure in enjoying a book by ourselves: on a couch or car, in bed or at the beach.

But there is something to be said too for reading, and discussing, a book with others.

That’s why there are book clubs.

It’s also why, for nearly 25 years, the Westport Library has sponsored WestportREADS.

Hernan Diaz

The idea is simple. The staff picks one volume. They make it available in a variety of formats. Then they organize a variety of events around it, for an immersive, month-long community experience.

The 2025 WestportREADS selection is Pulitzer Prize-winner Hernan Díaz’s “In the Distance.” It’s about a young Swedish immigrant who travels east from California in search of his brother, moving on foot against the great current of emigrants pushing west.

Driven back again and again, he meets naturalists, criminals, religious fanatics, swindlers, Native Americans and lawmen.

His exploits turn him into a legend. Moving beyond the conventions of historical fiction and genre, Diaz probes stereotypes from our past, and offers “a portrait of radical foreignness.”

But the town won’t simply read “In the Distance.” They can meet the author in person, on February 13.

Meanwhile, throughout January and February, the Library has planned events and programs: discussions, celebrations and more.

It’s a chance to read a great book — one that might otherwise be overlooked — while meeting new people, and learning from them.

Limited copies of the book are available for borrowing now. More copies will arrive in mid-December. It’s also available in e-book and audio formats.

A lecture led by U.S. historian Kris Klein Hernández kicks off the WestportREADS festivities on Thursday, January 16, followed by a film series screening “First Cow,” “The Gold Rush” and “Meek’s Cutoff” on January 17 and 24, and February 7, respectively.

Discussion groups are scheduled for January and February. A Book Pub at Walrus Alley on February 4 is another special event.

“In the Distance” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. It was also a Publishers Weekly Top 10 Book of the Year, and one of Lit Hub’s 20 Best Novels of the Decade.

For past WestportREADS selections, click here.

2 Comments

Posted in Library

Tagged

Roundup: Holiday Farmers’ Market, Thanksgiving Club 203, WestportREADS …

Posted on November 16, 2023 | 1 comment

The seasons change. And the Westport Farmers’ Market does too.

They’ll usher in the new one with a special Holiday Market on a Tuesday (November 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), at the WFM’s winter home: Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center, 7 Sylvan Lane.

Thirty vendors spread throughout 3 greenhouses will offer everything for Thanksgiving (and beyond): turkeys, veggies, breads, appetizers, desserts, even fresh pasta for those so inclined.

The full list:

  • Fort Hill Farm
  • Cloudy Lane
  • Riverbank Farm
  • Edgewise
  • Oxhollow Farm
  •  Woodland Farm
  • Kent Falls Brewery
  • Paul’s Custom Pet Food
  • Wave Hill Breads
  •  Herbaceous Catering
  • Farmers & Cooks
  •  Boxcar Cantina
  • Kneads Bakery
  •  Calf & Clover
  • Seacoast Mushrooms
  •  Sprout Juice
  • Badass Bagels
  •  Ideal Fish
  • Sport Hill Farm
  • Fatto a Mano
  • Herbal Deva
  • Bubble & Brew
  • Muddy Feet Flower Farm
  • Jackie’s Empanadas
  • Plantidote
  • Nit Noi Provisions
  •  Ideal Fish
  • Stylish Spoon
  •  Kontoulis

================================================

Club 203 — Westport’s social organization for adults with disabilities — gathered at Earthplace last night for a special monthly event.

Called “Thankful and Grateful,” it was a chance to share a sense of belonging, and the knowledge of mattering in each other’s lives.

Everyone wished each other a joyful Thanksgiving with turkey sandwiches from The Porch at Christie’s, “turkey artwork” with MoCA, and visits from Earthplace’s feathered friends.

“We begin the holiday season with inspiration, and connections to the community,” Club 203 says.

Club 203 celebrates Thanksgiving at Earthplace.

==================================================

The 2024 WestportREADS book is …

“The Art Thief.”

