Some times though, the P&Z deals with lesser issues that — in the end — are just as important.

Like signs.

Right now, elected officials are discussing regulations regarding free-standing business signs. You know — the ones advertising Michele’s pie tastings, or 20% off a pedicure in honor of Martin Luther King Day. (I’m making that up. I think).

Signs like these may be legalized -- though in smaller, more "homemade" form -- by the P&Z.

Rules — they must be small, hand-written on erasable boards or chalkboards, placed in an unobstructing spot or hung on the building, stuff like that — go into effect February 17.

For Saugatuck and the downtown area only.

Talks are underway to extend the regulations to the entire commercial district of Westport — up and down the Post Road.

Right now, those signs are illegal. The P&Z wants to bring order to the process — allowing merchants to advertise in a friendly, local way, without letting large, garish signs sprout willy-nilly.

But what about businesses outside the zone? Christie’s needs signs to draw attention to its Sunday farmers’ market. Daybreak Nursery announces items like firewood and holiday wreaths that way. Positano could highlight daily specials.

And what about Wakeman Town Farm, which could use signs to publicize upcoming workshops and its Community Supported Agriculture program?

What, then, about lawyers, chiropractors, marketing consultants — anyone who operates a home business outside of current business zones? Could they set up small, hand-written, free-standing signs too?

Right now the P&Z has no formal requests from any of those businesses. If there are, they will be addressed.

Signs are not a big deal like office buildings or movie theaters. But we do notice them; they do affect our quality of life. Just think of all the political signs we see for months leading up to elections, or the ones announcing upcoming concerts, road races and charity events that cover the little gardens at road intersections.

“06880″ invites comments on this sign issue. Please be civil — and try to stay on topic.

Even if home is Cuba.

Maite Hernandez was born in Puerto Rico. She and her husband, Roy Marmelo — he’s Portuguese — have lived in Westport for nearly a decade. But her parents are Cuban, and many relatives still live there.

In 1997 Maite and Roy visited Cuba. They traveled the back way — through Mexico.

But recently, over Christmas break, Maite and Roy and their 4 children enjoyed a family reunion in Havana. They went the new way — on a Delta charter from Miami. Other relatives came from Los Angeles and Barcelona.

The Marmelo family, in Cuba.

Americans can now visit Cuba for religious, educational and family reasons. And what better family event than seeing long-lost relatives — and introducing the Marmelo kids Andres, Claudia, Júlia and Lucas to cousins they’ve never met?

Maite’s aunt Lucy has visited Westport before. (She’s allowed out of the country because, with 5 children of her own, she’s not considered a flight risk.) She and her other relatives still in Cuba live better than many in that country, Roy says. They’re well educated, and serve in prestigious professions like medicine and government. They live in Miramar, a Havana suburb filled with embassy homes.

One of Lucy’s daughters is a famous TV soap opera actress. A son, who serves in the Army, accompanied Fidel Castro on a trip to Mexico. He drove the Marmelos around in his van — just as he did Peter Frampton, on the singer’s visit to Cuba.

Lucy’s neighbor is Aleida March — Che Guevara’s widow. Andres Marmelo must be the only Bedford Middle School 8th grader to have met that connection to history.

A 1950's car, in 2012 Cuba.

Cuba is a study in contrasts, Roy says. Propoganda is everywhere — you can’t avoid seeing signs promoting 53 years of revolution — and so are the 1950s-era American cars that Cubans take pride in maintaining. But there are BMWs too.

The Marmelos visited a military museum (where they saw the American-made boat that brought Fidel back home from Mexico), as well as the Hemingway museum with his boat.

But recent changes allow Cubans to buy permits to sell items in front of their homes. They can open up bakeries. A Hernandez cousin says “80 to 90 percent” of citizens no longer believe much of the propoganda.

“In 1997, when we talked about politics we were told to lower our voices,” Roy says. “This time, that didn’t happen.” Cubans were even dancing to Gloria Estefan’s song, “Cuba Libre” (“Free Cuba”).

There is plenty of food — but it’s very expensive. The Hernandez family went all out to show their far-flung relatives a good time. Still, there was plenty of white rice, black beans and pork. “It was a good lesson for the kids,” Roy says.

Andres Marmelo saw plenty of eye-opening sights in Cuba -- including Che Guevara's face on the Ministry of Interior in Havana. The building proclaims "Hasta la victoria siempre" -- "To victory always."

“Everything in Westport is perfect and beautiful,” Maite adds. “Everyone is well dressed. It’s a bubble. You don’t see poverty. Cuba was an eye-opener.”

The sheets are so rough, they scratch. Maite’s relatives requested linens from America and Spain.

It was an eye-opener in other ways too. Cubans with connections have flat screen TVs. They hide illegal satellite dishes in water towers, and watch ESPN.

Maite’s cousin pays someone for internet access. The cousins have Facebook — “but they get on at like 3 a.m., with a dial-up modem,” Maite says.

There is plenty of night life in Havana. Young people go to bars — one is called the Yellow Submarine — and the famous Tropicana night club is still around. It looks good, Roy says.

The Marmelos spent most of their time in and around Havana. Each relative spent time entertaining them. They did take a side trip to Maite’s mother’s old beach house, and drove by Fidel and Raúl Castro’s ranches. (Photos were forbidden.)

The Marmelos are back now in Westport. The kids are sorting out everything they saw and did. Their parents thoroughly enjoyed the family reunion. They’ve got hundreds of photos, and souvenirs like a couple of paintings.

No Cuban cigars, though. Roy says getting them through customs is too much of a hassle.

A toll plaza on the coast celebrates 53 years of revolution.

Robert Levine (Photo/Dave Matlow for WestportNow)

This week’s letter is from Westporter Robert A. Levine, a neurologist, author of Resurrecting Democracy: A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party, and subject of a November “06880″ post on the subject of 3rd parties.

His Times letter says, in part:

Using the Internet and social networks to organize and raise money from small donors, this new centrist party could be independent of the special interests and able to work for the benefit of all Americans. Its hallmarks would be ethical conduct, transparency and pragmatism. Instead of being constrained by ideology, it would be guided by common sense and practicality in its search for solutions.

A centrist third party could prosper in today’s political environment and end the stalemate in Washington. There is a large body of moderate Republicans, disaffected Democrats and dissatisfied independents looking for the kind of political home that this party could provide. Unhappiness with the political options now available to Americans will sooner or later translate into a groundswell for alternatives.

To respond — and possibly be rebutted by Levine in this Sunday’s Times — email letters@nytimes.com.

Though I suspect a far more robust discussion will take place in the “06880″ Comments section, right here in Robert Levine’s hometown.

That means any story — including, half a world away, the death of Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s bizarro leader.

In fact, this one was a piece of kimchi cake.

Last summer, Brian Hershey became one of an infinitesimal number of Americans to ever have visited the “Democratic People’s Republic.” He told his story — of Pyongyang’s “weirdly symmetrical skyline,” a military filled with “boys and old men,” and a fake hospital that was only for show — to “06880.”

(From left) Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Brian Hershey.

