Old Mill Grocery & Deli thrives in the spring, summer and early fall. Its location across from one beach, and on the way to another, draws a throng of folks — families, kids, walkers, joggers, bicyclists, and many others.
Winter is tougher. And OMG — the Romanaccis, who operate it, and the Soundview Empowerment Alliance, which owns the property — are battling lawsuits, from a couple of neighbors who object to the gelato card and liquor license.
This week, the deli hosted a couple of events. They welcomed neighbors and friends for light bites, to keep OMG front of mind, and hear ideas on how to make this community (beach and beyond) gem even better.
So, “06880” readers: Don’t forget Old Mill Grocery & Deli. They’ve got a great big table to eat at, and a great, varied menu for takeout.
Online registration for Westport Parks & Recreation Department spring and summer programs begins March 10 (9 a.m.; Camp Compo and RECing Crew only) and March 11 (9 a.m.; all others). Click here to see all activities.
To update your profile, select “Manage Family Member.” Be sure each child’s grade is correct (as of September 2025).
Questions? Email recreation@westportct.gov, or call 203-341-5152.
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The Westport Library is a town gem. The only 5-star library in the state offers an astonishing array of events, programs, services — even a state-of-the-art recording studio.
But it doesn’t just happen. A board of trustees provides guidance and oversight.
As upcoming vacancies loom, they’re looking for qualified, eager candidates.
Responsibilities include governance and fiduciary duties, strategic oversight, collaboration with leadership, financial stewardship and support, and more.
Candidates must be Westport residents. Fundraising experience and strong community connections are key. Skills in strategic planning, finance, law, nonprofit operations or areas supporting innovation and digital strategy are valued but not required.
Trustee appointments are for 4 years, this year beginning July 1. Interested candidates should email a resume and letter of interest to spresutto@westportlibrary.org by March 20.
Speaking of the Library: The “Career Coach” returns February 19 and March 19. There are 2 sessions ( 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) each day; both are 2 hours long.
The service is available to people who are exploring career opportunities, actively looking for a job, or seeking additional part-time employment.
Executive director Amee Borys and staff members gave the 1st selectman a tour of the nature center, and explained the work of each department.
Christie got a good look at the preschool classrooms, the Animal Hall (including renovation of the birds of prey area), Eco Lab, and Harbor Watch lab.
From left: Earthplace preschool director Amanda Ciardi, Harbor Watch director Nikki Spiller, nature education and conservation director Veronica Swain, 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, executive director Amee Borys.
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For more than 72 years, STAR Lighting the Way has provided critical services and support to people of all ages impacted by intellectual and developmental disabilities across Fairfield County.
For many years too, their annual Speaker’s Luncheon has welcomed great guests, and provided inspiration to attendees, including Mia Farrow, Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Norah O’Donnell and Brandi Chastain.
This year’s event is April 9. The “star” is Stacy Waldman Bass. A native Westporter, her work celebrates beauty, connection, and shared humanity.
Her new book, “Lightkeeper: A Memoir Through the Lens of Love and Loss,” is a powerful reflection on family, grief and healing. told through evocative images and heartfelt words.
The afternoon includes a gourmet lunch, curated shopping boutique, special guest experiences, and a Q&A.
Got drugs you no longer need (or want)? Or those that have expired?
This Saturday (April 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Senior Center) the Westport Police Departmet takes part in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Residents can bring tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs to the Senior Center.Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container.
Do NOT bring syringes, sharps and illicit drugs. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
Drop-offs are free, and anonymous.
Westport Police also offer a year-round collection bin in the lobby of the headquarters building on Jesup Road. There is a supply of medication disposal bags in the lobby, to dispose of liquid and pill medications in your regular garbage.
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Speaking of police: This Friday (April 25), Rizzuto’s Oyster Bar & Restaurant will have some special staff members.
From 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Westport Police Department officers will welcome diners, take orders and serve meals.
No, Rizzuto’s is not short staffed. And the police are not pocketing the proceeds.
The Tip-A-Cop event is a fundraiser for Special Olympics Connecticut. Customers are encouraged to leave extra tips. All tips the officers receive will help provide sports, health and fitness programs to athletes of all abilities.
Our police are known as Westport’s finest. Thanks to the force, Rizzuto’s and Special Olympics, for this very “fine” idea.
Two long-vacant storefronts at “Elm & Main” — the new name for what decades of Westporters knew as Brooks Corner — will soon be filled.
Everything But Water is moving into the old Birddogs space. The Orlando-based women’s retailer specializes in designer swimwear, vacation essentials and accessories.
They operate 34 stores. Westport will be their third in Connecticut. The other locations are Farmington and Greenwich.
Beyond Yoga opens their second Connecticut store in September. The first will be in Greenwich, starting next month. The female-founded activewear brand is owned by Levi Strauss.
Fun Fact: Brooks Corner was named not for longtime tenant Brooks Brothers, but for B.V. Brooks. The real estate developer built the shopping center in the early 1960s.
Speaking of openings: The next location for The Granola Bar is …
… 330 Madison Avenue, in New York City.
Instantly popular from the day in 2013 when it opened in Playhouse Square — still its “flagship” location, with offices nearby — the breakfast/lunch/catering-and-more spot has since expanded to Fairfield, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich, plus Rye, Woodbury (Long Island) and the Upper West Side.
Now comes Midtown — just steps away from Grand Central.
Tomorrow’s Board of Education meeting (Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria) includes the usual mix of topics: academic performances, revisions to the school caelndar, board policies regarding employees, and students with disabilities.
The discussion item at the end should be less dry. It’s about Staples Block “S” trophies, and the controversy raised this year when the traditional metal awards were replaced by plaques.
“Wild About Veggies: Tips for Planting a Garden” (May 5, 7 p.m.). Learn about seasonal rotations, and much more. Click here to register.
