It’s a familiar question for mothers moving to Westport with young kids: How do I meet people?
It was particularly tough during the pandemic.
But Carrie Kerner “read the room,” and took action.
Almost literally.
And “literaturely.”
Carrie Kerner
Carrie — who owns her own hospitality PR firm — found herself in that I-need-to-find-other-moms situation shortly after arriving here, and having her second child during COVID.
She was searching too for good books to read.
Bingo!
One Instagram post later, she had 20 interested mothers with young children. Carrie suggested a beach meeting, after sundown.
The first one was last July. It was a success, and word spread.
The next “Books on the Beaeh” sessions drew 60 and 80 women to Old Mill Beach. There are now 150 names on her group chat, and meetings are capped at 100.
That gives the restaurant sponsors a break.
That’s right: Carrie has made “Books on the Beach” a full event, complete with food, cocktails, pop-up shops with discounts, and swag bags.
In just one year, Carrie’s created a popular and very cool new tradition.
Along the way she’s helped dozens of women meet others, form friendships, have fun, get out of the house for a night — and read interesting books.
Also: meet interesting writers. Last year, Carrie invited international best-selling author (who was once a young mom herself here) Jane Green to chat with the group.
A small part of Books on the Beach …
The first Books on the Beach meeting of 2023 is tomorrow (Tuesday — but registration is closed). Local author Avery Carpenter Forrey will speak about her debut novel “Social Engagement.”
Bartaco is sponsoring light bites and cocktails. Sam & Lex will have a pop-up shop, with 10% off all women’s clothing and accessories. Swag bags come courtesy of wellness, beauty and lifestyle partners.
Last year’s sponsors include PopUp Bagels, Stocked by Three Owls and Norwalk Art Space Café.
… and a small part of a Books on the Beach spread.
Carrie did not forget about the children. For Valentine’s Day she hosted “Books on the Beach for Tots” at Child Pose Yoga. The Saturday morning book club and art class was led by Samy Souci of Westport Learning Collaborative.
The kids’ books were about love, kindness and inclusivity. Old Mill Grocery & Deli provided breakfast bites.
Book ideas for the adults, meanwhile, come from group polls. They’re generally romances, mysteries and best-sellers.
“This is such a cozy, inclusive group,” Carrie says. “Everyone’s happy. There are no cliques.”
It’s not all moms with young kids, either. Some women are older. Some are 20something singles. “We just call it ‘moms,'” Carrie notes. “But everyone mixes and mingles.”
No dads, though. “They stay home with the babies!” she laughs.
If you’re not on the list (and a woman), you won’t be at tomorrow’s Books on the Beach. To get on the list for future events, DM @CarrieGeorgette or @Booksonthebeach203 on Instagram. Carrie will add you to the WhatsApp group chat.
(For more information about Books on the Beach, click here for the website; click here for Instagram; click here for the Facebook page.)
Meeting in March.
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As summer begins, and crowds head toward Old Mill — to sit on the beach, fish in the inlet or jump (illegally) from the pedestrian walkway — it’s hard not to notice the handsome white house straddling between Long Island Sound and Sherwood Mill Pond.
What was once a grist mill is now (following 2 fires) a private home. With water flowing underneath, and killer views on both sides, it’s one of those places we love imagining living in.
It’s been a private home for over a century. (Pete Aitkin, the Black Duck owner, is a former resident.)
Here’s what it looked like, around 1910. The colorized image comes from Paul Ehrismann, whose collection of seldom-seen photos seems limitless.
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Two big changes — a portable toilet at Old Mill Beach, and a smoking ban at all beaches and town recreation areas — were on Westport’s Parks & Recreation Commission agenda last night.
No action was taken — though not for lack of interest.
“06880” intern Colin Morgeson reports there was plenty of concern about the proposed port-a-potty. It would be kept away from the 64 parking spots, guard shack, and 39 nearby private properties.
Parks & Recreation director Jen Fava noted, “there kinda isn’t a good location.”
Commission member Chrissy O’Keeffe asked, “What do we want Old Mill to be? To me it’s a beautiful little enclave, not the kind of place you would go for a whole day. That’s something everyone in town knows about Old Mill.”
A vote was postponed, due to the absence of the lead petitioners asking for the toilet.
A portable toilet on Old Mill Beach would be situated away from parking spaces — and homes.
