Roundup: TEDx, Fashion, Little League …

Posted on April 27, 2026 | Leave a comment

TEDx is coming to town!

The project — created in the spirit of TED Talks, bringing passionate speakers with compelling stories and thought-provoking ideas to local communities — debuts at the Westport Library on Sunday, September 13 (4 to 6 p.m.).

A planning group headed by Sholeh Janati is identifying 8 presenters, to speak for 10 minutes each. Potential topics include the human mind, body, soul and health, creativity, communication, the environment, dreams, music and art, money, housing, sobriety, competition, technology and artificial intelligence.

Speaker applications are welcome, through May 5. Click here to submit.

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The fun feelings still linger from Saturday’s Fashionably Westport show.

The 6th annual Westport Downtown Association event — a benefit for Homes with Hope — packed the Westport Library.

But whether you were there or not, there’s still time to bid on dozens of auction items. Categories include art, beauty, entertainment, experiences, fashion, food and wine, health and wellness, jewelry, sports, travel and more.

The online auction ends Thursday (April 30). Click here to view, and bid.

The Homes with Hope team, at Fashionably Westport. From left: Katharine Murray, Thomas Samaranayake, Sarah Carusone, Mary Ann Hendrick, Helen McAlinden (president and CEO), Paris Looney, Katie Weldy, Jocelyn Boursiquot, Carmen Ayala. (Photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)

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Happy 75th anniversary to Westport Little League!

The organization — which has expanded greatly since its beginnings with a few boys baseball teams — now includes a robust softball program.

More than 150 players and their families kicked off the 2026 Westport Little League Softball season Saturday, at Meyer Field.

Two special guests were honored: Jeff White, chair of Westport Baseball & Softball, and Jen Bonitata of ASF Logo Wearhouse.

Together, they threw the first pitch to 8th graders Farrah El-Gamal and Luna Symon.

Joining the event were many sponsors, including Anderson Septic, ASF Sports & Outdoors, Headliners Salon, Keeler Automotive, NAYA, Office Evolution and Sasco Pediatric Dentistry.

Jeff White and Jen Bonitata flank Farrah El-Gamal and Luna Symon. (Photo/Regina Calderone Photography)

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Yesterday’s Minute Man races were competitive. They were fun.

They were also very important for a group of people who don’t always get a chance to compete.

The myTeam Triumph community was there for the 5K, delivering not just a race but a powerful reminder of what inclusion, teamwork and community spirit look like.

MyTeam Triumph pairs individuals with disabilities (“captains”) with able-bodied athletes (“angels”), to participate together in endurance events. It is a way to ensure that everyone has a chance to cross the finish line.

Sixteen captains took part in the Women’s League of Westport event, including first-timers Gene and Jenn.

They were joined by over 70 angels — runners who push, guide and support the Captains. Many also participated for the first time.

Among the new faces were Levi and Ryan, who brought friends and family as part of their bar mitzvah service project.

Staples Service League of Boys (SLOBs) again lent their hands.

Ahead for myTeam Triumph: the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford Corporate 5K, Bloomin’ Metric bike ride (registration TBA), and the Athletic Brewing Company Fairfield 5K.

To learn more or get involved in an upcoming event, click here.

Captains and angels smile, at the start of the Minute Man 5K. (Hat tip and photo/Todd Ehrlich)

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The great Weston photographer Alison Wachstein offers today’s “Westport … Naturally” image — and a haiku to go with it.

Tiny pink petals
Driven by the springtime winds
Cherry trees rejoice

(Photo/Alison Wachstein)

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And finally … Wayne Moss, a guitarist and producer who played on well-known recordings by Roy Orbison, Tammy Wynette and others, died last week in Madison, Tennessee. He was 88, and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was confirmed in a statement from his family.

The New York Times says, “He was one of the three guitarists who played the indelible staccato riff that ignites (Roy) Orbison’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ …. He also improvised the filigreed guitar phrasing on Bob Dylan’s ‘I Want You’ (and played on Tammy Wynette’s crossover smash ‘Stand By Your Man.'” Click here for a full obituary.

