Some people never make it past the Black Duck dining room (or bar).
But those who venture further know there are alligators (crocodiles?) on the dock in back.
The seldom-seen-unless-you’re-there reptiles were the subject of last week’s Photo Challenge (click here to see).
Richard Stein, Howard Potter, Mark Soboslai, Andrew Colabella, Jamie Walsh, Jonathan McClure, Martha Witte, Nathan Greenbaum and Lisa Hayes have all spent time there.
We won’t ask for stories. But we will over congratulations on identifying the Challenge.
Here is this week’s. If you know where in Westport you’d see it, click “Comments” below.
Former 2nd Selectman and Board of Finance chair Avi Kaner and his wife Liz are in Israel, during these precarious times. Avi told “06880” this morning: “We arrived last night to spend a week, and flew into a country at war.
“The primary purpose of our visit was to dedicate a Torah scroll, which my grandfather rescued, to the Yad Vashem Holicaust Museum on Wednesday.
“This is a very resilient nation. All the terrorists succeeded in doing is reuniting the people.”
Liz added: “During our flight to Tel Aviv yesterday Israel became embroiled in war. I got teary-eyed at airport after seeing a young Israeli family – blond hair/ blue eyes — meeting their safta (grandmother). What did they do to elicit such hatred?
“This is so emotional, but I wouldn’t trade being here tonight for anything. We bonded with Avi’s cousins while going to and from bomb shelters 4 times.
“We witnessed the sights and sounds of rockets being launched by Hamas, which were then diffused by Iron Dome. First was the hissing of the rockets and then the “boom boom” of their decimation….
“While in the bomb shelter Avi’s cousin started singing ‘Am Israel Chi (The People of Israel Live’), which reinforced our love for and solidarity with Israel.”
The Kaners sent 2 emotional videos. Click below for their first-hand report:
“My wife and I just returned from a very pleasant Friday night walk along Main Street for ice cream at Cold Fusion.
“Well, pleasant to a point. As we see often, some very negligent parents let their tweens and early teens loose and alone to ride their bikes, scooters, skateboards and electric 1-wheelers on Main Street. No helmet. No regard.
“Because … why bother to make sure their own children are safe? The kids uninhibitedly take their chances against traffic, zipping in and out of lanes and between cars, cutting them off without a thought.
“So it was very nice to see Officer Shawn Booth on foot patrol watching over the street, pedestrians, and diners coming to and from the restaurants, as well as checking on stores to see that all was usual.
“But a foot patrol is not usual, although it is absolutely necessary on weekends to prevent these children from causing an accident, getting hurt oe, God forbid, killed.
“The parents obviously won’t take care of their children, so let us thank the Westport Police Department for keeping their children safe.
“They must be kept away from and out of traffic and casual strollers on Main Street.”
The “Fairfield County Talks Housing” series continues with October 17 (7 p.m., Westport Library), with a conversation called “Housing Matters: Connecting Housing and Education.”.
The discussion about the relationship between a resident’s address, quality education and opportunity includes Connecticut House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, CT Voices for Children executive director Emily Byrne, and ConnCAN executive director Subira Gordon.
The event is sponsored by the Fairfield County Center for Housing Opportunity and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.
In Connecticut, Zip Codes and educational opportunity are tied closely together.
After many months, Westport is getting a … nail salon.
The Nail Factory reopens Monday, next to CVS.
Owner Quiyang “Amber” Tian moved to the US from China in 2015. She worked as a cashier, then became a nail technician in the Bronx, Long Island and Orange (commuting from Queens.
She and a co-worker bought an established nail business in Westport in 2019, now known as The Nail Factory, where they became known for their designs. COVID struck soon, shuttering them for 3 months.
The property owner did not renew her lease after 3 1/2 years. She has built out her new location, investing in all new equipment. Welcome back! (Hat tip: Charlene Reiss Zeiberg)
The Nail Factory opens tomorrow. (Photo/Molly Alger)
After decades of getting ready for the opening. bell, retired teachers have the luxury of sleeping in.
But former Staples High School educators find a variety of ways to stay active and engaged. They lead full, interestinglives.
Every so often they get together (though a bit later than dawn) to compare notes, and talk about their lives then and now.
They call themselves ROMEOs: Retired Old Men Eating Out.
How many of the legendary teachers in the photo below do you recognize?
