A year ago, Sweet P Bakery was selling “Colossal Cookies” at The Porch.
They were big, soft and delicious. Everyone loved them. But the small Cross Highway deli was — admit it — the minor leagues.
This month, Sweet P Bakery owners Bill and Andrea Pecoriello got called up to the Majors.
That’s not a metaphor.
Thursday is opening day at Yankee Stadium. And — along with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Anthony Volpe — fans will cheer for Sweet P’s sweet & salty, chocolate chip and M&M cookies.
Sooooo good!
They’ll join Bobby Flay, The Halal Guys, Benihana and other legendary purveyors at the famed ballpark’s concession stands and luxury suites.
As often happens in sports, the call-up came quickly — after years of hard work.
Westporter Mike Loparo was a frequent customer at The Porch, the Pecoriello’s business. It began as an outgrowth of Sweet P, the couple’s non-profit bakery that offers training and employment for adults with disabilities.
Loparo’s day job is vice president of retail, marketing and licensing at Legends Hospitality. The company runs food, beverage, merchandise and retail operations at professional and college stadiums around the country.
Why, he asked, aren’t Sweet P’s cookies at Yankee Stadium?
Why not indeed? the Pecoriellos asked. Get us a meeting!
Andrea and Bill Pecoriello.
Last July, Loparo delivered cookies to Robert Flowers, the stadium’s new executive chef.
He loved them. He also loved Sweet P’s mission, working with people with disabilities.
A lot of non-profit food companies have great stories, Flowers said. Not a lot have great products too.
From late August through the World Series, Sweet P supplied cookies for dessert carts in luxury suites. A small card on the cart described the company’s work.
The cookies were always fresh. Loparo hand-delivered them every day.
Legends brought Sweet P on, for the 2025 season. Last week they were showcased — along with returning and new food companies — at the Yankees’ big media day.
All of Sweet P’s bakers were there. Major TV station and key social media influencers interviewed them about their cookies. They were eager to talk about their products — and the way Sweet P helped them find employment, make friends, and enriched their lives.
Telling the Sweet P story for TV.
Stadium executives, even other chefs, jostled to have photos taken with the Sweet P employees.
The added demand for Sweet P cookies will likely lead to more employment opportunities.
The Pecoriellos get several calls a week from parents with adult children with disabilities who like baking. Sweet P may now be able to teach even more of them those skills — along with others, like packng and shipping.
Sweet P has a 3,000-square foot commercial kitchen in Norwalk, with a loading dock.
“We can handle whatever the Yankees throw at us,” Andrea says confidently.
Getting ready, at Yankee Stadium.
This is a feel-good, up-to-the-majors story for sure. “It’s literally a home run,” Andrea says.
But unlike one about a big league ballplayer, this might have a different ending.
As good as Aaron Judge is, he can only play for one team at a time.
Legends executives have already started talking with the Pecoriellos about supplying cookies to other stadiums around the country. A major hotel in Boston is interested too.
What a grand slam that would be!
(Sweet P’s Colossal Cookies will be available at Yankee Stadium concourses by Sections 121 and 211. To learn more about Sweet P — and order online — click here. To learn more about Yankee Stadium food services, click here.)
(Play ball! “06880” often highlights local businesses, non-profits — and the many Westporters doing good things, here and everywhere. If you enjoy these stories, please click here to support our work.)
Visitors to Compo Beach — and many other places — were treated to a rare planetary lineup Friday.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus were all visible simultaneously after susnet — and all looked like they were all aligned with Earth.
Some of the planets were best viewed with binoculars. But Ferdinand Jahnel captured this interesting shot.
Next to the moon is Venus. Just above the horizon is Mercury (zoom in a bit). The top right looks like Saturn, but Ferdinand thinks it is a plane in motion.
The Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Book Club meets March 27 (6 p.m.) at the Jesup Road store.
They’ll discuss ” Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, and ” A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor,
Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.
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Looking for free kids’ entertainment?
Long Lots Elementary School students perform “Willy Wonka Kids” this Friday (March 7, 7 p.m.) and Saturday (March 8, noon and 3 p.m.). Click here to reserve tickets.
Turning to the Planning & Zoning Commission: Its November 4 meeting agenda (6 p.m., Zoom; livestreamed at www.westportct.gov; Optimum Channel 79) includes a report on a new lease with Longshore Sailing School. This replaces the former lease with a new one, with the same operator. It would run to October 31, 2029, with an option for a 5-year extension.
