For the 5th year in a row, retired United Airlines flight attendant Paul Veneto is pushing an airline service cart several hundred miles on foot.
His journey honors the “first first responders” — flight attendants and crew members — on the 4 planes hijacked on September 11, 2001.
He began at the Boston Public Garden 9/11 Memorial on August 15. He’ll end at Ground Zero, for the 25th anniversary commemoration there.
Paul — with his “Paulie’s Push” — plans to be in Westport on Friday (September 4), on the Post Road. He’ll stop at Westport Fire Department headquarters, for a brief ceremony.
Click here for more information, and to follow his journey on a map.
Paul Veneto (right), his cart and a supporter, along the route.
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Speaking of 9/11: Hundreds of motorcyclists took part in yesterday’s CT United motorcycle ride.
The event — paying tribute to the victims and first responders of 9/11 — is the largest fundraiser for both fire and law enforcement in the state. It began at Sherwood Island State Park, then roared its way on I-95 to Exit 17, up Riverside Avenue and Wilton Road to Wilton, then on through 7 towns before ending in Bridgeport.
A bomb threat briefly interrupted preparations at Sherwood Island. Plenty of safety officials, from a variety of agencies, were already on hand, and determined there was no danger.
This was the view from Westport Emergency Medical Services ambulance 603 — named “Joy” — before the ride began.
(Photo/Jonathan Alloy)
The riders included Westporters Rhona Lieberson, and granddaughter Carly Curran ride.
Family members and residents of 136 Riverside Avenue cheered them on. They got a big wave too from Westport Corporal Craig Bergamo, who helped out with the event.
Carly Curran and Rhona Lieberson. (Photo/Stacie Curran)
Motorcycle riders (left): From the I-95 Hales Road overpass (Photo/Loretta Hallock)
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Speaking still of 9/11: For more than a decade, Westport has had a special relationship with Catch A Lift Fund. The national non-profit provides gym memberships and home gym equipment to help wounded post-9/11 service members heal physically and mentally, through physical fitness.
Westporters have donated funds, welcomed veterans, and joined in workouts at venues like the police station, VFW, beach and Birchwood Country Club. The vets give plenty back in return — as inspiration, and serving as “angels” for children, teens and adults with disabilities through myTeamTriumph.
The 25th anniversary of 9/11 — and 250th birthday of the United States — is a great time for Westporters to continue supporting Catch a Lift.
On September 9 (6:30 p.m., Inn at Longshore), a special fundraiser will benefit the noon-profit.
Click here for information on how to purchase tickets.
Catch a Lift veterans, at a Birchwood Country Club event.
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Single tickets go on sale tomorrow (Tuesday) for the Westport Country Playhouse 2026-27 season. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Three will be 3 weeks in length; the others will be shorter runs. They are:
- “Ken Ludwig’s Pride and Prejudice Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley” (world premiere; October 20-November 7)
- “A Sherlock Carol” (written and directed by Shanahan, returning for a 4th season: December 12-20)
- “Murder For Two” (musical comedy mystery; March 4-7)
- “The Pancake Club” (world premiere; a Script in Hand selection, now staged by popular demand; April 20-May 8)
- “The Goldsmith” (another Script in Hand selection; May 19-22)
- “The Legend of Georgia McBride” (July 13-31).
For more information on the 2026-27 season, click here.
PS: Subscribers save up to 20% off single ticket prices, get priority seating, and enjoy other perks. Click here for details.
Another option: Flex Passes. They can be purchased now, and redeemed closer to performance time for the best available seats. The $50 per Flex Pass price can save up to $30 a ticket,
Historic seats, on sale tomorrow. (Photo/Robert Benson)
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The weather was wonderful yesterday, for the final Sunday Compo Beach service of the summer.
The Untied Methodist Church of Westport & Weston hosted. Bridgeport’s Pivot Ministries sang stirringly — as they always do.
(Photo/Karen Como)
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Also yesterday: Despite cloudy skies, Westport’s “other” beach — Burying Hill — was packed.
It’s a lot smaller than Compo, or even Old Mill.
Lifeguards are already off duty for the season.
But the quickly eroding spot just east of crowded Sherwood Island State Park attracts a loyal following.
And no other Westport beach has such a great view from a nearby hill.
Burying Hill Beach (Photo/William Weiss)
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And … yesterday’s New York Times included an insightful piece by Roger Rosenblatt on the wonders of growing old. Among them:
The wonder of still learning how to do new things. The wonder of writing this sentence. The alchemy of language. The scope and sweep of the imagination. The wonder of the mysteries of the weather. Of wind. Of sound. Of prayer, of faith. Of art. Of gifted people. Emily Dickinson, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Vermeer, Bach, Monk. These things have always brought me joy. Now I have the time to question how they do that. That I have no answers only makes these joys more wondrous.
Rosenblatt concludes with a memory from 1946:
At the age of 6, I was on vacation with my parents in Westport, Conn. The day of our arrival, I went off for a walk by myself. I was always doing that, to my parents’ dismay. And I came upon a large beautiful house with a sun room with glass walls so that I could see a Steinway concert grand in the middle of the floor.
The door was open. I went in and started playing, eventually looking up to see a princess-like woman standing beside the piano and smiling. We chatted. She took me back to the rented house. My mother was appalled, and she apologized for my bold behavior. No need, said the woman. It was a pleasure to see how innocent and unafraid I was. “Yes,” said my mother. “That’s how he is. He thinks the world is a room with a piano in it waiting to be played.”
In fact, it is.
The piece is titled “The World Is a Room With a Piano Waiting to Be Played.”
Where was that piano? We’ll leave that as one of life’s wonders. (Hat tip: Tommy Greenwald)
Illustration for Roger Rosenblatt’s essay. (Ruo-Jia Liang, for the New York Times)
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Meanwhile, while you were enjoying the Sunday morning service — or relaxing with coffee and the Times — a group of Westport friends were swimming from Cockenoe to Compo.
Hey, why not?!
Every Sunday for many summers, the group — including several Staples High School Class of 2003 graduates — has swum in Long Island Sound.
Traditionally, on the last August Sunday, they end with a swim from the beach to the island (or, like yesterday, the reverse).
The sun was out. The water was calm and warm.
And when the swimmers arrived on the Compo shore, a mile from where they began, family and friends were there to greet them.
From right to left: Cory Straus, Evan Rutchik, Andrew Zimmerman, Alex Klein (Staples ‘03), Jordan Lert (Staples ‘03), Zach Bilchik, Josh Shapiro (‘03), David Schneidman, Adam Gilbert.
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The first car wash of the Staples sports season is this coming Sunday.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 6, at 1720 Post Road East (just before Stop & Shop, heading toward Southport), the boys soccer team will be cleaning and scrubbing.
Funds go to the program. With athletes from all 3 teams — varsity, JV and freshmen — and parents participating, your vehicle will get plenty of attention.
The suggested donation is $20. Of course, you can give more! And to donate to the program without getting your car washed, click here.
Last fall, the Westport Police trusted this car to the Staples soccer team.
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We get lots of deer photos, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.
But this may be the first showing 2 bucks, with their handsome racks.
They’re used to fight rival males, attract mates, and mark territory during the breeding season.
We’re betting that in this case, it’s reason #1.
(Photo/Marie Gross)
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And finally … in honor of the Staples soccer car wash (item above)
(We don’t wash cars. But like many Staples sports teams, we depend on our community for support. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Then go to the car wash on Sunday. Thanks!)
gain: How would any newcomer know the answers? Even those motivated by a particular issue — Long Lots School, say, or bike paths — may have only a vague notion of the RTM’s role in our town.
A celebration is set for Tuesday (December 3, 7 p.m., Town Hall). The public is invited. The legislative body’s regular monthly meeting follows in the Town Hall auditorium, at 7:30.
