A new (and temporary) look for the Ned Dimes Marina. (Photo/Ron Poserina Jr.)
It was removed — temporarily — as part of a project to replace the piers, wood dock and deck at the office and clubhouse.
The Parks & Recreation Department reports that, due to extreme winter conditions that impacted water and electrical service on the docks (as well as South Beach bathroom facilities), water service to the docks at Ned Dimes Marina will be restored by late May.
Electrical service will be delayed until sometime in June. Officials are working on a solution for boaters to be able to charge batteries starting in June, most likely on a temporary generator supply to the individual docks.
South Beach bathroom facilities cannot be opened until the project is done. completion. Temporary facilities will remain until the restrooms are opened.
Meanwhile, also over on South Beach, Parks & Rec is installing power. It will be used for special events like LobsterFest.
Security cameras may be added too.
Electrical trench on South Beach. (Photo/Dorothy Robertshaw)
Parks & Rec also notes issues with navigational aids at the entrance to the Saugatuck River channel.
Can 5 and Nun 6 are missing. Nun 8 and Can 9 are significantly off station. The Coast Guard has been notified, and will replace them as soon as possible.
One of the most interesting properties in Westport is on the market.
And it’s the first time for it, in 65 years.
4 Sherwood Island Lane is a 7-bedroom, 6 1/2-bathroom, 6,215-square foot home — on a 20.85 acre lot.
You don’t see that very often these days.
4 Sherwood Island Lane
Located off the Sherwood Island Connector, south of I-95 on the way to Sherwood Island State Park, it’s been owned by the same family for nearly 7 decades.
There are no immediate neighbors — but plenty of birdlife and other nature.
The property includes 2 1940s 3-bedroom guesthouses with water views — plus a tennis court, indoor pool, pool house and formal gardens.
Efforts will lead to mitigation that can reduce loss of property and life due to floods, severe wind, winter storms, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat and earthquakes.
Damage from Hurricane Isaias on Grove Point Road. (Photo/John Kantor)
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A large crowd filled Clarendon Fine Art Thursday night, for a reception with Mr. Brainwash.
The French-born, Los Angeles based artist earned international prominence through the Bansky film “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
The current exhibition reimagines Van Gogh’s most recognizable motifs through his signature fusion of street art, vibrant color, mixed media and layered cultural references
The show runs through May 3. For more information, click here.
Mr. Brainwash, with one of his works. (Photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
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As summer arrives, Fleet Feet is racing ahead.
On the local running store’s calendar:
Apex Performance Runner’s Workshop (April 27, 5 p.m.): New client specials and custom footwear fittings.
Moms Who Move (May 6, 5 to 6:30 p.m.): Women-focused movement workshop
Kane Summer Launch x Beastie Burger (May 11, 5 to 6:30 p.m.): Try on new Kane footwear; bites from Beastie Burger
Congratulations to Staples High School’s We the People team.
Suzanne Kammerman’s class recently returned from national competition in Washington, where one group won the “Unit 4” award.
The competition is a congressional mock trial hearing. Students showed mastery of different parts of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, American history and the 3 branches of government. government. Participants are judged on their ability to understand, apply, and reasoning.
Unit 4 winners include Chloe Beitel, Mehmet Madigan, Lauren Potter and Leo Viner. All are juniors.
The 2023 Staples High School graduate has just been selected as a Truman Scholar.
The College of William & Mary junior is one of 55 students nationally to receive the prestigious scholarship for aspiring public service leaders. Nearly 800 candidates were nominated.
Truman Scholars demonstrate “outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence.” Scholars receive funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and internship and fellowship opportunities in the federal government.
Adelia Purcell
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Bloodroot is gone.
But the beloved vegan/feminist Black Rock restaurant — co-founded 49 years ago by Westporter Selma Miriam, which closed in December — can live on.
In your home.
Some great items remain, in their online auction. Among them: tables, china, glassware, framed menus, feminist books and signed cookbooks and sculpture.
The entire library — of feminist and political hard and softcover books — is being sold as one lot, too.
