Town officials are closely monitoring the major winter storm forecast.
It’s expected to begin Sunday morning (January 25), with hazardous conditions to continue into Monday.
Models indicate 12 to 18 inches of snowfall across southern New England. Wind gusts of 20 to 30 miles an hour may result in blowing snow and periods of near-zero visibility. The snow is expected to be light and powdery, so widespread power outages are not anticipated at this time.
Fire Chief Nick Marsan says, “This storm has the potential to significantly impact travel and daily activities. Now is the time for residents to prepare, complete errands early, and plan to stay off the roads once snowfall begins so emergency and public works crews can operate safely.”
Department of Human Resources director Elaine Daignault adds, “Extreme cold can be dangerous, especially for seniors, residents without reliable heat, and those facing hardship.
“Our team is ready to help connect residents with warming centers and other critical resources. Please check your furnaces now, and schedule fuel deliveries ahead of the storm. If you or someone you know needs assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Westport residents experiencing hardship due to cold weather can contact Human Services at 203-341-1050 now and tomorrow, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Veterans of Foreign War Post 399 is one of the most active spots in town.
With Thursday night jazz, “Elvis” shows, blood drives, meeting space for non-profits, wedding showers and post-memorial service lunches, a lively bar — and of course, resources for veterans of all ages — the VFW is many things, to many people.
Now it’s gained national recognition.
The 105-year-old Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post 399 was chosen as an “All-American Post” by the VFW Department of Connecticut.
The award recognizes exceptional achievement in advancing core VFW programs, and attaining significant membership growth.
Congratulations on the well-deserved honor, to quartermaster Phil Delgado and the entire VFW crew!
Tee off for the VFW/American Legion golf tournament.
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The Westport Library Big Spring Book Sale begins on Friday.
There is something for everyone, of all ages: thousands of gently used books in over 50 categories of non-fiction and fiction, plus DVDs, CDs, vinyl, ephemera, and framed art. Here is a link to specials, hours of the sale and more.
Speaking of the Library: A timely topic — advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment — is the subject of the next Andrew Wilk Presents: Medical Series.
Moderated by longtime Westport internist Dr. Robert Altbaum, and featuring Dr. Lisa Phuong and Dr. Jeanne Capasse of Nuvance Health — the event is set for June 3 (7 p.m., Westport Library).
Theater kids have a great chance this summer to create — and perform — an original play.
And to do it on the historic Westport Country Playhouse stage.
A 2-week Playhouse Playmakers program runs weekdays, August 4-15 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) for middle schoolers.
Students will write, rehearse, and stage the show. They’ll be directed by actor/ playwright/educator Evette Marie White, and actor/songwriter/educator Stacie Morgain Lewis.
The fee of $995 includes technical rehearsal, materials, and 4 tickets to the performance. Need-based scholarships are available. Read more about the program here.
Stacie Morgain Lewis co-leads the program.
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Speaking of entertainment: 1988 Staples High School graduate Kerri Kenney-Silver plays Anne, an unsuspecting divorcée, in “The Four Seasons,” a current Netflix hit.
The “Reno 911!” and “The State” star spoke recently about her current show.
Anne “thought she was set ’til the day she died. When she finds out that is not the case, she becomes completely untethered. You see her go through the 4 seasons of emotion and grief.”
Netflix says: Kenney-Silver portrays a kaleidoscopic range of emotions and pathos as Anne navigates the ups and downs of divorce, and its rippling effects on their close-knit friend group. Take co-star Colman Domingo’s word for it: ‘She’s just incredible. I feel like she can do anything.'”
Kerri Kenney-Silver in “The Four Seasons.” (Photo/Jon Pack for Netflix)
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Speaking (still) of entertainment: What do Meghan Markle and Kadi Lee have in common?
The other day, Kadi — a 1996 Staples graduate — was a guest on the Duchess of Sussex’s podcast.
They chatted about how Kadi co-founded Highbrow Hippie, then became a favored Hollywood colorist, with a very popular product line.
The women discussed “what it means to grow something from the ground up, how to lead with your values, and why staying connected to your community is the ultimate marker of success.”
