Save the dates!
The 11th annual “06880” blog party is Thursday, July 25. From 6 p.m. until dark, everyone in our community — online and real — is invited to Compo’s South Beach.
It’s a very casual, very fun, bring-your-own-food-and-drink event. Meet old friends; make new ones; watch the sun set, and enjoy a summer evening with people drawn together by this hyper-local blog. See you there!
Three days later — on Sunday, July 28 — we’re back at Compo, for the 1st-ever Soundview Stroll.
Co-sponsored by “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association, this event builds on the fun and community spirit we all feel at the fireworks, when the beach exit road is closed.
Thanks to the cooperation of Parks & Rec and the Westport Police, the street will be shut again. Enjoy live music; kids’ activities like face painting and balloon-making; a photo booth; food trucks — and plenty of room for walking, biking, rollerblading, and the best street scene east of Venice, California.
It runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mark your calendars for the “06880” blog party, and the Soundview Stroll. See you at both!
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A new restaurant is coming to Main Street.
Sushi Jin & Lounge will move into 44 Main Street in Westport, between recently closed home retailer Oka and Mexicue restaurant.
A sign on the all-glass door promises “the essence of contemporary Japanese cuisine … where tradition meets innovation in every dish.”
It adds: “Opening soon.”
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
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Kids: Meet kids!
Human youngsters can snuggle with baby goats at Wakeman Town Farm in small-group, half-hour sessions. Click here for tickets, and more information.
But that’s not the only “kids” activities at WTF.
A cooking camp — covering the basics, and promising fun — runs July 29 through August 1 (12:30 to 3 p.m.). Click here for registration, and more details.
“Little Farmers: Parent & Me” hands-on experiences for 0-3-year-olds are planned for July 29, 30 and 31 (2 to 3 p.m.). Click here to register, and learn more.
Everyone is invited to the July 13 Family Fun Day (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The event includes games, music, food, crafts and more. Click here for tickets, and a full schedule.
And of course, the Wakeman Town Farm farm stand is open every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s your spot for organic produce, microgreens, honey, flower, and rotating local artisanal products including organic coffee, bread, pastries, extra virgin olive oils, gourmet balsamic vinegars and salsas.
Baaaa! (Photo/Anne Burmeister)
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In Westport, it seems, everybody’s got an angle.*
And everybody’s got a podcast too.
To break through the clutter though, a podcaster needs an angle.
Maxwell Valencia and Henry Morrison have theirs: “careers for kids.”
If you think that’s not exactly unique, consider this: They are kids themselves.
The friends are rising 8th graders at Coleytown Middle School. They’re a few years away from careers, but they’ve gotten a head start by asking adults in a variety of jobs to talk about what they do, what they like about it, and how they got where they are.
This being Westport, they’ve lined up some interesting folks to talk about careers.
They’ve chatted with Congressman Jim Himes and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, along with an aerospace engineer, financial advisor, Westport police lieutenant and fire marshal, and the New York Knicks’ high performance coach.
None of the men or women talk down to the youngsters. They answer in depth, and seem to enjoy talking about their work.
(I particularly enjoyed hearing Himes say that he prefers calling himself a “representative,” as opposed to a “congressman.”)
The website is aimed at middle and elementary school students. But it’s available at nearly every podcast outlet — and on this website.
So — no matter how old you are, or what your job is — you can hear it too.
*Including “06880.”
Maxwell Valencia and Henry Morrison interview 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, in her office.
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Interior designer Jared Frank is a 2002 graduate of Staples High School, and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Based now in California, his clients include musician Reggie Watts, actor Matthew Gubler and filmmaker Jon Watts.
The other day, the Los Angeles Times featured his $150,000 renovation of a home in Van Nuys. It includes an 18-foot, custom-built couch (Frank is also a furniture designer). Click here to read the full story.
Dwell Magazine featured the same project. Click here to see.
Jared Frank’s living room couch.
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The recent rains have created puddles all over town.
They’re a nuisance for walkers, joggers, bikers, golfers … and a welcome “Westport … Naturally” play spot at Longshore, for creatures like these.
(Photo/Carlos Garcia)
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And finally … on this date in 1947, reports were broadcast that a UFO crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico. Reports of the incident — and a purported cover-up by the US government — persist today.(
(“06880” — your hyper-local blog — relies on support from readers like you. Please click here to help. Thank you!)
Is a pass needed to get into the beach for the gathering?
Parks & Rec is giving us a few “free passes.” Please let me know if you’d like to be on the list.
Add a little vermouth to that, and you would have a sushi martini!
Dan. Yes please put me on the list. Thanks
We are living in Fairfield and, as usual, would much appreciate being added to the list of out of towners allowed into your blog party if possible. Thanks! Bevi and George Bullwinkel