Saturday, December 09, 2023

Sponsors

A Better Chance Gala Saturday Night Offers Auction Goodies, Entertainment

Want to board a plane for California to attend a taping of NBC’s “Jay Leno Show?” Or attend “The Daily Show,” “The View,” or Broadway’s “Hairspray?” How about five nights in St. Thomas? Or spending a day with the president of Saks Fifth Avenue or the CEO of ad giant Young and Rubicam?abetterchancescholars03310501260.jpg
A Better Chance scholars: they will benefit from Saturday event. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

These and other goodies are up for auction at Saturday night’s A Better Chance of Westport fund-raiser, A Dream, An Opportunity, A Better ChanceӔ at the Unitarian Church in Westport. Tickets for the event are still available.

Other auction items include choice major league baseball tickets, a day on the set of an HBO mini-series in London, a day at the New York Jets traiing camp, a day in the pit with the crew at a national racing event, and an hour at the Gault yard learning how a front-end loader works.

Entertainment will be headlined by local composer, arranger and performer Chris Coogan. He will be joined by Joe Meo, who will accompany him on clarinet and sax, and Westport veteran actress and singer Dorothy Bryce.

Westport Teen with Her Own Home Suite Featured in NY Times

A Westport teen with her own two-room suite in her parents’ 7,000-square-foot 1930s Colonial-style home is featured in today’s New York Times.

The story, by Westport freelancer Andre Brooks, quotes a researcher for a home builders group as saying that kids’ suites in their parents’ home is one of the most popular trends in upscale housing now.

The Times said that Westport architect Bob Jacobs created the two-room suite with bathroom two years ago for his daughter, Emily, then 13.

“We wanted to create a situation where the kids would want to come to us rather than go elsewhere,” he said.

Shays: “I Believe Terri Schiavo Did Not Want Her Life Continued”

shays03310501.jpg
Rep. Christopher Shays, addressing the Westport/Weston Y’s Men today shortly after Terri Schiavo died, said he voted against a measure allowing a federal court to intervene in her case because “I basically believed that Terri Schiavo did not want her life continued.” He added, “My view is it should be handled by the states and that the federal government should stay out of it.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Motherly Talk

shaysmeyer03310501.jpg
Rep. Christopher Shays smiles as his friend and Westport/Weston Y’s Men member Bill Meyer talks about Shays’ mother, Peggy, at the group’s meeting today. Meyer said he had taken Mrs. Shays to the Westport Senior Center recently for lunch and that she had very much enjoyed the experience. Peggy Shays was in the audience at today’s meeting. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Westport’s Representatives Split on Death Penalty Abolition Vote

Westport’s two state representatives split their votes on Wednesday’s unsuccessful attempt to abolish Connecticut’s death penalty.

The measure was defeated 89-60. Democrat Joe Mioli, a freshman representative whose district covers all but a sliver of Westport, voted yes. Republican Cathy Tymniak, whose district includes a portion of the Greens Farms area, voted no.

The five-hour debate came with New England’s first execution in 45 years looming. The bill would have replaced the death sentence with life in prison without the possibility of release—a move that leaves serial killer Michael Ross’ fate up to the courts.

Legislators who want to end capital punishment had acknowledged for weeks that the abolition bill had no chance of passing. However, they said the House vote allowed them to debate the public policy before Ross’ scheduled May 11 execution by lethal injection.

Another Blow for Golden Hill Paugussett Recognition

The Golden Hill Paugussett tribe, which has long sought federal recognition and hope of opening a casino in Bridgeport, has suffered another setback in its bid for federal recognition.

Westport is among a number of southwest Connecticut communities that have opposed establishment of a casino in Bridgeport.

Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton upheld the rejection of the tribe’s bid for federal recognition in a letter dated March 18 and released Wednesday

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has twice rejected recognition bids from the tribe. The tribe appealed the second rejection in September. A month later, an appeals board referred the matter to Norton.