Roundup: Staples Sports, Springsteen, Substances, …

Posted on February 27, 2025 | 3 comments

It took 62 years. But the Staples High School boys basketball team scored another FCIAC championship.

The Wreckers won the league title last night, pulling away at the end. Seeded #2, they knocked off top-ranked Ridgefield 68-58, before a raucous Fairfield University crowd.

It was the second victory for Staples in 6 days over the Tigers. Last week, on the road, the Westporters denied Ridgefield’s bid for an undefeated FCIAC record, on the last day of the regular season.

It was also the first FCIAC crown, in 3 straight trips to the finals.

Adam Udell — named MVP of the title contest — led the victors with 24 points. Fourteen came in the crucial 4th quarter. Matty Corrigan added 19 more.

Next up: the state tournament. The boys — seeded 4th in the 16-team Division I — host their first game on Tuesday (March 4, 6:30 p.m.). They face #13 Kolbe Cathedral.

The girls basketball team begin their state title quest too, away.

Adam Udell heads to the basket. (Photo/David G. Whitham for The Ruden Report

Wearing championship medals, Wreckers celebrate their first FCIAC title in 62 years. (Photo courtesy of Staples boys basketball)

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Bruce Springsteen is coming to VersoFest!

Well, not exactly.

But pretty close.

On Saturday, April 5 (1 p.m.), a free panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” features an all-star cast of The Boss’s collaborators and experts.

They include Mike Appel, Springsteen’s first manager and co-producer of “Born to Run”; former Columbia Records promotions director Michael Pillot, who spearheaded the album’s promotion, plus music historians Robert Santelli and Kenneth Womack.

The panel will be hosted by author and pop culture historian Arlen Schumer. In 1978 he was art director of Thunder Road, the first magazine devoted to Springsteen’s life and music.

Co-host Dick Wingate is a former music industry executive who managed the production of Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and many other influential albums.

VersoFest highlights also include a conversation between Patti Smith and Westport journalist/rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota; a concert with the Wallflowers; a chat with hardcore punk legend Henry Rollins and Nabil Ayers, president of the record label Beggars Group; interactive art exhibits; a graffiti workshop led by visionary artist 5iveFingaz, and a weekend family kickoff celebration.

Sunday (April 6) caps off the weekend with a VersoFest Oral History Podcast live recording with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer, and “Saturday Night Live” tour de force Christine Ohlman.

Click here for the full VersoFest schedule, plus tickets and more information.

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Tuesday’s charrette at the Senior Center was an early step in discussions of  possible construction of a combined Police/Fire/Emergency Medical Services facility. (Click here to read yesterday’s “06880” story on that meeting.)

Town officials noted the scarcity of available land for the approximately 10 acres needed for the project. The best site, they said, is at the current I-95 Exit 18 commuter parking lot.

One of the posters displayed at the event showed locations of current police and fire stations, schools, and other town-owned property.

Click below to see. Red dots indicate current fire and police facilities; green dots show public schools, and yellow shapes indicate large town-owned properties.

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This is not your kid’s school “show and tell.”

The Westport Prevention Coalition invites parents to a special “hands-on” meeting March 6 (12:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).

The topic is “Today’s Emerging Substances & Our Youth.”

Attendees can “browse through today’s substances,” learn about new products being marketed, hear about the risks of gaming and gambling, and pick up free parenting handbooks and resources.

Edibles are an ever-changing part of the cannabis market.

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A reader concerned about “the usurpation of commuter parking spaces at the Westport train station by Avis car rental” writes:  “While they have specially reserved spaces, they typically take another 10-15 commuter spots with impunity and without penalty.

“This was fine during COVID. But now that ridership is increasing, especially with the implementation of the congestion tax, commuters need all our convenient spots — particularly at 6 a.m., on cold or rainy days.”

“06880” reached out to the Westport Police Department, which oversees parking at the town’s 2 train stations.

Deputy Chief David Farrell says, “Avis rents 20 designated spaces at the Saugatuck station – and they pay the daily fee for each. If they utilize other spaces, they receive $25 tickets per vehicle. Now that more people are using Metro-North, strict enforcement is underway.”


