Ron Malone — a highly respected former Westport police chief, longtime Representative Town Meeting member and Westport native — died Sunday. He was 88
Tributes to Malone came from one of his successors, and the current police chief.
Former Westport Police Chief Bill Chiarenzelli says: “Chief Ron Malone was dedicated to his family, his job and the town of Westport.
“His first assignment, dangerous and demanding, was as an undercover narcotics officer for Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut.
Ron Malone
“Upon his return to the Westport Police Department, Ron was assigned as a detective to share his insights and experiences with his fellow officers.
“His career developed as an investigator. He was promoted to chief of police, after many years of dedication to the public.”
Current Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas adds: “While I never had a chance to work for or with him, I know he loved the Police Department and the town equally.
“He was a fixture in town early in his career. He was always willing to listen to me as a young officer, and give his insights.”
Malone’s first job was not with the Westport Police, however. As a young adult he ran a successful refuse business. In 1968 he sold it, and became a Westport officer.
After a year with the WPD, he joined a federal narcotics task force. He returned to Westport after 3½ years undercover.
Malone was promoted to sergeant in 1975, after posting the highest score ever recorded on the state personnel department promotion test.
He became chief of detectives in 1977, and in 1984 was named police chief.
His family says, “He was ahead of his time when it came to policing strategies. He was well respected by the entire force, for his hands-on leadership and unwavering commitment to his officers and community. He knew leadership is not about authority; it is about relationships and trust.”
Malone was also deeply involved with the Westport Police Athletic League.
Malone retired in 1990 after 22 years on the force. He continued serving his community as a member of the Representative Town Meeting for 16 years.
His family notes, “Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ron was known for his gift of connecting with people. Whether family, friend, colleague or stranger, Ron’s kindness and humor were felt by everyone he encountered.
Malone was an avid photographer. In retirement he enjoyed looking at and creating art, listening to music, gardening, visiting museums, spending time at the Westport Library, and enjoying his grandchildren.
“Ron had a way of putting things in perspective, breaking down complicated situations with humor, patience, and wisdom. Always the storyteller, Ron was a friend to all and treated everyone with dignity and respect.”
Malone is survived by his wife of 68 years, Carol (Davis); sons Joe (Diane) and Bill (Michelle); daughter-in-law Sue; grandchildren Michael, Kristen (Tom), Danielle (Eric), Brian, Matt, Alex and Jamie, and 3 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Jimmy.
A wake is set for Saturday (April 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), with a funeral service at 1 p.m. at Harding Funeral Home.
The family is grateful to the staff at the Village of Kensington Place for the loving and compassionate care provided to Ron and Carol over the past 5 years.
Attorney General William Tong spoke to a large Y’s Women crowd yesterday.
He described the impact of state lawsuits against tobacco and pharmaceutical firms. Up next: social media companies.
The AG — one of nearly 2 dozen who have sued Donald Trump and his administration, in several cases — said that the president must follow judges, and the law. States have the “checks and balances” power to keep the executive branch in check, he noted.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong with (from left) Y’s Women president Vera DeStefano and vice president Catherine Albin. (Photo/Jilda Manikas)
Jake Sussman is not yet 30. But — as founder of Superpower Mentors, an online mentoring program that empowers young people with learning differences to confidently succeed in any environment — he has already made a difference in thousands of lives.
On April 10 (6:30 p.m., Woodway Country Club, Darien) the Westport native will be honored at Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities‘ annual gala. Sussman will receive the Norwalk-based non-profit’s “Be the Difference” Award.
Jake has spent thosands of hours personally mentoring neurodiverse youth around the world. He often uses his own experiences with learning differences in his work.
“As someone who once struggled to see my own potential, I know firsthand that the right mentorship can change everything,” he says.
“The world’s biggest problems will be solved by those who think differently. I am committed to making sure every young person sees their differences as their greatest superpower.”
Sunday’s community conversation about the Representative Town Meeting was informative, insightful and fun. (And I’m not just saying that because I was the moderator.)
If you want to know more about our town’s legislative body — what it does; what motivates people to run; what they get out of it — click below.
PS: RTM members want competitive races. It makes everyone better. If you’re thinking of running for a seat this fall, the video above may motivate you.
On Sunday — in just one hour — residents donated 180 bags of food and household items — to Homes with Hope’s Gillespie Center and food pantry.
Others send supplies through Amazon.
The collection was sponsored by Marcy Sansolo, the Facebook “What Up Westport” page creator and avid town volunteer (and most recent “06880” Unsung Hero).
Along with donors, the Imperial Avenue parking lot collection point was visited by Homes with Hope CEO Helen McAlinden, Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service president Jaime Bairaktaris, CLASP Homes president Tracy Flood, Gillespie Center pantry manager Sarah Carusone, and the general manager of Fresh Market.
