Tag Archives: Compo Shopping Center

Roundup: Earthplace Falcons, Rotary Service, Minute Man Results …

Posted on April 29, 2025 | 1 comment

Falcons are magnificent birds.

And a little over a year from now, a magnificent falcon barn will be added at Earthplace.

It will be part of the science, conservation and education center’s extensive upgrade to its already impressive Birds of Prey exhibit.

The new barn will include a falconry program, where attendees can watch the birds fly off, then return to their hand.

Earthplace goes before the Planning & Zoning Commission next month. The goal is to begin work this summer, then move the birds of prey there temporarily during renovations to their current site. Daily feedings and other programs will cotninue during the work.

Significant changes are planned for the enclosures. The birds of prey will have more room, while visitors will be able to walk around, and see the them from many angles.

An Earthplace staff member is undergoing extensive training, to become a certified falconer.

An Earthplace raptor.

==================================================

The Westport Rotary Club is a year-round service organization.

But Saturday, May 17 is their “Epic Day of Service.” It’s part of a worldwide effort.

To create the biggest impact possible, members are combining with several area Rotary clubs — including Westport Sunrise — to sponsor 7 projects.

In Westport they include Gillespie Center landscaping, a food drive at Big Y, and the Library Book Sale.

Local Rotarians will also help paint at Open Doors in Norwalk, clean up 2 Bridgeport sites, and join in the Walk to End Homelessness in Bridgeport.

They invite all community members to help. There is something for all ages and levels of expertise. Click here to learn more, and volunteer.

=================================================

The official results are in.

The Westport Young Woman’s League has released the times of finishers for the 10K and 5K, at Sunday’s 46th annual Minute Man Race. Click here to see.

The winner of the 10K is either spectacularly named, or he ran under an alias.

He’s “Hunter Izfast.”

The start of the Minute Man Race. (Photo/Ryan Allen)

==================================================

The “Career Coach” — a mobile clsasroom offering career services and computer training — will make 3 stops at the Westport Library.

Workshops include:

  • Introduction to Excel (April 30)
  • Job Search Strategies (May 8)
  • AI in Action (June 30).

There are 2 sessions each day: 10 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 3 p.m. Click here to register. Questions? Email tevans@westportlibrary. org.

The Career Coach’s Westport appearances are sponsored by Homes with Hope, the Westport Department of Human Services, and The WorkPlace.

=================================================

 

Peter Yarrow and Mary Travers have died. But the music of Peter, Paul & Mary lives on.

It comes to Westport on May 10 (8 p.m.). Voices Café presents a tribute to the iconic folk trio, with (appropriately) 3 acts.

The Kennedys, Mustard’s Retreat and Suzanne Sheridan all return to the coffeehouse, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.

All uphold Peter, Paul & Mary’s legacy, sharing their experiences through song while keeping alive the power of singing for justice.

Voices Cafe concerts support local social justice programs. Tickets are $30. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

From left: Suzanne Sheridan, The Kennedys, Mustard’s Retreat.

==================================================

A morning full of stories, creativity, and community connection is on tap at the Westport Book Shop this Saturday (May 3, 10:30 a.m. to noon).

“Stories in Bloom: An Authors Showcase and Family Fun Event” includes a maypole dance, face painting, temporary tattoos, cornhole and food.

As for books: Over a dozen local authors will sign their volumes, for all ages.

They include Diana Blau, Sam Wilson, Christina McKay DiChristina, Allia Zobel Nolan, MaryAnn Degala, Michael Hendricks and Rebecca Ross, Bette Bono, Sylvie Jordan, Gina Uricchio, Laurie Newkirk, Marlou Newkirk, Debbie Salas Lopez and Kristina Lopez, Michael Payton, Denis O’Neill & Cy Quadland, Bella Rizzi, Cat Urbain, Gabi Coatsworth, Julie Ward and Marsha Temlock.

Jack Geer, whose greeting cards are sold at the Book Shop, will also share his artwork.

Together with “Stories in Bloom,” the Westport Book Shop is launching two raffles. They run from May 3 through June 28.

One offers a sealed copy of “The New Yorker in Westport.” Eve Potts and Andrew Bentley’s book highlights 50 magazine covers created by local artists.

The other is for 4 weekly group swim lessons at the Stewie the Duck Swim School in Norwalk, and a Stewie the Duck gift basket.

Tickets are $5 each, 3 for $10,

==================================================

Some Tesla drivers who have soured on the car company’s owner sport bumper stickers that say things like, “I bought this before I knew Elon was crazy.”

