Tag Archives: Fleet Feet

Roundup: Ukraine, Budget, Businesses …

Posted on March 5, 2022 | Comments Off on Roundup: Ukraine, Budget, Businesses …

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A technical glitch has caused some “06880” readers to fall off the subscriber list. If you’ve been receiving our emails regularly — no problem.

But you may have friends or relatives who are not getting them. So they’re not reading this. You can help.

If you know someone who says “I’m not getting my ‘06880!’,” please have them email 06880blog@gmail.com. I’ll send the info they need to get back on the list!

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Today’s rally in support of Ukraine (Saturday, 11 a.m.) will have a special backdrop. Yesterday, the site — the downtown Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge — was decorated with blue and yellow fabric. As the world now knows, those are the colors of the nation now under siege.

Westport artist Mark Yurkiw — whose parents emigrated to the US in 1949 from Ukraine — conceived, designed and created it. He installed it yesterday, with help from Miggs Burroughs and Sal Liccione. Help with funding came from Stephan Taranko, another Westporter with Ukrainian heritage.

Ukrainian colors, on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

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Julia Peterbarg’s aunt and grandmother are currently in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The rest of her family escaped to the western part of the country.

She offers these ways for “06880” readers — friends, neighbors and strangers — to help

And more ways to help…

Years ago, Bobbi Essagof attended summer camp. Yesterday, the longtime Westporter received an email from the current owner. He passed along information from a camp family with ties to Ukraine. It offered several ways for Americans to help:

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Yesterday’s “06880” story on Westport’s FY 2023 town budget said that the first 2 Board of Finance meetings about it would be held March 8 and 9.

Yesterday, those meetings were canceled. BOF chair Sheri Gordon says the delay to discuss the operating budget is caused because the Board of Education has not yet presented its working capital plan.

A Finance Board discussion will be held as scheduled with the BOE on March 10 (and beyond as needed) to allow the town and Board of Ed to come up with a realistic capital budget. Once that is done, discussions will proceed on the town’s operating and capital budgets.

Click here to see the FY ’22 budget.

Decisions on how tax dollars will be spent begin soon,

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88 houses closed in Westport over the past 3 months (December through February).

That’s a 40% decrease from the same time a year ago. But it’s still the 2nd-most closings for the period since 2005.

Houses spent 78 days on the market — and buyers on average paid 101.4% of the list price. The average closing price during that 3-month period was $1,952,335, up 9.1% from the previous year.

There were 91 active listings at the end of February. (Hat tip: Roe Colletti, Brown Harris Stevens)

This house at 50 Compo Mill Cove is on the market for $13.5 million.

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Fleet Feet has officially moved. They’re celebrating at their new location, in the Fresh Market plaza, a couple of doors down from the supermarket.

They’ve got Karhu and Kane Footwear there today (Saturday), and TAP tomorrow. Run on down!

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Good news for fans of The Cottage — particularly those in Greenwich, Stamford and Westchester.

Chef Brian Lewis’ 2nd location opens at 49 Greenwich Avenue (Greenwich) on March 22.

The seasonal menu features classic dishes from The Cottage Westport, including Wagyu beef brisket steam buns, duck fried rice and The Cottage Burger, along with new small plates for sharing, house made pasta, signature items, vegetable-centric dishes and gluten-free options.  also heart into every dish and drink that is served to a guest.”

Westport architect Rick Hoag collaborated with Lewis on a modern interpretation of the intimate Westport location. For more information, click here.

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It’s taken a year. But yesterday at the Cavalry Road bridge, one of the new deck pieces was dropped into place.

Mixing a metaphor, is there light at the end of the tunnel?

(Photo/Walter Greene)

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Tonight, Westporter Suzanne Tanner promotes world peace and harmony, with a benefit performance of 1970s love songs, Broadway ballads and selections from her original solo musicals. It’s set for 7 p.m. at the JCC in Sherman.

Proceeds will benefit environmental initiatives, and aid to Ukraine.

Suzanne Tanner

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As the Ukrainian refugee crisis worsens, a long-planned International Women’s Day event seems especially timely.

This Tuesday (March 8, 7 p.m., Westport Library, in-person and Zoom), the United Nations Association Southwest Chapter hosts “The Refugee Experience.” Aid workers will discuss how the process works in Connecticut — specifically, how it affects women. Click here for details.

