Governor Ned Lamont cut the ribbon yesterday, at the rededication of the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place in downtown Westport.
With 15 and 5 beds respectively — and a newly expanded food pantry, renovated kitchen, and additional meeting rooms — the Homes with Hope facility is better equipped than ever to serve underhoused and hungry residents.
Lamont was joined by Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquerra-Bruno, State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, Selectwomen Jen Tooker and Andrea Moore,, Homes with Hope CEO and president Helen McAlinden, Homes with Hope co-founder and former director Rev. Peter Powell, Westport Human Services director Elaine Daignault, and several Representative Town Meeting members.
The Gillespie Center is named for the shelter’s co-founder, Dr. Jim Gillespie. Hoskins Place honors another early housing supporter, Rev. Ted Hoskins of Saugatuck Congregational Church.
The ceremony also included Susie’s Place. Formerly known as Project Return — and named for that organization’s former director Susiei Basler — the Compo Road North house has room for 6 at-risk women, ages 18-24.
After renovations, it will open April 1.
To learn more about Homes with Hope and its services, click here.
Homes with Hope CEO, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker nad Governor Ned Lamont (center, holding scissors and ribbon), at yesterday’s Gillespie Center rededication.
Calling themselves “deeply concerned,” ADL Connecticut said: “The swastika is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis. The Holocaust was a singularly evil event, and it is inappropropriate and offensive to make light of it. At a time of rising hate and antisemitism, we call upon community leaders to speak out against this hate. Hate is not child’s play.”
The ADL sent a report about hate and harassment. “Swastikas are very prevalent in gaming and online, and kids see them often,” they said. Click here to read.
Westport’s Democratic Town Committee reposted the ADL’s message, echoing it in “the strongest of terms.”
TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey Jr. sent a statement to “06880.” Noting it was “personal” — not from the town’s multicultural organization — he said, “Whether hidden on a remote trail or in plain sight, such homages to hatred are heinous and must be condemned.
While some forces within our nation are pushing us pell-mell toward the outlawing of even their discussion, we must steel ourselves at every level to call them out and see them for the poison they represent to our community, and humanity itself.”
The “Hitler” snowman, in Newman Poses Preserce.
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The Representative Town Meeting Planning & Zoning, and Environment, Committees meet jointly tonight (Tuesday, February 11, 7 p.m., Town Hall room 201).
There is one agenda item: “Review of the Old Mill Pond walkway, gate and properties.”
Discussion is expected to include whether the public has the right to access Compo Cove, via the formerly open, now locked gate at the end of the walkway.
Click here to see the entire meeting packet, including documents.
Access to Compo Cove will be discussed at tonight’s RTM committee meetings.
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Tonight also marks the first of 3 consecutive nights of Board of Finance 2025-26 budget discussions.
All meetings take place in Town Hall room 309, beginning at 6 p.m.
The schedule:
Tonight (Tuesday, February 11): Human Services, Parks & Recreation/Wakeman Town Farm, Public Works/Sewer Fund.
Wednesday, February 12: Transit District, Police, Fire.
Thursday, February 13: Earthplace, IT, Library, Health District, Pension/ Insurance/Transfers/Other General.
Click here for a link to the full proposed 2025-26 budget.
Layla’s Falafel is known for its great Middle Eastern food.
Now it’s helping hungry folks, in our back yard.
The Post Road East restaurant has partnered with local non-profit Filling in the Blanks. They have pledged $12,000 to fund their Fresh Food on the Move mobile pantry in Bridgeport, at the end of this month. The pantry feeds over 475 families in need, offering fresh and healthy food.
Layla’s is donating $2 for every pint of $8 hummus sold at their Westport, Fairfield and Stamford locations. It’s made fresh daily; it’s vegan, gluten-free and seed oil-free — and includes 3 fluffy pita breads.
Donations can also be made through the QR code below.
Layla’s hummus.
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Everyone needs a warm hug.
This Thursday (February 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) marks the Westport Farmers’ Market’s annual Operation Warm Hug. It was postponed a week, by snow.
At their Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center winter home, Market volunteers will collect lightly used coats, hats, mittens, sweaters and sweatshirts, to share with nOURish in Bridgeport.
For the first time ever last night, Staples Orphenians — the high school’s elite a cappella group — joined Bedford and Coleytown Middle Schools’ cameratas for a joint Choir Festival.
The event, at Bedford, follows a similar three-schools jazz show at Staples.
Choir members enjoyed rehearsing together during the day. More joint music programs are planned for the future.
Choral directors (from left) Christina Dominguez, Lauren Pine and Jason Phillips, sporting their respective school logos.
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Timing is everything.
