Tag Archives: Felicia Catale

Roundup: Longshore Pool, Netflix, Hair …

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The Town of Westport website’s Longshore pool page says: “We anticipate opening on Memorial Day weekend, however we are awaiting on information from the State of Connecticut for updated COVID-19 guidance.”

Meanwhile, the 3 pools are filled, and the pumps are pumping.

Also meanwhile: The Westport Weston Family Y ends its pool reservation system — in place since last summer — as of Tuesday (June 1). For nearly a year, swimmers have had to reserve times, 3 days ahead of time. (Hat tip: Michael Catarevas)

Longshore pool (Photo/Pamela Einarsen)

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Dog-walkers at Winslow Park have been intrigued by several large trucks parked in the nearby Westport Country Playhouse parking lot.

Yesterday, Wendy Crowther saw a man moving an enormous fan. She chatted him up, and learned it will be part of a movie shoot.

Netflix is filming “The Noel Diary” around Fairfield County. Based on the novel of the same name, and starring Justin Hartley, Bonnie Bedelia and Treat Williams, it’s a Christmas flick. The fan is to help with the “snow.”

No word yet on when the Westport scenes will be shot.

One of the trucks in the Westport Country Playhouse parking lot. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Another Compo Beach memorial bench has been found!

Barbara De Rome Gross posted on a Weston social media page that while kayaking at Compo, she found a bench honoring the Geismar family. David and Mirjam were longtime, beloved Weston EMTs — and Holocaust survivors.

Barbara told Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department of her find. They’ll retrieve it, restore it, and reposition it at its rightful place near the Ned Dimes Marina.

How it ended up where it did is “a mystery,” Barbara writes. But thanks to her eagle eye, the Geismars will once again have their place of honor by the water. (Hat tip: Laurie Crouse)

The Geismars’ memorial bench.

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Catherine Cook purchased the house at 13 Morningside Drive North in 2020.   Her sister Julie French lives in Wimberley, Texas. Her hobby is family and home historical records.

When Catherine moved to Westport, Julie contacted the Westport Historical Society for information. She learned about their plaque program, and realized it would be a great housewarming gift.

It took a while, but Julie has finally presented her gift: a plaque citing “The Eliason House,” built in 1917.

In 1916 Clara Eliason purchased the property from Edward Birge. She built her house the next year. After Clara died in 1951, the property was transferred to family members, who lived there until 1997. (Hat tip: Bob Weingarten)

Catherine Cook (left) with the plaque purchased by her sister, Julie French.

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The Staples High School boys lacrosse team made history yesterday.

The Wreckers scored early and often, held Wilton scoreless for the entire first half, and cruised to a 16-2 victory in the FCIAC semifinal, held at Staples.

The blue-and-whites — seeded 2nd in the league vie for the program’s first league title ever tomorrow (Friday, May 28, 5 p.m., New Canaan High School’s Dunning Field). They face top-ranked Darien. The Blue Wave won their regular season encounter 10-7, earlier this spring.

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A reader recently wondered what happened to the wonderful crew at Compo Barbers.

Felice, Chau, Tony and Tina have moved just a few doors east — right across the driveway next to CVS — to Westport Hair & Co. They’ve even kept the old Compo Barber Shop phone number (203-227-9779).

And speaking of Felice: another great stylist, Felicia Catale, is back in business at Salon Nash, at Nash’s Corner on Post Road West.

Whichever side of the river you choose, your hair will thank you.

Felice and Felicia

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Just in time for Pride Month, Jillian Elder — of Finding Westport, Finding Fairfield County and Finding Connecticut fame — has rolled out LGBTQ-themed merchandise. They’re available through June 30 only.

Jillian is donating 10% of all sales to Westport Pride, the group that is organizing local celebrations throughout June.

Click here for rainbow-style water bottles, coffee mugs, hoodies and t-shirts. Then show them off with pride!

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Canal Beach may be one of Westport’s lesser-known spots. Still, it’s hard to imagine no one noticing someone cutting a metal pole holding a clamming sign.

It’s harder still to figure out why someone would do it.

The sign is now back up. Sort of.

(Photos/Gene Borio)

But the mystery continues.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows a scene right outside Roseann Spengler’s front door:

(Photo/Roseann Spengler)

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And finally … today in 1933, the Walt Disney Company released the cartoon Three Little Pigs. It included a soon-to-be-hit song: “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”

Here’s how it sounded then …

… and how it sounds now:

 

Felicia’s Salon Nash: Always In Style

It’s not easy opening a new business in Westport.

It’s especially tough in a crowded, competitive field like hair styling.

But in December 2018, Felicia Catale did it.

Salon Nash has made it past that crucial one-year point. And despite many obstacles and challenges, Felicia would not have it any other way.

Felicia Catale

She’s well known in Westport. She admits that not everyone knows her name. But when they see her face, they realize she’s worked at some of the top salons in town. In fact, she’s been here for 27 years.

Born in Italy, she was 2 when her parents brought her to Bridgeport. Felicia first studied hairdressing at Bullard-Havens High School, and got her first job long before graduation.

Moving to Westport, her resume includes time at Tony’s, Karen & Frank’s and Austin Rolfe.

Roger Leifer has watched her work for 20 years. When Tony’s closed, he urged her not to leave town. He said he’d help her open her own place, at a property he owned: Nash’s Plaza.

There — in the small Post Road West shopping center just past Kings Highway Elementary School — Felicia styles hair for men, women and children.

“I love colors, art and people,” she says. “I’m so happy to create something that makes other people happy.”

Her clients — many of whom followed her from other salons — are happy too.

One of the most satisfied was A.E. Hotchner. For years she made house calls to the famed author, who died last month at 102.

“We talked about a lot of things,” she says. “He always told me about luck, and being in the right place at the right time.”

Despite Leifer’s help though, the first year has not been easy.

“It’s hard starting from scratch,” Felicia says. “I’m not branded, like a lot of big salons. I didn’t buy an existing business. It’s all word of mouth. People know who I am, but they don’t recognize the name Salon Nash. Or they know my face, but not my name.”

She’s learned to “stay focused, and remember where I came from and where I am. I’ll never give up,” she says.

After all, she is doing what she loves. Updos for weddings, giving women the now-back-in-style platinum blonde Marilyn Monroe look, providing classic looks for men and giving kids what they want — it all comes to a head, at Felicia Catale’s Salon Nash.

(During the coronavirus pandemic, Westport is limiting all hair salons to appointments only — no walk-in customers. Felicia will also do house calls.  Her number is 203-747-9753.)