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Westport Book Shop‘s featured artist of the month is a familiar face: 1971 Staples High School graduate and lifelong resident Michael Brennecke.

An abstract painter, he attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and earned a BFA at Tufts University. Click here for his website.

Michael Brennecke with his paintings, at the Westport Book Shoop.

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JD Dworkow calls today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo “false spring on Ferry Lane East.”

(Photo/JD Dworkow)

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And finally … in honor of today’s rally for Ukraine in downtown Westport (and hopes of better days ahead):

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Posted in Arts, Downtown, Entertainment, Local business, Local politics, Politics, Real estate, Restaurants

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Roundup: Playhouse Interns, Livestreams, ADL …

Posted on January 27, 2022 | 3 comments

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In 1946 — just 15 years after its founding — the Westport Country Playhouse established an internship program. Among its graduates: a kid named Stephen Sondheim.

Now nationally recognized as a formative experience for aspiring arts professionals, it’s named for another Westport icon: Joanne Woodward.

This summer — after a 2-year COVID hiatus — the Joanne Woodward Internship Program returns live. Internships in stage management, props/scenic painting, wardrobe, marketing, company management, education, and development will run from May 28 to August 21.

In addition to working directly with senior staff, interns participate in weekly seminars. They hear a variety of guest speakers, including Playhouse staff members, visiting designers and artists, commercial producers and more. The pay is $560 a week.

The application deadline is March 11. Click here for the form.

Stephen Sondheim (crouching, top of photo), during his 1950 internship. The photo was taken at the Jolly Fisherman restaurant. Also in the photo: future film director Frank Perry (front row, left) and Richard Rodgers’ daughter Mary (2nd row, 4th from left).

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Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice says:

“Given the rapid drop in COVID cases among our middle and high school students, and the small number of students in quarantine, we will return to regular classroom instruction, and discontinue the use of live-streaming cameras.

“The last day of livestreaming cameras in our secondary classrooms will be tomorrow (Friday, January 28). Pending additional cases or quarantine, there will be zero Staples High and Coleytown Middle students in isolation or quarantine after today, and only 5 students in isolation and 2 in quarantine at Bedford Middle School.

“We will continue to peel back mitigating measures prudently, based on our local experience and input from public health advisors.”

No Coleytown Middle School students in isolation or quarantine!

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ADL’s Connecticut chapter is a national leader in the fight against antisemitism and bigotry.

And — like its previous director — its new leader is a Westporter.

Stacey Sobel succeeds Steve Ginsburg. Most recently, she spent nearly a decade as executive director of Child Advocates of Connecticut, serving abused and neglected children.

As a volunteer, Sobel was president of Temple Israel, and president of Westport’s Hadassah chapter.

Sobel also was in private law practice, and served in the general counsel’s office of Continental Can Company. The Long Island native l is a graduate of Lafayette College, and Boston University School of Law.

Stacey Sobel

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TAP — the personal wellness team in downtown Westport — and Fleet Feet are partnering on the weekend of February 4-6. TAP members get 10% off merchandise at the running store.

In other words: Work out. “Run” across the street to Sconset Square. Then pick up something special for your valentine a week later.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows a barren — but beautiful — Sherwood Island scene.

I’m betting that 48 hours from now, it will look quite different.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

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And finally … on this date in 1880 Thomas Edison received a patent for his incandescent lamp.

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Posted in Arts, Education, Local business, Sports, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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Roundup: MLK Event, Fleet Feet, Local Art …

Posted on January 13, 2022 | 1 comment

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There’s a new time for this Sunday’s Dr. Martin Luther King celebration.

The free program featuring author Heather McGhee begins at 2:30 p.m. It had been set for 3 p.m.

Her book — The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together spent 10 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Her TED talk — “Racism Has a Cost for Everyone” — reached 1 million views in just 2 months.

Due to COVID, the event — sponsored by the Westport Library, Westport Country Playhouse, TEAM Westport, Westport/Weston Interfaith Council, and the Westport/Weston Interfaith Clergy — is now online only.

The program includes performances by the Bridgeport Boys Choir, and dance by the Regional Center for the Arts.

To register for the link, click here.

Heather McGhee

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Fleet Feet is leaving Sconset Square.

But Westport’s favorite running store is not going far. The new location is just a jog away: the Fresh Market plaza, next to Little Beet.

Fleet Feet will double its size, offering an even larger selection of footwear, apparel and accessories. The more open space will also allow for expanded service, and social distancing. The move is planned for mid-February.

