Roundup: Another Hillspoint Home, ShoutOut LA, Church Organ …

Posted on November 15, 2022 | 7 comments

Yesterday’s Roundup featured a $7.9 million house. It’s being built on one of the most famous spots in Westport: 233 Hillspoint Road, site of the former Positano restaurant.

Diagonally across the street, at 246 Hillspoint, there’s another well-known home. Built in 1930, it’s the last remaining bungalow on the increasingly modern (and pricey)  stretch of water-view road.

Of course you know it:

At 695 square feet, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom on a 3,049-square foot lot, it could have been yours — for a mere $2 million.

But you had to act fast. Offers were due by Sunday

I don’t know a lot about real estate. But I’m guessing the buyer does not plan to live there as is.

So that $2 million is just a starting point. (Hat tip: John Richers)

=======================================================

David Winther graduated from Staples High School in 2006. He went on to a career as a talent agent (focusing on music and arena touring. He works now in Los Angeles at Elite World Group as a director of global partnerships. He also owns Winther Agency, which strikes brand and licensing deals for content creators.

The other day, he was interviewed by ShoutOut LA. Asked who deserved credit for his success, he gave shout-outs to 2 people from his Westport past: his mother Lynn, and his mentor Jack Klinge.

David said:

My 2 sisters and I got to grow up in Westport, CT, an affluent town with great education systems that push kids academically, athletically etc. to excel. She worked 2 fulltime jobs to get us a “slot” in that town. Ma missed a lot of soccer games, football games, lacrosse games, band recitals to afford that town. I think there was a certain teenage angst I had where I didn’t understand it and actually grew distant from her for a while. Now, in my mid-30s I see what she did and what she keeps doing and how much she gave for her kids. I know she would do it again in a second.

Second, Jack Klinge. I didn’t have a father figure at all my entire life. The town of Westport has a great program that mentors kids who may not have the “typical” nuclear family… In my case I was a latchkey kid in a rich town. Jack and I met when I was in 2nd grade and we started off our first day by going outside and playing soccer against each other. The relationship was great. He became more like a grandfather figure who would give me sage advice and be at my games. He would be proud. I know he is proud, even though I thoroughly believe he still doesn’t understand what I do, haha!

Thank you Mom. Thank you Jack.

In a follow-up conversation, David told “06880”:

I owe everything I am as a person and a professional to my upbringing and my roots. My roots will always be with Westport. Without the strong leaders like Cathy Schager, Jack Klinge, John Dodig, David Roth and many many more, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

To any parent reading this: Please trust in Westport. There is a special love and care for its community to succeed in whatever they want to do in life.

Click here to read the full ShoutOut LA story.

David Winther (Photo courtesy of Steven Shutters/ShoutOut LA)

====================================================

Rick Tripodi was the beloved music director and organist at Green’s Farms Congregational Church.

That organ was close to Rick’s heart. As a teenager in 1965, he attended its  dedication.

Classically trained, with a master’s degree in organ performance from Juilliard, Rick designed the refurbishment of the Peragallo/Walker organ during the church’s recent renovation project.

Sadly, he died just 2 days before the instrument was reinstalled.

The organ will be re-dedicated this Sunday (November 20, 4 p.m.). Justin Bischof — known internationally for his improvisations — will play. His program will include themes submitted by the audience.

The public is invited. A reception will follow.

====================================================

More than 5 weeks ago, an “06880” Roundup featured a gaunt deer, whose entire face was entangled in a badminton net.

It was gaunt — probably because it could not see to eat.

The deer is still wandering around Westport. Yesterday, it was in Jilda Manikas’ yard.

The good news: The net no longer covers its eyes. It looks a bit healthier — though certainly not happier.

(Photo/Jilda Manikas)

==================================================

Pianist Brian Marsella returns to “Jazz at the Post” this Thursday (November 17; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 6:30 p.m.; VFW Post 399, 465 Riverside Avenue).

He’s joined by bassist Reid Taylor, drummer Brian Floody and the “Jazz Rabbi,” saxophonist Greg Wall.

The cover charge is $15. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

Brian Marsella

==================================================

George Billis Gallery hosts an opening reception for artists Elizabeth Higgins, Dean Fisher and Josephine Robinson.

