Well, the weather forecasters nailed this one.
They said “severe thunderstorms” at 7 p.m.
Right on the dot, that is what we got.
Here are 3 apocalyptic-like scenes from Compo Beach:
(Photos/Dan Woog)
And then it got even more ominous, a few minutes later.
But I was already racing to my car.
As the Delamar Westport celebrates its first anniversary — popular, modern, and with the very lively Dandelion restaurant — it’s a good time to remember its predecessor.
Not the little-lamented Westport Inn.
But the New Englander “Motor Hotel.” (A fancy name for “motel.”)
When it opened in 1960, it filled an important local need.
“Luxury at Everyday Prices!” the brochure (below) touted.
“Leave the turmoil and confusion of the hectic daily life behind …for a refreshing change of pace,” the marketing material promised.
The New Englander offered so much: a pool, cabana club, sundecks, playground, shuffleboard, picnic area, putting green, cookout grills, station wagon service to beaches and theaters, sightseeing tours — even “free ice” and “24-hour telephone service.”
Plus it was near bowling, a driving range, miniature golf, ice skating, beauty and barber shops, masseurs and masseuses, and — perhaps this would seal the deal — “stockbrokers.”
(The brochure also showed a vague illustration of the view in front of the motel. It was nothing like the reality of the Post Road, and buildings across the street.)
The center pages of the brochure touted “outsize rooms and suites, (all) fully carpeted, soundproofed and equipped with individually controlled heat and air conditioning.”
Diming options included the Gaslite Lounge — for a “congenial, sophisticated rendezvous in turn-of-the-century style” — as well as a “strikingly handsome” restaurant.
A private banquet room offered a “bandstand, public address system, and expert beverage and food service.”
The back of the brochure burbled on.
The New Englander was “minutes from the rich cultural and recreational life of the area.” Attractions included the Westport Country Playhouse, White Barn theater, Shakespeare Festival at Stratford, the “art colony at Silvermine,” museums, art galleries, beaches, boating, golf and picnic areas.
It was “minutes” too from “the industrial heart of the state”: Norwalk, Bridgeport and New Haven.
As if all that was not enough: at the New Englander Motor Hotel, credit cards were “honored.”
The New Englander never delivered on most of those promises. For the next couple of decades, it was just an average, non-descript motel.
The rooms were meh. Air conditioning was not a huge selling point. Restaurants came and went in dizzying succession.
Eventually the motel became an “inn.” Any changes were minor, and cosmetic.
Today we’ve got a legit hotel. There is valet parking. Christian Siriano decorated some interior spaces. The restaurant and bar are hopping.
But it still offers free ice, and 24-hour telephone service.
(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!)
It’s the dog days of August.
With many Westporters out of town in the final days before school resumes, most boards have canceled meetings.
Not the Planning & Zoning Commission.
And their August 17 meeting (6 p.m., Zoom) is nothing to sniff at.
They’ll consider a text amendment submitted by Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella. He explains, “The text amendment would allow a form of recreation to be conducted on designated open space where active leisurely use already occurs, providing the option for a fenced dog area to be located within a park.
“It is important to understand that this is not an approval of a specific dog park or a final site plan. Rather, it is a change to the zoning regulations that would permit the use to be considered. Any specific proposal would still be subject to additional public review and approvals.
“The P&Z is not being asked to decide whether Winslow Park should have a dog run. It is being asked whether the zoning regulations should allow a fenced dog area as a permitted recreational use on designated open space where active recreational uses are already appropriate. The merits and details of any specific location remain separate questions.”
Colabella and student Emme Dorfman have designed a concept, and been given an OK for their pre-app.
“The concept will either be supported or rejected by the Parks & Recreation Commission, and is within respect to outside expert analysis by the Parks Master Plan to be located at Winslow, after carefully reviewing all viable parks and town properties throughout Westport,” Colabella adds.
Click here for background information. Click here (and then scroll down to Text Amendment #874) for additional materials.
Westport resident Mark Mathias says that, according to Planning & Zoning director Michelle Perillie, the P&Z can either keep the matter open or close it.
If they vote to approve — either that night or at a later meeting — the petitioners must submit an 8-24 Municipal Improvement Request, and Special Permit Site Plan, to the P&Z. The Parks & Recreation Department would also be involved.
