Tag Archives: The Hamlet at Saugatuck

Roundup: Beach Emblems, Hamlet At Saugatuck, Staples Comics …

Posted on March 18, 2025 | 10 comments

Summer is here!

Beach parking emblems (oldtimers call them “stickers”) are available for purchase — online and in the Parks & Recreation Department office — for Westport and Weston residents starting this Thursday (March 20), at 9 a.m. There is no limit for Westport and Weston residents. Click here for fees.

Beach parking emblem sales for non-residents begin tomorrow (Wednesday, March 19), at 9 a.m. The fee is $545, plus sales tax. There is a limit of 450 for the season — first come, first served.

If you bought emblems or registered for programs in previous seasons, your online account is already set up. Click here to log in. Then select “Memberships,” and follow the prompts.

If you have not bought emblems or registered for programs previously, click here. Then click the “Purchase Now” icon on the right.

Emblems will be mailed in 14-21 business days. They are not required until May 1.

If you forget your login or password, do not create another account. Select the proper “forget” button on the login page. For further help, email   recreation@westportct.gov.

Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Beach stickers go on sale this week. (Photo/Mark Marcus)

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The Planning & Zoning Commission’s discussion of The Hamlet at Saugatuck proposal continues next Monday  (March 24, 6 p.m., Zoom).

The specific agenda item is for “special permit/coastal site plan approval for a mix of non-residential, hotel and residential uses as part of an integrated site development, for property located in the General Business District/Saugatuck Marina” area.

Click here for details on The Hamlet at Saugatuck’s proposal.

A view of The Hamlet at Saugatuck, from the Saugatuck River.

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Staples High School’s Asian Students Association is raising funds to provide menstrual hygiene products to women who face challenges accessing those basic necessities. The World Bank estimates that number as high as 500 million women. 

There is a local need too. The Staples group’s goal is to raise $1,000 for Homes with Hope. The non-profit runs Westport homeless shelter and food pantry (whose shelves include hygiene products).

The club is a part of Dear Asian Youth, a youth-led, global non-profit that promotes solidarity with other marginalized communities, and equality and equity. Click here to donate, and for more information.

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Speaking of Staples: Mark DeRosa’s teaches drawing and animation classes there, along with an after-school comic book course called Graphicus that publishes an annual anthology.

Last weekend they presented their work at Southern Connecticut State University’s Indie Comics Creator Con.  It drew over 175 creators from around the country, and included panels and discussions about making and publishing comics.

DeRosa’s students saw first hand the impact their creations have on comic fans of all ages. They were buoyed by guest appearances from 2 principals: Staples’ Stafford Thomas, and Bedford Middle School’s Adam Rosen. 

From left: Stafford Thomas Jr., son Stafford Thomas III, Dinuka Periyapperuma, Archie Kobetitsch, Will Hebel.

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Congressman Jim Himes has scheduled in-person town hall meetings for this Saturday in Norwalk (10 a.m.) and Fairfield (1 p.m.), along with a telephone town hall on Monday, March 24 (7:30 p.m.).

Click here for details, and to register.

Congressman Jim Himes

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Westport Country Playhouse artistic director Mark Shanahan is in rehearsal for “Theatre People.” The adaptation of the Hungarian play — set in 1948, in a Newport mansion — opens March 25.

But that’s not Shanahan’s only Hungarian connection. A play he adapted —Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” — is currently on stage there.

“I’m told that even in another country and another language, the audience still gasps at the big reveal,” Shanahan says.

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From blowing bebop with the Charles Mingus Band to improvising with Anthony Braxton, Michael Rabinowitz has changed conceptions of what a bassoon can do.

Local jazz fans can hear him — and bassist Rich Zurkowskir, pianist Roberta Piket, drummer David Alvarez and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall — this Thursday (March 20) at Jazz at the Post (VFW Post 399).

Shows are 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Dinner service starts at 7. The music cover is $20 ($15, veterans and students). Click here for tickets.

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Local experts will share insights on enhancing “lifespan and health span.” The first event (March 26, 6 p.m.) continues a conversation between TAP founder Dr. EJ Zebro and Jennifer Boyd, begun during their sold-out Westport Farmers’ Market session.

A team from Rhone will offer performance-driven gear. Register by email: info@tapstrength.com.

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Longtime Westport resident Malcolm Doak died peacefully at his home in Spring, Texas on January 27, surrounded by family. He was 95.

He joined Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Hackensack (New Jersey) High School).

While studying at Rutgers University, Malcolm was accepted into the USAir Force flight school. In 1952 he received his wings and married Vivian, the love of his life.

During the Korean War he served with distinction. Malcolm then transitioned to civilian aviation, while remaining active in the Air Force Reserves.

He entered corporate aviation as a pilot for IBM. He then served Wayfarer Ketch Corporation as chief pilot and director of flight operations. Owned by the Rockefeller brothers, Wayfarer Ketch allowed multiple companies to own their own aircraft, while pooling the resources of pilots, mechanics,

Malcolm flew Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, and led the first commercial flight into China after President Nixon normalized relations.

He finished his career at American Express as vice president of flight operations. Malcolm served as USAF academy liaison officer for the state of Connecticut, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Malcolm and Vivian moved their 5 children to Westport in 1964. The couple donated time and money to the Westport Public Library, Westport Country Playhouse, Scouting, the Westport Weston Family Y and environmental organizations.

