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Posted in Categories
“06880” is so much more than a blog.
Sure, we post 3 to 5 (or more!) stories a day, about anything and everything.
We’ve added a podcast, 2 Strolls (summer and winter), and Instagram Lives and reels.
Today we roll out our latest community-building innovation: celebrations and collaborations with some of Westport’s most interesting people, places and businesses.
The first one is at Kiin Sauna. It’s both a hot event — and very, very cool.
On October 10 (5 to 7 p.m., 1555 Post Road East), “06880” invites you to “Community, Connection and Contrast.” KiiN is next to Sherpa, Longevity, Zion and CT Sports Recovery — all wellness businesses too.
Kiin Sauna
You’ll see friends and neighbors. Enjoy complimentary beverages. Meet KiiN founder Ginger Richardson, who will tell you all about the benefits of a sauna and cold plunge.
If you feel adventurous, you can try a sauna and cold plunge yourself. (Sauna and plunge space is limited; click here to sign up.)
Ginger and her crew are great hosts. It’s a fun way to learn about a new spot in town.
Dave Briggs and I will host more events soon, all over town. We look forward to this new series.
We have just 2 requests: If your business would like to collaborate with us, email us: 06880blog@gmail.com.
And we need a clever name for this series. If you’ve got one, send it along: 06880@gmail.com.
See you October 10 at KiiN Sauna!
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Last week, “06880” reported on a new trend: massive parties at Compo Beach, outside the homes along Soundview Drive. Revelers appear to be primarily freshmen. That was the second in as many weekends.
The third week offered no reprieve.
A reader writes: “There was a mob scene of freshmen. I’m told by one of the town employees, who is trying to keep them under control along with a few cops, that there are 4 or 5 different schools having these insane parties at Compo. They are on people’s property, running around, leaving trash and drinking.
“It’s absolutely awful. Probably 300 kids.
“This is the third time, and probably the worst I have seen it this season.
“It’s a real problem. I couldn’t even walk the beach for over an hour.
“One Staples junior football player told me he tries to help out with the situation because the kids know him.
“The last time, I met a resident who was outside of her house not knowing what to do. She said all her windows were closed, and the noise was very disturbing.
“I’m all for kids having a good time, but this is out of control.”
Freshman party, 2 weekends ago.
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As a Staples Players actors, August Laska starred in a variety of shows, like “Guys and Dolls,” “Little. Shop of Horrors,” “West Side Story” and “A Chorus Line.”
He’s played many “roles” since then.
After graduating in 2013, August majored in film and media at Middlebury College.
While many classmates joined the “Middlebury to Goldman Sachs pipeline,” he headed to Los Angeles. He worked for Snapchat and loved the West Coast, but realized technology was not for him.
In 2018 August joined the marketing team at Disney Theatrical Productions.
Which all led to …opening a plant store.
August founded The Old Yew Plant Shop in the West Village in 2021. He now owns a second store too, on the Upper West Side.
August has earned renown for his ability to understand customers’ needs, educated them about both design (what plant goes where), and diagnostics (what happens when pests invade, or plants die).
Yesterday, the New York Times Real Estate section featured a long piece on August, and his magic touch with customers.
All those communication skills are certainly paying off. Particularly from “Little Shop of Horrors.” Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: John Dodig)
August Laska, at his Old Yew Plant Shop. (Photo/Ngoc Minh Ngo for New York Times)
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Ric Burns’ 2 new episodes of his sprawling, highly regard “New York” documentary film — the first in 23 years — air tonight and tomorrow on PBS (9 p.m.).
A 10-volume soundtrack was just released for streaming.
And there’s a great Westport connection.
Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate Brian Keane composed that soundtrack.
But that’s not all. Brian spoke yesterday at the IFC Center in New York, at a tribute to Jane Goodall.
Brian scored the original chimps movie that helped put Goodall on the map in the 1980s, and also scored Ruby Yang’s film “Vanishing Song” about a gibbon in Malaysia. Goodall was collaborating on that documentary when she died.
Brian Keane (center) with Ric Burns (right) and Burns’ son Simon, at Keane’s studio. A newborn when “New York” came out in 1999, Simon is now assisting on his father’s 2 new episodes. A 10-volume complete soundtrack set of Keane’s score — one for each episode — is streaming on all platforms.
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The next Veterans Benefits Luncheon (Thursday, September 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), VFW Post 399).
It’s open to all veterans as part of an ongoing effort to check in on all veterans’ welfare, and connect them with the benefits and support they earned.
Representatives will answer questions, and provide information on services and assistance available to veterans.
