Posted onJuly 27, 2025|Comments Off on Soundview Summer Stroll Is On Today!
Sure, there’s a chance of showers midday, and possible rain late in the afternoon.
But that shouldn’t keep anyone away from today’s Soundview Summer Stroll.
The Compo Beach exit road will be closed to trafffic, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bands will play rock, pop and funk music. A face painter (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), photo booth (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and plenty of special kids’ activities will add to the fun.
Romanacci’s will sell food, and gelato.
And — with Soundview Drive closed to cars — it’s a perfect opportunity to stroll (with or without a stroller), Rollerblade, meet old friends and make new ones.
The 2nd annual Soundview Summer Stroll is a gift to Westport from “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association, with plenty of help from our Parks & Recreation Department.
It won’t be too hot. Bring an umbrella (just in case…).
We look forward to seeing you at the Stroll!
Scenes from last year’s Summer Stroll. (Photos/Benji Porosoff)
Comments Off on Soundview Summer Stroll Is On Today!
(NOTE: We’re looking for a few teenagers to help organize games and fun for little kids, in 1-2 hour shifts. If interested, please email 06880blog@gmail.com.)
(Also note: As always, a beach sticker or daily parking pass is required to park at Compo Beach.
Comments Off on Soundview Summer Stroll: One Week Away
Our 11th annual “06880” blog party was the biggest and best yet.
(Photo/Susan Garment)
Early morning rain and midday clouds gave way to blue skies, with just enough of a breeze to keep things comfortable.
Over 200 folks — those born and raised here, 97-year-old “Mr. Pickleball” Tom Lowrie, and 2 couples who moved her 2 months ago; daily readers, and casual ones; politicians and normal people — all came to Compo’s South Beach.
They ate, drank, chatted, stayed, and proved once again why “06880” (the online community, and the real-life one) is so warm, embracing and fun.
There was swag (waterproof pouches from Savvy + Grace; homemade jam thanks to Mary Lou Roels); beverages courtesy of Matt Bannon; music by Warren Bloom, plus the Westport Parks & Recreation Department’s help and hospitality.
Jam and waterproof pouch swag. (Photo/Thomas Samaranayake)
And of course, everyone enjoyed another spectacular Compo Beach sunset.
(Photo/Debra Krayson)
“06880” — the online community, and the real life one — feels truly blessed.
Rick and Totney Benson. (Photo/Tom Lowrie)
Matt Bannon took care of the thirsty crowd … (Photo/Dan Woog)
… while Warren Bloom entertained. (Photo/Mary Sikorski)
The Hive (Frederic Chiu and Jeanine Esposito, 2nd and 4th from left) and friends were in the house.
(Photo/Nancy Axthelm)
The Weinbergs’ treat.
(Photo/Thomas Samaranayake)
97-year-old Tom “Mr. Pickleball” Lowrie, and daughter Anne. (Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
Lou and Marjorie Weinberg enjoy a moment. (Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
But it’s always cool to hang out at the “06880” blog party.
Tonight (Thursday), we celebrate our 11th annual bash.
We’re all set for 6 p.m. at South Beach — the alcohol-is-fine-except-no-glass-bottles end, furthest from the cannons.
The morning rain has moved on. The weather forecast is “partly cloudy” — hey, that’s fine!
This is a bring-your-own-food-and-beverages event. If you’ve got something extra to share, feel free!
Bring a beach chair. And we can always use folding tables.
“06880” provides the rest: a chance to meet commenters and lurkers. Each year we welcome old-timers, newcomers, politicians and normal human beings. It’s a chance to talk, laugh and trade stories about this wild, wacky and only slightly dysfunctional town we share and love.
See you tonight!
We’ll be just to the left of this jetty (near the boat and kayak launch). Without the car, though, (Photo/Linda Gramatky Smith)
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Westport’s fireworks are the best party of the year.
But — like any party — it doesn’t happen without tons of work.
Planning takes months. The day of the event is long, hard and very stressful.
And even when the party is over, the clean-up work continues.
Our annual celebration seems to run like clockwork. This year’s was especially flawless. (A record may have been set: only 2 lost children.)
So how did it happen?
A lot of groups worked a lot of hours. With a lot of collaboration.
Thanks go to:
Parks & Recreation Department. They’re the front lines — and the back room (and everything and everywhere in between). The fireworks are an all-hands-on-deck event, and everyone from director Erik Barbieri (overseeing his first one), deputies Rick Giunta and Carm Roda (definitely not their first rodeos), down to the lifeguards and newest summer employees, pitched in.
From parking assistance and emptying trash all day long, to reuniting those 2 lost kids with their parents, Parks & Rec did it all. Special thanks to the clean-up crews, who went to work the moment the first revelers left after the last firework, leaving behind mammoth piles of chairs, tables, towels, flip-flops, food and other garbage.