“Learn to Shuck Oysters with a Local Pro” (June 8, 5 p.m.). Then enjoy the oysters you open (from Copps Island in Norwalk). You’ll also gain an understanding of oyster anatomy, and learn about the history of oyster farming here. $50; BYOB. Click here to register.
Coming Sunday (April 27) to the Weston History & Culture Center i
Opening Day of “Images of a Forgotten Village: Valley Forge” (1 p.m.). The Saugatuck Reservoir in Weston was home to a small neighborhood called Valley Forge. Now the once-thriving community of mills, forges and farms has vanished from memory and sight. The only reminders are photos.
Author Talk with Heather Pemberton About her debut thriller, “Hidden Below” (3 p.m.) — inspired by the history of Weston’s Valley Forge
Both are free for members, with a suggested donation for non-members.
For 2 decades, STAR Lighting the Way’s “Walk & Roll” has been a spring highlight. The event brings together families, friends, supporters and businesses to celebrate individuals of all abilities, and raise needed funds for STAR’s programs and services, aiding people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This year’s event is May 4 (Sherwood Island State Park, 10:30 a.m.). The day includes family activities, music, food trucks, games and entertainment.
As always, the public is invited to walk, roll, volunteer or cheer from the sidelines. Click here to donate, register to walk or roll, or become a sponsor.
Here’s an early head’s-up, on an event that will sell out soon.
On June 27 (6:30 p.m.,), Mystic Bowie’s Talking Dreads make their first-ever Westport appearance.
They’ll fill the Westport Library with their fun Caribbean swagger, and bouncy reggae rhythms, for a special dance party.
Salon says: “Talking Dreads play Talking Heads songs as shimmering one-drop reggae jewels. Tom Tom Club vet Mystic Bowie (swaps out) urbanity for roots and sincerity.”
Tickets are $37.50. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Max Harper’s family and friends — and many Westporters who did not know the Staples High School senior who died last fall — are admiring a new memorial to him.
The handsome stone is at Compo’s South Beach, near the trees and benches.
It was designed by longtime Westport artist (and Staples graduate) Miggs Burroughts.
On a cold, windy March day, an expert from Enduring Monuments met Miggs and Max’s father Marcus at the rock Marcus had chosen.
The Westchester firm had created stencils from Miggs’ artwork. They blasted as pecial powdery spray into it, then spray painted the recessed areas to make them stand out.
Creating the memorial …
… and the finished memorial. (Photo/Pam Docters)
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A reader writes: “I went into the AMC (used to be Bowtie) Royale 6 this afternoon. They are open. Who knew?!
“I thought they had closed. They switched owners, and took down the board where they used to post movie titles you could see from Route 1. So for the last 6 months I drove by and thought they were closed. I bet 50% of Westport has no idea they are open.”
I’m in the 50% who knew they were open. In fact, I bet 90% of the town did not think they were closed.
But, as a public service announcement, I’m relaying the “news.”
Hopefully, it’s a lot more interesting than all the announcements you hear before a movie.
At the AMC Royale 6, which — did you know? — is open!
And finally … in honor of the AMC Royale 6 theater (story above):
(You go to the movies every once in a while. But “06880” entertains — and maybe informs and inspires — you several times a day. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
And Westport wants to make everyone aware.
A “Let’s Talk About Disability” forum (October 22, 12 p.m., Westport Library) highlights the 2024 theme of “Access to Good Jobs for All.”
Local businesses, employers and community members are invited to the noontime event, to explore and improve their capacity to hire and support the local workforce.
The program is a “shame-free exploration of attitudinal barriers, and creates a new perspective on the unique abilities and advantages of working with persons with disabilities.”
The Porch at Christie’s is a local leader in hiring people with disabilities.
This is hardly a one-off event.
Westport’s Commission on People with Disabilities sponsors an ongoing “Employment is for Everyone” initiative.
The goal is to provide education and awareness, through tools and guidance, to employers and employees, to find circumstances where both can thrive.
Westport Human Services director Elaine Daignault notes, “too often employers are hesitant to hire due to self-limiting perceptions, and fear or concerns over their capacity to provide ongoing support for employees with disabilities within their organizations.”
The Porch at Christie’s, Stop & Shop and Westport Book Shop are 3 local businesses that employ people with disabilities, and embrace an inclusive culture. That is part of Old Mill Grocery & Deli’s mission statement too.
According to an Accenture study, “companies that embrace best practices for employing and supporting more persons with disabilities in the workforce have outperformed their peers, improved productivity and increased innovation while enhancing their business’ reputation.”
Daignault adds, “people with disabilities are capable, creative, and eager to work, adding value, promoting teamwork, and spreading joy to employees and customers.”
The October 22 Library workshop is “a great first step in opening doors of opportunity for businesses and potential employees with disabilities who will enhance the vibe in any place of business.”
Everyone has fun at Club 203’s Thanksgiving party.
Employment is not the only area in which Westport addresses the needs and opportunities of people with disabilities.
Non-profits like CLASP, STAR Lighting the Way and Abilis provide assistance for a wide range of ages.
The Westport Weston Family YMCA and Westport Little League Challenger program offer recreational programs.
Club203 is Westport’s social club for people with disabilities. Their monthly events are enthusiastically supported by many businesses and non-profits.
There is housing at, among other sites, a recently converted home on Riverside Avenue, and transportation alternatives through the Westport Transit District.
Of course, there is also the town’s Commission on People with Disabilities. For more information, click here or call the Department of Human Services: 203-341-1050.
Today’s weather has forced a change for tonight’s Representative Town Meeting, which will consider an $6.8 million request for design of the new Long Lots Elementary School.
Instead of meeting at Town Hall, the RTM session will be held via Zoom. Click here for the link.
Public comments are limited to 3 minutes. Emails to all members may be sent to RTMmailinglist@westportct.gov.
