jUNe Day 2024: Westport Welcomed The World
On Saturday June 29th Westport held it's 59th annual welcome to the people of the world in conjunction with The United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut and the International Hospitality Committee. In the background of this photo, a large group of protesters appears presenting their opposition to the UN’s position on the Israel/Gaza situation. See WestportLocal: They Spoke Loudly…
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Delegates to the UN as well as staff members were given a warm welcome once again and were offered the opportunity to visit some of Westport's exceptional amenities such as Wakeman Town Farm, Compo Beach, Earthplace and the Longshore Golf Course among others. They also got to witness first-hand a Westport Institution, The Sunrise Rotary's Great Duck Race.
A fierce rivalry on the Soccer pitch is also an annual event where The Westport Football Club took on the United Nations team, comprised of soccer players from all over the world at the Saugatuck school. (story and photos to follow, check WestportLocalPress later this week)
Each year flags from countries the world over are flown on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge in downtown Westport. Ms. Cohen (1920-2002) was a highly accomplished woman who was deeply involved with the UN and was a staunch champion supporting NGO affiliates at UN Headquarters. This year about 170 flags were flown representing most of the 193 member nations of the UN. The countries are selected in conjunction with the town and they excluded the flag of Russia in 2022.
Ms. Steinkraus Cohen founded the UN Association of Southwestern CT which co-organizes the event each year. This event celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter which was signed on June 26, 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on October 24, 1945.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The jUNe Day program began with a greeting from Mr. Willard Hass, President, NA-USA Southwestern CT Chapter. Mr. Hass was followed by First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker who welcomed the international contingent to Westport. A message from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was delivered by the Guest of Honor, Mr. Christian Saunders. Mr. Saunders is the Under-Secretary-General, Special Coordinator on Improving the UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. The important highlights from the message of UN Secretary-General Guterres which which were delivered by Under-Secretary-General Saunders were:
“Every June, the Town of Westport welcomes UN staff members, delegates and friends to join together and celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter. This annual event stands as a reminder of the essential role the Charter plays in ensuring peace, stability and cooperation in a difficult and fractured world. The values embodied by the Charter are timeless: peace, dialogue, human rights, international law, and solutions through solidarity.
We need these values more than ever, as we grapple with huge global challenges like conflicts, climate change, poverty, hunger and inequality.”
“The work that you all do has embodied this essential call to action. I urge you to continue championing the vital causes of peace, sustainable development and human rights for all. Together, we can build a better future for everyone, everywhere. “
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
UN visitors and jUNe Day volunteers listen to the remarks by the speakers including Under Secretary-General Saunders and First Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
Tooker welcomed everyone saying “It is my pleasure to welcome you to our beautiful town as we have done for over 50 years.” She added, “I know this is an opportunity for you all to get out of the city” and that “This is the perfect place to do just that.” Booker referenced the pro-Israel silent protest telling the crowd, “People here embrace freedom of expression as you see here today. And this is the way we do things in Westport, respectful, civil, peaceful, adding, “Many members of our community have experienced deep, acute and lasting pain since the horrific attack on October 7th. Just as the UN promotes robust dialogue, so do we here inWestport. And that is what you see here this morning.”
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
In Their Silence, They Spoke Loudly
A silent protest for the hostages taken on October 7th accompanied Westport’s annual jUNe Day celebration.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Westport has been celebrating jUNe Day for over half a century. This town’s paradigm of tolerance, inclusion acceptance of everyone regardless of their race, creed, color, sexual preference, and generally their political perspective is bedrock principal here. This year was no exception however it was the first year that such a large group of perhaps 100 people respectfully confronted in public, the UN’s position on the horrific events of October 7th in Israel with which we are all familiar.
And in keeping with the tone of civility which is also a part of Westport’s heritage for much or all of the time we have been celebrating people of all nations on jUNe Day, this year was a little different. Protesters challenging how the UN has addressed the hostage crises gathered alongside the sluice for the Great Duck Race and spoke loudly, not with megaphones and clever chants, but with posters, flags, and T-shirts including several a stark and bold hashtag message, “#END JEW HATRED” which, when Googled brings you to the website EndJewHatred.com where their banner reads “Justice For The Jewish People”. What started as a small group of folks when the word went out turned into a large demonstration of unity and solidarity between the people of Westport and beyond, with the people of Israel in their silent, yet very loud cry for the end to the hostage crises.
