This week — purely by coincidence — several photographers whose work often appears as “06880” Pics of the Day have pivoted, with submissions to our online art gallery.
We welcome their work — and all other artists’ too. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world! (PS: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.)
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
“A Weston Window” (Pat Saunders)
“Eye of the Storm” — acrylic and resin (Patricia McMahon)
Untitled — acrylic on canvas (Kirsten Woods)
“Here’s the Little Birdie That Told You So” (Mike Hibbard)
“Westport Marsh” — Artist (and 1972 Staples High School graduate Steve Moen) writes, “As a teenager I worked withWestport artists like Anne Toulmin Rothe, Charlie Reid and Bob Baxter. Three years ago I began working on a series of Westport paintings. I made frequent visits to my parents as they made their way through their senior years. Now I have plenty of pieces to show, and am looking for a place to pitch.”
Untitled — Sherwood Island State Park (Deirdre Kaempfer)
“Last Susan of the Season” (Peter Barlow)
“My Backyard Tree in Winter at Sunset/Moonrise” (Laurie Sorensen)
“Jalopyland” — acrylic on canvas (Jodi Wallace)
Untitled — Indian Rocks Beach, Florida (Matt Murray)
“Pegasus — Not to be Confused With a Unicorn” — pencil drawing on sketching paper (Aerin Stein, 12 years old)
“Working the Phone” (Lawrence Weisman)
“View from Favela do Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro” (Wendy Levy)
Untitled — “Inspired by ‘Open Door Policy,’ Ken Runkel” (Jerry Kuyper)
“Lambchop” (Ken Runkel)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
On January 1, Connecticut’s “Bottle Bill” doubled its deposit to 10 cents.
Sustainable Westport says: “The bottle bill aims to incentivize recycling and proper disposal of beverage containers by attributing a cash value to each container, making it more likely that the containers will be recycled.
“States with bottle bills (we are one of only 10 in the US) have much higher recycling rates for containers than non-bottle bill states.
“The redemption process — separate from curbside recycling — results in less contamination, contributing to higher-quality recycled materials, particularly for plastics.
“Eligible containers include most metal, glass, and plastic beverage containers within specific size ranges for carbonated and non-carbonated drinks. The program covers various beverages, but excludes certain items like paper cartons, pouches, milk, wine and liquor.
“Consumers can redeem containers at stores selling the deposited beverages, including those equipped with self-service reverse vending machines (RVMs). Two near locations to redeem bottles and cans are Stop & Shop and Stew Leonard’s.
“Connecticut’s Bottle Bill laws contribute to the creation of a circular economy by ensuring that valuable resources within these containers are efficiently recycled and reused. This conserves raw materials, and reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing new containers from scratch.
“Beyond its environmental benefits, this legislation fosters a sense of responsibility and awareness regarding waste management. For more information about the new bottle bill and to learn about other redemption options, check out our recent blog.
(“06880” is your go-to local blog, for environmental news and notes. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
A recent “06880” post on once-upon-a-time Westport stores and restaurants sent readers racing down memory lane.
One of those memories: the Bonanza Sirloin Pit.
It stood where Goodwill is now, near Stop & Shop. Earlier, it was Westport’s Greyhound bus depot; after, it became the very popular Peppermill restaurant.
I’ve always had a memory of seeing Dan Blocker — “Hoss,” from the “Bonanza” TV show — making a personal appearance there.
But I was never sure how accurate that memory was. A posting by Paul Ehrismann on Facebook the other day assured me I was right.
There’s a bit more to the Bonanza story.
According to Wikipedia, the Westport steakhouse was the very first, in a chain that grew to 600 restaurants by 1989.
There was also a Bonanza a mile west, on the Post Road. Today we know it as Sakura.
(If you enjoy these weekly trips down the “06880” rabbit hole, please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Click here — and thank you!)
As scams of various kinds rise, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Westport Police Lieutenant Jillian Cabana discuss email, telephone and other forms of theft.
