This week, Dave Matlow — the series curator, and a pre-demolition archivist between 2004 and 2020 — takes us up and down Old Road.

That’s the equally historic (and “old,” for sure) street that intersects Bulkley North halfway down. Old Road begins on Maple Avenue North.

A reminder: “Then & Now” highlights homes of yesterday and today. Our neighbors live in houses old and new. Some built those new structures; others are the second (or beyond) owners.

If you comment, please be kind. Taste is subjective. Wherever we live, everyone has loves their home.

January 2019 …

… and July 2026.

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March 2015 …

… and July 2026.

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February 2018 …

… and July 2026.

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November 2012 …

(“06880” regularly covers Westport real estate, history … and much more. If you enjoy features like this, please click here to support our work.)

This year, Parks & Recreation Department officials ended the practice, due to safety and other concerns.

The guards hope to have the game back. A petition on Change.org says:

My fellow lifeguards and I at Compo Beach are passionate about our roles, ensuring the safety and well-being of all beachgoers. However, just like any other team, we thrive and perform at our best when we are engaged and physically active. Spikeball is integral to our job; it’s not merely a game, but a tool for team building, collaboration, and healthy competition in our dynamic working environment.

In today’s digital age, where technology dominates our lives, encouraging outdoor activities is more crucial than ever. Spikeball provides us with the necessary physical activity to not only stay alert and fit but to also foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. It helps keep us moving and invigorated, ensuring that we are always ready and present to perform our duties effectively, rather than being distracted by our phones or other devices.

Implementing spikeball as part of our leisure time during breaks is a simple yet impactful initiative. Not only does it promote physical health and engagement, but it also reinforces the crucial aspects of teamwork and communication essential in our roles as lifeguards.

It’s time to enrich the working environment at Compo Beach by paving the way for activities that support both physical health and mental well-being. Let’s make spikeball a staple at our beach, enhancing our ability to protect and serve the community with vigor and joy.

Please sign this petition to allow spikeball for Compo Beach lifeguards and promote a healthy, active, and collaborative working atmosphere.

Spikeball at Compo Beach.

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Speaking of the beach: We’ve posted 2 sets of photos of yesterday’s Soundview Stroll already (click here, and also here).

But the 3,000 happy visitors yesterday were not the only folks enjoying the spectacular weather, at one of our town’s crown jewels.

All the usual activities — swimming, playing on and lying in the sand, barbecuing, basketball, biking, playground-going, and so much more — was happening too.

It was both a special Sunday — and just another wonderful weekend day in Westport.

Just another day at the beach. (Photo/Awesnap.com)

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The 73rd consecutive monthly VFW Red Cross blood drive takes place Friday (July 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; VFW Post 399).

Donors are encouraged to schedule appointments in advance. Click here; then use sponsor code VFWWESTPORT, or call 800-733-2767.

And for all blood donors during July: Fandango offers a movie reward. Click here for details.

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Also at the VFW: The next Veterans Benefits Luncheon (Thursday, July 30, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), VFW Post 399).

It’s open to all veterans as part of an ongoing effort to check in on all veterans’ welfare, and connect them with the benefits and support they earned.

Representatives will answer questions, and provide information on services and assistance available to veterans.

RSVPs are encouraged (but not required). Email vfw399ct@gmail.com, and include the number of attendees, or call (203) 227-6796.

PS: If you’re not a veteran, but know one: Please pass the word!

VFW benefits luncheon.

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Lachat Farms’ next monthly Farmers’ Market is Friday (July 31, 4 to 8 p.m.).

New vendors among the 21 include Lovely Chocolate, Robin Ann Jewelry, Stitchtrove and Tafika Arts. They join food trucks, tents, music — and Tony Pizza.

There’s’ also a collection of new and gently used children’s books. For more information, click here.

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Save the date — September 27 — for the 39th annual Bigelow Tea Community Challenge.

Sponsored by the Fairfield company founded by Westporters, the event benefits local charities including Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County, Connecticut Food Bank, Caroline House, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Norma Pfriem Breast Center, Pivot Ministries and more.

It includes at 5K run, fitness walk and kids’ fun run, plus music, food, touch-a-truck, a t-shirt and race bag, and more.

The event is at Wakeman Boys & Girls Club in Southport. For more information,  click here. 

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Another September date to save: September 16 (6:30 p.m., Saugatuck Rowing Club).

The Democratic Women of Westport sponsor “Iced Out in CT: Combatting Immigration Abuses Under the Trump Regime.”

Speakers include State Representative Dominique Johnson, immigration attorney Anthony Febles, and Yale University professor Alicia Schmidt Camacho

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We’ll start this week’s “Westport … Naturally” series with one of the most beautiful scenes around.

It’s Winslow Park. Yes — with no dogs in sight.

(Photo/Ron Henkin)

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And finally … we couldn’t find any spikeball songs (story above). So Spike Jones will have to do:

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Many other stroll-goers took excellent images too. Here’s a sampling.

Thanks to all who took photos — and all who were there.

It was a blast — as you can see below!

(Photo/Dan Woog)

The Cub Scouts asked this question. They got plenty of answers. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)

(Photo/Awesnap.com)

At the Pink Aid booth, stroll-goers wrote notes to breast cancer survivors. (Photo/Awesnap.com)

(Photo/Awesnap.com)

Bob Altbaum, of DNR — Fairfield County’s only almost-all-physician band. (Photo/Awesnap.com)

(Photo/Awesnap.com)

(Photo/Lauri Weiser)

Ethan Walmark (Photo/Awesnap.com)

Photo/Pam Docters)

Harris Falk (Photo/Awesnap.com)

(Photo/Lauri Weiser)

(Photo/Awesnap.com)

The Drew Angus Band. (Photo/Dan Woog)

(Photo/Sunil Hirani)

BONUS FEATURE: Click here or below, for an Instagram reel from the League of Women Voters Westport.

View this post on Instagram

And few Westporters know kids and sports better than Jon Deren and Michael Maurillo.

Deren and his wife Sara are raising 3 children here. He’s coached PAL football, Little League baseball and youth basketball. As owner of Camp Manitou, the developer of other camps and programs (including for underserved youths), he’s impacted tens of thousands of children and families. He and Sara also co-founded Experience Camps, a national non-profit that provides programs to boys and girls who have lost a parent or caregiver.

Maurillo and his wife Jen raised 2 boys here. He’s coached youth lacrosse, basketball and flag football, and served on the PAL Lacrosse board. As co-owner and director of Academy Camps, he offers quality instruction and leadership skills to hundreds of young athletes — many of them from Westport — each year.

Both men know how much our town provides its youngsters.

And how much it lacks.

Jon Deren (left) and Michael Maurillo

With space tight, parents haul their kids to Fairfield, Norwalk, Stamford — and beyond — for chances to train, or just play sports indoors with friends.

