In just 2 years, Startup Westport has gone from a concept, to a thriving, well-known and high-achieving entity.
Just like the ideas it hopes to spawn.
Startup Westport is the town’s public/private tech and innovation partnership. Its events, programs and online presence, draw entrepreneurs and investors together.
The other day, Peter Propp and Cliff Sirlin — 2 of the group’s founders — stopped by the Westport Library.
There — on the same stage where several of their presentations have drawn SRO crowds — we chatted about Startup Westport.
What makes Westport a tech and innovation hub? Who makes up that segment of our population, and what exactly are they doing? How is Startup Westport helping, and what’s ahead?
Click below for our wide-ranging discussion. You’ll see why Cliff and Peter — and so many others — are so excited about the future.
(Click here for information about Startup Westport’s next forum on September 24: “Sustainable Success: Start-up and Investor Perspectives on B Corp and Public Benefit Corporations.)
A Westport woman faced a scary situation yesterday morning.
Working out at a fitness center in Southport, a heavy metal bar slammed down on the back of her head as she changed weights.
It felt like a bat smashed into her. She fell to the ground in pain.
But no one stopped to help. Not anyone exercising nearby; not one trainer.
She stumbled downstairs, only to be told at the front desk: “Sorry, the ice machine is broken. And there’s no first aid kit.” They offered her a seat, if she wanted.
One kind woman took a can from the drink cooler, and put it on her head.
The woman who was hurt wondered described the incident on social media, and wondered: Should she let it go, or pursue it with management?
Over 70 people replied. They offered smart suggestions — document everything; consult an attorney; ask for security camera footage; cancel your membership — as well as the most immediate advice: Go to a hospital! Get yourself checked out! You probably have a concussion.
Most impressive: 2 people offered to drive her to the hospital.
She replied that her husband was on top of things. But what a great thing to hear: that 2 complete strangers were willing to drop everything, and help.
That’s the upside of what could have been a very bad outcome.
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Gregg Jacobs reports:
“The boardwalk/bridge over the tidal gates at Sherwood Mill Pond started sagging a few days ago.
“As a result, Mill Pond was drained so the town could inspect the pilings. Several of them have rotted and are completely gone.
“Town employees inspecting it said it will need to be closed in the near future so they can install temporary supports, until the town finds the money to install new pilings and supports.”
Rotted pilings (Photo/Gregg Jacobs)
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Here’s a sight you don’t see every day:
(Photo/Stephen O’Shea)
Stephen O’Shea spotted this dolphin about 50 yards from the Compo Beach Hillspoint Road jetty, around 5:45 p.m. Saturday night.
Did anyone else see this cool-looking visitor?
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Here’s another animal story.
On Saturday, Westport animal control officer Peter Reid received a call from a resident about a mother cat and several kittens trapped in a storm drain at the entrance to a Post Road business.
He called the local cat rescue group to no avail.
Next was Westport Animal Shelter Advocates. Two volunteers found the mother and at least 3 kittens looking up at us from the bottom of the storm drain.
The heavy grate covering the drain prompted WASA to contact Police/Fire dispatch for assistance. Firefighter Eric La Riviere (a cat owner) and Chris Carroll of Engine Company #5 arrived quickly and removed the grate.
But the cats scurried further back into the drain pipe, which empties into a 12-foot well filled with water.
Peter Reid entered the storm drain. He could not see the feline family.
From left: Peter Reid, Eric La Riviere, Chris Carroll.
WASA is not a cat rescue organization. They do not have a variety of cat trap sizes, and this area is not large enough for a standard cat have-a-heart trap. The grate also presents an issue.
They wondered if a temporary cover or coned area could work.
After the grate was replaced, and the Fire Department and Animal Control left, the kittens came out to eat the canned food placed below by WASA.
Yesterday, WASA volunteers returned to the site. Jennifer Petrosinelli helped coordinate Fire Department help lifting and replacing the grates.
Traps were set, but none of the 5 kittens went in. WASA will try again this week, joined by cat-catching professionals from Animals in Distress in Wilton.
The rain is concerning because the kittens are too small to climb out of the drain but too big to be carried out by the mother cat. (Hat tip: Julie Loparo)
Cat, underneath grate.
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Tom Chapin comes to Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on Sunday, September 22 (1 to 3 p.m.).
The singer/songwriter/storyteller headlines a “Family Fun Day.” Also on the bill: a bounce house, ice cream truck and face painting.
And … it’s all free!
Homes with Hope is a co-sponsor of the event.
