Staples Gymnastics Heading To The FCIAC's
Staples gymnastics is ready for the Fairfield County Interscholastic Conference Championship competition on Saturday. Staples competed against St. Joe's and Trumbull (the current 1 and 2 seeds in the FCIACs on Tuesday night.
It was a close competition. Saint Joe's edged out Staples by 0.3 with a final score of 132.9. Staples had a strong meet finishing with a 132.6. Trumbull finished third with a 130.5. Norwalk high school had some strong performances as well.
Coach Kelsey Martin was happy with the performance last night. "We had a few falls on beam, but overall the team is looking polished, confident and ready for the post season. Our goal was to peak at FCIAC and States and we are on track to do so." For as crazy as this season has been, I am impressed with this team. We are a tight-knit team. We are hoping for a great end to the season."
Staples Meet highlights:
Mia Guster won vault (9.35) and floor (8.9) and finished third on beam (8.85). She is expected to contend for all three titles at FCIAC.
Victoria Fidalgo won the bars title with a 8.7. She competed a new vault and got a career high of 8.4. She also finished 4th in the all-around with an impressive 33.00.
Mimi Schindler (8.45 vault, 8.55 beam and 8.2 floor) and Sofia Alarcon (8.45 beam and 8.3 floor) competed in the all-around competition. Abby Pleiter and Eliza Walmark had career highs on vault.
Up Next: Staples qualified as a team for FCIAC (Saturday at 11:00 am). Staples is hopping to do well in the State Championships which begin on March 5th.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
South Compo Road’s Finnegan House Withstands144 Westport Winters
A morning commuter clutches onto their coffee as they make their way past the David and Mary Finnegan House, constructed in 1878 on South Compo Road near Bridge Street. WestportLocal.com photo
Oscar’s Deli Mural provides Company during Light Lunch Rush
The mural as shown in the background of this photo taken on Oscar's last day of business. “Some of the Oscar regulars gathered at the deli for the last time today.” Photo by Dave Matlow for WestportNow.comWith howling winds and snowfall outside, Rye Ridge Deli’s grills remained hot as one of the only places serving meals in the community during the storm. The lunch rush today was on the lighter side - however, the lunch crowd of 1982 remains steadfast as the original Oscar’s mural, painted by Pamela Markoya, sits above the booths.
Oscar’s Deli, a Main Street mainstay, closed its doors in 2016 after 46 years of service. Oscar’s owner and community member Lee Papageorge made the hard decision to close while battling illness, his family announcing August 1st, 2016 as the final day of operation. The community lost Lee just nine days later.
That Winter, Rye Ridge Deli operators - who have locations in Rye Brook, NY and Stamford - began renovations to the space and opened Rye Ridge Deli in the historic Main Street storefront in 2017.
The tradition of Oscar’s was not lost on the new owners. Markoya’s mural was pulled from the Oscar’s wall and placed onto the wall of the new deli as a nod to Lee and the team of regulars who frequented the deli counter or passed by the landmark barber chair for their usual lunch orders. A part of Westport community’s history, the mural includes handwritten names of those captured by the artist - allowing Lee to continue to watch over even the slowest of lunch services, even during snow storms like today’s.
Swan Glides Through Ripples
A swan cuts through small ripples to catch its prey as the sun slowly sets in the backscattering waves. Words and photo by Preston Siroka for WestportLocal.com.
Sun Beams Spread Warmth
With highs in the 40’s this afternoon, many got outside to enjoy the mostly sunny conditions, which contrast the outlook of the week ahead. Words and photo by Preston Siroka for WestportLocal.com.
Winter Tradition of Round Pond Hockey Returns
With consistently frigid temperatures, a group of high school seniors took to the ice this afternoon for a quick game of hockey. Aidan Philips, Will Philips, Luca Robbins, Cole Feinleib, and Ben Epes all enjoyed the sunshine as they glided over the small pond off of Compo Road South. Some of the boys have returned to the pond year-after-year as a Winter tradition - captured last January. The pond is privately owned, and ice thickness or safety is not guaranteed. WestportLocal.com photo
Marsan, Crawford Named as New Deputy Chief, Lieutenant at Fire Department Pinning Ceremony
Contributed photoWestport Fire Department
Fire Chief Michael Kronick and First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker are pleased to announce the promotions of Nicholas Marsan to the rank of Deputy Chief of Department and Theodore Crawford to the rank of Lieutenant. They, along with Fire Chief Kronick, were sworn in at Town Hall in a small ceremony at 2:00pm today. The promotions fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Robert Yost on January 1, 2022.
