The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee has released the results of its most recent study.
What do 1,955 respondents, plus attendees at focus groups and a townwide charette say>
Surprise!*
Most want Jesup Green to be untouched, for parking or any other use. Some people would even like the open space expanded, toward the river.
The Imperial Avenue parking lot, while used for the Westport Farmers’ Market, Westport Woman’s Club, Levitt Pavilion and Westport Library, is not utilized for downtown shopping and dining.
Presented with 3 sites for a downtown parking deck, nearly 50% favored the Baldwin lot on Elm Street.
For details on those results, and other questions like parking limits, click here.
*Not really.
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Speaking of downtown: With Japanese, Israeli and French cuisine — plus Spotted Horse, Emmy Squared and Mrs. London’s — Church Lane is already a food mecca.
Soon, there will be an ice cream place too.
Van Leeuwen will open in the space previously home to Franny’s Farmacy.
It’s the 4th location in Connecticut for the chain, which features ice cream (including vegan), chocolate chip cookies, cookie sandwiches, sundaes and milkshakes.
The other sites are New Canaan, Darien and Greenwich.
Van Leeuwen also operates shops in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Colorado, Texas and California.
Nothing there sells for $6.2 million, however. To pay that amount for art, you need to go to Sotheyby’s, and be a Hong Kong crypto entrepreneur willing to pony up for a duct-taped banana.
But wait!
What was that, duct-taped yesterday to a utility pole, outside the Riverside Avenue gallery?
The Representative Town Meeting Environment and Health & Human Services Committees meet together on Monday (November 25, 7:30 p.m., Zoom).
They’ll continue their discussion about “concerns related to a potential artificial turf field being added to Long Lots School property, during the new school construction.”
The athletic fields at Long Lots Elementary School are now all grass.
Speaking of the environment: Next year marks the 95th anniversary of the Greens Farms Garden Club.
Members got a jump on the celebration Tuesday. The warm, sunny morning was perfect for palnting daffodils, at Machamux Park on Greens Farms Road.
The name comes from the Mohawk and Wallup Native Americans who settled in the area. They called the area overlooking Long Island Sound “Machaux” (“the beautiful land”).
In the mid-1600’s, colonists arrived. The 5 “Bankside Farmers” bought land along the shore from the Wallups.
It named Greens Farms in honor of John Green, one of the Bankside Farmers. A large memorial rock in the park will be surrounded by daffodils and grape hyacinths next spring — the Greens Farms Garden Club’s contribution to this “beautiful land.”
Second Selectwoman Andrea Moore and Westport parks superintendent Michael West helped prepare the garden bed for the volunteers.
In a few months, we’ll all enjoy their work.
Greens Farms Garden Club members, at Machamux Park.
That was the title of last night’s sold-out Westport Country Playhouse show.
Actor Alan Cumming (“Cabaret,” “The Good Wife”) and American journalist and singer Ari Shapiro (NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Pink Martini) joined forces for an evening of entertainment.
The event’s title paid homage to Cumming’s Scottish and Shapiro’s Jewish roots. It was a night of thought-provoking conversations, slightly bawdy musical numbers and personal storytelling.
Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro: Och and oy! (Photo/Susan Garment)
And finally … Vic Flick, the delightfully named guitarist whose “driving riff in the theme for the James Bond movies captured the spy’s suave confidence and tacit danger,” says the New York Times, died November 14 in Los Angeles. He was 87. and suffered from Alzheimer’s.
(New businesses, art, gardening, sports, schools — it’s all here, just like it is every day, in our “06880” Roundup. If you rely us on for news you can use, please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Last night, the Zoning Board of Appeals discussed an appeal by 2 residents, contesting the Planning & Zoning Commission’s approval of former Planning & Zoning Department director Mary Young’s decision to sign a liquor permit application for Old Mill Grocery & Deli. The ZBA upheld the P&Z decision, unanimously.
A court case regarding the legality of regulation itself continues.
Alcohol may be added to Old Mill Grocery & Deli’s shelves. The issue is now in court.
Another Staples High School graduate is making news on Broadway.
“Cult of Love” — written by 1999 alum Leslye Headland — begins previews at the Helen Hayes Theater on November 20. Opening night is December 12.
This is not the 1999 alum’s first rodeo (or writing venture). It’s her final work in a series called “Seven Deadly Plays.” Inspired by the 7 deadly sins, this one is about pride. It was first staged in Los Angeles in 2018.
“Cult of Love” focuses on 4 adult children of one family and their partners, coming home for a contentious holiday gathering.
