Tag Archives: Muddy Brook

Roundup: Shonda Rhimes, Don O’Day, John Oates …

Posted on August 15, 2025 | 3 comments

StoryFest — a Westport Library signature event — returns in October, bigger and better than ever.

It’s expanding to a full week of author talks, panel discussions and more.

And it’s just signed its biggest name ever for a closing act.

Shonda Rhimes — the award-winning producer, Westport resident and huge Library fan — takes the stage on Monday, October 20 (7 p.m.).

Closing out the 8th annual StoryFest, she’ll celebrate the 10th anniversary of her best-selling memoir, “Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person.”

With special guests, Rhimes will share the new moments that shaped her life over the past 10 years, plus the fears she conquered and the unexpected joy of embracing life with an open mind.

“This book is the same as before, but it also is not,” said Rhimes. “It is brand new. It has changed. Transformed. Evolved. Grown. Just like me.”

Tickets are $30, and include a signed copy of the 10th-anniversary edition of “Year of Yes.” The price is the same for 1 or 2 seats, and one copy of the book.

StoryFest 2025 runs October 13-20. The largest annual literary festival in Connecticut and one of the biggest in the Northeast, it is a celebration of the story in all its forms and storytellers from across all media. It draws scores of authors and hundreds of readers, writers and fans.

Rhimes knows the Westport Library well. She was the 2022 “Booked for the Evening” honoree. She also held a special screening of her documentary “Black Barbie” last year, and served as the guest of honor for Westport’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration this past January.

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“06880” kicked off our selectpersons’ Instagram Live series yesterday, with Don O’Day and Andrea Moore as guests.

Dave Briggs and I asked the Republican-endorsed candidates about a wide range of topics: Saugatuck development, the Cribari Bridge, the Community Gardens, education, traffic, and much more. Viewers added questions too.

We’ll sit down with the other candidates soon. In the meantime, click here or below to see our conversation with O’Day and Moore.

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Speaking of politics:

Democratic selectperson candidates Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich invite all interested residents to a “Coffee and Conversation” event next Thursday (August 21, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Westport Library McCall room, 2nd floor).

Another is scheduled for Thursday, September 18.

Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich.

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In 1985, Hall & Oates did not play a concert in Westport.

Their “appearance” at the Inn at Longshore — part of our town’s 150th birthday celebration — was a memorable hoax. (Read that fascinating back story here.)

But — a mere 40 years later — John Oates will play in Westport.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has just been added to the Levitt Pavilion’s calendar. He and his Good Road Band are set for next Friday (August 22, 7 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.

John Oates

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The Atlantic’s September cover story, “This Is What the End of the Liberal World Order Looks Like” — staff writer Anne Applebaum’s reports from war-torn Sudan — is accompanied by stunning photographs from Pulitzer Prize winner (and 1991 Staples High School graduate) Lynsey Addario.

Applebaum says that Sudan’s suffering offers “a stark preview of what will follow the collapse of the liberal world order and the retreat of U.S. leadership: not a more just world, but a descent into nihilistic violence.” (Hat tip: Rosalie Wolf)

The Atlantic’s September issue features this cover photo by Lynsey Addario.

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Westport has 6 new Local Historic Properties.

And they’re all bridges.

On Tuesday, the Historic District Commission accepted those designations for these bridges, on town-owned land:

  • Evergreen Avenue, over Deadman Brook
  • Jesup Road, over Deadman Brook
  • Myrtle Avenue, over Deadman Brook.
  • Greens Farms Road, over Muddy Brook
  • Cross Highway, over Muddy Brook
  • Long Lots Road, over Muddy Brook.

The proposal now goes to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), for final approval.

Greens Farms Road bridge, over Muddy Brook (Photo/Wendy Crowther)

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Popcorn … that staple of movie theaters and baseball stadiums — comes to the Westport Country Playhouse on Monday (August 18, 7 p.m.).

The first event is — appropriately — a movie night. And — appropriately too — the film is “The Sting,” starring Paul Newman. He had a decades-long association with the Playhouse.

