For years, we’ve discussed the pros and cons of a parking deck at the Baldwin (Elm Street) lot.
But what about another site: Parker Harding Plaza?
Parker Harding Plaz
It’s not my idea. It comes from Steve Levin. The 1971 Staples High School graduate has spent his professional career in commercial real estate.
He does not live in Westport. But — like many former residents — he keeps up with the town through “06880.”
The other day, Steve asked: “Has anyone considered double-decking the lot? It could easily double the parking there.”
I told Steve I’d never heard anyone propose that. I asked for more. He said:
“Aesthetics can be resolved with proper and sensitive architecture and planting. It’s not like Westport needs to protect the view of the Saugatuck River from the back of Main Street’s retail buildings, nor if properly designed, would it be an eyesore from across the river looking back at the backs of Main Street. And walking along the river would not be impacted.”
Another view of Parker Harding. (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
Steve is a bright guy. But this is 2026. I went to an even brighter source: AI.
ChatGPT quickly provided a “conceptual parking capacity & layout” plan, with 160 to 180 spots on the ground level, and 140 to 160 above that. “Compact parking and angled layouts can increase capacity,” it added helpfully.
The AI agent also suggested an elevator and stairs, crosswalks and protective bollards, bike racks, wayfaring signs, exterior screening (“perforated metal, decorative concrete or architectural panels, to reduce visual bulk”), landscaping, and “lighting and signage to match Westport standards.
Of course, this being AI — not a human, but simply software that has never set foot in Westport — there was also this idea, which makes zero sense: “possible access via Church Lane or side street for service vehicles and deliveries.”
No matter how creative a parking deck at Parker Harding is, it can’t be accessed via Church Lane.
ChatGPT also thinks Main Street is the same as Post Road East.
ChatGPT’s plan for Parker Harding: a top level (top), and ground level (middle and bottom). But look closely: the Post Road and Church Lane are misplaced. What is “Parker Island”? “Parking Star Rivers”? And the circulation pattern seems a bit Escher-esque.
So no, we won’t be using artificial intelligence to design a parking deck.
But what about the rest of the idea? Is it completely ludicrous, or something to put on the table?
An alert and traffic-conscious “06880” reader emailed us the other day.
He included links to stories about “adaptive traffic signals” — lights that detect real-time traffic conditions and use a fiber-optic network to adjust timing — that have been adopted in Norwalk and Greenwich.
He wondered: Why not in Westport?
Why not indeed?
“06880” reached out to 1st Selectman Kevin Christie. He says:
“Norwalk and Greenwich have implemented adaptive traffic signal technology on signals that they own and operate.
“In Westport, we only have 2 traffic signals that we own and operate: Main Street and Myrtle Avenue, and Main Street and Avery Place. All other signals are under Connecticut Department of Transportation jurisdiction.
“Based on current traffic volumes, those two town-owned signals would not be candidates for this technology at this time.
“The signals that would most likely benefit from this type of technology are along the Route 1 corridor. CTDOT is developing plans to replace traffic signal controllers and install cellular modems at select state-owned traffic signals across several Connecticut towns and cities.
“However, Westport is not included in this initial rollout, as CTDOT is still piloting the technology and evaluating its effectiveness under different state highway conditions before pursuing broader implementation.
“That said, we will continue to advocate for Westport by maintaining strong relationships and ongoing communication with CTDOT.”
Main Street and Myrtle Avenue: 1 of only 2 traffic lights owned and operated by the town.
The commendation cited Emmah for displaying “exceptional situational awareness and keen observation skills (and) swift and decisive action …. (She) acted selflessly and without hesitation. Her calm, courageous response exemplified the highest standards of maritime safety and civic responsibility.”
From left: 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, Police Chief Dave Farrell, Emmah Tait, and her parents Denise and Chris Tait.
Remarkably, this was not the first commendation given to a Tait family member, for a marine rescue.
In November 1970 Doug Tait — Chris’ older brother, and a Long Lots Junior High School 9th grader — rescued 2 men from a boat that caught fire, 2 miles off shore.
A photo of his ceremony mirrors that of Emmah’s, 56 years later.
From left: 1st Selectman John Kemish, Lieutenant Joseph McAleenan, Doug Tait, Doug’s parents Doug Sr. and Elizabeth Tait.
The Staples High School senior has just been named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar.
