Tooker: Mask Up In Town-Owned Buildings

Posted on December 23, 2021 | 8 comments

First Selectwoman Jen Tooker says:

Westport’s COVID-19 Emergency Management Team is tracking and assessing transmission rates in Westport, Connecticut and the nation, specifically as they relate to the COVID-19 Delta and Omicron variants.

After consideration and consultation with health officials and municipal leaders, effective Monday (December 27), all vaccinated or non-vaccinated individuals will be required to wear a mask indoors in town-owned buildings. These include Town Hall, the Senior Center and Westport Library.

In cooperation with town officials, Progressive Diagnostics anticipates opening a COVID testing center at Greens Farms railroad station on or about January 1. Details will be announced soon.

At the Senior Center, there will no indoor programs or congregate lunches the week of December 27.  Classes will be held via Zoom. The lunch program will take place as a drive-thru at noon on December 27, 28 and 29. The Senior Center is closed December 30 and 31. In-house programs resume Monday, January 3.

Health officials note that all who are able and eligible should get fully vaccinated. and a booster, as soon as possible. Getting fully vaccinated – including receiving a booster shot, wearing a mask indoors in any public setting and maintaining social distancing. remain the most reliable ways of limiting exposure and transmission.

Even if you are not experiencing symptoms, COVID testing is encouraged to determine if you have the virus, and can take necessary precautions to avoid the spread to family, friends and those who are vulnerable.

Fortunately, although the Omicron variant is highly contagious and transmissible, people who are vaccinated and boosted are experiencing less severe symptoms if they test positive.

Cases have increased rapidly across the Northeast. Westport Weston Health District director Mark Cooper says, “Of the new cases reported in Westport, 37% are in fully vaccinated individuals (those who have received 2 Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or 1 Johnson & Johnson). Those who have received the booster make up about 2.6% of the new cases.”

Additional information on the virus, testing and boosters is available at www.WWHD.org and https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus

Please remain cautious and safe, especially during this holiday season. If you are not already fully vaccinated, please get a booster. Continue to be proactive, wear a mask indoors in congregant settings, and get tested.

With everyone’s cooperation, we can look forward to having a happy and healthy holiday season and new year in Westport.

8 Comments

Posted in Library, Local politics

Tagged ,

Roundup: Clear-Cutting, Santa, Holiday Help …

Posted on December 23, 2021 | 4 comments

====================================================

Westporters have been talking this week about trees, and their removal near property lines and roadsides. A Planning & Zoning Commission subcommittee is drafting a regulation to protect mature trees in setbacks, stop clear-cutting, and ensure that when mature trees are removed, new trees are planted.

One of the most recent examples of clear-cutting is on Hideaway Lane. Several days ago the lot that fronts Hillspoint Road — opposite Loretta Lane, on the last gentle hill before Old Mill Beach — was stripped of every tree.

Here’s the before shot …

(Photo courtesy of Google Earth)

… and how it looked yesterday:

(Photo/Dan Woog)

=======================================================

If your kids can’t wait to see Santa … he makes a special appearance tonight!

From 5:30 to 6 p.m. today (Thursday), the Bearded One will wave to everyone driving past 28 Oak Street. It’s Josh and Rose Philip’s gift to Westport.

And if Santa looks a tiny bit like Josh — well, what a remarkable coincidence!

Santa visits 28 Oak Street tonight.

=======================================================

A GoFundMe page has been set up for a Westport family.

Marius Sarapinas is a master carpenter, whose work ethic is equaled only by his attention to detail. He is loved by clients and colleagues.

His dedication to his sons, age 13 and 8, is legendary. He suffered a brain aneurysm just before Thanksgiving, and has been in the ICU at Yale New Haven Hospital ever since. He has made some progress, but the road to recovery is long.

The family must pay medical expenses, along with their mortgage, food, utility and Christmas bills.

The fund is halfway to its $25,000 goal. To help, click here. (Hat tip: Danielle Alexander.)

Marius Sarapinas

======================================================

Yesterday’s, Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids and Garelick & Herbs provided a holiday lunch for 30 firefighters, at Westport’s main station.