Brian — now a Staples High School senior (who just got accepted to Johns Hopkins) — learned of Kim Jong Il’s death from CNN. He immediately thought of his trip.

While gigantic propaganda posters of the leader loomed everywhere, it was clear that his father — Kim Il Sung, the country’s founder — was more revered. “He’s still called ‘The Eternal President,’” Brian says.

But last summer too, it seemed the country was beginning to look ahead to a new leader. Huge posters of Kim Jong Il’s son, Kim Jong Un, started to be seen.

The government, Brian says, was already preparing the country for succession. And there will be no problem, he believes. “Whatever the Korean people are told, they’ll believe.”

The sobbing and prostration shown on television at Kim Jong Il’s death is genuine, Brian says. He saw it first hand, at the palace housing Kim Il Sung’s remains.

First, Brian’s group traveled on an excruciatingly slow-moving walkway — at half a mile, the longest one in the world, they were told. A similar walkway, running the opposite direction, brought mourners out. All — including soldiers — were “crying hysterically.”

One of many posters of Kim Jong Il, on one of Pyongyang's many government buildings.

Finally — after intense security, and moving through air canyons that blew all the dust off everyone — they reached the plain, very cold and windowless room where the Eternal President lay. He was propped up at a 45-degree angle, lit by red lights, in a glass box similar to the one his son now lies in.

Opera music played in the background. As each visitor — including Brian — walked around the body, they bowed 3 times. The Koreans sobbed, inconsolably.

“This was 17 years after he died,” Brian notes. “But he looks like he died yesterday.”

Kim Jong Il will get the same treatment, Brian predicts.

When his group left North Korea, Brian says, they all tried to predict how long the country would exist in its present state. The guesses ranged from a few years, to hundreds. As with most things North Korean — including the succession of Kim Jong Un — no Westerner has enough real information to know what will happen.

“I’m so glad I was there — especially before Kim Jong Il died,” Brian says. “I feel like I got to see into a window of history.”

Last Sunday at Elvira’s, Sef Brody saw Joe Lieberman.

The 1990 Staples graduate did more than just say, “Good morning, Senator.”  Here’s his story, direct from his Tumblr, “Brody Post.”

He was wearing a baseball cap in front of the deli counter, standing with his wife and 2 friends, wondering out loud what kind of egg sandwich to order.  I had just rolled out of bed but there was no way I could miss that face.

Half-hidden under my green hoodie, I told the former vice president-elect that they make delicious spinach and feta at this place.  He wanted to make sure it was vegetarian.

He asked me my name and what I did. We talked about our shared Hebrew name and its origins.  He told me a related story about his wife.  I told him I grew up in the neighborhood and that I got my first job in this same deli when I was 15, they put me to work integrating the various sections of The New York Times in the back garage before dawn on weekends, that now I’m a clinical psychologist living in Paris.

He said that sounded pretty great, how’d I manage that?  Not wanting to get into it, I said, “It seems you’re not doing too bad yourself.”  He introduced me to his Westport friends.  For a man who I’ve come to see as a total disgrace, whose politics I detest, I found this guy very charming in person.  I imagine he must share this trait with most successful politicians.

Joe Lieberman, the senior senator from Connecticut.

Itching to talk politics, after we both ordered I started asking him questions.  I shared my concern with him that the next financial crisis will be worse than the last one, asking him how realistic our chances were to break up the mega-banks before it’s too late.  He said that funnily enough someone just asked him the same question— as if “too big to fail” was a new concept— and went on to blame Republicans for blocking reform.

I said, mistakenly, “You’re caucusing with them now, right?” He looked down and away sheepishly, replied that he’s still caucusing with the Democrats.  I responded, “But you can understand why I could make that mistake, right? Everybody’s like, ‘What happened to Lieberman?’”

Wondering about the best way to broach US-Israeli injustices towards Palestinians, a topic of deep personal concern to me and one in which he holds unique power, I asked the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs another crucial question:  “Don’t you wonder whether we’re endangering both US and Israeli security by lending full support to Israeli aggressions?”

He responded that “it’s not a blank check” we’re giving Israel.  He claimed that Israel has so few discussion partners in the region that they’ve become “paranoid”— he puffed his chest out and balled his fists to demonstrate what he meant.

When I bemoaned the lack of real public debate on such a serious issue in the US compared to the relatively vibrant debate happening in Israel, he corrected me that there’s actually plenty of debate happening in the US — “just not in public.”

Sef Brody, the clinical psychologist from Paris.

I very much wanted that conversation to continue but he eluded further clarification, and left to join his wife and friends at the picnic tables outside.  I stood there thinking that despite the mysteriousness of that last response, it was very revealing about how he views American democracy, about how he understands the way it’s supposed to work.

What would you say or do, given a surprise opportunity to face a contemptible politician mano-a-mano?  Throw your shoe?  Spit in his general direction?  Curse him out?

It might have felt good to let out some real anger, to at least remind Lieberman of his deep betrayal of Connecticut voters, or about how profoundly he has shamed himself and the United States.  I might have liked also to ask him which country he wants to invade next.  Or about how many civilian deaths he thinks he might be personally responsible for across the Middle East and Central Asia.

I instead asked myself, What approach is mostly likely to have a desirable effect? Looking into the sympathetic eyes of a man who has successfully mastered an enormous, complex and corrupt political system, I found myself taking the polite-but-critical tack.

Leaving the store, still groggy and hooded, I headed toward Compo Hill Road, coffee and egg sandwiches in hand.  He waved goodbye, and called out to me by name.  I swung around past his table, put my hand on his shoulder and reminded him of one short-term need that might possibly get through.  “Break up the mega-banks, Joe.”

He turned and called out, smiling:  “That’s the message of the day.”  

Not bad, according to one Westporter — a man who should know.

According to alert “06880″ reader Tish Fried — who wrote the following report — over 40 people attended a book launch on that subject last Friday at Write Yourself Free in Colonial Green.

Robert A. Levine (Photo/Dave Matlow)

They discussed Robert A. Levine‘s latest work, Resurrecting Democracy: A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party.  Levine — a Westporter for 40 years — is fed up with the extreme partisan bickering that’s paralyzed the federal government.

A Vietnam vet who became a medical doctor, Levine has watched the evolution of American politics with increasing alarm.  Energized by his faith in democratic processes, he wrote this book.

“Is democracy dead if it needs resurrecting?” asked Patrick McCord, the event moderator.

“The current form of democracy serves to reinforce sitting Congress and the established parties’ self-interest,” Levine replied.

He proposed “a 3rd party, not bound by a single personality and structured on the principals of transparency, integrity, competency; a party with a commitment to finding pragmatic solutions to our most urgent problems.”

An energetic discussion of the viability of creating a 3rd party ensued.

Levine believes the moment is now.  “This is a great time for this discussion. Congressional approval is at an all time low of 9%, the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street Movements are gaining numbers.  Why not now?”

Audience members shouted out names of possible leaders:  Chuck Hagel.  Michael Bloomberg.  Russ Feingold.  Even Republican presidential nominee Jon Huntsman.

