Monthly Archives: January 2024

Roundup: Old Mill Grocery & Deli, Good Samaritan, Parker’s Cure …

Posted on January 19, 2024 | 4 comments

Old Mill Grocery & Deli is back!

The doors to what is now known as Old Mill Grocery & Deli by Romanacci swung open this morning. They’ll be there from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

The new operators welcome neighborhood residents, beach walkers and joggers and bicyclists, and anyone else in town (and out) to stop by and check them out.

You won’t be disappointed!

Old Mill Grocery & Deli by Romanacci

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On Tuesday, Donald Lowman headed to New York. Without a sticker, he parked in the Greens Farms station daily lot — up the hill, near the school buses.

When he arrived back at 10:30 p.m., he realized his nice leather shoes were inadequate for going down the hill, across the street and up the next hill.

Suddenly, a Jeep pulled up. The woman in the passenger seat said, “Jump in. We can take you wherever you need to go.”

They would have driven him all the way home. Instead, they delivered him to his car.

The couple said they’d wait to see if his car started. But the door handle was frozen.

The driver got out, found his windshield scraper and handed it over. Don scraped the ice off the handle.

He got in, turned on the defroster, and told his saviors they were a godsend.

“I would not have been able to make it down or up the hills near the station, and would have gotten seriously injured if I tried,” Don says. 

“Their simple, timely, random act of kindness was unbelievably important and appreciated. And it offset the admittedly cynical views of other people that I have developed over the past several years of watching increasingly selfish motorists endangering or inconveniencing others.

“There are some truly wonderful people in our town, and it was my luck to run into 2 of the best.  Stories like these renew one’s faith in the generosity and selflessness of others.”

Navigating Greens Farms station’s hills is no easy task. Al Willmott captured this scene years ago.

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This Sunday, as many people march across America to support women’s rights, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport will sponsor a teach-in on abortion.

REACH (Reproductive Equity, Access and CHoice) will lead the 11:30 a.m., which begins with a free brunch. They’ll discuss abortion access from a social justice point of view, across all communities.

Attendees are invited to wear a pink pussycat hat or other branded item. Questions: Email events@uuwestport.org.

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When Parker Greenberg was born in 2016, her parents instantly knew something was not right.

She was born with a very rare genetic condition, HIST1H1E Syndrome that leaves her with severe special needs. Hers was the 8th case diagnosed worldwide, a week before her second birthday.

Daily life is a challenge for the young Westporter. She sees a large team of specialists, has undergone many surgeries, and had plenty of medical scares.

Yet, her mother Kimberly says, “our determined little girl has never given up. She continues to teach us new things daily, including how to stay positive.”

The Greenbergs thank the Star Rubino Center, Stepping Stones Preschool and Coleytown Elementary School for being instrumental to Parker’s success.

Her family set up Parker’s Cure, a non-profit foundation for families facing HIST1H1E Syndrome. Funds raised go to research into the disease.

On January 26, the foundation hosts its 2nd annual Bowlin & Booze Bash (Bowlero Lanes, Norwalk). Tickets (click here) include 2 1/2 hours of bowling, an open bar and food.

There’s an auction too, with sports tickets, autographed memorabilia, JL Rocks jewelry, experiences and more.

Bidding begins January 24 (9 a.m.), and closes at midnight January 27. Click here for more information.

Parker Greenberg (left) and her family.

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Two Westport icons are joining forces.

Amy Simon Fine Art is collaborating on an exhibition at Christian Siriano’s The Collective West.

The launch — featuring the art of Amy Genser, Donald martiny and René Romero Schuler — is January 25 (6 to 9 p.m.),

Questions? Email info@amysimonfineart.com, or call 203-259-1500.

Christian Soriano, in The Collective West.

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More art news: Sorelle Gallery is going to the dogs.

