After a frustrating morning, I want to share an update following today’s weather-related school closure, and explain the steps we’re taking to protect the end of the school year calendar.
Recommendations to End Student School Calendar on June 18
I will make 2 recommendations to the Board of Education, so that the student school calendar ends on June 18.
To keep the school year on track, I will recommend that the Board of Education take action at a short, 1-item meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. to:
Reduce the student calendar from 182 to 180 school days, and
Make Friday, March 20 a regular student school day, moving the scheduled professional development day to Wednesday, June 24.
If approved, this plan would allow:
Students to finish the school year on Thursday, June 18 (school is closed Friday, June 19 for Juneteenth.) and
No changes to April vacation (barring additional cancellations).
To make sure this adjustment is workable and does not create avoidable disruption I communicated with most bargaining unit leadership (teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.) and First Student Transportation to confirm March 20 can become a student day without complications.
Assuming the Board proceeds with the agenda as planned and approves my recommendation, I will communicate the final decision to families as soon as possible after Thursday’s meeting.
School Closure Decision Today
As an aside, I provided the following information to a media inquiry related to the decision to close today. I share this information with you in the event you are interested.
“We began with a conference call with meteorologist John Bagioni at 4:10 a.m. The guidance at this time indicated that precipitation would begin in the 10 a.m.-12 p.m. window, likely on the early side. It also indicated that the cold air mass was not showing signs of moving out of the area as quickly as originally forecasted.
“I sent a message to families last night to provide prior notice of a possible early dismissal. Given the storm’s timing in the 4:10 a.m. update, an early dismissal would be problematic since it would put buses and drivers on the road during the worst of the snow/ice (early dismissal bus runs are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m). Additionally, given the cold temperatures over the past few days, it was predicted any precipitation would freeze on contact.
“I communicated with our Department of Public Works to determine their capability to treat the roads so that buses and drivers could safely return home between 2:45 and 4:45 p.m., the window of our normal afternoon dismissal runs.
School buses are an important part of any closure decision. (Photo/Amy Schneider)
“Then the final email update came shortly after 5:30 a.m. I have pasted the part of the updated forecast from our meteorologist that led to the closure decision:
The overall atmospheric pattern has trended colder, and while much of the initial snow and sleet will likely fall at light intensities, the surge of warmer air at cloud level could allow bursts of moderate snow at times. Periods of snow and sleet will continue into the afternoon, but there should be a tendency for the snow to mix with or change to mainly freezing rain or freezing drizzle during the afternoon.
The immediate I-95 corridor may be able to nudge above freezing this afternoon, but the current cold air mass will only grudgingly moderate, and freezing or sub-freezing temperatures are expected across most of inland CT and interior eastern NY through the daytime period. And there is some support for freezing rain to continue in some areas well into the evening or early nighttime period.
Robbie Guimond has lived and worked on the Saugatuck River for nearly 40 years. Since 1996 he’s owned and operated Bridgebrook Marina, one of the last old New England boatyards. He writes:
For a town built on the banks of a river, it’s remarkable how far we’ve drifted from understanding the very resource that shaped us.
I’ve spent my life on the water — working, boating, raising my girls while watching the tides and summers come and go — and I’m still struck by how few people here truly engage with the river that defines our history and our identity.
That disconnect is showing up now, at a moment when clarity matters most.
Robbie Guimond, at work on the river.
Over the years I’ve sat through meeting after meeting, reread the blogs, listened to the videos and talked with neighbors across town.
What I’ve learned is simple and uncomfortable: misinformation is everywhere, and it’s affecting all of us — including me.
The recent RTM meeting, and the commentary swirling around it, are just the latest examples of how quickly passion can outrun facts.
The Cribari Bridge at the center of this debate is more than iron and bolts. It’s part of our daily lives, our memories, our sense of place.
Saugatuck River (Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)
Even after the state Department of Transportation’s missteps and the mess that we were left with, I still see the bridge, its scars and its lights as part of Saugatuck’s character.
It deserves a conversation grounded in understanding, not noise.
I’ve tried — sometimes to the point of going hoarse — to explain the issues as best as an everyday guy can. I often get caught up in emotion, which drives me off course.
But at this stage, the most important thing any of us can do is: get informed. Read the Environmental Assessment. Look closely at the options that came out of more than a dozen meetings with the state. Understand what’s actually on the table.
