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For years, one of Westport’s best traditions is the Sunday beach service at the Compo Beach cannons.
Four Congregational churches — Greens Farms, Saugatuck, Norfield and Wilton — and the United Methodist Church — rotate as hosts.
This morning, Norfield invited the Pivot Ministries Choir to join in.
More than 20 men from the Bridgeport faith-based residential recovery program for drug and alcohol addictions added their spirit and inspiration, offering renewal and strength amid life’s challenges.
Two Sunday services remain: August 22 and 29 (8:30 a.m.). All are invited. Bring your own chair or towel, or sit on the stone wall, benches and tables. Beach stickers are not required; tell the gate attendant you’re there for worship. You can stay until 10 a.m.
Pivot Ministries at this morning’s Compo Beach Sunday service. (Photo/Gloria Smithson)
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“06880” is not a real estate agency. But from time to time, a property deserves a shout-out.
This is one.
Designed by theatrical stage set designer Ralph Alswang, it’s set between towering great oaks. The gardens — by advertising executive Barry Blau — were created in response to the house. They incorporate native plants interspersed with a blend of exotics.
A group — Friends of Blau House and Gardens — hopes to retain the property, so it can become a community asset and resource for small non-profit organizations. They’re looking for ideas, interested people and organizations that can benefit and/or help.
If interested, click here or email R@RobertCohenArchitect.com. (Hat tip: Peter Gold)
Blau Gardens
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One of Westport’s top community events — the annual Catch a Lift fundraiser — has just announced a new date and location.
Originally scheduled for September 13, the special ceremony honoring the 20th anniversary of 9/11 — will now be held at Compo Beach on Friday, September 10.
Starting at 5 p.m., there’s 3 hours of food and drink trucks, music, and words from Catch a Lift veterans. The national nonprofit organization helps post-9/11 combat-wounded servicemen and women recover and rehabilitate, physically and mentally, through physical fitness, motivation and support. So that 9/11 Eve date is both appropriate and poignant.
Beach stickers are not needed to attend.
The Compo event will kick off an action-packed weekend. There’s a Saturday workout (September 11, Westport police station, 1 p.m.) and Sunday family bike ride (September 12, Ridgefield).
Click here for details and information, including how to help with auction items, and more.
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The Westport Downtown Association’s 3rd Shopping Day of the summer yesterday was a great success.
The weather cooled substantially from the previous week. The sun was out. With plenty of music, food and great goods, it was a relaxing way to start the weekend.
Except for everyone driving in Parker Harding Plaza. Each car had to maneuver slowly past this red vehicle. No, that was not a legit parking space.
But hey! What’s the inconvenience of hundreds of other drivers, compared to the right to park as close as possible to the action, right?
(Photo/Susan Garment)
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Martha Stewart no longer lives in Westport. But someone channeled her the other evening at Compo Beach.
I’m guessing the menu was not hot dogs.
(Photo/Karen Como)
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If you found a card with $500 on the ground, what would you do?
Most Westporters (I hope) would try to find the owner. Some would look to see if anyone was watching, and slip it into their pocket.
Few would probably go as far as Gabrielle Perry to return it to whoever lost it.
As reported by News12 Connecticut, the 2016 Staples High School graduate spotted the card in the Maritime Aquarium parking lot last month.
The envelope read “Reverend Dennis … thank you for marrying us.” Inside was a “really sweet, heartfelt note” to the minister. It was signed “Christina and Dave” — no last names.
Gabrielle enlisted a friend’s mother, who is good at Google searches. She found a registry for Christina Ulreich and David Kean. That led to Ulreich on LinkedIn.
The weeding was marred only by the fact that the gift to the reverend was lost the night before, at the rehearsal dinner. She and her new husband were stunned — and thrilled — at Gabrielle’s perseverance.
Congratulations to the new couple — and to Gabrielle, of course. Click here for the full News12 report.
Gabrielle Perry
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Most Levitt Pavilion nights are one-and-done.
But Jesse Terry had an opening act Friday. Clueless — a local band that’s been together for several years — warmed up the crowd with a powerful performance.
The band includes 20-year-old Westport guitarists Jake Greenwald and Zach Rogers, drummer Witt Landau (a rising Staples High School junior), and keyboardist/vocalist Ethan Walmark (a rising Staples sophomore).
Ethan Walmark (Photo/JC Martin)
Witt Landau (Photo/JC Martin)
Looking for entertainment this week?
The Levitt schedule includes:
- Tonight (Sunday, August 15): Dan Levinson’s Palomar Jazz Band
- Tuesday, August 17: Treehouse comedy
- Wednesday, August 18: The Pop-Ups (Children’s Series; special needs celebration)
- Thursday, August 19: Buffalo Rose (modern folk)
- Friday, August 20: Lizzie No (singer/harpist/guitarist)
- Sunday, August 22: Nellie McKay (American songbook)
Click here for (free!) tickets, times and more information.
Around the corner, the Remarkable Theater shows the animated classic “Coco” tomorrow (Monday, August 16, 7:45 p.m.) and “Get Out” on Wednesday (August 18, 9:15 p.m.). Click here for tickets and more information.
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The dog days of August are a great time to fish. This Saugatuck River snowy egret at the right idea — and posed nicely for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
(Photo/JC Martin)
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And finally … on this date in 1939, “The Wizard of Oz” premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.