Headland has earned kudos as a playwright, screenwriter and director, with hits like the play and film “Bachelorette,” the movie “Sleeping With Other People” the Netflix comedy “Russian Doll” and the Disney+ series “The Acolyte.”
Click here for more information, and tickets. (Hat tip: Werner Liepolt)
“Preparing for College with ADHD: Understanding the Importance of Strengthening Executive Function Skills to Prepare for the College Environment” is the topic of a free webinar (December 5, 7 p.m.).
Stephanie Mitchell, who specializes in learning disabilities/ADHD/autism spectrum disorders boarding school and college advising, will explain key differences between high school and college, in terms of structure, expectations, support and accommodations; why executive functions are important to college success; how students can strength those skills, and more.
There is no cost, but registration is required (click here). The event is sponsored by S4 Study Skills.
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The Representative Town Meeting’s Environment and Health & Human Services Committees will meet by Zoom on November 25 (7:30 p.m.).
There is one agenda item: continuing a discussion about “concerns related to a potential artificial turf field being added to Long Lots School property during the new school construction.”
Spot On Vet opened recently, in the former Men’s Wearhouse (950 Post Road East). A grand opening is set for November 19 (6 to 8 p.m.).
The husband-and-wife team of Dr. Philip and Becky Putter — he’s a veterinarian; she’s a business expert — saw “a gap in the market for clients seeking top-tier customer service, comprehensive care, transparency, and advanced veterinary medicine for their pets.”
Spot On Vet offers emergency medical care; day care and boarding for sick, injured or recovering animals in “luxury accommodations” (well-lit cubicles with small beds).
Owners can watch their pets via camera. Pets can also listen to their favorite music or TV program.
Spot On Vet also offers dental care, a full pharmacy, facilities for major surgeries including orthopedic procedures, medical testing that often can’t be done in a regular veterinary office, physical therapy, and a valet service to pick up pets from home.
The Putters began in 2015, operating out of their living room with a single house-call van. Westport is their second location in Fairfield County.
And they still do house calls.
2- and 4-legged animals were all smiles at Spot On Vet’s ribbon cutting.
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Mexicue is turning Tuesdays into “All Day Happy Hour & Endless Tacos.’
For $25, guests get unlimited tacos, including:
Smoky Chicken with melted cheese, pickled onions, creamy chipotle and chili crisp salsa
Pulled Pork with fresh corn salsa, jack cheese, creamy chipotle and puffed quinoa
Avocado with black beans, corn salsa, salsa verde and cilantro
The Main Street restaurant also offers $10 house margaritas, $9 wine and $6 beers.
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Black holes are a crazy concept. And how better to learn about them than through an MIT expert?
Assistant professor Erin Kara will host a webinar titled “Black Hole Echoes: How We ‘See’ Curved Spacetime, on November 19 (8 p.m.). It’s part of the Westport Astronomical Society’s free online lecture series.
The session will be interactive — though you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home, or go anywhere near a black hole itself.
Jen Greely sends this gorgeous “Westport … Naturally” photo …
… and writes: “My mood was buoyed last week by a new flush of rose blooms in the garden. Then I realized it is November, the leaves are off the trees, and this beauty is the result of daytime temps in the 80s.”
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And finally … we welcome our newest canine (and more) clinic, Spot On Vet, with this classic:
(Hey, dawg! If you like these daily Roundups — or anything else on “06880” — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
I attended Tuesday night’s meeting at Long Lots Elementary School concerning the new building project.
Many residents voiced concerns about the destruction of the mature trees in the parking lot, and flooding problems that could be exacerbated during and after the school is constructed.
Not only are the maple trees beautiful (even at night), but I learned from the homeowners that the trees are an extremely effective source of flood control. They soak up huge amounts of rainwater.
Long Lots Elementary School maple trees.
While none of the officials at the meeting had any specific plans for how flooding would be addressed (since they don’t have any approved plans), they already do have plans to remove the 24 mature maple trees.
I believe it is worthy of forethought to address the flooding issues in the area, while simultaneously designing the building.
The committee seems content to have the architects design the building first, and then let the engineers figure out what to do to address the problems it creates.
I suggest that the environmental engineers work with the architects in tandem, so the design is more congruent with the homeowners’ floodwater concerns.
I do not think it is the most efficient or the most effective strategy to have the design folks throw the plans at the environmental engineers to fix water problems after it is designed.
I am all for a newer and better school for our community. It is great for our kids and community (and home values).
