Westport - March/April 2024

contents MAR/APR 2024

52

70

Local landcaping experts share tips, tricks and trends for 2024.

12 EDITOR’S LETTER by samantha yanks

14 FOUNDER’S LETTER by donna moffly

18 STATUS REPORT

BUZZ

Connecticut Children’s celebrates its first year in Westport; CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty Boutique, opens downtown; Author Emily Liebert suggests the best spring reads; Celebrity trainer Eric Johnson launches Culture Choc; Alisyn Camerota gives us a sneak peek of her debut memoir “Combat Love.”

DO

Westport Library hosts third annual Pitch and Publish event plus Westport Writers Workshop Celebrates its 20th Year.

GO

Chatham Bars Inn, a beautiful resort a car drive away.

SHOP

Neutral, pink and silk pieces for your spring wardrobe; earscaping, the new jewelry craze; fresh looks for a new season.

HOME

Six home décor pieces in this years color of the year, Peach Fuzz; The top real estate trends for 2024.

EAT

The five chicest café spots; Lady Wong now delivers to CT!; Baldanza celebrates 3 years at Cannondale station

60 PEOPLE AND PLACES

87 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

88 A LOVE LETTER TO WESTPORT

above: Lady Wong’s Strawberry Guava Entremet is an incredibly light and refreshing ensemble, serenely highlighting the rich and fruity tones of natural guava and strawberries. below: Bibi Lou Robin Kitten Heels, $190. Anthropolgie, Westport; anthropologie.com

Jennifer Ronan

Broker | REALTOR®

Mobile: 203.524.2232

vol. 26 | no. 2 | march/april 2024

editorial editorial director

Cristin Marandino–cristin.marandino@moffly.com editor-in-chief: westport

Samantha Yanks–samantha.yanks@moffly.com

books correspondent

jronan@stjames-properties.com

As a prior resident of Westport, CT, which still holds a place in my heart, I was very selective about where to relocate. I was delighted to find St. James Plantation, which reminded me of Westport with all the charms of a coastal community.

St James Plantation, a hidden gem, in Southport, North Carolina.

With resort style amenities inluding 81 holes of golf, 5 restaurants, state of the art fitness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis & pickleball courts, private beach club, a fullservice marina, AND MORE!

There is something for e

Emily Liebert

culinary + cocktails contributor

Jennifer Pupa Schwartz

fitness + wellness contributor

Eric Johnson

home décor contributor

Simona Levin style contributor

Amy Guzzi

fashion and jewelry contributor

Nancy Berger contributing editors

Megan Gagnon–editor, athome

I invite you to reach out to me to plan your Discovery stay, a 3 day-2 night, package. During your stay, you will have an oppurtunity to experience all that St. James has to offer.

During a private tour with yours truly, you will see gorgeous homes and understand why so many have made St. James HOME!

I look forward to meeting you!

St James Properties westportmag.com // CELEBRATING

Elizabeth Hole–editor, custom publishing

Julee Kaplan–editor, new canaan • darien

Melinda Anderson–editor, stamford copy editors

Terry Christofferson, Lynne Piersall, David Podgurski, Scott Thomas, Isabella Critchell contributing writers

Samantha Critchell, Carol Leonetti Dannhauser, Sophie Edwards, Suzanne Gannon, Elizabeth Keyser, Jill Johnson Mann, Erik Ofgang editorial intern

Lily Caplan editorial advisory board

G. Kenneth Bernhard, Bridgett Csapo-DiBonaventura, Nancy Conroy, Nancy Gault, Caren Hart Nelson, Jennifer O’Reilly art senior art director

Garvin Burke–garvin.burke@moffly.com

contributing art director

Venera Alexandrova–venera.alexandrova@moffly.com production director

Tim Carr–tim.carr@moffly.com

assistant art director

Lisa Marie Servidio–lisa.servidio@moffly.com

senior photographer

Bob Capazzo

digital media audience devolpment editor

Kaitlin Madden–kaitlin.madden@moffly.com

digital marketing manager

Rachel MacDonald–rachel.macdonald@moffly.com

digital assistant

Lloyd Gabi–lloyd.gabi@moffly.com, Jeffery Garay–jeffery.garay@moffly.com

Calendar@Moffly.com

Editor@WestportMag.com

Weddings@WestportMag.com

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FOR QUALITY CUSTOM REPRINTS/E-PRINTS, please call 203-571-1645 or email reprints@moffly.com. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without express permission of the publisher.

©2024 WESTPORT magazine is a registered trademark owned by Moffly Media. The opinions expressed by writers commissioned for articles published by WESTPORT are not necessarily those of the magazine.

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HARTFORD

26 | no. 2 | march/april 2024

publisher

Gabriella Mays westport•weston & wilton gabriella.mays@moffly.com

sales & marketing

Gina Fusco publisher, new canaan•darien & rowayton gina.fusco@moffly.com

Jonathan Moffly publisher, stamford, athome, greenwich and ocean house. jonathan@moffly.com

Hilary Hotchkiss account executive hilary.hotchkiss@moffly.com

Morgan Howell account executive morgan.howell@moffly.com

Kathleen Dyke partnership and big picture manager kathleen.godbold@moffly.com

Emily Klaeboe interim partnership & big picture manager emily.klaboe@moffly.com

Lemuel Bandala sales assistant lemuel.bandala@moffly.com

Eillenn Bandala business assistant eillenn.bandala@moffly.com

business president

Jonathan W. Moffly

editorial director

Cristin Marandino business manager Elena Moffly elena@moffly.com

cofounders

John W. Moffly IV & Donna C. Moffly donna@moffly.com

PUBLISHERS OF GREENWICH

NEW CANAAN • DARIEN • ROWAYTON, WESTPORT STAMFORD and athome magazines 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880 phone: 203-222-0600 mail@moffly.com

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:

Lemuel Bandala 203-571-1610 or email advertise@moffly.com

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: email subscribe@westportmag.com or call 877-467-1735

STAMFORD GREENWICH WEST

NAPLES BONITA SPRINGS PALM BEACH GARDENS

editor’s letter

THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALITY

hether we live at the beach, on a farm or in the countryside, in a cabin or in a palatial new build or a traditional home or modern masterpiece, our homes tell our stories and represent our style. In this issue, we talk quite a bit about both topics, real estate, and fashion.

a wardrobe filled with a mashup of color and creativity. Our subjects range from a collegebound student to a grandmother, a motherdaughter duo to business partners focused on interior design. These are women whose style is so admired it has become integral to who they are on a day-to-day basis.

HOW TO SCAN: OPEN, AIM & TAP

1: Sharing a pizza with Stephanie Syrop Webster, Founder of CT. Bites and Pizza Lyfe owner Dimitri

2: Our daughter Sadie Yanks before Counties 3: With Greenwich Magazine’s Social Editor Ali Gray and Oprah’s Rae Ann Scandrolli, both dear old friends of mine (we’re so lucky to all live in Connecticut now!)

4: At Happy Monkey with Brooke Shepard, Amy Guzzi (Westport, Weston & Wilton Magazine Style Contributor), Eleanor Banco, and Erin Glasebrook for a dinner toasting Catherine Bloom and the opening of her new VIP Bloom Room.

We not only highlight the season’s top fashion and beauty trends but how to wear and shop for them locally. From a first look at the highly anticipated opening of the CHANEL Fragrance & Beauty boutique in downtown Westport to our “Style At Any Age” feature focusing on women from their teens to their late 60s transforming the fashion landscape in Connecticut, our community is filled with a diverse array of locales and personalities shaping the future of fashion here.

These women have developed their own signature looks and styled themselves — some in flowy dresses and glowing skin, a few with a fashion bent on tomboy chic, while others gravitate toward a monochromatic palette or

From the style we radiate externally to the homes we dwell in; real estate is an extension of who we are. The preferred signature neutral aesthetic of cover stars Shae and Jordan Peppler ranges from the look of their comfortable family friendly abode to their attire, reflecting their laid-back life in Connecticut. With professions in broadcast journalism and a passion for sports, the duo moved here during COVID and has not looked back since. The growing family shares with us about what they love about our community, their local haunts, and a nonprofit project very close to both of their hearts.

samantha.yanks@moffly.com

SCAN TO VISIT US

the leprechauns

made me do it

Where the magic happens.

founder’s page

“The whole house looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa”

OF MESSING ABOUT WITH HOUSES

As Water Rat said to Mole in The Wind in the Willows: “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats…or with boats. In or out of ’em, it doesn’t matter.”

Houses, too. People renovate them, decorate them, knock them down and build them up. Today more than ever—and bigger than ever. Here are some examples, starting with my husband.

Jack’s first job out of college in 1949 was with Gunnison Homes, a pioneer in prefab houses kept very busy mass-producing them for returning G.I.s. Part of his duties was training crews, like the unseasoned construction workers putting up their first prefab when it was trucked in to Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. But coming back from lunch that day, he found that they’d somehow failed to plumb the first panel, so the whole house looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The front door opened with a crash, and it took the muscles of Hercules to close it.

Another time Jack accompanied his boss to the home of an irate woman who flipped down her baby’s diaper to expose a rather red rear end. The boss promptly announced: “Oh, waffle bottom!” Again. The furnace was in a crawl space under the living room floor, and apparently the toddler had sat down on the hot wrought-iron grate.

I think Jack was happy to end up in publishing.

Old Greenwich resident Marge Curtis recalls when she and Bob wanted a skylight in their bathroom ceiling. So they hired a carpenter who was cutting away with his buzz saw when she heard him say, “Uh-oh!” Uh-oh is right. He had carved a hole way too big for the skylight. Later they learned he was on drugs.

Janet Kirwan hired some college students from a reputable firm to paint her house while

she was on vacation. Upon return, she found the job half done and a note on the front door reading: “Sorry. My girlfriend and I decided to go to the Bahamas.”

On another occasion Janet got a bill for replacing shingles on her slate roof, and though a few needed help, she’d never hired anybody to do it. Mowing the lawn while listening to music on his headphones, her teenaged son had noticed some guys on the roof but had failed to mention it. As it turned out, they were meant to be at the house next door.

And Netty Schieferdecker said: “Did you ever hear about the time I took a shower with my electrician?” While redoing a bathroom, she’d asked him to step into the shower stall so she could show him some connection she was concerned about. His belt hooked on the handle that turned on the water, and they were both drenched.

Then there was the crew of Irishmen working on her house. Netty, who was born in the Netherlands, couldn’t understand a word they were saying, “but, of course, I have an accent, too,” she admits. In any case, she came home from shopping and found one of them fast asleep in a chair in the master bedroom—in just his underwear. While she was out, he’d decided to take a swim in their pool.

But one story says it all about today’s times. A nice builder I know was working on a house in Riverside when a nosey neighbor started asking him all kind of questions—like where he was putting the boundary stakes, etc. The next thing he knew, he looked up to see a drone buzzing over the property. Apparently not satisfied with his answers, Nosey Neighbor had sent it to check things out.

Ah, me. We all have colorful tales from the home front, especially in Fairfield County where real estate is king. W

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contributors

julie sarkissian

Julie Sarkissian is the author of Dear Lucy and her essays, short fiction and book reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Tin House, The Huffington Post, and The New York Observer, among others. She is an instructor at the Westport Writers’ Workshop where she under-resourced populations through their outreach program. She is the co-organizer of the Westport Writers Workshop Pitch and Publish Conference.

andrea carson

Andrea Carson graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a Photographic Arts and Sciences degree. After spending 15 years in New York City developing her career, she moved her business to Connecticut so she could raise her family. Specializing in portraits, fashion, food and lifestyle, Andrea’s work can be seen in local and national campaigns and editorials.

simona levin

After a career in beauty and fashion PR, Simona Levin launched her firm Winding Lane Design after moving to Westport to raise her family. A native New Yorker, she brings a classic approach to her designs blending neutral palettes and relying heavily on architectural pieces and textures. Specializing in interior architecture and design, her portfolio includes homes in New York, Connecticut, Boston, Miami and Nantucket.

tom connor

A long-time contributor to Westport Magazine

Tom Connor has also appeared in dozens of national publications, including Town & Country, House & Garden, House Beautiful, Writer’s Digest and Connecticut magazines. His 1999 feature story on the clergy sexual abuse cases in the Bridgeport diocese, published three years before the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” series on the scandal, won a Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists award.

kyle norton

Kyle Norton is an advertising and editorial photographer living in Trumbull who works nationally for numerous brands. He’s a proud dad of two awesome boys and a motorsports enthusiast. When he’s not working you can catch him driving at a local racetrack... if you’re fast enough.

jennifer pupa schwartz

Jennifer P. Schwartz is a lifestyle marketer with 10+ years of experience leading iconic spirit brands such as Monkey 47 gin, The Glenlivet and Jameson. She began her career at the Union Square Hospitality Group and moved from Brooklyn to Westport with her husband and daughter. She is passionate about the intersection of culture and luxury, food and beverage, hospitality and travel.

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buzz

A Groundbreaking Group of Doctors

CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S BRINGS SPECIALTY CARE AND KINDNESS TO WESTPORT

by jill johnson mann

“In December, Connecticut Children’s Westport Specialty Care Center celebrated its one-year anniversary. That is one year that the center has been saving families from unnecessary visits to emergency rooms, one year that local families are traveling down the street rather than across the state or across state lines for medical care for their children with specialty care needs, and one year that kids are excited to go to their doctor’s appointments and physical therapy appointments because they seem more like playdates than daunting medical visits.

Dr. Robyn Matloff, Associate Vice President of Ambulatory Pediatrics and Community Development, is a Weston mom who felt Westport was the ideal location for this branch of Connecticut Children’s healthcare system, which includes 41 locations. “The goal of the hospital was to bring the high-level care that we offer up in Hartford to Fairfield County,” says Matloff. “We reached out to local pediatricians and asked what they need, and that’s how we

came up with this list of over twenty specialties.” She references a sign on the wall, pointing patients to: Cardiology, ECHO & EKG; Endocrinology & Diabetes; Neurosurgery; Radiology; Infusions… (see sidebar for full list).

Signs like that are one of the few reminders that this is a medical clinic. Decor featuring ocean, meadow, forest and sky themes gives the walls, hallways and spacious patient care rooms a whimsical, reassuring vibe. Toys, snacks and video game consoles abound. There are work pods for parents. A boy in the gym is building strength by pushing his therapist on a trolley; his glee gives away that he’s here to have fun. Matloff says, “One girl at a Westport Moms event saw our logo and exclaimed, ‘Oh I go to play there every Friday!’”

The center’s thirty-five to forty doctors work closely with area “pediatricians, as they know the families so well,” comments Matloff. “We are the only healthcare system in Connecticut dedicated exclusively to children.” This is comforting to parents—the doctors are focused

on pediatrics, the X-ray machines are set to emit the minimal amount of radiation, the ambiance is child friendly—and especially to the kids, who aren’t treated beside ailing adults and can see that their peers have similar issues. As a non-profit, the center is focused on offering services to all children who need care, regardless of finances; 15,000 patients have walked through the door. “We accept all insurance and no insurance,” explains Matloff. She recalls a patient arriving in flip flops on a snowy day. “Our Center for Care Coordination was able to get his mother insurance and connect them with resources to get clothing and food and really helped the whole family.” Access to a bus route and train station make the location appealing to those without cars. “It’s close to Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, so we are able to encompass a wide array of patients,” says Matloff. “We can have a patient who is well off and supports us—and we really appreciate that—and the next patient may have just arrived here from Guatemala and

left: Dr. Robyn Matloff and patient middle: Whimsical decor spreads cheer through the care center right: A CT Children’s location in Westport was Dr. Matloff’s longtime dream

has nothing. Both patients get the same highquality care.”