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Sure, Local to Market is a great place to shop for food with “local” ties.

But it also provides food for the soul.

Westport artist Elizabeth Petrie DeVoll has a solo show at the store — formerly Talbots and before that, the Remarkable Book Shop — at the corner of Main Street and Parker Harding Plaza.

The show also features cards by Jane Gilman Fleischner.

There’s a great tie-in with the historic building. DeVoll creates new art from old objects. She “enlivens history and questions the supposed border between the past and the present. She sees possibility in the discarded, weathered, and forgotten.”

Her work is part of a rotating gallery. All art shown at Local to Market comes through the Artists Collective of Westport.

Elizabeth Petrie DeVoll, with her work at Local to Market.

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A free Zoom event featuring Westport child psychiatrist Gwen Lopez-Cohen Dr. Harold Koplewicz is set for next Tuesday (January 18, 7:30 p.m.). They’ll discuss Koplewicz’s new book, The Scaffold Effect: Raising Resilient, Self-Reliant, and Secure Kids in an Age of Anxiety.

Koplewicz says that the deliberate buildup and then gradual loosening of parental support (like scaffolding on a building) is the single most effective way to encourage youngsters to climb higher, try new things, grow from mistakes, and develop character and strength.

Click here to register. Sponsors are Schoke Jewish Family Service and the Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County.

Dr. Gwen Lopez-Cohen

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An opening reception for the latest George Billis Gallery show — featuring 34 artists curated by New York critic and writer David Masello — is set for Saturday (January 15, 4 to 7 p.m.).

The public is welcome.

Norm Siegel’s “Mona Rolla” oil on canvas is featured at the new George Billis Gallery show.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from Marie Gross. She spotted these beautiful birds on Riverside Avenue.

(Photo/Marie Gross)

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And finally … Ronnie Spector died yesterday, after a brief battle with cancer. She was 78.

Her career was defined both as the leader of the spectacular Ronettes, and her marriage to the abusive producer Phil Spector.

The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 by Keith Richard of the Rolling Stones.

Ronnie’s sister and fellow Ronette Estelle Bennett died in 2009. But their music will live on for ages.

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Posted in Arts, Children, Library, Local business, Sports

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Roundup: Kowalsky Property, Orphenians, Fleet Feet …

Posted on December 22, 2021 | 18 comments

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For months, Greens Farms residents have wondered: What’s going on at Morningside Drive South and Clapboard Hill Road

There’s been activity there, at one of the town’s largest still-undeveloped private tracts of land.

On January 5 (7:30 p.m., Zoom) the Flood & Erosion Control Board will hear an application on behalf of the owner — Kowalsky Family Company LLC — for a 6-lot subdivision. It will be reviewed for drainage and grading recommendations to the Planning & Zoning Commission. To attend the virtual meeting, click here.

Site of the proposed subdivision, at 109 Morningside Drive South. (Photo courtesy of Google Earth)

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The latest COVID casualty: tomorrow’s Orphenians carol sing downtown.

The a cappella singers had invited alumni to join them, for this special event. The surge in local cases means waiting a year.

Orphenians director Luke Rosenberg wishes all Orphenians, past and present — and their countless fans — a happy, healthy holiday.

The Staples Orphenians sang downtown earlier this month, at the 06880″ Holiday Stroll.

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Despite the Orphenians’ cancellation, there’s a great reason to go downtown tomorrow (Thursday).

From 2 to 5 p.m. Staples High School’s OneWestport Club is holding a toy and coat drive, at the Bedford Square traffic circle on Elm Street.

All donations will go to the Person to Person network. They provide a free holiday store, where low-income families can shop for free gifts for their families. There’s been a huge demand this year, so OneWestport is offering a final push.

New and gently used coats (all sizes, but clean!), new board games, stuffed animals and picture books are great.

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Run — don’t walk — into 2022! Registration is open for Fleet Feet’s next training program

Starting Saturday, January 8 (8 a.m.), it’s a 12-week group effort, for runners of all abilities. From non-runners to those training for a big race: All are welcome.

There are Saturday 8 a.m., and Tuesday 5:30 p.m. sessions. Most runs start and end at the Sconset Square store (with an occasional track or trail run).

Fleet Feet offers a changing room/bathroom, secure storage of keys and valuables — and product discounts while enrolled in the program. Click here for more information, and registration.

