Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund Accepting Grants; $290k Awarded in 2021
Press ReleaseThe Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund (BFSRF) is currently accepting preliminary applications for their 2022-2023 grant cycle. All preliminary applications are due no later than September 10, 2022.
The BFSRF, overseen by the Westport Weston Family YMCA, was created in 2015 due to a generous endowment from YMCA trustee emeritus Ruth T. Bedford, and awards one-year grants to one or more local programs that are selected through an annual grant process. Ruth Bedford believed in education for all and supporting those less fortunate. We are proud to carry on her legacy. In 2021, the BFSRF awarded $290,000 in grants to 28 organizations in the Greater Fairfield County area whose programs focus on supporting equitable education programs for students in our community. “The individuals who lead and run these organizations and their impact on the children in need of educational support in Fairfield County is remarkable; their efforts truly change the lives of the children and young adults in in our communities that they support,” says Juliane Sunderland, who co-chairs the BFSRF Committee along with Libby McKinney Tritschler.
“Adam J. Lewis Academy (AJLA ) is very grateful for the Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund's continued meaningful and impactful support and their most recent Grant, which helps us continue to expand and provide more students and families in the Bridgeport community with opportunities for high-quality education," says Neal Edelson, the Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Advancement at Adam J. Lewis Academy, a 2022 recipient of the BFSRF Grant.
We invite all eligible non-profits to complete the preliminary application available on our website no later than September 10. All organizations who are invited to submit a final application will be notified by October 4. If you have any questions about the BFSRF, the application, or the requirements, please contact Julia Marshella at jmarshella@westporty.org.
ABOUT WWFY
The Westport Weston Family YMCA is a non-profit organizations that enriches the community by developing and nurturing youth, promoting healthy living for all and fostering social responsibility. Our core values drive everything we do. By holding ourselves accountable to build character around our core values of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility, we build wholeness and wellness in spirit, mind and body for all.
George Capiris, 91, Died; Former Westporter who “never missed a New York Giants football game”
George Capiris, age 91 of Southport, formerly of Westport, Connecticut, beloved husband of 65 years to Stella Capiris passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
Born in Yonkers, New York, he was the son of Christopher and Christina Capiris. He was a graduate of the Saunders Technical School in Yonkers. He was a parishioner of the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Yonkers where he served for many years as an altar boy, having been tonsured by the late Patriarch Athenagoras, and where he attended Greek School. His passion was sports where he played football in the semi pro league. He served in the Armed Services during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1954. Upon his marriage to his beloved wife Stella, he moved to Connecticut and was employed at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. He later became the proprietor of Shoreham Liquor Store in Fairfield, for many years. He was an avid sports enthusiast, where for many years as a ticket season holder, he never missed a New York Giants football game.
He was predeceased by his beloved son, George Thomas, who was not only his son but his closest "buddy". He is survived by his beloved wife, Stella; his treasured son, Christopher and his wife, Marie Capiris; a cherished granddaughter, "Carrie"; two beloved godsons, Joseph Capiris and Paul Nikolaidis; his devoted brothers, Terry Capiris and his wife, Margaret and Thomas Capiris and his wife, Betty; a special brother-in-law, James Englis and his wife, Angela; a devoted cousin, Nicholas Nikolaidis and his wife, Cathy; and many loving nieces, nephews, and their respective families both here and in Greece.
The Rite of Burial will be celebrated on Monday, August 29, 2022 at 11 a.m. in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, with Fr. Georgios Livaditis, Presbyter, officiating, followed by interment at the Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield. Calling hours will take place on Monday morning from 10 a.m. until time of service in the church. The Commerce Hill Funeral Home, 4798 Main Street, Bridgeport, has been entrusted with the services. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Trinity Church Iconography Project in memory of George.
AIONIA H MNHMH
Documentary Photographer, Former Westporter to Give Lecture on Cuba Travels
Contributed photo. Press Release: International documentary photographer, Daryl Hawk, will present a photo documentary and lecture entitled “Into the Heart of Cuba” to the Appalachian Mountain Club on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:30PM. This special event will take place at the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East in Westport.
Daryl was one of the first Americans to travel alone without any restrictions and unlimited access to all areas. Riding in a 1953 Chevrolet for 2 weeks, he fell in love with this unique country within hours of his arrival. “The visual stimulation that I experienced from dawn to dusk was truly exhilarating. I have never seen such a perfect combination of beautiful light, color and the friendliest and most welcoming people in all of my travels. Explorers all have stories to tell. Mine is told through the lens of a camera. I am a visual explorer.”
Daryl has made six trips to Cuba between 2016 – 2022. He started his Cuba journeys in the capital of Havana where the day to day street life and architecture was his main focus. He then made his way to the rural Vinales region which is world renowned for tobacco plantations. From there he continued to head east through the cities of Cinfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara, Camaguay, Santiago de Cuba and Baracoa, the most eastern point in Cuba. The stunning architecture, colorful cars from the 1950s, remote caves, environmental portraits of people from all walks of life, and dramatic landscapes are all covered in the presentation.