If that’s not familiar — well, it used to be called the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. It’s one of the most prestigious student awards in the nation.
Nolan — who has worked at Yale University’s Choate Lab, researching a rare skin condition called ichthyosis that can lead to fatal heart disease, and raised funds for research with a long-distance swim last summer — is the first Staples student to earn the honor from Staples’ new science research program.
Nolan is one of the top 300 competitors in the Regeneron program. He was selected from 2,612 students — the largest and most competitive pool since the 1960s.
Staples will receive $2,000, for use toward STEM-related activities.
Forty finalists will be announced January 21. Each receives $25,000, and be eligible for a first-place prize of $250,000.
If Nolan wins, he would be Staples’ second honoree. In 2001, Mariangela Lisanti won what was then called the Siemens Westinghouse Science & Technology Competition (then worth $100,000). She also won the Intel Science Talent Search, earning another $100,000 scholarship.
PS: A bit more about Nolan. He is on Staples’ STEM Journal editorial board, and is vice president of the Science National Honors Society. He’s an AP Scholar with Distinction, founded the current iteration of Staples’ National English Honor Society, has volunteered at Norwalk Hospital’s Catheterization Lab, and was a counselor at Camp Discovery, for children unable to attend mainstream sleepaway camps due to medical conditions.
Nolan also plays violin in the Symphonic Orchestra. He was the first-ever junior captain of the boys swim team. He received the inaugural Junior Leadership Award at the Scholar-Athlete banquet. And he’s been involved with the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Special Olympics swim program since 2018.
Nolan Francis
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A new year begins, and a new chapter unfolds for Sorelle Gallery.
Reacting to shifting trends in the art world — with clients going online more, for support and purchases — the gallery moves on January 27 from Bedford Square to a smaller, by-appointment space at 25 Sylvan Road South.
Charlie Capalbo — a Fairfield Ludlowe High School graduate and ice hockey player whose battle with 4 separate cancers inspired friends, neighbors, the sports world and countless strangers — died 3 years ago. He was 1 month shy of his 24th birthday.
Charlie’s Westport ties were long and deep. His grandmother is the writer/poet/storyteller Ina Chadwick. Her husband, Richard Epstein (Charlie’s grandfather) is a Westport native; his parents moved here in 1958. Charlie’s mother, Jennifer Wilde Capalbo (Ina’s youngest daughter) is a Staples graduate.
The young athlete’s memory lives on. Next Wednesday (January 14, 5:15 p.m., Sacred Heart University), the Staples-Norwalk-Brien McMahon coop hockey team plays the Fairfield Ludlowe-Warde coop squad.
Fairfield has organized it as “Charlie Capalbo Night,” raising awareness of the National Marrow Donor Program, and raising funds for research.
Fairfield’s head coach is a pediatric leukemia survivor. Parents of current players supported Charlie, when he first got sick. Several years later, they continue to step up, as a community and friends.
Charlie Capalbo (Photo/Dave Gunn)
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Neighbors and Newcomers of Westport is gearing up for an exciting year.
Since 1963, the organization has brought together new arrivals and longtime residents for social events.
On the calendar this month: Couples’ Night Out; a sound bath experience at Hummingbird Healing Center, and book and cooking groups. Click here for more information.
And finally … on this date in 1788, Connecticut became the 5th state to ratify the US constitution.
But that’s not why we are officially “The Constitution State.” That refers to the Fundamental Orders, adopted by the Connecticut Colony in 1639. It is considered by some to be the first written constitution in Western history.
So let’s hear it for us, with our official state song:
(“06880” is where Westport — and Connecticut — meet the world. If you enjoy our hyper-local coverage, connecting our town to our state and beyond, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Westport resident Emily Riley is the founder and CEO of Riley Strategic, a boutique PR and marketing agency.
She’s also the founder of Women in the 1%. That’s a research group exploring the fact that only 5% of the top 1% of all income earners in the US are female.
Riley developed a research project to change that. Her goal is to “provide insight into all of the women who are beating the odds, and inspire more women to do the same.”
The project includes a survey. It’s open to women only — of all income levels.
Fencing is a great sport. It demands creativity, technique and tempo — along with athleticism, balance, problem-solving, and much more.
On the fence about whether to look into it?