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There are 3 shopping days left until Christmas.

Then — on Monday, December 27 — you can start again. MoCA Westport will host a pop-up shop event (9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), in conjunction with the Winter Recess Art Camp at their 19 Newtown Turnpike campus.

The sale features luxury home accents and fashion accessories.

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Thanks to STAR board member Amanda King Heavey, her son Will and his classmates, every child served by the STAR Rubino Family Center’s early intervention pediatric therapy program will receive a handmade card and note, plus a book to enjoy during the holidays.

Entering its 70th year, STAR Lighting the Way  creates opportunities for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live full, independent lives.

In the photo below, Will Heavey gives Westporter Parker Greenberg a book and card.

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Aitoro Appliance — just over the line in Norwalk — is many Westporters’ go-to for sales and service.

Now they need our help.

On Monday night at 3:30 a.m., 2 men wearing hoodies stole gas grills. The vehicle was a white Ford truck. Security cameras could not catch the license plate. Anyone with information can email info@aitoro.com.

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“Westport … Naturally” loves to show creatures of all kinds playing in Westport.

But no one has had more fun than this guy, spotted by Elisabeth Keane outside her home:

(Photo/Elisabeth Keane)

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And finally … Maurice and Robin Gibb were born on this day in 1949. With their older brother Barry, they formed the Bee Gees — one of the most popular British Invasion (and then disco) groups of all time.

Both died young: Maurice at 53 from a twisted intestine, and Robin at 62 from kidney failure.

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Posted in Arts, Downtown, Environment, Local business, Real estate, Sports, Staples HS

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Roundup: Fleet Feet Food Drive, Paul Lane Field, Nail Cutting …

Posted on November 13, 2021 | 3 comments

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Today’s the day for Fleet Feet’s food drive.

Now through 6 p.m., the Sconset Square store is collecting non-perishable food items for Connecticut Foodshare.

You can give cash or online too (click here). There’s a free gift from Brooks for donations over $100 — and you’re entered into a raffle to win a Brooks running shoe.

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There was a lot of action at the Staples stadium last night.

The football team honored its seniors. Then the Wreckers beat Ridgefield 26-10, keeping their postseason tournament hopes alive.

They also dedicated “Paul Lane Field.” The legendary coach died in June, at 93.

On hand were many former players, and family members. Among them: Skip Lane. The star — who was coached by his father — sported his Super Bowl ring, earned as a member of what was then called the Washington Redskins.

Skip Lane, with his Super Bowl ring. (Photo/Baxter Urist)

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IHOP closed in 2011. Three years later, it reopened — as a nail salon.

Now it too is gone.

Judging from Matt Murray’s photo, it needs a trim.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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One more “Oaktober” event (slightly delayed from November).

On Thursday, the Westport Garden Club planted a swamp white oak at Grace Salmon Park. Club members will mulch and water it for the first 2 important years after transplant.

It’s a fitting spot. Grace Salmon was an early member of the club.

A hat tip to Frank Geiger of Greenscape Design in Fairfield. He provided the tree at a reasonable price. His staff then carefully planted it close to the water.

Planting the tree, at Grace Salmon Park

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The Westport Astronomical Society’s 2022 calendar is available now.

Amateur astro-photographers — led by president Shannon Calvert — took the photos. There’s daily astronomical data too, courtesy of Phil Harrington.

The cost is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Shipping is $5 for 1 or 2 calendars, $10 for 3 to 5. It can also be picked up at WAS events, To order, email alex@was-ct.org,

Westport Astronomical Society calendar

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Longtime Westporter and noted hair stylist Frank Migliarese died unexpectedly last week. He was 88 years old.

Following graduation from Staples High School, Frank served his nation in the Army.

Returning to his beloved Westport, he enrolled in the Sassoon Academy and began a career in cosmetology. With his haircutting skills and charming personality, he won the hearts of many.

He owned Salon Coiffeur in down Westport, where he made his mark in the world of beauty. He loved his customers, and worked well into his 80s.

When he was not at his salon, Frank enjoyed Compo Beach, a special place all his life.

Frank’s obituary calls him “family-oriented, warm, personable, well-dressed, understanding, with a great sense of humor.”

A funeral is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 17 at Assumption Church. Interment will be private. The family will receive friends in the Harding Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 16, from 4 to 8 p.m. Click here to leave online condolences.

