It’s a tossup which is more popular in Westport: Mrs. London’s Bakery, or Champagne.
Both were part of last week’s Photo Challenge. Seth Schachter’s image showed the unique beverage vending machine, at the Church Lane café. (Click here to see.)
That combination made this one of our easiest Photo Challenges ever.
Robyn Levy, Linda Gates, Eileen Flug, Joelle Berger, Andrew Colabella, Marjolijn Baxendale, Molly Alger, Jeri Silverman, Claudia Sherwood, Cindy Zuckerbrod, Brian Schwartz, Joelle Malec, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Lisa Hayes, Micheal Simso, Neil Cohn, Tom Felley, Wendy Schaefer, Seth Braunstein, Sal Liccione, Amy Saperstein, Micil Ryan, Karen Como, Paul Edward Cahill, Linda Vita Velez, Rachel Sara Halperin, Marina Levin-Berman, Todd Ehrlich, Tanaz Mody, John Lisée and Ivy Gosseen all correctly (and quickly) identified the spot.
We’ll drink to that!
But as slam-dunk as last week’s challenge was, here’s are 2 tough questions: Has anyone ever actually used that vending machine, to buy a bottle? Or seen anyone do it?
Who cares? It’s a cool thing to have in town.
And now on to this week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Pat Saviano)
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Wildfires in California — and now Long Island. Hurricanes in inland North Carolina. Floods in Connecticut.
No place is safe from sudden, catastrophic weather events.
Center Street, last year. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
As realtors, KMS Team at Compass highlight the many advantages of life in Westport.
But they advise clients about other things clients may not want to think about.
Like home insurance.
Our KMS friends pass along a recent report from the US Department of Treasury Federal Insurance Office. It says:
Home insurance is becoming more costly and harder to procure for millions of Americans. The costs of climate-related events pose growing challenges to insurers and their customers alike.
Average premiums increased 8.7% faster than the rate of inflation from 2018 to 2022. Some premium increases were much larger.
People living in the top 20% of ZIP codes, with the highest expected annual losses from climate-related perils, paid 82% more than those in the 20% lowest climate-risk ZIP codes.
Consumers in the highest risk ZIP codes faced 80% higher policy nonrenewal rates than those in the lowest risk ones.
Connecticut is in a high-risk zone:
The good news: While policy non-renewal rates sound ominous, during the study period they affected just 1.6% of policy holders in high risk areas.
As real estate advisors, KMS Team members talk often with insurance professionals. They learn how to avoid insurer obstacles during the selling, buying and closing process.
Tom Ayres and his team from Cross Insurance recently visited the Compass office.
To start, they said, buyers should have a trusted insurance broker run a “CLUE” (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange). A database can show claims reports, to understand what went on with a home and property over the last 7 years.
This includes loss history on structures near water — for example, claims because of water damage.
Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States.
Insurers keep a close eye on water damage. They offer discounts to homeowners for being proactive, taking precautions like installing water leak devices, lightning rods, low temperature alerts, flood venting, sprinkler systems with alerts, and automatic shut-off capabilities.
Flood guidelines will be updated again in November. All homeowners should review the updates with their insurance agent. (The Cross Insurance team believes that coverages and zones will not change too drastically.)
Grove Point flooding. (Photo/John Kantor)
Many homeowners do not have flood insurance. KMS Team emphasizes: Check with your agent!
The second most common concern is the roof.
It’s all about the age, condition, material and shape, KMS says. Those elements impact the overall integrity or eligibility for coverage.
What works in certain parts of the country may not work in another. For example, cedar/wood roofs are okay in Connecticut, but not Colorado. Metal is fine in Vermont, but not Texas.
Insurers and inspectors now use “roof scores,” determined through drone photos.
These also help determine replacement costs. If a roof is 15 years old, coverage may include 100% replacement. But as the roof ages, replacement coverage may drop.
Other home and property issues include:
Electrical system (knob and tube wires, cloth wiring)
Exterior insulation and finishing of the residence.