For several years, Deren and Maurillo have tried to create an indoor facility — a “modern Boys & Girls Club” that is a third space, beyond home and school, where kids can be active and have fun.

Finally, they’ve found their spot.

1431 Post Road East is a non-conforming 1.74-acre parcel, with a restaurant (Bar Lupa), greenhouses and consignment shop. Cars back right onto the road; there are ,multiple entrances and exits.

1431 Post Road East today … 

Deren and Maurillo hope to convert the lot into a 2-story space with an all-purpose court for basketball, volleyball and pickleball; a turf field for soccer, lacrosse and football (big enough for training, but not full games), and a fitness area with strength and conditioning coaches.

The facility would not be for high-level athletes only, the planners note. Any boy or girl who wants to play, train and improve would be welcome.

The aim is for “camp-like activities,” camp owners Deren and Maurillo say. It is not a place for tournaments with teams, and there are no outdoor activities.

There would be locker rooms, and a lounge where youngsters could socialize, do homework and meet with tutors.

… and aerial views showing the present site (left), and planned facility (right, with building and drop-off outlined in beige).

Though the primary users would be ages 10 to 18, Deren and Maurillo would welcome adults when school is is session. There could be toddler programs too.

Tonight (Monday, July 27, 6 p.m.; Zoom), the Planning & Zoning Commission hears a pre-application for the facility. They’ll provide feedback to the applicants on the plan, including parking, a dedicated lane for drop-off and pickup, and landscaping to buffer residential neighbors. (Click here, then scroll down to 1431 Post Road East, for materials provided with the pre-application.)

Game on!

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That’s not the only pre-application the P&Z will hear tonight.

There’s also a preliminary plan for redevelopment of 34 Imperial Avenue, into 2 residential buildings with 9 units. It’s just north of the Westport Woman’s Club, on the west side of the street.

It was constructed around 1890, as a private home. Since 1970, it’s been an office building, with 6 units. The conversion came when town officials created a transition zone, between downtown retail and residences, with offices for doctors, lawyers and small businesses.

34 Imperial Avenue today …

Its location — close to the Library, Levitt Pavilion and downtown — would appeal to empty nesters looking to downsize, and others seeking in-town housing. (Click here, then scroll down to 34 Imperial Avenue, for materials provided with the pr-application.)

… and an artist’s rendering of the 9-unit proposal.

(“06880” regularly covers zoning issues — and every other hot Westport topic. If you appreciate stories like this, please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

Linda Stern says of sailing off Cedar Point Yacht Club: “It was hot on land, but perfect on the Sound.”  

Over 3,000 men, women and — especially — children took advantage of spectacular weather to enjoy the 3rd annual Soundview Summer Stroll, on the Compo Beach exit road.

Walking, jogging, bicycling, Rollerblading, and — especially — pushing strollers, they danced to 4 great musical acts. There was face painting, street chalking and water balloon tossing.

Old Mill Grocery by Romanacci and Oggi gelato served up treats. Nearly 20 non-profits handed out swag and signed up volunteers.

Old friends met up. Strangers chatted. Several families who moved to Westport within the past month got a great introduction to town.

And everywhere — up and down Soundview Drive — there were smiles.

The Soundview Stroll is a gift to the town from “06880,” the Compo Beach Improvement Association and the Hirani family. The Parks & Recreation Department provides invaluable help.

“06880” photographer Ryan Allen captured all the action. You can relive it — or, if you weren’t there, see what you missed — here. A second set of photos, from other Stroll-goers, will be posted tomorrow. Away we go!

Ethan Walmark wowed the crowd. Other musical acts were Owen Daniel, DNR and Drew Angus’ band.

Rick Benson promotes the Westport Rotary Club’s Lobster Fest.

DNR — Fairfield County’s almost-all-physicians band.

(All photos/Ryan Allen)

(“06880” is all about community-building — online, at the Stroll, and everywhere else in town. Reader support keeps us going. If you’d like to contribute, please click here. Thank you!) 

Appropriately, they decorate the back of the bus shelter in front of Schulhof Animal Hospital.

Steven Engel, Andrew Colabella, Robert Mitchell, Nancy Diamond, Lesley O’Connell, Carmela Kaufman and the semi-appropriately named Cat Malkin all slowed down enough on Post Road West to correctly identify the image.

This week’s Photo Challenge looks almost like a painting. If you know where in Westport Tom Kretsch captured this shot, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Tom Kretsch)

(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Compo Beach exit road is closed to traffic. In place of cars, it comes alive with music, food, face painting, other kids’ activities, and more.

Four musical acts — Westport favorites Drew Angus and Ethan Walmark, Weston’s Owen Daniel and the legendary DNR band — will set up halfway down Soundview.

On one side, Earthplace will run the kids’ zone. On the other, Old Mill Grocery by Romanacci offers food.

All around, nearly 2 dozen non-profit groups will have tables. They’ll run games and contests, and offer giveaways.

The Soundview Summer Stroll is a gift to the town from “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association, with great help from the Parks & Recreation Department.

See you today from 10 to 2, on the beach exit road!

See you at the Soundview Summer Stroll! (Photo/Benji Porosoff)

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Surfing for Daisy rocked the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce Night at the Levitt Pavilion last week.

The annual event is both a social gather for Chamber members, and an incubator for rising local bands. Notable prior acts include Goose, Eggy and Moonrise Cartel.

Surfing for Daisy is an Asbury Park, New Jersey-based indie folk-rock act. Up next this week for them: Lollapalooza.

Surfing for Daisy: From the Levitt to Lollapalooza. (Photo/Matthew Mandell)

Then last night Desert Highway — an Eagles tribute band — brought that peaceful easy feeling to the banks of the river.

Desert Highway take it easy. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)

(Photo/Pam Docters)

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We reported earlier on the Staples High School Class of 1976 reunion.

In addition to their parties, kayaking and Staples tour, several 50th reunion-goers enjoyed an early morning private tour of the Westport Country Playhouse.

Along with the usual history and “how we put on a show” details, they had a special chance to check out the set and backstage of the current show, “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.”

Tour leader and Playhouse archivist Bruce Miller took them down memory lane. Highlights from ’76 included movies (“Rocky,” “Taxi Driver”), Broadway shows (“Godspell,” “Oh! Calcutta!”) — and who was at the Playhouse that summer (Richard Kiley, Eva Marie Saint, Theodore Bikel).

The grads agreed: Arts a crucial part of a community. And they were thankful that those efforts were so evident in Westport, as they grew up a half century ago.

Class of 1976, on the Westport Country Playhouse stage.

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All around town, kids (still) set up lemonade stands.

Some also sell cookies.

An intrepid gang on Compo Beach Road had both yesterday.

