As plans to renovate the Westport Inn move through the application process — the 116-room hotel will be downsized and upgraded to 85 rooms, with more landscaping, a 3-story addition, demolition of the front building, a pool, rear dining terrace, and driveway and parking improvements — let’s look back, to its earlier incarnations.
The New Englander Motor Hotel was perfect for the 1960s. It welcomed weary Connecticut Turnpike travelers at Exits 18 and 19. Amenities included a pool (with, for a while, “memberships” offered to Westporters).
The postcard above is an accurate rendition of the rooms facing the rear (north), and the pool.
I’m not sure what the view in the front shows, though. That’s not exactly the Post Road, and the stores on the other side.
The Westport Inn/New Englander has been a hospitable spot for a century. Long before motels, it was the site of Mathewson’s Tourist Cabins. They were all the rage when motoring was new.
The Turnpike (now called I-95) was still in the future. The drive between New York and Boston could be long; driving on the Post Road was tedious. The “motor cabins” offered a welcome respite.
Look familiar?
“Tourist cabins” eventually morphed into “motor courts,” then “motels.” A few still survive.
One is the Norwalk Westport Motel.
It’s in Norwalk; presumably “Westport” sneaks into the name because 1) it’s kind of near the border, and 2) in Norwalk, the Post Road is called “Westport Avenue.”
In 2022, the Norwalk Westport Motel has seen better days.
Some of those days can be seen in this postcard, courtesy of Carl Swanson:
I have no idea what the room rate was, back then.
But gas was probably 39 cents a gallon.
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Chuck Greenlee, acting Y’s Men Gardening chair, writes:
“Wednesday afternoon at the very popular Westport Community Garden, our our Ys Men Gardening group noticed an unusual flying insect. JP Montillier got an eerily good photo.
“It was our newest American insect invasive scourge: the lanternfly.”
Nômade — the new restaurant replacing Tavern on Main — has had a few previews, before opening officially next week.
The previously dark interior has been reimagined, much more brightly. (The fireplace remains — but it’s now white). The patio is filled with tables, and a large bar. Wicker baskets hang from the ceiling.
The eclectic menu ranges from burgers and steaks to octopus, clams and ravioli.
The Nomade patio, overlooking Main Street. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Tickets are going fast for tonight’s (Friday) Levitt Pavilion show — the inaugural one, launching Hiss Golden Messenger and Aiofe O’Donovan’s “Turn Tail in the Milky Way” tour. (Next stops: Chautauqua, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.)
And kids’ tickets (12 and under) are free.
Both bands are part of the Levitt’s “Stars on Tour” event.
The show starts at 7 p.m. tonight. Doors open at 6; the Walrus Alley food truck will be there. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Tonight’s “Stars on Tour” folk double-header follows the free one last night. Intergenerational greatness was on stage, as Clueless (with School of Rock stars Ethan Walmark, Anais Preller, Jake Greenwald; Zach Rogers, Francesco Perrouna and Witt Lindau teamed up with perennial favorite the Mill River Band.
Dancing to the Mill River Band last night at the Levitt Pavilion, under a super moon.
The international event includes master classes by finalists at the Westport Public Library, and performances at MoCA Westport.
Today’s (Friday) events include a lecture by educator and musician Clipper Erickson, plus more master classes at the Library, and performances at MoCA. The competition concludes with an awards ceremony at MoCA on Saturday, (August 13).
Click here for tickets for all events, both in-person and virtual, and more information.
Heida Hermanns finalist Artem Kuznetsov leads a master class at the Westport Library. (Photo/Feria Sewell)
Speaking of music: Me2/Orchestra is the only one in the world created by and for people living with mental illness. R
It was created by Ronald Braunstein. On a trajectory to becoming a leading conductor, he made his diagnosis of bipolar disorder public and was shunned by the classical music community.
He vowed to erase the mental health stigma. one concert at a time. The film “Orchestrating Change” follows Braunstein and several musicians for 2 years, capturing their setbacks and accomplishments.
The film ends in triumph for Braunstein, who thought he might never conduct again — and for the musicians and audience, whose perspective on mental illness is forever changed.
The Westport Library will show “Orchestrating Change” on September 13 (7 p.m.). Executive producers/directors Margie Friedman and Barbara Multer-Wellin, and several people featured in the film, will be on hand for a talkback after the screening. Click here for more details.