Delphine de Vore — a former world champion with the US junior women’s team, alternate for the 2024 Olympic team, Columbia University All-American and coach of the Staples High School fencing team — is opening a pop-up location: the lower level of VFW Post 399.
She offers youth classes for beginners and intermediates, and adult classes for all skills levels. They begin January 14, and run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (6 to 9 p.m.). Click here for details.
Delphine de Vore
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February is African American History Month.
It’s also the opening of MoCA\CT’s next exhibition.
“Art, Jazz & the Blues” — presented from February 26 through June 7, in partnership with the Westport Public Art Collections — highlights the connection between visual art and African American Musical traditions.
The exhibit centers on “Giants of the Blues.” Westport artist Eric von Schmidt’s remarkable portraits of blues and folk legends — currently hanging in the Staples High School auditorium lobby — will be hung, alongside over 50 other works from the WestPAC collections, the Brubeck Collection at Wilton Library, Housatonic Museum of Art, private collections and more.
The show includes live performances, artist talks, film screenings and workshops.
Related events include:
February 26: Opening Reception, 6 to 8 p.m.; live music by Mark Naftalin.
February 28: Film Screening: “Leadbelly” (1976), directed by Gordon Parks, 4 to 7 p.m., followed by Q-and-A with Sheila Curran Bernard, author of “Bring Judgment Day: Reclaiming Lead Belly’s Truths from Jim Crow’s Lies.”
Sixty-six years ago this Tuesday, a terrorist blew up a plane over North Carolina. All 34 on board were killed.
The terrorist was believed to be Julian Frank — a lawyer living in Westport.
The January 6, 1960 National Airlines flight #2511 was bound from Idlewild Airport (now JFK) in New York to Miami. At 2:38 a.m., it crashed near Wilmington, North Carolina.
The remains of one passenger — Frank — were missing from the accident site. His body was finally found, 16 miles away.
Frank’s autopsy showed that he had been killed by a dynamite explosion “originating either in his lap or (more likely) immediately under his seat.”
Investigators believed it to be a murder-suicide. Frank was under investigation for fraud and embezzlement — and had taken out large amounts of life insurance just before boarding the plane.
A number of Westporters were questioned by the FBI, regarding what they knew about Julian Frank. Yet authorities never conclusively proved he was the bomber. No charges were ever brought — and the investigation remains officially open.
On Tuesday, a memorial honoring the 34 victims was unveiled at the Bolivia (North Carolina) Fire Department. Click here for that story.(Hat tip: Steve McCoy)
A National Airlines Douglas DC-6B — the type of plane allegedly blown up by Julian Frank.
Club203 — Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities — kicked off the new year on Tuesday, at the Westport Country Playhouse barn.
Members enjoyed interactive experiences with Sensei Palardy, face painting and mask making with MoCA\CT, and food from Calise’s Catering and Sweet P Bakery.
This month marks the 5th anniversary of the Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Club.
To celebrate for their January 21 (6 p.m.) meeting, they’ll read an assortment of stories about books:
📖 “A General in the Library” by Italo Calvino (1953)
📖 “The Kugelmass Episode” by Woody Allen (1977)
📖 “Exchange” by Ray Bradbury (1996)
📖 “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” by Ken Liu (2012)
Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between December 31 and January 6.
A 49-year-old Philadelphia man was charged with conspiracy to commit larceny and conspiracy to commit identity theft, following an investigation into a 2023 complaint that an IRS estate tax refund check of over $13 million had been intercepted from the mail. The man received a subsequent fraudulent check for $4 million. He was released on $50,000 bond. Additional arrests are expected.
Longtime Westporter Marjorie Dunham, died peacefully in Norwalk Hospital on Friday after a long illness, with family members at her side. She was 89.
After graduating from Mount Holyoke College, After graduating, she married Christopher Dunham and worked at Equitable Life Assurance Society in New York.
In 1962 she and her husband moved to Westport. She was active in Visiting Homemakers and Friends of Sherwood Island State Park, and served as Saugatuck Elementary School PTA president and vice chair of the Westport Recreation Commission.
Marge enjoyed foreign travel, and played tennis, golf and softball until late in life.
She worked as a computer aide at Bedford Junior High School in the late 1970s, introducing students to BASIC programming.
When her children were in college she enrolled in the graduate program at Fairfield University, earning a master’s in computer science in 1983.
