Tag Archives: Stew Leonard’s

Roundup: Maria’s Kidney, Saturday’s Stroll, Stew’s Menorah …

Posted on December 1, 2023 | 1 comment

Maria Vailakis-Wippick needs a kidney.

The former Staples High and Long Lots Elementary School staff member, kids’ and adults’ yoga teacher and meditation leader (at schools, the Senior Center, YMCA and Christ & Holy Trinity Church), and longtime Westport resident, is just 63 years old, and in excellent health otherwise.

Her family has a history of chronic kidney disease. Her son and daughter are not eligible to donate, because they’re at risk of the disease. Her siblings have compromised kidneys too.

A kidney from a living donor has a much higher success rate than waiting 5 to 7 years for a deceased donor kidney. At 15% function, and stage 5 kidney failure, she would have to go on dialysis before one would become available. She watched her father suffer through that.

Testing is easy. It involves an EKG, bloodwork, stress test and colonoscopy.

Even if you don’t match with Maria, your donation starts an exchange program. She could get another matching kidney, from someone who donated on another person’s behalf.

Call Yale New Haven Hospital (866-925-3897, option 1) to find out more about donation. Give Maria’s name as the recipient.

Maria Vailakis-Wippick

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This one snuck up on us: Tonight (Friday, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.) is the annual Wakeman Town Farm holiday tree lighting.

In addition to the lights, there are home-baked cookies, treats and hot chocolate from The Porch and Sweet P Bakery — plus a bonfire, and local musicians.

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Bill Constantino — a Wakeman family member — do the lighting honors.

The 2021 Wakeman Town Farm tree. (Photo/Dan Woog

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Don’t forget: Tomorrow (Saturday) is the day for the “06880”/Westport Downtown Association Holiday Stroll! Its’ 5 to 7 p.m., up and down Main Street, plus Church Street and the Post Road.

It’s a great, family- and kids-friendly way to ring in December.

The Holiday Stroll is very family friendly. There’s a visit from Santa, costumed characters, a photo booth, holiday music from the Orphenians, caroling (beginning at Sconset Square) and more. Youngsters can drop off letters to Santa too (he’ll personally answer each one, with a self-addressed envelope).

Meanwhile, another 8 merchants have signed on. That brings the total to a whopping 60 stores, restaurants and more who will hand out goodies, offer discounts, or find other creative ways to welcome Strollers.

New additions include Cloud Nine Designers, Cold Fusion Gelato, Courtgirl, Club Sweat, Middlemarch, Moxie Salon & Beauty, Penfield Collective, and State & Liberty Clothing.

Here are the treats:

