It’s hard to believe, but the Compo Beach playground was almost not built.
When the plan was proposed in 1988, some neighbors and others in town feared everything from a “ruined vista,” to a horde of out-of-towners, to our own teenagers hanging out there, drinking and doing drugs.
Honest.
They sued to stop its construction. As soon as a court injunction was lifted, volunteers of all ages went to work.
The result was one of Westport’s biggest attractions. (For kids — not out-of-towners or frisky teens.)
Parents lead children through the Compo Beach playground.
About 20 years later, another community-wide effort gave it an update and facelift.
Now, another rebuild is on the (still unspoiled) horizon.
The Westport Rotary Club and Westport Young Woman’s League will lead the project. They partnered on the original construction, and the first rebuild too.
Longtime Rotary volunteer and local builder Rick Benson is spearheading the effort.
He helped build the original playground more than 3 decades ago. He still calls it one of the best experiences of his life.
He and his wife Totney were new to town. They met other families. His children also made friends during the construction. Some of those relationships remain today.
(Youngsters were involved in the playground from the start. They helped design it, with noted architect Robert Leathers, and worked at the site. The littlest ones organized boxes of screws.)
The Compo Beach playground is popular many months of the year.
Rotary has chosen Play By Design to help with the “new” playground. It will include modern structures and features, as well as upgrades like replacing damaged boards resolving unsafe and accessibility issues, and improving visibility.
Right now, Rotary is assembling a steering committee (non-Rotarians are welcome!). Areas include:
General coordinators (2)
Volunteers coordinators (2)
Fundraising
Public relations
Special needs
Donated materials
Purchased materials
Food coordinator
Childcare coordinator
Site coordinator
Crew leader
Art and special features
Children’s representative
Rotary is also looking for volunteers for 3- to 4-hour on the build day next spring. Children can help. There will also be childcare and other activities.
Click here to volunteer for the steering committee and/or build day. For more information, follow @compobeachplay on Instagram
An initial meeting is set for Saturday, September 9 (9 a.m., at the wooden pavilion by the Compo Beach playground).
(Like the Compo Beach playground, “06880” is all about community. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
“A truck traveling westbound on Post Road East from the area of Long Lots Road had a hydraulic line break this morning, and began leaking hydraulic fluid.
“The operator of the vehicle did not know the fluid was leaking. and continued driving west on Post Road East to Myrtle Ave and Main Street.
“The fluid on the road caused 3 crashes before we were able to get lanes closed.
“The Connecticut Department of Transportation and town Highway Department are currently on scene and in the process of conducting a clean-up.
“The State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been notified, but at this time they are not on scene.
“As a result of this incident, traffic on Post Road East has been significantly affected. Westport Police ask the public to avoid the area until the spill can be mitigated. There have been no road closures, but lanes on the affected roads have been closed.
Online registration for Westport Parks & Recreation Department programs begins next Wednesday (September 6, 9 a.m.). Click here to see all offerings (not yet viewable, however). Click here to register.
Questions? Email recreation@westportct.gov, or call (203-341-5152 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Construction of the cell phone tower on private property at 92 Greens Farms Road is moving ahead quickly.
This was the scene yesterday, looking east. I-95 is on the right.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
===============================================
Earlier this month, Substack launched a new sports newsletter: “The Finder With Tom Haberstroh.”
The former Staples High School basketball star was inspired to start it in part because of his mother Patty. The longtime Westport Department of Human Services social worker — who died last month from complications of ALS — gave him “The Finder” nickname when he was young. (Click here for that back story — and a mention of Westport’s own Craig Melvin.)
Another local connection: This week, Tom published a podcast with Westporter Dan Orlovsky. The former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst had a great conversation with Tom. (Dan recorded it on his way to Bristol.)
The Westport Country Playhouse benefit was already shaping up as a showcase of local — but A-list — talent.
Staples High School 2003 graduate Justin Paul headlines the September 9 event. He’s joined by James Naughton, and the Weston actor’s son Greg and daughter-in-law Kelli O’Hara, along with Staples ’06 alum/Broadway actor Jacob Heimer.
Staples ’87 grad/Coleytown Middle School director Ben Frimmer is the concert producer. The director is Staples ’10/former Staples Players president/current Disney creative developer Caley Beretta.
