Jamie Walsh is chair of Westport’s Shellfish Commission.
He’s concerned about the crabbing and other activities in Sherwood Mill Pond — which, since “06880” first reported on it last month, has become even more intensive. He writes:
On Friday night Barry Lytton, vice chair of the Westport Shellfish Commission and Jonathan Goldstein, owner and operator of Sherwood Island Oysters, discovered 40 to 50 individuals in the Mill Pond both crabbing and poaching large quantities of shellfish.
I also passed by, and was taken aback by the density of individuals with nets and buckets. These are restricted beds, leased for commercial shell fishing only as of right to Sherwood Island Oysters.
Barry was there for several hours. He says, “about 40 were strictly crabbing, but 10 or so were clamming and doing plenty of it. I saw 2 groups with about 200 to 400 clams each. I tried to tell them they could get sick, and called both the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and police, with no response. DEEP dispatch said they’d send somebody, but hadn’t for 2 hours.”
One bucket of clams — among money — at Sherwood Mill Pond Friday night. (Photo/Barry Lytton)
Aside from the light pollution and disruption to the neighbors who live around the pond, shellfish resources are being poached illegally.
It seems difficult for our police to enforce, as this activity occurs at night, they are not always familiar with the regulations, and many times a language barrier exists.
DEEP conservation officers are spread very thin, and do not have the budget for enforcement.
Sherwood Mill Pond crabbers and clammers, July 2023.
We have discussed this issue recently with Colin Kelly, Westport director of conservation. He is looking into enforcement options available to us. We need to protect our resources, and this area is strictly prohibited.
Westport has wonderful open recreational shellfishing beds located in the triangle off Cockenoe. Those areas are not restricted.
Allowing this illegal activity to continue only encourages permissive illegal behavior. This is something our commission plans to address immediately.
Click below for a video of Friday night’s activity. It was filmed by Barry Lytton; the voice is Jonathan Goldstein’s, owner of Sherwood Island Oysters.
(“06880” reports often on the environment — including our beaches and Sherwood Mill Pond. Please click here to help us continue our work. Thank you!)
Speaking of music: Yesterday’s “06880” preview of CLASP‘s “Rockin’ Halloween Bash” (October 20, Fairfield Theatre Company) — a benefit for the organization providing group homes and other services for people with autism and intellectual disabilities — included incorrect information about the music.
CLASP now says that the danceable, great rock from artists like Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, Journey, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and more will be provided by Stephanie Harrison (powerhouse leader of the band Fake ID), Anthony Gadaleta, Crispin Cioe (Westport saxophonist who toured with the Stones), Pat Marafiote, Marcos Torres Jr. (Cosmic Jibaros), and Rob Fried, Band Central founder.
The pre-party starts in the FTC gallery at 6:30 p.m., with light bites. Click here for tickets, and other information.
MDSolarSciences is a Westport sunscreen and skincare brand.
On Tuesday (August 22), CEO Renee Plato and employees will travel around Fairfield County, to donate sunscreens to lifeguards, fire and police departments, and others. They’ll also offer advice and tips on sunscreen application techniques, and the role sun protection plays in maintaining healthy skin.
The event begins in Westport.
MDSolarSciences says: Sunscreen is important!
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On Wednesday, members and guests of the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston toured Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park. It was part of the group’s New York historic walking tour series.
Tomorrow (Sunday, August 20, 2 p.m.), high school sophomore and Connecticut Entomological Society member Lukas Keras leads a bug walk in Sherwood Island State Park’s West Woods.
Lukas looks forward to inspiring visitors to love the natural world as much as he does. Entrance to the state park is free for vehicles with Connecticut license plates.
Jerry Moss — the “M” in A&M records, the label behind the Carpenters, the Police, Janet Jackson, Peter Frampton and (the “A” in the name) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass — died this week in Los Angeles. He was 88.
The on-scene investigation of the “untimely death” of a 56-year-old woman — found yesterday at 11 a.m. — was completed at 12:45 this morning by the Westport Police Detective Bureau, assisted by the Connecticut State Police Major Crime unit. The investigation remains active.
The woman was identified as Jennifer Lindstrom, of 3 Oak Ridge Park. Westport Police responded to the residence after a housekeeper found her unresponsive at the bottom of a staircase leading to the basement.
Among the hidden-in-plain-sight treasures of Westport: Frazier Forman Peters houses.
