Chef Jes Bengston has worked in Westport for the last four years at Terrain’s popular Café and downtown-Westport sister restaurant Amis Trattoria. She lives in West Haven with her wife who is a hair stylist. The restaurants opened today (June 12, 2020) after complete closure during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
“We have never opened a restaurant like this before and may never again. When you open a restaurant you either take over an existing restaurant with its staff or start a new place and build it up. Yet, here we are starting over with an established restaurant as if it were brand new. For example, we started the week with an empty kitchen that had to be stocked from scratch yet we have the same staff doing the same dishes we were doing before. This morning we got some jitters out of the way and brushed up on some rusty skills, figured out where stuff was since things had been moved around.
We have a smaller staff now because we did have a couple of people who have skipped coming back because they just don’t feel safe—and that’s ok. We only need a smaller staff now because we are doing very limited service—ten outdoor tables only this week and then will begin limited indoor/outdoor service next week. The folks who are back are really happy to be here—everyone is eager to get back to life even if it’s a completely different kind of life.
There are things we’ve had to learn or relearn. For example, the mask makes it really difficult to work both in the kitchen and on the outside patio for the servers. Everyone’s struggling a bit. We already do handwashing constantly and keeping a safe distance is an old trick. The store is outfitted with new high-grade air filters, great signage explaining safety procedures and PPE. There is a full protocol about what to do if an employee—or guest—feels sick or comes down with COVID. When people make reservations, they are advised of safety procedures and again when they come in and again on their menu. So, we hope everyone feels prepared. So, it’s feels like business as usual but with a twist—kind of like the first day of school.
Working in restaurants makes you feel prepared for everything. In many ways we are re-inventing the wheel everyday – managing problems is what we do. It’s not unusual to figure something out on the fly. We live in organized chaos all the time—what do you do if you don’t get a food delivery? Or a cook is out? Or the electricity goes off?
In some ways, I feel like I’m working backwards. For example, we normally try to make our food in 12 minutes—fast. People want to get in and out, they want to get out and pick up their kids, get back to work, go on with their lives. Now I’m telling staff to take some time–we are trying to make good food, with masks and we don’t know yet where anything [ingredient-wise] is. It’s a work in progress. So, now we have set the expectations is you get good food, but we hope that people realize there are things we can’t control – like the weather for outside seating. My hope is that, after being inside for so long, we take our time and enjoy being out, enjoy being healthy, and having the means to enjoy a nice restaurant meal.
During lockdown, I did think about the fact that people were learning to produce food at home at a higher level so they wouldn’t have to depend on chefs and restaurants. But I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. I myself have never been home so much as during the quarantine — my job has crazy hours. We all go to work to be paid to have a safe and great home to enjoy but we don’t seem to do it. But during quarantine, I saw a lot of people doing that. Maybe that’s why we are not yet seeing people are rushing around — because I think they learned it wasn’t that bad.
I see the world opening its eyes and ears and a whole generation awakening. We currently have the opportunity to change the outcome of our future — to gain civil rights for people of color, change our government, rebuild our police forces. I see a movement happening, and our generation ready and willing to speak for justice and change.
I see the world opening its eyes and ears…
Like a lot of places, I think Westport has a lot of work to do. My thought is that we all take charge in the areas we can to make a difference, permanently and with passion. It’s not enough to discuss for a moment or to chalk your driveway or donate money, we all have to do more. We need to be having open discussions and acceptance of our behavior in the past whether that behavior was intentional or not and just do better. I’m hoping to focus on people of color in the local farming community and bringing better jobs and wages and opportunity in the Restaurant business.
We are now in a moment that is a great opportunity to start over—with respect to a lot of things: food service, race relations, the environment. I think food can be freedom, it can open doors. We all have a lot of work to do and it’s an exciting time to discuss all that has been previously swept under the rug.
Explore More of “Westport In Focus”
To read more of the museums long lens oral histories please visit the Westport In Focus page.
