Winnie Balboni — a longtime Westporter, whose eye for Westport’s beauty was matched only by her enthusiasm for it — died September 24. She was 101.
Hope Hageman offers this obituary:
Born in Closter, New Jersey on April 16, 1923, Winnie was educated at the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter she married US Air Force Major Chester George Williams, and gave birth to sons Jeffrey, John and Jason.
She and Major Williams divorced in 1954. He died two years later.
For a time she was a single parent, living with her parents in Springfield.
Winnie married Anthony “Tony” Balboni, a pilot for United Airlines, in 1956, the year that she moved to Westport.
She soon became a mainstay of the Westport Garden Club. She played a major role in the effort to transform landfill on Imperial Avenue into Grace Salmon Park, including persuading the town to fund it.
Winnie Balboni at Grace Salmon Park.
She was the long-time editor of the Garden Club newsletter, and a tireless volunteer in the organization’s many projects. In 2006 she received an award from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut for her work.
She established Westport’s first Tree Board, which she served on for many years.
One of Winnie’s favorite spots was Sherwood Island State Park. Through her friendship with the park superintendent, forged during her afternoon rambles there, she learned that Connecticut ranked 50th in the nation in per capita expenditure on state parks.
With guidance from the Friends of Connecticut State Parks, Winnie formed a board of directors, developed a mission statement and by-laws, and almost singlehandedly founded the Friends of Sherwood Island.
A vibrant non-profit today, it has provided many enhancements over the past 25 years.
Winnie Balboni (far left) with her 2006 Connecticut Federated Garden Clubs award. (Photo courtesy of “A History of the Westport Garden Club 1924-2014,” by Louise Demakis)
In her mid-60s Winnie joined the Westport League of Woman Voters, and quickly became a board member. She organized the group’s first Memorial Day parade marchers. The sashes and suffragist outfits worn in the parade are lasting reminders of Winnie’s vision.
Her obituary calls Winnie “funny and feisty, generous to a fault, endlessly energetic, always curious and fiercely outspoken.
“She was an outdoorswoman, a tireless volunteer, a quilter, a seamstress, a mentor, a leader who believed that homemade baked goods were key to a successful and well-attended meeting.
“She hiked the Appalachian Trail in manageable portions whenever she could, she started the Jolly Gardeners to engage youngsters in outdoor work, she wrote letters regularly to every friend she ever had, she was committed to mental health advocacy and research at both state and local levels, she was a presence, and not always a silent one, at innumerable yown meetings.
Winnie Balboni, with a cloth bag. In 2008, before Westport’s Representative Town Meeting voted to ban the use of plastic bags — the first municipality east of the Mississippi River to do so — 85-year-old Winnie made a ringing speech urging it to do so.
“But her true and larger legacy now lies in the hearts and memories of countless friends who were fortunate enough to experience her warmth, humor and generosity at close range.”
Winnie was predeceased by her son Jeffrey, in 2007. She is survived by her sons Jason Williams of Cambridge, Massachusetts and John Williams of Richmond, Virginia, her devoted caregivers for the past 5 years; John’s wife Pamela Susan King, and “an incredibly long list of good friends.”
(Click here for an “06880” story, honoring Winnie Balboni on her 100th birthday.)
Dr. Jonathan Sollinger grew up in Westport. A 1986 graduate of Staples High School, he majored in history at Dartmouth, and got his medical degree from the University of Connecticut.
After training at Montefiore/Einstein, he’s been a beloved Willow Group pediatrician for over 20 years. He knows more about kids than just about anyone I know.
(Full disclosure: I’ve known Dr. Sollinger since he was a kid. Back in the day, I coached “Jono” in soccer.)
We got togther the other day at the Westport Library, for “06880: The Podcast.” our conversation centered around youngsters: what it was like growing up here back in the day, what it’s like now, and what tomorrow may bring.
Click below, for Dr. Jonathan’s Sollinger very intriguing insights into his — and our community’s — life.
The Westport Library has plenty of both. And right now, viny is on display on the main floor, near the reference desk.
The collection ranges from classics like Bob Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” to newer releases like Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth” and and Beyonce’s “Renaissance.”
There are over 100 records across 9 genres: rock, pop, R&B, hip hop, jazz, folk, blue:s, country, and local artists (including the Library’s home-grown “Verso Records: Volume 1.”
