To all the people in the “06880 community” of a certain age: If you haven’t been to the Westport Center for Senior Activities (Senior Center), you are missing out!
I nominate for unsung heroes the entire WCSA staff.
They are all the best: friendly, helpful, sympathetic, always smiling, and always giving a friendly “hello” when you walk through the doors.
Senior Center staff (from left): Denise Puskas, Jenny Townsend (no longer on staff), Felicia Smith, Bobby Novack, Jason Wilson (no longer on staff), Wendy Petty, Diana Andrews, Kaila Morgan, Holly Betts, Paulina Przybysz, Lawrie Williams. Not pictured: Luis Angel Atamiz, San Chaz, Rick McVay.
Wendy Petty is the Senior Center director. She is a very special person: friendly and helpful to all. She spends time in the lobby greeting and talking to seniors as they enter. She capably manages the staff, and keeps the Center running smoothly.
I always learn new things from Holly Betts, the assistant director. She has great catering skills, and makes wonderful hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats for all the special events. Holly also manages over 90 classes, lectures and special programs every week. The best!
Paulina Przyzysb is the nutrition program coordinator, managing home-delivered meals and the kitchen. I love working with her on Mondays. It is a great kitchen with wonderful menus, serving healthy lunches 5 days a week.
Luis is our super skilled chef, helped by Rick who keeps the kitchen in tip-top shape. The home-delivered meals program provides daily food assistance to many people in town.
Chef Luis.
Bobbie and Lawrie are the two Center custodians. They are always ready to move furniture, set up rooms, keep things clean and provide a hand.
Kaila Morgan is a social worker in the Department of Human Services. She spends many hours at the Center, helping navigate the many state and local programs available to seniors. She is ready and willing for all.
Last but not least are Felicia, Denise and Diana – the first beautiful and friendly faces you see when you walk through the doors. They sign people up for classes, special events, lunches, bingo and much more. They have full knowledge of everything at the Center, and are dedicated to helping everyone.
PS: We cannot forget the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities. They put on great Sunday music programs, and sponsor films, lectures and other performances on Fridays.
As a senior myself, there is much to be grateful for, thanks to the superb WCSA staff.
I’m sorry if I have forgotten anyone. Please chalk it up to “a senior moment”!
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)
There was a lot to choose from last night in Westport.
Mike Birbiglia was at the Playhouse. Sustainable Westport sponsored a talk on making our town more walkable and bikeable.
Doris Kearns Goodwin captivated a sold-out crowd at the Westport Library. In an easy but wide-ranging, deep and educational conversation with former NBC anchor Brian Williams, she offered insights into the American presidency, her husband Richard’s role in our history, and her own place in all of it.
The event celebrated a new partnership between the Library and the Remarkable Theater. Details will be announced soon.
At a private reception afterward at Remarkable Theater founder Doug Tirola’s house — hosted by his wife Kristen — their son Cooper and friends Ben Seidman, Ava Waldman and Caroline Motyl joined Williams in reading from the historic speech Richard Goodwin wrote for President Lyndon Johnson, introducing civil rights legislation in 1965 after “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama.
Then everyone sang a song by Kearns Goodwin’s favorite group, the Platters: “The Great Pretender.”
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Brian Williams and Staples High School graduates Ava Waldman and Caroline Motyl, singing together. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Also last night, 150 tech and entrepreneurial types gathered on the La Plage patio at Longshore, for Startup Westport‘s summer social.
There was high energy at that event (and all the others). The public/private Startup Westport partnership brings together many of the town’s most creative innovators.
If I missed something else, my apologies. There was just too much going on.
And it was all good.
Startup Westport founders and officials, at La Plage. (Photo/Noah Fenn)
Also last night: the monthly Representative Town Meeting session.
Members voted 29-4 against a petition to reject a new Board of Selectwomen regulation, which prohibits access to the Westport Community Gardens near Long Lots Elementary School from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. during school days.
The RTM also voted 30-2 against modifying the hours of access.
The regulation — passed last month by the selectwomen — is effective immediately.
It took 10 innings. But Rhys Jamali’s single, driving in Luke Oakley, gave the Staples High School baseball team a thrilling 4-2 state tournament semifinal win over archrival Fairfield Warde yesterday, in Waterbury.
The victory vaults the Wreckers into the Connecticut “LL” (extra large schools) championship game. They’ll shoot for their 3rd title since 2017 on Friday or Saturday (to be determined), at Middletown’s Palmer Field.
#19-seed Staples’ foe in that game is #4 Amity. The Wreckers fell to the Woodbridge school 6-2, earlier in the season.
Revenge will be on coach Jack McFarland’s team’s mind, as it was yesterday. Warde (ranked #2 in LL this year, and the 2-time defending state champion) ended Staples’ title hopes 2-1 last year in the final — also in 10 innings.
Andrew Oppenheimer pitched 9 strong innings yesterday. Mason Tobias got the win in relief, pitching out of a 10th-inning jam.
There’s another Staples team vying for a state championship too: boys rugby.
The Wreckers trounced Trumbull 55-17 earlier this week. That sets up their title match: Saturday (June 8) vs. longtime rival Greenwich, at Southern Connecticut State University. The time has not yet been determined.
