I thought last week’s Photo Challenge — a snippet of a mural, bearing only the date “1936” — would stump even the savviest Westporter. (Click here to see.)
Shame on me.
Six readers quickly identified it as part of a larger work at Town Hall. When it was painted, the building was Bedford Elementary School. When Town Hall moved from the Post Road (now Massi Co restaurant) to Myrtle Avenue, the WPA-era art remained.
Congratulations to Pat Saviano, Seth Schachter, Sal Liccione, Robin Jaffee Frank, Brian Taylor and David J. Loffredo. Very impressive!
Today’s Photo Challenge is also part of a larger piece. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Ed Simek)
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Last year, Walk Bike Westport sponsored a fall “Bridge to Bridge” walk.
Dozens of residents and politicians — hey, it was the height of campaign season — strolled from Jesup Green, over the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge, to Saugatuck.
They passed the Cribari Bridge, and had breakfast at Kneads.
The “Bridge to Bridge” event returns Sunday, October 18 — this time on wheels.
It begins at 3:30 p.m. with a bike safety talk. Then comes a 3-mile ride to Saugatuck, and back. Everyone ages 8 and up is welcome. Helmets are required.
The 2001 Staples High School graduate has just been named to Variety’s 2026 edition of its annual “10 Broadway Stars to Watch.”
Variety says: “Years ago, Duchan was warned not to expect success as a librettist until he was in his 40s: ‘I’ve always understood this career as something of an endurance test.’
“At 43, he’s making his Broadway debut with ‘Purple Rain,’ the stage version of the classic Prince album and film, about the rise of a tormented young musician known as the Kid. Duchan’s big break comes more than a decade after he emerged on the New York theater scene with 2012’s Off Broadway musical “Dogfight,” based on the 1991 movie starring River Phoenix. [Co-written by former Staples Player and friend Justin Paul.]
“’We’re trying to honor what’s singular about Prince while crafting a fictional character separate from him,’” Duchan says.
“An adept multitasker (and an expert at translating from screen to stage), Duchan is working on another major musical adaptation, ‘Practical Magic,’ based on the 1998 fantasy comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witchy sisters.
“’These are just the two you know about!’ Duchan teases. ‘I spend all day, every day, thinking about musical-theater storytelling. If I haven’t clocked my 10,000 hours yet, I’ve gotta be pretty close.’”
After yesterday’s very active afternoon — including the Slice of Saugatuck, Westoberfest and Earthplace’s Fall Festival — the action continued at night.
The Westport Country Playhouse celebrated 95 years of entertainment with a high-energy gala.
From “Hamilton,” “Shrinking” and “The Wonder Years” to our own Kelli O’Hara and James Naughton, the stars were out in force.
The pre- and post-parties were off the charts too.
Gala performers (from left): Santino Fontana, Kelli O’Hara, James Naughton, Wendie Malick, NaTasha Yvetter Williams, Tamar Greene, Javier Muñoz, Patty McCormack, Dan Lauria. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Westport Pride — the town’s non-profit dedicated to creating an affirming, supportive LGBTQ+ community — “proudly” announces a leadership transition.
Liz Falk takes over as president; Kate Grodd is vice president. Brian McGunagle moves into the role of president emeritus.
McGunagle founded Westport Pride in 2020. Under his leadership the organization established the annual Westport Pride celebration, built partnerships with Westport’s public schools, and helped bring the town’s rainbow crosswalk to life.
He is stepping back from day-to-day leadership to focus on his family and new business ventures. He will also take a more active role in his sons’ PTA.
Falk has served on the Westport Pride board as treasurer. She has a background in non-profit and for-profit management and consulting, and has started and run small businesses.
The Staples boys soccer silent auction is halfway to its fundraising goal. Plenty of items are still available.
Among the highlights: Stowe and Okemo stays, Yankees tickets and memorabilia, performance training sessions, college consulting, wellness packages, and private soccer clinics with varsity players. (Who, by the way, are 9-0-0 so far this season.)
