Wreckers Tame Tigers In Ridgefield Regular Season Finale
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
In the last game of the regular season Wednesday night in Ridgefield, the #2 ranked Staples Wreckers faced #1 Ranked Ridgefield. In what was expected to be a tough contest, the Wreckers needed to bring their "A Game". They did just that. Staples won the opening tip-off, scored the first basket, and never looked back. The led from buzzer to buzzer, defeating Ridgefield by the score of 81-69.
The Wreckers starting five were introduced, psyched to take on #1, followed by a Ridgefield student singing an outstanding rendition of the National Anthem.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
A minute and a half in saw the Wreckers score 4 quick points, followed by Dhilan Lowman draining one of his 6 three-point baskets, on his way to a 20 point game. Ridgefield called a 30 second timeout after the 3 pointer apparently concerned with stopping the Wrecker momentum. It did not. Ridgefield cut the lead to 4 points with a minute left in the first quarter, but Staples held the ball until the final 3 seconds when they found the net from beyond the arc to end the period with a 5 point advantage.
Ridgefield closed the gap to 3 points early in the second quarter however the Wreckers went into the locker room with an 7 point advantage, thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Lowman. The game was physical and intense. Above: (bottom right), the Staples bench rises to their feet after one of Lowman’s 3-pointers finds it’s mark.
The fourth quarter was no better for the Tigers as in the final 3 minutes they tried fouling at every turn in, trying to cut the lead, however it was to no avail. In addition to Lowman's streak of 3-pointers which was a career high, player of the game Mason Tobias shot a blistering 80% from the field on 10 attempts, scoring 21 points and scooped up 8 rebounds.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above, right, Staples fans take to their feet in the final minute cheering as the Wreckers take the big victory.
With the regular season concluded, Staples, with a record of 13-2 in the FCIAC and 17-4 overall will open the FCIAC tournament quarter finals on Saturday, seeded #2 behind #1 Ridgefield. They will face #7 Wilton, 8-7 in conference at 2:00PM at Fairfield Warde High School. A victory in Fairfield will take the Wreckers to the semi-finals on Monday at either 5:30 or 7:30PM at Wilton High.
The Wreckers are ranked #4 in CIAC Division 1 and will face some serious competition when the state tournament begins.
Westport's Shonda Rhimes Says See 'Ya To The Kennedy Center For The Arts
Shonda Rhimes being interviewed at the Westport Library’s Martin Luther King celebration last month. Photo by J.C. Martin for Westport Local Press
Trump's takeover of the organization prompts several board resignations and artist cancellations.
Story by J.C. Martin for Westport Local Press
Shonda Rhimes, who was treasurer of the Kennedy Center, one of Americas premier arts organization has resigned that position.
The Center made its public debut on September 8, 1971, with a gala opening performance featuring the world premiere of a Requiem mass honoring President Kennedy, a work commissioned from the legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.
Honorees have included a who's who of America's greatest and most beloved members of the arts community. The Kennedy Center Honors was televised earlier this year with Francis Ford Coppola, Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval, the Grateful Dead and Apollo Theater receiving the 2024 honors. The list of those honored would fill a few pages here and include Earth, Wind & Fire, The Eagles, Sally Field, Henry Fonda, Cher, Reba McEntire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, George Clooney and Bob Dylan.
Forbes Magazine's story cites a "War On Woke Programming" Forbes Kennedy Center The story has appeared in multiple media outlets including The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Post and NPR.
Trump previewed his vision to usher in " a new age in arts and culture" last week when it was reported that he would appoint himself as chair of the center.
Trump, who has never attended the Kennedy Center, has fired numerous board members and replaced them with people from his inner circle including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, her deputy Dan Scavino and second lady Usha Vance.
Staples Wreckers Top Hatters 42-34 In Danbury
Above left: Mason Tobias scoring one of his game high 19 points. Right: Matty Corrigan starts the transition after grabbing one of his 6 rebounds.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
On a special night honoring the senior players and cheerleaders at Danbury High School, the Staples boys basketball team played the role of spoiler. Staples started off the game very well defensively, jumping out to a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter led by junior captain Mason Tobias (#11) who scored 5 points and junior Matty Corrigan (#35) who added 4 points in the first period.