Along with something I’ve never seen at any other stand: dancing.

For $1, they’d do a jig.

All joined in — enthusiastically, and well.

And there was not a smartphone, iPad or other device in sight.

Gettin’ jiggy on Compo Beach Road. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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As the sign says, dogs are not allowed at the Westport Farmers’ Market.

We’re not sure whether this guy is obeying the sign, trolling it — or preparing to pee on it.

(Photo/Sam Levenson)

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Staples High School Class of 1957 graduate Anna Frances “Fran” Pollak died Tuesday. She was 87.

The Brooklyn native moved to Westport at a very young age. After Berkeley Secretarial School in New York, she worked at Perkin Elmer Corporation in Norwalk, holding top secret security clearance with NASA’s space program.

Later, as an executive secretary at AMF in Stamford, she met her husband of 52 years, Philip.

While raising 3 children, Fran served as the Bridgeport Post arts calendar editor.

Fran loved books, and spent 37 years working for Mews International Literary Agency with Sidney Kramer, owner of the Remarkable Book Shop. She screened and circulated manuscripts, earning a spot in the Literary Marketplace Directory.

Fran and Phil traveled the world. But she was happiest gardening in her backyard, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art or reading at Old Mill Beach.

Fran is survived by her children Philip Pollak, John Pollak and Linda (Louie) Wins; granddaughters Holly (Evan) Arsineau and Chelsea (Brandon) Lorah; great-grandson Leighton Lorah; sisters Palma (Bruno) Manes and Antoinette (Paul) Wrubel, and many nieces and nephews.

A service is set for Saturday, August 1 (10 a.m., Assumption Church). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.

Fran Pollak

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” image is both beautiful and artistic. Patricia McMahon calls it “The Reflecting Swan.”

(Photo/Patricia McMahon)

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And finally … speaking of Staples’ Class of 1976 (as we were above), the top song of that year on Billboard was …

(You can write a silly love song to “06880.” Or you can click here, to make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. Either way, we love you. Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

But it was not the only time a local resident had a close encounter with the National Hockey League’s famous hardware.

Note to non-fans: It’s a tradition for players on the championship team to have the trophy for a day, in the off-season.

But even the most ardent fans may not know that athletes are not the only ones who can hang with the Stanley Cup.

And mascots.

Which is why Seth Schachter has very intriguing tales to tell.

Seth Schachter, with the Stanley Cup.

A resident of 16 years, and now a paraprofessional in the Weston schools — after helping raise 2 children as a househusband and working with the Staples High squash program, following early retirement from a ales and marketing career — he seems an unlikely candidate for an NHL hockey mascot.

But you never know who is behind the costume of, say, Mr. Met.

Or the New Jersey Devils’ “devil.”

Growing up on Long Island, Schachter was a goalie — and a New York Islanders fan. He played hockey at SUNY-Binghamton, and had a 2-year side gig as the minor league Binghamton Rangers “Rocky the Raccoon” mascot.

Seth Schachter’s first encounter with the Stanley Cup came as a boy, on a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

In a real-life parallel to the “Simpsons” episode in which Homer Simpson moves up from his job as a baseball mascot for the minor league Springfield Isotopes to the majors (Capital City), Schachter got his chance during his first post-college job, with the Environmental Protection Agency in Philadelphia.

The Devils needed a new mascot. The previous one — a 23-year-old nicknamed Slapshot and dressed as a puck — was fired after accusations he groped 3 female vendors at the rink.

The team re-branded its mascot as a 7-foot devil, dressed in red and wielding a pitchfork. (The team name comes from a mythical creature, said to live in the Pine Barrens since the 1700s.)

After 4 rigorous interviews, and a skating tryout, Schachter was hired.

Seth Schachter, in action. 

And promptly fired.

The 1994 NHL season began with a lockout out. after a year played without a collective bargaining agreement. Over 20 front office employees were laid off, including Schachter. (He’d also signed on as a sales and marketing associate.)

When the lockout ended, he was one of only 3 rehires. Forty-games later — in an abbreviated season — they won their first Stanley Cup crown.

It was a hectic time. During the day, Schachter wore a suit and tie. At night he donned a heavy costume, greeted fans, skated around doing antics, and even drove a 4-wheel ATV on the ice (popping wheelies).

It was exhausting. He could hardly see (out of the mascot’s mouth). But he was in his early 20s. He had his own dressing room. He was given a championship ring.

Seth Schachter’s championship ring.

And that summer, he had the Stanley Cup. 

The Devils swept Detroit in 4 games. The mascot flew there in a private jet. He was photographed near the Meadowlands, snagging an octopus with his pitchfork. (It’s a Red Wing tradition for fans to throw one on the ice. Don’t ask.)

One day, Schachter was asked to take the Stanley Cup to his parents’ apartment in New York City. It had an early morning appointment the next day, and officials feared it would be delayed by New Jersey traffic.

“I could have had a big party,” Schachter says. Instead, he invited 3 college friends to see the trophy.

They drank and ate popcorn from it. That night, Schachter brought it to bed with him.

Good night, Stanley Cup!

He became one of the Devils’ go-to employees, ferrying the Stanley Cup from place to place. After one night event, the gates to the arena and offices were locked.

Schachter took it back to his apartment. His landlords — though ardent New York Rangers fans — were impressed.

Another time, with his future wife and mother-in-law at Woodbury Commons in New York, Schachter took a photo with the trophy in the parking lot. He put it back in his vehicle.

Then they went shopping.

“I was such an idiot,” Schachter says now. “What if someone saw us taking the picture, and then broke into my car?”

Seth Schachter, his girlfriend (now wife), and the Stanley Cup in the back of the car.

Ah, to be young and a National Hockey League mascot.

But that was not Schachter’s career goal.

At an All-Star game in Boston, he met other mascots. Some were in their 50s.

He realized that was not for him. After 2 years with the Devils — they did not retain the Stanley Cup in 1995-96 — Schachter got a big-boy job, with an Atlanta engineering firm. He hung up his skates.

Over the years, his mascot years faded into the past. He seldom thought about them.

Until the other day, when an “06880” story about another Westporter, and another Stanley Cup, jogged his memory.

Suddenly, he was back drinking and eating popcorn out of the world’s most famous hockey trophy.

And sleeping next to it.

(Every Westporter has a story. And “06880” tells them all. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Summer scene, Compo Road (Photo/John Maloney)

Here’s what I don’t understand about Westport Country Playhouse’s production of “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”: Why is it not billed as a comedy?

A fast-paced whodunit set in 1926 in the English countryside, the play follows Dr. James Sheppard’s quest through a panoply of socialites, suspects and detectives to find the killer of its wealthiest inhabitant, Roger Ackroyd.

