Cormorants Preening On The Rocks
A pair of cormorants take up a positioning front of Westport's newest luxury address, Bankside House on the Saugatuck River across from Parker Harding Plaza.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
TwiddleFest 2023 Dazzles Westport Again
On last Friday and Saturday, Levitt Pavilion hosted their two-day TwiddleFest once again, drawing hundreds of people each day of all ages, very young to not so very young.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Long-time fans of Mikhail and Twiddle could be seen singing along, knowing the words to much of their music. New fans of the Vermont based jam-band were certainly created from the superb musicianship and hard-driving solos. Unfortunately, fans both old and new may have a long wait to see this exceptional band again as they have announced this tour, billed as the Distance Makes the Heart Tour will be their last for while. Twiddle will be taking an indefinite hiatus for a well earned rest after 18 years on the road.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Lespecial, a band with strong Connecticut roots performed prior to Twiddle taking the stage.
The crowd put on their own performance in both style and energy. One thoughtful pet-parent made sure their little one, whose hearing can be four or more times more sensitive than humans with an ability to hear both high and low frequency sounds which humans cannot was spared the high volume sounds.
Twiddle Frontman Mihali Savoulidis once again thrilled the sellout crowd with his blistering guitar shreds and high-energy vocals. He briefly joined his friends from the previous band, Lespecial (above), a band with Connecticut roots to cover Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, widely acknowledged as a leading Grunge genre anthem which Lespecial guitarist Jon Grusauskas said they had not performed together with Mihali since high school. Mihali certainly did Kurt Cobain proud with his stunning vocals.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Mixed in with the eclectic crowd were some responsible parents who made sure to protect the sensitive hearing of young children. According to bythebarricade.com which references The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, "Ear protection is strongly recommended for children at concerts because they are prone to hearing loss. Children are still developing their hearing and are more sensitive to noise than adults. Ear protection can help children enjoy concerts without feeling overwhelmed."
One group of fans who have clearly spent a bit of time front of a music festival stage or two created a couple of benches which were indeed works of art on which they could rest between sets.
Long-time fans of Twiddle could be seen singing along, knowing the words to much of their music. New fans of the Vermont based jam-band were certainly created from the superb musicianship and hard-driving solos. Unfortunately, fans both old and new may have a long wait to see this exceptional band again as they have announced this tour, billed as the Distance Makes the Heart Tour will be their last for while. Twiddle will be taking an indefinite hiatus for a well earned rest after 18 years on the road.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
The fact that Twiddle has had over 100 million streams is testament to their powerful appeal with their fans, both old and young. An early fan following which enjoyed the band in 2013 at the famed Gathering Of The Vibes in Bridgeport, where they played on the smaller satellite stage has grown tremendously in Connecticut and beyond over the 18 years that the band has been touring.
The packed house was a big part of the TwiddleFest experience, with fans from children to seniors, many with obvious hippie roots.
There was a veritable art gallery of tattoos of every size and subject, many paying homage to The Grateful Dead the legendary jam band. The clothing was as varied as the body art.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
If there was one word to describe the festival it would have to be joy which was evident everywhere in the enthusiastic audience and very apparent among Twiddle's followers who cheered and sang as Twiddle played some of their favorite tracks.
The crowd danced for hours throughout the day and night as they enjoyed all the bands which included Doors, Oh He Dead and Lespecial which preceded Twiddle, seemingly having an endless supply of energy.
VFW Post 399 Barbecue Draws Several Hundred To Support Our Vets
The volunteer team that made it all happen- Front row, Left to Right Jake, Christy and Patty, Back Row, Left to Right: Phil, Mike, Kat, Alan, Al, Eduardo and Dennis
Photos and Story by J.C. Martin for WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
A small but very dedicated team of volunteers from Westport's VFW Post 399 and from the American Legion worked long and hard to make Saturday's community barbecue a great success.
They were led by Sergeant First Class Eduardo Hernandez who hails from California, is a 17 year U.S. Army veteran on active duty and is currently assigned to the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion in Danbury. Sgt. Hernandez went above and beyond in his mission, by beginning the cooking on Friday at 11:00 AM and starting 2 days earlier with preparation work.
Above: Kat, Christy and SFC Eduardo Hernandez stand by the smoker and grill which help feed more than 300 people Saturday. At right, Dennis brings out another round of Cole slaw. By the end of the barbecue there was nothing left!
In the keeping with his training in the military SFC Hernandez stood his post overnight tending the smokers and fire, getting less than two hours of sleep here and there when he could stretched between two chairs. Hernandez told WestportLocalPress he "was worried about the Friday night forecast of server thunder and rain, but was blessed with good weather all the way through." In speaking abut the event he gave credit to his team, saying about the event, "It was good but without the volunteers and the VFW Auxiliary helping out, it wouldn’t happen."
