Tomorrow’s important affordable housing community conversation — “The Impact of Connecticut State Statute 8-30g: What We Can Expect for 2023” (Monday, February 27, 7 p.m., Westport Library) — will also be livestreamed on the Library’s website. (Click here for the link).
Panelists include State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, Westport town attorney ira Bloom, Planning & Zoning Commission chair Danielle Dobin and Connecticut Center for Ending Homelessness CEO Evonne Klein. The event will be led by Westport Representative Town Meeting moderator Jeff Wieser.
The session was organized by a diverse group of RTM members, all interested in finding out more about the controversial state housing regulation: Nancy Kail, Seth Braunstein, Ross Burkhardt, Jimmy Izzo, Sal Liccione, Matthew Mandell, Liz Milwe and Claudia Shaum.
It will be followed by a Q-and-A, with audience members. The session will also be posted online, for those who miss it live.
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Last night, the Staples High School boys basketball team avenged their regular season overtime loss to Wilton, in a big way.
The Wreckers dominated the Warriors defensively, and rode a balanced offense to a 53-43 win in the FCIAC quarterfinals at Fairfield Warde.
The victory vaults them into the league semifinals for the first time since 1996. The 4th-seeded Westporters’ opponent on Tuesday’s semi will be #1 Ridgefield. The Tigers downed New Canaan 47-33 in their quarterfinal. It was their 16th win in a row — following a 61-54 loss last month to Staples.
The Wreckers and Ridgefield tip off Tuesday (February 28, 7:15 p.m.) at Wilton High.

The 2023 Staples High School boys basketball team.
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Mark this Donnerstag — Thursday — on your calendar.
La Plage offers a dinner tasting of world-class wines from iconic German estates. A 5-course menu marries those selections with their own New England offerings. Click here for the menu.
The special meal begins at 6:30 p.m. (March 2). The cost is $145 per person. Click here for reservations.
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Yesterday’s cold and (surprise!) light snow prompted Mikayla Doyle to put out food for birds.
She was rewarded with this “Westport … Naturally” scene:

(Photo/Mikayla Doyle)
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And finally … on this date in 1616, Galileo Galilei was formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.
Of course, we know better today. Galileo’s discovery is now taught all over the world, except perhaps in Florida.
(PS: Happy belated birthday to George Harrison. He would have been 80 years old yesterday.)
(Celebrate “Sun”-day by making a contribution to “06880.” Our non-profit, hyperlocal blog depends entirely on reader support. Please click here — and thank you!)
I remember when 98% of homes were affordable in Westport! Want to buy a new house on Bauer Place? Be ready to cough up $3,000 dollars.
$20K for 18 Tamarac (Dooley Construction), mid-spring 1952, 20 year mortgage, I don’t remember the interest. Moved in mid-July. Sold it for $400,00 in 1999. Torn down 2005 but re-design sits on the same foundation and the fireplace is intact also. I think Zillow has it at $1.5M or more. Nothing short of a near direct hit by a hurricane would have damaged the original construction. Never sell property in Westport.
In addition to 8-30g, CT municipalities also confront State legislative efforts to eliminate large acreage zoning, single family zoning, to promote efforts to cause areas near and around railroad stations to be developed more than at present, and even a proposed law to preclude the P&Z Commission from mandating a portion of the land being developed for a subdivision be set aside as open space. I may have missed some items as well.
I’m sure you know this, Dan, but our bball team was playing in the State finals my first year (‘62- ‘63) at Staples. I rode up to Storrs with some upper classmen to watch in the old field house but we lost, missed too many bunnies.
Since the current 830g reg. and the proposed state mandate for further destruction of small town living are both dependent on public sanitary sewers, towns should simply stop expanding those lines.
Currently, Westport is set to expand sewer service to hundreds of homes on hundreds of currently septic served, lots….how dysfunctional to the preservation of current town ambience when mandated “affordable” development depends on sewers.