The initiative aims to reduce single-use plastics, and expand water-filling stations around town. The goal is to “turn shared intention into measurable, community-wide change.”
Once a month, we’ll help them highlight an area of daily life where single-use plastic is most common, along with practical ideas to use. This month, we focus on a space filled with plastic: the kitchen.
Walk into almost any Westport kitchen, and you’ll find plastic.
It’s what you flip pancakes with, wrap leftovers with — it’s even in your morning coffee.
Because plastic is so quiet and convenient, we’ve let it become part of the family.
But this guest has overstayed its welcome. It is leaching into our lives.
Glass products, and a reusable produce bag.
The kitchen is uniquely powerful because of frequent daily use. A small change can have a big impact. A single swap — repeated hundreds of times a year — can significantly reduce waste and exposure.
Focus on High-Impact Swaps
Rather than attempting a fully plastic-free lifestyle, focus on a few changes that deliver outsized benefits:
Stop Heating Food in Plastic: Microwaving or reheating food in plastic containers can release microscopic particles and chemicals into food. Switching to glass or ceramic containers is one of the simplest and most impactful upgrades.
Wrap and Store Food Differently: Plastic wrap and disposable baggies are among the most frequently discarded kitchen items. Beeswax wraps, reusable silicone bags and glass storage containers provide durable alternatives that last for years.
Which wrapping and storage products will you choose?
Upgrade Everyday Cooking Tools: Plastic utensils and cutting boards gradually wear down through heat, friction and cleaning. Wooden, bamboo or stainless steel tools reduce microplastic shedding into the food you consume, while often lasting longer.
Rethink the Morning Brew: Many single-use pods and tea bags are actually lined with plastic mesh that steeps in your cup, while creating additional plastic waste. Switch to a reusable pod, a glass French press, or a stainless pour-over, to ensure your morning ritual is just beans, leaves, and water.
Want some microplastics with that coffee?
Reduce Plastic Before It Enters the Home: Choosing loose produce, bulk items, or products packaged in glass reduces plastic exposure upstream, often without increasing cost.
Progress Over Perfection
One of the biggest misconceptions about sustainability is that it requires dramatic lifestyle change. In reality, incremental adjustments — one swap at a time — create lasting habits and community-wide impact.
By starting in the kitchen, households can lower waste, reduce plastic exposure, and help protect coastal environments. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s awareness, experimentation, and steady progress toward healthier homes.
Are you ready to kick plastic out of your kitchen? Join your neighbors, and take the UnPlastic Pledge. Start with one swap, share your progress, and help us build a healthier, plastic-free Westport.
The undefeated Staples boys basketball team was tested by Ridgefield last night.
But the #1-seeded Wreckers — talented, tough, defensive-minded and driven — pulled away late. Their 62-48 win over #3 Ridgefield at Fairfield University earned them their second straight FCIAC (league) championship.
It cements their spot in the school’s storied sports history. Before last year, Staples’ previous FCIAC title was in 1963.
Sam Clachko — the senior and one of the Wreckers’ best basketball players ever — was named Most Valuable Player. It was a fitting FCIAC finish, after missing last year’s championship with a broken wrist.
Clachko finished with 13 points. Mason Tobias had 14, Austin Heyer 12, Matty Corrigan 11 and Dhilan Lowman 7.
The blue-and-whites — now 23-0 — head to the state tournament. They’ll chase their first title there since 1937.
The Westport Fire Department is filled with heroes.
But 5 are official “Hero to Heroes.”
They’re graduates of “Hero to Hero,” a non-profit that help highly qualified military members transition to first responder careers. It’s a win-win-win — for the servicemembers, their employers, and the entire community.
On March 28 (5:30 p.m., Saugatuck Rowing Club), a special event will raise awareness of “Hero to Hero” — and raise funds for an independent film, which will raise even more funds for the organization.
The “Blue Bunny” film project is led by Rita Marcocci, a Westport resident and award-winning producer.
