Posted onJune 28, 2025|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #272
Summer’s here!
If you didn’t know it … just take a look at some of this week’s submissions to our online art gallery.
As always, this feature is open to all. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone can contribute.
And as always, no matter 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.
“It’s a Beach Day” (Cohl Katz)
“Balloons in a Field” — digital painting (Ken Runkel — Available for purchase; click here)
“Azalea in the Rain” (Karen Weingarten)
Untitled (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“Richie’s Sand Trap Blast” (Eric Bosch)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
Amy Schneider had stone coasters made from these photos she took of Westport scenes.
“Scene at the Shore” — pencil and watercolor (Steve Stein)
“‘Ready for us to explode in beauty and kindness? Here we come!’ (Sri Lanka)” (Mike Hibbard)
“Light and Shadow” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
The Haberstroh family has long set the gold standard for civic involvement in Westport.
Charlie and his wife Patty were involved in a long list of activities, from politics (Board of Finance, RTM, Board of Selectmen, Parks & Recreation Commission) and sports (you name it), to social welfare (Department of Human Services).
Their children continue the tradition, without missing a beat.
Patty Haberstroh
When Patty — a beloved and long-time Human Services family coordinator — was diagnosed with ALS, the Haberstrohs added their prodigious energy to education, advocacy and fundraising around the debilitating and deadly disease.
On June 17th, brothers Chuck and Steve — a former Staples High School All-State golfer — played 100 holes in Hartford, to raise funds to fight ALS.
No big deal? That was 100 holes in one day.
The group of 24 — including ESPN NFL analyst and Westport resident Dan Orlovsky — teed off at 5 a.m. They finished nearly 16 hours later, at 8:45 p.m.
Dan Orlovsky, midway through the long but rewarding day.
They did it all in pouring rain — all day long.
That was challenging, Chuck says. But, he notes, “it was nothing compared to what our mom dealt with battling ALS.”
The long, emotional day brought in over $450,000.
Funds go to 3 charities. ALS TDI is laser-focused on finding cures and treatment for the disease. Team Gleason is a leader in developing and sharing technology for people living with ALS.
Experience Camps — based here in Westport – is a national program offering year-round programs for children whose parents or caregivers have died.
Chuck and Steve Haberstroh, with a sign honoring their mother at Keney Park.
Will the Hamlet — the retail/residential/event space/marina complex — be built there? Or will a massive 8-30g housing complex rise instead?
No one knows yet. But a great deal of attention has been paid, by town officials and residents, to the corner of Riverside Avenue and Railroad Place.
That’s an important spot — at the train station, near the railroad underpass — with a storied past.
Back in the 1890, it housed Westport’s post office (far right in the photo below), and a few stores.
(Photo courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
The post office today is Steam Coffee Bar. More stores — and restaurants — are nearby.
Unlike today, parking did not seem to be an issue.
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There will be no referendum on Long Lots Elementary School.
Toni Simonetti had 14 days to collect 2,015 signatures — 10% of all eligible voters in the most recent election. She hoped to slash the proposed $103,190,124 expenditure for a new school to $90 million.
Yesterday was the petition deadline. Only 71 signatures were turned in. The drive was 1,944 signatures short.
Planning will proceed for a new Long Lots, without a referendum.
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Good news!
The most recent bacteria tests for Compo and Burying Hill came back negative yesterday. The beaches have reopened.
Whew!
Everyone back in the water! (Photo/Rowene Weems)
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Tickets are selling well for Wednesday’s fireworks show at Compo Beach — aka Westport’s Best Party of the Year. Only a small number remain.
A few residents have asked about this year’s price increase, the first in several years.
Westport PAL — the longtime co-sponsor, and beneficiary of the fundraiser — explains that costs have risen dramatically for everything: the barge, insurance, and the fireworks themselves.
Melissa and Doug Bernstein generously underwrite part of the costs, as they’ve done for years. Without their help, PAL would net only about $2,000.
Proceeds helps fund PAL programs that serve programs that serve thousands of youngsters each year, plus the Longshore skating rink and college scholarships. Click here to learn more about PAL.
Tickets (cash or check) are available at the Parks & Recreation Commission office at Longshore (near the golf course first tee) during office hours, and any time at the Westport police station on Jesup Road.
Westport’s greatest party returns July 2. (Photo/Elissa Moses)
Our second “06880” Instagram Live yesterday was certainly lively.
Dave Briggs and Dan Woog explored the “Don’t Kill the Old Mill” campaign, in support of Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
And we did it from the communal table, inside the very popular Hillspoint Road spot.
