The Comments section of “06880” have been filled with Hook’d-bashing.
It started with a complaint about the Compo Beach concessionaire’s running out of food, random and unposted hours, and general corporate lack of care for customers.
Readers added their own experiences. Several noted that the situation was just as bad at Hook’d’s other 2 locations: the Longshore pool and halfway house.
But that was the equivalent of forgetting you asked for extra ketchup, compared to yesterday.
It was July 4th — probably the most important day of any summer. Spectacular weather brought huge crowds.
Yet at 4:30 p.m. — with the temperature 80 degrees, dozens of people in the pool, and many more playing tennis nearby — the concession stand was shut.
The windows were closed. The door was locked. No one was inside.
(Photo/Clark Thiemann)
Nothing says “We don’t care” more than that.
I’m not sure what Hook’d’s contract with the town says about being open on the biggest day of the year.
But it seems we’ve been reeled in by them too long.
If you missed the June 30th fireworks at Compo — or just wished you could see pyrotechnics on the actual 4th of July — and were at the beach last night, you were in luck.
Towns all along Long Island’s North Shore of Long Island fired them off. So did a few towns on the Connecticut coast, to the west.
Fred Cantor captured this true July 4th fireworks view:
Eric Chiang is July’s guest exhibitor at the Westport Book Shop.
The Jesup Green store features the oil painting “Moon Light Sonata,” from his Musical Planet series. He delves into weighty issues of human connection and the meaning of existence, showcasing loneliness, desperation, love and hope.
Chiang’s work has been exhibited from MoCA Westport and Silvermine to Texas and Taiwan. Concurrently with the Book Shop show, his Westport Library exhibit runs through July 14.
Chiang’s piece will be on exhibit at the Book Shop through July 31, 2022.
Speaking of art: A plastic surgeon walks into a coffee bar, and shows his works.
That’s the story this Sunday (July 10, 4 to 7 p.m.). Dr, Jeffrey Rosenthal hosts a reception for his work at Steam, on Railroad Place.
He’s displayed his colorful paintings and photos previously throughout Fairfield County — and in New York and Europe. The show is open now during business hours, through September 12.
Art by Dr. Jeffrey Rosenthal.
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Longtime resident Tom Lowrie took today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo a few days ago, in his back yard. It’s an ephemeral — but always beautiful — early summer sight.
The other day, David Meth was at the transfer station. He saw a resident take 2 perfectly good children’s bikes from her SUV. He writes:
“I offered to take them to Cycle Dynamics because Charlie, the owner, donates them to churches in Bridgeport. However the attendant, who was very nice and very afraid to get in trouble because there are cameras everywhere, refused to allow me to take them because they were placed on the ground near the attendant’s booth.
“These bikes were in excellent condition. Why allow them to be trashed? Why not have an area to ‘exchange’ items that could sustain a small economy elsewhere, yet are thrown away here without another thought. It is very wrong.
“Cardboard, glass, cans and paper are recycled for future use. Food scraps are recycled. Leaves and brush are recycled. Why not recycle perfectly good, even repairable goods and equipment, to benefit others?
“This is an awful policy in a town that prides itself in helping others. It can be changed, and it should change soon.”
Ann Turner Cook — the original Gerber baby — died Friday. She was 95 years old.
The reason that’s “06880”-worthy is that — nearly 100 years ago — the iconic sketch was “born” here.
In 1927, artist Dorothy Hope Smith made a charcoal drawing of her 4-month-old neighbor, Ann Turner. Ann’s father, Leslie, was an artist too; his comic strip “Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy” ran in 500 newspapers every day.
The original charcoal sketch of Ann Turner, and Ann Turner Cook in 2010.
The next year, Gerber needed a face for its new line of baby foods. Smith entered her simple drawing in the contest. She competed with elaborate oil paintings — but the company loved it. By 1931, Ann Cook was the “official trademark.”
She was on every Gerber ad, and on every package, since.
But no one knew her. In fact — in an effort to appeal to both sexes — for many years Gerber did not even say if the baby was a girl or boy.
As years passed, several women claimed to be the Gerber baby. To end the discussion, Gerber paid Turner — by then married, named Ann Cook –$5,000 in 1951. That’s all she got — no royalties, nothing. (It’s better than Smith, though. She earned just $300 for her efforts.)