It’s a moving story of sacrifice and friendship, weaving between Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the present-day bond between a former commander and his soldier.
The Westport Conservation Department, Shellfish Commission and Sustainable Westport are hosting a community conversation about PFAS — the synthetics known as “forever chemicals” — in Connecticut’s coastal waters, and their effect on pollution and climate change.
The free event is March 18 (7 p.m., Westport Library). Marine environmentalist Dick Harris will examine the persistence of PFAS chemicals in aquatic environments, their movement through waterways, and emerging challenges facing coastal communities.
The search is on for a new Westport Transit District co-director.
In the upcoming 4-year term, the Transit District co-director will be expected to:
Maintain safe and dependable daily operations
Strengthen financial management and long-term planning
Pursue state and federal funding opportunities
Enhance community engagement and rider experience
Advance sustainability and environmental initiatives
The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will conduct a comprehensive process to identify qualified candidates. A background in strategic planning, budgeting and regulatory compliance is highly desirable. Eligible candidates must be registered voters in Westport.
Applications will be accepted through March. The 4-year term will begin in May.
Interested candidates for this volunteer position should email a resume and/or statement of interest, including contact information, to mlevy@westportct.gov. For more information about Westport Transit services, click here.
The Westport Swim Club does a great job preparing youngsters for the Staples High School swim team.
But the Wreckers also sponsor a dive team. To stock that pipeline, the WSC has created a new Westport Dive Club.
It’s the first — and only — springboard diving program in town.
Coach Grace Slama — who also serves as Staples’ boys and girls dive coach — is a former Taiwanese national diver, and NCAA Division I All-America.
No experience is necessary. Diving is a great activity for any child who loves gymnastics, parkour, trampolining, skateboarding, snowboarding — or any other sport!
Meanwhile, Westport Swim Club continues to grow. Over 76 boys and girls are on the roster.
They now call themselves the WSC Whale Sharks. Here’s the great back story:
Staples co-captain Charlotte Roberts began with WSC. At a recent team event, the coaches held a backstroke rock-painting contest.
Charlotte’s whale shark design won. WSC has adopted it as their new identity. It symbolizes a swimmer’s journey from youth program to high school leadership.
Registration for the Westport Swim Club and Westport Dive Club opens March 11, on the Parks & Recreation Department website.
But here’s a screenshot of a harrowing one, sent by Susan Garment.
Huge sheets of ice are falling from a Morningside Drive roof. Just moments earlier, a woman — shown walking gingerly on her driveway — walked underneath that roof.
Saugatuck Congregational Church’s Sunday Afternoon Concert Series continues this weekend (March 8, 3 p.m.). Pianist/composer Dr. Hayk Arsenyan will perform Chopin’s “24 Preludes,” and selections from Rachmaninoff’s “Op. 32 Preludes.”
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between February 25 and March 3.
A 50-year-old Pleasantville, New York woman was charged with 2 counts of assault of an elderly person, 2 counts of 2nd degree assault, failure to appear and failure to comply with fingerprinting requirements, following an investigation into a July incident in a Westport home.
Police and Emergency Medical Services found 3 patients experiencing the same symptoms. They were transported to a hospital, and all recovered. A relative was found to be linked to prescription medication, which was present in a communal water container.
The woman was held on a $1.01 million bond.
A 21-year-old Westport man was charged with assault of a pregnant woman, criminal attempt at strangulation, threatening and disorderly conduct, following a domestic argument that turned physical. He was released on a $100,000 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Texting while driving: 12 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 6
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 4
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 4
Speeding: 3
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Unsafe passing: 2
Failure to renew registration: 2
Passing a standing school bus: 1
Failure to remove snow/ice: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Articles obstructing view: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
It’s illegal to drive with an obstructed view — front or rear.
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Longtime Westporter, noted writer and civic volunteer Gloria Stashower died peacefully on Monday, surrounded by her family. She was 96.
