In just 5 years, VersoFest has gained a great reputation for its celebration of music, media and creativity.
This year, those 3 elements have reached new, um, records.
Verso Studios — the Library’s media hub — has created a promotional jingle. They’re playing at other Library events, and will be heard at VersoFest too. The 4-day show begins Thursday.
There are 4 versions of the same jingle. Each emulates the styles of major artists in this year’s lineup.
Lyrics and music were created in Verso Studios by Travis Bell, the studio’s in-house producer. He collaborated with Verso advisory board member Les Dinkin, principal of DinkinEsh Presents, who conceptualized the creative project.
The duo used the studio’s AI-based software to draft and refine a set of lyrics for the festival. Then came music generated through iterative prompts.
Ani DiFranco (Photo/Shervin Lainez)
Bell and Dinkin worked on many preliminary versions, before finalizing the right fit for each artist’s sound.
All jingles were created solely from prompts through AI tools. The artist’s recordings or inputs from their recordings were not utilized in any way.
“We believe this may be the first time that AI music tools have been used to create artist-specific jingles by any performance venue, let alone a public community library,” Bell says.
This is not the first “first” for the Westport Library.
In 2022 “Verso Records: Volume One” became the first vinyl record ever recorded, produced, and released by a public library.
(“06880” is your place for all VersoFest news — and everything else going on in town. If you appreciate our coverage of “Where Westport meets the world,” please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Tonight is the boys basketball state championship. Staples High School — ranked #1 in Division I — meets #2 West Haven. Tipoff is 8:30 p.m., at Mohegan Sun.
But hey — you don’t have to drive clear across Connecticut.
In the wake of Thursday’s state Department of Transportation public meeting about the Cribari Bridge, several residents contacted “06880.” They want to know how to urge town officials — particularly 1st Selectman Kevin Christie and the Representative Town Meeting — to get involved.
For example, Robbie Guimond writes: “RTM! It’s time to answer the call. Are you ready?
“After the CTDOT hearing, one thing was clear: Fear about increased truck traffic is widespread across town. While other issues came up, the need to address truck traffic stood out.
“I believe the RTM should begin the process of creating a ‘no through truck’ ordinance immediately.
“This is public shout-out for the appropriate RTM committees to take this on — or form a new committee if needed. It would make sense to include people like Andrew Colabella and Jennifer Johnson, who have consistently raised this issue, along with others who can help move it forward.
“We also know that during reconstruction, a temporary span will allow all legal loads to cross for 3+ years. Even a bridge rehab would bring increased truck traffic back. We should be ready with a plan to act, if and when the trucks show up.
“RTM: It’s time to get to work. Are you ready? Your constituents are.”
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Mark Yurkiw — the Westport artist who has been very involved in relief efforts for his native Ukraine — shares an item about Westport’s sister city Lyman, from the Ukrainian National News Agency. It reports:
“The main and most relevant objective for the enemy is Lyman. Lyman has long been a target because (Russia’s) long-term goal is to reach the northern outskirts of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.
“To do this, they need to capture Lyman and then advance further toward Raihorodok. From there, they would directly move on to the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, but for years the enemy has failed to achieve this.”
Westport Board of Education “community conversations” are wide-ranging affairs.
Residents are invited to raise any topic related to the schools.
And they do.
The next session is Tuesday (March 31, 12 p.m., Westport Library). Former Representative Town Meeting moderator Velma Heller will facilitate the conversation.
Connecticut’s secretary of the state has a lot on her plate.
At the Westport Library on Thursday, Stephanie Thomas described some of her many roles. She was the second in a 3-part “Your State — Your Business” series, sponsored by the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.
Among the topics: scams targeting business owners and individuals, how businesses and residents can get involved civically, and human trafficking. She also answered questions, including about election policy.
The series continues April 2 (11 a.m., Westport Library), with Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Click here for more information.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas and Matthew Mandell, Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce director.
The Chicago Dawgs play, starting at 7:30. Bar food (pizza slices and hot dogs) are available, along with early bird bar specials. Click here for tickets.
Chicago Dawgs
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All soccer players in kindergarten through 6th grade are invited to a fun clinic and fundraiser next weekend (Sunday, March 29, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Wakeman Field). Westport travel coaches and Staples players will run the event.
