Tag Archives: Bloodroot

Roundup: Ned Dimes Marina, Sherwood Island Lane, Natural Disasters …

The fuel dock at Ned Dimes Marina is gone!

A new (and temporary) look for the Ned Dimes Marina. (Photo/Ron Poserina Jr.)

It was removed — temporarily — as part of a project to replace the piers, wood dock and deck at the office and clubhouse.

The Parks & Recreation Department reports that, due to extreme winter conditions that impacted water and electrical service on the docks (as well as South Beach bathroom facilities), water service to the docks at Ned Dimes Marina will be restored by late May.

Electrical service will be delayed until sometime in June. Officials are working on a solution for boaters to be able to charge batteries starting in June, most likely on a temporary generator supply to the individual docks.

South Beach bathroom facilities cannot be opened until the project is done. completion. Temporary  facilities will remain until the restrooms are opened.

Meanwhile, also over on South Beach, Parks & Rec is installing power. It will be used for special events like LobsterFest.

Security cameras may be added too.

Electrical trench on South Beach. (Photo/Dorothy Robertshaw)

Parks & Rec also notes issues with navigational aids at the entrance to the Saugatuck River channel.

Can 5 and Nun 6 are missing. Nun 8 and Can 9 are significantly off station. The Coast Guard has been notified, and will replace them as soon as possible.

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One of the most interesting properties in Westport is on the market.

And it’s the first time for it, in 65 years.

4 Sherwood Island Lane is a 7-bedroom, 6 1/2-bathroom, 6,215-square foot home — on a 20.85 acre lot.

You don’t see that very often these days.

4 Sherwood Island Lane

Located off the Sherwood Island Connector, south of I-95 on the way to Sherwood Island State Park, it’s been owned by the same family for nearly 7 decades.

There are no immediate neighbors — but plenty of birdlife and other nature.

The property includes 2 1940s 3-bedroom guesthouses with water views — plus a tennis court, indoor pool, pool house and formal gardens.

It’s listed for $15 million. Click here for more details, or to purchase. (Hat tip: David Loffredo).

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It’s important to plan for natural disasters.

It’s even more important to plan correctly.

The Western Connecticut Council of Governments is doing “resilience planning,” to inform hazard plans.

Efforts will lead to mitigation that can reduce loss of property and life due to floods, severe wind, winter storms, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat and earthquakes.

Residents can click here to take a 2-minute, 5-question online survey.

Damage from Hurricane Isaias on Grove Point Road. (Photo/John Kantor)

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A large crowd filled Clarendon Fine Art Thursday night, for a reception with Mr. Brainwash.

The French-born, Los Angeles based artist earned international prominence through the Bansky film “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”

The current exhibition reimagines Van Gogh’s most recognizable motifs through his signature fusion of street art, vibrant color, mixed media and layered cultural references

The show runs through May 3. For more information, click here.

Mr. Brainwash, with one of his works. (Photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)

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As summer arrives, Fleet Feet is racing ahead.

On the local running store’s calendar:

  • Apex Performance Runner’s Workshop (April 27, 5 p.m.): New client specials and custom footwear fittings.
  • Moms Who Move (May 6, 5 to 6:30 p.m.): Women-focused movement workshop
  • Kane Summer Launch x Beastie Burger (May 11, 5 to 6:30 p.m.): Try on new Kane footwear; bites from Beastie Burger

Upcoming races include:

  • Minute Man: April 26
  • Breast Cancer Alliance 5k for Hope: May 3
  • Weston Memorial Day 5: May 23
  • Savin Rock Waves of Hope 5k: May 23
  • Athletic Brewing Road Races: June 6-7

Click here for details. (Hat tip: Sal Liccione)

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Congratulations to Staples High School’s We the People team.

Suzanne Kammerman’s class recently returned from national competition in Washington, where one group won the “Unit 4” award.

The competition is a congressional mock trial hearing.  Students showed mastery of different parts of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, American history and the 3 branches of government. government. Participants are judged on their ability to understand, apply, and reasoning.

Unit 4 winners include Chloe Beitel, Mehmet Madigan, Lauren Potter and Leo Viner. All are juniors.


Staples’ We the People team, at the US Capitol.

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Congratulations too to Adelia Purcell!

The 2023 Staples High School graduate has just been selected as a Truman Scholar.

The College of William & Mary junior is one of 55 students nationally to receive the prestigious scholarship for aspiring public service leaders. Nearly 800 candidates were nominated.

Truman Scholars demonstrate “outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence.” Scholars receive funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and internship and fellowship opportunities in the federal government.

Adelia Purcell

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Bloodroot is gone.

But the beloved vegan/feminist Black Rock restaurant — co-founded 49 years ago by Westporter Selma Miriam, which closed in December — can live on.

In your home.

Some great items remain, in their online auction. Among them: tables, china, glassware, framed menus, feminist books and signed cookbooks and sculpture.

The entire library — of feminist and political hard and softcover books — is being sold as one lot, too.

The online auction ends in 4 days. Click here to see, and bid. (Hat tip: Carol Waxman)

Buy the Bloodroot library.

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“Bernstein’s Wall” — Westport filmmaker Doug Tirola and producer Susan Bedusa’s documentary about Leonard Bernstein, using TV interviews, news footage, home movies, audio clips and personal letters, to explore the legendary artist’s views on freedom, politics, creativity and more — had its US theatrical premiere yesterday, at New York’s Film Forum.

Click here for the New York Times’ review.

Leonard Bernstein

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Two memorial services are set for Janet Filling. The longtime Westport American Red Cross director, who also held important Red Cross posts at the state and national levels, died in February at 91.