“The talent is out there,” Levine said.  “We need men and women who will become a part of this movement.”

Levine said that he has been a political junkie since his days as a history major at Columbia University.  But many Westporters know him as their doctor.  A neurologist in private practice, he’s been on staff at Norwalk Hospital for over 4 decades.

A 3rd party.  Just what the doctor ordered?

Dennis’s brothers and friends camped out in the large woods across the street, until it was cleared to build “a fancy new high school.”

Dennis was in the first graduating class — 1958 — at nearby Burr Farms Elementary.  Three years later he joined a young Gordon Joseloff and others in forming an AM radio station called WWPT.

Mentored in radio by a friendly Staples High physics teacher named Nick Georgis, Dennis designed and built a small AM/FM transmitter.  He still has it.

He graduated from Staples in 1964, and went to RPI.  In 1967 “the allure of Westport life and Westport girls proved irresistible,” so Dennis came back.

He worked at Norden; helped start the new WWPT-FM at Staples; got an MBA at UConn; did a morning show on WMMM/WDJF, and from 1974-76 rented a beach house with his girlfriend Maureen (Staples ’67).

They moved to Wilton, Vermont, the Berkshires, then back to Wilton in 1982.

The other day, Dennis visited the Occupy Wall Street site in lower Manhattan.  He reports:

Dennis Jackson (right), with friends (from left) George Levinson and Ed Hoffman, at Occupy Wall Street.

There has been much criticism from conservatives that the occupiers have no proposed solutions.  However, in the tradition of American patriots who have assembled peacefully throughout our history, this is a protest against injustices for which Wall Street has become the focal point.

Much dialogue takes place among the occupiers and day visitors like us, and a regular schedule of “think tanks” in which anyone may participate.  Especially when compared to the relatively unfocused anger and deconstructionism of the tea partiers, these dialogues seem to offer very constructive ways to resolve feelings of frustration into refined thinking. and move toward consensus.

An older occupier. His sign protests the influence of corporate financing on political campaigns. (Photo by Dennis Jackson)

In addition to high unemployment, record levels of home foreclosures, and the expense and difficulty of obtaining health coverage, it seemed clear that a number of prominent financial absurdities that are highly unfair to the average American underly the protest.

One example is the ever-increasing income and wealth disparity between Americans in the top brackets relative to what we used to refer to as the “middle class,” and the disadvantaged, as exacerbated by the Reagan revolution and Bush tax cuts.

Another is the bailout of banks when people had to default on mortgage payments, when far less bailout money could have been applied to the write-down of mortgages so those homeowners wouldn’t have had to default in the first place.  Perhaps then, banks might not have been in the position they were to hand out bonuses that many homeowners and ordinary Americans consider obscene.

As in the ’60s, there was a current of peace and anti-war sentiment at the expense of more humanistic applications of the trillions of dollars invested in our military adventurism and warmaking, particularly in Iraq.  A good number of veterans were represented while we were there.

A woman with a Ph.D., who can't find a job, asks for work. (Photo by Dennis Jackson)

From the tone of many conversations, it’s probably fair to say that the occupiers, although not universally “liberal,” are progressive thinkers.  They seem mostly opposed to the Republican national agenda, which they perceive as favoring the already rich and powerful, seeking to increase corporate influence, hegemony and control, and to undermine and blockade programs intended to help the average American.

Comments overheard suggest that Fox News, the only network not in evidence, and Channel 5, the only local TV absent, were generally held in low regard.

Liberty Square was populated by everyone from college students to octogenarians.  All races were well represented.

A code of conduct was posted in several places.  There was no violence, discourtesy, scatology, drug use, “free love,” or unsanitariness in evidence.  Directions were posted to several nearby rest room facilities.  Volunteers circulated constantly, sweeping and cleaning up.

Bags of coats and bedding were free to anyone who got cold or wanted to “occupy” overnight.  A “free kitchen,” manned by what we understood to be 5-star chefs prepared food, and would not accept a donation for the delicious piece of chocolate cake I had.  I offered, but the reply was, “No thank you.  We’d like to contribute the cake to you.”

In spite of all the vitriol directed at the OWS movement by the right-wing media, it would be hard to imagine a more thoughtful, courteous, productive gathering of like-minded people opposed to financial injustice.

Many Occupy Wall Street protesters are young. (Photo by Dennis Jackson)

However, that did not stop Derek Pell — a Westporter in the 1960s and ’70s — from resurrecting an “occupy”-related photo on his ZoomStreet “art, culture, photography and noir” blog.

Derek wrote:

In the spirit of the recent Occupy demonstrations spreading across the land, here’s a photo (my first)  shot in 1969.  It shows artist Miggs Burroughs demonstrating outside the Westport Arts Center, where his paintings had been excluded from the inaugural exhibition.

The image recently resurfaced in a documentary on WAC.

I’m also responsible for creating that crude sign.

Art indeed.

Derek’s been attracted to this sort of stuff all his life.  According to Miggs, Derek — “using nothing more than a press pass from Fairpress” [a Westport weekly newspaper] — ended up in the front row of photographers at the Watergate hearings, and getting published in Rolling Stone, Newsweek and others.

Power to the painters.  The people.

And the photographers.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times photographer spent some time in his hometown of Westport after his release in March.  He was among 4 journalists captured, including fellow Westport native Lynsey Addario.

Returning to work, his 1st assignment was Mexico.

Now he’s back overseas.  Today’s Times carries 4 compelling photos — the 1st ever from the newly created nation of South Sudan.

All carry Tyler Hicks’ photo credit.

Jubilation reigns in the capital of Juba, as South Sudan gains independence. (Photo by Tyler Hicks/New York Times)

As the sun shone through the trees, independence came to South Sudan. (Photo by Tyler Hicks/New York Times)

South Sudan president Salva Kiir's trademark is a black cowboy hat, a gift from former President George W. Bush. (Photo by Tyler Hicks/New York Times)

The new nation of South Sudan is led by former guerilla fighters and commanders. (Photo by Tyler Hicks/New York Times)

A portion of the crowd -- primarily Staples students -- protesting the Viet Nam war in 1969. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

For nearly 10 years, America’s all-volunteer military has fought 2 costly, controversial wars.

Protests have been muted.  A few people stand on the Post Road bridge every Saturday morning.  Someone writes an occasional letter to the editor.

At Staples, high school students — few of whom even think of serving — scarcely give Iraq and Afghanistan a passing thought.

How different things were in 1969.  Vietnam was a quagmire — and Westport was up in arms, on both sides of the issue.  Loud anti-war protests took place at Town Hall every Saturday.  After 3 hours of raucous debate the RTM passed — 17-15 — a resolution asking immediate action to withdraw from Southeast Asia.

Many Staples students — though certainly not all — were fervently anti-war.  On October 15, 1200 students — joined by some from the 3 junior highs — celebrated a national Moratorium Day.

They — actually “we,” because I was among them — marched from the Staples tennis courts, down North Avenue and Long Lots Road, all the way to the steps of the YMCA.