HBO’s the Watchmen takes place in the same alternate reality as the Watchmen comic book series–meaning that in this universe, a giant squid from another dimension has fallen from the sky and killed millions with a psychic blast or that another worldly figure with unknowable power lives on Mars, guarding and the people on Earth. However, alongside all of these typical superhero universe realities, racism still exists. The TV series takes place 34 years after the initial story laid out in the comics, but in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where echoes of the 1921 Race Massacre has left the city with fever-pitch racial tensions. In 1921, Tulsa was home to what was known as one of few, but possibly the most developed and prosperous of the “Black Wall Streets” in America. It was also the site of one of the worst acts of racial violence in our country’s history. The riots were prompted by the unlawful arrest of Dick Rowland, a Black man accused of assaulting a White woman named Sarah Page. Following rumors that Rowland had been lynched rather than given a fair trial, a series of gun fights, mob lynching’s, fires and even law enforcement dropping bombs onto black homes and businesses, lead to 800 people to be hospitalized and an estimated 300 deaths. Watchmen opens with scenes of this massacre. In the alternative universe of this show, black people in Tulsa receive government issued reparations for what happened to their ancestors through D.N.A testing. The tensions escalate as a result of the white people in the town believing that black people are receiving handouts from the government, but they also refuse to acknowledge the possibility that their ancestors were complacent in the tragedy that was the race massacre. This leads to the rise of a white supremacists group called the Seventh Kavalry. They have begun to attack the Tulsa Police via home invasion and murder, believing their group have been victims of racial violence themselves and are not getting justice.
Because of this, police officers have been instructed by law to conceal their identities by wearing masks over their faces as part of their uniforms. Along with their masks it is also unlawful for them to use their guns without calling in their intention to use their weapon first and only have access to the weapon when their gun has been remotely unlocked. When Angela Abar (Regina King), a detective receives news that her close friend has been killed by the Seventh Kavalry, she begins to investigate.
There is much to unpack with this show, but I think it is one of the most important shows in this Rennaissance era of television and cinema. It seems that in most superhero stories, black superheroes never have to worry about saving the world and also being killed by a police officer. But Watchmen addressed this matter when it absolutely did not have to. For example, when I go into the theater to watch The Avengers it is sometimes difficult to suspend my understanding of reality and believe wholeheartedly for two hours that Black characters in these movies exist in a world where their only worry is aliens from outer space… It was not the responsibility of Creator Damon Lindelof to write a show so heavily focused on racial tensions in America. He hired Black writers and consultants including celebrated playwright Branden Jacob Jenkins. Most importantly, while I understand that superhero-centric programing is usually an escape for most people; it is also a very popular genre that can reach audiences who might not otherwise pursue historical content on their own Watchmen forces audiences who may not typically watch Black stories to consume this history In this universe, you cannot separate the protagonist Angela Abar from her blackness because everything around her enforces that blackness. As fun as it is to see Regina King in a black cape and mask fighting evildoers who want her dead, the evildoers are white supremacists—just as some evildoers are in the real and present world. While there are giant psychic squids from space, the show still takes place is America.
TV Review: “Watchmen”Catherine Graham
Hollywood—In this Netflix limited series a cast of fictional and real-life characters come together during the Golden Age of Hollywood to realize their dreams in the motion picture industry. Set, in the late 1940s the series follows several story lines including that of directors, writers and actors of color and in the LGBTQ community as they struggle to find their footing in systemically racist world of the silver screen. While the series does an excellent job outlining the issues that BIPOC, LGBTQ people and women faced, I found the license taken with historic events disturbing—especially when real individuals were placed in fictional situations or their well-documented real-world motivations were rewritten for the purposes of the show. One example is the manner in which the show treated Rock Hudson (Jake Pickings) whose homosexuality was an open secret in Hollywood that the studios strove to hide for the purpose of his mainstream appeal. In Hollywood Hudson, not only takes the step of revealing his sexuality publicly but also his relationship with his boyfriend, Black screenwriter, Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope.) They reveal their relationship on the red carpet of the Academy Awards by holding hands in front of the cameras—to the boos and hisses of some of the paparazzi, yet they persevere. As an historian I found this idealized view troubling. If only social reprobation was all that an inter-racial couple would have faced but the truth is more grim– both men would have faced arrest and jail time for public indecency, sodomy and anti-miscegenation based on the anti-gay and racist laws at the time. Throughout the film, bold idealizations of what could have been or should have been imply that change was only a matter of personal willingness to change by those involved, ignoring hundreds of years of legalized and institutionalized racism, bias and oppression that attached real and lasting punishment. Still, Hollywood is worth watching especially for vintage car and clothing buffs. Even the filming has a beautiful golden glow that subtly reinforces the idea of Hollywood royalty and a gilded, though imaginary world. Of particular now is Dylan McDermott’s portrayal of Ernie West, the proprietor of the Golden Tip gas station that “services” Hollywood’s elite in their various sexual desires and offers a jumping off ground for young and broke hopefuls. West is based on a real-life person Scotty Bowers, a male madam who died last year at the age of 96 and whose exploits are still the stuff of silver screen scandal.