A memorial mass will be held on June 1 (10 a.m., Fairfield University’s Egan Chapel). There will be informal reception afterward.

A celebration of life is slated for June 14 (2 p.m., Westport Library). The public is invited to both. Focusing on Janet’s deep roots and relationships in Westport, it is a time to share memories, stories and photos. Anyone wishing to speak, send a photo, or offer words though unable to attend, should email Janet’s son Greg: gfilling@gmail.com.

Janet Filling

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David Ohman is a native Californian. But he lived in Westport from 1992-98. He loved those years, and still considers it his “adopted home town.”

A photographer (some of whose images were featured on “06880” last month), he is a fan of Frames Magazine, an exquisitely printed London quarterly.

Recently, Frames interviewed him. He discussed portraiture, photojournalism, working with light on location, trusting spontaneity, and staying open to unexpected moments that seem to appear only for those who are truly paying attention.

After decades of making pictures, meeting people, telling stories, and navigating the transition from film to digital, Ohman still speaks about the camera with curiosity, gratitude and excitement.

Click here or below, for a fascinating and educational half hour.

PS: If you or a family member had portraits taken by Ohman in the 1990s, “06880” may have beautiful prints of your session. Email 06880blog@gmail.com with the name of the subject. We’ll check through the files that he very generously sent!

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And now, the first 2026 “Westport … Naturally” appearance for an Eastern tiger swallowtail:

(Photo/Bob Liftig)

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And finally … on this date in 1915, the Battle of Gallipoli began. One of the longest and bloodiest campaigns of World War I, it is a defining moment in Turkey’s history. It is also considered the beginning of Australian and New Zealand national consciousness. Today is Anzac Day, a national commemoration in both countries.

(Sure, it’s Saturday. But neither the Roundup nor “06880” takes weekends off. If  you appreciate our 24/7/365 coverage of all things Westport, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Roundup: Bolton Runs For AG, Bloodroot Runs Tag Sale …

A second Westport Republican has announced a run for statewide office.

Planning & Zoning Commission member John Bolton has filed for the attorney general race, Kevin Rennie’s Daily Ructions reports.

He joins Jen Tooker. The former 1st selectwoman is running for comptroller.

Bolton is “unlikely to face any competition for the Republican nomination for the job when it meets in May to select a candidate,” the political news source reports.

William Tong, the current Democratic AG, is seeking a third term. Click here for the full Daily Ructions story.

John Bolton

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Bloodroot is closed. But it’s not forgotten.

And to ensure that the vegan/feminist/iconic Bridgeport restaurant — co-founded by Westporter Selma Miriam — the very popular Bloodroot Giant Tag Sale returns this week.

On Friday and Saturday (March 27-28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 85 Ferris Street, Bridgeport), tons of Bloodroot “stuff” will be on sale.

For example: vintage and antique tables, chairs, bookcases, and other furniture; vintage pine farmhouse style bins, cubbies and bookshelves; high quality looms and spinning wheels; patio furniture, outdoor tables and outdoor chairs; stone and concrete benches; vintage and mid-century lamps; farmhouse-style pendant lighting and ceiling lamps.

Plus books and paper ephemera with LGBTQ, feminist and vegetarian themes; original signed art (prints, sculptures, photos and posters); antique and vintage china, glassware and tableware; tools and office supplies; pots, pans, cooking supplies and restaurant equipment; household items, clothing, shoes, fabrics — “pretty much everything under the sun.”

The Bloodroot tag sale crew (from left): Lauren, Noel, Sarah, Stephanie and Marina.

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There are plenty of grandparents — with grandchildren — in Westport.

On Saturday, May 2 (1 to 3 p.m., Westport Weston Family YMCA), they’ll have a chance to play together — without screens.

The pilot program, called Grand Play Day, brings together grandparents and their grandkids (ages 5-12). Using simple tools (question cards, paper-and-pencil table games and other easy activities), they’ll laugh and share stories.

Grand Play Day is built on “Connections Thru Play,” created by Playocracy founder Lynn Campanella in partnership with the National Institute for Play — where Joe Miller, a member of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston, serves as a volunteer executive.

The event will be facilitated by Campanella and Miller, include academic input from professors of Childhood Development and Aging, and serve as a potential model for other community groups.

To participate in Grand Play Day with one or more grandchildren aged 5–12, register here on the YMCA website.

No screens in sight.

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Calling all local residents!

MoCA\CT is seeking ideas for Ellen Harvey’s upcoming exhibit, “The Disappointed Tourist.”

Is there a place you wish you could revisit — a landmark, neighborhood or gathering spot that has disappeared?

Harvey has asked that question around the world, transforming hundreds of public memories into a haunting series of paintings that reimagine sites erased by time, tides or bulldozers.

From June 25 through August 2, she brings her project to MoCA\CT.

Nominations close April 25. Harvey will select 4 sites to immortalize in paint.

Click here  to submit an idea, or explore existing works and stories from around the world,

Ellen Harvey in front of a portion of “The Disappointed Tourist.”

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Calling all local musicians!

The 3rd annual Route 57 WestFest wants you.

All ages and genres — and solo artists and groups — are welcome. Click here for more information, and to apply.

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Everyone should start the day with a good breakfast.

To help those who can’t, brothers Aaron and Brett Fortunoff — along with the Staples Cereal4All Club — are host a 4th annual cereal drive.

There are 4 ways to help.

The Fortunoffs and friends, at last year’s cereal drive.

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“Primary Trust” — the 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning play about change, friendship quiet courage and mai tais — comes to the Westport Country Playhouse next month.