The long line of marchers headed downtown. The A&P was near what is now the firehouse; the Esso gas station is now a Phillips 66. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

We carried American flags and wore buttons saying “Peace Now” and “Hell No, We Won’t Go.”  Along the way, other students threw eggs at us.

At the Y, we listened to speeches (including one by Iowa Senator Harold Hughes).   We waved our fingers in the peace sign.  We looked around, and were stunned at our numbers.

A year earlier, we had helped drive Lyndon Johnson from the presidency — but our new president was Richard Nixon.  Finally, in 1973, a peace treaty was signed.  Two years later the last Americans were evacuated from the U.S. Embassy roof.

In 1969, Adrian Hlynka was a Staples student.  A gifted photographer, he took dozens of shots on Moratorium Day.  Here is what it looked like to protest a war, more than 4 decades ago.

A portion of the crowd in front of the Y. The Fine Arts Theater (now Restoration Hardware) was showing "Alice's Restaurant" and "Medium Cool." Police stood on the roof next door. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

More of the enormous downtown crowd. The current Max's Art Supplies is on the extreme left; what is now Tiffany is at the far right. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

Rabbi Byron Rubenstein of Temple Israel addresses the crowd from the steps of the Y. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

The crowd was predominantly -- though not entirely -- made up of Staples students. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

A Staples student states his case. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

Junior high students joined Stapleites at the 1969 Moratorium rally. (Photo/Adrian Hlynka)

Writing on TheAtlantic.com blog, Ben W. Heineman Jr. recalls the question on everyone’s mind:

How would she, a three-term member of Congress, stand up against the man who had been ambassador to China and the U.N, headed the CIA, and for the previous four years served as vice president of the United States?

The only one not worried was the Democratic vice presidential candidate herself.  She soon impressed her boss — Walter Mondale — and his staff with her preparation work.

Anne Wexler

Part of that preparation was guided by Anne Wexler.  Two decades earlier she’d been a member of Westport’s Zoning Board of Appeals.  But she was galvanized by Vietnam, and quickly became a powerful figure in national politics.

In 1972 she was a driving force in changing rules that opened the Democratic party to its current primary system.  Later she became a senior advisor to President Carter.

By 1984 she was a highly respected political consultant.  That’s when the Mondale campaign asked her to help Ferraro get ready for the vice presidential debate:  a crucial test on the national stage.

According to Heineman, “Ferraro’s self-confidence was well-founded. With poise, humor and substance, she went toe-to-toe with the vice president for 90 minutes.”

Heineman adds:

Afterwards, instant polls showed the debate a draw, and that was the view of many other commentators.  But a draw for a three-term congresswoman against someone with Bush’s vaunted resume…..

The most famous line of the debate, of course, was Geraldine Ferraro’s.  The vice president began an answer by saying:  “Let me help you with the difference, Ms. Ferraro, between Iran and the embassy in Lebanon.”

To which the first woman national candidate in American history replied: “Let me first of all say that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy.”  This was the debate clip shown the day after — and to this day.

After  the debate was over, Vice President Bush remarked into a still open mic that he had “kicked a little ass.”  Given the expectations before the debate, I felt, along with so many others, that it was actually the other way round.

And it was another powerful woman — Westport’s Anne Wexler — who helped deliver that kick.

George H.W. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro before their vice presidential debate. (Photo: AP/Gene J. Puskar)

Carl is examining the Connecticut State Senate’s attempts to legalize medical marijuana, as well as decriminalize its possession.  Previous attempts in 2007 and 2009 failed, but Governor Dannel Malloy has pledged his support.

Toni Boucher, who represents parts of Westport, is an ardent opponent.  She led the 2009 filibuster that defeated passage.

The name of the woman Carl interviewed has been changed at her request.

“My granddaughter made me some marijuana Rice Krispies treats.  Quite honestly, I was afraid to eat them,” she explains.  We are sitting in her dark den, in a split level off Cross Highway.

“I thought some police would come crashing through the door and arrest me.”

“Norma” is an artist, activist, mother of 2, grandmother of 4, and ex-wife of a famous Westport producer.  She is also a cancer survivor.

“When I first realized something was wrong, my stomach swelled up like I was pregnant.  It was horribly frightening,” Norma says.  “Of course, they operated and got most of it.  Ovaries.  But I had to go through nearly a year of chemotherapy.”

Norma is fragile, and I am afraid to ask her age.  She has liver spots on her hands, which shake repeatedly.  For some reason, this makes me nervous.  My prepared questions are virtually abandoned as a result.

“The chemotherapy was dreadful,” she continues without being asked.  “I couldn’t keep anything down.  It was like a terrible case of the flu.  And just when you started to feel good, you had to have another round of the damn stuff.”  She seems shocked by her own use of the word “damn.” She smiles.

I tell her I am writing an article about medical marijuana in Connecticut.  I say that bills have been submitted to the State Senate since 2007, but have failed.  The new governor has promised to back any new attempts.  Westport’s senator is strongly opposed.

“Well, I did eat finally eat those Rice Krispies treats, and I will tell you it helped,” she says.

“By my 3rd round of chemo I was ready to try anything.  It nearly cured my nausea, and I slept better too.  I started baking them myself.  The key is to melt the grass in with the butter.”

Norma stiffens in her antique straight back chair with this confession.  She is of the “Great Generation,” and still obedient to the rules of that culture.  The use of illegal drugs makes her uncomfortable.

“But I did keep using it.  I mean, why wouldn’t I?  My daughter got me some and it helped.  It got me through the god-awful drugs and made me feel almost human.”

I tell her one fear:  that the use of marijuana may lead to other addictions.

“Oh poppycock,” she actually says, sitting straight up.  Her eyes focus for the 1st time in our session.

“I have one glass of sherry every evening, and that’s it.  I never had any interest in those treats after I got better.  I’m more dependent on my sleep medication than those things.”  Her eyes twinkle for a second.  I can see that she was beautiful when she was young.

“You don’t have any on you, do you?” she asks, crossing her legs.

States marked in red have legalized medical marijuana. Those in blue have legislation pending.

We’ve watched — with the rest of the world — as citizens of the proud, ancient nation have struggled against an oppressive government, and for freedom and justice.

One Westporter has more than a passing interest in the outcome.  Taher Naggar is the son of Egyptian parents.  Taher’s father emigrated to the U.S. from Egypt in 1969; his mother came 5 years later.  Born in 1976 in Queens, Taher moved to Westport at 5.  In 1994 he graduated from Staples.

Taher Naggar

Every couple of years growing up, Taher visited Egypt.  He spent time with family members, but did not really experience the country.  Only in the past 6 years has he gotten to know the land.  That created a “stronger, richer” connection, he says.

In Westport, Taher knew only 1 other Egyptian family.  But from his first day of kindergarten at Green’s Farms Elementary School, he never felt unwelcome or out of place.  He made friendships he maintains today.

“I never sensed that I was mistreated because I looked different, had a strange name or fasted during Ramadan,” he says.  “Even during the first Gulf War, as a freshman at Staples, there were only a few comments thrown my way.”

