I hate to ask for funds. But the NPR/PBS model is the only way to continue to tell stories about the people, places and past of this town; to bring you news and photos, and to do all the back-end stuff no one ever sees but that takes all of my time, 24/7/365.
Someone congratulated me on 17 years of “06880” — then said, “Sorry I missed your contribution day. I’ll send a check next year.”
Great news! Your money is good any time!
You can donate by PayPal or credit card: click here. It’s easy, safe — and you don’t even need a PayPal account.
Checks can be mailed to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881.
Whether you remember that first post or discovered us yesterday, we hope you enjoy our 5 a.m. lead story; the morning Roundup and evening Pic of the Day; features like Unsung Heroes, Friday Flashback, online art gallery and Photo Challenge, plus breaking news and much more, throughout the day.
“06880” is your 24/7/365 hyper-local, full-service blog. We haven’t missed a day since we began, way back in 2009.
Here’s an important question: How much do you pay for this service?
Some readers pay $50, $100 or $365 a year. A few pay more.
Some contribute $10, $20 or $30 a month.
Several “06880” readers donate through personal foundations. Others give matching grants, through their employers.
The vast majority of readers, though, give nothing.
They read “06880” every day. They love it. But for whatever reason — forgetfulness, not realizing our funding model, the thrill of getting something for nothing — they don’t contribute to Westport’s most popular source of news, events, features, profiles, history, and bad parking jobs.
Reader support allows “06880” to survive and thrive. It pays for internet hosting, computer software and IT help, insurance, freelancers — and the salary of the founder and executive editor, yours truly.
I’m 17. Well, my blog is, anyway. (Photo/Pam Einarsen)
“06880” is a labor of love. For 17 years I’ve researched, written, edited, taken and cropped photos, monitored the comments section, and answered your emails.
Along the way I’ve posted over 20,200 stories. I’ve publicized your organizations and fundraisers; helped you through blizzards and hurricanes; written about you and your kids; made you smile, cry, think and act.
With “06880”‘s growth, this is now my full-time, 8- to 10-hour-a-day, 7 days a week job.
So whether you’re a loyal supporter (thank you so much!), an occasional contributor (ditto!), or one who (ahem) prefers to spend all your money elsewhere — thanks for reading this far.
This is our annual fundraising appeal. Now just read a little bit further, to learn how to contribute to your favorite — and several times daily — hyper-local blog.
As a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, we offer tax-deductibility to the extent allowed by law. In addition to individual contributions, we can accept corporate matching funds, and foundation grants.
You can donate by PayPal or credit card: click here. It’s easy, safe — and you don’t even need a PayPal account.
Checks can be mailed to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881.
We’re also on Venmo: @blog06880
You can even scan this QR code:
Whichever method you choose: Thank you!
And tomorrow we go back to our regular programming.
Thanks to all who have tried our new “06880” AI widget.
We introduced it yesterday. Several hundred readers clicked on the box, to explore 17 years of blog posts.
Missed the story? Click here. And where is the widget? Top right, on the home page. (Sorry, it’s not yet available on the app.)
Some people were excited by the deep-dive results. Some were not.
Remember: Using artificial intelligence is different from clicking on our archive box.
A regular search engine will look for all references to whatever you type in. That’s fine if you want, say, a list of stories that contain, say, “Long Lots Elementary School” or “Kevin Christie.”
Our AI widget does much more. But only if it understands your prompt.
You’re better off saying, “What were the main arguments for and against renovating Long Lots Elementary School?”
Or “What promises did Kevin Christie make during the 2026 first selectman race?”
Think of the AI widget as a conversation partner. You wouldn’t simply ask someone, “Jen Tooker?” would you?
(Unless you thought you were meeting the former 1st selectwoman, but were not sure.)
It takes some getting used to.
And the “06880” widget is getting used to our readers too.
Stick with it. Work with it. Learn from it. The results will be worth it.
