Town Assessor Paul Friia has signed the October 1, 2025 Grand List.
The Grand List is the sum of the net assessed value of all taxable property – real estate, motor vehicles, and personal property. Motor vehicles and personal property are valued annually, while real estate is updated based on the market values determined as of the town’s October 1, 2025 revaluation.
The 2025 Grand List of $17,497,161,570 represents an increase of just over 50% from the 2024 Grand List of $11,616,471,195. The increase was due mainly to the 2025 revaluation of all real estate in Westport. Modest increases were also noted in personal property and motor vehicles.
Included in the overall increase is a 1.2% increase in real estate assessment due to continued residential and commercial new construction, as well as renovation activity that occurred within the last assessment year.
Within the real estate grand list, residential properties increased 60% and commercial properties increased 16%. These market-driven increases began in mid-2020 during COVID-19.
Personal property increased by just over 1%, representing continued reinvestment in new and existing local businesses.
Motor vehicles increased approximately 6%.
The current 2025 Grand List totals:
Assessment
2025
% of List
Real Estate
16,633,912,370
95.06
Motor Vehicle
453,397,460
2.60
Personal Property
409,851,740
2.34
TOTAL
17,497,161,570
100%
60 Nyala Farms Road — the LLC controlled by Bridgewater Associates — remains the second highest taxpayer in Westport.
The Grand List will be used for fiscal year 2026-2027 town budget calculations. (The figures above are subject to change based on Board of Assessment Appeals hearings in March.)
The Top 10 taxpayers in Westport:
Connecticut Light & Power Inc Pers. Property 143,778,100
60 Nyala Farms Road LLC Real Estate 95,954,500
Bedford Square Assoc LLC Real Estate 51,583,400
Aquarion Real/Pers. Prop. 43,204,450
Equity One Westport Vill. Center Real Estate 36,294,500
Compo Regency LLC Real Estate 28,372,700
Heyman Ronnie F Trustee Real Estate 26,880,700
Byelas LLC Real Estate 26,504,400
Westport Riverside Assoc. LLC Real Estate 25,763,900
Ever since Edward T. Bedford bought a farm in 1910, and his son Frederick raised award-winning Guernsey milk cows there, “Nyala” — named after antelopes he saw in Africa — has been one of Westport’s most cherished sites.
There was concern in the late 1960s, when Stauffer Chemical Company bought the 53-acre property between Greens Farms Road and the Sherwood Island Connector.
They planned a large office park on the site — the first of its kind in Westport. After long negotiations with the town and the Greens Farms Association, an agreement was reached.
Stauffer’s worldwide headquarters — just a few yards from I-95 Exit 18 — would be unobtrusive. The rolling hills and meadows — including an iconic well — would remain largely undisturbed.
Nyala Farms office complex. I-95 is at the right; the Sherwood Island Connector is at the bottom.
Similar fears arose nearly 20 years later, when Stauffer — facing financial difficulties over pollution issues, and an audit by the government — sold Nyala Farms to Bridgewater Associates. for $130 million.
It was one of 2 Westport properties owned by the world’s largest hedge fund. The other was Glendinning Place, off Weston Road.
Much to neighbors’ relief at both sites, Bridgewater has been a largely responsible steward of both sites.
Nyala Farms, last week. (Photo/JD Dworkow)
The Glendinning land was sold to David Waldman in 2023, for $10.6 million, and Bridgewater moved out. Last month, the family office of Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio and his wife Barbara bought it back, for $20.4 million. No announcement has been made as to its future, but 15 units of housing proposed by Waldman will not be built.
Last week, a few miles south, neighbors of Nyala Farms were surprised to receive notices about a meeting to be held in the Bridgewater office park 4 days later. The letter said Bridgewater would “share some exciting updates about the future of the Nyala campus and, importantly, to hear your perspective.”
At that session, one attendee tells “06880,” they and others — listening in person and online — were told that the hedge fund is considering selling the property.
Five buildings (brown), set amid hills and meadows.
The potential buyer is Hartford HealthCare. The network — with 500 locations in 185 towns, including 3 on Post Road East and Post Road West, plus St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health on Long Lots Road (the former Hall-Brooke) — would consolidate those locations at Nyala Farms, meeting attendees say.
Bridgewater currently uses 3 of the 5 buildings there. The remaining 2 would continue to be rented to other tenants. The total area is 372,000 square feet.
One neighbor tells “06880” that while Bridgewater has “largely” kept to its agreement regarding care and upkeep of the open space — as evidenced by the abundance of wildlife on the property — there are concerns about additional traffic Hartford HealthCare might bring.
Nyala Farms well, with an office building far in the background. (Photo/Mary Beth Murray)
According to someone familiar with the situation, there has been no sale. For many years, Bridgewater has evaluated a range of long-term options for Nyala Farms.
This includes a sale in which the firm would remain, but as a tenant — not an owner.
The hedge fund continues to assess a wide range of options.
Over time, Bridgewater has expanded its footprint globally. With offices now in New York, Singapore and Shanghai, it looks to increase proximity to clients, expanding its talent pool, and better serving its employee base.
Buildings (right), and the original Nyala Farms structure (left).
The person familiar with the situation says that Bridgewater and Hartford HeatlhCare have met with town officials, as well as neighbors, to discuss HHC’s preliminary vision if they were to purchase the property.
The discussions included Bridgewater as a tenant — with preservation of the external footprint, and the natural integrity of the grounds.
The only change proposed by Hartford Healthcare would be to use one of the 5 buildings for medical use, during normal business hours.
