Posted onNovember 6, 2023|Comments Off on “06880 Holiday Stroll” Returns December 2
The “06880 Holiday Stroll” returns!
Mark your calendars for the 3rd annual event. It’s Saturday, December 2 (5 to 7 p.m.).
Once again, we’re teaming up with the Westport Downtown Association, for an extra-special evening.
It’s family friendly, with a visit from Santa, special activities for kids, songs from the Orphenians, caroling and more. There will be a tent outside Savvy + Grce.
Downtown merchants — including some across the river — will offer promotions.
Merchants and restaurants wishing to participate should click here, to fill out an online form.
Questions? Email Huong Belpedio (operations@westportdowntown.com) or Jessica Isaacs (marketing@westportdowntown.com).
See you at the Stroll!
Caroling at the Holiday Stroll. (Photo/Danielle Dobin)
Comments Off on “06880 Holiday Stroll” Returns December 2
Each was special, in its own way. All were impressive. The result was a very successful first-ever “Historic Homes of 06880” house tour.
Annette Norton’s small 1700s home on North Avenue was a great attraction for the many residents who drive by often, admire her exterior renovation, and wonder what’s inside.
Annette Norton (left) shows guests the original fireplace, with a mantel she found in upstate Connecticut. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Mark Yurkiw and Wendy Van Wie’s barn is a 2-story, wide-open, wood-paneled delight that includes Mark’s artwork treasures in every corner.
A view of the Cross Highway barn, from the 2nd-floor landing. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Matt Burrows and Amy Gay surprised visitors to their 1742 home, also on Cross Highway. The exterior is a faithful restoration of a well-known, once-dilapidated property, while the interior is very modern, beautifully designed (by the owners), and open.
Matt Burrows (right) shows off the open floor plan he designed for his home. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Julia Gross and Mark Lamensdorf’s property on Old Hill Road delights at every turn, from original wooden beams and a formidable stone basement, to an old outhouse (now shed) in the back that “seats 3.”
The original door and beams in the original kitchen on Old Hill Road. (Photo/Amy Saperstein)
KMS Team at Compass co-sponsored the event. Karen Scott, Laurie Morris, Michael Mombello, Susan Seath and Karen Hagen were superb docents.
“06880” board members Amy Saperstein, Bill Scheffler and John Dodig (and his husband Rodger Lawrence) assisted, with help from Staples’ Service League of Boys.
“06880” often reports on Westporters who restore — rather than tear down — some of our oldest homes. Yesterday, readers went behind the scenes, to experience 4 of the homes they’d only read about before.
=================================================
Speaking of restored homes: Here’s another shot of the continuing work being done at 44 Compo Cove, perhaps the most photographed house in Westport.
For the second weekend out of three, the feared “traffic-geddon” generated by the I-95 Saugatuck Avenue bridge replacement project was largely avoided.
Traffic flowed smoothly — well, as smoothly as our “new normal” on Friday night, all day Saturday, Sunday morning, and early Sunday afternoon.
Then — for the second Sunday afternoon out of 3 — Westport was suddenly gridlocked.
Just like 2 weeks ago, traffic materialized out of nowhere. And it was everywhere.
Saugatuck — and feeder arteries like Greens Farms Road and Bridge Street — were jammed.
A line of cars and trucks extended from the North Kings Highway/Wilton Road light, all the way past Hudson Malone.
And the stretch from Parker Harding Plaza to the Post Road/Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road cluster**** was as bad as its ever been.
Some drivers waited patiently. Others devised new maneuvers to try to gain an edge, creating (of course) further chaos.
The state Department of Transportation once again completed the “bridge slide” portion of the project ahead of schedule.
The southbound span of I-95 was open around 4:30 p.m. But traffic continued for quite a while on the mean streets of Westport.