Proceeds help fund coaches, fields, equipment and other resources that keep the program running.
And finally … congratulations again to Peter Duchan (story above).
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Just a decade ago, Fairfield’s restaurants were eating Westport’s lunch.
Our neighbor to the east still has a great, diverse dining scene.
But diners far and wide are eating ours up, too.
In fact, there are way too many Westport restaurants to cram into one week.
So the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce’s annual Restaurant Week will be two.
It begins today (Sunday, October 4), and runs through Sunday, October 18.
Tutti’s owners Pasquale and Maria Funicello — and their family — are proud partners in Restaurant Week.
The 2026 event features 21 venues, offering a variety of prix fixe meals to suit any interest and pocketbook. They range from one end of Westport, and Saugatuck, all the way to an honorary spot in Southport.
Some spots offer just lunch, others just dinner. Most serve both. Each sets its own prix fixe.
Restaurants range from old favorites like Rizzuto’s, Tutti’s and Viva Zapata, to those that opened since last year like Felice, Frank Pepe’s and Yuzu. Bon appétit!
Sunday through Friday, Felice’s 3-course dinner menu ($40) offers includes a choice of starters (passata di verdure, bruschetta, ricotta), followed by entrées like tonnarelli cacio e pepe, fusilli al ferretto and chicken Milanese. For dessert: tiramisu and tortino al Ccoccolato.
The weekday 2-course lunch menu ($25) options are spaghetti all’arrabbiata, fusilli al pesto, baked eggplant parmigiana and paillard di pollo.
The Westport Downtown Association picked the perfect fall Saturday for their 9th annual Westoberfest. A large crowd enjoyed beer, food, beer, music, beer, kids’ activities, beer, non-profit giveaways and much more, all around Elm Street downtown.
On the other hand, the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce picked the wrong Saturday — last week — for their 14th annual Slice of Saugatuck.
It was rained out. But they pivoted to today. A similarly large crowd enjoyed food, music, food, bounce houses, food and merchant giveaways, in the “slice” of Saugatuck from Riverside Avenue and Railroad Place to Saugatuck Avenue.
Here are a few scenes. First, the Slice of Saugatuck:
Little guy with a big smile, and an even bigger fire truck.
Serving up samples at Tutti’s.
Beer and wine on Railroad Place, served up by local notables.
Patty Kondub passes out sliders — with a smile — at the VFW.
Who doesn’t love a bounce house?
And now, Westoberfest:
What’s a Westoberfest without lederhosen?
Dozens of beers, from a variety of brewers.
Unleashing her creativity, in the kids’ zone.
The stage is set for an afternoon of music.
Sure, Westoberfest is all about beer. But don’t forget pumpkins!
If you move fast, there’s still time to enjoy these great community events. Both run until 5 p.m.
PS: The Slice and Westoberfest were not all that’s going on.
Compass realtors showed off their new offices. They’ve reimagined the old Patagonia store.
For decades before that, it was Westport Bank & Trust. The huge vault and historic WPA murals are still there.
Meanwhile, this is the 2nd floor view from what was once the bank president’s office.
(All photos/Dan Woog)
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Rain postponed the Slice of Saugatuck from last week to today.
It rained briefly yesterday too. But that did not step a crew of Staples Service League of Boys (SLOBs) — and their moms — from helping set up for this afternoon’s Slice.
The 14th annual Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., all around Saugatuck. Click here for full details.
SLOBs and moms set up for the Slice of Saugatuck.
The Slice is not the only big event today.
Also on tap:
Westoberfest, sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association (1 to 5 p.m., Elm Street); click here for details.
The Artists Collective of Westport’s annual trunk show is much more than, well, art sold from actual car trunks.
There’s music and food (and easels, panels and tables too).
The next one is tomorrow (Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), at the Westport Library’s lower parking lot.
Bring a large vehicle, to haul away your purchases.
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Westport resident Scott Foley joins Harrison Ford, Jason Segel and Jessica Williams for season 4 of Apple TV’s “Shrinking.
