The result: Plans for the Parker Harding Plaza parking lot are on hold.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker said today that “in coordination with the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, discussion and reviews scheduled for town boards, committees and commissions in the upcoming weeks regarding the current proposal for the reconfiguration of the Parker Harding Plaza Parking Lot will be postponed.”
Discussion on eliminating the Parker Harding Plaza cut-through lane — shown in the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee screenshot above — will be postponed.
She noted, “The process for this project has been public since its inception. However, recent feedback on the current upgrade and design option for Parker Harding Plaza has demonstrated that proposing another design option for the town-owned parking lot is supported and warrants further consideration.”
The DPIC and consultants will propose another option that “incorporates and considers additional community comments.”
Another evening public “charrette” will be scheduled. “Continued public participation is encouraged during each of the public meetings where any proposal will be presented,” Tooker said.
DPIC Chair Randy Herbertson added, “After several years of monthly public meetings and thorough documentation on the DPIC website, multiple online surveys, and 2 public charettes, the DPIC continues to maintain an open dialogue and take into account feedback on the multi-year, multi-project Downtown Plan.
“It is the desire and intention of DPIC to have the support of and prioritize input from downtown businesses, merchants, and residents, as well as the entire Westport community. The Downtown Master Plan is a strategy for addressing the many issues residents and experts have identified as needing to be improved while maintaining and enhancing Westport’s unique and beautiful waterfront. Upgraded infrastructure projects such as this will ultimately prove beneficial for all.”
Parker Harding Plaza (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
Tooker concluded, “Any proposal that addresses pedestrian and vehicular safety, provides resiliency for the future, and upgrades infrastructure to town property is the ultimate goal for any town-sponsored project of this magnitude.
“I am confident that going forward, any proposed reconfiguration will prove to be in keeping with the spirit and mission of the town and the DPIC as we strive to make Westport a premiere destination for residents, businesses and visitors.”
(“06880” reports regularly on downtown developments. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
A petition signed by 64 electors has been submitted to the Town Clerk, and Westport Representative Town Meeting moderator Jeff Wieser.
The petitioners — 3 times as many as required — say:
In the interest of having a full and transparent public discussion on the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s goals, process and proposed plan for Parker Harding, we request that the RTM add to its September 5, 2023 agenda the following item:
A review of the DPIC’s goals, process and proposed plan for Parker Harding, to be led by the lead petitioner, with an invitation to the Chair of the DPIC to present if desired, with time reserved for RTM member and public comments following the review.
Petition organizer John McCarthy says, “This is not a step we wanted to take. But we do so to make sure the voices of concerned citizens and impacted merchants are heard.
“The RTM is the public body which most fully represents all the people in town. Letting that body hear, first hand, how people feel about the plan is vital at this stage, before it is set in stone and presented as a yes/no decision to Planning & Zoning, the Board of Finance and ultimately the RTM.
“Following the last DPIC meeting, which included constructive comments from more than 30 members of the public that attended, the DPIC has decided to ignore all of those comments and is pushing ahead with the original plan, which is to spend $6 million, remove over 40 parking spaces and get rid of the vital cut- through road in Parker Harding. We can do better than this.”
The RTM petition follows one on Change.org, opposing the proposed elimination by the DPIC of the Parker Harding Plaza cut-through lane from Main Street to the Post Road, and the reduction of 44 parking spaces.
Chris Paul appears (virtually) at the Westport Library tonight (Tuesday, June 27, 8 p.m.).
The basketball star discusses his life, and new memoir, with journalist, FOX Sports anchor and Westport resident Lindsay Czarniak.
The event will be livestreamed and recorded as part of her podcast, “Lunch with Lindsay.”
After the conversation, members of the audience can ask questions. Autographed copies of Paul’s “61” book will be on sale.
Czarniak tells “06880”: “Human connections are so important. I’m so excited for the audience to get a chance to see and interact with Chris Paul because his story is so impactful and he relates it so well. He is still one of the biggest names in the NBA and he has so much to share.
“I read his book cover to cover. There were so many different layers. He has so much perspective. To be able to talk to him with an audience of kids and adults will be powerful. The fact that he is starting over with a brand new team — one of the strongest in the NBA — makes this even more interesting.”
Paul’s fans are one target audience. So, she says, are anyone interested in hearing a story that goes “way beyond the basketball court. I laughed and cried reading his book because he related his experiences in such a masterful way.”
Interestingly, Czarniak was about to interview Paul for her podcast, when she learned he had been traded to the Golden State Warriors 90 minutes earlier.
“Seeing him still processing the whole thing was pretty cool,” she says.
When she heard about Westport’s huge July 9 party honoring our sister city, Lyman, Ukraine (click here for details), Felicia Catale wanted to help.
She’s doing it the best way she knows: by offering free haircuts.