Postponed by the weather: tonight’s “Addressing Incidents of Antisemitism and Bias in our Schools” event, sponsored by Westport Public Schools at Temple Israel.
Tomorrow’s Board of Selectwomen meeting (Wednesday, February 14, 9 a.m., Town Hall auditorium and livestream) contains this agenda item:
eliminating the requirement of a hand pass to register for participation in Parks & Recreation Department programs.
Charlie Tirreno’s plea to Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission — opposing development of a house on Riverside Avenue, which would disrupt the nests of eagles along the Saugatuck River — drew several supporting comments on “06880.”
It also elicited a photo of an eagle nesting by th eriver, from Louis Mall. The Representative Town Meeting member — whose district includes that neighborhood — sent this photo, taken by his wife Joan yesterday:
(Photo/Joan Mall)
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A dozen or so Westporters worked up an appetite for Sunday’s Super Bowl with a trash pick-up. They began at Grace Salmon Park on Imperial Avenue, and worked their way north.
RTM member Andrew Colabella, who organized the event, reports:
A total success for today’s pick. The high tide dampened our goal to obtain all trash; however we made do with what we could grab.
As it gets warmer, I would implore all residents to take advantage of the Saugatuck river to kayak and canoe, and to bring a picker with them. Dog walkers as well.
Instead of wrapping up your dog’s waste and flinging it into the woods, find a trash receptacle, or bring a trash bag and pick. I know many residents who do this during the week.
I was very happy to see so many residents turn out. In fact, a lot of people who were just walking inquired about the trash clean-ups.
For 72 years, STAR Lighting the Way has provided services for people of all ages impacted by intellectual and developmental disabilities.
On April 4, their annual spring fundraising — always a sellout — will have its own “star”: soccer legend Brandi Chastain.
The US women’s national team World Cup and Olympic champion, and Hall of Famer — whose celebration in a sports bra after her winning penalty kick again China was an instant iconic photo, and who now helps underserved girls learn leadership and motivational skills through the power of sports will speak at the Country Club of New Canaan on April 4.
Chastain joins a list of previous speaking stars that includes Mia Farrow, Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush Hager and Norah O’Donnell.
The gourmet luncheon includes a Champagne shopping boutique, goody bag, a signed copy of Chastain’s Book “It’s Not About the Bra,” and a Q-and-A session. Westport photographer Miggs Burroughs will snap photos of guests with Chastain.
“As a kid I loved The 3 Musketeers, and their fierce loyalty to one another. Who knew that all these years later I would find them again at the Westport Weston Family YMCA,
“As a member, I already though I had discovered a gem in our community. But volunteering for Parkinson Body and Mind truly confirmed it.
“The Greenwich-based organization runs numerous Yprograms demonstrating the health benefits of boxing for people with Parkinson’s. Our boxing program, through the superb leadership of Brenda Waldron, consistently shows improvements in balance, strength and memory for the participants.
“In addition, what I have witnessed is extraordinary, magical and enviable. The group, who met as strangers, morphed into a loving family whose support for each other extends way beyond the walls of the Y. They are truly ‘all for one and one for all!'”
Yesterday, Bob handed “Knock Parkinson’s Out” t-shirts to everyone in the group. He added a sentence from The Book of Psalms: “There is strength in our souls.”
This week’s Jazz at the Post show features vocalist Pete McGuinness.
A New York jazz treasure since the 1980s, the trombonist on Maria Schneider’s Grammy-winning “Concert in the Garden” is known for his improvisational prowess, and creative arrangements for his own Pete McGuiness Jazz Orchestra. His recordings have been nominated for 3 Grammys.
McGuinness will be joined on February 15 (7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner serve at 7; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $20 music cover, $15 for students and veterans) by pianist Ted Kooshian, bassist Mark Wade, drummer Scott Neumann and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.
Reservations are strongly suggested: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
And finally … Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees the Spinners, died last week in Virginia. He was 85.
Though the R&B group had several hits in the 1970s, they were formed in 1954, and — with different members — still tour today. Click here for a full obituary.
(Stuck inside in this winter weather? You can pass some time — and show your support for “06880” — by making a tax-deductible donation. Just click here. Thank you. PS: Stay warm and dry!)
Since its founding more than 70 years ago — with help from several Westporters, and important funding from the Westport Woman’s Club — STAR Lighting the Way has grown into a vital resource for people with individual or developmental disabilities.
STAR provides a wide array of services for over 700 individuals in Fairfield County, from birth to their senior years. STAR helps them live full lives with independence, freedom of choice and personal growth, through early intervention pediatric therapies, family support, high school transition, customized employment and job support, assistive technology, adult day services, recreation, and residential support in group homes and apartments.
For over 40 years, Katie Banzhaf has been an integral part of STAR. This Friday marks her last day as executive director. She looks forward to traveling, and pursuing her passion for gardening.
Katie Banzhaf
But, Banzhaf told NewCanaanite.com, she has also always been passionate about “the employment of people with special needs. At a very early age, I just realized that life could be better for (them). I wanted to be part of that.”
She began volunteering as a teenager in her native Cincinnati, taking residents of a state institution into the community.
While working as a consultant involved with job training for people with IDD, she was recruited by STAR. around the country and worldwide, Banzhaf received a call from STAR and the rest is history.
In 4 decades at STAR, she told NewCanaanite, she watched clients move from infant services into high school, college and then jobs. “The continuity with the clients, and being able to see them grow and with their families has been a real gift.”
One is Joey Agostino, the well-known “DJ Joe”; he works in a flower shop, and plays music on the side. Another client started his own vending machine business.
“It’s somebody believing in them and saying let’s do everything in our power to support them.
Katie Banzhaf (far right) with (from left) State Senator Bob Duff, Westporter and Staples High School graduate Wyatt Davis, State Representative Lucy Dathan.