Inspecting supports for the Cribari Bridge. Much of the recent debate has focused on the part of the bridge that everyone sees and travels on — not what’s underneath, where river traffic passes.
Because the petitions circulating right now are one‑sided. The blog comments, while heartfelt, are often tilted. And yes, my own posts and comments have their biases too. That’s exactly why we need to step back from the echo chambers and look at the full picture.
At the end of the day, we’re on the same team. We all want a bridge that is safe, suitable, and responsible to the environment around it, and the river that runs under it.
We want solutions that protect quality of life, improve traffic and commerce, and honor the history that makes this place special. Those goals aren’t in conflict —they’re connected.
But we can’t reach them if we’re arguing from different sets of facts.
The river has always been our town’s anchor. It’s time for our decision‑making to reflect that same steadiness.
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The Saugatuck River. View is from the Riverwalk, behind office buildings on Riverside Avenue. (Photo/Louisa Ismert)
The Westport Library is closed today (Tuesday), due to potentially icy conditions.All programming is canceled for the day.
Also closed: the Westport Senior Center.
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It’s official: March is Sandwich Month in Westport.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie made the proclamation yesterday, at Old Mill Grocery & Deli. He kicked off the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce’s 9th annual contest — this one focused on (duh) sandwiches.
He was joined by 2nd Selectwoman Amy Wistreich, plus Chamber members, attorneys with sponsor Bercham Moses, and representatives of the owner of the OMG property, the Soundview Empowerment Alliance.
The contest runs throughout March. Over 20 restaurants, delis and markets will compete in 10 categories.
Judging is done by residents, online. Each voter is also entered into a drawing to win a free sandwich, from one of the 10 winners.
The 21 competitors are: A & S Fine Foods, Calise’s, Clubhouse, Dunkin, Emmy Squared, Garelick & Herbs, Gold’s, Kabab & Hummus House, Kawa Ni, Lyfe Café, Match Burger Lobster, Nomade, Old Mill Grocery, Organic Market, Outpost Pizza, Pizza Lyfe, Rizzuto’s Lobster Shack, Romanacci, Saugatuck Provisions, Saugatuck Rive Café, The Granola Bar and Zucca Gastrobar.
The 10 categories are: Best Chicken Sandwich, Best Steak Sandwich, Best Vegetarian Sandwich, Best Combo Sandwich, Best Club, Best NY Deli, Best Pressed Sandwich, Best Breakfast Sandwich, Best Wrap Sandwich, and Best Fish/Seafood Sandwich. Each restaurant, deli or market may enter up to 4 categories, but can only win 2 at most.
From now through March 31, everyone is invited to visit the venues, enjoy the offerings, and vote here.
1st Selectman Kevin Christie enjoys a sandwich at Old Mill Grocery & Deli. He looks forward to chowing down at the competition too.
There are plenty of grandparents — with grandchildren — in Westport.
Soon, they’ll have a chance to play together — without screens — thanks to the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston.
The pilot program, called Grand Play Day, brings together grandparents and their grandkids (ages 5-12). Using simple tools (question cards, paper-and-pencil table games and other easy activities), they’ll laugh and share stories.
Grand Play Day is built on “Connections Thru Play,” created by Playocracy founder Lynn Campanella in partnership with the National Institute for Play — where Y’s Man Joe Miller, serves as a volunteer executive.
The Y’s Men pilot is planned for an afternoon on the weekend of April 24–25, coinciding with Global Intergenerational Week. It will be facilitated by Campanella and Miller, include academic input from professors of Childhood Development and Aging, and serve as a potential model for other community groups.
Dhilan Patel is the Westport Book Shop’s guest exhibitor for the month of March. He’s exhibiting archival prints of his paintings and drawings. All work is available for purchase.
One of the youngest featured artists ever at the Jesup Road store, Dhilan is currently a Staples High School senior. he began painting in 1st grade.
He says that art teaches important qualities. “Painting, for example, has taught me the importance of forward planning and patience (literally waiting for layers to dry).
“Also, when people see your work they see the end result, but not the uncertainty and mistakes along the way, which art also teaches you to deal with. My first true art instructor, Mr. Jenya, always emphasized that not every stroke has to be perfect and not every action has to have the desired outcome. He encouraged me to work with what’s there and move forward. In hindsight he was instilling qualities such as humility, trust in the process, and openness to possibility.”