  • Arogya Holistic Healing & Tea: Hot tea to go
  • Artistex Salon & Spa: Buy 1, get 2 free; sale on service packages
  • Awesome Toys & Gifts: Giveaway (TBD)
  • Basso Restaurant & Wine Bar: 15% off for guests mentioning the “06880” Stroll (seating between 4 and 6 p.m.)
  • Birddogs: Free duffle bag with any 5-pair purchase
  • Bobbles & Lace: wine and Bobbles Bucks
  • Bond Vet: Swag and treats
  • Castle Wine & Spirits: Expert wine pairings, with hand-picked selections
  • Clarendon  Fine Art: Bubbly, tasty treats, décor and music; framed, limited edition still life from Tim Fowler (valued at $300)
  • Cloud Nine Designers: Holiday beverages
  • Club Sweat: 3 weeks of classes for $69
  • Cold Fusion Gelato: Free chocolates
  • Cove Collective: 10% off; wine, champagne and a sweet treat
  • Courtgirl: 20% off storewide
  • Crafty Kids: TBA
  • Don Memo: Festive holiday beverage
  • Fred: Holiday treats
  • Gogi Steakhouse: $40 vouchers for dine-in customers
  • Gordon Fine Arts: Light hospitality and hot mulled cider
  • Hummingbird Healing Center: Discounted Harmonic Egg session of $99.99; free gift to everyone visiting the center on the 2nd floor
  • J. Crew: Free pair of cashmere socks, and discount of 15% with any purchase of $125 or more; free tee with every 2 purchased; free tech hat with every 3 purchased; long-sleeve tee or water bottle with every 4
  • Jeweled Coquette: 14K gold “express” permanent bracelet for $100; hot cocoa bar
  • Johnny Was: GWP while supplies last; raffle to win a $250 gift card
  • Kerri Rosenthal: 20% of all KR products; rosé and Prosecco
  • La Plage: 10% off when you mention the Stroll
  • Le Rouge Artisan: White chocolate raspberry hot chocolate
  • Lomito: Peruvian-style hot chocolate with Peruvian paneton or rotisserie chicken mini-sandwich
  • Maxine Salon & Beauty: $20 voucher for any service (except blowouts, men’s/kids and retail); 20% off R & Co. retail products; 10% off all other retail products
  • Mexicue: Happy hour drinks: house margarita $8.50; wine by the glass $8; beer $5
  • Middlemarch: Raffle for $250 gift card, with purchase
  • Naturino Kids Shoes & More: 25% off single item all day long
  • Nômade: Firepit to make your own s’mores
  • Offline by Aerie: 30% off select items; free yoga mat or water bottle with a booked appointment
  • Party Harty: 10% of all Westport-related merchandise
  • Penfield Collective: Prosecco
  • Rhone: Holiday cheer, wellness and gift giving
  • Rive Bistro: Festive cocktail
  • Ron Lakek Gallery: 20% off all framed photos, plus wine and chocolate
  • Rowan: Free pair of earrings with purchase of $75 or more
  • Savvy + Grace: A “north Pole” mailbox for kids’ letters to Santa; holiday cookies
  • Scout & Molly’s: 20% off total purchase
  • Serendipity Labs: Complimentary week of co-working
  • Sorelle Gallery: 20% off in store, all day
  • South Moon Under: 20% off when you spend $100 or more
  • State & Liberty Clothing: 10-15% off bulk purchases of shirts and pants
  • Stretch Zone: Stretches and free stretch vouchers
  • The Tailored Home & Studio Café: Complimentary Santa’s cookies and  hot chocolate; 50% off on all pillows
  • Town of Weston Ukraine Sister City Partnership: Apple cider, water, bracelets, ornaments
  • Toy Post: Free giveaway to children
  • Vince: 15% off full price merchandise when you sign up for texts
  • Vivid Cottage: 5 free holiday cards with purchase
  • Walrus Alley: Happy hour prices
  • WEST: $50 gift card for holiday shopping, through December 31
  • West/Out East: Prosecco and presents
  • Westport Book Shop: free gift with purchase, and coupon valid through December 31
  • Westport Country Playhouse: Buy 1 ticket for “A Sherwood Carol,” get 1 free (December 22 2 p.m. or December 23 7 p.m. shows)
  • Whip Salon: $10 gift card for stopping to say hi (18 and over); holiday treats
  • Williams Sonoma: Hot apple cider and peppermint bark
  • Winfield Street Coffee: $3 hot chocolates with candy canes
  • Merchants and restaurants wishing to participate should click here, to fill out an online form.

There will be vendor booths too, including Tend, Stretch Zone, SugarKrisp and Westport is the Bestport. Non-profit booths like Homes with Hope and MOSS will also be in attendance. Sponsors David Adams Realty and SCA Crowley make it all possible.

A serious Santa conversation, at last year’s Stroll. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Speaking of the holidays:

Stew Leonard’s community menorah lighting celebration is next Thursday (December 7, 5 p.m.).

It’s the 32nd annual family-friendly event for “the world’s largest dairy store,” which began life as a Clover Farms milk vending machine in Saugatuck.

Rabbi Yehoshua Hecht of Beth Israel Chabad will light an 18-foot menorah, followed by live music, holiday songs and pre-packaged kosher refreshments. Hot potato latkes, dreidels and chocolate gelt will be distributed to all.

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling and Westport dignitaries will be on hand for Fairfield County’s largest menorah lighting. .

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Speaking still of the holidays: Westport Country Playhouse is a collection site for Norwalk Toys for Tots and Westport Homes with Hope food pantry during its December lineup of shows, including “The Lightning Thief” on December 2, the “Warrior Class,” Script in Hand play reading December 4, “A Sherlock Carol” December 19-23, and “The Nutcracker” December 8-9.

But you don’t have to see a show to help. Items for the 2 charities may be dropped in collection boxes in the Playhouse lobby any time the box office is open (Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.), as well as performance times.

For Norwalk Toys for Tots, new, unwrapped toys and books for children will be collected through December 14. Items sought include books for all ages in Spanish and Haitian Creole, and toys for newborns through age 18.