Renovations are an important insurance topic too. Will the work be minor or major? “Will you raze (or raise) your home?
Renovating and/or raising a home can affect insurance rates.
Coverage rates can vary, based on the use of the home and property. Is it occuped full time? Rented? Or are the owners rarely there?
The best way to keep insurance rates in check, KMS says, is to be proactive. Take steps to remedy aging elements of your home.
And keep in touch with your insurance experts. Let them know if you put on a new roof or add safeguards.
Insurance agencies work with a variety of insurance companies. They can match your home’s condition and needs with the best one.
(“06880” regularly covers Westport’s real estate scene. If you enjoy this — or any other feature on your hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
After months of renovations, Susie’s House reopens April 1.
The 124 Compo Road North residence is run by Homes with Hope. Named for former director Susie Basler, it provides stable, affordable living for 6 young women ages 18 to 26 who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
At Susie’s House they’ll get back on their feet through education and employment, eventually moving on to independent living. Each woman will have a mentor, community support and case management.
Community members are invited to a pre-opening tour next Saturday (March 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). To RSVP, email events@hwhct.org.
For nearly 25 years, A Better Chance of Westport has provided education, a home, mentors, and opportunities for a powerful future to smart, self-motivated, creative and very cool young men of color, from around the country.
It’s one of our town’s best non-profits. Hundreds of Westporters have volunteered, in a variety of important roles. And they’ve gotten as much from the ABC scholars as they’ve given.
The “Dream Event” is A Better Chance’s annual fundraising gala. Along with the food, drinks and auction items, there’s something more: inspiring speeches, from the current scholars, and those who have graduated and gone on to great success.
This year’s event is April 26 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library). Click here for tickets, and more information.
Then-current and past A Better Chance scholars, at a previous Dream Event.
The renovation of the Compo Beach playground is just a few weeks away.
Just like during its construction in 1989, and first renovation in 2006, it’s a community project.
Whether you’re a parent whose kids use it, or used to when they were younger — or even if you have no kids’ connection to this great Westport attraction — organizers are looking for volunteers to help.
Professional builders, skilled volunteers, unskilled hands — all are welcome to sign up for slots.
All volunteers will receive a playground t-shirt! Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served by community vendors.
There’s a “KidZone” on site for children (potty-trained, please!). 12- and 13-year- olds can help out there.
14-17-year-olds are welcome on the build site. They cannot handle tools, but there are many other ways to help.
Earthplace’s 4th annual Beer Garden (April 26, 4 p.m.) has something for everyone — of all ages.
Adults enjoy a self-guided trail walk with craft beer tastings, while kids sample sparkling drinks, and participate in arts and crafts.
The beer garden includes food trucks, s’mores, lawn games, and a selection of full-size beers available for separate purchase. Click here for tickets, and more information.
S’mores at the Beer Garden.
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Weston Field Club has reopened.
The private club closed in November, after “financial irregularities” caused what the board president called an “existential crisis.”
With a new general manager, there’s an open house today (Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m., 38 Ladder Hill Road South, Weston). They’ll show off their facilities, and describe their programs like aquatics, racquet sports, trap shooting and camps.
Weston Field Club is also offering summer trial memberships, for $3,000 and $5,000. Click here for the website. Click here for more details, from Weston Today.
The Aspetuck Land Trust is ready for an active spring, both live and online.
Lunch & Learn: “Assisted Plant Migration Helps to Expand Our Native Plant Palette for Climate Change” (March 28, 12 noon, Zoom webinar). How can we help plant species move north as temperatures rise? Explore the role humans play in helping move plants, as well as helping animals move more freely to aid in seed dispersal.
Plant Sale (Opens for Members April 4). ALT’s spring and fall native plant sales feature hard-to-find native plants, trees, shrubs and perennials. Plants are ordered online, and picked on weekends at the Caryl & Edna Haskins Preserve. Click here to join or renew membership.
Vernal Pool Walk with Edward Pawlak (April 12, 10 a.m., Trout Brook Valley Jump Hill Preserve; click here to register).
