Category Archives: History

Roundup: Flood Alert! And Following Up: Compo Parties, Mill Pond Shellfishing, 9/11 …

Posted on September 13, 2026 | 6 comments

The National Weather Service has extended its flash flood warning for the area until 11 a.m.

About 2 1/2 inches of rain have already fallen. Additional rainfall of 2 more inches could occur. Be safe and smart!

Pumpkin Hill and Colony Roads (Photo/Kimberly Paris)

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A Compo Beach resident who requests anonymity writes:

I want to share what our neighborhood has seen over the past 7 days, in case it isn’t already on the town’s and citizens’ radar.

  • Sustained reckless driving and speeding on Compo Beach Road and Soundview Drive, including late at night.
  • 2 gatherings of 300-plus young people on the beach. Several attendees said they were freshmen at Staples High School. There was open drinking and littering.
  • Each of the following mornings, the beach, seawall and road were covered in bottles, cans and trash.

On Friday night, at least 7 police cars were on the beach. Working alongside a Parks & Recreation Department supervisor, they kept the situation under control, dispersing a crowd of 300 quickly and calmly.

It was genuinely impressive, and they deserve credit for it.

Compo is one of the best things this town gives its kids. A night on that beach with friends is exactly what a place like Westport should want for them.

What gives me pause is the combination — a crowd that size, alcohol, fast cars, and an unlit road with no separation between pedestrians and traffic.

It’s fun — until the night it isn’t.

Friday night’s Compo Beach party.

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Speaking of the beach: The other day, our Roundup linked to a breathless story in the Connecticut Centinal, which charged that hundreds of “illegal aliens” were illegally shellfishing in Westport every night, “until there is nothing left.” And that no one in our town cared.

I noted that Media Bias/Fact Check calls the oddly spelled Centinal “an extreme right-biased imposter website (rated) Questionable based on the promotion of propaganda, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, poor sourcing, and false claims.”

Bingo!

Westport Animal Control officer Peter Reid spoke to Corporal Brendan Fearon of the Westport Police Department’s Marine Division.

He told Reid the WPD has been monitoring Sherwood Mill Pond. The current activity is for blue crabs only — which is legal.

Fearon said the Mill Pond is closed to shellfishing, and that during inspections they have not seen any shellfish in the buckets. He has also not seen any juvenile terrapins, a concern of Reid’s.

Fearon added that the large groups that were there a couple of summers ago (and were commercial operations) are a thing of the past. Numerous arrests were made. He noted that the current crabbers are mostly families.

This Connecticut Centinal photo purported to show illegal shellfishing.

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Former Y’s Men president Dewey Loselle honored 9/11 last week, with a deeply personal remembrance at the group’s first meeting of the season.

In 2001 Loselle — who later served as Wesport’s town operations director, under 1st Selectman Jim Marpe — was a partner in a consulting firm, with offices near the World Trade Center.

He had gone to the Port Authority for a morning meeting, and narrowly escaped from the 63rd floor of the North Tower after a hijacked plane struck the building at 8:46 a.m.

Loselle described the thunderous impact, the building’s violent swaying, and the immediate decision to leave everything behind and head for the stairs.

In a vivid account, Loselle recalled the extremely narrow, crowded, smoky stairwells; the uncertainty over what had happened, and the courage of fellow evacuees and first responders.

He spoke of encountering a man in a wheelchair and his companion, who later perished while awaiting help, as well as members of Fire Department Rescue Company 1 climbing upward in full gear.

Loselle and his team eventually escaped into the chaos outside, where debris fell, people fled in every direction, and the collapsing towers sent a massive dust cloud through Lower Manhattan.

Loselle described his wife Susan reaching his cell phone in the stairwell before communications failed, and the hours she spent not knowing whether he had survived.

His presentation was both an account of survival, and a plea to preserve the memory of those killed.

Dewey Loselle, speaking to the Y’s Men. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

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Mia Dillon is a Westport Country Playhouse favorite.

She debuted there in 1979, and has performed often since then. Her nexxt appearance is tomorrow (September 14, 7 p.m.), in the Script in Hand play reading of “The Next Best Thing.”

Dillon plays Jo, an outspoken and wildly inappropriate grandmother who takes issue with the impeccably polite android version of herself created to replace her after she dies. The play asks: Should we embrace what’s difficult about the people we love, or settle for a more acceptable alternative: the next best thing?

Click here for tickets, and more information. 

Mia Dillon

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Cleaning your closet for a new season?

Donate gently used clothing and accessories — and anything new and unworn, too — to the Westport Woman’s Club. They’re gearing up for their annual sale. Proceeds benefit the WWC food closet, need-based student scholarships, and grants awarded to local charitable organizations.

