Pics Of The Day #3159

Posted on December 12, 2025 | 2 comments

Compo Beach …

… and Parker Harding pedestrian walkway (Photos/John Maloney)

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Friday Flashback #480

Posted on December 12, 2025 | 10 comments

Television today is many things.

It’s big-bucks drama. It’s you-are-right-there-on-the-field sports. It’s edgy comedy, kill-to-win reality contests, polarizing news.

It is rarely, however, laugh-out-loud funny.

Back in the day — the black-and-white, 3-channel day — things were different.

Broad swaths of Americans watched the same shows, at the same time. And together, they laughed gently (or uproariously) at human foibles.

“Candid Camera” was one of those popular, family-friendly offerings. From 1948 through 1970s, ordinary Americans fell for practical jokes — a car with a hidden extra gas tank, say — while host Allen Funt narrated.

“Smile — you’re on ‘Candid Camera!'” became a national catchphrase.

In the fall of 1961 the show came to the Westport Lanes bowling alley, on State Street (now Post Road) East. (After several iterations, the space is now BevMax.)

The joke was that certain bowlers — no matter how poor — would always roll a strike.

The last 2 lanes were rigged so that thin piano wires ran under the pins. The lanes’ owners — the Backiel family — would assign those lanes to customers who seemed likely to not bowl many strikes.

“The guy would bowl his regular score, but every time the woman got up, a mechanic in back would pull a lever,” Jack Backiel told “06880” in 2012.

“The poor guy out on a date would bowl his 125 game. His date would roll a 288. The hidden camera focused on his expression as she got strike after strike after strike.”

That anecdote was part of a longer “06880” story, about Westport Lanes in general. But it did not link to that “Candid Camera” episode.

The other day, alert “06880” reader Bill Dedman sent us that show. More than 60 years later, it’s still pretty funny.

It’s still remembered too, by now-aged fans. The comments section of the YouTube video is filled with folks who call it the funniest “Candid Camera” prank ever. Click here or below to see and read.

Meanwhile — because this is “06880,” where Westport meets the world: Do oyou recognize any of the bowlers? Are you actually one of them?

If so, click “Comments” below. That would really “strike” home!

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Donation Drop-offs, Swim Club Tryouts, Sherwood Island Solstice …

Posted on December 12, 2025 | Comments Off on Roundup: Donation Drop-offs, Swim Club Tryouts, Sherwood Island Solstice …

Westport Country Playhouse is getting in the holiday spirit.

And not just just with it’s production of “A Sherlock Carol.”

The family-friendly show is certainly an attraction.

But there’s more. Three important groups — the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Norwalk Toys for Tots, and Westport Homes with Hope food pantry– are recipients of donations that can be dropped off during “A Sherlock Carol”‘s December 13-21 run.

There will be collection boxes in the Playhouse lobby whenever the box office is open (Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.), and during performances.

For The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, curtain speeches will invite monetary donations from the audience.

“The bond we share with The Hole in the Wall Camp remains especially close to our hearts,” says Playhouse artistic director Mark Shananan.

“It would make Camp founder Paul Newman and our own former artistic director Joanne Woodward very proud to see the relationship between our organizations still going strong.“

In fact, Shanahan’s involvement with the camp helped inspire “A Sherlock Carol.”

It’s the story of a grown-up Tiny Tim turning his personal experiences into a lifelong commitment to helping others — “just like so many people at Camp do,” Shanahan says.

Meanwhile, Norwalk Toys for Tots seeks new, unwrapped toys and books for children in need — including books in Spanish and Haitian Creole — for ages newborn to 18. Donations benefit local agencies and families in Norwalk, Fairfield and Westport. Click here for more information.

Westport’s Homes with Hope — dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Fairfield County — needs items for its food pantry: pancake mix, cooking oil, condiments, laundry detergent (small containers), feminine care products, canned fruit, cold cereal, salt and pepper, jelly, cleaning wipes, and gift certificates to Walmart and Stop & Shop. Click here for more information. 

To learn more about “A Sherlock Carol” — including ticket purchases — click here.

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All 2nd through 8th grade boys and girls are invited to try out for the Westport Swim Club.

It’s a great program — big on fun, friends and fundamentals — that helps get youngsters ready for the Staples High School program, either next year or a few years down the line. The winter session starts January 7.

Tryouts are December 15 (5:15 to 6:30 p.m.), January 5 (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.), January 10 (4 to 5 p.m.) and January 11 (9:45 to 10:30 a.m.). Click here to sign up.

More details are in the graphic below. Questions? Email swimwestport@gmail.com.

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Sure, it’s cold. Crowds have thinned considerably at Sherwood Island State Park.