Yesteray, “06880” posted a story on Stitch Haven. Beth Berkowitz is the new owner of the store formerly known as Westport Yarns.
When the piece was published, a new sign was not yet ini place.
Just hours after the story appeared, the “Stitch Haven” sign was installed.
You can find all your knitting and crocheting needs there on Post Road East, next to Westport Hardware and Cava, across from Fresh Market and Terrain.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is a bit unusual.
Bob Weingarten writes: “A large tree was slated for removal from Center Street by the town in December. A town crew removed most of the top of the tree and sides in early January. but left what is shown below — probably because of all the wires.
“This removal is now waiting for (probably) Eversource.”
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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And finally … in honor of the rededication of the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place, and the upcoming reopening of Susie’s Place (story above):
(“06880” is your home for hyper-local news about Westport — our non-profits, businesses, schools, residents, beaches, history and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
After Jennifer Johnson published an Opinion piece on “06880” last tweek, urging open access to Compo Mill Cove in exchange for the town’s expenditure of $5.58 million to rebuild 2 tidal gates at Sherwood Mill Pond, leading to the Cove’s pedestrian pathway, and homes, dozens of readers contacted her.
Many offered to help support removing the locked gate and “Private Property/No Trespassing” sign, installed over a decade ago.
Johnson — a Representative Town Meeting member — thanked each one. She’s organizing a Google group, and will set up a Zoom meeting for early January.
She was particularly touched by a note from someone who no longer lives here. Lynn Castelli wrote:
I am a former resident of Compo Beach. From 1956 to 1982 my parents, Albert and Ruth Castelli, owned the property at 7 Soundview Drive. As a child and teenager, one my greatest pleasures (and now fondest memories) was walking from my home to Sherwood Island via the sandy path beyond the Mill Pond sluice gates.
Tidal gate at Sherwood Mill Pond (Photo/Paul Delano)
Growing up on Compo Beach I often walked the coastline from my home, over the jetty, over the boulders, along the shore to Old Mill Beach and then onto the bridge above the sluice gates. There I would stand to rest and watch the rushing waters from the Mill Pond flow beneath me. Then I proceeded to the quiet, sandy path that led me to Sherwood Island.
There has been no other place in my lifetime that has filled me with as much joy and wonder as did this small strip of coastline. Practically at our front door and beyond, the waters of Long Island Sound sparkled clear and teemed with life.
My father and I fished and harvested mussels, oysters and clams. There was abundant bird life everywhere. I saw my first seahorse at Old Mill Beach. The sands between the Mill Pond and Sherwood Island were a treasure trove of clam, oyster, scallop shells and sea glass. It saddens me to think that others are deprived access to the magic of the Mill Pond walkway.
Compo Cove, and the pedestrain path. When Lynn Castelli was young, the homes were much smaller.
Sentiment may not win the day in the attempt to unlock the gate to the walkway. But I hope that words still have the power to move those in whose hands this decision rests. Surely I am not alone in my reverence for the beauty to be found between the shores of Old Mill Beach, the gate to the Mill Pond walkway and beyond to Sherwood Island.
I sincerely hope that the Mill Pond walkway will once again be accessible. I would love to know that other children and their families might experience the enchantment to be found there. Too, I would be overjoyed to learn that I may return to Old Mill Beach and retrace my steps to Sherwood Island.
Thank you for sparing the time to read my message. I hope that by sharing my perspective others will understand more deeply what residents who stand outside the gate might gain by having access.
Experiences in nature, especially for children, are life-altering. The path from Compo Beach to Sherwood Island was an adventure I was delighted to repeat and share with my friends and family over and over again.
I was fortunate to be able to pass freely onto the path beyond the Mill Pond. May others pass freely in the future.
Old Mill, Sherwood Mill Pond, and Compo Cove (right). (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
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Yesterday’s “06880” Opinion piece by Jennifer Johnson urged town officials — who have authorized $5.58 million to rebuild 2 tidal gates at Sherwood Mill Pond — to ensure pedestrian access to Compo Cove, just beyond the project.
A locked gate — with a large “Private Property/No Trespassing/Walkway for Residents & Guests Only” — sign was erected 10 years ago. Previously, the path was open to all.
The Compo Cove gate.
Not surprisingly, about 2 dozen commenters wondered exactly why taxpayers should fund work that would benefit only a very few residents.
Johnson noted that legally, the mean high water line belongs to the public. How, she wondered, could they be denied access to it?
What was surprising was an email from Betsy Kahn.
She no longer lives here. But during her many years as a Westport realtor, she learned a thing or two about Compo Cove.
Betsy says that one way to access the mean high water line is via a town-owned, 25 foot-wide easement.
It’s relatively secret. Not many people besides Betsy know it exists.
