Westport, Meet Your K9 Protectors
To Protect & Serve:
From left to right: Corporal David Scinto with his partner, K9 Atlas. Corporal Kevin Smith and partner K9 Onyx and Corporal Jim Loomer with his partner, K9 Brutte.
Earlier this week the Westport PD K9 division hosted a media day inviting local press to meet and greet the members of the division and to promote awareness of this invaluable program which not only serves Westport, but often is called upon to support other area law enforcement agencies in assisting investigations and to aid in tracking and apprehension of alleged criminal suspects. The event was held as part of the efforts of the department to raise funds for the operation and improvements of the K9 division, which is solely reliant upon the public for all expenses of operation. The link to the department’s GoFundMe page can be found below.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
As part of the event officers posed for photos with their K9s and held a question and answer session with local media. Corporal Jim Loomer invited the press into PD headquarters and showed a wall dedicated to the history of Westport’s very successful K9 program. Photos of past officers and their partners included an early officer name Foti Koskinas, who is pictured with his K9 partner, Lola and who as we all know is now Wesport’s Chief Of Police. At right, Corporal Scinto is interviewed by Channel 12 News. A link to their story can be found below.
L to R: Corporal Smith & K9 Onyx, Corporal Scinto & K9 Atlas, K9 Onyx, K9 Onyx getting up close and personal with Smith and Corporal Loomer & K9 Brutte.
Some of the many achievements of these skilled K9’s include Corporal Scinto and Atlas who secured the apprehension of a robbery suspect in Bridgeport for which they received the Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 award. In November of 2021, while assigned as a Task Force Officer in the Auto Theft Task Force in the City of Bridgeport, Officer Scinto and other Task Force Officers engaged with several armed suspects during a robbery investigation. Upon being confronted one of the suspects engaged Officers in a foot pursuit all while having a loaded Handgun in his right hand despite by tased, after several attempts, Officers were relentless in their pursuit and with the assistance of K9 Atlas the suspect was able to be taken into custody safely without harm to Officers or the Community. K9 Atlas may have been instrumental in saving the life of his partner Scinto, or other officers who were on scene.
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Corporal Jim Loomer is a 14 year veteran with Westport PD and his partner K9 Brutte is a Belgian Malinois a breed know for being smart, confident, and versatile and a world-class worker who forges an unbreakable bond with his human partner. It is said that to deny a Malinois activity and the pleasure of your company is to deprive him of his very reasons for being, which is partly why they are popular with many police departments. Corporal Smith has been with WPD for 24 years and Corporal Scinto has served for 11 years. His partner K9 Atlas is a German Shepherd who has served for 9 years and will be retiring at the end of this year. These K9 partners are trained in patrol work and narcotics detection. Loomer also has a second K9 named Ambo whose specialty is explosive detection. Corporal Loomer can be called upon to do a sweep of a school, synagogue or to check an a suspicious unattended bag in a building or public location such as a train station.
These dogs have been described as locating tools and they rely on their exceptional sense of smell for tracking criminal suspects or missing elderly persons or children. Scientists report that a dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than a human's. One of the reasons a dog has a much better sense of smell than we do has to do with the number of scent receptors: For every scent receptor a human has, a dog has about 50.
Corporal Smith is often called upon to assist local PD’s with car theft investigations. Stolen cars often crash or are abandoned and Onyx can often track suspects who were in the vehicle, when they are on shift and other PD’s don’t have a dog available during that shift. Some area PD’s have only a single K9.
The Westport Police K9 Unit has launched a Go Fund Me page for the purpose of fundraising for expenses associated with the unit’s operations.
The goal is to raise $58,000. which is needed for the purchase and for training of a new K9 who will be replacing Atlas who will be in 2024 after his 9 year career with the unit. Additionally, funds are needed to outfit K9 patrol vehicles which have multiple special features that standard vehicles do not have, such as remote “door pop” mechanisms which the officer can trigger that can open the vehicles door to allow the K9 to spring into action if needed. Heat sensors can also automatically roll down windows if the car’s engine should fail cutting the AC needed to keep the K9 safe and which sends an alert to the officer’s phone. K9 vehicles also have much greater wear and tear leading to more repairs and maintanence, and Scinto stated that his vehicles has over 9,000 idle hours.The unit is on it’s way with more than $42,000 raised so far. The kevlar vests worn by the K9’s cost about $1,000 and are level 3 ballistic vests which can protect against gunshot rounds, stabbing and slashing. All of the department’s K9’s have these vests, the most recent one purchased with funds from a single anonymous donor. Corporal Scinto told WestportLocal that the K9 vests are even better that their vests, joking that if he needed a better vest, he might borrow his dogs. These protective measures are essential as the dogs routinely face the same threats as the officers. A recent incident recounted by Scinto described a pursuit following a car-jacking out of Waterbury where the officers were on scene after the vehicle crashed. Scinto deployed Atlas to apprehend the male driver who was armed, and while attempting to take the female into custody Scinto observed the male suspect kicking Atlas, which didn’t go well for the suspect, given the German Shepherd’s bite force ranging between 175 and 238 pounds per square inch (PSI). Atlas did receive an injury requiring medical attention when the pair, while in their patrol vehicle, were rammed by a stolen car which caused poor Atlas to be launched from the back seat almost into Scinto’s lap causing him to hit his head on the rifle rack, resulting in a good-sized laceration on his head which required a vet’s application of medial “super glue”. After a couple of days recovery, Atlas was back on the job!