Staples High School boys rugby team.
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Young patients love reading books in the Village Pediatrics waiting room.
Then they go outside on the “Story Walk,” and read more.
The newest addition will also interest their parents (and grandparents). “The Pronoun Book” explains gender-neutral pronouns to men and women people who may not have grown up with them.
The display was installed recently by Village Pediatrics’ Staples High School senior interns, Stella Libman and Sophie Lubis.
This is the medical practice’s 12th year of participation in the internship program. It’s a way to introduce graduating seniors to the world of pediatrics and child development.
Village’s founder Dr. Nikki Gorman enjoys seeing her former interns around town. And, she proudly notes, her first — Emily Harris — is becoming a pediatrician herself. She trained at one of the premier programs, Boston Children’s Hospital.
Village Pediatrics interns Stella Libman and Sophie Lubis with “The Pronoun Book” on the Story Walk.
Speaking of youth sports: Twice a day, Maxx Crowley walks his dog at PJ Romano Field.
Sunrises and sunsets are always different. But one thing seldom changes: There is trash everywhere.
This was the scene Monday night:
That’s bad. But — compared with what I sometimes see at Wakeman Fields — PJ is almost pristine.
Come on, coaches. Parents. And especially, young athletes.
You can do better than this.
A lot better.
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Marcy Sansolo — the one-woman wunderkind behind the “What Up Westport” Facebook group — is at it again.
She and Lisa Marriott are spearheading a drive to collect new underwear for Norwalk’s Open Doors Shelter (this Saturday, June 8, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Imperial Avenue parking lot). It’s a small item, but something every shelter needs.
Any type of new underwear for women and children is great. The shelter requests boxer briefs for men.
Can’t make it Saturday? Lisa will pick items up, or accept them at her Town Hall office. You can also send them to her via Amazon. For details, email lsmarriott@gmail.com.
The sender wrote: “You just narrowly missed hitting me and my dog while driving what I assume is a blue BMW, going up Thomas from Imperial. License plate ‘06880.’
“It was so close and so egregious that the car in the oncoming lane swerved onto the grass side, got out of his car, and motioned that you were CRAZY.
“Blog aside, be a better community resident and stop speeding. You clearly were!”
As regular readers know, “06880” is a longtime advocate for safer streets. You can imagine my surprise at this email, because:
I don’t drive a blue BMW.
I was not on Thomas Road.
My license plate is not “06880.”
When I protested, the emailer replied that he had been told by 2 witnesses that I was the driver — presumably, because of the license plate.
I am happy to take the blame for anything I get or do wrong on this blog.
But please don’t come after me for a car I don’t drive, or a license plate I don’t own.
Not my license plate — or my windshield.
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Quick: What kind of business is Squeeze?
A juice bar? Retailer of stress balls? Dating app?
Nope. It’s a “massage service destination.”
The newest location opens June 28, in the Fresh Market shopping center.
Promotional materials say, “Squeeze was created to disrupt an outdated industry by providing consumers an accessible, stress-free, and personalized massage experience….
“(In) a prime location surrounded by fitness studios, shops and food & drink offerings, the opening of Squeeze provides a one-stop-shop for health and wellness needs. The 1,838 square-foot shop boasts a modern yet sophisticated design, which features six treatment rooms. The ambiance at Squeeze is carefully crafted to foster a relaxing setting, promoting comfort, and enhancing the overall well-being of its guests.
“With its personalized app-based approach, each massage is tailored to the customer’s liking including pressure, music, lighting and the ability to tap a ‘ready button’ letting the therapist know to return in-room to begin the massage. Guests are also able to set preferences around what body areas to focus on, pressure, oil or lotion and more.”
Squeeze also offers deep tissue, heat therapy, percussion therapy and aromatherapy.”
The Yellow Tulip Project is a national, youth-driven movement aimed at smashing the stigma and silence surrounding mental illness.
It began when teenager Julia Hansen was dealing with her own depression, alone. It took the tragedy of losing her 2 best friends to suicide for the high school sophomore to find her voice, and speak out.
Julia’s mother, Suzanne Fox, helped her create an online space to inspire conversations about how to combat the rising tide of suicide. Yellow Tulip Project members speak and conferences, schools and youth events; provide programs, and plant “hope gardens” in the fall that bloom in spring.
Julia lives in California. But her mom Suzanne grew up in Westport, and graduated from Staples High School.
Westport Department of Human Services director Elaine Daignault did not know that when she learned about the Yellow Tulip Project, and brought it to Staples’ Teen Awareness Group. She’s an advisor to TAG, a student-led group that takes a realistic, impactful role in trying to reduce teens’ risky behavior, and promote personal and shared responsibility.
TAG loved the project’s message about instilling hope. They bought 500 tulips.
Inspired by Julia’s story, TAG looked for locations to plant yellow tulip bulbs. They’d serve as a visual reminder of hope for those dealing with mental health issues.
In November they planted 2 hope gardens. One was at Staples, near the peace pole in the courtyard by the auditorium. The other was at the Senior Center.