(Three very different songs — all connected. Just like “06880” — we deliver great variety every day, all part of our shared community. If you like our this local blog, please click here to support us. Thanks!)

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SLOBs Clean Up

Posted on April 27, 2026 | 4 comments

Staples High School students face relentless demands on their time.

School (and tutors), sports, music, drama, clubs, work, college … all take up insane hours.

But a couple of hundred students find time to volunteer with the Service League of Boys.

Throughout the year, SLOBs (great name!) assist a variety of projects around town. From non-profit fundraisers to the “06880” historic homes tour, their free labor ensures that events run smoothly.

But that’s not all.

Every spring, all the SLOBs take part in a Service Weekend. With parents, they fan out throughout Westport — and beyond.

You may have seen them this weekend, in their SLOBs shirts — 300 strong.

They picked up trash in parks. They power-washed outdoor furniture for seniors at The Saugatuck co-op. They partnered with the Y’s Men, to clean the riverfront near the Westport Library.

Slobs with Y’s Men, near the Levitt Pavilion and Library …

One group worked in heavy rain at Longshore, getting facilities ready for summer. All told, there were over 20 projects this weekend.

… and Longshore …

SLOBs president Rei Seltzer says, “Many of us are leaving Staples soon, including me. It has been fun to meet so many people around town through our volunteering efforts. I hope you can show my appreciation for all our volunteers, and to let everyone in the community know that we are working hard.”

Of course! Thank you, Staples Service League of Boys, for all you’ve given to all of us.

SLOBS rule!

… and Wakeman Town Farm …

… and Wakeman Field …

… and with Quest for Peace …

… and The Saugatuck …

… and baseball fields.

(“06880” supports many Staples High School activities. Now you can click here, to support “06880.” Thank you!)

 

thank you,

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Josh Koskoff: State Fight Against Gun Violence Has National Impact

Posted on April 27, 2026 | 4 comments

Josh Koskoff did not plan to be a gun rights advocate.

He certainly did not set out to achieve a $73 million settlement for 9 Sandy Hook families — the only such victory against a gun manufacturer for a mass shooting in US history.

But social justice law is in his DNA. Koskoff — a 1984 Staples High School graduate — is the third generation at the Bridgeport firm of Koskoff Koskoff &  Bieder.

Like his father and grandfather, he believes strongly that a lawyer’s role is to improve his clients’ lives through the legal system.

On May 6 (6:30 p.m., Fairfield Theatre Company), Koskoff will tell that story — and others, like his role in a nearly $1.5 billion victory over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who claimed the Sandy Hook shooting was staged, and the families were actors.

Josh Koskoff

In the decade since he got involved with Sandy Hook cases, Koskoff has become one of the strongest voices in America against the carnage that guns — specifically, assault weapons — wreak.

Koskoff has particular respect for Connecticut Against Gun Violence. The non-profit advocacy and education organization is, he says, “leaner, meaner and more effective than any anti-gun violence group, of any size. They punch way above their weight.”

CAGV is the sponsor of the May 6 event. They’ve had high profile speakers before — like Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the Parkland massacre.

But Koskoff will be special. His legal work has given him unique insights into gun manufacturers’ marketing methods — and their effects.

Plus, he’s a hometown boy.

Growing up, Koskoff says, “I always thought all lawyers stuck their necks out for the little guy,” like his father and grandfather’s firm did.

He later realized that was not the case. Still, in the months after Sandy Hook — though the proximity to that violence disturbed him — he was not a gun issue activist.

“I thought that battle had been fought, and lost,” Koskoff says.

A chance encounter with his driver on the way to the airport changed his professional life.

And American history.

The driver asked what Koskoff did for work. He said he was a lawyer (“I never know the reaction to that,” he notes wryly).

Josh Koskoff, in court.