(He also owned the restaurant next door, The Dressing Room. It did not sell popcorn.)

The Playhouse’s “gourmet popcorn” comes from Prospector Popcorn in Ridgefield. It’s been handmade for 10 years and sold at the Prospector Theater, supportng the company’s mission to create jobs for people with disabilities.

Prepackaged bags will be available at all Playhouse events for $8 each. They may be brought into the theater itself.

Coming soon, to a Playhouse near you. (Photo/Andrea Quiles)

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Speaking of food: Basso opened in January 2021 — an inopportune time, in the winter and the midst of a pandemic.

But it quickly became one of Westport’s favorites.

Now, Basso celebrates its 18th birthday.

That’s right. The restaurant started in Norwalk, and spent 14 popular years there.

The party begins Friday, August 22 (7:30 p.m.), with live music from Manny Montañez & Friends. Chef Renato Donzelli takes a break from the kitchen, to join on congas. Click here for reservations.

Basso will be filled — as it often is — on August 22.

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VFW Post 399 reaches out to veterans in many ways.

Next up: a Veterans Benefits Luncheon on Thursday (August 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).

It’s free, and open to all veterans as part of an ongoing effort to check in on all veterans’ welfare, and connect them with the benefits and support they earned.

Representatives will answer questions, and provide information on services and assistance available to veterans.

RSVPs are encouraged (but not required). Email vfw399ct@gmail.com, and include the number of attendees, or call (203) 227-6796.

PS: If you’re not a veteran, but know one: Please pass the word!

All veterans are invited to the VFW’s free August 21 luncheon.

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When I got this photo from ever-alert “06880” reader Jack Backiel, I figured it was a clever AI or Photoshop reference to some residents’ habits of “forgetting” to pick up after their dogs:

Nope. (Noope.)

Turns out to be a business district in Amsterdam.

Damn!

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Dozens of Staples High School football players gathered at Paul Lane Field yesterday for the 6th annual Murph Challenge.

It was a culmination of their summer fundraising, for both the football program and the Catch a Lift Fund (the non-profit that helps post-9/11 combat-injured veterans regain mental and physical health).

The event began with Catch a Lift veteran Andy Smith talking to the players about sacrifice, resilience and commitment.

Then the athletes took on the Murph Challenge. It includesd a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another mile run.

The 2025 season begins next month.

Andy Smith (far right) addresses the Staples football team.

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Longtime Westport resident, entrepreneur and business owner Thomas Roth died on Sunday. He was 80, and had been diagnosed with cancer a month earlier.

The New York native — by then a fabric manufacturer — met his wife Theresa in 1983, at a fabric trade show. His obituary calls their marriage “rich in conversation, travel, and a loving circle of adoring friends and family.”

He loved her children as his own. He doted on his grandchildren, and traveled around the country to watch their sports games, concerts and lays.

His obituary adds, “he had a deep appreciation for beautiful objects and surroundings. His eye for design was unmatched. He skillfully blended new and vintage pieces to elevate any space.”

Tom was an avid boater. He often quoted “Wind in the Willows”: “There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

Tom is survived by . His wife of 42 years, Theresa; their children Michael Chaney (Christine) and Anne Delorier (Chris); grandchildren Jack, Ryan and Colin Chaney, and Mason, Miles and Ellie Delorier; brothers Edwin (Joan) and Barry (Anneli), and his “chosen brother” Peter Arest, and nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family is holding a private remembrance. Donations in Tom’s name can be made to the Glioblastoma Foundation.

Tom Roth

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Jonathan Rosenoer sends along today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, of Long Island Sound.

He adds, “I’m not sure how to caption this. It may reflect low air quality. But it’s pretty, all the same.”

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And finally … in honor of popcorn coming to the Westport Country Playhouse (story above):

Every day, our Roundup offers news, views — and entertainment options. If “06880” helps you learn more about Westport, and have fun in the process, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)

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Posted in Library, Local politics, Obituaries, Restaurants, Westport Country Playhouse

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Rivers Ran Through It

Posted on March 26, 2024 | 3 comments

It’s been 3 days since Saturday’s rain.

