In the wake of several recent fires, fire marshal Terry Dunn urges homeowners to take extra precautions as they begin spring cleaning and home renovations.
He says, “With the change in seasons, we often see an increase in home improvement projects and decluttering efforts. Improper storage of flammable materials, overloaded electrical outlets, and spontaneous combustion of oily rags can all lead to devastating fires.”
The recent structure fires have been linked to common hazards, including improperly discarded chemicals, electrical malfunctions, and combustible materials being stored too close to heat sources.
No serious injuries were reported, but the fires caused significant property damage.
The Westport Fire Department urges residents to follow these safety measures:
Store flammable liquids properly: Keep gasoline, paint thinners, and other combustibles in approved containers, away from heat sources.
Dispose of oily rags safely:Never pile up rags used with oil-based stains or paints. Store them in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid or lay them out to dry in a well-ventilated area.
Check electrical wiring:Avoid using extension cords as permanent wiring. Do not overload outlets. Inspect cords for fraying or damage.
Keep combustibles away from heat sources: Do not store cardboard boxes, wood or paper products near water heaters, furnaces or other heat-producing appliances.
Ensure proper ventilation: When using flammable chemicals or conducting renovation work, maintain good airflow to reduce fire risks.
It is important too to have working smoke detectors, and multiple exit plans.
Proper disposal of hazardous materials is critical in preventing fires. Westport’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day is an opportunity to dispose of items like oil-based paints, solvents, and chemicals.
The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day is Saturday, April 5 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Greens Farms railroad station).
The event is free for residents of Westport, Norwalk, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich. For more details, click here.
For more fire safety information, visit click here, or contact the fire marshal’s office: (203) 341-5020.
(Among many other services, “06880” helps readers stay safe. We rely on reader support to keep us financially healthy. Please click here to help. Thank you!)
Students today have more computing power in their pockets than the Apollo astronauts did on their missions to the moon.
Artificial intelligence is poised to change learning in ways that we humans cannot begin to imagine. (Should we ask ChatGPT what’s ahead?)
But it was only a few years ago — okay, a few decades — that calculators were incredible new devices.
The other day, Sabrina Bunks found a couple of Westport News photos, from 1974. She posted them on social media.
One (below) shows students Paul Flaxman and John Lamb posing in presumed awe as they “operate” a calculator that can “compute, calculate and perform higher mathematical functions” — an important skill in “the machine age.”
Another photo showed Sabrina herself, seated at a table next to Joanne Macieski and Brad Siff, watching a “teletyper” to see whether the program they wrote would work.
Sure, we can laugh at these gee-whiz photos today.
But 5 decades from now — in 2075 — what will the readers of whatever “06880” becomes think about our “simple” cellphones, let alone our wary embrace of AI.
Assuming, of course, that the human race is still around then.
(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
The Board of Finance will hold public hearings soon about proposed 2025-26 budgets.
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice and Board of Education chair Lee Goldstein present their budget on March 24. 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker offers the town budget on March 25. Both meetings begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Town Hall auditorium.
The sessions will be broadcast on Optimum Channel 79, and/or livestreamed on the town website. (On the website, select “How Do I” heading, then “Watch Town Meetings”.)
Last month, Westporters were invited to a presentation about the proposed public safety complex. The new facility would bring the Police and Fire Departments, and Emergency Medical Services, under one roof.
The site most often mentioned is on the Sherwood Island Connector. On April 3 (1 p.m.), residents are invited to the I-95 Exit 18 commuter parking lot, to tour the location, view site maps and provide feedback.
Town officials, project planners and public safety representatives will answer questions and provide details about the project’s goals and benefits to the community.
Questions? Call Fire Chief Nick Marsan at (203) 341-5000, or email nmarsan@westportct.gov.
The meeting place for the April 3 tour of a proposed public safety facility: the I-95 Exit commuter parking lot, on the Sherwood Island Connector. The entrance would be just north of this site.
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The Westport Library was packed yesterday, for the Westport Book Shop’s annual benefit.