For the Homes with Hope food pantry, items may be dropped off in the Playhouse lobby during the run of “A Sherlock Carol,” Tuesday, December 19 through Saturday, December 23. Items needed include canned tuna, chicken, meat; canned vegetables and fruit; hot and cold cereal; canned soup, beef stew, chili; peanut butter and jelly; pasta sauce; mayonnaise; rice (small bags or boxes); protein and granola bars; and crackers.

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Production began this week on “The Apprentice.”

The film with the familiar name is “an exploration of power and ambition, set in a world of corruption and deceit.” It explores Donald Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the ’70s and ’80s, along with his relationship with attorney Roy Cohn.

Deadline says, “Filled with larger than life characters, it reveals the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers.”

The Westport connection: “The Apprentice” was written by Gabe Sherman. He went to Kings Highway Elementary and Bedford Middle School, then Staples High for one year before transferring (in part for skiing) to the Holderness School in New Hampshire. 

Sherman graduated from Middlebury College in 2001. His bestseller “The Loudest Voice in the Room” inspired Showtime’s miniseries “The Loudest Voice,” starring Russell Crowe as Fox News founder Roger Ailes. 

For more details on the film, click here.

“The Apprentice” stars (from left) Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump (inserts).

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Earthplace’s winter program guide is online. It includes information on youth and teen programs, drop-in activities, family and adult events, and day and summer camps.

Click here to see.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo was taken on Morningside Drive South.

Sure, it’s more natural for leaves to just lie where they fall.

But this is the suburban way.

Fingers crossed there’s not much wind …

(Photo/Bob Weingarten)

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And finally … in honor of today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo above:

(“06880” is filled with information you can use — today, and every day. To help support our work, please click here. Thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Children, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, Local business, religion, Westport Country Playhouse

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Roundup: Missing Boaters, Sakura Trees, I-95 Bridge …

Posted on October 24, 2023 | 8 comments

Westport Police offer this update on the vessel that sank near Cockenoe Island on Sunday:

Just before noon yesterday, they located the boat near buoy #2. The search for 2  missing boaters continued all day — even as the WPD was dealing with a major incident involving 2 stolen vehicles, and the arrests of 9 suspects.

At 4:30 p.m., the Westport Police Marine Division was notified of a body in the water approximately 3 miles northeast of the sunken boat. A Bridgeport Fire boat was first on scene, and recovered the body from the Sound.

At Bridgeport Harbor they were met by Westport Police, Connecticut Medical Examiner’s Office, and the family of the victim. He is 38-year-old Juan Gabriel Valle Pineda of Spring Valley, New York.

His body was taken to the office of the chief medical examiner for an autopsy.  Westport Police extend their sympathies to this family, and hope to recover the second missing person. That search was suspended last night, at 9 p.m.

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It’s been a while since the weeping cherry blossom trees in front of Sakura were in the news.

No news is good news.

After being slated for destruction during the Post Road renovation project, it appears they’ve been saved.

Sakura blossoms (Photo/Bob Mitchell)

Andrew Colabella — the Representative Town Meeting member whose initial involvement helped draw attention to the plight of the beloved cherry blossoms — passes along word from Joseph Sorcinelli, construction project engineer for the state Department of Transportation.

The trees may still be pruned, for utility clearance. There is also a concern involving the planned sidewalk elevation, and the pine tree on the property just west of the Sakura driveway.

But it does appear that — as noted during discussions in March, with town officials, the property owner and restaurant owner, Earthplace, Connecticut DOT and Eversource — the icons will remain.

That’s good news indeed.

And next spring, the only weeping will be the trees’.

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The long-anticipated traffic-opalypse — resulting from the “bridge slide” replacement on I-95 over Saugatuck Avenue — did not take place until Sunday afternoon.

Here’s what it looked like at dusk:

(Photo/Ward French)

The new span sat lonely and still unopened. Meanwhile, southbound drivers sat.

Or took alternate routes, everywhere in Westport.

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Meanwhile, kudos to all who made the “slide” happen.

AI Engineers (who probably named their firm long before ChatGPT was a thing) posted this on LinkedIn:

“Major milestone on I-95 [sic] in Norwalk, CT! This past weekend, our talented team oversaw the first successful Accelerated Bridge Slide for the project. As the prime consultant, AI Engineers is not only committed to the safety and efficiency of the construction, but we’re also keen on sharing our knowledge. Our engineers have crafted an animation to demonstrate this innovative slide in action.

