Tonight’s the night!
From 6 p.m. until dark, everyone in our community — online and real — is invited to Compo’s South Beach, for our 11th annual “06880” blog party.
It’s a very casual, very fun, bring-your-own-food-and-drink (and chairs) event. Meet old friends; make new ones; watch the sun set (if the clouds part), and enjoy a summer evening with people drawn together by this hyper-local blog. See you there!
PS: Don’t worry. The clouds will be gone by the time we begin 🙂
Bring yourselves (and a bit of food) to tonight’s “06880” blog party! (Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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But the fun doesn’t end when our blog party is over.
This Sunday (July 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) marks the first-ever Soundview Sidewalk Stroll.
The family-friendly street festival is a gift to Westport, from “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association. We’ve got help from the Parks & Recreation Department and Westport Police.
With Soundview Drive closed to traffic, Westporters are welcome to walk, bike, rollerblade and play, from the Soundview parking lot to the Compo Road jetty.
In addition to music from 4 great bands, youngsters can enjoy face painting, a balloon artist, craftsand more.
Volunteers from the Compo Beach Playground Committee will run this schedule, all day long:
- On the hour: Tug of war
- 20 minutes after: Water balloon toss
- 40 minutes after: Inflatable relay race.
Old Mill Grocery & Deli will offer favorites from their menu.
The Soundview Summer Stroll is a great chance to meet old friends, make new ones, join the cool street scene, and enjoy Compo without worrying about traffic.
Best of all: It’s free! (Beach emblem required to park.) Don’t miss this one!
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Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice got a raise, and an additional year on his contract, this week.
The Board of Education vote was unanimous. His new salary — retroactive to July 1 — is $321,661. His contract runs through the 2026-27 school year.
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice
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Speaking of education: Coleytown Middle School has a new principal.
Her commute will scarcely change. Janna Sirowich moves to her new post from Coleytown Elementary School, where she has spent the past 16 years as principal. Before that, she was a literacy leader and classroom teacher in Westport.
“While Janna is overwhelmed with gratitude for her years at CES, she is equally excited about this new opportunity and what lies ahead for her and CMS,” says superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.
Janna Sirowich
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Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between July 17 and 24.
A 58-year-old Westport man was charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and tampering with a witness following a June incident at Birchwood Country Club. An employee was pushed to the ground by the man, who he did not know. Despite being warned not to contact the complainant, he did so twice.
A 48-year-old Westport man was charged with driving under the influence following a complaint by a passenger in the vehicle.
A 22-year-old New Britain man was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and larceny, and conspiracy to commit those crimes, following the early morning theft of an ATM from the Wheels gas station and convenience store on the Post Road in February.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
- Failure to obey state traffic control regulations: 17 citations
- Traveling unreasonably fast: 8
- Failure to obey stop sign: 6
- Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 6
- Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 5
- Driving while texting: 3
- Illegal shellfishing, closed area: 3
- Illegal shellfish taking at night: 3
- Violation of local shellfish regulations: 3
- Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
- Reckless driving: 1
- Speeding: 1
- Distracted driving: 1
- Failure to yield to a bike at an intersection: 1
- Following too closely: 1
- Driving while texting, 2nd offense: 1
- Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
- Failure to carry a license: 1
- Failure to have headlamps: 1
Watch out for bicyclists at intersections!
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This beautiful butterfly flitted past Lauri Weiser.
It alit just long enough for her to catch it, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Lauri Weiser)
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And finally … John Mayall, the pioneering British bluesman best known for influencing some of rock’s biggest names, died Monday in California. He was 90.
Click here for a full obituary.
(“06880” looks forward to 2 great events: tonight’s “blog party,” and Sunday’s Soundview Summer Stroll [stories above]. As always, we look forward too to readers’ support. Please click here. Thanks!)