TAG members planted tulips in the Staples High courtyard …
“We liked the idea of spreading hope to seniors who may experience isolation, grief and loneliness as they age,” Daignault explains.
“And the kids recognized that our active seniors may also appreciate an inter-generational initiative that encourages the community to talk openly about mental health.”
Senior Center director Wendy Petty and program specialist Jason Wilson suggested using the dormant winter garden, to protect the bulbs from deer.
Jason helped prepare the soil, and gave TAG members “the confidence to get a little dirty,” Daignault says.
… and, with help from Jason Wilson (rear), at the Senior Center.
It was only then — after talking with Senior Center member Dorothy Fox — that Daignault learned of her daughter Suzanne and granddaughter Julia’s Westport connection.
TAG members plan a small dedication ceremony today (Friday) at 3 p.m., when the blooms look their best.
The timing works well too, because TAG is preparing for Staples’ Get Real Day on May 8. It’s a school-wide focus on mental health and substance abuse awareness.
“The Yellow Tulip Project’s Hope Garden is another way TAG hopes to encourage open conversation about wellness, and spread awareness about available resources,” Daignault says.
“Next year we’ll try to build some programming around the initiative. But for now, we’re just thrilled to spread some light and cheer this spring.”
Westport Center Senior’s “Hope Garden,” in bloom.
(“06880” covers Westport’s youth, seniors, and everyone in between. If you enjoy our hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Speaking of education: Westport Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice gave an insightful talk Tuesday, at the Westport Rotary Club lunch meeting.
After briefly mentioning increased school enrollment and capital improvement projects, he pivoted to a topic he spent most of his time on: “outside pressures” that impinge on students and schools more than ever before.
Scarice said the internet has “a debilitating impact on kids,” and that “the innocence of childhood is being violated.”
The role of schools is now critical in dealing with the issues of hate speech and bigotries that are fostered online, Scarice noted. But he said that parents must be the front line of defense for their children.
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
The Westport Center for Senior Activities needed a new logo. Director Wendy Petty and Department of Human Services director Elaine Daignault wanted it to be identifiable as the Senior Center — but close to the town of Westport’s logo too.
Designer Shari Barnhart is a former Westport teacher and media specialist, who designed the Friends of the WCSA logo.
Her creation highlights the warm, welcoming building, with its recognizable windows and front entry arch.
She incorporated Westport’s blue and orange colors and the Westport font, to tie things together.
The new logo was rolled out recently. Coming next month: a new website.
Both the logo and website are funded through a state ARPA grant dedicated to senior centers.
Yesterday’s Roundup contained confusing information about Weston residents’ applications for Westport Parks & Recreation beach emblems.
The correct information is this: Beach parking emblems go on sale online, and in the Westport Parks & Recreation Department office, at 9 a.m. next Monday (March 11) for Westport and Weston residents. The number of sales to Westport and Weston residents is not limited, and they are not required until May 1.
Sales of emblems to people not living in Westport or Weston began online, and in the Parks & Rec office, at 9 a.m. today (Wednesday, March 13). A limit of 450 will be sold.
If you have purchased emblems or registered for Parks & Rec programs in prior seasons, you already have an online account established. Click here to log into your account. Then choose memberships; in the search box, type “Resident.” This brings all Westport resident vehicle packages to the top page. Weston residents should type “Weston” in search box.
After verification (Parks & Rec may request a copy of your current registration, or updated proof of residency), online purchases will be mailed to you. It may take 14-21 days.
Speaking of Compo Beach: 29 Danbury Avenue may not be a teardown after all.
Though a demolition sign hangs prominently outside the home with the famed “Beach House” sign, sources say it is a formality the owners must go through to sell, as it “could be” an option for a future homeowner.
“You won’t see a bulldozer any time soon,” we are told. Fingers crossed …
(Photo/Jimmy Izzo)
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Have you ever wanted a peek behind the Westport Country Playhouse curtain?
How about a chance to see the scene shop and wardroom room? What about the dressing rooms and green rooms, where every star from Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland to James Earl Jones and Paul Newman hung out?
“From the Page to the Stage” guided tours are available now by reservation, on select Friday and Saturday mornings.
Tours are scheduled for March 29 and 30, April 20 and 26, May 17 and 18, June 28 and 29, and July 26 and 27, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Each tour is limited to 25 people.
The tour guide is special: Bruce Miller, Playhouse archivist. He is familiar with every nook of the historic theater. And boy, does he have stories.
The tours are free, though donations are encouraged.
To reserve a group tour, click here. For a private group tour, email krichards@westportplayhouse.org.
The Westport Country Playhouse green room has hosted nearly every stage star. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Westport Police made 4 custodial arrests between February 28 and March 6.
A man was charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny, following break-ins at Westport Cigar & Vape, and Mohegan Smoke Shop. During the first burglary, the suspect also fled after an attempted traffic stop.
A man was arrested for burglary and criminal mischief, based on DNA evidence, following an investigation into an attempted residential burglary in November 2021.
A woman was charged with larceny and identity theft after 2 checks were stolen from the mailbox outside the Westport post office, then altered and deposited.
