• Classifieds
• Archives
• About Us
• Contact Us

Saturday, November 07, 2009

The sun sets Friday as seen from the Longshore Sailing School at Westport’s Longshore Club Park. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Saugatuck Congregational Church (245 Post Road East) - Westport Weston Cooperative Nursery School 2nd Annual Kids Tag Sale
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Westport FIre Department (515 Post Road East) - Connecticut Day of Caring & Compassion non-perishable food drive collection
10 a.m. - 7 p.m. - Unitarian Church (10 Lyons Plains Road) - Rare Buddhist Relics display
11 a.m. - Westport Public Library - Trends in Technology: LinkedIn, Mark Mathias
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Aggregate: Art and Architecture—a Brutalist Remix”
Noon - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Treasures from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection”
2 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Beatles Rock Band @the Library
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. - United Methodist Church (49 Weston Road) - Rabbit Hill Barn Dance
7 p.m. - Toquet Hall Teen Center - The Hint w/ Two O’Clock Courage, Little Did They Know, My Lady Four, and See The World

Friday, November 06, 2009

Westport firefighter Nick Marsan (r) thanks fellow firefighters, family and friends gathered tonight at the Westport VFW Post to honor him in advance of his departure this month for military service in Afghanistan. He is scheduled for a one-year assignment with the 102nd Infantry National Guard unit based in Norwalk where he serves as a staff sergeant.  Marsan, 36, said his unit is bound to train Afghan police officers. The father of two children, Cheyenne, 14, and Nicholas, 9, Marsan, who lives in Fairfield, said, “I’ll miss my family, but I’m focused and I’ll do the job I’m there to do.” Marsan was on active military duty with the U.S. Army from 1991 to 1999, has served with the National Guard for the past three years, and has been a member of the Westport Fire Department for two years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Phyllis Groner, a contributing photographer for WestportNow, had an exhibit and sale at Greg and Tony"s Salon tonight on Westport’s Post Road West. A portion of the proceeds went to the Westport Historical Society with matching amounts donated by Greg and Tony’s Salon. Many of the photographs for sale were first published on WestportNow. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

Leonards Antique Furniture store, 1026 Post Road East, will move across the street to 1045 Post Road East before year’s end. The new location was previously occupied by Smith & Hawken, a high-end gardening store that has recently gone out of business (see WestportNow July 10, 2009). Leonards opened at its current location in March 2000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Marcus Russi, 14, of Westport and Cormac Cummiskey, 14 of Redding rehearse Darius Milhaud’s “Scaramouche” for the Music for Youth benefit concert and dinner party at Southport’s Trinity Church Sunday at 5 p.m. The benefit funds the free concerts and master classes for students held monthly at Pequot Library. Tickets are available at Sally’s Place in Westport or at the door on Sunday. The ticket price includes the concert and buffet dinner with the artists and all outstanding youth musicians. More information is available at the Music For Youth Web site. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Workers today cleared out the remains of the house that was demolished at 9 Silver Brook Road, off Easton Road in Westport’s Coleytown section. The two-story colonial had 3,172 square feet, was situated on a one-acre property and was the WestportNow Teardown of the Day on Aug. 8, 2009. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

A Westport-based travel writer has launched a new travel Web site that features high tech animation and cinematic-quality short films to provide a vivid portrayal of travel experiences.
The new Web site features an animated map of the Greek island of Folegandros. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed graphic

Susan Farewell said her “FarewellTravels: Select Escapes” is really an online travel magazine that seeks to use multimedia elements to showcase travel suggestions.

“My job as a travel writer is to capture the essence of what a place is like,” said Farewell, whose past travel writing mostly has been confined to glossy magazines.

“In the past, I’ve relied on prose and still photography. What we’re doing here takes travel reporting to a whole new dimension.”