Please visit Westport Police K-9 Unit Fundraiser for additional information.
Another of Atlas’ career highlights was assisting a a federal agency by finding 14 KILOS of fentanyl which could have been responsible for an untold number of deaths had the most dangerous drug of our times reached the street. In yet another incident, Atlas helped track a bank robbery suspect who fled to a nearby golf course and attempted to evade capture by hiding in a garbage can. He was not successful thanks to Atlas. The bond between the officer and his K9 is a very tight one, with the two spending many hours a day together. Corporal Scinto described it this way, "He's a family member. I joke I spend more time with my dog than anybody else on this planet. Whether he's in the car or at home, we're a foot away from each other almost 24 hours a day," said Scinto.
Above left, Corporal Loomer shows his second K9, Ambo, a Labrador Retriever, and right Corporal Smith demonstrates the tremendous agility and energy of his Belgian Malinois, Onyx.
To view the News12 segment on this event, visit NEWS12.com
Wreckers Hopes For FCIAC Playoff Berth Dashed In Danbury
The Staples girls basketball team was hoping for a win last night against the Hatters of Danbury which would earn them a spot in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference post season tourney, but despite leaving it all on the court for 32 minutes, it was not to be.
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In a game which was exceptionally physical, with one tie-up after another becoming fierce battles for possession, and body contact which must have left both teams bruised today, the Wreckers were in it until the final five minutes.
The Wreckers came out strong, scoring two quick buckets in the first two minutes, but Danbury fought back tying the game 8-8 midway through the period. Staples held a one point advantage at the end of the first quarter thanks in part to sophomore stand-out Sarah Von Dohlen who posted 8 of her game-high 22 points.
The second quarter saw the lead change several times with Staples overcoming a five point deficit to go into the locker room leading 32-25 behind buckets by sophomore Freya Harvey, 3-pointers by Von Dohlen and sophomore Emma Asiel, junior Ella Harrington who was second leading scorer with 11 points total and who plays alongside her twin sister Poppy.
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The Wreckers expanded their lead to ten points early in the third period, however things went downhill from there with Danbury closing to within one at the end of the period. Staples had no answer for 5’11” Danbury center Lily Bevington who was able to score from the post and with a couple of quick scores the Hatters took the lead, 43-40 and then expanded the lead to eight. With 1:30 left to play, Danbury was firmly in control, leading 56-48, with Von Dohlen draining a trey in the final minute, the Wreckers fell to Danbury by the final score of 58-55. Adding to the Wreckers scoring were sophomore Sadie Katzner who finished with six points, Asiel with seven, junior Sophia Martin adding three and Marley Belzer who finished with two.
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Music Fans Add Cool Jazz Concert At Westport Library To Their Super Bowl Sunday Activities
More than 130 music lovers came to the Trefz Forum at the Westport Library to enjoy a special performance by internationally know recording artist Sherry Winston and her very talented band on Super Bowl Sunday. The appreciative crowd were wowed by the musicianship of this seasoned band and the one hour plus show concluded with a standing ovation.
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Ms. Winston told WestportLocalPress, “I was so happy to be asked to perform at the Westport Library on Super Bowl Sunday. I knew nothing about the library in advance and was so pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the structure, the professionalism of the staff, the magnificence of the sound system, Sound Engineer and Videographer. I was doubly surprised by the number of people who came out to see me on a day which was the most televised sports show in the U.S. The audience was very supportive and attentive to me and my band and made performing for them a total joy. Kudos to Jennifer Keller, Program Director, Travis, Sound Engineer and David,Videographer. They all did a magnificent job and made us comfortable and very happy with the quality of the sound & video.”
