Tag Archives: Sherry Jagerson

Roundup: Hamlet Instagram Live, Dog Licenses, Mill Pond Preserve …

Posted on June 14, 2025 | 1 comment

Dave Briggs and I teamed up yesterday, for our first-ever Instagram Live chat.

It’s an important one. We chatted with Martin Purcell, one of the ROAN Ventures developers about their Hamlet at Saugatuck project.

We invited questions from viewers, and asked some of our own. They included traffic, employee parking, height and density — and who exactly ROAN Ventures is.

Click here or below to view the Insta Live. NOTE: It took a couple of minutes at the beginning for Martin to join the call. Indulge us as Dave and I fill dead air.

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June is dog licensing month. All dogs over 6 months old must be licensed.

Click here to apply online (use a desktop or laptop). Paper applications accompanied by a check payment will still be accepted. Click here for all information, or call (203) 341-1110,

Looks like they’re licensed! (Photo/Nicola Sharian)

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Riverside Avenue drivers have already endured delays, due to a construction project near Rive Bistro.

But the entire road was closed for about an hour yesteray morning between Sylvan Road and Treadwell Avenue, after a report of a gas leak.

Even more traffic chaos ensued.

Riverside Avenue, yesterday morning. (Photo/Allan Siegert)

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Wednesday’s Parks & Recreation Commission meeting (June 18, 7:30 p.m., Zoom) will, as is customary, hear reports from the Golf, Racquets and Parks Advisory Committees.

But 2 special agenda items will honor longtime local volunteers.

Commissioners will hear a request to install a plaque at Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve commemorating Sherry Jagerson. The environmental activist, who died last year at 80, played a key role in creating the small park on Hillspoint Road, following the demolition of Allen’s Clam House.

Sherry Jagerson, at Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. (Photo/Monique Bosch)

They will also discuss a request to name the Compo Beach pickleball courts in honor of Tom Lowrie. The 96-year-old stepped down last month as the town’s “pickleball ambassador.” But he is still a strong advocate for the sport he helped popularize here in town.

Tom Lowrie (Photo/Pam Einarsen)

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From 5-6 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month, Village Pediatrics hosts an open house.

Before this month’s event they posed for Pride, with shirts that say “Proud to Care for Every Color of the Rainbow!”

Standing (from left): Genna Harrison, Dr. Stephen Grevious, Dr. Neysa McDonald, Dr. Nikki Gorman, Ashley Dushin. Front: Caleigh Porter (holding Dogtor Bill), Magali Sánchez, Taína Mercado, Evelyn Anderson (yellow shirt).

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Jolantha regrets not being able to join today’s “No Kings” rally on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge (Saturday, 11 a.m.).

However — as shown here — Weston’s favorite pig is there in spirit.

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A 29-year-old East Orange, New Jersey man was charged with conspiracy to commit larceny, fugitive from justice and failure to appear, following a 2019 investigation into the passage of fake $100 bills. He was unablel to post $130,000 bond.

Westport Police also issued these citations, between June 4-11:

  • Texting while driving: 6 citations
  • Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 6
  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 4
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
  • Failure to obey stop sign: 2
  • Failure to obey state traffic control signals: 2
  • Driving under the influence: 1
  • Evading responsibility: 1
  • Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
  • Unsafe passing: 1
  • Improper turns: 1
  • Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
  • Improper use of high beams: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
  • Failure to renew registration: 1
  • Failure to cancel registration within 10 days: 1

Don’t use your high beams illegally!

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“06880” reported recently that Steve Wheeler —  a 1970 Staples High School graduate, who in 1974 became the first Connecticut runner to run a sub-4-minute mile — died suddenly in Oregon. He was 73. Here is his full obituary.

At Staples Wheeler captained the track and cross country teams, setting numerous school records.

At Duke University he won numerous Atlantic Coast Conference indoor and outdoor championships, and earned multiple All-American honors.

Wheeler set several Duke individual and relay team records, including the distance medley relay and 4 x mile relay.

