As Mary Gai notes, “All mills were the same at first. The mill stones were imported from France.
“They were simultaneously wood cutting mills and grain mills. When steam power overtook all around 1840, the mills did cider, cotton (making raw fibers into ‘belts,’ the Mill at Richmondville went into twine. Both of my parents worked there in the late 1930s, making twine. Much of that road was employees of the mill. Mills were not appreciated. They were dismantled and turned into either commercial centers or residences.”
In the case of The Mill at Richmondville, they were turned into an office building — and, now, into apartments.
There was the mill at Compo Cove, which burned twice (and is now the home straddling the Sherwood Mill Pond inlet). It’s memorialized still in the name of the “Old Mill” area.
(Photo/courtesy of Paul Ehrismann)
And, by Ford Road, there were these:
It’s misspelled on the postcard. Today, nearby, is Sipperley’s Hill Road (often misread as “Slippery Hill Road”).
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50 Years Ago This Week:
Led by former Bedford Junior High School principal Norman Flint, a group of parents, students, administrators and others did a protest walk to demonstrate the dangers for students who must walk to the Riverside Avenue building. (Today it is Saugatuck Elementary School.)
RTM candidate Charles Ziff noted: “In many areas sidewalks don’t exist and where they did, they were in very poor condition or overrun by shrubs.”
Bedford Junior High School, back in the day.
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There were 5 custodial arrests of adults, between October 18 and 25.
Three were charged in connection with Monday’s chase on I-95 and the Greens Farms area, ending at the Sherwood Island Connector.
Two 20-year-olds from Ansonia, and a 19-year-old from Seymour, were all charged with the same crimes: reckless driving, engaging police in a pursuit, larceny of a motor vehicle, interfering with police officers/resisting arrest, assault on a public safety officer, and reckless endangerment.
The day before (Sunday, October 22), an attempted motor vehicle theft at 4:20 a.m. led to police pursuit onto I-95, where the vehicle’s tires were deflated after stop sticks were deployed.
Two juveniles were caught at the scene. A Westport K-9 officer found an 18-yar-old from Meriden in nearby bushes. He was charged with reckless driving, improper use of marker plates, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, larceny of a motor vehicle, larceny 6th degree, conspiracy to commit larceny 6th degree, and interfering with an officer. He was turned then over to New Haven police, where he had outstanding warrants.
In addition, a 20-year-old Waterbury man was arrested in connection with last month’s carjacking inside a Bayberry Lane garage. He was charged with home invasion, burglary 1st degree, larceny 1st degree, conspiracy to commit larceny, robbery 1st degree, robbery by carjacking, assault 3rd degree, and reckless endangerment.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 9 citations
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 9
Failure to comply with state traffic control signals: 5
Disorderly conduct: 1
Larceny 5th degree: 1
Passing a standing school bus: 1
Speeding: 1
Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
Following too closely: 1
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Failure to insure a motor vehice: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
The aftermath of Monday’s pursuit of stolen vehicles. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
The “pop” in PopUp Bagels first referred to its peripatetic appearance — an underused location in Westport, then a few nearby towns, eventually New York.
It could also mean “popular.” The Westport-based bagels (and schmears) always sell out. Block-long lines waited in the city. They won 2 straight “Best Bagel” awards at the very prestigious Brooklyn Bagelfest.
Now, Adam Goldberg’s 3-year-old business has closed on an $8 million capital raise. The funding will enable future growth, and an expansion of the executive team.
The round was led by New York equity firm Stripes. Click here for the delicious details.
The private garages at Sherwood Mill Pond — behind the Old Mill homes, on the way to the pedestrian walkways to Compo Cove — are an object of fascination.
They’re old — a throwback to perhaps the 1920s.
One owner has decorated hers with seashells and baubles.
Then there is this one:
(Photo/Karen Como)
There must be a back story. Perhaps a wife said to her husband, “Honey, that is not going in the house. It belongs in the garage!”
Click “Comments,” to share your own bathroom humor.
Amy Schneider spotted these pumpkins yesterday, at the Compo brick pavilion.
(Photo/Amy Schneider)
Perhaps someone heard that the beach was a favorite spot for trick-or-treaters.
Let’s clarify: It’s the homes in the very walkable Compo neighborhood, not the beach itself.
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Longtime Westporter Paul Hammond, more recently of Fairfield, died peacefully at home earlier this month, with his family and rector at his side. He was 82.
Paul grew up in Darien, where he was an acolyte at St Luke Church, acting in theater, and played baseball and football. His summers were spent in Chatham, Massachusetts, where his family had 300 years of history.
.After graduating from Darien High School in 1959, Paul took a gap year to work as head doorman at Hawaii’s Waikiki Hilton. He graduated from Brown University in 1965, then earned his masters degree at New York University in international development.
In 1966 he joined the Army. Paul served for 3 years as a 1st Lieutenant and executive officer of his training battalion, receiving a Commendation Medal.
