When my husband Jim and I read on social media that the picnic tables on Parker Harding Plaza along the Saugatuck River were in disrepair, it occurred to us that they were the perfect gift to our town.
I remember when Lee Papageorge, the owner of Oscar’s Deli, placed them there many years ago.
I have been in town for 46 years, and Jim for 20. We raised our children here, and wanted to say thank you.
We contacted Maxx Crowley, executive director of the Westport Downtown Association, and shared our idea.
With the help of SCA and the WDA, we found the right benches. They should last many years.
Thank you to Maxx and his team for assembling the tables, removing the old ones and cleaning up the area.
The new Parker Harding benches. (Photo/Julie Whamond)
We give these tables in honor of those we lost on 9/11. We love driving by and seeing people enjoying their lunch by the river.
Now they can do it without the fear of a massive splinter.
Thank you, Maxx, SCA, the Westport Downtown Association! You are our Unsung Heroes of the week.
PS: We’ll add Julie and Jim to the list too!
(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.)
This morning’s “06880” lead story — about Sunday’s flooding at Compo Beach — noted that 1st Selectman Kevin Christie had not responded to a request for comment.
Shortly after 6:30 a.m. today, he emailed: “I saw this email from Sunday evening, but did not get back to you while we were still in active emergency response mode.
“We recognize the significant impact the flooding has had on residents and businesses throughout town. We have been looking into this as part of our broader post-flood assessment, and we’ll follow up when we have more complete information.”
Compo Beach floodwaters.
More details on Sunday’s storm: Westport emergency responders handled 130 flood-related calls, rescued 13 people from vehicles, and evacuated 5 residents from a care facility.
Town officials continue working to document the extent of the damage to residences, businesses and public infrastructure.
“We recognize the disruption and damage this event has caused and sincerely thank Westport residents and businesses for their patience, cooperation and understanding,” says 1st Selectman Kevin Christie.
“We are incredibly grateful to our first responders, Public Works crews, emergency dispatchers, utility workers, volunteers and everyone who worked tirelessly to protect our community and begin the recovery process.”
Flood waters have receded. Damage assessments continue.
We talk a great deal about what it takes to make a democracy work, and how one participates.
Next week, we have an opportunity to hear from leaders who wrestle with the question — and are doing something about it.
Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University; Rajiv Vinnakota, president of Citizens & Scholars, and Daniel Lugo, president of Trinity College, are part of a national effort, involving more than 140 college leaders. They focus on preparing the next generation for active participation in our democracy.
The event — “Civics and the Next Generation of Changemakers” — is September 23, Westport). A reception begins at 6 p.m.; the panel follows at 7.
Speaking of the Library: Monday marked the dedication of its newest sculpture.
“Circle of Peace” has been drawing plenty of attention, outside the upper level entrance.
The work was donated to Westport’s Public Art Collections by an anonymous donor. It was installed at Save the Children headquarters, until the organization left Westport in 2014.
Triple Threat Academy students Sophie Goldman, Carlos Velasquez Escamilla and Camilo Velasquez Escamilla cut the ribbon. The brief ceremony ended with children singing “Song of Peace.”
1st Selectman Kevin Christie (left), Westport Arts Advisory co-chair Nancy Diamond (rear), former Save the Children CEO Carolyn Miles and Westport Library director Bill Harmer with children, at the sculpture dedication.
And … the “Career Coach” will be in the Westport Library parking lot tomorrow (Thursday, September 17), for a session on “Tips for Resumés and Cover Letters.”
There are 2 sessions ( 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) each day; both are 2 hours long. Registrants can choose one.
The service is available to people who are exploring career opportunities, actively looking for a job, or seeking additional part-time employment. Click here to reserve a spot.
Among the casualties of Sunday’s 7 inches of rain: the Green’s Farms post office.
A sign on the door yesterday said they were closed, due to a power outage. Patrons were advised to use the Westport, Southport or Fairfield post offices.