The team also advocates with legislators at the local, state and national level. “A few weeks ago, we had local representatives and senators tour the site,” explains Matloff, “and we talked about what issues are most important in pediatrics and child health in Connecticut.” The center’s team spearheaded a book drive, working with pediatricians and corporations, and supplied 500 books to The South Norwalk School, which only had a shelf of books before the drive. “We want to support not just kids who have complex medical needs but also meet the needs of the community and extend our care outside these walls,” says Matloff.

The center accepts new patients up to age 22 and offers walk-in appointments for X-rays and orthopedics from 8 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays. If your child takes a playground tumble next door at King’s Highway Elementary School, a short walk (or hop) away the bone can be set— no race to the emergency room needed. The clinic does not offer primary care.

“When I interviewed six years ago,” recalls Matloff, “I was asked, ‘Where should we put the center?’ I pointed to Westport on the map and said, ‘Here.’ Every time I walk in I still get chills that this has happened and we’re here, helping families.”

connecticutchildrens.org

(860) 545-9000

191 Post Rd West, Westport

Parent Praise

Community members speak about the incredible impact the hospital has had on their families.

“What stood out for me with her experience at CT Children’s was how willing everyone was to help us, from the folks emptying the trash to the head doctor making the rounds with an entourage of students. What was a scary and unfamiliar experience really ended up with us feeling safe and taken care of, even when we weren’t really sure what was going to happen next.  Importantly, all of the staff treating Ellie were willing to talk directly to Ellie and not filter everything

through me or talk down to her. She spent about six months in follow-up and our experience with her outpatient care was the same. I could not have asked for more from our interaction with CT Children’s.” —Jessica Stauder, Westport, mom of Ellie, who needed intravenous immunoglobulin therapy to raise platelet levels after her body had a scary reaction to a whack by a softball.

“We first visited CT Children’s in Westport in February of 2023 at the recommendation of our pediatrician who suspected our oldest daughter might be developing pneumonia. She had told us a new children’s specialty center from CT Children’s had opened in Westport and that they could do same-day walk-in chest X-rays. We drove right over where our daughter was so well taken care of. The entire care team made

GERI EPSTEIN INFUSION CENTER

Since its opening in March, the Geri Epstein Infusion Center at the Westport Specialty Care Center has administered 250 infusions. This means children in Fairfield County have a comforting and convenient place to go for chemotherapy treatments and other infusions. They will be among other kids, and their parents will meet parents going through the same challenging journey. But it’s a journey made easier by reducing the physical distance these families need to travel to get their kids the care they need. The center was named in honor of longtime Westport resident, Geri Epstein, who suffered from Crohn’s disease. The David and Geri Epstein Private Foundation has donated $1 million to Connecticut Children’s to support the extension of pediatric mental health services, high-impact research in suicide prevention and inflammatory bowel diseases, and the Infusion Center in Westport.

SPECIALTIES

Cardiology, ECHO & EKG

my very sick child feel comfortable and safe.

When my younger daughter then started to complain of heel pain at the start of her softball season this fall, we once again went for care at CT Children’s. This time with Dr. Pacicca, their pediatric orthopedist, who diagnosed Blythe with Severe’s disease (inflammation of the growth plate of the heel). I loved that they were able to see her, take all the necessary images and also prescribe PT with their pediatric PT Emily—who my youngest would eagerly attend her 7 am PT sessions before school with. How convenient, as a working mom myself, having pediatric specialized care for my daughter that didn’t disrupt her school schedule. We are just so lucky to have CT Children’s in our backyard!”

—Michelle Yanover, Westport

Digestive Diseases & Hepatology (GI)

Endocrinology & Diabetes

Hematology/Oncology

Nephrology

Neurology & EEG

Neurosurgery

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Otolaryngology (ENT)

Pain Medicine

Pediatric Surgery

Plastic Surgery

Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

Pulmonary Function Lab

Rheumatology

Urology

Weight Management

Clinical Nutrition

Infusion Center

Physical & Occupational Therapy

Radiology (X-ray & Ultrasound)

Speech-Language Pathology

top: A constellation on the ceiling gives this hallway a dreamy feel bottom: All patients are welcome, regardless of insurance status

TRÈS BON!

CHANEL UNVEILS THEIR FIRST FRAGRANCE AND BEAUTY BOUTIQUE IN CONNECTICUT, IN DOWNTOWN WESTPORT. by samantha yanks

Known for being impeccably dressed and delivering empowering words of wisdom, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel once said, “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”

“Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!” the founder of the French luxury fashion house went on.

The legendary couturier, known for her exquisite couture and more approachable prêtà-porter, iconic bags and ropes of namesake pearls, was a gamechanger in the fragrance world in the 1920s. As Chanel once said so poignantly, “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.”

For her debut fragrance, Chanel created the everlastingly-popular Chanel No. 5, one of the first perfumes to be named after a fashion designer, and its name is a tribute to her lucky

number five. In less than a decade it became the world’s bestselling perfume and, to this day, a new bottle is purchased every 30 seconds.

Suffice to say the commitment to fragrance and beauty is long withstanding at the House of CHANEL. This month CHANEL, will unveil its newest stand-alone fragrance and beauty location in Westport. The 1,640-square-foot boutique features the full range of CHANEL fragrance, makeup and skincare products, along with an exclusive selection of CHANEL eyewear.

The boutique’s distinctive sleek blackand-white design, which recalls the codes of the house, emphasizes the modernity of CHANEL, and offers a one-of-a-kind shopping environment.

In the immersive makeup and skincare area anchored by a centerpiece discovery table,

above: CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty Boutique in Westport, Connecticut below: CHANEL Les Nuit de CHANEL

A woman who doesn’t WEAR PERFUME has no future.

GABRIELLE “COCO” CHANEL

Founder of Chanel

guests are invited to explore the latest CHANEL launches as well as classic and iconic products.

The key focus in the store during the opening will be the new Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche lipsticks. These highly concentrated pigments deliver intense color and wear like a second skin. The soft-focus microspheres combine with ultrafine pearly particles for a luminous-matte finish. The lipstick is presented in the iconic ROUGE ALLURE black and golden click case.

The boutique will also offer its evergreen bestselling skincare and fragrance products as well such as the iconic CHANEL No. 5 fragrance, their Sublimage La Crème and more.

The space will highlight collections from the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio, skincare from the CHANEL Research & Technology laboratory in Pantin, France, and fragrances from CHANEL In-House Perfumer Creator Olivier Polge.

CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty Boutique

58 Main Street

Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. –7 p.m. Sunday: Noon – 6 p.m.

above left: CHANEL No. 5 Eau de Parfum Spray above right: CHANEL Sublimage La Crème Texture

Universelle this photo: CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche

Longing For Stability

In ALISYN CAMEROTA ’s debut memoir  Combat Love we go on her journey from rebellion to Emmy Award-winning journalist and travel through the dynamics of her complex mother/daughter relationship while seeking a place to call home.

by samantha yanks

Samantha Yanks: Congratulations on your second book, and the debut of your personal memoir Combat Love. Tell us what inspired you to write this book?

AC:  For decades I’d been walking around with a lot of unresolved issues and loose ends about my younger self.  Being able to capture the turbulence with words on a page really helped me make sense of it all and feel at peace.

SY: Set the stage for us a bit. Where did you grow up and can you give us a glimpse into your childhood?

AC:  I grew up at the center of the universe (well, to me, anyway): Monmouth Country, New Jersey, during the unparented ’80s.  My friends and I were a free-range pack of wolves, heading into the city to go to clubs like CBGB and see our favorite bands.

above: Alisyn and her mom in the groovy 70s right: Cover of Combat Love

top right: Alisyn reporting for CNN right: Alisyn and boyfriend Ethan before going to a party, circa 1981.

SY: You certainly had an adventurous youth, growing up near/in New York City myself many of the places you mentioneda ned brought me back to some risky times. The club and punk scene of the ’80s became your home in a way. And you truly left home when you were 16. What lead to that decision?

AC:  I’ve always had a strong independent streak, but I really started fending for myself at around 10 after my parents divorced and my mom went back to school.  One big theme in the book is the intensity of mother-daughter relationships. What do we do when the desires of a mother and daughter are in direct conflict?  By 16, I felt I could no longer travel on my mother’s path.  I had to carve one for myself.

SY: Your memoir’s central theme is seeking that elusive place we call home. What was the journey searching for that like for you?

AC:  Long and tear-soaked.  I searched for the stability and foundation of a home for two decades before I was able to create one

SY: The mother/daughter dynamic is one you explore poignantly. Let us in a bit on what your own relationship with your mother was like.

AC:  Well, that answer is what drives much of the book. I’m proud to say we were able to resolve our issues and have an excellent relationship today.

SY: You are one of the most recognizable CNN anchors, a two-time Emmy Awardwinner, an author and a mother. Your memoir explores sacrifice. How has that come into play for you?

AC:  I think the question for all of us is, what are we willing to sacrifice to fulfill our dreams?  I know a lot of women who have sacrificed their own dreams to be there for their families. I admire that.  I’m relieved I didn’t have to make that choice.

SY: And to close, may I say it’s so wonderful to reconnect with you after your recent cover story in Westport, Weston & Wilton Magazine with your friends Emily Liebert, Lindsay Czarniak and Stéphanie Szostak. Is that type of support system akin to family for you?

AC:  Oh yes!  That’s a big theme in Combat Love – the healing power of female friends (and ALL friends).  The girlfriends I had from teenagehood through college, and to this day, continue to be my surrogate sisters and tremendous sources of strength.

Available on Amazon.com

above: Alisyn with friends in Bellingham, Washington

Get Booked

With Spring on the horizon, there’s no better time to expand your reading list. And these five titles are sure to delight — AN A-LIST CELEBRITY MEMOIR, A HAUNTING coming-of-age story, a debut novel about self-(re)discovery, a hopeful tale for “terrible” people, and an examination of lifelong friendship.

by emily liebert

MY NAME IS BARBRA

BY BARBRA STREISAND

Barbra Streisand is a living legend. She’s won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards and has one of the most distinctive voices in music. With the film Yentl, she became the first woman to write, produce, direct and star in a major motion picture. Now, in her breathtaking memoir, she shares her full story—from growing up in Brooklyn and her performances in New York nightclubs to her stunning turn in  Funny Girl on-stage, and a litany of unsurpassed accolades. In her honest and charismatic way, she details early struggles to become an actress, her turn to singing, her direction of  The Prince of Tides, her political advocacy, friendships with Marlon Brando and Madeleine Albright, and her marriage to James Brolin.

THE FORTUNE SELLER

BY RACHEL KAPELKE-DALE

Rosie Macalister has strived for years to assimilate with her wealthy Yale equestrian teammates. Yet upon her return from her junior year abroad with newfound confidence, she’s surprised to find a mysterious intruder in her group: Annelise Tattinger. Annelise, a gifted tarot card reader and excellent rider is unlike anyone Rosie has known before.

But when one of their friends notices money disappearing from her bank account, Annelise’s character comes into question, and the girls turn against each other, with devastating consequences. It’s not until Rosie graduates and takes a job at a Manhattan hedge fund that she unearths Annelise’s true identity and how she landed in their elite Yale set. Is it too late for Rosie to right past wrongs?

BLANK BY ZIBBY OWENS

At 40-ish, Pippa Jones is a former literary sensation. After the sophomore book she was almost done writing has to be discarded— because it shares a plot and title with another superstar author’s— Pippa has serious writer’s block and spends months staring at a blank page. When she finds out she only has five days to finish (rather, start) her new manuscript, Pippa has a brilliant idea. OK, fine, her twelve-year-old son pitched it as a joke. But, still, she’ll see it through and take the literary world by storm! Only, when Pippa’s publisher gets involved, a series of unexpected plot twists arise. As Pippa races against time, she discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends and herself than she ever could have imagined.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE

BY EMILY AUSTIN

E

ver worry that you’re a terrible person?

Then this book—filled with quirky humor and heart—is for you. Enid, the main character, is obsessed with space. Her biggest phobia is bald men. And when she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts, she’s serially dating women from dating apps. Oh, and she’s also trying to forge a new relationship with her estranged half-sisters after the death of her absent father. When she unintentionally dives into her first serious romance, Enid starts to think that someone is following her, and paranoia spikes. Is something seriously wrong with her, she wonders? The beauty of this page-turner is that it demonstrates the power of revealing secret shames, the most human parts of us all.

BYE, BABY BY CAROLA LOVERING

Cassie Barnwell’s infant daughter is missing, and her lifelong friend, Billie West—who lives one floor below in their New York apartment building—is the first to hear her panicked screams. Though when Billie looks into her own arms, she sees Cassie’s baby and remembers, with a jerk of terror, that she’s responsible for the kidnapping. Once indelibly connected by their secrets, Cassie and Billie are no longer as close as they used to be. Cassie, a burgeoning lifestyle influencer, is a mother, married to an affluent man. She’s desperate to leave her past behind, including Billie, who knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done. Told in alternating perspectives, Bye, Baby confronts the ways friendships change and the lingering echoes of childhood trauma.

emily liebert

Emily Liebert is the USAToday bestselling author of seven novels and a NewYork Times bestselling celebrity ghostwriter. Her books are available worldwide.

Chocolate With Benefits

5 Questions With … ERIC JOHNSON, Celebrity Trainer, Fitness and Wellness

Guru by samantha yanks

A quick-fire conversation on the chocolate that helps with energy and endurance, focus and flow, recovery and relaxation

1Eric, as our new fitness and wellness contributor, you always have your eye on what’s next. There has been a big evolution in what we eat pre and post workout. Tell us about your first product, Culture Choc?

First, I am beyond honored and excited to be the new fitness and wellness contributor. Culture Choc’s culmination is as organic as our ingredients. After years of hustling from one session to the next in New York City, my brother Ryan and I were on a never-ending quest to find the

perfect pre-workout snack for our clients and, honestly, ourselves. We were in search of something healthy and convenient to bridge the gap between meals without impeding physical performance. The majority of products on the market are filled with “creepy” ingredients, loads of caffeine and sugar and false promises. When we stumbled upon the research surrounding dark chocolate, we started experimenting. That’s when we realized dark chocolate could be a vehicle for energy, focus and recovery with the addition of a few performanceenhancing ingredients. So we did the leg-work, and not just squats, to perfect these shockingly nutritious chocolate bars to improve every part of your day.

2

As a celebrity trainer (yes, the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Charlie Puth, Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Groff and more) you’ve also come to collaborate with some. Who is involved in Culture Choc with you?

While I’ve had the great fortune to test our products on some of Hollywood’s highest-profile celebrities, Culture Choc is a family-run business. Since his birth, my brother Ryan and I have been a tag team in all of our ventures. My wife, Melissa, is our creative director. From her work in the music and entertainment industry, she brings an artistic influence to the company and will be focusing on brand partnerships, marketing campaigns and content direction.

