Today, the Westport Community Garden Steering Committee sent an update to its “gardening families.” The email offered reasons to reject a relocation of the garden from Long Lots School to Baron’s South.
They propose a different site: part of Burr Farms Field, off Long Lots Road. The steering committee wrote:
You may have read that the town of Westport has submitted a new 8-24 for 13 Hyde Lane/new Long Lots School Site Plan, removing the Westport Community Gardens completely from the property to make way for a multi-use Parks & Recreation field, post-construction.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to meet to discuss, and possibly vote on, this 8-24 on Monday, June 9.
As a possible relocation site for the gardens, the town suggested Baron’s South.
After carefully touring the property and thoroughly researching its suitability, we, as your Steering Committee and representatives of this community, came to the conclusion that we could not, in good conscience, recommend it.
Proposal for Community Gardens at Baron’s South.
The safety and health concerns — along with accessibility and environmental factors — would place too many of our gardeners at risk. Baron’s South is not a long-term solution to a long-term problem.
We have consistently asked the town for a collaborative effort to identify an alternative location, should we not be allowed to co-exist with the new Long Lots School. Despite multiple outreach attempts and ideas, we have not received any meaningful response or engagement.
In light of that, we recently submitted a formal proposal to relocate the Westport Community Garden to a portion of Burr Farms Field, located on Burr School Road off Long Lots Road.
Burr Farms Fields, located on the site of the former elementary school.
If you are unfamiliar with the property, we encourage you to visit it. This site offers many of the same benefits that made our current garden so successful: It is sunny, flat, centrally located, easily accessible with ample parking, and complementary to the surrounding neighborhood. We believe it offers a truly viable and equitable path forward.
A copy of our submitted proposal is attached for your review.
The letter noted that “the space is underused, with a portion currently chained off from any use at all.”
The steering committee asked to share the property. One baseball diamond would remain, with the outfield “still available for tot soccer or other light recreational use.”
One possible location for the gardens. Burr School Road is at the left; the parking area is at top …
The location “also complements the property’s character and history,” the committee said. From 1958 through the early 1980s, it served as athletic fields for Burr Farms Elementary School. The building to the north of the fields was demolished, and was replaced by homes.
Existing fencing could be repurposed, with “only minimal infrastructure, such as hose hookups and permiter fencing” needed to get started.
… and a second one.
The steering committee called deferring a relocation decision to a townwide planning process with consultants “expensive, slow, and frequently re-opened by incoming administrations to suit shifting priorities.”
The letter to gardening families continued:
Thank you for being a part of what makes our community garden so special. Your spirit, care and commitment have built more than garden beds — you’ve created a deeply rooted community. We remain hopeful that together we’ll soon be planting new seeds in a new, beautiful space where this community can continue to grow and thrive.
It took 62 years. But the Staples High School boys basketball team scored another FCIAC championship.
The Wreckers won the league title last night, pulling away at the end. Seeded #2, they knocked off top-ranked Ridgefield 68-58, before a raucous Fairfield University crowd.
It was the second victory for Staples in 6 days over the Tigers. Last week, on the road, the Westporters denied Ridgefield’s bid for an undefeated FCIAC record, on the last day of the regular season.
It was also the first FCIAC crown, in 3 straight trips to the finals.
Adam Udell — named MVP of the title contest — led the victors with 24 points. Fourteen came in the crucial 4th quarter. Matty Corrigan added 19 more.
Next up: the state tournament. The boys — seeded 4th in the 16-team Division I — host their first game on Tuesday (March 4, 6:30 p.m.). They face #13 Kolbe Cathedral.
The girls basketball team begin their state title quest too, away.
Adam Udell heads to the basket. (Photo/David G. Whitham for The Ruden Report
Wearing championship medals, Wreckers celebrate their first FCIAC title in 62 years. (Photo courtesy of Staples boys basketball)
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Bruce Springsteen is coming to VersoFest!
