River Reflections
Sunset reflections on a low tide Saugatuck River. Photo by Nancy Lally for WestportLocal.com
Phyllis Makovsky, 80, Died; “had a rare combination of diverse and enviable qualities”
Phyllis Makovsky, 80, of Westport, Connecticut passed away on Thursday, February 16th, 2023 in her home, surrounded by her family. She passed after a courageous and inspiring fight against Leukemia (AML). Phyllis was a remarkable woman, a one-of-a-kind person that had a rare combination of diverse and enviable qualities. She will be deeply missed by so many that loved and cherished her.
Phyllis was born in Queens, New York to Grace and Murray Peck. Phyllis had a superlative academic background, graduating from Barnard with honors and receiving her Master’s Degree in teaching from Harvard University. She was a passionate teacher in the classroom as she taught advanced mathematics at The Brearley School in Manhattan and Great Neck South High School in Long Island before she decided to turn her skills and compassion on her family and in prominent roles in the community.
In 1972, Phyllis met Kenneth Makovsky; they married within months and went on to share a storybook partnership that spanned exactly 50 years. Phyllis was a fiercely dedicated wife and the two supported one another in every way and enabled each other’s successes in business at home and in their social and philanthropic lives. She served as a crucial strategic advisor to Ken as he built the Public Relations agency, Makovsky & Company.
Phyllis was a doer and her work came in many forms. She served Temple Israel and its congregation as a board member for 10 years. She established a scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis dedicated to music. After her second diagnosis with breast cancer, she decided to return to Norwalk Hospital as a volunteer in the chemo-infusion center, where she spent 20 years and in the very room where she returned for the final part of her Leukemia treatment. No surprise she was greeted with big hugs.
Phyllis was a wonderful mother to her two children Matthew and Evan and used her talents as a teacher and unique combination of grace, grit and empathy to invest into her family so that they could shine. As a friend and a sister she did the same. It didn't matter whether you were a 50 year long friend or someone on first meeting, Phyllis was present, kind and insightful and that love and good energy was returned to her by so many.
Phyllis is survived by her husband Kenneth, sons Matt and Evan and brother Stephen.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 21 at 1:00 pm at Temple Israel in Westport, CT. (14 Coleytown Rd). Burial will follow at Temple Israel Cemetery, 225 Richards Ave, Norwalk, CT. Shiva will be observed at the home of Kenneth & Phyllis Makovsky in Westport, CT on Tuesday 2/21 post service till 8:00 pm and Wednesday + Thursday from 1:00 pm till 7:00 pm.
To livestream the funeral service, please use the following link www.tiwestport.org/livestream go to the youtube page and it will be the first “live” video listing for the day. To share a condolence message, visit www.greensfuneralhome.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: www.lls.org/metny
New Exhibit By Artists Collective Of Westport Draws Large Crowd At Gordon Fine Arts Gallery
The Gordon Fine Arts Gallery at 1701 Post Road East, Westport, has partnered with the Artists Collective of Westport for a stunning new group show. Curated by James Brunelle, the exhibit includes over 100 works by 65 members of the Collective.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The new venue offered close to 200 art lovers an opportunity to view beautiful works of art by local artists in a spacious and inviting space which offered the many guests easy viewing even though the crowd was large.
The art includes drawings, paintings, photography, prints, mixed media and sculpture, in sizes ranging from a few inches wide up to 6ft wide. Gordon Fine Arts Gallery highlights nationally recognized award winning artists and aims to provide exhibit space to regional and national Artists.
The show runs to March 19.
Hours are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, noon to 5pm; Sunday noon to 4pm.
For information email: gordonfineartsales@gmail.com
Or visit gordonfinearts.org
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Scottish Folk Band Talisk Brings Packed MoCA House To Their Feet
MoCA Westport kicked off its 2023 Music at MoCA Series on Saturday night with a lively performance by Scottish folk band Talisk. Band Members Mohsen Amini (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year), Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year) fused concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce a ground-breaking, multi-layered signature that captivated the audience.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
More than 170 guests completely filled the gallery space and the appreciative crowd was charged by the band's high energy performance, giving them standing ovations and even dancing in the aisles.