3

Tell us about the three bars in the lineup, their ingredients and their best use case is. Chocolate with benefits is our motto. Dark chocolate is the star of the show here, think of the other ingredients as sidekicks. Let’s start with MOJO, the pre-workout bar that started it all is made of 70% cacao, cordyceps mushroom extract, and a pinch of sea salt for electrolytes. The benefits are energy, stamina and vasodilation (aka, the pump). Next in our lineup is MUSE, the afternoon pick-me-up, enjoyed with a cup of coffee dark chocolate bar, that also has Lion’s Mane mushroom for improved cognition and

cerebral blood flow to help with focus, creativity and productivity. Last but not least, our MELLOW bar with reishi mushroom aids the parasympathetic (rest and digest) state of the nervous system. With the added benefits of dopamine stimulation, hunger suppression and an improved mood, this is a healthy alternative to a sweet tooth craving.

4

For you both fitness and recovery are equally as important. How do the Culture Choc bars fit into that balance.

You can only adapt to what you can recover from. Quality nutrition aids that highly underrated recovery process so that we can maximize the efficiency of the work we do physically. There are far too many benefits of exercise that everyone should be taking advantage of. Our goal is for Culture Choc’s products to act like Pavlov dogs and through their consumption, stimulate a desired behavior. For someone who despises going to the gym, we want you to look forward to having our deliciously nutritious chocolate right before you workout. When you’re going to raid the freezer for dessert, we hope you replace it with our bar. We want to create a culture of a healthy balance in your pursuit to live more life.

5

Do you have any other products on the horizon?

You know we love to hear the news here first!

At the heart of our company, we want to create products that solve behavioral and psychological problems surrounding food. While we plan to introduce more chocolate bars to meet other benefits in the future, we will continue to research and receive feedback from our customers and clients with their struggles around nutrition and achieving high performance. Whether that’s solving for convenience, improving our formulas or adding flavors, we promise to give you first dibs on all of our upcoming product launches!

For more information, visit darkchoc.com  @culture_choc eric@darkchoc.com

above: Celebrity trainer Eric Johnson, Founder of Culture Choc, feels the benefits of his functional choclate left: Most people think they spend time in the gym working off chocolate. But what if dark chocolate indulgence actually helped you stay fit and focused?

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Our well-appointed, bright, spacious apartment homes are larger than any other community in Connecticut. Experience the best in senior living with our world-class amenities, engaging activities, gourmet cuisine and impeccable service.

To learn more or schedule a tour, call 203-439-6762 or visit MeadowRidge.com

LESSONS IN PUBLISHING

THE WESTPORT WRITERS WORKSHOP’S PITCH & PUBLISH CONFERENCE OFFERS WRITERS OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH INDUSTRY INSIDERS.

“Daunting” “Challening” “Overwhelming” “Bewildering” “Terrifying”

These are words students at the Westport Writers Workshop use to describe the process of finding a literary agent. Like a sports or entertainment agent, a literary agent lands deals on their client’s behalf and represents them in negotiations. Signing with an agent is an essential step for writers pursuing publication with the big five publishers. Most publishing companies won’t even consider unrepresented or “unagented” manuscripts.

But there are intimidating obstacles to finding an agent. Agents are inundated by requests for representation, as many as one hundred a week, according to agent Sarah Landis. For uninitiated writers, the process is completely opaque. What

is a query letter? Do I include the manuscript with my letter? Can I email a publisher directly? How can I tell if an agent is a good fit? What is a platform? Do I need one? How can I build one?

Enter the Westport Writers Workshop’s Pitch & Publish Conference, returning to the Westport Library for its third year on Saturday March 16, here to replace those feelings of mystery and dread surrounding the publishing process with information, inspiration and opportunity.

As conference organizers, we, Julie Sarkissian and Liz Matthews, have designed the Pitch & Publish conference from our experiences both as writers ourselves and as writing instructors.

As writers ourselves, we know first-hand how essential it is to have representation if someone

is looking to publish traditionally. We also know how hard it can be to find an agenta and once you have an agent, how hard it can be to sell your book. Then, once you sell the book, how hard it can be to promote the book. And after that first book comes out, how hard it can be to sell your next. Through our twenty-plus years of collective experience as writing instructors and, in the case of Liz, running the Westport Writers Workshop as its executive director, we have also seen writers start with an idea for a book, go on to finish and polish their manuscript, find agents and land book deals. While we are both passionate writing teachers, we recognize that pursuing publication is a different beast from doing creative work, and we’ve created this event to support writers as they move into the

left: Pitch & Publish Conference co-organizers Liz Matthews and Julie Sarkissian right: 2023 Keynote Speaker Courtney Maum signs books

by julie sarkissian

Save Save SaveTHE DATE

11th Annual

Please join the Alzheimer’s Association for an evening of dinner, dancing and storytelling as we highlight our impact in the community, celebrate a new era of treatment and recognize those affected by the disease.

6:30 - 11:00 PM

Celebrating Hope Celebrating Hope Celebrating Hope

Friday, April 26th, 2024

Delamar Greenwich Harbor

500 Steamboat Rd, Greenwich

For information & resources, visit alz.org/ct or call our 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900.

For tickets, sponsorship and additional information, celebratinghope.givesmart.com.

marketplace.

The conference is a full day of panel talks and Q&A with industry insiders, as well as a keynote speech, catered lunch, breakout sessions, a writing exercise and, of course, direct access to agents. All that, plus a Friday night Welcome Party and Saturday night Wrap Party because pursuing publication is hard work and we believe it is imperative to have fun and celebrate while we do it.

Getting an agent’s attention is one of the most elusive aspects of publishing, and a highlight of the conference is the rare opportunity for each attendee to meet with two agents in one-onone pitch sessions. We have agents from elite literary agencies: Janklow, Fletcher, Defiore, Curtis Brown, Goldin, United Talent, who represent books across all genres, including commercial fiction, crossover fiction, book club fiction, sci-fi, memoir, speculative, narrative nonfiction, YA, middle grade and more. New this year: each agent will read five pages of each writer’s work in advance of their pitch session.

The conference will feature two panel talks. First, Ask The Agent, moderated by agent Ayla Zuraw-Friedrich, who will ask a panel of agents for the insider’s perspective on the best way to land an agent. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Everything You Wanted to Know about Publishing but Were Too Afraid to Ask, moderated by co-organizer Julie Sarkissian. What does it mean to be held liable? How do I publish a memoir without betraying my family? What happens when my agent turns out not to be “the one”? We’ve been collecting the trickiest questions to bring to this candid discussion of publishing’s stickiest situations.

Our keynote speaker is a publishing expert, social media sensation and author across

multiple genres Leigh Stein. We hosted Leigh last year at the workshop for her seminar, “How to Get a Book Deal,” and the response from the attendees was so strong we knew we had to showcase her at this year’s conference. She is a wealth of knowledge, inspiration and full of grit and verve. We are honored to partner with Leigh, as we are with the Westport Library. The library’s commitment to literacy, the arts and our community is instrumental in continuing to foster Westport’s reputation as a cultural center of the state.

The event wouldn’t be possible without their tremendous support and we are particularly indebted to Jennifer Keller who helped with so many critical details.

Rebecca Martin, local writer and 2023 attendee, speaks to our mission when she says of her experience at the conference, “I felt empowered. After preparing for the pitches with the workshop, I found myself not only being taken seriously by the agents but taking myself seriously.”

Make 2024 the year you decide to take the next step toward publication.

Conference With Pitches Ticket Price is $675 and includes Friday Welcome Party at the WWW’s locale, all talks panels and agent meetings on Saturday, catered lunch during the conference, and after party. Conference Only includes all programming, both parties and lunch, but does not include pitch sessions with agents.

To Register: westportwriters.org/pitchand-publish-conference-2024 Questions? Email: pitchandpublish@ westportwritersworkshop.com

WESTPORT WRITERS WORKSHOP

Celebrates its 20th Year

The Westport Writers Workshop, a nonprofit writing workshop located on Sylvan Road in Westport, celebrates its 20th year!

Since 2004, the WWW has provided workshops across all genres to the local community and beyond. Founded by Jessica Brahm, who began the workshop in her home in 2004, the workshop has been a non-profit since 2004 and has been led by executive directors Valerie Ann Leff, Michelle Bradley, Liz Matthews, and currently Blake Schnirring, offering as many as 25 different writing workshops.

The outreach program, which brings free writing workshops to communities who might not otherwise have the opportunity, is at the heart of the mission of the workshop. Through our outreach we have brought classes to Garner Correctional Facility, The Caroline House, Malta House, STAR, Stamford Boys and Girls Club, Fairfield Senior Center, Mothers of Children with Disabilities, and more. On Sept. 6th at Wakeman Town Farm, the workshop will host its benefit and 20th Year Anniversary Party, More Than Words, a roaring 20s theme party celebrating our history and raising funds to continue to support our outreach into the future.

We also offer scholarships for regular programming.

above: Liz Matthews moderates The Ask The Agent Panel

top: The Westport Library, location of the WWW Pitch & Publish Conference bottom: Participants at the 2023 Pitch & Publish Conference

Truly great assisted living provides expert care and caters to every detail of lifeallowing you to reclaim your independence and enjoy the things you love. Schedule

A GEM IN ALL SEASONS

READY FOR A LUXURIOUS RETREAT that’s just a car ride away?

We sure are by kim-marie galloway

If Wes Anderson attempted to capture classic New England, with its shingled cottages, wild beaches and bracing ocean breezes, he’d film at Chatham Bars Inn. The Inn opened its doors in 1914 as a hunting lodge for discerning Bostonians. Even then, it appealed to the luxury market, offering swanky new amenities such as saltwater baths and steam heat. Over a century and many renovations later, Chatham Bars Inn is still the place to stay on Cape Cod. Returning guests may say it is the Cape.

From Henry Ford to Bruno Mars, this little dot on the map where the Mayflower first landed has seen its share of the rich and fabulous. Today, guests make the journey to the edge of the eastern seaboard for many reasons: a classic summer vacation, a weekend of sport fishing on one of the Inn's boats, whale watching, daytrips to Nantucket, a recent Robert Burns’ supper or for upcoming Wellness Weekends in partnership with Canyon Ranch.

A vacation on the Cape has been a summer rite of passage for generations. But we could argue that Chatham Bars Inn is a year-round destination. From January through March, the Inn invites travelers to “activate their winter” with wine tasting and mixology classes, iPhone photography, astronomy, line dancing and an art series.

There's a room to suit every vacationer, from multigenerational families to romance-seeking couples. Book a suite or two in an Ocean View cottage and load in all the grandkids. Heck, bring the dog—the hotel is pet-friendly. The suites have separate bedrooms with sofa beds in the living room. Families looking for even more space can rent the stand-alone Kettledrum House, which sleeps ten.

Want to leave the kids behind? Book one

above: Everyone feels at home at the Chatham Bars Inn.

of the twelve spa suites (conveniently located just above the spa). Each has a private in-room wood sauna, oversized hydrotherapy tub, steam shower and cozy fireplace. Indulge in spa treatments ranging from CBD massages to oxygen facials. No children are allowed, so it’s not your fault the kids had to stay home.

The Inn is only a ten-minute walk from downtown Chatham. But why walk if you can borrow one of the classic bikes with wicker baskets for hauling swag bought at the famous Black Dog t-shirt shop in town? And, thanks to a new partnership, guests also have access to Lexus vehicles, which are on loan for a few hours so you sightsee or book for over-sand excursions.

You’ll want to stay on the property for dinner. The award-winning STARS restaurant has the only ocean view of any eatery in Chatham. It’s the definition of classic New England, with Norman Rockwell's “Spirit of America” hanging over the fireplace. The menu keeps it local with Cape Cod oysters, American Waygu and produce from the Inn’s farm. In summertime, the Beachhouse Grill is the place to be. Chilled lobster rolls and refreshing cocktails are a must. Guests can also book a clambake on the private beach. And if your crew has a lucky day of fishing on one of the Inn’s boats, bring in the catch and the chef will prepare it for your dinner.

Chatham Bars Inn recently received the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award, reserved for the most luxurious properties worldwide—only 360 hotels boast this accomplishment.

If you’re looking for a winter escape, the room rates are tempting, starting at $356 per night in the Main Inn and running to just over $1,000 per night for the Presidential Suite. Starting rates will climb by the July 4th weekend to $1,200 per night. Be sure to check out the events calendar for upcoming art series, line dancing and mixology classes. chathambarsinn.com

above: A homey vibe welcomes guests.

left: The stunning coastline below: The Inn's fleet of cars lets guests cruise around in luxury.

above: Have a meal fit for, well, a star at the Inn's STARS restaurant— Provincetown scallops with sunchoke risotto, pancetta and aged balsamico. below: Well-appointed New England luxury is a hallmark of the Inn.

home

THE REAL ESTATE REPORT 2024

WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS ARE HOT?

by jill johnson mann

It’s a trick question, asking which neighborhoods are hot in Westport right now. And not only because it’s March and still too chilly to call anywhere hot. Icy winds, soggy rain, muddy hikes, bone-chilling polarplunge temps—doesn’t matter. The actual answer is: All of them.

“Everything is hot right now because there is no inventory,” says Amy Curry of Berkshire Hathaway. It’s a refrain we’ve been hearing since Covid burst the dam holding back droves of diehard urban dwellers. They came flooding out to our area, their furrowed brows and dragging feet promptly turning to wide-eyed glee and leprechaun kicks: No more walk-up buildings! No more rats! No more malodorous subways! No more grilling of three-year-old Junior by finicky private-school panels! And look at the closet space (!), the mudrooms (!), the open space where Junior can play after … public school?!

One might surmise that the flood has slowed to a trickle by now, but it has not. Four years after a pandemic shot “privacy,” “open space” and “pool” up the must-have amenity list, families are still eagerly showing up from New York, New Jersey and beyond, looking for their little slice of Saugatuck Shores or Green’s Farms or Compo Beach, or Wilton, or Weston— whatever, just give us a piece!

“Right now in Westport, we have 60 houses to sell—60—which is crazy, because if you look back to December 2019, we had 247 houses on the market,” says Hope Klein at The Riverside Realty Group. “Everything is selling now. I’ve been in real estate here for thirty-three years. People used to want to be close to the train. They didn’t want a lot of land. You couldn’t give away Weston or Wilton. Covid changed everything. People want land. Work habits have changed. Everyone has pushed their boundaries farther north.”

Droves of buyers are clamoring to get into any neighborhood here. “I had an open house

this weekend [priced in the desirable $1.3 million range], and I had thirty to forty people in the house all day, every day, all weekend,” says Klein, who is seeing homes that used to be on the market a year, selling in a week. “People from the city see the lifestyle here. For $2 to $3 million for an apartment in New York, you get nothing. We show them they can live in 5 or 6,000 square feet, on an acre of land, with a great school system. We tell them about Longshore, the sailing school, the brand-new library, the chefs that have come out here from New York, the sophistication. People just come and so do their friends. And no one is selling because of interest rates or having no place to go.”