Performances are April 14 to May 2. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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Trumpeter/composer/arranger Michael Mossman has apprenticed with Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey. He’s performed and recorded with Tito Puente and many other greats.

Pianist Zaccai Curtis is an acclaimed recording artist and producer. The Curtis Brothers Band, which he leads with his brother Luques, was earned a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

They — and bassist Edward Perez, drummer David Alvarez, percussionist Marlon Sobol and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall — take over VFW Post 399 this Thursday (March 26, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.), for this week’s “Jazz at the Post.”

Dinner service starts at 7 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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In today’s “Westport … Naturally” featured photo, these guys in Robin Jaffee Frank’s back yard are giving thanks it’s March, not November.

(Photo/Robin Jaffee Frank)

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And finally … on this date in 1721, Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated what are now called the Brandenburg Concertos to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt.

(You may not have time to listen to nearly 2 hours of the Concertos. But hopefully you’ve got 30 seconds to click here, to help support the “06880” blog that brings you great music — and much more!)

Roundup: Helping Jamaica, Ukraine, Homes With Hope, Pink Aid …

Weston reggae musician Mystic Bowie has strong roots in Jamaica. There’s a Mystic Bowie Cultural Center in Accompong Town.

But after Hurricane Melissa, nearly every home and school must be rebuilt. Families are in urgent need of safety, shelter and support.

Bowie is doing what he can to help. And he wants everyone here to join the effort.

On November 29 his Talking Dreads band take the stage at the Fairfield Theater Company’s Warehouse.

Tickets are $100, $50 and $35. All proceeds support the Mystic Bowie Cultural Center’s Jamaica Relief efforts in Accompong Town. Click here to purchase or donate, and for more information.

Special musical guests will be announced soon. Bowie says, “feel the rhythm, share the love, and stand with us in solidarity as we help bring hope back to the heart of Jamaica.”

Mystic Bowie

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Jamaica is not the only place with desperate need.

Mark Yurkiw — who has spent the past 3 years raising funds and providing material help to Ukraine, where he has strong roots.

Mark says, “each night hundreds of Russian drones descend, damaging homes, schools and hospitals and across the country. All the wiring in these buildings needs to be reconnected and made safe.

“They are in desperate need of power cords, extension cords, electrical wires, etc.

“I hope ‘06880’ readers who have wires, of any sort or size or length, can drop them at my garage doors (190 Cross Highway).

“They don’t need to work, and they don’t need connectors at the end. (Ukraine uses different connectors.)

“Any tools used to work with electricity are extremely helpful too: pliers, wire cutters, testers, electrical tape, etc. Donations for shipping are also welcome. Slava Ukraini!”

Questions? Email mark.think3d@gmail.com.

Mark Yurkiw, at his garage with Ukrainian art he created.

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There is need in Westport too.

The (thunderous and well-deserved) applause had scarcely died down after Staples Players’ (sensational) opening night performance of “Les Misérables,” when parent volunteers loaded up the first delivery of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items to Homes with Hope.

Audiences are filling bags for the Westport’s homeless shelter and food pantry. Stew Leonard’s helped, donating 1,000 reusable shopping bags for HwH.

Collections will continue at today’s 2:30 p.m. matinee, and next weekend’s 5 shows. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Staples Players’ audience donations, headed to Homes with Hope. (Photo/Kerry Long)

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Speaking of Staples: The field hockey’s team quest to three-peat as state champions came to a tough end yesterday.

Longtime archrival Darien eked out a 1-0 victory, in the state class “L” (large schools) final at Wethersfield High School. It was the Wreckers’ only shutout of the year.

The Blue Wave also barely beat Staples in the FCIAC (league) championship. That game was even closer: 2-1 on penalty strokes, after the teams were tied through 2 overtimes.

In other Wrecker sports news, the boys soccer team meets their own rival, Greenwich, in the “LL” (extra large schools) championship today (Sunday).

Kickoff is 3:30 p.m., at Hartford’s Trinity Health Stadium. Click here for the livestream.

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Speaking still of Staples: What began years ago as a simple request to help raise funds to fight breast cancer has grown into a very important annual “Get Your Pink On” campaign.

Recently, the school’s field hockey team, Gridiron Club, Pyramid Club, Boys Soccer Foundation, Pink Aid Club, and their fans raised funds for the cause.

The initiative began with Tammy Zelkowitz. The mother of a Staples football player was inspired by national sports teams promoting breast cancer awareness each October. If they could do it, she thought, so could Staples.

Pink Aid, which began as a local nonprofit, has since grown into a national organization providing emergency financial assistance and emotional support to underserved and underinsured women battling breast cancer.

Since launching the campaign in 2011, Staples has donated $95,000 to Pink Aid. Congratulations to all who have shown the power of compassion, collaboration and student action.

Staples’ Pyramid Club, Gridiron Club and captains present a $3,112 check to Pink Aid.

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The news that Bloodroot — the women’s collective vegetarian restaurant/ feminist community center, co-founded by Westporter Selma Miriam — is closing after 48 years in Black Rock has saddened its many devoted fans.

They can gather, reminisce — and learn a lot — on December 2 (6 p.m.). MoCA\CT will screen “A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot.” The 97- minute documentary was released earlier this year.

The showing will be followed by a Q&A with Bloodroot co-founder Noel Furie, and documentary director Annie Laurie Medonis.

The film is presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, “Enough Already: Women Artists from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection.”

In addition, there’s a book signing of Emily Larned’s “40 Years of Bloodroot.” It includes personal-political essays by Miriam and Furie, and photographs.

The event is part of MoCA’s continuing exploration of feminist voices in art, culture and community through Enough Already. Tickets are $10; $8 for seniors and students; free for members. Click here to register, and for more information.