Between now and the July 9 party, the owner of Salon Nash on Post Road West will give a cut, gratis, to anyone who donates at least $60 to Lyman.
Those cuts and blow dries — for men, women and kids — usually go for a lot more than that.
Click here to donate via the Ukraine Aid International website (under “Designation,” choose “Westport-Lyman” from the dropdown menu).
Then call or text Felicia (203-747-9753) to make an appointment. Brring your donation receipt to enjoy your free, generous hair session!
Felicia Catale
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Arn Peter Berglund, a 1970 Staples High School graduate, was killed in a bicycle accident last week in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
A motorcyclist struck the University of Idaho graduate, while he was pedaling away. He was wearing a helmet, but died at the scene. An investigation is ongoing.
Arn Berglund
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Joan Harper died peacefully at The Greens at Cannondale in Wilton last week, surrounded by her family. She was 92.
The Bridgeport native worked in retail before landing a job as a secretary at Sikorsky Aircraft. She met her husband Jim there.
They moved to Westport in 1960, and raised their children here. Once they were grown, Joan worked as an administrative assistant at Hall-Brooke Hospital.
Joan was an avid reader, loved crossword puzzles, and watched old black and white movies. She was an excellent cook, specializing in Hungarian dishes.
She is survived by her son Jim (Karen) of Oxford; daughter Susan Kowalsky (Daryle) of Westport; grandchildren Harley and Barrett Kowalsky, and Jessica and Caitlin Giorgio (Stefano); great-grandson, Hudson Giorgio, and brother Richard Donnelly of Stratford. She was predeceased by her husband, and sister Barbara Fritz.
The family thanks The Greens at Cannondale for their kindness, compassion and care, and her caregiver and friend Marjorie Reid for her love and support.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s idea for Parker Harding Plaza — eliminating the cut-through from Main Street to the Post Road, in favor of 2-way traffic closer to the back entrances of stores in the lot, along with the loss of 44 parking spots — has run into heavy traffic.
“We, the undersigned, respectfully OPPOSE the Westport Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s proposed plan to eliminate the Parker Harding Access Road and 44 parking spaces as part of a larger proposal to re-conceptualize and redesign Parker Harding Plaza. If approved, this proposed plan will result in a dramatic increase in traffic throughout Westport and make finding Downtown parking more difficult.
“The Westport Downtown Plan Implementation Committee is an appointed committee responsible for initiating and carrying out the implementation of the Downtown Master Plan. We encourage the Westport Downtown Plan Implementation Committee to propose a viable alternative that does not impose further burdens on the residents of Westport, visitors, and downtown business owners/employees.”
The proposed plan eliminates the cut-through, and reconfigures spaces. Click on or hover over to enlarge.
Monday’s fire on Old Hill Road destroyed the home — and all personal possessions — of a Westport family.
Grace Firth — a single mother, whose family lives abroad — along with her daughter Bria (a Coleytown Middle School 7th grader) and an aunt, Sylvia, who is with them — escaped with only the pajamas they were sleeping in.
They have lived in Westport for several years. Friends have created a GoFundMe campaign, to help.
All money raised will pay for clothing, household items, and new housing — the most urgent need. Click here to help.
A Facebook “Westport Front Porch” post by Julie Einziger Sternberg lists sizes:
Shoes (Grace 6, Sylvia 9 or 9.5, Brie junior 4); clothes (Grace medium/large size 10, Sylvia xl tops/large bottom, Brie large kids/sweats and hoodie — she loves those).
A meal train has been set up too. Click here to sign up.
“Work, Live, Ride” — a bill increasing housing density near train stations, including Saugatuck and Greens Farms — will probably not be enacted during this Connecticut General Assembly session.
The “Work, Live, Ride” bill could have increased housing around the Saugatuck and Greens Farms railroad stations.
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Firefighters from across the region gathered yesterday evening at Assumption Church. A solemn ceremony sponsored by the Bridgeport Area Retired Firefighters honored all those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
At 6:30 a.m., 79 years ago yesterday, Allied forces began the largest sea invasion in American history. Over 350,000 soldiers and naval personnel landed on the Normandy beaches. Thousands of paratroopers assisted.
Five days later, the beaches were secured. Nearly 2,500 mile of coastline was taken. “Operation Overlord” turned the tide of World War II.
Over 5,000 Allied forces — including 2,001 Americans — were killed on D-Day. Many more perished, and were injured, during the ensuing Battle of Normandy.
Robert Loomis — a 19-year-old infantryman at Utah Beach — was fortunate. He returned home.
He was honorably discharged later, as a sergeant first class. His decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, Presidential Citation, Army Meritorious Citation, French and Belgian Fourrageres and the French Legion of Honor.
He and his family moved to Westport in 1958. He commuted to New York as an art director.