Earth Day Weekend Ephemeral Wildflower Walk with Vernal Pool Expert Anthony Zemba (April 19, 10 a.m., Trout Brook Valley Jump Hill Preserve; click here to register).
Anthony Zemba leads a wildflower walk.
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It may be a (sub)urban legend, but I’ve heard that Violet Lane is named not for the flower, but for someone whose last name was Violet.
On the other hand, today’s “Westport … Naturally” image shows that there indeed are violets on the small road off Myrtle Avenue.
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
Which raises these important questions: Is there myrtle on Myrtle Avenue? And was it named for the plant, or a woman called Myrtle?
And finally … in honor of Westport’s violets (story above):
(There’s a mystery about Violet Lane. But there’s none regarding “06880.” We’re your hyper-local blog, here for you 24/7/365 — and we rely on you for support. Please click here to help. Thanks!)
In the wake of the announcement that the Connecticut Department of Transportation plans to build a new maintenance building at the state facility on Post Road East between Walgreens and West Parish Road, renewed attention has come to approximately 1.4 acres of the property, near West Parish.
Yet 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker tells “06880,” “The DOT never offered the town of Westport a portion of that property.
“There were discussions regarding building affordable housing on a portion of the property, in 2020 and 2021. However, the land would have been transferred from DOT to the Department of Housing for that purpose, not the town.
“Neither the state DOT nor DOH has advanced that project.”
State Department of Transportation land. The Sherwood Island Connector is at left, Post Road East at top, West Parish Road on right. The proposed new maintenance facility is outlined in black (behind Walgreens). The land once considered for affordable housing is in red, at right.
Just days before the Division I basketball tournament (aka March Madness) begins, NCAA president Charlie Baker sat down with Dave Briggs for a long, and very interesting, interview.
Briggs — a Westporter, former NBC Sports and Turner sports broadcaster, and host of a high-energy March Madness show — asked important questions.
What’s the future of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and the transfer portal? Does the NCAA support the Trump decision to ban transgender athletes? How will private equity impact college sports?
It’s a national podcast, but there are 2 Westport connections (besides this being Briggs’ hometown):
Briggs referenced Marc Lasry. The Beachside Avenue resident and private equity billionaire has indicated an interest in getting into the college sports space.
NCAA president Baker is married to Lauren Schadt, a Staples High School graduate who grew up in Westport.
The Clubhouse opened last month, to rave reviews. Now 2 big perfect-for-the-space events are coming up.
From March 14 to 17, the Post Road East hot spot offers Irish-inspired dishes and drinks, and their first-ever brunch specials. They’re open normal hours Friday to Sunday, then noon to 10 p.m. on Monday the 17th.
Starting March 20, March Madness basketball will be live on the massive 22-foot TV wall.
Coming soon: the opening of the roof deck.
The Clubhouse — with the 22-foot TV wall on the right.
Speaking of St. Paddy’s Day: Club203 celebrates the green the next day.
Westport’s social group for adults with disabilities gathers at the Westport Library on March 18 (6:30 to 8 p.m.) for karaoke, Irish soda bread and sweet buns from Cobs Bread, green bagels from Village Bagels, shamrock cookies from Baked by Belle, crafts with MoCA, and free books from the Westport Book Shop.
Everyone is invited to wear green. Click here for more information.
Suspense and legal thriller author David Baldacci has sold over 150 million books worldwide. He’s been published in 45 languages.
His new book, “Strangers in Time,” will be released April 15. It’s about a bereaved bookshop owner and 2 teenagers scarred by the World War II in 1944 London, and the healing and hope they find in each other.
At 7 p.m. that day, he launches it with a keynote address and book signing — at the Westport Library.
The Library is including a copy of the book with each ticket ($40). Attendees can get 2 seats and 1 book for $50. Extra copies are $30 each. There is a special opportunity to meet Baldacci one-on-one ($150). Click here to register.
In its heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, the correspondence course company on Wilton Road promised millions of would-be artists that they could draw like a professional.