Daryl travels to Cuba with the goal of shooting documentaries for magazines and television and will share his nonstop, day to day adventures, experiences, discoveries, and valuable lessons he learned on these incredibly spiritual journeys. He will discuss his style, philosophy, and various techniques he uses when photographing subject matter. Equipment, lighting on location, environmental portraits, and travel tips on planning a trip to Cuba will all be covered as well.
For the past thirty years, Daryl has explored some of the most remote and isolated places in the world telling stories with his camera. He is a photographer, travel writer, lecturer, and explorer whose articles and photographs often appear in numerous national magazines and publications worldwide. He is a member of the Explorers Club, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and member of the Professional Photographers Association. He has been featured several times on NBC’s “Today Show” and Fox 5 television.
Daryl owns and operates “Unconventional Travelers”, a small personalized tour company that focuses on inspiring travelers to the world in a new way by experiencing first hand other cultures and lifestyles. These stimulating photographic explorations inspire and connect people with some of the world’s most beautiful places. For information on trips for 2022 and 2023 to Cuba www.unconventionaltravelers.com.
He is the author of five published photography books. “Distant Journeys” consists of 150 color images from the Arctic, the Andes, Patagonia, Antarctica, Bhutan, New Zealand, and much more. “Quiet Moments” includes Hawk’s favorite 120 black and white photographs taken over the past 25 years. Nature and nautical landscapes and abstracts, New York City scenes, and misc. travel landscapes and portraits are all highlighted. “White Pond” is a tribute to a small lake in southern New Hampshire. “Manhattan”, is a color retrospective with 200 landscapes, buildings and street scenes of New York City. His latest book, “Into the Heart of Cuba” consists of 450 images from his recent circumnavigation around Cuba.
Daryl is also the former host and producer of the television show “The Unconventional Traveler” which featured some of the worlds’ leading explorers, travel photographers and filmmakers sharing their work from various expeditions and documentaries. He produced over 100 shows over a 10 year period and some of his guests included Jane Goodall, Buzz Aldrin, Reinhold Messner and George Schaller.
For more information on this event, please contact Eleanor Sasso at (203)216-6814 or easasso7@icloud.com. Daryl Hawk is a former resident of Wilton and Westport.
Westport Superintendent: “The energy in our halls and classrooms is palpable”
Superintendent Thomas Scarice: Good afternoon,
I truly hope that each of you have taken time this summer to unwind, unplug, and connect with family, friends and loved ones. The calendar says “August”, and within days we will be welcoming back over 5,000 students!!
Today, our entire WPS team returned to finish final preparations for the start of the school year. The energy in our halls and classrooms is palpable. It is so refreshing to feel the “new school year energy” again!!!
First Day!!
Our first day of school is Tuesday August 30. If you have not already received information, please expect follow up from your child’s building principal about the schedule for the first day and beyond. Your child’s building principal is the best source of information at the school level.
Healthy Use of Technology
This is the first school opening since 2019 where the pandemic did not play a primary role. The district is fully committed to fostering community in our schools, returning to a more active learning environment, and restoring much of the humanity of our work that was lost over the past couple of years. With a focus on well-being, the district will move to encourage and implement a healthier use of technology.
As we know, technology has become a natural part of our learning environments, and critical to surviving the pandemic. However, the distractions of personal devices have compromised the instructional setting, and the interpersonal relationships in our schools.
Each level (i.e. elementary, middle school, high school), has revisited the research that was conducted just before the pandemic, and developed expectations for smartphones, smartwatches, etc., in order to limit distractions and encourage healthy interpersonal development.
Building principals will communicate this information to parents and students at the start of the year, and again throughout the year. Middle school students will be asked to keep their personal cell devices out of use and off their person once the school day begins, and high school students will be expected to do the same during individual class periods.
Again, further information will be provided by your child’s building principal, particularly related to the specific parameters of your school, the most expeditious manner to contact your child during the day, etc.
We will do our best to limit unnecessary technology use and we ask for your support in these changes. I can assure you that it will not be perfect, but it will be better for our children. Your support will be consequential.
“WheresTheBus” Parent App
With the transportation challenges school districts are facing across the country, we will be implementing a new “app” for parents to help with communication.
“WheresTheBus” is a tool for parents to know when the bus will arrive at your stop with up-to-the-minute ETAs to reduce the uncertainty. The app can be downloaded on any Apple or Android device.
Bus times at the start of the school year tend to settle into a routine by the end of the second or third week. New routes, morning pictures of the “first day”, new drivers, all contribute to this. As a result, the app will go “live” later in the month of September once routes are firmly established.
Again, I am certain that this will not be perfect, but it has the potential to significantly increase the timely flow of information to parents. Stay tuned for more information from the Transportation Department.
Calendar Change - January 2 Holiday
Some families may have vacations planned over the holiday break. In response to a state law regarding the placement of holidays that fall on a weekend, I have asked the Board of Education to modify the school calendar in order to make January 2 a holiday. As a result, one school day will be added to the end of the school year.
Brief Note on Covid-19
Following a strong finish to the 2021-2022 school year, we will begin this year as we ended last year. The goal will be to continue to maximize in-school learning and return to normalcy and pre-pandemic status.