A Jewish friend and he often joked about “our brethren, and the never-ending conflict in Israel/Palestine.”  Taher learned that America is filled with people from other parts of the world — places rife with conflict — who find themselves “tolerating, working with, even developing and maintaining friendships and relationships with people from the very countries they may have learned to hate in their homelands.  It’s an amazing phenomenon.”

Even so, telling people he is Egyptian — and Muslim — has elicited amazement, and “big eyes of wonder.”  He cautions others that while he is no expert in either area, he is happy to answer questions.

After graduating from Ohio University, Taher worked at a talent management company, a boutique ad agency and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.  Last September he started a new career, as a 7th grade math teacher in the Bronx.  He now lives back in his birthplace:  Queens.

In New York, for the 1st time he socialized with Egyptians and Arabs who were not related to him.  It was exciting to have new friends — young men and women with similar experiences as children of immigrants.  It was novel to sit with 15 or 30 peers and switch back and forth from English to Arabic.

At the same time, he felt like an outsider.  He had grown up following religious and cultural norms like not drinking alcohol.  But his new friends were like most 20-something Americans, “doing everything under the sun.”

They also seemed to have stronger ties to Egypt than Taher did.  He made a concerted effort to know the country better.  On his trips there, he tried to live like a local.

Though spared the pain of knowing anyone who died on 9/11 — and not really the target of ignorant or insensitive remarks — Taher and others like him were strongly affected by the terrorist attacks.

“As New Yorkers, we watched our city and neighbors crumble and die,” he says.  “As Americans, we lost our sense of invincibility.

“As Arab Muslims, our religion and cultures were hijacked well before those planes took off, to be used as rallying cries for the grossly misguided ideologies of a twisted minority that do not reflect reality for the majority of the Islamic and Arab worlds.”

The current uprising in Egypt is “well overdue,” Taher says.  “While I pray for the safety of my family and friends there, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with pride and excitement.

“Over the last few years in particular, every local I’ve met in Egypt has complained about the lack of opportunity and freedom there.  Every family member I’ve spoken with echoes the same sentiments.”

Despite the fear and uncertainty, Taher says, his relatives “know that this uprising is what Egypt needs to stand up on its own feet again, and prosper and flourish.”  They look forward to a “new normal that will allow them to be fully part of the 21st century — not just living on the fringe.”

Taher has been shocked at the number of Egyptians who take to the streets, and their ability to hold their ground.  He does not think any friends or family members are actively protesting in Tahrir Square or at the Parliament building, though some may have taken to the streets with the general protesters.

He knows no one who supports Hosni Mubarak and his regime.  Doing so, Taher says, “would be akin to self-repression.”

He believes that if the demonstrators maintain their numbers and stamina, they can create the change they seek.

“I hope they are able to bring about the dawning of a new day in Egypt,” Taher says.  “I want for them and for Egypt what they want for themselves:  freedom.”

He was heartened by a friend’s Facebook post:  “Egyptian people, you have my sincerest admiration and respect.  I’ve never experienced a true sense of pride and belonging to you until now.  The world is watching you…make history!”

Taher Naggar is watching too, from thousands of miles away.  But these are his people, and it is his history that is finally in the making.

Our civic discourse is usually civil; when it’s not, it’s less along Democratic or Republican lines than other, more personal issues.

Our RTM is non-partisan.

Our Congressional district has a history of electing good, hard-working, normal people — of both parties.  And we’re proud of the job they do representing all of us.

But Westport is the site of an initial meeting of No Labels.  That’s the grassroots organization working to end the toxic tone in Washington (and many states and districts).

The group’s “Declaration” explains:

We are not labels – we are people.  We care deeply about our country.  We are frustrated and concerned about the tone of politics.  We are passionate about addressing America’s challenges.

We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

Most importantly, we are Americans.

We believe hyper-partisanship is destroying our politics and paralyzing our ability to govern.

We may disagree on issues, but we do so with civility and mutual respect.

We believe in the vital civil center — a place where ideas are judged on their merits.

We believe that together we can make the future better and brighter — and give us what we all deserve — a government and a political system that works — one driven by shared purpose and common sense.

We believe our politics can change, so that government will work again and produce better results.

The consequences of inaction have never been greater, because the issues we face have never been more serious, more complicated, or more dangerous….

We must put our labels aside, and put the issues and what’s best for the nation first.  A promising future awaits us.

The 1st No Label organizational meeting for Connecticut is set for tomorrow (Monday, Feb. 7), from 6:30-8 p.m. on the 1st floor of the MetLife Building, 57 Green’s Farms Road.

The public is invited.  No matter how you label yourself, you’re welcome to attend.

(For more information, click here.)

He kept his appointment — just 48 hours after the horrific shooting in Arizona that left 6 people dead, and one of his colleagues critically wounded.

Congressman Jim Himes

Himes acknowledged the tragedy — and the possibility that some in the overflow crowd were apprehensive.

But, he said, “We can’t function in an environment of fear.”  Then he attended to the business at hand:  answering questions, addressing concerns, serving the public.

That was exactly the right response.

After 9/11, we heard frequently:   “If we don’t do [this, that or the other thing], the terrorists win.”

It’s unclear so far whether Saturday’s gunman had a political agenda, was mentally ill, or both.  Whatever the answer, he created terror in our political system.

If congressmen retreat from one of their main jobs — meeting the public, hearing their thoughts, responding with their own insights — then not only will terror have won.

But our system of government — our American way of life — will have changed forever, too.

I can’t imagine anyone carrying out that assignment better than Jonah Newman.  The 17-year-old son of Staples graduate Abby Margolis was asked — by his American Protest Literature teacher in California — to find people who had been politically active.

He did not have to look far.  His grandparents — longtime Westporters Estelle and Manny Margolis — define the term.

Here’s part of what Jonah wrote:

As far back as I can remember, Emanuel and Estelle Margolis — my maternal grandparents — have been a part of my life.  Every year my parents, my brothers and I join the rest of the Margolis clan at my grandparents’ home in Westport, Connecticut to celebrate Passover.

Emanuel "Manny" Margolis

The house occupies a special place in my heart — like its own timeless world it remains the same every year, as comfortingly consistent as the presence of the two people who have lived there for five decades.  Perhaps it is because I have known my grandparents for my whole life that until recently, I had rarely thought about their rich backgrounds as political activists.  I discovered that my grandparents, who participated in many of the key social and political movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, are the very definition of living history.

Emanuel Margolis and Estelle Thompson (“Papa” and “Buba” respectively) were both born in New York City in 1926.  Papa, whose father and stepfather were both rabbis, came from a conservative Jewish family.  He was highly academic, and attended University of North Carolina, Harvard graduate school and Yale Law School.

When he was only 18 years old, Papa fought in Germany during World War II. He was wounded in the knee at the Battle of the Bulge.  He returned to college after the war thanks the G.I. Bill, and it was at UNC that he began his career as a political activist.

Buba was also raised in an Orthodox Jewish home.  Her family was hit hard by the Great Depression; her father often had trouble finding jobs and making ends meet.  She was artistic, participating in arts, theater, and music programs at school.