Michael Finkel’s true tale of the world’s  most prolific art thief — Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole not for money, but for personal treasure and adoration — continues the town’s 22-year tradition of greeting the new year by reading one book together.

Copies of the book are available for borrowing now at the Westport Library. More volumes arrive next month. “The Art Thief” is also available in e-book and audiobook versions.

A variety of “Art Thief”-oriented programs — including discussion groups, art activities and more — begin in January. The capstone event is January 26, when Finkel appears in-person at the Library to deliver the WestportREADS keynote address.

Finkel is a journalist and best-selling memoirist from Utah. A heralded New York Times reporter, he was terminated for compositing quotes in a 2001 story.

Shortly afterward, he discovered that Oregon murderer Christian Longo used “Michael Finkel” as an alias. Finkel reached out to Longo, forging a relationship that served as the basis for “True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa.” It was adapted for a 2015 film, “True Story.”

Finkel’s follow-up, “The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit,” chronicled Christopher Knight, an intentional recluse who lived for 27 years in the woods of Maine with almost no human interaction. He survived by grifting life essentials.

The WestportREADS selection has been widely acclaimed. The New Yorker said: “’The Art Thief,’ like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing. It is propelled by suspense and surprises. … This ultra-lucrative, odds-defying crime streak is wonderfully narrated by Finkel, in a tale whose trajectory is less rise and fall than crazy and crazier.”

For more past WestportREADS selections, and to learn more about the annual event, click here.

==================================================

Kings Highway Elementary School modeled kindness this week.

On Monday and Tuesday, students and staff participated in their annual Walk-a-Thon/Read-a-Thon, to raise money for the Westport Department of Human Services Holiday Program. It provides financial assistance for food, shelter, utilities, medical expenses and other needs.

Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders walked around the PJ Romano track for an hour — 90 laps. Principal Tracey Carbone and Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice cheered them on.

Meanwhile, 3rd through 5th graders read in classrooms, collecting funds pledged for their books.

Yesterday, nearly 2 dozen KHS parents worked out for a great cause — Project Purple — at the nearby F45 studio. Over $1,200 was collected for the non-profit that supports patients and raises awareness about pancreatic cancer, in honor of KHS parent George Filopoulos.

Kings Highway Elementary School walk-a-thon.

==================================================

Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between November 8 and 15.

A man was arrested for violation of probation.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 9 citation
  • Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 4
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 3
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
  • Speeding: 1
  • Driving unreasonably fast in a school zone: 1
  • Following too closely: 1
  • Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
  • Failure to obey a stop sign: 1
  • Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
  • Occupying a house trailer on a highway: 1
  • Failure to carry a license: 1
  • Improper use of markers: 1

It’s illegal to be in a house trailer on a highway.

==================================================

VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 has become Westport’s favorite go-to jazz spot, thanks to the weekly Jazz at the Post series.

Last night, the Riverside Avenue venue welcomed a different jazz sound.

The US Air Force Rhythm in Blue jazz ensemble — featuring Westport’s own trumpet virtuoso and arranger Michael P. Mossman — delivered inspiring music that celebrated patriotism, and the essence of the genre.

The performance was both a tribute to veterans and a celebration of Air Force heritage, resonating through the power of music.

Trumpeter Michael Mossman of Westport, with the US Air Force Rhythm in Blue jazz ensemble.

==================================================

Claudia Sherwood Servidio captured today’s “Westport … Naturally” image in the fantastic fall light, near the Westport Woman’s Club:

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

==================================================

And finally … on this date in 1907, Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory joined to form Oklahoma — admitted to the union as our 46th US state.

(Whether you live here, in Oklahoma or anywhere else, “06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” Please click here to help us keep doing that. Thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Children, Education, Entertainment, Library, Local business, Police

Tagged , , , ,

Roundup: WestportREADS, Orphenians Sing, Playhouse Plays …

Posted on December 14, 2022 | Comments Off on Roundup: WestportREADS, Orphenians Sing, Playhouse Plays …

For over 20 years, the Westport Library has offered one book for the entire community to read — and celebrate — together.