The Gerber baby at work — and all grown up, some years ago.
Cook left Westport long ago. She had 4 children, and spent 26 years teaching literature and writing in Tampa. After retiring in 1989, she wrote 2 mystery novels.
But nearly a decade ago, when she was 88, she was rediscovered. Oprah profiled Cook on her “Where Are They Now?” series. Huffington Post picked up the story.
Neither Oprah nor HuffPo mentions Westport. Nor does the official Gerber website. ( For a full obituary, click here. Hat tips: Deej Webb and Jonathan McClure)
The Westport Baseball program for players with disabilities includes an announcer introducing each batter, and calling play-by-play. Dustin Lowman did the honors, and hit it out of the park.
A pizza party ends the day.
Congrats to all who made yesterday possible — and a tip of the baseball hat to all the players!
Yesterday’s 1st-ever Drag Show was anything but a drag.
A sold-out crowd at MoCA Westport — including many families with young kids — enjoyed 4 drag queens who strutted, danced, engaged the audience and even provided a bit of LGBTQ history.
The event was sponsored by Westport Pride. Next up: a townwide Pride Month celebration on Jesup Green, next Sunday (1 to 3 p.m.).
Getting in the swing of things. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
Weston High School senior Zac Mathias served as MC. (Photo/Jerri Graham)
The Westport Book Shop’s guest exhibitor for June is Kerstin Rao.
Known to many for her years as a gifted teacher of gifted students at Bedford Middle School, Rao is displaying 4 prints, plus a QR code through which you can see each piece being created via time-lapse video.
Rao’s work is hyper-local. Her pieces begin at the Westport Farmers’ Market. They’re scanned in Westport, and printed in Norwalk. Her art business, Vivid Cottage, offers luxury stationery and home good based on her original artwork. It’s available online, and at the Westport Book Shop.
Rao majored in fine art at Vassar, and earned a master’s in special education at Bank Street College. She moved from teaching to art during the pandemic. She also volunteers at the Westport Library, facilitating author panels and book talks, helping and helping plan events. She was a founding member of Westport’s Maker Faire.
Kerstin Rao, with her prints at the Westport Book Shop.
Speaking of art: MoCA’s next show — “Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse” — is a collaboration with The Contemporary Art Modern Project (The CAMP Gallery) and the Fiber Artists Miami Association. It explores how female artists, utilizing textiles as their medium, subvert the social expectation of crafting by lambasting this soft medium with political and social awareness.
It opens June 30 with a 6-8 p.m. reception, and runs through September 4.
Several local artists are in the exhibition, including Camille Eskell, Susan Feliciano, Sooo-z Mastropietro and Norma Minkowitz
On a windy, rainy Friday, Westporter Nathalie Jacob was on a boat with a friend. Suddenly — off the Darien shore — she realized her Gill sailing jacket (with iPhone 11max in its pocket) was gone.
She figured a gust of wind blew it into the water. The weight of the phone must have pulled it to the bottom of the Sound.
Her friend tried “Find My Phone.” Nada. Nathalie figured it was gone forever.
But 12 days later, her husband got a call. The caller said he’d spotted the jacket that day, in Westport waters — a mile from shore. He found the phone, took it home, plugged it in — and called the emergency contact number on it.
That’s right: After nearly 2 weeks in salty, wavy water, the iPhone still worked.
The jacket was full of live crabs and seaweed, Nathalie adds. But after 3 washing cycles, it’s usable too. She loves her Gill jacket.
PS: She brought a bottle of whiskey to the man who found it.
To avoid realtors being there when realtors showed potential home-buyers through the house — or, more probably, because who can turn down an invitation from Buckingham Palace? — the international recording star/producer was in London, not Westport, last night.
He had an important gig: performing at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee coocert.
Just one more day in the life of our soon-to-be-former neighbor.
Nile Rodgers, at the Queen’s Jubilee. (Photo/Ellen Wentworth)
Former Westport Woman’s Club president Natacha “Nat” Sylander died last month. She was 86.
The Auburn, New York native earned her bachelor’s degree in hotel management from Michigan State University. She then moved to Chicago to work at the Palmer House.