Fresh Market had offered a great deal to Marcy. She bought 100 pounds of beef, and 100 more pounds of chicken, to augment the other donations.
Marcy got a tour of the newly renovated Gillespie Center. “I was so moved by everyone involved, and in awe of all the goodness surrounding me” she says — referring to the homeless shelter, food pantry, and all who helped with the collection.
Marcy Sansolo and Sarah Carusone, Homes with Hope food pantry manager. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
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More politics (national version): Last Thursday was “Westport Day,” at the prestigious Virginia Festival of the Book.
Historian (and 1972 Staples High School graduate) Talmage Boston, discussed his new book, “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents.”
The moderator was 1980 Staples grad Marc Selverstone, the University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs’ director of presidential studies.
Referencing America’s 8 greatest presidents, Boston explored how their leadership traits can be applied today.
In the audience were Dave Harrison, a legendary Staples social studies teacher who taught both Boston and Selverstone, and his wife, former SHS educator Marianne Harrison, along with Selverstone’s parents, Bob and Harriet. Bob — a psychologist — also worked as a Staples guidance counselor and teacher, while Harriet is a retired media specialist and library department chair at Norwalk High School.
Staples’ recipients for March Students of the Month are senior Massimo Sequenzia, juniors Angela Dellorusso and Vincent Vega, sophomores Hayley Epstein and Igancy Nieweglowski, and freshmen Chloe Endich and Petra Schwartz.
Students of the Month — nominated by their teachers — help make Staples a welcoming place for peers and teachers. They are “the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students that keep the high school together.”
From left: Angela Dellorusso, Hayley Epstein, Ignacy Nieweglowski, Massimo Sequenzia, Vincent Vega. Not pictured: Chloe Endich, Petra Schwartz.
John Basile — the jazz guitarist and composer known for his “soulful melodic playing, sophisticated harmonic sense, and deep conversational approach to improvisation” — headlines this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, March 27; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.; VFW Post 399; $20 music cover, $15 for veterans and students; click here to reserve).
Basile has worked withPeggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett. He’ll be joined by bassist Yuriy Galkin, drummer Carmen Intorre Jr., and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.
Four stone pillars have stood on Morningside Drive South for decades. It’s not going anywhere.
But there’s plenty of ever-changing life all around at least one, as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows. In a few days, this scene will look very different.
And finally … happy 78th birthday, Sir Elton John!
(We’ve got news, videos, music — everything you need. But we need your support. If you enjoy “06880” — your hyperlocal blog — please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
But over 150 Westporters at the Westport Library yesterday heard 5 Representative Town Meeting members passionately describe their work on our town’s legislative body.
Andrew Bloom, Jimmy Izzo, Lauren Karpf, Pam Kopack and Kristin Mott Purcell represent different generations, and lengths of service.
But they share a reverence for the RTM. Over 75 years old, it is one of the last such forms of government in Connecticut.
The 5 members spoke about their work on a variety of committees; the insights they gain into Westport’s issues and residents; the importance of non-partisanship; the satisfaction they get giving back to the town (despite some long hours) — and the RTM’s unique seating arrangement.
After the panel, attendees had a chance to meet representatives from their own district. Town organizations, including the Boards of Education and Finance, and League of Women Voters, had informational tables too.
The “Community Conversation” event was arranged by RTM members David Rosenwaks and Claudia Shaum, through Nancy Kail’s RTM communications committee.
RTM members (from left): Jimmy Izzo, Kristin Mott Purcell, Lauren Karpf, Pam Kopack and Andrew Bloom. “06880”‘s own Dan Woog moderated the event. (Photo/Nancy Kail)
The Staplesl publication is one of only 6 in the nation to earn a Columbia Scholastic Press Association “Gold Crown,” for hybrid (web and newspaper) general magazine coverage.
… with advisors Joseph Delgobbo and Mary Elizabeth Fulco (standing, far left and far right).
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Every parent knows the importance of car seats.
But most parents don’t know that 73% of them are misused, or improperly installed.
On April 3 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), the Westport Police Department offers a free “car seat check.”
Just drive (carefully!) to police headquarters on Jesup Road. Your car seats will be checked by a certified child passenger safety technician. The event is co-sponsored by Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital.
How does plant migration help expand our native plant palette during climate change?
That’s the subject of this Friday’s Aspetuck Land Trust “Lunch and Learn” webinar (March 27, noon to 1 p.m.).
The Zoom talk will examine the role humans play in helping move plants (and animals), to aid in seed dispersal. Click here to register, and for more information.
Former Westport resident Adrienne Berman died Friday at the Watermark in Bridgeport, where she lived. She was 86.
The Chicago native moved to New York City, where she met her husband Bill. She career in retail, first as a business owner and later as the New York showroom manager for Brown Jordan Furniture. Her leadership and keen eye for design left a lasting impact.