With an excellent ensemble cast, clever sets and thoughtful costumes, the play begins with a charming introduction from WCP interns, fizzes to a startling climax, and ends with a plea to keep the ending a secret.

Our own Mark Shanahan, executive director of the Playhouse, wrote and directed the adaptation of Christie’s book that many consider canonical detective fiction.

Anthony Cochrane as Hercule Poirot in “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.” (Photo/Mark Smith)

He confesses to being a “fanboy” when he read it as a teenager, and “literally gasped out loud” when he finished it. “‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ has one of her greatest endings of all time, he says. “It’s the book that put her on the map in 1926.”

Although notoriously considered a tricky text to tackle for the theater, he decided to bang out a few pages anyway. He liked it, so he knocked out an entire draft.

Shanahan approached Christie’s estate about the script, which passed it on to the head of acquisitions and Christie’s grandson. Both loved it.

“They were wildly supportive, which I had not anticipated,” he recalls. “I thought they were going to make all sorts of demands. I don’t think I ever got one.”

With his dialogue and sharp direction, Shanahanteases every bit of delight and wit from the book. If I’m allowed to admit this, I enjoyed it more than Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” which is billed as a comedy and plays on similar conceits.

Allen Gilmore (Inspector Baglan) and Shereen Ahmed (Fiona Ackroyd). (Photo/T. Charles Erickson)

The standout performance (by only a hair) comes from Tony Award-winning Karen Ziemba as the nosy and flamboyant Gertrude Ackroyd, Roger’s financially dependent sister-in-law.

Costume designer Jeni Schaefer dresses her and the other women tethered to Roger in flowing, bright dresses that contrast with the stuffy attire and sensible shoes of those who must work for a living.

Their physicalities — especially the slight, hesitant shuffle of the inscrutable butler Parker (Tom Hewitt) and the outsized gestures of Gertrude — sharpen the humor and depth of each character.

There were more young people in the audience than I’ve seen at other shows. Perhaps this type of show will encourage a new guard of theatergoers?

The one big negative — because nothing is perfect — is that WCP can’t extend the run.

(“Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” is in its final week. Shows are today [Saturday] at 8 p.m.; Sunday, July 26 at 3 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, July 29-30, at 7 p.m.; Friday, July 31 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, August 1 at 3 and 8 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.)

(Robin Moyer Chung covers culture for “06880.” If you enjoy stories like these — or anything else on this hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

The weather last weekend was not great. But that was about the only bummer, for the 150 men and women who attended at least one of many events.

Each reunion is special. But the 50th deserves a shout-out. And — because organizers planned and documented it so well — it might serve as an inspiration for other classes.

And inspire any alum — of any class at any school, anywhere — who is on the fence about his or her own reunion, to put aside preconceptions and concerns, and go!

At least a dozen grads had never been to a previous Staples reunion. Many had not come to one for decades. This time, they traveled from as far as London.

In addition to the usual reunion activities like gatherings at the Black Duck and Compo Beach, they enjoyed a tour of the “new” Staples High School (they graduated just before the first “modernization,” and remember 9 separate buildings), as well as kayaking on the Saugatuck River.

Feedback was great. One alum said they felt like an outcast in high school, and never attended a reunion. But they came this year. After 50 years, they said, they felt totally welcome, and part of the class.

The money quote came from Chris Frey. He said:

Back then we were jocks, freaks, greasers and nerds. Today we are senior citizens, grandparents and (mostly) solid citizens….

Last night [at Compo Beach] we all identified as classmates who lived through our turbulent youths, sharing adventures, heartbreaks, learnings and successes together….

Old wounds were forgiven, or in most cases, forgotten. Silly, fun, uplifting stories were shared, and the chasm of 50 years seemed to almost be erased…

The rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the moment, and I think I can speak for everyone present that a good time was shared by all.

PS: The class is donating to 3 local organizations, to “keep a small bit of the Class of ’76 alive in Westport”: Staples Tuition Grants, the Westport Country Playhouse, and (thank you!) “06880.”

Hanging out at the Duck …

… and Compo Beach.

BONUS REUNION NEWS: Staples Class of 1981 is celebrating their 45th reunion this weekend.

Among the festivities; a celebration last night at VFW Post 399.

From left: Class of 1981 alums Andre Lambros, Dave Arnow, Tony Eason, Patty Kondub, Sue Champagne. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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A reminder: The annual Soundview Summer Stroll takes place tomorrow!

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, the Compo Beach exit road comes alive with music, food, face painting, other kids’ activities, and much more.

Four musical acts — Westport favorites Drew Angus and Ethan Walmark, Weston’s Owen Daniel and the legendary DNR band — will set up halfway down Soundview.

On one side, Earthplace will run the kids’ zone. On the other, Old Mill Grocery by Romanacci offers food.

All around, nearly 2 dozen non-profit groups will have tables. They’ll run games and contests, and offer giveaways.

The Soundview Summer Stroll is a gift to the town from “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association, with great help from the Parks & Recreation Department.

See you tomorrow, on the beach exit road!

One way to stroll, on Soundview Drive. (Photo/Benji Porosoff)

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What’s ahead for the Levitt Pavilion?

Plenty of free shows.

• Tonight (Saturday): Desert Highway: A Tribute to the Eagles (7:30 p.m.)
• Sunday, July 26: Lulada Club: New York City’s All-women Salsa Orchestra (7 p.m.).
• Tuesday, July 28: Amelia Day (7 p.m.)
• Wednesday, July 29: Hopalong Andrew: Children’s Series (7 p.m.)
• Thursday, July 30: Jessie Altman (7:30 p.m.)
• Friday, July 31: Residual Groove (7:30 p.m.)

Click here for details for all events.

Desert Highway, last year at the Levitt. (Photo copyright/DinkinESH Fotografix)

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Everyone had a great time at Thursday’s “06880” blog party Thursday,

But someone left without their glasses.

One of our guests scooped up the specs, while cleaning off her table. She found them yesterday morning in her purse.

If you lost yours — they’re tortoise shell, with slightly hexagonal frames — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We’ll help you see clearly again!

Did you lose your glasses at our blog party? (Photo/Carm Roda)

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the other day, Rozanne Gates interviewed State Senator Ceci Maher, for The Legacy Project USA.

Afterward, the retiring legislator received a Distinguished Service proclamation from the town of Weston.

It was part of the “This Is Your Life” Legacy Project USA series at the Westport Center for Senior Activities.

State Senator Ceci Maher, with her proclamation. She is flanked by Weston 1st Selectwoman Sam Nestor (left) and State Representative Dominique Johnson.

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Westport resident Robert Aldrich died peacefully at home on July 19. He was 91, and had been diagnosed with cancer.

The New Rochelle, New York native earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering at Princeton University, while starring in football and playing goalie for the varsity hockey team.