Avis cars in non-designated train station spots, earlier this month.

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On Sunday, 150 people walked from the Westport Country Playhouse to the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.

There they placed orange balloons, in memory of the 2 “flame-haired” little boys murdered by Hamas, after being kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

On Tuesday night, co-organizer Jennifer Wolff and her husband went downtown, to remove the deflating balloons.

Two had fallen into the Saugatuck River — in the shape of a heart.

“It felt like an appropriate sendoff,” Jennifer says.

“I hope whomever this balloon heart passes thinks of the Bibas boys, who were put to rest that day with their mama.”

(Photo/Jennifer Wolff)

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The Planning & Zoning Commission took a field trip Tuesday to Baron’s South.

Their tour of the 22-acre property included Golden Shadows, the 1950s-era “mansion” owned by Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff, the perfume mogul. It, and adjacent buildings, are being considered for affordable housing.

Former Representative Town Meeting member Harris Falk took up the invitation to join the tour. He dressed in his trademark colorful outfit.

Inside the house, P&Z member Neil Cohn noticed that Falk’s get-up blended in almost perfectly with the Baron’s wallpaper.

Harris Falk, inside the Baron’s mansion. (Photo/Neil Cohn)

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One more special Westport arts figure has been added to next Thursday’s relaunch of the Susan Malloy Celebration of the Arts: Gina Rattan.

The 2004 Staples graduate — a Broadway director and creative consultant — joins artist Miggs Burroughs, arts leader Melody James, and singer/actor Melissa Newman for the March 6 (7 p.m.) evening of conversation and storytelling. All are Westport residents.

Weston actor James Naughton will moderate the panel discussion, focusing on how Westport has become a magnet for artists, performers and creatives for decades; how the town’s artistic spirit has evolved, and continues to thrive in new and exciting ways; and the role of the next generation in carrying forward Westport’s rich cultural heritage.

Click here for more information.

Gina Rattan

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Speaking of the Library: Club203 sure knows how to have fun.

Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities celebrates March with a special karaoke event.

The Westport Library hosts the sing-out on March 18 (6:30 to 8 p.m.).

Attendees can request their favorite songs now. For details and registration, click here.

Club 203, at last year’s Westport Library event.

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Jerry Kuyper captured — with a camera, from a safe distance — this Tuesday night visitor on Rayfield Road, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.

“The bluestone walkway is just under 2 feet wide, for scale,” he says.

(Photo/Jerry Kuyper)

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And finally … as soon as you saw the story on the Bruce Springsteen event at VersoFest (above), you knew what today’s featured song would be, right?

After 50 years, it’s still one of the great rock songs of all time.

(There’s no place left to hide. Please click here to support your hyper-local, 24/7/365, Boss-loving blog. Whether you were born to run, or have always stayed in the 06880, we thank you.)

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Norwalk Conservatory: Arts School Grows Next Door

Posted on February 27, 2025 | 1 comment

Residents know, admire and support our performing arts institutions (Westport Country Playhouse, Westport Community Theater, Staples Players, etc.). They do the same for organizations that train students for the arts, here and everywhere (Triple Threat Academy, Music Theatre of Connecticut, etc.).

We’re justifiably proud of the schools that Staples graduates go to, preparing for performing arts careers. Michigan, Northwestern, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, Berklee, Juilliard — we punch above our weight, there and elsewhere.

But how many Westporters know there is an accredited performing arts college in the next town over?

Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts burst on the scene 3 years ago, with 5 campus buildings and 2 dorms, on Wall Street, Isaac Street, and East and West Avenues.

Its 2-year program trains 96 young men and women (ages 18-22) for careers on stage and television. There are 3 tracks: musical theater performance, musical theater dance, and TV/film performance.

NoCo attracts students from high schools with rich arts heritages similar to ours — and underserved ones, who thought Broadway was far beyond their dreams.

NoCo has discovered a trove of talent through TikTok, Instagram and YouTube videos.