Well, not exactly.
But pretty close.
On Saturday, April 5 (1 p.m.), a free panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” features an all-star cast of The Boss’s collaborators and experts.
They include Mike Appel, Springsteen’s first manager and co-producer of “Born to Run”; former Columbia Records promotions director Michael Pillot, who spearheaded the album’s promotion, plus music historians Robert Santelli and Kenneth Womack.
The panel will be hosted by author and pop culture historian Arlen Schumer. In 1978 he was art director of Thunder Road, the first magazine devoted to Springsteen’s life and music.
Co-host Dick Wingate is a former music industry executive who managed the production of Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and many other influential albums.
VersoFest highlights also include a conversation between Patti Smith and Westport journalist/rock memoirist Alisyn Camerota; a concert with the Wallflowers; a chat with hardcore punk legend Henry Rollins and Nabil Ayers, president of the record label Beggars Group; interactive art exhibits; a graffiti workshop led by visionary artist 5iveFingaz, and a weekend family kickoff celebration.
Sunday (April 6) caps off the weekend with a VersoFest Oral History Podcast live recording with David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer, and “Saturday Night Live” tour de force Christine Ohlman.
Click here for the full VersoFest schedule, plus tickets and more information.
Tuesday’s charrette at the Senior Center was an early step in discussions of possible construction of a combined Police/Fire/Emergency Medical Services facility. (Click here to read yesterday’s “06880” story on that meeting.)
Town officials noted the scarcity of available land for the approximately 10 acres needed for the project. The best site, they said, is at the current I-95 Exit 18 commuter parking lot.
One of the posters displayed at the event showed locations of current police and fire stations, schools, and other town-owned property.
Click below to see. Red dots indicate current fire and police facilities; green dots show public schools, and yellow shapes indicate large town-owned properties.
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This is not your kid’s school “show and tell.”
The Westport Prevention Coalition invites parents to a special “hands-on” meeting March 6 (12:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).
The topic is “Today’s Emerging Substances & Our Youth.”
Attendees can “browse through today’s substances,” learn about new products being marketed, hear about the risks of gaming and gambling, and pick up free parenting handbooks and resources.
Edibles are an ever-changing part of the cannabis market.
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A reader concerned about “the usurpation of commuter parking spaces at the Westport train station by Avis car rental” writes: “While they have specially reserved spaces, they typically take another 10-15 commuter spots with impunity and without penalty.
“This was fine during COVID. But now that ridership is increasing, especially with the implementation of the congestion tax, commuters need all our convenient spots — particularly at 6 a.m., on cold or rainy days.”
“06880” reached out to the Westport Police Department, which oversees parking at the town’s 2 train stations.
Deputy Chief David Farrell says, “Avis rents 20 designated spaces at the Saugatuck station – and they pay the daily fee for each. If they utilize other spaces, they receive $25 tickets per vehicle. Now that more people are using Metro-North, strict enforcement is underway.”
Avis cars in non-designated train station spots, earlier this month.
On Sunday, 150 people walked from the Westport Country Playhouse to the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
There they placed orange balloons, in memory of the 2 “flame-haired” little boys murdered by Hamas, after being kidnapped on October 7, 2023.
On Tuesday night, co-organizer Jennifer Wolff and her husband went downtown, to remove the deflating balloons.
Two had fallen into the Saugatuck River — in the shape of a heart.
“It felt like an appropriate sendoff,” Jennifer says.
“I hope whomever this balloon heart passes thinks of the Bibas boys, who were put to rest that day with their mama.”
(Photo/Jennifer Wolff)
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The Planning & Zoning Commission took a field trip Tuesday to Baron’s South.
Their tour of the 22-acre property included Golden Shadows, the 1950s-era “mansion” owned by Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff, the perfume mogul. It, and adjacent buildings, are being considered for affordable housing.
Former Representative Town Meeting member Harris Falk took up the invitation to join the tour. He dressed in his trademark colorful outfit.