Now 12 current Staples Players have joined the cast, for the opening and closing numbers: Yusef Abdallah, Kaya Araya, Henry Carson, Finley Chevrier, Cece Diyoka, Samantha Edwards, Ben Herrera, Alyssa Lee, Andrew Maskoff, Imogen Medoff, Cooper Sadler and Melody Stanger.
Click here for tickets, and more information.
Kelli O’Hara will be joined by many other Westporters at the Westport Country Playhouse benefit.
=================================================
It’s amazing what’s donated to the Westport Library and Westport Book Shop.
Now, several rare and unique literary works — given over the psat 2 years — will be auctioned online.
The September 6 event includes a letter handwritten and signed by former Westporter F. Scott Fitzgerald to his publisher, and a first American edition of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” signed by author J.K. Rowling.
The auction is conducted by University Archives, an online auction house operated by Wilton collector/dealer/handwriting expert/auctioneer John Reznikoff. The 2 items are among hundreds of rare autographs, manuscripts, books and sports memorabilia to be auctioned that day.
Click here to see the 7 lots to be auctioned for Westport Book Sale’s benefit. For a catalog of all 505 lots, click here.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his letter.
================================================
Income-eligible residents can get help with winter heating bills. Applications for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program start September 5.
Westport residents who previously qualified for assistance through the Department of Human Services will receive application instructions in the mail. Those applying for the first time should call 203-341-1050, or email humansrv@westportct.gov to make an appointment.
A household’s gross annual income must be at or below 60% of the state median income. The maximum income for households with 1 person is $41,553; it ranges up to $92,695 for families of 5.
Households receiving SNAP, SSI, State Supp or Refugee Cash Assistance may automatically qualify. CEAP recipients may also be eligible for matching payment plans, protection from shutoffs, and replacement and repairs for heating equipment and water heaters, along with additional fuel deliveries.
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between August 23 and 30.
A woman was arrested after a domestic violence incident, and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, after it was determined she was the “dominant aggressor.”
After being assigned a court date and told not to return to the residence until after that court date, she attempted to do just that. She was charged with violation of the conditions of release, 2nd degree.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5 citations
Failure to register a commercial vehicle: 3
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 2
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 2
Failure to renew registration: 2
Distracted driving: 1
Failure to yield right of way: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
Failure to renew license: 1
Violation of readable plates: 1
Failure to appear: 1
Nearly every week, Westport Police issue citations for “failure to register a commercial vehicle.”
================================================
As fall nears, Aspetuck Land Trust is gearing up for another “Lunch & Learn” webinar season.
First up: “Hedges and Edges: Increasing the Resilience and Diversity of Your Garden’s Ecosystem” (September 15, noon to 1:30 p.m.).
Plant ecologist and landscape designer Heather McCargo will discuss using garden design to increase yard productivity and biodiversity.
For example, ALT says, “Group together shrubs of different species into a hedgerow for small or large spaces, add herbaceous groundcovers and small trees to the shrub layer for a multi-level garden that creates amazing habitat for a variety of species.”
Potential Pennsylvania senatorial candidate David McCormick stirred controversy earlier this month, when news outlets reported that the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates actually continues to live in Westport.
Official documents list his home here as his address; so does a $5,000 campaign contribution made this spring. McCormick, a Republican, is raising money and hiring staff as he prepares to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey next fall.
Now a new report notes that his 2019 Honda CR-V and 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser are both registered to his Westport address. He paid the motor vehicle taxes that were due July 1. Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Allan Siegert)
David McCormick
===============================================
Today is the Westport Farmer’ Market.
There’s always something to see, smell and admire at the Imperial Avenue lot. Here are just a few items, photographed last week by Mary Sikorski for our “Westport … Naturally” feature:
And finally … Ray Hildebrand, the “Paul” of “Paul & Paula” fame who had a #1 love song using those names in 1963, died this month in Kansas. He was 82, and suffered from dementia. Click here for a full obituary.
(F. Scott Fitzgerald, heating bill assistance, police reports, much more … as usual, this “06880” Roundup has it all. If you appreciate our work, please consider a donation. Just click here — and thank you!)
Carole Orland has — literally — a lifetime of memories of the Boston Red Sox.
In fact, her connection with the legendary team began even before her birth.
Her father, Cyrus Topol, was born in Dorchester in 1911 — the year Fenway Park was built. He shared his Sox passion with Carole, who was born and raised in not-too-far-away Worcester.