They join Y’s Men of Westport and Weston member John Brandt, on this week’s “Westport … What’s Happening” podcast.
Listen below, to learn how to protect yourself and your family from them.
The tree that took down Compo Road South utility poles earlier this month started a fire at Patrick Church’s home near Park Lane. A pet was killed in the blaze.
His washer, dryer, TV, stove and other appliances must be replaced. He has had to purchase 2 generators, and hire an electrician.
Jeff Shikowitz and his family want to help. Patrick works for a refuse company, and has serviced the Shikowitzes since 2015.
“We have never encountered a more caring and thoughtful person,” Jeff says. “He always has a treat for our dogs, and a kind word for us. We look forward to seeing him during his bi-weekly pickups.”
Jeff has started a GoFundMe page for Patrick. The money will pay for replacement appliances, the electrician, and fuel to run the generators until full power can be restored. Click here for more details, and to contribute.
If, that is, you enter the Sunrise Rotary Club’s raffle.
Tickets are $50 each. Each ticket is assigned a randomly selected pair of numbers — one for each team. If the numbers correspond to the final score — or the end of any quarter, that person wins.
Payouts are $1,000 for the final score, and $500 for scores at the end of each quarter.
You don’t have to watch the Super Bowl — or even care about football — to participate.
PS: One winner is already determined: the many charities that Sunrise Rotary supports. 50% of all ticket sales go there. The other 50% goes to raffle winners.
Westport Lifestyle’s new editor is Sara Gaynes Levy.
Her previous positions include Glamour, Self, The Boston Herald and People StyleWatch. Her work has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Real Simple, O the Oprah Magazine and others.
Sara lives in Westport with her husband and 3 children. She can be reached at sara.gayneslevy@citylifestyle.com.
NCAA lacrosse action comes to Staples High School on February 6. #18 Boston University takes on St. Joseph, at Paul Lane Field.
Among the Staples lacrosse alums who have gone on to play for the Terriers: Charlie Howard (current player) and Matt Garber, who earned a master’s degree last year.
And finally … Paul Newman — actor, director, race car driver, philanthropist, civic volunteer, neighbor and friend — was born on this date in 1925: 99 years ago.
Happy birthday, Paul. We miss you!
(You don’t have to give away as much money as Paul Newman did. “06880” is grateful for whatever support you can provide. Please click here to help your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
Staples High School Class of 1976 alum Jan Carpenter is a retired financial executive. She graduated from Boston College, and spent her career working in the consulting and advertising business in New York and San Francisco.
She has been an active civic volunteer, and recently became involved in political efforts to improve how we govern ourselves and improve our democracy. Jan writes:
Feeling stressed from the toxic political news of the day? Here is a bit of stress reduction.
I am a co-state leads for America’s new Forward Party. We don’t take a position on traditional party platforms like gun control, etc.). Rather, we believe that our political system is broken and we need to fix it.
We will not run a candidate for president in 2024. Instead, we are trying to get regular folks elected at local and state levels who want to work together with grace and tolerance, advocate for compromise and civility, and want democracy reform.
That reform takes many forms, including voter reform (ranked choice voting, for example), open primaries, and independent redistricting.
As part of this work, I am lucky to have been exposed to many grassroots organizations fighting for these sorts of reforms that few have ever heard about.
I want to share with Westport 3 of them that I found especially interesting and promising, in the fight for reform and a better future.
Citizen Assemblies. The concept involves taking a thorny community issue and, in an effort to move in a positive direction, bringing together everyday citizens by lottery to work together over a period of time to come up with a recommendation.
Participants attend a set number of days/meetings (and typically get paid for doing so), get to know each other, hear from experts on both sides of an issue (also typically paid), then vote on a decision, which must be a supermajority (2/3) vote.
Their decision (in writing) goes back to the legislative body that needs to vote on the topic. That body could vote against the recommendation of the CA, but would need concrete reasoning. (Click here to learn more.)