He enjoyed jogging and biking, then sculleld on the Saugatuck River into his 80s.

He is survived by his children Kathi of New York City; Lisa Lyne (James) of Spring, Texas; Ivy (Tim Montler) of Denton, Texas; Robin Neyrey of Spring, and Malcolm (Carole Ann) of Kirby, Vermont;  7 grandchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, and 3  great-grand children; 3 half sisters, and 1 step-sister. His wife Vivian Doak died in 2021.

Malcolm Doak

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There’s a late winter chill on the Saugatuck River. But — as they do in all weather, all year long, and as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows — Saugatuck Rowing Club athletes are ready to work.

(Photo/Ed Simek)

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And finally … happy 55th birthday to Queen Latifah!

(If today’s “06880” helps you get your beach sticker — hey, that’s what we’re here for. We’re your hyper-local blog, 24/7/365. Don’t thank us — just click here to support our work! Much appreciated.)

 

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Posted in Beach, Obituaries, Real estate, Saugatuck, Staples HS, Westport Country Playhouse

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Roundup: Hamlet Application, Seniors’ Writing Contest, #EndJewHatred …

Posted on March 6, 2025 | 19 comments

Tonight’s (Thursday) boys basketball state tournament quarterfinal between Staples and St. Bernard has been moved to Fairfield Warde High School. Tip-off is 7 p.m.

The Wreckers — ranked #4 in Division I — are the host team, against the #5 easterners. The site was changed because Warde’s gym is larger than Staples’.

Staples and St. Bernard have developed a great rivalry. In 2023, #1 ranked St. Bernard-Uncasville topped the #7 Wreckers 63-50, in the state Division II finals at Mohegan Sun.

Earlier this year, in a non-league game, St. Bernard beat Staples 63-56 in Uncasville.

The Wreckers are betting that the third time the charm — especially at “home.”

The FCIAC champion Staples boys basketball team hope to advance in the state tournament tonight.

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Discussions about The Hamlet — the new Saugatuck project — begin Monday (March 10, 6 p.m.; Zoom).

The Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on a request for special permit/coastal site plan approval for 601, 606 and 609 Riverside Avenue, 91 and 96 Franklin Street, and 2 and 16 Railroad Place, for “a mix of non-residential, hotel and residential uses as part of an integrated site development, for property located in the General Business District/Saugatuck Marina.”

The public may observe and participate in the hearing.

Part of the land under consideration for The Hamlet at Saugatuck.

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You’ve heard of the TEAM Westport Diversity Writing Contest, open to local teenagers. And the Farmers’ Market Young Shoots photo contest, also for kids.

What about older residents?

If you’re 60 or older: You’re in luck.

The Westport Library, the Westport Center for Senior Activities, and Meryl Moss Media Group have just announced the first-ever Jackie Robinson Essay Contest.

Organized by the Library’s Common Ground Initiative, it invites submissions (800 words or less) based on this prompt: “Jackie Robinson stands as an icon of equality and civil rights. What does that say about the power of his legacy, of the place of sports in our culture, and about our modern-day society?”

Click here to submit essays. The deadline is March 24. A panel will choose the winners, to be announced on April 15 — Jackie Robinson Day.

Winners will receive Jackie Robinson memorabilia, a chance to be featured by the Jackie Robinson Museum, and tickets to a New York Mets game at Citi Field — home to the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.

Jackie Robinson. He was a longtime resident of Stamford.

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Earthplace continues to have a full calendar, for children, adults and families. They include:

  • Garden Planting & Seed Starting (tonight, March 6, 6 p.m., $35)
  • Family Campfire: Spring Equinox (March 22, 1 p.m.; member family $30, non-member $40)
  • Rain Gardens 101 (March 20, 7 p.m.; free)
  • Parents’ Night Out (March 28, 6 p.m.; member child $50, non-member $60)
  • New drop-off programs for kids
  • Vacation days and summer camp.

Click here for details.

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If you wonder what lies beneath your property or under your floorboards, check out “Hidden History in Your Backyard.”

The Weston History & Culture Center hosts Instagram-famous Maryclare Roos for a March 30 presentation (3 p.m.; $5).

It’s followed by a wine and cheese closing reception of the exhibit, “Weston…What Lies Beneath.” The show features many treasures excavated by Roos on her antique property. Click here for more details.

Maryclare Roos

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Human rights attorney Brooke Goldstein — founder and executive director of The Lawfare Project — is the special guest at a March 27 fundraiser (6:30 p.m., private home).

Called “An Evening of Impact to #EndJewHatred,” it benefits that Lawfare Project program of the same name.

Yale University student Sahar Tartak will be there too, discussing a recent antisemitic attack she experienced,  and how The Lawfare Project is fighting to protect her and the rights of Jewish students across the country.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

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Donna Disch dished on her role as Westport poet laureate, at Tuesday’s Westport Rotary Club lunch meeting.

She described initiatives like the poetry box on Soundview Drive (there’s a new poem every day), and a weekly poetry workshop. \

“If I didn’t have poetry, I’d feel quite hemmed in,” Disch said. “Poetry offers a focus, a refuge, a respite. It gives me a great deal of contentment.” She encouraged Rotarians to open their minds to the benefits of verse.