Inside the house, P&Z member Neil Cohn noticed that Falk’s get-up blended in almost perfectly with the Baron’s wallpaper.
Harris Falk, inside the Baron’s mansion. (Photo/Neil Cohn)
One more special Westport arts figure has been added to next Thursday’s relaunch of the Susan Malloy Celebration of the Arts: Gina Rattan.
The 2004 Staples graduate — a Broadway director and creative consultant — joins artist Miggs Burroughs, arts leader Melody James, and singer/actor Melissa Newman for the March 6 (7 p.m.) evening of conversation and storytelling. All are Westport residents.
Weston actor James Naughton will moderate the panel discussion, focusing on how Westport has become a magnet for artists, performers and creatives for decades; how the town’s artistic spirit has evolved, and continues to thrive in new and exciting ways; and the role of the next generation in carrying forward Westport’s rich cultural heritage.
Jerry Kuyper captured — with a camera, from a safe distance — this Tuesday night visitor on Rayfield Road, for our daily “Westport … Naturally” feature.
“The bluestone walkway is just under 2 feet wide, for scale,” he says.
And finally … as soon as you saw the story on the Bruce Springsteen event at VersoFest (above), you knew what today’s featured song would be, right?
After 50 years, it’s still one of the great rock songs of all time.
(There’s no place left to hide. Please click here to support your hyper-local, 24/7/365, Boss-loving blog. Whether you were born to run, or have always stayed in the 06880, we thank you.)
The Westport Weston Family YMCA is many things, to many people.
Now — thanks to a partnership with Superpower Mentors — it is reaching out specially to students ages 10 through college and beyond with dyslexia, ADHD and other learning differences.
Y families now get reduced rates for Superpower Mentors’ services. The organization — created and run by Westport native Jake Sussman, who struggled with ADHD before graduating from the Forman School, then the University of Hartford — provides one-on-one support to build confidence, develop executive functioning skills, and prepare for success in school, work and life.
Superpower Mentors does it by matching students with peer mentors who share their learning differences, smf understand their challenges firsthand. They’re paired by interests too — sports, music, technology, the arts and more — creating an even strong connection.
Mentors offer guidance in time management, study habits and emotional well-being. Over 90% of mentees show increased confidence and success after just a few months.
Information sessions to help families learn more about the program are set for March 11 (12, 6 and 7:30 p.m.) Parents can meet the Superpower Mentors team, ask questions, and explore whether the program is a good fit for their child.
To prepare for a discussion of adapting 5 buildings at Baron’s South for affordable housing, the Planning & Zoning Commission will inspect them next Tuesday (February 25, 2 p.m.).
The public is invited, but no public comment will be taken.
“Golden Shadows,” the largest of the 5 buildings at Baron’s South. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
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“Native Gardens” bloomed last night at the Westport Country Playhouse.
The comedy — about neighbors from different cultures who clash over the property line separating their gardens — runs through March 8.
Author Karen Zacarías will be in the audience tonight (Wednesday). American Theatre magazine recently cited her as one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the US.
Click here for tickets, and more information. Click below, for a video preview:
Upcoming Westport Farmers’ Markets include “effortless” discussions.
Both are led by TAP Strength’s EJ Zebro, from noon to 1 p.m. On February 27 he’ll speak with Bena Kallick on “Effortless Aging.” The March 3 topic is “Effortless Wellness,” with Jennifer Boyd.
The Winter Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gilbertie’s Herbs & Garden Center (7 Sylvan Lane).
As always, there are 3 dozen vendors, plus lunch options like pizza, Thai and Mexican food, oysters and more.
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Westport is quiet this week. With schools closed for winter break, families have taken off for spots warm (Florida, the Caribbean) and cold (Vermont, Utah).
Two dozen Staples High School students and 4 teachers have gone somewhere else: Japan.
Their 9-day tour has a STEM focus. They’re visiting a testing facility for maglev trains, and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.