However, it needs to be done in an effective and intelligent manner that does not negatively impact neighbors’ property values, or their quality of life.
(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all. It’s part of our hyper-local mission. But we can’t do what we do without readers’ financial support. Please click here to donate. Thank you!)
The start of construction on the new Long Lots Elementary School — originally planned for this fall — will not take place until next year.
That’s the most recent news from the Long Lots School Building Committee, which met Thursday for the first time since May.
As a result, the 125,882-square foot school will open later than the anticipated September 2026 date.
Site plan for the new Long Lots Elementary School.
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JT Penny understands the power of video games.
And not just because the Staples High School senior is ranked among the top 350 Overwatch players in North America.
He knows that gaming relieves stress, reduces boredom, and offers an escape into a digital playground when times are tough.
JT also knows that, for some children, video games can be actual lifelines.
In addition to defending his Grand Master gaming title — and rowing with the Saugatuck Rowing Club varsity — JT has partnered with a national non-profit charity.
Gamers Outreach has one mission: provide specialized video game stations (“GoKarts”) to kids receiving treatment or recovering in hospitals.
Over the past year, JT collected donations by livestreaming video game playoffs on Twitch from home, and at the Stream-A-Thon hosted by Gamers For Giving at Eastern Michigan State University.
On Wednesday, JT delivered his first GoKart to Yale New Haven Hospital’s Pediatric Unit.
It’s a great partnership. Through the process, JT worked closely with Yale New Haven’s child life gaming and technology specialist Tyler Mahoney.
JT has mastered a high-level video game. He’s won big crew races. Both are great accomplishments.
But his real prize is empowering hospitalized kids, at a time they need it most.
JT Penny (left) and Tyler Mahoney of Yale New Haven Hospital with JT’s GoKart donation, ready for its first patient/gamer.
Ever since the October 7 Israeli massacre by Hamas, Haaretz reporter Lee Yaron has been at work investigating the lives of some of the victims. She’s spoken with survivors, their family members, and first responders in Israel and beyond.
“100 Human Stories” will be published this fall.
On October 14 — one year and one week after the first anniversary of the attack — she’ll be at Temple Israel (7 p.m.). She’ll speak with Rabbis Michael Friedman and Evan Schultz about the events of 10/7, and their continuing impact on Israel today.
The event is free, but pre-registration is required. Click here for details. (Hat tip: Sal Liccione)
Three exciting and diverse events have been added to the Westport Country Playhouse fall calendar.
At “Perfectly Westport: A Fireside Chat with Westport’s Bestselling Author Emily Liebert,” the “Perfectly Famous” writer chats with Westport Magazine editor-in-chief Samantha Yanks about story inspiration, finding an agent, getting published, editing, ghostwriting for celebrities, and balancing career and motherhood.
It’s September 30 (7 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
Hitchcock fans will enjoy “Rear Window: A Night of Suspense.” In advance of the WCP production of “The 39 Steps,” there’s a special screening of the “Rear Window” movie.
Artistic director Mark Shanahan — a Hitchcock scholar and fan, who taught a course on the director at Fordham University for over 21 years — shares his knowledge and insights about Hitchcock.
He’ll highlight key details to watch for. After the movie, Shanahan will explore why “Rear Window” is such a classic.
It’s October 2 (7 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
Then comes “Ghost Stories and Legends” — an evening of classic stories of the supernatural with Broadway’s John Rapson (“Sweeney Todd,” “Les Misérables”).
He’ll present a special version of his solo show of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” plus other ghostly tales.
It’s October 10 (7 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
Featured authors include Clay McLeod Chapman, May Cobb, Gabino Iglesias and Cynthia Pelayo.
The evening also includes a performance by author/puppeteer GennaRose Nethercott, a story told by acclaimed photographer Jesse Freidin, and an appearance from Northeast Storytelling President ChaChanna Simpson, who oversees the Library’s Storytelling Sundays monthly series.
The Power of Story kicks off at 7 pm in the Library’s Trefz Forum. Light refreshments will be served.
StoryFest writers include (clockwise from top left): Clay McLeod Chapman, May Cobb, Gabino Iglesias, ChaChanna Simpson, Jesse Freidin, GennaRose Nethercott, and Cynthia Pelayo).
The switch of 95.9 The Fox — from rock to simulcasting WICC’s news and talk format — has Westport connections, beyond listeners losing a longtime Fairfield County music staple.
WFOX is owned by Westport-based Connoisseur Media. It says the move was made in part because of the departure of New York’s WCBS Newsradio 880.