Other parties have also expressed interest in the property. Discussions will continue, with no timeline urgency.
In the meantime, Bridgewater continues to be Westport’s second highest taxpayer.
60 Nyala Farms LLC — the company that officially owns the complex — had an assessed value of $83,331,700 on the 2024 Grand List. That trailed only Connecticut Light & Power ($144,150,180). In third place: Bedford Square Associates LLC, at $51,520,000. (Hat tip: Andrew Colabella)
(“06880” covers Westport businesses, real estate, the environment and local history. Sometimes they all intersect. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
It was with great sadness that I learned of Betty Lou Cummings’ passing. Westport has lost an exceptional member of our community, and she will always hold a place alongside the great contributors to our town. Her cheer, her infectious happiness, and her love of life and community were unmatched. She will be remembered and appreciated forever.
Betty Lou’s involvement and generous commitment to Westport was unquestioned and steadfast, beginning with her participation in the resistance to having a nuclear power plant built on Cockenoe Island. She was one of the leaders of that movement. Today we have Betty Lou, among others, to thank for helping to maintain the natural beauty of that town asset.
She was a pioneer in female representation in Westport. After she served roles as second selectwoman and as an RTM member, she continued to actively and passionately champion for programs and civic issues that affected the entire community.
This included, but certainly was not limited to, volunteering and fundraising for the Westport Library and the Westport Center for Senior Activities, and organizing events for CLASP Homes. For decades, and with an enthusiasm that was unrivaled, Betty Lou proudly judged the Memorial Day parade floats and organized Super Bowl parties at the Senior Center.
I have so many personal fond memories of Betty Lou at many of these special events. With her pom-poms and pigtails, she unabashedly exuded joy. I so enjoyed her laughter and her company, but mostly, I respected her ability to engage everyone and make an entire room a bit brighter with her presence.
The town of Westport has been fortunate to have had Betty Lou as one of its leading citizens. I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the many residents whose lives she enhanced and touched.
Betty Lou Cummings and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, at the Memorial Day parade. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
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Bridgewater is cutting 7% of its workforce.
That’s about 90 employees, out of the 1,200 or so at the company’s Nyala Farm headquarters adjacent to I-95 Exit 18.
The firm — one of the largest hedge funds in the world — once had 2 sites in Westport. The other was in the Glendinning building on Weston Road.
An office on Fifth Avenue, to “complement” the one here, will open this winter.
Click here for details, and for more Wakeman Town Farm activities.
Wakeman Town Farm alpaca mug.
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Earthplace Summer Camp registration is now open.
Youngsters of all abilities ages 2-15 are welcome to enjoy nature-based activities, and experience over 50 “animal ambassadors.” There are weekly sessions, from mid-June through mid-August.
Click here for more information. Questions? Email summercamp@earthplace.org.
Having fun at Earthplace summer camp. (Photo/Jaime Bairaktaris)
Many times, the Westport Astronomical Society’s lecture series guests appear via Zoom, from around the galaxy (or at least the planet)
On January 21 (8 p.m.), the WAS welcomes their own board member Dr. Kevin Green, to the observatory classroom.
The University of New Haven Physics Department member will discuss the ongoing work of observing asteroids at WAS, and surrounding telescopes. The talk includes short presentations from his team of young, talented observers.
Dr. Green spearheads observations of asteroid occultations at the Westport Astronomical Society and University of New Haven, among others.
For those who can’t be there live, the talk will be livestreamed on YouTube and Zoom.
Dr. Kevin Green
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As the nation focuses its attention on Washington — in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, and the inauguration on January 20 of Donald Trump — the National Mall plays a prominent role.
Who knew there are stables there?
And if you did know, it’s unlikely you realized they were designed by a Westport architect.
In early 1976, in preparation for the Bicentennial, a small group of simple wooden stalls were erected for horses of the US Park Police. Though designed to be temporary, they have been used ever since.
A few years ago, a new building was constructed with stables and support spaces, administrative facilities, and a public information and education gallery. The public can now see the police horses in their stalls, and in paddocks in front.
It was designed by Tasos Kokoris. For many years, he has lived and worked in town.
Add that to your list of “must-sees,” the next time you’re in our nation’s capital. (Hat tip: Morgan Mermagen)
Tasos Kokoris’ horse stables, on the National Mall.
Judith Voss — a Westport resident for 50 years — died December 16. She was 83.
The Wisconsin native was valedictorian of her high school class in 1959. After earning a BA in education from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, Judy taught middle school English in suburban Milwaukee.
Six years later, on a blind date, she met her future husband Ted, who had just finished law school and would soon be drafted into the Army.
After their wedding in 1968 Ted returned to Heidelberg, Germany where he was stationed. After finishing teaching for the school year, Judy joined. She saved love letters from their time apart.
After returning to the US in 1970, the couple lived in Milwaukee and Indianapolis. They settled in Westport in 1974.
Judy was an avid tennis player, and became a bridge bronze lifetime master. She also took great joy from cooking, baking, gardening, and looking after her home.
Other pastimes included running, yoga and The New York Times crossword puzzles. A voracious reader, Judy was an enthusiastic supporter of the Westport Public Library.
Judy is survived by her daughter, Trista Soh (Edward), and granddaughters Evelyn and Madeline. Her husband Ted died in 2020.
And finally … Peter Yarrow — one-third of the legendary Peter, Paul & Mary trio — died yesterday in New York. He was 86, and suffered from bladder cancer.