It’s this Thursday (5 to 8 p.m.) at Billis’ new location: 180 Post Road East. New work is also available.

“Pear Tree” (Dean Fisher)

=======================================================

The entrance to Burying Hill Beach teems with life.

Peter Gold captured today’s “Westport … Naturally” image at that often-overlooked site.

(Photo/Peter Gold)

======================================================

And finally … what will you see and hear if you visit Green’s Farms Church on Sunday, for the dedication of their new organ?

If you’re intrigued by the idea of an improvisational organist (story above), click below:

=======================================================

(Oh, deer! If you forgot to support “06880,” please click here!)

 

7 Comments

Posted in Arts, Beach, Entertainment, Environment, Real estate, religion

Tagged , , , , , , ,

“Getting Me Cheap”: Women Who Make Our Lives Work

Posted on November 15, 2022 | 1 comment

The woman caring for an affluent family’s children had just had a baby of her own. Health issues followed.

“We need you back now,” her employers said. “If you can’t come, we’ll find someone else.”

She faced a choice: Stay with her child, without pay. Or return to work, and pay someone to take care of her own baby.

That’s a common dilemma for low-wage women in America. It’s a situation people in places like Westport seldom think about.

Ir’s also one that’s rarely explored. Most studies of working women focus on professionals — how they balance office work and family life, for example.

Amanda Freeman knows all about the women who take care of children, serve our Starbucks and ship our Amazon packages.

Dr. Amanda Freeman

An assistant professor of sociology at the University of Hartford — and a Westport mother, with an undergraduate degree from Brown, an MFA from Columbia and a doctorate from Boston College —   she has just published her first book.

“Getting Me Cheap: How Low-Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty” is the result of more than a decade of interviews with women balancing motherhood and difficult, low-paying jobs — without public aid.

And how that struggle perpetuates itself, generation after generation.

Freeman has written about the subject for years, in academic journals and publications like the Atlantic, Parenting and the Washington Post Magazine.

The book, she hopes, will draw more attention to an issue fundamental to not only the women trapped in the spiral of low-wage work, but the families that employ them and benefit them, in places like Westport.

Freeman and co-author Lisa Dodson — her grad school professor at Boston College — spoke to 200 women across the country. They worked in childcare and eldercare; at Stop & Shop and ShopRite, McDonald’s and Panera, and Amazon warehouses. Many were people of color; they’re over-represented in that sector.

The authors also interviewed women — including working mothers, stay-at-home moms, and those active in labor movements — in well-off neighborhoods.

That was for ‘so what?’ — the policy part, the ‘what can and should we do?’ part,” Freeman says.

“We wanted to see what responsibility moms like me have. I know mothers here who are very interested in these issues. They do think about what do you do with someone you employ in your home?”

Freeman says that, unlike women with means, low-wage workers do not often talk about “work/life balance.” They see their lives as “impossible demands.”

She explains: “Motherhood is the most important thing to them. They want to be present for their kids’ educations and lives. But they have to be employed — and they want to work.” Many are also taking courses to try to improve their job prospects.

They are well aware, however, that society may stigmatize, stereotype or misunderstand them.

Low prestige and childcare issues are just some of the problems faced by workers in low wage jobs.

While women in white-collar jobs may have difficulty balancing work and parenting, Freeman says, most employers understand at some level that they’re taking care of children (and/or their own parents).

Employers of low-wage workers tend not to be understanding at all. “There’s a constant churn of losing or changing jobs” because of those issues, Freeman says.

She notes too that 2/3 of the women she spoke to were single parents.

That leads to situations where, for example, a woman may have no choice but to bring her child to work. That’s often frowned upon — or not allowed.

When childcare fell through, a Shoprite baker tried to hide her 5-year-old. She was fired.

“Westport mothers tend to obsess over the health and safety of their kids,” says Freeman. “But these women have real, immediate health and safety concerns.’

“They’re proud of their kids,” Freeman says of the workers she interviewed. “But sometimes they won’t talk about them. They don’t want to be seen as mothers.”

When someone saw photos of one woman’s youngsters, she said they were her sister’s.

Another difference: Many companies offer paid maternity leave to salaried and professional workers. But it’s seldom provided to hourly workers.

