The Westport Community Gardens/Babe Ruth baseball field saga continues.
A week after the Long Lots School Building Committee recommended relocating the gardens to Baron’s South, the Parks & Recreation Commission voted to place the diamond where the garden is now, just south of the elementary school.
Meeting last night at Town Hall, commissioners spoke about field use and scheduling, including possibilities for new fields to allow the gardens to remain.
Community members spoke. Issues raised included possible toxic chemicals at Baron’s South; the importance of fields for youngsters; the importance of the gardens for mental health and the environment, and contrasts between how often the gardens and Long Lots baseball field are used.
Commissioners then read prepared statements, favoring the baseball field over the gardens. They hope to keep as much of the Long Lots Preserve as possible, as a buffer for neighbors.
Other town bodies will now continue to discuss the entire Long Lots project, including the Board of Finance, Board of Education, Conservation Commission and Representative Town Meeting.
The Parks & Recreation Commission voted that a new Babe Ruth baseball field should replace the Westport Community Gardens.
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Yesterday, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker acknowledged recent antisemitic incidents in Westport, like the vandalism of an Israeli flag. She said:
“Hate incidents are on the rise in the US following the deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Specifically, antisemitic incidents have increased by 388% according to a report released by the ADL last week.
“This data is shocking and horrifying. Leaders like me all around the country, in large cities and in small towns, are monitoring these trends and communicating with organizations like the ADL and our local clergy to publicly stand against these incidents in our communities.
“I want the residents and business owners of Westport to know that there is no place for hate — no place for antisemitic behavior — in Westport. Our community strongly rejects hate in all forms. The safety and well-being of each member of our community are my top priority and that of Police Chief Foti Koskinas. If you hear something or see something, please report it.
“We are here for you. We want you to feel safe, and heard. We want you to know that you are a valued member of our community, that you belong here. It is up to all of us to stand together and speak up – clearly and unequivocally – against hate, and specifically antisemitism, and any language or actions that feed or normalize it. Again, when one of us is harmed, we are all harmed.”
A defaced Israeli flag was found near Temple Israel last weekend.
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Fairfield County Hunt Club has withdrawn its Planning & Zoning Commission application to construct to construct 2 pickleball courts, along with a proposed tennis court expansion and parking lot modification.
At a recent meeting, commission members and neighbors questioned the plan, focusing on noise and related issues.
A revised plan may be resubmitted in the future, the Hunt Club says.
This is the second application to be taken off of next Monday’s meeting agenda. Yesterday, the town withdrew its application for a redesign of Parker Harding Plaza.
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It bears repeating: The second “bridge slide” is set for this weekend (Friday, November 3, 8 p.m. to Monday, November 6, 6 a.m.). Traffic throughout town will be heavier than usual.
Then again, it always is.
To keep up to date, bookmark this website.
And check it often.
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Westport Country Playhouse archivist Bruce Miller led the Y’s Women through 93 years of history yesterday.
He described the 1930 beginning, when Broadway producer Lawrence Langner bought a barn and hired a set designer, through Stephen Sondheim’s apprenticeship, and the Joanne Woodward-led renovation 2 decades ago.
Miller took his guests backstage, showing the lighting and sound board; onto the storied stage, then downstairs to see the dressing rooms, green room, and “wall of honor” with head shots of actors who have performed there, including Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Ethel Barrymore, Gene Kelly, Olivia de Havilland, and of course Paul Newman.
Y’s Women begin their tour in the Westport Country Playhouse lobby.
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Trombonist Steve Davis and musical partner/pianist David Hazeltine headline this week’s Jazz at the Post.
Davis has appeared on over 100 recordings, while Hazeltine has been on hundreds more.
Also on the bill: Jason Tiemann (drums), Rich Zurkowski (bass) and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall (saxophone).
The 2 shows are this Thursday (November 2, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $15 cover charge). Reservations are strongly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com
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A new panelist has been added to Sunday’s TEA (Thinkers, Educators, Artists) talk at the Westport Library (2 p.m.).
The event — which explores the impact of artificial intelligence on the arts — will now include Luciano Floridi. A professor of philosophy at Yale University, he’s also founding director of the Digital Ethics Center. He writes extensively about the philosophy of information and technology, digital ethics and the ethics of AI.
He joins Brian Keane, the Grammy Award-winning composer/producer (and a 1971 Staples graduate), Westport Public Schools K-12 arts coordinator Steve Zimmerman, and arts consultant Liz Liggett. Click here for more information.
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In case you don’t have kids, and (somehow) forgot: Today is Halloween.
Stock up on candy.
And enjoy this sign, on Terhune Drive:
(Photo/Ed Simek)
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Sure, it’s Halloween (see above).
But flowers still bloom. Lauri Weiser sent this photo of the scene at Lansdowne condos, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature:
(Photo/Lauri Weiser)
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And finally … everyone plays “Monster Mash” today.
But this if my favorite Halloween song:
(No candy for “06880,” thanks. But if you really want to give us something, a tax-deductible contribution would be sweet. Please click here. Thanks. Now we won’t toilet paper your house.)