Tag Archives: Battle of Compo Hill

Roundup: Revolutionary Re-enactors, RTM Budget Vote, Rotarians Clean Up …

Posted on April 26, 2026 | 3 comments

This weekend marks the 249th anniversary of the Battle of Compo Hill.

On Friday, “06880” flashed back to that historic 4-day event. It began when 26 ships carrying 1,850 British soldiers anchored off Compo Beach.

The troops marched to Danbury, burned an arsenal there, then — on their way back — were attacked by patriots, not far from where the Minute Man monument now memorializes the fight.

That caused Ed Davis to flash back 49 years. He writes:

“During the 1970s and ’80s I did Revolutionary War reenactments.

“We recreated De Lancey’s Brigade, a loyalist group based in the New York area. We would team up with other re-enacting groups (British, loyalist, American “rebels,” French, Native American). We were proud of our authenticity.

“To tell the truth, it was fun to play the ‘bad guy’ (we got to ‘die’ more). During the Bicentennial in 1976 we had a lot of events, some with over 4,000 participants.

“We had a lot of adventures, and I have a lot of stories (I met the woman who became my wife after an event in South Carolina).

“But the most fun were the small, local events like Compo, the Norwalk Oyster Festival, the Battle of Ridgefield, the various firefighter parades in Westchester and Putnum Counties, etc.

“Compo was one of the battles we got to ‘win’ (the Minute Men did chase the British back to the sea, but they were leaving anyhow).

“Since this battle was in Westport, I rode my motorcycle to the event in full uniform, my musket strapped to the back of the bike. It was a little unreal storming the same beach in full uniform that I grew up on in swim trunks.”

British troops return to Compo Beach, in 1976 …

… and show their firepower. (Photos courtesy of Ed Davis)

==================================================

The final step in the 2026-27 budget process — approval by the Representative Town Meeting — takes place May 4 and 5 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

The first night, the RTM considers the town budget. On the second, they’ll vote on the Board of Education request.

====================================================================

Dozens of Westporters celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, with free seedlings.

The Tree Board gave away ninebark, black gum and witch hazel varieties, in the back of Town Hall.

We won’t see the full results for years.

But the wait — along with the generosity of the Tree Board, and the work of our neighbors — will be worth it.

Tree Board seedling giveaway. (Photo/Eric Bosch)

=================================================

More civic pride: As part of yesterday’s Parks & Recreation Department Clean Up Westport Day, the Westport Rotary Club and Sunrise Rotary worked together yesterday, cleaning up all around I-95 Exit 17 — the entrance and exit ramps, and nearby parking lot.

There was plenty to do. But — like Rotarians everywhere — they were all smiles doing it.

Rotarians clean up, by the highway. (Photo/Anil Nair)

==================================================

Part of the Parks & Recreation Department’s great Kickoff to Summer event — featuring food, touch-a-truck, bouncy houses, a climbing wall, face painting, helicopter rides and more (May 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) — is an unveiling of the new mural next to the concession stand.

Right now, they’re looking for help with the installation. It begins the first weekend in May.

Anyone 12 and over is welcome. It’s another family-friendly activity. If interested, email pkoskinas@westportct.gov.

Luke Bernier’s mural will soon be hung at Compo Beach.

==================================================

The public’s fascination with artificial intelligence continues.

So does the Westport Library’s exploration of it.

On Tuesday (April 28, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), national broadcaster (and Westport resident) Dave Briggs returns for another deep dive into that rapidly revolving world.

He’s joined by Daron Acemoglu, a well-known economist who specializes in technology’s impact on the labor market. Their topic is a hot one: job displacement.

Anthropic founder Dario Amodei said recently that 50% of entry-level white collar jobs will be eliminated, and unemployment could spike as high as 20%, in the next years.

What does Acemoglu think? Briggs will make sure to ask.

==================================================

Sure, it’s a rainy weekend.

But Greens Farms Garden Club members are busily (and happily!) digging in the dirt.

They’re getting ready for their annual plant sale. This year’s event is Saturday, May 16 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), at Sherman Green on the Post Road in Fairfield.

They’re selling perennials, annuals — and “some surprises”!

=================================================

After decades of getting ready for the 7:30 a.m. bell, retired teachers have the luxury of sleeping in.