The Staples High School football program was inspired yesterday by a visit from a combat wounded Army veteran, Intelligence Sergeant Quincy Lopez.
He cheered on the athletes, as they did a Marine Corps “Murph workout.” It’s a fundraiser for both Westport football and Catch a Lift, the program that helps wounded vets.
Sgt. Lopez spoke of being part of something “bigger than yourself.” He added:
“You are as strong as your strongest link, and as weak as your weakest link. If you guide your decisions by what makes the team better, that in turn makes you better.
“We will soon approach another anniversary of 9/11. The darkest of hours and ultimate tragedy was followed by the greatest period of camaraderie and unity. Incredible gains can happen when everybody works together. Keep this in mind as you persevere for whatever you do and aim to achieve.”
Staples football players listen intently. (Photo courtesy of Adam Vengrow)
August’s full moon is called the “sturgeon moon,” because the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during that part of summer.
It reached peak illumination at 9:36 last night. The day before, Jonathan Prager took this gorgeous photo.
(Photo/Jonathan Prager)
Last night, Westporters were out in droves to document the moon. Ted Horowitz shot this with his iPhone:
(Photo/Copyright Ted Horowitz)
Taking another view, Patrick Kennedy describes this shot as “the full moon, guarded by our Minute Man”:
Posted onAugust 12, 2022|Comments Off on Diverse Lineup Lights Up Library’s StoryFest
It’s just 5 years old. And it weathered a couple of COVID years.
But since its debut in 2018, the Westport Library’s StoryFest has grown quickly into a major event. The celebration of reading, writing, ideas and community draws some of the region’s most accomplished, exciting and up-and-coming authors.
This year’s event is back fully live, September 9 and 10. The array of authors — of all genres, for all ages — solidifies the Library’s role as a literary leader.
There are 2 headliners: Isaac Fitzgerald, the How to Be a Pirate author whose debut memoir, Dirtbag, Massachusetts, is #2 on The New York Times best-seller list, and Saeed Jones, who was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry in 2014 and won the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction in 2019 for his memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives. A conversation between the 2 is the Friday evening feature.
“What a joy to be attending the largest literary festival in Connecticut,” says Fitzgerald. “The two of us reconnecting onstage will be all the more special.”
From left: Isaac Fitzgerald and Saeed Jones.
StoryFest continues Saturday evening with an appearance by James Beard Book Award-winning author Mallory O’Meara and filmmaker/actress Brea Grant. The women behind the popular Reading Glasses podcast will host a live event that doubles as an episode of their show.
Joining in are StoryFest participants Sarah Gailey, Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Alexis Henderson, and Clay McLeod Chapman.
Other authors scheduled this year include May Cobb, Rachel Harrison, Gabino Iglesias, Alma Katsu, Eric LaRocca, Ellen Datlow, John Langan, Bracken MacLeod, Seanan McGuire, Gwendolyn Kiste, Hugh Ryan, Mondiant Dogon, Gus Moreno, Lorien Lawrence, Alexis Henderson, Isabel Canas, LaQuette, Julia Phillips, Greg Galloway, Coco Ma, Amanda Parrish Morgan, and Kate Racculia.
“StoryFest is one of the highlights of our year, and a crown jewel of the New England literary experience,” says Westport Library executive director Bill Harmer.
“It is an opportunity to welcome back old friends and fan favorites, while showcasing some of the country’s brightest rising talents. We are excited to celebrate 5 years of this remarkable event with readers from across New England and the tri-state area, and to welcome everyone to explore all our space has to offer.”
Past StoryFest participants include New York Times best-selling authors Mitch Albom and Michael Lewis; National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds; Pinkalicious author/illustrator Victoria Kann; Goosebumps author R.L. Stine; young adult superstars Nic Stone, Tiffany Jackson, and L.L. McKinney; and Emmy Award winner Sheila Nevins.
For a complete list of events, panels, and authors participating in this year’s StoryFest, click here. For a history of the event, click here.
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Comments Off on Diverse Lineup Lights Up Library’s StoryFest
My daughter and I played tennis Wednesday at Staples High School. I was disgusted to see all of the trash left on the court. The same trash I saw 2 days prior had grown in volume.