This one — spotted in Compo Shopping Center — went waaaay further:

(Photo/Duane Cohen)

==================================================

Meanwhile, a few yards away: The bar is high for entitled parking photos on “06880.”

Taking 2 spots won’t cut it. The driver must hog 3 (or more).

This one  does. Bonus points because it’s at Compo Shopping Center, one of the worst parking lots in Westport even on good days.

==================================================

May marks “PianoFest,” for the regular Thursday Jazz at the Post series.

David Morgan — who has performed and recorded with Wynton Marsalis and Wes Anderson, and written music for CBS Sports, Discovery, A&E and MTV — kicks things off this week (May 1, VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; $20 music cover, $15 for veterans and students).

He’ll be joined by bassist Yury Galkin, drummer Tyger MacNeal, and saxophonists David DeJesus and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets.

==================================================

Last weekend’s rain set the scene for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

Claudia Sherwood Servidio snapped it, on Cross Highway.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

================================================

And finally … in honor of the upcoming Earthplace renovations, including a new falcon barn (story above):

(If you click here to support “06880” with a tax-deductible donation, our hearts will soar like a falcon. Thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Entertainment, Environment

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Roundup: Jaime Bairaktaris, Sherry Jagerson, Saugatuck Church Pride …

Posted on June 17, 2024 | 8 comments

Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service’s new president is a familiar face — but also a young one.

Jaime Bairaktaris has already served as a board member and crew chief. When he succeeds Michael Burns on July 1, the 26-year-old will be the youngest Westport EMS president in history.

He began volunteering in 2013 as a Staples High School freshman. He has logged
nearly 3,000 hours since.

Bairaktaris was named Volunteer of the Year in 2016, and Crew Chief of the
Year in 2022.

EMS is one of his many activities. Bairaktaris works full-time as a support staff member at Redding’s John Read Middle School, and recently finished a term on the Westport Representative Town Meeting for District 4. He also founded and publishes The Westport Local Press.

Bairaktaris hopes to add initiatives for current volunteers, while attracting and growing the next generation of EMTs.

Another goal is to strengthen public education, with new classes focused on mental health.

Current president Burns will transition to serve as vice president, continuing his work on the non-profit’s new endowment goals to allow long-term financial sustainability.

Burns’ leadership was crucial to WVEMS’s growth and stability following the pandemic.

For more information on Westport Volunteer EMS and its service to Westport, click here.

Jaime Bairaktaris

==================================================

Sherry Jagerson got the sendoff she deserved on Saturday afternoon.

Friends and admirers packed the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport. They smiled and laughed as family members and colleagues told stories about the longtime Westporter’s many accomplishments, as a sailor, sailmaker and women’s sailing instructor; self-taught home renovator and repairperson; environmental activist and Nash Pond steward; human rights advocate; mother, grandmother, and role model to all.

The next day, 2 dozen family members and friends paid the ultimate tribute to the passionate woman, who died earlier this month at 80.

They gathered at the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve — whose transformation from the former Allen’s Clam House to an idyllic spot for reflection and kayak launching Jagerson spearheaded over a decade ago — to weed, prune and replant the site.

As they worked, the crew told Jagerson’s story to curious passersby and preserve-goers. They included 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, who was there to go kayaking, and volunteered to take a group photo.

Sherry Jagerson’s family and friends, at Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. (Photo/Jen Tooker)

“It was a fabulous few hours, giving us one more opportunity to show our appreciation and gratitude for our amazing mom,” daughter Stacy Fowle says.

Cleaning up Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. (Photo/Stacy Fowle)

==================================================

Several dozen people enjoyed the warm sun and broad front lawn, at Saugatuck Congregational Church’s first-ever Pride event yesterday.

There was food, camaraderie, a bouncy house for kids, and more.

Including plenty of rainbows.

Saugatuck Church prepares for Pride. (Photo/Richard Fogel)

=================================================

Compo Shopping Center has the parking lot Westporters love to hate.

The front is narrow, confusing and dangerous. The rear is spacious, but — in part because it has been potholed and poorly maintained — underutilized.

Part of that problem has been solved. New owners Regency Centers recently repaved part of the back lot.

It’s a great improvement. Now, about rest of the place …

Compo Shopping Center repaving. (Photo/Rob Haroun)

===============================================

“Who” stopped by for a Father’s Day “Westport … Naturally” portrait yesterday?

This guy!