Marge then worked for 18 years as a local area network officer at Peoples Bank in Bridgeport. After retirement, she spent several years as a library assistant at Fairfield County schools.
She was predeceased by older sister Sylvia Corliss King. Survivors include her husband; children Douglas, William (Melanie Rogers) and Anne; granddaughter Courtney; brother William Corliss, Jr. (Linda Boothe); a niece, 3 nephews and several grand-nieces and grand0nephews.
A memorial service is set for Saugatuck Congregational Church on Saturday (January 10, 11 a.m.. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Mount Holyoke Fund for general scholarship aid, or to American Cancer Society.
Marge Dunham
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We often see deer in the woods. And crossing roads.
This one — the star of today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature — felt right at home on the front steps of a Saugatuck Island home.
Today, he shines a light on another. Scott writes:
There’s an under-the-radar patch of open space in Westport that I suspect few people know about: the Eno Marsh Preserve.
Tucked into the southwest corner of town, it’s a mix of wetlands and woods shoe-horned in behind some homes and condos, the railroad tracks. and more swampland that extends to the Norwalk border.
A short walking trail that winds through the parcel is accessible from the far end of daily-fee parking lot #4, off Saugatuck Avenue, with another entrance at the end of a private road next to the handsome brick building farther down Route 136 that originally housed the offices of William Phelps Eno.
Managed by the Aspetuck Land Trust, the pocket preserve is named for the local man considered the “father of traffic safety.” A New York trust fund baby of the gilded age, Eno devoted his life to bringing order to the newfangled world of automotive transport in the early part of the 20th century.
The former Eno Foundation building, on Saugatuck Avenue.
Here in Westport Eno owned a 32-room mansion on the Saugatuck River, across from his offices; I suppose part of his original estate extended to the wetlands out back. Though the office building survives, the circa-1877, 15,000-square foot mansion known as Judah Rock was demolished in 1997, after a failed preservation effort.
The Preserve’s location is obscure, and some wouldn’t consider it even all that scenic. In fact, its most noticeable view may well be of the big new apartment complex rising across the train tracks on Hiawatha Lane.
View from Eno Marsh Preserve, of the Hiawatha Lane apartments.
But what the short, brambly trail does have are several of the tallest trees in town — including 3 or more magnificent tulip poplars that soar on thick trunks to spread their branches into the sky. You can see these trees on a Google satellite map view of the preserve.
Eno Marsh Preserve tulip poplars.
The site clearly doesn’t get as much love — or foot traffic — as some of the other Aspetuck Land Trust properties in town, among them the lovely Caryl & Edna Haskins Preserve, the expansive Newman-Poses Preserve, and the Leonard Schine Preserve, with its marked trails and children’s playscape.
Perhaps that’s as it should be; not all open spaces need to be popular. I’m sure the wood ducks and deer in this empty quarter of Westport cherish their privacy.
But I treasure its existence, and trust the preserve can be maintained as a public resource — not just for its natural beauty, but also as a reminder of a time when the privileged among us left real-life legacies to enjoy, and to remember them for long after they are gone.
Eno Marsh Preserve. (All photos/Scott Smith)
(“06880” covers the waterfront — and every other part of town too. If you enjoy stories like these, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Horse and buggy, Monday night on the Cribari Bridge. If a new span is built, will it be safe for this type of transportation? (Photo/Mary Beth Stirling)
Judy Szablak was — coincidentally — driving when she heard that Briggs Cunningham’s house was for sale.
She’s a Coldwell Banker realtor “with drive,” she says — and an automobile aficionado.
Cunningham was a sportsman, race car driver, entrepreneur and automotive pioneer. He built beautiful, powerful machines that are still revered, decades later.
Among his designs: the C-3. Just 36 were built, in the 1950s. Eight were race cars. They are among the rarest and most valuable in auto history.
Briggs Cunningham’s C-3 Cabriolet.
He and his wife Lucie Bedford lived at 92 Beachside Avenue. That’s where he drew his ideas, tuned his engines, and turned his dreams — like the C-3 — into reality.
Now that property was for sale.
While her friend, fellow car enthusiast — and C-3 owner — Chuck Schoendorf told her about Cunningham’s house, she drafted a plan.
She knew the listing agent, Cyd Hamer of William Pitt Sotheby’s in Westport. Judy knew the marketing boost that could come if she connected the cultured car world with the luxury real estate one.
