Tag Archives: Bluepoint Wellness

Roundup: Grounded Boat, Beach Food, THC …

A boat ran spectacularly aground yesterday at Compo Beach, near the cannons.

(Photo/Pete Powell)

For the rest of the day — as the tide went out — it sat there, stuck on the jetty rocks.

(Photo/Jamie Walsh)

Two people on board the New York vessel, “Andiamo” — motoring, not sailing — were rescued by Norwalk police. Neither was injured.

One observer — among the many who flocked to see the unusual sight — said the pilot had tried to avoid lobster traps.

(Photo/Karen Como)

As evening drew near, the boat remained. A salvage crew was expected to attempt a rescue, at midnight’s high tide.

(Photo/Michael Diggin)

Nearly everyone who was there sent photos to “06880.”

Thanks to all who submitted shots. Sorry I could not use them all!

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Two applicants have submitted additional material, in advance of Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting (7 p.m., Zoom; click here for the link).

Bluepoint Wellness is in the pre-application process to allow sales of “hybrid” (medical and recreational) marijuana sales at its 1460 Post Road East location. Currently, recreational cannabis sales are not allowed in Westport. Click here for their materials.

There is also a pre-application on a proposal for a change from a single family residence in a residential area into a home offering services for up to 12 unrelated seniors in need of memory care. No specific location has been identified. Click here for those materials.

And the P&Z will hear a request for a “fitcore extreme” (ropes-style) course at Coleytown Middle School, and will discuss a modification of standards of accessory dwelling units. Click here for those materials.

Bluepoint Wellness, at 1460 Post Road East, is in the same shopping plaza at Bevmax. There is no large scene above the medical marijuana dispensary.

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Last month, Bedford Middle School 7th graders wrote letters, drew pictures and created posters for youngsters in Lyman, Ukraine — Westport’s sister city.

In a couple of weeks, Ukraine Aid International will deliver them all to boys and girls in that embattled town.

Now, every other Westport student can do the same.

It’s a great project for families and friends. Letters, drawings, posters of encouragement — all are welcome. They’ll be combined with the BMS project, for delivery to Lyman soon.

They can be dropped off on the front porch of 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore’s house: 2A Baker Avenue (between Compo Road South and Imperial Avenue). Blue and yellow balloons (Ukrainian colors) will be on the mailbox.

The deadline is May 5. Questions: Email amoore@westportct.gov.

One of the Bedford Middle School 7th grade pieces of writing and art, for students in Lyman.

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Parks & Recreation director Jen Fava reports that Hook’d — the Compo Beach concession stand — will open April 28.

From then through the Friday before Memorial Day, it will operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

From the Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, hours will be weekdays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Hours of operation from the Tuesday after Labor Day through October 1 are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; from October 2 to October 15, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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Yesterday, Old Mill Grocery & Deli was named as one of 10 Preservation Award honorees, by the Westport Historic District Commission.

Today they added another. The century-old spot at the foot of Compo Hill is one of 7 Award of Merit winners, from Preservation Connecticut. The ceremony is May 4, at the New Haven Country Club.

For more information, click here.

A small group of Westporters marshaled a massive effort to save the building from developers, and open Old Mill Grocery & Deli. (Photo/Matt Murray)

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Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between April 12 and 18.

One arrest followed a January complaint by a customer of First County Bank, alleging someone had cashed a fraudulent check for $2,940 using their identification, after her car had been broken into and her purse stolen.

The bank provided surveillance photos of the suspects, and said the same women were involved in similar incidents at banks in other towns. A suspect was arrested in New Jersey, extradited to Connecticut, and charged with larceny, conspiracy to commit larceny, identity theft and conspiracy to commit identity theft. The whereabouts of the other suspect are unknown.

The other arrest came after an officer noticed a vehicle traveling on Post Road East at an extremely slow speed, with flashers activated. He later saw the vehicle in a parking lot. While speaking with the driver, he suspected the use of drugs or alcohol. The driver failed field sobriety test, and was arrested for driving under the influence.

Don’t leave your purse in the car!

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Phases 1 and 2 of the Long Lots Preserve project are completed.

Phases 3 and 4 are underway. And Sustainable CT has offered to match ever dollar donated.

Funding will support the purchase — wholesale — of trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses.

They range from $6.50 hyssop wildflowers and $45 viburnum shrubs to $115 pin oaks and $245 grey birch trees.

