Tag Archives: Long Lots School Building Committee

Roundup: Long Lots, Music, Drag …

Posted on May 21, 2024 | 6 comments

The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight (Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).

The one agenda item is to “provide general status updates and outline next steps in the project process.: There will be public comment, as time allows.

The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight.

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“06880” reported yesterday that Experience Camps raised over $150,000 at Sunday’s Day of Champions, to support their summer programs for children who have lost parents or siblings.

The actual total was $157,129 (and still rising).

But that wasn’t the only fundraiser the Westport-based organization held.

There was another Day of Champions in Sharon, Massachusetts. It was anchored by Tracy Hoffman — sister of Westporter Melissa Post.

And it brought in another $112,000.

Congratulations to all the champions, in both towns.

Sunday’s Day of Champions. And this is not even all of them!

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This winter, “06880” highlighted Nola Beldegreen’s work as an executive coach, specializing in speaking and communication skills.

Specifically, the Westporter helps teenagers and young adults overcome phone anxiety. Many are hesitant — even fearful — to talk on the phone with strangers.

Or even people they know.

The other day, she was a guest on Erin and Sara Foster’s “The World’s First Podcast.”

On Sunday, Sara told her nearly 750,000 followers:

Last evening, Sara Foster posted on her Instagram story to her 748K followers about the podcast episode that I did: “We recorded this episode a few weeks ago and I just listened to it. Loved it. Will be so helpful for so many you!”

Click here to listen. Then tell your friends about it.

By voice or text.

Nola Beldegreen

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Jackopierce — the duo with 1987 Staples High School graduate Cary Pierce and his Southern Methodist University classmate Jack O’Neill that has shared stages with Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, Matchbox Twenty and Widespread Panic — continues to release new music twice a month.

Among the tunes gaining plenty of traction: “Need You Most.”

Click here to listen. Click here to read all about Jackopierce.

Jackopierce: Cary Pierce (right) and Jack O’Neill.

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Speaking of music: This Thursday’s Jazz at the Post honors “The Night of the Cookers.”

The evening celebrates the 1965 live LP of the same “Cookers” name, featuring trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. This time, trumpet masters Joe Magnarelli and Andy Gravish showcase the spontaneity and majesty of that historic moment in jazz history.

Joining them are saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall, pianist Michael Cochrane, bassist Yuriy Galkin and drummer Steve Johns.

The Staples Jazz Ensemble kicks things off, at 7 p.m.

Shows are May 23 (7 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 6:30; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $20 music cover; $15 veterans and students). Reservations are strongly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

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Just in time for Pride Month: Westport’s 3rd annual drag show is back.

The 18+ event is called “Chic + Cheeky.” Sponsored by Westport Pride, it’s June 14 (7 to 9 p.m., MoCA Westport).

Headliner Patty Bourree is “a chic chanteuse and mouthy comedienne known for her big voice, hilarious parodies, vintage style and bad attitude.

Tickets include hors d’oeuvres (7 to 7:30), drinks, and photos after the show. Click here to purchase.

PS: “Dressing fashion forward is a must!”

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Mary Ann Batsell died unexpectedly on Friday.

The Westport native, who lived in the area for over 70 years, will be remembered for “her love of the beach, her gardens, her tireless energy and her wit,” her family says. “She had a generous heart, and was always willing to help others.”

She is survived by her daughter Lori of Anna Maria Island, Florida; sisters Sara of Fairfield and Jalna of Norwalk; brothers Rene of Woodinville, Washington and Jonathan of Westport, and her long-time companion Joseph Nazzaro of Westport.

Friends may call at Harding Funeral Home on Thursday (May 23, 4 to 7 p.m.). A funeral mass will be held at Assumption Church on Friday (May 24, 10 a.m.).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Connecticut Audubon Society, 314 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.

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Sivan Hong explains today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo:

“These fox pups (there are actually 3) have been living right outside my kitchen for 2 weeks.

“We have only seen the mama at night. But these guys play for hours during the day like a bunch of puppies, getting into everything. Too cute!”

(Photo/Sivan Hong)

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And finally … in honor of next month’s show at MoCA (story above):

(You know what’s a drag? Reminding readers that “06880” relies on contributions. But we’ll keep doing it, because … funds. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

6 Comments

Posted in Education, Entertainment, Media, Obituaries

Tagged Cary Pierce, Day of Champions, Experience Camps, Jackopierce, Jazz at the Post, Long Lots School Building Committee, Mary Ann Batsell, Nola Beldegreen, Westport Pride

Roundup: Budgets, Traffic Safety, Couch Potato Salad Contest …

Posted on March 20, 2024 | 2 comments

Westport’s 2 budgets — town operations, and education — passed big hurdles this week.

On Monday, the Board of Finance okayed First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker’s $84,380,124 proposal. It’s a 1.96% increase from the current year.

Last night, it was the Board of Education’s turn. Their $147,300,744 request represents a rise of 8.08% over the current year. Much of that is driven by health insurance.

Both budgets now move to the Representative Town Meeting, for final approval.

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Tomorrow’s Board of Education meeting (Thursday, March 21; 7:30 p.m., Staples High School cafeteria) includes discussion of redistricting, and a Policy Committee update.

The Policy Committee meets today (Wednesday, March 20; 11 a.m., Town Hall auditorium) for a 6th reading of possible revisions to the Student Discipline document.