“It defies logic,” says Dan Vener, who took this photo of I-95 traffic, while stuck in the ground-level jam:
(Photo/Dan Vener)
Meanwhile, for a fascinating time-lapse version of the “bridge slide” — from 6 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Sunday — click below:
Jon Gailmor — the beloved Vermont musical icon — returned to his Westport home town yesterday, for a sold-out show at the VFW.
The 1966 Staples graduate was joined by a few talented friends: former classmates Rob Carlson (his singing partner from the 1970s) and Roger Kaufman, plus Suzanne Sheridan, the producer of the popular “First Folk Sunday” series.
It was a trip back to a magical musical time.
And just perfect for these days, too.
From left: Jon Gailmor, Roger Kaufman, Suzanne Sheridan, Rob Carlson. (Photo/Pam Washburn)
The Westport Arts Advisory Committee sponsored its annual TEA (Thinkers, Educators, Artists) Talk at the Westport Library.
A crowd of 150 people heard experts — including Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning 1971 Staples grad Brian Keane, town-wide K-12 arts coordinator Steve Zimmerman, and artist/arts consultant Liz Leggett — discuss “What’s Next for the Arts?,” as it faces challenges from artificial intelligence.
Topics included whether or not AI poses an existential risk to the arts; the role of education; the pure joy of making art, and — intriguingly — how we decide what is real, not real, and “authentic.” Does, in fact, “authentic” matter at all?
Panelists used AI tools to create illustration and art, using prompts from attendees. Artists showed traditional techniques.
There was a lot to think about.
And every comment was generated by humans.
Panelists — each under their photo — at yesterday’s TEA Talk.
Field Trip jerky — the very popular producer of healthy, protein-rich snacks ranging from beef, chicken, turkey and pork to jalapeño, cracked pepper and everything bagel — is headquartered in downtown Westport.
But it reaches all over the country.
Literally.
The other day, Bruce Miller and his wife were in Alaska. On a tour of Denali National Park, guests received a snack box.
Inside was a Field Trip Cracked Pepper Turkey Stick.
“We traveled 4,400 miles from home to enjoy a local treat!” he says.
You don’t have to go to The Last Frontier.
Field Trip is sold at retailers like Stop & Shop and CVS.
And in their only retail outlet, next to their Post Road offices opposite Design Within Reach.
=================================================
Artists Collective of Westport member Maj Kalfus’ work is featured at the Weston Senior Center, through the end of December. Her 30 pieces include oil paintings, collage, brush and ink, graphite, digital art and drawings from life.
A reception is set for November 16 (6 to 8 p.m.). Kalfus teaches at the Westport Senior Center. Her portrait of Ella Fitzgerald was featured at the recent Westport Country Playhouse tribute to the jazz singer.
As we head into mid-fall — with winter not too far away — this is the “Westport … Naturally” scene from Ellen Wentworth’s living room:
(Photo/Ellen Wentworth)
=================================================
And finally … in honor of our great “Historic Homes of 06880” tour (story above):
(A lot went on this weekend — and, as always, “06880” previewed, and now reviews, it. If you enjoy our hyper-local coverage, please consider a contribution. Click here — and thank you!)
This morning, “06880” posted “RTM 101: What It Is, And Does.” Commenters quickly weighed in, offering their views of our town’s non-partisan legislative body.
Representative Town Meeting moderator Jeff Wieser responds:
Thanks to Nancy Kail for outlining the responsibilities of the RTM.
As the moderator, I have remained moderate when it comes to the opinions expressed over the past few months, and following her post. But I get angry when the RTM as a body is attacked, and this comment is well past due.
A small number of Westport residents has very publicly maligned the 82.8 % of the entire RTM body who did not agree with their opinion regarding petitions.
The RTM listened to over 5 hours of debate in committee and RTM meetings on the subject of public access to our monthly meetings.
We listened to supporting legal input from our town attorney (who in more than 20 years has served 2 Republican and 2 Democratic administrations in Westport, and is a former RTM deputy moderator) and our assistant town attorney (who has served the municipal legal needs of Westport for 6 years, and is a former RTM moderator).