RSVPs are encouraged (but not required). Email vfw399ct@gmail.com, and include the number of attendees, or call (203) 227-6796.
PS: If you’re not a veteran, but know one: Please pass the word!
VFW veterans’ benefits luncheon.
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In 2024, Lisa Bastoni sold out First Folk Sunday.
The Westport-native artist returns soon. She’ll do it again.
Rozanne Gates and Suzanne Sheridan, creators of First Folk Sunday, saw Bastoni perform in Northampton, Massachusetts — where she now lives — in 2023.
Impressed with her songwriting prowess, musicianship and connection to the audience, they invited her to Westport. Neither knew her roots.
Lisa told Rozanne, “I was just a kid, but I was at the anti-war rally you organized in 2001 on Jesup Green when Suzanne sang. I thought she was wonderful.”
On October 4 (12:30 p.m., Saugatuck Rowing Club), Lisa and Suzanne will sing together
Lisa wrote “There Are No Kings in America,” which has been sung nationally at many No Kings rallies. Suzanne Sheridan sang it in March, on Jesup Green.
Click here for tickets, and more information. Doors open at noon; an a la carte menu and open bar are available. Questions? Call 203-984-7562.
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StartUp Westport continues to expand its programming.
The town’s public/private partnership to serve entrepreneurs and innovators continued its “Founder Stories” series last week, at Content Studio in Saugatuck.
Amy Hochhauser and Rhodie Lorenz spoke with Julie Roehm about JoyRide. They went behind the scenes, offering insights into what it takes to build, grow and evolve a business — including unforeseen challenges like COVID.
Founded in Westport in 2010, JoyRide pioneered the local boutique fitness movement, expanding into a beloved regional brand across multiple studios in Connecticut and Texas. While the business ultimately closed its doors, its multi-year trajectory offers a master class in scaling, community building, making tough decisions, and navigating complex market shifts.
For more information on StartUp Westport, click here.
Amy Hochhauser, Rhodie Lorenz and Julie Roehm, at last week’s Startup Westport event.
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Tomorrow is the first day of fall.
And — right on time — our “Westport … Naturally” series presents this Wilton Road beauty:
(Photo/John Maloney)
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And finally … in honor of all who celebrate Yom Kippur:
(Another Monday … and another Roundup, to start it off. If you appreciate all the ways you can learn about Westport on this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
For decades, the Inn at Longshore was a highly sought after wedding venue.
The ballroom, the lawn out back reaching to the Sound, the chance for the bridal party to stay in a charming New England inn — it was all there.
The Inn was also a popular choice for corporate events, fundraising galas, family celebrations — an all-purpose property.
Yet there was always something a bit off.
You couldn’t quite put your finger on it. But now that the Inn at Longshore has reopened — following a year-long renovation — you can see that relatively small changes are a very big deal.
Newly renovated Inn at K
The waterfront location is a major draw. But standing inside the ballroom before, you wouldn’t know it was there.
A stage — with curtains behind it — blocked it.
Now the stage is off to the side. Walking into the ballroom, the first thing you see is a view all the way out to the water.
Designers even moved a beam near the entrance ramp (now steps). Most people won’t notice that difference. But it is dramatic.
The stage is gone. Now the view is all the way through, to the back. The ballroom holds 400 people for receptions, 300 for banquets. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Out in back, a broad new deck (with portable bars) invites attendees to flow between indoors and out. It’s a common amenity at country clubs — but missing from the Inn at Longshore for forever.
Weddings now take place on the lawn directly behind — not off to the side, near the tennis courts. The bride walks out from the ballroom, across the deck and down a few steps, making a dramatic entrance.
The splendor of an outdoor wedding.
The first wedding at the new Inn was held September 11. In the middle of my tour with Michael Ryan, managing partner of Longshore Hospitality group — the Delamar-affiliated group that has a 30-year lease with the town of Westport — the grateful mother of that bride stopped by with gifts for the staff. The wedding, she said, was “a dream” — even beyond her expectations.
Another wedding was held on Sunday, September 13. That morning, 7 inches of rain devastated Westport. The wedding was delayed by an hour, to 3 p.m. But it was held outside
The ballroom, deck and lawn (plus improved landscaping) are the most visible changes. (And some things have changed only slightly. The façade retains its traditional look. the porte-cochère was scaled back from its original size, and the stately tree at the entrance is still there.)
Rear view of The Inn at Longshore (center). Longshore Sailing School is on the right. (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
But guests who stay on the Inn’s 2nd and 3rd floors will notice many differences too. (On weekends, they’re usually wedding parties. Weekday guests include business executives, travelers — and former Westporters, who want to relive the Inn experience when they return to their home town.)