But there’s still plenty to do. And plenty of room to do it in.

The Winter Solstice is 10:03 a.m. on December 21. Starting at 10, Friends of Sherwood Island will meet at the main pavilion for winter seed sowing in milk jugs.

After collecting seeds of native flowers in the dunes, members will help attendees cut a milk jug, drill holes in the bottom, fill it with special potting soil, and add seeds and water.

Then bring it home to leave outside until spring. (Jugs brought indoors will not germinate. Seeds need the winter cold.)

There’s hot chocolate, snacks and a “special visitor.” It’s free (but no pets). Bring empty, washed milk jugs (maximum 3 per family).

Then, on January 1, Friends of Sherwood Island invite everyone to start the new year with a breezy walk along the beach. Children and dogs on short leashes are welcome. Meet in front of the Nature Center at 11 a.m.; follow signs to the East Beach area.

Dress in layers. Bring a hot beverage and snack.

Questions? Call Michele: 203-247-1390.

Seeds for spring.

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Happy (upcoming) birthday! Keith Richards turns 82 on December 18. Time is certainly on his side.

It would be a bit intrusive to suggest we head over to his house to serenade the Rolling Stones guitarist.

But maybe a card or note? Just mail it to “Keith Richards, Weston, CT 06883.”

I’m sure that won’t be the first time someone has done that.

Keith Richards, at the Westport Library in March. He received the first-ever Governor’s Award of Excellence. (Photo/Ryan Allen)

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Speaking of the Stones: American Colors by Henry Lehr’s trunk show tomorrow (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) features the Rolling Stones and Revo.

The “exclusive sunglass collaboration (was) inspired by the icons who changed how we hear — and how we look.”

Will Keith be there?

Probably not.

Hey — you can’t always get what you want.

 

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Wednesday’s weather was not exactly ducky.

But Jamie Walsh headed to Compo Beach. That’s where he saw — and shot — today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

(Photo/Jamie Walsh)

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And finally … in honor of Westport Swim Club’s next season (story above):

(We’re not exactly drowning, here at “06880” central. But we do rely on reader’s support, to help us publish our hyper-local blog. Please click here to contribute. Every little bit helps. Thank you!)

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WestportREADS About Floods To Come

Posted on December 12, 2025 | Comments Off on WestportREADS About Floods To Come

For a quarter century, Westport has READ.

We’ve read for far longer, of course. The Bankside Farmers probably gathered around the hearth with a good book — or at least, the Good Book — back in the 1600s.

But WestportREADS — the month-long community project in which the entire town is invited to read the same work, and the Westport Library offers a variety of programs tied to it — has been around since “only” 2002.

It’s a fun, thought-provoking and wide-ranging event. Yet coming right after the holidays, it probably does not get the attention it deserves.

Hopefully, this year it will.

The very timely 2026 WestportREADS selection is “All the Water in the World,” by Eiren Caffall.

The novel follows the journey of Nonie, a girl with an intuitive connection to water, in a flooded future New York. A small group of families build a makeshift settlement atop the Museum of Natural History. As they try to safeguard the remnants of humanity’s stories and knowledge, a catastrophic storm forces them north up the Hudson River. They seek safety, community, and the possibility of a life rebuilt.

Drawing parallels to real-life stories of curators in Iraq and Leningrad who protected their cultural collections during war, the author asks readers to consider how we endure, what we value, and how we care for one another in uncertain times.

“Caffall created a fully imaginable world within a horrific new future that wasn’t all doom and gloom within a flooded city,” says Jennifer Keller, a member of the WestportREADS selection committee. “‘All the Water in the World’ explores family and climate change in a rich coming-of-age story that we can all relate to in some way.”

From January through March there will be discussion groups (including a lively Book Pub at Walrus Alley); screenings of thematically resonant films; an environmental talk connecting the novel to Westporters’ own lives, and other community gatherings. Click here, then scroll down for the full WestportREADS schedule.

This was 2021. What does the future hold? (Photo/Maria Fusco)

A complementary film series offers cinematic interpretations exploring stories of climate, family, and adaptation. Screenings include “The Day After Tomorrow,” “2040,” “Waterworld” and “Night at the Museum.”

Caffall herself comes to town February 19, for a keynote conversation on her novel. She’ll chat with Catherine Shen, host of CT Public’s “Where We Live.”

Eiren Cafall

Prefacing Caffall’s keynote conversation is a talk on February 12 with executive director of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation James O’Donnell. He brings local context to the global themes woven throughout the novel.

O’Donnell will discuss the real impact of rising sea levels, and offer practical advice to offset the effects of climate change on Connecticut’s shoreline and the Long Island Sound.