He, his wife Sandra and young son Bobby moved to San Rafael where he began his career at Standard Oil of California. Their daughter Nancy was born shortly before Bob joinedUnion Carbide in New York, where he spent nine years in project development.

The family moved to Rowayton, where they lived for the next 50 years. Sons Ted and John were soon born.

In 1970, Chase Manhattan Bank CEO David Rockefeller recruited Bob to lead the first environmental banking initiative undertaken by a major financial institution. As a pioneering executive, he helped integrate environmental stewardship into banking practices decades before sustainability became part of the financial mainstream. He spent the remainder of his Wall Street career working for Chase and other financial institutions, helping finance companies and projects that delivered  environmental benefits.

At 66, Bob embarked on a second career doing something he always loved: teaching. Through Teach for America, he taught science for 5 years in the South Bronx, which he called his most rewarding role.

After moving to Westport in 2005, he became a substitute in the Westport Public Schools. He often surprised his grandchildren and their friends as their teacher for the day. He did this into his late 80s.  He also worked as an adjunct professor of chemistry at Norwalk Community College.

Bob and Sandra’s 70-year marriage was celebrated in June of 2026, surrounded by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bob served as Chairman of the Norwalk Board of Education during the turbulent, teacher-strike-filled 1970s. and was twice elected to the Norwalk Common Council.

After moving to Westport he served on the Flood and Erosion Control Board. He participate in meetings just days before he died.

Bob loved tennis and pond hockey.  He was happiest when he was outdoors and in motion.

He is survived by his wife Sandra; children Robert, Nancy (Brien), Edward (Susan) and John (Margee); grandchildren Farley, Jack (Astrid), Ben (Greer), Tommy, Seixas, and Farrell Aldrich, Will Haskell (Katie) and Annie Kenworthy (Tristram); and great-grandchildren Gaël and Mathieu Aldrich-Parenty.

A service will be held on August 8 (11 a.m., United Church of Rowayton). Memorial donations may be made to the Norwalk Education Fund, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT 06851.

Bob Aldrich

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John Maloney is well known for his Compo Beach scenes: benches, jetties, the pavilion and the like.

But he’s no slouch when it come to photographing flowers, either. Check out today’s “Westport … Naturally” image. Sweeeeet!

(Photo/John Maloney)

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The Staples Classes of 1976 and ’81 graduated a couple of decades after the Class of ’57. (The second to last, interestingly, to go through all 3 years at the Riverside Avenue high school.)

There were no songs written about those 2 “recent” classes. And though the Statler Brothers’ tune is about a generic class — not Staples’ — it’s still the best reunion song ever.

(If “06880” helps you stay in touch with your time at Staples, please click here to support our work. And if you never went to Staples, but still enjoy this blog — you can click on the link too. Thanks to all!)

Today we welcome our youngest artist ever. Grace Yan — all of 6 years old — is a student at One River Art school. We hope to showcase her work until she’s, oh, up in her 80s, like our oldest artists.

And we want you to join in. No matter your age; the style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we want your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, mixed media, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.

Just email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in.

Untitled (Jay Petrow)

Untitled (Michael Chait — Available for purchase; click here)

Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)

Untitled (Dorothy Robertshaw — Available for purchase; click here)

“Between Tide and Time” (Nancy Breakstone — Available for purchase; click here)

“Eric’s 7-Foot Tall emi-Kinetic Wooden Sculpture” — watercolor (Eric Bosch)

Untitled (Grace Yan — age 6, One River Art student)

“Roses Are Red” — crochet (Rebecca Stein Richards)

“Westport Library” (John Maloney)

Photographer Mike Hibbard says, “Don’t mess with a sleeping porcupine or you’ll get a face full of quills.”

“Home is the Sailor, Home From Sea and …” — watercolor and graphite (Steve Stein)

“Man With a Pearl Earring” — 12″ x 8″ silverpoint on prepared paper (Werner Liepolt)

Untitled (Martin Ripchick)

“Flu Shot” (Lawrence Weisman)

“Cheers to Another Sunset” (Ellen Wentworth)

(Entrance is free to our online art gallery –as it has been for 6 years. But please consider an anniversary donation! Just click here — and thank you!)

For over 40 years, the non-profit has offered shelter to unhoused men and women, and provided meals and a food pantry to ease hunger. They run supportive housing programs too, along with support services, youth programs and mentoring.

They’ve done it all quietly but consistently, efficiently and eagerly. Homes with Hope is an integral part of Westport — with thousands of individuals and families contributing funding, food and time — and its flagship Gillespie Center is in the heart of downtown (just around the corner from Tiffany).

The Gillespie Center for men, and Hoskins Place for women.

Yet many Westporters don’t even know it exists.

The other day, the organization released its annual report. It tells the story of 2,195 households impacted over the past year. For example:

• 1,090 households relied on the food pantry at the Gillespie Center for groceries, fresh produce and essentials.
• 427 individuals met with HwH’s Diversion HUB in Norwalk, to find alternatives to homelessness before it started.
• 133 residents were housed, across our 71 supportive and affordable housing sites.
• 121 people took part in youth academic and personal growth programs.
• 83 individuals received short-term case management, to help them keep the housing they’d secured.
• 75 people found shelter and hot meals at the Gillespie Center, Hoskins Place, and DoDo & Jim’s Kitchen, open 365 days a year.
• The CT Basket Brigade, now managed by Homes with Hope, served 266 full Thanksgiving dinners to local families in need.

The annual report includes one story, epitomizing all that HwH does.

In 2022 Mariah, pregnant with her second child, fled an unsafe relationship with her toddler in tow. Within days, she was homeless. A shelter took her in, but she had 30 days to find something more permanent.

A call to 211 connected her to Homes with Hope. A diversion specialist helped cover her security deposit and processed the paperwork immediately. Mariah and her toddler had a home again.

By June 2025, with 3 of them sharing a studio, Mariah was approved for a 2-bedroom apartment. But the same barrier loomed: the deposit. She called Homes with Hope again.

“She flew into action, just like before,” Mariah said. “Paperwork sent, processed, approved. I could finally sleep.”

Mariah is a University of Connecticut graduate, working in corporate America.

“Life happens to people who do everything right,” she said. “Homes with Hope didn’t just provide housing assistance. They gave my children stability and gave me back my peace of mind. Twice.”

That’s just one of many success stories. To learn more — including how to volunteer, and donate — click here.

Homes with Hope’s food pantry offers fresh food, including meats, and household supplies.

Compo Beach South Beach sunset (Photo/Jim Corgel)

Today we explore 2 that never were.

Through the magic of AI, Nick Wiener offers a pair of what-might-have-been images. Both were hotly debated, more than half a century ago.

In the 1960s, United Illuminating wanted to build a nuclear power plant on Cockenoe Island.