The 11 rooms and 3 suites have been completely redesigned. Each is unique; all match include modern amenities, but with an old-time inn feel. Every 3rd floor room is dormered.
Room numbers were hand painted. And guests don’t have swipe cards — they’re given actual brass keys.
The Compo Suite
The “Lewis Suite” includes framed photos from the Inn’s long-ago start, as Frederick E. Lewis’ private mansion.
The bride’s suite — used by her party on the day of the wedding — was specially decorated by Serena & Lily.
The third floor honeymoon suite is named for Jay Gatsby. It has a particularly striking view — appropriate, because when F. Scott Fitzgerald rented a home on Compo Road South, it is believed his vista of the Lewis estate all the way to the Sound inspired some of his images in “The Great Gatsby.”
Sunlight glittering off the water fills every room facing the Sound. (The bathroom in one offers a particularly killer view.)
Room with a view. (All photos/Longshore Hospitality Group, unless otherwise noted)
All new state-of-the-art mechanicals ensure smooth operation.
All told, Longshore Hospitality spent $8 million more in capital improvements than they had committed to the town.
The Inn at Longshore is almost completely booked for weddings, through 2027. Bookings for 2028 will begin in November.
La Plage was closed during the renovation. Diners may not see many changes. But the kitchen is completely revamped, easing food prep for both the restaurant and ballroom catering.
Few towns own an inn and restaurant — let alone an entire country club.
For more than 60 years — ever since the town of Westport bought Longshore (paying $1.9 million, for the entire 169 acres) — officials have tried to make the Inn even more special than it is.
Finally, they’ve done it.
Enjoy a fundraiser in the new ballroom. Stay in a very cool room. Have a meal at La Plage.
And — starting soon — book your 2028 wedding there.
(To learn more about the Inn at Longshore, click here.)
(“06880” regularly covers Longshore, town restaurants, local businesses — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Posted in Longshore, Restaurants
Tagged La Plage restaurant, Michael Ryan, the Inn at Longshore
Yesterday’s Westport Rotary Club LobsterFest at Compo Beach, by drone (Photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
There’s a good reason only 4 readers commented on last week’s Photo Challenge — and none got it right.
We were in the middle of a 200-year flood, when a photo of Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate Kelley Spearen’s sculpture was posted. (Click here to see.)
For the record, it’s on Riverside Avenue — at the foot of Burr Road.
Fingers crossed that today is drier.
And that more readers can respond to today’s Photo Challenge. We’re trying with another outdoor sculpture.
f you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Susan Garment)
Yesterday — based on inaccurate information — our “06880” Roundup reported that the Board of Finance turned down a Public Works Department request for equipment for the Ned Dimes Marina renovation project.
Public Works director Larry Roberts clarifies: “We brought an appropriation request to the Board of Finance, but it was withdrawn due to inaccuracies in the accompanying materials.
“In any event, the work was not anticipated to begin until after the summer boating season.”
Ned Dimes Marina (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
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Speaking of last Sunday’s flood: In 2021, the Westport Arts Advisory Committee partnered with landowner David Waldman. They installed 5 mini-murals in the alley behind Anthropologie.
This one depicts what Westport artist Rebecca Ross thought Westport would look like in 50 years.
As Miggs Burroughs notes: “She was off by only 45.”
Westoberfest is less than 2 weeks away.
The 9th annual craft beer and family fall event returns Saturday, October 3 (1 to 5 p.m., Elm Street. Among the highlights: craft beer, music, food, art, shopping, and family-fun activities.
Admission is free. Guests who want to sample more than 50 local and regional beers, from over 20 breweries, can purchase a tasting pass.
This year, Westoberfest introduces a collaboration with 3 local arts organizations for hands-on creativity in the family area.
MoCA\CT invites families to design tote bags using colorful stamps, patterns and doodles, then take them home. One River School of Art + Design offers a fall-inspired mandala activity, while Whimsy Works Atelier brings parent-child creative play.
The family area, sponsored by Gault Family Companies, will feature carnival games from Chris and Pete Amusements, pumpkin decorating, and more.
For friendly competition, the annual stein-holding competition, hosted by CBS News weather anchor and Westport resident Lonnie Quinn, will once again challenge participants to show off their strength and stamina.
One Bad Oyster takes the stage with their energetic ska-surf sound.