The laureate also read poems by Homer Winslow, Wendell Berry, Robert Frost and others.

Donna Disch, at the Westport Rotary Club meeting. Her poetry box is on the slide in the background. (Hat tip and photo/Dave Matlow)

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The Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra — a Staples High School elite musical ensemble — entertained the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston at Saugatuck Congregational Church on Tuesday. The concert was arranged by the Y’s Men Classical Music Society.

Carrie Mascaro conducts the group. The program included music by Mozart, Telemann, Copland, Joplin and others.

Stradivarius Chamber Orchestra, at Saugatuck Church. (Hat tip and photo/Dave Matlow)

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Coming soon to Westport: Everything But Water.

The women’s swimwear and resort wear retailer will move into Elm & Main (formerly called Brooks Corner) downtown.

Everything But Water has been in business for over 35 years. They currently operate over 85 stores across the United States. The closest location now is in Greenwich.

“One piece wonder,” from Everything But Water.

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State Senator Tony Hwang delivered the invocation at Tuesday’s Representative Town Meeting session.

He said “we are better together,” and expressed the importance of community involvement and public service.

State Senator Tony Hwang (right) and RTM moderator Jeff Wieser, before Tuesday’s meeting. (Photo/Jimmy Izzo)

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Coleytown Middle School’s Company is hard at work on their spring production.

“Matilda The Musical” — inspired by the beloved Roald Dahl novel — runs for 4 performances, April 4-6.

Coleytown Company promises “colorful characters, rousing songs, and an inspiring storyline.” The show will entertain audiences of all ages — especially elementary school, with its “relatable and magical” story.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (March 7). Click here to order, and for more information.

Coleytown Company presents “Matilda The Musical.”

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Westport native and 1961 Staples High School graduate Jonathan Jaeger died peacefully on Tuesday, at the VA Hospital in West Haven. He was 81, and had been in failing health for several months. He was very grateful for the wonderful care and heartfelt attention he received from excellent doctors and nurses there.

Jon attended Greens Farms Elementary and Assumption Schools before Staples. After graduation he joined the Air Force. He served from 1961 to 1965 in New Jersey and Newfoundland.

Jon then spent 8 years working at Norden Systems in Norwalk. In 1973 he joined his father Andre in the family business, Greens Farms Cut Flower Exchange. In 1981 Jon and his sister Sara bought it from their father, and operated it for the next 28 years. They sold their business and Hyde Lane greenhouses in 2003, and moved to a new location in Norwalk. With changes in the sourcing of wholesale flowers, they closed it in 2009.

Jon loved everything about flowers. He was a passionate gardener, and he enjoyed the fascinating people he met through business.

After retirement, Jon continued to work with East Coast Wholesale Flowers of
Norwalk and at the Fort Hill Farmer’s Market Stand, until shortly before his death.

He is survived by 3 of his 8 siblings: Rene of Woodinville, Washington; Sara of Fairfield, and Jalna of Norwalk.

Jnathan Jaeger

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During the pandemic, many Westporters discovered the beauty of Sherwood Island State Park.

It continues to draw plenty of residents every day — all year long.

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows one of many intriguing scenes, at this jewel in the heart of our shoreline.

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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And finally … in honor of Westport’s first-ever Jackie Robinson Essay Contest (story above):

(Politics, religion, the Library, poetry, music, the environment, seniors … just another Roundup, jam-packed with info you can use. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Posted in Entertainment, Environment, Library, Local business, Local politics, Obituaries, Staples HS

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The Hamlet At Saugatuck: Revised Plans Promise Less Density, More New England

Posted on January 30, 2025 | 45 comments

What a difference 16 months makes.

ROAN Ventures — developers of the Hamlet at Saugatuck project — filed plans yesterday with the Planning & Zoning Department.

The new design for the redevelopment of the town’s first commercial center show many changes from the original proposal, unveiled in June of 2022.

The modifications and alterations follow input from a September 2023 charette. Officials from P&Z, the Architectural Review Board, Conservation Department, Selectwoman’s Office, Police and Fire Departments, Representative Town Meeting — and the public — offered critiques and suggestions.

Criticism centered on the buildings’ density, height and architecture.

The drawings, landscape plans, and traffic and parking studies filed yesterday reflect changes since then.

The Hamlet at Saugatuck still encompasses the rectangle between Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place, Franklin Street and Charles Street, plus land on Riverside Avenue from Tutti’s to Railroad Place, plus the private parking lot above Luciano Park.

Plans still include retail, restaurants, residences, a 57-room hotel, marina, gourmet market and kids’ club near Luciano Park, boardwalk, underground parking — and a renovation of the 21 Charles Street office building.

But the look now is less massive. The edges are less sharp. The design is more New England.

For example, 3 buildings along the waterfront are more balanced. Setbacks on the upper floor make a 4-story building seem like 3, from the street.

Three buildings on Riverside Avenue, between Railroad Place (left) and the I-95 bridge, as seen from the water. Charles Street is between the middle and right buildings.

Over 50,000 square feet of the project — about 50% of the total area — will be devoted to public space. Midway, a tree-lined walking path from Luciano Park will lead to stadium seating along the river.

A walking path — with cobblestones — leads to the river (top).

