In the worst days of the pandemic, restaurants were in peril.
Sitting indoors, a foot or two away from strangers, was the last thing on anyone’s plate.
Outdoor dining saved the day. The timing was right — spring and summer — and Westport acted quickly. All over town, socially distanced tables sprang up on sidewalks and in parking lots.
One of the most successful spots was Church Lane. The Board of Selectmen voted to close the road, from Elm Street to the Post Road. Spotted Horse and nearby restaurants put tables in the street. On weekends, musicians played.
Eating out was one of the few activities residents could enjoy. It was a rare COVID joy.
Outdoor dining on Church Lane. (Photo/Dan Woog)
In the years that followed, the closure of Church Lane became an annual tradition. The time frame lengthened, from May 1 through October 15.
In good weather, tables — of Spotted Horse, Pink Sumo, and last year the new Blondinit — were filled.
But other times, they were not.
Some merchants were happy with the foot traffic, and the relaxed, traffic-free ambiance. Others were unhappy to lose 16 parking spaces, in front of their stores.
Some drivers disliked the lack of easy access to the Post Road, through Church Lane.
No cars meant kids could dance in the street. (Photo/Jordan Schur)
As the 6th summer approaches, the Westport Downtown Association — the group that first requested the Church Lane closure, and which has managed it since 2020 — wants to hear public opinion, before requesting approval by town bodies.
The WDA has developed a 5-question survey. It asks:
How often do you typically visit Church Lane when it is closed? (Daily, weekly, monthly, rarely, never)
Do you believe the closure of Church Lane is a benefit to the town during the summer months, and something you would like to contineu? (Yes, no)
Would you prefer Church Lane to remain closed 7 days per week throughout the summer, or only Friday morning 8 a.m. to Monday morning 8 a.m. to allow for parking during the week?
The current Church Lane closure is from May 1 to October 15. Do you like this timing, or would you prefer only during the summer months from Memorial Day to Labor Day?
Please provide some information about yourself (Single, family with children, empty nester).
The survey is comprehensive, clear and quick. It’s a proactive approach to a Westport lifestyle issue that has impacted many.
Click here to take the survey. “06880” will report the results — and follow up on the final decision by the WDA and town officials on what’s next, this summer, for Church Lane.
Weekend music on Church Lane. (Photo/Dan Woog)
(If it happens downtown — or anywhere else in Westport — you’ll read about it on “06880.” We rely on support from readers like you. Please click here to make a tax-deductble contribution. Thank you!)
The University of Virginia’s Miller Center is a non-partisan center that studies presidential scholarship.
On March 20 they’ll host a special session: “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents.”
It’s special for another reason: 2 of the 3 participants are Staples High School graduates.
Speaker Talmage Boston (SHS ’72) is an attorney, historian and author. His latest book examines presidential leadership. He has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Thompson Reuters every year since 2003, and among the “Best Lawyers in America” every year since 2013.
Moderator Marc Selverstone (SHS ’80) is the Miller Center’s Professor of Presidential Studies. A historian of the Cold War, he is the author of “The Kennedy Withdrawal: Camelot and the American Commitment to Vietnam.” As co-chair of the Center’s Presidential Recordings Program, Selverstone edits the secret White House tapes of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.
Click here for more information, and a link to the livestream and archived video.
Talmage Boston and Marc Selverstone.
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Registration is open for the Joggers Club’s Kids Running program.
It’s great for youngsters grads kindergarten through 8th grade looking to perfect their skills, as well as those looking just to burn energy.
The program runs every Sunday from April 6 to June 4, 4 to 5:15 p.m. at the Staples High School track. The cost is $149 for Joggers Club members, $199 for non-members.
Workouts range from the 100 yard dash to fun conversational runs.
Sessions begin with stretching and warmups, followed by coaching on speed, endurance and strength. Each day ends with relays and games.
Coaches include 5 experienced adult runners, and stars of Staples High School’s cross country and track teams.
All members receive a running shirt, trophy, and visit from an ice cream truck.
Email thejoggersclub@gmail.com for more information.
They can’t believe it’s here. But the Staples Class of 1965 is planning their 60th reunion.
The main event is September 20, at the Patterson Club in Fairfield. Many more activities are also in the works.
A committee of 12 — including Westporters Merle Spiegel, Joey Kaempfer and Mike Greenberg — have been at work for a year already, determined to make it the best reunion in history. (Three members are expected from Australia!)
They’ve found good addresses for 230 classmates — but they need more. If you’re a ’65 grad — or know someone who is — email Staplesreunion1965@gmail.com.
The “new” Staples, circa 1959. By 1965, a new addition was built to the 2 buildings, on the right (south) side of the ones pictured. The auditorium (center left) and gym (largest building in the rear) are the only original structures that remain today.
