Yesterday’s Roundup item on upcoming town meetings about the Hamlet at Saugatuck project confused some readers. Here’s some clarity:
This Monday’s Planning & Zoning Commission meeting (April 28, 6 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) begins with a discussion on developer ROAN Ventures’ amended presentation. Public comment will follow.
Also ahead: the Conservation Commission on Wednesday (April 30, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) and Flood & Erosion Control Board (May 6, 7 p.m., Zoom).
To view documents, drawings and other material related to The Hamlet,
click here, then scroll down.
Artist’s rendering of the Hamlet project, looking toward the Saugatuck River.
==================================================
Speaking of town meetings: There’s been very little debate over the budgets this year.
On May 5, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) is expected to give final approval to the 2025-26 Board of Education budget.
The next night (May 6), they’ll do the same for the town budget.
Both meetings ae set for 7:30 p.m., in the Town Hall auditorium.
==================================================
The #SpeakYourMind ice bucket challenge reached new heights on Thursday.
After I got soaked — thanks, Dave Briggs, for nominating me to help raise funds and awareness for youth mental health issues! — I dared Jen Tooker and Andrea Moore to do the same.
The 1st and 2nd Selectwomen quickly responded. Like me, they had a blast getting wet — and passing along the challenge.
They named the staff at Positive Directions. It’s an inspired choice. The Westport organization provides counseling and support to people and families struggling with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
So how did our town leaders do? Click here, or click on the link below.
================================================
Today — despite the weather — is the final day for the Compo Beach playground rebuild.
Volunteers — skilled and unskilled — are welcome. Everyone will be put to work.
How’s it coming? Check out these screenshots, from Cindy Blount’s video:
==================================================
Speaking of the weather: It postponed today’s scheduled Westport Clean-up Day until next Saturday (May 3).
Sustainable Westport is one group taking part. They’ll meet at the Longshore pavilion, and clean up the waterfront from 2 to 4 p.m. Trash bags will be provided. Click here to sign up.
Of course, residents are free to pick up trash and other debris today, too.
==================================================
For nearly 120 years, the Westport Woman’s Club has served our town.
Their first projects were cleaning horse manure-filled town streets, planting trees and laying sidewalks.
Their most recent was awarding $50,000 in grants to 19 Fairfield County non-profits. They include:
- The Workplace
- Malta House
- St. Catherine Center for Special Needs
- Caroline House
- The Child & Family Guidance Center
- Clothes to Kids of Fairfield County
- Horizon at Connecticut State Norwalk
- The Exchange Club Center
- Bridgeport Rescue Mission
- Greens Farms Garden Club
- Human Service Council
- VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399
- Food Rescue US
- Nourish Bridgeport
- Applied Behavioral Rehab Institute
- Homes with Hope
- Team Woofgang
- Westport Public Art Collections
- Star Lighting the Way.
Congratulations to all the recipients. And thank you, Westport Woman’s Club!
==================================================
Jazz — America’s unique musical genre — is well over a century old.
JazzFC — the Jazz Society of Fairfield County — is only 3. But the non-profit celebrated in style Thursday night, at VFW Post 399.
Their weekly session turned into a “Birthday Blowout Bash,” with over 25 musicians and a New Orleans-style dinner.
Even better: the night raised money for JazzFC’s youth clinics, college scholarships and senior outreach programs, through Fairfield County.
We’re honored to pass the news along, because they don’t often toot their own horn.
Saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall (far left) has led the “Jazz at the Post” series since its inception. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotographix)
==================================================
The school year just got shorter.
On Thursday, the Board of Education voted to change the last day for students from June 16 to June 13.
That will be the best Friday the 13th ever, for Westport boys and girls.
Staples High School graduate Ari Lehman, as Jason Voorhees.
=================================================
Church Lane will not be closed to traffic until May 15.
But these artists got a jump on outdoor fun Thursday night.
The man used charcoal; the woman used watercolors.
And check out the rig on his car, to hold the easel!
(Photo/Jonathan Alloy)
==================================================
It’s time for another “Westport … Naturally” tulip shot.
Sure, we’ve shown them before. But they don’t last forever. And a photo like Mark Yurkiw’s — showing his Cross Highway bounty — is too good to pass up.
(Photo/Mark Yurkiw)
==================================================
And finally … yeah, you knew this was coming too:
(It’s another busy weekend in Westport. If you’ve got a free minute — and that’s all it takes — please click here to support the hyper-local blog that helps make this, and every other weekend, great. Thanks!)
Mark and Wendy’s tulips are beyond spectacular! All of the this magnificent beauty in addition to the heartfelt work Mark is doing to support Ukraine by sending palettes of medical supplies during this extended life-threatening crisis.
Beautiful pic 👌