A reception and artist talk February 10 (2 to 5 p.m., 19 Church Lane) for their exhibition and artist talk featuring Russell Miyaki will benefit local rescue organizations Dog Star Rescue and Westport Animal Shelter Advocates.

Dogs available for adoption will be on site, along with doggie bags and a raffle by Earth Animal. All pups are welcome, for “bone bar” treats from Pet Pantry.

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Sure, there was a Polar Plunge on New Year’s Day. But the temperature was positively balmy — almost 50.

A group of Westporters plunges often at Compo Beach, all winter long. This week, with the air temperature just 28 degrees, and the water a near-freezing 38, they were at it for their usual 10 minutes or so.

Come summer, they swim for 2 hours.

And, presumably, spend a bit more time chatting afterward.

From left: Derek Yach, Markus Marty, Miroslaw Krzysztof. I’m freezing just looking at this photo.

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Stop the presses (pun intended): National Coffee Break Day is January 20.

To celebrate, Green & Tonic offers coffee lovers a chance to win free coffee for a year — and an overnight getaway at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor.

One gold sticker and 6 green stickers will be hidden on the bottoms of Supr Brew Coffee, latte and tea cups. The grand prize winner gets the goods above. The other 6 will enjoy free Supr Brew Coffee for a year.

The contest runs until February 11. Which is, of course, National Latte Day.

Win your free coffee here!

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Registration opens February 1 for the CT Challenge. The July 28 bi7e ride — with distances of 10, 25, 40, 62, 100 and virtual — raises funds for the local non-profit Mission. They help 16.9 million cancer survivors in Connecticut and throughout the US rebuild, improve and prolong their lives through exercise, nutrition, mind-body health and community-building support programs.

Click here to register. Click here for more information on the CT Challenge.

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Longtime Weston resident Claire Sansone died suddenly and peacefully last week. She was 85.

While attending Queens College, she met Ronny Sansone. She was crowned “sweetheart” of Beta Phi. They married in 1962.

They moved from Floral Park, Long Island to Weston in 1974, and remained in their beloved home for nearly 50 years.

Claire worked for more than a decade as a State of Connecticut Department of Children Youth Services social worker. She placed foster children in safe homes, and arranged adoptions. After retirement, she received many letters and pictures from her adopted and foster placements, thanking her for helping change their lives.

Claire enjoyed spending time with her family. Orchestrating trips was a passion.

She is survived by her children Janine (Stuart), Ronald (Kim) and Robert (Kristina), and grandchildren Isabelle and Sophia Levine and Enzo Sansone. She was predeceased by her husband Ronald, and and brothers Armand and Thomas Rainville.

A private graveside service will be held tomorrow (Saturday, January 20, Willowbrook Cemetery).

Claire Sansone

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Oh, deer!

This one seems to take this week’s snowfall in stride.

Claudia Sherwood Servidio snapped today’s “Westport .. Naturally” shot at Cross Highway. near Main Street.

(Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

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And finally … in honor of Green & Tonic’s contest, which itself honors National Coffee Break Day (story above):

(After you’ve had your coffee, please consider a contribution to the hottest blog around. Just click here. Thanks!)

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Posted in Arts, Beach, Children, Local business, Obituaries

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[OPINION] Long Lots Parents Praise New Compromise Plan; Urge Unanimous P&Z Approval

Posted on January 19, 2024 | 52 comments

“Parents for a New LLS” is a grassroots campaign founded by Westporters and Long Lots Elementary School mothers Sarah Morrison and Veronica Tysseland. Their goal is to get a new school built for the children of Longs Lots ASAP. 

The group is not affiliated with any political party. Anyone who shares their mission is welcome to join.

The revised 8-24 submitted yesterday by our First Selectwoman represents a compromise, and should be unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commissioners.

Based on our conversations with various members of town boards, we feel that this newly designed proposal takes into account their feedback and makes the appropriate adjustments to the prior submitted 8-24. Furthermore, it satisfies all requests from affected parties, while also taking into account the topographical limitations of 13 Hyde Lane.