Robin Singer, at Coldwell Banker, comments, “Pre-Covid, three areas were most desirable: downtown, the beach and Green’s Farms. Everyone wanted easy access to the train. Old Hill was also desirable. You could not get a buyer to go to Coley if they worked in the city.

above: 25 Ryders Lane, Wilton: This 2,637 square-foot, 3-bedroom house with lots of open space sold for $1,551,000 by William Raveis

below: The Mill, 41 Richmondville Ave, Westport: 2-bedroom condos in this brand new luxury building begin at $1,399,000. The 3-bedroom penthouse, with its own roof deck, was still available as of press time, for $3,499,000. Listed by Coldwell Banker.

this photo: 3 Lowlyn Road, Westport: a 3,300-square-foot Colonial was torn down to make way for this 7-bedroom, 8,851-squarefoot new build in Old Hill, listed at $3,999,000, by Michelle & Team at William Raveis

THE HOT HOUSING ALTERNATIVE

Luxury Condos

With most smaller homes in Westport being razed and “Mcmansioned” by builders, some newcomers and empty nesters are turning to the new or remodeled plush condos around town.

“Downsizers, people looking for second homes and a simplified lifestyle, often choose the high-end condos in Westport for their luxurious amenities and maintenance-free living,” says Capella. “They provide security and convenience in a much more manageable space.”

Then Covid happened and people wanted to spread out. Suddenly two acres sounded great. Now buyers are not picky about location.”

Westport’s beach areas have experienced actual floods, not just floods of humans, in the not so distant past. “Climate change was a topic after [Hurricane] Irene and Sandy, but it’s amazing how people don’t talk about it anymore,” says Singer, regarding the continued popularity of beach neighborhoods.

“If anything, I hear buyers hesitate due to it being more crowded down there, but not about the flooding. A lot of the houses are lifted now, so they are 14 or 15 feet up.”

She calls Compo Beach the “Rolls-Royce” of Westport’s beach areas, “because it has everything, but Saugatuck Shores has come into its own. People like it out there.” Singer is finding some Westporters wanting to take the Rolls-Royce for a spin, so they are renting on the beach to test it out. An inventory shortage means renting may be the only option for families looking for those entrancing water views.

Lower Weston, with easy access to the Westport area, is also popular. “People like Weston, and it has great schools. Since Covid, people are moving anywhere: Wilton, Redding, Easton,” adds Singer.

Mia Capella, at William Raveis, notes the serenity and rural ambience that draw buyers to Wilton and Weston. “Both have New England charm and a strong community spirit,” she says. “South Wilton has always been more

desirable due to its proximity to major highways and public transportation, but all of Wilton and Weston's ‘neighborhoods’ are desirable for many reasons, one of which is very low inventory! We need more homes to sell since both towns offer a vibrant cultural scene, historic character and harmonious coexistence with nature with lots of open space.”

Those in the market for luxury homes in the $4 or $5 million range can shop at a more leisurely pace. They are not flying off the market or as likely to draw bidding wars. Those on the other end, perhaps venturing over to Norwalk, get ready for the Black Friday of home shopping. “I put a little condo on in Norwalk on the river, in the $500,000s,” says Klein. “I had 38 showings in three days and 13 offers, well over $100,000 over asking.”

The best testament for this area being worth the money and scramble are young adults who grew up here, coming back. “My daughter lives here with her two kids, and they go to Coleytown just like she did,” says Klein. “She said, ‘Mom, it was so great growing up here, why wouldn’t I come back?’ A lot of her friends from Staples have also come back.”

Klein adds, “I think that Westport and Weston were always undervalued for what they offer. My gut is that eventually we will plateau. But I don’t think prices will go down. Interest rates are going to come down and then we will have more buyers than we have now.”

Read more online at mofflylifestylemedia.com

Bankside House, across the river from town, has 6 units left in the new 12-unit boutique building, each with its own private terrace. Prices range from $2,625,000 to $4,750,000 (mostly 2-bedrooms); Saugatuck River views, exquisite design and a prime location come at a price.

The Mill, on Richmondville Avenue near town, was just completed last month and one-third of the 31 units are under contract. Two-bedrooms start at $1,399,000 and the $3,499,000 penthouse, with 3 bedrooms and a private roof deck, is still up for grabs.

Alexander Chingas, of the Bross Chingas Bross Team at Coldwell Banker, says, “The Mill is a fully serviced building with a concierge, a beautiful pool, a year-round outdoor hot tub, a gym, a great room, the Cafe co-working space, and a quiet roof deck.” Residents can cozy up to an outdoor fireplace and fire tables by the pool, and a furnished guest suite is available for visitors.

Other Westport condominium complexes—Harvest Commons, Regents Park, Landsdowne, and Terra Nova—have been around for decades. Buyers will find a range of prices, depending on whether units have been recently renovated or not. All have pools and all but Terra Nova have tennis courts as well.

Condo Sales Snapshot: 2023

24 condominiums sold in Westport

Lowest sale price: $455,000

Highest sale price: $4,560,870

Average sale price: $1,370,414

Median sale price: $847,750

List-to-sale price ratio: 10% under to 26% over

above: 31 Woody Lane, Westport: This Milton Design 6-bedroom,10,390-square-foot home sits on 2 acres and incorporates a 100-year-old barn. Listed by The Riverside Realty Group for $6,000,000 (5+ months on the market).

Simona Levin

Founder of Winding Lane Design, Simona brings a classic approach to her designs — blending neutral palettes and relying heavily on architectural pieces and textures.

Specializing in interior architecture and design, her portfolio includes residential homes in NY, CT, Boston, Miami and Nantucket.

PEACH PERFECT

PANTONE'S 2024 COLOR OF THE YEAR , IS POPPING ALL OVER HOME DÉCOR.

by simona levin

Ayr Barns

Waffle kitchen towel, $28; available at AYR Barns, Westport; Ayrbarns.com

“Love all things waffle weave— great for kitchens and guest room hand towels.”

Bungalow Lamp, $398; available at Bungalow, Westport; bungalowdecor.com

“Perfectly petite to fit even the smallest spaces.”

Terrain

Fig Linens Throw, $350.

Fig Linens and Home, Westport; Figlinensandhome. com

“Subtle pop for an outdoor chaise lounge or a sunny window seat.”

Terrain

Ceramic Pinch Bowl, $24; Terrain, Westport; Shopterrain.com

“These in a pinch bowls — great for sneaking color into the kitchen.” chic.”

Glass Cloche with matches, $36; Terrain, Westport; Shopterrain.com

“On a mantle or coffee table -so chic.

Bespoke Designs

Vermiligio Dinnerware, $105; Bespoke Designs, Westport; bespokedesigns.com

“Love this new take on a classic designs.”

Weston-based Amy Guzzi from the Stylist Effect shares her must-have closet staples for the spring season.

// 1 9SEED Pines Gauze High Waist Crop Pant, $202. The Penfield Collective, Westport; penfieldcollective.com

// 2 JANE WIN Lucky Lost Treasure Coin Bracelet, $228. Monarch Market, Westport; shopmonarchmarket.com

// 3 UNSUBSCRIBED Textured Sweater Tank; $138. Unsubscribed, Westport; unsubscribed.com

// 4 BIBI LOU Bibi Lou Robin Kitten Heels, $190. Anthropolgie, Westport; anthropologie.com

// 5 J.CREW Cashmere

Classic-Fit Crewneck Sweater, $128. J.Crew, Westport; jcrew.com

// 6 BROCHU WALKER

The Havana Dress, $328. Brochu Walker, Westport; brochuwalker.com

// 7 UNSUBSCRIBED

Dragon Diffusion Small Grace Basket; $410. Unsubscribed, Westport; usubscribed.com

// 8 BROCHU WALKER

The Jenny Cardigan, $428. Brochu Walker, Westport; brochuwalker.com

Shift Into Neutral

THIS SPRING, FEMININE FLORALS, ALL THINGS WHITE WITH A POP OF PINK , TRANSITIONAL SLINGBACK SHOES AND A SILK PATTERNED PANT ARE ESSENTIALS FOR THE SEASON.

shop

PERFECTLY PIERCED

HAS EARSCAPING REPLACED THE WRIST PARTY AND NECK MESS? INDEED IT HAS.

by samantha yanks

From ready-to-wear and accessories, each season trends emerge from designers moving the needle in fashion. For spring 2024, undeniably the flip-flop made a surprising comeback on the runways and oversized ’90’s suiting reigned supreme from Milan to Paris. But what we most truly admire in others is their own personal street style, how they interpret and translate the trends. One of most personal ways to achieve that is through jewelry: to accumlate, amass and assemble a collection over time. For a period, it was oversized watches and endless bracelets: aka,

EARSCAPE®

[ir-skāp] noun, verb: The art and science of personalized ear piercings and earring stacking, resulting in a form of unique self-expression.

the “wrist party,” coined by Leandra Medine. Then came piling on more and more necklaces, it never seemed to be enough, aka, the neck mess. But it’s always about what is new and next. A thoughtfully curated ear with proper piercings and stacked earrings, aka, earscaping, is what’s most asked for now. We have jewelers weigh in on what they’re seeing, and of course offering, from piercing parties to private concierge appointments at home to curate the perfect earscape.

LEFT: BY HEATHER DESMOND; MIDDLE: BY HALEY JORDON; RIGHT: BY JULIA D’AGOSTINO PIERCE

left: 79 Layers, Devon Woodhill and JL Rocks/Angular Hoop, Classic Chain Earring and Mini Huggie with Evil eye charm middle: First and second hole are 14k gold and blue topaz stones for $495/Pair. The third hole is solid yellow gold with colored gemstones and pave diamonds for $640/single. The fourth and fifth hole are 14k yellow gold bubble post earrings with prong-set diamonds and gemstones for $450/pair. The sixth and seventh hole are the gold baby heart stud earring for $350/pair right: Stoned Jewelry Concierge 14k Yellow Gold Small Chubby Hoops, $485 and “SUPERFINE” Diamond Infinity Hoops, $3500

L ROCKS

Jamie Camche, Founder

What We Do

“Styling the ear has become as natural as stacking the wrist. Our clients range from 10 and up requesting 14K studs, huggies, climbers, chains, charms, threaders and cuffs matched and mismatched in each ear in various gold colors and with or without diamonds depending on the layout of the piercings.”

This Season’s Statement Piece

“Our Double Huggies set the tone for the rest of the ear as this seasons centerpiece. On the average, most of the clients have two to three piercings per ear.“

JL Rocks

292 Post Rd E #2, Westport, CT (203) 454-4541

Monarch Market

Haley Kraut, Founder

What We Do:

“We take pride in offering a diverse range of earrings from various designers, ensuring our clients have a plethora of options to express their unique style. This helps showcase their individuality and personality.”

above: 10MM diamond huggies in  14-karat rose, white and yellow gold

above: Diamond Ear Cuffs, Bar Stud with diamonds, and Dot and Dash Hoop, all available at JL Rocks

above: Baguette Stud and Tamdem Link Earrings, all available at JL Rocks

above: Anchoring this all diamond look is a 14-karat gold single diamond mini spike hoop for $1550/pair, second hole is the diamond bezel mini huggie for $298/single, then the prong set diamond baguette huggie for $648/Single, fourth hole is the diamond trio stud for $398/single, fifth and final is the mini diamond flower stud for $645/Pair.

Haley Kraut

Jamie Camche

JL ROCKS PHOTOS BY HEATHER DESMOND; MONARCH MARKET PHOTOS BY HALEY JORDON

shop

How We Work

“Mixing various textures, settings, and styles, is the key to achieving an eye-catching and individualized ear. Combining studs, huggies, climbers, and ear cuffs allows us to mix and match earrings seamlessly. Multiple piercings provide a canvas for creativity, allowing us to blend different earring styles for a distinctive and personalized appearance.” to

This Season’s Statement Piece

“Elevate your style with our latest addition: Huggie Charms. These delightful charms provide a fresh and innovative approach to combining various pieces you may already have, allowing you to reinvent your look effortlessly. Whether you have a penchant for classic elegance, bohemian vibes, or bold statements, these charms seamlessly integrate into your existing earrings for a fresh and personalized look.”

From celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow to the chic set around town, every ear tells a unique story. As Haley Kraut of Monarch Market says, “Earrings are designed to help individuals narrate their own style journey. Here’s to embracing the art of mixing and matching!”

Monarch Market

236 Sound Beach Avenue

Old Greenwich, CT (203) 344-9533

and 30 Post Rd. E Westport, CT 06880 (203) 349-5167

STONED Jewelry Concierge

Sandra Rose, Co-Founder

Michelle Pollack, Co-Founder

What We Do

“We always loved the look of multiple piercings but found it difficult to achieve ourselves. We wanted new piercings, but with an earring we actually liked — not some placeholder. So with safety at the forefront we linked up with a reputable, and insured, piercer and started hosting our own piercing parties. Whether for large groups at popups around town or for intimate gatherings in clients’ homes, we bring our surgically sterilized collection of 14-karat gold and diamond studs and offer complimentary piercings with a purchase.”

This Season’s Statement Piece:

“Over the last four years or so we’ve seen a big shift of focus to the ear. It’s come alongside the new ’90s aesthetic that’s in fashion right now, but with a bit more of a feminine bent to it. Since we started hosting our piercing events we’ve done over 100 piercings on people aged eleven to sixty. It’s always so much fun and clients leave with a huge smile on their face. It’s addicting too: people often start with just one second hole the next thing you know, they gave six piercings in one ear.”

How We Work

“We approach earscaping in a couple different ways — some clients will shop quarterly for a complete refresh. We take out all their earrings and start from scratch; these are usually people who already have a good number of piercings, usually some that they did with us, but it’s always fun because we spread out in our office and get to play. The ear becomes a blank canvas and we can curate something totally new and fun incorporating new pieces that we’ve brought into the collection.”

“Others look for just a quick refresh, a new piece to swap in for a little change. Sometimes that means bringing in some color when the seasons change or being more daring and adding in a chain to up the coolness factor. It’s great to see the transformation, somehow even just one new earring can give you a little more pep in your step.”

people who already have a good number of earring can give you a little more pep in your step.”

STONED Jewelry Concierge

stonedjewelryconcierge.com

above: First hole is the Medium Double Sided Oval Sapphire and Diamond Hoop Earrings for $895/single. The second hole is the Double Prong Set Diamond Earring for $525/single. Then, the Mini Diamond Flower Stud for $322/single. Fourth hole is a Diamond Ear Cuff for $375.

above: Assorted Huggies and Charms starting from $195 each. Available at stonedjewelryconcierge.com

above: Assorted studs starting from $250. These and more available at stonedjewelryconcierge.com

Sandra Rose and Michelle Pollack

Spri ngTrends

The runway’s freshest picks are designed to make your wardrobe bloom!