The largest of the dozen or so buildings will sit on one side of that pathway. Its location next to the I-95 bridge will mitigate the current feeling of being overwhelmed by the towering span.

The largest building (right) will shield the pathway from the I-95 bridge (not shown, to the right of the building).

Riverside Avenue from Charles Street to Railroad Place — and Railroad Place itself — will be stamped concrete. It looks similar to cobblestone, a surface that slows drivers down.

One of the most intriguing designs is along Railroad Place itself. Architects have gone back more than a century — to when the Saugatuck post office occupied what is now Steam Coffee — to recreate a long-ago look.

A new look — taken from a century ago — for Railroad Place, from Riverside Avenue (right) to the west. The road surface is stamped concrete.

A key selling point of The Hamlet is the re-skinning of 21 Charles Street (the gruesome office building across from Zucca Gastrobar).

Its proposed red brick facade will hark back to old New England industrial towns. Think SoNo in nearby Norwalk; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine (or, right here in Westport, newly refurbished National Hall).

A new look for the 21 Charles Street office building.

A barn-like building next to Luciano Park — right now, a storage lot for large boats — has been reimagined in all stone. Along with a market and kids’ activities, it will serve as an event space, for weddings, bar mitzvahs, corporate events and more.

Luciano Park, with an event space barn behind it (where boats are now stored).

The Hamlet at Saugatuck will include 57 residential units, spread over 5 buildings. Up to 20% will be affordable, under state guidelines (or up to 25% if off-site — within a quarter-mile of the train station).

Parking for 250 to 300 cars is planned below grade. There will be 2 access points: Railroad Place, and Franklin Street (opposite Luciano Park).

That stretch of Franklin Street, meanwhile, would become 2-way. A roundabout at the curve by Railroad Place would enable dropoffs and pickups at the train station — avoiding a drive down Riverside Avenue and a right turn onto Railroad Place.

Franklin Street would become 2-way, past the 21 Charles Street office building, and the building that now houses a karate studio. Luciano Park is not shown, on the left.

With yesterday’s filing, the special permit process through town boards begins.

ROAN’s goal is for The Hamlet at Saugatuck’s shops, residences, walking paths, hotel, marina, underground parking — and the fresh-but-retro-looking 21 Charles Street — to be open in 2028.

(Westport’s LandTech site/civil engineering firm leads the design team. ROAN Ventures is also working with architects GKV, Phil Cerrone and Bill Bensley; landscape architect SWA, and DPZ design.)

BONUS PHOTOS: Here are a few views of the area encompassed by The Hamlet at Saugatuck.

The parcel between Railroad Place (far left), Riverside Avenue (bottom) and Charles Street (right).

21 Charles Street office building.

Luciano Park, with boat storage behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

45 Comments

Posted in Environment, Local business, Local politics, Real estate, Saugatuck, Transportation

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Charrette Moves Hamlet Forward

Posted on September 27, 2023 | 5 comments

Eight months after the RTM voted 33-1 to uphold a Planning & Zoning Commission decision to allow new development in Saugatuck, preparations for The Hamlet are moving along.

The developers are leaving nothing to chance.

This month, architects and others from DPZ — a firm specializing in pedestrian-oriented neighborhood planning — came to Westport, from offices in Washington, Miami, Portland and Puerto Rico, to see Saugatuck first-hand.

And to listen.

Working in the Riverside Avenue office of ROAN Venture, they invited town officials and others to a charrette, to view plans and offer feedback. The goal is to hear concerns about traffic, zoning, the marina and other elements while the process is still in the design phase.

Conversations result in changes “in real time,” said DPZ partner Marina Khoury.

Renderings of waterside elements of The Hamlet at Saugatuck.

The first official on Monday was Conservation Department director Colin Kelly. He offered insights into Westport’s Waterway Protection Line Ordinance, setbacks, seawalls, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and more.

Representatives from the Police Department, Selectwoman’s office and others were invited this week too.

Some attendees criticized the proposal when it was announced last year. “We want input from everyone,” says Pete Romano, whose LandTech environmental engineering firm is working with ROAN Ventures, DPZ and noted architect Bill Bensley on the project.

DPZ’s Marina Khoury and LandTech’s Pete Romano, with The Hamlet at Saugatuck drawings in ROAN Ventures’ office.

The Hamlet at Saugatuck encompasses the rectangle between Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place, Franklin Street and Charles Street, plus land on Riverside Avenue from Tutti’s to Railroad Place, and the private parking lot above Luciano Park now used for boat storage.

Plans include retail, restaurants, residences, a hotel, marina, a gourmet market and kids’ club near Luciano Park, a boardwalk, underground parking — and a total renovation of the 21 Charles Street office building.

Artist’s rendering of the re-skinning of 21 Charles Street …

… and the view from the Saugatuck River.

(“06880” broke the story of The Hamlet at Saugatuck last year. If you appreciate local journalism, please click here to upport our work. Thank you!)

5 Comments

Posted in Local business, Real estate, Saugatuck

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Photo Challenge #427

Posted on March 5, 2023 | 21 comments

There’s an old saying: “No publicity is bad publicity. Just spell my name right.”

A corollary might be: “It doesn’t matter if you’re the ugliest building in Westport. Everyone knows you.”