It is the first not-for-profit college to gain accreditation in Connecticut in 25 years.Launched in New York City in 2018 by Broadway creatives Ricky Lee Loftus and Danny Loftus George, NoCo moved to Norwalk in 2022.

Dance rehearsal, at Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts.

Westporters are already making their mark there.

Former Board of Finance chair and energy executive Jeffrey Mayer teaches a semester-long entrepreneuship class for second-year students.

“Requirements for an associate degree demand more than dance classes,” he says.

“Most of these kids will become, in essence, independent businesses. They also may need other sources of income. I teach them basic business skills, like contract negotiation and business planning. They are curious, bright, fully engaged, and a pleasure to teach.”

Ruth Winnick — 97 years old, and a 70-year Westport resident who teaches body awareness at the Senior Center — feels so strongly about the school that she joined student dancers at its annual gala.

“I am in awe of what NoCo provides these kids,” Ruth says.

“Not only professional training, but the financial support to do so, and industry mentors to get them going in their careers. Their talent, energy and commitment is phenomenal.”

 

97-year-old Ruth Winnick, at the NoCo gala.

One of those students, Zalah, grew up in Louisiana. She was on her way to nursing school when NoCo spotted her on Instagram singing “I’m Here,” from her high school production of “The Color Purple.” She was given a full scholarship. (All students receive at least some scholarship money.)

Zalah graduates this year, with a degree in musical theatre performance. She was a recent guest on the Jennifer Hudson show and now has an agent.

This Monday (March 3, 7 p.m.), Westport Arts Advisory Committee co-chair and Short Cuts Film Festival producer Nancy Diamond will joined NoCo co-founder Loftus (and “surprise” student performers) in a conversation at the Westport Library.

They’ll discuss how the school is changing lives — and contributing to the revitalization of downtown Norwalk. Click here for details.

“Westporters know how fortunate we are to have so much at our fingertips,” says Diamond. “And we care about our neighbors.

“NoCo is helping to revitalize Norwalk by opening its arms to so many young people from around the country. It’s beautiful to see them strolling down Wall Street with their lattes, logowear and smiles.”

And — perhaps quite soon — we’ll see them on stage and screen.

(“06880” covers the arts scene — here, and wherever Westporters work. As another non-profit, we rely on reader support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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Pic Of The Day #2870

Posted on February 26, 2025 | 2 comments

Old Mill Grocery & Deli (Photo/Jim Hood)

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Unsung Hero #372

Posted on February 26, 2025 | 2 comments

Last weekend, Seamus Brannigan roared through the semifinals of the state “LL” (extra large schools) wrestling championship.

But along the way, he hurt his back. It looked like he might have to forfeit his chance at a state title.

Luckily, Dr. Josh Lander was in the stands.

The neurologist runs Lander Sport + Health Sciences, at the Willows medical complex on Kings Highway North.

An accomplished athlete himself, he knows medicine.

And he knows athletes.

He examined Seamus. With 2 hours to go before the finals, he sent Seamus’ dad Terry — a very successful former Staples wrestler himsef (Class of 1979) — off to CVS for a heating pad, extension cord, lidocaine patches and Motrin.

Dr. Lander proceeded to get Seamus ready — physically and mentally — to compete.

Which he did, almost completely pain-free.

Dr. Josh Lander, working his magic with Seamus Brannigan.

“He’s an incredibly generous guy, who absolutely knows what he’s doing. He’s a fan of all Westport sports,” Terry says.

“And Seamus isn’t the only one on the team he’s helped. He opens up his practice off-hours, to work with other kids too.

“Not all heroes wear capes.”

The ending was a wee bit short of storybook. Seamus — a junior — fell in the finals to a senior from Hall-West Hartford, to finish as runner-up.

But he qualified for the state open. The 126-pounder will be back on the mat this weekend, at Hillhouse High in New Haven.

He’ll be joined by fellow Wreckers Gavin Donaldson, Jessiah Jones and Damian Rousseau. The top 6 there advance to the New England tournament, in Providence.

