Alison Milwe Grace has spent nearly 3 decades in the food world.
From baking cakes in elementary school to working as a cheese monger in high school, waitressing her way through college, managing fine dining establishments post-graduation, becoming executive chef at an award-winning restaurant — and now chef/owner of her own catering company — she has tasted it all.
The other day Alison dished about the industry with me, at the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum. She’s as lively and fun in front of the camera as she is in the kitchen.
Sample her thoughts on catering (pre-, during and post-COVID); local dining trends, and much more — just click the link below.
The Westport Downtown Association reminds shoppers that Connecticut’s Sales Tax-Free week began yesterday. It runs through this Saturday (August 26).
Retail purchases of most clothing and footwear priced under $100 are exempt from Connecticut sales and use tax. The exemption applies to each eligible item under $100.f
Many retailers add their own discounts.
For more details on Sales Tax-Free Week, including a list of items that are exempt or taxable, click here.
Footwear (and clothing) is exempt from sales taxes this week — for items under $100. (Photo/Alison Lee)
Westport firefighters responded to a structure fire on Compo Road South just before midnight yesterday.
All occupants were safely out of the house. Damage was limited to the exterior.
Mutual aid from Norwalk and Fairfield provided station coverage. Westport Police and Emergency Medical Service assisted.
The last unit cleared at 1:36 a.m. As fire companies were leaving, they were dispatched to I-95 northbound between Exits 17 and 18 for a motor vehicle crash involving a car and tractor-trailer, with injuries.
Less than 10 minutes after that call, additional companies responded to a second motor vehicle crash with injuries in the same vicinity. Westport EMS assisted at both incidents.
Compo Road South fire. (Photo/Westport Fire Department)
A sign in its window on the Post Road store says: “We inform our kind customers that Il Pastificio will reopen on Sunday 20 [yesterday], temporarily as a pasta shop and not as a restaurant, until a date to be determined.”
We’re not sure if that means they’ll go back at some point to also serving as a restaurant — or if they’ll close at some point permanently.
“06880” will pass along details when we have them. (Hat tip: Amy Schneider)
Tommy Greenwald is a man of many talents. The 1979 Staples High School graduate is a noted advertising executive, playwright and young adult author.
He’s also known as the father of Charlie Greenwald — no slouch in the acting/comedy/writing departments either. (And himself a Staples grad, class of 2012.)
Father and son have now collaborated on a new book. They co-wrote “The Rescues: Finding Home,” a children’s book about rescue animals.
(“It’s appropriate for everyone who’s alive,” notes Tommy, in true marketing mode.)
They’ll be appearing at the Westport Library’s StoryFest in October. If you can’t wait that long, check them out at Brooklyn’s Books are Magic (September 9, noon to 1 p.m.), the Rye Book Festival (September 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or the Chappaqua Book Festival (September 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Or click here to pre-order. The publication date is September 5.
Charlie and Tommy Greenwald, and their book.
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Frank Mastrone brought his very popular American Songbook show to the Levitt Pavilion last night.
Joining him were 2 other Broadway stars, both of whom performed — as he did — in “Phantom of the Opera.”
And both are Westporters: Staples High School graduate and classically trained opera singer Terry Eldh, and Dodie Pettit, aka one-half of Aztec Two-Step 2.0.
The evening was sponsored by Roger Leifer, as part of his “Sunday Series.” He threw a pre- and post-concert party for his tenants — a rare but welcome gesture by a commercial real estate landlord.
Frank Mastrone (center), with (from left) Dodie Pettit and Terry Eldh. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice and Police Chief Foti Koskinas have an excellent working relationship.
They share a key goal: keeping every Westport student and staff member safe, from before the start of the school day to the end of the final extracurricular activity.
But Staples High School is a sprawling, 500,000-square foot building. Cell service is spotty. In an emergency, 911 is not always an instant call away.
The enormous Staples High School campus. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
Thanks to a collaboration between Scarice and Koskinas. that may soon change.
This Wednesday (August 23, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), Scarice will ask the Board of Finance for $630,000. The funds are for an enhanced security communications system, adding to the current capability to contact emergency services.
In addition, Koskinas will request $432,063. That money would pay for 3 officers to patrol 3 campuses: Coleytown Middle/Coleytown Elementary School; Kings Highway/Saugatuck Elementary; and Long Lots/Greens Farms Elementary. One officer already patrols the Staples/Bedford Middle School campus.
The officers would help with traffic, unwelcome visitors and similar issues. They would enter the schools only for emergencies.
Scarice is excited by the potential for vastly enhanced security — including the “Campus Shield” system he is proposing for Staples.
It uses radio frequency, the same system utilized by the military and first responders. (In the recent Maui wildfires, that was the only means of communication when cell service went down.)
A 1-inch by 1 -inch fob attaches to a staff member’s identification lanyard. In the event of any 911 emergency — a violent intruder, say, or a health issue — the staffer would press the fob for 2 seconds.