And we listened to the petitioners.
With all that input, 29 of the 35 RTM members present agreed that our role is to act on matters that have been assigned to us under the Town Charter. Ironically, it was a petition by electors that led to the very discussion and decision that this group is criticizing.
20 electors certainly still have the ability to petition the RTM for matters on which the RTM is empowered to act. To suggest otherwise is irresponsible.
I am very proud of all the actions of the volunteer, non-partisan RTM. I hope that the vitriol applied to this group of 36 well-meaning, non-partisan legislators is recognized as exactly that: vitriol by a small vocal group of people angry that 82.8% of intelligent, responsible legislators — willing to look at all legal sides of an issue — disagreed with them.
Please vote tomorrow and know that all current RTM members, and all those willing to volunteer to serve, deserve your close attention.
Nancy Kail is a member of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM).
She wants to celebrate the town’s non-partisan legislative branch, and spotlight the work the body’s 36 diverse members do. She writes:
Westport’s RTM is a key part of our town government. Tomorrow, the entire RTM membership is up for election.
Pay attention to races in your RTM district. Don’t forget to flip your ballot over. RTM races are on the back side.
The RTM is our non partisan legislative body. We represent all 28,000+ Westport residents.
The RTM enacts local ordinances. It votes on town and school budgets, capital investments, appropriations, employee contracts, and whether or not to uphold decisions made by other Westport boards.
It approves building committee members, library trustees, town appointed commission members and others.
There are 36 RTM representatives in total — 4 members in each of 9 districts. Each RTM district has approximately 2,300 registered voters. An RTM district map is here, and below.
Why is the RTM Important?
We represent you in decisions and votes that touch on everything in town that you care about: our schools, parks/beaches/other natural resources, roads and sewers, traffic and safety, construction and development, budgets and taxes, human resources services and our many cherished town organizations such as the Library, Levitt Pavilion and Senior Center.
Party politics don’t have a place on the RTM. We are a nonpartisan, diverse and collaborative body. Because we are a large group of representatives that operates by majority vote, we have to work together and compromise in order to get work done. What matters is effectively representing our constituents by solving problems and addressing important issues together. We are democracy in action.
Last month, RTM members celebrated Restaurant Week with a lunch at Zucca.
We are productive
Since January the RTM has passed leaf blower and Affordable Housing Fund ordinances, and introduced traffic and safety, and public safety, ordinances that will be voted on soon.
We passed this year’s operating budget, restored funding for Wheels2U, approved the 3-year contract for Parks & Recreation and other town employees, appointed a Transit District co-director, approved the First Selectwoman’s recommended Long Lots School Building Committee members, and upheld P&Z decisions on the Hamlet at Saugatuck.
We have all attended and spoken at numerous other town board and commission meetings, such as those involving affordable housing, town development projects, the redesign of Parker Harding Plaza, the Long Lots School Building Project/gardens/fields, traffic and safety, and flood and erosion control.
We communicate with constituents, and do our best to assist them with questions and concerns. In upcoming meetings we will discuss how to expand and improve ways the public can comment and participate in RTM meetings.
Effective RTM Members
Follow RTM processes and the rules governing publicly elected boards, yet when necessary, can affect process or rules changes and improvements
Work collaboratively with colleagues, even those with whom they disagree
Effectively advocate for and substantiate positions and votes
Consider all points of view, can distinguish fact from opinion and sound information from misinformation
Listen to, and communicate with constituents and keep them them top of mind when making decisions
Hold themselves to a high standard of behavior and engage in civil discourse.
Tomorrow, You Will Choose Your RTM Reps
Get to know your district’s RTM candidates. Click here for the League of Women Voters’ guide. Follow the prompts for your district.
Vote and tell your friends to vote.
Stay in touch with your RTM members going forward, they would love to hear from you!
A map of the RTM districts. Click on or hover over to see polling locations.
Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) does not always agree on everything.
That’s the messy part of democracy.
But this morning, members were unanimous: The Minute Man Monument needs more tulips. RTM member Andrew Colabella writes:
Last year, 100 tulips were planted by the Minute Man statue, as part of a beautification project.
The results were eye-popping, colorful and bountiful in beauty.
Blooming tulips.
This year, I decided to expand to 300 tulips.
Many hands made the work lighter, and smarter.
Top: Jimmy Izzo hangs with the Minute Man. Fellow RTM members include (middle, from left): Nancy Kail, Harris Falk, Seth Braunstein. Front: Don O’Day, Andrew Colabella, Kristin Mott Purcell.
The group came armed with shovels, a cordless drill, and donuts.
It was great to see families that biked, drove or walked by. A father and 3 children stopped, and asked to take part. Don O’Day lent a hand (below).
They asked about the history of the Minute Man statue, then posed with H. Daniel Webster’s 1910 sculpture.
With so much help, the work did not take long.
(All photos courtesy of Andrew Colabella)
The 300 tulips from Colorblends in Bridgeport came directly from the Netherlands. They were harvested this past summer.
Westport Hardware donated a bag of grass seed for top dressing, while Thomas Kerrigan of Kerrigan Industries provided a mixture of topsoil and compost.
I want to thank this group of green thumb enthusiasts and caring individuals for helping continue a vision I had a long time ago. It is finally coming to life.
last week’s Photo Challenge was posted 2 days before UN Day.
The image showed United Nations headquarters, taken decades ago. (Click here to see.)
That was easy. The hard part was figuring out where in Westport it hangs.
I did not give credit to the reader who sent it in: Lisa Wexler.
That might have given the answer away. She’s Westport and Weston’s probate judge. She’s also host of a popular daily interview show on WICC.
You can see the UN photo not in her radio studio. But it is very visible to anyone entering Room 102 at Town Hall: The Probate Court hearing room.
Susan Iseman knew exactly where. Barbara Sherburne guessed “somewhere in Town Hall.”
I also noted that the photo was personally autographed. Susan nailed it: U Thant,
The third secretary-general of the United Nations signed it on June 28, 1969, in honor of jUNe Day. It was a gift to the town of Westport.
We’re back to 2023 for this week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Ellen Wentworth)
(Thanks for playing our weekly Photo Challenge. To help support this, and every other “06880” feature, please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Click here — and thank you!)
The Greens Farms Garden Club helps our town look prettier.
They also help people in food deserts eat nutritiously, and well.
Every summer, the “Growing For Good” initiative provides fresh organically grown herbs and vegetables to local food banks. It’s part of the club’s mission to advance horticulture skills, civic development and environmental awareness.
This year’s harvest donations weighs i at 818.5 pounds. That’s almost half a ton of good food.
Last week, the Greens Farms Garden Club earned an Award of Excellence for Civic Development, at the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 94th annual awards meeting in (of course) Plantsville,
There is not one car or truck on I-95. Carrie took the shot when the Saugatuck Avenue span — and, here the Saugatuck River bridge — was closed, during the “slide” replacement project.
When was the last time you saw I-95 with no vehicles?
I know, I know: 2 weeks ago, during the first “slide” event. But still, it’s a scene worth memorializing.
Also yesterday, shoppers from throughout the region battled the fear of “traffic-geddon” to reach Staples High School, for the Westport Young Woman’s League’s “Craft Westport” sale.
There were crafters of all kinds, plus food vendors and more. The youngest exhibitor was probably Aiden Schachter. The Staples senior — pictured below — makes and sells LED lightclouds.
“Craft Westport” continues today, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $11; seniors $10, children 12-18 $5, children under 12 are free. Click here for more details.
Aiden Schachter, at his CloudLight booth. (Photo/Susan Garment)
=================================================
Compo Beach is timeless.
But there’s always something new there, too.
Early today, there was a photo shoot on the shore.