Kadi Lee (Photo/Liza Voloshin, courtesy Highbrow Hippie)
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Speaking (yet again) of entertainment: Wetport singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Belknap’s band, Small Craft Warning, just released a new album, “Firefly.”
The band — with Westport singer Elise Gabriel — plays original acoustic music, influenced by the Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter songbook.
Belknap did much of the mixing, using skills learned from Travis Bell in the Westport Library’s Verso Studios. Listen to Firefly on Spotify here.
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TV news is sort of entertainment too, right?
Lonnie Quinn — the Westporter who is chief meteorologist at WCBS-TV, and appears regularly on the “CBS Evening News” — returned to the newsroom on Monday, following a 2-month recovery from a traumatic brain injury.
Speaking of science: Dark matter is one of the greatest mysteries in modern physics. It makes up 84% of the mass of the universe. But more than half a century after its discovery, no one can figure out just what it is.
The General AntiParticle Spectrometer is a new experiment that’s trying.
On May 20 (8 p.m.), the Westport Astronomical Society hosts a talk about it, with Gabriel Lewis Bridges of Columbia University. It will also be livestreamed on YouTube and as a webinar on Zoom.
One of the most visible corners in Westport — North Avenue at Long Lots Road — is also one of the prettiest.
Especially in spring, as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows.
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And finally … as we await the Westport Astronomical Society’s upcoming lecture on dark matter:
(If you can’t find something interesting to do in Westport, you’re just not trying. Or you’re not reading “06880.” If you rely on us to keep you entertained, please support us by clicking here. Thanks!)
Westport’s police station was built in the 1950s — at 1/3 the originally proposed size.
Our fire headquarters dates to the 1970s. It’s too small for modern fire trucks, lacks training space, and has safety deficiencies.
Emergency Medical Services ambulances share bays with large oxygen cannisters. Like police vehicles, they are sometimes trapped on 3 sides by flood waters.
For those reasons — and many more — town officials are exploring a joint Police/Fire/EMS facility. The most appropriate site, they say, is nearly 10 acres, by the current I-95 commuter parking lot on the Sherwood Island Connector.
The public got its first look at the plan — still very early in the concept phase — last night.
A large crowd filled the Senior Center for a presentation by the police and fire chiefs, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, and a pair of architects.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Nick Marsan, at last night’s meeting. (Photo/Dan Woog)
They provided plenty of information.
And they heard a number of questions.
Expansion of fire headquarters — located on Post Road East next to Terrain, since moving from what is now Emmy Squared on Church Lane half a century ago — has been in the town’s capital plan, Tooker noted.
A new or renovated police station — which relocated to Jesup Road over 70 years ago, after sharing space in what was then Town Hall (now Don Memo and Walrus Alley) — has not been listed in that forecast.
Combining the 3 facilities at one first responders’ site would offer savings in efficiency and scale, Fire Chief Nick Marsan and Police Chief Foti Koskinas noted.
An early drawing for a proposed Police/Fire/EMS facility.
Response times would be enhanced in some cases by leaving the congested downtown area. The new location would also offer speedier access to I-95, both for emergencies on the interstate and to reach Saugatuck Shores.
Relocating the police station would also free up dozens of parking spots downtown.
“No one is forcing anything on anyone,” Koskinas emphasized.
“We understand the challenges. We know there are other big projects ahead, likek schools, bridges and Longshore. We’re not saying where in the queue we want to be. But we want to be in it.”
The point of the meeting, he emphasized, was to initiate a discussion on how tax dollars would be spent to ensure safety for residents, employees and visitors all over town.
An early 1950s plan for a new police station on Jesup Road. The current facility is 1/3 the size of this proposal.
Presenters described a number of areas — for example, the benefits of collaboration between 3 departments, the advantages of on-site training, increasing square footage dedicated to ID needs, and cost savings for land, design and infrastructure — that a shared facility could enhance.
Current police headquarters.
Twice, Koskinas noted, the town has turned down opportunities for land that could be used for first responders.