But former Staples High School educators find a variety of ways to stay active and engaged. They lead full, interesting lives.

Every so often they get together (though a bit later than 7:30) to compare notes, and talk about their lives then and now.

They call themselves ROMEOs: Retired Old Men Eating Out.

How many of these legendary teachers do you recognize?

Clockwise from lower left: Stan Rhodes, Toby Watson, Al Jolley, Bruce McFadden, Dave Deitch, John Pepe, Jim Honeycutt, Bob Selverstone, Ed Bludnicki, Brian Kelley, Jeff Lea, Werner Liepolt, Pete Van Hagen.

===============================================

The Westport chapter of Business Network International — the largest in Connecticut — invites local business professionals to experience “the power of referral-based growth.” Visitor’s Day is Thursday, May 7 (7 to 9 a.m., United Methodist Church of Westport & Weston).

Along with coffee and baked goods, guests get an inside look at how a structured referral system can generate consistent, high-quality business.

The chapter currently offers a limited number of seats for professionals in select categories: estate planning/elder law, home health/senior care, business attorney, HVAC, roofer, event/wedding planner and travel advisor.

To register, or for questions, call 203-314-5091 or email 21belenski@gmail.com. For the full membership list, click here.

=================================================

“Food is one of the last areas where real bipartisan work gets done.”

That was message Thursday, at the Y’s Men’s weekly meeting.

Consumer Reports food policy chief Brian Ronholm told the group that CR’s independent funding lets him fire off “snippy emails” to the Food & Drug Administration, without worrying about angering industry or government funders.

Regulators now often come to CR first, sometimes even timing enforcement pushes like “Operation Stork Speed,” on heavy metals in infant formula, to CR’s investigations, using their data as a catalyst for action.

The discussion was led by Jen Shecter, CR’s vice president and chief content officer, who lives in Weston.

From left: Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports reporter Paris Martineau, senior manager Sana Mujahid, Jen Shecter. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

==================================================

It’s fern time!

As life emerges this (and every) spring, ferns are part of the parade.

Lou Weinberg captured today’s “Westport … Naturally” vernal image.

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

==================================================

And finally … in honor of the ROMEOs (former Westport teachers who call themselves Retired Old Men Eating Out — story above), here’s an appropriate song.

So where are all the retired women?

Probably having a great time at home, with their husbands out of the house.

(Romeo and Juliet came to a tragic end. If you want “06880” to stay alive, please make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here. Thank you all!)

3 Comments

Posted in Beach, Environment, History, Staples HS

Tagged artificial intelligence, Battle of Compo Hill, Board of Education, Greens Farms Garden Club, Parks & Recreation Department, Representative Town Meeting, Sunrise Rotary Club, Westport Business Networking International, Westport Rotary Club, Westport Tree Board

Friday Flashback #500

Posted on April 24, 2026 | 10 comments

As Westport prepares to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the Battle of Compo Hill — well, at least Sunday’s Minute Man road race gives a nod to our heroic effort during the Revolutionary War — let’s remember a time when our town remembered (and honored) that historic event.

The other day, Morley Boyd sent along photos of a commemorative coin. He believes it was struck in 1935, to honor the centennial of Westport’s incorporation as a town.

One side shows the Minute Man monument, with the date “Apr. 25, 1777.”

That’s the day 26 ships carrying 1,850 British troops under the direction of General William Tryon — a force larger than at Lexington or Concord — landed at Compo Beach at dusk.

Tory loyalists planned to guide them up Compo Road to Cross Highway, across to Redding Road, then north through Redding and Bethel to Danbury, where they would burn a major supply depot. It contained much-needed tents, clothing, bedding — things necessary for a long military campaign.

Patriots fired a few shots at the corner of the Post Road and Compo, but the British marched on. In Danbury they destroyed the Continental Army’s munitions, then headed back toward their waiting ships at Compo.

Hastily assembled patriot forces fought them in the fierce Battle of Ridgefield. Led by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold — not yet a traitor — and outnumbered 3 to 1, the patriots deployed a strategy of selective engagement.

British forces landed at Compo Beach, marched to Danbury, returned south and — after the Battle of Compo Hill — retreated to Long Island.

The next day — April 28, 1777 — patriots tried to capture the Redcoats at a bridge across the Saugatuck River. That forced the soldiers to march 2 miles north, and swim across.