If you have a PO box there though, you were out of luck.
And there’s no information either on how long the much-loved branch will be shut.
Green’s Farms post office door. (Photo and hat tip: Dick Lowenstein)
But preparing for the annual Westport Rotary Club fundraiser takes time.
This was the scene yesterday, at Compo Beach:
(Photo/Ed Simek)
If you’ve got tickets: See you there.
If you don’t: You’re out of luck.
The event sold out — as it always does — almost instantly.
In that case, we’ll see you in 2027.
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Seen — but not seeing well — at the Post Road/Sylvan Road intersection:
(Photo/Jonathan Alloy)
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Last year, Zhu Wang and Ye-Eun Hyun took top honors at the Heida Hermanns International Music Competition, held right here at MoCA\CT.
They embarked on a worldwide tour.
Now, ln Friday (September 18, 7 p.m.) the 2 young pianists return to Westport, for a special laureate concert. Their program includes Beethoven, Brahms and Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Three days after flood waters receded, many residents are dealing with the aftermath: flooded basements and businesses. Ruined cars. Insurance claims.
One Westport family needs a place to live, and start over.
A GoFundMe page says:
If you know Lindsay, you know her as the mom every kid wishes was theirs, the one who is first to say yes to a carpool, and whose house is always open for an impromptu get-together.
Most of all, Lindsay is the mom who always puts her two sons, Myles (13) and Charlie (11), first, no matter what.
Today, after Westport’s worst flood in over 200 years, Lindsay and her boys are facing an unimaginable and catastrophic loss. In the last 24 hours, the home that had become a source of comfort and stability for their family became unlivable, their contents and keepsakes were destroyed, and they also lost their car. After everything this family has already been through, this disaster has turned their world upside down once again.
Myles and Charlie, in 8th and 6th grade at Bedford Middle School, are deeply loved in this community, and so is their mom. So many people know how much this home meant to them as a safe place to heal and rebuild, which makes this loss even more heartbreaking.
Myles, Charlie and Lindsay.
This fundraiser will help Lindsay, Myles, and Charlie get through the aftermath of the flood by covering immediate needs and expenses as they figure out next steps.
Right now, they need the support of the community around them as they work to get back on their feet and try to regain a sense of normalcy. If you are able to give, please consider helping Lindsay and her boys through this devastating time.
Every donation, no matter the size, and every share of this fundraiser will help remind them that they are not facing this alone. Westport, we know how to do this. Please come together with compassion, love, and support for Lindsay, Myles, and Charlie.
On Sunday, 7 inches of rain inundated Westport. All over town, businesses and homes were flooded.
Among the hardest hit neighborhoods: Compo Beach. Homeowners on Soundview Drive, the 4 side roads and Bradley Street are used to storms. Many have recently raised their structures.
But this time was different. The drains that typically overflow — but eventually carry water away — may not have worked.
As water coursed through his home, a resident emailed 2 of his Representative Town Meeting members, Kristin Mott Purcell and Chris Tait. He copied “06880.” He wrote:
High tide was nearly 4 hours ago. The flood waters have receded exactly 2 inches since then.
I know, because it is very easy to mark the water levels on our (and our neighbors’) garage doors.
Two inches of receding water, as we approach low tide.
Flooded street near Compo Beach, a few hours after the rain ended.
When storm drains are clear, and the drain pipe “flaps” and pumps are working at Compo Basin, water pours into the storm drains with a vengeance after a flood event like this.
It is easy to see the “vortex funnels” above every storm drain, even if the water is 2 or 3 feet deep. And the water dissipates very quickly.
There is no vortex above the storm drains tonight. The water has nowhere to go.
I will give you 10-to-1 odds we will find out the town did not open the floodgates at the marina or Gray’s Creek. They probably also did not turn on the pump that helps move out the water.
Fairfield Avenue, after the storm passed. Water at one point was 3 feet deep, a neighbor says.
