Young Westport Archer Aims for 2016 Olympic Games

Young Westport Archer Aims for 2016 Olympic Games

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

6/23/11

Westport, CT – Blue-eyed, sweet and caring… and deadly accurate with a recurve bow at 18 meters. That’s how you might describe Miranda Wright, an 11-year-old Coleytown Middle School student who has become somewhat of a phenom in the sport of archery. Having placed first in every state championship she entered, she has an excellent shot at representing the United States in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. On a recent rainy weekday at her Hockanum Road home, she shared her tale with Westport News.

“I first started last summer,” she said, sitting at the kitchen table of the family home, which was built by her father, Eric, a contractor. “My dad tried it first, going with a friend to Hall’s Arrow, an indoor shooting range in Manchester, CT. He was really excited about it and thought it would be good for me to try.”

Eric said he got interested in the sport in the summer of 2009. “I was attracted to the Zen of archery,” he said. “It’s one of six Buddha disciplines, which also include ink painting, the art of theater, flower arrangement, tea ceremony and swordsmanship. I thought it would be a good way to get in touch with my body. I love it. It’s relaxing.”

On her first visit, in June 2010, Miranda practiced with a wooden bow her dad rented for her, over a two-hour period. “I really liked it,” she said, “and wanted to learn more.”

Eric bought her a hobby bow – a wooden bow that doesn’t require much adjustment. “I saw right away that she had a natural form, which is really unusual,” he said. “She was a natural.”

Miranda enrolled in classes at Hall’s, where she started shooting from 10 meters. She quickly advanced to 18 meters, which is the indoor archery competitive distance, and has since moved up to 30 meters.

“My first competition, which is known as a warm-up, was Nov. 7, at Hall’s. “In my division, which is called Bowman, for ages 12 and under, I placed 4^th,” she said. “I was pretty happy with my performance. My next warm-up was Dec. 10 and I placed 4^th again, but there were more competitors.”

Her first major competition was the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) Regionals, held over three days this past February in Andover, MA. The event included the Massachusetts Archery Association Annual Indoor State Championship.

“I competed in both and placed first in the Bowman Female Recurve category,” she said. “I was now using a new bow, made of aluminum with carbon compound limbs. It was heavier, but helped with my accuracy.”

Eric said she has since gone on to win six more state competitions, placing first at every one. The events include the New England Indoor Open, Nutmeg State Winter Shootout, New Jersey JOAD Championship, Spring Shootout in Fairfax, VA, and the Ohio JOAD Championship.

“I definitely think this is my thing,” Miranda said, looking ahead to the Olympics. She would be the youngest to compete if she was to make it. Her participation would be based on her competition scores to date, which are documented by U.S.A. Archery, the organization that runs JOAD and fields the U.S. Olympic Team.

On July 7, Miranda will compete in Sacramento, CA, at the JOAD Nationals. If she was 16, winning that would be significant as she would be eligible to go on to a world competition and the 2012 Olympics. The more critical period will be when she turns 16, in August 2015, and competes in the matches that lead up to the 2016 Games.

Eric said there’s a big difference between how archery is supported in the U.S. and other areas, like Asia. “In South Korea, kids Miranda’s age are entered into the state’s archery program and they are intensively trained for Olympic competition,” he said. “And every Olympic Games, they almost always place 1, 2, 3. Here in the U.S., there’s no such preparation or involvement. You’re really on your own in this sport here.”

Currently, Amanda practices an hour-and-a-half three days a week, has physical training with Fairfielder Tracy Bloom two days a week and has a JOAD class on Saturdays.

Sitting in for the interview, Bloom explained how the personal training she provides has application. “Archery requires an upper body and core strength focus,” she said. We strengthen her to perform better but also to prevent injury. I have her do exercises to build her strength, balance and coordination, zeroing in on shoulders, back, wrists and torso. Miranda is very focused and dedicated. She likes to push herself. She’s a true athlete.”

Despite all the hard work, Eric said it will not be an easy path to a world stage. “She’s shooting a lot arrows and getting her body in shape, but it’s extremely involved to prep for world competition,” Eric said. “In South Korea, there’s more adoption of athletes earlier on. It will take great dedication on our and Miranda’s part to meet the challenge.”

With a twinkle in her eye, Miranda said, “It’s fun to watch the South Koreans compete and I hope to go up against them one day.”