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Last month, “06880” wrote about — and linked to — a new online map. It gives residents a chance to provide feedback on Westport’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan project.

Users easily zoom in on a particular place in town. The map has 3 options to drop a pin, and offer feedback: “Safety Concern”; “Safety/Improvement Idea”; “Good Example.” There’s a chance too to like a previous comment (and see how many other residents agree).

In the month since, Westporters have made dozens of suggestions and comments.

You can see them all. Click here; then scroll down, and click “Continue.”

You can also add your own thoughts. It’s a dynamic, ongoing — and very interactive — map.

PS: Click here for the “Traffic & Pedestrian Safety” page on the town website.

Every icon represents a bad or dangerous spot (orange thumbs-down); something good (blue thumbs-up), or a comment (gray light bulb). Each icon is clickable, to read details.

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Couch Potato Salad — the great new illustrated word puzzle game developed by Westporter Zack Gross — is adding players every day.

(What’s it all about? Click here for the very fun back story.)

Now you can see how you stack up against everyone else. And win $100 while doing so.

Every day, Couch Potato Salad posts a clever image. It describes 2 common phrases, linked together by a shared word in the middle. The image above shows (duh) “Couch Potato Salad.”

Couch Potato Salad’s March Madness competition is free to enter. All you need is a creative brain.

Just click here. Sign in. Play the daily puzzles from today (March 20) through March 31.

The top 3 scores earn $100 each. Winners are the 3 players who solve the most puzzles out of the 12.

Tiebreakers are: Most Nailed (got the answer in one entry), Most Sailed (did it piecemeal), and finally, time (quickest solutions).

Can you figure this one out? The answer is at the end of this item.

The site gives you all the info you need to play (it’s easy). Sign in using an email and password (not the “password-less” login).

Some puzzles are dated prior to March 20. You can play them, but they won’t count for this competition.

You don’t have to play the puzzles on the day they are posted. But there will be a leaderboard, so you can see how you stack up.

Good luck! Questions? Email couchpotatosaladgame@gmail.com.

The answer to the “Couch Potato Salad” image above: Gingerbread Man Cave.

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Right on schedule, they’re back!

Westport’s favorite raptors — the ospreys — have returned to their perch next to Fresh Market.

Dana Kuyper was the first one to spot them, yesterday. She sent this photo:

(Photo/Dana Kuyper)

As we do every spring, “06880” will follow their adventures — and their new family — with interest and joy.

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The Long Lots School Building Committee holds a meeting tonight (Wednesday, March 20, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 309).

They’ll go into executive session to discuss A/E RFQ submissions with invited candidates.

There will be public commend and/or questions, as time allows.

Long Lots School Building Committee, at an earlier session. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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MoCA Westport’s new exhibition opens with a reception and special performance by Sahmra Sawyer (also known as Supreme Divinity) tomorrow (Thursday, March 21, 6 to 8 p.m.).

“It Will Go On” merges MoCA’s gallery space with the first New England installation of the Black Art Library. The exhibit explores how the visual and the literary intersect, and inspire each other. It “urges visitors to interrogate contemporary forms of silencing, quieting, and censorship.”

The exhibition runs through June 16, and is free for MoCA Westport members. There is a $10 suggested donation for non-members.

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Longtime Westporter Margaret Labbance DeMace died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Friday. She was 91.

She was born in Fairfield. When I-95 was built, she and her mother relocated to Westport. A neighbor, Dominick DeMace, became the love of her life.

They married in 1955. She proudly raised 3 children, and cherished her role as grandmother and great-grandmother. S

Marge enjoyed winters in Florida, and mission trips the couple took with Assumption parish. She was an active member of its prayer network, and a devoted attendee at Saturday mass.

She was predeceased by her husband. Marge is survived by her children David, Danielle Yingling and Dominick (Joanne); grandchildren Stephanie Fagan (Joseph); Christina Bierwirth, and Natalie, Emily, Elisabeth and Eric DeMace, and great-grandchildren Connor and Devin Fagan, and Andrew Bierwirth, as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive relatives and friends today (Wednesday, March 20) from 4-7 p.m. at Harding Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at Assumption Church tomorrow (Thursday, March 21, 10:00 a.m). Burial will follow at Saint John’s Cemetery in Norwalk.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to Assumption Church may be made in her name.

Marge DeMace

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo could have been taken at many Westport locations. Spring is popping up everywhere.

This shows the scene at Burying Hill Beach.

(Photo/Wendy Levy)

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And finally … Vera Lynn was born on this date, in 1917. The English singer — who, along with Winston Churchill, was an enormous inspiration to her country during World War II — died in 2020, at 103.

(Don’t be a couch potato! Please click here to support “06880,” your hyper-local blog. Thanks!)

2 Comments

Posted in Arts, Education, Environment, Local politics, Obituaries, Transportation

Tagged Couch Potato Salad, Long Lots School Building Committee, Marge DeMace, MoCA Westport, ospreys, traffic safety, Westport Rotary Club

Roundup: Hazardous Waste Day, Bernadette Peters, Long Lots …

Posted on March 14, 2024 | 2 comments

Westport’s next Hazardous Waste Day is Saturday, April 13 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Greens Farms railroad station).