It’s been organized by Bedford Middle School 8th grader Allyson Post. Donations ($25 per player) support the soccer program at Bridgeport’s Columbus School, for grades K-8.
Allyson started working with the Columbus program last year. It was so meaningful, she has continued her involvement.
To register through Full Court Peace, click here. Click “Donate,” and note “Soccer Clinic” in the notes. Then click here, so organizers can plan for each age group.
The Weston History & Culture Center opens for the season on March 29 (1 to 4 p.m.).
Visitors can enjoy a new “Weston at Work ”interactive exhibit in the Coley barn, take a guided tour of the Coley House (circa 1940s), learn about the forgotten village of Valley Forge, and explore the Weston Meteorite. For more information, click here.
Looking at the Lockwood Loom, at the Weston History & Culture Center.
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Is that spring we see, sprouting in Molly Alger’s yard?
We can’t imagine a better “Westport … Naturally” photo for today!
If you’re a teen — or ever were — this one’s for you.
(Hey, teens! And everyone else! If you enjoy “06880” — and appreciate the work that goes into posting 3 to 6 times a day — please click here, to support our work. Thank you all!)
This week in 2020 — a few days into the realization that the COVID-19 pandemic was real — I put out a call for artwork. The idea was that “in these perilous times,” “06880” readers could create — and share — artwork.
“Westport really is an arts community,” I wrote.
It doesn’t matter how old (or young) you are. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a brush, crayon or camera in your life. You don’t have to be an experienced painter, sketcher or collagist. You can work together, or with your family or anyone else you’re self-isolating with
All you need is an idea and a way to express it. Serenity, love, calm, separation, friends, solitude, fear, hope — whatever you’re thinking or feeling, get to work!
Artwork flooded in. It was broad, beautiful and imaginative. The very next day, I posted our very first online gallery. (It was first called “0*6*Art*Art*0.” at Stacie Curran’s suggestion. Click here to see that inaugural post.)
In the early days, I tried to limit the Saturday feature to work specifically created during the crisis, or that showed powerfully some of the effects those days had on everyone.
Soon, I broadened it to art with any theme (or none).
We’ve been going strong ever since. Today, we kick off the 7th year of our online art gallery.
As always, we invite you to be part of next week’s exhibition. No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, mixed media, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in. As they have for 6 years, lovers want to know.
“Open Your Eyes” (Elise Mergenthaler — age 16, One River Art student)
“Mr. Silhouette Snowflake” — mixed media, pastels on paper (Patricia McMahon — Available for purchase; click here)
Photographer Mike Hbbard says: “Beings, far beyond our galaxy, visit Earth regularly to study its life forms. They speculate that the creatures there, calling themselves humans, may go extinct through their own doing — unless they learn that kindness for each other is their only path to survival as a species.”
“Diane Heading Off to Work” — watercolor (Eric Bosch)
“STOP” — acrylic on original metal sign (Jerry Kuyper)
“Congress” (Mark Yurkiw — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“Orange Art” — a clementine and watercolor (Steve Stein)
“Child Support” (Lawrence Weisman)
“June and Friend” (Martin Ripchick — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (John Maloney)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery –as it has been for 6 years. But please consider an anniversary donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Michelle Vitulich has lived in Westport for 17 years. She and her husband Alan are the parents of 2 daughters in the Westport Public Schools. Michelle writes:
This year’s global theme — “Together Against Loneliness” — is being lived out in the hallways and on the stage of Bedford Middle School.
The students preparing for their production of “The Little Mermaid” did not need a formal memo to understand what inclusion looks like. For them, combating loneliness isn’t a campaign; it’s second nature.
And for a mother watching from the wings, it is a sight that makes the heart overflow.
Caitlin, a 7th grader with Down Syndrome, was cast as a starfish and otter in the show. While her roles may not be leads, the opportunity to be part of something special — to be truly included — means everything to her.
Starfish Caitlin (right), with sea gull (Scarlett Nathan). (Photo/Michelle Vitulich)
The depth of this inclusion became clear during a dress rehearsal for the final act. As the cast gathered for their bows, Caitlin found herself momentarily lost behind the large group of sea creatures. Without a second thought, a fellow student playing a seahorse noticed, reached back to grab Caitlin’s hand, and gently brought her to the very front to take her bow.