They’re also having traditional experiences, like seeing Mt. Fuji, shrines and gardens, and attending tea ceremonies and a sushi-making class.
The Compo Beach playground’s “community build” renovation is set for April 21-26.
In preparation, fencing has already appeared.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
The renovation will include new accessible equipment for children of all abilities; widened walkways; safer surfacing around the swings, and replacement of the weathered fence.
It’s a major project of the Westport Rotary Club and Westport Young Woman’s League, with help from the Parks & Recreation Department and other organizations.
And finally … in honor of the Westport Y’s partnership with Superpower Mentors (story above):
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This week, in a letter to all Westport Community Gardens members, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker outlined her recommendation for a new site: Baron’s South, adjacent to the Senior Center.
The Gardens’ steering committee takes strong issue with that proposal. They write:
Dear First Selectwoman Tooker,
This letter serves as a response to your continued efforts to designate Baron’s South as the future location for the Westport Community Gardens.
We appreciate the time and effort you have dedicated to promoting what you believe to be a viable and beneficial alternative to the current site at Hyde Lane. We recognize your intent to make thoughtful decisions for our community.
Westport Community Gardens (left), east of Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
However, we believe that the Baron’s South location does not meet the critical requirements for establishing a sustainable, thriving community garden. Specifically, there are several concerns regarding the site that we would like to address.
Sunlight Availability
A successful community garden requires ample, direct sunlight, which the proposed site at Baron’s South does not offer. The area is heavily shaded by mature trees to the east, south and west — precisely the directions where sunlight is most needed.
Creating the proper growing conditions would require the removal of dozens of mature trees from both public and private land, an action we, as a committee, are not comfortable pursuing.
Terrain and Accessibility
A significant portion of the Baron’s South property is sloped. This introduces both erosion concerns and challenges for our senior gardeners, who make up a large portion of our membership.
Sloped land not only complicates planting and maintenance but also creates additional risks for gardeners who rely on flat, accessible terrain.
The proposed new site, at Baron’s South.
Parking and Accessibility
As you mentioned, the Westport Center for Senior Activities is an extremely popular location, and parking there is already limited. Gardeners often need to carry equipment, soil, plants, and other materials, which makes the current proposed site impractical. Distant or diverted parking options would impose undue strain on the gardeners, particularly those with physical limitations.
Additionally, it has been suggested that time limitations at the Senior Center parking lot may be imposed, which would not resolve the issue of restricted access during the school’s operating hours. This would essentially mirror the time constraints already proposed for the school property, further limiting the usability of the site for the Community Garden.
Invasive Species
The Baron’s South area is currently infested with invasive species, including bamboo, which is notoriously difficult to eradicate. It has taken nearly 2 decades of effort to manage invasive plants around the Hyde Lane location. Repeating this process at the proposed site would be a significant undertaking and should not be underestimated in terms of the time, effort, and cost involved.
Before creation of the Long Lots Preserve, invasive vines choked trees.
Soil
We believe that the town should proactively clean up the land to better assess its true potential for a community garden or other recreational use. Without this step, it is difficult to make a fully informed decision about whether this location is truly suitable for gardening or if other recreational purposes would be a better fit.
We remain open to exploring other potential locations in town that could meet the essential criteria for a community garden, including ample sunlight, flat terrain, adequate parking, accessibility, and a reliable water supply.
Locations like Winslow Park may offer a more suitable alternative, and we hope that further discussions can explore these options.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to continuing this conversation.
Sincerely,
The Westport Community Gardens Steering Committee
Louis Weinberg, chair
(“06880” covers all sides of controversies like the Community Gardens. If you appreciate our hyper-local journalism, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Last Sunday, during her State of the Town address, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker mentioned her support of the Baron’s South property (adjacent to the Senior Center) as her preferred site for the Westport Community Gardens.
A new home is needed, due to upcoming construction of a new Long Lots Elementary School. The gardens are now located just south of the school.