“Balancing the bustling traffic of I-95 in Norwalk, minimizing the impact to neighboring communities in Norwalk and Westport, and adhering to precise schedules – notably the season-specific bridge slide – demands careful planning and flexibility.

“Proud to be at the forefront of innovation, ensuring better and safer roads for everyone!

Additionally, a big shoutout to Connecticut Department of Transportation, and Yonkers Contracting Company, Inc. for executing the slide to perfection!”

AII Engineers’s LinkedIn post includes an animation, to show how the “slide” worked. Click here to see. (Hat tip: Neil Brickley)

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It’s (almost) that most wonderful time of year.

Stew Leonard’s 32nd annual Hanukkah menorah lighting celebration is set for Thursday, December 7 (5 p.m.).

Rabbi Yehoshua Hecht of Beth Israel Chabad will light an 18-foot menorah. Everyone is invited to enjoy live music, holiday songs and pre-packaged kosher refreshments. Hot potato latkes, dreidels and chocolate gelt will be distributed to all.

The 2021 menorah lighting at Stew Leonard’s

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David Berkman sold out his first “Jazz at the Post” shows.

This Thursday (October 26, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $15 cover charge), he’s back for more.

He’s joined by Dayna Stephens, an exciting saxophonist and one of Greg Wall’s favorites. (“The Jazz Rabbi” — who will play too — is no slouch on sax himself.)

Rounding out the quintet are bassist Marty Kenney and drummer Curtis Nowosad.

Reservations are strongly encouraged: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

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Lynn Flint’s special 1-day estate show, to benefit Bridgeport artists in need of help with rent, food, fuel and materials, is this Thursday (October 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1 Belaire Drive on Saugatuck Avenue near the Norwalk border).

A few of the many items available at the estate sale to benefit Bridgeport artists.

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“Westport … Naturally” has featured many of our town’s most interesting creatures.

Today we introduce a short-tailed weasel, last seen at the Westport Community Gardens.

Hey, guy!

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

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And finally … in honor of the good news from Sakura (story above):

(Let “06880” be the first to wish you a Happy Hanukkah! And let us remind you for the umpteenth time: Westport’s hyper-local blog relies on reader support. Please click here to help. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Local business, Police, religion, Restaurants, Transportation

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Remembering Stew Leonard, Sr.

Posted on April 27, 2023 | 8 comments

Stew Leonard, Sr. — founder of “the world’s largest dairy store,” which now sells everything from cashmere to wine, has 7 locations in the tri-state area, and traces its heritage to a milk dispensing machine at the corner of Saugatuck Avenue and Treadwell Avenue — died yesterday at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, from complications of pneumonia. He was 93 years old, and lived in Westport.

A graduate of Norwalk High School and the University of Connecticut’s School of Agriculture, Stew first worked for his family’s business: Clover Farms Dairy in Norwalk.

It was state-of-the-art for its time. with a pasteurizing and bottling plant, and fresh milk delivered daily by trucks (with plastic cows on the front that “mooed” for the neighborhood children).

Stew Leonard, Sr.

In the late 1960s, Stew realized the milk delivery business was going the way of the iceman. His belief that it was time to start something new was driven home when the state informed him that Clover Farms Dairy was in the path of a new highway.

He decided to build a retail dairy store where children could watch milk being bottled, while parents shopped in a farmer’s market atmosphere.  In December 1969, Stew Leonard’s opened its doors. It was 17,000 square feet, and carried just 8 items.

Stew Leonard’s grew into what Ripley’s Believe It or Not called the “World’s Largest Dairy store.” It also earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest dollar sales per square foot of selling space. The company is featured in two books by management expert Tom Peters.

Stew was presented with the Presidential Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, and gave a keynote address to the National Speakers Association. He was named a “Top 50 Visionary” by Supermarket News in 2002, and received awards from Ernst & Young,  Inc. magazine and Dale Carnegie. Stew received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bridgeport in 1987.

He published a memoir — “Stew Leonard: My Story” — in 2009.

Stew grew up around the water, and loved Long Island Sound. He won the 1956 North American Water Ski championship, and set a world and national record in point totals for trick water skiing in 1959.

He invented and patented the “Skee-Trainer,” which was attached to a tow rope to teach people to water ski.

Throughout his life he stood at the front door of his Norwalk store greeting customers, often by name.

Stew Leonard’s has grown into a $600 million family owned and operated business. It was named one of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” 10 years in a row.  The company is run by Stew’s son, Stew Leonard, Jr., with help from his siblings Tom Leonard, Beth Leonard Hollis, and Jill Leonard Tavello. Five of Stew’s grandchildren have also joined the business.

Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store.

A memorial service and burial will be private. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Donations in Stew’s memory may be made to the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, which helps fund swimming lessons for children in need. It honors his grandson, who drowned in 1989. Click here to send a message to the family. Cards can also be sent to 100 Westport Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851.

Stew is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marianne Guthman Leonard, their 4 children, 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

8 Comments

Posted in Local business, Obituaries

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Roundup: Schools Dashboard, Stew’s Tree, More

Posted on November 16, 2020 | 1 comment

Want to know how our schools are doing, COVID-wise?

The Westport Public Schools’ web page has overviews, schedules, plans, FAQs — all broken down by elementary, middle and high school levels — along with a “dashboard.”

It shows the number of individuals (staff and students) with positive confirmed cases, who are currently isolating. The most recent number was 37.

There’s also the number of staff and students currently quarantining, because of suspected exposure. That number: 854.

Click here for the page. Then bookmark it, for future reference.

First Christmas tree of the season? Spotted yesterday at Stew Leonard’s:

Señor Salsa said “adios” in January.

Now, nearly a year later, the Post Road West spot is being replaced by … a Mexican restaurant.

Oh, wait. That’s the same story I posted back in May.

I guess it all depends on what the meaning of “Coming Soon” is.

And finally … today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Elton John’s 5th album. How do I know this obscure fact? Well, the title was 11/17/70 …

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Posted in Education, Local business, Restaurants

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Are We Having Fun Yet?

Posted on August 6, 2020 | 35 comments

On Tuesday afternoon I said this would be a long one.

I may have been low-balling things.

As of 7 p.m. last night, Eversource was still “evaluating outages.” There’s a lot to evaluate, I’m sure. But more than 24 hours after what’s been called the 4th worst storm ever to hit the state, Westporters wonder whether power restoration will take days — or weeks.

It’s not as if Eversource has not prepared for storms. Despite what an “06880” commenter said yesterday, they have a robust preventive tree-trimming program. We’ve all seen the trucks on the roads this summer.

The lack of trucks now is getting people testy. So is the heat. And the search for WiFi and food.

We’re creatures of habit. We crave certainty. Between COVID-19 and Hurricane Isaias, we’re swamped by uncertainty, 24/7.

We would not like to click on Eversource’s outage map and see “Estimated repairs completed by Tuesday, August 11.”

But seeing “evaluating outages” is megawatts worse.

(PS: I’d love to post a photo of a utility crew at work. If you’ve got one, send it along!)

So if this is Connecticut’s “4th worst storm ever,” what were the 3 worse ones?

Probably Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, followed by the “Snotober” Halloween snowstorm in  2011, and Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

Don’t forget the 1955 hurricane, or 1938.

Where does this one rank on your list? Click “Comments” below.

This scene of Superstorm Sandy’s fury is from North Compo Road.

“06880” reader and longtime friend Terry Brannigan writes:

Lots of folks are bumping around in the dark, or looking for generators. Yet many Westporters have SUVs, minivans, Jeeps and other cars with AC adaptors.

You can run a cord from them into the house, and plug in plenty of lamps. W had 6 Tuesday night, no problem.

The longer the cord, the more you will lose amperage. Shorter is better, but be careful to park outside — not in a garage. You don’t want fumes!

The car is quiet, has low emissions and will idle for a couple of weeks on s full tank of gas. Those generators your neighbors have are loud, smelly and thirsty!

PS: Your car AC adaptor won’t power your refrigerator. But you will have light, music and the ability to charge batteries.

Plenty of Westporters have discovered the library’s Wifi. The building is closed, but coverage extends into Jesup Green and the Levitt Pavilion parking lot.

Some of those seeking service have (not surprisingly) forgotten that in addition to the power outage, we’re in the midst of a pandemic. With so many people trying to access the internet, it’s hard to stay socially distant.

So, a gentle reminder: Log on, and mask up!

A peaceful, post-Isaias scene on Jesup Green. Crowds are tighter closer to the building.  (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

 

I mentioned yesterday that Don Meno — Bill Taibe’s new restaurant replacing Jesup Green — is open for dinner. So is Walrus Alley next door (the former Rothbard + Larder).

And don’t forget Jeera Thai, the fantastic spot across the street from Design Within Reach. We’re lucky to have it in town — and luckier still that it’s one of the few restaurants with power.

I’m not sure if Balducci’s is still open. But yesterday they got kudos for serving customers (with non-perishables, of course), despite no power.

Starbuck’s is open downtown. Their Wifi and cell service are down though, so it’s cash only. And if you need an ATM, because who carries money these days? Good luck with that.

Stew Leonard’s is open too. In the hours after the storm, they went through an astonishing 20 pallets of ice. They’ll keep getting deliveries of essentials, and keep selling ’em.’

And finally … who would have thought last year that 2019 would be “the good old days”?!

35 Comments

Posted in Local business, Restaurants, Transportation, Weather

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COVID-19 Roundup: Daffodils; Pink Moon; Earthplace; Easter Egg Tree; Augmented Reality; More

Posted on April 7, 2020 | 11 comments

Thanks to the wonderful, multi-talented Miggs Burroughs for the new “06880” logo above. It will grace every Roundup from here until there’s no more COVID news to report. Fingers crossed …

Speaking of masks, here’s what the well-dressed blogger should wear. Apparently I can now look like this even at the bank.

Eileen Ward — director of the Children’s Community Development Center — writes:

“A long long time ago, as children would say (but really only last fall), we planted 1,000 daffodil bulbs in the beds along Hillspoint Road, and our entrance in back.

“Our volunteers — along with hundreds of other people Westporters — decided to ‘paint the town yellow’ in memory of people we love, and to brighten our passings all over town.

“Now, in the most bittersweet of ways, they are blooming en masse. As I come and go, to and from an empty CCDC, I remember the families and children who helped make this beautiful scene possible — and I hope and hope some more.”

The project was conceived by Debra Kandrak. Other daffodil gardens can be seen by the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge downtown, the Sherwood Island Connector, Beachside Avenue, and Project Return.

Daffodils around town.

Rindy Higgins writes: “Calling all Westporters to go outside tonight at 8 p.m. and howl at the pink moon! If the Italians can sing from their balconies to connect during social distancing, we can howl to the moon as a way to reconnect with the human pack.

“Even if it’s cloudy, there’s still the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2020 in the sky. So let’s connect to nature and each other by howling tonight at 8!”

Lisa Power provides this update on the Norwalk Hospital meal train:

The goal is to get daily meals to every unit at Norwalk Hospital (20 people each), delivered by a restaurant. It’s a win-win: feeding hard-working medical personnel, while supporting local businesses.

Many restaurants are even providing discounts for donors. Click here for a list of participating restaurants (scroll down to “General Instructions,” and to donate. Restaurants interested in being listed should email lapower2014@gmail.com.

A special shout out to Food for the Front Line who have been amazing and feeding all units at Norwalk Hosptial on Mondays. I’m hoping this Meal Train will help fill the gap on those other days.

Earthplace now has its own YouTube channel. Features include animal videos, activities to do at home, and story time. Click here to see.

The coronavirus is taking a toll even on Stew Leonard’s. Departments are shutting early — the butchers now leave at 5 p.m. weekdays — and the entire store will be closed this Easter. That’s a first in the store’s history.

Easter services may be canceled, but one tradition lives on: Jalna Jaeger’s Easter Egg tree!

For the 13th year, the 1971 Staples High School graduate has decorated a large tree on her 3 East Avenue property in Norwalk (just down the hill from Stew Leonard’s) with hundreds of eggs.

Kids (of all ages) enjoy it. “We all need something cheerful these days,” Jalna says. She provides it!

Here’s a novel way to amuse yourself (and others), during the pandemic.

Westporter Steven Kranz is a founder of Strax Networks. The new company just launched “StraxAR.” It’s “augmented reality” — and all you need is a smartphone.

Take a video. Then digitally “stick it” to any item: a logo, a painting, a stop sign…

Take a look at this video:

Strax is offering any “06880” reader the chance to submit a video (45 seconds or less). It could be a special recipe, a do-it-yourself project, even a singing dog. They’ll “stick it” to the target of your choice. Your content will be available worldwide, to anyone who “Straxes” that target.

Send your video to support@straxnetworks.com. Their crew will turn it into an augmented reality experience. And — completing the circle — “06880” will feature some submissions here. (The Strax app is available through the App Store and Google Play.)

PS: If you’d like, your augmented reality experience can lead to the home page of a charity of your choice.

And finally, this one might be a springtime cliché. But — as Jalna says above — “we all need something cheerful these days.” We can always count on the Beatles for that.

