Roundup: Tarry Lodge, Lost Swan, Trees …

Posted on August 20, 2022 | 1 comment

Finally, the long-rumored news is official: Tarry Lodge is permanently closed.

A sign on the door says what’s been obvious to anyone driving past the Charles Street restaurant for weeks:

(Photo/JD Dworkow)

The Italian spot opened in 2011, on the site of the former Abbondanza (and, long before that, Esposito’s gas station). At the time, I described owner Mario Batali as a “chef, cookbook author, TV personality and philanthropist.” These days, I have to add “serial sexual harasser.”

The website lists 2 Connecticut locations for Tarry Lodge: Westport and New Haven. A dropdown menu indicates both are “no longer available.” The reservations link still allows requests, followed by: “At this moment, there’s no online availability within 2.5 hours.”

And a phone call still leads to this message: “We’re currently closed, but our phones open daily at 11 a.m.”

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

Westport Animal Control officer Peter Reid is often called upon for dog and cat crises.

But his portfolio includes many other local creatures: birds, raccoons, snakes …

… and yesterday morning, a swan.

Karen Mather reports: “I saw a swan walking in the middle of Morningside Drive South, and pulled my car over. The poor thing looked tired, and a bit out of place. 

“I called Animal Control. Peter arrived. He’s such a good, friendly, capable guy.

He said he would find an appropriate place for it — wide, open (territorial problems with swans) — perhaps Saugatuck. Hopefully this feathered friend had a better day!”

Animal Control Officer Peter Reid, and the swan. (Photos/Karen Mather)

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

Speaking of nature: Aspetuck Land Trust asks, “Want to ‘think like a forest'”?

On Friday (August 26, noon to 1 p.m., Zoom), Anna Fialkoff leads a discussion on “planting native trees to support local food webs.'”

Native trees purify air, shade and cool in hot weather, store atmospheric carbon, minimize flooding and storm water runoff, and help sustain vital pollinators, birds and other wildlife.

Trees are part of forest-like systems, even planted near homes and businesses, in parks and public open spaces, along streets and highways, even parking lots. To learn more, click here.

Think like a tree.

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

Two local authors have been added to Story Fest, next month’s Westport Library 6th annual literary-and-more event.

Tessa Smith McGovern and Patricia Dunn will hosting a conversation with  best-selling fantasy author Naomi Novik.

They’ll use the discussion to launch their new podcast: Go Ahead, Write Something!

McGovern is an award-winning English writer and teacher/coach. She’s written 2 best-sellers: the short story collection “London Road: Linked Stories” and Cocktails for Book Lovers.

Dunn is author of the young adult novel “Rebels by Accident.” Her next book, “Her Father’s Daughter,” is a psychological thriller. Her writing has appeared in Salon, The Village Voice, The Nation, LA Weekly and The Christian Science Monitor.

Click here for more information on StoryFest.

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

Business Networking International meetings are usually limited to one person per profession.

But a Visitor’s Day on September 1 (7:30 to 9 a.m., United Methodist Church) is open to all.

It’s a chance to hear about classifications that can accept new members. Among them: LinkedIn expert, counseling services/psychotherapist, home security, HVAC, photographer, caterer or bakery, florist, event planner, home inspector, moving company, travel or tour operator, automotive repair, landscaper and electrician.

The Westport BNI group has nearly 50 members. In the calendar year starting October 2021, the group has passed over $3.2 million in closed business.

Pre-registration is required; email billhall747@gmail.com. For more information, click here.

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

One Rivers is 10 years old.

Don’t freak out. They haven’t been in their location behind Shearwater Coffee, in the old Bertucci’s building, that long. But the unique art and digital design school is ready to celebrate with an Art Fest.

Set for Sunday, September 19 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), it includes a variety of workshops for children and teenagers. Some require advance registrations; other are drop-in.

There’s live music too; food from Goni’s Gourmet; local artists and vendors, and a raffle with a chance to win a free month of lessons.

Click here for full details.

