What will the Westport Transit District do After their poetry contests have done limericks and haiku?
And don’t forget, they did acrostics
So what is next, in their bag of tricks?
Double dactyls!
This year, Wheels2U — the WTD’s on-demand, group ride, door-to-door service — challenges residents with an 8-line poetic form.
The 4th annual Poetry Contest offers a creative way for people who live or work in Westport to highlight the ease and benefits of the ride-sharing service.
Seven winners will receive gift certificates to their choice of Westport restaurants. The grand prize is $100.
Double dactyl is a rhythmic, humorous poetic form consisting of 2 stanzas of 4 lines each.
Meter: The first 3 lines of each stanza must follow a DUM-da-da DUM-da-da rhythm. The 4th line of each stanza follows a DUM-da-da DUM rhythm.
Rhyme: The last line of the 1st stanza must rhyme with the last line of the second stanza.
Opening: The first line is often a nonsense phrase such as “Higgeldy piggeldy” or “Jiggery pokery”.
Bonuses: Use “Wheels2U” in the poem; additional bonus if one line in the poem is a single six-syllable word.
Here’s one example:
Higgeldy Piggeldy Wheels2U Westport is Ditching the parking lot Drama and stress.
Unprecedentently Simple to book a ride, Join the community’s Transit success.
Wheels2U, at the Westport train station.
And another:
Jiggery Pokery Dine at a restaurant Don’t want to drive after Having a drink.
Extraordinarily Safe and reliable, Home in a jiffy No need to think.
Karina Betfarhad, Westport Transit District co-director, says, “This contest is a fun way for the community to engage with public transit. We see Wheels2U used by commuters, seniors, families and students every weekday. Poetry captures those moments, while reminding people how easy it is to leave the car at home.”
Jiggery Pokery Teenagers needing a Lift to the Library Or to a field.
Indispensability Parents can finally Sit on the sofa and Legally yield.
In addition to the $100 girt certificate for 1st place, 2 2nd-place winners will receive $50 gift certificates. Four 3rd-place finishers will each get $25 certificates.
Email your poems to wtd.pgold@gmail.com by April 7. Use the subject line “Double Dactyl Contest,” and include your name, address and email. Westport residents and those who visit or work in Westport may enter as often as they like.
Winners will be chosen by Peter Gold and Karina Betfarhad, WTD co-directors, in their sole discretion, with the assistance of librarians and English teachers in the Westport Public Schools.
All entries become the property of the Westport Transit District. Entrants give the WTD permission to use their entries without compensation to promote the operations of the Westport Transit District and Wheels2U Westport, including advertising poster at the Westport and Greens Farms train stations and marketing emails.
Jibberty Jabberty Uber is pricey and Taxis are ancient and Hard to procure.
Economical Wheels2U’s cheaper, and Transit efficiency’s Hard to ignore.
Need background information?
Wheels2U provides door-to-platform shuttle service to the Saugatuck and Greens Farms train stations, plus midday service to the train stations, Library, Senior Center and downtown. Rides can be requested using the Wheels2U app.
Fares: $2 via the Wheels2U app.
Hours: Weekdays (commuter): 5:30 to 10:30 a.m.; 4-9:03 p.m.
Midday: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
To learn more about Wheels2U, click here. For more about Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, click here
The undefeated Staples boys basketball team was tested by Ridgefield last night.
But the #1-seeded Wreckers — talented, tough, defensive-minded and driven — pulled away late. Their 62-48 win over #3 Ridgefield at Fairfield University earned them their second straight FCIAC (league) championship.
It cements their spot in the school’s storied sports history. Before last year, Staples’ previous FCIAC title was in 1963.
Sam Clachko — the senior and one of the Wreckers’ best basketball players ever — was named Most Valuable Player. It was a fitting FCIAC finish, after missing last year’s championship with a broken wrist.
Clachko finished with 13 points. Mason Tobias had 14, Austin Heyer 12, Matty Corrigan 11 and Dhilan Lowman 7.
The blue-and-whites — now 23-0 — head to the state tournament. They’ll chase their first title there since 1937.
The Westport Fire Department is filled with heroes.
But 5 are official “Hero to Heroes.”
They’re graduates of “Hero to Hero,” a non-profit that help highly qualified military members transition to first responder careers. It’s a win-win-win — for the servicemembers, their employers, and the entire community.
On March 28 (5:30 p.m., Saugatuck Rowing Club), a special event will raise awareness of “Hero to Hero” — and raise funds for an independent film, which will raise even more funds for the organization.
The “Blue Bunny” film project is led by Rita Marcocci, a Westport resident and award-winning producer.
It’s a moving story of sacrifice and friendship, weaving between Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the present-day bond between a former commander and his soldier.
The Westport Conservation Department, Shellfish Commission and Sustainable Westport are hosting a community conversation about PFAS — the synthetics known as “forever chemicals” — in Connecticut’s coastal waters, and their effect on pollution and climate change.