The event drew more than 300 guests for the day with a few remaining at the 5:00 end of the event. The funds raised will help the Westport VFW to with repairs that are needed said SFC Hernandez adding, "But mostly this event was to bring in the surrounding towns and local residents to enjoy our club and to let them know we are always open to the public."
SFC Hernandez wishes to invite the community to their new Friday night dinners at the Post which are in addition to the famous Jazz Thursday event which has been so successful over the years. As if the entertainment so far isn't enough Post 399 will also be hosting folk music performances the first Sunday of each month. The public is invited and more information is available at https://vfw399ct.org/
Photos and Story by J.C. Martin for WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
There's A BBQ At the Westport VFW And Everyone Is Invited
On Saturday, Westport VFW Clinton Post 399 is hosting a community barbecue from 1:00PM to 5:00PM at the Post, 465 Riverside Ave., Westport. Scan the QR code to get more details or visit their website: https://vfw399ct.org/.
Hopalong Andrew Wows Westport Families with a Thrilling Summer Show
On Wednesday July 19th Westport families enjoyed a real treat when New York City’s famous singing cowboy Hopalong Andrew returned to the Levitt Pavilion with a six-piece band.
Singing clever and whimsical cowboy songs about city life performed in the great tradition of the American West, Hopalong Andrew pays homage to the singing cowboys and folk singers of yesteryear. It is high-spirited music meant for the all ages to enjoy, and enjoy they did, on a beautiful summer’s night.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Hopalong Andrew punctuated his performance with dazzling hijinks. He twirled a lasso, while virtuosically playing the “William Tell” Overture on harmonica, and closed the show by lassoing a plush taxi cab.
Best of all, those in attendance were regaled by the best picking east of the Hudson River, as Hopalong Andrew brought some of the best musicians of the genre, including Terrell King, the young pedal steel guitar prodigy; Ray Rizzo, who has played drums with Bob Weir; Hilary Hawke, bass player and renowned banjoist for Oklahoma! On Broadway; Melody Berger, award-winning fiddler who recently played in a production at the Westport Country Playhouse; and Cesar Moreno, up-and-coming mandolinist from The Bronx, NY who recently performed with GRAMMY-winning bluegrass artist Michael Daves.
Hopalong Andrew also performed a few songs off his upcoming album, which honors the incredible-but-true diverse and multicultural heritage of the American West.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Hopalong Andrew performs regularly in his home base of New York City, where he was born and raised. In May 2023, New York Magazine featured Hopalong Andrew in June 2023, declaring him the "The countryfied king of our children’s entertainment circuit."
Mark your calendar for his appearance at this fall’s Brooklyn Folk Festival, where he’ll be appearing in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Smithsonian Folkways records.
Stream his award-winning music online. More information at hopalongandrew.com
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Westport Democrats seek Replacement on Board of Finance
Press Release
The Westport DTC is seeking a candidate to fill a vacancy on the Board of Finance to replace Nancie Dupier, who is stepping down. Nancie has served the town with great distinction, and we very much appreciate her service!
Registered Democrats may apply by submitting a statement of interest and bio/resume to Michael Gordon at mgordon906<at>gmail.com
The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 21, at 5:00pm.
Candidate interviews with the Nominating Committee will likely be held on Monday, July 24th.
Interested candidates should be prepared to serve the remaining few months of Nancie’s current term and campaign this fall for a four-year term on the BoF and stand for election in November.
Contact:
Michael Gordon
203 255 2244
Booked For The Evening Presented Laura Linney To Record Crowd
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Westport Library's Booked For The Evening series has had numerous very high profile honorees and Thursday's event with acclaimed star of stage, film and television Laura Linney helped the Library to it's most successful "Booked" fundraiser yet.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Before taking the stage to be interviewed by Lynne Meadow, the director of the Manhattan Theatre Club, Linney was front row for the presentation film in which she received glowing tributes on her abilities as and actor and as a exceptional person by the long line of Hollywood and Broadway "A" listers from Clint Eastwood to Jason Bateman to Liam Neeson. One speaker took a comic note of the extensive accolades afforded Linney from all over the entertainment industry saying he was happy that Linney was able to hear her eulogy in person while alive to enjoy it, bringing a smile to the honeree's face.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Linney’s film, television and stage credits are extensive with roles in Love, Actually, Mystic River and The Truman Show. Television viewers will remember her from shows such as Frasier and more recently, Ozark as well as the acclaimed mini-series John Adams. Her true loves always been the stage and she has appeared on Broadway in The Crucible, Sight Unseen, and other roles.
She has been recognized for her acting excellence with two Golden Globes, a SAG Award and four Emmys.