When the current fire station was built, property was available at a former car dealership just east of Crescent Road. That is now the site of Terrain.
And when State Police Troop G moved from Bridgeport to its site at the Post Road East/Sherwood Island Connector junction, Westport was offered the land for $1. Officials turned it down. Today, it’s Walgreens.
Koskinas explained that the proposed location of a new facility on the Connector — just north of the commuter parking lot entrance — was one of the few spots in Westport large enough for all 3 departments.
The current Fire Department headquarters.
Baron’s South, for example, has topographic, access and zoning issues, while using Winslow Park would present traffic and access issues.
Former RTM member John Suggs said that the Connector site was part of an RTM-designated archaelogical preserve. (Adjacent land was the birthplace of Green’s Farms Church’s West Parish.)
Koskinas promised that a new facility would enhance the now-overgrown area, and honor town history.
Building on that property would require relocation of the commuter lot — perhaps south of I-95, closer to Sherwood Island State Park. That would involve negotiations with the state.
The entrance to the shared facility would be just north of the current I-95 commuter parking lot, on the Sherwood Island Connector.
Greens Farms Association president Art Schoeller cited opposition from neighborhood residents, and asked about noise abatement and noise pollution.
“It is the best spot,” another Greens Farms resident acknowledged.
“We’re taking measured risks now,” Koskinas said, referring to Police, Fire and EMS operations.
“Some of the risks are critical. Some are sustainable. But this project touches everyone in town.”
(“06880” will cover this proposed facility all the way to its completion. We do the same for all major Westport news — and all the minor stories too. Please click here to support us. Thank you!)
With over 600 attendees — and many more watching the livestream — it was the best-attended “Booked for the Evening” ever.
With over $750,000 raised, it was the most successful too.
And with special guest Chris Evert and Westport’s own ESPN star Chris McKendry adding to the luster of superstar Billie Jean King, it was certainly the most warm, intimate and inspiring in the Library fundraiser’s illustrious 25-year history.
A small portion of the large crowd, before “Booked for the Evening” began. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The 80-year-old honoree is a tennis icon. She won 39 Grand Slam titles, in singles and doubles. She is an International Tennis Hall of Famer, was ranked #1 in the world 5 times, and launched both the first pro tennis tour for women, and the Women’s Tennis Associaition.
She may be the only athlete in the world to have a venue named after her, while still alive. (And not just any one: The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, where the US Open concluded a few days ago, is the premier facility in the country.)
But — as was noted often, by a wide variety of speakers, on stage and in a loving tribute video by Westporter Doug Tirola — King is much more than an athlete.
She has spent her life fighting against injustice, and for the rights of everyone: women, minorities, the LGBTQ community, and anyone else denied their rights, on the tennis court or in life.
King’s admirers filled the Library’s Trefz Forum. They were there in Tirola’s film, too: Serena Williams, Pam Shriver, John and Patrick McEnroe, James Blake, Stan Smith, Julie Foudy, Christiane Armanpour.
All spoke with humor, respect and awe of King’s impact — on their own lives, on sports in general, and the world at large.
Billie Jean King (left) and Chris McKendry. (Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
McKendry — an admirer from her early days at ESPN — got King to talk about her early life, and career highlights (including how and why Elton John wrote “Philadelphia Freedom” about her; the song was sung on stage by Westporter Sophie B. Hawkins, and a group of talented young girls).
But King’s insights into her use of the platform sports provided, to shine a light on issues like unequal pay for female athletes and the importance of Title IX, were the most compelling parts of the night.
Her character shone through in stories like her friendship with Bobby Riggs. After their much-hyped “Battle of the Sexes” — the 1973 exhibition she won in straight sets — the two grew close. She called him the night before he died; each told the other “I love you.”
Evert — now 69 — made a surprise appearance. Calling King “the 8th wonder of the world,” she recounted the older woman’s mentorship — including King’s delight at Evert beating her, heralding the next generation of great female players.
Chris Evert (left) joins Billie Jean King and Chris McKendry. (Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
“She even helped me during my breakup with Jimmy Connors,” Evert noted, underscoring the fact that King — who has been in a 40-plus years relationship with South African player Ilana Kloss — is wise in many areas.