Food and treats will be served by Blind Rhino, Freshko by Krisia, Fryborg, LemoNate’s, Lovely Chocolate by Talita Dupin, Paradise Island Food, and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Elm Street will also feature a shopping and services vendor area
A beer tasting pass is $50 now, $55 on-site. Click here to purchase. Beer tasting participants receive a Westoberfest tasting glass and koozie.
Westoberfest is produced by the Westport Downtown Association, in collaboration with The Grapevine and Castle Wine & Spirits. For more information, click here.
A portion of the proceeds support downtown beautification projects, local nonprofit organizations, and events that strengthen the Westport community.
Westoberfest returns October 3.
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Wakeman Town Farm’s “Fantastic Farmhands” welcomed a special guest last week: monarch watch conservation specialist Alice Ely.
She helped the youngsters release Petey, a monarch butterfly, and provided a fascinating peek into the science behind monarch migration.
Before Petey took off, Alice attached a tiny radio tag to his back using eyelash adhesive. The transmitter weighs no more than a grain of rice, so it’s light enough for Petey to fly freely.
Petey wasted no time.
In 2 days, the feisty butterfly traveled 109 miles, heading southwest toward Mexico.
To follow his journey, download the Project Monarch app, then search for Petey2026. You can track his migration in real time as he flies south.
Once they arrive in Mexico, the butterflies stay there until late winter. As temperatures warm and the days get longer, they receive their cue to head north, where they mate and lay eggs on the first milkweed they find — often in Texas.
The tiny tags are powered by solar cells, so Petey may occasionally disappear from the radar while his tag recharges. The WTF butterfly — the first monarch ever released from Connecticut with this type of radio tag — could make it all the way to Mexico.
Alice Ely, with monarch butterfly and Wakeman Town Farm “farmhands.”
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Sure, it’s another Sunday with rain in the forecast. (Though nowhere near as much as last week … knock wood.)
But the Staples High School girls swim and dive team is washing cars today, rain or (fingers crossed) shine.
They’ll be at 176 Post Road West — the old Carvana spot, opposite Kings Highway Elementary School — from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
A suggested donation is $20. Stop in for a wash. If these girls can spend hours a day in the pool, the least you can do is get wet, while supporting the squad.
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For years, couples have gotten married at Compo Beach.
But this may be the first wedding ever at Westport’s newest park: Riverside.
We don’t know the lucky bride and groom, or anything else about yesterday’s ceremony.
But if their marriage will be anything like the weather on the they chose — and the stunning site — they’ll be smiling for years to come.
(Photo/Susan Garment)
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Also yesterday: a Garden Conservancy tour.
This was the scene at an old sea captain’s home, on Sylvan Routh South:
(Photo/Susan Garment)
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Actors have to flexible.
So does their entire company.
Westport Community Theatre had an unexpected change in their season lineup just a few weeks before opening.
“Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play” moved into the first slot.
It showcases a talented cast of Fairfield County actors, as well as Fairfield playwright Joe Landry.
The show — featuring suspense, intrigue, murder and touch of dark humor — runs through October 4, in the basement level of Town Hall.
Landry transforms 3 Hitchcock thrillers – “The Lodger,” “Sabotage” and “The 39 Steps” – into a 1940s-style radio broadcast performed before a live audience.
The 7-member cast moves among multiple roles, voices and characters as the stories unfold, creating the world of Hitchcock with microphones, scripts, music, and an elaborate soundscape.
Remaining performances are at 2 p.m. Sundays (today, and September 27 and October 4), and 7:30 p.m. on September 24, 25, 26, and October 2 and 3.
Tickets are $35 ($30 for seniors.Click here to reserve, or call 203-226-1983.
A 6-play subscription for the year is available for $140. WCT’s 69th season includes “Betrayal” by Harold Pinter; “Summer, 1976” by David Auburn; “What the Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck; “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, and “Happy Days” by Samuel Beckett.
Tom Rusen and John Bachelder in “Vintage Hitchcock.”
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Looking for a fun afternoon, with competition, food, camaraderie — and a chance to help support a new initiative?
A Better Chance of Westport’s inaugural Cornhole Tournament is set for Saturday, October 3 (11:30 to 3 p.m., Longshore’s Evan Harding Point).
Proceeds will help launch ABC’s College Scholarship Fund. It’s a way to expand their commitment to the scholars they sponsor and support during their time at Staples High School, as they move on to the next chapter of their educational journeys.
Spectators are welcome. Click here for more information, and to register. You can donate to the scholarship fund without attending too, at the same link. To learn more about A Better Chance of Westport, click here.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows a fish out of water.
Literally.
This poor guy was left behind last Sunday, after Muddy Brook overflowed its banks, then receded.