How often would a Cunningham owner — and a possible buyer — get the chance to stand inside his home? And drive his classic automobile through those gates?
92 Beachside Avenue: the view from Long Island Sound.
She called Cyd. She asked to show the property. She told Cyd that Chuck wanted to see the house. To him, it was more than just a piece of real estate. It was living history.
“Real estate agents see a lot: enthusiasts, architects, investors, tire kickers, dreamers,” Judy says.
“But a man arriving with one of Briggs Cunningham’s own cars? That doesn’t come along every day.”
Briggs Cunningham, on the cover of Time magazine.
Cyd quickly said yes.
The appointment was set for a Friday. Snow was predicted. Salt on the roads would have been a deal-breaker. Fortunately, the forecast changed.
The day was slightly overcast — perfect for photos. Chuck arrived, in his “work of art on wheels.” If the house had been human, Judy says, it would have smiled.
“The scene looked staged, cinematic — too perfect to be accidental,” Judy says. “It was as though time had folded in on itself.”
Chuck Schoendorf’s C-3 at Briggs Cunningham’s home …
Cyd took them on a tour of the 7,700-square foot 1926 Tudor, with 200 feet of waterfront on 3.55 acres. She had done extensive research on the property.
Chuck did not view it as a typical potential buyer. “He walked it like a curator — like someone reading a chapter of a book he’d studied for decades,” Judy says.
He particularly appreciated Briggs’ study. The room was crafted out of a sailing ship imported from England. It pays homage to his other love — sailing — and the yacht Columbia that he skippered to victory in the 1958 America’s Cup race.
Watching her friend look around with a mix of reverence and joy, Judy realized, “This wasn’t a showing. It was a reunion. The car, the history, the house, the moment — it all braided together. And I got to be the one who tied the ends.”
… and Chuck, with his classic car.
Because Judy lives in two worlds — real estate and car culture — she knows that a a rare automobile deserves a home worthy of it. A collector deserves spaces that honor their legacy.
And sometimes, she says, “If you’re lucky, a house and a car meet each other again, after decades apart.”
In real estate, she says, “we often talk about numbers — square footage, days on market, comps, cap rates, upgrades.
Judy Szablak
“But behind every home is a human story waiting to be honored. Behind every collector car is a lifetime of admiration, mechanics, memories and pride.
“When those worlds intersect, something rare happens. It’s something that can’t be captured on an MLS sheet.
“You can make history feel alive again. You can summon the past into the present. You can give someone a moment they didn’t even know they needed.
“And sometimes, you can make a legendary car feel — just for a second — like it found its way home.”
(“06880” covers the waterfront — and real estate. If you enjoy stories like these — or anything else on our hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Two Representative Town Meeting (RTM) committees — Finance, and Parks & Recreation — meet on January 5 (5 p.m., Zoom).
There is one agenda item: consideration of the Board of Finance’s recommendation to approve $275,000 to fund a settlement between the town and Hook’d on the Sound.
If approved by the committees, and then the full RTM, the lease with the food concessionaire at Compo Beach, and the Longshore pavilion and halfway house, would be terminated before the end of the contract.
The door may close on Hook’d. (Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)
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Before Paul Newman began filming “Slap Shot,” he learned to skate at Crystal Ice Rink — the bedraggled but beloved Norwalk rink.
We’re not sure whether Richard Gere is prepping for a skating-related movie. (“Oh, Canada,” released last year, has nothing to do with our neighbor to the north’s national sport.)
But there he was at the Westport PAL Rink at Longshore, learning from the master: Mar Jennings.
Many people probably just skated by those 2 guys, all bundled up and having a ton of fun. (Hat tip: Andrew Colabella)
Club203’s holiday celebration was filled with joy, laughter and spirit.
Members and friends of Westport’s social group for adults with disabilities filled the Westport Woman’s Club.
They enjoyed snacks from TCC Catering, music by Kasey Clark, gifts (Club203 backpacks, courtesy of the Woman’s Club), and cookie decorating stations with Avery Horne and MoCA\CT.
Logo backpacks, courtesy of the Westport Woman’s Club.
Kevin Christie and his wife Gina were there too. The first selectman offered a proclamation recognizing the evening, and the spirit of Club203.