Below are the comments of one of the organizers, Dori Bomback who provided them to WestportLocalPress. They are Ms. Bombacks views and are not a statement by WestportLocal :
“A few of us have organized a silent protest rally against this year's invitation of UN employees for jUNe Day. We will be partnering with the CT chapter of #EndJewHatred. The rally will be taking place in the morning during the breakfast and welcome speeches. It will be SILENT out of respect to the town and some of the superfluous events taking place tomorrow. Selectwoman Tooker and DPC Paulson are completely aware of our intentions. I do not know how big or small it will be. We will be holding up signs and wearing t-shirts.
We are Westporters. We are Westport neighbors who support the town's economy. We are Jews. Maybe some of us are non-Jews. We are Zionists. We are parents.
Maybe some of us have college students who are facing extreme anti-semitism on their campuses.”
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Bomback continued, “We are angry about the UN's egregious bias against Israel and the fact that our tax dollars are being used to host representatives of the United Nations, particularly this year, after the horrific events of October 7, and the consistently glaring antisemitic/anti-israel efforts to delegitimize the only Jewish state. Here is a little context for you to understand better what we are protesting.
The UN has done nothing to release the remaining 116 hostages, representing 54 different countries— not just Israel, over the last nine months. The UN was silent on the rape and sexual violence used against Israeli women on 10.7 for months. Staffers of the UN agency of UNRWA were directly involved in the 10.7 Hamas attack and subsequent murder and kidnapping of Israelis. The UN will still not condemn Hamas using its name. The UN singles out Israel with resolution after resolution while countries like N. Korea and Iran are barely sanctioned. And, finally, the preposterous false charges of genocide against Israel are meritless, counterproductive and hypocritical.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
We understand that jUNe day has gone on here for 50 + years. We understand that in its inception, it was not meant to be a political statement or event, however, today, the UN is a highly politically divisive organization and inviting their employees to our town for a day in the sun is simply no longer acceptable to us. Sometimes, the status quo needs to change and just because we’ve operated one way for 50 years, doesn’t mean it’s appropriate going forward. We are all for international hospitality, but we should be hosting an organization that stands for universal equality for all.”
Westport Gets Ready For jUNe Day 2024
Dozens of flags from all around the world fly on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge in welcome for the UN officials and staff who will be in town on Saturday June 29th for Westport’s annual jUNe Day celebration.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The UNA Southwestern Connecticut Chapter and the Town of Westport for the 59th time has invited our friends from the United Nations Staff and Missions to be our guests in Westport for a day of summer fun! This tradition was started in 1965 and we’ve never missed a year.
The Great Duck Race And jUNe Day Returns On Saturday
Sunny, the giant Sunrise Rotary Duck has taken his place at Jesup Green to promote Saturday’s Great Duck Race. A lighted sign display reminds folks that there will be no parking on June 28th night and all day the 29th as the Jesup Green parking lot will be the site for all of the vendors, exhibitors and booths for family activities for the day.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
On Saturday June 29th Westport once again hosts UN dignitaries from all over the world for jUNe Day and The Great Duck Race and Family Fun Faire, which runs from 10:00 AM until 2PM.
Remarks will be given by UN dignitaries at 10:30 to open the jUNe day activities.
The big race will be held at 1:00 PM and the lucky winners will be awarded the first place prize of $5,000, second pace prize of $1,000, with $500. being awarded to the 3rd through 10th place finishers.
About the Great Duck Race:
Helmed by Steve Violette, the Great Duck Race was initiated in 2009 as a trial to see if a duck race would work in Westport. The event was a smashing success, nearly doubling expectations for money we were able to raise for charity.
Every year, the Race generates tens of thousands of dollars...all of which is distributed to local and international charities!