He was also very involved here, as a volunteer. He spent 25 years as an EMT with the Norwalk Hospital Emergency Department and Westport Emergency Medical Service. He also helped his wife with Meals on Wheels.
In 1985, Bob Loomis designed the logo for Westport’s 150th anniversary celebration.
In 1994 Loomis returned to France, for the 50th anniversary celebration of D-Day. He and fellow Westporter Clayton Chalfant visited Marigny, Westport’s sister city in Normandy.
Loomis died on June 8, 2016 — in the midst of the 72nd anniversary of Operation Overlord. He was 91. Click here for his full, fascinating, obituary.
Last night’s Representative Town Meeting session included a moment of silence for Sgt. Loomis, and all who served on D-Day. (Hat tip: Andrew Colabella)
Bob Loomis proudly displays some of his medals. The next day, he added the Croix de Guerre.
Also last night at the RTM: member Jessica Bram paid tribute to former moderator (and later, 1st Selectman), on what recently would have been his 78th birthday. Joseloff died in 2020.
Bram said: “Gordon contributed so much to Westport. He was a volunteer EMT, Westport firefighter, and what he may have been proudest of, publisher of WestportNow.com which was a groundbreaking hyper-local blog that connected us all as a community in real time.
“Gordon was so modest you might not know he had lifelong career at CBS News, the only journalist who got into the Gdańsk Shipyards — for anyone who remembers that—was an Emmy winner, served as both Moscow and Tokyo bureau chief, and sat just off camera alongside Walter Cronkite during CBS evening news broadcasts.
“I take note especially of how much he contributed to this RTM, where he was proud to serve as Mmderator for 10 years. He told me that he always wore a jacket and tie at RTM meetings to show his respect for his role as moderator….
“We have much to be grateful to Gordon for, for how much he contributed to Westport. But perhaps here especially, where he served 10 years as moderator of this RTM.”
On Monday night, the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston welcomed the Staples High School Jazz Band Combo Blue. The Trefz Forum was packed for the sextet’s 40-minute set, with Y’s Men and jazz lovers (some were both).
This year, Neighbors & Newcomers of Westport celebrates its 60th anniversary.
The organization — far more than a “welcome wagon” — offers an array of activities for new Westporters (and those who are not so new). Lasting friendships are formed.
All residents — members or not — are invited to their 60th anniversary celebration this Friday (June 9, 6:30 p.m.) at the Compo Beach brick pavilion.
Food and water will be provided; BYOB. And — as old-timers know: No glass!
Last night’s News 12 “Crime Files” segment on the Joan Wertkin murder included interviews with family members, police officers and others — and archival footage from the days immediately after the May 24, 1989 crime.
But — despite hints that the killer is known — no names were revealed.
According to the show, however, investigators are coming close to closing the long-open case.
A News 12 “Crime Files” screenshot shows an aerial view of the Main Street shopping plaza — the site of Coffee An’, among others — behind which Joan Wertkin’s body was found.
TAP Strength celebrates the summer solstice with a special drop-in class (yoga and sound bath).
The date is June 21 (of course); the time is 6 p.m. Call 203-292-9353 or email nancy@tapstrength.com to register.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from Tom Feeley.
He shot it at 6:05 a.m. yesterday, at PJ Romano Field. It’s not edited or altered in any way. “Courtesy of Canadian wildfires,” Tom says of the bright orange hue.
And finally … wildfires are deadly. This song, however, is beautiful:
(Every day, “06880” scours Westport — and the world — for interesting Roundup features. If you enjoy this feature, please help support our work. Just click here — and thank you.)
Westport’s longtime sister city of Marigny-le-Lozon, France, has officially joined us in support of our new sister city: Lyman, Ukraine.
In his annual January address to the town, Marigny mayor Fabrice Lemazurier said that — with the full support of their Town Council — they will direct aid to Lyman children impacted physically and emotionally by the war.
The project will involve Marigny students, and their parents.
Our connection with Marigny grew out of World War II. Two Westporters who served in the Normandy town encouraged residents here to send food, clothes, Christmas gifts and more.
Marigny never forgot Westport. Now, our 2 towns join together to aid a third.
Westport’s downtown revitalization project is one step closer to reality.
Yesterday morning, the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee approved the design concept. Next up: cost estimates, and advisory and funding body approvals.
Want to raise your tech skills? Or just get some basic ones?
The Westport Library’s “Anyone Can Use…” classes offer free in-person instruction. The next 2:
February 1: Foundation Center Professional Database (registration required; click here)
February 15: Social Media for Marketing (registration required; click here).
Both classes are 11 a.m. to noon.
For more tech instruction, click here for the LinkedIn Learning database. It offers over 16,000 professionally produced courses in 7 languages — everything from tip-of-the-spear technologies to basic computer literacy and photography.