You read that right: nuclear power, a mile off Westport’s shore.

You can read that fascinating story here. Today, we present an AI-generated look at what a large group of active residents (and intrepid Westport News editor Jo Fox Brosious) averted:

Thankfully, Cockenoe still looks like this today:

(Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Not far away on the mainland, a handsome home stood for decades on Gorham Island.

(Photo/Peter Barlow)

It was a charming sight, just off Parker Harding Plaza.

Until a very large office complex was planned to replace it.

(AI images provided by Nick Weiner)

Thankfully, that was not ultimately built.

This was:

It’s easy to lament what we’ve lost over the years.

It’s also important to consider some of what we might really lament today.

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

But yesterday’s superb weather helped draw one of the biggest crowds ever, to the Imperial Avenue parking lot.

A couple of thousand shoppers enjoyed all the usual attractions: fresh produce, meats, fish, breads and baked goods, herbs, mushrooms, empanadas, Thai food pizzas, ice cream, dog treats, knife sharpening, live music, kids’ activities, and more.

As always, there were people of all ages. Including kids with cameras.

They were taking images for the Young Shoots photo contest.

For a decade, photographers ages 5 to 18 have captured the energy and beauty of the Thursday market — and shared great images of food, farmers and shoppers.

There are prizes in 3 age groups, and an exhibit and reception for all the young entrants.

The deadline is July 31 — so there is one more week to take photos. Click here for details, and submission guidelines.

Farmers’ Market volunteers remind youngsters that the Young Shoots photo contest deadline is July 31. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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This weekend’s weather will be the best of the summer.

After your fun Sunday morning and afternoon, keep the vibe going.

The Clubhouse — the great event space on the Post Road, near Stop & Shop — is hosting a “Sunday Sunset Social,” on their versatile rooftop.

It’s 5 to 8 p.m. A $30 ticket includes one beer, wine or soft drink, and food. It’s a casual way to wind down the weekend with friends (or make new ones).

The Clubhouse rooftop

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Westport has been relatively free of tropical storm damage recently. But storms Elsa, Fred, Henri and Ida in 2021, and severe flooding in August 2024 — not to mention Tuesday’s torrential downpour — remind us we’re never out of harm’s way.

For 2 decades, area communities have adopted “natural hazard mitigation plans,” with updates every 5 years. The Western Connecticut Council of Governments is again performing resilience planning to reduce losses of property and life due to floods, severe wind events, winter storms, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat events and earthquakes.

Residents can help. Click here to take a quick 5-question survey. 

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Thank you for helping build a safer, more resilient Westport.

The Westport Swim Club is a low-key, but very effective introduction to swimming for 1st through 8th graders. Their values are “fun, friends and fundamentals.”

Many youngsters go on to swim for Staples High School teams.

Tryouts — also low-pressure — will be held next week (July 27-30), from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. at the Staples pool. Another sessions is set for August 26 (5:30 to 6 p.m.). The fall season begins September 18.

There are 4 registrations each year: fall, winter, spring and summer. There are 4 practices a week (not mandatory). Flexibility is key, for young swimmers and their families.

Click here to sign up for tryouts, Questions? Email ktfdolphin@gmail.com.

Fun with the Westport Swim Club.

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I’m used to being the writer (and podcaster), about all things 06880.

The other day, the tables turned.

I was the interviewee, on a podcast — in 06883.

Jaclyn Jeffrey — the woman behind the great Weston Today website — wrangled me for an “On Point” session.

She calls it “a thoughtful, heartfelt conversation about storytelling, belonging, and why the strongest communities are built one story at a time.”

Jaclyn is a superb interviewer. She helped me articulate a lot of ideas about Westport (and Weston) — and about the work that I do — I hadn’t really thought of before.

Click here for the Weston Today story about the podcast, and a link to it.

Podcast screenshot: Dan Woog and Jaclyn Jeffrey.

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Speaking of “06880”: To celebrate their move to a new, larger space, Indigo Wellness is offering our readers $20 off any service, through August 31.

Just mention “06880” when booking an appointment or checking out. (New clients only!)

The women-led group at 212 Post Road West offers acupuncture, massage therapy, functional medicine, holistic skincare, pelvic floor physical therapy, nutrition counseling and other wellness services.

The welcome area, at Indigo Wellness.

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Westport native Adam Bernard’s new book,” One Hit Wondering: The Stories of 40 One Hit Wonders + Other Tales From The Crates,” was published on Tuesday.

It explores not only those flash-in-the-pan songs, but the stories behind the artists’ lives. There is more to each than just one tune.

Bernard knows them all. He’s been writing about music for over 25 years. The focus, the author says, is more on the “wondering” than on the “one hit.”

Chumbuwamba, A’me Lorain. The artist who sued both Janet Jackson and Beyoncé — successfully. They’re all part of the book.

Click here to purchase, and for more information.

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Longtime Westport resident Lucy Sallick is part of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum’s decennial exhibit, “I Am What is Around Me.” The show includes 40 artists living and working in Connecticut. It runs through January 10.

Click here for full details.

The Aldrich Contemporary show.

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Longtime Staples High School Spanish teacher Jannette Atkins Louth died on July 15. She was 101.

The Massachusetts native served as an air raid warden during World War II. She graduated as a Spanish major from Middlebury College in 1947, then earned a master’s degree there. She took graduate courses at Trinity College, Georgetown Summer School in Mexico, and the University of Bridgeport.

She began teaching at Staples on Riverside Avenue in 1947, and retired from the North Avenue campus 35 years later. Each year, she invited her 5 classes to dinner at her home.

She served on the Connecticut Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. She was active in the United Methodist Church of Westport & Weston, including as a lay reader, board member, choir member, fundraiser and secretary of the building committee.

Atkins was an excellent seamstress too. She sewed wedding dresses for her 3 nieces.

After retiring, she moved to West Harwich, Massachusetts, in the house where her grandmother raised her children after her husband was lost at sea.

In 1992  Atkins married William Louth, a friend of many years. They traveled often, and were active in the Brewster Baptist Church.

She was an active Middlebury alumna, including as secretary of her class. In 2022 she attended her 75th reunion.

Atkins was predeceased by her husband, sister Emily, and brothers Donald and Harold. She is survived by her sister-in-law and great friend Peg Atkins of Middleborough, Massachusetts; stepsons Bradley Louth (Nancy) of Harrington, New Hampshire and Thomas (Jessie) of Naugatuck; 6 step-grandchildren; 5 step-greatgranchildren, and many nieces, nephews and their children and grandchildren.

A memorial service is set for September 12 (11:30 a.m., Brewster Baptist Church. Contributions in her name may be made to Brewster Baptist Church, 1848 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631, Lower Cape Outreach (19 Brewster Cross Road, Orleans, MA 02653), or a charity of choice.