Mary Travers — the golden-voiced contralto, with several ties to Westport — died in 2009, in Danbury.
(“06880” is your hyper-local source for news, events, features, photos, and so much more — 24/7/365. If you enjoy our work, please make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here. Thank you!)
If he had the chance to go back in time, James Comey would change little about the way he handled the re-opening of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails in the final days of the 2016 election.
Yet the former FBI director is fearful of a second Donald Trump administration. “He means what he says,” Comey notes. “It is clear he intends to use his enforcement power to go after his enemies.”
And he misses a lot of things about this area, including Angelina’s pizzas, the Horseshoe Café in Southport, and sunsets at Compo Beach.
Those were some of the topics covered last night. A capacity Westport Library crowd listened raptly as TV personality Dave Briggs quizzed his former Westport neighbor about everything from the state of the world to his work with Bridgewater Associates (the hedge fund that brought him here in 2010), and then his work in Washington, where he commuted for 2 years while his daughters finished school, near their Greens Farms home.
Comey’s appearance was in part to promote his latest novel. “Westport,” a crime thriller about the world’s largest hedge fund, Saugatuck Associates (fictional, but sound familiar?).
But under Briggs’ skillfully engaging, yet probing, questioning, it was a chance to learn more about the man who, while he will go down in history as playing an outsized role in the election of the 44th president (and thus all that followed), is also someone whose love of a Viva Zapata margarita we all can relate to.
Briggs surprised Comey with a Mason jar filled with the drink. The two sipped them on stage, then got down to business.
James Comey (right) and Dave Briggs share a Viva Zapata margarita, on the Westport Library stage.
Westport, Comey said, is “strikingly beautiful, with great food and all kinds of cool stuff.”
Comey described some of the locales in “Westport,” including the opening scene on Seymour Rock, offshore. (He gave a shoutout to “06880” founder Dan Woog by name, for helping Comey’s friend Jack Menz do research about that site.)
Comey called his former Bridgewater colleagues “earnest people trying to make money, while being honest about their work.” But his job there as chief counsel was not fulfilling. He missed teaching and public service.
He left the hedge fund in 2013, to teach at Columbia University Law School. When Attorney General Eric Holder called to say President Obama was interested in him as a possible FBI director, Comey — a former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Deputy Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration, thought it would never happen.
He’d given money to the presidential campaigns of John McCain and Mitt Romney because, Comey said, he was “worried that unprincipled people would take over the Republican Party.”
His wife urged him to go the interview, even though Obama would not select him.
She was wrong. Obama wanted someone with integrity for the job, he told Comey. When the president offered him the post, he accepted.
One view of James Comey, at the Westport Library … (Photo/Dan Woog)
When Briggs addressed the elephant in the Library’s Trefz Forum — the controversy surrounding the Clinton e-mail investigation — the former FBI director addressed it directly.
He was fully aware of the potential effect, he said. But he also was committed to transparency — a core value he had learned to appreciate at Bridgewater.
In hindsight, he might have done a few smaller things differently, including the way he “articulated” certain ideas.
“I knew how bad this would be. I knew everyone would look back down at this fork in the road. But we had to make decision.”
Not revealing that the investigation had been reopened would have been an even worse course, Comey said.
“I couldn’t make my decision based solely on the (possible) election of a president.”
That decision, many political analysts believe, played a major role in swinging undecided voters away to Trump.
Nearly 8 years later, the former president is making a serious bid for re-election. The prospect alarms Comey. Trump does not share Comey’s respect for the rule of law.
Briggs — who said he is a life-long Republican — asked Comey, a Republican who is now unaffiliated, whether he could vote for “an 82-year-old who can barely get the ball to the plate.”
Comey disagreed with that characterization.
“We have 2 choices. I think Joe Biden is a person of integrity, especially compared with his opponent. He is a competent person, committed to the rule of law. He did not sack the US Capitol, or send the FBI against his enemies. He just won’t do that.
“You may not love our choices. But a vote for Cornel West or the guy with a brain worm is a vote for the guy who sent people to sack the Capitol.”
… and another. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Meanwhile, Comey said, Trump’s current trial is “a great civics lesson. This is how the rule of law works.” Like all other defendants, the former president “is made to sit at a table, as the jury decides his fate. I’m very proud of our judicial system.”
Comey downplayed as “highly unlikely” the chance that Trump will ever go to prison. Asked by Briggs about the chance for violence if he is sentenced to jail, Comey predicted “2” for group violence, “8 or 9” for isolated, individual acts.
His fervent supporters are “not jihadis looking to lay down their life for Donald Trump,” Comey said. “They are largely misguided people.”
Nonetheless, Comey is disturbed by statements Trump makes — like his recent assertion that the Biden administration wanted to kill him during an FBI search for unauthorized documents at Mar-a-Lago nearly 2 years ago.
The agency Comey formerly led quickly put out a statement strongly refuting the charge.
“Good for them,” Comey said.
Still, “in the past, news like what Trump said would have been on the front page. Now, when the potential next president says it, people just go, ‘meh.’ We can’t elect someone like that.
“But we may.”
(“06880” is truly “where Westport meets the world.” Please click here to help us continue our work. Thank you!)
With Westporters thinking about office parks — the possible construction of 14 homes at the Glendinning complex on Weston Road, most recently one of Bridgewater Associates’ 2 Westport offices; the planned zoning change to allow medical offices at 55-57 Greens Farms Road — and with the upcoming publication of James Comey’s new book (“Westport”) about a suburban-based hedge fund that looks a lot like Bridgewater, renewed attention is being paid to Nyala Farm,
That 52-acre prime property, between I-95, the Sherwood Island Connector and Greens Farms Road, was once part of E.T. Bedford’s even-much-larger estate.