Her family calls her “the heart and brain of her home, always providing love, wisdom, and unwavering support to those she cherished most.
Adrienne is survived by her husband; daughter Randy (Scott Ellis), son Larry (Betsy), and grandchildren Robert Zachary Ellis and Jacquelyn Ellis, Madalyn Culnane, and Jake and Josh Berman. She was predeceased by her son Jason.
A private service is planned.
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We’ll be seeing a lot more flower photos soon, in our “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Here’s an early season crocus:
(Photo/Wendy Levy)
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And finally … on this day in 1721, Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated 6 concertos to Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt. We know them today as the Brandenburg Concertos.
(“06880”: Where Westport meets the world. And you get the Brandenburg Concertos, too! If you enjoy your hyper-local, and always intriguing, blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Westport is one of the few towns left in Connecticut with a Representative Town Meeting (RTM).
It’s our legislative branch. They pass budgets, enact ordinances, hear appeals, and do much more that impacts our daily lives.
You may know something about the RTM. You may know very little, or nothing at all.
This Sunday (March 23, 2 p.m., Westport Library), you can learn much more. A community conversation — with long-time RTM members, and newer ones — will cover what they do, how they do it, and why you should care.
Here are some reasons why I care about this event: The RTM is important. it’s been around for 75 years. Members are a diverse, interesting and hard-working group.
And the theme for the 2025 Memorial Day Parade float contest is … “Remember and Honor.”
Certificates will be awarded for Best Development of Theme, Best Youth Organization Float, Most Creative, Best Community Organization, Most Colorful, and Best Overall Float.
I’m going way out on a limb here, but I predict the Best Overall Float winner will be … the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.
Just a hunch.
The Memorial Day parade begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 26. It runs from Saugatuck Elementary School, up Riverside Avenue, across the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge and onto Myrtle Avenue. It ends with a brief but moving ceremony at Veterans Green, across from Town Hall.
If you are new to Westport, and/or haven’t been to the parade: Mark it down on your calendar. It’s one of the best events in town.
Plus, if you have a kid involved in any activity at all, you have to go. They’re in it.
The Y’s Men ALWAYS win. This was their 2021 float. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Looking for a way for your 6th or 7th grader to participate in March Madness — without betting?
The Westport Weston Family YMCA hosts a special event tomorrow (Friday, March 21, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.), in the gym.
Organized by junior board members, it includes basketball games, pizza, and a fun, social atmosphere.
Games are 3-v-3. Register with your onw team (limit: one travel player per team!), or sign up individually to be placed on a team. Entry fee is $25 for Y members and non-members alike.
The winning team can choose a charity to receive a donation from the proceeds.
If you haven’t been to an Artists Collective of Westport pop-up exhibit:
What are you waiting for?
Here’s your chance.
On April 2 (6 to 8 p.m., Westport Country Playhouse barn), they’ll host a reception for their next show.
On tap: hors d’oeuvres, wine, conversation, and beauty provided by 12 artists: Tom Berntsen, Louise Cadoux, Leonor Dao, Yuko Ike, Natasha Karpinskaia, Constance Manna, Dionne Pia, Dorothy Robertshaw, Norm Siegel, Marlene Siff, Debbie Smith and Elizabeth White.
Guitarist Bill Bickford will provide the music. He has played or recorded with jazz greats Joe Bowe, Mose Allison, Donald Byrd and Maceo Parker.
The exhibit runs April 3-6 (12 to 4 p.m.). An artists’ talk at 4 p.m. on April 6 will cover the creative process.
United Methodist Church hosts 2 events for the public next month. One is for kids, the other for adults.
An Easter Egg hunt (for youngsters up to age 10) is April 5 (2 p.m.). It’s free, but donations of non-perishable food for local pantries are welcome.
The Legacy String Quartet performs April 13 (2 p.m.). The suggested donation is $20.
The 2023 Easter Egg Hunt at the United Methodist Church.
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In 2018, Connecticut became one of the first states to restrict the use of insecticides called neonicotinoids. This class of chemicals is very harmful to pollinators.
The Public Works Department encourages residents to take advantage of Household Hazardous Waste Day (Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Greens Farms railroad station parking lot), to dispose of any insecticides with neonicotinoid.
Products that contain these chemicals (see label) may be disposed of on April 5:
Imidacloprid
Clothianidin
Thiamethoxam
Acetamiprid
Dinotefuran
For a complete list of products containing neonicotinoids, click here.
Save pollinators! Dispose of neonicotinoids! (Photo/Lou Weinberg)
On the first day of spring, one more sign that summer is near:
In honor of the 50th anniversary of “Jaws,” the Westport Country Playhouse will screen that ground-breaking film.
The June 2 (7 p.m.) event includes an exploration of hidden details and behind-the-scenes stories before the showing, and a conversation after about how it became one of the greatest films of all time.