“I’ve really worked hard to make sure I’ve done a lot of lobbying with the state so that we can offer better wages and better benefits. There’s still more work to be done with that as well. But STAR has really become a family and I hope it continues to have that feeling and it’s a place that people want to work.”
Banzhaf passed praise for her work back to her colleagues and STAR members.
In a farewell note she said, “Whatever has been achieved over my time as executive director has been the result of a great team effort. For that and more, I am grateful to the board of directors, the staff, parents, and the individuals we support who continue to teach me about strength, determination, and the joy of realizing their dreams.
“You have all played a part in ensuring that my professional life was meaningful and joyful.”
Katie Banzhaf and Westporter Mickey Herbst, a longtime STAR board of directors member and supporter.
STAR director of philanthropy Peter Saverine says, “There is so much more to Katie’s story. For over 40 years she has been dedicated to STAR, and she spent a lifetime dedicated to advancing services, inclusion, rights and opportunities for people of all abilities.
“She is a hero here, and to thousands of families in Fairfield County.”
Congratulations, Katie, as you retire from such a meaningful, impactful career. Thank you for all you have done, for tens of thousands of people. Your legacy will live on for decades.
(To nominate an Unsung Hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com)
(“Unsung Hero” runs weekly on “06880.” To support this, and many other features of our hyper-local blog, please click here. Thank you!)
But forget “The Gray Flannel Suit,” “The Swimmer” and “The Stepford Wives.”
My favorite is “Below Surface.”
The 20-minute documentary focuses on an unlikely subject: the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s AquaFit program.
Yet thanks to Patty Kondub — the energetic, creative and much-loved instructor who is the heart and soul of both the program and the film — the camaraderie, joy and, yes, life-saving experience that is AquaFit come vividly to life.
Dick Rauh — 96 years young — describes what the class has done for him. So do others, of many ages and from 4 continents. Patty melds them all into a young-feeling, tight-knit group that fulfills the Y’s dual mission of promoting healthy living and creating community.
AquaFit helped Patty herself through a dark time of her life, which she describes movingly.
But “Below Surface” is bright and alive — just like those morning classes. The cinematography makes it shine.
The film has been screened at festivals around the country, and won the “Next Great Filmmaker Award” at the Berkshires International Film Festival. It will be shown October 19 (noon, New Haven Public Library) at the New Haven Documentary Film Festival.
Now through October 1, you can watch it for free, thanks to the virtual World Peace Film Festival. Just click here.
It will be the most uplifting 19 minutes of your week.
(For the “06880” back story on “Below Surface,” click here.)
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The start of tomorrow’s Long Lots School Building Committee meeting has been changed.
The new time is 6 p.m. (it was originally 6:30). That’s Thursday, September 28, in Town Hall Room 201/201A.
It’s a 6 p.m. start tomorrow for the Long Lots School Building Committee.
“People have the legal right to access state waters and fish for Blue Crab. The taking of Blue Crab requires no license, and there is no daily limit during the open season from May1 – November 30. The Conservation Office does not regulate the taking of crabs from the pond. The Sherwood Mill Pond Advisory Committee and the Shellfish Commission do not have authority to restrict the crabbing either.
“To clarify, this does not mean the Town has ignored the public requests for checking the crabbing. In fact, the Westport Police Department have conducted more than 50 patrols of Sherwood Mill Pond this summer. They have interacted with the individuals who are crabbing, they have actively provided education, and they have checked the catches to ensure proper measurements are being followed.
“The officers have used Infrared cameras to confirm that individuals were taking crabs and that any clams they have seen were dumped. They have worked individually and in conjunction with CT DEEP Encon Police. Officers have been proactive in responding to calls and will continue to provide our Town with this response.
“We want to inform the public that over 70 parking tickets have been issued along Hillspoint Road and the Old Mill parking lot in the last few weeks. One night alone had over 30 parking tickets issued. The Police Department will continue their oversight, including adding additional tactics in the future, to ensure that the laws are followed.”
For several years, Saugatuck Rowing Club has commemorated loved ones lost to breast cancer — and raised funds for survivors — by turning the Saugatuck River pink.
Literally.
Names are read aloud, and rose petals scattered into the Saugatuck River. They’re then swept out to sea.
This year’s “River of Roses” charity soirée is set for Sunday (October 1, 1 to 4 p.m.; ceremony at 3).
The $75 ticket includes (of course) rosé cocktails, raw bar, charcuterie, lobster and pumpkin bisque, clam chowder, apple crisp, Donut Crazy and a cash bar, plus live music by Fake ID.
Proceeds support SurviveOAR, the empowering, supportive community that provides mental, physical and emotional healing to women with breast cancer after traditional treatment ends.
Six members will be compete in Head of the Charles race next month.
Click here for tickets, or to buy roses ($25 each). Click below, for highlights of the 2019 event.
Parents of children with special needs have plenty to think about.
Including finances.
Westporter Kimberly Greenberg — a Morgan Stanley vice president — leads a free breakfast seminar for parents and caregivers, called “Protecting the Future for Your Child With Special Needs.”
Financial experts will share first-hand experiences on October 3 (9:30 a.m., STAR, 182 Wolfpit Avenue, Norwalk_. Tours of the renovated STAR center, including the new assistive technology lab and lending library, are also available.
To reserve a spot, or for more information, email ahenry@starct.org.
This event has flown under the radar. But it’s an important one.
Tomorrow (Thursday, September 28, 10 a.m., Westport Library), Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, state Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Ronald Welch and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker will recognize the service of Westport veterans who served during the Vietnam War era.
There will be a color guard, national anthem, and more.
Staples High School graduate Tim Barmmer was killed in Vietnam. He is memorialized at Veterans Green, across from Town Hall.
Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service’s Jenna Baumblatt has been named Connecticut’s 2023 EMS Youth Corps Member of the Year.
The 18-year-old joined WVEMS as an Emergency Medical Responder 4 years ago, and is now an Emergency Medical Technician. She also serves on the WVEMS board of directors.
EMS runs deep in her family. Her dad Rick is a WVEMS staff paramedic; her mom Lynn is a paramedic at Norwalk Hospital EMS, and her brother James is an EMT in Bridgeport.
WVEMS president Michael Burns calls Jenna “an amazing person and caregiver who maintains multiple jobs, in addition to her volunteer service. She is an amazing asset!”
Jenna Baumblatt
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Pam Rouleau is running a fundraiser with Nuvance Health for the Integrative Medicine Department at the Smilow Breast Cancer Center.
She photographed 13 people who have battled cancer — or still are — and depicted them along with their stories of survivorship.
Several members of the Saugatuck Rowing Club’s “SurviveOARS” team are included. Rouleau is a Survive-OARS rower too.
A reception is set for October 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the State Capitol in Hartford. It will then be on view through October 30. Click here for details.
Kimberly Wilson, Westport resident and Saugatuck SurviveOARS member.
Grammy Award-winning pianist Dave Kikoski headlines tomorrow’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, September 28, shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399).
Kikoski is known for his adept post-bop style and spontaneous swinging play. He has worked with artists like Roy Haynes, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Al Foster, Bob Berg, Michael and Randy Brecker, Chris Potter and others.
He’ll be joined by bassist Yuriy Galkin, drummer Vinnie Sperazza and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
Enjoy a trivia night — virtually, and for a great cause.
Tomorrow (Thursday, September 28, 7 p.m.), Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County hosts “Quiz for a Cause.” All proceeds support arts education for children, primarily those with special needs.
First prize is 2 round trip airline tickets, from Avelo Airlines. Second prize is a gift from Westporter Christian Siriano’s The Collective West. Third prize is 5 private music lessons at Neighborhood Studios.
Participants are asked for a minimum donation of $45. Click here to register, and for more information.
Maintenance and upkeep of Baron’s South has gone to the birds.
So it’s not surprising that a flock of turkeys has taken over Golden Shadows, the “mansion” once occupied by Baron Walter Langen von Langendorff and his wife.
Morley Boyd spotted them, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … today is the 120th anniversary of “the wreck of the old 97.” The mail train crash was not the worst rail disaster ever — though 11 people died, and 7 more were injured — but it lives on, thanks to folks like Johnny Cash.
(“06880” loves delivering news like today’s lead story, about Patty Kondub’s AquaFit movie. If you love the news “06880” delivers, please click here to support local journalism. Thank you!)
The 10 properties honored last week by Westport’s Historic District Commission — and 29 North Avenue, featured recently on “06880” and which should win a national award — are wonderful reminders that “new” construction need not always begin with a demolition.
Here’s another.
Cottages & Gardens recently featured Holly Jaffe and David Stephen Johnson’s 1927 Dutch Colonial on Bradley Street, at the Norwalk Avenue corner.
Holly — principal of the boutique design firm Wowhaus — was drawn to “the Norman Rockwell-esque charm, the ‘utterly delightful neighborhood,’ and its proximity to the beach.”
The family lived in the 2,000-square foot home for more than a year before starting the interior renovation in 2021.
That allowed them time to figure out “the smartest way to move forward,” Holly says. “The entire renovation was driven by what we could do to make this the magical place we knew it could be.”
She, architect Jon Halper and Westport builder Alan Dreher maximized the space without changing the footprint.
More than 90 years after founding the Westport Country Playhouse, Lawrence Langner will be celebrated.
The Theatre Guild and Langner family will dedicate Westport’s first Literary Landmark, in his honor. The event is May 27 (1 p.m.) at — of course — the Playhouse.
He and his wife, Armina Marshall, founded the theater in 1931, on the site of a former apple orchard and tannery. It became an American cultural institution, presenting dozens of pre-Broadway plays and showcasing the top stars of the day.
In addition to the Playhouse, Langner founded the Theatre Guild. It produced “Porgy and Bess,” “Oklahoma!” and hundreds of other plays and musicals.
He also established the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre, “US Steel Hour” on radio and television, and the American Repertory Company, which toured the world.
The dedication and unveiling of the Literary Landmark are free, and open to the public. The event includes a panel on “Memories of the American Theater.” Richard Somerset Ward, author of the definitive book on the history of the Westport Country Playhouse, will be interviewed by film historian Foster Hirsch. Actors and artists who worked at the Playhouse or other Langner ventures will participate too.
The Literary Landmark’s program, which celebrates important writers and “encourages the dedication of historic literary sites,” is affiliated with United For Libraries and the American Library Association.
Seating in the reception barn is limited. To reserve a seat, email evelangner@att.net.
Congratulations to Westport’s newest Eagle Scouts!
Xavier Rodrigo, Matthew Fleming, Henry Nowak and Oliver Saitz of Troop 36 received their sashes and pins yesterday, at Saugatuck Congregational Church.
All did their Eagle projects at Sherwood Island State Park. Xavier — now a student at Fordham University — earned his honor 2 years ago; his ceremony was delayed by COVID. The other 3 will graduate this June from Staples High School.
Eagle Scouts (from left): Xavier Rodrigo, Matthew Fleming, Henry Nowak, Oliver Saits.
The weather was perfect for yesterday’s 18th annual STAR Walk & Roll fundraiser at Sherwood Island State Park.
Ariel Levy led the event. Her Westport family has supported STAR — the 70-year-old not-for-profit that serves over 700 people with disabilities, from birth to their senior years, and their families – since she began attending its day program.
Walkers of all ages and abilities enjoyed breakfast, music, arts and crafts, dancing, a photo booth, face painting and food trucks. The event raised over $60,000, with the Levy team out front.