We were joined by several OMG notables, including owner Graziano Ricco of Romanacci’s; Jim Hood and Ian Warburg of the non-profit Soundview Empowerment Alliance, owner of the 106-year-old building, Matthew Mandell of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce, and Chris Tait, an Old Mill neighbor and staunch supporter.
They explained what OMG means to the neighborhood. We took questions from viewers too.
The Levitt Pavilion offers 2 free shows, and 1 other, this weekend.
The Tom Petty Project kicks things off tonight (Friday, 7:30 p.m.). All free tickets have been claimed, but returned tickets will be redistributed at the box office before the show.
A few tickets are still available, at various prices, for tomorrow’s Disco Biscuits cconcert (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.).
Artemis takes the stage Sunday (7 p.m.), for a free show.
Edwin A. Audley — a former Westport Police captain, and founder of the Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service — died last month in Winter Haven, Florida. He was 87.
The Westport native graduated from Staples High School in 1955. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1958, then joined the Army Reserves as a senior aircraft mechanic until 1962.
Ed joined the Westport Police Department in 1961. He was promoted to sergeant, lieutenant, inspector, then captain in 1990. He retired in 1993.
Ed founded the WVEMS in 1979. He became an Emergency Medical Technician instructor in 1987.
In Florida, Ed was president of the Winter Haven Rose Society.
He is survived by his wife Elizabeth; brother Harry Audley (Pat), daughters Kimberly, Susan Palmer (Mark) and Victoria; 4 grandchildren, 5 great- grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on July 12 (Assumption Church, 10 a.m.).
Click here to leave online condolences. Donations can be made to the Edwin Audley Scholarship Fund, c/o Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services, 50 Jesup Rd. Westport, CT 06880.
Ed Audley
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Former Westporter Priscilla Boyle died last Friday, surrounded by her family. She was 96.
She graduated from Lesley College, then taught kindergarten in Watertown, Massachusetts for 9 years before marrying Charles Boyle in 1958. They moved to Westport in 1963, and raised 3 children here.
Priscilla was involved with tennis, the Weston Field Club and bridge.
She was an active member of Assumption Church for over 6 decades. She shared her faith through Eucharistic Ministry, prayer groups, book clubs and as a catechism teacher, with a special dedication to preparing children for their First Communion.
Later, Priscilla became a welcoming presence at the Westport YMCA as a receptionist.
Priscilla was predeceased by her husband and her siblings Mary Alice Connolly, James W. Scanlan, Anne T. “Nancy” Batal and Francis V. Scanlan. al.
She is survived by her children Charles “Chip,” Susan Improta (Paul), and Elizabeth Boyle; grandsons Kenneth and Philip Improta, sister-in-law Alice Scanlan, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A celebration of Priscilla’s life will be held at Assumption Church on July 15 (11 a.m.). In lieu of flowers, donations in Priscilla’s memory may be made to Smile Train.
Priscilla Boyle
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June is ending the way it began: with plenty of colors.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” yellow-and-green scene is from Whitney Street.
And finally … Mick Ralphs — the Mott the Hoople and Bad Company guitarist/ songwriter — died. He was 81, and had bedridden after suffering a stroke in 2016. Click here for a full obituary.
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Like many people fleeing New York during the pandemic, Jake Rosenblum expected to return soon.
He and his girlfriend Lauren came here to live with her parents. They figured a couple of weeks.
They’re now married. And still here.
But they left so quickly, Rosenblum did not even bring his “generic” CVS skincare products.
He started using his girlfriend’s. They were better than anything he’d ever tried.
Why, Rosenblum wondered, had they never been marketed to men?
Jake Rosenblum
He knows a thing or two about promotion. A former classical music agent who is now an executive at Live X, the Tucson native explored the world of men’s skincare.
He realized there were 2 types of products: “bottom shelf” like the ones he’d been using, or “overly masculine, with macho branding.”
Nothing was aimed at men who wanted great skincare, without heavy scents, demanding routines, or over-the-top promotions and promises.
Rosenblum assembled a team of experts. Over 2 years, they worked to perfect a line of products — called Dividends — that men would like.
And a marketing strategy that speaks to them.
They got help from StartUp Westport. The town’s public/private partnership for innovators and entrepreneurs offered networking and ideas. Ted Schachter — chair of the direct and interactive marketing program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and a founder of StartUp Westport’s mentor-to-business program — was particularly helpful,
“It was nice to get perspectives from someone not in the skincare business too,” Rosenblum syas.
Dividends’ soft launch — including cleanser, moisturizer, retinol and sunscreen — sold out last month. It’s now been rolled out, to men on the wait list.
