For 40 years, Homes with Hope has provided emergency shelter, supportive housing, a community kitchen and food pantry to area residents.
It’s a national model for what a suburban organization can do, to help solve a national crisis.
Now the non-profit has taken another step. Homes with Hope is creating an Affordable Housing Advisory Council. They’ll advocate for, and participate in, developing affordable supportive housing initiatives, as part of the HwH mission to prevent and end homelessness.
The council will continue collaborating with local partners and town officials to increase efforts to add affordable housing here.
Lauren Soloff, a board member for 12 yeas, will chair the Council. It will consist of prominent Westporters including former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, former New Neighborhoods CEO Ross Burkhardt, Michelle Lapine McCabe and David McCarthy.
Homes with Hope board members on the Affordable Housing Advisory Council include Brian Baxendale, Jen Ferrante, Will Haskell, Becky Martin, Kate Weber and Ralph Yearwood,
This Sunday marks the last supper for Pane e Bene.
The Post Road East Italian restaurant opened 12 years ago. The property has been sold, and will be developed as The Clubhouse, a “simulator lounge” activity space with interactive experiences in golf, football, soccer, hockey, dodgeball and more; private rooms for birthday parties, corporate events, karaoke and big-screen game viewings, plus a bar with craft cocktails and a pub-bites menu.
Pane e Bene will reopen when a new location is found.
Pane e Bene restaurant.
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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Many Westporters — and Circle of Care, the non-profit that provides assistance to families who have a child with cancer — are taking note.
Gold ribbons — representing the color of childhood cancer awareness — can be seen all around town.
Families decorated Kings Highway Elementary School with the ribbons (and inspiring messages. Last Friday, staff and students wore gold, and donated dollar bills to build awareness.
Circle of Care provides practical, emotional, and financial support to children in treatment and their families. Since its founding in 2003 it has assisted over 3,200 families, providing over $5 million in services.
Honoring Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (from left): 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, Circle of Care co-executive directors Liz Vega and Liz Salguero, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
When Stauffer Chemical Company moved its international headquarters to the former Nyala Farm property at I-95 Exit 18 in 1970, it was a defining moment: Westport’s first big office property.
There was plenty of opposition. Thanks in large part to activism by the Greens Farms Association, safeguards were put in place to maintain much of the land as open space. Today — even though it’s home to Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund — it’s hardly noticeable.
But area residents have noticed a new addition recently: tents, and a large “slip and slide.”
Bridgewater’s slip and slide …
That’s not in keeping with the special permit negotiated by the Association, that the open space be maintained as “rolling meadowlands.”
Association officials are keeping an eye on the tents and slide — which may be temporary — as well as other, more permanent modifications to the meadow.
The special permit negotiated over 50 years ago is still in force.
… and tents. (Screenshots from video by Art Schoeller)
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The East Coast Greenway — which runs from the Canadian border to Key West, and passes through Westport (primarily on Greens Farms Road) — got a shoutout this week in the New York Times.
In “These Human-Made Natural Wonders Hide in Plain Sight,” Peter Coy
examines the power of transformational and expansive trail networks. Click here for the full piece. Click here for a map. (Hat tip: Peter Gold)
The former home of the world’s largest hedge fund may become home to 14 residential homes. Four would be deemed “affordable,” according to state guidelines.
As first reported by Westport Journal, the houses — built by an LLC that includes David Waldman, the developer of projects like Bedford Square and the Bankside condos — would be constructed on 3.7 acres in the northwest part of the 16-acre property, off Weston Road.
The proposed homes are shown at the top of the Glendinning property.
The homes at “Cottage Village at Glendinning Place” would be 3 bedrooms. The “affordable” homes (for buyers who make 80 percent of state median income) would be half the size of the market-rate houses.
The land — named for Ralph Glendinning, who built a 48,000-square foot modern office park there for his marketing firm in the 1960s — includes a pond and pathways. It is at the confluence of the Saugatuck and Aspetuck Rivers, and abuts Aspetuck Land Trust’s Leonard Schine Preserve and Children’s Natural Playground.
Bridgewater Associates moved out earlier this year. They consolidated their hedge fund operations at the Nyala Farm office complex, off I-95 exit 18.
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New to town? Newly retired? New empty nester? Inspired by the new year (school and/or Jewish) to do something new?
If you are interested in volunteering — but don’t know where to start — the Westport Library, Town of Westport and League of Women Voters of Westport can help.
On Saturday, September 23 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), the 3 organizations are teaming up to host an adult volunteer fair in the Library’s Trefz Forum.
Over 2 dozen community organizations will be represented. Each will have a staff member to provide information and answer questions.
The Library will also host a volunteer expo for teens on Wednesday, October 4 (4:30 to 6 p.m.), featuring local youth organizations with volunteer opportunities.
Organizations participating in the September 23 adult volunteer fair include: A Better Chance of Westport; AWARE; Center for Senior Activities; Club 203; Earthplace; FCJazz; Food Rescue; Friends of Sherwood Island; Guiding Eyes for the Blind; Levitt Pavilion; Staples Tuition Grants; Sunrise Rotary Club; TEAM Westport; Town of Westport; Verso Studios; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Wakeman Town Farm; Westport Book Shop; Westport Community Theatre; Westport Country Playhouse; Westport Emergency Medical Services; Westport League of Women Voters; Westport Library; Westport Permanent Art Collections; Westport Sunrise Rotary; Westport Woman’s Club; Westport Young Woman’s League; Westport-Weston CERT; Westport Weston Family YMCA.
