Tag Archives: Burying Hill Beach

Roundup: Osprey, Politics, Entertainment …

They’re back!

Well, at least one is.

Right on schedule, an osprey has returned to the perch between Fresh Market and Terrain.

Hopefully, its mate will join soon. Another season of fishing, breeding and hanging out in (and over) Westport awaits.

(Hat tip and photo/Dana Kuyper)

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Speaking of seasonal activities: These days, many Westporters are busy with spring cleaning.

Nine Rotary Club members took time out of their own yards, gardens and garages yesterday to spiff up the Sherwood Island Connector commuter parking lot, and nearby areas.

Led by Peter Helt and Rick Benson, they collected 25 bulging bags of trash.

“This is our town. Please keep it clean!” says Benson.

Rotarians to the rescue!

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Ani DiFranco drew a large crowd last night, to the Westport Library.

The musician, folk-rock legend and cultural icon kicked off 4 days of VersoFest ’26 in a conversation with Westport TV journalist Lindsay Czarniak about her new book, “The Spirit of Ani: Reflections on Spirituality, Feminism, Music, and Freedom.”

Tonight’s headliner is another musical legend: Wyclef Jean. Very few tickets remain for his 8 p.m. performance (click here to purchase).

For the full lineup of music, workshops, talks, art exhibits and more, click here. 

Ani DiFranco, at VersoFest. (Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)

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Downtown traffic may be a little tougher than usual tomorrow.

Two events — the weekly 11 a.m., Ruth Steinkraus Bridge anti-Trump protest, and a “No Kings” 12 noon rally on Jesup Green — could cause delays, along with possible road closures.

Traffic moves slowly when downtown is crowded. (Photo/Jim Honeycutt)

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A truck fire on I-95 southbound yesterday evening, just past Exit 17, caused significant delays.

Smoke could be seen as far east as Greens Farms.

(Photo/Michael Diggin)

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MoCA\CT invites all area teenagers to an open “Mic at the Museum Night” (April 30, 6 to 8 p.m.).

Organized by MoCA’s Teen Council, it’s free — and for teens only. Participants can perform in any medium they choose: music (solo or group), comedy, storytelling, rap, dance or whatever. Click here to sign up.

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Speaking of entertainment: Morningside — a local indie-rock band made up of local dads, who just released their debut album of original music — headlines Stage One at FTC next Friday (April 3).

The band — including Westporters Nick Huber, Sean Spillman and Bobby Schlesinger; Westonite Matt Stine, and Ian Walters of Fairfield — opened for John Oates last summer at the Levitt Pavilion. More recently, they played at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Theater.

Canyon — another Westport musician (and mom) — is the opening act at FTC. Click here for tickets, and more information.

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MyTeamTriumph — the great organization that pairs volunteer “angels” with “captain” athletes with disabilities, so that both can compete in running and bike races, and triathlons — hosts a pre-season warm-up short, friendly run and picnic on April 12 (11:30 a.m., Compo Beach).

They invite anyone interested — captain or angel — to check them out.

Upcoming events include the Women’s League of Westport Minute Man Race 5K and 10K (April 26), Boys & Girls Club of Stamford Corporate 5K (May 14), and Bloomin’ Metric Bike Ride (May 17).

Click here to sign up for the April 12 warm-up event. Click here for more information on myTeamTriumph.

MyTeamTriumph, in action.

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A good-sized group of Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members enjoyed their semi-annual lunch this week, at The Clubhouse.

They time this one for the yearly Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce food contest. (This year’s — for the best sandwiches in town — runs through Tuesday, March 31.)

The other lunch takes place during Restaurant Week.

RTM members (plus former moderator Velma Heller, 2nd from right), at The Clubhouse. Owners Tim and Emily Zobl are in back.

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Last year, the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place — Westport’s men’s and women’s shelters — reopened, after extensive renovations.

This year, they’ve added something else new: an American flag. Peter Jennings installed it Wednesday.

The flag now flies proudly outside Homes with Hope’s Jesup Road building — which also houses a food pantry, and meeting space — in the heart of downtown.

(Photo/Helen McAlinden)

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This winter has been tough on local roads.

The Public Works Department is patching potholes as best they can. The entrance road at Burying Hill Beach has a particularly deep one.

(Photo/Scott Smith)

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Earlier this week the Y’s Women learned about “the power of the Red Cross,” from 2 women who know it well.

Susan Shansky retired from a career in budget management and communications at MIT. She is now a “blood donor ambassador,” having donated 10 gallons (in small increments) to the Red Cross.

Natalie Sustache is an American Red Cross senior recruiter.

The pair described how they bring talented people, to deliver hope and relief every day.

Susan Shansky and Natalie Sustache. (Photo/Vera DeStefano)

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is one more in our continuing insistence that yes, spring really is just around the corner.