“Bernstein’s Wall” — Westport filmmaker Doug Tirola and producer Susan Bedusa’s documentary about Leonard Bernstein, using TV interviews, news footage, home movies, audio clips and personal letters, to explore the legendary artist’s views on freedom, politics, creativity and more — had its US theatrical premiere yesterday, at New York’s Film Forum.
Two memorial services are set for Janet Filling. The longtime Westport American Red Cross director, who also held important Red Cross posts at the state and national levels, died in February at 91.
A memorial mass will be held on June 1 (10 a.m., Fairfield University’s Egan Chapel). There will be informal reception afterward.
A celebration of life is slated for June 14 (2 p.m., Westport Library). The public is invited to both. Focusing on Janet’s deep roots and relationships in Westport, it is a time to share memories, stories and photos. Anyone wishing to speak, send a photo, or offer words though unable to attend, should email Janet’s son Greg: gfilling@gmail.com.
Janet Filling
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David Ohman is a native Californian. But he lived in Westport from 1992-98. He loved those years, and still considers it his “adopted home town.”
Recently, Frames interviewed him. He discussed portraiture, photojournalism, working with light on location, trusting spontaneity, and staying open to unexpected moments that seem to appear only for those who are truly paying attention.
After decades of making pictures, meeting people, telling stories, and navigating the transition from film to digital, Ohman still speaks about the camera with curiosity, gratitude and excitement.
Click here or below, for a fascinating and educational half hour.
PS: If you or a family member had portraits taken by Ohman in the 1990s, “06880” may have beautiful prints of your session. Email 06880blog@gmail.com with the name of the subject. We’ll check through the files that he very generously sent!
And finally … on this date in 1915, the Battle of Gallipoli began. One of the longest and bloodiest campaigns of World War I, it is a defining moment in Turkey’s history. It is also considered the beginning of Australian and New Zealand national consciousness. Today is Anzac Day, a national commemoration in both countries.
(Sure, it’s Saturday. But neither the Roundup nor “06880” takes weekends off. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 coverage of all things Westport, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
In just 3 years, the Westport Parks & Recreation Department “Kickoff to Summer” has become a — well, great kickoff to summer.
This year’s event is May 23 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Compo Beach).
In addition to the now-traditional kids’ activities, music, food trucks and raffle, they’ve added helicopter rides, and the unveiling of young artist Luke Bernier’s mural by the concession stan.
Parks & Rec personnel will provide info on programs and other offerings for the upcoming year.
Part of the fun, at last year’s Kickoff to Summer.
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It’s not easy coming up with a creative, on-brand fundraiser.
Trivia Night site. Though the action will probably be at the bar.
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Golf and giving back are par for the course on May 4 (Great River Golf Club, Milford).
Chabad of Westport’s annual golf outing includes on-course snacks, lunch, a cocktail/dinner reception, raffles and giveaways, a $25,000 hole-in-one prize — plus an opportunity to meet visiting IDF soldiers.
Proceeds from the event support Israel, local youth services, and Camp Gan Israel.
Non-golfers are welcome. Sponsorships, foursomes and dinner tickets are now available. To register or learn more, click here.
The Westport resident — a University of Connecticut business school graduate, and former Husky soccer player — has donated $1.5 million to the school.
The gift will support the “pursuit of sustained excellence across all of UConn’s athletic programs.”
Rizza — an investment manager — previously contributed $10 million. Those gifts helped revitalize Morrone Stadium, and helped build a state-of-the-art sports performance center.
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Yesterday’s brief rain shower produced one of the better rainbows in a while.
This was the view over Cross Highway:
(Photo/Mark Yurkiw)
… and by the Saugatuck River, on Riverside Avenue …
(Photo/Michael Chait)
… and above Clinton Avenue:
(Photo/Jen Rago McCarthy)
Today’s forecast is for clouds, and a high of 62.
Tomorrow: rain, and 52.
Hey, summer was nice while it lasted.
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The Weston History & Culture Center continues its celebration of America’s 250th birthday next month.
