On Monday — after more than 6 hours of debate — the Planning & Zoning Commission voted narrowly to approve plans to renovate Parker Harding Plaza, and add the spots lost there to Jesup Green.
Last night’s Representative Town Meeting debate was quicker, less contentious, and led to a different outcome.
By a 33-1 margin (with 2 abstentions), the town’s legislative body postponed discussion of a request for $630,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to redesign Jesup Green and the Imperial Avenue parking lot.
They needed more time, they said, to study the plans, and hear from their constituents.
The debate will continue at the next RTM meeting, on May 8.
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The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee holds a public meeting tomorrow (Thursday, April 11, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 201).
The agenda includes Parker Harding Plaza, Jesup Green and the Imperial Avenue parking lot; Avery Street pole removal, and sustainability.
There is also an agenda item called “parking maps.” Click here for the DPIC website’s comprehensive downtown parking maps, and a list of all lots (including the number of all-day, timed, and electric vehicle spaces in each).
Downtown parking lots. (Courtesy of DPIC website)
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A full house filled Branson Hall yesterday, to celebrate Homes with Hope’s 40th anniversary.
Former directors Pete Powell and Jeff Wieser joined current CEO Helen McAlinden; past and present founders and board members, and 95-year-old Dolores Bacharach, wife of co-founder Jim Bacharach (plus their 5 children, from as far as California). They honored 4 decades of housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, and offering hope to neighbors whose lives are not as fortunate as others’.
Dolores Bacharach (front) and her 5 children (from left) Jeanne, Kathy, Jim, Charlie and Ann. Jim Sr. was a founder of what is now Homes with Hope.
Former Westporter Livio Sanchez debuted a documentary film about Homes with Hope’s first 40 years. Using interviews and archival material (including long-ago video), it traced the non-profit’s groundbreaking history, from a controversial concept (with plenty of NIMBY and it’s-not-our-problem opposition), through its move from a drafty firehouse (now OKO restaurant) to an old maintenance shed on Jesup Road (now the Gillespie Center and Hoskins Place), and the current array of multi-pronged programs.
Branson Hall, at Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, was an apt site for the heartfelt event. Homes with Hope began as an Interfaith Clergy of Westport project.
Today, the organization’s offices are in a CHT building.
Further showings of the video will be announced soon. To learn more about Homes with Hope — including how to donate and volunteer — click here.
Homes with Hope founding member Rev. Pete Powell. (Photos/John Videler for Videler Photography)
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The University of Connecticut’s 2nd straight NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship Monday night was a great triumph for the team. Coach Danny Hurley deserves a ton of credit, for assembling and leading the Huskies.
Before him, Jim Calhoun earned fame for turning UConn into a national powerhouse. On the women’s side, Geno Auriemma has done the same, with even more success.
Back in the day though, there were other University of Connecticut men’s basketball coaches.
And one has a Westport connection.
In the middle of the 1962-63 season, 60-year-old Hugh Greer died of a heart attack. His place was taken by assistant basketball coach George Wigton.
Wigton led the Huskies to an 11-4 record, the Yankee Conference championship, and the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament.
His reward? His contract was not renewed.
So he came to Staples High School. Wigton served for 1 year as basketball coach (and assistant football coach), before heading to Bates College.
He remained at the Maine school for 30 years. When he retired in 1996, as the revered coach of men’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s squash — and assistant director of athletics — Bates named a scholar-athlete award in his honor. In 2009 he was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
There is no record of whether, in his induction speech, he thanked Westport for giving him a home after being bounced from Storrs — and then launching him off to Lewiston.
George Wigton coaching at Bates, soon after leaving Staples.
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If you missed VeroFest ’24 — or if you were there, and want to relive the 5 days of performances, panels, workshops and more — click here.
The link brings you to the Westport Library’s VersoFest page. It’s filled with dozens of photos and a wrap-up of highlights, from Chuck D, the Spin Doctors, Doors drummer John Densmore, and much, much more.
The final event of VersoFest ’24: a rap panel.
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To celebrate Arbor Day — and the vital role trees play in our environment — Earthplace will again host a “Toast to the Trees.”
It’s Saturday, April 27 (4 to 6 p.m.; tasting sessions at 4:30, 5 and 5:30).
It’s a great blend of nature, beer and family fun, Attendees can stroll along Earthplace trails, sip craft brews and enjoy family-friendly activities. (Kids get non-alcoholic sparkling beverages.)
There’s also a pop-up beer garden, food trucks, lawn games, and a campfire for s’mores. For tickets and more information, click here.
A toast to the trees!
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Brooke Saporta, a Staples High School junior, is founder of Share the Hour.
The goal is to “expand no-cost, barrier-free literacy growth opportunities to struggling underprivileged kids at the age when the biggest impact can be made.”
Brooke worked with Dr. Alexandra Estrella, superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools, to bring the program to Kendall Elementary School.
Twenty students, and 15 middle and high school volunteers, meet twice a month (“sharing the hour”) after school. Students focus on a different career path each time.
Brooke received a grant from First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, which she’ll use to expand Share The Hour to more students.
