Welcome Back: Curio Cottage on Imperial Avenue Reopening
Photo by The Westport Woman’s Club. According to the Westport Woman’s Club, the Curio Cottage thrift shop at 44 Imperial Avenue will be reopening this week. The shop will be open on Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM, and sells vintage and antique items such as jewelry and housewares.
The Curio Cottage is run by volunteers with the Westport Woman’s Club, and has raised over $500,000 for the club’s philanthropic efforts. The club is celebrating their 114th year in service to the community.
Anjali Rao McCormick Named YMCA’s New CEO
Press ReleaseAnjali Rao McCormick, the YMCA's new CEO. The Westport Weston Family YMCA has announced Anjali Rao McCormick as its new CEO. McCormick, a seasoned corporate professional with over a decade of experience as a YMCA executive, will begin her new job on May 1, 2021.
“After an exhaustive search, we are incredibly fortunate to have identified and hired a true transformational leader whose community focus, talent, and vision will ensure our viability for the next hundred years,” said Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Board President Jonathan Manela.
McCormick is passionate about the Y’s mission to bring meaningful growth and transformation to individuals and the communities it serves regardless of an individual’s needs, challenges, or goals. “I’m looking forward to working with the Board, staff team, and the extended Y community to strengthen the Y’s focus to be a vibrant, intergenerational community,” she said. McCormick’s first experience with the Y community was after her family moved to Summit, New Jersey, from New York City. Anjali joined the Summit Area YMCA as a Director of Marketing in 2011; in 2015, she became the COO of the 4-branch, 550-employee institution. Her key priorities were revenue growth (membership, camp, childcare, programs), new business growth through partnerships and collaborations, ongoing digital transformation, and developing staff. Together with her team, McCormick led the opening of a $17 million facility in February 2020.
McCormick has three children and has lived in Summit for 20 years. Prior to working for the Y, she worked at American Express and at Citibank. She is a graduate of Harvard and has an MBA in Marketing from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
“It is with great enthusiasm we welcome Ms. McCormick as we seek to reengage our community post-pandemic, with an organization my great, great grandfather, E. T. Bedford founded in 1923,” said John McKinney, Chairman of the Y Board of Trustees.
The Westport Weston Family Y is ready to begin an exciting new chapter in its nearly century- old history. After the successful completion of a $28 million expansion and renovation project, which yielded a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility, additional wellness center space, and a revitalized Camp Mahackeno, the organization has emerged with fresh energy and functionality and is ready to welcome its community. For more information on membership or to schedule a tour of the 32-acre campus, please contact Danielle LeBrando at 203-226-8984 or dlebrando@westporty.org.
Dining Al Fresco at Basso on Jesup Road
Tonight’s warm weather and the invitation of live music had Basso Wine Bar busy tonight. The restaurant had applied for live music after their opening a few months ago, hoping to bring life to the usually quiet section of downtown by the Library.
New Neighbors: American Eagle’s “Unsubscribed” to Main Street
Unsubscribed joins the downtown area this Spring with fashion that’s eco-conscious and designed for a two season year instead of the typical four. Unsubscribed is a brand owned by American Eagle and was founded in June 2020, with only one store in East Hampton, New York. The new boutique takes over the former storefront of LF Stores.