Except — improbably — you can walk directly from Compo Road South to Compo Beach, without taking the long way on Soundview Drive or (even longer) Compo Beach Road.
Just pop through the gray wood gate, underneath a red brick arch.
It’s hidden in plain sight. But it was last week’s Photo Challenge (click here to see).
And it was quickly identified by more than a dozen readers, some of whom noted that they used it frequently.
Congrats to Bob Colson, Maureen Coogan, John McKinney, Joyce Barnhard, Missy Targowski, Kitty Graves, Dave Eason, Matt Murray, Nancy McKeever, Michael Szeto and Katie J. Phillis.
If we gave out prizes, you’d get a free beach sticker.
But obviously, you don’t need one.
Here is this week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
She has created beautiful, wonderful chocolates. She has provided opportunities through them to thank teachers, first responders and many others, and to raise funds for children in need.
“I lost my father to inoperable brain cancer when I was just 21. Nearly 4 years ago, I flew to India in the middle of the holiday season to be with my mother in India after a breast cancer diagnosis. Today, my older brother is battling cancer. I barely know anyone who isn’t in some way affected by the ravages of this disease.
“A few years back I shaved my head for St. Baldrick’s — not for attention, but in quiet solidarity with children fighting cancer.
“Today, my daughter is raising funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Cycle for the Cure in Chicago. Inspired by her act, I just signed up for the Cycle for the Cure ride happening tomorrow (Saturday) at Equinox in Darien.
“As Le Rouge prepares to say goodbye to the town I have called home for over 2 decades, I would like to reach out my community — our community that always shows up and rallies when it really matters.
“I need your help to turn this moment of saying goodbye into something bigger: action, gratitude, and giving back. 10% of February sales at Le Rouge are always donated to charity — this year, to a cause that is deeply personal to me. If you’re able to support or share my fundraising effort, it would mean a great deal.
A new Emergency Medical Technician course begins later this month.
The class begins February 25, and runs through June 22. It meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 6;30 to 9:30 p.m., with occasional lab work on Saturdays (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Instructions include traumatic injury management; breathing, cardiac, mental health and pediatric emergencies; childbirth and OB/GYN; EMS operations, and mass casualty incident response.
provides students with the skills to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care for those who are sick or injured. The program meets State of Connecticut guidelines for EMT certification upon successful completion of exams.
Students who pass the exams will earn Connecticut Emergency Medical Technician certification, and be able to join Westport Emergency Medical Services. and the ability to join WVEMS.
In addition, WVEMS is offering a free “Stop the Bleed” class. It’s Thursday, February 12 (7 to 8:45 p.m.).
The #1 cause of a preventable death after an injury is bleeding. The session helps turn bystanders into immediate responders, for emergencies at home or work, or on the road. Click here for details, and registration.
Westport resident Susan Filan — a former prosecutor and MSNBC senior legal analyst — trades the courtroom for a church on Sunday.
She’ll be a special guest at the Saugatuck Congregational Church 10 a.m. worship service. Filan will speak about transformation, purpose, and clarity in moments of disruption.
After decades working in high-pressure legal environments, a near-fatal accident in 2022 upended her legal career.
It sparked a profound wake-up call, reshaping how she understood success, identity, and what truly matters. Today, she brings that experience into conversations about reinvention, meaning, and rebuilding from the inside out.
The public is invited to the service.
Susan Filan
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Love was in the air Wednesday night, at the VFW.
Post 399 hosted Club203 — our town’s social club for adults with disabilities — for their monthly event.
DJ Lev provided the music. Planet Pizza donated pies, and Mo\CA CT helped with great heart creations.
There were smiles all around … and love was in the air.
Club203 member Dylan Curran (left) and VFW quartermaster Phil Delgado enjoy the evening.
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Speaking of the VFW: Sure, next Friday is the 13th.
But you’re in luck, if you head to Post 399. Laughing Gas Comedy and The City’s Backyard Podcast return, after very successful past shows.
The lineup includes Davin, Paul Taro, Autumn Harvist and Joe Pontillo. Matt Zako is the host.
Speaking of ice: Today’s frozen “Westport … Naturally” photo shows one of many scenes like this, all over town. This one is at Susan Alintoff’s Old Hill home.
And finally … Chuck Negron — a founding member of Three Dog Night — died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 83, and suffered from pulmonary disease and heart failure. Click here for a full obituary.
Tonight (Friday, 6:30 p.m), a candlelight “solidarity vigil” is planned, by Saugatuck Congregational Church.
Everyone — all towns, all religions — is invited to join, on the front stops. Bring candles, if possible.
The vigil will last half an hour. The church will be open, for attendees who wish to place candles in the windows.