Tax-deductible donations are accepted weekdays (10 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m.) in the coat room of the WWC (44 Imperial Avenue), The sale is November 13-15.

Items include women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, boots, handbags, scarves, jewelry, and other accessories. Undergarments, lingerie and bathing suits, are not accepted.

Local retailers are invited to donate surplus inventory too.

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Chili time is near.

A highlight is always the VFW’s Chili Cook-off.

This year’s event — the 4th annual fundraiser, supporting Westport’s first responders and veteran community — is Saturday, October 17 (6 to 8 p.m. VFW Post 399).

Attendees vote for their favorite, among a wide variety of homemade recipes. There’s plenty of other great food, a 50/50 raffle, and a healthy heaping of community spirit. Tickets are $25, at the VFW in advance or at the door.

Questions? Email vfw399ct@gmail.com, or call 203-227-6796.

Dig in! (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

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The Sweet Remains brought their folk-pop harmonic vibe to the Levitt Pavilion last night.

A large crowd packed the outdoor theater for the locally based, broadly loved band.

Last night at the Levitt.

Three special appearances offered a special added bonus: front man Greg Naughton’s wife, Broadway star Kelli O’Hara, and their two talented children, Owen and Charlotte.

Greg Naughton (left), Kelli O’Hara, and the Sweet Remains. (Photos/Susan Garment)

There’s more to come at the Levitt this week:

  • Tonight (Sunday): 7 p.m. Brian López Electric Trio
  • Tuesday, September 15, 7 p.m., Comedy night
  • Wednesday, September 16, 7 p.m., Westport Community Band
  • Thursday, September 17, 7:30 p.m., Barboletta: Tribute to Santana.

Click here for details.

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In a survey of 2,000 Americans, 35% say 2026 is “stressful.” Almost a third call it “challenging.” 37% say life feels out of control.

No surprise. But Westport author Caroline C. Barney’s new book — “Connected: From Stuck to Thriving in the Middle of the Chaos” — arrives at exactly the right time.

She was named to Ad Age’s “40 Under 40,” and worked with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to the White House. That career taught her a lot about strategy, narrative, and what makes people move.

Barney says that feeling connected — to who they really are, to the beauty of life with others, and to a belief bigger than themselves — helps people thrive at home, at work and in their  community. Click here to learn more about her “connections” work.

Caroline C. Barney

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To all in the “06880” who celebrate, we echo the sign on Pumpkin Hill Road: L’shana tova!

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Former Staples High School girls soccer coach Dr. Jesús Zornoza died peacefully last weekend. He was 79, and lived in Ridgefield.

The Madrid native began practicing radiology in 1974 at MD Anderson in Houston. He published extensively on cancer imaging and needle biopsy techniques, as well as authoring and editing a book on percutaneous needle biopsies.

In 1983, Jesús joined the radiology group at Danbury Hospital. After 20 years practicing medicine he retired, and devoted much of his time to soccer.

He coached youth teams, and became president of SCOR (Soccer Club of Ridgefield). From 1991 to 1994 he coached the Staples girls varsity team to a 44-20-4 record.

He then began a second career as a referee and league administrator. In 2005 he was inducted into the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and in 2010 into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame.

Jesús was also an avid gardener. He was a caretaker of orchids and bonsai trees. He was devoted to his flock of farmyard chickens. ain.

Jesús is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jeanne; their children Andrew Zornoza (Evelyn) and Pippi (Sean Campbell); grandson Rafael Francis Zornoza, and siblings José, Enrique, Maria and Loreto Zornoza. He was predeceased by his sister, Pilar.

Family and friends will be received on Saturday. September 19 (2 to 4 p.m., Kane Funeral Home, Ridgefield). In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jesús Zornoza Memorial Soccer Referee Scholarship Fund.

Dr. Jesús Zornoza

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature looks like a painting.

But it’s a photo. “Liquid sunshine” is the way Rindy Higgins describes this Saugatuck Shores scene.

“Gorgeous, is our call.

(Photo/Rindy Higgins)

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And finally … on this date in 1814, Francis Scott Key composed the poem “Defence of Fort McHenry” during the War of 1812’s Battle of Baltimore. It later became the American national anthem: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

(O say can you … click here to support “06880”? It’s a very patriotic — or at least, generous — thing to do. Thank you!)

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Posted in Environment, History, Obituaries, religion, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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Friday Flashback #520

Posted on September 11, 2026 | 3 comments

Today — on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001 — we remember and honor 4 men with Westport ties.

All were in their 30s, working at the World Trade Center. All lost their lives in the terrorist attack.

All were bright, energetic, and well-loved. All had already accomplished a great deal, and looked forward to doing more. All had much to live for.

All left behind families and friends, who will miss and mourn them forever.