PS: The old “archives” box is still there, where it always was: on the right side, halfway down. Just type in general search keywords — “Long Lots Elementary School,” say — and you’ll get all those exact matches.
Here’s where to find our new “06880” widget.
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Sure, the Levitt Pavilion — and everything else here — is covered with snow.
But eventually, we’ll be outdoors, in lawn chairs, listening to …
Matteo Bocelli.
The Italian singer — and son of tenor Andrea Bocelli — will step on the Westport stage July 10. It’s part of his “Falling in Love” world tour.
Member tickets went on sale yesterday. The public sale begins at 10 a.m. Friday (February 13).
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the Levitt reminds everyone: Tickets to Bocelli “are certainly romance-infused.”
As for presents: A Pavilion gift card can be used toward any paid ticket shows, as well as membership.
The season runs from late May to mid-October. It includes several paid-ticket events, along with over 50 free shows. (Hat tip: Karen Como)
Jake Sussman knows something about smart kids, and learning disabilities.
The Westport native — who struggled mightily with ADHD before graduating from the Forman School, then the University of Hartford — ultimately learned to advocate for himself.
Now, as co-founder (with his brother Max) and president of Superpower Mentors, he connects men and women who have gone on the same journey he did, with people who are just learning how to cope with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other learning differences.
Jake’s advocacy continues on February 28, at Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Inc.’s 8th annual Parent Conference
He’ll be part of the daylong conference at Fairfield University). It provides parents and educators with hands-on resources to help children
with learning and attention differences succeed.
The schedule includes round-table sessions, panel discussions, exhibitors, and opportunities to speak with private school administrators, tutors, and businesses that focus on assistance for children with learning difficulties.
But the “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent, “Nova” host, best-selling author– and so much more — still has many friends here.
They’ll be glad to know that — 12 years after he stopped writing his very informative New York Times tech column — he’s back on that beat.
With Substack.
Pogue’s first piece is headlined “Dammit! Tesla’s Self-Driving Has Gotten Amazing. Just kind of wish the tech came from a better company.”
It’s a great look inside recent advances in this aspect of the auto industry. (Spoiler alert: You’re no longer likely to die.)
Near the end, Pogue poses a series of questions I’ve never seen anywhere else:
What happens to car insurance when people aren’t driving? What happens to driver’s ed and driver’s licenses, when even a 12-year-old can hail a self-driving taxi? What happens to car ownership when it no longer makes economic sense?
When only a fraction as many people own cars, will they convert their garages to living space? What happens to parking lots? Will the layout of cities change?
His Substack is free. There are no ads or paywall — just David Pogue, at his best.
A large crowd enjoyed the Westport Country Playhouse’s February Script in Hand offering on Monday.
The 1-person performance of “The Goldsmith” was all about Sharone Sayegh. The Broadway actor wrote the script, and played various family member roles in the sentimentally humorous show about her Iraqi/Israeli family, who emigrated to Los Angeles.
Actor Sharone Sayegh (front, center) with (from left) director Zachary Prince, Playhouse artistic director Mark Shanahan and stage manager Jinghong Zhu. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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Speaking of theater: The Y’s Women went “backstage” on Monday.
Kevin Connors — executive artistic director of Music Theater of Connecticut — described the power of lighting and projection to touch an audience, change a mood and impact a play.
“Theater is not just observed” at MTC, he said. “You are right in the middle of it.”
Kevin Connors, at the Y’s Women meeting. (Photo/Vera DeStefano)
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Westport Museum of History & Culture executive director Ramin Ganeshram is also a food writer. Her book The General’s Cook: A Novel is about Hercules Posey, the African-American chef enslaved by George Washington who self-emancipated in 1797.
On Monday the New York Times published her piece about cherry bounce, titled “This George Washington Story Is Actually True.”
The subhead says: “While tales of his copping to chopping a cherry tree were just lore, the nation’s first president did partake of this cherry drink.” Click here to read the story (with a link to the recipe.)(Hat tip: Tom Prince)
(Graphic/Luke Wohlgemuth for the New York Times)
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We’ve featured plenty of fine feathered friends, in our “Westport … Naturally” daily post.
