Since its inception a dozen year ago, LobsterFest has become one of the biggest, most beloved and fun parties in town.
This Saturday, 1,500 folks of all ages will celebrate at Compo Beach. (Don’t have a ticket? You’re out of luck. They sold out in hours, in July.)
LobsterFesters will eat lobster and steak (plus a lot more). They’ll drink beer and soda. They’ll dance to a great band. They’ll rock the town.
They’ll also generate tons — literally — of waste.
All those people will leave behind lots of lobster tails, food scraps, beer cups, cutlery, napkins, even peppermint patty wrappers.
Lots of food at LobsterFest. (Photo/Dan Woog)
But it won’t be left for long. The Westport Rotary Club — sponsors of the bash, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy organizations here and around the world — puts as much effort into cleaning up as they do to organizing LobsterFest, and handing out grants.
Which is to say: a lot.
Yet for all its trash, LobsterFest might be the most sustainable big event in Westport.
For several years the Rotary Club has partnered with Sustainable Westport to reduce waste, protect natural resources, and encourage environmental practices at the party, and long after.
Last year, for example, the groups worked with Curbside Compost to divert 1.5 tons — yes, tons — of waste.
Recycling, at the 2023 LobsterFest. (Photo/Dan Woog)
They’ll do the same this Saturday — but even better. They’ll put 300 bins everywhere, to collect small items like the rubber bands from lobsters, candy wrappers, empty butter tubs, cole slaw containers and the rest, ensuring it’s separated from compost scraps.
That’s huge. In the past, any lobsters put in compost with rubber bands still attached contaminated the entire bin.
Look for — and use — these 300 bins.
Also new: compostable utensils and cutlery. All those knives, forks and more will be accepted by Curbside Compost, along with food.
And for the first time, LobsterFest will have on-site recycling, for aluminum cans and bottles. They’ll be redeemed by Scout Troops 39 and 139, who as reward for their work will receive 10 cents each.
But none of those ideas will work without our help.
Westport Rotary and Sustainable Westport advise LobsterFest-goers:
Take only what you truly need. If you know you won’t eat 2 lobsters, don’t take 2!
Use proper receptacles for your waste. Food, paper napkins and cardboard trays can all be composted. Separate them correctly! (Put cans and bottles in the right ones too.)
If you get another beer, bring the same cup back for a refill. Better yet, bring your own from home.
And what about all that leftover food?
It does not go to waste. Extra lobster and steak is sold by the Rotary Club at the end of the day (7 p.m.). Anyone is welcome to purchase dinner for the week.
Lobsters for all.
The green initiative started several years ago, with Tony McDowell. The executive director of Earthplace and a Rotarian, he was also a member of the Green Task Force — the predecessor of Sustainable Westport.
Alex Cohen is the Westport Rotary Club’s LobsterFest chair. “I have 2 little kids,” he says. “My goal is help Westport be as green and nice as it can be. This is a great way to help.”
Pippa Bell Ader and Alex Cohen, with their reusable mugs. (Photo/Dan Woog)
He is always looking for new ideas.
For example, they’d love to get rid of their generators. Last year, McMahon Ford lent a Lightning electric truck, to power the band.
Sustainable Westport co-leader Pippa Bell Ader adds, “A lot of events in town don’t recycle. They just throw their garbage out. Westport Rotary really takes this to heart.”
She hopes LobsterFest can be a model for other organizations. To help compost, Sustainable Westport lends out zero-waste composting stations.
This Saturday afternoon will be another great LobsterFest.
And on Sunday morning, you won’t see a stray lobster claw, tray or peppermint patty anywhere on Compo Beach.
NOTE: All of that recycling — and every other element of LobsterFest — takes work. Volunteers are still needed. To help, click here.
(To learn more about composting, recycling, and how to make your at-home event even more sustainable, click here.
As our town (and the rest of the nation) debates the impact of smartphones on kids, the Westport Public Schools take a lead role.
In partnership with Westport Together, the district is hosting Dr. Delaney Ruston. A Fulbright Scholar, physician and filmmaker, she created the 2016 documentary “Screenagers.“
The event — “Parenting Screenagers: Tips for Success” — is set for Monday, September 23 (7 p.m., Bedford Middle School auditorium). Ruston will share tools that help parents manage screen time issues.
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice says, “the community is well aware of my convictions about the negative impact that smartphones and social media have had on our children, from elementary through high school.
“I strongly encourage you to make every effort to attend. I will be there, alongside our families and school community.”
Speaking of food and drink: It’s called a Beer Garden, but Wakeman Town Farm’s Sunday, October 13 event (noon to 4 p.m.) is fun for the whole family.
The day includes live music by Hitch and the Giddy-Up + Rob Morton, lawn games, bubbles, animal encounters, and pumpkin crafts.
Among the lunch options: Pizza by Tony Pizza Napolitano, treats from Food Truck Refinery, and ice cream from Saugatuck Sweets and LANDTECH!
Adults enjoy local beers from Greens Farms Spirits, and spirits by 5th State Distillery.
Tickets are $10 for adults; kids go free. Food, beverage and craft purchases are a la carte. Proceeds benefit Wakeman Town Farm educational programs. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
As everyone some people only astronomers know, this Saturday is International Observe the Moon Night.
The annual worldwide event encourages observation and appreciation of (duh) the Moon.
