Westport Library Hosts 2024 State Of The Town Event
On Sunday more than 150 residents were joined by current and former town officials in the Trefz Forum at the Westport Library for the town’s annual State of the Town event, hosted by the Westport Rotary and Westport Sunrise Rotary.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Former First Selectman Jim Marpe was also in attendance, shown here with Kenny Epstein, President of the Westport Rotary Club, and Liz Wong, President of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club.
The first presentation began with Board Of Education Chair Lee Goldstein who spoke at length of the many accomplishments achieved by the Westport School System. Included were Staples being named the number two high school in the State of Connecticut and Goldstein presented a slide illustrating the many areas of excellence by Staples, including state championships won by Wreckers football, Boys Lacrosse and Girls Field Hockey. Excellence in many other areas was discussed, including music, academic achievement such as being the number one public high school in CT for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The many achievements of the town’s middle and elementary were also highlighted and Goldstein also gave an update on the ongoing Long Lots project which has been a hot topic of discussion for some time.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
RTM Moderator Jeff Weiser then introduced First Selectwoman Jen Tooker who spoke abut the special place that is Westport, and upon a vast array of issues and topics of importance to Westporters. Jen stressed her efforts of her administration “to ensure that Westport continues to be the best place to live, work, play and learn in the region – a place where everyone is welcome and feels like they belong.”
Tooker mentioned the efforts to aid Westport’s sister city, Lyman in partnership with Ukraine Aid International and of her trip with Police Chief Foti Koskinas to the Ukrainian city last year.
Slides which illustrated some of the important work of her administration including the formation and partnership with Startup Westport, working with Helen MacAlinden, President and CEO of Homes With Hope. Many issues of concern were touched upon including traffic, pedestrian safety, The Longshore Capital Improvement Plan and a great many other topics of concern to Westport residents.
Following the Selectwoman’s comments, she was joined on stage by Goldstein and together they addressed a series of questions submitted prior to the start of the event by members of the audience.
To view the entire presentation click on this link: Westport Library State Of The Town
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Korea Veteran, Mr. Parade And Consummate Westporter Bill Vornkahl Passes At 93 Years Young
On Friday, January 26, Westport lost a man who exemplified what it means to be a stellar citizen, William F. Vornkahl III. Known as Bill, better known perhaps as Mr. Parade for all the years of devotion to Westport’s exceptional Memorial Day Parade, for as many years as most of us can remember.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.
Above, left: Bill riding in one of his many Memorial Day Parades. Center, Bill surrounded by the Malone (his daughter’s) family: Left with mask, grandson Brian, center, Bill’s daughter Diane, husband Joe, and Bill’s granddaughter Jamie. On right, Bill speaking with one of his many admirers after the post-parade Memorial ceremony.
Bill Vornkahl’s devotion to family was an attribute well known to everyone that was privileged to know him.
Bill’s son, Bill Vornkahl IV spoke to WestportLocalPress lovingly about his Dad and family:
My Dad's love for family and family gatherings is what I will always cherish.
He would always make a point of getting the family together when one of his grandchildren came in from out-of-state whether it was Virginia, Colorado or Ohio. If the visit was in the summer, it was at Compo Beach with sandwiches from Fortuna's.
When his beloved New York Football Giants made the Super Bowl for the first time in 1987 he got us all to come down to the house for a Super Bowl Party. That was the first of 34 straight years of Super Bowl Parties ending with 2020 due to the pandemic. After that first year it didn't make a difference who was in the Super Bowl it was a great excuse to get the family together in the middle of winter. He would cook sausage and peppers and hamburgers and would get a cake from a local bakery with his prediction of the final score. Eventually that score prediction was a part of the payoff in the football pool.
Bill’s obituary as published on Legacy.com by Harding Funeral Home:
William "Bill" Frederick Vornkahl III passed away on Friday, January 26, 2024 at the age of 93. Bill was born in Norwalk, CT on August 14, 1930 to parents William F. Vornkahl, Jr. and Alice Gerrish. A lifelong Westporter, Bill remembered playing his trombone along the Post Road to celebrate the victory in Japan in August 1945. In 1948, he graduated from Staples High School and worked as a bank teller before joining the Army and serving as a high-speed radio operator in the 1st Cavalry Div., 13th Signal Corps from 1952–1954. During his service, Bill spent 14 months on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, where he wrote letters to Linnea, his future wife and the love of his life, who he met on a blind date just prior to his overseas service.
After returning to Westport, Bill married Linnea on May 15, 1954, and returned to work at Westport Bank and Trust. Bill worked in banking until he retired as a branch manager in 1987. After retiring from banking, Bill spent the next 30+ years, until Spring 2020, driving people to and from nearby airports. Bill spent countless hours serving Westport and the veteran community. Bill was a member of the American Legion Post 63 and VFW Post 399 for over 60 years. He was a Member/Treasurer of Westport's War Monument Committee from 1996–1999 and served on the Westport RTM. He was a Little League coach, coaching both boys baseball and girls softball, and a volunteer on the sideline crew for the Staples High School football team for over 20 years.
