Cross Highway, this afternoon … (Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)
… and Compo Beach … (Photo/Jonathan Rosenoer)
… and the Gault barn, Compo Road South (Photo/Tom Kretsch)
… and a fire truck, at a Bayberry Lane/Easton Road accident (Photo/Jonathan Alloy)
Comments Off on Pics Of The Day #3195
Posted in Beach, Pic of the Day, Weather
Jennings Trail is named in honor of Bessie Jennings. Her family settled in this area around 1650.
A beloved educator and authority on Westport’s past, she originated and led tours of local historic sites, for decades of elementary school students.
Conceived in 1974 as part of Westport’s plans to celebrate the Bicentennial, the Trail was initiated by the Westport Historical Society in collaboration with the Westport Young Woman’s League.
23 markers were installed throughout Westport. Jennings Trail is now under the stewardship of the Westport Historic District Commission.
Four additional markers are now being added. Historian Morley Boyd explores the story behind the most recent one.
At 1 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, 1777, the Meeker household was wide awake.
Thirty-six-year-old Benjamin Meeker stared out the window at a scene that would have defied description. On the narrow, muddy road beside the Meekers’ 50-year-old Cross Highway residence, a heavily armed force from one of the most powerful nations on the planet came into view.
Suddenly there was shouting. The column of 1,850 soldiers – stretching into the darkness for nearly a mile – halted in front of Benjamin’s house.
The expedition was under the command of British Major General William Tryon. Three regiments had participated in the battles of Lexington and Concord. One had been at the Battle of Bunker Hill. These were seasoned professionals.
The “Meeker house” in the 1930s. After the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Meeker built the barn in back. It, and the house, still stand.
Benjamin probably knew that, around 5 p.m. the previous afternoon, a dozen British transports and 3 warships had arrived at the mouth of the Saugatuck River.
Because it had taken 6 hours to get the men and materiel off the ships and assembled, there was time for word to spread. Although the Americans had previously received intelligence that the British — desperate for food, tents and other supplies — likely intended to capture the Continental supply depot in Danbury, no one in those early hours could be completely sure of the enemy’s true plans.
The British had no idea how to get to Danbury, but they were guided by men who did. They also knew the loyalties of every resident in every house along the way.
Though we don’t know the scope of Benjamin Meeker’s efforts during the Revolutionary War, documents and testimony indicate he was a patriot. He would have particular concern about the force now standing outside his house.
After the order was given to halt, there was likely a knock at the door. When there was no response, someone probably started calling for Benjamin.
When that did not have the intended result, a British Regular was ordered to fire his weapon at the heavy plank door. The musket ball imbedded itself, but did not pierce it.
The door today. The hole left by the missing musket ball can be seen on the left side, underneath the knocker.
Benjamin faced a decision. If he continued to resist, his house would likely be set ablaze. Or perhaps the artillerymen would be ordered to open fire on the residence.
Either way, Benjamin knew that continued resistance could put his wife Abigail and their children – Anna, age 10; Sillivant, 8; Rachel, 3, and Benjamin Jr., less than 1 month – in mortal danger.
He opened the door, and was arrested. His older brother Daniel, a sergeant in the local militia, was arrested too.
Though Tryon had issued explicit, written orders forbidding plundering during the expedition, the house was ransacked. The family’s livestock were slaughtered. This kind of treatment (and worse) by British forces was typical near the coast in what is now Westport.
After Benjamin and Daniel were made prisoners, the column resumed its march. Arriving in Danbury the next day, things did not go as planned.
Although the original objective was to carry off everything possible from the Continental supply depot, Tryon’s men could not secure wagons to do so.
British forces landed at Compo Beach, marched to Danbury, headed back south and — after the Battle of Compo Hill — retreated to Long Island.
Then came word that American forces were rapidly closing in on the British position. Perhaps even worse was news that Benedict Arnold was among the 3 American generals preparing to challenge the British, as they attempted to return to their ships at the mouth of the Saugatuck River.
Though Arnold was a pharmacist by trade with no formal military training, he was feared by the British for good reason: In the first 2 years of the war, he had proved to be a brilliant tactician, with astonishing endurance.
With time running out, the British decided to destroy the Continental supplies and get out of Danbury.
Presumably, Benjamin and Daniel Meeker — joined by over 50 other American prisoners — not only witnessed what happened at Danbury, but were dragged along on the harrowing retreat back to Compo.
Exhausted, out of ammunition and pinned down at Compo by American forces, only a do-or-die fixed bayonet charge got the British expedition back to the safety of their ships.
Robert Lambdin’s “The British Landing at Cedar Point, April 25, 1777,” 1955 painting is now part of the Westport Permanent Art Collections.
Although it’s impossible to imagine what the previous 48 hours must have been like for Benjamin, Daniel and the other American prisoners captured along the way, their situation soon got much worse.