Organizers say, “Thank you Westport. What a gift you have given supporting inclusion, and meaningful social opportunities where adults with disabilities can connect, be themselves, and celebrate life together.”
Enjoying the festivities, at the Westport Woman’s Club. (Photos/Stacie Curran)
Staples High School senior Neha Singh has a strong interest in financial literacy education. It is, she says, “not just a practical tool, but an essential vehicle for sustaining communities.”
She recently spearheaded an effort to bring an original multi-session financial literacy module — which she named “Count On It” — to Coleytown Middle School 6th graders.
As co-president of Mu Alpha Theta — Staples’ Math Honors Society — she organized 16 student volunteers. They led the first session for over 140 CMS students.
The 6th graders explored how to make smart spending and saving choices with money. They learned the difference between needs, wants, and waits (items they can save for over time), and discussed the 20 percent savings rule.
Two more sessions will follow.
This is not Neha’s only effort with middle schoolers. For 3 years she’s volunteered at ASPIRE, a Norwalk non-profit serving under-resourced populations.
She developed a bilingual financial literacy curriculum for them. It helps 75 ASPIRE youngsters build strong financial habits. Lessons focus on smart budgeting, real life careers and costs, and staying safe with digital money.
Neha Singh
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An alert but please-keep-me-anonymous reader writes: “The town has changed the categorization of Greens Farms railroad station parking in a row of Lot 1 (effectively the second row adjacent to the tracks).
“I always thought the entire row was for permit holders. But I got a ticket earlier this week for unknowingly parking in a newly deemed day spot.
“The sign they posted is directly behind a space. It could easily be blocked by a large SUV — especially the lower half that specifies this change.”
Greens Farms railroad station sign. Left unresolved: is the spot directly in front of the sign permit parking, or daily?
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image shows a bobcat skulking around Ben James’ driveway.
Traffic. The environment. Parks & Recreation. Enforcement of regulations.
Those were some of the topics that came up frequently yesterday, at the Select Board’s first “community conversation.”
But the idea voiced most frequently was a simple “thank you” to 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, for convening the meeting in the first place.
He and fellow selectpersons Amy Wistreich and Don O’Day listened patiently, as a dozen attendees listed items of concern.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie, with 2nd selectwoman Amy Wistreich and 3rd selectman Don O’Day, at yesterday’s community conversation. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Transparency was raised often. There was applause when Christie said that all town meetings will be recorded and put on the town website.
Valerie Seiling Jacobs and Wendy Batteau spoke about sustainability. Issues included the Parks & Rec Department’s use of pesticides and battery-powered leaf blowers, and the ongoing discussion about synthetic turf athletic fields.
The Parks & Rec Commission was criticized for canceling recent meetings, and not taking sea level rise at Compo Beach more seriously.
Christie — who said his administration is in the early phases of looking at the makeup of, and “refreshing,” all appointed boards and commissions — called Parks & Rec “a top priority.”
In response to Sal Liccione’s concerns about downtown, Christie pledged “holistic thinking. We’ll move away from the chessboard idea of finding 40 spots. There will be a more creative solution.”
Westport has studied downtown extensively. 1st Selectman Kevin Christie hopes to move forward “holistically.”
A business owner urged Christie to “reject partisanship and cronyism,” in favor of a meeting with all stakeholders to determine the future of downtown parking.
Jennifer Johnson reiterated the ongoing topic of traffic. She asked Christie to consider “a more holistic and systematic approach.”
Other issues included the upcoming loss of police officers and firefighters, due in part to the lack of a pension; the need for enforcement of teen drinking parties, and the possibility of cameras to catch motor vehicle violations.
Christie promised more community conversations in the future.
And, he said, they will be at many different times of day, so all Westporters will have a chance to attend.
Almost exactly 9 years ago — on December 14, 2016 — “06880” published a story by “historic-minded” Wendy Crowther. The subject was the William F. Cribari Bridge.
I called it a “perfect holiday/Westport piece.” It still is.
And — with a Connecticut Department of Transportation “consulting meeting” set for this Thursday (December 18, 6 p.m., Town Hall) — this is a perfect time to re-post her thoughts.
