Tag Archives: Westport Hardware Store

Roundup: Cyndi Lauper, Aspetuck Land Trust, Longshore Ladies …

Posted on October 1, 2022 | 3 comments

Last night, Cyndi Lauper joined a long list — Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson and Chuck Berry, to name just 3 — who played a Levitt Pavilion Fundraiser.

Bantering with the audience and sounding in fine form, the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” girl wowed the sellout crowd.

The weather was fine. The set list was great. And — thanks to all those ticket buyers — Westport’s favorite outdoor entertainment venue can begin planning another summer of over 50 free events for 2023.

Cyndi Lauper, in action. (Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)

=======================================================

This is the week to pick up 6,000 pre-ordered native plants, through Aspetuck Land Trust’s semi-annual sale.

Funds support their Green Corridor. It links green spaces within developed residential and urban areas to the protected natural areas ALT preserves, maintains, and manages as public spaces.

The Land Trust has added 34,000 native plans to the region, in just the past 3 years. 1,400 Fairfield County residents have contributed more than $100,000, helping improve the region’s biodiversity.

To learn more about Aspetuck Land Trust, click here.

Haskins Preserve is one of Aspetuck Land Trust’s many such areas. (Photo/Wendy Cusick)

=======================================================

The Longshore Ladies 9-Holers’ recent Charity Golf Event lived up to its name.

The Westport Woman’s Club Food Closet received over $1,125, and 4 grocery carts of food donations. The funds will help provide Stop & Shop gift cards.

Seems like there were plenty of winners at that golf outing,

Food donations, courtesy of Longshore Ladies’ 9-Holers.

=====================================================

“06880” covers Westport, past and present.

On Thursday, I spoke on exactly that subject to the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston.

My message was, “The bad news is: Westport has changed. The good news is: Westport has changed.”

It was a great audience — as the Y’s Men are for all guest speakers. They asked great questions. They laughed at all the right times.

And the donuts and coffee were fantastic.

Yours truly, at the Y’s Men meeting. ({Photo/Ted Horowitz)

=======================================================

Hurricane Ian has claimed another victim.

Well, at least the weather has.

The Westport Book Shop event with Lauren Tarshis — originally scheduled for this afternoon (Saturday, October 1) on Jesup Green — has been rescheduled to November 5 (3:30 p.m., Westport Library Trefz Forum).

For more information, click here.

Westport Book Shop.

======================================================

Work continues on Westport Hardware’s new location.

The popular store is moving a few storefronts west of its current site, in the shopping plaza opposite Fresh Market.

They’ll open “soon,” they promise.

(Photo/Andrew Colabella)

=======================================================

Speaking of shopping: Hurry on down to Walgreens.

Altoids are selling now at a much lower price than before!

(Photo/Phil Rubin)

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature is a serene scene, off Compo’s South Beach:

(Photo/Laurie Sorensen)

=======================================================

And finally … today is October 1. Or, as it’s better known in Westport: The day dogs can return to Compo Beach.’

Enjoy th next 6 months. April 1 will be here before you know it.

 (After playing with your dogs, please consider a contribution to “06880”! Click here to help.)

3 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Environment, Local business, Sports, Totally random

Tagged , , , , , , ,

[OPINION] Westporter Urges: Make Good Choices. Support Local Businesses.

Posted on November 30, 2019 | 16 comments

Michael Smith is an alert “06880” reader, a longtime Westporter and a financial advisor. He writes:

We all have choices to make. We should understand the impact of every choice.

The other day I read in the New York Times about a hardware store closing in Manhattan. Not exactly unheard-of in the age of the internet and Amazon.

It was by a Columbia Law professor who wrote a book on the impacts on small businesses in America, from increasing corporate influence and rising rents in wealthy areas of the country. That’s something worth considering, as residents of Westport.

All of our local businesses have 2 things in common. One is that they contribute to the tax base; the other is that they have some “ripple effect.”

Indulge by Mersene on Railroad Place is a very cool, funky — and thriving — local business.

The contribution to the tax base is obvious, but the implications from declining contributions to our town budget from the state level are becoming increasingly important.

It’s harder to quantify when you click “buy now” on the web, along with impacts on the environment from single-use plastics and our collective carbon footprint.

The other “ripple effect” — which is much harder to see — is the choices individuals and small businesses make from the standpoint of investment in maintaining or opening new businesses, and where to own personal real estate.

Last April, I attended a panel discussion sponsored by the Coalition for Westport which attempted to discuss some of these issues and develop awareness. That session highlighted the complexity of the issues and difficulties of making change a plurality can agree on.

More awareness and involvement would be beneficial, because at the very least it helps us all understand that we can make a difference by recognizing the impact of our choices.

Westport residents would do well to consider the long-term impacts on our tax base and property values from short-term decisions, such as where to buy light bulbs, screws, household items and clothing. These purely economic considerations play a large role in the broader concept of community.

Where do yhou buy screws or lightbulbs?

I advocate for all of us to make a conscious commitment to consider what item or substitute could be purchased here in Westport, or very close by, to help sustain the economic component of our community.

I have no personal interest in writing this. I am a 25-plus-year resident of Westport, and a financial advisor who understands the rapid and far-reaching dynamics of our global economy in the 21st century.

As I told my children when they were young; “Life is about choices. Make good ones.”

16 Comments

Posted in Economy, Local business

Tagged , , ,

Long May She Wave

Posted on July 22, 2016 | 2 comments

I sure screwed up yesterday’s post about a “missing” AED. (It wasn’t stolen from Winslow Park at all – it had never been installed. I also misidentified the donor — it’s the Gudis Family Foundation and Norwalk Hospital, not the Adam Greenlee Foundation. Click here to see how many times I could be wrong in one post.)

This one is on the money.

A year ago, Tarantino owner John Paul Marchetti installed an American flag outside his Railroad Place restaurant.

He’s a proud Marine Corps Reserves veteran — he served in Iraq — and was honored to fly it 24/7.

Tarantino flag

Yesterday, he and his brothers — co-owners of the popular Saugatuck spot — noticed the flag was gone.

Marchetti was angry. “This country gave my immigrant parents everything,” he said. “The flag is a symbol of freedom. Someone stole that symbol.”

I told Marchetti I would post the story on “06880.” We’d ask the thief to return the flag, no questions asked.

Meanwhile, Marchetti posted a photo on social media.

Westport Hardware Store owner Richie Velez saw it. He promised to bring a replacement over, as soon as he got off work.

So, if you’re the flag thief, do the right thing. Hand it off to someone who can fly it as proudly as Marchetti, and cares as much as Velez.

(Hat tip: Johnny Carrier)

2 Comments

Posted in Local business, People, Restaurants, Saugatuck

Tagged , , , ,