As Abigail Meeker watched her arrested husband and brother-in-law disappear into the night, she knew their chances of returning alive were slim.
It has been said that British-occupied New York was more of a gulag than a garrison. After the British filled the debtors’ prison with rebels, they turned the city’s non-Anglican churches into cages. When those exceeded capacity, prisoners were packed into New York’s massive, multi-story sugar warehouses. Finally, 16 decommissioned ships floating off Brooklyn were used to hold American prisoners.
It was a nightmare of brutality, starvation, disease and death. Over half of the estimated 18,000 American prisoners did not make it out alive.
Both Meeker brothers were thrown into a sugar house prison. They managed to survive for 18 months. before being released as part of a prisoner exchange.
The men returned to their families. Life resumed as best it could. When Daniel died 6 years later at age 45, his wife Abby interred him in the Lower Green’s Farms Burying Ground (now the corner of Greens Farms Road and the Sherwood Island Connector).
Daniel Meeker’s headstone.
Benjamin supported the family of his younger brother Stephen, who had just been killed in action in Pennsylvania. He also supported his younger sister Molly, whose husband was badly wounded during the Battle of Stony Point. Benjamin died in 1817, at 75. When the ground thawed that spring, his wife buried him the Green’s Farms Church’s Upper Cemetery.
The Meeker homestead still stands at 188 Cross Highway, bearing silent witness to those who bravely fought for America’s independence.
(Hat tip: Bob Liftig. For a 2015 “06880” story on the musket ball embedded in the Meekers’ door, click here.)
(“06880” regularly covers Westport history. If you enjoy stories like these, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Minute Man Monument commemorates the Battle of Compo Hill. It took place 3 days after the British marched past the Meekers’ Cross Highway home. (Photo/John Maloney)
Posted in History
Tagged Benjamin Meeker, Bessie Jennings, Cross Highway, Daniel Meeker, Jennings Trail, Revolutionary War
Cross Highway winter scene (Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)
Last week’s Photo Challenge was quite location-specific.
Unless you live in the extreme northeast corner of Westport — near where Cross Highway dips into Sturges Highway — or unless you spend a lot of time driving to, say, the Patterson Club — you would not have know that spot, where what may be our town’s saddest and loneliest stop sign sits. (Click here to see.)
Mark Yurkiw, Lynn Untermeyer Miller and Shawn Liberty — at least 2 of whom have homes nearby — were the only 3 to respond correctly.
I’ll try to make up for that sometime soon. Maybe Saugatuck Shores …
Meanwhile, it’s interesting that neither Cross nor Sturges is an actual “highway” — at least, not in the modern sense of the word.
But the term originally meant simply a main, direct road connecting towns. Back in the day, these were major thoroughfares.
Without the need for even a flimsy stop sign.
Here’s today’s Photo Challenge. If you know where you’d see this, click “Comments” below. HINT: Though it’s near I-95, it’s not at South of the Border.
(Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Nearly every day, “06880” receives emails from residents complaining about reckless, speeding drivers.
But it’s not only a 2025 issue.
Nearly 70 years ago, the Westport Town Crier & Herald — our print predecessor — addressed the problem.
Alert “06880” reader Siobhan Crise subscribes to Shaun Usher’s “Letters of Note.” Each week he emails important, interesting and/or intriguing letters he’s found.
The most recent one caught her eye. It begins:
In 1955, travel editor Richard Joseph and his wife, Morgan, left the intensity of New York behind and settled into the relative calm of Connecticut.
They adapted quickly to the slower pace of life, and before long had welcomed a Basset Hound puppy named Vicky into their home.
One Sunday evening, as Richard took her out for a walk, a speeding car veered off course and struck the 6-month-old dog, killing her almost instantly. The driver didn’t stop.
The following morning, heartbroken and angry, Richard sat down and wrote a letter addressed “to the man who killed my dog” and sent it to the local paper, Westport Town Crier & Herald. To his surprise, it was soon printed on the front page; before long, it had been reprinted across the country. In 1957, it even inspired a book.
The driver was never found.
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To The Man Who Killed My Dog:
I hope you were going some place important when you drove so fast down Cross Highway across Bayberry Lane, Tuesday night.
I hope that when you got there the time you saved by speeding meant something to you or somebody else.
Bayberry Lane at Cross Highway today. The long-dangerous intersection now has several warning signs.
Maybe we’d feel better if we could imagine that you were a doctor rushing somewhere to deliver a baby or ease somebody’s pain. The life of our dog to shorten someone’s suffering — that mightn’t have been so bad.
But even though all we saw of you was your car’s black shadow and its jumping tail lights as you roared down the road, we know too much about you to believe it.