By dawn the next morning, it was all gone. A kerfuffle ensued on Westport Front Porch, when a Westporter wondered why the clean-up had been so efficient that when she went back the next day to retrieve her stuff, it was gone. I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea. No good dead — or pristine beach — goes unpunished.
An early trash pick-up, long before the big crowds arrive. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Police Department. This was Dave Farrell’s first fireworks as chief, and his men and women nailed it. They too were everwhere — in cars, on bicycles, on foot and on the water — with constant smiles, and an eagerness to help. They were assisted by officers from other towns. And, it seems safe to say, they returned the favor on other days, for those colleagues’ pyrotechnics.
Fire Department. You never know what might happen, at an event that draws 10,000 people. But the presence of so many firefighters — with all their equipment — was reassuring to all. They were not called on for anything major, so they had plenty of time to offer little kids up-close look at their gleaming trucks, and toots on the (very) loud sirens.
Emergency Medical Services.Our paid and volunteer staffs were all over the place too. They are sometimes overlooked — particularly on a day that was as incident-free as possible — but we would be nowhere without them (and their ambulances, parked strategically and ready for everything).
First responders, smiling but ready if needed. (Photo/Laurie Sorensen)
Westport PAL. They’re the beneficiaries of the parking permits. The money they raise helps fund sports and scholarship programs that impact thousands of youngsters. But PAL volunteers work hard, before and during the fireworks, to earn their donations. Congratulations to PAL president Corporal Craig Bergamo, and his crew, for their part in the party.
Melissa and Doug Bernstein.They’ve sold their toy company. But as devoted Westporters, they continue to pay for the show — out of their own, personal pockets. If there’s a better way to show your love for this town, I’d like to hear it.
Thanks to all I’ve mentioned (and I sure hope I haven’t missed anyone).
The 2025 fireworks are now now just a memory. But we would not have that memory — or the smiles on our faces — without you.
Doug and Melissa Bernstein. (Photo/Dan Woog)
(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)
Beaches. A town-owned country club. A historic Playhouse and popular Pavilion. A kick-ass library. A wide array of interesting restaurants, a vibrant downtown and high-achieving school district.
And when out-of-town friends and family want to enjoy any of that — a show, shopping, graduation, whatever — they settle into a hotel in … Southport.
Or Norwalk. Or Stamford.
Not counting the dozen or so rooms at the Inn at Longshore — now being renovated — Westport has had zero hotel rooms.
There were 100 or so until a couple of years ago, when the Westport Inn closed. But they were decidedly meh. (Though they were a step up from their predecessor, the really forgettble New Englander “Motor Hotel.”)
That puzzling hole in our hospitality heart has now been filled.
Last week, guests began arriving at the Delamar Westport.
Delamar Westport.
The newest addition to a small group that includes boutique properties in Greenwich, Southport, West Hartford, Mystic and (why not?) Traverse City, Michigan, the Delamar Westport will quickly become one of the buzziest spots in town.
Earlier this week, before the soft opening — only about half the rooms are ready; the restaurant won’t open until next month, the pool next year — I got a quick tour.
My mind was in New Englander/Westport Inn mode. I should have been thinking Delamar brand.
Each room — there will be 86 when finished — is big, but homey. The goal was to combine “classic New England hospitality and modern luxury,” and — at least in the rooms I saw — the designers succeeded. From hardwood floors to the definitely non-Hyatt bathrooms, these are not typical hotel rooms
A Delamar Westport room.
Three of the most luxurious are luxury suites. They were created by Christian Siriano.
The internationally known fashion designer has stepped successfully into a new realm. He also designed the lobby, a fun and welcoming space that includes a whimsical sketch wall.
Siriano did not have far to go for this project. He lives 2 miles away.
Christian Siriano, in the lobby.
The Westport Inn was in Westport, but never really part of it. The Delamar hopes to be very involved in the community. There are meeting rooms and private event spaces, for corporate meetings, weddings and special occasions.
They flank the restaurant, called Dandelion. The cuisine will be “coastal Mediterranean,” with Moroccan influences. It’s a stunning space, with outdoor seating. It’s at the back of the property, with plenty of greenery all around.
Dandelion restaurant.
Also in the works: a bocce court and fire pit nearby. And, in the atrium, a giant olive tree.
Besides filling a (desperate) need for a hotel, the Delamar will benefit from its location diagonally across the Post Road from The Clubhouse.
The golf and other sports simulators, huge-screen TVs and rooftop lounge attract the same type of guests who will enjoy the hotel.
As the first guests arrive, workers are putting finishing touches on the Delamar. They, and the staff who will be the public face, seem genuinely excited for the reveal.
