Sunday, May 31, 2009
Historical Society Hosts “Ageless Artists” Exhibit Reception
There was a large turnout today at the Westport Historical Society for the opening of a new exhibit, “Years in the Making: Ageless Artists, Ageless Art.” The exhibit features the work of 50 artists, all of whom are 70 and older and still actively engaged in their art. The exhibit runs through Sept. 7. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Welcome
Susan Gold (c. in black), executive director of the Westport Historical Society, welcomes guest to a reception today marking the opening of “Years in the Making: Ageless Artists, Ageless Art.”(CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Unteremeyer for WestportNow.com
Break Dancing at the Westport Arts Center
The Westport Arts Center (WAC) today hosted WACky Family Day with the United Outkast group from Bridgeport demonstrating break dancing moves. The event was part of the WAC’s weekend fund-raising activities that included Saturday night’s River Dance attended by about 300 guests, according to Nancy Heller, WAC executive director. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Patriotic Popsicles
Patriotic Popsicles were just the right touch for these visitors today to Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com
Wreckers Win FCIAC Baseball Title With 5-3 Victory
For the second consecutive year, Westport’s Staples High School baseball team members are Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) champs. The Wreckers edged Stamford Westhill 5-3 today in a game played under brilliant sunshine at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport. Jimmy Sikorski pitched a three-hit complete game while Jack Hennessy, with three hits today, won tournament MVP. Staples teammates rush on to the field following the final out. (CLICK TO ENLARGE WestportNow.com photo
We’re No. 1!
Staples baseball team members celebrate as they won their second consecutive FCIAC crown with a 5-3 victory today over Stamford Westhill at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Victory!
Staples fans cheer at Bridgeport’s Harbor Yard today as the Wreckers clinched the FCIAC baseball title for the second consecutive year with a 5-3 win over Stamford Westhill. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Safe at Third
Staples junior Jack Hennessy is safe at third during a double steal today as the Wreckers scored three runs in the first inning of their 5-3 win over Stamford Westhill for an FCIAC title repeat. Hennessy was named the tourney’s most valuable player. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Choices, Choices
The Westport Sunday Farmer’s Market opened today behind the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East. The market will run 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Sunday until Nov. 22. The Thursday Farmer’s Market is at the Imperial Avenue parking lot and runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Nov. 19. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Marina Scene
The sun finally came out Saturday, casting a glow on the Ned Dimes Marina at Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
Sunday, May 31, 2009
8 a.m. - Sherwood Island - 28th annual Bike MS: bkm/Steelcase Ride
11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. - Saugatuck Congregational Church (245 Post Road East) - Sunday Farmers Market
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Home”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Raw Edge: Lori Lohstoeter Drawings”
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - WACky Family Festival
2 p.m. - Town Hall - Westport Community Theatre, “Don’t Drink the Water”
3 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - opening reception, “Years in the Making” and “Heads & Hands”
3 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Children” + symposium with playwright A.R. Gurney
7:30 p.m. - Beit Chaverim Synagogue (85 Post Road West) - Movie Night “Green Fields (Grine Felder)” 1938 subtitles
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Hidden Heron
A heron rests near a stream near the Westport-Fairfield town line. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
“Children” Actors Take a Bow
Taking at curtain call tonight after the Westport Country Playhouse opening of the A.R. Gurney play “Children” were (l-r) Mary Bacon, Katie Finneran, Judith Light, and James Waterston. The play runs through June 13. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Fun on the River
A party tent in the parking area of the Westport Arts Center on Riverside Avenue was lit up tonight while Joe D’Eli and his All Star Band played dance music at a gala to benefit the Center. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Independence Day Fireworks Tickets on Sale
Westport First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff has announced that Independence Day fireworks, hosted by Westport P.A.L., will be held on Friday, July 3, with a rain date of Monday, July 6, at Compo Beach at sundown.
Last year’s fireworks attracted a large crowd to Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Tickets are available at the Westport Parks and Recreation offices at Longshore Club Park during business hours and also at Westport Police Headquarters anytime.
Tickets are $30 per car and must be purchased in advance. The tickets are sold on a first-come basis and are limited.
The fireworks are expected to conclude before 10 p.m.
Video Leads to Arrest of Longtime Friends for Larceny
A Westport family suspected some longtime friends—including an 83-year-old woman—of taking silverware from their home and caught them in the act today with a video camera, police said.