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker stated, “I extend congratulations and best wishes to Nick Marsan and Ted Crawford on their well-deserved promotions. The hard work, dedication and achievements displayed by these men are a credit to their profession. I have the utmost confidence that, along with Chief Mike Kronick, the Fire Department and the citizens of Westport are in extremely capable hands with this strong leadership team.”
“I am very proud of Nick and the contributions that he has made to our department and look forward to his continued leadership as we plan and prepare for the future. His management style, innovation, and communication skills are well regarded at all levels of our department, and I know he will continue to positively impact our fire department and our community in his new leadership role” said Chief Kronick.
Nicholas Marsan joined the Westport Fire Department as a career firefighter in 2007. Upon graduation from the Connecticut Fire Academy, he was assigned to Platoon 3 where he served as a firefighter for nine years. In 2016, he was promoted to Fire Inspector and was assigned to the Fire Marshal's Office for 12 months before being promoted to Lieutenant. Nick served 5 years as an Engine Company Lieutenant, most of which was spent at Station 4 in Saugatuck.
Nick is a veteran of the US Army and the CT Army National Guard. In 2010 he was deployed overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Nick was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal for Valor for actions during operations in Afghanistan and here at home has been the recipient of two Westport Rotary Public Protection & Safety Awards, and two-unit citations.
Nick is an EMT, a graduate of the Connecticut Fire Academy Class #41, a nationally certified Fire Service Instructor III and Fire Officer III. He is a state certified Fire Marshal and, prior to his appointment to Deputy Chief, served the communities of Norwalk and Darien as a Fire Inspector. Nick was president of the Westport Uniformed Firefighters Association, Local 1081. He is also a State Fire Instructor for the New York Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Nick is a graduate of Fairfield Prep and attended graduate school at Western Connecticut State University, earning a Master’s Degree in History. He also completing his Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Emergency Management at Sacred Heart University.
Deputy Chief Marsan stated, "I am truly honored to be entrusted with the responsibilities and duties of Deputy Chief of the Westport Fire Department. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the Westport community in this role and am eager to get to work doing so!"
Theodore Crawford joined the Westport Fire Department as a career firefighter in 2011. Upon graduation from the Connecticut Fire Academy, he was assigned to Platoon 2 where he served as a firefighter for ten years. Since March 2021, he has been assigned to the position of Acting Lieutenant on Platoon 4. He is an EMT and graduate of the Connecticut Fire Academy, Class #47, as well as President of the Westport Uniformed Firefighters Charitable Foundation.
Ted is also rescue diver on the Westport Police/ Fire Dive Team and Hazardous Materials Technician on the Fairfield County Hazmat Team. He is the recipient of a Westport Rotary Public Protection & Safety Award, Firefighter Dominic Zeoli Award and two, Unit Citations.
Ted is also a graduate of Clarkson University, earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and holds a Professional Engineering License in the State of Connecticut.
Chief Kronick spoke highly of Lieutenant Crawford stating, “I believe Ted will make an outstanding officer of the department and will be a great asset to our community.”
A formal Pinning Ceremony is being planned this spring (March/April) when we can properly gather and celebrate the department.
Please join us in congratulating Deputy Chief Marsan and Lieutenant Crawford.
Westport Non-Profits Receive CT Humanities Grants
State Senator Will Haskell's office announcement of the grants will help Westport arts, cultural, entertainment and science & education venues, including the Westport Playhouse, Westport Historical Society, now the Westport Museum For History & Culture, The Levitt Pavilion For The Performing Arts and Earthplace among others. J.C. Martin Photos for WestportLocal.com
Press Release From The Office Of Senator Haskell:
January 11, 2022
Senator Haskell Celebrates CT Humanities Awarding Of Grant Funding To Local Cultural, Humanities and Arts Organizations.
Today, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) celebrated the January 7 announcement that the Board of Directors of CT Humanities awarded significant grant funding valued at $1,454,800 to 43 local non-profit museums, cultural organizations, humanities organizations and arts organizations. The CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants are part of $30 million in support allocated over the next two years by the CT General Assembly and approved by Governor Lamont.