She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1950, the year she married Mike Stashower, her husband of 72 years.
While raising 3 children she earned a master’s degree in English from Hunter College, pursued various civic endeavors and began work as a freelance writer.
The Stashowers settled in Westport in 1970. Gloria embarked on a career in corporate communications, working for CIT Financial Corporation and IBM.
After retirement she continued to take freelance assignments, and immersed herself in community activities. They ranged from the League of Women Voters and Democratic Town Committee to the boards of the Westport Arts Center, Senior Center, Westport Library and Y’s Women (serving as president of the last 2).
She loved books, theater, movies, politics and travel.
Gloria was predeceased by her husband. She is survived by her children, Susan (Paul), Debby (Michael) and Jon (Allison); grandsons Jordan, Scott and Matthew, and great-granddaughter Greer.
A private graveside service will be held, followed by shiva for family and friends at Gloria’s home on Friday (March 6, 2 to 6 p.m.). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the Westport Library.
Gloria Stashower
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Lynn Flint offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — and a back story.
(Photo/Lynn Flint)
This swan plopped itself down on Canal Street, in Saugatuck Shores. Lynn blocked the road, until Animal Control arrived.
Lynn’s neighbor Glenn Ferrari got there first. He got out of the car, and said that the swan always sleeps in the road.
Glenn clapped his hands, and said “Get out of here!”
The swan stood up, walked down to the edge of the water, jumped in and swam away.
Animal Control came a few minutes later. They thanked Lynn for helping out.
And said they’d just responded to a similar call near the Library: another swan, not budging, in the middle of the road.
And finally … on this day in 1963, country music stars Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and their pilot were killed in a plane crash in Tennessee.
(Another day, another “06880” Roundup chock full o’ stuff. If you appreciate this feature — or anything else we offer — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Staples High School’s two basketball teams have had magical seasons.
Coach Dave Goldshore’s boys are undefeated: 22-0. Coach Tommy Sparks’ girls have lost only twice; they’re 20-2.
The magic continues tonight (Wednesday). Both squads battle for the FCIAC championship. It’s a Wrecker doubleheader, at Fairfield University. The girls tip off at 5:30 p.m.; the boys follow at 7:30.
The top-seeded boys team faces #3 Ridgefield, for a rematch of last year’s final –won by the Westporters, for their first league title in 62 years.
A week ago, in the regular season finale, Staples downed the Tigers 67-49.
The #2-ranked girls play #1 Greenwich. Earlier this year, the Cardinals handed the Wreckers their first defeat, 55-42.
Now they’ve augmented it with an easy-to-follow video. What’s particularly impressive is that it includes not just successes, but “compromises” and a “fail.”
Gretchen Hoffmann — Sustainable Westport’s program manager — shows how she’s tried to UnPlastic her own bathroom.
She’s swapped out soap, toilet paper and a loofah, with great results. She’s had to compromise around her use of face care products and disposable contact lenses. She’s had the least success with shampoo and conditioner.
Gretchen talks honestly about all that in the video below.
Sustainable Westport asks for feedback, in the Comments section here or on YouTube. You can also take the UnPlastic Pledge, and let them know one swap you’re committed to making.
Westport youngsters have many opportunities to discover and thrive in the arts.
Those in Bridgeport have fewer chances.
Neighborhood Studios fills a vital role. For nearly 50 years, the non-profit has provided an inclusive, welcoming environment that offers high-quality art, music, theater and dance instruction to children of all ages, regardless of ability, background or finances.
They do it through after-school, Saturday and summer programs; partnerships with schools and non-profits; performances, and transportation and financial assistance.
Many Westporters support Neighborhood Studios.
On March 20 (6 p.m., Foolproof Brewery, Bridgeport), several local couples –Jeffrey and Laurie Gross, Jim and Lizzie Wolf, Zach and Erica Barratt, and Zack and Sheera Gross — are sponsoring a “Spring Fling Fundraiser.”
