It appears another traffic survey is underway.
Devices have been placed at various points downtown.
Results will be posted, when available.
Meanwhile, here’s an early finding: There’s a lot of traffic these days.
Traffic survey device at Post Road East and Myrtle Avenue. (Photo/Sal Liccione)
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Tragedy was averted at 8:30 p.m. Friday night. A northbound SUV driver on Newtown Turnpike went into the woods. The vehicle caught fire, but he was pulled out by a neighbor.
A nearby resident notes that young children live in the area. “The road is very dangerous, because drivers who use it as a cut-through speed by.”
The Fire and Police Departments, and EMTs, were on the scene. Eversource responded quickly, and replaced the downed power line.
Newtown Avenue car fire.
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LymanAID — the huge party thanking Westporters for their support of our sister city in Ukraine — has a booth at the Yankee Doodle Fair.
Stop by today and tomorrow to learn about the big event. It’s Sunday, July 9, 1 p.m. until dusk, at the Ukrainian-American Club, Post Road in Southport next to northbound I-95 Exit 19 entrance ramp.
There’s music, food, drinks, and much more. And it’s free — though there will be opportunities to help support Lyman through raffles, a treasure sale, Yankee auction, coffee table book pull, plant sale, “LymanADE” stand and more.
VIP tickets are available too. Click here to register, and for more details.
Katya Wauchope, at the LymanAID booth at the Yankee Doodle Fair.
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Davide — the new Church Lane pop-up — is a year-old brand. Its first retail outlet features its second collection ever.
Davide (pronounced dah-vee-day) is the brainchild of Joseph Davide Tacopina. A Westport native (and son of one of President Trump’s attorneys), he attended Cheshire Academy and met students from around the world.
Inspired by his father’s ownership of several Italian soccer clubs, Tacopina’s collection blends “athletic culture” with pieces inspired by Marlon Brando and Lake Como. There is plenty of loose-flowing linen and silk.
The 24-year-old designer is self-taught. He chose Westport as the site of his first pop-up because it’s his home. He hopes to take it global.
Click here for more information; click here for the Instagram.
Joe Tacopina, with one of his designs.
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Wakeman Town Farm’s annual Family Fun Day is set for Saturday, July 8 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
The event includes ice cream, pizza, burgers and dogs for purchase, plus cocktails for adults, cold lemonade and iced coffee.
There’s a scavenger hit, bubble show, School of Rock music, and visits to the animals.
Click here for tickets, and more information.
This guy is ready for Wakeman Town Farm’s Family Fun Day.
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There’s a new school in town.
Real Estate University — the school for aspiring (and current) real estate professionals, founded in 2005 by Karena Piedmont — has moved from Norwalk to Saugatuck.
The move felt right. She’s already trained scores of Westport realtors over the years. Classes are both in-person and via Zoom.
The address is “Saugatuck Lofts, 101 Franklin Street” — the exposed brick, co-working space in a former grain facility at the Westport Metro-North station, as you take a right at the end of Railroad Place. It’s literally “steps from the train,” for students who travel that way.
“There’s so much synergy here,” Piedmont says. “I share space with real estate attorneys and other professionals. I love being part of a community of like-minded, hard-working small business owners. I wish I moved here years ago.”
“And I love hearing and seeing the trains pass.”
There’s one more bonus: She’s also just a few steps away from “The Benjamin“: the Airbnb she owns at 35 Franklin Avenue.
Saugatuck Lofts
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Also new: the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s director of gymnastics.
Former USA national team gymnast Bryon Knox brings over 40 years of competition. coaching and program development to his new role.
Most recently, he was head gymnastics coach at Southern Connecticut State University. Before that, he led the University of Bridgeport to 6 straight NCAA Division II national championships.
Byron coached 70 USA Gymnastics/All-Americans, and 150 scholar-athletes. He is a former USA women’s national team coach.
He has been with the Y part-time since October, coaching the competitive girls team and instructing coaches. Click here for more information on the Y’s gymnastics program.
Byron Knox
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Rob Docters’ new book — “Ethics and Hidden Greed: Your Defense Against Unethical Strategies and Violations of Trust” — answers questions like, “How do we protect ourselves and our business interests from the unethical behaviors of others? Why doesn’t intuition serve as the best guide for detecting unethical strategies?”
The 1975 Staples High School graduate hopes to make people more aware of (and armed against) scams, as well as choosing more ethical choices themselves. (A strong animal rights activist, he covers the brutality of boiling lobsters alive).
Click here for details.
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Charles McGillion-Moore of Westport helped Norwalk’s Maritime Rowing Club to a national championship in the Men’s Under-15 Coxed Quad, at least weekend’s 28th USRowing Youth National Championship in Sarasota, Florida.