You saw the dog, you stepped on your brakes, you felt a thump, you heard a yelp and then my wife’s scream. Your reflexes are good, we know, because you jumped on the gas again and got out of there fast.
Whoever you are, mister, and whatever you do for a living, we know you are a killer.
And in your hands, driving the way you drove Tuesday night, your car is a murder weapon.
You didn’t bother to look, so I’ll tell you what the thump and the yelp were. They were Vicky, a 6-month-old Basset puppy; white, with brown and black markings. An aristocrat, with 12 champions among her forebears; but she clowned and she chased, and she loved people and kids and other dogs as much as any mongrel on earth.
A basset puppy.
I’m sorry you didn’t stick around to see the job you did, though a dog dying by the side of the road isn’t a very pretty sight. In less than 2 seconds you and that car of yours transformed a living being that had been beautiful, warm, white, clean, soft and loving into something dirty, ugly, broken and bloody. A poor, shocked and mad thing that tried to sink its teeth into the hand it had nuzzled and licked all its life.
I hope to God that when you hit my dog you had for a moment the sick, dead feeling in the throat and down to the stomach that we have known ever since. And that you feel it whenever you think about speeding down a winding country road again.
Because the next time some 8-year-old boy might be wobbling along on his first bicycle. Or a very little one might wander out past the gate and into the road in the moment it takes his father to bend down to pull a weed out of the driveway, the way my puppy got away from me.
Or maybe you’ll be real lucky again, and only kill another dog, and break the heart of another family.
Richard Joseph
Westport, Conn.
(This letter can be found in the book, “Letters of Note: Dogs.” Signed, personalised, gift-wrapped copies can be purchased here.)
Westport’s annual holiday tree lighting takes place at Town Hall on Thursday, December 5 (5 p.m.).
The Staples High School Orphenians will perform, and the Westport Museum for History & Culture will provide hot chocolate. All are invited!
The Town Hall tree. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Andrew Colabella reports: “Over the last 2 years, a group of volunteers from the Representative Town Meeting planted 500 tulips. Most were at the Minute Man monument.
“In late spring, a landscaper mistook the stems there for weeds. Parks & Recreation Department parks superintendent Michael West was upset, and wanted to make up for it.”
Colabella requested 500 tulip bulbs as replacements. West, and Parks & Rec’s Jamie Boone and Rick Giunta, surprised him with 1,500.
The other day,Colabella and several fellow RTM members planted the bulbs at the Minute Man, and other spots in town like the Compo Beach entrance and Compo cemetery.
In addition, each RTM member who planted tulips took bulbs to plant in a public spot of their choice — without telling the others where it is.
We won’t see the results of their work until spring. But it will be fun to discover, and beautiful to see.
Planting tulips at the Minute Man monument. Front row (from left): Nancy Kail, Kristin Mott Purcell. Rear: Melissa Levy, Andrew Colabella, Don O’Day.
Planting bulbs at Compo Beach. RTM members Claudia Shaum and Julie Whamond flank Parks & Recreation Commission chair David Floyd.
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Looking for non-shopping activities over Thanksgiving? Got relatives from out of town, who want to do something Westport-special?
Earthplace is your place.
Their Story and Animal program, Birds of Prey feeding, “Saturdays at Earthplace” and Winged Wonders program are all intriguing. And Earthplace trails and 62-acre sanctuary are open to the public, from dawn to dusk.
The Story and Animal program (Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m.; age 5 and under) includes an animal-themed story, and an “encounter” with an Animal Hall resident.
Birds of Prey Feeding (daily, 11 a.m.; all ages), includes information about birds’ eating habits and behaviors.
Saturdays at Earthplace (November 30, noon; all ages; parent or caregiver must be present) is a nature-based arts and crafts activity.
Winged Wonders (December 1, 1 p.m.) is a bird-on-glove demonstration, to learn about raptors. This Sunday features Earthplace’s barred owl, Moody.
Also, starting Sunday, Earthplace participates in Westport Moms’ first-ever Elf Scavenger Hunt The “Earthplace Elf” will hide somewhere indoors, for one week. Spot it between December 1 and 8, and win a prize.
For more information on Earthplace and its programs, click here.
An Earthplace Winged Wonders demonstration.
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The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight (Tuesday, November 26, 6 p.m., Town Hall, Room 201/201A).
The agenda includes a project update; work session to review progress on schematic plans, and public comment.
Long Lots School Building Committee, in a meeting last year.
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As part of the Cross Highway Traffic Improvement project between North Avenue and Bayberry Lane, the Cross Highway bridge over Deadman Brook is proposed to be replaced with a new bridge.
The existing bridge is in bad shape, and cannot be modified to include the new sidewalk proposed for the corridor.
Construction is proposed for 2025. The goal is to replace the bridge during the summer, when school is not in session.