Shortly before 10 a.m., police received a call that a larceny was taking place at a private home, a news release said.
Police later learned that a Westport family had suspected longtime friends of the family they allowed to stay at the home of taking rare silverware and installed hidden cameras linked to a remote monitor.
The family, who were elsewhere in Connecticut, called the police when they observed the larceny taking place in real time, police said.
More "Video Leads to Arrest of Longtime Friends for Larceny"
Chilling Out at Eco-Fest
Music, food, and green environmental information was abundant today at Eco-Fest at Westport’s Levitt Pavilion. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Andy Yemma for WestportNow.com
Westport Police Make Prostitution Arrests
Westport police today arrested an 18-year-old Bridgeport woman and a 46-year-old Wolcott man on prostitution charges after they were spotted engaging in a sexual act at Green’s Farms station.
Police said an officer was checking the area when he noticed suspicious activity in the back of a parked car.
“When he stopped to investigate he observed a male and a female engaged in a sexual act, and it was later discovered that the female was a prostitute and the male was her customer,” a police news release said.
Arrested were John Mikletonas who was charged with public indecency and patronizing a prostitute and held on $2,500 bond, and Angela Richardson, who was charged with public indecency and prostitution and held on $5,000 bond, police said.
Staples Advances to FCIAC Finals With 3-0 Win Over Trumbull
The Staples Wreckers are in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) baseball finals again. A 3-0 victory today over Trumbull at Trumbull set up the 1 p.m. Sunday championship game against Stamford Westhill at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport. Last year, Staples gained its first baseball FCIAC title since 1985 with a 3-1 win over Westhill. David Speer pitched a complete game six-hitter with 10 strikeouts today with offensive help from Jack Hennessy (above), who had a homer, double and single. The baseball win followed Friday night’s clinching of the FCIAC volleyball title by the Wreckers. They edged Fairfield Co-Op 3-2 for their seventh straight FCIAC title and 10th overall. Pam Moss for WestportNow.com
Eco-Fest Volunteers at the Ready
Student volunteers from Westport’s Staples High School got ready for visitors at today’s Eco-Fest, an outdoor music festival to promote green initiatives, at the Levitt Pavilion. The events runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Hundreds Pay Tribute to Dorothy Bryce
Westport’s Unitarian Church was overflowing today for a memorial service for actress Dorothy Bryce, a longtime Westport resident who died May 21 at the age of 85. (See WestportNow May 21, 2009) Daughter-in-law Jodi Stevens Bryce, wife of son Scott Bryce of Westport, sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” one of Dorthoy Bryce’s favorites, at the close of the service. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Ecumenical Clergy Choir Honors Dorothy Bryce
An ecumenical choir comprised of clergy from many congregations sang “No one is an Island” today at Dorothy Bryce’s memorial service at Westport’s Unitarian Church in honor of Bryce’s lifelong devotion to equality and mutual respect among all. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Malow for WestportNow.com
Overflow Crowd for Dorothy Bryce Memorial
There was an overflow crowd today at a memorial service for actress Dorothy Bryce of Westport who died May 21 at athe age of 85. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Sons Offer Tributes
The three sons of Dorothy Bryce offered tributes to their mother at today’s memorial service at the Unitarian Church in Westport—(l-r) Scott, David, and Philip. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Pearl’s Girls
The Wakeman sisters, or as their late mother, Pearl, referred to them as, “Pearl’s Girls,” gathered at their parents’ farmhouse on Westport’s Cross Highway Friday to hold a tag sale. They are (l-r) Barb Wakeman Reznar, Charlie Wakeman Constantino, and Jeanne Wakeman Mann. Barb and Jeanne now live in Hamden, and Charlie and her family live in Westport. Of her parents and the farmland, Jeanne Wakeman Mann said, “Mom and Dad wanted the property to remain as open space for all the generations of Westporters to enjoy. My father’s favorite saying was ‘We used to raise vegetables, now we’re raising kids on the playing fields.’” Pearl Wakeman died April 19 at the age of 90. (See WestportNow April 20, 2009) Under a 1970 agreement in which the Wakemans sold their 38-acre farm to the Town of Westport, the property reverted to the town upon the death of Peal Wakeman. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Home”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Raw Edge: Lori Lohstoeter Drawings”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Years in the Making: Ageless Artists, Ageless Art,”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Heads & Hands” by Kristin Rasich Fox