Eric added, “This country prizes individual effort. We’re going to give it the old college try.”

Dance and Movie Night Gets Summer Season Started

Dance and Movie Night Gets 
Summer Season Started:

Locals Gather for 

‘Shrek Forever After’ Showing

By Mike Lauterborn

(posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 7/2)

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

7/1 /11

Fairfield, CT – Sand was flying, pizza was in play and the big screen was sparking to life Friday night as the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Dept. kicked off another season of Sand Jam dance sessions and outdoor movies.

“Shrek Forever After” was the feature, drawing dozens of families to Jennings Beach for the first of four summer dance/movie nights. Kids wiggled to tunes laid down by Deejay Parsons while parents mingled with each other, enjoying the clear, starlit night.

“It’s a perfect evening for free family fun,” said Ginna Paules, Program Coordinator for Fairfield’s Parks and Recreation Dept. “And what a great way to kick off the summer.”

Dancing with abandon with her husband and two children, Alcira Henao echoed Paules’ sentiments. “This is a great family fun event that we look forward to every year,” she said. “It gets our summer kicked off. My girls have a blast and love to dance.”

Fairfielder Hima Sheikh had her daughters, Zaha, 4, and Mahin, 3, with her, too. Sheikh said, “It’s a long weekend and we really wanted to enjoy our area. We spend so much time working in the city. It’s nice to relax.”

The Cumello family had set a table in the sand, topped it with food and arranged beach chairs around it. “This is our third year coming to this,” said Ashlee Cumello. “It’s good for adults and kids. The kids dance and the parents hang out.”

Sponsoring the evening and administering nerve tests up on the concrete deck of the pavilion at Jennings was a team from Pro-Health Chiropractic. “We’re scoring people on how well their bodies react and function,” said Dr. Robert Kipp, who added, “This is a great community event.”

Helping her daughter Kiley, a McKinley school student, mark her ninth birthday, Jill Kellerman said Sand Jam has a special meaning to her family as the deejay is a McKinley school parent. “All of Kiley’s friends here tonight are McKinley students. We connect to this on many levels. It’s a great night.”

In a big circle of chairs like a wagon train in defensive mode, Marlene Battista said the event was “a great way to kick off the Fourth of July weekend.” She had imagined a nice quiet evening on the beach with her friends, then realized Sand Jam, which attracts over 200 adults and children, had been scheduled. “It’s still a great time, and a precursor to the holiday – our stay-cation.”

Three more Dance and Movie Nights at Jennings Beach are scheduled for the summer, on these nights with the following film showings: Friday, July 15, Megamind; Friday, July 29, Despicable Me; and Thursday, August 11, Toy Story 3.

For more information, go to: www.fairfieldrecreation.com  or call 203-256-3144.

Single Stream Recycling Speeds Disposal Flow

Single Stream Recycling Speeds Disposal Flow:

New system now in effect 

in Fairfield

By Mike Lauterborn

(posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 7/2)

© 2011. All Rights Reserved.

7/1/11

Fairfield, CT – Some new rules have gone into play that should make Fairfielders’ lives a bit easier when it comes to putting out the trash. As of July 1, Single Stream Recycling is in effect in the Town of Fairfield, giving residents the ability to combine and recycle more materials. Disposal rules vary slightly between those that use a private collection service and those that use the town’s recycling center.

Users of the Transfer Station and Recycling Center on One Rod Highway can now put all plastic containers numbered 1 to 7; metal, glass and food containers under three gallons (rinsed and caps removed); clean aluminum foil; empty aerosol containers; and all milk, juice and juice box cartons in steel receptacles labeled as such (previously marked Bottles/Cans). Junk mail, magazines, colored white or mixed paper, boxboard, paper egg cartons, pasta boxes, food wrap boxes, shoe boxes, tissue boxes and paper bags can now go in receptacles listing those items, once labeled Mixed Paper.

Newspaper recycling and corrugated cardboard disposal continues as before. Electronics may now be placed in one of two new large steel receptacles placed on the site. Items that may not be included as recyclables and must be disposed of as trash include plastic bags, books, medicine bottles, food waste, dishes, used paper plates, plastic toys, sporting goods, Styrofoam, black plastic, pizza boxes and CD cases. Batteries, hazardous chemical containers and motor oil containers all require special handling.