Though tomorrow’s high will only be around 39, temperatures could reach the 70s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fingers crossed …

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … Chip Taylor, who wrote songs as diverse as the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” and Merrilee Rush’s “Angel of the Morning,” died Monday in New York. He was 86.

Click here for a full obituary.

(Be an angel! Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to “06880.” Our hyper-local blog relies on support from readers like you. Thank you!)

 

Pic Of The Day #3241

It didn’t take much today — just a tiny bit of warmer weather — to bring fishermen out at Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Ed Simek)

Pic Of The Day #3238

Burying Hill Beach (Photo/John Maloney)

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Burying Hill Beach today — before the blizzard (Photo/Ed Simek)

Pics Of The Day #3217

Ice at Burying Hill Beach … (Photo/Rob Jackson)

… and Compo Beach (Photo/Gabriela Hayes)

Let It Snow …

Most Westporters — make that, most Americans — are hunkered down inside today.

Streaming movies, cooking, reading, whatever — it’s a Sunday snow day.

Of course, some folks ventured outside. Here’s what they found:

9 am.: Post Road East. (Photo/Colin Livingston)

9 a.m.: Fire headquarters (Photo/Colin Livingston)

Off Whitney Street. (Photo/Richard Fogel)

Off Wilton Road: Not a snowman — but it could be! (Photo/Chuck Greenlee)

I-95 southbound, between Exits 18 and 17: the view from an ambulance. Thankfully, photographer Jonathan Alloy says, “people are staying off the roads.”

Another view of I-95. Photographer Susan Garment reminds drivers to have both headlights and taillights on during snow and rain. Running lights are only on the front.

Dart, on Guyer Road (Photo/Bill Downey)

Railroad bridge: Maple Lane, near Greens Farms train station. (Photo/Seth Schachter)

Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Seth Schachter)

Robin and Griffin at Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Nico Eisenberger)

Frozen Compo Beach … (Photo/Tammy Barry)

… with a bit of recreation there … (Photo/Tammy Barry)

… while bundled up against the cold. (Photo/Tammy Barry)

Sherwood Island State Park: Don’t believe everything you read. (Photo/Bruce Geller)

 

Pic Of The Day #3200

Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Rob Jackson)

Pic Of The Day #3157

Burying Hill Beach (Photo/Seth Schachter)

Who Is Buried At Burying Hill?

Descendants of the Jennings and Couch families gathered at Burying Hill Beach on Sunday to dedicate one of 4 new monuments extends the Jennings Trail.

What is now named Burying Hill Beach was referred to over 200 years as “The Couch Family Burial Ground/ Couch Burial Hill.” Purchased by Simon Couch around 1660, what he called “his beautiful hill overlooking the sea” was the only burial ground in Green’s Farms, until the West Parish developed its own in 1725.

Couch Burial Hill most likely holds the remains of many colonial settlers, including members of the Jennings, Couch and other local families. All were neighbors and relatives.

Members of the Jennings and Couch families gathered for Sunday’s celebration. (Photo/Emily Jennings)

Francis Andrews, a founder of Hartford, early settler of Fairfield (and Simon Couch’s father -in-law) is also said to be buried there.

The town of Westport acquired the property in 1893, after claiming that the last headstone had gone missing. The name “Couch Burial Hill” was changed to “Burying Hill Beach.” It was the first shoreline park to be designated and approved as a recreation area by the State Legislature.

The Jennings Trail Committee worked for 2 years to research, organize and fund the 4 additional monuments. Jennings Trail Committee chair Peter Jennings joined local historians Morley Boyd, Wendy Crowther, Robert Liftig and Bob Weingarten to complete this first phase of the project.

Peter Jennings and Inez Liftig install the plaque. (Photo/Bob Liftig)

Jennings Trail is a self-guided tour of 2 dozen historic Westport sites, each marked with a plaque. It was conceived in 1974, as part of Westport’s part of the US bicentennial.

The Trail is named for Bessie Jennings, whose family first settled in this area around 1650. She guided 3rd graders along it for many years.

Now under the stewardship of the Westport Historic District Commission, it is maintained — at his own expense — by Peter Jennings, an 11th-generation Westporter and Bessie Jennings’ cousin.

(For more information on Burying Hill Beach, click here.)

(“06880” reports regularly on today’s Westport news — and occasionally looks back. If you enjoy learning about our history, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Pics Of The Day #3098

Burying Hill Beach, 10 a.m. today … (Photo/Seth Schachter)

… while at Compo Beach at noon, 2 swimmers and a dog got ready for the storm … (Photo/Wendy May)

… and another swimmer, at 3:10 pm … (Photo/Loretta Hallock) 

… as the wind whipped flags at Ned Dimes Marina … (Photo/Matt Murray)

… and flying high, near Longshore (Photo/Pam Docters)