Within 5 seconds — and with unfailing reliability — the emergency dispatch center is notified.
A screen shows the name and profile of the faculty member, and the exact location in the building the call comes from. The nearest security camera is activated, showing the dispatch center exactly what is happening.
Every staff member with a lanyard — administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, coaches — would have the security fob.
Scarice says, “this tool enhances our current communications capability by providing instant, unfailing access to emergency responders. It is my highest recommendation, in conjunction with the Chief’s increase in officers dedicated to our schools.
“What excites me most is that this tool uses the exact same method that first responders and the military use for communications: radio frequency. This elevates our capabilities to communicate in an unfailing manner with first responders, in the event a call is necessary.”
The Board of Education has already unanimously supported Scarice’s request. The $630,000 cost might be partially offset by a state grant.
If the Board of Finance gives its okay, the security plan would go to the Representative Town Meeting for final approval.
Last week’s Photo Challenge was interesting — both the image, and the answers.
Nearly a dozen readers quickly checked in with the correct response: Bruce McFadden’s shot of big beams and heavy machinery indeed showed the swing turntable underneath the William F. Cribari Bridge over the Saugatuck River, connecting Bridge Street and Saugatuck Avenue. (Click here to see.)
But then several others all said it was the underside of the I-95 Saugatuck River bridge, or perhaps another on the same highway.
Fortunately, the I-95 span does not swing open. Imagine the traffic jams if it did!
Congratulations to Morley Boyd, Alfred Herman, Jonathan McClure, Tom Risch, Jim McKay, Diane Silfen, Ken Runkel, Abby Gordon-Tolan, Seth Schachter, Craig Clark, Ann Bacharach, Micheal Simso, Ralph Balducci, Andrew Colabella, Matt McGrath and Howard Potter. You know your undersides of bridge machinery!
Here’s a nice late-summer one challenge. If you know where in Westport you’d see this peaceful scene, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Patti Brill)
(Here’s a challenge: Please support your hyper-local blog. Click here to donate. And thank you!)
This November’s Board of Education election is very important. In the next 2 years, members may vote on everything from new buildings and redistricting to students’ access to library materials.
To help Westporters understand more about the BOE, the League of Women Voters of Westport will host 3 current members. The trio will discuss how the BOE operates.
Chair Lee Goldstein, secretary Neil Phillips and member Dorie Hordon are panelists for the September 6 event (7 p.m., Westport Library).
There is no sign on the door of the restaurant, located in the same mini-plaza as Joe’s Pizza and Le Rouge Chocolatier. Tables remain on the patio. The answering machine still describes its hours of operation.
But inside, furniture is piled high, ready for removal. Fans of the small spot, with an eclectic menu, will be heartbroken.
(Photo and hat tip/Sal Liccione)
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For veterans, September 11 is a solemn day.
This year, it’s especially important.
Catch a Lift — the national organization that helps post-9/11 combat-injured veterans recover and rehabilitate, physically and mentally, through physical fitness, motivation and support — will hold its 2nd annual Connecticut golf and pickleball outing.
The event, at the Patterson Club in Fairfield (10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.), also includes cocktails, dinner, raffles, and the chance to hear inspirational accounts from veterans about their journeys.
Emerson, Beckett, Aja and Jada Rhimes set up a stand at a busy intersection near their home. They wanted to raise funds for Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services.
“They help so many people. And they do it through donations. We wanted to help,” the girls said.
Did they ever!
Before running out of cups and lemonade, they raised $1,817. Their proud mother matched it.
An anonymous donor, impressed, added another $500.
So that’s $4,134 for WVEMS, from one lemonade stand.
Well done, girls!
A very successful lemonade stand. (Photo/Shonda Rhimes)
Time to get back to business — in more ways than one.
The Westport Business Networking International chapter’s Quarterly Visitor’s Day is September 7 (United Methodist Church, 7 a.m.).
Westport BNI has 50 members, with only one per category. Current open classifications include printer, salon/spa, restaurant, security systems, HVAC, photographer, travel agent, caterer, florist, event planner, home inspector, moving company, electrician, dentist, personal trainer, auto repair, cleaning service, physical therapy, cosmetics/skincare and promotional products.
Jamie Walsh is chair of Westport’s Shellfish Commission.
He’s concerned about the crabbing and other activities in Sherwood Mill Pond — which, since “06880” first reported on it last month, has become even more intensive. He writes:
On Friday night Barry Lytton, vice chair of the Westport Shellfish Commission and Jonathan Goldstein, owner and operator of Sherwood Island Oysters, discovered 40 to 50 individuals in the Mill Pond both crabbing and poaching large quantities of shellfish.
I also passed by, and was taken aback by the density of individuals with nets and buckets. These are restricted beds, leased for commercial shell fishing only as of right to Sherwood Island Oysters.