There are countless ways to volunteer here. Food Rescue — picking up excess food, and delivering it where it’s needed — is just one.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport has a new transitional minister.
Rev. Alan Taylor will serve the congregation both from Westport and Oak Park, Illinois, where he and his family live permanently. He will preach 3 Sundays out of 4 — 2 in person, and 1 via virtual broadcast.
Rev. Alan will carry out his duties both in person in Westport, and virtually via email, Zoom and phone from his home office in Oak Park. He is serving in partnered ministry with UU Westport’s longtime minister of music, Rev. Ed Thompson.
Rev. Alan will first preach from the pulpit in Westport at this Sunday’s service (September 10, 10 a.m.). All are welcome to join in person or via livestream.
UU Westport’s previous senior minister, Rev. Dr. John Morehouse, has moved to a developmental minister role in a church outside of Philadelphia.
The Westport Rotary Club hosted a board member of another outstanding group, at Tuesday’s meeting.
Ed Spilka of Wheel It Forward described their “lending library.” People who need durable medical equipment like wheelchairs, and related products can borrow them at no cost.
People with “lightly used” equipment can donate them too — helping others, and keeping what’s no longer needed out of landfills.
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between August 30 and September 6.
One man was arrested after a resident reported that several checks worth $30,000 were returned due to insufficient funds, or account closed. The checks had been stolen, and attempted to be used to pay rent.
A man was arrested and charged with illegal possession of personal identity information, identity theft, and illegal trafficking in personal identity information. The incident began after a May 31 arrest at BevMax. A warrant was then obtained for a cell phone search. Evidence implicated the man in a larger, more complex fraud involving the purchase and sale of “high-end” liquor, using fraudulent credit cards. The scheme took place in many East Coast states.
Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 11 citations
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 3
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 2
Failure to carry registration or insurance card: 2
Speeding: 1
Failure to obey a stop sign: 1
Operating a motor vehicle while under suspension: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Failure to carry a license: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
The Westport Country Playhouse “script in hand” season continues Monday, September (18, 7 p.m.). with “100 Saints You Should Know.”
Theresa (played by Tony Award winner Celia Keenan-Bolger) is a single mother with a rebellious teenage daughter. Working as a cleaner in a church rectory, she rekindles her religious beliefs and searches for validation from the priest.
But the troubled pastor, questioning his own faith, suddenly leaves the church and returns home to his protective mother. Theresa tracks him down, ultimately changing both of their lives.
All tickets are $25. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
A recent “06880” Roundup photo featured a series of holes dug next to the pedestrian path, leading from Old Mill to Compo Cove.
Property owner Jeff Northrop Sr. reports they’re for a new fence, identical to the one on the other side of the walkway.
A sign will say “Children and fishermen welcome.”
Northrop learned to fish there, as a child. “I want to keep it open access,” he says.
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Henry Wynne is one of 20 elite runners participating in Sunday’s 42nd annual Fifth Avenue Mile race.
The 2013 Staples High School and 2017 University of Virginia graduate — one of the greatest runners in Connecticut history — will cover the 20-block stretch of New York City far quicker than nearly anyone else can.
Of course, it helps that all the traffic lights will be green. (Hat tip: John Nathan)
Rock music, photography, art and fashion combine soon at WEST.
The Post Road East boutique hosts Michael Friedman for a discussion and signing of his very cool book “Exposed: The Lost Negatives and Untold Stories” (September 21, 6 p.m.).
The book is a treasure trove of up-close, personal — and excellent — photos of the musical icons the 1961 Staples High School graduate worked and hung out with, more than half a century ago.
You know: Janis Joplin, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Todd Rundgren, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton, the Rolling Stones ….
Many were part of a 2019 exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
A portion of the proceeds from the “Sound Exposed” WEST event, including 20% of limited edition print sales, will benefit Neighborhood Studio. The non-profit provides after-school arts education for Bridgeport youngsters.
WEST will also offer 20% off all clothing and merchandise at the event, plus giveaways like signed copies of Friedman’s book, and tickets to the Bridgeport “Sound on Sound” music festival.
“Sound Exposed” is free, but registration is required — click here.
Kerri Rosenthal hosts an “Art of Beauty” event next Wednesday (September 13, 5 to 7 p..).
The Art of Beauty event on Wednesday September 13th 5pm-7pm.
Her favorite esthetic, Erin Meyers-Albaridi from New Beauty & Wellness, will discuss art, fashion and (of course) beauty. There’s a raffle and swag bag too.
The New York Times reports the August 17 death of Sarah Wunsch, at her Massachusetts home. She was 75, and suffered a stroke 3 years ago.
The 1965 Staples High School graduate “championed citizen protections on issues of race, gender and free speech and helped persuade New York’s highest court to declare that men could be prosecuted for raping their wives,” the Times says.
“As deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts for almost three decades, Ms. Wunsch brought innovative challenges before the courts, aimed at safeguarding a wide range of public behavior, including panhandling for small amounts of change, tattooing, wearing certain hairstyles in school and videotaping on-duty police activity.”
Our “Westport … Naturally” feature celebrates all kinds of living things. We’ve run photos of deer (plenty), eagles (handsome), lanternflies (ugh) … you name it.