The town is not responsible for freakish, heavy rainfalls or the sudden accumulation that results from them. But we surely should have a drainage system that suits one of the wealthiest towns in the country, and that has experienced this problem time and again over the past few decades.
I want to work with both of you to get to the bottom of this issue this week. We have sustained a massive amount of damage, much of which could have been avoided or minimized, if we could have gotten the water out of our house quickly.
Instead, it has been nearly 9 hours that we have had more than a foot of water inside our living spaces. That is unacceptable.
“06880” spoke with RTM member Chris Tait yesterday. He says:
“I talked to (Public Works director) Larry Roberts. He told me the pumps were running, but the rain backed up the system. They’re 12-inch pumps, that work over a 24-hour period. Not right away.”
Tait says Roberts told him that standing water on Bradley Street — visible Monday — was caused by debris clogging the pipes.
The RTM member will meet with DPW engineers, to see whether a drain by the Minute Man monument — broken several years ago — was fixed properly.
Flooding on Bradley Street at Fairfield Avenue, Monday afternoon.
Compo Beach resident Jim Hood insists, “It doesn’t add up.”
He says he stood on top of a storm drain during the storm, and could not see “even a ripple. If water was going down even slowly, I’d see it. For 7 or 8 hours, there was nothing.
“Then suddenly, it went down quickly. It defies the laws of physics.”
“06880” reached out to 1st Selectman Kevin Christie for comment. As of last night, he had not responded.
In the fall of 2015, Staples Players staged another classic musical: “Fiddler on the Roof.”
It’s a challenging show: heavy themes, complex music, foreign cultures and accents.
As they always do, directors David Roth and Kerry Long’s high school troupes rose to the occasion.
And surpassed it.
Media instructor Jim Honeycutt taped the production. As he does each week now, he edited the 2 casts into 1 highlight reel. Click here or below to enjoy this great “tradition.”
Many cast members have gone on to great things, on and off the stage. Among them:
Jacob Leaf(Tevye) is a professional actor. He has appeared in “Mamma Mia!,” “Gypsy,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Eurydice” and more.
Julia Mandelbaum (Tzeitel) graduated from Rider University. She performed professionally in “Evita,” “Singing in the Rain,” and more.
Caroline Didelot (Hodel) appeared in “Kinky Boots” at Baldwin Wallace University, “42nd Street” at New London Barn Playhouse, and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” for Prime Video.
Zoe Samuels (Yente, the Matchmaker) is an associate strategy director at Edelman. She graduated with a degree in theater and Chinese from Middlebury College.
Jimmy Ray Stagg (Lazar Wolf, the butcher) is a sketch writer and performer associated with The Second City. He also performs with the independent comedy group Penny For Your Intrusive Thoughts.
Wellington Baumann (Mordcha, the innkeeper) is a litigation associate at Fried Frank in New York City. focusing on white collar criminal defense, commercial disputes and real estate litigation. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College and the Washington & Lee University School of Law.
Keanan Pucci (Appa) graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, contributing to virtual production pipelines and visual development for projects like Netflix’s “Escape from Hat.” His film credits include “An Inconsistent Story in Stealing. Click here for a showcase of his interactive and 3D work.
Christian Melhuish (Appa) is a singer, actor and dancer in New York. After graduating from Temple University with a BFA in musical theater, Christian has performed regionally around the country. Credits include Jesus (“Godspell”), Romeo (“Romeo & Juliet”) and Bob Gaudio (“Jersey Boys”). He has also performed Off-Broadway and in cabarets and staged readings.
Mackenzie Lavoie(Shandel, Motel’s mother) earned a bachelor of science in arts administration, combined arts and a minor in film and media studies at Wagner College. She is a communications and PR professional specializing in strategic storytelling, media relations and brand positioning.
Mikayla Czizik(Etil) is a New York-based actor, singer and dancer. She graduated with a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch and the Atlantic Acting School. She played Ash in her UK and Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut.