The town has submitted applications to the Flood & Erosion Control Board, Conservation Commission and Planning & Zoning Commission for an 8-24.
Meetings of those groups are December 4, 11 and 16, respectively. Meeting materials are or will be available on the town’s website for each board.
Questions? Contact town engineer Keith Wilberg: kwilberg@westportct.gov; 203-341-1128.
Cross Highway bridge over Deadman Brook.
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Achtung!
Staples High School German students did more than just showcase their skills and knowledge at the recent University of Connecticut German Quiz Bowl, competing against other high school German programs.
They finished Nummer Eins — Number One!
In addition to the competition, students participated in workshops. They also learned about job prospects with over 150 German companies operating in Connecticut. (Since 2019, Germany has been Connecticut’s number one business partner.)
Staples German students, at the University of Connecticut.
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Speaking of school: Last week, Greens Farms Academy broke ground for it new Athletics and Wellness Center.
The 30,000-square foot facility — set to open in the spring of 2026 — will
include 2 full-size basketball courts, 2 wrestling rooms, 2 squash courts with viewing galleries, a fitness center and training room.
It follows the expansion of Lower School facilities, including a new dining and student commons and a renovated assembly room, which opened last year.
The projects are funded through GFA’s Centennial Campaign, which will officially launch next fall 2025 as the school nears its 100th anniversary.
A model of Greens Farms Academy’s Athletics & Wellness Center.
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Jazz at the Post celebrates Thanksgiving a day early.
This year’s weekly musical treat is tomorrow (Wednesday, November 27; VFW Post 399), instead of the traditional Thursday.
Bassist Fima Ephrom headlines. He’s joined by his First Light Band: guitarists Idan Morim and Tim Jago, keyboardist William Evans, drummer Ben Silashi and saxophonist Greg Wall.
Dinner service begins at 7 p.m. Shows are 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $20; $15 for veterans and students. Click here to purchase.
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As Thanksgiving nears, Tammy Barry is grateful for an “extended autumn.” She spotted these “Westport … Naturally” beauties on Owenoke.
(Photo/Tammy Barry)
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And finally … Tina Turner was born on this date, in 1939. After a dynamic musical career, first with her husband Ike and then as a solo artist, she died last year, at 83.
(It’s hard to keep up with everything in town. But “06880” tries. If you like what we do, please support us with a contribution. Click here — and thank you!)
Comments Off on Roundup: Tree Lighting, Tulips, Earthplace Thanksgiving …
Posted in Beach, Environment, Staples HS
Tagged Andrew Colabella, Cross Highway, Earthplace, Green's Farms Academy, Jazz at the Post, Long Lots School Building Committee, Minute Man monument, Representative Town Meeting, Staples High School German department, University of Connecticut, Westport Town Hall Christmas tree
Over 130 Westporters (and friends) had a great time yesterday, at our 2nd annual “Historic Homes of 06880” house tour.
In spectacular fall weather, they toured 4 fascinating properties.
Ed Gerber’s 1764 saltbox on Cross Highway was once the home of George Hand Wright, a founder of Westport’s artists’ colony. Ed proudly showed off his restoration work, which earned a Westport Preservation Award, and a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dan and Nicole Donovan’s 1870 Queen Anne-style farmhouse on Maple Avenue South earned raves for its imaginative restoration, including a welcoming kitchen (where their 6 children gather when they’re all home), and a wine cellar that’s been converted into a pub.
Around the corner on Greens Farms Road, Al and Chris DiGuido’s 1860 Colonial’s renovations were on display. The 4 fireplaces, mahogany ceilings and rooftop balcony competed with the full bar and entertainment center upstairs, complemented by Al’s extensive collection of sports memorabilia.
The fourth house, at 296 Compo Road South, is new construction — a future historic home. Architectural designer Michael Greenberg, builder Peter Greenberg of Able Construction, and owner Kim and Niv Harizman described the work they’ve done, and showed off their open floor plan.
Thanks to the owners who opened their homes; to our friends at KMS Team at Compass, who sponsored the event and made it extra fun; to “06880” board members and Staples Service League of Boys who provided support, and of course all who attended.
Dan Donovan turned a 6,000-bottle wine cellar in his 1870 home into a pub.
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Frank Sisson writes: “While I commend the increasing attention being given to bikers’ rights and safety, I wonder if this new sign — one of several I noticed recently that have gone up on Cross Highway near Wakeman Park — was fully thought out.
“It sounds good in principle. But some bikers — particularly younger ones — are likely to take it very literally and ride their bikes in the center of the lane, assuming that vehicles behind them will just have to match their much slower pace.
“I have a feeling that vehicles like this one — not to mention the many impatient tailgating drivers we all encounter in this area — may not ‘get it.”