“Sarah Treadwell: Connecticut Mom, American Patriot” opens with a reception May 9 (2 to 4 p.m.).
The exhibit honors a local woman who supported her family’s role during the Revolutionary War, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women during the era.
Treadwell’s family lived in North Fairfield, a section of the town that later became Weston, then Easton.
The exhibit explores her life during and after the war, her family and community roles, the pension process for veterans and widows of veterans, and her resilience as a wife and mother.
After the reception, it will be on view every Thursday (1 to 4 p.m.), and the first and last Sunday of each month (1 to 4 p.m.).
Also on view: the new interactive exhibit “Weston at Work,” in the Coley Barn; the exhibit “Local Patriots and Loyalists” in the Visitor’s Center, and guided tours of historic Coley House.
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OnwardWell Foundation — a therapeutic recovery support non-profit founded by 1992 Staples High School graduate Mark Lassoff last year — does great work.
To do it even more well, they seek donations of gently used furniture to outfit a new meeting room at their Trumbull offices.
The room will host recovery and support groups for families and friends of young men recovering from addiction and mental illness.
The small room can accommodate a small couch or loveseat, and a couple of comfortable chairs. Donations are tax-deductible, and can be picked up.
And finally … in honor of the Westport Weston Co-op Nursery School’s Touch-a-Truck event (story above):
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Maybe not “lonely.” But — as they so often did — the Beatles nailed the past few months.
We’ve had a classic New England winter.
Big snowfalls. Frigid temperatures. Gray days, one after another after another.
Pretty gross. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Yet — as it always does — spring beckons.
It arrives Friday, meteorologically.
It comes early next month, religiously. Once again, Passover and Easter share the same week.
The holidays — one celebrating freedom and redemption, the other renewal and resurrection — are annual reminders that life goes on, stronger than ever, as the world reawakens with colors and warmth.
Spring is a glorious time, whatever God you follow. Or none.
So — as Westporters spend more time outdoors, in the garden, at the beach, on playing fields, and everywhere else in town — what’s ahead?
The Cribari Bridge will continue to dominate many discussions. The road upon which the can has been kicked down for decades may finally reach a fork.
There’s still no clear direction for the future of the 143-year-old span, whose impact on the town is far broader than its 2 narrow lanes might seem.
We may know a lot more after Thursday’s 6 p.m. Town Hall meeting, when the state Department of Transportation meets the public.
Whatever follows will be the first big test of 1st Selectman Kevin Christie’s tenure. He’s been quiet so far. Let’s hope he’s assessed his options, spoken behind the scenes with all the players, and is ready to lead.
Springtime at the Cribari Bridge. (Photo/Fred Cantor)
Soon, the budget — actually 2; the town’s, and the larger Board of Education’s — heads to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) for approval.
Last week, the Board of Finance voted unanimously in favor of the BOE’s $157.9 million request. But they vowed to keep a “sharper eye” on next year’s request.
That’s nothing like the situation in the 1970s and early ’80s, when budget battles were annual affairs. Sides were clearly drawn: one claiming every penny was necessary for education, the other (including an actual “Taxwatchers Party”) demanding deep cuts.
There has been great cooperation recently between the BOF and BOE. Several drivers of the budget increase — especially healthcare costs — are largely out of the town’s control.
Renovation of Coleytown Elementary School will be an upcoming budget item.
But events both local (like the recent revaluation) and national (the war in Iran, gas prices, inflation) may impact Westport in the year to come.
We’re not yet talking much about those issues (though the Board of Assessment Appeals is plowing through a number of re-revaluation requests).
We soon may be.
I feel that ice is slowly melting …
We’re all ready to head outdoors.
Al fresco dining returns soon, all over town. Once again, Church Lane will be closed to cars. A tradition begun 6 years ago, in the very dark days of the pandemic, will continue, bringing the community together around food and music.
A new concessionaire may take over at Compo Beach and Longshore (if not, there will be food trucks).
At Longshore too, work continues on the Inn. The renovation is on schedule; it will reopen soon, as a wonderful, newly improved sparkle in one of our town’s true jewels.