 Jeanette Atkins Louth

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The jetties at Compo are not “natural.”

And this “Lamb Chop” (as Pam Kesselman calls it) is even more “man-made” (though probably by a woman).

Still, they’re outdoors. And they look nice enough to be featured as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

Hey, it’s our blog. We make the rules!

(Photo/Pam Kesselman)

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And finally … speaking of one-hit wonders (story above): There are so many to choose from.

We’ll go with this one, straight from Adam Bernard’s book:

(“06880” is hardly a one-hit wonder. We’ve been around since 2009 — and have never missed a day. If you appreciate any part of this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

The weather was perfect. The temperature, blue skies, soft breeze … it all came together (after a summer of heat and severe thunderstorms).

Over 200 folks — those born and raised here; couples who moved in a few months ago; daily readers and casual ones; politicians and normal people — all came to Compo’s South Beach.

Club 203 — Beth Cody and Stacie Curran — was in the house.

They ate, drank, chatted, stayed, and proved once again why “06880” (the online community, and the real-life one) is so warm, embracing and fun.

There was swag (“06880 playing cards from Savvy + Grace; homemade jam thanks to Mary Lou Roels); music by Warren Bloom, plus the Westport Parks & Recreation Department’s help and hospitality.

Jam and playing cards swag. (Photo/Thomas Samaranayake)

And of course, everyone enjoyed another spectacular Compo Beach sunset.

(Photo/Beth Cody)

“06880” — the online community, and the real life one — feels truly blessed.

What to do when the World Cup is over? Two big names in the soccer world — Robbie Mustoe (left) and Joe Pierce — enjoyed  the “06880” party. 

Well hello, Mary Lou(s)! Weisman (left) and Roels share a moment. Mary Lou Roels provided jars of jam for all.

Bridging the generation gap: Gunnar Eklund and Dorothy Fox. (Photo/Thomas Samraranayake)

Harris Falk won the best-dressed contest. The pin on his tie is from Westport’s 100th anniversary celebration, in 1935.

It’s not an “06880” party without Warren Bloom and his guitar. (All photos/Dan Woog unless otherwise noted)

A small part of the large crowd. (Photo/Carm Roda)

The view from the water. (Photo/Dana Kuyper)

Celebrating “06880” — and America. (Photo/Pam Docters)

With water on one side and handsome homes on the other, it’s a great place to walk, jog, bike, Rollerblade, or just hang out on the seawall. The only drawback is the traffic.

This Sunday, the road is all yours.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m,  the Soundview Summer Stroll takes over. Instead of cars, the street will be filled with live music, food, face painting, other kids’ activities, and much more.

Strolling on Soundview Drive. (Photo/Luca Caniato)

This is the Stroll’s 3rd year — and the street festival will be bigger and better than ever.

A couple of thousand Westporters of all ages will meander up and down, meet neighbors and friends, dance in the street, and watch their youngsters race around. It’s 4 hours of community fun, enjoying the town and each other in a unique summer way.

The 4 musical acts — Westport favorites Drew Angus and Ethan Walmark, Weston’s Owen Daniel and the legendary DNR band — will set up halfway down Soundview.

Drew Angus (left) will be back, for an encore performance. (Photo/Benji Porosoff)

On one side, Earthplace will run the kids’ zone. On the other, Old Mill Grocery by Romanacci offers food.

All around, nearly 2 dozen non-profit groups will have tables at the street festival too. Win prizes at the Rotary Club’s “guess the ducks” contest; get tattoos and play beach games with the Cub Scouts; enjoy snacks courtesy of the Westport Woman’s Club and Westport Swim Club, and discover other surprises.

What kid doesn’t like decorating the street? (Photo/Benji Porosoff)

The Soundview Summer Stroll is a gift to the town from “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association, with great help from the Parks & Recreation Department.

See you Sunday, on Soundview Drive!

Compo Beach pavilion and lifeguard chair …

… and one nearby bench … 

… and another …

… and the old, but still popular, lockers …

… and not far away, the scene at South Beach (Photos/John Maloney)

Traditionally, each member of the winning National Hockey League team gets it for a day. But, we asked, what was the connection between  the Carolina Hurricanes’ Shayne Gostisbehere and Westport?

There was, we noted, a rumor that he lives here.

Turns out: It’s true.

Gina Gostibehere — presumably his wife — posted on our Instagram: “We live here in Westport!!”

We look forward to learning more — like, how (and why) a Stanley Cup champ ends up here. And how he flies (or skates) completely under the radar.

In the meantime: here’s a link to Gina’s Instagram. Looks like she’s got her own great business.

Welcome to Westport, Shayne and Gina.

Unless you’ve been here for a decade, and we never knew.

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With ballot security in the national spotlight, CT Mirror shined a light on Westport.

A story yesterday in the Pulitzer Prize-winning independent online site examined the many steps and procedures Westport’s Democratic and Republican registrars of voters take to ensure security and accuracy, from before the election, to the voting process and afterward.

Click here for the full story.

From left: Yesterday, Democratic deputy registrar of voters Sharon Fiarman, Democratic registrar of voters Deborah Greenberg and Republican deputy registrar of voters Francesca Signore tested a tabulator machine at Town Hall. (Photo/Eddy Martinez for Connecticut Public)

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It’s one of the best-kept secrets in town. (Of course, IYKYK).

The Wakeman Town Farm farm stand is open every Saturday (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Farm-fresh produce — plus coffee, flowers, local products, even animal visits and more — make it a family-friendly event.

o

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When Tuesday’s intense but quick storm passed, Rachel Precious assessed the damge.

The rowboat she’d owned for 30 years disappeared from its spot on Evergreen Avenue.

Rachel searched all along Deadman Brook and its banks into town that day, but found nothing.

Finally, yesterday — 24 hours later — a neighbor found it. It had flipped over and was wedged between rocks downstream, underwater and covered up.

That’s one rowboat that did not go “gently down the stream.”

Rachel Precious’ rowboat, downstream …

and in calmer times.

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Nefaire — the facial and aesthetic service spot next to Il Pastaficio at 141 Post Road — is gone.

Its replacement sounds somewhat similar.

Skincare business Osphere’s website says it “brings together 2 things that rarely share a roof: the safety and accountability of medicine directed by our medical director, and the sensibility of Japanese and East-Asian beauty culture — where less is more, details matter, and the goal is harmony rather than exaggeration. A clinic where the price is on the menu before you book, and subtle is the standard.”

This is the 4th Osphere studio. Others are in Stamford, Greenwich and Florham Park, New Jersey. For more information, click here. 

(Photo/Sal Liccione)

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Next up for First Folk Sunday: a tribute concert to Cheryl Wheeler.