Citizen Assemblies:
Get citizens involved in helping make decisions for the community
Help provide information for elected officials to assist in decision-making
Offer information to defend decisions; takes “political maneuvering” and (in many cases) vitriol out of politics.
Citizen Assemblies have been used in a variety of places, including:
Ireland to decide same-sex marriage
Petaluma, California during debate on the use of park/farm land
Michigan to review the response to COVID.
Westport might be a great maverick/leader, by using CAs to address difficult problems (there is no shortage of them these days).
It’s probably too late for Long Lots (though if thought about earlier, might have worked beautifully), but maybe not too late for discussions surrounding downtown.
Open Primaries.Connecticut’s closed primaries means that only Democrats get to vote in Democratic primaries, and Republicans in theirs.
Yet these are not “clubs” that we think of when we think of closed memberships. These are public primaries, which we all pay for.
Most Connecticut voters identify as independent — yet most voters here do not get to participate in primaries. Some say this results in more extreme candidates, less competition, and less incentive to appeal to a broader part of the electorate.
A group is trying to fix that. Click here for details; view the video below:
The Good Party. It’s incredibly difficult to run and get elected as an independent candidate today. This is particularly frustrating since (as noted above), most of us are independent.
This group is trying to fix that. The Good Party is not actually a party at all; rather, it’s a group that has come together to help people at local levels to run as independents.
They are building a movement (and offering free technical support) to end America’s 2-party political dysfunction. Click here and also here for details.
I hope “06880” readers find this interesting and encouraging. To learn more about the Forward Party, click here.
Readers: Would the Forward Party work in Westport? Click “Comments” to discuss. As always, please use your full, real name. And be civil!
(“06880” is your source for all local politics: Democratic, Republican, independent and Forward Party. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
After input from neighbors, developers of 1 Glendinning Place have reduced the scope of plans for the property off Weston Road (mostly recently, offices of Bridgewater Associates).
The previous one had 14 units. The new plan includes 10 free-standing units, of 3,000 square feet each.
Two will house special needs affordable residents. There are 3 units in each. One of the 6 will be reserved for a live-in supervisor.
Developer David Waldman notes that this is similar to supportive housing at 136 Riverside Avenue.
The change at 1 Glendinning Place will allow Westport to obtain more 8-30g (affordable housing) moratorium points.
The next step: application to, and hearing with, the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Artists’ rendering shows 10 proposed homes (green) for 1 Glendinning Place. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
Our Town Crier and Westport Marketplace have joined forces.
Now there’s one place for over 800 local listings — restaurants, retail, realtors, services (business, personal and home), and more — along with statewide information for categories like “Pizza Trail” and Valentine’s Day (places to eat and stay; things to do).
The Westport Progress Report on Floodplain Management is complete.
It is prepared annually to enable Westport residents to receive a 10% reduction in their flood insurance. Flood Insurance is offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to communities that participate in the Community Rating System. Click here to read the plan.
Municipalities that participate in the CRS are ranked from 1 (highest) to 10. Classifications warrant what flood insurance rate reductions are offered. Westport’s ranking is 8.
Annual reports are required identifying how Westport is implementing the Western Connecticut Council of Governments Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan. Click here for the Westport report.
Local flooding is becoming more prevalent. This was the scene in a back yard earlier this month. (Photo/Meghan Norris)
“I recently enrolled in USPS Informed Delivery, a service that tells you every day what mail is being delivered to you.
“I was mildly interested until last Friday, when I was informed that I was receiving 6pieces of mail.
“The mailbox was empty. Since that day, none of the indicated pieces of mail have shown up. (The service shows you pictures of the mail pieces, so I know they haven’t arrived.)
“In addition, I had ordered 2 boxes of COVID test kits. On Friday I was informed by USPS in great detail the progress of the delivery of these kits, culminating in notice that the packages were delivered to my mailbox. I have never seen these packages either.
“I have reported the non-deliveries, but have had no response from USPS. I wonder if any others have had similar incidents.”