The free program enables residents of Westport, Norwalk, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich to safely dispose of household hazardous wastes.

Residents of those towns may bring these types of hazardous waste: gasoline, kerosene, spray paint, paint strippers, paint thinners, solvents, paints, stains, turpentine, varnishes, wood preservatives, degreasers, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, bleach, charcoal lighter, cleaning chemicals, drain cleaners, mercury thermometers, moth balls, pet flea shampoos, photo chemicals, rug shampoos, spot removers, art supplies and paints.

Make sure items are clearly labeled.
Never mix chemicals!
Keep products in their original labeled containers.
Place leaky containers in clear plastic bags.
Tighten lids of all containers, and pack items in sturdy cardboard boxes lined with paper.
Put boxes in the trunk or in back of the vehicle, away from passengers.
Leave pets and children home when bringing hazardous materials for collection.
This is the first Hazardous Waste Day of 2024, so lines may be long.

Westport residents may recycle antifreeze, motor oil, batteries of any type, light bulbs and electronics at the transfer station on the Sherwood Island Connector, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon.

The following items are NOT acceptable: ammunition, flares, commercial hazardous waste.

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The Westport Country Playhouse has hosted many big names.

On May 19, it adds another: Bernadette Peters.

The stage, film and television actor and singer has won 4 Emmy Awards, 3 Tonys, and a Golden Globe. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Peters just finished a successful West End debut in “Old Friends,” celebrating the life and work of Stephen Sondheim.

Tickets for the evening of song are $250 and $175. All proceeds benefit live theater at the Playhouse. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

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The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight (Thursday, March 14, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 309).

Two items on the agenda:

Executive discussion to discuss Request for Quote submissions, with invited candidates.
Public comment and/or questions, as time allows.

Discussion continues, on a new Long Lots Elementary School.

Meanwhile, next Monday (March 18, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker will present the town budget for fiscal year 2024-25 to the Board of Finance.

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A large crowd filled Mitchells of Westport for last night’s meet-and-greet with University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, and his team.

Among the attendees: Emily Bernier. She wore her UConn shirt. Meeting the legendary Auriemma was fun — and so was posing with her idol, Paige Bueckers:

The event was a fundraiser for Bleeding Blue for Good, the organization that provides name, image, likeness opportunities for Husky athletes.

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There is no limit on beach sticker sales to people who live in Westport and Weston.

However, only 450 stickers are sold to folks living anywhere else.

Those non-resident sales began yesterday, online and in person.

The photo below shows the woman (on the right) who purchased the first non-resident sticker.

She looks delighted.

Like the rest of us, she can’t wait to shed her coat, and — starting May 1 — put that sticker to good use.

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Registration is open for a slew of Wakeman Town Farm classes and events, for children and adults.

They include:

Kids’ spring classes
Kids’ summer camp
Kids’ Easter and Passover cooking (April 26, 4:15 to 6 p.m., ages 6-12)
Backyard chicken-keeping (April 4 and 25, May 9, 6:30 p.m.)
Canning class: jams and pickles (April 30, 6:15 p.m.).

Click here for details and registration information.

Want to raise chickens? Wakeman Town Farm will teach you.

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Jill Dunn‘s speed dating events are attracting big crowds.

And some great success stories.

The next are on Tuesday (March 19, Walrus Alley).

There are actually 2: one of people in the 30s-40s range (7 p.m.), the other for singles 55+ (5 p.m.).

Space is available for all (particularly for “great men” in the older group).

Click here for tickets to next Tuesday’s events. Click here for more news and information for singles.

Speed dating at Walrus Alley.

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Westport Police made no custodial arrests between March 6 and 13.

They issued these citations:

Traveling unreasonably fast: 12 citations
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 5
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 3
Speeding: 2
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
Failure to renew registration: 2
Failure to obey traffic control signals: 2
Passing a standing school bus: 1
No passing zone violation: 1
Following too closely: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to comply with dog ownership requirements: 1
Permitting dog to roam: 1
Failure to comply with tinted auto glass regulations: 1
Failure to return plates: 1

Westporters love dogs. But you can’t let them roam. And they have to obey all regulations. (Photo/Dana Altman)

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Last week, “06880” reported that Nate Colman and Jonah Rothlein’s documentary was one of 15 finalists for C-SPAN’s Student Cam contest.

Now it’s official: the Weston High School students’ story about Morad Tahbaz, a Weston resident held in an Iranian prison for 6 years, won the grand prize.

The young filmmakers will receive $5,000 — and “Innocents Held Hostage” will air on C-SPAN on April 21 (6:50 a.m., then throughout the day).

You can see it now — just click below:

The network received over 1,600 entries, from 42 states and Washington DC.

Congratulations, Nate and Jonah!

Nate Colman and Jonah Rothlein

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The Porch at Christie’s is now also The Porch at the Y.

The popular Cross Highway spot has opened an outpost at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.

They’re selling wraps, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, fruit and more.

That’s good news for everyone hungry after a workout, plus parents hanging out while their kids play, and of course Y employees.

It’s good news too for people with disabilities. The Porch’s mission is to train and hire those individuals — there, and at its Sweet P Bakery.

The Porch kiosk, at the YMCA. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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Westport is a town of people who love to read. Now, you can help select the next winner of the Westport Prize for Literature.