Noel Furie and Selma Miriam: through the years.

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Speaking of food places: Gofer has closed.

The shop featuring “premium hard and soft serve ice cream, plant-based and fat-free options, smoothies, cakes and more” replaced Silver Ribbon, in the strip mall with Fortuna’s and Greens Farms Spirit Shop, in 2022.

The website still lists Westport, along with Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Riverside, Stamford and Wilton.

Gofer was a few hundred yards from another ice cream outlet, here much longer. They’ve severed ties with Carvel, but continue to do business with a generic “Soft Serve” sign.

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Work is proceeding on the Sherwood Mill Pond tidal gates renovation project.

There’s plenty of equipment in and around the area.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

The staging area — for those who wonder what’s going on there — is the Compo Beach Soundview Avenue parking lot.

Completion is expected by Memorial Day.

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Over 50 volunteers showed up, for Wreathing for Community’s recent project.

They created 60 beautiful wreaths. Fifty apartments at Norwalk’s Open Doors Shelter are now hung with the handsome creations. Ten more are spread throughout the community center.

Faith Sargent — who organized the event — thanks all the wreath-makers, as well as the dozens of people who donated florals, wreath bases, ribbon and tools.

Many donated food, which also helps sustain Open Doors residents during the holiday season.

To learn more about Wreathing for Community, email faithasargent@gmail.com.

Some of the many wreath-makers, with their creations.

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The curtain rises this week for Coleytown Middle School’s musical.

“Dare to Dream Jr.” is an hour-long, fun-filled show — perfect for kids of all ages. Shows are 6 p.m. Thursday (November 20) and 7 p.m. Friday (November 21). Click here for tickets.

The cast of Coleytown Middle School’s “Dare to Dream Jr.”

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This is a long fall.

And we’re loving every day of it.

Today’s leaves-are-still-hanging-on “Westport Naturally” comes from Timber Lane.

But it could be many other places around town.

We are very lucky indeed.

(Photo/Celia Campbell-Mohn)

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And finally … in honor of Coleytown Middle School’s “Dare to Dream” show (story above):

(Here’s “06880”‘s dream: That everyone who enjoys our hyper-local blog — and has the means to — chips in by clicking here to support our work. Hey, a boy can dream …)

Roundup: Staples Players & Sports, Cribari Lights, Restaurant News …

Staples Players’ big, bold, brassy — and spectacular — 10-show run of “Les Misérables” opened last night.

A cast of over 70 — costumed to the hilt, singing lustily on a revolving set, backed by a superb pit of nearly 30 musicians — awed the audience, with every aspect of the production.

If you’ve never seen a Players show: Go now!

Even if you’re an aficionado, you’ll be blown away by this one.

A few tickets are still available, for this weekend and next (including evenings and matinees). Click here for dates, times, and purchase and more information.

NOTE: The link above is the only place to buy tickets. Two people arrived last night, with tickets bought on StubHub. Let’s hope the person who was so sleazy as to try to profit off a high school drama program ends up like some of the revolutionaries at the start of Act 2.

A small portion of the large “Les Mis” cast. (Photo/Kerry Long)

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From the stage to the playing fields, there’s a lot going on with Staples this weekend.

Tomorrow, the field hockey team shoots for its third straight state championship. For the third year in a row, the opponent is archrival Darien.

Saturday’s 15 title match is set for 2:30 p.m. at Wethersfield High School.

On Sunday, the boys soccer team vies for their 13th state championship. They too face a Fairfield County opponent, with a long rivalry: Greenwich.

Kickoff is 3:30 p.m., at Hartford’s Trinity Health Stadium.

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A beloved tradition — holiday lights on the Cribari Bridge — nearly ended last year.

A quarter century of sponsorship by Al’s Angels ended. At the last minute, Westport’s Police Athletic League rallied businesses and individuals to buy new lights, install them, and once again make the Saugatuck span sparkle.

PAL took the lead again this year. They’re even getting a jump on the season.

A holiday lighting ceremony is set for this Sunday (6:30 p.m.). Everyone is invited.

The Whelk will serve hot chocolate, topped with a marshmallow whipped cream rim from Momu.

Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy, for the Westport Police Department collection drive.

Let there be (Cribari) lights!

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For nearly 50 years, Bloodroot has served delicious vegan food — spiced with healthy amounts of feminist ideology, and a side helping of social justice-type books — in a funky, you’ve-got-to-know-it-to-get-there spot on Bridgeport’s Black Rock Harbor.

Co-founder and longtime Westporter Selma Miriam died in February, 2 weeks short of 90.

Bloodroot lived on. It was even the focus of a documentary.

Bloodroot is tucked away, off a residential street in Black Rock.

But nothing lasts forever. Bloodroot will close on December 21, after what co-owner Noel Furie calls “48 amazing and wonderful years in business. This decision, though sad, is also necessary given many factors in our lives at this time.

“We’ve chosen December 21 because it is the day of the Winter Solstice (which means sun standing still), and heralds the beginning of the return of the light. The days start to get longer and it is a time for hope and celebration.

“We hope you will continue to visit us during our usual business hours in the remaining weeks that we are open.”

Within hours, nearly 200 devastated, devoted and grateful diners posted thoughts and memories on Bloodroot’s Facebook page.

The restaurant/community center earned a special place in American women’s history. And none of it would have been possible without the passion, creativity, love and great energy of Westport’s own Selma Miriam. (Hat tip: Chris Grimm)

Selma Miriam, at Bloodroot in 2017.

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Speaking of restaurants: The Blondinit has earned raves — and a passionate following — since opening 20 months ago.