(Photo/Barry Kresch)

==================================================

And finally … on this date in 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, spent the next 17 years building her mausoleum. Today it is called the Taj Mahal.

(Welcome to another week of Roundups: your best source each day for whatever has happened, is happening or will happen in the 06880. Please click here to support our hard work. Thank you!)

8 Comments

Posted in Environment, Local business, religion

Tagged , , , , , ,

Compo Shopping Center: Behind The Reveal

Posted on January 10, 2023 | 12 comments

Rick Hoag has always liked the “quirky, ’50s-’60s feel” of Compo Shopping Center.

So when his Frederick William Hoag Architects firm got the chance to redesign the façade of one of Westport’s first strip malls, he was eager to help.

The west (CVS, Planet Pizza) side was built in 1957. The east (Gold’s, Little Kitchen) portion followed shortly after.

Compo Shopping Center’s west (top) and east sides, before renovation.

It’s really, really long. It’s home to a diverse array of different-sized tenants. And regulatory challenges constricted the type of changes Hoag could do.

But he’s nothing if not resourceful.

“The existing architecture exudes a playful mid-century vibe with sweeping fascias and inclined façades, retro forms, and language to be celebrated within a contemporary architectural skin,” he says.

“The existing sloped cornice seems to put the whole building façade in motion, emulating the automobiles traveling the Post Road.”

That reminded him of “Norman Rockwell-like images of happy American families shopping. before whisking off in their Chris-Craft on Long Island Sound.”

Mid-20th century Chris-Craft.

That classic speedboat concept inspired his design.

The new west side …

By applying finishes as a rain screen, he and his firm maintained the existing weather tightness of the building.

… and the east.

LED lights are a 21st-century thing. But Hoag designed them in a way that, he says, embraces both the spirit of the retro façade, and the feel of today.

The result — with help from Bill Achilles, earlier in the process — is emerging now. A.V. Tuchy — the Norwalk builders doing the renovation — should be finished in March.

Then, the scaffolds will come down. The “new” Compo Shopping Center will sparkle by day, and shine by night.

Dusk view.

That may attract more shoppers and restaurant-goers than ever.

Drive safely!

(“06880” covers stories you never realized needed covering. Please click here to help us continue our work. Thank you!) 

12 Comments

Posted in Local business, Looking back, Real estate, Restaurants

Tagged , , ,

6 Roundabouts May Ease Traffic Woes

Posted on April 1, 2022 | 31 comments

Town officials have already discussed a variety of uses for Westport’s $8.4 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds: the jetty at Burying Hill Beach, aid to non-profit organizations, and plans for low-density affordable housing.

Next up: traffic mitigation.

Specifically: roundabouts.

A new traffic pattern — circular, around a central island — has long been proposed for the Weston Road/Main Street/Easton Road cluster*** near Merritt Parkway Exit 42.

The very confusing — and dangerous — Main Street/Weston Road/Easton Road intersection.

Soon, the Board of Selectwomen and Public Works Department will request money to make that a reality.

As well as 5 other notoriously bad intersections in town.

Roundabouts will be proposed for:

  • The notorious “worst in the state” Post Road/Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road mess
  • Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street, at the foot of the Cribari Bridge
  • The Compo Shopping Center (“CVS”)/Compo Acres (“Trader Joe’s”) misaligned entrances/exits on the Post Road
  • The nearly-as-bad Compo Acres exit onto South Compo Road, at the west end of the plaza
  • The North Avenue/Cross Highway 4-way stop, midway between 4 Westport schools.

A roundabout in the Post Road would prevent cars from entering the wrong way.

“We understand  that while the Merritt Parkway project is fairly straightforward, with plans already designed, the others are more complex,” the Board of Selectwomen say in a prepared statement.

“In fact, all of the others will involve taking some land by eminent domain. The Wilton Road and Cribari Bridge projects, for example, may necessitate the removal of some already existing buildings.

“While eminent domain is not necessarily the easiest path to pursue, we believe that ultimately these improvements will benefit all Westporters. We pledge to work with any affected businesses to find new locations, and to do so in a way that lessens any adverse impact on them.”

The statement adds, “While we know some of these designs will be tight, we are confident that our professionals can make them work.”

The proposal goes next to the Planning & Zoning Commission, then the RTM. Click here to see drawings of all 6 roundabouts.

Due to space constraints, Westport’s roundabout islands would not be as large as this example.

