Christ and Holy Trinity's Christmas Crèche Brings Joy On Christmas Eve
Weston's Kelli O'Hara singing "Oh Holy Night"
Seven time Tony nominee and winner of the 2015 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical, Kelli O'Hara brought the magic of Christmas to Westport's Christ & Holy Trinity Church on Christmas Eve with a performance of "Oh Holy Night". The Christmas Crèche celebrates the birth of Jesus as told in story, movement and song, which began with the angels and the clergy entering the church and concluded with Father John placing the baby Jesus in the manger. Traditional songs including "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem" and "Silent Night" were performed.
Photos by J.C. Martin for WestportLocal.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Unitarian Universalist Christmas Pageant On Christmas Eve
Director Reverend Edward Thompson led and played piano for this years Christmas Pageant which was scaled back due to the latest round of COVID to hit Westport. Reverend John Morehouse narrated as the children performed traditional Christmas Carols.
Photos by J.C. Martin for WestportLocal.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Note from the Editor: One Day You’ll See How Far We’ve Come
From the Editor:
As positive as I try to remain, I have never seen myself as a optimist. Sometimes things aren’t positive - and they should be recognized. I promote the good as often as I can because it is happening out there, but sometimes we have to recognize the bad, because it’s also happening.
As I speak to more and more members of my own community - colleagues, family members, friends - I find that the idea of recognizing those negative points in our lives and validating the feelings that come with them is overlooked, especially on holidays. We wish people a happy holiday - a merry Christmas - and sometimes we never accept that there is another option (although “have a mediocre Christmas” doesn’t have that same ring to it, I guess).
I am all for starting off in a positive space - to give a chance for good to show itself. However validation of frustration or fear, just like excitement and happiness, is important in allowing us to move forward on a steady plane rather than a roller coaster of highs and lows.
This week has been a rollercoaster for our community. Vacations have been cancelled, family members isolated to their rooms, and past year’s worries and fears found themselves back in our minds. Lines for testing are no longer a moment in history, and everyone knows at least a handful of their friends and family who have officially celebrated the COVID Christmas 2021. We can say Merry Christmas all we want, but some of these things don’t fall under that category. And it’s okay not to be merry. It’s also okay to be merry, then angry, then jolly, then sad - all while eating a pint of peppermint ice cream (fine, a quart.)
In between spoonfuls, pause to recognize all that’s happened around you. In the midst of what will forever be known as COVID Christmas 2021, many families are finding a new closeness and coziness as they celebrate with less people at their table, new traditions as they remain in their own home, and more joy in the little things in their lives that would ordinarily pale in comparison to the usual trip to Turks or skiing the Swiss Alps.
Sometimes traditions are born out of necessity in a time when all else might not be possible - and they continue to remind us of how far we’ve come, year after year.
One day - you’ll be able to see how far we’ve come.
I hope that as you go into this last week of 2021, you can recognize all of the good that happened to you this year - while also taking the time to recognize the bad. The goal is to pause long enough to read your story that’s being written out as time marches on, not change the words or edit for brevity. Sometimes our stories will have long, frustration chapters. Read them and grow with them.
As I sit here, Christmas coming to an end, I can’t tell all of you to be merry and jolly today - because for some of you that’s not in the cards. And that’s okay.
What I can tell you is that your community remains underneath you for when your rollercoaster begins that uphill climb towards better moments and experiences - for when your story starts its new chapter.
I wish you the best in whatever you find yourself doing today - whether it be lounging on a distant beach, skiing down a northern mountain, or sitting on your couch in sweatpants while your family remains locked in their rooms (quarantining or just because).
If you have empty chairs around your table this year - may the memories of those who filled those chairs be blessings, and their voices always be remembered when everyone can be together once again.
And if you’re celebrating: Merry Christmas. My brothers, my mom, and I are home today without our extended family crammed around the multiple tables stretched into the living room - a typical Italian Christmas all but cancelled as COVID trudges on, family moves away, and everyone gets older.
It’s hard, but it’s reality.
There was Facetiming, texting, calling; we found out my cousin proposed to his girlfriend in the group chat.
Ups and downs. Highs and lows. We’re getting there, wherever “there” may be.
In partnership,
Jaime Bairaktaris
Executive Editor & Founder
South Beach Sunset through the Trees
One of South Beach’s quintessential sunsets as seen from the end of boardwalk. Photo by JD Dworkow for WestportLocal.com
Meals and Toys Delivered to Children’s Hospital at Montefiore as Al’s Angels Spread Cheer throughout Region
Staples Freshman Will Dransfield helps unload 150 meal bins and hundreds of toys at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore early this morning in the Bronx, New York. WestportLocal.com photo (click to read more) 150 meal bins remain ready for families at Montefiore Children’s HospitalFor over two decades, thousands of families have been able to enjoy a holiday meal thanks to the donations and volunteers of Al’s Angels. The Westport-based charity supports children and families suffering from financial hardship, cancer, or bloodborne diseases throughout Connecticut and New York with resources, fundraisers, and other community events.
The meal bins contain dozens of quintessential food items that will allow a family to enjoy the holiday together as the bins are delivered before both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays - taking one more chore off of their plate during turbulent times.