“Ask about your company’s policy,” Freeman advises readers. “And be aware of what you can do to change it.”

Freeman and her husband — award-winning novelist, Emmy and Peabody-honored filmmaker, playwright and professor of screenwriting in the Graduate School at Columbia University Trey Ellis — have the luxury of arranging their teaching schedules so they don’t need a lot of childcare.

From left: Maia, Pamela and Amanda Freeman; Chet, Trey and Ava Ellis. Front: a friend.

But during COVID, she ordered much more from Amazon. She thought about those workers, some of whom she had already interviewed for her book. They were working harder and longer than ever.

“They were risking their lives for people like me,” Freeman says. “And for very little pay.”

On November 29 (7 p.m.), the Westport Library hosts Amanda Freeman. She’ll talk about the sometimes invisible, often overlooked women whose work makes our own lives here possible.

It should be an eye-opening and educational evening. Book your babysitter now. (For more information and to register, click here.) 

(“06880” highlights many aspects of life in Westport — some visible, some under the surface. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog, and keep stories like these coming.)

1 Comment

Posted in Economy, Media

Tagged , ,

Pic Of The Day #2037

Posted on November 14, 2022 | 2 comments

Minute Man Monument (Photo/Michael Chait)

2 Comments

Posted in Beach, Pic of the Day

Tagged

“What’s Next In Weston”

Posted on November 14, 2022 | 1 comment

The Y’s Men of Westport/Weston take the last part of their name seriously.

The very active, 400-plus member social-and-more club recently inaugurated a bi-weekly podcast with Westport 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.

Now they’ve expanded north.

Under the direction of Dick Kalt, “What’s Next in Weston” features 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor. Every 2 weeks, she’ll discuss projects, programs and activities in her town.

In the first episode, she talks about Weston’s return to normalcy from COVID, including 3 new sidewalks, the Town Green, pickleball courts and Lechat Town Farm.

 

1 Comment

Posted in Local politics, Weston

Tagged ,

“06880” Podcast: Maxx Crowley

Posted on November 14, 2022 | 1 comment

Everyone has an opinion about downtown.

So does Maxx Crowley. But his means more than most: He’s president of the Westport Downtown Association.

Just 30 years old — and a native Westporter, from a noted local family — he plays a key role in the retail, restaurant and entertainment life of this town.

The other day, we chatted on the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum stage for the latest “06880” podcast. Click here for our wide-ranging (and very upbeat) conversation.

Screenshot of Maxx Crowley.

1 Comment

Posted in Categories

Tagged , ,

Roundup: 233 Hillspoint, “Guys & Dolls” Drama, Post-Election Coffee …

Posted on November 14, 2022 | 8 comments

For a few years now, 233 Hillspoint Road has sat half-finished. Swaddled in blue, with a chain link fence and weeds, it demolishes the beauty of the Old Mill neighborhood.

But one day, it will look like this:

And — from the beach — like this:

The property is listed for sale.

What would you get for $7.9 million? (Or $4.9 million, unfinished?)

The listing says:

233 Hillspoint Rd. is an exciting, sleek and sophisticated new construction waterfront home. A truly open floor plan that is drenched in sunlight through walls of glass that frame the water from every room. This stunning, beautifully designed, four bedroom all ensuite home, will be finished with high-end, understated elegance by noted architect, Lucien Vita.

The primary suite, with a true cathedral ceiling and private balcony, is next-level. The roof-top deck is beyond cool. Soak up the sun and fresh air while entertaining and watching the fireworks and sailboats on the horizon. Walk barefoot on the champagne sands, through the-beach level covered terrace to your personal elevator that will whisk you from the garage to where your life is lived with clarity, at a pace dictated by nature, the sun, the tides and the rhythm of the waves.

Only a handful of Westport homes have this incredible, panoramic view with a sandy beach. You’re home. And your home is on the beach with crazy gorgeous views.

Click here to see more (and make an offer).

=====================================================

David Roth and Kerry Long — co-directors of Staples Players — missed the opening night of “Guys and Dolls” in 2009. Kerry gave birth to their daughter Lucy, just 17 minutes before the curtain rose.

Henry Carson missed opening night of the same show on Friday. His absence was at least as significant.

