Traditionally, each member of the winning National Hockey League team gets it for a day. But, we asked, what was the connection between the Carolina Hurricanes’ Shayne Gostisbehere and Westport?
There was, we noted, a rumor that he lives here.
Turns out: It’s true.
Gina Gostibehere — presumably his wife — posted on our Instagram: “We live here in Westport!!”
We look forward to learning more — like, how (and why) a Stanley Cup champ ends up here. And how he flies (or skates) completely under the radar.
In the meantime: here’s a link to Gina’s Instagram. Looks like she’s got her own great business.
Welcome to Westport, Shayne and Gina.
Unless you’ve been here for a decade, and we never knew.
With ballot security in the national spotlight, CT Mirror shined a light on Westport.
A story yesterday in the Pulitzer Prize-winning independent online site examined the many steps and procedures Westport’s Democratic and Republican registrars of voters take to ensure security and accuracy, from before the election, to the voting process and afterward.
From left: Yesterday, Democratic deputy registrar of voters Sharon Fiarman, Democratic registrar of voters Deborah Greenberg and Republican deputy registrar of voters Francesca Signore tested a tabulator machine at Town Hall. (Photo/Eddy Martinez for Connecticut Public)
It’s one of the best-kept secrets in town. (Of course, IYKYK).
The Wakeman Town Farm farm stand is open every Saturday (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Farm-fresh produce — plus coffee, flowers, local products, even animal visits and more — make it a family-friendly event.
When Tuesday’s intense but quick storm passed, Rachel Precious assessed the damge.
The rowboat she’d owned for 30 years disappeared from its spot on Evergreen Avenue.
Rachel searched all along Deadman Brook and its banks into town that day, but found nothing.
Finally, yesterday — 24 hours later — a neighbor found it. It had flipped over and was wedged between rocks downstream, underwater and covered up.
That’s one rowboat that did not go “gently down the stream.”
Rachel Precious’ rowboat, downstream …
and in calmer times.
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Nefaire — the facial and aesthetic service spot next to Il Pastaficio at 141 Post Road — is gone.
Its replacement sounds somewhat similar.
Skincare business Osphere’s website says it “brings together 2 things that rarely share a roof: the safety and accountability of medicine directed by our medical director, and the sensibility of Japanese and East-Asian beauty culture — where less is more, details matter, and the goal is harmony rather than exaggeration. A clinic where the price is on the menu before you book, and subtle is the standard.”
Next up for First Folk Sunday: a tribute concert to Cheryl Wheeler.
Singer Suzanne Sheridan, keyboardist Bob Cooper and percussionist Howard Kesten offers an homage on August 2 (Saugatuck Rowing Club; 12:30 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
Clockwise from upper left: Cheryl Wheeler, Suzanne Sheridan, Howard Kesten, Bob Cooper.
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Writing stand-up comedy is no laughing matter.
Well, actually — as hard as it is — it is all about the laughs.
And from August 3-6 (3:30 to 5:30 p.m.), the Westport Country Playhouse offers a “Stand Up & Learn” comedy writing workshop, for ages 12 through 16.
The payoff: a performance for family and friends, at 5 p.m. August 6.
The program engages students in creative writing, communication, critical thinking, and team and confidence building.
The fee is $295. Scholarships are available.
“Stand Up & Learn” founder and director Kevin Flynn is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, host, and comedian. After a professional soccer career, he transitioned to stand-up comedy and won the Boston Comedy Riot.
Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between July 15 and 21.
A 28-year-old Stamford man was charged with assault, strangulation and disorderly conduct, following an investigation into a 2025 domestic incident. Medical treatment was sought, after the man allegedly placed his hands around the victim’s neck. He was held on a $50,000 bond.
A 22-year-old New Haven man was charged with larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny, following an investigation into a 2025 shoplifting incident at Ulta Beauty. He was held on a $5,000 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 7 citations
Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 6
Failure to renew registration: 4
Distracted driving: 3
Speeding: 2
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
Operating a motor vehicle while under suspension 1
Texting while driving: 1
Failure to comply with handicap parking regulations: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Failure to display plates: 1
Handicap parking regulations must be followed.
