By Dave Matlow

Ron Provenzano, a Bridgeport native who has been a barber for 17 years, says “it’s always been a dream of mine to open a shop in Westport.”
Paul Mignone of Trumbull is in the barber chair at Ron’s Barber Shop. “Ron has been my barber since 1992,” he said. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Now that dream has come true.

Despite the difficult economy, Provenzano has opened Ron’s Barber Shop at 26 Railroad Place across from the Metro-North railroad station in the Saugatuck area.

Provenzano, who lived in the Saugatuck area in the 1980s for six years, said he currently operates a shop in Trumbull on Tuesdays and will open the Westport shop Wednesday through Saturday.

The Westport man who headed the money-losing financial unit of American International Group—the insurance company which paid millions in bonuses after a $170 billion government bailout that brought outrage this week from President Obama—donated $4,800 to Obama’s presidential campaign, according to federal campaign records.

Joseph J. Cassano, 54, who has been a registered voter in Westport since 1995, donated $2,300 to Obama for America on Jan. 10, 2008, and $2,500 to the Obama Victory Fund on July 24, 2008, Federal Election Commission records show.

He listed his home in Westport’s Compo Beach area as his residence in making both donations. Cassano is one of at least four present or former AIG executives from the financial group who listed Westport as their residence in making 2008 campaign donations. It is not known if any of them are bonus recipients.

President Obama said Monday he would “pursue every single legal avenue to block” $165 million in bonuses to AIG employees who were in part responsible for the insurance giant’s near collapse.

Amid a number of recent retail store closings in Westport, The Goody Shop has opened its doors at 1046 Post Road East, next to Swanky Frank’s restaurant. According to owner Rachel Florio, the store caters to “a local demographic (equestrians and prepsters) and offers items from a tennis racket cover to a dog collar plus high-end hostess gifts and vintage inspired baby goods.” The shop sells 97 different lines, many created by local artisans. Florio, a single mother of three, runs multiple careers including a public relations business as a celebrity trend expert with TV appearances on “The Today Show” and “The CBS Early Show.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Two tenants at Westport’s 877 Post Road East near the Sherwood Island Connector have closed their doors in more signs of a difficult economy. Sport Collectables and ConsignMart formerly occupied the spaces at each side of the current Radio Shack store. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Baker Graphics, a mainstay for 34 years at 379 Post Road East in the Compo Shopping Center, will close its doors in a few weeks to relocate to 1032 Post Road East. Owner Richard Baker said the Internet has changed his business. “In the past, our customers brought their graphic projects to our store but now everything is e-mailed to us,” he said. So there’s no longer a need to run the business out of high traffic location and pay a high rent to be there. He said his new location, former home to the Prince of Wales antique shop, is larger and less expensive. Baker said his business has eight full-time employees and several part-timers. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

UPDATE The new Marshalls Shoe Megashop located at Westport’s 1076 Post Road East next to Barnes & Noble will have its grand opening on April 2, according to an on-site contractor. The 11,000-square-foot store is only the second standalone Marshalls Shoe Megashop in the New York market (the other is in Yonkers) and will feature designer name and brand name shoes for ladies, men and kids at up to 50 percent off department and shoe store prices. Parent TJX Companies also owns HomeGoods at 1850 Post Road East. It is also parent company of T.J. Maxx, A.J. Wright, and Bob’s Stores. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Many Westport retail stores were closed or shut down early today because of the snowstorm, including Crate & Barrel on Post Road East. Downtown retailers who did not answer phone calls included Oscar’s, Tavern on Main, Liquor Locker, and the Gap. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By Dave Matlow

UPDATE A month after the president of the Curran Cadillac Pontiac GMC auto dealership on Westport’s Post Road East denied the business was closing, today he said it was indeed shutting down.
Jim Curran: “It saddens me to say we will be closing.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“It saddens me to say that after 40 plus years in Westport, we will be closing today,” Jim Curran said in an e-mail message to WestportNow. “We are actively pursuing another automotive franchise to replace our GM store, but as of right now nothing yet.”

WestportNow carried a story on Jan. 25 quoting the Curran Cadillac sales manager as saying that the dealership, which has been in operation at 561 Post Road East since 1964, would be closing its doors at the end of January due to the difficult economic times. (See WestportNow Jan. 25, 2009)

But Curran subsequently sent an e-mail message to WestportNow saying: “Curran Cadillac is not closing. We are laying off additional employees by the end of this month, but we will be open for service and sales.” (See WestportNow Jan. 26, 2009)