Tickets are $25 ($15 for Encore Club members). Click here to reserve, and for more information.
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Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between March 11 and 19. One — reported earlier — involved the sale of illegal sale/manufacture of cannabis, at Savvy Smoker.
A 59-year-old Westport woman was charged with larceny, after she was observed filling up a Stop & Shop grocery cart, then leaving without paying. A wintess recorded her license plate, while parked in the fire lane. She ws released after postin a $10,000 bond.
A 26-year-old Stratford woman was charged with criminal attempt to commit larceny, illegal possession of a personal ID information device, and identity theft, following the theft of 2 checks from a mailbox. He was released after posting a $35,000 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 6 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 6
Failure to renew registration: 5
Failure to obey stop sign: 5
Speeding: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Passing a standing school bus: 1
Driving while texting: 1
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
Failure to drive in the propero lane: 1
Failure to drive right: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
Failure to display license plate: 1
The fine in Connecticut for passing a standing school bus is $450 for the first offense. Fines then rise to $500 to $1,000, with the possibility of 30 days in jail. (Photo/Christie Stanger)
The long-awaited season arrived officially at 5:01 this morning.
(Spring, summer, fall, winter — “06880” is here for you. We’re your 24/7/365, hyper-local source for news, events, opinions, photos, and more. Thanks for clicking here to support our work!)
Two Representative Town Meeting committees — Parks & Rec, and Planning & Zoning — hold a joint meeting Wednesday (March 5, 7 p.m., Zoom). They’ll discuss the status of the Longshore maintenance shed.
The full RTM meets March 11 (7:30 p.m., Zoom). Two members have asked the body to review and reverse the Planning & Zoning Commission’s negative 8-24 report issued on February 3, regarding the request for a new maintenance building at a new Longshore location.
The P&Z issued a negative report on a request to build a new Parks & Rec maintenance facility off Old Cuttings Lane, near the golf course and Compo Road South.
Bridgeport’s Bridge Academy junior Aaliyah Marshall took first place in the quarterfinals of Westport Sunrise Rotary Club’s annual 4-Way Speech Contest, held Thursday in the Staples library.
Nine students spoke for 5 minutes each. They could choose any subject that ties into the tenets of the Rotary Club’s 4-Way Test ethic. Aaliyah’s topic was “book banning in schools.”
Aaliyah Marshall, speaking at the Sunrise Rotary Club contest.
She and 3 runners-up — Staples High School freshman Tucker Eklund, sophomore Quinn Fitts and senior Shrish Popuri — advance to the semi-final in Trumbull March 15.
From left: Aaliyah Marshall, Quinn Fitts, Shrish Popuri and Tucker Eklund advance to the next round of the Rotary contest. (Hat tip and photos/Dave Matlow)
Ukraine Aid International — the boots-on-the-ground, aid-where-it’s-needed non-profit founded by Westport brothers Brian and Marshall Mayer — has organized a unique summer trip to that historic nation.
The itinerary does not include Westport’s sister city, Lyman. It’s too dangerous to travel so far east.
But between August 17 and 24, travelers will explore Ukraine’s history and culture; meet frontline heroes fighting for freedom; visit a UAI-sponsored summer camp, filled with children from the battered Donetsk region, and join UAI’s mobile water truck on a mission to deliver clean water to affected areas
Guests will meet key figures, visit sites unavailable to independent travelers, and connect with men and women helping to shape Ukraine’s future.
Click here to register. For questions and more information, email
donormission@ukraineaidinternational.org.
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Spring into spring at Wakeman Town Farm!
Upcoming programs include:
Soil is Alive! Garden lecture with horticulturist Duncan Himmelman (March 10, 7:30 p.m.)
Family Maple Syrup Experience (March 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Cooking with the Minis (ages K-2, 5 weeks starting March 24; grades 2-6, 5 weeks starting March 26)
Farm to Bar Mixology Class (March 27, 6 p.m.; $100)
Spring Cooking Class (March 28, 4:15 to 5:45 p.m.: $55)
Adult Spring Kitchen Dinner Class with chef Laura Weinman (April 6, 6:30 p.m.; $120, BYOB)
Spring Break Playdates(April 14, 15, 10 a.m.; ages 1-3)
Eggstravaganza (April 19, 10:30 a.m.).
NOTE: Registration for kids’ summer programs begins March 10.
Click here for details, and registration information.
To celebate, the Weston History & Culture Center presents “Rosies of World War II: Learn About Real ‘Rosie the Riveters.'”
The free March 29 event (2 p.m.) focuses on the role and legacy of women factory workers in World War II — and the women in Weston who contributed to the war effort. Click here for more information.
Y’s Men of Westport and Weston have been around a long time, and seen and done a lot.