Saugatuck Congregational Church (Photo/Jonathan Prager)
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The Flowerfall — the beloved Post Road East shop that for years has provided Westporters with beautiful floral arrangements for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, and many other occasions (plus countless boutonnieres and wrist corsages for proms) — has closed.
Stacy Bass sends along this announcement, posted on social media: “Cyrus & Julie have retired. Thank you for your patronage, and for choosing us. It has been a pleasure. The shop is closed.”
A dozen years ago, “06880” gave a shout-out to Cyrus. In the Comments section, Kim Crowther Manning described her first encounter with him:
“What a wonderful, kind, generous and talented man Cyrus is! I will never go to any other florist ever again…. He is a true artist.
“He was hard at work, surrounded by bits of stems, leaves and heads of flowers, scissors, hot glue and wire. He told me at first that he wouldn’t have the time to create a corsage for me, but then had his son (I think it’s his son?) show me an extra one he had made that was in a box in the refrigerated room behind is workstation which was stacked with probably 30 other boxes of corsages and boutonnières waiting for pick-up. Even that room was like a museum full of his beautiful work.
“I joked that if I bought this corsage it would be the most expensive corsage ever, considering that I had already spent $30 on another one elsewhere. With that Cyrus said “oh, I can’t let you do that” and took $5 off his price.
“I was ready to buy it as is and leave him to his work, but he took it out of the box and began walking around the shop looking for flowers he could add to match my son’s prom date’s dress. He brought the corsage and the other flowers he chose back to his workstation and began to recreate the corsage, turning what was already a work of art into a masterpiece!
“While he worked we chatted about his shop and his clients. It was very easy to see his passion for his work. He told me he hadn’t slept the night before because he was worrying about how he would get everything done – he puts so much care into each piece he creates that it takes time and he gets overwhelmed sometimes.
“But he wasn’t complaining. He said, ‘this is how I know things are good – when I can’t sleep I know I’m doing well.'”
Speaking yet again of the weather: This igloo on Tamarac Road caught several “06880” readers’ eyes:
(Photo/Tom Cook)
At first glance, it looks like a clever, creative use of time and energy.
But we also wonder about its adherence to town regulations.
Is it a legal ADU, or some other type of structure? Does it have the required building permits? Is it within the proper setback? Was a wetlands study conducted? Has the fire marshal checked it for exits? Is it ADA-compliant? Might it be considered a blight property?
So many questions … so few answers …
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Speaking (still!) of the weather: With daytime temperatures far below freezing, last Sunday’s snow ain’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
(Nor will they. Today’s high is predicted to be 20. Tonight’s low will be … are you ready? … 1 degree.)
Readers continue to sent photo of their (least) favorite piles. This one’s at Saugatuck Elementary School:
What may be Westport’s last large open residential lot has been sold.
Two boldface names are involved in the transaction.
Marc Lasry — the billionaire hedge fund manager and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner, who lives on Beachside Avenue — bought the 12.3-acre 109 Morningside Drive South property for $7 million.
The seller — Wildflower Haven LLC — is run by Shonda Rhimes. She too lives elsewhere in Westport. Rhimes bought it in 2022, for $5.925 million.
For many years before that, it was owned by the Kowalsky family.
Lasry tells “06880” that he has 5 children, and may build homes there for 2 or 3 of them. The land will not be subdivided for a dozen homes, as many Westporters feared when it was on the market.
But nothing will happen soon.
“There is absolutely no rush,” Lasry says.
109 Morningside Drive South is the vast open space at the center of this aerial view. It is bordered by Clapboard Hill Road and Turkey Hill Road South.
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Walking around town is treacherous, after the weekend’s snow.
This is the scene on Post Road East, near Turkey Hill Road North and Harvest Commons:
Meanwhile, the Westport Downtown Association has this message for residents:
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Tired of being cooped up indoors?
Friends of Sherwood Island State Park is hosting a “Love Yourself, Get Outdoors” event on (appropriately) Valentine’s Day (February 14, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.)
Linda Gottlieb of FitTraining will lead the session. Organizers say: “Practice green exercise. Experience ‘forest bathing.’ Learn to use the ‘nature pyramid’ to guide your exercise.”
It’s free, and everyone is welcome. Dress in layers; it’s windy at the bach.
If recent weather has you thinking of warm sun: Head to VFW Post 399 on Thursday.
This week’s “Jazz at the Post” features The Caribbean Jazz Connection. Its leader — drummer Jim Royle — has been crossing genres of jazz and Caribbean Latin styles for years.
The band includes his former student and steel pan player Bryan Garbe. The Fairfield native is now an internationally acclaimed percussionist; bassist John Mobilio, and pianist Dave Childs.
And finally … happy birthday, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!