Plantings will be spaced densely, to out-compete invasives, and maximize habitat and food resources for migrating birds and other wildlife.

Click here for more details, and to donate.

Earlier work at the Long Lots Preserve.

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Tuesday was Yom HaShoah, the Day of Remembrance of the horrific deaths of more than 11 million people –including 6 million Jews — during the Holocaust.

A town-wide memorial service was held Monday night at the Conservative Synagogue. Over 200 attendees heard readings by students, followed by a memorial candle lighting and Holocaust prayer led by Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, to remember those who were lost.

The evening included a video discussion with Bill Sperber of Detroit and Albert Hersh of Cleveland. They were imprisoned at Auschwitz at the same time, but had never met previously.

They described life in the concentration camp, their release and journey to the United States, and their lives since. It was an emotional and inspiring evening for Westporters — and, 77 years later, for Bill and Albert.

Click below for the video: “Two Survivors, One Conversation.” (Hat tip: Dick Kalt)

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The Y’s Men of Westport and Weston took a field trip this week to the Wilton Library.

Michael Bellarosa, curator of its Dave Brubeck Collection, provided a tour of the largest collection of artifacts dedicated to the memory of the legendary jazz pianist and composer, a long-time resident of Weston and Wilton until his death in 2012 at 91.

Michael Bellarosa, Brubeck Collection curator.

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Scott Haimes — the CEO and artistic director of New York’s Roundabout Theater, who helped rescue it from bankruptcy and become one of America’s largest nonprofit theaters, died on yesterday. He was 66, and had lived with cancer for over 20 years.

Earlier in his career, Haimes was managing director of the Westport Country Playhouse. Click here for a full obituary.

Todd Haimes (Photo courtesy of the NY Times)

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The grounded boat wasn’t the only unwanted visitor at Compo yesterday.

Check out these “guests,” in today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo:

(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)

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And finally … yesterday’s action at the Compo Beach jetty brings to mind:

(One more Roundup, once again jam-packed with stuff. Please click here to support this daily “06880” feature. Thank you!)

Roundup: Marijuana, Senior Living, The Universe …

The Planning & Zoning Commission will discuss 2 interesting pre-applications at its April 24 remote meeting (7 p.m.; click here for the link).

The first is a request by Bluepoint Wellness to discuss converting their medical marijuana dispensary in the BevMax/Julian’s plaza into a “hybrid cannabis retailer.”

That’s a heavy lift. Text amendment #799, adopted in September 2021, prohibits “cannabis establishments” — except for medical marijuana facilities — throughout town.

The second request, submitted by Richard Anderson on behalf of Home Living LLC, is a discussion on a potential text amendment: “how to change the use from a single-family residence into a home for seniors offering in-home services for up to 12 unrelated residents in need of memory care.”

The request for pre-application review says: “Although senior living residences exist in Westport, this is a unique, creative and beneficial project for seniors living in Westport.

“The current senior living options in Westport consist of very large, corporate and institutional-like facilities serving 100 or more senior residents. The subject project will provide real home living and senior services in an intimate and comfortable home setting.”

No further details on the project were submitted.

The waiting area and service desk, at Bluepoint Wellness.

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Reminder: The launch party for “Pick of the Pics” — the “06880” book highlighting over 100 of our blog’s best Pics of the Day — is Sunday, April 30 (2 to 4 p.m., Savvy + Grace, 146 Main Street).

Books will be available for purchase at a special price of $20 (regular Amazon price: $24.95).

I’ll sign copies; so will Lyah Muktavaram, my “06880” intern who did 99% of the work on it.

Photographers featured in the book can pick up a free book at the launch party too.

Can’t wait? Click here to order!

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Looking for the universe’s missing mass?

Dr. Regina Caputo — a NASA particles researcher — can help you find it. Or at least explain what’s not there.

She’s the next featured speaker at the Westport Astronomical Society’s free online lecture series. Her “Dark Matters: The Search for the University’s Missing Mass” webinar is this Tuesday (April 18, 8 p.m.).

 Click here for the Zoom link; click here for the YouTube link.

Dr. Regina Caputo

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Sign-ups end soon for the Joggers’ Club’s great Kids Running Camp, for just $125. Spots are filling up fast.

Boys and girls ages kindergarten through 8th grade learn the basics of running from local champions — and they do it with friends, having fun every step of the way.