The night features live music from Sonic Bullet, food, an open bar, beer tastings, a silent auction — and of course, memorable performances from the students at Neighborhood Studios.
Speaking of young artists: The Westport School of Music combines its former fall faculty chamber concert and its biennial student chamber music concert on Saturday, March 21 (1 p.m., Pequot Library).
Faculty members will join some of the duos. The concert will feature classical jazz and pop music for voice, piano, guitar, violin, viola, cello, bass and flute.
The performance is free/ For more information, call 203-227-4931, or email smiller@wsmusic.org.
Upcoming this month at (or sponsored by) the Westport Book Shop:
An afternoon with children’s author Lauren Tarshis (March 15, 3 p.m., Westport Library): The Staples High School graduate talks about her “I Survived” series, and signs book. Participants can win prizes playing “I Survived Kahoot!” trivia.
It’s a ticketed event, to benefit the Westport Book Shop. Children’s tickets are $10, and include 1 book. Chaperone tickets (or for those who do not want a book) are $5. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Meet children’s author/social advocate/actress/producer Ebbe Bassey (March 21, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Westport Book Shop): On World Down Syndrome Day, Bassey reads from and discusses her children’s book “Anoushka’s Extraordinary Heroes.” A spunky 5-year-old and a diverse group of superheroes show that true strength comes from friendship, compassion, inclusivity, and embracing what makes us different.
March Short Story Club: March 25 (6 p.m.): The selection will be about the immigrant experience, and announced soon. Registration is required: 203-349-5141, or RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.
This Sunday (March 8, 2 p.m. Westport Library, Emmy Award-winning natural history filmmaker Kevin Bachar offers “Sharks by The Saugatuck”: stories and films for the whole family. (Arrive early, for family-friendly shark crafts).
In the event — presented by Andrew Wilk — Bachar will talk about swimming with hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, and the fearsome great white.
He’ll also show photos and videos of killer whales, on the rim of exploding volcanoes, and tracking moose in the north woods of Connecticut. Click here for more information.
In 2023, a baby shark washed up on Burying Hill Beach. (Photo/Margaret Schwabe)
The subject of last night’s Westport Country Playhouse Script in Hand series was “The Subject Was Roses.”
The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner has been performed on stage at the historic theater before. This was its first incarnation as a play reading.
From left: director Joe Delafield, stage director Faith Sandberg, actors Lenny Wolpe, Isabel Keating and Etai Benson, artistic director Mark Shanahan, stage manager Caitlyn Ostrowski. (Photo/Kelsey McFarland)
We’ve run bobcat photos before, as our “Westport … Naturally” feature of the day.
Most show them slinking around at the edge of a property.
This one — on Richmondville Avenue — came close enough Monday to pause, and pose.
Be careful out there!
(Photo/Natalie Kollman)
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And finally … in honor of Sunday’s “shark” event at the Westport Library (story above):
(You don’t need to draw out all your hard-earned cash to support “06880.” Whatever you can afford is great! Just click here. We’re not “back in town,” after all. We’re here, and not going anywhere.)
Robbie Guimond has lived and worked on the Saugatuck River for nearly 40 years. Since 1996 he’s owned and operated Bridgebrook Marina, one of the last old New England boatyards. He writes:
For a town built on the banks of a river, it’s remarkable how far we’ve drifted from understanding the very resource that shaped us.
I’ve spent my life on the water — working, boating, raising my girls while watching the tides and summers come and go — and I’m still struck by how few people here truly engage with the river that defines our history and our identity.
That disconnect is showing up now, at a moment when clarity matters most.
Robbie Guimond, at work on the river.
Over the years I’ve sat through meeting after meeting, reread the blogs, listened to the videos and talked with neighbors across town.
What I’ve learned is simple and uncomfortable: misinformation is everywhere, and it’s affecting all of us — including me.
The recent RTM meeting, and the commentary swirling around it, are just the latest examples of how quickly passion can outrun facts.
