Town officials have posted a Storm Recovery webpage.
The site (click here) will help residents and businesses affected by the September 13 flooding find assistance, insurance information, repair guidance and town updates, all in one place.
The page includes recovery resources from the Department of Human Services, and guidance from the Planning & Zoning Department about storm damage repairs and permitting requirements.
“We know many residents and business owners are still cleaning up, dealing with losses and figuring out what comes next,” says 1st Selectman Kevin Christie.
“Our goal is to make it easier to find useful information and connect with people who can help.”
Norwalk Avenue flooding near Compo Beach, on September 13.
The webpage includes:
Reporting storm damage: The state’s damage survey for residents and businesses to report flood damage and help document the extent of the storm.
Insurance help: Connecticut Insurance Department contact information and guidance for residents and businesses with coverage or claims questions.
Help with recovery needs: Human Services contacts and a downloadable guide covering food, housing referrals, financial assistance and other resources.
Repairs and permits: Town guidance on approvals that may be required before beginning storm repairs or reconstruction, with Planning & Zoning contact information.
Town updates: Storm-related news releases, and links to sign up for emergency alerts and town news.
Additional updates will be added as recovery work progresses.
Residents and businesses affected by the flooding are encouraged to complete the state’s damage survey.
NOTE: The survey is not an insurance claim or application for assistance and does not guarantee aid. Insurance coverage and claims should be addressed separately with your insurance company.
Closure of the Green’s Farms post office after Sunday’s storm has been an inconvenience to patrons.
And not just because it’s an easy-to-park-it, always-uncrowded alternative to the always-busy Playhouse Square location.
Locked doors meant people with PO boxes could not access them.
Now, a note alerts all box holders to knock on the side door. Postmaster Suzannie Swaine will hand you your mail.
The building suffered serious damage. At the height of the storm, the interior was inundated with up to 5 inches of water. In nearly 25 years at Green’s Farms, Swaine had never seen that.
She and a fellow postal worker spent Monday and Tuesday cleaning up, and throwing away water-damaged materials. Not a single piece of mail was lost.
A postal technician was scheduled to reset or replace the server that works the computerized mail and postage equipment. Until that is done, the branch is closed to walk-in traffic.
Box holders may get their mail weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Green’s Farms post office, in dryer days.(Photo/Bobbie Herman)
He said that DPW is also reviewing reports of lingering standing water near Bradley Street and Fairfield Avenue, and debris in nearby drainage structures.
A homeowner on nearby Norwalk Avenue — one of 4 roads between Soundview Drive and Bradley Street — wants to make sure that town officials know about their plight too.
He writes: “The drains in front of 6 Norwalk have backed up several times this summer, even before this most recent storm.
“I’ve been in contact with the town engineer. He assured me everything operated as intended, but I want to be sure the right town officials are aware that the marina pump situation responsible for the drains on our street should be evaluated as well.”
Here are 2 photos of the flooding on Sunday, after the rain ended.
Westport resident Meredith Gerard is a sepsis survivor.
She has worked hard to bring more awareness to the life-threatening medical emergency: knowing the signs, understanding how quickly it can happen, and the importance of getting treatment fast.
Her advocacy to get the state to recognize September as Sepsis Awareness Month has paid off.
Locally, Westport declared September 14 Sepsis Awareness Day. 1st Selectman Kevin Christie presented the proclamation to Meredith and and her family at Town Hall.
The effects of sepsis did not end when she left the hospital. It has had a lasting impact on me and my family over the past several years. She is proud that her children see that when something difficult happens, it can turn into an experience that helps others.
Among the signs of sepsis:
Fever above 100.4°F, or body temperature below 96.5°F.
Signs or symptoms of a current infection (like a cough, painful urination, or a red wound).
Mental Decline: Extreme confusion, sleepiness, or trouble waking up.
Extremely Ill: Severe pain, shortness of breath, or a feeling like you might die.