Between 1924 and 1936, the architect designed and built over 40 distinctive stone homes in Westport (and more in surrounding towns).
On November 5 Histoury — a non-profit dedicated to significant buildings — offers a bus tour of 20 Frazier Forman Peters houses. Experts will offer commentary on their designs and histories. Several interior tours will be included.
Tickets are $75 for adults, $49 for students. Click here to purchase. For more information on Frazier Forman Peters, click here.
A Frazier Forman Peters house on Riverview Road with fieldstone facades, slate roof and copper gutters.
Here’s our first Halloween-related story of the year. (No, it is not Dunkin’s pumpkin lineup — although it is already available.)
This is about CLASP‘s “Rockin’ Halloween Bash.” Set for October 20 (Fairfield Theatre Company), it features lite bits from Little Pub, and live music from Band Central — the popular group made up of clients at the organization providing group homes and other services for people with autism and intellectual disabilities.
The 6th annual Westport Library event — the largest literary event in Connecticut — has just secured Stephen Graham Jones as moderator for the keynote conversation with Neil Gaiman.
Tickets are available starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 22. Click here to order. The event is free, but seats are limited.
In addition, Eric LaRocca will cap a full day of Saturday events with a staged reading of his new play, “Gentle Hacksaw.”
Tickets for LaRocca are $20, and are available now. They include a reception with StoryFest authors, small bites and a cash bar.
From left: Stephen Graham Jones, Neil Gaiman, Eric LaRocca.
A bit earlier than October — Sunday, August 27 — MoCA sponsors “Kaleidoscope,” a 1-day exhibition featuring works from MoCA Gives Back Healing Arts, as well as Camp MoCA Westport participants. Food trucks will be on site.
Oliver Bub is rowing his boat — all the way to Serbia.
Or at least, in the Balkan country.
The Staples High School 2014 Biology Student of the Year is part of the men’s eight team that will represent the US at the World Rowing Championships next month in Belgrade. He was an alternate on last year’s squad.
The 6-6, 205-pound Dartmouth College graduate was Saugatuck Rowing Club’s 2015 Most Valuable Oarsman. He lives now in Oakland, and rows for the California Rowing Club. (Hat tip: Lisa Marriott)
“Monarchs in Motion” — a free September 7 (6 p.m.) event at Earthplace — does not refer to King Charles’ recent ascension to the throne.
It’s about “understanding how insect movement and dispersal ecology informs conservation planning.” Speaker Dr. Kelsey Fisher is an “insect movement ecologist.”
There is space for 100 people. Click here to register, and for more information.
Earlier this month, the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club honored 34 members with Paul Harris Society awards.
They’re presented to Rotarians who give $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. New fellows include Holly McCarthy, Mike Hibbard, Gail Lavielle, Jeff Cohen, Helen Garten, Anil Nair, Liz Wong, Tim Wetmore, Jacquie Masumian, Karen Klein, Jen Tooker, Bruce Paul, Ron Holtz, Yvonne Senturia and Barbara Levy.
Those honored for donating $2,000 were Tom Ayres, Jane Ross, Linda Bruce, Eileen Flug, George Masumian, Mark Mathias and Carole Rubenstein.
Donors at the $3,000 level were Bill Harmer, Ann Lloyd, Steve Violette, Joe Renzulli and Arnold K. Wolgast.
Sheilan Keenan contributed $4,000; Hal Levy and Rick Jaffe gave $5,000; Bob Galan, $6,000; Brian Strong and Arlo Ellison, $8,000, and — topping the Paul Harris Society list — Eric Zielinski and Martin Burger, at $9,000.
Tessie DeMattia — a chef who worked for over 40 years with her brother Frank DeMace, the founder of Mario’s Place — died Tuesday.
Tessie is survived by her daughter, Linda Voulgarakis (John) of West Haven; son James of Dummerston, Vermont; grandchildren Dawn Blinn, Libby Mazzella, David Aronson, Nikki Voulgarakis and Harry Voulgarakis, and 4 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband Liberty Michael DeMattia, she was predeceased by her daughter Sandra Blinn; siblings Dominick, Frank, Michael and Joseph DeMace and Marie Wallacem and granddaughter Jacqueline Perez.
A funeral service will be tomorrow (Friday, August 18, 11 a.m., Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home, Fairfield). Friends may greet her family one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Alert “06880” reader Emily Lerman Taylor had a recent traumatic encounter with a strange-acting animal.
