How grand is the Grand List?
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker discusses that important financial document — what it is, how it’s grown, how it helps fund town services, and what it all means to residents — on the latest “Westport … What’s Happening?” podcast.
Click below to listen. The series is sponsored by the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.
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Connecticut Magazine’s “Best New Restaurants” list is out.
And the statewide winner — in the “Readers’ Choice” poll — is Nômade.
The Main Street spot with the international menu did not make the “Experts’ Picks” list.
But what do they know?
Click here for the full poll.
Nomade
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Just in time for the Super Bowl, the Westport Police Department and Westport Sunrise Rotary Club are sponsoring a “Souper Bowl of Caring” food drive. All donations support Homes with Hope, and Westport’s Department of Human Services food pantries.
Non-perishable foods can be brought to Stop & Shop this Saturday (February 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Can’t make it then? Hammer & Nails — the new men’s grooming lounge at 606 Post Road East — is accepting food donations all week long.
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Westporters love to travel. Some have climbed Mount Everest; many roam far and wide. But visiting all 7 continents is still quite rare.
Last month, 3 Westporters completed their quest to visit all 7 continents.
Rick and Totney Benson, and Mark Mathias, visited both South America and Antarctica, qualifying us for membership in the 7 Continent Club.
Mathias was with his wife Kim. That’s her 6th continent; she’s missing only Australia.
They were with one group. Meanwhile, the Bensons traveled with Wilton-based Tauck Tours.
They found out about each other when the Bensons arrived in Buenos Aires, and saw Mathias’ name on a card from someone picking them up at the airport.
It’s a small world indeed. But, as Stephen Wright said, I wouldn’t want to have to paint it.
Rick and Totney Benson in Antarctica …
… and Mark and Kim Mathias, with friends.
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And — because “06880” truly is “Where Westport meets the world” — here is another local story from Antarctica. Bill Kutik writes:
“I love adventure travel. I just rode an expedition ship from the southern tip of South America, hugging the coast of Antarctica, and finishing near the southern tip of New Zealand.
“It took 30 days to get from the Western Hemisphere to the Eastern Hemisphere under the bottom of the earth. Despite being upside down the whole time, we didn’t fall off once!
“An intrepid hiker (and founding editor of Backpacker magazine in 1972), I had to tour New Zealand’s famous mountains used in the movies Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Power of the Dog.’ Here’s a photo of me from Fiordland National Park on the southwest coast (fresh from the helicopter).
Bill Kutik above Doubtful Bay.
“But my heart was captured by this eager, welcoming sign outside Westport, New Zealand. It’s a former port town — just like us.”
Bill Kutik in Westport — New Zealand.
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Expanding our horizons even beyond Antarctica: “Our galaxy was a quasar.”
That’s the topic for the next Westport Astronomical Society lecture. This one — with Professor Joshua Tan of LaGuardia Community College — is live, in the WAS classroom (February 21, 8 p.m.).
This will be Tan’s third appearance at the Astronomical Society. An optical astronomer, he studies short-period binary millisecond pulsars, open problems in binary modeling, neutron star physics, and 3-body dynamics.
Joshua Tan
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Each year, Westport middle and high school students rock the National History Day competition.
They do it thanks to beyond-the-call help from their teachers — and extra attention from community members, who help students through the research and writing process.
Dr. Lauren Francese, townwide social studies coordinator, invites community members to help in a new capacity this year: as judges in the Fairfield County regional competition (Saturday, March 18, Sacred Heart University).
Judges do not need to be history or education experts. What’s needed is engaged, empathetic feedback to students on their papers, websites, museum exhibits, performances, and documentaries). Training is provided to all volunteers the morning of the event.
Click here to sign up as a judge. Questions? Email tony48nhd@gmail.com.
The Bedford Middle School National History Day team, at the 2018 national competition.
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Hey! It’s Henry Hey!
The keyboardist — who has toured and recorded with David Bowie, George Michael and Rod Stewart, and served as musical director for Kennedy Center extravaganzas — headlines this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (February 9, VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.; $15 cover).
Hey will be joined by Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall, Dave Richards and Jason Tiemann. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
Henry Hey
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After 2 weeks, bagels are still sitting on High Gate Road.
Chris Grimm reports on the scene, off Maple Avenue South: “The 2 piles have been joined by a smaller, breakaway third pile, to the left, while a few to the far left seem to be trying to flee. Behind the larger pile to the right seem to be a large number of casualties.”
(Photo/Chris Grimm)
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A full moon brings out a full complement of “06880” photographers.
This one was captured by Rick Leonard, on Wright Street. Naturally, it’s today’s “Westport … Naturally” image.
(Photo/Rick Leonard)
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And finally … in honor of Mark and Kim Mathias, Rick and Totney Benson, Bill Kutik, and anyone else who has traveled the world (see stories above):
(From Connecticut to New Zealand, “06880” is where Westport meets the world. Please click here, to continue helping us do all that we do. Thank you!)
Maybe the CT Mag panel of restaurant experts was put off by the extremely pretentious copy on Nomade’s website?
The whole damned place looks pretentious…not to mention the menu.
Judging a book by it’s cover. How un-American.
Un-American? Actually it’s the definition of American exceptionalism.
No surprise with these two comments, although unwarrented. Both are more Original Pancake House type clientele.
Westport is full of interesting and well traveled people. Thanks for sharing their storys and pics, so we can visit these areas vicariously! It’s easy to look this cool, when you are this cool!