Meredith Gerard (2nd from right), 1st Selectman Kevin Christie (holding proclamation), and family and friends.
Ruff to Radiant is a mobile pet grooming service in Fairfield and New Haven Counties.
The other day Katie, the owner, was working with a dog named Stella. When Katie was done, Stella ran into her back yard.
She fell into a pool, and was drowning.
When the owner jumped in and got her out, she was not breathing. Katie laid her on the driveway, and performed chest compressions and “mouth to snout” CPR.
Within a minute, she regained her pulse.
Stella was taken to the vet. She went home that day, with oxygen and a heating blanket.
Earth Animal has asked Katie to teach a class on dog CPR. We’ll provide more details when we get them. (Hat tip: Jann Colabella)
Mark Mathias writes: “A big, noisy, yellow truck came down Juniper Road this morning.
“It was cleaning and filling cracks in the road with tar. Then another worker put some sand or other abrasive on top of the tar to give it some traction.
“Hopefully, this will keep water from getting into the roads, freezing (and expanding), and then cracking the roads during the winter.
“Thanks to our Public Works department for making this investment in our roads!”
Three Indigenous grandmothers lead a day of conversation and learning tomorrow (Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
Indigenous grandmothers: Nana Williams (Mayan spiritual guide), Marsha Forest (Wisdom Keeper of Mohawk ancestry), and Nancy Andry (Algonquin and French heritage).
This Sunday (September 20, 9 to 11 a.m.), ALT executive director David Brant leads a hike of its newest addition: the 15-acre Plummer property, formerly owned by actor Christopher Plummer and his wife Elaine. The hike is of intermediate difficulty. Click here for more information.
=================================================
The next Staples High School sports team fundraising car wash is tomorrow (Saturday, September 19, 12 to 4 p.m., 176 Post Road West — former Carvana property opposite Kings Highway School)
Clarendon Fine Art’s next exhibit features Brian Keith Stephens.
His paintings use familiar creatures to explore human emotion and behavior. His work has appeared in more than 100 exhibitions internationally since 1996.
Stephens will be at the opening reception (October 3, 6 to 8 p.m.).
================================================
Barboletta — a Santana tribute band — brought their powerhouse music to the Levitt Pavilion last night.
They’ve become a Levitt tradition. The band includes local musicians from different national and international touring acts, including Lotus, Twiddle, The Machine, Deep Banana Blackout and Kung Fu.
Special guest Jason L Terry was an added attraction.
The final event listed on the Levitt calendar is this coming Wednesday (September 23, 7:30 p.m.; free). King Stingray plays “Yoluu surf rock” — with indie and funk influences — that has captivated all of Australia. (Hat tip: Matthew Mandell)
Barboletta rocks the Levitt. (Photo/Susan Garment)
After 3 years they’re concentrating on their other restaurants, including a new one in Darien.
Several “06880” commenters questioned whether any operator can succeed at the 107-year-old beach neighborhood location.
Jim Hood and Ian Warburg say they can.
As 2 of the principals of Soundview Empowerment Alliance — the owners of the property — they write:
There has been a lot of thoughtful discussion since Dan’s post about the transition at Old Mill Grocery & Deli. We thought it might be helpful to add a little history and context, particularly around the question of whether a business can succeed at 222 Hillspoint Road.
We believe it can, and the history gives us good reason to feel that way.
Elvira’s was profitable for more than 2 decades. It supported Stacy and Nick, their family and employees, and helped them build meaningful equity in the property.
When they sold in 2019, it wasn’t because the business had failed. They were ready to retire after many years of extraordinarily hard work.
Nicky and Stacey Yiovanakos at their familiar spot. Under their ownership, Elvira’s was profitable.
Romanacci has also been profitable at Old Mill.
Their decision to move on doesn’t mean a business can’t succeed here. It simply means that, for a growing company with several locations and other opportunities, the return at Old Mill hasn’t been enough to justify the considerable time and attention the location requires.