BY HANNAH DEELY

STRIPES PASTELS CROPPED JACKETS

VESTS NEUTRALS JEWELRY

The Lineup

TWIST ON THE CLASSIC PREPPY

WHITE & WARREN Organic Cotton Sweater, $315, Darien; darien sportshop.com

KULE Cotton Blend Knit Sweater, $398; kule.com

LOUISA BALLOU Cotton Polo Maxi Dress, $550; net-a-porter.com

Sambae Leather Sneaker, $110; adidas.com

ISABEL MARANT Darwen Jacquard Tote, $295, Norwalk; nordstrom.com

HERE’S HOW TO PUT A SPORTY STRIPE THIS SPRING

ROSIE ASSOULIN High-Rise Maxi Skirt, $995; modaoperandi.com

PHILLIP LIM

shop

MANOLO BLAHNIK

Pretty Pastels

LOVESHACKFANCY Cotton Blend

Tweed Jacket, $595, Greenwich; loveshackfancy.com

SOFTEN UP YOUR SEASONAL

TORY BURCH

Patent Leather

Slingback Pumps, $925, Norwalk; nordstrom.com

OLIVER PEOPLES

Kienna Acetate Sunglasses, $440, Greenwich; oliverpeoples.com

WARDROBE WITH OUR PICKS THAT ARE AS SWEET AS SORBET

MONOGRAM MARY

Canvas Fringe Tote; $128 (including free monogram), Old Greenwich; monogrammary.com

ASHA BY ASHLEY

MCCORMICK Embroidered Linen Caftan, $495, Greenwich; ashabyadm.com

ULLA JOHNSON

Silk Kaia Dress, $1,390; ullajohnson.com

FRAME

Cinched V-Neck Blouse, $328, Greenwich; frame-store.com

shop

ARZANO

18K Yellow Gold

Pear Cut Diamond Ring, $3,630, Fairfield; hcreidjewelers.com

STEVEN FOX

Australian Opal and Diamond Platinum Drop Earrings, $37,500, Greenwich; stevenfoxjewelry.com

Summer Stunners

ADD ANY OF THESE

SPLURGE WORTHY JEWELS AND A GLASS OF ROSÉ—TO YOUR SPRING

WARDROBE AND ENJOY EFFORTLESS STYLE ALL SEASON

Diamond “North Star”

Pendant, $3,300, Greenwich; shrevecrumpandlow.com

manfredijewels.com

GOSHWARA

PETER SUCHY Pink And Green Tourmaline Earrings, $1,940, Stamford; petersuchy jewelers.com petersuchy

18K Yellow Gold Prasiolite and Malachite Oval Ring, Greenwich; betteridge.com

$2,600,

Jaipur Color 18K Yellow Gold And Multicolored Gemstone Necklace, $5,380, Greenwich;

VERDURA

Gold and Ceramic Sicily Bangles, $37,500 each, Greenwich; famille greenwich.com

JL ROCKS

14K Yellow Gold and Diamond Link Earrings, $1,200, Greenwich and Westport; jlrocks.com

DAVID YURMAN

Madison 18K Yellow Gold Chain Bracelet, $3,200; Westport, lbgreen.com

RUSS HOLLANDER MASTER GOLDSMITH

Aquamarine and Pear-Shaped Morganite With Amethyst in Handmade 18K White Gold Earrings, $12,500, Stamford; (203) 363-2200

Simply Neutral

IF YOUR PHILOSOPHY IS THAT LESS IS MORE, THEN THESE  UNDERSTATED LOOKS ARE FOR YOU

HERMES

$290, Greenwich; sunglasshut.com

Leather Atlantis GM Bag, louisvuitton.com

ISABEL MARANT Suede Lecce Wrap Belt, $295, Greenwich; saksfifthavenue.com

Suede Buckle Slide Sandal, $875, Westport; mitchells .mitchellstores.com

ARITZIA High-Waisted Crepe Cargo Pants, $148, Greenwich; aritzia.com

VERONICA BEARD Jax Button Front Twill Dress, $398, Greenwich; veronicabeard.com

$3,200; shop PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF STORES/BRANDS

Scan here for more great places to EAT & DRINK!

this photo: Shearwater Coffee Bar offers an array of pastries below left: Cabbages Cafe's menu features a variety of beverages and nourishments below right: Casa Me is open for both lunch, dinner and a seated bar

Café Culture

Whether you’re running in for a grab-and-go snack or sitting down to get some work done, these local cafés will have your back.

THE FIVE CHICEST SPOTS TO GRAB A CAPPUCCINO OR COLD BREW by lily caplan

1 || AYR BARNS

Ayr Barns opened their first brickand-mortar store in September 2023 at 1835 Post Road East, Westport. Ayr Barns is a chic lifestyle brand founded in 2019 by interior designer Becca Casey. In their flagship store is Cabbages Café, founder Becca Casey explains why she opened a café, “It was really important to me that this is a space of immersion. My hope is for each customer to cross through the threshold of our shop and smell the coffee in the air, as they peruse the shop for inspiration.” In 2024, Cabbages is looking forward to welcoming customers for their new Happy Hour where they will be “offering small apps and a crisp glass of wine as the temperatures warm up,” Casey said

Ayr Barns

1835 Post Rd E suite 6, Westport, CT (203) 292-3016

2 || GRANOLA BAR

The Granola Bar opened their flagship store in December 2013 in Westport, CT by Founders and friends Dana Noorily and Julie Mountain. In 2013, Noorily and Mountain founded TGB Hospitality Group which now consists of six restaurants, a catering business, food truck and restaurant consultancy. The Granola Bar

located in Playhouse Square has been a Westport staple ever since 2013. You can run in and grab a Nutella latte coffee and The Shrek smoothie or sit down for their famous chicken sandwich “The 203” or their signature avocado toast on artisanal sourdough from

4 || SHEARWATER COFFEE BAR

No wonder the coffee at Shearwater Coffee Bar is so delicious, it’s made

right here in Fairfield County. Shearwater Coffee Roasters was founded in 2013 and is up the road in Trumbull, CT. After four years operating as a roaster and distributing wholesale to restaurants, independent

Flour Water Salt Bread. Don’t worry if you sleep in, they have all day breakfast. In 2024, The Granola Bar will be opening a location on the Upper West Side in Manhattan

The Granola Bar 275 Post Rd E, Westport, CT (203) 557-0945

coffee shops and food markets, Ed Freedman launched the first Shearwater Coffee Bar in Fairfield. In 2019 he opened the Westport location. “After 10 years and roasting 500,000 pounds of organic coffee, we continue to demonstrate to the market our vision for high quality, delicious and healthy coffee,” Freedman said.

Shearwater Coffee Bar 833 Post Rd E, Westport, CT (203) 557-6046

5 || CASA ME

As spring approaches and we return to Al fresco dining, a slice of Italy will be waiting for you at Casa Me. Casa Me triples as a café, restaurant and bar. In October 2022 Casa Me opened their doors with a

3 || STUDIO CAFE

Studio Café is located adjacent to The Tailored Home by Jhon Ortiz in Sconset Square. Jhon Ortiz and Scott Falciglia, both interior and furniture designers, opened Studio Café to create a space that is both casual and over-the-top at the same time. The atmosphere was inspired by Spanish influence and maximalism. The menu includes all-day breakfast, sandwiches, entrees and empanadas. Scott shared Studio Café's goals, "Our goals [are] to inspire people to eat whole foods and to always be a place that brings cheer through hospitality, food and design," he said.

Studio Café

15 Myrtle Ave, Westport, CT (203) 292-9111

classic Italian menu. All items are made with the finest simple ingredients that have been carefully sourced from the best farms and vendors in Italy. Day or night they pride themselves with providing an authentic Italian ambience, “Our

mission was to transport our guests to an Italian holiday where the feeling is effortlessly chic,” said founders Mario Fontana and Pina Ferlisi.

Casa Me

7 Sconset Square, Westport, CT (203) 571-3230

HOW SWEET!

NEW YORK’S CULT FOLLOWED LADY WONG PASTERIES ARE NOW DELIVERABLE TO YOUR CT. DOOR!

by samantha yanks

Samantha Yanks: Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind Lady Wong?

Seleste Tan: The inspiration behind Lady Wong comes from our deep roots in Southeast Asian cuisine and our desire to introduce these vibrant flavors to a wider audience.

We found an unexpected opportunity when the pandemic led to the temporary closure of our workplaces. It was Lunar New Year, and we longed for the traditional pastries of our Malaysian childhood.  With extra time on our hands, we began crafting traditional Southeast Asian-inspired pastries and delivering them to friends and family. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we began formalizing our deliveries within the CT/Westchester area. It became so popular that we decided to open a brick and mortar store in New York City's East

Village in 2022, where we honed our offerings to not only include traditional Southeast Asian flavors but modernized execution using a French culinary technique, in which both Mogan and I had been trained.  Customers were going wild for the unique flavors like Pandan, an Indonesian vanilla, and tangy calamansi and passionfruit curd.

Within just one year, we received many accolades from top press. Eater named Lady Wong "the hottest bakeries in NYC right now” and the New York Times named our Black Sesame Cake, “One of the best dishes they ate in 2022,” among others.

We began seeing people travel all over the country to try our pastries, which planted the seeds of ideas for future expansion to nationwide shipping and delivery even outside of New York City.

above: An assortment of cakes offered at Lady Wong featuring the best-selling Calamansi & Passionfruit cake (Left), Salted Coconut Sugar Caramel Cake (Center) and the Pandan Pistachio Royaltine (Right) below: Seleste Tan and Mogan Anthony are the husband and wife duo behind Lady Wong

SY: Share with us a bit about your backgrounds.

Mogan Anthony: I am originally from Northern Malaysia, and Seleste is from Southern Malaysia. She's a talented pastry chef, and I specialize in savory cuisine. We met at the Four Seasons Singapore, where I worked frontof-house and Seleste was a pastry chef. We spent a decade there before moving to New York City, where we both spent many years within five-star hotels, resorts, and Michelin-starred restaurants, such as Jean Georges and Wylie Dufresne's WD-50.

Together, we worked together at Village Social Group with restaurants in Rye, Pleasantville, and Mount Kisco and New Canaan. I have (and still) work as the culinary directory while Seleste has handled pastries for the restaurant group.

SY: You have just launched delivery to Connecticut and Westchester. What prompted that?

MA: Launching delivery to Connecticut and Westchester was a natural progression for us. In a way, it has allowed us to get back to how we initially started during the pandemic when we only delivered locally, albeit now as an extension of our full-service bakery in the East Village. Now being able to deliver to our initial customers' doorsteps, without having to go in the city, has certainly been a bonus for them.

We look forward to expanding our clientele and give this area something they've been missing — a special occasion cake or pastry at the center of their table and conversation.  It’s something different than most of the traditional bakeries in the area, which focus on children’s cakes or other more traditional offerings.  While we also love those spots for the right time and occasion, we think there’s a need within the market for a sophisticated and elevated cake that would be something luxurious enough for special occasions but approachable enough to have everyday. We also offer catering for parties, which has already excited many clients, wanting a unique conversation

piece and elevated sweets offering to their gatherings and special occasions.

Our priority is to make these Southeast Asian flavors accessible to everyone and to share our love for friendly, approachable flavors with the community.

SY: Talk to us about some of your key flavors.

ST: Some of our standout flavors include pandan, passion fruit, sour plum, ube, calamansi and durian keep customers wanting to try more, while colorful shades of lilac, mint green or poppy red serve as iconic styles of the shop.

Pandan, which is a traditional Indonesian vanilla, is featured in one of our bestselling cakes, Pandan Royaltine. It’s a crowd favorite and one of my favorites, too. In the beginning, many customers did not know what Pandan was, so it was really fun to introduce people to this traditional Southeast Asian flavor.  We added pistachio to it within this cake, in addition to Valrhona White chocolate and a coconut Anglaise mousse.  It’s a fragrant and delicious cake.

MA: One of my favorites is the Calamandi cake. It is also one of our best-selling cakes.  It has the tanginess of a key lime cake but uses passion fruit yuzu to give it its tang. Combined with a buttercream frosting with coconut (almost like a tangy Pina Colada).  It’s a cake probably most traditionally aligned with a traditional American-style cake, however, like our other cakes, it tends to be less sweet but is packed with a lot of flavors.

SY: What are some of the most popular pastries you are highlighting for delivery?

ST: For delivery, we are highlighting our whole cakes, which include best-selling cakes as well as cakes and desserts that will change by season and limited edition offerings for holidays. Additionally, platters featuring a mixture of Lady Wong's traditional and modernized treats, are available for online ordering. For more information and to place orders, customers can visit ladywong.com.

“The inspiration behind Lady Wong comes from our DEEP ROOTS IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN CUISINE cuisine and our desire to introduce these VIBRANT FLAVORS to a wider audience.”

SELESTE TAN

above this image: The Strawberry Guava cake features strawberry compote and guava marmalade surrounded by a velvet cream cheese mousse on top of an almond sponge cake

below: The Black Sesame Passionfruit Entremet features a black sesame mousse centered with passion fruit caramel over a chocolate sable

below: The Uji Matcha Cherry Mille Crêpes has diverse flavor profiles of matcha with handmade crêpes layered with matcha pastry cream and featuring Zinfandel red wine cherries

Inside Wilton’s Historic Hidden Gem

CELEBRATING THREE YEARS OF HOSPITALITY WITH BALDANZA AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE

by jennifer pupa schwartz

Ten years ago, when Angela and Sandy Baldanza pivoted from the fashion industry to hospitality, they never thought that their restaurant would one day host a Friendsgiving celebration formed by a group of regulars in the Baldanza’s very-own restaurant. But with their team, the couple has cultivated a cult-following among a devoted clientele who moved with them to Wilton when their first restaurant in New Canaan shuttered in 2020.

This August, Baldanza at the Schoolhouse will celebrate its 3rd anniversary in Cannondale

Village, Wilton. The story of Fairfield County’s historic hidden gem begins with a passion for hospitality and how it comes to life for its guests, who in turn have helped to build this tight-knit community.

“Everyone is taken care of here,” says Angela, referring to the intimate space offered by this historic Wilton schoolhouse. It enables the couple to pay attention to the smallest details from the seasonal menu with local Liuzzi cheese to the Juliska tableware and fresh flowers at every table. The Schoolhouse and its picturesque location

left: The historic schoolhouse at Cannondale station is home to a seasonal farm-to-table menu right: Specials are offered daily to delight guests with what's in season below: Angela and Sandy Baldanza offer a warm welcome to their guests daily

also offered Angela and Sandy an exciting opportunity to continue serving their loyal guests, while introducing Baldanza to an influx of new residents who moved to Fairfield County at the peak of the pandemic.

An evening at Baldanza is an immersive experience — evocative of a Nancy Meyers movie filmed in the heart of New England — but only 15 minutes from downtown Westport. Nestled next to the Cannondale train station off Route 7, the restaurant overlooks the Norwalk River with a wall of windows to offering diners unobstructed views. Pulling into the Schoolhouse, guests get a feeling of Connecticut’s quintessential “country living” despite the fact that the drive is shorter than a trip to Target.

“Service is the most important part of every restaurant. Guests come for the food but they come back for the way we treat our guests,” says Sandy, who with Angela, is at the restaurant most evenings. Upon a recent visit, the server had greeted and welcomed me before I had even arrived at the door. The entryway, which doubles as a small service bar, features a curated selection of high-end spirits such as Monkey 47 gin and Carpano Antica vermouth that would garner the approval of the finest bartender (and make a luxurious negroni!). Baldanza’s hospitality is exemplified by its carefully selected wine list which offers a generous selection by the glass, including exceptional champagnes. And if you feel like partaking in the restaurant’s collection of rare and unique wines, there is a treasured collection with some priced in the thousands.

Open Wednesday through Sunday for brunch and dinner, Baldanza’s farm-to-table menu is anchored in seasonal ingredients that highlight

New American and Italian cuisines. With only 36 seats, reservations are suggested, especially on weekends. In warm weather, arrive early for a drink on the patio which overlooks the Norwalk River. It’s the perfect spot to have an aperitivo while planning how to enjoy the menu. Upon ordering, must-have starters such as the beet salad, fritto misto, Baldanza’s famous meatball and the hand cut ahi tuna, are beloved by regulars.

