A century-old Westport institution (the Westport Weston Family YMCA) and one not yet 2 months old (The Sandbar concession stand at Compo Beach) join forces July 27.
Owner Nikki Glekas is supporting the Y’s 47th annual Point to Point Charity Swim, by providing breakfast for participants after the event.
Thanks, Nikki — and thanks to the Y, for once again raising funds to give back to the community.
Nikki Glekas, at The Sandbar.
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Speaking of the beach: Westport’s lifeguards held an Olympic-style competition yesterday morning, before work.
The yearly event — organized by lifeguard head Danilo Sierra — is a highlight of the summer. There are not many other events that can get young people up early on a Saturday morning.
Waiting for the results. Then it was off to work: another day keeping Compo Beach safe for all. (Photo/Karen Como)
For more than a decade, Westport has had a special relationship with Catch A Lift Fund. The national non-profit provides gym memberships and home gym equipment to help wounded post-9/11 service members heal physically and mentally, through physical fitness.
Westporters have donated funds, welcomed veterans, and joined in workouts at venues like the police station, VFW, beach and Birchwood Country Club. The vets give plenty back in return — as inspiration, and serving as “angels” for children, teens and adults with disabilities through myTeamTriumph.
The 25th anniversary of 9/11 — and 250th birthday of the United States — is a great time for Westporters to continue supporting Catch a Lift.
On September 9 (6:30 p.m., Inn at Longshore), a special fundraiser will benefit the noon-profit.
Catch a Lift veterans, at a Birchwood Country Club event.
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Stephanie Retcho writes: “For many months, we have had a sign from a builder in front of our house. More recently, another was put up. They are for houses on properties near ours.
“Both are in the right of way — the strip of land that is publicly owned by roadways.
“That goes against town ordinances. It’s an eyesore, and the regulations regarding signs are intended to keep the town looking beautiful.
“I naively thought the signs would eventually come down. But I finally complaimed out to the Planning & Zoning Department.
“Within the same day of my first email, both signs were gone.
“Huge thanks to Hannah, Mike and everyone at P&Z who made that happen. It’s not lost on me that everyone is busy. It happened faster than I ever imagined, and anyone driving by our house is the better for them being gone. (One sign in particular kept breaking. and looked quite derelict).
“For anyone with the same issue: contact P&Z. The ordinances are clear regarding signage, and clearly this team is on it.
“If you take the sign down yourself, you could be fined for theft or vandalism. In the immortal words of Ren & Stimpy: ‘happy happy, joy joy.'”
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Speaking of houses: America’s 250th birthday is in the rear view mirror.
But red, white and blue still decorates homes all around town.
Here’s the very visible view, on Compo Beach Road:
(Photo/John Maloney)
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It was quite a term for the Supreme Court.
On July 27 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library), New York Times reporter Ann Marimow will explore the impact of recent decisions (via livestream), with (live) CT Mirror host John Dankosky.
And finally … this is the birthday of Van Cliburn. The pianist earned international acclaim in 1958, at just 23 years old. He died in 2013, age 78.
(A lot always goes on at the beach, as today’s Roundup shows. Before you head over though, please take a quick minute to click here, and support your hyper-local blog. Thanks — see you there!)
There is no shortage of demolished Westport homes — or their replacements.
In the 20th edition of this feature, photographer Dave Matlow takes us to the north end of town, on roads off Main Street and Easton Road, then nearly to Norwalk on Cranbury Road.
Three were single-story homes. One was a split level. Their replacements are taller and wider.
Yesterday’s story on Tom Lowrie — Westport’s “Mr. Pickleball,” former YMCA trustee, Y’s Man and Rotarian (and much more) who died Tuesday at 97 — noted that there will be a gathering at 6 p.m. this Friday (July 3, his birthday), at the Compo Beach Lowrie Pickleball Courts.
His daughter Anne says that this is an informal toast. A celebration of Tom’s long life is set for Greens Farms Church on July 31. More details will be available soon.
Tom Lowrie, at his 97th birthday. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
Attention, sports fans! The Tuesday night Parks & Recreation adult hoops league is in full swing. Eight teams play weekly, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Players include just-graduated Staples High heroes Sam Clachko, Matty Corrigan and Mason Tobias, and recent graduates Adam Udell, Cody Sale, Caleb Tobias, Derek Sale, Justin Honig and Griffin Kass.
This week’s ringer was a Big Name: former NBA star (and Rookie of the Year) Michael Carter-Williams (now a Westport resident), and former overseas pro and current Westport PAL coach Jamill Powell.
Spectators are always welcome. The Staples coaching staff enjoyed the games last week.
Long Lots Elementary School — built in 1953, and renovated 20 years later — is slated for demolition. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
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The String Queens are the newest addition to the free Levitt Pavilion calendar.