The Westport Prize needs readers to help vet manuscripts for its 2024 honor, to be awarded in conjunction with this fall’s StoryFest.

Readers will read 2 or 3 manuscripts, then submit feedback via an online form. Those results will help determine the finalists that advance to an independent jury.

The Westport Prize for Literature honors “an original work of fiction that explores issues in contemporary society. Last year’s winner was Zadie Smith, for The Fraud.

Westport residents interested in being a reader for this year’s prize should click here.

Last year’s winner of the Westport Prize for Literature.

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The Greenfield Hill Grange is in Fairfield. But Westporter Cornelia Olsen is very involved.

And Westport resident/composter/self-described “trash picker” James Flint is the speaker at fundraiser there. Proceeds will help pay for a new roof on the beautiful Queen Anne building.

“Recycling Revisited” (March 23, noon) is a luncheon and panel discussion for “gardeners, farmers, eaters and waste generators.”

Speakers will offer updates on what’s in and out in the recycling world; the solid waste crisis in Connecticut, and what local residents can do about it all.

Tickets are $20, and include a tuna or egg salad sandwich, beverage and dessert. RSVP by March 20; call Cornelia: 203-571-8673.

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is an unusual night one.

Doris Ghitelman shot this looking across the Saugatuck River. The lights are from buildings on Saugatuck Avenue.

(Photo/Doris Ghitelman)

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And finally … speaking of Bernadette Peters, coming in May to the Westport Country Playhouse (story above):

(Not a day goes by that “06880” is not grateful for our readers’ support. Please click here, to make our day. Thank you!)

2 Comments

Posted in Environment, Police, Restaurants, Teenagers, Weston, Westport Country Playhouse, YMCA

Tagged hazardous waste, Jill Dunn, Long Lots School Building Committee, The Porch at Christie's, Wakeman Town Farm, Westport Fire Department, Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service

Roundup: Westport Rotary Club, Slava Archie, Playhouse Boxing …

Posted on March 8, 2024 | 4 comments

On the exact (to the day) 100th anniversary of their founding, the Westport Rotary Club celebrated with a gala dinner last night, at the Inn at Longshore.

Rotarians from near and far, town officials and friends honored the club’s long and storied history, from the early days (largely, but not always, strait-laced), to the easing of membership rules and the admission of women, to the current strong and generous nature of the club.

(Everyone received a book by Ron Henkoff chronicling Westport Rotary’s first 100 years, too. Click here for details.)

Videos and slides showed the enormous, multi-million dollar impact Westport Rotary has had on Westport, and the world.

As the next 100 years begin, the Westport Rotary Club prepares for its centennial gift: lead sponsor of the renovation of the Compo Beach playground.

Congratulations to all who made last night (and the reason for the celebration) possible. Special shout-outs go to longtime Rotary organizer and advocate Rick Benson, and last night’s MC, former president Jeff Wieser. Well done, all!

Twenty Westport Rotary Club presidents — representing exactly 1/5 of the club’s 100-year history — gathered for a photo at last night’s celebration. The oldest living former president (1968), George Damman, sent video greetings from Florida.

MC (and former president) Jeff Wieser models 100-year glasses. (Photos/John Videler for Videler Photography)

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The Long Lots School Building Committee posted this update yesterday:

The deadline for submission of Request for Proposals/Quotes qualification statements from interested construction managers and architects was February 22.

The committee met on March 5 to discuss the submissions. They agreed on which respondents would be invited to submit proposals and be interviewed by the LLSBC.

Each of the selected firms will be contacted this week. The interview process is expected to be completed over the next 2 weeks. The goal is to select a construction manager and architect by the end of the month.

The design phase can then begin.

The Long Lots School Building Committee is moving forward to select a construction manager and architect for the project.

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On Wednesday, Ukraine Aid International — the non-profit founded by Westporters Brian and Marshall Mayer, which organizes and delivers aid to residents and first responders — hosted a roundtable for officials and volunteers in Fairfield County towns that have sister city relationships with that war-torn nation.

Westport — whose sister city, Lyman, was UAI’s first such project — was well represented. Police Chief Foti Koskinas described his trip there last year, and emphasized the importance of his ongoing relationships with his counterparts in the Donetsk region.

Just hours earlier, he said, he had been texting with the Lyman police chief. The Ukrainian chief — who says often that Westport’s support inspires everyone in his town — proudly wears with a Westport Police Department patch.

Lyman police chief, with the Westport Police logo.

But the star of the event, held at the Ukrainian-American Club in Southport, was 4-month-old Archie Wauchope.

The son of Staples High School graduate Clyde Wauchope and his wife Katya, UAI’s director of development, he wore a bib that said — in Cyrillic letters — “Slava Ukraini! Slava Archie!”

In other words: “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Archie!”

Archie Wauchope, his bib and his parents.

To learn more about Ukraine Aid International, and donate to Westport’s sister city Lyman, click here.

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As the Norwalk Transit District — which oversees the Westport Transit District — “re-envisions” bus service here, they invite Westport residents to a meeting March 12 (7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

The charrette-session format will include remarks from Transit District officials, then a chance for attendees to give feedback on improvements they’d like to see.

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“Supper & Soul” returns April 20.