For one, we know that this dreadful virus has put our routines and expectations for 2020 on hold. Our priorities have been readjusted and aligned with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as the virus has taken so much away- a staggering loss of life we have not seen in our history in such a short period of time. It caught us off guard and we were stunned by its brutal force while being forced into quarantine for as long as the government directed us. In the meantime, they readied tests, ventilators, PPEs and made seemingly daily legislative orders which were implemented with the aim of mitigating both the spread and impact of this virus. We know and are actually experiencing our belief in real time- as each day we are closer to Covid-19 becoming a tragic bookmark in history when we say, “Remember in 2020 when….” And while we will never be able to regain all that was taken from us, it seems that we are prepared to do whatever is needed to ensure that we are not impacted in the same way again. In fact, as a nation, we’ve done a respectable job of doing this as the closest comparison of such a plague would be found in 1918. Whereas, we have had a major protest regarding race relations and societal injustices just about every other year going back to 2010. We seem to be far more efficient and effective at implementing lessons learned from a disease outbreak than those outbreaks of unrest based in societal injustices (and we’ve only created one of the two). Lesson #1
The outpouring of support for our healthcare workers, rightfully so, designating them as heroes and the constant flood of images projecting caring individuals and positive uplifting tweets is something you could not escape in the past 10 weeks. This truly unique experience, well when I was growing up on St. Croix, everyone would shelter in place during a hurricane for days- without electricity, but other than that, I cannot think of another time in the past 44 years where every American had to do the same things at the same time, for anywhere near this length of time and for the same reason. Other than the state and location of your dwelling, there was complete inclusion in how we had to behave on a day to day basis. We were similarly situated in our existence and dare I say bonded by this. The constant reminders and feelings of when this is over we will so cherish our time together and treat everyone with a high degree of respect and decorum warranted by our fellow man/woman/child. Indeed. Just to get out in the sun again or gather at a restaurant. “Mom, if you get me the Nintendo/Playstation/iPhone, I’ll never ask for anything again”. Ever. Yep, that seemed to capture the mood of this country as “phases” were inserted into our lexicon. Well, only days into our reopening we had plenty of quick and vivid reminders that the pandemic might have changed our lives during the past 10 weeks but some of our beliefs, feelings, and prejudices seemed to return as quickly as, well a reflex. Almost like it never really left us at all. In fact, what is endemic in our society will always eclipse a pandemic(again, we’re only responsible for creating one of the two). Lesson #2
We were distracted for a good part of this pandemic with the blame game of the origins of Covid-19 and the national and local critiques around levels of reactions/preparedness. However; during this political football game, we heard little from actual chemists or biotech companies but we are all very confident in our belief that a vaccine will be developed sooner than it takes for most viruses. Many would guess by this time next year for sure. In fact, raise your hand if you would be shocked if we are forced into distance learning on March 11, 2025 due to Covid-19?