Avery Mendillo(Samara) is a New York-based actor and singer, with roots in musical theatre and a growing career in film and TV. She recently filmed her first feature film.
Remy Laifer (Motel Kamzoil, Yosef) s a New York-based actor and musician. A graduate of Northwestern University’s theatre program, he has appeared on television in NBC’s “New Amsterdam.” His film work includes “Escape from Myrtle Broadway” and “3 Worlds, 1 Modern Romance.”
Nick Ribolla(Perchick, the student)
Daniel Pauker (Mendel, the Rabbi’s son, Mandel) is a technical animator. He has a passion for 3D software and systems.
Chad Celini (Arlin) is an American actor and performer who works in regional theater and independent productions. He has appeared in “Godspell,” “Curtains” and holiday musical revues, and on screen in the 2025 film “Game Over.”
Colin McKechnie (Soloman) s part of the premiere of Dance With Us with DGDC. He graduated from Ithaca College g with a BFA in acting, and a minor in dance. A stage and screen actor, he is playing Tony in the film adaption of Stephen King’s “I Know What You Need.”
Nick Rossi(Shmuel) is a professional singer, actor and musician. He has appeared regionally in “Master Harold … and the Boys,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Pericles,” “La Cage Aux Folles” and “Jersey Boys.”
Jake Watzman(Benyamin) is an American voice actor and theatre performer. He graduated with a BA in theatre from Muhlenberg College. He is recognized for his work in indie animation, visual novels, and voiceover projects.
And learning that one damaged bridge may disrupt downtown traffic for up to 18 months.
The small, almost unnoticed, span on Jesup Road linking Imperial Avenue with the police station, Jesup Green, the Westport Library, Levitt Pavilion and Taylor parking lot — and a way to avoid the parallel Post Road — was severely damaged.
It’s early in the process. Further study is needed. But repairs — if necessary — could take up to a year and a half.
More information will be available as the process unfolds.
Small bridge on Jesup Road, at Imperial Avenue.
Off Church Lane, plenty of work remained.
And in Deadman Brook by Myrtle Avenue, a dumpster remained stuck.
(Photos/Sal Liccione)
While the rest of the town had dried out, however, significant standing water remained at Bradley Street and Fairfield Avenue.
Here’s a shot from yesterday afternoon, 24 hours after the rain ended:
This is a survey only. Submitting it is not a claim or request for assistance, and does not guarantee that disaster relief or other recovery assistance will be available.
Information collected will help state and local emergency management officials document the extent of the damage, and determine whether the State of Connecticut may be eligible for post-disaster programs through FEMA and/or the Small Business Administration.
Finally: CBS News sent a reporter to Westport, to document the cleanup effort. Interviewees included Sal Liccione and Morley Boyd — and a photo from our “06880” blog. (Hat tip: Jeff Mitchell)
After nearly 3 hours of debate, the issue of lights on athletic fields came into clearer focus last night.
Planning & Zoning Commission members discussed — in detail, with civility and plenty of back and forth — applications for 70-foot poles at PJ Romano and Wakeman Fields.
PJ Romano came first. The site behind Saugatuck Elementary School has elicited little public comment, because there are already temporary lights, and it is on well-traveled Riverside Avenue.
Traffic was more of a concern than noise. Commissioners insisted on a 9 p.m. weekend cutoff; no multi-team tournaments, and use restricted to Westport sports and Parks & Recreation Department activities. A straw vote showed 5 of the P&Z members in favor of the application.
Those and other restrictions will be clarified in writing by P&Z staff, and presented to the Commission on October 5 for a vote.
Temporary lights are currently used at PJ Romano Field. Here, a Westport PAL football team practices. (Photo/James Kingsley)
Wakeman — adjacent to Bedford Middle School — has elicited greater concern by neighbors.