Also on the agenda: Text Amendment #846. It would allow outdoor eating areas for any retail food establishment existing or operating in a residential zone prior to September 1, 2024, and exempt them from the 50-foot setback requirement; update the “outdoor eating area” definition to include the right to utilize portable food carts and service stations, and expand the sale of alcohol to those same food establishments.
In addition to Old Mill Grocery, the text amendment would benefit The Porch at Christies on Cross Highway, and The Country Store on Wilton Road.
An explanatory statement filed with the application says: “The vision and impetus behind these proposed text amendments is for these establishments to serve as a place where neighbors can enjoy a casual glass of wine, or a beer, with their food, unwind, and socialize with their friends.”
The amendments are also “consistent with the Town of Westport’s 2017 Plan of Conservation and Development,” which encourages “tiny commercial uses embedded” in some residential areas, while “maintaining residential character.”
Click here to view the full pending application of Text Amendment #846. Based on statutory requirements, the Planning & Zoning Commission’s public hearing will wait until November. Residents can comment on the application by emailing PandZ@westportct.gov.
Old Mill Grocery & Deli. (Photo/Dave Dellinger)
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Congratulations to longtime Westporter, generous supporter and exceptional business leader Melissa Bernstein. She has just been inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.
Her citation reads: ‘Melissa Bernstein is an entrepreneur, creative, and author. As co-founder and former CEO of the wildly successful toy company Melissa & Doug, Melissa has spent the last 30 years helping children discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose through open-ended play.
“In 2020, after her own personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Melissa founded Lifelines. Through Lifelines, she is using her unparalleled creativity and imagination to reinvent well-being products and experiences to help adults strengthen their resilience, stay grounded, and unlock their full potential. Melissa lives in Westport Connecticut with Doug and their 6 children.”
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker — who surprised Melissa with appearance at her induction in Hartford — praises: “You lead with compassion, creativity and incredible competence. Every day you inspire women and girls to realize their own limitless potential, which is the mission of the CT Women’s Hall of Fame.”
Melissa Bernstein and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, at the CT Women’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
Speaking of women: “The Hills of California” is a Broadway show about sisters. (They cram into the guest house of their former home as their mother lies dying.)
So — to drum up social media interest — the producers asked some sisters to see and review it.
Well, not just “some.”
They sent the Utz family. All 7 of them.
The Utzes grew up in Westport, and all graduated from Staples High School. Claire, Chrissy and Cathy remain. Jamie and Jennifer live in Fairfield. Bo is in Rye Brook, New York, while Lis is the furthest away: Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Speaking of great meals: CTBites reports that starting today (Tuesday), Saugatuck Provisions will launch “Provisions After Dark.”
It’s a tie-in between chef Matt Storch’s market, and his Match Burger Lobster next door. It’s a way to offer his high-quality products, for people who don’t have the time (or talent?) to cook them.
Customers can select what they want from cases with individual portions of meats and fish — “anything from a dry aged 2-pound porterhouse to a beautiful piece of line caught tuna, or the perfect pork chop,” or a rotisserie chicken, along with a sauce, says CTBites.
Selections will be paired with olive oil griddled potatoes and steamed organic veggies.
It’s available Sunday to Thursday starting at 5 p.m., as an add-on to the existing Match Burger Lobster menu. Provisions will now be open later too. (Click here for the full CTBites story.)
Thomas Quealy writes: “I hope ‘06880’ can shine a spotlight on a little corner of our town that could be nicer.
“Behind Town Hall are softball fields used by our local girls. One set of bleachers is absolutely filthy and mildly broken.”
(Photo/Thomas Quealy)
Sounds like it’s time for a little love.
Or at least a power washing.
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Trumpeter David Sneider brings his swinging feel, flawless technique and deep roots to this week’s Jazz at the Post (October 31, VFW Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m; dinner service from 7 p.m.; $20 music cover, $15 veterans and students).
He’ll be joined by pianist David Zaks, bassist Dan Finn, saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall, and drummer Mike Camacho. Click here for tickets.
And finally … today is the anniversary of Black Tuesday. On this day in 1929 the New York Stock Exchange crashed. It marked the end of the great bull market of the 1920s, and the start of the Great Depression.
(“06880” is your hyper-local source for news: political, restaurants, and everything else. If you find this site useful, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Club203 — Westport’s social group for adults with developmental differences — held a great Halloween Bingo night Wednesday at the Senior Center.