Patrons can check out up to 3 records at a time, for up to 10 days. For more information on viny collectng, click here.
Also in the Library of Things: 2 Nintendo Switch consoles, plus 50 games like Mario Party, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and more.
Westport Library vinyl and video game collections.
Speaking of music: Jeff Franzel — the Westport native and current Saugatuck Shores resident who played piano for the Hues Corporation (“Rock the Boat”), Les Brown, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme and Bob Hope, then wrote hits for Taylor Dayne, the Temptations, NSYNC, Shawn Colvin, Josh Groban, Placido Domingo and Clay Aiken — recently received his first Grammy Award nomination.
It’s for his song “Big Mama-Latto,” in the Best Melodic Rap Song category. (The multi-talented Franzel is a rapper too.)
Earlier this fall he won the Netherlands’ Edison Award — that country’s Grammy equivalent.
Jeff and his wife Joanne went to Amsterdam for the ceremony. (Hat tip: Prill Boyle)
Remarkably, they’re not the only field hockey champs in town.
Yesterday, Greens Farms Academy won captured its first-ever New England prep title. The Dragons edged New Hampton 1-0, in the Class C final at the Ethel Walker School.
Almost as thrilling was the reception home. After getting off I-95, the team received an escort back to GFA by the Westport Police.
Greens Farms Academy: New England field hockey champs!
PS: Congratulations too to senior Grace Almeida. GFA’s all-time leading scorer will play field hockey next year at Brown University.
As audiences laughed, applauded for and loved Staples Players’ production of “Elf,” they had one question: Where was the peppy, great-sounding pit orchestra?
Conductor Lauren Pine and her 16 musicians were nowhere to be seen.
With no room on stage, they played from the band room, down a hallway behind the stage.
Staples High School’s “Elf” pit orchestra, in the band room.
They were hardly out of sight, out of mind. Despite the distance — and thanks to a TV monitor — they did not, um, miss a beat.
The show was particularly meaningful for bassist Larry Perlstein.
Exactly 50 years ago — in 1974 — he was a Staples junior, playing in his first pit for Players’ production of “Oklahoma!”
His daughter Avery is now a junior herself. She runs lights for “Elf,” carrying on the family tradition.
There are still 4 chances to see the show that has the entire town buzzing. performances are set for this Thursday and Friday (November 21 and 22, 7 p.m.), and Saturday (Nofember 23, 2 and 7 p.m.).Click here for tickets. Though some shows may be sold out, tickets are often available at the door.
Robert Haydon Jones, Jr. died peacefully on November 10 in Fairfield. Alice, his wife of 50 years, was at his side. He was 86.
Born in New York City and raised in Westport, he was a graduate of Staples High School, Portsmouth Priory (now Abbey) in Rhode Island.
He left Miami University in Ohio before graduation, when he married Carol Lindblom.
Moving back to Westport, Bob was hired by advertising firm Ogilvy, Benson & Mather. He spent his career on Madison Avenue agencies alongside giants in marketing, advertising, public relations and literary publishing. Malachy McCourt was a good friend, until his death earlier this year.
Bob founded his own shop, Robert Haydon Jones & Associates, in Westport in 1972. He helped create a new genre of customizable, direct-to-customer, targeted-outreach marketing tools.
He crafted “some of the greatest direct marketing strategies ever conceived,” said Denny Hatch, editor of DM News.
A fundraising letter aimed at holding President Nixon to account in 1972 started “Dear Fool.” It broke response records, and became a major fundraising package.
He was passionate about baseball. Generations of young players around Fairfield County still talk about his coaching of their Babe Ruth, travel and Collegiate Summer League teams.
In the 1980s and ’90s he helped revive the Over-18 Westport Advertisers club, which barnstormed throughout New England.
After stepping back from coaching, Bob became a youth and school umpire. He called his last game well past his 80th birthday, finally retiring in 2020.
His family says, “One of Bob’s greatest journeys was forging and maintaining the path to sobriety, a journey for which he was often armed with vats of coffee for his regular meetings. He found great solace in his community, and was always willing to talk to and guide others navigating their own rock bottoms.”