The driver said he worked a second job with the father of Victoria Soto. The 1st grade teacher was one of 26 victims at Sandy Hook. The driver asked if he could give his colleague Koskoff’s name.

Of course, the attorney replied. He figured there were questions about probate, or the distribution of donated funds.

But as he learned more — and saw victims’ families speaking out for stricter laws in Hartford (with some success) and Washington (much less) — he realized there was much more to do.

“It was the privilege of being a lawyer,” Koskoff says.

The Remington Arms case — alleging that the manufacturer aggressively marketed the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle used in the attack, targeting young, at-risk individuals, and violating Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act — took 7 years to work its way through courts.

Josh Koskoff, in his office. (Photo/Monica Jorge for the New York Times)

Along the way, Koskoff and his associates unearthed — and made public — thousands of internal documents, showing in raw detail Remington’s marketing strategy.

One of the keys through the long process, Koskoff says, was “staying optimistic in the face of daunting odds.” Rather than feeling constrained by legal precedents, the more information he amassed, the more he understood the importance of the case.

Not knowing much about gun laws was, he said, an opportunity rather than a hindrance. It allowed him to be open-minded and creative in his approach.

Josh Koskoff and Rachel Koskoff discuss his legal approach.

When the state of Connecticut released crime scene photos — including those of 2 rounds of 30 bullets each, taped together to allow continuous shooting with virtually no down time — Koskoff had an “aha” moment.

He realized the image came directly from Call of Duty. Koskoff had played the shoot-’em-up video game series as a way to spend time with his sons.

The hair on his forearm literally stood up, as Koskoff recognized the direct through line from the media franchise to the assault rifle used by the Sandy Hook shooter.

“This was content and branding meant to reach kids,” the attorney says.

That was reinforced when documents showed that the private equity firm behind Remington boasted of the effect of marketing on young demographics — and the bright future ahead.

“Get me to a jury, and let me read this!” Koskoff thought. “Even I couldn’t lose that case.”

In 2023, Josh Koskoff showed the Bushmaster AR-15, at a talk to the Westport Rotary Club.

However, he needed a way to prove the relationship between marketing actions, and the actual outcome in the elementary school.

That came through contract documents indicating a quid pro quo between the owner of the manufacturer and Activision — the maker of Call of Duty — showing links between the video game and Bushmaster, the AR-15 rifle used in Newtown.

The $73 million settlement — paid for out of insurance — “shattered the myth that gun manufacturers are immune from lawsuits,” Koskoff says. “That was huge.”

Koskoff’s victory has not stopped mass shootings. Nor has his firm’s win in the Alex Jones case stopped conspiracy theorists.

But they’re enormous steps forward. They set precedents, and send warnings.

And — at a time when the legal system seems to be tottering — they show that lawyers can still stick their necks out for the little guy.

(For more information about the May 6 Connecticut Against Gun Violence spring benefit, click here.)

Josh Koskoff discussed the Alex Jones Infowars case, at the Westport Library. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

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Pic Of The Day #3294

Posted on April 26, 2026 | 2 comments

Spring foliage at Parker Harding Plaza — pedestrian footbridge in background (Photo/Michael Tomashefsky) 

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VERY Fashionably Westporters Walk The Runway

Posted on April 26, 2026 | 2 comments

What can’t the Westport Library do?

What doesn’t the Westport Downtown Association do for the town?

And what better cause than Homes with Hope?

The Library’s Trefz Forum was transformed into a models’ runway last night.

The WDA’s 6th annual Fashionably Westport show — a benefit for the town’s supportive housing and food pantry programs — drew nearly 100 models.

Dressed fashionably in outfits from nearly 3 dozen local retailers (and with hair styling and makeup donated too), local celebrities, friends and neighbors strutted their stuff.

The women were gorgeous. The men looked as good as we could. The kids stole the show.

TV journalist Dave Briggs and CBS weatherman Lonnie Quinn — both Westporters — served as high-energy MCs.