More "Westporter Launches Online Travel Magazine"

Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period Oct. 19 - 23, 2009:

Catherine M. Cote to Gary Garrison, 1 Hickory Hill Road, $595,000

Jean N. Plasan to Malgorzata Piekarski, 5 Grant Ave., $575,000

Martha H. Kelly to Stonebridge Lane Properties LLC, 42 Long Lots Road, $570,000

Christopher Cocco to Jeffrey W. and Michelle M. Barman, 32 Whitney Street, $1,935,000

More "Westport Property Transfers Oct. 19 - 23, 2009"

By Carol King

Collage artist Judy Cooper will unveil her eclectic works on canvas and paper Nov.14-15 at Westport River Gallery, 1 Riverside Ave., Westport.
Collage artist Judy Cooper of New York City will unveil a line of original pieces and giclee prints during a two-day exhibition taking place at Westport River Gallery Nov. 14-15. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The artist has a colorful assemblage of original collages, giclee prints and hand-collaged furniture. The exhibition showcases the artist’s sense of style and her talent in using found materials to create vibrant works of art.

Materials used in her collages range from buttons, watchbands and pearl earrings to torn pages of The New York Times, timber, and hand-made paper.

While making her collages, she cuts and tears a combination of items into a variety of shapes, and layers each piece until it suits her artistic vision.

More "Art Scene: Eclectic Artwork at Westport River Gallery"

Just fishing for a meal in the Saugatuck River, a seagull landed with a splash on the water near Westport’s center. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Unitarian Church is hosting the opening today of an exhibit of rare Buddhist relics. The event, which is sponsored by Do Ngak Kunphen Ling Buddhist Center for Universal Peace in Redding, begins with an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the exhibit continues through Sunday. The collection is of rare relics of Buddhist masters and saints which have been safeguarded in Tibetan and other Asian monasteries for centuries. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Dusk at Westport’s Compo Beach on Thursday. Today’s forecast called for mostly sunny skies with a slight chance of showers in the morning. with highs around 50. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Fridays in November: Internet and Email Training
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Aggregate: Art and Architecture—a Brutalist Remix”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Treasures from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection”
6 p.m. - Westport Public Library - The Great Library Scavenger Hunt
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Unitarian Church (10 Lyons Plains Road) - Rare Buddhist Relics display opening ceremony
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Greg & Tony Salon (231 Post Road West) - “Celebration of Westport” photographs by Phyllis Groner
7 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - Storytelling Event special workshop
7 p.m. - Toquet Hall Teen Center - Middle School Night (Peaceworks Benefit)

Thursday, November 05, 2009

The Westport Planning and Zoning Commission tonight heard details about plans for a new Levitt Pavilion. Westport architect Peter Cadoux, shown at an earlier P&Z staff presentation with the Levitt model in the foreground, said if all goes well, construction on the new structure will begin in September 2010 and be completed for the 2011 season. Organizers have said they hope to raise $5 million through a capital campaign. The P&Z closed its hearing and is expected to vote on the application next week. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

This is a what the new Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts will look like as designed by Westport architect Peter Cadoux. The Westport Planning and Zoning Commission tonight considered two applications that would clear the way for its construction. Of the members of the public who offered comments, all but one--who complained about noise--were supportive. The commission will issue its decisions at its meeting next week. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Former Westporter Joanna Greenfield came to the Westport Public Library tonight to speak about her new book, “The Lion’s Eye, Seeing in the Wild.” Subtitled “One Woman’s Illuminating Journey in the Heart of the Wild,” the book is a unique and lyrical account of a remarkably courageous young woman’s experiences following one of the last known populations of wild chimpanzees in politically hazardous Uganda. Greenfield spent 23 years writing and rewriting about her experiences in East Africa following publication in the New Yorker magazine of her story of being attacked by a hyena while working at a wildlife reserve in the desert in Israel. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

An application is in process to acquire a permit to demolish the house at 35 Prospect Road, off Westport’s Hillspoint Road.  Built about 1915, the two-story antique has 3,336 square feet, is situated on a 3.37-acre property and changed ownership last month at $1 million.  Land records show that it previously changed ownership in December 2006 at $2.7 million.  Because the house was built more than 50 years ago, the application will be reviewed by the Historic District Commission. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westporter Stew Leonard, the nationally known founder of “the world’s largest diary store,” today addressed a Westport audience about his new book, “Stew Leonard: My Story,” along with co-author Scotty Reiss. Leonard, 79, told the monthly lunch and speaker series known as First Thursdays at the Westport Country Playhouse that the lesson he’s learned from life is “to do the right thing.” “Doing the right thing allowed me to build a $400 million business,” he said.  Doing the wrong things resulted in a 42-month incarceration in a federal prison in 1993 in a tax evasion scheme. He said he wrote the book with Reiss “to bring closure to this aspect of my life.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

UPDATE A scheduled H1N1 flu clinic at the Westport Weston Health District on Tuesday has been canceled because of a shortage of the vaccine, Mark A. R. Cooper, director of health, said today.
Lexi Eudowe, 3, of Westport started to get a bit apprehensive as the flu vaccination line moved forward at the Westport Weston Health District on Wednesday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

He said an “overwhelming turnout” by the public at the District’s Wednesday H1N1 flu clinic prompted the action.