But we may never have seen as close a close-up as this:
The other day, a woman I did not know made idle chatter as we left the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
“This is such a nice place,” she said. “How long have you been a member?”
“Well,” I said, “I learned to swim back in old pool!”
“There was another pool here?” she asked.
“No,” I explained. “When it was downtown.”
“The Y was downtown?!” she replied, surprised.
“For about 90 years,” I said.
The original YMCA, built in 1923 (now Anthropologie). The beautiful trees — along with the Y — are now gone.
She must be one of the new COVID arrivals, I figured.
Nope. She moved here 3 years before that. She’s been a Westporter for nearly a decade.
How could she not know the YMCA was downtown — and that there was a years-long battle to keep it from moving from the old site to its current spot?
Then, I realized: How would she know?
The controversy — to leave what is now Anthropologie; the rejection of possibilities like Baron’s South; fears about traffic on Wilton Road; demolition of the “newer” Y buildings on Church Lane, and construction of Bedford Square — pre-dated her Westport life.
Construction of Bedford Square, 2015. Patagonia (formerly Westport Bank & Trust, soon to be Compass Realty) is in the rear.
To her, the Y was “always” at Mahackeno. There is no way — other than reading an occasional “06880” reference to it it — that she would know otherwise.
Which got me thinking: What else do those of us who have lived here “a while” take for granted, but which no newcomer would ever know?
The Westport Country Playhouse is one example. New-ish arrivals may hear about it — on this blog, through a flyer in the mail, or osmosis.
But unless they are musical theater buffs, how could they have any clue of the role the Playhouse played in American entertainment history?
The original Westport Country Playhouse, before its 2002 renovation. (Photo courtesy of Bill Stanton)
Its origin in 1931, as one of the first “summer theaters” anywhere? The legendary names — from Henry and Jane Fonda, to Olivia de Havilland and James Earl Jones — who have performed there? The roles Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward played in modernizing it, in the early 2000s?
(And, to be brutally honest: How many 30-somethings know any of those names in the paragraph above — including Newman and Woodward?)
The hundreds of new folks who have flooded into town over the past few years were attracted by amenities like Longshore. Realtors proudly showed off the golf course, tennis courts, pool, Inn and restaurant. They mentioned that it’s town-owned — not private — and open to all.
Did those realtors mention the back story: That the town bought it in 1959 for $1.9 million, to keep it out of the hands of a developer? And that if those leaders had not acted quickly, 180 homes would now be there instead?
The town’s purchase of the failing Longshore Country Club kept it out of the hands of developers.
Speaking of government: I’ve spoken recently with residents who mentioned our “mayor” and “town council.”
Maybe in New Jersey, Florida or Arizona. But here in Westport, our New England heritage includes a “first selectman” (currently, “selectwoman”) and “Representative Town Meeting.”
The RTM can be a mystery — particularly when only the initials are used. What does it do? Who is on it?
Again: How would any newcomer know the answers? Even those motivated by a particular issue — Long Lots School, say, or bike paths — may have only a vague notion of the RTM’s role in our town.
Nor may they know they’re eligible to serve on it. (Though not until 2027 — the deadline to run in this election has passed.)
There is so much more that older/longer Westporters know, but comes as a complete surprise to those who have been here even 6, 8 or 10 years.
Like: Staples High School was originally on Riverside Avenue. (And that before it was Saugatuck Elementary School, the building was also known as Bedford Junior High, and Bedford Middle School. The “new” Staples — opened on North Avenue in 1958 — has its own intriguing, tangled stories of renovations, starting with 9 separate buildings more suited to California than Connecticut.)
Or that the “Bedford” name refers to a fabulously wealthy family, with ties to John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company. And that their generosity can still be felt in many areas around town, including — let’s complete the circle — the YMCA.
Once upon a time, newcomers would learn all this, and more — The town of Westport bought Cockenoe Island in the 1960s to prevent it from becoming a nuclear power plant! — through stories in the local newspaper.