The unique Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce Saturday night entertainment — dinner at one of 12 downtown restaurants, then a dance party with 8-piece funk and soul band West End Blend at the Westport Library — followed by post-concert happy hour pricing for drinks at any of the 12 participating restaurants (Arezzo, Basso, Capuli, Casa Me, Don Memo, Emmy Squared, Goji, Il Pastaficio, Mexicue, Nômade, Spotted Horse and Walrus Alley.

Tickets ($87) include the concert, dinner, tax and tip (drinks are not included). Tickets for the concert only are $35. Click here to buy, and for more information.

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Aargh!

There was another confusing date in yesterday’s item about beach emblem sales. Here is the re-corrected info. “06880” apologizes for the confusion:

Beach parking emblems go on sale online, and in the Westport Parks & Recreation Department office, at 9 a.m. next Monday (March 11) for Westport and Weston residents. The number of sales to Westport and Weston residents is not limited, and they are not required until May 1.

Sales of emblems to people not living in Westport or Weston begin online, and in the Parks & Rec office, at 9 a.m. next Wednesday (March 13). A limit of 450 will be sold.

If you have purchased emblems or registered for Parks & Rec programs in prior seasons, you already have an online account established. Click here to log into your account. Then choose memberships; in the search box, type “Resident.” This brings all Westport resident vehicle packages to the top page. Weston residents should type “Weston” in search box.

After verification (Parks & Rec may request a copy of your current registration, or updated proof of residency), online purchases will be mailed to you. It may take 14-21 days.

Office hours are weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions? Email recreation@westportct.gov.

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It was a madhouse — but fun — Wednesday evening, in the Staples fieldhouse.

Over 70 Westport Little League boys and girls practiced skills and did drills with the big Wrecker players.

Coach Jack McFarland and the Diamond Club oversaw the event. It was a grand slam!

This is the closest they got to “posing” for a photo at the Staples baseball event. (Hat tip and photo/Stacie Curran)

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When I say “boxing,” odds are you do not think “Westport Country Playhouse.” Or “The Westport Woman’s Club.”

But the 3 very different worlds meet on April 6. Rich Dean Boxing will present “Gloves For Good,” a night of boxing to support the WWC.

It’s a first-ever USA Boxing-sanctioned event, with boxers from Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

The evening includes 10-plus bouts of boxing, live music, a silent auction, and a VIP dinner and drink service courtesy of Gabriele’s Steakhouse.

Click here for tickets, and more information. (Hat tip: Ross Levin)

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Longtime Westport resident Phyllis Markoff died Tuesday. From 1982-88, she served proudly as president of Temple Israel.

She is survived by her children John (Laurie), Cathy (Jim Bessent), Janet and Nancy (Jeffrey Burt); grandchildren Alisa (Andy), Bill (Anita), Briana, Lily, Jack (Hanna Wallace), Kane (Lana Holley) and Blaze, and great-grandchildren Aaron, Alec, Sophia, Lydia, Isabella and Axel. She was predeceased by her husband Del.

The family will hold a private memorial service next month.

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Today is International Women’s Day. In its honor, Westport-based non-profit Nest Egg Foundation is sponsoring a free online chat about women’s health and reproductive care (including in vitro fertilization).

The event begins at 3 p.m. today (March 8). Click here for the Zoom link.

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We see deer all the time. (And our “Westport … Naturally” feature includes lots of them.)

It’s far rarer to see an albino deer — even a partial albino, like the one Molly Alger spotted on Whitney Street.

(Photo/Molly Alger)

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And finally … in honor of the inaugural boxing exhibition taking place next month at the Westport Country Playhouse (story above):

(“06880” is your one-stop spot for news about beach stickers, buses, boxing, and much much more. Please click here to support this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

4 Comments

Posted in Entertainment, Obituaries, Restaurants, Staples HS, Transportation, Westport Country Playhouse

Tagged Long Lots School Building Committee, Rich Dean Boxing & Fitness, Staples High School baseball team, Ukraine Aid International, Westport beach stickers, Westport Rotary Club, Westport Transit District, Westport Weston Chamber o Commerce

[OPINION] RTM Must Slow Down Long Lots Process

Posted on February 6, 2024 | 57 comments

Toni Simonetti has lived in Westport for nearly 24 years. She is a retired corporate communications executive and former journalist. She has become “passionately interested in good municipal governance, as the town works through a number of high-stakes projects.”

In advance of a series of meetings by the Representative Town Meeting’s Finance and Education Committees, the full RTM and the Board of Finance on the Long Lots Elementary School project, she sent this email to members of those bodies, and the Planning & Zoning Commission.

There is an irresponsible rush to approve the Long Lots appropriation request after a very long period in which the RTM would not entertain a discussion of any magnitude.

“Let the process work,” was the response we got from many an RTM member to the many requests for a hearing on the pending matter.

This is a highly complex project, with a price tag that will increase property taxes by nearly 4%. This is high stakes for every town citizen, and every one of your constituents. Make sure you represent them ALL.

Yet now, the Board of Finance will vote on an initial appropriation on February 7, and the RTM the very next day will hold committee meetings followed by a full RTM special meeting next week for final approval.

You are inviting litigation for malfeasance by those who have been or will be damaged by a rushed decision. As the chair of the BOF stated rather definitively: “Once we approve this [funding request], the train has left the station.”