The senior plays Nathan Detroit. But he caught the flu, and — with very little warning — his understudy had to go on.

His freshman understudy.

Will McCrea stepped up big time. He delivered an almost flawless performance, earning a huge hand from the sellout crowd.

That may not have been surprising. Will is Jack Lemmon’s grandson.

Will McCrea as Nathan Detroit, and Jackie Peterson as Adelaide. (Photo/Kerry Long)

The rest of the cast came through too — big time as well. The acting, singing, dancing, sets, lighting and pit make this one of Players’ best shows ever. And that’s saying something.

On Saturday, 2 more actors fell ill. Freshman Graham Griffin took over as Big Jule from senior Charles Watson. Junior Finley  Chevrier went on too.

Both Will and Graham’s Players debuts were impressive. Of course, they’ve been trained well: They shared the role of Daddy Warbucks in last year’s Bedford Middle School production of “Annie.”

Graham Griffin as Big Jule. (Photo/Kerry Long)

“Guys and Dolls” continues this weekend, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (November 18 and 19), and a Saturday matinee at 3 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.

=======================================================

The League of Women Voters of Westport invites voters (and everyone else) to a “Post-Election Coffee.” It’s Wednesday (November 16, 10 a.m., VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, 465 Riverside Avenue).

Westport’s registrars of voters Deborah Greenberg and Maria Signore will discuss the election, and what happens now the Connecticut’s early ballot initiative has passed.


=======================================================

Caroline Hendley and her husband rode to Saugatuck Shores this weekend.

She sent this image for “Westport … Naturally.” Check out the Buddha on the far right. Caroline thought that its head, resting on a dock, suggests that it can calm the waters.

(Photo/Caroline Hendley)

======================================================

And finally … Jeff Cook, a founding member of Alabama, died last week in Florida. He was 73, and suffered from Parkinson’s disease.

The band had 32 #1 country hits between 1980 and ’93. Several crossed over to the pop charts. Click here for a full obituary.

(Alabama is great. But Westport is better. Please click here to support “06880” — your hyper-local blog.)

8 Comments

Posted in Arts, Beach, Entertainment, Politics, Real estate, Staples HS, Teenagers

Tagged , , ,

Wilton Road Apartment Approvals Begin

Posted on November 14, 2022 | 19 comments

In March, Westport’s 8-30g moratorium ends.

Four months from now, developers may again apply to include “affordable housing” in their plans. Some believe in it. Others use it as a ploy for approval of projects otherwise too big to pass zoning muster.

(8-30g is a state statute requiring at least 10% of a community’s housing stock to be “affordable,” according to a state median income formula. Westport would meet that standard if all affordable units were included. However, only those built after 1990 — when the regulation was adopted — are included.)

Meanwhile, an 8-30g project approved before the moratorium is moving through Westport’s approval pipeline.

122 Wilton Road — the 1.16-acre parcel bordered by Wilton Road, Kings Highway North, the Saugatuck River and Taylortown Salt Marsh — is the planned site of a 3-story, 19-unit,  20,078-square foot apartment complex.

122 Wilton Road is the site of a planned 3-story, 19-unit apartment complex.

In 2018, the state Appellate Court denied a plan by Garden Homes of Stamford to build a 7-story, 48-unit apartment complex.

The developer returned with the smaller, 19-unit proposal, which included an 8-30g component.

Again the P&Z rejected the request. The scale was still too big; there were still traffic and fire safety issues.

But Garden Homes appealed, and a court overruled the P&Z. According to 8-30g, affordability trumps traffic and safety concerns.

COVID pushed back the 122 Wilton Road schedule. But last month the Conservation Department issued a permit. Still ahead are permits from the Water Pollution Control Facility and Building Department.

But with the court’s okay, the project moves steadily ahead.

19 Comments

Posted in Economy, Local politics, Real estate

Tagged , , ,

Pic Of The Day #2036

Posted on November 13, 2022 | 4 comments

Compo Beach sands (Photo/Hannah El-Gamal, grade 7, Coleytown Middle School)

4 Comments

Posted in Beach, Pic of the Day

Tagged

Photo Challenge #411

Posted on November 13, 2022 | 6 comments

There must be a reason an iron fence sits at the top of the Imperial Avenue parking lot driveway.