Commissioners discussed the need for low-level lighting to ensure safety of players and parents once the lights are off; for audio limited to varsity games only (no practices), and to end once the game begins; a prohibition on multi-team tournaments; limited hours of usage, and the addition of several trees along the perimeter.
Another straw poll showed a majority in favor of the proposal, with those conditions. P&Z staff will clarify those conditions, and it too will be presented for an October 5 vote.
The Wakeman B turf field (left-center, above) is the only one that would be lit. (Drone photo/David Pogue)
Speaking of the Playhouse: Last night marked the first Script in Hand play reading of the season, with the premiere of “The Next Best Thing.”
The cast and crew. Front row (from left): Mia Dillon, Ayla Kopp, Tina Johnson, Hauako Stepper, Cindy Cheung, Grant Shaud, Alicia Thompson. Rear: Director Mark Shanahan, playwright Matt Hoverman. (Photo/Kelsey McFarland)
This year — as every year — LobsterFest is sold out.
So this is not a plug for tickets. It’s just an interesting update.
On Saturday, Compo Beach will welcome 1,500 guests for Westport Rotary Club’s annual event.
In celebration of its 15th year, Rotarians recently presented 1st Selectman Kevin Christie with an official LobsterFest hat.
From left: 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, LobsterFest chair Denise Thomas, Rotarian extraordinaire Rick Benson (in lobster suit), president Ron Henkoff, and LobsterFest entertainment chair Robert Augustyn. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
As the afternoon nears, Rotary offers heartfelt thanks to the Westport community for its overwhelming support.
LobsterFest’s sponsors have been exceptionally generous. This year’s event will raise over $400,000.
Special help comes from the Westport Fire and Police Departments and Emergency Medical Services, and many children’s entertainers (some work gratis).
The success of LobsterFest depends on over 200 volunteers. A few spots remain. Click here to sign up.
In other Rotary news, they’ve announced the winner of their lobster-naming contest.
It’s … Clawdia!
Congratulations to Vienna Tranquillo of Oxford. She earns a $25 gift certificate to The Sandbar at Compo Beach.
For 27 years, “Booked for the Evening” BOOKED for the evening has served as
the Westport Library’s signature celebration of ideas, achievement and community.
What began as a fundraising event has evolved into a cherished tradition that reflects the heart of the Library’s mission: fostering a love of learning, inspiring curiosity, and expanding our understanding of the world.
Each year, BOOKED brings together Library supporters, town leaders, cultural advocates and others for a night honoring a man or woman whose work has
made a lasting impact on society.
Tom Brokaw, E.L. Doctorow, Billie Jean King, Calvin Trillin, Wendy Wasserstein, Pete Hamill, Martin Scorsese, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Halberstam, Patti Smith, Nile Rodgers, Lynsey Addario, Ron Chernow, Alan Alda, Justin Paul and Itzhak Perlman are just some of the honorees over the past quarter century.
This year, the Westport Library honors award-winning director, actress, choreographer, producer and cultural icon Debbie Allen. The event is Wednesday, October 28.
She is perhaps best known as dance instructor Lydia Grant in the 1982 series “Fame.” She was also the show’s principal choreographer.
Allen has earned 3 Emmys, a Golden Globe, 5 NAACP Image Awards, a Drama Desk honor, the first-ever Astaire Award for Best Dancer, 4 honorary doctorates, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She has choreographed the Academy Awards 10 times, directed and produced episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “A Different World,” and was the creative force behind Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad.”
Appointed by President George W. Bush as a Cultural Ambassador of Dance, Allen spent more than 15 years as an artist-in-residence at the Kennedy Center.
She’ll be in conversation with Shonda Rhimes. The noted TV creator, producer, author, CEO of global media company Shondaland — and a Westporter — was the 2022 “Booked” honoree.
Business leaders, professionals and community members are invited to he next Executive Network Series event.