It’s overgrown. The town has not maintained it.
“From the pathway, you’d guess it’s just a side yard,” Betsy says.
But it is an easement. And it’s right there between 2 homes (#54 and #56), in plain sight.
If, of course, you get past the locked gate.
Betsy Kahn marked the easement on this aerial view of Compo Cove.
Every once in a while, Betsy said, builders had to get heavy equipment back to the beach side, without damaging the small parcels of land they were working on.
They used the easement to the beach side between #54 and #56. Then it would grow over again, and be forgotten.
Thanks to the easement, Betsy says, at low tide one could legally walk all the way to Sherwood Island State Park — bordering the eastern end of Compo Cove — or around the point of the iconic brown house near Old Mill Beach, currently lifted up for renovation.
The beach in front of this house is accessible to the public, at the mean high water line. But first you have to get there. (Photo/Matt Murray)
Betsy says that the “beautiful pathway should be available to town residents to walk and enjoy— as it used to be.
“The pond and estuary behind these few beach mansions and homes on the Cove is the most beautiful place in town, in my opinion.
“It’s about a quarter mile to the end of the path. It ends at a private residence. You have to turn around and go back.”
Close-up of the easement.
Betsy notes that there’s another easement there, at the end: for emergency vehicles to use, entering from Sherwood Island.
Westporters — including those who will foot the bill for the new tidal gates and footbridge — don’t need that state park easement.
But we sure would like to access the one leading to the mean high water line.
It’s priceless.
The pedestrian path on Compo Cove. The easement between #54 and #56 is beyond the bend.
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Jennifer Johnson, her husband and 2 daughters moved to Westport in 2006.
She has worked in financial services, and for open space and land preservation organizations.
Jennifer has served on Westport’s Westport Parks & Recreation Commission, Compo Beach Site Improvement Committee, and is an executive committee member for the South Western Regional Planning Agency. She was a director of the Westport Transit District, and is a member of the Representative Town Meeting.
Following a recent vote by the legislative body, she writes:
Last month the RTM and Board of Finance voted to approve an expenditure of $5.58 million to rebuild 2 tidal gates at Sherwood Mill Pond.
The funding also includes rebuilding the pedestrian walkway that connects Sherwood Mill Beach to Compo Cove. There is a locked gate on the eastern end of the walkway. It was installed by Cove residents, and prevents public access to the Compo Mill Cove pathway along the southeastern shore of the Mill Pond.
Locked gate at the entrance to Compo Cove.
During the RTM meeting, questions arose regarding the gate: Why is it locked? Why can’t pedestrians walk along the Compo Mill Cove pathway like they used to? What about access to the mean high water line that belongs to all residents? Can the plan for the new taxpayer-funded walkway include some form of reclaimed access to the Compo Mill Cove pathway and/or tideland that is now blocked by the gate?
Given that the funding approval was time-sensitive, the RTM correctly approved the funding and tabled the pedestrian access issue. With the funding secured and the construction period deferred until spring, now is the time for Westport to find a solution to reclaim pedestrian access to the Compo Mill Cove pathway and tidelands once enjoyed by all, not just the dozen or so homeowners who live there (some part time).
While rebuilding the tide gate and walkway is both expensive and complicated, regaining public access to the Compo Mill Cove pathway and/or tidelands should be fairly straightforward.
Compo Cove residents should simply agree to open the gate between sunrise and sunset (an easy solution that could be programmed into the gate’s lock). Since the public is paying the hefty price tag to fund the walkway’s reconstruction — a walkway that Cove residents rely on to access their property — this seems like a fair and reasonable tradeoff.
Pedestrian path, and Compo Cove. The locked gate is near the bottom of the photo.
This simple solution reflects an increasing trend across the country. Private property owners are granting pedestrian easements to their land, for the express purpose of allowing the public to respectfully walk across a defined pathway during daylight hours.
The public historically had access, until the locked gate appeared about 20 years ago. As the years passed, and one by one the island’s historic bungalows were replaced with sizable rebuilds (like this $12.250 million recent listing), public access vanished.
I anticipate some Cove residents may raise security concerns. But those could readily be addressed by a police camera at the gate and/or residents installing readily-available security systems, if they haven’t already. The timed gate — combined with the general lack of car access — should prevent any opportunities for mischief, beyond the kinds of things beach residents typically contend with currently.
Alternatively, the town could initiate a small project to construct access points from the rebuilt walkway to the tidal land along either side of the walkway. This solution would only provide access at low tide. But some access is better than none.
If you are interested in joining this effort, please send contact information to millpondwalkway@gmail.com.
Aerial view of Compo Cove, with Sherwood Mill Pond (top). The arrow shows the gate location.
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