She says she’s not alone. She described her experience, and sent videos. WARNING: The videos are graphic. “Turn the sound off if you are near children,” she says.
Emily writes:
On the afternoon of August 3, I was in my front yard with my 1-year-old daughter and our 2-year-old labradoodle, when a raccoon hobbled out of the woods and, completely unprovoked, attacked my dog Riggins.
I screamed in sheer terror. When I did, the raccoon ran toward me and my baby.
Thanks to a helpful and caring neighbor, I escaped with my baby and trapped the raccoon in my garage.
I called Westport Animal Control and got an answering machine, twice.
Frantic, I called the police, explaining the situation. They dispatched Animal Control directly, letting them know I already had the raccoon trapped in my garage, and that my dog was injured.
They came, killed the raccoon, and sent it off for testing. It tested positive for rabies.
My baby and I were not harmed (physically). My dog got a nasty bite. He received medical care and seems to be healing well so far.
Because we always keep up to date on vaccinations, he is extremely unlikely to become infected. The rabies vaccine is incredibly effective. Vaccinate your pets!
(If anyone wonders why it’s important to keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date — besides “it’s the law” and “it protects the whole community” — the answer is that without a vaccination, our dog would have been euthanized).
Because many of my family members were exposed to the raccoon saliva on the dog’s fur following the incident, we are now all undergoing rabies vaccine treatment ourselves. This involves multiple shots on 4 separate days, over the course of 2 weeks.
We can only receive our shots at the emergency room, and cannot schedule them ahead of time, so we’ve spent many hours at the hospital this week.
Between that and the fevers/vomiting my children have experienced as side effects, it has been an inconvenience to say the least. But it is one that, given the circumstances, is undoubtedly worth it.
Rabid raccoon (though not the one that attacked Emily’s dog.
As for our dog, the state required he be put in a 45-day “confinement,” in the very unlikely chance he becomes rabid in the coming weeks.
We found a facility that can care for him and is trained in rabies confinement procedure, but we are devastated that he must recover from his injuries without the love and comfort of the only family he’s ever known.
Additionally stressful is the financial burden that comes with surgically treating and then boarding a dog for 45 days. But again, as far as we are concerned, it is undoubtedly worth it.
Riggins, on the mend.
This incident has been horrible for our family all around, but we are acutely aware that it could have been infinitely worse.
A rabid animal is terrifying and deadly, and my mind continues to flash to images of what could have happened had that raccoon gotten to my baby.
As the days go by, I continue to hear from people who have called in numerous reports of suspicious animals with little to no response from authoritie s— and the more stories I hear, the angrier and more frustrated I become.
In all likelihood, this raccoon had been reported on before. But until it attacked my dog and came for me and my child, and until I went to the trouble of trapping it in a confined space myself, no relevant local government agency did a thing.
I’m hoping now they will act on all calls, not just the ones involving violence and harm. Being solely reactive is only acceptable when there is no opportunity to be proactive. That’s not the case here.
Opportunities to be proactive have been abundant. The people of our community have been doing their part to protect themselves and each other. Local government agencies need to do theirs. I’m hoping these videos, and this story, can play a role in making that happen.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Board of Selectwomen yesterday agreed to a request from the Remarkable Theater to use the Imperial Avenue parking lot from August 28 through November 3.
This marks the 4th year for the popular Imperial Avenue pop-up drive-in. The “curtain rose” for the first 3 — beginning with the socially distanced season of 2020 — in late spring.
A schedule will be announced soon. Meanwhile, representatives of any organization interested in sponsoring a movie should contact Doug Tirola: doug@4throwfilms.com.
After years of COVID-fueled frothy growth, trends appear to be leveling, according to Judy Michaelis.
Some July 2023 statistics, with July 2022 (in parentheses) for comparison:
New listings: 40 (48)
Number of properties for sale: 97 (124)
Number of properties sold: 53 (48)
Average days on market: 61 (55)
Average list price: $3,023,148 ($2,752,077)
Median list price: $2,450,000 (2,137,500)
Sales price/list price ratio: 103.8% (105.4%)
Average sales price per square foot: $574 ($726)
Click here for a full report. (Hat tip: Judy Michaelis)
The most expensive property for sale in Westport right now is this 9-bedroom, 8 1/2-bathroom, 10,959-square foot home on 3 acres, at 50 Sylvan Road North. It is listed for $3.9 million.
Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between August 9 and 16.
A man at the International Wine Shop was charged with illegal sale of alcohol to a minor after 2 18-year-olds were seen leaving the store after making a purchase. He confirmed he had not checked identification of the buyer.
An investigation into the theft of a motor vehicle and credit cards led to charges of larceny, payment card theft, illegal transfer, fraud, forgery, illegal use of a payment card and identity theft.
A woman was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 5 citations
Failure to obey traffic control signal: 3
Failure to renew registration: 2
Distracted driving: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Speaking of police: Around 4:44 p.m. on August 7, Awesome Toys reported the theft of a “Traxxas” truck and art supplies.
Captured on film, the suspect appears to be 6-2, 220 pounds.
Four days later, on August 11, the same man returned. He filled 2 large bags with items, and left without paying.
Suspect in Awesome Toys theft.
Westport Police ask for help identifying the suspect. Email swongwon@westportct.gov, or call 203-341-6080.
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Two Connecticut residents died after contracting infections from a flesh-eating bacteria that can be caused by eating raw oysters or swimming in saltwater, the New York Times reports. A third person survived.
“Infections from the bacteria, called Vibrio vulnificus, are rare but extremely dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in five people who become infected die. Many survivors lose limbs to amputations, according to the C.D.C.”
People with open wounds should avoid swimming in warm seawater. Those with compromised immune systems should be careful eating or handling raw seafood.
Vibriosis is caused by a bacteria found in salt water, during warm weather. Symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever and chills, slong with ear infections, sepsis and life-threatening wound infections.
Two of the state victims had open cuts, in Long Island Sound. A third became sick after eating raw oysters, though not at a restaurant here. Their towns were not identified.
As ocean temperatures rise, infections may spread.
The Times notes,”Connecticut has seen a few cases in recent years. One person died of a Vibrio vulnificus infection in the state in 2019. In 2020, five cases were reported; all recovered. The people who became infected had open wounds and were exposed to salt or brackish water.”
Inspectors have never detected the infection in Connecticut’s commercial oysters. Click here for the full story.
Speaking of the Times: Its “Ethicist” column often tackles thorny issues.
Yesterday’s will resonate with many Westporters. A reader wrote:
I live on Cape Cod, and I have recently noticed something of a current trend in which beachgoers claim valuable (and sometimes scarce) real estate by arriving several hours early to set up chairs, blankets and umbrellas before leaving to return (in some cases several hours later) to eventually move into their pre-claimed territory.
I always thought that you had to be on hand to occupy some piece of public space. Does an empty chair or blanket constitute actual occupancy? Do such phantom claims have any merit? Would someone have the right to ignore such maneuvers by removing these chairs or blankets? If so, what should be the response to the claimant who might return to find their items no longer claiming possession?
“The Ethicist” replied:
The aim of such public space is to allow as many people as possible to make the proper use of it. That aim is undermined by absentee claims that prevent others from enjoying a spot on the beach for extended periods. It’s fine to leave evidence of occupancy if you’re just going off to get an ice cream, say, or to visit a restroom. If you do this, though, it might be wise to leave an explanatory note. (“10:15, buying a snack, back by 10:45.”) That’s within the spirit of the social convention. But your beach-blanket buccaneers are abusing this convention and effectively privatizing what should be public.
At the same time, moving other people’s things isn’t to be done lightly. You’ll certainly want to be sure that their owners haven’t just stepped away for an acceptable interval. The social conventions about claiming areas in these public settings are not, of course, precise. Half an hour or so strikes me as a good marker in most such circumstances, but take a poll among people you know. If the beach-spot hogs return while you’re around, you can show them where their possessions are and tell them that you waited for a while and assumed they were not returning. (Should you ever mistakenly displace a bathroom-breaker, you should apologize and immediately cede the spot.)
It’s best when these issues can be settled through social, rather than statutory, means. Certain beach towns in Spain, I’ll note, punish such infractions with stiff fines on beach-spot hogs; the Italian Coast Guard has even seized unattended towels, umbrellas and chairs, holding them until their owners pay a penalty. Let’s hope that at your beach, norms and social sanctions will eventually suffice to discourage these parasol-planting land-grabbers.