The risk of COVID-19 continues to change for the better with protection from vaccines and growing immunity from prior infections. We will continue to follow guidance from the State Department of Public Health and the CDC on minimizing the effects of respiratory disease in school. Our focus this year will be on promoting vaccinations, monitoring symptoms and utilizing at-home self testing.
We continue to encourage all students, families and staff to stay up to date on vaccinations. Vaccinations are the first and most important defense for preventing respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza. Everyone 6 months and older can now receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. Options are plentiful in our community and can be found at Vaccines.gov - Find COVID‑19 vaccine locations near you
COVID-19 at home self test kits will be available to all families and staff and their use is encouraged. Families may also obtain tests by visiting COVID.gov/tests. A more detailed document with specific information will be available on the District website prior to the start of school.
Other Critical Start of School Information
Please see the attached document for a list of where to find forms and other important back-to-school information for families.
Thank you for your continued support!! We all eagerly await the first day of school!!
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Eagle 1 Crew Flies over Compo during Training Mission
The highly qualified Eagle 1 crew - consisting of volunteer pilots, police officers, and rescue workers - gave beachgoers an unexpected air show tonight as the 1968 Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, or "Huey", flew just a few dozen feet from the shoreline before it banked hard right to follow the Saugatuck River on its journey home. The “Eagle” teams operate 3 search & rescue helicopters in the State at no cost to the victims or towns they assist through the help of donation dollars and their trained volunteer pilots, rescuers, and mechanics. Many of the volunteers are former or current military, law enforcement, or other emergency service provider who remain on call for when Eagle 1, Eagle 2, or Eagle 3 are called into action. Tonight’s training was confirmed as such by the New Milford Police Department, who now oversees the aerial unit after a transition from the Stratford Police Department. The helicopter was purchased as military surplus and has remained in service in the region ever since, including rescue missions in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. WestportLocal.com photo
Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tomorrow
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
High Tides
10:48 AM / 11:01 PM
Low Tides
4:47 AM / 4:58 PM
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 9; State Positivity Rate 10.24%
The State Department of Public Health reported 9 more COVID-19 cases in Westport over the past day. The State positivity rate was up to 10.24%. 358 people are hospitalized around the State as of today.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 5,714 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 39 deaths
State Daily Test Positivity: 10.24% [up from 9.54%]
Man Arrested for Assault, Violating Protective Order, Risking Injury to Child
Westport Police: On August 19, 2022, at approximately 1:10 a.m., Westport Police officers responded to a location in Westport on a report of a disturbance. It was alleged that during an argument Sheridan Webb punched another person in the face. Mr. Webb was no longer on the scene when officers arrived and a search of the area for him was not successful. Children under the age of sixteen were present during the incident. Additionally, officers discovered that there was an order of protection in place barring Mr. Webb from being at the home of the person he was accused of assaulting. A warrant for Mr. Webb’s arrest was completed and signed by a Superior Court Judge.
On the afternoon of August 20, 2022, Mr. Webb turned himself in at the Westport Police Department. Per the warrant, he was charged with Criminal Violation of a Protective Order, Assault in the Third Degree, three counts of Risk of Injury to a Child, and Disorderly Conduct. Mr. Webb was released after posting a $25,000.00 bond and was arraigned at Stamford Superior Court on the morning of August 22.
Seated Front Row
A trio of early birds caught front row seats to this morning’s sunrise off of Compo Beach’s westernmost jetty. WestportLocal.com photo
Westport Police Increase Enforcement Ahead of School Start
Westport Police Department: With the start of Westport’s schools on Tuesday, August 30, the police department will be increasing its traffic enforcement in school zones with a “Back to School” enforcement and education campaign. Officers will be looking out for drivers who are using cell phones, speeding, and disregarding school bus signals.
The Westport Police Department is committed to protecting children from motorists who disregard Connecticut’s traffic safety laws, especially around school zones and bus stops where students congregate. We urge commuters to allow for extra time, as they will be sharing the roads with school buses making frequent stops, as well as children who will be walking and/or biking to school. Please remain vigilant around school zones, bus stops and school buses. Obey the school bus laws, which include slowing down and preparing to stop for yellow flashing school bus lights and stopping for red flashing school bus lights.
A list of suggestions for drivers, students and parents are listed below. Parents are encouraged to discuss these safety tips with their children and with young or inexperienced drivers in their home.
Drivers:
When driving in neighborhoods with school zones or backing into a roadway, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
Be alert! Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
Learn and obey the school bus laws.
Learn the "flashing signal light system" used by school bus drivers to alert motorists of pending actions:
Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists on both sides of the roadway must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
Children:
Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it is okay before stepping onto the bus.
If you must cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
Use the handrails to avoid falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps are not caught in the handrails or doors.
Never walk behind the bus.
Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.
If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.
Follow instructions given by school crossing guards. Do not cross until they have stopped traffic completely and have advised it is safe to cross.
We all have a responsibility to make sure children make it to and from school safely. Let us work together to have a safe back to school season!