Now the Israeli spot on Church Lane has introduced a new winter menu.

Dishes include shawarma-spiced potato wedges topped with garlic sauce; wild caught Chilean sea bass with mushrooms, cannellini beans and spinach with a roasted red pepper sauce; erguez sausage with peppers; roasted eggplant and peppers spread with challah toast points; Shabbat schnitzel sandwich with eggplant and matbucha on challah bread, and baklava brûlée.

The other night, I enjoyed a tasting menu. I love the cuisine to begin with, but the flavors, freshness, variety and creativity — and the joy with which it is all prepared and served — brought the meal to another level.

That’s not just me talking. It was a Monday — normally the slowest day of the week, in a traditionally slow time before the holidays.

But the restaurant was packed.

Meanwhile, The Blondinit just announced its Hanukkah menu. Email catering@theblondinit.com or call (203) 557-3277 for details.

Dinner at The Blondinit.

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Sustainable Westport’s co-directors, Johanna Martell and Gately Ross, were recently featured on “The Joe Gardener Podcast.” The national platform explores sustainability through the lens of gardening.

The pair described how they left established careers to lead the local non-profit. They discussed the ripple effects of local action, how to foster change at the community level, and why personal voices and examples matter.

Host Joe Lamp’l praised their ability to connect with people where they are, making sustainability accessible rather than intimidating.

Click here to listen, and to read Lamp’ls account of his visit to Westport.

Johanna Martell, Gately Ross and Joe Lamp’l tape their podcast at Westport Library’s Verso Studios.

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Looking for one more way to help fight hunger?

The Westport Country Playhouse is collected food and toiletry items, for Homes with Hope.

Pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, canned goods (tuna, soup, vegetables, beans, fruit), toothpaste and shampoo may be left in a box in the lobby.

You can drop them off during the day, or before a show.

(Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

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Club203’s November event was a great “Bingo Bash” at the Senior Center.

Doug Brill called the games, for members of Westport’s social group for adults with disabilities.

Dedicated volunteers helped everyone be a winner. Trefz Corporation and Gold’s Deli were sponsors. MoCA\CT collaborated, as always. And once again, Westport’s Human Services Department provided important support.

Bingo!

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It didn’t rain yesterday.

But a beautiful rainbow appeared over Westport.

Adam Drake captured this image, over Winslow Park:

(Photo/Adam Drake)

It was also visible at — of all places — the rainbow crosswalk on Jesup Road:

(Photo/Svea Vocke)

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It’s a place every Westporters knows well, and loves dearly.

But we don’t always get to see it in mid-November.

June Rose Whittaker offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” image: timeless, yet timely, Compo Beach.

(Photo/June Rose Whittaker)

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And finally … in honor of Bloodroot, and its 48-year legacy:

(If it’s happening in Westport — or there’s a Westporter involved — you’ll read about it on “06880.” And if you appreciate what you read, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Roundup: TEA Talk, Gun Safety, Bloodroot …

Matt Davies — the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist (and 1985 Staples High School graduate) — headlines this year’s TEA Talk.

The annual Westport Arts Advisory Committee event is always a thoughtful conversation featuring thinkers, educators and artists.

This year’s TEA Talk — set for the Westport Library on Sunday, November 17 (2 p.m.) — explores “Humor in the Arts: When a Ha-ha is a No-no.”

Davies and his fellow panelists (writer/actor/comedian Olivia Levine, satirical fine artist Norm Siegel, and playwright/screenwriter Frederick Stroppel) will discuss the impact of social media on humor and satire; the challenges of balancing humor with respect and inclusivity; the role of irony and absurdity in contemporary art, and the changing nature of audience expectations and reactions.

WAAC co-chair Nancy Diamond moderates the sure-to-be-insightful event. Click here to register.

Matt Davies’ post-election cartoon. (Copyright Newsday)

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Concerned about gun safety?

Staples High School students Aidan Lapatine and Logan Noorily are.

And they’re doing something about it.

They run the Students Demand Action club. Today (Saturday, November 9, noon to 3 p.m.) they’ll give out free gun locks, at the Post Road East/Main Street corner (near Starbucks, across from Fred).

Questions? Want to learn more about gun locks? Email aidanlapatine@gmail.com.

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Any Artists Collective of Westport show is great (and fun).

The next one will is also practical. Over 100 works — in a wide variety of styles, genres and materials — will be shown.

And sold. They make great holiday gifts. And all are 12″ x 12″, making them easy to ship.

The show runs from Thursday, November 21 through Sunday, November 24 (noon to 4 p.m., Sheffer Barn at Westport Country Playhouse). A reception on Wednesday, November 20 (6 to 8 p.m.) is a great chance to meet the artists, and enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres.


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For nearly 50 years, quietly — but fiercely — Bloodroot has raised consciousnesses, fought for women’s rights, and served great food on a side street near the water in Bridgeport.

Now, the institution — co-founded by longtime Westporter, 89-year-old Selma Miriam — is getting the film treatment it deserves.

“A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot” premieres tomorrow (Sunday, November 10, United Congregational Church, 2200 North Avenue, Bridgeport). The 80-minute documentary will screen twice, at 5 and 7 p.m.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

Selma Miriam, during a quiet moment at Bloodroot.

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Speaking of great food: Yesterday’s Roundup story on Wakeman Town Farms’ “Thanksgiving Pies for Good” — the sale benefiting CTFoodShares — did not include a link to purchase the apple, apple crumb, blueberry, blueberry crumb, cherry, cherry crumb and pumpkin delights. (Or the à la mode ice cream that’s also on sale.)