Well, we did our part in “flattening the curve”, the summer weather will help out and even though a second wave is on the horizon, we will either have a vaccine or we can always quarantine for at least 8 weeks right? We’ve basically done 10 and we know it’s temporary. So it is possible that we could eradicate a virus, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a century, that we have known for a mere four months within four years. A virus- the explanation of its intricacies and functions is something that is reserved for a select group of individuals who traffic in the upper levels of the medical and science fields for the most part, but we are all somehow clear on what our collective action needs to be in order to “flatten the curve” and combat its spread. Hmm. Lesson #3
Every single one of us knows what it is like to be made to feel less than by another person. We all know how to find the identifying traits of people, to then attribute sameness as it’s easier to group them in that manner, and finally to attach with intent to harm or not but at least know the terms ascribed to a group of people that if acted on, would make them feel, well, less than. In terms of race, that started here in 1619. What do we do today to “flatten the curve” when it comes to race relations in our country? It’s a problem that’s existed in our country for over four hundred years. Well, we have to identify the basic actions and techniques we will all have to enact to flatten this curve. Since we have all done our part recently to flatten the curve- a phrase we weren’t familiar with prior to March- and did so religiously whether we were symptomatic or asymptomatic, why are we choosing to instead come out of quarantine and immediately remind everyone that the insidious feelings associated with discrimination should be primed for a spike? “Flattening the curve”, was a lesson in creating and retraining our brains by practicing methods to form new habits-well over 30 days-in order to cope with a dangerous situation. A situation where you would not know simply by looking at someone whether or not they are infected. But we did it. For our part, when it comes to the treatment of people, wouldn’t making sure that you treat everyone with respect and not dance on the line of whether or not I could be offending them, be a way to flatten this curve? That is erring on the side of caution or I should use the reinvigorated term of, with an abundance of caution I will follow practices I have listened to, learned and heard so as to not place myself or anyone else in jeopardy. During the pandemic, we did a lot of listening without judging and certainly without prejudging. Well, we did at first, remember- “This is just the flu.”, oops. However, when you see the actions of people in extreme pain and justifiably angry but now coming together with a diversity in the protests we haven’t seen since the 60’s, I certainly don’t remember this representation during the turbulent 90’s, across this country, it gives us hope. Hope is something that is at an all time high right now, in terms of the pandemic but at its nadir in terms of our views of justice and a peaceful coexistence as a nation. Hmm. Maybe we need to, come together regardless of background, listen to and hear one another and not judge- with some hope sprinkled in, you know, like we did for Covid. Lesson #4
No more lessons. I am 44 years old. I am a black man. I’m actually fifty percent Italian but I learned very early on that to try and explain that to someone based on my appearance would take longer to do than writing this letter every time and it’s not worth it. I am proud to identify as a black man so I’ve come to terms with that minor detail which is unique to our history. But I do not know what to make of what I am seeing every night. I cannot lecture you on what is happening or why or how anyone should feel. The images that made me the most fearful-they were not the worst or most graphic and I am not attempting to rank each of the horrific images or stories we have borne witness to recently, regarding the tragic murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. You see, sadly I have seen horrific incidents very similar to these just about every year spanning decades. However; what I have not seen and what was additionally upsetting to me was the March 26th “Please, put your dog on a leash; – I’m going to call the police and tell them there is an African American man threatening my life”, incident in Central Park; coupled with so many divisive and forceful comments being carelessly aired for consumption in a country that is severely injured and already divided. Where does it stop? It just seemed to be some next level act of aggression committed by a citizen in a somewhat casual manner and a great deal of talk about using force by our government officials, to which I felt powerless or perhaps unfamiliar with these vivid exhibits of power plays I guess is the best way to describe them, in my life experiences. It is okay to be confused, angry and afraid, all at once sometimes, and not know what to do. However; we cannot remain in this state; paralyzed or indifferent, hoping it will go away. We do that, and we’ll be right back here again, claiming as I have heard many times, statements that racism ended once Obama was elected. We’ve been there and here already folks and we must know at a minimum, at the very least, what not to do(do no harm), then what we can do to bring about change and ultimately what we need to do in order lead a group or community or even a nation out of this quagmire. Kind of like what we are doing now as we try to diffuse this pandemic.
You see, in my first year here at Staples, we had uncovered or more accurately, it was brought to my attention some areas that were in need of improvement. Work that needed to be done by our school community. We identified the work that needs to be done around including students of color but not limited to as other groups shared the common feeling of being disenfranchised. We were working on the roll out of our Diversity Month events when the pandemic hit. Upon our return we will certainly be ready to address what we were getting started on. Flattening the curve and working towards creating a healthy and safe environment for all of our students. All of them. Perhaps the lessons learned from our time away, is that we were forced to see- no distractions or sporting events, movies or shows- the need for all of us to take responsibility, to identify our individual bias, we all have them to then listen to what can hurt or harm and with an abundance of caution, choose to do no harm, flatten the curve or lead the way to make sure that all aspects of our school are free from injustices present at our level-the vaccine of sorts. There is so much right with this country and there is even more right with Staples, but we need to get to a point where when an issue is revealed that can negatively impact us as a people, we feel the immediate need to collectively take action to eradicate the issue. Kind of like what …….
One final statement, I hope we have all had the time to reflect on life a bit lately and realize that life is precious. It is also hard enough on its own simply because there is so much that is out of our control, as we don’t know when the next virus will appear for example. But what about that which is in our control. Let’s take control and make up for the time we lost with each other in a fashion where we go to school each day with a goal in mind. Kind of like what the teams of scientists around the world do every day in pursuit of a common goal which will make all of our lives better.