(Photos/Frank Sisson)
“I fear that our younger bikers will take these new traffic signs too trustingly, and assume that traffic will obey them, but that much of the driving public will not. Wouldn’t the establishment of an official ‘bike lane’ be a much better approach to biker rights and safety?”
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Congratulations to Peter Stern.
Last week, Peloton named the 1990 Staples High School graduate as its new CEO. He takes over in January.
Stern has broad experience managing digital products. He currently serves as president of Ford Integrated Services, overseeing subscription offerings like BlueCruise, Pro Intelligence, and connectivity and security initiatives.
Previously, he co-founded Apple Fitness+, and held significant positions at other major companies, including Time Warner Cable.
Click here for a story from CEO Today. Click here for an “06880” story on Stern from 2019.
Peter Stern (Photo courtesy of Peloton)
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Westport artistw Janine Brown, Jay Petrow and Janet Slom, plus former Westporter Jocelyn Braxton Armstrong, will participate in Bridgeport’s 19th annual American Fabrics Arts Building Open Studio event November 9 and 10 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
The weekend includes art sales, music, and a raffle of original art. Proceeds aid 4 local charities, and food and clothing donations will be accepted for Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
Dogs are welcome at the family-friendly event.
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The English choral group Gesualdo Six makes its Westport debut with a program of polyphonic English Motets this Sunday (November 10, 5 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity Church).
The program will be followed by a buffet and reception, with a chance to meet the musicians before they head back to Europe.
Tickets are available by clicking here, and at the door.
Gesulado Six
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Halloween is over.
Most pumpkins have headed to the compost heap, or the Great Pumpkin Patch in the Sky.
Others may be served as a Thanksgiving pie.
These 2 have managed to avoid any of those fates.
The subjects of today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature, they’re sitting fat and pretty at Riverside Park.
At least, they were yesterday.
(Photo/Pam Docters)
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And finally … jazz trumpeter/arranger/composer/record producer Quincy Jones died yesterday in California. He was 91.
He has the third-highest total of Grammy Awards won by a single person (28 — behind Beyoncé’s 32 and Georg Solti is second with 31.) He received honorary degrees from Harvard, Princeton, Juilliard, the New England Conservatory, the Berklee School of Music and many other institutions, along with a National Medal of Arts.
Click here for a full obituary.
(“06880” is your hyper-local source for news, events, history, profiles and much more. If you enjoy our work, please make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here. Thank you!)
How busy has the Department of Public Works been this summer?
One very visible project: the new sidewalk and re-paved 0.6 miles of Hillspoint Road, from Greens Farms Road South to Old Mill. It’s getting raves for both its quality of construction, and the safety it provides.
The summer paving program resulted in upgrades and safety enhancements on 4 miles of roadways and Town properties, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker reports.
This includes Imperial Avenue and the Staples High School and Bedford Middle School parking lots and sidewalks.
Construction and improvements continue on and around Cross Highway. It includes:
The DPW managed and oversaw:
Tooker says: “Many thanks are due to our hard-working highway crews and public works employees who kept these projects on track, and on budget. And thank you to everyone who remained patient while the construction work was occurring. The upgrades to Westport’s infrastructure are worth it.”
Part of the sidewalk project, at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
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Yesterday morning, the last of 5 kittens — trapped in a storm drain with their mother, underneath a grate on Post Road East — was rescued.
All 6 felines are now in foster care, with a Westport Animal Shelter Advocates volunteer.
They’ll be named soon (based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, courtesy of the foster family’s 5-year-old daughter).
They will soon be vetted, and available for adoption through Wilton-based Animals in Distress.
Additional information and photos will be posted on WASA’s Facebook,
WASA thanks Katherine Reid of Animals in Distress, the Westport Fire Department (particularly Engine Company No. 5 and Jennifer Petrosinelli), Bryan Thomas and Ralph Ramos of Westport’s Public Works Department, Schulhof Animal Hospital, the kind staff of Mattress Firm (adjacent to the storm drain; they allowed WASA to use their business to transfer the kittens and wash volunteers’ sardine-scented hands as a result of trap baiting), and special WASA helpers Sandy Young and Jess Zullo, who spent countless hours setting and monitoring the trapping operation, despite family and work demands.
Rescued!
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Congratulations to the Staples High School boys golf team.
On Thursday at Longshore, they beat the team record — by 3 strokes.
And Philip Sullivan set a new school individual 9-hole match record. The junior shot a scintillating 30.
The top 4 scorers count for the team score. Besides Sullivan’s, they were George Targowski (34), Gus Palmer (36) and Tommy Riley (36). Chris Taylor came in 5th, with a 38 — but that still would have been good enough to secure Staples’ record.
The future for coach Pete Caligiure’s Wreckers is bright. All 5 golfers are juniors.