Click here for the website. Click here for the Instagram.
Sharing the Hour, at Kendall Elementary School.
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Due to an email error, Staples High School’s March Students of the Month were not honored. They are listed in the caption below:
(From left): Jack Leonard, Kody Goldman, Jojo Cipriano , Surali Kapadia, Rachel Poly, Anne Marie Maccaro.
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Chris Fuller’s 1-man show, “Cheese Fries and Chili Dips,” has just been optioned for a feature film by James Guyer, executive producer of “Sasquatch Sunset.” The movie will handle mental illness in a “light comic but sensitive way.”
Chris — who grew up in Weston — lives with bipolar manic disorder.
He’s also doing a special performance May 18 at New York’s Triad Theater for Mental Health Awareness Month. Two Yale doctors will join a post-show discussion panel. For more information, click here.
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Ernesto Heidelberg, a longtime leader with the Westport-Weston Community Emergency Response Team, died February 9. He was 85.
He was born in Argentina, where his parents emigrated from Germany to escape the Nazis. He was an excellent student, possessed a sharp intellect and near photographic memory, and was fluent in several languages, including Spanish, German and English.
Ernie earned a dual Ph.D. in mechanical and electrical engineering.
At 24, he emigrated to the US, and worked at IBM. After a year he returned to Argentina, married Zulma, and moved with her to Lexington, Kentucky. In 1974 they moved to Boulder, Colorado, then to Westport in 1981.
Ernie was at IBM for 29 years, working globally to innovate consumer product safety and environmental processes. He taught a global product safety training program in association with Duke University and Leeuwen University in Belgium. He also volunteered on the boards of several engineering organizations.
After 9/11, Ernie became president of Westport’s CERT, and led it for 13 years. He encouraged Zulma to get involved. Together they organized and trained volunteers for emergency preparedness, helped open and manage shelters during Hurricane Sandy, and worked closely with the EMS, Police, and Fire Departments.
Ernie is survived by his wife of 59 years, Zulma Heidelberg, and their daughters Denise of Milford, and Monica of Westport and San Francisco.
Contributions in Ernie’s memory may be made to CERT. Checks can be made out to “Town of Westport”; on the memo line write, “In honor of Ernesto Heidelberg.” Mail to: Mike Vincelli, CERT president, 3 Winslow Rd., Weston, CT 06883.
Ernie Heidelberg
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Westport has begun bursting with color — and life.
Jim Hood shares this backyard scene, from the Compo Beach neighborhood, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Jim Hood)
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And finally … if Earthplace’s upcoming “Toast to the Trees” (story above) had a theme song, it would be:
(Where else but “06880” would you learn about George Wigton? But you expect that sort of stuff every day from us. Please click here to support your VERY hyper-local blog. Thank you!)
As I said in a short letter to the RTM yesterday: “Please do not spend more than half a million dollars on plans to destroy the tiny bit of open space we have downtown. Westport has a tendency to fall into the fallacy-of-sunk-costs mentality when it comes to capital projects, and the drive to “just do something” all too often overrides common sense.”
Lately, Westport is operating like a runaway train.
As town residents have been discussing about parking: Tearing up Jessup Green in front of the library should not even be a consideration.The photographic map of the lots shows that there should only be once choice to use $650,000 to add more parking: Build tiered parking at Baldwin Lot on Elm Street between Church Lane and Main St instead of eliminating the open calm and serenity of in front of the library and planting cars to absorb the beauty of the river. Complete thoughtlessness of removing mature trees and paving over nature is a premeditated attempt to destroy the beauty of downtown and wastes enormous amounts of money.
Thank you for the beautiful writeup on Ernie Heidelberg. He was a great man who is sorely missed. I wanted to make a correction regarding contributions: Contributions in Ernie’s memory may be made to CERT. Checks should be made out to “Town of Westport”; pls write on the Memo line “in honor of Ernesto Heidelberg/CERT” and mail check to Mike Vincelli, Westport-Weston CERT President, 3 Winslow Rd., Weston, CT 06883.
Thank you.
David Kinyon
Vice President, Westport-Weston CERT
I worked for Ernie years back. He and his wife were wonderful people.
Come to Jesup Green Sunday at Noon for a group photo under the trees! Rain or shine! Save Jesup Green.
I’ll be there. Meg Freeman
Thank you for your coverage of the Homes with Hope video presentation yesterday at Christ & Holy Trinity. Do Do Bacharach is a long time personal friend of mine and was wonderful to see her with her five children there representing her late husband, Jim, who was one of the founders. A marvelous compilation of the facts presented warmly and beautifully by the representatives present echoing the video.
Am I reading correctly that the budget for the ridiculous parking lot reconfigure is $630,000? There is no way that job will get done for less than a million, and probably even more “cost overruns.”
That amount is just to draw up PLANS!!!! Outrageous, and an abomination. Save Jessup Green!!!!
Thanks for the wake up, Tracy but, as you imply, that’s even worse….at, say , $500 per hour, that’s 32, 40 hour weeks to draw up plans that, after survey, could be done in three or four days.