Today’s weather sliced into the Slice of Saugatuck attendance.
But plenty of people of all ages still headed to the triangle formed by Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place and Saugatuck Avenue, for the 11th annual food tasting, retail experience and fundraiser for the Homes with Hope pantry.
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event included bouncy houses, a face painter, balloon bender, firehouse tours, beer and wine gardens, and 7 bands.
Any way you slice it, it was a great Saugatuck day.
Pasta, meatballs — and dog treats — at Tutti’s …
… Tuck Gin on Railroad Place …
… kids’ fun by the train station …
… tickets sold by RTM moderator (and former Homes with Hope CEO) Jeff Wieser …
… one of 7 bands …
… Deputy Fire Chief Nick Marsan at the Saugatuck stationhouse, where the Fire Department raised awareness of breast cancer …
… and let little kids drive a fire truck …
… treats at Saugatuck Sweets …
… and cheeseburger meatball at Match Burger Lobster (All photos/Dan Woog)
It’s a staple of Westport’s July 4th fireworks: Little kids buy light sabers at the PAL booth, then run around Compo Beach pretending to be the Jedi, Sith and other Force-sensitives.
Greg Ruder goes light-years further.
You may have seen the 2002 Staples High School graduate this summer. He’s the guy fire spinning and flowing, up and down the shore.
Greg Ruder in action …
Greg returned to Westport 2 years ago, after 13 years in the Bay Area. He learned Bo Staff in his Kung Fu San Soo (ancient Chinese martial arts style) classes, and was trained by his sensei to help him teach self defense classes to people of all ages, especially high school students headed to college.
After 7 years, Greg earned a first degree black belt.
Kung fu was his foundation for learning body awareness and movement. He’d long been a dancer, watching jam bands, Phish and Dead incarnations.
His graceful motions have been described as “martial/hippie flow/spinning.”
Greg is largely self taught. His props include a staff, double staves and nunchucks — all with daytime, LED light and fire versions.
The LED props draw the most attention. Fire spinning is reserved for private places and sessions.
… and with his black belt certificate.
At the beach, he is swarmed by young kids and teenagers. “The lights, and the vibe it creates, breaks down barriers and helps facilitate an immediate connection,” he says.
They want to play with the lights. Parents ask if he teaches his techniques.
For a decade, this has been Greg’s hobby. He takes his props everywhere — walking his dog, running errands, going to work. He’s currently a server at Match Burger Lobster.
But he’s taking a step forward with his side gig — teaching youngsters and adults.
“It gets kids off their devices and into their bodies,” he says. “They learn how to move with control.”
For older people he offers meditation, breathing, qigong and yoga. All work symbiotically.
He can also teach self-defense, but wants to focus more on dance and fun. Greg enjoys helping people play with props, and move their bodies in new ways.
“Surrendering to the flow and allowing the mind to release control is the goal for achieving the flow state,” he says. “This is my meditation.” He works outdoors, and is searching for an indoor space.
He has already done a block party. He hopes to do bring his walk-around flow to weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, corporate events and more — not as the main attraction, but as a fun, costumed addition.
He is very safe with his fire show, he assures potential clients.
(For more information, email findingyourflow2@gmail.com, or call 203-820-1122.)
(And, because there are always multiple Westport connections: Greg is friendly with 1996 Staples graduate Sean Von Stade. He’s the founder and co-owner of Flowtoys, the industry leader. They make the lights Greg uses, and staffs, wands and other equipment. Based in Emeryville, California, they host flow jams that Greg attended, with music and flow fellowship.)
(“06880” often highlights Staples graduates doing intriguing things. That’s an important part of local journalism. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
For 40 years, Homes with Hope has provided emergency shelter, supportive housing, a community kitchen and food pantry to area residents.
It’s a national model for what a suburban organization can do, to help solve a national crisis.
Now the non-profit has taken another step. Homes with Hope is creating an Affordable Housing Advisory Council. They’ll advocate for, and participate in, developing affordable supportive housing initiatives, as part of the HwH mission to prevent and end homelessness.
The council will continue collaborating with local partners and town officials to increase efforts to add affordable housing here.
Lauren Soloff, a board member for 12 yeas, will chair the Council. It will consist of prominent Westporters including former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, former New Neighborhoods CEO Ross Burkhardt, Michelle Lapine McCabe and David McCarthy.
