We began this feature in the early days of the 2020 pandemic. It served a few purposes — for instance, a chance for people, stuck home for a long time, to be creative.
And with actual galleries closed, it was a way for artists to showcase their work.
Plus, it provided a bit of inspiration and joy to all of us, during a frightening, miserable time. (Click here to see that very first online art gallery.)
I thought the online art gallery would be something fun, for a few weeks. But the submissions kept coming. The range of themes widened; so did the mediums.
So — like COVID — the online art gallery is here to stay.
Unlike the coronavirus though, we’re happy it’s hanging around.
So remember: No matter what your theme, or medium — and whether you’re a first-timer or oldtimer: We welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Curtain Twitcher.” Artist Ken Runkel says: “It was inspired by one of my Nextdoor followers, who shared his story of a ‘curtain twitcher’ he remembered as a kid. I took it from there, and created this in the style of Norman Rockwell.”
“Imagine” (Patricia McMahon)
“Spring is Coming” (Ellen Wentworth)
“Sunset” (Karen Weingarten)
“Cousins House” (E. Bruce Borner)
“Another Red Barn” — artist Steve Stein says: “The reason barns are red is because early farmers painted them with a protective coating of linseed oil mixed with animal blood or ferrous oxide, to prevent weathering and the growth of mold and fungus.”
“The Koi Pond Getting Ready to Surface” (Dorothy Robertshaw)
Untitled (Tom Doran)
“Schooner in the Jungle” — acrylic painting (Peter Barlow)
“Let the Sleeping Cat Lie — You Can’t Run Fast Enough” (Mike Hibbard)
“A Hard Day on the Front Line in Ukraine” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Real estate statistics for the first 2 months of 2024 are in.
The market has definitely cooled. Every number is down from January-February 2023: number of sales (29, down 22%); median sale ($1,850,000, down 14%); average percentage over asking price (2.73%, down 5); total volume ($72,027,500, down 7%); number of new listings (72, down 24%).
But our friends at KMS Team at Compass have done a deeper dive into the figures.
They looked at 2 areas: the number of sales by the age of homes sold, compared to the number of bedrooms.
During the first 2 months, 2 homes built before 1900 were sold. One had 3 bedrooms; the other, 4.
Three homes built between 1900 and 1950 sold. Two had 4 bedrooms; the third had just 2.
The smallest home to sell in Westport so far this year was a 986-square foot, 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom home on Morningside Lane. Built in 1939 on 0.3 acres, it went for $850,000.
The most number of sold homes — 7 — were built between 1950 and 1970. Six had 4 bedrooms; one had 3.
Of the 5 homes that were built between 1970 and 1990, three had 4 bedrooms; the others had 5.
Four homes built between 1990 and 2010 sold. Two had 5 bedrooms; the others had 4 and 6 each.
One 5-bedroom home built between 2010 and 2020 sold; so did a 7-bedroom home.
Of the 6 homes that were built after 2020, 5 had 6 bedrooms; the other had 4.
While it’s obvious that newer homes have more bedrooms, that’s a bit counter-intuitive. After all, the average family size has decreased over time.
The difference is that today nearly every child has their own room. There are more guest rooms and nanny quarters too.
The most expensive home sold in Westport so far this year — on Hidden Hill Road, near Compo Beach — fetched $5,750,000. Built in 2014 on 0.83 acres, its 10,061 square feet includes 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms.
The median age of US housing stock is 44 years old. Westport’s is older: around 60 years (based on tax records).
By and large, our KMS friends say, Westporters value history. Yet they still appreciate — and can afford — the comforts of the 21st century.
That’s why many older homes have been renovated or enlarged to serve today’s lifestyle. More than 50% of all Westport homes built before 1950 now have 4 or more bedrooms, as evidence of this.
Buyers who want charm and appreciate old world detail and graciousness in a house seek out older homes.
They have often restored a residence in the past. or grew up in a house like these. They want the same feeling for their young family.
Some are buyers from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Others are already Westporters who have fallen in love with a specific neighborhood or street. They like the nostalgic feel. Some are downsizing into antique homes, as empty nesters.
Our friends at KMS Team included another chart, comparing the number of bedrooms to square footage.
The 2-bedroom home that sold in the first 2 months of 2024 was 986 square feet. The 3-bedroom home was 1,749.
The averages for 4-bedroom homes was 3,282 square feet; 5-bedrooms, 4,880, and 6-bedrooms, 8,136.