They are (clockwise from lower left): Al Jolley, Jim Wheeler, Tom Owen, Bruce McFadden, Barry Curseaden, Pete Van Hagen, Stan Rhodes, John Pepe, Werner Liepolt, Jeff Lea, Bill Brookes, Ed Bludnicki.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is as natural as it gets.
Peter Swift snapped this shot. He writes: “Never mind the politics — the show goes on at Westport Community Gardens. Early Saturday. Compost stacked. Birds singing. Bees buzzing. The compost guy.”
Bill Ryan moved to Westport 50 years ago this month. Except for 3 years in Paris, he has been here ever since. He and his wife Catherine’s 3 daughters went through the Westport public schools. Two grandsons are in Staples now; 2 small granddaughters enter the school system soon.
Bill spent much of his career with IBM, in corporate finance. He was also VP of internal audit with AmeriCares, then returned to IBM to run a leadership development program for nearly a decade.
Locally he coached softball, and has been active in the Kings Highway North/Wright Street neighborhood association. (“Blame me for the speed humps or stop signs,” he says.)
Bill is also a member of the Historic District Committee. It’s a natural fit: His first home was in what is now the Gorham Historic District. He’s spent 40 years in the Kings Highway North Historic District — which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Bill writes:
“Westport is losing its New England charm. Too many houses are being torn down!”
Sound familiar?
While that refrain has been heard a lot over the past few years, it’s not new. It can be traced back at least to the early 1970s.
But back then a group of Westporters decided to do something about it. They formed a committee to explore establishing a local historic district. They hoped that by doing so, one of Westport’s oldest neighborhoods and many of its older structures could be preserved.
The result of their efforts was the Kings Highway North Historic District, created by an RTM ordinance in 1973. Coincident with the creation of the District, per state law, Westport’s Historic District Commission was established. It too has been functioning for 50 years.
Among the homes in the Kings Highway North Historic District: 104 Kings Highway North …
The committee was headed by the late Sylvia Milberg. It included Jacqueline Heneage who shortly after was elected Westport’s first female 1st Selectman.
Also on the committee was local architect Bob Gault, a scion of the long-time Westport family.
He now lives in Maine. But he remembers well the work the committee put in to see the District come to fruition.
“People were getting tired of seeing so many homes falling to the wrecking ball. Many of us were concerned there would be little of Westport’s history retained. The Kings Highway North area was a natural place to focus.” Gault recalls.
The committee zeroed in on Kings Highwa North and Wright Street. Property on Edge Hill Road, two parcels on Wilton Road and one on Old Hill Road were included, totaling 71 properties in all.
… 45 Kings Highway North …
To be approved, at least 75% of the property owners had to agree. While the measure passed handily, Gault recalls it was not without some cajoling. “Nobody in Town Hall is going to be telling you what color to paint your house!” members said.
As part of the process to justify the area as historic, the committee spent nearly 2 years gathering information and filing reports, before culminating in RTM approval.
This researched events that would fortify the position that the District was of historic significance. For example, many of Westport first settlers owned homes within the District, most of which still stand.
While George Washington may never have slept or dined along Kings Highway North, records show that he traveled along the road more than once. So did other historical figures, such as Lafayette.
The road was the prime east-west route before a bridge was established (where the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge is now located). The road curved to the north, where fording the river was enabled at the current location of the Kings Highway North Bridge.
In addition, the triangle green at the intersection with Old Hill Road was a military drill ground during the French and Indian War.
… and 6 Edge Hill Road.
In 1998 the Kings Highway North Historic District received the added distinction of being included in the National Register of Historic Homes.
In contrast to other neighborhoods, the streetscape in the District is pretty much what it was like 50 years ago. Trees and shrubs come and go, but structures have endured or been enhanced.
Property improvements and alterations do take place, as is very much in evidence on several properties.
But for changes affecting direct sightline from the street, a Certificate of Appropriateness must be presented to and approved by the HDC. The commission and its administrator work closely with property owners to ensure an efficient and effective resolution, in keeping with the history of the property.
A drive through the District today shows that changes do take place, but with an eye on history.
Even better: a walk through the area.
Kings Highway North Historic District walking tour.
(“06880” is all about history. If you enjoy our looks back — as well as looks around today, and forward — please consider a tax-deductible donation. Just click here. Thank you!)