If you’re an Alan Fiore fan — and who isn’t? — click here for the latest release from the Staples High School Class of 2021 grad. He’s now at the Berklee College of Music.
Westport resident Lois Ann Crawford died Wednesday at Norwalk Hospital. She was 90.
Born in Cross Creek Township, Ohio in 1932, she graduated from The Ohio State University. Lois taught school in Downey, California; Mather Air Force Base, Sacramento; Greensburg, Indiana and Englewood, Ohio.
She lived in California, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut, following her husband’s career moves. She married Otis L. Crawford in Nevada, while he was in the US Air Force.
Lois was an active member of the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, where she was an offering steward for many years. She was an active tennis player, golfer and bridge player. Lois also ran the Komen golf charity event for the 9-hole women’s golf group at Longshore.
Survivors in addition to her husband include her daughters Jean Crawford and Laura Provencal, 4 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. She was pre deceased by her son Gregory Crawford.
Services will be private. Click here to leave online condolences.
Lois Crawford
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Dick Lowenstein spotted these 2 dozen-plus birds — “most likely carrion-eating black vultures,” he says — in a tree in his Greens Farms back yard. They make an intriguing “Westport … Naturally” photo.
Small birds are not bothered, though. They continued to feast at his bird feeder.
And finally … Westport offers thanks to Marigny. Our sister city in France has officially joined our efforts to help another sister city: Lyman, Ukraine.
So, in the spirit of siblings, we offer:
(We hope you enjoy our daily Roundup. It takes a lot of work! Please click here to support this blog. Thank you!)
This week’s Board of Education community conversation was wide-ranging, robust and fruitful. If you missed
It was so successful, the board will schedule another conversation. They’ll begin with the topics they ended with: books in the high school library, and equity action planning.
The next event will be scheduled in the evening. When the date is finalized, “06880” will let you know.
Meanwhile, last night, a couple of hundred people enjoyed dozens of wines (and excellent hors d’oeuvres), at Westport Sunrise Rotary’s annual (but first since COVID) “Uncorked” fundraiser.
The tastings were courtesy of The Fine Wine Company. The dining came courtesy of the host Inn at Longshore.
And the money raised? It all goes to the many worthy program — here and abroad — supported by our excellent Sunrise Rotary Club.
Last night’s “Westport Uncorked,” at the Inn at Longshore. (Photo/Dan Woog)
A reader writes: “The other day I dropped an envelope into a mailbox between the diner and dance studio. I felt something sticky, and realized the envelope was not falling into the box.”
“I called the check’s recipient a few days later. They had not gotten the check. I went to the box to see if I could retrieve it. I couldn’t, so I went to the post office. They gave me a number to call.
“I called, and found out I was scammed. The sticky page catches my envelope. Thieves erase and change all the information they need: signature, amount, routing and account numbers.
“I had to go to the bank, get new account numbers, order new checks, remember all my direct deposits and notify them.
“Why isn’t something posted about this scam? The post office and bank know about it. Why hasn’t he public been alerted?
Since graduating from Staples High School in 2013, and Middlebury College 4 years later, August Laska has done many things.
He worked for Snapchat and Disney. He co-produced an Off-Broadway show. He was a marketer.
Now — after being furloughed in the pandemic — he’s got a new gig. He owns The Old Yew Plant Shop on Horatio Street in the West Village.
It offers plants for all tastes and plant-growing abilities, plus landscaping and installation services, expert advice, and anything else city dwellers need (for their plants, anyway).
August always loved plants. But not until his temporary COVID-induced move back to Westport did he have a chance to indulge in his passion.
Work on his yard led to requests by relatives and friends. When someone asked him to do his work indoors — bingo.
This week, Off the Grid — a Village blog — profiled August and The Old Yew Plant Shop. Click here for a story that’s even livelier than Audrey II.
But August is not sitting around twiddling his (green) thumbs. He’ll open a second Manhattan location soon.
August Laska at The Old Yew Plant Shop. (Photo courtesy of Off the Grid)
Tomorrow’s Green’s Farms Congregational organ rededication — with a concert by renowned improvisationist Justin Bischof, in honor of organist Rick Tripodi, who oversaw the reinstallation but died just before completion — is set for 4 p.m. tomorrow (Sunday, November 20).
But you’re never too old to have a Westport Library exhibit.
His botanical paintings will be featured in the Sheffer Gallery, from December 5 through February 28. An artist talk and reception, with Rauh and Miggs Burroughs, is set for January 20.
“I am extremely fortunate to be granted the ability to continue to function as well as I do as the years pass,” says Rauh, who took up botanical painting in retirement, after a long career in motion pictures special effects.
“Spread along these walls are the results of what I have observed looking closely at flowers over the years. Whether in my quest for the accurate I have managed to bring a personal statement is for you to judge. It is enough for me that you will look at flowers in a way you never have before.”