The District went through more than 500 doses of the vaccine during the scheduled three-hour clinic that had to be extended 90 minutes because of the turnout, officials said.

The State of Connecticut has advised the District not to expect additional supplies for next 10 days, Cooper said.

More "Scheduled Tuesday H1N1 Flu Clinic Canceled"

Within hours of his re-election victory Tuesday night, Westport First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff was at the Westport Historical Society Wednesday morning talking to second graders from Long Lots Elementary School about the role of elected officials in the community. Along with the Society’s education director, Hilary Gibson (l), he helped the students learn how knowledge of the past is beneficial to good decision making today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

9 a.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Police Pension Board
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Aggregate: Art and Architecture—a Brutalist Remix”
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Westport Historical Society - “Treasures from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection”
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Imperial Avenue Commuter Parking Lot - Westport Farmers’ Market
Noon - 2 p.m. - Fairfield County Hunt Club (174 Long Lots Road) - American Cancer Society’s “Women & Company Caring Connections” 3rd Annual Luncheon
7 p.m. – Town Hall Auditorium – Planning & Zoning Commission Public Hearing
7:30 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Authors@the Library: Joanna Greenfield, “The Lion’s Eye”

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

A happy Staples soccer squad celebrates their second consecutive Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) championship tonight aftre beating Ridgefield 4-1 at Norwalk’s Testa Field. It’s the third FCIAC crown in four years for the Westport team and 26th overall. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Carl McNair for WestportNow.com

Two goals in each half powered Westport’s Staples High School boys soccer team to its second consecutive FCIAC championship tonight. The Wreckers trounced Ridgefield 4-1 before an enormous and appreciative crowd at Norwalk’s Testa Field.

The back-to-back wins are Staples’ first consecutive FCIAC crowns since 1990-91. The Wreckers have now won three FCIAC titles in four years, and 26 throughout their 51-year history.

Staples struck early. In the eighth minute, Mikey Fitzgerald played a quick ball to Mike White. The senior striker put on some nifty moves, then found a wide open Greg Gudis for a picture-perfect tap in.

Seven minutes later it was 2-0.  Frankie Bergonzi took Drew McNair’s throw-in, and split the Tiger defense. Mikey Scott raced forward, before finishing low and hard.

More "Staples Boys Soccer Wins FCIAC Crown"

Volunteers for the RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) Medical Transportation group were honored today at a ceremony at the Westport Center for Senior Activities. The group collaborates with Westport/Weston United Way to provide volunteer medical transportation services for seniors of the two towns. Westport First Selectman Gordon F, Joseloff handed out certificates of appreciation and joined the volunteers for a group photo. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Josh Eudowe of Westport gives daughter Emily, 4, a kiss to reassure her as she is about to get an H1N1 flu vaccine shot today at the Westport Weston Health District. People started lining up for the 3 p.m. clinic at 8 a.m. The 6 p.m. end was extended 90 minutes to accommodate everyone, and more than 400 doses were administered, according to District officials. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

The grounds of the Westport Weston Health District were filled with children today as the District hosted its first H1N1 vaccine clinic. Among those eligible to receive the injection or nasal mist were pregnant women, adults living with or caring for infants under 6 months, and children ages 6 months to 18 years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

Members of Westport’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) were on hand to help provide crowd control today as residents converged on the Westport Weston Health District on Bayberry Lane for its first walk-in H1N1 flu vaccine clinic. Also assisting were members of the District’s Medical Reserve Corps. More than 300 persons were on line as the three-hour clinic opened at 3 p.m., some of whom had been there since 8 a.m. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Dreyfuss for WestportNow.com

Today’s Westport Weston Health District H1N1 flu vaccine clinic at its Bayberry Lane headquarters drew a crowd for the 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. event. The lines outside the District began to grow quickly as the walk-in clinic opening drew near. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Dreyfuss for WestportNow.com