When Westporters step inside, they’ll be excited too.
Finally, we won’t have to send out-of-town guests out of town.
Sure, there was a little early morning rain, then a cloudy morning. But by mid-afternoon they were gone. The sun shone brightly. And the blue sky turned red at dusk — perfect colors for Independence Day.
Sure, the barge was late. But it finally got there, and dropped anchor in its traditional spot, opposite the Compo Beach lifeguard shack.
And sure, 10,000 or so little kids, teenagers, families and everyone else celebrated America’s birthday the way we have for decades.
With fireworks, food and fun.
(Photo/Judith Katz)
There is no better day in Westport. Thanks from all who were there, to all who helped make it possible.
Lifeguard director Danilo Sierra (2nd from right) and his crew.
Parks & Rec handles countless tasks …
… including clean-up. At dawn today, the beach will be spotless.
Firefighters are out in force — just in case.
Sue Pfister and friend ovesee the Old Mill Beach parking lot.
Captain America, aka RTM member Andrew Colabella.
Stacie Curran and Dee Hychko.
Cheryl with her friend’s baby, Towner. (Photo/Laureen Haynes)
Doug and Melissa Bernstein sold their toy company. But they still sponsor the fireworks — helping Westport PAL raise needed funds.
A small part of the large crowd. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
A patriotic soccer fashion statement …
… and a patriotic statement of a different kind.
What’s not to smile about?
Lookin’ solid!
Terry, Laurie, Eamon and Seamus Brannigan.
Red, white and blue ice cream.
There are parties up and down Soundview Drive. But only one has a life-size outdoor chess set.
Smiling on the seawall …
… and hanging out on the lifeguard chair.
Dinner is served!
Lifeguard photo opp, while patrolling the beach.
Nowhere to park … (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
… but the barge found a nice spot.
From left: Former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, Nicole Tooker, 1st Selecctwoman Jen Tooker, former 2nd Selectman Charlie Haberstroh, RTM member Jimmy Izzo.
The money shot. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
Packing up, then heading home. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
Which means that in about 10 minutes — if they haven’t already — people will descend on Compo Beach.
They’ll haul beach chairs, blankets, tables, tents, coolers — everything including, perhaps, a kitchen sink or two — and spread them across vast swaths of the sand.
Because hey, that’s what Westporters do to reserve a spot for the 4th 2nd of July fireworks. They start a mere 16 hours from now.
6:40 a.m., 2024. (Photo/Susie Kowalsky)
It’s the human version of dogs peeing to mark territory.
When the practice began more than a decade ago, many residents were aghast. Staking out a spot, then leaving for 10 or 12 hours — making the beach look for most of the day as if aliens had abducted every human — was not something we did.
If you wanted a picnic before the fireworks, you got there relatively early.
And you stayed.
Gradually — actually, fairly rapidly — that social norm was shattered.
Much the same way we now think nothing of wearing flip flops to Broadway — or deporting people who have been here for decades to foreign countries without a hint of due process — the arms race of claiming land on the sand has become just another part of life.
Sure, a few people will send photos to “06880” of egregious beach-taking — 20 to 30 chairs, all occupied by ghosts.
But those horses left the Compo barn long ago. There is nothing you, I, or the Parks & Recreation Department can do.
2022 (Photo/Dan Aron)
In fact, there is an upside to all this. Years ago, cars began lining up around 4 p.m., when the beach opened to fireworks ticket holders. Stretching as far back as Greens Farms Road were families waiting to enter, find a spot, lug their gear and start partying.
Things are much calmer now. There is no 4 p.m. rush — just a leisurely, steady flow of folks moseying in, over the next couple of hours.
Still — like airport gate agents trying to make sure that passengers in boarding group 9 don’t try to sneak into group 3 — we can try to impose a bit of order to the early-morning process. So here are a few tips/hints/thoughts.
Some people will think they apply to everyone else, but not to them.
Some will read — then promptly (even proudly) ignore them.
Yet if even a few people heed them, we’ll bring a bit of civility to what should be Westport’s biggest, best — and friendliest — party of the year.
Take only what you need. This is not a Golden Corral all-you-can-eat buffet. The amount of “food” (sand) is limited. Leave some for others. To put it another way: If your reserved section can — like a crop circle — be seen from the sky, it’s too big.
Your tent may block my view.Around 4 p.m., the lifeguards will probably make an announcement that all tents must be taken down, or moved back toward the boardwalk, parking lot and Soundview Drive.
2023 (Photo/Matt Murray)
You may not reserve the picnic tables at South Beach.The signs on each table are clear. If you want one, send someone to sit there all day. Sorry, but there is a limited number of tables. You might think it’s okay to reserve a pool chair by at your favorite resort. But reserving a picnic table here is still a no-no.