So: Click here to order. The deadline is noon on November 22.

Thanksgiving can’t come soon enough.

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Tomorrow (Sunday, November 10, 1 p.m., Room 210), the Westport Library hosts an “illuminating” event.

The public is invited to use one of their state-of-the-art 3D printers to create solar-powered lanterns for Open Doors, a homeless shelter in Norwalk.

No experience is needed, to help provide lighting solution for unhoused people, improving their safety and well-being during nighttime hours.

Created and designed by Staples High School sophomore Rohan Sareen and senior Shreyas Gorre, the lanterns use lights, wires, batteries and solar panels for sustainable illumination.

Shreyas Gorre and Rohan Sareen, with their solar-powered lanterns.

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Despite the rise of the internet, Consumer Reports continues to be the gold standard for product reviews.

This past week, the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston brought CR experts Ellen Kunes, Barrie Rosen and Jen Shecter to the Westport Library for an inside look at those reviews.

Click below for a video of the informative and engaging presentation.

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A celebration of the life of Lis Comm — the longtime Staples High School English teacher and town-wide director of language arts, who died in August — will be held this Thursday (November 14, 3 p.m., Westport Woman’s Club).

Her husband and fellow Staples educator, Frank Corbo, invites Lis’ many former colleagues, students and parents to the ceremony.

Lis Comm

In addition, a celebration of the life of Dan Szymczak — the 1996 Staples High School graduate who died last week — is set for Sunday, November 17 (3 to 8 p.m., 1920 Bar & Bistro, 2 Wilton Avenue, Norwalk). The public is invited.

Dan Szymczak

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Callie Jo Meehan died peacefully at her Westport home, after a lengthy illness. She was 58.

Raised in the small town of Hazen, North Dakota, Callie took part in nearly every activity available. She enjoyed sports, music, theater and civics, as well as the family farm tradition of butchering and sausage-making each fall.

At Harvard University she participated in cheerleading and softball, and earned a varsity letter playing volleyball.

Following graduation Callie began a career in banking in Minneapolis and Philadelphia. She retired to focus on her family. They moved to Charlotte and Dallas, before settling in Westport in 2005.

She participated in the Junior League of Philadelphia, Charlotte and Dallas, and bible studies. She attended services at Saugatuck Congregational Church.

Callie is survived by her husband John; their children Grace, Claire and Peter; son-in-law Tate Johnson; parents Harvey and Kathy Huber, and sisters Christie Obenauer and Stephanie Huber.

The Meehan family thanks the many friends and caregivers who supported and assisted Callie and her family during her illness.

Callie Meehan

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Westport Human services offers this calendar:

Open Enrollment and Energy Assistance:

Local Programs and Resources:

Westport Human Services links to programs and services:

Donate to the Homes with Hope or Westport Woman’s Club, or contact Westport Human Services for food resources.

Connecticut has a shortage of foster families. Click here to learn more.

Questions? Contact Westport Human Services 203-341-1050 or humansrv@westportct.gov

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This might be the first time a gingko tree has been featured in “Westport … Naturally.”

You can find this beauty near Rive Bistro.

(Photo/Judith Katz)

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And finally … today is one of the most important days in world history.

On November 9, 1961, the Beatles met Brian Epstein after a performance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. He soon became their manager.

(Today is just another day in our “06880” life. But you can make it special, by clicking here to support Westport’s hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

Roundup: Compo Yacht, Bloodroot, Milkweed …

Every so often, a yacht anchored off Compo Beach draws the attention of normally blasé beachgoers.

In 1966, when Mia Farrow — a Westport resident — was 21 and Frank Sinatra was 50, they spent time on his vessel. Their marriage lasted 2 years.

A few years ago, the 185-foot Rosehearty — previously owned by Rupert Murdoch, but sold to a Staples High School graduate building a home near Saugatuck Shores — drew admiring gazes (and plenty of envy).

Yesterday, it was Gene Chaser’s turn.

Gene Chaser, off Compo Beach. (Photo/Rob Feakins)

It’s 182 feet — just a yard shorter than Rosehearty. And it too has an intriguing back story.

Rob Feakins found a 2022 story on Robb Report. The yacht is owned by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, a “Connecticut-based DNA sequencing specialist.”

Launched in late 2020, Rothberg converted spaces inside and out into laboratories and hubs for scientific projects.

Four Caterpillar diesel engines with a combined 5,600 horsepower push it to 26 miles per hour.

There’s space to land a helicopter, carry a fleet of tenders and toys, and stow a converted shipping container full of ATVs and motorbikes.

With her massive, Transformer-like, 13-ton-capacity crane extended, the yacht’s Fjord 42 tender, 28-foot OXpro AL8 landing craft, 20-foot Zodiac RIB and a fleet of jet skis can be hoisted and stowed on the deck.

Gene Chaser is used for family trips to the Bahamas and Caribbean, then north to Maine and Connecticut for the summer. Scientific experiments are conducted along the way.

To read the full Robb Report story, click here.

Not the British — this is Gene Chaser. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Over 100 people headed to Christ & Holy Trinity Church’s Branson Hall yesterday, for a special viewing of Homes with Hope‘s 40th anniversary video.

The documentary — created by former Westporter Livio Sanchez — spotlights the 4-decade history of our town’s homeless shelter, supportive housing and food pantry non-profit.

It is an honest look back at the hurdles its founders faced. It’s also an inspirational tale, one that — as various interviewees emphasize — should be replicated by suburban towns across the country.

Craig and Bryan Gillespie — sons of co-founder Dr. Jim Gillespie — and other family members were at the event. The Gillespie Center men’s shelter is named for him.