In 1974 he became only the 67th athletes in the US to run a sub-4;00 mile.

Wheeler earned a master’s degree in public administration from San Diego State University in 1978, and began a 4-decade career in city and county administration.

He served as county administrator for Clackamas County, Oregon, and city manager for Tualatin and Hood River. He retired in 2018.

Wheeler was married to Nancy Newton, the current city manager of Springfield, Oregon. They shared a deep commitment to public service and civic leadership.

Wheeler was predeceased by his his brother Kenneth. He is survived by his wife Nancy Newton; his mother, Mary L. Reyen; his brother Warren; his children Jeffrey Wheeler (Emily, and grandson Tucker); niece Gwendolyn and nephew Owen Wheeler, and their mother Haynie Wheeler; niece Lauren Wheeler, and her mother Jeannine Wheeler. He is also remembered with respect by his former wife, Pat Wheeler.

Donations in Steve’s honor may be made to Springfield Rotary Charitable Foundation, PO Box 55, Springfield, OR 97477.

Steve Wheeler

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Village Pediatrics — mentioned in an item above — is popular with kids and parents.

And wildlife.

This guy popped up recently on the “Storywalk” — the children’s illustrations that line the walkway on the Saugatuck River, just outside the doctors’ office.

The photo comes from Dr. Nikki Gorman. She founded the practice — and finds time to take “Westport … Naturally” images like this.

(Photo/Nikki Gorman)

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And finally … James Lowe is nowhere near as famous as Brian Wilson and Sly Stone, 2 music legends who died this week.

But as the frontman for the Electric Prunes, Lowe — who died last month in California, at 82 — will be remembered by garage band fans for this hit:

(When was the last time you thought of the Electric Prunes? And when was the last time you supported “06880,” your hyper-local blog? To answer the second question, click here. Thanks!)

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Posted in Environment, Local business, Obituaries, Police, Politics, Sports

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Coming Soon To Mill Pond: Sherry Jagerson Park?

Posted on June 23, 2024 | 8 comments

Sherry Jagerson’s memorial service last weekend was an upbeat, uplifting afternoon.

The longtime Westporter — who died earlier this month at 80 — was remembered for her vibrant, can-do, do-it-yourself spirit, and for the many environmental and humanitarian projects she threw herself into, at home and around the world.

Now, she may be memorialized here for decades to come.

Andrew Colabella and Matthew Mandell have started a petition to rename the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve on Hillspoint Road “Sherry Jagerson Preserve.”

One view of Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve … (Photo/Katherine Bruan)

The petition says: “This preserve exists as it is today because of the environmental love and care of Sherry Jagerson.”

In 2009 she — along with Wendy Crowther and Liz Milwe, and Westport’s Parks & Recreation maintenance division — excavated the property, built up the land, and installed a boat launch, saltwater natural plants, and accessible walkways with benches.

Colabella credits Jagerson’s “vision and hard work” from 2009 onward with the preserve’s current look and appeal.

… and another. (Photo/Bobbi Essagof)

Jagerson could be memorialized for many things. She was a steward for Nash Pond, where she lived. She led one of the first initiatives to ban plastic bags in the country. She created the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, helped found the Westbridge Coalition, was a founding board member for United with Kenya, and served on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.

But naming a wonderful piece of town property “Sherry Jagerson Preserve” is especially fitting.

Sherry Jagerson at Mill Pond Preserve. (Photo/Monique Bosch)

Here’s one more story. Last Sunday — the day after her memorial service — Jagerson’s son, 2 daughters, grandchildren and friends gathered at the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve.

They spent the better part of a day weeding, cleaning and planting. As they did, they felt her spirit everywhere.

(The request to rename the property “Sherry Jagerson Park” will go to the Board of Selectwomen. If okayed, it heads to the Representative Town Meeting for final approval. Click here to see and sign the petition.)

Sherry Jagerson’s family and friends at the preserve last Sunday …

… with a pause for a group shot. (Photo/Jen Tooker)

Sherry Jagerson was also an accomplished sailor and racer. She founded a business that taught women how to sail.