The 150 bins that were delivered to the Bronx, NY children’s hospital are just some of nearly 1,300 bins that were assembled and delivered today. Hundreds stepped up to help fill and deliver the boxes, some arriving to the Al’s Angels workshop even before sunrise to get the task done.
As the season continues, Al’s Angels continues another mission: an annual toy drive that collects nearly 10,000 new toys for children hospitalized or suffering from poverty during the season. Large supplies of those toys were also delivered to Montefiore with the meal bins today - bringing some holiday cheer to the nearly 200 children spending the season in their wards.
Hundreds Attend Wakeman Town Farm Tree Lighting
Wakeman Town Farm which has become a Mecca for Westport families held their annual Christmas Tree lighting event Friday night kicking off the Holiday Season with a crowd estimated at 800 or more over the course of the evening. Families enjoyed the Christmas tree and decorated grounds, sweet treats from The Porch and Sweet P Bakery, and hot chocolate from The Granola Bar and Starbucks. Also, a variety of local school musicians playing Christmas and Chanukah favorites.. Children played among several lighted trees and brought their parents to the bonfire to warm up and toast marshmallows.
Photos by J.C. Martin for WestportLocal.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Newtown Turnpike Finds Light at the Country Store
The glow of the Country Store has provided light to the Newtown Turnpike/Wilton Road intersection for decades as a quick stop for locals heading home.
Joyful Light Brightens Kings Highway North
A home on Kings Highway North, near Woodside Avenue, brightens the evening commute with its archway of light over the driveway. WestportLocal.com photo
Tunnel Vision: Seeing 20/20 after Full Restoration
Members of the public, hand models, and local artists gathered in the tunnel between Main Street and Parker Harding Plaza to celebrate the restoration of the Tunnel Vision public art project. Artist Miggs Burroughs unveiled the original displays in Spring of 2014 - each of the boxes featuring a lenticular image and a story behind it. After several seasons and thousands of passersby over the years, the boxes required updating of the images and the lighting behind them. An online fundraiser was launched and today the finished restorations showed brilliant, vivid images that continue to tell stories to those who pass by them. Lenticular images are a specialty medium for Burroughs, who uses the format to create an image that changes as one moves past it.
Westport Non-Profit Celebrates 20 Years of Helping Local Animals
The Alliance in Limiting StraysA dedicated group of local animal lovers is celebrating a feat worthy of a lot of tail wagging. The Alliance In Limiting Strays (TAILS), an all-volunteer spay/neuter specific organization, marked their 20th year of spaying and neutering local dogs and cats earlier this month.
"It's amazing what was borne from 9 people who dreamed of making a difference," Dorrie Harris, President of TAILS stated. "And what a difference we've made. Given breeding statistics for two unspayed/unneutered dogs or cats, we have literally saved millions of animals through our spay/neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs," she stated. "We do roughly 550 spay/neuters every year thanks to our volunteers, donors and local veterinarians who support and share our mission. We also adopt about 170 cats into loving homes each year who we save directly from the streets. But there are still so many out there to help."
The group helps both dogs and cats but truly focuses on where they see the most need: feral cats. "A pair of feral, or community, cats can easily turn into 40 cats in two years - so that's where the need is greatest in our area," Harris stated. "These cats have few advocates so we've become their champion and trap as many cats as possible to get spay/neutered/vaccinated and returned to their feeder [cat colony caretaker]," she continued.
TAILS was formed in April 2001 and received their IRS, tax-exempt certification on November 7, 2001. The organization is a stand-alone, 501c3 organization which consists of a dedicated group of volunteers of all ages in the area with no paid staff. In early 2001, the founding members broke off from the animal shelter environment to emphasize the importance of, and need for, spaying and neutering, a critical procedure all too often lost when budget decisions are made and existing animals are at the doorstep.
"Nobody wants dogs and cats to die because there aren't enough adopters, lack kennel space or unsuccessfully trying to live on the streets....but that's the reality of where we are right now, unfortunately. To stop this we need to get every animal we can spayed or neutered," Harris stated. "If you imagine the shelter system as a sink of overflowing animals - how would you stop that sink from overflowing? You'd turn off the faucet, right? The supply, in other words. Spaying and neutering is the equivalent of shutting that faucet off. It's really that simple. And there are a host of health benefits to each animal when they're spay/neutered too," she added. Harris also stated the organization is a no-kill and only puts animals down when medically necessary as deemed by a veterinarian.
TAILS is based in Westport and serves as the Town's de facto cat group which represents and protects local cats from homelessness whenever possible as local Animal Control does not currently have the ability to take-in or place cats. Additionally, the organization supports 9 surrounding towns, has a robust TNR and Barn Cat program, has adoptable cats in two local Petco stores (Norwalk & Westport) and a dedicated group of more than 55 volunteers. Harris commented that volunteers, participating veterinarians/vet techs, foster homes and donors are always being sought to continue their work. More information or to support TAILS please visit http://www.tailsct.org, www.facebook.com/TAILSSpayNeuter, Instagram under tails_spay_neuter or via email at info@tailsct.org or phone at 203.222.1992.