In addition to Alice, Bob is survived by brother Christopher “Kit” of New York and Westport; sisters Jeremy of Philadelphia, Jude Anne of Norwalk, and Pam of Fairfield. He was predeceased by his youngest brother, Jeffrey.
He is also survived by sons Andrew (Francesca Gori-Montanelli), Evan (Margaret Mitchell-Jones), Charles and (Meg), and Robert H. III (Sylvia); stepdaughter Catherine (Sean Beaudoin), and stepsons James Lewis (Noel Casiano) and Tom (Kim), along with 8 grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, spread across 4 continents, along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
His decades-long companion and trusted aide, Henry Glasford of St. Kitts and Bridgeport, who stood by Bob’s side throughout his decline and into his final days, also survives.
A funeral service for Robert Haydon Jones Jr. will be held this Friday (November 22, 10 a.m.), at Assumption Church.
After the service, his wife Alice will host a celebration of life gathering at her Fairfield home.
The family asks that any memorial donations inspired by Bob’s memory be directed to the study and treatment of Prader-Willi Syndrome, a cause to which he and Alice have dedicated decades to supporting themselves on behalf of their son Beau.
Bob Jones
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A dog, low tide, sunset … what could be more natural for our “Westport … Naturally” feature?!
Posted onNovember 18, 2024|Comments Off on 60 Great Reasons To Save Holiday Stroll Date (December 7)
Nearly every day, there’s a new addition to the “06880” Holiday Stroll.
With a big boost from the Westport Downtown Association, the 4th annual event gets bigger — and more fun — than ever.
For the first time, for example, there will be a DJ at Brooks Corner. Vendors on Elm Street. A Westport Police Department Toys for Tots collection box.
Mark your calendar now for Saturday, December 7 (5 to 7 p.m.)!
All the favorite attractions return, including Santa, face painting, s’mores, a photo booth, holiday music from Staples High School’s elite Orphenians, and Staples Players costumed characters.
What’s a Holiday Stroll without Santa? (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Already, 60 retailers, restaurants and others have signed on, with gifts, giveaways, discounts and more.
The town-wide event includes participation from merchants on Post Road West and Saugatuck. Some offer specials all day, all weekend — even through December 31.
They include:
Advanced Dog Behavior Solutions:$150 off Puppy Dog Training program (mention “Holiday Stroll”; through December 20
Arezzo:Half-priced appetizers; 1 complimentary glass of wine per person
AROGYA Holistic Healing:Complimentary hot tea
Bella Bridesmaids: Champagne bar (all day)
Bloom Salon:Complimentary hair tinsel; refreshments; 10% off future service
Bobbles & Lace:Wine; $10 off future purchases (all day)
Candle Caboodle:Buy 1 candle, get dessert candle mini for free (while supplies last)
Castle Wine & Spirits: Free tote bag with purchase; get 5% off applicable wines when used in the future (all day)
Staples Orphenians sing carols. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
Catherine H:Chance to win with every purchase (through December 24)
Clarendon Fine Art:Complimentary coffee table art book with purchase (through December 24)
Cobs Bread: Buy 6 scones, get a free cranberry & sea salt French bageutte (through December 11)
Core Burn Pilates:1 free 30-minute session, or 1 free group class, plus 10% off any regular-priced package; sign up during Stroll for free grip socks (all day)
Cove Collective: 15% off, and festive treat (all day)
Crafty Kids Westport: Arts and crafts station
Diana Blau:Free bear ornament crafts for kids
Don Memo: Complimentary horchata
Strolling along Main Street. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Earthplace:Free t-shirt with new membership (all day)
Glowbar: $10 off facials for non-members (through December 31)
Head to Tail Books: 15% off online purchases with code “Stroll” (through December 20)
Hummingbird Healing Center: Hot chocolate and tea, plus free 10-minute session
Jenny Kayne: Hot chocolate; 15% off
Jeweled Coquette:TBD
Johnny Was: $50 off purchase of $300 or more
Face painting is always a hit. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
Kerri Rosenthal:20% off
Le Beaute Artistry: 10-20% off voucher cards
Lux Bond & Green: Traveling jewelry cases and holiday treats
Madewell:TBD promo; gift with purchase; hot chocolate
Myr’s Designs:Free red cashmere scarf with $100 purchase (all day)
Naturino Kids Shoes: 20% off single item (all day)
NEST Agency: Complimentary OGGI ice cream cart (3 to 7 p.m.)