Nyala Farm (Photo courtesy of Paul Ehrismann)
In 1970, Stauffer Chemical Company bought it the land, for their international headquarters. It was Westport’s first corporate office park, and they were one of the first major firms to flee New York City for the suburbs.
As Carl Addison Swanson notes, Stauffer was founded in 1885 in California. The company manufactured fabricated plastic and agricultural products.
In April of 1972, they moved in.
Stauffer Chemical Company, at Nyala Farm. (Photo courtesy of Carl Addison Swanson)
Despite fears of many Westpoorters, most of Nyala Farm remained — and still is — rolling hills and meadows. Even the iconic well is there.
(Photo/Beth Murray)
Stauffer was not as fortunate. Facing fallout from the Environmental Protection Agency over pollution issues, and an audit by the SEC, it was sold to Rhone-Poulene, S.A, a French company in 1987.
And — tying together today’s mentions of both the Glendinning office park, and James Comey’s book — the major tenant at Nyala Farm today is … Bridgewater.
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50 Years Ago Today:
Little League Baseball announced they would allow girls to play the sport. Westport Little League soon followed.
(Whether you’ve lived in Westport since the Bedford family owned Nyala Farm, or did not hear of it until just now: “06880” welcomes your support. Please click here to donate. Thank you!)
Though the Parks & Recreation Department has recommended that current Longshore Sailing School operator Jane Pimentel’s lease with the town be extended another 10 years, the Board of Finance last night asked for more time.
And for questions to be answered.
Heidi McGee and Jeff Manchester — Westporters who are involved in competing bids — challenged the transparency of the process, along with the low $5,000 rent proposed. She also said she would make a Freedom of Information Act request about the bid.
After much discussion, including remarks endorsing the current operators, Parks & Rec director Jen Fava’s request was tabled until the next Board of Finance meeting.
The longtime Westport resident and active Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport member left her Black Rock home yesterday.
News12 Connecticut reports that her husband Paul drove her to Vermont. Last year, she won a lawsuit to allow her — despite being a non-resident — to use the state’s medical aid in dying statute.
Lynda suffers from ovarian and fallopian tube cancer. Her condition deteriorated rapidly this week, News12 says. She was carried out of her home by her son Jake Shannon, and twin granddaughters.
Bluestein’s legacy will live on in many ways. She has been a longtime voice against gun violence. She has advocated for a Connecticut medical aid in dying law.
And last year, she helped place wind phones — disconnected telephones that allow loved ones and friends to “call” people who have died — throughout the area.
A ceremony at the Westport Library — the first such indoor space for a wind phone in the world — drew dozens of friends and admirers.
Click here for the full, loving report from News12’s Mark Sudol.
Lynda Bluestein, during yesterday’s News12 interview.
In November, “06880” reported that James Comey’s new book will be published in May.
The murder mystery novel from the former FBI director — and also former Westport resident — is about a “make-believe hedge fund called Saugatuck Associates, billed as the world’s largest.”
Aspiring authors are told to “write about what you know.”
Hmmmm … let’s see ,,, well, Comey was general counsel of Westport-based Bridgewater Associates.
Oh, yeah. The book’s title is “Westport.”
The cover has just been released. Look familiar?
If Comey has a book-signing here, we’ll let you know.
Perhaps at Barnes & Noble.
Or Bridgewater. (Hat tips: Sean McGee, Dick Lowenstein)
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Robin Moyer Chung sends this message to “06880” readers:
“As the editor of Westport Lifestyle magazine for the past 5 years, I’ve been fortunate to pen so many fascinating features of Westport and its residents.
“Every time I left an interview I couldn’t wait to tell the story (well, with one exception). I’d sit down at my laptop and write the first sentence: ‘This will blow your mind.’ ‘What she’s doing is amazing.’ ‘This guy is unbelievable.’
“Then I’d stop and re-examine the superlative. How can I best convey how amazing this person or story is without a ham-handed declaration of adoration?
“For 5 years I’ve loved this challenge. I’ve loved discovering and writing about the outstanding contributions of those who do so quietly and without seeking fanfare. Of those who sculpt our unique landscape of commerce, design, and entertainment. Of those who speak up, dress up, act out, and sing out loud.
“Regretfully, this January 2024 issue is my last one.
“I look forward to the next chapter of Westport Lifestyle, and hope it continues to reflect the dazzling community in which it lives.
“Thank you all! It’s been fabulous!”
Robin Moyer Chung
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The Westport Inn is gone.
A new boutique hotel — owned by the same company that runs the famed Delamar properties in Southport and Greenwich, along with La Plage restaurant and the soon-to-be-renovated Inn at Longshore — is rising in its place.
The target date is this fall.
Construction work on the new Delamar hotel.
Meanwhile, eBay is offering a remnant of the previous incarnation of the Westport Inn: this key from the original “New Englander Motor Hotel.”
Postage may no longer be “guaranteed.”
(Photos/JD Dworkow)
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Westport Police made no custodial arrests between December 27 and January 3.
In the same period, they issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 7 citations
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 6
Improper use of markers: 6
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 5
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 3
Evading responsibility: 2
Failure to obey a stop sign: 2
Larceny: 1
Breach of peace: 1
Speeding: 1
Failure to yield right of way: 1
Failure to drive to the right: 1
Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 1
Failure to register a commercial vehicle: 1
Possession of an abandoned marker: 1
It’s no laughing matter: You can’t put an abandoned license plate on your car.