Today we feature a first: an orb-weaver spider, from Elisabeth Levery’s patio near Longshore.
It may not be particularly good-looking when you see it around your home. But Elizabeth sure makes it look interesting here.
And finally … Gary Wright, the singer-songwriter with a couple of synthesizer-infused hits, died Monday in California. He was 80, and suffered from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Another day, another Roundup, another “06880” post filled with all kinds of Westport (and Westport-ish) news. Please support our work. Click here to contribute. Thank you!
Next fall’s Pennsylvania’s Senate race could determine which party controls that chamber.
Republican David McCormick — who narrowly lost to Dr. Mehmet Oz in a primary last year, then watched him lose to John Fetterman in the general election — is weighing a race against 3-term Democratic incumbent Bob Casey.
David McCormick
McCormick — the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, and an Under Secretary of the Treasury George W. Bush’a administration — is an attractive candidate.
But an AP story today suggests that the same issue that helped defeat Oz may dog him: residency.
Oz lived largely in New Jersey. And though McCormick owns a home in Pittsburgh, where he was born and raised, the AP says “a review of public records, real estate listings and footage from recent interviews indicates he still lives on Connecticut’s ‘Gold Coast,’ one of the densest concentrations of wealth in America.
Specifically, Westport.
McCormick “rents a $16 million mansion” here, according to AP. It “features a 1,500-bottle wine cellar, an elevator and a ‘private waterfront resort’ overlooking Long Island Sound.”
The West Point graduate and 1991 Gulf War veteran’s spokeswoman “would not say how much of his time he spends at his Connecticut mansion, which also boasts a spa, pool and heated pavilion nestled in an area that real estate listings describe as a ‘summer playground of America’s wealthiest families,'” AP reports.
She said “he maintains a residence in Connecticut as his daughters finish high school,” but that for the last 10 years he has owned a working farm in his hometown of Bloomsburg.
“Dave has called Pennsylvania home for 30 years and served our country outside of Pennsylvania for an additional 13,” she added.
Last year, AP says, McCormick and his wife Dina Powell McCormick, a former Goldman Sachs executive, had a net worth of “between $95.7 million and at least $196.7 million.” They also owned homes in Dallas and Colorado.
He has not received a tax exemption for his $2.8 million Pittsburgh home, which is reserved for a primary place of residence, AP says.
Though he said “This is my home. This is our home” after losing to Oz by just over 900 votes in last year’s primary, AP says that “his children continued to attend a $53,000-a-year Connecticut private school.” One is still there.
Official documents list his Westport home as his address, as does a $5,000 campaign contribution made this spring.
The story about McCormick’s residency follows reports last week that Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville lives almost full time in a $3 million home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
(Click here for the full AP story. Hat tip: Allan Siegert)
The world’s largest hedge fund came to Westport’s largest beach yesterday.
Preparations began early for Bridgewater Associates’ private party. Portions of Compo Beach’s South Beach were blocked off. Tents were erected. Signs noted a variety of “contest” stations: “Chopped,” “Rube Goldberg Machine Build,” “Obstacle Course.”
Then there was this contraption:
(Photo/Karen Como)
Hope they all had a great time!
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Tomorrow, safety advocates from around the state come to town to raise awareness about important precautions parents and caregivers should take to keep children safe during July 4th celebrations, and throughout the summer.
The event (Thursday, June 29, 11 a.m., Connecticut Children’s Westport Specialty Care Center, 191 Post Road West) includes Kim Leonard and her daughter, mom of 3, Blake, from the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation’s Stewie the Duck Swim School; Westport Fire Department; Connecticut Children’s physicians and injury prevention experts; Connecticut State Police; Amy Watkins, Watch for Me CT, and others.
They’ll offer guidance to keep children safe while playing in water and yards, attending summer camps, and more.
Chris Coogan brings his special jazz-and-more to the Weston History & Culture Center’s Music at the Barn.
The outdoor summer concert series — now in its 8th year — welcomes Westonite Coogan on Sunday, July 9,
Doors open at 5 p.m. for food, history, crafts and fun. The music follows at 5:30.
Coogan has played pop with Phoebe Snow, Donna Summers, Bette Midler and Darlene Love; Broadway with Paul Newman, Jim Naughton and Kelli O’Hara, and jazz with Randy Brecker, Sal Salvador and his own Chris Coogan Quartet.
He music directs at churches, synagogues and theaters, and leads the Good News Gospel Choir. He teaches the art of jazz improvisation privately and at the University of Bridgeport.
Tony Pizza Napolitano Food Truck will be there; bring a lawn chair, blanket and BYOB. Tickets ($15 for members, $20 for non-members; children 12 and under, free) are available at the door or online.
Chris Coogan
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Westport Country Playhouse’s 2023 Joanne Woodward Internship class includes 4 aspiring theater professionals. Selected from nearly 250 applicants, hey’ll work with senior staff through mid-August.
Mandi Benjamin is the Camerota-Lewis education intern. She is from Trinidad and Tobago and has a BA in theater and dance from Trinity College, where she was assistant director of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Christopher Conte is the R and B Siegel marketing intern. From Darien, he is a rising senior at Sacred Heart University with a double major in strategic communications, PR & advertising, and musical theater.
