Tag Archives: Pause + Purpose

Roundup: Flood Preparations, Freezing Temperatures, Safe Streets …

Posted on January 18, 2025 | 3 comments

Los Angeles is nearly 3,000 miles away.

But fires on the West Coast are a huge concern here too. Many Westporters know relatives and friends affected by the blazes.

And disasters like these can lead to increased insurance premiums nationwide.

Realtor Judy Michaelis says, “it’s essential to take steps now to understand and mitigate risks where possible.”

She assesses property risks through Risk Factor, a tool from the non-profit First Street Foundation.

While wildfire risk in Westport is very low, flooding is a more pressing concern. Judy says that 3,074 properties in Westport — 35% of all properties — risk flooding within the next 30 years.

Enter your address on the site to access a free, detailed flood risk report. This resource is invaluable for understanding and addressing your property’s vulnerability.

Even if your risk is low, Judy adds, you should check in with your insurance agent to ensure your coverage is adequate for replacement costs. They’ve increased significantly recently.

Floods are increasingly frequent in Westport. (Photo/Matt Murray)

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Governor Ned Lamont has activated the state’s Severe Cold Weather Protocol, in anticipation of upcoming plunging temperatures.

It’s in effect from tomorrow (January 19, 6 p.m.) through Friday, January 24, noon).

Westport has several warming centers. They include:

Westport Senior Center: Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Westport Library: Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Westport Museum for History & Culture: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. through 5 p.m.
Westport Weston Family YMCA: Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
MoCA Westport: Thursday, 12- 8 p.m.; Friday, 12-4 p.m.
For assistance, contact Westport Human Services at 203-341-1050 Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Y is one of Westport’s 5 warming centers.

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Another topic of interest for all residents is traffic.

The Safe Streets for All (SS4A) draft of the Westport Safety Action Plan, prepared by consultants, is now available for review and public comment. Click here to read it.

Comments can be sent to SS4A@westportct.gov online or by attending the public meeting scheduled for January 29 (not yet on the town calendar).

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Westporters love to read.

Now, readers can help select the winner of the third annual Westport Prize for Literature.

Voluneers are needed to help vet manuscripts for the 2025 honor. It will be awarded this fall at the Library’s StoryFest.

Readers must be Westport residents. They will read 2-3 manuscripts, then submit feedback online.

Results will help determine which finalists advance to an independent jury. Click here for more information, and to apply as a reader.

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Meanwhile, across the green from the Library, Pause + Purpose — the Jesup Road yoga and meditation center — is closing its studio.

However, gatherings will continue to be held elsewhere.

A note to clients says, “Pause + Purpose is not a building; it’s us. It’s the spirit we’ve created together. This evolution is not an ending but a continuation—an opportunity to serve not only this cherished community but many others in deeper, more impactful ways.

“Our mission, our heart, is not confined to walls. Wherever we gather, Pause + Purpose will remain a place for healing, connection, and belonging.”

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Orin Ganz’s daughter Eden Zechariah was murdered by Hamas, after the terror group invaded Israel.

Since then, she has dedicated herself to “defeating the darkness.”

Tomorrow (January 19), the Schneerson Center for Jewish Life CT (11:30 a.m., 228 Saugatuck Avenue) presents a “lunch and listen” event.

Ganz will speak via Zoom from Israel about “Flying with Broken Wings; Tools for Coping with Life’s Challenges, and Developing Mental Resilience.” Click here for more information.

Eden Zechariah

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Former Westport resident Madeleine Conway died recently. She was 87, and lived in Delray Beach, Florida.

A native of the Netherlands who moved to Long Island in 1940, she graduated from Bryn Mawr College, and Columbia University’s School of International Affairs.

Madeleine helped artists launch their New York careers in the 1970s. She wrote
prominent in the art world She co-wrote “The Museum of Modern Art Artists’ Cookbook” and “Gourmet to Go: The New York Guide to Dining Out at Home.”

She was a trustee emeritus of The Perez Art Museum in Miami. Her family, art, reading and travel were her biggest passions.

Madeleine was predeceased by her husbands Paul Conway and Stanley Rubenfeld, and her good friend Victor Rubino. She is survived by her son Andrew Conway (Jill), daughters Victoria Newman and Alexandra Conway Marks (Steven), 7 grandchildren, and sisters Dorothy Bennett (Richard)
and Jacqueline Walker (Arthur).

Donations may be made in Madeleine’s name to Colorectal Research Foundation
at Memorial Sloan Kettering (c/o Dr. Lagunes Reidy or eheald@pamm.org at the
Perez Art Museum.

Madeleine Conway

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As temperatures are set to drop, let’s not forget our feathered friends.

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows the importance of keeping everyone — and everything — fed and healthy.