Meanwhile, marksmen waited on Compo Hill (the current site of Minuteman Hill road).

Twenty colonials were killed, and between 40 and 80 wounded when the British made a shoulder to shoulder charge with fixed bayonets — but, wearing everyday work clothes and using hunting guns or pistols, they gave them a fight.

It was reported that resistance here was more severe than at Lexington and Concord.

Graves of some of the patriots who fell that day lie along Compo Beach Road, just past the Minuteman statue. British soldiers are buried across Gray’s Creek, by the Longshore golf course.

Though Tryon returned to burn Norwalk and Fairfield, never again during the American Revolution did British troops venture inland in Connecticut.

The other side of the coin shows a stylized view of the Saugatuck bridge, and nearby homes.

The scene was similar to that of Westport’s original town seal.

Morley says, “I don’t think I have ever seen one of these centennial coins.”

And if one of Westport’s leading amateur historians is surprised, that’s impressive.

Do any “06880” readers know anything about that commemorative coin? If so — or if you just want to commemorate the Battle of Compo Hill — click “Comments” below.

PS: Next year is the 250th anniversary. We should not let that date pass without an, um, bang.

(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!)

10 Comments

Posted in Friday Flashback, History

Tagged Battle of Compo Hill, Morley Boyd

Westport’s Minute Man: The Story Behind The Statue

Posted on April 26, 2025 | 20 comments

For over a century, the Minute Man has stood as Westport’s most beloved symbol. Harry Daniel Webster’s statue was dedicated in June 1910.

But this will make you feel really old: The skirmish it commemorates — the Battle of Compo Hill — took place 133 years before that.

The Minute Man monument in 1912 — 2 years after its dedication.

If you’ve lived in Westport a while, you know at least some of the story behind the monument.

But many new residents may pass by, on the way to the beach, and not give it a second thought.

Or they may think it’s a typical New England nod to some generic Revolutionary War soldier.

There’s much more to our Minute Man than that. On the 248th anniversary of Westport’s most famous battle, here’s the back story.

Twenty-six ships carrying 1,850 British troops under the direction of General William Tryon — a force larger than at Lexington or Concord — landed at Compo Beach at dusk on April 25, 1777. Tory loyalists planned to guide them up Compo Road to Cross Highway, across to Redding Road, then north through Redding and Bethel to Danbury, where they would burn a major supply depot. It contained much-needed tents, clothing, bedding — things necessary for a long military campaign.

British forces landed at Compo Beach, marched to Danbury, returned south and — after the Battle of Compo Hill — retreated to Long Island.

The next day — April 28, 1777 — patriots tried to capture the Redcoats at a bridge across the Saugatuck River. That forced the soldiers to march 2 miles north, and swim across.

Meanwhile, marksmen waited on Compo Hill (the current site of Minuteman Hill road).

It was reported that resistance here was more severe than at Lexington and Concord.

Graves of some of the patriots who fell that day lie along Compo Beach Road, just past the Minuteman statue. British soldiers are buried across Gray’s Creek, by the Longshore golf course.

Though Tryon returned to burn Norwalk and Fairfield, never again during the American Revolution did British troops venture inland in Connecticut.

Document from the past.

The next time you pass the Minute Man, think about the Battle of Compo Hill. That’s the reason our Minuteman stands guard, facing Compo Road.

Like his fellow patriots 248 years ago, he’s ready to give the Brits his best shot.

The Minuteman statue today.

=================================================

There are a number of good historical sources about the Battle of Compo Hill.

One of the most fun, colorful — and detailed — was unearthed by alert reader Deborah Johnson.

She discovered “The Battle of Compo Beach,” a 9-page booklet, written and illustrated by C.M. Owens.

Hand-written, with meticulous lettering, it was published by the Hillspoint PTA. Built as an elementary school in 1960 to educate Westport’s booming school-age population, and open for just over 2 decades, today it’s the Hillspoint Road childcare facility with the domed roof.

The booklet shows the British coming ashore …

The booklet has lasted longer than the school.

Now it’s up to all of us — old-timers and newcomers alike — to keep the memory of the Battle of Compo Hill alive.

… and a description of the march to Danbury. (Courtesy of Deborah Johnson)

(“06880” covers Westport’s present, and past. Please support our work. Click here to contribute — and thank you!)