Everyone — well, 24 readers, which is a ton for this contest — recognized last week’s Photo Challenge.

Ed Simek’s shot showed the sculpture that — for half a century or so — has sat on the side of what nearly everyone who has seen it calls “the ugliest building in Westport.” (Click here to see.)

And — because the location in the heart of Saugatuck, near the train station, by Exit 17, a few yards from I-95 — is so visible, at some point everyone sees it.

Readers described it in many ways: near the old Arrow restaurant, across from the now-closed Tarry Lodge, by the station, next to Luciano Park, even (most accurately) 21 Charles Street.

No one though said, “Hey, the building is beautiful!”

A few folks pointed out that the artwork’s creator — Harvey Weiss — is a noted sculptor.

A few also asked what would happen to the building if the Hamlet at Saugatuck project is approved.

The bad news: It’s not going anywhere.

The good news: It will be re-skinned.

Congratulations to Fred Cantor, John Richers, Elaine Marino, Bill Dohme, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Kate Caputo Squyres, Vanessa Bradford, Scott Brodie, Ken Stamm, Peter Barlow, Lucy Kiermaier, Bobbie Herman, Kenny Gilbertie, Suzanne Warner Raboy, Alicia Kaye Kronick, Tom Feeley, John Lisee, Richard Hyman, Clay Yalof, Brooks Sumberg, Michael Calise, Amy Schneider, Sharon Paulsen and Howard Potter.

You sure know ugly when you see it.

This week’s Photo Challenge shows a handsome grandfather clock. If you know where in Westport you’d find it, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Tom Lowrie)

21 Comments

Posted in Photo Challenge, Saugatuck

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Let’s Talk: Community Conversation Set For Affordable Housing

Posted on February 20, 2023 | 34 comments

Nancy Kail wants affordable housing — and local control of it.

She is concerned about traffic, safety, conservation and open space.

She recognizes that there are many contradictions in those beliefs.

But she also knows that the first place to address — and untangle — them is through 8-30 g, Connecticut’s most controversial and least understood affordable housing regulation.

Nancy Kail

Kail is deeply invested in Westport. A 1980 Staples High School graduate who moved back here several years ago, she is in her first term as a Representative Town Meeting member.

But despite her long history here, and strong knowledge of local affairs, she realized during the RTM’s recent debate on the Hamlet at Saugatuck project that she did not know as much about 8-30g as she would like.

(Connecticut’s law stipulates that 10% of a municipality’s housing stock be “affordable,” under a state formula. Developers may bypass local zoning regulations if they set aside 30% of a project’s units for such housing. Towns may seek moratoriums, though only housing built after 1990 is considered in the 8-30g formula.)

The RTM’s discussion of the Hamlet proposal — sparked by a citizens’ petition, after the Planning & Zoning Commission adopted a text and map amendment that would allow a hotel/residential/retail/marina complex to be built in the area around the train station, Riverside and Railroad Place — was an eye-opener for Kail.

“I came in with an open mind, but had a definite opinion,” Kail says.

“Hearing about the implications of 8-30g on the P&Z’s decision made me do a  total 180.”

The specter of 8-30g hovered over discussions of the Hamlet at Saugatuck project.

Kail began thinking about affordable housing, and all its consequences. How did it give rise to 8-30g? What are the implications when Westport’s moratorium expires next month? What can a town do, or not do, under the 8-30g statute?

She realized she needed to know more about 8-30g, so that she could understand Westport’s approach to affordable housing.

And she realized she was not the only one needing to know more.

The result is an open forum. “The Impact of Connecticut State Statute 8-30g: What We Can Expect for 2023” is set for next Monday (February 27, 7 p.m., Westport Library).

Working with fellow RTM members Seth Braunstein, Ross Burkhardt, Jimmy Izzo, Sal Liccione, Matthew Mandell, Liz Milwe and Claudia Schaum, Kail has organized a diverse panel:

  • State Representative Jonathan Steinberg
  • Westport town attorney ira Bloom
  • Planning & Zoning Commission chair Danielle Dobin
  • Connecticut Center for Ending Homelessness CEO Evonne Klein.

The event will be led by RTM moderator Jeff Wieser, former CEO of Westport’s Homes with Hope.

The panel discussion will be followed by a Q-and-A, with audience members.

This is only the start of a town-wide exploration of affordable housing. Other sessions will be held later.

“We all can learn a lot, from good, solid, non-inflammatory conversations,” Kail says.

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Posted in Local politics, Real estate

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Roundup: RTM’s Saugatuck Vote, Josh Koskoff & Alex Jones …

Posted on January 18, 2023 | 17 comments

By an overwhelming majority last night, the Representative Town Meeting affirmed the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recent decisions to allow text and map amendments in Saugatuck.

There were 33 RTM members in favor, 1 against (Sal Liccione) and 1 abstention (Matthew Mandell). The vote — following similar margins in the RTM’s Transit and Planning & Zoning Committees — means that planning can proceed for the Hamlet at Saugatuck.

That project could bring new retail, restaurants, residences, and a hotel and marina to the area near the train station.

The RTM vote was required, based on a petition from voters. Twenty-four members had to vote to overturn the P&Z decision — but only 1 did.

Next up: A site plan for the Hamlet project, and approval from the P&Z.

