Vincent J Sarullo III Appointed New Staples High School Athletic Director

Press Release

The Westport Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Vincent J “VJ” Sarullo as the next Athletic Director at Staples High School. His selection for this role came after a rigorous search process involving multiple rounds of interviews. A critical part of the process was an interview with a committee composed of representatives from the coaching staff, teaching staff, school and central office administration, and board of education, all of whom supported his candidacy for this vital role at Staples High School. 

Mr. Sarullo brings a wealth of experience as an athletic director to Westport, having served in the role for 17 years. He is currently the Athletic Director at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, Connecticut. Prior to leading this respected program, Mr. Sarullo successfully served as the Athletic Director for both Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Connecticut, and Notre Dame of Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Connecticut. Throughout these experiences he has garnered respect across Connecticut as an educator who cares deeply about the well-being of student athletes, their positive experiences both in competition and the classroom, and their roles as leaders in the community.

Among the many accomplishments Mr. Sarullo has achieved through his career is his role as the current President of the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors. Recognizing his talents as a leader, his peers across the state selected him to serve in this position. It’s an honor he doesn’t take lightly, and his dedication and commitment to this critical organization will serve as a tremendous asset to Staples High School and Westport as a whole. Additionally, his achievements in leading and managing facility upgrades, developing robust professional growth opportunities for coaches, and his unwavering commitment to student voice serve as models throughout the athletic community.

Mr. Sarullo holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut. Additionally, he earned a Masters Degree in Holistic Thinking from the Graduate Institute in Bethany, Connecticut. Mr. Sarullo advanced his training as a leader by earning a Sixth Year Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Administrators who have worked directly with Mr. Sarullo gave universal praise for his honesty, integrity, and empathy as a leader. One shared, “He communicates with all stakeholders to ensure that student-athletes are leaders and role models in our school community.” Another shared, “An extremely competent, diligent, and responsive administrator, V.J. is passionately supportive of his students, coaching staff and community.” These qualities are a perfect match for the Athletic Director position at Staples High School. Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Thomas Scarice, noted, “I am very enthusiastic about V.J joining our team. This was a very comprehensive and rigorous process.  Yet, V.J. rose above the field of candidates due to his lengthy successful track record, and his exemplary leadership experiences that prioritizes communication, and student success, not only on the field of play, but also in the classroom and community.”

Westport Book Shop Celebrates Second Anniversary

Press Release

The Westport Book Shop’s Second  Anniversary is coming up at the end of this month, and everyone is invited to celebrate  with us! Plans include a celebration in honor of our volunteers, and a “Show Some  Love” social media video contest, detailed below. 

The Westport Book Shop is downtown Westport’s only non-profit used book  store, offering previously read and greatly appreciated books, hard to find out-of-print  and antiquarian books, vintage vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, and audio books. It is  operated by the independent non-profit Westport Book Sale Ventures, the mission of  which is to raise funds for the Westport Library, while providing competitive  employment and job training for adults with disabilities. 

 Since opening the Book Shop on January 28, 2021, the Book Sale and the  Book Shop have provided over 3,500 hours of paid employment for a dozen  employees with differing abilities, and have donated over $75,000 to the Westport  Library. 

None of this would be possible without an army of dedicated volunteers who  generously give of their time and talents to the Book Sale and the Book Shop all year  ‘round. On Saturday, January 28th we will be holding a Volunteer Appreciation  Celebration at the Westport Library from 10:30am to Noon. Come celebrate our  Volunteers with us! Please RSVP to volunteers@westportbooksales.org (or call  203-952-0070) and let us know if you plan to join us so that we can estimate a  headcount for planning purposes. 

In addition, in honor of its anniversary, the Westport Book Shop is sponsoring a  “Show Some Love” video contest. Entrants are asked to film a short family-friendly  video at the Westport Book Shop that shows their love for the Book Shop, and then  post the video to their own TikTok and /or Instagram accounts, and tag three friends plus tag the Book Shop’s accounts. Every entrant will get to choose one free  vinyl record, CD or book from the Shop, valued at $6 or less, and one lucky entrant  also will win a $50 Westport Book Shop gift certificate. The winner will be announced  at the Volunteer Appreciation Celebration. A second $50 Book Shop gift certificate will  be awarded to the entrant whose video receives the most “likes” on the Book Sale’s  social media accounts. Copies of the full Show Your Love Contest Rules and entry  forms are available at the Book Shop, and on the Book Sale’s website at  www.westportbooksaleventures.org/our-events  

The Westport Book Shop also will be sponsoring children’s story readings at  the Book Shop all anniversary weekend, Saturday January 28 and Sunday January 29.  “We are so very grateful for all the volunteers who sort, evaluate and price the  tens of thousands of book donations that we receive throughout the year, and work at  our book sales, and help keep the Book Shop running. We are equally grateful to our  community who support the Book Sale and the Book Shop. We embrace being a  community space!” said Westport Book Sale Ventures President Jocelyn Barandiaran. The Westport Book Shop is located at 23 Jesup Road, right across Jesup Green  from the Westport Library. It is open Sundays and Mondays from Noon to 5 p.m. and  Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (On Saturday, January 28th the  Book Shop will delay opening until Noon, so that everyone at the Shop can enjoy the  festivities at the Library that morning.) 

Police: Man Arrested after Hitting Jogger and Fleeing to Gas Station to Talk About it

Westport Police Department:

On January 8th, 2023 at approximately 8:06 am Westport Police responded to the area of Greens Farms Rd and Hills Point Rd on a report of an accident with injuries.  Upon arrival, the investigating officer determined that there were minor injuries (shoulder pain) and the suspect vehicle had left the scene. 

The injured party claimed he was jogging on Greens Farms Rd, crossing Hills Point Rd when he was struck by a vehicle turning left from Greens Farms Rd on Hills Point Road.  While speaking with the injured party, a witness arrived and advised that the suspect vehicle was at Cumberland Farms (Hills Point Road/Post Road East) and the suspected offender was inside the business making statements about “hitting a jogger”.  Officers responded to the Cumberland Farms where they located the alleged suspect vehicle and operator.  The alleged operator was identified as James Doyle. 

As a result of the investigation, Mr. Doyle was arrested and charged with the above reference crimes.  He was transported to Westport Police Department where he was processed and released on Promise to Appear with a court date of January 19th, 2023 at Stamford Superior Court. 

Morning Weather Report

Today

Increasing clouds, with a high near 40. East wind 3 to 5 mph.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Light east wind.

Tomorrow

A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 50. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.

Tomorrow Night

Rain. Steady temperature around 48. Southeast wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.