Westport owns Cockenoe Island. The town bought it when a utility company planned to build a nuclear power plant there. Pro tip: It’s pronounced “Kuh-KEE-nee.”
Westport had a newspaper?
Not one — several. The Town Crier. Fairpress. The Minuteman. The Westport News.
There’s even a print edition, which seems to be sold nowhere in town, but may be available for home delivery if you are persistent enough with their hard-to-reach customer service people.
Which reminds me: Most new residents do not know — how could they? — that “06880” began in 2009, as an outgrowth of my long-running Westport News “Woog’s World” column.
Or that I began writing for the paper when I was a Staples student, way back in the day.
Just a few years after I learned to swim, at the downtown YMCA.
The original YMCA Brophy pool. It was used for Staples swim meets, before the high school pool opened in 1981.
(Another fun fact: “06880” is a non-profit, supported by donations from readers like you. If you enjoy your new — or old — town’s hyper-local blog, please click here to contribute. Thank you!)
In what may be the most significant change to the Westport Carvel since a giant ice cream cone was removed from the roof 50 years ago, the iconic sign facing Post Road East has been covered up.
The new sign says, generically, “Soft Serve Ice Cream.”
The owner says the cost of renovating the seems-it’s-been-there-forever building, as requested by Carvel, is too high.
Speaking of food: The train has left the Donut Crazy station.
The shop at the eastbound side of the Westport station was served with an eviction notice in January, CT Insider reports. The owner has allegedly not paid rent since last summer. Click here for the full story.
The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member and several colleagues spent 2 years planting bulbs at the Minute Man monument. Westport will enjoy their work for years to come.
Last year, Andrew planted some the 1,500 bulbs donated by the Parks & Recreation Department in the Compo Beach entrance island.
Now he wants to do the entire entrance strip.
Interested in helping? Email acolabellartm4@gmail.com.
The “06880” panel on youth sports is 2 weeks from today.
We’ve partnered with Tommy Greenwald — the famed youth adult sports fiction writer, former Staples athlete (and father of 3 athletes) — to present “Fair Play and Foul Behavior: Issues Facing Youth Sports in Today’s World.”
It’s May 14 (7 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria).
Topics include the achievement/pressure balance, referee abuse, sport specialization, cost, the “academy” syndrome, myths and realities of college recruiting, and more.
Dan Woog — hey, that’s me! — will moderate the event, which includes time for audience questions. Panelists are:
VJ Sarullo, Staples athletic director
Dave Smith, father of 4 athletes who writes frequently on youth sports topics
Caleb Smith, former Staples quarterback and lacrosse star, now playing football at the University of Connecticut
Heather Talbott, PAL girls lacrosse co-president and basketball organizer; former lacrosse player at Lehigh University
Mark Pressman, longtime football and softball official
And of course Tommy Greenwald himself.
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Congratulations to 3 environmental winners.
Last week, town officials and Sustainable Westport gave Westport Green Building Awards to these owners, for exemplifying sustainable design and construcction:
17 Maple Grove Avenue (owner Scott Harrington). New construction designed and built as net zero energy. All appliances, heating and cooling systems are electric, and use the photovoltaic roof for power. The insulation exceeds codes. A smart home scheduler minimizes HVAC use by scheduling window shades to follow the path of the sun, and limit heavy electronics usage to only off-peak hours.
1 Hockanum Road (owner Thomas Hensel). Home renovation that integrates a PV system that offsets the residence’s power consumption. After an energy audit audit, the owner added attic insulation, weatherstripping, and mechanical and lighting upgrades. The HVAC system was upgraded to include smart thermostats and duct sealing. Insulation was installed on the hot water piping. Retrofit LED lighting fixtures reduce power consumption while providing the same light levels.