The school lives on — at least through June 15, at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
An exhibit from the Famous Artists Cartoon Course — launched in 1956 — offers a look at famous cartooning “teachers” like Rube Goldberg, Al Capp and Milton Caniff. Click here for more information. (Hat tip: Carol Waxman)
A Famous Artists School cartoon course cartoon.
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The artist known as Inam unveils his latest collection, “Life in Color,” at Clarendon Fine Art on April 24 (6 p.m.). The reception includes drinks and live music. These works include his signature forest scenes, and striking new seascapes.
Clarendon will cover the sales tax on all purchases made at the event (terms and conditions apply).
“Sailing in the Sun” (Inam)
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Westport Police made 4 custodial arrests between March 5 and 11.
A 49-year-old Westport woman was charged with evading responsibility (hit and run), driving under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane, following an accident on Imperial Avenue. Officers located the vehicle parked at the driver’s residence, while she was still sitting in it.
A 39-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with possession of a controlled substance, after respondingi to a vehicle facing the wrong direction on Red Coat Road. The driver was slumped over in the driver’s seat, with a baggie and straw in his lap. A field test of that, and additional baggies in the vehicle, were positive for cocaine and fentanyl.
A 54-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and larceny following an investigation into the theft of $800 from Little Kitchen, after a rear door was forced oopen. He was unable to post $25,000 bond.
A 33-year-old Philadelphia woman was charged with larceny, payment card theft, identity theft, and conspirace to commit those crimes, after investigation into the the theft of a handbag at Panera in 2020.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to renew registration (6 citations)
Speeding: 5
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 3
Simple trespass: 2
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 2
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
Passing a stopped school bus: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
Improper turns: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 1
Longtime Westporter Paulette Weibel died peacefully on March 4. She was 98.
The Geneva, Switzerland native immigrated to the US in 1950, to marry her husband Otto Weibel. They were married for 65 years, until his death in 2015.
Paulette lived in Westport for the past 60 years. She was a proud member of the NY/CT Swiss-American; loved nature, walking, knitting, sewing and volunteering, with Girl Scouts and the Westport Library.
She also worked full time at the library. She helped maintain picture files for over 36 years. Her beautiful handwriting can be seen today on many files.
She is survived by her son, Robert (Silvia) of Switzerland and daughter Joyce Bottone (Joseph) of Westport; grandchildren Jessica, Jonathan (Naima), Leonard (Vanessa), Nolan, Stella, Joseph and Jennifer, and great-grandchildren Shayna, Kiana and Ayana. She was also predeceased by her son Peter and brother Jean Lambert.
The family will receive friends and family at the Harding Funeral Home on March 17 (4 to 7 p.m.). A graveside service is set March 18, 2025 (11 a.m., Willowbrook Cemetery). Click here to leave online condolences.
And finally … Joey Molland, the last surviving member of Badfinger, died on March 1 in Minnesota. He was 77, and suffered from diabetes. Click here for a full obituary.
(If you want it, please click here to help support “06880” — “where Westport meets the world.” Thank you!)
After reading yesterday’s “06880” story on bird flu in Westport, a reader noted that the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection does not cite any cases in Westport.
Peter Reid — the town’s animal control officer, who provided much of the information to “06880” — says: “I informed DEEP wildlife division in February that we were seeing high goose mortality in Westport. They told me they were aware that avian flu is afflicting geese in the state, and would not be testing any additional specimens.
“I think the lack of confirmed cases in the statistics cited by the ‘06880’ reader simply indicates that no test was conducted on a carcass sourced from Westport.
“DEEP is well aware of the presence of avian flu in the state, and has noted it on their websites. However, that agency likely does not have the budget to test every bird. (Necropsies can cost several hundred dollars per bird).
“Absent a positive test result, and any other convincing explanation for the high rate of bird deaths, I think we have to consider it likely that avian flu is striking birds in Westport.
“Geese fly where they will, and do not recognize our political boundaries, so some will inevitably land in Westport. So far a relatively small percentage of geese have been infected. These are the carcasses people are seeing.