The commission then discussed smoking at town beaches, pools, athletic fields and racquet courts, and where — if at all — the use of tobacco and cannabis should be permitted. A ban would not include the Longshore golf course, passive town parks or parking lots.
Members focused on how surrounding communities have approached the issue. Smoking bans based on proximity to amenities have worked, as opposed to wide bans.
O’Keeffe noted the importance of communication, to minimize confusion.
A vote was postponed to a future date.
There’s a lot of room at Compo Beach. Would a smoking ban work there? (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
Though the town’s tennis courts are in better condition than in recent years, commissioners also heard concerns about softness at Longshore tennis. Resident Lloyd Clareman recommended increasing the amount of water and calcium chloride.
Parks & Rec operations manager Carmen Roda reported that adjustments have been made in the timing and frequency of watering. Calcium chloride is being worked into the budget.
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Next Wednesday’s Parks & Recreation Commission meeting (May 17, 7:30 p.m., Zoom; click here for the link) features 3 interesting agenda items.
Perhaps because of the increasing popularity of Old Mill Beach — it now attracts more than just nearby residents — the board will vote on a request for a “porta-john.”
Then they’ll introduce and discuss (but not vote on) a “proposed smoking/vaping policy.” Details are unavailable, but a source said it relates to a ban on smoking and vaping — including cannabis — at town beaches.
Then comes discussion of the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan final report.
It will be a busy night, involving 3 key topics: money, bathrooms, and weed.
Prime spot for a port-a-potty. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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The Westport Garden Club does more than plant bulbs.
They’ve sponsored a youth poetry contest on “birds, bees and trees”; provided an all-terrain wheelchair to Wakeman Town Farm; donated beach grass plugs for Sherwood Island State Park’s dune restoration, and a new greenhouse at Earthplace for young naturalists and volunteers; and given a scholarship for a student studying horticulture or landscape design.
All of that — and also maintaining 7 public gardens in Westport — takes money.
And all of that funding comes from the Garden Club’s annual plant sale.
It’s tomorrow (May 13 — a first-ever Saturday date), from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jesup Green.
On sale: over 1,000 plants from members’ own gardens, plus tomatoes and herbs.
The festive event includes an activity table for kids, a selection of garden books from the Westport Book Shop, and free saplings from Bartlett Tree Experts.
Wheelbarrows will be on standby. As always, Garden Club members offer advice on purchases.
One more idea: If you haven’t finished your Mothers Day shopping (and don’t have a green thumb), you can choose from a collection of gift-ready planters.
The annual plant sale funds Westport Garden Club displays all over town.
All of Fairfield County (and Westchester) loves Alison Milwe Grace.
On Tuesday, the rest of the country will too.
The Staples High School graduate/Weston resident/founder-owner of very popular AMG Catering & Events will be featured on Food Network’s parking lot culinary marathon show, Supermarket Steakout (Tuesday, 9 p.m.).
She taped the show in January, in California. It was her second appearance on Food Network. In 2015 she made it to the 4th and final round of elimination in an intense battle, preparing dishes that the judges praised as “creative, complex and delicious.”
Alison calls this “another opportunity, another fun show, another personal ‘cheffy; challenge, and more memories with the best network around, and the amazing Alex Guarnaschelli.
Alison’s motto is “Follow your dreams — just make sure to have fun too!”
She’s sworn to secrecy (and an iron-clad contract) to not reveal how she did ahead of time.
But hey: She wouldn’t want us watching if she burned, undercooked or otherwise messed up royally, right?
SIDE DISH: Finding Connecticut just posted a nice interview with Alison. Click here to see.
Presented by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, the Arts & Culture Empowerment (ACE) award honors individuals, organizations and businesses that make significant contributions to the area.
An artist-entrepreneur who pioneered artists spaces in Berlin, Williamsburg and now Bridgeport, he is also a curator and community organizer.
After establishing his studio in Bridgeport, and reviving art events at the historic Arcade Mall, he established Ursa Gallery in 2020. Dam organized the first Bridgeport booth at Art Basel Miami in 2022. a
Dam is currently developing real estate on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport to create working spaces for fellow artists, raise community awareness, host events, and open a coffee roaster. He also teaches children in community art and leadership programs at Norwalk Community College.