Homes with Hope board members on the Affordable Housing Advisory Council include Brian Baxendale, Jen Ferrante, Will Haskell, Becky Martin, Kate Weber and Ralph Yearwood,
This Sunday marks the last supper for Pane e Bene.
The Post Road East Italian restaurant opened 12 years ago. The property has been sold, and will be developed as The Clubhouse, a “simulator lounge” activity space with interactive experiences in golf, football, soccer, hockey, dodgeball and more; private rooms for birthday parties, corporate events, karaoke and big-screen game viewings, plus a bar with craft cocktails and a pub-bites menu.
Pane e Bene will reopen when a new location is found.
Pane e Bene restaurant.
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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Many Westporters — and Circle of Care, the non-profit that provides assistance to families who have a child with cancer — are taking note.
Gold ribbons — representing the color of childhood cancer awareness — can be seen all around town.
Families decorated Kings Highway Elementary School with the ribbons (and inspiring messages. Last Friday, staff and students wore gold, and donated dollar bills to build awareness.
Circle of Care provides practical, emotional, and financial support to children in treatment and their families. Since its founding in 2003 it has assisted over 3,200 families, providing over $5 million in services.
Honoring Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (from left): 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, Circle of Care co-executive directors Liz Vega and Liz Salguero, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
When Stauffer Chemical Company moved its international headquarters to the former Nyala Farm property at I-95 Exit 18 in 1970, it was a defining moment: Westport’s first big office property.
There was plenty of opposition. Thanks in large part to activism by the Greens Farms Association, safeguards were put in place to maintain much of the land as open space. Today — even though it’s home to Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund — it’s hardly noticeable.
But area residents have noticed a new addition recently: tents, and a large “slip and slide.”
Bridgewater’s slip and slide …
That’s not in keeping with the special permit negotiated by the Association, that the open space be maintained as “rolling meadowlands.”
Association officials are keeping an eye on the tents and slide — which may be temporary — as well as other, more permanent modifications to the meadow.
The special permit negotiated over 50 years ago is still in force.
… and tents. (Screenshots from video by Art Schoeller)
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The East Coast Greenway — which runs from the Canadian border to Key West, and passes through Westport (primarily on Greens Farms Road) — got a shoutout this week in the New York Times.
In “These Human-Made Natural Wonders Hide in Plain Sight,” Peter Coy
examines the power of transformational and expansive trail networks. Click here for the full piece. Click here for a map. (Hat tip: Peter Gold)
The short stretch of Post Road between Myrtle Avenue and Main Street is chockablock with restaurants. Italian, Spanish, Thai, Mexican — it’s all there.
Around the corner on Church Lane, there’s American, Japanese and (soon) Israeli.
Is there room for one more — another Italian, at that?
Federico Perandin says, fervently: Sì!
For several months, diners have discovered — and loved — Il Pastaficio’s takeout menu. Whether ordering to-go or buying raw pasta and sauces (with step-by-step cooking instructions), they’ve embraced the spot in a former clothing store, across from Design Within Reach.
Now — building on the success of his first restaurant with the same name in Greenwich — the Padova native has add full service, in-house lunch and dinner.
News of the soft opening earlier this month spread quickly. Il Pastaficio has established itself as one more downtown dining destination.
Perandin attended 2 international hospitality management schools in his native country. In the 1990s he changed his professional path, and became a successful advertising executive.
But he never lost his passion for cooking. Each summer, he catered for the Ferrari racing team.
As he traveled throughout Italy for the advertising and communications firm he founded, he explored regional cuisines. He was fascinated by the art of pasta making.
Federico Perandin, at Il Pastaficio.
In 2015 he, his wife and young son made a major move. They came to the US, and in 2018 he opened the small Il Pastaficio in Greenwich. (The name is a play on “pastificio,” Italian for a store that makes pasta.)
The flavorful dishes — all made on the premises (including sauces), “following traditional recipes, with no compromises,” he says — was an instant success. Customers appreciated the little touches, like organic flour imported from Italy.
Perandin began searching for space in Westport — a town, he thought, whose cosmopolitan, well-traveled residents would appreciate his approach. “People here know how to eat well,” he notes.
It took a while — and the pandemic did not help. But after looking at nearly 2 dozen different locations, he found the current one.