The average square footage for all 29 homes that sold this year is 4,611.
This 2,162-squre foot Compo Road South house is smaller than the average 4-bedrooom home that’s been selling. With 2.5 bathrooms on 0.4 acre, it was purchased for $1.125 million last month.
The huge jump in square footage from 5 bedroom homes to 6 bedrooms (almost all built from 2020 on) is telling, KMS says.
“Finished on 4 levels,” or showcasing finished basements that serve as second family rooms and recreation areas, is common in this type of new build.
Newer and larger homes with 6 or more bedrooms are in high demand by people who need the space.
They have frequent visitors — family and friends — and often several children. One or more family members work from home, and require office space.
Busy professionals seek “move-in ready.” That trumps all.
Move-in ready is important for those seeking homes in the middle, post-1950 build too. Updated mechanicals, kitchens and baths go far. Buyers are willing to tackle the cosmetics, but few want to go through a full restoration.
For more information on sales of Westport homes, click here, then scroll down. A series of charts illustrates housing trends, by size.
This chart shows the inventory of homes for sale in February of 2022, ’23 and ’24, based on square footage. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
Sure, Wheels2U Westport is the Westport Transit District’s on demand, group ride, door to train platform shuttle service.
But every year, it also sponsors a poetry contest.
The first 2 were for limericks and haikus. This year’s event features acrostic poetry. (That’s where the first letter of each line spells something special — in this case, “Wheels2U.” Duh.)
Here’s a sample, from Westport poet laureate emirita Diane Lowman:
Where shall I go How shall I get there Everywhere traffic snarls Everywhere parking dilemmas Let us be your chariot Simply call Wheels2U 2 take you door to door Ur transport dreams come true
Gift certificates to Westport restaurants of their choice will be given to the top 7 poems. One first prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate; 2 second prize winners get $50 certificates, and 4 third prize winners receive $25 each.
Wheels2U
Here’s another sample from Lowman:
What a joy Having not to worry Every morning Every evening Let us do the driving Sip your coffee 2 station and back home Ucan rely on Wheels2U
Want to win the contest, but don’t know a thing about Wheels2U?
Westport residents and commuters to Westport can use the Wheels2U Westport app to request a pickup between 5:45 and 10 a.m., and between 4 and 9:30 p.m. You’ll be taken to or from the Saugatuck or Greens Farms train platform, and your home or workplace anywhere in Westport.
Pickups should be requested 20 minutes before you would normally leave to drive to the station. The fare is $2 when paid with the Wheels2U app.
For more information about Wheels2U, click here. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, clickclick here.
Whisking you away Home to train and back again Exceptional service Every rider pleased Lively conversations with fellow passengers Spark lifelong friendships 2make commuting happy Use Wheels2U
The rules:
The contest is open to all residents of Westport. Enter as often as you like.
Entries should be sent to pgold@westportct.gov no later than March 30. Put “Acrostic Contest” in the subject line; include your name, address and email.
Winners will be chosen by Lowman, and Peter Gold and Karina Betfarhad, directors of the Westport Transit District, at their sole discretion.
All entries become the property of the Westport Transit District. Entrants give the WTD permission to use their entries without compensation to promote the operations of the Westport Transit District and Wheels2U Westport as the directors see fit, including, but not limited to, using the entry as an advertising poster at the Westport and Greens Farms train stations or in marketing emails. The Westport Transit District may modify entries to meet its needs.
Where do you want to go? How about the train station? Exactly where Wheels2U takes you Every weekday. Lovely service. So give it a try 2day. U bet!
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — and a great place to learn about contests like this. Please click here to support our work. You may not win the Wheels2U contest, but you’ll be a winner for us.)
On Saturday, this little guy created quite a stir in Westport.
He was first spotted near the Sherwood Island Connector (where it is suspected he was abandoned) in the early morning hours.
He led Westport Animal Control Officer Peter Reid all around town. Compo North, Long Lots, downtown — Forest was everywhere.
Peter was assisted by Westport Police, and several residents. While they came close, they could not catch him.
Over the next few days he was spotted in Fairfield, Easton and Trumbull. Meanwhile, Peter maintained communications with concerned residents.
Peter requested the assistance of Connecticut Dog Gone Recovery.Flyers were disseminated throughout statewide, through social media.
Finally, last night in Shelton, his odyssey ended.