Since opening across Jesup Green from the Library 2021, the store has provided over 8,750 hours of paid part-time employment and job training for more than a dozen people with disabilities.
Employees learning and use skills — from retail to computer and photography — that are transferable to other environments, and interact often with customers.
Meanwhile, book sales have also generated more than $200,000 for the Library.
The benefit supported both the Westport Book Shop and the Library. There was entertainment from the Staples Jazz Ensemble, plenty of food and drink, and silent and live auctions.
All the employees were there, proudly helping out.
And every attendee got a book, signed by prolific author Ed McBain.
Westport Book Shop employee Bella Rizzi greeted guests. She sat behind a book that had been made into an artful vase. (Photo/Dan Woog)
A sneak peek at the new Main Street restaurant comes next Friday (March 21, 5:30 p.m.).
Coldwell Banker’s Judy Michaelis is hosting a pre-opening celebration. And as guests enjoy the very intriguing menu, they’ll also be doing something good.
100% of all ticket proceeds go to Westport EMS. For those who don’t know: Our fantastic Emergency Medical Service has to pay for everthing. Ambulances, fly cars, medical equipment, medications, training for the current and next generation of volunteer EMTs serving the community, even Band-Aids — they fund it all. (The price for an ambulance these days is about $400,000, if that helps you plan a donation.)
Click here for tickets, and more information. See you at Sushi Jin!
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
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Just around the corner from Sushi Jin, the Levitt is getting ready for its opening.
It’s been around a lot longer — more than 50 years — and it knows how to put on a show.
Umphrey’s McGee (July 11). Ticket sales for the eclectic improv-rock band start at 10 a.m. today (Friday).
Tickets are on sale now for I’m With Her, with Ken Pomeroy. The highly regarded folk trio offers a VIP experience: early admission to the show, a stripped-down intimate short performance, and a Q-and-A.
As always, members enjoy discounts and pre-sales on paid-ticket programming — while helping support the 50-plus nights of free shows. Click here for details.
Six large photos by New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynsey Addario are on display at the Senior Center.
They’re part of the 1991 Staples High School graduate’s series “Veiled Rebellion,” depicting many facets of women’s lives in Afghanistan. Other works from the series hang at the Westport Library, Staples and Town Hall.
On Wednesday, Westport Public Art Collections member Jilda Manikas gave a presentation about the photographer and her photos, at the Senior Center.
Lynsey’s proud mother Camille was there. She answered questions from the audience, including about Lynsey’s recent work in Ukraine.
(Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)
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You’re never too young to help others.
The Greens Farms Elementary School Long Neck Leaders — a leadership group of students in grades 3-5 — recently created a community fundraiser to support Rach’s Hope.
The non-profit honors Rachel Doran, a member of the GFS class of 2008. Her sister Ellie also attended Greens Farms.
Their mother, Lisa Doran, is a GFS literacy coach. The Long Neck Leaders invited her to teach them about the charity, which helps families weather the storm of a child’s critical illness.
The students then promoted an all-school pajama day. (Rachel made and sold PJs in local shops, a project she started during elementary school.)
The PJ Day raised $1,300 — much of it thanks to the personal connections the students felt.
The Dorans look forward to Rach’s Hope’s adult fundraiser. The 2025 PJ Gala is March 29 (FTC, Fairfield). The evening includes live music, great food, and plenty of love and hope. For tickets and more information, click here.
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Chris Dobransky has developed a devoted Instagram following, for his recipes and reviews.
He and his family order regularly from Ed’s Fusion, the Italian-and-Mexican spot across from Stop & Shop. He likes the friendly family feel.
Chris wants “06880” readers to know about a new item: birria.
The Mexican dish dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors introduced domesticated livestock, including goats, to Mexico.
Ed’s Fusion’s birria is made with tender beef brisket, Chris says. It’s cooked for over 6 hours on low heat in a broth with a “secret: blend of spices. There are several forms, including tacos, but quesadillas, calzones and pizza.
Each birria item comes with green chile and habanero sauces, and a spiced consomme.
