
Saugatuck River, from the Kings Highway North bridge. (Photo/John Maloney)

Saugatuck River, from the Kings Highway North bridge. (Photo/John Maloney)
As Westport’s dining scene explodes, we enjoy more options than ever.
Of course, prices are rising too.
Comparisons with days past is a bit like apples and oranges (though they were not on the menu). Much has changed since the time when appetizers at one of Westport’s favorite dining spots included a half grapefruit, tomato juice and chopped chicken livers, steaks were $3.50, and a side salad set you back a whopping 25 cents.
Still, it’s fun to see not only what we paid, but also what we could choose from. This menu below is from Manero’s, the long-lived, much loved Saugatuck ancestor of what is now Rizzuto’s.
The date is uncertain. But the “CA” phone number offers a clue. CApital 7 became 227 in the mid 1960s.

Click on or hover over to enlarge.
Here are the drinks. A bottle of beer was 50 cents. Nothing cost more than $1, except wine.

(Menus courtesy of Seth Van Beever)
Speaking of Saugatuck restaurants: A bit later, across Riverside Avenue and a few yards south, De Rosa’s had great run.
It was razed to make way for what is now Momu and Sea Kayak Connecticut.
We don’t have their menu. But prices were higher than Manero’s.
And lower than Rizzuto’s. And The Whelk.

(Photo/Rose Colletti)
(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!)
Westport’s “4 Days of Service” — a townwide initiative to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11 through volunteerism, generosity, and acts of kindness — begin Tuesday (September 8).
There are countless ways to get involved (click here for a full story). Homes with Hope — one of the many organization participating — offers 4 specific ideas.
Volunteer: Opportunities includes the community kitchen, food pantry, After-School Academic Program, Carol Randel Mentoring Program, and more. Click here for details.
Donate to the food pantry: An Amazon Wish List (click here) makes it easy to support the pantry at the Gillespie Center, without leaving home. Browse most-needed items; donations ship directly to Homes with Hope.
Serve a meal at the community kitchen: Since 1983, Dodo & Jim’s Community Kitchen has served hot meals to neighbors in need. 365 days a year. Click here to help prepare and serve lunch or dinner.
Make a donation: Every contribution supports the mission of ending housing and food insecurity in Fairfield County. Click here to donate.
Looking for other ways to give back? Click here for a full list of worthy organizations, on the town website.

Food servers at the Gillespie Center.
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Speaking of 9/11: MoCA\CT has designated next Friday a “Day for Reflection.”
From noon to 5 p.m., community members are invited to spend time in a setting for art, contemplation and remembrance.
Visitors are invited to explore, at no charge, “Looking for History.” The museum’s current exhibition examines the people, places and stories that shape our understanding of the past.
On this solemn anniversary, MoCA says, “take time to pause, reflect and remember through our 6-acre grounds, surrounded by sculpture, mature trees, gardens and open space.” The museum is located at 19 Newtown Turnpike.

MoCA\CT.
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After news reports of up to 100 ICE detentions in Danbury, Stamford and Bridgeport, Don Bergmann emailed 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, Police Chief Dave Farrell and superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.
He asked, “Has ICE come to Westport, or do you expect ICE to show up? Please address the issue of ICE at school bus stops or any other locations. … Groups in town should be ready to mobilize.”
Scarice replied, Here is the spot on our website with some basic info for parents. Additionally, we have an internal protocol for principals to guide them in the unlikely event ICE shows up at a school.”

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News of Gloria Steinem’s death yesterday caused many Westporters to reflect on the life of the pioneering women’s rights activist, and her impact on the world.
For Natalie Caine — who moved here last year after the deadly California wildfires – that impact was very personal.
Caine says, “Throughout my life I have created and facilitated women’s support groups, brought women together, and advocated for women’s voices to be heard in the room. Gloria was one of the women who showed me that this work mattered.
“I was fortunate to have had 4 meaningful one-on-one conversations with Gloria over the years. What I remember most is how present she was. She listened deeply. She was curious, warm, and completely congruent with who she is.
“One conversation has stayed with me. I told Gloria that my daughter was having difficulty finding a job. Gloria responded, ‘If your daughter can’t find the job she really wants, tell her to start the job.’
“Such a simple sentence. Such a powerful way of thinking.
“Don’t wait for permission. Begin. Create. Use your voice.
“That idea has stayed with me — not just as advice for my daughter, but as a way of moving through the world.”
Natalie sent a photo of herself with Gloria. It represents “one of the moments when I was lucky enough to sit across from a woman whose work has influenced generations.”