Future showings will be announced on “06880.” It’s a must-see look at what remains an important, complicated issue, and an unvarnished history of how our town has dealt with it.

Craig Gillespie (with microphone) and, from left, former Homes with Hope CEO Jeff Wieser, board chair John Walsh, vice president and COO Paris Looney, and president and CEO Helen McAlinden.

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For nearly 50 years, quietly — but fiercely — Bloodroot has raised consciousnesses, fought for women’s rights, and served great food on a side street near the water in Bridgeport.

Many Westporters know and love it.

Others have never heard of it.

Now the Washington Post has given it the full-story treatment.

Including plenty of shout-outs to its co-founder, longtime Westport resident Selma Miriam.

At 89 years old, she deserves every accolade.

The story says:

Since 1978, diners have stepped over the threshold to find themselves enveloped by the inclusive yet pro-female culture created by the Bloodroot Collective, a group of feminist and lesbian activists from the Bridgeport community seeking to put women’s issues at the center of the plate….

For Noel Furie, now 79, and Selma Miriam, 89, Bloodroot’s co-owners, the goal was to build a self-sustaining feminist community that would embrace global cuisine and where women, lesbian and straight, could feel supported. The concept appears to have worked as today’s diners eat platters of housemade injera and misir wat beneath hundreds of vintage photographs of women, picked up at yard sales and donated by friends, that line the walls.

The Post notes that “of the 200-plus feminist restaurants, cafes and coffeehouses that opened across the United States during the 1970s and ’80s … just one remains: Bloodroot.”

To read the full story, click here(Hat tip: Eileen Lavigne Flug)

Bloodroot founders Selma Miriam (left) and Noel Furie, at their restaurant. (Photo/Penny de los Santos for Washington Post)

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Saturday’s Entitled Parking award goes to …

(Photo/Steven Goldstein)

Sure, it’s the far side of the Stop & Shop parking lot.

But it wasn’t empty — look at the other cars.

If everyone in the lot decided to park like that …

Meanwhile, this guy (or gal, though I’d bet the farm it’s the former) is just lucky 2 other drivers decided not to park very close, in the empty spots on either side.

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Scout Troops 39 (boys) and 139 (girls) held a Court of Honor yesterday, at Green’s Farms Church.

Congratulations to the 4 new Eagle Scouts (left to right, in the photo below): Amelia Gura, Anabelle Lott, Lucas Fischel and Justin Juliano.

Westport is proud of you!

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Every year, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary — created in honor of one of the children murdered at Sandy Hook — holds a Butterfly Party in Newtown.

This year’s was on Saturday. It would have been Catherine’s 18th birthday.

The day included pet adoptions, kids’ crafts and more. 

Westporter Tracy Porosoff and her daughter bought a milkweed plant. It will provide food for butterflies in their yard — much needed, as their numbers decline.

Tracy says, “If Westport families could make their garden butterfly-friendly, that would be a wonderful way to honor Catherine’s memory — and help the earth.”

To learn more about Pollinator Pathway, click here.

Milkweed, already planted in Tracy Porosoff’s garden.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — and nature lesson — comes from the superb, indefatigable, and very knowledgeable wildlife photographer Johanna Keyser Rossi.

She writes: “I kept hearing chirping from a tree in Grace Salmon Park. I saw what looked like a small bee hive. But then I saw the orioles feeding their chicks.

“It was very windy. That is a very strong nest.”

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … in honor of Bloodroot’s 47 years (and its shout-out from the Washington Post):

(Whether you own a yacht, a sailboat, a kayak or a rubber ducky, we’re grateful for your support of “06880.” Whatever level feels comfortable is happily accepted. Please click here — and thank you!)

Roundup: Census, Bloodroot, Shorefest, More


As the 2020 census continues, Westport’s self-response rate is 76.2%. That’s well above the rate for the state of Connecticut: 69.4%. (The figures include responses from all known addresses.)

Officials urge anyone who has not completed the census to do so. Census data informs how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for health clinics, school lunch programs, disaster recovery initiatives, and other critical programs and services for the next 10 years.

Click here to complete the census response. Click here to see Westport’s response rate. (Hat tip: Peter Gold)


The Westport Farmers’ Market has offered great, healthy food for more than a decade.

Bloodroot has done the same for nearly half a century more.

The Bridgeport feminist vegetarian restaurant/bookstore — opened in the 1970s by Westporters Noel Furie and Selma Miriam, nurtured by ever since and still run by the indefatigable women — is the subject of a new documentary.

“Bloodroot” premieres Sunday, September 20 (7 p.m.). The film will be shown at the Imperial Avenue parking lot — home to the Remarkable Theater and its partner for this showing, the Westport Farmers’ Market.

The film — about feminism as well as food — is an homage to Furie and Miriam, says WFM executive director Lori Cochran-Dougall. They are longtime supporters of the market, and a mentor to its director. Click here for tickets.

Three local restaurants are offering tailgating options for the documentary.

Terrain’s $50 box for 2 people includes tomato salad, kale falafel and blackberry pie. Click here for ordering information.

Manna Toast’s offering ($20 for 2) includes choice of toast, salad, rosemary popcorn and iced tea. Click here to order.

Kawa Ni’s dinner ($60 plus tax and 3% kitchen share, for 2) includes tsukemono, shaved broccoli miso goma, tomato tofu pockets and a bun bowl. Call 203-557-8775 to order by 4 p.m. on September 18.

(Form left): Noel Furie and Selma Miriam, Bloodroot founders.


Speaking of food: Friends of Sherwood Island — members of the organization with that name, and those who merely love Connecticut’s 1st state park, a 236-acre gem hidden right on the Westport coast — are invited to an important fundraiser.