142-150 Main Street, Nômade Restaurant (owners Ciara Webster, Patrick Jean). Renovation and reuse of an existing historic structure; uses renewable energy to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. The roof over the dining terrace features a semi-transparent roof-integrated photovoltaic system. The visibility of the solar panels stimulates the interest of other local business owners and patrons to go solar.
The Planning & Zoning Commission continues its discussion of The Hamlet at its next meeting (May 5, 6 p.m., Zoom).
It’s just one agenda item. Members will also discuss the plan by Fairfield County Hunt Club to construct an indoor racquets facility, and a request to convert the former Bank of America building at 980 Post Road East into a Montessori School, among other things.
Meanwhile, the Flood & Erosion Control Board will examine the Hamlet at its next meeting.
The last agenda item for their May 7 meeting (7:30 p.m.; Zoom; meeting ID 823 4909 8338; passcode 954845), is a continuation of the discussion that began April 2.
Part of the proposed Hamlet project, leading to the Saugatuck River.
The Jesup Road restaurant offers regular classes about the classic dish. With wine and tapas thrown in, what’s not to like?
Sal Liccione took part on Monday, and sent this tasty photo:
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
Next at Basso: a pizza-making class, this Sunday (May 4, 12:30 p.m.). Click here for details.
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Club203’s magical monthly parties continue.
Up next for Westport’s social club for adults with disabilities: Dancing with DJ Joe, (and s’mores, a campfire and pizza), under the stars at Earthplace. Click here for more information.
They’re as good as their younger counterparts. In fact, a 5-0 state tournament semifinal win on Sunday vaulted them into the Connecticut State Soccer Championship. It’s set for June 8 (4 p.m., Dillon Stadium, Hartford), vs. Greenwich Pumas.
That was quite a semi. Rangers had been undefeated — and unscored upon — in league play.
The 50-and-over final is the second big soccer event that weekend. The day before (June 7), the US men’s national team meets Turkey in a friendly, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.
For some reason, wrong-way drivers on Soundview Drive have become an epidemic.
Residents report alarmingly frequent encounters.
The latest was yesterday:
(Photo/Sunil Hirani)
Be careful out there!
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Senator Chris Murphy is the keynote speaker at the Center for Children’s Advocacy, at New England’s largest youth legal rights organization’s second annual event.
It’s set for Friday (5:30 p.m.), in Westport. Sponsors include Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder. For more information and to RSVP, email mason.miller@berlinrosen.com.
And finally … today is Walpurgis. In German folklore, tonight (Walpurgisnacht) — May Day eve — is when witches meet on the Brocken mountain, and revel with the Devil.
(There is no need to repent — at least, not if you click here to help support “06880,” your hyper-local blog. Danke schön!)
I hate to ask for funds. But the NPR/PBS model is the only way to continue to tell stories about the people, places and past of this town; to bring you news and photos, and to do all the back-end stuff no one ever sees but that takes all of my time, 24/7/365.
Someone congratulated me on 16 years of “06880” — then said, “Sorry I missed your contribution day. I’ll send a check next year.”
Great news! Your money is good any time!
You can donate by PayPal or credit card: click here. It’s easy, safe — and you don’t even need a PayPal account.
Checks can be mailed to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881.
“I really like ‘06880,’” a woman said. “But you write too many stories.”
You don’t have to read them all! I thought. That’s what the “Delete” button is for!
“06880” is nearing its 16th birthday. Over the years, I’ve heard all kinds of complaints.
This man does not always smile at the feedback he receives.
Sometimes, people ask why I did not cover something I wrote about the day before. Or the previous week. Or month.
“I know it’s your blog,” many of them begin. “But …”
Then comes a comment, about something. Anything. Or everything.
They say I should ban certain commenters.
I should let commenters use aliases, or comment anonymously.
I should write more about some topic. Or less.
Yes, it is my blog.
But it’s also yours.
“06880” belongs to its readers. On any given day, there are up to 20,000 of you.
Many live in Westport. Some have been here all their lives: 15, 30, 50, 60 years. Others moved in during COVID. Or yesterday.