He’ll play a therapy patient, in the show about a grieving therapist who tells his clients exactly what he thinks.
Foley is a busy man. According to Deadline, he’ll also appear in a regular role on the Hulu pilot “Young Americans,” playing Judd Burchfield, president of the US.
And he’ll return too as Sean Kelly, in the second season of ABC’s “Scrubs” revival.
The first absentee ballot of this election season was given to Ken Stamm.
He reports, “There was no line in Room 105. But they did have a tray of outgoing ones, which by law had to wait until Friday to be mailed out.”
For the first time, Ken notes, there is no need to be out of town, or sick, to receive an absentee ballot.
The envelope looks a bit different, he says. But the drop box behind Town Hall is there, as always.
2026 ballot materials. (Photo/Ken Stamm)
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Scott Froschauer — a noted artist, sculptor and 1988 Staples High School graduate, whose “colorful public artworks turned familiar street signs into messages of kindness, optimism and reflection,” died Wednesday, according to WeHo Times. He was 57, and friends said he died peacefully in his sleep.
Scott Froschauer, with one of his signs in West Hollywood. (Photo courtesy of WeHo Times)
Ann Sheffer — the 1966 Staples graduate active in the arts scene both here and in Southern California — commissioned one of Scott’s signs for the Westport Arts Advisory Committee. Placed downtown, it celebrated Miggs Burroughs and Ann Chernow’s “Welcome to Art Town” newspaper column.
And finally … there’s a lot going on in Westport today (story above). Cue the action!
(Of course, “06880” is always where the action is. And the stories, news, comments, photos — you name it, it’s here. If you enjoy all the action, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
A couple of familiar Westport scenes lead off this week’s online art gallery.
We introduce a new artist too. Peter Gold — a Representative Town Meeting member and Westport Transit District director spends his spare time turning objects on a lathe. A variety of his work is for sale.
Which reminds us: No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we want your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, mixed media, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in.
“The Mill Pond” (Michael Tomashefsky — Available for purchase; click here)
“Summer Stock at the Old Westport Playhouse” (Eric Bosch)
Untitled (Michael Chait — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (June Rose Whittaker — Available for purchase; click here)
Jenna Petok and Markus Marty are co-directors of Walk Bike Westport. They write:
Last December, Westport won something many towns compete for and don’t get: a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant of $895,200.
Next Wednesday, October 7 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), the Board of Finance will vote on an appropriation of $1,119,000. If approved, the town would then be reimbursed 80%. Westport taxpayers would be responsible for just $224,000.
Without approval, Westport can’t accept the money.
We hope they say yes. If you agree, now is the time to make your voice heard:
This isn’t the first time the Board has looked at this grant. In May, members raised fair questions. Were we funding 3 overlapping studies? How much staff time would it take? And would any of it lead to real improvements, or just more reports?
Those were the right questions. Public Works took them seriously, and the program coming back to the Board is different.
The 3 separate plans are now one coordinated plan, with 1 advisory committee and 1 review process. The planning builds directly on the town’s adopted Safety Action Plan instead of repeating it, and it’s designed to work alongside the Plan of Conservation and Development, not duplicate it.
Most importantly, a dedicated share of the budget now goes to building safety improvements on our streets.
Last fall, Walk Bike Westport co-direct Markus Marty (front) led a walk from Jesup Green to Saugatuck. The event drew many local candidates, and interested residents.
The total cost and the town’s share are the same. What Westport gets for it is better.
Here’s what the grant buys.
Real projects on real streets. This is the part we’re most excited about. The grant funds up to 4 temporary safety projects on town roads, measured before and after. If something works, the town can make it permanent. If it doesn’t, it comes out. We’d call that responsible spending: test first, then invest.
A Town-wide Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. It defines a realistic walking and biking network for Westport, one that fits our New England streets, with priority projects, planning level costs, and a path to implementation. Inside it:
A Safe Routes to School Plan. Westport has never had one. Many parents would like their kids to walk or bike to school, and many kids would like to. This plan looks school by school, public and private, at the crossings, connections, and traffic patterns that make that harder than it should be, and lays out what to fix first.