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Ed Simek writes: “These 3 trees always catch my eye as I drive through Longshore. They’re on the fairway, separating the 8th and 9th holes.”
No one is playing golf there today. But it’s an intriguing photo nonetheless — perfect for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Walter Luckett scored more points than any other high school basketball player in New England history.
He won a state championship at Bridgeport’s Kolbe Cathedral High School, and was named National High School Player of the Year in 1972.
After appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a Ohio University freshman — and then a successful college career — he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
He scored 28 points against a team that included Julius Erving and Earl Monroe But the effects of a knee re-injury — after first damaging it in high school — derailed his hopes for NBA stardom.
Luckett returned to his hometown. He earned an MBA, became Unilever’s manager of community relations, and married his high school sweatheart, Valita. She enjoyed similar corporate success, at Southern New England Telephone.
But the couple’s real impact is far from the office. Since forming the Walter Luckett Foundation in 2013, they’ve impacted thousands of young people, ages 8 to 22, in Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury.
Through leadership and youth development training; literacy, standardized test prep and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) programs, and mentorships, job preparation and more, they are changing lives throughout the region.
Nicole Carson (left), a Kolbe Cathedral High School graduate and wellness spa owner, is a Luckett Foundation mentor. She shows Kolbe students how to make a cleansing product. (Photo/Dan Woog)
And — thanks to a partnership with the Westport Library — their work has a Westport component too.
They asked provocative questions, and saw a role model up (very) close and personal.
“Who you are is up to you,” the Shondaland CEO; creator, head writer and executive producer of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” and “Scandal,” and producer of “Bridgerton” told the teens.
Walter Luckett Foundation students were front-row guests at the Library’s Martin Luther King Day celebration. They were inspired by Westport resident Shonda Rhimes — and Christian Servance (above), a gospel singer and special friend of the Foundation.
A Luckett Foundation contingent was at the Westport Library last year too, when King’s speechwriter Clarence Jones made history come alive.
Carlotta Walls LaNier — one of the Little Rock 9, who integrated Central High School in 1957 — spoke at the Westport Library in 2022. She spent an hour before her talk in a private session with Walter Luckett Foundation students from Bridgeport and New Haven, and Staples High School.
The teenagers may or may not have heard of her in their history classes. But they were prepared with excellent questions.
“Can people change?” one teenager asked.
“Yes,” LaNier said — “if they are open to accept different experiences, and learn from them. If you are true to yourself, you can learn on a daily basis.”
Another question was about “our better angels.”
“It’s hard to find them,” LaNier admitted. “But I know they’re out there. That’s why it’s so important to learn, and talk about, our country’s history.”
Before her Westport Library appearance, Carlotta LaNeir (above, and in 1957) spoke with Luckett Foundation students.
Earlier, at the Westport Library’s inaugural VersoFest, Luckett and his wife brought a group of teenagers to the keynote by actor/writer/producer/martial artist/former Westport personal trainer Michael Jai Wright.
He described his quest to bring a full-scale, state-of-the-art, employing-hundreds studio and production facility to Connecticut.
“I was not put on this earth to make a billion dollars,” he told the crowd — packed with Luckett Foundation teens. “I’m here to share a billion dollars.”
All those messages are important for the Bridgeport and New Haven students to hear.
But it’s equally important for Westport’s young people to be exposed to the Luckett Foundation youth. More programs are planned for the future.
Walter and Valita Luckett (center), with Kolbe Cathedral basketball coach and Luckett Foundation member John Pfohl, and Kolbe graduate and Foundation mentor Nicole Carson. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Staples High School is just 10 miles from Kolbe Cathedral, home base for the Luckett Foundation.
The Bridgeport private school is far smaller than its Westport counterpart — 325 students, compared to 1,900 — but its focus on academic success, and the rigor of its classes, is just as strong.
Luckett credits Kolbe for much of his success. It provided a basketball court for his athletic talents, and it instilled the values of hard work and goal-setting that have driven his life’s work.
To see Luckett, his wife, and the Kolbe staff in action is inspiring, and powerful.
The other day, I spent time with them at Kolbe.
I saw Nicole Carson — a 2005 Kolbe graduate, and owner of Carson Aesthetics Wellness Spa in Milford — work with students, teaching them the chemistry behind her cosmetic products.
I learned about the Luckett Foundation’s work with Bridgeport elementary schools, and the importance of mentors from Sacred Heart Universtiy.
I heard a graduate say, “I wouldn’t be who I am without Mr. Luckett and his foundation. Coming back to Kolbe is like coming home. It keeps me grounded.”
I listened as John Pfohl, Kolbe’s boys basketball coach, extolled Luckett for his legacy. One of the Foundation’s programs brings high school players to Madison Square Garden, for a day of learning about sports management.
For some, it is their first time ever in New York City.
Kolbe Cathedral, at Madison Square Garden.