The August 16 show features the trio, known for blending classical music with jazz, hip-hop, R&B and popular styles. Click here to reserve free tickets.
Meanwhile, this holiday weekend’s schedule includes:
Friday, July 3 (7:30 p.m.): Clay Street Unit (bluegrass, folk, Americana, country)
Saturday, July 4 (7:30 p.m.): Early Clover (former Coasters’ lead singer; tribute to Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Otis Redding and more)
Sunday, July 5 (7 p.m.): Back to the Garden 1969: Woodstock Experience (featuring Staples graduate Michelle Pauker)
Speaking of music: Lachat Town Farm’s next “Music in the Meadow” (July 11, 6 p.m.) features singer/guitarist/ songwriter Quinn Sullivan.
He’s appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and with Conan O’Brien. Sullivan has also performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and toured and recorded with Buddy Guy for nearly a decade.
Sharing the stage with B.B. King, Sullivan became one of the few artists ever to play his iconic guitar, “Lucille.”
But the celebration continues July 16 (4:30 to 6:30 p.m.).
Eleish Van Breems Home opens it doors for a free celebration. Nômade will provide the food; Black Bear Wines & Spirits, the beverages. Everyone — the LGBTQ community, friends, allies — and fans of fun (and the furniture store) — is invited. Please RSVP: events@evbhem.com.
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The Whitney Street improvement project is nearly done.
Resident Molly Alger could not be happier. And not just because the noise and inconvenience will end.
The new curb is a masterpiece,” she reports.
“The old curb, next to the black paved sidewalk, was just a raised bit of asphalt.
“Now they’re constructing a legitimate cement curb — perfectly formed and absolutely beautiful. Of course it will also be much safer!”
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between June 24 and 30.
A 38-year-old Shelton man was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating under suspension and failure to appear, following a stop on Post Road East.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Distracted driving: 6 citations
Evading responsibility: 1
School zone violation (2nd offense): 1
Traveling unreasonably fast: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
Disorderly conduct: 1
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As the weather heats up, residents slow down … and seek shade.
These folks found it yesterday, at Sherwood Island State Park. It’s a nice “Westport … Naturally” reminder of how good we have it — despite the temperature.
And finally … Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People who also co-wrote their smash hits “YMCA” and “Macho Man,” died Monday, after a short illness. He was 74.
(Once again, “06880” proves why it is “where Westport meets the world.” Where else can you find all this stuff? If you appreciate our hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Tomorrow — 2 days ahead of the holiday — the annual PAL fireworks will light the sky over Compo Beach. It’s Westport’s biggest and best party of the year.
It also has a major impact on traffic.
The beach closes to the public at 4 p.m. Only vehicles with fireworks passes hanging from their rearview mirrors can stay in the parking lot. The beach reopens to ticket holders no later than 5 p.m.
Access to the fireworks is through Compo Road South only. Hillspoint Road south of Greens Farms Road will be closed to through traffic.
Uber, Lyft and taxi services will drop riders off where Soundview Drive runs into Compo Road South. However, return service will not be possible until 11 p.m., due to one-way traffic exiting the beach. There will be delays of an hour or so after the fireworks end (approximately 9:30 to 9:45) for residents return to the Compo Beach area from elsewhere, and for anyone picking up people at the beach.
Westport Police emphasize that parking restrictions in the Compo Beach area will be strictly enforce. No parking is allowed on Compo Road South and Hillspoint Road. Illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed, and towed to Longshore parking lot F.
The fireworks are sponsored by Melissa and Doug Bernstein, and are an important fundraiser for Westport PAL. A few tickets remain, at the Parks & Recreation Department office in Longshore (during business hours), and the police station.
Speaking of the fireworks: If you’re headed there via Hillspoint Road, you’ll see one less historic home.
The “Captain Allen” home fell to the wrecking ball this week. Named for the founder of the old Allen’s Clam House, it stood on Sherwood Mill Pond near Burnham Hill for over a century.
Speaking of old homes: Bob Weingarten launches his new book “Westport, Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts, 1639–2025” with a special reception July 7 (6 p.m., Westport Book Shop). It’s a deep dive into Westport’s past — with a particular emphasis on homes, and the Greens Farms neighborhood.
The event is co-sponsored by MoCA\CT, in conjunction with their new exhibition, “Looking for History.”
The evening includes wine, light bites, a book signing, and Westport memories. Guests can purchase the book before it becomes available to the public the next day. RSVPs are required; click here.
Speaking of book launches: The Westport Library is the setting for “Ransom,” The latest Gabriel Allon thriller gets the star treatment July 14 (6:30 p.m.).
Silva will be joined in conversation by his wife, CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel — proving, the Library says, “he’s nearly as fearless as his iconic protagonist.”
