Westport PAL Car Show Draws 62 Classics while Raising Money for Local Kids’ Programs
Spectators at today’s PAL Car Show walk past a vintage Ford Mustang on display. The event was put on by the local non-profit to continue their mission in supporting community kids through sports, college scholarships, and community events. One of the organization’s largest fundraisers - the annual Independence Day Fireworks at Compo Beach - have been cancelled two years in a row, creating a need for more fundraising efforts so they can continue to serve the community. Today’s car show included a $15 fee to enter a vehicle, with a barbecue and raffle prizes being held at the railroad station lot. The Westport PAL was founded in 1948 and is operated by active and retired law enforcement officers alongside local volunteers. To learn more or donate, visit WestportPAL.org
WestportLocal.com photo
Westport Police Officers Respond to Lemonade Stand’s Call to Help Raise Money for Earthplace Animals
Ashley Charise (9) set up a lemonade stand outside their Imperial Avenue home today with the mission to raise money to help feed the animals at Earthplace. Westport Police Officers responded to the home for a cool drink and to support Charise’s mission. She raised $150 from the stand, an amount that was matched to help the local non-profit nature center. Contributed photo for WestportLocal.com
Darlene Love Rocks and Rolls through Westport
Popular artist Darlene Love rocked Westport on Friday night from the Levitt Pavilion stage, a concert that went on sale in June and was quickly sold out. At 79 years old, Love and her band had guests on their feet dancing and singing to the songs and beats she’s been renowned for throughout the decades. Photos by J.C. Martin for WestportLocal.com
Maritime Aquarium Offers “Sensory-Friendly Evening” for Differently-abled Kids and Adults
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is planning a special evening on Mon., July 26 to give guests with sensory-processing differences a fun, comfortable and accepting environment.
And, thanks to the statewide “CT Summer at the Museum - Free Admission for Kids” initiative, admission will be free for most Connecticut residents.
During this "Sensory-Friendly Evening," from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., all Aquarium exhibits will be open, including the enormous new seal habitat called “Pinniped Cove.” But lights in galleries will be lower, and music and other sounds will be turned down or off. Plus, tickets will be discounted for guests not eligible for free admission.
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While The Maritime Aquarium offers “Sensory-Friendly Evenings” several times a year, the date for this upcoming event – July 26 – was chosen to celebrate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in state and local government programs and services.
Tom Naiman, the Aquarium’s director of Education, said the advantages in offering this event after the Aquarium’s normal opening hours are two-fold: Aquarium staff can focus on the guests with special needs, and guests averse to crowds won’t encounter them.
As during daily Aquarium hours, admission during the July 26 “Sensory-Friendly Evening” is free for Connecticut residents age 18 & younger, along with one accompanying adult, through the “CT Summer at the Museum” program. For additional adults and non-residents, discounted admission is $19 for adults, $17 for seniors (65+), and $14 for children (3-12).
For those wanting to include a movie in the new 4D theater, guests can enjoy the films wearing 3D glasses but with sounds lower and theater lights brighter, and without any of the sensory effects. (Guests aren’t required to wear the 3D glasses but, without them, images onscreen will appear blurry.) Pick from BBC Earth’s “Shark: A 4D Experience” (12 minutes long) at 7:15 p.m., or “Ice Age: No Time for Nuts 4D” (10 minutes) at 6:45 and 7:45 p.m. Tickets for a 4D movie, which are optional, are $7.
Based on recommendations of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the state of Connecticut, unvaccinated guests and all children age 2-11 – except for those with a medical note from their doctor – must wear masks in The Maritime Aquarium. Vaccinated guests are strongly encouraged to continue to wear their masks too.
Reserve tickets for the July 26 “Sensory-Friendly Evening” in advance online by going to www.maritimeaquarium.org and clicking on “Visit,” and then “Aquarium Happenings.”
Learn more about the free admission summer initiative for Connecticut residents at https://www.ctvisit.com/articles/connecticut-summer-museum-free-admission-kids
UConn: Westporter Ben Casparius Selected in Fifth Round of MLB Draft by Los Angeles Dodgers
Photo by Ian BethuneFrom SB Nation: The UConn BlogUConn pitcher Ben Casparius selected in fifth round of MLB Draft by Los Angeles Dodgers
The Westport, Connecticut native will likely begin his professional career with Los Angeles.
by Shawn McGrath
UConn baseball right-handed pitcher Ben Casparius has been selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, No. 162 overall. The recommended signing bonus value for this pick is $318,200.
He will join Wills Montgomerie, who was selected in the sixth round in 2017, in the Dodgers organization.
Casparius, originally from Westport, Connecticut, only had one season in Storrs but made it count. He made a team-leading 15 starts, earning an 8-5 record with a 4.03 ERA. His best outing of the season was March 5 against Miami (OH), scattering three hits in a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts. He also exited three additional starts without surrendering a run, including against UMass, Georgetown and Creighton. Casparius struck out 15 hitters in seven innings against the Hoyas, his career-high.
He led the Huskies in innings (91 2/3), as well as strikeouts (127), which translates to 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. His strikeout mark is also second in UConn history, behind only Colin McLaughlin, who notched 138 punch-outs in nearly 20 more innings (111). This was enough to earn Casparius ABCA First-Team honors for the Northeast region, as well as second-team all-conference honors and a spot on the Big East all-tournament team.
Casparius’ best pitch is his change-up, which MLBPipeline graded a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale, which translates to above-average. His fastball, slider and control were each given 50 grades, which is average. His fastball sits around 91 mph but he has been recorded as high as 95 mph. He projects as a strike-thrower with a solid three-pitch mix. This, despite his slight 6-foot, 208-pound build, leaves him a chance to start through his professional career.