Rauh won the gold medal and Best in Show awards at the 2006 Royal Horticultural Society Show in London, and his work is in several permanent collections. He has taught in the botanical illustration certificate program at the New York Botanical Gardens since 1994 and was named its Teacher of the Year in 2010. He also teaches widely in senior centers.
Two other exhibits will be featured at the Library too: “Speak to Me” (woven art by Westporter Tina Puckett), and 8 works from the Westport Public Art Collections.
Westport’s Thiel Architecture + Design is known for its office, restaurant, retail and residential projects.
Now they’re known by the Connecticut chapter of the American Institute of Architect too.
Thiel’s design of a Brooklyn office will receive an Excellence in Interior Architecture award. It and 5 other designs are in contention for Connecticut Project of the Year.
The design is for a company that downsized after the pandemic. The new Williamsburg space “functions less as a ‘workhouse’ and more as a ‘clubhouse,’a gathering place where employees come together to re-energize, zoom with remote clients and collaborators, and do intermittent touchdown work.”
Thiel is currently designing the future Weston Town Green, and last year worked with the Westport Farmers’ Market on a concept for a permanent home at the Imperial Avenue lot.
With winter near (despite the Compo swimmers, above), Westporters are stocking up on wood.
James Parisi is one of the few who chops his own.
And probably the only one who takes such a dramatic photo of his work.
Now it will warm him 3 times: Once when he chopped it. Then when he burns it. And now, when he sees it featured as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.
The recent news that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard had a Westport connection — and not just because Westporters know the island well.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Edgartown helped lead the Vineyard response. The church provided shelter for 2 nights, and many meals.
That’s not unusual. St. Andrew’s already runs a winter shelter at the parish house, with cots, a large kitchen, showers and laundry.
The church’s minister is Rev. Vincent Seadale — though everyone on Martha’s Vineyard calls him Father Chip.
He was Chip at Staples High School too, where he was part of the Class of 1978. He was called to St. Andrew’s in 2009, after serving at the Church of the Redeemer in Jacksonville, Florida.
After Staples, Father Chip graduated from Colgate University and the University of Connecticut School of Law. He spent 16 years as an attorney, before graduating from Yale University Divinity School in 2004.
Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Services says:
“We, and every person who Crew Chief Mark Blake inspired, are heartbroken.
“After 61 years blessing our earth with his kindness, and over 30 years of compassionate, dedicate, and excellent service to our community, Mark passed away yesterday morning.
“An incredibly dedicated public servant and a widely respected EMT who always put the needs of others above his own, Mark leaves behind a legacy of not only thousands of lives saved on the ambulance, but countless more (for decades to come) as he educated and helped raise the future generations of EMS personnel through educational classes, state and regional programs, and as a mentor to many of our community’s emergency medical technicians.
“Always looking for a bright spot in the day, the background of this photo — a brilliant Compo Beach sunrise — was taken by Mark during one of the many sunrises he witnessed while serving the community on duty.”
Visitation is set for Monday (September 26, 4 to 8 p.m., Harding Funeral Home). A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday (September 27, 2 p.m., St. Matthew Church, Norwalk, followed by a graveside service at 3:30 p.m. at Willowbrook Cemetery.
As plans for “Reconnecting the Riverfront” — the project to redesign parking and pedestrian areas downtown — move forward (a bit more quickly than Parker Harding traffic), the public is invited to participate.
A “visioning charrette and open house” is set for September 29 (7 to 9 p.m., Westport Library). Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to attend.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee is coordinating the project. with Langan Engineering and Environmental Services. The DPIC includes town department heads and residents. They hold public meetings on the 2nd Thursday of each month, at 8:30 a.m. Click here for details.
Screenshot from the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee.
Compo’s South Beach at sunset was the setting yesterday evening, for a renewal of vows.
After 25 years of marriage, Dr. Lynn Wilson held his bride Nancy’s bouquet, as she read their words to each other. Justice of the Peace Rhona Lieberson was the officiant.
Staples High Class of 2015 graduate Rachel Treisman has covered human interest stories around the royal funeral for NPR. She gained journalism experience while working for Inklings, the school newspaper — and then served as editor-in-chief of the Yale Daily News.
On February 29, 2020, the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce and Westport Library sponsored another successful Supper & Soul dinner/concert.
A few days later, COVID clobbered the town.
The event was set to resume this past May. But the band got the virus, and had to cancel. The Chamber refunded all tickets.
Now, it’s full speed ahead.
The next Supper & Soul — the first in over 2 1/2 years — is set for Saturday, October 22. Cris Jacobs — who rocked the 2018 Blues Views & BBQ — brings his high energy to the Library Forum, following dinner at a variety of downtown restaurants.
One ticket entitles attendees to a 3-course meal at any of 11 eateries, plus the show, then a stop at any of the restaurants for happy hour-priced post-concert drinks.
