Tag Archives: Jessica Branson

Roundup: Hook’d, Blu Olive, Melissa & Doug …

Posted on November 15, 2025 | 25 comments

The Board of Finance voted unanimously yesterday to recommend a $275,000 payment to Hook’d.

That would enable the Compo Beach and Longshore concessionaire to leave their 10-year contract early — possibly this summer.

Details have not been finalized between Parks & Recreation director Erik Barbieri and the company. Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) must give its approval too to the agreement.

“06880” will keep you posted.

The door may close soon on Hook’d’s time in Westport. (Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)

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Speaking of food: When Harvest Wine Bar closed in August, the Railroad Place place promised it would reopen, with new partners joining the ownership. The menu would be Mediterranean-based, including seafood.

The new restaurant will be called Blu Olive. A Facebook post promises “beautifully plated dishes of fresh ingredients, meticulously curated wines, and sparkling ambience.”

NOTE: Blu Olive is no relation to Blu Parrot, the similarly oddly spelled, short-lived (2012-13) restaurant/bar/music venue that occupied what was once the longer-lived Arrow and Jasmine restaurants — and is now Riko’s Pizza — around the corner on Charles Street.

Coming soon: Blu Olive. The shutters may need to be replaced.

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Speaking of Saugatuck: The annual Cribari Bridge lighting ceremony takes place tomorrow (Sunday, 6:30 p.m.).

But before the official flip of the switch, strands had to be replaced — and bulbs tested.

It took just 4 hours yesterday. Huge thanks to AJ Penna & Son Construction, Westport PAL and president Craig Bergamo, and the lights’ sponsors. (Hat tip: Andrew Colabella)

Volunteers, after testing the Cribari Bridge lights. From left: David Floyd, Robert Caporale, Kevin Ancker, Craig Bergamo, Andrew Colabella, Andrea Moore.

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It’s not Cooperstown.

But being inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame is a great honor. Congratulations to 2 new members: Melissa and Doug Bernstein.

The brains behind Melissa & Doug — the legendary business, founded in Westport — join honorees like Walt Disney, Sesame Street’s Joan Ganz Cooney, and leaders of companies like Mattel, Toys “R” Us, Milton Bradley and Hasbro.

Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association, says, “Melissa and Doug built a legacy of timeless, beautifully crafted wooden toys that have sparked imagination and discovery for decades.”

They’ll be honored February 13. The Toy Industry Hall of Fame is part of the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

Melissa and Doug Bernstein.

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Mar Jennings — the lifestyle guru/realtor/figure skating champion — posted this teaser on Instagram:

“The Minuteman statue isn’t just iconic — it’s part of our hometown heartbeat. A symbol of courage, readiness, and civic pride, he’s stood watch over Westport for generations. And now, I’m bringing him back into focus… because something extraordinary is about to happen.

“In the coming days, I’ll be sharing an announcement that’s close to my heart—one that uplifts our community, honors our legacy, and inspires the next generation to rise with purpose.

“For now, let the Minuteman stand tall in our minds. Good news is coming. And it’s coming home to Westport.”

That’s certainly intriguing.

But what’s even more compelling is the video that accompanied the announcement. Thanks to AI, it shows our Minute Man in a way we’ve never seen before. Click here. to watch.

Trust us: It’s worth the 3 seconds.

Screenshot from Mar Jennings’ Minute Man video.

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Cat Malkin writes: “I know people are suffering with food insecurities. But their pets struggle too, because pets are important family members.

“When food runs out families may have to make heartbreaking choices, like surrendering their pets, who have been their comfort and emotional lifeline.

“Many pet parents will literally go hungry to keep their pets fed. Pet food is often the last thing families ask for, because they feel ashamed or guilty. A small donation of pet food can prevent a family from being torn apart.

“Homes with Hope is collecting canned dog and cat food, as well as dry food in bags weighing 25 pounds or less (larger bags are difficult for families to manage). Drop-offs can be made Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”

Yogi Bear says “thank you!” (Photo/Cat Malkin)

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Speaking of Homes with Hope: Salon Dada celebrated its 5th anniversary by raising funds for Westport’s non-profit, dedicated to eliminating homelessness and food insecurity in Fairfield County.

For Salon Dada, this was not a one-shot deal. They offer free hair styles, color and treatments to any Homes with Hope clients.

“Amazing and generous people!” praises HwH CEO Helen McAlinden.

Salon Dada owners Benjamin Lagasse and Steven Gemignani, with Homes with Hope CEO and president Helen McAlinden.

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Westport’s first — and only — Board of Selectwomen held their final meeting of their 4-year terms Wednesday.

Second selectwoman snapped this selfie:

From left: Andrea Moore, Jen Tooker, Candice Savin — Westport’s 2nd, 1st and 3rd selectwomen, respectively.

