Category Archives: Photo Challenge

Photo Challenge #198

Posted on October 14, 2018 | 22 comments

Old habits die hard.

Sixty years after its founding, many Westporters still call Earthplace “the Nature Center.” (It had another name before that: the Mid-Fairfield County Youth Museum.)

But there’s something (relatively) new at the 62-acre property near the Norwalk  border. The Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum is a 12-acre gem, filled with old trees, hiking trails, flowers and more.

The arboretum is town-designated open space, managed by tree warden Bruce Lindsay and the Westport Tree Board. While adjacent to Earthplace, ir is a separate entity. It’s funded largely by grants, donations, and some support from the town budget.

Rich Stein, Tom Ryan, Chip Stephens, Sharon Paulsen, Wendy Cusick, Walker Stollenwerck and Darcy Sledge all identified the spot, from the few small rocks and vegetation shown in Miggs Burroughs’ photo.

They know and love the Wadsworth Arboretum. You should too! (Click here for last week’s Photo Challenge image. Click here for an “06880” story about the land.)

The next Photo Challenge comes courtesy of David Meth:

(Photo/David Meth)

If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

22 Comments

Posted in Environment, Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #197

Posted on October 7, 2018 | 15 comments

“06880” readers really know their onions.

I thought last Sunday’s Photo Challenge was a tough one. It was Franco Fellah’s drone image of the Community Garden at Long Lots Elementary School — but it looked more like (as one person commented) his mother’s kitchen linoleum. (Click here to see.)

There was no way anyone could tell it was an aerial shot.

Or so I thought.

Rich Stein, Jonathan McClure, Diane Bosch, A. Darcy Sledge all identified it correctly — and all within minutes of posting.

Seth Goltzer chimed in soon.

So I’ll try to stump you again. This one is not easy.

Then again, I said that last week.

(Photo/Miggs Burroughs)

If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

15 Comments

Posted in Environment, Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #196

Posted on September 30, 2018 | 14 comments

Two weeks ago, Peter Barlow stumped nearly everyone with a photo of a spire that — until it was knocked over in a hurricane — stood with a dozen others atop the Compo Beach bathhouse.

Last week’s Photo Challenge also came courtesy of Peter. This one was much easier: the cupola at Kings Highway Elementary School.

Though they showed different images, and were orders of magnitude apart in difficulty, they share one thing.

As Peter notes, the 4 spires at the base of the cupola are very similar to those once on the bathhouse. Both structures date from the late 1920s and early ’30s. (From its opening through 1958, Kings Highway served as Bedford Junior High School.)

Congratulations to Victor Belyaev, Elaine Marino, Tom Ryan, Wendy Cusick, Michelle Saunders, Jacques Voris, Michael Calise, James Weisz, Jonathan McClure, Lawrence Zlatkin, Eva Pastor, Jill Turner Odice, Mary Cookman Schmerker, Ritu Johorey, Bonnie Bradley, Sharon Paulsen, Dede Fitch and Mary Palmieri Gai — some of whom are proud BJHS or KHS graduates. (Click here for last week’s photo.)

Is this week’s Photo Challenge as tough as the bathhouse spire, or as easy as the Kings Highway cupola?

We’ll find out. If you think you know where in Westport you’d find this, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Franco Fellah)

 

14 Comments

Posted in Beach, Education, Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #195

Posted on September 23, 2018 | 24 comments

Last week’s Photo Challenge was a tad different. Peter Barlow’s photo showed an object in the ground.  But — as the story explained — that’s not where it originally was. (Click here for the photo.)

It’s one of the spires from the Compo Beach bathhouse.

Peter — a longtime but now former Westporter — says that one of the spires, and some brickwork, fell off in a long-ago hurricane.

He dragged it over to the sand, photographed it, then used the image in several paintings.

At some point, he says, the town decided to remove all the spires. They were knocked off with sledgehammers, with no attempt made to save them.

Peter asked Randy Eaton, on the Parks and Recreation Department’s maintenance staff, if he could have one or two. Randy took a couple for himself, and told Peter he could have any others.

He took 5 or 6 home, in his car — one at a time. (“They’re large and heavy,” he notes.) He’s often thought about restoring one, but never got around to it.

Peter says that at least one of the spires still exists in Westport. But, he adds, “I don’t know if the current owner knows what it is.”

Jonathan McClure was the reader whose guess came closest. He wrote, “Concrete architectural finial from a long ago demolished Compo Beach structure?” The bathhouse is still there, though the spires/finials are just memories.

Peter also sent along this photo:

If you know where in Westport you’d find this, click “Comments” below.

Hint: Unlike the Compo bathhouse spire, this one is definitely still standing.

24 Comments

Posted in Beach, Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #194

Posted on September 16, 2018 | 20 comments

Last Sunday’s Photo Challenge showed a glass display case, with notices about dogs: registration, adoption, fixing.

I said: “We’ve all walked by it — often. But how many of us actually notice it?”

Apparently, no one. A couple of folks guessed Winslow Park. Logical, but wrong.

Only Bob Colson said Town Hall. That’s where it is: Just outside the front door, at the top of the steps next to the big white column.

Hopefully the info is also available at the Town Clerk’s office — the “spot” (ho ho) for dog licenses.