Guests should not overlook Baldanza’s pastas, many of which are freshly made in-house, including the pappardelle used for the luscious Pappardelle Bolognese. Also consider the latest ravioli, a hit featured as Lobster Ravioli in the Holiday 2023 season. If you’re having trouble deciding between pastas and entrees, the Baldanzas have it figured out for you: the Tomahawk Veal Siciliana, served with fresh tagliatelle, of course. Every night, the specials menu is used to test new ideas, so consider trying something and offering the Baldanza team your opinion — they welcome your feedback.

In addition to forming a tight-knit family with its loyal regulars, Baldanza at the Schoolhouse plays host to critical members of the community,

from an opening dinner for Ambler Farm to Wilton and Weston’s respective Women's Leagues. As a result of Baldanza’s carefully selected menu, special location and hightouch hospitality, the restaurant has become a cornerstone in the community, which has truly given Baldanza a sense of purpose. “We’ve created a special atmosphere,” says Angela recounting the November 2023 Friendsgiving celebration organized by a group of six regulars. Whether you’re a loyal or new guest, we are all grateful to have this treasure in our community and look forward to toasting its anniversary. See you on the patio. Cheers! W

AN ANNIVERSARY TOAST

A cousin of the famed Cosmopolitan, this is a cranberry spinoff which, like it's relative, is always in style.

schoolhouse cranberry martini

1 1/2 oz. Tito’s vodka

1 oz. dry white vermouth

3 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice

1 oz. ginger simple syrup

1/2 oz. lime juice

Fresh cranberries, to garnish Lime wedge & Lemon twist, to garnish

left: Pappardelle Bolognese with fresh pasta made in-house right: Attention is paid to every detail to offer a warm, quintessential Connecticut dining experience.

left: Baldanza's Tomahawk Veal Siciliana is a modern way to experience this classic dish

money matters

BY CAROL LEONETTI DANNHAUSER

TIPS FROM THE FAMILY OFFICE

The world’s wealthiest families aren’t scurrying around in March and April looking for their tax forms. They’ve got people for that. And if the family’s balance sheet tops $100 million, they probably have an entire Family Office, which includes dedicated financial advisers, tax pros, trust and estate attorneys, and insurance advisers.

Eliot Bassin, a Certified Public Accountant who works with high-

net-worth clients in Fairfield County and beyond, calls this supporting cast “the Core Four,” and he believes that every family, regardless of their level of wealth, can benefit from a similar group of pros.

In a Family Office or MultiFamily Office, professionals unite around a family’s articulated goals. Financial advisers manage investments, CPAs handle tax planning, trust and estate attorneys safeguard assets over the long term, insurance advisers protect it all. This effort doesn’t come cheap. Maintaining a Family Office can cost $1 million or more each year.

“It’s an integrated approach to planning,” integration being the key to its success, says Bassin, a Certified Public Accountant and partner with FML CPAs in Stamford.

While many folks here in lower Fairfield County, regardless of their net worth, do enlist help from financial advisers, CPAs, attorneys and the like, many do so only when

a service is needed, such as calling a CPA at tax time, or meeting an estate attorney when making out a will.

In the process, the family’s financial undertakings tend to “be less integrated,” Bassin says. “By waiting until they actually have to make a change, they might be missing out on opportunities along the way.”

He suggests a cohesive, collective, proactive effort to assemble your team of trusted professionals, “before you anticipate the need.” In other words, pick up the phone or the mouse and introduce your various advisers to each other.

How you structure a business or your real estate holdings or your investment accounts today, will significantly affect how you might transfer that wealth to the next generation. It might not seem pressing or even relevant now, but if your ventures prove successful and lucrative (and more complex), your decisions today are critical.

Bassin willingly connects with his

THE CORE FOUR IN ACTION

clients’ advisers along the way. “It’s one way that we get to understand clients and to know what they’re trying to accomplish. I have a client right now whose financial adviser I speak with once every three or four weeks.” Together they stay on top of impending issues; for example, discussing capital gains options like gifting and gift-tax exemptions well before the year’s end.

Getting your team on the same page can be a challenge if you don’t actually know what you and your family are trying to accomplish. Begin by determining your goals, values and challenges, then you and your Core Four can work toward integrating a strategy. While you could navigate this effort by yourself, “sometimes it’s hard to piece things together,” Bassin says. Your team members, though, deal with issues like this each day; they can educate you so that you won’t make a rash decision. “They can get you to think about things you might not think about on your own,” Bassin says.

A local couple came to CPA Eliot Basin with a noble wish: to sell their $1.5 million home to their children, to finance the mortgage themselves, and to forgive a substantial portion of their kids’ loan. What was the best way to proceed?

Basin gathered two other members of the couple’s team—their financial adviser and their trust and estate attorney—and got to work. Together, the group analyzed the couple’s investments and retirement accounts, helped determine how much the pair needed in annual cash flow to live on comfortably, ascertained the amount of principal and interest they could gift to their kids without exceeding gift tax exemptions, spelled out what would happen if they were to die still owning the house, and more. In the process, they removed the house from the couple’s estate so that they wouldn’t exceed Connecticut’s $13.61 million cap.

Eliot Bassin

people&PLACES

OKA x Palomino Interiors

OKA hosted their Holiday fête event on Nov. 7 in collaboration with Palomino Interior Design. OKA Co-Founder and Creative Director Sue Jones and Kate Ferguson of Palomino hosted the evening at the flagship Westport store. The event had tablescaping, faux flower arranging and calligraphy by Karri Lee Designs. The evening was in support of the New Canaan Community Foundation. »

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELANI LUST

OKA x PALOMINO INTERIOR DESIGN HOLIDAY FÊTE / OKA, Westport

1 Sarah Van Zanten, Christy Quinn, Molly Patton 2 Terri Reilly, Roberta Anderson 3 Karri Lee 4 Jenny Zoog, Alicia Meyer, Jennifer Dorington

5 Gabriella Mays, Meghan Boswell, Megan Gagnon, Sue Jones, Kate Ferguson, Susan Benedetti, Sophie White, Taylor Anne Crane, Elizabeth Ethridge McGann 6 OKA shoppers 7 Erin Kestenbaum, Susan Petrie, Kate Ferguson 8 Hannah Warriner, Claire Doyle 9 Tara Kelly, Tara White

people

All Fired Up

For nearly two decades, Moffly Media’s Light a Fire Awards have celebrated the unsung heroes in our community who go above and beyond to help those in need. This year, actor/director James Naughton once again hosted the evening, bringing his wit and grace to the stage of the Westport Country Playhouse. The sponsors that made the event possible were Karl Chevrolet, Coastal Bridge Advisors and Cummings & Lockwood. Honorees represented the incredible work of longstanding nonprofits such as the Make a Wish Foundation and the Fairfield County Community Foundation, as well as grassroots organizations including the Undies Project, the Loved Movement and Greenwich Point Conservancy. Each of them reminds us that one person can indeed make a difference. W

LIGHT A FIRE / Westport Country Playhouse

1 Melinda Anderson, Megan Gagnon, Samantha Yanks, Eileen Murphy, Gina Fusco 2 Jeff Calapos, Deirdre Childs, Jeff Fuhrman, Jim Pratt-Heamey 3 Leslee Assch, Barbara OrmerodGlynn 4 Elena Moffly, Ken and Cindy Friedrichson 5 Jonathan Moffly, Leo Karl 6 John and Lucy Langley, Laura and Edgar Delaflor 7 Alex, Jill and Tom Robey 8 James Naughton, Rob Russo 9 Gabriella Pannunzio, Debra Fram, Eric Schwartz, Claire Furlin

10 Chris Franco, Susie Baker, Rachel Franco 11 Sandy Herman, Donna Moffly, Lisa Mandel 12 Jessie Gilbert, Cristin Marandino, Gabriella Mays 13 Carlos, Liz and Jeff Salguero 14 Michael and Kathy Walsh, Claire and Thomas Gallagher 15 Jeanne Sikaitis, Jennifer Lau, Andrew Lau 16 Bill and Paula Tommins 17 Patty, Jay, Barbara and Jake Richards 18 Adriana Podesta, Barbara Kestenbaum, Margarita Zimmerman, Sarita Hanley, Walter Stewart, Eva Lopezreyman 19 Allyson and Scott Gottleib 20 Pam Keogh, Cathy Laporta, Kim Pugh, Robyn and Adam Whittingham, Rose and Bob Folds

Love, Actually

The real-life love story of Jordan and Shae Cornette is a magnificent cross-country adventure of a sports-anchor couple building a family right here in Connecticut.

Sit down with Shae and Jordan Cornette, and you are bound to hear about how much they love our community: their love of local cafés (yes, they know all the owners by name); sports, sports and more sports; but the topic that emerges most is family. Their move from Chicago to Connecticut challenged and rewarded their growing family with job opportunities, the birth of two children and a new puppy named Kobe. We join the couple at home with their family to discuss in greater detail what they love about where they live, and what they are looking for next. Spoiler alert: They love Connecticut too much to move away, although a new home might be on the horizon.

Samantha Yanks: Shae and Jordan, tell us a bit about how you two met.

Shae Cornette: Jordan and I met when we were working together in Chicago. We had known each other for years, became close friends and finally went on a date. Naturally, when you are close friends with someone, dating moves a lot quicker. You already know each other in and out, and I still feel that way. He’s still my best friend and sometimes he knows what I need better than I do.

Jordan Cornette: The genesis of how met, ironically, plays a large role in why we work to this day. We cultivated a strong friendship that over time morphed into a relationship. So, the “bones were good.” Shae’s a big country music fan, and that’s a line lifted from a song. Simply put, we truly enjoy one another. Pardon the cliche, but she truly is my best friend. As Shae mentioned, we met in the workplace, so that also added a dynamic that certainly called for patience and allowing for the proper moment to take the next step. And when that moment presented itself, I took full advantage of it.

SY: How did you end up living in Connecticut?

SC: Jordan received a job offer from ESPN which required him to move to Connecticut; they are headquartered in Bristol. He received the offer while on his bachelor party, a month before our wedding, and things moved pretty quickly after that. Therefore, our first few months of marriage had its challenges. He was living here and I was wrapping up work

covering the Bears in Chicago. We were longdistance and trying to sort out our life from afar with a lot of newness.

JC:  The bachelor party included a few more stiff drinks after the news that our lives were going to be uprooted from the Midwest and we were eastbound. My wife comes from a massive family, they all live in Chicago. I knew the pending news was not ideal for a new marriage, but I knew navigating it would be feasible because my wife is always down for an adventure. It’s never ordinary for us.

SY: Before we chat about family, what are your kids’ names?

SC: Joey, Saylor and Carter. Our dog is an English Cream Golden named Kobe, she was born the day Kobe Bryant died.

SY: What do you love about raising your growing family here?

JC: We have met some very good people. That puts you at immediate ease when moving to a foreign place. The relationships we have built mean a great deal to Shae and I. These friends have been a part of some big moments in our life, most notably, the births of two of our children. That makes them very special to us. They are part of our story.  We love living near water. The landscape, the aesthetic of Connecticut is second to none. Also, I could never go without The Granola Bar in my life. Dana, Julie and their team are top-shelf. That is a part of our daily

routine that I don’t ever want to go without! It’s no wonder they are taking the east coast by storm. Salt of the earth people, that made us feel at home from day one.

SC: There is so much to do here with the kids! Coming from the city of Chicago, I was hesitant to move to a suburb, but I am truly so grateful for everything this area has to offer. The restaurants, the shopping, the beach (which is a game changer) and, of course, the ability to hop on a train to New York City. That said, if I’m being honest, it has been tough living here with our entire family still residing in the Midwest everywhere from Chicago to Wisconsin and Cincinnati. With small children and jobs that are never 9-5, it is a challenge. Luckily, we have become fast friends with some wonderful people who love our kids!

SY: Tell us a bit about each of your kids, and what you love to do with them locally.

SC: I’ll start with my two-and-a-half-year-old, Joey. He is named after my husband’s late brother Joel, who was also called Joey. Little Joey is such a character. He has the most loving soul, but do not get in his way if he’s tired or hungry. That loving soul will put you in your place faster than you can give him meatballs; his favorites are from Sophie’s Pizza Bar in Fairfield or Emmy’s Squared Pizza in Westport. He loves cars and trucks so if there’s a local touch-a-truck, we will be there! We also like to walk along Compo Beach and go to the park there with the kids. Joey goes to school in Westport a few days a week so after we drop him off we always stop at The Granola Bar for breakfast or coffee.

Next is our one-year-old, Saylor. She is just starting to come into her own. Saying only “Dada,” and she is always happy. She is slightly more dramatic and loves her play purses.

“Say Say,” as we call her, goes to music class in Westport at HartBeeps, which is adorable, especially for little girls. She also loves to go on walks and hang out on the swings. Both my kids love smoothies at GG & Joe. The Boss Lady smoothie is the best IMO and makes everyone happy.

And our oldest is Carter who is 16. Carty lives in Florida with his mom and is a State Champion swimmer. He is the most patient and loving big brother to his much younger siblings, and they absolutely adore him. He

top left: Saylor Cornette

top right: Joey Cornette

bottom left:

Carter Cornette

bottom right:

Kobe Cornette

is constantly telling us about the cool things in the world and life hacks, thanks to TikTok. Carty loves Molto in Fairfield for their Penne alla Vodka, Mecha Noodle Bar and A&S Deli’s Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich, which he gets toasted with mozzarella.

JC: Joey has a big personality. I see so much of Shae in him. He has never met a stranger. He is a social butterfly with an unrelenting curiosity about him that I find so refreshing. I love watching him discover the world in real time. I wish I could keep him at this age forever. I love taking him for donuts. If you want to see joy in its most pure form, present my son with a sprinkled donut.

Saylor is my little warrior princess. She is equal parts determined, stubborn, princessy, and strong. She can already hold her own with Joey and I love to see it. She loves to swing at that playground. She loves to get in the stroller and go for walks.

My first born, Carter, is a teenager. So he is teaching me about the world. In all seriousness, the evolution of our relationship as he grows into a young man is so fun. We are best friends. He was born in my early 20s so I grew up with him. I became the man I am because of him. He is becoming quite the swimmer, but I am most proud of the son and big brother he is. He is an impressive kid. I am so proud of who he is and who he is becoming.

SY: Let’s talk a bit about work. Share with us a bit about your professional backgrounds.  JC: I went to The University of Notre Dame, played hoops there for four years. I got injured post-college and my professional dreams were cut short. I transitioned into the TV business, and cut my teeth in Chicago. I started behind the scenes in production before jumping in front of the camera. I’ve been lucky to wear a lot of hats on air that included everything from being a morning TV host to doing DIY segments, interviewing politicians and celebrities and finally to sports radio which ultimately led to me getting the call from ESPN, which brought us east. I am now working as a host/analyst for NBC Sports nationally and I am loving the team and the gig.

SC: I went to Indiana University and then ended up at Big Ten Network soon after they launched, once I graduated. I built my resume from there. Some/most were small jobs, but

I just tried to gain experience anywhere I could. I landed at Campus Insiders, which is now Stadium, and also where Jordan and I worked together. From there I went to Fox 32 Chicago covering all the major sports. While we were dating, Jordan was working at ESPN Radio in Chicago in addition to his other gigs. When he left to move to Connecticut, and I was still in Chicago, I took over his role and broadened my radio horizons. When I moved to Connecticut, I was working at SiriusXM

NFL Radio, which then led me to ESPN. This business is hard and can be a roller coaster, you just have to enjoy the ride because there are going to be ups and downs. I now host SportsCenter on ESPN at 2 p.m., which is truly a dream job.

