It’s official!
A crowd of around 100 gathered at Long Lots Elementary School yesterday, for the ceremonial “groundbreaking” for the new facility.
Dignitaries made speeches. They looked back on the long process leading up to the afternoon — and looked ahead at the modern building that will rise next to the current, 70-year-old one.
Jay Keenan, chair of the Long Lots School Building Committee, speaks. Looking on (from left): 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, the Long Lots Lion, LLSBC member Don O’Day, Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.
Then the real action began.
Students — some of whom will enjoy the new school when it is finished, others who will have already moved on to middle school — picked up shovels.
They dug into a pile of dirt.
(Photos/Andrew Colabella)
And then — led by the Long Lots Lion — everyone cheered.
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Toquet Hall — the town’s teen center — was filled last night, for the Westport Youth Commission’s first-ever 1st selectman’s debate.
Nearly 100 students, and a couple of dozen adults, heard the 3 candidates for the top job talk about their experience, vision, priorities and goals.
Some of the questions from Youth Commission members Jake Shufro and Jack Thompson were teen-specific. Many touched on broader topics, from Saugatuck development to the environment.
Asked to name a difficult decision they’d grappled with, Don O’Day cited the controversy over the Community Gardens, as a member of the Long Lots School Building Committee. Kevin Christie mentioned his decision to recuse himself during the soccer coaches’ non-renewal appeal. David Rosenwaks discussed his choice to leave the Democratic Party, and run as an independent.
1st selectman candidates at Toquet Hall (from left): Don O’Day, David Rosenwaks, Kevin Christie. (Photo/Lee Shufro)
In terms of the legacy they hoped to leave, Rosenwaks said, “respect for the town’s heritage, providing for the future, and a careful capital plan.” Christie said, “a place where everyone feels heard, and more proactive and decisive planning.” O’Day said, “a well-managed town where residents know what’s going on and feel better, and a well-managed tax base.”
Part of the Toquet Hall crowd. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The event was co-sponsored by the Westport League of Women Voters.
Youth Commission moderators Jack Thompson and Jake Shufro. (Photo/Lee Shufro)
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Trick or treat!
One of Westport’s great traditions — the Westport Downtown Association and Westport PAL Halloween parade — kicks off October 29 (3:30 p.m.).
It begins on Main Street, and continues right onto Avery Place, then left on Myrtle Avenue to Veterans Green. Children (recommended for kids up to age 8 can trick or treat along Main Street, and in Town Hall.
The Parks & Recreation Department provides refreshments, a small gift kids, and entertainment from DJ Kenny Michaels.
Seen at a previous parade.
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“06880”‘s Instagram Live series with selectman candidates continues at noon today (Wednesday). Our Instagram is @06880danwoog.
Democratic Kevin Christie and his running mate Amy Wistreich are the guests. Republican-endorsed Don O’Day and Andrea Moore, and Independent David Rosenwaks were interviewed previously.
Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich.
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Josh Suggs graduated from Staples High School just 4 years ago.
But he’s already been featured in the Wall Street Journal.
A story yesterday, headlined “Inside Advertising’s Most Grueling New Genre: ‘You Have to Have Zero Social Anxiety’” — featured Suggs’ year-old business: 203 Media.
They specialize in “street interview ads, clips of real people reacting to a product or service that companies pay to insert into social media feeds.”
The story says:
Suggs didn’t invent the concept, although he’s one of very few marketing executives to go all-in on the format. Man-on-the-street interviews have existed since the invention of radio and TV news, and political campaigns and consumer marketers have occasionally used the format in their advertising. …
Advertisers soon followed the (YouTube and TikTok) trend, paying creators to place products in their shoots. Social media agencies and user-generated content studios eventually began offering street interview ads as a service.
Suggs is betting that demand for real, unscripted videos will increase as ads made with generative AI proliferate, and consumers grow weary of influencers’ typical paid-for posts. The widening pool of media channels and platforms also means that advertisers have to battle harder for consumers’ attention than ever before, he said.
“Your ads cannot look like ads anymore,” Suggs said. “Nobody wants scripted, inauthentic, staged commercials—people trust real opinions, real emotions.”