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

Giovanni (John) Mioli — a Westporter for 48 years — died peacefully on Thursday, surrounded by his family. He was 90 years old.

Giovanni was born in Santa Teresa di Riva, Italy (Sicily), the oldest of 5 children. He graduated from Istituto Tecnico Industriale, Messina, Italy and had a long career in electrical engineering.

Giovanni spent his 20s captaining sailboats in many regattas on the Caribbean Sea. This passion continued throughout his life. He loved spending time with family and friends on his sailboat on Long Island Sound.

Giovanni also loved communicating globally. As an amateur radio operator, he won competitions by contacting hundreds of amateur radio operators worldwide.

He was happiest traveling with his family to Italy, St. Maarten, Clearwater Florida, and anywhere there was a warm, beautiful beach. At home he enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden, and fig and lemon trees.

Giovanni is survived by his wife of 56 years, Concetta (Tina) of Westport;  daughters Rina (Thomas) Greco of Guilderland, New York, and Alicia (Joseph) Mioli of Hoboken, New Jersey; grandchildren Louis Greco and Victoria (Justin Valente) Greco; brothers Santo (Sabina) of Mamaroneck, New York, Joseph of Westport and Carmelo (Carrie) Mioli of Westport; his Rita Carolini of Harrison, New York, and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

A wake will be held on Monday (August 22, 4 to 8 p.m., Harding Funeral Home, , Westport). A funeral mass will be held Tuesday (August 23, 11 a.m., St. Luke Church). Entombment will follow in Willowbrook Cemetery, Westport.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the National Kidney Foundation would be greatly appreciated.  Online donations can be made at http://www.kidney.org.

Giovanni (John) Mioli

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

Back to swans (see story above):

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature shows one that has not lost its way. Susan Lloyd spotted it, swimming serenely in Muddy Brook:

(Photo/Susan Lloyd)

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

And finally … while Aspetuck Land Trust invites you to “think like a tree” (story above), Lerner and Loewe had that idea decades ago. Their musical “Paint Your Wagon” debuted on Broadway in 1951; a film version followed in 1969. Among the songs:

 

1 Comment

Posted in Arts, Environment, Library, Local business, Obituaries, Restaurants, Saugatuck, Teenagers

Tagged , , , , ,

Online Art Gallery #124

Posted on August 20, 2022 | 2 comments

Most weeks, artists — professional and amateur — simply submit their work. Some have names; some are untitled. They stand well on their own.

This week, several submissions have back stories, or at least explanations. It’s always good to know where a piece came from.

It’s not necessary, of course. Whatever works for you.

This is your gallery. All readers are invited to contribute to it. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions.

All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and (yes) needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Share your work with the world!

“Was it the Heat or the Humidity?” Jerry Kuyper says he assembled this sculpture from found objects.

Untitled. Lis Hisgen says, “I started acrylic painting during the pandemic, after last painting a wallaby in 7th grade. Flowers, colors and textures bring me joy.”

“The Beach is for Everyone” (Lawrence Weisman)

Diane Yormark’s needlepoint was inspired by her nephew, Brooklyn artist Sam Unger.

“Moonlight Lancers, ATTACK!” (Mike Hibbard)

(If you like our weekly online art gallery, please consider supporting “06880.” Click here to help.)

2 Comments

Posted in Arts

Tagged ,

Hocon’s Hocus-Pocus

Posted on August 20, 2022 | 17 comments

The other day, a Westport resident turned on her oven. A stench “like rotten avocados and burning pineapple” wafted through her home.

She called Hocon. They sent a “thorough and considerate” technician. Within 20 minutes, he determined there was no leak.

That’s the good news.

Unfortunately, the reader writes:

A week later I received a bill for over $470. It was $199 for the Hocon rep visit, $225 for an emergency, $18 for a gas surcharge, plus a surcharge for something else I was too stunned to memorize.

Days later, I learned that our local fire departments check out gas leaks for free.

