Tag Archives: Compo Beach playground

Pic Of The Day #2276

Posted on July 12, 2023 | 1 comment

Compo Beach playground (Photo/Katherine Bruan)

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Pic Of The Day #2264

Posted on June 30, 2023 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #2264

Compo Beach playground sunset Wednesday — the day before the fireworks crowds (Photo/JD Dworkow)

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Popular Compo Playground Needs A Little Love

Posted on April 12, 2023 | 15 comments

The playground is one of the most popular parts of very popular Compo Beach.

It’s big. It’s fun. I’ve even heard from realtors it’s been the deciding factor when homebuyers are deciding between Westport and neighboring towns.

So it’s hard to imagine that the Compo playground was once a source of great controversy.*

But in the 1980s — when plans were announced to create a playground next to the lifeguard station, designed by renowned architect Robert Leathers based on input from kids — there was a strong backlash.

“It will ruin the vista!” people cried. “It will attract out-of-towners!” “Teenagers will hang out there, smoking pot and having sex!”

I am not making any of this up.

I am also not making up that then-1st Selectwoman Marty Hauhuth received a death threat, after she supported the playground advocates in court. (Yes, there was a lawsuit leading to an injunction to stop the project.)

The kids (well, their parents) prevailed. During one spring weekend, dozens of volunteers built the playground.

It was a wonderful community project. Almost as soon as it was done, and kids swarmed all over the swings, ropes and whatnot, opposition melted away.

Parents lead children through the Compo playground.

Several of the most vocal opponents were soon spotted at the site, watching their children and grandchildren having (of all things) fun.

A couple of decades later, the Compo Beach playground showed its age. Once again, the community — families, individuals, civic organizations — came together to make repairs.

The playground is now almost 30 years old. Kids who once played there (and did not hang out smoking pot and having sex) bring their own children.

And once again, it needs work.

Alert “06880” reader/avid playground-goer Travis Rew-Porter sent a few photos.

One of 2 missing tire swings …

… and 2 missing seat swings …

… and some broken equipment. (Photo/Travis Rew-Porter)

Fortunately, this does not need a town-wide effort.

Just a little TLC from Parks & Rec.

If repairs are not in the budget, I’m sure we can rustle up donations from the public.

But now is the time to get started.

Spring is here. The playground is already drawing crowds.

And no one complains about the vista.

*Then again, this is Westport. Everything here is a source of great controversy.

(If you enjoy looks back like this — and stories about Westport today — please support our work. Click here — and thank you!)

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Posted in Beach, Children, Looking back

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Pic Of The Day #2121

Posted on February 6, 2023 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #2121

It’s mid-winter. But this sign at the Compo Beach playground is as welcome as ever. (Photo/Pam Kesselman)

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Pics Of The Day #2007

Posted on October 15, 2022 | 1 comment

Compo Beach sunrise:

(Photos/Patricia McMahon)

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Pic Of The Day #1798

Posted on March 20, 2022 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #1798

Photographer Jonathan Prager says: “Abandoned children’s toys mean one thing at the Compo playground, something entirely different in Ukraine.”

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Photo Challenge #328

Posted on April 11, 2021 | 19 comments

Last week’s Photo Challenge showed a close-up of a bit of the Compo Beach playground. It was kind of obvious, even though I cropped Patricia McMahon’s image as closely as I could. (Click here to see.)

But leave it to Rick Benson — who has forgotten more about Westport than I’ve ever known — to provide the back story:

This is a wheel from the original playground, taken down in April 1989 to make room for the first Robert Leathers Community Built playground.

When that wore out and the current one was built, this was relocated again to the “new playground.”

The “original playground” Rick refers to was actually just a monkey bar, swing set and whirligig adjacent to the basketball courts.

The plan for the first Leathers playground created an enormous controversy.

Playground opponents — no, that’s not an oxymoron — feared a ruined beach vista. They worried the swings and ladders would be a magnet for out-of-towners, or taken over by beer-drinking, pot-smoking, sex-having teenagers.

The playground controversy brought the first — and only — death threat of 1st selectwoman Marty Hauhuth’s tenure.

Anti-playground activists obtained a court injunction. (They were not playing around.)

As soon as it was lifted, construction began. It was a magical weekend.

The playground quickly became one of Westport’s prime attractions. It did not ruin the view; it enhanced it. And the only problem now is that on beautiful days, too many people use it.

Congratulations to (besides Rick) Rich Stein, Totney Benson, Andrew Colabella, Evan Stein, John Richers and James Weisz.

All knew where to find last week’s Photo Challenge. Even if they didn’t all know as much about it as Rick does.