The packed performance took place within the context of the Museum's current Paul Camacho: El Ritmo y La Unidad exhibition. Delicious drinks were served by The Cup Bearer and food was available from Marcia Selden Catering.
Next up in the Music at MoCA Series is the buzz-worthy jazz saxophonist Eddie Barbash on Friday, April 21 at 7 PM. A founding member of pianist Jon Batiste’s Stay Human, the house band for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Barbash has also performed with Lenny Kravitz, Wynton Marsalis and Yo-Yo Ma.
Tickets for all concerts are available on mocawestport.org
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples Hockey Back In The Win Column With 5-0 Shut-Out Over Wilton
Staple's senior goalie Aaron Kail on one of his 29 saves in Friday's big win over the Wilton Warriors.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples Hockey faced off against Wilton on Saturday on Wilton's home ice looking to break this season's 1-1 tie in matches this season and they brought their "A" game on both offense and defense holding the Warriors scoreless. Both teams were roughly the same in scoring attempts with Staples and Wilton firing 29 and 31 shots on goal respectively, however Staple's senior goalie Aaron Kail was perfect in stopping the Warriors on every attempt.
The first period saw strain defense from both squads until 2:00 left in the period when #19 junior forward, Co-Captain Tyler DiMaio found the net with assists from junior forward Derek Wolgast and junior forward Jameson Russell. The Wreckers returned from the break fired up when five minutes into the period #25, sophomore Levi Nevstad gave Staples a two goal lead with assists from Petrosinelli and senior forward Nikos Ninios.
The offense was quiet for the remainder of the period but exploded in the 3rd with a third goal. That score was followed by a 4th goal, this time by #13, sophomore defenseman Harry Goodburn, assisted again by Ninios and also by Petrosinelli.
Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The icing on the cake was goal number five, this time by #10, sophomore forward Paul Cooper with help from junior defenseman Jacob Gomez scored less than two minutes into the period.
Coach Matthew Bohn could not have been happier with his team's performance, telling WestportLocalPress "The boys really put it together today. We've had a tough streak for the past several games. We understand that no one's going to give us anything. So it was good to earn it today and get back into the win column. We really have been playing good hockey the past two weeks, buying into our systems and working for each other. This time of year it's all about peaking at the right time. We're taking it one day at a time, doing our best to just keep getting better.The Wreckers hope to continue their success in their next game, away against Southington Coop on Monday with two more games to follow before FCIAC championships begin in March.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 58. South wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
Tomorrow
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. West wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tomorrow Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 49. Southwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Westport Teen, Ryan Overly-Ryan, Takes the Stage at New Canaan’s Powerhouse Theatre
Actors Cooper Smithers (L) and Ryan Overly-Ryan (R). Contributed photoHigh school students are typically busy even without the excitement and pressures of community theatre rehearsals and performances. But four intrepid teens from Fairfield County, including Westport’s Ryan Overly-Ryan, have taken on the challenge. They have been cast in the upcoming production of Ordinary People which opens this Friday, Feb. 17, at New Canaan’s Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park, and runs weekends through Sunday, March 5. The show, a powerful and moving drama, is a production of Town Players of New Canaan.
Based on the book and Oscar-winning 1980 film directed by Robert Redford and starring Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People is the searing yet heartwarming story of an ordinary family struggling to heal from an unexpected tragedy. The script plumbs the depths of our most profound and intimate relationships. As such, it is challenging to cast, requiring versatile, serious young actors to play the parts of young adults whose lives have been disrupted by loss and grief.
Deborah Burke, Ordinary People director, reflected on the casting process: "It was not an easy search but I am grateful to have found four remarkably talented and committed young adults with whom it is a pleasure to work.” Burke added that the participation of Dr. Michael Groat as an advisor to the cast helped immensely. Groat is the chief clinical officer of Silver Hill Hospital, a nationally recognized psychiatric hospital in New Canaan. He assisted the actors with understanding the myriad emotions of the play and portraying their characters with empathy and authenticity.