All elements of the property are retained on site, with the exception of an existing substandard baseball field which is eliminated.

Given that we are in the 8-24 stage of the process, final size determinations of each element have not been presented, and it is not our place to speculate on them. They are subject to change based on the necessary size of the new school and the adjoining “shooter safe” parking lot, which remain the priorities.

As it pertains to the parking lot, the proposed site plan currently shows 175 to 195 spaces. The existing lot today has 195 spaces. Any parent will tell you it is not even sufficient for daily pickup needs.

Add Stepping Stones Preschool there, with our most fragile under-5population, and it becomes obvious that more parking will be required.

In short, the parking lot will inevitably change, which will have a domino effect on the size of the fields and gardens. This parking lot must also be designed to include “shooter safe” features in keeping with today’s standards, which may further dictate the size and layout of the subsequent field and gardens.

The current Long Lots School parking lot. (Photo/Dan Woog)

The most critical elements that we believe should be highlighted in the 8-24 include:

  • Rebuilding of the multipurpose field and gardens will allow proper drainage to be installed on Terrace 1.
  • The gardens will be rebuilt to maintain the requested buffer between the neighbors and the relocated field.
  • The proposed field space shrinks to accommodate the gardens; final size TBD based on the aforementioned size of the new school and adjoining parking lot.
  • 13 Hyde Lane currently houses a school, fields and a community garden. The modified plan submitted houses a school, fields and a community garden. Again, the size of each of these is yet to be determined.

As parents, we feel this plan represents the requested compromises to appease all critical constituents. We urge P&Z to pass this plan unanimously, so that professionals can get to work on the details to be presented at the site plan stage.

Any further delays on this project is unacceptable; attempts at compromise were made and denied many months ago. We urge our fellow community members to accept this updated plan, which does satisfy the specific wishes of different factions of our community.

The political machinations of the past several months have not gone unnoticed, and are inappropriate in this context. Long Lots parents and all of our supporters in the community will no longer accept the finger pointing and unproductive diatribe that has overtaken this project.

We trust in our elected officials and our volunteer working committees and sincerely believe you should do the same. It is the only way forward.

52 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

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(Un)civil Discourse: Enough Is Enough

Posted on January 19, 2024 | 39 comments

As temperatures plunge, Westporters’ tempers rise.

Well, that’s not exactly true. They’ve been at a boiling point for months.

Enough is enough.

A pair of controversies — the Parker Harding Plaza renovation, and construction of a new Long Lots School — have evoked passionate responses by residents, on all sides of the many-pronged issues.

Plus plenty of anger, nastiness and personal attacks.

For nearly 15 years, the “06880” Comments section has been a place to share opinions, insights and ideas.

From time to time, it becomes a place of incivility, even venom.

This is one of those times.

Again: Enough is enough.

An elementary school reconstruction plan sparks fierce debate.

It’s fine — crucial, in fact — for Westporters to offer their 2 cents. We need to hear what our neighbors, friends and fellow taxpayers think.

It’s not fine to attack them, impugn their motives, and call them names. It’s certainly not fine to swear at, or about, them.

These are, after all, our neighbors, friends and fellow taxpayers.

Some are just like us: sitting on the sidelines, watching the world of Westport go by.

Some have taken the bold step of volunteering for public service, devoting hundreds of hours to do what they can to help our town.

It’s mind-numbing to watch some of their meetings. It’s mind-boggling to think that’s only part of what they do, for no pay.

And not only no thanks, but volumes of vitriol.

Long Lots School Building Committee members are volunteers.

Even those public servants who get paid — the 1st selectwoman and heads of departments, for example — are human beings. They have feelings and families, just like all the keyboard warriors.

I’ve said it before, in this post and in the past. Now I have to say it again: Enough is enough.

We tell our kids to stop bullying. We lament the polarized state of our nation.

