The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee holds a public meeting this Thursday (August 15, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 201).
The agenda includes
- Strategic Priority Review
- Parking Lots Reinvention
- Downtown Lots Design Master Plan: Reconnecting the Riverfront
- Jesup and Imperial (police station) planning and public engagement.
Remote and in-person comments from the public will be received as time is available. and via email (DPIC-comments@westportct.gov).
Discussions continue about changes to the Taylor (Jesup Green) parking lot.
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This Sunday (August 19) is the last day for lifeguards at Burying Hill Beach.
Compo Beach lifeguards will be on their regular 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule through September 2.
Beach stickers are required through September 30.
You won’t see this scene after Sunday. (Photo/Ed Simek)
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Aspetuck Land Trust has received a $521,300 Connecticut grant, to preserve 20.76 acres of land in Weston.
The property is located on Wampum Hill Road, and is part of ALT’s effort to create a 705-acre Weston-Wilton Forest Reserve. It will provide hiking opportunities, and connect with other greenway and open spaces owned by the Wilton Land Trust, Norwalk River Valley Trail, and The Nature Conservancy.
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Two new members have joined the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities board.
Westport native Prill Boyle is a summa cum laude graduate of Georgetown. She recently retired after many years of teaching English, but continues to tutor at the Mercy Learning Center. After publishing her book “Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Blooming Women” in 2004, she spoke across the country including the United Nations) about finding passion and purpose at any age, Prill is a grandmother of 4, a fitness enthusiast and a fledgling painter.
Dublin, Ireland native Anne Banks has lived in Westport since 2001. She came to the US to lead the international marketing team of a European investment manager, but in 2006 took a leap of faith and became an independent marketing consultant to the industry. When she retired in 2022, she upped her volunteering for Homes with Hope and started volunteering twice a week at the Senior Center. She exerciser daily at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.
Prill Boyle (left) and Anne Banks.
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This Thursday (August 15, 5:30 p.m., Paul Lane Field), the Staples High School football team will run “the Murph.” The public is invited.
The annual exercise — honoring fallen Navy SEAL Michael Murphy — culminates the Wreckers’ fundraising effort. 50% of what they raise goes to their program; the other 50% supports the Catch a Lift Fund, which helps post-9/11 wounded veterans rehabilitate physically and mentally.
Every year, a Catch a Lift veteran speaks to the team — and spectators in the stands — before the workout.
This year’s guest is Jason Smith. The retired Army sergeant lost both legs, and suffered extensive damage to his right hand, when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan.
Three months before retiring he met the woman who became his wife. They now have 2 children.
Sgt. Smith earned 8 gold medals at the 202 Invictus Games in Germany. The event uses sports as a tool for competitor recovery and rehabilitation.
Click here for a video from the ESPY awards, honoring Sgt. Smith and other heroic veterans.
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Speaking of sports: Congratulations to the CT Wolfpack 12U baseball team!
The club — based at The Batting Cage in Fairfield, with a couple of Westport stars — won the Cooperstown Dream Park Tournament of Champions this past weekend.
Wolfpack earned the #1 seed (out of 104 teams from around the country) by winning all their pool play games, and having the best run differential in them.
The 06880 connection come via 2 of the best players: Brooks Podolec and Jack Jaramillo.
Brooks led the team with 11 home runs during the tourney (along with stellar pitching), while Jack patrolled centerfield, pitched, hit leadoff and added 3 homers of his own.
Meanwhile, Weston’s Ryan Schnider won the King of Swat trophy, as homerun derby champ.
After winning 3 games Sunday, Wolfpack qualified for the championship against a team from California. It was scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. Sunday — yep, 4 games in one day! — but was delayed due to weather.
Wolfpack were down most of the game. But thanks in large part to a late 3-run, game-tying homer from Ryan, the boys won 8-7 in walk-off fashion — around midnight.
It was a great showing in Cooperstown.
Who knows? Decades from now, one or two of our guys might be enshrined there. (Hat tip: Chuck Haberstroh)
Jack Jaramillo and Brooks Podolec
Ryan Schnider, with his very large trophy.
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There was no rain yesterday at Compo Beach.
But there was a very cool rainbow.
Here are 2 views:
(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
(Photo/Sunil Hirani)
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Uri Caine learned to play jazz piano on the streets of inner-city Philadelphia.
This Thursday, he brings his magic to Jazz at the Post (VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399). He’s joined by bassist Yuriy Galkin, drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.
There are 2 shows: 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Dinner service begins at 7. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
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This big, beautiful flower at the Westport Weston Family YMCA intrigued Johanna Keyser Rossi.
It stands alone. And today it’s our “Westport … Naturally” featured photo.
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … on this date in 1889, William Gray of Hartford received a patent for a “coin-controlled apparatus for telephones.”
(Like pay phones of yore, “06880” needs money to keep working. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Small correction Dan, LT Michael Murphy was not a soldier, he was a sailor and a SEAL who is also a Medal of Honor recipient. His story is well told in the book “Lone Survivor” by his team mate Marcus Luttrell which was later adapted as a movie.
https://www.navy.mil/MEDAL-OF-HONOR-RECIPIENT-MICHAEL-P-MURPHY/
The Murph Challenge:
The workout consists of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run, all done while wearing a weighted vest.
My apologies. He was identified as a soldier by the person who sent me the info. I’ll change it now.