Bill was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Greens Farms Volunteer Fire Company since 1950, Vice President/Treasurer of the Saugatuck Hose Co. #4 since 1999, and was the president of Westport Volunteer Fire Company from 1973–1993. In commemoration of his services to veterans and the community, Bill was proudly inducted into the CT Veterans Hall of Fame in 2013. In Westport, Bill is best known for being the chairman of the Westport Memorial Day Parade since 1970. Westporters who attend the parade may remember him walking, and then riding, at the end of the parade, in addition to hosting the after parade services.
Bill also ran the Westport Italian Festival Parade, and was called whenever a parade occurred in Westport, earning him the nickname, "Mr. Parade". An avid traveler and parade goer, Bill and Linnea attended parades and visited national parks across the country. Bill's top highlights were attending the Rose Parade in California and visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, which he called the "most impressive" national park. Bill proudly visited all 50 states and liked to tell people how he had actually driven in 49 of those states, only missing Alaska. Also a big sports fan, you could always count on him to know the ins and outs of the Giants, Rangers, and Mets. Bill also enjoyed car racing and took his family to the Danbury Fair Racearena every Saturday night. Always a good humored jokester, Bill made friends everywhere he went and was beloved by his friends and family.
He is survived by his four children, William Vornkahl IV (Diane), Susan Meineke (Richard), Ed Vornkahl, and Diane Malone (Joe), and seven grandchildren, Allison, Kelly, Billy, Jennifer, Karalyn, Brian, and Jamie, who will always remember summers at Compo Beach, hamburgers on the grill, superbowl score prediction cakes, carving the Thanksgiving turkey, cats named Inky, and countless other loving memories. Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Mary Linnea Vornkahl, sister, Margaret Troll, and brother, George Robert Vornkahl.
Calling hours will be on Thursday, February 1st from 4pm–8pm at Harding Funeral Home, in Westport. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 41 Easton Road, Westport, on Friday, February 2nd at 11 am. Interment will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of William, please Visit Our Tree Store By Clicking Here.
Voices Cafe Presents Crys Matthews On Saturday
Voices Cafe is pleased to present Crys Matthews on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 8pm.
Hailed as “the next Woodie Guthrie,” Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. The concert will be held at The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport located at 10 Lyons Plains Road. A portion of proceeds will benefit Trans Haven, a program of New Haven’s PeerPride, offering services, support and advocacy for Connecticut’s trans, questioning and non-binary community.
About Crys Matthews:
Crys Matthews is a powerful lyricist who blends Americana, blues, bluegrass, folk, funk and jazz. Her songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality.” EARMILK says Matthews offers a “passionate and powerful blend of infectious Americana melodies and folk instrumentation. [She] delivers her honest songwriting through a beautifully raw and unfiltered lens. Oozing soul, her voice bleeds emotion and gratitude, while simple piano melodies and upbeat percussion fill you with appreciation and love for the people around us who fight for change.”
“I believe in hope,” Matthews said. “As a social-justice songwriter, it is my duty to keep breathing that hope and encouragement into the people who listen to my music.”
Voices Cafe, Westport’s musical gem, brings the power of song to our local community while supporting social justice programs across the region.
Tickets and Information: Doors open at 7:30pm, showtime is 8:00pm. Tickets and information are available at voicescafe.org.
Concert admission is $25 per adult and $15 for individuals under 21. A portion of the venue proceeds will benefit Trans Haven, a program of PeerPride in New Haven.
About Voices Cafe: Voices Cafe concerts offer a BYO setting with a choice of coffee-house style seating at tables or individual seating. Guests can bring their own beverages and snacks; coffee and sweet treats will also be available for purchase. Groups of four or more can reserve table space.
Voices Cafe’s mission is mission to inspire, connect and act influences Voices Cafe in bringing the power of song to social justice.
To learn more or For additional information, please leave a message for our volunteer team at Voices Cafe, 203-227-7205 ext 20 or contact us via email: VoicesCafeCT@gmail.com.
www.facebook.com/VoicesCafe www.instagram.com/voicescafewestport
Avoid Being A Victim: Westport PD Lt. Jillian Cabana Joins First Selectwoman Jen Tooker In Special Podcast
New Y’s Men Podcast Discusses Protecting Against Scams And Theft
Y’s Man John Brandt joins Jen and special guest Westport Police Department’s Lt. Jillian Cabana to discuss the growth of thievery through e-mail, telephone and direct engagement scams throughout Westport and the rest of the world.
Watch or listen now and learn how to protect yourself and your family from criminals who are trying to take what is yours.