“In the past few weeks we are also noting high mortality in hawks, crows and vultures, the species most likely to scavenge the carcasses of dead geese. These birds are exhibiting the same neurological distress we saw in the infected geese, and mortality is close to 100% in infected birds.
“I would stress that we have not seen any cases in the songbird population, or received any reports from elsewhere in the state, so leaving feeders up should be fine for now.
“Avian flus have hit this area before, and in the past these flu events seem to subside by mid-summer.”
One more sign that spring is near: Tomorrow’s Westport Farmers’ Market is the last of the winter.
After the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. event at Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center, the farmers take a break. The outdoor market opens May 8.
Executive director Lori Cochran has a special message for all. She says:
“As we look back with gratitude for those that paved the way for this local food community, I am reminded of the importance in remembering what we have been taught — what we have learned.
“Selma Miriam of Bloodroot Restaurant, who recently passed away, comes to mind. Selma and Noel have supported this market since it opened 17 years ago. Their restaurant of 48 years buys from this market weekly.
“Selma has held me to task since the day we met. Her strength was palatable — she was mighty. Her love for growers and her community was heartfelt — she showed it with ease and passion. Her genuineness and commitment to her beliefs were and will remain inspiring. Selma will be missed by this market, this community and me.
“Thank you Selma, for the many gifts you shared with WFM.”
The Board of Assessment Appeals meets Wednesday, March 19, (7 p.m., Town Hall green room, downstairs) to hear from taxpayers who are “aggrieved by the doings of the assessor on the Grand List of October 1, 2024, and the 2023 Supplemental Motor Vehicle list.”
Residents should bring supporting documents to the session.
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Coming up at Wakeman Town Farm:
Cocktails and dinner fundraiser for Altadena Girls (program for teenagers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires): March 20, 7 p.m.; $250; click here for details.
“Goat togethers”: Chances for families and small groups to cuddle with newborn goats (“kids with kids”); 30-minute sessions, $20; click here for details.
Spring break 1-hour farm playdates: March 14 and 15, 10 a.m.; ages 1-3; click here for details.
Wakeman Town Farm goats. (Photo/Michelle Cardello)
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Sure, you order paella. But can you make it?
Basso Restaurant & Wine Bar can help. On Sunday, March 23 (12:30 p.m.), chef Renato Donzelli offers a “paella-making showcase.”
Attendees will learn the history of paella; how to select tools, pan and rice; the “secret ingredient,” and (of course) how to cook it.
The $130 ticket includes a course of traditional Spanish tapas, wine, printed materials — and paella. Click here to register, and for more information.3333
And finally … happy 76th birthday to James Taylor!
(You’ve got a friend in “06880.” We’re here for you, 24/7/365. We hope you’ll be a good friend to us, too. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Most Westport youths make “healthy choices” about drinking.
But students here drink at higher tates than in neighboring communities — both in high school, and in 7th grade. One in 14 7th graders reported drinking alcohol in the previous month — nearly twice the rate in Fairfield, 3 1/2 times higher than Darien, and 7 times the national average.
With statistics like those, the Westport Prevention Coalition has revitalized its parent awareness campaign.
Liquor Stickers are part of an outreach effort with the Aspetuck Health District. In partnership with local liquor stores, the campaign provides parents with information cards, and stickers to seal open, unfinished bottles of liquor.
Liquor Stickers.
The goal is to increase parents’ awareness that most teeangers get alcohol from their own home, or a friend’s house. And the most common places where they drink are at parties, and in homes.
The Westport Youth Survey found that 54% of Westport students who drink get their alcohol from their parents — with permission.
Liquor Sticker cards emphasize the role of parents – and highlight Connecticut’s “Social Host Law.”
The law holds adults responsible for any underage alcohol or cannabis use that occurs on their property. The penalty is up to $2,000 per minor.