But the person on the phone at Hocon never mentioned that, or anything about extra emergency charges. They just sent someone over.

The company president writes on Hocongas.com: “It is our hope to provide you with a level of service that is beyond your expectations, in line with what my dad always strived to achieve.”

Goal: achieved. The invoice was Way. Beyond. Expectations.

Excellent service — no complaints there. But a 20-minute visit, 10 minutes of driving at most, and a bill for almost $500? I understand there’s a level of expertise here, but seriously? (Don’t forget, our expert fire department is free.)

I’m thinking (for a hot nanosecond) it’s my fault for not asking about fees in advance. But I didn’t think I’d have to. Experience has taught me there’s typically a fee of $100. Maybe $150.

Then I realize, horrified: I’m victim-blaming myself. They’re the large company. I’m the paying customer. It’s their responsibility to be transparent.

We could easily assume there’s no fee if they don’t tell us there’s a fee. But society has taught us to quietly pay any invoice we receive. Hocon — and many other companies  — make a lot of money because of this.

To be sure I hadn’t overlooked anything, I poke around their website. No fees are listed anywhere.

I call an employee, asking, “Where can I find the fees?” Her response: “I don’t really know.”

I email the president (let’s call him “Dave”): “Where can I find a list of fees? Your employee doesn’t even know.”

Days later I receive a response from the general manager of a Hocon office: “Our fee schedule is posted in the office as required.” (Then he dismisses the clueless employee as possibly new and “flustered.”)

Fun! A trip to the Hocon office! But when can I come? I have to email the GM to find out.

He writes, “We have some availability later this week or anytime next week.” (M-F, 8:30-4:30).

The Hocon office is at 33 Rockland Road in South Norwalk.

Sounds like Hocon is taking advantage of an antiquated law (policy?), writing their fees on a scrap of paper and taping it to an office wall. They can probably count on one hand how many residents know about the posting, and even fewer who have seen it. That gives Hocon freedom to charge whatever they want to. We’ll blindly pay it.

President Dave further writes:“As a kid, I grew up listening to [Dad] tell me about taking care of the customer.” You mean taking advantage of a crazy old policy to ensure customers are unaware of your ever-increasing rates?

Consider the following scenario – a long-time customer who has never missed a payment:

I ask Dave to post his fees on his newfangled “internet site.” It would be a super easy way to take that scary first step into the 21st century!

But I haven’t heard from him.

If he really wants to help his customers, he could tell them to call the local fire department for emergencies. He could put his fees on the site so we can make informed decisions — or, better, question why they need a full $18 to drive 10 minutes to our home on top of a $225 emergency fee?

But he won’t. That would be bad business!

If you’d like to know what you’re expected to pay — and you prefer to not schedule an appointment and drive to the Hocon office to view the fee poster on a mutually convenient time during your work day — please email him and ask him to be transparent. Put fees on the site, in an easily located spot.

His email is dgable@hocongas.com.

(“06880” aims for much better customer service. After all, we’re entirely reader-supported. Please click here to help.)

17 Comments

Posted in Local business

Tagged ,

Pics Of The Day #1950

Posted on August 19, 2022 | 1 comment

Summer fun at Old Mill Beach … (Photo/Lauri Weiser)

,,, and low tide off Owenoke (Photo/Jonathan Prager)

1 Comment

Posted in Beach, Pic of the Day

Tagged ,

Roundup: Tutti’s, Kugel, Newman & Redford …

Posted on August 19, 2022 | 2 comments

A man with a big heart needs a new one.

And one of Westport’s most big-hearted restaurants is helping.

Jimmy Nuzzo — known to many as “DJ Jimmy Jams” — was born with a congenital heart defect. After open-heart surgery at age 7, he lived a healthy life for years. He owns Dance to the Music Entertainment, and is a loving husband and father.

Now he needs a new heart — and liver.

Jimmy Nuzzo (3rd from left), with his family.