A woman was charged with failure to appear to answer a previous arrest.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 5 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 4
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 3
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 2
Failure to obey stop sign: 2
Unsafe movement of a stopped vehicle: 2
Texting while driving: 1
Improper turn: 1
Improper use of markers: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without proper instructor: 1
Littering on public property: 1
Don’t litter!
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A few tickets remain for next Wednesday’s evening with Geno Auriemma at Mitchells of Westport.
The legendary University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach will bring his current team to the Post Road store.
Tickets to the benefit for Bleeding Blue for Good — the organization that provides name, image and likeness opportunities for UConn student athletes (and Connecticut charities) — are $100 each. Children under 12 (maximum of 2 per adult) are free. Click here to purchase.
Light appetizers, wine and beer will be available.
Speaking of sports: The Staples-Westhill-Stamford co-op girls ice hockey team’s bid for a state championship was derailed last night.
New Canaan captured the title with a 3-0 win. But it was a remarkable season for the Westport/Stamford squad. Big props to coach John Fay, and his girls!
The Staples-Westhill-Stamford girls ice hockey team celebrates their state quarterfinal victory.
To celebrate, Office Evolution — the bright, airy co-working space in the Post Road office building opposite Westport Fire Department headquarters — invites all freelancers to enjoy an (of course) free week in their shared workspace.
Click here to register. For more information on the Westport location, click here.
The Joggers Club is stretching out, getting ready for an active spring.
Among the offerings:
Connecticut’s Biggest Kids Running Camp: Sundays, April 21- June 2 (4-5:15 p.m., Staples High School track). Learn the basics of good running, in a fun environment. Kindergarten-8th grade; $125.
The Joggers Club “Race Of The Year”: The Minute Man 5K & 10K, April 28 (Compo Beach). All proceeds benefit local charities, through the Westport Young Woman’s League. Click here to register.
Free Joggers Club Track Night: Run with friends at Thursday night workouts (Norwalk High School track).
Fun Running is The Best Running: Every Saturday at Compo Beach. All paces and levels; all are welcome. No rules, no judgments, all smiles.
Join the Joggers Club for $50 a year (it works out to $4.16 a month — plus a free Lululemon shirt for all new members).
This month’s Westport Book Shop Drew Friedman Art Place exhibit features 2 local artists: Veronica Hauresz and Karen Kallins.
The women collaborated on a series of photographic artworks called “Immiscible.” They are striking images based on simple elements like oil, water, and colorful backgrounds.
A reception is set for March 13 (6 to 7:30 p.m.). Their work will be on display at the Jesup Road store throughout the month.
Veronica Hauresz and Karen Kallins, with their works.
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Alert “06880” reader Chris Grimm sends this photo from the Sherwood Island Connector …
(Photo/Chris Grimm)
… and adds: “I have as much holiday spirit as anyone. But it is March!”
But the legacy of the longtime Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport member — who successfully sued Vermont to end her life under that state’s medical aid in dying law — lives on.
Steven Petrow — an award-winning journalist and book author who writes often about health and aging — used Lynda’s experience as the centerpiece of an essay in yesterday’s Washington Post.
Titled “A Cancer Patient Had Decided How to Die. Here’s What I Learned From Her” connects Lynda’s decision with Petrow’s own sister’s experience — also from ovarian cancer — in New Jersey, one of 10 states that allow medical aid in dying. Connecticut is one of the 40 that do not.
There is another local connection: Petrow’s brother Jay is an artist and landscape designer who lives in Westport.
Jacquelyn “Jackie” Fuchs — a longtime resident of Westport, who served for many years as secretary of the Representative Town Meetin — died Saturday.
She is survived by her husband Roy; daughter Leslie Sloane (Bryan Sloane); son David; grandchildren Marc, Bennett and Dean Sloane, and Bitzalel, Meyah Adam and Sehara Fuchs; brother Jeffrey Smith (Iris), niece Lindsay Blanco (Maurice) and nephew Zachary Smith (Erika).
Her funeral will be held tomorrow (Tuesday, February 20, 9:30 a.m., Temple Israel), on what would have been her 76th birthday. Click here for the livestream.
There will be a shiva reception immediately following the service. An additional shiva will be held tomorrow evening in New York City.
“One of the reasons I moved to Old Hill was the ability to walk downtown. That was severely hampered (Sunday) when my daughter and I went to the Westport Playhouse for their matinee show.
“While this lot on the Post Road between Cross and Lincoln Streets is under construction, the development company should be responsible for ensuring the sidewalks are cleared of snow and ice.
“They failed to do so, and the sidewalk is now very uneven and treacherous. There is no other sidewalk on the other side of the street. The only alternative is walking in the street, which is extremely dangerous.”
Westport author Jacqueline Berman has just published “A Bite of the Big Apple: The Ultimate NYC Birthday Adventure.”
The children’s book celebrates the diverse cultures, flavors, traditions and neighborhoods of New York City, through the eyes (and mouth) of a young girl.
“She forms unexpected friendships, discovering that the true magic lies not just in the tantalizing tastes she samples, but in the heartwarming connections she forges.”
Click here for more information, including how to buy it.
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For those Westporters still here — not on the schools’ winter break, in other words — yesterday was a gorgeous, admire-the-winter-scenery Sunday.
