You’re Invited: Hot Coffee And Hot Cars This Saturday Morning At Interstate Lumber’s Westport Design Center
The Interstate Lumber Westport Design Center, 800 Post Road East, the area’s premier showroom for high end and luxury products for building or remodeling your dream home will be hosting “Coffee & Cars” at their Design Center on Saturday May 10th from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
The WDC staff has numerous auto enthusiasts who have partnered with the Ridgefield Motor Club and The Auto Spa of Fairfield to present some of Fairfield County’s finest classic, vintage and late model exotic automobiles for car aficionados and admirers. All are welcome to visit and enjoy coffee, espresso, craft beverages and pastries served by Caffé Bon’s mobile coffee house.
An array of exceptional motorcars will be on hand for up-close and personal viewing, including new and legacy American Muscle Cars like the 800 BHP Dodge Hellcat, which does 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds. 1960's legends such as the 435 BHP '67 Tri-power Corvette, and two vaunted SS 396 Chevelles. See Chevrolet's flagship supercar, the 2025 Corvette C8 Z06 which delivers 670 BHP from a 5.5 liter V8 and has a starting price of more than $110,000.
Also registered to be on hand is a vintage Porsche 928 and a serious showstopper, The Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid, 541 hp engine and a top speed of 194 mph. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package. The T-Hybrid system uses a 1.9 kWh battery and an electric motor to assist the turbocharger.
Photos of 2024 Cars & Coffee By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above, Interstate Lumber CEO Sheldon Kahan with one of the exotic sports cars at last year’s Cars & Coffee.
Guests are invited to also visit the Design Center and see some of the finest in luxury building products, specialty doors and windows and their huge selection of high end home design hardware and accessories. Design Center Manager Frank Bowron said, “The dramatic way we display our products at the IDC is similar to what you might find on the showroom floor of a high-end auto dealer. Just like you'd need to take a car for a test drive, you'll need to visit the Westport IDC to imagine yourself in your new home.”
Daffodil Days Are Over And They Were Beautiful
The breathtaking daffodil field in nearby Redding is a destination for hundreds each April.
We always look forward to the arrival of the beautiful, mostly yellow blooms which are ubiquitous in our area, especially those in front of Willowbrook Cemetery on Main St just south of the Merritt Parkway (see our Wonderful Willowbrook story) and everywhere in front of the beautiful homes of Westport. The daffodil, which has the botanical name Narcissus, is a favorite among local gardeners. While most are yellow, There are more than 27,000 cultivated varieties including white-petalled Narcissus poeticus and the orange and salmon-colored variety.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
Almost surprisingly, the daffodil, the most visible sign of the beginning of spring, is not the state flower in any of the 50 states. It is, however, national flower of Wales. The flower is worn traditionally in Wales on St. David's Day, the first day of March to celebrate the Welch patron saint, David. David lived in the sixth century and was known for having founded a large monastery in western Wales.
The UK is the worlds largest grower of the flower. Learn more at History Of Daffodils. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/gardens-landscapes/history-of-daffodils
One of the places in our area where the daffodil show is simply spectacular is at 70 Cross Highway in Redding where these photos were taken in late April. The beautiful field blooms each spring with an estimated 50,000 daffodils, creating a stunning sea of yellow that serves as a testament to a love story which endured for over six decades. No matter where you point your camera/phone you get a beautiful photo. Even the bluebird sitting on a branch overlooking the scene must be impressed.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The cherished field was the home of Bud McQuade a teacher at Redding's Joel Barlow High School for many years. Each year Bud would plant more and more bulbs as a tribute to his beloved wife Florence who adored them.
After Florence's passing, Bud dedicated his time to nurturing and expanding the daffodil patch, continuing this labor of love until his own death in 2019 at 103 years old.
Following Bud's passing, concerns arose that the field might be lost to development. However, his neighbor, Stacey Steinmetz, stepped in to purchase the property, ensuring that the daffodils would continue to bloom and that the profound message of enduring love would remain a vibrant part of the community. Hundreds of families visit the site each year walking the paths and taking family photos of their one of a kind experience.
Overlooking the field is a vibrant Magnolia tree which is almost as eye-catching as the sea of flowers at its base.
At Least It's Not Blue Anymore!
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
The notorious "Blue House" at 233 Hillspoint Rd., so named because for longer than we can remember it sat there, draped in Blueskin vapor barrier for what seems like years. The home which may qualify to be the longest home construction project in Westport history was once a quaint beachfront restaurant, Positano as well as others through the years. When Positano closed, the site was purchased and the nightmare for neighborhood residents began, with years of legal wrangling, zoning violations, a cease and desist order, appeals, fines, a lawsuit from the neighbors and pretty much the gamut of what a construction project gone bad can experience.
That owner finally gave up and the property was purchased by Summit Saugatuck in early 2024 for $4.5 Million, the fines totaling nearly $36,000 were paid, and construction continued, albeit at a snail's pace.
The neighbors may find some solace in not getting "the blues" as they drive by each day, however as we approach the 1-1/2 year mark since construction was re-started there is little apparent evidence that this house will be finished any time soon. The interior appears from the outside to just be studs and the exterior still is not completed.
But hey, at least its not blue anymore!
Sunny Skies And Excited Children Greet Westport-Weston Touch-A-Truck 2025
On Saturday, May 3rd Westport kids had an opportunity to not just look at all kinds of trucks, cranes, earthmoving machines, police cars etc., but to climb onto or into them and give the levers, steering wheels, horns & sirens a workout.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
The 18th annual family event, a fundraiser for Westport-Weston Cooperative Nursery School located at 10 Lyons Plain Road in Westport, was graced with beautiful weather, and the predicted showers were nowhere in sight.
Officer Thompson was kept pretty busy as the Westport PD Harley Davidson was a prime attraction. We were confused as to why there was a line at the Westport school bus as it was a Saturday and it seemed an odd place for a line, however it was the cance to take the driver's seat that drew the crowd.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above, Officer Thompson, Westport’s new Chief Of Police, David Farrell, and Captain Eric Woods
The team of Pete & Chris had a big crowd for their entire show with their great entertainment, magic and comedy and there was live guitarist taking requests.
The Westport-Weston Co-Op Experience tent offered the kids a chance to get their face painted and to express their inner arts & crafts skills.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
No matter the attraction of trucks, Earth movers, the giant crane, police car, motorcycle and Westport Volunteer EMS ambulance, some of the kids were unable to pass up the chance to splash and play in a giant puddle. One little girl was especially enamored, going back and forth over and over and was just delighted to do so.
This year, the lead sponsor was Westport's Interstate Lumber, a fourth generation family business offering premier building products. Interstate operates their lumber yard and their new Design Center, on Post Road East. The Interstate team on hand to give out colorful tie-dye t-shirts to the kids and great advise on products essential for building a Westport Dream Home. The group photo is (L. to R.), Jim Ballis and his wife Angie, Interstate President and CEO Sheldon Kahan and Marketing Director and family fourth generation, Ben Kahan. One youngster takes a turn on Interstate’s new Moffett fork lift which fits snugly into the back of their big-rig flatbed and unloads building products to their home builder customers.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Noah's Ark Moving & Storage had the right idea, using their lift gate to bring kids up to the interior of one of their moving trucks where they could indulge their fantasy of throwing packing peanuts anywhere they want, and popping large sheets of bulb wrap and not having to worry about cleaning up the mess.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
After taking their turns with all the great attractions and entertainment it was time to head to the food trucks for a delicious snack or meal.
One of the longest lines of the day was the for the train which took its passengers for a very cool and exciting ride around the site.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.