Ken Palumbo and his family have lived in Westport for 20 years. He has seen firsthand how National Institutes of Health grants impact medical discoveries, initially when he operated a public and private equity biotech/life sciences alternative investment management firm 28 years ago. He is now the president and chief operating officer of an alternative investment management firm.
His daughter now works in research at Columbia University. She is on the front lines, seeing entire labs get shut down. “This topic hits close to home,” Ken says. He writes:
Most Westporters are aware of the recent NIH funding cuts. Regardless of political affiliation, I think it’s important to highlight the second derivative effect of those cuts, how they impact us here in Westport, and what you can do.
Two Westport companies received NIH grants over the past 2 years: Luna Bioscience and Alara Imaging. One received funding in excess of 15% of its indirect costs.
A more significant impact will be felt by the professors and researchers and their families living in Westport who work in universities (Yale and others). They risk losing their jobs, as entire programs and labs will likely be eliminated.
Yale president Maurie McInnis says:
On February 7, the National Institutes of Health issued a notice capping indirect costs, also known as facilities and administrative costs, at 15 percent. That is more than a 75% decrease from the current rate the federal government set for Yale.
This decision poses a considerable threat to Yale’s research endeavors, which lead to medical breakthroughs, support patients in clinical trials, and drive economic growth.
Yale provost and professor of biiochemistry Scott Strobel adds:
Reallocating a greater portion of endowment revenue to fund the federal government’s “fair share” of the costs of federally sponsored research would require the university to reduce funding for other priorities and would reduce the amount of research the university conducts.
The majority of Ph.D.s and postdocs work in academia. Much of the research that leads to new drugs is born at NIH-funded labs. They tend to focus on basic science, while the private sector (pharma/biotech) emphasizes applied research and commercialization.
Yale University
This symbiotic relationship between public and private sectors is likely to be materially disrupted. NIH-funded research contributed to 354 of 356 (99.4%) of the FDA-approved drugs between 2010-2019. It is reasonable to conclude that we will experience a slowdown in the discovery and development of new drugs and medical breakthroughs.
The effect of fewer medical discoveries has an additional, though less obvious, impact on Westport, through our venture capital and private equity firma.
Reduced discoveries will result in less deal flow. This translates to higher competition on those fewer deals, resulting in higher valuations (prices paid), thus less profits to these firms.
Also, the failure rate of some of the startup VC/PE portfolio companies may likely increase as a result of the capital-intensive natural of early stage businesses, and their reliance on government funding.
Dr. Tom Maniatis, a renowned molecular neuroscientist at Columbia and head of the New York Genome Center, wrote an open letter on the history of NIH grants, including quantifying the investment return on NIH funds over time. He includes a call to action to fight these cuts. Click here to read. Click here for the New York Genome Center’s petition.
Columbia University
Last week, Columbia University was notified of a federal action canceling $400 million in federal funding. Government agencies cite “the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
The actions of leadership at many elite universities last year has a new consequence: the Trump administration’s removal of funding, unless they take direct action to protect their students’ civil rights.
I do not condone this tactic. But unless we get this funding restored. it will harm every American and global citizen.
I remain hopeful that leadership will respond accordingly. Perhaps we can actually accomplish 2 things simultaneously.
(“06880” welcomes “Opinion” pieces from readers. Email 06880blog@gmail.com to submit ideas.)
Could part of the state Department of Transportation Post Road East property still be used for affordable housing?
After the DOT revealed plans to build a new maintenance facility on the land behind Walgreens, “06880” asked 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker about earlier discussions to use some of the land closest to West Parish for housing.
“The DOT never offered the town of Westport a portion of that property,” Tooker said.
“There were discussions regarding building affordable housing on a portion of the property, in 2020 and 2021. However, the land would have been transferred from DOT to the Department of Housing for that purpose, not the town. Neither the state DOT nor DOH has advanced that project.”
Simultaneously, “06880” had asked State Representative Jonathan Steinberg — a member of the Transportation Committee — about the DOT’s plans.