A silent auction raised even more funds. (Bidding ends April 30; click here for items.)

The food and drinks were wonderful.

And — in keeping with the evening — The Home Cook donated extra food to Homes with Hope’s Gillespie Center, a few yards away from the Library.

Staples High School junior Ryan Allen — “06880”‘s superb photographer — captured all the action. Let the fun begin!

(All photos/Ryan Allen)

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Photo Challenge #591

Posted on April 26, 2026 | 16 comments

The Westport Public Art Collections feature over 1,500 works.

Some are by artists like Picasso. Some are famous, like Muhammad Ali’s fist. Many are by local illustrators, and/or show local landmarks.

But not all are oils, watercolors and photographs.

WestPAC includes a number of outdoor sculptures. They’re at sites like Jesup Green, Grace Salmon Park — and Canal Park.

That one –“Seagull,” by Christopher Ray — was the subject of last week’s Photo Challenge. (Click here to see.)

According to Kitty Graves, one of several readers who correctly identified the Challenge — he created it for his mother’s garden. (She was the well known garden designer Eloise Ray. A park named in her honor on Riverside Avenue features a different (non-Christopher Ray) sculpture.

Others who knew where “Seagull” landed were Morley Boyd, Andrew Colabella, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Claudia Sherwood Servidio, Sal Liccione, Maja Sholler and Jen Fridland.

Here’s a hint to today’s Photo Challenge: It’s outdoors.

You probably figured that out on your own. If you also figure out where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Jerry Kuyper)

(Every Sunday, “06880” hosts this Photo Challenge. We challenge you too to support your hyper-local blog. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Revolutionary Re-enactors, RTM Budget Vote, Rotarians Clean Up …

Posted on April 26, 2026 | 3 comments

This weekend marks the 249th anniversary of the Battle of Compo Hill.

On Friday, “06880” flashed back to that historic 4-day event. It began when 26 ships carrying 1,850 British soldiers anchored off Compo Beach.

The troops marched to Danbury, burned an arsenal there, then — on their way back — were attacked by patriots, not far from where the Minute Man monument now memorializes the fight.

That caused Ed Davis to flash back 49 years. He writes:

“During the 1970s and ’80s I did Revolutionary War reenactments.

“We recreated De Lancey’s Brigade, a loyalist group based in the New York area.  We would team up with other re-enacting groups (British, loyalist, American “rebels,” French, Native American). We were proud of our authenticity.

“To tell the truth, it was fun to play the ‘bad guy’ (we got to ‘die’ more). During the Bicentennial in 1976 we had a lot of events, some with over 4,000 participants.

“We had a lot of adventures, and I have a lot of stories (I met the woman who became my wife after an event in South Carolina).

“But the most fun were the small, local events like Compo, the Norwalk Oyster Festival, the Battle of Ridgefield, the various firefighter parades in Westchester and Putnum Counties, etc.

“Compo was one of the battles we got to ‘win’ (the Minute Men did chase the British back to the sea, but they were leaving anyhow).

“Since this battle was in Westport, I rode my motorcycle to the event in full uniform, my musket strapped to the back of the bike.  It was a little unreal storming the same beach in full uniform that I grew up on in swim trunks.”

British troops return to Compo Beach, in 1976 … 

… and show their firepower. (Photos courtesy of Ed Davis)

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The final step in the 2026-27 budget process — approval by the Representative Town Meeting — takes place May 4 and 5 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

The first night, the RTM considers the town budget. On the second, they’ll vote on the Board of Education request.

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Dozens of Westporters celebrated Arbor Day on Friday, with free seedlings.

The Tree Board gave away ninebark, black gum and witch hazel varieties, in the back of Town Hall.

We won’t see the full results for years.

But the wait — along with the generosity of the Tree Board, and the work of our neighbors — will be worth it.

Tree Board seedling giveaway. (Photo/Eric Bosch)

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More civic pride: As part of yesterday’s Parks & Recreation Department Clean Up Westport Day, the Westport Rotary Club and Sunrise Rotary worked together yesterday, cleaning up all around I-95 Exit 17 — the entrance and exit ramps, and nearby parking lot.