So, “06880” readers: Do you have USPS Informed Delivery? Have you experienced non-delivery? What are your options if you report them, but never hear back? Please click “Comments” to help Bob.
=================================================
This week’s League of Women Voters of Westport annual “Pie & Politics” event at Pizza Lyfe featured Westport’s 3 state legislators: Senator Ceci Maher, and Representatives Jonathan Steinberg and Dominique Johnson.
They updated attendees on issues expected to be debated this year in Hartford, including funding for voter education about early voting, support for polling staff, and the ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to offer no-excuse absentee voting. All 3 spoke passionately about protecting and expanding voters’ rights, and the importance of taking steps to improve voter turnout.
The discussion also included climate change, whether Connecticut should adopt an electric vehicle mandate to go into effect in 2035, and other initiatives to mitigate climate change and train a workforce for clean energy jobs.
The legislators spoke to the importance of looking at solar, geothermal, heat pumps, reskilling, and addressing housing shortages to attract clean energy companies and their employees.
Other topics included mental health policies, transportation, housing and education.
From left: State legislators Dominique Johnson, Jonathan Steinberg and Ceci Maher at Pizza Lyfe.
The Westport Rotary Club heard an animated talk by Tommy Greenwald at this week’s lunch meeting.
Of course, anyone who knows Greenwald — the 1978 Staples High School soccer state champion/father of 3 sports-playing sons/Broadway marketer/young adult author knows that he lives his life in an animated way.
Greenwald writes often about the hyper-competitiveness and pressure of youth sports — for children and their parents. He told the Rotarians that his goal is to bring fun back into that stressful world, and show youngsters that the path to a well-balanced life does not totally revolve around the success of a team, or individual achievement on the field or court.
Tommy Greenwald (Photo/Dave Matlow)
================================================
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between January 17 and 24.
A woman was arrested after she found a $550 MoneyGram on the ground, endorsed it using her real name and address, and deposited it in her bank account. She was afforded the opportunity to reimburse the victim but refused, and was charged with larceny.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5 citations
Traveling too fast for conditions: 3
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Operating a motor vehicle while texting: 2
Distracted driving: 2
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 2
Failure to renew registration: 2
Reckless driving: 1
Speeding: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to drive right: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
Failure to reinstate license within 60 days: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without proper load cover: 1
Operating a motor vehicle in violation of license class: 1
But the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport is the site of a “barn dance” this Sunday (January 28, after the service at approximately 11:30 a.m., until around 3 p.m.).
Billy Fisher will call the dance, with live music from Wry Bred. The event includes Cake Carousel and pizza.
Everyone is invited: all ages, all levels of experience. A recommendation donation of $5 per person, $15 per family covers entertainment costs.
MoCA’s 2nd Artisan Market (February 11, noon to 4 p.m.) features handcrafted items: bespoke jewelry, textiles, fine art and gourmet foods.
It’s a chance to purchase unique gifts before Valentine’s Day, while supporting local creators.
Staples musical sensation Ethan Walmark will entertain.
=================================================
Also at MoCA: Jazz musician Anthony Hervey, in concert February 27.
He has impressed audiences worldwide as a sideman for Christian McBride, Jon Baptiste, Michael Bublé and Wynton Marsalis (who called him a “beautiful trumpet player of first magnitude.”
He’ll be joined by saxophonist Markus Howell, pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, bassist Russell Hall and drummer Miguel Russell. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Anthony Hervey
=================================================
Patricia (“Patty”) Palmer died Sunday. She was 79.
The Bridgeport native graduated from St. Vincent’s School of Radiology in 1964. She worked at Norwalk Hospital for over 40 years, first as a registered X-ray technician and then as a manager.
Patty lived in Westport for over 50 years, and raised 2 daughters here. She was involved in their Parent Teacher Association, and led their Brownie and Girl Scout troops.