 

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Posted in Children, Environment, Local business, Organizations

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COVID-19 Roundup: Great Landlords; CNN; Pet, Art, Food News; Devil’s Den Closed; More

Posted on March 25, 2020 | 9 comments

Beth Schaefer leads off with some great news!

She owns Westport Yarns. Her shop is considered “non-essential” — though everyone could do with some soothing knitting these days — and she’s completely shut down. Not even curbside pickup.

Yesterday, her landlords — Edward and Joan Hyde — suspended her rent for April. They did the same for her shopping center neighbors Body Quest and Party Hardy.

If conditions don’t improve, the Hydes will consider doing the same for Beth in May.

“This could make all the difference whether I can survive or not,” Beth says gratefully. “It’s not a guarantee, but it puts me in a much better place.”

The Hydes are not Westport’s biggest or wealthiest landlords. Plenty of Westport commercial real estate is owned by large corporations.

But Edward and Joan Hyde made that first generous, community-minded gesture. Will others do the same, to help other businesses survive?

When they do, let me know. I’ll give them the shout-out they deserve.

First it was the New York Times. Then Fox News. Now CNN has reported on Westport’s state-leading 79 coronavirus cases.

The story mentions the now-infamous party that may have contributed to the spread of the disease. But it also includes cautionary quotes from Yale New Haven Health System’s chief quality officer Dr. Steven Choi — a Westport resident.

“There was no social irresponsibility with the party,” he says. “It could have been any party.”

The spread is now “past the point of contact tracing,” State Senator Will Haskell — a Staples High School graduate — adds. “The most productive thing people could do right now is not point fingers, but stay at home as much as possible.”

For the full story, click here.

Everyone loves healthcare professionals, and pets. But who can care for the latter, when the former is at work?

Town House for Dogs and Cats, that’s who. Owner Sandy Goldman offers free “daycare” for healthcare workers. Email sandylee@optonline.net, or call 203-227-3276.

In related pet news, Westport-based Connecticut Humane Society is hosting a Zoom webinar tomorrow (Thursday, March 26, 3 p.m.).

It’s a PetTalk (the animal version of a TedTalk) about busting pet boredom. Participants will learn how to keep pets’ minds and bodies active. Click here to sign up.

The Humane Society adds, “thankfully everyone here is doing fine. Most pets have been moved to foster homes. Our Fox Memorial Clinic in Newington is seeing veterinary emergencies by appointment.”

In addition to being a frequent “06880” commenter, Rich Stein runs a catering business. He writes now about the sudden, complete end of work for all caterers and private chefs. No more galas or gallery openings; no more private parties. Justlikethat, they’re gone. (As is business for the vendors — including local farmers and markets — they buy from.)

Rich says that he and other caterers — he mentions Dash of Salt, AMG Catering, Along Came Carol, along with his own What’s on the Menu Event Services — have posted very tasty menus on their websites and social media, for anyone who wants meals prepared and delivered (and frozen). They are always scrupulous about cleanliness and health.

Remember: Easter and Passover are coming. You may not have your traditional gathering — but you’ll still want to eat well.

Speaking of food, Brian Lewis is doing all he can to help his dedicated restaurant staff.

All takeout orders at OKO support a new meal train for the employees who are temporarily out of work. He’s providing full dinners for them and their families, twice a week.

“Every dollar from takeout orders that members of the community are so graciously placing supports this meal train,” Brian says. “Each dollar also helps me keep 9 people employed. and our doors open.”

Brian also plans to help feed first responders, and medical workers.

To help OKO help others, click here. For a list of all restaurants and markets offering curbside and takeout delivery, click here; then scroll down.

Speaking even more of food, Stew Leonard Jr. was on Fox News yesterday, talking about his family’s business.

Panic buying seems over, he says. They’ve adjusted to spikes, like selling 40,000 cans of tuna fish a week, up from the usual 10,000.

He also noted changes, like eliminating loose bagel bins and (aaargh!) all those free samples.

Oh, yeah: Stew’s is paying employees an extra $2 an hour now.

Click here for the full interview.

 

The Nature Conservancy has closed Devil’s Den. A “dramatic increase” in visitors — combined with their lack of social distancing, and “not heeding the town of Weston’s request to refrain from parking on roads which can block emergency access for our neighbors” — sparked the decision.