Good luck, Staples. And thanks again, Dr. Lander!

(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Athletic Field Lights, Traffic Agent Celebration, Hot Chocolate Pop-up …

Posted on February 26, 2025 | 7 comments

In 2011 — after years of court battles — town officials and neighbors reached an agreement to add lights to the Staples High School football field.

The court-ordered settlement precluded lighting other Westport fields, besides PJ Romano (behind Saugatuck Elementary School), and the Greens Farms Elementary School softball diamond.

The agreement expired a couple of years ago. On Monday — after long negotaitions — the Planning & Zoning Commission approved 5-1 (with 1 abstention) a text amendment to allow lights at other sites.

Each proposal will be reviewed by the P&Z. Among the requirements:

  • Notification of all neighbors within 250 feet. 
  • Screening for residential properties.
  • Most practices and games must end by 9 p.m.

Paul Lane Field (Photo/Mark Mathias)

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For 25 years, traffic agent Jerry Waldron has been a Westport Police Department staple.

Commuters and residents see him directing traffic at the Route 1 and 33 intersection and by the Cribari Bridge, or patrolling the railroad station and downtown parking lots.

Not bad, for a 90-year-old.

Yesterday, the WPD celebrated Jerry’s milestone birthday, at police headquarters.

Friends, family and officers — current and retired (all younger) — threw him a surprise party.

Jerry was surprised, and grateful.

But he’s not slowing down. He will be back at work tomorrow, directing lunch hour traffic at 1 and 33.

If you see him, wish him a belated “happy birthday.”

Maybe — considering all that traffic — a wave is better than a honk.

Happy 90th, Jerry Waldron!

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In addition to Jerry Waldron’s birthday, this is also Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

In its honor, Lift Wellness Group hosts a hot chocolate pop-up bar today (Wednesday, February 26, 11 a.m.) at their 8 Myrtle Avenue office.

They hope to shine a light on eating disorders, which have the second highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

And, of course, to offer a nice, tasty treat. The public is invited.


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The Compo Beach playground renovation is about to begin.

As “06880” noted yesterday, the Playground Committee has ensured that anyone who bought a fundraising picket during the last rebuild — 19 years ago — can claim it as a souvenir.

Jennifer Seideman offers more good news about the beloved site. She writes:

“While walking at Compo Beach yesterday, I noticed the project has begun. Of course it makes me nostalgic, as my twins were newborns when the last one was installed. We have many fine memories at that playground.

“I saw that the workers were thoughtful enough to gather together some shoes they uncovered while digging up the old playground.

“They created a ‘lost and found’ space on top of a garbage can near the boardwalk. Here is a photo that may help some families with missing shoes.”

“I will look forward to watching the transformation of the playground, seeing many families enjoy it and make it part of their special experiences in Westport as my children did,” she adds.

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For 3 weekends next month, Weston’s Lachat Town Farm becomes a Brooklyn restaurant.

That’s the setting for “Seared,” a comedy that brings audiences into a kitchen.

First produced off-Broadway in 2019, the show earned Outer Critics Circle Awards. As garlic and onions sizzle on stage, the play explores conflicts between artistic passion and the pressures of the business world.

“Seared” is produced by Diana Muller, formerly of Play With Your Food lunchtime theater.

Show dates are March 7 through 23: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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Voices Café often attracts interesting artists, from up and down the East Coast.

On April 5, one of them is a homegrown talent.

In fact, very talented.

Dustin Lowman — a 2011 Staples High School graduate, now making his name as a New York-based singer/songwriter — opens for Lucy Kaplansky.

Dustin says: “In the years since leaving Westport, I’ve forged an unconventional path, using the tools that growing up there afforded me.

“The path has been winding — from Vermont to Nashville to Chicago, and lately to Brooklyn — but its ineluctable root is Westport. I think at 32 that I’m too old for the title ‘The Prodigal Son’; nonetheless, returning to Westport to perform is like the most wonderful version of show and tell: showing the people who gave me so much what their gifts have done for me, and telling them the story of what I’ve tried to do with them.”