Giovanni Orozco is the Adam G. Clemens equity, diversity and inclusion intern. From Dallas, he is a student at Southern Methodist University pursuing a BFA in theater studies.
Erin Reynolds, development intern from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, is a student at Norwich University, pursuing a BA in political science with a minor in communications.
Westport Country Playhouse interns (from left): Chris Conte, Mandi Benjamin, Erin Reynolds, Giovanni Orozco, Ian Patton (Staples High School senior intern). (Photo/Ashley Sweet)
But after her first treatment at Cornell Veterinary last week, owner Jo Shields Sherman says, she still had time and enthusiasm to celebrate a Pride gathering at Townhouse For Dogs.
And to pose for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
But he spent 55 years as lead singer and mandolin player with the bluegrass duo Jim & Jesse. He died last week in Tennessee, at 93.
He rated a nice obituary in the New York Times, including this tribute:
“The longest-running brother act in bluegrass, Jim & Jesse — Mr. Reynolds and his older brother, Jim — developed a smooth blend of harmony singing that contrasted with the more piercing, down-home vocal arrangements of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers.” Click here for the full obituary.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — and a non-profit. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)
Yesterday’s weather drove all but the hardiest yard workers indoors.
In anticipation of today’s sunshine — and, more importantly, to get ready for the 7th annual Dog Festival (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), a crew of SLOBs (Staples Service League of Boys) headed to Winslow Park to help.
“This was Westport at its best,” praises Matthew Mandell, executive director of the Dog Fest sponsor, the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.
“This was the most challenging prep for the event ever.”
Winslow Park will look great today, as thousands of dogs and their owners enjoy everything from obstacles courses and competitions to a K-9 demonstration and vendors.
And they’ll have a bunch of SLOBs to thank.
SLOBs set up for the Dog Festival. (Photo/Matthew Mandell)
Also working outside yesterday: a hardy bunch of Westport Sunrise Rotary volunteers.
As they had promised Westport’s Department of Human Services, they showed up — dressed for the occasion and with their usual boundless energy — to help clean up a local resident’s home. The event was part of the international organization’s annual Day of Service.
They removed high grass, tree limbs, weeds and more from the property of a resident who was unable to do so, or afford to pay for it.
A brief pause from hard work. (Photo courtesy of Rob Hauck and Bruce Fritz)
The foul weather also forced AWARE’s annual soiree indoors.
Over 100 folks crammed into a private home — rather than the back yard — to celebrate the organization, and its partner.
AWARE stands for Assisting Women through Action, Resources and Education. Each year, they work with a different organization, offering financial resources, hands-on and moral support, and friendship.
For the past year, they’ve joined with Her Time. The Bridgeport non-profit assists women affected by incarceration and domestic violence.
The food and drinks were delicious. The fundraising went well. And “AWARE-ness” about Her Time was raised high too.
AWARE members and Her Time representatives spent a “family” evening together. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Also indoors last night: Actress/singer/songwriter (and 2013 Staples High School graduate) Michelle Pauker returned to MoCA Westport. Her Joni Mitchell tribute was part of the “Music at MoCA” series.
Last summer, Michelle performed “Broadway Through The Ages” for a sold-out crowd in the Museum’s gallery.
Her composer/director, Jake Landau, was a Staples classmate. The Juilliard and Oxford graduate is a quickly rising composer and conductor.
Next in the Music at MoCA series: Vanisha Gould, a Jazz at Lincoln Center Emerging Artist (June 10, 7 p.m.). She and her quartet will perform originals and selections from the Great American Songbook. Click here for tickets and more information.
From left: Michelle Pauker, Rachel Hoy and Ravi Campbell, last night at MoCA Westport. (Photo/Lily Hultgren)
After decades of getting ready for the 7:30 a.m. bell, retired teachers have the luxury of sleeping in.
But former Staples High School educators find a variety of ways to stay active and engaged. They lead full, interestinglives.
Every so often they get together (though a bit later than 7:30) to compare notes, and talk about their lives then and now.
They call themselves ROMEOs: Retired Old Men Eating Out.
How many of these legendary teachers did you recognize?
Here they are (clockwise from lower left): Toby Watson, Al Jolley, Stan Rhodes, Werner Liepolt, Pete Van Hagen, Bruce McFadden, Jim Honeycutt, Ed Bludnicki, John Pepe, Jeff Lea, Jim Wheeler.
Before he became FBI director (and was fired by President Trump), he was general counsel at Bridgewater Associates, the Westport-based world’s largest hedge fund. He lived here too, in Greens Farms.
Comey’s new gig is mystery writer. He next book — “Central Park West” — will be published May 30.
It takes place at a fiction version of “the world’s largest hedge fund.”
Hmmm … will any other bits of Westport make it into the book?
I’m not buying it to find out.
But if anyone else does, please let me know. (Hat tip: Allen Siegert)
Drew Angus has spent the last 3 months in Nashville. He’s writing songs, and playing with very talent musicians.
On June 8, the 2007 Staples High School graduate takes the stage at Fairfield Theatre Company, to share stories and songs from his time there.
Drew will be joined by Westonite Jeremy Goldsmith on guitar, Wilton’s Spencer Inch on drums, Nick Trautmann (Darien) on Bass, and non-Nutmegger Adam Bonomo (keyboard). A few special guests may join them.