Thanks to the Westport Astronomical Society, you can do it in their great observatory (182 Bayberry Lane, 8 p.m.).
If skies are clear, they’ll open the dome and use their telescopes to look at features on the waxing gibbous moon.
The WAS says: “The giant satellite has been Earth’s constant companion for an estimated 4.5 billion years, and viewed by every human that’s ever walked the Earth.
“It’s one of the solar system’s most remarkable objects, and quite likely a major reason that life even exists on our planet. The moon is an incredible body that has fascinated and puzzled our ancestors from the very first time we looked up.
“Don’t know your Mare from a Mons? Can’t tell a Sinus from a Vallis? A Crater from an Oceanus? Saturday is the night to find out. We’ll point out the Apollo landing sites as well as craters, the ‘oceans’ of the Moon, and features like the Straight Wall. See you for some lunacy at 8 p.m.”
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Westport chefs are on the menu at Harvesting Hope.
The benefit for Bridgeport Rescue Mission (September 19, 6 p.m., Aitoro Appliances, 401 Westport Avenue, Norwalk) — a night of delicious food tasting and philanthropy.
Among the 8 celebrity chefs cooking for guests: Bill Taibe (owner of Don Memo, The Whelk and Kawa Ni), and Matt Storch of Match Burger Lobster.
Extra course: A special presentation by Michel Nischan. The leader in sustainable food practices and 4-time James Beard Award winner is also a founder of the Westport Farmers Market.
Staples High School Class of 1961 graduate Michael Friedman brought his rock ‘n’ roll photos from 1969 to ’73 — of the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, The Band and so many others — to yesterday’s Westport Rotary Club meeting.
Friedman — a producer and manager in the music business from the ’60s through the ’80s — described the long, strange trip his negatives took, from the heyday of rock to their discovery by his wife in 2017.
They’ve now been published in a book called “Exposed: The Lost Negatives and Untold Stories of Michael Friedman.”
Friedman told the Rotarians about many of the performers he represented, including the Stones, Joplin, Band, Tina Turner, Rita Coolidge and his “hero and inspiration,” Kris Kristofferson.
Michael Friedman, at yesterday’s Westport Rotary Club. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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Weston resident Hilary Gibson died Saturday, in Weston. She was 66.
After graduating from WC Mepham High School on Long Island in 1975, she earned a BA from Tufts University in 1979, and an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1982.
Hilary worked in financial services as a chief of staff at Marine Midland, Lehman Brothers, CS First Boston and Credit Suisse Private Banking until 1998, when she retired.
She and her husband moved to Atlanta, and focused attention on their son Ted.
Hilary was an avid long distance bike rider, hiker and sailor. She trekked in the Himalayas, sailed in the Caribbean, and skiing in the East and West.
After living in the Netherlands while her husband was with ING, Hilary and the family returned to Westport in 2004. Among other activities, she was head of education at the Westport Historical Society.
Hilary is survived by her husband Weston; son of New York City; cousins RuthAnn Stafford of Boseman, Montana, and Toby Meshberg, of Fairfield, and brother, Zachary Wechsler of Torrance, California.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow (Thursday, September 12, 1 p.m., Temple Shalom, Norwalk. Burial will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery in Westport.
Shiva will be observed at the home of William Gibson in Weston tomorrow after the internment, until 8 p.m. For more information, to join a livestream, or to share a condolence message, click here.
And finally … in honor of both International Observe the Moon Night, and Harvesting Hope (stories above):
(You rely on “06880” to tell you what’s going on in Westport. We rely on our readers’ support to keep doing it. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
For years, Westporters have been distressed watching Coastal Link bus riders standing on the side of the Post Road.
Employees of local businesses are there in broiling heat, freezing cold, torrential rain and driving snow.
Two new shelters should provide some protection.
Measuring 6 by 12 feet, with roof solar panels for light, electric heat and a small computer screen displaying bus arrival times, they’ve been built on Post Road West.
One is in front of Schulhof Animal Hospital. The other is across the street.
Each shelter costs $60,000. Funding is shared by the state and town (through an ARPA grant).
At the other end of town, Big Y took a big step toward its opening.
The logo is up over the supermarket, in the former Barnes & Noble building.
(Photo/Arthur Hayes)
A soft launch is set for October 24.
Meanwhile, they’re hiring in the bakery, meat, seafood, deli, produce and floral departments, along with cashiers, overnight stock clerks, and assistant management and management positions.
Sometimes the wheels of government grind exceedingly slowly.
Other times they work at warp speed.
On Sunday, a Westporter — frustrated he could not find a map of Representative Town Meeting districts on the town website — emailed RTM moderate Jeff Wieser and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.
Couldn’t it be somewhere much more visible, he wondered? Like, in the main menu on the RTM page?
Voilà!
By yesterday afternoon — the first day back at work, after Sunday and the Labor Day holiday — the link was right there, just below “Members/Contact Information.”
Speaking of government: “A Public Conversation on Marxism in CT, Trafficking in America, Rank Choice Voting, and Election Integrity” is the title of a September 18 event (7 p.m., VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.
The event is sponsored by Connecticut Centinal.
Panelists include Lt. Gen. Rod Bishop, USAF Ret., chairman of STARRS.us; Joe Oltmann, host of the Conservative Daily podcast; Connecticut State Senator Rob Sampson, and Linda Szynkowicz, founder of Fight Voter Fraud.
