Disaster was averted this afternoon off Compo Beach.
But not before dozens of police and pleasure boats searched Long Island Sound, and hundreds of beachgoers watched with worry.
The drama began when an abandoned kayak was spotted a couple of hundred yards offshore.
The Westport Police leaped into action. So did those from other jurisdictions. Fire Department trucks raced to the scene.
Chris Tait — the District 1 Representative Town Meeting member, on his boat in the water — saw Westport Police pull a kayak out of the water. He heard them radio an appeal to all boaters in the area, to be on the lookout for anyone who might have been in the kayak.
Westport Police boat, searching Long Island Sound off Compo Beach. (Hat tip and photo/Jim Hood)
Chris called his daughter Emmah — a Staples High School graduate, and rising sophomore at Colorado State University — who was in another boat. He told her what was happening.
“Oh yeah,” she said. “I picked him up!”
Emmah told Chris that earlier in the afternoon, she had seen a man hanging on to a kayak, waving in distress.
He was not wearing a life preserver, and appeared exhausted.
She helped him into her boat. He said he had been in the water for about 45 minutes.
They tried to get his kayak into Emmah’s craft, but could not.
So the man — a Westport resident in his 40s — sat next to Emmah’s dog, as she brought him back to Ned Dimes Marina, where his car was parked.
Apparently, he told no one that his kayak was still floating in the Sound. He got in his car and drove home.
But at the same time — as Emmah pulled into her slip — a police boat sped out of the marina. A boater had just called in a report of an upside-down kayak.
Chris quickly texted a photo of the kayak — which had been distributed earlier, by Westport Police — to Emmah.
Kayak, in police vessel.
She confirmed that it was the abandoned kayak.
Chris informed the police. All units returned to shore.
Congratulations and thanks to all the boaters — police and private — who responded.
And of course to Emmah and Chris Tait, for their alert and crucial help too.
That door was the subject of last week’s Photo Challenge. Tom Green, Diane Bosch, Cathy Malkin, Amy Schneider, Andrew Colabella and Jonathan McClure all nailed it.
With a variety of descriptions of the house.
Meanwhile: Hooray! It’s “wine o’clock.”
If you know where in Westport you’d see this sign, click “Comments” below.
We’ll drink to that.
(Photo/Kira Ganga Kieffer)
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Many Staples High School students have interesting summer gigs.
Take Nolan Francis. The rising senior worked at Yale University’s Choate Lab, researching a rare skin condition called ichthyosis, or epidermal differentiation disorder (EDD). It can lead to fatal heart disease, or a significant decline in quality of life.
Recent cuts to the National Institutes of Health have “pushed the possibility of a cure from the near future to a far-fetched aspiration,” Nolan says.
A labmate, 2nd-year medical student Devin Seli, is affected by EDD. Twice a week, he swims with a triathlon group at Compo Beach.
So Nolan, Devin and a few others from the lab decided to raise awareness — and funds.
All donations will go to the Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types, which bridges the financial gap for people with the disorder. FIRST has also awarded millions of dollars in research grants to laboratories.
PS: Here’s a bit more about Nolan, a definite rising star. His work in Staples’ Scientific Research Program earned him 4th place at the state High School Science Symposium. He also received the International Society for In Vitro Biology award at the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.
He is on Staples’ STEM Journal editorial board, and is the incoming vice president of the Sciene National Honors Society. He’s also an AP Scholar with Distinction, and founded the current iteration of Staples’ National English Honor Society.
He 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.
He plays violin in the Symphonic Orchestra. He was the first-ever junior to be captain of Staples’ 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.
For well over a quarter of that time — 14 years — Hal Shupack served on the board of the non-profit, dedicating to ending homelessness and food insecurity in Fairfield County.
On Friday, the Gillespie Center’s courtyard was named for the longtime Weston resident. A former 1st Selectman, he died in 2020, at 84.
Homes with Hope president and CEO Helen McAlinden said that from her first days “he took me under his wing, showed me around Weston, and taught me everything I know about the town. His knowledge, kindness, and deep-rooted commitment to the community were inspiring, and contagious.
“Hal lived his values every day, whether through his leadership as first selectman, his tireless work on countless boards and committees, or his long-standing dedication to Homes with Hope. His warmth, his wit, and his deep care for people made a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.”
Several dozen guests — including members of Shupack’s family — attended the ceremony.
Since opening last month, Gruel Brittania has become one of Westport’s favorite restaurants.
The Cross Highway parking lot is often full. Occasionally, customers park on nearby Vineyard Lane.
Yesterday, this driver did not want to walk the extra 50 steps. He (or she) planted his (or her) car smack in the middle of the exit:
(Photo/Andrew Bangser)
To be clear: That white vehicle is blocking the exit (and a couple of cars on the right).
That empty space next to it? That’s a legit parking space.
I’m sure the Brits have a better word than we do for “entitled jerk.”
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Speaking of confusion: Signs have been placed on downtown streets, indicating new parking rules.
On-street limits have been lowered from 3 hours to 2. (They remain 3 hours in downtown parking lots.)
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
There’s just one problem: The sign says enforcement begins at 7 a.m. Notices from the town — and the Board of Selectwomen vote — is for 8 a.m.
“06880” reached out to town officials for clarification. We have not yet heard back.
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Tickets are on sale now Westoberfest.
The 8th annual festival — sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association — rolls into town October 4 (noon to 6 p.m.).
On tap: family activities, craft beers, live music, vendors, food, contests — and a few surprises.
Organized in collaboration with The Grapevine and Castle Wine & Spirits, everyone with access to the beer tasting tent receives a free tasting glass and koozie.
There are several ticket options including with or without admission to the beer tasting tent. Seniors and children 4-12 years old get special rates; children under 4 are free. Click here for details, and to purchase.
For the past 24 years, Westporter Ellen Bowen has joined her brother David Paine’s non profit, 911Day, to honor the victims, heroes and first responders of that tragedy.
It’s a day of remembrance — and service.
What began as a small project — painting a teachers’ lounge in a school in lower Manhattan — has grown to an initiative in 21 cities.
30,000 volunteers pack over 9 million meals– in one day — for food banks and pantries.
This year for the first time, the Meal Pack program comes to Connecticut.
Bridgeport’s Total Mortgage Arena and 9/11 Day seek volunteer teams (6 members and more) from companies and businesses, to 2 spend 2 hours packing meals.
Ellen says, “This is an inspiring and rewarding way to spend a couple of hours giving back — just like we all tried to do on that tragic day 24 years ago.”
Paul Scheulefe is a Boston-area native. He lives there now.
But he spent 25 years in Weston. He commuted to New York; after retiring, he taught English at Brunswick Academy and Fairfield Country Day School. he also coached lacrosse, and founded the Weston Lacrosse Club.
He honed his writing skills at the Westport Writers’ Workshop. He’s just published his first novel, “Damaged Goods.” Set during the financial crisis of 2008, it’s about a high-powered Wall Street trader’s existential crisis after learning he is the custodian of his estranged late sister’s frozen eggs.
Of special interest to “06880” readers (who Scheufele hopes will become “Damaged Goods” readers: The story is set in Westport.
Feedback to his “family drama” book — part of the Ann Patchett/Jodi Picoult genre — has been excellent, he says. Click here to buy.
James Lovell — the commander of the Apollo 13 spacecraft whose return to Earth following a massive explosion as it neared the moon in 1970 captivated the world (and, later, movie audiences in “Apollo 13”) — died Thursday. He was 97.
Richard Wiese — a longtime Weston resident, and president of The Explorers Club — knew Lovell.
He says, “Although Jim stopped traveling to space decades ago, he continued to be an inspiration to people young and old by encouraging their interest in science, and leading by his own example – one must be bold to turn the impossible into reality.
“Captain Lovell’s life and legacy are in keeping with the highest traditions of The Explorers Club. For those of us who knew him, Jim was a humble, down-to-earth friend. Legends aren’t only made in space — sometimes, they’re made in the way they treat people here on Earth.”
James Lovell (left) and Richard Wiese, Explorers Club president.
And finally … in honor of the gorgeous sturgeon moon (photo above):
(A beautiful moon, a beautiful weekend day, a beautiful “06880” online community … we are blessed. Enjoy the first two. And if you enjoy this blog, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
And the average American consumes up to 1,000 microplastic particles from bottled water — every week.
51 trillion tons of microplastics float in our oceans. Together they weigh over 234,000 tons — and pollute even the deepest parts of our marine ecosystems.
Microplastic particles reduce photosynthesis in crops like wheat, rice and corn by up to 14%. That puts up 400 million people at risk of starvation, over the next 20 years.
A minuscule amount of the world’s plastic water bottles.
Those frightening statistics come from Sienna Schwartz.
But the young Westporter does more than just warn people about our wasteful ways, and our planet’s grim future.
She’s doing something about it.
Move over, Greta Thunberg. Make way for Sienna Schwartz.
Sienna Schwartz
The Staples High School rising junior has created a superb website and Instagram.
Speckless — whose tagline is “Everyday Choices. Extraordinary Impact” — is well-designed, and wide-ranging.
It raises awareness of the dangers of microplastics. It offers simple actions anyone can take. And it provides links to practical alternatives to plastic products.
Speckless is the antidote to 2 constant complaints: We’re destroying our environment. And young people don’t care about anyone except themselves.
Sienna is passionate about both human and envornmental health. When she realized the extent of microplastics — they’re in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe — she was equally stunned by how few people realize the dangers.
Her research began while writing a proposal for a study she plans to conduct this year. It focuses on how microplastics affect C. elegans worms under different bacterial environments.
After spending hours each day diving into scientific papers, she realized the wide spread of microplastic pollution.
That led to #MicroplasticMonday posts. She searched online for practical, high-impact swaps, which turned into #SustainableSwapFriday series.
She found dozens of microplastic-free products too: bottles, mugs, cast iron skillets, ceramic mixing bowls, glass spice jars, shampoos and conditioners, shorts, baseball caps, windbreakers, and much more.
Three of Speckless’ many microplastics-free products.
Feedback has been great, Sienna says. Readers are often shocked to learn the extent — and danger — of microplastic particles.
Her hope of course is that people then take action: reducing use, finding alternatives, educating others.
Microplastics are tiny. Individual actions are, too.
But Sienna Schwartz knows that, together, we can make an impact on our soil, our oceans, our air.
In the aftermath of ROAN Ventures’ announcement yesterday that they plan to file an 8-30g application, to build 400-500 units of housing — 30% of them affordable, under a state formula — following the Planning & Zoning Commission’s rejection of their Hamlet at Saugatuck multi-use proposal, “06880” asked town officials for their reaction.
P&Z members said they could not comment, due to a pending lawsuit. On Thursday, ROAN went to court to appeal the Hamlet decision. Town attorney Ira Bloom reacted to that news, saying, “The Planning & Zoning Commission spent a tremendous amount of time on this application, and I feel very comfortable defending the resolution denying the application.”
An early rendition of the proposed 8-30g affordable housing project.
Democratic Party-endorsed candidate Kevin Chrsite says, “The future of Saugatuck is critical to Westport’s future. Is this forthcoming application really what’s best for Westport, the developer, and the developer’s investors?
“What’s best for Westport is a solution that addresses the needs of our community. So much dialogue and effort has been invested to meet the town’s needs for mixed-use development in Saugatuck through The Hamlet. We should build on that foundation. It is in everyone’s best interest to come together and deliver a solution that works for Westport and all involved.”
Republican Party-endorsed candidate Don O’Day says, “This application was certainly not unexpected. Town leadership, both now and in November, must work with ROAN within the parameters of the current 8-30g law, to ensure the best possible outcome for Westport. While we all know that 8-30g significantly limits local zoning controls, we will have no input unless we are willing to engage.”
Independent Party candidate David Rosenwaks says, ‘The majority of people in Westport want some development. But not to the extent of what was proposed. How did we get here, held hostage by a developer that doesn’t connect with what most people want?
“I am not pleased that Westport has been put in this position. Having just launched my campaign yesterday, I’m continuing to review the 8-30g proposal in light of the voices of our residents. In an ideal world, we would be able to come back to the table with the developers and try to find a middle ground.”
On Thursday, Governor Lamont signed into law a firearm industry responsibility act.
Connecticut Against Gun Violence board chair Melissa Kane — a former Westport 3rd selectwoman — worked hard, for a year and a half, to get it passed.
Another key advocate was Josh Koskoff, the Staples High School graduate and partner at the law firm Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder.
The act requires gun manufacturers, distributors and retailers to implement safeguards to prevent firearms from being sold to prohibited purchasers, traffickers or individuals at risk of harm.
“This holds them responsible,” Kane says.
“We need more of this. We need to stop gun violence. And we will all keep working until we do.” (Hat tip: CAGV board member Lisa Newman)
Melissa Kane watches proudly, as Governor Lamont signs gun legislation on Thursday.
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Speaking of poltiics: Yesterday’s New York Times included an essay by Cameron Stracher — a writer and lawyer specializing in media and entertainment law — about his role in helping the National Enquirer kill 2 stories during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Stracher — who at the time lived in Westport, and was general counsel for the Enquirer’s owner — describes the what-ifs regarding his decision to write 2 contracts to pay informants to not run articles that might have hurt Donald Trump’s campaign.
He concludes with a different decision 2 years later. This time he refused to write a contract, and was forced out of his job.
State Senator Ceci Maher reminds residents: Connecticut’s sales tax-free week begins Sunday, August 17, and runs through Saturday, August 23.
Timed with back-to-school and return-to-office late-summer sales, most clothing and footwear valued under $100 sold in the state will be tax-free. That also applies to purchases made from online retailers.
Exceptins include specialized boots, globes and shoes for athletic and professional purposes, handbags, jewelry, wallets and other accessories, and sports helmets and uniforms. Click here for a full list of non-taxed items, and those that will still be taxed. Click here for an FAQ about the tax-free week.
For some reason, this item is not part of Connecticut’s sales tax-free week.
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When Westport’s Kiwanis Club chapter folded last year, the fate of the Westport Triathlon — its signature event — was uncertain.
But myTeam Triumph — the non-profit that helps people with disabilities compete in races, by pairing them with able-bodied volunteers — stepped up, to continue the 20-year tradition.
This year’s Westport Triathlon is Sunday, September 7, at Compo Beach.
It’s a super sprint distance (1/2-mile swim, 5 1/2-mile bike, 2.2-mile run), making it very beginner-friendly — great for families and “tri-curious” first-timers.
MyTeam Triumph provides all the adaptive equipment: inflatable rafts for the swim (pulled by Angel swimmers), and wheelchairs that convert to bike trailers for the ride, then convert back for the run. Angels can support any or all of the legs.
But he’s adding his own thoughts too. Describing the state Department of Transportation, Ben writes:
“They had plenty of room at this intersection to make 2 lanes: a left turn lane, and a straight/right turn lane.
“Instead, they simply built1 lane, as it was before the construction.
One lane on Bulkley Avenue North, at Post Road East. (Photo/Ben Meyer)
“As a result, there are often several-minute backups down Bulkley Avenue North in the morning or evening.
“Alas, this intersection is but one example of road intersections that are inadequate for the traffic volume.
“If the state is going to the expense and trouble of redoing intersections, why are they not opening up the lanes approaching these intersections wider where possible/needed?
“Traffic delays at many Westport intersections are due to poor design. They waste our precious time and gas! Is the town aware of serious cross-town traffic delays? And if so, what are they doing to address it?”
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Of all the full moons, the sturgeon — the August one, named for its occurrence with a fish run in the Great Lakes — is one of the most spectacular.
Jim Hood captured its rise — spectacularly — over Compo Beach last night.
Also last night: Lulada Club, at the Levitt Pavilion.
The all-female salsa orchestra from Brooklyn had the crowd on its feet, right from the start.
And the audience knew what they were doing: For a half hour before the show, the group offered a dance lesson.
(Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)
Tonight (Saturday), Grammy Award-winning Adrian Quesada – co-founder of Black Pumas — brings his solo project full band show Boleros Psicodélios, for a free 7:30 p.m. show. They head to Washington soon, for an NPR Tiny Desk session.
Tomorrow (Sunday), it’s the Wood Brothers, with Mason Via (ticket purchase; 6 p.m.).
The Westport Fire Department, with help from Fairfield, spent nearly 3 hours fighting a brush fire yesterday on I-95 southbound, between exits 19 and 18.
Two lanes of traffic were closed, as were 2 local roads.
Fighting the brush fire on I-95. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
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Speaking of the Department: 4 Westport firefighters will be promoted to lieutenant on August 26: deputy fire marshal Robert Lenois, and firefighters Michael Peck, Ronald Burgess and Todd Hall.
The public is invited to the 3 p.m. ceremony, at Fire Department headquarters.
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Seen on social media, with no other context:
“Is anybody on Kings Highway North missing a white domestic bunny?”
Inquiring minds would love to know the answer.
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Butterflies are back!
And Jamie Walsh captured — on camera, the best way — this glorious swallowtail, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … as Don Memo gets ready to say “adios”:
(The weekend is here. We hope you’re doing something fun, relaxing and/or interesting. Whatever it is, “06880,” will continue to serve you, 24/7/365. Please click here to support our hard work. Thanks!)
Posted onAugust 9, 2025|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #278
Perhaps we’ve had a woodcarving before, in one of our 277 previous online art galleries.
Or maybe not.
Either way, today’s submission underlines one of the goals of this weekly feature: to highlight the many and varied works of “06880” readers.
No matter how young (or old) you are; what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Nebraska Field Flying Trout” — digital illustration/composite (Ken Runkel — Available for sale; click here)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“Showers” (Bruce Borner)
“Looking Up” (Karen Weingarten)
“Journey to the East” — Photographer Jerry Kuyper explains, “This is our backyard on Rayfield Road. For over 10 years, I have been maintaining a 90 foot circumference ‘Circle of Life.’ About 5 years ago I added cairns marking the center and N, S, E, W directions.”
“Pond” — digital print (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“Trolley Folly” (Peter Barlow)
Untitled — woodcarving (Steven Kulla)
“White Collar” — 20″ x 16″ oil on canvas (Werner Liepolt — Available for purchase; click here)
“The Cannondale Station” — watercolor (Eric Bosch)
“Our Relationship is on the Rocks!” (mike Hibbard)
“Princess Tang” — pencil on paper (William Fellah)
“I’m at Compo — Just Look for the Blue Swim Cap!” — pencil and watrcolor (Steve Stein)
“Not Happy” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Posted onAugust 9, 2025|Comments Off on Office Evolution Offers Flexible Space, Community — And Coffee
Happy International Coworking Day!
I should add — as we often do around holidays now — “to those who celebrate.”
And while this might not be Easter, Passover or Ramadan, there are plenty of coworkers in America.
And — this being Westport, where “work” often means “an office,” rather than a field or factory floor — coworkers are everywhere.
(NOTE: Coworkers are different from “co-workers.” The latter refers to colleagues at a company or business. The former — who we celebrate today — are people from different firms, or solo practitioners, who share a common space.
That space can be Starbucks or the Library. But even though both have 2 key work components — tables and coffee — they’re not specifically designed for coworking.
Located in the Post Road office building across from Fire Department headquarters, it was the first flexible workspace in Westport. It features open spaces, private offices, conference rooms, a receptionist, mail plans and more.
Others coworking spaces followed.
A conference room is open to coworkers of all ages.
Laura Kaufman is the Westport franchisee. She opened in 2019.
In the 6 years since, Office Evolution has evolved. Her original customers were “solopreneurs”: therapists, accountants and the like.
They wanted a place to see clients that was more professional than home, but less expensive than their own office. Access to copiers (and a high-end coffee machine) were added perks.
Durng COVID, many therapists migrated to Zoom. Some still see some clients online; others have returned to Kaufman’s coworking space.
But a large new group of workers — attorneys, executives, entrepreneurs — have discovered the benefits of a flexible office.
Office Evolution includes coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and private offices (above), with a variety of plans and prices.
They’re men and women who once commuted 5 days a week to New York, Stamford or elsewhere. Now they work several days remotely. But that does not necessarily mean “from home.”
Additionally, large companies use Office Evolution as an address for their “Connecticut location.” Their executives can book conference rooms, at reasonable rates.
“You don’t need a long-term lease, or deal with a landlord,” Kaufman notes.
“We provide internet, WiFi, and a receptionist who greets your clients and escorts them to you.”
Laura Kaufman (right) and receptionist Lindy Steinorth.
Plus, that high-end touch-screen coffemaker that “no law firm would buy.”
Writers appreciate coworking too. “We offer a change of environment. Maybe they just need a new window to look out of. Or a cup of coffee.”
Coworking also offers community. Office Evolution hosted a “member appreciation lunch” to celebrate International Coworking Day. There are Super Bowl pools (“as if everyone were working for the same company,” Kaufman says).
And Kaufman makes it a point to introduce people who may have something in common, either professionally or personally.
Coworking is popular nationally. But it is “having a moment” in suburbs like Westport, Kaufman says.
And that “moment” will continue to grow.
“My kids are in their 20s,” says Kaufman. “Their generation is very interested in quality of life and flexibility.
“They’re happy to be in an office 2 or 3 days a week, interacting with people. But they have no patience for commuting far.
“Coworking will be their expectation — and where they find community.”
Right now, she adds, “Westport is a 30-plus community. As soon as people start families, they move to the suburbs. We reap the benefit.”
Westporters who discover coworking spaces like Office Evolution appreciate the opportunity to interact across age groups and professions. “It’s a nice, organic way to live and work,” Kaufman says.
Younger people are not surprised to find a coworking space in Westport. Older ones sometimes are.
“They come in and say ‘Wow, what a great idea!’ — as if I thought of it,” she laughs. “I’m happy to execute on someone else’s idea.”
(“06880” often covers Westport’s local businesses — and local trends. If you enjoy learning about your town through stories like these, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Comments Off on Office Evolution Offers Flexible Space, Community — And Coffee
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Sienna is passionate about both human and envornmental health. When she realized the extent of microplastics — they’re in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe — she was equally stunned by how few people realize the dangers.