Copies of “All the Water in the World” are available for borrowing now, in print, e-book and audiobook formats.

For more information, including outdoor survival techniques, other climate fiction, past WestportREADS selections, etc., click on the WestportREADS home page.

(Westporters read novels — and “06880.” Library programs are free. But because our hyper-local blog lacks its resources, we rely on reader support. Please click here to help us deliver what you read!)

 

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Pic Of The Day #3158

Posted on December 11, 2025 | 3 comments

Contrails over Deadman Brook (Photo/Franco Fellah)

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Roundup: Log Pile, Politics, Pop-Up Shop …

Posted on December 11, 2025 | 44 comments

A decade and a half after it was first proposed, a 2-story office building will be built at 715 Post Road East.

That means the towering log pile on the 1/3-acre site — across Roseville Road from McDonald’s — will finally be gone. The target date for removal is 3 months. The building is expected to open, for medical and other uses, in a year.

The Planning & Zoning Commission approved the office plan — finally — on Monday. The vote was 6-1, with Michael Calise dissenting.

Click here for more details, from CT Insider.

715 Post Road East (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Westport-based national journalists Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs have done some great interviews on their “Sanity” podcast. They’ve asked tough questions of figures like Senator Richard Blumenthal and (former Westporter) James Comey.

Their most recent interview may be their deepest and most insightful yet.

Our Congressman — Jim Himes — is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. He’s one of the few people on Capitol Hill (or anywhere) to have seen the full video of the US military’s twin strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug dealers’ boats.

For half an hour, Himes spoke about the video (“it made me nauseous”), Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the 53% of Americans who approve of killing suspected drug dealers, along with other subjects like his colleague, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Click here or below for the full, fascinating interview.

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The Residence at Westport invites Westport residents — and everyone else – to today’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop (Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1141 Post Road East).

Local artisans will sell handmade works, including jewelry, pottery and gifts.

The Residence at Westport

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Army and Navy may no longer be at the top of the college football heap.

But there’s still plenty of interest, when the military academies meet.

They kick off for the 126th time this Saturday (3 p.m.). And what better place to watch than VFW Post 399?

There’s a party there (465 Riverside Avenue), beginning at 2 p.m.

Everyone is invited. But if you’re a veteran (or active duty): Wear something that lets everyone know which team is yours.

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Roni Goldberg — the new executive director of A Better Chance of Westport — spoke to the Westport Rotary Club on Tuesday.

Since 2002, the organization has provided outstanding and academically-gifted young men of color a home, and other support services, while they attend Staples High School.

The community has gotten behind the local chapter of the national ABC program — and the dozens of teenage scholars have given back plenty to our town.

Roni Goldberg, ABC executive director, at the Westport Rotary Club. (Hat tip and photo/Dave Matlow)

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Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between December 3 and 9.

A 69-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with criminal mischief and intimidation based on bigotry, after an investigation into vandalism at the former Westport National Bank building. A large symbol, described as a Star of David combined with a swastika, was drawn in blue paint. Identical symbols were painted on other structures in the area. He was unable to post a $75,000 bond.

A 30-year-old Westport woman was charged with risk of injury to a minor, after signs of injury were observed by school staff on a juvenile student. She was released on a $50,000 bond.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

  • Texting while driving: 5 citations
  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 4
  • Failure to renew registration: 3
  • Speeding in a school zone: 2
  • Distracted driving: 2
  • Assault: 1
  • Breach of peace: 1
  • Speeding in a school zone (2nd offense): 1
  • Speeding: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
  • Failure to obey stop sign: 1
  • Improper turns: 1
  • Failure to obey state traffic control signals: 1
  • Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 1
  • Using an unauthorized insurer: 1

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Among the many Westport homes decorated for the holidays: this one on Sylvan Road North:

(Photo/Susan Garment)

There are decorations aplenty indoors, too. This is the scene at the Senior Center:

(Photo/Ed Simek)

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Is it the lighting? Mother Nature’s camouflage?

Either way, this eagle fits in quite well on the Compo Beach Hillspoint Road jetty, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … on this date in 1913, the Mona Lisa was recovered in Florence, Italy. Leonardo da Vinci’s famed painting had been stolen more than 2 yeares earlier, from the Louvre. 

(“06880” is where Westport meets the world — from Jim Himes to the Mona Lisa. If you enjoy these daily Roundups — or any other feature of our blog — please click here to support our work. Thanks!)

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All Our Kids Want For Christmas …

Posted on December 11, 2025 | 5 comments

One of the many fun features of last Saturday’s Holiday Stroll was the collection box at Savvy + Grace for kids’ letters to Santa.