In-person tickets are $30 ($100 premier). Livestream tickets are $25. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to VFW Post 399 to fund infrastructure development.
Click here for tickets, and more information. (Hat tip: Sal Liccione)
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The bad news: Next Tuesday (September 10), the Starbucks near Carvel closes for a month, for renovations.
The good news: For 4 weeks, we can all drive safely on that stretch of the Post Road.
(Photo/John McKinney)
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On August 18, “Paulie” set out on his fourth “Push.”
The former flight attendant is honoring the heroes of American Flight 11, the first aircraft hijacked on September 11, 2001.
Paulie left from Boston’s Public Garden 9/11 Memorial. He’s pushing an airline beverage cart 210 miles, to the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum at New York’s Ground Zero.
This morning (Wednesday), he’ll come from Fairfield through Westport. Around noon, he’ll stop at Westport Fire Department’s Post Road East headquarters.
Keep your eye open for Paulie, as he “pushes” his way through town.
“Paulie” pushes his cart through Westport, on a previous journey.
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If you’ve never been to an Artists Collective of Westport pop-up exhibition: You’ve missed some of the most creative shows in town.
The opening receptions are especially fun.
The next one is set for Thursday, September 19 (6 to 8 p.m., Westport Country Playhouse barn).
It runs Friday and Saturday, September 20-21 (noon to 4 p.m.), with an artists’ talk on Sunday, September 22 (4 p.m.).
Exhibiting artists include Peter Mendelson, Lisa Silberman, Lois Goglia, Rosalind Shaffer, Melissa Newman, Lucienne Buckner, Erin Nazzaro, Elizabeth DeVoll, Andrew Graham, Nancy Woodward, Miggs Burroughs and Susan Lloyd.
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Sara Deren — yesterday’s Westport Rotary Club lunch speaker — has a unique job, and a moving story to tell.
She is founder and CEO of the Westport-based national non-profit, Experience Camps. They provide a free week of sleepaway camp for 1,300 children a year who are grieving the loss of a parent, sibling or caregiver.
Deren noted that the camps don’t try to “fix” the grief. Instead, they ameliorate the sense of isolation it causes, by teaching youngsters how to talk to the staff and with other youth in the same situation.
That, and the support of others, gives them the tools they need to move on with their lives in a positive way.
Sara Deren, at the Westport Rotary Club. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
Norwalk native Mike Camacho headlines this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (September 5, VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7 p.m.; $20 music cover, $15 for veterans and students).
The drummer will be joined by pianist Ben Rice, bassist Alec Safy, and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets.
Nature photographer Lou Weinberg took today’s very compelling “Westport … Naturally” image. It shows a green sweat bee on Autumn Joy Sedum, at the Westport Community Gardens.
(Photo/Lou Weinberg)
Lou explains: “The green sweat bee gets its name from the fact that is attracted to the salt in human perspiration. (Don’t worry — it won’t sting unless it is really threatened; even then, its sting is mild.)
“These beautiful critters live in the soil and feed on the nectar from flowers and a sweet ‘honeydew’ created by little bugs called aphids. They store ‘pollen bread’ for themselves and their young.
“Green sweat bees add to the incredible biodiversity found in the Long Lots Preserve surrounding the Community Gardens. They are one of over 300 species of native bees found in Connecticut. Native bees are incredible pollinators, more efficient than the European honeybee.
“They have innate habits adept at pollinating hundreds of important native plants — the same plants (trees, shrubs and wildflowers) that have been planted in the Long Lots Preserve.
“As habitat loss and decreasing plant biodiversity are the primary sources of native bee population decline, it would be incredibly disappointing to destroy the Long Lots Preserve as well as the Westport Community Gardens.
“Populations of dozens of other species are being brought back by the native plantings reestablished there. When you disturb the soil, you destroy the bees.”
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And finally … in honor of our new bus shelters:
(Politics, art, business … just another day at “06880.” If you enjoy our daily Roundups — or anything else we do — please click here, to make a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)
Jack Stoler is a rising Staples High School senior. He plays on the state champion football team.
But his biggest score may come off the field.
He’s organized the first-ever Fairfield County Jam.
The August 30 event (7 to 10 p.m., Fairfield Theatre Company) is a fundraiser for KEYS.
The Bridgeport non-profit — whose acronym stands for Kids Empowered by Your Support — provides free music lessons and performance opportunities for under-resourced students.
The Jam will include bands from across Fairfield County — including many Staples students. A number of football players will be on hand too.
The goal is $15,000.
For tickets and more information, click here. Questions? Call Jack at 917-453-4038 ,or email jackstoler@icloud.com.
Jack Stoler (right) and jazz musicians, at the Levitt Pavilion.
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Westporters donate time and treasure to many worthy organizations.
At the top of any list is Mercy Learning Center.
The Bridgeport non-profit offers literacy and life skills training for women with low incomes.
Coming from 40 different countries, they study English, math, science, health, civics, computers, and employment and life skills.
They are supported by an early childhood education program; social services including case management, mental health counseling, health and financial screenings; job and counseling advice, and enrichment opportunities.
Mercy Learning Center clients earn high school equivalency diplomas; learn job skills, and get help finding work; receive assistance applying for college, job training programs and scholarships, and prepare for US citizenship exams.