See a list of recent charity recipients here: WestportSunriseRotary.org
To see WestportLocal’s coverage last year of the Great Duck race click here: 14th Annual Great Duck Race
To see last year’s coverage of jUNe Day, click here: jUNe Day: When The World Comes To Westport
Longshore Lunch Al Fresco
This little brown rabbit came out of the woods in the afternoon near the Longshore Sailing School to dine in a delicious field of grass and clover, which rabbits do enjoy. Rabbits often avoid being seen in plain sight in open areas for fear of predators such as hawks.
Perhaps this little one was feeling confident as he was enjoying his lunch in the shadow of one of the two Osprey platforms at Longshore, both of which are occupied by a nesting pair. The male is very active, and the second platform further down the exit road also has an active nesting pair. The formidable Osprey presence at Longshore probably discourages hawk activity as Osprey are not eager to share their space wth other raptors.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com.
Shellfish On The Menu For Compo Beach Oystercatchers
One of the Oystercatcher pair which has nested at Compo has found a tasty meal in between the rocks at the shoreline of South Beach where they have nested for the last few years.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
For the last several years a pair of Oystercatchers have called South Beach at Compo home where there are not that many natural predators and have nested and attempted to raise their families. Chicks have hatched in years past but it is not well known what their success rate is as to their survival. This pair did hatch chicks this year. Two were spotted a couple of weeks ago, however there was no sign of the babies last week when these photos were taken. This pair for some reason has chosen Compo’s South Beach instead of nesting on one of the islands off of the coast of Connecticut where many of their species can be found.
After sitting quietly in the sand for some time, this bird decided it was time to stroll down to the waterline to search for something to eat. She looks carefully and spots her target, quickly plucking a mollusk of some kind from between the rocks.
AllAboutBirds.org describes these beauties this way, “A boldly patterned shorebird with red-yellow eyes and a vivid red-orange bill, American Oystercatchers survive almost exclusively on shellfish—clams, oysters, and other saltwater molluscs.” and they add, “American Oystercatchers are the only birds in their environment with the ability to open large molluscs such as clams and oysters (except for large gulls that drop clams onto pavement).” They caution, however, “American Oystercatchers don’t always win out in their battles against oysters and clams. Occasionally, a shellfish gets its revenge by clamping down on an oystercatcher’s bill and holding the bird tight.”
Named Oystercatchers in 1731 by English naturalist Mark CatesbyThe Amrican Oystercatcher is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the state of CT erects "fencing" wire and signs warning viewers and beachgoers to keep their distance to encourage successful breeding.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Named Oystercatchers in 1731 by English naturalist Mark CatesbyThe Amrican Oystercatcher is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the state of CT erects "fencing" wire and signs warning viewers and beachgoers to keep their distance to encourage successful breeding.
After enjoying it’s snack it was time to clean those feathers, splashing and spraying water.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Mystery Fly Fisherman Tries His Luck
He probably is not a famous celebrity masked up to conceal his identity in order to enjoy some quiet time fly fishing on Gray’s Creek. More than likely he is trying to keep the bugs out of his mouth, the opposite of what he is hoping for from the creek’s inhabitants. He may be hoping to be one of the lucky anglers who can catch a largemouth or striped bass, or possibly a bluefish, species which have been reported to Fishbrain.com as having been caught.
Photo and caption by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Make Music Day 2024 Returns Tomorrow, June 21st
To learn more visit any of the links below:
Make Music Day is tomorrow, Friday June 21st and is worldwide one-day event bringing musicians and audiences together in cities and towns the world over. The event began in France in 1982 and has since spread to 120 countries this year with a total of 5,000 concerts and music events taking place one that one day alone.
Connecticut’s sixth annual Make Music Day in 2023 featured more than 400 free musical performances across fourteen regional chapters, brought together by the Connecticut Office of the Arts, to coordinate a diverse day of music-making statewide, open to all.
Story by J.C. Martin
Billboard Magazine’s website says” The celebrations seek to bring out the musician in all of us, regardless of skill level, with outdoor concerts, jam sessions, lessons and music-making of all kinds”.
Visit Billboard.com for more general info on Make Music Day. Local info can be found below.