Click here for tickets about the show at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport, and more information.

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In today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature, at least a dozen crows blend in on a barren tree, at Compo Shopping Center.

Can you see them all? They’re there!

(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)

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And finally … this is one of my least favorite songs of all time. I truly despise it.

But — after the Planning & Zoning Commission’s decision about athletic fields (story above), it does work today.

(Attention, “06880” readers: You can light up my life by clicking here, to show your tax-deductible support of this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Posted in Beach, Entertainment, Local politics, Police, Sports, Staples HS

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Police/Fire/EMS Facility: The Process Begins

Posted on February 26, 2025 | 26 comments

Westport’s police station was built in the 1950s — at 1/3 the originally proposed size.

Our fire headquarters dates to the 1970s. It’s too small for modern fire trucks, lacks training space, and has safety deficiencies.

Emergency Medical Services ambulances share bays with large oxygen cannisters. Like police vehicles, they are sometimes trapped on 3 sides by flood waters.

For those reasons — and many more — town officials are exploring a joint Police/Fire/EMS facility. The most appropriate site, they say, is nearly 10 acres, by the current I-95 commuter parking lot on the Sherwood Island Connector.

The public got its first look at the plan — still very early in the concept phase — last night.

A large crowd filled the Senior Center for a presentation by the police and fire chiefs, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, and a pair of architects.

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Nick Marsan, at last night’s meeting. (Photo/Dan Woog)

They provided plenty of information.

And they heard a number of questions.

Expansion of fire headquarters — located on Post Road East next to Terrain, since moving from what is now Emmy Squared on Church Lane half a century ago — has been in the town’s capital plan, Tooker noted.

A new or renovated police station — which relocated to Jesup Road over 70 years ago, after sharing space in what was then Town Hall (now Don Memo and Walrus Alley) — has not been listed in that forecast.

Combining the 3 facilities at one first responders’ site would offer savings in efficiency and scale, Fire Chief Nick Marsan and Police Chief Foti Koskinas noted.

An early drawing for a proposed Police/Fire/EMS facility.

Response times would be enhanced in some cases by leaving the congested downtown area. The new location would also offer speedier access to I-95, both for emergencies on the interstate and to reach Saugatuck Shores.

Relocating the police station would also free up dozens of parking spots downtown.

“No one is forcing anything on anyone,” Koskinas emphasized.

“We understand the challenges. We know there are other big projects ahead, likek schools, bridges and Longshore. We’re not saying where in the queue we want to be. But we want to be in it.”

The point of the meeting, he emphasized, was to initiate a discussion on how tax dollars would be spent to ensure safety for residents, employees and visitors all over town.

An early 1950s plan for a new police station on Jesup Road. The current facility is 1/3 the size of this proposal.

Presenters described a number of areas — for example, the benefits of collaboration between 3 departments, the advantages of on-site training, increasing square footage dedicated to ID needs, and cost savings for land, design and infrastructure — that a shared facility could enhance.

Current police headquarters.

Twice, Koskinas noted, the town has turned down opportunities for land that could be used for first responders.

When the current fire station was built, property was available at a former car dealership just east of Crescent Road. That is now the site of Terrain.

And when State Police Troop G moved from Bridgeport to its site at the Post Road East/Sherwood Island Connector junction, Westport was offered the land for $1. Officials turned it down. Today, it’s Walgreens.

Koskinas explained that the proposed location of a new facility on the Connector — just north of the commuter parking lot entrance — was one of the few spots in Westport large enough for all 3 departments.

The current Fire Department headquarters.

Baron’s South, for example, has topographic, access and zoning issues, while using Winslow Park would present traffic and access issues.

Former RTM member John Suggs said that the Connector site was part of an RTM-designated archaelogical preserve. (Adjacent land was the birthplace of Green’s Farms Church’s West Parish.)

Koskinas promised that a new facility would enhance the now-overgrown area, and honor town history.

Building on that property would require relocation of the commuter lot — perhaps south of I-95, closer to Sherwood Island State Park. That would involve negotiations with the state.