In just 35 years, he wrote over 800 pieces, in virtually every classical genre: symphonic, concertante, chamber, opera and choral repertoires. He is considered one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.
(“06880” is nearly 17 years old — half of what Mozart was when he died. We’re not comparing ourselves to him. But we do work pretty hard. Please click here to support our efforts. Danke schön!)
Of course, some folks ventured outside. Here’s what they found:
9 am.: Post Road East. (Photo/Colin Livingston)
9 a.m.: Fire headquarters (Photo/Colin Livingston)
Off Whitney Street. (Photo/Richard Fogel)
Off Wilton Road: Not a snowman — but it could be! (Photo/Chuck Greenlee)
I-95 southbound, between Exits 18 and 17: the view from an ambulance. Thankfully, photographer Jonathan Alloy says, “people are staying off the roads.”
Another view of I-95. Photographer Susan Garment reminds drivers to have both headlights and taillights on during snow and rain. Running lights are only on the front.
Dart, on Guyer Road (Photo/Bill Downey)
Railroad bridge: Maple Lane, near Greens Farms train station. (Photo/Seth Schachter)
Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Seth Schachter)
Robin and Griffin at Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Nico Eisenberger)
Frozen Compo Beach … (Photo/Tammy Barry)
… with a bit of recreation there … (Photo/Tammy Barry)
… while bundled up against the cold. (Photo/Tammy Barry)
Sherwood Island State Park: Don’t believe everything you read. (Photo/Bruce Geller)
In 2018, a Westport woman — a realtor, marathon runner and member of the Zoning Board of Appeals — was paralyzed when she stepped outside her house during a storm. A tree branch fell, breaking her neck.
Be safe in treacherous weather, a reader says.
Which reminds us: If any resident needs help of any kind today, please click “Comments” — and/or email 06880blog.org.
Our readers — and “06880” — will do our best to help. No promises, but this is what our community is all about.
Online, and in real life.
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It goes without saying, but the Westport Library and Westport Weston Family YMCA are both closed today. (Along with probably everything else.)
In addition, all Library programs have been canceled through Monday. Among those impacted:
The following programs will be rescheduled, for dates not yet determined:
These Children’s programs will be canceled for Monday, returning as scheduled February 2: Rhythm & Rhyme, Tummy Time Midday, Near Peer Homework Help, and Crafternoon at the Library.
As of now, Near Peer Homework Help is still on for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
This 2016 scene may look familiar today. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
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Meanwhile, this was the scene yesterday.
The temperature did not reach 20. But that did not stop intrepid dogs — or their owners — from heading to Compo Beach for some quality, pre-snow time.
Six major school construction projects across Connecticut are on the state’s building priority list for 2026.
And one of the 6 is Long Lots.
The New Haven Register reports that after districts apply for grants, the state Department of Administrative Services reviews applications, compiles a priority list, and presents it to the governor’s office and legislature’s School Construction Project Priority List Review Committee.
The committee unanimously approved the 2026 list earlier this month. It now goes to the state legislature for funding.
The amount depends on the reimbursement rate, calculated by the Department of Administrative Services based on each town’s wealth. (Hat tip: Bill Dedman)
The Chamber of Mothers is a national, nonpartisan coalition working to advance maternal health, paid leave, and economic equity for families. Our Connecticut Chapter is focused on building awareness and advocacy right here in our state.
Westporter Jessica Hill co-facilitates the Connecticut chapter. On January 28, they’re sponsoring a social media day of action, to shine a light on Connecticut’s paid leave programs, help educate employees about their rights, and encourage businesses to celebrate and promote their own family-friendly policies.
Participants can share one or more images on their feeds or stories, along with tags (@ctpaidleave and @chamberofmothers), hashtags (#CTPaidLeave) and the link ctpaidleave.org.
Chabad of Westport’s “Night for Our Heroes” honors Major Sagi Dovev (Res.), and wounded Israeli Defense Forces soldiers for their courage, strength and sacrifice. The event is February 25 (7 p.m.).
Since October 7, 2023, Major Dovev has volunteered full-time at Sheba Medical Center. He works with wounded soldiers and freed hostages as they rebuild strength, confidence, and hope. He has spent the past decade developing innovative training methods to build physical and mental resilience. .
Also featured: Daniel Kopylov, a fighter in the Kfir Brigade who was critically wounded in Gaza. During his rehabilitation, Daniel trained with Major Dovev, demonstrating incredible determination and resilience, becoming a living example of the strength of Israel’s soldiers.
And finally … why are we randomly offering up this song?
Well — as Bob says, “you don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows…”
(You also don’t need to donate to “06880” to read our 24/7/365 coverage of Westport. But we sure do appreciate it if you do. Please lick here — and thank you. PS: It’s a lot more fun than shoveling.)
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!)
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