For residents that use private collection, more items can be combined together in their blue bins. This includes all the acceptable bottle/can-type items and paper/cardboard items referred to above. Other items noted above as non-recyclable and those that require special handling cannot be included in the bin and must be handled in a separate, appropriate manner.

Mike Zombruski, Director of Solid Waste Recycling in Fairfield, the department that operates the transfer station and recycling center, said single stream recycling has been around for a while, but in other states and regions. “I remember seeing prototypes 10 years ago,” he said. “It became profitable as the recycling market grew. Processing companies started building facilities.”

Zombruski said that recyclables will be taken first to Stratford, then a contractor there will take them to Hartford.

“We’ve been working on this for over a year,” he said. “We had to bid out the work to secure a contractor.”

Giving some industry background, Zombruski said, “Years ago, in the mid 1970s, the state realized they were facing a solid waste crisis. Landfills were at capacity. They needed some other place to take the trash. The state created CRRA – Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority – to manage the situation. Towns contracted with CRRA to haul the trash, then CRRA contracted, in the early 80s, with Wheelabrator Technologies, a trash-to-energy plant in Bridgeport.”

He continued, “Fairfield’s landfill closed in 1987. Trash was then shipped to an incinerator in Bridgeport and converted to energy. The 18 towns that contracted with CRRA basically funded the operation. Then, in 1990, the IPC (Intermediate Processing Center) was built in Stratford, where the Garbage Museum is, which is where our recyclables now go. They’ve been processed there for the last 20 years, when recycling became mandatory.”

Now the market has opened up and there’s a need for more paper, so recycling plants are accepting more materials. “Essentially, business demands are driving more efficient recycling processes,” Zombruski said.

For guidance to both private collection and transfer station rules, visit http://www.fairfieldct.org/solidwaste.htm

Christo’s Genius Draws a Full House at Westport Arts Center

Christo’s Genius Draws a Full House 
at Westport Arts Center

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

6/30/11

Westport, CT – Christo once said, “All our projects are absolutely irrational with no justification to exist. Nobody needs a Running Fence or Surrounded Islands. They are created because Jeanne-Claude and I have this unstoppable urge to create.”

Though his wife Jeanne-Claude, his collaborator since the 1950s, has since passed, environmental artist Christo, 78, presses on and was on hand Thursday night at the Westport Arts Center as his latest works in progress were unveiled. Collages, drawings, films and informational panels arranged around the perimeter of the narrow gallery showed the vision behind “Over the River, Project for the Arkansas River, State of Colorado” and “The Mastaba, Project for the United Arab Emirates.” The opening reception drew a packed house, including local dignitaries, artists and Center staff, with many more enthusiasts standing by on a waiting list. All enjoyed wine, champagne and food, and had the opportunity to purchase one of several books about Christo, signed by the artist.

“Over the River” will consist of fabric panels suspended horizontally clear and high above water level following the configuration and width and the changing course of the Arkansas River, and will be shown over two weeks in August 2014.

“Mastaba” will be a work of approximately 410,000 horizontally stacked oil barrels secured to an inner structure. The grandeur and vastness of the land will be reflected in the piece, which will have two 738-foot vertical walls, two slanted walls and a truncated top.

Helen Klisser, W.A.C.’s Director of Visual Arts, conceived and organized the show; Christo curated it. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Klisser said. “None of these things are instantaneous. The river theme of the one project and the Center’s proximity to the Saugatuck River was a prompt. Another connection was late Westport author Burt Chernow, who wrote a biography about the couple. When I was a director with Silvermine Guild Arts Center, I did a book signing with Chernow, so had already established a tie.”

Sadly, Jeanne-Claude died two years ago from an aneurism. “I waited a respectful amount of time and approached Christo and his studio about six months ago,” Klisser said. “Planning began immediately. He did a blueprint of how things would be set out in the gallery.”

Chernow’s widow, Ann, a Westport resident, was present for the opening and shared a few memories. “We met the Christos in 1970 when Burt went to ask them for a piece for the Westport schools’ permanent art collection. This was around the Running Fence time. He gave Burt a piece. Burt came home and said, ‘He’s a genius. This is going to change our lives.’”