The other “06880” angle: Westporter Lisa Wexler, host of a very popular morning talk show on WICC, will now be heard by many more listeners.
Lisa Wexler
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How old is the universe?
Pretty old. 13.8 billion years (give or take a hundred million years).
Don’t take my word for it. Ask David Weintraub.
The Vanderbilt University professor of astronomy discusses “How Old is the Universe?” at the Westport Astronomical Society’s next virtual lecture (September 17, 8 p.m.). Click here for the link.
A spectacularly small portion of the very old universe.
Our “Westport … Naturally” feature sometimes showcases egrets doing their thing: hanging out, looking smooth, in water.
This one is doing its other thing: soaring majestically, above the Riverwalk by the Westport Library.
Kudos to Johanna Keyser Rossi, for this very cool capture:
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … in honor of our 13.8 billion-year-old universe (story above):
(“06880” is where Westport meets the world — and the universe. But we can’t do it without our loyal readers’ help. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. And thank you!)
After 2 years of controversy, the Long Lots Elementary School renovation has simmered down.
For a couple of months, we haven’t heard squat from anyone.
On Wednesday, in a note to “Long Lots parents and fellow Westporters,” the Long Lots Building Committee said:
Some time has passed since our last update on April 30. Since then, a good deal of “back of house” work has been either started or completed.
Here are some of the notable items:
The design team (A/E) has been working with the school administration and their staff to fully review and validate each detail of the approved education specifications.
The design team will confirm required room adjacencies and the administration’s team’s overall needs within the ed specs. These discussions will assist the design team during the schematic design process.
Long Lots Elementary School. The new building will be built where the baseball field is now. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
Additionally, the design team has met with the town’s Department of Public Works engineering team to review existing site conditions.
The Building Committee and school administration filed the paperwork with the state of Connecticut to begin the grant application for the new Long Lots School. This application is the first part of the reimbursement process, which will be ongoing throughout the entire project and beyond.
The Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment is now underway. The site assessment is a required part of any new school project. The results of the report will be shared with the public, and will be fully addressed during our work.
As we discussed during recent meetings, additional test borings for the site will begin, most likely the week of August 12. The results from these borings, like the environmental site assessment, will be shared with the public, and will be an integral part in the design of the school and site drainage.
We expect to have a public meeting within a few weeks where these items, plus an initial full project schedule (which is being developed) will be discussed
That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
(“06880” is your place for Westport education and political news — and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
As graduation approaches each year, many Staples seniors think back on their 4 years in high school. They thank the teachers who got them where they are.
Some recall their middle school instructors. A few might even remember those from elementary school.
But they seldom thank them. They just don’t have the chance.
This year, Staples High School provided that opportunity. A first-ever “Senior Walk” in early June offered 200 of the 426 soon-to-be graduates a nostalgic walk through Coleytown, Greens Farms, Kings Highway, Long Lots and Saugatuck Elementary Schools.
Wearing caps and gowns — and accompanied by a playlist of 2017 tunes — they were cheered and high-fived by former teachers and current youngsters.
Staples High School seniors Emma Booth, Brynn Fleisig, Harrison Putman, Mabel Propper, Katherine Frank, Hailey Johnson and Elise Eisenberger visit Greens Farms Elementary School for Westport’s first-ever Senior Walk.
It was gratifying for the educators, inspiring for the current elementary kids, and a literal trip down memory lane for the seniors.
The event will become an annual — and much looked forward to — tradition.
“Bringing the seniors back to their elementary school is a powerful reminder of the community’s impact on their educational journey,” says Staples principal Stafford Thomas.
“It’s a full-circle moment that highlights their achievements, and inspires the next generation to dream big.”
Avery Mueller (left) and Oliver Howard return triumphantly to Coleytown Elementary School.
But one set of graduates went even further. More than half of Talia Varsano’s former Long Lots kindergarten class gathered together, to salute their teacher Roseann Caruso.
The idea originated with Terri Dusch, whose daughter Anna was in the class. Though they’ve moved away she contacted Talia’s mother Karen, who collected contact info and helped make it happen.
The event — at the home of classmate Kai Seo — was rewarding for all. Caruso presented her “old” students with time capsules they’d made 12 years earlier. They compared long-ago hand prints with their much bigger ones now, and read notes they and their parents had written.
Roseann Caruso’s Long Lots kindergarten class in 2012 …
A dozen years ago, neither Caruso nor the students knew that the future Class of 2024 valedictorian was among them. With her friends, Leigh Foran was learning her ABCs — and how to be kind — in that Long Lots kindergarten room.