A Complete Streets Policy. A practical framework for considering every user when the town builds and maintains streets, recognizing that one size doesn’t fit every Westport road.
An ADA Transition Plan. A town-wide look at sidewalks, curb ramps, and crossings, with a prioritized plan to make them work for people with disabilities, seniors, and parents with strollers.
This grant didn’t come out of nowhere. Westport’s Public Works and Engineering teams, along with the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee, have spent years on the unglamorous work of making our streets safer: new sidewalks, crosswalks, intersection improvements, and a Safety Action Plan the town adopted in 2025.
That plan is already producing results, including improvements underway on Kings Highway North, and it’s what made Westport competitive for this funding. It’s a good example of a modest local investment paying off many times over.
Last fall, dozens of Walk Bike Westport enthusiasts gathered at Jesup Green, for a walk. (Photos/John Videler for Videler Photography)
The math is simple. For every dollar Westport puts in, the federal government puts in four. And plans like these are what position a town for future implementation grants, the kind that pay for sidewalks and crossings rather than studies.
We know the Board takes its responsibility to taxpayers seriously, and we respect that. The questions asked in May made this a better program. Now it deserves a yes.
Westport worked hard to win this grant. Let’s make sure we keep it.
Fred Cantor spent much of his life in Westport. The Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate writes:
For music fans, the summer of 1969 is etched in history thanks to Woodstock.
But roughly 5 weeks before that legendary event, local music buffs were treated to the 2-day Westport Pop Festival.
Festival proceeds, per The (Norwalk) Hour, went to the “Westport-Weston Youth Project which, at the moment, is a youth center and coffee house … headed by Brian Keane, Guy Rabut, Mike Joseph and Bubba Barton.” The quartet had just finished their sophomore year at Staples.
The event was sponsored by the Westport Youth Adult Council (forerunner of the current Westport Youth Commission). It was just one of a variety of their entertainment offerings, starting in the late 1960s
The YAC staged a series of summer concerts at Staples featuring prominent acts like the Byrds, Delaney & Bonnie, Tim Hardin, Sha Na Na and Peter Frampton.
Screenshot
It scheduled other events in town too for the benefit of Westport teens, such as a 1971 summer screening of classic comedies from W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton.
Hanging out outside the Youth Adult Council office on Post Road East. Seated (from left): Walt Amey, Brian Keane. Standing: YAC staff member John Clarendon, Mike Joseph, Guy Rabut. Other building tenants included the Alcoholism Guidance Center and Westport Draft Counseling.
But it was a series of hyperlocal music happenings featuring area performers in more intimate settings — spearheaded by 4 friends from Staples’ class of 1971 — that really helped elevate awareness of what the YAC could bring to Westport.
Brian, Guy, Mike and Bubba (whose real name is David, and who played drums in local bands with Brian) organized, with the help of several other classmates, the “Coffee House” music series.
It operated out of the Saugatuck Congregational Church basement, then relocated to the lower level at Bedford Elementary School (now Town Hall).
It ran 2 nights a week during the summer, and Friday nights during part of the school year.
The cover fee started at 50 cents (roughly $4.25 today). It was later raised to 75 cents (still a bargain for live music).
Mike, who had honed his tech skills working on lighting and sound at Staples entertainment events, was in charge of the same type of setup for the Coffee House gigs.
Guy, whose father Paul Rabut was a well-known illustrator and art collector (and who designed several US postage stamps), followed in his dad’s footsteps by creating a number of the posters for the YAC events.
A Guy Rabut Coffee House poster. (All visuals courtesy of Brian Keane)
Brian, long before his Grammy- and Emmy-winning work as a professional musician/composer/producer, took the lead in curating the Coffee House music lineup.
As Mike said a while back, “It was great for us Class of ‘71 kids to be involved in something so creative as juniors and seniors in HS …. Westport was well ahead of everyone else in engaging its youth.”
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