This Saugatuck River view, from Steve and Rosemary Halsteads’ living room, is perfect for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
In a town noted for long meetings, Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting was remarkable for being particularly lengthy.
For 6 1/2 hours — from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. — commissioners discussed the Long Lots Elementary School renovation project. They’re involved because it can move forward only with their positive 8-24 report (or if they do not vote within 35 days).
The P&Z offered the most in-depth questions — and at times, most skeptical reception — of any town body so far.
Part of the discussion involved the possibility of separating decisions about the new building itself, and a Babe Ruth baseball field that has become part of the discussion. If approved, the field would replace the Westport Community Gardens — forcing a move to (perhaps) the Senior Center.
The meeting ended with no decision. The P&Z will continue its discussion on January 8.
Monday’s session was the first for new member John Bolton. Though he lost his bid for re-election last month, he was nominated by the Republican Town Committee to replace Amie Tesler, who resigned due to increased business responsibilities.
The P&Z voted unanimously in favor. He was immediately sworn in by Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton.
After the Board of Selectwomen voted recently to place 3-hour limits on some parking spots downtown — up from the previous 2 hours, but not enforced since COVID — officials said the signs would be delivered after the new year.
Turns out, they’re already here — and in place.
This was the scene yesterday, in the Baldwin lot off Elm Street:
(Photo/Bruce Schneider)
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Speaking of downtown:
Tonight, Michael Friedman’s pop-up gallery in Bedford Square (31 Church Lane, opposite Spotted Horse; 5 to 8 p.m.) hosts drop-in party.
Guests can enjoy the dozens of photos on the wall, of the Rolling Stones, The Band, Janis Joplin and many other music legends. All taken by Friedman when he was a rock photographer.
The images were forgotten for decades. Now, Friedman has printed them again, and turned them into a book.
“Exposed: The Lost Negatives and Untold Stories of Michael Friedman” will be given as a complimentary copy, to any purchasing a limited edition print.
Michael Friedman in his pop-up gallery. His photo shows Levon Helm, legendary drummer for The Band.
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“A Sherlock Carol” opened last night, at the sold-out Westport Country Playhouse.
The holiday family production is being performed in 14 theaters this week. The local version features the original New York City cast.
The show runs evenings through Saturday (December 23), with matinees on Friday and Saturday. Click here for tickets, and more information.
“A Sherlock Carol” opening night bows. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)
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Congratulations to Caleb Smith!
The Wreckers’ all-everything quarterback — who led his team to the Class “LL” (extra large schools) state championship 21-20 over West Haven, despite separating his shoulder on the first play — has been named MaxPreps’ Connecticut Player of the Year.
That’s on top of previous honors, like 2-time All-State and FCIAC Player of the Year.
Smith is Staples’ all-time passing leader (5,198 yards), and ranks 3rd in both career rushing yards (2,307) and rushing touchdowns (44).
Last year, he was on the state championship lacrosse team, as well as the state finalist basketball squad.
Williams College junior — and 2021 Staples High School graduate — Arianna Gerig is the New England Women’s Basketball Association Division III Player of the Week.
She averaged 31.5 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 0.5 blocks in a pair of games last week — including the most points in one game in Ephs’ history (43 against Smith College).
Chris Coogan and his band played to a full house Sunday at the Senior Center.
The holiday concert was sponsored by the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities, thanks to a grant from the Westport Rotary Club — the gift that keeps on giving.
Chris Coogan (right) and his band, at the Senior Center.
And finally … happy 66th birthday to Billy Bragg. He’s not everyone’s cup o’ tea — but I’ve loved his music and messages for nearly 40 years.
(Each day, “06880” delivers hyper-local news and information you can use. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 work, please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Please click here. Thank you!)
It’s “The Westport Center for Senior Activities.” Supposedly that conveys a more “active” vibe — conjuring images of people moving around, doing things, not sitting in a drab room watching game shows on a too-loud TV.
I don’t buy it. The official name is too long.
Besides, everyone knows that the Senior Center is a hub of activities, all day long.
Gathering for an educational lecture — a frequent and popular Senior Center activity.
In fact, there’s so much going on at 21 Imperial Avenue, it’s hard to keep track.
Participation is up 34% from last year. They’ve welcomed 400 new members since January, bringing membership to over 4,400.
Every day, they serve 50 healthy, delicious lunches.
Lunch at “Sue’s Cafe.” It’s named for former and longtime director Sue Pfister.
The wide variety of Senior Center activities includes educational lectures, an indoor music series, art classes, movies, socials, support groups, parkinson’s exercise and support classes, strength training, Pilates, tai chi, yoga, mah jongg, bridge, ping pong, poker, billiards, health screenings, tax preparation assistance, safe driving courses, scam avoidance, information and referral, a community Super Bowl party, and more.
That’s a schedule that would tire a teenager.
A Senior Center Halloween pumpkin decorating contest. (Photo/Felicia Smith)
Click here for more information, and to be put on the mailing list. Click here for the Facebook page.
Questions? Email seniorcenter@westportct.gov, or call 203-341-5099.
Thursday’s Veterans Day event. (Photo/Emma Birch)
PS: More good news: The estate of Irma Schachter — the longtime Westporter and civic volunteer — just donated $300,000 to the Senior Center.