The free event is March 18 (7 p.m., Westport Library). Marine environmentalist Dick Harris will examine the persistence of PFAS chemicals in aquatic environments, their movement through waterways, and emerging challenges facing coastal communities.
The search is on for a new Westport Transit District co-director.
In the upcoming 4-year term, the Transit District co-director will be expected to:
Maintain safe and dependable daily operations
Strengthen financial management and long-term planning
Pursue state and federal funding opportunities
Enhance community engagement and rider experience
Advance sustainability and environmental initiatives
The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will conduct a comprehensive process to identify qualified candidates. A background in strategic planning, budgeting and regulatory compliance is highly desirable. Eligible candidates must be registered voters in Westport.
Applications will be accepted through March. The 4-year term will begin in May.
Interested candidates for this volunteer position should email a resume and/or statement of interest, including contact information, to mlevy@westportct.gov. For more information about Westport Transit services, click here.
The Westport Swim Club does a great job preparing youngsters for the Staples High School swim team.
But the Wreckers also sponsor a dive team. To stock that pipeline, the WSC has created a new Westport Dive Club.
It’s the first — and only — springboard diving program in town.
Coach Grace Slama — who also serves as Staples’ boys and girls dive coach — is a former Taiwanese national diver, and NCAA Division I All-America.
No experience is necessary. Diving is a great activity for any child who loves gymnastics, parkour, trampolining, skateboarding, snowboarding — or any other sport!
Meanwhile, Westport Swim Club continues to grow. Over 76 boys and girls are on the roster.
They now call themselves the WSC Whale Sharks. Here’s the great back story:
Staples co-captain Charlotte Roberts began with WSC. At a recent team event, the coaches held a backstroke rock-painting contest.
Charlotte’s whale shark design won. WSC has adopted it as their new identity. It symbolizes a swimmer’s journey from youth program to high school leadership.
Registration for the Westport Swim Club and Westport Dive Club opens March 11, on the Parks & Recreation Department website.
But here’s a screenshot of a harrowing one, sent by Susan Garment.
Huge sheets of ice are falling from a Morningside Drive roof. Just moments earlier, a woman — shown walking gingerly on her driveway — walked underneath that roof.
Saugatuck Congregational Church’s Sunday Afternoon Concert Series continues this weekend (March 8, 3 p.m.). Pianist/composer Dr. Hayk Arsenyan will perform Chopin’s “24 Preludes,” and selections from Rachmaninoff’s “Op. 32 Preludes.”
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between February 25 and March 3.
A 50-year-old Pleasantville, New York woman was charged with 2 counts of assault of an elderly person, 2 counts of 2nd degree assault, failure to appear and failure to comply with fingerprinting requirements, following an investigation into a July incident in a Westport home.
Police and Emergency Medical Services found 3 patients experiencing the same symptoms. They were transported to a hospital, and all recovered. A relative was found to be linked to prescription medication, which was present in a communal water container.
The woman was held on a $1.01 million bond.
A 21-year-old Westport man was charged with assault of a pregnant woman, criminal attempt at strangulation, threatening and disorderly conduct, following a domestic argument that turned physical. He was released on a $100,000 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Texting while driving: 12 citations
Traveling unreasonably fast: 6
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 4
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 4
Speeding: 3
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Unsafe passing: 2
Failure to renew registration: 2
Passing a standing school bus: 1
Failure to remove snow/ice: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Articles obstructing view: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
It’s illegal to drive with an obstructed view — front or rear.
=================================================
Longtime Westporter, noted writer and civic volunteer Gloria Stashower died peacefully on Monday, surrounded by her family. She was 96.
She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1950, the year she married Mike Stashower, her husband of 72 years.
While raising 3 children she earned a master’s degree in English from Hunter College, pursued various civic endeavors and began work as a freelance writer.
The Stashowers settled in Westport in 1970. Gloria embarked on a career in corporate communications, working for CIT Financial Corporation and IBM.
After retirement she continued to take freelance assignments, and immersed herself in community activities. They ranged from the League of Women Voters and Democratic Town Committee to the boards of the Westport Arts Center, Senior Center, Westport Library and Y’s Women (serving as president of the last 2).
She loved books, theater, movies, politics and travel.
Gloria was predeceased by her husband. She is survived by her children, Susan (Paul), Debby (Michael) and Jon (Allison); grandsons Jordan, Scott and Matthew, and great-granddaughter Greer.
A private graveside service will be held, followed by shiva for family and friends at Gloria’s home on Friday (March 6, 2 to 6 p.m.). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the Westport Library.
Gloria Stashower
===============================================
Lynn Flint offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo — and a back story.
(Photo/Lynn Flint)
This swan plopped itself down on Canal Street, in Saugatuck Shores. Lynn blocked the road, until Animal Control arrived.
Lynn’s neighbor Glenn Ferrari got there first. He got out of the car, and said that the swan always sleeps in the road.
Glenn clapped his hands, and said “Get out of here!”