That’s an important distinction.
The last several years have also brought challenges that earlier operators didn’t face to the same degree. Unfortunate legal disputes consumed a great deal of time, money and energy that otherwise could have gone into improving and growing the business.
Legal disputes involving a gelato cart, outdoor tables and alcohol sales consumed time, money and energy. (Photo/Dan Woog)
But there is another side to that story.
Thousands of residents, neighbors and visitors have supported preserving Old Mill. Many hundreds contributed financially to save it back in 2022.
And many more continue to show, through their ongoing donations, patronage and affection for the place, how much they want this neighborhood institution to remain part of the community.
It’s also worth remembering what this place has been for more than a century.
The property has operated commercially since 1919. For generations, it wasn’t simply a place to buy a sandwich.
Old Mill Grocery has stood — and served — for over 100 years.
It was opened as The Old Mill Store, and soon after became The Old Mill Grocery & Deli, always a place for groceries, prepared food, beverages, ice cream and the everyday things people needed. Stopping there was simply part of living in the neighborhood.
Some of that habit has been lost over the years. COVID changed routines. The neighborhood changed. Delivery services changed the way all of us buy food and household necessities.
Those are real challenges. But we don’t think they mean a business there is no longer viable.
We think the opportunity is to create an updated version of the neighborhood market that worked here for generations: great prepared food, groceries, beverages, convenience items and other permitted offerings, with reasons for people to stop in throughout the day and throughout the year.
Saturday morning, at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
There is also one very important difference between Old Mill and most commercial properties.
Its owner, Soundview Empowerment Alliance, is a nonprofit.
SEA was created by this community for 2 purposes: to preserve this historic neighborhood institution, and to create opportunities for young people with disabilities.
“Preserving History. Serving Good.”
SEA didn’t acquire 222 Hillspoint Road as a real estate investment. And our goal isn’t to maximize the financial return on the property.
We measure success differently.
If Old Mill remains a thriving neighborhood gathering place, and if it also creates opportunities for young people with disabilities to learn, work and grow, then we are accomplishing what the community created SEA to do.
That matters economically as well.
We can offer the next operator a modest, commercially reasonable rent designed to help the business succeed, rather than trying to extract the maximum possible return from the real estate.
So for us, the question isn’t really whether Old Mill can work.
It’s whether we can find the next right operator to create the 2026 version of the neighborhood market Westport has embraced for more than a century, one that respects what this place has been while adapting to the way people live today.
Based on the history of the property, what we’ve learned over the last several years, and the conversations we’re having with prospective operators, we believe we can.
We’re not out to recreate Elvira’s, or Kenny’s before it.
Our aim is to support the next generation of operators of the Old Mill Grocery & Deli, enabling it to remain the special place – the heart and hub – this community will continue to embrace for decades to come.
With gratitude,
Jim Hood and Ian Warburg
On behalf of Soundview Empowerment Alliance
(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Send submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com. To support this hyper-local blog with a tax-deductible contribution, please click here.)
1st Selectman Kevin Christie offers an update, following Sunday’s 7-inch “rain bomb.”
The Jesup Road bridge at Imperial Avenue remains closed, while engineers assess significant storm damage and required repairs. Assessments of roads, culverts, storm drains and stormwater facilities also continue.
The Jesup Road bridge at Imperial Avenue remains closed while engineers assess storm damage and required repairs.
“We understand the distress that comes with damage to a home or business, and residents deserve a clear understanding of what our stormwater infrastructure can handle,” says director of Public Works Larry Roberts.
“Even as we assess this extraordinary storm, repeated flooding makes preparing for future events essential. We will continue to work to strengthen public infrastructure, and work with property owners on practical ways to reduce future damage.”
On Sunday, the wastewater treatment plant’s inflow peaked at a rate of approximately 12 million gallons per day — far above its usual 1.75 million per day.
