The doughboy statue on Veterans Green (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
BONUS FEATURE: Nick Pisarro, Jr. filmed the entire Memorial Day parade — and then edited it down to a minute. It’s followed by Staples High School graduate Nick Rossi singing the national anthem.
Whether you missed the parade, or want to relive it again — click below.
Posted in Pic of the Day, Westport life
Tagged American flag, Doughboy statue, Memorial Day parade, Nick Rossi
Westporters say: US stands with Ukraine (Photo/Arlene Yolles)
Veterans Green tableau (Photo/Fred Cantor)
Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #1784
Posted in Pic of the Day
Tagged American flag, Doughboy statue, Veterans Green
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Saturday’s “Westoberfest” has something for everyone.
The Westport Downtown Association event — set for all around Elm Street — includes road races (kids at noon, 10K at 12:30 p.m.); food, vendors, apples and pumpkin giveaways, pumpkin decorating, street magician and live music (1 to 5 p.m.), beer tasting (2 to 5 p.m.), and an air-cooled classic vintage car expo (3:30 p.m.).
Advance tickets are $40 each, $75 for 2, special 10-pack for $350. Click here for tickets. They’re $50 each, if purchased at the event.
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Also on Saturday (and free): presentation of 5 murals at the Main Street entrance to Bedford Square.
Commissioned by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee, each represents a different aspect of life in Westport’s history. They start with indigenous people, and move across the wall to the future: Westport, circa 2070.
Artists include Westporter Eric Chiang, who exhibits locally and in his native Taiwan, and is a founding member of the Artist Collective of Westport; Westporter Jana Ireijo, founder of “Mural Ethos,” which creates vanishing murals to illustrate climate change; Staples and Pratt Institute graduate Rebecca Ross; Hernan Garcia from Norwalk, born in Colombia and trained in both architecture and fine arts; Bridgeport painter and Antigua native, poet, writer, actor and playwright Iyaba Ibo Mandingo.
“Westport: Circa 2070” (Rebecca Ross)
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Westporters go to the polls on November 2. But the polls need poll workers.
It’s a paying gig ($265 full day, $130 half day)– and important for democracy.
Jobs include checker, ballot monitor, tabulator/security monitor and floater. No experience needed. There’s a training session Saturday, October 23 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Also needed: setup (Monday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and cleanup (Tuesday, November 2, 8 to 11 p.m.). Both pay $18 an hour.
Interested? Contact Maria Signore at the registrars of voters office: 203-341-1117; msignore@westportct.gov.
A familiar scene, year after year in Westport.
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As the weather cools, The Porch @ Christie’s rolls out its “The Porch Warms Our Hearts “ promotion.
It includes 2 soups a day (with quarts added soon), plus steel-cut oatmeal with 2 toppings, and hot chocolate.
There are heaters on the porch, with roll-down sides as needed. It’s even cozier indoors, with a fireplace.
Order ahead for quicker service. All items are available for delivery too. The Porch is open 7 days a week.
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What’s up — or down — with this flag?
It’s been flying like this for a few days, at the apartments near the Whelk and Saugatuck Sweets.
A mistake? A true distress signal? If so, for what?
Inquiring Westporters want to know.
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You’ve heard of a trunk show?
The Westport Artists Collective takes that term literally.
This Sunday (October 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), they’ll sell affordable art from — actually — the trunks of their cars.
The site is the Taylor parking lot — near the lower level of the Westport Library. It’s a great place for affordable art (and seeing what some of our favorite local artists drive).
Susan Fehlinger, and her trunk art.
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Winslow Park Animal Hospital seldom misses a holiday. Here’s what the Post Road clinic’s front yard looks like now:
(Photo/Molly Alger)
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Sure, the Westport Young Woman’s League does wonderful, charitable work.
But members have a great social time too.
On Saturday, past president Lauren Bromberg hosted a “Rock ‘n’ Paint” party at her home. Guests shot paint from water guns to create art — while rocking out to ’90s tunes.
The WYWL plans a number of other casual gatherings this year, including fire pits, wine tastings, hikes, dog play date meet-ups at Compo, coffee chats, evening dinners and more. For more information, click here or follow on Instagram: @wywlwestport.
“Shooting” artwork at the Westport Young Woman’s League social,
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“Westport … Naturally” covers all creatures great and small. Ellen Wentworth sent this image, with the note: “He was on my car in the garage!”
(Photo/Ellen Wentworth)
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And finally … today in 1997, John Denver died while piloting a light plane. He was just 53 years old.
