For the 2nd weekend in a row, pro-choice advocates rallied on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
This crowd was smaller than last Sunday’s. But attendees were just as fervent in opposition to what may be the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. And, as they did last week, drivers passing by honked in support.
Today’s event was sponsored by Planned Parenthood. Last week’s was organized by DefenDemocracy.
On Thursday Adil Kassam, and Mehnaz and Atif Bhanjee — representatives of the Ismaili Muslim community — presented 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, and the Westport Police and Fire Departments with gifts of appreciation.
During the holy month of Ramadan, it’s traditional to visit municipal offices, to express thanks and appreciation for the valuable contributions and services they provide.
Town officials, in turn, expressed gratitude for the Muslim community’s thanks.
Town officials and Ismaili Muslim community representatives, on Thursday.
Two Westport pizza restaurants are looking for new owners.
Ignazio’s — which after many delays opened in November 2019, just 4 months before COVID struck — is one.
A description on BizBuySell reads: “Fantastic opportunity to take over a well executed and furnished Pizza restaurant. Casual and contemporary interior with a wood fired Pizza oven as the center piece makes for a great setting. Keep the existing, highly acclaimed concept….
“Capitalize on this highly trafficked corridor on the Post Road E. in Westport with great visibility, easy access and a parking lot that can accompany 30+ cars. Indoor seating capacity of 60 plus outdoor seating.
“Seller will stay on to train incoming buyer on all operations and recipes. Add a driver(s) to your staff to capitalize on delivery. Target marketing and added delivery will definitely bolster the bottom line.”
The asking price is $275,000. Rent is $8,000 a month. Ignazio’s lease runs through 2028.
The other restaurant is Golden Pizza, in the Westfair strip mall. Less information is available; the price for this business is $85,000. Click here for details. (Hat tip: Tony Litman)
On Tuesday, May 24 (7:30 p.m.; Zoom link), the Architectural Review Board will review the proposed transformation of the long-closed hotel, from 117 rooms to 41 hotel rooms, and 10 apartments.
According to the application, the front of the building would be demolished to create better parking, circulation, landscaping, and a new addition to the west side.
Opening night at the Levitt Pavilion opens with Fleetwood Mac.
Well, with Tusk, anyway — the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute band.
The Sunday, June 12 show kicks off a season of over 50 nights of free entertainment. The Tusk show is free too.
Free tickets will be available to Levitt Pavilion members today (Saturday) at noon. Public access begins tomorrow (Sunday) at noon. Click here for tickets, and more information.
For those who missed the Westport Library “#StopAsianHate: One Year Later” program last week, video links are available.
Click here or below for part 1 of the documentary “We Need to Talk About Anti-Asian Hate.
Click here for the panel discussion that followed.
Up next: a Remarkable Theater screening of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (May 19, 8 p.m.). A short film about AAPI Westport will be shown before the feature. Click here for tickets.
Aspetuck Land Trust’s next “Lunch & Learn” is “Designing Biodiversity: Pollinator Habitat Creation, Connectivity, and Research at the Aspetuck Haskins Preserve.”
Evan Abramson leads the session this Friday (May 20, noon to 1:15 p.m.). He’ll discuss current research at ALT’s Haskins Preserve in Westport, to improve the landscape for at-risk pollinators.
Participants will receive a PDF of the Pollinator Toolkit to use on their own properties. Click here to register.
Cheese fries and Froot Loops may not be on the menu at any Westport restaurant. But it’s the name of a one-man show at Fairfield Theater Company May 23 (8 p.m. — free!).
Westporter Mark Graham is directing Chris Fuller’s production, getting ready for Off-Broadway. The star is the son of noted Weston author Elizabeth Fuller, and grew up there.
It is described as “a true, moving and humorous story of a professional golfer’s struggle with bipolar disorder, and his unexpected journey to enlightenment.” Click the teaser below:
Janette Kinnally sends this obituary for her mother, Janet Kinnally, who died last week at 80.
“She was a loving, kind soul that cared deeply about her family and friendships. I don’t think I ever met a person who did not remember her with great affection and fondness.
“She grew up in London, during the war, and her family of 5 girls was displaced. She lived in a convent for 5 years. When she returned back home, her father suddenly passed away when she was 15. She needed to make money and worked in many jobs, including as an usherette. She met the Beatles. She worked in England until she moved to the States to help her sister, who had moved to Connecticut.
“While on a work visa, she met my father at an insurance company at the age of 23. It was love at first sight for my father. They dated for several weeks until she told him she had to go back to England. My father wrote and said he would like to visit. He went to England, but bought 2 tickets back to the States. He asked her to move back and stay with his family.
“They got married in 1967. They had a true love story. The ones you read about in books, that you wish you had; that was their love and affection for each other. They held hands and walked every day at the beach or her favorite place, Sherwood Island, until my mom could no longer walk a few months ago. They were married for 55 years. She was my dad’s one true love.