It doesn’t protect anything — not the nearby Westport Woman’s Club, Remarkable Theater or Farmers’ Market.

It probably predates all of them (maybe not the 115-year-old Woman’s Club).

Only 3 readers — Andrew Colabella, Amy Schneider and Len Peterson — identified the site of last week’s Photo Challenge. (Click here to see.)

And no one added an intriguing back story.

Perhaps this week’s image will be more recognizable. If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Bob Weingarten)

6 Comments

Posted in Photo Challenge

Tagged

Roundup: Book Sale, Mattresses, Club 203 …

Posted on November 13, 2022 | Comments Off on Roundup: Book Sale, Mattresses, Club 203 …

Yesterday’s weather was gorgeous.

But plenty of people headed inside: to the Westport Library’s ginormous Book Sale.

At least one youngster found exactly what he was looking for:

(Photo/Eve Potts)

The book sale continues today (Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.; half-price day) and tomorrow (Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; fill a Book Sale bag for $8, or your own equivalent-size bag for $5).

=====================================================

Also yesterday: Sustainable Westport’s mattress recycling event at Earthplace.

Over 60 mattresses and box springs were diverted from the incinerator, with the help of Bye Bye Mattress. More than half were picked up at residents’ homes and brought to Earthplace by Boy Scout Troop 36, for a small donation..

Plenty of people slept well last night, knowing they’d done good things for our planet.

Saving the planet, one mattress at a time. (Photo and hat tip: Pippa Bell Ader)

=======================================================

And … amazingly … this was another scene from yesterday:

(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)

Hey! It’s mid-November! Let’s put on some shorts and play volleyball at the beach!

=======================================================

Club 203‘s first 2 events were spectacular successes.

Now, the local social club for adults with disabilities announces the third.

A “Gaming and Pizza Night” — featuring games (pool, pinball and video), plus plenty of giveaways — ise st for November 19 (7:30 p.m., Toquet Hall).

Club 203 encourages independences. Parents and caregivers can drop off loved ones, then visit the nearby Westport Book Shop. The store on Jesup Road — a few steps from Toquet Hall — employs people with disabilities. They’re staying open late especially for the Gaming and Pizza Night.

To RSVP for the event, click here.

 

===================================================-===

Former Westporter Virginia Pils died earlier this month. She was 96.

The Los Angeles native graduated from UCLA in 1948. She taught high school English in Michigan before earning an MFA in drama at Yale.

She moved to New York City where she almost worked for Alfred Hitchcock

She married George Pils in 1958, and had 4 children. He died in 2011.

They lived in 3 states and 6 towns before settling in Westport in 1974. She was a Brownie leader and assistant Girl Scout leader; served on PTAs and the League of Women Voters; was a member of the Ecumenical Society in Westport, and president of the local American Association of University Women chapter. She was active with First Church of Christ Scientist, and sold advertising for The Christian Science Monitor,

When Virginia’s children were older she returned to teaching drama at The Seabury Center. She also taught English at Fairfield Prep and the Daycroft School.

She loved seeing shows at The Yale Repertory Theater and on Broadway. She enjoyed traveling with her husband to Europe, Asia and Alaska.

Virginia is survived by her children: Dwain (Beth)  of  Cornelius, North Carolina; Diana Pils Marino (Kevin) of Stamford; Gary (Bonnie) ofo Norwalk, and Gregg of Fairfield, and grandchildren Jessica Pils Fields, Mat Pils Stanley, and Tyler and Ava..

The family will receive friends in the Harding Funeral Home nexxt Saturday (November 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.), with a service at the funeral home to follow at 1 p.m.. Click here to leave online condolences.

Virginia Pils

===================================================

Leaves are not the only colors this fall.

This “Westport … Naturally” bloom was spotted (and photographed) by Alina Rodescu-Pitchon,

(Photo/Alina Rodescu-Pitchon)

=======================================================

And finally … in honor of the Earthplace event (see above):

(Please click here to support “06880.” You’ll sleep easy, knowing you did your part for Westport’s hyper-local blog.)

Comments Off on Roundup: Book Sale, Mattresses, Club 203 …

Posted in Beach, Children, Environment, Library, Local business, Obituaries

Tagged , , , , , ,