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Many Westporters support Adam J. Lewis Academy, the innovative Bridgeport elementary school that for nearly a decade has changed many lives.

On November 18, they’ll unveil a “Hope Quilt.” Artist Lizzy Rockwell led a community production with over 200 volunteers. The quilt will hang proudly in the school.

For more information on Adam J. Lewis Academy, click here.

The Adam J. Lewis Academy quilt.

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Congratulations to Staples’ November Students of the Month!

Alonzo Darby, Nina Driscoll, Max Levy, Christina Meehan, Maria-Despina Mutescu, Michael Porzio, Tyler Rockwell  and Chanel Wash “help make Staples a welcoming place for peers and teachers alike. They are the ‘glue’ of the Staples community: the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together, making it the special place that it is.”

Teachers nominate students who are friendly to staff and fellow students, and make positive contributions in class as well as the Staples community.

From left: Max Levy, Alonzo Darby, Nina Driscoll, Tyler Rockwell, Maria-Despina, Mutescu, Christina Meehan, Michael Porzio. Missing: Chanel Wash. 

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Town Hall attracts all kinds of visitors.

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows one recent arrival. My guess for the destination? The Conservation Department.

(Photo/Danielle Dobin)

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How do you know that Thanksgiving is near?

Here are some turkey orders, at Stiles Market:

(Photo/Richard Jaffe)

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And finally ,,, today is World Kindness Day.

Who gives a f—?

 

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Posted in Education, Environment, Local business, Obituaries, Sports, Staples HS, Teenagers

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Friday Flashback #250

Posted on June 25, 2021 | 12 comments

So many Westport businesses start out in one place, then end up another.

From Earth Animal and Calico (very recently) to Mitchell’s (now at its third site) and (Viva Zapata (original location: Post Road near the current Playhouse Square), even the most established establishments have wanderlust.

Generations of Westporters remember Sport Mart on Main Street. Before that though, it was in Sconset Square. (The shopping plaza was then called by the much more normal local name “Sherwood Square.”)

(Photo courtesy of Paul Ehrismann)

After moving a few hundred yards west in the 1960s, the old Sport Mart became many things.

But the first place where Westporters once bought tennis racquets, skis and other sports equipment has returned to its roots.

Today it once again serves athletes of all abilities.

These days, it’s Fleet Feet.

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Posted in Downtown, Friday Flashback, Local business

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Roundup: Farmers’ Market, Outdoor Dining, Charlie Capalbo …

Posted on April 30, 2021 | 2 comments

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One of the surest signs of spring is the return of the Westport Farmers’ Market.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 13. The Market will run every Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through mid-November, at the Imperial Avenue parking lot. Cross Culture Kombucha will offer a special toast, to celebrate WFM’s perseverance through the pandemic.

The Market’s shopping experience and programming (including Get Growing, Music @ the Market, Artist Alley, Chef @ the Market, Friend of the Market and Young Shoots) will operate much like before COVID — while honoring all state and local health guidelines.

Over 50 vendors will participate this season (click here for the full list), with over 30 on site each Thursday. New vendors include

  • Parlor
  • Stonington Kelp Farm
  • Edenesque (alternative dairy)
  • Tribus Brewery
  • Sprout Juice Bar
  • Stylish Spoon
  • And more.

For more information, click here or email   director@westportfarmersmarket.com.

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State and local officials wanted to support for outdoor dining. What better spot to do it than an actual restaurant.

Yesterday, the group gathered at Tarantino’s. They discussed a new state expansion of rules, and the possibility of making them permanent. Removing parking, adding seating on Railroad Place, and the use of town- and state-owned parking lots were among the concepts.

Dining and discussion at Tarantino’s (clockwise from left): 2nd Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas, 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce executive director Matthew Mandell, State Senator Tony Hwang, State Representative Stephanie Thomas.

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A few spots remain for tomorrow’s (Saturday, May 1) Fleet Feet 5K and kids’ fun runs. The youngsters start at 9:30 a.m., with the 5K following at 10. Click here to register.

Both kick off the 2nd annual Fitness & Health Expo. The event takes place all along Main Street (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), but many more businesses and organizations are involved.

Westport’s leading studios and clubs — including JoyRide, Pure Barre, Row House, Elliptica, Intensity, Physique57, Club Pilates, Saugatuck Rowing Club, The Dance Collective, Stretch Lab, Kaia Yoga and the Westport Weston Family YMCA — will organize fun (and challenging) classes on main Street.

