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J.C. Martin 10/17/22 J.C. Martin 10/17/22

Hundreds Flock To Downtown For Westoberfest Fall Festival

The beautiful colors of fall foliage lining Elm Street provided the perfect backdrop for one of Westport's favorite fall events, the annual Westport Downtown Merchants Association's 3rd annual Westoberfest.

Billed mainly as a beer tasting event with more than a score of craft brews available for the tasting from area micro-breweries, great beer is only the beginning for visitors to enjoy. Delicious culinary delights of all kinds were available from several food trucks as well as fresh baked goods from vendors properly attired in Lederhosen, sampling of delectable treats from Bridgewater Chocolatiers, and many other food offerings including traditional German bratwurst.

For the younger guests there were many activities including various games located in and around the family activity area as well as do it yourself art projects with the guidance and assistance from the Westport Artists Collective and face painting adding to the fun and festive family atmosphere.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery

James Bairaktaris 10/17/22 James Bairaktaris 10/17/22

Morning Weather Report

Today

Showers likely, mainly between 8am and 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 66. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. West wind 3 to 6 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 57. West wind 5 to 9 mph.

Tomorrow Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 38. West wind around 7 mph.

James Bairaktaris 10/16/22 James Bairaktaris 10/16/22

Beloved Staples Teacher Suddenly Passes Away; Staples Opening on 3 Hour Delay Monday

Update

Dear Westport Families and Staff,

I am writing as a follow up to the tragic passing of Mike Sansur. I met with the Staples High School crisis team earlier this evening, and we decided that it's best to operate the high school on a three hour delayed opening for students tomorrow, Monday, October 17, 2022. The school day for students will begin at 11:00 a.m., and buses are expected to begin their runs at 10:10 a.m.

Our staff will arrive at their regular time and use that time to prepare for receiving students. Students will begin their day in the Connections period, and support from our mental health staff will be available at that time and throughout the day. Any student who needs support should speak with a trusted adult in the building; any parent who believes their child needs support should let their child’s counselor or grade-level assistant principal know.

We appreciate everyone’s understanding of this change and the continued support of the entire Westport community during this difficult time.

Respectfully,

Thomas Scarice

Superintendent

First Email

Dear Westport Families and Staff,

I am so sorry to be writing to you today to share some tragic news. Yesterday, we lost Michael Sansur, beloved Technology Education teacher at Staples High School, to a car accident on I-95. His son was also critically injured in the accident. We are devastated by this news and our hearts are with the Sansur family during this difficult time.

Stafford Thomas, principal of Staples High School, will be working with the building’s crisis team, as well as the central office crisis team, to develop plans for supporting students, staff and families, in coping with this tragedy. We will share those plans with the community later today.

Mike was a personal favorite of countless students and staff. His career has been marked by inspirational stories of Mike positively impacting the lives of students at Staples and creating an unparalleled sense of belonging in his classroom.

Further details and support plans will be shared later today.

Respectfully,

Thomas Scarice
Superintendent

J.C. Martin 10/16/22 J.C. Martin 10/16/22

Staples Boys Soccer: Yet Another Shut-Out

The Wreckers controlled the game on Friday from start to finish. The 6-0 win over St. Joseph’s was Staples’ third in five days. It raises their record to 6-6-1, and keeps them in the race for an FCIAC playoff berth.

Scoring was led by Junior Avery Mueller wo scored twice and sophomore Jonny Costello, also with two goals. Sophmores Dylan Hoke and Sam Rossoni added one goal each.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery

J.C. Martin 10/16/22 J.C. Martin 10/16/22

Knifed Watercolors Creator Marian Christy Exhibition Opens at MoCA Westport

Marian Christy, above left, sunglasses, spoke with museum-goers about her work and her exhibit at MoCA Westport.

Saturday night MoCA Westport held its opening reception for From the Pen to the Knife, an exhibition featuring a unique collection of watercolors by the ground-breaking artist Marian Christy. Now 90 years old, Christy is the pioneer who invented Knifed Watercolors®, a new technique she developed into a single and original style that shatters tradition. The technique uses only palette knives and puddles of paint. No drawing and no brushes.

Christy was a Pulitzer-Prize nominated journalist for the first chapter of her life at a time when women had limited journalistic opportunities, and considers her time as an artist as a second chapter of her life, a time where she pivoted from “the pen to the knife.”

From the Pen to the Knife was curated by Ruth Mannes, Executive Director of MoCA Westport; Liz Leggett, MoCA Westport’s Director of Exhibitions; and visual artist Tom Berntsen.

The exhibition will be on view through November 27. Docent-led tours are available on Thursday afternoons (advance registration requested), and admission is complimentary on Thursday evenings after 4 PM.

For more information, visit mocawestport.org.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

James Bairaktaris 10/16/22 James Bairaktaris 10/16/22

Martha Ordeman, 97, Died; “grew up in Westport, CT, where she met the love of her life, Skip, on the steps of the YMCA.”

Martha Ordeman, age 97, passed away on May 29, 2022, with her family by her side. Martha grew up in Westport, CT, where she met the love of her life, Skip, on the steps of the YMCA. She attended the University of Connecticut where she became a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She graduated in 1947. She and Skip were married the same June. They lived most of their early married years in Westport before moving to Dayton in 1963.