He had established a 2-mile route that enabled skilled individuals to set a trap. Melissa Carpenter and Jill Bishop captured him, and named him Forest (for obvious reasons).
He spent the night at the Melissa’s home. This morning she contacted Officer Reid, who had advocated for his return to Westport for shelter and recovery.
This morning Melissa, Peter and Julie Loparo of Westport Animal Shelter Advocates met at Schulhof Animal Hospital. They immediately offered to provide any needed vet care (which will be funded by WASA).
Forest with Westport Animal Control Officer Peter Reid, and Melissa Carpenter of Dog Gone Recovery.
Forest is friendly — though a little shy, tentative and very tired. He is being examined today: vaccines, blood work, and ultimately, neutering surgery. He has already been found to have heartworm.
Amazingly his paw pads are quite healthy, despite his adventure.
With no owner coming forward, Forest will need a new forever family — one that will love him, and keep him secure and safe.
If interested, email wasa1@optonline.net. Click here to make a donation for Forest’s care. Click here to donate to CT Dog Gone Recovery.
In the 1960s and ’70s — before strict building codes, and regular inspections and enforcement by the Fire Department — there were spectacular fires at Westport businesses.
Carousel Toy Store burned twice: in Compo Acres Shopping Center (along with Franklin Simon and others), then again in Sconset Square (at the time, called Sherwood Square; the Paint Bucket next door burned to the ground too).
The furniture store opposite Brooks Corner went up in a memorable winter blaze in 1976; it was a midweek afternoon, and downtown was thronged.
Several years earlier, the Westport Lanes bowling alley caught fire in the middle of the night. Unlike Carousel or the furniture store (now The Gap), it was rebuilt.
Another large fire took out the entire block between Taylor Place and the entrance to the Jesup Green parking lot, across from what was then the Westport Library (today it’s the downtown Starbucks, and others).
On the evening of Saturday, November 10, 1974, the businesses — Muriel’s Diner at one end, Klaff’s Lighting at the other, and a jewelry store, smoke shop, shoe repair, plus 2nd-floor offices and apartments — caught fire.
The aftermath of the “Klaff’s fire.” (Photo courtesy of Gail Comden)
The blaze did at least $1 million in damage, and cut power to much of downtown.
The block was rebuilt, and Klaff’s returned. (The space is now South Moon Under.)
But a historic block — housing the very first, pre-Morris Jesup library, among others) — was gone.
(Friday Flashback is a regular “06880” feature. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Like most Westporters, I’ve gotten used to the construction cones, narrow lanes and drunken lines on the Post Road between Fresh Market and McDonald’s — and further east, near Bulkley Road by Stop & Shop.
Like most Westporters too, I’ve gotten used to seeing no work going on at either site — for months.
Will it ever resume? Is it done?
I asked Pete Ratkiewich. The Westport Public Works Department director pointed me to documents from a 2019 (!) Town Hall presentation.
They show intersection improvements, roadway widening and sidewalk work (click here to see).
So: No. It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot.
“They are only done partially on the north side. And they have a long way to go on the south side in both locations,” Pete says.
And, he adds, “you won’t see work start up again in earnest until the asphalt plants open.”
Work on Post Road East near Fresh Market.
Work at the Post Road East/Roseville Road/Hillspoint Road intersection.
================================================
Speaking of the state Department of Transportation:
They’ll perform maintenance work on the Cribari Bridge this Monday night (7:30 p.m., to 5:30 a.m. Tuesday; March 18-19).
While the bridge is closed, traffic will be detoured to the Post Road.
When the sun goes down Monday, work will be performed on the Cribari Bridge. (Photo/Sam Levenson)
================================================
St. Patrick’s Day came early for Club 203.
On Wednesday night, over 135 guests from Westport’s social organization for adults with disabilities partied at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.
The evening included entertainment by the Lenihan Irish Dance troupe, green bagels from Village Bagels, and green clover cookies from the Pantry.
Nearly everyone wore green. Everyone was Irish for the night. And everyone had a blast!
There is a new — and very friendly — face at the Westport Weston Family Y.
Angie is the “official greeter” on Monday and Thurday mornings, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. She then heads to the Wellness Center, keeping things clean and tidy.
Her employment is a partnership between the Y and Star Inc. She gets her first paycheck today, and is very excited.
When you see Angie, give back to her the same smile she gives you!