Keith Coleman and Scott Coleman were brothers — 34 and 31 years old, respectively.

They had gone through Westport schools, and worked together on the 104th floor in the World Trade Center’s north tower.

Keith, a noted Staples High School wrestler, graduated from Bucknell University. After working in London for 6 years he became a senior vice president and partner at Cantor Fitzgerald, responsible for its equities derivatives department. He brought his brother into the firm.

Keith married his college sweetheart. They lived in New Jersey, with their son and 4-month-old daughter. (Click here for a stirring speech by Keith’s son Vaughn, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11.)

Scott attended Staples, the Lawrenceville School and Colgate University (where he played soccer, and was one of the leading scorers in its history), then earned an MBA from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. In 2003, Colgate dedicated a new gateway to their soccer field in memory of Scott and other 9/11 victims

Scott lived in Weston, and was an equities broker. He was engaged to be married, when the hijackers struck.

Every year, the Westport Soccer Association awards scholarships in Scott and Keith’s names, through the Coleman Brothers Foundation.

Scott (left) and Keith Coleman

Jonathan Uman, 33, was a managing director of corporate development for eSpeed Cantor Fitzgerald, working on the 105th floor of the north tower. He lived in Westport, with his wife Julie and 2 young children. A donation from a foundation created in his name after his death went to the Westport Fire Department.

Colleagues remember Jonathan’s intellect, curiosity, wit and fairness. His many interests included Shakespeare, music and art. (Click here for a remembrance of Jonathan.)

Jonathan Uman

Bradley Vadas, 37, was a senior vice president with Keefe Bruyette & Woods, considered a top trader. He was working on the 89th floor of the south tower.

Bradley grew up in Weston, and had homes in Westport, New York and Wyoming. He graduated from Boston College with a degree in economics. He was passionate about chess, softball at Compo Beach, boating and fishing. He was about to become engaged. (Click here for Bradley’s obituary.)

Bradley Vadas

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Blue Skies, A Bicycle, And A World Changed Forever

Posted on September 11, 2026 | 3 comments

No matter what else goes on today — September 11, 2026 — the shadow of September 11, 2001 hangs over us all. 

That horrible day changed our lives forever. We know it now — and we sensed it then.

Here’s what I wrote 3 days later — September 14, 2001 — in my Westport News “Woog’s World” column.

It was a bit past noon on Tuesday, the Tuesday that will change all of our lives forever.

Fifty miles from Westport smoke billowed from what, just hours before, was the World Trade Center.

A number of Westporters once worked there. The twin towers were never particularly beautiful, but in their own way they were majestic. Whether driving past them on the New Jersey Turnpike, flying near them coming in to the airport, or taking out-of-town friends or relatives to the top, we took a certain amount of pride in them.

We’re Westporters, but in a way we’re also New Yorkers. The World Trade Center symbolized that, though we live in suburban Connecticut, we all feel in some way connected to the most exciting, glamorous, powerful city in the world.

And now that same city was under attack. From the largest McMansion to the most modest Westport home, men and women frantically tried to make contact with spouses, relatives and friends who work in downtown Manhattan.

The iconic 9/11 photo was taken by Westport’s Spencer Platt. He lived near the Twin Towers on that awful morning.

At Staples High School, teenagers who grew up thinking the worst thing that can happen is wearing the wrong shirt or shoes, were engaged in a similar quest.

Many of their fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers work in New York. Many others knew loved ones who were flying that morning, or in Washington, or somewhere else that might possibly become the next city under siege.

Meanwhile, on Whitney Street, a pretty young woman dressed in her best late-summer clothes rode a bicycle down the road.

It was, after all, a beautiful day. Along the East Coast there was not a cloud n the sky — not, that is, unless you count the clouds filled with flames, dust and debris erupting from the collapse of the World Trade Center.

It was a perfect day to ride a bicycle, unless of course you were terrified you had lost a loved one, were glued to a television set wherever you could find one, or were so overwhelmed by grief and rage and fright and confusion because you had no idea what was next for America that riding a bicycle was absolutely the furthest thing from your mind.

On the other hand, perhaps riding a bicycle was exactly the right reaction. Perhaps doing something so innocent, so routine, so life-affirming, was just was some of us should have been doing.

If tragedy teaches us anything, it is that human beings react to stress in a variety of ways. Who is to say that riding a bicycle is not the perfect way to tell Osama bin Laden, or whoever turns out to be responsible for these dastardly deeds, that America’s spirit will not be broken?

But I could not have ridden a bicycle down the road on Tuesday. I sat, transfixed, devouring the television coverage of events that, in their own way, may turn out to be as transforming for this world as Pearl Harbor was nearly 60 years earlier.

