Youth Commission members meet at Toquet Hall, following the recent scavenger hunt.
Upon this site our garbage once sat, and with a river view at that!
One of only 2 left in town. This one is the busiest, with little parking to be found.
A work of art that many pass, not in a museum or behind glass. Near some stores but has no price, a portrait of a town that’s nice.
Maya Angelou it’s not — or even Dr. Seuss — but poetry isn’t the main point. The clues above were part of the Youth Commission’s recent 1st meeting of the fall.
Instead of the usual orientation and board meeting, Elaine Daignault and Kevin Godburn created a photo scavenger hunt. The 5 teams — each half adults, half youth — had clear instructions: Solve the riddles, find the location in downtown Westport, and photograph it.
Each team approached the challenge differently. One solved every clue first, then took photos — but darkness fell, and their pictures were hard to see.
Others split up and attempted to solve the puzzle in smaller groups. They ran into each other often, on their way to taking photos.
Some groups divided themselves geographically, while one photographed home-made signs, rather than actually finding each location.
Adults — especially those in town a long time — had an advantage, but teenagers enjoyed interacting with them, while learning about the town.
A few clues stumped everyone: those leading to “historic plaques,” the actual location of the Westport Community Theater (in the basement of Town Hall), a former firehouse (either the YMCA or Waterworks on Wilton Road), and the only octagonal-roof barn in Connecticut (Westport Historical Society).
The winners? “Everyone,” Elaine — Youth Services coordinator –said. “Youth and adults worked together, much like they do throughout the year, by coming to the table as equals and listening to each other to get the job done.
“They got to know someone they probably wouldn’t have, had they only sat across the table from each other at a monthly meeting.
“It was not meant to be a competition, but a lesson in how various groups might work together to reach the same goal. The Youth Commission is a special group of people, and each year I’m excited to see how the youth and adults approach issues that affect kids and families in town.”
(PS: Here are the answers to the clues above: Library; Post Office; tunnel from Main Street to the Parker Harding lot.)