Yesterday he forwarded a reply from Mary Ann Daly, who works in the Department of Transportation Office of Legislative Affairs.
After noting that the new facility is depicted in the site plan (shown at the bottom of this story), she noted another element of the plan: a parcel “which is a portion of the DOT property along West Parish Road that could be transferred for affordable housing.”
In her email to Steinberg, Daly included a note from Michael Strong, transportation supervising engineer in the DOT Office of Facilities Design.
State Department of Transportation land. The Sherwood Island Connector is at left, Post Road East at top, West Parish Road on right. The proposed new maintenance facility is outlined in black (behind Walgreens). The land considered for affordable housing is in red, at right.
Strong provides more details: “My awareness of the potential for affordable housing started in September 2019. Design supported Paul Rizzo and Mark Rolfe in reviewing documents sent to the Department and in developing conceptual site plans to identify a potential surplus parcel beyond what the Department needs to maintain operations on site.
“I was not in attendance of any of these meetings with the town or its representatives so I cannot offer any additional first-hand information other than a few E-Mails that may not paint a clear picture. The Department advanced Project No. 158-223 [the new maintenance facility] in 2023, sooner than originally scheduled, to facilitate the creation of this surplus parcel. I have heard nothing officially regarding the property transfer.”
So: Is it still possible to use the land for affordable housing?
To be continued …
Plans for the new Department of Transportation maintenance facility.
In the wake of the announcement that the Connecticut Department of Transportation plans to build a new maintenance building at the state facility on Post Road East between Walgreens and West Parish Road, renewed attention has come to approximately 1.4 acres of the property, near West Parish.
Yet 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker tells “06880,” “The DOT never offered the town of Westport a portion of that property.
“There were discussions regarding building affordable housing on a portion of the property, in 2020 and 2021. However, the land would have been transferred from DOT to the Department of Housing for that purpose, not the town.
“Neither the state DOT nor DOH has advanced that project.”
State Department of Transportation land. The Sherwood Island Connector is at left, Post Road East at top, West Parish Road on right. The proposed new maintenance facility is outlined in black (behind Walgreens). The land once considered for affordable housing is in red, at right.
Just days before the Division I basketball tournament (aka March Madness) begins, NCAA president Charlie Baker sat down with Dave Briggs for a long, and very interesting, interview.
Briggs — a Westporter, former NBC Sports and Turner sports broadcaster, and host of a high-energy March Madness show — asked important questions.
What’s the future of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and the transfer portal? Does the NCAA support the Trump decision to ban transgender athletes? How will private equity impact college sports?
It’s a national podcast, but there are 2 Westport connections (besides this being Briggs’ hometown):
Briggs referenced Marc Lasry. The Beachside Avenue resident and private equity billionaire has indicated an interest in getting into the college sports space.
NCAA president Baker is married to Lauren Schadt, a Staples High School graduate who grew up in Westport.
The Clubhouse opened last month, to rave reviews. Now 2 big perfect-for-the-space events are coming up.
From March 14 to 17, the Post Road East hot spot offers Irish-inspired dishes and drinks, and their first-ever brunch specials. They’re open normal hours Friday to Sunday, then noon to 10 p.m. on Monday the 17th.
Starting March 20, March Madness basketball will be live on the massive 22-foot TV wall.
Coming soon: the opening of the roof deck.
The Clubhouse — with the 22-foot TV wall on the right.
Speaking of St. Paddy’s Day: Club203 celebrates the green the next day.
Westport’s social group for adults with disabilities gathers at the Westport Library on March 18 (6:30 to 8 p.m.) for karaoke, Irish soda bread and sweet buns from Cobs Bread, green bagels from Village Bagels, shamrock cookies from Baked by Belle, crafts with MoCA, and free books from the Westport Book Shop.
Everyone is invited to wear green. Click here for more information.
Suspense and legal thriller author David Baldacci has sold over 150 million books worldwide. He’s been published in 45 languages.
His new book, “Strangers in Time,” will be released April 15. It’s about a bereaved bookshop owner and 2 teenagers scarred by the World War II in 1944 London, and the healing and hope they find in each other.