Or, as Evert noted, “Billie Jean has more wisdom than anyone I’ve met in my life. And I’ve met a lot.”
“Lots of therapy,” King quipped.
King talked about how much has changed in women’s tennis. Players today have “teams” of coaches (“all men,” King noted sadly), trainers, psychologists, nutritionists and more.
In her day, King traveled alone, and with only 2 racquets. (“Now they have 3 bags for them.”)
But, she said, “I’m thrilled for them. That’s what I fought for.”
When McKendry asked what King is most proud of, she demurred.
“I don’t think that way. I think forward. Maybe when I’m older …”
Near the end, McKendry asked, “All over the world, women’s sports are now having a moment. What’s that like for you?”
Like a great tennis player, King found the best angle.
“I’m the first athlete you’ve had here” as a “Booked for the Evening” honoree, she said.
It’s a star-studded list of writers, artists and others: Tom Brokow, E.L. Doctorow, Calvin Trillin, Wendy Wasserstein, Pete Hamill, Martin Scorsese, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Halberstam, Patti Smith, Jon Meacham, Nile Rodgers, Lynsey Adddario, Alan Alda, Justin Paul, Frederic Chiu, Itzhak Perlman, Shonda Rhimes and more.
“Tonight, your first athlete was a woman. You have no idea what that means to me,” King said.
She was also the first female athlete to get the Presidential Medal of Freedom, her wife — who joined her onstage — said.
“You are the OG, and you helped build it,” Kloss added proudly.
Ilana Kloss, Billie Jean King’s wife. The couple were married in a small ceremony, by former New York Mayor David Dinkins. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The evening ended with Library director Bill Harmer noting that King’s father, Bill Moffitt, was a firefighter.
Westport Fire Chief Nick Marsan announced that King — who “embodies the department’s core values of courage, resilience and a desire to serve every person” — is now an honorary Westport firefighter.
He gave her a Westport firefighter’s hat, inscribed with her initials.
She looked as delighted as if she held the Wimbledon trophy.
Westport Fire Chief Nick Marsan hands Billie Jean King a plaque, and a firefighter’s hat. Library director Bill Harmer looks on proudly. (Photo/Dan Woog)
(“06880” is where Westport meets the world — and readers meet icons like Billie Jean King. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
A reminder: Tomorrow’s (Sunday) CT United motorcycle ride will impact travel on Riverside Avenue, Wilton Road — and cross streets — from Exit 17 to the Wilton line.
The event — paying tribute to the victims and first responders of 9/11 — is the largest motorcycle ride in the state.
It begins around 11:30 a.m. at Sherwood Island State Park. Hundreds of riders head south on I-95; take Exit 17, and then proceed to Wilton, and on through 7 towns before ending in Bridgeport.
The route is closed and continuous. With the assistance of a police escort, motorcyclists drive through traffic lights and do not stop at stop signs.
Drivers should expect extended traffic delays along the route — potentially 45 minutes or longer. Alternate routes are recommended.
The start of the CT United ride, at Sherwood Island State Park. (Photo/Penny Pearlman)
Now — just in time for nice fall walking weather — the Historic District Commission has updated its self-guided walking tour.
And made it available digitally.
The fascinating and important project — overseen by HDC member Bill Ryan — includes nearly 3 dozen homes and other structures (plus a cemetery) on Wright Street, Kings Highway North, Old Hill Road, Edge Hill Lane and Wilton Road.
Kings Highway walking tour. Detailed information about each home is available by clicking on the Historic District Commission link above.
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The other day, we previewed Diane Benke’s upcoming Swedish swimrun.
The Westport mom was preparing to swim — tethered to a partner — to an island in the Stockholm archipelago. Then they’d race across the rocky surface, plunge back in the water, and do it again.
Two dozen times.
The Ötillö Swimrun World Championship involves 46 transitions: water to land, and vice versa. She hoped to race across 24 islands in all.
The pair needed to make cutoff points along the way. If they did not get to a point within a certain time, they could not continue.