The swan stood up, walked down to the edge of the water, jumped in and swam away.
Animal Control came a few minutes later. They thanked Lynn for helping out.
And said they’d just responded to a similar call near the Library: another swan, not budging, in the middle of the road.
And finally … on this day in 1963, country music stars Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and their pilot were killed in a plane crash in Tennessee.
(Another day, another “06880” Roundup chock full o’ stuff. If you appreciate this feature — or anything else we offer — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
As Ukraine’s war against Russia nears its 4th year, Gray McGuinness sends harrowing news about Westport’s sister city, Lyman.
The town in the Donetsk region has been covered by drones. The unmanned aerial vehicles use a thin, physical fiber optic cable instead of radio waves for control and data, making them immune to electronic jamming and interference. (Click here for a video.)
Gray writes, “Lyman is now under constant attack by air and land, and has been partially occupied by the Russian army.”
Westporters can help. Ukraine Aid International — founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer — is a boots-on-the-ground non-profit that ensures donations go directly Lyman.
Click here to contribute. Then click the “I want to support” box; select “Support for the City of Lyman.” Scroll down on that page for other donation options (mail, wire transfer and Venmo.
Fiber-optic cables blanket Ukraine.
================================================
Singing and strolling through Saugatuck on Saturday, 8 Staples Orphenians serenaded diners at 14 restaurants with holiday songs.
The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce-sponsored “Caroling Crawl” brought smiles — and applause — from patrons at The Boathouse, The Bridge, Kawa Ni, The Whelk, Tutti’s, The Black Duck, Tarantino, Blu Olive, Romanacci, Riko’s Pizza, Zucca Gastrobar, Rizzuto’s, Viva Zapata, and Little Pub @ Dunville’s.
Staples Orphenians: a menu special on Saturday night.
The First Amendment and the importance of a free, independent press are topics for the first “Nancy on Norwalk” talk (January 20, 7 p.m., Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts).
Attendees will hear from 2 people deeply involved in the subject: Westporter Alisyn Camerota, a 2-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and author formerly with CNN and Fox News, and Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, who oversees elections and civic processes across Connecticut.
Click here to RSVP. Registrants will have a chance to receive a signed copy of Camerota’s most recent book, “Combat Love.”
Aliysn Camerota
=================================================
We’ve posted plenty of photos of entitled parkers in large vehicles.
And plenty of drivers who park as closetothebuilding as possible.
Today, we feature one guy — it has to be a male — who combined both, at Whole Foods.
And finally … in honor of Wheels2U’s upcoming holiday gift — and with a tip of Santa’s hat to onetime Westporters Edgar Winter and Dan Hartman:
(You may enjoy a free ride. And you may think “06880” is free. But we rely on the support of readers like you. Please click here to send a few bucks our way. Thank you — and happy holidays!
It’s a yearly ritual: the Board of Finance cuts funds for the Westport Transit District. And every year, the WTD appeals to the Representative Town Meeting for restoration.
This year, there’s a new twist.
Despite the possible loss of funding for Wheels2U, the WTD is adding new hours and destinations to the curb-to-train station, on-demand commuter shuttle.
In addition to its normal operating hours (5:45 to 10:30 a.m., 4 to 9:30 p.m.), riders will now be able to go from anywhere in Westport to the Senior Center, Farmers’ Market and Jesup Green.
Rides begin at 9 a.m. and last through 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The fare is $2 per ride.
Users should book a ride 20 minutes before they would normally leave for their destination. Once the ride is booked, they will receive an estimated time of arrival, and can track the minivan (like Uber) on the Wheels2U app. Riders must be able to meet the minivan at the curb.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available by request in the app. Riders requiring door-to-door assistance should continue using Westport’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities. Click here for details.
Though excited about the expansion, WTD co-director Peter Gold cautions that
funding for Wheels2U may end June 30. If the RTM does not restore funding, the one-year pilot program will end too.
After the recent Zoom-bombing of the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting — an attack that included pornography, Nazi symbols and the video of a beheading — the next meeting will be in person.
It should draw a large crowd.
The P&Z agenda for next Monday (April 28, 6 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) is about the proposed Hamlet at Saugatuck retail/residential/hotel/marina development.
The public hearing includes input from residents.
A 65-day extension has been granted for this phase of the regulatory process. The final date for a decision is now June 18.
Aerial rendering of the Hamlet at Saugatuck proposal.
=================================================
Another meeting discusses another long-debated project: the new Long Lots Elementary School.
The Building Committee meets tonight (6 p.m., Town Hall Room 201/201A) for a project update. There will be time for public comment.
Three views of a possible new Long Lots Elementary School.
===============================================
E-bikes are e-verywhere.
To raise awareness about safety, the Westport Police Department is sponsoring a community forum.
The May 13 event (6:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) will cover rules and regulations (for riders and motorists), street awareness, and tips and resources for all ages. A Q-and-A session will follow.
The evening will feature law enforcement officials and safety director Charles Foster of SCBC Safe Rides.