(SPOILER ALERT: If you are 8 years old or younger, and/or still believe in Santa Claus, stop reading now!)

Santa — aka as “I,” aka as Dan Woog, founder of “06880” which co-sponsored the Stroll with the Westport Downtown Association — already responded to those dozens of letters.

At least, to the ones that included addresses. And the ones I could read and/or understand. Don’t they teach handwriting and spelling in kindergarten anymore?

Savvy + Grace owner Annette Norton, with her Santa letter box at the Holiday Stroll. (Photo/Dan Woog)

So what do kids want in 2025, an era in which toddlers play with iPads, Disney owns marketing rights to the entire planet, and toys now come equipped with AI “brains”?

Lots of Legos. Roller skates. Stuffed animals. Skateboards. Nerf guns.

Those are the kinds of things Santa/I can relate to. At a time when he/I think the world has gone cuckoo, and his elves are threatening to unionize, we give a sigh of relief that at least some Westport kids are still, well, kids.

Need proof? Here’s a particularly thorough one. I like Mateo’s clarity (including “I want my games digital”).

“Ill be okay if I dont get everything” was a particularly nice touch.

Of course, other letters gave him/me pause.

One letter writer requested “an orange jeep, vacation to London, hand warmers and gummi bears.” (Perhaps this was not written by a 6-year-old. One clue: It was signed “MaryAnne.” Today’s kids do not have normal names. Brooklyn, Serafina, Kierra, Vienna, yeah. But not MaryAnne.)

Then there’s Xander. (Great name!) In addition to a sweatshirt with a Ram truck, and a “cool bracelet,” he asked for “a good day with my family.” Well done, kid!

And someone who didn’t sign his or her name, but asked for “health for my grandparents, myself and my friend Itty Bitty” — very sweet. Though Santa/I wonder why he didn’t include his parents. There wasn’t a word count on the form.

But this one really tugged at the heartstrings:

Santa can’t fulfill every wish. But that’s a window into what is on at least one child’s mind this season.

We’ll end with Sophia. She asks for a lot, from an iPhone (if possible 🙂 ) and 3D printer, to manga, bubble products, and popcorn and snow cone machines.

Santa/yours truly would need a special sack for her house alone.

But there — nestled between croissant jellycat and baking supplies — is “world peace” 🙂

Thanks, Sophie. Santa (and I) will see what we can do.

(So what does “06880” wish for? We don’t need Legos or Jellycats. We would love world peace. But if you really want to get us something, please click here to support this blog. Ho ho ho!)

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Pic Of The Day #3157

Posted on December 10, 2025 | 1 comment

Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Seth Schachter)

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Unsung Heroes #412

Posted on December 10, 2025 | 1 comment

Longtime Westporter and former town operations director Dewey Loselle nominates this week’s Unsung Heroes. It’s especially timely,  during this holiday shopping season. He writes:

Three women have run the Westport Woman’s Club Curio Cottage thrift shop  tirelessly for years: Susan Murphy, Carol Brezovec and Susan Loselle.

They are publicity-shy — they only care about the shop and its wares. But they (and it) deserve a wide audience.

The Curio Cottage trio (from left): Susan Murphy, Carol Brezovec and Susan Loselle, with Susan Loselle’s grandson Owen.

The Curio Cottage has been around for 25 years, next to the Woman’s Club at 44 Imperial Avenue. It’s a major fundraising source for the Woman’s Club (after the Yankee Doodle Fair, held on its grounds).

All funds raised by the Cottage support the Westport Woman’s Club‘s many philanthropic  endeavors.

(Each year, the non-profit WWC gives grants to various organizations in the area. It also runs a food pantry, and provides the Department of Human Services with grocery store gift cards for people in need. It also provides annual college scholarships to Westport students in financial need.)

The Curio Cottage looks small. But wait till you see what’s inside.

The Curio Cottage is the oldest and best-kept “secret store” in Westport. It is not a typical thrift shop (don’t think Salvation Army/Goodwill-type store, or a profit-making consignment shop).

All goods are donated, from some of Westport’s finest homes. The 2 Susans and Carol are very discerning in what they accept for sale.

Everything must be high quality, and in good condition and interesting. There is no room for junk.

Curio Cottage shoppers never know what they will find, among the jewelry, antiques, art, crystal, collectibles and one-of-a-kind items.

Items galore, at the Curio Cottage store.

Inventory constantly changes. The Curio Cottage wants to move merchandise quickly, so all items are at bargain prices.

Dealers, resellers, collectors and those in the know come every week. Some are lined up when it opens, buying for their businesses, collections and homes.

