All over town, builders and families are buying old (and some young) homes, and tearing them down.
Some were poorly constructed, and go easily. Others are more sturdy. But they too succumb to the wrecking ball.
It will take a lot to topple 50 Sylvan Road North — the 1920 Tudor Revival owned by a host of well-known people, including actor Frank Gorshin and billionaire Marc Lasry.
(Photo courtesy of MLS)
Fortunately, that won’t happen.
And not just because the walls are more than 2 feet thick.
50 Sylvan Road North, today.
The 9-bedroom, 8 1/2-bathroom stone home, on a 3-acre lot, was bought 2 1/2 years ago by attorney Jeffrey Ment and Dr. Mary Murray, Westporters since 2000.
Sturdy construction, from 1920.
They’ve painstakingly renovated the long-neglected property, both inside and out.
Mary Murray, in her back yard.
The interior was in bad shape. The exterior — including gardens, statues and fountains that had disappeared under weeds and algae — was worse.
It’s taken time, energy, creativity and love. But now, 50 Sylvan — beckoning behind an old-style stone wall — looks much as it did when Charles Cutler designed it over 100 years ago.
If it looks a bit like other local landmarks, there’s a reason: Cutler also created the Westport Bank & Trust (Patagonia) building downtown, and Greens Farms Elementary School.
The first owner was Arthur Dare Whiteside, president of Dun & Bradstreet. Subsequent owners included a variety of artists and actors, including Gorshin — The Riddler on “Batman,” among many other notable roles.
But by the time Murray and her husband — who passed it often, on their walks from nearby Marion Road — bought it, it had fallen into disrepair.
It took them a while to figure out what to do, or even where to begin.
As landscape architects Beate Hochman and Emilio Mandujano explored, they found overgrown sculptures, rock gardens, even a pond. “It was like an architectural dig,” Murray recalls.
This sculpture and fountain was rediscovered, and restored.
Gradually, the property has been transformed. The owners have added their own touches too, like a farm building with 10 chickens and 5 ducks, and a nearby koi pond.
The chicken and duck coop, with pond in front.
Inside, Murray and Ment have restored carvings — of Latin sayings, animals and more — in nearly every room. They’ve brought old fireplaces back to life.
Intricate carvings, over one of many fireplaces.
They’ve worked on rooms that were important a century ago but are no longer needed, like the one where Whiteside’s driver could pull in and wait. He was not allowed anywhere else in the house.
It’s been a labor of love — and mystery — for the owner. “This is such a special place in Westport history,” Murray says. “I keep imagining that world, and what it was like, 100 years ago.
“Westport is a place of creativity. It’s nice to remember who we were, and still are.
“I don’t why anyone would need new construction, when they could have this.”
Mary Murray, at the rear of her home.
Another restoration at 50 Sylvan Road North.
Landscape architect Beate Hochman is responsible for much of the work on 50 Sylvan Road North. The detached garage in the back was added by a previous owner, after the home was built. (All photos/Dan Woog unless otherwise noted.)
The Planning & Zoning Commission held its first hearing yesterday on the new Spinnaker project. “06880” reporter John Palmer writes:
The Planning & Zoning Commission and members of the public got their first look last night at the latest development proposal for Saugatuck since the Hamlet was rendered dead.
Representatives for Norwalk-based Spinnaker presented a pre-application –a first look at the developer’s plans, and a chance for any last-minute concerns to be discussed before a formal application is submitted.
The Architectural Review Board discusses the pre-application at their meeting tonight (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201; click here for materials).
“We know this property has a long and at times, frustrating history for the neighborhood,” said Matthew Edvardsen, principal at Spinnaker, who added he lives in town with his wife.
“We want this to be a project the neighborhood enjoys and is genuinely happy to be a part of.”
One view of the proposed Spinnaker development. Riverside Avenue is on the left, Charles Street on the right.
Spinnaker, which has developed properties in Norwalk, New Canaan, Darien, Fairfield and New Haven, bought 606 Riverside Avenue for $12.795 million, and 96 Franklin Street for $3.25 million. The rectangle parcel is anchored by Minute Man Cleaners.
“This is not the Hamlet,” said Adam Blank, an attorney with Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky, acting as land use counsel for Spinnaker. “We can assure you the project will comply with all town engineering standards.”
He added that the developers have already met with the Fire department, businesses and other town officials, as well as the state Department of Transportation. Spinnaker has also created a project website.