Participating restaurants are 190 Main, Amis, Arezzo, Basso, Capuli, Da Tapas, Don Memo, Manna Toast, Spotted Horse, Goji (Wafu) and Walrus Alley. Dinner is 6 p.m.; the concert is at 8.
Tickets are $90 each for the dinner and concert. Concert-only tickets are $40. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Westport Country Playhouse is launching a new mobile unit. It will travel to audiences, grades 6 to 10, for live theatrical performances.
Designed to be adaptable for any kind of space, including cafeterias, libraries and classrooms, the Playhouse Mobile Unit brings to schools a 45-minute, fully staged production with professional actors, sets, costumes and special effects.
The performance is followed by a Q&A with the actors. A study guide and curriculum are provided, with classroom activities and games.
Funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Town of Westport’s American Rescue Plan Act funding for the arts.
The inaugural play — “Scaredy Kat Presents” —captures the joys and struggles of adolescence, while attempting to destigmatize anxiety and panic disorder. Bookings are underway, for performances beginning in January.
The Playhouse offers financial aid and payment plans, along with group sales and discounts for multiple performances in one day.
For more information, email education@westportplayhouse.org or call Kendall Driffin, education and community engagement associate: 203-571-1133.
Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is gearing up for a full season of musical events.
On Sunday October 9 (5 p.m.), noted English vocal ensemble VOCES8 stops by on their international tour. The program includes Renaissance, jazz and the American song book.
Tickets include a post-performance reception. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
But Westporters are pleased with the redesign of the Baldwin parking lot. The Elm Street area has been redesigned, regraded and repaved. It works much better now.
Baldwin parking lot looking northwest, after renovation. (Photo/Dan Woog)
That’s just a taste of what’s to come though, parking-wise. Two bigger projects are in the works. They could significantly alter the way we perceive and use downtown lots — and, perhaps the way we perceive and use downtown itself.
Improvements to Parker Harding Plaza (behind Main Street), the Taylor lot (by Jesup Green and the Library) and the Imperial Avenue lot (Farmers’ Market, Remarkable Theater) have been discussed for decades — probably since Parker Harding was built on landfill in the 1950s.
Aerial view of downtown in 1949, before Parker Harding Plaza was built. The river came up to the backs of stores on the west side of Main Street.
Prior to that, the Saugatuck River lapped up against the backs of stores on the west side of Main Street (and pipes discharged sewage directly into it). The new lot may have added much-needed parking, but it created a sea of asphalt that turned the important and attractive river into a downtown afterthought.
A master plan of downtown improvements in 2015, designed by outside consultants, was complicated. Some ideas were feasible; others were not. The Downtown Plan Improvement Committee got mired in small details; then it got mired in COVID.
Randy Herbertson — the former director of the Westport Downtown Merchants Association — took over last year.
The parking lots are one of 5 pillars to the downtown plan, he says. The others ae pedestrian access, maintenance, sustainability and technology upgrades.
Parking now dominates the east bank of the Saugatuck River. Only a sliver of grass and a few benches provides access to anyone wishing to enjoy the view.
But parking may be the most visible. And if it’s improved, it drives the others.
The Parker Harding and Taylor lots are “aged, decrepit and in disrepair,” Herbertson says. “They’re not even optimized for parking and traffic. They don’t take advantage of the river. And they flood.”
The goal is to reclaim river access at both lots. Moving and reconfiguring parking — without losing spaces — could make room for a playground and expanded Riverwalk near Jesup Green, and allow for a more permanent Farmers’ Market and Remarkable Theater off Imperial Avenue. Electric vehicle charging stations would be included too.
(Photo/Chip Stephens)
The hope is for bids to be solicited early next year. Work on Parker Harder would be first, beginning in summer.
The biggest obstacle, Herbertson says, may be funding. The town is considering several capital projects, including Long Lots and Coleytown Elementary Schools, and Longshore.
But, he notes, “the central business district affects everyone in town.” He sees opportunities for private investment in parts of the improvement plan — for example, an improved Riverwalk with native plantings and art installations, or a possible pedestrian bridge from Parker Harding to the west bank of the river.
This screenshot from the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee shows the Parker Harding lot, and its proximity to the Saugatuck River.
As Langan (an engineering and environmental consulting firm) and Connect the Dots (a community engagement firm) work with the DPIC to design the “Reconnecting the Riverfront” master plan, they plan a public charette September 29 (7 p.m., Westport Library). It’s a chance for residents to offer ideas and input.
A survey will be live soon too. Watch “06880” for the link.
(For more information, including early “inspirational ideas,” click here for the Downtown Plan Improvement Committee website.)
(“06880” covers all of Westport, from downtown to the beach and woods. To support this hyper-local blog, please click here.)