Diane Benke and her swimrun partner, Chrissy Halioris of Louisville, Kentucky.
Diane is back home. Unfortunately, she says, she and her partner missed the second time cut-off by just 6 minutes.
“It was a huge disappointment,” Diane says. “Our race ended after over 5 hours on the course.
“It was a beauty and a beast! The water temperature was in the 50s. Conditions were pretty rough at the start, but you deal with the hand you’re dealt.”
Despite her early finish, Diane says, “it was so cool to be there. And it was such an incredible experience!”
Look closely — that’s Diane Benke, in the high yellow socks.
She hopes to try again another year — perhaps partnering with her husband Blake, an endurance athlete himself. (Click here to read an “06880” story about his 2013 adventure: a 153-mile Spartathlon race in Greece, tracing the journey of Pheidippides from Athens to Sparta.)
Meanwhile, Diane says, “I would love to grow the pool of local swimrunners in our community.”
Congratulations, Diane — on training for the swimrun, then spending 5 hours at, in the water and on land.
You have my admiration and huge respect, delivered warmly right here from the comfort of my home.
The Japan Society Fall Festival — scheduled for today at Jesup Green — has been postponed to tomorrow (Sunday, September 8, 1 to 4 p.m.). Threatened rain — which could harm the traditional drums — forced the delay.
The Fall Festival includes Taiko drumming, Bon Odori dance, booths with Japanese crafts and other products, and — new this year — a demonstration of Radio Taiso, a gentle fitness routine set to music.
The 2019 Japan Festival on Jesup Green.
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Westport Fire Chief Nick Marsan spoke at yesterday’s Sunrise Rotary Club meeting.
He described the Community Connect program, and how it helps first responders during emergencies.
Sunrise Rotary has a special connection to the WFD: They provide the “river” that plastic animals course down during the annual Great Duck Race.
In conjunction with StoryFest 2024, the Westport Library will showcase 2 art mediums related to their own kinds of storytelling.
The history, present and future of cartooning, and an album cover art retrospective, headline 4 new exhibits. They run from today (Saturday) through December 10.
The history of cartooning in Fairfield County is on display at “Cartoon County: The Golden Age of Cartooning in Connecticut” in the Sheffer Gallery.
It will display works from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection, featuring more than 40 original cartoons by area greats including Dik Browne, Mel Casson, Stan Drake, John Cullen Murphy, Leonard Starr, Jack Tippit and Mort Walker.
Visitors can explore the medium’s current condition and vision for the future with “The State of Cartooning” in the South Gallery.
Works by members of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society include Greg, Brian, and Neal Walker, who carry the legacy of their father, Mort Walker, the creator of “Beetle Bailey.”
As it did in the spring, the Jesup Gallery exhibit will focus on country music this fall. Drawn once more from the collection of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame keyboardist and record producer Mark Naftalin (Paul Butterfield Blues Band) and his wife, Ellen Naftalin, “Art of the Album: Country” showcases tcovers from the 1920s through the ’70s.
Longtime Westport resident Marie Carpenter died Thursday, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. She was 96.
The Scarsdale, New York native served in the Civil Air Patrol after World War II.
She worked for many years as a real estate agent here, first for Mila Grieb Village Realty and then Coldwell Banker.
She was an avid scuba diver, tennis player and skier. and a member of the Norwalk Ski Club.
Survivors include her son Mark S. (Donna Marie) of Lakeway, Texas, and nephew Walter Greenwood of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She was predeceased by her husband Stanley, and sister Helen Thornton.
A graveside service will be held September 13 (11 a.m., Willowbrook Cemetery). In lieu of flowers, contributions in Marie’s name may be made to Potter League for Animals. Click here to leave online condolences.
And finally … Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian pianist, composer who came to fame with his Brasil ’66 combo, and was a popular performer for more than 60 years, died Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 83, and suffered from long COVID.
(If it’s happening this weekend — or any time else — you’ll read about it on “06880.” Please click here to help us continue covering everything going on in Westport. Thank you!)