The Chernows began working with the Christos on their projects, serving as greeters. “We were part of their army,” Ann said. “Burt traveled with them often and came up with the idea to write a bio.”

In 1986, the Chernows went to Bulgaria to learn more about Christo’s roots. They were there a month and followed everywhere by the KGB. “From 1986 to June 9, 1997, Burt spent four to six hours every day at the computer writing the bio, titled ‘XTO & JC’,” she said. “It was released in 1999, in Germany. If Burt had still been alive, he would have continued documenting their projects.”

Westport artist Miggs Burroughs was particularly intrigued by the works. “Conceptually, Christo is grand and challenging and wildly unrealistic, but makes these great things happen,” he said. “He’s inspiring because he dreams the impossible and does it.”

Another local artist, Alyse Rosner, was amazed by Christo’s preparation. “He must have an amazing grasp of spatial relationships,” she said. “There are so many technical details involved.”

New Canaan resident John Tremaine, an exhibit sponsor, said he had the privilege of unfurling one of the curtains of “The Gates”, a Christo installation in New York’s Central Park. “The curtain was held in place with a Velcro wrap,” he said. “It started to flutter and take life. It was not a simple project. It was art and high-tech engineering.”

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff was one of several dignitaries attending and had also experienced The Gates project first-hand. “Christo has been to Westport before – it’s a thrill to have him return,” he said. “This is another indication of how well regarded Westport is in the art world.”

Dale Najarian, a W.A.C. board member, said The Gates made her a Christo fan, but she hadn’t seen any of his sketches. “You get a very intimate idea of what a project is going to be like when it’s complete,” she said. “His sense of perspective is unbelievable. His work is larger than life.”

View Finder: TV Personality Andrea Beaman Visits Fairfield

View Finder: TV Personality 
Andrea Beaman Visits Fairfield

Presents healthy eating talk at Whole Foods

By Mike Lauterborn

(posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 6/30)

6/28/11

Fairfield, CT – Three dozen people turned out for a visit by TV personality Andrea Beaman to the new Fairfield Whole Foods Tuesday evening. Beaman is a healthy food enthusiast and host of “Fed Up”, which is aired on FiosTV, Dish Network and Frontier network. The object of her talk was to educate about seasonal foods. The stop-in was part of her “Unlock the Taste of Summer” Tour, which started last week in Providence, R.I. and was scheduled to wrap in Cambridge, MA, June 29. Besides Fairfield, the tour included two other state stops – Glastonbury and West Hartford.

While Beaman prepared a protein-packed Black Bean and Quinoa Salad, she spoke about how she came to be the healthy eating promoter that she is. “At 28, I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition and told by my doctor that I would need to take radioactive iodine the rest of my life,” she said. “Before I committed, I decided to change my diet, got off chemicals and junk food, and started to eat fresh food – organic, clean. Within four months, my body changed. My nails were stronger, hair shinier and I dropped 18 pounds.”

Beaman returned to the doctor and though she had made improvements, he still recommended she take the prescribed medicine. “I decided to keep on the diet,” she said. “It took two years to correct my condition. Now, at 43, I’m 15 years thyroid issue free.”

She did have one setback during that period, in 2006, when she was part of the popular “Top Chef” production. “Chefs are partiers,” she said. “We would go out drinking, partying, smoking. Within eight months, my thyroid went out again. I had trouble getting out of bed. I went back to the doctor, who said I had to go on the medicine. I was 37. He said, ‘You’re older, dieting won’t work.’”

Beaman went back to her healthy eating regimen and her thyroid went back to normal.

The salad Beaman was constructing is the perfect summer dish she said. “Salad is a cooling food,” she noted. “You will find you’re less lethargic.”

With regard to health overall, Beaman remarked, “When we eat food, it becomes our body – our hair, our skin, our teeth. You need to be careful about what you eat. When we get in harmony with the environment, the body reacts in amazing ways.”

Renovation Inspires Reuse and Recreation

Renovation Inspires Reuse and Recreation

By Mike Lauterborn

(for July/Aug issue Venu Magazine)

4/21/11

Fairfield, CT – The goal at the outset was to renovate a property for retail and office usage. The resulting development was more than anyone could have imagined, and has become one of Fairfield’s greatest assets.