Yesterday’s “06880” noted that it was the 96th anniversary of the day Charles Lindbergh took off on the first-ever non-stop solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
Naturally, there’s a (sort of) Westport connection. (Beyond the fact — which I forgot to note — that Lindbergh and his family lived for several years on Long Lots Road.)
Longtime resident and avid “06880” reader Matt Murray’s grandmother was a friend of the engine builder/designer Charlie Lawrence.
The day before the flight, he asked Matt’s grandmother, “Do you want to see this fellow take off from Roosevelt Field at 5 a.m. to fly solo across the Atlantic?”
She replied, “Charlie, you’re drunk,” and did not go.
But because she was fluent writing and speaking French, Charlie asked her to write Lindbergh’s letter of introduction for when he landed.
As a thank you, she later received a picture of Lindbergh and Lawrence — and their signatures — just before he flew away.
There’s always something to see on Soundview Drive.
Tammy Barry took the popular stroll the other day, and spotted these irises. They won’t be there long. Fortunately, she snapped this shot for “Westport .. Naturally.”
And finally … on this day in 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded “Ohio.” Neil Young wrote the song about the murder of 4 people at Kent State University, 2 1/2 weeks earlier.
There will be no 5-peat for the Ridgefield High School boys basketball team.
But there may be a first for Staples.
The 4th-seeded Wreckers demolished the #1, 4-time reigning champion Tigers last night 71-54, in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) semifinal at Wilton High.
Staples’ only league championship came exactly 60 years ago, in 1963. But there was no actual tournament then — just the standings — so this title would be a long-awaited first.
First-year coach Dave Goldshore’s team faces #3 Danbury for the crown tomorrow (Friday, March 3, 6 p.m., Wilton). The Hatters topped Trumbull 52-50, in last night’s other semi.
The Wreckers — who got 23 points from Chris Zajac, 16 from Gavin Rothenberg, 15 from Cody Sale and 11 from Sam Clachko — proved their earlier 61-54 victory at Ridgefield was no fluke. After that loss, the Tigers went on a 16-game winning tear.
Beyond their first-ever FCIAC tournament crown, Staples has added motivation in tomorrow night’s title match: Danbury won this year’s regular season game, 63-54.
The 2023 Staples High School boys basketball team.
The longtime Westporter — and Emmy-winning television executive producer and director of shows like “Live at Lincoln Center” — often donates his talents to his home town.
Up next: a 3-part Westport Library series focusing on cardiovascular health.
Part 1 (March 14) focuses on coronary artery diseases, with Drs. Robert Altbaum, Ari Pollack and Mitchell Dreisman in conversation.
Part 2 (March 22) covers valvular heart disease; Part 3 (April 17) is on atrial fibrillation.
All 3 sessions begin at 7 p.m. All will be led by Dr. Altbaum, with coronary experts. Click here for details.
NOTE: Heart disease may not seem to be in Andrew Wilk’s wheelhouse. But before he turned to television and the performing arts, he wanted to be a doctor.
Andrew Wilk’s first session on heart disease includes (starting 2nd from left) Drs. Robert Altbaum, Ari Pollack and Mitchell Dreisman.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward continue to make news.
This June, Sotheby’s will auction “The World of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.” A series of sales of more than 300 items — drawn primarily from their Westport home — will include film and entertainment memorabilia, automotive and racing collectables, family photographs, antique furniture and fine decorative arts.
Special items include autographed letters and photographs from presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and Joanne’s wedding dress and ring from her marriage to Paul in 1958.
PS: Happy belated birthday to Joanne Woodward. The actress turned 93 on Tuesday.
Click here for more information. (Hat tip: Valerie Szeto)
Bridgewater Associates — the Westport-based world’s largest hedge fund — keeps a low profile.
But a Bloomberg article yesterday notes:
Bridgewater is capping the size of its flagship funds, plowing more money and talent into artificial intelligence and machine learning, expanding in Asia and in equities and doubling down on sustainability. To pare costs and free up resources, it’s also embarking on a firm-wide reorganization over the next two weeks, eliminating about 100 jobs in a workforce of roughly 1,300.
“Just doing what we’ve been doing isn’t good enough,” (CEO Nir) Bar Dea, 41, said in an interview. “Evolve or die. That’s what’s happening here.”
In other Bridgewater news, Rob Copeland’s new book — “The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend” — is available for pre-order.
Called “the unauthorized, unvarnished story of famed Wall Street hedge fund manager Ray Dalio,” it “peels back the curtain to reveal a rarified world of wealth and power, where former FBI director Jim Comey kisses Dalio’s ring, recent Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick sells out, and countless Bridgewater acolytes describe what it’s like to work at his fascinating firm.”
Fresh off last night’s packed opening of the Artists Collective of Westport March pop-up show opening, Eric Chiang is showing various artworks — from small to very large, and from realistic landscapes to abstract — at 3 other high-quality group shows, now through May.
Through Mar 18: “Artists Collective Members Show”(Gordon Fine Art Gallery, 1701 Post Road East).
March 8 – May 9: “Music to Our Eyes” and “Piece by Piece” (Westport Library); opening reception March 8, 6 to 8 p.m.
Early March through April 16: “Home” (Greens Farms Church Gallery Hall).
NOTE: The Artists Collective show is on view at the Westport Country Playhouse barn now through Sunday, March 5 (2 to 6 p.m.). There’s an artists’ talk Sunday, at 5 p.m. too.