In 1960 she married Dick Sylander, and became a mom. In 1967 the family moved to Westport, where they lived for 44 years. She was a teaching assistant at Bedford Elementary School before starting a company with her husband in 1976. R.L. Sylander Associates did custom computer circulation fulfillment. They ran it for 25 years, until they retired.
Nat was active in the community, including president of the Westport Woman’s Club and chair of the Yankee Doodle Fair. She was a member of the St. Luke Church choir for many years. She was a wonderful cook and loved to entertain, with a flair for storytelling.
She is survived by her children, Rick of Milford, Karen of Chicago and Beth of Long Island; as well as a grandson, Owen Hammond, serving overseas in the Army.
A funeral service is set for Saturday, June 11 (11 a.m., St. Luke Church) with a Mass of Christian Burial. A reception follows immediately. Interment will be private. Condolences may be left online. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Westport Woman’s Club Scholarship Program, 44 Imperial Ave, Westport, CT 06880.
Nat Sylander
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This guy crawled onto Molly Alger’s deck, then posed for his “Westport … Naturally” closeup:
Posted onMay 7, 2022|Comments Off on Roundup: Post Road Improvements, “Straight White Men” & A Drag Show …
“06880” is not a big fan of political photo ops. They’re — well, political photo ops.
But we’re happy to announce one set for Monday. The reason for it is a great one.
State Senators Will Haskell and Stephanie Thomas, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker and Department of Transportation senior advisor Carlo Leone will gather at 10 a.m. at the “Westport Plaza” (known to normal people as the Home Goods/Panera Bread shopping center near the Southport line) to celebrate $11.7 million in funding for Post Road safety and traffic improvements.
The work will add left-turn lanes at Bulkley Avenue and Roseville Road, and the Fresh Market light.
Work will begin this fall, and is expected to take a year.
Left-hand turning lanes are planned for the Post Road near here.
The Westport Country Playhouse curtain rises May 24 on “Straight White Men.”
The cast of the comic satire — which ran on Broadway in 2018 — includes Richard Kline (Larry Dallas on “Three’s Company”). He’ll be directed by his Northwestern University classmate, WCP artistic director Mark Lamos.
Lamos calls it a “bold, exuberant, very funny comedy. Near the end it builds up to a surprising dramatic punch.”
The show takes place on Christmas Eve. Ed (played by Kline) has invited his 3 grown sons back home for pranks, Chinese takeout, and gossip. In between the male bonding rituals and conversations about money, work and love, they are forced to face their own identities.
Spots are going fast for Wakeman Town Farm’s summer camps. They include:
Little Farmers (4-6-year-olds): Children dabble in every farm experience from planting and harvesting fresh veggies to feeding the animals. Youngsters learn how to spot squash bugs, collect eggs from the coop, and where to look for monarch caterpillars.
Junior Farmer Camp (7-10 year-olds): Great for kids who want to get their hands dirty. They learn about sustainable farming by planning, planting and caring for a garden, feeding animals, and raising a successful garden using both modern and time-honored technologies.
Green Teen (6th-8th graders): The focus is on planting, watering and harvesting vegetables that will be donated to local food pantries. Representatives from receiving agencies visit the Farm, talking about food insecurity and how community volunteering changes lives. Students will also learn about rabbits, ducks, chicken, sheep, goats and alpacas. Environmental topics include composting, creating a pollinator garden, and the Zero Waste initiative.
Riverside Avenue between Charles Street (Tutti’s) and Railroad Place (Steam Coffee) will be closed to traffic Monday and Wednesday, for paving.
New York-bound passengers can be dropped off by driving through the eastbound (Ferry Lane) parking lot, and continuing under the railroad bridge. Passengers can also be dropped off in the Charles Street lot, and walk up the stairs to the platform.
This stretch of Riverside Avenue will be closed Monday and Wednesday.
Deb Robicheau is the Westport Book Shop’s guest artist for May.
She’s showing sculptural mixed media boxes, created during the pandemic. They incorporate comic book art from the 1930s through the ’80s. All works are available for purchase.
Robicheau — a visual artist, sculptor, painter, writer and screenwriter — has lived in Westport since 2010.
Westport Pride and MoCA Westport invite everyone to “All 4 Drag and Drag For All.”