The Board of Education spent years on this topic. The Long Lots School Building Committee was formed amid some initial hesitation on the makeup of the committee at the RTM last year; it was the last time the RTM had anything close to the Long Lots matter before it.

The LLSBC had 20+ meetings on the project since its inception. None of the meetings were recorded, and written minutes provide no details on the public discussions, which became robust once it became clear the open space on Terrace 1 would be decimated and abutting neighbors potentially damaged. It has been a deeply flawed process.

The Planning & Zoning Commission had 2 meetings on the topic, at which many concerns were expressed by commissioners and the public.

Hundreds of public comments were received, and a record number of electors attended the 2 meetings.

Public interest is high in the Long Lots Elementary School project.

Many of the P&Z concerns are detailed in the resolution included with their positive 8-24 report (click here to see). It calls for transparency, more communication and collaboration, and a lot more scrutiny over the remaining phases of the project.

Your rushed meeting schedules do not honor this commitment to good governance.

Now is the time for the RTM to review the process, the dissension surrounding this project and its process to date, and fix it. Now is the time to revisit the makeup of Long Lots School Building Committee and add collaborative members and experts; to involve the town’s Public Site and Building Commission, and to get neighbors and other stakeholders to the table.

You cannot do that in one meeting. The RTM committees cannot do that in one night. The RTM process is just beginning.

By the way, the RTM committees need to be livestreamed and recorded with good quality audio, and held in a meeting room large enough to accommodate interested citizens.

I implore the RTM to do what is right. This is the biggest capital project in the town’s history. You need to get this right.

57 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

Tagged Long Lots Elementary School, Long Lots School Building Committee, Westport Board of Finance, Westport Planning & Zoning Commission, Westport Representative Town Meeting

Westport Baseball: Move Ahead With Long Lots Now; Address Field Use Later

Posted on January 22, 2024 | 22 comments

Westport Baseball & Softball has added its voice to the Long Lots Elementary School renovation debate. Chair Jeff White and president Jeff Brill say:

As expressed in our joint submission with Staples Baseball to the Long Lots Elementary School Building Committee on September 20, which was not then shared with Planning & Zoning, Westport Baseball & Softball — a volunteer-led non-profit organization — from the outset of the discussions regarding the future of LLES has sought only to maintain the status quo for the availability of a multipurpose field at Long Lots in any go-forward planning.

The land contiguous to LLS should continue to be blessed with athletic fields for youth use, much like the other Westport elementary schools.

We strongly encourage you to read this joint submission, and Westport Baseball’s more recent submission on January 17. They explain the need to retain a baseball field based on available resources and participation in Westport baseball programs. and our preference not to displace the Community Gardens.

Our request and recommendation had been very narrow and reasonable. We had previously asked that the LLESBC simply prepare plans in a revised 8-24 application that preserve the flexibility of including a full-size baseball field on the multipurpose field that would be shared with other sports, including girls’ sports.

There is no need to prescribe any specific usage (beyond youth athletics) of the field(s) years in advance of availability and further delay school construction.

Leaders of the various Westport sports programs can make their respective cases to the appropriate town constituencies to utilize the multiuse field down the road. P&Z does not require such specificity at this time, and the Long Lots students, teachers, administrators and community should not have to endure further delay.

Westport Baseball has never requested a full-size baseball field dedicated to baseball, much less a so-called “Babe Ruth” field. There is no such concept of a “Babe Ruth field,” unless one is referring to Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park where Ruth played. This became a cute phrase used pejoratively by opposition groups throughout the December 17th P&Z meeting and in subsequent propaganda.

Our desired multipurpose field includes a 60/90 foot infield that is easily designed to fit within 2-3 acres that would permit up to 8 Westport town youth teams (not special interest or for-profit travel organizations), including the Staples freshman team, to play thereon.

Baseball field experts remain available to discuss with the LLESBC how to configure the space to accommodate a full-size baseball field within the multipurpose field. We want to work collaboratively with the LLESBC and P&Z to develop a solution that serves multiple youth sports. We continue to respectfully request an opportunity to exchange ideas and share expertise.

The current 8-24 proposal calls for a “multipurpose” field south of a new Long Lots Elementary School.

There is not one full-size field in Westport that is dedicated exclusively to baseball for players ages 13 and older, unlike in other towns. Wakeman and even the Staples baseball field are mixed use fields.

We echo the real concerns raised by Parks & Rec, the Westport Soccer Association and PAL regarding field stress of Westport’s heavily used grass fields.

It is already very challenging for Parks and Recreation to schedule practices and home games across programs. Reducing field space for baseball has a domino effect, reducing availability of fields for other sports given the shared fields. P&Z has repeatedly referenced concern regarding “intensification of use” of land. Eliminating this baseball field exacerbates this issue.

Opponents of a baseball field referenced outdated enrollment figures for older players and field utilization by such players. Those players unfortunately will never have the opportunity to play on a new field at LLES. It is the wrong data set.

Current numbers of players on a particular team does not augur future seasons’ participation numbers; the numbers fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including the recent rise in student population.

Young Westport baseball players greet their Staples High School heroes.

Westport Baseball has been asked why it has not been more vocal and active in the ongoing debate regarding the use of the LLES field space. Our only formal action prior to a call last week with chair Paul Lebowitz and submission of our request was to send the joint submission and commenting via our leaders at public meetings.