I could not bear to watch what I was seeing, but neither could I tear myself away. Each time I saw the gaping holes in those two towers, every time I saw those enormous symbols of strength and power and (even in these economically shaky times) American prosperity crumble in upon themselves like a silly disaster movie, the scene was more surreal than the previous time.

Life will be equally surreal for all of us for a long time to come.

I wondered, as I watched the video shots of the jet planes slam into the World Trade Center over and over and over again, what must have been going through each passenger’s mind.

Like many Westporters, I fly often. Like most I grumble about the delays and crowded planes, but like them too I feel a secret, unspoken thrill every time the sky is clear, the air is blue and the scenery terrific. Tuesday was that kind of day.

For the rest of my life, I suspect, flying will never be the same. And the increased security we will face at every airport, on each plane, is only part of what I fear.

So much remains to be sorted out. We will hear, in the days to come, of Westporters who have lost family members and friends in the World Trade Center. We will hear too of those who have lost their jobs when their companies collapsed, either directly or indirectly, as a result of the terrorism.

Sherwood Island State Park is the site of Connecticut’s official 9/11 Memorial. (Photo/David Squires)

We will drive along the New Jersey Turnpike, or stand on a particular street in Manhattan, perhaps even take out-of-town guests to gaze at the landmark we will come to call “the place the twin towers used to be.”

Our casual grocery store and soccer sideline conversations will be filled with stories: who was where when the terror first hit, and what happened in the hours after.

Our newspapers and airwaves will be clogged with experts trying to explain — though that will never be possible — what it all means for us, in the short term and long term, as individuals and a society.

Our world has already changed, in ways that will take years, if not decades, to understand. We are nowhere close to comprehending the meaning of all this.

The world will go on, of course. Our planet will continue to spin; men and women will continue to commute to New York, and pretty women in Westport will continue to ride bicycles down Whitney Street.

At the same time, sadly, none of that will ever be the same.

Among the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11, 161 were from Connecticut.

Two lived in Westport: Jonathan Uman and Bradley Vadas. Brothers Keith and Scott Coleman grew up here. All worked at the World Trade Center.

They were sons, fathers and brothers. They had much of their lives still ahead of them.

Today, we remember all those killed that day. Twenty-five years later, we still grieve.

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9/11: Keith Hagel’s Story

Posted on September 10, 2026 | Leave a comment

Keith Hagel is a 1963 graduate of Staples High School. 

He lived and worked throughout Fairfield County, before retiring as a newspaper editor and moving to Maine. An earlier version of this piece appeared in the Bangor Daily News in 2023.

The morning sky on September 11, 2001 near New York City was spectacularly clear and beautiful, so different from the normal clouds and smog that even jaded, sleepy commuters like me on the train from suburban Connecticut to NYC took notice.

We were near the New York state line when the news broke. I remember one man saying, “Someone has declared war on the United States.” Another, on a cell, started yelling at his mother to turn off “The Price is Right” and watch the news.” Takes all kinds.

The train made an unscheduled stop, and a frantic young man boarded. His girlfriend worked in one of the World Trade Center buildings that had been hit, and of course he could not reach her. I hope I never again have to see such anguish on a person’s face.

I thought about a woman I had chatted with on a subway the day before. I think she had said she was on her way to start a new job at the WTC. As she said goodbye getting off, her hip brushed mine, perhaps accidentally. I noticed, but felt I’d probably never see her again. Now, I wondered if anyone else would, either.

As we neared the 125th Street station, we could see the Twin Towers afire across the river. An hour later, I would have been in the bowels of one of the other WTC buildings, connecting to my editing job at Dow Jones Newswires in Jersey City.

The unthinkable happened, on September 11, 2001.

125th Street was as far as train riders were going on September 11. If the World Trade Center had been targeted, Grand Central Station, in midtown Manhattan, certainly also might be.

To my surprise, I eventually got a dial tone on a pay phone (25 years later, extinct in New York) and called my newsroom office. No answer; the 16-floor building had been evacuated. Not that I could have have gotten there. All subway and bus service in Manhattan had been shut down.

My supervisor did eventually make it in. He had been walking to work from near the WTC when he saw the first plane hit. Any sane and/or terrified person would have run like hell in the opposite direction. He did, but a good newsperson to his core, he first called in the story.

I took a turned-around train back to Fairfield County. Little talk, no tickets collected. As I got off an hour later, grim-faced police were on the platform, probably watching for injured or traumatized people needing medical help. The next day, we would learn of the cars that sat empty in railroad parking lots, their drivers never to return.

(Photo copyright Ted Horowitz)

I drove my clunker car to my wife’s house. We recently had separated but, as parents, remained connected. Her first words to me were, “I never thought I’d be so glad to see that piece of (junk) here again.”

