A year ago, 2 beautiful Japanese cherry blossom trees outside Sakura were slated to be cut down.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation wanted them gone, for sidewalk installation and lane expansion as part of the Post Road renovation project.
Representative Town Meeting member galvanized local politicians and others in support of the beloved trees.
Public Works Department, RTM, Westport Tree Board and Earthplace officials, plus Sakura’s owner and landowner, met with representatives from DOT and Eversource. The trees were saved.
This week, they were at peak blossom.
Present and former members of the RTM headed to Sakura, to honor the occasion.
Every Westporter who drives past the restaurant thanks them for their efforts.
FUN FACT: “Sakura” means “cherry blossom” in Japanese.
Standing at Sakura (from left): RTM members Harris Falk, Claudia Shaum, Andrew Colabella, Matthew Mandell, Don O’Day. Not pictured, but important to the effort: Louis Mall, Jay Keenan, Julie Whamond, Chris Tait, Seth Braunstein and Jimmy Izzo.
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Senator Richard Blumenthal was supposed to address the Sunrise Rotary Club in person at 8 a.m. yesterday, at Green’s Farms Church.
However, the Senate schedule kept him in Washington.
No problem! Rotary member Mark Mathias used his technical know-how to set up a remote appearance.
At 8:00 sharp, Blumenthal appeared on-screen. An audience of 80 people — members of both Westport Rotary Clubs, and guests — heard his takes on a variety of issues, including the need for quick approval of military aid to Ukraine.
Senator Blumenthal addresses Sunrise Rotary. (Photo/Dave Matlow)
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The Tesla Cybertruck that has drawn plenty of attention in Westport may be off the road for a while.
Tesla has recalled all 3,878 of the vehicles it produced from November 13 to December 4. An accelerator pedal can stick, leading to accidents. The cause for the defect was soap used as a lubricant at the Austin factory. (Hat tip: Bill Dedman)
Tesla Cybertruck, last week on Hillspoint Road. (Photo/Karen Como)
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Today’s trivia: Knights of Columbus Council 3688 sponsor their 2nd annual Trivia Night next Saturday (April 27, 6 p.m., Assumption Church).
Prizes are not trivial: $250 first place; $150 restaurant gift card 2nd place. There are wine raffles, plus a silent auction, music and refreshments.
Tams can include up to 3 people. Categories include history, science, health and the Bible.
Tickets are $40; proceeds go to charity. Click here to purchase.
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MoCA Westport’s next open mic night is this Friday (April 26, 6:30 p.m.). It features acoustic music, poetry, and slam poetry.
The public is invited to participate, or attend.
The event is free for members to watch or participate. General admission is $10; participation fee is $5. Click here for tickets.
Questions? Email isabelle@mocawestport.org.
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Last week, “06880” posted a delicious story on Mary Lou Roels.
The Westporter has developed a great business making (very) fresh jams and preserves.
Mary Lou is also an excellent artist.
She took a break yesterday from the kitchen. On a whim, she headed to Playhouse Square.
There — on the sidewalk outside the post office — she went to work:
(Photo/Dan Woog)
Whatever she does, Mary Lou always manages to make it a fruitful day.
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Speaking of artists: Herm Freeman — the Westport Book Shop’s artist exhibitor for February, whose works have been exhibited throughout the US and Europe for over 40 years — is one of 2 local artists whose “Kaleidoscope Eyes” show at Colorblends House & Spring Garden in Bridgeport has an artists’ reception today (Saturday, April 20, 3 to 6 p.m., 893 Clinton Avenue).
The other — Cris Dam — has produced the show.
They invite interested Westporters to stop by. “There’s tons of art, and thousands of tulips. It’s great family fun!” Herm says.
“Kaleidoscope” art
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Judging by the number of emails I get, Westporters are increasingly concerned about the number — and weight — of wires strung between utility poles.
They serve a variety of purposes: electricity, telephone, cable. But apparently it’s lot easier to string new ones than replace outdated ones. There are a lot up there.
Alert “06880” reader Bob Weingarten spotted a utility worker yesterday, on Post Road East by Stop & Shop. Bob writes: “He must be wondering, which one do I connect?!”
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature is a fierce one.
Anita Tucker Smith writes: “Our wooded yard on Roseville Road has a lot of daily wildlife visitors. But this one is special.
“We first spotted footprints in the 6-inch snow a few weeks ago. We then saw him 6 feet from our front door a few weeks later. We were all startled, and he zipped away.
“I finally managed a few pictures Saturday afternoon as we glanced out the living room windows, just before heading out to dinner.”
(Photo/Anita Tucker Smith)
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And finally … since today is 4/20:
(On 4/20 — and every other day of the year — “06880” is your hyper-local blog. And every day, we rely on readers like you. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
We lost our dog to a bobcat attack a couple of years ago. Not happy to see one back.
Saw a bobcat about two weeks ago in the next door neighbor’s yard, and with her was a bobcat cub. This is the Coleytown schools neighborhood.
Not sure who has jurisdiction or control of the rediculous amount of cable hanging on all the poles but the biggest issue affecting this problem is the companies striging and connecting all this cable are not paying for or requiring all the cable service companies to remove all the older and unused cables put up over many years time. This can be helped if some one or department with authority requires all ols, unused and not in use cables and hardware be removed. Many towns and cities in the US require and enforce this requirement with the cable owners and contractors.
I still say underground all cable and lower votage system cables and wire! They survive better in weather extremes and storms and will eliminate most of the service and electrical outages we now suffer. Added benefit, Boy does it look better!
Delighted looking at those iconic Westport cherry trees!!! THANK YOU!
beautiful photo of bobcat. thanks. Nature is tough Sorry about the loss of a dog. Be careful.
Dick Blumenthal could work a room.
He’d show up for big real estate meetings and you’ld be standing there in a group of three or four and he would come over and excuse himself and say he just wanted to say hello, shake everybody’s hand, ask you a little bit about yourself (a quickie) and then say “Nice meeting you, I have to go say hello to everybody else.”
Everyone said “I met Dick Blumenthal today‼️”
Yes Tom ! Useless ! But typical !
Everyone needs to focus on jesup green !!!!
On a side note, no Cybertrucks have crashed because of sticky accelerator pedal. Got to love a company that operates on the principle of an abundace of caution.
But perhaps a bit less love, Todd, for an auto company that uses soap as a lubricant…I suggest Tesla merge with United Airlines, where shoddy work has also not yet caused any deaths…but they’re working on it.
It would have been nice to see those same town officials pose under the TOWN-OWNED historic trees of Jesup Green, our town commons, with the same enthusiasm as they did for this private business property on a main thoroughfare. Harris Falk was there, but not a one of the others showed up for Jesup. Let’s hope they show their love of trees and green space on May 8 when the RTM has an opportunity to save the trees, and Jesup Green.
Columbia University has cherry trees alongside the entrance. They bloom right at final exam time, so it’s hard to enjoy them. To this day when I see cherry trees in bloom, I still get this nausious feeling.
Truly majestic pic of the noble cat!