Singer Suzanne Sheridan, keyboardist Bob Cooper and percussionist Howard Kesten offers an homage on August 2 (Saugatuck Rowing Club; 12:30 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information. 

Clockwise from upper left: Cheryl Wheeler, Suzanne Sheridan, Howard Kesten, Bob Cooper.

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Writing stand-up comedy is no laughing matter.

Well, actually — as hard as it is — it is all about the laughs.

And from August 3-6 (3:30 to 5:30 p.m.), the Westport Country Playhouse offers a “Stand Up & Learn” comedy writing workshop, for ages 12 through 16.

The payoff: a performance for family and friends, at 5 p.m. August 6.

The program engages students in creative writing, communication, critical thinking, and team and confidence building.

The fee is $295. Scholarships are available.

“Stand Up & Learn” founder and director Kevin Flynn is an award-winning actor, writer, producer, host, and comedian. After a professional soccer career, he transitioned to stand-up comedy and won the Boston Comedy Riot.

Click here for more information. Questions? Email  mmeath@westportplayhouse.org.

Kevin Flynn

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Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between July 15 and 21.

A 28-year-old Stamford man was charged with assault, strangulation and disorderly conduct, following an investigation into a 2025 domestic incident. Medical treatment was sought, after the man allegedly placed his hands around the victim’s neck. He was held on a $50,000 bond.

A 22-year-old New Haven man was charged with larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny, following an investigation into a 2025 shoplifting incident at Ulta Beauty. He was held on a $5,000 bond.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

• Traveling unreasonably fast: 7 citations
• Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 6
• Failure to renew registration: 4
• Distracted driving: 3
• Speeding: 2
• Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
• Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 2
• Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
• Operating a motor vehicle while under suspension 1
• Texting while driving: 1
• Failure to comply with handicap parking regulations: 1
• Failure to drive in the proper lane: 1
• Failure to display plates: 1

Handicap parking regulations must be followed.

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Among the many effects of Tuesday’s storm (besides Rachel Precious’ missing rowboat): the mulch that Mark Mathias had spread nearby.

Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows what happens when Mother Nature meets a modern garden.

(Photo/Mark Mathias)

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And finally … in honor of Rachel Precious’ lost-and-found rowboat:

(Come on down to my blog, baby. And then click here, to support our 24/7/365 work. Ahoy!)

Of course, the “06880” blog party is always a “cool” place to be.

Tonight (Thursday), we celebrate our 12th annual bash.

We’re all set for 6 p.m. at South Beach — the alcohol-is-fine-except-no-glass-bottles end, furthest from the cannons.

It’s a bring-your-own-food-and-beverages event. If you’ve got something extra to share, feel free!

Bring a beach chair. And we can always use folding tables.

“06880” provides the rest: a chance to meet commenters and lurkers. Each year we welcome old-timers, newcomers, politicians and normal human beings. It’s a chance to talk, laugh and trade stories about this wild, wacky and only slightly dysfunctional town we share and love.

See you tonight!

We’ll be just to the left of this jetty (near the boat and kayak launch). Without the car, though, (Photo/Linda Gramatky Smith)

Electricians’ quotes were very expensive. So Hayes and his father Ross decided to do it themselves.

They researched online, watched YouTube videos, then started with their front path. It was so rewarding — and looked so good — that they continued with the front and back yards, then added lighting to a stone wall that encircles their property.

Friends were impressed, and asked for the name of their contractor. When Hayes and his father said they did it themselves, those friends asked them to light their yards too.

Upscape was born. The company — with the tagline “Luxury lighting, without the luxury markup” — is earning raves, with their creative, decorative work.

What makes this story even more impressive is that Hayes is not a homeowner, who enlisted his own father to help.

This fall, Hayes will be a Staples High School sophomore.

Hayes Bauer

Not only does he design and install low-voltage landscape lighting all over town — making a house and yard look completely different once the sun goes down.

He’s also the brains behind Upscape. It’s an actual company — a Connecticut LLC, and a registered state home improvement contractor (#0706288, to be exact).

Upscape is fully insured. A licensed electrician handles transformers, and pulls permits. Hayes works alongside him on every job.

This is absolutely Hayes’ company. It’s a year-round commitment, not a summer gig.

(And he is no slacker. Hayes also plays Staples soccer, is a member of Service League of Boys and the Make Our Schools Safe Club, and is on the board of Staples’ DECA, the national business and marketing organization.)

One of Hayes Bauer’s jobs …

The young entrepreneur takes care of everything, from helping a homeowner create a lighting plan to offering quotes, installation and fine-tuning.

“Good landscape lighting shouldn’t shout,” Hayes says. “It should make your home feel warm, layered, and effortless after dark.”

Along the way, Hayes says, he’s learned how to communicate well, and look the part of a teenage business owner.

… and a second …

Customers are quite complimentary.

A Southport homeowner says, “The tree uplighting they installed, especially on our Japanese maple, looks incredible every night. Hayes was professional, fast, and really cares about the details. Couldn’t recommend Upscale more.”

A Westport resident calls it a “great experience. … He provided feedback on what would look best (and) worked quickly to procure the lights and install them. He checked back to ensure they were positioned correctly and that I was happy. Overall a 5-star white glove experience. I couldn’t ask for anything more and the lights look great.”

… and a third.

“When adults trust a 16-year-old with their home, and then write things like that, it means a lot. It’s satisfying to see people so happy,” Hayes says.

His face lights up as he says it.

(Click here for the Upscape website. To contact Hayes Bauer, email hayes@getupscaped.com.)

(“06880” often highlights local businesses, and impressive Westport teenagers — and, as today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Assumption Church, from Burr Road (Photo/John Maloney)

Earlier this month the Westport Garden Club held a juried Flower Show at the Westport Library, part of the America 250 celebration.

Because of a communication breakdown, the setup team picked up the wrong pedestals from the Wilton Garden Club.

Pedestal size is critical in a juried flower show, as designers build their arrangements to fit assigned dimensions. With the designers’ set-up window about to begin, club chair Kelle Ruden contacted Interstate Lumber, and explained the situation. Within 30 minutes, Sajjad Gul and the Interstate team had cut 4 boards to the required dimensions.

We picked up the boards and installed them on top of the existing pedestals in time for the start of the designers’ set-up window.

A pedestal, courtesy of Interstate Lumber …

The team at Interstate Lumber not only responded immediately and cut the boards to the correct dimensions, but they also charged us only for the materials — and not for their labor.

The Westport Garden Club is deeply grateful for their generosity, responsiveness, and willingness to help on such short notice. Their quick action truly saved our Flower Show set-up.

… holding up a design by Westport Garden Club member Andrea Cross.

(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com. “06880” is proud to honor them — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to help us do that, by supporting this hyper-local blog.)