The pre-main event gathering for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres was at capacity at nearly 500 guests, as was the on stage interview of Linney with many notable Westporters in attendance.
As always, dedicated library volunteers and staff helped the evening go smoothly. Music was provided by a string trio of recent staples grads.
A Very NICE Saturday In Norwalk
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
On Saturday July 8th, Norwalk's Oyster Shell park, a beautiful hilltop overlooking the Norwalk River and SoNo held their annual NICE festival. NICE was created by the Norwalk International Cultural Exchange, is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to promote and increase awareness of the diversity of people from around the world through arts and culture.
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The event, first held in 2016 has grown to draw up to 5,000 visitors throughout the nearly 12 hour event. This seventh staging of the NICE festival, which was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic offers visitors a taste of the flavors of multiple world cultures in not only delicious ethnic foods from multiple vendor food truck, but in their native dances and traditional music.
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As their website states, "NICE specifically emphasizes celebrating folk and traditional arts from multiple cultures and ethnic groups across varied art forms and genres…"
One of the more spectacular performances was by Cebuanos in Engaging in Building Unity Inc's Tribu Cebuano which presented Sinulog. Performed at the Sinulog Festival which originated in Cebu City in the Philippines, it is held on the third Sunday of January. It commemorates the conversion of the Cebuanos to Roman Catholicism and pays tribute to the Santo Niño de Cebú, also known as the Holy Child Jesus.
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The word “Sinulog” means “graceful dance”, wherein it all started in 1980 with a simple dance that represents the “sulog” (or current) of a river in Cebu. With the celebration's evolution, the Sinulog Festival has become a month long tradition in Cebu.
The mission of NICE is to encourage the various groups that make up our society to learn about each other’s traditions and customs in order to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of what each group brings to our community.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The festival receives high praise from the office of Norwalk's Mayor, Harry Rilling on the NICE website which says "In Norwalk, we make it a point to celebrate the uniqueness of our community and all the diverse cultures our city represents. No other event exemplifies the beautiful melting pot that Norwalk exhibits as well as the NICE Festival."
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The performers listed on their website included the Mike Camacho Quintet which performed a Jazz Tribute to Norwalk's own Horace Silver, Mariachi Mexico Antiguo featuring Tere Luna a Traditional Mexican Folkloric Ensemble, NYTAK, the Akwaaba Ensemble from Ghana, Rick Reyes who brought Latin American Fusion with more music provided by DJ Kebi who has spun at Aspen and the events worldwide.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
LymanAID Fundraising Festival Raises Over $40K For Ukrainian Sister Cities
Several hundred people attended the LymanAid event in Southport on Saturday and were treated to great food and great music form the very popular local group the Mike McGovern Band and as well as patriotic Ukrainian songs performed by Olga Olichka a lovely Ukrainian singer who regularly performs for events aimed at raising funds for helping the people of Ukraine as they endure more than 500 days of suffering and sacrifice. In keeping with the Ukrainian spirit food was given to festival attendees with free will donations gratefully accepted.
Photos And Story by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above, Left: Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Center: Easton First Selectman David Bindleglass, Right: (L to R) Marshall Mayer, co-founder and President, Ukraine Aid International (UAI) Clyde Wauchope, Volunteer Coordinator, UAI, Connie Von Zwehl, LymanAID Organizer, Brian Mayer, Co-Founder and Executive Director, UAI
UAI Press Release - Southport, CT - July 9, 2023
LymanAID, a remarkable fundraising festival, was held today at the Ukrainian American Club in Southport, CT, with the aim of supporting Ukraine Aid International, Inc., a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization. The event was organized to further assist the Sister City of Lyman in Ukraine, as well as six additional towns in Connecticut that have been paired with Sister Cities in Ukraine.
The festival commemorated the thriving partnership between Westport and Lyman, which began in December 2022. Demonstrating their unwavering commitment, Westport successfully raised more than $250,000 for Lyman, enabling critical aid initiatives. These include the procurement of two trash trucks, repairs to six apartment buildings, revitalizing the town's agricultural sector through seed distributions, and much more.
Press Release continued:
Expanding its scope to incorporate other Connecticut towns, LymanAID welcomed guests from every Sister City involved. Participants included representatives from Fairfield, Easton, Weston, Ridgefield, Greenwich, Stamford, and LymanAID's host town, Fairfield. Notable dignitaries in attendance were Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Representative Jim Himes (CT-04), First Selectwoman Jen Tooker of Westport, First Selectman David Bindelglass of Easton, First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor of Weston, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchik of Fairfield, and Chief of Police Foti Koskinas of Westport. The event was meticulously organized by Connie Von Zwehl and graciously hosted by the Ukrainian American Club of Southport.
