If there’s one thing that unites Westporters today, it’s the past.
From this blog’s “Friday Flashback” and “Then & Now” teardown features, to comments from readers, we think of our town in terms of landmarks that no longer exist.
Relative newcomers do it too. In just the past couple of days, I’ve heard folks lament the loss of Saugatuck Sweets and Carvel. (No one mentioned Savvy Smoker. Go figure.)
(Photo/Jennifer Izzo)
This summer, MoCA\CT examines the past.
And Westporters are invited to play a key, fun — and very interactive — role.
Inspired by the new exhibit “Looking for History,” featuring Ellen Harvey’s “The Disappointed Tourist” — with themes of memory, loss and place — a special program on July 16 will look at our own history.
Harvey created 4 new paintings, based on local submissions: The Remarkable Book Shop, Cedar Brook Café, Bloodroot and Allen’s Clam House. They’ll serve as starting points for a broader community dialogue.
The Remarkable Book Shop
On July 16 (at MoCA\CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike), “06880” founder Dan Woog will chat with Harvey, and Westport preservationist Ed Gerber. We’ll talk about the cultural and emotional significance of lost places. It’s called “The CORA Foundation Community Conversation with Ellen Harvey + Dan Woog.”
And we’ll include your favorites. Or the ones you miss the most.
We want you to submit your choices in any or all of 4 categories:
Gone Too Soon
Place You Thought Would Last Forever
What a Cool Hangout!
Just One More Bite.
Email your choices (and, if you’d like, a story to go with them) to 06880blog@gmail.com.
At the end of the evening the audience will vote, to crown one favorite missed location.
Yesterday, Westport celebrated the annual Great Duck Race.
The Sunrise Rotary Club’s signature fundraiser drew its usual big crowd to Jesup Green.
The weather was not great. But it was perfect for ducks — the actual ones, if not the thousands of plastic guys who poured down a Westport Fire Department chute, then bobbed along to the finish line.
The event raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, for Sunrise Rotary’s charitable projects.
(Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
jUNe Day visitors get in on the fun. (Photo courtesy of James Delorey)
1st Selectman Kevin Christie (lower left, with microphone) narrates the Great Duck Race. (Photo/Joel Treisman)
One of hundreds of ducks. Who knows how he did? (Photo courtesy of James Delorey)
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Also yesterday (as noted above): For the 61st year in a row, Westport welcomed United Nations personnel to Westport.
A welcoming jUNe Day ceremony on Jesup Green was followed by a soccer match; tennis and golf at Longshore; visits to Earthplace and Wakeman Town Farm; the sidewalk sale, and of course the Westport Rotary Club Great Duck Race.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie and United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut president Bill Hass (below) greeted the guests.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie and United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut’s Bill Hass. (Photo/Sal Liccione)
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A reminder: Kick off the 4th of July/fireworks week — and celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a party today (Sunday) at VFW Post 399.
Together with American Legion Post 63, they’re throwing a picnic from noon to 4 p.m.
There’s (of course) burgers and dogs, music, community spirt — and it’s a chance to support our veterans.
Happy birthday, America! And thanks, VFW and American Legion!
Want to learn more about Westport beaches’ current and future conditions, upcoming regulatory requirements, and an engineering firm’s beach resiliency planning studies?
The Parks & Recreation Department hosts a public forum on July 13 (6:30 p.m., Zoom). Compo, Old Mill, Burying Hill and Canal Beaches are all part of the plan.
Speaking of beaches: Westporter Doug Bowen caught this 40-inch striped bass (below) the other day.
Unfortunately, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection requires all striped bass be thrown back if smaller than 28 inches — or larger than 31.
So there was no fresh catch dinner at the Bowens’ But there was a great fish tale to tell.
MoCA\CT’s new exhibit, “Looking for History,” opened Thursday to a large, appreciative crowd.
Artists Rick Shaefer and Ellen Harvey — whose works launched the exhibition — spoke with guests about the themes of the show.
On view through November 15, 2026, “Looking for History” invites visitors to move between distinct yet interconnected perspectives.
Rick Shaefer’s “Colossi” anchors the full season. Ellen Harvey’s “The Disappointed Tourist is featured through August 2, followed by Michael Borders’ Connecticut Industry (August 13 toNovember 15).