Thousands of Westporters use Nixle. The nimble notification system allows town officials to alert residents via text, email or phone about emergencies: floods, downed wires, police activity, tornadoes, gas leaks, missing persons and more.
Messages can be sent to every resident in town, or an affected neighborhood or group. Users select how they want to receive notifications.
Now, the town has added another advancement to enhance safety.
Community Connect provides first responders with critical information about residents, businesses and their properties during incidents and major disasters.
The secure, user-friendly platform allows Westporters to voluntarily share essential household information with emergency service personnel.
The details — emergency contacts, special needs and more — enable first responders to act even more swiftly and effectively than they otherwise could.
When first responders approach a house, the more information they have, the better. (Photo/Westport Fire Department)
Among the information for homeowners and renters: type of residence; fire sprinklers; gas, water and electric shut-off locations; fuel storage tanks; pools; a designated family meeting place; mobility or health issues of any family members; any pets, a gate code and more.
Information for businesses includes emergency plans; procedures in place for staff and guests; mobility issues; access and utility details; fire control systems; hazardous materials on site; emergency contact details of owners and managers, and more.
Fire Chief and emergency management director Nick Marsan
“Community Connect is a valuable tool for our community,” says Westport Fire Chief and emergency management director Nick Marsan.
“Having access to critical details can significantly enhance how we manage and resolve the situation. This proactive approach enables us to serve our residents in the most efficient manner when it matters most.”
The application is voluntary, and residents have full control over the information they choose to share.
Data entered into Community Connect is protected by the highest security standards, Marsan says, and is used exclusively to improve emergency response services.
Town officials welcome community feedback, to ensure the system meets residents’ and businesses’ needs.
Residents and business owners can create profiles now. Click here to begin.
(Every day, “06880” offers news you can use. If you appreciate our work, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
When disaster strikes — a hurricane, say, or a toxic chemical spill on I-95 — the question isn’t “Who you gonna call?”
It should be: “Who’s gonna call you?”
The answer is simple: Nixle.
The town-wide notification system can mean the difference between losing your car to a flood, or moving it to higher ground. Or driving into downed wires, or avoiding the area completely. Or dozens of other dangerous scenarios, which — thanks to modern technology — Westport’s emergency services personnel and first responders can now warn us about.
Nixle is nimble. Notifications can be sent in any form residents want to receive them: text, email or phone. They can be sent to every resident in town, or only an affected neighborhood or group.
They can even be scheduled by time. We can get an alert first thing in the morning — but it won’t unduly alarm us at 3 a.m.
When disaster strikes — as it did during Hurricane Isaias, here on Prospect Road near Hillandale — Nixle can warn of road closures.
Nixle is an opt-in system. (To sign up, text 06880 to 888777, or click here.)
It’s used by Westport’s emergency management team, and the Police Department.
The other day, emergency management director Nick Marsan and Police Captain Dave Wolf described the system.
It can be used for a variety of situations, including drinking water contamination, utility outages, evacuation notices, unexpected road closures, missing persons, fires, flash flood and tornado warnings, bomb threats, chemical spills and gas leaks.
It is used sparingly, Marsan and Wolf stress, in public safety and emergency situations. In other words: Nixle will notify users about a flash flood. It will not be used every time rain is coming.
(Big storms, yes. A Nixle message might say “65 mph winds are expected. Stay off roads, and prepare for long-term power outages.”)
A Nixle text alert …
Officials want to ensure that when residents get a Nixle alert, they understand it’s serious.
That’s why Nixle is not used for heavy traffic (an all-too-common occurrence). If, however, traffic lights are inoperable, or detours are in place, an alert could be sent.
(So how can you find out about “normal” traffic issues? Sign up for Police and Fire Department’s social media: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.)
Officials realize that residents get information in a variety of ways: texts, calls, emails.
Some older residents prefer old-fashioned phone calls. Nixle sends those too (and leaves a message, if the call is not answered).
Text messages are brief, and to the point: “Long Lots Road is closed between Turkey Hill and Hyde Lane, due to a car fire.” Emails and phone messages can be longer.
Only a few people in each department have authority to issue a Nixle alert. That prevents over-use of the system.
