The other day, I resolved not to write a post about New Year’s resolutions.
Like most resolutions, it did not last long.
So — with apologies for my inabiity to stick to my guns — here is my New Year’s resolution story.
In 2025, Westporters should resolve to:
Not go to the gym. Instead, leave it for people who actually want to work out. Even during the 3 weeks in January that all you resolution-makers crowd the gym, before slipping back into your slothful ways.
Park in the back of the CVS and Trader Joe’s parking lots. There is much more space. The risk of accidents is far less. And you can pretend you’re getting all the exercise you would have had, if you went to the gym.
Plenty of room here. Even if one guy created his own space.
Make your kids ride the bus to and from school. Unless there is an absolutely, positively, honestly, really damn good reason to drop them off early, or pick them up.
Not pretend not to notice when your dog poops. Sure, it’s easy to be “deep in conversation” with a friend (or an imaginary one via Bluetooth), while Spot does his business at Winslow Park or the beach. But if there is any karma in the world, you’ll eventually step in someone else’s Fido’s business, somewhere.
Another resolution: Don’t leave your bag for someone else to toss.
Ask your lawn crew to park in the driveway, not on the road.Yeah, it may be inconvenient to ask them to move, if you’ve got to leave. But our roads are crowded enough, without having to maneuver around trucks and trailers that take up half the lane.
Ask them to use electric blowers between May 15 and October 15 (and maybe pay for them yourself). After all, it’s the law. A toothless one, right. But the law nonetheless.
Patronize the places you don’t want to close. When The Porch at Christie’s announced it was shutting down, a commenter wrote, “I didn’t go there much, but I really liked it.” Business owners like it when people who like them actually go there. It helps keep them, you know, in business.
If you love a restaurant, dine there. Or at least order out!
Walk or jog facing traffic. This is one of the first life lessons my parents taught me, after not to stick my fingers in the fan. And while we’re at it …
Wear light clothes when you walk or jog at night. And if there’s a sidewalk, use that instead of the road. Duh.
Those are my resolution suggestions. What are yours?
Click “Comments” below. And please: Resolve to use your full, real name.
(Here’s one more: If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please resolve to support it this year. We rely on our readers to keep us going. Just click here. We resolve to thank you profusely.)
Kevin Bidgood has lived in Westport with his family since 2014, and before that in Weston. He is a member of the choir at Christ & Holy Trinity Church, and plays golf at Longshore. He and his wife walk their dogs at Longshore, Winslow Park and the beach. He works from home, and values peace and tranquility in our town.
Kevin writes:
I had hoped for a quieter summer after the town enacted a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers between May 15 and October 15.
After the ban went into effect, I spoke with several landscaping crews in my neighborhood. I asked them to stop using their gas blowers, citing the new regulation.
One crew returned a week later with commercial-grade electric blowers that were really very quiet. Another simply stopped blowing.
This is going well, I thought.
However, as the summer continued, no other crews in my area used electric blowers; they seemed to do just what they did before the ban.
Electric leaf blower.
I engaged in a civilized debate with one landscape company that had purchased electric blowers, but would not use them unless the homeowners agreed to pay an upcharge for their use.
He said that the homeowners require that the clippings be blown, but will not pay more for that service.
I have written to the Conservation Department director with my observations. I know that letters have been sent to homeowners, reminding them of the ban.
I wonder how many complaints have been raised, and whether there is a way to know of complaints? Perhaps the town could host a web page where complaints could be submitted, with date, time, street, name of landscaping company if available, and duration. At least we’d get some visibility to the issue.
No doubt emissions technology is improving. But we care about this as a community, because emissions from gas-powered leaf blowers have high levels of pollutants.
Equally, the ban was passed to reduce the noise pollution from these machines which affect our enjoyment of this peaceful town.
In my opinion there is simply no need to blow clippings on the lawn as they will biodegrade in a few days, and a few minutes with an electric blower will clear clippings from driveways and paths.
It comes down to this: Do we want a ban or not?
If we do, then the town needs mechanisms to enforce the ban. I don’t believe that education and awareness will have the desired effect.