Today, gardeners received a letter from Tooker. Dated January 29, it says:
I hope this letter finds you well.
I wanted to communicate directly with each of you to provide an update on the Community Garden. This letter confirms that the Westport Commumty Garden and the sports fields located on the Long Lots Elementary School campus are closed effective December 31, 2024 to all non-school activities.
I understand that some equipment remains at the garden site, and gardeners are requested to remove those possessions during the month of April.
Plots at the Westport Community Gardens. (Photo/Bill Armstrong)
However, the real purpose of this letter is to again make the offer to relocate the
Community Garden to the Baron’s South property.
By way of background, in October 2023, the feasibility study for the Long Lots School reported that a new school was needed to replace Long Lots Elementary school. As First Selectwoman, I concurred with that analysis.
In that study, because a new school would be constructed concurrently with the ongoing operation of the current school, it was apparent that the entirety of the campus, including sports fields and the Community Garden area would be
utilized as a construction site for at least 3 years.
With that in mind, I made a proposal for the Community Garden to be relocated to the town-owned property at Baron’s South. That central location, next to the Westport Center for Senior Activities, is an enhanced, accessible and viable location due to the on-site infrastructure, parking, and water access.
The proposed Baron’s South site is near the Senior Center’s garden (above).
Personally, I believed this was a win-win situation, and had the proposal been accepted by the Community Garden representatives at that point, there would have been limited, if any, impact on the spring, 2025 and future growing seasons.
In my opinion, both the town and the gardeners would benefit from this option — a new Community Garden without time constraints for its members, ADA-accessible, adjacent to the Senior Center and walking trails, designed in cooperation with the gardeners, a short walk to the Library and downtown shops, with water and electricity.
A Community Garden that can be operational long before 2028 is the best long-term solution for current and future gardeners, and for the town of Westport.
As it currently stands, the Planning and Zoning Commission’s 8-24 report from January, 2024 does include a smaller version of the garden to be rebuilt on the Long Lots campus, but not at its current location, and at the conclusion of the construction of the new school.
Realistically, this will not occur until 2028 at the earliest. That means no gardening will be taking place at Long Lots, in whatever final form it may take, for at least 3 growing seasons, and after that time, with no access during school hours.
The Community Gardens (top left), and the current Long Lots Elementary School campus. (Photo/Brandon Malin)
I thought the time is now to reiterate the offer to build a new and fully accessible Community Garden at the Baron’s South site and remove the ga:r:den from the Long Lots Campus.
Certainly, there is a process that will take some time to achieve thls option. This includes approvals for land use and permits from P&Z and Parks & Recreation, as well as approvals for appropriation from the Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting (RTM).
I understand that some are concerned with the soil compatibility at Baron’s South. The town hired independent environmental sc1ent1sts and soil experts who have researched and studied the soil in that area.
These experts have deemed the land at Baron’s South perfectly suited for a
community garden.
Enclosed you will find a schematic drawing of a proposed Community Garden at Baron’s South.
Schematic drawing of proposed Community Garden at Baron’s South.
Included in this proposal are items that were expressed as “needs” or “wants” during the multiple discussions on the relocation, most recently during 2 on-site visits in October, hosted by myself and Department of Public Works d1rec!or Peter Ratkiew1ch, as well as during Long Lots Schqol Building Committee
meetings.
They mclude:
1. Clearing the area for garden plots
2. Removal of additional invasives
3. Grading along slope to flatten grade
4. 8′ deer fencing and below grade animal fencing
5. Water Service
6. Electricity
7. Provide timbers and topsoil for raised beds
8. Composting Area
9. Wood chip deposit/storage area
10. Porta-john location with screening enclosure
11. Community Garden gathering area
The Town continues to express its desire to work collaboratively with the Community Garden representatives.
