Last weekend, Westporters enjoyed lobster, from the Westport Rotary Club.
Next month it’s wine, with Westport Sunrise Rotary.
The 34th annual edition of “Westport Uncorked” — an evening of great food and drink, and plenty of community spirit — is set for October 16 (6 to 9 p.m., the Inn at Longshore).
One hundred sustainable and organic wines, curated by Cory D’Addario of The Fine Wine Company of Westport, are available for tasting, with expert advice from the distributors who will serve them.
Exclusive wines can be ordered at the event. Non-alcoholic beverages and hors d’oeuvres are also on the menu.
A few new names have been added to Westoberfest — the craft beer and family festival set for October 4 (12 to 6 p.m., Elm Street downtown).
New this year, Castle Wine & Spirits joins the tasting area as sommeliers.
Children enjoy face painting, pumpkin decorating, and flower crown making, and a new petting zoo hosted by Kelly’s Kids.
Food choices range from traditional German fare by Colossal Kielbasa, to Haven Hot Chicken, Paradise Island Food, COBS Bread, Sushi Jin and LemonNate’s.
Musical entertainment comes from Dan Tressler and One Bad Oyster. CBS News weather anchor (and Westport resident) Lonnie Quinn emcees the crowd-favorite hot dog eating contest.
Speaking of downtown: There’s a new sculpture at Sconset Square.
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
Well, not exactly new.
David Waldman bought “Trapped Ball,” by sculptor Dale Rogers, 20 years ago at the Westport Arts Festival.
The real estate developer placed it in a shopping center he owns in Avon. It’s been there ever since.
But a new tenant needed the space, for an outdoor dining area.
So Waldman brought it back “home.” He looked at several options, and decided the small shopping plaza — with plenty of drivers stopping in front, at the Myrtle Avenue light — was the best site.
Also downtown: Eleish Van Breems Home is hosting a “Soul of Scandinavian Design” event at their Main Street flagship location, on October 9. The event features insights into Nordic principles behind furniture, textiles, glass and pottery, from Steele Marcoux and Scandinavian designers flying in for the day.
Also on tap: the opening of EVB’s Fika bar, with ceramist Agneta Livijn.
Agneta Livijn’s design.
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Another downtown event: Westport Book Shop hosts Staples High School graduate Bruce Lawder for a hours poetry and short story reading this Friday (September 26, 6 to 7:30 p.m.).
He’ll share poems from his latest collection, “Breakwater Rock” — deeply connected to Westport — and stories from his book of short fiction, “Dwarf Stories.”
Saturday’s MoCA CT “Endless Summer” fundraiser and friend-raiser brought the beach indoors Saturday night. 150 guests enjoyed art, music and community, around the backdrop of Ted Papageorge’s “At the Beach” photo exhibit.
One special highlight was a major contribution in support of the museum’s outreach to underserved communities.
From left: Deborah Murtagh, MoCA CT past president; William Felton, gala co-chair Rita Marcocci; 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker; gala co-chair Keara Williams; Pamela Hovland, acting executive director. (Photo/Lewis Derogene)
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Longtime Westport resident and civic volunteer Diane Cady died peacefully on September 17 in Boulder. She was 91.
The California native attended College of Marin, then earned a master’s degree in social work at Fordham University.
In Westport, Diane served with the Westport Young Woman’s League and Westport Rotary Club.
She was elected to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), then was appointed to the Westport Tree Board.
Diane had a special place in her heart for dogs, particularly
Gordon setters. She enjoyed showing them, with a spirit of
competition and camaraderie.
She was predeceased by her brother, Roderick Duncan. She is survived by her children Christopher, Stephen and Robin MacLaughlin, and 5 grandchildren.
Diane Cady
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo appears just 64 days before Thanksgiving.
And finally … in honor of the Sunrise Rotary Club’s “Westport Uncorked” event (story above):
(If you can’t find something to do in Westport, you’re not trying. Or you’re not reading “06880.” If you learn about our town — and town events — on this blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
Alert — and concerned — “06880” reader Lynn Flint writes:
This is a very important issue. It merits deeper and more considerate thought than a quick vote at 1 in the morning.
The poor Saugatuck River has a huge dump from the YMCA now, above the dam by the Merritt Parkway.
That’s okay. because it sits and settles in the deep Lees Pond. There are residences below the dam, and Canal Park too.
Bucolic Lees Pond. (Photo/Doug Steinberg)
It may and probably should have city sewer. But our town sewer system is recycled wastewater which goes into the Saugatuck under the I-95 bridge, once treated.
We had problems with feces from Black Duck floating in the river.
Sewage needs to sit in septic tanks or sewage treatment plants to become safely organic. It needs to rest while the microbes in the waste die off.
COVID testing was done in waste removal systems, where microbes in the expelled urine and solid matter could be detected. We also know that drugs (prescribed and on the street) appear in wastewater, and affect living marine organisms.
If nearby Long Island Sound, which the Saugatuck empties into, is the oyster capital of the East — partly because it thrives on the nutrients of organic waste from our communities, and partly through the careful seafood farming management practiced by local fishermen — shouldn’t we be careful that that organic waste is not contagious or toxic?
Long Island Sound oyster boat. (Photo/Gene Borio)
Think about it: Where have all the bluefish gone? Why don’t those planks of winter birds come and float in the mouth of the Saugatuck until it gets warmer up north again for them?
What about the recently observed hundreds of porpoises beating their way up Long Island Sound on a mission looking for new habitats and food sources, as the water warms nicely for them?
As the water warms, doesn’t it become more susceptible to new plant growth and new species from the south? Is it good to add on top of all that more human waste, which may not be fully broken down yet because of its sheer quantity?
These are all things to think about — things that may yield a brilliant solution to the kinds of problems that are appearing all over Earth right now.
Why don’t we be the vanguard in the solution by bringing together all of our best minds and ideas — including our kids. Get Staples students to work on this problem.
Combined with AI, you’ll hve Einstein.
Lynn adds:
While we’re at it, let’s fix the delta of the Saugatuck. It’s all silted up now, challenging our channel which is not deep enough for big sailboats.
The mouth of Saugatuck River looks beautiful. But it’s silted up. (Photo/John Kantor)
We can guild a breakwater out of stone between the low mud tide flats and the channel near the straits, where Cedar Point and Compo Yacht Basin come into the river.
The mud flats will become dry land slowly, extremely fertile like the flower fields of Holland. That would make a fabulous community garden, on the lap of the Longshore Inn with its weddings and delicious patio dining restaurant.
Wouldn’t that be beautiful? It would be easier than dredging, and more effective. Water runs faster through a narrow passage. I think a breakwater like a dyke on just the Longshore side would probably do the trick.
There are many masons around who remember how to construct stone walls in water. It has to do with marine concrete, which has a special element that makes it stronger the longer it sits in salt water. The ancient Romans knew how to build port structures and bridges that involve salt water.
These structures become stronger over time. We marvel at them when we tour ancient ruins.
(“06880” often covers environmental issues — and much more. If you appreciate stories like this — and much more — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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