In addition to oil painting, Dhilan has explored calligraphy and sumi-e (traditional Japanese ink painting). His work been selected for a national anthology published by CelebratingArt.com, and he has won awards at the Ridgewood Art Institute’s Young People’s Exhibit.
Speaking of Staples, and the arts: Congratulations to Demeil Betfarhad, Josie Caricato and Lyla McEntee!
The Staples High School students performed last weekend with the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Region Honor Choirs. Selection for the ensembles is one of the highest honors for choral singers in the region, following a rigorous audition process in 11 states.
The 4-day event in Providence featured an intensive schedule of rehearsals and masterclasses, culminating in performances at legendary venues.
Lauren Pine, Staples’ choral director, attended the conference, and supported the young singers throughout the rehearsal and performance process.
From left: Josie Caricato, Lyla McEntee, Demeil Betfarhad.
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Speaking (still) of Staples: Congratulations to the boys soccer team.
The 2025 class “LL” (extra large schools) state champions were named Team of the Year for the entire state, by the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association.
The award was announced on Sunday, at the All-State banquet at the Aqua Turf Club. Individual honors were also presented to Josh Whitaker (All-New England), Gabe Duque (All-State) and Dylan Shackelford (Most Valuable Player, state final).
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And even more Staples news: The wrestling team placed 3rd overall — out of 121 teams — at this past weekend’s state open meet.
Four grapplers earned medals. sophomore Julian Rousseau placed 2nd, at 215 pounds, while 3 others finished 5th: junior Gavin Donaldson (120), and seniors Seamus Brannigan (126) and Damian Rousseau (190). Congrats to all!
From left: Gavin Donaldson, Seamus Brannigan, Julian Rousseau, Damian Rousseau.
Westport Pride invites all members of the LGBTQ+ community — and all allies — to the second Happy Hour of 2026.
It’s this Thursday (March 5, 6 p.m., The Boathouse at Saugatuck Rowing Club). The restaurant is providing light bites. Everyone there will provide the vibe.
And more: there’s a “Pride Night” cocktail party this Saturday (March 7, 7 p.m.) at the Westport Country Playhouse, before Isaac Mizrahi’s 8 p.m. show.
LGBTQ+ community members and friends with tickets to the performance are invited to the event, in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center. Appetizers are catered by Nômade, and there is a limited open bar.
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This Thursday at “Jazz at the Post,” an ensemble of master improvisers performs every track from “The Soothsayer,” the visionary Wayne masterpiece.
Greg Wall, David DeJesus, Andy Gravish, Jen Allen, Boots Maleson and Steve Johns bring decades of experience and deep jazz insight to Shorter’s richly textured writing, honoring the album’s lyrical mysticism, harmonic daring, and rhythmic subtlety while infusing it with their own vibrant interplay.
Longtime Westport resident Lester Becker died passed peacefully at home on February 16. He was 96.
The Brooklyn native met his wife Mary at a resort hotel in the Catskills. They were married for nearly 73 years. In 1963 they moved to Westport, where they raised their Ann and Michael. In the early 2000’s they moved to California for 5 years to be near their grandson Ellis, while he was growing up.
After graduating from Columbia University, Lester worked for Dynamic Films in New York. He then formed his own company, Custom Films. A major client was ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” Focusing on auto racing, he and his team filmed and edited numerous events, including at aytona, Darlington, Indianapolis and the Monaco Grand Prix.
After airing, he often re-edited the footage for companies like Goodyear Tire.
Lester loved to ski, sail, play tennis, take solo motorcycle trips, and travel the world with Mary. Until the very end of his life, he remained intellectually curious. He was an avid reader, stock market enthusiast, lifelong Democrat, and generous man.
He is survived by his daughter Ann Moore of New York City; son Michael (Christine Dunford) of Los Angeles; grandson Ellis Becker of Madison, Wisconsin, and beloved cat Archie. The family expresses nduring gratitude to his kind and wonderful caregiver, Keneilwe.
A celebration of Lester’s and Mary’s lives will be held at a date to be announced. Donations can be made in Lester’s honor to theWestport Library or the Pet Animal Welfare Society (Paws of Norwalk).
Lester Becker
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A waxing moon, perched atop a tall tree, is a perfect look for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo feature.
