What works for Long Lots Elementary School must also work for Bedford Middle School.
Put another way: What’s good for the Westport Community Gardens is also good for Wakeman Park.
The Board of Selectwomen affirmed yesterday that no one — including dog walkers and regular human walkers — will be allowed on the athletic fields and paths adjacent to BMS during school hours.
The ban does not apply to Wakeman Town Farm.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Parks & Recreation director Jen Fava were unable to find a way to keep the large Wakeman Field property safe, the selectwomen were told at their meeting yesterday.
The board had voted on the ban — which was first suggested as a safety issue for Long Lots, which is located near the Community Gardens — last month.
Yesterday’s discussion followed that earlier vote, which included a sense of the meeting resolution to examine the possibility of a solution for Wakeman.
The Wakeman Fields, adjacent to Bedford Middle School (not shown, off to the left of the photo) will be off-limits to non-school personnel during school hours.
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Everyone talks about traffic and safety.
Now you can spur some action.
But after more than 3 months, you’ve only got one day left. The deadline is tomorrow (Friday, May 10).
An online map-based survey was introduced this winter. It’s an interactive, even fun (!) way for residents to provide feedback on Westport’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) 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).
Click here to take the survey. Click here for the “Traffic & Pedestrian Safety” page on the town website.
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If you’ve driven past the former Pane e Bene restaurant on the Post Road, you’ve noticed plenty of construction.
Work on The Clubhouse — the golf-and-more simulator/event space — is moving ahead. It should open later this year.
You may also think that Redi-Cut — the longtime family business next door — is closed.
They’re not.
Though they were shut for a couple of weeks for renovations, they’re very much open.
“They’ve been amazing partners as our project moves forward,” says Clubhouse co-founder Emily Zobl. She invites customers — old and new — to check out their updated space.
Meanwhile, you can check out The Clubhouse’s progress via Instagram and their website.
Redi-Cut Carpets: Open for business. Tim Zobl (The Clubhouse co-owner, center) is flanked by Redi-Cut owners (from left) Harry Arnowich and Matt Arnowich.
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The Public Works Department’s spring paving program begins Monday (May 13). It continues through the mid-June.
These roads will be paved, though not necessarily in this order:
- Brookside Drive
- Evergreen Avenue
- Evergreen Parkway
- Kings Highway North
- Crawford Road
- Hillandale Lane
- East Main Street
- Rainey Lane
- Pioneer Road
- Maple Avenue South
- Greenbrier Road
- Church Street North
- Pleasant Valley Lane
- Brightfield Lane
- Imperial Avenue
- Green’s Farms Road
- Morningside Drive North
Questions? Call Public Works: 203-341-1120.
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Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between May 1 and 8.
A 62-year-old Bridgeport man was arrested for breach of peace, following an altercation with an employee at Minuteman Cleaners over the price charged. The man grabbed the items, causing minor injuries to the employee, and left the store.
A 25-year-old Westport woman was arrested on failure to appear, and violation of probation. She was unable to post a $30,000 bond.
Police also issued these citations:
- Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 8 citations
- Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 7
- Traveling unreasonably fast: 5
- Failure to obey traffic control signals: 4
- Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 4
- Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 3
- Failure to renew registration: 3
- Criminal trespass: 1
- Simple trespass: 1
- Criminal mischief: 1
- Speeding: 1
- Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
- Distracted driving: 1
- Unsafe passing: 1
- Improper turns: 1
- Driving with a foreign license: 1
- Falsification of markers: 1
- Unreadable plates: 1
- Failure to register a commercial motor vehicle: 1
- Failure to insure a motor vehicle: 1
- Failure to carry registration: 1
There were 2 license plate violations this past week. This was not one of them. (Photo/Fred Cantor)
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The Westport Fire Department hosts a promotion ceremony tomorrow (Friday, May 10, 3:30 p.m, Town Hall auditorium).
Assistant chief Matthew Cohen will be promoted to deputy fire chief; Lieutenant Jason Kronenberger moves to to assistant chief, while Firefighter Matthew Wille becomes a lieutenant.
The public is invited.
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Explore the horticulture, beauty and bounty of rhododendrons on May 19 (10:30 to 11:45 a.m., Carriage Barn Art Center, New Canaan) — then tour the magnificent gardens at Blau House, off Bayberry Lane in Westport (1 to 4 p.m.).
Click here for tickets, and more information.
Rhododendrons, at Blau House & Gardens.