The entrance to the shared facility would be just north of the current I-95 commuter parking lot, on the Sherwood Island Connector.

Greens Farms Association president Art Schoeller cited opposition from neighborhood residents, and asked about noise abatement and noise pollution.

“It is the best spot,” another Greens Farms resident acknowledged.

“We’re taking measured risks now,” Koskinas said, referring to Police, Fire and EMS operations.

“Some of the risks are critical. Some are sustainable. But this project touches everyone in town.”

(“06880” will cover this proposed facility all the way to its completion. We do the same for all major Westport news — and all the minor stories too. Please click here to support us. Thank you!)

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That 2032 Asteroid? Serena Diamond Says: “Don’t Worry!”

Posted on February 26, 2025 | 8 comments

As freshmen, many Staples High School students try to find their passion.

Sports, arts, writing, community service … 9th graders give them a shot.

Serena Diamond already knows hers.

For over a year she’s recorded data of asteroid occultations, and sent it to NASA.

An asteroid occultation, as you remember from astronomy class, occurs when an asteroid passes between a star and Earth. Light is temporarily blocked, casting a shadow on our planet. 

Asteroid occultations enable scientists to determine the size, shape and position of an atsteroid far more precisely than with standard astronomical observations.

The data is especially valuable for space missions involving asteroids — and to warn us of any doomsday scenarios.

Serena Diamond and Joel Barlow High School senior Monica Charnoy, observing an asteroid occultation.

Serena became interested in astronomy years ago, at Long Lots Elementary and Bedford Middle Schools.

The summer after 7th grade, she joined an astrophysics program through the Center for Talented Youth.

Back here — with her interest sparked — she searched for more resources.

She found the Westport Astronomical Society. Housed at the Westport Observatory — the former launch site for Nike missiles on Bayberry Lane — it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Westport Observatory, on Bayberry Lane.

The Observatory has become Serena’s home away from home. Odds are high that in its half century of existence, it’s never been home to a freshman girl who observes asteroid occultations.

Serena’s data is analyzed far beyond Westport. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses it for a variety of purposes, including assessing risks from potentially hazardous asteroids.

Serena has been inspired by several WAS members, including board members Dan Wright and Dr. Kevin Green, who spearheads the asteroid occultations project.

She started by learning how to open the dome and run the telescope.

Soon, she and a group of fellow young astronomers — including Staples sophomore Jessica Willis — gathered at 3 a.m., to catch the exact moment an asteroid cast its shadow.

Last month Serena joined Green, offering a presentation at the Observatory.

Serena Diamond’s presentation, at the Westport Astronomical Society.

The room was filled with adults — people who have been excited by astronomy far longer than the 14 years Serena has been alive.

Her co-presenters included a Joel Barlow High School senior, and a recent University of Connecticut graduate.

Serena lectured as if she were a Nobel Prize-winning professor. Clearly and confidently, she shared her insights. Audience members learned a lot.

Want to learn too? Click below, for  Serena’s lecture (and Green’s, and others’). She begins at the 22:40 mark.

Programs like that — and the opportunity to continue working with high-powered, like-minded astronomers of all ages — fuels Serena’s passion.

She looks forward to raising awareness about asteroid occultations, encouraging other young people to join her at the Westport Observatory, and keeping the planet safe from a random strike.

Serena thinka a lot about asteroids. The average person does not.

But most of us have heard about 2024 YR4 — the asteroid that has a teeny tiny (but nonetheless more than 0%) chance of striking Earth on December 22, 2032.

I could ask NASA, or ChatGPT, about the odds.

But I’d much rather go to a Westport source.

So I asked Serena Diamond.

“Thankfully, very low,” she said.

Whew!

(NOTE: Serena is not just an astronomer. In her spare time she is on the Staples math team, coaches the Bedford Middle School math team, serves as a 9th grade class officer, and sings in the Wreckeapellas. Whew indeed!)

