Last weekend’s snowstorm reminded longtime residents of the Old Days.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a winter like this.
When we did, artist Al Willmott painted them.
In 1994, he was on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge. Not much has changed (though the trolley was poetic license).
(Courtesy of William Webster)
Nearly 2 decades earlier — in 1978 — he painted Railroad Place. It looks a bit different today — not the streetscape, but the businesses.
(Courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
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1st Selectman Kevin Christie led the ceremony yesterday, accompanied by the Staples Orphenians, town poet laureate Donna Disch, and a small group of children who counted down the numbers.
The tree is in front of Town Hall, on Myrtle Avenue.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie leads the countdown …
… and poses with the Orphenians …
… ta da! (All photos/Dan Woog)
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The 85th annual Candlelight Concert is the Staples Music Department’s gift to the town. This year’s shows are Friday, December 12 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, December 13 (3 and 8 p.m.).
The always-hot tickets went on sale this morning at 9 a.m (www.StaplesMusic.org). They’re free — but donations to the Staples music program are greatly appreciated.
There are other ways to support our young musicians too. The poinsettias that decorate the stage can be ordered here, then picked up at the end of the final show.
Also available, at all performances: “Candlelight Cookies” from Alina’s. They’re just $6 — and each includes a coupon for a free cupcake. Click here to order.
Finally: Staples’ Tri-M Music Honor Society again sponsors “CanDelight” — a canned food donation drive benefiting the Homes for Hope food pantry. Collection bins will be in the lobby before every concert.
Poinsettias set the stage for Candlelight. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Nearly every seat was filled last night, for the Westport Country Playhouse’s final Script in Hand reading of 2025.
“What The Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck was one of the most timely in the long-running and popular series.
The star, Nina Hellman, grew up in Westport and was a member of Staples Players. She now lives in Brooklyn with her husband Jeremy Shamos, who was also in the show.
Every audience member received a copy of the US Constitution. (Hat tips: Susan Garment and Dave Matlow)
The “Constitution” crew, Standing (from left) Liz Beatty (stage manager), Jocelyn Shek, Nina Hellman, Mark Shanahan (Playhouse artistic director), Amanda Charlton (director). Seated: Jeremy Shamos. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
New Yacht City’s tribute to music of the 1970s and ’80s — Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald and more — rocks the VFW this Saturday.
Doors open at 6 p.m. The band comes on at 8. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Click here to purchase.
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The Westport Farmers’ Market winter location — Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center — is warm and cozy.
It’s the perfect place for “Operation Warm Hug.” This Thursday and Saturday (December 4 and 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), they’re collecting new and gently used coats, hats, mittens and gloves, for nOURish clients in Bridgeport.
All donations are “warmly” welcomed.
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Meanwhile, not far from the VFW, Railroad Place was closed temporarily yesterday morning.
A truck on the 1-way section of Franklin Street took down a utility pole, which landed on a car. There were no injuries.
Acoustic band On the Trail brings their bluegrass/contemporary pop/traditional blend of music to Voices Cafe this Saturday (December 6, 8 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
Tickets for the “toe-tapping” show are $25. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
A Holiday Pop-Up Shop is set for December 10 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; The Residence at Westport, 1141 Post Road East).
It features pottery, jewelry and other gifts, all from local artisans.
The Residence at Westport.
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Guitarist Paul Bollenback and pianist Dave Kikoski highlight this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, December 4; 7:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; VFW Post 399).
They’re joined by bassist Essiet Essiet, drummer Ryan Sands and saxophonisthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1DCWLJ4m8U Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Former Staples High School basketball player Geoffrey Lavaty died November 3, at his Wilton home. He was 86.
The Bronx native grew up in Westport, and graduated with the Class of 1957.
After Rollins College he served for 2 years in the Army, then moved to New York. He sold radio time, then partnered with his father. Their firm — Frank and Jeff Lavaty Associates — represented commercial artists and illustrators, many of them from this area.
