Hardware stores are often the heart of their community.
They’re places to go for supplies of all kinds, sure — for the inside and outside of homes, lawncare and more.
But they’re also places to get advice, chat with knowledgeable owners and staff, and feel — well, at home.
Westport is lucky to have had several that were much more than just “stores.”
Welch’s and Hartmann’s on Main Street were legendary. The Izzos’ Crossroads Ace Hardware next to Coffee An’ (now The Grapevine liquor store) took their place, and served Westport for decades.
The second, nail-shaped “T” in its logo was the subject of last week’s Photo Challenge (click here to see).
I thought many readers would confuse it with the Tesla “T.” But you’re too sharp for that.
Nineteen got the right answer. Not one fell for the Musk trap (which sounds like something Westport Hardware should stock).
A couple of comments included shout-outs to Bear (who is actually a dog, and — when he’s not roaming the store — sits quietly behind the counter).
One reader noted that Westport Hardware shares a strip mall with the unrelated Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop for Guys.
Congratulations to Bill Downey, Brian Taylor, Sal Liccione, Arthur Hayes, Andrew Colabella, Gabby Velez, Jonathan Alloy, Wendy Schaefer, Seth Schachter, Lisa Hayes, Jerry Kuyper, John McKinney, Seth Braunstein, Jeff Loechner, Clark Thiemann, Peter Dennigan Sinnott, Beth Berkowitz, Colleen Williams and Dede McDowell.
You all “nailed” last week’s Photo Challenge.
Will this week’s be as easy? If you know where in Westport you would see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Seth Braunstein)
(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Staples Orphenians have shared their music with audiences all over the world. They’ve particiated in global educational events too.
This June, the elite high school choral group heads to the Spain Choral Festival
To ensure that every singer can particiapte, they’re hosting a “Cabaret Olé” fundraiser.
The March 30 event (6 p.m., Christ & Holy Trinity Church) features members of
grammy-nominated VOCES8 and other Broadway stars, along with tapas, other light bites and a silent auction.
Funds raised will also support the VOCES8 Foundation, which is developing an educational music hub in the Westport area.
Speaking of the arts: Less than 2 weeks remain for high school seniors to apply for $5,000 worth of scholarships.
The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center grants go to students with financial need who want to pursue an arts education at any level — university, community college or an arts school. All Westport 12th graders are eligible, no matter where they currently attend school.
The DFCAC is funding the scholarships. It was founded by Friedman — the downtown property owner, restauranteur (Onion Alley, Cobb’s Mill Inn, Stonehenge Inn) and philanthropist whose first wife Bobbie was an accomplished artist.
The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center also sponsors workshops and projects for students. The center is administered by Nick Visconti, Friedman’s longtime business partner.
To apply, students who currently participate in art classes or art activities should send up to 8 digital images (JPEGs) of their work. It can be any medium — photography, painting, sculpture, drawing, digital art, or other.
Applicants should also submit a statement of up to 300 words describing the value of art in their life, and the world at large.
Send images and the statement (or any questions) to info@DrewFriedmanCommunityArtsCenter.org (subject line: “2025 Scholarship”). The deadline is February 28.
2024 Drew Friedman Scholarship winners Chloe Hackett and Mia Vindola (holding checks) with (from left) DFCAC co-directors Miggs Burroughs and Nick Visconti, and First Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
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Speaking still of the arts: The Westport Country Playhouse and Westport Hardware may seem to have little in common.
But they’ve teamed up on a special “buy one, get one free” offer for the upcoming production of “Native Gardens.”
The show’s theme is “good fences make good neighbors (or do they?)” — and of course Westport Hardware sells every type of garden accessory imaginable.
For more information, and tickets, click here, or call the box office (203-227-4177). Use or mention the prmoo code “COMMUNITYBOGO.”
Fences — common to the Westport Country Playhouse and Westport Hardware.
The 2009 Staples High School basketball star — who went on to earn Division III National Player of the Year honors at the University of Rochester — has had a long professional career in Israel.
On Thursday, his Maccabi Tel Aviv team won the prestigious Israeli Cup.