Pump Station No. 10 (behind HomeGoods) flooded and shut down. The Center Street pump station sustained damage when Muddy Brook overflowed.
Town teams are assessing culverts and drainage structures affected by sediment, landscaping material, displaced dumpsters and other debris, including whether obstructions affected drainage in particular locations.
Dumpster near downtown. (Photo/Sal Liccione)
Follow-up work includes clearing obstructions, cleaning catch basins and checking equipment.
In Compo Basin, DPW reports that the marina’s check valves are operational.
The Gray’s Creek valve was open as intended; it prevents tidal flooding, and closing it during this low-tide rainfall event would not have helped drainage, officials say.
DPW has inspected the basin’s automatic pump and found it operational. However, officials cannot verify its operation during the storm because it does not record activation history.
DPW plans to observe the pump during the next major storm to verify its activation. DPW is also reviewing reports of lingering standing water near Bradley Street and Fairfield Avenue, and debris in nearby drainage structures.
Standing water on Bradley Street, 24 hours after rain ened.
Town officials are coordinating with state emergency management officials on regional impacts, damage documentation and potential recovery resources.
Residents and businesses should report September 13 property damage through the State’s CrisisTrack survey. Reports help document the full extent of damage, and support the process of determining whether the state may be eligible for FEMA or Small Business Administration disaster programs. The survey is not a claim or application for assistance, does not guarantee aid and does not replace reporting damage to an insurer.
Residents and businesses with questions about flood insurance coverage or difficulty with a flood-related claim can contact the Connecticut Insurance Department’s Consumer Affairs team: 800-203-3447 or 860-297-3900, or by email at insurance@ct.gov.
Christie says, “Our hearts go out to the residents and businesses recovering from this flood, including those displaced from their homes or unable to reopen their businesses.
“Many are still cleaning up, and some face extensive repairs and a prolonged recovery. We are focused on addressing immediate needs and supporting the work ahead.
“I am deeply grateful to our entire DPW team and all of our responding departments for their tireless work throughout the storm and the continuing recovery.”
We’re less than 7 weeks away from an important election.
How free and fair will it be?
The Brennan Center for Justice is working hard to ensure complete freedom and fairness.
The non-profit — inspired by Justice William Brennan’s devotion to democratic freedoms — does not get headlines. But the New York University School of Law-based organization works hard, behind the scenes, to protect elections, counter abuse of presidential power, and encourage transformative ideas that power change.
Their activities include research, publishing, advocacy and impact litigation.
A couple of small events have introduced the Brennan Center to Westporters.
On October 1 (5 to 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport), a larger “friend fundraiser” will raise their profile locally.
Brennan Center director Michael Waldman will join elected officials, for cocktails and conversation. The suggested donation is $100. Click here to register. Questions? Email danlev314@gmail.com.
Think the assessment on your motor vehicle is too high?
The Board of Assessment Appeals meets on September 23 (6 to 7 p.m., Town Hall lobby).
They’ll hear appeals for the 2025 Grand List. You must bring the vehicle you’re appealing. (Not all the way inside, obviously).
We have no idea what Briggs Cunningham’s C-3 Cabriolet — which he designed himself, seen here at his former Beachside Avenue home — was assessed at in the 1950s. Nor what the assessment is today. We’re guessing a lot: Only 36 were ever built.
They’ll celebrate their almost-century milestone on October 3, at a gala filled with (of course) Broadway talent.
Performers include Santino Fontana. Javier Muñoz, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and our own James Naughton and Kelli O’Hara.
Joyce Hergenhan will be honoed with the Playhouse Leadership Award.
Tickets begin at $250 (performance and post-show reception). $500 includes a pre-show cocktail party. A $750 ticket adds a premium seat. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Speaking of the Playhouse: “Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance” lights up the Westport Country Playhouse stage next Thursday (September 24, 7 p.m.).
Ailey II — the second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater — merges the spirit and energy of early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of outstanding and emerging choreographers.