Class 3 e-bike.
=================================================
Speaking of transportation: The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Transit Committee and Westport Transit District meet jointly tonight (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Westport Library Room 210).
The agenda includes:
A recommendation to the RTM on the 2025-26 budget request for railroad parking, including a discussion of railroad parking permit revenues.
A recommendation to the RTM on the 2025-26 Transit District budget.
A recommendation to the RTM on a supplemental appropriation of $55,000 for transportation services for the elderly, and people with disabilities.
A discussion on expanding Wheels2U service to the Senior Center, Farmers’ Market, and Jesup Green/Westport Library, beginning next month.
Yesterday’s Roundup gave an incorrect location for the memorial to Max Harper.
It’s at the western end of South Beach, near the trees and benches across from Ned Dimes Marina.
It’s a beautiful spot, for a loving tribute.
The Max Harper memorial stone, on Compo’s South Beach. (Photo/Pam Docters)
=================================================
There may be no such thing as a free lunch.
But there are free tree saplings.
the Westport Tree Board will give them away this Friday (April 25, 3 to 5 p.m., Town Hall back parking lot).
The gifts are in honor of Arbor Day. There’s one per family — choose from Virginia pine, river birch, red cedar or lilac.
Tree Board sapling giveaway, in 2022.
===============================================
A reminder: One of the most inspiring — and fun — galas of the year is this Saturday.
The A Better Chance of Westport Dream Event raises funds for the non-profit that creates educational opportunities, and changes lives, for exceptional young men from less advantaged communities.
As always, the highlight will be speeches from the graduating seniors, and an ABC alum. This year’s returning grad is Yoel Hooper-Antunez. Click here to read his amazing back story.
The Dream Event also includes excellent food and drinks, a silent auction, and a chance to hang with some of the most accomplished young people in town. Click here for tickets, and more information.
The current A Better Chance of Westport scholars.
================================================
Also at the Library: the return of Andrew Wilk’s Medical Series.
The topic for 2025 is oncology. Longtime local internist Dr. Robert Altbaum moderates each of the 4 sessions, and introduces experts.
Tonight (Tuesday, 7 p.m.), Dr. Richard Frank, chief for clinical and translational cancer research at Nuvance Health, describes recent advances in cancer, including chemotherapy, targeted DNA treatment and immunotherapy, and explores the diagnostic, therapeutic and psychological challenges of treating advanced cancer
Dr. Robert Altbaum
===============================================
Dylan Robbin knows hoops.
Last week, the Staples High School freshman was featured on the House of Highlights YouTube channel.
The 90-minute segment included a debate between 10 Gen Z sports podcasters and Jermaine Womack, who runs the popular YouTube channel Chill Town Hoops.
At 14, Dylan was the youngest participant by at least a decade.
A clip of his conversation with Womack about whether Steph Curry is the best point guard of all time went viral on Instagram.
Click below to see the full debate. You can follow Dylan on Instagram and TikTok: @drsportstakes.
Frank Rosen is probably the 50th reader to send a photo of the bald eagle that perches regally on the communications tower at the Westport police station.
But he’s the first to realize — without me telling him — that the bird is a wooden fake.
(Photo/Dylan Rosen)
“We killed about 30 minutes in the beautiful sunshine, taking in it’s majestic beauty,” Frank says.
“I waited so long for it to fly away — only to realize it’s not real.”
No one else who sent similar images to “06880” over the past month realized — until I told them — that the reason the eagle stood so still for their photo is because it never moves.
Reactions range from laughter to anger. Most common, though, is embarrassment.
To whoever placed America’s national bird atop the tower: well played.
=================================================
A new guest has been added to CT Against Gun Violence’s annual spring benefit “Be the Hope” luncheon (May 15, 11:30 a.m., The Inn at Longshore).
The headline speaker is Rob Wilcox, former deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
He’ll join Sandy Hook youth activist Matthew Holden, who will discuss his work. Click here for tickets.
Last weekend, the Westport Transit District rolled out a soution to holiday shopping traffic.
This weekend, Wheels2U — the on-demand train station service — will operate once again.
Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday (December 20 -21), a Wheels2U vehicle will pick you up anywhere in Westport. It will take you downtown, then back home again when you’re through.
Stops are at Jesup Green opposite the Westport Book Shop, and Elm Street across from Serena & Lily.
Download the Wheels2U app, and book your ride 20 minutes before you want to leave. Rides are just $2 per passenger, open to all Westport residents and visitors. Children 12 and under must ride with an adult.
Westporters learned a lot about investing — and sports, and politics — when billionaire financier/former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and fellow TV personality Dave Briggs, chatted onstage at the Westport Library last month.
Yesterday, a national audience learned from the 2 Westporters too.
Their interview was featured on CNBC, when Lasry went on the business channel to discuss investing in college sports.
VFW Post 399 is a warm, welcoming place for any meeting. There are plenty of veterans-related events there — and many others with outside groups, that rent the Riverside Avenue facility (for a very modest sum).