Use what you take. If you realize you’re hogging more than your share, draw those chairs closer.
And then have fun. Talk to the folks next to you, even if you think they infringe on “your” party. Share your chips, your wine, your kids.
Finally, when it’s over: Take all your s— home.
If you lugged a beach table there at 5 a.m., lug it back to your car at 10 p.m. Parks & Rec is not your clean-up crew. You’d be amazed at how much gets left — much of it not inadvertently — behind.
Happy 4th 2nd of July! If you’ve read this far, thank you.
But you really should head to the beach right now. Everyone else is already there, stealing your spot.
Tomorrow — 2 day ahead of the holiday — the annual PAL fireworks will light the sky over Compo Beach. It’s Westport’s biggest and best party of the year.
It also has a major impact on traffic.
The beach closes to the public at 4 p.m. Only vehicles with fireworks passes hanging from their rearview mirrors can stay in the parking lot. The beach reopens to ticket holders no later than 5 p.m.
Access to the fireworks is through Compo Road South only. Hillspoint Road south of Greens Farms Road will be closed to through traffic.
Uber, Lyft and taxi services will drop riders off where Soundview Drive runs into Compo Road South. However, return service will not be possible until 11 p.m., due to one-way traffic exiting the beach. There will be delays of an hour or so after the fireworks end (approximately 9:30 to 9:45) for residents return to the Compo Beach area from elsewhere, and for anyone picking up people at the beach.
The fireworks are sponsored by Melissa and Doug Bernstein, and are an important fundraiser for Westport PAL. A few tickets remain, at the Parks & Recreation Department office in Longshore (during business hours), and the police station.
The traffic is worth it. (Photo/Elissa Moses)
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Speaking of the fireworks: Please send us your photos tomorrow!
Your parties and picnics; you and your friends hanging out, and your kids running around — however you celebrate, we hope you’ll share with our online community.
We’re less interested in shots of the actual fireworks — sorry, but they all tend to look the same — than in people. Faces, smiles, flags — email them to 06880blog@gmail.com, by 10 p.m. (the end of the fireworks show).
Thanks. It takes a village, and we’re glad you’re part of ours.
Jennifer Kobetitsch sent this last year. Let’s see what you’ve got!
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And now … the moment you’ve been waiting for: the winners of the Great Duck Race.
Westport Sunrise Rotary — which thanks to the event will distribute about $100,000 in grants and scholarships next year — announces the champions.
There’s a new president too. Senior vice president Robert Boroujerdi succeeds Pat Wieser. She remains a board member member, while Krishna Patel takes over as senior vice president.
Other officers include treasurer Ben Chan, secretary Sheri Gordon, Finance Committee chair Scott Bennewitz, Governance and Nominations Committee chair Martina Sze, and Development Committee chair Mark Silverstein.
Boroujerdi is a former partner at Goldman Sachs. He later joined Third Point, an institutional asset manager, as the head of markets. He and his family live in Westport.
Leaving the board are longtime members Andrea Berkely, Randy Herbertson, Celeste La Croix, Jay Norris and Andrew Wilk.
Charise and her husband Justin co-founded Saugatuck Financial, where she headed up daily operations and growth initiatives for more than a decade. She continues to lead business development, marketing and strategic initiatives. The couple live in Westport, with their 2 children.
Corgel is an experienced business executive. He has been involved with several non-profits since retiring in 2013, after serving in key managerial roles with global responsbility at IBM. He and his wife Chris have lived in Westport for more than 35 years.
Travlos is s a capital markets specialist, investor and entrepreneur with deep experience across technology, media, industrial and consumer sectors. She moved to Westport in 2000 with her daughter, and now lives here with her black labrador Robert.
Zwick has more than 20 years’ experience in the nonprofit and education sectors. She serves as executive director of the Tuck Initiative on Workplace Inclusion at Dartmouth, and teaches courses on social impact at NYU. When she moved to Westport in 2020, her one demand was to live within walking distance of the Library.
Joe Lamp’l — aka “Joe Gardener” — spoke to a full house at the Westport Library last week, on ecological gardening for beauty and biodiversity.
The next day, he visited Greens Farms Garden Club’s “Growing for Good” vegetable gardens. Volunteers with the project grow organic vegetables, and donate them to Homes with Hope in Westport, and Bridgeport’s Mercy Learning Center.
Richard Orenstein was a significant benefactor of the Westport Museum for History & Culture.
On Sunday, friends unveiled a commemorative stone in his honor, near the front of the building.
He also donated generous to other organizations, here and in Sarasota, Florida — where he flew over 1,000 hours for Angel Flight, which provides free medical services.
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