20 Comments

Posted in Beach, History

Tagged Battle of Compo Hill, Benedict Arnold, Compo Beach

A Special ANZAC Day — Westport Style

Posted on April 25, 2025 | 11 comments

Today is ANZAC Day.

You may not celebrate it — or even know about it.

But Megan Lott and Karen Hossain sure do.

Both women moved to Westport in the summer of 2016. They met at a newcomers’ coffee at their kids’ Kings Highway Elementary School.

Megan Lott and Karen Hossain

Driving around their new hometown, they noticed the historical plaque at the Compo Road South/Post Road East traffic island.

It commemorates the April 25, 1777 landing of British troops at Compo Beach. They marched to Danbury, and burned an arsenal there. Three days later, on their way back, they fought a fierce battle with local patriots, on Compo Hill.

The cannons at the beach — installed and dedicated in 1910 — are an iconic reminder of that historic encounter.

(Photo/Wendy Crowther)

The date resonated with the women.

Megan is from New Zealand. Karen (who returned home last August) is Australian. Down Under, April 25 is ANZAC Day.

The acronym stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The holiday — celebrated annually there, honoring the men and women who served and died for their countries — is similar in spirit to Memorial Day and Veterans Day here.

Megan says “it is a deeply emotional and reflective occasion, ingrained in the cultures of both nations.”

ANZAC Day dates back to the bloody World War I Gallipoli campaign in Turkey, when over 8,000 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders lost their lives. It became a symbol of the bravery, endurance and sacrifice of ANZAC forces.

Battle of Gallipoli

The first ANZAC Day was April 25, 1916, one year after the landing. It has since evolved to a broader remembrance of all military personnel, in all wars.

Dawn services include a minute of silence, the playing of “The Last Post” (a military funeral bugle call, and wreath-laying. Parades feature veterans, current military personnel, and scouting and school groups. Poppies symbolize all who have died.

But ANZAC Day is about much more than remembering soldiers, Megan says. “It’s about national identity and values such as mateship, resilience, and sacrifice. The spirit of the ANZACs — their camaraderie, endurance, and willingness to fight for each other and their countries — has become an essential part of the culture in both nations.”

Living in Westport, Karen and Megan had no dawn services. So early each ANZAC Day they met to remember, together, all those who died, and all those who serve now: Australians, New Zealanders and Americans.

They chose a very appropriate spot: the Compo Beach cannons.

That’s where — on that same April 25, 138 years before Gallipoli — the British landed. And where 4 days later they fled back to their ships, after meeting patriots’ muskets of resistance at nearby Compo Hill.

For Karen, ANZAC Day is particularly poignant. She lost her brother, after 7 tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. An Australian commando, he worked alongside US Special Forces and DEA contingents.

As the sun rose on ANZAC Day in Westport, Karen placed his replica medals on the cannons.

Carefully, next to them, she laid other replica medals: her father’s, from Vietnam.

And her grandfather’s, from World War II.

It was ANZAC Day. She remembered.

Australian service medals, at the Compo cannons.

11 Comments

Posted in Beach, History

Tagged ANZAC Day, Battle of Compo Hill, Compo Beach cannons, Megan Lott

Roundup: Raccoon Rescue, Battle Of Compo Hill, Chili Cook-off …

Posted on October 20, 2024 | 5 comments

Another day, another animal rescue!

Michael Szeto and his wife Valerie were on their daily walk with their dog JoJo yesterday.

JoJo kept pulling them toward a sewer drain on the corner of Quentin Road and Compo Beach Road.

As they got closer, the couple saw 2 tiny claws reaching out of the storm drain. They thought it was a Halloween decoration.

But then they noticed a nose sticking out of the grate. A trapped raccoon was hanging on desperately, to escape the rising water.

They called the Westport Police. While waiting for help, passerby Althea Heisler took action.

She got on the ground and stuck her hand in the sewer, to hold the animal as it started to lose its grip on the sewer grate. Somehow, Althea kept the raccoon above water until Westport Animal Control Officer Peter Reid, followed by the Fire Department. arrived.

