50th Westport Fine Arts Festival Draws Thousands Downtown
Westport kicked off the Memorial Day Holiday weekend with the always exceptional Westport Fine Arts Festival, now in it’s 50th year.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Westport's downtown was filled with art lovers and appreciators of the spectacular gallery quality Painting, Watercolor, Photography/Digital Art, Sculpture, Drawing (Pastel, Pencil, Ink), Printmaking, Mixed Media, Glass/ Ceramics, Jewelry, Wood and more. The event, larger than ever featured new artists and multiple music performances from classical to a little bluegrass, a food court with several gourmet food trucks and bars serving libations.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Creating Art At The Festival
Children at the festival were invited to help create the "Whale" mural in chalk, part of the vanishing species concept popular in the art world. Vanishing refers both to species and the fact that the images, done in chalk outdoors will eventually vanish completely. Also created by visitors, a paint-by-numbers tile mural which featured a beach scene with an ariplane towing a banner thanking Our First Responders which will be installed on noted Westport Developer David Walden's building in town.
Sailing Regattas mark Memorial Day Weekend
Members of several local yacht clubs got together today to race off of Westport’s coast as gusty winds moved the vessels along at quick paces. WestportLocal.com photo
Mr. Calise and his Jeep on Parade
Longtime Westporter Mike Calise, and his famous green Jeep, were on parade today as the community came together in Downtown Westport to celebrate the memory of service members lost
Little Leaguers Show Patriotism for Memorial Day Parade
Members of the Cubs little league team were all smiles this morning on Myrtle Avenue as their trailer slowly pulled them along the parade route while they waived to passersby. WestportLocal.com photo
Choppy Sound brings Water Skiing to Saugatuck Harbor
With heavy chop on the Sound, Saugatuck Harbor continued to be a safe haven for water sports enthusiasts for the next generation of Westporters as one tried their luck at water skiing off of Stony Point. WestportLocal.com photo
Sunset Season hits Compo Shoreline
The last bits of golden warmth bask over Compo Beach this evening as the last of the barbecuers and sun-seekers began to pack up their belongings for the trip home. With warm temperatures, brisk winds and relaxing surf - this Memorial Day was a perfect day to spend with family and friends along the shoreline. WestportLocal.com photo
Tech Guru David Pogue Presentation At The Westport Library Shows Both Sides Of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
In just over an highly informative and entertaining hour Westport resident David Pogue, well known as the five-time Emmy award winner for his stories on the very popular CBS Sunday Morning, as well as a New York Times best selling author, and for five TED talk appearances also as host of 20 Nova science specials on PBS. His tech bona fides are well established having co-written more than 120 books, including dozens in the Missing Manual tech series which he created in 1999, six in the For Dummies series of books as well as iPhone Unlocked and Mac Unlocked.
He was welcomed to the Trefz Forum stage of the Westport Library by the Y's Men of Westport/Weston and presented a well structured series of topics on both the up and much discussed down sides of the recent boom in the use of Artificial Intelligence in many areas of our everyday life. The Y's men, now 400 strong is composed of retired and semi retired men who are involved in various community oriented activities and presentations.
He began the presentation with a recording of one of the first interactions with AI he experienced where a Google AI program called a hair salon and booked an appointment with the salon receptionist. This actual conversation included a back and forth to set a date and time and discuss the details making it appear to the salon employee the she was actually talking to a "Lisa", a female client, complete with questions punctuated with the occasional "mum". The response once this came to light was alarm and fear of the implications of this kind of technology. There are many professions which may potentially be at risk including commercial and consumer art, architecture, fashion, interior and graphic design, photography and other professions which currently provide a living for many.
Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Rogue then opined about the ChatGTP program which is according to studies, already being used to create essays such as one his son had recently written for college admissions. When he asked ChatGTP to create such an essay the program produced essay was very similar to his son's. Pogue said states and institutions have already begun banning its use. Pogue related that this is virtually impossible to enforce as this ChatGTP style software will soon be available in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. He described an interaction a friend had with ChatGTP that lasted a couple of hours and the ChatBot started getting frustrated and began saying things that were nothing short of bizarre and alarming.
He next demonstrated how artwork can be created by simply telling an AI program named Dall-E2, named for the artist Dali combined with the title of the the Pixar movie WALL-E which he said had been described "as terrifying". The company that developed DALLE-2, Open AI, which was co-founded by a group which included Elon Musk in 2015. The company "trained" the software by feeding it 600 million labeled images from the internet. He asked the audience to suggest the parameters which were, create a water-color pink taxi in Times Square. He then showed the real world impact of such technology by sharing a clip from one of his four CBS Sunday Morning segments on AI which included an interview with a very successful artist raising the question, "why would someone pay a lot of money to an artist" when this kind of tech can do it for very little money.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
One of the ore amazing facts was well illustrated in his slide was showed article headlines discussing not only the Top 30 emerging AI firms, but the Top 100, which begs the question, just how many companies around the world are engaged in developing artificial intelligence applications!
To see the entire presentation click on the Youtube link below.
Pogue addressed the fear of catastrophic consequences with this of this new tech with his segment, "Every New Invention Predictably Triggers Panic" Argument which presented quotes and comments through the years with every new "radical" invention, be it radio, television, electricity even telephones. Dire effects were predicted when those inventions entered everyday life, however it may seem now that these new technologies may have a substantial impact, for good or for not-so-good on our everyday quality of life.