LymanAID was further enriched by the generous support of local vendors who donated their time, food, and goods. Special thanks go to 203 Brick Oven Pizza, Saugatuck Sweets, AZYR Specs, and Keller Williams Westport Realty for their invaluable contributions.
Photos by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Press Release continued:
Marshall Mayer, President of Ukraine Aid International, expressed his gratitude, saying, "LymanAID exemplifies the power of collaboration and compassion. The remarkable support received today will significantly impact the lives of those residing in Lyman and our sister cities across Eastern Ukraine. We are immensely grateful for the generous contributions made at this event."
Additionally, heartfelt appreciation goes out to the dedicated volunteers of the Ukrainian American Club of Southport who played an integral role in making the event a reality.
While organizers continue to tally the final donation figures from the generous contributors at LymanAid, early indications suggest that over $30,000 has been raised for Lyman and the other sister cities in Eastern Ukraine. The event was privately underwritten, guaranteeing that 100% of the funds raised will directly benefit Ukraine Aid International and their ongoing efforts to support Lyman and the Ukrainian sister cities.
For further information about the impactful work carried out by Ukraine Aid International and to make a tax-deductible donation to support their work, please visit www.ukraineaidinternational.org.
Anyone wishing to help can contact Ukraine Aid International, Inc. via email: contact@ukraineaidinternational.org
The mayor of Lyman, Oleksandr Zhuravlov appeared on a TV monitor and addressed the audience about the devastation his city has suffered.
As Westporter's have seen in media reports Zhuravlov hosted our First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Easton First Selectman David Bindleglass on a recent visit to Lyman, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker spoke with sadness at the recent news of more destruction to Westport's sister city, Lyman as a result of renewed Russian missle attacks which took the lives of nine people in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, a city which was retaken by Ukrainian forces last year.
Tooker told WestportLocalPress, "Saturday’s shelling of our sister city Lyman makes me even more committed to delivering personalized, respectful, effective humanitarian aid to them through the efforts of the non-profit Ukraine Aid International. Thank you to our generous Westport community. You are making a difference in the lives of regular people who are now caught between being victims and heroes"
Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Fairfield Westport First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, Easton First Selectman David Bindleglass.
U.S Senator Richard Blumenthal spoke passionately about the determination of the U.S. to support Ukraine, including providing the military hardware and humanitarian aid to help Ukraine defend their homeland and to stop what is widely believed to be Putin's possible aggression against other countries in the region.
Photos And Story by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The Mike McGovern Band kept the event rocking’.
Mother-Daughter Team Luba and Yaroslava Zamoyska offered art, blankets, wood art, cat toys, doggie bandanas all handmade by them, as well as photos donated by a local photographer. Proceeds from everything sold were donated to assist Ukraine. Both women are proud to demonstrate dedication to their cause and their homeland and have gotten tattoos with the ubiquitous Ukrainian national symbol, the Tryzub trident we have seen everywhere which Yaroslava (left) proudly displays.
Photos And Story by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Volunteers braved the hot weather and even hotter grills to serve up delicious food offerings.
Photos And Story by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Left: Julia Voytovych of Ridgefield Holds one of the artwork pieces offered, a very hard-hitting paiting showing the flag of Ukraine bringing focus on the bloodshed of innocent Ukrainians.
Westport artist and designer Miggs Burroughs designed and produced one of his lenticualr photographs which commemorates the sinking of the pride of the Russian Black Sea fleet, the flagship Moskva (Moscow in Russian) on April 14th. 2022. The piece show the vessel steaming along one minute and when turned a few degrees, shows the sinking of the ship after being struck by two R-360 Ukrainian subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles which reportedly infuriated Putin.Burroughs was asked by Mark Yurkiw who, along with Miggs is of Ukrainian decent, to create about 20 of them for a stamp convention in New Jersey last year to raise money. They sold for about $100 each And several were sold. As well as being a fundraiser, Burroughs and Yurkiw thought it would make a great statement about the Ukranian’s strength and resolve to show the ship actually sinking, which Miggs created with Photoshop using the original photo. The envelope with a stamp and an illustration related to the stamp is called a “First Day Cover” and is very collectible in the stamp world.
Again, Anyone wishing to help can contact Ukraine Aid International, Inc. via email: contact@ukraineaidinternational.org
America's Birthday Celebration Continues At Norwalk's Calf Pasture Beach Fireworks
Norwalk's scheduled fireworks celebration was postponed as have several other area shows and was held on Wednesday at Calf Pasture Beach.
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The beach was filled with families anticipating the first rocket launch. In the meantime, a favorite area band, Darik and the Funbags who have been entertaining their fans for more than twenty years, got the crowd rockin' early.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