The Cribari Bridge at the center of this debate is more than iron and bolts. It’s part of our daily lives, our memories, our sense of place.
Saugatuck River (Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)
Even after the state Department of Transportation’s missteps and the mess that we were left with, I still see the bridge, its scars and its lights as part of Saugatuck’s character.
It deserves a conversation grounded in understanding, not noise.
I’ve tried — sometimes to the point of going hoarse — to explain the issues as best as an everyday guy can. I often get caught up in emotion, which drives me off course.
But at this stage, the most important thing any of us can do is: get informed. Read the Environmental Assessment. Look closely at the options that came out of more than a dozen meetings with the state. Understand what’s actually on the table.
Inspecting supports for the Cribari Bridge. Much of the recent debate has focused on the part of the bridge that everyone sees and travels on — not what’s underneath, where river traffic passes.
Because the petitions circulating right now are one‑sided. The blog comments, while heartfelt, are often tilted. And yes, my own posts and comments have their biases too. That’s exactly why we need to step back from the echo chambers and look at the full picture.
At the end of the day, we’re on the same team. We all want a bridge that is safe, suitable, and responsible to the environment around it, and the river that runs under it.
We want solutions that protect quality of life, improve traffic and commerce, and honor the history that makes this place special. Those goals aren’t in conflict —they’re connected.
But we can’t reach them if we’re arguing from different sets of facts.
The river has always been our town’s anchor. It’s time for our decision‑making to reflect that same steadiness.
(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Saugatuck River. View is from the Riverwalk, behind office buildings on Riverside Avenue. (Photo/Louisa Ismert)
Neil Sedaka — who, the New York Times said, “went from classical music prodigy to precocious songwriter to teenage idol to pop music fixture in a celebrated career that spanned seven decades” — died yesterday in Los Angeles. He was 86.
Obituaries and tributes mention his Brooklyn upbringing (he dated Carole King in high school, and Neil Diamond lived across the street).
But after achieving stardom with hits like “Calendar Girl” — and, more than a decade later, “Laughter in the Rain” — he moved to Westport, in the 1970s.
Sedaka lived in the Old Hill neighborhood for about 20 years. In 1982, he headlined one of the first benefit concerts at the Levitt Pavilion.
Several Westporters have wondered what’s going on at Gray’s Creek. A dozen or so trees have been removed just west of the Minute Man Monument, near the small burial ground of patriots killed in the Battle of Compo Hill.
“06880” reached out to the Parks & Recreation Department, which oversees the site. (It’s not in the right of way, so it’s out of the tree warden’s jurisdiction.)
Parks superintendent Nick Quatrano says that he contracted Knapp Tree, due to concerns for public safety.
The trees include black locust (invasive), black cherry, Norway maple (invasive), and a few too dead for him to identify.
Once all are removed, he’ll replant trees that can better tolerate the salty environment. Among the contenders: black pine, red cedar, thornless honey locust, and white oak.
Gray’s Creek cemetery.
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The Board of Finance will hold its formal budget reviews next month, in the Town Hall auditorium.
They’re set for March 9 (Board of Education) and March 10 (1st Selectman’s town budget).
The meetings will also be broadcast on Optimum Channel 79, and/or livestreamed at www.westportct.gov.
Westport has voted on its favorite pizzas, burgers, soups and salads.
On this year’s menu: sandwiches.
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce’s 9th annual event runs throughout March. Over 20 restaurants, delis and markets will compete in 10 categories.
Judging is done by residents, online. Each voter is also entered into a drawing to win a free sandwich, from one of the 10 winners.
The 21 competitors are: A & S Fine Foods, Calise’s, Clubhouse, Dunkin, Emmy Squared, Garelick & Herbs, Kabab & Hummus House, Kawa Ni, Lyfe Café, Match Burger Lobster, Nomade, Old Mill Grocery, Organic Market, Outpost Pizza, Pizza Lyfe, Rizzuto’s Lobster Shack, Romanacci, Saugatuck Provisions, Saugatuck Rive Café, The Granola Bar and Zucca Gastrobar.