Artists’ rendering of an interior courtyard of The Hamlet at Saugatuck.

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What’s the newest hot place in town for teenagers?

The Westport Library.

It’s been filled all week long, with Staples High School students studying for midterms.

The Trefz Forum — and the rest of the building — has been a place where friends can work together, but where others can find space to be alone. It’s serious, but also social — perfect for teens’ needs.

The other night, library officials surprised the students with 25 pizzas.

They were gone quicker than you could say “good luck with exams!”

Where do Westport teenagers head at night? The Westport Library. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

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Speaking of the Westport Library: The Trefz Forum will be packed tomorrow morning too (Thursday, January 19, 10 a.m.).

Local attorney (and Staples High graduate) Josh Koskoff will discuss his latest victory: the largest verdict in history in a defamation suit. Koskoff led the case against Alex Jones, who used his Infowars website and daily radio show to present counter-factual information about issues including the Sandy Hook school shooting.

Koskoff’s talk will also be livestreamed. Click here for the link.

The event is co-sponsored by the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.

Josh Koskoff

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Speaking still of the Library:

It was packed in November, for the Board of Education’s first “Community Conversation.”

Plenty of topics were discussed — but others, like challenges to books in the high school library, and diversity, equity and inclusion planning — did not have time for exploration.

A second open discussion — picking up where last fall’s left off — is set for next Tuesday (January 24, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Westport Library). All residents are invited, for a “back-and-forth exchange) with Board of Education members, and school administrators.

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Spiga is a popular New Canaan restaurant, specializing in handmade pasta, brick oven pizza and other Italian fare.

Soon, they’ll add a Westport location. They’re replacing Tarry Lodge on Charles Street. The target date for opening is late March.

It’s one more Italian business in a line that began with Esposito’s gas station, and continued through Abbondanza. (Hat tip: Maria Funicello)

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Speaking of Saugatuck: Mackenzie Winner Berman has a question that’s on the minds of many other Westporters. She writes:

“On Saugatuck Avenue, roughly across the street from the old Westport Chinese/ new Lomito restaurant, is a home with a small storefront on street level.

“The home is being renovated. I assumed the storefront would go, but recently it has been improved with new windows, among other things.

“Does anyone know the plans for that space? It has always interested me. Every time I drive by, I try to imagine what sort of activity used to take to place there.”

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Sacred Heart University’s beautiful new Martire Family Arena is drawing raves. And fans.

Those spectators are helping the Pioneers’ men’s ice hockey program raise funds for great causes.

The January 21 game (7 p.m., vs. Holy Cross) will benefit the Chad Jacobs Hockey Foundation — run by Westporter Karen Jacobs — and the CT Hockey Foundation. The Jacobs fund was a major supporter of education for Charlie and Will Capalbo, grandsons of Westport writer Ina Chadwick. Charlie fought a long, courageous battle against several cancers.

A February 4 game (7 p.m., vs. American International) for CapalboStrong will benefit Dana Farber Cancer Institute, specifically pediatric research. That date is the anniversary of Charlie’s life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother Will, in 2019.

Click here for tickets, and more information.

Charlie Capalbo (Photo/Dave Gunn)

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The bad news: There was plenty of trash at the I-95 Exit 18 commuter parking lot on the Sherwood Island Connector.

The good news: A crew of dedicated Westporters picked it up last weekend.

The bad news: There will always be more garbage in need of collection.

To find out what’s next for our civic-minded citizens — and help — email Andrew Colabella: acolabellartm4@gmail.com.

Town employees haul away the trash collected at the commuter parking lot. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

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“Surface Alchemy” — a new exhibition featuring Donald Martiny and Stuart Disston — opens this Saturday (January 21; reception from 5 to 7 p.m.) at Amy Simon Fine Art (123 Post Road East).

The exhibit runs through February 25.

“The Picnic” — Acrylics, encaustic and photo transfer on canvas mounted on panel (Stuart Disston)

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You can teach an old dog new tricks. Or — in the case of Bobo — a new dog can enjoy old tricks.

Either way, here’s today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, from (naturally) Compo Beach:

(Photo/Sunil Hirani)

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And finally … today is the birthday of David Ruffin.

One of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964-68, and later a solo star, was born on this date in 1941. He died in 1991, from an accidental overdose of crack cocaine.

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Posted in Arts, Education, Library, Local business, Local politics, Restaurants, Saugatuck, Sports, Staples HS

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Roundup: Saugatuck Hamlet, Lyman Video …

Posted on January 14, 2023 | 14 comments

The next stop for the rezoning of Saugatuck: the full RTM.

On Thursday, 2 subcommittees of the Representative Town Meeting — Planning & Zoning, and Transit — discussed a text amendment and map amendment, approved earlier by Westport’s Planning & Zoning Commission.

That decision — which would create a new district in Saugatuck, suitable for development of a retail/restaurant/hotel/residential/marina complex — was opposed by more than 30 voters.

Their petition to the RTM led to the subcommittee hearings. The votes to uphold the P&Z’s approval of the new district were 6-0 in the RTM P&Z Committee (with 1 abstention), and 5-1 in the Transit Committee.

The full RTM votes this Tuesday (January 17, 6:30 p.m.; remote). Two-thirds of the members — 24, regardless of how many are present — must vote in favor of the petition to overturn the zoning change.