Remember that the next time you’re heading to the fireworks.
Or — on any day — thinking of reserving one of those South Beach picnic tables that say (quite clearly) “Tables May Not Be Reserved.” (Hat tip: Jay Petrow)
Reserving early spots for the fireworks, 2018. The arms race has grown substantially since then. (Photo/Doris Ghitelman)
Karen La Costa — a Westport Community Gardens gardener — also volunteers at Caroline House in Bridgeport.
They help women and children “reach the fullness of their potential through education in English language and life skills.”
On Monday, Karen invited co-worker Francisca, her children and Caroline House students for an afternoon in the garden.
They enjoyed identifying squash, eggplant, watermelon, peppers and all types of flowers. They were amazed at the size of Karen’s soon-to-bloom giant sunflower.
Donations of potatoes and onions from a fellow gardener were turned into Welcome Home Soup for Francisca’s mom, who arrived that night from the Dominican Republic.
Caroline House visitors, with sunflowers.
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A year ago, Bob Levy and his wife Doree joined the Westport Weston Family YMCA. They swim up to 5 times a week, and love it: the welcome at the front desk, the lifeguards, all the staff.
Six months ago, Bob noticed a woman teaching someone how to box. She introduced herself as Brenda Waldron, the instructor for a class of people with Parkinson’s.
Despite never having hit anyone (or been hit) in his 77 years of life, he told her he’d love to volunteer.
“The class has a great group of people,” Bob says. “It’s filled with positive energy and camaraderie. Boxing makes people stronger, gives them better balance, even helps with memory.” He has witnessed its benefits for people with Parkinson’s first hand.
A couple of weeks ago, he gave shirts to the group. He gave Chalk Talk Sports of Norwalk a slogan — “Knock Parkinson’s Out”; quickly, they provided a design.
On Monday, Bob handed out the shirts. Members were delighted.
“This class is a perfect example of of when one gives, they receive much more,” Bob says.
The “Knock Parkinson’s Out” class, and their classy shirts.
Two officials from the Bridgeport Rescue Mission were guest speakers at the Westport Rotary Club’s lunch meeting yesterday.
The organization provides meals, safe housing, clothing, free health care (including mental and dental), and access to other human services organizations.
Volunteer coordinator Sarah McDonagh was particularly impactful, as she discussed her personal experiences as a resident in the Addiction Recovery Program.
Bridgeport Rescue Mission development director Craig Adler and volunteer coordinator Sarah McDonagh at yesterday’s Rotary Club lunch.
The Joggers Club is warming up for the fall season.
They start with (of course) a party on Saturday, September 2 (7 p.m.).
Then they’ll begin their fun runs (which, as always, end with coffee, bagels and muffins). The season “runs” every Saturday (8 a.m. at the Greens Farms train station — “all weather, all seasons, all good”).
Track Nights are held every Thursday (6:30 p.m., Staples High School). The season “runs” from September 9 through June 29.
The Joggers Club is for all paces, distances and levels. All are welcome. Their motto is: “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.”
The cost is $50 for the season. New members get a free custom Brooks racing shirt ($32 value).
For more information, including membership, click here.
“Quiet Places” — the new show at Amy Simon Fine Art — opens Saturday (August 19), and runs through September 23.
Featured artists are Barry Katz, Paul Shakespear and David Skillicorn.
“No. 6,” encaustic over plaster (Barry Katz)
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Patricia Burrows died Monday, at her home Weston home. She was 77.
A psychotherapist for more than 50 years, she was very involved in her communities of New York, Weston, Mendocino, California, and Mount Holly, Vermont. She was also a highly regarded “surrogate mother.”
She is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Milton Wolfson; children Jordan, Jessica, Jody Emmet and Tracy; brothers Jonathan (Annie) and Kenneth (Erica Jong), and grandchildren Maximiliana Warburg, Henri Emmet, Hana Zeramby, Dylan Zeramby, Lucas Lovelace and Naomi Lovelace, and puppy Lucy.
A memorial service will be held tomorrow (Thursday, August 17, noon, Abraham L. Green and& Son Funeral Home, Fairfield, CT). Visitation with the family begins at 11 a.m.
A reception will be held immediately following the service at the family home in Weston.
Shiva is planned for Weston (Friday and Saturday August 18-19, 2 to 6 p.m.) and New York (Sunday, August 20, 2 to 6 p.m.).
