Since COVID struck, commuter traffic is down dramatically. Train station parking lots are nearly empty.
But some folks still need Metro-North. Not all of them can — or want to — drive to Saugatuck or Greens Farms. Westport Transit has been an alternative.
But the shuttle service has not worked for everyone. The schedule did not cover all peak trains. Not everyone lives close to the routes. Supply and demand were not always in sync.
On Monday, Westport Transit introduced “Wheels 2U Westport.” The new on-demand, door-to-train platform shuttle service will operate in nearly all of Westport, and provide rides to both the Saugatuck and Greens Farms stations. Riders can be picked up at home or their place of business.
Nearly all of Westport is included in the service area.
The new service will operate weekdays, from 5:45 to 9:45 a.m., and 4 to 8 p.m.
Commuters can schedule rides shortly before their desired pick-up time through an app (click here, or search for “Wheels2U” on the Apple or Google Play store). The $2 fare can be paid via the app or a Metro-North Uniticket (rail and bus pass).
Wheels2U Westport uses Norwalk Transit’s comfortable blue vehicles and white shuttle buses. It replaces Westport Transit’s 7 commuter shuttle routes, and the temporary on-demand commuter service begun in March during COVID.
Norwalk Transit introduced Wheels2U in that city in 2018.
For more information, click here or call 203-852-0000 (choose option 3).
Westporters love Tom Kretsch’s photos. They love Saugatuck Sweets. And they love Al’s Angels.
So plan to stop by the ice cream shop patio on the river tomorrow (Saturday, October 10, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Kretsch will display his evocative images — many of his home town.
A percentage of all sales benefits Al’s Angels, the nonprofit started by Saugatuck Sweets owner Al DiGuido to help families with children battling cancer, and families with food needs.
(Photo/Tom Kretsch)
Last weekend, 35 mothers and daughters from Westport’s National Charity League spent a cleaning Compo Beach. The effort supported NCL’s philanthropy partner, Save the Sound.
Volunteers removed over 45 pounds of garbage from the beach. They found PPE, plastic bags, straws and food wrappers, along with 235 cigarette butts, 160 bottle caps and 33 balloons. Data collected will help Save the Sound stop debris at its source.
A small bit of all the trash.
What’s new at the Senior Center?
Its first-ever pumpkin decorating contest. It’s October 30 (11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.).
Submissions will be judged on originality and scariness. Members can vote for their favorite pumpkins while picking up a drive-through lunch (chicken pot pie, salad, roll, cookie and Halloween treats) from staff members (in costumes).
Seniors can enjoy their meal while socially distancing in the parking lot. Prizes include a Halloween goodie bucket, and a gift card for a Senior Center luncheon.
Lunch is $8. The cost to enter the contest: free (and priceless).
ADL Connecticut’s 10th annual Walk Against Hate will look from the first 9. Though participants can’t join together physically, they’ll still send a powerful message.
Individuals, families, friends, colleagues and teammates are invited to get creative. They can walk wherever they want, from October 12-18. Registration is free, though fundraising is encouraged to help ADL fight anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of hate.
Fundraisers who give or get more than $50 get an ADL bandanna. The first 1,000 people to raise over $150 receive t-shirts.
ADL Connecticut has a strong Westport presence. Director Steve Ginsburg lives here; so does Walk Against Hate chair Claudia Cohen.
Jill Nadel chairs the outreach committee). Terry Bernard, Shelly Herst, Margie Jacobson, Ken Backman, Sara Weiner (co-chair of the education committee), Bret Weiner, Chuck Harris, Liz Kaner, Lynne Goldstein and John Kaufman are all on ADL’s state board. Many other Westporters serve in other capacities.
To register for or donate to the Walk Against Hate, click here.
Instead of a traditional luncheon, the American Cancer Society’s annual “Women Leading the Way to Wellness” event (Wednesday, November 18), is on Facebook Live.
There’s an option to buy a $125 “Wellness Box” to enhance the viewing experience. The boxes are valued at over $175, and include products from The Granola Bar, Performance Physical Therapy and West.
The cover of Staples’ 1970 yearbook included photos from that fall’s Moratorium march, in the form of a peace sign.
Sparked by young people, Westport protested too.
Staples students streamed out of school. Led by Westport police, and joined by teachers and junior high students, more than 1,200 marched down North Avenue, turned right on Long Lots, then onto the Post Road all the way to the YMCA.