Unlike Hamlet, which involved a complicated mix of several properties, Spinnaker’s proposal calls for 175 mixed units within 1 block of property. Eighteen — or about 10 percent — would be considered affordable, less than the 20% that town regulations require for similar developments.
Seelan Pather, managing principal for Beinfield Architecture, which will handle design for the proposed development, said the intent is to create a “New England Village” that provides a walkable environment.
A view looking at Railroad Place (left) and Riverside Avenue.
Rather than providing a development with many amenities, he said the idea is to create a “symbiotic relationship” with downtown Westport, which he said would be the draw for people to visit.
“We are familiar with Westport, and we are trying to achieve some of that wonderful Westport energy that exists,” he said. “We will pay attention to detail. Needless to say we’ve done this before, and we know how to get it right.”
The parcel to be developed would be bordered by Charles and Franklin Streets, Riverside Avenue and Railroad Place.
Designers plan to preserve the historical feel of Saugatuck by retaining buildings such as the post office to provide a hint of nostalgia.
Along Charles Street and Riverside Avenue, street level buildings would be limited to 4 stories to avoid an urban “canyon effect,” and would feature townhouse-like apartments with stoops, as well as street-level retail and entertainment space.
A 5-foot setback from 13-foot sidewalks would help shield sightlines of a larger, 6-story structure that would house 2 levels of above-grade parking, and 4 levels of apartments that would surround a common plaza area for residents.
“You’d have to be on I-95 to see most of what’s going on there,” Pather said of the higher building.
A key feature of the new development, which differs from Hamlet, is 283 parking spaces. Most are on 2 levels that would be located at grade or on the second level, with entrances that would be hidden within the façade of the street level façade.
By comparison, Hamlet proposed 2 underground parking garages that would feature “stackers” employed to accommodate more vehicles. It would have also eliminated most on-street parking.
Spinnaker’s street-level parking plan.
Spinnaker’s version will provide 49 off-street parking spaces plus 10 on-street spaces on Charles Street, in addition to the 283 contained garage spaces.
According to Marissa Tarrallo, a traffic expert with AKRF, studies were done at 11 intersections in the area from March through May, collecting 3 days of turning movement counts as well as 9-day traffic recorder counts.
The project as currently planned would generate 57 more weekday morning trips, 88 more in the afternoon, and 129 more on Saturdays.
She said that Spinnaker’s development will generate about 80% fewer vehicle trips than the Hamlet would have generated, and almost no traffic delays more than 10 seconds at all intersections with Saugatuck Avenue.
Planning commissioners largely viewed the proposal positively, but several expressed concerns that the developers provide only 10 percent of affordable housing, when town regulations require 20 percent.
“It would be very difficult to approve something that is substantially lower than what we require of other developers in town,” said Bre Injeski, adding that a text amendment would likely need to be approved to allow a change in regulations.
“That would be a sticking point for me. I like that you have sufficient parking and the traffic numbers are not going to make traffic significantly worse.”
The current site of the Spinnaker property. Riverside Avenue is at the bottom of the photo; Charles Street is on the right.
“This is a massive development in an area that is already congested,” noted Michael Calise. “We just don’t have the infrastructure.”
Chairman Paul Lebowitz said that he’d like to see more setbacks integrated into the streetscape, to allow for opportunities to enjoy the environment.
“When I go to Saugatuck it’s for the experience of the places there, like eating ice cream and sitting on a nice evening,” he said. “I’d like to see more of that integrated into the sidewalks.
“It’s night and day from what we were presented with previously. I will be drawn to the negative space that will make Charles Street look like something it hasn’t looked like in many years.”
(Since our founding in 2009, “06880” has covered Saugatuck from every angle: real estate, business, transportation, history and more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
If you’re like most Westporters, you figured the construction at 251-253 Riverside Avenue — at the foot of Sylvan Lane, on the left just before JR’s Deli heading toward I-95 — had something to do with the nondescript office building nearby. You didn’t give it a second glance.
The next time you drive past, you will.
Last week, Christine Finch Oleynick showed the finished product to the world. Well, to at least a few dozen very interested fellow realtors, and potential renters.
The renovation of a former office building flew way under the radar. It’s now 8 apartments — 2 and 3- bedrooms, right on the Saugatuck River.
The Anchorage (right) hugs the Saugatuck River.
Six are market rate: $10,500 to $12,500 a month (unfurnished). The other 2 are deemed affordable, according to state formulas.
As Westport debates large apartment complexes — some planned, some already under construction — at sites like the train station, Hiawatha Lane and Post Road West, smaller ones are cropping up all around town.