This year’s WestportREADS selection is “Firekeeper’s Daughter.” Angeline Boulley’s young adult novel features 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine, a Native teen who must navigate family tragedy, new relationships, and an FBI investigation to root out the corruption in her community.

The author will deliver a keynote address on February 16, in the Trefz Forum. Events leading up to her appearance include:

  • PageTurners Book Club discussion (January 17, 11 a.m., Westport Library)
  • WestportREADS skating afternoon (January 21, 1 to 5 p.m., Westport PAL Longshore rink)
  • Healing Legacy Trauma (February 1, 7 p.m., Westport Library).
  • WestportREADS book discussion (February 2, 7 p.m., Westport Library).

More events will be announced soon.

Boulley is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan. She served as her tribe’s education director, and assistant executive director and on the board of regents at Bay Mills Community College before becoming director for the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

At the age of 54, she recently published her first novel.

Angeline Boulley (Photo/Marcella Hadden)

“Firekeeper’s Daughter” is a #1 New York Times bestseller, and a Reese Witherspoon Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick. It is being adapted by Netflix for TV with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground.

Copies of the book are available for borrowing now at the Library. It is also available as an e-book and audiobook. For more information on WestportREADS, click here.

=====================================================

A longstanding Westport Rotary Club tradition returned yesterday. The Staples High School Orphenians performed a holiday show.

The half-hour  a cappella concert was held in the acoustically resonant sanctuary of Green’s Farms Congregational Church. From “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” to “Silent Night,” it was a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays.

Conductor Luke Rosenberg leads the Orphenians at the Westport Rotary Club holiday show, in Green’s Farms Church. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)

=======================================================

Mark Yurkiw writes:

“Yesterday was the last day to donate equipment for a shipment to Ukraine. The response was fantastic. Three more generators showed up, and a dozen sleeping bags, and more.

“But yesterday I got a message that the shipping departure date is postponed until next Wednesday.

“There were many people who wanted to donate but couldn’t do it in time. They now have one more week.”

Donations can be brought to 190 Cross Highway and left by the barn. For questions or pickup arrangements, call Mark: 646-873-0050.

Donations for Ukraine — in the country’s familiar blue and yellow colors.

=====================================================

“06880” is “where Westport meets the world.”

Lake Gallery is where talented local photographers show stunning large-scale images, taken from around the world.

Westporters Ron Lake and Nancy Breakstone host an opening reception this Friday (December 16, 6 to 8 p.m., 33 Elm Street) of their work.

This is Ron’s second gallery, after opening Focus in 2020 in Woodstock, Vermont. Nancy has curated shows at Earthplace, the Carriage Barn in New Canaan and Rene Soto Gallery in Norwalk.

(Photo/Nancy Breakstone)

=======================================================

When COVID shut the Westport Country Playhouse, they reached audiences with a new/old idea: Playhouse Radio Theater.

The curtain has risen again. But the innovative series continues.

Next up: a holiday audio play. “A Merry Little Christmas Carol” — with original music and clever sound effects — airs on WSHU on Christmas Eve (December 24, 6:06 p.m. following the news). It will be rebroadcast Christmas Day (December 25, 1:06 p.m.).

Click here for the livestream. Click here for frequencies and locations. Click here for the link via the Playhouse website (available through January 1).

“A Merry Little Christmas Carol” is written and directed by Mark Shanahan, adapted from his play of the same name, and based on “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Shanahan is curator of Playhouse Radio Theater, in addition to curating the Playhouse Script in Hand play reading series.

WCP artistic director Mark Lamos narrates, with noted Playhouse actors like Paxton Whitehead (Scrooge). Running time is 2 hours.

Bah, humbug!

=====================================================

Longtime Westport Public Schools director of personnel Nancy Bonvini died peacefully last week. She was 88, and lived in Fairfield.