There was plenty to do. But — like Rotarians everywhere — they were all smiles doing it.

Rotarians clean up, by the highway. (Photo/Anil Nair)

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Part of the Parks & Recreation Department’s great Kickoff to Summer event — featuring food, touch-a-truck, bouncy houses, a climbing wall, face painting, helicopter rides and more (May 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) — is an unveiling of the new mural next to the concession stand.

Right now, they’re looking for help with the installation. It begins the first weekend in May.

Anyone 12 and over is welcome. It’s another family-friendly activity. If interested, email pkoskinas@westportct.gov.

Luke Bernier’s mural will soon be hung at Compo Beach.

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The public’s fascination with artificial intelligence continues.

So does the Westport Library’s exploration of it.

On Tuesday (April 28, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), national broadcaster (and Westport resident) Dave Briggs returns for another deep dive into that rapidly revolving world.

He’s joined by Daron Acemoglu, a well-known economist who specializes in  technology’s impact on the labor market. Their topic is a hot one: job displacement.

Anthropic founder Dario Amodei said recently that 50% of entry-level white collar jobs will be eliminated, and unemployment could spike as high as 20%, in the next years.

What does Acemoglu think? Briggs will make sure to ask.

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Sure, it’s a rainy weekend.

But Greens Farms Garden Club members are busily (and happily!) digging in the dirt.

They’re getting ready for their annual plant sale. This year’s event is Saturday, May 16 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), at Sherman Green on the Post Road in Fairfield.

They’re selling perennials, annuals — and “some surprises”!

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After decades of getting ready for the 7:30 a.m. bell, retired teachers have the luxury of sleeping in.

But former Staples High School educators find a variety of ways to stay active and engaged. They lead full, interesting lives.

Every so often they get together (though a bit later than 7:30) to compare notes, and talk about their lives then and now.

They call themselves ROMEOs: Retired Old Men Eating Out.

How many of these legendary teachers do you recognize?

Clockwise from lower left: Stan Rhodes, Toby Watson, Al Jolley, Bruce McFadden, Dave Deitch, John Pepe, Jim Honeycutt, Bob Selverstone, Ed Bludnicki, Brian Kelley, Jeff Lea, Werner Liepolt, Pete Van Hagen.

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The Westport chapter of Business Network International — the largest in Connecticut — invites local business professionals to experience “the power of referral-based growth.” Visitor’s Day is Thursday, May 7 (7 to 9 a.m., United Methodist Church of Westport & Weston).

Along with coffee and baked goods, guests get an inside look at how a structured referral system can generate consistent, high-quality business.

The chapter currently offers a limited number of seats for professionals in select categories: estate planning/elder law, home health/senior care, business attorney, HVAC, roofer, event/wedding planner and travel advisor.

To register, or for questions, call 203-314-5091 or email 21belenski@gmail.com. For the full membership list, click here.

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“Food is one of the last areas where real bipartisan work gets done.”

That was message Thursday, at the Y’s Men’s weekly meeting.

Consumer Reports food policy chief Brian Ronholm told the group that CR’s independent funding lets him fire off “snippy emails” to the Food & Drug Administration, without worrying about angering industry or government funders.

Regulators now often come to CR first, sometimes even timing enforcement pushes like “Operation Stork Speed,” on heavy metals in infant formula, to CR’s investigations, using their data as a catalyst for action.

The discussion was led by Jen Shecter, CR’s vice president and chief content officer, who lives in Weston.

From left: Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports reporter Paris Martineau, senior manager Sana Mujahid, Jen Shecter. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

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It’s fern time!

As life emerges this (and every) spring, ferns are part of the parade.

Lou Weinberg captured today’s “Westport … Naturally” vernal image.