Westporter Laura Blair’s team raised the second highest amount.
Ariel (yellow shirt) and her “Team Levy” at yesterday’s STAR Walk.
A mama goose and her babies paddled happily at Compo Beach yesterday. Johanna Keyser Rossi was there to record it, for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Common Ground — the Westport Library’s project to bring civility back to civic discourse — launches this Tuesday (May 2, 7 p.m.).
The event includes a conversation with former Congressman Roy Blunt — a Missouri Republican known for his bipartisan work — and attorney Steve Parrish, whose consulting firm specializes in corporate social responsibility and public affairs.
The aim of the initiative is to host positive, productive conversations on how we work together as a civil society, encouraging respectful, constructive dialogue while tackling challenging, controversial issues.
The Library leads the effort, with community leaders representing a wide array of constituents and views. Click here for more information.
Senator Roy Blunt
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A follow-up on the Representative Town Meeting’s recent “Community Conversation on Affordable Housing” promises to be as important and illuminating as the first.
“Our Town’s Affordable Housing Needs and Solutions: What Westporters Should Know and How They Can Help” will be held — virtually — on May 17 (7:30 p.m.).
RTM moderator Jeff Wieser will lead a panel of men and women who know the topic intimately: State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, Planning & Zoning Commission chair Danielle Dobin, RTM Planning & Zoning Committee chair Matthew Mandell, and Westport Housing Authority director Carol Martin.
As with the first session — which drew 200 people — there will be plenty of time for public questions.
New construction at the Wilton Road/Kings Highway North intersection — opposed by Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission, but allowed by a judge based on Connecticut’s 8-30g affordable housing regulation — is on many residents’ minds.
The final Westport-sponsored project in Lyman, Ukraine has been successfully completed.
Thanks to $252,000 raised — in just 3 weeks — over the holidays, Westport has helped our sister city in many ways. They include:
Repairing 6 apartment buildings, housing 132 people
Purchasing and delivering 2 patrol cars, and communications and other equipment, for the police department after their station was destroyed
Purchasing and delivering 2 trash trucks, to haul away debris and garbage that piled up during 5 months of Russian occupancy
Purchasing bulletproof vests and other protective gear for utility works, who restored electricity near the front lines
Delivering food kids to hundreds of family, including holiday meals for 1,000
Delivering Christmas presents for nearly 500 children
Supplying 2,940 families with seeds for their farms and gardens.
Non-monetary support included 200 cards and artwork, created by Bedford Middle School 7th graders.
There’s still time for other Westport students — and their families — to add to the packages, which will be delivered next month.
Letters, drawings and posters of encouragement can be dropped off on the front porch of 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore’s house: 2A Baker Avenue (between Compo Road South and Imperial Avenue). Blue and yellow balloons (Ukrainian colors) are on the mailbox.
The deadline is May 5. Questions: Email amoore@westportct.gov.
More monetary help is needed. A new drive will begin soon. In the meantime, watch “06880” for news of a giant “thank-you” party for Westport. Save the date now: Sunday, July 9.
PS: To donate now, click here (and select “Westport” from the “Where it is needed most” dropdown menu.
The other day Wynston Browne — the non-speaking autistic Staples High School student who has made spectacular progress since learning to communicate less than 2 years ago — wowed the crowd of 200 people at the Circle of Friends celebration.
The event — celebrating teenagers who model inclusion and service to the community, by providing social experiences for children and teens with special needs — featured Wynston and his communication partner Elisa Feinman.
He earned 2 standing ovations, as he described his journey. Once thought to be intellectually disabled, he now shares deep insights about himself and the world, with many people who are eager to listen.
Also honored: Westporter Stephen Schwartz. Jenn Falik served as MC; 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, Circle of Friends founder and director Freida Hecht, and Caroline Caggiano and James Dobin Smith, co-presidents of Staples’ Circle of Friends Club, offered remarks.
Wynston Browne (center) with his brothers BK (Staples High Class of 2016 graduate) and Harrison, a Staples junior, at the Circle of Friends celebration.
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Pierrepont – the small, non-traditional and very low-profile private school on Sylvan Road North at Post Road West — invites everyone to a big, non-traditional but very intriguing Arts Festival.
The event begins Thursday, May 4 (3 to 5:p.m.) with lectures on raga and contemporary opera, plus poetry. There’s a 5:30 p.m. reception, then at 7 p.m. music from Voices of Hartford and a raga ensemble.
Friday, May 5 includes a 4:30 Urban Bush Woman Workshop, 5 p.m. reception and 7:15 p.m. dance performance.
The 3-day festival concludes on Saturday, May 6 with 8:30 a.m. coffee, and 10 a.m. “Conversations in Art.”
Pierrepont School, on Sylvan Road North. The entrance faces Post Road West.
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“The Gospel of Soul” comes to Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church tomorrow.
The Empire Voices — regular performers at the Metropolitan Opera, on Broadway, and back-up for artists like Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Pete Townshend and David Bowie — will take the Branson Hall “stage” at 5 p.m.
The church’s own Choristers will be make a guest appearance. A reception follows.
Organizers says, “This concert will fill your soul and have you on your feet.” Click here for tickets, and more information.
As outdoor dining returns to Church Lane, the Westport Downtown Association is finalizing its summer concert series. Musicians will provide over 35 evenings of entertainment, al fresco.
A GoFundMe collection will help offset the cost of the singers and bands. Click here to help.
The Levy Family of Westport will lead the 18th Annual STAR Walk & Roll fundraiser on Sunday, May 7 at Sherwood Island State Park.
The Levys have supported STAR — the 70-year-old not-for-profit that serves over 700 people with disabilities, from birth to their senior years, and their families –since their daughter Ariel began attending its day program.
Over the past several years, the Levy Family’s “Team Ariel” has raised over $100,000 for STAR.