That’s not unusual. But this morning’s subject was — well, a bit different.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
If you know the back story, click “Comments” below.
=================================================
Wheels2U — Westport’s on-demand, door-to-train shuttle service is almost free. ($2 per ride — close enough).
But on Tuesday — Election Day — the coffee is free.
The Westport Transit District and Compass Real Estate offer gratis coffee at Steam to anyone riding between 6 and 8:30 a.m.
Riders use the Wheels2U Westport app to request a pickup between mornings, then again between 4 and 9:30 p.m. to be taken to or from the Saugatuck or Greens Farms train platform and their front door. Pickups should be requested about 20 minutes before you would normally leave to drive to the station.
Wheels2U deposits riders right next to Steam, at the Saugatuck train station. (Photo/Phil Bancroft)
Audra McDonald sings songs from Broadway and the Great American Songbook, in a one-night fundraiser.
The 6-time Tony, 2-time Grammy and 1-time Emmy Award winner received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama. She was also one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People.”
$2,500 tickets include a pre-show dinner and post-show meet and greet; call 203-571-1291, or email cmackay@westportplayhouse.org.
Longtime Westport resident Liz Beeby died September 25, at her Fairfield home. She was 62.
Her obituary calls her “the friend who was bold, thoughtful, fearless, artistic, kind, outrageous, supportive and the coolest….It wasn’t uncommon to see her wearing minks, feather boas and glitter, belting out the lyrics to ‘Layla’ by Eric Clapton. Along with her angelic beauty, she had a sharp wit when needed.”
Liz was an accomplished artist. Her assemblage pieces appeared in Westport art shows and area auctions. “Jewelry Creations by Lucky” was her jewelry design business. She also created “Moving Memories,” which transformed still photos into special occasion videos with music and narration on a DVD.
Liz’s likeness can be seen in many award-winning photographs by Westport artist Miggs Burroughs.
A wake is set for Friday (November 10, 4 to 7 p.m., Spear Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield.)
Young people who grow up in Westport get a great education. They participate in tons of activities. They are guided by teachers, coaches, clergy and neighbors. They are nourished by the town’s strong sense of community and history.
Then they graduate from Staples High School, begin lives elsewhere, and return only for reunions, and/or visit their parents.
But for generations, there is another chapter too. Not everyone leaves.
2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore is a Staples grad.
Russ and Isabel Blair, Michael Calise, Bill Mitchell, Pete Jennings, Sam Gault, Jim Ezzes, Pete Romano, Darcy Hicks, Josh Koskoff, Jimmy Izzo, David Waldman, Andrea Moore — all are sons and daughters of this town who stayed, built careers, raised families, and continue to give back to their home town every day.
It’s not surprising that those once-and-still Westporters — whose ages range from their 50s to 90s — remain. They had reasons — like business and family — to stay.
But there is a younger cohort too that did not follow classmates and friends to Manhattan, Brooklyn, California, London, or countless other destinations.
Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella keeps his eye on every aspect of town.
Jaime Bairaktaris
Jaime Bairaktaris works at Earthplace, volunteers with Emergency Medical Services, and runs The Westport Local Press.
Maxx Crowley joined his father and older siblings at SCA, the commercial and residential brokerage and management firm. Now he’s president of the Westport Downtown Association.
Patrick Duffy is here also, helping his father Tom and ready to take over his plumbing business.
That’s just a short list, off the top of my head. There are dozens more.
Let’s hear about them. Please click “Comments” below to give a shout-out to other never-left or came-back-to-town Westporters, of all ages.
Especially those in their 20s and 30s, who will help make “their” great town even greater, for decades to come.
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 listened to supporting legal input from our town attorney (who in more than 20 years has served 2 Republican and 2 Democratic administrations in Westport, and is a former RTM deputy moderator) and our assistant town attorney (who has served the municipal legal needs of Westport for 6 years, and is a former RTM moderator).