Gloria Steinem and Natalie Caine.
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Labor Day weekend at the Levitt Pavilion includes 2 groups with local musicians, making their Levitt debuts supporting Mihali.
Tonight (Friday, 5:30 p.m.; click here for tickets) Eliot Thompson helps kick off Mihali’s 11th throwdown by the Saugatuck.
The 19 year old singer-songwriter grew up in Weston. He spent this summer as part of the Levitt’s stellar season associate team.
Thompson goes to Berklee College of Music. Over the years he has pursued classical piano, musical theater, film composition and jazz drumming.
His most recent of 7 singles is “Blue-gray Eyes.” His first album is “To Want Something.” Thompson has 24,500 followers on Instagram.
Reggae rock band Mr. Mota will also make their inaugural appearance on the Levitt stage. Guitarist Will Rosen attended Staples High School, while drummer Jake Young is from Weston. Mr. Mota formed at the University of Colorado.
Tomorrow (Saturday, 7 p.m.), Hollywood Nights brings their acclaimed Bob Seger Experience to Westport. Click here for tickets.
Summer vibes continue next week with 3 free shows: ever-popular DNR (the almost all-doctor rock band; Thursday, September 10, 7:30 p.m.); the equally popular Sweet Remains (Saturday, September 12, 7:30 p.m.) and the Brian López Electric Trio (Sunday, September 13, 7 p.m.).
Click here for more information.

Will Rosen (left) and Eliot Thompson.
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Four new members have joined TEAM Westport: Harris Falk, Rady Johnson, Randy Peyser and Danielle Teplica.
Additional members may also be added to the town’s multicultural commission.

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Circle of Friends — the community organization dedicated to empowering high school students — is launching a new way to do just that.
The Solomon Leadership Program welcomes high school juniors and seniors. In addition to learning important life lessons, participants will earn 3 college credits.
The Solomon Program offers leadership training, community engagement and mentorship to teens. Skills include decision-making, values-driven leadership and public speaking.
To learn more and apply to the Westport chapter, click here or contact Faige Chein: westport@solomonprogram.org; 203-293-8837.

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In July, “06880” reported on a shark at Burying Hill Beach.
Now there are turtles.
Ed Simek has not seen them before there. He did not get close.
But he did provide this long-range image, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.
What’s next for Burying Hill? Click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Ed Simek)
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And finally … of course, following up on the item above:
(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” Today’s Roundup features several examples. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 work making connections, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Teenagers
Tagged 9/11, Circle of Friends, Gloria Steinem, Homes With Hope, Levitt Pavilion, MoCA\CT, Natalie Caine, TEAM Westport, US immigration raids
18Birdies is a great golf app.
The free version offers scoring, shot tracking and statistics (plus a weather forecast).
For a fee, users get 3D greens maps, club recommendations, advanced stats and more.
It’s handy, on the course. But what about the courses themselves? How can golfers share photos? Insights into which bunkers are not in good shape, or where the wind whips off nearby water? Or get recommendations from friends, while traveling somewhere new?
That’s the territory — before and after rounds — that Linx has staked out.
The app is in a soft launch phase. It teed off right here, at courses like Longshore and Rolling Hills Country Club.
Linx is the brainchild of Daniel Rosenkranz. The Staples High School Class of 2021 member was not on the golf team — he swam, volunteered with the Westport YMCA special education swim program, and founded the Aerial Photography Club.
After studying philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Michigan, Rosenkranz landed a consulting job. But the starting date was a few months off. So he trained for a half-Ironman, and headed to Peru where he worked at a hostel, surfed, and improved his Spanish.

From left: Daniel Rosenkranz, father Jeff, brothers Eli and Jeremy.
As he began his consulting gig, Rosenkranz realized that he could use AI tools to build an app. Golf seemed a perfect target.
“Golfers like to share opinions,” he notes.
Nearly everyone else does too. Runners, cyclists and fitness enthusiasts have Strava. There are many ways to rate and talk about movies, music and restaurants.
“But there was no way to hear about how your friends were playing, except texting,” Rosenkranz says.
Linx fills that gap. From comments (“everyone plays at a super slow pace”) to recommendations (“my favorite course in South Florida!”), and with the ability to upload photos while on the course, or after, the app works exactly as he envisioned.