Nearly 140 guests played (many in Halloween costumes). They enjoyed subs from Planet Pizza, cookies by Big G, mac & cheese thanks to the Senior Center’s own Holly Betts, pumpkin decorating by MoCA CT, and tons of candy from an anonymous donor.
Club203 thanks Wendy Petty and the Senior Center for hosting, along with the volunteers who give time, energy and talents — plus a special shout-out to special guests Fire Chief Nick Marsan and the Westport Fire Department’s Jennifer Petrosinelli, who shared information about the town’s Community Connect program. It provides household information to first responders — including, for example, details about people with disabilities who live there.
Speaking of the Fire Department: They’ve partnered once again with Bridgeport Rescue Mission, for the annual “Share the Warmth” Coat Drive.
Chief Nick Marsan notes, “This drive impacts hundreds of men, women and children from some of the area’s most distressed neighborhoods. A coat may seem simple, but it’s essential for many children and adults in nearby communities.”
The WFD welcomes donations of new or gently used (and clean) winter coats, hats, mittens/gloves, and snow suits at these sites, through November 12:
Westport Fire Headquarters (515 Post Road East)
Senior Center: (21 Imperial Avenue)
Town Hall (110 Myrtle Avenue)
Collection boxes will also be placed at public schools. Once collected, Westport firefighters will sort and transport items to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
Deputy Fire Marshal Rob Lenois, president of the Westport Uniformed Firefighters Charitable Foundation, says, “This drive allows us to give back and ease the burdens on local families. Last year, thanks to the generosity of this community, we distributed over 1,350 coats.”
(From left): Fire Chief Nick Marsan, volunteer Anna Rycenga and Deputy Fire Marshal Rob Lenois want your winter coats, and more.
Want to learn more about the influence of social media on today’s youth?
Westport Together — a program of our town’s Department of Human Services — has arranged a conversation on the topic, with local psychotherapists Vince Benevento, LPC Founder and CEO of Causeway Collaborative, and Mary Dobson.
It’s this Tuesday (October 22, 6:30 p.m., Westport Library). For more information, click here.
Plein-Air Art Along the Trails (October 19, 10 a.m. to noon)
Tree ID Walk (October 19, 1 to 2:30 p.m.)
Yoga with Alison Heisler (October 25 and November 1, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.)
Forest Bathing with Merritt Juliano (October 30, 10 to 11 a.m.)
Fall Gardening Workshops (November 2, 1 to 3 p.m.)’Car
Guided Meditation with Alison Heisler (November 4, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.)
Sound Bath with Abbey Chase Yoga (November 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m.)
Craft and Sip: Fall Wreath Making (November 2, 1 to 3 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m.)
Environmental Learning Series (November 2, 7 to 8 p.m.)
Native Plant Propagation (November 16, 1 to 3 p.m.)
Saving an Endangered Butterfly (November 21, 7 to 8 p.m.).
Click here for more information, and registration.
Create your own art along the Earthplace trails.
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La Plage’s patio is closing for the season soon.
To celebrate — and to get an early start on Halloween — they’re throwing a “Costume & Closing Party” (Sunday, October 27, 5 to 7 p.m.).
The $39.19 ticket includes light bites, music, and 2 drink tickets.
“Dress to impress,” the Longshore restaurant urges. The “Best Costume” winner will receive 2 tickets to La Plage’s New Year’s Eve gala dinner — a $370 value. Click here to purchase.
Closing soon — but just for the season. (Photo/Nicole Donovan)
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Speaking (once again) of restaurants: Back in May, “06880” announced the upcoming opening of Riko’s. The pizza place — which has drawn raves at their Fairfield, Norwalk, Darien and Stamford locations — replaces Mystic Market, off I-95 Exit 17 across from the train station parking lot.
(Mystic Market replaced, in turn, Blu Parrot, Jasmine, and the granddaddy of all Italian restaurants, the Arrow.)
It’s taken nearly 5 months, but the signage has finally appeared:
(Photo/Matt Murray)
Now we wonder: Which will finish first: Renovations to Riko’s, or construction on nearby 95?
And finally … George C. Scott was born on this date, in 1927.
This final item in the “06880” Roundup is almost always dedicated to a musical selection.
Today is different. We honor the actor, who died in 1999 at 71, with a clip that may be the single greatest monologue in the history of movies.