Who you gonna believe: the comments section of “06880,” or your own ears?
With local elections looming, Westport’s League of Women Voters has scheduled 3 important debates. All take place in the Town Hall auditorium.
Planning & Zoning Commission candidates take the stage October 11 (7 p.m.). They’re followed by a double-header October 12: the Board of Education at 7 p.m., Board of Finance at 8:15.
This is your chance to hear — and assess — the men and women vying to lead our town. Come to Town Hall; then make an informed decision.
Yesterday, with the help of the Waterbury Police Department, Westport detectives took 22-year-old Garrett Gibbs of Waterbury into custody for his involvement in the September 17th carjacking incident.
The arrest followed an intense investigation. Gibbs was charged with the following crimes:
Home Invasion
Burglary 1st degree
Robbery by carjacking
Assault 3rd degree
Larceny 1st degree
Conspiracy to commit larceny 1st degree
Robbery 1st degree
he is being held at the Westport Police Department on a $500,000.00 bond. He will appear in Stamford Superior Court on October 16.
Westport Police detectives are still working this case, and anticipate additional arrests.
Yesterday was a busy one for the WPD. They also arrested a 17-year-old juvenile from Stratford for an incident on July 11, when shots fired in Saugatuck.
The youth is currently incarcerated at Manson Youth Institute, following a previous arrest by another agency. The arrest came after a lengthy investigation by the Detective Bureau, involving multiple interviews and search warrants.
The teen was charged with:
Unlawful discharge of a firearm
Conspiracy to commit unlawful discharge of a firearm
Reckless endangerment 1st degree
Conspiracy to commit reckless endangerment 1s degree
Breach of peace
Conspiracy to commit breach of peace.
He will appear in Bridgeport Juvenile Court on October 13. Police anticipate additional arrests.
A twice-postponed Parks & Recreation Commission meeting has been rescheduled to October 18 (Town Hall Room 201, 7:30 p.m.). The agenda includes discussion of the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan.
The first meeting was interrupted due to a medical emergency. The second — this past Thursday — was planned as a virtual session. It never began, due to technical issues.
Among the concerns of attendees: where on the property to place the planned pickleball courts.
Gaetano’s Deli is a favorite with Staples students.
So it’s a natural location for the high school radio station’s live broadcasts today.
Award-winning WWPT will set up a tent and remote facility outside the Post Road East spot. Everyone is welcome to stop by, and see these great young radio broadcasters in action.
And if you can’t be there, listen in: 90.3 FM, or online.
It’s tough: How can parents talk honestly with their children about drug use, without sounding preachy, unrealistic or clueless?
All this month, the Westport Prevention Coalition is offering free streaming access to a 52-minute documentary, “Don’t Wait.”e.
Substances have changed over the years. Cannabis concentrates can deliver 96% pure THC with no CBD or plant matter. Delivery mechanisms like vapes and pouches are relatively new too.
The film updates parents’ knowledge, and helps them answer tough questions from their kids. Click here to stream the video.
As follow-up for parents who want more information, WPC plans 2 Zoom sessions for parents (October 24 and 26). Click here to register.
PinkLand — the Pink Aid online auction, raising funds to help people with breast cancer — opens Monday. It runs through Thursday.
Over 300 items are available for online bidding. They include:
Brendan Murphy painting (value: $21,000)
Yankees Legends seats for 2024 ($3,000)
2 tickets to “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen (TBD)
4 VIP wristbands for Governor’s Ball Music Festival 2024 ($3,200)
3 night Oceanview King stay at Mauna Lani, including buffet breakfast ($5,000)
Clase Azul Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Reposado tequila ($4,999)
Keith Urban Guitar ($500)
Courtside Knicks tickets ($2,500)
4 tickets and field passes to Mets-Giants ($150)
Sholeh Janati painting ($5,800)
Tickets are still available for the October 12th luncheon at Mitchells of Westport (11 a.m.). Click here for more information — and to see all auction items, and bid.
Westport celebrates UN Day with a special Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Lecture.
Kuwait Ambassador to the UN Tareq Albanai will speak on “Identifying Opportunities for Creative Diplomacy to Solve Global Challenges: A View from the Arabian Gulf” (October 24, 7 p.m., Westport Library). He’ll take audience questions afterward.