Details including exact location, funding, design, and management of the space would still need to be proposed and approved.
Rendering of a possible “Dogport” at Winslow Park.
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The 64th annual Westport PAL Chief Samuel Luciano Golf Tournament tees off August 31, at Longshore.
A major fundraiser, proceeds fund the organization’s scholarship program. To register, or join as a sponsor, click here.
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Speaking of the police and scholarships: Classic cars, custom vehicles, local vendors and community members come together this Sunday (August 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) — all in support of a great cause.
The 8th annual Charity Car show (148 East Avenue, Norwalk) benefits the Vincent Penna Scholarship Program for high school students. It honors the memory of the late deputy chief of the Westport Police Department.
Sunday’s event — hosted by the Italian American Police Society — includes a raffle with over $35,000 in prizes, donated by more than 100 sponsors. They include automotive parts and accessories, tools, gift certificates and specialty items.
Vincent Penna Jr.
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Speaking (still) of sports: TOPSoccer — the program for youngsters with physical or learning differences — returns for another season.
Blake Serotta — a rising sophomore player at Staples — leads the program, in conjunction with the Weston Soccer Club and Westport Soccer Association.
TOPSoccer is open to boys and girls in grades K-8. It runs Saturdays, 11;30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., from September 12 through November 7 at Morehouse Farm Park in Weston.
The program includes fun games, drills, and small-sided games. Each child is paired with a buddy, who stays with them on the field. High schoolers are welcome as volunteers and buddies.
To learn more, and sign up as a player or buddy, click here. Questions? Email blake.serotta@gmail.com
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Speaking yet again of sports: Congratulations to Northeast Elite Water Polo Club.
The Westport-based youth program won the 14U Boys Gold Division championship at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics, the nation’s largest youth water polo tournament, in Dallas.
It was not easy. The team lost their first 3 tourney games, before rallying to win 5 straight. They finished with 74 goals in 8 matches, over 5 days.
Northeast Elite was founded in 2024 by Staples High School coach Danilo Sierra-Giraldo, and Kade Ramirez-Zimmerman. Winning players include Julian Urist, Alexander Vandenberg, Sagan Feder, Sascha Bowtell, Oliver Melnichok, Yash Mani Lorenzato, Calvin Jahansouz, Santos Infantino, Ben Scanlon, Cullen Shope, Aaron Bhuyan and Joshua Smith.
Northeast Elite water polo champs.
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The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport is hosting another humongous tag sale.
And everyone is invited.
The event is Saturday, August 15 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; early birds 8 a.m., $20).
They missed last year, due to building renovations. So now there are 2 years’ worth of all kinds of stuff to check out.
And buy.
A small part of the big crowd at the Unitarian Universalist tag sale.
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The curtain has fallen on the last show of the Westport Country Playhouse’s 2025-26 season.
But the stage is set for more entertainment.
“Cruel Summer” — a live band playing the music of Ariana Grande, Olivia Dean, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and more — rocks the theater on Friday, August 28 (7 p.m.).
Click here for tickets, and more information.
Taylor Swift will not be at the Westport Country Playhouse this month. But her music will be.
Westporter Peter Van Heerden took the helm of Pequot Library a little over 4 months ago.
But he’s already infused new energy into the 132-year-old institution, and forged community partnerships and collaborations.
One example: On September 10 (7 p.m.), Broadway legend and area resident James Naughton joins Mia Dillon, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker for a reading of historic documents tied to the Declaration of Independence. A Q-and-A follows. Click here for details. and to register.
The program is part of the Pequot’s summer Special Collections exhibition, Unfinished Revolution: 250 Years of Marking American Independence.
On September 25 (7 p.m.), Naughton and friends return for a Closing Exhibition Celebration featuring another reading, Q-and-A, and a live band performance. Tickets ($50 per person) support exhibition programming. Click here for details.
And on September 19, the Pequot’s benefit features the famed Paul Taylor Dance Company. Limited to 300 attendees, the event launches the library’s new Summer Stage plan to bring top-tier talent to the region. Tickets start at $100, and sponsorships are available. Click here for details.
James Naughton
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Of all the plants we’ve plastered in this “Westport … Naturally” series, none may be better named than “elephant ears.”
Richard Fogel spotted these guys near Webb Road:
(Photo/Richard Fogel)
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And finally … in honor of Taylor Swift’s (non)-appearance at the Westport Country Playhouse (item above):
(Okay, so Taylor Swift won’t be on the Playhouse stage. But Westport still has “06880.” Please help keep us here, by making a tax-deductible contribution here. Thank you!)
Last winter, on a ski trip to Stowe, Sonam Sethi Tejpal’s family took a side trip to the nearby Ben & Jerry’s factory.
A random fact on an interactive quiz caught her eye: The company gets its chocolate fudge brownies — used in her favorite flavor — from Greyston Bakery in Yonkers. The New York firm provides jobs for people who were previously incarcerated.
There are no background checks, resume requirements or questions about convictions. Instead there is stable employment, for men and women who have great difficulty finding it.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Tejpal — who lived all over the world and ws a TV producer for the Discovery network, before settling in Westport 9 years ago with her children, now 10 and 7 — says.
She learned that the employment rate for people leaving incarceration is over 27% — nearly 5 times the national average.
It’s not for lack of will, Tejpal says. It’s a lack of open doors. Background checks, stigma and gaps in employment history shut people out before they even get a chance to prove themselves.
“I realized I wanted to do something like this. It became my north star.”
She’d already sponsored opportunities for girls in education, working with a teacher in her native India. She and her husband contributed to causes like the Red Cross and St. Jude’s.
“God has been very kind to us,” Tejpal says. “We always look for ways to give back.”
Now she wanted to do something closer to home.
Tejpal loves cooking. “Food is a love language,” she notes.
She enjoyed baking cakes and muffins for her children. After a friend made granola, she’d been inspired to make her own, and incorporate it into healthy snacks.
Sonam Sethi Tejpal’s granola.
Tejpal calls herself “a home baker.” But teaching previously incarcerated men and women how to bake — and working with them to sell it — seemed like something she could do.
It was not easy.
She found a shared commercial kitchen in Norwalk. She became a certified food handler by ServSafe, and can now certify others.
Tejpal contacted a staffing agency experienced with the post-prison population. She did not feel comfortable working with anyone who served time for murder with malicious intent, or a crime involving children or sex. But she would consider anyone else.
The agency offered a half dozen names. She interviewed 3.
Her first employee is a man in his late 40s, with a child and grandchild. A Fairfield County native, he “made bad choices,” she says. But he is “finding his way back to society.”
Tejpal’s Hope & Hearth Bakery has begun production. She’ll soon sell her products — chocolate pecan granola, chocolate chip muffins and cookies, chocolate granola and pretzel toffee bark — at the Wilton Farmers’ Market. (Westport’s vendors’ list is closed for this season.)
Chocolate granola bark.
She’s “a little bit nervous,” she admits. But she is also “excited and thrilled.”
“I’ve learned I can do hard things,” she says.
“I’ve been very fortunate. My life has been fairly easy so far. Now I’m starting from scratch. I did everything — the planning, the applications, all the rest — on my own. I’ve built this from the ground up.”
Tejpal believes “the measure of a person is not their worst moment, but their willingness to move forward.” To do that, she provides training, fair pay, and support.
Her daughter “is nervous for me,” Tejpal says. “I hope she and her friends see this as a good thing. I hope they understand that kindness is number one.
Tejpal’s goal is to “employ a lot of people, and bake lots of good food.” She offers “not temporary placement, not charity.” This is “real careers, real wages, and a real path forward.”
She mentions Homeboy Industries. The re-entry program for formerly incarcerated and gang-involved men and women provides job training, employment, legal services, mental health counseling, anger management and parenting classes, substance abuse support — even tattoo removal.
Hope & Hearth Bakery is just beginning. Right now, they just make and sell granola.
Tejpel hopes one day she can expand into areas like education and loans.
Why not? Homeboy Industries started small.
And Ben & Jerry’s did too.
(To learn more — and to pre-order products, for delivery the week of August 24 — click here.)
(“06880” often covers interesting local people, doing important things. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work.)
Posted in Local business
Tagged Hope & Hearth Bakery, Sonam Sethi Tejpal, Wilton Farmers' Market
Cedar Point Yacht Club. Compo Beach is across Long Island Sound, at the top … (Drone photo/Nathan Greenbaum)
… and Saugatuck Shores (Drone photo/Henry Porter, rising Fairfield Prep freshman)
Move over, William Hill Chardonnay.
Step aside, Marques De Riscal Rioja.
Make way for Westport White. And Westport Red.
The 2 wines are prominently displayed at the front of Greens Farms Spirit Shop. With labels showing the Minute Man and Cribari Bridge — 2 of our town’s most recognizable landmarks — they could not be more local.
The grapes don’t come from a Westport vineyard. It’s not bottled here. Jim Boyrer, the store’s general manager, sources it from Italy.
But it’s Westport’s wine — and there’s a special town twist. Ten percent of the proceeds go to area non-profits, like Pink Aid and food pantries.
Boyrer calls the red and white “inexpensive, and fun.” Customers agree. He’s already reordered twice.
He’s considering a Westport Prosecco and rosé. Salute! (Hat tip: Howard Edelstein)
Jim Beyrer, with his Westport wines display. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Part of Cross Highway has been closed to through traffic since June, for renovation of the small bridge near Wakeman Town Farm.
Work has impacted Gruel Britannia. They’ll close dinner service temporarily, and resume once again when school (and the bridge) reopen.
The exact date is Thursday, August 27, with their classic car and bike show starting at 5 p.m. Dinners will then be served Friday through Sunday.
Seating is available in the full bar, the front porch or the back patio.
Owner Karen Hubrich is also adding a “full-blown British-style Sunday carvery roast.” It’s big in the UK, with roast beef, turkey, pork and lamb.
PS: Gruel Britannia’s Fairfield location is open now for dinner, Thursday through Sunday.
Gruel Britannia, on Cross Highway.
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Speaking of construction: Work is underway on the tennis courts at Staples High School.
The $1.39 million renovation project will replace 6 cracked courts with durable post-tension concrete.
The work includes perimeter fencing, updated walkways, and ADA-compliant ramps and bleachers. The target for completion is Labor Day.
(Photo/Richard Fogel)
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One River Art + Design is highlighting the work of Michael Brennecke. His work is on exhibit through October 23.
The 1971 Staples High School graduate says: “A lifelong resident of Westport, I grew up here when you couldn’t throw a stone without hitting an artist’s studio.
“My uncle was a woodcarver and my cousin, a few years older than I, was a true prodigy and my personal hero.
“I began painting at 12, and was fascinated with seascapes. A little later I experimented with abstraction. I liked the way it was possible to elicit various and ambiguous impressions from a single composition.
“After high school I attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and received my BFA from Tufts University. My first 2 years there were strictly figurative, but I eventually returned to abstraction after being struck by a show of Antonio Tapies’ work. But It’s the work of Paul Klee and Jean Dubuffet that has most greatly influenced my ongoing exploration of color and texture.”
A reception will be held, at a date to be determined.
Michael Brennecke (upper right), and his work.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo is well timed. Remember: The Westport Farmers’ Market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Imperial Avenue parking lot. See you there!
(Photo/Molly Alger)
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And finally … in honor of Greens Farms Spirit Shop’s Westport wines (story above):
(Another day, another Roundup filled with news you can use — or discard. Your call. But it’s always here for you. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 work, please click here to support “06880.” Thanks!)
Last week’ “06880” story on mah jong generated plenty of interest — among Westport’s many established players, and those whose curiosity in the Chinese game was piqued.
Robin Moyer Chung’s piece listed local resources, including teachers. And — this being 2026 — there’s an app for that too. Robin reports:
Mah jong has always been a part of Tara DiPippa’s life.
Her mother was an avid player. Tara learned to play in 2015, before moving to Westport.
For several years she did not meet any players. But then she and some friends hired instructor Debbie Solomon, and was back into the game.
Tara DiPippa
Tara owns a marketing consultancy. She is always looking for market gaps, or “pain points” for consumers, and tries to develop products as solutions.
A few years ago, when maj jong was beginning to get more popular, she thought about launching a line of accessories, like bags, tablecloths, candles and clothes.
The financials did not make sense. But she knew there had to be a place for her in the mah jong world.
Tara noticed that the hardest part is not learning to play — it’s applying knowledge in an actual game.
“Every one is a new challenge,” she explains. “You get 13 tiles. You look at a card with over 70 options for hands, and you have to match your tiles with the best hand to get mah jong. That is very overwhelming — especially for newer players.”
Tara thought there must be a way to show, mathematically and strategically, which hands make the most sense to focus on.
She’s not a software developer or coder, so that was that. But she kept playing. And she never forgot her idea.
Mah jong tiles can be overwhelming for beginners.
Now, with artificial intelligence, technology has rendered coding skills less important. Rather than waiting for someone else to develop her mah jong idea, Tara tackled it head on.
She spent many hours feeding hands to software. She fed it mah jong rules and strategies, and developed a prototype.
A user tells the app your 13 tiles. The algorithm figures out:
Tara gave her prototype to friends of varying skill levels. They found bugs in the logic, and shared ideas on how to improve the app.
After many refinements, Tara says “Maj Jong IQ” is ready.
“The app does not teach you how to play,” she notes. “It’s a tool to make you a better player.”
The first thing a visitor to her website sees is: “You already know how to play. Now play to win.”
Mah Jong IQ “makes you a sharper player. You should use it alone, and start to train your brain on how to approach the game.
“Mah jong is basically about pattern recognition that combines strategy with luck. I can’t help you with luck. But I can help you with the strategy.”
The app helps show which hands are realistically achievable; when flexibility matters more than commitment; why some hands are harder than they appear, and how experienced players identify strong directions quickly.
Tara recommends using it with friends, as they learn together. (To keep things fair, everyone at the table should have access to it.)
“Mah jong is such an amazing way to connect with friends,” Tara says.
“You get so focused that all of the noise in your head and constant to-do lists fade away, which is so critical for people these days.”
Her app “helps that even more. It trains your brain to set your strategy early, which allows you to focus on enjoying yourself and having fun — not stressing about which hand to pick.”
Tara is a great marketer, for sure. Users get 3 analyses for free. If they like it — and she’s sure they will — unlimited access is just $14.99. “One time, no subscription,” the website says.
Game on!
(“06880” regularly reports on Westport life — and the people here who make it so interesting. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work.”)
“Mah Jong IQ” screenshot.
Axel and Elle Enslin dancing around the Peace Circle, at the Westport Library (Photo/Jamie Walsh)
At 8 a.m. the Sunday before last, Kristin Mott Purcell was already hard at work.
The Soundview Summer Stroll was 2 hours away. In the months before, the Compo Beach resident had already arranged for permits and a police officer; served as a liaison with the Parks & Recreation Department; helped arrange bands and kids’ activities; posted signs, and taken care of dozens of other details that would bring smiles to the faces to a few thousand visitors to her neighborhood.
Now she was setting up tents, marking spots for 20 non-profit organizations, and troubleshooting music and food issues.
In between she found time to water the planters that brighten up (and slow traffic down on) the beach exit road a few yards from her home.
It was all in a morning’s work for the always-smiling, ever-volunteering longtime Compo resident. (Not coincidentally, she represents the area — and all of District 1 — on the Representative Town Meeting.)
Kristin Mott Purcell
The Compo Beach Improvement Association is one of the sponsors of the Soundview Stroll (along with “06880). But in reality, Kristin is the CBIA.
She’s been a stalwart of the 100-year-old organization, keeping it running at a time of diminishing volunteers. She serves as treasurer. She helps organize the end-of-summer party. And then there are those planters …
If a job needs doing, Kristin does it. And if she’s doing it, it’s done the right way. (But always with a smile.)
Kristin Mott Purcell (left), with Deborah Webb and Michelle Cardello, at the festive start of Soundview Drive. They help ensure it always looks good.
Kristin was an early and driving force behind the creation of the Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum, adjacent to Earthplace. She helped lead the drive to put holiday lights on the Cribari Bridge, when Al DiGuido stepped away after 25 years. She joined other RTM members planting tulips at the Minute Man monument.
Right now, she’s working to get Westport to join the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority.
Kristin Mott Purcell, at an RTM meeting.
All that is in addition to her full-time, “real” job. Kristin founded Amberlake Capital, an outsourced marketing and investor relations partner to emerging and established investment managers.
I’m sure I’m missing a few — probably more than a few — other activities that Kristin is part of.
That’s because she does not go around touting her work. She just does it — quietly, efficiently, effectively.
And always with a smile.
Those Soundview Stroll tents did not put themselves up. Or take themselves down.
It took Kristin Mott Purcell to do it. Which is why she is “06880”‘s Unsung Herof the Week.
And every other one too.
Last Friday, Kristin Mott Purcell’s (center) husband Terry, daughters and friends threw a surprise birthday party for her. The site was (of course) Compo Beach.
(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.)
As students head off to college, they pack many things: Clothes. Electronics. Favorite items from home.
And: Narcan.
Positive Directions offers a safety kit for students with the medication that quickly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, plus fentanyl test strips, a lock bag for drugs, info cards and more.
There’s also a 15-20 minute info session on mental health, substance risks and resources at college, including overdose signs and how to administer Narcan.
There are 3 dates: August 7, 10 and 12, between 4 and 5 p.m. at 90 Post Road West. To RSVP and for more information, click here.
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Happy Connecticut Farmers’ Market Week!
To celebrate, a proclamation signed by Governor Lamont will be read at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday), at the Westport Farmers’ Market.
It’s all part of the weekly event — with fresh produce, breads, meats, ice cream, pizza, Thai food, dog treats, food trucks, knife sharpening, live music and more — at the Imperial Avenue parking lot. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., every Thursday through November.
Happy Connecticut Farmers’ Market Week! (Photo/Marcus Slomich)
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Missed the Soundview Summer Stroll?
Or were you there, and want more photos of it?
Westport Local Press just posted several dozen shots, by noted event photographer JC Martin. Click here for those images — and to see if you’re included.
Soundview Summer Stroll (Photo/JC Martin)
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Thinking about running for public office?
The Campaign School at Yale University is coming to Westport.
The event — just before Election Day (Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) — is a 1-day training program covering how to prepare to run for office, work on a campaign, or effectively lead on an issue in your community.
The curriculum includes speaking techniques, networking skills, and the components necessary to begin a political career, both personally and professionally.
The Campaign School at Yale is a non-partisan, issue-neutral political campaign training program. The program is open to all genders. To register, click here.
Questions? Email Info@TCSYale.org, or call 203.734.7385.
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The Westport Rotary Club got a backstage look at the Levitt Pavilion yesterday — without leaving Green’s Farms Church.
Andy Fleischman, president of the Levitt board, spoke at the weekly lunch gathering.
A finance attorney with music industry experience, he got involved with the outdoor venue in 2018, to help improve its relationship with the town. He also was interested in the acts being booked, but did not want to interfere in what was already an impressive summer lineup.
He’s helped bring younger popular acts to the open-air theater. A few years ago, he contributed to the effort to book Wilton’s Goose. They recently sold out 2 nights at Madison Square Garden.
Up-and-coming jam band Eggy, which played at the Levitt this summer, also has developed a national profile.
Andy Fleischman at the Rotary Club. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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A few hundred StartUp Westport members ate, drank, socialized — and of course networked — at the group’s summer get-together last night, at Compo Beach.
StartUp Westport is the town’s public/private partnership for entrepreneurs and innovators. It sponsors general and special interest meetings, mentor programs, a pitch contest — and, like last night, an opportunity for creative, like-minded and very interesting people to hang out together, by the water in beautiful weather.
To learn more about StartUp Westport, click here.
A small part of the large StartUp Westport crowd … (Photo/Dan Woog)
… and another view. (Photo/Noah Fenn)
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There was a lot going on here last night. Besides the National Night Out on Jesup Green, StartUp Westport’s summer social (above) and the Y’s Men’s regular hot dog event — both at the beach — there was an indoor activity at the Westport Library.
Author Chris Bohjalian spoke with CT Public’s Catherine Shen about his new novel, “The Amateur.” It’s a suspenseful, emotionally charged story about tragedy, privilege, secrets, and the devastating ripple effects of one split-second mistake.
Chris Bohjalian and Catherine Shen. (Photo/Susan Garment)
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We feature many fascinating creatures in our daily “Westport … Naturally” series.
But none are more intriguing than owls. Who knows why we have such a soft spot for them?!
(Photo/Deb Krayson)
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And finally … Happy National Oyster Day!
(We hope your burnin’ for us. We also hope you will go one step further, and click here to help support this hyper-local blog you are burnin’ for. That would be so hot. Thank you!)
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)