At 7 p.m. that day, he launches it with a keynote address and book signing — at the Westport Library.
The Library is including a copy of the book with each ticket ($40). Attendees can get 2 seats and 1 book for $50. Extra copies are $30 each. There is a special opportunity to meet Baldacci one-on-one ($150). Click here to register.
In its heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, the correspondence course company on Wilton Road promised millions of would-be artists that they could draw like a professional.
The school lives on — at least through June 15, at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
An exhibit from the Famous Artists Cartoon Course — launched in 1956 — offers a look at famous cartooning “teachers” like Rube Goldberg, Al Capp and Milton Caniff. Click here for more information. (Hat tip: Carol Waxman)
A Famous Artists School cartoon course cartoon.
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The artist known as Inam unveils his latest collection, “Life in Color,” at Clarendon Fine Art on April 24 (6 p.m.). The reception includes drinks and live music. These works include his signature forest scenes, and striking new seascapes.
Clarendon will cover the sales tax on all purchases made at the event (terms and conditions apply).
“Sailing in the Sun” (Inam)
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Westport Police made 4 custodial arrests between March 5 and 11.
A 49-year-old Westport woman was charged with evading responsibility (hit and run), driving under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane, following an accident on Imperial Avenue. Officers located the vehicle parked at the driver’s residence, while she was still sitting in it.
A 39-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with possession of a controlled substance, after respondingi to a vehicle facing the wrong direction on Red Coat Road. The driver was slumped over in the driver’s seat, with a baggie and straw in his lap. A field test of that, and additional baggies in the vehicle, were positive for cocaine and fentanyl.
A 54-year-old Bridgeport man was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and larceny following an investigation into the theft of $800 from Little Kitchen, after a rear door was forced oopen. He was unable to post $25,000 bond.
A 33-year-old Philadelphia woman was charged with larceny, payment card theft, identity theft, and conspirace to commit those crimes, after investigation into the the theft of a handbag at Panera in 2020.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Failure to renew registration (6 citations)
Speeding: 5
Traveling unreasonably fast: 5
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 3
Simple trespass: 2
Failure to drive in the proper lane: 2
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
Passing a stopped school bus: 1
Distracted driving: 1
Traveling too fast for conditions: 1
Improper turns: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 1
Longtime Westporter Paulette Weibel died peacefully on March 4. She was 98.
The Geneva, Switzerland native immigrated to the US in 1950, to marry her husband Otto Weibel. They were married for 65 years, until his death in 2015.
Paulette lived in Westport for the past 60 years. She was a proud member of the NY/CT Swiss-American; loved nature, walking, knitting, sewing and volunteering, with Girl Scouts and the Westport Library.
She also worked full time at the library. She helped maintain picture files for over 36 years. Her beautiful handwriting can be seen today on many files.
She is survived by her son, Robert (Silvia) of Switzerland and daughter Joyce Bottone (Joseph) of Westport; grandchildren Jessica, Jonathan (Naima), Leonard (Vanessa), Nolan, Stella, Joseph and Jennifer, and great-grandchildren Shayna, Kiana and Ayana. She was also predeceased by her son Peter and brother Jean Lambert.
The family will receive friends and family at the Harding Funeral Home on March 17 (4 to 7 p.m.). A graveside service is set March 18, 2025 (11 a.m., Willowbrook Cemetery). Click here to leave online condolences.
And finally … Joey Molland, the last surviving member of Badfinger, died on March 1 in Minnesota. He was 77, and suffered from diabetes. Click here for a full obituary.
(If you want it, please click here to help support “06880” — “where Westport meets the world.” Thank you!)
There’s no school on Election Day. But Tucker Eklund learned something last November he’ll never forget.
As part of Staples High School’s Service League of Boys (SLOBs), the freshman volunteered at the polls. He spent the day handing out “I Voted” stickers.
Watching democracy in action was eye-opening. The most memorable part of the day was a conversation he struck up with George Masumian.