Ailey II’s repertory will include “In the Moment,” a meditation on presence, transformation and the profound impact of being truly seen; “Open Door,” an enlivening work set to recordings by Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and “Night Creature,” a Ailey’s buoyant choreography and Duke Ellington’s music.
Popular local musician/singer/actor Warren Bloom pops into the Westport Book Shop on September 25 (6 to 8 p.m.).
The author of “In and Out of Key” — a memoir of his career, on stage and behind the scenes — will include an introduction by artist Miggs Burroughs, stories and conversation with Warren, a Q-and-A and book signing.
=================================================
Westport litigation attorney-turned-young adult author Diana Sussman’s next book drops September 22.
“The Texter’s Secret” tackles a middle school girl dealing with threatening texts and cyberbullying. It’s a fast-paced mystery for readers ages 8 to 14, with a theme that resonates for many tweens and teens.
StartUp Westport’s first-ever Pitch Competition last year was a winner — and not just for the wheels marketplace platform that won the $20,000 first prize.
Over 75 hopefuls applied. Five were chosen as semi-finalists. For months they honed their ideas, and were mentored by StartUp Westport volunteers.
The energy was sky high at the Westport Library, for the final pitches.
The second Pitch Competition is November 19 (6 p.m., Library). The start-ups are hard at work. Who will make it to the stage?
The Westport Woman’s Club is seeking applicants for its Woman’s Scholarship.
The grant supports Fairfield County women 25 and older seeking to complete a degree or certification after following a non-traditional educational path after high school.
Scholarships are based on financial need to those who have demonstrated resilience, resourcefulness, and a commitment to growth.
Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between September 9 and 15.
A 25-year-old Rahway, New Jersey man was charged with identity theft, forgery, larceny and unlawful possession of a personal identifying information access device, following an investigation into check fraud at Maplewood Senior Living. He was held on a $75,000 bond.
A 31-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with assault, interfering with an officer and breach of peace, following an assault, with fists and neck pressure, in a vehicle at the Wheels gas station. The man walked away from the scene, but was tracked by a canine to the Sherwood Island commuter parking lot. He was released on a $10,000 bond.
A 44-year-old Norwalk man was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol/drugs, following a report that a vehicle had pulled into a Charcoal Hill Common driveway, and the driver appeared to be intoxicated. Officers responded, and found the vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the road, nearly hitting a police vehicle. He was released on a $500 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to renew registration: 3 citations
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 2
Failure to obey state traffic control signals: 2
School zone violation: 1
Texting while driving
Improper passing: 1
Unsafe movement of a stopped motor vehicle: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Out-of-state plate violation: 1
Littering on public property: 1.
Westport Police made one arrest for littering. Take that, Arlo Guthrie and Officer Obie!
We run an occasional full moon photo, as part of our “Westport … Naturally” series.
But a crescent moon can be interesting too. Becky Keeler captured this image over the Saugatuck Rowing Club, across the river. The pink reflection is particularly intriguing.
(Photo/Becky Keeler)
=================================================
And finally … in honor of the littering arrest, noted in the Police Reports above (perhaps the first we’ve ever seen here):
(It takes Arlo Guthrie nearly 20 minutes to tell his story. You can read ours on “06880” much more quickly. And it takes just a few seconds to click here, and support this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
At this year’s Soundview Stroll, Westport Cub Scout Pack 39 asked strollers: “What do you love about Westport?”
If a stroller took a moment to talk with a Cub Scout or Scouter, we asked them to help us discover the places that make Westport special.
We brought them over to a huge map, from the town’s Engineering Department. It includes every road, street, property lot, park, school and geographic feature in town.
Offering 6 different colored markers, we asked people to share: Green for your favorite place to explore nature. Blue for your favorite place to play. Yellow for your favorite place to eat. Purple for a favorite place to walk, bike, or hike. Orange for a place to have fun with your friends. And draw a red heart over “a place that makes you proud of Westport.”
