We’ve seen the rockets’ red glare. The bombs bursting in air.
We’ve left our beach chairs, tents, flip flops and food in the Compo Beach sand.
But Westport’s Parks and Rec crew is up to the task. They see our garbage, and in a fantastic show of coordination, energy and grit they remove it.
Betsy P. Kahn was up at 6 this morning. She lives on the shore, and took her regular dawn walk. Today, she brought her camera. Here’s what she saw:
Meanwhile, here are 2 more looks back at the night before the morning after:
(All photos/Betsy P. Kahn)
Considering the mob of people from last night – the beach is in great shape.
More trash cans next time?
Happy Independence Day, everyone!
The fireworks were spectacular as usual. It’s too bad the police. Dept with their traffic control people weren’t up to the task! It took over an hour to get from post road down Compo to the beach. Come on guys .. You’ve done this every year and still can’t improve this? Do you need some workable suggestions?
There’s no excuse for leaving your garbage on the beach … Or anywhere. Assume the garbage cans will be full, bring your own bag, fill it with your own garbage, and take it home.
If anyone needs some nice beach chairs or umbrellas, make haste to Compo.
Who DOES this? Same people were out driving yesterday. Such entitlement. ‘Someone will clean up my mess!’…
A great night as usual. AS far as traffic goes, fifty five plus years ago as a child it would take nearly an hour to get in and an hour to get out. It is what it is and it’s ok. Deal with it.
In all fairness, I want to point out that it’s pitch dark when you pack up all your stuff at the evening’s end. I do believe people try to be conscientious. Having enjoyed the Compo Fourth of July party with my kids and friends for many years. I know we did, But despite flashlights (if you remember to bring them – I usually didn’t) and the best of intentions, it’s understandable if a few things get overlooked. I think the beach looked great, considering. And knowing our Parks & Rec Dept, probably already back to normal. I’m awestruck as always at the professionalism, courtesy and efficiency with which town officials – Parks Dept, Police, EMS etc – and PAL of course – pull this off every year. Kudos and thanks.
Happy 4th of July
Last night, Friday 3rd of July, my significant other and I decided to go to the Longshore Inn, have dinner there, and watch the fireworks from the dining room, or the terrace, as we had done numerous times before.
Driving to Longshore, a gray-haired, wiry, maupy, unfriendly officer stopped us at the entrance on South Compo Rd. Standing by the driver side of our car; he asked what we were doing there? I responded that we were going to the Inn for dinner. He stated that there was no parking there, period!
Having sailed out of the nearby “Hole” since the 1980s, I knew better. I retorted that there were at least four parking areas at Longshore: a main (Golf Club Course) lot; a surplus (Saugatuck River side) lot; a small Inn lot; and a combination of three adjacent lots by the Sport Complex (swimming pool/tennis courts/sailing school; Marina; and Gravel pit/yard).
That completely changed the conversation. So, the officer asked pointedly: “who are you meeting there?” In turn, I asked dead panning: “Is this an interrogation?” Without further ado, or a word, the officer turned his heels on us, and planted himself squarely in front of the car to prevent us from entering Longshore. To avoid a confrontation—“please don’t shoot; we can’t breathe!” we wisely backtracked and left the only way we could, down South Compo Rd.
Escaping the heavily policed, idiotic–you can’t turn here, you can’t turn there, “siege” mentality of South Compo Rd. took work, having to: turn right on Compo Beach Rd; make a U-turn in front of the road barrage and beach gatehouse with parking attendants yelling at us for no reason whatsoever; backtrack on Compo Beach Rd; and finally, being allowed–as the “children” still in Pampers that we are, to make a right turn on South Compo Rd and escape toward Compo Cove. Welcome to the West Bank, unnecessary gas consumption, corresponding Co2 emissions and deteriorating global climate change!
But, escaping we did … to a nearby town and beach, where nobody asked us a question, where the guard house said: “Good evening; here’s where you can park; happy 4th of July.” We said: Good Evening!” There, the crowd was friendly. We watched the fireworks from the distance with the benefit–the prevailing winds being from the South, of not having the smoke in our face like spectators must have had at Compo. Once the show was over, the crowd and parade of cars left in an orderly, civilized, uneventful fashion. The guard house keeper said: “Good Night.” We said: “Good Night!”
Having to return home and Westport, we thought Greens Farm Road would be more leisurely than I-95. It wasn’t: there was a Westport police road block at Hillspoint Rd which we cleared quickly; then yet another one at Compo Rd. We explained to the female officer where we lived, and asked whether we could proceed straight ahead onto Bridge St. She said “NO, you can’t!” Then she promptly let traffic coming from Compo Beach make a left turn onto Bridge St. Now, that made perfect sense! When our turn came, she said: “drive one half mile up Compo Road, make a left turn on Gault Ave, and make a left onto Imperial Ave.” Now, we were back onto Bridge Rd and on the way home. Eh, what is gasoline made for but to burn!
Happy 4th of July,
Patrick Falk, Westport, CT
This is the best “short” story I’ve read in a long time.
I’m reminded of Monte Carlo…
A restaurant has re-opened at Longshore?
If you know Westport, and you know it’s July fourth, you also know that, to keep thing running smoothly, with something like 6 thousand folks all converging onto one beach area, everyone can’t do what they usually do. It’s not as it usually is, and I think the town and the folks who attend the fireworks generally do a “bang up” job. They make it a great event for all concerned. Sorry if you were rerouted, but with this kind of mob scene, it’s to be expected. If you live here, or just go to the fireworks, you know the drill, it goes with the territory. If a nearby town runs it differently and you like it, remember that for 2016!
Uh, make that 10,000 people.
I was wondering the same thing as Fred.
Where were they planning to eat exactly?
That was a cool story though! I’ve “done” the fireworks at Compo a million times, and yep, the wait has always been about and hour in, and an hour out. Was pretty efficient actually. Plus, it’s fun to see all the people walking and biking out of there afterwards – like one big street party. And what’s the rush anyway – it’s a holiday!!
The trash looks minimal to me – plus, if cans were overflowing, racoons could have easily done some “dumpster-diving” late at night. Or, the gulls maybe?
That one lone chair and two umbrellas is a bit of a head scratcher though, LOL!
A Land Shark with a good NY ad company. Timely.
?
A promotional for “Shark Week” … “one lone chair and two umbrellas…”
Thanks.