The few-hours-long deluge wasn’t a particularly significant weather event — not compared with, say, Superstorm Sandy or Hurricane Isaias.

But it was enough to flood much of Westport.

Nyala Farm

72 hours later, it’s easy to forget the rivers and streams that overflowed their banks, the waterfalls that cascaded out of nowhere, and the soggy basements.

But — as several residents have pointed out — what happened after a couple of inches of rain is really our new normal.

Muddy Brook, at Greens Farms Road.

Construction that changed the natural topography of our town, the felling of trees, the installation of pavement — all contribute to more (and more dangerous) floods in Westport.

Water needs someplace to go. We can either help it, or let it run its course.

Nico Eisenberger and Robin Bates have lived in Westport for 10 years. When there’s a big rain, Robin heads out to see how all the little rivers and ponds — some hidden, some not — take on new forms.

On Saturday, Nico says, “we saw some of the biggest changes we’ve ever seen here. I know there have been bigger wet weather events,  but this was definitely up there.”

Here — before the weekend recedes too far in the rear view mirror, and also before the next rains — are a few reminders that, in the memorable phrase: “Mother Nature bats last.”

Kowalsky Farm on Clapboard Hill Road. (All photos/Robin Bates)

 

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Posted in Weather

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Pics Of The Day #2531

Posted on March 23, 2024 | Comments Off on Pics Of The Day #2531

Another day, another deluge, more floods …

This was the Muddy Brook scene, at Greens Farms Road and Center Street … (Photo/John Karrel)

… and soon, the obligatory yellow tape went up … (Photo/John Karrel)

… and not far away on Center Street … (Photo/Andrew Colabella) 

… though Muddy Brook had not yet overflowed here, on Greens Farms Road … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

… nearby at Clapboard Hill … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

… while deer take refuge from Muddy Brook, on Morningside Drive … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

… and a new waterfall on Valley Road … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

… as a stump floats away, beyond the Hillandale Road bridge … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

… slow going at the Maple Lane railroad bridge … (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

… and Bayberry Lane, near Easton Road. (Photo/Jonathan Alloy)

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Posted in Categories, Pic of the Day, Weather

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Roundup: Cigar & Vape Break-In, Muddy Brook Meeting, Finance Workshop …

Posted on February 21, 2024 | Comments Off on Roundup: Cigar & Vape Break-In, Muddy Brook Meeting, Finance Workshop …

Thieves slammed a car into Westport Cigar & Vape early yesterday morning. They grabbed the cash register and some e-cigarette items, then fled.

Westport Police officers arriving at the shop between Fortuna’s and Greens Farms Spirits shortly after the alarm was activated at 4:50 a.m. found the front door smashed in.

Surveillance video showed 3 teenagers, wearing dark clothing, hoodies and gloves.

The incident is under investigation. Police are unsure if it is related to a similar incident — also yesterday morning — in Shelton.

Westport Cigar & Vape, before the break-in.

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An informational meeting to discuss flood mitigation measures and bridge replacements planned along Muddy Brook, from Hillandale Road to Greens Farms Road, is set for March 7 (7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

Department of Public Works engineers, and the bridge project’s design engineer, will present the latest plans and findings. They’ll also answer questions from the public.

Questions? Contact town engineer Keith Wilberg: kwilerg@westportct.gov; 203-341-1128.

The Greens Farms Road bridge, at Muddy Brook. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)

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The Board of Finance will hold an informal budget workshop next Tuesday (February 27, 6 p.m., Westport Library).

They’ll discuss the 1st Selectwoman’s preliminary budget requests for the Department of Human Services, the Parks & Recreation Department/Wakeman Town Farm, and the Department of Public Works/Sewer Fund.

Wakeman Town Farm funding is on the Board of Finance workshop agenda. (Photo/Amy Schneider)

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For kids at Wakeman Town Farm, spring* means spending time with baby animals, planting, and fun projects.