These grants are intended to assist organizations recovering from the pandemic and aiding them to grow their ability to serve their communities and the public. It is also aimed to connect K-12 teachers and students to strong humanities and arts content and improve information technology and digital infrastructure. Grant funding ranged from $5,000 to $500,000 and any organization offering cultural, humanities and arts-based projects and activities for the public were eligible.
"Our local arts and educational organizations play vital roles in expanding the worlds and minds of so many," said Sen. Haskell. "I'm incredibly encouraged to see these important groups receive key funding that will ensure they continue benefitting our communities for years to come."
In Westport There Are Over $424,000 In Grants As Follows:
Artists Collective of Westport - $5,600
Beechwood Arts & Innovation - $8,800
Earthplace the Nature Discovery Center - $168,700
Friends of Westport Public Art Collections - $5,900
Levitt Pavilion - $38,500
MoCA Westport - $65,600
Play With Your Food - $13,000
Remarkable Theater Remarkable Drive-In - $12,500
Westport Community Theatre - $7,700
Westport Country Playhouse - $80,900
Westport Historical Society - $26,900
Westport School of Music - $21,800
WestonArts Receives $50,000 from Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust
Top row (L-R): Christine Walder, Sally Eiler, and Adria Belport. Bottom row (L-R): Aline Weiller, Allison Lisbon, Cindy Wagner, Casey Lerner, Patricia Perez-Goodrich, Susan Young, Erin Gorman. Not pictured: Marc Fontaine, Hanna Przada, Debbie Rehr, Amy Borowik, and Agata Tria. Contributed Photo by Veronica Hauresz. WestonArts, Inc. WestonArts, Inc. (westonarts.org), announced the award of a $50,000 grant from the Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust. WestonArts (WA) is grateful for this significant grant and similar gifts provided by the Trust in past years. In 2017, WestonArts received a $104,000 grant from the Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust that funds WestonArts Scholarships ‒ annual awards for graduating Weston High School seniors to support their continuing education in the arts. This additional $50,000 grant will enable the creation of the “WestonArts Offutt Enrichment Fund,” and will be applied towards the organization’s mission to support and develop the arts in Weston.
Daniel E. Offutt lived in Weston for over three decades in a home he built. This property proudly displayed many of his own large, beautiful, steel sculptures. He had a career as a stockbroker after obtaining an MBA from Columbia University in 1965. Richard Orenstein, trustee of the Offutt Charitable Trust, said of Daniel, “Those who knew him would remember him as a tennis player, traveler, sailor, metal sculptor, woodworker, fixer of anything, collector of everything, lover of projects, stock market investor, and good friend.”
Specifically, the “WestonArts Offutt Enrichment Fund” will provide need-based financial support to Weston youth to pursue advancement and enrichment in all facets of the arts. Providing need-based grants has been a critical part of WA’s mission since its formation in 2005. WA partners with the Town of Weston Social Services Department, led by Allison Lisbon, Director of Social Services. Ms. Lisbon identifies youth in need of financial support for art-based education, instrument rentals, and event and program participation fees.
“WestonArts is thrilled to be the recipient of this generous gift which specifically supports our organization’s vision. The newly established fund will help countless students pursue artistic education without bearing a prohibitive financial burden. The fund will nurture the arts in Weston and, in turn, benefit our community at large. Art stimulates the imagination, opens the heart and mind to possibilities, and fuels the soul,” said Patricia Perez-Goodrich, WestonArts Chair.
To make these arts-based enrichment opportunities as impactful as possible, WestonArts also facilitates reduced rates for classes, rental services, and instruction with educational institutions and individual artists. Some of the generous organizations WA has partnered with include: The Westport Country Playhouse, The American Classical Orchestra, Suzuki School of Music, The Dance Academy of Westport, The Music Shed with David Morgan, The School of Rock in Fairfield, MOCA Westport, the Wilton Dance Studio, Jodi Stevens Bryce (voice lessons), SBE Performance & Productions, Leslie Giuliani (art classes), and Westport-based Atelier Constantin Popescu music instrument rentals. Individuals or organizations interested in partnering with this community effort or joining WestonArts, should contact info@westonarts.org.
In addition to raising funds for local scholarships and grants, WA also supports the arts in many other meaningful ways, including hosting events such as this past July’s first Weston Fine Arts Festival held in partnership with Gordon Fine Arts. The festival featured over 100 fine art vendors, along with a full weekend of live entertainment performed by a talented array of local performers including José Feliciano.