The meal was delicious — and (thankfully) uninterrupted. The department thanks these 2 great local businesses for their generosity.

The Fire Department’s holiday meal.

=======================================================

Not to be a Debbie Downer as we head into the final, festive week of the year, but I have to repeat this thought, first seen on the WestportMoms Instagram:

Next year is pronounced “2020, too.”

=======================================================

A ring with the inscription “United States Veteran,” surrounding a green stone (photo below), was found in the Staples High School gym. If it’s yours — or you know whose it is — email klquinn@westportps.org (after the Christmas break).

=================================================

Today is one of the busiest days of the year.

To help de-stress, just look at today’s “Westport … Naturally” image.

Relax. Fly above it all. Enjoy the view!

(Photo/Patricia Auber)

======================================================

And finally … on this day in 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine” promotional film premiered on American TV. The single and album of the same name was released a year earlier.

Fifty years later, its message still resonates.

4 Comments

Posted in Environment, Local business, Real estate, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Fire Department Offers Home Inspections (And Tips)

Posted on December 23, 2021 | 1 comment

Thankfully, fires are few and far between in Westport.

But that does not mean our firefighters sit leisurely in their stations, cooking chili and playing cards while waiting for the rare alarm to ring.

The department responds to medical emergencies and accidents, including on I-95 and the Merritt Parkway. They provide coverage for other towns.

And they conduct inspections.

In fact, that’s a large part of the Westport Fire Department’s work.

The fire marshal’s office looks at plans for new construction and planned renovations of commercial properties. They conduct regular inspection of existing buildings, with eyes toward things like exists, sprinklers and electrical panels.

Less known is the Fire Department’s role in home inspections.

More informal than with buildings — offered on request, as a courtesy, and not as an “enforcement” mechanism — inspectors offer professional expertise to keep owners and their families safe.

Requests come from older residents, and newcomers. The pandemic has brought many first-time homeowners to Westport; thee come from apartments with supers, to large homes with fireplaces and circuit breakers, and they’ve got questions.

Inspector Jon Piper is a veteran of home inspections. He offers these tips to Westporters:

There should be 1 smoke alarm in each bedroom, and 1 more on each floor. Change batteries when you change your clocks to and from Daylight Savings Time — and change the smoke alarms themselves every 10 years. Mark the date the detector goes into service, so it is easily visible.

CO detectors should be installed in any home with an attached garage or fuel-burning appliance. There should be more than one in a large or complex home. The Fire Department will help with optimal placement of CO detectors.

Have your fireplace flue cleaned regularly by a licensed professional. Burn only logs — not other material. Of course, dispose of all ashes safely.

Beautiful. But be sure to know how to use it.

Do not store hazardous materials (like propane tanks and gasoline) in your home.

Fire extinguishers can put out small fires. If you have an extinguisher, know how to use it. There are normally simple instructions on the outside. Do not delay calling 911 while using a fire extinguisher, and exit the building immediately if a fire is beyond the capacity of the extinguisher or the person using it.

There are safety limits to extension cords. Grounded plugs require an extension cord with a ground. A single high-demand electrical appliance like a space heater should be used with a heavy extension cord. Be careful not to overload cords; just because it has another outlet doesn’t mean it can take more load. Do not place cords under rugs, and don’t connect multiple cords together. A licensed electrician can install an additional plug if needed.

Discuss emergency plans with all family members. Establish a meeting place — for example, at the mailbox. Consider having regular fire drills in your home.

Make sure your house number is visible, approaching from either direction of the street. Homes with mailboxes across the street, or group mailboxes, should have markings on the house itself.

“We’re a public safety institution,” Piper says. “Anything that helps the public, we’re for it.”

(Interested in a home fire safety inspection? Call the Westport Fire Department’s non-emergency number: 203-341-5000.)

 

1 Comment

Posted in Real estate

Tagged

Pic Of The Day #1709

Posted on December 22, 2021 | 1 comment

Levitt Pavilion blues (Photo/Patricia McMahon)

1 Comment

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Pic of the Day

Tagged

Unsung Heroes #219

Posted on December 22, 2021 | 2 comments

This week’s Unsung Heroes award is simple: Every local merchant.