Following her retirement in 1999, she volunteered at Black Rock School, and was a tutor at Mercy Learning Center.

She enjoyed listening to good music, was an avid reader, and enjoyed time by Long Island Sound and surrounded by nature.

A service will be held tomorrow (Thursday, December 15, 11 a.m. Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield). Interment will follow in St. Michael’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, friends may consider a donation in Nancy’s memory to Mercy Learning Center, 637 Park Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604.

======================================================

An almost-winter day showcases Westport’s stark beauty, in today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature. This beach is on Saugatuck Shores.

(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)

======================================================

And finally … on this day in 1782, the Montgolfier brothers first flew an unmanned hot air balloon in France. It floated nearly 1.6 miles.

(“06880” is seldom filled with hot air. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

 

 

 

Comments Off on Roundup: WestportREADS, Orphenians Sing, Playhouse Plays …

Posted in Arts, Library, Local business, Obituaries, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged , , , , , , ,

WestportREADS: A Story Across The Ages

Posted on January 13, 2022 | Comments Off on WestportREADS: A Story Across The Ages

And the selection for the 20th anniversary of WestportREADs is … “he Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.” Westport Library — the sponsor of the annual event — will host the bestselling author, V.E. Schwab, for a keynote event February 26 (3 p.m., Zoom; click here to register).

Schwab’s compelling story is set in France, in 1714. In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever — and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Her dazzling adventure plays out across centuries and continents, history and art, as sheh learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

V.E. Schwab

“In addition to encouraging literacy and community bonding, ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ will provide some much-needed distraction during these challenging times,” says Library executive director Bill Harmer.

In past years, the Library chose books and topics that were timely and topical.  This year, they say, a bit of escapism feels appropriate. They offer multiple copies of the book and discussion guides, and invite Westporters to organize their own book groups with friends and neighbors.

WestportREADS 2022 also includes companion books for younger readers. They include “Willa the Wisp” by Jonathan Auxier for younger elementary school readers, and “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt for older elementary students.

Created in 2002, WestportREADS is a community-wide event. It is supported by a generous bequest from the estate of Jerry A. Tishman.

For more information on how to obtain a physical, audiobook or e-book copy of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” click here.

Comments Off on WestportREADS: A Story Across The Ages

Posted in Arts, Library

Tagged ,

Roundup: Food Drive, Westport READS …

Posted on April 27, 2021 | 5 comments

==================================================

The pantry is (nearly) empty.

So Homes with Hope — the umbrella organization for the Gillespie Center, and a much-utilized Community Kitchen — is running a food drive. It’s this Saturday (May 1, 1 to 4 p.m., Gillespie Center, behind Barnes & Noble and Don Memo on Jesup Road).

It’s contactless: Just pull your car up, and pop the trunk.

The most needed items: canned meats (chicken, tuna, salmon, Spam); cold and hot cereals; canned soups and stews; peanut butter and jelly; mayonnaise; pasta sauce, canned vegetables.

In addition, Homes with Hope’s Community Kitchen program is gratefully accepting prepared lunches and dinners, 7 days aw eek. To become a Community Kitchen volunteer, click here. Click here for volunteer guidelines.

NOTE: During COVID, the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place buildings are closed to the public. Staff serves all meals to shelter guests.

=======================================================

The Westport Library’s thought-provoking WestportREADS programming continues with virtual events this spring.

Tuesday, May 4 (7 p.m.): Ty Seidule discusses his new book,  Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause, with Maggie Mudd. He describes how he confronted the racist legacy at the core of his identity, and challenges the persistent myths of the Lost Cause. Click here for information, and to register.

Wednesdays, May 5 and 19, June 2 (7 to 8:30 p.m.): Me and White Supremacy: The Challenge Continues. Small group discussions on Layla Saad’s groundbreaking book. Click here for information, and to register.

Thursday, May 6 (7 p.m.).: The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. The Library  hosts a virtual screening of Keith A. Beauchamp’s documentary, followed by a conversation with Beauchamp and the film’s producer, Steven Laitmon. Click here for information, and to register.

