The family of Vincent Penna Jr. — the former deputy police chief who died last week at 51 — has announced that due to COVID restrictions, the mass of Christian burial at Assumption Church tomorrow (Tuesday, December 22) will be private.
However, the mass will be livestreamed on the Assumption Church website (click here). The mass is at 10 a.m.; the livestream begins at 9:50 a.m.
Friends and family may attend a socially distanced graveside service tomorrow (Tuesday, December 22, 11:30 a.m.) at Assumption Cemetery on Greens Farms Road. Click here to leave online condolences.
Vincent Penna Jr.
Susan Ford has seen a lot of interesting, cool and offbeat stuff off Compo Beach.
But until last night, she’d never seen a floating Christmas tree.
“If you find out who the incredible captain is who spread such cheer tonight, please thank them for me,” she says. “The smiles on my boys’ faces were lovely to see!”
(Photo/Susan Ford)
And, not to be outdone, Tanya LaClair spotted this (slightly) more permanent sight, on Saugatuck Island:
(Photo/Tanya LaClair)
Vaccines are here. But it’s way too early to toss your mask.
Tutem is a small, women-owned face mask manufacturer with roots in Westport. They make 3-ply disposable masks — but not the blah blue kind.
Tutem’s masks feature stylish designs. They’re individually wrapped for safe handling, are made in the US, and available in adult and child sizes.
Tutem has already donated to Westport organizations. Now, they’re offering Westport residents 25% off any masks.
If you have a Westport shipping or billing address, click here. At checkout, use this Discount Code: 06880.
And if your shipping address is 06880, you get free shipping too. Select “Local Delivery” as your shipping method at checkout.
One of Tutem’s mask designs.
And finally … winter is (officially) here! It arrived at 5:02 this morning.
This haunting Fleet Foxes song actually has nothing to do with winter, beyond the title. But it’s a lot more beautiful than “Winter Wonderland.”
Last night’s Pics of the Day featured a couple of images of the fiery sunset, a few hours earlier.
It was one of the most spectacular of the year. Two other Compo Beach photos came in later. They’re worth sharing.
(Photo/Jo Shields)
(Photo/Dan Hoffman)
But note: Despite the old adage “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning/Red sky at night, sailors’ delight,” today’s forecast is for periods of rain, with possible snow.
Then watch out for Wednesday. Head out now, to beat the panic grocery shoppers!
2020 has seemed interminable. As we near the end, the days get colder; the nights longer.
Sometimes it’s good to get a fresh perspective. New “06880” reader Zeina Mobassaleh writes:
We just moved to Westport, from Dubai, and we feel so lucky to get to live here.
I want to share a picture I took on a morning walk on Compo this week. It was such a beautiful morning, I just kept walking and walking, I couldn’t get enough of the breathtaking nature and views literally all around me. I wish everyone could have seen it. So I’m sharing at least this picture with you.
Now all of “06880” can see it too. Thanks, Zeina — and welcome to Westport!
(Photo/Zeina Mobbasaleh)
Yesterday’s “06880” featured some background on the Catherine M. Wedmore, the oyster boat often seen from Westport’s shores.
Gene Borio was intrigued. He’s been photographing it for years. His close-up shot will intrigue the many “06880” readers who have only watched it from afar.
Almost immediately, songwriters went to work. Charles Tobias’ “We Did It Before (and We Can Do it Again)” was the first to receive air play. Three nights later — on December 10 — his brother-in-law Eddie Cantor sang it on his radio variety show.
It was “more upbeat and less vicious” than tunes that followed — “a reminder of the country’s effort to make the world safe for democracy a generation before, and an acknowledgment of the work that lay ahead.”
Elaine Clayton is a longtime Westport. She’s been an “06880” reader from the start, 11 years ago. She’s an artist too, with a passion for sketching her home town.
But despite her many years here, Elaine had no idea how strong her roots are. She writes:
Lately my sister has been exploring our family tree on my maternal side.
She asked if I realized we had ancestors in Westport. I did not.
It turns out my 8th great-grandmother was Abigail Sherwood (whose nephew Daniel was the original owner of Sherwood Island).
Sherwood Island (Elaine Clayton)
In the same family line — which includes Ogdens and Jenningses — my g-grandfather was Joshua Jennings I,; my great-etc. uncles were Joshua Jennings II and III. They married into the Sturges, Bulkley and Burr families. Ogden House on Bronson Road in Fairfield was a many times great uncle’s house.
I had fun too contacting a new-found cousin, Peter Jennings.
This fascinates me, because I have gone around drawing as much of Westport and Southport as I could. My younger son is part of the town too, tending to the beaches and fields with the town crew.
Compo Beach, from Soundview (Elaine Clayton)
How far do your roots go back in Westport? Check them out. They may be deeper than you think! Let us know your links — click “Comments” below.
For nearly 30 years, a group of 10 or so swimmers have met at Compo Beach — at 6 a.m. They swim 1 to 2 miles. Several shower there, dress in their (non-bathing) suits, and head to the train station.
They swim from May to November — in wet suits at the start and end of the season. Here they were, last week:
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