Two longstanding local traditions — the Sunrise Rotary Great Duck Race, and Westport Downtown Association Sidewalk Sale — take place this weekend.
There’s also a third. And this one has an even longer history: over 60 years.
jUNe Day will be celebrated all over town on Saturday (June 24). United Nations diplomats, staff members and their families will spend the day here, having fun and enjoying special activities.
At 10:30 a.m. on Jesup Green — as part of the Great Duck Race celebration — UN Under-Secretary General General Christian Saunders will deliver a message from Secretary General António Guterres.
Options for our guests include Earthplace, Wakeman Town Farm, Compo Beach, tennis and golf at Longshore, and a soccer match (UN vs. Westport Knights, 11:30 a.m., PJ Romano Field).
UN visitors can also enjoy the Duck Race and Sidewalk Sales. Nearby, they’ll see flags from many UN member countries flying on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
That’s an apt sight. Steinkraus Cohen was one of the founders of jUNe Day, more than 6 decades ago. She was a longtime member of the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut too, which sponsors the annual event in cooperation with the town of Westport.
For questions or more information, call Bill Hass: 203-454-7685 or 203-434-6609.
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Westport’s Parks & Recreation Commission voted unanimously last night to ban tobacco and cannabis smoking at all beaches, and certain parts of recreational facilities, like playgrounds, pools, fields and athletic courts.
The regulation — which includes a 25-foot buffer — does not include the golf course, or passive recreation areas like Winslow or other town parks.
No longer legal at the beach.
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Speaking of the law: Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between June 14 and 21.
One was for disorderly conduct, following a domestic violence incident.
The other was for issuing a bad check, worth $12,945.50, to a local business.
Police also issued these citations:
- Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations; 8 citations
- Traveling unreasonably fast: 3
- Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
- Distracted driving: 2
- Operating a motor vehicle while texting: 2
- Traveling too fast for conditions: 2
- Improper use of markers: 2
- Failure to renew registration: 2
- Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 2
- Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
- Assault, 3rd degree: 1
- Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
- Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
- Failure to drive right: 1
- Improper turn: 1
- Improper use of high beams: 1
- Failure to display plates: 1
- Littering: 1
Don’t be a litterbug! (Photo/Jerry Kuyper)
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Housing. Transportation. Gun safety.
Those were just a few of the topics Connecticut’s General Assembly voted on in the session that ended just a few days ago. (Oh, yeah: the budget too!)
Three local legislators — State Senator Ceci Maher, and State Representatives Jonathan Steinberg and Dominique Johnson — host a “wrap-up” discussion at the Westport Library next Wednesday (June 28, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Komansky Room).
On the agenda: successes (and failures), plus goals for the future.
Senator Ceci Maher, Representatives Jonathan Steinberg and Dominique Johnson.
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It’s one of the most prestigious and elite legal programs around.
For 50 years, the Supreme Court Fellows Program has offered 4 positions a year to mid-career professionals, recent law school graduates and doctoral degree holders. Founded by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Berger, it draws over 1,000 applicants.
One of the appointees this year is Viviana Vasiu. A Westport and Brooklyn resident, she will be assigned to the US Sentencing Commission.
A former clerk for 2 US District Court judges, she participated in the Attorney General’s Honors Program at the Department of Justice. She earned a BA summa cum laude, and a JD magna cum laude, from Stetson University, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review.
But there’s more to the story. Viviana came alone to the US at 18, from Romania. She enrolled at a community college in San Diego, and within a year earned a paralegal certificate. She was the Stetson’s first-ever immigrant and English major valedictorian.
Congratulations, attorney Vasiu!
Viviana Vasiu
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The I-95 bridge in Philadelphia will be repaired — and reopened — barely 2 weeks after it collapsed, during a truck fire.
Meanwhile, work on I-95 in Westport — which did not collapse — appears to be on schedule for its completion date of November, 2038.
The Post Road project should be finished a week or two before that.
(Photo/Monica Herndon for Philadelphia Inquirer)
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The Westport Rotary Club has a new president.
Outgoing chief Karl Mergenthaler handed the gavel to Kenny Epstein last night, at Ned Dimes Marina.
Dozens of Rotarians attended the annual event.
Incoming Rotary president Kenny Epstein (left) and outgoing leader Karl Mergenthaler. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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The next exhibition at Amy Simon Fine Art opens June 24.
Titled “Fresh!,” it features Charlie Bluett, Carla Goldber and Takefumi Hori. It runs through August 5. Click here for more information.
“These Precious Pieces We Find” (Charlie Bluett)
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Tracy Porosoff’s garden burst with color this week, as her first dahlia of the year bloomed.
Fittingly, it’s our first “Westport … Naturally” dahlia of the year.
(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
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And finally … 2 takes on the new smoking ban (story above).
You can no longer smoke at the beaches, tennis courts, athletic fields and related recreational facilities …
… but you can still light up on the golf course, Winslow Park and other spots.
(As jUNe Day nears, a reminder: “06880” is where Westport meets the world. Please consider a contribution, to help us continue our work. Just click here. Thank you!)
Wait: golfers get to do doobies?
Seems to me a case of over-protective parenting taking over the Commission on the smoking ban at the Beach. At the very least, smoking should be allowed within the grilling area and within 25 feet of the walkways. I don’t believe there is data to support a complete ban at the beach for health reasons. If there are any high-quality studies to back that up, the Commission should show them on their website. Fire-starter fumes are probably alot less healthy than second-hand cigar smoke.