Throughout the run MoCA\CT will host community conversations, studio visits, film screenings and hands-on workshops.
Enjoying the MoCA exhibit. (Photo/Hanyue Wang for MoCA\CT).
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Speaking of history: Nearly 50 local artists will help the Weston Commission for the Arts celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Their exhibit is on view at the Weston Library from July 3 through 31.
A reception is set for July 8 (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.).
Meanwhile, artist Cindy Wagner offers 2 free classes next month: July 11 (1:30 to 3:30 p.m.), children 8 and older can learn still life drawing.
On July 18 (10 a.m. to noon) Wagner leads an adult still life calss.
As the curtain gets ready to rise July 14 on “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” Westporters may see a life-size, die-cut Hercule Poirot figure around town.
Recently, Christie’s legendary detective visited the Westport Rotary Club’s Sunny the Duck:
Poirot was also spotted downtown:
Channeling Dame Christie, he was especially excited to see the Union Jack outside Stephen Kempson London. Of course, he had to pop in to say hello to the custom tailor:
The other day, the Vartuli|Jabick Team of Keller Williams Luxury
Westport hosted “Where Art Meets Connection,” at Clarendon Fine Art.
But the evening was about more than networking over artwork.
The event helped support Real Food CT. The non-profit connects
farms with food pantries throughout Connecticut, helping provide
fresh, locally grown food to families experiencing food insecurity.
Positive Directions — the Westport non-profit focused on mental health, substance prevention and peer support — is searching for a Building Resilient Youth and Communities program coordinator.
The full-time position is part of a 5-year project that aims to prevent underage alcohol and cannabis use among Westport youth.
Positive Directions is also hiring a part-time youth peer advocate. The position (for someone ages 16 to 24) is for someone to serve as a role model and advocate, providing peer education and awareness.
To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to Margaret Watt: mwatt@positivedirections.org. Questions can be addressed to that email address too.
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Laurie Sorensen offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — and a back story:
“This mourning dove perched on our stone wall Friday afternoon. I’m not sure why. It stayed there for a few hours, then flew away at sundown.”
And finally … on this date in 1838, Victoria was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days is the 2nd longest in history. Queen Elizabeth II served 7 years longer.
(We probably won’t be around as long as Queen Victoria. Or Queen Elizabeth II. But we’re here now — and we have been, every day since 2009. To help keep up going, please click here. Thank you!)
Westport did not go far to find its new director of public works.
Larry Roberts — Weston’s current director of public works and facility management — takes over from Pete Ratkiewich on July 6. The longtime Westport director is retiring.
And he’s a Westport native.
Roberts has over 3 decades of experience, including municipal public works, facilities management, emergency communications and public safety. In Weston he oversees highway operations, facility maintenance, fleet management, municipal solid waste operations, capital projects and long-range infrastructure planning.
Previously, Roberts served as director of the Weston Communications Center. He spent more than 20 years with the Greenwich Fire Department, retiring as deputy chief.
Roberts holds a master of science in fire science/public administration from the University of New Haven, and a bachelor of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical. He also graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.
Dan Donovan writes: “06880 was out in force Thursday night in New York City.
“From local philanthropists Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler, to local business owners Bill Mitchell and Annette Norton, to Westport soccer illuminati including Andy Udell, Todd Coleman, Jim Wolf, Mike Carey and Zack Gross, and a group of more recent players, to former Staples High principal John Dodig, former 2nd selectwoman Andrea Moore, and fellow townies Andrew Colabella and Terry Brannigan, along with Dave Briggs, Amy Saperstein, Joan Gillman — and many others — we were all there to celebrate 06880’s own Dan Woog, as he was inducted into the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame. Of course Dan’s family and a few of his former Staples teammates were there too.
“Dan was honored, along with several other impressive, decorated, driven, articulate and brave sports world figures, who also happen to be part of the LGBTQ community.
“Kyle Martino, our most decorated Westport soccer success story — National High School Player of the Year, MLS Rookie of the Year, US men’s national team member, now a TV analyst and advocate for soccer in under-served communities — introduced Dan with humor, recalling growing up in Westport and the influence Dan had on him.