The drag show (June 4; 5:30 p.m. cocktail hour, 6:30 p.m. performance, followed by a Q-and-A with the performers, at MoCA) is “an epic family-friendly experience.”
The headliner is 15-year-old Desmond Napoles, a New York City model, public speaker, fashion designer and voguer. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Desmond Napoles’ stage name is “Desmond is Amazing.”
“We the People” — Staples High School’s AP Government class, and the national competition of the same name — teaches students to research, analyze, synthesize and present important constitutional issues.
And it teaches them to think on their feet, and improvise.
A last-minute switch to a virtual format on Saturday did not faze Suzanne Kammerman’s 23 students. She commandeered the school library; a giant TV was set up; parents brought food, and team members set up in individual rooms with their laptops
The Westport teens’ knowledge of constitutional law was impressive (click here to see the depth and breadth of the questions). They finished second overall to traditional rival Trumbull, ahead of always-strong Greenwich.
Congratulations to all our constitutional scholars; to Kammerman, and the volunteers who helped prepare them for the event (and kept them fed)! (Hat tip: Lyn Hogan)
Like members of a (more academic) “Breakfast Club,” these 4 students did not know each other before the competition. But they finished with the top score of all 6 Staples “units,” and celebrated as friends afterward. Clockwise from lower left: Lilly Weisz, Sebatian Malino, Nikos Ninos, James Dobin-Smith.
Back row (left to right): Sebastian Malino, Nikos Ninos, James Dobin-Smith, Michael Brody, William Wang, Ishan Prasad, Zach Brody, Jackson Benner. Middle row: Matthew Shackelford, Jet Tober, Scarlett Siegel, Clara Smith, Alex Laskin. Front row: Lilly Weisz, Spencer Yim, Rebecca Schussheim, Anna Diorio, Lucia Wang, Meredith Mulhern, Katharine Shackelford, Eva Simonte, Ryan Salik, Allison Gillman, teacher Suzanne Kammerman.
For more than 60 years, Roe Halper has been a noted Westport artist. She’s still active.
Of course, her work has evolved greatly over the years. This Thursday (February 10, 7 p.m., Westport Library Trefz Forum) she’ll discuss exactly how. Her talk is part of her current exhibit “Orange,” on view in the Sheffer Gallery through March 6.
Her presentation should be fascinating — and “illustrative.” To learn more about Halper, click here.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is classic mid-winter Westport. If you haven’t been to Sherwood Island recently, you’re missing out on beauty — and solitude.
And finally … drummer Sam Lay died recently in Chicago. He was 86.
The New York Times cited his “exuberant, idiosyncratic drumming … known for its double-shuffle groove.”
Lay played with Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. He backed Bob Dylan, when the folk singer went electric at Newport in 1965.
And — most importantly for “06880” — he was a founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The keyboardist was current Westport resident Mark Naftalin.
The Times says they were “racially integrated, a rarity at the time, and bought the blues to a white audience during an intense period in the civil rights movement.”
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Lay is also in the Blues Hall of Fame. (Click here for the full Times obituary.)
A record-tying 13 Staples High School student-athletes signed letters of intent yesterday, to play sports at NCAA Division I schools.
Principal Stafford Thomas, athletic director Marty Lisevick praised the 12th graders. Each was introduced by his or her coach; each also thanked the many people who helped them on their journeys.
Congratulations to soccer player Gaby Gonzalez (Cornell University); field hockey player Jess Leon (Bucknell University); baseball player JW Fitzgerald (Sacred Heart University); lacrosse players Aiden Best (Lafayette College), Gabe Chinitz (Bryant University), McKenzie Didio and Mia Didio (both University of Delaware), Henry Dodge (University of Vermont), Charlie Howard (Boston Univesity); softball player Gabby Lantier (University of Rhode Island), tennis players Tighe Brunetti (Villanova University) and Amelia Galin (Colgate University), and track athlete Tatum Havemann (Elon University).
Staples athletic director Marty Lisevick addresses one group of D-I signees ….
Yesterday’s “06880” Roundup included a photo from Amy Shapiro, showing an Easton Road sidewalk near Coleytown Elementary School that was still filled with snow, 72 hours after the storm.