“It’s a mecca of culinary experiences,” he says. He appreciates the many nearby restaurants, including the traditional Italian spots.
“People love pasta,” Perandin explains. “I eat it every day.” His pasta contains no additives or preservatives, he says, so it is organic, artisanal, very flavorful — and light.
“I feel like I’m in Italy,” one diner told him. “That’s my goal,” Perandin replied.
The menu includes appetizers like homemade fresh potatoes fried gnocchi; gourmet dishes like lemon linguine with Siberian Baerii caviar and black tea Alpine butter; lamb racks cooked with sous vide technique, creamy potato and red beets Parmanatier with roasted leeks, and roasted cauliflower in a mint and creamy goat cheese sauce.
Dinner: Wild boar handmade ravioli in a saffron sauce and hazelnut crumble. The black stripe in the ravioli is made with squid ink.
Il Pastaficio also offers wine (Italian only, of course) and cocktails and desserts (pastries and gelato).
Dessert: Millefoglie with authentic Sicilian ricotta (imported from Italy) and mixed berries.
The décor is fresh and inviting. His chef and baker, Perandin says, have both worked for Michelin-starred restaurants.
He plans monthly special regional dinners, and pasta-making classes (for individuals, parties and corporate team-building). Il Pastaficio also caters.
But that’s not all. Just outside the restaurant, a vending machine will soon sell fresh pasta — 24 hours a day.
Designed by an Italian company Perandin says it is the only one of its kind in the world.
“If you’re coming home late from the train station, even if our kitchen and takeout is closed, you can have fresh pasta.”
Mangia bene!
(Il Pastaficio’s grand opening is Saturday, September 30 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Highlights include tastings, music, and a raffle to win a $300 gift basket.)
Posted onSeptember 17, 2023|Comments Off on Roundup: Make-A-Wish, Ella Fitzgerald, Fashion Week …
Make-a-Wish Connecticut is amazing. Every year they offer 150 kids — seriously ill, with so much to deal with — a chance to enjoy life. Whatever experience they want, Make-a-Wish makes it happen.
We read those stories, and feel great. But they often involve youngsters we don’t know, doing things in places far from here.
On October 3 (6 p.m.), 6 boys and girls will have their wishes come true just a mile from Westport.
Any “06880” reader can join them. And, at the same time, raise money to help other kids’ wishes come true.
Those half a dozen youngsters’ want to cook with top chefs. At Aitoro Applianee’s high end kitchens, they’ll join one of these celebrities:
Matt Storch (“Chopped” winner; chef/owner, match Burger Lobster and Match)
Robin Selden (managing partner, executive chef, Marcia Selden Catering and Naked Fig Catering)
Dan Kardos (chef/owner, Café Melba)
Christian Petroni (winner of “Food Network Star”; owner of Petroni Foods).
Each chef will work with the one youngster to prep and cook great food. Then everyone there can eat (and drink) it all up.
“Taste of Wishes” began in 2019. This year’s promises to be the biggest and best yet.
Along with the chefs’ and wish kids’ stations, other food samplings includ
Copps Island oysters
Bartaco
Forever Sweet Bakery
Fresh bread and zeppole, made on-site
Candy Connection truck
Bridgewater Chocolates cart.
A VIP ticket includes early entrance and a sneak peek, Prosecco, and great swag. Click here for VIP and general admission tickets, and more information.
Speaking of Make-a-Wish Connecticut: The other day, the Hartford Courant profiled Evie Herman.
The 15-year-old Westporter was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was 6. She is now in remission.
Her wish was a special one: A 4-day visit to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. It’s one step on her goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist.
The Greens Farms Academy sophomore and Saugatuck Rowing Club athlete says that for 2 years after her diagnosis, “I spent almost every day in the hospital surrounded by other patients and doctors.
“I think seeing these doctors and all the work that they’re doing and meeting patients younger than myself really inspired me to want to join the fight against cancer. Knowing what patients go through every day really made me want to try and make it so that one day no child will ever have to go through that again.”
Evie Herman at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. (Photo courtesy of Hartford Courant)
Westport PAL’s 2nd annual gala honors a first-rate family: the Romanos.
PJ, his wife Joan and son Pete have been synonymous with youth — and youth sports — for well over half a century.
PJ has died (but lives on in the name of the field behind Saugatuck Elementary School). Joan and Pete will draw a huge crowd on November 2 (6 p.m., the Inn at Longshore).