2 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Saturday Family Matinees: “The Tale of Despereaux”
3 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - Staples Club Green and Green Village Initiative “Eco Fest”
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. - ART uP Gallery (42 Main Street) - opening reception, “Charcoal Boots” exhibition of Staples student artists
7 p.m. - Toquet Hall Teen Center - Jenny Owen Youngs and Jukebox The Ghost w/ These United States & Adrian Simon
7:30 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Take Me to the River” Gala dance benefit
8 p.m. - Town Hall - Westport Community Theatre, “Don’t Drink the Water”
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Children” opening
Friday, May 29, 2009
Curtain Call
The cast of “Don’t Drink the Water,” a revival of the 1966 Woody Allen play, takes a bow following the show’s opening tonight at the Westport Community Theatre at Town Hall. The five Westporters who perform in the 13-member cast are from the left: Nicole Whitney (1st l), Manny Lieberman (3rd l), Marc Hartog (4th l), Nik Shpilberg (10th l) and Cindy Hartog (11th l). Shpilberg, a 2004 Staples graduate and 2008 UConn gradfuate, appeared in a play for the first time. Born in Russia and emigrating to the United States nine years ago, he portrayed a Russian character in the play. Joan Lasprogato, theatre manager, said that “Nik was a volunteer stagehand for us but turned out to be a perfect fit for his first role as Krojack.” Performances will run for three weekends. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Bedford Jazz Band Wins Top Honors
The Jazz Band from Westport’s Bedford Middle School won first prize today at Music in the Parks, an annual competition for elementary, middle school, and high school musical groups. The band, directed by Gregg Winters (backleft, in glasses), won both in its division (jazz bands, middle schools over 750 students) and first overall (all jazz bands), with a judges’ rating of Superior. Bedford’s chamber orchestra won second place in its division, and the Bedford Camerata chorale took third.The competition took place at a high school in Bristol, Conn. Following their performances, the students spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the rides at the nearby Lake Compounce amusement park. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Pogue for WestportNow.com
Soloist Star
At today’s Music in the Parks competition for Connecticut school musical groups in Bristol, Conn., Westport eighth-grader Greg Salamone was awarded a special judges’ prize for Best Soloist of the Festival. Greg, Bedford Middle School’s jazz-band guitarist, won the same medal at last year’s competition. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Pogue for WestportNow.com
Westport Property Transfers May 11 - 15, 2009
Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period May 11 - 15, 2009:
Helenanne Willmott to Mark J. and Jennifer E. Taglia, 6 Riverside Drive, $950,000 
Suzanne L. Rubenstein Est. and Robert Rubenstein Exec. to Helenanne Willmott, 24 Whitney Glen, $470,000
MBA Westport Realty Assoc. LLC to Vikas Muktavaram and Lavanya Bellumkonda, 66 Bulkley Ave. North, $1,415,000
Wende A. Cohen to Jonathan and Amy Hocchauser, 4 Melwood Lane, $1,225,000
Don’t Try This at Home
Stephanie Monseu of Bindlestiff Family Circus was among the performers Thursday at Westport’s inaugural streetfest sponsored by the Westport Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Association. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
Friday, May 29, 2009
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Home”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Raw Edge: Lori Lohstoeter Drawings”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Years in the Making: Ageless Artists, Ageless Art,”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Heads & Hands” by Kristin Rasich Fox
8 p.m. - Town Hall - Westport Community Theatre, “Don’t Drink the Water”
8 p.m. - Westport Country Playhouse - “Children” preview
Thursday, May 28, 2009
DTC Formally Nominates Joseloff and Kassen for Re-Election
The Westport Democratic Town Committee tonight formally nominated First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff and Selectman Shelly Kassen for re-election in November. The two, first elected in 2005, said they were eager to continue serving as they had much unfinished work to do. They said the years ahead would be even more challenging for Westport and required an experienced team with a proven track record. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
High Fives
A youngster and clown trade high fives today at the inaugural streetfest on Westport’s Main Street. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com
Fun on Main Street
Clowns provided entertainment for young and old on Westport’s Main Street today during the inaugural streetfest. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Realtime NY Metro-area traffic reports from Traffic.com
PROPERTY TRANSFERS
Westport Property Transfers May 11 - 15, 2009MORE >>
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