She enjoyed reading at Compo and Burying Hill beaches, taking a wide range of local classes, and was a regular walker at Sherwood Island State Park.
Her favorite activities were dancing and travel. She met her husband David on the dance floor. They spent over 30 years traveling and sightseeing, especially in Cape Cod and the Caribbean.
Patty is survived by her husband of 35 years; daughters Kelley Swift and Megan Tibball (Jeff), all of Fairfield, and grandchildren Jordan and Brendan Tibball, and Jackson Swift.
Her family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the nurses and caregivers at Bridgeport Hospital who took good care of her, and made her final time peaceful and comfortable.
Visiting hours are Monday (January 29, 4 to 7 p.m., Harding Funeral Home). A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Luke Church on Tuesday (January 30, 11 a.m.).
Patty Palmer
===============================================
All winter long, dogs are allowed on Compo Beach — and in the water.
These goldens enjoy the opportunity, oblivious they are the subjects of today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
And finally … Melanie — the one-named, much-loved singer/guitarist/ songwriter of the late ’60s and early ’70s — died Thursday. She was 76. Click here for a full obituary. (Hat tip: Amy Schneider)
(Real estate news? Police reports? Obituaries? Whatever you’re looking for, it’s here at “06880.” This is your hyper-local blog — and it’s reader-supported. Please click here to help. Thank you!)
Between Long Lots Elementary School and Parker Harding Plaza, there hasn’t been much discussion lately on the future of the William F. Cribari Bridge.
But the 135-year-old swing span — historic, beloved, quirky, narrow — is not getting any younger.
William F. Cribari Bridge (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
The state Department of Transportation has spent several years studying the bridge, and planning its replacement. Any new one — if built with state and/or federal funds, that is — would have to meet current standards.
That would probably mean a bigger, wider structure. Meaning: One large enough to accommodate trucks coming off I-95.
Sources say that an environmental assessment is being prepared, though by a different company than originally hired.
The belief is that DOT will recommend replacing — rather than renovating — the existing bridge (which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places).
A long-ago trolley travels over the Cribari Bridge.
There is no new information on the state DOT website. The latest “news” was posted in 2019.
“06880” asked State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, who sits on the Transportation Committee, for a status update. He says:
It goes without saying, with each passing day, it deteriorates further. I don’t know the current status of the supporting piers, but I’d hope that DOT is monitoring and would let us know if it was approaching dangerous condition. And it’s fair to wonder why Westporters tolerate a structure so decrepit looking. Hardly a Westport icon!
In my last casual conversation with my contact at DOT, some months ago, she more or less confirmed their strategy of waiting for the town to respond to the options they put on the table now years ago. DOT sees little benefit in pushing hard for resolution without any partner in town government — at least as long as the bridge remains safe.
Cribari Bridge, looking west. (Photo/Fred Cantor)
In my opinion, our de facto plan to ignore the problem and avoid controversy is yielding to a vocal minority and risking a genuine traffic crisis should that bridge go out of commission for an extended period. Isn’t crossing the river in Westport challenging enough without losing a crossing point?
I believe we can talk through our concerns — such as keeping 18-wheelers from using the bridge — and come up with a satisfactory plan which preserves the bridge’s character while making it safe — actually safer (wider) — for the long hall. Remember: even if we had a plan today, it will take years to implement the fixes, perhaps including a temporary bridge.
So I can’t illuminate current status for you. Ultimately, the first selectwoman bears responsibility for communicating with DOT the town’s preferences and seeking resolution.
I just hope we don’t see a headline to your column reading: “Cribari Bridge closed indefinitely; Westport traffic grinds to a halt.”
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker says: “The issue still sits with the state. I’m asking for an update from them. I’ll with you when I hear from them.”
(“06880” is your source for hyper-local journalism. Please click here to support our work, with a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
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.
We will not run a candidate for president in 2024. Instead, we are trying to get regular folks elected at local and state levels who want to work together with grace and tolerance, advocate for compromise and civility, and want democracy reform.