Philip Sullivan
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The American Parkinson Disease Association Connecticut Chapter’s 10th annual Optimism Walk is in Westport next month.
And a Westport volunteer will be honored there.
The event is set for Sherwood Island State Park on September 21 (10 a.m.). When it’s done, Holly Betts — assistant director of the Westport Senior Center — will receive the Tiedemann Award, for her support of the APDA.
Gladys Tiedemann volunteered for APDA CT for more than 30 years.
Holly schedules weekly Parkinson’s exercise classes, support groups for those diagnosed with the disease and their care partners, as well as wellness programs for the Senior Center and greater community.
For the past several years, Holly has led a fundraising team of Senior Center members called “Stand by Me,” at the annual Westport Optimism Walk. Click here to support her team.
The APDA Westport Optimism Walk is a family-friendly event. It includes a short walk of up to 1.5 miles, as well as educational opportunities, raffles, sponsor activities, music, kid’s crafts, fall risk assessments, Tai Chi, and camaraderie.
Holly Betts
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Big Y moved one step closer to opening this week.
Their shopping carts have arrived, at the Post Road East store.
(Photo/Dave Shea)
Enjoy the photo.
No matter how different the new supermarket may be from Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s, Stew Leonard’s and any other store, the end result will be the same.
These carts will soon end up all over the lot.
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Here is our first X-rated “Westport … Naturally” photo ever:
(Photo/Jay Walshon)
In case you don’t know: It’s 2 moths mating.
Normally, we wouldn’t invade their privacy.
But they did it in public.
Or at least, on Jay Walshon’s back door screen.
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And finally … congratulations again to the record-setting Staples golf team! (Story above)
(Happy Labor Day weekend! While you’re relaxing, “06880” keeps working to serve you. We love what we do — but we rely on your support. Please click here to help your hyper-local blog. Thanks!)
Westporters were pleased to see new blinking stop and warning signs at the dangerous Cross Highway/Bayberry Lane intersection.
That’s not the only safety measure that residents are talking about.
The equally treacherous Cross Highway/North Avenue intersection, just 1/4 mile away, has been improved dramatically by the reconstruction of the stone wall on the northeast corner.
The roads are still misaligned. But sight lines are now much improved.
An added bonus: The new stone wall looks good too.
Before it was rebuilt, the stone wall at Cross Highway and North Avenue prevented drivers from seeing other vehicles.
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As Kamala Harris is poised to become the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, historians point to the pioneering run by another Black female in 1972: Shirley Chisholm.
But she was not the first woman to run for president.
That distinction belonged to Veronica Woodhull. In addition to being the first female stockbroker on Wall Street, she made history in 1872 with her nomination by the new Equal Rights Party. Her running mate was Frederick Douglass.
Woodhull’s nomination was not taken seriously by much of the public. In addition to not being able to vote for herself — the 19th Amendment was not introduced until 1878, and took 42 years to be ratified — she was not yet 35, the minimum age to run for president.
The “06880” connection? Descendants of Woodhull live in Westport today, on Roseville Road.
Victoria Woodhull
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Attendees at the Westport Country Playhouse’s August 17 production of “Pinkalicious The Musical” will get more than just a fun musical adaptation of the popular children’s book.
They’ll also have a chance to meet Victoria Kann, the illustrator and author of the series — and get a signed book copy.
She’ll be there from 2 to 3 p.m., between the 1 and 4 p.m. shows. Click here for tickets to either performance, and more information.
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The 1839 slave revolt aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad is well known in Connecticut, where much of its court case took place.
In 1997, an opera about the event — incorporating African mythology, and musical genres like jazz, blues and skat, offering themes of social and racial justice — debuted in Chicago.
On August 11 (2 p.m.), an abridged production — “Opus for Peace” — will be produced at the Westport Library. They’re partnering with Southern Connecticut Rotary District 7980 and the Connecticut Lyric Opera.
The production is a collaboration with Harlem Opera Theater and Discovering Amistad. A full “Amistad” will be performed across Connecticut next May.
The August 11 event is free. Click here for more information.
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Some photographers try for years to capture an image of lightning.
Teenager Jay Babina nailed it last night, in his backyard near Long Lots Road:
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Speaking of skies: Did you miss the 88th convention of amateur telescope makers in Vermont?
No worries!
Westport Astronomical Society observatory director Bob Meadows will provide a full report on August 20 (8 p.m., WAS classroom, 182 Bayberry Lane).
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Get ready for the first-ever Summer Slam Jam 3-v-3 Tournament!
On Sunday, August 25 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), the Staples High School fieldhouse will be filled with young basketball players. The day includes games and shooting competitions.
The Staples boys basketball team and Westport PAL invite boys in grades 3 through 8 to showcase their skills, build friendships, and enjoy fun competition.
