Tag Archives: Tom Carey

Roundup: Crepes Choupette, La Plage, Riko’s …

Posted on October 18, 2024 | 1 comment

Westport’s newest restaurant — Crêpes Choupette — opened Wednesday in Bedford Square, to eager crowds.

The crêperie –owner Adil Chokairy’s third, after New Haven and Darien — adds one more international cuisine to Church Lane.

It’s a couple of doors down from an Israeli restaurant (The Blondinit), and across the street from Pink Sumo (sushi) and the Spotted Horse (American).

Choupette ribbon cutting … (Photo courtesy of Sam Disraelly)

… and customers inside. (Photo/Karen Como)

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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.

Club203 bingo, at the Senior Center.

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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.

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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.

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As the weather gets colder, Earthplace heats up.

Among the activities:

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?

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A date has been set to celebrate the life of Tom Carey. The former Conservation Commission chair and Westport Rotary Club treasurer died Monday.

Tom’s many friends are invited to Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on Saturday, October 26 (2 p.m.). A reception will follow.

Tom Carey

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Get a jump on holiday shopping — and support The Westport Library — next Thursday (October 24, 1 to 5:30 p.m.), at J.McLaughlin.

15% of all purchases made at the 382 Post Road East store will benefit the Library.

Library officials will be on hand to say thanks, and answer questions about the Library’s programs and events.

Busy that afternoon? Call 475-284-2495 that day, and order. Those purchases help the Library too!

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The weather the past couple of weeks has been spectacular. (Knock wood.)

The days are warm. The nights are crisp. The skies are blue.

Anyone who can has been outdoors, taking advantage of our wonderful New England autumn.

Jolantha — Weston’s favorite pig — is always outside, no matter the weather. She too appreciates every minute of this perfect fall.

(Photo/Hans Wilhelm)

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This determined-looking guy was stalking Hales Road yesterday, like he owned the place:

(Photo/Drew Grega)

He did slow down long enough to pose for this “Westport … Naturally” photo.

Be careful out there!

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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!)

1 Comment

Posted in Environment, Library, Restaurants

Tagged Choupette Creperie, Club203, Earthplace, J. McLaughlin, La Plage restaurant, Riko's, social media, Sweet P Bakery, The Porch at Christie's, Tom Carey, Westport Fire Department

Remembering Tom Carey

Posted on October 17, 2024 | 1 comment

Longtime Westporter, former Conservation Committee chair and avid Rotary Club member Tom Carey died Monday at his home, after battling cancer. He was 68. His family sends this obituary:

He was surrounded by love.

A Newtown native, it was at Newtown High School where he met the love of his life and his wife of 47 years, Patricia Honan Carey.

They married on June 18, 1977, shortly after he proudly graduated from Williams College cum laude in economics. At Williams he made lifelong friends and cultivated his passion for learning.

He joined the Citibank training program upon graduation. He and Pat moved to the Bronx just in time for the 1977 New York City blackout. He had a 40-year career in finance and commercial real estate investing at Citigroup, Trian Group, Morgan Stanley and Apollo Global Real Estate.

Tom and Pat started their family in Norwalk, moved to Plano, Texas in 1983, and settled in Westport in 1985.

Tom and Pat traveled the world together. They especially loved frequent trips to Italy, where the entire family celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in a beautiful Tuscan village in 2017.

Tom Carey

Upon retirement in 2019, Tom became active in the local community, joining and later chairing the Conservation Committee. He was a proud member of Rotary, where he made great friends and served as treasurer.

His work with the Conservation Committee enhanced his lifelong love of gardening. He created beautiful native organic gardens at his home, bringing birds, butterflies, and bees to the yard.

Tom loved sports, and was a statistics nerd. At Williams he served as men’s basketball play-by-play announcer for the college radio station. He was a lifelong Yankees fan, and hoped to celebrate one more World Series.

He coached youth teams for all 3 children, and attended most of their sporting events, including Union College soccer games and track meets, and Williams College swim meets. He was a certified soccer referee and swimming official. He served as co-president of the Westport Weston YMCA Water Rats Parents’ Club.

He loved cooking, and prepared elaborate restaurant quality dinners each Sunday night for the family. Especially beloved was his paella, cooked over an open fire. He and Pat hosted an annual 4th of July party for extended family. It included a very competitive pool basketball game, from which he retired only after becoming a grandfather.

He took his Beefeater martinis so dry that he preferred for the vermouth to remain in the bottle, his scotch Dewars on the rocks (always taken from his Waterford decanter), and his wine a robust Italian red.

His favorite role was that of Papi to his 5 grandchildren to whom he told elaborate stories with made up characters, just as he did for his own children when they were young.

He is survived by his wife Pat; daughter Meaghan Carey of New York City; sons Michael of Fairfield nd Brian of Westport; daughters-in-law whom he loved like his own children, Lapde and Abigail; grandchildren Liam, Louie, Eliza, Jude and Maeve; siblings Sas, Jason (Carolyn), Carey (Andy Baron) and Julie Petro; sisters- and brothers-in-law, and nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, with whom he shared close and loving relationships.

The Carey family thanks the nursing and medical staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering for providing excellent, supportive care, and to the nurses and social workers from Regional Hospice for helping keep him comfortable in his last days.

Check www.thomasdcarey.com in the coming days for information concerning a Celebration of Life.

Donations in Tom’s name can be made to the Westport Rotary Club.