“Unless a meteor is coming, we have a few minutes to plan our message,” Marsan says.
Typically there is a quick discussion before an alert is issued, to ensure that the proper message goes out, to the right audience.
Not every resident needs to know, for example, to move to higher ground during a storm surge. But those living near the shore do. Any Nixle message can be sent to the entire town, or any segment of it.
(If you’re signed up, you’ll get an alert even if you’re not physically here. That’s helpful, if you need to tell a nanny or neighbor the news.)
… and the dashboard. It shows that 2 flood alerts were sent to over 6,000 text recipients, more than 3,000 email users, and over 100 phone lines.
Human Services Department Elaine Daignault also uses Nixle. She maintains a list of residents who may be particularly vulnerable during emergencies. She can offer information, and ask if they need food or other resources.
Many people on Daignault’s list — including those with vision issues — prefer the phone to emails or texts. Nixle allows her to communicate easily, by recorded voice.
Marsan and Wolf point to unexpected uses of the system. One morning, heavy — and unexpected — ice caused several accidents. A Nixle message went out: “Extreme ice conditions throughout Westport.” Residents were urged to take care when walking outside, getting in and out of cars, and driving.
It’s also been used — successfully — to find residents reported as missing.
“We’ve never regretted sending out a message,” Wolf says. Over time, though officials have refined exactly what they say, and how they say it.
Nixle has not yet been used in Westport for an active shooter, or a hazardous chemical release after a rail accident. Hopefully, it never will be.
But if either event — or any other unforeseen incident — happens, Nixle will let us know.
We just have to sign up for it.
(To enroll in Nixle, text 06880 to 888777, or click here. You’ll also have an option to enroll in a database for notification by state officials.)
When Saugatuck Shores floods, Nixle sends targeted messages to the neighborhood. (Photo/Michele Sorensen)
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A sign on a house being renovated on Soundview Drive advertises the Summer Stroll. Sponsored by “06880” and the Compo Beach Improvement Association, it will be — just like yesterday — a time to party on the beach exit road, without cars.
Mark July 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: live music, kids’ activities, food and fun!
(Photo/Sunil Hirani)
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The Compo Beach pickleball courts are still relatively new.
But they’re getting an upgrade:
(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)
Next up: the skate park?!
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The Westport Library begins its new fiscal year by welcoming 3 new board members.
Longtime member Pat Wieser starts her first full term as president. She stepped in for immediate past president Barrie Rosen earlier this year.
Bob Boroujerdi now serves as senior vice president, and Ben Chan as treasurer. Melissa Banks continues as secretary.
Other executive team members who return are finance chair Scott Bennewitz, new governance and nominations chair Martina Sze, and new development co-chairs Randy Herbertson and Mark Silverstein.
Stefano Pacifico and Sheila Ward roll off the board at the completion of their terms.
Joining the board for 2024-25 are attorney and community activist Sheri Gordon, leadership expert Kathleen Guion, and nonprofit executive and consultant Liza Van Gundy.
Westport Library board. Top row (from left): Ben Chan, Andrea Berkley, Peter Zakowich, Jay Norris, Bob Boroujerdi, Randy Herbertson, Jeremy Price, Scott Bennewitz. Bottom: Kathleen Guion, Andrew Wilk, Pat Wieser, Sheri Gordon, Melissa Banks, Martina Sze.
If you wonder what sparked the idea for a Broadway musical, check out “They Made It a Musical” at the Westport Country Playhouse (4 performances, July 18- 20).
The show features anecdotes about the origins of recent hits (“Hamilton,” “Titanic”) and classics (“Fiddler on the Roof,” “Oklahoma!,” while a cast of six Broadway performers celebrate the legendary songs.
Creator/director Laurence Maslon is a Broadway historian. For more information and tickets, click here.
“Oklahoma!”‘s route to Broadway began with this show, at the Westport Country Playhouse.
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These wild animals in front of the Furniture on Consignment II store next to Bar Lupa are not exactly “Westport … Naturally” material.
And finally … on this date in 1890, Idaho was admitted as the 43rd US state.
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