For 21 years, Stacie Curran and friends have ridden in the CT United Ride. The largest motorcycle ride in Connecticut pays tribute to the victims and first responders of 9/11.
Yesterday’s event took place on the actual date: September 11. Before the start at Sherwood Island, the group met at Stacie’s house:
The entire group — hundreds strong — gathered at the state park:
(Photo/Tom Lowrie)
Soon — with a police escort from several towns — they headed onto I-95. Their route of remembrance took them to Exit 17, Riverside Avenue, Wilton Road, and through 8 other Fairfield County towns.
(Photo copyright by Ted Horowitz)
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Every year, the arrival of spring in Westport is heralded by the “Daffodil Mile” — the long, winding rows of daffodils at Willowbrook Cemetery on Main Street.
Daffodil Mile, at Willowbrook Cemetery … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
For the past few years, daffodils have also bloomed throughout the rest of Westport. On Prospect Road, in Saugatuck, in traffic islands everywhere, the week of yellow flowers brings smiles to Westporters sick and tired of snow and slush.
Greens Farms Road, at Prospect Road.
Those daffodils don’t just fall from the sky (to mix metaphors). They’re the product of plenty of planning — and planting.
“Paint the Town Yellow” is a project begun 4 years ago by Debra Kandrak. This fall — prime daffodil-planting time — she encourages everyone, of all ages, to plant “around our neighborhoods, around street signs, mailbox posts, in front of your business, in front of the Police and Fire Departments.” She’d love for schools to be involved too.
This year’s theme is “plant in memory of a loved one lost.”
The easiest way to plant, Debra says, is to dig a trench and pop the bulbs in (pointy side up). Costco sells 50 bulbs for $13.99.
After you plant, email the location to debra.kandrak@raveis.com. She’ll come around next spring, and take photos.
Which, of course, she will share with “06880.”
So get going. Spring is only 7 months away.
Daffodil bulbs from Costco. (Photo/Debra Kandrak)
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The New York Times says that this November’s Metropolitan Opera staged premiere of “The Hours” is “New York City’s opera event of the fall.”
In addition to renowned soprano Renée Fleming, it stars Kelli O’Hara. The Times calls the Westport resident “a Tony Award-decorated musical theater actress with opera bona fides (even at the Met, where she was a standout as Despina in Mozart’s ‘Così Fan Tutte’).”
That’s part of the intro to an interview published yesterday with Fleming, O’Hara and Joyce DiDonato.
Click here for the full (and very interesting) piece.
Kelli O’Hara (Photo/Thea Traff for New York Times)
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Every Staples High School reunion is a cause for celebration and remembrance.
COVID caused the Class of 1980 to wait an extra 2 years to gather for their 40th. But as they got together last month (and shook their heads that they’re all now 60 years old, or about to be) they turned their thoughts to classmate Susan Lloyd.
The popular, always-active native Westporter was diagnosed with cancer as a senior. She passed away while at Colgate University. Her parents and friends created the Susan Fund in her honor. For 4 decades, it has provided important educational scholarships to Fairfield County students diagnosed with cancer.
Ten years ago, the reunion class raised $2,300 for the Susan Fund. This year, they contributed $5,500.
Kelly Frey Pollard — Susan’s good friend, and a Susan Fund board member — created a beautiful display, with letters from classmates to Susan and her family during her battle with cancer. Classmates were encouraged to take their letters home, as mementoes.
Over 130 alumni attended the reunion. A 45th is planned for 2025 — with another contribution to the Susan Fund. To find out, more follow the “Staples Class 1980” Facebook page, or email Amy Potts: amy@aapk.com,
The Class of 1980 display, of cards and letters sent to Susan Lloyd.
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The Westport Woman’s Club big clothing tag sale is next month. They’re getting ready — which means, they need items to sell.
Tax-deductible donations of new or gently-worn women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, and accessories like shoes, handbags, scarves, hats and jewelry, can be dropped off weekdays (9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m.) at the WWC (44 Imperial Avenue).
Funds raised from this clothing tag sale support the town food closet, local charities throughout Fairfield County, and student scholarships.
The clothing tag sale is set for October 28-29 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and October 30 (noon to 3 p.m.). For more information, call 203-227-4240 or email wwc@westportwomansclub.org.
Westport Woman’s Club tag sale.
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Longtime Westporter Geoffrey Hooper died last week. He was 87 years old.
He was born in Victoria, British Columbia. After serving in the Canadian Air Force he met his first wife, Jeannette Lauzon, and moved to Connecticut to work for his father-in-law at Stamford Typesetting Corporation. In 1976 he bought the company with a partner, Frank DeBartolo.
At Stamford Type Geoff was a force to be reckoned with as a typesetter, salesman, accountant, proofreader and generous employer. He loved taking clients out charter fishing from Old Saybrook, and delivering bags of bluefish fillets to clients and friends. As the business changed from linotype to computers to desktop publishing and scanning, he kept up with all the new technologies.
When his children were growing up in Westport, Geoff was active in the Westport Community Theater and other acting groups.
After retiring in 2008 he spent most of his time at his favorite place: home. Geoff was a talented gardener who always grew too many seedlings, but was happy to share them with family and friends. He enjoyed reading, cooking, traveling, theatergoing, and the YMCA’s water aerobics classes.
He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Suzy; his brother Murray (Barbara); his children and their partners Debbie (Norman), Lynne (Gary), Geoff Jr. (Susan) and Kenneth (Kim); his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his brother- and sister-in-law, Ken Solomon and Janice Lakey, and many other relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to a cause of your choice.
Geoff Hooper, in the water.
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Last March, 3 dolphins hung out for a few days in Bermuda Lagoon, by Saugatuck Shores.
Westport architect Peter Cadoux did not see them. In all his years has boating on Long Island Sound, in fact, he has not seen a single dolphin.
Yesterday he made up for that. Peter was awed by a pod of about 100 dolphins, cavorting a couple of miles off Smithtown Bay. That’s almost directly across the water from Westport.
Here’s a close-up, for today’s fascinating “Westport … Naturally” feature:
(Photos/Peter Cadoux)
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And finally … in honor of the pod of dolphins, last seen frolicking in Long Island Sound:
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(Without “06880,” would you know there were dolphins right off our coast? Please click here, to help us continue to bring you all the stories of where Westport meets the world.)