It’s all offered at no cost, to hundreds of women every year.
Mercy’s many Westport volunteers are gearing up for their annual Empowering Women Through Education Benefit.
It’s Sunday, September 15 (5 p.m., Shorehaven Country Club, Norwalk). The event includes cocktails and light bites — plus inspiring stories of education and empowerment.
Run — don’t walk — to Fleet Feet’s 2 fall programs.
The store continues its partnership with the Westport Weston Family YMCA. Its coach-led, 8-week training will focus on the New York Marathon. However, it is also good preparation for any fall long-distance race. Click here for more information.
The Zoomerangs kids program returns September 8.
Sessions are held Sundays (3 to 4 p.m., Staples High School Laddie Lawrence Track), through October 20.
A certified youth coach will introduce youngsters to the sport of running. Click here for more information.
Positions are available for fall clinics: grades K-2 (Sunday mornings) and grades 3-8 (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings), and spring teams (grades 5-8 head and assistant), practices and clinics.
General and specialty (goalies, draw) coaches are needed. Girls/women’s lacrosse experience is required; coaching experience is ideal, but not mandatory. Eager new coaches can be trained.
Pay is “highly competitive.” For more information, contact PAL girls coaching directory Cathy Schager: cschager@westportps.org; 203-554-5691.
Westport PAL lacrosse players, at Paul Lane Stadium.
Only 10 days left to snag early-bird tickets for Westoberfest.
The Westport Downtown Association Oktoberfest-style event (in September: the 21st, 2-5 p.m., Elm Street) features over 50 tastings from innovative craft breweries like Kent Falls, Nod Hill, Obscure Oscillation and Space Cat Brewing to name a few, plus activities like keg rolling and pumpkin chucking contests for adults.
Children’s activities include root beer floats, flower crown-making, pumpkin decorating and face painting.
There’s live music too, from One Bad Oyster.
For a complete list of breweries, kids’ activities, food and vendors, click here.
The price through August 31 is $45. Tickets go up to $50 on September 1; they’re $55 at the event. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
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Jay Norris was the speaker at yesterday’s Westport Rotary Club lunch.
The entrepreneur, Startup Westport organizer, and Library and YMCA board member discussed Westport 10, the networking group for Black men he co-founded.
Norris noted that diversity is necessary for innovation in any organization or community.
His definition of diversity is broader than the usual categories of race, gender and culture. To him, it means bringing together a “mosaic” of individuals with different backgrounds, skills, experiences and perspectives to produce solutions to problems in a creative, comprehensive and sustainable way.
He calls diversity more than just a moral issue. It is, Norris says, “the essential ingredient of progress.”
Jay Norris (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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“06880” readers sent plenty of photos of last night’s full moon.
Many were taken at Compo Beach. This was one of the most interesting:
The public is invited to a Japanese Fall Festival on Saturday, September 7 (1 to 4 p.m., Jesup Green).
The family-friendly festival — sponsored by the Japan Society of Fairfield County — features taiko drum performances, live plays of Japanese folktales, martial arts demonstrations, and traditional dancing.
(Another day, another Roundup chock full o’ news and information you can use. If you enjoy this daily feature, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Greens Farms Academy’s new cellphone ban — the subject of this morning’s “06880” post — parallels a discussion underway among Westport’s public school administrators and parents.
Last month, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice was a guest on my “06880” podcast. For half an hour, he spoke strongly and directly about his reasons for proposing a ban in Westport schools — and acknowledging the challenges.
The great non-profit — which does so much to fight homelessness and hunger in Westport — hosts an annual fundraiser, with some of America’s best comics. It’s an evening of laughs, for a fantastic cause.
This year’s featured comedian is Dustin Nickerson. His “Overwhelmed” debut in 2020 is one of the highest rated special on Amazon Prime Video.
He’s been featured on Comedy Central, Netflix, the Late Show with James Carden, Fox and Hulu, and is heard regularly on Sirius Radio XM.
Mark the date: Saturday, September 28 (Quick Center, Fairfield University). Tickets are $175 (including cocktails and a light supper, 6:30 p.m.) and $75 (performance only, 8:30 p.m.). Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Dustin Nickerson
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After-school childcare is one of the toughest juggling acts for working parents.
Once again this year, the Westport Public Schools and Westport Weston Family YMCA are coordinating care for children in grades K-5.
The program offers a variety of educational and physical activities, including STEM, art, outdoor play, social-emotional learning, and more.
It runs until 6 p.m., and includes transportation to the Y. Click here for details.
For many shoppers, CraftWestport marks the start of the holiday season.
This year’s event is November 2-3, in the Staples High School fieldhouse. Over 175 vendors will participate, showcasing ceramics, textiles, woodworking, jewelry, glass art, skincare products, food and more. The event is a benefit for the Westport Young Woman’s League.
All-weekend admission is $11; seniors 62+ are $10; children 12-18 are $5; those under 12 are free. Click here for more details.
“Script in Hand” is one of the Westport Country Playhouse most popular features.
The 2024 season returns with a special twist. “Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing” was directed and co-written by Trey Ellis — the noted Westport novelist/ screenwriter/playwriter/essayist/director.
In 1947, Satchel Paige was a charismatic pitcher, and Negro Leagues legend.