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Among the many effects of Tuesday’s storm (besides Rachel Precious’ missing rowboat): the mulch that Mark Mathias had spread nearby.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows what happens when Mother Nature meets a modern garden.
The forecast is for perfect weather this evening: Clear, with temperatures in the high 70s.
Of course, the “06880” blog party is always a “cool” place to be.
Tonight (Thursday), we celebrate our 12th annual bash.
We’re all set for 6 p.m. at South Beach — the alcohol-is-fine-except-no-glass-bottles end, furthest from the cannons.
It’s a bring-your-own-food-and-beverages event. If you’ve got something extra to share, feel free!
Bring a beach chair. And we can always use folding tables.
“06880” provides the rest: a chance to meet commenters and lurkers. Each year we welcome old-timers, newcomers, politicians and normal human beings. It’s a chance to talk, laugh and trade stories about this wild, wacky and only slightly dysfunctional town we share and love.
See you tonight!
We’ll be just to the left of this jetty (near the boat and kayak launch). Without the car, though, (Photo/Linda Gramatky Smith)
When Hayes Bauer’s family moved into a new Westport home 2 years ago, his parents wanted landscape lighting.
Electricians’ quotes were very expensive. So Hayes and his father Ross decided to do it themselves.
They researched online, watched YouTube videos, then started with their front path. It was so rewarding — and looked so good — that they continued with the front and back yards, then added lighting to a stone wall that encircles their property.
Friends were impressed, and asked for the name of their contractor. When Hayes and his father said they did it themselves, those friends asked them to light their yards too.
Upscape was born. The company — with the tagline “Luxury lighting, without the luxury markup” — is earning raves, with their creative, decorative work.
What makes this story even more impressive is that Hayes is not a homeowner, who enlisted his own father to help.
This fall, Hayes will be a Staples High School sophomore.
Hayes Bauer
Not only does he design and install low-voltage landscape lighting all over town — making a house and yard look completely different once the sun goes down.
He’s also the brains behind Upscape. It’s an actual company — a Connecticut LLC, and a registered state home improvement contractor (#0706288, to be exact).
Upscape is fully insured. A licensed electrician handles transformers, and pulls permits. Hayes works alongside him on every job.
This is absolutely Hayes’ company. It’s a year-round commitment, not a summer gig.
(And he is no slacker. Hayes also plays Staples soccer, is a member of Service League of Boys and the Make Our Schools Safe Club, and is on the board of Staples’ DECA, the national business and marketing organization.)
One of Hayes Bauer’s jobs …
The young entrepreneur takes care of everything, from helping a homeowner create a lighting plan to offering quotes, installation and fine-tuning.
“Good landscape lighting shouldn’t shout,” Hayes says. “It should make your home feel warm, layered, and effortless after dark.”
Along the way, Hayes says, he’s learned how to communicate well, and look the part of a teenage business owner.
… and a second …
Customers are quite complimentary.
A Southport homeowner says, “The tree uplighting they installed, especially on our Japanese maple, looks incredible every night. Hayes was professional, fast, and really cares about the details. Couldn’t recommend Upscale more.”
A Westport resident calls it a “great experience. … He provided feedback on what would look best (and) worked quickly to procure the lights and install them. He checked back to ensure they were positioned correctly and that I was happy. Overall a 5-star white glove experience. I couldn’t ask for anything more and the lights look great.”
… and a third.
“When adults trust a 16-year-old with their home, and then write things like that, it means a lot. It’s satisfying to see people so happy,” Hayes says.
(“06880” often highlights local businesses, and impressive Westport teenagers — and, as today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Westport Garden Club nominates Sajjad Gul, and the team at Interstate and Lakeland Lumber, as this week’s Unsung Heroes of the Week. The club says:
Earlier this month the Westport Garden Club held a juried Flower Show at the Westport Library, part of the America 250 celebration.