Dam receives his honor next month, at a Norwalk Shore & Country Club breakfast. A special President’s Award will be presented to Westporters Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, recognizing their significant impact on the arts, culture and children’s health in Fairfield County. The MC is Weston’s James Naughton. Click here for full details.
Cris Dam
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Westport’s spring paving program begins Monday (May 15). It continues through mid-June.
The following roads will be paved (though not in this order):
Oak Street
Rodgers Way
Reimer Road
Sprucewood Lane
High Point Road
Adams Farms Road
Greystone Farm Lane
Wedgewood Road
Peaceful Lane
Chapel Hill Road
Pritchard Lane
Increase Lane
Harding Lane
Sunrise Road.
Questions? Call the Department of Public Works: 203-341-1120.
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Jonathan Greenstein — the photojournalist/film director/tea importer/ athlete/world traveler/ environmentalist, whose battle with ALS inspired countless people around the world — died in 2021. He was 50 years old.
Westporters have not forgotten him.
A Wim Hof Fundamentals Workshop — teaching techniques that help patients breathe stronger and longer == is set for Saturday, May 20 (10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.).
A $225 donation benefits the Breathe4ALS Foundation. Attendees receive a hardcover book of Greenfield’s photography and log pants.
The event is free for people living with ALS. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Not long after his ALS diagnosis, Jonathan Greenfield (right) hiked in Spain with Wim Hof.
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Britt Hennemuth — the 2008 Staples High School and 2012 Pepperdine University graduate, now the West Coast editor for Vanity Fair — has a great story in the May edition.
In “Suddenly, Stephanie Hsu is Everywhere,” the actress talks about her intense year, her love for Jamie Lee Curtis, and how her next movie, “Joy Ride,” defies stereotypes. Click here to read. (Hat tip: John Karrel)
Britt Hennemuth
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Speaking of film: Generations of Westporters have thrilled to enormous, all-around movies at the Norwalk IMAX Theater.
Mountain climbers, deep sea divers, rock concerts — we’ve seen it all.
No more.
The building is being dismantled. It’s part of the state Department of Transportation’s reconstruction of the 123-year-old Norwalk River railroad span (the “Walk Bridge”).
A new 4D theater, built on the other side of the Maritime Aquarium, opened in 2021.
And finally … as the Parks & Recreation Commission debates a port-a-potty at Old Mill Beach (story above) — it’s not our usual song. But besides all the music at Woodstock, there was this:
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Last week’s Friday Flashback showed Ken Montgomery’s Old Mill store — one of several predecessors of the current Old Mill Grocery & Deli.
It had been his mother’s market. He joined her, after his original place — on the corner of Bridge Street and Compo Road South — was demolished, to make way for the new Connecticut Turnpike (now called I-95).
I’d never seen a photo of it. Then, just days after that Friday Flashback, Pamela Docters posted an old Westport Town Crier newspaper clipping on Facebook:
As the caption notes, Ken wanted to move the “retail landmark” to property he owned opposite the old Saugatuck Elementary School (now The Saugatuck co-op housing complex). His request was denied.
The caption also says that he hoped to return with a new store once the highway was finished.
That never happened. But the Old Mill store was good to him.
And Ken was good to his town. When he died, he left a $500,000 gift to the Westport YMCA.
Pamela posted a couple of other fascinating doomed-by-the-thruway photos.
This one, from June 7, 1956, shows houses moved to Dr. Gillette Circle.
Dr. Gillette Circle is off Davenport Avenue, which itself is accessed by Ferry Lane West off Saugatuck Avenue — adjacent to I-95 Exit 17.
Indian Hill Road — also part of the neighborhood — is now sliced in two by the highway. It once connected, all the way north to Treadwell Avenue.
Dr. Gillette Circle is once again buffeted by change. The 157-unit Summit Saugatuck development is a few yards away, on Hiawatha Lane Extension.
As for I-95, recent state Department of Transportation work has radically altered the landscape first created when the turnpike was built. It took 70 years for trees and vegetation to grow. Now it’s all gone.
Of course, as thruway construction took place Saugatuck was not the only neighborhood affected. Another photo posted by Pam shows a Greens Farms home — already 125 years old — being moved 700 feet away from the new route’s right-of-way, to Turkey Hill South.
The Connecticut Turnpike cut a wide swath through Westport. It changed Saugatuck forever, and made an enormous impact everywhere else.