But as Jackie Robinson embarked upon a historic first season in the majors, Paige’s fame was eclipsed, and his desire for greater respect increasingly frustrated.
Set in Kansas City during a barnstorming tour, this jazz-infused tale portrays an America on the brink of change, capturing the struggle for equality on and off the field. “Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing” is a powerful story of resilience and transformation, at a defining moment in the nation’s history.
All tickets are $30. Click here to purchase, and for more details.
Trey Ellis
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The Peter Thorp House — one of Weston’s oldest and most intriguing homes — is open to the public next month.
The Weston History & Culture Center offers guided tours — plus a rose garden cocktail party, music performance and raffle — on September 29 (4 to 7 p.m.).
Proceeds support the Weston History & Culture Center’s upcoming permanent exhibit in the Coley Barn, “Weston at Work.” It explores the town’s industrial past through manufacturing, agriculture and textile production, highlighting the overlooked contributions of enslaved, free Black, immigrant, women and child laborers from the 18th to early 20th centuries.
Early bird tickets are $125, and include 5 complimentary raffle tickets.
Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between August 7 and 14.
A 67-year-old Westport man was charged with criminal violation of a civil protection order, and criminal mischief, following a complaint that, despite an order barring him from assaulting, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering with or stalking the protected person, he placed a bible on a table outside of the residence, opened to a specific verse and with a knife stabbed through the pages.
Six days later, Westport police officers and firefighters responded to his residence after a report of a fire. He was in the back yard, near recently burned grass. It was determined he had been performing a “ritual” when he set the grass on diew.
He posted a $50,000 bond, and will appear August 22 in Stamford Superior Court.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Driving while texting: 12 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 11
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 7
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 5
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 5
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 4
Failure to obey stop sign: 3
Failure to renew registration: 3
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 2
Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 2
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance 2
Simple trespass: 1
Reckless driving: 1
Passing in no-passing zone: 1
Following too closely: 1
Improper stop: 1
Falsified marker, license or registration: 1
improper use of marker: 1
Failure to carry insurance card: 1
Failure to return license: 1
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without tint inspection: 1
Illegal operation by a motor carrier: 1.
Tinted windows must be inspected!
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Every day, kids hang out at Wakeman Field.
Is this some kind of strange ball they kicked through the goalpost?
(Photo/Cathy Utz)
Nope.
Just the sun doing what it does every day: setting.
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Longtime Westport Rotary Club member Lyla Steenbergen addressed the organization at its Tuesday lunch meeting.
As chair of the International Giving Committee, she presented an overview of the local group’s current projects.
For several years, she has helped equip and enlarge a hospital in Uganda. This year, the Rotarians will add a vision and dental clinic.
Other projects include NicaPhoto, which creates after-school programs in Nicaragua; Gift of Life, which funds pediatric heart surgeries, and M-Lisada, which brings education programs and scholarships to 2,100 youngsters Uganda.
Westport Rotary is also involved in water, irrigation and sanitation projects in Nepal and Kenya.
Lyla Steenbergen (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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The weather the past few days has been spectacular.
It’s that time of year when summer is ending, but the craziness of a new school year has not yet begun.
Everyone is chill.
Including this guy, who is relaxing just like the rest of us.
Ben Meyer spotted him at Owenoke near Gray’s Creek, posing for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo.
And finally … in honor of Trey Ellis’ Script in Hand show at the Westport Country Playhouse, “Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing”:
(As summer fades, “06880” helps you get ready for the “new year.” Thanks for sending us the news we need — and for supporting us with a few bucks, too. Please click here. Thank you!)
As of yesterday, the 2 pedestrians struck by a car Wednesday evening on Imperial Avenue are still in Norwalk Hospital.
The 33-year old Easton man is improving, and in stable condition. The 29-year- old Fairfield woman remains in critical condition.
The driver was released from the hospital, and is cooperating with police. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Spray paint marks part of the police investigation into Wednesday’s accident. Two pedestrians were struck on Imperial Avenue, near Post Road East. (Screenshot courtesy of News 12).
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If it’s mid-August, it’s time to be alert for LobsterFest tickets.
Very alert. The Westport Rotary Club’s 13th annual fundraiser always sells out in just a couple of days.
So make a note: LobsterFest sales begin at noon on August 15, at westportrotary.org.
The event is Saturday, September 21 (3 to 7 p.m.). As usual, it’s more than just lobster.
There’s steak, a raw bar, children’s meals, ice cream, free drinks, music, and kids’ entertainment.
Plus, of course, a community-wide vibe. Everyone smiles, all afternoon long.
All net proceeds go to charitable causes. Last year, the club gave $275,000 to local non-profits, and several international development projects.
Get your bibs on! (Photo/Dan Woog)
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“06880” was flooded (ho ho) with photos of yesterday’s Compo Beach surf yesterday — the remnants of Hurricane Debby.
These 3 say it all:
(Photo/Sunil Hirani)
(Photo/JD Dworkow)
Owenoke house, as seen from Compo’s South Beach (Photo/Nathan Greenbaum)
Today’s forecast is for plenty of sunshine, with a high around 85. Winds will die down too.
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The Levitt Pavilion is one of a handful of dates on Ollabelle’s 20th anniversary tour. An extra cache of free tickets has just been released for tonight’s show (Saturday, August 10, 7:30 p.m.).