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Homes with Hope.
Patty Burrows
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We sometimes think of May as “flower time” around here. That’s certainly a month of riotous colors.
But — as Susan Garment’s “Westport … Naturally” photo reminds us today, there’s plenty of vibrancy in mid-August too.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch — at least, if you’re eating in or taking out downtown.
Downtown parking though, has always been free — for 1 or 2 hours.
During the pandemic, enforcement of parking limits was suspended.
Tickets may soon return — but only after those parking limits are extended.
The second agenda item on Wednesday’s Board of Selectwomen meeting (August 16, 9 a.m., Town Hall auditorium) reads:
Acting in its capacity as the Local Traffic Authority, to re-establish the enforcement of timed parking limits previously suspended by the Board of Selectmen at its public meeting of June 10, 2020, and further, to establish uniform parking limits and times of enforcement throughout the town-managed and owned downtown parking lots known as Parker Harding Plaza, Sigrid Shultz Plaza, Baldwin, Bay Street, Jesup Road, and Taylor, and the Town roadways known as Main Street, Church Lane, Bay Street, and Taylor Place, by changing FROM the currently posted “1- and 2- hour parking” limits TO “3-hour parking” limits and enforcement times TO “8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.” And further, to request permission from the CT DOT to change the current parking term limits posted on Post Road East FROM “1- and 2-hour parking” TO “3-hour parking.”
Click here for the livestream of the Board of Selectwomen session, or watch on Optimum Channel 79. Comments may be sent to selectwoman@westportct.gov prior to the meeting.
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The 3rd agenda item for Wednesday’s Board of Selectwomen’s meeting is also of interest: a request from the Remarkable Theater to use the Imperial Avenue parking lot from August 28 through November 3 for a 4th season of drive-in movies.
From 2020 through ’22, the Remarkable’s season began in the spring.
Jacqui O’Brien was one of several readers who sent photos of a strange object seen over Westport skies last night.
Susan Leone was the first to identify them as SpaceX Starlink satellites.
They were launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was the 9th flight for the first stage booster supporting the mission.
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As first noted on “06880” over a year ago — but denied vociferously by Organic Krush — Sweetgreens is indeed moving in to Compo Shopping Center.
Organic Krush has already moved out.
No date has been announced for opening. But the fast-casual salad-based chain — which emphasizes healthy eating and sustainability, and has 158 outlets in 13 states — already has Westporters excited.
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The recent food drive for Homes with Hope’s Gillespie Center and food pantry — which included a special, fill-my-shopping-cart trip by a mother and 2 children — was celebrated yesterday, at the Sunrise Rotary Club’s weekly meeting.
The sponsors — including also the Westport Rotary Club, Westport Police Department and Saugatuck Rowing Club — presented a check for $1,105.62 to Homes with Hope.
Those cash donations were in addition to the hundreds of bags of groceries that were dropped off, as shoppers entered and exited the store.
From left: Liz Wong, Sunrise Rotary president; Rob Hauck, Rotary member; Helen McAlinden, Homes with Hope president; Paris Looney, HWH vice president, and Sunrise Rotary members Bruce Paul and Bruce Fritz. (Photo/James Wong)
The link provided yesterday by Wakeman Town Farm for their September 9 Harvest Fest fundraiser was incorrect. Click here for tickets, and more information.
But all can agree: the Smart Shots Pickleball Social is great.
The September 30 event (6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Milford Indoor Tennis) is a fundraiser for A Better Chance of Westport.
Level-designated courts will ensure exciting matches. Vendors will offer pickleball services and products. A raffle includes special prizes. The Porch @ Christie’s is providing food (available for pre-purchase).
The event is sponsored by ATP (Alan & Tina Pickleball). Click here to register. Questions? Call 203-984-1949.
And finally … anyone who saw the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” knows that Rodriguez’s story is astonishing.
The Detroit musician wrote and sang haunting protest songs. But he never found an audience, and settled into a life as a laborer and office worker.
He was “discovered” in Australia however — and then, even more so, in South Africa during apartheid. According to the New York Times:
“To many of us South Africans, he was the soundtrack to our lives,” Stephen Segerman, owner of a Cape Town record store, said in the documentary.