Linx users can find (left) and rate (right) golf courses.
Getting on the App Store is not easy. Apple’s strict requirements meant that Rosenkranz was constantly fixing one issue, then forced to work on another.
It was frustrating — but ultimately helpful. “They found serious stuff,” Rosenkranz says.
Since the rollout, marketing has been primarily through social media and word of mouth. Golfers pass Linx on to their foursomes, colleagues, college friends — anyone they know who spends time on the links.
The app is free. Rosenkranz is growing the user base, before transitioning to a revenue model. He hopes to charge courses for promotion, and/or allow users to book tee times through the app for a fee.

Every user has their own customizable page.
As for the founder: He has posted already about Longshore and Rolling Hills (his home course).
Plus The Bridge in the Hamptons, which he played this summer with UM friends.
He described that course’s ocean view. And added, “it’s in as good shape as advertised.”
Fore!
(Linx is available through the App Store — search for “Linx golf app.” Rosenkranz welcomes feedback from users; email danielrosenkranz7@gmail.com.)
(“06880” regularly covers recreation, technology, Staples graduates — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Posted in Sports, Staples HS, technology
Tagged Daniel Rosenkranz, Longshore golf course, Rolling Hills Country Club

Saugatuck River (Photo/Michael Chait)
The Westport Library had humble beginnings.
Founded in 1886 — 140 years ago — as the “Westport Reading Room and Library Association,” it occupied one rented 2nd-floor room in the Hurlbutt block on State Street (now the Post Road), on the block now anchored by South Moon Under.
In 1908 — thanks to Morris Ketchum Jesup, who donated both the land and $5,000 for construction — the Morris K. Jesup Memorial Library moved across the street. Sadly, he died 4 months before its dedication.

Morris Jesup’s original library.
The renamed Westport Public Library grew rapidly during Westport’s postwar boom, expanding next door (into what is now Starbucks). It had, among other features, a robust art collection (used frequently by the town’s many illustrators), and an active children’s section on the second floor.

Expanded Westport Library, early 1960s. Today, it’s Starbucks.
By 1986, the library had outgrown its home of nearly 80 years. After an extensive search, trustees found a site for a new building.
It was a dump — literally — built on landfill on the banks of the Saugatuck River.
Longtime residents remember flocks of gulls circling the piles of garbage next to the Taylor parking lot by Jesup Green. They remember too a Little League field nearby, within home run (and smelling) distance.

The town dump was just south of Rogers Little League field (off to the right of this photo). From lower left: the old Westport Library; the block across the Post Road (burned to the ground in the 1970s); Taylor parking lot; above it, Jesup Green. (Photo/Phil Lentini)
The choice was controversial. Extensive engineering tests took place. It took a town-wide referendum for the location to be approved.
Finally, on September 3, 1986 — exactly 40 years ago today — the new, modern Westport Public Library opened for tours.
I was a couple of weeks into my gig as “Woog’s World” columnist for the Westport News. I wrote the first week about 23-year-old Staples graduate Dan Kennedy, who was Sgt. Slaughter’s driver. (The Weston resident was an early WWF star. Those were the days …)
This time, I turned my attention to the library. Specifically, it was how the staff moved more than 154,000 books, a few thousand magazines and pamphlets, several hundred films, scores of microfilm rolls, some computer terminals, the contents of a couple dozen desks — and more — across the Post Road, through the Taylor parking lot, and into the completely new building.
Moving a library is not like moving your home, or even your business. The average mover, I wrote, “isn’t exactly on speaking terms with the Dewey Decimal System.” (Kids: Ask your grandparents!)