And finally … in honor of Grand Play Day (story above):
(Hey grandma! And grandpa! And grandkids — and everyone else in between: If you enjoy these daily Roundups — or anything else on “06880” — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
If Westport decides what we want to do with the Cribari Bridge, the state Department of Transportation will listen — and work with us.
If not, they won’t.
That’s the assessment of a civil engineer — not a Westporter — who is very familiar with state bridges and the DOT, and has followed our town’s saga for years.
His view — gleaned from news reports, and watching the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Zoom session last week — is that most people here agree something must be done to the 143-year-old span.
But after all this time, there is no consensus on what that should be.
No consensus yet on the Cribari Bridge’s future. (Drone photo/John Videler, for Videler Photography)
There are issues with historic integrity (the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places), structural integrity (it was built when Grover Cleveland was president), traffic, semi-trailers, navigability of the Saugatuck River, and more.
“I get the sense that Westport is not unified in what it wants,” the engineer says. “But it seems like everyone is using DOT as a punching bag.”
In his experience, DOT officials work with municipalities that want to work with it.
Kicking the can down the road won’t work. The bridge won’t last forever.
And if there is a major incident with it, then where would Westport — and the state — be?
The Cribari Bridge is sometimes stuck in the open position. (Photo/Mark Mathias)
One option has been little discussed, he notes: the town purchasing the bridge. In that case, Westport taxpayers would have complete control over its design and traffic.
We’d also be responsible for buying it, and maintaining it — without state and federal funds.
Without going that route, the engineer says, the state must be involved. Westport can’t ignore ConnDOT. Their goal, he says, is a “safe, reliable transit network.”
The engineer is also trying to figure out Westporters’ views on the historical nature of the Cribari Bridge.
If people value it for its history, he says, are they amenable to relocating it to another site, perhaps as a pedestrian span? If not, why not?
“If Westport could wave a magic wand, what would you want?” he asks.
“Probably no one knows. But without Westport being aligned on what they want, it seems very difficult to see this project proceeding. Is that what people want? And what happens then, if something bad happens to the bridge?”
The bottom line, the engineer says, is this: “DOT is coming to the table on March 19.” (That’s the date for a 6 p.m. meeting with residents, at Town Hall.)
“Westport should have a uniform idea of what they want then.” If that happens — and the meeting does not devolve into conflicting ideas and accusations — “DOT would certainly work with the town.”
The engineer knows that complete consensus is probably impossible. But if town officials come up with “a couple” of options” — and tell DOT, “we need this, and it’s okay to compromise a little on that,” a plan can be made.
“If you took DOT out of the room, it doesn’t look like right now Westport knows what it wants,” he reiterates.
“And if the town doesn’t know, how can DOT respond?”
Meanwhile, based on news reports and last week’s RTM meeting, the engineer offers his objective summary of the situation.
The 1884 bridge stands at the center of a 2026 traffic management discussion.
The only reason not meeting current design standards is even being considered is the National Historic Preservation Act. It is a legal protection that allows a community to argue that the history of the bridge and the protection of the neighborhood are more important than the DOT’s book of standards.
Without the bridge’s National Register status, there would be little to debate; the bridge would have been replaced with a standard concrete span decades ago. The “gravitas” of the 1884 date is the only reason the “substandard” height remains an option on the table.
The Engineering Reality: After 140+ years of service, the bridge faces a critical intersection of structural decay and functional obsolescence. Routine inspections have identified severe corrosion and collision damage. Current vehicular weight limits are restricted to 20 tons — half the modern standard — affecting the routing of school buses and emergency apparatus. The bridge’s 19.5-foot width and 12′ 10″ vertical clearance fall significantly below modern safety standards, leading to frequent sideswipe accidents and truss strikes.
The Crux of the Dilemma: To the state DOT, these metrics represent a failure of its mission to provide a safe, efficient, and resilient transportation network. From a management perspective, full replacement would likely seem the most defensible path. It secures a 75-year design life, meets federal safety standards, and eliminates the state’s liability for maintaining a “substandard” structure.
To the community, however, the bridge’s deficiencies are viewed as its most vital features. The low vertical clearance acts as a physical obstacle that prevents large tractor-trailers from using Route 136 as a bypass for I-95. Residents fear that a modern bridge, built to standard heights, will fundamentally transform a residential village.