(Photo/Paul Liistro)
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And finally … on this day in 1973, Jim Croce and 5 others died when their light plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Natchitoches Airport in Louisiana.
(It’s been a week since a huge “rain bomb” hit Westport. “06880” reported that story all day, and every day since. If you appreciate our coverage, please click here to support this blog. Thanks!)
It’s Westport’s surest sellout.
Tickets sell like hotcakes (to mix a metaphor) every summer, when the Westport Rotary Club’s LobsterFest becomes available.
For good reason: It’s one of the town’s best parties. Lobster, steak, burgers, dogs, all the fixings, and plenty to drink.
(Photo/Mary Lou Roels)
Live music. Kids’ activities. Vendor booths. Celebrities helping out. Huge community spirit. All at a favorite spot: Compo Beach.
Clawdia the Lobster (aka Rick Benson) and friend. (Photo/Ellen Bowen)
And — best of all — hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for local and international charities, non-profits and good causes.
Thanks to all the Rotarians — and hundreds of volunteers, including Staples Service League of Boys, National Charity League, and A Better Chance of Westport — for throwing this bash.
And if you missed out on a ticket: Be quicker next summer.
A few happy Rotarians … (Photo/Dave Matlow)
… and many more. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
He’ll need a lot of lobsters to feel full. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
Those lobsters don’t cook themselves! (Photo/Dave Matlow)
That’s the spirit! (Photo/Dave Matlow)
What’s a community festival without crowds … (Photo/Dave Matlow)
… or face painting … (Photo/Dave Matlow)
… or more kids’ stuff? (Photo/Dave Matlow)
National Charity League volunteers. (Photo/Stephanie Tang)
Westport’s Finest (all 7 of them!) (Photo/Dave Matlow)
Two weeks ago, residents chronicled “A Day in the Life of Westport.”
It was an ordinary Sunday: September 6. (Timing is everything. The following Sunday saw 7 inches of rain devastate the town.)
Westporters of all kinds — old and young, professional photographers and amateurs, newcomers and old-timers — rose to the challenge.
Using smartphones, actual cameras with expensive lenses, and everything in between, you snapped images. And sent them in.
The final count was 510 submissions. They came from all over town, and showed the wide variety of activities on a late-summer Sunday.
Compo Beach. Soccer. A sandbar party at Old Mil. A car wash. The YMCA. Church. Longshore. The skate park. Saugatuck. Downtown.
All those, and more, are now immortalized in “A Day in the Life of Westport.”
Here are a couple of dozen. Click here to see all 510. (NOTE: We could have used all 510. But that would break WordPress.)
Next steps for the project — a collaboration between the Artists Collective of Westport, the League of Women Voters Westport, the David T. Langrock Foundation and “06880” — include the possibility of a book with every photo, and other items.
In the meantime: Enjoy these selections. We live in quite a town!
Tunnel of Love (Miggs Burroughs)
Greens Farms Church (Emily Jennings)
Last Days of Summer (Lisa Gold)
Staples Soccer Car Wash (Lisa Bautista)
Challenger Baseball Winners (Beth Cody)
Low Tide Gymnastics (Danielle Harrison)
Aqua Fitness at the YMCA (Patty Kondub)
Jumping in the Water (Sophie Montagnon)
Life at Glendarcy House: Around the Kitchen Island (Tamika Thompson)
Outdoor Lunch at Old Mill Grocery & Deli (Pam Docters)
Last Swim of Summer (Debbie McGinley)
Soccer and Squishies (Maria Mulvehill)
A Sandbar Party at Old Mill Beach (Totney Benson)
Oslo Enjoying Saugatuck Island Beach (Gail Coykendall)
Cribari Bridge (Alison Wachstein)
Old Mill Sandbar Beach Party (James Delorey)
So Many Books, So Little Time (Lisa Tantillo)
Longshore Golf Course Clouds (Marion Pietrowski)
Kids Walking Across the Bridge (Gregory Lessans)
Leaping From Lifeguard Chair (Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Pop a Wheelie (Eric W. Sydor)
Sunset Swim at Compo Beach (Ryan Ehlers)
Saugatuck Sunsets (Brittany Landan)
Skateboard Silhouette (Herm Freeman)
A Day in the Life (Liz Fye)
Untittled (Ellie Archer)
(“06880” was a proud partner for this project. We’re all about community. And we’re supported by you — our readers. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)
Posted in Beach, Children, Downtown, Longshore, religion, Saugatuck, Westport life, YMCA
Tagged "A Day in the Life of Westport", Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Miggs Burroughs
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