Barry was there for several hours. He says, “about 40 were strictly crabbing, but 10 or so were clamming and doing plenty of it. I saw 2 groups with about 200 to 400 clams each. I tried to tell them they could get sick, and called both the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and police, with no response. DEEP dispatch said they’d send somebody, but hadn’t for 2 hours.”
One bucket of clams — among money — at Sherwood Mill Pond Friday night. (Photo/Barry Lytton)
Aside from the light pollution and disruption to the neighbors who live around the pond, shellfish resources are being poached illegally.
It seems difficult for our police to enforce, as this activity occurs at night, they are not always familiar with the regulations, and many times a language barrier exists.
DEEP conservation officers are spread very thin, and do not have the budget for enforcement.
Sherwood Mill Pond crabbers and clammers, July 2023.
We have discussed this issue recently with Colin Kelly, Westport director of conservation. He is looking into enforcement options available to us. We need to protect our resources, and this area is strictly prohibited.
Westport has wonderful open recreational shellfishing beds located in the triangle off Cockenoe. Those areas are not restricted.
Allowing this illegal activity to continue only encourages permissive illegal behavior. This is something our commission plans to address immediately.
Click below for a video of Friday night’s activity. It was filmed by Barry Lytton; the voice is Jonathan Goldstein’s, owner of Sherwood Island Oysters.
(“06880” reports often on the environment — including our beaches and Sherwood Mill Pond. Please click here to help us continue our work. Thank you!)
Speaking of music: Yesterday’s “06880” preview of CLASP‘s “Rockin’ Halloween Bash” (October 20, Fairfield Theatre Company) — a benefit for the organization providing group homes and other services for people with autism and intellectual disabilities — included incorrect information about the music.
CLASP now says that the danceable, great rock from artists like Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, Journey, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and more will be provided by Stephanie Harrison (powerhouse leader of the band Fake ID), Anthony Gadaleta, Crispin Cioe (Westport saxophonist who toured with the Stones), Pat Marafiote, Marcos Torres Jr. (Cosmic Jibaros), and Rob Fried, Band Central founder.
The pre-party starts in the FTC gallery at 6:30 p.m., with light bites. Click here for tickets, and other information.
MDSolarSciences is a Westport sunscreen and skincare brand.
On Tuesday (August 22), CEO Renee Plato and employees will travel around Fairfield County, to donate sunscreens to lifeguards, fire and police departments, and others. They’ll also offer advice and tips on sunscreen application techniques, and the role sun protection plays in maintaining healthy skin.
The event begins in Westport.
MDSolarSciences says: Sunscreen is important!
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On Wednesday, members and guests of the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston toured Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park. It was part of the group’s New York historic walking tour series.
Tomorrow (Sunday, August 20, 2 p.m.), high school sophomore and Connecticut Entomological Society member Lukas Keras leads a bug walk in Sherwood Island State Park’s West Woods.
Lukas looks forward to inspiring visitors to love the natural world as much as he does. Entrance to the state park is free for vehicles with Connecticut license plates.
Jerry Moss — the “M” in A&M records, the label behind the Carpenters, the Police, Janet Jackson, Peter Frampton and (the “A” in the name) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass — died this week in Los Angeles. He was 88.
Many of today’s online art gallery submissions are photos.
They’re (as always) gorgeous. As always too, they circle the globe.
But let’s not slack off, all of you who work in other mediums!
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 to contribute.
“Poppy” (Ken Runkel)
“Sailing in My Dreams” (Tom Doran)
“The Whaleship Charles W. Morgan Returns Home” (Peter Barlow)
“Sunflower in a Sunflower” (Linda Doyle)
“Bee All That You Can Be!” Photographer Bonnie Scott Connolly took this image of a cone flower (echinacea) at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
Untitled (June Rose Whittaker)
“Wyoming” (Rowene Weems)
“It Is So Hot The Trees Are Melting” — western US (Mike Hibbard)
Untitled — swan family on the Lieutenant River estuary, Old Lyme (Susan Lloyd)
“The Hat” (Karen Weingarten)
Untitled — artist Eric Bosch explains, “Every 5 years, the Babson side of my family (200+) gathera at the Babson museum in Rockport, Massachusetts. The organizers requested art, so I did this painting for the occasion earlier this month. The Babsons got off the Mayflower and built a stone cooperage to make oak barrels. The center portion of my painting remains to this day.”
“A Brown Sheep.” Artist Steve Stein explains, “Sheep can be domestic or wild. Their colors range from pure white to spotted, piebald and dark chocolate, depending on a gene that controls melanin.”
“Flat Out” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
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In addition, Koskinas will request $432,063. That money would pay for 3 officers to patrol 3 campuses: Coleytown Middle/Coleytown Elementary School; Kings Highway/Saugatuck Elementary; and Long Lots/Greens Farms Elementary. One officer already patrols the Staples/Bedford Middle School campus.
A 1-inch by 1 -inch fob attaches to a staff member’s identification lanyard. In the event of any 911 emergency — a violent intruder, say, or a health issue — the staffer would press the fob for 2 seconds.