(Want to know the latest restaurant news — or anything else, anywhere, in Westport? Just read “06880.” And if you enjoy our coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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.
Picnic tables have been a popular feature of Old Mill Grocery by Romanacci — and before that, Joey’s by the Shore and Elvira’s — for at least 30 years.
A recent addition — a gelato cart — also proved wildly popular, until questions about its legality forced its removal.
Now, donors in the century-old market/restaurant in the heart of the Old Mill neighborhood hope that a text amendment will ensure that both the picnic tables and gelato cart can continue to serve customers.
And that similar spots, in other Westport neighborhoods, can do the same.
Picnic tables — shown here in a photo of Joey’s by the Shore — have been part of the Hillspoint Road market for at least 30 years. However, they were never officially addressed in town regulations.
Text Amendment #846, submitted to the Planning & Zoning Commission, would allow outdoor eating areas for any retail food establishment existing or operating in a residential zone prior to September 1, 2024, and exempt them from the 50-foot setback requirement; update the “outdoor eating area” definition to include the right to utilize portable food carts and service stations, and expand the sale of alcohol to those same food establishments.
In addition to Old Mill Grocery, the text amendment would benefit The Porch at Christies on Cross Highway, and The Country Store on Wilton Road.
The Porch at Christie’s would also benefit from proposed text amendments.
An explanatory statement, filed as part of the text amendment application, notes that small markets, with up to 10 interior seats and offering “take and go” food, have become increasingly popular since the pandemic.
“They provide convenient access to their goods, while creating a strong sense of community and connection with one’s neighbors,” the statement says.
“The vision and impetus behind these proposed text amendments is for these establishments to serve as a place where neighbors can enjoy a casual glass of wine, or a beer, with their food, unwind, and socialize with their friends.”
The amendments are also “consistent with the Town of Westport’s 2017 Plan of Conservation and Development,” which encourages “tiny commercial uses embedded” in some residential areas, while “maintaining residential character.”
The Country Store, at the corner of Wilton Road and Newtown Turnpike.
It’s not easy for a small deli or market like Old Mill Grocery, The Porch or The Country Store — located away from commercial neighborhoods — to bring in enough revenue.
But donors in the 501(c)(3) that preserved the 105-year-old community resource believe that there’s enough neighborhood support, and other drive-by business, to support them.
OMG’s text amendment — which includes the picnic tables that have been there since the previous millennium, and specifically mentions items like the gelato “food cart” — would, they say, go a long way toward ensuring their continued viability.
Well into the next century.
Click here to view the full pending application of Text Amendment #846. Based on statutory requirements, the Planning & Zoning Commission’s public hearing will wait until November. Residents can comment on the application by emailing PandZ@westportct.gov.
Old Mill Grocery & Deli is popular with people of all ages. (Photo/Ed Simek)
(“06880” regularly covers business, local politics and beach news. Sometimes they all intersect. If you enjoy our hyper-local coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Yesterday’s capacity crowd at The Inn at Longshore spanned all ages. Many were longtime Westporters; some moved here a year or two ago.
The cuisine included Italian, seafood, Southern, dumplings, steak — and plenty of desserts. A variety of vendors poured drinks.
There were enough auction items to satisfy every wish (and price point). The Bar Car Band played all night long.
Gabriele’s Steakhouse (foreground) was one of many serving stations at last night’s Taste of Westport.
The 18th annual Taste of Westport was — as always — one of the best fundraisers of the year.
CLASP Homes — the non-profit that provides care, support and services to adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities — was the beneficiary of all that generosity.
If you’ve never been to the Taste of Westport: Don’t miss it next year.
If you were there last night: Well, you know you don’t need to eat anything more for a while.
PS: Thanks to all the food and drink providers: Grumpy Dumpling, Pastaficio, Jose Cuevo, Little Pub, La Plage, Magic Pie Co., Mrs. London’s Bakery, Nordic Fish, Nômade, Rive Bistro, Rizzuto’s, Romanacci Pizza Bar, Sono 1420, Tarantino, Walrus Alley, Zucca Gastrobar, Artisan, Aspetuck Brew Lab, Black Bear Wines & Spirits, Baldanza Schoolhouse, Bridgewater Chocolate, Boathouse, Chopin Vodka, Cold Fusion, Don Memo, Dunville’s, Ferrer Miranda, Freixenet, Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse, Greer Southern Table, Coramino Tequila and Gruel Brittania.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker (center) is flanked by former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe, and his wife Mary Ellen. (Photos/Dan Woog)
Speaking of summer: Yesterday’s Roundup noted that the ice cream stand at The Porch at Christie’s will be open this Memorial Day weekend, starting at noon on Saturday.