Ken Runkel — whose works are showcased regularly in “06880”‘s Saturday online art gallery — is the Westport Book Shop’s guest exhibitor this month.
He describes himself as “a digital photographer, photoshop artist, and AI explorer with an unusual imagination, and sometimes twisted sense of humor.” His work ranges from nature, landscapes and waterscapes to abstracts and surrealistic images.
Runkel spent 4 decades in advertising, corporate identity development and brand consulting with major international firms serving Fortune 100 clients worldwide.
After retiring in 2017 he focused on digital photography, and digital post-production editing. He now explores the power of artificial intelligence, and how it can expand visual creativity.
And finally … today was the birthdate, in 1838, of Tom Thumb. Born with dwarfism, he became a world-famous performer under the direction of P.T. Barnum.
Local connection: Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton) was born in Bridgeport. After he died of a stroke at 45, Barnum placed a life-sized statue at his gravesite, Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport. His wife, Lavinia Warren, died more than 35 years later, and is buried next to him.
(Where else but “06880” can you read about old and new hotels, kart racing and digital art — all in the same place? If you appreciate this hyper-local blog, please click here to support it. Thank you!)
“We did it! We have reached our goal of inspiring (over) 150 Westporters to make a gift in support of Sustainable Westport.
“We deeply appreciate every individual who participated in our first-ever Community Giving Challenge.
“Your support helped us raise money to expand our programming in 2024, demonstrated our community’s continued commitment to sustainability, and helped us unlock an additional $10,000 challenge grant from a generous Sustainable Westport donor. When we come together, even small actions have an incredible impact! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Jake Thaw is going to the College Football Playoff championship.
His University of Michigan Wolverines edged Alabama 27-20 in overtime yesterday, at the Rose Bowl. They’ll face the University of Washington next Monday in Houston (January 8, 8:15 p.m., ESPN).
It almost didn’t happen, though. The only punt that came the 2020 Staples High School graduate’s way was muffed, at the 5-yard line. Thaw did a great job of avoiding a safety, under intense pressure.
Jay Harbaugh — the UM special teams coordinator, and son of head coach Jim Harbaugh — was heavily criticized on social media for allowing Thaw to attempt the catch inside the 10, and not simply letting it bounce.
Bridgewater Associates — the Westport-based world’s largest hedge fund, and the object of so much interest and mystery in that world — is under the media microscope again.
Not long after the publication of Rob Copeland’s tell-almost-all book “The Fund,” a Bloomberg story examines charges against the company of favoritism, age and sex discrimination.
The article includes this description of what goes on inside the office:
Because many employees at Bridgewater are in their 20s and 30s and work long hours in the Connecticut suburbs far outside New York City, romantic relationships are common, people who have worked there said….
And the togetherness extends beyond work. There are almost 100 clubs where employees can do everything from play softball to rescue pets.
Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Allan Siegert)
Bridgewater’s Nyala Farm headquarters, where romance blooms. (Photo/Nico Eisenberger)
Bassist/composer/producer Harvie S and guitarist Sheryl Bailey kick off the 2024 Jazz at the Post year this Thursday (January 4, VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 6:30 p.m. on).
The two highly regarded musicians will be joined by saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall and drummer Steve Johns.
Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com
Over the past few years, a few big housing developments riveted Westport’s attention. There’s 1177 Post Road East, opposite Greens Farms Elementary School, for example, and 3 others in various stages of construction: 157 units on Hiawatha Lane Extension, 68 on Lincoln Street, and 16 more being shoehorned onto Wilton Road opposite Fort Apache on Kings Highway North.
Sometimes, Westport is handcuffed by state legislation that trumps local boards and commissions (and traffic and safety concerns). The driving force: the need for each town in Connecticut to provide a share of “affordable housing.”
1177 Post Road East
But local officials have been proactive. They’ve searched for sites where a new development might work (like the state maintenance facility between Walgreens and West Parish Road), and enacted zoning regulations to encourage “cluster cottage” housing on town-owned land.
All of that construction — already done, and planned — has one thing in common: It’s south of the Merritt Parkway. That’s where zoning enables its construction.
Recently, however, a unique property came on the market. It offers a chance for a small new development, with a decent-sized affordable housing element.
Glendinning Place is the 16-acre site first developed as an office park in the 1960s by Ralph Glendinning. His eponymous company was the first marketing promotion firm in the world.
(The wooded land next to the Saugatuck River — much of which he preserved — had a long history with business. The Dorr-Oliver Company, which made chemicals and other products, was headquartered in a nearby former mill.)
One view of the Glendinning property …
Eventually, Bridgewater Associates became the office park’s tenant. The world’s largest hedge fund was famously secretive. Westporters barely noticed the firm, which departed over a year ago to consolidate all its operations at Nyala Farm, next to I-95 Exit 18.
Three partners — Westporter David Waldman, and New Haven-area Urbane Capital and Sachem Capital — purchased the property in September, for $10.6 million.
They’re leasing out the office space. But they saw a chance to use 3.7 acres to build 14 single-family, 2-story detached homes that they believe fill an unaddressed niche: 3-bedrooms, and just under 3,000 square feet.
Ten of those homes would be sold at market rates. The other 4 would be deed-restricted, as “affordable” (using state guidelines).