And it won’t be used to buy too-loud TVs.
(Photo/Molly Alger)
(From senior citizens, to high school seniors, to kindergarteners — and everyone in between — “06880” has you covered. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Seth Braunstein is a Representative Town Meeting member from District 6, and chair of the RTM Finance Committee.
After 2 visits to the Long Lots Elementary School property, his views on the future of the Westport Community Gardens have changed. He now supports the Long Lots School Building Committee’s recommendation to relocate the gardens.
Seth writes:
Sometimes beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You might like one thing, yet I may favor another. Opportunities for interpretation or differing appreciation exist and can be celebrated. However, we can all agree that the Community Gardens and Preserve are beautiful and valuable town assets.
Feasibility generally isn’t something that is open to the same subjective interpretation.
Last Sunday morning I joined roughly 25 other concerned Westport citizens for a formal tour of the Long Lots School property hosted by a majority of the Long Lots School Building Committee.
The LLSBC began the tour by leading the assembled group from the south end of the property where the beautiful Community Gardens and Preserve are located to the north end of the property across various athletic fields (soccer and baseball) spread across 2 distinct property tiers, then to the west side of the property where wilderness (thankfully no poison ivy was encountered) and catch basins and a stream exist amidst a steeply declining grade as the property terminates back behind Harvest Commons.
Part of the Long Lots Elementary School campus. The Community Gardens (not shown) are south of the school. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
I am convinced that all parties involved in the hotly debated issues surrounding the question of build new vs. renovate come to this difficult decision with only the best of intentions. I am certain that the Board of Education, the LLSBC and first selectwoman are earnest in their desire to come up with the best solution possible for our community. None of these dedicated public servants have any “nefarious intent” and none of them want to have an outcome here that results in something that would fall short of the high standards our town demands. None of these people deserve the ad hominem attacks they have been subjected to.
I am also certain that supporters of the Community Gardens have sound arguments for why their 2 decades of investment in this property leave them hopeful that their interests and the reality of a new school can effectively coexist with the Garden remaining in its existing footprint. In fact, as a concerned member of the community (and an elected RTM member) I was convinced that this mutually beneficial outcome would be highly likely.
Having now had the benefit of a well detailed explanation for the reasoning behind the LLSBC support of the option they are recommending, along with a firsthand view of the property’s limitations, my view of what is feasible has changed. I had visited the Gardens a couple of months ago at the invitation of a member and at the time struggled to see why the two could not co-exist.
Now I understand why. This is a relatively small piece of property that is already crowded. The LLSBC has worked for months and hosted numerous meetings focused on what can be done to fit all of the existing puzzle pieces together so that all of the various constituencies represented on this property can walk away happy. This has been a huge task (did I mention they are all volunteers?).
The LLSBC has had to consider not just how to build a new school on this cramped property but also, most importantly, how to make sure the children in the existing school can continue to receive the best education possible while in the middle of a construction zone for the roughly two years the project will take to complete.
The committee has considered everything from how buses will enter the property, how parents who prefer to drop their students off will approach the building, where teachers and others working in the school will park, how all of the athletic and outdoor leisure time activities can continue and how to do all of this while minimizing the inevitable disruption that a project of this scale will pose to the neighborhood.
They have also been clear in their desire to consider Westport’s intent to increase sustainability which would require a series of geothermal wells to also occupy the site in the future to increase the energy efficiency of the new building.
Parking and bus loops are considerations in designing a new school.
Under the best of circumstances (and this property does not meet that standard due space limitations, as well as grade and drainage concerns) a project of this magnitude requires significant staging areas. Take a moment to think about things like building materials (steel, brick, windows, etc.), heavy equipment (tractors, backhoes, forklifts), workspaces (construction trailers, bathrooms), large quantities of soil and other materials (to help correct grades and support foundations), not to mention parking for the sizable construction crew. When considering the requisite staging areas, the difficult job of putting this complicated puzzle together becomes untenable.
No one wants to displace the Community Gardens. No one has made a decision to sacrifice this wonderful town resource, but when considering where the flexibility in planning this project falls it is obvious that the school (a $100 million+ investment that will further help burnish our well-regarded school district) must take the highest priority.
Some have chosen to frame this unfortunate circumstance as the Gardens vs. the school or the Gardens vs. town leadership or the BOE. That simply does not reflect the reality of the situation. This really becomes a question of what is actually feasible on this property.
I choose to look at this as an optimization opportunity. Rather than trying to overcome the inherent limits associated with this crowded property, a better solution exists. In fact, it is a solution that has already been brought forth by the LLSBC itself. The Community Gardens could be moved to a portion of the Baron’s South property. While this will undoubtedly upset the supporters of the Community Gardens (and they have earned the right to be upset given the two decades of work they have invested in the current location) it might actually offer a better outcome long term for the Gardens and for the Town.
I have been a long-term supporter of preserving the rare open space left in Westport (check the voting record – I was adamantly opposed to a deal to develop Baron’s South for housing or for active uses), but placing the Community Gardens on a portion of the property could accomplish a number of desirable outcomes.