They lifted the grate and freed the raccoon. Without giving thanks, it scampered off toward nearby Gray’s Creek. (Hat tip: Julie Loparo)

Animal Control Officer Peter Reid (yellow vest) and Westport Fire Department officials work to free the trapped raccoon. (Photos/Michael Szeto

================================================

Ed Hynes first became interested in the 1777 British march from Westport to Danbury as a child, when he learned his neighbor’s house was partially burned by the Redcoats during the raid.

On Thursday, he spoke to the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston about that historic event. He described the landing at Compo Beach, the trek to burn the patriots’ arsenal, and the Battle of Compo Hill, as they returned to the shore.

But you don’t have to be a Y’s Man to hear Hynes’ wisdom. Click below, for his very informative presentation.

==================================================

Yesterday’s Roundup included a photo of the very depleted Remarkable Bookcycle. The Compo Beach free library was down to its last few books:

Within a couple of hours, it was almost fully restocked:

(Photos/John Richers)

“06880” readers are truly “remarkable.”

==================================================

Nearly a dozen pots of chili — beef, sausage, moose, vegetarian, you name it — were ladled out yesterday, at the VFW.

Along with many varieties of both toppings and cornbread, plus a DJ, drink special, prizes and a raffle.

Greg Gunther of the Westport Police Department repeated last year’s win in the Chili Cook-off. Second place went to Lynn Ryder of Westport Emergency Medical Services. Virginia Ferrari of the VFW and American Legion Auxiliaries was third.

The packed hall was a fundraiser for an important VFW and Auxiliary project: purchasing and installing posts for American flags, to honor the graves of 1,200 veterans at Westport cemeteries.

The goal is $6,000. Let’s hope those flags are flying soon.

Lots of chili choices last night at the VFW. (Photo/Dan Woog)

==================================================

Also yesterday: the ALS United Connecticut event to honor all those affected by Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and remember those who have died, at Sherwood Island State Park.

Those who could walk, did. Those who could join them in wheelchairs, did too.

The weather was beautiful. The atmosphere was both serious and celebratory. The fight against ALS continues.

A few of the many participants at yesterday’s ALS United Connecticut event.

==================================================

You can’t talk about American folk music without Woody Guthrie.

Two days before Election Day, First Folk Sunday honors the influential singer/songwriter/icon of democracy and freedom.

Suzanne Sheridan, First Folk Sunday’s headline singer and artistic force, will be joined for the tribute by Matt Lavigni, Paul Bluestein, Susan T. Reid, Myra Healy and Colin Healy.

Doors open at noon, at the Saugatuck Rowing Club. The music cover charge is $15. Table service is available for brunch, lunch and cocktails. Click here for tickets. For more information, call 203-984-7562.

===============================================

Congratulations, Mike Noonan!

The 1979 Staples High School graduate — who won a state championship with the boys soccer team, then earned All-America honors at Middlebury College — has just picked up the 400th win of his coaching career.

As head coach of the Clemson University men’s soccer team, Noonan is 5th among active Division I head coaches in career wins.

The Tigers have won 2 national championships in the past 3 years. Noonan’s squad has also captured 4 ACC titles.

==================================================

Westport attorney Frank Sisson writes:

:My faith in humanity was restored yesterday morning.

“As the sun was setting Friday, I accidentally dropped an Apple Watch keychain charger (not cheap), with my health club entry pass attached, near my car when leaving the Trout Brook Valley Preserve off-leash trail lot.

“I did not realize this until I got home. I drove back first thing Saturday morning. Not only was another dog owner kind enough to move her car to let me look where I had parked on Friday, but she aided me in the search.

“After a few minutes without luck, I checked the trail map box by the entrance. A kind soul had found my device, and placed it inside on top of the trail maps.

“It is nice to know that good people still live all around us, despite the discouraging headlines and political climate of these troubled times. Perhaps there is hope for us all yet, and a reason to be optimistic that all will be okay.

=================================================

Sugar maples make their first appearance in a “Westport … Naturally” feature.

Topsy Siderowf spotted these beauties at Long Lots Elementary School:

(Photo/Topsy Siderowf)

==================================================

And finally … the First Folk Sunday tribute to Woody Guthrie (story above) reminds us that, nearly a century ago, the Oklahoma native was writing songs about America’s potential — and problems.

Among the topics he addressed: immigration, migrant workers, capitalism, religious hypocrisy, and the wonders of our nation.