Massing in front of the old Bedford building — the only part of the Y at that time — a crowd that swelled to 2,000 heard speakers, including Iowa Senator Harold Hughes and Temple Israel’s Rabbi Byron T. Rubenstein, denounce the war and demand peace.
They wore black armbands and sported doves of peace. They carried American flags, and chanted “Hell no, we won’t go!” Counter-protesters drove alongside, cursing them. A few threw eggs.
(Photo/Patricia McMahon)
A remarkable video of that Westport moratorium captures the day.
Staples senior Guy Northrop shot 17 minutes of the march, with a Bauer Super 8 camera. Eleven minutes survive, and have been posted on YouTube.
The video shows with remarkable freshness the power of that protest. It also serves as a unique time capsule. Much of Westport has changed since then. But much has not.
Politicians don’t often send Halloween messages. Then again, it’s not often that the holiday is celebrated amid a pandemic. First Selectman Jim Marpe says:
Halloween is a special holiday for many children and families. Due to COVID-19 however, Halloween in Westport will look different from prior years. I urge residents to be considerate and judicious in how they plan to partake in seasonal activities. It is incumbent upon all of us to insure a safe Halloween and upcoming holiday season.
Because the annual Halloween Parade and trick-or-treating in Town Hall has typically drawn increased foot traffic and crowding, the town regrets that it will not host the event this year.
Instead, the Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a Halloween House Decorating Contest. I encourage everyone – young and old – to demonstrate their creativity, and decorate their homes in the spirit of the season. For more information, click here.
The Westport Downtown Merchants Association, in collaboration with the town, is exploring a family-friendly Halloween event on October 25. More information will be available soon.
Please follow these guidelines from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding Halloween:
The CDC considers trick-or-treating to be a high-risk activity that should be avoided. It recommends alternatives with lower risk activities, and small events that allow for reduced exposure and ease of contact tracing.
Consider candy hunts, small “trunk or treats” with friends and family, crafts, virtual contests and other outdoor activities where social distance can be achieved.
The CDC advises against wearing decorative masks over surgical masks. This year consider a costume that does not require a decorative mask, so that a surgical or CDC-approved mask can be worn instead.
A perfect costume for 2020.
Connecticut entered Phase III of its reopening plan yesterday. Phase III continues to cap the number of attendees at all private indoor gatherings at 25. Trick-or-treating and gatherings at locations where Halloween has traditionally prompted increased crowds, either indoors or on town roadways such as Gault Avenue and the Compo Beach area, are strongly discouraged.
If you decide to participate in trick-or-treating on October 31, we recommend that it is done with increased precautions. Trick or treaters should be aware that if a home is darkened, it is likely not partaking in Halloween festivities and that decision should be respected. Limit the number of homes visited.
Town officials advise parents to not drop off children in certain neighborhoods. Instead, it is advisable to keep all trick-or-treaters in their own neighborhoods. We also request that residents not arrange for food trucks or other food, drink or entertainment that promotes gathering in neighborhoods.
In addition to Halloween, the CDC site also has guidance for the upcoming holiday season. Click here before making plans for your holidays.
Joe Arcudi was the only one of 7 siblings born at Norwalk Hospital.
Joe Arcudi
He was the youngest. His brothers and sisters were all born at home. “Home” was Saugatuck: the corner of Railroad Place and Charles Street. There’s a big, blotchy office building now. But in the mid-20th century, Joe’s family lived there — right next to his father’s butcher shop.
Joe’s parents’ goal was for all 7 children to graduate from college.
After Staples High School (Class of 1960), Joe headed to Fairfield University. His parents’ wish came true.
In 1973 he opened Arcudi’s restaurant. For the next 21 years — and again from 2009 to 2012 — his “square pizza” drew diners of all ages and stations to the small spot next to Carvel. (Today it’s Aux Delices.)
For many years he ran the Little League and Babe Ruth programs in town.
And — oh, yeah — from 1993 to ’97, Joe Arcudi was Westport’s 1st selectman.
He always thought he’d live in his hometown forever. But with his 5 children scattered all over the country, he’s moving on October 16.
That’s right: Joe Arcudi is moving from Westport.
And how about this? His new home will be Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
His son — and 3 of his 8 grandchildren — are there. He’ll be centrally located for all his kids, who are scattered around the country.
Including Joe’s daughter. She and her 12-year-old live here.
So don’t worry. Joe Arcudi will be back in Westport, every couple of months.
Ryan Hartmann spotted 3 dolphins just a couple of miles off Cockenoe Island.
Here’s a screenshot of them playing alongside his boat. Click here for a minute-long video on Facebook Live.
