The weather was perfect. The food was great. The crowd of over 100 was diverse: old and young, artists and bankers, 4th-generation Westporters and a woman who moved here 2 months ago.
Strangers made new friends. Folks on both sides of the political aisle laughed. Everyone marveled at the sunset.
It was just another “06880” day at the beach.
Rick Eason is a rising freshman at Staples. His drone flew over the “06880” party, and captured part of the happy crowd.
Audrey Hertzel baked fantastic cupcakes — and added this festive touch.
Enjoying the “0” in the “06880.” (Photo/Audrey Hertzel)
It was an “06880” party for the ages — all ages — at Compo Beach.
Nick Iskandar of the great Kibberia restaurant donated fantastic Middle Eastern food.
Betsy Phillips Kahn captured this wonderful Westport sunset, as the “06880” party wound down.
Recent Staples grad Lindsay Kiedaisch was there too. She captured the lighthouse off shore.
Rick Eason — a rising freshman at Staples — brought his drone to the party. The crowd got bigger later (when the light faded), but here’s a unique view of South Beach and the rest of Compo. Thanks, Rick!
(Special thanks to Mary Hoffman and Jennifer Hershey for helping organize the party; Audrey Hertzel for the cupcakes, and Kibberia restaurant for the food!)
As you bake on the beach under an unbearably hot sun, weary from deciding whether to order a margarita or piña colada, feeling homesick for the 06880, here’s a little reminder of what you’re missing:
(Photo/Betsy Phillips Kahn)
Don’t worry. Whenever you come back, there will be some snow waiting for you.
I refuse every “missing cat/dog” request (except Andy — hey, that was national news).
I didn’t do anything on the pit bulls last week, because everyone got the Red Alert.
But — for various reasons, as you’ll see — this one tugged at my heartstrings.
Here’s an email I just got from Betsy Phillips Kahn:
I ran into a woman named Donna. She lives at Compo Beach — the end of Norwalk Avenue, near Bradley. She is displaced after the hurricane, waiting on FEMA.
Not the missing cat. But a black cat nonetheless.
But she comes to her house daily to feed and tend her 2 cats. One has disappeared. It is so cold, and she was so worried. I told her I would look, and spread the word.
If anyone has seen a little black cat around the beach, please try to catch him and hold him until I see her. It won’t be that long. She comes every day.
You can call me at 203-222-9693, or email me: betsydesigns@hotmail.com.
When I say “community supported agriculture,” you probably don’t think “great sense of humor.”
The Westporters who now run Wakeman Town Farm are committed to getting Mike and Carrie Aitkenhead back as stewards. It will cost $20,000 — but the hard-working organizers have added a bit of humor to their fundraising drive.
Consider the Miggs Burroughs-created poster for this Sunday’s (October 2) pancake breakfast:
Yes, that’s Mike and Carrie Aitkenhead — not a dour Iowa farm couple.
What a clever way to promote an event that include pancakes from Christie’s Country Store; nitrate-free bacon and sausage from Graze Delivered; fresh maple syrup, coffee, juice and more — plus goods from local craftsmen and artisanal farmers who will donate part of their proceeds to the farm.
There are games and other activities for the kids. A prize-winning fiddler. A raffle for a chicken coop. (What — you expected tickets to a Yankees game?).
Also: chickens, pygmy goats and an Angora rabbit. (For “educational purposes only” — not part of the meal.)
The Aitkenheads will be there, talking about their plans for the property. They’re eager to hear from the public, too.
And — proving that sustainable agriculture humor is not limited to a Grant Wood poster takeoff — organizer Betsy Phillips Kahn’s email signature reads: “You’re never too old. Unless you’re a cheese.”
(The cost of the pancake breakfast is just $5. If you can’t attend, but want to contribute — any amount — you can make a check out to “Town of Westport,” with “Wakeman Town Farm” in the memo line. Send to: Elizabeth Beller, 4 West Ambler Rd., Westport, CT 06880. For more information, click here.)
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