Click here for information on WTF’s youth program. Registration — via the Parks & Recreation Department website — begins at 9 a.m. on March 14. Click here to access that site.

*Here in less than a month — it arrives March 19.

How you gonna keep ’em down on the Farm?

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Choral Chameleon is well named.

The New York ensemble works in a dynamic blend of genres and art forms — whatever type of choral music is called for, whenever they’re called to perform.

This Saturday (February 24, 7:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport), they’ll perform a world premiere a cappella concert. Their theme this year is “Changing,” and the show includes a wide variety of musical genres.

There’s a light reception afterward, with group members.

The suggested ticket price is $25. Click here to order. For more information,  click here.

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Warrior posed near the Compo Beach war memorial — the cannons honoring our battle against the British in 1777 — for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

(Photo/Cohl Katz)

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And finally … Randy Sparks, a founder of the long-lived and influential New Christy Minstrels, died Sunday in San Diego. He was 90.

Click here for a full obituary.

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Children, Entertainment, Environment, Local business, Local politics, Police

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[OPINION] Another Long Lots Worry: Water

Posted on September 24, 2023 | 15 comments

Peter J. Swift has lived in Westport since 1997. A master mariner, he spent 25 years at sea — including command of supertankers and liquefied natural gas ships.

He then spent over 25 years in senior shore management in international shipping, and his own maritime consultancy.

Peter is involved in international maritime charities. He is also a member of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, and president of the Harvest Commons Condominium Association. He writes: 

There has been a lot of “water under the bridge” on the Long Lots School rebuild. Here are my observations, after speaking with local residents, civil engineers and architects., and attending many Long Lots School Building Committee meetings.

This is a much broader issue than Long Lots School.

Peter Swift

This serious problem affects all of Westport. 34% of all properties in Westport have a 26% chance of being seriously impacted by flooding.

We love our wet and rocky town. Yet brooks and watersheds, combined with rock, is a fact we have to plan for.

Obviously, some areas need special attention. The area from Long Lots Elementary School to Long Island Sound along Muddy Brook is a very serious one.

Here are a few examples.

When the lower ball field was constructed, despite engineering calculations to the contrary, considerable water ingress into Muddy Brook was experienced by neighbors.

During a 3-year delayed construction on a neighboring road, considerable increase of surface water was noted by neighbors .

Retention basins were added only after construction.

Peter Swift says, “the site is flooded because retention basin’s were put in after construction was delayed for years. Neighbors at lower elevations are left to manage storm water overflow.”

There is still concern whether this works, because it was designed only for a 25-year storm.

Recent drainage and sewer work in areas near Long Lots School revealed underwater streams, with a flow that should not be disturbed.

It’s no surprised this was once good farm land. There was water all around.

Neighbors near Long Lots report that their sump pumps run constantly. Some have 2, both running constantly.

The Long Lots retention pond often overflows the dry stone wall, which marks the boundary of Long Lots Elementary School … 

Because big houses are being constructed on plots that had smaller houses, the 25-year storm standard does not work. It must be improved.

I understand that the standard planning is for each construction to retain on site the estimated water run off for a 25-year storm. There are many instances in town where this has proved to be inadequate.

In turn stressing Muddy Brook as it runs downstream to Long Island Sound. (Photos courtesy of Peter Swift)

Can Westport not consider a higher standard, especially for large taxpayer funded projects?

We all live in Westport, and pay taxes. Even if we do not us our education system, we love and support it.

Why is there such a rush to get spades in the ground within a year ?

The school is 50 years old, and has had many extensions. Let’s get this right.

Can we not allow our professional engineers time to study this before decisions are made?

Not give them a decision to work with. The cart is before the horse.

This would allow more detailed study of the long-term problems of building on ball fields and community gardens which absorb surface water, and include wetlands.

(“06880” covers all aspects of the Long Lots renovation project — and all other local news. By supporting this blog, you support local journalism. Please click here to help. Thank you!)

