Roundup: Westoberfest, Poll Workers, Porch …

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Saturday’s “Westoberfest” has something for everyone.

The Westport Downtown Association event — set for all around Elm Street — includes road races (kids at noon, 10K at 12:30 p.m.); food, vendors, apples and pumpkin giveaways, pumpkin decorating, street magician and live music  (1 to 5 p.m.), beer tasting (2 to 5 p.m.), and an air-cooled classic vintage car expo (3:30 p.m.).

Advance tickets are $40 each, $75 for 2, special 10-pack for $350. Click here for tickets. They’re $50 each, if purchased at the event.

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Also on Saturday (and free): presentation of 5 murals at the Main Street entrance to Bedford Square.

Commissioned by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee, each represents a different aspect of life in Westport’s history. They start with indigenous people, and move across the wall to the future: Westport, circa 2070.

Artists include Westporter Eric Chiang, who exhibits locally and in his native Taiwan, and is a founding member of the Artist Collective of Westport; Westporter Jana Ireijo, founder of “Mural Ethos,” which creates vanishing murals to illustrate climate change; Staples and Pratt Institute graduate Rebecca Ross; Hernan Garcia from Norwalk, born in Colombia and trained in both architecture and fine arts; Bridgeport painter and Antigua native, poet, writer, actor and playwright Iyaba Ibo Mandingo.

“Westport: Circa 2070” (Rebecca Ross)

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Westporters go to the polls on November 2. But the polls need poll workers.

It’s a paying gig ($265 full day, $130 half day)– and important for democracy.

Jobs include checker, ballot monitor, tabulator/security monitor and floater. No experience needed. There’s a training session Saturday, October 23 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

Also needed: setup (Monday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and cleanup (Tuesday, November 2, 8 to 11 p.m.). Both pay $18 an hour.

Interested? Contact Maria Signore at the registrars of voters office: 203-341-1117; msignore@westportct.gov.

A familiar scene, year after year in Westport.

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As the weather cools, The Porch @ Christie’s rolls out its “The Porch Warms Our Hearts “ promotion.

It includes 2 soups a day (with quarts added soon), plus steel-cut oatmeal with 2 toppings, and hot chocolate.

There are heaters on the porch, with roll-down sides as needed. It’s even cozier indoors, with a fireplace.

Order ahead for quicker service. All items are available for delivery too. The Porch is open 7 days a week.

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What’s up — or down — with this flag?

It’s been flying like this for a few days, at the apartments near the Whelk and Saugatuck Sweets.

A mistake? A true distress signal? If so, for what?

Inquiring Westporters want to know.

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You’ve heard of a trunk show?

The Westport Artists Collective takes that term literally.

This Sunday (October 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), they’ll sell affordable art from — actually — the trunks of their cars.

The site is the Taylor parking lot — near the lower level of the Westport Library. It’s a great place for affordable art (and seeing what some of our favorite local artists drive).

Susan Fehlinger, and her trunk art.

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Winslow Park Animal Hospital seldom misses a holiday. Here’s what the Post Road clinic’s front yard looks like now:

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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Sure, the Westport Young Woman’s League does wonderful, charitable work.

But members have a great social time too.

On Saturday, past president Lauren Bromberg hosted a “Rock ‘n’ Paint” party at her home. Guests shot paint from water guns to create art — while rocking out to ’90s tunes.

The WYWL plans a number of other casual gatherings this year, including fire pits, wine tastings, hikes, dog play date meet-ups at Compo, coffee chats, evening dinners and more. For more information, click here or follow on Instagram: @wywlwestport.

“Shooting” artwork at the Westport Young Woman’s League social,

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“Westport … Naturally” covers all creatures great and small. Ellen Wentworth sent this image, with the note: “He was on my car in the garage!”

(Photo/Ellen Wentworth)

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And finally … today in 1997, John Denver died while piloting a light plane. He was just 53 years old.

2 responses to “Roundup: Westoberfest, Poll Workers, Porch …

  1. Greetings all…the picture of the insect is, I’m fairly certain, a spider cricket. They are invasive they multiply like crazy. They love dark and damp spaces and can grow in size. I have had to have an exterminator this year and last year to keep them from invading my home.

  2. Barb Sherburne

    Thank you for posting about John Denver. What a talent we lost on that day. I had the opportunity to see him perform twice at the old Oakdale Theater in Wallingford when it was small and in the round. I was in an aisle seat and John walked right past me. I could have reached out and touched him. What a thrill it was to watch his performances. He died way too young, and who knows what other songs he would have composed. Now I’m going to have Thank God I’m A Country Boy going through my mind the rest of the day, but that’s fine. Thank you. Barb Sherburne from Staples’ class of ’67, barndt49@yahoo.com.