Since early October, 2023, when the LLS feasibility report was first published,
the primary goal has been to relocate the garden to a more accessible, well-functioning, efficient, expanded and enduring Community Garden to serve as a community asset in Westport.
All the while, the intent was to.make the transition to the Baron’s South property so that gardening seasons were not lost, and that your community gardening efforts could continue and thrive. I know this is important for many of you.
I also trust that most agree with that ideal and will be amenable to working together to make that happen for the betterment of our community members.
I would like to hear from each of you, and encourage you to please reach out and contact me at the selectwoman’s office (selectwoman@westportct.gov) to continue the conversation and bring the Community Garden to Baron’s South.
The closing of the Community Gardens at Long Lots, M*A*S*H final episode-style. (Photo/Sally Kleinman)
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Each week, I try to make sure that our Photo Challenge is recognizable by many Westporters. That means it should be visible from a well-traveled street, at a spot like a beach or Longshore, or at a popular store or restaurant.
Last week’s Photo Challenge checked none of those boxes.
But a dozen “06880” readers knew immediately where it was.
Jennifer Kobetitsch’s image showed a dilapidated, abandoned cast iron fountain, surrounded by weeds and woods. (Click here to see.)
Of course: Baron’s South!
The large old fountain can indeed be found in the 22-acre town-owned park, accessible (to those who know) off Compo Road South and Imperial Avenue.
In addition to hills, trees and meadows, Baron’s South includes Golden Shadows — the baron’s “mansion” — and several other nearby buildings.
The baron — perfume magnate Baron Walter von Langendorff — and his wife bought the property in 1941. “Golden Shadows” is named for one of his signature products. The couple also owned the 32-acre property on the other side of the Post Road, now also owned by the town, and called Winslow Park.
Congratulations to Diane Silfen, Chip Stephens, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Molly Alger, Morley Boyd, Andrew Colabella, Seth Schachter, Sal Liccione, Micheal Simso, Jonathan McClure, Dana Kuyper and Karen Schwam. If we awarded prizes for our Photo Challenge, you’d get a bottle of the baron’s best perfume.
This week’s Photo Challenge is (once again) visible from a well-traveled street. If you know where in Westport this is, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Bob Weingarten)
(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!)
Early voting began yesterday, for the first time in a Connecticut presidential election.
A number of Westporters headed to Town Hall, to take part in history (and make their voices heard).
(Photo/Deborah Greenberg)
Early voting runs through Sunday, November 3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium. On October 29 and 31, the hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5), is from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., at regular polling places. Click here to view a district map. (Hat tip: Ifesheyi Gayle)
But several residents emailed “06880,” noting that on 2 beautiful days, which should have brought out the best in everyone, there were “conflicts” involving dogs.
Or, more specifically, dog owners.
Apparently some off-leash dogs did not stay in the proper area (near the cannons). Apparently too, this was not the first time.
Linda Mezzullo has a solution. She writes: “Would it make more sense to designate the off-leash area as the stretch of beach beyond the playground and pavilion?
“It could start at the walkway from the Soundview parking lot across the street, and run along Soundview Drive to the jetty. That section tends to be less crowded. Dogs could still be walked along the entire beach, but the off-leash area would be limited to that stretch.”
Knowing Westporters, and their love for both the beach and their dogs, this suggestion might get readers yipping and/or growling. Click “Comments” below to share your thoughts. But please: Keep it civil!
Should the beach behind the seawall on Soundview Drive be the new “off-leash” area? (Photo/Cathy Malkin)
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Most leaves are still (beautifully) on trees.
But they won’t be for long.
Curbside leaf collection begins November 4. The Department of Public Works says that all leaves must be placed in biodegradable paper bags safely near the curb of a town street by December 2.
Residents living on private streets must place their leaves behind the curb of an intersecting town roadway. Leaves placed in plastic bags will not be picked up, as plastic contaminates the composting process.
There is no need to call and schedule a pick-up. Crews will complete pick-ups as schedules allow. For further information, call 203-341-1120.