The 10 categories are: Best Chicken Sandwich, Best Steak Sandwich, Best Vegetarian Sandwich, Best Combo Sandwich, Best Club, Best NY Deli, Best Pressed Sandwich, Best Breakfast Sandwich, Best Wrap Sandwich, and Best Fish/Seafood Sandwich. Each restaurant, deli or market may enter up to 4 categories, but can only win 2 at most.
Starting March 1, residents can visit the venues, enjoy the offerings, then vote here.
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Speaking of food: Ordering delivery is fast and easy.
Unless people at one place want different restaurants.
Starting Thursday, there’s an app for that.
Wonder comes to Westport. It’s at 1300 Post Road East, just east of Turkey Hill Road.
A press release says, “With free delivery, pickup or dine-in options at over 100 locations, Wonder features world-renowned chefs including Bobby Flay, José Andrés, and Marcus Samuelsson, alongside award-winning restaurants like Tejas Barbecue and Di Fara Pizza.”
Customers can combine dishes from a variety of Wonder restaurants in a single order. Menus are developed by Wonder’s culinary team, in collaboration with chefs and restaurant partners. Every dish is “made to order” in local Wonder kitchens.
Westport’s Wonder joins over 100 locations in the Eastern US.
The grand opening on Thursday includes a ribbon-cutting. The first 100 guests enjoy giveaways and food samples.
The Thing — the hot Brooklyn-based rock band, featuring Weston native Jack Bradley on guitar — kicked off VersoFest 2026 last night. A large, enthusiastic and multi-age crowd packed the Trefz Forum for the show.
The bulk of the 5th annual music-media-and-more festival takes place at the end of next month. But the dates did not work, so The Thing kicked off their new tour in late February, at a venue that audiences in the tri-state area have come to know is a bit out of the mainstream, but where loud music thrives: the Westport Library.
TAP Strength’s next “Effortless Effort” talk covers “Effortless Eating.” It’s March 11 (180 Post Road East, 6 p.m.
Nutrition specialist Kevin Knight will offer “a mindful approach to eating your way to your best life.”
TAP founder EJ Zebro will add practical cools to incorporate new habits of movement and mindfulness into your daily life. It’s free, but RSVPs are requested: info@tapstrength.com.
And finally … in honor of Westport’s new “Wonder” restaurant (story above):
We wonder if you know how much work it takes to provide daily Roundups — and everything else on “06880.” We wonder too if you’ll click here, to support our work. It’s no wonder we thank you!)
Marc Lemcke is a Westport resident, and a close observer of Aquarion.
Yesterday, he attended a hearing in Hartford on the proposed sale of the water utility. He writes:
You’re driving a bus at 110 miles an hour, when you see a wall in front of you. You cannot stop. Everyone on board knows: This will not end well.
Yesterday’s hearing before the Connecticut Energy and Technology Committee felt like that.
The proposed $2.6 billion sale of Aquarion Water Company to the Regional Water Authority carries enormous risk — and committee members know it.
The “bus driver” is committee co-chair Jonathan Steinberg, Westport’s state representative.
He is probably the least to blame, having warned early about the risks. Yet all eyes are on him, to see whether he can avert what could become a disaster.
The odds are squarely against him. Here’s why.
Hartford’s rushed enabling legislation, passed in an emergency session in 2024, created the state’s largest public agency. It would be financed entirely through $2.6 billion in debt. Not partially. Entirely.
Aquarion reported net income of just $33 million in 2023, according to the Connecticut Mirror. That’s the math.
The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) rejected the deal.
However, the Superior Court found that PURA misapplied the statute — essentially ruling that the regulator must operate within the legislature’s framework, not independently of it.
Next week, PURA — with newly appointed commissioners — will issue a revised draft decision and may approve the deal, pointing to the 2024 enabling legislation.