Because of a communication breakdown, the setup team picked up the wrong pedestals from the Wilton Garden Club.
Pedestal size is critical in a juried flower show, as designers build their arrangements to fit assigned dimensions. With the designers’ set-up window about to begin, club chair Kelle Ruden contacted Interstate Lumber, and explained the situation. Within 30 minutes, Sajjad Gul and the Interstate team had cut 4 boards to the required dimensions.
We picked up the boards and installed them on top of the existing pedestals in time for the start of the designers’ set-up window.
A pedestal, courtesy of Interstate Lumber …
The team at Interstate Lumber not only responded immediately and cut the boards to the correct dimensions, but they also charged us only for the materials — and not for their labor.
The Westport Garden Club is deeply grateful for their generosity, responsiveness, and willingness to help on such short notice. Their quick action truly saved our Flower Show set-up.
… holding up a design by Westport Garden Club member Andrea Cross.
(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.)
It’s been a quiet few months for the new Saugatuck development.
But next Tuesday (July 28, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 309), the Architectural Review Board will hear a pre-application, and discuss plans, for 606 Riverside Avenue.
That’s the Minute Man Cleaners/locksmith/parking lot plot, bordered by Charles Street. Spinnaker plans to build 175 apartments there. Eighteen — about 10 percent — would be considered affordable.
The pre-app — with information from Beinfield Architects — note the intention to create a new Transit Oriented Development sub-area. It would “allow the proposed development to proceed, to encourage primarily residential development on larger lots proximate to the Saugatuck Train Station, to enhance the area’s aesthetic appeal, and to enhance pedestrian access.”
The TOD area would encourage developments “inspired by New England architecture vernacular (and) encourage the preservation of architectural features of historic buildings.” Click here to see all materials in the pre-application.
Spinnaker did not reply to several requests for comment.
606 Riverside Avenue (yellow outline). It is bordered by Railroad Place (left and bottom), Charles Street (top) and Riverside Avenue (right).
Exterior view, in the pre-application. Taller buildings are behind the one facing Riverside Avenue.
Second exterior view, with taller buildings behind.
The first agenda item is a potential text change in Saugatuck, related to the proposed development by Spinnaker on Riverside Avenue. Click here for all related materials.
The other items involve Dark Sky compliance, modifying mobile park regulations, and discussing accessory buildings.
The Zoning Regulation Revision Subcommittee discusses Saugatuck today.
There is one agenda item on tomorrow’s Board of Education agenda (Thursday, June 23, 9:30 a.m., Staples High School cafeteria): discussion, and possible action, on “Special Education Program Review: Review RFQ Responses and RFP.”
The meeting will be livestreamed on www.westportct.gov, and Optimum Channel 78.
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It’s a great National Hockey League tradition: Each player on the Stanley Cup-winning team gets to keep it for a day.
Which is how the famed trophy came to Westport yesterday.
Jeff Looby sent this photo, from social media:
A bit of context: Twitter user Phil Pritchard is the guy who shepherds the Stanley Cup from player to player, and town to town. (Much safer than FedEx.)
Shayne Gostisbehere is … well, you can read about him above. His only connections to Connecticut seem to be that he played prep school hockey at South Kent, and the Carolina Hurricanes started out as the Hartford Whalers, before fleeing to Raleigh in 1997.
Jeff thought Shayne might have a summer place in Westport. That can’t be confirmed. But it led to another social media post by Pritchard:
What is Eric Robinson’s connection with Westport?
AI says he is a “native” of our town. But he was raised in Bellmawr, New Jersey, and played at Gloucester Catholic High there. There are no other references to Westport anywhere for him.
So here are our questions:
Does Shayne Gostisbehere actually live here in the summer?
Is Eric Robinson actually a Westport native? And if so …
… why didn’t that get any publicity during the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run?