Jeff and Ebba Von Koch were married in 1968. They lived in New York and Wilton.
Jeff was an oil painter, displaying his work in local galleries and public buildings. He was also a skilled pool player, an avid freshwater fisherman, a fan of the New York Giants, Knicks, Fats Domino, Pavarotti and Cabernet Sauvignon.
He is survived by his wife; sisters Judy Strauss (Jeffrey) and Jane Cooke (Donald), and cousins, nieces and nephews. Services will be private.
Will the Hamlet — the retail/residential/event space/marina complex — be built there? Or will a massive 8-30g housing complex rise instead?
No one knows yet. But a great deal of attention has been paid, by town officials and residents, to the corner of Riverside Avenue and Railroad Place.
That’s an important spot — at the train station, near the railroad underpass — with a storied past.
Back in the 1890, it housed Westport’s post office (far right in the photo below), and a few stores.
(Photo courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
The post office today is Steam Coffee Bar. More stores — and restaurants — are nearby.
Unlike today, parking did not seem to be an issue.
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When most of us are on Railroad Place, we’re intent on something.
Getting to the train. Heading for dinner at Tarantino, Harvest, Romanacci or Allium. Shopping.
If you take the time to look up at #16, you’ll see an old, diamond-shaped window, underneath a wooden gable. (Click here to see.)
Mark Pocius, Robert Mitchell, Bob Weingarten, John Terpening, Gloria Gouveia, Diane Silfen, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Chip Stephens and Andrew Colabella all look up enough to have nailed it, as last week’s Photo Challenge.
I asked if anyone knew the back story to the unique shape.
John wondered whether the window was installed “in a way that allows it to open/pivot in the center in the hopes of inviting hot air to escape through the upper half, while inviting cooler air to enter through the bottom half, thereby creating a ‘primitive’ form of ventilation.”
Gloria Bobbie noted: “They were known as ‘witch windows’ in Colonial times, because witches couldn’t fly with their broomsticks through them. Many of them are found in Vermont.” She added a helpful Wikipedia link.
This week’s Photo Challenge should be an easy one — if you’re an alert “06880” reader. If you know where in Westport you’d see the image below, click “Comments.”
Posted onApril 21, 2021|Comments Off on Roundup: Teacher Of The Year, Outdoor Dining, NY Knicks …
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CORRECTION: “06880” erroneously reported yesterday that the Board of Education will ask the RTM for an annual 3% budget increase. There was no such motion. We apologize for the error.
Staples High School social studies teacher Suzanne Kammerman has been named Teacher of the Year by the American Lawyers Alliance. The honor comes on top of — and in part because of — her role in leading her school’s “We the People” team to their 2nd consecutive state championship. They hope to follow in their teacher’s footsteps, and win a national title. Last year’s team placed 5th.
Kammerman initiated the “We the People” class and competition at Staples, after competing herself in high school.
A 14-year educator, Kammerman was previously selected by the League of Women Voters to train at Harvard Business School.
During COVID — and despite distance learning — she continued to develop created, engaging ways for students to learn about democracy. They researched Supreme Court cases, discussed hypotheticals, learned how to analyze and synthesize facts and opinions, and honed presentation skills.
Congratulations, Ms. Kammerman, for your passion, dedication, and profound impact on the next generation of citizens.
Volunteers help Staples students prepare for the 2021 “We the People” competition. Suzanne Kammerman is in the top row, 2nd from left.
State Senator Tony Hwang hosts lunch next Wednesday (April 28, 12:30 p.m., Tarantino’s). He’ll be joined by 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, Police Chief Foti Koskinas, State Representative Stephanie Thomas and Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce director Matthew Mandell.
The event — in coordination with the Chamber — will promote outdoor dining. The group will discuss ways to continue to support local businesses during COVID.
Restaurants on Railroad Place, Church Lane and other areas of town have set up tables, tents, domes and other structures for outdoor dining. The state and town have eased regulations, and owners look forward to a robust spring and summer scene.
Speaking of COVID regulations: Governor Lamont is easing earlier restrictions.