When thousands of homeowners in Florida and Louisiana purchased their hurricane insurance, they probably had no idea that John Seo stood to make a big profit if their properties got through the next three years unscathed.
Unbeknownst to them, Seo, a 57-year-old hedge fund manager in southern Connecticut, is the reason why millions of people from New Zealand to Chile have financial protection against natural disasters. His fund, Fermat Capital Management, owns the world’s biggest collection of catastrophe bonds — complex financial instruments that insurers issue to cover risks they can’t handle.
Fermat is an oddity in the hedge fund world. Its modest office, in the affluent town of Westport, sits in a former post office across from an auto-repair shop. There are meteorology journals in the reception area and equations scrawled on a whiteboard. Investment decisions are guided by complicated weather-risk computer models powered by large servers that whirr ceaselessly behind a glass window.
Fermat’s “modest office” is at the end of Riverside Avenue, just before it intersects with Railroad Place. Click here to read the rest of the piece about Seo, titled “How a Physics Whiz Made a Fortune Betting on Nature’s Catastrophes.” (Hat tip: Allan Siegert)
John Seo (2nd from left) and colleagues, at Fermat Capital. (Photo/Joe Buglewicz for Bloomberg)
Next up in the Westport Country Playhouse Script in Hand play reading series: “Tenderness and Gratitude Number Four.”
Michael is a party boy who avoids intimacy at all costs. Jenny is a jaded, wise-cracking office worker who still harbors dreams of becoming an artist. When the two strike up an unlikely friendship at work, they are forced to learn what it means to open up to someone else, and how to take a long, hard, messy look at oneself in the mirror.
The “a humorous, often heartbreaking examination of love, art, truth, lies, office politics, and the complicated road to true friendship” is set for April 15 (7 p.m.).
All tickets are $30. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
We’re halfway through March. Which means our town is halfway through the Great Westport Burger Contest.
Competitors in the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event include Black Duck, Boathouse, Harvest, Jr’s,, La Plage, Little Barn, Match Burger, Nomade, Old Mill Grocery, Organika, Rizzuto’s, Shake Shack, Southport Diner, Spotted Horse, The Blondinit, The Porch, The Whelk, Viva Zapata and Zucca.
The 7 categories are Best Classic Burger, Best Cheese Burger, Best Gourmet Burger, Best Veggie Burger, Best Non Beef Burger (fish, turkey, lamb…), Best Fast Food Burger, and Best Slider. Each Restaurant can enter up to 4 categories, but can win a maximum of 2.
Residents have until March 31 to visit the venues, enjoy their offerings, then vote on the Chamber’s website.
Yesterday, 17 current and former Representative Town Meeting members relished the chance to promote the contest, with lunch at Spotted Horse.
I wasn’t there. But I’m pretty sure I know what was on the menu.
What’s the state of college admissions today, in a post-COVID world? What should rising 9th and 10th graders be thinking about?
Those are some of the topics they (and their parents) can learn about, at a “College Admissions Planning for Rising Freshmen and Sophomores” webinar (March 21, 7 p.m.).
There is no charge for the S4 Study Skills event, but registration is required here. Click here to sign up.
And finally … in honor of the Westport Y’s new greeter (story above):
(From Post Road traffic to hedge funds, the YMCA to London, “06880” is “where Westport meets the world. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Do you want tickets to see Timmy Trumpet, Four Tet or Mura Masa?
Interested in a show at Terminal 5, Knockdown Center or Under the K Bridge?
If those artists and venues are incomprehensible to you, you’re not part of the rave and EDM* scenes.
But if you are, you know how hard it is to exchange tickets.
Fortunately, you’re about to get a jolt. A CrowdVolt, in fact.
That’s the name of a new start-up. Two of the 3 founders are Staples High School grads: Max Hammer and Josh Karol. Carter Bassler is helping out as an intern.
If successful, they’ll create a solution to the hassle of buying tickets off Facebook Marketplace, Reddit, or paying high fees on other sites. Right now tickets sell out early, and can’t be traded easily.
There’s no guarantee of success, of course. But they’re backed by Y Combinator — the most prominent start-up accelerator in the world.
From left: Josh Karol, Max Hammer and Aria Mohseni, at Y Combinator headquarters in San Francisco.
It’s funded 4,000 new enterprises — including Airbnb, DoorDash, Instacart and Stripe — at $500,000 each. Their combined valuation is $600 billion.
