Woog’s Web World

Westporters have traditionally shunned Sherwood Island — the 234 acres of beach, wetlands and woodlands right in our back yard.  We prefer hometown Compo to the more plebeian state park.

Now, Governor Rell has pledged hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade it.  Well, to fix several electrical control panels, and repair or replace fire hydrants, anyway.

If that doesn’t make us flock to Sherwood Island, nothing will.

The Broadway Boys — tenors who have taken their musical theater show on the road, including Westport — have released their 1st CD.

Backup musicians include Justin Paul, Drew McKeon and Dan Asher — former Staples stars now making names for themselves nationally, in a variety of venues and genres.

“Lullaby of Broadway” is available at Amazon, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, CD Baby, CD Universe — and of course iTunes.

Where, just a few days after its release earlier this month, it sat at #6 on the Singer/Songwriter chart.

Right alongside artists like James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel and Nick Drake.

“Lullaby” includes such classic tunes as “Defying Gravity,” “Aquarius” and “The Impossible Dream.”

Who know?  A few years from now, “The Broadway Boys” may be as famous as the songs they now sing so well.

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“Woog’s Web World” does not wish to become the repository for every reunion announcement to come down the pike.

But, because this was my era — and I’m leading a tour of the new Staples building — and, oh yeah, it’s my blog — here goes:

Staples’ Class of 1975 will hold its 35th reunion July 23-25.  Activities include a meet-and-greet at Longshore, a “new Staples” tour, dinner and dancing at Bobby Q’s, and brunch at Compo on the 25th.  For more information, contact Jim Terrell at jterrell@mc.net.

In a couple of months, Justin Miller arrives in Westport to take over as Staples choral director from Alice Lipson.

In the meantime, he’s finishing up with the Westminster Chorus — the exciting young group Miller founded, and which quickly won a gold medal from the Barbershop Harmony Society, and the 2009 “Choir of the World” Pavarotti Trophy.

This weekend, the young conductor — a Staples grad himself — takes the Westminster Chorus east.  They perform in Virginia on Sunday, then travel to Philadelphia for an international competition at the Barbershop 2010 Convention.  Oh, yeah — they’re the defending champs.

Click here for a preview of the event, including an interview with Miller.

And send good vibes Westminster’s way.

Overheard in the courtyard yesterday, after Staples’ graduation:

Grandparent:  “Everyone keeps saying Staples is special.  Is that true?”

Graduate:  “I always have a smile on my face here.”

Westport’s Septic Education Task Force members don’t let grass grow under their feet.

Their charge is to disseminate information about septic systems — close to 60% of Westport households have them — and they have taken up their cause with gusto.

They produced a mocumentary, “Pump It Up Baby.”  They sponsored a “Toilet Toss” at Eco Fest.

Now they’re flooding homes with an informative brochure.  Mailed to all homes with septic systems, it covers care and maintenance of said system, along with how it works and why we should care.  Watch for it in your mailbox.

But wait!  There’s more!

To see how a system works, the task force is sponsoring a model.  It will be on display at Wakeman Farm (adjacent to Wakeman Fields) from 2-7 p.m. on Thursdays throughout the summer.

And you thought there was never anything to do in Westport!

The theory is good:  Hosting a student from abroad exposes your family to a different, excitingly youthful, perspective.

You’re doing something good — perhaps creating a life-changing experience — for someone else.

And people have helped you in the past, so it’s only right to pay it forward.

And yet…

Isn’t hosting a foreign student rather, um, time-consuming?  Won’t you have to spend every day entertaining a stranger?  And what if he or she doesn’t speak good English?

If those are your worries, you’re in luck.  You don’t have to open your house for an entire school year.  Just 3 weeks in July will do.

Plus, students in EF Educational Homestay Programs take English classes 5 days a week.  They participate in cultural activities, so they’re occupied from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

And many of them take a 3-day excursion to Boston.

The setup is ideal of families with busy schedules.  Host families’ main duties are to provide their student with 3 meals a day, and spend evenings and 2-3 weekends with him or her.  They also transport their student to a local bus stop, for the course center at UConn-Stamford.

Several Westport families have already signed up for this year.  Joan and Scott Merlis’ volunteered because their daughter Ilana — a Staples and Brown University graduate — had 2 wonderful home stay experiences abroad.

Marie Paule-DeValdivia agreed when she thought about a guy named Jeff, who came to the U.S. through a home stay program 25 years ago.  He’s now her husband.

Host families receive $100 per week per student.  They also get a 10% discount toward EF program fees for their own child to travel abroad — and the opportunity for their son or daughter to participate in EF trips to Boston, New York, Lake Compounce, a Bluefish game and other activities.

Families with kids are not the only ones who can host an international student.  Empty nesters are encouraged to apply too.

For more information click here, or contact Joan Merlis by email [smerlis@optonline.net] or phone [203-470-0073]).

Flags will fly.  A variety of languages will be spoken.  People from dozens of countries will gather in a spirit of sharing and brotherhood.

No, it’s not the World Cup.  It’s jUNe Day — Westport’s annual welcome to United Nations staff and diplomats.

The 45th annual edition is set for this Saturday (June 26).

If you’ve never participated, you’re missing out on a special Westport tradition.

There’s a 10 a.m. opening ceremony at Saugatuck Elementary School.  A few brief speeches and a bit of breakfast later, our guests are off and running.

Throughout the day they’ll play golf, tennis, baseball and — yes — soccer.

They’ll explore Earthplace, and take a Westport Historical Society-led tour of town.

Mostly, though, they’ll just relax and enjoy Westport.

If you’d like to help — and do your part for international relations — volunteers are always welcome.  Call Barbara Jay at 203-226-1710.

For more information, contact Michaela MacColl (203-227-9461) or Bill Hass (203-454-7685).

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