Effective May 1:
Bars that do not serve food can open for service on an outdoor-only basis. They still cannot serve only alcohol indoors.
The 8-person per table limit will be lifted for outdoors only. The limit remains in effect for indoor service.
The curfew for restaurants, entertainment venues, recreation venues and theaters will be moved back an hour, to midnight.
Effective May 19:
Contingent upon sufficiently low rates of infections and increasing vaccination rates, all remaining business restrictions will be lifted. The Department of Public Health will issue recommendations for indoor and other large outdoor events, such as concerts, and clarify where masking will continue after May 1.
(Hat tip: Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce)
The Levitt Pavilion — and many other organizations — wait for an announcement about what kind of gatherings will be allowed this summer.
“I am blessed to be able to walk to Compo Beach. This area has a very special vibe. The downside is that the vibe encourages people to drive down South Compo Road like lunatics. disregarding speed limits, crosswalks, even common sense and courtesy.
“Compo Road from Greens Farms Road to the beach might as well be the Autobahn: screeching tires, ignoring full stops, flying through crosswalks. These are not just visitors — they are locals too, rushing, blowing off stop signs and exceeding speed limits by over 25 mph.
“We have a wonderful Police Department, but they can’t be everywhere. This is going to get worse as the weather gets warmer. The weekends are a drag race by noon, through 11 p.m.
“Many dog walkers, children and elderly walking on Compo Road. Will it take someone getting killed or seriously injured to finally address the situation?”
“06880” readers know Fred Cantor as a passionate Westporter. If you’ve read many of his comments here, you know he’s an avid Knicks fan too.
He’s also proud of his roots. Until he was 10, he lived in Fresh Meadows, Queens. That’s where he learned to love the NBA team. And it forms the background of his most recent book, Fred From Fresh Meadows: A Knicks Memoir.
It’s getting great looks. Yesterday, NY1 aired a story about Fred, including 3 generations of Cantor Knick fans: his 93-year-old mother Pearl, and his brother Marc’s older son, Sam. Click here to see.
The day before, the New York Post‘s Mike Vaccaro called Fred’s book “delightful. The stories ring like a trusted friend’s from the neighboring barstool.”
The Knicks may not be at the top of the standings. But Fred From Fresh Meadows is definitely a winner.
And how about this: All proceeds benefit the John Starks Foundation. The Knick legend started the charity, which gives scholarships to teenagers in need.
Speaking of sports: There’s a Westport connection even to the controversy over a proposed “Super League” of top international soccer clubs.
Joaquim Monnerat played freshman soccer at Staples High in 2019. His family has moved to London. But there he was — photographed all over social media — protesting with over 1,000 others outside of Stamford Bridge (the Chelsea team’s home stadium).
The protest worked. The plan collapsed a few hours later when 6 of the 12 clubs — including Chelsea — dropped out.
Joaquim is in the center below, with a (dangling) face mask. And though you can’t tell, he’s wearing a Staples Soccer shirt in the image that went ’round the world. (Hat tip: Bruno Guiduli)
The I-95 Beachside Avenue bridge reconstruction project is proceeding well. As with any work like this, the landscape gets rearranged a bit. Here’s one view:
And finally … rapper Black Rob died on Saturday of cardiac arrest in Atlanta. He was 52, had numerous health problems, and struggled with homelessness.
The New York Times said his “husky, seen-it-all voice powered turn-of-the-millennium hits.” Click here for the full obituary.
Comments Off on Roundup: Teacher Of The Year, Outdoor Dining, NY Knicks …
As Westport restaurant owners get ready to reopen — outdoors only, with tables 6 feet apart and no bar service — one resident has an idea to help them succeed.
The other day, David Basich and his wife Vanessa took a walk by the train station. A daily New York commuter before COVID-19, this was his first time there in nearly 10 weeks.
That got him thinking. David says:
As I looked at the restaurants on Railroad Place — Tarantino, Harvest, Romamacci — I reflected on how tough it’s been for them (and all other restaurants around town).