Tom Chapin
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Whether you’re involved in youth sports as an athlete, coach or parent, or you’re just setting off fireworks (see photo below): clean up after yourselves!
The collage is from Wakeman Field. But it could be any facility in Westport.
(Photos/Richard Fogel)
Trash cans are there for a reason.
And if they’re not nearby, pick up what you brought, and dispose of it at home.
I mean, come on. Respect your town, and everyone else.
This is as basic as it gets.
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Bob Weingarten writes: “On Sunday morning I found that a large tree limb had fallen, and considered how to remove it.
“But a short time later I saw a deer eating its leaves. I hoped that deer would eat it all, but it was too large.”
He calls the photo: “Nature taking care of nature.”
I call it: today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … happy 76th birthday to Valerie Simpson.
Our former Cross Highway neighbor was known — with her husband Nick Ashford — as both a stellar songwriter team, and a hit performing duo.
(From dolphins and deer to one of our favorite duos, “06880” covers all of Westport — 24/7/365. If you enjoy our work, please click here to support our efforts. Thank you!)
This story ran 2 years ago, as the new school year began. Several readers asked to see it again. It’s just as timely — and timeless — today. Have a great year!
Forget January 1. Pshaw, Rosh Hashanah. Tomorrow — at least for Westport parents and students — is the real start of the new year.
It’s the first day of school.
Whether you’re a kindergartner heading off on your own, a Staples senior already counting the days to graduation, or a mom or dad feeling pride, trepidation and the warp-speed passage of time — or anyone else, who has ever gone to school — this story is for you.
Summer vacation ends with a thud tomorrow. Each year it’s the same: One day a kid’s free as a cat; the next he’s trapped, chained to the rhythm of the school calendar for 10 long months.
Greens Farms Elementary School
Some youngsters love this time of year; they’re eager to greet old friends, and meet new ones. Or they can’t wait for the smell of newly waxed floors, the security of assigned seats, the praise they know will be lavished on them day after day.
Others abhor it. The thought of entering a strange building filled with strange faces, or trying to be part of a group of peers who won’t accept them, or sitting for hours at a time, doing work they can’t stand, is excruciating — even physically sickening.
Around this time each year, I think about the entire school experience. I wonder which kindergartner will hate school for the rest of the year because his teacher makes a face the morning he throws up in front of everyone, and which will love school because an aide congratulates her the afternoon she almost puts on her coat all by herself.
Which 1st grader will invent any excuse not to go to gym because he can’t throw a ball, and which will get through the school day only because he knows gym is coming soon?
Saugatuck Elementary School
Which 4th grader will walk meekly into class each morning with just one ambition — to get through the day without anyone noticing how ugly, or stupid, or poorly dressed she is — and which will look back on 4th grade as a turning point in her life because a guidance counselor took the time to talk to her, to show her how to comb her hair better, to make her feel good about herself?
Which 5th grader will have a teacher who does nothing when she catches him cheating on a test — too much effort to raise such a touchy issue — and which will have a teacher who scares him so much when he’s caught that he vows to never cheat in school again?
Which 6th grader will enter middle school intent on making a name for himself as the best fighter in his class, and which with the aim of never getting a grade lower than an A? Which 6th grader’s ambition will change, and which will remain the same?
Bedford Middle School
Which 9th grader will temper his fledgling interest in current events with the feeling “it’s not cool; no one else in class cares,” and which will visit the New York Times website every day because her class is working on “this really neat project”?
Which 10th grader will hate English because all she does is read stupid books assigned by the stupid teacher from some stupid list, and which will go to Barnes & Noble on his own for the first time because his teacher suggests there are more books by the same author he might enjoy?
Which 12th grader will have the brains to apply to 3 Ivy League schools, but lack the common courtesy to thank a teacher who wrote glowing recommendation to all of them? And which will slip a note in a teacher’s box the morning of graduation that says, “Thanks. I’m really glad I had you this year”?
Staples High School
It’s easy to wrap our school years in nostalgic gauze, or try to stuff the bad memories down our mental garbage disposals.
We also tend not to think in concrete terms about what goes on inside school walls every day. Learning, we assume, happens. Kids read, write, use laptops, draw, eat and see their friends.
We seldom realize how much of an impact this institution we call “school” has on our kids.
At approximately 1:50 p.m. today (Sunday), Connecticut State Police contacted the Westport Police Department about an accident on the Merritt Parkway, near the Clinton Avenue overpass.
Three people fled from one of the cars involved. The vehicle they fled was stolen from another jurisdiction.