Office Evolution:All the Starbucks you can drink; free private office until December 31 with signed 6- or 12-month new office agreement beginning January 1; brokers excluded (all day)
Nômade: Free s’mores and holiday chocolate calendar
Everyone loves s’mores! (Photo/Dan Woog)
Old Mill Shell Company: Hot chocolate
Party Harty: 15% off all Westport clothing (Saturday and Sunday)
Pizza Lyfe: Complimentary dessert
Rhone: Complimentary Grace Farms tea
Rowan: 15% off non-piercing jewelry (excludes diamonds); enter to win gift card (all day)
Savvy + Grace: Gift, with purchase of $50 or more
Scout & Molly’s:20% off single item; snacks and drinks (all day)
Serena & Lily:Snacks and drinks; enter to win $500 gift card
Serendipity Lab:Discounts on rooms and meetings (through December 31)
Sorelle Gallery:Holiday poinsettia cocktails and treats; 20% off all in-store and online artwork (all day)
Lovin’ the Stroll. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
South Moon Under:30% off select holiday styles and gifts (all day)
Southern Tide:Gift with purchase (all day)
Spash of Pink: Free Lilly Pulitzer printed mug with $100 purchase; printed plush blanket with $300 purchase (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Studio Cafe: 50% off holiday lattes and peppermint mocha lattes (all day)
Sundance: Save up to 20% with SMS sign-up; season cocktails and light bites
The Clubhouse: TBD
The Sugar Wagon:Candy; 10% off for party commitments
Theory: Via Carota cocktail tasting (1-4 p.m.); gift with purchase (all day)
Unsubscribed: Special promotion
Vince: 15% off signup for SMS; complimentary champagne (all day)
Walrus Alley: Happy hour specials, including traditional Gluhwein
WEST Boutique: Gift with purchase
West Out East: 15% off all accessories (all weekend)
Westport Country Playhouse: Use code Stroll25 for 25% discount for 2 play packages (through Sunday)
Comments Off on 60 Great Reasons To Save Holiday Stroll Date (December 7)
In its 105 years, the small building at the foot of Compo Hill has seen many things.
It’s where neighbors gather for coffee, food and gossip; contractors and tradespeople pick up lunch; thirsty dogs and parched joggers get water.
Decades ago, it was the only place in the Old Mill neighborhood with a telephone. It’s survived more hurricanes and nor’easters than Al Roker.
But until last Thursday, never — in over a century — had the spot that is now Old Mill Grocery & Deli offered a sit-down, 4- course wine tasting and dinner.
Romanacci’s — which, since taking over last January, has breathed new life into the old place — hosted the historic event.
If the smiles and full stomachs of the 18 guests were any indication, it won’t be the last.
Repurposing the community table at Old Mill Grocery.
Graziano and Mauricio Ricco — owners of the very popular Romanacci’s restaurants in Westport, Norwalk and Trumbull — had talked about doing a wine event at their Railroad Place spot.
But the OMG location offered a chance to add another special element to a neighborhood gem.
With just a couple of flyers and social media posts, they quickly sold out the “Evening at Rome.”
The Riccis used their extensive food and wine contacts throughout the US and Europe to create and source the menu.
The wines came from all over Italy. They were provided — and described in detail — by Guliano Parolin, the Romanacci’s business partner who comes from 4 generations of winemakers in Italy’s Veneto region.
Guliano Parolin explains the wine.
All preparation was done on site. General manager Davis Johnson — who in just 10 months has already embedded OMG into the community — arrived early. Chef José Siguencia was already there, preparing the short ribs for Graziano to finish.
Braised, slow-cooked short ribs, with polenta and broccoletti, were a huge hit.
Cooking an elaborate meal in OMG’s cramped kitchen was “no small task,” Johnson notes.
The community table that fills OMG worked well for the dinner party. Guests — nearly all of whom walked over — ranged in age from 30s to 70s. For 3 hours, convesation flowed as easily as the wine.
“Everyone was so happy, so glad they came,” Johnson says. “They loved seeing this place all ‘dressed up.'”
Welcome to the dinner.
The Riccis are already preparing for the next dinner, on December 5. It will feature an entirely new menu, and different wines.