Speaking of art: The Westport Book Shop‘s guest exhibitor for March is George Radwan.
He’s showing birdhouses, inspired by shacks he saw years ago in Soweto. He’s also exhibiting small mixed media pieces, constructed of found and repurposed materials.
All artwork is available for purpose. To see more of Radwan’s work, click here.
Bonnie Marcus has owned a design company (next to Arezzo Restaurant) for over 20 years. From her small studio, she and her team of Westport moms ship invitations and greeting cards to thousands of stores around the world, including Bloomingdales, Harrods, Target and Barnes & Noble. Celebrities like Britney Spears, Cindy Crawford and Christina Aguilera A-listers who have ordered invitations for special events.
Tonight you can see where Bonnie’s creativity comes from. An art exhibit featuring her great-uncle — abstract artist/painter/printmaker/social activist Louis Schanker opens at the Stamford JCC (7 p.m.).
Shanker and his wife, blues singer and socialite Libby Holman, enabled their close friend, Martin Luther King Jr,. to travel to India to learn firsthand non-violent techniques to battle racism in America.
Shanker’s paintings, sculptures and prints are on display through March 17. Click here for details.
Coretta Scott King and Bonnie Marcus.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is celestial: Venus and Jupiter, taken by Diane Lowman from her window.
Is the one on top Venus (smaller than Jupiter?) or Jupiter (further away than Venus)? Diane did not say.
And finally … Karen Carpenter was born on this day in 1950, in New Haven. She died 32 years later, from complications of anorexia.
(Wow — there’s a lot of news today. “06880” covers it all, every day. To help keep it coming, please consider a contribution. Click here — and thank you.)
The Westport Police Department arrested 4 people between October 19 and 26 on the following charges:
Reckless driving; operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol; failure to drive in the proper lane; failure to wear a safety belt.
Criminal mischief (2 arrests)
Violation of probation (2 counts); failure to appear.
In addition, the WPD issued the following summonses:
Cell phone use, 1st offense (17 people)
Traveling unreasonably fast (5 people)
Speeding (2 people)
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension (2 people)
There will be new life for the old “poor farm” on Compo Road North.
First a farmhouse, then a home for needy Westporters, and most recently the site of “Susie’s House” for Project Return, the property between the Little League fields and town tennis courts will be renovated into 6 residential units for homeless women.
The agreement with Homes with Hope was ratified this week by the Board of Selectwomen. The non-profit agency will provide 24-hour supervision and counseling to the residents.
Homes with Hope has already raised most of the $900,000 needed for renovations, says CEO Helen McAlinden.
Project Return’s “Susie’s House,” on North Compo Road.
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The long saga of Garden Cinemas ended yesterday.
Demolition began on the Norwalk art house, beloved for many years by countless Westporters and other area residents.
Attempts to turn the theater into a non-profit, with film-related after-school activities, failed. The site will now be developed for the Wall Street Place condominiums. (Hat tip: Matt Murray)
Tomorrow (Friday, October 28), Westport celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month. First Selectwoman Jen Tooker and the town’s Commission on People with Disabilities invite residents, businesses, employment services agencies and disability advocates to a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Senior Center.
The event includes coffee and donuts thanks to the Friends of the Senior Center, baked goods from Sweet P Bakery and the Porch, and a “network of employment champions.”
For more information about the Commission on People with Disabilities or the Employment is for Everyone initiative, click here, call Westport Human Services at 203 341-1050, or email humansrv@westportct.gov.
One of the town’s most anticipated clothing tag sales takes place this weekend.
The Westport Woman’s Club holds its annual event tomorrow and Saturday (October 28 and 29, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Sunday (October 30, noon to 3 p.m.). The site is the WWC clubhouse at 44 Imperial Avenue.
Gently used women’s, men’s and children’s clothing and accessories are back, with a wide array of suits, dresses, pants, jackets, blouses, gowns, coats, scarves, shoes, jewelry, handbags and hats.
Funds raised from the clothing tag sale support the Westport Food Closet, many local charities, and need-based student scholarships.
Preparing for the Westport Woman’s Club clothing tag sale.
On November 12, Sustainable Westport sponsors 2 important — and very “green” — events.
Free mattress and box spring recycling runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., at Earthplace (10 Woodside Lane). They must be dry and unsoiled.
Up to 90% of the 55,000 old mattresses disposed of every day by Americans can be recycled into new products like carpet pads, cushioning for exercise equipment and bike seats, insulation, air filters, and steel materials.
Boy Scout Troop 36 provides pickup service, for a small donation. Click here for details, and to sign up.
Then head to the Staples High School fieldhouse, for the first-ever Westport Holiday Green Festival (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
The joint effort of Sustainable Westport and Staples’ Zero Waste Committee includes crafters, artists, local resources and businesses, presenters, food, and the Staples Zero Waste Committee thrift store.
Westporters love to speculate about Bridgewater. The nation’s largest hedge fund is headquartered here, but keeps a very low profile.
Part of the curtain may be pulled back next fall. An “unauthorized, unvarnished” biography of its billionaire manager, Ray Dalio will be published then.
“The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend,” will be written by Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Rob Copeland. He’s conducting hundreds of interviews for the book.
“’The Fund’ peels back the curtain to reveal a rarified world of wealth and power, where former FBI director Jim Comey kisses Dalio’s ring, recent Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick sells out, and countless Bridgewater acolytes describe what it’s like to work at this fascinating firm,” publisher St. Martin’s Press says.