In addition to empty water bottles and tennis cans, there were about 8 of those sharp and dangerous metal seals. My daughter and I cleaned up the mess.
I don’t understand why people can’t clean up after themselves. They think it’s ok to leave their trash behind. There is a green receptacle on the court, and a garbage can just outside the fence.
Why is it so hard? Come on, people. Let’s all enjoy this public space together!
World-renowned (and Westport) photographer Stephen Wilkes is featured in a new Westport Library exhibit.
Encompassing all 3 galleries, the show will explore how his visualization of the concept of time has evolved from the earlier days of his career, on through his latest series “Day to Night” and “Tapestries.”
The exhibition opens September 8.
The program will be preceded by a reception with the photographer at 6:15, followed by a Q&A in the Forum, with Stacy Bass.
Longtime Weston resident Bill Rother — a well-known musician and travel company executive — died August 1, at his beloved Kettle Creek Camp in the Pennsylvania mountains, surrounded by family. He was 89.
A strong athlete, Bill was captain of his high school swimming and crew teams. He continued to swim throughout his life, winning dozens of medals in the senior Olympics. Bill swam his age in laps on his birthday – hitting 89 this year.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in forestry in 1955, and remained a lifelong Nittany Lion supporter. Although he never worked in the field, Bill loved to quiz his grandkids on the Latin names of trees in the woods.
He served as an Army second lieutenant in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Penn State, then first lieutenant and platoon leader with the combat engineers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the 82nd Airborne Division.
He was a musician from his earliest days, working his way through college playing banjo with a Dixieland band, The Sadistic Six. This led to work as a professional musician with Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians. He traveled the world with the group, performing on live television with stars like Perry Como, Jackie Gleason and Garry Moore, and appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” right before the Beatles.
Highlights for Bill were playing at the White House and meeting a President (Eisenhower), a Queen (Elizabeth), and a King (Elvis).
Bill’s next foray into Hollywood was an attempt to produce his own TV show in London about a race car driver called “Knights of the Road.” Despite a year of work, even hiring a down and out actor who went on to future success (Peter O’Toole), they ran out of money and Bill returned to Los Angeles penniless.
He saw an ad in the L.A. Times: “Tour Director to lead deluxe groups to Hawaii.” He was quickly hired by the company, Ask Mr. Foster. Within days they bought Bill a tuxedo and sent him to work on the SS Lurline cruise ship, chatting with the likes of Lloyd Bridges on his way to run tours in Hawaii.
After several years in the travel industry Bill connected with his close friend, Arthur Tauck, who hired him as a tour director with his premier tour company, Tauck Tours. It was a career he enjoyed for over 30 years.
His most proud accomplishment was setting up Tauck’s first itinerary in Hawaii, fulfilling a lifelong dream of living in the islands. Bill couldn’t believe he got paid to travel the world, and live at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Bill married the love of his life, Bonnie Marie Orton, in 1969 on Kauai. Their honeymoon included adventures in Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Bora Bora. Bill and Bonnie raised one daughter, Samantha Carrie Maile Lou Li’i Li’i Rother Nagy, who Bill called “the light of my life.”
In Weston, Bill became friendly with José Feliciano. He became the singer’s tour manager, and performed with him locally.
Bill was preceded in death by his brother Bobby. He is survived by his wife Bonnie, daughter Samantha, son-in-law Christopher, and grandsons William James and Luke Robert Nagy.
A celebration of life service will be held in September at the Unitarian Church in Westport, at a date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, his fmaily says: :be kind, laugh, play music, love big, drink the good beer, and live a great life.”
Wakeman Town Farm’s lecture garden series continues August 29 (6:30 p.m.). Master gardener Alice Ely talks on Milkwood Growing and Monarch Raising.”
Monarchs have suffered tremendous habitat loss recently. Alice will describe ways to attract egg-laying monarchs to gardens, raising eggs into hungry caterpillars, and tips on growing a variety of milkweed species to help them thrive.
Season 2 of “Kids are Talking” has been a great success.
Producer Michael Bud of Weston brought in new moderators for each episode. Among them: State Senator Will Haskell, who inspired teenager to get involved in politics; a “conspiracy rhetoric” professor who talked about the JFK assassination and lizard people; a Yale professor who discussed sleep habits and moods; an expert on boundaries, and last night, teen leaders of a suicide prevention organization.