He taught her all about baseball, including how to keep score. They spent Jewish holidays at Fenway during pennant races — including fasting there during Yom Kippur.
“It was a concession we made to my mom,” Carole explains. “She was a good sport, because she knew how much it meant to us.”
The Sox’ World Series win at the ball park in 2004 was a huge moment for Carole and her dad. That championship, Carole says, was for him and his own parents. (He’d been waiting for it since 1918, when he was 7 years old.)
The 2007 Series victory was for her. Six years later, they won again. That was extra special: Her son Max, a 2006 graduate of Staples High School, was working for the team.
The Red Sox were world champions in 2013 and 2018. Carole was there for that most recent victory too. The emotion and electricity were as strong as ever.
But all those were warm-up pitches, compared to what happened Sunday.
Carole — a Westporter since 2002, and a founding member and partner at the Broder Orland Murray & DeMattie family law firm — threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park.
The joyful moment — celebrating her 70th birthday of a few months ago — was arranged by longtime friend Bill Mitchell. The co-owner of the Mitchells stores has known Sox owner John Henry and president Sam Kennedy for many years.
Bill Mitchell and Carole Orland, at Fenway Park.
Three dozen friends and family members were on hand. Carole was joined on the field by Bill, Max, and her grandchildren Cyrus and Chloe Silverstein — all Westport residents.
Bill also arranged for the Red Sox photographer to cover her pitch.
Her “pitching coach” — Westporter Ron Gordon — trained her the week before the game. He held his breath in Carole’s special suite as she released the ball.
It was a perfect strike.
The pitch … and the celebration.
“My dad would have enjoyed the day so much,” she says. “He taught me to throw overhand — not like a girl!”
But her father — who died in 2008, age 97 — was there in spirit.
When Carole and family headed to a special suite to watch the game (and, as an added thrill, pose with the World Series trophy), there was a photo of Cyrus Topol, on the table.
Carole Orland with the World Series trophy and a photograph of her father, in a Fenway suite. From left: her son Max, husband Burt, and the Silverstein family: grandson Cyrus, son-in-law Mark, daughter Stef and granddaughter Chloe.
Carole calls the day “an out-of-body experience.”
There was only one downside to Sunday’s memorable events. The Red Sox lost 7-4 to the Dodgers.
The Sox are having a tough year. They’re in 5th place in the AL East.
But here’s the upside: The Yankees are 6th.
The Red Sox gave Carole Orland a souvenir jersey, complete with her nickname. The number honors her most recent birthday.
(“06880” is where Westport meets Fenway Park. If you enjoy stories like this, please support our work. Click here to contribute. And thank you!)
The first day of school was yesterday. But Staples math teacher Maggie Gomez already has a Westport Public Schools nomination for “06880” Unsung Heroes. She writes:
The whole Westport Public Schools IT (Informational Technology) crew are unsung heroes.
I can’t testify to what goes on in other buildings. But at Staples on Monday, all sorts of computers needed updating. Printers were not connecting. If things were not up and running, opening day would be a mess.
The whole IT department was more than helpful. They individually helped teachers endlessly, all day long. And they did it with smiles on their faces.
After helping one teacher, instead of ducking out they went around and asked if anyone else had issues.
They even helped unlock my own son’s account. because he had entered a wrong password too many times.
The IT staff is very deserving Unsung Heroes. They keep us running all year long, totally behind the scenes — especially before school starts. We would be lost without them.
Staples High School math teacher Maggie Gomez — at her computer. (File photo/Susan Woog Wagner)
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Emil 06880blog@gmail.com)
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Spotted lanternflies are a highly invasive species.
And they thrive on another invasive pest: trees of heaven.
Infestations have been reported around Westport, including Winslow and Grace Salmon Parks.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station says:
The spotted lanternfly Lycorma delicatula, (SLF) was first found in North America in Pennsylvania in late 2014. It is an exotic, invasive sap-feeding planthopper that has the potential to severely impact Connecticut’s agricultural crops, particularly apples, grapes, and hops, and ornamental trees. Spotted lanternfly adults feed on more than 70 species of plants. Its preferred host tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is highly invasive and is abundant along highways, in urban areas, and along the edges of agricultural and industrial areas, where the spotted lanternfly could easily become established.
