“06880” reader Ned Hardy writes:
“Since you’ve written so much about Double L Farm Stand, you might be interested to learn how they packed our purchases after our visit today.”
It’s safe to say, at Double L they treat your watermelon like it was their own kid.
(Photo by Ned Hardy)
It’s often said that Westporters live in a bubble, disconnected from the rest of the world.
The other day, on a short stroll at Compo Beach, I heard the following languages:
ItalianRecent postings about DeRosa’s, Zaffronia and Zest prove that restaurants are born to die.
In Westport, it seems, the mortality is particularly high.
Long-time resident Jeff Strauss has compiled a list of local eateries that have gone to that Great Kitchen in the Sky. Some are of recent vintage; others are as old as a fine wine.
Some spent years as Westport landmarks; others were here about as long as it takes to nuke popcorn.
All, however, deserve a spot on our list of local trivia. At one time or other, every Westporter says “What was the name of that restaurant where…?”
Here’s Jeff’s list (augmented by a few of my own). Click the “comment” link above or below this post to add the many places we’ve forgotten.
300 Club
Carrol’s
Evergreen
La Bibliotheque
Peppermill
World of WeinersWe haven’t seen this in months: cars at Curran Cadillac.
The only thing is: They’re Toyotas.
Turns out that New Country Toyota is using the now-vacant lot to store excess inventory. The dealership may expand there in the future.
Between those cars and the burst of activity next door at the soon-to-open Fresh Market, there’s finally some life in what used to be a tumbleweed stretch of the Post Road.
Last week — in the midst of the summer growing season — the town of Fairfield threatened to shut down the very popular Double L Farm Stand.
The town alleged zoning violations in the open-air market, on the Post Road a few yards beyond the Westport line. Owner Lloyd Allen countered: “We’re being treated with the same mind-set as Stop & Shop.”
Lloyd called a few minutes ago, with great news. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture ruled — ta da! — that the Double L Farm Stand is officially “a farm.” A farm is zoned differently than, let’s say, Stop & Shop.
So Double L is open for business. As always, business is booming.
Go whenever you can. New local produce arrives throughout each day.
Do not read this unless you plan a renovation project between early September and mid-November.
And you want to save $10,000.
Of course there’s a catch. You’ll be filmed throughout the process for a TV show.
Casting has begun in the Westport area for a show called “10 Grand in Your Hand.” Going into its 2nd season on the DIY Network, the aim is to show people how to trim at least 10K off their budget by doing some of the work themselves.
Of course, it’s not as selfless as it seems. I’ve never seen the DIY Network — truth to be told, the 1st time I heard of it was 8 seconds ago — but I’m guessing the producers are not looking for homeowners who:
The producers, I’m thinking, probably also hope to find local homeowners who have never seen a reality TV show before. Or, if they have, are the kind of people who think, “Wow. If I went on national TV, that kind of stuff would never happen to me.”
Interested? Contact patrick@boywonderproductions.net. Who knows? You could save yourself 10 grand.
And all it would cost is your pride, dignity and good name.
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Posted in Real estate, Totally random
A memorial service for Preston Hirten, the former Staples soccer player who died Tuesday, will be held this Saturday, August 22, at the Unitarian Church, 10 Lyons Plains Road, Westport. The service begins at 2 p.m. The Hirten family encourages attendees to dress casually — “soccer shirts for players is great,” they say. The building is not air-conditioned, so feel free to bring fans and water too.
The family also notes that, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Preston Hirten Memorial Scholarship, being organized by the Westport Soccer Association. The address is: PO Box 2561, Westport, CT 06880.
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Posted in People
Tagged Preston Hirten
A 3-team softball league doesn’t sound like much.
Then again, not just anyone can play. You have to go to temple.
Sandy Koufax does not play in Westport's Sunday synagogue softball league. But, like the local players, he is a Jewish athlete.
When Alan Phillips got an email invitation to join the Conservative Synagogue‘s squad, the Westporter was excited. As a kid, he’d loved baseball.
But suddenly he thought: I haven’t played in 25 years.
Then, he told himself: We play other synagogues. How tough can it be?
The Sunday league is “a blast,” Alan says. “It’s a lot of fun, and we form great bonds. Our synagogue is blessed to be part of this.”