So let’s start modeling the behavior we want. Actions speak louder than angry words.

It’s time to reiterate rules that I’ve made in the past (and unfortunately, as the sometimes overwhelmed Comments moderator, not always followed): No personal, ad hominem attacks.

No accusations of nefarious activity.

No swearing.

Before commenting — or at least, hitting “submit” — ask yourself: Is this really the way I want people to think of me?

Is this something I would be comfortable saying in front of my kids — or hearing them say?

If I heard someone else say it in a public meeting, at the supermarket, or in church or synagogue, what would I think?

Moving forward, commenters will be limited to 3 per thread. Be judicious. Don’t repeat yourself. Address the topic, not the person. Play nice.

Violators will be given a “time out” — banned for a while — just like elementary schoolers. You know, the same kids some adults are writing about.

Westport can be a contentious community. Everyone has an opinion, and there are multiple controversies to have opinions about.

But it is still a community. It’s a small town, filled with neighbors and friends.

Everyone here wants it to be the best it can be. We may disagree on what that means. That’s normal, and appropriate.

That does not mean anyone who disagrees with us is malicious or evil. No one here is out to destroy the town.

Let’s not destroy each other in the process.

Thoughts? Click “Comments” below.

39 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Media

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Pic Of The Day #2466

Posted on January 18, 2024 | 1 comment

 

Frozen sunset over Sherwood Mill Pond (Photo/Rick Benson)

1 Comment

Posted in Beach, Pic of the Day, Weather

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New 8-24 For Long Lots Submitted; P&Z Meets Monday

Posted on January 18, 2024 | 13 comments

The Planning & Zoning Commission received a resubmitted 8-24 (municipal improvement) request for 13 Hyde Lane (the Long Lots Elementary School property) at midday today.

The request, from 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, includes 2 possible sites for relocation of the Westport Community Gardens. One is near the current spot. The other (labeled “alt. location”) is behind where the current school now sits.

Long Lots Elementary School 8-24 plan, submitted today. Click on or hover over to enlarge. 

The application has been posted to the Town’s website. Click here to see all materials.

The request is scheduled for review by the P&Z at their remote meeting on Monday (January 22). Click here for the Zoom link.

Written comments may also be received prior to the meeting. Email: PandZ@westportct.gov by noon Monday, if intended to be distributed to P&Z members.

Written comments received after noon on the day of the meeting will be entered into the record, but will not be distributed until the next business day.

All correspondence received to date from residents on the prior 8-24 request (withdrawn on January 4) will be incorporated into the record. Residents do not need to re-send prior emails.

For the record, here is the official notice:

  1. 13 Hyde Lane: Appl. #PZ-24-00029, Request for a report from the Planning and Zoning Commission, submitted pursuant to CGS-§8-24, Municipal Improvement, by John Broadbin, Deputy Director of Public Works, on behalf of the First Selectwoman, for a Substantial Improvement to Town-owned property in the Residence AA/A Districts, PID #G10058000, for the construction of a new Long Lots Elementary School, a replaced and relocated multipurpose athletic field and a replaced and relocated community garden on site.(Must decide by 2/22/24). Applicant’s Presentation Time: 30 Mins.

It is the only item on the agenda.

 

13 Comments

Posted in Education, Environment, Local politics

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Roundup: De Tapas, Warming Centers, Trash Pickup …

Posted on January 18, 2024 | Comments Off on Roundup: De Tapas, Warming Centers, Trash Pickup …

De Tapas is closing.

The Spanish gastrobar on the Post Road next to Design Within Reach will serve its last meal on Sunday, January 28.

Owner Carlos Pia opened right after COVID, 2 winters ago. The restaurant was a leap of faith, after a career in corporate America. Click here for his compelling back story.

Then go say goodbye, and thank him for enhancing our dining scene.

Carlos Pia in his handsomely decorated De Tapas.