How about the police start giving tickets out to bicyclists who don’t stop at stop signs, run thru red lights, ride 3 Abreast down the middle of road, pass you on right side as you slow for traffic or signal. The way some of these riders take these chances it’s a wonder how there hasn’t been a critical crash. I won’t call it an accident because they knew the risks and still took them
Have a wonderful time this evening…..from S. Carolina
I really get a kick out of your excerpts from the Westport Police blotter, but I think there’s some kind of mixup. I think the numbers more accurately reflect those who DO stop at stop signs and DO keep to the speed limit. The actual tally of violations would number in the hundreds. And, Peter Marks, I had your identical experience with three-abreast cyclists on the way home from the beach this morning. Must be the norm!
Oh no about John Mayall. 😥 but 90 is pretty good. Back in the early 70s, there was a place called the Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA where we moved after Westport. It was an amazing little coffee house that hosted John Mayall whom I saw there with Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, James and Livingston Taylor and many others of that time period. I remember John Mayall well. Amazing times that more and more I realize, will not return for our children and grandchildren. I just tell them about those days. They can’t quite believe it.
BJ Magnes, reminds me of growing up as a teenager in Dublin, and meeting the U2 band often, by that I mean weekly, either at abrakebabra( a kebab place on O’Connell bridge at ungodly hours of the night, been there for many decades, or they used walk through a right of way by my house where I grew up, heading down to their studio.. which looked out over the cliffs in Howth.
My nephew was in abrakebabra a month or so ago.
He’s 20.
Was maybe midnight..
a limo pulled up. A few guys walked in. They got in the line. The queue to pay. One of them started saying.. it was the first place they wanted to go “after being away for a few months”. They had come straight from Dublin airport.
They asked my nephew and the lads he was with, if they were in a band.
One of the boys recognized them. Finally lol
I think they were sort of taken aback that they weren’t recognized and amused.
Then they( the lads got so excited)
Due recognition, though a bit late.. lol.
Bono was in the limo outside.. they said he avoids such situations. Can’t blame him.
he did wave and acknowledge..
those amazing days are absolutely no more.
It’s so hard not to miss them and feel bad for this generation..
I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s.. the world was so much better.
Abrekebabra has been there on that both spot of the bridge for 40 years… lol.. I love that it’s still there serving the same kebabs… now to our kids and grandkids…
Fifteen or so years ago my sister called me late morning on New Years Day. She told me that earlier she had been driving on the Sherwood Isl. Connector and that she had seen Bono walking briskly along the shoulder of said road. I told her that she was nuts and wished her a Happy new Year ….Later on in the afternoon I walked into Dunvilles and Carp says to me “hey Dave, Bono and another guy were in here earlier drinking Bloody Marys..” Turns out he had some business connection/partner who lived in the Greens Farms area.
Very cool story and imagery, Ciara. Maybe somehow, we can bring some of those times back for our children and grandchildren. I try to share stories as you just did but how do we give them these authentic experiences? I enjoy my memories now and perhaps that is where they stay, in memory for all of us.
Bluesbreakers ‘66 w/Clapton and A Hard Road ‘67 are two of the best things ever to be put on vinyl. Not a lot of rockstar flash – just great British blues that influenced everyone else. Been at the top of the playlist for years now. RIP Mayall.
The Post Road Bridge has two very generous and continually used sidewalks. It would be better to use our resources to perform a long-awaited and sorely needed river dredging which has been languishing for years. A little bit of not being able to see the forest through the trees? I remember the west side of the bridge (as it was often referred to) with three food markets, a delicatessen, two bars & grills, a liquor store, two auto dealerships, two gas stations, agencies, offices, and a very active community firehouse with many residents and pedestrians. Both sides of the bridge were a frequently populated fisherman’s paradise.
Right on about the Post Road Bridge Mike‼️😎🇺🇸
Wish I could be there with you guys 💕🇺🇸
Westport Police only issued 1 citation? this continues to explain the reckless speeds throughout town. How is the acceptable?