Another view of the Post Road library. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
So Joan Turner “did what any good library director would do: She called American Library Consultants of Melville, New York.” They were the only company in the US fully dedicated to moving libraries.
They moved all kinds of libraries: public, university, hospital, museum and private. They moved the 100,000-volume General Motors library too.
Many of their movers had librarian’s master degrees. I watched the process. “Several strong, young, unbookish-looking men and women moved methodically along the shelves of the old building, tagging volumes, hauling cartons and tossing boxes all around,” I reported.
The Westport move was straightforward. ALC charged $21,000. That sum would have been “considerably less had been a simple shelf-by-shelf (‘reintegrating’) move. With new shelving, this was tougher.”
But the cost included vacuuming the entire collection. That had not been done for years — if ever.
“There was little wasted motion,” I wrote. “Workers passed books from the balcony level down to the main floor, were colleagues boxed them, labeled them and moved them out the door.
“A couple of trucks clogged Parker Harding Plaza — no rarity — waiting for fresh loads before shuttling over to the new building.
“There, as Bach and the Beatles battled on competing tape decks” — Kids: Ask your parents! — “another crew worked just as industriously to shelve the incoming books.”
A few days later — 40 years ago today — the library officially opened. Hundreds of residents listened to speeches and music, nibbled refreshments, and “wandered through the recently integrated stacks.”

Westport Library in 2010, before the Transformation Project.
The movers were not there to enjoy it. They’d already moved on, to their next job.
That was not the last ceremony for the new library. There was a renovation 12 years later. Then in 2019, the Westport Library completed its ambitious “Transformation Project.”
The flexible community Trefz Forum opened up the main floor, near the innovative Verso Studios. A new children’s library graced the second floor. The 100,000-plus book collection moved into a new space, downstairs.
That move was less dramatic. I did not report on it specifically, in my post-Westport News career as a blogger.
But I do look forward to celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Westport Library’s Transformation Project, in 2059.
(“06880” regularly covers the Westport Library — and just about everything else here. If you enjoy stories about our town’s past, present and future, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)

Westport Library today.

Saugatuck River, from Post Road West … (Photo/John Maloney)

… and one view from Arezzo … (Photo/John Maloney)

… and the nearby Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge and Saugatuck River by day … (Photo/John Maloney)

… and night (Photo/Rowene Weems)
If you spend any time at Compo Beach, you know how great the maintenance staff is.
All day long — and into the night — they empty trash, move benches, and do whatever else is needed to keep the place clean. They are hard-working, polite, and eager to please.
Most faces change over time. But one is constant. Scott Smith writes:
I visit the beach to swim or walk most every day during summer (all year-round, really). For as long as I can recall, I’ve noticed the remarkable work of a Parks & Rec staffer making the rounds to empty the garbage/recycling receptables up and down the roadways and sidewalks.
Michael Johnson is. hands down, the most hard-working employee of any organization, company or place I’ve seen. Driving his golf cart utility vehicle from bin to bin, he’s the reason Compo’s notorious seagulls (basically racoons with wings) haven’t completely taken over the beach.
I’m in awe of his energy.
Today I happened to park alongside a garbage cans he was pulling up to. I asked to take his picture.
He took a moment to oblige. He said he has worked at Compo for 18 years, and was on duty until the end of the season.

Michael Johnson (Photo/Scott Smith)
He’s a cheery guy. But soon he was on his way. Duty calls.
If Michael isn’t an Unsung Hero of 06880, I don’t know who is.
He is! Thanks, Scott, for recognizing Michael Johnson. As all of us who go to Compo do — our Unsung Hero of the Week.
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)
Posted in Beach, Unsung Heroes
Tagged Compo Beach, Michael Johnson, Parks & Recreation Department
This year’s official Connecticut 9/11 ceremony — held annually at Sherwood Island State Park’s memorial to the victims of that horrific day — is Wednesday, September 9. It starts at 5:30 p.m.
“06880” reported an incorrect date earlier. The event is held every year prior to September 11, to give families and friends a chance to attend the ceremony at Ground Zero on that date.

The 9/11 Living Memorial at Sherwood Island State Park.
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The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee continues its hiatus.
The September meeting has been canceled, for the 9th consecutive month. The DPIC last met on December 11, 2025.
In January, 1st Selectman Kevin Christie removed Randy Herbertson as chair. A replacement has not been named.
The link on the town website to the Downtown Master Plan still does not work. It is listed as “expired.”
In early July, Christie told “06880,” “we’re aware of the issue and are looking into it.”