For nearly 2 years, whether they sell toys, clothes, gifts or liquor — well, okay, maybe not the latter — they’ve had a very tough time.

COVID kept customers home. Some remain hesitant to return. The supply chain broke. So did the supply of willing and able workers.

Everywhere they turned, every store owner who had done all the right things suddenly found it wasn’t enough.

But they adapted. They adopted new methods of sales and delivery. They worked extra hours themselves.

They persevered. They survived. And now — during what is for many the busiest week of the busiest month of the year — they continue to serve us.

Take a bow, Westport merchants. We thank you for your wonderful, way-beyond-what’s-expected service.

Now: Get back to work. There’s a line at the counter, and they need help!

Local to Market patio brings fresh energy — and tons of cool Connecticut products to downtown. It’s one of many mom-and-pop shops that’s making our town alive again.

2 Comments

Posted in Downtown, Local business, Unsung Heroes

Tagged ,

Roundup: Kowalsky Property, Orphenians, Fleet Feet …

Posted on December 22, 2021 | 18 comments

======================================================

For months, Greens Farms residents have wondered: What’s going on at Morningside Drive South and Clapboard Hill Road

There’s been activity there, at one of the town’s largest still-undeveloped private tracts of land.

On January 5 (7:30 p.m., Zoom) the Flood & Erosion Control Board will hear an application on behalf of the owner — Kowalsky Family Company LLC — for a 6-lot subdivision. It will be reviewed for drainage and grading recommendations to the Planning & Zoning Commission. To attend the virtual meeting, click here.

Site of the proposed subdivision, at 109 Morningside Drive South. (Photo courtesy of Google Earth)

=====================================================

The latest COVID casualty: tomorrow’s Orphenians carol sing downtown.

The a cappella singers had invited alumni to join them, for this special event. The surge in local cases means waiting a year.

Orphenians director Luke Rosenberg wishes all Orphenians, past and present — and their countless fans — a happy, healthy holiday.

The Staples Orphenians sang downtown earlier this month, at the 06880″ Holiday Stroll.

=======================================================

Despite the Orphenians’ cancellation, there’s a great reason to go downtown tomorrow (Thursday).

From 2 to 5 p.m. Staples High School’s OneWestport Club is holding a toy and coat drive, at the Bedford Square traffic circle on Elm Street.

All donations will go to the Person to Person network. They provide a free holiday store, where low-income families can shop for free gifts for their families. There’s been a huge demand this year, so OneWestport is offering a final push.

New and gently used coats (all sizes, but clean!), new board games, stuffed animals and picture books are great.

=======================================================

Run — don’t walk — into 2022! Registration is open for Fleet Feet’s next training program

Starting Saturday, January 8 (8 a.m.), it’s a 12-week group effort, for runners of all abilities. From non-runners to those training for a big race: All are welcome.

There are Saturday 8 a.m., and Tuesday 5:30 p.m. sessions. Most runs start and end at the Sconset Square store (with an occasional track or trail run).

Fleet Feet offers a changing room/bathroom, secure storage of keys and valuables — and product discounts while enrolled in the program. Click here for more information, and registration.

======================================================

There are 3 shopping days left until Christmas.

Then — on Monday, December 27 — you can start again. MoCA Westport will host a pop-up shop event (9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), in conjunction with the Winter Recess Art Camp at their 19 Newtown Turnpike campus.

The sale features luxury home accents and fashion accessories.

=======================================================

Thanks to STAR board member Amanda King Heavey, her son Will and his classmates, every child served by the STAR Rubino Family Center’s early intervention pediatric therapy program will receive a handmade card and note, plus a book to enjoy during the holidays.

Entering its 70th year, STAR Lighting the Way  creates opportunities for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live full, independent lives.

In the photo below, Will Heavey gives Westporter Parker Greenberg a book and card.

=======================================================

Aitoro Appliance — just over the line in Norwalk — is many Westporters’ go-to for sales and service.

Now they need our help.

On Monday night at 3:30 a.m., 2 men wearing hoodies stole gas grills. The vehicle was a white Ford truck. Security cameras could not catch the license plate. Anyone with information can email info@aitoro.com.