“My mom and dad moved to Westport in 1967 and gave birth to me in 1969, her one and only child. We had a special bond. She said I taught her what true unconditional love was. I understand what she means, now that I have 2 boys (ages 16 and 11) of my own. She loved her two grandchildren, Mikhail and Andrew, more than anything.
“My mom was also a lifelong health and wellness pioneer. She sought out Eastern and holistic healing modalities throughout her life. She worked for a chiropractor, a naturopathic doctor and as a caregiver for end-of-life patients. She loved nature, gardens, the ocean and animals, and was a dog walker. She loved helping others. She was truly an amazing woman who inspired me daily.
“My mom and dad enjoyed traveling around the world. Every year they met up with her sister and brother-in-law to travel to a different destination around the globe. They had many stories to share of their adventures and the amazing people they met around the world.
“I moved back to Westport in 2012 with my husband Andrey and my two boys, wanting to be close to my parents as my mom’s health declined from dementia/Alzheimer’s. We lived together until the end of her life.
“I feel grateful that we had the last 10 years together, so she could spend time with me and my children. We have many special memories together, but the ones I remember most are singing at the dinner table and afterwards dancing to the music from the ’50s and ’60s, or doing karaoke at our house during the holidays with our extended family.
“My mom will be greatly missed by our family every day, but her love and her life lessons and generosity of spirit will live on in us forever!
“Please make donations in her honor to the Westport Senior Center or alz.org, an organization providing support, care and research for Alzheimer’s.”
A memorial service and reception to celebrate the life of Joel Hallas is set for Saturday, May 21 (2 p.m., the Memorial Garden of Saugatuck Congregational Church). A reception will follow also in the garden.
And finally … if you’re wondering where Tusk — the Fleetwood Mac band that opens the Levitt Pavilion season next month (story above) got its name — click below.
This is photo week, at our online art gallery. All but 2 submissions came from cameras. As usual they’re a varied lot, in theme, composition and detail.
We always appreciate everyone’s submissions. This feature is open to all readers. Whatever your age and level of experience — professional or amateur, young or old. In every medium, and on every topic.
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!
“Justice-Elect Katanji Brown Jackson” — collage, acrylic on canvas (Artist Geoffrey Stein says this acrylic on canvas was made with collage material from the Justice’s opinion in a case involving executive privilege.
“To All the Mothers Throughout the World” (June Rose Whittaker)
“Poppets” (Photographer Peter Barlow explains that poppets support boats in a boatyard)
The market/deli at the foot of Compo Hill has served the Old Mill neighborhood — and Westport — for nearly 100 years.
Now it’s poised for its next 100.
A group of concerned — and active — residents has achieved the near-impossible: In just 2 months, they raised the $1.51 million purchase price. With boundless energy, great creativity — and the help of dozens of other concerned citizens — they ensured that one of the town’s last remaining local landmarks would not fall to a developer’s wrecking ball.
Saved! The sign says it all.
And while they’re at it, they’ll provide training and employment to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Old Mill Grocery & Deli — which I’m sure will soon be called OMG by all — is a nod to the past, with an eye to the future. Old Mill Grocery & Deli was actually its original name, in the 1920s. It’s been called Kenny’s, Elvira’s and Joey’s by the Shore in the decades since.
The original Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
Now it’s not only a market/deli, but a non-profit. Its pending 501(c)(3) status enables the purchase and preservation of the historic gem, and the employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The mission statement — “Preserving History. Serving Good” says it all.
But it would not have been possible without 100 donors, who contributed the first $1 million; another 450 who clicked on GoFundMe to add almost $300,000 more. Contributors came primarily from Westporters, but included former residents who remember the neighborhood store fondly.
Fairfield County Bank, which provided a mortgage to close the gap.
Organizers Jim Hood, Ian Warburg, Chris Tait and Emily Ashken Zobl lauded town officials too, in the selectwomen’s office and other departments, for their “incredibly supportive” help.
Jim Hood (left) and Ian Warburg, outside their new business..
So when will OMG open?
The new owners are talking with several prospective operators/partners. A deal will be signed soon.
Supply chain issues have created long delivery times for some kitchen equipment. There may be a soft opening, with a partial menu, initially.
“We are in this for the long, long term!” the group says.
But the short-term payoff is already here. Yesterday evening Jim and Ian were hanging a sign announcing this summer’s opening.
A woman pushing a newborn in a stroller saw the scene — and cried with joy.
Meanwhile today, fundraising continues. Naming rights opportunities exist for new partners to provide some or all of the kitchen equipment, pizza oven, beverage coolers, a community table and chairs, picnic tables and umbrellas, espresso and soft-serve ice cream machines, delivery scooters and more. Signage and recognition will be provided. Email OldMillGroceryDeli@gmail.com for more information.