Every 6 months, over 10,000 companies apply to participate in Y Combinator’s next “batch.” The acceptance rate is 1.5 to 2 %.
CrowdVolt cleared that hurdle at the end of last year. When they got news they were accepted,Staples Class of 2016 grads Hammer and Karol quit their jobs — investment banking at UBS and software engineering at Millennium Management, respectively — and headed to San Francisco.
Since then, they’ve been immersed in intense work with the accelerator. They’re learning about the start-ups world, and meeting a network of already successful Y Combinator founders. When they and their fellow start-ups’ “batch” is done, they’ll head back to New York, and really try to fly.
CrowdVolt’s third co-founder currently in San Francisco is Aria Mohseni. A DJ and friend of Karol’s from Emory University, he was a roommate with Karol and University of Pennsylvania grad Hammer in New York.
Carter Bassler
Bassler, meanwhile, works remotely. The 2020 Staples alum is a senior at the University of Virginia, finishing his work as a computer science major. He met the others through his Staples friend Zach Karol, Josh’s brother.
“What StockX did for sneakers and streetwear, we’re doing for tickets,” Hammer promises. (The CrowdVolt name conveys the idea of large audiences, and electric excitement.)
Existing rave and EDM markets “claim to be 2-sided” for ticket buyers and sellers, he says.
“CrowdVolt wants to give more power to buyers. And when sellers know what they’re willing to pay, there will be more accurate pricing.”
Buyers can either “buy now” or bid. Sellers can “sell now” or ask for a higher price. All transactions are publicly viewable.
Furthermore, CrowdVolt says, “concerts are communal events meant to be experienced with others. So we’ve made buying and selling a social experience, with social media integration and messaging.”
The founders know the rave and EDM scene well. They attended over 80 shows last year alone. “We know the marketplace experience through the existing mediums is poor, so have opted to rebuild it ourselves,” they say.
Their time in San Francisco has been a whirlwind of activity. Working on a start-up can be isolating, so Y Combinator brings groups together. They learn from each other, and those who have already been through the process.
It’s a big adjustment from the structure of corporate life to starting a start-up, Hammer says. Y Combinator keeps them focused.
“They keep stressing: If you’re not coding or talking to customers, you’re wasting your time,” says Hammer.
The 3 founders in San Francisco do the back-end work. Bassler, in Charlottesville, takes care of the front-end.
CrowdVolt’s look is rave-inspired.
The youngest members of the current batch are still in high school. A few are in their 40s. Most, however, are the CrowdVolt founders’ age: 20somethings.
Hammer and his crew see rave and EDM as the beachhead to other genres, and markets beyond New York.
Since CrowdVolt’s February launch, they’ve handled $26,000 in transaction volume. Five thousand users have visited the site. Those numbers should soar, as spring and summer events come online.
Marketing has been through social media, street posters and word of mouth. CrowdVolt plans to host in-person events too.
Returning to New York will be exciting. They won’t be far from Staples — where all 3 were first inspired on the road to today.
Karol was introduced to coding as a freshman in Dave Scrofani’s class. Bassler’s freshman year programming teacher was Dr. Nick Morgan.
The hands-on skills they learned were some of the most important lessons from high school, the founders say.
For which all the Timmy Trumpet, Four Tet and Mura Masa ticket-buying fans in the tri-state area should be grateful.
(Rave and EDM fans — and those of every other type of music — have a home at “06880.” We cover the entire local entertainment scene, and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Westport’s next Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday, April 13 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Greens Farms railroad station).
The free program enables residents of Westport, Norwalk, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich to safely dispose of household hazardous wastes.
Residents of those towns may bring these types of hazardous waste: gasoline, kerosene, spray paint, paint strippers, paint thinners, solvents, paints, stains, turpentine, varnishes, wood preservatives, degreasers, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, bleach, charcoal lighter, cleaning chemicals, drain cleaners, mercury thermometers, moth balls, pet flea shampoos, photo chemicals, rug shampoos, spot removers, art supplies and paints.
Make sure items are clearly labeled.
Never mix chemicals!
Keep products in their original labeled containers.
Place leaky containers in clear plastic bags.
Tighten lids of all containers, and pack items in sturdy cardboard boxes lined with paper.
Put boxes in the trunk or in back of the vehicle, away from passengers.
Leave pets and children home when bringing hazardous materials for collection.
This is the first Hazardous Waste Day of 2024, so lines may be long.