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Posted in Education, Environment

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Scenes From A Storm: Part 2

Posted on December 23, 2022 | 3 comments

Our 10 a.m. report:

A coastal flood warning remains in effect until 1 p.m. today. Westport Fire and EMS say: “We expect flooding along the shoreline imminently. Please move vehicles now, if they are in vulnerable and low-lying areas.”

Areas to avoid include Morningside Avenue South near Clapboard Hill; Cross Highway between Bayberry Lane and Sturges Highway; Compo Road South near Rockland Place, due to downed trees and wires, and Turkey Hill Road South between Clapboard Hill and Arrowhead Road.

If anyone needs help of any kind, please click “Comments” below. Other readers will do their best to respond.

Saugatuck River, downtown (Photo/Jennifer Johnson)

Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge (Photo/Amy Schneider)

Parker Harding Plaza (Photo/Jennifer Johnson)

Stores in Parker Harding Plaza (Photo/Jennifer Johnson)

Tree down on South Compo, near Ferry Lane East. (Photo/Fred Cantor)

Baker Avenue at Imperial Avenue (Photo/Jennifer Johnson)

Burying Hill Beach (Photo/John Karrel)

Compo Beach (Photo/Patricia McMahon)

Compo Beach (Photo/Matt Murray)

The scene near Soundview Drive. (Photo/Matt Murray)

Compo jetty (Photo/Patricia McMahon)

Schlaet’s Point, on Hillspoint Road (Photo/Jim Hood)

Another view of Schlaet’s Point. (Photo/Matt Murray)

Old Mill Beach near Compo Cove (Photo/Fred Cantor)

No one watched the waves this morning. (Photo/Matt Murray)

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Posted in Beach, Downtown, Weather

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Muddy Brook Project: A Bridge Too Far?

Posted on July 13, 2022 | 7 comments

More than 4 years ago, I published a story by Wendy Crowther.

The preservation-minded Westporter described the history of 19 Craftsman-style stone bridges, built over Willow, Muddy and Deadman brooks, at the dawn of the automobile age.

The Cross Highway bridge. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)

A century later, 9 remained. They’d survived hurricanes, road reconstruction projects, and collisions with decades of distracted drivers.

Wendy noted:

Today we pass over these bridges daily. Yet few of us notice their rustic presence. Their stone walls (“parapets,” in bridge lingo) were designed to convey the sense of a park-like setting — an aesthetic popular at the time.

Most blend seamlessly into the roadside landscape, often appearing to be mere continuations of Westport’s many fieldstone walls. They are simple, folkloric, and historically important.

And she added: “They are at risk.”

Evergreen Avenue (Photo/Wendy Crowther)

She and fellow Westport Preservation Alliance colleague Morley Boyd were particularly concerned about the Kings Highway North Bridge over Willow Brook.

Its enormous stone foundation perhaps dated back to the original “King’s Highway,” built in 1763 to carry mail between New York and Boston.

Large stones in the abutments beneath the Kings Highway North Bridge: Remnants of a much earlier bridge? (Photo: Wendy Crowther)

Wendy and Morley asked the town’s Historic District Commission to list all 9 remaining bridges on the National Register. She said:

We feel that these very special bridges possess the integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship to qualify for this distinguished honor.

On a more visceral level, the preservation of these bridges will allow us to appreciate the human craftsmanship that went into building them.  By picturing the crew of local men who lifted each stone by hand and mortared them in place, we’ll not just notice these bridges — we will feel them.

Nearly half a decade later, they’re still pushing the HDC to act.

That Kings Highway North stone bridge has already been lost.

The one on Greens Farms Road over Muddy Brook may be next. The Flood & Erosion Control Board voted recently to prioritize its replacement.

The Greens Farms Road bridge over Muddy Brook (Photo/Wendy Crowther)

Its historic past was not part of the discussion.

That’s a shame, Wendy and Morley say.

