The Board of Finance was scheduled to meet June 4, to discuss a $98 million appropriation for the new Long Lots Elementary School.
That meeting — for discussion only — has been rescheduled for June 5 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium). The funding amount has been reduced to $93 million.
A second Long Lots meeting is set for June 11. A vote may be taken then.
Meanwhile, before the full Representative Town Meeting votes on the final approval, the RTM Education Committee discusses the request for funding.
That meeting takes place June 10 (5:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).
The current Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
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At 10 p.m. Tuesday on Roseville Road near Joanne Circle, a coyote standing near the wood line lunged at a dog. The owner quickly took the dog inside.
Westport Animal Control advises:
- Supervise your pets while they are out in the yard.
- While out at night with your pets, carry a powerful flashlight and keep tabs on your surroundings.
- Coyotes can be successfully driven away using noise (high-decibel whistle or air horn) or thrown objects (balls, sticks, rocks).
- If you are walking a small pet and see a coyote, pick the pet up. Any time you are with your pet and see a coyote, give them a wide berth. Retreat gradually, but keep eyes on the coyote. Be assertive and noisy (yell or use a whistle).
- A fenced enclosure is the best way to prevent unexpected encounters. Deer fences do a poor job of excluding smaller species like coyotes. They often slip underneath.
- Motion-sensitive lights help alert homeowners to wild intruders at night, and help deter coyotes.
- Pets smaller than 30 pounds are at serious risk from coyotes, but on occasion they tussle with larger pets. Even larger pets benefit from supervision.
- Coyotes can be active day or night.
Coyotes are found throughout North America. They are adaptable and opportunistic. Statistically, they pose very little risk to humans. There have been only 1 recorded fatal attacks by coyotes on humans in the last 100 years in North America.
But they do pose risks to pets.
Compo Beach area coyote. (Photo/Richard Gabor)
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One of Westport’s signature (and most fun) fundraisers is just a week away.
“Taste of Westport” takes over the Inn at Longshore on June 5 (6 p.m.). 100% of the proceeds go directly to CLASP, which provides homes and services for adults with autism and developmental disabilities across Fairfield County.
This year’s lineup of superb food and great drinks is the biggest ever. There’s a first taste from ănăn (the team behind Nômade), and first-time participants The Bridge at Saugatuck, The Whelk, Bar Bushido, The Blondinit and Barcelona.
Plus a caviar bar by Nordic Fish (paired with Moët Champagne), along with returning favorites like Gabriele’s, La Plage, Don Memo, Artisan and more.
And … a martini bar, signature cocktail, Oggi gelato, Bridgewater chocolate …
The silent auction features a Lime Rock driving experience, tickets to “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” weekend getaways, wines, designer jewelry, opera tickets, a block party package with live entertainment, a week of dinners from participating restaurants, and (of course) more.
The few remaining tickets are available here.
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The only thing slower than Post Road traffic is the pace of the Post Road renovation.
But occasionally, work is done.
Here’s the view by Volvo of Westport:
(Photo/Michael Calise)
Notice we said “work is done.” Not necessarily “progress.”
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From the road to the water … Eric Bosch sends this photo:
He writes: “The ‘bug light’ blinks every 3 seconds just off the canons, marking the entrance from Long Island Sound into the Saugatuck River.
“In my 60+ years here, I’ve never seen it pulled into Compo Basin.”
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Pride Month parties continue on June 22.
Westport Pride presents “Fête en Blanc” (June 22, 6 to 9 p.m., Westport Museum for History & Culture). The fundraiser for The Circle Care Center — a Norwalk-based HIV prevention and treatment organization — celebrates “community, culture and compassion.”
The outdoor event incudes music, dancing, drinks, raffles and auctions. Attendees can purhcase Latin-inspired cuisine from a food truck — and should wear white. (That’s a tribute to the “white parties” in the LGBTQ+ community in the 1980s and ’90s, which raised funds for HIV/AIDS awareness and support.)
Tickets ($50, including 3 alcohol tickets; $40 without the tickets) are available here.
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Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between May 21 and 28.
A 40-year-old New Rochelle, New York woman was charged with larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny and forgery, after a report that various Webster Bank branches were scammed out of $3,000 since January. The woman allegedly deposited forged money orders into her account. She was held on $50,000 bond.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
- Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 12 citations
- Driving while texting: 4
- Failure to renew registration: 2
- Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
- Driving the wrong way on a 1-way street: 1
- Following too closely: 1
- Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 1
- Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1.
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Richard Silverman — cantor emeritus of Temple Israel — has died.
The temple says: “A cantor is the voice of a congregation, and from 1988 to 2013, Cantor Silverman was our voice.
“His was the voice that helped us greet Shabbat and holidays, the voice of Jewish celebration and Jewish comfort, the voice that supported b’nei mitzvah students in preparation for their milestone day, and the voice upon which our prayers ascended to the Divine. Cantor Silverman played a very special role in the lives of so many in our congregation, and his memory and music will be an abiding blessing.”
Cantor Richard Silverman is survived by his wife Batya, children Sarit and Elan (Heather), and grandchildren Sarah, Jacob and Emilie.
A funeral will be held on June 3 (11 a.m., Temple Israel), and livestreamed. Shiva will be observed on June 3 following the burial until 8 p.m., and June 4 and 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. (with a minyan at 6:30 each evening) at River Valley Retirement Community (101 Oakview Dr, Trumbull).
Cantor Richard Silverman
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In today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature, the eagle has landed (at Compo Beach).
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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And finally … uh oh.
In the flurry of news about affordable housing, Staples coaches, the Hamlet, the Cribari Bridge, Long Lots Elementary School and the Community Gardens — are we forgetting anything? — we missed an important occasion yesterday.
Yesterday marked the 190th anniversary of the founding of Westport.
The official date of our establishment as a separate town — cleaved off from Norwalk, Weston and Fairfield — was May 28, 1835.
We apologize for the oversight. But don’t worry: May 28, 2035 is already on our calendar. (Hat tip: Harris Falk)
(The proper gift for a 190th birthday is … uh, we have no idea. The proper gift for “06880” — today, and every day, is a contribution to support our work. Thank you for clicking here!)
At my ranch in Texas coyotes are a serious threat to smaller livestock as we learned the hard way losing two alpacas that were well over 30 pounds. We now have better lighting and secure fencing as well as a protective Kangal Shepherd guard dog. Anatolian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees pups are also very effective against coyotes too.
Those 23 WPD motor vehicle pinches are for a day correct? Can’t be a week…
New chief cracking the whip?
I agree the work on the Post Road has become a life long position for the employees. I have driven by there times and see the men standing talking on their phones, If they where not talking on the phone the job would move along faster and might be even be completed.
Eric Bosch / Anyone know what happened to the bug light? I am pretty sure it was there Monday.
Joshua, a quick internet search resulted in the following responce-
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has proposed removing or deactivating approximately 350 navigational aids, including buoys, along the Northeast coast, including in Westport and other areas of Connecticut, citing modernization, cost-effectiveness, and reliance on modern navigation technologies. This “rightsizing” initiative aims to support modern mariners and reduce maintenance costs while improving safety.
My personal opinion is, if buoy #3 has been removed for the above reason, it’ll be only a matter of time before it’s absence will translate to boats going aground on Compo’s jetty. The justification that the removal of the “Bug light” will improve safety, is laughable, right up there with removing tornado warning systems in the center of the country.