Later, when I went to thank the young actor, her response was simple and profound: “Of course. Everyone deserves applause.”
Cast and crew of “The Little Mermaid.” (Photo/Maya Porrino)
Those words carry a weight far beyond a middle school theater production. They reflect a community where students instinctively understand that every person has a vital role to play.
Whether it is Ariel dancing alongside Caitlin to guide her movements, sharing a belly laugh with Scuttle, Mr. Hribko ensuring that everyone finds their spot center stage, or the countless high fives and words of encouragement from fellow cast members, these students are proving that when we stand together, no one has to feel alone.
Please come out and support these incredible students on stage in “The Little Mermaid,” which runs today (Saturday, 7 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sunday, 2 p.m.). Click here for tickets.
PS: As we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day together, don’t forget to rock your socks!
All smiles on stage: Caitlin and paraprofessional Ronnisha Baker (and a great set too!). (Photo/Maya Porrino)
(“06880” covers Westport’s entertainment and education scenes — and of course, the accomplishments of our town’s young people. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
But today — the day after a public meeting with the state Department of Transportation, in the midst of fierce discussions about the future of the Cribari Bridge — is a good time to resurrect it.
The last time the Saugatuck River span was renovated — over 30 years ago — a temporary bridge took it place.
It rose up and down at both ends: Bridge Street and Riverside Avenue.
It was wide. It curved around the original. It cut through the parking lot of what was then Mansion Clam House (now the aptly named Bridge at Saugatuck restaurant).
And it worked.
Traffic was a breeze.
For 3 decades since, Westporters have wondered why it was torn down.
Today is a good time to resurrect not only the photo, but the question.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
Among the many details offered at last night’s Cribari Bridge public meeting, this one passed without further comment: The state Department of Transportation has identified 10 properties and 1 dock as potentially affected by the project.
This morning, Bridge Street resident Werner Liepolt wrote to John McAvoy, Federal Highway Administration division administrator in Hartford: “No map, list of properties, or description of the nature of these potential impacts (temporary or permanent) was provided at the meeting nor, to my knowledge, at previous stage of the project.
“Without this information, it is not possible for affected property owners or the public to meaningfully evaluate or comment on the project’s impacts, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Section 106 review process under the National Historic Preservation Act.”
Liepolt asks CTDOT and the FHWA to provide identification of all properties under consideration for right-of-way acquisition or easement; mapping showing the extent and type of potential impacts, and clarification of whether impacts are temporary (construction) or permanent.
He also requests that the comment period — now set to run through April 17 — be extended, so that the public and affected property owners have “a meaningful opportunity to respond.”
CTDOT has not indicated which 10 properties, and which dock, might be affected — including possible condemnation and eminent domain taking — by the Cribari Bridge project. (Drone photo/Alex O’Brien)
On April 6, all daily parking in Lot 1 — the large one opposite Riko’s Pizza — will revert back to permit-only parking.
The state Department of Transportation has returned Lot 8 (off Saugatuck Avenue, between I-95 and Exit 17) to the town for railroad parking, following several years as a staging area for the 95 bridge replacement project.
That restores approximately 140 daily parking spots.
During COVID and for some time afterward, permit-only lots were underutilized. The WPD adjusted parking allocations by adding daily spaces to Lots 1 and 3 to help offset the loss of Lot 8, and better utilize the lots closest to the station.
Now that commuting levels have returned to near pre-COVID patterns on most weekdays, they’ve readjusted again.
The website will be updated, and signage posted to alert commuters. A new parking map is also being developed, and will be available on the website soon.
Saugatuck train station parking map. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
On April 8 (VFW Post 399; cocktails for purchase 5:45; program 7 p.m.), 3 experts offer advice on keeping safe in the digital age.
Panelists include Westport Police Department Detective James Baker; Connecticut State Police Detective Mathew Hogan, and former Secret Service agent Brian McCabe.
The free event is sponsored by the Westport Republican Town Committee.
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Read to Grow — the great non-profit that ensures children begin life surrounded by books — once again hosts its annual statewide fundraiser in Westport.