From my limited research, cities that have implemented gas-powered leaf blower bans primarily target homeowners for fines. Landscaping companies may also be subject to fines.
For example, a year-round ban in Boulder, Colorado is enforced by the police. Other bans are enforced through public works departments.
I’d be interested to hear if this strikes a chord with other Westporters and what you think should be done, if anything. Please click “Comments” below.
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This morning’s “Opinion” piece by one homeowner — detailing his frustration with Westport’s ban on gas-powered leaf blowers — elicited many responses.
Like blown leaves themselves, they were all over the place.
We also heard from Kristin Schneeman, a Representative Town Meeting member who helped sponsor the regulation. She writes:
We’ve been hearing loud and clear this summer the level of frustration people have with the use of gas blowers, which is why we passed an ordinance in the first place.
Unfortunately change always takes time. Passing an ordinance was never going to guarantee immediate 100% compliance, whether there were penalties associated with it or not. (Witness the single-use plastics ordinance.)
The responsible parties in Westport are property owners, not landscapers. There are probably hundreds of landscapers who work for clients in town, and most of them do not live in Westport; they serve clients in a number of towns (even states), and as such it can be hard for them to know what the local regulations are.
A gas-powered leaf blower …
Our Conservation Department made a significant effort to reach out to as many as it could find contact information for, but it was likely a fraction of those working in town.
Instead of speaking with and complaining to landscapers, I’ve been encouraging residents to speak with their neighbors directly. We are all responsible for our own behavior on our properties, and that of anyone we hire to work for us on it.
Landscapers will respond to what their clients ask of them (as was the case with the author of the “06880” piece). There will always be people who flout regulations, even when there are penalties for doing so. But I’m optimistic that over time, the more people become aware of the existence of the ordinance and why it’s in place, the more people will ask their landscapers to comply.
This has happened in my own neighborhood. After notifying my neighbor about the ordinance when their landscaper continued to use his gas blower, first he stopped blowing when he mows their lawn; then he showed up with an electric backpack blower.
There is actually little reason to blow in summer. Grass clipping are best left in the lawn. Other neighbors have banded together to purchase a commercial-grade electric blower for the person they all use to take care of their lawns.
I’ve heard of other folks who have purchased an electric blower themselves, and asked their landscaper to use it on their property.
… and an electric one.
I know this is not everyone’s experience in town, but things have actually been appreciably quieter where I am in downtown – not silent, but much better.
I’ve heard from friends in another neighborhood that has been taking a very collective, neighborly, civil approach to education in their area as well. Again, it’s not 100% perfect, but it’s positive change.
Westport’s RTM chose not to make its ordinance punitive. It aims for education about the negative health, environmental and quality of life effects of GLBs, and for compliance.
I will note that Greenwich and Norwalk passed ordinances after we passed ours, which go into effect this summer and fall respectively, and they do carry penalties. So any landscapers working in those towns will be subject to fines.
I’m asking everyone to have patience and reasonable expectations. This will take time. Next summer will be better than this summer, and more towns in Connecticut will likely come on board.
But we all need to play a role in speaking with our neighbors, explaining why gas blowers are bad and aren’t really needed during the summer months. Call me naive, but I actually believe most people comply with most laws not because they’re afraid of getting caught and penalized, but because they believe it’s the right thing to do or derive other personal benefit from them (personal safety, better quality of life, etc.).
I don’t stop at stop signs because I’m afraid of getting caught and fined. I do it to keep myself and others safe.
But it takes time for people to become aware of and accustomed to new laws and regulations, and to understand the reasons and benefits of them.
Coming attraction: Shonda Rhimes — and her film “Black Barbie” — at the Westport Library.
The award-winning producer, Shondaland visionary and Westport resident brings her latest project to the Trefz Forum next Monday (June 17), for a special screening.
The documentary will be shown at 6 p.m. A Q-and-A with Rhimes follows.
“Black Barbie” debuts on Netflix on Juneteenth. It tells the story of the 3 Black women at Mattel who were determined to create a doll that looked like them, and the impact that had on the Barbie brand.
The film explores the history of Black dolls, their impact on civil rights and Black entrepreneurship, and the significant role of imaginative play in shaping children’s identity. It includes celebrity and fan reflections on the impact of the doll.
All tickets have been distributed. Click here to join the waitlist.
The Post Road West coffee-and-more spot — just over the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge, for decades earlier the site of Art’s Deli — opened several years ago.
Owner Breno Donatti tells “06880”: “Thank you to the incredible community in Westport. We hope to be back in the future. We will dearly miss our regulars. We will focus on the other stores in Stamford, New York City and Croton for now.”
The Manhattan locations are on 86th and 72nd Streets.
The day before — Saturday, June 15 (4 to 6 p.m.), Pivot Ministries celebrates “Cool Dads Day” at Green’s Farms Church.
There’s a tank, to dunk your dad (or for him to do the honors on his kids). Plus basketball and cornhole challenges, and burgers and dogs. The Pivot Men’s Choir will sing.
The event is free, and the public is invited. Donations are welcome, to benefit Pivot Ministries. They’ve been returning addicted men to their families in Bridgeport, for 54 years.
Supporting them is a slam dunk. ===============================================
Westport students have won 6 Access Awareness Awards.
The annual contest — sponsored by the Area 9 Cable Council and Altice — recognizes student productions broadcast on Altice’s educational access Channel 78 during the school year.
The winners are:
“KHS Buddy Bench” (1st place, Elementary School PSA). Brayden Levy, Shane Warshaw, Alexander Wilson and Jude Hix’s instructor was Tara Doyle, technology teacher at Kings Highway.
“Women’s History Month: Community Highlight” (1st place, Elementary School General Interest Story). KHS students Harper Bell and Madeline Olsen were also taught by Doyle.
“Stress” (2nd place, High School PSA). Jack Schwartz, Allison Cancro, Pranav Pothukuchi and Sanchit were supported by Nicole Moeller, co-librarian at Staples High School.
“On the Wreckord: Inklings: World Language Week” (2nd place, High School School News Story. Mary Elizabeth Fulco teaches Advanced Journalism, the course that produces Inklings.
“Cheetah Vision Special: Women’s History Community Highlight” (2nd place, Elementary School General Interest Story). Jack Bell and Sable Shurman, KHS students, were also taught by Doyle.
“Inklings On the Wreckord” (3rd place, High School News Show).
Congratulations to all the young media stars, and their teachers.
Jack Schwartz, with his Eddy.
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Westport’s own Melissa Newman headlines this week’s Jazz at the Post (Thursday, June 13; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 7; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $20 music cover, $15 for veterans and students).
The popular vocalist is joined by guitarist Tony Lombardozzi, bassist Phil Bowler and drummer Bobby Leonard.
Reservations are strongly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.
And finally … Jacques Cousteau was born on this date, in 1910. The French biologist and author co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) — also called the Aqua-Lung — which he used to make some of the first underwater documentary films.
He died in 1997, age 89.
(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. We rely on support from readers like you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
Ellen Lautenberg is a Representative Town Meeting member from District 7, and chair of the RTM’s Environment Committee.
She has watched with interest the debate over implementation of Westport’s Gas Leaf Blower Ordinance. She writes:
After reading the comments on “06880” about how one unfortunate result of the gas leaf blower ban that took effect May 15 was that people are yelling at landscapers, I want to correct some possible misconceptions.
First, it was created by its sponsors to reduce the health and environmental hazards of gas-powered blowers — namely air pollution and carcinogens — and secondarily, the level of noise.
Screenshot
It allows for electric leaf blowers to be used instead. It is not a noise ordinance. That is a separate issue that would need to be addressed by a new ordinance. In addition, remember that electric blowers make noise too — just not quite as much as gas blowers.
Second, it is being implemented from May 15 to October 15 purposely, because there is minimal need for leaf or grass blowing then, compared to the fall.
This allows landscapers to get used to the process of purchasing and using electric blowers on a smaller scale, as a transition to hopefully using them more year round.
In part, this is due to the electric equipment still not being as inexpensive and efficient as the gas-powered version, but that is changing gradually. The timing was in response to landscapers’ concerns.
A noisy gas-powered leaf blower …
Third, it is not the landscapers’ responsibility, but that of the homeowner to make sure their landscapers know about the ordinance.
Nor is it designed to punish homeowners or landscapers. It would be impossible for the town to know every landscape company that works in Westport, and to enforce the operation of literally dozens of companies.
The Conservation Department is doing their best to respond to calls, but their ability to truly enforce something of this magnitude is limited. This will hopefully make homeowners and landscapers more aware and encourage them to utilize electric options.
Fourth, the ordinance also limited the hours that electric leaf blowers may be used during the summer months to between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., to at least provide some relief before and after those times.
In essence, it was intended as a step in the right direction to protect the health and well-being of residents and landscapers as well as the environment, not as a totally comprehensive long-term plan.
As most people know, big transitions take time, and no perfect plan will satisfy everyone. We hope that as more landscaping equipment becomes easier to get in electric form, this will lead to fewer gas-powered items being used.
… and an electric leaf blower.
Here is the relevant portion of the ordinance:
42-103. Regulation of leaf blower activity.
Electric-powered leaf blowers may be used during the approved hours on all properties within the town.
Beginning on May 15, 2023, gas-powered leaf blowers may not be used on any state or federal holiday.
Beginning on May 15, 2024, gas-powered leaf blowers may not be used during summer.
The use of gas-powered leaf blowers and electric-powered leaf blowers shall be permitted for storm condition clean-up, emergency situations affecting the health or safety of residents, and snow removal operations.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to the use of leaf blowers on state- or town-owned property, or on any property in excess of 20 acres except residential communities, or the use of leaf blowers by public utilities.
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Kristin Schneeman is a Representative Town Meeting member, and a sponsor of Westport’s leaf blower ordinance. She writes:
In January 2023 Westport became one of the first towns in Connecticut to limit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Since then several towns, including Norwalk and Greenwich, have followed suit.
Starting this year, the use of gas blowers will be banned between May 15 and October 15, with a few exceptions and exemptions.
Anyone wishing to use blowers for light-duty summer activities such as blowing grass clippings, pollen and dust must have an electric blower. Please let your landscapers and neighbors know!
The town has chosen to regulate the use of gas leaf blowers for a number of reasons:
Pollution. Most gas leaf blowers use extremely inefficient “two-stroke” engines that spew large amounts of fine particulate matter and other pollutants into the air.
The California Air Resources Board studied lawn and garden equipment, and found that the best-selling commercial gas leaf blower put out more smog-forming pollution in one hour than a Toyota Camry driving 1,100 miles.
Health of residents and workers.The pollutants leaf blowers emit are known to cause cancer, heart issues, respiratory issues, problems in pregnancy, and even premature death for those with certain conditions.
Landscape workers suffer the most, due to chronic exposure.
Gas leaf blowers can also blast air at 200+ miles an hour, kicking up clouds of dust, mold, pollen, animal feces, and other tiny particles that linger in the air. These can irritate and cause health problems for both humans and pets.
Noise.Gas leaf blowers are so loud that they can cause hearing loss fairly quickly for anyone within a 50-foot radius.
Their noise has a strong low-frequency component that makes it travel especially far and pass through walls and windows easily.
A typical crew operating multiple machines generates enough noise to exceed EPA community standards for 800 feet in all directions, making it difficult to concentrate for people working from home or attending school remotely.
Biodiversity. Leaf blowers destroy the natural layer of leaf litter that protects and nourishes plants and wildlife, including pollinators hibernating there for the winter.
Lawn and garden beauty.Simply leaving short grass clippings on the lawn recycles their nutrients into the soil.
In the fall, leaves can be mulched with a lawn mower or left on garden beds, where they will protect plants through the winter, suppress weeds, and improve soil structure and health.
Instead of leaf blowers, we hope Westport property owners will use and encourage their landscapers to use some combination of battery-powered tools, mulch mowing, rakes, and “leaving the leaves” in garden beds.
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From my limited research, cities that have implemented gas-powered leaf blower bans primarily target homeowners for fines. Landscaping companies may also be subject to fines.