The vibe was especially warm earlier this week. The VFW, American Legion and auxiliary enjoyed spicy chili, before their end-of-year meetings.
Happy 69th anniversary to former 2nd selectwoman/Apple Festival founder/ longtime town volunteer Betty Lou Cummings and her husband Tom, a former IBM executive.
Here’s to many more enjoyable years, at your Saugatuck Shores home.
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature takes us to Grace Salmon Park.
The small riverside oasis on Imperial Avenue has many devoted users. Some were upset the other day, to see significant sections laid bare.
It’s all goodo. The work was part of the town’s Invasive Species Management Project. Run collaboratively by the Parks & Recreation and Conservation Departments, the goal is to remove invasives, to improve wetland health and biodiversity.
Grace Salmon Park looks a bit different these days. It’s more of a gem than ever.
And finally … On this date in 1971 the live album from the Concert For Bangladesh, held 6 months earlier in Madison Square Garden, was released. It went on to win a Grammy, for Album of the Year.
(Looking for the perfect gift for “06880”? Support for our 24/7/365 hyper-local journalism is always welcome. Just click here, to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Westport’s holiday miracle — the less-than-a-week project that ensured the Cribari Bridge will be lit again this year — is nearly complete.
The start of the stringing process, last night. (Photo/Andrea Moore)
The Public Works and Fire Departments, plus AJ Penna & Sons Construction, Kevin Ancker of Riverside Mobil and a corps of volunteers, unboxed, strung and tested hundreds of bulbs last night, on the 135-year-old Saugatuck River span. The Police Department added logistical support.
(Photo/Andrew Colabella)
The new lights worked perfectly. And tonight, the town celebrates.
The test worked! (Photo/Andrea Moore)
The gala bridge lighting is set for 5 p.m. today (Monday). Everyone is invited.
Westport PAL — one of the lights’ sponsors — will have collection boxes for the toy drive they run, with the Westport Police Department. Unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the bridge, and the Bridge at Saugatuck restaurant.
The restaurant will also offer half-priced wine and beer from 5 to 8 p.m.
(Photo/Andrea Moore)
PS: Lead sponsors are The Bridge at Saugatuck, Saugatuck Financial and Neat Lending.
Other sponsors include LandTech, Westport PAL, the Colabella family, and our very own “06880” blog.
Wheels2U — Westport Transit District’s on-demand transit program offering $2 shared rides between any Westport address and the town’s 2 train stations — has announced new upgrades.
They include:
● More comfortable vehicles. The new fleet of minivans (many of them wheelchair-accessible) provides a smoother, quieter ride than previous vehicles.
● A “greener” ride. The new vehicles are significantly more fuel-efficient as well.
● Longer hours. Morning service has been expanded by half an hour, from 5:45 to 10:30 a.m. Evening service is 4 to 9:30 p.m. weekdays.
● Improved booking. Users can request rides starting at 5:30 a.m. for a pickup as early as 5:45, and as early as 3:45 p.m. for a 4:00 pickup. They can request rides as late as 10:30 a.m. or 9:30 p.m. too.
The new vehicles are already in operation. They replace the entire old fleet.
Ukraine Aid International — the boots-on-the-ground organization making a difference in that war-torn nation, founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer — is hosting a holiday celebration this Sunday (December 8, 1 to 5 p.m., Redline Restorations, 2475 Fairfield Avenue, Black Rock).
And it’s free!
The afternoon includes antique cars, plus footage from UAI’s latest missions in Ukraine.
It’s a chance to celebrate the perseverance of Ukraine, with food and drink, holiday activities, and creative kids’ crafts.
A reminder: Westport is raising $56,000, to ensure that 200 children in our sister city of Lyman can attend a therapeutic camp this winter, away from the horrors of their country’s 3-year war.
Just click here. Under “Designation,” choose “Westport-Lyman sister city” from the dropdown menu. You can also choose a monthly or one-time donation. If you use the mail or Venmo option, please make a note: “For Westport-Lyman.”
Before Halloween, our Roundup included a photo of a Bayberry Lane stop sign, at Easton Road.
A very elaborate skeleton dangled beneath the red hexagon.
Bayberry Lane at Easton Road, before Halloween. (Photo/Sandy Rothenberg)
Another holiday is near. An “06880” reader writes:
“Someone has now twice cut down my holiday decorations outside my house. The neighbors and community love it. I get compliments and even ‘thank yous’ from passersby.
“I realize that I may not be allowed to hang stuff on the sign, but making my community happy surpasses that until I’m told by someone with authority that I cannot do it.”
Are private citizens allowed to hang decorations from a stop sign? If they are — or even if they’re not — are other private citizens allowed to take them down? Stay tuned …
Buffalo Rose — the hot folk/Americana band — returns to Voices Cafe this Saturday (December 7, 8 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
WFUV’s John Platt calls the sound of the 6-person group “intoxicating,” hailing “the combination of their tight string band rhythm and supple harmonies.”