(This blog is your blog … from Saugatuck Shores, to Sherwood Island. Please take a minute or two to click here, and support our hyper-local work. Thank you!)

5 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Environment, History, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged ALS United Connecticut, Animal Control officer Peter Reid, Battle of Compo Hill, First Folk Sunday, Mike Noonan, Remarkable Bookcycle, VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, Westport Fire Department, Y's Men of Westport and Weston

Friday Flashback #396

Posted on April 26, 2024 | 7 comments

This week marks one of the most historic moments in our town’s history.

At dusk on April 25, 1777, 26 ships carrying 2,000 British troops under the direction of General William Tryon — a force larger than at Lexington or Concord — landed at Compo Beach.

Tory loyalists planned to guide them up Compo Road to Cross Highway, across to Redding Road, then north through Redding and Bethel to Danbury, where they would burn a major munitions depot.

British forces landed at Compo Beach, marched to Danbury, returned south and — after the Battle of Compo Hill — retreated to Long Island.

The next day — April 28, 1777 — patriots tried to capture the Redcoats at a bridge across the Saugatuck River. That forced the soldiers to march 2 miles north, and swim across.

Meanwhile, marksmen waited on Compo Hill (the current site of Minuteman Hill road).

It was reported that resistance here was more severe than at Lexington and Concord.

Graves of some of the patriots who fell that day lie along Compo Beach Road, just past the Minuteman statue. British soldiers are buried across Gray’s Creek, by the Longshore golf course.

Though Tryon returned to burn Norwalk and Fairfield, never again during the American Revolution did British troops venture inland in Connecticut.

The next time you pass the Minute Man, think about the Battle of Compo Hill. That’s the reason our Minuteman stands guard, facing Compo Road.

Like his fellow patriots 247 years ago, he’s ready to give the Brits his best shot.

The Minuteman statue today.

This important anniversary often passes without much recognition.

Every so often though, the town pays attention.

That was the case in 1977. Westport saluted the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Compo Hill with a special postcard:

Alert “06880” reader Mark Yurkiw — who lives on Cross Highway, directly on the path the Redcoats took (and whose former home next door bears a hole left by a musket ball) — sent the bicentennial souvenir along.

Fittingly, one of the stamps depicts George Washington.

That was 47 years ago.

Time to start planning our 250th-anniversary celebration of the Battle of Compo Hill, 3 years from now.

(Friday Flashback is a weekly “06880” feature. If you enjoy it — or anything else on your hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

7 Comments

Posted in Friday Flashback, History

Tagged Battle of Compo Hill, Mark Yurkiw

Save Cockenoe From Mile-a-Minute

Posted on April 20, 2024 | 5 comments

Since graduating from Greens Farms Academy in 2003, Sefra Alexandra has been on a mission: preparing people around the globe to survive.

Jesse Levin and Sefra Alexandra.

She and her twin brother Jesse Levin have brought “readiness skills” to the veteran, disaster response and entrepreneurial communities.

As part of their efforts, their company Tactivate outfitted customers with gear, and offered advice and training for every conceivable emergency, at a Bedford Square pop-up shop.

Their Norwalk-based Readiness Collective invites residents to train and learn alongside medics, veterans and first responders, in a “fun club-like environment.”

But Sefra cares about the environment too.

As the lead “boatanist” — not “botanist” — of the Boatanical Expedition, she coordinates The Ecotype Project. They grow seed crops of Connecticut’s native pollinator plants, bringing them to nursery growers and homeowners to produce plants that restore native pollinator habitat.

In 2021 they paddled in outrigger canoes down the Connecticut River to Long Island Sound. Along the way they removed invasive species, and spread “the seeds of ecological resilience.”

Of course, rivers are not the only places under threat.

Cockenoe Island is rife with “mile-a-minute.” The vine smothers other herbaceous plants, shrubs, even trees, by growing over them, almost as quickly as the name implies. (Click here to learn more.)

Mile-a-minute is a very invasive species.

On Friday, April 26, the Boatanical Expedition invites residents to paddle to Cockenoe Island, where they’ll remove mile-a-minute.

The date is significant: It’s the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Compo Hill. On that day in 1777 local Minute Men fought Redcoats, on their way back from burning the patriots’ Danbury arsenal.