Westport residents may recycle antifreeze, motor oil, batteries of any type, light bulbs and electronics at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon.
The following items are NOT acceptable: ammunition, flares, commercial hazardous waste.
The Westport Country Playhouse has hosted many big names.
On May 19, it adds another: Bernadette Peters.
The stage, film and television actor and singer has won 4 Emmy Awards, 3 Tonys, and a Golden Globe. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Peters just finished a successful West End debut in “Old Friends,” celebrating the life and work of Stephen Sondheim.
Tickets for the evening of song are $250 and $175. All proceeds benefit live theater at the Playhouse. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight (Thursday, March 14, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 309).
Two items on the agenda:
Executive discussion to discuss Request for Quote submissions, with invited candidates.
Public comment and/or questions, as time allows.
Discussion continues, on a new Long Lots Elementary School.
Meanwhile, next Monday (March 18, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker will present the town budget for fiscal year 2024-25 to the Board of Finance.
=================================================
A large crowd filled Mitchells of Westport for last night’s meet-and-greet with University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, and his team.
Among the attendees: Emily Bernier. She wore her UConn shirt. Meeting the legendary Auriemma was fun — and so was posing with her idol, Paige Bueckers:
The event was a fundraiser for Bleeding Blue for Good, the organization that provides name, image, likeness opportunities for Husky athletes.
=================================================
There is no limit on beach sticker sales to people who live in Westport and Weston.
However, only 450 stickers are sold to folks living anywhere else.
Those non-resident sales began yesterday, online and in person.
The photo below shows the woman (on the right) who purchased the first non-resident sticker.
She looks delighted.
Like the rest of us, she can’t wait to shed her coat, and — starting May 1 — put that sticker to good use.
================================================
Registration is open for a slew of Wakeman Town Farm classes and events, for children and adults.
They include:
Kids’ spring classes
Kids’ summer camp
Kids’ Easter and Passover cooking (April 26, 4:15 to 6 p.m., ages 6-12)
Backyard chicken-keeping (April 4 and 25, May 9, 6:30 p.m.)
Canning class: jams and pickles (April 30, 6:15 p.m.).
Click here for details and registration information.
Want to raise chickens? Wakeman Town Farm will teach you.
================================================
Jill Dunn‘s speed dating events are attracting big crowds.
And some great success stories.
The next are on Tuesday (March 19, Walrus Alley).
There are actually 2: one of people in the 30s-40s range (7 p.m.), the other for singles 55+ (5 p.m.).
Space is available for all (particularly for “great men” in the older group).
Click here for tickets to next Tuesday’s events. Click here for more news and information for singles.
Last week, “06880” reported that Nate Colman and Jonah Rothlein’s documentary was one of 15 finalists for C-SPAN’s Student Cam contest.
Now it’s official: the Weston High School students’ story about Morad Tahbaz, a Weston resident held in an Iranian prison for 6 years, won the grand prize.
The young filmmakers will receive $5,000 — and “Innocents Held Hostage” will air on C-SPAN on April 21 (6:50 a.m., then throughout the day).
You can see it now — just click below:
The network received over 1,600 entries, from 42 states and Washington DC.
Westport is a town of people who love to read. Now, you can help select the next winner of the Westport Prize for Literature.
The Westport Prize needs readers to help vet manuscripts for its 2024 honor, to be awarded in conjunction with this fall’s StoryFest.
Readers will read 2 or 3 manuscripts, then submit feedback via an online form. Those results will help determine the finalists that advance to an independent jury.
The Westport Prize for Literature honors “an original work of fiction that explores issues in contemporary society. Last year’s winner was Zadie Smith, for The Fraud.
Westport residents interested in being a reader for this year’s prize should click here.
Last year’s winner of the Westport Prize for Literature.
The Greenfield Hill Grange is in Fairfield. But Westporter Cornelia Olsen is very involved.
And Westport resident/composter/self-described “trash picker” James Flint is the speaker at fundraiser there. Proceeds will help pay for a new roof on the beautiful Queen Anne building.
“Recycling Revisited” (March 23, noon) is a luncheon and panel discussion for “gardeners, farmers, eaters and waste generators.”
Speakers will offer updates on what’s in and out in the recycling world; the solid waste crisis in Connecticut, and what local residents can do about it all.
Tickets are $20, and include a tuna or egg salad sandwich, beverage and dessert. RSVP by March 20; call Cornelia: 203-571-8673.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