If none of that is true, how did the Stanley Cup wind up here yesterday?
And finally: Which is cooler: Having the Stanley Cup here in 2026, or the World Cup in Weston in 1991?
A memorial service celebrating the life of Scott Bryce — the beloved actor, Staples High School graduate and Weston resident who died July 12 — is set for this Saturday (July 25, 10 a.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.).
The other day, Sandy Rothenberg emailed “06880.” She said: “The intersection of Bayberry Lane Extension & Easton Road (Route 136) is a major accident waiting to happen.
“At the stop sign on Bayberry Extension, the sight line is very poor. Cars fly around the corner on Easton Road, or turn in 2 other directions at the same time. School buses use this intersection too.
“I have contacted Westport Police and Public Works. They said that since Easton Road is a state road and the bushes are not on public property, they can’t do anything about it.” They suggested writing a letter to the property owner at 300 Bayberry Lane Extension.
Town operations manager Tom Kiely told Sandy that the house was recently sold. New owners will move in next month. Kiely contacted them, and said they were receptive to meeting with town officials.
Rothenberg adds, “The state Department of Transportation needs to attend to the curve on Easton Road!”
Dangerous sightline: Easton Road (right) at Bayberry Lane Extension. Bayberry Lane is at far right. (Photo/Sandy Rothenberg)
Only a few days — and 2 Westport Farmers’ Markets — remain in the Young Shoots photo contest.
For a decade, photographers ages 5 to 18 have captured the energy and beauty of the Thursday market — and shared great images of food, farmers and shopper.
The contest — with prizes in 3 age groups, and an exhibit and reception for all the young entrants — is sponsored by The Artists Collective of Westport and the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center.
Speaking of the outdoors: Flick the leopard gecko, Pearl the chinchilla and Chatty the bald eagle are 3 of the more than 50 animals that call Earthplace home.
Unable to survive in the wild due to permanent injuries, they now serve as ambassadors, connecting the community with nature.
But Earthplace can’t do it alone. Facing rising food, veterinary and enrichment costs, they need to raise $25,000 this month to ensure the animals receive the resources they need!
A generous matching challenge will double every gift, through July 31. Click here to donate.
Westport is filled with experienced professionals — and many other young men and women, just beginning their careers.
A networking mixer, bringing them all together, is set for next Tuesday (July 28, 7 to 8:15 p.m., Compo Beach brick pavilion).
The free event — organized by Westport Professionals Network co-founders Lisa Cukier and Katie Gervasio — is open to post-high school, and current and graduated college students. Plus, of course, anyone interested in offering advice and mentorship.
Roz Chast and Lisa Donnelly had a packed Westport Library crowd laughing loudly Monday night.
That’s appropriate. They spoke following a screening of “Women Laughing,” Donnelly’s documentary about a diverse and remarkable group of New Yorker female cartoonists. Chast and Donnelly are 2 of its most noted members.
From left: Roz Chast and Lisa Donnelly, with former New Yorker editor Anne Hall Elser. (Photo/Susan Garment)
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Lauri Weiser sent this “Westport … Naturally” photo yesterday, with a note: “On icky days like this, these beautiful flowers remind me why I love my garden.”
And finally … in honor of the Stanley Cup coming to Westport (story above):
(You may never drive a Zamboni. But you can always contribute to “06880.” Just click here to help. It’s even better than winning the Stanley Cup! Thank you all …)
Rita Englebardt — a longtime local journalist, former manager of the iconic Remarkable Book Shop and valued employee at Max’s Art Supplies, and a Westport resident for nearly 70 years — died peacefully at home on Monday. She was 101.
Rita was one of the steady, unsung presences who helped define the character of mid‑century Westport. As a columnist for TheMinuteman and The Westport News under the pen name Rita Ross, she wrote dozens of articles, including an award-winning series on historic Westport homes and their notable residents.
Rita Englebardt
She continued working into her late 90’s, using trusted vintage typewriters.