Her phone rang, and I answered. My college daughter in Michigan. She had been hurt by her parents’ split and was quite angry with me, with some justification.

A brief pause, then, “What are you doing here?”

I told her she should have listened to the message I had left her from the train, using a cell I had borrowed from a stranger.

There was silence, then some noises.

She was sobbing. She had thought I was dead.

Keith Hagel

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Tyler Ugolyn: A 9/11 Legacy

Posted on September 9, 2026 | 1 comment

In August of 2001, life was good for Tyler Ugolyn.

The former Ridgefield High School basketball star (and McDonald’s All-American) graduated from Columbia University that May. He had just turned 23. And he started working for Fred Alger.

Tyler Ugolyn at his Columbia University gradaation.

He was there at his desk one month later — September 11 — when a hijacker flew a plane into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

Tyler was one of 35 members of his investment firm — and 2,942 others — who died that horrific morning, 25 years ago this Friday.

Trevor was Tyler Ugolyn’s older brother — his charismatic, selfless and only brother.

Tyler Ugolyn

Trevor moved to Westport 13 years ago. He and his wife Caroline are raising 2 sons here.

Trevor has seldom spoken publicly about his connection with 9/11. But as his boys grow up, Trevor wants to make sure they, and the many other Americans born after that world-changing day hear the stories behind the statistics.

Every man and woman lost that morning left behind loved ones. Tyler’s death inspired Trevor to “live my life as he did — to be the best human being I can be, and try to fulfill his legacy.”

Which is why today (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.), Trevor will speak at Connecticut’s official ceremony. It will be held, as always, at Sherwood Island State Park. The state’s 9/11 Living Memorial is there, on a peninsula where on a clear day the Manhattan skyline can be viewed across Long Island Sound.

The memorial features stones engraved with the names of the 161 people with ties to Connecticut who were killed in the attacks.

The 9/11 memorial, at Sherwood island State Park.

This will not be Trevor’s first time at the ceremony. In the past though, he has stood off to the side.

Now, he will be a “story teller.” He will talk about Trevor’s impact on him.

He will recall the innocent men and women lost, the sacrifices of first responders, the thousands of volunteers in search and rescue, and the brave men and women of our armed forces who risked their lives in years to come.

He will talk too about the good things that came out of 9/11: “bravery, sacrifice, a feeling of community.”

And the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation. Created by Trevor and his parents, the non-profit supports youth basketball through court refurbishment, financial support for character-building educational programs, and skills clinics for children in urban areas.

All nationwide courts are named “Tyler’s Court.” A plaque installed at each says “I just love playing the game,” a quote from his high school days.

Tyler left quite a legacy. At Columbia, he enlisted players from the men’s and women’s teams to run clinics for Harlem youths. He served as a soup kitchen volunteer too.

At Ridgefield High he was a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, Safe Rides, Future Business Leaders of America, and Big Brothes/Big Sisters.

Every year, Ridgefield’s basketball program selects a special player — one with great character and spirit, a humble leader and true team athlete — to wear Tyler’s #34 jersey.

Tyler’s jersey, in the Ridgefield High School gym.

The Foundation’s website is filled with tributes.

Speaking at today’s ceremony will not be easy for Trevor. He’s a private person, but he has so much to say about his brother.

“I’ve written probably 4 books,” Trevor says. “And now I have to condense it down into 4 minutes.

After a quarter century, the grief and loss Trevor feels is still palpable.

He will never forget his brother. But — first by working with the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation, now adding his conversations with his sons and his remarks today — Trevor ensures that many others who never knew Tyler will never forget him either.

(A few days after 9/11, Jeff Pearlman wrote a very moving story about Tyler for Sports Illustrated; click here to read. In 2009, he revisited that piece; click here to read. For more on Tyler Ugolyn, click here.)

Tyler Ugolyn

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25 Years After 9/11: Turning Loss Into Legacy

Posted on September 8, 2026 | 1 comment

As the 25th anniversary of her husband Adam J. Lewis’ death in the Twin Towers nears, Patty Lewis could spend her time looking backward.

Instead, she focuses on the future.

And the future of Adam J. Lewis Academy is bright indeed.

Its preschool opened with 12 children in 2013, in a revitalized Bridgeport property. The school was the brainchild and passion project of Patty and Westporter Julie Mombello. Both were longtime friends, and educators at Greens Farms Academy.

Patty Lewis (left) and Julie Mombello

Each child it served would honor the memory of Patty’s husband, Adam. In his too-short life, the Bronx native never forgot how his own world had been transformed by an educational opportunity at the Dalton School. 

Over the next 5 years, the preschool grew to its capacity of 18 children. It was a  model for what early childhood education can be: engaging students in an innovative, enriched, nurturing environment, and bridging an achievement gap that already existed at such a young age.