They’re still trying to figure out the best hours. If you’ve got suggestions, email lindsay@lindsayshandmade.com.
Opening soon!
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Members of VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, Sons of August Matthias American Legion Post 63 and the American Legion Auxiliary, joined together this week to unveil their Memorial Day parade banner.
All 3 groups will march together on Monday.
Then they got to work on their float. The theme is a secret — but they encourage all Westporters to come to the parade, and see it.
Membership in the American Legion or women’s Auxiliary is just $20, with proof of a family member who actively served in the military.
Members memorialize their loved one, carry on his or her story, and remember the ultimate sacrifice of over 2.5 million Americans, who helped us be the free nation we are today. For more information, email Andrew Colabella: acolabellartm4@gmail.com.
Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between May 15 and 22.
A 47-year-old Westport woman was arrested for disorderly conduct, violation of a protective order, assault and threatening, following a domestic violence incident.
A 36-year-old Leonia, New Jersey man was arrested for identity theft and larceny, after a complaint by a Westporter that a check for $25,000 had been taken from a residential mailbox, altered and cashed.
A 52-year-old Norwalk man was arrested for failure to appear.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5 citations
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 5
Following too closely: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
“When Merrily We Roll Along” opened on Broadway 43 years ago, it ran for just 16 performances.
A revival opened last year, and became a huge hit.
What happened?
“Tend Your Dream: An Oral History of ‘Merrily We Roll Along'” explores the long, strange route from theatrical flop to beloved classic.
The video was conceived by Westporter Tommy Greenwald, a longtime veteran of the Broadway marketing and ad scene. Greenwald — a 1979 Staples High School graduate — also served as creative director.
The video (below) includes original cast member Jim Walton, plus critics Ben Brantley and Frank Rich, actors Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and others.
Besides Greenwald’s project, “Merrily” has other Westport connections.
And Staples Players has produced the show twice, including 2002. That year, Groff’s part — composer Franklin Shepard — was played by Justin Paul.
After graduating that spring, Paul went on to an actual — and noted — composing career of his own. With Benj Pasek, he’s written (among others) “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Greatest Showman” and “La La Land.”
Justin Paul (right) in Staples Players’ “Merrily We Roll Along.” (Photo/Kerry Long)
And finally … on this date in 1829 in Vienna, Cyrill Demian received a patent for the accordion.
(Summer is near — and as always, “06880” will tell you everything you need to know. We rely on our readers to help do it. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Comments Off on Roundup: Parks & Rec Summer Kickoff, CLASP Taste, VFW & Legion …
Westport’s next Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday, April 13 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Greens Farms railroad station).
The free program enables residents of Westport, Norwalk, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich to safely dispose of household hazardous wastes.
Residents of those towns may bring these types of hazardous waste: gasoline, kerosene, spray paint, paint strippers, paint thinners, solvents, paints, stains, turpentine, varnishes, wood preservatives, degreasers, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, bleach, charcoal lighter, cleaning chemicals, drain cleaners, mercury thermometers, moth balls, pet flea shampoos, photo chemicals, rug shampoos, spot removers, art supplies and paints.
Make sure items are clearly labeled.
Never mix chemicals!
Keep products in their original labeled containers.
Place leaky containers in clear plastic bags.
Tighten lids of all containers, and pack items in sturdy cardboard boxes lined with paper.
Put boxes in the trunk or in back of the vehicle, away from passengers.
Leave pets and children home when bringing hazardous materials for collection.
This is the first Hazardous Waste Day of 2024, so lines may be long.
Westport residents may recycle antifreeze, motor oil, batteries of any type, light bulbs and electronics at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon.
The following items are NOT acceptable: ammunition, flares, commercial hazardous waste.
The Westport Country Playhouse has hosted many big names.
On May 19, it adds another: Bernadette Peters.
The stage, film and television actor and singer has won 4 Emmy Awards, 3 Tonys, and a Golden Globe. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Peters just finished a successful West End debut in “Old Friends,” celebrating the life and work of Stephen Sondheim.
Tickets for the evening of song are $250 and $175. All proceeds benefit live theater at the Playhouse. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight (Thursday, March 14, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 309).