And finally … speaking of Motown coming to the Westport Country Playhouse (above) — and the weather:
(As Westport swelters — and gets ready to celebrate America’s big birthday — “06880” is here with you. That’s how we roll. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Not every demolished home was old and/or dated-looking.
And not every replacement looks the same.
Dave Matlow’s journey through Westport’s teardowns, and the homes that replace them, is always fascinating. This week’s photos are particularly interesting, because the architectural styles of new construction are more diverse than we often think.
On the front is a photo of the handsome stone building that is now Massi Co.
The back shows Westport’s classic Town Hall.
If you’ve been here a while, you know the relationship. The Post Road restaurant on the front is our original Town Hall. (The current one is the repurposed Bedford Elementary School.)
Westport’s original Town Hall.
The images are from “Westport Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts.”
Bob Weingarten’s 234-page book — plus 4 appendices, and an exhaustive index — is the first history of this place since Woody Klein’s “Westport Connecticut: The Story of a New England Town’s Rise to Prominence” in 2000.
Heavy on Greens Farms (the author’s neighborhood since 2002) and on historic homes (his passion), it also features stories about Longshore, the Minute Man Monument, road names (spoiler alert: Cross Highway comes from its “crossing” of the Eleven O’Clock Roads) and more.
“Stories” is the right term. The book includes 37 “articles,” many of them originally written by Weingarten for Greens Farms Living magazine, and other publications like Westport Magazine. (He is a frequent contributor to “06880,” too.)
Weingarten is not an architectural historian by training. He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and spent 30 years in software development.
But after moving more than 2 decades ago into an 1805 barn, he devotes hours each day to research.
Old homes are of particular interest. Weingarten has obtained 359 historic plaques; curated 5 exhibits for the Westport Historical Society; served as house historian for the WHS (and now the Westport Museum for History & Culture), and spent 10 years on the Historic District Commission.
Bob Weingarten, with one of his historic home plaques. The Simon Couch Chaise House is on Morningside Drive.
This book grew out of all that. It’s an important complement to Klein’s work, and George Penfield Jennings’ exhaustive “Green’s Farms, Connecticut: The Old West Parish of Fairfield,” published in 1933.
(About that apostrophe: Weingarten addresses the centuries-old debate about the proper punctuation of Greens/Green’s Farms in depth. Spoiler alert: He prefers “Green’s,” but concludes, “Your call!”)
His exhaustive look at historic homes — illustrated with plenty of photos — ranges into areas like barn conversions (“there were a lot more than you’d imagine,” he says), and the Underground Railroad. (Spoiler alert: Though Westporters helped enslaved people on their journey north, no Westport homes have been “officially certified” as stops on the network of secret routes.)
Have you wondered about Westport’s oldest houses? Weingarten writes about them (and includes photos): 187 Long Lots Road (circa 1683), 46 Kings Highway South, 28 Compo Road North, 81 Clapboard Hill Road and 41 Kings Highway North.
(Speaking of Long Lots, spoiler alert: The term comes from land grants that were just 50 to 875 feet wide, but 10 miles long.)
The oldest home in Westport is on Long Lots Road, near the Fairfield line. (Photo/Larry Untermeyer)
Weingarten also discusses well-known Greens Farms residents, like Rodney Dangerfield, Gene Tierney and Robert Ludlum; modern topics like solar panels, and the “changing streetscape” of structures that have been moved, like the Kemper Gunn House (from Church Lane across Elm Street, to its current incarnation as Serena & Lily), and nearby Spotted Horse Tavern.
He also mentions the Red Barn restaurant, a historic structure on the other side of town from Greens Farms. It was in the news recently (after the book was published) because its owner, the Westport Weston Family YMCA, plans to build an ice skating rink on the site.
So is our historic architectural character — of homes, the Red Barn and more — in jeopardy?
Despite his deep love for old homes, Weingarten takes a measured tone: “We need to carefully study any proposal (for change) from both a preservation point of view and a property owner’s point of view. Not an easy task.”
“Westport Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts” will launch officially with an event at the Westport Book Shop on July 8 (6 p.m.). There will also be a signing at MoCA\CT, at a date to be announced. For more information, and to purchase, email rwmailbox@aol.com.
Dave Matlow’s photographic journey, from now-demolished homes to their replacements, continues.
Today’s images take us all over town: from Half Mile Common (off Cross Highway), to Guyer Road (off Hillspoint Road), and Narrow Rocks Road (off Compo Road South).
Rick Redniss is principal planner and former president of Redniss & Mead.
A design firm that works throughout Fairfield County, they’ve been involved in residential, commercial, retail, industrial, educational, religious, government and cultural projects, as well as waterfront, parks and open space.
Their imprint on Westport is substantial. The other day, Rick and I chatted on the Library stage. Our conversation focused on our town — including the affordable housing efforts that Rick is passionate about.
Click here or below, to learn all about a design firm’s impact on a town.
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