Youngsters are divided into age groups. Workouts encourage teamwork and self-motivation.

Also included: track meets, ice cream trucks, free running gear and more.

The Running Skills program runs (ho ho) Sundays (April 23 to June 11), from 2 to 3:15 p.m. at the Staples High School track.

The Speedwork program (middle schoolers only) is Thursdays (April 27 to June 8), from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Staples.

For more information, email TheJoggersClub@gmail.com

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A new exhibition at Betty Cunningham Gallery in New York includes works by Stanley Lewis.

He lives in Massachusetts. But the work chosen by ArtDaily to illustrate his work is this: of Westport’s Winslow Park. The oil on canvas was painted between 2010 and 2014.

Click here for more information. (Hat tip: Robin Jaffee Frank)

“Winslow Park, Westport” (Stanley Lewis)

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Coincidentally, there was an artist at work yesterday too, at Winslow Park.

Based on a Google Images search — and the style of painting — this could very well be Stanley Lewis, back for another canvas.

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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On the Saugatuck River walkway off Parker Harding Plaza, Johanna Keyser Rossi spotted 2 swan eggs.

The next time she looked, there were 7. They’re the stars of today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

The most she’s seen before was 4.

“I hope the eggs hatch this time,” she writes.

We all do. And to help make it happen: Stay away! Give this mom some space, and peace.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … it’s April 15.

In honor of all those who pay their taxes:

(Got a few pennies left over? Looking for something tax-deductible? “06880” is a non-profit — and we rely on reader support. Please click here to contribute. And thank you!)

New Medical Office Proposed For Julian’s Plaza

The sign says that Saugatuck Grain & Grape is moving to 1460 Post Road. A few doors down in the same shopping plaza, Julian’s is a popular restaurant

But beer, wine, pizza and pasta may not be on the menu for long. Plans are afoot to redevelop nearly all of what is officially (but never called by anyone) “Greens Farms Plaza.”

The entire 3,654-square foot building — with the exception of the Bluepoint Wellness medical marijuana dispensary — would be converted to medical offices. That use is permitted in the existing General Business District location.

1460 Post Road East. Rio Bravo restaurant closed this summer.

The applicant — Chicago-based ROA Investments LLC — also proposes “a substantial and attractive upgrade” to the exterior. Along with a glass-enclosed entrance and enhanced landscaping, the front drive would be reconfigured.

The Architectural Review Board has voted unanimously to recommend
approval of the building design to the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Bluepoint Wellness: Medical Marijuana Comes To Westport

The entrance is out of the way. The sign outside is small.

But Bluepoint Wellness will have a big impact.

Area residents suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and other  debilitating diseases — and who qualify under strict conditions — no longer have to travel to Bethel or Milford for medical marijuana.

Westport’s dispensary fills a need in lower Fairfield County. Despite fears of a few people during the long application and permit process, it will not attract hordes of stoners, turn children into addicts, or change the town irrevocably.

In fact — unless you need relief from chronic pain — you won’t even know it’s here.

And you sure can’t get inside.

Earlier this week, I got a look. I was lucky: Once it opens, only people with state-issued medical marijuana registration (and their caregivers, also certified by the state) will be allowed in.

The soft opening is today. The official opening is Monday.

Bluepoint Wellness occupies 4,200 square feet in what was most recently Coco Spa. That’s on the side of the shopping plaza, behind the former Pier 1.

I was met by David Lipton — a longtime Westporter, co-founder of Bluepoint Wellness, and CEO of Advanced Grow Labs, one of Connecticut’s 4 licensed medical marijuana producers.

We were joined by Nick Tamborrino. Co-owner and manager of Bluepoint, he has both a pharmacology degree and MBA.

Nick Tamborrino (left) and David Lipton, at Bluepoint Wellness.

The partners searched all over town for the best location. They like this spot. It’s on the Post Road, but relatively private. There’s nearby parking — important for medical patients. They added a handicap ramp for ease of access.

Bluepoint applied for a permit in April 2018. They got their license 8 months later. Construction began June 1.

“We wanted to create a welcoming, professional, safe environment,” Tamborrino says. “The aesthetics are reflective of Westport — beach-y.”

The interior is open and inviting. There’s a large reception room with comfortable furniture; private rooms for pharmacy consultations, and a customer service desk. Products are stored in a secure vault.

The waiting area, and service desk.