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Sherry told several stories during the show from her years in the music industry. One such anecdote was how her flute career began, which was pretty much by accident, or perhaps destiny. When in junior high school in Queens, Sherry wanted to join the music program and when the list of applicants was called alphabetically to choose their instrument to study, the petite Ms. Winston was left with two choices, flute or tuba. The choice was pretty clear.
One of Ms. Winston’s fondest memories was a performance where the great Stevie Wonder was in the audience. The story goes: Several years ago I had the opportunity to play a tribute concert for the late Hal Jackson who was the first Black DJ in the U.S. and a 50 year presence on WBLS radio in NYC !! Hal's wife Debi Jackson was giving a 96th birthday party for him in Lower Manhattan and asked me if I would come and do a tribute to Hal. Of course I considered it an honor to be asked to perform along with some of the biggest names in R&B music like Melba Moore. I was the only Jazz artist asked to participate.
Debi told me that she was also asking Stevie Wonder to come and honor Hal, since Hal had been instrumental in Stevie’s career when he was first starting out as “Little Stevie Wonder.” Hal gave him much needed air time on WBLS and promoted his first LP. Debi Had me rehearse a song that Stevie wrote called “Pastime Paradise,” with a band that she put together for Hal’s party. I had recorded “Pastime Paradise,” on my 4th CD and was excited about the possibility of performing the song for Stevie.
When Stevie came to the venue Debi asked me to start playing the song with the band. When Stevie heard his song being played he immediately followed the sound and pulled out his Harmonica and began to play with me. We were joined by the Icon Valerie Simpson on Piano who performed & wrote many hit songs as part of the Duo Ashford & Simpson. It was truly a night to remember and will always hold a special place in my heart.
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Joining Sherry in her band were Richard Cummings on Keyboards, who attended Julliard and has performed with Harry Belafonte, conductor Zubin Mehta, internationally known Hugh Masekela, Wayne Shorter, renowned singer Dianne Reeves.
Also, Grammy winning drummer Joe Ham who has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Gloria Gaynor, Sam & Dave, The Platters, Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Marvellettes, and Tom Browne. In addition, Clarke has performed for TV shows The Cosby Show, A Different World, and Living Single. His Grammy was awarded for the Deniece Williams album This is my Song.
Steve Clarke playing electric bass has performed with Marion Meadows, Estaban, Tom Browne, Victor Fields, The Five Satins, Ben E. King, The Drifters, Coasters, and Sam & Dave. He has released seven albums under his own name, with his latest featuring Mike Stern, and has performed on more than 55 albums with other artists.
This exceptional concert can be enjoyed on the Westport Library YouTube channel: The Sherry Winston Band at The Westport Library
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At the conclusion of the show, Sherry did a meet & greet, signing copies of her CD’s and her book- For Lovers Only: “A Cookbook and More,” a how-to book on entertaining from the moment your guests enter your home until the second they leave. Her book, which was created over several years includes recipes for delicious, easily prepared dishes, recommendations for great music, good wine and beautiful flowers. Author/musician Sherry Winston helps everyone create the perfect ambience for a fun evening or special occasion.
As a bonus Sherry has included her mellow CD, "For Lovers Only, "which is perfect musically for any time night or day as part of this great package.
To learn more about Sherry’s music and her cookbook, visit: sherrywinston.com
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CT DOT Amends Transportation Improvement Plan To Include Funding For Cribari Bridge Project
The South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (SWRMPO) announced that it has placed an amendment to the FFY 2021-2024 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), as requested by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT), for the right of way and final design phase for the rehabilitation/replacement of the State-owned Bridge No. 01349, a/k/a William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge. The TIP is a dynamic list of all highway and public transit projects proposed to be undertaken utilizing Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration funding during federal fiscal years 2021-2024 within Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.
See Town Website For Details: Cribari Bridge Project Update
Staples Gymnastics Heads Into FCIAC Championships On Saturday
Staples Gymnastics has had a strong season and will compete on Saturday in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Championships, one of the two major meets in gymnastics. The Wreckers will be seeded in the top three in this competition.
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On Tuesday, Staples competed against the Norwalk and Wilton teams, photos from that competition are here. Staples coach Kelsey Martin also coaches the Norwalk High School team which has had their most successful gymnastics season in more than 15 years. They have won 5 matches and achieved much individual success.
Staples Gymnastics is led by Senior captain Victoria Fidalgo Schioppa (bars, beam and floor) and junior captain Sofia Alarcon Frias (all-around). Watch out for the talented all-arounders in Sophomores of Sarah Arango, Hannah Bitsky and Mia Cochran.