Thank you all for your service!

The new Select Board — 1st selectman Kevin Christie, 2nd selectwoman Amy Wistreich and 3rd selectman Don O’Day — will be sworn in Monday (November 17, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall).

All other elected officials — including boards, commissions and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) — will take the oath of office too.

The public is invited.

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For over 50 years, Positive Directions has offered professional therapy and substance abuse prevention services to everyone who needs it. They accept all insurances, and never turn away a client for inability to pay.

Every day, the staff helps people facing adversity. Their new interim executive director knows something about that.

Jessica Branson grew up in Westport, and graduated from Staples High School in 1996. Her father John is an Episcopal priest. Her mother Judyth is a therapist. She learned early the importance of listening, nurturing and empowering others.

Several years ago, Jess contracted Guillain-Barré Syndrome. The neurological nerve disease paralyzed her for over 10 months. (Click here for an in-depth “06880” story on Jess’s battle with the disease.)

After a year in a wheelchair, and much longer in physical therapy and rehab, she has regained her mobility and independence. Now she has even deeper empathy for people battling mental and physical health challenges.

And she is ready to help change their lives, in positive directions. (To learn more about the organizations, click here. Hat tip: Robin Moyer Chung)

Jessica Branson

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The Weston History & Culture Center’s Coley House is decked out for Christmas.

Christmas during World War II, that is.

Tours of the historic home — decorated as it would have been in the 1940s, when the last 3 generations of the Coley family lived there — offer an intriguing look back.

After holiday treats made from wartime ration recipes in the visitors’ center, guests follow a tour guide — dressed in period costume — to the Coley House.

They’ll view authentic decorations; listen to original radio broadcasts with Bing Crosby and Judy Garland, and learn how World War II impacted holiday celebrations here.

Tours are set for December 19 (6 and 7:30 p.m.) and December 20 (4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m.). Tickets are $15 for members, $25 for non-members. Reservations are required. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

State-of-the-art radio, in the 1940s Coley House.

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It’s interesting that this truck takes up 4 spaces, in the Trader Joe’s parking lot:

(Photo/Matt Murray)

What’s even more interesting is that the driver could find 4 empty, contiguous spaces there at all.

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Bedford Middle School has a long driveway. Nearby are athletic fields, and Wakeman Town Farm.

But there are plenty of woods, too. Dayle Brownstein took this autumn image, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature:

(Photo/Dayle Brownstein)

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And finally … in honor of Melissa and Doug Bernstein’s induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame (story above):

(From the Minute Man monument in motion to the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, “06880” is where Westport meets the world. We rely on reader support to do it. Please click here to help. Thank you!)

25 Comments

Posted in Beach, Local politics, Restaurants

Tagged Blu Olive, Cribari Bridge, Homes With Hope, Hook'd, Jessica Branson, Mar Jennings, Melissa & Doug Bernstein, Minute Man monument, Positive Directions, Salon Dada, Westport PAL

After Life-Changing Battle, Jessica Branson Stands Stronger Than Ever

Posted on April 3, 2024 | 5 comments

It’s hard to imagine a Westporter more active, engaged and upbeat than Jessica Branson.

The 1996 Staples High School graduate — a former soccer and volleyball player — worked in Australia after Colgate University. Moving back here, she spent over 2 decades in advertising and marketing. She helped build a variety of brands, including Coke, Jeep and Trojan.

Always healthy, she didn’t think much of some stomach problems in the winter of 2021.

But after a couple of months she lost motor functions. She dropped cups, fell often, then could not even walk.

No one could figure out what was happening

Finally, on Jessica’s second visit to Norwalk Hospital, a neurologist said, “I’m 99% certain you have Guillain-Barré Syndrome.”

Jessica had never heard of the rare autoimmune disorder. It affects 1 to 2 people out of every 100,000.

But it was clear: Her body was fighting its own nervous system.

Despite intense pain, Jessica Branson managed a smile.

She began intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Healthy antibodies quieted her angry ones.

But she was paralyzed from shoulders down. The disease deprived her of her mobility, yet her nerves continued to fire signals. They tingled, all over her body.

The pain was “excruciating,” she says. Her body felt like it was constantly vibrating.

Though the disease is related to ALS and multiple sclerosis, it attacks the peripheral — not the central — nervous system.

The good news is, 85% of Guillain-Barré patients respond to treatment.

The bad news: It takes a long time. GBS, it is said, stands for “Get Better Slowly.”

After 2 weeks in Norwalk Hospital, Jessica was transferred to Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford for rehabilitation.

She had to learn how to pick up a pencil, take a shower — and walk — again.