This is the way to bag your leaves. (Photo/Scott Smith)
As planning continues for a new Long Lots Elementary School, the Building Committee has scheduled 2 special meetings.
Tonight (Tuesday, October 22, 7 p.m., Long Lots auditorium), they’ll meet with neighbors to “answer questions and listen to comments, suggestions and concerns that the neighborhood may have regarding the new Long Lots School Project.’
This Thursday (October 24, 2:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201/201A), they’ll meet with members of the Westport Community Gardens to hear input regarding “the relocated, rebuilt community garden.”
Immediately following the session, at 4:15 p.m., 1st Selectwomen Jen Tooker has invited Community Gardens members to a walk-through of the Baron’s South property on Compo Road South, a proposed site for the new gardens.
Baron’s South is a possibility for a new Westport Community Gardens. (Photo/Morley Boyd)
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Would you like “7 ways to support your student’s studying and executive functions without losing your mind?”
That’s the provocative title of a free Westport Together webinar, set for this Thursday (October 24, 7 p.m.).
Topics include:
What are the study skills all students need to be successful in school?
How can your child eliminate distractions when they study?
How your child can avoid feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious?
Click here to register. Questions? Call 203-307-5455.
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A celebration of the life of Lis Comm — the longtime Staples High School English teacher and town-wide director of language arts, who died in August — will be held November 14 (3 p.m., Westport Woman’s Club).
Her husband and fellow Staples educator, Frank Corbo, invites Lis’ many former colleagues, students and parents to the ceremony.
Last month, “06880” chronicled the story of Rob Eichler. The 1971 Staples High School graduate is battling ALS (and using a communication devise that traces its origins to his father, an engineer).
After the story ran, over 40 readers donated more than $4,000 to ALS research, in Rob’s name.
Earlier this month, there was an ALS walk in New Hampshire, where Rob now lives. Click here for a video. It offers a look into the cause “06880” readers supported.
And into the grace, humor and courage with which Rob Eichler continues to live his very fulfilling life.
Jewish and African American musicians merge their roots and melodies in “The Afro-Semitic Experience.”
On November 10 (2 p.m., Westport Library), they offer a concert that “puts the ‘unity’ in ‘community.'” The event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County and Jazz Society of Fairfield Count.
The Afro-Semitic Experience is “a whoopin’, hollerin’, testifyin’ celebration of multicultural soul music. Imagine Charles Mingus sitting in with a Klezmer band, playing gospel music set to the polyrhythmic pace of congas and bongos.”
Their “powerful and poetic musical experience … celebrates diversity, promotes social justice, and inspires hope and joy. Their music embodies the radical notion that people of different faiths, races, and beliefs can come together through music to celebrate and build community.”
Speaking of music: Drums take center stage this Thursday, at the weekly Jazz at the Post series.
Sylvia Cuenca is a hard-swinging post-bop/hard bop drummer, best known for her long associations with trumpeter Clark Terry and saxophonist Joe Henderson.
She has played at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399 before.
This time, she’s joined by Rico Jones (sas), Manuel Valera (piano) and Essiet Okun Essiet (bass).
Show times are 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Dinner service begins at 7. Tickets are $20 for the music, $15 for veterans and students. Click here to reserve.
Tony Ventrella died Saturday, after a battle with cancer. He was 80.
Described by the Seattle Times as “a fixture of the Seattle sports media landscape, known for his endearing optimism and friendliness, and a quirky sense of humor that brought the combo of information and entertainment to his broadcasts” — as a sports anchor on 4 TV stations, he got his start at WDJF, an FM station in Westport.
Click here for a full obituary. (Hat tip: Jim Simpkins)
Tony Ventrella
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Lou Weinberg is one of our town’s best nature photographers.
His “Westport … Naturally” image today is even more spectacular than most.
Lou explains: “This beauty is hard to photograph. It does not stay in one place for long.