And the winner of “American Song Contest” on NBC is …
… not Michael Bolton.
Connecticut’s (and Westport’s) contestant finished 7th Monday night. After 8 weeks, the title went to AleXa of Oklahoma.
But our guy made the semifinals — the top 10 out of 55, in our national version of Eurovision. And our neighbor is still #1 in our hearts. Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Mark Mathias)
Screenshot from the “American Song Contest” website.
Here’s what the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee will discuss tomorrow, beginning at 8:30 a.m. (click here for the Zoom link).
I. Opening Remarks – Chair
A. Overall Meeting Goals
I. Approval of Minutes (4/2022 Meeting)
II. Strategic Priority Review
A. Parking Lots Reinvention
1. Downtown Lots Design Master Plan
a) June kickoff meeting with core steering team
b) Planning for public engagement and project timeline
2. Baldwin Lot – completion targeted for end of June
B. Pedestrian Access
1. Streetscape Improvements
a) Bench installs
b) Additional cans for high traffic locations
Strategic Priorities (cont)
Pedestrian Access (cont.)
2. Main Street Improvements
a) Status (bump out and re-pavement)
C. Sustainability
1. Solarization
a) Initial meetings with consultant
2. Alternative Transportation
a) Bird proposal
(1) background
D. Maintenance
1. Special Services District
a) Last Ordinance Draft
b) Cost development – RFQ
If you can’t make the 8:30 start, perhaps you can watch during dinner.
The Staples High School boys lacrosse program is adding 4 honorees to their Hall of Fame.
Bill Rexford (Class of 1986), Ryan Kubie (’96), Paul McNulty (Staples ’64, head coach 2009-18) and the 16-0, undefeated regular season 2010 team will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s game against New Canaan. The contest begins at 3 p.m. The Wreckers are currently ranked #2 in the state.
Rexford and Kubie starred in the early days of Staples lacrosse. The ’10 team made history.
McNulty, meanwhile, was one of the keys to the growth of Staples lacrosse into the powerhouse it is today.
He took over a program that had had 3 coaches in 4 years. Within a year, he coached that ’10 squad to its undefeated record. The Wreckers reached 2 state championship games during his tenure.
McNulty returned to his alma mater — where he starred with Laddie Lawrence on the track team — after a hugely successful career coaching Wilton High lacrosse: 3 state championships, 2 state runners-up, and 20 All-Americans, among other achievements.
McNulty is a member of both the US Lacrosse and FCIAC Halls of Fame, and has earned numerous other honors. During his 50-plus-year career, he also coached football, soccer, tennis and track, starting at a segregated Black school in Jacksonville, Florida.
Fun fact: He was a student teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Florida with Coach Leonard Skinner, who was notorious for sending home boys with long hair. A few of them wanted to form a band, and did not want to get their hair cut.
So they quit school, formed that band, and named it after their coach: Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The Cottage of Westport has named a new chef de cuisine: Danny Oddo.
He was previously executive sous chef at The Simone in New York City. He also worked for Marc Murphy’s restaurant group, which included Landmarc in Tribeca, and was part of the opening team at the Paloma in the Hotel Hendricks.
“Growing up in New Jersey, my love of cooking stemmed from visiting local farms and spending time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother,” Oddo says.
“I am inspired to have the opportunity to work with Chef Brian Lewis and his entire team to bring my experience and background to our guests, and to work with local farmers and purveyors to offer new flavors, textures and colors on our menu.”
Its mission is clear: pairing local teens with special needs youngsters. They spend at least one weekend a month together, doing what friends do: bake cookies. Play games. Go bowling.
It’s a wonderful, low-key organization, loved by all who participate in it.
Their annual fundraiser and volunteer recognition is Sunday, May 22 (5:30 p.m., Beth Israel Synagogue, Norwalk). It’s always a warm, welcoming night. This year, special awards (courtesy of Senator Richard Blumenthal) will be presented to teens from Westport, Weston and surrounding towns. Despite the isolating effects of COVID, they’ve provided home visits and programs to their friends.
The evening promises good food, inspiring speeches, prizes and more. Click here for tickets and more information.
Beechwood Arts’ final event of “UpsideDown at The Westport Library” is this Friday (May 13, 7 p.m.).
There’s a reception for 15 artists (with wine and refreshments). Their art will be projected on the 19-foot screen, and they’ll share stories of reinvention and inspiration over the past couple of years, when “the world turned upside down.”
The Westport Library middle school summer program includes math, literacy and STEAM activities. Each week the immersive experience covers a different topic, over 2 days.
Mondays center around a blend of inquiry, design, research, writing and the arts. The Tuesday class builds on the work from Monday, focusing on math, science and revision, testing and technology, with students creating a physical representation of their learning.
Students work together to solve challenging problems that are authentic, curriculum-based, and interdisciplinary. Click here for details.