Many other readers do not live here. Some are in Weston. Some are much further away — across the US, and beyond.
“06880” has readers in Westport, New Zealand. They’re not lost … just interested in our town.
Some grew up here, then moved away. Some have other connections, like parents whose adult children live here. They want to know what their “kids” and grandkids are up to.
As one year ends, and a new one begins, this is a good time to take a look at where “06880” is, and where it should be going.
So: What do you like about “06880”?
What don’t you like?
What should I cover more? What should I cover less?
What new features would you like to see? Are there any I should dump?
“06880” also has a mission to build community. Last year we introduced a Summer Soundview Stroll. With the help of the Westport Downtown Association, we kicked up the Holiday Stroll several notches.
A small part of the large Soundview Stroll crowd. (Photo/Benji Porosoff)
We continue to raise funds — over $300,000 so far — for Lyman, our Ukrainian sister city, and for other worthy causes.
We were a sponsor of the holiday lights on the Cribari Bridge, and have organized 2 “Historic Homes of Westport” tours.
What other projects would you like us to undertake?
Is there anything else I (and my board of directors) need to know?
Just email 06880blog@gmail. com.
Or click “Comments” below. If you do, of course use your full, real name.
Observant drivers* have noticed that lights have been removed from the Cribari Bridge.
For 25 years, they were lit the day after Thanksgiving. Then, every night through New Year’s, hundreds of colorful holiday bulbs brightened everyone’s passage across the 135-year-old span.
(Photo/Andrew Colabella)
A couple of weeks ago, they were removed. It’s unclear by whom — probably the state Department of Transportation — but recently several came loose, and hit at least one vehicle.
For a quarter century the lights were provided by Al’s Angels. Al DiGuido’s non-profit supports children and families battling cancer, rare blood diseases, natural disasters and severe financial hardship.
This year, Al’s Angels can no longer provide and maintain the lights.
(Photo/Joel Treisman)
Is this the end of a beloved 25-year tradition?
No!
Second Selectwoman Andrea Moore, Police Chief Foti Koskinas, Police Corporal Craig Bergamo, Representative Town Meeting members Kristin Mott Purcell and Andrew Colabella, and a few other Westporters began working on a solution.
It’s not as easy as buying new lights, finding volunteers to string and test them, and throwing a switch.
The bridge must be closed for several hours to do the work. Questions about power sources loomed.
(Photo/Patti Brill)
But within 2 days the community came together. Every problem was solved.
The Bridge at Saugatuck — the new, instantly popular restaurant a few yards from the Cribari Bridge — plus Saugatuck Financial and Neat Lending quickly became lead sponsors.
Other sponsors include LandTech, Westport PAL, the Colabella family, and our very own “06880” blog.
A source was located. The lights are being shipped overnight from Georgia.
Late Sunday night, they’ll be strung on the bridge. Saugatuck-based AJ Penna & Son Construction will help make it happen.
The final piece will be an official lighting ceremony. When it’s set, “06880” will let everyone know.
In the space of a few days, the sad prospect of a dark Cribari Bridge turned very, very bright.
I hate to ask for funds. But the NPR/PBS model is the only way to continue to tell stories about the people, places and past of this town; to bring you news and photos, and to do all the back-end stuff no one ever sees but that takes all of my time, 24/7/365.
Someone congratulated me on 15 years of “06880” — then said, “Sorry I missed your contribution day. I’ll send a check next year.”
Great news! Your money is good any time!
You can donate by PayPal or credit card: click here. It’s easy, safe — and you don’t even need a PayPal account.
Checks can be mailed to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
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Whether you remember that first post or discovered us yesterday, we hope you enjoy our 5 a.m. lead story; the morning Roundup and evening Pic of the Day; features like Unsung Heroes, Friday Flashback, online art gallery and Photo Challenge, plus breaking news and much more, throughout the day.
gain: How would any newcomer know the answers? Even those motivated by a particular issue — Long Lots School, say, or bike paths — may have only a vague notion of the RTM’s role in our town.