But even on that trip, Luckett says, “we talk about a lot more than basketball. We talk about what’s next, after the ball stops bouncing.”
I heard about the Foundation’s many important partners, including Unilever, M&T Bank and State Farm.
“We’ve been blessed,” Walter Luckett says, of he and his wife’s lives. “We’re just sharing our blessings.”
“We’re looking for an equitable playing field for all,” Valita adds. “These kids are brilliant. They just need support and assistance, to continue to blossom and grow.”
“We’re in Fairfield County — one of the most affluent areas of the country,” Walter notes. “But Bridgeport is a different world.
“We’re a safe haven,” he says of Kolbe, and the Luckett Foundation. “I wish we could provide for everyone.”
Together with their partners — including the Westport Library — Walter and Valita Luckett are providing many resources, in plenty of ways, for great young men and women.
And for our future.
(To learn more about the Walter Luckett Foundation — including how to contribute — click here.)
The Green’s Farms post office is one of Westport’s hidden gems.
Still, when I ran a Photo Challenge of a holiday display inside its lobby 2 months ago, over 2 dozen readers knew exactly where it was.
They sure didn’t look outside.
Only one reader — Fred Cantor — correctly identified last week’s Challenge. Scott Smith’s photo showed an antique lamppost and modern cell tower, just past the post office.
It’s opposite the only house, just before the mulching/composting operation tucked between the railroad tracks and I-95. (Click here to see.)
I guess that lamppost and cell tower are even more hidden than the hidden gem that is the Green’s Farms post office.
Today’s Photo Challenge is below. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” underneath.
(Photo/Pam Docters)
(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!)
Since 2002, the Malloy Lecture in the Arts has brought some of the world’s most extraordinary creative voices to Westport.
Clive Davis, Arthur Miller, Joyce Carol Oates, Christopher Plummer, Salman Rushdie and others have sparked thought-provoking, engaging conversations for Westport Library audiences of all ages.
The lectures were underwritten by Westport artist Susan Malloy.
Now — thanks to the Malloy Fund for the Arts — the Library is reimagining the series.
The relaunched event will celebrate Westport’s artistic legacy, while also looking toward its future.
On March 6 (7 p.m.), the Library hosts an evening of conversation and storytelling. Some of Westport’s most influential artists will reflect on how this town has shaped generations of creatives.
Actor/director Jim Naughton — a Weston resident — will moderate the panel discussion. Participants include graphic artistMiggs Burroughs, whose work has defined the town’s artistic identity; Melody James, a leader in the arts known for fostering creative expression; and singer/ actor Melissa Newman, who launched her photo-based book about her parents, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, at the Library in 2023. All are Westport residents.
Ann Sheffer — a passionate arts advocate and philanthropist whose family’s contributions have helped shape the cultural fabric of Westport — will also speak.
Additional special guests will be added closer to the event.
Their conversation will explore 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.
Ever wished you could snag an invite to Craig Melvin and Lindsay Czarniak’s house?
I’ve never gotten one. But thanks to the New York Times, I — and anyone else on the planet with internet — can check out a few highlights.
Today’s New York Times Real Estate section — and a previous digital feature several days ago — shows a few rooms. The new NBC “Today” host reveals how the family landed in Westport (it was midway between New York and Bristol, Connecticut, where she works for ESPN), and near a train station.
He talks about their strong relationship with the town (youth sports coaching, PTA, etc.).
And he shows off his grandmother’s beloved chair, and his own candle-making equipment.
All of the comments on the Times story are favorable. Many note how genuine and hard-working the couple is. Many others cite how lived-in and well-loved the house seems to be. It’s not fake or prettified, like many celebrities’ homes.
One commenter applauded the creases in the couch, as evidence that it’s actually used.
Click here for a tour of Craig and Lindsay’s home. (Hat tips: John Karrel, Les Dinkin)
Craig Melvin’s chair, vinyl and more. (Photo/Tony Cenicola for The New York Times)
As a busy doctor — and the mother of 2 — Jordan White doesn’t have a lot of time to dance.
But the 1994 Staples High School graduate is making time for Dancing with the Doctors. The April event pairs a Providence doctor with a professional dancer. Proceeds benefit Hope Health Hospice & Palliative Care.
Dr. White is a consultant medical director at the Rhode Island Department of Health, and a course leader in the Primary Care-Population Medicine Program at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
She focues on RIDOH’s refugee health program, family planning/reproductive justice, and the health of pregnant and parenting families.
Hernan Diaz — author of “In The Distance,” the Westport Library’s 2025 WestportREADS selection — entertained a large Trefz Forum audience Thursday, in a keynote conversation.
Catherine Shen — host of Connecticut Public’s morning talk show and podcast
“Where We Live” — asked provocative questions. Diaz answered scintillatingly, with depth and insight.