Approximately half of Connecticut’s trees are threatened by spotted lanternfly invasion according to data from Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). As spotted lanternfly nymphs and adults feed on the sap from trees and vines, the entire plant can become weakened because it cannot conduct photosynthesis as effectively. The excretions from these leaf-hopping insects encourage the growth of black sooty mold, thereby reducing photosynthesis. Agricultural crops will have reduced yields due to SLF feeding on fruit and generally weakening plants, if not completely destroying them.
To learn more about the pest, click here. Sightings (including, if possible, photos) should be reported to state environmental authorities, using this form. (Hat tip: Tracy Porosoff)
Speaking of nature: Paul Rohan writes, “The other morning on my morning walk on Hillspoint Road ner Valley Road, I spotted 2 young deer eating grass at the edge of the road.
“I then saw a coyote run up Lookout Lane and enter Hillspoint to approach the deer. As he was halfway across the road he spotted me. He did an about face, ran back down the lane, and quickly disappeared in the underbrush.
“Over the years I have seen a few coyotes in the area, but only before daybreak. This was around 8 a.m. Please alert readers with small dogs or other pets who might be in the area in the early morning to be aware of this coyote situation.”
If it’s late summer/early fall, it must be time for the Slice of Saugatuck.
The 11th annual event — a fun food/merchant experience in Westport’s most walkable neighborhood — is set for Saturday, September 9 (2 to 5 p.m.).
This year, over 40 businesses will participate in the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event.
Over 2 dozen venues will offer tastes from their menus. Live music will play at 7 locations, with favorite bands like Otis & the Hurricanes, Silver Steel, Mill River Band, the Howling Barncats, Elana Zarabi and Accidental Breakdown.
Bouncy houses are back. New this year: a face painter for the kids.
Beer Gardens (with wine) on Bridge Square and Railroad Place will be complemented by restaurants offering specialty drinks. Many venues will continued the festivities with happy hour offerings after the Slice ends.
The price is again $15 for adults, $5 for children under 13, free for age 5 and under. Tickets are sold on-site only, beginning at 1:50 p.m.
Slice of Saugatuck is one of the best events on the local calendar. It’s also a great cause. Over the years, the Chamber has donated more than $44,000 to the Gillespie Center’s food pantry .
For more information — including a map of participants — click here.
Lining up for samples, on Railroad Place
=================================================
Mike Ronemus and a few friends have been thinking about it for, oh, only 25 years or so.
On Monday, they finally did it: They swam from Compo Beach to Cokenoe Island.
And back.
They began at 6 a.m. A kayak, stand-up paddleboard and 2 boats escorted them through the channel.
It took between 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 hours to cover the 2 1/2 miles.
Congratulations to Mike, and fellow adventure swimmers Tom Bottini, Chris Coffin, Kevin Huelster, Bruce Koffsky, Andy Ludel, Mary Money, Ric Nadel, Leila Shields, Clay Tebbits.
Of course there’s lobster at the Friends of Sherwood Island State Park’s annual Shorefest celebration.
But there’s also salmon and steak (with catering by Westfair Fish & Chips). Plus music by Westport Jenny Ong’s classical trio. And as always, a chance to party with fellow park-lovers.
This year’s event is September 8 (6 to 9 p.m., main pavilion). A silent auction includes tours of Prospect Gardens and Aspetuck brew lab, a fishing charter with Westport captain Blake Smith, and gift certificates to local restaurants.
Proceeds help fund 140 feet of new dunes, with 3,600 American beach grass plants; invasive species eradication; an owl habitat restoration project; fall and spring tree plantings; the Nature Center intern program, and speakers on raptors, horseshoe crabs, turtles and insects.
The Tennis Channel is listed on the NASDAQ. For the past 12 years, they’ve celebrated the start the US Open by ringing the morning bell.
Yesterday morning, the ringers included Cayne Mandell. The 2017 Staples High School and 2021 Syracuse University sports management graduate is an ad sales marketing coordinator for TC.
The NASDAQ bell was not his only perk. He’ll be in the Tennis Channel corporate suite during the event too.
Allan Friedman has led bike trips for a decade — ever since his first Backroads journey to Tuscany in 2013. He then biked through California and Canada, and now leads urban tours in areas like New York, New Haven and Washington.
On September 12 (Saugatuck Congregational Church; 6:15 p.m. dinner; 7:30 p.m. presentation), he’s the Appalachian Mountain Club’s dinner guest speaker. His topic: ”Adventures Abound — Ride and Explore!”
The cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members (payable at the door). Bring a dessert to share. For more information, email easasso7@icloud.com.
Allan Friedman
============================================
Eagle-eyed photographer Steve Halstead snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — at the same moment his subject looked, equally intently, for a fish.
And finally … Bob Mummert, the drummer on Roy Orbison’s last tour, died Saturday.
Known for his appearance on the “You Got It” music video, he was also a drummer for the Grand Ole Opry, and a session musician who toured with many famous artists and bands.
(From school security to spotted lanternflies, “06880” is your connection between Westport and the world. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Posted onAugust 30, 2023|Comments Off on Cabry Lueker Takes Reins As Youth Commission Chair
The first requirement to serve on any Westport board or commission is clear: You must be a registered voter.
There is one exception: The Westport Youth Commission.
That makes sense: Half of the 30 members can’t vote. They’re still high school students.
The Youth Commission has a low-key presence. That’s surprising. It’s been around since the 1970s; it was the impetus for creations like Toquet Hall and the Compo Beach Skate Park, and it organizes popular events like Dodge-a-Cop, bringing teens and police officers together.
(Full disclosure: Way back in my Staples High School days I served on what was then called the Youth-Adult Council; later, as an adult, I spent a decade on the Youth Commission.)
As the Commission gears up for a new school year, incoming chair Cabry Lueker hopes to raise its presence in town.
Cabry Lueker
His path to leadership was swift. His extracurricular activities are diverse — he started Staples’ Finance Club, is a member of the Up Next service organization, and is very involved in WWPT-FM and the television program. Last year he heard about the Youth Commission last year from a friend.
Cabry attended the first meeting of the year, at Toquet Hall. He was impressed to see all the members facing each other — not sitting in a row, as at many town commission sessions.
Alex Laskin and Carolyn Caggiano ran the meeting, as the teen leaders always do. Everyone offered opinions. Cabry was encouraged to speak too.
He learned about Youth Commission initiatives like iMentor, a 6th grade internet safety program.
He became a regular member. A year later, he’s president.
Cabry has several goals. Having enjoyed being an iMentor. He’d like to expand it to 8th graders, with an emphasis on teaching about “digital footprints” (including implications for college admissions).
He’d like to resurrect a long-discussed project — mini-golf — through discussions with the Parks & Recreation Department. He hopes the Youth Commission can work with Parks & Rec and Staples’ Skate Club too to renovate the Skate Park.
The Compo Beach Skate Park began as a Youth Commission initiative. (Photo/Larry Silver)
Cabry wants to raise the Youth Commission’s visibility too. He encourages all students to attend meetings, citing his own path beginning as a non-voting member.
There are a couple of vacant seats for adults, he notes. Meetings are held once a month, evenings at Toquet Hall.
There are 2 sub-committees: Peer Advisory (dealing with iMentor, mental health, police-youth relations and more) and Town Improvements (Skate Park, mini-golf, etc,).
Working closely with adults has been beneficial, Cabry says. He has learned about marketing and finance — their day jobs — from fellow members. People like Lee Shufro and Adam Chusid have gone “above and beyond” to help.
Youth Commission group photo, from several years ago.
“People think government is inefficient,” Cabry says. “But if you get involved actively, you can get things done.” He and vice chair Lola Lamensdorf are open to all suggestions.
“The whole premise of the Youth Commission is to bring youth and adults together, with youth representing their peers.
“It’s a privilege to live here. Other towns have Youth Commissions too. But I don’t think the others have the advantages we do, or work as thoroughly.”
He cites Dodge-a-Cop and Corn-a-Cop — 2 youth/police initiatives (dodgeball and cornhole, respectively) — as examples of close relationships forged through the Youth Commission.
A Dodge-a-Cop team, with actual police officers on the far left and right.
Now as chair, Cabry says, “I want to make sure everyone in Westport knows what we do, and knows they can help.”
(The first Youth Commission meeting of the 2023-24 school year is August 31, 7:15 p.m. at Toquet Hall. It is open to the public. Click here for the Youth Commission website.)
(“06880” highlights Westport activities of and for all ages. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Comments Off on Cabry Lueker Takes Reins As Youth Commission Chair
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
The Sox’ World Series win at the ball park in 2004 was a huge moment for Carole and her dad. That championship, Carole says, was for him and his own parents. (He’d been waiting for it since 1918, when he was 7 years old.)