Think of the new units near Pizza Lyfe and Lyfe Café, for example.
But it’s doubtful any have the river views of “The Anchorage at Saugatuck.”
The view from the kitchen (virtually staged) …
With floor to ceiling windows, and balconies hanging almost over the water, these take advantage of the Saugatuck River in a way Westport seldom sees.
The Bridge at Saugatuck restaurant, Saugatuck Rowing Club and Rive Bistro all pay homage to the river. There’s a riverwalk at the medical complex. But this renovation has gone out of its way to maximize its location.
… and a bedroom (also virtually staged).
Standing in the unfurnished living rooms and bedrooms, and on the balconies — looking both upriver and downriver, with a turn of the head — I saw and considered the Saugatuck in a way I’d never done before.
The renovation is almost complete. Still to come: electric car chargers, and $75,000 worth of landscaping.
Views from the deck are both downriver …
Oleynick hopes the first tenants can move in around June 15. The Anchorage has elicited plenty of interest, from residents looking to downsize, New Yorkers looking for a weekend home, even folks looking for a rental while their own home is being renovated. All rentals are for 1 or 2 years.
… and upriver. (All photos courtesy of MLS Smart)
I’m not looking to move. I’m happy where I am. And — go figure — the price range is a little beyond what I can afford.
I must admit, though: I was intrigued. I began imagining myself in The Anchorage, on the river.
But then I looked out from one of the bedrooms, which I could convert to an office.
I know I can’t live there.
With those views of the river, I’d never get any work done.
(“06880” regularly covers real estate — and much more, including everything Saugatuck River related. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
High Point Road is the longest cul-de-sac in Westport.
It’s also the street I grew up on.
It was quite a place. Nearly every home — about 70, by the time they were all built — had 2 or 3 kids, all around my sisters’ and my ages.
We rode bikes, played in yards (and in the “circle” at the end), wandered in and out of houses. Someone’s mother fed us dinner. Then we were outside again.
Staples High School was just over the hill, on the west side of the street. We took over the athletic fields as our own.
High Point is still filled with children. It’s still a great place to grow up.
Some of the original 1950s homes remain. But many others have been torn down.
From the time Dave Matlow began photographing houses set to be demolished, and the time he stopped 6 years ago, 14 High Point homes fell to the wrecking ball. Others have been razed since.
Congratulations to the Staples boys lacrosse team!
The Wreckers won the FCIAC (league) championship for the 2nd time in 3 years last night. They edged New Canaan 10-9, in a nail-biter.
Seven straight 2nd-half goals gave the blue-and-whites the lead. They hung on when the Rams scored the last 5 — and their final shot hit the post.
Junior Nate Maurillo was the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Coach Will Koshansky’s squad, with a 15-4 mark — is the 5th seed in the state tournament. Play begins Wednesday (June 3, 6 p.m.), with a home match against #12 Hamden.
The last school to win both the league and state title in the same year was Darien in 2017.
Speaking of sports: As the Planning & Zoning Commission plans to debate lights on 2 athletic fields (Monday, June 1, 6 p.m., Zoom), Staples High School student Loewe Epstein hopes to rally support.
He started a Change.org petition, which is nearing 200 signatures. It is focused on Wakeman Field, which is used by a variety of school teams.
Epstein cites scheduling difficulties and community involvement as key reasons to add lights.
The Coleytown Middle School gifted program teacher, and Westport Public Schools No Place for Hate coordinator, will receive the Connecticut Education Association’s Mahatma Gandhi-Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award.
The honor recognizes an individual who has developed or implemented a program in a school or community that advances peace education, promotes cooperation, supports the peaceful resolution of conflict, and expands opportunities for students and educators.
The Westport district’s No Place for Hate initiative “helps create school communities where all students feel valued, respected, and supported. The initiative focuses on identity, bias, bullying prevention, and proactive responses that strengthen school climate across the district.”
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice says that Sweeney “has helped lead work that strengthens belonging, empathy and respect across our schools. This recognition speaks to her dedication to students and to the kind of school community we are always striving to build. Her work reflects the very best of Westport Public Schools and our commitment to building inclusive, caring learning communities.”
The award will be presented June 18 in Hartford.
Faith Sweeney
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A vehicle crashed into a parked car, then an apartment building yesterday afternoon at Canal Park.
The driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
No one was inside the building. Fire crews shored up and stabilized the structure.
A vehicle strikes Canal Park …
… and a firefighter stabilizes the building. (Photos courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
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The Historic District Commission meets June 9 (7 p.m., Zoom).
The agenda includes discussion of demolition permits for:
A new business is moving into Compo Shopping Center, next to Gold’s:
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
But that’s all we know. There’s no phone or email, QR code … nothing.
A quick web search brought up a “Flora Aesthetics & Wellness” in Ventura, California. An email to them bounced right back, with an error message.
Flora: We’d love to give some love to Westport’s newest aesthetics and spa place. But who are you? Contact us: 06880blog@gmail.com.
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June is Pride Month.
Westport Pride kicks it off on Monday — June 1 — with a 4 p.m. flag-raising ceremony at Jesup Green. First Selectman Kevin Christie and State Senator Ceci Maher will attend. The public is invited.
Westport Pride — the non-profit that advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion and respect — says the Pride flag :more than a seasonal decoration. It carries history, identity, grief, celebration and visible support.
“Pride Month, observed each June, honors the legacy of LGBTQ+ activism and the ongoing pursuit of dignity and equal rights for all. This flag-raising is a public expression of Westport’s values — a visible signal to LGBTQ+ residents, families, and visitors that they are welcome and celebrated in this community.”
Westport Pride is also organizing the town-wide Pride celebration on Sunday, June 14 (12 noon, Jesup Green).
A night of classic rock, pop and dance hits tonight (Friday, 7 p.m.) will help raise funds for Homes for the Brave, the Bridgeport-based housing, vocational skills and life coaching support non-profit serving area veterans.
The show’s site is appropriate: VFW Post 399.
The Gold Dust band will play. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged — and important.
Four 10-minute plays — each revealing a different aspect of reproductive health care — will be staged at the Westport Country Playhouse Lucille Lortel White Barn on July 12.
“R Rated: Reproductive Rights and Resistance On Stage” — directed by Keria Naughton — is a collaboration between The A Chronicles and Reproductive Equity Now.
The performances will be followed by an open conversation exploring reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and the realities facing today’s patients and providers. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Most of Dave Matlow’s “before” photos, in this continuing series — showing homes in their pre-teardown state — are of those that were in good condition.
Ttoday’s images show 2 that were not.
Here is the latest collection of houses that no longer exist, and what replaced them.
As director of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce, Matthew Mandell hears a lot.
He sends regular updates to an email list, from a SaveWestport.com address.
The one that landed in inboxes less than an hour ago is quite interesting. Matthew writes:
I was informed this week that an 8-30g will be coming to 55 Greens Farms Road. (NOTE: That’s the office building next to Assumption Cemetery, opposite I-95 and near Hillspoint Road.)
55 Greens Farms Road
Our old 8-30g lawyer Tim Hollister (Hiawatha) is bringing us another one. Of the 2 buildings at the office park, the front one will become a 70-foot, 250-unit apartment building (175 market, 75 affordable).
The other will remain for office use, at least for now. The Planning & Zoning Commission rezoned this area for medical use, which made a lot of sense, but this is what is coming anyway.
Aerial view of 55 Greens Farms Road. The apartments would be in the front. The rear building would remain offices.
55 is the one closest to the road, and the new apartment building will be much closer to the road. While the folks in the cemetery to the east probably won’t mind much, it’s the poor folks on Gonczy, Lakeview and Medwell who will get this full impact.
This is besides the increase in use of the roads for that area, and the sheer size of it being out of character. And the state Department of Transportation still would like 18-wheelers to come across the Cribari Bridge and be on this road.
Technically the application has not been filed with P&Z. Hollister is coming before the Conservation Commission to do a wetland modification based on new reports. CC pretty much would have to follow the expert analysis, but they don’t have to, nor do they need to do anything quickly.
Once the application arrives formally then we look for cracks in the application, knowing Hollister it will be pretty clean.
This is coming folks. We have not had an 8-30g since we lost the moratorium 2+ years ago. Once Lincoln Street and Hiawatha Lane come on line we will get another moratorium, but until then we are still vulnerable.
(This is a developing story. “06880” will update it, as more information becomes available.)
It’s listed for $999,999. That’s one of the least expensive properties in Westport today.
It was also one of the least expensive 70 years ago.
In 1956, it was a new build. Jerry Mande’s father wrote a check for $793.38. That covered his down payment.
The annual property tax was $36. Heating oil was $0.145 a gallon.
Those were the days.
Fillow Street was part of a new neighborhood. It sprouted near Fillow Flower Farm, off Clinton Avenue, and included nearby streets like Oak, Calumet, Loren and Sniffen (the latter 2 named for one man: Loren Sniffen).
Developers knew they were in the right place, at the right time. The baby boom was booming. Young families wanted the suburbs: a big home, space, good schools, amenities.
Westport sure offered amenities.
Compo Beach! Franklin Simon Shopping Center! A quick and pleasant drive on the Merritt!
And while some of those distances (2 minutes to Coleytown School, 5 minutes to the station) might be wishful thinking, the 58 minutes to Grand Central was not. Seven decades later, it takes at least 15 minutes longer. Ah, progress!
The marketing material did not hold back.
“The #1 location in the entire metropolitan area — perhaps in the entire country,” it said.
But, it added oddly, “With its awkward years of growth and inconvenience far behind, Westport stands today as the nation’s model suburban community.
“It boasts innumerable mansions in the $100,000 class and up. It abounds in many Fifth Avenue shops. It is famous for its art, theatrical and cultural centers.”
And beyond “incomparable Compo Beach … it’s endowed with priceless prestige — so vital in business and social success today.”
The homes themselves came in 2 models: “The Caddy” and “The New Englander.”
Features included finished recreation rooms, separate dining rooms, oversized garages, separate space for laundry, and leaders and gutters.
The neighborhood has stood the test of time. (The name — Flower Estates — is long forgotten, if it was ever used.)
The area is still one of the most family-friendly in Westport. It is walkable, bikeable, and filled with kids. (Especially, because of its compactness, at Halloween.)
Some original homes remain. (Though their number is dwindling.)
Jerry Mande hopes that the home he is selling is one of those. He’d like a family — not a developer — to treasure it, as his family has for 70 years.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
This morning’s Roundup included 4 photos that we identified as computer-generated images of Spinnaker’s proposed Saugatuck development.
They’re part of the packet that Beinfield Architecture will present at next Tuesday’s Architectural Review Board meeting (May 26, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall room 309).
The images were identified incorrectly. They’re actually part of a new Spinnaker project in Norwalk, called Ardea Pointe, near a cemetery.
They were included in the ARB packet next to Beinfield’s artist renderings of that project, to show the resemblance to what is actually built.
Here is a screenshot of the packet. Beinfield’s drawings are on the left; Spinnaker’s completed Norwalk project are on the right.
“06880” apologies for the error, the misinformation, and any confusion.
Meanwhile, here are 2 renderings of Spinnaker’s Saugatuck proposal. The first view is of Riverside Avenue, looking toward the train station with Charles Street on the left.
The second is a view of Railroad Place (left), and Riverside Avenue (center and right).
The Architectural Review Board gets its first look at the proposed development of 606 Riverside Avenue — the Minute Man Dry Cleaners property — next Tuesday (May 26, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall, Room 307/309).
Spinnaker Real Estate recently bought the parcel — and a nearby parking lot where boats are now stored — following the Planning & Zoning Commission’s rejection of the Hamlet at Saugatuck project.
Among the computer-generated designs to be considered:
The ARB will also discuss proposed façade modifications, solar panels and lighting at 520 Post Road East — the former nail salon next to Five Guys (and before that, a pancake house). The new proposed use is a Pilates studio.
Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein won the Democratic Party endorsement for State Representative of the 136th District last night.
She beat Representative Town Meeting member Matthew Mandell, 38 votes to 10. The two Westporters vied to replace Jonathan Steinberg, who is retiring.
The process allows for a primary. Mandell heads to Town Hall today, to pick up petitions.
Goldstein vowed to fight for and represent “this vibrant community we love, and for a Connecticut that remains dynamic, compassionate, and full of opportunity.”
She said she will work to protect and strengthen public schools, invest in infrastructure, preserve the environment, and ensure the state budget reflects the values and pressures facing Connecticut residents and towns.
Goldstein highlighted the increasing importance of fighting for reproductive rights, gun control, and civil liberties, saying, “At a time of federal hostility, we will defend our fundamental rights, safety, and freedoms.”
Lee Goldstein and Matthew Mandell
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A Cross Highway construction project will restrict access to residents only, beginning next month.
The small bridge near Wakeman Town Farm and the Wakeman athletic fields will be replaced. Cross Highway will be closed between North Avenue and Bayberry Lane, after students’ last day of school on June 18.
Local residents can access their roads. But through traffic will not be allowed.
The project will last 6 to 8 weeks. The road is planned to reopen by the end of August, before school starts.
The contractor, FGB Construction, has already put up signs announcing the work. Electronic signs will be placed there too.
Access to Wakeman Town Farm and the Wakeman fields is available, as always, through Bedford Middle School on North Avenue.
Questions? Contact town engineer Keith Wilberg: 203-341-1128; kwilberg@westportct.gov.
Cross Highway bridge. (Photo courtesy of Google Street View)
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You never know what kind of art you’ll see at the Westport Library.
And this spring, Artists Collective of Westport members didn’t know what they were creating, either.
48 artists received a printout of a single 12″ x 12″ section of a much larger, 6-foot high by 8-foot high work, and a blank panel. Each reimagined it, in his or her own way, using any medium they chose.
The result is “Piece by Piece” — a “vibrant and often surprising mosaic of styles, perspectives, and artistic voices … a playful yet powerful celebration of community, creativity, and collaboration. As the individual pieces come together, the larger image is gradually revealed, reminding viewers that every contribution plays a role in the creation of something greater than itself.”
It’s one of 2 Artists Collective exhibits opening at the Library on June 4 (6 to 8 p.m.). “Piece by Piece” will be unveiled at 7.
“Piece by Piece”
The other exhibit is “American Journeys,” an all-member exhibition inspired by America’s 250th birthday. The title reflects the idea that there is no single American journey, but rather a tapestry of countless personal paths, experiences, struggles and triumphs that together define the American story.
75 Collective members contributed works. All are available for purchase.
Speaking of the Library: A quarter century of “Shrek” came to life last night there.
Roger Schulman — co-writer of the iconic animated fantasy comedy — spoke with Sacred Hart University professor of communication, media and the arts Todd Barnes.
Schulmanl discussed his journey from journalism to Hollywood — and took the audience behind the Shrek scenes.
Roger Schulman (right), Professor Todd Barnes, and the Shrek franchise. (Photo/Susan Garment)
Speaking of entertainment: As the Westport Pops Concert nears — it’s June 5 (7 p.m., Levitt Pavilion) — the Staples Music Parents Associates announces a partnership with Romanacci’s.
Meals are available by pre-order only (click here). A portion of the meal price supports Staples Music. The deadline is May 29.
There are no food trucks in the Levitt Pavilion parking lot. However, the Oggi gelato cart will be on site.
The lawn opens at 6 p.m. (BYO lawn chair). Pre-show groups begin performing at 6. The main show starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets are free, though a suggested donation of $15 per ticket helps offset production costs. Donations in lieu of tickets can be made at the same (new) Stpales Music website — click here.
Compo Beach got a “C” grade, while Burying Hill Beach and Sherwood Island both earned “B”s, in Save the Sound’s analysis of water samples during the 2025 swimming season.
55 of 72 public and private Long Island Sound beaches in Connecticut (76%) received an A or B.
Last summer, water quality samples at Compo Beach failed 9% of the time. The rates for Burying Hill and Sherwood Island were 7 and 3%, respectively.
Burying Hill Beach closure last summer. (Photo/Seth Schachter)
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Mark Shapiro is buying a stake in another pro team.
This time it’s in the NFL.
The Westporter will join with his sports and entertainment industry partner Ari Emanuel in a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The deal is expected to close this month. The current ownership group includes Michael Dell and Tom Brady.
Shapiro’s NFL ties run deep. In 2005 he acquired Monday Night Football while running programming and production at ESPN. He later created the NFL Honors.
Shapiro also led Endeavor Group Holdings’ acquisition of On Location, the NFL’s exclusive hospitality provider. Shapiro is also a minority owner of MLS soccer team Los Angeles FC.
Emanuel and Shapiro are longtime business partners. Shapiro is now president and COO of TKO (comprising UFC, WWE, PBR, On Location and IMG), president and managing partner of WME Group, principal investor and board member of MARI (owner of the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Frieze and TodayTix), and is involved with WME Basketball.
Mark Shapiro — StartUp Westport’s 2025 Innovator of the Year — was interviewed at the Westport Library by Sara Eisen of CNBC.
The Bedford Middle School 6th grader placed first — and won $600 — in the World of 8 Billion International Student Video Contest. The event, sponsored by Population Connection, drew thousands of entries from teens in 63 countries around the world.
Her 60-second video, “Hanging by a Thread,”tackles environmental challenges created by fast fashion, and proposes the use of biodegradable fabrics in clothing production as a key to a more sustainable future.
This year’s contest challenged students to explore how population growth intersects with three critical global issues: wetlands, energy and economics.
Contest officials said, “Katherine Rose’s entry stood out for its smart analysis of fast fashion as well as its colorful animation.”
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