Walk-ups are not permitted for classes. To register, contact each studio directly. Observers are welcome, of course!

Other health and wellness folks will have a presence too: Franny’s Farmacy, RESTORE Cryo, Cparkly Soul, Wisdom and Youth MedSpa, Embrace Orthodontics, New England Hemp Farm, TAP Strength Lab and Organic Krush. It’s sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association.

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Jill Bodach is an adjunct professor at Fairfield University. Describing Charlie Capalbo — the Fairfield resident whose grandmother is Westport writer Ina Chadwick, and who has fiercely battled cancer twice — she says:

“Over the years, I have had the privilege of being allowed into some of my students’ most intimate moments: the grief of losing loved ones, the end of relationships, engagements and graduate school acceptances, but never has a student’s story impacted me as deeply as Charlie’s.

He was enrolled in my Creative Writing: Fiction 1 class this semester but before classes could really begin, I learned he wouldn’t complete the semester due to his treatment. I wanted to help. Maybe it was because I saw this handsome, curly-haired young man’s face on my class roster and thought, ‘Wow, the world can be so incredibly unfair sometimes. Maybe it was because I’m a parent myself. Maybe it was because my son Jack was very sick when he was born and my husband and I endured the mental and emotional rollercoaster of having a hospitalized child. Maybe it was because as we emerged from the dark isolation of the pandemic I felt the need to connect with others deeply and more fervently than ever before.

When Jill’s trainer challenged her to run 100 miles in May, she saw it as a way to help Charlie.

When he told Jill during a text that he uses Uber Eats regularly — and she thought about the important role food plays in our lives — she had an idea for a fundraiser.

“I will think of Charlie with every step I take,” she writes of her 100-mile goal. “I am in awe of his courage, bravery, resilience and grit …. Someday Charlie will be back on the ice, back on campus and back to enjoying his life, but in the meantime, I’m grateful to be able to help.”

All proceeds from “Fuel for the Fight” will purchase Uber Eats gift cards for the Capalbos. Their expenses have been enormous. Click here to contribute.

Charlie and his mother, Jennifer Wilde Capalbo — with food.

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Attention, middle schoolers looking for an in-person social justice theater camp:

Check out Camp WCP. That’s the newest offering from the Westport Country Playhouse. It runs July 6 through 30, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the rehearsal studio.

Actin will be taught in the morning, playwriting/production in the afternoon. Young artists  will create original pieces focusing on “What does home mean to you?” Working with playwright and University of Michigan professor José Casas, they’ll weave their stories into a play.

On July 31, students will share their original creations at the Playhouse. with family and friends.

Registration begins Monday (May 3); click here.

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The Unitarian Church is nestled in the church off Lyons Plains Road. Nature is everywhere — including this photo by their director of social justice, David Vita.

“Dinner time,” he says simply.

(Photo/David Vita)

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And finally … Johnny Horton was born today, in 1925. If he hadn’t been killed in an automobile accident in 1960, there’s no telling how many other historical saga songs he could have recorded.

 

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Posted in Arts, Environment, Local politics, Restaurants, Westport Country Playhouse

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Roundup: Remarkable Bookcycle, MoCA Art, More

Posted on January 5, 2021 | 1 comment

Sure, the Westport Library is open now by appointment only.

But — just like the Hotel California — you can check out any time you like, at the Remarkable Bookcycle.

Westport’s favorite mobile library (named for our favorite former bookstore) has been parked recently on Church Lane, at Bedford Square.

Check it out! And if you’ve got any books to give as well as receive — well, bring ’em on.

(Photo/Amy Schneider)

“Hindsight is 2020” — the high school student art show opening January 23 at MoCA Westport — has extended its submission deadline. The final date for entries is now next Monday (January 11).

The show is open to all high schoolers. It’s a great opportunity to have their work reviewed by noted Westport artist Amy Kaplan and dealer/gallerist Paul Efstathiou — and have it showcased at the museum.

It’s also a chance to earn cash prizes of $500, $300 or $100.

“We know students have had a challenging year. Art and creative expression have helped many students with coping and resilience,” museum officials say.

A wide variety of entries have alrady come from across Connecticut and Westchester County.

Click here for submission deadlines.

Fleet Feet Run Club’s winter session starts this Saturday (January 9).