Pogue addressed the fear of catastrophic consequences with this of this new tech with his segment, "Every New Invention Predictably Triggers Panic" Argument which presented quotes and comments through the years with every new "radical" invention, be it radio, television, electricity even telephones. Dire effects were predicted when those inventions entered everyday life, however it may seem now that these new technologies may have a substantial impact, for good or for not-so-good on our everyday quality of life.
There is so much more to Pogue's presentation than can be properly described here and have justice done to it.
The Westport Library has made the entire fascinating presentation available on Youtube, visit: https://youtu.be/G-z9a86Bclc
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
Chabad Of Westport Hosts Visiting Israeli Soldiers
Chabad of Westport was proud to host four injured soldiers from the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) this past week. These four soldiers were injured standing in defense of the Jewish homeland against the ever present threat of terrorist attack according to Yehuda Kantor, Rabbi of the Chabad of Westport.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
"The objective was to show them love and appreciation for their heroic and selfless service. Their visit culminated with a community BBQ on Sunday and the response was inspiring" said Kantor. "The soldiers expressed how much this meant to them, to know that they aren’t alone and that despite the physical distance between Westport and Israel there is no distance whatsoever emotionally!!"
Pictured above are (L to R), Lyle Katz, David Sussman, Joseph Jaffe, Hy Saporta, Former Westport Selectman Avi Kaner, Mendel Ciment, Gadi Slade, Ed Levin, Dan Ventura, Rabbi Yehuda Kantor, Dori Konig , Savid Bomback together with the soldiers whose names are withheld for security reasons.
Westport's 7th Annual Dog Festival A Great Day For Dog Lovers & Charities
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
One of Westport's favorite events was held at Sunday at Winslow Park in Downtown Westport, sometimes called "the dog park". Produced by the Westport-Weston Chamber Of Commerce in association with Choice Pet and T.A.I.L.S., The Alliance In Limiting Strays, the event was a beautiful day for dog lovers, families, and especially the dogs who numbered over 700 along with more than 2,000 humans who brought them or came to admire them and watch as the canines competed in multiple contests.
The event is always a big success thanks to the hard work of Chamber Executive Director Matthew Mandell and his team of hardworking volunteers, and the event proceeds, over $6,000 are distributed to local pet-related non-profits. This 7th edition of the much loved annual event will bring the total donations to more than $50,000 to-date.
Great food options were available from 4 food trucks as festival-goers entered the grounds. More than 50 vendors offered everything from many varieties of dog treats and goodies including holistic dog (and cat) treats to a wide array of canine clothing and accessories such as stylish dog bandanas. Multiple adoption and animal rescue organizations including Adopt-A-Dog a leading Westchester county rescue and adoption organization, Lucky Dog Rescue and ROAR, the Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue helped match potential dog adopters with their new best friends. Fidelco Guide Dogs which are German Shepherds well bred from Bavarian stock which are provided to the blind were also represented at their tent. Animal advocates CT Votes For Animals provided information on how they lobby legislatures to help pass laws protecting animals who cannot protect themselves.
Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
There were several highly entertaining contests for our four-legged friends and their humans. Best Tail Wagger, Best Singer/Barker, Best Trick, Best Dressed, Best Kisser (or licker) and a crowd favorite Best Lap Dog Over 50 pounds. This year that event resulted in a 3-way tie as shown in the above photo which shows the three competitors judges chose for first place tie.
On the left is Oakley who had the added challenge of wearing a brace due to a torn ACL. At center is Rex and on the right was a nearly 90 lb. English Mastiff named Buddy who was selected the winner chosen by audience applause for each contestant.
Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
There was something for everyone including children who were entertained by a balloon bender, face painter, caricaturist and field games.
The Dog Lovers Days Lure Course returned to the festival again this year offering dogs, and sometimes their owners a chance to chase and try to catch a lure which runs at high speed on a wire throughout the course, which most but not all dogs find irresistible. The winner with the best time was rewarded for his/her efforts with a year's supply of dog food.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The most watched event each year is a demonstration by law enforcement K-9 officers held twice during the day. This year Westport's own Officer Dave Scinto and his German Shepherd, K-9 officer Atlas were joined by Corporal Kevin Smith and his Belgian Malinois, K-9 officer Onyx.
The dogs showed off the skills they bring to the Westport PD including drug detection, sniffing out illicit drugs which were hidden in one of the two PD cruisers, and displayed their outstanding obedience training as they are directed by there human partners. The K-9s outstanding ability to apprehend a suspect thrilled the crowd as Corporal Smith demonstrated while wearing a protective sleeve which is used by PD to train the dogs. K-9 Atlas showed the audience why the last thing a suspect wants to see is a Westport PD K-9 charging toward them. After finally letting go of the sleeve Scinto and Smith brought the dogs over to the crowd for a Q & A session, and gave K-9 Atlas a few extra minutes to chomp on his protective sleeve.
Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Felines were not forgotten. T.A.I.L.S., The Alliance In Limiting Strays (tailsct.org) the Westport based Cat Rescue organization also had a strong presence.
One of the NY metro area's premier rescue operations, the North Shore Animal League, based in Long Island, NY provided their Mobile Unit, a custom built extended van which holds two dozen or more cats to TAILS to help in their mission to adopt the many stray cats and kittens found in our area and which they currently have housed with their group of volunteers.
North Shore helps support TAILS by generously providing this vehicle at no charge to TAILS for the festival as well as their monthly adoption events held each month at Petco locations in Westport & Fairfield.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.