Rach’s Hope is a special organization, with a special mission: It helps families address the many challenges of a child’s critical illness.
Named for Rachel Doran — a 2018 the Staples High School National Merit Commended Scholar, talented Players costume designer, and founder of her own pajama company — the annual fundraiser is special too: a “PJ Gala.”
This year’s event raised nearly $40,000. Donations are still being accepted. Click here to learn more.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee met this morning. They discussed:
The Baldwin parking lot upgrade. It’s in the final approval stages, including the Representative Town Meeting next month. The goal is for work to begin early next year.
“Streetscaping” also goes before the RTM in September.
“Wayfinding” (signage and orientation) is progressing. There is a possibility of using ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.
Next steps — including a pedestrian bridge, and an “emerald necklace” were discussed
Also discussed: a very early idea for Jesup Green (reclaiming more green space near the river) …
… and potential docking on the water once the river is dredged. The committee recently received a budget earmark from the state for this work. The Army Corps of Engineers will conduct an environmental study this fall.
One more topic: the addition of the Imperial Avenue parking lot to the list of priorities. This may include a more permanent, multi-use structure for the Farmers’ Market (ideally also for parking during non-market use times), and an upgrade to encourage more day parkers to use the lot.
Chair Randy Herbertson cited “momentum” for downtown improvements.
In other Downtown Plan Implementation Committee news: The group has a new website. Click here for information about parking lots, pedestrian access, maintenance, sustainability and technology upgrades.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee looks at both sides of the river.
Better parking. Enhanced river access. Tech upgrades, including vibrant WiFi.
Those are some of the initiatives planned for downtown.
Now all Randy Herbertson has to do is implement them.
He’s not alone, of course. The revitalization of Main Street, Jesup Green and environs is a huge task, with public and private partnerships and investments.
He’s hardly parachuting in. He and his wife Deborah have been here since 1998. But although they chose this town in part for its cultural offerings, for more than their first decade Herbertson was “that guy who saw Westport only in the dark.”
He owned a marketing and design firm in New York. She commuted too. It was only after he sold his business and opened The Visual Brand on Church Lane — and Deborah became creative director at Terrain — that he got involved in local affairs.
He went big. David Waldman encouraged him to join the Westport Downtown Merchants Association. He sat on the town website steering committee and the Westport Library board.
And Herbertson joined the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee.
The “plan” is the town’s Master Plan. Developed 7 years ago, it is now “a bit outdated,” Herbertson admits. But it’s a start.
The new chair hopes to prioritize the plan’s 4 or 5 major initiatives, by cost and complexity.
One key issue: Reimagining parking. First up, Herbertson says, is the Baldwin lot off Elm Street. That’s the easiest
Parker Harding Plaza is more complex. It involves rethinking green space, and the lot’s relationship to the Saugatuck River.
A slender ribbon of green separates the Saugatuck River from Parker Harding Plaza. (Photo/Amy Berkin)
Jesup Green is the most complex. The ultimate vision, Herbertson says, is to flip the current parking with the adjacent green space. That would emphasize and maximize river access, while adding perhaps a playground or skating rink.
The greening of downtown, including technology upgrades, could solarize much of the area. A stronger WiFI network would enhance music capabilities.
Herbertson’s committee will also figure out how to create “more stop-and-pause places. People want room to move freely outside, then stop and dwell.”
The DPIC head points to the COVID-induced closing of Church Lane as successful. It led to increased dining and shopping, Herbertson says. Now he wants to build on that success.
Another issue: the best way to manage services like trash pickup and recycling.
“A good downtown is the heart and soul of a community,” Herbertson says. “It’s great to see that ours is becoming that again.” New businesses — restaurants, book stores and more — are opening up. Some are start-ups; others have relocated from elsewhere in town.
Among the new businesses downtown: Capuli restaurant.
During his time as president, the Westport Downtown Merchants Association reinvigorated the Fine Arts Festival. They added special events for different populations — a fashion show, beer fest and more — and advocated for enhanced public/private partnerships. Cables were buried; sidewalks and curbs added.
Herbertson calls his roles with the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee and Downtown Merchants Association “synergistic.” The DPIC is an advisory body, he notes; the town controls all rules and regulations.
But, he notes, “everything the DPIC touches is something the WDMA is involved in.”
He also sees synergy with other initiatives in town — for example, the revitalization of Saugatuck.
“COVID taught us the importance of the retail community, as part of our town as a whole,” he says. “Whatever happens in one place affects the rest.”
So what does Herbertson’s idea downtown look like?
“Highly walkable,” he says.”Real strong integration of natural resources, especially the waterfront. Every space filled with a selection of things that are unique an good for the town, where people can stop and pause.
“And something for all ages.”
Downtown Westport. (Photo/John Videler for VIdeler Photography)
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