Voices Cafe concerts offer a choice of coffee-house style seating, tables or individually. Bring your own beverages and snacks; coffee and sweet treats are available for purchase.
Voices Cafe concerts support social justice programs through the UU. Click here for tickets, and more information.
And finally … in honor of the controversial Easton Road sign, at Bayberry Lane (photo above):
(Stop what you’re doing! It takes just a few seconds to click here, and donate to “06880.” We appreciate it — and you get a tax deduction too. Thank you!)
If you grew up in Westport in the 1970s, the image — even the sound — is indelible: a fleet of Mercedes buses, meeting at a Jesup Green hub and then put-putting all around town.
If you were not around then, it’s hard to imagine: Our town had one of the most innovative suburban transportation systems in the country.
Even more improbable was the background of the man who built it.
Rich Bradley arrived in Westport in the 1965. Norm Flint — the principal of soon-to-open Coleytown Junior High School — recruited the young English major straight off the Cornell University campus.
Rich Bradley, in the 1969 Staples yearbook.
Bradley spent 2 years teaching English at the brand new school, then 2 more at Staples.
It was a time of educational and political ferment. The high school’s “Experimental English” curriculum encouraged students to design their own course.
Bradley was in the middle of it. “They couldn’t decide if they wanted to fire me or make me assistant superintendent,” he laughs.
He was as involved outside of school as in. With Tony and Joanna Nicholson, and Jim and Do Bacharach, he helped found the Intercommunity Camp. Each summer, youngsters from Westport, Weston, Norwalk and Bridgeport came together for fun and friendship.
Bradley also joined the Youth-Adult Council. A town body (and the forerunner of today’s Youth Commission), it tackled serious issues like drugs and runaways.
And transportation.
In the early ’70s, young people relied on parents — and hitchhiking — to get around town. Some older residents did not drive. Some homes had only one car. The railroad station parking lots were full.
It took 2 years. But with the strong support of the Representative Town Meeting, the Westport Transit District was created.
Rich Bradley was its director. One of his first tasks was obtaining federal and state grants to buy buses. The town agreed to pay operating costs.
Bradley helped devise routes. Each bus had its own 35-minute loop, beginning and ending at Jesup Green.
(As Mercedes buses, they were easy targets for mockery. However, Bradley says, they did not cost more than other buses. Officials also looked at electric buses, but batteries had to be charged every 40 miles.)
The Minnybus system was “fresh — progressive and innovative,” Bradley — who now lives in Washington, DC — recalls.
“It solved environmental, social and economic needs.”
It also incurred the wrath of the Gilbertie family, who ran the town’s taxis. Though Transit District officials tried to integrate them into the system, they were uninterested. They filed several lawsuits, which took years to resolve.
A Minnybus, at the Jesup Green hub.
After a few years, Bradley was hired by the Greater Bridgeport Transit District. Two years later, Governor Ella Grasso asked him to be Connecticut’s deputy director of transportation, with the charge: “Westport-ize the state” — but without much money.
Bradley then ran Hartford’s Downtown Council, before moving to Washington where he headed the International Downtown Association.
For the next 20 years, as founding executive director of the Downtown DC Business Improvement District, he facilitated over $35 billion of public-private investment into transforming abandoned buildings and parking lots into the third largest central business in the country. He repositioned the National Cherry Blossom Festival as the city’s premiere cultural event, was involved in the construction of the Convention Center, and helped lure the Nationals baseball team from Montreal.
Rich Bradley proudly sports a Washington Nationals cap.
Today, Bradley is a principal of The Urban Partnership, (with his wife, noted urbanist Ellen McCarthy), and serves on the faculty of Georgetown University’s Urban & Regional Planning program.
But Bradley has not forgotten his Westport roots (or routes). He visits his former Cornell friend Steve Halstead regularly.
He has watched the town’s “trials and tribulations” as it built the new Staples High and YMCA (Halstead served on the Board of Education, and was chair of the Y Building Committee. His wife Rosemary is a Y trustee). Both changes were beneficial for many residents, Bradley says.
He also watches Westport from his vantage point as a Georgetown professor, whose “Place Management and Place Making” course examines the importance of public spaces.
“Westport always had a vital center,” he says, referring to downtown. “The future of suburbs — and cities — is being walkable.”
Westport Minnybus at Jesup Green, back in the day.
Calling Westport “intensely developed,” while still retaining “substantial vitality,” he believes the town still offers opportunities to “put your car away, and walk around.”
The Minnybus system did that, Bradley notes.
The Minnybus system gave freedom to kids — and taught them responsibility.
From what he sees, Westport has done “a good job of accommodating its character and values.”
We no longer have a Minnybus (or its cousin the Maxytaxys, which picked up riders on demand, then picked up others as it meandered along to different destinations).
We are, meanwhile, engaged in a long debate over the future of parking all around downtown — including Jesup Green.