Westport and Norwalk police officers joined state troopers, flooding the area searching for the suspects.
One suspects was quickly apprehended, and turned over to State Police. That person suffered injuries related to the car accident, and was taken to Norwalk Hospital.
Westport’s K-9 and drone units assisted in the search for the other 2 parties, but they were not located.
It is believed that the 2 people still outstanding are no longer in the area. If anyone sees suspicious activity, call the police immediately: 911 or 203-341-6000.
State Police will release information about the suspect arrested, and the charges made.
Please be advised of heavy traffic and delays due to police activity in the area of the Merritt Parkway, Clinton Road and Ford Road. Avoid this area.
There was a motor vehicle accident on the Merritt Parkway in the area of Clinton Road. Three suspects fled their vehicle, into the neighborhood of Clinton Road and Ford Road.
One suspect was apprehended. There are two outstanding suspects, possibly wearing masks and one with dreadlocks.
There is currently heavy police (multiple agencies) activity in the area conducting a search for the outstanding suspects.
There is no threat to the public at this time. We ask you to contact the Westport Police Department immediately should you see something suspicious that could be related to this incident: 911, or 203-341-6000.
Merritt Parkway closed, in both directions. (Photo/Bryan Bierman, via Facebook)
Residents of the Compo Beach neighborhood are the envy of many Westporters.
They’re a few steps from the water. They enjoy salt air, and magical sunrises, sunsets and moonlight. The vibe is as cool as it gets.
But they give a lot too (and not just to the hordes who overrun them on Halloween). The area draws walkers, joggers, bikers and everyone else, at all hours of the day.
They share their well-kept streets with everyone in town.
Which, I suppose, is how and why so many “06880” readers quickly identified the site of last week’s Photo Challenge.
The Jeff Koons-inspired sculpture sits on the lawn of a home on the corner of Bradley Street and Danbury Avenue. If it was somewhere else in Westport, most folks would probably never see it. (Click here for the photo.)
But 100 yards or so from Soundview Drive, many of us do.
Ed Simek, Paul Rohan, Andrew Colabella, Jonathan McClure, Michael Szeto, Celia Campbell Mohn, Nadine Tanen, Janet Albert, Seth Schachter, John Lisée, Pam Kesselman and Cat Malkin all got it right.
Say hi to them the next time you see them at the beach.
Before that though, turn your attention to this week’s Photo Challenge.
If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Seth Braunstein)
(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 Compo Beach playground renovation project takes place next April.
But the planning committee is already working hard, leaving, um, no stone unturned.
They’ve just unveiled a cool new website.
In includes a detailed drawing of the new playground (see below); plenty of options for support (as families and corporate sponsors); apparel like t-shirts (bearing the logo designed by Greens Farms Elementary student Jack Burke), and opportunities to volunteer.
Click here for the website. And get ready: April will be here before we know it.
The new Compo Beach playground.
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Brad Tursi — the 1997 Staples High School graduate whose band Old Dominion has won numerous country music awards — is simultaneously embarking on a solo career.
He’s having just as much success as he is with his group.
The other day, he played at the Grand Ole Opry.
“Surreal, and an opportunity I’ll never forget,” the former Wrecker soccer star says.
“Thank you to everyone at the Opry for the warm welcome and sweet hospitality.”
Westporters who were not in Nashville will get a chance to see Brad much closer to his old home.
He plays the Levitt Pavilion on October 12. Click here for tickets, and more information. (Hat tip: Curtis Lueker)
Brad Tursi, outside the famed venue.
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For over 20 years Movers Rich, Scott, Dave and Smitty have entertained families.
Their Emmy-winning Disney show and catalog of more than 250 original compositions make the Imagination Movers story — well, the stuff of dreams.
The fun-for-the-whole-family show comes to the Westport Country Playhouse on Sunday, September 22 (1 p.m.).
Tickets are $45 and $40 (click here). For an additional $50, there’s a pre-show meet-and-greet (click here).
“06880” gets tons of photos of bad and/or entitled parkers.
I reject some many submissions. The bar for egregious behavior is high. For example, a car hogging 2 spaces just won’t cut it anymore. That’s low-level douchebaggery.
So when I glanced at Glenn Payne’s photo, I was ready to toss it. The guy probably just went in to pay cash, I thought. There’s nothing bad here.
(Photo/Glenn Payne)
I confess: I had to ask Glenn what I was missing.
Duh!
Look closely. This one is truly gob-smacking.
