Our readers have spoken!
Our new Instagram feature will be called “Vide06880.”
Pronounced “vide-06880,” it features Dave Briggs helping local merchants, restaurants and organizations tell their stories.
Each week, the longtime Westporter (and nationally known CNN, NBC Sports, Fox News and Turner Sports broadcaster) will interview a different retail store, restaurant, home builder, fitness establishment, etc.
Dave’s very informative and entertaining Instagram reels, stories and IG Live interviews will live on our “06880” Instagram feed (“06880danwoog”), this blog (via the “Video” tab) and the app, and be posted on Dave’s feed (“DaveBriggsTV”). He’ll follow up daily with stories about that week’s feature.
This week, Dave features Romanacci — the new operator of Old Mill Grocery & Deli. Learn about their food, their vibe, and their petition to sell wine. Click below to see.
Got a suggestion for a feature? Want to learn more? Email us both: 06880blog@gmail.com and dbriggsproductions@gmail.com.
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Yesterday’s “Roundup” item on Bruce Becker — president of Becker + Becker, who has reimagined the Brutalist former Armstrong Rubber/Pirelli headquarters in New Haven into the Hotel Marcel, called “the greenest hotel in America” by CNN — neglected to mention that on Friday, he was appointed by President Biden to the US Commission of Fine Arts.
That’s because we did not know, until his neighbor and friend Larry Hoy told us the news.
Since 1910, the commission has advised the federal government on matters pertaining to the arts and national symbols, and guided the architectural development of Washington.
The 7 members, all with arts expertise, serve 4-year terms.
Becker designs and builds projects with social and environmental value. His work includes conversion of the Bank of America tower in Hartford into a 285-unit LEED Platinum mixed-income community; the 500-unit, 360 State and Elm City Market in New Haven; adaptive re-use of the Wauregan Hotel in Norwich, Connecticut to create affordable housing, and redevelopment of the historic Octagon on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan into a mixed-income community.
Bruce Becker, with a “Westport Green Building Award” for “meaningfully contributing to a sustainable Westport, and furthering the town’s goal of being a net-zero community by 2050.”
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Speaking of art: If you hear “student art” and think of a work hung on a refrigerator that only a mother could love — think again.
The Westport Public School’s visual arts exhibition, “Spark” opens May 25 at MoCA Westport. It runs through June 2 (closing reception 2-4 p.m.).
The very imaginative show highlights the creative spirit at work in our schools each day, from pre-K through 12th grade.
It is well worth seeing, even — perhaps especially — if you don’t have a young artist at home.
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First came Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice.”
Now there’s Gabe Sherman’s version.
The Westport native — who grew up in Westport and graduated from Middlebury College in 2001 — wrote a film with that familiar name.
“An exploration of power and ambition, set in a world of corruption and deceit,” it explores Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the ’70s and ’80s, along with his relationship with attorney Roy Cohn.
“The Apprentice” has been chosen as one of 20 (out of 2.000) entries to premier at the Cannes Film Festival, which starts this week.
In a story about 5 things to look for at the movie mecca, the New York Times says:
If any Americans traveling abroad are counting on Cannes for 2 weeks of respite from this contentious election year, the festival has a rude reminder in the form of Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice.”
This political origin story of sorts stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald J. Trump, Maria Bakalova as his first wife, Ivana, and the “Succession” star Jeremy Strong as Trump’s mentor, the fixer Roy Cohn. Could this be the only film at Cannes this year eligible for both the Palme d’Or and a clapback on Truth Social?
Gabe Sherman
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Longtime Westporter Jay Dirnberger brought Y’s Women members back to the Vietnam days yesterday.
As guest speaker, the former Army combat helicopter pilot discussed the various roles of Hueys: ferrying soldiers in and out of missions, and supplying water and ammunition to the troops already there circling over terrain with dangerously high tree canopies and mountains.
Capt. Dirnberger described the draft as a “leveler of men,” surrounding people with others they’d never otherwise know, broadening the world at a very young age.
Once strangers, they now held each other’s fates in their hands. One mistake could be deadly.
Capt. Dirnberger speaks often at high schools and colleges.
Jay Dirnberger addresses the Y’s Women.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
In this week’s “Westport … What’s Happening” podcast, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Department of Human Services director Elaine Daignault discuss the extensive programs available to Westporters.
As always, it’s courtesy of the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston. Click below to listen:
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Jazz pianist/composer Ted Rosenthal leads this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, May 16, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. shows; dinner service at 7 p.m.; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $20 music cover, $15 veterans and students).
Joined by trumpeter Scott Wendholt, bassist Martin Wind, drummer Tim Horner and saxophonist Greg “Jazz Rabbi” Wall, the evening will feature many Gershwin gems — plus Rosenthal’s jazz adaptations of the his symphonic works.
Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com
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“Westport … Naturally”‘s springtime beauty continues.
Today’s featured photo is a Sargent crabapple, in the front yard of Joseph Carpenter’s home in the Hunt Club area.
“It is heaven for bees,” he says.
(Photo/Joseph Carpenter)
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And finally … Happy Stars & Stripes Forever Day!
It’s observed every May 14, to celebrate the first public performance (in 1897) of John Philip Sousa’s stirring tune. In 1987, it became the National March of the United States.
(Be a great American — or at least a good Westporter. Please support “06880,” your hyper-local blog. Just click here. We thank you!)
The best music to march ‼️
The story about the Romanacci’s at Old Mill says it’s open Mon-Fri 8-8. Which insinuates that it’s closed on weekends which is definitely not the case.
Instead of Dave Briggs who sits on DPIC, and his wife Brandi, an rtm, bidder of Tooker !, who recently proposed an amendment to destroy Parker Harding, interviewing and trying to pontificate like he cares about business when he could not give 2 hoots.
Maybe he should spend his time on the failed committee wondering why they failed( no surprise to a single merchant) , and fixing the disconnect !
And maybe instead of just “sucking up” he should go out and do the right thing !
In this case it’s sadly not giving Tooker her own way !
I could have sworn I saw your recent application for P&Z for 190 Main where two parking spaces are being lost, yet you pontificate about the loss of parking…
I have no idea how you remain in the hospitality industry and people continue to support your establishment when you continoustly disparage townspeople.and elected officials.