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce does windows.
Saturday, October 24 — one week before Halloween — is the date for the town’s Window Painting Contest. Westport students can sign up to request a merchant’s window, or be assigned one. They’ll decorate it, and judges will pick winners in 3 categories: Scariest Artwork, Best Halloweeen Theme, and Most Original.
There are different divisions for elementary, middle and high school.
Winners — who supply their own water-based paint, drop cloths and brushes, and clean up after themselves — receive a $25 gift certificate from Donut Crazy.
I thought the most obnoxious robocall was the constant “courtesy call” from someone who had been “trying to reach” me about my (non-existent) automobile warranty.
But that’s almost welcome compared to the daily barrage from (supposedly) the presidential campaigns.
Every day I am assaulted by calls from both sides. The voice sounds the same — and for some reason, all I can think of is George H.W. Bush.
The scripts are similar too: How great the Biden (or Trump) ticket is, as opposed to the awful other side.
Then comes the kicker: Contribute $35. Or $5,000.
And — of course — the acknowledgment that this group with a made-up-but-official-sounding name has no affiliation with the actual campaigns.
It’s a scam. Don’t fall for it. If you want your money to get to Joe Biden, click here. For Donald Trump, click here.
And speaking of politics:
An “06880” reader received an anonymous letter, addressed to “Our Neighbors.” It says:
We have been hesitant to contact you but as the number of signs in your yard has grown, we felt we must reach out. We are writing not about the content of the signs displayed on your front lawn but about the quantity of signs.
This note has no reference to politics; everyone has the right to their beliefs and to the expression of those beliefs. However, your one sign has now blossomed into ten and frankly it is an eye sore to the neighborhood.
Our request is simply that you choose two of the signs to display in front and either display the others elsewhere or remove them altogether. Your consideration of this proposal is greatly appreciated.
The homeowner’s response: “Cowards!”
And finally … Johnny Nash died Tuesday. He was 80. But songs like this will long endure:
“Hoopers Vote” is a basketball-oriented voter registration and education drive. The point is to use NBA and WNBA players, coaches, retired stars and media members to raise public awareness, as Election Day looms.
The initiative has gotten an important assist from a Westport illustrator.
Elliot Gerard is passionate about sports. When the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA title, Gerard designed an enormous mural for their arena.
His work has been featured on ESPN, NBC, CBS, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, the Boston Globe and Washington Post.
He spent several years as vice president, creative director at a Westport-based marketing firm. He worked with corporate partners like IBM and AT&T — and (back to sports) the Super Bowl.
Gerard is now a founder and creative director with Heartlent Group. Combining “heart” and “talent,” the social strategy and creative content agency recently snagged that Hoopers Vote contract.
When Rock the Vote — the initiative’s sponsor — first contacted Gerard, his thought was to create a digital “mural” with 50 basketball stars. Each would represent one state.
But the artwork was so compelling that everyone wanted more. So far, Heartlent has created nearly 250 “voter graphics.” The goal is 300 by Election Day.
The expanded campaign delights Gerard. “I wanted to reach as many voters as possible,” he says. “The more influencers, the bigger the campaign.”
The graphics include a checkmark — representing the famous “Rock the Vote” logo — going across each face. Click below for a video:
Gerard wanted to give a consistent but unique look to all of the pieces. He used graphics representing a basketball court, voting form, elements from state flags, even US postage symbols (to encourage voters to mail in their ballots).
Gerard says this is one of the biggest and most important projects he’s ever worked with. He and his former boss, Keith Stoeckeler created Heartlent “exactly for campaigns like this. Our mission is to be an agency that puts our entire hearts in not only all our work, but also in the causes we’re part of.”
“I went beyond just telling the overall story of these voters,” Gerard explains.
“I visually explored each hooper’s career and life.” He added easter eggs and icons representing the teams they played or rooted for, colleges they attended, awards and championships they won, charities they are part of, and other symbols for their lives.
A gallery of Hoopers Vote graphics.
Special stories — like Stephanie Ready as the first woman to coach men’s professional basketball, and Jason Collins as the first openly gay active NBA player — got special representation.
The next step was to create templates that any basketball player — or voter — can use. They can put their face in with their favorite NBA or WNBA team colors.
Now it’s up to the basketball community to get voters registered, and to the polls.
That’s no slam dunk. But thanks to Elliot Gerard, the basketball community will rock the vote.
(To see dozens of “Hoopers Vote” graphics, click here.)
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