Christy Colasurdo writes:
I invite local residents to support Wakeman Town Farm’s initiative to rebuild its dilapidated barn, which has fallen into disrepair after decades of deferred maintenance.
The WTF committee has spent years raising $400,000 that will be gifted to the town to rebuild a crumbling and dangerous building.
The committee has also shepherded the project through all the requisite departments, as well as paid for surveys, architectural renderings, septic plans and more.
The Wakeman team is ready to remove the unsafe building, and erect a barn replica that will be safe and functional for generations to come.
Wakeman is paying for the lion’s share of the project, even though the Farm does not own the building or property. The team is essentially reviving a town asset that has long required improvements, creating a safe, functional community barn for storage, as well as a place for local residents, volunteers, staff and students to get out of the elements.
After years of planning, fundraising, and community support, Wakeman Town Farm is approaching the final step in making the barn project a reality.
You can support it in one of two ways:
- Attend the Board of Finance meeting on Wednesday, May 20 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), and speak in support of the project.
- Email your support to the Board of Finance (bof@westportct.gov), Westport RTM (RTM-dl@westportct.gov), Parks & Recreation director Erik Barbieri (ebarbieri@westportct.gov).
If you would like your voice included but cannot be there in person, please send us your email and we will gladly read it aloud at the meeting on your behalf:
- Liz Milwe – lizmilwe@gmail.com
- Nicole Gerber – sponsors@wakemantownfarm.org
Thank you!
The Wakeman Town Farm certainly has its act together. What I don’t understand is why the equally worthy Community Garden hasn’t been able to hold its own against the various competing projects such as the bloated Long Lots Schools soap opera. Punting them off their indigenous land onto the Baron’s toxic waste dump is not only toxic it’s insulting.
Perhaps what might help would be what I would term a little “proactive cohesion”.
Why not merge the Wakeman Town Farm into the Community Garden under the direction of the Milwes, Wakemans, Belfast and others who have been part of the bedrock foundation of Westport for as long as I can remember (over 73 years and still going strong). Their love of Westport is exceeded only by their success in applying it in positive directions.