(Hat tip: Anne Nesbitt)

(“06880” is “where Westport meets the world.” And — today — where we meet asteroids, in outer space. If you enjoy our 24/7/365 galactic coverage, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)

An illustration shows asteroid 2024 YR4 narrowly missing Earth and the moon. (Robert Lea, created with Canva, for Space.com.)

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Pics Of The Day #2869

Posted on February 25, 2025 | Comments Off on Pics Of The Day #2869

Compo Beach sunrise … 

… and crescent (Photos/Sunil Hirani)

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Playground Pickets: They’re Safe!

Posted on February 25, 2025 | 4 comments

Renovation begins soon on the new Compo Beach playground.

In preparation for the work, some items — including pickets from the previous upgrade — have already been removed.

Some of the current pickets …

But don’t worry. The “old” pickets will not be tossed out.

The Compo Beach Playground Committee and Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department realize their importance.

The committee says: “Any pickets will be safely detached, cared for and kept in good condition for pick-up in April. We know how much people care about them. They are a top priority for our dedicated volunteers as we work to expand the fence line.”

To learn more about how to collect “your” picket, click here. 

The committee adds, “We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from current and former Westporters as we embark on the next phase of this community project. We are grateful to everyone investing their time and energy into this exciting renovation.”

… and a few more.

Many names of previous picket donors are familiar. Those “kids” are now in their 20s and 30s.

For them — and anyone else buying a new picket (click here for details) — perhaps they’ll pick it up in 2045 — when the playground is ready for yet another remodel.

(To learn more about the Compo Playground Renovation, including volunteer opportunities, click here.)

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Roundup: Public Safety Charrette, Great Soup Contest, Staples Basketball …

Posted on February 25, 2025 | 1 comment

Residents interested in learning more about a new public safety complex are invited to tonight’s charrette (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Senior Center). An architectural presentation will be followed by feedback opportunities.

The project is now in the conceptual and feasibility stage.

Fire Chief Nicholas Marsan, who also serves as the town’s emergency management director, says, “This would be more than just a building; it’s a commitment to the people of Westport.

“Modernizing our facilities will enhance our ability to respond quickly and efficiently in times of emergency. A new complex will also allow for better coordination of resources and planning, ensuring that our community is well-prepared for any situation. We look forward to hearing from our community, and working together to bring this vision to life.”

Police Chief Foti Koskinas adds, “This much-needed facility will greatly benefit our community. Housing Police, Fire and EMS under one roof fosters better collaboration, faster response times, and more efficient operations. A project of this nature will strengthen public safety, and ensure that we are well-equipped to serve Westport now and into the future.”

For more information, contact Fire Chief Marsan: nmarsan@westportct.gov; 203-341-5000.

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Westport life was upended in many ways — large and small — when COVID crashed into town, 5 years ago next month.

One minor casualty was the Great Westport Soup Contest. Begun in early March of 2020, the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event was halted when the only soup anyone slurped was homemade.

Soon, the Soup Contest returns. On March 3 (noon), 1st Selectwoman Jen tooker will kick off the event, at Calise’s Food Market.

All month long, 16 soup-making spots will compete in 7 categories. Judging will be done online, by soup-loving Westport residents.

And every voter is entered into a drawing to win a free soup, from one of the 7 winners.

The 16 competitors are Basso, Calise’s, Capuli, Gaetano’s, Garelick and Herbs, Gold’s Deli, Joe’s Pizza, Kawa Ni, Little Pub @ Dunville’s, Old Mill Grocery, Organic Market, Rive Bistro, Rizzuto’s, Romanacci, The Whelk and Tutti’s.

The seven categories are: Best Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, Asian, Onion and Matzoh Ball Soup, and Best Chowder. Each place can enter up to 4 categories, but can win no more than 2.

Voting begins March 3, and runs through March 31. Visit the venues, enjoy their offerings, then click here to vote.

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Speaking of food, CT Bites has just profiled a new restaurant.

X Ramen is technically not in Westport. But — just inches over the Southport line, in the former Wafu space — we’ll mention it here.

“06880” readers have given it high marks. Click here for the equally positive CTBites review.