Over the years, that class — and so many others — have taken different paths. Some are athletes. Others are musicians and actors.
… and 2024.
Talia became an Inklings editor. Now she’s an “06880” intern.
She taped some of the fun at the Caruso reunion. Her video (below) is an important reminder of the difference one teacher can make in many lives.
And — as we all move forward — the importance of remembering our past.
(“06880” is proud to chronicle the journeys of many Westport young people. And older ones too, of course. If you enjoy our coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
For most Westport students, Friday was just one day closer to the end of the school year.
At Long Lots Elementary School, it was a chance to celebrate a national champion.
And a Long Lots alum.
Hundreds of kids — wearing Michigan hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts — gathered in the auditorium to welcome football hero Jake Thaw.
They honored the 2023 NCAA football national champion, chanting “Jake Thaw! Jake Thaw! Jake Thaw!” as he walked across the stage.
The wide receiver and punt returner greeted his former physical education teacher Mark Carmody, who asked him questions submitted by students.
They ranged from what his typical day looks like, to whether he likes syrup on or off his pancakes (on, he said).
The afternoon began with a montage showing Thaw playing football and basketball at Long Lots, Bedford Middle School and Staples High, then catching passes for the Wolverines.
Thaw said, “I’m 22 now. Coming back here, I have memories of being with my friends and doing things like walking through the halls, recesses, lunch — and Mr. Carmody’s classes of course.”
Carmody reminded the students of the book “What Would You Do With a Chance,” which they all read. It features a child who is afraid to take a chance, and misses out on opportunities.
Jake noted that when you have a dream, “take the chance. Take a crack at it.”
“Jake Thaw Day,” at Long Lots Elementary School.
“Who in here wants to play professional sports?” he asked. More than half the auditorium raised their hands.
“I believe you all can do it,” he said.
In addition to leading his Staples football and baseball teams as captain, Jake was named to the all-state academic team. He was also a News12 scholar-athlete.
“It’s not all just being a good athlete to play at a great college,” he said.
“You also have to be well rounded and work hard in school.”
Jake Thaw, with Long Lots friends (and Leo the Lion). (Photos and video/Talia Varsano)
One child asked Thaw if he gets nervous before games.
“Understand, whether it’s a football game or a game at recess, it’s normal to have anxiety,” Jake said.
“But the more you prepare for the moment, everything blacks out, and you’ll be ready to roll.”
His visit neared an end with a proclamation making May 24 “Jake Thaw Day.” A banner in his honor will hang in the school gym.
The students, along with school mascot Leo the Lion — and Jake — ended the afternoon by singing Long Lots’ spirit song.
Jake Thaw
(“06880” proudly covers the achievements of Staples High School graduates — and those of all other Westport schools. If you enjoy those stories, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Board of Selectwomen’s Wednesday agenda (May 8, 9 a.m., Town Hall auditorium) is packed.
Among the 14 items:
A report on discussions between the Police Department and Board of Education, recommended by the selectwomen last month to re-examine the policy that “recreational facilities located on Board of Education campuses are not accessible to those who are not students, staff or invited guests between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on school days,” and how it may apply to Wakeman Town Park while maintaining safe and reasonable school security.
Approving a contract with Lindquist Surveying for services for the Long Lots Elementary School project ($19,500); a contract with Svigals + Partners for architectural, engineering, and furniture, fixtures and equipment for Phase II design and construction of Long Lots ($4.097 million), and a contract with Newfield Construction, for pre-construction services ($145,045).
Wakeman Park — popular with dog walkers, joggers and more during the school day — is adjacent to Bedford Middle School.
“Pure: The Sexual Revolutions of Marilyn Chambers” — will be published May 15.
Chambers is known to Westporters as Staples High School 1970 graduate Marilyn Briggs.
Publicity for the book says: “Marilyn Chambers was the embodiment of the free-spirited ’70s, the world’s most famous X-rated star, and an unappreciated talent whose work in adult films hindered her dreams of becoming a serious actress.
“Raised in an affluent Connecticut suburb, Marilyn catapulted to fame when it was learned that not only had she starred in the groundbreaking X-rated film, Behind the Green Door but was also the model on the box of Ivory Snow laundry detergent (product tagline: ’99 44/100% Pure.’)
“Marilyn was the first woman known primarily for her work in adult films to cross over to mainstream entertainment. She sustained a versatile 3-decade career in entertainment, including roles in dramatic plays, a Broadway musical revue, her own television show, and the lead role in David Cronenberg’s film ‘Rabid.’