31 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Transportation

Tagged , ,

Compo Shopping Center: “06880” Readers Drive The Discussion

Posted on December 31, 2021 | 13 comments

We may not be able to solve the COVID crisis. We can’t agree on where to put affordable housing, or what to do with trees on private property.

But together, we can fix one of Westport’s gravest threats: the Compo Shopping Center parking lot.

Yesterday, I asked for ideas about the clusterf*** that confounds us all. It is — as readers repeatedly report — a death trap. An embarrassment. And (this should get everyone’s attention) a detriment to business.

You did not disappoint. Ideas poured in — plus aerial photos, complete with arrows and Xs.

Sure, it’s the last day of the year. You’re distracted with New Year’s preparations, deciding which sweatpants to wear as you sit home tonight.

But I want to make sure that some of the best solutions don’t get buried in the Comments section. So here’s a summary of what you said.

=======================================================

Evan Stein has a thorough solution — with a diagram:

Evan suggests: Close all connections from the rear parking lot to the front. Re-stripe the lots, for angled parking.

Divide the lot with a barrier (giant planters with trees or shrubbery) into a south lot and a north lot. Each would have one entrance, and one exit. Enter the south lot from the south. Enter the north lot from the north.

Each lot exit would have an independent traffic light. The exit from Compo Acres Shopping Center (Trader Joe’s) would also have its own traffic light. There would be a 5-light cycle:
• South lot green
• North lot green
• Compo acres green
• Route 1 green (no turning allowed)
• Pedestrian crossing.

=======================================================

Elizabeth Thibault likes Evan’s idea, but notes that Post Road traffic frequently blocks the light at CVS. She’d make the lights one way, going into the plaza and then flowing out the back. If that doesn’t work, at least paint a giant box in front, and ticket drivers for blocking the entrance.

Elizabeth has a more radical suggestion: Remodel each business, making the main entrances in the rear. She’d keep the glass windows and displays on the Post Road side, to attract drivers, but would make the store layouts favor back entry.

======================================================

Doug Kniffin offers 4 fixes, from easiest to most difficult:

Adjust the CVS-adjacent traffic signal for 3 separate phases: a) Post Road both directions; b) CVS lot exit only, with cars able to turn east and west; c) Trader Joe’s lot exit only, with cars able to turn east and west.

Paint solid yellow lines down the center of the parking lots in front of CVS and Gold’s Little Kitchen. This will help keep drivers on the “right” side of the lot.

Change the exit ramp next to Cohen’s Optical from exit-only to entry-only.  The exit ramp now is useless. A new parking lot entry will reduce traffic going into the entry further west, at the traffic light.

Take space from the north end of the People’s Bank parking lot; create entry/exit access lanes between the back of the Compo Shopping lot and North Compo Road. People’s rarely uses this space, but an exit/entry there will reduce the traffic traveling through the front lots.

Here’s Doug’s diagram, with every option marked:

=======================================================

Beth Berkowitz suggests angled parking too. That makes it harder for 2-way traffic to imperil drivers.

She’d also make the spaces closest to the road parallel parking — not head-in — and would turn the entrance/exit in front of CVS into entrance only. Traffic could exit only through the south (North Compo) end, or the back lot.

======================================================

Wendy Crowther has one simple, quick fix: Eliminate the parking spaces that encroach upon the lot’s main entrance/exit, as well as those near the center driveway that passes between the 2 buildings. This would allow drivers to enter and exit the lot without the hassle of cars trying to pull in and out of those spaces.

======================================================

There you have it: Westporters’ ideas for fixing a seemingly intractable traffic nightmare.

Coming soon: the Post Road/Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road debacle.

13 Comments

Posted in Local business, Real estate, Transportation, Westport life

Tagged , , , ,

New Coffee Shop Stirs Controversy

Posted on December 30, 2021 | 25 comments

The news that Dunkin’ Donuts is moving across the Post Road — from its spot near the UPS Store, to 2 vacant storefronts in Compo Shopping Center — was greeted not with joy, for its expanded space.

Instead, “06880” commenters expressed chagrin that the already chaotic parking lot opposite Trader Joe’s will become — unbelievably — even more gruesome.

In a town with too many candidates for Worst Traffic Nightmare, the twin lots near downtown win in a walkaway. As bad as the rest of Westport is, nothing comes close to these mis-aligned, cramped lots filled with aggressive, heedless drivers laser-focused on getting their pizza, dry cleaning or hemorrhoid cream, then getting the hell out.

Now we add coffee into the mix.

Arrow? What arrow?!