To be clear: at a lower price, this deal could offer many advantages for Westport ratepayers. RWA has strong water quality, is innovative, and serves customers rather than investors.
Meanwhile, the town focuses heavily on Aquarion’s property tax payments — which we fund through our water bills, and which will decline over time under public ownership.
The sale of Aquarion is a textbook example of what journalist Dan Davies calls an “accountability sink” — a situation in which responsibility is diffused across complex systems, making it nearly impossible to determine who is accountable when Aquarion is in trouble.
Much now rests with Representative Steinberg. At the end of a long legislative career, he finds himself again at the center of Connecticut’s utility universe — driving a bus carrying more than 200,000 passengers.
We can only wish ourselves luck — and start preparing for much higher water bills, while considering more water-friendly gardens. That may not be entirely bad.
(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Submissions may be sent to 06880blog@gmail.com.)
The good news: In less than 2 weeks since its debut, our new “06880” AI widget has field hundreds of questions.
The less-than-good news: Many readers are using it like Google search, rather than the much more robust engine it is.
Queries like “geese,” “Players,” “Staples,” “Hamlet” and “library” are not the best way to interact with our AI widget.
To get a much deeper answer — one that scrapes all 17 years of “06880” content, as designed by Westport-based Thought Partnr — you should ask things like:
“How do they manage geese at Longshore?”
“What is Staples Players known for?”
“Why was the Hamlet at Saugatuck plan rejected?”
“What activities are planned for VersoFest?”
Here’s a great example of a query from yesterday: “I’m thinking of moving to Westport with a young family. What are the pros and cons I should consider?”
Think of it as a conversation starter. The widget will respond; you can then continue the conversation, refine it, or simply walk away more knowledgeable about a local subject.
We’re all used to typing in a word or two in a search engine. We get a list of links that we then plow through.
But that’s not our AI widget. It responds in complete paragraphs, and invites an ongoing dialogue.
Bottom line: Take a few extra seconds to frame your question — just as you would with a friend. Give your AI buddy enough information to offer a complete, detailed response.
The more you use it, the better you’ll get.
And the smarter our AI widget will become too.
PS: Coming soon: AI for our “06880” app.
The arrow points to our AI widget.
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Emmy, Grammy and 6-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald returns to the Westport Country Playhouse May 19, for an encore evening of music
The singer/actor — a National Medal of Arts recipient, and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People — last appeared here in February of 2024.
For 4 hours yesterday morning, volunteers from the Saugatuck Congregational Church Missions Board, the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Sunrise Rotary unloaded supplies at the church, then packed 12,500 shelf-stable meals — with oatmeal/apple/vitamin packets — for a program run by EndHungerNE.
Norwalk and Wilton Rotarians helped too, along with other Westporters.
Then, they delivered the cases: 22 to the Gillespie Center, 20 to Open Door in Norwalk, and 14 to a food pantry in Norwalk.
At a time of rising food insecurity, they will fill a great need. (Hat tip: Mark Mathias)
Assembly line volunteers, at Saugatuck Church. (Photo/Katie Phillis)
Yesterday’s Roundup included an item about a new bird flu in the tri-state area. It’s killed more than a dozen geese, at Compo and Burying Hill Beaches.
That’s not all. A dead red-breasted merganser was found in a yard near Compo.
The disease does not seem to affect humans. But be careful out there!
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Longtime Westport teacher and women’s issues volunteer Patricia MacBride Hendrickson died peacefully at her Maine home in June. She was 95.
After graduating in 1952 as a biology major from Brown University, she worked in microbial genetics at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. After traveling solo in Europe, she married Donald Hendrickson, a chemical engineer, in 1955. They lived in Westport for 40 years before moving to a retirement community in Topsham, Maine in 2006.
For 2 decades, Pat taught advanced biology and ecology courses at Staples High School. She was enriched by her students, and her passion for the subject inspired many to choose careers in the sciences.