British ships were anchored off Compo Beach, not far from Cockenoe.

Sefra calls the upcoming event “The Minute WoMan Mile to Fight Off Mile-a-Minute.”

It’s a clunky name, but it includes all the main ideas: Minute Men. Mile-a-Minute. Cockenoe Island, a mile off shore. And women are more than welcome.

RSVP to theboatanists@gmail.com, to reserve a spot. Bring a canoe, paddleboard or kayak, plus a life jacket, canteen, gardening gloves and vine removing tools.

Sefra — and the planet — thank you.

(From the Revolutionary War in 1777 to Cockenoe Island in 2024, “06880” is where Westport meets the world — every day. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

5 Comments

Posted in Beach, Environment, History

Tagged Battle of Compo Hill, Boatanical Expedition, Cockenoe Island, Jesse Levin, mile-a-minute, Sefra Alexandra

Westport’s Minute Man: The Story Behind The Statue

Posted on April 25, 2023 | 28 comments

For over a century, the Minute Man has stood as Westport’s most beloved symbol. Harry Daniel Webster’s statue was dedicated in June 1910.

But this will make you feel really old: The skirmish it commemorates — the Battle of Compo Hill — took place 133 years before that.

The Minute Man monument in 1912 — 2 years after its dedication.

If you’ve lived in Westport a while, you know at least some of the story behind the monument.

But many new residents may pass by, on the way to the beach, and not give it a second thought.

Or they may think it’s a typical New England nod to some generic Revolutionary War soldier.

There’s much more to our Minute Man than that. On the 246th anniversary of Westport’s most famous battle, here’s the back story.

Twenty-six ships carrying 2000 British troops under the direction of General William Tryon — a force larger than at Lexington or Concord — landed at Compo Beach at dusk on April 25, 1777. Tory loyalists planned to guide them up Compo Road to Cross Highway, across to Redding Road, then north through Redding and Bethel to Danbury, where they would burn a major munitions depot.

British forces landed at Compo Beach, marched to Danbury, returned south and — after the Battle of Compo Hill — retreated to Long Island.

The next day — April 28, 1777 — patriots tried to capture the Redcoats at a bridge across the Saugatuck River. That forced the soldiers to march 2 miles north, and swim across.

Meanwhile, marksmen waited on Compo Hill (the current site of Minuteman Hill road).

It was reported that resistance here was more severe than at Lexington and Concord.

Graves of some of the patriots who fell that day lie along Compo Beach Road, just past the Minuteman statue. British soldiers are buried across Gray’s Creek, by the Longshore golf course.

Though Tryon returned to burn Norwalk and Fairfield, never again during the American Revolution did British troops venture inland in Connecticut.

Document from the past.

The next time you pass the Minute Man, think about the Battle of Compo Hill. That’s the reason our Minuteman stands guard, facing Compo Road.

Like his fellow patriots 246 years ago, he’s ready to give the Brits his best shot.

The Minuteman statue today.

=================================================

There are a number of good historical sources about the Battle of Compo Hill.

One of the most fun, colorful — and detailed — was unearthed recently by alert reader Deborah Johnson.

She discovered “The Battle of Compo Beach,” a 9-page booklet, written and illustrated by C.M. Owens.

The booklet shows the British coming ashore …

The booklet has lasted longer than the school.

Now it’s up to all of us — old-timers and newcomers alike — to keep the memory of the Battle of Compo Hill alive.

… and a description of the march to Danbury. (Courtesy of Deborah Johnson)

(“06880” covers Westport’s present, and past. Please support our work. Click here to contribute — and thank you!)

28 Comments

Posted in Beach, History

Tagged Battle of Compo Hill, Benedict Arnold, Compo Beach

Roundup: Battle Of Compo Hill, Willy Wonka, Take Back Drugs …

Posted on April 26, 2022 | 13 comments

Susan Iseman subscribes to the “Today in Connecticut History” news feed. Every day, a different event is highlighted.

Today is Westport’s turn. The site cites the 245th anniversary of 1,800 British troops’ march from Compo Beach to Danbury, where they burned a supply depot.

https://todayincthistory.com/2022/04/26/april-26-british-forces-attack-burn-danbury/

The event — including the subsequent retreat back to their ships off Compo Beach, and the Battle of Compo Hill on April 28, when the patriots made life miserable for the invaders — is memorialized by our iconic Minute Man monument.