Artist’s rendering of the renovated Inn at Longshore.
Old Mill Grocery will pulse with energy too. A couple of NIMBY neighbors are trying to stop the sale of alcohol, and the use of outdoor tables and a gelato cart. The existence of the 107-year-old beloved neighborhood spot remains in doubt. But for now, it’s lived to serve us for another season.
Spring returns soon to Westport.
All is not right with our town, or the world.
But after a long, cold, lonely winter, we’ll take what we can get.
Here comes the sun … it’s all right.
(“06880” covers everything under the Westport sun. If you enjoy stories like this — or anything else on our hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Among the items on tomorrow’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting (Monday, March 16, 6 p.m., Zoom): a pre-application submitted by Richard Redniss, to “discuss some of the ways for Westport to positively respond to the requirements of 8002 prior to 7/1/2026.”
“8022” is the legislation that — among other things — incentivizes towns to take steps to allow more housing, requires towns to create housing growth plans, and eliminates most off-street parking requirements for developments of less than 12 units.
Redniss — principal of Redniss & Mead land use consultants — tells “06880” that the new regulation gives towns .25 of a moratorium point (toward meeting the 10% threshold for affordable housing units) for any new multi-family housing of between 2 and 9 units.
“It’s a carrot by the state” to help solve the broader housing crisis, regardless of cost.
At the P&Z session, Redniss will describe 3 projects he’s working on now. One involves either 17 units (3 of them deemed “affordable,” by state formula), or 9 (with none affordable).
Another — in a “beautiful downtown location” — could have 15 units; by current regulations to earn moratorium points, 2 would have to be affordable. However, Redniss says, because of the cost of land on the river, and with floodplain and slope issues, the economics with 2 affordable units would be “very difficult.”
8002 is “a big learning curve for everyone” — developers and town officials alike, Redniss notes. “How do we deal with this in a practical way?”
The bill — whose initial provisions take effect July 1 — is “very complicated. It’s 100 pages long.”
He and the P&Z begin discussing the implications — for only those projects with between 2 and 9 units — on Monday.
Rick Redniss
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The Westport Fire Department is filled with heroes.
But 5 are official “Hero to Heroes.”
They’re graduates of “Hero to Hero,” a non-profit that help highly qualified military members transition to first responder careers. It’s a win-win-win — for the servicemembers, their employers, and the entire community.
On March 28 (5:30 p.m., Saugatuck Rowing Club), a special event will raise awareness of “Hero to Hero” — and raise funds for an independent film, which will raise even more funds for the organization.
The “Blue Bunny” film project is led by Rita Marcocci, a Westport resident and award-winning producer.
It’s a moving story of sacrifice and friendship, weaving between Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the present-day bond between a former commander and his soldier.
Speaking of heroes: Congratulations to Dave Farrell!
Westport’s police chief was inducted Thursday into Notre Dame Prep’s Alumni Hall of Fame.
The recognition highlights his leadership, dedication to service, and lasting impact within the Westport Police Department, and the broader community too.
Westport Police Chief Dave Farrell
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Brubeck comes to Mo\CT.
Not Dave — but close.
The Brubeck Brothers Quartet — led by brothers Chris and Dan — headline “A Speakeasy Jazz Night” April 12 (6 p.m.).
Concert-goers will be surrounded by the art of MoCA’s current exhibition, Art, Jazz + The Blues.”
VIP tickets ($150 per person; tables and lounges for 4 and 6) include a meet-and-greet with the musicians; a special edition t-shirt by Westport artist Miggs Burroughs; preferred seating; personal bar service. and signature cocktails and light bites by A&S Westport.
General admission ($50) includes drinks and light bites.
As St. Patrick’s Day looms — with Passover and Easter not far behind — Dave Briggs spent yesterday taking down his Christmas lights.
But he has neighbors whose lights are still up. And every night, they’re on.
The TV journalist/social media master asks: “What’s the latest date you’ve taken your holiday decorations down? At some point, is it okay just to leave them up for next year?”