They’ll all enjoy an open bar, dinner, auction, entertainment and more.
Funds raised will help rebuild the PAL clubhouse at (of course) PJ Romano Field.
Click here for tickets, and information on sponsors and advertising.
When the Westport Country Playhouse canceled its production of “School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play,” they promised a replacement.
Now they’ve got one. “First Lady of Song: Cherise Coaches Sings Ella Fitzgerald” takes the stage October 27 to November 5.
Coaches appeared on Broadway in “Waitress,” and was in the national tour of “Disenchanted: The Musical.”
She’ll be on the Westport stage with a band, performing classic tunes like “Summertime,” “The Lady is a Tramp” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.”
The 2023 New York Fashion Week had a Westport feel.
Christian Siriano dressed his models in jewelry designed by fellow Westporter Josh Levkoff. They have collaborate for several years.
The new collection featured custom diamond pieces crafted to reflect the theme of the season. Levkoff used Siriano’s “ballerina: theme to “incorporate elements of edginess and sophistication.” Click here for details.
A number of A-list, front row celebrities wore Levkoff’s work too.
Saturday was a magical night at Wakeman Town Farm.
The annual Harvest Fest fundraiser was — as always — one of the highlights of the year.
The rain held off, and hundreds of WTF supporters enjoyed fantastic food and drinks (served, in part, by some of the town’s top celebrities and elected officials, with help from Staples High School students), great music, a raffle and more.
As always, it was fun and funky. No one dressed up; everyone had a blast.
Hundreds of guests had a great time at Harvest Fest.
But events like Harvest Fest don’t just happen.
Organizers spent hundreds of hours, sweating thousands of details. Wakeman Town Farm would not exist and flourish without their help.
Kudos too to farm stewards Jen and John Montoni. WTF co-chair emeritus and events director Christy Colasurdo says, “They are truly the force behind almost everything that happens at the Farm — and most of what they do is behind the scenes and unheralded.
“For instance, John makes sure the gardens and grounds are tip-top, and that the animals are lovingly cared for. He manages all the maintenance issues, our garden and animal care teams, and is the go-to guy for almost everything that happens on the farm.
“Jen quietly manages the WTF logowear sales. She recently spent evenings (after her day job) before Harvest Fest alongside John stringing thousands of lights around the tent perimeters, hanging paper lanterns, wrapping tent poles with corn stalks and setting up tables and chairs — all to ensure that the décor was set up to her aesthetic standards.
“The Montonis are an incredible team, and often bring in their two 20something sons, Niko and JC, to help with tasks around property. We are extremely fortunate to have them as our caretakers. They are at the heart of everything that happens in the property.”
John and Jen Montoni.
But the event would not have happened without vendors.
Some donate 100 percent of their time and/or product — like Sal Gilbertie, who has brought a van on Harvest Fest for more than 10 years, dropping off over 100 mums from Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center to decorate the tents, tables and grounds.
James Boyer, of Greens Farms Spirits brings hundreds of bottles of red and white wine, and is a big supporter of and donor to other WTF events too (including the upcoming Beer Garden on October 15).
Many other vendors come to the Farm on a Saturday night, leaving their own venues, turning down paying gigs and donating their staffs and time, during an extremely busy season.
Beef and salmon kebabs …
Their culinary talents are spectacular. And they return year after year because they believe in Wakeman Town Farm, and its mission to bring people together around local food, farms and community.
This year’s vendors included:
AMG Catering & Events
Barcelona restaurant
Fairfield Cheese Company
Herbaceous Catering
Love Lou Wines
Marcia Selden Catering
Mixxed by Ed
New Yama Fuji Sushi
Nit Noi Provisions
Tony Pizza Napolitano.
… and special salads …
It takes a village to support a farm. Event co-chairs Colasurdo and Danna Rogers; committee chairs Liz Milwe and Bill Constantino, and sub-committee heads Haley Schulman, Susan Schmidt and Nicole Gerber, did superb work.
All who contributed to Saturday’s success — and every other WTF venture — are this week’s Unsung Heroes.
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com)
(Like Wakeman Town Farm, “06880” is a non-profit that relies on Westporters’ support. Please click here to help. Thank you!