Shortly thereafter, she sent a follow-up shot. Lookin’ good!
But the Westport Farmers’ Market‘s “Operation Warm Hug” helps vulnerable children and adults who need clothes to get through winter. This month, they hold a coat and accessories drive, to benefit Community Coat Corners of Bridgeport.
New and gently worn winter coats, scarves, hats, mittens and gloves will be accepted on Thursdays, February 10 and 17 (Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center, 7 Sylvan Lane, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
As noted above: Yeah, it’s cold. But it’s not too early to begin thinking about summer.
Registration is already open for Camp MoCA. Weekly sessions run at the Museum of Contemporary Art Newtown Avenue campus from June 6 to August 22.
Each week includes art activities, hands-on agricultural and gardening lessons, outdoor fun and special events. Campers also engage with MoCA’s art exhibitions. The camp is led by certified art instructors.
The schedule includes a full day camp (ages 3 1/2 to 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.); half day camp (same ages, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), and an afternoon intensive art camp for ages 9 to 12 (1 to 3 p.m.). Click here for more information, or call 203-222-7070.
The Westport Book Shop’ February guest artist is Niki Ketchman.
All month at the used book store on Jesup Road, she’s exhibiting pieces from her “Resination” series. That’s a play on words like “resonations,” “resolutions,” “renovations” and “realizations” In addition, each piece is created with resin.
Niki Ketchman and her work, at the Westport Book Shop.
The next Westport Country Playhouse Script in Hand play reading is the thriller “Murder by Misadventure,” by Edward Taylor. It’s set for a live audience on February 21 (7 p.m.) The performance will be available too for on-demand streaming at home, from February 24 to February 27.
Script in Hand play readings offer intimate storytelling, as professional actors bring the words to life without sets or costumes.
Tickets for the live event are $20. Patrons must be masked and show proof of vaccination. Tickets for on-demand streaming are $20 individual, $40 pair and $80 household. Each purchase entitles the buyer to an individual link. Click here for tickets, call(203-227-4177, or email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org.
The Westport Astronomical Society explores Venus — from the comfort of everyone’s home.
The next free online lecture is “The DAVINCI Mission to Mars.” NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Dr. Giada Nichole Arney does the honors on February 15 (8 p.m.).
“Westport … Naturally” has featured plenty of swans. This may be the first appearance, though, of buffleheads. Matt Murray captured them — by camera, anyway — at Sherwood Mill Pond.
Services will be held this Saturday (January 8) for Horace Lewis. The beloved head custodian at Staples High School — and before that at Coleytown Middle School — died last month of complications from COVID, following a stroke. He was 62 years old.
The family will receive visitors from 10 to 11 a.m. at Kingdom Life Christian Church, 597 Naugatuck Avenue in Milford. The funeral service follows, at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Union Cemetery in Stratford.
Larry Aasen’s family has sent along his official obituary. Here are more details, on one of Westport’s most remarkable residents:
Larry Aasen died on Sunday, January 2, at Norwalk Hospital. He was 99 years old. The cause of death was complications of COVID-19.
Larry and his wife Martha married in 1954. They moved to Westport in 1963. Martha died in October 2020, at 90.
Larry was born in a log house on a farm near Gardner, ND, on December 5, 1922, during a heavy snowstorm. There was no electricity, running water or central heating. His grandparents were immigrants from Norway.
He attended North Dakota State University from 1941 to 1943, then entered the U.S. Army. Larry rose to sergeant in the 13th Airborne Division. After training in North Carolina, he was sent to France during World War II. His job was cryptographer, encoding and decoding secret messages. His division had 20-person gliders. Their mission was to drop behind enemy lines and destroy anything of value.
One year after his 1946 discharge, Larry received a journalism degree from the University of North Dakota. He added a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University in 1949.
Larry moved to New York, where he began his career as a journalist for McGraw-Hill trade publications. He spent 14 years with New York Life Insurance, rising to vice president of public relations, then 20 years with the Better Vision Institute on campaigns urging Americans to get their eyes checked.