The developers need a text amendment. But they felt the timing and the site was right, for a small project including several affordable homes, on the only commercially zoned property north of the Merritt Parkway.
… and the office building.
Rick Redniss — whose Redniss & Mead land use and engineering firm is working on other local projects like Delamar Westport and The Clubhouse — is helping guide the project through the approval phase.
He calls it “an opportunity to add affordable housing in pretty innocuous ways. Generally, it’s very difficult to do that without an 8-30g proposal” — an often-adversarial process, pitting developers against the town.
However, he admits, “this is a balancing exercise. It always is, with housing in a Gold Coast town.”
Traffic concerns will be minimal, he says. Soil tests have been positive.
But feedback from neighbors — including concern about the septic threshold of 7,500 gallons a day — caused the partners to rethink the project.
They withdrew a planned text amendment application, as they reduce the number of homes. The goal remains to have 20% of them be affordable.
A new proposal and text amendment, and future meetings with neighbors, are in the works.
A previous rendering showed 14 homes built just below the top yellow line (underneath “Aspetuck Land Trust.” That number will be lower, in the next plan to be submitted.
Redniss remains convinced that Westporters want to do their share to provide affordable housing.
“I defended the town when it’s been attacked about housing,” he says. “Over the last 8 years, Westport has been proactive. It’s not ‘no’; it’s ‘let’s try to accomplish different ideas, and meet the diverse needs of the community.'”
Housing is a complex issue, he notes, involving everything from politics and zoning to history and tradition.
“Everyone has a responsibility to do their fair share,” he says. “This is a modest proposal. It’s not 150 units. It’s in a commercial zone.
“If we can’t do this here, where can we do it?”
Conceptual plans for the Glendinning homes.
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“A walking friend and I just learned that all the bathrooms at Compo are closed. Even the one at Ned Dimes Marina is locked.
“With all the active people who love walking around Compo, can’t we find the extra money to keep at least one set of restrooms open all year?
“A mother at the playground is not going to want her kids going inside that germ-infested port-o-potty, nor are senior citizens who have difficulty getting into and safely out of it.
“People need real restrooms, and ones that are open until at least 8 p.m. so we can workout outside after work
“Can we get this situation turned back to the way it always was, with restrooms open all year, or at least keep the new handicap accessible restrooms open and pay a cleaning company to maintain them?”
I asked Parks & Recreation Department director Jen Fava about this. She said:
“While I understand the comments from your reader, the bathrooms were not designed for year-round use. The pipes would freeze and burst if left open, which is why they get blown out each winter.
“The only ones that had heat were at the marina. But we have had consistent vandalism, and have therefore closed them in the winter over the past few years.
“We provide porta-johns, so there are facilities available.”
The bathrooms at Compo’s South Beach — and others by the pavilion, playground and marina — are closed until spring. (Photo/Miggs Burroughs)
Six members of the Representative Town Meeting received a standing ovation, at Tuesday’s meeting.
The members — who either did not run for re-elected, or were not returned to office — are from left, in the photo below: Harris Falk, Brien Buckman, Stephen Shackleford, Jamie Bairaktaris, Liz Milwe and Lori Church.
They received thanks, and proclamations, from RTM moderator Jeff Wieser.
Three local women have organized a “Bring Them Home!” event, drawing attention to the plight of hostages held by Hamas.
Set for this Sunday (November 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) near the Compo Beach playground, the aim is to set up seats for each of the missing men, women and children. The visual image would represent the plight of the 240 hostages.
Supporters can drop off chairs, or stay at the beach.
Speakers include Rabbi Zach Plesent of Temple Israel and Carin Savel, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County.
Restoration of the stormwater detention pond at Wakeman Town Farm has completed its first phase.
Located on the farm’s north side, the rehabilitation protects nearby Deadman Brook and other downstream waterways from the pond’s storm water runoff, excess nutrient impurities and mitigate urban pollutants.
Phase I included site surveying, debris clearing, mowing, water testing, pond and flora mapping, planting cover crop, and installing a fence with gate between the Farm and the pond.
Westport’s LandTech donated time and expertise, for a bathymetric survey of the pond and its surrounding property. LandTech also teamed up with Staples High School senior interns for water quality testing.
The 1-acre wooded pond was built in the 1990s by the town. Over time, the pond fell victim to invasive vegetation and sediment accumulation.
A grant from Patagonia was instrumental in the project’s success.
Two Westport favorites — the Dartmouth College Brovertones and Staples High School Orphenians deliver delightful, melodic holiday cheer on December 4 (7 p.m., Saugatuck Congregational Church).
Admission is free, though goodwill donations are accepted to support the church’s concert series.
Staples High School Class of 2021 graduate/current Brovertone senior (and musical director) Sam Laskin is happy to return to his home town for the show.
The group has many connections to Westport, from former members who grew up here (or lived here now), to singing impromptu at a wedding proposal near the Compo Beach house where they stayed on a previous tour.
The group also took a photo on the Compo jetty that was used on an album, “Bro Ties.”
This is the 3rd straight year Sam and the Brovertones will sing here. They were at Christ & Holy Trinity Church in 2021, and at a private MoCA party last year. They also performed at Staples for the choral groups, and described how great an extracurricular experience a cappella has been for all of them.
Staples’ Orphenians, meanwhile, need no introduction. The holidays are their busiest time of the year, and they’ll be in fine form under new director Lauren Pine.
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James Comey may have left Westport — and Bridgewater Associates, which brought him to town — for the equally shark-like waters of the FBI.
But he hasn’t forgotten his former home town.