“Then Dan got to the podium and knocked it out of the park — or, as we say in soccer, scored a golazo — with his insightful words. It was a great night for Dan, and a great showing for 06880.”
Dan Woog (center, front) with Mike Carey and Zack Gross. Standing (from left): Luke Foreman, Neil Brickley, Jack Foster, Matthew Jordan, Jim Wolf, Emerson Anvari, Vaughan Sealey.
Kyle Martino, introducing Dan Woog
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Also this weekend: the Westport Astronomical Society’s Amateur Radio Field Day.
Local clubs operate as K1WAS. Hams from across North America participate in Field Day by establishing temporary ham radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service. Here, that’s the Westport Observatory classroom, behind the Aspetuck Health District and yard waste station on Bayberry Lane.
Everyone is invited to get in on the action — and on the air.
Shoppers who brought in 10 canvas bags — or all 15 varieties produced so far — received rewards.
From left: Lauren Kreter, Westport Farmers’ Market Lori Cochran-Dougall and Andrea Debello, with their shopping bags.
Also celebrating: River Hollow Farm and Ox Hollow Farm (representatives in the photo below). Both have been part of the WFM since its inception, 2 decades ago.
In a celebratory ceremony — with a lobster dinner — at the Ned Dimes Marina on Thursday night, Westport Rotary Club outgoing president, Peter Helt (left below) passed the ceremonial gavel to new president Ron Henkoff.
And finally … on this date in 1844, Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother Hyrum Smith were killed by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail.
Gaetano’s is one of Westport’s favorite delis. Lee Shufro is a fan. He writes:
While you can chase immortality by putting your name on a building, there is no finer honor than to have a sandwich named after you.
The “sandwich” itself was named for John Montagu, the 12th Earl of Sandwich. The Reuben (pastrami or corned beef with sauerkraut on rye) was supposedly named after Arnold Reuben, owner of NYC’s Reuben’s Deli.
While Westport has many great sandwich purveyors, my favorite is Gaetano’s, off Post Road opposite Stop & Shop.
What makes it a great deli? In my opinion you not only need the finest ingredients, but also some personality.
As important as the homemade mozzarella and aged salami are, is a high degree of banter. “Hey!” “Yo!” Gaetano’s has it all in spades.
Which brings us to my problem. I have followed a plant-based (aka vegan) diet for over 20 years. It prohibits me from eating meat or cheese — their entire menu.
The Food Network used this photo to illustrate Gaetano’s menu. It was not on Lee Shufro’s plate, however.
When I gaze upon Gaetano’s sandwich board, I see sandwiches a carnivore would love — but not one for vegan/vegetarians.
Over the years I ordered bespoke sandwiches, with various veggies.
Finally, after hundreds of experiments, I had hit upon the optimum non-dairy, non-meat concoction. I took a picture of it, to reference it on my next order.
My visits followed a routine. Whenever I got to the front of the line I was greeted with a hearty “How ya doin’?” I always replied, “The King is good.”
I don’t know what goes on in my head, but that was the routine every time I ordered.
To make it easy, I just showed the picture of my veggie sandwich. Affter a while, I began calling my sandwich “The King of Westport.”
Recently I said, “I think there may be other people who want this type of sandwich.”
They said, “Print it up, and we’ll hang it by the sandwich board.”
I was amazed. As far as I can remember, the menu has never changed.
I ran home, worked all day on my sandwich sign, and proudly hung it up. The King of Westport was born!
Lee Shufro (left), with the King of Westport sign.
So if you are in the mood for something a little healthier or different, head over to Gaetano’s, and order my sandwich. J
And be sure to tell them the King sent you.
The King of Westport Sandwich
Broccoli Rabe
Sun-dried peppers
Portabella mushroom
Grilled artichoke
Hot peppers
Pesto
(“06880 covers every inch of Westport — including our delis and restaurants. If stories like this are to your taste, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
An all-ages, high-energy crowd filled the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum last night.
Board of Finance chair Danielle Dobin interviewed President George W. Bush’s former press secretary, and current Fox News star Dana Perino, about her new novel.
“Purple State” explores love across political lines. It’s an apt subject, and the 2 women were well paired. Perino and Dobin were roommates on Capitol Hill 30 years ago, while working for congressmen of different political parties.