First, it would provide an environmentally positive usage of the land that would be consistent with the passive usage spirit of the current zoning (while drawing many more people to this vastly underutilized town jewel).
Second, it would actually provide the Gardens with a bigger space than is currently being utilized. I’d also add that the supporters of the Gardens have cited the number of seniors that have enjoyed the Gardens and moving the location to a spot in Baron’s South that would place them just a few steps from the Senior Center seems like a beneficial outcome. It is difficult for me to see how this wouldn’t be a classic win/win scenario.
The proposed site of the Community Gardens, at the Senior Center. (Photo/Morley Boyd)
Ultimately, the RTM will be presented with an appropriation request for this building project and the full range of issues associated with this property will be debated. From where I stand, legitimate questions exist around the status of the baseball field. The mandate for the LLSBC was to retain all existing school features and a baseball field is one of those features so it should be included in the new plans. However, any discussion of turf or lights or a vast increase in the scale and scope of a new field should be scrutinized.
I’d also add in closing that as an RTM member and chair of the RTM’s Finance Committee I would vote to have the town provide funding for the transition of the Gardens’ location (there may be a chance to maintain the Preserve in its current location). The Gardens are unquestionably one of Westport’s jewels and moving them to a spot where they can continue to grow and blossom, rather than exist in some sort of limbo amidst at least two years of construction, seems like a smart way forward.
Posted onJuly 13, 2023|Comments Off on Roundup: Community Gardens Bounty, “06880” Party, Pink Aid Golf …
It’s one of the joys of summer here: eating veggies picked — literally — straight from the garden.
This Saturday, Westport Community Gardens celebrates 20 years by hosting a giveaway garden pop-up stand.
On July 15 (10 a.m. to noon; Hyde Lane just south of Long Lots Elementary School), gardeners share their bounty — vegetables, herbs and flowers — from the summer harvest.
You can also take a tour of all 120 plots (plus the pergola, community tables, bocce court and adjacent Long Lots Preserve).
To learn more about the Westport Community Gardens, click here.
Bounty from the Westport Community Gardens.
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The annual “06880″ party is just a week away.
And if you’re reading this: You’re invited.
Next Thursday (July 20, 6 p.m.) is the day and time. The far end of Compo’s South Beach — away from the cannons, near the boat and kayak launch — is the place. (Still confused? See the aerial view below.)
The blue arrow marks the “06880” party spot.
Every member of the “06880″ (as in, this website) community is invited. We welcome frequent commenters and lurkers. Folks who have lived here all their lives, and those who moved here yesterday. People who want the Cribari bridge to stay the same, those who want a new one, and everyone in between. (Don’t worry: The party is a politics-free zone.)
The tagline for “06880″ is “Where Westport meets the world.” Next Thursday, that world comes to Compo.
Please bring your own food, beverages, beach chairs and blankets. (If you bring extras to share with others, we won’t say no). Then mix, mingle and enjoy the evening with the “06880″ crowd.
There’s no charge. It’s a “fun-raiser,” not a fundraiser.
A “blog party” — the “06880” version of a block party.
See you next Thursday!
(PS: Because “06880” is now a non-profit, Westport Parks & Rec allows a limited number of out-of-towners without beach stickers. Please email 06880blog@gmail.com to be put on the list. First come, first served!)
The “Play4PinkAid” fundraiser — with your choice of golf, tennis, pickleball, canasta or mah jongg — is set for Wilton’s Rolling Hills Country Club (Monday, July 24).
But there are plenty of Westport connections.
Jarret Prussin and Brian Falik are running the event. Jarret’s wife Courtney is Pink Aid’s co-president.
And of course, many Westporters have long been involved with the non-profit, which offers compassionate support and emergency financial assistance to patients in treatment for breast cancer, supporting families during a critical time.
“Play4PinkAid” is a day-long event, with lunch, dinner and drinks. Susan Hess, founder of women’s golf wear brand Golftini will share her personal connection to breast cancer, and how she is paying it forward.
A few foursomes as well as several tennis and pickle spots remain. Click here to register, and for more information.
The players on Westport’s 12u Little League team were just 2 years old when our town’s boys made it all the way to the World Series national championship game.
Now they’re embarking on their own road to Williamsport.
Westport takes on Fairfield National — their fiercest rivals — in Connecticut’s District 2 championship contest this Friday (July 14, 5:30 p.m., Unity Park, Trumbull).
There’s nothing better than a summer baseball game like this. Play ball!
Jack Klinge is a true friend of the Senior Center.
Last night at the Ned Dimes Marina, the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities honored and thanked him for more than 20 years of service.
The retired executive — and current RTM member, and Westport Public Schools substitute teacher — is stepping down as president. He’ll remain (thankfully and happily) a Friends board member.
Jack Klinge, flanked by Sue Pfister and Wendy Petty, the former and current Senior Center directors, respectively. (Photo and hat tip/Diane Bosch)
Otis & the Hurricanes storm onto the Weston History & Culture Center’s lawn.
Their Sunday, July 23 show (5 p.m.) is part of the 8th annual “Music at the Barn” series. Attendees can bring a picnic dinner, beverages and lawn chair.