“Of the few remaining circa 1910 stone bridges still remaining in Westport, this is the most beautiful due to its length, its gentle bend, and its setting,” Morley notes.

“Perhaps if the board members had known this, they might have asked different questions, and perhaps some may have changed the way they voted.”

Wendy adds, “Having advocated for their preservation for years, I know that there are ways to deal with or divert flood waters through adjacent culverts without having to replace the bridge in its entirety.

“There are guidelines and engineering publications on how this can be done without ruining the dimensions and historic integrity of the existing bridge.

“These problems can be mitigated without destroying this beautiful bridge. Let’s please insist on seeking alternate solutions to replacement.”

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Posted in Environment, Looking back, Transportation

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Hold On! Mitten Crabs Are Here

Posted on October 22, 2021 | 5 comments

You may never have heard of mitten crabs.

After reading this, you may be sorry you now have.

The small (3 inch) brownish crustacean with hairy, white-tipped claws — it looks like a mitten – is not native to Connecticut. But it’s here.

According to Dick Harris — a marine scientist who conducts environmental assessments for Copps Island Oysters — mitten crabs burrow into mud. Those habits threaten stream bank stability, promoting erosion and habitat loss. They can even undermine structures built nearby.

Last year, mitten crabs were found in the Housatonic and Mianus Rivers. On Wednesday, one was caught right here, in Muddy Deadman Brook.

Mitten crab

They are the only crabs in North America that spend time in fresh water. Salt water predators include sea bass and black crabs. In fresh water, their only danger comes from raccoons.

Harris wants Westporters to know how dangerous this invasive species can be. If you catch one, freeze it or preserve it in alcohol. Note the date and location of the capture, and call Harris: 203-246-6696.

 

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Posted in Environment

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How Healthy Are Our Rivers?

Posted on December 15, 2019 | 5 comments

Westport’s waterways look beautiful.

You just don’t see the bacteria.

Harbor Watch — the Earthplace-based research and education program — has just released a study of water quality in rivers throughout Fairfield County. All 4 of the Westport rivers studied are not as healthy as they look.

Muddy Brook — which discharges into Sherwood Mill Pond — and Pussy Willow Brook, a Mill Pond tributary, exceeded state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection criteria for E. coli.

Two rivers empty into Sherwood Mill Pond. (Drone photo/Patrick Sikes)

Sasco Brook failed DEEP criteria for bacteria. So did the Saugatuck River — which, with 2 sewage spills last summer, also showed elevated Enterococci concentrations.

The good news: our rivers are pretty good in terms of dissolved oxygen. That’s an important water quality indicator, because many aquatic species rely on it for survival.

Overall, 77% of the 123 field stations studied by Harbor Watch exceeded either 1 or both of the state criteria for acceptable levels of baceria. Click here for the full report.

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Posted in Beach, Environment, Organizations

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E. Coli In Westport’s Waters: Here’s The Poop

Posted on December 6, 2018 | 26 comments

First the bad news: Of 20 rivers in 17 Fairfield County towns, 77% exceed one or both of Connecticut’s criteria for acceptable levels of E. coli. The bacteria can indicate the presence of sewage pollution.

The slightly better news: The Saugatuck River had the lowest percentage of failing sites.

The worse news: Muddy Brook — which drains into Sherwood Mill Pond — was one of 8 rivers tied for the most bacteria. (The others: Bruce Brook, Deep Brook, Goodwives River, Greenwich Creek, Keelers Brook, Pootatuck River and Rooster River.)

The Saugatuck River gets high marks from Harbor Watch. (Drone photo copyright Ben Berkley/@youreyeabove

That’s this morning’s news from Harbor Watch. The group — Earthplace’s water quality research program — studied data from 169 stations, at those 20 rivers. They released their report this morning.

Harbor Watch director Dr. Sarah Crosby says: “The high incidence of failing bacteria concentrations shows us that there is still a great deal of work to be done to improve water quality in the Long Island Sound watershed.”

No s—.

(Click here to read the full report.)

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Posted in Environment, Organizations

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