Bridgeport Rescue Mission offers food, shelter, clothing, addiction recovery services and education to a desperate population in Bridgeport — and does it 24/7/365, with no city, state or federal funding. A number of Westporters are deeply involved in the Mission’s work.

COVID-19 hits the low income, homeless and mentally ill populations hard. Meanwhile, both food donations and financial support is down. Packaged food or wellness kits with hand sanitizer, tissues, soap and cough drops can be dropped off at 1069 Connecticut Avenue, Bridgeport (Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Click here to donate online, or mail to: BRM, PO Box 9057, Bridgeport, CT  06601.

 

Beechwood — Frederic Chiu and Jeanine Esposito’s innovative, immersive arts salon series — offers intimate, personal encounters with music, paintings, sculpture, dance, the written word and more.

It’s the opposite of social distancing.

But you can’t keep Beechwood down.

From 6 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday in April, they’ll provide an hour of art, music, performances and special guests. And they’ll do it while connecting communities around the globe. Audiences don’t just tune in; they’ll interact too.

Each Wednesday has a theme. There are live performances, special guests, and excerpts from amazing performances over the past 9 years of salons.

Mark your calendars. Then click on facebook.com/beechwoodarts. For more infromation, click here.

And finally, a few wise words from Bill Withers:

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Posted in Arts, Environment, Local business, Media, Organizations, People, Restaurants

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Half A Century Young: Stew Leonard’s, And The Miracle Mets

Posted on March 26, 2019 | 7 comments

Alert “06880” reader/Terex director of internal communications/ 1970 Staples graduate/longtime New York Mets fan William Adler writes:

1969 was a magic time: Woodstock, and a man on the moon. It was also the summer of the Miracle Mets. New York’s lovable losers went from last to first in a historic season — capped by a seemingly impossible victory over the mighty Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

Fifty years ago too, Stew Leonard’s store was opening.

At Staples High School, students like my classmate Phil Gambaccini raced home from school to catch portions of the fall classic (World Series games were played during the day back then).

Yesterday, 6 members of that 1969 Mets team signed autographs at Stew Leonard’s. They were celebrating both the 50th anniversary of their world championship, and the store’s 50th.

Phil Gambaccini recently moved back to Westport, after many years abroad. He was at Stew’s yesterday, of course. In the photo below, Ed Kranepool (center) and Art Shamsky autograph a ball for him.

Other Met legends in Norwalk were Ron Swoboda, Cleon Jones, Jim McAndrew and Duffy Dyer.

The line for autographs snaked through the store and into the parking lot, for several hours. Near the end players moved through the line, shaking hands with fans (many as gray as the Mets), and handing out pre-autographed sheets of paper.

Most of the Mets — notably Shamsky, 77 — looked close to playing form, or at least fitter than many fans.

Kranepool has suffered with diabetes for many years, and is searching publicly for a transplant match. When fans asked about his health he quietly said, “Thank you. I just hope I get my kidney.”

To honor the 50th anniversary of the Mets’ championship season, Stew Leonard’s announced that its Wishing Well charity will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. That’s a tribute to Mets Hall of Famer and ’69 World Series ace Tom Seaver, recently diagnosed with Lyme-related dementia.

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Posted in History, Local business, Looking back, People, Sports

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Pic Of The Day #245

Posted on December 18, 2017 | 6 comments

Santa shops at Stew’s (Photo/Lynn U. Miller)

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Posted in Local business, Pic of the Day

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Friday Flashback #48

Posted on July 14, 2017 | 27 comments

The news that Amazon is buying Whole Foods has everyone atwitter.

Perhaps the mammoth company that delivers nearly everything except babies will now make those pesky supermarket food runs obsolete too.

What could be better than, say, having fresh milk delivered right to your home?

Jeff Bezos, meet Marty McFly. And both you guys, meet the milkman.

(Photo copyright Paul Ehrismann)

Back in the day, Westport was awash in milkmen. Ferris (on North Morningside), Wade’s, Clover Farms* — they and many other local dairies brought milk straight to your doorstep. Sometimes, they’d even put it in your refrigerator icebox.

Sounds like a great idea whose time has come.

And gone.

And come again.

If that works, maybe we can also ask doctors to come to our homes too.

I’ve got just the name too. We could call them “house calls.”

*Never heard of Clover Farms? That’s because it turned into a slightly larger business called Stew Leonard’s. You know — “the worlds largest dairy store.” They don’t use an apostrophe — but they do sell cashmere.

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Posted in Friday Flashback, Local business

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