The early American gospel/folk/mountain music band was just at the Kennedy Center (see video below) and Caramoor. Click here for free tickets.
Tomorrow, the Levitt welcomes back the Grammy Award-winning American Patchwork Quartet.
They’re known for American folk songs infused with jazz, country twang, West African hypnotics and East Asian ornamentation.
Year 1 was great. Year 2 was even better. Now, Club203 gets ready for the best one yet.
Westport’s social group for adults with disabilities kicks off fall on September 4 (6:30 p.m., Sherwood Island State Park pavilion) with a Hawaiian-themed evening. There’s music by DJ Rob, dancing, and tropical treats.
Then comes Halloween bingo (October 16), Turkey bowling at Nutmeg Bowl (November 21), a holiday party at the VFW (December 11), a new year’s specail at the Westport Academy of Dance (January 3), Valentine’s Day mini-golf (February 4), karaoke at the Westport Library (March 18), “Spring Into Fitness” at the Westport Weston Family Y (April 26), a springtime gathering at Earthplace (May 14), and a June celebration at Compo Beach.
For just $100, members can attend all 10 events (and get a Club203 magnet). Non-members pay $20 per event.
B3 — the non-profit that engages middle schoolers in local community service, and offers nearby and international projects to high school students — is hosting a pair of informational open houses.
They’re August 22 and September 11, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the BC office (66 Fort Point Street, Norwalk).
This year’s high school trips are to Costa Rica, over February, March and April breaks.
Click here to RSVP. Questions? Email b3news@buildersbeyondborders.org.
In 1986, Bette Davis spent a month at the Weston home of writers John and Elizabeth Fuller.
The actress and a young Chris Fuller had a putting contest. She won, but graciously autographed a kiddy putter for him.
She was the first person ever to give him a golf lesson.
Plenty of pros followed. Chris was hooked (though his drives were true).
His dream was to play on the PGA Tour — despite living with bipolar disorder.
A gifted performer as well, he developed a one-man show. “Cheese Fries & Chili Dips” details the difficulties of competing in tournaments while his mind raced out of control with sudden mood swings. He tells his tale with insights, clarity, and plenty of humor.
The show is at the Westport Country Playhouse Sheffer Barn on August 22 and 23 (7:30 p.m.). Fittingly, it’s a benefit for the International Mental Health Foundation.
All tickets are $25. The include a pre-show party (6:30 p.m.) with music, complimentary margaritas and nachos, and tips from Golf Performance Center pros. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Oh, yeah: Fuller will give a copy of his book (“Goodnight, Golf!”) to an audience participant, after an onstage putting contest during the show.
And guess which putter they’ll use?!
Chris Fuller’s Bette Davis-autographed putter.
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Speaking of sports: Play pickleball. Help make it, and tennis, greener. Win $150.
That’s what’s on tap next Saturday (August 17, noon to 2 p.m., Intensity Racquet Club, 490 Westport Avenue, Norwalk).
Serve2Sustain is running a pickleball tournament. The cost is $20 per person. There’s a maximum of 32 teams (64 players); each team is guaranteed 3 games. Click here to register.
All proceeds go to Serve2Sustain. They’ll add tennis ball and pickleball recycling bins to public courts in Westport. Additional donations to Serve2Sustain can be made here, by Venmo (@serve2sustain), or in cash the day of the event.
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Ever wish you could do something good for kids?
Make-A-Wish Connecticut — the non-profit that brightens the lives of children with critical illnesses — has asked some of the area’s best chefs to create a great evening.
“Taste of Wishes” (September 26, Aitoro Appliance, 401 Westport Avenue, Norwalk) includes fantastic food appetizers, main dishes and desserts, prepared and served by local celebrity chefs. And their “wish kid sous chefs.”
The lineup includes Jes Bengtson (Terrain Garden Café), Matt Storch (Match restaurant, Match Burger Lobster), Adam Goldberg (Pop-up Bagels), a featured chef from The Whelk, Robin Selden (Marcia Selden Catering), Dan Kardos (Café Melba), and John Nealon (Crust Issues).
It’s a very tasty event, plus a chance to meet youngsters and families who have been impacted by Make-A-Wish.
Early bird pricing is available until August 22. Click here for tickets, and more information.
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Startup Westport — the public/private tech and innovation networking group — starts the fall with a pair of intriguing events
“Sustainable Success: B Corps & Impact Driven Investing” (September 24) focuses on how the world’s best companies lead by example to help foster a socially conscious approach to business. Click here to register, and for more information.
On November 25, Startup Westport celebrate recent Staples High School graduates who have created game-changing technologies and startup businesses that are altering the competitive landscape.
A panel will be led by 2014 alum Molly O’Shea, a leading ventures capitalist and reporter. Registration will open next month.
And finally … Bette Davis was a great neighbor, for many years.
Chris Fuller remembers her golf lesson (story above). And some of us remember this 1981 hit:
Bette Davis said that when the song came out, suddenly her grandson looked up to her.
After it won Grammy Awards for Song and Record of the Year (don’t ask me the difference), singer Kim Carnes gave gold and platinum records to Bette Davis. She hung them proudly on the wall of her Crooked Mile Road home.
(It’s a summer weekend, but “06880” is — as always — on the job. If you appreciate our work, please click here to support us with a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
It’s hard to believe: The Slice of Saugatuck is 12 years old.