She never went to college but was admitted to the graduate School of Architecture at Yale and graduated in 1955. Her drawing talent was strong, and as a young woman she made a living out of art and architecture. Her political activism began when she was an adolescent and continued throughout her life.

Papa’s experiences in Germany changed his perspective about the world and catalyzed his transformation into a political activist upon his return to the United States. Because of his religious Jewish background, he had never thought about becoming an activist; he had been assured God would make the world better.

“World War II dispelled myths about my life,” he says. “Previously, there had been no reason for me to be involved in political activity because I believed in the power of God to solve the problems of the world.” His view of life was shattered by the reality of war.

He remembers seeing a Reader’s Digest article that said “there are no atheists in foxholes,” and calling it nonsense.  The war had “changed [him] from a religious believer to an atheist.”

With the dissolution of his belief in God came a “great yearning for activism and political activity.” “I now believed,” Papa says, “that the world needed changing, and we could change the world.”

Returning to UNC after the war, Papa found a much greater social awareness at the school.  He began writing for the school newspaper about current issues, and joined several activist organizations on campus.  At one point, Papa and other veterans used the organizational skills they developed in the military to protect a group of desegregationist bus riders from a mob armed with baseball bats and 2-by-4s.

Becoming an attorney after college in many ways inhibited his activism, since the profession demands exclusive and objective devotion to the law. However, Papa notes, “a lawyer can play a very important part in helping ensure the protection of rights.”

He continued fighting for his political beliefs, specifically human rights.  He repeatedly argued in support of Constitutional principles, in particular the First Amendment.  He even defended the Ku Klux Klan’s right to march publicly, contending that it was expression of free speech. After the U.S. became involved in the Vietnam War, Papa helped young people who had been arrested while protesting the war argue their cases in court, again invoking the First Amendment.

From his marriage to Buba in 1959 until the present day, Papa has persisted in his political activism.  He is a regular columnist for the Connecticut Law Tribune, often writing about political or human rights issues. He has been a dedicated participant in anti-war protests, from Vietnam until Iraq and Afghanistan, with his wife and family.

He believes that the reason so many people support war is because they do not understand it. Having fought in a war himself, Papa firmly believes that “war is a monstrosity” that wreaks emotional damage on all involved, including those on the home front. About the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Papa asserts that “even the GI’s do not know their mission…they haven’t the foggiest idea about what they’re trying to accomplish…We’re spending trillions on wars that have no foreseeable ends.”  Though he is 84 years old, Papa’s continued activism supports the principle that humans can indeed “change the world.”

In the late 1980s, Sen. Jesse Helms attacked the National Endowment for the Arts. Estelle Margolis responded with this painting.

Throughout her life, Buba has employed several diverse methods — including picketing, art and hands-on involvement — and has drawn from her innate empathy to protest war, discrimination and economic inequality.

Her career as an activist began much earlier than Papa’s.  At 12 she picketed outside Alexander’s Department Store in the Bronx in an attempt to get people to boycott Japanese silk after the Japanese invaded Manchuria.

Over many years since then, the anti-war message has been consistently important.  She says: “It overwhelms me with the thought of the devastating damage that has been done…What sense are we making out of the policy that keeps throwing young kids to their deaths?”

Buba’s sympathy may stem from her maternal instincts (she has 5 children and 10 grandchildren), and shows the simple human compassion that motivates her continued struggle against war.  She was active in her criticism of the Vietnam War during the 1960’s and 70’s, and has protested the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since 2005, Buba has helped lead a weekly vigil on a Westport bridge to protest the war in Iraq. Her signs at these present-day rallies say what they have said for decades: “Support The Troops, Bring Them Home.”

One of Buba’s natural skills has proved to be a lifelong tool for her activism. “I’ve been very lucky all my life because I know how to draw,” she says. Lucky is an understatement; in the late 1940’s Buba worked as an assistant to  legendary artist Ben Shahn. In 1946, Buba and Shahn worked on an enormous collection of political leaflets and posters to support Democratic candidates across the country. “We created a leaflet for every single candidate,” she recalls.

But there are risks to political activism. In 1947, when she taught union organizing to black and white students at the desegregated Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, angry vigilantes drove by, shouting and shooting at the building.

Even the government was an occasional threat.  Buba says the FBI planted spies in the meetings of activist organizations at the school.

In 1970, Buba and a group of women protesting the Vietnam War by picketing in the middle of a busy street were almost run over by an angry truck driver. The women were arrested for obstructing traffic, but Papa used his legal skills to keep them out of prison.

Driven by her human empathy and making full use of her artistic talents, Buba continues to be a potent voice of protest. Although both she and Papa believe the world needs changing, they also believe that the world is inherently beautiful.

Papa and Buba fervently believe America and the world are fundamentally good.  We just need to fight to keep them that way.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is for it.

So — particularly eloquently — is Zach Slater.

Zach Slater

“It” is repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — the policy that prohibits gay men and lesbians from serving in the U.S. military.

Zach — a Staples senior, and captain of both the water polo, and swimming and diving, teams at the high school — tackled the controversial rule during the finals of the local Rotary finals last week.

Organized by both Westport Rotary Clubs, the oratory contest asks students to apply Rotary’s 4-Way test to ethical issues.

The test asks:  Is it truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build goodwill and better friendships?  Will it benefit all concerned?

Zach’s answer to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a resounding “no!”  Here’s what he said:

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.  It is a policy that has discharged over 14,000 members of our armed forces.  It is a policy that has cost our government hundreds of millions of dollars and it is a policy that has rid our armies of brave gay, lesbian and bisexual service members.

I have determined that this policy must be abandoned and I have done by asking myself:  Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?  And will it build goodwill and other friendships?

First, is it the truth?  Some of our political and military leaders believe that “don’t ask don’t tell” creates cohesion among the armed forces.  They claim sexual orientation ambiguity makes sure that there will be no distractions while fighting for our country.

However, those serving in the military feel differently.  A study released this pass week by the Pentagon reports that over 70 percent of people serving in the army are comfortable with gay, lesbian and bisexual peers.  A majority of Americans, also 70 percent, believe that gay people should be allowed to serve openly.  This is what America wants, this is the truth, and why “don’t ask don’t tell must be repealed.”

Second, is it fair to all concerned?  “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not fair to those brave enough to risk their lives for our country.  If discovered to be gay, a serviceman or woman is immediately discharged, and any openly gay person qualified to serve our nation is turned away at military offices around the country.

According to the Pentagon, over 75% of young Americans are unqualified to serve in the military because of growing drug use, obesity, law-breaking and poor education.  Yet a physically fit, law-abiding, well-educated gay person interested in serving is not allowed. Why someone interested in protecting us, Americans, should be turned away, simply because of their sexuality when there are only so many people qualified to fight?  This is unfair and why this policy must be forgotten.

Third, will it be beneficial to all concerned? “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is disadvantageous to our country and all Americans. Expelling someone from the military because of their sexuality simply makes us less strong.  It is one less person keeping us at home safe, safe from an enemy, safe from terror, safe from corruption and safe from the evils of our world.