The Walk begins at 10 a.m. May 7 with a 1k route suitable for any ability (walkers, strollers, wheelchairs and baby joggers are welcome). There’s a continental breakfast, and family activities including live music, arts and crafts, Bollywood dancing, a photo booth, face-painting and food trucks. Click here to register for the walk, or donate to Team Ariel or other teams. To learn more about STAR, click here.
Ariel Levy (center) with her parents.
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When you live on Myrtle Avenue, sooner or later nearly everyone in town passes your house.
Former Wesptorter Marie “Tina” Jennings-Kamber died April 15 in Sarasota, Florida. She was 98.
Tina came to the US from Venice, Italy in 1948 as a war bride. She established and ran a Ridgefield children’s clothing store, the Cortina Shop.
She married Sereno Jennings of Westport, where they eventually settled. She was a member of Greens Farms Church.
They spent winters in Islamorada, Florida. The couple built the first tennis club, “The Net,” in the Keys, then moving to the mainland in 1983.
After her husband’s passing she met United Nations Diplomat Hans W. Kamberg. Because of their European connection they became close friends. and married soon..
Tina is survived by her step-grandchildren, including former daughter-in-law Ruth Jennings of Westport.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Resurrection House, 507 Kumquat Court, Sarasota, Fl. 34230.
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When you live in Westport, you get used to cormorants.
Still, William Whitmal says — today’s “Westport … Naturally” photographer — he’d never seen so many as the other day, in the Saugatuck River.
The first casualty of the Post Road East construction project was a dozen or so trees at Linxweiler House, between McDonald’s and Fresh Market.
The second casualty is a dozen or so businesses on the other side of the street.
Crews have completely blocked the median’s left-hand cut-through, just before the Roseville Road light. There is also no left-hand turn onto Hillspoint Road.
Work is shut down for Easter weekend. So customers headed west who want to patronize Calise’s Market, International Wines, the Double L Farm Stand or other stores have to head to Mitchells or beyond, to turn around.
A plumbing business there missed a delivery yesterday. The driver refused to turn around, forcing the owner to travel to Bridgeport to pick it up.
There is no word on how long the closures will last.
Yellow construction truck blocks the Post Road East cut-through. (Photo/Michael Calise)
The Westport Museum for History & Culture and Westport Country Playhouse are collaborating on a new micro-exhibit.
“Music of the American Experience: Black Excellence and the Sounds of the Jazz Age” is on view in the Playhouse lobby, from April 11th to 29th.
Tying in with the Playhouse’s current production, “Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical,” the exhibit explores music featured in the show, and the historical events that led to the Harlem Renaissance.
It’s free, and open 2 hours before show time.
Last fall, the Museum’s exhibit “Departures/Arrivals” accompanied the WCP production “From the Mississippi Delta,” about the Great Migration.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’”’s score of jazz, blues and swing music of the 1920s and ’30s provides insight into a vibrant time in American history and music.
For more information on the show, including tickets, click here.
The cast of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (from left): Judith Franklin, Will Stone, Miya Bass, Jay Copeland, Paris Bennett. (Photo/Ron Heerkens Jr.)
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It’s about time.
Miggs Burroughs is the Westport Book Shop’s guest exhibitor of the month.
The Staples High School graduate has designed hundreds of logos, ads, brochures and websites for commercial and non-profit clients throughout Fairfield County — often pro bono.
He created Westport’s town flag, a US postage stamp, an Easter egg for the Reagan White House, and 4 Time magazine covers. He’s also a co-founder of the Artists Collective of Westport. His honors and awards are too many to list here (so click here to see).
Westport Book Shop will exhibit Miggs’ “Signs of Compassion.” The work is a composite of 30 individual lenticular images, each showing a member of the Westport community using American Sign Language to sign a word or phrase from an Emily Dickinson poem about compassion. It can be seen during business hours (Sundays and Mondays, noon to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
A larger version will be exhibited in the lobby of the United Nations building soon.
Miggs Burroughs with “Signs of Compassion,” at the Westport Book Shop.
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From time to time, we see a variety of markings on local roads.
These days, the Evergreen Parkway/Tamarac Road intersection is particularly colorful.
It’s part of the sewer project in the area. And every color means something different.
Alert — and engineer-minded — “06880” reader Mark Mathias notes: “Blue is for water lines. Yellow is for gas lines. Pink is a survey marker. White is the proposed dig area.”
On Sunday, May 7 — as she’s done since it began — Laura will be part of the 18th annual STAR Walk at Sherwood Island State Park.
It’s a fundraiser for the non-profit, which serves more than 700 area families. They support 11 group homes and 16 apartments so that people with intellectual and developmental differences can live independently. They provide training and job placement for 236 adults, plus intervention services for infants and children.
Last year, Laura raised over $16,000. “Team Laura” was second, out of 30 teams.
You can purchase “stars” ($1 minimum each). Click here, or send a check made out to STAR Inc. to Laura Blair, 58 Woodside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880.
Ray Flanigan was a soccer star at Staples High School. After graduating in 1969, and then from Hartwick College, he coached and played on Westport teams. He moved to Bethel, and many Westporters made the trip to the photo shop he owned for decades.
His wife Juleen was a special education teacher, revered throughout the state. A severe concussion, suffered when a large truck smashed into her in 2014, resulted in permanent impairment.
In 2018 she was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s. Through fitness, nutrition, proper sleep, music, her faith and assistance from her family and friends, she delayed the disease’s progress.
In November — having difficulty recognizing family members, and needing full time care — she moved into a facility. The cost is $8,200 a month.
A walk on May 13 (11 a.m., Bethel High School track) will raise needed funds. But anyone, anywhere can donate to Juleen’s care. Click here for details.
Yesterday, “06880” profiled architect and solar energy advocate John Rountree.