(Photo/Lou Weinberg)

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And finally … in honor of the ROMEOs (former Westport teachers who call themselves Retired Old Men Eating Out — story above), here’s an appropriate song.

So where are all the retired women?

Probably having a great time at home, with their husbands out of the house.

(Romeo and Juliet came to a tragic end. If you want “06880” to stay alive, please make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here. Thank you all!)

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Affordable Housing: Just The FAQs

Posted on April 26, 2026 | 2 comments

Everyone talks about affordable housing. It’s a national crisis — and a local issue.

But — like the famous elephant, and the blind men who try to describe it — everyone has a different idea what it means.

There are, however, some very clear definitions of the term. They’re used by federal, state and local governments to plan and build affordable housing.

Westport’s Affordable Housing Committee recently launched an “Information Hub” web page. It includes Frequently Asked Questions — with clear, comprehensive answers.

Here’s what they say.

What is affordable housing?

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development defines Affordable Housing as housing where the occupant pays no more than 30% of gross income on housing, including utilities. Households paying more than 30% of gross income on housing are considered “cost burdened.”

Generally, the state of Connecticut considers housing to be affordable if total housing costs do not exceed 30% of household income for persons or families whose annual income does not exceed 80% of the lesser of the state or area median income.

For more information click here 

Who would qualify for affordable housing in Westport?
Using 80% of state median income, a family of 4 making less than $99,680 per year, or an individual making less than $69,775 per year, could qualify for affordable housing.

 

How much can a Westport household spend on housing costs, and not be considered “cost burdened”?

An individual making less than $69,775 per year can spend $20,932 annually ($1,744 a month) on housing costs, including utilities.

A family of 4 making less than $99,680 per year can spend $29,904 annually ($2,492 a month) on housing costs, including utilities.

The median cost of rent (condo/apartment) in Westport is $4,300 a month, including utilities. (November 2025 MLS)

It is important to note that the typical person who qualifies for affordable housing is employed.

Residents of the 19-unit 122 Wilton Road apartments include people who work in local supermarkets and other businesses.

Why does Westport need affordable housing?
  • To maintain a diversity of residents of all income levels.
  • To address the increase in housing costs and affordability.
  • The housing market is inaccessible to those whose only income is from Social Security or a minimum wage job.
  • Seniors struggle to find affordable housing when downsizing.
  • Many people who work in Westport and who support the community cannot afford to live here.
  • Many children who grew up in Westport cannot afford to return.
  • Nearly a third (29.2%) of homeowners and over a third (36.8%) of renters in Westport spend more than thirty percent (30%) of their income on housing. Town of Westport Affordable Housing Plan, 2022-2027.
  • According to the Center for Housing Opportunity, 21% of working families in Westport struggle to afford the basic cost of living.
  • To comply with the law.
  • For more information, see the 2025 State of ALICE Connecticut report
Who benefits from affordable housing?
  • Seniors living on fixed income.
  • Families with low to moderate income.
  • Persons with disabilities.
  • Individuals experiencing homelessness.
  • Essential workers, for example, teachers, healthcare providers, service workers and first responders who support the Westport community and who cannot afford the market rate housing.
  • Local businesses in need of a more stable workforce.

How has Westport addressed affordable housing?

  • Adopted the Town of Westport Affordable Housing Plan, 2022-2027 to assist the town in becoming more accessible to all demographic cohorts.
  • Adopted zoning regulations to promote the creation of a variety of housing choices.
  • Created by ordinance, an Affordable Housing Trust Fund “to be used for the preservation of existing and the creation of new affordable rental and home ownership in the Town.” See Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2, Article VI

Westport currently has 420 units of affordable housing.

What is 8-30g?
The state of Connecticut established a goal that affordable housing should represent 10% of the total housing inventory in each municipality.

General Statute 8-30g was enacted in 1989 as a way to facilitate the construction of affordable housing. It provides a special appeals process to a developer in the event a housing development containing a specified minimum amount of affordable housing is denied by a local land use board. This appeals process is only applicable to communities that do not meet the state’s affordable housing goal.