If that meal is a success (and it will be), Romanacci’s may plan one or two a month, in 2025.
Back in the day, Allen’s Clam House and Café de la Plage (later, Positano) offered dining options near Old Mill Beach.
No one expected Old Mill Grocery & Deli to fill that void. But — 105 years after it opened as a valuable local market — OMG is serving memorable meals to neighbors and friends.
(To learn more about upcoming dinners at Romanacci’s — or for information on how to have your own party there — email compobeach@romanacci.com.)
Graziano and Mauricio Ricci, hosts of “An Evening in Rome.” (All photos/James Ricci)
(“06880” often covers the beach scene, local businesses, and restaurants. Sometimes they all converge. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
If you’ve ever sat outside at Mrs. London’s, parked in the Baldwin lot near Church Lane, or had any reason to visit Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, you’ve seen the fenced in playground between the church and the Seabury Center next door.
Except, apparently, no one notices it.
Pam Kopack was the only reader to correctly identify last week’s image. (Click here to see.)
Other guesses included Haskins Preserve, Winslow Park, Earthplace, private homes, the Westport Library, Wakeman Town Farm, Riverside Park, and — close, but wrong pew — Green’s Farms Church.
It’s on now to this week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/David Cross)
(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!)
The Staples High School field hockey team won their 6th state championship — and 2nd in a row — yesterday.
The Wreckers beat Darien 5-2, at Wethersfield High School. They put the game away with 3 straight goals, breaking a 2-2 draw. Goals came from Leah Larit (2), and Emma Larit, Alex Hackett and Sofia Fidalgo.
It was a clash of titans. Staples was seeded first in the class “L” (large schools) tourney. The Blue Wave were second.
They’re longtime rivals. The Westporters — ranked number 8 nationally — lost only once all year, to out-of-state Camden (New Jersey) Catholic. Darien had only 2 losses before yesterday. Both were to Staples.
And … the Blue Wave were victims of the Wrecker juggernaut in this year’s FCIAC final, and last year’s championship game as well.
Well done, coach Ian Tapsall and all the girls. Now, Darien and the rest of Connecticut: Get ready for a three-peat!
Staples field hockey: once again, state champs! (Photos courtesy of Staples High School Athletics)
Speaking of sports: ESPN journalist — and Westport resident — Jeremy Schaap hosts a special screening of his new E60 documentary tomorrow (Monday, November 18, 7 p.m., Westport Library).
“Pat Tillman: Life, Death, Legacy” highlights his career as a football star with the Arizona Cardinals, followed by his life as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan. His death (by friendly fire) received national attention.
After the film, Schaap will lead a discussion about it, and Tillman’s legacy.
And the New York Times — no easy reviewer — loves the first effort, from the 2002 Staples High School graduate.
Hilary Leichter writes:
Public and private moments of upheaval are the catastrophes in Chris Knapp’s fantastically dense and omnivorous debut novel, “States of Emergency.”
Climates both marital and global, existential terror and immediate terror, the dissolution of borders between countries and also people — such a list only simplifies the vertiginous simultaneity achieved in these pages.
Knapp doesn’t just tighten the perceived distance between our inner lives and the world around us; he erases it.
The result is a masterfully digressive story that moves across perspectives, time zones and time periods.
Imagine a 24-hour news cycle that name-checks Walter Benjamin, Frantz Fanon, the New York City water supply, the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges and Chris Martin’s 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, and you’ll have something approximating the serious and often playful intellectual terrain of this novel. Knapp’s narrator is a flâneur with push notifications.
Click here for the full review. Click here for more information, and to order “States of Emergency.” (Hat tip: Jeff Wieser)
Chris Knapp
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1972 Staples High School graduate Jeff Scher is a filmmaker and animator. He works in a Cross Highway studio, a few steps from his house.
He says: “In the pursuit of tiny post-election joys, here’s a new video I made for the Tom Petty estate. It premiered Friday.
“It’s an unreleased song from the ‘Long After Dark’ album that’s been re-released, with new songs from the original session.”
The video includes a couple of shots based on Compo Beach.
The Heida Hermanns Piano Competition never gets the local attention it deserves.
But the event — set for November 22 and 23, at MoCA CT — is one of the most prestigious in the piano world. It celebrates emerging talents, ages 18-35.