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Posted in Beach, Environment, Local politics

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Roundup: Jaime Bairaktaris, Sherry Jagerson, Saugatuck Church Pride …

Posted on June 17, 2024 | 8 comments

Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service’s new president is a familiar face — but also a young one.

Jaime Bairaktaris has already served as a board member and crew chief. When he succeeds Michael Burns on July 1, the 26-year-old will be the youngest Westport EMS president in history.

He began volunteering in 2013 as a Staples High School freshman. He has logged
nearly 3,000 hours since.

Bairaktaris was named Volunteer of the Year in 2016, and Crew Chief of the
Year in 2022.

EMS is one of his many activities. Bairaktaris works full-time as a support staff member at Redding’s John Read Middle School, and recently finished a term on the Westport Representative Town Meeting for District 4. He also founded and publishes The Westport Local Press.

Bairaktaris hopes to add initiatives for current volunteers, while attracting and growing the next generation of EMTs.

Another goal is to strengthen public education, with new classes focused on mental health.

Current president Burns will transition to serve as vice president, continuing his work on the non-profit’s new endowment goals to allow long-term financial sustainability.

Burns’ leadership was crucial to WVEMS’s growth and stability following the pandemic.

For more information on Westport Volunteer EMS and its service to Westport, click here.

Jaime Bairaktaris

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Sherry Jagerson got the sendoff she deserved on Saturday afternoon.

Friends and admirers packed the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport. They smiled and laughed as family members and colleagues told stories about the longtime Westporter’s many accomplishments, as a sailor, sailmaker and women’s sailing instructor; self-taught home renovator and repairperson; environmental activist and Nash Pond steward; human rights advocate; mother, grandmother, and role model to all.

The next day, 2 dozen family members and friends paid the ultimate tribute to the passionate woman, who died earlier this month at 80.

They gathered at the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve — whose transformation from the former Allen’s Clam House to an idyllic spot for reflection and kayak launching Jagerson spearheaded over a decade ago — to weed, prune and replant the site.

As they worked, the crew told Jagerson’s story to curious passersby and preserve-goers. They included 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, who was there to go kayaking, and volunteered to take a group photo.

Sherry Jagerson’s family and friends, at Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. (Photo/Jen Tooker)

“It was a fabulous few hours, giving us one more opportunity to show our appreciation and gratitude for our amazing mom,” daughter Stacy Fowle says.

Cleaning up Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. (Photo/Stacy Fowle)

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Several dozen people enjoyed the warm sun and broad front lawn, at Saugatuck Congregational Church’s first-ever Pride event yesterday.

There was food, camaraderie, a bouncy house for kids, and more.

Including plenty of rainbows.

Saugatuck Church prepares for Pride. (Photo/Richard Fogel)

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Compo Shopping Center has the parking lot Westporters love to hate.

The front is narrow, confusing and dangerous. The rear is spacious, but — in part because it has been potholed and poorly maintained — underutilized.

Part of that problem has been solved. New owners Regency Centers recently repaved part of the back lot.

It’s a great improvement. Now, about rest of the place …

Compo Shopping Center repaving. (Photo/Rob Haroun)

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“Who” stopped by for a Father’s Day “Westport … Naturally” portrait yesterday?

This guy!

(Photo/Barry Kresch)

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And finally … on this date in 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, spent the next 17 years building her mausoleum. Today it is called the Taj Mahal.

(Welcome to another week of Roundups: your best source each day for whatever has happened, is happening or will happen in the 06880. Please click here to support our hard work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Environment, Local business, religion

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Remembering Sherry Jagerson

Posted on May 29, 2024 | 12 comments

Westport resident and wide-ranging civic volunteer Sheryl (“Sherry”) Jagerson died Sunday, after a long illness. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren, at her longtime Nash Pond home. She was 80 years old.