“A Night for the Books” is set for May 7 (6 p.m.). The venue is appropriate: the Westport Library.
The evening will highlight the power of books, community, and connection, while raising money for programs that provide books and literacy resources to families across Connecticut.
Dave Briggs — former CNN, Fox, NBC, Turner Sports and Yahoo Finance journalist, and a Westport resident — will emcee.
Twelve Artists Collective of Westport members are creating book-inspired centerpieces, for the auction. Zucca Gastrobar caters the farm-to-table food; Alina’s Bakery adds treats. A giving tree – with gift cards donated by local stores and restaurants — will be part of the “mystery pull.”
Before the event (3 to 5 p.m.), families can pick up free children’s books, at the Read to Grow bookmobile.
The organization’s programs include Books for Babies, which gives newborns in Connecticut hospitals their first book; Books for Kids, through which families request free books delivered directly to their homes, and the statewide bookmobile.
In what has become an annual tradition, the Westport PAL 8th grade boys and girls basketball players took the court at Madison Square Garden this week, before the Knicks game.
For the past few years, the NBA (through its Jr. Nicks program) team has offered PAL a great experience. Young players attend the pre-game shootaround, scrimmage on the Garden floor, then watch the game.
Thanks, Jr. Knicks — and Westport resident and former Staples player Brett Tessler — for making it happen.
Westport PAL players, at Madison Square Garden.
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Want to laugh on April 1 — without being a fool?
VFW Post 399 is hosting a free comedy night, with local comedians.
The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Open mic sign-ups begin at 7.
For questions and more information, email meganharvist@gmail.com.
IYKNY.
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Speaking of entertainment: Corky Laing is no stranger to Westport.
The legendary drummer for Mountain has played — and hung out — here before
Can’t quite place Mountain? They’re the “Mississippi Queen” band.
Laing provided the iconic cowbell intro.
He returns April 11 (7 p.m., VFW Post 399), this time as a special guest with Ten$Grand Band.
Up next at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport: “Birthday Club.”
The play — about 5 friends who reunite to celebrate a milestone birthday, and confront changes in marriage, career, health and identity, while examining what has sustained their friendships over decades — will be presented March 27 and 28 (7 p.m.) and March 29 (2 p.m.).
The story “gives space to regret, loyalty and second chances, revealing the warmth and resilience that shape enduring friendships.”
The production is presented by UU Players. Tickets are $25 at the door; students with ID are free. All proceeds support UU Westport.
At last summer’s Pequot Library book sale, teenager Morgan Kofron bought an antique family Bible.
Soon after, it was learned that the Bible had belonged to the Adairs — Black and Indigenous (Shinnecock) landowning family who played a significant role in the economic and cultural history in both Westport and Fairfield.
The Adair family papers are preserved at the Westport Museum for History & Culture. The Bible will now be added to those materials.
Adair family Bible.
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It’s been a while since we featured Man’s Best Friend as a “Westport … Naturally” item. Our bad.
And finally … Vera Lynn was born on this day, in 1917. The English singer — whose performances lifted all of Great Britain during World War II — died in 2020, at 103.
(They just don’t make ’em like Vera Lynn anymore. Fortunately, “06880” remembers her. But we also do a lot more than that. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
More than a dozen state Department of Transportation representatives — including deputy commissioner Laoise King — came to Town Hall last night, for a public meeting about the future of the Cribari Bridge.
“Save Saugatuck From Semis” signs greeted residents at Town Hall yesterday.
They offered a dry presentation, focused on structural engineering issues.
The public could comment afterward, they said — but only at a table near the front, speaking individually to a transcriber.
The public howled.
DOT — perceived as inflexible by many residents, during discussions over the past few years about the 143-year-old span — relented.
Residents could indeed step up the microphone and address the entire audience– including the DOT staff — the moderator said.
The public applauded.
Part of the Town Hall crowd last night.
For nearly 2 hours, the public — Representative Town Meeting members, other citizens, even the owner of the small Bridge Street house that once belonged to the bridge tender – spoke.
Nearly all emphasized two things: traffic and safety. Environmental concerns, and fears of damage to homes from the vibrations of semis, were raised too.
Kristen Schneeman — who demanded that she be allowed to speak from the lectern, not the corner table — was first. Her comments set the tone for the night.