Ambassador Albanai has long experience dealing with issues of disarmament. A graduate of George Washington University, he is fluent in Arabic, English and Spanish.
Click here to register for in-person participation or streaming. The event is co-sponsored by the Library, and the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut.
Kuwait Ambassador to the United Nations Tareq Albanai.
Rachel Rose is a 2014 Staples High School graduate. She now lives in Fairfield.
The former Orphenian, who studied privately with Cynthia Gibb, is now a professional singer. She calls her style achel calls her style “Jewish soul, contemporary soul and R&B.”
She entered a Jimmy Fallon “Battle of the Instant Songwriters” contest a year ago. On Wednesday, a representative called to see if she wanted to appear on the show.
On Thursday, there she was: on national TV. She and a fellow musician were given an hour to write a song, then perform it.
The title she was provided: “I Think This Airbnb is Haunted.”
Alert “06880” reader Rita Corridon was checking out the New York Times’ “The Morning” feature today.
One piece began:
My hometown has a gardening store so lavish, so over-the-top curated with weather-stained terra-cotta planters the size of vintners’ casks, crumbling concrete birdbaths rescued from Eden and a jungle’s worth of fronds and boughs and leaves that it is a destination.
Out-of-towners come to gaze at its tableaux of mosses, hand-forged shears and fairy lights, to dine on seasonal produce at its in-house café. I think there might be an actual waterfall back by the table linens.
I love going to this store, wandering its aisles and imagining how different my life would be if I could inhabit its forever-green promise, like Keats gazing on the Grecian urn.
“That must be Terrain!” Rita thought.
She looked up the author, Melissa Kirsch.
Sure enough, the “hometown” she talks about is Westport.
Another teardown: Tom Lowrie reports: “A week ago, the house at 148 Old Road was demolished.
148 Old Road then … (Photo/courtesy of Google Maps)
“The site was covered with large trees and brush. The following week all but the best trees were cut down. A mountain of wood chips, logs and house materials were carted away.
“Then the CAT machines went to work, digging out stumps and and piling all the topsoil for future leveling of the site.”
Just another day in the world of Westport real estate.
Westporter Howard Matson — a past international president of the Circumnavigators Club — hosted a dinner last nigh at New York’s Union League Club honoring Tony and Maureen Wheeler, writers and publishers of the Lonely Planet guidebook empire. The couple received the club’s highest recognition: the Order of Magellan.
Matson, who now serves on the club’s Board of Governors, has hosted in past years Jacques Cousteau, Walter Cronkite and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Howard Matson (center) with Maureen and Tony Wheeler.
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“Westport … Naturally” features our town’s natural wonders. Horseshoe crabs — which have been around for 440 million years — certainly qualify.
But these guys didn’t climb on the (man-made) Burying Hill Beach pier by themselves.
They needed help from humans. Our species is about 300,000 years old.
And finally … speaking of the candidates’ debates next week (story above):
(“06880” is your place for healthy debate — and local journalism. If you appreciate our work, please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here — thank you!)
From pencil and crayon drawing and pouring oil/acrylic mix, to a digital creation in photorealistic style, this week’s online art gallery showcases many genres.
We always welcome all kinds of art. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — 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 (no, urged) to contribute.
“Hole Card” — pencil and crayon drawing (Ann Chernow)
“Sunset Bay” — digital creation in a photorealistic style (Ken Runkel)
“Sailing at Dusk” (Tom Doran)
“Dogs Are Colored Blind” (Spanky Giddings III)
“Please Don’t Bite My Head Off” — Norway (Lauri Weiser)
“Oiled, Bound, Rubbed, and Smoked — One of the 50 Shades of Chicken” (Mike Hibbard)
“Aging Factory, Afternoon Sun” (Peter Barlow)
Untitled (Cohl Katz)
“Longshore” (Rowene Weems)
“Itch” (Lawrence Weisman)
“Ye Olde Sherwood Island Environs Map” (Steve Stein)
Untitled — Photographer Amy Unikewicz writes: :I snapped these pictures just as the rain stopped, while managing produce donations at the Westport Community Gardens. Walking through the garden paths felt like walking on a sponge. With every step, my boots sunk into the wood chipped pathways after the site absorbed several inches of rainfall.”
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
The largest literary festival in Connecticut returns soon to the Westport Library.