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Governor Lamont has activated Connecticut’s severe cold weather protocol. It remains in effect through noon on Monday. 

These Westport locations are open to the public as warming centers:

Senior Center: (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

Westport Library: (Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.).

Westport Museum for History and Culture: (Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Westport/Weston Family Y: (weekdays, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; weekends, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.).

Westport residents facing hardships due to the cold weather should contact Human Services for assistance: 203-341-1050 weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Just in time for the new year: Westport’s trash pickups begin again.

Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella has organized the first 2024 session for Winslow Park. It’s this Sunday (January 21, 11 a.m.).

Volunteers will pick up garbage, and remove hazards from the walking paths. All are welcome. Dress warmly and appropriately!

A little snow should not deter Sunday’s trash pickup at Winslow Park.

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Westport Police made 3 custodial arrests between January 10 and 17.

A woman was arrested for larceny and identity theft, after a complaint that 9 checks had been stolen and fraudulently deposited into a bank account.

A man was arrested for identity theft and forgery, plus criminal attempts to commit larceny, identity theft and forgery, after a check for $249.65 was stolen, altered and deposited in the amount of $17,262.37.

A man was arrested for violation of a protective order and assault on an elderly victim, following a domestic disturbance.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 11 citations
  • Failure to obey traffic control signals: 6
  • Speeding: 3
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 3
  • Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 3
  • Failure to obey stop sign: 2
  • Criminal trespass: 1
  • Following too closely: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1.

Slow down!

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For over a month last fall, an exhibition by 2 Westport artists enthralled visitors to the United Nations lobby.

Miggs Burroughs’ “Signs of Compassion” — 30 lenticular photos, showing local residents using sign language to recite Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name, and Mark Yurkiw’s accompanying Braille “prayer wheel” mantra, based on those he saw in Bhutan (including a wheelchair-accessible element) — were displayed on a 102-foot curved wall.

On Tuesday, the two men described their accomplishment — the first-ever UN exhibit not sponsored by a member nation — at the Westport Rotary Club’s weekly lunch.

Their next project: sending the exhibit to venues around the world.

Mark Yurkiw and Miggs Burroughs, at the Rotary Club meeting. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Speaking of art: Longtime Staples High School teacher and mixed media artist Camille Eskell is featured in a new exhibit — (Re) Work it!: Women Artists on Women’s Labor,” at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury.

The show explores the many types of labor that women are often expected to manage – caring for their family, participating in the labor force, negotiating beauty standards, handling emotional labor and more.

A reception for the 30 artists is set for January 21 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The show runs through May 19. For more information, click here. To learn more about Eskell, click here.

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Save the date: This year’s Dream Event, benefiting A Better Chance of Westport, is April 27 (6 p.m., Westport Library).

It’s one of the best fundraisers of the year — and features inspiring speeches from some amazing young scholars.

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Four of the 6 new members of the Westport Country Playhouse board of trustees are from Westport or Weston

Dave Altman is a principal for Bernstein Private Wealth Management.

Ben Frimmer is a theater arts educator with over 30 years’ experience, and the director of Coleytown Company. He produced the  Playhouse fundraiser “An Evening with Justin Paul & Friends with Kelli O’Hara & James Naughton,” and will produce and direct “Voices for Volunteers of Fairfield County” on January 24.

Anne Keefe has served the Playhouse in many capacities since 1973, including associate and co-artistic director with Joanne Woodward. She initiated and curated the Script In Hand series. Formerly she stage managed at Long Wharf Theatre, McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, and on Broadway, and served previously on the Playhouse board.

Jonathan Levy is a Westport native, and an attorney who built a venture capital business.

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Speaking of the Playhouse: Nearly everyone knows the name Vince Lombardi. The Super Bowl trophy is named for the legendary football coach.

Now you can learn the story behind that name.

The Broadway play — based on the book “When Pride Still Mattered,” by David Maraniss — kicks off the Westport Country Playhouse’s Script in Hand series on February 5 (7 p.m.).