How about this week’s puzzle? If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Gene Borio)

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Just Another Day At The Beach

Posted on July 26, 2020 | 15 comments

Hot, humid weather drove hundreds of Westporters to Compo Beach yesterday.

And yes, they were nearly all Westporters. No day passes are being sold.

In an added effort to keep crowds to a COVID-safe number, Parks & Recreation officials closed (and patrolled) the dropoff (aka Uber) area across from the Soundview parking lot …

… and erected barricades along Soundview Drive.

They even put stanchions in front of the pumping station at the Longshore exit, near the Minute Man monument. Savvy folks have been parking there for a while.

Police also ticketed cars parked illegally on side streets.

Meanwhile — very quietly — Parks & Rec has re-opened the very popular playground.

They also returned a few (well distanced) tables to the two pavilions.

Westporters wasted no time going back to their old habit of dumping all their stuff all over the place, then leaving …

… and at South Beach, where Parks & Rec added a few picnic tables and even grills, Westporters quickly returned to the pre-pandemic ritual of completely ignoring the signs saying “Tables Are Not Reservable” — on each table! — and reserving them.

(Photos/Dan Woog)

Some things never change.

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Roundup: Compo Playground; Comet; Art; PAL; More

Posted on July 25, 2020 | Comments Off on Roundup: Compo Playground; Comet; Art; PAL; More

The latest reopening is a big one: the Compo Beach playground.

Everyone — except those under 2 — must wear a mask. Social distancing must be observed.

Other than that: Have fun!

The Neowise comet got plenty of publicity when it first arrived.

It’s still visible — all the way through August 15. In fact, says Elyse Heise — who took the great photo below, at Saugatuck Elementary School — it just hit peak brightness yesterday.

The view tonight should be as bright as the day this past week, when she took this shot.

(Photo/Elyse Heise Photography)

Three downtown galleries — Amy Simon, Pop’TArt and Sorelle — are sponsoring an art walk this Thursday (July 30, 5 to 8 p.m.). There’s live music and refreshments (masks required, of course).

If this one goes well, more are planned for future Thursdays.

Amy Simon Fine Art

For decades — and very quietly — Westport PAL has impacted thousands of lives.

In addition to organizing 10 sports for 2,000 kids each year, supporting Staples High School sports, helping with field enhancements, organizing the 4th of July fireworks and Main Street Halloween parade, PAL awards college scholarships. Since 2003, they’ve handed out $400,000 in aid.

Their fundraisers are low-key. Unfortunately, their biggest — the fireworks — was canceled this year.

But the 58th annual Chief Samuel Luciano Golf Tournament is still on. Set for September 14 at Longshore, it’s more important — and fun — than ever. Click here to register, and for more details.

In these tough COVID times, EnergizeCT has expanded their rebates and incentives. The popular — and free — Home Energy Solutions program helps state residents save on bills by reducing waste.

Virtual visits (“pre-assessments”) offer a look into a home’s energy efficiency situation, so experts can make suggestions and explain how the rebates work.

There is no co-pay, regardless of how the home is heated. And the insulation rebate rate is now $2.20 per square foot — more than twice the previous $1 rate.

For more information, click here or call 877-947-3873.

This week’s #FridayFlowers — courtesy, as always, of the Westport Garden Club — adorn the entrance to Longshore.

(Photo/Topsy Siderowf)

And finally … play ball! Baseball is back!  There’s new grass on the field …

 

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Posted in Arts, Beach, Children, Downtown, Environment, Local business, Longshore, Organizations, Sports

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Town Closes Beach Playground, Parking Lot

Posted on March 14, 2020 | 38 comments

First selectman Jim Marpe says:

First of all, thank you to all our Westport residents for your cooperation during these unprecedented times.

Many of you have self-isolated in order to flatten the curve and curb the spread of COVID-19. I appreciate your actions.

Unfortunately, we believe you will need to do even more for the foreseeable future. Given the early spring-like weather, many of you have taken advantage of our beautiful Compo Beach and have congregated there.

We must remind you that congregating, even outdoors, in small or large groups, is contradictory to the advice of our Health Department leadership.

As a practical matter, we cannot close the entire access to Compo Beach.  However, we will be closing the playground at Compo Beach and the parking lots at Compo Beach and Burying Hill beach until further notice.

Whether you are using the beaches or just trying to get out of the house for a while, please do everything you can to practice social distancing and self-isolation.

Together we can minimize the impact of this terrible virus on our community. We have to work together and use common sense. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in these difficult times.

You can still go to Compo Beach. But the playground and parking lot are closed. (Photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)

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