But most had never gone behind the scenes at the Westport Country Playhouse.
This week, they enjoyed a fascinating, up close and very personal tour. Archivist Bruce Miller led members all over the historic playhouse, from the stage and costume rooms, downstairs to the dressing rooms and green room.
The tour was preceded by lunch at Gabriele’s, the steakhouse next door.
Last month, “06880” posted a story about Sam Weiser.
The 2012 Staples High School graduate was headed to Carnegie Hall, with his Columbus, Ohio-based Carpe Diem String Quartet.
Lauri Weiser — a well-known “06880” photographer, and (more importantly, for today) Sam’s aunt — could not make it to the famed theater.
So Sam did want any loving nephew would do: He and his ensemble gave Lauri and her mother a private concert, at her Westport home.
They say the way to Carnegie Hall is “practice, practice, practice.” Or you can take a detour to Westport, to “perform, perform, perform.”
Sam Weiser (left) and the Carpe Diem String Quartet, at Lauri Weiser’s home.
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Second graders may not know how far Los Angeles is from Westport.
But students in Elena Wetmore’s class have learned one thing: They’re never too far to help.
When they heard about an opportunity to send gratitude to firefightters for their work battling wildfires, a parent helped the youngsters create beautiful cards, and write heartfelt letters.
Their drawings and messages were greatly appreciated.
Los Angeles firefighters, with Kings Highway cards and letters.
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature honors a visitor on Fillow Street:
Governor Ned Lamont cut the ribbon yesterday, at the rededication of the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place in downtown Westport.
With 15 and 5 beds respectively — and a newly expanded food pantry, renovated kitchen, and additional meeting rooms — the Homes with Hope facility is better equipped than ever to serve underhoused and hungry residents.
Lamont was joined by Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquerra-Bruno, State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, Selectwomen Jen Tooker and Andrea Moore,, Homes with Hope CEO and president Helen McAlinden, Homes with Hope co-founder and former director Rev. Peter Powell, Westport Human Services director Elaine Daignault, and several Representative Town Meeting members.
The Gillespie Center is named for the shelter’s co-founder, Dr. Jim Gillespie. Hoskins Place honors another early housing supporter, Rev. Ted Hoskins of Saugatuck Congregational Church.
The ceremony also included Susie’s Place. Formerly known as Project Return — and named for that organization’s former director Susiei Basler — the Compo Road North house has room for 6 at-risk women, ages 18-24.
After renovations, it will open April 1.
To learn more about Homes with Hope and its services, click here.
Homes with Hope CEO, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker nad Governor Ned Lamont (center, holding scissors and ribbon), at yesterday’s Gillespie Center rededication.
Calling themselves “deeply concerned,” ADL Connecticut said: “The swastika is the symbol adopted by Hitler as the primary emblem of the Nazis. The Holocaust was a singularly evil event, and it is inappropropriate and offensive to make light of it. At a time of rising hate and antisemitism, we call upon community leaders to speak out against this hate. Hate is not child’s play.”
The ADL sent a report about hate and harassment. “Swastikas are very prevalent in gaming and online, and kids see them often,” they said. Click here to read.
Westport’s Democratic Town Committee reposted the ADL’s message, echoing it in “the strongest of terms.”
TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey Jr. sent a statement to “06880.” Noting it was “personal” — not from the town’s multicultural organization — he said, “Whether hidden on a remote trail or in plain sight, such homages to hatred are heinous and must be condemned.
While some forces within our nation are pushing us pell-mell toward the outlawing of even their discussion, we must steel ourselves at every level to call them out and see them for the poison they represent to our community, and humanity itself.”
The “Hitler” snowman, in Newman Poses Preserce.
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The Representative Town Meeting Planning & Zoning, and Environment, Committees meet jointly tonight (Tuesday, February 11, 7 p.m., Town Hall room 201).
There is one agenda item: “Review of the Old Mill Pond walkway, gate and properties.”
Discussion is expected to include whether the public has the right to access Compo Cove, via the formerly open, now locked gate at the end of the walkway.
Click here to see the entire meeting packet, including documents.
Access to Compo Cove will be discussed at tonight’s RTM committee meetings.
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Tonight also marks the first of 3 consecutive nights of Board of Finance 2025-26 budget discussions.
All meetings take place in Town Hall room 309, beginning at 6 p.m.
The schedule:
Tonight (Tuesday, February 11): Human Services, Parks & Recreation/Wakeman Town Farm, Public Works/Sewer Fund.
Wednesday, February 12: Transit District, Police, Fire.
Thursday, February 13: Earthplace, IT, Library, Health District, Pension/ Insurance/Transfers/Other General.
Click here for a link to the full proposed 2025-26 budget.
Layla’s Falafel is known for its great Middle Eastern food.
Now it’s helping hungry folks, in our back yard.