The meeting will be livestreamed on www.westportct.gov, and shown on Optimum channel 79 and Frontier channel 6020.

The shaded area includes the new text and map amendment boundaries.

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Several readers had difficulty accessing the link in yesterday’s Roundup to a YouTube video showing the delivery of supplies to our sister city Lyman, Ukraine, and the exchange of town flags.

Click the red arrow in the middle of the logo below to view.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” bald eagle was spotted at the Cross Highway/Sturges intersection.

Which makes it a good candidate for “Fairfield … Naturally” too.

(Photo/David Furth)

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And finally … today in 1973, Elvis Presley’s “Aloha from Hawaii” concert was broadcast live via satellite. It set a record: the most watched broadcast by an individaul entertainer in TV history.

(The King is long gone, but “06880” lives. Please click here to support your local blog. Thank you!)

14 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Politics, Real estate, Saugatuck

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Roundup: Saugatuck, RTM, Health …

Posted on January 7, 2023 | 3 comments

Over 100 people hoped to join Thursday’s Westport Representative Town Meeting’s Planning & Zoning Committee session on the text and map amendments that may lead to the redevelopment of Saugatuck.

The RTM Zoom link could handle only 100 guests. The meeting was canceled — and a new Zoom maximum set, of 500 attendees.

Meetings have been rescheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, January 10 and 12, at 6:30 p.m. Click here for the link.

The RTM’s Transit Committee will also meet on those dates and times, to discuss Saugatuck. Click here for the link.

In related news, members of the RTM Planning & Zoning Committee joined principals for the proposed Hamlet at Saugatuck project and other Westporters on a field trip to the site yesterday.

RTM members and others tour Saugatuck. They’re at the Morton’s parking lot, behnd Tarantino. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)

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In other RTM news: the non-partisan legislative body seeks candidates to fill the District 6 vacancy created by the death of Cathy Talmadge.

Residents of RTM District 6 interested in filling the vacancy should send a resume by January 20 to Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton: JDunkerton@westportct.gov.

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No parent ever wants to hear: “Your child has cancer.”

Liz Vega and Tracy Cramer described their journeys yesterday, to members of Westport’s Sunrise Rotary Club.

Both women are from Circle of Care, a local non-profit helping families whose children battle cancer. Since 2003, the group has provided nearly $5 million in direct support.

The women offered sobering statistics — and inspiring stories — from their own lives, and those that Circle of Care has helped.

At yesterday’s Sunrise Rotary Club meeting (from left): Steven Chin (Rotary), Tracey Cramer and Liz Vega (Circle of Care), Bruce Paul (Rotary). (Photo/Mark Mathias)

 

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Speaking of health: The Westport-based Shmaruk family non-profit PCT4PC recently presented a $50,000 check to the Norwalk Hospital Foundation. The donation supports pancreatic cancer early detection research conducted by Dr. Richard Frank, oncologist/hematologist and director of clinical cancer research at Norwalk Hospital.

The Shmaruk family formed PCT4PC in 2021 when Ben Shmaruk, now 23, set out to hike the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail to raise money for pancreatic cancer research.

He honored his father Alan, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2019. Ben’s sister Julianna, 21, managed social media accounts detailed the hike.  To learn more about PCT4PC,  please visit PCT4PC.com.

Alan Shmaruk died last, after living for nearly 3 years with the deadly disease.  He is remembered at Norwalk Hospital for his unrelenting and inspirational positive. An exam room will be named in his honor at the Norwalk Hospital Whittingham Cancer Center.

(From left): Ben, Julianna and Dawn Shmaruk, and Dr. Richard Frank.

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The photographer of this handsome red-tailed hawk asked to remain anonymous.

But, he said of his “Westport … Naturally” photo: The magnificent bird let him get within 10 feet, without flinching.

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And finally … on this day in 1894,  Thomas Edison made a kinetoscopic film of someone sneezing. Also today his employee, William Kennedy Dickson, received a patent for motion picture film.

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Posted in Children, Local politics, Saugatuck

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Roundup: Saugatuck Zoning, MLK Day, Remarkable Bookcycle …

Posted on January 6, 2023 | 26 comments

The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will hold a special public hearing on January 17 (7:30 p.m., Zoom) to review last month’s Planning & Zoning Commission decision to create a new zoning and map amendment in Saugatuck.

The vote rezoned 11 properties, and could pave the way for the new Hamlet at Saugatuck retail/hotel/marina project.

The RTM’s Planning & Zoning Committee planned to hold a public meeting to review the P&Z Commission’s decision last night. However, due to a Zoom glitch allowing a maximum of 100 people to attend at a time, with more seeking to participate, the meeting was canceled.

Further meetings are set for January 10 and 12, via Zoom (7 p.m.). The RTM Transit Committee will also meet on Monday, to discuss Saugatuck. Click here for agendas and details.

Details on the January 17 public hearing have not yet been released. It will be livestreamed at  www.westportct.gov, and aired on Optimum channel 79 and Frontier channel 6020.

The shaded area includes the new text and map amendment boundaries.

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This year, Westport celebrates more than Martin Luther King Day.

It’s a full Martin Luther King weekend.

On Saturday (January 14), the Westport Library features several community events.