Click here for past episodes, and more information.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” features some luscious tomatoes from Tom Cook’s Community Garden plot.
(Photo/Tom Cook)
Your bounty may not look like this. But there’s plenty of produce available today at the Westport Farmers’ Market. It’s runs through 2 p.m., at the Imperial Avenue parking lot.
And finally … Judith Durham, whose beautiful voice helped make The Seekers the first Australian pop group a success during the British Invasion — died today in Melbourne. She was 79, and suffered from a lifelong lung disease.
“Georgy Girl” was the Seekers’ biggest hit. I didn’t care for that one, but I loved many of their other songs — those well known, and others less famous. Australians considered them a treasure, and they were right. Click here for a full obituary.
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For as long as he can remember, Clay Singer has loved theater.
And for as long as he can remember, a vintage Westport Country Playhouse poster hung in his parents’ house.
The show was “At Mrs. Beams,” starring Frances Farmer and Mildred Natwick. The most expensive tickets were $2.75. The balcony was 55 cents.
“Mrs. Beams” was not the most memorable show. No one remembers its stars, and ticket prices are a bit higher today.
Clay Singer
But the Westport Country Playhouse is still dear to Singer’s heart. And on August 23, the 2013 Staples High School graduate steps on stage in a leading role.
He plays Leo, the 21-year-old who makes an unplanned visit to his feisty 91-eear-old grandmother in her rent-controlled Greenwich Village apartment.
Over the course of a month, the unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder and ultimately find each other. The show — “4000 Miles” — was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and won an Obie for Best New American Play.
This is note Singer’s first Playhouse appearance. He’s been in “Romeo and Juliet” and “Man of La Mancha.”
The Shakespeare play was unique. It was his first professional production after college. He had a small role as the messenger.
But a week into the run, the actor playing the prince injured his back. Singer was called to step into the role — 2 hours before curtain.
He learned 3 long monologues; was fitted for a costume; did a quick blocking rehearsal; went on. He stayed in the role to the end of the run.
Clay Singer and Felicity Jones in “Romeo and Juliet.” (Photo/Carol Rosegg)
This one is special too.
His generations-older co-star, Mia Dillon, “is a gift for audiences to watch,” he says. “Her character is written with so much earnest depth. And she plays it brilliantly.”
Singer is no slouch himself.
His Staples Players career is legendary. Doing 4 to 7 shows a year with longtime friends for years, in a “professional environment” created by directors David Roth and Kerry Long he developed a strong worth ethic — and an appreciation for Westport’s arts heritage and community support.
As a senior in “A Chorus Line,” he worked with 1975 grad and Players alum Bradley Jones — a member of the original Broadway production.
It was a smash. And it earned the cast a trip to Broadway, where they performed in Marvin Hamlisch’s tribute concert.
Grace McDavid-Seidner (Maria) and Clay Singer (Tony) sing “One Hand, One Heart” in Staples Players’ “West Side Story.” (Photo/Kerry Long)
At Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama — a rigorous, conservatory-style program — Singer continued to be inspired. Actors must wait until junior year to perform onstage. The wait was worth it: Singer played Tateh in “Ragtime,” a show that remains one of his all-time favorites.
a CMU classmate was Lea Dimarchi. She joins Singer in “4000 Miles.” “Westport will love her,” he promises.
Singer considers himself lucky to have worked “fairly consistently” in theater since graduation. He’s performed Off-Broadway and regionally in some of his favorite musicals: “Next to Normal,” “Into the Woods” and “Man of La Mancha.”
He worked with Billy Crystal an Tiffany Haddish on the set of “Here Today.” “If you blink you might miss me,” he says. “But it was a special few days of filming.” He hopes for more opportunities on camera.
His favorite role though was Itzik in the Broadway First National Tour of “The Band’s Visit.” Working on stages like Washington’s Kennedy Center and the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was a wonderful respite, after a year and a half of COVID quarantine.
“To go from solitude to being surrounded by 50 people traveling the country together was jarring. We had to keep each other safe, so we could keep doing what we love.”
Now it’s back to Westport. The Playhouse is where Singer saw “Twelfth Night” and “Into the Woods.” But not until he began working there on his previous plays did he understand the wealth of talent that preceded him on its stage.