While working for Bridgewater — and later, as head of the FBI — Comey had a Westport home.
Click here for more, from the Washington Post. (Hat tip: Bill Dedman)
Jeera Thai has expanded its hours. The great, very authentic and much-loved Thai downtown restaurant is now open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, either in-person or takeout.
One of the stranger casualties of COVID was the “I Voted!” stickers. Handing them out to voters was deemed a health risk, I guess.
Just in time for the 2022 election, they’re back. The town registrars’ office has given permission to poll workers to hand out the civic souvenirs.
They expect a heavy turnout, and have ordered 15,000 ballots. The League of Women Voters has several thousand stickers on hand, and ordered 12,000 more.
Support democracy. Vote on November 8. Then — for the first time in 3 years — wear your sticker with pride.
Salon Nash is one of the Westport’s most popular hair styling salons.
Now boys and girls of all ages can have their hair styled in a grown-up salon — while enjoying an afternoon of fun friends.
Salon Nash is available for kids’ parties. There is plenty of room inside, plus an outdoor patio. Owner Felicia Catale, and her entertainment, can also come to you.
Salon Nash provides a 45-minute magic show, with balloon sculpting or face painting. Candy cups are also available. Meanwhile, Felicia will style hair for adults and children
Email catalefelicia@icloud.com, or call or text 203-747-9753 for details.
The Camp Gallery’s new solo exhibition for Westport artist Liz Leggett opens tomorrow (October 28, 5 to 8 p.m., 190 Main Street). She’s an abstract expressionist, working on canvas and panel.
Leggett will be at the opening. Wine and cheese will be served.
Sure, and Stephen Fogerty has been named one of the Irish Legal 100 for 2022 by the Irish Voice. The honor goes to 100 attorneys in the US who share pride in their Irish roots. Fogerty — whose roots are in county Tipperary and Sligo — practices with FLB Law in Westport.
Longtime Weston resident Stephen Steinbrecher died October 18. He was 88.
In 1949 the graduate of the Walden School and Clark University met Phyllis Schwartz at the University Settlement camp in Beacon, New York, They were married 6 years later.
Steve served on the New York Hotel Trades council, where he bridged industry divides, and on the Clark University board of trustees, where he founded the David Steinbrecher Fellowship Program. For more on Steve Steinbrecher’s impact on Clark University, click here.
Steve also sat on the University Settlement board, and helped create the Phyllis Steinbrecher Fellowship program.
He is survived by daughters Marcy Steinbrecher Puklin of Norwalk and Laura Steinbrecher of Weston; grandchildren Rachel Johnson, Sarah Livingston, Matthew LiVigni and Mikaela LiVigni, and his beloved dog Brooklyn.He was predeceased by his wife Steinbrecher in 2009, and son David Steinbrecher in 2004.
And finally … I never cared for Roger Miller’s “King of the Road.” I cared even less for Jody Miller’s reply song, “Queen of the House.” But both Millers (no relation) won Grammys for their work.
I never heard (or can’t remember) her biggest hit, “Home of the Brave,” about a boy bullied and barred from school for being different.
But Jody Miller died earlier this month in Oklahoma, at 80. Today’s songs are hers. (And Roger’s.) Click here for Jody Miller’s obituary.
(There’s a lot to love — or at least read — in today’s Roundup. To help keep information like this coming, please click here to support “06880.”)
A “For Lease” sign stands on Weston Road, at the entrance to Bridgewater Associates’ Glendinning. The parking lot has been fairly empty, since the start of COVID.
Bridgewater’s Glendinnin gPlace campus, off Weston Road.
The sign advertises 8,000 to 50,000 square feet. Cushing & Wakefield’s website lists only 7,553 square feet. The price is negotiable.
Bridgewater — the world’s largest hedge fund — now houses most employees at its Nyala Farm complex, off I-95 Exit 18.
The “For Lease” sign by Bridgewater’s Weston Road office park. (Photo/Matt Murray)
There’s a new addition to the town’s “blight list.”
Westport’s Blight Prevention Board added 6 Ulbrick Lane, off Bulkley Avenue North, at its meeting this week.
It’s been vacant about 10 years. Grass has grown high outside; visitors report rodents and vermin indoors.
6 Ulbrick Lane (Photo/Jack Krayson)
Meanwhile, as first reported by Westport Journal, the house at 233 Hillspoint Road — diagonally across from Old Mill Grocery, now wrapped in blue after work construction was halted 2 years ago — has been taken off the blight list.
The Zoning Board of Appeals reached a settlement with the owners earlier this summer. Work was stopped after officials detected several permit violations.
Construction can begin again at 233 Hillspoin Road. (Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
Also off the blight list: 1 Fresenius Lane, on Long Lots Road.
An all-star cast will be honored next Friday (August 19, 7:30 a.m., Greens Farms Church).
Westport Sunrise Rotary fetes Sam Gault, Vincent Penna Sr., Fire Chief Michael Kronick and Dr. James Wong.
Gault and Penna are longtime key volunteers at the club’s Great Duck Race fundraiser for many years. Chief Kronick is a longtime leader of the town’s fire service. Dr. Wong recently retired from his ophthalmology practice, after many years.
The public is invited to attend, and enjoy a buffet breakfast. To confirm, text Ron Holtz at 203-993-4970.