She received honors for her work as regional director of the Brown University National Alumni Schools program.
After retiring in 1991 Pat was active in politics, serving as president of the Democratic Women of Westport. She was one of 6 founders of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale. She served on the board for 6 years, including positions as vice president, president and admissions director.
A passionate believer in women’s personal liberty, she initiated in 1993 an all-volunteer security escort service for the Summit Women’s Center in Bridgeport, and coordinated the effort for a decade.
She received awards and recognition from CT Naral, CT NOW and the National Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
In 2003, she was co-founder and president of the Rosie Fund, the first abortion fund in Connecticut, which supports needy women’s right to choose. She was a longtime board member and then the President of the Y’s Women of Westport, a large women’s group in Westport.
Pat enjoyed travel, the natural world, wildlife, birding and botany. She traveled extensively, including Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Africa, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Alaska and the Virgin Islands.
After the death of her husband in 2012 she remained engaged in national and local politics. She traveled to visit family, hosted friends and family at her home, and took excursions and vacations to beautiful locations in Maine.
Pat is survived by her children Andrew, Laura Hendrickson (Rupert Stasch) Rupert Stasch and Julia, and granddaughter Madeleine. She was predeceased by her husband Donald, fraternal twin sister Pamela MacBride Colgate, and a brother, Roger MacBride.
A private burial will be held at the family plot on Cape Cod. Contributions may be sent to The Brown University Elise Lea MacBride Memorial Book Fund, Office of Planned Giving, PO Box 1893, Providence, RI 02912.
And finally … today marks the actual birthday of George Washington.
The Father of Our Country was born on this date 294 years ago — in 1732.
For decades, Americans celebrated this as a federal holiday. It has since morphed into Presidents Day, on the third Monday in February. The idea is to honor all Presidents (including Abraham Lincoln, born February 12) — and give everyone a 3-day weekend, while goosing sales of mattresses and cars.
An instrumental piece called “The President’s March” was composed by Philip Phile in 1789 to honor Washington’s inauguration. Joseph Hopkinson added lyrics in 1798. The song became very popular, and was often performed at official events.
The town has released the bid document for a new food and beverage concessionaire at Compo Beach and Longshore.
Parks & Recreation Department director Erik Barbieri tells “06880” that he will visit all applicants, to see how they operate their current businesses.
His hope is for the new concessionaire to be ready to operate this summer. If not, interim arrangements will be made for food and beverage services.
It’s a time for “reflection, self-love, and ending relationships that are no longer working.” (That’s what Google says, anyway.)
Sustainable Westport knows a thing or two about breaking up, too.
They’ve rolled out a community-wide initiative to reduce the town’s use of plastics — especially single-use — and expand public water-filling stations.
As part of the “Un-Plastic” movement, they’ve begun a social media campaign to help Westporters “break up” with the synthetic material.
It’s pretty clever. You may recognize several neighbors in the video (click here or below). It’s also available on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Parents: Want to know more about “Today’s Weed and Teen Mental Health”?
That’s the title of a session led by Dr. Amy Swift, who oversees in-patient services at Silver Hill Hospital. The event is co-sponsored by Positive Directions and the Mid-Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project.
It’s this Wednesday (February 25, 7 p.m.), with both in-person (New Canaan High School) and virtual options. Click here for more information.
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After weeks of sold-out houses, standing ovations and enthusiastic word-of-mouth, this is the final weekend for the Westport Community Theatre production of “Looped.”
Performances are set for today (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sunday, 2 p.m.), in the lower level of Town Hall.
The play is set during a 1965 recording session, where Tallulah Bankhead must re-record (“loop”) a single line of dialogue for a film. What should take minutes stretches into hours as the star clashes with the weary film editor and practical studio manager.
Sharp wit gives way to honesty, revealing the vulnerability beneath the bravado while turning a hilarious backstage story into something unexpectedly moving.
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