Last month, “06880” told the tale of Bernie Fuchs’ studio. It — and the entire Old Hill neighborhood home that once belonged to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame inductee — was slated for demolition.
The studio was originally built by another famed artist, R. G. Harris.
Today, a bulldozer in place.
The famed studio is on the 2nd floor, upper right.
Tomorrow, one more link to Westport’s artists’ colony heritage will be lost.
Only 3 readers knew that the old-fashioned horn featured in last week’s photo challenge is perched atop the Saugatuck fire station.
But Bill Kiedaisch, Peter Hirst and David Eason knew it because, like many others who grew up here back in the day, the horn was an important part of their lives.
It signaled noon, and 5 p.m.
And whenever there was a fire, it summoned volunteers to the scene. (If you knew the code, you could watch the blaze too.)
Few people notice the horn anymore. But I hope it stays on top of the firehouse forever. (Click here for the photo, and all the comments.)
It’s not hard to figure out what this week’s photo shows:
(Photo/Chip Stephens)
The challenge is figuring out where this great playground can be found.
If you know, click “Comments” below.
The latest addition to Westport’s dining scene comes with plenty of ready-made fans.
Bistro du Soleil has opened on Riverside Avenue, across from Minute Men Cleaners — between the Black Duck and the train station.
Owner Maria Munoz del Castillo earned raves for Rincón Taqueria in Norwalk. She cut her teeth at an earlier Bistro du Soleil, also in Norwalk, owned by her parents, Soledad and Bernardo Munoz del Castillo.
Bernardo Munoz del Castillo offers escargots.
That Soleil is now closed, but Bernardo’s wizardry is strongly felt in Saugatuck. A craftsman as well as a restaurateur, he lovingly made every table — including the outdoor seating — as well as the handsome wooden bar. (He’s also a playwright and poet.)
Bernardo hand-crafted this handsome wooden bar.
Soledad and Bernardo came to the U.S. from Chile in the 1980s. Trained as a French chef, she made a name for herself here. In addition to restaurants, Soledad had a catering business — and was a favorite at the Westport Farmers’ Market.
The new Soleil’s menu is Mediterranean, with French flair. Dinners include salmon, seafood bouillabaisse, grilled rack of lamb, marinated grilled skirt steak, Muscovy duck breast — and a parrillada with chorizos, skirt steak, pork chops, half chicken, tomato, onion, bell pepper BBQ and cilantro chimichurri that serves 3-4.
As politicians, consultants, bridge engineers and ordinary Westporters debate the future of Saugatuck, here’s a suggestion: Do it over a meal at Bistro du Soleil.
Westport 1st Selectman Jim Marpe (with scissors) joined Munoz del Castillo family members and friends at last night’s official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Bistro du Soleil.
2 girls at Joey’s by the Shore (Photo copyright Lynn U. Miller)
Over the past 4 years, Amity High School achieved legendary status in Connecticut high school baseball. The Woodbridge school won 4 consecutive state championships — including an 8-1 drubbing of Staples in the 2015 title game.
That squad included several players from Westport’s storied 2013 Little League all-star team.
It took them 2 years, but today the Wreckers wreaked revenge.
A 2-run home run by Chad Knight — the Staples pitcher, and a mainstay of that Little League squad — staked the 11th-ranked Westporters to a 5-1 victory.
The game — at Middletown’s Parker Field — snapped the 1st-seeded Spartans’ spectacular streak of 24 straight state tournament wins. In denying Amity a 5th straight crown, Staples won their own 1st baseball state title since 2001.
(Graphic courtesy of @StaplesSports Instagram and Twitter)
Knight — just a sophomore — has already committed to Duke University. Senior Ben Casparius has had his own tremendous year. The University of North Carolina commit was named Gatorade Connecticut Baseball Player of the Year.
Congratulations to head coach Jack McFarland, his staff, and especially all the state champion Wreckers.
This season has truly been a ball.
What’s your vision for Saugatuck?
Westporters are invited to a “community visioning open house” this Monday (June 12, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall lobby and auditorium).
In plain English, that means you get a chance to review — and provide feedback on — the Saugatuck Master Plan.
That’s the steering committee and consultants’ guide to “improvements” and the future development of the vibrant neighborhood bordered by the train station, river and I-95 exit 17.
Monday’s workshop is intended to elicit “more comprehensive, face-to-face feedback on a variety of issues and topics that will shape the future of Saugatuck,” a Town Hall press release says.
To offer feedback through an online survey, click here.
A juxtaposition of Saugatuck: raft, kayak and paddleboard rentals, underneath the massive I-95 bridge. The railroad bridge is in the distance.
Apparently Jewish Food Festivals are a thing.
Elise Meyer’s blog features a recipe for “Sangria, Charoset-Style.”
Elise Meyer — a longtime Westporter, “Much Ado About Stuffing” food blogger and chair of religious/social events like a women’s seder and the Klezmatics’ Levitt Pavilion concert — says there are tons of Jewish Food Festivals nationwide.
But, she notes, they usually center around traditional and/or kosher food.
The 1st-ever Southern Connecticut Jewish Food Festival — set for tomorrow (Sunday, June 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Temple Israel) — charts a different course. Its focus is “food justice, Jewish ideals and values like sustainability and who produces our food — those parts of Jewish culture.”
On tap:
Meyer is the perfect person to promote this. She’s a sustainability advocate, a Westport Garden Club member, and Community Garden gardener.
Sample foods, from the Southern Connecticut Jewish Food Festival flyer.
She calls this Federation for Jewish Philanthropy-sponsored festival “a chance to bring Westporters together around social and cultural issues.”
And, she adds, it’s open to — and appropriate for – plenty of goyim too. Demonstrations will appeal to all cooks, while a composting workshop should speak to everyone’s inner environmentalist.
Meyer promises that festival-goers will leave with “a full belly — and a full mind.”
As your Jewish grandmother — or Italian, or Chinese — would say: “Eat!”
(For more information, click here.)
Comments Off on You Don’t Have To Be Jewish To Love The Temple Israel Food Festival
Posted in Environment, Organizations, People, religion
Tagged Elise Myere, Federation for Jewish Philanthropies, Jeffrey Yoskowitz, Southern Fairfield County Jewish Food Festival, Temple Israel
After 1296 straight days of rain and cold, the sun finally came out today.
This evening, so did the crowds.
Over 1,500 people — proud parents, folks whose kids graduated from school back in the 20th century, little kids who were born in the 2010s — packed the Levitt Pavilion for the 2nd annual Westport Pops concert.
A bottle of wine, some Pops, and wow!
The Bedford Middle School jazz ensemble, and Long Lots’ steel drum band — is there another elementary school with one this side of the islands? — warmed up the crowd.
Orphenians sang the same stirring arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that they wowed crowds with at Yankee Stadium.
The Long Lots Elementary School steel band.
Then Staples’ 3 orchestras, Orphenians (again) and jazz band took over.
Staples High School’s brassy sax ensemble.
The program rolled from “West Side Story” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” to Dolly Parton and freedom songs. Madison Malin and Riley Thrush nailed solos.
Madison Malin solos, Luke Rosenberg conducts, and the Orphenians sing Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
And then — waving American flags handed out by the musicians — the enormous crowd clapped along to a rousing “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Stars and stripes on the Levitt lawn, during “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
A night like this was worth all 12,960 days of rain and cold.
“Live at Lincoln Center” producer Andrew Wilk guest conducts the symphonic and sophomore orchestras in “Stars and Stripes Forever.” (Photo/Valerie Smith-Malin)
Broadway actor, noted entertainer and Weston resident Jim Naughton emceed the pops concert with wit and grace.
The Westport Police Department Color Guard opened and closed the show.
BONUS FEATURE: Here’s what the Levitt looked like last night, from Brandon Malin’s quadcopter:
Googly eyes at the Westport Library return box. (Photo copyright Lynn U. Miller)
A few weeks ago in my ode to High Point Road, I tossed in a memory of Ray the Good Humor Man.
Every Saturday, he jingle-jangled his way up the street. Kids dropped their BB guns, hula hoops or the younger sibling they were dangling upside down by the ankles, and raced to his truck.
At some houses, Ray sold 1 or 2 toasted almonds. Others stocked up on ice cream for the week: a dozen or so popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and whatnot crammed into a cardboard box.
Several commenters claimed Ray as their own Good Humor Man too, on other streets in town. One recalled his magic tricks, like pulling a quarter out of someone’s ear.
Ray was also a fixture at Burying Hill beach. With a lot more sand than there is today, that was a great hangout for us Long Lots kids. There was no concession stand, so when we heard Ray cruising in — and we heard him well before we saw him — we knew we would not starve.
Jean Whitehead not only remembered Ray from those Burying Hill days — she had a photo.
Here — looking like it belongs in Life magazine — are Ray, Jean and her sisters (plus some random boy).
I have no idea what year this was taken.
That’s fine. The scene is timeless.
Posted in Beach, Friday Flashback
Tagged Burying Hill Beach, High Point Road, Ray the Good Humor Man
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