In a recent sit-down at Carabiners, one of many businesses that calls the property home, Harold “Hal” Fischel, the site’s developer, and Deanna Spartachino, Marketing Manager at Fischel Properties, spoke about how Sportsplex@Fairfield, 85 Mill Plain Road, evolved.

“Dupont initially established the complex, which consists of 120,000 square feet of building space on 6.25 acres,” said Fischel, who, in 1970, founded the Fairfield-based development company that bears his name. “Dupont manufactured large rubber industrial parts. Fairprene Industrial Products Co. purchased the site and continued the operation until we bought the property in 2006. Many of the machines were still here and Fairprene was in the process of disassembling. We began to renovate everything – the roof, structural elements, all the utilities – and eliminated a big water tower and an 80-foot chimney. The vision was to convert it to market-receptive usage.”

The hitch with the plan was that the complex was in an industrial zone, restricted to allowed uses like indoor recreation. “We started searching for prospects,” said Fischel. “One by one, we found them, starting with the Gymnastics & Cheerleading Academy. Then we came across a chap, Steve Katon, in New Bedford, MA, who was interested in operating his Carabiners indoor climbing facility in Fairfield County and proceeded to build 30,000 square feet of climbing walls. Another fellow was interested in building an ice skating facility and created two real ice/frozen water training rinks that now fall under the banner Fairfield Ice Academy.”

Fischel said that, with those businesses as anchors, others followed, including The Field House, Fairfield Hot Yoga, Crossfit and Get in Shape for Women. “All these recreational-oriented businesses on one site have created a destination location,” Fischel said. “A plus it that it allows children, during vacation or summer camp, to experience different venues on one site. The venues work together to create an experience for the kids.”

The newest additions to the tenant mix include Fairfield Fencing Academy, Fairfield Pilates, two eating establishments, spinning and tae kwon do. “As of April 2010, we were 85% leased and on the way to full occupancy,” said Spartachino.

“Each business benefits from the exposure created by the surrounding businesses,” said Spartachino. “For instance, a climbing customer may notice and become interested in tumbling and ice skating, and vice versa. That’s a very unique situation. I also run into parents that, for instance, sign up their son for hockey and daughter for gymnastics, so they can do one-stop drop-offs. There’s really nothing like this between here and New York City.”

Credit for the complex’s success can be attributed to Fischel’s talent for identifying structures, often historic, that can be saved, renovated and reintroduced. “The theory is that it’s more economical to convert an existing structure than build from the ground up, which might include demolition,” said Fischel.

He compared the project with one his firm completed in the late 1980s – West Cove Marina in New Milford. That site includes boat slips, maintenance services and access to an adjacent lake with waterskiing, rowing and kayaking. “That first gave me the realization that people are appreciative of recreational facilities,” said Fischel.

Of course, location, as they say, is key. “Sportsplex is right off I-95 and a half block from the Post Road, downtown Fairfield and a large commuter parking lot,” he said.

Already, two of the businesses, Carabiners and the Gymnastics & Cheerleading Academy, have expanded, taking on more space. First Person Sports, offering Infra-red Laser Tag, has also recently opened, bringing another level of recreation to the complex. Numerous birthday parties, bar mitzvahs and adult get-togethers occur every week across the facilities, pulling families from all over Fairfield County.

The buzz gives people yet another reason to move to Fairfield. “We actually get calls here at the Sportsplex from families that are considering moving here and want to check what we offer,” said Spartachino.

Admittedly, there were challenges along the way to this pinnacle. “As an old building, it took tremendous creative vision to have it all come together,” said Fischel. “We wanted to build a field house for soccer and lacrosse – turf sports. The problem was there was a row of support columns down the center that had to be removed so a high-ceilinged clear span building could be placed in its footprint. Those columns were 100-year-old massive pine timbers. These valuable timbers that we had to move will be reused for architectural features.”

Spartachino said people love the natural brick and loftiness of the existing industrial buildings. “These spaces align well with the activities of the businesses that decided to call this complex home. The magnificence of the site, too, is such that it spans two entire Post Road blocks.”

Fischel has added to the visual attractiveness of the site by adding antique street lamps that complement the charm of the town and planting 250 arbor vitae trees to mask the Metro North train tracks from view.