Next Thursday (April 13, 5 p.m.., Zoom), he’ll present his insights on the benefits of solar energy in public buildings, to the Public Site & Building Commission.
Rountree is no stranger to the subject. He has already designed the solar panels for Westport’s fire headquarters and train station.
This is a rendering John Roundtree made for Westport fire headquarters. The actual view today looks very similar.
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Westport’s sister city of Lyman, Ukraine continues to need our aid.
And Westporters of all ages help.
Yesterday, Staples High School sophomores Sam Rossoni and Alex Kuster spent several hours sorting through and documenting supplies, donated by the town for police organizations in the embattled city.
It takes a village — and ours stands ready to help.
Alex Kuster and Sam Rossoni flank Ukraine Aid International’s Katya Wauchope, at the police station garage where goods for Lyman are stored before shipment.
On Tuesday, Staples High School’s Club Green formally thanked Westport’s Representative Town Meeting for passing an ordinance limiting the use of leaf blowers.
But, senior Tanvi Gorre says, “the RTM set more than a green standard throughout this process. As a student involved in the process, the RTM gave me the liberty to share my voice and aid change in our town.
“Although our young voices are still deemed null in a sea of experience, I never experienced this feeling with the RTM. They were willing to see the power in someone who hasn’t seen the world for what it is, but instead for what it can be.
“They were willing to respect me enough to challenge me. For that, I am truly grateful.”
Tanvi Gorre thanks the Westport RTM, on behalf of Club Green and herself.
Staples freshmen Adam Turner and Matthew Lupinacci helped lead Maritime Rowing Club’s Under-16 coxed quad to victory at the San Diego Crew Classic last weekend.
The premier regatta includes over 100 races, and draws more than 4,000 athletes. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Crew Classic, but only the 4th year that youth sculling events were included.
Other Maritime rowers from Westport included Mina Leon (part of the 4th place women’s under 17 4x), and Daniel Kleeger (part of the 6th place men’s youth B 4x B).
Boys Under 16 picture: L-R: William Whitman, Henry Brauweiler, Asher Daniel, Matthew Lupinacci, Adam Turner
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Caron Keenan — former chair of Staples’ foreign language department — died peacefully on Wednesday. He was 84, and lived in Fairfield.
The Norwalk native originally intended to enter the priesthood. After graduating magna cum laude from Fairfield University and earning an M.A. in French at Assumption College, he taught middle school in Stamford before joining Staples as a French and Latin teacher in 1967.
He was also an assistant headmaster for library and media, before retiring in 1995.
Caron — a passionate ham radio operator (WA1OMJ) — helped run Staples’ radio station WWPT. He was an early adopter of Apple computers, promoting computer labs in Westport schools and repairing Apple II(e)s and the first Macintoshes.
He had a lifelong relationship with France. On a sabbatical, he lived in Rennes with his young family. He organized school exchanges, there and made many close friends.
He wrote a book about American high schools for French audiences, “Life in a High School.”
In retirement he enjoyed researching his ancestors in the US, Quebec and Ireland.
Caron is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lynn; children Christine Fodor (Gabor) of Fairfield, Keenan (Ashlee) of St. Augustine, Florida and Kevin (Sarah Azaransky) of New York City, and grandchildren Calli, Michael and Daniel Fodor, Ryan Keenan, and Finn Keenan and Anna Lucy Azaransky. Other family includes the Sjodins, Kanes, Caskins and Eckloffs.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, April 12 (10:30 a.m., The Chapel at St. Pius X, 834 Brookside Drive, Fairfield. Burial will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, Norwalk.
Caron Keenan
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Staples High School Class of 2002 Jared Frank visited his hometown recently. In the heart of downtown, near Gorham Island, he spotted this sleeping swan.
It’s today’s “Westport … Naturally” image, and a peaceful way to begin the Easter (egg) weekend.
And finally … speaking of “Ain’t Misbehavin'” (story above): Here’s Fats Waller’s original stride piano performance of the song. He co-wrote it for the musical “Connie’s Hot Chocolates” (called “Hot Chocolates” when it moved from Connie’s Inn in Harlem to the Hudson Theater on Broadway).
He re-recorded “Ain’t Misbehavin’” as a vocal in 1943.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. We’re a non-profit, and we rely entirely on reader support. Please click here to contribute. Thank you!)
They’ll celebrate with an open house reception and volunteer awards on October 16 (1 to 4 p.m., 182 Wolfpit Avenue, Norwalk).
The afternoon includes a catered reception, music by DJ Joe, tours of the newly renovated headquarters, an assistive technology demonstrations, a STAR client art exhibit and more.
Former and present clients and families — and everyone interested in learning more about this remarkable organization — is invited.
For more information, email cgiuliani@starct.org, or call 203-846-9581, ext. 303.
Customers with project-related questions can contact Art Bradshaw, Aquarion’s Project Manager, at (203) 337-5851. For service or water-related issues, please contact Aquarion Customer Service at 1-800-732-9678.
At first glance, this looks like a typical bucolic scene at Nyala Farm (aka one of Bridgewater’s 2 Westport headquarters).
(Photo/Dave Wilson)
But look closely. In the center of the photo — just to the left of the clump of trees — sit a grandstand and water slide.
Nearby — out of the picture — were 4 pool water trucks.
We know the world’s largest hedge fund does things differently.
But we’d sure love to know the back story to this one.
And finally … Ray Edenton died last week in Tennessee. He was 95.
You probably don’t know his name. But he was a session guitarist who played on thousands of recordings, by artists like the Everly Brothers, Charley Pride, Neil Young and Patsy Cline.
The New York Times said: “A longtime member of Nashville’s so-called A-Team of first-call studio professionals, Mr. Edenton contributed discreet, empathetic rhythm guitar to myriad hits in a career that spanned four decades.” Click here for a full obituary.
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