But her success in adult films also proved to be her undoing. Marred by a violent relationship with her abusive husband-manager, Chuck Traynor, she developed the persona of a 24-hour-a-day sex star. In the process, she lost her sense of self and spent much of her life searching for her true identity.
“With recollections from family and friends, many of whom have never spoken publicly, along with Marilyn’s own words, and never-before-published photos, Jared Stearns vividly captures the revolutionary career of one of the twentieth century’s most misunderstood icons.”
For more than 4 decades, 5-time Emmy Award-winning producer/director/ musical theater and symphony conductor/ writer (and Westport resident) Andrew Wilk has captured the performing arts for television.
He has recorded everything from artists like Kristin Chenoweth, Joshua Bell; and Itzhak Perlman and performances like the Alvin Ailey Dance Company for prime time broadcast.
As executive producer of “Live From Lincoln Center,” Wilk created renowned musical and theatrical productions for PBS.
He produced 3 Westport Country Playhouse productions for PBS too. At the Library, he created the speaker series “Andrew Wilk Presents.”
On May 22 (7 p.m., Westport Library), he’ll chat with Y’s Men of Westport and Weston past president John Brandt about his career, the stars he’s worked with, and take questions from the audience.
The evening is a collaboration with the Y’s Men’s Classical Music Society. Click here for more information.
“Art in Bloom” — a celebration of the Westport Public Art Collections, with drinks, light bites, art sales, a silent art auction, and a special exhibit of flower-themed works — is set for June 6 (7 to 9 p.m., Westport Woman’s Club).
This is the first fundraiser for Friends of WestPAC is 5 years. They welcome old and new friends, to ensure the continued growth, care, display and educational uses of the collections. Works are exhibited in public building throughout town, including schools, Town Hall, and municipal offices.
Click here for tickets, sponsorship information, and donations.
Westport artist Stevan Dohanos’s Saturday Evening Post cover — part of the Westport Permanent Art Collections — has special significance. The models were all Staples students.
And finally … on this day in 1877, Chief Crazy Horse of the Oglala Lakota surrendered to US troops in Nebraska. He had fought fiercely and proudly to preserve the traditional way of Lakota life, including the Battle of the Little Bighorn the previous year.
Four months after his surrender, Crazy Horse was killed while resisting imprisonment. In 1982 he was honored by the US Postal Service, with a “Great American series” stamp.
(“06880” is your hyper-local “bear necessity.” Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
The Long Lots School Building Committee posted this update yesterday:
“On April 16, after a series of interviews over several weeks to assess qualifications (in particular, qualifications for the sustainability aspects of the project) and reviewing cost proposals, the Building Committee selected Newfield Construction to provide construction management services for the new Long Lots Elementary School, and Svigals & Partners to lead the architectural and engineering team, who will design the new school.
“These 2 firms, along with their consultants, will be recommended to the Board of Selectwomen for their approval.
“The next phase of this exciting project will occur over the next several months. It will be a 3-step process: schematic design, design development and, finally, Construction documents. This will lead to a set of documents that will be used to bid and then build the new school.
“The process will start with additional site testing (e.g., updating the survey, borings for geothermal testing, geotechnical and ground water information, etc.) and refining the site criteria with the design team, construction manager, town departments and the committee.
“Early on in the schematic design phase, a tentative schedule will be developed, allowing each of the town approval bodies and departments to know when information or decisions will be required. The schedule and cost estimates will be updated as we progress through this process.
“Each of these increasingly detailed steps in the design process will be shared with the public during the Building Committee’s meetings. Beyond our working public meetings, we expect to hold public informational meetings where the Building Committee and the architect will present progress drawings.
“We look forward to getting the consultants under contract, moving forward with the design process and keeping everyone updated on our progress.”
Plans for a new Long Lots Elementary School are moving forward. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
Sports fans and entrepreneurs — and sports fans who are entrepreneurs — filled the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum last night, as Startup Westport honored Jimmy Pitaro with its first-ever Innovator of the Year Award.
Startup Westport is our town’s public-private tech entrepreneur partnership. Pitaro is ESPN’s creative, visionary CEO — and a Westporter.
He was interviewed onstage by ESPN host Mike Greenberg — a former Westporter.
The 2 bantered easily, and told stories of their careers. But Pitaro also delivered insights into the sports and media business with depth, breadth and humor.
Both also gave great shout-outs to Westport, as communities to raise families and inspire them with its beauty, its active residents and its vibe.