Cub Scouts and strollers at the Soundview Stroll, with their map.
Soundview Strollers of all ages took a moment to orient themselves on the map. In this age of Waze and GPS navigation, we learned that there are many young Westporters who have never looked at a paper map of their town.
Then there were directionally gifted people who thrilled at their fluency with maps, and the chance to help the lost find their way to their favorite places.
Our map came alive with color – dots and red hearts. Runners and bicyclists drew long purple lines for their regular routes. Students drew hearts over their pre-schools and elementary schools, and orange and blue dots over the playgrounds where they play and have fun with their friends.
The Cub Scout map.
Dots for “favorite place” to eat were hungrily drawn for Old Mill Grocery, Bartaco, Casa Me and the Black Duck (one of the most fun spots to find on the map – tracing the Saugatuck River until you’re just under “Interstate 95”).
Longshore, Old Mill Beach (with dots and hearts going all the way out to the sandbar!), Sherwood Island State Park and Burying Hill Beach – Westporters love to get outside.
Intrepid explorers put green dots on the Caryl & Edna Haskins Preserve and the Children’s Natural Playground at Schine Preserve – a couple of Westport’s hidden gems (great places to explore nature).
On our map, Compo Beach is chaotic with color. Multiple blue dots – favorite place to play – were turned into a smiley face by one clever contributor. Red hearts are all over the place (“A place that makes you proud of Westport”).
The Westport Rotary Club’s lobster — aka Rick Benson — chose Compo Beach as his favorite spot, presumably for LobsterFest. The annual event — a favorite of many residents — takes place Saturday.
Our Soundview Stroll map station was really a bit of intelligence gathering. What lights up people’s faces?
Kids love thinking about the places they play, explore nature, and have fun with their friends. Parents loved seeing the places their kids chose, and how they talked about them. The whole exercise was really about starting a conversation.
Tomorrow (Friday, September 18) is “Scouting Day in Westport.” Cub Scouts Pack 39 invites all boys and girls from kindergarten to 5th grade (along with parents and siblings) to join us at Compo’s South Beach (the far end), starting at 5 p.m.
Meet new friends, make s’mores, enjoy a campfire, hunt for crabs.
And, if we’re lucky take in a well-earned sunset!
We’ll try to answer any questions you have about Scouting in Westport. But we want to hear about what you’ve discovered too.
Cub Scout Pack 39 makes s’mores at Compo, last year.
We’ll have our giant town map and our markers. Let’s share what we love about Westport, and the wider world.
Cub Scouts explore nature, play, eat, walk, bike, hike, and have fun with friends. We hope you’ll join us.
(Westport Cub Scout Pack 39 is celebrating its 75th year of Scouting. We welcome all boys and girls, kindergarten through 5th grade. To learn more, click here.
(“06880” regularly covers youth activities in Westport — and all the places mentioned here. If you share our love for this town — and this blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
When my husband Jim and I read on social media that the picnic tables on Parker Harding Plaza along the Saugatuck River were in disrepair, it occurred to us that they were the perfect gift to our town.
I remember when Lee Papageorge, the owner of Oscar’s Deli, placed them there many years ago.
I have been in town for 46 years, and Jim for 20. We raised our children here, and wanted to say thank you.
We contacted Maxx Crowley, executive director of the Westport Downtown Association, and shared our idea.
With the help of SCA and the WDA, we found the right benches. They should last many years.
Thank you to Maxx and his team for assembling the tables, removing the old ones and cleaning up the area.
The new Parker Harding benches. (Photo/Julie Whamond)
We give these tables in honor of those we lost on 9/11. We love driving by and seeing people enjoying their lunch by the river.
Now they can do it without the fear of a massive splinter.
Thank you, Maxx, SCA, the Westport Downtown Association! You are our Unsung Heroes of the week.
PS: We’ll add Julie and Jim to the list too!
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)
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.
Staples High School girls soccer.