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After receiving critical acclaim in Europe, “Here Lived”‘s May 5 debut screening quickly sold out. An encore show has been added, on May 21 (7 p.m., Marlene Meyerson JCC, 334 Amsterdam Avenue, New York City).
Music by Brian Keane — the Grammy Award-winning composer/Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate — adds depth to the film, which is a story of children hidden during World War II, murdered parents, generational trauma, and an artist’s vision for healing.
Keane and director Jane Wells will join a panel after the showing. Click here for tickets.
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Was Officer Richard Bagley protecting and serving yesterday?
Or citing this guy for jaywalking?
Either way, the Westport Police Department was taking care of business, on Hillandale Road.
(Photo/Miggs Burroughs)
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Speaking of turtles: Today’s “Westport … Naturally” Westport nature lesson comes from Compo Beach.
Lou Weinberg writes: “I found this little guy yesterday. I’m sure there’s more where he/she came from. So, if you’re at the beach and something looks like a stone, look twice. It might be a diamondback terrapin baby. Place it in the water and let it go.
“It’s amazing that with all the beach maintenance and use, these creatures can survive around here. Ain’t nature grand?”
Lou adds this link, for information and fun facts from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
(Photo/Lou Weinberg)
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And finally … happy 75th birthday to Billy Joel! There are only hundreds of songs I could choose to highlight. Here are 3 of my favorites:
(Another day, another “06880” Roundup, another reminder that we rely on reader support to keep doing what we do. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
The Wakeman Field/LLS decision is ridiculous. Kids use the fields in town basically all daylight hours from March-November. Why is there a difference in security when school is in session, especially given our expensive decision to have police officers on our school campuses during school hours?
The student use the fields for their physical education classes. The safety for the teachers and students comes first. I have seen
dogs unleashed and their owners not picking up after them.
The diamondback terrapin’s are classified as Endangered in some states and Vulnerable in others. Particularly concerning regarding those late night poaching lights that appear in the spring/summer in Old Mill Pond, a breeding habitat for these turtles.
The Terrapin Turtles have nests over by the cannons and even Old Mill Cove.
Luckily, Chris Tait with his institutional knowledge and being a lifer has helped Parks & Recreation to secure funds for the Beach Resiliency study and hopefully at some point, bring sand back to the beaches that have eroded greatly.
I would hope at some point the state will finish the jetty plan at Sherwood they put off in the 90s due do budget constraints. The jetty would help tremendously with wave break and erosion. Wishful thinking, but, I’ve been surprised by the state before!
Dan, excellent Billy Joel selections. As always, good music ear and you rock!
Please come to the June 4, 2024 meeting of the Representative Town Meeting when my citizens’ petition to reject or modify the new Parks and Rec Rule is expected to be heard.
There will be combined RTM committee meetings on May 13 (Education/Karpf, Public Works/Keenan, Public Safety/Izzo), a required part of the process before going to the full RTM, and a public meeting open to the public.
Best come to the full RTM in June when it becomes an action item.
Our petition addresses the community garden hours specifically, but I’m sure the RTM would love to hear from the Wakeman Park community as this new regulation also affects that park.
I clicked on the “Traffic & Pedestrian Safety” site from the link offered to add my two-cents……and had to laugh out loud when I saw the map of Westport so densely covered with ‘pins’ you couldn’t see the map. I was happy to see the ‘pins’ covered every street in town from 95 to the Merritt. Why? because the people in this town want to make it better. Thanks people!
It’s tough to empathize with the Wakeman dog walkers when just today there was a big pile of dog poop on the Wakeman C grass playing field. With the lack of respect many people show the town facilities they’re more likely to be banned completely, and will be deservedly so.
If the concern is dog poop, then maybe we should enforce some regulations that apply to that. Not sure why that is a reason for the community gardeners to suffer.
Someone needs to explain to me how kicking a soccer ball around or walking my dog at wakeman is endangering students. The town has invested into making these facilities as nice as they are and closing them to the public during the school year is ridiculous. Teams are using these fields after school so this decision effectively makes it impossible for anyone besides kids to take advantage of the space. Seems like a huge loss for the town…
The ban on dog walkers at Wakeman is not about safety. Neither is the ban on gardeners at a Long Lots. It is about a vindictive group of town leaders punishing gardeners for having the temerity to challenge their plan to destroy decades of hard work and valuable ecological green space. School safety is a cynical smoke screen for payback. It’s sad to see that in order to punish gardeners – who are retirees, families and residents – our town treats every pedestrian near a school as a threat. Well done, elected officials!!