They’ve remained friends ever since. Last night, they discussed — and demonstrated — how and why those relationships are important.
Danielle Dobin (left) and Dana Perino, at the Westport Library. They discussed Perino’s new book, “Purple State” — and both wore purple. (Photo/Dave Briggs)
Starting this summer, Aquarion will install a new water main from Hemlocks Reservoir in Fairfield to Coleytown Road.
A community meeting is set for tonight (Wednesday, 6 p.m., Patterson Club, Fairfield)to discuss the impact to traffic flow during construction. Road restoration will be completed by 2028.
Click here to learn more about the project. (Hat tip: Jonathan Steinberg)
Aquarion project.
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This weekend’s Sidewalk Sale will have all the usual goodies on sale, outside: clothes, art, jewelry and much more. (You cannot, however, buy a sidewalk; it’s not for sale.)
Plus Animal Packs.
Kevin Bachman created the family-friendly reimagined deck of cards, based on woodland animals from around Fairfield and Westchester counties.
He’ll have a booth Saturday and Sunday (June 27 and 28), offering quick game play demos, single decks, and discounted 2-pack bundles.
The Westport connection is growing. Animal Packs is being added to the toy collection at the Westport Library. It’s already available at other libraries, including Pequot and Fairfield Public.
The next Veterans Benefits Luncheon is tomorrow (Thursday, June 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), VFW Post 399).
It’s open to all veterans as part of an ongoing effort to check in on all veterans’ welfare, and connect them with the benefits and support they earned.
Representatives will answer questions, and provide information on services and assistance available to veterans.
RSVPs are encouraged (but not required). Email vfw399ct@gmail.com, and include the number of attendees, or call (203) 227-6796.
PS: If you’re not a veteran, but know one: Please pass the word!
Also tomorrow (Thursday): “Planning Today. Peace of Mind Tomorrow.”
The 6 p.m. Westport Library event features a panel of geriatric care specialists. The goal is to help seniors, caregivers and the “Sandwich Generation” understand the continuum of care and the resources available throughout Fairfield County.
Experts in home care, senior living, dementia support, elder law, real estate transitions and care navigation will offer practical guidance on how families can plan ahead, identify early warning signs, and make informed decisions during times of transition.
Also available: refreshments, raffles, complimentary assessments and “savings.” The event is sponsored by Connecticut Nursing Services.
“06880” recently profiled Westport teenagers working hard at businesses they created: a concierge car service, window washing and grill cleaning.
Ryan Tzou has a different clientele.
Growing up in Westport, the 2025 Staples High School graduate felt very insecure about his skinny body.
Ryan Tzou in 2023 …
Then he discovered fitness content on social media.
Aesthetic influencers like David Laid and Jon Skywalker inspired him. “They showed me it was possible to have a crazy transformation from skinny to jacked,” Ryan says.
He spent “hundreds of hours” researching scientific studies, and watching YouTube videos. He learned everything he could about optimizing muscle hypertrophy while staying lean.
Ryan spent years tracking his macronutrients (calories, protein, fats, carbs, etc.), and training almost every day.
… and 2026.
During 4 years of lifting and eating well he put on 50 pounds of lean muscle. while “keeping a 6-pack completely naturally.” He used no peptides or performance-enhancing drugs. Those pose “very severe health risks despite their recent popularity surge,” Ryan says.
Adding that weight the right way “completely changed my self-esteem and sense of discipline,” he says.
To share what he learned — and inspire younger teens who felt the way he once did — Ryan went on Instagram. He’s got 20,000 followers.
A different 2026 angle.
He also launched an online 1-on-1 fitness coaching business.
Clients receive:
Direct access via his personal phone number, so they can text any time with questions or concerns
Weekly check-ins and video calls
A fully customized training program, built around individual schedules and goals
A personalized meal plan aligned with each person’s fitness goal
Regular progress photo reviews (front, side, and back), so Ryan can make ongoing adjustments to your training and nutrition.
A client’s 2-month transformation — from May to June of this year.
Clients also get “a coach who keeps you accountable, and actually cares about your progress,” Ryan says with confidence.
It’s confidence he’s earned — and that he wants everyone else to develop too.