Catherine Shen chats with Hernan Diaz. (Photo/KT Kaminski)
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We all know the dog days of August.
Half a year away, here is a “Westport … Naturally” dog day of February.
And finally … on this date in 1923, Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
(Through snow, rain, sleet, hail — and brilliant sunshine — “06880” is here for you. We’re your 24/7/365 source for hyper-local news, events, opinions and more. Please click here to support us. Thanks!)
As Westporters receive winter heating bills, they shiver.
Sustainable Westport feels your pain. To help, they encourage residents to transition to “reliable, resilient, renewable energy.”
They alsooffer many small changes and choices, which add up to big impacts. For example:
Schedule a Home Energy Assessment. A technician will visit your home and provide a detailed energy report, immediately install basic weatherization and energy-saving measures, and recommend other energy-saving improvements.
They will also provide information on rebates and financing for the recommended insulation projects, heat pumps and more. Participants pay $75 for this service. They receive, on average, $600 in services, and save up to $180 annually in return.
Homeowners are eligible for this service every 6 years. If you’ve had one long ago, it may be time for a repeat visit.
For information on a home energy assessment — including how to schedule one — click here. For a first-person experience, click here.
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A home energy assessment includes bulb-checking.
Check your insulation. Effective insulation can reduce heating and cooling bills by 15% or more. As part of the recommendations from a home energy assessment, you could receive up to 75% off approved insulation upgrades.
Open (and close) curtains. Up to 30% of a home’s heating energy can be lost through windows. During the winter, open your curtains during the day to let the sunlight in. Close them at night to keep the cold air out.
Adjust your ceiling fan.Set your ceiling fan to spin clockwise. This helps push down warm air gathered near the ceiling, to heat the room evenly.
Lower your thermostat. Each degree is the equivalent of 1% energy savings. Turning the thermostat down 5 degrees can equate to a $100 annual fuel bill decrease. A smart thermostat can be a great tool to help do this automatically.
Set your water heater to 120℉.Hot water heaters use up to 17% of a home’s energy. Turning the temperature down can save 4% to 22% of the energy needed to heat your water.
The hotter your shower, the higher your bills.
Run full loads of laundry in cold water. 90% of the energy used by a washer is to heat the water. Washing in cold water can significantly lower your machine’s energy use.
Ensure all bulbs are LEDs. Switching 10 60-watt incandescent bulbs for the equivalent LEDs could save $300 or more per year.
Regular appliance maintenance. Replacing the filters on your HVAC equipment and performing other appliance maintenance routinely not only extends the life of your appliances, but ensures they run more efficiently, thus lowering energy costs.
Consider heat pumps. They are a clean, versatile heating and cooling solution that reduces greenhouse emissions. With rebates of up to $15,000, now is a great time to upgrade.
To find out more, register for Sustainable Westport’s “Heat Pumps 101” webinar (March 5, 7 to 8 p.m.). The panel includes heat pump experts, and Westporters who have installed heat pumps in their homes. Click here to register.
(“06880” regularly covers the Westport environmental scene. We help you save money, too. We hope that, with a bit of those savings, you’ll support our hyper-local work. Just click here. Thank you!)
TikTok is a staple of many Staples High School students’ lives. During the recent debate over its possible shutdown in the US, “06880” interns Avni Krishna and Camille Blundell set out to explore the app, and its hold on Westport teenagers. They write:
With over 1.582 billion users worldwide, TikTok stood to lose a whopping 170 million from its American audience when the Supreme Court upheld a ban on the beloved app.
Of that 170 million, 63% are ages 13-17. This large following meant the ban would be severely felt in communities of teens, both on TikTok and in real life.
Not only was it used as a creative and entertainment outlet for many, but it was also a place where community and like-minded individuals could find one another.
There was an initial shock, as teens opened their app and found it unscrollable. But the grief was rescinded in less than 12 hours.
What did they do during the half-day period of dopamine withdrawals? For many teens, the ban meant going onto other popular apps that had implemented a TikTok-like feature of short-form content in a scrollable algorithm.
Yet whether it was YouTube shorts, Rednote, Instagram reels, or even picking up a book, teens yearned for their familiar app.
When the app returned, many saw noticeable differences with their “For You” pages. First, users were greeted with a message stating, “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”
This raised alarm bells, as a government and president’s involvement in an app regarding free speech can get complicated.
Users pointed out that political content was being censored, and artists and editors found it harder to meet the app’s harsh creation guidelines.
For many young people, this created a sense of dread. On one hand, the app that has been a staple in many Gen-Zers’ lives was back. On the other hand, the worries of creative and political censorship caused many to feel conflicted about their app use.
To learn more about youth’s perspective on the ban, we talked to 2 Staples students, senior Mia Bomback (who had a TikTok video go viral of her acceptance to Dartmouth) and sophomore Charlotte Brookebanks.
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