Liquor Stickers are available at 99 Bottles, BevMax, Black Bear, Castle Wine & Spirits, Dan’s Liquors, International Discount Wine & Spirits, Greens Farms Spirits, Kindred Spirits & Wine, The Grapevine, and Westport Wine & Spirits.
Westport stores have joined in the Liquor Stickers campaign.
In addition, Westport Together — a partnership between the schools, Human Services, police and Positive Directions — has arranged 4 educational events. They focus not just on alcohol use, but other substances, and mental health in general.
They include:
Suicide Prevention Training (March 28, noon, Positive Directions, 90 Post Road West)
Westport’s Relationship with Alcohol (April 7, 7 p.m.; community discussion at Toquet Hall)
Overdose Awareness and Free Narcan Givbeaway (April 9, 7 p.m., Town Hall)
Teen Awareness Group’s Get Real Day, including evening parent program (May 7-8, Staples High School).
For more information, email Margaret Watt (mwatt@positivedirections.org) or Kevin Godburn (kdgoburn@westportct.gov), co-chairs of the Westport Prevention Coalition.
Meanwhile — addressing another substance — several days ago elected officials, school administrators, community leaders, law enforcement chiefs and others from Westport, Weston, Wilton, Norwalk and New Canaan met at Westport Town Hall.
They announced the launch of a new Mid-Fairifeld Youth Cannabis Prevention Project.
It’s one of 10 pilot programs in Connecticut, using cannabix tax revenues. The grant from the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services is $57,000.
Aimed at addressing underage cannabis use, it will fund a coordinated awareness campaign aimed primarily at parents, using social media and streaming media; create and train a regional youth team to provide peer education, and disseminate information and resources, including cannabis lock bags, among other initiatives.
Westport has no recreational cannabis dispensaries; the closest is in Norwalk. There is one medical marijuana dispensary here.
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In this area, many of those talking are businesspeople. Most have some skin in the game.
That includes Stew Leonard Jr.
The Westport native — now CEO of Stew Leonard’s, the company his father founded, with 8 locations in the tri-state area — sat down the other day with Business Insider. Among his comments:
As far as tariffs go, I’ve talked to our suppliers in Mexico with avocados and beer and tequila, and I’ve talked to our suppliers in Canada. We get some tomatoes on the vine from Vancouver, and salmon is our biggest item from Canada. There’s also lobsters, but it’s not lobster season yet.
Basically, take your darts out for your dartboard because nobody that I’ve talked to, even the experts in the field, knows what’s going to happen.
Throw a dart. Is this tariff going to last one day? Is it going to last a week? Is it going to last a month?
What we’re scrambling to do is find alternate sources if there is an increase in the tariff. We’re sitting here riding the market day by day….
Click here to read the full story. (Hat tip: Doug McCarthy)
Stew Leonard Jr. (Photo courtesy/Westchester Magazine)
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On the 5th anniversary of the pandemic, COVID is still here.
Is bird flu here too?
While the CDC website shows no reported cases in Connecticut — or east of Ohio — one Westport woman is not so sure.
She told “06880” yesterday that she found 2 dead birds in the waters of the Ned Dimes Marina at Compo Beach, and another nearby on the Longshore golf course.
She was advised to contact the Aspetuck Health District, just to be sure.
Dead birds at the Compo Beach marina.
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For a while, I’ve wondered why nearly every new house in Westport seems to be white (with black accents).
I’m not the only one.
Dan Kois has thought about the trend too.
Now he’s written about it.
He concentrates on Arlington, Virginia. But the style is national, he notes.
His piece in Salon answers a number of questions, including why they’re so big, and why they’re so white. Click here to read. (Hat tip: Scott Smith)
This 4-bedroom, 3 1/2-bathroom house on Spriteview Avenue is on the market for $3.499 million.
It’s less than 3 miles from Staples High to the Westport Country Playhouse.
It’s a lot longer through Ithaca, New York.
That’s the route Zach De Brino took. It was worth the detour.
Before graduating from high school in 2019, he was an assistant director for Staples Players.