(For a free consultation, DM Ryan via Instagram, @ryan_tzou; click here. For a 1:1 coaching application, click here.)
Missed the recent Staples Pops Concert at Levitt Pavilion?
Were you there, and want to hear — and see — every performance again?
The Music Department has just posted a full video of the superb show.
The choral, orchestral and jazz groups — and several small ensembles — are all there. They sound (and look) great.
Click here for the entire evening. And if you only want a few numbers, there’s a link for each.
But we recommend the whole thing.
A night to remember. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Speaking of the Levitt Pavilion: Chris Pierce returned last night with his full band. It was a moving night of folk, blues and Americana songs and stories, celebrating Juneteenth.
The set included songs from his new album, Songs for the Heavy Hearted,” to be released this August. This fall he’ll also perform at FarmAid.
There are 2 shows this weekend: Lucius with Wild & Company tonight (Saturday, 6:30 p.m.), and Dark Star Orchestra tomorrow (Sunday, 5 p.m.).
Also last night: Another large crowd enjoyed great weather at the Yankee Doodle Fair.
The 100-plus-years annual event — a major fundraiser for the Westport Woman’s Club — continues at their Imperial Road headquarters today (Saturday, 1 to 10 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.).
A Sensory Hour tomorrow (Sunday, noon to 1 p.m.) is reserved for people in the neurodiverse and special education communities. It’s an opportunity for reduced crowds, lower noise levels and a more comfortable atmosphere, with their families, caregivers and support networks.
An enthusiastic crowd recently celebrated the opening of “Between Universes,” at the University of Bridgeport’s Peter Schelfhaudt Gallery.
Westport artist Eric Chiang collaborated on the show. The theme is “connecting and integrating the universes we have — one in the outside that we all live in, and the other in the inside that we sometimes sense we have and is particularly our very own.”
A special string quintet piece from the Greater Bridgeport Symphony anchored the opening reception. The exhibit runs through August 31.
The 3rd annual Westport Country Playhouse Golf Tournament teed up at Birchwood Country Club this week.
The winning team included (photo below, from left) Westporters Justin Brunwasser and Jonathan Levy, Glenn Levinson of Fairfield and Stamford’s Hudson Fetzer.
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Back in the 1980s, Mort Sherman was an assistant superintendent of Westport Schools.
He became a superintendent in other districts, including Alexandria, Virginia.
Now retired, he and his daughter Sara have written a book.
But it’s not about education.
Called “Resonant Minds: The Transformative Power of Music, One Note at a Time,” Amazon says it “invites readers to reimagine music as a dynamic, interactive force that reshapes how we live, learn, and connect. By blending personal stories-recalling childhood car rides where ‘Ode to Joy’ was joyfully reinvented with animal noises and made-up words-with cutting-edge research and practical insights, the father/daughter writing team … help us understand how to use music intentionally.”
TAP Strength founder Dr. EJ Zebro and Westporter Dr. Bena Kallick, founder of the Institute for Habits of Mind, recently used Sherman’s book as a springboard for a Psychology Today article called “Body Awareness: Listening for the Resonance.” Click here to read.
Sara Sherman and Dr. Morton Sherman
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is a great metaphor for … well, probably many things.
Feel free to interpret this scene at the Library Riverwalk however you wish.
Everyone in Westport cares about — and for — their yard.
But how many care in an eco-friendly way?
Sustainable Westport, Wakeman Town Farm and Wild Ones can help. On June 25 (6:30 p.m.. Wakeman Town Farm), they offer a hands-on evening dedicated to eco-friendly yard care.
This event is part of Sustainable Westport’s “Your Yard, Our Climate” initiative, aimed at building a more resilient, biodiversity-rich Westport, one backyard at a time.
Attendees will learn how to create a beautiful, thriving outdoor space without synthetic pesticides. That includes natural strategies to deter pests, support for local pollinators, and building healthy soil.
Participants can also pre-order mosquito buckets. They’re safe, very effective and targeted ways to control mosquitoes at the source, without indiscriminate insect death caused by other pesticide treatments.
On June 7 the troop held a Court of Honor. to award the rank of Eagle Scout to Dylan O’Brien, Nathaniel Greely and JC Gura. Each earned at least 21 merit badges, and led a community service project.