The span over the Saugatuck River is now 141 years old. But little has changed in the near-decade since Wendy first wrote:
A few days ago, my TV remote dropped me into the last half of the 1946 holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I entered the story just as George Bailey ran onto the Bedford Falls Bridge and contemplated suicide. Luckily George’s guardian angel, Clarence, showed up just in time to help George see the value of his life, and its impact on his town and loved ones.
Though I’ve seen the movie a bazillion times, this time I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. George Bailey’s bridge was very similar to our own Saugatuck swing bridge (the William F. Cribari Bridge).
George Bailey on the Bedford Falls bridge (1946).
Due to my involvement over the last year and a half in efforts to not only document the history of our 132-year old span, but also save it from the impending doom of the state Department of Transportation’s scrap heap, I’ve become sensitized to old bridges in general — particularly truss bridges like ours (and George’s).
Seeing the movie from this new perspective, I became intrigued by the film’s use of the bridge as a symbol. Sixty years ago, when “It’s a Wonderful Life” was first released, plenty of small truss bridges still existed. Clearly, it was one of many elements used by the filmmakers to convey the quaint, homey feel of a small, American town — towns like Westport, and thousands of others across the country.
George Bailey’s bridge, set in fictional Bedford Falls, plays a pivotal role in the story. The 2 most transformative moments occur as George stands upon it: the first as he prepares to jump from it, the second when he returns to the bridge and desperately pleads, “I want to live.”
It’s believed that the town of Seneca Falls, New York was director Frank Capra’s inspiration for “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He supposedly visited Seneca Falls during the time the screenplay was being developed. Seneca Falls has a real bridge that looks much like the one depicted in the movie.
It also looks a lot like our Saugatuck swing bridge.
George Bailey on the Bedford Falls bridge (left); the actual Seneca Falls bridge (right). (Photos/Ottawarewind.com)
Though the Seneca Falls bridge and Westport’s are similar in many ways, Seneca’s can’t hold a candle to our own.
Our bridge, built in 1884, is 132 years old — the oldest active bridge of its type in the nation. Seneca’s, built in 1915, is a mere 101. Both are truss bridges, though ours is longer and made of iron; theirs is made of steel. Our bridge swings open for boat traffic; theirs doesn’t. The roads over both bridges are known as Bridge Street — but ours has the additional honor of being designated a State Scenic Road.
Our bridge crosses the Saugatuck River; theirs crosses the Seneca. Both bridges are still in use and open to traffic. Neither is tall enough to allow semi-tractor trailers to cross.
But here’s where Seneca’s bridge has it over ours. It was rehabilitated in 1997. Ours may meet the wrecking ball within the next few years — if the state has its druthers. DOT wants to make room for big rigs.
Original plans for the 1884 Saugatuck River bridge. (Image courtesy of Westport Historical Society)
In the fictional town of Bedford Falls, and in the real-life towns of Seneca Falls and Westport, bridges are iconic symbols that tell a story, provide a sense of place, and teach us about our history. They span rivers and time. They connect what separates us, and they can deter what we prefer to fend off.
In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the critical moment occurs as George stands for the 2nd time on the Bedford Falls Bridge and begs to have his old life back again. Suddenly, snow begins to fall. He is transported from his alternate reality and returned to the present. His gratitude sends him jubilantly running through the streets of Bedford Falls, shouting greetings to all the buildings and friends he cherishes.
As the film ends, all is well in Bedford Falls. Goodness triumphs over selfishness and greed, bells ring and the angel Clarence gets his wings.
The William Cribari (Saugatuck River) Bridge, Christmas Eve 2015. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
Having newly seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” from the bridge’s perspective, I realize that it offers Westporters valuable insights and inspiration.
Will we fight hard to keep what many of us cherish — our Saugatuck swing bridge? What powerful forces will try to overcome valiant efforts to keep it just the way it is? What changes to the bridge could transform (or devastate) portions of our community forever? If we lose it, will we wish we had better understood the wisdom of its ways?
The film ends with 4 important words. The entire cast sings “Auld Lang Syne.” Loosely translated from Scottish, the phrase means “for the sake of old times.” Let’s remember those words.
(Wendy is a founding member of the Westport Preservation Alliance. For more information about the history of the Saugatuck Swing Bridge and the efforts to save it, click here.)
(“06880” was founded in 2009. We’re not as old as the Cribari Bridge, but we humbly think we play a nice role in this town too. If you enjoy our work, please click here to help. Thank you!)
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