On an initial visit, a patient meets with one of Bluepoint’s 5 pharmacists. They go over medical records and medication history, and establish treatment goals. For example, a side effect of cancer treatment can be loss of appetite. So in addition to lessening pain, the right product would stimulate appetite.

Bluepoint offers inhalation and oil products, capsules, tablets, sublingual sprays, tinctures, topicals, lotions, bath balms, salts, teas, and edibles like cookies, brownies, granola and honeys. State law prohibits the sale of gummies, chocolates and candies.

All products are safety-sealed, and child-resistant.

Each one is tested by a 3rd-party lab too, for impurities and microbials.

Connecticut’s program is highly regulated. It’s one of the few states where medical marijuana is dispensed by certified pharmacists.

Of the 38,000 Connecticut residents certified for medical marijuana, 8,360 are in Fairfield County. For many, Bethel and Milford were long, painful treks.

Bluepoint Wellness of Westport will be a welcome relief.

It’s Official: State OKs Medical Marijuana Dispensary In Westport

In June, Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission voted 4-2 to allow 1 medical marijuana dispensary in Westport.

But that was not the final step on the long road traveled by the applicant, Bluepoint Wellness. Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection still had to approve the application. It was one of 73 submitted to the state.

This afternoon, the DCP announced the approval of 9 new dispensaries. Bluepoint is on the list. The site — the lower level of 1460 Post Road East, in the shopping center with Rio Bravo restaurant — is currently occupied by Coco Spa.

David Lipton — a Westporter, and president of Bluepoint Westport — said the interior will be “tastefully done. The dispensary will reflect the town.” The target date for opening is September 1.

1460 Post Road East: the site of Bluepoint Wellness’ new medical marijuana facility.

Today’s action by the DCP doubles the number of pharmacist-led medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. There are currently 9.

Lipton is also CEO of Advanced Grow Labs, a research and production facility in West Haven. They are a joint venture with Bluepoint Wellness, which already operates a medical marijuana dispensary in Branford.

Lipton calls the Westport approval “very important” for patients in this area of Fairfield County. Today, the closest dispensaries are in Bethel or Milford.

“Right now, that’s a long ride for people who need medical marijuana,” Lipton says. “This means a lot more access for those in the Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Norwalk area.”

There are 30,500 registered medical marijuana patients in Connecticut. The state has certified 31 medical conditions for adults to use the drug, and 8 for patients under 18,

The DCP also approved a medical marijuana dispensary in Stamford today. The other 7 locations are spread throughout the rest of Connecticut.

(For a detailed list of questions and answers about medical marijuana, click here.)

P&Z Okays 500 Main Street, 1 Dispensary

Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission gave thumb’s-up last night to 2 hotly debated proposals.

By a 5-2 vote, the board approved 9 housing units at 500 Main Street (the old Daybreak Nurseries 2.18-acre site near Merritt Parkway Exit 42).

In a scaled-down version of its original plan, Able Construction will be able to build 2 2-family homes, and 5 1-family homes. All will be restricted to owners 55 and over.

The Planning & Zoning Commission approved 9 housing units for this site.

Late in the evening, the P&Z voted 4-2 (1 abstention) to allow a medical marijuana dispensary at 1460 Post Road East. The spot — around the shopping center corner from the old Pier 1 Imports — was most recently occupied by Coco Spa.

The applicant — Bluepoint Wellness — must still be approved by Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection.

If approved by the state, this will be the site of Westport’s only medical marijuana dispensary.

The P&Z denied 4 other medical marijuana proposals, all on the Post Road: the former Bertucci’s restaurant; a site near the Southport border (Stanton Miles/Jennifer Furniture); the old DXL menswear/Blockbuster store, and the Academy of Dance building.

Reasons for those denials included safety, traffic, lack of parking and location relative to zoning regulations.

Medical Marijuana: A Dispensary Q-and-A

David Lipton is a lifelong Westporter. He’s part of Bluepoint Wellness, which this Thursday (April 19, 7 p.m., Town Hall) is on the Planning & Zoning Commission agenda for its applicaton to open a medical marijuana dispensary at the present site of Coco Spa, behind the old Pier One store at 1460 Post Road East.

Lipton is also CEO of Advanced Grow Labs. Based in West Haven, it’s one of 4 state-licensed producers of medical marijuana.

Officials have opened up a Request for Application for 3 to 10 new dispensaries statewide. They may or may not pick a Westport site. There are now 5 applications here.

Lipton offers this information about medical marijuana dispensaries not to advance his own application, he says, but to explain the entire process.

Who can enter a medical marijuana dispensary?

To enter a medical marijuana dispensary in Connecticut you must be a registered patient with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

Who is the DCP?

The DCP is the regulatory agency that controls the medical marijuana program, as well as all food and drugs manufactured and sold in Connecticut.  They oversee licensing all patients and their caregivers, all dispensaries, all producers, and all employees at the dispensaries and producers.

How do you become a registered patient?

To be a registered patient you must be diagnosed with one of the following conditions:

Adults: Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, intractable spasticity, epilepsy, cachexia, wasting syndrome, Crohn’s disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, sickle cell disease, post-laminectomy syndrome, severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, complex regional pain syndrome, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, irreversible spinal cord injury, terminal illness requiring end of life care, and uncontrollable intractable seizure disorder.

Patients under 18: cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, severe epilepsy, terminal illness requiring end of life care, uncontrollable tntractable seizure disorder.

So it’s not a traditional retail shop or pharmacy where anyone can visit?

To enter a dispensary, you must be registered with the state, and have both a DCP-generated ID and a state photo ID.

The Bluepoint Wellness dispensary, in Branford. Advanced Grow Labs is partnering with Bluepoint on an application for a Westport location.

How do you register with the DCP?

If you have a qualifying medical condition, your physician can register you with the Department of Consumer Protection on the DCP licensing website (biznet.ct.gov). As a physician-recommended patient you then register on the state’s licensing site, which asks detailed questions. You must provide proof of residency, a passport-style photo, and a $100 application fee. If approved, the DCP issues you a patient ID card, which you use to enter the dispensary. You must register with a specific dispensary in the state. You cannot go randomly to any dispensary.

How many dispensaries are there, and where are they located?

Currently there are 9 licensed dispensaries for the 25,000+ registered patients. There is an open RFA (Request for Application) to add 3 to 10 additional dispensaries so they are more readily available to patients throughout the state. Right now, some patients drive a long distance to access a dispensary. There are 2 in Milford, and 1 each in Bethel, Branford, South Windsor, Hartford, Bristol, Uncasville and Waterbury. The DCP may award just 3 new licenses, or up to 10.

I hear a lot about Westport picking 2 to 4 dispensaries. Will that happen?

This is part of the misinformation that has confused everyone. The answer is no. Westport does not select the dispensary. Westport approves the zoning for a dispensary through P&Z. The licensing is awarded by the DCP in Hartford after reviewing all the applications received. They are hefty applications, so this takes quite a bit of time. It involves a great deal of background checks, narratives, and details from the potential operators of the dispensary, who must prove to the state that they are highly qualified to safely and securely operate a dispensary.

So why are  people talking about 4 dispensaries coming to Westport?

Again, this is misinformation. The town population in Westport is 26,000. If at all, the DCP would only approve 1 dispensary in a town of that size — and they may not select Westport at all. But if they do, it means the applicant has proven to the DCP through their application that they are qualified to safely and successfully operate a dispensary.

Compassionate Care — a medical marijuana dispensary in Bethel.

How does DCP decide on how they will award a license?

The DCP uses a scoring system. The highest score is 2000; the minimum is 1500. It is a very competitive process. Applications often end up being more than 1000 pages, with detailed answers to very in-depth questions.

Will a dispensary damage the perception of how Westport is viewed?

No dispensary in Connecticut has brought any issues or problems to the towns in which they are located. In fact, they bring consumers to the towns who spend money at locations other than the dispensaries – restaurants, shops, etc. A dispensary sells merchandise just like CVS or Walgreens. They sell product that comes in an orange dram, sealed, just a prescription from your pharmacy. Everything is highly secure.

Will a dispensary disrupt the town of Westport or bring criminal behavior?

Again, this is misinformation. There has not been one incident of a problem in any of the towns where there are dispensaries. These are just patients, just like the people going to CVS to get medicine. They want to get in and out the door. It is just like any other errand by any other person.

Will it cause odor?

You won’t even know it’s there. There are no odors emitted by the dispensary. This isn’t like Colorado or California. All the medicine is packaged in drams or sealed in plastic bags. Nothing is open. There is no looking in jars at medicine. It just like the medicine you pick up at CVS. There won’t even be a sign that says “dispensary” on it. It is a very discreet operation.