Every elementary school kid in town, it seemed, raced onto PJ Romano Field yesterday morning, for the annual Day of Champions.
Their parents were there too. All were decked out in costumes — just one part of the offbeat, fun and very important competition.
A small part of the large Day of Champions crowd.
In just a few years, the Day of Champions has become one of Westport’s favorite traditions.
Jordan Schur’s GOATS team.
The event raised over $150,000 for Experience Camps, the Westport-based network of activities for children who have lost parents or siblings.
This boy named Will, his twin sister (not pictured) and younger sister lost their dad in 2022. Will gave an inspiring speech, about the importance of Experience Camps in his life.
So who was the big winner, when all the games were over?
Experience Camps, for sure.
Crushin’ it, at the Day of Champions. (All photos/Dan Woog)
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A few yards away from Winslow Park — and just a few hours later — Bernadette Peters wowed a sold-out Westport Country Playhouse crowd.
The Tony Award-winning stage, film, television and recording star gave shout-outs to the historic Playhouse (where she has performed before), as she offered unique interpretations of beloved Broadway songs by Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers & Hammerstein and others.
Her haunting “Send in the Clowns” was a special highlight.
Peters referenced the Dog Festival, when she talked about co-founding Broadway Barks with Mary Tyler Moore. Unfortunately, she said, she didn’t make it over to the park; she was doing her sound check.
It was a warm, wonderful evening. And one more sign that the Westport Country Playhouse’s 93rd year will be one of its best ever.
Bernadette Peters (Photo/Dan Woog)
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The Westport Sunrise Rotary Club joined Saturday’s international Day of Service.
Working with Westport’s Department of Human Services, volunteers cleaned up a Westport yard that needed help. They filled 30 large lawn and leaf bags — a small act that made a big difference.
Sunrise Rotarians (from left to right): Bob Galan, Bruce Fritz, Rob Hauck, Bruce Paul and Ted Freeman.
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Also yesterday: the Staples wrestlers’ car wash, at the Shell station across from Winslow Park (and the well-attended Dog Festival).
Many high school teams raise funds this way.
But not many do it with the grapplers’ style: They all wore their singlets.
At least, they started out that way.
(Photo/Jennifer Rosen)
PS: This is not the only way the wrestlers help the community. They’re well known for taking on a variety of heavy labor tasks, like moving furniture or hauling rocks. Whatever people pay goes right back to their program.
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Meanwhile, some folks are not contributing to their community.
Cindy Blount send this photo …
… and writes: “Walking my dog in Winslow park on Saturday, I was astounded to find a number of dog poop bags left on the side of the trails in the woods.
“I picked them up. How about a reminder to dog owners to either drop them in the trash cans provided at the park, or take them home and toss them?”
It is astonishing that people will take the time to clean up after their dog — perhaps because someone is watching — but can’t be bothered to carry it a few more minutes, or yards, to a trash can.
I’ve written about this before. It doesn’t seem to make a difference.
The people who need to read this, don’t.
Or if they do, they just don’t care.
What a sad way to live your life.
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Also yesterday: the Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club’s Bloomin’ Metric event.
There were 4 rides — 25, 40, 75 and 100 kilometers — starting and ending at Sherwood Island State Park.
Attendees enjoyed food trucks, bike inspections and vendors.
Among the booths: Bike Westport.
Markus Marty, a founder of the local group — which advocates for safer streets throughout town, for riders, pedestrians and drivers — brought his “smoothie blender bike.”
He gave out free smoothies, to raise awareness of the cause.
Well, Markus, notes, “they weren’t completely free. People had to work for them.”
How? As the photo below shows, the smoothie blender worked not on electricity, but on people pedal power.
Which made the drink even more enjoyable.
(Photo/Markus Marty)
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There hasn’t been a lot of sun for the past few days (weeks) (months).
But when there is, this green frog (rana clamitans, according to Morgan Veltri of Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center enjoys it.
And — while posing for our “Westport … Naturally” feature — also blends in well with the surroundings.
(Photo/Morgan Veltri)
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And finally … on this date in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. Strauss went on to form a company to manufacture them, which is why today they are called “Levis,” and not “Jacobs.”
(Another week of Roundups begins. “06880” keeps you up to date on everything happening in town — and we do it 24/7/365. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Regarding the dog poop at Winslow Park there needs to be more trash cans made available throughout the park. There are plenty of trash cans just taking up space at Longshore in the brush dumping area. Additionally, there has been the belief that access hinders trash can pickup. Nonesense! Since there is a paved path allowing access to a meadow area, that excuse doesn’t hold water. Parks and Rec or Public Works can easily get the same small trash truck they use to pickup trash at Longshore golf facility. Maybe a few more cans other than the mere two at the entrance to Winslow will help with the tossed aside poop bags.
I don’t think we need our town employees to follow dog owners around so we do not have to carry dog poop in the park.
plus those cans can really smell, so less is more:)
Install video cameras at Winslow Park 🎥 then post on Vide06880‼️😎🇺🇸
how bout undercover enforcement ?
These are in use in Wilton and other towns. Bags, disposal receptacles, etc. Not everyone will use them, of course, there are ill mannered dog owners here and everywhere, but it could help a little:
https://www.petwasteeliminator.com/e46.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v99Z-IWNFMcBDrnkU3CNX7Dr-PWVu7Et8UbBdgm-izYZCilnRVWfBYaAjTHEALw_wcB
The dog poop bag problem at Winslow is mind blowing to me. It doesn’t matter if there are trash cans every 10 feet or none, you take your bag of poop and dispose of it properly. This is another example of Westport entitlement. I do not see this problem at ANY other dog park or hiking trail in any other town.
I can see both sides of this argument. Certainly the volume of abandoned bags indicates that it isn’t just a few people forgetting sometimes. I’m a dog owner and I use the park, and my dog ALWAYS waits until the absolute furthest distance from the cans to do his business – and I dutifully haul it back to the cans.
On the other hand, Winslow Park does appear, for whatever reason, to be almost purposefully neglected by Parks and Rec, when compared to other town properties. Despite its popularity and central location in town, the trails are broken and eroded, the grass is not consistently mowed, there are no facilities for humans, there is no gating to prevent dogs from crossing Compo, the actual parking lot is inadequate (leading many to park at the Playhouse) and yes, the lonely garbage cans are located, it appears, primarily to be convenient for the town garbage trucks to access, rather than anywhere that makes sense to walkers.
When you compare Winslow to, say, Riverside Park, with its picnic tables, established trails and recycling-friendly bins, you have to wonder why Winslow appears so far down the Westport Parks and Rec priority list.
So yes, dog owners must be responsible and held accountable, but I would also like to see some relatively minor improvements to the property.
Here’s this from the nice folks at Norwalk River Valley Trail, where they have a similar system :
https://zerowasteusa.com