As Election Day looms, lawns and traffic islands will be filled with political signs. And the Westport Police Department will field complaints about the removal of them.
The WPD says: “Residents and visitors are advised against taking it upon themselves to remove signs that do not belong to them, from either public or private property.
“The enforcement of the town’s rules is the responsibility of the town of Westport, not that of private citizens. The removal of signs from public or private property by someone not authorized to do so by the town, or by the owner of the sign, may constitute theft. Entering onto private property to remove signs may also constitute trespassing. Both of these acts can ultimately result in an arrest.
“Town property includes traffic islands and road rights of way. It is not advisable to place signs on State of Connecticut property (including rights of way and islands along Routes 1, 136, 57, 33, and the Sherwood Island Connector, or on the exit or entrance ramps of I-95 or the Merritt Parkway) as the state may remove them.
“In addition, signs may not be placed on school property without permission of the superintendent’s office, nor may they be put inside Compo Beach or Longshore, Town Hall, or on trees or utility poles. Signs my not interfere with traffic visibility.
“Signs on private property cannot extend beyond the property line or into the town right-of-way. They should be removed within 2 days after the election.”
Political signs, 2012.
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Emmy Squared’s arrival was eagerly anticipated by Westporters who know — and love — its New York locations.
The new restaurant in the old Bedford Square Amis space has not disappointed.
Its square Detroit-style pizza, mammoth burgers and decadent brownie dessert draw big crowds and great raves.
Emmy Squared prides itself on friendliness and customer service. Here’s how they walk the talk: I was there last night. When it came time to bring out the meal, there were apologies instead.
My friend’s pizza had not come out right. The server did not want us to have a less-than-perfect experience. They were making a new one.
The attention to quality — and honesty — was refreshing.
And the wait was worth it. Emmy Squared is a winner.
The Westport Weston Chamber of Horrors –er. Commerce — has conjured up a new event to die for. A Halloween Concert and Costume Ball, featuring Bella’s Bartok, is set for Saturday, October 28 (8 p.m., Westport Library).
The event is an adult alternative to the Children’s Halloween Window Painting Contest, held earlier the same day (also run by the Chamber).
Costumes are encouraged. Prizes will awarded for best outfits, in several categories.
Specialty cocktails, beer and wine will allow patrons to pick their own poison.
Bella’s Bartok is an inspired choice for entertainment. Their raucous theatrical performances edge toward the macabre. Their high energy mix of funk, pop and folk will have even the deadest attendees dancing.
Tickets are $35. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Declining audiences is not just a Westport Country Playhouse woe.
It’s a national issue.
Several days ago, the New York Times examined the trend. Yesterday, they published letters in response.
Among them: Carole Schweid’s.
The organizer of the “Play With Your Food” series — which never went out of style — wrote:
As I like to say: “If Joe Papp can do ‘Shakespeare in the Park,’ we can do Chekhov in the parking lot.” Performances like these are one of the ways my nonprofit arts organization brought our audiences back at the end of the pandemic.
As producers of Connecticut’s popular lunchtime play-reading series, “Play With Your Food,” we’ve learned a lot about survival from our five-star Westport Library, which has evolved from an excellent library into a vibrant center for the community. Like it or not, books are not enough, and I fear that it is much the same for theater.
We have been developing programs: talkbacks, theater lovers’ book groups, reading lists, a book group where we read plays out loud together, and, my current stock in trade, staged readings, to name a few low-cost, engaging, community-building activities.
We try to remind our audiences of the joy and the unique fun that can be had being part of our community. I think of it as an investment in our future.
Carole Schweid/Westport, Conn. The writer was in the original Broadway cast of “A Chorus Line” and is the author of “Staged Reading Magic.”
Carole Schweid
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Speaking of the Playhouse: If you missed “Justin Paul & Friends” Saturday night there, what a shame.
The evening was both joyful (high energy, huge talent, memorable music) and important (it was a fundraiser).
Justin — the 2002 Staples High School graduate/Grammy-, Emmy- and Tony-winning songwriter (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “La La Land,” “The Greatest Showman) — brought his “A” game. He not only rocked the piano and vocals, and not only enlisted a ton of great friends (Kelli O’Hara, James and Greg Naughton, Jacob Heimer, Staples Players …), but he described — again and again — the lasting influence that both Westport and Staples had on his development as a musician and a person.
If you were not there, this photo will have to suffice. If you were, you’ll appreciate once again Justin’s connection with the sold-out audience
Speaking of pianists: Ragtime rang out yesterday, at Green’s Farms Congregational Church.
The Y’s Women hosted Orin Grossman, professor emeritus of visual and performing arts at Fairfield University. His “From Ragtime to Stride: American Music Comes of Age” spanned many ages, from Scott Joplin to novelty piano and George Gershwin.
Grossman noted that when jazz was first introduced in the 1920s, it was looked upon as disparagingly as when Elvis burst on the scene 3 decades later.
Dr. Orin Grossman, at Green’s Farms Church. (Photo/Molly Alger)
Speaking still of pianists: Ethan Iverson makes his first-ever Jazz at the Post appearance Thursday (Sept. 14, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; cover charge $15).
Iverson — also a composer and writer — was a founding member of The Bad Plus.
Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall met Iverson in 1998 at a Brooklyn recording session. They recorded together … and the rest is jazz history.
Iverson and saxophonist Wall will be joined by bassist Yuriy Galkin and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza.
Dinner service begins at 7 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com
Westport plastic surgeon Flora Levin and her daughter Miri — a 10th grader at Hopkins School — recently returned from Guatemala. For the second year in a row, they volunteered with the International Esperanza Project to provide medical and surgical services, as well as building stoves and installing water filters 2 hours outside of Guatemala City.
Supplies are limited, in the poverty-stricken area. Levin brought sutures, lighting and anesthetic from her Connecticut office.
On the last day she did 8 lachrymal surgeries, but had only enough post-operative medication for 5. She went to a pharmacy and bought eye drops for $7 — an unaffordable cost for her patients.
Though Miri missed the first week of school, her mother says, “it was definitely worth the experience, and I am glad Hopkins appreciates that. The kids are amazing, always willing to help, first ones to get there, last ones to leave with the group. This is no summer camp, but there is an amazing sense of purpose and teamwork for a common cause.”
Click here for more information on the International Esperanza Project, including ways to help.
Dr. Flora Levin (left) and a Mexican colleague operate, in Guatemala. Miri Levin (rear) assists.
And finally … in honor of “ragtime professor” Dr. Orin Grossman, and his Y’s Women appearance (story above):
(If you enjoy our daily Roundup, please round up some loose cash, and toss it our way. “06880” relies on support from readers like you. Please click here — and thank you)
Most “06880” readers chose not to labor over last week’s Photo Challenge.
They no doubt spent the Labor Day holiday at the beach, barbecuing, or doing anything more constructive than trying to suss out where Ellen Wentworth’s image could be. (Click here to see.)
It was, as reader Jack Backiel commented, “udderly frustrating.”
But don’t have a cow. As (only) Jill Denowitz knew, the bovine in question is at Little Barn.
On a shelf. Its buddies, of course, are on the menu.
Now the holiday is over. Back to business. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee will hold a public meeting tomorrow morning (Thursday, September 7, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 201).
Agenda items include a strategic priority review, parking lots reinvention, pedestrian access and sustainability. Click here for the full agenda.
Discussion continues on the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s Parker Harding Plaza plan.
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The CT United Ride — Connecticut’s largest tribute to the victims and first responders of 9/11 — is important.
It’s also the largest motorcycle ride in the state.
And — as worthy as the cause is — it has a major impact on Westport traffic.
The ride this Sunday (September 10) begins at Sherwood Island State Park at 11:30 a.m. Bikers take I-95 south to Exit 17.
They then travel north up Saugatuck Avenue and Riverside Avenue (Route 33); they cross the Post Road onto Wilton Road, and continue to the Wilton town line.
The route is closed and continuous. With the assistance of a police escort, motorcyclists drive through traffic lights and do not stop at stop signs.
Expect extended traffic delays along the route — potentially 45 minutes or longer.
Plan alternate routes — and avoid the Post Road West/Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road intersection completely — from about 11:35 a.m. to 12:30. Roads will be completely impassable until the entire procession clears.
Motorcycles mass before the start of the CT United Ride at Sherwood Island State Park. (Photo/Penny Pearlman)
Emmy Squared Pizza opened officially yesterday. The restaurant — which replaces Amis in Bedford Square — was packed.