The Post Road East restaurant has partnered with local non-profit Filling in the Blanks. They have pledged $12,000 to fund their Fresh Food on the Move mobile pantry in Bridgeport, at the end of this month. The pantry feeds over 475 families in need, offering fresh and healthy food.
Layla’s is donating $2 for every pint of $8 hummus sold at their Westport, Fairfield and Stamford locations. It’s made fresh daily; it’s vegan, gluten-free and seed oil-free — and includes 3 fluffy pita breads.
Donations can also be made through the QR code below.
Layla’s hummus.
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Everyone needs a warm hug.
This Thursday (February 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) marks the Westport Farmers’ Market’s annual Operation Warm Hug. It was postponed a week, by snow.
At their Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center winter home, Market volunteers will collect lightly used coats, hats, mittens, sweaters and sweatshirts, to share with nOURish in Bridgeport.
For the first time ever last night, Staples Orphenians — the high school’s elite a cappella group — joined Bedford and Coleytown Middle Schools’ cameratas for a joint Choir Festival.
The event, at Bedford, follows a similar three-schools jazz show at Staples.
Choir members enjoyed rehearsing together during the day. More joint music programs are planned for the future.
Choral directors (from left) Christina Dominguez, Lauren Pine and Jason Phillips, sporting their respective school logos.
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Timing is everything.
Yesteray, “06880” posted a story on Stitch Haven. Beth Berkowitz is the new owner of the store formerly known as Westport Yarns.
When the piece was published, a new sign was not yet ini place.
Just hours after the story appeared, the “Stitch Haven” sign was installed.
You can find all your knitting and crocheting needs there on Post Road East, next to Westport Hardware and Cava, across from Fresh Market and Terrain.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is a bit unusual.
Bob Weingarten writes: “A large tree was slated for removal from Center Street by the town in December. A town crew removed most of the top of the tree and sides in early January. but left what is shown below — probably because of all the wires.
“This removal is now waiting for (probably) Eversource.”
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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And finally … in honor of the rededication of the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place, and the upcoming reopening of Susie’s Place (story above):
(“06880” is your home for hyper-local news about Westport — our non-profits, businesses, schools, residents, beaches, history and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
It’s an important job — but typical of her long public service.
She’s co-chaired the Downtown Plan Implementation Committe. Beford that, she was a Representative Town Meeting member, and Westport’s 3rd selectwoman.
The other day, we chatted at the Westport Library for an “06880” podcast. Click below to hear more about Melissa’s work with CAGV, and her other efforts in Westport.
The next Board of Education Policy Committee meeting is Wednesday (January 15, 9 a.m., Town Hall auditorium).
The agenda includes the second discussion of a possible new civility policy; the second reading of possible revisions to the existing policy for evaluation, termination and non-renewal of coaches; and the first reading of possible revisions to existing polices about student discipline, suicide prevention and intervention, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and non-discrimination.
Local theatergoers remember Colin Konstanty from the Staples High School stage.
On Monday (January 13, 7 p.m.), the former Staples Player cast member and 2022 graduate is on stage again.
This time it’s at the Westport Country Playhouse, in a Script in Hand play reading.
“How the World Began” probes the conflict between divine creation and evolution, and its effect on a small Kansas town torn apart by a tornado.
After Staples, Konstanty — now a student at NYU Tisch School of the Arts — has appeared off-Broadway, and on Disney+.
Tickets are $30. To purchase, and for more information, click here.
Colin Konstanty
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Early yesterday morning, the Westport Fire Department responded to a call about a deer stuck in the Saugatuck River ice, near the Post Road.
Rescue Company members in cold water suits entered the river, and removed the deer. It soon walked under its own power into the woods.
Fire officials note: “Residents should never attempt to rescue an animal or person from icy waters themselves. Entering the water without proper training or equipment can result in serious injury or loss of life. Instead, call 911 or the Fire Department to ensure a safe and professional rescue.”
And “06880” is proud to partner with the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center to help the next generation of artists develop their talents.
To the tune of $5,000 worth of scholarships.
The grants will go to current high school seniors with financial need who want to pursue an arts education at any level — university, community college or an arts school. All Westport 12th graders are eligible, no matter where they currently attend school.
The DFCAC is funding the scholarships. It was founded by Friedman — the downtown property owner, restauranteur (Onion Alley, Cobb’s Mill Inn, Stonehenge Inn) and philanthropist whose first wife Bobbie was an accomplished artist.
The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center also sponsors workshops and projects for students. The center is administered by Nick Visconti, Friedman’s longtime business partner.
To apply, students who currently participate in art classes or art activities should send up to 8 digital images (JPEGs) of their work. It can be any medium — photography, painting, sculpture, drawing, digital art, or other.
Applicants should also submit a statement of up to 300 words describing the value of art in their life, and the world at large.