Click here to read all about his pro career. (Hat tip: Chuck Haberstroh)
John DiBartolomeo
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Speaking of sports: DiBartolomeo’s fellow 2009 Staples graduate Parker Kligerman won his 4th-ever NASCAR Truck Series race this week, an event leading up to the Daytona 500.
But he was disqualified an hour later. His truck failed ride height checks, and was too low in the rear. His team said they’d appeal.
And finally … on this date in 1764, the city of St. Louis was established in Spanish Louisiana (now Missouri).
(If it happens in Westport, Connecticut — or Westport, New Zealand — you’ll read about it on “06880.” If you enjoy our hyper-local coverage, with a global twist, please click here. Thank you!)
It’s been years since IHOP left Westport (though the bones of the building, a now-closed nail salon, can still be seen opposite Fire Department headquarters on the Post Road).
But a new pancake place is headed to town.
WestportMoms reports this morning that The Original Pancake House will open this summer on Main Street. They’ll take over the 2nd floor space formerly occupied by Boca restaurant (and before that, Acqua).
The original Original Pancake House — TOPH, to its fans — opened in 1953 in Portland, Oregon. There are now over 100 locations in 28 states and overseas.
But none are in Connecticut. The closest right now is White Plains.
Among the signature dishes: apple pancakes, Dutch Baby, German pancakes and omelets.
Speaking of Main Street: Get set for some reshuffling of Westport retail space.
Westport Hardware will move a few yards west. The popular store opposite Fresh Market — the only one of its kind left in town — will take over the space formerly occupied by Sam Sloat Coins, Luxe Nail Spa, and part of Lester’s and now-closed Wish List. The nail salon will be relocating.
The new space — about the same size as the current store — will be bright, with open ceilings, a Westport Hardware spokesperson said.
So what’s replacing Westport Hardware?
Pottery Barn. They’ll move from Main Street. Pottery Barn will also take over the now-closed Mumbai Times restaurant and Vincent Palumbo Salon, on both sides of the hardware store. That’s around 15,000 square feet.
Target date for the move is late August.
In August Westport Hardware moves west; Pottery Barn moves in.
There’s a lot on the Board of Finance’s plate at its March 2 meeting (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).
Among the agenda items:
Presentation of the 2022-23 town budget, by 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
Presentation of the 2022-23 education budget, by Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice.
A request for $1.431 million to extend sewers to Whitney Street, Roseville Road, Fernwood Road, Plumtree Lane, Pamela Place and Ledgemoor Lane.
A request for $3.1 million to extend sewers to Evergreen Avenue and Parkway, Tamarac Road, Lone Pine Lane, Gorham Avenue, Compo Road North and Brookside Drive.
The meeting will also be livestreamed on the town website, and shown on Optimum channel 79 and Frontier channel 6020. Click here for the full agenda.
Congratulations to the Staples High School girls ice hockey team (a co-op squad, with Stamford and Westhill Highs).
A 3-0 win over Darien vaults them into their first-ever FCIAC final. Kate Tortorella scored twice, Annie Forker once, adn goalie Sydney Butler earned the shutout.
They play New Canaan on Saturday. Good luck! (Hat tip: The Ruden Report)
The Staples/Stamford/Westhiill girls ice hockey coop team.
Michael Chait’s photography has been featured on “06880.” He’s got a large following on social media too. Michael’s followers love his unique images of Westport, New York City and other locations.
But it’s one thing to see his work on a computer or phone screen. They’re even more impressive live, and in person.
You’ll get that chance on Saturday, March 5 (4 to 7 p.m.) and Sunday, march 6 (1 to 4 p.m.). There’s a special show at the Loft Studio/Office, 11 Riverside Avenue, 2nd floor.
That’s on the corner of Post Road West — one more favored spot for Michael’s photos.
Charlie Capalbo — the 23-year-old standout Fairfield hockey goalie, and grandson of Westport writer Ina Chadwick — has beaten cancer 3 times: lymphoma once, leukemia twice. Countless friends and strangers have rallied to his remarkable cause.