And Saturday, October 21 — the biggest day of the 3-day StoryFest — features more than 40 authors, spanning nearly every genre imaginable. They include big names like Clay McLeod Chapman, Angie Kim, Gabino Iglesias, Caroline Kepnes and Wendy Walker.
A host of panel discussions begin at 10 a.m. That’s in addition to picture book readings for children and teens, author conversations, and a special live taping of Chapman’s Fearmongers podcast (with best-seller Stephen Graham Jones and Josh Malerman, author of Netflix’s “Birdbox”).
Saturday closes with a staged reading of “Gentle Hacksaw,” the new play from Eric LaRocca.
Now in its sixth year, StoryFest is the Library’s annual celebration of reading, writing, ideas and community. This year’s event runs from Friday, October 20, through Sunday, October 22, and includes a keynote conversation with renowned author Neil Gaiman, a writers’ workshop, “Pinkalicious” author Victoria Kann, and virtuoso guitarist Gary Lucas.
Below is a closer look at the Saturday lineup for Saturday, October 21. Click here for full descriptions; click here to register for a free Saturday day pass; click here to buy tickets for the staged reading of “Gentle Hacksaw.”
Book readings for kids
10-10:30 a.m.: Tommy Greenwald and his son Charlie read from “The Rescues” (grades K-4)
10:30-11 a.m.: Stephen G. Bowling reads from the Mom’s Choice Award-winning picture book “Grandma’s House is Haunted”
11-11:30 a.m.: Sivan Hong and Sally J. Pia read from the “Super Fun Day” book series and “The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn”
Panel Discussions and Conversations
10-11 a.m.: “Peek-a-Boo, I See You: Inclusivity in Children’s Literature”
11 am to noon: “Putting It Together: Ellen Datlow Presents…”
Noon-1 p.m.: “Killer Women: Writing Crime from a Female Point of View”
1-2 p.m.: “On Leaving and Returning: Writing the Body Home”
2-3 p,m.: “Community Into View: Writing Race, Culture and Identity”
3-4 p.m.: “Scream with Me: Heartache, Humor, and Horror”
4-5 pm: The Incredibly True Adventures of… Twists and Turns on the Writer’s Path”
5-6 pm: “On the Edge of Our Seats: Writing Suspense and Anticipation”
Deep dives with authors and artists, moderated by Kerstin Rao
12-12:30 p.m.: Rowan MacColl and Connor McCann on “Comic Art”
1-1:30 p.m.: Eric LaRocca and Owen Egerton on “Writing for the Stage”
2-2:30 p.m.: Gabino Iglesias and Ellen Datlow on “Editing Anthologies”
3:30-4 p.m.: Lizzie Stark and Cassadra Khaw on “Game Writing”
Live podcast
5-6 p.m.: Clay McLeod Chapman records his “Fearmongers” podcast live, with Josh Malerman and Stephen Graham Jones.
Staged reading
7 p.m. doors; 8 p.m. show: “Gentle Hacksaw”: a startling new drama of religion, identity and violence.
Click here for more information on the entire 3 days of StoryFest.
(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local blog. Please support our work by contributing here. Thank you!)
Old Mill Grocery & Deli is temporarily closed, as owners seek a new operator. The search is going well, they say, and promise an announcement soon. (Photo/Jo Shields Sherman)
When the Westport Country Playhouse was renovated 20 years ago, the cramped lobby with its distinctive smell was transformed into a large, modern space.
Theater-goers worried that the historic posters lining the wooden walls would be lost.
They’re still there, keeping the Playhouse’s long legacy alive.
The other day, this one caught my eye:
I know nothing about the show, other than famed producer/director George Abbott’s name.
But I was sure intrigued by the ticket prices. The best seat in the house was just $2. For 50 cents, you could sit (I assume) in the balcony, with a post in your way.
“Kill That Story” was staged in 1934. The Playhouse had opened just 3 years earlier. The Depression was still wreaking havoc.
But somehow, residents found the coins, or a couple of dollar bills, to go to the theater.
50 years ago this week: All 3 Westport junior high schools opened their football seasons. Long Lots and Bedford were led, respectively, by veteran head coaches Bob Yovan and Ed Hall. Coleytown’s first-year head coach was Bill Stearns, a Staples High English teacher.
Long Lots Junior High head football coach Bob Yovan (left), assistant Tom Marshall (right), and captains, in the 1970s.
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