Junauda Petrus and local artists offer workshops in creative mediums, culminating in a panel discussion on justice, art and healing. They include:

11 a.m. to noon:  Writing Workshop with Shanna T. Melton, a poet, painter and art educator in Bridgeport. The author of “Unraveling My Thoughts” and founder of The Writer’s Group, she is also an arts consultant who integrates social justice and community engagement in her creative workshops, performances and events.

Noon to 1 p.m.: Self-Portrait Workshop with Alicia Cobb, a visual artist, fine body painter and teaching artist in Bridgeport. She honors her ancestors, and creates art for those who couldn’t. Breaking away from conventional canvas and concepts, Alicia creates stories of survival and beauty on human skin and through fine art.

1 to 2 p.m.: Art Workshop

2 to 3 p.m.:  Workshop with Junauda Petrus, a creative activist, writer, playwright and multi-dimensional performance artist. Born on Dakota land, West-Indian descended and African-sourced, her work centers around Black wildness, futurism, ancestral healing, sweetness, spectacle and shimmer.

3 to 4 p.m.: Justice, Art and Healing panel discussion with Junauda Petrus and guest artists; moderated by Connecticut poet laureate, author and artist Antoinette Brim-Bell,

Click here for more details about the free Library events, and registration.

On Sunday (January 15, 3 p.m.), Petrus will deliver a keynote address at the Westport Country Playhouse.

The program includes a dance performed by the Regional Center for the Arts.

Click here to register for the free Westport Country Playhouse event.

The Playhouse — partnering for the weekend with the Westport Library, TEAM Westport, Westport/Weston Interfaith Council, and Westport/Weston Interfaith Clergy, says:

“Together, we invite our entire community — those who live, work, study and participate in the life of Westport, Fairfield County, and adjacent counties — to join us as we begin the work needed to continue King’s call to action, as urgent now as it was in 1968.

“For members of a community such as Westport, that begins with a challenge to understand our place of comfort and the work we each, as individuals, need to do to transform ourselves and our society into a more equitable and just one.”

Westport’s 17th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration begins next Friday (January 13), with Petrus leading student workshops in various schools.

Junauda Petrus

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The Remarkable Bookcycle is enjoying its winter home on Main Street, outside Savvy + Grace.

It’s all good. Except: It needs books!

They can be dropped off in the Bookcycle itself, or with Annette Norton in her Savvy + Grace. (No yellowing softcovers, please.)

The back story: Jane Green — yes, that Jane Green — and her husband Ian Warburg created the Remarkable Bookcycle as a tribute to the beloved pink book shop — the Remarkable — that sat on the Main Street/Parker Harding Plaza corner for 34 years.

The Bookcycle is a free library that moves between Compo Beach and Main Street — reminding everyone, Jane says, “of the many charming idiosyncrasies, and the many creative people, that made us fall in love with Westport in the first place.”

Jane Green, and the Remarkable Bookcycle on Main Street.

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As contributions for Westport’s sister city of Lyman, Ukraine continue to come in — $4,500 over the past 2 days — our 3-week fundraising total stands at $246,300.

That’s just $3,700 of our $250,000 goal.

Meanwhile, Brian and Marshall Mayer — native Westporters, and our partners on the ground through the Ukraine Aid International organization they founded — are in Europe. They are sourcing material and goods to help Lyman, as it emerges from several months of Russian occupation.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to Lyman through Ukraine Aid International. Please click here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other tax-deductible donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo). You can also donate directly, via Stripe (click here). 

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Food for thought: The Westport Library’s January 10 (7 p.m.) event.

Michel Nischan dishes on “Dinner Disrupted: The Power of Food.”

The Library says: “Food has the power to transform. From where it is grown through consumption, food transforms us along its journey from seed to plate. But what journey is your food taking? And is it reaching everybody? Do we all have access to healthy and nutritious foods?”

Nischan — former partner with Paul Newman in The Dressing Room restaurant; 4-time James Beard Award-winning chef; founder and president of Wholesome Crave, which sells responsibly sourced, plant-forward soups to large-scale dining facilities, and co-founder of Wholesome Wave, the nonprofit food equity organization — will talk about food access, food choice, and how to create a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Click here for more information.

Michel Nischan

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Yesterday’s Roundup mentioned a new store — Courtgirl — moving into 125 Main Street soon. They sell tennis and golf products in private clubs, pro shops and sports stores. This will be their first retail outlet.

Patti Brill — one of Westport’s 12 zillion pickleball players — wondered if “tennis products” included her sport.

The answer: Yes! Courtgirl will sell pickleball gear.

I don’t play. (I know, I know …). So I don’t know what “pickleball gear” is.

But I’m sure everyone else in Westport does.

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This year’s CT Challenge is July 29.

The bike tour that raises money for cancer survivors through 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100-mile rides through Connecticut (and virtually) draws dozens of Westport cyclists (and contributors).

Registration opens January 17. Click here for details.

And they’re off!

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A morning ritual for many Westport girls is getting together for coffee.

Here’s a “Westport … Naturally” ritual for many local gulls.

(Photo/Tammy Barry)

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And finally … today — January 6 — has joined December 7 as days that will live in infamy.

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26 Comments

Posted in Arts, Library, Local business, Local politics, Saugatuck, Westport Country Playhouse

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