A full launch is set for July.
Dividends’ product line. (Photo/Handover Agency)
As for Westport: Rosenblum and his wife love it.
They’ve found a great group of friends. They’re near the railroad pedestrian bridge over the river, so they can walk to Saugatuck. There is plenty to do here, for them and their toddler (another is on the way).
Though there may be a future in other wellness products, Dividends remains a side gig. Live X is his day job.
Besides his foray into men’s skincare, there is one more unintended consequence of COVID: Rosenblum works from home.
Just a few steps from the bathroom, where Dividends products provide the routines and results Rosenblum believes millions of men want, and deserve.
(“06880” often shines a light on interesting residents, businesses and organizations — and, like today, the intersection of all 3. Please click here to support stories like this. Thank you!)
Hmmm…what’s a good 97th birthday gift for a longtime Westporter?
How about having the Compo Beach pickleball courts named in your honor?!
That very appropriate idea is edging closer to reality.
Last week, the Parks & Recreation Commission unanimously approved the idea of honoring Tom Lowrie. The man who has done more than anyone else to promote the sport in Westport stepped down as the town’s “Pickleball Ambassador” in April.
Yesterday, the Board of Selectwomen gave the resolution their unanimous okay too.
The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Parks & Recreation Committee considers the idea — co-sponsored by Andrew Colabella and Chris Tait — tonight (6 p.m., Zoom).
If they approve it — and it would require a stunning kind of stupid not to — the item moves on to the full RTM, this coming Tuesday (July 2, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall).
That would be well deserved.
And perfect timing.
Tom Lowrie turns 97 years young on July 3 — the very next day.
Westport’s Sidewalk Sale. has something for everyone.
Including retailers who don’t have a sidewalk downtown.
The popular Westport Downtown Association event — set for tomorrow (Friday) through Sunday on Main Street, Elm Street, Church Lane, Post Road East and Sconset Square — also features booths for men’s and women’s apparel stores that are located outside the area.
There are other vendors too. Like Huntington Learning Center, which offers a chance to win a free academic evalatuion.
And Salon Nash. Owner Felicia Catale will provide haircuts for men and women ($35). Children’s cuts are just $20.
TAP Strength has launched a new program, with a special niche.
Designed specifically for teens and young adults who are neurodivergent, it focuses on building strength, improving posture and boosting confidence — all in a fun, supportive and inclusive environment.
Led by Certified Personal Trainers who hold Autism Exercise Specialist credentials through the American College of Sports Medicine, the program’s expert coaching and personalized support help each participant move better, feel stronger, and thrive — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Highlights include:
Body Awareness Assessments
Functional Fitness and Breathwork
Posture and Movement Education
Mindfulness and Confidence Strategies
1-on-1 or Small Group Sessions
Parent Stacie Curran says, “My son Dylan has been training at TAP for years. His body awareness, posture and confidence have all improved tremendously. He absolutely loves the TAP trainers. It’s a consistently fun, positive environment where he feels seen and supported.”
Southern Fried brings their “hot and crispy classic rock, blues and R&B” to the Weston History & Culture Center this Sunday (5:30 p.m.).
The outdoor show is part of their Music at the Barn summer series. Bring a lawn chair, BYOB and picnic (no food truck). Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for others; children 12 and under free.
Other Music at the Barn concerts are July 27, August 3 and September 7 (1 p.m.).
The Weston History & Culture Center also offers interactive tours of historic Coley House, and information about the forgotten village of Valley Forge, the Weston Meteorite, and the history of ragtime dance. Click here for more information.
The Westport Woman’s Club is looking for a very organized person to serve as office manager. Qualifications include strong experience in Microsoft Office and proficiency with QuickBooks Online or similar accounting skills; the ability to multitask, and good people skills to interact with members and the public.
Hoursare weekdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Send resumes to wwc@westportwomansclub.org.
A great place to work.
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Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between June 18 and 25.
A 35-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with larceny, after a complaint was made about construction work that had not been completed, despite being paid $20,500.
A 45-year-old Southbury man was charged with reckless driving. At 6:40 a.m. on May 27, an off-duty officer wintessed a driver passing vehicles in no passing zones, and at stop sign. Once at work, he identified the operator, who agreed to come to the Westport police station to be issued a misdemeanor summons. He failed to appear, and a warrant was issued.
A 38-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with disorderly conduct and violation of a protective order, following a domestic violence investigation.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Disorderly conduct: 2 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 2
Following too closely: 2
Burglary: 1
Larceny: 1
Interfering with an emergency call: 1
Transporting a chld without restraints: 1
Assault on an elderly victim: 1
Face protection/motorcycle: 1
Operating a motorcycle without insurance: 1
Operating a motorcycle without endorsement: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1.