Because it’s clear no one sees it where it is: hiding in plain sight. (Click here for the photo.)

This week’s Photo Challenge comes from Peter Barlow.

(Photo/Peter Barlow)

He offers 2 hints: This photo does not show the object’s original location. It’s now in his yard, but that’s not where Westporters would have seen it.

And this is not the only one. At one point, there were a dozen or so.

If you think you know where you might once have seen this, click “Comments” below.

20 Comments

Posted in Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #193

Posted on September 9, 2018 | 15 comments

There are many ways to describe the location of last week’s Photo Challenge.

Post Road West, right over the bridge. The 2nd floor apartments over Arezzo restaurant, Winfield Street Deli, Stephen Kempson and Age of Reason. The Hunt & Downs Building. Across from National Hall.

All are correct. It’s a familiar sight, even if the angle was different. Click here for the photo.

Congratulations to Tom Ryan, Elaine Marino, Rich Stein, Fred Cantor, Seth Goltzer, Bruce Salvo, Linda Amos, Rosalie Kaye, Bobbie Herman, Martha Witte, Joelle Malec, Yvonne Ferris, Joyce Bottone and Michael Calise. No matter how they identified it, they nailed the challenge.

Here’s this week’s photo:

(Photo/Mark Mathias)

We’ve all walked by it — often. But how many of us actually notice it?

If you have, click “Comments” below.

15 Comments

Posted in Downtown, Local business, Photo Challenge, Restaurants

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Photo Challenge #192

Posted on September 2, 2018 | 19 comments

Nearly 7 years after his death, Kuti Zeevi is remembered well.

His family, friends and customers still grieve for the Israeli-born business owner and avid soccer player, killed during a robbery of his jewelry store on East Main Street.

And when last week’s Photo Challenge showed a plaque citing his generosity, kindness, openness, passion, liveliness, devotion and caring, “06880” readers quickly recognized “Kuti’s Way.”

It’s at the east end of Compo Shopping Center, next to Cohen’s Fashion Optical and the steps leading up to where he sold diamonds and other jewels.

Matt Murray, Fred Cantor, Jamie Walsh, Vanessa Bradford, Jessica Bram, Bobbie Herman, Michael Calise, Mary Ann Batsell and John Pollak all knew where to find Kuti: near his store.

And in our hearts.

Here’s this week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

19 Comments

Posted in Local business, Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #191

Posted on August 26, 2018 | 13 comments

Many readers thought last week’s photo challenge rang a ball.

In fact, Bob Mitchell’s image was a bell.

But it was not where most commenters thought it was (Saugatuck Engine Company 4, on Riverside Avenue).

Bob’s bell is on Riverside Avenue. It’s at the other end, though: #15, near Post Road West. Specifically, it’s next to the Gault Building West — beside the driveway leading down to the small parking lot on the river, across from Sunny Daes.

It took a while, but Lynn Untermeyer Miller and Diane Bosch finally nailed the answer.

You can see both bells — this one, and the one at the firehouse — from Riverside Avenue. Take a close look. Until then, click here for the photo.

Now on to this week’s photo challenge:

If you know where in Westport you’d find Kuti’s Way, click “Comments” below.

13 Comments

Posted in Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #190

Posted on August 19, 2018 | 13 comments

Westport is chock full of kayaks.

They’re stacked at Compo Beach, Longshore Sailing School, Downunder, and docks and driveways all around town.

But the kayaks in last week’s Photo Challenge were some of the most visible. They’re stored at Schlaet’s Point — specifically, in the little private park (supposedly) for Bluewater Hill residents only, next to the house at 259 Hillspoint Road with the massive stone wall and 3-flag pole.

We all pass by them often. But only Matt Murray, Rich Stein, Joelle Harris Malec and Sarah Hock knew exactly where they were. Kayak kudos to you! (Click here to see Amy Schneider’s shot.)

Here is this week’s Photo Challenge:

(Photo/Bob Mitchell)

If the location rings a bell, click “Comments” below. And if you’ve got the back story to it, let us know too.

13 Comments

Posted in Beach, Photo Challenge

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Photo Challenge #189

Posted on August 12, 2018 | 8 comments

With a primary election coming up this Tuesday, I thought I was pretty clever with last week’s photo challenge.

Grover Fitch’s photos showed a bumper sticker for Lowell Weicker, and one for his A Connecticut Party party.

No, he’s not running for governor. But the bumper stickers are still around from 1990, when he won as an independent candidate. Today, the 1-term governor is best known for instituting a state income tax. (Click here for the photo, and more background info.)

Either everyone was away this week, hardly anyone has ever noticed the bumper stickers, or people just want to forget about Lowell Weicker. Only Alan Puklin knew where they are: on the back of a traffic sign on Cross Highway, on your left just past Roseville Road as you head east to North Avenue.

So it’s a toss-up: Bumper stickers may hang around as long as plastic straws and water bottles. They’re probably even more dangerous to your health.

This week’s photo challenge comes from Amy Schneider.  We’ve all seen these multi-colored kayaks: but where?

(Photos/Amy Schneider)

If you think you know, click “Comments” below.

 

8 Comments

Posted in Photo Challenge, Politics

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