As promised this morning, Kevin O’Brien — the once-homeless Westport teenager who turned his life around — came back to town today.
One of his dreams was to visit Westport Pizzeria. As noted in an “06880” post earlier this month, Kevin once subsisted on 25-cent slices, not far from “Needle Park” where he spent his nights.
A couple of years ago the pizzeria moved around the corner, from Main Street to the Post Road. But the slices taste the same. And this afternoon, owner Mel Mioli was there to greet Kevin.
Kevin O’Brien (left) and Westport Pizzeria owner Mel Mioli. (Photo/Jack Whittle)
Kevin is no longer homeless. He’ll spend tonight at the home of an “06880” reader, who reached out to him after reading his story.
Westport has changed a great deal since 1970, when Kevin was a kid.
Some of those changes are great. Others — not so much.
But we’re still a place that draws folks back. And once they’re here, it’s nice to know we still draw them close in.