But there’s more than just basketball. Staples head coach Dave Goldshore and PAL basketball officials will lead an inspirational post-tourney talk.
Families are invited, to cheer on players, enjoy treats, and reconnect with neighbors.
To register a player and for more information, click here.
See you at the Summer Slam Jam 3-v-3 Tournament!
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The Westport Weston Family YMCA has announced the results of last Sunday’s 45th annual Point to Point Swim, at Compo Beach.
109 participants competed in the mile-long open water swim race. They ranged in age from 12 to 80.
The top 10 finishers, and their ages:1. Riley Twiss, 19, 20:04
2. Joe Benz, 34, 20:42
3. Maegan Grisanti, 15, 20:58
4. Brian Sandrib, 33, 21:27
5. Matthew Rossi, 56, 21:29
6. Aldar Su, 47, 22:02
7. Christopher Calby, 34, 22:18
8. Michael Stenman, 39, 22:27
9. Alexander Shakibnia, 37, 22:49
10. Parker Hayden, 45, 22:5.
Click here for all finishers.
Happy Point to Point swim finishers.
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Robert Taylor Gault — a well-known architect, known for his historic preservation work and service to the Westport Historical Society — died July 26 in Damariscotta, Maine. He was 83.
The son of Robert Franklin Gault and Helen (Taylor) Gault, he grew up in Westport and graduated from Staples High School in 1959.
He graduated from the University of Virginia’s architecture program in 1964. He worked under Lawrence Michaels and Joseph Salerno, before establishing his own practice in 1980.
Robert’s work spanned Fairfield County. It included residential, commercial and institutional buildings, as well as historic restorations.
He was a 2-time award recipient from the Westport Historic District Commission. Robert also received 2 “Pride of Norwalk” awards.
His most challenging project was the restoration of the Bradley-Wheeler Barn for the Westport Historical Society, a 10-year project.
A longtime board member of the WHS, Robert served as its president at the time of the society’s first exhibition of historic artifacts. He spearheaded the casting and installation of a new bronze plaque for the cannons at Compo Beach, to replace the original that had been stolen. He also designed the map, bronze plaques and concrete mounts for the Jennings Trail, and oversaw the installation of each marker.
As a member of the Westport Historic District Commission, Robert was instrumental in the creation of the Kings Highway North Historic District.
In the 1960s, he was a member of the Common Interest Group that saved the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion from being demolished by the city of Norwalk.
He also served on the vestry of Christ and Holy Trinity Church for 4 terms, and was property chairman for 6 years. He oversaw the restoration of the painted chancel ceiling (sponsored by he and his wife); the interior plaster; the trompe l’oeil decoration of the interior, and the cast iron bell, tower, clock room and clockworks.
Robert and Nancy Louise Danforth were married at Christ and Holy Trinity in 1981.
In 1996 the family moved to Southbury, where Robert continued to advocate for historic preservation and land conservation, serving on the board of the Southbury Historical Society, and as director and property chairman of the Glebe House Museum and Gertrude Jekyll Garden in neighboring Woodbury.
On July 14, 2010, Robert closed his architectural practice, 30 years to the day from its launch. He and Nancy moved to Waldoboro, Maine, where he made new friends and spent a joyful decade of retirement.
Robert was predeceased by his sister Carol Lane, and his beloved dog, Bonnie Lass. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Nancy; daughter Heather Gault (Michael Ruvalcaba); son Robert Gault; grandson Timothy Ruvalcaba, niece Helen Lane and nephew Dr. Michael Lane.
A celebration of life will be held September 28 (11 a.m., St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Newcastle, Maine). Interment will follow at a later date in Westport.
In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to Nature Conservancy, Attn.: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203; St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 234, Newcastle, ME 04553; Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, 290 Turnpike Road, Suite 5-315, Westborough, MA 01581.
To share a memory or condolence, click here.
Robert Gault
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Westporters pay good money for snakeskin boots, pants, belts and more.
You could have picked up this snakeskin for free, though.
Molly Alger spotted it in her yard, and sent it along for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Molly Alger)
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And finally … Jay Babina not only contributed a great lightning photo (above). He also suggested today’s musical selection.
It was a #1 hit in 1966 — decades before he was born. But he loves ’60s music.
Thanks, Jay, for the image. And the song!
(Lightning strikes are rare. But “06880” appears regularly, several times a day. And we’ve been here for you every day, since 2009. If you enjoy our work, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
One of the most dangerous intersections in Westport — Cross Highway and Bayberry Lane — just got (hopefully) quite a bit safer.
The town has installed new warning and stop signs in all 4 directions. All flash brightly. The aim is to attract the attention of drivers before they plow onward.
It’s a great start. And a great reminder to pay attention!