He was active in Westport’s civic life. He served 17 years on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Other volunteer activities include the Democratic Town Committee, Y’s Men and Rotary Club. He was an active member of the Saugatuck Congregational Church. In 2018, he served as grand marshal of the town’s Memorial Day parade
He wrote 4 books about his beloved North Dakota, including “North Dakota 100 Years Ago,” “Images of North Dakota” and “North Dakota Postcards 1900-1930.” “North Dakotans Never Give Up” was written when he was 97 years old.
Larry is survived by his children, David and Susan; son-in-law David Rutkin, and extended family members in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Because of the pandemic, there will be no funeral at this time. A memorial service will be held in the spring. His family requests that no flowers or gifts be sent to the Aasen residence. Instead, memorial gifts may be sent to Saugatuck Congregational Church (click here, or send to 245 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880).
Memorial Day 2018 grand marshal Larry Aasen and his wife Martha. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
Josh Fass passed his love of hockey to his kids. Carter — a junior at Staples High School — plays on the boys varsity team. Lexie is a freshman; she skates for the Staples/Stamford co-op girls team. (The oldest is studying molecular and cellular biology in California.)
Creating a rink on their front lawn was a passion project last year, and a saving grace during the long COVID winter. The virus is still here — but thankfully, the rink is back.
The Fass family rink. (Photo/Mark Mathias)
A Westporter writes:
My husband and I have been doing a daily walk around our neighborhood. We see things that — well, shouldn’t be there.
So the other day we took a couple of bags with us. In just 20 minutes around the corner and back, we filled them (see photo below). We picked up something almost every 10 yards.
So here’s my “food (garbage) for thought”: Why does this happen in one of the wealthiest and most highly educated places in the country — in front of million dollar homes? I’m sure we wouldn’t see this on their living room floors.
In days to come, we’ll bring bigger bags. And maybe a truck, for the barbecue grill someone threw away.
On Monday, “06880” reported on the cache of unopened tin cans Wendy Crowther found in a decaying Baron’s South tree.
Several readers speculated they might have been left there by a homeless person.
Wendy returned, and examined the labels. The oldest “Best By” date was February 28, 2017. Others were dated as late as 2022. A plastic jar of unopened peanut butter that rolled downhill from the rest had a “Best By” date of 2023.
Such dates dates typically range from 1 to 3 years, Wendy says. It’s hard to know who stashed the cans, and when. But, she adds, “No matter who, it’s a reminder that someone’s next meal may depend on the secrecy and integrity of a tree cavity, even here in Westport.”
Canned goods, in and near a Baron’s South tree. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
The Westport Book Shop starts the new year off with a different kind of Artist of the Month. Literary and visual artist Diane Meyer Lowman — our town’s poet laureate — offers 9 original haiku. Superimposed on a photo taken by Diane in Westport or close by, they’ll be exhibited in the store through January 31.
Lowman is a poet, author and essayist (click here to read). Her memoir Nothing But Blue was published in 2018. Shortly thereafter, she received her M.A. in Shakespeare Studies from the University of Birmingham.
Diane Meyer Lowman with her haiku, at the Westport Book Shop.
Sarah Bloom Raskin is the leading candidate for vice chair of supervision at the Federal Reserve.
According to Axios, “By settling on Raskin, a former deputy Treasury secretary, for the powerful bank regulator position, [President] Biden is giving progressive senators like Elizabeth Warren a policy and personnel win on a position about which they care deeply.”
Raskin — a law professor at Duke University — served as a Federal Reserve governor before joining the Treasury Department under President Obama. She is married to Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
Why is this “06880”-worthy? She is the daughter of longtime Westporter Arlene Bloom and her late husband, Herb. (Hat tips: Mary Condon and Sheila Weiss)
On the last Sunday before Christmas, Main Street is packed today with almost-last-minute shoppers.
While buying gifts for friends and loved ones, Steve Crowley hopes we’ll think about everyone in Kentucky whose holidays — and lives — were upended by last week’s tornadoes.
Steve — the owner of SCA Crowley Real Estate Services — has swung into action. He got a logo (courtesy of Miggs Burroughs) with the words “America Lends a Hand.” He ordered dozens of t-shirts, with the design.
Marty Rogers produced a sign. It’s in front of Vineyard Vines all day today, where Steve and his sons are selling the shirts, in return for donations to the Western Kentucky Relief Fund. 100% of all contributions go directly there.