As Westporters wait for the final announcement that Elvira’s Deli has been saved — it’s coming soon! — and at the same time gnash our teeth over the stuck-in-zoning-infraction-limbo large residential construction that replaced Positano’s/ Cafe de la Plage across the street — we keep hearing references to “Allen’s.”
From 1890 through the 1990s, Captain Walter Allen’s clam house on Sherwood Mill Pond — a few yards from the long-lived market — was one of our town’s go-to restaurants. It was the perfect place for shellfish, seafood, and killer water views, while celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and anything else.
Allen’s Clam House, in the 1940s.
A list of Westporters who had their first dates there would be a window on town history.
Westport artist Hardie Gramatky painted this view of the Mill Pond, from the back of Allen’s Clam House
Today, Allen’s is the site of the town-owned Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. With natural grasses and plants, a wide variety of wildlife, a kayak launch — and the same killer views — it’s a wonderful use of the property.
Aerial view of Allen’s Clam House. (Photo courtesy of Dave Stalling)
But it sure was nice to have it — and Positano’s — as a pair of waterfront restaurants for all those years.
Rear view of Allen’s, on the Mill Pond. (Photo/Matt Murray)
Posted onMay 13, 2022|Comments Off on Roundup: Ice Cream, Dog Fest, Plant Sale …
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
The Porch @ Christie’s ice cream hut opens today, next to the popular Cross Highway deli/coffee shop. They’ll serve from 2 to 5:30 p.m. weekdays, noon to 5 p.m. weekends, all spring and summer long.
The Porch uses J Foster local small batch ice cream. Dairy-free sorbet is also available.
Can’t get to today’s Westport Garden Club plant sale on Jesup Green? (There’s still time: It ends at 1:30 p.m.). Forgot or otherwise missed it? Or maybe you just can’t get enough plants.
You’re in luck. Greens Farms Garden Club follows with their own plant sale and garden boutique tomorrow (Saturday, May 14). It’s 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sherman Green in Fairfield.
I don’t know of any plant sales on Sunday. Maybe you can spend the day planting.
Not long ago, Westport Police participated in the state’s distracted driving campaign. They nabbed dozens of drivers.
Now it’s time to buckle up.
They’re joining the state Department of Transportation “Click It or Ticket” campaign. Officers will be vigorously enforcing seat belt laws, for drivers and passengers.
Connecticut law requires that drivers and passengers in the front seat, regardless of the age, as well as all children under 16 anywhere in a vehicle, to wear seat belts. Fines start at $92 for the first offense. For more information, click here.
Westport resident Aiden Rourke has been selected as one of 8 Lawrenceville School Heely Scholars for the 2022-23 school year.
The honor goes to rising 5th formers who demonstrate a keen interest and ability in American history.
Heely Scholars will spend 2 weeks this summer exploring World War II material in the school’s archives. In the fall they will take an advanced research seminar.
While walking his little coton dog down Burr School Road this week, Gregg Tenser saw a feathered friend take a close look back. Gregg wondered if he was sizing up the dog for breakfast.
Here’s a great “Westport … Naturally” shot of an intense look, from a perch in a tree.
“06880” readers love Rowene Weems’ photos. She has a keen eye for the beauty of our town. Springtime flowers, beach sunsets, Levitt Pavilion, the Longshore skating rink — her camera and composition make those scenes come alive in special and compelling ways.
Rowene also has a great eye for people. As she travels around town, she captures some of the men and women who work — mostly unseen — to make Westport what it is.
She does not know their back stories. She tries not to interrupt too much. A woman once chastised Rowene for taking photos of workers on her property. “Time is money!” she said.
All these photos are from this spring. They’re part of a book she’s creating about workers everywhere, from her travels around the US and world.
“COVID really intensified my intention to celebrate workers,” Rowene says. “They are often under-appreciated, but we needed them then more than ever.”
Alberta Cifolelli — for decades one of Westport’s most prominent artists, and a longstanding contributor to our town’s cultural scene — died on Saturday. Her home and her art were by her side.
Alberta Cifolelli
The Kent State University and Cleveland Institute of Art graduate painted prolifically in the 1960s, while raising 3 boys, and teaching at both the Laurel School in Shaker Heights and the Cleveland Institute.
In 1970 she moved to Westport, where her career flourished. Her work was part of the “4 Centuries of Women” exhibit, sponsored by the National Museum of Women, which toured the US and Japan in the 1990s. Her painting “Cleavage” is part of the museum’s permanent collection.
“My work is intensely personal, and alludes to events in my life,” she wrote in 2016. “Changes in my work over more than 6 decades hve been driven by an inner need for development rather than dictated by fashion.
“My work has never fit neatly into the mainstream, nor have I been identified as part of a school.”
“Interior” (1988, pastel on paper — Alberta Cifolelli)
Survivors include her husband Charles P. Lamb Jr.; sons Mark, John and Todd, and 2 grandchildren. A celebration of Alberta’s life is planned for this summer. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Alberta’s memory may be made to the Silvermine Guild of Artists.
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