With fall foliage at its peak, Aspetuck Land Trust recommends several great hikes. Two are in Westport.
Caryl & Edna Haskins Preserve is tucked away off Compo Road South. Gentle flat trails circle both ponds. They’re great spots to observe wildlife, and beautiful foliage colors reflecting off the water. A wooded trail near the brook is moderately steep. Click here for the back story on Haskins Preserve.
The red trail through the Newman Poses Preserve (off Bayberry Lane) winds through a wetland on a boardwalk to a meadow marked by large bayberry bushes. Through the meadow towards the lowlands lies the Aspetuck River. A favorite spot for quiet contemplation is the stone bench on the riverbank where neighbor Paul Newman enjoyed floating. The trail loops back by the meadow, into the uplands and back to its starting point.
Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area in Weston is ALT’s biggest preserve: 1,009 acres, with 20 miles of trails. For the best views, start at the orchard. Hike to the highest point; then look south all the way to the Sound and Long Island.
Click here for full details on Aspetuck Land Trust’s preserves.
Haskins Preserve (Photo/Wendy Cusick)
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Tickets went on sale yesterday for Staples’ Players fall production of “Guys and Dolls.”
They’re selling fast — even without mobile advertisements like this:
(Photo/Julianne Mulvey)
The show runs November 11, 12, 13, 18 and 19. Click here for tickets, and more information.
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Cris Jacobs and his band returned to Westport last night for a long-awaited return of the “Supper & Soul” series.
The event — sponsored by the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce — included a concert at the Westport Library. It was sandwiched in between a 3-course dinner at participating restaurants, and post-concert drinks.
A large crowd enjoyed the music, the food and beverages — and the return to normal entertainment, following the long COVID siege.
“Supper & Soul” at the Westport Library. (Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
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Jonathan Alloy writes: “Did you know there are charging stations for electronic devices at the Westport train station platforms? I just noticed today.
“It is BYOC (bring your own cable). I count 3 on the southbound platform and none northbound.”
One of the charging stations for electronic devices. It opens up flat for your device.
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The Westport Country Playhouse production of “From the Mississippi Delta” explores the African American experience in the South, during the Great Migration and civil rights movement.
An insert in the program describes Westport’s role in the movement. An accompanying exhibit on the Great Migration of Blacks out of the South is on view at the Playhouse’s Lucille Lortel White Barn, weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. and on performance dates until intermission.
But the Playhouse also acknowledges current issues. Another insert urges theater-goers to support the Mississippi Rising Coalitions, which addresses the water crisis in Jackson. Click here for more information on that project.
Clck here for more information on “From the Mississippi Delta.” The show runs through October 30.
The cast of “Mississippi Delta” acknowledges applause, From left: Tameishia Peterson, Claudia Logan, Erin Margaret Pettigrew. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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Diwali — the Festival of Lights — is one of the most important events in Hinduism.
The Unitarian Church of Westport hosted a Diwali celebration last night. It was light, bright — and very, very festive.
Diwali last night at the Unitarian Church. (Photo/Sarathi Roy)
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Election Day: It’s not just for voting.
If the weather is clear Tuesday, November 8, the Westport Astronomical Society will have telescopes available for the public to view the lunar eclipse. The observatory is at 182 Bayberry Lane, behind the Aspetuck Health District.
It’s from 4 to 6 a.m. — before the polls open. They’ll post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Meetup if bad weather scraps their plan.
This is the first Election Day total lunar eclipse in US history. The next one won’t happen again until November 8, 2394. Chances are good you won’t be around for that one.
Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to view == and lasts hours. The moon glides into earth’s shadow, and can be viewed over a large part of the planet.
It will turn a notable reddish color for 84 minutes, as the light from the sun passes through the earth’s atmosphere to reach the moon’s surface. This “blood moon” is the final total lunar eclipse visible from North America until 2025.
This partial lunar eclipse was photographed by Westport Astronomical Society member Carl Lancaster this past May.
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“Who” saw this beautiful barred owl in his back yard?
Tom Carey. And he captured it — on his camera, anyway — for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Tom Carey)
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And finally … on this day in 1998, a court supported the superintendent at Fort Zumwalt High School in St. Louis, and his decision that the marching band could not play “White Rabbit” in their act, because of its drug references.
(After your Aspetuck Land Trust preserve hike, thank “06880” for the suggestion. Contributions of any amount are welcome! Please click here to help.)