The New York Times’ Ginia Bellafante weighs in on “The Last Movie Stars,” HBO’s 6-part series on Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.
She includes this reference to their life here:
“Once, Newman came home to their place in Westport, Conn., to find Joanne refashioning an outbuilding in crazy colors with ad hoc furniture — a place for them, she told him, to retreat to their carnality.”
That’s quite an image. To read the full piece, click here.
Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The relationship is the focus of an HBO series.
It’s been years since IHOP left Westport (though the bones of the building, a now-closed nail salon, can still be seen opposite Fire Department headquarters on the Post Road).
But a new pancake place is headed to town.
WestportMoms reports this morning that The Original Pancake House will open this summer on Main Street. They’ll take over the 2nd floor space formerly occupied by Boca restaurant (and before that, Acqua).
The original Original Pancake House — TOPH, to its fans — opened in 1953 in Portland, Oregon. There are now over 100 locations in 28 states and overseas.
But none are in Connecticut. The closest right now is White Plains.
Among the signature dishes: apple pancakes, Dutch Baby, German pancakes and omelets.
Speaking of Main Street: Get set for some reshuffling of Westport retail space.
Westport Hardware will move a few yards west. The popular store opposite Fresh Market — the only one of its kind left in town — will take over the space formerly occupied by Sam Sloat Coins, Luxe Nail Spa, and part of Lester’s and now-closed Wish List. The nail salon will be relocating.
The new space — about the same size as the current store — will be bright, with open ceilings, a Westport Hardware spokesperson said.
So what’s replacing Westport Hardware?
Pottery Barn. They’ll move from Main Street. Pottery Barn will also take over the now-closed Mumbai Times restaurant and Vincent Palumbo Salon, on both sides of the hardware store. That’s around 15,000 square feet.
Target date for the move is late August.
In August Westport Hardware moves west; Pottery Barn moves in.
There’s a lot on the Board of Finance’s plate at its March 2 meeting (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).
Among the agenda items:
Presentation of the 2022-23 town budget, by 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
Presentation of the 2022-23 education budget, by Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice.
A request for $1.431 million to extend sewers to Whitney Street, Roseville Road, Fernwood Road, Plumtree Lane, Pamela Place and Ledgemoor Lane.
A request for $3.1 million to extend sewers to Evergreen Avenue and Parkway, Tamarac Road, Lone Pine Lane, Gorham Avenue, Compo Road North and Brookside Drive.
The meeting will also be livestreamed on the town website, and shown on Optimum channel 79 and Frontier channel 6020. Click here for the full agenda.
Congratulations to the Staples High School girls ice hockey team (a co-op squad, with Stamford and Westhill Highs).
A 3-0 win over Darien vaults them into their first-ever FCIAC final. Kate Tortorella scored twice, Annie Forker once, adn goalie Sydney Butler earned the shutout.
They play New Canaan on Saturday. Good luck! (Hat tip: The Ruden Report)
The Staples/Stamford/Westhiill girls ice hockey coop team.
Michael Chait’s photography has been featured on “06880.” He’s got a large following on social media too. Michael’s followers love his unique images of Westport, New York City and other locations.
But it’s one thing to see his work on a computer or phone screen. They’re even more impressive live, and in person.
You’ll get that chance on Saturday, March 5 (4 to 7 p.m.) and Sunday, march 6 (1 to 4 p.m.). There’s a special show at the Loft Studio/Office, 11 Riverside Avenue, 2nd floor.
That’s on the corner of Post Road West — one more favored spot for Michael’s photos.
Charlie Capalbo — the 23-year-old standout Fairfield hockey goalie, and grandson of Westport writer Ina Chadwick — has beaten cancer 3 times: lymphoma once, leukemia twice. Countless friends and strangers have rallied to his remarkable cause.
Astonishingly, he’s just been diagnosed with leukemia a third time. His fourth cancer battle in 5 years will include very expensive experimental treatments and immunotherapies — on top of the immense cost of previous treatments.
To donate to Charlie’s Go Fund Me page, click here. You can also email words of encouragement to charlie@optimalservices.com; leave a voicemail at 203-293-8464 (his phone won’t ring), and join the Friends of Charlie Capalbo Facebook page.
Today’s New York Times has an interesting story on a Republican US Senate candidate in Pennsylvania. Michael David McCormick is trying to thread the needle between being seen as a Trump ally, and one not too extreme in the state President Biden won by 1.2 percentage points. One consultant advised running in the “Trump-adjacent lane.”
The story notes that McCormick — a West Point graduate, army Ranger, Ph.D. graduate of Princeton and Treasury official in the George W. Bush administration — was most recently CEO of Bridgewater Associates.
The Times calls notes that the hedge fund’s “fieldstone-and-glass headquarters … on a wooded, 22-acre campus in Westport, Conn (are) a world away from Pennsylvania cities like Scranton, McKeesport and Aliquippa, which have been hit hard by the kinds of shifts in global trade that Bridgewater’s traders and analysts seek to monetize each day.”
It adds: “A former Democrat, McCormick has made voluminous comments on world affairs, and they aren’t always very MAGA.”
Click here for the full story, including McCormick’s views on China — a country the Times says holds particular fascination for Bridgewater.
Bridgewater’s “fieldstone-and-glass” headquarters, off Weston Road.
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