The New York Post reports that his second murder mystery novel, set for publication in May, is about a “make-believe hedge fund called Saugatuck Associates, billed as the world’s largest.”
The teaser from Mysterious Press reads: “A red canoe sits abandoned on Seymour Rock, right where the Saugatuck River hits the Long Island Sound. The elegantly dressed corpse of a woman lies inside….”
The Post adds:
The book is called “Westport,” a posh Connecticut town which, it turns out, is not only where the headquarters of the fictional Saugatuck hedge fund lies, but also that of Bridgewater Associates, the giant hedge fund founded by billionaire Ray Dalio.
And while the protagonist of Comey’s book is a woman, she previously worked as a federal prosecutor before becoming general counsel at Saugatuck – just like Comey did before he became general counsel at Bridgewater.
To read more in the Post about Comey and Bridgewater — where he was “feared,” according to a new book, “The Fund,” by Rob Copeland — click here.
The Weston History & Culture Center concludes its World War II lecture series with author Jeffrey DeWitt.
He’ll discuss his book “Connecticut Military Heroes of Pearl Harbor” on — appropriately — December 7 (1 p.m.), followed by a Q-and-A and book signing.
Guided tours of the Coley House, which represents life on the home front during World War II, will be available after the lecture.
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Westporters Mia Khamish (a Duke University sophomore) and her sister Izzy Khamish (a Staples High School junior) both won gold medals at the 2023 Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston last month.
Both are coxswains, and products of Connecticut Boat Club.
The Duke 4+ crew’s winning time of 17:46 was 15 seconds ahead of silver medalist Radcliffe.
The next day, Izzy led her youth women’s 4+ to first place, in 19:12.
Mia (left) and Izzy Khamish, with Connecticut Boat Club head coach Liz Trond.
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Staples High School Class of 2002 graduate Andrew Aster died unexpectedly on Sunday, in his native city of Dallas. He was 39.
At Staples Andrew was a wrestler, cheerleader, and track and field athlete (pole vault, 110m and 300 m hurdles).
He graduated from Lafayette College in 2006, with a BA in history (focusing on medieval European and French studies). He was president of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and participated on the track team.
He then worked with Club Med, rising from a GO (Gentils Organisateur) to sports and entertainment manager in Mexico, Israel, France and the Dominican Republic. He was fluent in French, Spanish and Hebrew.
After returning to Dallas, where his family had relocated, he was employed in sales and management in retail and technology, and began a new, exciting opportunity in October.
Andrew is survived by his mother Paula; father Charles (step-mother Ellen); twin brother Jason; sister Raye; step-siblings Kristen, Jessica and Cara, and many loving friends and relatives.
in lieu of flowers the family requests that donations in Andrew’s name be made to a local youth sports organization of your choice, honoring Andrew’s commitment to sports and youth development.
To share a story, photos and condolences with the Aster family, email remembering.andrew.aster@gmail.com. To read Andrew’s full obituary, click here.
Andrew Aster
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Lucy Ambrosino does not have to go far to find “Westport … Naturally” beauty. This is the scene, in the back yard of her Crescent Road home:
One more reminder that summer is over: Yesterday (November 1), the barriers were removed at Church Lane and Elm Street.
The outdoor restaurant tables are gone.
The road is once again open to traffic.
Church Lane (Photo/Sal Liccione)
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One more reminder Halloween is over: Your rotting pumpkins.
No problem! Next Thursday (November 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), the Westport Farmers’ Markets hosts its 5th annual Great Pumpkin Toss.
Just bring your pumpkin to the Imperial Avenue parking lot. Action Waste Solutions will collect them.
It’s one way to turn a tiny portion of the 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins wasted in the US each year into usable compost.
All pumpkins and gourds in their natural state are accepted. Squishy and rotted ones are fine. Unfortunately, decorated or painted pumpkins cannot be composted.
Participants can “toss” their pumpkin in the bin, or just drop and go.
Last year, Westporters diverted one ton of pumpkin waste from landfill. Farmers’ Market director Lori Cochran-Dougall hopes to beat that record next week.
There’s no trick to that — just an environmental treat.
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Westport’s 5 polling locations for Tuesday’s elections are the same as last year:
Districts 1 & 2: Saugatuck Elementary School
Districts 3 & 8: Coleytown Middle School
District 4 & 5: Greens Farms Elementary School
Districts 6 & 7: Long Lots Elementary School
District 9: Westport Library
Polls are open Tuesday (November 7) from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Unsure of your voting district? Check the map below, or click here.
Questions? Contact the registrars of voters: 203-341-1115.
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Westport Police made 6 custodial arrests between October 25 and November 1.
A man was charge with 2 counts of burglary, 2 counts of larceny, and illegal taking of a payment card, after stealing a purse from an unlocked vehicle. An off-duty officer saw a man later trying door handles in a Post Road East parking lot; his license plate matched that of a car seen by a Good Samaritan following the theft.
A man was charged with interfering with an officer, after a domestic violence call at a house under construction. When asked for identification, he provided fake names and addresses.
A man was charged with driving under the influence and operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license, following a report from Compo Beach of an intoxicated person stumbling in the parking and yelling with another person. He was stopped while driving away from the beach.
A man was charged with violation of a protective order. After a previous arrest for domestic violence, he tried several times to contact the victim via phone and messaging.
A man was charged on Halloween with criminal trespass and criminal attempt at burglary, after a homeowner reported witnessing by remote surveillance camera a suspicious person trying to enter their home. When stopped by officers he said he was “trick or treating with his family,” but was alone.