Although Westport, surprisingly is yet to join in this celebration of music, there are Make Music Day events in several surrounding towns. Neighboring towns include Fairfield, Southport, Norwalk, Ridgefield, New Canaan, Bethel and many others The event provides performances in multiple locations and times in each city and town. Events begin at 9:00AM and continue throughout the day. To find info on the towns and cities in CT which are participating visit MakeMusicDay/Fairfield.org or visit CTvisit.com for complete local listings.
FTC Fairfield has a full slate of performers beginning at 4:30PM
Notably, FTC, the Fairfield Theatre Company which has brought both national and local recording artists to their two venues located in downtown Fairfield for many years will host their concert beginning at 4:30PM and will run until 10:00PM, a welcome time slot considering the current “heat dome” over Fairfield County.
Their website says “Make Music Fairfield is a town-wide music festival with over 110 performances. Click the 'Learn More' button to view the full schedule.” This free event will take place outdoors in The Parking Lot outside The Warehouse. You can bring your own chair if you'd like, We will also have games/activities for adults and kids. Concessions and restrooms will be open inside The Warehouse. In the event of bad weather, the show will be moved inside The Warehouse. Steakinit food truck will be on site and tastings are provided by our sponsors Downeast Cider and Mezcalum
The FTC website offers complete details on their performances at FairfieldTheatre.com including performer schedules and videos.
Final Fun Day At The Fair!
The much loved and eagerly anticipated Yankee Doodle Fair had a great run again this year. The final day was Sunday and there were smiles and laughter for both the young and the young at heart as they enjoyed the rides and challenged themselves at the various games. Here is our collection of photos showing all the fun!
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The big winners were spotted carrying the giant prizes and trying to balance them while eating treats purchased at the various concessions.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
At 5:00 PM the rides were stopped and the trailers were closed up as Stewart Amusements got ready to bring the smiles, laughter and great family memories to the next town.
Westport Volunteer EMS Announces Jaime Bairaktaris As Next President
Crew Chief Jaime Bairaktaris teaching children, one of his passions, about the functions of EMS Ambulance life-saving equipment at this year’s Westport Touch-A-Truck.
Photo by J.C. Martin for WestportLocalPress.com
17 June 2024 [Westport, Connecticut]. Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service, Inc. (“WVEMS”) announces the election of Westporter Jaime Bairaktaris as the non-profit’s next president. At 26 years old, Bairaktaris - a Board member and Westport EMS Crew Chief - will be the youngest person to have held the position when he succeeds current president and EMT Michael Burns on July 01. [click here for press release photos]
Bairaktaris began volunteering in 2013 as a Staples High School freshman and has served nearly 3,000 hours since. He was named Volunteer of the Year in 2016 and Crew Chief of the Year in 2022. Outside of volunteering, Bairaktaris is proud to work as a support staff member at Redding’s John Read Middle School and recently finished a term on the Westport Representative Town Meeting for District 4.
Current president Mike Burns will transition to serve as Vice President to continue his work on the organization's new endowment goals that will allow long term financial sustainability. Burns’ dedication and leadership have significantly contributed to WVEMS's growth and stability during an unprecedented time in history following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nonprofit's mission is to save lives by supporting Westport Emergency Medical Service, which operates and manages the Town's 911-response ambulance service. Bairaktaris' goals will include initiatives for current volunteers while finding ways to attract and grow the next generation of EMTs. He also looks forward to strengthening public education, alongside the organization’s team of volunteer instructors, with new classes focused on mental health.
“Westport EMS is a second home to me - and its members, a second family. I’m excited for this opportunity to foster our organization’s mission to save lives in our community,” says Bairaktaris.
WVEMS has a “bright future”, Bairaktaris added as he described incoming volunteers and big updates - including the purchase of new, custom-built ambulances funded by the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust, Westport Woman's Club, and Walter and Marilyn Joy Samuels Charitable Foundation Trust. “I’m excited for the growth we’ll see in the next few years.”
Westport Volunteer EMS looks forward to growing and continuing its mission to help save lives while it celebrates 45 years of “volunteers answering the call.”
For more info on Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, visit WestportEMS.org.