SY: You ended up working together at ESPN. How was that?

SC: Jordan is the reason I am at ESPN. He basically begged ESPN to give me a shot on

above: The Cornette family of six, can’t forget Kobe!

a radio show with him and then we never looked back. He has always believed in me, and I am forever grateful that he is my person. He and I have something special when we are on-air together, for obvious reasons. We get each other in every way and obviously know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We loved, truly loved, doing radio together once a week. There was a period of time where we were working Monday through Friday together and that was challenging. Not because we don’t love being around each other, but it is hard to work, live, raise kids, and constantly breathe the same air 24/7. It wasn’t good for us, and we were both happy to move past that. I miss the Cornettes on radio, there were countless people who would reach out to us and say how relatable our fights or agreements were, or just enjoyed the female/ male pairing.

SY: Things changed drastically during the pandemic for you. Talk to us about that evolution.

SC: Well we had a new puppy and a new home and were finally both under the same roof as a married couple when everything shut down. It was actually a really fun time for us because we didn’t have kids yet, and we really enjoyed putting our house together and going for walks, and more walks, around every area in our new community. I am not exaggerating when I say the few friends we made, we made on walks during the pandemic. We just wanted to explore. That’s also probably why we are constantly wanting to go out for dinner, because we couldn’t for the first year! We love learning about the community and especially about the culinary experiences the area has to offer.

JC: We truly bunkered in during that time and built our life. We made our house a home, got our Kobe girl, and had our first child together. It was such a weird time in the world, but it strengthened us. It was like, all we have is us out here in this foreign place, there was something very intimate about that. I was grateful I had my person during such a scary and isolating moment in our world.

SY: Shae, you took a step back to focus on family, health and faith. That was very rewarding for you.

SC: As I mentioned earlier, being away from our families can be a challenge, however,

being in Connecticut has brought Jordan and I so close. We really only have each other. We rely on each other  for truly everything— therefore, our relationship has grown in ways most couples don’t experience. I also try my absolute hardest to not let my job, or our jobs, swallow us. It’s very easy in our business to want to do every big game or big assignment, but I, and I know Jordan feels the same, try really hard to remember that our kids are little and this time is precious. The Super Bowl will come every year and I don’t need to work seven days in a row anymore.

SY: You both have a passion for sports. How does that weave into your personal and professional lives today?

SC: Ha! This is sometimes tricky because there are nights we despise sports and others where we are fighting over which game to watch due to where we both have to be the next day. Turning work “off” is tricky when we both cover multiple sports. I can’t wait to see how he answers this! But I do enjoy watching games together, unless it’s the Bears or the Hoosiers because he never roots for my teams!

CJ: We are very driven and determined people that enjoy hard work and the results that come from that. So naturally it is hard to turn it off, but sports are merely our job, not our identity. So when we recognized the need to leave work at work, the adjustment was seamless. We can find fun in anything, so it’s never felt like a challenge to push that part of us to the side.

Love Is Blind and Vanderpump Rules, we have our mindless television escapes as well. And we are also big Dateline NBC, 20/20, 48 HRS mystery people. So we are good.

SY: As we look ahead, you have some very exciting plans on the horizon in terms of moving. Brokers take note, what are you looking for?

CJ:  A neighborhood, closer to the water, close to town. We like our family walks for coffee.

SC: Truthfully, we just want to be closer to the water. This is what we don’t have in the midwest so we want to enjoy it! We love Fairfield. We really enjoy going to Fairfield University basketball games and the downtown and the beaches are the best. We also love Westport and are there equally as much! It will just come down to what we can find. This area is such a hot-bed!

THE CORNETTE FAMILY’S MISSION

Can you tell us about the Joel Cornette Foundation?

SC: Outside of our family, we both have a hand in the Joel Cornette Foundation. I’ll let my husband talk more about this but this is a foundation that honors my late brother-in-law who died suddenly of cardiac arrest in 2016 at age 35. All the proceeds go to research that will hopefully save the next young athlete from this kind of tragedy. We have a major golf outing and then a few smaller events every year. It’s important to all of us to keep his memory alive.

CJ: The Foundation is our life’s work. My brother was such a special light in the world and when he suddenly passed it forever changed me and so many others. I vowed to spend my life honoring him, he was beloved by so many. He did so much in his 35 years that I want to make sure that impact continues on. Our annual golf outing is a blast back in Ohio where I grew up.  A lot of fun pop culture celebs, athletes, and sports media personalities show up to support. It’s become an annual summer event to look forward to in my hometown. Im proud of that, we are raising money for an important cause and furthering my brother’s legacy of good.

How To Get Involved

thejoelcornettefoundation.org

by tom connor

The

CALL of the WILD

This spring, as native and ornamental grasses continue to replace demanding lawns, borders of pollinator plants and islands of wildly colorful fl owers are signaling all creatures—including us—back to nature. Here, local landscape experts share just how our gardens grow in 2024.

one of the great natural pleasures of spending time outside on warm spring and summer evenings is listening to the free outdoor concerts performed by the All-Star, All-Insect, All-Night Orchestra. This gardening season, as members of the rhythm section—the tree crickets and land crickets, the cicadas and katydids—magically appear, the big band promises to crank up the volume and be in full swing for the first time in decades.

That’s because all across Fairfield County, many of the top landscape architects and designers have been preaching best practices to an increasingly committed congregation of environmentally conscious homeowners.

While buffalo grass and other native and ornamental grasses are kicking Kentucky blue and fescue off golfclub-like lawns (or at least out of sections of them), pollinator plants and brightly colored flowers are attracting birds, bees, butterflies and other creatures by the kabillions.

At the same time, paradoxically, something of a return to order and formality is underway, and why not? There’s a hard, clean look to arborvitae walls and boxwood borders, precisely edged garden islands and shrubs sharply pruned into statuesque topiary. They’re complementing both modern houses and formal mansions but also providing a kind of architectural structure for disorderly rows of perennials and annuals.

Which is not to say the backyard is no longer the place to chill after long, hot, summer days. Popular this year are plunge pools—small, shallow respites to soothe and restore sore bodies.

From Greenwich to Westport homeowners are heeding the call of the wild, staying true to tradition and taking care of themselves as well as their garden companions.

Where the Wild Things Are

For decades Fairfield County homeowners have been obsessed with golf course–quality grounds. Blame can be laid on Thomas Jefferson, whose Monticello estate boasted one of the earliest American manicured lawns. Since he set that style, cultivated grasses have dominated suburban yards as well.

In the past few years, however, a number of local landscape designers have convinced customers to go native instead.

Wesley Stout Design Associates, a New Canaan landscape design firm, has installed native and ornamental grasses both at the residential and the commercial level for environmental reasons: “It’s staggering the amount of water bluegrass turf grasses require,” founder Wes Stout says. “It takes a full swimming pool to water a typical yard for a week!”

For a large commercial property in the area, the firm removed every blade of traditional turf grass and replaced it with species like Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a prairie grass admired for its cool-hued color during the summer months and reddish-bronze tones in autumn. (“Skipper” butterflies like it, to boot.) It demands little watering, thereby aiding local reservoirs, and though it can grow up to three feet high by fall, lawns planted in the grass need to be cut back just several times a season.

Other designers confirm the trend’s rise. Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich has reported an uptick in orders for native seeds and plantings as well as perennial meadow garden material.

“People are using their spaces differently,” notes Maggie Bridge, a partner in the family firm that has been on the same North Street parcel since King George I of England bestowed it as a land grant in the 1600s. “Where traditionally you would see a giant lawn, we're now starting to see more requests for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens.”

(Pollinators are plants that attract insects which, in turn, transfer pollen from one plant to another. Here in the Northeast, they include milkweed, sunflowers and wildflowers, sweet alyssum, black-eyed Susans and some zinnias and verbena, as well as many herbs.)

At the Chelsea Flower Show in London last May, Sandy Lindh of English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich took note of a turn toward the rewilding of formal English gardens and a more naturalistic approach to landscape design. Back in Greenwich, she found her customers requesting the same. Last year, her company installed some half-dozen pollinator gardens in addition to open meadows of wildflowers.

“I think [homeowners] are beginning to realize that we need to make space for nature and that having pollinator-friendly flower beds with no chemicals is the way to go,” Lindh says. This spring she’s encouraging clients to reduce their lawn footage and expand their blooming plots.

Other options exist, however unnaturally. For the father of three very active young boys, who was tired of patching the back lawn, Lindh tore it up and, in its place, laid a quarter-acre of Astroturf. It’s not beneficial for the bees— or some say even the knees. Yet it’s so lowmaintenance that perhaps we’ll see the rise of these truly “no mow” yards in the coming years?

Silent Spring

In keeping with some landscape designers’ preference for electric leaf blowers and the “No Noise” ordinance that went into effect in the state last October, these wild lawnsubstitutes are, in effect, silencing commercial mowers to combat noise. They’re also helping reduce air pollution since big, multi-wing, gaspowered rigs operate outside of EPA emissions regulations.

“People are using their spaces differently. We're now starting to see more requests for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens.”

Maggie Bridge,Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich

right and below Native grasses and gardens planted like full-of-life meadows are taking up space alongside—and sometimes even replacing— traditional manicured lawns.

below Insectattracting pollinators are all abuzz for spring and summer.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GRASSES AND POOL

NEIL LANDINO; BEES AND WILD FLOWERS © ALEKSANDRSTOCK.ADOBE.COM

“The appeal is socialization. With the heater on in cooler weather, you can get in there and wallow with your friends all year round."

Sandy Lindh, English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich

this page Posh pools boast sun shelves, heating units for winter and plunge options for cold immersion therapy. opposite Flowers are the ultimate accessory in well-appointed vegetable gardens.

During the peak summer season, according to Stout, “the commercial lawn mower that’s going around your two-acre yard every week is the equivalent of something like 18 automobiles on the road.”

Like him, Heather O’Neill of Second Nature Landscape Design in Norwalk encourages clients to incorporate native grasses, pollinators and other thoughtful plantings on their properties. But she’s also keenly aware of Fairfield County sensibilities.

“Replacing a lawn either in part or whole with native and ornamental grasses is great on paper, but a lot of homeowners want green grass that looks like a putting green,” she says. “We're trying to do the best of both worlds.”

O’Neill also adds that native seed and plants can be more expensive than non-natives and remains skeptical of any immediate widespread adoption of battery-powered leaf blowers due to their perceived inefficiency compared to their gas or electric counterparts.

But on one thing homeowners throughout the county have needed no convincing—filling their properties with tons of flowers. Maybe it’s the lingering gloom hangover of the pandemic driving the trend, but bold, bright colors are widely believed to bring joy and signal hope. If that’s the case, we’re in for a joyous, hopeful gardening season.

Rainbow Valley

Late last fall, O’Neill’s crew planted thousands of bulbs on a three-acre property in backcountry Greenwich to appease the owner’s seemingly insatiable desire for continuous color.

From earliest spring to late in the fall, the property is lined with blooming borders, even down to the edge of a pond, and dotted with blossoming islands. The plantings have enticed legions of insects, amphibians and reptiles to feel at home, as well as at least one bald eagle O’Neill spotted on one of her regular visits to the property.

“Honeybees are swarming over the flowers,” she says, “and there are tons of fish and frogs and more snakes than I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s as if St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland and they came to Greenwich!”

Flowers are also being mixed into vegetable gardens, bringing visual sustenance to the dinner table.

At Homefront Farmers in Redding, towering sunflowers line the edges of the handsome raised and fenced gardens the company constructs for clients. “We’ve always grown

a lot of native plants that we intermix into our vegetable gardens, but more people are asking for them today,” says Miranda Gould, Homefront’s director of client operations.

Dahlias, the large-headed, showy members of the family of flowers that includes sunflowers, chrysanthemums and zinnias, are the prima donnas of the gardens the company creates. Blooming in late-summer and well into the fall, the blooms come in a range of sizes— “Café au Lait,” the Queen of the tubers, is a dinnerplate dahlia that can grow to ten inches in diameter!—and a prism-full of colors.

Dahlias have become so much in demand that orders for them are crashing supplier websites and blowing up availability to a degree perhaps not seen since tulip mania in 17thcentury Holland.

Hot Water

All the while, swimming pools continue to be in high demand, with landscape designers scrambling to line up contractors who’ve been

booked for as long as a year in advance of construction. Driving demand has been a trend toward viewing them anew.

“Pools have become more for pleasure than just for swimming and diving,” says Roger Haggerty of Haggerty Pools in Norwalk. “We're doing a lot of shallower pools. Diving boards have pretty much become obsolete.”

Adapting to the latest trend, Haggerty is building sun shelves in the shallowest ends of existing traditional pools for sitting and chatting. And, along with other pool companies, they’re installing a whole other kind of hole in the ground for serious runners and athletes as well as for the owners of small properties. In what sounds like the opposite of entertainment, Soake plunge pools typically range between seven and 15 feet long and are equipped not only with heaters but also with chiller units that can plunge water temperatures to as low as 37 degrees. Cold-water immersion is believed to help muscles recover quickly from strenuous exercise, heat and stress—and fast.

“We’ve always grown a lot of native plants that we intermix into our vegetable gardens, but more people are asking for them today.“

Miranda Gould, Homefront Farmers in Redding

Because they don’t overwhelm a backyard in the way traditional pools can, plunges can be tucked into a corner of a property, leaving space for gardens. They range from a third to half the cost of a standard swimming pool and can convert to hot tubs at the end of summer for year-round use.

“The appeal is socialization,” observes Lindh. “With the heater on in cooler weather, you can get in there and wallow with friends all year round!”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

For all the talk of wild meadows and explosions of color, Fairfield County is still home to some of the most exquisite examples of formal, classical architecture in New England, and on a grand scale. Landscape designers here are as attuned to gardens that reflect these places as they are to horticultural trends.

As such, reports of the demise of boxwood, prompted perhaps by a blight in recent years,

has been clearly exaggerated (with a nod to Hartford’s Mark Twain).

Sandy Lindh uses sharpened, finely crafted British pruning shears to handcut evergreen shrubs and trees towards a range of goals: screen properties from neighbors; frame gardens overflowing with flowers; maintain allees of hornbeam and linden trees; and shape boxwood into stunning topiary.

When well-maintained, borders and walls of these evergreens provide a sense of tradition and dignity befitting the grand mansions and estate homes that dot Fairfield County’s Gold Coast and backcountry. They work to marry the wild and the tamed, giving large properties a sense of enclosure and focus.

As with other landscape designers working the grounds of formal homes, Lindh favors boxwood-lined gardens close to the main entrances and around foundations.

“For big mansions in backcountry Greenwich, you might have topiary hedging leading the way

to the main entrance,” she says. “They don’t have to be boxwood—they can be hornbeam or linden trees–to lead the eye to a courtyard or fountain or formal garden in front.”

Behind stately homes like these, Lindh also creates topiary courtyards that can be more whimsical, with boxwood shaped into spirals, balls or animals.