Click here for the full story.
Josh Suggs
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Sierra Club Connecticut and State Representative Jonathan Steinberg invite residents to a community walk at Earthplace.
The October 21 event (10:30 to 11:30 a.m.) blends nature, conversation and action. The mile walk will include exploration of the local ecology, a discussion of important environmental issues and legislation — and picking up trash.
Click here to register, and for more information.
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Speaking of the environment … what could be more appropriate for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo than this beauty, standing tall amid wind and falling temperatures, on Soundview Drive?
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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And finally … in honor of the upcoming Halloween event (story above):
(We love a parade. In fact, the only thing we love more is readers who support their hyper-local blog. It’s easy: Just click here, to make a tax-deductible contribution. We thank you!)
There goes 1.2 million! I could have saved you 40 million.
I can tell you didn’t teach math back in the day.
The 40 million is a rough estimate depending on the usual 12% additional price cost due to various factors including inflation, and with tariffs looming on the horizon, there’s a lot of uncertainty.
Cowards that they weren’t there taking pictures as the Community Gardens plants were ripped from the ground, roots and all. That would have been the most appropriate photo op.
O’Day promises four more years of photo ops.
It’s absurd that a building built in 1953 and upgraded in the 1990s has to be totally demolished! Greens Farms School was built in 1927-ish and that seems to be holding up fine.
Jack, I bet you were there (as a kindergartner) when the cornerstone was laid at GFS in the 20’s. 30+ years to earn your SHS diploma!!!! Persistence pays.
One of my favorite stories is about Trick or Treat night when the crowd on the street ( unnamed) was informed by a 8-10 year old that a specific home was handing out Godiva Chocolate !!!
Now that’s Westport
Officer Chiarenzelli, I remember you back in the day. Now here’s a story for you. In 1958, at age 11, my father took me to Elizabeth Taylor’s house on Long Lots Rd for Halloween, and Elizabeth Taylor gave me a Hershey chocolate bar.
Officer Chiarenzelli “gave” me my first speeding ticket in 1968. I was headed southbound on Wilton Rd. I tried to play the “my brother in law is also a Westport police officer“ card and to no avail. I knew right then that this guy was a person of character and I was not surprised years later when he ascended to the top job. Good guy.
Hello Chief. I now own your former home on Evergreen Psrjwsy. Please come by some day!
Oops.. can’t save 40 million dollars when you spend 1.2 million. LOL And to Eric, I can’t think of her name, but in my 1952-53 school year at Greens Farms there was a female Principal before Mr. Ready and she was at Greens Farms when my father went there.
Mr. Ready was one tough warden. I served many hours of “hard time” under him. Many years later that experience served me well in terms of understanding the plight of political prisoners in the former Soviet Union.
Long Lots new school groundbreaking is a moment for all of Westport to celebrate. I hope many future students will get to enjoy this new and amazing school to be.
And may it bring positive energy to this town.
They Paved Paradise…
And put up a YMCA.
celebrate? At a starting cost of $120 million, a 4% tax increase, with Republican tariff price increases still to come!? Despite the cash Motherload, the town is bumbling the project, is a year late, and has already broken promises to neighbors by clearcutting their mature tree buffers..
Funny how the adults think this shiny new school is some kind of magic talisman for children. Kids do not need a shiny Golden Palace in which to learn and be joyful, just like they don’t need a 6,000 square foot home to feel safe and happy. Just give them a shovel and a pile of dirt and watch them have fun …oh wait…. Hmmm.
Your priorities are really backwards.
We don’t need to rehash this. You’ve already tried to jeopardize the new school building with your petition, and made the same inaccurate points, and it failed. I
t is clear that your opinions are not shared by Westport residents (except for a few).
You can try to monopolize the comments section as much as you would like, that does not mean you have the last word. Unfortunately, these comments have degraded to a point that it is no longer worth expressing a simple thought. Political spectrum is indeed in the shape of a horseshoe!
Did the kids get to take the shiny commemorative shovels home?
The rumor I heard is that the pile of dirt is from the Community Gardens!