You can’t see the flashing stop sign. But it sure stands out. (Hat tip and photo/Carl McNair)
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The weather was perfect. The vibe was cool.
And every seat was taken last night, at the 3 Church Lane restaurants with outdoor dining: Spotted Horse, The Blondinit and Pink Sumo.
Live music added to the fun.
Just another reason to love summer in Westport — and more proof that downtown has its mojo back.
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Sure, it’s still July.
But school will be open before we know it.
To make sure everyone has what they need, the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force is collecting supplies. They’ll go to residents of the 2 Domestic Violence Crisis Center safe houses that serve our area, and DVCC’s clients.
The Westport Rotary Club and Positive Directions are important partners. The collection begins tomorrow (July 28), and runs through August 4.
Among the new items needed: backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons, lunch boxes, 3×3 sticky note pads, 3-ring binders, graphing calculators, and gift cards (Target, Walmart, Amazon, Staples, etc.).
Donations can be left in collection bins at the Westport Police Department (50 Jesup Road) and Positive Directions (90 Post Road West).
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Westporters know Alisyn Camerota as a CNN anchor/ correspondent.
She recently branched into memoir writing. In “Combat Love: A Story of Leaving, Longing and Searching for Home,” the Westport resident explores her teenage years in the 1980s music scenes of the Jersey Shore and New York City, along with her difficult relationship with her mother.
Soon, we’ll see “Combat Love” on film and TV screens. It’s in development by the producers of Broadway musicals like Alanis Morisette’s “Jagged Little Pill” and Green Day’s “American Idiot.” (Hat tip: David Meth)
Alisyn Camerota
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Speaking of writing: Here’s something to write home about: The Westport Writers’ Workshop is 20 years old.
The non-profit celebrates the milestone September 6, with a bash at the Saugatuck Rowing Club.
The event includes dinner, drinks, dancing to the Dylan Connor Trio, a silent auction, and tributes to important people like founder Jessica Bram and former Executive director Valerie Ann Leff.
Tickets are $150, and include an open bar. Click here, then scroll down to purchase.
Funds raised help underwrite WWW’s outreach programs that serve underrepresented populations, like the Bigelow Senior Center, Moms of Children with Disabilities, and STAR. These programs allow students to discover their voices, guided by accomplished faculty members.
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Longshore golfers were surprised yesterday to see a cart, sporting a political message:
It looked like a Parks & Recreation Department vehicle.
But it wasn’t.
Parks & Rec officials said it belonged to a nearby resident, out for a spin.
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Michael Douglas spent his youth in Westport. (He did not graduate from Staples High School; after junior high, he was shipped off to boarding school.)
The veteran film and television actor and producer returns to the area October 22. Stamford’s Avon Theatre will present him with its Lifetime Achievement Award
Click here for tickets.
A young Michael Douglas lived on Webb Road.
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When Team Velominati sets a goal, they don’t mess around.
On August 3-4, Coastal Bridge founder and Westporter Bill Loftus will ride with the group — many of whom are local residents — across Massachusetts, in his 7th Pan-Mass Challenge, to fund cancer research at Dana-Farber in Boston.
Team Velominati’s goal: $750,000.
This year is particularly exciting. The Pan-Mass Challenge will pass $1 billion in donations over its 44-year history, making it the largest athletic fundraiser in the country.
This year, Loftus is dedicating his ride to his teammate Scott Logie, who is battling cancer.
To help Team Velominati, click here.
Dave Hazard and Bill Loftus (right) crossing the finish line at mile 192 in Provincetown during the Pan-Mass Challenge.
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“Freedom is a Feast” by Alejandro Puyana, “How to Read a Book” by Monica Wood, and “skin & bones” by Renée Watson are the 3 finalists for the 2024 Westport Prize for Literature, The $10,000 is awarded for an original work of fiction that explores issues in contemporary society.
This year’s winner will be announced next month, and honored at The Westport Library on September 21, in conjunction with StoryFest, the annual literary festival.
The recipient will also sit on a StoryFest panel. Confirmed authors for the event include Roxane Gay, Christopher Golden, Joe R. Lansdale, Claire Messud and Peng Shepherd. Click here for the full list.
Submissions for the 2024 Westport Prize for Literature were vetted by nearly 50 volunteer readers. A jury will then select the winner.
From left: Alejandro Puyana, Renée Watson, Monica Wood.
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Alice and her baby Apricot are today’s “Westport … Naturally” subjects.
They — along with baby Raisin — live at Wakeman Town Farm. The public can visit (and snuggle) with them. Click here for reservations, and more information.
(Photo/Michelle Cardello)
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And finally … on this date in 1890, Vincent van Gogh shot himself. He died 2 days later.
(Van Gogh cannot contribute to “06880.” But you can! Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Dank u wel!)
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