While raising five children, Martha still found time to volunteer. She was involved in many organizations such as Dayton Children's Hospital, AFS, Smith Gardens and St. Paul's Episcopal Church's Alter Guild. She was most proud of chairing the group of volunteers from St. Paul's that delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. She was best known for being there to help others in need. Many have enjoyed a meal from Martha delivered on a tray complete with homemade dessert and a flower in a small vase.

She was a competitive person when it came to sports and games. She enjoyed playing golf and bowling throughout her life. She was on the same bowling team, the Alley Cats, for over 50 years. She was a sharp card player. She continued to beat her family in Casino and double solitaire up until her final days. She was also in several bridge groups until 2020 when COVID prevented them from meeting.

Martha was a woman with many talents. She was a wonderful cook, an experienced seamstress and an avid gardener. She knitted beautiful sweaters for her family and made many cross stitch and embroidered items for family and friends. She was quite the "handy woman". She wallpapered, she painted, she made slipcovers and could fix about anything. She was one of the first among her friends to get a computer. After that she became Skip's secretary, typing many letters and notes for him and helping with all the committees he was on.

Skip and Martha traveled to many places in the U.S. and in other countries but their favorite home away from home was their condo on Sanibel Island. There they created many wonderful family memories. They were avid shellers. In their later years, they enjoyed sitting on the porch, looking out at the gulf and watching the younger family members continue the tradition of shelling.

Martha loved her family more than anything. She was a very caring and supportive wife, mom, grandma and great-grandma. She and Skip attended all their kids' activities and attended as many of the grandkids' activities as possible. She was predeceased by her husband Richard "Skip" Ordeman who died in 2020. They were married 72 years. She is survived, dearly missed and remembered by her children Susan Duncan (Jack), Janet Campbell (Doug), Nancy Downey (John), Linda Miller (Mike), Rick Ordeman (Constance), 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank all the caregivers from Loving Senior Home Care and the nurses and therapists from Fidelity that gave Martha such wonderful care. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at 1:30 PM at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 33 W. Dixon Ave., Oakwood, OH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Dakota Center, 33 Barnett Street, Dayton, OH 45402 in Martha's memory. To share a special memory or leave a message for the family, please visit www.tobiasfuneralhome.com.

James Bairaktaris 10/16/22 James Bairaktaris 10/16/22

Colonel Charles H. Gobrecht III, 82, Died; Staples Grad, Air Force Veteran

Charles H. Gobrecht, III
December 7, 1939 - September 26, 2022

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - We celebrate the vibrant and full life of Colonel Charles H. Gobrecht III, who passed away peacefully at home on Hilton Head Island, SC on September 26, 2022, with his loving wife Karen Gobrecht at his side. He was welcomed to Heaven by the Lord and by the spirit of his beloved daughter Heather G. Holcomb, who preceded him is death in 2014.

Charles was born in Philadelphia, PA on December 7, 1939, and graduated from Staples High School in Westport, CT. He was an alumnus of The College of William and Mary and upon graduation in 1962 entered the US Officer Training School at Lackland AFB, Texas. While there, he met and married a fellow lieutenant, Karen Marsh. They were assigned together to Kadena AB on Okinawa and traveled extensively throughout the Far East. Upon return to the US and completion of their master degrees at the University of Colorado, Charles served on the faculty for several years at the US Air Force Academy while Karen joined the faculty of the University of Colorado.
In 1974, Charles entered the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA, and was later appointed the Air Force Representative to the US State Department's Senior Seminar in International Affairs. In 1978, he became Air Attache at the American Embassy in London, and in 1986 was the Air Force representative to the 40-nation Conference on Disarmament with rotating postings at the State Department in Washington, the United Nations, and Geneva, Switzerland.

Following his retirement from the Air Force in 1988, Charles followed his passion to enter the sports management business. In 1990 he became Director of Events for ProServ based in Arlington, VA. Two years later Charles became Chief Operating Officer of USA Volleyball, The US Olympic National Governing Body including men's, women's, and beach teams.

In 2005, Charles retired to Hilton Head where he was a faithful member of the First Presbyterian Church and its Sanctuary Choir. With a deep commitment to the community, Charles held leadership positions in the Military Officers Association of America, the Hilton Head Island Military Veterans Coalition, the Indigo Run Community Owner Association (10 Years), The Golf Club at Indigo Run, the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE), and the Boys and Girls Club of Hilton Head.
Charles enjoyed the game of golf with friends and was known for his relentless exercise routine. He loved to travel. Always curious and ready for the next adventure, Charles lived a very rich life. He was kind, grateful and generous.

Charles will be forever loved and missed by his surviving wife Karen Gobrecht; son, Stephen Van Rensselaer Gobrecht; daughter-in-law, Marsha Hartmetz Gobrecht; son-in-law, Sean Joseph Holcomb; granddaughters, Rachel Elizabeth Gobrecht and Haley Ann Holcomb, and grandson, Ren Alexander Gobrecht.

Memorial services will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 2:00pm. Burial at Beaufort National Cemetery will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Charles's memory to the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head, P.O. Box 22267,
Hilton Head Island, SC 29925, or the charity of your choice. Islandfuneralhome.com.

James Bairaktaris 10/16/22 James Bairaktaris 10/16/22