On Sunday, August 28 (4 to 7 p.m.), Tutti’s on Riverside Avenue is offering a $25 penne with meatball dinner — large enough to feed 2 people. It’s to-go (and cash) only. 100% of the proceeds go to help Jimmy.

Mangia!

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

Speaking of dining (though a different cuisine):

Chabad of Westport hosts “Kugel with a Twist” (September 7, 7 p.m.).

The Nosher editor Shannon Sarna Goldberg and Connecticut food blogger Liz Arronson Rueven will chat about modern takes on Jewish comfort food.

It’s free, and open to the community. However, attendees are asked to bring one kosher item (dried fruit, raisins, dates, nuts, tomato/spaghetti sauce, cereals, oatmeal, jelly, canned tuna, ketch, mustard, mayo, vegetable/corn oil) to stock Chabad’s mobile kosher food pantry, to arrive this fall.

Anyone donating $180 to held fight food insecurity will receive a signed copy of Sarna’s “Modern Jewish Comfort Food.”

Click here to register, and for more details.

Eat!

Kugel

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

Longtime Westporters Carl Addison Swanson and his editor Jo Ann Miller have just published their 54th book,

It details Swanson’s experiences — some fictional — during his 1969 Vietnam tour. tour.

“365 Days and a Wake-up” is “not your normal war novel with blood, guts and gore,” Swanson says.

“I was watching ‘M*A*S*H,’ the movie, on late night TV, and remembered some of the humorous things, amidst the insanity, of events which occurred. I attempted to capture them.”

Swanson, known for his fast-paced, plot-driven narratives as well as his prolific publications, owns a Bermuda publishing house, and is a senior editor at a national magazine.

“365 Days” is available Labor Day. The hardback version follows in mid-October. Click here to order. Click here for Swanson’s website.

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

Paul Newman has been in the news lately.

The actor/car racer/philanthropist died in 2008, but his life in Westport with Joanne Woodward is featured in the CNN/HBO film “The Last Movie Stars.”

Arthur Klausner sends along a recent Tweet that “stars” Newman’s friend, Robert Redford. In the clip from 1980, the former Weston resident recalls a long-running practical joke the two men played on each other, involving melted-own automobiles and their homes.

https://twitter.com/MichaelWarbur17/status/1560174346978615296

Arthur wonders how long the “garden sculpture” remained at Newman’s North Avenue home.

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

The Levitt Pavilion has just added a new ticketed show.

Orebolo — featuring Rick Mitarotonda, Peter Anspach and Jeff Arevalo of Goose — take the stage on September 7 (7 p.m.).

The trio has built a national following nationwide. Formed during the initial COVID surge, they shared a home. They learned new covers, and explored Goose’s deep catalog acoustically.

Tickets are $15 (members) and $18 (non-members, plus a $2 facility fee). Member pre-sale is active now; public tickets are available Monday (August 22) at noon. Click here to order, and for more information.

Orebolo

In other Levitt news, an opening band has been added to this Sunday’s (August 21, 6:30 p.m.) Allison Russell ticketed show.

She hand-picked Bailen, after opening with them at the Edmonton Folk Fest. Children under 12 are free (with an adult in the BYO-lawn chair section).

As for Allison: she released a new single yesterday, featuring Brandi Carlile:

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

Also this weekend: a pair of Friends of Sherwood Island State Park programs.

Tomorrow (August 20, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.), 2 interns with a big net will set up on the beach across from the Nature Center. They’ll show how many creatures they can pull out of Long Island Sound.

On Sunday (August 21, 2 to 3:30 p.m.), butterfly expert Michele Sorensen will lead a walk. She’ll start at the Nature Center porch, then explore nearby gardens and dunes for a variety of species. Buckeyes, swallowtails, sulphurs, fritillaries, monarchs, skippers and pearl crescents are all possible. It’s suitable for ages 5 and up.

Click here for more information.

Monarch butterfly (Photo/Tammy Barry)

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

Native Westporter and Pepperidge Farm manager Agnes “Aggie” Veno died peacefully last week, with her family by her side. She was 67.