Other top finishes by Westport and Weston rowers include Men’s Youth U-16 Coxed Quad, 4th place (Adam Turner and Matthew Lupinacci); Women’s Youth U-17 Quad, 6th place (Mina Leon); Men’s Youth U-17 Quad, 7th place (Jack Cushman); Women’s Youth U-15 Coxed Quad, 8th place (Syke Coats); Men’s Youth U-16 Coxed Quad, 12th place (Fox Parker), and Men’s Youth U-16 Eight, 18th place (Simon Meyers).
The regatta marked the final high school event for Maritime’s seniors, including Dan Kleeger and Lilly Murphy of Westport, and Justin Sun of Weston.
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Two years after taking over Rosebud Slumber Parties, Helen Martin-Elmer is expanding.
Rosebud has helped nearly 2,000 area children celebrate birthdays and special occasions with themed slumber, outdoor teepee and picnic parties.
This summer, they’re expanding to Westchester County. Click here for details.
A unicorn-themed party from Rosebud.
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It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
Or, at any rate, a Sherwood Mill Pond “Westport … Naturally” scene yesterday, where cormorants chased breakfast, and egrets grabbed whatever was left.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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And finally … on this day in 1994, Los Angeles police chased OJ Simpson’s Ford Bronco for an hour and half. He finally gave up, and was arrested for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — and a non-profit. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
I believe this traffic study is connected with the plan to remove the cut through road and over 40 prime parking spaces in Parker Harding. I am wondering why the DPIC needs another study? Wasn’t the one they did last year (two days over Rosh Hashanah holiday) enough to provide them with the data to come up with what many are seeing as a disastrous plan? They sure seemed to do a lot of expensive planning based off that original study.
For those who live, work and visit downtown, more data is unnecessary to come to the conclusion that losing 40 parking spaces and a main arterial cut-through road Downtown is crazy.
BTW Dan, can you change the photo credit to Sal Liccione. I was merely the forwarder of the photo.
Really, a traffic survey? How about placing traffic enforcement personnel where needed, for starters?
When I see the name Tacopina, only one thing comes to mind.It’ll be that way forever.
First trump is a former president. And being the son of one of trump’s attorneys is not something he should hitch his star to! Just saying
And I should have added now an ordinary criminal.
Why don’t you and your friend, Jack (how can I insert myself into every post) Backiel come down from your high horses and give the young man credit?
Please keep reinforcing what complete bores Westport people can be.
How big is Trump horses ?
The post stated, “ Davide (pronounced dah-vee-day) is the brainchild of Joseph Davide Tacopina. A Westport native (and son of one of President Trump’s attorneys),” He’ll be tied to his father forever! Look at the post, Ryan. Look at the words, “son of one of President Trump’s attorney..” Why is that mentioned?
Ryan, Answer me. WHY is it mentioned that he’s the son of one of Trump’s attorneys?
Ryan writes,( “Jack (how can I insert myself into every post Backiel) I’ll tell you why. My father was born on Old Road, in a farmhouse, in 1918! My grandfather delivered milk in a buckboard to Westport residents in 1911. We were the major entertainment in Westport for 30 years! Our roots are long and deep in this town. Therefore, I insert myself as I wish.
Another downtown traffic study? That’s interesting. In my view, if it concerns the Parker Harding controversy, it would have been appropriate to let the people who will now be invoiced for that study know what’s going on. For the life of me, I can’t understand the almost bloody-minded obsession of this obscure group of coffee klatch planners (who have no actual planning credentials). Despite withering criticism and broad public opposition to its naive plan to sweep away vital parking together with a critical, congestion mitigating bypass road, the band plays on. We don’t need another traffic study. To the political appointees on the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, I suggest you get off your horses, open your eyes and walk around for a bit.
Another traffic study on Myrtle? Interesting that it is being done while traffic will be diverted due to the ridiculous sewer project from Myrtle, along Evergreen Avenue, to Evergreen Parkway. Everyone from Myrtle west will be using Compo instead during that time.
(And, it’s laughable that the town thinks one month will be enough time to dig that 20-foot deep trench going up Evergreen Ave., which is already fitted with a sewer main and gas main and water main, when they spent 8 weeks digging and redigging the same 200 linear feet on Tamarac. Not to mention that Burns construction likes to leave all of it’s heavy equipment right on this narrow street overnight when the town graciously gave them a big lot about 1/3rd mile away in Winslow Park for their staging area. At least this time, the town let people know ahead of time about this part of the sewer construction. There should have been daily updates sent to homeowners on the other affected streets.)
Hat’s off to Karena Piedmont and Real Estate University. After 42 my years in the business, and many, many recerts she manages to still make it interesting and fun. Welcome to Westport.