This year’s street festival is set for Saturday, September 7 (2 to 5 p.m.).
Over 4 dozen restaurants, shops and galleries — in the “slice” between Riverside Avenue, Railroad Place and Saugatuck Avenue — will offer samples and tastes.
The Slice features 7 bands, 4 bounce houses, the Fire Department’s antique engine, a balloon bender, face painter and more. Adults can enjoy 2 beer gardens, and specialty drinks from most restaurants.
Ticket sales ($15; children 5-12, $5; sold on-site, cash or credit card) benefit the Homes with Hope food pantry. To date, the Slice of Saugatuck has donated $49,000 to the non-profit.
The event is sponsored by the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.
A small “slice” of the large crowd. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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Do you know a great pediatrician, who is interested in joining a popular Westport practice?
Though the war in Ukraine has faded from the front pages of American newspaper, it continues to rage fiercely.
Every day, there is more human suffering.
Yesterday’s New York Times included a story headlined “Long Battle for a Ruined City Takes a Desperate Turn.” It described the struggle for Toretsk, a city in eastern Ukraine under relentless attack by Russian forces.
The photos were taken by Tyler Hicks. The Times‘ Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer is a 1988 Staples High School graduate.
Click here for the full story, and harrowing images. (Hat tip: Drew Angus)
Lyudmilla Petrovna, 74, in a church between Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk that was damaged by Russian shelling last month. Ms. Petrovna was injured. (Photo/Tyler Hicks for the New York Times)
Recently, a 1-year-old child overdosed on the drug at a Connecticut park. Last week, fentanyl-laced cannabis products were found for sale at a smoke shop in Norwalk.
Fentanyl is the primary driver behind the increase in overdose deaths over the last 10 years, and it can hide in plain sight.
On August 15 (6 to 7 p.m., 90 Post Road West), Positive Directions, The Center for Prevention & Counseling, offers a free workshop for college students from Norwalk and Westport to learn about risks and resources on campus, including how to save a life using Narcan.
Attendees will receive a harm reduction kit, with Narcan, fentanyl test strips and more. T
For 40 years, Open Doors has battled homelessness in Norwalk.
On Tuesday, development and donor relations manager Maria Davis — a longtime Westport resident — spoke to the Westport Rotary Club about the organization’s work preventing homelessness, and placing families in shelters if they lose housing.
Open Doors’ work includes financial coaching, a savings program and jobs center.
Maria Davis, at Westport Rotary Club. (Photo/Ellin Curley)
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Lou Weinberg’s very-close-up photos are highlights of our “Westport … Naturally” feature.
Today’s shot is of a dragonfly, from the Long Lots Preserve.
Lou notes: “They are awesome flyers. Each of their 4 wings can operate independently. Their muscles are attached to their wings. They can fly forward, backward and upside down. They can also hover and pivot in place.
“They are very efficient predators. They can see nearly 360° with those large eyes. And they eat flies and mosquitoes! Who doesn’t love that?”
(Photo/Lou Weinberg)
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And finally … on this date in 1789, the US Department of War was created.
(From Saugatuck to Ukraine, “06880” is where Westport meets the world. Please help us meet our funding goals. Just click here — and thank you!)
Two 550-pound Russian guided bombs injured at least 5 people on Monday, in Westport’s sister city of Lyman, Ukraine.
A photograph in the Kyiv Independent showed some of the damage:
(Photo/Vadym Filashkin for Telegram)
Aid for our sister city is always needed. To donate to the non-profit Ukraine Aid International — founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer — click here. Click the “I want to support” box; then select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo.) (Hat tip: Thomas Jendrock)
The tiny cottage sat at 246 Hillspoint Road, across from Old Mill Beach, for a century.
It took just a day for it to be gone.
The home — the last remaining non-modernized structure on that stretch of the street — was demolished this week.
Here was the scene yesterday:
(Photo/JD Dworkow)
Construction begins soon on its replacement.
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A large crowd enjoyed Thomas Dolby and Chris Frantz in conversation yesterday, at the Westport Library.
Dolby — a musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher who played synthesizer for David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and others during his eclectic career — discussed his new book, “Prevailing Wind,” with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, former Talking Head and longtime Library supporter.
Thomas Dolby (left) and Chris Frantz. (Photo/Dick Wingate)
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Also yesterday: “06880” founder Dan Woog — hey, that’s me! — was the guest speaker at the Westport Rotary Club’s weekly lunch meeting.
I had a great time, offering a peek behind the scenes at our town’s hyper-local blog.
There was a robust Q-and-A session too. Among the most interesting questions: My take on the most important events in our town’s history — the ones that helped make Westport what it is today.
My answer was — nope, sorry. What’s said at a Rotary meeting stays at a Rotary meeting!
Dan Woog, at yesterday’s Rotary Club meeting. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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This Saturday, Stop & Shop is the place to stop, shop — and donate food.
The Westport Police Department and Westport Sunrise Rotary are hosting a food drive, at the Post Road East supermarket. All donations support Homes with Hope and the Department of Human Service’s food pantries.
Police officers and volunteers will accept non-perishable food items and cash donations, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Suggested donated items include applesauce, breakfast bars, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned meat and tuna, canned Soup & Stew, Cup of Noodles soup and ramen noodles, cereal, gluten-free foods (pasta, soups, cereals), granola and protein bars, hamburger or tuna helper, Hearty Soups, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, oatmeal, pancake mix and syrup, pasta and sauce, peanut butter and jelly, rice, and miscellaneous snacks. No glass jars, please!