I don’t recall Compo Shopping Center always being so bad. Even with a McClellan’s five-and-dime, barber shop and luncheonette — remember “luncheonettes”?! — plus a supermarket where Awesome Toys is now, traffic flowed smoothly.

I might be misremembering, but it seemed that the traffic in front of the left side of the plaza was always one-way, headed south. You couldn’t come from behind the stores and head left through the lot. You couldn’t even back out and aim for the light at the middle; you had to keep going toward North Compo.

Now anything goes. Parking spaces are narrower than ever. Drivers are more distracted. CVS is always packed. And that’s just for starters.

Note the two — two! — cars entering the CVS lot the wrong way.

So here is today’s “06880” challenge. It’s probably a fool’s errand, but let’s say you had a chance to redesign Compo Shopping Center. What would you do?

You can reimagine the entire, horrific property: The tiny traffic island at the middle entrance that many folks ignore. The entrance itself, a few maddening yards away from its counterpart at Trader Joe’s. The cut-through to the back lot. The one-way hill leading to the Humane Society (which is moving soon, to Wilton). The rear lot. The traffic flow. The stores themselves.

You name it — it’s all on the table.

One way to solve the problem of narrow parking spaces.

This is a great country. We just launched a space telescope 100 times more powerful than its already impressive predecessor. We developed, manufactured and distributed a vaccine to combat COVID all in 13 months, even if some people are too batshit stupid to take it. We can do whatever we put our minds to.

Even fix Compo Shopping Center.*

Click “Comments” below to provide your solution. The winner gets a free coffee at Dunkin’.

There’s lots of room in the underutilized back lot — though people park poorly there too.

*We’ll leave Compo Acres — the Trader Joe’s lot — for another time.

25 Comments

Posted in Local business, Real estate, Transportation

Tagged , , ,

Photo Challenge #330

Posted on April 25, 2021 | 8 comments

The answer to last week’s Photo Challenge was easy.

Mark Mathias’ shot of a sign — “NOTICE No Skateboarding Etc.” — was taken in the rear parking of Compo Shopping Center. It hangs near CVS, and East Main Street. (Click here to see.)

Molly Alger, John McCarthy, Andrew Colabella and Michael Calise nailed it.

But do they — or anyone — know what “etc.” refers to? Usually it follows at least a few other items. This sign leaves a lot to the imagination.

This week’s Photo Challenge is, well, sad. If you know where in Westport you’d see this forlorn sight, click Comments below.

(Photo/Bob Weingarten)

 

8 Comments

Posted in Local business, Photo Challenge

Tagged

Pics Of The Day #1103

Posted on April 24, 2020 | 9 comments

On a normal Friday morning, Westport’s business district would have been bustling.

Today was not a normal Friday morning. Neither was any day this week, or last. And it won’t be normal next week either.

Alert — and saddened — Molly Alger took a lonely tour through town this morning. Here’s what she saw.

Post Road East, looking west

Compo Shopping Center

Playhouse Square

Another view of Post Road East

Church Lane

Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge

Taylor parking lot

Main Street

Main Street, further north

Brooks Corner

Baldwin parking lot

190 Main Street

North Main Street (Photos/Molly Alger)

But then — a few hours later — skies cleared. The sun came out. And all over town, people smiled.

Saugatuck River (Photo by Chris Tait; hat tip Stephen Kempson)

Kowalsky Farm and Frost Point, Greens Farms (Photo/Nico Eisenberger)

Sherwood Mill Pond (Photo/William Ritter)

9 Comments

Posted in Downtown, Local business, Pic of the Day

Tagged , , , , , ,

Pic Of The Day #980

Posted on December 23, 2019 | 3 comments

Thanks for shopping with us — in the back lot of Compo Shopping Center (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

3 Comments

Posted in Local business, Pic of the Day

Tagged

Good News! No More “Drive-Thrus” At Compo Shopping Center

Posted on September 1, 2018 | 6 comments

One of Westport’s oddest traditions — drivers plowing through the storefronts of Compo Shopping Center’s bank, delicatessen and retail stores — is ending.

Last night, alert “06880” reader Jeff Gray spotted workers placing bollards up and down the sidewalk.

(Photo/Jeff Gray)

Here’s another view, shot this morning by Amy Schneider:

(Photo/Amy Schneider)

Now Westporters can enjoy a safe Labor Day weekend — and every other day too.

6 Comments

Posted in Local business, Restaurants, Transportation

Tagged ,