Zach earned a BFA in stage management from Ithaca College in 2023. Since then he’s worked Off-Broadway and regionally, including production assistant and crew swing on “Teeth” at Playwrights Horizons, assistant stage manager for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, and event production coordinator in New York.
Now he returns home. Zach is the production assistant “Theatre People,” which opens March 25 at the Playhouse.
Click here for more information on the show, including tickets.
Zach De Brino, checking props for “Theatre People.” (Photo/Andrea Quiles)
But a Montessori school may be in Westport’s future.
Apple Montessori Schools has applied for a special permit, and site plan approval, to convert the Bank of America building — next to Starbucks, on Post Road East — into a 2-story private school.
As a first step the Architectural Review Board will review the proposed addition, facade renovations and outdoor play spaces and pool at its March 18 meeting (7:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 309).
The building has been vacant since Bank of America closed several Fairfield County branches, early in the pandemic.
This vacant bank building … (Photo courtesy of Google Earth)
Montessori is a non-trademarked method of education that emphasizes hands-on learning and the development of real-world skills, rather than formal instruction.
Montessori schools believe that children are capable of initiating learning, and that education should not be measured by grades or tests.
There are Montessori schools for children 14 months through 8th grade in Fairfield and Wilton. There is currently no Montessori school in Westport.
The building is in the Highway Service District, with a portion of the rear property zoned Residence A. Schools are permitted — subject to special permit approval — in the HSD and Residence A zone.
Interior renovations would convert the bank into a Montessori school providing “curriculum based early learning,” with infant/preschool programs through kindergarten.
… could become this.
The maximum capacity is 124 children: approximately 40 kindergartners, 60 preschoolers, 16 toddlers and 8 infants. The proposed hours are weekdays, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dropoff and pickup times would be staggered.
On average, 8 to 10 staff members would be at the school during peak times.
There would be a small addition where the drive-in area is now, along with “new paint and materials for added visual interest and an improved aesthetic.”
Montessori also proposed enclosed outdoor play and learning spaces, and a small saltwater pool used only for preschool swim lessons in the summer.
The ARB meeting is the first of several in the town approval process.
(“06880” is your hyper-local source for education news — and much, much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Long QT Syndrome is a potentially life-threatening heart condition, affecting 1 in 2,000 children. Early detection helps prevent serious complications.
A couple of Saturdays ago, Connecticut Children’s and Hearts in Harmony sposnored free EKG screenings at their Post Road West center.
It was a fun event, with kid-friendly activities, a fashion show and food.
For one family, it was much more.
Kasey was one of 60 children tested. Her EKG was abnormal.
Pediatrician Dr. Sarah Siegel, called immediately.
Kasey’s mother Andi had just arrived in Boston when she got the call.
“Dr. Siegel said that my daughter’s upper atria appeared enlarged, but it could also be an abnormal reading. I literally felt sick to my stomach.”
Within 24 hours, Kasey was scheduled to see a Connecticut Children’s pediatric cardiologist. Andi drove back to Westport.
“The fact that Connecticut Children’s held appointments for all 5 families that received abnormal EKGs blew me away,” Andi says. “Knowing that my daughter would be seen the next morning was such a relief.”
Andi, her husband and Kasey met with Dr. Enos, a Connecticut Children’s pediatric cardiologist, who delivered the good news: Kasey’s heart was perfectly healthy.
“Dr. Enos was amazing. He took the time to explain everything, and we walked away feeling reassured and grateful,” Andi says.
She says the experience changed her perspective on early detection and heart screenings.
“As scared as I was when I got that call, I felt relieved that we were able to catch something we may never have known about until my daughter was an adult. Or worse, when it was too late.
“We waited about 3 minutes before they took my daughter in for her echocardiogram. The test was painless, and they even had the TV on for her. It was over quickly.
“Events like Check Your Beat are invaluable. You never know what you might find — and catching something early could make all the difference.”
Kasey and Andi.
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It’s one of 10 pilot programs in Connecticut, using cannabix tax revenues. The grant from the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services is $57,000.