It’s a case of limousine liberal feel-good bureaucrats passing stupid rules to virtue signal something that they have absolutely no inclination nor means to support. Welcome to Thickhead Thursday at 068&0. Where Westport Meets The World!!!
Out here in the west, the City of Laguna Beach (population about 22,000) banned smoking in 2017 at all public places, such as sidewalks, streets, and alleys as well as common areas of multi-unit residences, including laundry rooms, play areas, and pools. At UC Irvine, where I work, smoking is banned on campus and at our medical center.
As a former Compo Beach lifeguard, I can recall the beach being littered with cigarette butts, which was disgusting and an environmental hazard.
You are angry that smoking is banned on a beach? Yeah, cigarettes and sand are like totally a red state kinda thang. Gice a hoot!
When I was a kid before my dad could smoke a cigar in the summer every window in the house had to be closed to keep the smoke from coming in the house!. I am sorry Mike, cigar smoke is so invasive. I do not think it is kind to have other people smell that from great distances while they are eating at the beach or enjoying the fresh salty fresh air.
Wonderful decision by the Parks and Rec!!!
In response to the Supreme Court elite program congrats to Viviana. I wonder how the Supreme Court judges learned how to accept such by large gifts from hedge fund donors. Don’t they have to report the gifts ? Don’t they have to pay federal income tax on such large amounts of money. I’m sure the gifts had nothing to do on the cases before the judges by thes oligarch hedge fund people. By the way the only Supreme Court judges to accept these large amounts of money in gifts are ??? WhT oarty ??
Regarding the smoking ban, it seems this is a typical overreaction by the town and or Parks and Rec. I know plenty of people that just want to go to the beach, relax and fire up a cigar or cigarette and enjoy the sun, sunset, sights, sounds etc. I can’t speak to smoking weed near kids or families, but that seems to be an issue that could have been addressed separately.
What in tarnation is “failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations?”
Mr Grimm, I think an example of that would be traveling e/b or down the hill on Post Rd. West to the intersection of Wilton Rd./Riverside Ave. in the left hand turn lane and then going straight thru on PRW.
1- Exit 17 project- completed by ?Novemebt 2038?? Think how great they are going look when it is done in two weeks!!
2- Congrats to attorney Vasiu- nice to see what an immigrant can accomplish when given the chance!
3- this is a free country- you can go out on your deck or get into you car, or your home’s well ventilated smoking room to smoke all the grass, cigarettes and cigars to your heart’s content! And then I can spare you all the wheezing, coughing and gaging your smoking will actually induce in me! Not meant to be nasty- just informative!
People act as if beach smoking bans are something radical. Then don’t go to Mexico. Or South Carolina. Or New York. Or Miami-Dade County. Or many towns in California. It’s not just the secondhand smoke, but the environment-damaging litter and production.
Smoke ng bans but drive your Range Rover’s. Hypocrisy at its finest.
november 2038? too funny dan. but it does beg the question why some projects take way too long. for example the small bridge in norwalk over i95 that took years. folks should not have to tolerate prolonged construction when it can be done more efficiently or significantly more quickly at a slightly higher cost. also, we have yet to hear of any real improvements to help with rush hour such as adding a lane or allowing the break down lane to be used like many other states allow.
Maybe they can have Hunter Biden come speak on Gun Control and how to get guns illegally and he also can talk how to not pay your taxes and avoid jail time.
Corruption as usual.
MAGAts can’t help themselves, I suppose.
Maybe Jeff can tell us what his comment has to do with anything in the post.
Luckily, he was never our president, so there is that little fact. George w ya did a ton of Coke and my guess is he prolly owned a gun at the time too! We will never know though.
Meanwhile… Trump had how many indictments?
Corruption as usual running for president, again.
And George W. is a war criminal to boot. He is the worst president in American history.
Wait, Stephanie. George W was on coke crossing the Delaware?
I know he owned a gun, a musket I believe?
George W did launch us into endless foreign wars trying to live up to his old man but at least he never flunked a drug test while on active duty. Hunter Biden Ensign USNR (for three long weeks)
But Hunter never was president. Did you somehow forget tnat fact? I care about the behavior of presidents past and preent, especially the ones running for office AGAIN!
I mean, we could focus on Jared’s massive intake of money from … what is it… the country that chopped up an American journalist to tiny pieces with a bone saw?
Nevermind… presidents matter more than their kids and son in laws!
The law should be applied equally and sadly it isn’t.
How so? Was or is Hunter president of fhe United States of America?
Tell you what. Let’s just see how the Joe and Hunter Biden saga plays out. He’s a relatively young man. Let’s see what he decides to do with his life now that he doesn’t have a jail sentence to worry about. Keep us posted.
Remember, he watched his mom and sister die in a trafic car accident. I can not even begin to imagine what that does to a human being. I would not be shocked thst people who experience such a tragedy have had rough lives in terms of coping mechanisms that are not always good or healthy. I do have sympathy for people who experience sich life altering tragedies, especially at a you g age. I feel sorry for him. Joe lost his wife as he was being sworn in. Just awful.
What happened to Hunter is indeed sad. Hopefully this chain of events will trigger true introspection and redemption for Hunter. Joe is pretty much out there by himself making excuses in between pointing fingers which is really nothing new.