The Sconset Square store’s coaches can help everyone reach their goals. It can be  running a marathon — or running down the block.
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For details, stop in the shop or call 203-557-3608.

And finally … the 1972 disaster film “The Poseidon Adventure” had an all-star cast: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters, and Red Buttons.

Also starring on the tsunami-struck ship was Pamela Sue Martin. She earned more fame later, as Nancy Drew on the ABC-TVseries, and Fallon Carrington Colby on Dynasty.

Well, Pamela Sue — or “Pam,” as I knew her as a classmate at Long Lots Junior High and Staples High — celebrates her birthday today.

“06880” celebrates with the most famous song from “Poseidon Adventure.” It was nominated for an Academy Award, then became a hit the next year for Maureen McGovern. Happy birthday, Pam!

 

 

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Posted in Arts, Downtown, Local business, Organizations, Sports

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Roundup: Fleet Feet’s Restaurants, Candlelight Concert, More

Posted on December 18, 2020 | Comments Off on Roundup: Fleet Feet’s Restaurants, Candlelight Concert, More

Looking for something to do on Saturday downtown?

Head to the Savvy + Grace Christmas tree. Child nutrition program Filling in the Blanks will sell reflective metal tags, which can hold a personal message or name to hang onto to the tree!  They’ll also collect 15-ounce soup cans.

Around the corner, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet will play in the pick-up circle outside Bedford Square on Elm Street, then move to Brooks Corner (1 to 3 p.m.)

Don’t forget to look at (and vote for) store window displays. Over 40 stores are vying for titles, in several categories. Click here for more information.

The Savvy + Grace tree.

Speaking of downtown: Like many retailers, Fleet Feet has been impacted by the pandemic.

But during the holiday season, the Sconset Square running shoe store is thinking about its neighbors — Westport’s restaurants.

So any customer who buys a $100 Fleet Feet gift card in the store gets a $20 gift card to a local eatery.

They’re open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays 8 to 11 a.m. (appointment only), and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What a great idea. Run on down to get yours! (Hat tip: Sal Liccione)

 

As of yesterday, Westport had 839 cumulative cases of COVID-19 (772 confirmed, 67 suspected). That’s up 53 from the previous week — and the rate more than doubled from that previous week, when it was up by 25.

There were no coronavirus deaths in Westport over the past 7 days. Total deaths since the start of the pandemic are 25.

Click here for full statewide statistics.

I know everyone is busy this weekend with tons of holiday open houses, carol sings and other festive gatherings. (In our dreams…)

But don’t forget tomorrow’s Staples High School Candlelight Concert (Saturday, December 19, 7:30 p.m.). The 80th annual gift to the town is fully virtual this year. It includes many wonderful choral, orchestra and band selections, as well as cool interviews with current and past music instructors, alumni — even legends George Weigle and John Hanulik’s kids.

Click here for the free link. Then sit back and enjoy a memorable show.

More Staples news:  Louisa D’Amore has been recognized for outstanding achievement. She is one of 4 national recipients of the Italian Language Foundation’s Teacher Recognition Award.

Brava!

Louisa D’Amore

And finally … to get you in the Candlelight Concert mood, here’s this gem from 2015:

 

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Roundup: Texting; Triking; More

Posted on July 28, 2020 | 3 comments

Each week, the Westport Police Department writes tickets for driving while using cell phones.

It’s against the law. Distracted driving can cost you from $150 to $1,000.

To help you avoid those fines, the WPD has partnered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administraiton’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” effort. Throughout August, the campaign will help enforcement efforts to catch distracted, texting drivers.

The WPD says: Pull off the road safely to text. Or let your passenger text. And don’t forget to activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature. Or just put your phone in your trunk, glove box or back seat!

The pandemic can’t keep David Bibbey down. Or in the studio.

The Westport Library media studio producer brought his Van Raam trike to down, and rode around. Guided by Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce director Matthew Mandell, he set out to discover how the town is reopening.

Click here for interviews with 2nd Selectman Jen Tooker, Westport Downtown Merchants Association head Randy Herbertson, artists Miggs and Trace Burroughs, and folks at Savannah Bee Company, Fleet Feet, Walrus Alley and New England Hemp Farm.

David Bibbey

And finally … Hurricane Hanna hit the southern Gulf Coast this weekend. The area was already reeling from the coronavirus. Here’s to all our friends in that big, wonderful state.

 

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Posted in Library, Local business, Organizations, Police, Transportation

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