Otis & the Hurricanes play American roots rock, influenced by Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Little Feat, Alan Toussaint, Delbert McClinton abd Chuck Berry.
Otis Cross has opened for and played with James Montgomery, Mark Naftalin, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter and Buckwheat Zydeco.
Also on-site: a kids’ crafting table, lawn games, and the Daniel E. Offutt, III Sculpture Garden.
Tickets ($15 members, $20 non-members, children under 12 free) are available at the show or online.
And finally … you don’t have to be a Mensa member to have guessed who today’s featured artists are:
(From actual turtles to The Turtles, you can read about it all on “06880.” If you appreciate our coverage, please consider a donation. Just click here — and thank you!)
Comments Off on Roundup: Community Gardens Bounty, “06880” Party, Pink Aid Golf …
Paula Leonard — a longtime Westport resident, active volunteer, well-known realtor, and a driving force behind the creation of both the Senior Center and The Saugatuck senior moderate housing building — died peacefully on May 25, surrounded by her family. She was 88.
The eldest of 3 daughters, Paula and her sisters moved frequently as children. Their father, Wendell Campbell was a CBS Radio executive who was often relocated. The Campbells lived in Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota and Illinois before arriving in Westport for Paula’s senior year at Staples High School.
After college, she attended the Katharine Gibbs School and was hired as the secretary for William Rudkin, son of Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin.
Soon thereafter Paula met her future husband of 60-plus years, Dick Leonard. Local lore has it that when Dick asked if anyone wanted to dance on a table at Cafe Barna, Paula raised her hand.
Paula and Dick Leonard.
Married in 1957, Dick and Paula soon had 4 children born roughly 16 months apart: Rick, Jim, Anne and Carey. In 1970, they added a caboose, Colin, to the Leonard train.
The through line in Paula’s life was one of craft. Her ability to figure out how to make or do just about anything was well known. An extraordinary wife, mother, cook, needlewoman – and later in life, beader – Paula also became a leading real estate agent in Westport in her 50’s, with Merrill Lynch Real Estate and then Prudential Real Estate. She sustained her career well into her 70’s.
She specialized in antique houses, and sold the first $1 million house in Westport in the early 1980’s. She adored selling homes, and helping them settle in the town she and Dick loved. She always said, “I sold Westport. The house came with it.”
Her passion for all things Westport took many forms. A member of the Westport
Commission for Senior Services for more than 20 years, as chair Paula drove the concept, construction and opening of the Westport Senior Center on Imperial Avenue.
She helped lead the conversion of the former Saugatuck Elementary School into The Saugatuck, making moderate income housing available for aging town residents. She also helped create the first tax deferral program for seniors in the state.
Paula, with her Prudential colleague Jean Coleman, launched and sponsored for years the Westport Historical Society’s annual fundraiser, the Hidden Garden Tour, which showcased some of the town’s most beautiful gardens.
She was also active with the Westport WarmUp fund, helping income-quali1ed households with winter home heating expenses.
When her children were young, in her role on Westport’s PTA Council, Paula spearheaded the town’s first dedicated bike lanes to Compo Beach on Compo Road South.
An ardent cook, she was an early adopter of Julia Child and Elizabeth David. Paula enjoyed narratives around food and ingredients. She once carried a large potted basil plant to Martha’s Vineyard on her lap (via car and ferry), with young children in tow, to offer it to her hostess long before fresh herbs were available outside the garden.
In the 1970’s, she and fellow Westporter Pat Kessler wrote a cookbook, on how to transition from cooking for a large family to cooking for two without resorting to packaged or processed food.
In 1998, Dick and Paula built a second home in Biddeford Pool, Maine, where the family had vacationed for years. “The Boathouse” became a summer gathering spot for their children, their spouses, and a growing corps of grandchildren.
Paula spent her days body surfing, and taking long walks with their chocolate labs Pool and Abbie.
She took up golf, and hosted the children and their families at lively dinners, followed by memorable charades games with Dick’s Staples High School English teacher colleague Joy Walker and her husband Bill.
Paula Leonard (seated, center) and her extended family.
Preceded in death by her husband Dick in 2018, Paula is survived by her sisters Happy Van Sickle of Chatham, Massachusetts and Beth Lane of Newport Beach, California; children Rick (Amy) of Westport; Jim (Story) of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Anne Hardy (Jim) of Westport; Carey (Cheryl) of Stratford, and Colin (Kadie) of Fayetteville, New York, and grandchildren Lizzie Leonard, Will Hardy, Kelsey Leonard, Ned Hardy, Molly Leonard, Charlie Leonard, Amanda Leonard, Campbell Leonard, Megan Leonard, Annie Leonard and Sophie Leonard.
A celebration of Paula’s life is planned for Sunday, June 25 (3 p.m., Westport
Senior Center), with a reception following.
In lieu of flowers, donations to The Paula & Dick Leonard Memorial Award at Staples Tuition Grants are most welcome.
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Julia’s mother, Suzanne Fox, helped her create an online space to inspire conversations about how to combat the rising tide of suicide. Yellow Tulip Project members speak and conferences, schools and youth events; provide programs, and plant “hope gardens” in the fall that bloom in spring.