“Walking to the dressing room, you pass by head shots of Gene Wilder, James Earl Jones, Joanne Woodward, Gloria Swanson, Christopher Walken, the mighty Paul Newman and many more,” he says.
“It’s a special experience to work in a theater with such a rich history. I don’t take the opportunity for granted.”
Westport Country Playhouse company manager Bruce Miller, with some of the 500 head shots near the dressing rooms underneath the stage. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Singer calls “4000 Miles” playwright Amy Herzog “a master of writing natural dialogue. It’s been a blast to dig into every word and punctuation mark.”
Working with director David Kennedy has been like “returning to acting class. He’s very precise and effective in his communication, and is absolutely one of my favorite directors.”
He’s humbled to share the stage with Tony winner Mia Dillon, adding that “nearly everyone will relate to these character in some way, shape or form.” When it’s over, audiences should “hopefully leave the theater feeling inclined to call up your grandmother for a good long conversation about life.”
(“4000 Miles” runs August 23 to September 4 at the Westport Country Playhouse. Click here for tickets and more information.)
(“06880” is your hometown blog. It’s also fully reader-supported. Please click here to donate.)
“4000 Miles” (from left): Lea DiMarchi as Bec; Mia Dillon as Vera; David Kennedy, director, and Clay Singer as Leo. (Photo/Cynthia Astmann)
Edward Capasse — a lifelong Westporter, former Board of Finance chair, and an active volunteer with the Westport Weston Family Y and Assumption Church — died last week, surrounded by his family. He was 91.
Ed was born October 1, 1930 in Westport, son of Police Captain Edward T. Capasse and Theresa PrunoLo Capasse.
Ed graduated from Staples High School. That’s where he met his wife of 48 years, Esther Ann Mondella, a Westport teacher.
After graduating from Fairfield University in 1952 and Boston College Law School in 1955, he became a prominent lawyer. He worked for over 60 years in Westport, first with Tate, Capasse & Johnson, then Nevas, Nevas & Capasse.
Ed Capasse
In addition to his work with the Board of Finance, Y and Assumption, Ed was an avid boater, golfer, swimmer and tennis player. He was a member of Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club and the Patterson Club.
Beyond his career as “consigliere” to Westport businessmen, he is
remembered by his family as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, who lived up to his Staples yearbook quote: “Upright as the cedar.”
“Deeply religious, he espoused strong family values, integrity, work ethic and charity, spiced with a wily sense of humor. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and gardening, while pursuing a late ‘singing career.'”
Ed spent his final years in Westport and Vero Beach, Florida with his late second wife, Linda Coburn Capasse, with whom he shared a decade of memories.
Ed is survived by his children Thomas (Jeanne) of Westport, Mary Beth (Jim) Carroll of Falls Church, Virginia, David of Bridgeport, and Meg (Dan) MacLeod
of South Portland, Maine; grandchildren, Jay (Becca), Erin and Addison Carroll and Natalie (Subhash) and Michael Capasse; great-grandchild Jarmin James
Carroll, and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to Esther and Linda, Ed was pre-deceased by his sister, Marie Whelan.
Calling hours will take place at Harding Funeral Home, Westport
on August 15 (4 to 7 p.m.). A Mass of Christian Burial is set for Assumption Church on August 16 (11 a.m.), followed by burial at Assumption Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Foundation for Fighting
Blindness. Afflicted with a hereditary eye disease, Ed overcame occupational and
professional disability with support from the Foundation. He was an
active participant in their mission. Click here, or send to PO Box 45740, Baltimore, MD 21297.
But little things mean a lot. Especially when you’re hungry.
Taj Indian Cuisine is in the strip mall opposite Stop & Shop. It’s easy to overlook. But they’ve earned a great reputation, and a solid base of loyal customers.
Piera Panozzo is one. The other day, she stopped by to pick up a dinner order she’d phoned in. She went to pay — but had forgotten her wallet.
No problem!
The Taj folks said, “Just call later with your credit card.”
That’s impressive for a restaurant of any size. It’s especially great service for a small place, which needs every order to survive.
Thanks, Taj, for believing in your customers. “06880” believes in you!
(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. Hat tip: Mary Condon)
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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!)
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