From a marketing perspective, Spartachino said promotional support has included a Family Fun Day held last June, which offered free access to all the facilities. “It gave people an opportunity to sample everything from ice skating to trampolines. We also sponsor a movie night at Jennings Beach every summer. Last year our presence there included a gymnastics demo and portable climbing tower. We operate a wrapped bus as a shuttle to our facilities, as well, which has gone to several Touch-A-Truck events over time.”

Fischel said that after a certain point, what will carry the business is word of mouth. “I think the various businesses at Sportsplex are able to quantify their success through repeat business,” he said. “As developers, we’re happy to fill the spaces. It’s then the business’ turn to attract customers.”

For more information, visit www.sportsplexatfairfield.com

Playhouse Marks 80 Years with Cake and Champagne

Playhouse Marks 80 Years with Cake and Champagne

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Westport News)

6/29/11

Westport, CT – She’s come a long way baby, from a country tannery to a humble summer playhouse and now one of the theater community’s most respected grand dames of pre-Broadway entertainment. Wednesday marked 80 years that the Westport Country Playhouse has been in show business and locals, staff and dignitaries toasted her milestone with cake and champagne.

The theater was founded in 1931 by Lawrence Langner, a producer for the Theater Guild in New York, which, in the 1920s and 30s was a big driver of productions in the city. Langner lived in Weston with his wife Armina, an actress and co-founder of the theater.

“His goal was to find a place in the ‘country’ where he could try out shows away from the hubbub of the city,” explained Patricia Blaufuss, publicity manager for the Playhouse. “The site was approximately four acres and featured a tannery which provided leather for a hat maker in Danbury. The original structure – a barn – was converted into a theater and existed that way until 2005, when a major renovation took place. The only remnants are the walls on either side of the theater and at the back. There’s also a little patch of the old stage. For decades, actors have walked on this – if only it could talk.”

“The Streets of New York”, starring Dorothy Gish and Rollo Peters, was the first play performed, in 1931. Langner ran the theater until 1959, when it was taken over by James B. McKenzie, who then led the theater as executive producer for the next 41 years. In 2000, actress Joanne Woodward took over as artistic director. She was very instrumental in the major renovation.

“It really was falling apart,” said Blaufuss. “The building required $18 million in work.”

As to the talent the theater has hosted over the years, it has included the likes of Liza Minelli, Jane Fonda and Gloria Swanson. “Besides these well-known names, there have been so many other talented artists,” said Blaufuss.

Attending the event on behalf of Gov. Malloy, Connecticut State Representative Jonathan Steinberg commented, “When I was growing up, I remember people speaking with such reverence about the Playhouse. Look how far we’ve come in 80 years. It epitomizes Westport’s dedication to culture.”

Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff was also on hand for the birthday bash. “The Playhouse has always been a focal point for the arts community in Westport,” he said. “We’re very proud of this institution. It puts us on the world stage and has an incredible track record in sending productions to Broadway. Oklahoma had its start here. It’s part of the allure of Westport.”

Perhaps no happier to witness the theater’s 80^th was Fairfielder Warren Pistey, who was born two years before the theater was founded and served as a production assistant at the Playhouse from 1949 to 1951. “What a wonderful place,” he said. “Everyone who came here was very talented. I remember meeting Van Johnson, Walter Abel, Claudette Colbert, Mary Rogers, Oscar Hammerstein and Jeanette MacDonald.”

At a midpoint in the celebration, Joseloff and Steinberg joined Playhouse Managing Director Michael Ross and Artistic Director Mark Lamos behind a table, on top of which sat an elaborate cake made to look like the Playhouse, provided by CakeSuite of Fairfield. Each made a few brief remarks and Steinberg and Joseloff read proclamations declaring June 29 Westport Country Playhouse Day, both in the town of Westport and statewide.

Lamos recognized Woodward, Paul Newman and others for helping “a brand new theater rise and confront the future” and thanked Ross and the Playhouse’s devoted staff for their service. He added, “The Playhouse gives back to the community what the community can give to it. Thank you Westport.”

Joseloff said the theater was an anchor of a great community. “Who would want to live anywhere else?” he remarked. Steinberg said the theater is “a very special place with a long association with the arts.”

With regard to the proclamations, Ross joked, “Yay, everyone gets free parking” and “no sales tax today.” Then, as champagne and cake began to circulate, Ross, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, added, “Champagne’s appropriate at 11:15 in the morning, right?”