Put your kid in a car seat. Or get a ticket.
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Longtime Westport resident Agnes Davis died on June 17 in Florida — what would have been her late husband Bob’s 97th birthday. She was 102.
After graduating from high school in Pennsylvania at 16, she went to business school, then returned to Republic Steel as a proud, ahead-of-her-time career woman.
Her brother’s roommate, Bob, proposed to her on their first date. Though 6 years older, she accepted. They moved to Westport in 1965, where they raised 5 children.
Agnes was active in the Newcomers Club, Westport Garden Club, Westport Woman’s Club, and a gourmet group. She volunteered with the Saugatuck Elementary School PTA and as a Cub Scout den mother, and played Mrs. Claus to Bob’s Santa Claus at Perkin Elmer.
Agnes started a 15-year volunteer stint at Norwalk Hospital at age 75. Channel 12 honored her as a Hometown Hero, for her dedication.
Agnes worked at Nancy Strong’s Slimnastics and Hastings Real Estate before moving to Beijing in 1983 at age 61, after Bob accepted a job at Perkin Elmer’s China office. She embraced the Chinese society, culture and people, and traveled alone multiple times across China for work. Her thousands of photographs recorded everyday Chinese life and children.
In 1985 Agnes and Bob returned from China, then moved to Uberlingen, Germany in 1989. They traveled extensively in Europe. She self-published a book about her China experience. Years later, Agnes found a copy at the Westport Library Book Sale.
Back in Westport, she entertained over 600 visitors from 46 countries.
Agnes and Bob bought a home in The Villages, Florida in 2011, and moved their fulltime. He died in 2021.
Agnes is survived by her children Ed (Linda) of Hollister, California, Nancy Shwartz of Danbury, Mary Lou of The Villages, John (Ellen) of Raleigh, and Rick (Beth) of Newtown; 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren; her sisters Delores Allick of Palm Springs, California and Eileen Novak of California, Pennsylvania. Agnes was predeceased by her sister, Lenora Zanolli, brother- law George Paler, and son-in-law, Jeff Shwartz.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Norwalk Hospital or the Westport Woman’s Club. A celebration of Agnes and Bob’s lives will be held at the Westport Country Playhouse in late August.
(Another day, another Roundup chock full of news, events and competely random stuff. If you enjoy this daily feature — or anything else on “06880” — please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Yesterday’s closure of Compo and Burying Hill Beaches — to swimmers, not everyone else — took Westporters by surprise.
It was the hottest day of the year. But there was no rain — the usual reason for Parks & Recreation Department action.
The culprit was impossible to see: bacteria.
Burying Hill Beach, yesterday. (Photo/Seth Schachter)
And the verdict came as a result of something else few bathers ever notice: weekly testing.
Every Monday, the Aspetuck Health District takes samples from Compo and Burying Hill. (But not Old Mill. It’s adjacent to Sherwood Island; as a state park, they do their own sampling.)
A courier drives the samples from Fairfield to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, in Hartford.
It takes a day to analyze them. The results are available late afternoon on Tuesday.
If a sample shows enterococci levels of 104 per 100 milliliters, Aspetuck Health District notifies Parks & Rec.
Enterococci (not actual size). Blame these guys for beach closures.
Affected beaches are then closed to swimming, until they’re re-tested. The courier for the samples is only available Mondays and Wednesdays. So if the second test of the week comes back positive on Thursday, the closure remains in effect until the next test result — late the following Tuesday.
There are many reasons for the presence of harmful bacteria, including rain, marine life or sewage.
The reason does not matter, though. Too much enterococci means “no swimming.”
Westport closes its beaches for another reason, without testing. Any time there is 1.5 inches of rain or more, the potential exists for sewage backup or runoff. Beaches are closed, as a precaution, for 24 hours.
Though swimming may be prohibited, staff remains at beaches, says Parks & Rec director Erik Barbieri. There are plenty of other activities — especially at Compo.
So how often does a high bacteria count lead to closures?
Aspetuck Health District director of health Luci Bango — who provided all this information — confesses, “I don’t know. One summer can be perfect, phenomenal. Another year, not.
“I don’t control the climate.”
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This was not taken with a filter. Blue is the color of the LED lights on photographer Jamie Walsh’s boat. He uses it for night fishing because it minimizes the loss of night vision, attracts fewer bugs on muggy nights, and creates a visible outline of the vessel while anchored or drifting.
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