The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee continues its work.
One “06880” reader is worried about one aspect of it. She shares this letter, which she sent this week to the group:
“I understand that at this morning’s meeting (which I could not attend) the discussion of losing 44 parking spaces in the Parker Harding lot was discussed.
“I believe this will be detrimental to our stores downtown. There is already a shortage of parking during peak (and many other) hours.
“I believe that the solution of taking a bus from town to Imperial Avenue is not a good solution for shoppers. It is inconvenient for folks who are only in town for a short while.
“I believe — and always have — that the store employees who park all day should use the shuttle service and parking at Imperial Avenue.
“I understand that some store managers felt that their employees ‘wouldn’t do that.’ When I worked in a town like this many years ago with similar parking issues, we were told we would be fired if caught parking in spots reserved for shoppers.
“It’s not a big deal if they are there all day. Managers are being over-dramatic if they did position this in that manner.
“I understand the value of the greening/beautification project, but we need to keep shoppers coming to town and keep our stores in business. It’s all too easy to shop on the internet these days.
“Thank you for your consideration of this concern.”
Up to 44 parking spots may be lost in the Parker Harding Plaza lot, in concepts under consideration by the Downtown Plan Implementation Committe.
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Summer hours begin Monday at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
The Hillspoint Road spot will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, ice cream and much more, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week.
Ready for summer.
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MoCA hosts 2 very different concerts within 48 hours of each other next week.
On Thursday (May 18), New York-based punk band Darling performs a 30-minute set, following a curator talk with Emann Odufu, as part of the “Cocktails & Conversation” series.
Emann is the curator of the current “Rainbow in the Dark” exhibition featuring Anselm Reyle. His practice is inspired by his participation in the punk and heavy metal music movements, and his fascination with psychedelic and punk aesthetics.
Two nights later (Saturday, May 20, 7 p.m.), MoCA welcomes back Staples High School graduate Michelle Pauker. This year, she offers a tribute to Joni Mitchell.
Click here for more information, and tickets.
Michelle Pauker
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Speaking of music: 2018 Staples High grad and Berklee College of Music singer/songwriter Margot Liotta just released her latest single.
It’s available on tons of platforms. Click here for your favorite.
Margot Liotta
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Westport’s 3 National Merit Scholarship $2,500 winners attend 3 different schools.
Congratulations to Staples High School’s Lucia Wang (also the valedictorian), Alexis Bienstock of Westport’s Pierrepont School, and Joy Xu (Hopkins School).
From left: Alexis Bienstock and Lucia Wang.
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The limited edition vinyl LP of “Verso Records: Volume One” has arrived. Now, the Westport Library gets ready to celebrate the “artists, conspirators and community” that helped create the first vinyl record ever recorded, produced and released by a public library.
June 3 marks the official release. It includes 12 live tracks from tri-state area artists. Genres include rock, jazz, hip hop, folk and indie. All were recorded at the Library’s Verso Studios.
A release party is set for that night (7 p.m., Trefz Forum). Four of the bands will perform live.
The release party is free. A $25 ticket option includes a copy of “Verso Records: Volume One” and a free drink. (No record player? A digital copy will be available for $10.)
The album is available for pre-order. Preorders can be picked up at the release party, or will be shipped afterward.
Can’t attend, but want to support and/or listen to the album? Vinyl and digital copies are available via Bandcamp.
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Longtime Westporter and noted civic volunteer Irma Schachter, wife of Joseph Schachter, died Thursday after a short illness. She was 95 years old.
Irma was an early female leader in the male-dominated retail store management field of the 1950s. Her career started after completing the Harvard-Radcliff Business School program with a position at Abraham & Strauss, and continued at G. Fox & Co., Bloomingdale’s, as manager of Burdine’s department store in Miami Beach, and a Lord & Taylor vice president managing 7 New England stores.
She attended what is now Northfield-Mount Hermon School. She was recently honored by the Northfield Alumni Association with its rarely given Lamplighter Award for outstanding service to the school, achieving 100% yearly participation by her entire class in support of the annual fund.
She attended Hartford Junior College, and graduated from Connecticut College.
In Westport, she supported the new Library and Norwalk Hospital
She married Joe Schachter in 1966, after his wife — Irma’s friend Carol Kagan — died at 34. She helped raise Carol and Joe’s 3 young sons, and soon legally adopted them.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by sons Ted (Susan) of Los Angeles, Stephen (Carrie) of Gainesville, Florida, and David (Danny) of Belmont, California; niece Carmen Carrol (Christopher); nephew Andrew Klein, 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow (Sunday, May 14, 1 p.m., Congregation Beth El, 109 East Avenue, Norwalk). Shiva will be Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. at 28 Mayflower Parkway, Westport.
Irma and Joe Schachter.
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Peter Green — a highly accomplished stained glass artist also active in several other art forms — died earlier this year at Bridgeport Hospital, of pancreatic cancer. He was 77.
He was the founder in 1971, and co-owner with his wife of 48 years Tina, of Westport’s Renaissance Studio. Click here for a 2012 “06880”story on that artistic journey.
His 5-decade career as a stained glass artist was marked by many commissions and installations in Westport and the tri-state area. He and Tina taught stained glass classes at their studio and in area adult education programs.
After 30 years on Saugatuck Avenue, the studio moved in 2003 to the Greens’ home on Imperial Avenue. Tina continues to operate it.
Peter designed and installed stained glass windows and panels in hundreds of homes, restaurants and other businesses, and for religious institutions. His Installations include Temple Israel in Westport, St. Francis of Assisi Church in Weston, and St. Joseph’s Church in Stratford.
A member of the Stained Glass Association of America, he was also a successful woodturner, photographer and painter. He was a past president of the Nutmeg Woodturners at the Brookfield Craft Center. His unique works graced the covers of Wood Turning and Stained Glass magazines.
Peter’s first career was in music. After graduating from Adelphi University in 1968, he played guitar in The Villagers folk group. They opened for Simon and Garfunkel in the mid-’60s at Adelphi. He played for the rest of his life for family and friends.
An Army Reserve veteran, he was also an avid sailor, surfer, kayaker and cyclist. He swam regularly at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
Peter frequently researched, read and combed the recorded music collection at his beloved Westport Library.
Survivors in addition to his wife include his children, Andrew of Westport and Charlotte of Greenwich; his sister Susan Behan of Longboat Key, Florida; his brother Bob Green of Kapaa, Hawaii; his mother-in-law Anna Godick of Westport, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A private memorial celebration of his life is planned for later this year. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory be made to The Westport Library or the American Cancer Society.
Peter Green
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Burying Hill Beach is Johanna Keyser Rossi’s happy place.
And here — happily — is her “Westport … Naturally” photo.
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … happy 73rd birthday to Stevie Wonder.
There are way too many great songs to pick from. Here are 5 from his now-overlooked, but very productive, mid-1960s/early-1970s years:
(If you enjoy our daily “06880” music selections, it would be “wonder”-ful to help support the blog. Please click here — and thank you!)