Shorefest on a Roll rolls out Sunday, September 20. Guests will enjoy a rolling tour of the park, accompanied by a podcast describing its fascinating history and its many features — plus a “lobster roll to go” feast.

The event includes a field of whirligigs, exotic kites, disc golf exhibitions, musical performances and model plane flyovers at the park airfield, all while cruising the loop at 10 miles an hour.

The only stop is near the end of the tour to pick up hot or cold lobster roll dinners. The entire loop takes 12 minutes.

Click here for tickets. Proceeds support Friends’ efforts, including the newly renovated Nature Center, tree planting, maintenance of the vast purple martin colony, and the 9/11 Memorial.


Dog-gone it!

The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce held out as long as they could. But the 5th Annual Westport Dog Festival — set for October 4, after being rescheduled from May — has been canceled.

That’s the second major event — following Slice of Saugatuck — shelved by the Chamber, due to the coronavirus.

But they’re running concerts both weekends. Terrapin: The Grateful Dead Experience performs tonight, in a sold-out show. Two other shows are slated for October 2 and 3. Tickets go on sale next week. For more information, click here.


And finally … as we remember 9/11:

Selma Miriam: Don’t Sacrifice Hiawatha For Housing

Nearly 40 years ago, a group of women gathered at Selma Miriam’s 29 Hiawatha Lane home. Their idea of a vegetarian restaurant — and feminist collective — became Bloodroot. Today, it’s still around. Miriam’s still involved.

Hiawatha Lane is still around too, and Miriam still lives there — for now, anyway. But the neighborhood is in the crosshairs of a proposed housing development. Miriam sends these thoughts:

Developer Felix Charney is back trying to foist 155 multiple housing units onto a little dead-end street: Hiawatha Lane Extension.

This flawed project was rejected at least 3 times already by the Planning & Zoning Commission, as well as other town agencies.

A rendering of the proposed Hiawatha Lane development.

A rendering of the proposed Hiawatha Lane development.

While the practicality and cost of putting in sewer lines and fixing pump station #2 remains unresolved, and no one has yet  evaluated the assault on inland wetlands in this area of swamp land between I-95 and the railroad tracks, the biggest impact is that the warren of streets comprising Old Saugatuck (the only naturally formed working-class neighborhood of homeowners in Westport) would be destroyed by the increased traffic from 155 new units.

But besides the misery to us locals, imagine the effect at the intersection of Route 136 (Saugatuck Avenue), Exit 17 off I-95, Route 33 (Riverside Avenue) and other roads leading to the railroad station. A nightmare for anyone needing to travel these roads.

So how come this developer, turned down 3 times before, now has the support — worse, the encouragement — of the 1st and 2nd selectmen? Even more questionable is the support of the Westport Housing Authority, which is apparently eager to help finance Felix Charney’s previous financial mistakes by using public funds (taxpayer money) as a bailout. Is this greed or stupidity, or both?

Of course they may say they want to ward off the threat of the state’s infamous 8-30g law, which lets developers build any size housing development they want in defiance of local zoning ordinances, if the local board has rejected applications that include 30% of “affordable” units in the development proposal.  However, any prior existing affordable housing is not counted. So it becomes okay to destroy an historic, working-class neighborhood in order to build 155 units and call 70 units “affordable.”

Hiawatha Lane is a narrow street, filled with homes that are modest by Westport standards. It's accessible only via West Ferry Lane off Saugatuck Avenue, next to the I-95 eastbound entrance/exit ramp.

Hiawatha Lane is a narrow street, filled with homes that are modest by Westport standards. It’s accessible only via West Ferry Lane off Saugatuck Avenue, next to the I-95 eastbound entrance/exit ramp.

This is a numbers game that we — that is, Westport — can never win as long as developers continue building higher and ever higher-end housing. We can never catch up!

But it is incomprehensible that the Westport Housing Authority does not get it, and is willing to sacrifice a well-established, historic working class community and waste tax dollars to support this developer’s project.

And so, as a remedy, I offer a fantasy, a sort of (tongue-in-cheek) “modest proposal”.*

Let’s pretend the wetlands will not be disturbed while the area is over-built. Let’s pretend sewers can be provided (from where? paid for by whom?). Let’s pretend that the beginning of Hiawatha Lane Extension could be “walled off,”protecting Hiawatha Lane, Davenport Avenue, Dr. Gillette Circle, and most importantly, Saugatuck Avenue, Exit 17 and the train station access.

Hiawatha Lane extension is shown by an arrow, on this Google Map image. It's below I-95. The entrance is via West Ferry Lane, which is off Saugatuck Avenue (diagonal road on the right side of the image).

Hiawatha Lane extension is shown by an arrow, on this Google Map image. It’s below I-95. The entrance is via West Ferry Lane, which is off Saugatuck Avenue (diagonal road on the right side of the image).

Let’s pretend we could get Norwalk to change its mind and allow Charney’s development to exit through to Norwalk from Hiawatha Lane Extension through the old Norden property. Alternatively, the development could have its own exit onto I-95, since an access road already exists. Finally, let’s pretend that taxpayers would not be expected to reward Charney’s fiscal irresponsibilities.

Ridiculous? Yes! The best decision would be to turn down this project application again. Keep this kind of building on main roads that already have sewers, traffic controls, and no wetlands.

A big question remains: Why have Selectmen Marpe and Kaner invested their efforts in this project? And why is the Westport Housing Authority blind to the problems intrinsic to helping this particular developer?

Is it greed or stupidity or both?

*with apologies to Jonathan Swift