In the midst of everything, stop in front of Vineyard Vines to help out. And, Steve says, if you can’t be there, send a tax-deductible check made out to “Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund,” c/o Public Protection Cabinet, 500 Metro Streeet, 218 NC, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Steve Crowley (right) and sons, selling t-shirts outside Vineyard Vines today.
As the Omicron variant surges, and COVID cases soar, the Urgent Care center on Post Road East — which offers rapid testing i– has been swamped with patients.
As Bob Weingarten notes, the line of cars there “has replaced the normal line at Starbucks” across the street. .
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
Hey: If there’s an accident at Urgent Care, at least you won’t go far for treatment.
Marty Greenberg lives on the Saugatuck River, across from the Rowing club. Last night around 8:30, the “floating Christmas team” passed by, for the second time.
“What a sight! What a treat!” Marty says. “it’s a unique Westport thrill.”
Floating Christmas tree, across from the Saugatuck Rowing Club. (Photo/Marty Greenberg)
Readers: If you’ve got photos — or any other info on the floating Christmas tree, like when it will next ride the river — click “Comments” below.
Sure, this is one of the busiest weeks of the year. But if you get a chance, stop in to the Westport Library’s Verso Studios holiday open house tomorrow (Monday, December 20, 7 p.m.).
The creative staff will show off their podcast, mixing and mastering equipment. They’ll answer questions about audio and video creation, editing and post-production, including training courses.
Registration is requested, for planning purposes. Click here to RSVP, and learn more.
Speaking of the Library: It can’t run without volunteers. Betty Lou Cummings was one of its staunchest.
She served many other organizations, including her fall festival baby, the Applel Festival. She was a Representative Town Meeting member, as well as a 2nd selectwoman.
Yesterday, Betty Lou and her husband Tom celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. It was the same day I — and so many other Westporters — got their classic Christmas card, filled with photos of children, grandchildren, and random others.
Happy anniversary — and Merry Christmas — to one of our town’s favorite couples!
Here’s a last-minute gift idea for anyone who remembers hours spent at Arnie’s Place arcade (or dreams about paying their taxes in pennies, as Arnie did).
Virginia Wong — the Westport native and entrepreneur who spent many happy hours at the controversial (to parents and town officials) and joyful (to kids) Post Road video arcade (now Ulta) — has reanimated the iconic graphic from Arnie Kaye’s long-running campaign to open, and stay open.
“I Support Arntie’s” t-shirts come in 4 colors. They’re perfect for any ’80s Westport kid.
Click here to order. But hurry! Tomorrow (Monday, December 20) is the cutoff for Christmas delivery.
And finally … Edith Piaf was born on this day, in 1915. The French singer-songwriter. She died in 1963, just 47 years old. But she left quite a legacy behind.
New merchants are signing up every day for “06880”s first-ever Holiday Stroll.
It’s next Saturday (December 11), 4 to 7 p.m., downtown.
Staples’ elite Orphenians will sing. Don Memo will provide hot apple cider, on their patio. There’s face painting for kids, and an ugly sweater contest for everyone.
Santa will hang out by Savvy + Grace. He’ll pose for photos with kids, who can also drop off self-addressed letters to him. They’ll be mailed back, with a personal note.
Among the special shopping offerings:
20% off at Allison Daniel Designs (Sconset Square) and WEST.
Free topaz or pyrite crystal at Age of Reason.
Something special from Franny’s Farmacy.
Garlic knots at Joe’s Pizza.
Silk mask giveaway at Calico.
Spend $150-$250, get 10% off. Spend $250-$500, get 15% off. Spend $500 or more, get 20% off at Kerri Rosenthal.
Sorelle Galleryoffers festive beverages to sip while browsing artwork, plus a giveaway. Sign up for their email list and select a free print, while supplies last.
A free gift to children who stop by The Toy Post between 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday (they close at 6).
Buy one, get 1/2 off of Whip Salon brand products
20% off all holiday items at Westport Book Shop.
Adult holiday beverages and 10% off a full-price purchase to anyone mentioning the “06880” blog at Nic + Zoe.
Hot chocolate atLe Rouge Chocolates, Rye Ridge Deli and Winfield Street Coffee.
Hot chocolate and holiday treats at The Fred Shop.