Send images and the statement (or any questions) to info@DrewFriedmanCommunityArtsCenter.org (subject line: “2025 Scholarship”). The deadline is February 28.
Drew Friedman Community Arts Center representatives Miggs Burroughs and Nick Visconti (far right) and then-1st Selectman Jim Marpe congratulate previous arts scholarship winners.
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A reader writes: “On Tuesday, the Westport Representative Town Meeting approved roughly $1.5 million for a new floor for the Staples fieldhouse.
“Prior to the vote, a concerned RTM member told the participants that the new floor would be coated with PFAS (synthetic chemicals resistant to heat, water, oil and grease).
“It’s unclear if those responsible for awarding the floor contract knew this, but it appeared this was new info to most or all RTM members.
“After revealing this info, several other RTM members reinforced their colleague’s concern.
“After these concerns were raised, 32 members voted to approve the funding; 2 abstained. The view seemed to be that the urgency of installing a new floor should take priority over the toxicity the flooring would create.
“Given the massive litigation surrounding the manufacturers of PFAS, it seems shocking that town officials would knowingly approve toxic flooring for use by children for the next 25-30 years without considering the liability implications.
“Both 3M and DuPont have settled for billions already. More litigation is ongoing.
“I hope a quick solution can be found to replace the proposed flooring with a safer alternative. This should be a red flag to us all that Westport needs to tighten up its supply chain review process to include products that have been proven to be toxic.”
The Staples High School fieldhouse.
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The Westport Library is many things, to many people.
It’s books, art, lectures. And — as anyone who has been to the Trefz Forum knows — it’s also about music.
Westport residents and Library fans Les and Samira Dinkin are frequent attendees, at events like VersoFest, Supper & Soul and more.
Now, they’ve shown their appreciation with a donation of musical instruments.
In honor of Les’ late brother Corey, the couple has given a vintage 1959 Silvertone hollow body guitar with the original matching Silvertone tube amplifier, plus other vintage Ampeg, Harmony, and Ibanez guitars and tube amps.
All will support Verso Studios, the Library’s music and media hub. The instruments — Corey’s favorite — will be used by visiting artists, and those recording in the studio space.
“I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to honor Corey’s legacy,” says Les, a longtime supporter of Verso Studios, Verso advisory board founding member, and VersoFest official sponsor (and amateur drummer).
“Corey was passionate about all types of music, from classical to jazz and especially the blues, as a collector, fan, and musician.”
Corey Dinkin composed what Les calls “very eclectic jazz fusion and blues compositions,” and performed at clubs like New York’s Bitter End.
“I wanted to see these instruments being appreciated and played, not sitting in a storage unit,” Les says.
Senator Richard Blumenthal fondly calls the Westport Library “the noisiest Library in Connecticut, if not the country.”
To learn more about Verso Studios’ capabilities, gear and services, click here. The Library also has music and media equipment available through its Library of Things.
From left: Les and Samira Dinkin, Verso Studios’ Travis Bell, Westport Library director Bill Harmer, with part of the Dinkins’ musical instruments donation.
And finally … on this date in 1878, Senator A.A. Sargent of California introduced an amendment to Congress that would grant women the right to vote. It took a mere 42 years, but the amendment was ratified by Congress in 1920.
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Betty Lou Cummings — a personal and political dynamo who in more than 4 decades in Westport made her formidable mark on nearly every aspect of local life — died Friday night.
She was 90 years old. She and her husband, former IBM executive Tom Cummings, celebrated their 66th anniversary last month.
Betty Lou and Tom Cummings at their 66th wedding anniversary last month.
If there was a job in Westport that needed doing, Betty Lou did it.
She served as second selectwoman, with 1st Selectman Joe Arcudi. (An ardent Republican, she later switched parties and became an equally committed Democrat.) She was also elected to the Representative Town Meeting.
Betty Lou Cummings, outside her home in 2020.
A longtime member of Friends of the Senior Center, she was one of that institution’s staunchest advocates. For years she helped organize an annual Super Bowl party there, complete with Staples High School cheerleaders.
(She had a special fondness for cheer. In 1954, while a student at Michigan State University, she became one of the first female cheerleaders in the entire Big 10.)
Betty Lou founded the Apple Festival. For 20 years she ran the annual autumn event, a fundraiser for CLASP that drew thousands to Staples High School.
Betty Lou Cummings, at the Apple Festival.
She was a lead organizer and fundraiser for 2 Westport Library projects: the Riverwalk along the Saugatuck River, and the River of Names tile mural, which hung in the lower lobby of the building, before renovation.
Betty Lou served on committees celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Staples High School in 1984, and the 50th anniversary of the town’s purchase of Cockenoe Island (2017). She helped organize Westport’s “Random Acts of Kindness Days,” too.