“WestonArts pulled off a Herculean feat with the first annual Weston Fine Arts Festival. With the Offutt Trust as one of its sponsors, the organization gathered willing volunteers and orchestrated an upbeat outing that simultaneously built community and celebrated the arts.” said Samantha Nestor, Weston First Selectwoman.
Additional updates regarding WestonArts, its members, and the organization’s endeavors can be found in the WestonArts Spotlight, a new column in Weston Today featuring WestonArts news and happenings.
Through the years, WestonArts, a 100% volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, has raised and disbursed over $600,000 in funds to support its mission in the arts. The Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust’s generous grant to WestonArts will enrich the community of Weston well into the future.
The Westport Idea: MoCA Westport and the WAAC Announce New Exhibition
Six Dancers, Children at Yangzhou School for the Deaf and Blind, 1996, Westport Public Art Collections, Gift of the artist.From MoCA Westport: MoCA Westport and the Westport Arts Advisory Committee (WAAC) announce the opening of The Westport Idea, a new exhibition featuring selected works from the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC).
The Westport Idea will be on view at MoCA Westport from January 28 – March 12, 2022. The exhibition will enable audiences to enjoy selections from WestPAC holdings of more than 2,000 artworks at a public venue. Most of these works are housed in public schools and municipal buildings, not always accessible to the public.
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, January 28, 2022 from 6 – 8 p.m. at MoCA Westport. The reception is open to the public. Attendees must show proof of a COVID vaccine or negative COVID test results.
The Westport Idea was co-curated by Westport Town Curator Kathleen Motes Bennewitz and Liz Leggett, MoCA Westport’s Director of Exhibitions, and with Ive Covaci, PhD, WestPAC Director of Education and curator of the ‘Learning Galleries.’
“The exhibition originated as an ‘Idea’ between WAAC and MoCA Westport to bring annual selections of WestPAC’s heralded, but rarely seen, collection of original works of art on view for the community to enjoy, appreciate – even be wowed by,” said Town Curator Kathleen Bennewitz.
“It also demonstrates how Westport’s cultural legacy enabled artists, educators, and donors, then and now, to build these important Collections. Like WestPAC, MoCA Westport evolved and thrives from the same energy that is the basis/source of ‘The Westport Idea.’ There is a legacy of creativity and appreciation of art that underpins both of these organizations, as well as other art institutions in Westport,“ Bennewitz added.
Ruth Mannes, MoCA Westport’s Executive Director stated, “MoCA strives to present thought-provoking and relevant arts experiences, and we look forward to sharing these WestPAC works with the community. This is an exhibition the entire family can learn from and enjoy.”
Click here to expand release
The Westport Idea includes several of WestPAC’s 2021 acquisitions by artists of color and under-represented groups. WAAC’s diversification effort is a step towards acquiring art by, and more broadly representative of, Black artists and people of color in our community. Examples in the exhibition include Three Shadows by esteemed photographer Adger Cowans of Harlem’s Kamoinge Workshop; Charles Joyner’s collage, Village @ Ntonso, filled with colors and patterns abstracted from African symbols, architecture, and textiles; and Don't Judge Me (2021) by Stamford artist Christa Forrest whose work is a mixture of realism, exploration, and experimentation.
“As our new acquisition initiatives proceed, WestPAC will continue to grow with original works by notable artists representing varied and diverse voices,” Bennewitz said.
WAAC’s mission is to bring attention to Westport’s artistic treasures, of which WestPAC is the most significant. In addition to 60 works of art from the WestPAC collection, the exhibition includes ‘Learning Galleries’ on Pop Art and Color & Collage. The WestPAC Committee collaborates with art and other subject area teachers to develop these installations. They rotate between schools, supporting curriculum and classroom projects and focusing on specific themes, genres, styles, or media.
Ive Covaci, WestPAC’s Director of Education, stated, “The Learning Gallery groupings will also evolve as WestPAC’s holdings grow, with future iterations including recent accessions like the collages on view in this exhibition by Charles Joyner and the late Fred Otnes.”
