Recent beach closures (for swimming only) due to high bacteria counts after heavy rains have residents wondering: How do I know if they’re open?
Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department follows a directive from the Aspetuck Health District to close when rainfall reaches an inch or more within a 24-hour period. The Health District tests the water.
(Parks & Rec notes that the problem has been exacerbated recently by heavy flooding in northern New England. That’s meant a large amount of debris and other pollutants is entering Long Island Sound, from the Connecticut River.
For updated information, Parks & Rec maintains a cancellation line for all activities: 203-341-5074. You can also check the Parks & Rec page on the town website (click here).
Everyone out of the water! (Photo/Sunil Hirani)
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When the going gets tough … Westport helps the Funicello family.
Maria and Pasquale own Tutti’s — the very popular, very family-focused Saugatuck restaurant.
Their great-nephew Mason Dent was born at just 24 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 12 ounces. His medical journey has been harrowing — and expensive.
So on Sunday, Tutti’s had a special pasta-and-meatballs deal. It raised over $5,000.
Meanwhile, the entire staff is donating all cash tips throughout this month to the Dent family.
There’s also a GoFundMe page.
“We want to thank all of our customers who helped,” Maria says. “We cannot get over the generosity of everyone! Mason has a long road ahead, and this will help them very much. God bless.”
An update on Mason, posted yesterday.
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Every day, town officials help make Westport a better place to live, work and play.
Now we can nominate them for an award.
The 8th annual Connecticut Conference of Municipalities’ Excellence Awards will recognize “innovative projects and individuals that have significantly improved the quality of life for citizens, established partnerships, and built community support.” Anyone can submit a nomination.
Towns and cities are recognized in 3 population categories. There’s also an award for “Innovation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
There are 2 individual honors too. One is for lifetime achievement; the other, for innovation.
For more information, including how to nominate, click here.
The deadline is August 25. For a list of last year’s winners, click here. (Hat tip: Dick Lowenstein)
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You may not be ready for back-to-school shopping.
But the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force is already hard at work. They’re collecting supplies for residents of 2 safe houses.
They need:
- New (unused) backpacks
- Notebooks
- Pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons
- New lunchboxes
- Graphing calculators
- Gift cards (Staples, Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc.).
Donations can be left from now through July 23 in collection bins at the Westport police station lobby (50 Jesup Road), and at ASF Sports & Outdoors (1560 Post Road East).
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The Y’s Men of Westport and Weston (and guests) headed to a familiar (to them) spot yesterday: Flushing Meadows, site of the 1964-65 World’s Fair.
As the group passed landmarks like the Unisphere, Hall of Science and pavilions (GM, GE, Bell System and others), they shared memories of experiences there.
The latest in a series of historical walking tours was led by member Warren Jahn.
Y’s Men (and guests) on tour. (Photo and hat tip/Dave Matlow)
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Bunny Franco and her son Jimmy have been Westporters for 60 years.
What better place to pose Sunday than this classic spot?
PS: Jimmy is sporting Westport’s iconic 150th-anniversary t-shirt, from 1985. He’s already been here for 23 years.
(Photo/Andrew Franco)
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Fred Cantor sends today’s “Westport … Naturally” image.
And, he adds: “Kudos to whoever planted and/or takes care of the flower bed surrounding the Doughboy statue. Truly beautiful!”
(Photo/Fred Cantor)
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And finally … since we’re talking about closing the beach to swimming (story above):
(Whether Westport’s your home — or Boston — please consider a contribution to “06880.” Just click here. Thank you!)
Am I blind? I followed the link to parks and rec and don’t see any mention of the beaches being being opened or closed? Any reason the town can send out an email/text blast when they beaches are closed in the same way they do when a road is closed?
The Parks & Rec website yesterday had an announcement the beach was closed. If there’s no announcement today, I’m guessing it’s because they’re open. Just a guess …
Last week I checked the website. Nothing. I called the Health Department – she said they don’t get that information?!?! I called Parks and Rec.and they said it was closed. Very confusing.
Thank you for this information Dan! My husband was just wondering this morning where he could find out when he could swim at the beach again without heading down to the shore to be turned around disappointed. And there a few hours later your column appeared in my inbox with the exact info he was seeking. Bravo e grazie!
Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water — another DELUGE!
My calls yesterday to the Aspetuck Health District and the Town Conservation Department yielded considerate people, yet little specifically clear information about the bacteria in the Sound.
Websites impart basic understandings that heavy rainfall increases storm runoff from hard surfaces (roofs, roads, parking lots, and pools collect oil, gas, antifreeze, brake dust, fertilizer, and chlorine/bromine) and sewage overflow (fecal matter) which flows into the Sound through estuaries like the Saugatuck and Connecticut Rivers. Streams from 11 towns flow into the Saugatuck. The Connecticut River meets the Sound between Old Saybrook and Lyme. She runs 11,260 square miles, accepting water from 148 tributaries and 38 major rivers, as well as from numerous lakes and ponds
Apparently the water treatment facility on Elaine Road regularly overflows, creating a concentrated local issue.
Swimming advisory notices get posted at wwhd.org.
Hypoxia — the result of heavy levels of nitrogen runoff and overflow, primarily from sewage treatment; “human-caused pollutant loadings to the Sound”— creates low oxygen levels which kill marine life. “Point source discharges, primarily sewage treatment plants, result in 32,400 tons of nitrogen each year and non-point source discharges, such as agricultural and stormwater runoff, result in 8,400 tons of nitrogen each year.”
“53,700 tons of nitrogen per year are associated with human activities and have the potential to be reduced through management actions.”
https://longislandsoundstudy.net/about/our-mission/management-plan/hypoxia/
I’m wondering about the mechanisms through which water in the Sound clears itself and how long the clearing process takes; how the ebb and flow of the tides impacts bacteria counts and cleanliness; as well as the impact on human beings of swimming in elevated bacteria levels.
All you experts on water science, please respond with high quality and accurate information.
Thanks so very much
With Love,
Jonathan : )