Rita also spent decades working in several of the town’s most noted independent businesses. In addition to managing the Remarkable Book Shop and working at Max’s, she managed Fillow Flowers and Daybreak Nursery.
Rita was a familiar face, recalling “old Westport” and its creative spirit.
Rita Englebardt (far right) at Max’s Art Supplies with (from left) manager Nina Royce, owner Shirley Mellor and Jay Cimbak.
The New York City native worked at the telephone company after high school, selling war bonds. She later moved into public relations, and was one of the first female managers in the male-dominated Madison Avenue advertising world.
She met Stanley Englebardt on a Florida beach in 1948. They married a year later and moved to Westport in 1957, and spent the next 7 decades building a life, family, and community.
Rita and Stan raised their children Leland and Lynn, along with many dogs and cats, in homes on Webb Road and Bayberry Lane. The latter home, which they designed and built in collaboration with their Westport friend and architect Larry Michaels, was featured in Westport Historical Society exhibit on local mid-century modern architecture.
Rita’s love for Westport was matched by a deep affinity for Paris, where she lived and traveled extensively throughout her life. Her family says, “She is remembered for her passion for all things French, her signature style, and the joie de vivre she brought to her prolific hosting and dinner parties, rallying fellow volunteers to count ballots all evening, and her support for local creators and artisans.
“She was especially dedicated to causes around animal welfare, upholding democratic principles, and preserving a warm, eccentric, community‑centered identity in Westport.
Rita Englebardt and friend.
Rita Englebardt is survived by her children Leland (Jane) and Lynn Riegler (Dr. Nitai Riegler), and grandchildren Daniel, Alexander (Sarah Clark) and Adam Riegler (Mireille Owens).
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Rita’s name can be made to the Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue. Friends are invited to celebrate a beautiful moment or toast with friends and family, as she would have loved.
A fenced-in dog run at Winslow Park is not on tonight’s Parks & Recreation Commission agenda (Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Zoom).
But the topic may be raised in the “Public Comment” part of the meeting.
Commissioners generally do not respond publicly, and a vote is a long way off. But if a “Dogport” is brought up, it might include data from a second survey of Winslow Park users.
The survey — which is still online — received 338 responses, as of yesterday afternoon. 85.5% of the respondents live in Westport.
The majority (60.7%) oppose creation of a separate, fenced area. 22% are in favor, while 17.3% are undecided.
The main concerns include the disruption of natural beauty and open space. Fencing is viewed as unnecessary, an eyesore, and potentially disruptive. Many believe current open, leash-free areas work well and should remain unchanged.
Survey QR code at Winslow Park.
Some users oppose the Dogport altogether; others prefer a different location. Some support a fenced area if it does not detract from Winslow’s open space, with emphasis on proper planning and minimal disruption.
While a majority of respondents believe fencing reduces the risk of dogs running into traffic and enhances owner supervision, others say that fenced areas can increase aggression, territorial behavior, and fights between dogs.
Owner responsibility was a major issue. Respondents stressed the importance of training and supervision, over fencing.
Suggested improvements for Winslow Park include better fencing along existing boundaries, and enforcing leash rules.
If a Dogpark is approved (the preferred size is 1/2 acre), the proposed site along Compo Road North garnered approval from just 18.5%. That location was not favored by 41.5%, while 40% were undecided.
Rendering of the proposed site, along Compo Road North.
Alternative locations suggested included Longshore, Compo Beach, Riverside Park and Baron’s South. One respondent offered “the back yard of the student who suggested it and the town rep who supports it.” Another said, “nowhere. People have back yards. Let dogs run there.”
If a Dogport is implemented, 45% favored town funding. 39.2% say funds should come from people who use it, while 15.8% are undecided.
And if a Dogport is built, 56.8% believe it should be open to non-residents. 21.8% would ban out-of-towners; 21.5% are undecided
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What is Eric Robinson’s connection with Westport?