This past weekend, Life Scout Finn Martens led his own Eagle service project at VFW Post 399. He coordinated a crew of Scouts to clean up the grounds and repaint the parking lot lines.
The “Career Coach” will be in the Westport Library parking lot this Thursday (June 18), for a session on “Intro Excel.”
It returns July 16, covering “Intro to AI: Job Seeker Strategies ,” and August 20 (Tips for Resume and Cover Letter).
There are 2 sessions ( 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) each day; both are 2 hours long. Registrants can choose one.
The service is available to people who are exploring career opportunities, actively looking for a job, or seeking additional part-time employment. Click here to reserve a spot.
More than 1,800 teen artists across the country — including students from Westport’s One River School of Art + Design — are participating in what may be the largest teen art exhibition ever organized in the US.
The exhibition includes 15 One River locations from New York to Oregon.
Students were challenged to create artwork based on the prompt “a place that matters to you.” The result: 1,800 interpretations expressed through painting, drawing, mixed media, animation and digital design.
Eight students will be invited to a special studio experience with Daniel Heidkamp at his Brooklyn studio later this summer.
A public reception for Westport students is set for June 25 (4 to 5:30 p.m.). The show will remain up for 3 weeks.
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Grammy Award-winning pianist/composer/ arranger Alan Broadbent and master bassist Harvie S. Alan headline this Thursday’s “Jazz at the Post” show (June 18, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 8
And finally … on this date in 1967, the Monterey International Pop festival began in California. There were many big names, including The Who, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Animals.
But perhaps the most stunning performance of all was this:
Westport’s youngest children have many chances to be curious and creative, explore activities and grow.
Music, dance, gymnastics, sensory experiences — they’re all there, with experienced instructors, and mommy (or daddy) (or caregiver) close by.
All are important. And all are some of the early learning advantages that youngsters growing up in Westport enjoy.
The newest is Whimsy Works. But the cool space on Post Road East, next to Stop & Shop, is different.
There is no instruction. Children won’t look to adults to validate they did the “right” thing.
Instead, they’re encouraged to figure things out for themselves. To try whatever strikes their fancy.
And to be as messy as they want.
Playing with paint at Whimsy Works.
Owner Catalina Schmidt says, “kids are born explorers. They’re attracted to light, reflection, texture and wonder.”
She wants them to explore all that — on their own.
That means not being told what, how or when to do it.
Schmidt simply provides the space, and the objects. After that, they’re on their own.
The new venture, which opens this month, is a career pivot for the Colombia native.
Owner Catalina Schmidt, at Whmsy Works. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Her background is in product and interior design. But after coming to the US 21 years ago, she worked in hospitality. Many Westporters know her from her most recent gig: general manager of Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse.
Two life events led her to open Whimsy Works: the birth of her daughter G 18 months ago, and her family’s move last year to Westport.
As she watched G engage with the world, Schmidt searched for opportunities for “messy play.” There were none.
Encouraged by her husband, she took a leap of faith. She decided to create her own.
Catalina Schmidt, with her daughter.
Through research, Schmidt discovered the Reggio Emilia approach. Similar to the Montessori philosophy of self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play — but with more freedom — it was exactly what she was looking for.
But Schmidt did not just study it. She headed to the Internazionale Loris Malaguzzi near Bologna, Italy.
There — at a workshop with 300 others from around the world — she learned that children possess “100 languages” of expression. They include movement, art, light, building, sound, play — far more than just words.
Schmidt was particularly intrigued with the “atelier” concept. Often associated with fine artists or craftspeople, it can also be adapted to children.
An atelier can be a place to experiment with paint, clay, wood and other objects, along with light and shadows.
Plenty of stuff — and kid-sized tables — at Whimsy Works.
Looking on the LoopNet commercial real estate site, she quickly found vacant space in the small building just past Goodwill.
Owner Roger Leifer was excited. Schmidt spent the past 2 months building out her vision.
There are 5 areas: clay and Play-Doh; paint; “loose parts”; “nature (think dirt); a nook to work on a project of the week (like “contrast”).
A separate room is dedicated to light, projected on a wall. Children can play with shadows and colors.