=======================================================

“Westport … Naturally” loves to show creatures of all kinds playing in Westport.

But no one has had more fun than this guy, spotted by Elisabeth Keane outside her home:

(Photo/Elisabeth Keane)

=====================================================

And finally … Maurice and Robin Gibb were born on this day in 1949. With their older brother Barry, they formed the Bee Gees — one of the most popular British Invasion (and then disco) groups of all time.

Both died young: Maurice at 53 from a twisted intestine, and Robin at 62 from kidney failure.

18 Comments

Posted in Arts, Downtown, Environment, Local business, Real estate, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , , , ,

Gilbertie’s: 100 Years Of Nurturing Westport, And The Earth

Posted on December 22, 2021 | 9 comments

Quick: Name Westport’s oldest family-owned business.

It’s Gault, by a long shot. Established in 1863 — midway through the Civil War! — the company has evolved from coal hauling to bioheat and other, more modern energy solutions. But after nearly 160 years, Gaults still run the show.

What’s second? Many Westporters would say Mitchells. Founded in 1958, the mom-and-pop men’s clothing shop has morphed into a bicoastal group of high-end men’s and women’s stores. With the 4th generation poised to take over, it’s a proud, still Westport-based institution.

But Mitchells is not our town’s 2nd-oldest family business.

When the calendar turns to 2022 in a few days, there will be a celebration on Sylvan Road. This coming year, Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center turns 100 years old.

Like Gault and Mitchells, Gilbertie’s changed with the times. Antonio Gilbertie’s original cut flower company now has a tagline: “nurturing the organic gardener.”

But he would be proud to see what his son, grandson and their families have done with the business.

Antonio and his wife arrived from Italy around 1919 “with just the clothes on their back” says Carrie Gilbertie, who married his great-grandson Tom.

In 1922 Antonio sold his first flowers from a greenhouse on Sylvan, near Riverside Avenue. The Saugatuck neighborhood was nearby, and there was plenty of demand for carnations and lilies.

Antonio Gilbertie, and his family.

When Antonio died, his son Salvatore took over. He died young — just 52 — and left the business to his wife “Nana” and children.

Sal Jr. had gone to school for accounting, but came home to run Gilbertie’s.

He was fascinated by herbs, and bought a 36-acre farm in Easton. He earned certification as an organic farmer, and started a microgreens business.

Today, the company supplies customers as far away as Virginia.

Sal Gilbertie, in the field.

“People love Gilbertie’s,” Carrie says. “We’ve stayed true to who we are. We’re all about organic and natural.

“We practice what we preach. We nurture people, and the earth. We’re very involved in the community, and we help them find so many ways to take care of the planet.

“We’re not trying to be something we’re not. People appreciate us.”

The pandemic was, surprisingly, a boon to Gilbertie’s. An “essential business,” they never closed. With Westporters stuck home — and a huge influx of newcomers eager to find backyard projects — the family and their loyal, longtime staff offered tips on what vegetables, flowers and herbs to grow, and how to grow them.

Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

They’ve kept coming back.

New customers come all the time too. Some discover Gilbertie’s by word of mouth. Others are attracted by the Winter Westport Farmers’ Market, held every Thursday from November through March, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in and around their 3 greenhouses.

Everybody loves the Westport Farmers’ Market. (Photo/Lisa Lewin)

A full year of celebration is planned, including gardening and chef demonstrations, giveaways, prizes, a town-wide scavenger hunt, and a party with live music.

“06880” will keep you updated on the all the goings-on.

But first: We’re proud to be the first to wish Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center a happy 100th birthday!

9 Comments

Posted in Categories, Environment, Local business

Tagged , , , ,

Pics Of The Day #1708

Posted on December 21, 2021 | 1 comment

Moon over Compo Beach … (Photo/Wendy Levy)

… and looking back at the beach, from near Saugatuck Shores … (Photo/Rindy Higgins)

… and Sherwood Mill Pond (Photo/Tomoko Meth)

… and over the Saugatuck Rowing Club (Photo/Tracy Porosoff)

1 Comment

Posted in Beach, Local business, Pic of the Day, Saugatuck

Tagged , , ,

Prospect Road Trees: Late Afternoon Report

Posted on December 21, 2021 | 12 comments

As a chainsaw roared several yards away, Santa Claus sat in a swing, suspended from a tree branch.

