In 2018, a Westport woman — a realtor, marathon runner and member of the Zoning Board of Appeals — was paralyzed when she stepped outside her house during a storm. A tree branch fell, breaking her neck.
Be safe in treacherous weather, a reader says.
Which reminds us: If any resident needs help of any kind today, please click “Comments” — and/or email 06880blog.org.
Our readers — and “06880” — will do our best to help. No promises, but this is what our community is all about.
Online, and in real life.
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It goes without saying, but the Westport Library and Westport Weston Family YMCA are both closed today. (Along with probably everything else.)
In addition, all Library programs have been canceled through Monday. Among those impacted:
The following programs will be rescheduled, for dates not yet determined:
- The Verso University Crime Writing Panel Discussion.
- An Introduction to the Shoah Memorial.
- The NFL Behind the Scenes with Fred Guadelli.
These Children’s programs will be canceled for Monday, returning as scheduled February 2: Rhythm & Rhyme, Tummy Time Midday, Near Peer Homework Help, and Crafternoon at the Library.
As of now, Near Peer Homework Help is still on for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
This 2016 scene may look familiar today. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
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Meanwhile, this was the scene yesterday.
The temperature did not reach 20. But that did not stop intrepid dogs — or their owners — from heading to Compo Beach for some quality, pre-snow time.
(Photo/Cat Malkin)
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Six major school construction projects across Connecticut are on the state’s building priority list for 2026.
And one of the 6 is Long Lots.
The New Haven Register reports that after districts apply for grants, the state Department of Administrative Services reviews applications, compiles a priority list, and presents it to the governor’s office and legislature’s School Construction Project Priority List Review Committee.
The committee unanimously approved the 2026 list earlier this month. It now goes to the state legislature for funding.
The amount depends on the reimbursement rate, calculated by the Department of Administrative Services based on each town’s wealth. (Hat tip: Bill Dedman)
Rendering of the new Long Lots Elementary School.
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Arthur Hayes spotted this scene yesterday:
(Photo/Arthur Hayes)
“Was a nervous parent sitting alongside in the front seat?” he wonders.
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The Chamber of Mothers is a national, nonpartisan coalition working to advance maternal health, paid leave, and economic equity for families. Our Connecticut Chapter is focused on building awareness and advocacy right here in our state.
Westporter Jessica Hill co-facilitates the Connecticut chapter. On January 28, they’re sponsoring a social media day of action, to shine a light on Connecticut’s paid leave programs, help educate employees about their rights, and encourage businesses to celebrate and promote their own family-friendly policies.
Participants can share one or more images on their feeds or stories, along with tags (@ctpaidleave and @chamberofmothers), hashtags (#CTPaidLeave) and the link ctpaidleave.org.
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Chabad of Westport’s “Night for Our Heroes” honors Major Sagi Dovev (Res.), and wounded Israeli Defense Forces soldiers for their courage, strength and sacrifice. The event is February 25 (7 p.m.).
Since October 7, 2023, Major Dovev has volunteered full-time at Sheba Medical Center. He works with wounded soldiers and freed hostages as they rebuild strength, confidence, and hope. He has spent the past decade developing innovative training methods to build physical and mental resilience. .
Also featured: Daniel Kopylov, a fighter in the Kfir Brigade who was critically wounded in Gaza. During his rehabilitation, Daniel trained with Major Dovev, demonstrating incredible determination and resilience, becoming a living example of the strength of Israel’s soldiers.
For more information and to RSVP, click here.
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We’ll be inundated with snow photos today.
So before it all hits, here’s a “Westport … Naturally” image from Grove Point, of a couple of creatures who manage to stay above it all.
(Photo/RB Benson)
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And finally … why are we randomly offering up this song?
Well — as Bob says, “you don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows…”
(You also don’t need to donate to “06880” to read our 24/7/365 coverage of Westport. But we sure do appreciate it if you do. Please lick here — and thank you. PS: It’s a lot more fun than shoveling.)
Quite a snow job in Westport.
Long Lots is 40-50,000 square feet bigger (16-60%) than two other elementary schools on the list, and $40-50k (38-45%) more costly. Westport also gets the lowest reimbursement rate st 11%.
Don O’Day and the LLSB Committees “comparables cost benchmarking” used to convince funding bodies to approve this extravagant showpiece was the real snow job of the year.
Correction: $40/50 **MILLION** more costly.
Yo, R.B. that’s one hell of a photo…wonderful to see. Thank you!
I love reading Toni Simonetti’s comments! She is so brilliant!
Based on the current estimated construction cost of $110,472,124 for Long Lots Elementary School, Westport appears to qualify for only about 11% in state reimbursement, rather than the roughly 21% rate that would have applied to a qualifying renovation project. On a project of this size, that difference translates to approximately $10 million in additional cost borne by Westport taxpayers.
The lower reimbursement rate reflects the fact that the project is classified as new construction/replacement, not renovation—unless the town can demonstrate that new construction is less expensive than renovating the existing building. (Unlikely). Earlier in the process, the rationale for replacement was that renovation would be more costly. Over time, however, that narrative appears to have shifted.
It is reasonable to question whether that $10 million differential could have been deployed in other ways to deliver a high-quality school while staying closer to the original $96 million estimate.
And this is just one school.
LL, a school EVERYONE in Westport should and will be proud of.
Stop the vitriol.
The New Haven Register story on Long Lots is behind a paywall. Here is the state document with all the details:
https://portal.ct.gov/das/-/media/das/office-of-grants-administration/task-191—school-construction-property-list-projects/2026-priority-list.pdf?rev=e70a94e5d17c4fd184d2c3acd87b8c40