It’s not about winning, Alan says. (Usually this means a team isn’t winning. I didn’t ask.)
“If 15 people show up, 15 play,” he says. “Some of them probably weren’t very good when they were younger. But all of them take their turn in the field.” The batting order is based on who shows up when. Oy.
In addition to the Conservative Synagogue, the league includes Beth El and Shalom, both in Norwalk. Games are played behind Westport’s King’s Highway School.
“There’s no reason Temple Israel shouldn’t have a team,” Alan says. “And Beit Chaverim” — Westport’s orthodox synagogue — “that would be great.”
As for his own team, Alan — a former synagogue president — says, “Rabbi Wiederhorn is a pretty good outfielder/hitter.”
The team’s key equipment, Alan says, is not a bat, ball and glove. Instead, it’s “Motrin, ice packs and Ace bandages.” Teammates Ed Smolka and Larry Kleinman both went down in the 1st game this year. Both are better now, he reports.
Alan says he’s heard the jokes: Do they run the bases from 3rd to 1st? Are the snacks meat, dairy or pareve?
Very funny. He prefers to talk about last Sunday’s game.
The Conservative Synagogue won a 17-12 thriller against Beth-El, avenging an earlier loss. Due to vacations — the rabbi/outfielder/pretty good hitter was in Israel, among other things — Alan’s team started the game without a catcher or 1st baseman. Heeding the biblical word about sharing, Beth-El lent players for those positions.
Injuries hobbled the Conservative Synagogue. By the end, they had to recruit a member’s 11-year-old son. He got a few hits, and did a fine job in center field.
In true Sunday league style, the boy had to borrow spikes to play. He arrived in sandals.
Hey, Jesus did too.
The Staples soccer community was stunned by this afternoon’s death of Preston Hirten.
The hard-working, ultra-competitive midfielder — one of the sparkplugs of Staples’ 2006 FCIAC championship, state finalist team — collapsed during a training session at the University of Mary Washington. CPR was immediately administered, but efforts to revive him failed. Further details were not available this evening.
Preston was a special player, on a special team. I know, because for 2 years I was his coach.
Preston epitomized Staples soccer. He was not the biggest player on the field — but he did not have to be. He had speed, skill and talent — lots of all 3.
Above all, though, he had determination. Preston loved playing soccer, and he loved playing it with his friends. Whether it was 3-v-3 training, a championship match or — most recently — our summer “Watermelon Cup” league, Preston never gave less than his best. In doing so, he lifted the quality of play of everyone around him. You could not give less than your best with Preston around. And in the process, you had plenty of fun.
The 2006 Staples team is legendary for many reasons. Their road to the state finals included 2 incredible penalty kick games — each of which went to more than 8 shots each. The final was equally memorable: a golden-goal 2-1 loss.
But the team endured much more off the field. Several fathers died during and immediately following the season.
What happened that year could have diverted them, or caused them to lose focus. Instead tragedy united them, made them stronger. They set a standard of soccer, competitiveness, camaraderie and humanity that is their legacy.
Today’s news is the cruelest blow of all — and the most difficult test for them. But I know the soccer community will rally around them — and around Preston’s parents and his sisters — now, and in the days, weeks and months to come.
The 2006 Staples soccer team has been unfathomably diminished. But they still have each other. And — thanks to the bonds that Preston Hirten helped forge — they always will.
The Saugatuck post office will close Saturday — just 4 days from now.
According to WestportNow.com, a US Postal Service spokesman said the facility was in “substandard condition.”
I had little to do with the Saugatuck post office, beyond occasionally retrieving packages that had to be signed for. (Why they weren’t left at the Post Road post office, less than 2/10 of a mile from my home, is a longtime mystery that now will never be solved.)
Parking was atrocious.
But the employees there were extra-nice — they were as far from “going postal” as could be imagined — and I always sensed a nice, homey atmosphere in the tiny, cramped (yeah, probably “substandard”) building.
And not to point fingers, but why — with all the action in Saugatuck, including upcoming gentrification — is this facility closing, while the less busy (but way cuter) Green’s Farms branch remains open?
I’m just sayin’…
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