A man was charged with threatening, unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment and breach of peace, after a juvenile reported that a man had pointed a gun at the heads of several juveniles, accusing them of breaking bottles and trespassing. The teens had been playing “break or bounce” with bottles in the raod. The man demanded the teens text him photos of their licenses, and ordered them to sit down before they ran off.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 18 citations
Distracted driving: 2
Traveling at unreasonable speed: 2
Operating a motor vehicle while using a cellphone: 2
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
Permitting a minor to possess alcohol: 1
Passing in a no-passing zone: 1
Following too closely: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Failure to renew registration: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Permitting a minor to possess alcohol is a serious offense.
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Westport is grateful for Club 203.
And Club 203 — which offers social activities and friendship for adults with disabilities — is grateful for community support.
Their November meeting is a “Thankful & Grateful” event. It’s November 15, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Earthplace.
On the menu: “Thankful bites, a gratitude art corner by MoCA, and an exclusive tour of Earthplace’s incredible animal exhibition.”
In the holiday spirit, guests are asked to bring a thankful gift to be donated to clients of Westport’s Human Services Department. Any toiletries and/or household cleaning items that cannot be bought with SNAP are welcome.
For details and registration, click here. Questions? Email club203ct@gmail.com.
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It’s November, so it’s time to think about holiday gifts.
Give sustainably this year!
you can get a head start at Staples High School’s Zero Waste Committee 2nd annual EcoFest (Saturday, November 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Staples cafeteria).
Organizers promise “sustainable gifts and ideas for every occasion,” plus exhibitors, food, thrifting, kids’ crafts, educational presentations and more.
PS: It’s free — no admission charge!
I have no idea if these gifts are sustainable. But the wrapping is!
Westport-based Bridgewater Associates is often called “the world’s largest hedge fund.”
But how does it make so much money?
Rob Copeland wondered. The New York Times journalist interviewed hundreds of people in and around the company. He pored over emails, recordings, court records, company documents, and published interviews and articles. (He did not speak with founder Ray Dalio and other Bridgewater executives, who provided feedback through lawyers and representatives.)
The result is a new book. “The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend” will be published next Tuesday.
Yesterday, the Times ran a long excerpt (click here).
Copeland’s conclusion: It is not a Bernie Madoff-like Ponzi scheme.
But I’m still not sure how they do it. (Hat tip: Allan Siegert)
“The Book of Mormon” professionals offer a “Broadway workshop” at the Westport Country Playhouse (November 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Included is musical theater instruction, dance performances, and Q-and-A. Fifth graders through college students are welcome.
Cast members include Joshua Keen, dance captain/swing, and Andrew Stevens Purdy, ensemble and understudy for Elder Cunningham.
After the workshop, they head back to New York for a performance that night.
To register, email curleylaura@hotmail.com or text 917-734-8462.
A reader enjoyed last week’s Friday Flashback, about the Platt Burial Ground on Post Road West at the Norwalk line. He writes:
“I own a house that sits nearby, near Kings Highway South.
“I’m pretty sure both it and Post Road West existed in the early 19th century, albeit with less traffic.
“So I wonder if the Platt Burial Ground has always been as small as it is today. Could it have, in the past, extended all the way to Kings Highway South?
“My house’s back yard lawn has this pesky rectangular bare spot, about 6′ x 3′, over the septic tank. Or is it something else?
“So far, no portals into Hades have ever opened up in the closet.
“Nevertheless, every Halloween we keep an eye out to make sure the poltergeists are resting in peace, and that nothing like an arm or leg decides to poke out.”
Dr. Jerome Brodlie died peacefully at his Weston home last week. He was 85.
He worked as a child psychologist in private practice and at Greenwich Hospital, where he chaired the psychology department. As a regular guest on “CBS This Morning” he reached millions of American parents. He also built mental health services in areas affected by natural disasters, in the US and overseas.
The Bronx native attended the University of Illinois on a baseball scholarship. After graduation in 1960 he passed up a chance to play professionally, and got his doctorate in psychology at Columbia University.
He did post-doctoral work at the Alfred Adler Institute, while he taught at Brooklyn College. He married Lisa Evans, a pediatric oncology nurse.
In 1968 they moved to Weston. In addition to his private practice in Greenwich, he taught at Yale School of Medicine and Southern Connecticut State University, while also serving as a consulting psychologist for Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich Academy, and the Eagle Hill School.
In 2001 he was part of a statewide commission that advised on new laws and processes for child custody in divorce cases.
In 2005, Dr. Brodlie went to New Orleans to train nurses, doctors, and teachers who were helping children recover from the trauma caused by Hurricane Katrina. He also advised the school systems, students and teachers affected by Hurricane Ivan, which had struck the Cayman Islands, where the family vacationed frequently. The State Department later recruited him to go to Burma to work with young people experiencing PTSD; there he met and counseled victims of torture, caregivers for people with terminal illness, former political prisoners, and others. He returned there often.
His family says he enjoyed “playing sports, traveling, cooking, painting and telling jokes, although his paintings were usually more successful. He played pickleball and basketball, but he was most proud to have played 78 consecutive baseball seasons.”
He is survived by his wife Lisa; children Matt, of Los Angeles, Sara Gray of Middletown, Rhode Island, and Dr. Rachel Brodlie Corse (Griffin) of Cambridge, Vermont; grandchildren Maximus, Lola, Stella and Benjamin, and sister Barbara Scheinert.
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