The first class at Adam J. Lewis Preschool 

In 2018 the school relocated to an expanded downtown Bridgeport campus, and welcomed its first kindergarten class.

Every year after, Adam J. Lewis Academy added one grade. This fall, it reached its goal. It is now a full pre-k through 8th grade independent school, with nearly 200 students.

It is a shining success story, in a city that has not had enough of them. And — with the help of many Westporters — Patty and Julie’s school continues to change lives, one child at a time, every day of the year.

It’s a testament too that — after one of the most horrific days in American history — something good and wonderful can grow and flourish.

This year’s inaugural 8th grade includes 12 students. Four have been at the school since pre-kindergarten.

Three of this year’s 8th graders, hard at work.

Julie and Patty are excited for all 12. Part of the school year will be dedicated to placing them in appropriate high schools: Hopkins, Greens Farms Academy, Lauralton Hall, Notre Dame, Kolbe Cathedral and the like.

AJLA’s dedicated staff helps prepare students for those entrance exams. A mandatory summer program for 8th graders — part of the camp the school runs for all students — includes essay writing, interviewing skills and financial aid forms

Adam J. Lewis Academy has no theater, gym or athletic field. But they’ve partnered with organizations like Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, SquashBridge and Music Theater of Connecticut, to offer the extracurriculars that round out students’ experiences.

Adam J. Lewis Academy students and staff.

Though their growth plan — pre-K to grade 8 — is complete, Patty and Julie are not resting. Their work is not done.

They’re already looking ahead. Their goal, they say, is to continue changing young children’s lives “for the next 25, 50 and 100 years.”

A capital campaign — “Secure the Future” — has begun. The goal is $25 million.

Adam J. Lewis Academy is completely self-funded. The $5 million annual budget includes no public money.

No family pays full tuition, which covers only 8% of the total cost. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods — the investment firm where Adam worked on the 89th floor in the South Tower — has been a longtime generous donor.

Adam J. Lewis Academy 7th graders.

This year’s fundraising gala is set for September 19 (6 p.m., The Point at Norwalk Cove). As they do every year, students and teachers will show their walk, and talk about AJLA and their lives.

Those conversations are always insightful and inspiring. This year, the first class of 8th graders will make an extra special impression on guests. (Click here for tickets, and more information.)

On Sunday, Adam J. Lewis was in the national spotlight, thanks to CBS News. Caroline Lewis — one of Adam and Patty’s 4 children, who works there — pitched the story to producers.

She did not tell them her connection, until after they agreed it was a piece worth telling. (Click here to see.)

“The story of 9/11 is not done,” Caroline says in the piece. “A new chapter is being written.”

Adam J. Lewis pre-K students.

No child at the academy named for her father knew him. But his legacy is strong and alive.

Every fall, students participate in the national 9/11 Giving Day. Whether singing “America the Beautiful” at a memorial service, or — this year — packing meals for local shelters, the boys and girls at Adam J. Lewis Academy give back as much as they get.

On the 25th anniversary of a day that changed America forever, Patty Lewis says, “We’ve changed the narrative from horror and tragedy, to a sense of coming together. This is a reminder of who we as a country can be.”

(To learn more about Adam J. Lewis Academy, click here.)

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25 Years Later, Westport Will Remember 9/11

Posted on August 28, 2026 | 1 comment

On September 11, 2001 Westport — and the nation —  changed forever.

The 9/11 terrorists did more than kill nearly 3,000 people (including several with local ties.) They changed our culture, politics, and sense of ourselves.

On a strikingly clear day, we saw smoke from the Twin Towers. Sherwood Island State Park was readied as a staging area that, tragically, was never needed.

The iconic 9/11 photo was taken by Staples High School graduate Spencer Platt. He lived near the Twin Towers on that awful morning.

Westporters — first responders, and others who just wanted to help in any way possible — spent time in the rubble, and nearby.

Sherwood Island is now the site of Connecticut’s 9/11 memorial. Scholarships honor the memories of friends and neighbors we lost.

Sherwood Island State Park 9/11 Memorial (Photo/David Squires)

Next month, our town will remember both the lives lost, and the extraordinary acts of kindness and unity that followed, in a special way. Officials have planned 4 days of service, to neighbors and the community.

Residents, families, businesses, schools, non-profits and community organizations are invited to gather, serve and honor together.

The 4-day observance — September 8 through 11 — will recognize the courage and sacrifices of first responders, military members and public servants, while strengthening our community through service, compassion and generosity.