We have remained quiet and cordial in our limited interactions, and have neither lobbied nor partnered with other organizations, as we sought neither to delay the commencement of school construction nor to further polarize and inflame the discourse.

We have only recently learned that we have apparently been penalized for being good sports and remaining on the sidelines. Westport Baseball and our baseball community is the only organization/populace that has been deprived of any accommodation as a result of bifurcation and the modified 8-24 application.

The informed Westport Baseball community was incredulous to learn that in the letter accompanying the 8-24 application, baseball (and no other activity) has been inexplicably singled out and expressly excluded.

Prohibitions on use of or access to a public field via restrictive covenant are seldomly imposed except when serving to protect the public.

We are not aware of any similar express restriction on a field in Westport. No sport should be identified as a prohibited utilization of the field(s) at this time.

It is our understanding that P&Z has required an express prohibition on baseball in order to approve the then forthcoming 8-24 application. The decision was not ripe and evidences a lack of due process, fair consideration and foresight.

We respectfully request that P&Z acknowledge at the meeting on January 22 that baseball is not a prohibited use of the field(s) at LLS or the deletion of this arbitrary prohibition from the letter. That is our only request at this time.

As explained in our January 18 statement, there is no need to prescribe any specific athletic use or purpose for the field(s). That is what “multipurpose” has been intended to contemplate and represents a compromise.

Westport Baseball and other youth sports organizations can advocate for Long Lots field use at the planning phase without causing any further delay in the construction of the school.

22 Comments

Posted in Children, Education, Environment, Local politics, Sports

Tagged Long Lots Elementary School, Long Lots School Building Committee, Parks & Recreation Department, Planning & Zoning Commission, Westport baseball

(Un)civil Discourse: Enough Is Enough

Posted on January 19, 2024 | 39 comments

As temperatures plunge, Westporters’ tempers rise.

Well, that’s not exactly true. They’ve been at a boiling point for months.

Enough is enough.

A pair of controversies — the Parker Harding Plaza renovation, and construction of a new Long Lots School — have evoked passionate responses by residents, on all sides of the many-pronged issues.

Plus plenty of anger, nastiness and personal attacks.

For nearly 15 years, the “06880” Comments section has been a place to share opinions, insights and ideas.

From time to time, it becomes a place of incivility, even venom.

This is one of those times.

Again: Enough is enough.

An elementary school reconstruction plan sparks fierce debate.

It’s fine — crucial, in fact — for Westporters to offer their 2 cents. We need to hear what our neighbors, friends and fellow taxpayers think.

It’s not fine to attack them, impugn their motives, and call them names. It’s certainly not fine to swear at, or about, them.

These are, after all, our neighbors, friends and fellow taxpayers.

Some are just like us: sitting on the sidelines, watching the world of Westport go by.

Some have taken the bold step of volunteering for public service, devoting hundreds of hours to do what they can to help our town.

It’s mind-numbing to watch some of their meetings. It’s mind-boggling to think that’s only part of what they do, for no pay.

And not only no thanks, but volumes of vitriol.

Long Lots School Building Committee members are volunteers.

Even those public servants who get paid — the 1st selectwoman and heads of departments, for example — are human beings. They have feelings and families, just like all the keyboard warriors.

I’ve said it before, in this post and in the past. Now I have to say it again: Enough is enough.

We tell our kids to stop bullying. We lament the polarized state of our nation.

So let’s start modeling the behavior we want. Actions speak louder than angry words.

It’s time to reiterate rules that I’ve made in the past (and unfortunately, as the sometimes overwhelmed Comments moderator, not always followed): No personal, ad hominem attacks.

No accusations of nefarious activity.

No swearing.

Before commenting — or at least, hitting “submit” — ask yourself: Is this really the way I want people to think of me?

Is this something I would be comfortable saying in front of my kids — or hearing them say?

If I heard someone else say it in a public meeting, at the supermarket, or in church or synagogue, what would I think?

Moving forward, commenters will be limited to 3 per thread. Be judicious. Don’t repeat yourself. Address the topic, not the person. Play nice.

Violators will be given a “time out” — banned for a while — just like elementary schoolers. You know, the same kids some adults are writing about.

Westport can be a contentious community. Everyone has an opinion, and there are multiple controversies to have opinions about.

But it is still a community. It’s a small town, filled with neighbors and friends.

Everyone here wants it to be the best it can be. We may disagree on what that means. That’s normal, and appropriate.

That does not mean anyone who disagrees with us is malicious or evil. No one here is out to destroy the town.

Let’s not destroy each other in the process.

Thoughts? Click “Comments” below.

39 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Media

Tagged Long Lots School Building Committee, Parker Harding Plaza

Long Lots Update At Tomorrow’s Board Of Ed Meeting; Scarice Urges Timely Action

Posted on January 17, 2024 | 39 comments

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice writes:

The Board of Education has added an agenda item to their meeting tomorrow night (Thursday, January 18), inviting the Long Lots School Building Committee to provide an update to the community.

The meeting is in the Staples High School cafeteria, at 7 p.m. There will be ample time for public comment following the LLSBC update to the BOE.

The community has engaged in an ongoing debate regarding the use of the property adjacent to a planned new construction of Long Lots.

This matter will be brought before the Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday (January 22), when it is anticipated that the first selectwoman will resubmit a recommendation for the use of this property, based on feedback from P & Z at their previous meeting.