Three-quarters of a century later, most of us cannot imagine life here without it.
But there are still Westporters, and former residents, alive who do.
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Top row, from left: Old Hill, Old Hill, Old Mill Beach. Middle row: Old Hill; behind Westport Library (center and right). Bottom row: Old Hill, Hillspoint Road; Old Mill Beach. (Photos/Rowene Weems Photography)
As the year ends, Westporters look back on a tough one. COVID is still hanging around. The stock market plummeted. Our nation is politically divided.
Compared to Ukraine though, we live on Easy Street.
Our new sister city of Lyman is entering its 10th month of hell. The Russians are gone after 5 months of occupation. But they left devastation behind.
Buildings lack roofs and walls. There is virtually no electricity or heat. Fire trucks and police cars were demolished. Debris is everywhere.
You can click here to read the latest devastating news, from yesterday’s New York Times. (This news just in: Earlier today, a Russian missile hit the police station. Only 2 patrol cars are left in the town.)
You can see some brutal images too — taken, coincidentally, by Westport native/Staples High School graduate/Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Tyler Hicks.
A Lyman firefighter battles a blaze with just a trickle of water, in bitter cold. (Photo/Tyler Hicks for the New York Times)
On this final day of 2022, please help Westport’s drive to help Lyman.
Our goal is $250,000. As of yesterday — less than 2 weeks after we began — we’ve raised $219,200. Wouldn’t it be great to reach our target today?
Tax-deductible donations can be made to Lyman through Ukraine Aid International — the non-profit co-founded by Westporter Brian Mayer. Pleaseclick here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other tax-deductible donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo). You can also donate directly, via Stripe (click here).
When blandly named but popular Westport Chinese Takeout closed in October, it left a void in Saugatuck.
That’s where — decades earlier — the original Arrow Restaurant began. (The name comes from the angle of the road, where Franklin Street meets Saugatuck Avenue.) When it outgrow that location, the Arrow moved around the corner to Charles Street.
Work has begun on Lomito. The windows are still papered over. But there are new steps, and a spiffy logo. Two signs promise: “Opening soon.”
Connecticut Magazine is out with their annual “40 Under 40” list.
Among the 40 people under 40 years old who are “changing the game in Connecticut and beyond”: Westporters Drew Angus and Julia Marino.
The writeup on Angus — a 2007 Staples High School graduate — says:
Finding success as a musician is not easy, explains this Bridgeport-based and Westport-raised singer-songwriter. “In this business, behind all the accomplishments and successes are many more unsuccessful projects and ideas that just never quite worked out,” Angus says. “It takes a certain kind of drive and a sick love for things not working out to be successful in creative ventures like music.”
Fortunately for him and fans of music everywhere, Angus has that drive, as his easy-to-listen-to, melodic New Americana music propelled him to be a finalist on American Idol in 2016. He’s also shared the stage with Harry Styles and Nile Rogers on Saturday Night Live, as well as Pat Benatar, Ann Wilson of Heart, and Andrea Bocelli. He has also toured with Marc Broussard and last summer impressed his hometown music fans with a set at Sound on Sound festival in Bridgeport.
When asked what advice he has for aspiring songwriters, he urges artists to not over-revise their work. “Finish those songs and put them out,” he says. “There’s a point of diminishing returns when changing lyric, melody or mix on a song no longer makes it better but just different or actually worse. Sometimes version one is actually the magic take.”
Drew Angus
For Olympic silver medalist Marino, it reads:
Lots of notable folks can boast about throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for a Red Sox game at fabled Fenway Park, including slopestyle and Big Air snowboarder and Westport native Marino. But she also has bragging rights none of those others can touch. In 2016, Marino, then an 18-year-old World Cup newcomer, replaced an injured teammate to compete in the Polartec Big Air event held at Fenway Park … and won.
A hit at Fenway, she returned to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in 2017, and again for a Red Sox-Yankees game in August 2022. Eighteen was a good age for Marino, who that year also became the first woman to land a double in slopestyle competition, according to her U.S. Ski & Snowboard team bio, landing two in the same run, a cab double underflip and a double backflip. Marino is most famous, of course, for winning a silver medal in women’s slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympics (slopestyle is snowboarding down a course filled with terrain-park features and obstacles like rails and jumps.)