Astonishingly, he’s just been diagnosed with leukemia a third time. His fourth cancer battle in 5 years will include very expensive experimental treatments and immunotherapies — on top of the immense cost of previous treatments.
To donate to Charlie’s Go Fund Me page, click here. You can also email words of encouragement to charlie@optimalservices.com; leave a voicemail at 203-293-8464 (his phone won’t ring), and join the Friends of Charlie Capalbo Facebook page.
Today’s New York Times has an interesting story on a Republican US Senate candidate in Pennsylvania. Michael David McCormick is trying to thread the needle between being seen as a Trump ally, and one not too extreme in the state President Biden won by 1.2 percentage points. One consultant advised running in the “Trump-adjacent lane.”
The story notes that McCormick — a West Point graduate, army Ranger, Ph.D. graduate of Princeton and Treasury official in the George W. Bush administration — was most recently CEO of Bridgewater Associates.
The Times calls notes that the hedge fund’s “fieldstone-and-glass headquarters … on a wooded, 22-acre campus in Westport, Conn (are) a world away from Pennsylvania cities like Scranton, McKeesport and Aliquippa, which have been hit hard by the kinds of shifts in global trade that Bridgewater’s traders and analysts seek to monetize each day.”
It adds: “A former Democrat, McCormick has made voluminous comments on world affairs, and they aren’t always very MAGA.”
Click here for the full story, including McCormick’s views on China — a country the Times says holds particular fascination for Bridgewater.
Bridgewater’s “fieldstone-and-glass” headquarters, off Weston Road.
As of 4 pm yesterday (Monday), , March 23, 2020, out of the 415 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, 74 were from Westport and 4 from Weston.
Westport Weston Health Director Mark Cooper says, “Being ‘hit’ first, we may be first to see the virus start to slow its spread, so long as people self-isolate and socially distance themselves from others. Only time will tell.”
Although no age group is spared, the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups have the highest number of confirmed cases in the state. The 60-69 and over-80 age groups make up the majority of those hospitalized.
According to the WWHD, private company Murphy Medical tested 45 Westport and Weston residents today. However, due to the shortage of test supplies, some of this morning’s tests had to be rescheduled.
WWHD will restart the Westport Weston drive-thru testing site next Tuesday (March 31), testing supplies availability permitting. Appointments can be obtained by filling out forms at www.coronatestct.com.
Staples High School junior Remi Levitt runs a great clothing and lifestyle blog, called “Coat of Love.” Now she’s using it to organize a county-wide clothing drive for those affected by the coronavirus.
So, “06880” readers: Clean your closets. Separate items by gender and size, in garbage bags; mark their contests on the outside. Place them by your mailbox or the end of your driveway. Email remilevitt@gmail.com with your address; they’ll be picked up within 24 hours, and sent to folks in need.
Reader Paloma Bima writes that just before all non-essential stores shut down yesterday night, a customer called Compo Farm Flowers. She arranged for delivery of beautiful bouquets to many friends. It was an act of great kindness for them — and for one small, about-to-close business too.
Reader Nicole Klein has been passionate about giving blood for the last 25 years. When she was in college, a sibling was diagnosed with leukemia. Nicole is adopted, so she could not help medically.
She felt helpless that she was unable to donate blood platelets or bone marrow. Then she realized that although she could not help her sibling, she could help others.
“In today’s world of COVID-19, I again have the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness,” she says. “The only thing I could think to do was donate blood. There is an extreme shortage right now. I urge anyone who is healthy and able, to please click here to make an appointment.
“They are amazing and so grateful. During this time of indescribable helplessness, it will help you too.”
Like every gym, Upper Deck Fitness is closed. They’re doing what they can for their clients, using a two-way video platform. It’s a great solution — but not easy.
Yet Upper Deck still wants to help others. So the fitness center is offering a free month of virtual workouts to all nurses, doctors, techs and EMTs.
“Healthcare workers don’t have the liberty of social distancing, so keeping their immunity strong is of utmost priority,” says founder and CEO Suzanne Vita Palazzo.