Two items on the agenda:
Executive discussion to discuss Request for Quote submissions, with invited candidates.
Public comment and/or questions, as time allows.
Discussion continues, on a new Long Lots Elementary School.
Meanwhile, next Monday (March 18, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker will present the town budget for fiscal year 2024-25 to the Board of Finance.
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A large crowd filled Mitchells of Westport for last night’s meet-and-greet with University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, and his team.
Among the attendees: Emily Bernier. She wore her UConn shirt. Meeting the legendary Auriemma was fun — and so was posing with her idol, Paige Bueckers:
The event was a fundraiser for Bleeding Blue for Good, the organization that provides name, image, likeness opportunities for Husky athletes.
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There is no limit on beach sticker sales to people who live in Westport and Weston.
However, only 450 stickers are sold to folks living anywhere else.
Those non-resident sales began yesterday, online and in person.
The photo below shows the woman (on the right) who purchased the first non-resident sticker.
She looks delighted.
Like the rest of us, she can’t wait to shed her coat, and — starting May 1 — put that sticker to good use.
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Registration is open for a slew of Wakeman Town Farm classes and events, for children and adults.
They include:
Kids’ spring classes
Kids’ summer camp
Kids’ Easter and Passover cooking (April 26, 4:15 to 6 p.m., ages 6-12)
Backyard chicken-keeping (April 4 and 25, May 9, 6:30 p.m.)
Canning class: jams and pickles (April 30, 6:15 p.m.).
Click here for details and registration information.
Want to raise chickens? Wakeman Town Farm will teach you.
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Jill Dunn‘s speed dating events are attracting big crowds.
And some great success stories.
The next are on Tuesday (March 19, Walrus Alley).
There are actually 2: one of people in the 30s-40s range (7 p.m.), the other for singles 55+ (5 p.m.).
Space is available for all (particularly for “great men” in the older group).
Click here for tickets to next Tuesday’s events. Click here for more news and information for singles.
Last week, “06880” reported that Nate Colman and Jonah Rothlein’s documentary was one of 15 finalists for C-SPAN’s Student Cam contest.
Now it’s official: the Weston High School students’ story about Morad Tahbaz, a Weston resident held in an Iranian prison for 6 years, won the grand prize.
The young filmmakers will receive $5,000 — and “Innocents Held Hostage” will air on C-SPAN on April 21 (6:50 a.m., then throughout the day).
You can see it now — just click below:
The network received over 1,600 entries, from 42 states and Washington DC.
Westport is a town of people who love to read. Now, you can help select the next winner of the Westport Prize for Literature.
The Westport Prize needs readers to help vet manuscripts for its 2024 honor, to be awarded in conjunction with this fall’s StoryFest.
Readers will read 2 or 3 manuscripts, then submit feedback via an online form. Those results will help determine the finalists that advance to an independent jury.
The Westport Prize for Literature honors “an original work of fiction that explores issues in contemporary society. Last year’s winner was Zadie Smith, for The Fraud.
Westport residents interested in being a reader for this year’s prize should click here.
Last year’s winner of the Westport Prize for Literature.
The Greenfield Hill Grange is in Fairfield. But Westporter Cornelia Olsen is very involved.
And Westport resident/composter/self-described “trash picker” James Flint is the speaker at fundraiser there. Proceeds will help pay for a new roof on the beautiful Queen Anne building.
“Recycling Revisited” (March 23, noon) is a luncheon and panel discussion for “gardeners, farmers, eaters and waste generators.”
Speakers will offer updates on what’s in and out in the recycling world; the solid waste crisis in Connecticut, and what local residents can do about it all.
Tickets are $20, and include a tuna or egg salad sandwich, beverage and dessert. RSVP by March 20; call Cornelia: 203-571-8673.
The Westport Weston Family YMCA offers many services, for many people.
But for nearly a year — ever since the previous café operator left — if you’re hungry after a workout or swim, you’re out of luck.
Ditto if you want to hang out over a meal or coffee with a friend, or while you wait for your kid. Every employee has to bring their lunch, too.
Fortunately, a new operator takes over soon. And not just anyone.
The Porch at Christie’s will open a Y outpost sometime in mid-March. Items will come from both the popular bakery/deli/community center on Cross Highway, and Sweet P Bakery. Both were founded by Bill and Andrea Pecoriello.
And — true to the Christie’s and Sweet P missions — the Y café will offer training and jobs to adults with disabilities.