“In the mid-’70s, if you walked into a random white, liberal, middle-class household that had a turntable and a pile of pop records, and if you flipped through the records, you would always see ‘Abbey Road’ by the Beatles, you’d always see ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ by Simon and Garfunkel, and you would always see ‘Cold Fact’ by Rodriguez. To us, it was one of the most famous records of all time. The message it had was ‘Be anti-establishment.’”
Astonishingly, Rodriguez did not know he had fervent fans in South Africa. Equally astonishingly, South Africans thought he was dead. One rumor was a drug overdose; another, that he had killed himself onstage.
In 1998, he was discovered — alive, and living in obscurity in Detroit. He was invited to South Africa, and played concerts at sold-out venues.
He was “discovered” again more than a dozen years later, with the release of “Searching for Sugar Man” — a film about his strange but vibrant life.
Rodriguez — whose full name was Sixto Diaz Rodriguez — died Tuesday, in Detroit. He was 81.
Click here for a full obituary. Click below to hear Rodriguez.
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Sustainable Westport began as a municipal task force, appointed by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff in 2006.
Its mission is to “inspire, support and connect residents, organizations and the town of Westport, in furtherance of the town’s resolution to become a Net Zero community by the year 2050.
“Sustainable Westport advises the First Selectwoman, Westport Public Schools, town commissions and departments on determining and setting environmental policies and decisions for the purpose of transforming Westport into a more sustainable community.”
Now a non-profit organization, Sustainable Westport has watched the debate over the future of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve. The group says:
We are inspired by our community’s response to the Long Lots Building Committee’s consideration of plans to relocate the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve.
As hundreds of residents have already stated, the Community Gardens are a valuable community asset. Not only do they support exceptional programs like Grow-A-Row [providing food to underserved communities], but they are also emblematic of the type of spaces Westport wants to promote and foster – a natural resource that provides flood storage, wildlife habitat, and tree canopy while also providing an educational and enriching environment for our community.
Sustainable Westport wholeheartedly supports preserving the Community Gardens and building a sustainable school to support our town’s commitment to use best efforts to become a Net Zero community by 2050.
As a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals, businesses, and our town government in making changes to reduce our overall carbon footprint, Sustainable Westport recognizes the immense opportunity this project represents for our community; Westport has not built a new school from the ground up since 2001, and prior to that, not since 1965.
In a recent letter to the Selectwomen and the Representative Town Meeting, Save Westport Now shared several important observations about proposed plans to relocate or modify the Community Gardens and Preserve. Although Sustainable Westport was not invited to participate in the committee, our team has made every effort to attend all public committee meetings and has used our platform to encourage our community to make their voices heard.
Since last October, Sustainable Westport has shared informative content both with the committee and the public to educate residents about the advantages associated with constructing a sustainable school.
Sustainable schools deliver significant health, educational, financial, and environmental benefits to students, teachers, and communities. Not only are sustainable schools more energy efficient, leading to lower operating costs, but they also provide learning spaces that significantly improve the wellness and productivity of those in and around the building. Learn more here.
We also strongly advocated for sustainability to be included as a primary objective for the Long Lots Building Committee. In fact, the resolution appointing the committee includes the directive to incorporate “sustainable and energy efficient design practices to the extent possible into the scope of work as appropriate to achieve the best long term value for the town, in support of the 2017 resolution committing Westport to use best efforts to become a Net Zero community by 2050.”
Long Lots Elementary School was build in 1953, and renovated most recently 50 years ago. It is energy-inefficient today. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
We have been pleased by the committee’s willingness to explore sustainable options for each potential outcome: renovate, renovate and expand, or build new. Most considerations focus on energy, including solar, geothermal, ground-source heat pumps, and insulation.
However, we have also heard discussions about installing dishwashers (to reduce the single-use waste), induction stovetops, using mass timber and concrete to lower embodied carbon, implementing rain gardens and sustainable landscaping, and using grey water or a retention pond for irrigation. As these examples illustrate, the umbrella of “sustainability” is complex and far-reaching.
Our ask is simple.
Please extend your energy and enthusiasm beyond protecting the Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, a long-standing example of our community’s commitment to sustainability, by also advocating for establishing a school that aligns with the Town’s objective of achieving Net Zero status by 2050.
Let us work together to encourage the Long Lots Building Committee to both preserve our existing natural resources and create new infrastructure that reinforces our shared dedication to sustainability.
Sincerely,
Gately Ross & Johanna Martell
Co-Directors, Sustainable Westport
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