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Nature is amazing.
Hard to believe such small insects can make such astonishing creations.
And hard to believe they also strike such fear in us.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from Susan Garment’s front yard.
Hopefully not too close to her door.
(Photo/Susan Garment)
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And finally … last night was International Bat Night.
How did you celebrate?
“06880” CONNECTION: Meat Loaf lived in Westport, a couple of decades ago. He was a regular presence in town, including playing softball at Compo Beach, and coaching a girls softball team too.
(We hope you learn at least one thing new every day from “06880.” We hope too you’ll support your hyper-local blog. Just click here — and thank you!)
As they mourn last month’s death of their friend Andy Crandall, Ed Katz writes:
“It was just a Sunday softball game — one of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands conducted in the US every weekend.
“But for this group of aging athletes, Boys of Summer Softball (BOSS) was a ritual — something to look forward to every Sunday for 6 months every year — and something to reflect upon every week and throughout the winter. It was a gift, one that will always be remembered, and will always be appreciated by all who were lucky enough to be part of it.” — Eric Baron
BOSS was never just about the game. It was a cherished tradition that for nearly 4 decades united a diverse group of middle-aged men who found joy in the camaraderie as much as in the competition.
Every Sunday, from April to October, these men gathered in Westport — not just to play softball but to relive a piece of their youth, to reconnect with the simple pleasure of a well-played game.
The Boys of Summer: Fall, 2014
BOSS began in 1983, born from a casual suggestion among dads coaching their kids in recreational baseball. Twenty men showed up for the first game, marking the start of a 40-year journey. The games eventually found their home on the softball field behind Town Hall, thriving until COVID brought the tradition to an untimely end.
BOSS was more than a game. It was about lifelong friendships, annual trips, and a yearly banquet celebrating the season with awards, trivia contests, and the presentation of the “Player of the Year.”
Alan Neigher fondly recalls the mix of players who, despite their years, played with the enthusiasm of boys. The banter, the occasional “atta boy” after a solid hit or a clean fielding play — it all created a lively, unforgettable atmosphere.
BOSS was rich with personalities and stories, like radio executive Dick Kalt, Emmy Award-winning TV host Richard Wiese, and lawyer Josh Koskoff (famous for his running — and often falling — catches).
Former judge and state representative Doug Mintz was a BOSS original.
Ed Katz was the winningest pitcher in BOSS history, with approximately 240 wins and 114 losses. He recalls his teammates carrying him off the field after pitching a shutout. His final at-bat in 2018, before moving to Florida, ended with an RBI single to tie the game. He then scored the winning run — a perfect way to end his BOSS career.
Boys of summer, at their annual team dinner. From left: Andy Crandall, Dr. Bob Selverstone, Ed Katz.
The roster of BOSS players reads like a who’s who of local characters. Courtney Wilson, Andy Moss (who called our games “a 2-hour vacation every Sunday”), Mike Berkin, Steve Yudelson, Mike Stiskal, Reynaldo Santana, David Halper, Bob Hertzel, Andy Davidson, Dave Quigley, Bryan Alix, Justin Tishman, Adam Chusid, Mike Walmark, John Brace, Jason Li and Jonas Katz all deserve mention.
One cherished tradition was the end-of-season videotape, edited by Eric Baron (with help from Josh Greenberger), provided much laughter.
Another was the weekly newsletter, first by Eric Baron and later Greg Pinyan, which humorously recapped the games and wove together our BOSS community.
Boys of Summer book.
Games were filled with moments that became legendary in BOSS lore, like Craig Bruce’s towering home runs and an infamous outfield error.
The love and respect among the players were extraordinary. Dr. Bob Selverstone — known for his speed even in his 60s — was the heart and soul of BOSS. He always arranged for the field and shared poems at the banquets — a testament to the dedication and passion that fueled BOSS.
Over the years BOSS lost 11 beloved players, with Andy Crandall the most recent.
Greg Pinyan sums up Andy well: “He could be a real pain in the ass at times.” That’s because he took the game seriously, and spoke harshly to players who made mental mistakes or didn’t hustle. “But he was a good guy and a solid player.”
To honor those who passed, plaques were placed in the dugout. The field was named after Harvey Harris, a fallen teammate. Steve Lindemann and David Vroman were also memorialized.
As we reflect on the passing of Andy, and the end of BOSS, we celebrate not just the game, but the spirit of camaraderie, the unforgettable moments, and the lifelong friendships forged on that dusty field.
BOSS was a tradition, a piece of our lives that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
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