Casparius spent his first two years at North Carolina, where he played sporadically as both a hitter and pitcher, before missing the 2020 season due to transfer rules. As a result, he has some eligibility remaining, should he decide to return to UConn.
Mensa Foundation Awards Two Westporters Scholarships
Olivia Consoli and Whitney O’Reardon, both of Westport, were awarded scholarships by the Mensa Foundation. Contributed photo .Olivia Consoli is the only recipient of the 4 Paws and a Tail Scholarship in 2021. This is a national level scholarship. Olivia is currently enrolled at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. After working in Oncology at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, she is now focusing on general practice.
Whitney O’Reardon is the recipient of the Diana Mossip Memorial Scholarship. Whitney is currently enrolled at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. Her interests are architecture, visual arts and historical preservation. She plans to be a historic bui private sector as well as with nonprofit organizations worldwide.
The Foundation’s scholarship program bases its awards totally on a 500-word essay written by the applicants. There are no requirements for Mensa membership, grades, or financial need. To learn more about the Foundation and the scholarship program, contact local scholarship chair Darcy Sledge at darcy.sledge@icloud.com, or visit www.mensafoundation.org
Bradley Street Blooms for Independence Day
Hydrangeas are in full bloom on the corner of Bradley Street and Compo Road South, with the mass of color surrounding the home known for the annual display of pedals just in time for Independence Day.
Farmers’ Market Busy Ahead of Independence Day
Photos & Words by Caelan Chevrier for The Westport Local Press. The first hot and humid day of July brought hundreds of community members down to Westport Farmers’ Market. Shoppers could purchase produce, meats, loaves of bread, dairy products, and beverages, from over 50 local vendors. Due to the holiday weekend, Thursday’s turnout was even larger than normal. Every tent and truck attracted a line of enthusiastic visitors. Accompanied by a live acoustic set by a local musician, it seemed that Westport Farmers’ Market is the place to be on early Thursday mornings this summer.
Mae Farrell, who runs the Get Growing program for the market said that her favorite part is seeing all the shoppers. “It is such a great community of people,” she said. “You get your regulars and not just people from Westport, but people from all over the place traveling down here.”
Mackenzie Brandt, who works for the Riverbank Farm in Roxbury, CT, understands the importance of buying locally. She likes the market because she knows the food is high quality. “In some markets, they are not always organic, or they are not using the most sustainable practices. I think that local food is a lot more important than people give it credit for, a lot of the lettuce that we sell was just picked yesterday. Buying locally is healthier for you, it helps the environment, and community, you never know what the labor practices are with other larger companies.”
Westport Farmers’ Market will be open Thursdays 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM until November 11th this season.
WAAC Culture Corner: Westport Community Band and Red, White, and Blue for July
Prepared by Diane Lowman, Westport’s Poet Laureate and WAAC MemberWelcome back to the Westport Local Press’s Westport Arts Advisory Committee’s “Culture Corner.” Each month, the WAAC scours our 33.45 square miles and highlight one of the many artists – visual, written, performance, and other – who call Westport home. These artists create a spectrum of color that shines over town like the rainbows often seen over the Saugatuck, so we have made “color” our theme.
For July, we break the rules just a bit in that we feature three colors: red, white, and blue as we celebrate the nation’s independence. And what better way to highlight artists in our community, than by paying tribute to a group that features many members of our community, and itself honors that community by sharing its talent in myriad venues and ways – most recently in the first post-pandemic Memorial Day Parade. The Westport Community Band (https://westportcommunityband.com/) has been a fixture in our town since 1977.
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I had the pleasure of speaking with Sal LaRusso who has directed the group for 32 years. He explained that the band consists of adult musicians from the area. They have a wide variety of “day jobs,” but share a love of music, and enjoy honing their skills while entertaining the community. LaRusso served as Weston schools’ Band Director for more than thirty years, and now stands at the helm of this volunteer group whose ages range from 20 to 80. In addition to honing their musical skills, the band aims to serve the community as much as possible. While appearing regularly at the Memorial Day Parade, July 4 Fireworks (sadly, not this year), and the Levitt Pavilion, they also perform for organizations like Purple Hearts, where they aim to give back to this population who have given so much to their country. They also have a program that allows middle school musicians to rehearse and performs with the band. This “Play with the Community Band” program has served over 500 local students.
LaRusso’s dedication and service has earned him the honor of being named the Grand Marshall in Weston’s Memorial Day parade as well as the deep respect and gratitude of band and community members alike. Local dentist and avid musician Richard Epstein says that “Sal is enthusiastic and skilled at challenging everyone in the band to improve.” Epstein, who is a professional bassoonist, chose to play saxophone for the band to glean experience with that instrument. He has rehearsed and played with the ensemble for over five years and says his playing has greatly benefited, and he hopes the band has as well.
Some of the group’s favorite songs to perform are: Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite of Old American Dances and Richard Rogers’s Victory at Sea – and anything by John Philip Sousa, of course. Normally they’d rehearse after school hours at the Bedford Middle School auditorium, but the pandemic has put a hold on that. As Covid-19 fades in Connecticut, LaRusso hopes that they can reunite for regular sessions together. They not only make beautiful music together, but they enjoy each other’s company, and many miss the social aspects of their meetings.
The town is lucky to have such a multi-faceted band in its midst. They exemplify not only the depth and breadth of artist that we have here in Westport, but the deep commitment to giving back to their community, and so we take our hats off to the Westport Community Band!
See the Westport Community Band perform at the Levitt Pavillion on Tuesday July 13, 7pm.