Aggie was passionate about arts and crafts, and participated in craft fairs throughout Fairfield County. She was especially good at crocheting. She was also an excellent cook and baker, who enjoyed gatherings with her extended family.

She was an avid volunteer at St. Luke Church too.

She is survived by her mother Marie, sister Joann (Steve) Porch, godson Nicholas Vena, Jr., and many cousins, including Sadye Bella Bustillo, who had a special place in her heart. In addition to her father Andrew, she was predeceased by her brother, Andrew J. Veno, Jr.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held today (Friday, August 19, 10 a.m., St. Luke Church). Interment will follow at Assumption Cemetery in Greens Farms.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To send an online condolence, click here.

Aggie Veno

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

One more rainbow photo from last night — this one perfect for “Westport … Naturally.”

Koda lives on Soundview Drive. But he’s a frequent visitor to Old Mill Grocery, around the corner.

(Photo/Karalyn Hood)

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

And finally … in honor of last night’s beauty, enjoyed by Koda (and many “06880” photographers):

(To share a pot of gold — or just a few pennies — with “06880,” please click here. Support for this blog is greatly appreciated!)

2 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Environment, Media, Obituaries, religion, Restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Grayer’s Gift Spurs Staples Reunion Grant

Posted on August 19, 2022 | Comments Off on Grayer’s Gift Spurs Staples Reunion Grant

Jonathan Grayer has spent his career in education.

As CEO of Kaplan, the 1982 Staples High School and ’86 Harvard University graduate turned the test prep company into the 2nd largest online education provider in the world.

He retired in 2008, then started Imagine Learning. He now serves as chair and CEO. Its digital curriculums make enormous differences in some of the largest and neediest public school districts in America.

Jonathan Grayer

Grayer is a philanthropist too. His main passions are cancer research and post-secondary schooling. His Kaplan Educational Foundation — “Rhodes Scholars for Community Colleges” — sends students from 2-year schools to Ivy League and other top universities.

But Grayer has not forgotten his Westport roots. And he knows that in this affluent community, plenty of families cannot afford the enormous (and skyrocketing) cost of college.

“It can be a lonely journey — especially with all the pressures already on kids,” he says.

So when he heard (via “06880”) that in conjunction with their 40th reunion, his Staples class was raising funds for Staples Tuition Grants, something clicked.

He sent a personal $25,000 check. Together with more than $5,000 in donations from reunion-goers, the result is an endowed fund, named for The Staples Class of 1982.

It’s believed to be the biggest class gift in STG’s 79-year history.

Staples Class of 1982 reunion organizers (from left) Dixie Webb O’Brien, Kim Hamer and Jeff Ruden enjoy the festivities.

Grayer did not make it back to Westport for the reunion. He was hosting a large family gathering at his Sagaponack home.

But his gift was noted often.

And it will be remembered for many years to come by Staples graduates who will benefit from a college education, thanks to the care and generosity of alumni who preceded them more than 40 years earlier.

(To learn more about Staples Tuition Grants — including how to donate — click here.)

(Like Staples Tuition Grants, “06880” is a non-profit. Please click here to support this blog.) 

Comments Off on Grayer’s Gift Spurs Staples Reunion Grant

Posted in Economy, Education, Staples HS

Tagged , ,

Friday Flashback #310

Posted on August 19, 2022 | 13 comments

Today’s Friday Flashback comes courtesy of Seth Schachter’s extensive postcard collection.

This 1909 scene looks vaguely familiar:

Is it the Gault house and barn on South Compo?

The only hint is that it belonged to Thomas Turner.

Here’s the back of the postcard:

“Passive-aggressive” may not have been coined 113 years ago, but the phrase is an apt description of the message:

Well, your [sic] a great one why don’t you answer every one of my postals. I sent  you two or three and you sent me one.

Went to Danbury yesterday to Pomona Grange.

And that’s that.

Except for these mysteries: Who was Mr. Archibald Freeborn, at P.O. Box R?