That was the scene this afternoon on Prospect Road. A crew hired by contractor Joe Feinleib cut down the 2nd and 3rd of 5 oak trees in the setback near the property of next door neighbor Mark Donovan (aka Santa). Feinleib will build a new home on the land he’s clearing.

“I’m not going anywhere,” vowed Donovan, whose swing hangs from a branch on a near-100-year-old oak tree that hangs over his property.

“I’m not saying he’s not within his rights,” Donovan added, referring to his soon-to-be-new neighbor. “But I’m within my rights too. We’re 2 Americans, exercising our rights.”

One of the felled oak trees. According to owner Joe Feinleib, the rings show the stand of trees to be 96 years old.

Owner Joe Feinleib sent this photo to “06880.” “Turns out at least one is diseased and rotting in the middle,” he wrote..

Police were on hand earlier today. Feinleib had concerns about a news media drone flying over his property. Donovan had concerns about a bucket with tree workers over his property.

Westport police officers chat with Mark Donovan (dressed as Santa), sitting on a swing. The tree is on Joe Feinleib’s property; the branch hangs over Donovan’s.

Joe Feinleib’s property on the left, with trees being removed. Mark Donovan’s is on the right.

 

12 Comments

Posted in Environment, Real estate

Tagged , , ,

Scarice: Increased Mitigation; No Remote Learning

Posted on December 21, 2021 | 1 comment

This afternoon, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice sent this message to all Westport Public Schools families:

Throughout the pandemic, our community and our schools have been able to flexibly adapt our mitigating measures in order to respond to the changing conditions. Our benchmark has been to continually review our strategies and consider changes every 4-6 weeks, sometimes sooner. However, the recent sharp increase in cases over the past 4 or 5 days warrants action.

The district has increased the frequency of reporting cases in direct proportion to the increase in the volume of positive tests. Our weekly screening program, administered yesterday, identified 12 asymptomatic cases. In addition, since this morning, another 18 cases have been reported. The town of Westport has reported 113 cases this week, up from a total of 41 last week.

Nearly all who have tested positive report mild to moderate symptoms. Based on minimal transmission in the school setting compared to the community, we continue to believe that our schools may be one of the safest places for our students to be.

With strong mitigation, schools are safe during COVID. (Photo Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

Increase in Mitigating Measures
However, in order to strengthen our measures and keep our students and staff safe, we will take actions to limit activities we believe may contribute to the potential of spread within our schools at this point in time. These measures include:

  • The grade 8 trip to Staples High School for the Candlelight performance will be canceled. Other opportunities will be explored
  • Holiday parties in the classroom will continue, with an emphasis on social distancing
  • Effective immediately, parent and school visitors will be restricted from accessing our school buildings through January 7.
  • Concerts/performances will not be held through January 7.

While we regret having to take these measures just prior to the holiday, it is our hope that this present wave of COVID-19 will subside and our cases will decrease which will allow mitigating measures to be relaxed.

Remote Learning
I have received a couple of inquiries regarding a preemptive move to remote learning. Remote learning is not an option for districts this year.

Districts are not permitted to implement remote instruction as a school, or as a district, preemptively like last year. School districts are able to implement continued educational opportunities (tutoring, remote contact with teachers outside of the classroom, before and after school programs, etc.) for students who must be in COVID-19 isolation or quarantine. This year, school districts are not permitted to implement remote learning. That provision was removed prior to the start of the school year.

Learning remotely — as shown with teacher Peter von Euler last year — is no longer a school-wide option.

Again, based on our data and experience over the past 2 school years, we continue to maintain a safe environment for our students and staff, with minimal transmission of the virus in our settings, particularly when compared to community transmission rates. Maintaining continued contact with peers and faculty, while attending to the social/emotional needs of our students is critical to their long term mental health and overall wellness.

We will continue to monitor cases throughout our break and provide case updates through our emails. Families are asked to continue to report positive cases through our hotline. Please note that contact tracing will be limited throughout the break.

1 Comment

Posted in Education

Tagged ,