Among the activities:

  • A ceremony on September 8, with a call to serve throughout the week
  • Volunteering with a participating Westport non-profit
  • Donating food, supplies or funds to a non-profit
  • Performing independent acts of kindness or community service
  • Thanking first responders, veterans, healthcare professionals, teachers, and others who serve our town

A special page on the town website (click here) includes information about volunteer opportunities, donations, and other ways to get involved.

9/11 Memorial & Museum (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

There is also an “Online Tribute Wall.” Residents are invited to share:

  • A memory of September 11, 2001
  • A tribute to someone who was lost
  • A story of service or kindness
  • Recognition of a first responder, veteran, healthcare worker, teacher, volunteer or community member
  • A message of gratitude
  • A photograph and the story behind it
  • A reflection on what September 11 means to you today.

Submissions may include a name, or be posted anonymously.

View from the Sherwood Island 9/11 Memorial. (Photo/John Kantor)

After the 4 Days of Service and Remembrance, the town will publish highlights of volunteer participation, acts of service, charitable giving, and stories of remembrance.

For now, put September 8 to 11 on your calendar.

That time of year is always busy. School, and many programs, start up again. Organizations swing back in action. Everyone kicks into fall mode.

But 9/11 is special.

Whether you were here that day or not — or were alive or not yet born — it’s time to pause.

Reflect.

And then — as Americans did, a quarter century ago — take action, in whatever way you can.

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On Our 250th Birthday, Saluting America’s Greatest Invention

Posted on July 5, 2026 | 7 comments

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, every media outlet has tried to find a different angle.

The Wall Street Journal came up with our nation’s “most valuable inventions.”

They noted many: the light bulb. The internet. The telephone. The iPhone. Airplanes. Refrigerators. Costco. The microchip. Chocolate-chip cookies.

But the greatest — at least, according to writer Ben Cohen — is the white line on the right side of the road.

He explains:

In the 1950s, around the time Jonas Salk cracked the polio vaccine, a metallurgist named John V. N. Dorr became the champion of a different lifesaver: a white line on the right side of the road.

For years, Dorr told anyone who would listen — and everyone who wouldn’t — about his simple way of making highways safer. A line on the side of the road, he argued, would give drivers somewhere to aim their eyes at night other than oncoming headlights. It was both cheap and incredibly effective, which made it a brilliant investment. Over time, his revolutionary stripe of paint would reach billions of people and guide drivers across the planet.

To this day, you depend on it without knowing anything about it.

John V.N. Dorr (Photo courtesy of Wall Street Journal, from the Dorr Foundation)

Of course, “06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” The WSJ story — and this one — include a very important local connection.

Dorr — whose eponymous company was based in Westport, though the story does not mention it — realized that drivers naturally hugged the center line. That led to frequent collisions, especially at night and in poor weather.

And if they couldn’t stick to the center, they swerved to the side. But they didn’t know where the shoulder was.

Dorr’s proposal: paint a line on the right side of the road.

This simple white line — shown here on Compo Road South 3 days ago — was devised in 1952 in Westport.

In 1952, he proposed his idea to Connecticut’s highway commissioner. “The man in charge of Connecticut’s roads told him to get lost,” reports the Journal.

Now comes our moment in the national spotlight. (Hat tips to “06880” readers Jonathan Rosenoer, David Smith, Joseph Scordato, Eileen Lavigne. Michelle Sagalyn, Linda Stern, and Craig and Brooke Mogan, all of whom sent a link to the WSJ story.)

The next time he suggested it, he wrote to the Westport Town Crier newspaper in 1953 and offered to pay for “a demonstration test of a few miles.”

This time, he got a more welcoming response.

“Dr. Dorr’s suggestion,” the paper wrote in an editorial, “is a dandy.”

Before long, Connecticut was testing his dandy idea on a few miles of the Merritt Parkway between Greenwich and Stamford. The study found that Dorr’s line nudged cars away from the center line, into the middle of their lanes, and narrowed the speed gap between day and night. In other words, the study found scientific evidence that a single line could dramatically alter human behavior.

John Dorr’s amazing creation, on the first road it was tested: the Merritt Parkway. (Photo courtesy of Wall Street Journal)

Dorr — by then in his 80s — began pitching his idea relentlessly: to the highway commissioners of all 48 states, engineering publications, governors, a Broadway star, even former president Herbert Hoover.

It worked.

“In less than a decade,” the Wall Street Journal says, “Dorr’s line was so popular that people wondered how they ever lived without it.”

But wait! There’s more!

The WSJ does not mention it, but John V.N. Dorr is not Westport’s only contributor to road safety.

Years before, our town was home to William Phelps Eno. Known as “The Father of Traffic Safety,” he devised the stop sign, pedestrian crosswalk, traffic circle, 1-way street, taxi stand and pedestrian safety island. He designed traffic plans for New York, Paris and London.