And why was someone in Westport writing to someone in Lombard, Montana?

(This is not a mystery: “06880” is fully reader-supported. Please click here to contribute.) 

13 Comments

Posted in Friday Flashback, Real estate

Pics Of The Day #1949

Posted on August 18, 2022 | 8 comments

Storm clouds rolled in over Grace Salmon Park. “They produced 4 drops of rain,” says photographer Patricia McMahon.

It was the same last night: Clouds looked like they’d bring much-needed rain. Despite this dramatic scene, they did not … (Photo/Deirdre O’Farrelly)

… and sailors enjoyed a pleasant evening. (Photo/John Videler for Vodeler Photography)

Meanwhile, despite almost no rain, there were rainbows visible throughout Westport. This was over Burritts Landing … (Photo/Lisa Gold)

… and Bedford Middle School … (Photo/Joan Gillman)

… and I-95 from Hillspoint Road … (Photo/Alison Freeland)

… and Terhune and Pumpkin Hill ,,, (Photo/Shira Honigstein)

… and Patagonia … (Photo/Carrie Kuhn)

… and one spot on the Saugatuck River … (Photo/Tom Feeley)

… and another. (Photo/Mia Kirkorsky)

8 Comments

Posted in Beach, Environment, Pic of the Day, Weather

Tagged , ,

Roundup: EV Charging, Drywall, Dinosaur …

Posted on August 18, 2022 | 2 comments

Standing outside an EV charging station yesterday, Congressman Jim Himes and State Senator Will Haskell lauded Westport for leading efforts in sustainability.

Fresh from congressional passage of a sweeping climate change bill, Himes noted that the new legislation, plus partnerships between public and private sectors like Connecticut-based EV charging company JuiceBar, can have a great impact on carbon reduction.

Congressman Jim Himes discusses Westport’s role in sustainability, at the Westport Library. Also taking part (from left): State Senator Will Haskell, Juice Bar chief strategy officer Paul Vosper, 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, and Library director Bill Harmer.

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

Jen Ogilvie just bought a house in Westport. But it’s clear she already knows what it means to be part of a community dating back hundreds of years.

She writes: “We’re in the Old Hill area. We were changing a few things, and found this.

“We thought it was sweet, and that the family that did it might want a picture of it, or even see it before we drywall over it again.”

If you’re the family that made this memento, email jen@jbotravel.com.

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

Speaking of homes: William Raveis realtors usually drive clients around Westport, showing off the town.

Now they’re looking for bicycle riders and walkers. They invite everyone — longtime residents, newcomers, homeowners, renters, young, old) — to the 2022 Ride + Walk (September 18, Calf Pasture Park, Norwalk.

The event includes two2 bike rides (12 and 24 miles), a 5K walk (or run), and a 100-yard dash for kids.

Sign up as part of the “Way to Go Westport” (as a Westport office participant), or form your own team. Click here to register, and for more details.

All proceeds go directly to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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

Spotted at Trader Joe’s:

(Photo/Mark Mathias)

Hope he didn’t get a hold of the Sunrise Rotary Club’s Sunny the Duck.

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

We’ve run some colorful photos for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

But I’m not sure if there’s ever been one as beautiful as today’s, from Sherwood Island State Park:

(Photo/June Rose Whittaker)

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

And finally … on this day in 1979, Stephen Biko was arrested at a police roadblock under South Africa’s Terrorism Act. He died from injuries suffered during the arrest. His death brought important attention to the nation’s apartheid policies.

2 Comments

Posted in Environment, Library, Local business, Real estate, Totally random

Tagged , , ,

The View From Traverse City

Posted on August 18, 2022 | 9 comments

Balancing development and growth with maintaining small-town charm. COVID. Infrastructure. The environment. Taxes. Parking.

Whether you are 1st Selectwoman of Westport or mayor of Traverse City, Michigan, every suburban political leader deals every day with issues like those, large and small.