Fun with light …
Whimsy Works plans morning sessions for boys and girls ages 1 to 4 (though, Schmidt says, a 6-month-old was recently fully engaged there). She may open up afternoon slots for 5-6-year-olds.
A parent or caregiver must be present (no drop-offs). But the adult’s role is to observe what the child does, and be actively engaged in the process — not “correct” him or her.
Schmidt helps gently guide, rather than instruct. She won’t say, for example, “Draw a circle.” Instead she’ll suggest, “What happens if you make this go around bigger?”
Sessions are 45 minutes. Groups include no more than than 8 children.
Amenities include a bathroom with shower (for accidents and pesky spills, though Schmidt supplies aprons), and a kitchenette with free coffee (for the adults).
… and dirt.
Many of the activities young Westporters enjoy may lead to passions. But lessons — sports, dance, music — can also be gateways to competition.
That’s not what Whimsy Works is about — not by a long shot.
“This is just about creativity, and the excitement of experience and discovery,” Schmidt says. “Every child can find the joy in that.”
(To learn more about Whimsy Works, click here for their website. Follow them on social media @WhimsyWorksAtelier. Their address is 1720 Post Road East.)
(“06880” often spotlights new businesses, and the interesting people behind them. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
One moment, Susan Filan was near the top of the legal world: a prosecutor, trial lawyer and MSNBC senior analyst.
Energized by a COVID-inspired pivot, she had earned a master’s degree in Indigenous people’s law. She was ready to start a new career, in that field.
The next moment — June 2, 2022 — Filan was crossing the Post Road, from Patagonia toward Barnes & Noble.
Suddenly, a car slammed into her. She was flipped onto the windshield. Her head hit the street.
She saw herself hovering above her body. She wondered if she was dead.
Quickly though, Filan was back in her body. She could not see or move. But she felt pain, and heard sirens. She also heard a first responder say, “Oh, it’s not a fatality.”
Filan wondered whether the flight she was taking to France 3 days later would have to be postponed.
She had no idea what lay ahead: 5 surgeries in a year. Learning to walk again. The knowledge that her new life would never be the same as her old one.
“The person who left my body was not the same one who returned,” she explains. “That person died.”
For a while, she thought she would go back to litigating. But, she realized, “my heart doesn’t work that way any more.”
She asked herself an existential question: “Who am I?”
Susan Filan
The answer, she has come to realize, is someone very different. Filan has discovered a much different life. It brings her joy. As painful as recovery has been, she relishes the opportunity to live that new life.
Filan continues to assist people in need. Yet she does it now as a “divorce coach.” She works with clients to protect their family, finances and future.
“I have a 67-year-old body. But I feel brand new,” she says. “I love this opportunity to help, in any way I can.
Divorce forces “major life decisions, when people are least equipped to think clearly,” Filan notes.
They worry that one wrong move will cost them everything. They don’t know who to trust, or where to turn next. They may make decisions out of fear, or because they’re overwhelmed. Legal fees soar. And they walk into crucial meetings feeling alone, with no one in their corner.
Filan is.
As someone with a second chance on life, Filan has learned not to waste time on “frivolous arguments. They’re obstacles to who you want to be.”
So she directs her energy — and that of her clients — to practical matters. Like making the right decisions, protecting children and finances, and restoring a feeling of control.
“I’ve been on both sides of the courtroom,” Filan says. “Now I’m on yours.
“Your lawyer handles your case. I handle you.”
The divorce coach knows all about judges and attorneys. And she has been through her own difficult divorce.
She uses her experience and insights to guide clients through every step: selecting the right legal and financial team; understanding discovery, depositions, mediation and hearings; preparation for meetings; addressing co-parenting and custody, both legally and emotionally; navigating communication with an ex, and building a life on the other side.
At a time when emotions are high, Filan offers a steady, calming — and very human — mooring place. Men and women who have been clients praise her knowledge, communication, wisdom, strength and compassion.
That’s no surprise.
“People going through divorce can lose their identity,” says Filan. “They may not be sure what they want, or who they want to be.”
After her accident, she too lost her identity. She asked herself the same questions.
Just over 4 years ago, Susan Filan nearly died. She discovered a new identity.
Now, she helps other people, in the depths of their own personal crises — find theirs.
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Poirot was also spotted downtown:
