Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto say:
Crews from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and contractors stayed at the site of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge throughout Friday night and continued working through the early hours of Saturday morning when additional equipment needed to remove the damaged bridge arrived.
Crews were able to complete demolition of the bridge by 12:30 p.m. today.
Following demolition, crews then began working to clean up all the debris and materials from the bridge off the highway. They also began making necessary repairs to the highway to ensure that it is safe for vehicular traffic.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation estimates that the northbound lanes of I-95 will reopen to vehicles by 8 p.m. tonight (Saturday).
All southbound lanes of the highway will remain closed to vehicles through the day on Sunday, May 5, because the pavement on this side of the highway was so damaged from the Thursday morning crash that those lanes need to be milled and repaved.
“Crews are making great progress in Norwalk and I am encouraged that we’ll have one side of I-95 open later tonight,” Governor Lamont said.
“Completely removing that bridge in less than 36 hours is an impressive feat and is credit to the hard work and dedication of the contractors and Connecticut Department of Transportation crews, who are pushing to get the entire highway fully reopened in both directions by Monday morning.”
As of 7:20 p.m. Saturday night, the entire Fairfield Avenue overpass in Norwalk had been removed.
“I continue to be thankful to the CTDOT crews and contractors who are working as hard as they can to get this highway reopened,” Commissioner Eucalitto said. “They made great progress today and I remain optimistic that we will meet our Monday morning deadline. I ask the public to remain patient with the ongoing traffic congestion and to continue using alternate routes and public transportation throughout the weekend.”
“I remain completely impressed with the response from our Norwalk Fire Department, Norwalk Police Department, and the State of Connecticut, including Governor Lamont’s Office, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and our State Police,” Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said. “The fact that there were no injuries from the accident and that crews are working incredibly quickly to remove the bridge so we can reopen I-95 in both directions as soon as possible is a testament to Governor Lamont’s leadership and the high level of collaboration between each agency and level of government. I also want to thank our Norwalk residents and business community for their patience, as I know these temporary closures have been a complete inconvenience to their lives.”
The 22-year-old program — which brings academically gifted and highly motivated young men of color to Westport, where they live together and attend Staples High School — is one of our town’s shining jewels.
The 2023-24 ABC scholars.
The Dream Event is a chance not only to raise much-needed funds, but to celebrate ABC’s scholars, their families, and the community volunteers who make the program run, as host parents, drivers, tutors and more.
As always, Saturday’s event at the Westport Library was a powerful demonstration of the impact A Better Chance has on these wonderfully dynamic, creative and brilliant young men.
It is an equally powerful demonstration of what Westport gains from them.
The speeches by president Eric Freeman, encee Jay Norris, host parents and others were ringing endorsements of ABC.
A Better Chance of Westport president Eric Freeman introduces emcee Jay Norris (photo on the large screen).
But the words from the scholars themselves were especially noteworthy.
2016 Staples alum Christopher Morales described his path in the world since graduating from Cornell University.
Christopher Morales
Staples senior Nile Jean spoke with insight, warmth and humor about his journey from an ambivalent 9th grader to a soon-t0-be-graduate, who made the rocky adjustment, then thrived, in a very different town and school.
Nile Jean
Nile’s mother’s Nedra Stewart’s loving, passionate words brought the crowd to tears. From an early age, she wanted the program for her son (“I stalked ABC,” she said). Her pride in him was evident.
Nile Jean’s mother, Nedra Stewart. (All photos/Jerri Graham Photography)
And the large crowd was proud that she had entrusted her son to ABC, and to our community.
We will watch him soar, as so many other ABC alumni have done. We are a better community for having them in our midst.
(To learn more about A Better Chance of Westport — including how to volunteer and offer support — click here.)
The other day, “06880” noted the pavement-grading activity to the right of the northbound entrance at I-95 Exit 18.
The property near the Sherwood Island Connector is a “reuse stockpile area.” It is a hub for storing dirt and gravel salvaged from the Norwalk WALK railroad bridge site, allowing the contractor to minimize waste and disposal.
Alert and environmentally conscious reader Scott Smith adds: “It’s amazing that the town can spend 10 years or more debating new parking downtown or elsewhere, but the state can throw down a couple of acres of asphalt just like that.”
He is also amazed by “how much land in Westport is heavily used by the state Department of Transptoration and Metro-North, from the takeover of the commuter parking lot further down the Connector to all the action at exit 17.
“It looks like we’ll be a construction zone for years more.”
“Reuse stockpile area” at I-95 Exit 18 northbound. (Photo/Scott Smith)
Westport’s newest outdoor sculpture will be dedicated May 4 (4 p.m.).
The public is invited to Pasacreta Park (opposite Saugatuck Elementary School) for a ceremony honoring artist Niki Ketchman, and “Passage.”
The work by the longtime Westport resident is a joint initiative with the Westport Arts Advisory Committee, Parks & Recreation Department and Commission, Department of Public Works and the Westport Permanent Art Collections.
“Passage” is on loan for 5 years.
Artist Niki Ketchman (umbrella) supervises the installation of “Passage.”
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May is Mental Health Month.
TAP Strength invites men — and the people who love them — to a holistic discussion of treatment options.
“Let’s Talk About Men’s Mental Health” (May 15, 6 to 7 p.m., 180 Post Road East) features Jennifer Boyd PA and TAP Strength owner Dr. EJ Zebro.
A $25 donation to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Health is suggested.
The Staples Jazz Ensemble headlines “A Night of Jazz.” The May 13 (7 p.m., Westport Library) event features music by Benny Carter, Frank Foster, Dizy Gillespie, Rick Hirsch and Thad Jones — with a world premiere by Dr. Kyle Saulnier.
The free event is part of the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston’s monthly jazz series.
Dizzy Gillespie comes to the Westport Library May 13. Well, the Staples High School Jazz Ensemble will play his music, anyway.
Sorelle Gallery’s new floral exhibition is “Awakening.” The opening reception is May 11 (3 to 5 p.m.).
Attendees can explore floral artwork by Kay Flierl, Christine Averill-Green, Linda Bigness, Juniper Briggs, Kelly Rossetti and others; watch a frosting piping demo, and taste cake samples by Harborview Cakes; see a bouquet-building demo and shop flower arrangements by New Petal Flower Market, and enjoy light refreshments (including a specialty floral cocktail).
A percentage of proceeds from partnering organizations and artwork sales will be donated to Earthplace. Click here for more details on the exhibition.
“Awakening,” at Sorelle Gallery.
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Carl Addison Swanson’s latest “Husk McCormick” series novel — “Sex Trafficking” — is now available on Kindle.
Longtime Westporter and Staples High School graduate Swanson is the best-selling author of 58 novels.
This one focuses on a modern horror: young women who are kidnapped and placed in “modern slavery” for prostitution and other acts.
Swanson’s protagonist Hush McCormick rushes to rescue a Marine buddy’s daughter, who falls victim to a cartel.
Speaking of books: The next Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Book Club meeting is May 23 (6 to 7:30 p.m.).
Attendees will discuss 2 selections from Tim O’Brien’s 1990 “The Things They Carried,” his part fiction, part memoir collection of stories about the Vietnam War.
The selections are “On The Rainy River” and “Speaking of Courage.”
Registration is required, by phone (203-349-5141) or email (bookshop@westportbooksaleventures.org.)
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What could be more natural than a full moon?
Lauren Rothstein captured this once-a-month shot for “Westport … Naturally” a few days ago, at Saugatuck Shores’ Covlee Beach. (Hat tip: Patti Brill)
And finally … the upcoming Staples Jazz Ensemble’s concert (story above) brings to mind the great Dizzy Gillespie:
(“06880” kicks off another week of Roundups — and much more. If you enjoy our work, please support us with a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)
Much of Westport’s focus is on the future of the William F. Cribari Bridge.
But another project is taking shape just a few yards away.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has launched a website with information about the “SAGA River Railroad Bridge.”
If that means nothing, try this: the railroad bridge over the Saugatuck River, just south of the Cribari and I-95 spans.
The Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge, just south of I-95.
The “SAGA River Railroad Bridge” is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1905, it is a “single leaf Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge” carrying Metro-North, Amtrak and freight traffic over the Saugatuck River.
Metro-North operates 36 trains each, eastbound and westbound, on weekdays.
Amtrak runs 12 trains eastbound, and 13 westbound. The bridge also services 1 freight train daily in each direction.
Unknown to many Westporters, a pedestrian walkway on the south side of the bridge is a cherished shortcut for neighborhood commuters. (It also offers a spectacular view of the river, all the way to its Long Island Sound mouth.)
View from the Saugatuck River railroad footbridge, looking north. (Photo/Jennifer Rosen)
Two 50-horsepower diesel engines in a small building open and close the bridge. The bridge is periodically tested, but openings for marine traffic are “virtually non-existent.”
Due to its condition and age, 2 mechanics must oversee the locking mechanisms.
An early 20th-century photo shows the Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge opening, to let maritime traffic through.
Here’s the project overview:
“Due to the age and condition of the structure, including the mechanical and electrical components, the Connecticut Department of Transportation is considering various options for the future replacement or rehabilitation of the existing bascule bridge which carries 4 railroad tracks over the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut.
“Failure of the structure to properly open/close would pose a significant risk of major long-term disruption to the Northeast Rail Corridor and to a lesser extent, maritime traffic. Therefore, the CTDOT is considering the viability of replacing or rehabilitating the moveable bridge.”
Another view of the Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge. (Photo/Patricia McMahon)
Design alternatives include no build; bridge rehabilitation; new fixed bridge replacement, and new moveable bridge replacement.
The next step is a feasibility study, including evaluation and environmental reports. It will examine “the effects a fixed structure would have on the area.”
The study will also investigate the possibility of increasing track speed to as much as 110 mph through the area. Currently, there is a 45 mph speed restriction on the bridge.
“These changes will likely require a higher track profile and an increasing of the distance between the tracks,” the website says.
“The Feasibility Study will evaluate this impact on the Westport Station, highway under/ overpasses in close proximity to the new structure, adjacent private properties, and railroad appurtenances such as catenary and signal and communication systems.”
The website lists the benefits of a new bridge:
More reliable and faster service
Possible expansion of future high-speed rail, intercity, commuter and freight rail operations
Improved maritime safety and navigation
Improved connectivity for economic growth.
No timetable is given for the project. Click here to view the website. For more information or questions, email DOT.SAGARiverBridge@ct.gov.
Westporters gather on the banks of the Saugatuck River, following a 1935 railroad crash.
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Nine prominent Westporters — longtime contributors in local government, real estate and law — firmly believe that the William F. Cribari Bridge in Saugatuck should be replaced.
Lawrence Weisman, Ken Bernhard, Ross Burkhardt, Ron Corwin, Michael Dinshaw, Marcia Falk, Roger Leifer, Mike Nayor and Denise Torve have — among other things — served in the Connecticut legislature, and on the Planning & Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.
They wrote to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, which is taking public comments for the Connecticut DOT:
As long time Westport residents we would like to comment, for ourselves and for many of our neighbors and friends, on the state Department of Transportation’s plan to improve the Cribari Bridge.
The immediate question is whether to restore or replace the existing structure. After carefully examining the issue, we strongly favor the replacement option.
The William F. Cribari Bridge … (Photo/Nancy Lally)
The Cribari Bridge plays a critical role in maintaining traffic flow in the congested Saugatuck area of Westport. Its importance cannot be overstated. It is one of only 3 vehicular crossings of the Saugatuck River in Westport, and for many it provides the closest access to the railway station, Norwalk Hospital and the interchanges with I-95.
In the not too distant future, 2 significant projects will place additional stress on the Cribari Bridge. It will become the primary river crossing for 2 large new developments in Saugatuck area — the Hamlet (a large hotel, office, retail and housing project) and the soon-to-be-completed development on Hiawatha Lane comprising approximately 150 residences.
In addition, the Saugatuck River is scheduled to be dredged, which when completed will result in increased boat traffic, particularly during the summer months when Westport is most congested.
If the bridge remains as is, large boats passing through the Saugatuck area will need the bridge to be opened, bringing all vehicular, pedestrian and bike traffic to a stand still for considerable periods of time.
Opening the Cribari Bridge.
Traffic flow in and around the Saugatuck area is already poor and, as noted, will inevitably become worse. Even now, at times, the congestion and lack of alternative routing is dangerous.
It is imperative that the Cribari Bridge be replaced with a more appropriate design so that it can better handle vehicular traffic of every kind, and provide safer pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The arguments for opposing replacement of the bridge were once understandable, but they are no longer persuasive. The existing bridge has served its purpose. But now its limited size and proportions do not accommodate the long-term safety and capacity needs of our community.
The Saugatuck side of the Cribari Bridge. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
Consider the following facts about the bridge as it exists today:
* The deteriorating condition of the bridge has led to the imposition of weight restrictions, threatening its use by school buses, fire engines, snowplows, and the like.
* The bridge will not be able to accommodate the increasing use of the structure by pedestrians and bicyclists.
* The clearance between the bottom of the bridge and the river’s height at high tide is minimal for boat traffic.
* The width of the lanes is inadequate for today’s larger automobiles.
* The bridge frequently gets stuck in the open position. Even when operational, it takes 25 minutes to open and close, causing untenable backups and delay.
* At the 2 other Westport bridges crossing the Saugatuck River (the Post Road and Kings Highway North), where traffic congestion is notable, new development is being constructed, making the Cribari Bridge an even more important traffic relief point.
The Cribari Bridge is one of 3 bridges connecting both sides of the Saugatuck River. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
One of the principal arguments against replacing the bridge is an apprehension that a larger bridge will attract unwelcome truck traffic. That concern can be managed and discouraged in any number of ways.
For example, the bridge could be designed with limitations on height. Additionally, the town and state can place truck restrictions on the feeder roads (Greens Farms Road, Imperial Avenue and Bridge Street) and on state Route 136, as has been done in Westport north of Coleytown Elementary School, in Darien, and in the section of Norwalk adjacent to Rowayton.
A second argument made for restoring the existing bridge, rather than replacing it, is the perception that the existing bridge has historic and aesthetic value.
While we naturally share the desire to preserve Westport’s past, in this instance we think that the need for safety and efficiency far outweighs any historic considerations.
Regarding aesthetics, Westport can rightfully insist that it should have a voice in the design of the bridge to include appropriate decorative elements such as lighting fixtures and structural enhancements, to make the new Cribari Bridge attractive.
The Cribari swing bridge is over 130 years old. (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
When the town of Westport twice had the opportunity to improve the intersection of Route 33 and US 1 (Riverside Avenue and the Post Road), it failed to act.
The DOT now rates it as one of the worst functioning intersections in the state. Let’s not make a similar mistake again.
In conclusion, for the reasons stated and with an eye toward the future, we strongly support replacement of the Cribari Bridge with a modern structure that will serve Westport’s needs now and in the years to come.
To do anything less would be irresponsible.
Lawrence Weisman
Ken Bernhard Co-authors:
Ross Burkhardt
Ron Corwin
Michael Dinshaw
Marcia Falk
Roger Leifer
Mike Nayor
Denise Torve
(Residents can send comments on the Cribari Bridge to plan@westcog.org. The deadline is April 1.)
Like most Westporters, I’ve gotten used to the construction cones, narrow lanes and drunken lines on the Post Road between Fresh Market and McDonald’s — and further east, near Bulkley Road by Stop & Shop.
Like most Westporters too, I’ve gotten used to seeing no work going on at either site — for months.
Will it ever resume? Is it done?
I asked Pete Ratkiewich. The Westport Public Works Department director pointed me to documents from a 2019 (!) Town Hall presentation.
They show intersection improvements, roadway widening and sidewalk work (click here to see).
So: No. It’s not over yet. Not by a long shot.
“They are only done partially on the north side. And they have a long way to go on the south side in both locations,” Pete says.
And, he adds, “you won’t see work start up again in earnest until the asphalt plants open.”
Work on Post Road East near Fresh Market.
Work at the Post Road East/Roseville Road/Hillspoint Road intersection.
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Speaking of the state Department of Transportation:
They’ll perform maintenance work on the Cribari Bridge this Monday night (7:30 p.m., to 5:30 a.m. Tuesday; March 18-19).
While the bridge is closed, traffic will be detoured to the Post Road.
When the sun goes down Monday, work will be performed on the Cribari Bridge. (Photo/Sam Levenson)
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St. Patrick’s Day came early for Club 203.
On Wednesday night, over 135 guests from Westport’s social organization for adults with disabilities partied at VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.
The evening included entertainment by the Lenihan Irish Dance troupe, green bagels from Village Bagels, and green clover cookies from the Pantry.
Nearly everyone wore green. Everyone was Irish for the night. And everyone had a blast!
There is a new — and very friendly — face at the Westport Weston Family Y.
Angie is the “official greeter” on Monday and Thurday mornings, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. She then heads to the Wellness Center, keeping things clean and tidy.
Her employment is a partnership between the Y and Star Inc. She gets her first paycheck today, and is very excited.
When you see Angie, give back to her the same smile she gives you!
When thousands of homeowners in Florida and Louisiana purchased their hurricane insurance, they probably had no idea that John Seo stood to make a big profit if their properties got through the next three years unscathed.
Unbeknownst to them, Seo, a 57-year-old hedge fund manager in southern Connecticut, is the reason why millions of people from New Zealand to Chile have financial protection against natural disasters. His fund, Fermat Capital Management, owns the world’s biggest collection of catastrophe bonds — complex financial instruments that insurers issue to cover risks they can’t handle.
Fermat is an oddity in the hedge fund world. Its modest office, in the affluent town of Westport, sits in a former post office across from an auto-repair shop. There are meteorology journals in the reception area and equations scrawled on a whiteboard. Investment decisions are guided by complicated weather-risk computer models powered by large servers that whirr ceaselessly behind a glass window.
Fermat’s “modest office” is at the end of Riverside Avenue, just before it intersects with Railroad Place. Click here to read the rest of the piece about Seo, titled “How a Physics Whiz Made a Fortune Betting on Nature’s Catastrophes.” (Hat tip: Allan Siegert)
John Seo (2nd from left) and colleagues, at Fermat Capital. (Photo/Joe Buglewicz for Bloomberg)
Next up in the Westport Country Playhouse Script in Hand play reading series: “Tenderness and Gratitude Number Four.”
Michael is a party boy who avoids intimacy at all costs. Jenny is a jaded, wise-cracking office worker who still harbors dreams of becoming an artist. When the two strike up an unlikely friendship at work, they are forced to learn what it means to open up to someone else, and how to take a long, hard, messy look at oneself in the mirror.
The “a humorous, often heartbreaking examination of love, art, truth, lies, office politics, and the complicated road to true friendship” is set for April 15 (7 p.m.).
All tickets are $30. Click here to purchase, and for more information.
We’re halfway through March. Which means our town is halfway through the Great Westport Burger Contest.
Competitors in the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce event include Black Duck, Boathouse, Harvest, Jr’s,, La Plage, Little Barn, Match Burger, Nomade, Old Mill Grocery, Organika, Rizzuto’s, Shake Shack, Southport Diner, Spotted Horse, The Blondinit, The Porch, The Whelk, Viva Zapata and Zucca.
The 7 categories are Best Classic Burger, Best Cheese Burger, Best Gourmet Burger, Best Veggie Burger, Best Non Beef Burger (fish, turkey, lamb…), Best Fast Food Burger, and Best Slider. Each Restaurant can enter up to 4 categories, but can win a maximum of 2.
Residents have until March 31 to visit the venues, enjoy their offerings, then vote on the Chamber’s website.
Yesterday, 17 current and former Representative Town Meeting members relished the chance to promote the contest, with lunch at Spotted Horse.
I wasn’t there. But I’m pretty sure I know what was on the menu.
What’s the state of college admissions today, in a post-COVID world? What should rising 9th and 10th graders be thinking about?
Those are some of the topics they (and their parents) can learn about, at a “College Admissions Planning for Rising Freshmen and Sophomores” webinar (March 21, 7 p.m.).
There is no charge for the S4 Study Skills event, but registration is required here. Click here to sign up.
And finally … in honor of the Westport Y’s new greeter (story above):
(From Post Road traffic to hedge funds, the YMCA to London, “06880” is “where Westport meets the world. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Western Connecticut Council of Government and South Western Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization have endorsed a state Department of Transportation request for $4.1 million for the right of way and design phase of rehabilitation or renovation of the William F. Cribari Bridge. (Click here to read the draft report.)
Public input is invited in several ways:
A Zoom meeting this Thursday (March 14, noon). The meeting ID is 835 3614 6030.
A meeting this Tuesday (March 12, 7 p.m., Ferguson Library, Stamford).
People wishing to speak at either meeting should email plan@westcog.org. Include your name and the subject you will speak on.
Comments on the bridge project can also be emailed to plan@westcog.org, sent to Western Connecticut Council of Governments, 1 Riverside Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482, or phoned in to 475-323-2071. The deadline is noon on April 1.
William F. Cribari Bridge (Photo/Fred Cantor)
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MoCA Westport is gearing up for spring and summer.
Among the offerings:
Recess Art Camps (April 15-19, ages 4-7)
Artisan Workshop Series
Paint Nights for Teens (Fridays, 6:30 to 8 p.m.)
Paint Nights for Adults (Thursdays, 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.)
Summer Art Workshops for Kids (ages 8-12)
Camp MoCA
For information on these programs and other MoCA events, click here.
Four Westport artists — all anti-gun violence advocates, and part of the current “In Our Hands: Gun Culture in America” exhibit at Bridgeport’s Metro Studios — will discuss their work this Sunday (March 10, 2 p.m.).
Miggs Burroughs, Darcy Hicks, Daniel Recinos and Tammy Winser share their thoughts, influences and processes.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted to benefit Sandy Hook Promise and Street Safe Bridgeport.
One of the most popular “06880” features is photos of Westporters who think they can park anywhere they want.
But they’re not our only entitled neighbors (or, perhaps, ourselves). Consider this person, who was considerate enough to pick up his pooch’s poop (odds are, someone was watching), yet could not be bothered to dispose of it properly.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will require 12,000 signatures to get on the Connecticut presidential primary ballot, as an independent candidate.
Alert “06880” reader Jan Carpenter knows he is a controversial figure.
But, as volunteers fan out with petitions, she says: “This is democracy in action.”
When volunteers in Westport ask for signatures, she hopes residents will be kind.
“If you don’t approve, they will simply thank you and allow you to get on with your day,” she says. “If you sign, they will thank you as well. If you sign, you are not committing to vote for anyone in particular this fall. You are simply signing to endorse democracy and choice.”
And finally … Steve Lawrence died Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 88, and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
In a long career, including with his wife Eydie Gorme, he “kept pop standards in vogue long past their prime and took America on musical walks down memory lane,” the New York Times says. Click here for a full obituary.
(More meh weekend weather — and another chance to contribute to “06880.” Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Between Long Lots Elementary School and Parker Harding Plaza, there hasn’t been much discussion lately on the future of the William F. Cribari Bridge.
But the 135-year-old swing span — historic, beloved, quirky, narrow — is not getting any younger.
William F. Cribari Bridge (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
The state Department of Transportation has spent several years studying the bridge, and planning its replacement. Any new one — if built with state and/or federal funds, that is — would have to meet current standards.
That would probably mean a bigger, wider structure. Meaning: One large enough to accommodate trucks coming off I-95.
Sources say that an environmental assessment is being prepared, though by a different company than originally hired.
The belief is that DOT will recommend replacing — rather than renovating — the existing bridge (which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places).
A long-ago trolley travels over the Cribari Bridge.
There is no new information on the state DOT website. The latest “news” was posted in 2019.
“06880” asked State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, who sits on the Transportation Committee, for a status update. He says:
It goes without saying, with each passing day, it deteriorates further. I don’t know the current status of the supporting piers, but I’d hope that DOT is monitoring and would let us know if it was approaching dangerous condition. And it’s fair to wonder why Westporters tolerate a structure so decrepit looking. Hardly a Westport icon!
In my last casual conversation with my contact at DOT, some months ago, she more or less confirmed their strategy of waiting for the town to respond to the options they put on the table now years ago. DOT sees little benefit in pushing hard for resolution without any partner in town government — at least as long as the bridge remains safe.
Cribari Bridge, looking west. (Photo/Fred Cantor)
In my opinion, our de facto plan to ignore the problem and avoid controversy is yielding to a vocal minority and risking a genuine traffic crisis should that bridge go out of commission for an extended period. Isn’t crossing the river in Westport challenging enough without losing a crossing point?
I believe we can talk through our concerns — such as keeping 18-wheelers from using the bridge — and come up with a satisfactory plan which preserves the bridge’s character while making it safe — actually safer (wider) — for the long hall. Remember: even if we had a plan today, it will take years to implement the fixes, perhaps including a temporary bridge.
So I can’t illuminate current status for you. Ultimately, the first selectwoman bears responsibility for communicating with DOT the town’s preferences and seeking resolution.
I just hope we don’t see a headline to your column reading: “Cribari Bridge closed indefinitely; Westport traffic grinds to a halt.”
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker says: “The issue still sits with the state. I’m asking for an update from them. I’ll with you when I hear from them.”
(“06880” is your source for hyper-local journalism. Please click here to support our work, with a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Judy Collins — the singer/songwriter who has entertained and inspired fans since the 1960s — is coming to the Westport Country Playhouse.
She’ll be onstage April 12 (8 p.m.). Encore Club members can buy tickets now; public sale begins January 26 at noon. Click here for more information.
Also ahead at the Playhouse: “All Things Equal: The Life & Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.” Written by Rupert Holmes, it’s a one-woman play in which the Supreme Court justice welcomes a friend of the family to her chambers to convey a sense of her career, and personal life.
The show is May 3 and 4 (8 p.m.), and May 5 (3 p.m.). Click here for more information.
And on July 25 the Bacon Brothers bring their unique mix of folk, rock, soul and country music to the Playhouse. Click here for more information.
Westporters — especially seniors and those with low to moderate incomes — can once again take advantage of the town’s no-cost full-service AARP/VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program.
On-site personal counseling is available by appointment at Town Hall (Mondays from 1 to 7 p.m.) and the Senior Center (Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), starting January 22. Call 860-590-8910 for an appointment, or click here.
The “SimplyCT” counselor group that services Westport prepared and filed more than 7,000 returns last season – almost all electronically. Federal refunds of over $10 million were received by their clients..
The program is administered by Westport’s Department of Human Services.
An incident that began when 2 people illegally entered a home and attacked 3 others on Friday morning in Old Saybrook ended in Westport.
One, armed with a baseball bat, injured the homeowners. The suspect then removed an adult woman from the home against her will, and fled.
Old Saybrook police sent an alert to law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for a car with New York license plates carrying the victim.
Westport police located the vehicle when it was getting gas. They arrested the suspects, seized the bat, and took the woman who had been taken from her home to Norwalk Hospital, with non-life threatening injuries.
(Click here for the full story. Hat tip: Betsy Pollak)
Remember the I-95 Saugatuck River bridge replacement project last fall?
Relive all the key moments — in a lot quicker time than it took (though of course, kudos to all who accomplished the work in just 2 weekends) — in this very cool video, from the Connecticut Department of Transportation:
Badass Bagels — the popular shop in the Sugar & Olives space just over the Norwalk line, owned by Westporter Jennifer Balin — has just opened a new location in Armonk, New York.
“It’s totally our brand,” she says.” The space is warm, cozy, and decked out with vintage furniture from Bridgeport’s Mongers Market (where they have another location).
Badass’ expanded sourdough bagel offerings include 10 varieties: everything, whole wheat everything, golden sesame, black sesame, Himalayan blue poppy, smoked sea salt, plain, cinny raisin, pumpernickel caraway everything, and naked whole wheat. (Ramp bagels are offered in May.)
There are plenty of spreads and butters too, like “sweet and lovely” with Westport honey.
Badass Bagels also sells coffee beans and whole espresso/coffee.
Stores hours in Norwalk and Armonk are Wednesdays through Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They sell at the Westport Farmers’ Market and Double L Market too.
The Senior Center Super Bowl “tailgate party” is a great one. And you don’t even have to hang out in the parking lot.
It’s indoors. This year’s event (February 11) includes a “final score contest,” and a Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities Service Award presentation to the wonderful Patty Kondub, who does so much in so many ways for the senior community.
The menu includes hot dogs, chips, spring rolls and dessert.
Staples High School state champion football and field hockey teams, and Staples and Westport PAL cheerleaders will be there too.
All ages are welcome. Lunch is at 12:30; the party begins at 1:30.
Thursday’s Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event drew a large crowd to VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399.
VFW Auxiliary member Patty Kondub’s meatballs complemented the fun vibe, filled with networking opportunities and great music afterward (Jazz at the Post).
Enjoying Business After Hours (from left): Virginia Ferrari, Paul Liebowitz, Patty Kondub, Sal Liccione, Matthew Mandell.
Colleen Sadick is a beloved Coleytown Elementary School professional. The CES community has rallied around her as she battles bone marrow cancer.
As Colleen has had to step back from her 2 jobs (she is also a behavioral mentor), her income has been impacted. CES organized a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical expenses, transportation, post-treatment care and daily costs.
After a number of interviews, the Democratic Town Committee nominations committee will recommend Abby Gordon-Tolan for the Board of Education vacancy, and Joe Scordato for the Zoning Board of Appeal vacancy.
The full DTC will vote Monday on the recommendations.
Merrill Jay Forgotson – an accomplished community banker and fierce advocate for justice and equal opportunity – died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, January 17, at his Westport home. He was 81.
The New York City native credited his mother and father, a World War II hero, for challenging him to lead a life of purpose, centered on education.
He earned a BS in finance from Northeastern University followed, by a JD from Boston University and an MBA from Western New England College.
Jay paid his way through college and law school by washing dishes, serving ice cream, and packaging newspapers and magazines overnight for early morning delivery.
Motivated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainright in 1963, which affirmed a constitutional right to legal counsel for anyone charged with committing a crime, Jay started his career as a defense attorney
He transitioned into finance, starting at Mass Mutual and advancing to become general counsel at Barclays Business Credit.
In 1990 Jay joined People’s Bank as senior vice [resident/chief credit administration officer. He also served as chair of the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League, where he shaped diversity programming to combat hate and discrimination in all their forms.
In 2000, Jay left People’s to run Cornerstone Bank in Stamford. Running the profitable mission-centered community depository was one of the joys of his professional life.
During a brief sabbatical, Jay served as dean of the business school at the University of Bridgeport. But community banking kept calling. Jay served as CEO of BNC Financial Group, and started the Bank of Fairfield and Stamford First Bank.
After retiring in 2013 he enjoyed family and friends in Connecticut and Sarasota, Florida; volunteered for non-profits; consumed current events and advocated for fairness, and photographed.
Jay is survived by his wife, Janis Reader-Forgotson; sons Nathaniel, Josh and Matthew; grandchildren Evan, Ianto, Floriana, Zachary and Benjamin, and dogs Lola and Cimba. He was predeceased by his younger sister Barbara Garavuso.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to ADL Connecticut. A Memorial Service will be held tomorrow (Sunday, January 21, 12:30 p.m., Temple Shalom. Norwalk).
And finally … Peter Schickele, a serious concert musician and also the genius behind madcap PDQ Bach, died Tuesday near Woodstock, New York. He was 88. Click here for a full obituary.
(How to amuse yourself on a cold winter weekend? Read about everything happening in town, now and in the future. If you like what we do, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The new and massive I-beams at northbound I-95 Exit 17 have residents wondering: Is there really going to be a new bridge there?
New construction on Saugatuck Avenue, at I-95. (Photo/Tracy Porosoff)
Not exactly.
Sometime this fall, the Saugatuck Avenue bridge will be replaced, using “accelerated bridge construction.”
A new bridge will be constructed adjacent to the existing bridge. That’s what the new I-beams will support.
Over a single weekend (Friday evening to Monday morning), the current bridge will be demolished. The new structure will be installed in its place.
The date for that complicated (but quick) work has not been set. The entire State Department of Transportation project — which extends south to Norwalk’s Exit 16 — is projected to run through November 1, 2024. (Hat tip: Andrew Colabella)
An enormous crowd enjoyed margaritas, special watermelon drinks, and the New York-based taqueria’s signature dishes.
The official opening is Monday (August 7). Click here for more Tacombi info.
Enjoying Tacombi last night (from left): Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service president Mike Burns; 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker; hosts Hightower Financial Group and Judy Michaelis; Tacombi manager; Police Chief Foti Koskinas; WVEMS vice president Larry Kleinman. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Also last night: The Soul Drivers rocked the Levitt Pavilion, with their Memphis Soul sound. Tonight (Saturday) it’s Theo Kandel; tomorrow, Quadrature. Click here for (free) tickets, and more information.
Soul Drivers (Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
Not far away last night, Massive Diva entertained diners at Walrus Alley. They’re there — right next to Don Memo — every Friday night. Tonight (7:30 to 11) it’s the always-popular Zambonis.
Westport firefighters responded to a house fire on Warnock Drive, off Easton Road.
Most damage was limited to the exterior and front attic space. There were no injuries. Westport Emergency Medical Service and Westport Police assisted.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Warnock Drive fire. (Photo courtesy of Westport Fire Department)
Ray is not done trying to solve our town’s traffic woes. Here’s his update.
Last week I met with 2 town officials. I heard about their understanding of the 4 specific traffic problem locations, as well as their current plans and ideas on possible solutions.
The meeting was hosted by operations director Thomas Kiely and Officer Andy D’Amura of the Westport Police Traffic & Safety Department.
I had a chance to express how serious these problem locations have become, and how I thought these issues have not been given enough priority from local officials.
Town operations director Thomas Kiely.
They were both well versed in their understanding of these traffic problem areas. Both have very good understanding of traffic issues. Thomas Kiely spent 16 years as a State Police highway patrol officer, while Officer D’Amura has been involved with traffic problems for many years in Westport.
It was obvious these 2 men felt strongly that they as well as the community want to see solutions and action.
They pointed out the big stumbling block is that all 4 of the problem areas I brought forward are on state highways. The Department of Transportation controls all planning, changes, funding and ultimate approval of any projects the town and state would like implemented.
State DOT has a lot of roads and highways on their workbench. Westport’s requests for consideration are on a long list of projects to be addressed by DOT.
Kiely and D’Amura went over some changes and improvements in the pipeline for implementation and action.
I think these changes will produce a small improvement in Saugatuck traffic congestion, but a bigger benefit at the new roundabout Weston Road – Easton Road intersection.
The Westport Police Department has a plan to place trained traffic control officers at the Riverside Avenue/Bridge Street intersection on morning and evening commute hours, as well as doing more traffic officer control at the Route 33 (Riverside Avenue/Wilton Road)/Post Road West intersection, and its commute hour massive congestion.
We also discussed the importance of traffic signal optimization on the entire Westport section of the Post Road, and the 3 other areas (including Wilton Road/Kings Highway North).
Traffic at the Kings Highway North/Wilton Road intersection …
It is obvious that unless officials in Westport and the state come together with greater timing and vigor, the traffic problems we now suffer in Westport will continue to grow — and become a larger set of problems.
A day later I had a productive meeting with State Representative Jonathan Steinberg. He reached out after reading my opinion piece on “06880.”
We discussed the same areas of concern, as well as possible action he and I can move forward on to address making these issues a higher priority for the town.
Steinberg is a longtime Westport resident. He has been affected by these traffic problem issues, and has a great understanding of state agencies for how problems like ours are identified and dealt with.
… and, not far away, the Wilton Road/Riverside Avenue/Post Road West cluster****.
It’s very important for residents and businesses of Westport to realize that unless we can bring town and state officials, and DOT, into new action and priorities, the solutions we seek will just stay a “kick the can down the street”problem.
I want Westport residents and businesses to know I am committed to continuing to interface with any officials and interested individuals to “push and shove” this town into better traffic flow.
I have received a few emails from town residents who wish to help and contribute to this action effort. I would love to hear from others additional who want to join the effort. My email is reelray@msn.com.
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“The Feasibility Study will evaluate this impact on the Westport Station, highway under/ overpasses in close proximity to the new structure, adjacent private properties, and railroad appurtenances such as catenary and signal and communication systems.”
