Roundup: Cemetery Wreaths, Old Westport, $2.99 Gas …

Dozens of volunteers headed to Assumption Cemetery on Greens Farms Road yesterday, to lay wreaths on 400 veterans’ graves.

The event — part of the national Wreaths Across America program — was organized by the indefatigable Patty Kondub. She’s vice president of the VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 Auxiliary — and her father John, a World War II veteran and VFW Post 399 member, is buried in that cemetery.

Scouts from Troops 39 and 139 aided the effort.

Volunteer Johanna Keyser Rossi reports, “As we placed our wreaths, we thanked each veteran personally.”

Volunteers carefully lay wreaths, at Assumption Cemetery. (Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

Adult volunteers …

… and members of Scout Troops 39 and 139.

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How old is Westport?

Our median age is 45.2. That’s older than the median for all of Connecticut: 40.9. Overall, the American Community Survey says, our state is the 7th oldest in the country. (Maine is the oldest, with a median age of 44.8. Utah is the youngest: 31.4).

As for the Land of Steady Habits, the oldest town in Connecticut is Sherman. Its median age is 58.2. The youngest is Mansfield: 21.1. Of course, Storrs — where the University of Connecticut is located — is part of Mansfield.

Click here for the full story.

Ben Pepper — the grand marshal of last May’s Memorial Day parade — is 100 years old. That’s 55 years older than our town’s median age.

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Here’s something we haven’t seen in a while: gas below $3 a gallon.

Bob Weingarten spotted this sign at the Cumberland Farms near Stop & Shop:

(Photo/Bob Weingarten)

Of course, what’s good for the consumer is not always good for the planet. The cheaper it is to fill our tanks, the more we drive.

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Ed Gerber is one of Westport’s most noted preservationists. From his 93 Cross Highway home to his work with local homeowners, he’s a gem at keeping local gems.

But he’s well known in the larger resetoration world too, for his work with Preservation Connecticut and as a trustee of Historic New England,

Now he’s gotten national recognition. The Woodrow Wilson House Museum recently presented him with a medallion from President Biden, as thanks for Gerber’s 50 years of volunteer service.

The Washington, DC home where the 28th president lived after leaving office, and where he died in an upstairs bedroom, is a National Historic Landmark. It is owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Ed Gerber and his president medallion, with Woodrow Wilson House Museum director Elizabeth Karcher.

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This hawk found a home in Rick Benson’s chimney. He poses proudly for his “Westport … Naturally” close-up.

(Photo/Richard Fogel)

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And finally … in honor of how old Westport is (story above):

(Where else but “06880” would you find out Westport’s median age? Click here to support us, and keep all this stuff coming. Thank you!)

11 responses to “Roundup: Cemetery Wreaths, Old Westport, $2.99 Gas …

  1. The Woodrow Wilson Historic Medallion awarded to Ed Gerber is great and so is Ed. Congratulations Ed

  2. Ed Gerber is, himself, a local and national treasure!

  3. Bob Weingarten

    Good to see your photo back in the news. Congrats. Well deserved. Bob

  4. Never tire of that all-star ‘My Back Pages’.
    RIP Mssrs Harrison & Petty. 🙁

  5. I’m old–75; though not as old as Ben Pepper, whose son David was classmate of mine. In all the time we lived in Westport from 1955-62 and bought our gas at the Shell station at Post and Maple (did anyone call it State St.) gas was 24 cents a gallon for regular and 32 cents for hi-test. And somebody pumped the gas for you.

  6. $3.00 gas. Westport has lower prices then most local towns. Does anyone deserve credit for lower gas prices ??

    • Bill Strittmatter

      Gas prices are down largely due to record oil production in the USA which is making it difficult for OPEC to keep prices high. I suppose you’d have to thank whoever stepped up oil rights leasing and encouraged US exploration several years, maybe even decades, ago. Of course, whoever that is, you’d also have to blame for enabling global warming and destruction the environment. So, who would that be, Richard?

      Things tend to be much more complex than facile hot takes.

  7. Dermot Meuchner

    Gas is 3.49 everywhere else. Won’t be 2.99 for long.

    • USA inflation decreasing. 3.14 November rate. energy down. gas. food prices. rents are not increasing as much. housing costs down a bit. USA 🇺🇸 best economy in the world. and Who is running the best economy in the world?

  8. oil companies are slowing down production as USA supplies are very high. gas all over 06880 is currently $300 to $310 a gallon. if you pay cash less. The trend on inflation is down. eggs less. gas less. oil less. I wonder who is running the country to be the best economy in the world ?🌎