Overly-Ryan said: "Being in Ordinary People has been such a unique experience. I've never played a character like Jeannine before. I'm grateful to be in a production with such complex characters, and I hope that people who watch it can appreciate it just as much as those of us who are in it."
In producing Ordinary People Town Players aims to reduce the stigma of talking about mental health and to raise awareness of mental health resources in Fairfield County. It is partnering with multiple community organizations in this effort.
Overly-Ryan attends Staples High School. The three other teen actors of Ordinary People are Norwalk’s Laszlo Balazs and Tyler Nuzzo-Dozzier and Darien’s Chandler Hall. Balasz attends Brien McMahon High School where he participated in theatre productions not only as an actor but as a music director and accompanist. Nuzzo-Dozzier is a singer and songwriter in addition to acting. Hall attends the Fitch Academy at Darien High School. Despite their age, all four actors are seasoned veterans of community and professional theatre productions.
Ordinary People opens this Friday, Feb. 17 and runs through Sun., March 5, 2023, in New Canaan at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM.
A FREE performance for TEENS will be held Saturday, March 4 at 2 PM. It will include a post-show audience discussion with the director and cast, led by Dr. Andrew Gerber, president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital. Adults are welcome to attend (with a regular ticket purchase) as long as they’re accompanying or invited by a teen. To reserve teen seats and purchase adult tickets visit here.
For tickets and more information, visit https://tpnc.org/shows/ordinary-people/.
Michael Staley Fleming Jr., 49, Died; “Kindest” Staples Student, Devoted Father, Husband
On Friday, February 10, 2023, the world lost a beautiful soul. Michael Staley Fleming Jr., age 49, of Darien, beloved husband of Adrienne Strouse Fleming, passed away. Michael was born in San Diego, CA on August 27, 1973 to Michael Fleming Sr. and Linda Peck Fleming of Norwalk, CT. Michael spent his early years living in Park City, Utah, where he developed a lifelong passion and skill for skiing while on the US Junior Olympic Ski Farm Team. At the age of 12, Michael moved with his family to Westport, CT where he continued to thrive and make wonderful friends. At Staples High School, he won the award for "kindest," an attribute he upheld for the rest of his days. He was the captain of the boys' ski team at Staples. He graduated from Colgate University in 1996 and moved to New York City in 1999, where he had a successful career in finance, mostly as an institutional broker, and continued to build beautiful friendships.
In 2011, Michael married the love of his life, Adrienne, and they welcomed three beautiful boys, Wyatt McCall, Ford Michael and Charles Morgan Fleming. While living in New York, Michael always said he wanted his boys to grow up in Darien, CT, and in 2020 they moved there. Michael's greatest joy was watching his sons grow and shine. He loved nothing more than teaching them how to ski and spending time with them in the mountains. Michael was his happiest and most at peace flying straight down a mountain on skis and he passed this passion on to his sons. They loved to chase his heels down the slopes, mimicking his every move so they could be just like him one day. His sons are, and forever will be, so proud of him. Skiing is the closest thing to having wings and we will never stop watching for Mikey in the sky. Hawk flying high means a clear sky, hawk flying low prepare for a blow.
Survivors, in addition to his wife and sons, include his parents, Michael and Linda Peck Fleming of Norwalk, sisters, Amy Fleming Kiggins (Andrew) of Rowayton, Ann Fleming of Norwalk, his cherished dog, Utah, and countless friends. Mike is predeceased by his father-in-law, Irving David Strouse of Rumson, NJ, and his grandparents, Edmund McCall and Jewel May Peck.
Michael will be remembered for his incredibly kind soul, his easy way of making others laugh, and his unwavering loyalty to his family and friends. He was a devoted husband and father, and his family was his every joy in this life. Michael will be terribly missed by all those who were fortunate to know him.
Calling Hours will be on Wednesday February 15, 2023 from 4 to 7 PM at the Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien. Mass will be at Saint Thomas More Church in Darien on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 10:30 AM.
"Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal," St. Thomas More.
Published by Darien Times on Feb. 14, 2023
Morning Weather Report
Today
Sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 7 to 16 mph.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with a low around 34. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph after midnight.
Tomorrow
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 55. South wind 7 to 17 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.