Her family says, “Sherry led an extraordinary life, filled with adventure, curiosity and a deep love for her family, the environment and her community. Her inquisitive spirit, unflagging positivity and sense of wonder inspired those in her orbit, and leave a lasting legacy.”

Young Sherry Jagerson

Sherry graduated from Long Beach State University, in the city where she was raised.

She grew up body surfing and water skiing, the foundation for her enduring love of the ocean and outdoors.

Sherry married Gordon Todd Jagerson in 1964. They and their 3 children moved to Connecticut in 1972.

Though she and Todd divorced, they remained lifelong friends and co-parents. Over the next 50 years Sherry raised 2 generations. She was a gracious host to many in her unique log cabin, set against the beauty of Nash Pond.

Sherry was a sailor and captain. She worked for many years in the sailing industry, and as an entrepreneur. After an early stint at North Sails and Ockam Instruments, she started Jagerson Sail Loft. She made and repaired sails for 10 years.

Later she created Women’s Sailing Adventures, a business teaching women open-ocean sailing in Maine, the San Juan Islands, the Caribbean and New Zealand.

Sherry Jagerson, at sea.

Sherry was an ocean sailing veteran at a time when it was rare for women to crew ocean races. She competed in several Bermuda Races, a transatlantic race, and survived the harrowing 1979 Fastnet race. She was also a first mate, sailing for Sea Education Association (SEA) out of Woods Hole.

Sherry was an avid hiker too, leading family outings on the Appalachian Trail for many years.

Sherry Jagerson with her daughter, Stacy Fowle.

In her later years Sherry became an activist for many causes, focused on water, nature and her community.

She was a steward for Nash Pond. She helped create the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve, on the site of the former Allen’s Clam House.

Sherry Jagerson was a driving force behind development of the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve.

Sherry led one of the first initiatives to ban plastic bags in the country. She created the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, helped found the Westbridge Coalition, was a founding board member for United with Kenya, and served on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.

Sherry is survived by her children Stacy (Andy) Fowle, Wendy (Max) Teleki and Gordon “Ty” Jagerson (Elisa); grandchildren Adelaide, Clementine, Jasper, Ayla, Tibor, Taj, Ava, Naoma and Huck; former husband Todd Jagerson, and siblings William J. Gillis II and Patricia Shephard.

A celebration of Sherry’s life, open to the community, is set for Saturday, June 15 (1:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).

In lieu of flowers, Sherry would have wanted people to donate or give time to their favorite environmental organization. Those Sherry supported included Harbor Watch, Sierra Club, Earthplace and the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Sherry Jagerson (blue), surrounded by her children, grandchildren and in-laws.

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Posted in Environment, Obituaries

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Mary Allen’s Historic Mill Pond Bench

Posted on July 27, 2016 | 22 comments

Alert “06880” reader — and amateur historian — Wendy Crowther writes:

Mary Riordan Allen grew up on Hillspoint Road, a few houses away from the iconic Allen’s Clam House.

In the early 1900s, Walter “Cap” Allen opened his clam and oyster shack on the banks of Sherwood Mill Pond. The oysters came from beds in the pond and nearby cove. Cap often hand-shucked them himself. Over time he grew Allen’s into a rustic family eatery.

Recently, Mary returned to the property — now the site of the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve. It was a special occasion: to meet her bench.

A year ago, she asked Sherry Jagerson — chair of the preserve committee – how she and her family could contribute to the spot that meant so much to them. (A photo on the plaque — and below — shows Cap Allen holding a baby: Mary’s husband, Walter Allen.)

Captain Walter Allen (far right) with his wife Lida, daughter Beulah, holding his son Walter Ethan Allen (Mary’s future husband). The photo was taken at Allen's Clam House around 1911.

Captain Walter Allen (far right) with his wife Lida, daughter Beulah, holding his son Walter Ethan Allen (Mary’s future husband). The photo was taken at Allen’s Clam House around 1911.

Several months later, Mary came to Westport from her home in Maine. Sherry, I and other committee members walked the site with her, to pick out the best spot for the Allen family bench.