Also a 2018 Olympian and a seven-time X Games medalist, Marino loves photography, making videos, and spending time outdoors with her family and dog.
Julia Marino, on the Olympic podium.
Click here for the full Connecticut Magazine “40 Under 40.”
Matt Murray noticed all these shoes lined up at Old Mill Beach.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
There was no one nearby. No one swimming.
Who owns them? Why are they there?
Maybe it’s part of SyFy’s annual “Twilight Zone” marathon. The annual event — an homage to the show and its creator, former Westporter Rod Serling — began at 5 a.m. today. It runs through 4 a.m. on Tuesday.
Click here for the full schedule. (In case you’re wondering: “A Stop at Willoughby” — the classic Westport-themed episode — airs Monday, at 5 p.m.)
Congratulations to Dr. Cindy Dunbar. The 1976 Staples High School graduate was recently inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.
A Harvard graduate who specializes in hematology, she’s had an amazing career. Click here for an in-depth interview. (She begins with her youth in Westport — and her interest in music and theater. It continues to this day.)
Click here for a more scientifically oriented piece. (Hat tip: Ed Stalling)
And finally … who needs Guy Lombardo (or Dan Fogelberg), when we’ve got Mariah Carey?!
(The year is not yet over! You’ve still got a few hours to support “06880” — and, because we’re a non-profit, take a tax write-off. Please click here. Thank you!)
Grove Point flooding crested around 11:15 a.m. (Photo/John Kantor)
Homes at Old Mill Beach, (Photo/Matt Murray)
Gloria in Gray’s Creek (Photo/Gene Fignar)
The storm was not yet over this morning. But utility crews were already out on Rex Lane off Greens Farms Road, putting up a new pole. (Photo/Jacque O’Brien)
Temperatures will quickly drop below freezing, and are expected to remain below freezing until Tuesday.
In the event of flash freezing, Fire Chief Michael Kronick says: “If you must travel, keep a flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Allow extra time as some roads may be icy and dangerous if untreated. Please do not drive around barricades or through waters of unknown depth.”
If you lose power to your home during freezing temperatures, follow these steps:
Now is the time to check your generators and charge your devices in the event of a power outage. Have a battery powered radio on hand.
Stay Safe!Never go near downed power lines including cable TV feeds. They may be live with deadly voltage.
Stay Warm!On top of dressing in layers and huddling under extra blankets, hang your darker ones on the windows to draw in heat. Keep doors and windows closed and use towels to block drafts around them. If necessary, move to your basement, which may be more insulated by the ground.
Never use charcoal grills or camp stoves indoors.Deaths have occurred when consumers burned charcoal or used camp stoves in enclosed spaces, which produced lethal levels of carbon monoxide.
Never use a generator inside a home, basement, shed or garage, even if doors and windows are open. Keep generators outside and far away from windows, doors, and vents. Read and follow instructions on the generator label and in the owner’s manual. Any electrical cables you use with the generator should be free of damage and suitable for outdoor use.
Use caution with candles. If possible, use flashlights instead. If you must use candles, do not burn them on or near anything that can catch fire. Never leave burning candles unattended. Extinguish candles when you leave the room.
Listen for updates. If you’re using a cellphone, choose texting over calling to keep phone lines free, or use your landline. Save 911 for emergencies.
Sign up for local EMERGENCY ALERTS: Text 06880 to 888777. Or sign up now at www.nixle.com
The “bomb cyclone”/”once in a generation” pre-holiday storm delivered its first part as promised early this morning.
As of 8 a.m., 685 out of Eversource’s 12,678 customers were without power. That’s 5.4% of the town.
Weston reported 370 outages — 9.5% of 3,896 customers.
Statewide, Eversource reported 97,835 customers without power. That’s 7.55% of Connecticut.
Winds have momentarily died slightly. Rain has stopped. though it may start again around noon.
Next up: The temperature — about 53 now — will begin falling sharply in mid-afternoon. By 6 p.m. it will be 25; tomorrow at dawn, just 11 degrees.
Matt Murray has sent in two early scenes.
On Hillspoint Road, the eyesore that is the halted residential construction of the former Positano restaurant got even eyesore-ier, when the wind tore some of its blue siding.
Just a few yards away, 2 folks took advantage of the warm air for a dip at Old Mill Beach.
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