Part of the DPIC Master Plan, when it was live on the town website.
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Just 4 days remain before “A Day in the Life of Westport.”
This Sunday (September 6), every Westporter can help create a unique portrait of the town. We’ll do it by taking a photograph that captures one real moment from our day.
Whether it’s a sunrise at Compo Beach, breakfast with family, volunteering at a community event, walking the dog, cheering from the sidelines or enjoying a quiet moment at home, every image will become part of a collective portrait of our town.
“A Day in the Life of Westport” is a collaboration between the Artists Collective of Westport, the League of Women Voters Westport, the David T. Langrock Foundation, and “06880.”
Inspired by the classic Life magazine photo essays documenting “A Day in the Life of America,” the project invites residents of every age to photograph one moment on Sunday, then submit it online with a brief caption describing what the image means to them.
Photos must be taken on Sunday, and sent by midnight to dayinthelife2026.artcall.org.
Each participant may submit up to 3 shots, each accompanied by a brief caption describing the moment. For more information and submission details, click here or email Westportphoto2026@gmail.com.

Just another day in the life of Westport.
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Prospect Gardens — the spectacular 9-acre arboretum-style Greens Farms space featuring flowers, plants — is open to public twice a year. The next date is Saturday, September 19 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The Staples high School Jazz Ensemble plays at 10:30 a.m.
New this season: “en plein air” artists, sitting in the gardens with paints and easels.
Among other treats, visitors can enjoy tall yellow helenium sunflowers, white Queen Anne’s lace, purple asters and evergreens; the very full vegetable garden; apples, quince and grapes in the orchards; water lilies and lotus ponds in the frog ponds.
Click here to register, and for more information.

Prospect Gardens (Photos/Candice Cardenas)
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Like any good town gathering place, Jesup Green hosts a variety of events. Some are political. Some are social.
On September 19, it’s cultural. The Japan Society of Fairfield County sponsors its annual Aki Matsuri fall festival (1 to 4 p.m.; marketplace opens at 12:30).
The family-friendly fest features taiko drum performances, a Japanese folktale dramatization, martial arts, ikebana flower arranging, calligraphy, J-pop dance, traditional Obon dancing, and Japanese-related activities.
New this year: group calligraphy, and a food truck selling matcha, other specialty teas and baked goods.

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Speaking of Jesup Green: Since it opened 5 years ago, the Westport Book Shop across the road has featured artists of the month. They exhibit their work, and greet fans at a reception.
This month’s guest artist won’t do that.
George Hand Wright has been dead for 75 years.
But he’s perhaps the most famous Westport Book Shop artist ever. The longtime Westport resident was acclaimed nationally during his life (1872-1951).
Wright was a painter, illustrator and printmaker, and one of the early founders of Westport’s artistic community. His work appeared regularly in Scribner’s, Harper’s, Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post. The Library of Congress holds over 100 of his illustrations.
The selected work is on loan from Ed Gerber. The Wright expert lives in (and has preserved) the artist’s former Westport home, on Cross Highway. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Wright’s nephew Frank Boylan was Gerber’s godfather.
A reception for Gerber, and Wright’s exhibit, is set for September 16 (6 p.m.). Copies of “George Hand Wright: An Artist’s Life Examined” — written by Kirsten M. Jensen, and underwritten by Gerber – will be available for putchase.

Ed Gerber, at the Westport Book Shop’s George Hand Wright exhibit.
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Westporters are an active bunch. Which means our bodies sometimes break down.
Westport Regenerative Orthopedics & Longevity is a new care facility in Westport.
Drs. Michael Cantor and Ilana Etelzon offer non-surgical options and advanced recovery technology for joint, tendon, muscle, back, neck and sciatic pain; sports and overuse injuries, and chronic and lingering issues.
Treatments include Regenexx procedures, PRP injections, bone marrow concentrate, MLS laser therapy, TenJet tendonitis treatment, hormones and peptide therapy, and IV vitamin drips.
Click here for more information.

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Positive Directions — The Center for Prevention and Counseling — has a new executive director.
Kim DiBella-Farber, who has spent over 20 years leading nonprofit organizations in Connecticut and nationally, returns to the state where she began her career.
For 55 years, Positive Directions has offered mental health, substance prevention and peer support services. For more information, click here.

Kim DiBella-Farber
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Long Island Sound sparkles, in today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
And — thanks to the Mobi-mat — people with mobility issues can make it all the way down the sand, to the shore.

(Photo/Pam Kesselman)
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And finally … speaking of the Prospect Gardens open house (story above):
(Mamas, papas, grandparents, children, people without kids — everyone! If you’re reading this, you’re part of our “06880” community. We welcome your support; please click here. Thanks!)