Ask Jim Carruthers. The 1982 Staples High School graduate just retired as mayor of the Great Lakes resort town. His 3 terms followed service on the City Commission.

Jim Carruthers, in the 1979 Coleytown Junior High School yearbook …

Carruthers loves Traverse City. His grandparents bought a summer home there in the 1930s. He moved to Westport from Cincinnati with his parents, and entered Coleytown Junior High.

Friends often wondered why he spent his summers in Michigan. They didn’t realize how beautiful the lakes were, how pure the air.

Now, he says, they understand.

Carruthers enjoyed growing up in Westport. He rode his bike to the beach, took the Minnybus and Maxytaxy all over town, and appreciated that New York City was a train ride away.

After graduating from Staples High School in 1982 and the University of Connecticut 4 years later, he worked as a yacht broker in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

But in 1989, when his blind grandmother needed help at the summer cottage, Carruthers volunteered.

He did not plan to stay. But he’s been there ever since.

… and today.

He got involved in conservation and environmental issues. When his best friend was diagnosed with HIV, he ran an AIDS services program for 10 years.

Carruthers was active too in Planned Parenthood. He’s still on the development committee.

“I’m a gay man. But women’s rights is my biggest cause,” he says.  “Until women are treated equally, no one will be.”

His grandfather was mayor of Glendale, a Cincinnati suburb, for 43 years. Carruthers spent 8 years on the Traverse City Parks & Recreation Commission, before his election to the city commission in 2007.

Meanwhile, he was advocating for many causes: installation of what would be Michigan’s first utility-scale wind turbine; opposition to construction of a 4-story parking structure; inclusion of sexual orientation in the city’s anti-discrimination policies.

It was all part of making his community a better place to live. Besides being the “Cherry Capital of the World,” Traverse City had evolved from a summer resort for Midwesterners to a tourist mecca that draws visitors from all over.

There’s skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, and of course water and dunes. Carruthers rows 5 miles a day, and sails too.

The Traverse City waterfront.

As mayor — a non-partisan post — Carruthers understood the role tourism plays in Traverse City. He dedicated himself to water quality issues, including trying to shut an 80-year-old pipeline that, he says, “will eventually break and spill oil.”

His town beat its goal to power all municipal operations with clean power. They hope to switch entirely to renewables by 2040.

One of the perks of being mayor: taking a selfie with the President of the United States, when he visits your town.

Carruthers kept his focus on human rights issues too. But when COVID drew an influx of people to their second homes — and brought others, seeking to buy — Traverse City grappled with issues of real estate and growth.

Meanwhile, exploding real estate prices made it increasingly difficult for town employees, teachers, and retail and other workers to live nearby.

Sound familiar?

“I’m not anti-growth,” the former mayor says. “But we’re a town of 15,000. We want to maintain our small-town charm. That’s who we are.”

Carruthers calls Traverse City “a blue town in a red county.” The Michigan Militia is based not far away. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh trained with them. They were accused in a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer — a friend of Carruthers’.

Jim Carruthers and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

He too received death threat.

“Politics is hard,” Carruthers says. “I was just trying to fix walking trails, and get clean water. But because I supported masking and vaccines — trying to help my community stay safe — I was a target.”

Last year — citing a desire to spend more time with his aging parents, his husband and his own health — he decided not to run for a 3rd term.

Carruthers is still deeply involved in Traverse City. He still works with Planned Parenthood; he’s on the board of Dann’s House, a non-profit supportive housing agency for people with alcoholism (“we have a homeless problem, just like every place”), and as president of Friends of the Senior Center, he’s working to get a new building.

The former mayor has been approached to run for state representative. So far, he’s declined.

“I like the local level better,” Carruthers says. “That’s where you really see the results of what you get done.”

(Hat tip: Dan Donovan)

(“06880” is truly “Where Westport meets the world.” Readers anywhere can support this non-profit blog; please click here for details.)

Jim Carruthers with a famous Michigander, Michael, Moore.

9 Comments

Posted in Environment, Politics, Staples HS

Tagged ,