The perfect ending came from a Bedford Middle School 6th grade student, who represents the future of sports broadcasting. It was an unexpected — but very innovative — finale, for the first of what will become an annual Startup Westport signature event.
Mike Greenberg (left) and Jimmy Pitaro. (Photo/Charlie Scott)
Real Estate Outlook — an annual Fairfield County event co-sponsored by FLB Law, the Greater Norwalk Chamber and the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce — takes place May 22, 2024, at M& T Bank in The SoNo Collection.
This year’s theme is “Housing Matters: Challenges, Solutions and Impacts on Commercial Real Estate.” Networking begins at 8:30 a.m. A panel discussion follows at 9.
Eric Bernheim, head of FLB’s real estate and land use practice, will moderate. Among the panelists: David Waldman of David Adam Realty, developer of Westport’s Bedford Square.
Bedford Square developer David Waldman will discuss housing as it relates to commercial real estate on May 22. (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
The Greens Farms Academy Dragonoids Middle School robotics team has been in existence for only 3 months.
Yet they’ve already qualified for the Vex Robotics World Championships.
The team’s 7 students flew to Dallas recently, to compete in the 3-day competition. The 494 middle schools, from over 30 countries, qualified out of 20,000 teams.
After a very strong first-time showing, GFA won the sportsmanship award in their 80-team division.
Congratulations to the Dragonoids — Ben Kiev, Cooper Mleczko, Dylan Karpf, Liam Haverstick, Lucas Robinson, Mackenzie Bloom and Spencer Shiff — and coaches Nicholas Iacobelli and Berni Lally!
The Greens Farms Academy Dragonoids.
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Staples High School’s annual Pops Concert at the Levitt Pavilion is June 7.
Tickets are not yet available. But the Music Department is reaching out to local business owners for support, by purchasing ads in the program book.
Ad sales help cover concert expenses, and support the 400-plus students involved in Staples’ award-winning music program.
“Seeking Home” — an original cantata for 2 guitars, drums, Native American flute and full choir, with music and score by Rev. Dr. Ed Thompson — will be presented on Sunday (May 5, 10 a.m., the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
Thompson is the UU’s minister of music. His cantata honors the over 5,000 missing and murdered indigenous women, children and their families in North America, on National Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Day.
Longtime Weston resident and volunteer Richard Amill died peacefully on April 19 in Norwalk, surrounded by his family. He was 91.
The New York City native graduated from Brown University in 1954. It was there that he met his wife Nancy Jayne. They married in 1955.
Rick spent his career in educational textbook publishing, with leadership positions at Time Inc., Silver-Burdett, Cowles Communications, Macmillan Publishers, Random House and McGraw-Hill. He launched Learning Supplements, a pioneer in K-12 digital learning.
Rick was an avid reader, from current events and history (especially anything about World War II) to novels by John Grisham.
He was a 25-plus year member, and past president, of the Kiwanis Club of Weston, where he established multiple lifelong friendships.
Rick passionately believed in children and the mission of helping others. He taught reading skills to students in Bridgeport, and mentored elementary, middle and high school students in Norwalk into his late 80s.
He volunteered at Norwalk Hospital’s Outpatient Surgical Center, emergency room and Whittingham Cancer Center into his 90s.
He also volunteered at the Connecticut Food Bank, Read Aloud Program, Norwalk Reads, Homes With Hope, Gillespie Center and Open Doors Shelter.
Rick was a lifelong New York Yankee fan. He attended hundreds of Yankee games, including spring training with his family. He passed his love of the sport and his enduring optimism to all who knew him. He was a devoted father, grandfather and friend.
Rick was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, who died in 2001. He is survived by his sons Andrew (Susan) and Alexander (Jesstyne), daughter Sally, and grandchildren Ryan, Garrett, Sean, Kennison and Callie.
His family thanks the many caregivers who provided support, including the Whittingham Cancer Center, Norwalk Hospital, Waveny Care Center, Maplewood at Strawberry Hill and Constellation Health Services.
Services will be private. The family requests that donations in Rick’s memory be directed to Open Doors Shelter of Norwalk (www.opendoorsct.org).
Rick Amill
==============================================
We’ve featured plenty of flowers in our “Westport … Naturally” series.
But none have been shown as beautifully close-up as today’s image, on Manitou Road.
Thanks to photographer JD Dworkow, for a spectacular spring shot.
With more than $400 million in capital spending looming in our budget forecast, what can taxpayers expect?