He began his business career at International Paper, then worked at Emery Air Freight and All Transport. Paul started his own company, US Trade and Transport, and traveled the world selling heavy construction equipment.
He later entered market research, working for Teeton Group, Yankelovich and TRC, where he was an executive vice president and principal shareholder.
Paul met the love of his life, Paige, in 1979. They were married the next year. They settled on Saugatuck Shores, where they lived for 35 years. Paul enjoyed lobstering, fishing, waterskiing, and spending time with Paige’s children.
The couple traveled extensively. Treasure Cay, Abaco Bahamas became their home away from home.
In retirement, Paul wrote novels and researched. He published 4 books aboutthe American Revolution.
Paul was active at Christ & Holy Church on the vestry, Fundraising Committee, and as building project manager for the renovation project. He served as a president and board member of the Saugatuck Island Owners Association. He was also chair of the Treasure Cay Golf Club, commodore of the Yacht Club, and a board member of the Treasure Cay Medical Clinic. Recently, he served as Grounds chair and a board member at the Meadows in Fairfield.
Paul fully encouraged all his grandchildren, and rarely missed an event.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Paige Hammond; stepchildren Connie (Jamie) Widmann of Newtown, and David (Andrea) Moore of Westport; grandchildren Jimmy and Sarah Widmann, and Tessa, Janna and Ella Moore; sister-in-law Suzanne Hammond. and many cousins, nieces and nephew.
A celebration of Paul’s life will be held November 17 (noon, Christ & Holy Trinity Church).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Paul’s name to Regional Hospice, 30 Milestone Road, Danbury, CT 06810.
Paul Hammond
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Many “Westport … Naturally” photos feature an animal, plant or flower.
This one shows a much bigger scene, at Sherwood Mill Pond. It’s one of the reasons we love this part of New England so much.
Enjoy it now. It won’t last forever — or even a couple of weeks.
And finally … (and speaking of Sherwood Mill Pond): today’s song honors a certain garage on the way to Compo Cove:
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Joey’s by the Shore has shifted to winter hours (Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
They’ve added soups and other seasonal items. There’s Elvira Mae’s great coffee bar too.
Customer traffic may be slower, but the Old Mill neighborhood relies on Joey’s. Just as they did for 20 years with Elvira’s. And — decades earlier — Kenny Montgomery’s store.
But even before that, there was a market at the foot of Compo Hill.
When Betsy and Hal Kravitz opened Elvira Mae’s, their across-the-street neighbor Robin Tauck gave them this:
Sheila Bergmann sent it along. She lives up the hill, and is fascinated by the photo.
So am I.
At the time this was taken, the Old Mill Market — featuring Park City Ice Cream — was also the temporary office of the Compo Hill Developing Co. They offered “Restricted Building Sites for Sale.”
“Restricted” as in “limited options for what can be built”? Or “restricted” as in “No Jews Allowed”?
It’s clear that Compo Hill was ripe for development. How lucky the neighbors are that the little store at the bottom survived the building boom that followed.
If you remember the Old Mill Market, or anything else about Compo Hill from those years — whenever they were — click “Comments” below.
Doerte Inett’s family was visited by a “fantastic crew” from Nova Scotia. They took care of a tree that fell on the power line on their Sturges Highway property — and restored power. Their 10-month old supervised, from the screen porch.
Cleaning up in the Old Mill neighborhood (Photo/Lauri Weiser)
Pleading for help off North Avenue (Photo/Ed Paul)
A few smiles at the Colony Road/Pumpkin Hill intersection (Photo/Christie Stanger)
Flying kites at Sherwood Island State Park (Photo/Ilene Mirkine)
This was the scene late today, at the corner of Fairport Road and Westfair Drive (Photo/Lauri Weiser)
The traffic light works at Main Street and Parker Harding Plaza. But Avery Place is still blocked by downed wires and limbs. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)
That may not ring a bell. But this name for the property does: Elvira’s.
For 2 decades, the little store opposite Old Mill has been a big part of the beachfront community. It sells groceries, sandwiches, salads, pizza, gyros, ice cream and coffee, sure.
But it’s also a community center. It’s a place to meet, greet, eat; share gossip and snacks; hang out and hang loose.
Which makes it a far cry from its predecessor.
Kenny Montgomery’s store.
Kenny Montgomery owned the store, before the Yiozonakos family. He relocated there from the corner of South Compo and Greens Farms Road, when I-95 was built.
He sold the basics: milk, eggs and cigarettes. The store was dusty, and smelled bad. You went there only because you had to. (Or, if you were a kid, to see how much you could steal.)
That’s why — though the official name was different — everyone who grew up in Westport back in the day called it Grub’s.
But there’s another side to Kenny. When he died, he left hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Westport YMCA.
The store was a fixture at the foot of Compo Hill for many years. Long before Kenny — or so the story goes — the only telephone in the area was located there. When the phone rang the owner would walk outside, and bellow the name of whoever the call was for.
Today, of course, you can call Elvira’s on your cellphone, and have your order waiting when you arrive.
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