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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And finally … A. A. Milne was born on this date, in 1882. The English author, poet, and playwright died in 1956.

(“06880” helps you prepare for all kinds of weather — and brings you all kinds of news. That’s the way we roll, 24/7/365. To support our hyper-local coverage, please click here. Thank you!)

3 Comments

Posted in Categories, Library, Local business, Obituaries, Politics, Real estate, religion, Transportation, Weather

Tagged homeowners insurance, Judy Michaelis, Pause + Purpose, Westport Safety Action Plan

Roundup: Julia Marino, Beach Digs, Beach Dogs …

Posted on April 1, 2022 | 5 comments

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A bigger crowd will honor Olympic medalist Julia Marino tomorrow than was on hand when she actually won it.

Spectators were not allowed on the Chinese mountain where the Westport native snagged her snowboard slopestyle silver. Her parents, sister and friends watched from half a world away, on Vivid-Tek’s big screen.

They — and many more fans — will fill the Trefz Forum tomorrow, for the town’s celebration.

But if you haven’t already registered, don’t try getting in. All the (free) tickets were gone in a few hours.

You can still see it, though. The 7 p.m. event will be livestreamed. Click here for the link.

Hey — if watching Julia win an Olympic medal on a screen was good enough for her family, doing the same for her celebration should be okay for you.

Julia Marino, on the Olympic podium. Tomorrow she’ll stand on the Library stage.

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Fashionably Westport — the Downtown Association’s great benefit for Project Return, the Homes with Hope program for homeless women — kicked off last night with a runway event at the Westport Library.

Fashionably Westport continues today (Friday, April 1) with activities and promotions at downtown and Playhouse Square retailers and salons

Participating merchants include Middlemarch, WEST, Noya Jewelry Design, FRED, Marine Layer, Splash of Pink, Southern Tide, Cotelac, Barbour, Stephen Kempson London, Express Edit, Winged Monkey, Fleet Feet, The Plumed Serpent, Bobbles & Lace, Brochu Walker, 7 For All Mankind, Splendid, Scout and Molly’s, Great Stuff, Pure Salon and Artistex.

Looking fashionable last night at the Library (from left): Homes with Hope CEO Helen McAlinden, RTM member Sal Liccione, frequent food drive volunteer Anna Rycenga, Police Chief Foti Koskinas, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Westport Downtown Association president Maxx Crowley.

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Some of Westport’s most historic, unique — and breathtaking — homes are for sale.

And they’re all next to each other, on one of Westport’s most historic and unique sites: Compo Mill Cove.

#44 — a 1917 bungalow — is the gray house, most visible (and most painted and photographed) from Old Mill Beach. The oldest one on the Cove, with original framing and fireplace intact, it’s accessible via a footpath and teak boardwalk, just beyond 2 wooden bridges.

Incredibly, it never floods. Even Superstorm Sandy did no damage. The price was recently reduced to $3.295 million.

Fun at 44 Compo Mill Cove.

Also on the market: #42 (the cottage rebuilt in 2006 by Michael Greenberg), and #48 Compo Mill Cove. Like #44, they’re owned by Robin Tauck, and feature natural plantings. Together, they’re on hundreds of feet of private beachfront.

42 Compo Mill Cove, aka “The Pirate Shack.”

There’s an open house for all 3 Sunday (April 3, 1 to 3 p.m.). Park in the Old Mill lot, and walk over the bridges.

PS: Though not owned by Robin, #46 is far sale too. That means all of the Cove point is for sale.

Buy one of these spectacular homes.

Or all 4!

44 Compo Mill Cove is the gray house on the right side of this photo. Other homes nearby are also for sale.

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April 1 is noteworthy for 2 things:

April Fool’s Day
The start of the 6-month dog ban at Westport beaches.

A couple of alert readers/avid dog owners captured the final day of Fido and Fifi’s freedom yesterday, at Compo.

Frank, Oggy, Utah and Winston (Photo/Nicola Sharian)

(Photo/Collette Winn)

See you October 1!

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Pause + Purpose — the new mindfulness studio, across from the Library on Jesup Road — calls its sessions “Pause for a Cause.”

From tomorrow through Monday (April 2-4), that cause is Ukraine. All proceeds from meditations hosted by the studio staff will go to World Central Kitchen, to help feed the Ukrainian people.

Click here to book a session. Click here to learn more about Pause + Purpose.

Inside Pause + Purpose.

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An “06880” reader sends this cautionary tale:

The other day, an older woman was shopping at HomeGoods, near Southport. She returned to her car — close to the store — and put her bags in the car.

A “normal-looking person” said, “Hey, be careful backing out. Your rear tire is flat.”

She got out to look. When she turned back around, he had already grabbed her purse and vanished.

Be careful out there.

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Some “Westport … Naturally” photos can sit for a while before I use them.