Traffic is a concern on the Cribari Bridge.
Alternatives
Full Replacement (likely DOT-preferred): A new bridge, likely designed as a “High-Fidelity Replica” to satisfy historic preservation needs. It would meet all modern height, weight, and flood-resiliency standards.
Adaptive Rehabilitation (resident-preferred):Would involve “splitting and widening” the original trusses. This would improve roadway safety and add bike lanes, while intentionally preserving the 12′ 10″ height to continue blocking heavy truck traffic.
The Adaptive Rehabilitation proposal is a paradox: It seeks to meet modern standards for width, while refusing them for height. For DOT, accepting this requires a “Design Exception” that shifts long-term liability and maintenance risks to the state for a structure that remains intentionally restricted.
Progress depends on uncoupling the bridge design from traffic enforcement.
In addition, the Saugatuck River is a navigable waterway. Under federal law, the bridge owner is legally mandated to open the bridge for marine traffic.
From an objective engineering standpoint: There is no technical justification for an intentional height restriction on a state-maintained route.
However, the “inevitability” hits a legal wall called Section 4(f). Because the bridge is a National Historic Resource, federal law says the DOT cannot replace it simply because it’s “the most sensible use of funds.” They must prove that every other alternative is “not prudent.”
This may become a battle over whether “Historic Preservation” and “Community Character” are legally allowed to override “Design Standards.” Some in Westport may be betting that the answer is yes.
They appreciated seeing photographer Dave Matlow’s archival images of homes he photographed for WestportNow’s “Teardown of the Day” — juxtaposed with their current-day replacements.
Dave is taking new shots, from the same distance and angle. Here are 4 more houses that are now gone, along with the new ones.
In 2003, Lauren Weisberger published “The Devil Wears Prada.”
The novel — based on her time as Anna Wintour’s assistant at American Vogue — was a bestseller.
But Weisberger was savaged. The New York Times called it “a mean-spirited ‘Gotcha!’ of a book” and “vampiric, second-order cruelty.” The Wall Street Journal said it “could have been written by a window washer.”
Weisberger — 26 years old — did not expect the reaction.
She probably also did not expect it to sell 13 million copies, and lead to a high 6-figure advance for her second book.
On May 1 — 20 years after the movie became its own classic — “The Devil Wears Prada 2” will be released. The cast — including Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep — returns.
What makes all this newsworthy — besides the fact that Hathaway used to live in Westport, and Stephanie Szostak does — is that Weisberger now lives here.
The Sunday Times of London published a long story on her yesterday. It notes: “Suburban Connecticut … has been the perfect inspiration for the dramas and satires of her commercial fiction (“When Life Gives You Lululemons”; “Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty”).
Curtains rise soon for Westport’s 2 middle school drama troupes.
Coleytown Company brings “Newsies” to the stage March 27-29. The musical was inspired by the true story of the 1899 newsboys’ strike in New York City, when exploited young newspaper sellers formed a union and struck against powerful publisher Joseph Pulitzer for fair pay.
Excitement around Coleytown’s show kicked off with a benefit concert last month. It featured 4 stars from Broadway’s “Newsies,” including Westport native Adam Kaplan. The next day, he taught a master class to the cast.
Bedford Theatre Community presents “The Little Mermaid” March 19-22. Opening Night is “Students’ Night Out.” With no school the next day (teachers’ professional development), youngsters will celebrate their 7th and 8th grade cast and crew friends.
They serve on its board, volunteer at and donate to the Bridgeport non-profit, which impacts countless women’s lives — and those of their families — through education and support services.
On March 12 (6 p.m., Park City Music Hall, Bridgeport), everyone — those connected with MLC, and those who just heard of it — is invited to their first “Raise Her Voice” fundraiser.
Twenty students chosen through school competitions throughout Connecticut will present a monologue and sonnet. The winner advances to the national competition at Lincoln Center next month.
For Shanahan, the event is déjà vu. As a teen, he participated in a branch competition for the same program.
“I was very nervous and not very good, I fear,” he recalls.
“But it was fun. I had terrible stage fright as a teen, and got over it in college.”
Snow is melting at different rates, all over town.
Grass is already visible in some spots. At others — like Newman Poses Preserve, the site of today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature photo — there’s still plenty left.
And finally … in honor of Lauren Weisberger’s novel and movies:
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