I want to emphasize the critical importance of this new construction project moving forward in a timely manner without delay. As determined by multiple professionals, the facility is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. The decision to build a new construction was recommended by the BOE in June 2022.

Further delays of this project can present districtwide complications. As the town has experienced with Coleytown Middle School, major capital failures can lead to significant disruption for many students. Although a capital failure of that magnitude is not necessarily likely, other capital failures (e.g. failure of one of the 3 HVAC systems, increased water incursions, etc.) could necessitate alternative plans for a section of the school, warranting the displacement of a subsection of students.

Mold forced the closing – and subsequent renovation — of Coleytown Middle School.

Again, without a crystal ball, these events cannot be precisely predicted.

However, the recommendation for a new construction (a year and a half ago) was made to avoid any capital failures that could lead to significant disruption for the Long Lots community and other schools in Westport.

This is not only a Long Lots community issue. Advancing this project and maintaining the timeline for the opening of a new LLS in September 2026 is an issue for the entire school community, and larger Westport community.

39 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

Tagged Board of Education, Long Lots Elementary School, Long Lots School Building Committee, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice

Roundup: Long Lots, Audra McDonald, Israel Rally …

Posted on January 12, 2024 | 23 comments

There’s one more plan for Long Lots Elementary School.

Sort of.

1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker began last night’s Long Lots School Building Committee meeting by announcing a new version of the controversial renovation project. The goal was to address objections raised previously by the Planning & Zoning Commission, to a baseball diamond at the location of the current Westport Community Gardens.

A “multipurpose field” would be constructed there instead. The garden would be relocated somewhere else, on the Hyde Lane property.

There was no drawing to accompany the concept.

The LLSBC then held a work session. Microphones were either off or insufficient, making it difficult to hear.

Residents Jennifer Johnson and John Suggs both complained that the meeting was neither livestreamed nor recorded.

The newest plan — with, perhaps, a drawing — may be presented to the P&Z at its January 22 meeting.

Long Lots Elementary School

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For over 90 years, the Westport Country Playhouse has attracted Big Names.

Next up: Audra McDonald.

The singer/actor — winner of a record-breaking 6 Tony Awards (plus 2 Grammys and an Emmy); National Medal of Arts recipient, and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People — takes the stage on Saturday, February 10 (7 p.m.).

Click here for tickets, and more information.

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County is sponsoring a solidarity gathering on Sunday. It marks 100 days of captivity for dozens of hostages taken by Hamas during their October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

Sunday’s event — called “Bring Them Home Now” — is at 1 p.m. Click here to register, and receive location details.

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In her last issue as editor of Westport Lifestyle, Robin Moyer Chung writes about Henry Putnam. The Staples High School student is a non-verbal 18-year-old with cerebral palsy. As with other classmates with disabilities, he participates in an internship that will help him get a job after graduation.

Click here to read the story. It begins on page 42.

Henry Putnam (Photo courtesy of Westport Lifestyle Magazine)

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Fresh off a national championship, Jake Thaw has entered the transfer portal.

The University of Michigan punt return specialist is a senior, after graduating from Staples High School in 2020. However, he has 3 years of eligibility remaining, after walking on for the Wolverines.

The Detroit Free Press writes: “Thaw, 6-1 and 192 pounds played in 15 games on special teams as a senior this season. He may now be most known for his muffed punt near the goal line against Alabama in the final minute of the Rose Bowl, though it should be highlighted he was able to recover the loose ball and avert disaster.

He had 11 fair catches, and returned 16 punts for 111 yards the season.

A muffed punt with less than a minute to play in the semifinal almost cost UM a shot at the national title. Thaw was vilified on social media, but also praised for not giving up a safety.

He wrote: “For those that have kept unwavering support — thank you. And for those that have not, I understand. I made the biggest two mistakes of my life on the biggest stage, and I won’t ever forgive myself. I’ll always love and cherish @UMichFootball and this fanbase. Go Blue.” (Hat tip: Pete Wolgast)

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Westport artists Miggs Burroughs, Darcy Hicks, Dale Najarian and Tammy Winser — all of whom advocate for common sense guns laws — will show their work in a juried exhibit at Metro Art Studios in Bridgeport. “In Our Hands” explores many perspectives of gun culture in the US. All proceeds benefit Sandy Hook Promise and Street Safe Bridgeport.

The opening reception is January 21 (1 to 3 p.m.).

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Matthew Mandell paid a surprise visit yesterday to wish Westporters Dana Noorilly and Julie Mountain good luck with their new Upper West Side Granola Bar location.

Business was brisk, he said, in a beautiful spot.

Mandell is director of the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce. “We support our members!” he notes.

Dana Noorilly, Matthew Mandell and Julie Mountain, at the New York Granola Bar.

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Neal Radding sends today’s “Westport … Naturally” image from Sherwood Island State Park, plus a George Costanza quote: “The sea was angry that day, my friends.”

(Photo/Neal Radding)

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And finally … on this date in 1969, the New York Jets of the American Football League defeated the NFL’s Baltimore Colts of the National Football League to win Super Bowl III (and the first championship game with that name). The 16-7 victory is one of the greatest upsets in sports history; the Jets were 19 1/2-point underdogs.