Click here for the fascinating story of those historic 1777 days.

Remembering 1777.

=====================================================

Happy National Prescription Drug Take Back Day!

This Saturday (April 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Senior Center), the Westport Police Department partners with the US Drug Enforcement Administration to accept medications (pills or patches) that are no longer needed.

The Senior Center cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps. Vape pens whose batteries can be removed are okay, those whose batteries cannot be removed are not.

The service is free and anonymous; no questions are asked.

Since its inception 22 years ago, the program has removed more than 15.2 million pounds of medication from circulation nationwide.

The WPD also has a year-round collection bin in the lobby of police headquarters. Prescription drugs can be disposed of any time there.

For more information about Take Back Day, click here.

Bedford Acting Group — the middle school theatre program — returned to the stage this year after a tough, 2-year hiatus due to COVID,

The fall production of “Annie” was a success, thanks to a cast of 7th and 8th graders (and professional actor dog Sandy).

This weekend the 6th graders debut on the Bedford stage. They perform “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” with the help of director Ryan Smith and nearly two dozen 7th and 8th grade student directors.

The youngsters shadow Smith, run scenes and lines, create blocking, make suggestions on character choices, and step in to read when students are absent.

This is Smith’s first year at the Bedford Acting Group helm. After performing with Staples Players before graduating in 1996, he acted professionally on national tours.

He returned to his hometown and served as associate director of Bedford Acting Group alongside Kevin Slater, then helped run the program with longtime director Karen McCormick. Now in the head role, he works with assistant director Melisa Didio.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” features audiovisual and special effects, and surprises in the Wonka factory. Costumes reflect the 1970s, and the set is vibrantly colored.

Among the volunteers: theatrical designer Karen Root, whose daughter Helen acts in the show, and actor Colin Walker, whose daughter Brady is a student director.

Performances are Friday, April 29 (7:30 p.m.), Saturday, April 30 (2 and 7 p.m.), and Sunday, May 1 (2 p.m.). Click here for tickets and more information.

Harper Iglehart and Samantha Skopp are double cast as Willy Wonka

=======================================================

A few days ago, “06880” announced the release of Alan Fiore’s first song, “Take the Bait!”

The 2021 Staples High School graduate/current Berklee College of Music student produced, mixed and mastered it all himself.

It’s already registered over 5,000 Spotify streams, and 2,000 on Apple Music. It earned rave reviews in Darkus (which called Alan “one of 2022’s newest rising stars”) and Wolf in a Suit (“with this stunning showcase of feelings and emotions (Alan) gives life to a tale so raw and so true”).

Click here for links to all streaming platforms. Click here for Alan’s website, and more music.

Alan Fiore

======================================================

The “06880” community has been heartbroken to learn of Charlie Capalbo’s death. The 23-year-old Fairfield hockey player — grandparents Ida Chadwick and Richard Epstein live in Westport, and whose mom Jennifer Wilde Capalbo graduated from Staples — battled cancer 4 times, before succumbing on Sunday.

The emotional toll on Charlie’s family over the past 5 years has been devastating. So is the financial toll.

A GoFundMe page is helping with medical expenses. Click here for more information, and to contribute.

Charlie and his mother, Jennifer Wilde Capalbo.

=================================================

Destination Haus — the new gallery and home décor store at 56 Riverside Avenue — invites everyone for cocktails and light bites this Thursday (April 28, 4 to 7 p.m.)

Like the original store in Montauk, Destination Haus offers

Offering curated artwork, furniture, glassware, candles, pillows, pottery, home accessories and jewelry from around the globe. It’s a “destination” for anyone moving into, redesigning or redecorating their “haus.”

=======================================================

Designer/entrepreneur/humanitarian/Prince Charles’ goddaughter India Hicks comes to MoCA Westport on May 12 (5 to 7 p.m.).

After a cocktail hour, she’ll chat with Connecticut Cottages & Gardens editorial director DJ Carey about her recent book, “An Entertaining Story,” and more.

Tickets include hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and a copy of India’s book. Guests also get a peek at Hicks’ new collaboration with British luxury brand Tusting. Click here to purchase and for more information, or call 222-7070. Funds support visual arts, performing arts and educational offerings for the community.