There are an estimated 66,000 closeted gays is the armed forces.  Imagine if all of them were to be outed and discharged.  That is 66,000 less people keeping us safe.  By abandoning “don’t ask don’t tell,” more gay people would feel comfortable joining the armed forces.  Therefore, more people to keep us safe and more people fighting for the greater good.  It will be beneficial to all concerned if “don’t ask, don’t tell” were to be revoked.

Fourth, will it build goodwill and other friendships?  “Don’t ask, don’t tell” currently limits goodwill and friendships in the army because it is a policy not in touch with the times.  The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network reports that a majority of those who have fought in 21^st century wars do not care if someone is gay or straight and do not find any connection between sexual orientation and job performance.

The Joint Force Quarterly reported “after a careful examination, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly.”  And if gays were allowed to be open, in a way they could be there true selves, creating true cohesion between the troops, building true goodwill and friendship.  This is why “don’t ask, don’t tell” should be repealed.

By using the rotary four-way test, I have come to the conclusion that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is not the truth; “don’t ask, don’t tell” is not fair to all concerned; repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” will be beneficial to all concerned, and repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” will build true goodwill and friendships.

This policy is not in touch with the times and is unsupported by a majority of Americans, and servicemen and women. This is why it must be repealed, and this is why it must be repealed now.  Those who understand that this policy is not right must call their senator today and let them know that they can repeal this policy today, and let them know that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is not the truth, not fair, not beneficial and does not build good will and other friendships.

Zach’s speech won him $500, and advances him to the Rotary 4-Way Test regional contest next month at Fairfield University.

The choices for Congress are between incumbent Jim Himes and challenger Dan Debicella.  Yet I didn’t need to read a word of the flyer to know who to vote for. 

The color photo of Debicella portrayed a handsome, smiling, obviously very competent guy.

The grainy, black-and-white shot of Himes showed a frothing-at-the-mouth lunatic.  I like the guy, but this scared the crap out of me.

A few hours later, a friend showed me a “Dear Independent Westport Voter” mailing he’d just received. 

Labed “Voter’s Guide,” it looked like one of those rational, objective League of  Women Voter’s, um, “Voter’s Guides.”  I’m always eager to learn more about the men and women seeking my vote, so I read on.

I learned that Debicella “Actually listens to people.  Sharp and personable.  He gets it.” 

Himes, on the other hand, is “Unbelievable, Elitist and Condescending.  The worst of non-representation.”

One typical politician...

I found more:  Senatorial candidate Linda McMahon is “Obviously not a politician or indebted to special interests or unions.”

Her opponent, Richard Blumenthal, though, is a “Career Politician of the type that got us into this mess….Got his name on the ballot twice!”

I’ve met State Senate candidate John Hartwell several times, and have always found him to be pleasant, reasonable and well-informed.  However, I now understand he is “Out of touch making outlandish attacks.”

Fortunately, we have 2 State Representative candidates who are on the ball.  By amazing coincidence both are Republicans, running in different districts.

...and another.

Nitzy Cohen (Dist. 136) “Gets it.”  DeeDee Brandt (Dist. 133) is even better than Nitzy.  DeeDee is “Sharp.  Gets it.  Knows her details and knows the numbers.  Knows them exceptionally well.”

So who should I thank for providing such a detailed Voter’s Guide?

The fine print said:  “This educational effort has been prepared and funded by a collection of voters (Independents, Democrats and Republicans) who share concerns for our country and state….We wanted you, the independents, to have these details available.  We ask you to review the attached, make informed decisions and vote to restore some balance.”

Thanks, anonymous mailing guys!  I saw this just in time.

There’s no telling how many reckless, uninformed, and flat-out wrong decisions I might have made today without this very informative “Voter’s Guide”!

Westport entrepreneur and senior software developer Nick Pisarro was there for both.

Click here for the speech (or here for the video) for President Obama at Bridgeport’s Harbor Yard, and here for the speech (here for the video) for Bill Clinton at Norwalk’s SoNo Fieldhouse.

But this is an all-purpose blog.  So I’ll pass along this information, and let my “06880″ readers decide if they want to go:

Westport Tea is sponsoring a “Rally for America” today (11 a.m.-noon) in downtown Westport.

It’s billed as a “pre-election day gathering for all citizen-voters who believe in responsible government and true representation and accountability by those elected.  The rally will bring attention to the importance of voting by citizens concerned with restoring fiscal and political balance to the U.S. Congress and the CT General Assembly.”

The site of the rally is the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge.  For nearly 50 years, Ruth Steinkraus Cohen was a tireless advocate for the United Nations, and a volunteer for world peace.

The Tea Party movement verges close to nativism.  The irony of rallying on a bridge named for a woman who believed in globalism is spectacular.

Is this a great country or what?

The Tea Party -- and all Westporters -- enjoy watching American flags fly on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge. (Photo by Lynn U. Miller)

“You usually only see things like this on Volvos, and then they’re usually slogans and such from the other side,” John added helpfully.

And, he continued, “the stickers are the views and commentary of the driver and in no way represent the views of the sender in any way…yada…yada…yada.”

In honor of the 1st Amendment — and because it looks like a slow weekend — I’m publishing John’s photos.

But — I can’t help myself — I posted them all as far to the right side as possible.

Note to Linda McMahon:

Unlike the WWE, in politics the winner is never selected ahead of time.

Well, hardly ever.

Build a parking deck on the Baldwin Lot behind Brooks Brothers.

Add alleyways to downtown Westport.

And that’s just the start.

Slowly, quietly — but very imaginatively and steadily — the Planning and Zoning Commission’s Downtown Plan Subcommittee has been hard at work.  Over the past 2 years they’ve begun hammering out a vision that — if implemented — would fundamentally and radically alter not only the look and feel of downtown, but the way Westporters live, work and play.

It could even change our senses of time and scale — with ripple effects all over town.

Downtown Westport does not make much use of the Saugatuck River that runs through it. The walkway off Parker Harding Plaza is seldom noticed, and little used.

The plan draws inspiration from something called “form-based code.”  The idea is revolutionary — and too complex for a blog post — but it boils down to this:  Most building codes are restrictive.  They tell developers (and residents, and everyone else) all the things they can’t do.  It addresses very specific areas — restaurants, parking, building heights — in neat, tidy and very legal language.

So developers (and residents, and everyone else) find all the loopholes they can, and do whatever they want anyway.

Form-based codes focus on relationships:  between buildings, streets and public spaces.  They emphasize mixed use, walkability, scope, proportionality, connectivity — all taken together, neighborhood by neighborhood.

And yes, downtown Westport is a neighborhood.  At least (the subcommittee thinks) it could — and should — be.

With the help of Robert Orr — an architect, town planner and form-based code advocate — the subcommittee envisions a downtown Westport filled with brownstone-scaled buildings, European-style walking areas, boutiques, galleries, toy stores, ice cream shops — a mixed-use area not unlike what will soon rise in Saugatuck.