Between the gloomy weekend weather and canceled fireworks, this was a low-key 4th of July. But at least this Gorham Avenue homeowner got in the holiday spirit. (Photo/Tom Cook)
Maisy, out on the Sound today (Photo/Tammy Barry)
These chickens decorated their Hillspoint Road coop in the appropriate colors. (Photo/Matt Murray)
Compo Beach was uncharacteristically empty until late afternoon. There were plenty of grills available One family celebrated Independence Day by roasting a pig. (Photo/June Rose Whittaker)
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The local housing market still sizzles.
Brown Harris Stevens reports that 42 houses closed in February in Westport — the most for that month since at least 2014.
The average closing price was $1.8 million, up 50% from the same period last year.
Supply was down. On February 28 there were 138 houses on the market, 52% fewer than in February 2020.
Prices for the 68 houses pending — properties with signed contracts — ranged from $565,000 to $6.3 million. The average list price was $2.1 million.
Weston has seen a 76% increase in home sales for December through February, compared to a year earlier. The average closing price was $1.09 million, up 46%. (Hat tips: Roe Colletti and Chuck Greenlee)
This gorgeous home on Hidden Hill, off South Compo, is listed for $4.8 million. (Photo courtesy of Compass)
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For many people, COVID created 2 types of hunger: for food, and for the human spirit.
Westport’s Unitarian Church helps feed both needs.
For years, a community of food-insecure people has gathered on Sunday mornings under Bridgeport’s Route 25 overpass. They celebrate together: children’s birthdays, sobriety, housing, new jobs. When ministers or priests appear, prayer circles form.
As the pandemic’s quarantine and health regulations prevented many non-profit providers from serving food at the John Street site, Unitarian Church members worked with April Barron of Helping Hands Outreach in Bridgeport to coordinate bagged lunches.
Over the past 9 months, they’ve handed out over 12,000 lunches — filled with sandwiches, drinks, fruit, snacks, and messages of support.
With donations of food and money way down, April says the Unitarian Church — and similar help from St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Norwalk — were crucial. Just as important: the interaction with people.
The Unitarian Church’s Shawl Ministry — which for years has knit and crocheted shawls for congregants — also made and gave warm hats, scarves and cowls to the John Street community this winter.
To help distribute lunches, email david@uuwestport.org. To help make lunches (Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.), click here.
Westport Unitarian Church volunteers, with bagged lunches.
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There’s always something to see at Sherwood Island.
The other day, Jack Menz did not like what he saw.
The American flag is in tatters. The Connecticut state flag is not much better.
(Photo/Jack Menz)
“It’s wrong to fly such a battered flag,” Jack says.
“Wrong for visitors to the park, and wrong for those honored at the park. We should have a new flag flying there.”
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The other day, the Cornell Daily Sun highlighted the student-run Cornell University Emergency Medical Service. Working through the pandemic, they provide free 24/7 emergency care to staff, students and visitors.
Director of operations Hannah Bukzin is a Cornell senior — and a Staples High School grad. She honed her skills working hundreds of hours with the Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.
CUEMS answers 600 calls a year — “allergic reactions, alcohol or drug overdoses, motor vehicle accidents and everything in between,” Hannah says.
Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Dennis Poster)
Hannah Bukzin
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Klein’s is long gone from Main Street.
So is its successor, Banana Republic.
But the old department store — at least, its signage — reappeared the other day, during construction work on the property.
You can no longer buy books, records, cameras or typewriters on Main Street. But — for a while, anyway — Klein’s was back.
(Photo/Jack Whittle)
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And finally … today in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for the telephone.
Presidents Day flag on Whitney Street (Photo/Molly Alger)
Happy 4th of July! Here’s the scene at 18 Bulkley Avenue South. Monica Ryan and her family decorated their front door this way — and added plenty of bunting, pinwheels in the yard, flags in the driveway, and sparkling lights at night.
(Photo/Gina Ryan)
Last year, historian Bob Weingarten wrote a story for Greens Farms Magazine, about flags in town.
Three caught my eye. May they continue to wave proudly!
Artists Walter and Naiad Einsel designed Uncle Sam and Miss Liberty, flanking the Stars and Stripes.
Little Barn, on the Post Road.
A replica of Betsy Ross’ original flag, flying on Greens Farms Road.
Decorations by Rebecca and Diane Yormark:
Posted in Arts, History, Pic of the Day, Restaurants
Tagged American flag, Betsy Ross flag, Little Barn restaurant, Naiad Einsel, Walter Einsel
Bears and a flag, at the Exxon station (Photo/Ed Simek)
Posted in Pic of the Day, Totally random, Transportation
Tagged American flag, bears, Exxon gas station
Tattered but proud, the flag flies over Patagonia (Photo/Jamie Walsh)
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