Westport’s 2 budgets — town operations, and education — passed big hurdles this week.
On Monday, the Board of Finance okayed First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker’s $84,380,124 proposal. It’s a 1.96% increase from the current year.
Last night, it was the Board of Education’s turn. Their $147,300,744 request represents a rise of 8.08% over the current year. Much of that is driven by health insurance.
Both budgets now move to the Representative Town Meeting, for final approval.
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Tomorrow’s Board of Education meeting (Thursday, March 21; 7:30 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria) includes discussion of redistricting, and a Policy Committee update.
The Policy Committee meets today (Wednesday, March 20; 11 a.m., Town Hall auditorium) for a 6th reading of possible revisions to the Student Discipline document.
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Last month, “06880” wrote about — and linked to — a new online map. It gives residents a chance to provide feedback on Westport’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan project.
Users easily zoom in on a particular place in town. The map has 3 options to drop a pin, and offer feedback: “Safety Concern”; “Safety/Improvement Idea”; “Good Example.” There’s a chance too to like a previous comment (and see how many other residents agree).
In the month since, Westporters have made dozens of suggestions and comments.
You can see them all. Click here; then scroll down, and click “Continue.”
You can also add your own thoughts. It’s a dynamic, ongoing — and very interactive — map.
PS: Click here for the “Traffic & Pedestrian Safety” page on the town website.
Every icon represents a bad or dangerous spot (orange thumbs-down); something good (blue thumbs-up), or a comment (gray light bulb). Each icon is clickable, to read details.
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Couch Potato Salad — the great new illustrated word puzzle game developed by Westporter Zack Gross — is adding players every day.
(What’s it all about? Click here for the very fun back story.)
Now you can see how you stack up against everyone else. And win $100 while doing so.
Every day, Couch Potato Salad posts a clever image. It describes 2 common phrases, linked together by a shared word in the middle. The image above shows (duh) “Couch Potato Salad.”
Couch Potato Salad’s March Madness competition is free to enter. All you need is a creative brain.
Just click here. Sign in. Play the daily puzzles from today (March 20) through March 31.
The top 3 scores earn $100 each. Winners are the 3 players who solve the most puzzles out of the 12.
Tiebreakers are: Most Nailed (got the answer in one entry), Most Sailed (did it piecemeal), and finally, time (quickest solutions).
Can you figure this one out? The answer is at the end of this item.
The site gives you all the info you need to play (it’s easy). Sign in using an email and password (not the “password-less” login).
Some puzzles are dated prior to March 20. You can play them, but they won’t count for this competition.
You don’t have to play the puzzles on the day they are posted. But there will be a leaderboard, so you can see how you stack up.
Good luck! Questions? Email couchpotatosaladgame@gmail.com.
The answer to the “Couch Potato Salad” image above: Gingerbread Man Cave.
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Right on schedule, they’re back!
Westport’s favorite raptors — the ospreys — have returned to their perch next to Fresh Market.
Dana Kuyper was the first one to spot them, yesterday. She sent this photo:
(Photo/Dana Kuyper)
As we do every spring, “06880” will follow their adventures — and their new family — with interest and joy.
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The Long Lots School Building Committee holds a meeting tonight (Wednesday, March 20, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 309).
They’ll go into executive session to discuss A/E RFQ submissions with invited candidates.
There will be public commend and/or questions, as time allows.
Long Lots School Building Committee, at an earlier session. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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MoCA Westport’s new exhibition opens with a reception and special performance by Sahmra Sawyer (also known as Supreme Divinity) tomorrow (Thursday, March 21, 6 to 8 p.m.).
“It Will Go On” merges MoCA’s gallery space with the first New England installation of the Black Art Library. The exhibit explores how the visual and the literary intersect, and inspire each other. It “urges visitors to interrogate contemporary forms of silencing, quieting, and censorship.”
The exhibition runs through June 16, and is free for MoCA Westport members. There is a $10 suggested donation for non-members.
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Longtime Westporter Margaret Labbance DeMace died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Friday. She was 91.
She was born in Fairfield. When I-95 was built, she and her mother relocated to Westport. A neighbor, Dominick DeMace, became the love of her life.
They married in 1955. She proudly raised 3 children, and cherished her role as grandmother and great-grandmother. S
Marge enjoyed winters in Florida, and mission trips the couple took with Assumption parish. She was an active member of its prayer network, and a devoted attendee at Saturday mass.
She was predeceased by her husband. Marge is survived by her children David, Danielle Yingling and Dominick (Joanne); grandchildren Stephanie Fagan (Joseph); Christina Bierwirth, and Natalie, Emily, Elisabeth and Eric DeMace, and great-grandchildren Connor and Devin Fagan, and Andrew Bierwirth, as well as many nieces and nephews.
The family will receive relatives and friends today (Wednesday, March 20) from 4-7 p.m. at Harding Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at Assumption Church tomorrow (Thursday, March 21, 10:00 a.m). Burial will follow at Saint John’s Cemetery in Norwalk.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to Assumption Church may be made in her name.
Marge DeMace
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo could have been taken at many Westport locations. Spring is popping up everywhere.
This shows the scene at Burying Hill Beach.
(Photo/Wendy Levy)
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And finally … Vera Lynn was born on this date, in 1917. The English singer — who, along with Winston Churchill, was an enormous inspiration to her country during World War II — died in 2020, at 103.
(Don’t be a couch potato! Please click here to support “06880,” your hyper-local blog. Thanks!)
Hot Dog Lover.
Great interactive map!