1 Comment

Posted in Obituaries

Tagged Conservation Commission, Tom Carey, Westport Rotary Club

Roundup: Valentine’s Candy, Collective’s Art, Spirit Shop’s Whiskey Barrels …

Posted on February 14, 2023 | 15 comments

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today’s sweet Westport connection comes from reader Deb Rosenfield. She writes:

“Did you ever wonder where all those heart boxes for candy came from?

“My grandfather, Louis Rosenfield, developed the manufacturing process for them. He first made them for Barracini and Loft’s.

“He, his brother and cousin started a paper box/container company called Miro Container in the 1920s in Brooklyn. They were known for their high-end set-up boxes (not folding), such as the outer ones that hold large portfolios of prints by artists like Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth, candy boxes, etc.

“They also designed and made the boxes for Ideal Toys (I had the original prototype for the game Mouse Trap as a kid, and one of the original Betsy Wetsy dolls). They also made Dixie cups for the US military during World War II.”

“One more Westport connection: Miro Container made the boxes for Evyan — the perfume company owned by Walter Langer von Langendorff.” (He’s the “baron” who owned the property now named “Baron’s South.”)

Louis Rosenfield’s 1952 patent for a heart-shaped candy box.

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The Westport Artists’ Collective has a collection of upcoming events.

A members’ exhibit reception at Gordon Fine Arts Gallery, 1701 Post Road East (this Saturday, February 18, 4 p.m.; show runs through March 19) will be followed by:

A pop-up show (Westport Playhouse barn, reception March 1, 6 to 8 p.m.; show runs through March 5, 2 to 6 p.m.)
A “Music to our Eyes” show at the Westport Library (March 8, 6 to 8 p.m.), with a “Piece by Piece” reveal March 8 (6:30 p.m.).

Click here for more information.

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Seen around Redcoat Road yesterday:

(Photo/D. Sweet)

Be careful out there! (Hat tip: Nancy Beard)

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Greens Farms Spirit Shop is auctioning off 20 whiskey barrels.

Unfortunately, they’re empty. Fortunately, they’re great for indoor or outdoor decor — or for aging beer or other spirits.

Even more fortunately, all proceeds benefit Connecticut Greyhound Adoption. They’re a nonprofit organization that finds loving homes for retired racing greyhounds, while offering pre- and post-adoption support to facilitate the transition from track to home.

Click here for details, and to bid. The auction ends this Thursday, at 9 p.m.

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The relatively warm, very snowless winter continues to draw swimmers to Compo Beach.

Six women waded into the water yesterday — joining a steady stream of fearless, cold-but-not-frozen folks over the past few weeks.

Today’s forecast calls for sun, a high of 52, and winds of 5-10 mph. Everyone down to the shore!

(Photo/Andrew Colabella)

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Last September, “06880” reported on Mark Perlman.

The longtime Westporter had just published his first historical novel — in French.

No US publisher was interested in his story weaving together the Jazz Age, romance, murder, World Wars I and II and the rise of fascism.

Perlman persevered. He found a French company that bought the rights, translated it, and published “Le Soldat Involontaire” in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada.

The other day, “The Reluctant Soldier” was finally published in English.

Alert “06880” reader Tom Carey calls it “compelling. While there are a slew of novels about World War II, Mark’s book spans a longer time frame and is told from the point of view of an African American.”

Tom knew Mark from their previous service together, on Westport’s Conservation Commission. “In addition to his writing skills, he has a fantastic sense of humor,” Tom says.

But, he adds, he was halfway through the book before he realized he knew the author.

Click here to order, and for more information.

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Thursday’s Jazz at the Post features pianist Janice Friedman.

She tours internationally, is in demand at the best New York venues, and is very popular around here too.

Friedman has played with Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” wall — founder of the weekly series, at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 — since the 1980s.

They will be joined by Boots Maleson and Tim Horner. The duo first played with Wall in the 1970s, in Boston.

This Thursday’s (February 16) sets begin at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Dinner service starts at 7. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

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Victoria Cerra Vebell — an illustrator, author, art professor and former Westport resident — died peacefully on January 29 in Hamden, after a brief illness. She was 70.

The daughter of Edward and Elsa Vebell, the New York City native grew up in Westport. She lived in New York, Austin, Tucson, Washington, Connecticut and — for 22 years — New Haven, where she was very involved in the community. She helping save her local park from developers, while also organizing holiday art projects and games inside the park for neighborhood families.

Vicki was a widely admired illustrator who worked in publishing, editorial and advertising art for 38 years. She worked in a variety of formats but specialized in paperback book covers. Her work won awards from the Society of Illustrators.

Vicki was also an assistant professor of art at Pratt Institute for 22 years, and taught online for the Academy Art Institute University in California. She had a vibrant, passionate personality and was loved and respected by her students. She was known and appreciated for her teaching skills that enabled students to “learn to see,” and create quality art.

Vicki was classically trained in both drawing and painting, earning a B.F.A. from Philadelphia College of Art, and M.F.A. from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.

Vicki wrote illustrated the best-selling textbook “Exploring the Basics of Drawing” (2004).

Vicki was an accomplished fencer; a lover of classical music, good wine, food, and her cats Stella and Freddie.

She is survived by her sisters Renee Vebell (Jeff Cohen) of New Hampshire, Andra Vebell (Larry Hoy) of Westport, cousin Elsa Calderon Thomas, and nephews Jason Cohen, Dylan Hoy and Colin Hoy.