With a heavy heart and a ton of hope,
—
Stafford W. Thomas, Jr. JD
Principal
Explore More of “Westport In Focus”
To read more of the museums long lens oral histories please visit the Westport In Focus page.
Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in is a skit comedy show that aired in the late 60’s and early 70’s, known for its unconventional pacing and humor, as well as its commentary of current topics and politics. The Vietnam War and Nixon Administration was a favorite target. Even now, more than 50 years later than first airing in some instances, I found the jokes to be incredibly entertaining, and was able to see several humorous performers —some of whose acts we might consider eccentric or odd today. One example was Tiny Tim, a ukulele player who sang songs like “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” in an incredibly high falsetto. The show featured different musical guests with up-and-coming performers of the day each episode, keeping the audience on its toes and exposing them to new personalities every time. Naturally due to the age and controversial nature of the show, some jokes didn’t age well—particularly those with sexist or racist overtones. However, if you are looking for a ‘groovy’ throwback or want a glimpse into pop-culture of the past, and are able to historically contextualize the content, I would definitely recommend giving the Laugh-in a watch.
TV Review: “Laugh-In”Bennet Staffa, WM’s Staples High School Intern
Mary Beard’s book SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome takes a new critical look at what she calls “the first Roman millennium”, the one thousand years after the supposed founding of the eternal city in the 8th Century BCE. (SPQR is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase Senātus Populusque Rōmānus which refers to the ancient Roman republic.) Through examining and evaluating the bias of the written record of the Roman Republic and Empire during that period, combined with analysis of archaeological evidence, Beard reveals that much of what we believed to be true about the Romans may be more nuanced that it appears. The book is slightly more advanced scholarly work, and is not the best place to start for people just beginning to learn about the history of Rome, but for readers with a little background already, it’s a highly recommended read.
Book Review: “SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome”Nick Foster
America: The Story of Us, is a 12-part mini-series discusses American history from Jamestown to Present Day, each episode focusing on a certain event or time period. Although I found the series to be incredibly entertaining, at times the historical analysis could be cursory and folklore occasionally supplanted fact. Though the series highlights major events in American history, I found the omission of certain historical incidents to be jarring and for a series that aims to tell the story of America, the missing pieces seemed too large to be ignored. For instance, the series progresses straight from Jamestown to the beginning of the American Revolution without any mention of the 7 Years’ War or conflicts between Colonists and Native Tribes, all of which are key in contextualizing and understanding the American story. Additionally, I found, at times, that, for the sake of audience enjoyment, the series used commonly accepted legends rather than verified facts though these were mostly small incidents. One that comes to mind is the portrayal of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, depicted as it occurred in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1860 poem about the ride, which, although being inaccurate, has become the standard go-to for students seeking to understand that event. Everyone “knows” that Paul Revere rode alone, when in reality, he rode with a group of Patriots, quietly attempting to warn Colonists that “The Regulars are coming out.” In actual fact, Revere never completed his rounds having been eventually detained by a British patrol. (As an aside, those interested in a local success story about a midnight rider mustering the local militia, should read about teenager Sybil Ludington’s ride during the British raid on Danbury in 1777) While the show is worth a watch if you are interested in getting an overview of major events in U.S. history, delivered in an engaging and narrative manner, I would warn that there is a lot of unexplored history, and you should not take it as the last word for historical fact.
Mini-series Review: “America: The story of Us”Bennet Staffa, WM’s Staples High School Intern
Hulu’s newly available mini-series The Great is a comedic whirlwind meant for mature, modern audiences. Weaving a mixture of beautiful palaces, bizarre court practices and plenty of sex, the series is vaguely based on the marriage between Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst—who would change her name to Catherine and title herself “the Great” after her coronation—and Peter Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, later to become Peter III, Emperor of Russia for a mere six months. The series accelerates and distorts the timeline of their marriage and eventual rise of the Empress to the detriment of her husband, but to the production’s credit, accepts that the events they depict are heavily modified through the use of clever asterisks. In watching The Great, audiences should appreciate the comedic telling with the knowledge that events as depicted did not happen in real-life. Hopefully, the lush and exciting series will inspire audiences to delve deeper into the true, and equally entertaining, life of Empress Catherine II of Russia—Catherine, The Great.