Where, half a century ago, Mercedes buses loaded and dropped off grateful, car-less passengers.
(“06880” covers Westport — its yesterday, today and tomorrow. If you enjoy our work, please click here to support this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
Jennifer Wolff writes: “Once again, hostage poster thieves have taken to the Ruth Steinklaus Cohen Bridge and ripped down posters.
“And once again, the Westport chapter of RunForTheirLives printed new ones and replaced all that was stolen.
“We have an amazing community of caring people who take it upon themselves to keep reminding Westport and beyond that these innocent folks need to come home. The RunForTheirLifers who replaced the posters include Maya Rotem, Relly Coleman, Hagar Moshe, Ana White, Lynn Rabinovici Park, Julie Podziba and Nitsan Greif.
“We are tired of this cat-and-mouse game. Whatever anyone’s opinion about the conflict in the Middle East, we all can agree that the innocent hostages — many of whom on the morning of October 7 were either dancing, making breakfast for their kids, or still asleep — need to come home. Especially now that we have seen the conditions they are living and dying in.”
Hostage posters on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee invites all stakeholders to a public charette next Wednesday October 23 (6 p.m., Westport Library).
Attendees can learn about current plans for Jesup Green, the Imperial Avenue parking lot, and a possible parking deck, with time for questions and feedback.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ben Casparius secured last night’s 8-0 win over the New York Mets, in game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
It’s getting routine for the 2017 Staples High School graduate — called up to the majors only in August — to come on and succeed, in relief.
But there was another local twist to yesterday’s contest.
Mets’ public address announcer Marysol Castro has lived in Westport for 19 years. The first Latina to hold the job in Major League Baseball, she had the honor of announcing her fellow resident’s name to the CitiField crowd.
And her words were heard, presumably, by millions of Americans watching too. (Hat tip: Isa Didio)
If you weren’t watching the Mets and Dodgers last night, maybe you were at Compo Beach for the comet show.
Franco Fellah was.
He captured this great image of Comet C-2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas.
Check out the bright dust tail on one side, and opposite the rare, faint anti-tail, pointing at the sun.
(Photo/Franco Fellah)
=================================================
Survivor Rowing Network connects breast cancer survivors to bond and support each other through their love of rowing.
The Saugatuck Survive-Oars are proud members of the Network. Yesterday, they were part of the story on the Kelly Clarkson Show. Click below for the fascinating segment. (Hat tip: Dave Briggs)
Among the 100-plus Republican officials appearing with Vice President Kamala Harris yesterday, at a Pennsylvania rally: Westport’s former Congressman, Chris Shays.
Shays won a special election to replace Stewart McKinney, after the Republican’s death in 1987. He was elected to a full term in 1988, then re-elected 9 times.
Shays lost to Jim Himes in 2008. He was the most senior member of the House of Representatives to be defeated that year.
Other Republicans who joined Shays and Harris in Bucks County were former Representatives Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, and former Governor Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey.
Former Congressman Chris Shays
==========================================
Remember the Maxytaxy?
The Westport Transit District is looking for color photos of the 1970s-era Mercedes bus that traveled throughout town, picking up and depositing riders. (Its cousin, the Minnybus, did the same, but on fixed routes.)
If anyone has a piece of an old Maxytaxy — hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask! — that would be even better.
Email pgoldrtm3@gmail.com with photos or actual bus parts.
In lieu of photos of a Maxytaxy, here’s one of a Minnybus. The transfer point was Jesup Green.
===============================================
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between October 9 and 16.
A 34-year-old Stamford man was charged with interfering with an officer and breach of peace, following an investigation into a September domestic violence altercation in the Saugatuck railroad station parking lot.
A 36-year-old Bridgeport woman was arrested for larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny, after an investigation into a September theft of $850 worth of merchandise from Stop & Shop.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Traveling unreasonably fast: 7 citations
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
Distracted driving: 2
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 2
Failure to grant right of way: 2
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
Failure to comply with state traffic control regulations: 2
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 2
Failure to renew registration: 2
Traveling unreasonably fast in a school zone: 1
Failure to yield to a pedestrian: 1
Following too closely: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Improper turn: 1
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
Failure to reinstate license: 1
============================================
Too many Westporters — and folks everywhere else — have been affected by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
ALS United Connecticut is sponsoring a walk this Saturday (October 19) at Sherwood Island State Park. Registration begins at 10 a.m.; the walk starts at 11.
The walk draws people together to honor all those affected by ALS, and remember those who have died. Click here for details, and registration.
================================================
Noted artist Ruth Kalla Ungerer died Tuesday in her home on Bayberry Lane, surrounded by her family. She was 76.
The Pittsburgh native earned a bachelor of fine arts magna cum laude in sculpture from Drew University.
After years of artistic practice and raising 2 children, Ruth began a new career as director of the 1990 census operations for municipalities in New Jersey. She then spent more than 10 years at the Committee for Economic Development.