Today’s H1N1 walk-in flu clinic at the Westport Weston Health District drew a large crowd. Many of them brought their own chairs to sit on in the brisk, autumn weather with temperatures in the upper 40s. The District said it would provide the vaccine to those eligible on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligibility requirements are posted on the District Web page. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Dreyfuss for WestportNow.com

CLASP Homes residents who modeled selections from the Eileen Fisher women’s apparel store posed today before guests attending the fashion show at the Westport Woman’s Club on Imperial Avenue. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westporter Miggs Burroughs--artist, graphic designer and photographer- was honored by CLASP Homes as its Volunteer of the Year at the not-for-profit organization’s sixth annual fashion show fundraiser today at the Westport Woman’s Club. Robin Hammond, development director of CLASP, did the honors. Diane Waldman of Cablevision News-12 was the master of ceremonies for the fashion show. CLASP Homes is a not-for-profit organization that provides homes and opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The Westport Historical Society’s Director of Exhibits Molly Donovan today welcomed members of Westport’s Neighbors and Newcomers group to tour the new exhibition “Treasures from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection.” The group was taken on a docent-led tour of the period rooms in the Wheeler House and Carriage Barn. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

By Ina B. Chadwick
Special to WestportNow

The envelope arrives and the sensory thrill from touching thick vellum paper, then running our fingers over our names in calligraphy excites us even further. It is an adrenaline rush we don’t get from e-mail.

We tear open the envelope and see we are “invited” and the “pleasure of our company” is requested in such a nice old-fashioned way It is the fall gala season where every invite makes us first feel like we are on the insider track in our community. 

Yes, we’re coming. Yes, we will be there to support the arts, social services, the green movement, the kid’s school, the squirrel rescue movement and throw in a disease or two that runs in our family. We want to be there for everything we care about deeply. For this family, it’s mostly the arts.

Suddenly we look at the RSVP card. And then we are stunned by reality. Our company is not so desirable that we don’t have to pay to be in good company. There is a dollar amount on our heads. Take a ticket for a small fortune, or even buy a table and chum up with best friends who share your passion for only $10,000. 

More "Insider Arts: You’re on the A List, Send Money"

Today’s sunrise at Westport’s Compo Beach cast a golden hue over the beach area.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Westport Property Transfers Oct. 19 - 23, 2009
MORE >>

ARTS & LEISURE

Gala Photo Show by WestportNow’s Phyllis Groner

Rehearsing

BUSINESS

Comings and Goings: Leonards Moving on Post Road East

Comings and Goings: Le Farm Arrives at Colonial Green

COMMUNITY

Joseloff, Kassen Re-Elected

Winners

HEALTH & FITNESS

Scheduled Tuesday H1N1 Flu Clinic Canceled

Lines Get Longer for H1N1 Flu Vaccine

EDUCATION

Staples Principal “Pleased” With Underage Drinking Forum

Honoring Bedford Middle School

OBITUARIES

Charlotte Giardina, 88

Lifelong Westporter Sherman R. Betts Dies at 89

POLITICS

Official 2009 Municipal Election Results

Westport Democrats Retain Control

REAL ESTATE

All Gone: 9 Silver Brook Road

Westport Property Transfers Oct. 19 - 23, 2009

SPORTS

Staples Boys Soccer Celebrate FCIAC Win

Staples Boys Soccer Wins FCIAC Crown

SPECIAL REPORTS

Memorial Day 2009 photos
 
A Westporter’s View: Final Farewell to Walter Cronkite
MORE >>

click here for current traffic conditions

Realtime NY Metro-area traffic reports from Traffic.com

Celebrate Westport Calendar
Metro-North Train Schedule
Westport Bus Schedule
Coastal Link Bus Schedule
Westport Town Web site
Westport School District
Westport Public Library
Westport Parks & Recreation
Westport Health District
Westport Data
We Green Westport
Green Village Initiative
Westport Locals for Locals
League of Women Voters
Westport Ch. of Commerce
Levitt Pavilion
Sherwood Is. Nature Center
National Weather Service
Westport Tide Table
Westport Area Restaurants
Westport Yellow Pages
Westport Area Movie Times
Westport Map
Westport Census Info

Buy a WestportNow.com mug, hat, or T-shirt

Suggest a Westport-area blog by sending email to
 

Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport