Pic Of The Day #474

Posted on August 4, 2018 | 2 comments

Compo Beach shower (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

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Posted in Beach, Pic of the Day

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Come On Down! The Water’s Fine!

Posted on August 4, 2018 | 14 comments

Sure, today started out iffy.

But by early afternoon, the sun came out. Clouds skittered away. With the temperature in the mid-80s, it was perfect beach weather.

You wouldn’t know it at Compo though. From one jetty to the other, the sand was empty.

On South Beach, picnic tables and grills that last year were as hard to snag as Harvard admissions, begged for action.

Even Hillspoint Road — usually chock-a-block with non-sticker folks who park (way past the limit), then walk to Compo or (even closer) Old Mill Beach — looked as lonesome as North Dakota.

Is anybody here? Anyone?

Or is Westport traveling through another dimension, not only of sight and sound but of mind …

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Rachel Doran’s Journey

Posted on August 4, 2018 | 1 comment

This month, Rachel Doran should be completing a summer internship in New York. She should be looking forward to her senior year at Cornell University, as a fashion design major with a minor in business.

Instead, the 2015 Staples High School graduate — a National Merit Commended Scholar, talented Players costume designer, and founder of “Rachel’s Rags,” a company that makes intricate cotton and fleece pajama tops and bottoms — is in critical condition at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital’s Center for Acute Respiratory Failure and ECMO Program.

Last month Rachel was diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, a rare reaction to common medications that resulted in severe burns to 95% of her body.

Rachel Doran

She was treated at Bridgeport Hospital’s Connecticut Burn Center for 2 weeks, before being transferred to New York for the treatment of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome — another rare and life-threatening syndrome. She is in the ICU, on a special lung protocol called ECMO and dialysis.

Her skin is slowly beginning to heal. But Rachel has a collapsed lung and renal failure. She is being kept as comfortable as possible, and is supported by a superb hospital staff.

Rachel’s family has been by her side for 3 weeks — and faces a long road. She could be at Columbia Presbyterian for months.

Her parents are staying in a New York hotel, while their extended family tries to maintain a sense of normalcy for Rachel’s sister Ellie in Westport.

Between hospital bills, the hotel and loss of wages, the financial ramifications will be vast. Friends created a GoFundMe page to lighten the load.

Everyone who knows Rachel calls her “amazing.” Now is the time for Westport to offer her and her family some amazing help.

Click here to contribute to the Dorans’ GoFundMe page.

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Posted in Local business, People, Staples HS

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Damn! I’m Sure I Put That Time Capsule Somewhere Around Here …

Posted on August 4, 2018 | 6 comments

Those pesky time capsules.

We keep burying them. And keep forgetting where they are.

It happened a few years ago with Greens Farms Elementary School.

Now it’s Saugatuck Congregational Church’s turn.

In 1866 a time capsule was buried under the cornerstone of their then-new Sunday school building. The church was located across the Post Road, and up the hill from where it is now — approximately where the gas station and adjacent bank are, near South Compo Road.

Saugatuck Congregational Church, at its original site.

In 1950 the church was moved — v-e-r-y slowly — across the street, to its current location by Myrtle Avenue. At the same time the school building was relocated to Imperial Avenue, where it created what is now Bedford Hall at the Westport Woman’s Club.

In the 1950s, Life Magazine ran photos of Bedford Hall being moved from the Post Road to Imperial Avenue.

The cornerstone was not unearthed during the move. No one seems to know what happened to it.

Now — 68 years later — the Westport Historical Society is on the case.

If you have any idea of the whereabouts of the Saugatuck Church cornerstone — or hey, any other in town — email info@westporthistory.org.

And for God’s sake, the next time you bury a time capsule, leave detailed instructions!

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Posted in Looking back, Organizations, religion

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Westport Schools Limit Plastic Straws; Student Takes Aim At Water Bottles

Posted on August 4, 2018 | 9 comments

The campaign to lessen plastic straw use in Westport no longer sucks.

The Whelk, Jesup Hall, Kawa Ni, Amis, Viva Zapata, Dunville’s and the Black Duck have all joined in. Dunkin’ Donuts is in the process of phasing them out.

Now comes news that a place that serves many more customers a day than all of these combined — well, maybe not Dunkin’ — has joined the crusade.

RTM member Andrew Colabella tells “06880” that he heard from Deborah VanCoughnett, director of dining services for Chartwells, the company that runs food services for the Westport schools.

Andrew says they’ll severely limit plastic straw use when school starts later this month.

None will be on display. However, students who need one — for example, those with physical disabilities — can simply ask a cashier.

Andrew thanks fellow RTM member Kristin Schneeman, school superintendent Dr. Colleen Palmer, Bedford Middle School principal Dr. Adam Rosen and student Michael Rossi Pontoriero, and VanCoughnett for their work on this project.

It’s an important step forward. But bigger issues lie ahead.

Like plastic bottles.

Yesterday, I got an email from Samantha Henske.

Last year — as a 5th grader at Kings Highway Elementary School — she started a drive to eliminate single-use water bottles. She and her Workshop grouop sold reusable BPA-free water bottles to 400 KHS students. With the money raised, they bought a water filling station for the school.

Samantha Henske, and plastic bottles.

As she worked on the project, Sammi learned not only about environmental effects of plastic bottles (one year of manufacturing uses enough oil to fuel a million cars; a bottle in a landfill takes up to 450 years to decompose; plastics that get into fish and other sea creatures can end up as microplastics in our bodies), but that chemicals in BPA can lead to neurological difficulties and increased growth of cancer cells.

Now — as she enters Coleytown Middle School — she’s moving forward, townwide. Next month, she meets with 1st Selectman Jim Marpe and Westport’s Green Task Force.

This is a sibling effort. She’s doing the research; her sophomore brother Spencer is working on design and technology.

The result is a Change.org petition. The goal is to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles in all of Westport. To sign — or learn more — click here.

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Posted in Children, Education, Environment, Local politics, People

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Pic Of The Day #473

Posted on August 3, 2018 | 5 comments

A wedding — or, more likely, a rehearsal — this morning at Compo Beach. (Photo/Faith Schachne)

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Friday Flashback #101

Posted on August 3, 2018 | 22 comments

The other day, I mentioned how few photos I’ve seen of Saugatuck before I-95 was built. I’ve always had a tough time visualizing what that neighborhood looked like before bulldozers, concrete and pillars.

Alert — and historic-minded — “06880” reader Neil Brickley rode to the rescue. He’s a Staples High School classmate of mine, with an equal fascination for the Westport a few years before our parents arrived.

The photo Neil sent is fascinating. It’s a stupendous aerial view of Saugatuck from 1951 — about 4 years before construction began.

I noticed a few things.

The Arrow Restaurant (most recently Blu Parrot) was not yet built on Charles Street.

Greens Farms Road met South Compo quite a bit further south than it does today.

Most significantly, the area west of Saugatuck Avenue — where land was taken to build the Exit 17 interchange — was much more wooded than I imagined.

Click on or hover over the image above. Explore. Then click “Comments,” to share what you see.

Neil also sent this bonus aerial view: The same area, taken in 1965.

A lot changed in just 14 years.

Which makes me wonder what the Saugatuck of today will look like in 2032.

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Posted in Friday Flashback, Saugatuck, Transportation

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When The Cribari Bridge Closes …

Posted on August 3, 2018 | 5 comments

Starting Monday, contractors will make emergency nighttime repairs to the William F. Cribari Bridge over the Saugatuck River.

That means closures and detours, from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The tentative schedule calls for 6 weeks of work — weather permitting.

That’s bad news for commuters. And for businesses that depend on bridge traffic for customers: restaurants, bars and Saugatuck Sweets, for example.

So the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce is spreading the word: “The Bridge May be Closed, But Saugatuck is Open!” Miggs Burroughs has donated artwork to help folks realize that despite detours, you can still eat, drink and enjoy all the places that make Saugatuck fun.

Speaking of Saugatuck and the Chamber: The next “Tuesday @ the Train” event is this coming week (August 6, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.). Luciano Park is the spot for music, food, beer, wine and games. All commuters, their families, even the many Westporters who work at home and need a break are welcome!

And speaking of construction that impacts local businesses: I haven’t heard a peep of protest from the shops in Sconset Square. But they must be impacted hugely by the long-running Aquarion project that’s tearing up — and often closing — Myrtle Avenue.

So here’s another reminder: Sconset Square is not closed. Just park on the Post Road, Church Lane, or anywhere else downtown, and walk over for Le Penguin, Bungalow, Bespoke Designs, and all the other places at this popular, but now hard-to-park-at, shopping center.

There’s more than one way to get to Sconset Square. This view is from Church Lane.

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Posted in Downtown, Local business, Organizations, Restaurants, Saugatuck

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Pics Of The Day #472

Posted on August 2, 2018 | 3 comments

Saugatuck Island resident Gene Borio sends along these photos of the approach to the newly renovated bridge on Harbor Road.

Inside the wooden bus stop, plaques honor Dean Powers and David Goldstick for their “skill and hard work beautifying our island.” An example of that beauty is found opposite the wooden structure.

(Photos/Gene Borio)

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Posted in Environment, Pic of the Day, Transportation

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Paul Newman Hangs Out At Farmers’ Market

Posted on August 2, 2018 | 15 comments

As previewed earlier this week, Paul Newman made a special appearance today at the Westport Farmers’ Market.

The movie star/blue-eyed idol/race car driver/food purveyor/philanthropist — and, for 50 years, our neighbor — is unfortunately no longer actually here with us.

But a life-size cutout of him stood under a tent, in the bustling market on Imperial Avenue.

Dozens of shoppers of all ages stopped by to pose for a photo. Many had stories. A camera crew from Newman’s Own Foundation — the Westport-based charity that in over 35 years has given away more than $530 million — recorded Newman-related memories.

It’s a Foundation project, for use as a video and on social media.

If you missed him today, don’t worry. Paul will be back on Thursday, August 16 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). His eyes will be as blue as ever.

BONUS STORY:  I was one of the many Farmers’ Market-goers today who shared a Paul Newman story. Here’s mine:

It was the 1970s. Early one summer evening, some friends and I were playing pick-up soccer on the front field at Coleytown Middle (then Junior High) School.

Suddenly, a helicopter hovered overhead. We scattered. It landed.

Out stepped Paul Newman. He wore shorts — and carried a briefcase.

“Hi, boys!” he said cheerily.

The helicopter whirred back into the sky. And, with a wave, one of the most famous actors in the world walked around the corner to his home.

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Posted in Entertainment, Environment, Looking back, Organizations, People

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