Fortunately, the GBS had not affected her mouth. Some patients can’t swallow or breathe, and need speech therapy.

“I was 41 years old. I laughed at the doctor when he said it would take 1 to 2 years” to recover, she said.

Jessica Branson today.

Three years later, she’s not yet fully healed.

After 4 months at Gaylord, Jessica returned to her Newtown Turnpike home. She spent the first year in a wheelchair.

Thankfully, she says, her home has just one floor. She and her husband had never considered mobility issues when they bought it.

It was mid-summer, 2021. COVID was still rampant. No one could visit.

Her friends did what they could. She is grateful for the community outpouring of support.

At Christmastime, they decorated her ramp so it looked beautiful — “just like Terrain.”

Jessica Branson’s neighbors raised her holiday spirits.

Still, it took well over a year before she could drive again. Her feet could not feel the pedals.

Throughout her ordeal, Jessica’s spirit never wavered.

Now, as she re-emerges into the world, she wants one thing: to give back.

She is guiding another woman — a 42-year-old Westport mom — through her own long journey with GBS.

The morning we spoke, Jessica had been at Gaylord Hospital, helping strategize a fundraising campaign.

She works with a national foundation. And she’s helping doctors at Yale and Massachusetts General with their clinical studies.

She’s back at work professionally, too.

Jessica created Branson Growth Consulting with a simple vision: to help businesses and individuals grow, by telling their stories.

“You never know when your story will become someone else’s survival guide,” she says, quoting author Brené Brown.

Jessica Branson’s mantra.

She works with local non-profits like Staples Tuition Grants, Homes with Hope and Positive Directions, to get their stories in front of the community.

And she is writing a book about “the view of the word from 3 feet” — a wheelchair — to educate readers about GBS, and champion solutions for the disabled community.

If you look at Jessica today, it’s hard to see anything wrong. “My motor side has recovered,” she says. “But my sensory side has not. I still feel disconnected from my feet. I’m a former athlete, and I’m re-learning the basics of how to balance myself, and how to walk.”

For someone who always felt so connected to her body, that disassociation is both “horrible, and humbling.”

It would have been easy to feel sorry for herself, or become depressed. But, Jessica says, “that wouldn’t have helped. I couldn’t do anything, so all I had were my thoughts. I decided to think about recovery.”

She recognizes the advantages she had — the resources to be in a hospital; a motorized wheelchair, and someone to push it — and says, “I have my voice. Now I’m looking for my stage.”

(Click here, to see a News12 story on Jessica Branson.)

(“06880” often posts stories of remarkable Westporters or Staples graduates — or both, like Jessica Branson. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

5 Comments

Posted in Local business

Tagged Branson Growth Consulting, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Jessica Branson

Sue Can Do That!

Posted on June 21, 2015 | 4 comments

Three years ago, Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church bade goodbye to retiring minister John Branson.

He’d done an enormous amount for the handsome building with the very active congregation in downtown Westport. In his farewell speech, Rev. Branson gave a heartfelt shout-out to Sue Ryan.

Now she’s leaving. And though even the greatest ministers come and go, a woman like her may be almost impossible to replace.

Her title is “parish administrator.” But that does not do her justice. Perhaps it should be “Wonder Woman.”

For 17 years, Sue has done just about everything. She’s the first person anyone sees in the church office. She’s a problem-solver — though she makes sure most issues never reach the problem stage. She’s a go-getter, a Ms. Fixit, an imperturbable, warm, genuinely friendly and ultra-caring woman.

Sue Ryan and Jessica Branson (Rev. Branson's daughter). Sue is dressed in African gear because for 10 years before joining Christ & Holy Trinity Church, she owned a safari camp in Zimbabwe.

Sue Ryan and Rev. Branson’s daughter Jessica. Sue is dressed in African gear because for 10 years before joining Christ & Holy Trinity Church, she owned a safari camp in Zimbabwe.

Frances Rowland — the church’s former warden — calls her “everyone’s mother. She’s remarkable. Her worth goes way beyond her hours and her job.”

Sue organizes weddings, receptions and funerals. When parishioners call the church about illness, death and other tragedies, she’s the one who answers.

Sue is the first person in church in the mornings, and the last to leave at night. During the winter, she even shovels snow.

Sue has gone on 5 church mission trips. “The kids love her,” Frances says.

“We all do,” she adds. “Sue is everybody’s favorite person.”

Last night, Sue had her own farewell party at Christ & Holy Trinity. Appropriately, one of the speakers was Jessica Branson — whose father hired Sue 17 years ago.

“Your shoes cannot be filled,” Jessica said. “But I know they will take you on many exciting journeys in the years to come.”

4 Comments

Posted in People, religion

Tagged Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Jessica Branson, Rev. John Branson, Sue Ryan