The other day, John Karrel brought his recycling to the transfer station.
The Sherwood Island Connector facility is for Westport residents only. As the town website notes:
Westport residents are required to show proof of residency to use the transfer station, or to obtain a WP sticker. A driver’s license or car registration are often used to prove residency, but new residents who may still have licenses or car registrations from out of town may use a mortgage statement, deed, lease or utility bill as proof of residency.
For the first time, John noticed a line of cars at the entrance. A “friendly gentleman” was checking IDs or registrations.
Registration, please!
Was this something new? If so, is it permanent or temporary?
I asked Public Works director Pete Ratkiewich. He says: “We are randomly assigning personnel to check residency. The random checks are permanent, as we found many violators from other towns attempting to dump in Westport.
“A bit of ID checking at random intervals offers some deterrence to those who shouldn’t be there.”
Just ask Arlo Guthrie what happens when you dump trash illegally.
=================================================
Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from deep in the woods — as deep as you can go at Sherwood Island, anyway — on Christmas Day.
Adding decorations like this in a state park probably breaks several laws.
But to whoever did it: Thank you!
(Photo/John Kantor)
==================================================
And finally … Richard Perry, a record producer with an eclectic resume, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, of a heart attack. He was 82. Click here for a full obituary.
Among the songs he produced:
(There are lots of trashy blogs out there. “06880” is not one of them. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Pleased to see the transfer station is finally getting organized regarding Westport residency (Westport taxes help run the facility) after many many years of abuse by others from other towns. Perhaps charging a usage fee for non-residents could both offer a helpful option to non-residents AND raise some $ for the town?!
They have been randomly checking residency since at least last summer.
Hmmmm; 53 year in town, 53 yrs at the “dump” and not ONCE, repeat, NOT ONCE have I been so much as noticed, never mind checked for residency. I don’t give a damn, but just sayin’.
Only 35 years for me, but some of my most vivid spontaneous conversations happen at the transfer station … even when it’s just someone criticizing my parking chops. 😉
Try it!
They checked me pretty quickly when I got a new car, and put the resident sticker where they could see it when I opened the trunk.
And the last few months they have been doing residency spot-checks.
If you haven’t been checked, you probably aren’t there very often.
The property, which is now Landsdowne condos, on the Post Road, was the town dump site for about 100 years! I do remember commenting about this a few years ago. I can remember exactly how the dump looked.
Happy New Year Jack!!!!
Don’t forget the two other “legacy” dump locations: Longshore (on the Saugatuck riverside). Behind the police station (right next to the Women’s Club – so appetizing for those high society functions). Yard waste was also disposed of along Sasco Creek Rd. where there’s a nature preserve now. Any others I forgot?