He did it all in Westport, in a handsome Saugatuck Avenue building near the Norwalk town line.

And — you can’t make this up — Eno did it all despite never learning to drive. (Click here for his fascinating Wikipedia page.)

So there you have it: Westport’s place, as home of America’s most important invention(s) of the past 250 years.( Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal story.)

And then — because this is Westport, and our drivers often disregard traffic lights, stop signs and everything else, including white lines — drive safely!

(“06880” is indeed “Where Westport meets the world.” If you enjoy stories like this — or anything else on our hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

William Phelps Eno was honored with a plaque at the old Westport YMCA.

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Happy 250th, America!

Posted on July 4, 2026 | Leave a comment

And here’s to the next 250!

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Posted in History, Politics

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After 26 Years, A New Westport History: 1639-2025

Posted on June 18, 2026 | 11 comments

The covers offer clues to what’s inside.

On the front is a photo of the handsome stone building that is now Massi Co.

The back shows Westport’s classic Town Hall.

If you’ve been here a while, you know the relationship. The Post Road restaurant on the front is our original Town Hall. (The current one is the repurposed Bedford Elementary School.)

Westport’s original Town Hall.

The images are from “Westport Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts.”

Bob Weingarten’s 234-page book — plus 4 appendices, and an exhaustive index — is the first history of this place since Woody Klein’s “Westport Connecticut: The Story of a New England Town’s Rise to Prominence” in 2000.

Heavy on Greens Farms (the author’s neighborhood since 2002) and on historic homes (his passion), it also features stories about Longshore, the Minute Man Monument, road names (spoiler alert: Cross Highway comes from its “crossing” of the Eleven O’Clock Roads) and more.

“Stories” is the right term. The book includes 37 “articles,” many of them originally written by Weingarten for Greens Farms Living magazine, and other publications like Westport Magazine. (He is a frequent contributor to “06880,” too.)

Weingarten is not an architectural historian by training. He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and spent 30 years in software development.

But after moving more than 2 decades ago into an 1805 barn, he devotes hours each day to research.

Old homes are of particular interest. Weingarten has obtained 359 historic plaques; curated 5 exhibits for the Westport Historical Society; served as house historian for the WHS (and now the Westport Museum for History & Culture), and spent 10 years on the Historic District Commission.

Bob Weingarten, with one of his historic home plaques. The Simon Couch Chaise House is on Morningside Drive.

This book grew out of all that. It’s an important complement to Klein’s work, and George Penfield Jennings’ exhaustive “Green’s Farms, Connecticut: The Old West Parish of Fairfield,” published in 1933.

(About that apostrophe: Weingarten addresses the centuries-old debate about the proper punctuation of Greens/Green’s Farms in depth. Spoiler alert: He prefers “Green’s,” but concludes, “Your call!”)

His exhaustive look at historic homes — illustrated with plenty of photos — ranges into areas like barn conversions (“there were a lot more than you’d imagine,” he says), and the Underground Railroad. (Spoiler alert: Though Westporters helped enslaved people on their journey north, no Westport homes have been “officially certified” as stops on the network of secret routes.)

Have you wondered about Westport’s oldest houses? Weingarten writes about them (and includes photos): 187 Long Lots Road (circa 1683), 46 Kings Highway South, 28 Compo Road North, 81 Clapboard Hill Road and 41 Kings Highway North.

(Speaking of Long Lots, spoiler alert: The term comes from land grants that were just  50 to 875 feet wide, but 10 miles long.)

The oldest home in Westport is on Long Lots Road, near the Fairfield line. (Photo/Larry Untermeyer)

Weingarten also discusses well-known Greens Farms residents, like Rodney Dangerfield, Gene Tierney and Robert Ludlum; modern topics like solar panels, and the “changing streetscape” of structures that have been moved, like the Kemper Gunn House (from Church Lane across Elm Street, to its current incarnation as Serena & Lily), and nearby Spotted Horse Tavern.

He also mentions the Red Barn restaurant, a historic structure on the other side of town from Greens Farms. It was in the news recently (after the book was published) because its owner, the Westport Weston Family YMCA, plans to build an ice skating rink on the site.

So is our historic architectural character — of homes, the Red Barn and more — in jeopardy?

Despite his deep love for old homes, Weingarten takes a measured tone: “We need to carefully study any proposal (for change) from both a preservation point of view and a property owner’s point of view. Not an easy task.”

“Westport Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts” will launch officially with an event at the Westport Book Shop on July 8 (6 p.m.). There will also be a signing at MoCA\CT, at a date to be announced. For more information, and to purchase, email rwmailbox@aol.com.

(“06880” is your source for local history, stories of past and present, and much more. We rely on readers for support. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please click here. Thank you!)

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