“We are very excited for this partnership with the Y, and the expanded impact we’ll have on creating jobs in the community,” the Pecoriellos say.
In related news, The Porch and Sweet P Bakery are now a single non-profit, working together on job training and meaningful employment for adults with disabilities.
Every Sunday, Westporters join others nationwide in a “Run For Their Lives” march. They carry signs supporting the safe return of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, after the October 7 terrorist attack.
Yesterday’s event included a walk on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
To be added to the WhatsApp group for notification of upcoming marches, click here.
“Run For Their Lives” marchers yesterday, on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge. (Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
Sal Liccione spotted this sign yesterday, on Elm Street at Church Lane:
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
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Calling all seniors!
Mozaic Senior Life — formerly Jewish Senior Services, whose board includes Westporters Ellen Berenyi, Nancy Magida, Ed Friedland, Alan Phillips and Ken Wirfel, and which serves many local residents — is hosting a free community-wide “SHARE” event.
The acronym stands for Senior Health And Resource Expo. A variety of senior care organizations will gather April 7 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4200 Park Avenue, Bridgeport).
They’ll provide information, resources and insights into care available for elders throughout lower Fairfield County.
Westport Museum for History & Culture executive director Ramin Ganeshram is also a cookbook author.
On February 20 — 2 days before George Washington’s birthday — the New York Times’ Cooking blog published a recipe she adapted for hoecakes, a favorite of the first president
It included a background paragraph by Ganeshram, noting the background of the dish, and — with a nod to Washington’s dental issues and his wealth — the quality of cornmeal used. (Hat tip: Werner Liepolt)
Hoecakes (Photo/Matt Taylor-Gross for the New York Times)
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Westporters are used to deer.
We know when one leaps out in front of our car, 2 or 3 more will follow.
Our “Westport … Naturally” feature has included shots of 5 or 6 at a time, in one yard.
But Johanna Keyser Rossi counted more than 20 on Saturday, at Sherwood Island State Park.
I count 16 in this “Westport … Naturally” photo. Though they are very adept at blending in.
Stacey Sobel — regional director of ADL Connecticut (Anti-Defamation League), and a former Westporter — provides an important update on increased antisemitism and hate nationwide at Temple Israel on Tuesday (December 19, 7 p.m.).
It will be followed by a discussion with Rabbi Michael Friedman, to explore how Westport can fight hate. The Conservative Synagogue joins Temple Israel and the ADL as sponsors.
The event is free, but registration is required. Click here for tickets.
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The Board of Education welcomed Jill Dillon, at last night’s meeting.
But she soon won’t be the newest member. Christina Torres announced her resignation, effective January 1. She recently assumed new responsibilities at her work as a school administrator in Westchester.
The Democratic Town Committee will recommend a replacement, who will be voted on by the board.
Also last night, the BOE re-elected Democrat Lee Goldstein as chair, and chose Republican Dorie Hordon as vice chair.
WestportMoms invites families to get in the holiday spirit tomorrow (Saturday, December 16).
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at The Porch @ Christie’s, they’re sponsoring photos with Santa (and/or a dreidel), face painting, games, music, ornament making and cookie decorating.
In May, “06880” reported that Cava — a national chain specializing in pitas and salad bowls — would take over the space next to Westport Hardware, across from Fresh Market.
That now seems unlikely. The sign is down, and non-pita-type boxes fill the space.
One source says a mattress store will move in. Rest assured, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything new. (Hat tip: Tom Foran)
Earlier this week, lifelong Westporter John Brandt told a large Library audience that “music is the soundtrack of our lives.”
Then — using a variety of media — he proved it.
Brandt’s Y’s Men of Westport and Weston presentation ranged from Leonard Bernstein, Martha Graham, George Balanchine and Aaron Copland to Staples High School. Video clips included “The Nutcracker,” Fred Astaire, Jimmy Cagney, Gene Kelly and “A Chorus Line.”
All, Brandt said, contributed to his love of music.
If you missed it — no problem! Click below to see (and hear) it all:
Every night, a local non-profit organization or family provides dinner for around 2 dozen residents of the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place.
Last night it was the Westport Rotary Club’s turn. Below (from left) retired anesthesiologist Joe Carpenter and retired journalist Ron Henkoff prepared and served the meal.
They’re still blooming on the Riverwalk, by the Westport Library. Johanna Keyser Rossi spotted this beauty the other day — just perfect for our “Westport … Naturally” series.
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