Westport’s heritage as an arts community is long-standing. As early as 1904, painters, sculptors, printmakers and illustrators gravitated to Westport, CT from New York City. A Bridgeport reporter noted in 1911, “there seems to be something in the air and scenery of this town which induces artists to settle within its limits.” In 1931, “The Westport Idea” originated with Samuel Duff McCoy, a poet, biographer and newspaperman. Nowhere in the radius of New York, or any large city, was there a year-round community of artists. Forty-three artists and twelve writers joined together to create a collective that planned and exhibited together under McCoy’s leadership.
The Westport Public Art Collections’ origins go back to 1910 but more fully evolved in 1965 through the vision of Westport artist and educator Burt Chernow. His “Idea” was to collect original fine art for students to experience daily. Chernow believed that “the vital and formative years spent by children in public schools are significant in determining their adult attitudes toward art.” This inaugural collection consisted of about one hundred works donated by eighty credentialed area artists. Today, WestPAC has more than 2,000 artworks by global luminaries and esteemed American and regional based artists.
“Of course, these painters really are not artists of Westport. They belong to New York, to Paris, to Munich and Rome. They are first class painters, and while their homes are in Westport, they are citizens at the same time of the wider art world. Two important things have combined to call this colony of artists together. First, convenience to New York, with its publishers, its collectors, galleries and exhibitions; second, the great landscape beauty of the surrounding country." - Christian Science Monitor, 1913
Simultaneous with The Westport Idea, MoCA will also showcase the works of high school students around the region in its annual high school exhibition. Entitled Identity this year, the exhibition features over 100 works based on the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self. All high school students were eligible to submit their work, including drawings, paintings, digital/graphic images, photographs, sculptures or videos.
Admission to MoCA Westport’s gallery is now complimentary for all visitors, made possible through the generous gift of an anonymous donor in 2021.
MoCA Westport thanks Wendy and Jacques Bouthillier for their generous support in funding The Westport Idea exhibition. Their gift allows the Museum to make this extraordinary collection available in a formal museum space for the first time.
For more information, please visit mocawestport.org or contact Liz Leggett, Director of Exhibitions. MoCA Westport’s winter hours are Wed 12 - 4PM | Thursday 12 – 7 PM | Friday – Sunday 12 - 4 PM. MoCA Westport is located at 19 Newtown Turnpike in Westport, Connecticut.
Artists Included In The Exhibition
Lynsey Addario, Enrico Bai, Leonard Besser, Ralph L. Boyer, Paul Camacho, Carlotta Corpron, Ann Chernow, Adger Cowans, Charles Daugherty, James H. Daugherty, Lisa Daugherty, Stevan Dohanos, Jim Dine, Walter Einsel, Sam Francis, Elaine Kaufman Feiner, Leonard Everett Fisher, Davira Fisher, Lillian Freedgood, Christa Forrest, Jerri Graham, Hardie Gramatky, Charley Harper, Howard Heath, Richard Hunt, Robert Indiana, Albert Drexler Jacobson, Lester Frederick Johnson, Asger Jorn, Charles Joyner, Alex Katz, Nicholas Krushenick, Estelle Thompson Margolis, Henri Matisse, Joan Mitchell, Norma Minkowitz, László Moholy-Nagy, Enid Munroe, Fred Otnes, Gabor Peterdi, Mel Ramos, Baroness Hilla von Rebay, Robert Rauschenberg, Barbara Rothenberg, Lucy Sallick, Larry Rivers, Larry Silver, Victor Vasarely, Tom Wesselmann, Jean Woodham
Supporting Programming for The Westport Idea
Thursday, February 3, 2022 | 6 - 7 PM
Kathleen Motes Bennewitz, The Westport Idea Co-Curator Talk
Free Admission; Register at mocawestport.org
Thursday, February 17, 2022 | 6 - 7 PM
“An In-Depth Discussion on Tom Wesselmann”
Huffa Frobes-Cross, Tom Wesselmann catalogue raisonné project manager at the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, NYC and Paris.
The Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc. is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the study of art history and to fostering the accessibility, cataloguing, and digitization of archival materials that support critical research in the field.
Free Admission; Register at mocawestport.org
Thursday, February 24, 2022 | 6 - 7 PM
Ekphrastic Writing Workshop with Diane Lowman, Westport Poet Laureate
Free Admission; Register at mocawestport.org
Thursday, March 3, 2022 | 6 - 7 PM
WESTPAC Teaching Gallery Talk with WestPAC Director of Education and Learning Gallery curator Ive Covaci, PhD, and Westport Public Schools Educators
Free Admission; Register at mocawestport.org