The RTM member noted that public opinion has recently converged around 2 needs: preventing tractor-trailer traffic from creating a “fourth lane of I-95 that jeopardizes safety, health, and quality of life well beyond the Bridge Street historic area,” and preserving the historic character of a local icon.
She said that CTDOT’s Highway Design Manual calls on designers to be “imaginative, innovative and flexible,” asking “if the oldest active movable highway bridge in Connecticut does not merit that flexibility, what does?”
RTM member Kristin Purcell and Westport Alliance for Saugatuck member Dara Lamb both said that state officials are encouraging more housing in Saugatuck, as a “Transit-Oriented District.”
Why then, they wondered, should tractor-trailers be added to an already congested area?
RTM member Kristin Mott Purcell.
Greens Farms Association president Art Schoeller called Greens Farms Road “already a go-to pass-through” for I-95. His organization, he said, opposed “any alternative that would allow trucks” in that neighborhood.
Carole Reichhelm drew applause when she thanked CTDOT for their extensive work on the project.
But, she added, “you’ve given waivers and allowed exemptions many times before, for a variety of reasons. Why wouldn’t the Cribari Bridge qualify for one?
“You can’t stop Waze,” she concluded. “But you can stop trucks. We want to work with you on this.”
Morley Boyd of the Westport Preservation Alliance held a copy of the CTDOT’s own Bridge Preservation Plan. (All photos/Dan Woog)
Public comment on the Cribari Bridge project (#0158-0214) is open through April 17.
Comments can be made online (click here); by email (James.Barrows@ct.gov); voicemail (860-594-2020), or mail (James Barrows, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131).
To learn more about the Cribari Bridge project, click here.
Perrin Delorey was a 10-year-old Westport Little Leaguer, ice hockey player and Cub Scout. He died in June of 2018. following a car accident after visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Perrin’s memory has been kept alive by his family, friends, Little League and Staples Tuition Grants. On Wednesday, his father James posted on Facebook:
Today is our son Perrin’s 18th birthday.
Perrin was a thoughtful young man with a great future ahead of him. Angela and I talk about him all the time, as do his little sisters, Mireille and Elodie. He truly is present in our family of 5.
Perrin Delorey earned a Little League game ball in May 2018.
Perrin’s friends and classmates are now high school seniors, making plans for career, public service, university. It is both difficult and wonderful to see all of their accomplishments these last 8 years – performing in school plays, excelling at athletics, making music, volunteering in our community, climbing mountains, becoming Eagle Scouts, becoming adults.
These dreams and hopes are like those we had for Perrin, and what we have now for Mireille and Elodie.
Perrin at McGill University.
This year Perrin’s classmates, led by his “identical cousin” Philip, have created the Perrin Ryan Delorey “Do Your Best” Award, a Staples Tuition Grant that – because of the generosity of so many – will be given in perpetuity to help students pursue their dreams of higher education.
The award is modeled, in part, on Westport Little League’s Perrin Ryan Delorey Sportsmanship Award, presented not to the “best” player, but to the player who works the hardest to improve and help their teammates.
Perrin Delorey at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, with Ted Williams. He was a big Boston Red Sox fan.
We are so inspired by all the recipients of this award, and look forward to the continued adventures of Perrin’s peers as they enter adulthood.
What will they teach us? Where will they take us? What will they teach others? What kind of families will they build? How many people will they help? Who will they love?
We had all these questions and great expectations for Perrin, and now have them for his little sisters.
Perrin in a Princeton shirt, from his aunt Francesca Ryan.
Today, on Perrin’s 18th birthday, please, if you can, take a deep breath, say Perrin’s name out loud, and do your best to help someone else’s dreams come true.
(To donate to Perrin’s Staples Tuition Grants award, click here. Then choose “The Perrin Delorey ‘Do Your Best’ Award,” from the drop-down menu — it’s near the bottom of that list.)
Perrin, with his Cub Scout Eclipse Award.
Perrin at the Westport PAL Rink at Longshore …
… and at his mother Angela’s Hamilton College hockey rink.
Perrin with his godfather, Professor Triadafilos Triadafilopoulos, at the University of Toronto.
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