This year’s 3 international finalists — Nick Bai, Carter Johnson and Yongqiu Liu — were chosen from over 70 pianists, who submitted videos of their performances. The trio will premiere a new commissioned work, by composer Lowell Liebermann.
Chair of the jury panel is Frederic Chiu, the local resident, internationally known pianist, and a previous Hermanns winner. The winner receives $10,000.
Speaking of music: On November 24 (The Klein, Bridgeport; 6:30 p.m.), longtime Westport resident and nearly as longtime instructor Bernice Friedson will receive the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras’ inaugural Inna Berson Wetmore Excellence in Teaching Award.
Friedson “demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of music education, inspires young musicians, and makes meaningful and lasting connections to their students and our community through their teaching,” the honor says.
Friedson grew up half a block from Carnegie Hall. She gave her first recital at age 7, and later performed on WQXR and WNYC. As a teenager, she played with the New York Philharmonic and NBC Symphony.
She studied at Juilliard and Mannes Schools of Music. At 18 she auditioned for conductor Leopold Stokowski, and was accepted into both the City Center Opera and RCA Recording Orchestras.
After moving to Connecticut, Friedson played with the Norwalk, New Haven and Stamford Symphonies, and served as concertmaster for the Greater Bridgeport, Danbury and Ridgefield Symphonies, Connecticut Ballet, and Connecticut Grand Opera. She was concertmaster, violin soloist and assistant conductor of the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra, and founded the Connecticut String Quartet.
Friedson helped found the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Youth Orchestra (now GCTYO) in 1961. She was also a founding member of the Fairfield County String Teachers Association, and a specialist at Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County.
She continues to teach violin and viola, coach chamber music groups, and prepare students for auditions at at her Westport studio.
Bernice Friedson, with instruments created by her violin-maker father.
“06880” photographers can’t get enough of this full moon.
Matt Murray snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” image yesterday, as it rose over Sherwood Mill Pond.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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And finally … on this date in 1973, President Nixon told 400 Associated Press managing editors, “I am not a crook.”
(Sports, music, literature — and everything else going on in town — are all part of today’s Roundup. Just like every day. If you enjoy our hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
If there is one thing Westporters agree on, it’s that our traffic light system is broken.
This light stays red too long. This one is not green long enough. Why isn’t there a left-turn arrow here? Why can’t I go right on red there?
And, always: Why doesn’t the town do something about it?
The answer is frustratingly simple: It can’t. They’re not our lights.
According to Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella, there are 123 miles of town roads. 66 miles are private, and only 18.5 miles belong to the state.
But nearly every traffic light in Westport hangs over a state road.
Post Road East and West. Saugatuck and Riverside Avenues. Wilton Road. Easton Road. You name it: If there’s a light on it, odds are astronomical it belongs to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Call Town Hall about a traffic problem? They’re not our lights!
In fact, Andrew says, the only traffic lights the town controls are on Main Street at Avery Place and Myrtle Avenue, the Saugatuck fire station, and — because it’s a special, controllable light — the one at Fire Department headquarters.
So, if you have concerns — immediate (a light is out) or long-range (change the timing), the state DOT is the agency to call.*
But it’s a bureaucracy, so (of course) there are 2 separate jurisdictions.
The state DOT garage (next to Walgreens, across from Patio.com) handles all work orders from their driveway westward (to the Norwalk line). Their number is 203-227-7692.
Everything east of the state DOT garage is done by the Trumbull garage: 203-380-3836).
Traffic light concerns or electrical issues? Call 203-878-1869.
*Looking for ideas? Here’s one. Make each cycle at the Post Road West/ Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road cluster**** green for one side only, and red for the other three.
In other words, if you’re on Wilton Road, with Bartaco on your left, you get a green light to go any direction — left or right on the Post Road, straight ahead onto Riverside — while traffic is stopped in the other direction.
Then the cars coming down the Post Road West hill get their own green — to turn left or right, or go straight over the bridge — while everyone else stops.
Etc., etc.
It’s the only way to prevent back-ups, while cars wait for those in front to turn — but they can’t, because vehicles coming from the opposite direction are trying to do the same.
Hey, it’s worth a try. The current system is broken.
Right now, an entire cycle can pass with cars waiting for one to turn in any direction from Wilton Road, Post Road West or Riverside Avenue.
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