And yet boxwood borders and boundaries also fit more contemporary abodes, too. For its clients in modern farmhouse-style houses, Putnam Landscape Associates, a design and high-end property maintenance firm in Weston, installs boxwoods to deliver clean lines and define uncluttered flower beds.

“It’s not necessarily an English garden effect,” says Grant Putnam, who cofounded the company while still in high school, “but more of a modern design with fewer elements than in the past.”

In many cases, that calls for tiers of boxwoods to add structure and accentuate the architecture of a contemporary house. “There’s nothing like boxwood to achieve those ends,” Putnam says. “It’s a timeless plant.”

Showcased within boxwood borders this spring are perennial cultivars that have been bred to bloom more than once a season and to maintain staying power. “The new cultivars of plants, like hydrangeas, are superior genetically to past versions,” says Putnam. “They’re real bloomers, rather than once-and-done, that rebloom later in the season.”

Other plants popular at Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich this season include the European hornbeam (carpinus betulus), a short-trunk tree than can be planted close together and pruned like a hedge.

“Hornbeams’ sleek lines look great outside modern homes but they also work in English gardens and in traditional spaces,” says Maggie Bridge.

With a little luck and a stretch of good weather, the bulbs planted last fall are emerging from the warming earth and the new pollinator plants are sprouting light-green leaves. We’ve brought back out the patio furniture and stacked the firepit with seasoned or kiln-dried hardwood.

Listen! The opening act of the outdoor concert season, The Fabulous Spring Peepers, is warming up. Now, after a winter spent mainly indoors, let’s gather family and friends outside to take in all that nature has to offer.

above Blooming in never-ending cycles of pretty, meadow-like gardens feel like being surrounded by a field of flowers in the English countryside. opposite Estate homes maintain a sense of tradition with a more formal focus.

“For big mansions in backcountry Greenwich, you might have topiary hedging leading the way to the main entrance. They don’t have to be boxwood—they can be hornbeams or linden trees—to lead the eye to a courtyard or fountain or formal garden in front.”

Sandy Lindh, English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich

STyle ageless

From wearing minimal pieces with maximum impact to accessories with attitude, these women of Westport, Weston and Wilton turn a blind eye to the trends of the moment, and let us in on THEIR SECRETS TO CHIC .

Teen

Emma Allen  Westport, Connecticut Student

Describe your personal style in three words. Relaxed Comfortable, trendy, minimalist.

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory and why does it have special meaning for you?

My floral embroidered leather jacket that I bought in Florence last spring, because it reminds me of my incredible trip to Italy.

What are your favorite three brands and why?

1. Skims: Elevated basics with sooo many options.

2. Reformation: Good-quality clothing that’s also reasonably priced. I love all of their pretty floral patterns.

3. Zara: So much inventory to choose from that fits a teen’s budget. They also happen to have great jeans.

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers what would it be and where do you shop for it?

Suzie Kondi at Penfield Collective (where I also happen to work). The velour tops, bottoms and jumpsuits are incredible for every occasion.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry and accessories?

Penfield Collective, Free People, Middlemarch, Brandy Melville & Gorjana

60s

30s

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SADE STREHLKE

Westport, Connecticut Marketing and Media

Describe your personal style in three words. Classic, fun and girly.

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory in your closet and why does it have special meaning to you?

This changes all the time, but currently it’s my Alaïa leopard ballet flats. I hunted these down in Paris recently on a trip with my mother — the staff at the Paris HQ was so kind and fun, and we had a blast with them and each other. So win for the shoes and win for the memory.

What are your favorite three brands and why?

Just three?! I’m a Libra — this is torture!

1. Hermès: love the craftsmanship and even the game.

2. Loewe: I’m a huge fan of their current designs and fit.

3. Old Celine: For newer and up-and-coming brands, it’s Liberowe, Le Monde Beryl and Scanlan Theodore

Can I have an honorable mention for Chanel, especially vintage? Oh, was I supposed to include jewelry here, too? If so, I’m going to need another three.

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers what would it be and where do you shop for it?

Loewe and new

Celine — also great, plus Hedi was my first fashion crush after he changed YSL’s name to Saint Laurent — both available at Mitchells. Ask for Carter [Butler]; he’ll take good care of you.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry and accessories?

Too many to name, but: Mitchells (our own little Bergdorfs), Kerri Rosenthal (great fashion and dècor), Blue & Cream (super fun staff), Great Stuff (just go inside, I promise you, it’s so good!), Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield for service on Rolex and Cartier pieces and classic gems, and The Collective West for cool jewelry brands, such as Josh Levkoff No questions on beauty? Haha!

FRANCES BARROW-LEWIS

Westport, Connecticut, part-time

Grandmother, Retired Executive, British Airways

Describe your personal style in three words. Elegant, alluring and unexpected.

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory in your closet and why does it have special meaning to you?

My Chanel Cruise Collection Ballerina Stilettos. It was a hunt: When the limited cruise collection came out I ran to the Chanel flagship store in NYC, only to be told they were sold out. As a longtime customer, they offered to keep an eye out for me, and after nine months and a worldwide search, one pair, magically in my size, appeared. This was ten, maybe fifteen years ago. They’re in my closet, unworn, and I’ve directed my daughter to cremate me in them.

What are your favorite three brands and why?

1. Chanel: it’s iconic.

2. Hermès: speaks for itself.

3. Loewe: love the designs and fit.

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers, what would it be and where do you shop for it? There are so many, but let’s say Loewe, for now, and you can find them at Mitchells. and you can shop for this brand at Mitchells.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry and accessories?

Mitchells, reminds me of Bergdorfs in NYC, where I’ve lived most of my life. Unsubscribed, casual but chic and very comfortable clothing. They also carry nice accessories. For jewelry, I’m a little old-school, love that Westport has a Tiffany’s; ask for Kathleen, she’ll take good care of you.

60s

Describe your personal style in three words. Authentic (to myself), folky and carefree.

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory in your closet and why does it have special meaning to you?

A pair of vintage Alaïa platforms, purchased in the '90s, I spent my whole paycheck and still wear them out on special occasions. All my old Levi’s and a brutalist bracelet of my mother's.

What are your favorite three brands and why?

1.Isabel Marant: Forever a go-to, playful, edgy, never disappoints. The heel and the overall look stays consistent so its OK to wear a few seasons ago if you love it, always cool.

2. Victoria Beckham: flattering without fail, clean and just feminine enough.

3. Wardrobe. NYC: new to me but affordable and beautiful also sates my lifelong obsession with all looks Kim Bassinger in 9½ Weeks

Khaite, the simplicity, the tailoring and the fabric all so gorgeous

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers what would it be and where do you shop for it?

Phoebe Philo, The Row.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry and accessories?

This and That, Pound Ridge, CT, great vintage curation, hidden gems  Penfield Collective, Westport, CT eclectic, fun,owners are darling. Plain Goods, Washington, CT, dear friend impeccable taste, literally wish I could leave with everything in the store.

50s

Cristina Villegas

Weston, Connecticut

Founder and Owner at YOYA NYC (Kids Fashion) and Co-Founding Partner at Casa Collective Studio (Interior Designer, Stylist)

Describe your personal style in three words. Relaxed, boho meets menswear with a feminine twist

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory in your closet and why does it have special meaning to you?

My vintage Rolex. It was my dad’s and he gifted it to me for my high school graduation

What are your favorite three brands and why?

1. Nili Lotan: polished casual .

2. Rachel Comey: vintage inspired.

3. Mayle: I’ve known Jane since my early 20s running around New York City and have been collecting her pieces ever since.

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers what would it be and where do you shop for it?

The Row at Mitchells.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry and accessories?

Penfield Collective: Jeans.

Madewell: T-shirts.

Mitchells: Shoes and customer service.

Brandy Mellville: Basic sweats and loungewear

The Huntress: Vintage and accessories everything in the store

4os

Alexandra Willinger Cohen

Westport, Connecticut

Mother, Fashion Consultant and Stylist

Describe your personal style in three words. Understated, timeless and confident

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory in your closet and why does it have special meaning to you?

Hard to speak to just one, but I love my Ralph Lauren Camel Blanket Coat. It’s such a classic and I gravitate to it year after year. It goes with everything, from sweatpants and sneakers to a cocktail dress.

What are your favorite three brands and why?

1. Toteme: Elin Kling’s collections continue to prove she understands

how stylish women want to dress. The beautiful use of neutral colors and quality fabrications lend itself perfectly to the edgy-yet-classic silhouettes. I always want to buy everything!

2. Khaite: Another collection where I always want everything, Catherine Holstein is our contemporary Donna Karan. It’s hard to find a designer who can produce such beautiful ready-to-wear alongside the best accessories, but I haven’t met a shoe or bag of hers that I don’t want. From cashmere bomber jackets to the chicest crystalembellished flats, Khaite is the definition of “quiet luxury."

3.  Eres: I’ve worn Eres bathing suits since I was 20 years old and I know I’ll wear them forever. It’s so hard to find a bathing suit or bikini line that makes you feel good (especially after four kids!), but Eres fits are incredible and their silhouettes are classic but never boring. It’s always worth the higher price (and I’m not talking about #girlmath; they really are worth every penny!).

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers what would it be and where do you shop for it?

Jenni Kayne! I was so

happy to see that the store starting selling their RTW. I absolutely love their sweaters, and they can easily work for so many different ages and body types.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry and accessories?

Penfield for casual basics and the best sunglasses, and Stoned Jewelry Concierge for all my jewelry needs!

5os

Nancy Berger Westport, Connecticut

Founder, Brand + Data Fashion Marketing

Describe your personal style in three words. Feminine, rulebreaker, mixologist

What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory in your closet and why does it have special meaning to you?

My mother gave me her mother's Gucci clutch, and it is my prized possession. My mother passed away two years ago and every time I carry it, I feel she is with me. It isn't a typical logo bag: it's white with the most gorgeous lapis hardware and is such a unique piece.

What are your favorite three brands and why?

1. R13: I love their modern take on rockn-roll and I think their denim is next level.

2. Rabanne: (formally Paco Rabanne), to me this is the ultimate, art-meets-fashion brand.

I am obsessed with the metal pieces the brand is best known for, but lately I can't get enough of their everyday lace dresses.

3. Amina Muaddi: I've never met a sparkly, embellished shoe I didn't adore and to me, Amina Muaddi's creations are the epitome of all things feminine and she's available locally at Mitchells.

If you could recommend one brand that is sold in Westport to our readers what would it be and where do you shop for it?

R13 Denim, sold at West. Yes, their jeans are on the pricey side, but they will live in your wardrobe forever. They won't owe you any money.

What are your favorite local stores for clothing, jewelry, and accessories?

West when I want something with a little edge, Monarch Market at Fred for all my jewels, and Penfield Collective for fashion basics.

A Love Letter To Westport

by roger leifer

Iwas lucky in 1978 when I decided to move to Westport to start my entrepreneurial and legal careers a er serving as a Federal Prosecutor in Washington, D.C., during the Carter administration. I wanted to be a real estate developer and lawyer, and Fair eld County at that time had the third-highest concentration of Fortune 500 Company headquarters in the country, behind New York and Chicago. It was poised for growth.

At 28 and single, I partnered with my college friend Jim Randel to establish a small law rm specializing in real estate. Our goal was not only to master the practice of real estate law but also to renovate and develop new buildings in an arts-centered community. Our initial project was to convert the former Convent at the Assumption Church on Riverside Avenue into Westport’s rst condominiums in order to save the historic building. We went on to be awarded multiple Historic Preservation Awards and Beauti cation Awards in Westport.

I have seen so many changes in Westport during the last 46 years, many brought about by me and my team. Imagine: there are now sidewalks along the Post Road and gorgeous trees lining the boulevard, which wasn’t the case in the early ’80s. It was quaint then and it’s a little more polished now. It was a great place to live, work and visit then, and is even better today!

Approximately 850 new millennial families have moved to town in the last three years and they have discovered what my septuagenarian peers have known for over a generation: that you can’t choose a better place to live and raise a family than Westport, which I’m told is also the “hottest” place in the tri-state area for young families to settle.

What’s not to love? Paramount is our excellent public school system (with pre-and private-school options also available), natural beauty, like most of Connecticut; three beaches and parks on beautiful Long Island Sound; myriad ne dining choices; live music venues at e Levitt Pavilion, the Black Duck, Church Lane, and Walrus Alley; live theater entertainment for adults and children

at e Westport Country Playhouse and Staples Players; a world-class, cutting-edge library and event space; all the brick-and-mortar retail choices one would need within three miles; sports activities for children and adults, i.e., soccer elds, baseball elds, outdoor and indoor basketball, tennis, pickleball, and padelball courts; and a skating rink; an amazing 100,000-square-foot Y with three pools with other physical activities galore; at least a dozen private gyms and training facilities; a sailing and windsur ng school to go with public and private marinas and golf courses; a world-class rowing club; a nearby Scandinavian Club; a community garden; a model airplane airport (did you know that?) at Sherwood Island State Park; a cool new private social club for car a cionados (Autostrada); a Modern Art Museum (MOCA); the Historical Society Museum; an amazing large senior center with over 40 weekly classes and activities; a Mandarin language school; music and dance schools; all the necessary physical and mental health medical practices and dental o ces, and three rst-class hospitals within minutes away. Amazing. Lucky us!

I am proud that Westport has a very active civic-minded local population with community volunteer involvement. Virtually every issue that a ects our townspeople gets vigorous full hearings. Our responsible town boards serve an important role in our local government, which in my opinion a ects our lives more directly than the national government, and I urge the new members of our community to get involved.

We also have committed, hardworking and honest local o cials who run this town so responsibly, e ciently and well. Even presidents stop by. I was fortunate to join Bill Clinton when he came for lunch twice as president and once as a candidate, and Hilary, who also had three independent fundraising stops here during her political career.

Westport has been very good to me and my family, and I continue try to give back. I take pride in having served on the building committees for the following, which I believe each have made Westport a better place to live, visit and work: Compo Beach

Playground (which consisted of only two swings, a small slide and a rocking horse on a spring in the ’80s before we redesigned and rebuilt it twice); the Westport Country Playhouse (rebuilt 15 years ago under the leadership of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, when we raised $31 million for that e ort); Paul Newman’s Dressing Room Restaurant, now elegantly redone as Gabriele’s; e Conservative Synagogue and its day school; e Learning Community; the new outdoor Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts (rebuilt 10 years ago at a cost of $10 million.)

I also try to reciprocate by continuing to serve as one of the longest tenured members of the nonpro t Boards of Directors of e Playhouse, e Levitt Pavilion, and e Downtown Merchants Association.

I love to create and construct beautiful buildings and spaces for Westport, for its cultural institutions and for our Leifer Properties’ tenants. I have a personal relationship with all our tenants. I am blessed to have an exceptional and loyal team in a collaborative e ort. e ve of us have a cumulative 150+ years working together. What an amazing support system and I love them all! ank you sta . It is a privilege to be able to work and live here as well. I want to make it as special as I can for everyone! I am now lucky enough to be partners in business with my son Max, who grew up in Westport. He has helped us diversify our business from solely Westport to now include Austin, Texas, which is a new exciting journey for us. I will never retire, as there is something always to do, to create, to improve and work with my son and our tenants and partners.

Westport has never been better than it is today. I hope you all will work to make it a better, kinder, more beautiful and special place for us all to enjoy together.

ank you, Westport.

Love, Roger

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