Emmy Squared features Detroit-style pizzas (square, with fluffy dough and cheesy crust), a Le Big Matt burger, as well as appetizers, salads, gluten-free and vegan options, craft cocktails, wine, beer, and more.
A special 10- by 14-inch pizza with 10 slices is being tested at the Westport location only.
There are 24 Emmy’s locations in the US, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Nashville, Louisville, Charlotte and Atlanta.
Meanwhile … as Homes with Hope’s food pantry runs low, they’ve reached out to the Westport Farmers’ Market.
And the Farmers’ Market is reaching out to their many customers.
Tomorrow and next Thursday (September 7 and 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Imperial Avenue parking lot), a non-perishable food and can drive will help replenish the shelves.
Needed items include canned fruits and vegetables, canned tuna/chicken/meat, peanut butter and jelly, pasta sauce, and hearty soups/chili. Drop-off bins will be clearly marked.
Registration began at 9 a.m. today for Westport Parks & Recreation Department fall programs. Click here for the link.
That’s also the way to register for Wakeman Town Farm’s youth programs, like “Little Farmer Parent & Me,” “Toddler Sprouts,” “Fantastic Farmhands” and “Farm Apprentice.”
Click here for more information on those programs, and how to register.
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With a heat advisory in effect for the area through tomorrow at 8 p.m. Westport’s Office of Emergency Management has opened 5 cooling centers:
One of Westport’s most iconic homes may soon be a teardown.
Among the items on the agenda for the next Historic District Commission meeting (Tuesday, September 12, 7 p.m., Zoom):
“To take such action as the meeting may determine to oppose the issuance of the demolition permit for 43 Compo Mill Cove and require the full 180-day delay.”
That’s the first house you see on Compo Cove from the pedestrian bridge — and the only one on the left side of the Cove path.
It’s been there for decades. But that’s not its first location. It was moved at some point in the 1900s, from its original location, across the way.
“Offshore wind could be the economic engine and energy solution California needs, but only if our state policymakers lead the way — and we’re running out of time to get it right.”
That’s the lead sentence in an op-ed piece — “Wind Farms Off California’s Coast Should be the Future of the State’s Clean Energy Grid” — that ran recently in the Los Angeles Times.
It was co-authored by Taylor McNair. The 2012 Staples High School graduate is a program manager for Berkeley-based GridLab, a non-profit focused on power grid transformation. Click here for the full piece.
Taylor McNair
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There are only 5 national recipients of this year’s Financial Literacy Ambassador Award.
And one is from Westport.
Staples High School student Andrew Rebello earned the honor (and a $1,000 prize). He got a perfect score on the Working in Support of Education Financial Literacy Certification test. His application then went through 3 rounds of judging.
Andrew credits his Financial Literacy teacher, Lenny Klein, for much of his success.
Andrew is co-captain of the Staples Investment and Trading Society, which participates in the Wharton Investment Competition.
He also founded the Staples team for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Challenge. Last year, the team’s paper was published in the Journal of Future Economists.
Andrew also volunteers at the Long Lots Preserve.
Andrew Rebello
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The new “Jazz at the Post” season debuts tomorrow (Thursday, September 7; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399).
Guitarists Kenny Wessel and Rale Micic headline opening night. They’re joined by bassist Essiet Essiet, drummer Jason Tiemann, and Westport’s own “Jazz Rabbi,” Greg Wall on sax.
There is a $15 cover. Reservations are strongly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
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“Voice Scapes Audio Theater” — an evening of comedy and drama — comes to Westport next month.
The short, original, contemporary pieces performed by award-winning actors, engineers and directors, with sound effects and music, benefits the Westport Rotary Club’s Education Fund.
The “fully immersive experience” is October 18 (7 p.m., Greens Farms Congregational Church).
Tickets are $25. Mail to Westport Rotary Club, PO Box 743, Westport, CT 06881, or Venmo @Thomas-Carey-73046 (last 4 cellphone digits: 5819).
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The Westport Library’s 3-part series on the brain kicks off tomorrow (Thursday, September 7, 7 p.m.).
Dr. Robert Altbaum and Dr. Daryl Story join Andrew Wilk. They’ll talk about strokes and transient ischemic attacks, focusing on maximizing chances for recovery. The doctors will answer questions after their presentations.
From left: Dr. Daryl Story, Dr. Robert Altbaum, Andrew Wilk.
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