But because this is downtown Westport — covering much more space, in an area already filled with parking and chain stores — the impact will be much greater.

And, in some ways, much more quiet and mellow.

We think of downtown Westport as charming and friendly. But is the streetscape really inviting? Is it pedestrian friendly? What really draws us there? (Photo by Dave Matlow)

“We’re talking about a scale with sidewalks, streets and setbacks that is anthropologically attractive to human beings,” says Jonathan Steinberg, subcommittee chair.

“Everything would be walkable.  It would promote and encourage the return of mom-and-pop stores.  It would get Westporters downtown.  And when they’re there, they would slow down.  And linger.”

Many of the ideas — including decking the Baldwin parking lot — are not new.  Some have been discussed since the 1950s, when Parker Harding lot was built on landfill behind Main Street stores.  (Within days, it was nicknamed “Harder Parking.”)

But none of the ideas ever came to fruition.  Now, with Orr providing advice, visualizations — and a solid record of form-based code success (both his and others) all over the country — the subcommittee is taking another whack.

“We can create a real Westport town center for everyone,” Steinberg says enthusiastically.  “Not million-dollar condos, but a little bit retro, a more New England feel.  We can reclaim Jesup Green, and use the river in a much more productive fashion.”

For many Westporters, Steinberg says, Westport has lost its relevance.  Families’ lives here center on schools, kids’ activities, Compo and Longshore.  Our 2nd focus is New York.

“Most people don’t even see a problem with downtown,” he says.  “They view it transactionally — a place of commercialism and commodification — rather than a place to use and embrace, with a sense of community.”

Steinberg understands the daunting obstacles.

There is the “myth” that the cost will be borne by taxpayers.  “We could sell Parker-Harding to developers — not to do with as they wish, but through form-based code,” he says.

“In fact, the new structures built there would add to the tax base.”

When was the last time anyone actually sat in the tiny park at the corner of Main Street and the Post Road?

The Planning and Zoning Commission “needs to get their heads around it,” Steinberg continues.  “People naturally have reservations.  They worry that developers won’t adhere to our vision.”

Selling the concept to Westporters will be difficult, he says — including the idea of metered parking.

“People here feel they’re entitled to free parking,” he says.  Metered parking — which could involve an EZ-Pass-style system, and/or one with variable rates depending on demand — is meant to turn spaces over, Steinberg says.

“Right now, employees parking near buildings.  That frustrates customers, and keeps people away from downtown.  We have to change Westport’s mindset.”

Funds raised through parking fees could help improve downtown — new trees, nice light poles, frequent cleaning — Steinberg says.

What’s the timeline?

“We want to do this right,” says Steinberg.  “We hope to share something substantial by October, but it may take longer.

“We don’t want to shoot our mouths off.  We’re a very deliberate committee.  That’s why it’s taken this long so far.”

The subcommittee’s next meeting is this Thursday (August 12, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 309).  Orr will be there, answering questions.  The public is invited.

“It should be a provocative discussion,” Steinberg says.

That’s one statement every Westporter is sure to agree with.

(For more information, contact Jonathan Steinberg:  jpsteinberg@optonline.net)

Flying much lower under the radar was an event last month — also at the library — sponsored by the Fairfield County Committee of Safety.

According to their website, it is

a non-partisan, grass-roots advocacy organization active throughout the 50 United States.  Its purpose is to exercise the freedoms of speech, association, and petition guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, in order to educate Americans about, and mobilize them for political action around, the fundamental principles of liberty and self-government set out in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

So far so good.  Now read on:

All too many rogue public officials in the General Government in Washington, D.C., have usurped powers never delegated to them by the Constitution, thereby violating their oaths or affirmations to support the Constitution, undermining the federal system, and depriving the States and the people of powers and rights reserved to them by the Constitution.

Recognizing the danger this situation poses, a majority of the States have reasserted their sovereignty through resolutions under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.  Although this a good first step, further action is necessary to enforce these declarations.

In particular, the States and the people must take firm control of the two most important powers of sovereignty: the Power of the Purse—through establishment in each State of an economically sound and constitutionally proper alternative currency based on silver and gold; and the Power of the Sword—through revitalization of the Militia of the several States along strict constitutional lines.

Committees of Safety intends, by means of peaceful mass grass-roots political activism, to restore the Power of the Purse and the Power of the Sword to the American people through their State governments.

Central to this plan is an Economic Security Bill through which each State can adopt an alternative State currency of silver and gold, managed and protected through a revitalized State Militia, in order to protect the State’s governmental finances, and eventually the State’s entire private economy, against a collapse of the Federal Reserve System.  The establishment of economic security is the necessary first step in a comprehensive strategy that aims at returning the provision of all “national security” to local control by the people themselves.

There are 32 members — or, as they call themselves, “Constitutional Activists” — in the Fairfield County group.  Their next meeting is Saturday June 26 (2:30 p.m.):  a showing of the film “Don’t Tread On Me:  Rise of the  Republic.”

The website says of the movie:

From the Tea Party Movement to State Legislators, the American people are drawing a line in the sand.  On what side of it will you stand?  Has the government our Founders created been forgotten by Washington DC?  Is a Patriot Uprising ready to capture the spirit of 1776?

“Don’t Tread On Me: Rise of the Republic” gives the viewer a look into the movements, mindset, and legislation that will catapult the “Great Restoration” into households across America.

The Committee of Safety will screen “Don’t Tread On Me” at the Westport Public Library.  No word from them yet on whether that’s an institution they’d also like to overthrow.

But anyone looking for red meat was disappointed.  Organizer Dean Slack served up mostly appetizers.

The 10-year Westporter — a self-described businessperson with no previous experience in politics — returned over and over to 3 main themes:

We need officers.  We need volunteers.  We need money.

Organizers of last night's Westport Tea meeting asked that faces of attendees not be photographed.

Westport Tea, he emphasized, is a non-profit association.  It’s not a political party, or a “Tea Party PAC.”  Westport Tea is a social organization that educates voters.

Some of the crowd stirred when Slack touched on Westport Tea’s 3 main principles:  fiscal responsibility, limited government and capitalism.  They wanted to vent about everything wrong with America today — I guess that would be fiscal irresponsibility, intrusive government, and socialism.

But Slack wasn’t going there.  He returned again and again to the need for officers, volunteers and money.

If the 1773 Tea Party organizing committee held meetings like last night’s, Westporters today would be hoping England wins the World Cup.

Slack differentiated Westport Tea from the national movement of a similar name.  “This is not the fanatical Tea Party thing you see on TV,” he said.

That led to a brief discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of the TP name.  They’re both about the same things, Slack said — “less government, less taxes, free markets, an emphasis on the Constitution” — but then it was back to the need for officers and volunteers.

And money.

“Democracy,” Slack said, “is not free.”

It was not Paul Revere.

It was not Rand Paul.

It was not Ayn Rand.

It was Tea time, Westport-style.

(For more information on Westport Tea, call Dean Slack at 203-226-2619, or email: WestportTea@gmail.com.)