Overview: shorebirds, costumes, Paul and Joanne…
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Shorebirds nest at Compo Beach.
As usual, Parks & Rec is on the case.
Ministry staff staked out an area near the site, directing people away from the fragile birds and their eggs. A sign offers information on endangered wildlife.
Stay away! It is also their beach.
In fact, they were here first.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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Speaking of shorebirds: one week from tomorrow is Earth Day. But the big events at Sherwood Island State Park are Saturday, April 23.
The Friends of Sherwood Island offers several events. They include:
Activities of the Garden of Friends team (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Friends table on East Beach opposite the Nature Center).
🌱Bring a reusable water bottle; get a “Protect Our Wildlife” sticker (while supplies last).
🌱Visit the site of the dune restoration project; plant a stem of American Beach Grass.
🌱Learn about the native plant species planted for wildlife in the park; get a list for planting at home.
“Why reducing food waste is essential to a sustainable future” (9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.). Moderator: Pippa Bell Ader, Sustainable Westport Zero Food Waste Challenge. In progress at the friends’ table outside the main pavilion.
“Walk through the history of Sherwood Island (12,000 years ago)” (noon to 1:30 p.m.). Host: Cece Saunders, owner of Historical Perspectives in Westport. Guided walk. Meet at the friends table outside the main lodge.
“Salt Marshes and Swamp Migration at Sherwood Island” (12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.) Leader: Michèle Sorensen, environmental educator, captain of the Jardin des Amis team. Guided walk; also pick up plastic waste on the swamp. Gloves and bags provided. Meet at the Friends table on East Beach across from the Nature Center.
“Environmental role of trees in the park” (2:00 to 3:30 p.m.) Moderator: Louis Pietig, Member of the Advisory Board of Friends of Sherwood Island. Guided walk. Meet at the friends table outside the main lodge.
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Did you miss VersoFest? Or do you just want to relive last weekend’s Westport Library music and media festival?
Click below for a short highlight video. Vibrant photos from Jerri Graham and Verso Studios will bring it to life. And get ready for the 2023 show, already in the planning stages.
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The curtain fell on “The Descendants” last weekend. But the final act came later.
The talented costume team at Staples Players – the behind-the-scenes students and parents led by Christie Stanger, who designed and created so many wonderful outfits – had a great idea: to make a young audience member’s own clothes shine for that they resemble the costume of one of the descendants!
This lucky winner, chosen at random, had her denim jacket and leggings look just like Evie’s. She also got a bunch of cool Evie-like accessories. She even got to meet Evie after the show.
Thanks for spreading the joy, Costume Crew!
The lucky winner is holding her Evie costume.
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Speaking of entertainment: Fred Cantor doesn’t get much.
The other night he watched “The Drowning Pool”. The 1975 film noir starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward airs on TCM.
At the end – yes, Fred looked at the credits – he saw that it was “A Coleytown Production”.
Digging deeper, he discovered that “Coleytown Productions Inc.” is a Californian company founded in 1969. It dissolved in 2014. Joanne Woodward was the CEO.
Other copyrights held by Coleytown Productions included 2 other Paul Newman films: ‘The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean’ and ‘Pocket Money’.
Screenshot from “The Drowning Pool”. (Photo/Fred Cantor)
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The other day, “06880” noted that Drew Coyne was named Connecticut’s Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year.
Now, the much-loved and popular Staples High School social studies instructor is up for national honors for Teacher of the Year Patricia Behring.
Each nominee for the $10,000 demonstrates “a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the innovative use of primary sources, implementing active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day contest. The winner will be announced in June.
Drew Coyne
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After 7 years of providing a dedicated gluten-free, organic, and non-GMO commercial kitchen, C&K Community Kitchen no longer maintains its gluten-free status. It “still stands enthusiastically on its organic and non-GMO foundation.”
Questions? Contact Sarah Kerstin Gross ([email protected]) or call 203-226-0531.
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Dale Najarian is Westport Book Shop’s latest guest exhibitor.
The Westport artist presents several abstract landscapes on wood panels. She works in several mediums, including watercolor, acrylic, mixed media and oils. She also has a passion for photography.
Najarian earned a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She worked for more than 15 years as a graphic designer and art director in design firms and advertising agencies in New York, Philadelphia and Washington.
She sits on the Norwalk Art Space Advisory Board, the Westport Artist Collective Board of Directors, and is a board member and project manager for #UNLOADusa.org, a nonprofit organization using the arts to speak out about gun violence in America. She is also an active member of the Greenwich Arts Council and the Fairfield County Cultural Alliance.
Dale Najarian at Westport Bookstore.
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Longtime Saugatuck Co-op resident Johanna Straczek died peacefully last month at age 96. Her family say she “lived a full and vibrant life.”
She started her own accounting firm and worked the front desk daily, even after selling the business years ago.
“Always tastefully dressed and rarely without a signature hat, her light but powerful presence graced our town with a genuine air of European culture,” her obituary reads.
Born in Austria in 1925, Johanna learned several languages and studied opera in Vienna before coming to the United States. She attended Sacred Heart University, honing her business acumen.
She became a member of the National Tax Institute, was a long-time Rotarian, and a member of several tax associations.
As treasurer of the Saugatuck Co-Op on Bridge Street, where she lived, she is remembered for her dedication to volunteer work and her soprano voice which she donated during the holiday season (in especially “Stille Nacht/Silent Night”).
Johanna is survived by her sister, Vera Romatko and her brother Carlo Romatko. She was predeceased by her husband John and her sister, Nadia Romatko Krower.
A celebration of his life is scheduled for April 20 (Unitarian Church, 11 a.m.).
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The other day, David Ader was looking for wild mushrooms at the Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum.
Instead, he found this tree. He writes: “What you see are fresh scratches from a claw. Given where they were on the tree, I’m guessing it was a small bear. The claw marks are very different from, say, an antler-rubbing deer, which would be higher.
He has not seen the bear this year. He is, however, “hopeful”.
(Photo/David Ader)
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And finally… Bridgeport’s Sound on Sound Festival features big names on September 24-25. Among them: Dave Matthews, the Lumineers, Stevie Nicks and Brandi Carlile,
The biggest might be Ringo Starr. It kicks off on September 23.
It’s all of a sudden. You know it doesn’t come easily. (Counsel: Mark Yurkiw)