How does 8-30g define affordable housing?
  • “Assisted Housing”: housing development that receives financial assistance under any government program
  • “Set-aside development”: development where not less than 30% of the units are conveyed by deed containing covenants or restrictions which require that, for at least 40 years after the initial occupation of the development, such units will be sold or rented at, or below, prices which are 30% or less of a person’s or family’s annual income, where such income is less than or equal to 80% of the state median income or area median income, whichever is less.

Among Westport’s affordable housing options: Sasco Creek Village.

Why do developers use 8-30g?
In towns that have less than 10% affordable housing:
  • §8-30g allows a developer to override local zoning regulations (for example, with respect to building size, setback and other zoning rules), and build housing, as long as the developer “sets aside” 30% of the dwelling units as affordable for a period of not less than 40 years.
    • 15% of the “set aside” units must be available to people or households with incomes at or below 80% of the lesser of state or area median income.
    • 15% of the “set aside” units must be available to people or households with incomes at or below 60% of the lesser of state or median income.
    • Rent can be no more than 30% of income thresholds.
    • Units must be on site.
  • In traditional land use appeals, the developer must convince the court that the municipality acted illegally, arbitrarily, or abused its discretion. 8-30g shifts the burden of proof from the applicant to the municipality.
  • In order to reject an 8-30g application, the municipality must prove, based upon the evidence presented, that: (a) the denial was necessary to protect substantial public interests in health, safety, or other matters that the municipality may legally consider; (b) these public interests clearly outweigh the need for affordable housing; and (c) the public interests cannot be protected by reasonable changes to the proposed affordable housing development.

Artists’ rendering of apartments being constructed now on Hiawatha Lane Extension. They’ll contain 8-30g units.

What is an 8-30g moratorium, and how is it determined?
State law allows municipalities to apply for and receive a temporary 4-year moratorium (a “certificate of affordable housing completion”), during which time the municipality is exempt from most affordable housing developments proposed under 8-30g.

A municipality is eligible to apply for a moratorium if it can show that it has added affordable housing units, measured in Housing Unit Equivalent points, equal to the greater of 2% of the total number of housing units as of the last census or 75 HUE points. A formula assigns points depending upon the type of unit developed and the maximum qualifying income. The highest points (2.5) are reserved for rental units that are restricted for those earning not more than 40% of the area median income. Only units that have been newly constructed or deed restricted after July 1, 1990 (the date 8-30g took effect) are eligible for HUE points.

Will Westport achieve a moratorium?
Westport achieved its first moratorium in 2019. That moratorium expired in 2023. It is now working towards a second moratorium in 2027.

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Pic Of The Day #3293

Posted on April 25, 2026 | Leave a comment

Westport Library Riverwalk (Photo/Jonathan Alloy)

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Unsung Hero #431

Posted on April 25, 2026 | 6 comments

Christy Colasurdo writes:

Wakeman Town Farm recently wrapped up a heartwarming lamb fostering program. It was created and run by Judy Panzer.

After reaching out to Bluebird Farm in Willington, Judy welcomed 4 2-week-old lambs to the farm.

Over the course of 6 weeks, Judy and a volunteer team nurtured them with bottle feedings 4 times a day, while inviting the community to spend time helping feed and socialize the lambs.

Judy Panzer and friend.

Visitors of all ages engaged directly with the lambs, creating meaningful, hands-on connections with farm life.

The program brought joy to many, raised substantial money to support farm education programs, and most importantly, gave the lambs a strong, healthy start.

After 6 weeks at Wakeman Town Farm they moved on to their forever homes as happy, well-adjusted and irresistibly adorable young lambs.

Judy developed and ran this program, which provided lamb cuddles to several hundred local residents this spring.  We would love to recognize her efforts.

Done! Congratulations, Judy. You (and your fellow volunteers are true unsung heroes!

(“06880” is proud to honor Unsung Heroes — and tell many other tales of town too. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)

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