Here are the scores for Tuesday’s competition for the top Staples and Norwalk Performers:
Vault - Staples - Manar and Mia 8.3; Norwalk - Katie 8.1
Bars - Staples - Sarah 9.0; Norwalk - Sam 8.55
Beam - Staples - Sofia 8.8; Norwalk - Sam 8.0
Floor - Staples - Sofia and Manar 9.0; Norwalk - Kaite 8.4
All around - Staples - Sofia 34.65; Norwalk - Sam 32.55
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Even though Staples lost a talented trio of seniors last year, they added a ton of talent and depth this year with 7 freshmen. Unfortunately within the last two weeks, two of Staples top performers this year, Laura Guster and Emilia Fletcher sustained season ending injuries.
Staples is training hard to overcome from the key injuries. They are taking advantage of the depth of the team and are ready to perform at a high level in FCIAC's and States.
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Internationally Known Jazz Artist Sherry Winston And Her Band To Perform At The Westport Library Sunday
Sherry Winston and her band’s music is diverse and progressive, with compositions from Jazz Masters pianist Horace Silver, saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, pop icon Stevie Wonder, and Grammy Award and Platinum recording artist Beyonce. Sherry’s own “Symphonic Rock Suite #3” and “Mr. D’s Funky Sweet” will also be featured. There is something for all ages with Sherry's music being melodic and accessible. Her words and stories will offer inspiration for this year’s challenges and beyond.
This concert is made possible by the generosity of the Maurer Family Foundation.
Sherry Winston has performed in many of the major concert halls throughout the U.S., including Carnegie Hall, Constitution Hall, Lincoln Center and at the Kennedy Center. She is a musician, composer, and businesswoman who handles all of her own bookings, negotiating, and management of her band.
Sherry performed with Stevie Wonder in New York City to honor the legendary Hal Jackson on his 97th birthday. She also had the honor of performing for two sitting presidents: For President and Mrs. Clinton during their last holiday party at the White House and for former President George H.W. Bush at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.
Sherry has been featured in The New York Times, Ebony, Black Enterprise, Essence, and More magazines. She has been a featured guest on the Today show and Emeril Live and has co-hosted and performed on eight shows for BET TV.
Sherry has released 6 CDs, with her first Do It For Love, going to #1 on BRE and the Black Excellence Charts. Love Madness and Life is Love & Love is You were Top 10 at Billboard Magazine.
Richard Cummings (keyboards) studied piano at the Juilliard School of Music and at the University of Detroit. He has performed with Harry Belafonte, conductor Zubin Mehta, internationally known Hugh Masekela, Wayne Shorter, renowned singer Dianne Reeves, playright/producer George C. Wolfe, the classic Three Mo' Tenors, writer/producer Melvin Van Peebles, writer Iyanla Vanzant, and singer Letta Mbulu.
Steve Clarke (bassist/composer) has performed with Marion Meadows, Estaban, Tom Browne, Victor Fields, The Five Satins, Ben E. King, The Drifters, Coasters, and Sam & Dave. He has released seven albums under his own name, with his latest featuring Mike Stern, and has performed on more than 55 albums with other artists. Clarke has toured Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania as well as throughout U.S. with various groups.
Joe Ham (drums) has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Gloria Gaynor, Sam & Dave, The Platters, Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Marvellettes, and Tom Browne. In addition, Clarke has performed for TV shows The Cosby Show, A Different World, and Living Single. He won a Grammy for the Deniece Williams album This is my Song.
Doggie Dancin’ At Compo Beach
Liuba and Alex recently moved to CT from Russia with their dog Pon’ka. When seeing us photographing dogs on a beautiful Sunday at Compo Beach, Lubia offered to have Pon’ka demonstrate some of the dance moves that earned her 1st and 3rd place at the Dog Dance European Championships. There were many hundreds of hours of training and practice, but in the end the rewards were worth the efforts.
Liuba told WestportLocalPress, “Just a year ago, we lived in another country and had an amazing experience with our dog, Pon'ka! She's a mixed breed, who was adopted, and despite her humble beginnings, she became a winner at the Dog Dance European Championships. It's incredible how our furry companions can reshape our lives, fostering new connections and leaving lasting impressions. Now she is retired, we are together in the USA , but she still delights in performing tricks just for the sheer joy of it” She obviously enjoyed showing us her moves but quickly returned to more familiar canine activities as seen below with a very large stick.
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The chilly but very sunny day brought many dog owners and their four-legged friends to Compo beach to run, play, swim and socialize with each other.
All in all, it was a most enjoyable day for everyone.
Also enjoying the day and having fun at the beach was 7 year old Westporter, Harper who was giving her Mini Golden Doodle Bella a good run. Or, perhaps it was the other way around!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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