A variety of X Ramen offerings. (Photo collage/CTBites.com)

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The Staples High School boys basketball teams is in the FCIAC finals. The girls camethisclose.

Coach Dave Goldshore’s #2-seeded Wreckers pulled out to a quick lead last night at Wilton High School. They never lost it, en route to a 56-46 win over #3 Fairfield Ludlowe.

Adam Udell and Matty Corrigan paced Staples with 15 points each. Mason Tobias added 11.

The blue-and-whites play for the title tomorrow (Wednesday, February 26, 7:30 p.m., Fairfield University), against to-ranked Ridgefield.

It should be a great game. Less than a week ago — in the final regular season contest — they handed the Tigers their only loss of the regular season, in the Tigers’ gym.

The 2025 Staples boys basketball team.

Also yesterday, coach Tommy Sparks’ #4-seeded girls gave #1 Ridgefield a tough battle, before succumbing 42-38 at Trumbull High.

Chloe Smith paced the Westporters with 13 points. Freya Harvey was close behind, with 12.

The narrow loss came 2 days after Staples pulled off a spectacular comeback, in the FCIAC quarterfinals. Down 19 points in the first half, and 14 at the start of the fourth quarter, they stormed their way to a 4-point victory over #5 St. Joseph.

The FCIAC tournament is a prelude to the state tourney. Both the boys and girls have qualified. Brackets will be announced soon.

The 2025 Staples girls basketball team.

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Three years ago yesterday, Russia invaded Ukraine.

Within weeks, Westport native Brian Mayer traveled overseas. With a background in logistics, he assessed the situation. He figured out a way to get help to the citizens who needed it most.

Then, with his brother Marshall, he founded Ukraine Aid International.

Since then, UAI has delivered clean water, heating pellets, medical equipment, municipal services, communication devices, trash trucks and more. Its work impacts more than 350,000 Ukrainians a day.

UAI also helped establish “sister cities,” linking American and Ukrainian towns.

The Westport-Lyman relationship was the first. Westporters have donated over $300,000 in direct aid. First Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Police Chief Foti Koskinas are in constant contact with their counterparts.

Weston also has a sister city: Siversk. Westonites have helped hundreds of youngsters attend therapy camps.

As Ukraine enters its fourth year of war, UAI continues to raise funds, and deliver aid. Donations continue to be needed. Click here to contribute; click the dropdown menu to select Westport or Weston’s sister city.

Bomb damage in Lyman: July 2024.

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Brian Marsella has been called “a psychedelic Art Tatum.”

The jazz pianist has been on a world tour. But this Thursday (February 27; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m., dinner service at 7, VFW Post 399; $20 music cover, $15 veterans and students; click here for tickets), he brings his talents to “Jazz at the Post.”

Marsella will be joined by bassist Reid Taylor and drummer Brian Floody — who played there last spring — and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall, the saxophonist and mastermind of the series.

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There are running programs.

And then there is Girls on the Run.

An international project with local impact, it inspires 3rd, 4th and 5th graders to realize their inner strength, while promoting physical activity, and helping grow confidence.

The 10-week program begins in March. There are 2 practices a week, ending with a 5K in May.

Elise Simon will “run” it at Long Lots Elementary School (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:30 to 8:15 a.m.) Stephanie Tang leads it at Kings Highway (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3:45 to 5 p.m.).

Click here to register, and for more details. Click here for more information on the Girls on the Run international movement.

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There’s not a lot of swimming at Burying Hill Beach these days.

Unless you’re a lesser scaup.

Johanna Keyser Rossi spotted this guy (or gal) the other day, for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

Everything was just ducky.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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Roberta Flack — the former schoolteacher who went on to become an iconic soul, jazz and folk singer — died yesterday in New York, of a heart attack. She was 88, and had been diagnosed with ALS.

Click here for the full obituary, of a woman who defined the 1970s.

(As we do every day in our Roundup, “06880” brings you news and information you can use. We are “where Westport meets the world” — and we rely on reader support. Please click here to help. Thanks!)

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