VTB Financial Group and Prestige Cabinetry & Design host the September 29 gathering (6 to 9 p.m., Rizzuto’s). It’s a benefit for Ann’s Place, a non-profit providing support and resources for individuals and families impacted by cancer.
Pianist Marc Copland headlines this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m., VFW Post 399; dinner service at 6:45). Bassist Yuriy Galkin, pianist Steve Johns and saxophonist Greg Wall join in.
Maryssa Miller sends today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, and writes: “Every sunny afternoon, this little guy comes out of his home and perches in the same exact spot on the stone wall in my backyard to get some sun.
“Then he goes right back to wherever he lives. He’s been doing this since early August.
“I’m going to be moving in town soon. I’ll miss seeing him every day!”
And finally … in honor of tonight’s Westport Country Playhouse “Year in Anatevka” (story above):
(If I were a rich man … I wouldn’t have to suggest that readers help support this blog they read every day. But I’m not, so I do. Here goes: Please click here. And thank you!)
At the turn of the 20th century, private sanitariums were becoming alternatives to large psychiatric hospitals.
Sanitariums were located in rural areas. It was believed that quiet surroundings, fresh air, farming, crafts and separation from the stresses of everyday life could help people with mental illness (known then as “nervous disease”).
Westport had 2 sanitariums. One was on the Post Road at North Compo Road. The buildings were razed in the 1970s; today we know it as Winslow Park.
The other was on Long Lots Road. Dr. David McFarland opened it in 1898. Four years later, it was named Hall-Brooke.
Dr. McFarland’s sanitarium.
By mid-century, it had transitioned to a psychiatric hospital model. Treatments included electroshock therapy and restraints.
In 1964, Elisabeth Solomon and irving Cooper bought the hospital and 27 acres for $907,000. It became a non-profit. After a rough period in which Solomon lost control of the organization, then fought to regain it, Hall-Brooke expanded into community and outpatient behavioral health services.
Hall-Brooke Hospital
An old building fronting Long Lots was demolished. A new 60,000-square foot facility opened in the rear of the property.
In 2008, St. Vincent’s Medical Center took over. The name was changed to St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health — a mouthful.
St. Vincent’s is now owned by Hartford HealthCare. For a year, their marketing team searched for a name that would reflect its high quality of care.
Which is why Hall-Brooke (as old-timers still call it) and St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health (as no one called it) is now “The Shores Mental Health” — or even more simply, “The Shores.”
The name “conveys healing, stability, and its location near the beach,” says Eleanor Cronley, HHC’s Fairfield region director.
The Shores name covers Hartford HealthCare’s “behavioral footprint” in Fairfield County: the 76-bed campus on Long Lots Road, and outpatient clinics in Norwalk and Bridgeport.
The Shores entrance.
Changes at The Shores go beyond the name. A new Welcome Center — open 6 days a week, including evenings — allows people to talk with clinicians. If admission is appropriate, it happens quickly. If not, they may be referred to one of the outpatient facilities.
“The goal is always to find the least restrictive environment,” Cronley says.
The grounds.
She notes the need for a speedy process. A New Jersey doctor called the Welcome Center, because there were no beds in his patient’s area. Three hours later, the teenager had one here.
That patient was admitted to the 16-bed children’s and adolescent unit. (“Parents like bypassing the emergency department,” Cronley notes.)
Two units — each with 24 beds — are reserved for acute adult cases. The other 12 beds are part of the mood and anxiety program, which the Welcome Center often feeds into.
Dr. Tobias Wasser, chair of psychiatry and behavioral health.
Cronley has lived in Wilton for 18 years. Until a few years ago however, she — like many area residents — did not know St. Vincent’s existed.
“And I work in the behavioral health field!” she says.
The Shores hopes to have more of a presence through its campus, a couple of miles from shore.
A ribbon cutting is set for October 14. “It will be a momentous day for behavioral health in Fairfield County,” Cronley promises.
(“06880” regularly reports on health and wellness, in all its forms. If you appreciate stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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