Click here or below to see his Instagram on these important questions — and to answer them.
Much of March is usually pretty gross, weather-wise.
It’s windy. The skies are often gray. There are a couple of tantalizingly nice spring days, then we snap back to a reminder that it’s still a few weeks away.
But this March, things are even grosser.
Enormous piles of snow — calcified into a hard, brown mass by tons of sand that froze in January, and shows no signs of thawing any time soon — loom in parking lots and on roadsides all around town.
They’re ugly. They’re depressing. And — not for nothing — they take up valuable parking spots.
This is the scene at a medical office complex on Riverside:
(Photo/Dan Woog)
Others — at the YMCA and Staples, on Imperial Avenue and nearly everywhere else — are bigger, darker, even uglier.
So what’s ahead?
Today’s high will be 44. Tomorrow it will reach 58 — with a chance of thunderstorms.
The rest of the week, look for 30s and 40s.
With partly cloudy skies, every day.
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Speaking of which: Is this (below) just a pile of all sand?
Or sand covering snow?
Whatever. Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is a reminder that — whatever is going on in the rest of town, and no matter what the season — this place is always there for us.
(Photo/Mary Lou Roels)
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And finally … in honor of Dave Brubeck, whose sons will be playing soon at MoCA\CT (story above):
Infinity Care is a new personalized medicine/concierge practice, coming soon to town.
Dr. Lyuba Kofler — a family medicine physician –is a Westport mom who understands the realities of packed schedules. She designed her practice to offer “the kind of thoughtful, responsive care families often wish medicine still had.”
A core focus is what she calls “generational health.” Through “proactive prevention, lifestyle guidance, and personalized medical planning, she helps patients build habits and strategies that support not only their own health, but the well-being of their children, grandchildren, and future generations.”
Our first Easter-related item of 2026 is from Wakeman Town Farm. Their family fun “EGGstravaganza” is Saturday, April 4 (10 a.m.).
The 10:30 hunt is followed by egg-themed games, story readings with the Westport Book Shop, and photo opps with Big Bunny. Guests can isit the farm animals too.
There are treats for the kids, and coffee for adults, from The Granola Bar, Sweet P Bakery, and Danna Rogers and Jen Kass Team at the Higgins Group.
Speaking of spring: Temperatures are inching up. There’s a whiff of the new season in the air.
But all around town, snow piles remain.
And because they were dumped or pushed there after the first big snowstorm of the year, after which temperatures remained far below freezing for a week — and because tons of sand was used in the process — these big boys are not going anywhere soon.
Scott Smith spotted this one at the Imperial Avenue commuter parking lot. He writes: “Photos can’t convey just how big this snow field is. It’s gargantuan!”
Snow pile. Imperial Avenue is in the distance. (Photo/Scott Smith)
The question is: Will it still be there when the Farmers’ Market opens, in mid-May?
I bet it won’t all be gone even then.
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The national dish of Scotland is haggis.
If you’ve never enjoyed it, it’s a pudding made from sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices. It’s encased in a sheep’s stomach and boiled.
However, 12 Westport Scouts headed to a jamboree there in July have decided to not serve haggis at their fundraiser.
Instead, Troops 39 and 139 offer a pancake breakfast. It’s this Sunday (9 a.m. to 1 p.m., VFW post 399). The full pancake bar includes plenty of toppings, sausage, juice, coffee and tea.
There’s a free will donation; $10-15 per person, $35 per family is suggested.
Players from Jeff Lea’s first state championship team — and 3 others — were on hand Saturday night, as the winningest coach in Staples boys soccer history was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame.
Lea co-coached with Albie Loeffler in 1970, then served as head coach from 1978 to 2002. He earned 5 state crowns and 12 FCIAC titles. He retired in 2002, compiling a 357-77-42 record.
Congratulations, Coach Lea!
Jeff Lea (red tie) with former players (from left) Dan Woog, Jem Sollinger, Dan Donovan, Jono Sollinger, Neil Brickley, Steve Lichtman and Mike Brown.
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