Town officials say: We’re preparing.
And: We’ve been there before.
Common Ground — the Westport Library’s project to bring civility back to civic discourse — and the League of Women Voters collaborated last night on an educational forum.
Nearly 100 residents heard 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice, Finance Department director Gary Conrad and others discuss a variety of projects and timelines, and their implications for mill rates, bond ratings and more.
Acknowledging the costs associated with — among other things — a new police/fire/EMS facility, the renovation of Longshore and downtown parking lots, and a new Long Lots Elementary School, Tooker said twice that her goal is for the Westport’s mill rate to remain “stable, consistent and competitive.”
She, Conrad and a pair of independent bond advisors said that Westport’s finances have been well managed. Though debt will rise substantially through the mid-2030s, they expressed confidence that prudent, proactive planning will position the town well for the future.
To provide historical perspective, former 1st Selectman Jim Marpe and former RTM moderator Velma Heller began the event — titled “Preparing Westport for Major Capital Spending” — by citing previous large expenses.
In 1960 for example, the town purchased the failing Longshore Country Club for $1.9 million ($20 million, in today’s dollars). The decision — in the face of a 180-home residential development on the property — showed remarkable foresight, Marpe said.
(It also was done “around a dinner table” by 1st Selectman Herb Baldwin, the Board of Finance and other officials — not in open, transparent meetings — Marpe noted wryly.)
In 1959, a developer wanted to buy the failing Longshore Country Club, and built 180 homes on the land. In just 19 days, the town bought it as a municipal club.
Other major expenditures included new schools in the 1950s and ’60s, Baron’s South, and the Senior Center.
The public debt burden ballooned to $200 million. But Westport kept its AAA bond rating — and paid it off with one of the lowest mill rates in Fairfield County.
Tooker noted that in the private sector — where she worked before entering local politics — leaders are rewarded for being “ahead of the curve.” In government, she said, the key is to be neither too early or too late.
It is not an easy needle to thread. Officials constantly ask what a variety of stakeholders want, and if the town can afford it.
She described the 3 major expenses. The $90 million combined first responder facility would replace the 1980s fire headquarters and 1950s police/EMS building.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, with photos of the Saugatuck firehouse, and police headquarters.
Renovations to Longshore — an asset that attracts newcomers, and serves nearly all residents — would involve racquet sports, the pools, a new golf clubhouse and more, and cost about $40 million. It includes a private partnership with Delamar, which begins renovating the Inn at Longshore next year.
The downtown plan addresses more open space, pedestrian and vehicular safety, and flood mitigation, so that residents and visitors will be encouraged to spend more time shopping, dining and enjoying the Saugatuck River.
Other projects in the 10-year capital plan include sidewalks, bridges, culverts, and equipment like police cars, fire trucks and Public Works vehicles.
The Board of Finance is the first body to approve spending requests. The Representative Town Meeting gives the final okay.
From left: Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Finance director Gary Conrad, and bond advisors Matt Spoerndle, Mike Andreana, and assistant superintendent of schools John Bayers settle in at last night’s forum. Behind them is a list of expected major capital projects.
Scarice noted that when he arrived in the early days of the 2020 pandemic, Coleytown Middle School had recently closed due to mold. The town wanted “no more surprises” with building maintenance.
Studies showed that Long Lots was at the end of its 70-year-old life. Coleytown Elementary School is getting there, though its condition is not as dire.
Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, with a photo of Long Lots Elementary School.
During COVID, meanwhile, Westport’s school enrollment skyrocketed. Our figures far outpaced those of neighboring suburbs, which have remained stagnant or even decreased. That impacts our schools — along with recreational facilities, emergency services and more.
Private bond counselor Mike Andreana said that many towns rely only on 5-year capital forecasts. That is “more reactive,” he said. “Thinking 10 years out is fantastic.”
The panel, with a chart showing Westport’s past and projected debt, from 2001 through 2037. (Photos/Dan Woog)
So what does it all mean for the mill rate?
That is set after looking at the town’s budget, borrowing, reserves, grand list and non-taxable revenues, Tooker said.
It is a rigorous process, done in conjunction with the Board of Finance.
And despite the capital forecast of up to $470 million — a figure, she emphasized, that is not set in stone — the 1st Selectwoman declared, “I am so bullish on our future as a community. There are so many exciting, positive changes.
“I’m not worried,” she continued. “But I take my fiscal responsibility very seriously. It is critical for the mill rate to remain stable, consistent and competitive.
“Westport,” she concluded, “is on fire.”
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