Click here for more information, and to purchase tickets ($30).

Vince Lombardi

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Diana Blau lives in Westport with her husband, daughter Charlotte, son Eli and dog Jettie.

All are characters in her new children’s book.

“Beary & Tinker: Young at Heart” stars her and her husband’s childhood teddy bears.

“It’s a story about the desire to experience joy at any age,” Blau says.

Click here for more information, and to buy.

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Following up on October’s Westport Library presentation on helping families and communities prepare for emergencies, Voices Center for Resilience offers a free webinar.

“The Ripple Effect of Trauma” (January 23, 7 p.m.) explores how children experience tragedy, including building resilience.

Click here for more details, and registration.

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In a scene reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” here is today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

Call it “The Gulls.”

(Photo/Jim Hood)

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And finally, A.A. Milne was born today in 1882. The English author — best known for “Winnie-the-Pooh” died — in 1956.

(We’ve got the arts — and the cops — covered. If you enjoy “06880,” please consider a contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

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College Admissions Stress: A Sad Tale Of Student Sabotage

Posted on January 18, 2024 | 20 comments

“06880” often highlights the remarkable achievements of Staples High School students. They accomplish spectacular things, in an awe-inspiring range of fields.

This story is not one of those.

This fall, 3 seniors applied early decision to the same elite, Ivy League-level college. (I’m not naming the school or the students. This story is less about them, than about the incident itself and the lessons learned from it.)

The 3 were classmates, not friends. But because college applications is perhaps the most-discussed topic of conversation for 12th graders, each knew about the other 2.

One boy emailed the college admissions office, suggesting a second boy was antisemitic — and included screen grabs of him holding a gun.

The first student’s email was sent from a fake account — created in the name of the third student, a girl. She knew nothing about it. But the first student’s goal was to deny early admission to both.

Alarmed by the image of the weapon, the university called their police department — and Westport’s. The WPD called the girl’s family, and came to the house to interview her.

Officers were “very respectful, polite and terrific,” the girl’s father says.

“They did not jump to any conclusions. They wanted information. They were terrific.”

The boy who had been targeted talked to police. The student who wrote the email refused their requests for an interview, the girl’s father says.

The girl — fearful that her dream school would not admit her — was upset and angry. Her parents were too.

Westport police were “very helpful” as they tried to clear her name, the girl’s father says. They went so far as to call the college.

After many days of worry, the girl was admitted. So was the boy who had also been targeted. The student who sent the email was not.

“Getting into college is so stressful for everyone, and Staples is so competitive,” the girl’s father  says.

“It would be nice if students rooted for and supported each other. But we learned that student sabotage is not new. It’s happened before. So maybe kids shouldn’t tell anyone else where they’re applying.”

This story has spread throughout Fairfield County. The father has heard from a number of parents — and has heard similar stories.

“I just hope something positive comes out of this horrible situation,” he says.

“This is such a tough, toxic time for these kids. There has to be a way to make sure this never happens to anyone else.”

20 Comments

Posted in Staples HS, Teenagers

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Pic Of The Day #2465

Posted on January 17, 2024 | 6 comments

Old Mill Grocery & Deli by Romanacci will be opening soon. Final preparations were being made Tuesday night. (Photo/JD Dworkow)

6 Comments

Posted in Beach, Local business, Pic of the Day

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Engineer, Architect Offer Long Lots Help

Posted on January 17, 2024 | 36 comments

Professional engineer Yulee Aronson, and architects Joseph Vallone and Patricia Chen offer these thoughts:

For the past 6 months we’ve followed the saga that is the proposed reconstruction of Long Lots Elementary School

During this time we’ve learned about this property, its history, stakeholders, and users.

Like many of us who have followed the public debate on various blog posts regarding these issues, we’ve observed the temperature rise of some of these comments to unacceptable levels.