Chatting with the Sunrise Rotary Club member made Tucker realize that everyone — even a teenager too young to vote — can participate in democracy.
Already interested in how the world works, Tucker dove deeper into American civic life.
Founded by the first woman to serve on America’s highest court, the non-profit promotes civic engagement and education.
Each year it sponsors a Civics Challenge. The competitive national contest asks students in grades 6 through 12 to demonstrate civics knowledge through essays, short videos or original songs.
Tucker’s entry was “Crafting Change: The Art of Lawmaking in Congress.” He was the only 9th grade winner nationwide.
The $500 prize was nice. The insight he gained into American democracy was priceless.
Tucker Eklund in the National Air & Space Museum annex — just outside (appropriately for him) Washington, DC.
The other day, Tucker talked about his favorite topic: civics education.
“It’s so important to learn how government works, and how that applies to the real world,” he says. That’s true even for students, who soon enough will be able to cast votes and have a say about their world.
One of the biggest criticisms of our democracy these days is that many Americans have no clue how it works.
According to the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute:
The time devoted to civic education in American public schools began to decline significantly in the 1960s.
Civic education has not for many decades been prioritized by federal or state government. Time devoted to civics has also declined due to unintended consequences of other educational focuses, like a focus on STEM and the No Child Left Behind act).
The time spent in schools on civics declines when civic education itself is seen as controversial.
Educators in K-12 schools feel unprepared to teach civics.
Younger Americans are less knowledgeable about civics than previous American generations.
Staples offers 4 civics courses, for juniors and seniors: Advanced Placement Government & Politics; AP Government & Politics (with We the People competition), US Governmetn, and Current Issues: US Media & Politics.
All students must take at least one to graduate.
Staples High School’s 2023 We the People team, at the Lincoln Memorial. (Photo/Danielle Dobin)
As a freshman, Tucker has yet to take any civics class. But he is adamant about their value.
“If we want to uphold democratcy in this nation, and the world, we have to educate students about how to interact with it. We have to understand what impacts us the most.”
Tucker’s generation knows a lot about politicians, he says — they’re all over social media and the news — but not as much about policy (“how government works”).
Finding that information can be boring for some people, he admits. But good teachers, and a creative curriculum, can make it exciting.
He finds it remarkable that in the 1700s, our founding fathers (“without technology”) devised “the greatest system of government known to man. And they made it last.”
Some people think American democracy might not last much longer.
“I know some people have no hope. Other people think it’s going well,” Tucker says.
His view is “right down the middle. We can recover from our divisiveness, through education and communication.”
Where will that education come from?
Tucker wants to find ways to excite people. His video is one method.
Another: Regular conversations, on a personal basis.
Tucker has them all the time, with friends, teachers and family.
On a recent drive to a ski mountain, he had a great chat with his brother — a Staples junior — his father and grandfather. They talked about how civics intersects with everyday life, in areas from technology and health to literature.
So: Is politics in Tucker’s future?
Perhaps not. But like an expert politician, he deflects the question.
“I like when people strive to make the world a better place,” he says.
“Martin Luther King wanted freedom for all — a better world. That’s what I want: to help others, and help our nation be better.”
(“06880” often highlights young Westporters doing interesting things. If you appreciate these stories — and anything else on your hyper-local blog — please click here to support us. Thank you!)
Yesterday evening, members of the Westport Police Detective Bureau, along with the Connecticut Drug Control Division, executed a search warrant at Savvy Smoker.
The action came after an investigation into non-licensed cannabis sales, and complaints of sales to minors, at the Post Road East store.
Law enforcement found pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, canisters of THC flower, THC resin products, THC vape cartridges and THC edible products.
A 24-year-old sales associate from Brooklyn was arrested, and charged with illegal sale/manufacture of cannabis. He posted $2,500 bond, and will appear in Stamford Superior Court on March 28.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing. Additional arrests are anticipated.
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The recent structure fires have been linked to common hazards, including improperly discarded chemicals, electrical malfunctions, and combustible materials being stored too close to heat sources.