Mary Allen, at Sherwood Mill Pond.

Mary Allen, at Sherwood Mill Pond.

After returning home, Mary sent me old photos. One showed her son Chris sitting on what may have been the same boulder from decades earlier.

Mary said that Chris loved feeding the swans close to shore. In early spring, they came to the marsh, rebuilt their nest, laid their eggs and raised their cygnets.

Mary Allen's son Chris, with Sherwood Mill Pond swans.

Mary Allen’s son Chris, with Sherwood Mill Pond swans.

In high school, Mary clammed at low tide on the mud flats, and sold them to Cap. She also sold horseshoe crabs. He put them in floats where he kept his fresh clams; they kept the water clean.

Cap Allen and his wife Lida, in front of the clam house.

Cap Allen and his wife Lida, in front of the clam house.

The Clam House and Mill Pond were Mary’s summer playground. She and her friends rented Cap’s handmade rowboats, to catch blue claw crabs and have adventures. They swam at the gates at high tide — a “challenging and dangerous activity” that today she would not allow.

In winter, the pond froze over. The ice skating was wonderful.

Years later — after she married — Mary’s own children enjoyed similar activities. They also ate quite well at Allen’s. After all, she was family.

Cap’s son, Walter Ethan Allen, had a 35-foot ketch-rigged oyster boat. With a shallow draft and long, shallow centerboard and rudders, it was perfect for oystering. For better ballast, Walt asked neighborhood kids to sail with him.

When Walt returned from World War II, he asked Mary — a Staples High School student — to help. Eventually, ballast turned to romance. They married when she was 18. He was 30.

Walt and Mary Allen had 5 children. This photo shows Abigail, their oldest (Cap’s grandchild), in front of the barn that once stood tight against Hillspoint Road on the edge of the Clam House property. The barn -- which still stands -- was rustic inside, but furnished with a full kitchen and a 2nd-floor loft. Cap used it as a popular summer rental property.

Walt and Mary Allen had 5 children. This photo shows Abigail, their oldest (Cap’s grandchild), in front of the barn that once stood tight against Hillspoint Road on the edge of the Clam House property. The barn was rustic inside, but furnished with a full kitchen and a 2nd-floor loft. Cap used it as a popular summer rental property.

Cap owned a 1934 Ford Phaeton convertible. He drove it to the bank every Monday morning, to deposit the week’s proceeds.

Mary enjoyed hanging out at the clam house. Cap was “quiet but friendly and affable, and had a nice sense of humor.” A cigar smoker, he recovered from throat cancer. In 1954, age 75, he died of arterial sclerosis.

His sons — David and Mary’s husband Walt — tried to keep the business going, hiring help while they held their own jobs. Finally, they decided to run the restaurant only. The Uccellinis — 2 generations of their own family — did a magnificent job too.

Allen’s Clam House was a hugely popular summer place. Over time though, the building wore down. Environmental restrictions made it financially impossible to continue.

The restaurant closed in the mid-1990s. The land was ripe for sale. Developers — hoping to build 3 houses — made lucrative offers. Westporters mourned the loss of what had always been a favorite view. They urged the town to buy the land.

Mary worked closely with First Selectman Diane Farrell, and negotiated a special deal. Though it took many years, the site was eventually rehabilitated by volunteers. It officially opened as a preserve in 2010.

The Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve is one of the most tranquil spots in Westport. (Photo/Katherine Hooper)

The Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve is one of the most tranquil spots in Westport. (Photo/Katherine Hooper)

For the dedication, Mary’s daughter Bonnie Allen wrote:

A special acknowledgment is due to my mother, Mary Riordan Allen, the last remaining owner of the Allen’s Clam House property. 11 years ago, in the spirit of Captain Allen’s concern for the Mill Pond and its meadows, she turned down high purchase offers from developers in favor of selling the property to the town at a price it could afford.