She continued her career in development leadership with non-profit organizations, including Literacy Volunteers of America, Montclair State University, the New School University and the Population Council. Her expertise was in strategic planning, corporate and foundation grantsmanship, and major individual donor solicitation.
After retiring, Ruth resumed her artistic career with a focus on printmaking. She worked independently and with fellow artists at the Center for Contemporary Printing in Norwalk and Milestone Graphics in Bridgeport.
Accompanying her husband Richard on business trips to China, Ruth worked with Zhang Dongmin and met Fan Li Jun, one of China’s most renowned artists.
In particular, Ruth pursued her love of the line and a feminist approach to the female form. Her work was shown in galleries and exhibitions across Connecticut and in Brooklyn.
Ruth received numerous awards and honors. She was active in the Artists Collective of Westport and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, as a board member.
In addition, Ruth and husband became advocates for Montessori education around the world.
Ruth tried through her nonprofit work and arts engagement to underscore the importance of the creative spirit in enhancing the understanding of life’s complexities, as well as its wonders.
She is survived by her husband Richard, children Erika Grossman (Claire Psarouthakis) of Minneapolis, and Heather Grossman, of Urbana, Illinois, and older brother Ronald Kalla. She was predeceased by her younger brother, Alec Kalla.
Her family is grateful for the medical staff at Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital and elsewhere, and the many dedicated caregivers who supported her.
A graveside funeral service will be held tomorrow (Friday, October 18, 10 a.m., Willowbrook Cemetery). Shiva will be observed in her home that day, from noon to 6 p.m. .
(From Citi Field to Kelly Clarkson to comets in the sky, “06880” is where Westport meets the world. We couldn’t do it without you, though. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
As riders take Wheels2U across Westport, winners have been chosen in its acrostic contest.
This spring, the Westport Transit District asked for poems to promote its on-demand, group ride, door-to-train platform shuttle service.
Judges Diane Meyer Lowman, town poet laureate emerita, and Peter Gold and Karina Betfarhad, WTD co-directors, selected the winners. Each receives a gift certificate to the Westport restaurants of their choice.
Gold says: “Acrostic poems, where the first letters of each line spell out a phrase — in this case, Wheels2U — are difficult to write. But once again, the Westport community demonstrated its talent.”
Wheels2U
First prize goes to Barry Lytton:
Welcoming me
Home after an
Endless City day
Easy to Phone
Less than a few clicks away
Slipped past the backups
2 my family and home Under $3; And no driving alone.
Second prizes go to Bronwyn Cousins and Carolin Sigal. Third prize winners are Paul Kelly, Gigi Mirabelli (a Bedford Middle School 6th grader), Jean Sichel and Lynn Goldman.
Honorable Mentions are awarded to Judith Marks-White (the winner of last year’s haiku contest), Stephanie Mastocciolo and Canyon Sharits.
Bronwyn Cousins:
Well!
How
Earnestly
Everyone
Longs
Sometimes
2 be driven!
Utopia!
Carolin Sigal:
Why am I driving in commuter
Hell, when I could be chauffeured
Elegantly? A door to door jitney,
Expertly driven, would
Let me off at the station
So I could catch my train
2 New York, then back again,
Under the night sky. Heaven!
Lynn Goldman:
Westport
Has
Everything!
Even
Light-blue
Shuttles.
2 dollars?!
Unbeatable!
Paul Kelly:
Working for a living is…
Hard enough. Striving daily to remain
Employed. Searching frantically for an…
Empty seat on the striver’s early train.
Like rats in a maze, you…
Scramble for a space
2 park your ride… at great expense.
Unaware, perhaps, that WHEELS 2U makes so… much…sense
Gigi Mirabelli:
Welcoming faces await you
Here we offer affordable adventures
Early morning easy and effective rides
Every time of the day no matter the circumstances
Lasting memories are awaiting to be made
Sounds of the brakes are the sounds of my soul
2 dollars per ride at WHEELS2U
U will be very pleased!
Jean Sichel:
Where will I go
How will I get there
Easy with Wheels
Every wheel spins
Leave your address
Soon we will be there
2 pick you up
Under the hour
Judith Marks-White:
Wheels2U roll along,
Hiking up hills,
Entering private streets,
Enduring all seasons’ weather.
Landing at each destination
Safely, including smiles.
2 everyone who hops aboard,
User-friendly are we.
Stephanie Mastocciolo:
Who needs a ride?
Have no time to park
Enter Wheels2U
Everyone’s solution for transport to the train
Leave when you want
Save time
2 many reasons not to try
Unlimited sense of ease
Canyon Sharits:
Welcome aboard, your ride awaits, Hassle-free journeys with no parking debates Easy access, just a call away,
Liberating you from the frenetic fray
Leaving behind unneeded delay
Serving you in a greener way 2U, the solution to your transit woes Upon request, to your door it goes
(For more information about Wheels2U, click here. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, click here.)
(Like Wheels2U, “06880” covers Westport. Please click here to support our hyper-local journalism. 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!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