If you would like to volunteer or have a large pick-up, call Anna Rycenga (203-763.9656).
That’s the message from the Westport Country Playhouse — and the name of the show celebrating Cy Coleman’s greatest hits. (It’s also the title of one of his most famous songs.)
The September 14 fundraiser features Kristin Chenoweth and Mary-Mitchell Campbell, performing the multiple Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner’s music.
In addition, the Playhouse’s 2024 Leadership Award will be presented to longtime board member (and TEAM Westport chair) Harold Bailey, Jr., and his wife, civic volunteer Bernicestine McLeod Bailey.
Tickets are $1,000, $500 and $300. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
Kristin Chenoweth
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The Wednesday Norwalk Community Health Center Farmers’ Market has included onsite meals made by Katie Gervasio. She uses farm produce, and offers samples along with recipes to make them at home.
A voucher program provides customers with bags of fresh-picked vegetables.
What’s makes the market special is its voucher program for the NCHC’s patients with low income. Vouchers have been funded primarily by sponsors, but they have to be rationed near the end of the season.
To supplement the funds, the Health Center hosts a comedy night at Westport’s Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post 399 on Friday, July 26 (7 p.m.).
There will be 3 comedians, plus raffles, a live auction, cash bar and pub grub. Click here for tickets.
If the event’s name — Funny Farm — is any indication, it will be a very hilarious night.
And finally … in honor of the Westport Country Playhouse’s upcoming benefit tribute to Cy Coleman (story above), here’s my all-time favorite performance, of his all-time best song:
(From world affairs to entertainment, food drives to real estate, “06880” is your blog for hyper-local news. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
It’s hard to believe today, but the Compo Beach playground created a gigantic Westport controversy.
Tensions ran so high in 1988, in fact, that opponents — worried it would obstruct views of the water, and attract out-of-town riff-raff, plus pot-smoking, beer-drinking, sex-having teenagers — filed a lawsuit to prevent it.
They lost.
A joyful, community-wide construction effort began moments after a court injunction was lifted.
The playground quickly became a civic jewel. It’s beloved by everyone in town (including grumpy former litigants), and out-of-towners (who use it out of season). Teens find plenty of other places to smoke, drink and snuggle.
A renovation in 2006 was — like the original build — a chance for Westporters of all ages to spend a weekend together, donating time and labor to ensure many more years of fun.
Parents lead children through the Compo playground.
It’s almost time for a second renovation. Once again, this is a town-wide effort.
And once again, all of us can help.
Anchored by $100,000 gifts from both the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Police Foundation, organizers have already raised $262,932. The goal is $650,000. Funds will modernize the playground, keeping it safe and enjoyable for generations of youngsters (and their parents and grandparents).
Improvements include
A larger play area, with a fence line to add new picnic spaces
Installation of new equipment, including adaptive play structures
Renovations to improve accessibility of current features
Increasing sightline visibility, giving adults better views, with more entry fencing and seating.
There are many ways to donate. Among them:
Become an anchor sponsor
Donate one of the new elements
Buy an “engraved fence picket.” (Donors of previous pickets get 50% off — and a chance to pick up your old one before the build.)
Buy a paver.
And more.
Click here for donation details. Scroll down on that page, to contribute to specific structures. The website also offers volunteer opportunities.
Nearly 40 years after the Compo Beach playground was first built, there is no court case. Unlike 1988, the first selectwoman has not received a death threat.
The playground renovation is one of the few things in town everyone can agree on.
But it won’t happen without everyone’s help. Remember: We can’t spell “playground” without “u.”
Pam Docters reports: “Almost all the trees at Sherwood Island have this trap on them. It catches the spotted lanternfly nymph as it walks up the tree during the day.
“Apparently it traps only the bad guys, and has less harmful impact on other beneficial insects, like ladybugs etc.”
Local writer Marsha Temlock is hoping that they — and others elsewhere, and plenty of people who don’t know the game at all — read her new book.
“Tuesday’s Mah Jongg is More Than a Game” will be published tomorrow.
It’s about a group of players who deal with widowhood, health issues, family dynamics, aging, modern dating, and how well the women deal with all that and more.
Press materials ask: “Will these friends, with ties both old and new, strengthen their bonds as they support each other through life’s challenges? Or will the group fracture, leaving them scattered like mah jongg tiles from an overturned table?”
Tuesday’s Westport Rotary Club speakers brought an extra treat.
Rob and Bridget Schulten — co-founders of Fifth State Distillery in Bridgeport — talked about their small-award winning business.
It’s the first distillery in Fairfield County since Prohibition. And it distributes only in Connecticut.
They make their spirits from scratch, and only use state-grown corn. They specialize in flavored alcohol and cocktails, including a celery vodka for Bloody Marys.
That’s all nice. But then Bridget passed out samples of 2 of their 14 products.
Perhaps the most spirited Westport Rotary Club meeting in their 100 years?
That’s the spirit! Rotary Club members enjoy Bridget Schulten’s presentation. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
And finally … this was day in 1804 when Vice President Aaron Burr fatally wounded former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.
(No need to fight about it! Everyone can contribute to “06880.” No matter what side you’re on, please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
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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