“This is not just about a workout, but providing them with an hour to release stress and maintain their strength, while receiving support from a fully interactive community.”
The 2-way video service enables a certified coach to keep on eye on all participants. There are over 20 classes a week, all done via any device with an internet connection.
Healthcare professionals: Email
info@upperdeckfitness.com with your name and credentials.
The iconic theater has pushed its April opening back to July.
The revised 2020 lineup includes the musicals “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Next to Normal,” and a new comedy, “Tiny House,” down from the original 5 productions. “Antigone” and “Blues for an Alabama Sky” have been postponed to future seasons.
The modified season will run from July 14 through October 24.
(Photo/Robert Benson)
Who has time for spring cleaning?
This year, most of us.
Westport Hardware is open for business, with a full supply of whatever you need for your yard, garage, attic, basement, deck, driveway, shed, etc., etc., etc.
As medical personnel desperately seek face shields, Westport Maker guru Mark Mathias says that people with 3D printers can help. For information on what to do, and how,click here. For additional info, email mark@mathias.org.
Yesterday’s post about Tina Dragone drew many comments on “06880” — and hate calls and emails to the store.
C’mon, readers. You’re better than that. She’s a small businesswoman, facing hard times like so many others.
It’s your choice to shop there or not. But personal attacks are definitely not cool.
And finally, in case you need a little reminder about social distancing, click below:
Today, Westporters love and appreciate 2 great hardware stores. Crossroads Ace is next to Coffee An’ on Main Street heading out of town. Westport Hardware is on the Post Road, opposite Fresh Market.
In the 1960s and ’70s, 2 hardware stores sat just a few feet from each other on the “main” part of Main Street, in the heart of downtown. (A 3rd — Western Auto — was not far away. Today it’s Five Guys.)
Welch’s was closest to the Post Road. It had sawdust on the floor.
Westport Hardware was bigger:
(Photo courtesy of Bruce Jones)
By the mid-1970s, it had become a furniture store. One winter afternoon, it burned to the ground.
Later, an odd vertical “mall” took its place. But Westporters did not want to go up and down, and the mix of small shops never took off.
It was gutted, and a new tenant took its place.
Today, the building weathers the ups and downs — literally and figuratively — of Main Street.
We all have weekends routines — the rituals we perform every Saturday or Sunday. We don’t think about them; we just do them. But they define us — and our town — more than we realize.
Alert “06880” reader Carter Wiseman shares his:
Most Saturday mornings, I visit People’s Bank on the Post Road at North Compo. Victoria and Nikki know my name. They don’t ask if I need my balance, because I view it online.
Next, I head across the street to Trader Joe’s. I check out avocados and more with Trude, whose bow-hunting father (I learned) pulled out her tooth by attaching it to an arrow.
From there it’s on to Westport Hardware. Dave once advised me on a cheap snake, so I did not have to call an $80-an-hour plumber to clear a bathroom drain.
I end my Saturday morning with a trip up the Post Road, to Liberty Army & Navy. I chat with Eve, the owner, who took over the store from her brother Bob (with whom I bonded over tales of the Viet Nam era. I had a cushy intelligence job with the Army in Germany; Bob was in the Air Force at Khe Sanh.)
My final stop is next door, at Castle Wines. I always look forward to seeing Kathleen, who has an advanced degree in oenology but nevertheless recommends an inexpensive Malbec.
What’s your weekend routine? Where do you go, who do you see, and why do you like it? Click “Comments” to share!
The other day, alert “06880” reader John Patterson and his son Jack bought a small Torx star bit to change old, rusty door hinges on their recently-bought used Jeep Wrangler. But John stripped the bolt.
He says: “not only did the amazing staff at Westport Hardware sell me the part — they rescued my small project once I made a mess of the old bolt. These guys spent over an hour drilling the old bolt out. They saved the day (or at least the afternoon).”
“06880” loves giving shout-outs to local businesses that go above and beyond.
Old-fashioned, hometown service is alive and well in Westport.
And — go figure — it’s almost always the small, independent guys who give it.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
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