This is a busy time for the Curio Cottage. It’s packed with decorations, tree ornaments and Hanukkah items. And everything Christmas-oriented is half price.

NOTE: The shop is only open on Thursdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click here for more information. It’s worth a visit!

Yes! Stop in to shop — and to congratulate Susan Murphy, Carol Brezovec and Susan Loselle: our Unsung Heroes of the week.

(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)

 

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Roundup: SoHo Pizza, Orphenians Holiday Market, Hep B Vaccine …

Posted on December 10, 2025 | 5 comments

Yesterday’s Roundup announced the arrival this summer of Frank Pepe’s Pizza on Post Road West, the site of the former Naan restaurant.

Also in the oven: SoHo Pizza. It’s coming too — to 22 Riverside Avenue, next to Sunny Daes.

The sign says “Made in New York City.”

Hopefully, the pizzas will still be hot by the time they get here.

(Hat tip and photo/Stephanie Mastocciolo)

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Staples Orphenians are synonymous with the holiday season.

The high school’s elite a cappella group — fresh off performances at Radio City Music Hall and Westport’s Holiday Stroll — have added another date to their crowded calendar.

And it’s a chance to not only hear their great caroling, but to shop for gifts from local vendors too.

The Orphenians Holiday Market is next Tuesday (December 16, 6 to 8 p.m., Westport Woman’s Club).

Along with shopping and songs (including a sing-along, sponsored by Mitchells of Westport), enjoy seasonal treats and festive foods from The Granola Bar, Old Mill Grocery & Deli by Romanacci, and Ed’s Fusion.

Click here for tickets. Proceeds help fund performance and travel opportunities throughout the year.

Direct from Radio City and the “06880” Holiday Stroll: Staples Orphenians.

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Vaccines are all over the news. The most recent headlines involve hepatitis B, for newborns.

Village Pediatrics strongly recommends protecting newborns, with the inoculation.

Dr. Nicole Gorman and her colleagues say:

“Hepatitis B is a virus that can cause lifelong liver disease, liver cancer, and even death. Newborns are especially vulnerable. If exposed, 9 out of 10 infants will develop chronic infection. The birth dose provides protection right away, before any potential exposures occur.

“It’s also important to know that a negative Hep B test in the mother does not guarantee a baby won’t be exposed. In fact, up to 50% of hepatitis B cases in children have no known source.

“This happens because the virus can survive on surfaces for up to 7 days, meaning exposure can occur in unexpected ways — from contact with caregivers, household items, or environments outside the hospital.

“This vaccine has been used safely for decades. It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and all major medical organizations. Giving it shortly after birth is the most effective way to prevent infection.

“We encourage all families to include the Hep B birth dose in their baby’s routine care.”

Dr. Nikki notes, “I was always struck by the statistic that 50% of children who get Hep B can’t trace the source. Everyone should elect for this vaccine in the hospital at birth.”

Dr. Stephen Grevious adds, “Once someone has it, it can’t be eliminated.”

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The Y’s Men of Westport and Weston have announced the winners of their photo contest. It was open to members, their wives, and Senior Center participants.

Here are the first place honorees, followed by the runners-up, in all 8 categories:

  • Architecture: Alan Zimbard, Holly Betts
  • Critter: Robert Pravder, Bob Weingarten
  • General: Lee Walther, Jean-Piere Montillier
  • Landscape: Jean-Piere Montillier, Ed Simek
  • Manipulated: Susan Garment, Jeffrey Rothman
  • Nature: Jeffrey  Rothman, Greg Battersby
  • Portrait: Lee Walther, Karen Harman
  • Waterscape: Michael Hehenberger, Jeffrey Rothman.

Those images — and all others that were entered — are now on display at the Senior Center.

Susan Garment won 1st place in the “Manipulate” category for “Trafalgar Square in the Rain.”

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Check out the newest addition at Sherwood Mill Pond:

(Photo/Matt Murray)

No, it’s not new affordable housing.

It’s an office and storage area for workers on the tidal gates and pedestrian path renovation project.

But if it was housing — those are quite some water views.

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Everyone loves Christmas decorations.

Even those who don’t celebrate the holiday.

Celia Campbell-Mohn captured this cute image, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature:

(Photo/Celia Campbell-Mohn)

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And finally …on this date in 1864, Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union Army troops reached the outer Confederate defenses of Savannah, Georgia.

(“06880” is where Westport meets the world — and where history lives on. If you enjoy our daily Roundups — including our music — or any other part of “06880,” please click here to support us. Thanks!)

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Posted in Beach, Children, Local business, Restaurants, Staples HS

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