Betty Lou was a proud resident of Saugatuck Shores. She spent 20 years fighting for sewers for the neighborhood.
And every May for decades, Betty Lou took her place in front of Town Hall. She was an ever-smiling judge for the Memorial Day parade.
Betty Lou Cummings, at the 2023 Memorial Day parade. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
A full obituary will be forthcoming, with information on services and donations in her name.
(In 2011, Betty Lou Cummings recorded a video for the Michigan State University Alumni Association. She talked about her cheerleading experience there. Click below to see.)
Nearly 80 years ago, Westport’s sister city relationship with Marigny, France began with Christmas gifts.
Westporters donated, then shipped dozens of presents, for youngsters in the Normandy town that was just beginning to recover from World War II.
The tradition continued for years. The boys and girls who received those gifts — now in their 80s — have never forgotten Westport’s generosity.
Now Marigny is paying it forward. For the second year in a row, they have collected, and shipped, Christmas gifts for children in Lyman, Ukraine. That’s the sister city that Marigny and Westport now share.
They’ll add others — a total of 500 — for other youngsters in Kharkiv and surrounding towns, which like Lyman have been devastated by Russia’s invasion.
Gifts galore, in Marigny.
This Saturday, Marigny residents are invited to a “symbolic send-off ceremony” of the presents.
Donors, partners and friends of the Westport-Marigny-Le-Lozon-Lyman Association, and the Rotary Clubs of the Manche region, will be there. They’ve been working on this project all year long.
The ceremony takes place in one of the central squares in the village: “Place Westport.”
Meanwhile, don’t forget: Westport is helping Lyman this holiday season too.
We’re raising $56,000, to ensure that 200 kids in our sister city enjoy time away from the terrors of the past 3 years. That will pay for them — scattered now, as they have been evacuated from their homes — to get together, with friends, teachers and counselors, at a therapeutic camp in the Carpathian Mountains.
To help, please click here. Under “Designation,” choose “Westport-Lyman sister city” from the dropdown menu. You can also choose a monthly or one-time donation. If you use the mail or Venmo option, please make a note: “For Westport-Lyman.”
The Staples High School football team rolled to a 42-6 victory over Manchester last night, in the quarterfinals of the state Class “LL” (extra large schools) tournament.
There #2-ranked Wreckers move on to the semifinals on Sunday. They’ll face #3 Greenwich at 12:30 p.m. That contest, like yesterday’s, will be played at home.
The Cardinals are familiar with Paul Lane Field. Just lat week, on Thanksgiving Day, the Westporters trounced them, 27-0.
The No. 2 Staples football team put together a dominant effort in the state Class LL quarterfinals Tuesday, clobbering No. 7 Manchester 42-6.
Quarterback Neil Weil (9 of 18 completions for 155 yards; 3 touchdowns), Shane Sandrew (2 touchdowns), Anthony Armentano (2 TDs) and Nathan Smith (1 TD) keyed the decisive win.
Nathan Smith, in action against Greenwich last week. (Photo/Douglas Healey)
Last night, Westport’s Town Representative Meeting celebrated its 75th anniversary with speeches, cake, and a commemorative booklet.
But the legislative body is also looking forward.
Their page on the town website has been updated. Gone is the dull, bureaucratic look. It’s now livelier — at least, in the confines of what a municipal website should look like. (Click here to see.)
A header shows members marching proudly (and non-partisanly) in the Memorial Day. Photos liven up the links, to pages like FAQs, Members, District Map and Minutes.
There’s even a link to that new 75th anniversary brochure.
Screenshot of the new town website RTM page.
PS: Planning way ahead: The RTM invites all Westporters to a “Community Conversation,” with members.
Mark the date: Sunday, March 23, 2025, 2 p.m. at the Westport Library.
Also last night: A large crowd celebrated the release of Alison Milwe Grace’s new book, “Savor: Recipes to Celebrate,” last night at Wakeman Town Farm.
The energetic, talented owner of AMG Catering & Events greeted her fans and friends. She answered questions from her aunt, longtime Westporter Liz Milwe.
And, of course, she made sure her guests were well fed.
Alison Milwe Grace, her book and her chacuterie. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Saugatuck Rowing Club’s Holiday Festival this Sunday (December 8, 1 to 4 p.m.) will benefit the Survive-Oars, the great program that helps breast cancer survivors heal and find community on and off the water.
The afternoon features live music, mulled wine, spiked warm cider, fire pits, s’mores, a raw bar, charcuterie, hot cocoa, dunkable grilled cheese and tomato soup, and a cash bar.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there (1 to 2:30 p.m.).
Guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for Al’s Angels.
Tickets are $50 (tax-deductible) — and kids are free. Click here for tickets.
And finally … on this day in 1956, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash recorded together at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis. It was the only time the “Million Dollar Quartet” played together, and was entirely unplanned.
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