Coach Dave Goldshore and his staff get the team ready to take the floor after a time out.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Danbury battled hard throughout the game and fought back, and threatened Staples which led by one point at the close of the third quarter, 29-28. The 4th quarter saw the Wreckers expand their lead to 6 points just past the midway point, holding off the Hatters who were held to only 2 more points in the final minutes.
Mason Tobias, forward (#11) lead all scorers with 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds which ultimately led the way for the Wreckers with his craftiness in the paint as well as some timely free throws. Forward Matty Corrigan (#35) was productive across the board, scoring 10 points, adding 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals to help the Wreckers to victory. Staples won the game 42-34, and looks to continue their success on Friday night when the Cadets of St. Joseph come to Westport (7:00 PM tip-off).
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
We would be remiss if we did not give a shout out to the championship Danbury Cheerleading Hatters, who have dominated cheer competition in the FCIAC and the state. The squad won their seventh straight FCIAC conference team title and scored their third straight state title last year. Below: they perform one of their signature moves, lining up for back flips which thrilled the crowd.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
And now, THIS!
A snowman was made in an effigy of Adolph Hitler, complete with a swastika and stick positioned as an arm forming a Nazi salute.
Snowman photo courtesy of 06880.
Westport Police Department & First Selectwoman Update:
On 1:00 PM on Tuesday February 11, Westport Police issued the following press release:
In response to numerous inquiries from various media outlets, The Westport Police Department is releasing the following information about a recent antisemitic incident.
On the night of February 9th, Westport Police were notified by a local Rabbi to the existence of a snowman with antisemitic features at the Newman Poses Preserve. The person who found the snowman notified the Rabbi and a local blog. On the morning of January 10th, the Westport Police initiated an investigation which included responding to the Newman Poses Preserve where a snowman was located, but without any antisemitic symbols. We contacted the complainant and spoke with him about the incident. He reported finding the snowman at approximately 5:40 PM on Sunday, January 9th while walking in the Newman Poses Preserve. The complainant reportedly took a photo of the snowman and then removed the antisemitic symbols prior to leaving the preserve.
The Westport Police Department is investigating the incident and asks anyone who knows who is responsible for this incident to contact the Westport Police Department at (203)341-6000. Furthermore, we ask that incidents like this be reported immediately to the Police Department so they can be investigated in a timely manner.
First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker stated, “This incident does not reflect the beliefs of our community. Westport strives to be a welcoming community, where everyone feels like they belong. I will continue to lead with that goal as my North Star and will work with the Police Department to ensure everyone feels safe and heard.”
WPL Note**
The WPD requests that all incidents of hate be reported ASAP so that a police response can occur as quickly as possible, as this will hep in any investigations.
WESTPORT LOCAL PRESS ORIGINAL POST:
Town officials and civic leaders at ever turn, have made it clear that the Town of Westport is a welcoming community where acceptance and tolerance is the standard to which we hold ourselves.
Recently an example of the kind of hate which is unacceptable anywhere, especially here, appeared in a strange and bizarre form in one of our town open spaces, The Newman-Poses Preserve, located off Bayberry Lane near the intersection of Easton Rd. The preserve is the only public memorial approved by the family of the late Paul Newman as a way to honor the actor and philanthropist.
Westport PD was notified and reaction was swift in town and in the area, with posts on 06880 and reporting in area newspaper websites and local television including News12 Connecticut.
A response by the CT chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) came in the form of the statement above, which references the ongoing incidences of anti-semitism in CT, saying in part, "At a time of rising hate and antisemitism, we all upon community leader to speak out against this hat. Hate is not child's play."
An ADL post on their website in April, 2024, the organization reported, "Antisemitic Incidents in Connecticut Soared 170 percent in 2023". Westport, which has large and thriving Jewish community and several synagogues has been highly visible in it's support for the community and for Israel as the hostage crises continues, has seen more than it's share of anti-semitic incidents and rallies in support of Israel.
Link to the ADL post: Antisemitic Incidents Soared In 2023
Some of these have been reported here in the Westport Local Press:
Another Example Of Anti-Semitism Appears In Westport
Bridge Rally Marks 300 Days Of Captivity For Israeli Hostages
Vigil Tonight To Mark 300 Days Of Captivity Of The Israeli Hostages