We understand how emotional it may get for some with a lot at stake, but we should all remember that we are neighbors and need to treat each other with respect. We attribute some of the emotional outrage to the lack of awareness of the due process required to take a project like this from concept, through regulatory approvals to final design and construction.

Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

To begin, the first step in the regulatory approval is to follow 2022 Connecticut General Statutes, Title 8 – Zoning, Planning, Housing and Economic and Community Development, Chapter 126 – Municipal Planning Commissions, Section 8-24. – Municipal improvements. For short, this has been referred to as P&Z’s commission 8-24 review.

It is important to note that this being a school reconstruction project, the most important element to include in this application would be to show the new plan for the school and deal with the other elements later in the process. Considering that the school replacement would reduce the school’s footprint on the property, the approval could have been easily gotten on the first go-around in December of last year.

Unfortunately, in addition to the new school the proposal included construction of new athletic fields. Had the athletic fields remained the same size as the existing ones, adding them to the proposal wouldn’t be an issue. However, the proposal contained expansion of these fields, ignoring the earlier ruling by P&Z in 2010 and thus jeopardizing almost certain approval by P&Z.

Below is an excerpt from Eileen Lavigne Flug, assistant town attorney’s memo dated April 26, 2022″

On February 11, 2010 (modified June 10, 2010), the P&Z issued a Special Permit/Site Plan at the request of the Parks and Recreation Department for the expansion of the community gardens, stating that, “The Commission finds that the use of this site for the Community Garden, instead of the previously proposed use for athletic fields, remains in keeping with the 2007 POCD.”

With all the back and forth surrounding reconstruction of LLS, all stakeholders unanimously agree that the new school must be replaced as soon as possible. According to the initial schedule in the RFQ for feasibility study, the study should have been completed in August of last year and 8-24 application was soon to follow. Six months later and the December application withdrawn, the new application is yet to be resubmitted. Why?

As an independent group of professionals, we would like to offer our time and expertise to help our elected officials expedite the reconstruction process while working to ensure minimal disruption to the functionality of the site and the neighborhood. We understand that a similar offer was made by the chair of the Public Site & Building Committee. Let’s all work together and get it done for our kids!

36 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

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Long Lots Update At Tomorrow’s Board Of Ed Meeting; Scarice Urges Timely Action

Posted on January 17, 2024 | 39 comments

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice writes:

The Board of Education has added an agenda item to their meeting tomorrow night (Thursday, January 18), inviting the Long Lots School Building Committee to provide an update to the community.

The meeting is in the Staples High School cafeteria, at 7 p.m. There will be ample time for public comment following the LLSBC update to the BOE.

The community has engaged in an ongoing debate regarding the use of the property adjacent to a planned new construction of Long Lots.

This matter will be brought before the Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday (January 22), when it is anticipated that the first selectwoman will resubmit a recommendation for the use of this property, based on feedback from P & Z at their previous meeting.

I want to emphasize the critical importance of this new construction project moving forward in a timely manner without delay. As determined by multiple professionals, the facility is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. The decision to build a new construction was recommended by the BOE in June 2022.

Further delays of this project can present districtwide complications. As the town has experienced with Coleytown Middle School, major capital failures can lead to significant disruption for many students. Although a capital failure of that magnitude is not necessarily likely, other capital failures (e.g. failure of one of the 3 HVAC systems, increased water incursions, etc.) could necessitate alternative plans for a section of the school, warranting the displacement of a subsection of students.

Mold forced the closing – and subsequent renovation — of Coleytown Middle School.

Again, without a crystal ball, these events cannot be precisely predicted.

However, the recommendation for a new construction (a year and a half ago) was made to avoid any capital failures that could lead to significant disruption for the Long Lots community and other schools in Westport.

This is not only a Long Lots community issue. Advancing this project and maintaining the timeline for the opening of a new LLS in September 2026 is an issue for the entire school community, and larger Westport community.

39 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

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