Not this one.

Soon, the branches will fill out. In a couple of weeks — fingers crossed — this image of Owenoke Park, looking toward Compo Beach, will seem very dated.

Fingers crossed, anyway.

(Photo/Jonathan Prager)

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And finally … in honor of today:

5 Comments

Posted in Beach, Library, Local business, Police, Politics, Real estate, Sports

Tagged Compo Bach dogs, Compo Mill Cove, Homes With Hope, Julia Marino, Pause + Purpose, Ukraine, Westport Downtown Association

Roundup: Masks, Ben McFall, Skating Rink …

Posted on December 31, 2021 | 6 comments

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As COVID cases soar in Westport, a concerned “06880” reader writes:

“Our positivity rate is through the roof. The statistics as of Wednesday were near 18%. When other variants were circulating, an indoor mask mandate was in place.

“Currently there is no mask mandate, except government or municipal buildings. I cannot comprehend why there is no mandate reinstated for all indoor spaces in Westport.

“Masks have proven to work in preventing the spread of COVID. As we are all aware, the Omicron variant is extremely contagious. Westport residents, as well as people who work here, would be much safer with a mask mandate in place.

“Not having everyone wear masks indoors puts all of us in danger, especially the older and immuno-compromised populations.

“This has nothing to do with politics or the economy; it has to do solely with health. Whether people agree or not, it is honestly not much of an inconvenience to mask while indoors in order to protect people.

“Let’s keep everyone safe. Let’s reinstate a mask mandate.”

Masks did not detract from Staples High School’s Candlelight Concert earlier this month.. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Yesterday’s New York Times carried a fascinating obituary of Ben McFall. It calls him “the longest-tenured bookseller in the history of the Strand, New York’s renowned bookstore, who for decades peered above his spectacles at a line of acolytes, tourists and young colleagues for whom he incarnated the store’s erudite but easygoing spirit.” He died last week at his home in Jersey City. He was 73, and suffered from pulmonary fibrosis.

The story notes that after graduating from Olivet College with a degree in French and music in 1971, he moved with college friends to Connecticut — and worked at the Remarkable Book Shop in Westport.

“A co-worker told Mr. McFall she could see him at the Strand,” the Times says. “He had never heard of the place, but in 1978 he arrived in New York and interviewed for a job.” He was hired on the spot.

Click here for the full obituary. (Hat tips: Tom Prince, Jackie Kaplan, Adam Stolpen, Mark Lassoff and Fred Cantor)

Ben McFall (Photo/Julie Glassberg for the New York Times)

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The Longshore skating rink is sponsored by Westport PAL. That stands, of course, for “Police Athletic League.”

To promote this year’s season, the Police Department took this image:

It’s a great one. And we’re not the only ones who think so.

It’s now the Photo of the Week on Police1.com — the go-to site for national police news.

Like the rink itself, that’s very, very cool.

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If you’re like 90% of Westporters*, your New Year’s resolution is: “Get fit” (or “fitter”).

Why wait?**

The Joggers Club starts 2022 on the right foot (ho ho), with their annual 3.5-mile run (Saturday, January 1, 8 a.m., Compo Beach).

But wait! There’s more! Cool off with a Polar Plunge at 10.

For a $50 annual fee, you’ll get access to exclusive parties, 41 group runs, post-run coffee and treats, a Brooks running shirt ($35 value!), a ton of fun — and you’ll get in great shape.

Click here, or check out Instagram (@TheJoggersClub).

PS: Save the date: Joggers Club Jr. (ages 5 to 13) returns April 3. Six weeks of 75-minute coached sessions, for just $99.

*The other 10%? See below.

**Because then you won’t do it.

This could be you! (Photo/Armelle Pouriche-Daniels)

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Perhaps your New Year’s resolution is to find inner peace.

Pause + Purpose is ready. A new studio on 21 Jesup Road — right near Westport Book Shop — they offer drop-in meditation weekdays (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.). They also plan to launch mindfulness gatherings soon.

Founder Emily Vartanian-Tuttle says: “The world is especially stressful right now, and our collective mental health and wellness is suffering. We have built a positive communal space for meditation and discussion in the heart of Westport.

“Scientists are beginning to understand that meditation is essential to a healthy mental landscape, and there is no better way to dedicate yourself to a practice than with the backing of a whole community behind you. We offer meditation modalities and group support, backed by science to improve mental, social, and emotional wellbeing.

“Our professional staff includes psychologists, counselors, nutritionists, and the like, addressing issues such as postpartum depression, social anxiety, dietary challenges, and mourning, among others.

“Drop in for a self-led practice or join one of our high-quality children and adult mindfulness gatherings, where a seasoned meditation teacher will lead you and a group in meditation and discussion.” Click here to learn more.