Election Day has come and gone. But for alert “06880” reader Christie Stanger, the good feelings linger. She writes:
On Tuesday, as adults took to the polls, younger Westporters took to the hallways and sidewalks outside of polling places, at bake sales to raise money for schools.
While Kings Highway Elementary is not unique, our adventure highlights what a wonderful town Westport truly is.
When KHS was closed as a voting site, we had to move our Election Day bake sale to the Westport Library. Westport Weston Health District’s Mark Cooper, Norma Jarrett, Sandy Arcudi and Melissa Romano helped us get our permit to sell baked goods. This is not like bake sales of old, but their kindness made the process seem very small-town.
Next, we coordinated with Town Hall. Janet Suchsland and Eileen Francis in the first selectman’s office gave us permission to operate in a public space. The library’s assistant director, Paul Mazzaccaro, allowed us to operate at both entrances. He provided us with tables and chairs, meeting us bright and early on Election Day (and wishing us luck).
Kings Highway Elementary School students, parents and siblings rock the Election Day bake sale at the Westport Library.
And lucky we were! 70 degree weather with blue skies on November 3. That was fabulous — but the people of Westport were even warmer.
Voters, candidates and library patrons stopped by for goods made by loving hands, and others donated by generous businesses (Saugatuck Sweets, Great Cakes, Starbucks and Atlantic Pizza). The number of times we heard “Keep the change!” and “Let me just give!” gave us warm fuzzies more real than the ones teachers handed out as pencil toppers.
Finally, we did not notice even one person parking outside the lines in either parking lot!
It all added up to one of those magical days, when you’re reminded that people are good and generous, that we are all in this together, and that Westport is an amazing town!
I can vouch for how terrific these KHS kids and their parents were. They obviously took pity on those of us who were there electioneering all day, and treated us to their delicious treats! I purchased a cake from the lower entrance (I’m trying to locate the parent/baker) for a birthday that evening. It was a devil’s food pound cake and it was incredibly delicious. Not being a cake person, they told me how to decorate it and the final product looked almost as good as it tasted. If the person who baked it reads this, please contact me and thank you to the kids and adults for adding fun to our day.
I vote at another polling place (where only moms were at the bake sale table when I walked by), but when I stopped by the library on an errand, I was so impressed with how the students handled all the sales pitches and transactions. Nice job, everyone!