Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) does not always agree on everything.
That’s the messy part of democracy.
But this morning, members were unanimous: The Minute Man Monument needs more tulips. RTM member Andrew Colabella writes:
Last year, 100 tulips were planted by the Minute Man statue, as part of a beautification project.
The results were eye-popping, colorful and bountiful in beauty.
Blooming tulips.
This year, I decided to expand to 300 tulips.
Many hands made the work lighter, and smarter.
Top: Jimmy Izzo hangs with the Minute Man. Fellow RTM members include (middle, from left): Nancy Kail, Harris Falk, Seth Braunstein. Front: Don O’Day, Andrew Colabella, Kristin Mott Purcell.
The group came armed with shovels, a cordless drill, and donuts.
It was great to see families that biked, drove or walked by. A father and 3 children stopped, and asked to take part. Don O’Day lent a hand (below).
They asked about the history of the Minute Man statue, then posed with H. Daniel Webster’s 1910 sculpture.
With so much help, the work did not take long.
(All photos courtesy of Andrew Colabella)
The 300 tulips from Colorblends in Bridgeport came directly from the Netherlands. They were harvested this past summer.
Westport Hardware donated a bag of grass seed for top dressing, while Thomas Kerrigan of Kerrigan Industries provided a mixture of topsoil and compost.
I want to thank this group of green thumb enthusiasts and caring individuals for helping continue a vision I had a long time ago. It is finally coming to life.
Make sure to look for the tulips in the spring.