With generous matching contributions from like-minded Westporters (Paul Newman, Harvey Weinstein and Martha Stewart among them) the town of Westport bought the property, and honored my mother’s wishes that it be preserved in its natural state, dedicated to my grandfather, Captain Walter Dewitt Allen.

Last week, Mary and Bonnie returned to Westport to meet their bench — a gift from Mary and her children. The plaque honors Mary’s husband Walt, who died in 1982, and Bonnie’s son, Sebastian Katz, who died in 2000 at age 20.

Mary and Bonnie Allen, on the family's bench.

Mary and Bonnie Allen, on the family’s bench.

The plaque on the Allen family bench.

The plaque on the Allen family bench.

Mary’s bench is the one that Sherwood Mill Pond visitors gravitate to most. I suspect that’s because it provides the same views and sense of peace that first drew Cap to this special piece of the Mill Pond, and inspired him to raise a family and a business on its shores.

Thanks to Mary and her family, this site is a wonderful place, where both nature and history are preserved.

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Posted in Beach, Environment, Looking back, People, Restaurants

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Sherry Jagerson: Booked For Kenya

Posted on April 28, 2013 | 4 comments

Sherry Jagerson was one of several determined Westporters who shepherded the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve into existence. She continues to work tirelessly to keep it healthy, and open to all Westporters.

Now she’s gearing up for a very different volunteer effort, thousands of miles away.

Sherry and and her granddaughter Adelaide Fowle — a Staples sophomore — are heading to Kenya. They’ll help build water filtration systems in a village called Chepsaita.

With their group — United With Kenya — they’ll also help build a library. For months Sherry has scoured Fairfield County, trying to get as many books as possible to send there.

FedEx is shipping them for free, at the end of May. So Sherry and Adelaide are in their final push for donated books. The deadline is May 21.

If you’ve got any — and what better way to spur some spring cleaning! — email  sjagerson@mac.com. She’ll arrange a pick-up or drop-off for this very worthwhile project.

Sherry Jagerson, with a car full of books.

Sherry Jagerson, with a car full of books.

4 Comments

Posted in Organizations, People

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Mother Nature’s Mill Pond Preserve

Posted on April 3, 2012 | 7 comments

When a group of committed Westporters turned the old Allen’s Clam House site into a preserve — featuring wetland plants, a vegetative buffer above the tidal zone and walking paths — they figured it would take 3 years of care before nature took over.

That was 3 years ago.

A couple of Mother Nature curveballs — Hurricane Irene and an October snow — brought volunteers out in force. But as spring blooms, the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve has emerged as a much-loved, frequently visited and very natural part of town.

The Sherwood Mill Pond: one of the most tranquil spots in Westport. (Photo/Katherine Hooper)

It’s visited at all hours by a wide swath of folks. Painters, bird watchers, book readers, flower lovers, parents with kids, lunch breakers — all find peace and beauty there.

A few benches and a couple of signs are the only indications that humans have shaped the preserve. One of the signs describes the history and significance of the Mill Pond.

The handsome Mill Pond sign.

The other — a gift from Newman’s Own Foundation, created by Audubon illustrator Edward Henrey — identifies some of the 70 species of birds, and many forms of aquatic life. A cutaway shows mollusks burying beneath the sand, crabs scuttlingon top of sand, and mallards diving into the water.

Sherry Jagerson helped mastermind the preserve, from conception to reality. Entering its 3rd full season, she is pleased that each year, volunteers have had to do less “hands-on” work. (The hurricane destroyed lots of leaves, and  water washed over vegetation to the street, but nature is hard at work restoring what was lost.)

Sherry, and fellow committee members like Liz Milwe and Wendy Crowther, are proud of the preserve. They’re pleased it’s getting so much gentle use.

Now — like the rest of Westport — they’re eager to relax and enjoy it.

(Despite the Mill Pond Preserve’s success, the committee can always use help. To volunteer, call Sherry Jagerson at 203-856-4580.)

The ever-changing Sherwood Mill Pond. (Photo/Katherine Hooper)

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Posted in Beach, Categories, Environment, Organizations, People, Places

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