Saturday, May 8 (7 p.m.): Beechwood Arts presents the 2nd AMPLIFY Festival at the Westport Library. Black artists present music, song, and theatrical works. Click here for information, and to register.

Tuesday, June 1 (12:30 p.m.): In her book, We Need New Stories: The Myths that Subvert Freedom, Nesrine Malik examines 6 political myths used to deflect and discredit demands for social justice with Catherine Lewis. Click here for information, and to register.

=======================================================

‌Taylor Lane is a pleasant little road, off Clapboard Hill between Turkey Hill South and Maple South.

It is not to be confused with “Talyor Lane,” which is — well, nowhere, despite what the sign says.

Alan Phillips spotted it the other day on a bike ride.

At least, he says, it’s consistent. It’s misspelled on both sides.

(Photos/Alan Phillips)

===================================================

The Connecticut Institute for Communities in Danbury is hosting walk-in clinics for the Moderna vaccine every day this week. Anyone 18 and older who lives or works in Connecticut is eligible.

The location is 132 Main Street, Danbury; weekday hours are 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 2 to 3:30 p.m. No appointment is needed.

=======================================================

Here was last night’s moonrise. It never gets old.

(Photo/Jeanine Esposito)

Old Mill Beach (Photo/Lawrence Zlatkin)

Compo Beach playground (Photo/Tomoko Meth)

From Beachside Avenue (Photo/Karen Weingarten)

=======================================================

And finally … On this day in 1981, Xerox PARC introduced the computer mouse.

5 Comments

Posted in Beach, Library, Real estate

Tagged , , ,

WestportREADS About Racism

Posted on January 3, 2021 | 4 comments

Community reading programs have been around for a couple of decades.

A local organization — usually the library — picks a book. The entire town is encouraged to read it. Book clubs and other groups discuss it. The result is dialogue, awareness around a particular idea, community spirit.

We do things differently here.

For years, WestportREADS has centered not around one book, but a theme. Last year it was the 19th Amendment, and the centennial of women gaining the vote. Before that, it was immigration.

In 2019 folks of all ages read, discussed, thought about and grew through “Exit West,” Moshin Hamid’s novel about two refugees who find life and love on the run. 

Unlike other places, our event does not last a week, or even a month. This year — well, 2021 — WestportREADS runs from January through May. There are speakers, films, art exhibits, music performances, educational opportunities — you get the idea.

Not even COVID can slow it down.

The Westport Library — longtime driving force behind WestportREADS — has announced the topic, and the books.

This year’s theme is “Towards a More Perfect Union: Confronting Racism.”

The books are The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (fiction); Caste (Isabel Wilkerson, nonfiction); Class Act (Jerry Craft, young adult), and I Am Every Good Thing (Derrick Barnes, elementary school).

Programming kicks off on Sunday, January 17 (12 noon). Layla F. Saad — an East African, Arab, British, Black, Muslim woman and author of Me and White Supremacy — headlines the 15th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration. TEAM Westport’s Bernicestine McLeod Bailey will lead the discussion.

 

Layla F. Saad

Click here to register. More programs will be announced soon.

In past years, the Library has bought hundreds of copies of the book selections. They’ve distributed them throughout town, and made them available in their building.

The coronavirus complicated that task. So the Library has invested in digital versions and audiobooks. They are, however, providing hard copies to The Residence at Westport, the Gillespie Center, and schools.

“It’s called a ‘community read’ for a reason,” says Library executive director Bill Harmer. “All I did was pick the theme. This year it was a no-brainer. We really count on our partners to help plan what we do.”

WestportREADS is co-sponsored by the Westport Country Playhouse, TEAM Westport, the Westport Public Schools, Westport Weston Interfaith Council and Clergy, and Westport Museum for History & Culture.

4 Comments

Posted in Education, Library, Organizations, religion

Tagged , ,