“Black swallowtails love nectar-rich flowers such as zinnias (pictured above), milkweed, Joe-Pye weed, butterfly bush, phlox and ironweed. All grow in the Westport Community Gardens, where this photo was taken.
“Host plants for the larvae include carrot tops, parsley, dill, fennel, turnips and Queen Anne’s lace.
“They overwinter in a chrysalis and emerge around April. Green open space is critical to their survival.”
And finally … following up on the Compo Beach leash/off-leash story above:
(Election Day is November 5. Early voting has already begun, as noted in this Roundup. But any day is a good one to contribute to “06880.” Please click here to “register” your support. Thank you!)
In 2021, Congress passed and President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act.
The economic stimulus bill — aimed at speeding America’s recovery from COVID — was hefty: $1.9 trillion.
A tiny slice –$8.4 million — made its way to Westport. But that’s hardly an insignificant sum.
ARPA funded 25 projects, in a variety of areas all over town. They range in cost from Town Hall Americans with Disabilities Act work ($1.7 million) to a high school/Westport Library jobs initiative ($25,000).
Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to Town Hall are in the works. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
The first tranche of $4.2 million included these approved projects:
Burying Hill Beach groin: $1,300,000
Westport Public Schools playgrounds: $439,000
Parker Harding design and construction documents; Jesup lots design: $400,000
Bus shelters II: $250,000
Reimburse to the General Fund: $250,000
Westport Public Schools outdoor classrooms: $216,056
Allocation to the arts: $200,643
Mental health and Human Services (stop gap): $185,000
Bus shelters I: $150,000
Feasibility study, West Parish/DOT site affordable housing project: $150,000
Westport Public Schools Network Equipment: $105,974
Cybersecurity: $100,000
Tree trimming: $100,000
Westport Public Schools High 5 Adventure Learning Center: $63,200
Library technology improvements: $57,463
High school/Westport Library jobs initiative: $25,000
(Photo/Peter Swift)
ARPA funds paid for work at Burying Hill Beach. (Photo/Peter Swift)
The total approved for those Tranche 1 projects is $3,992,335. The remaining $207,665 is earmarked for one of 5 projects in process: Jesup/Imperial parking lots design; permitting and geological evaluation for the Imperial lot.
An addition $422,335 for that project comes from Tranche 2.
The other 4 Tranche 2 projects in process are:
Town Hall Americans with Disabilities Act: $1,700,000
Senior Center cooling tower: $400,000
Parks master plan: $225,000
Wakeman Town Farm: $50,000
Four Tranche 2 projects are pending:
Baron’s South improvements: $500,000
Baron’s South road and parking: $300,000
Emergency Medical Services fly cars: $160,000
Aspetuck Health District (Bayberry Lane site) roof: $125,000
With all those projects funded, a balance of $317,665 remains.
ARPA funds will pay for improvements at Baron’s South. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
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Last week’s Photo Challenge was obvious: a house, at #68.
But which #68, exactly?
You won’t find it just by driving by.
Jay Dirnberger’s photo showed #68 Compo Road South. Better known as “Golden Shadows,” that’s the former home of Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff and his wife.
Built in 1958, it’s set back far from the road, up a steep hill in the middle of what is now known as “Baron’s South.” The town bought the 22-acre property in 1999: #68, a couple of other nearby buildings, and plenty of hills, meadows and hiking paths.
Golden Shadows — named for a signature product of the Baron, who was a perfume magnate — is now in disrepair. For a look inside (from 2015), click here. To learn more about the Baron (also from 2015), click here.
Molly Alger, Dave Eason, Seth Schachter, Morley Boyd, Robin Jaffee Frank and Andrew Colabella all knew where this #68 residence could be found. Presumably, they’ve all walked the property.
You can too. Baron’s South is a town park, open sunrise to sunset.
This week’s Photo Challenge shows a scene we all pass by often. If you know where in Westport you’d find this flag, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Ed Simek)
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