I started thinking about what would put them in a position to best optimize the situation when they are able to reopen, and what would make patrons comfortable coming back. I know outdoor dining is one possible solution.
I thought it would be great if we could close down entirely the street that runs past them, and open it up entirely for outdoor seating.
Railroad Place has been closed before — for the annual Slice of Saugatuck festival.
We talked with Graziano, the owner of Romanacci, about the idea. They are the only one thus far that had carved out some small space.
Closing down the entire street would open it up even more. Restaurant-goers would feel more comfortable overall if some capacity could move outside, social distancing could be maintained more easily, and of course this would create a pretty unique al fresco dining row for Westport.
Regarding the impact on commuters, I don’t think closing this street would be too great of a hardship (at least for a while). I imagine Metro-North numbers will be down for the foreseeable future.
However, to alleviate some of the hassle, the one-way portion of Railroad Place that runs north past the parking lot off Charles Street, could be opened up to two-way traffic.
We could try this for a while — maybe through Labor Day — and readjust as things evolve.
I don’t know exactly what this would entail and how much of a hassle it would be. But I do know Westporters love our town, love dining out, and want to see these business given the best chance to survive.
“06880” readers: What do you think? Is this a good idea? Are there other places in town that could benefit from something similar? Click “Comments” below!
The Basich family (from left): Vanessa, Greens Farms Academy senior David, David Sr., Staples High School junior Lucas, Bedford Middle School 7th grader Michael. Though the photo shows them at home, they look forward to dining outside soon — perhaps on Railroad Place?
Yet all good things must end. Today, the popular, vivacious, beloved unofficial mayor of Railroad Place announces she’s closing. She writes:
In a few weeks, the corner by the train station will be a little less lively.
There will be one less place to buy pillows, ceramics, plants, chocolates, pasta, copperware, cutting boards, hand towels and anything else you could want — all stashed in a reusable willow basket or hatbox, then tied together with ribbons, bows and twine that looks so lovely you hate to unwrap it.
Mersene has been unfailingly generous and supportive — to “06880” (the blog) and 06880 (the community).
Her closing leaves a hole in our community, and our hearts. Happily, she’ll still be here — online, and in pop-up shops.
So we’ll keep indulging, the unique Mersene way.
*Like Cher, Madonna and Divine, she needs only one name.
Mersene, with a small sampling of her many great items.
She befriended everyone she met: the hair salon staff and its patrons, restaurant owners, dry cleaners, merchants — you name it.
Charlene grew up in East Norwalk, but her roots in Westport were strong and deep.
Her grandmother lived on Compo Beach. Charlene spent her childhood there with families like the Lanes and Cunninghams.
Her father, Norman Tobin, founded Saugatuck Grain and Supply in 1911, and owned nearly the entire block of Railroad Place. She learned at a young age how to collect rents, talk to tenants and be a good landlord.
She also set up deliveries — and delivered oil — with and for her father.
Charlene Girden
Norman died in 1992. Sophie — his wife of 62 years — took over the reins. When she died 12 years later, Charlene became president and CEO of Saugatuck Grain, Hanes Realty and several other companies.
Some of her favorite spots were Vincent Palumbo Salon, Mitchell’s, Party Hardy, Westport Hardware, Stiles Market, Final Touch Cleaners, Posh, Tutti’s, Tarantino’s and Pane e Bene. Like “Cheers,” at all those places everyone knew her name.
She supported many charities, including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, the Actors Fund and the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddy Scholarship. (She learned to play at Longshore in the late 1940s, and was an avid golfer for the rest of her life. She also loved tennis.)
Charlene died last week, at 83. As word spread, her children were flooded with phone calls, emails, texts and notes about her. Everyone, it seemed, had a story.
Charlene was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Eugene Girden. She is survived by her daughter Lisa Girden-Barkan, her son Steve Girden, and her grandchildren Lindsay Girden, Alex Girden and Emelie Wittenberg.
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