1 free health and wellness coaching session from Dark Horse Health and Wellness (Playhouse Square; stop by or call 203-349-5597).
Meanwhile, earlier next Saturday — from 10:30 a.m. to noon — Westport Book Shop sponsors its own first-ever Winter Family Fest. It’s on Jesup Green, right across from our favorite used book store.
Kids will enjoy snowflake-themed crafts, games and story reading (indoors!). There’s hot chocolate and goodies for all too, courtesy of The Porch @ Christie’s.
The Family Fest takes place on Jesup Green, across from Westport Book Shop.
Yesterday’s second COVID vaccine clinic for 5-to-11-year-olds was another hit.
Kids and their parents poured into the Staples High School fieldhouse, for their second dose. Westport Weston Health District, school district and Westport Community Emergency Response Team personnel handled the crowd efficiently. Youngsters were excited to receive another jab. (Their parents were too.)
One protester stood near the entrance. Whitney Krueger (photo below) held signs reflecting her belief that not enough information has been provided about the vaccine.
He heads any list of great Westporters — and not just because his last name is first.
A World War II veteran and Westport resident since the 1950s, he’s had a long, distinguished career serving our town, in politics and many other ways. In 2018, Larry was the Memorial Day grand marshal.
He’s also the author of 4 books about his beloved home state, North Dakota.
Larry’s wife, his beloved Martha, died in October 2020. She was 90. They had been married for 66 years.
I know all of Westport joins me in wishing Larry Aasen a wonderful 99th birthday!
Larry Aasen, with his books. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)
For 2 months, Netflix has been filming “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” all around the area. The Stephen King thriller stars Donald Sutherland and Jaeden Martell.
The most recent site was Sherwood Island State Park, by the old stables. Intrigued beach-goers spotted tents, trailers and lights near the wood last week.
“Extraterrestrial Life: Are We the Sharpest Cookies in the Jar?”
That’s the provocative title of the Westport Astronomical Society’s next virtual lecture. Harvard professor Avi Loeb speaks via Zoom (click here) and YouTube (click here) on December 21 (8 p.m.).
PS: No one know the answer. But I do know this: If we were the smartest beings in the universe, we wouldn’t have to ask.
Chris Robison — noted musician, teacher, gay rights activist and a longtime Westporter — died this week. He was 73.
Born Harold Alton Meyer in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Chris made his mark in the New York City rock ‘n’ roll scene of the 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls, Elephant’s Memory, Steam and Stumblebunny. He was also a music teacher here for over 30 years.
Chris recorded with John Lennon, Keith Richards, Papa John Phillips and Gene Simmons.
With Elephant’s Memory he toured with Aerosmith, Rare Earth and Billy Preston, and played a Circle Line tourist boat gig — hosted by the Hell’s Angels — with Bo Diddley and Jerry Garcia.
The New York Dolls toured Japan with Jeff Beck and Felix Pappalardi. A crowd of 55,000 jammed Tokyo Baseball Stadium to hear them play. Click here for a longer “06880” story on Chris’ musical exploits.
His family says, “His relentless passion for artistic expression and civil rights will be treasured for years to come.”
Chris is survived by sons Dexter Scott of Brooklyn and Tiger Robison of Laramie, Wyoming; sisters Laurel Meyer of Wellesley, Wendy Woodfield and Marilee Meyer of Cambridge, Massachusetts; brother Bruce Meyer of Camden, Maine, and 3 grandchildren.
A memorial service is set for this Tuesday (December 7) at MoCA Westport, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
And finally … Chris Robison led quite a life (see his obituary above). We honor him here with these videos.
He was not in “Steam” when they recorded their signature (and only) hit (in Bridgeport). The band did not even exist; “Steam” was just studio musicians.
But the label wanted a tour. Chris joined the group that played 28 states, in a grueling 3-week tour of 1-night stands, TV shows and festivals. They shared the bill with Bob Seger and MC5, among others. “Steam” played all original material; the only obligation was to start and end each set with …
His next gig — with Elephant’s Memory — included this 1974 song:
Then it was on to the New York Dolls. They were a key influence on later punk, new wave and glam metal groups like the Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads.
Later Chris formed his own band, Stumblebunny, which toured the UK and Germany with the Hollies.
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