Tag Archives: Long Lots School Building Committee

Community Gardens: RTM Candidates’ Views

Posted on September 25, 2023 | 36 comments

Like many Westporters, Don Bergmann has followed the controversy over the future of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve.

Last week, he wrote to every candidate running in November’s election for the Board of Education, Board of Finance, Planning & Zoning Commission, and Representative Town Meeting. 

He said: “All of you are to be thanked for your civic interest and commitment to Westport. Your responses to this e mail may result in an ‘06880’ story authored by Dan Woog. I am of course copying Dan.

“All are familiar with the matter of the Community Gardens and a new Long Lots Elementary School. Each of you is probably more than  familiar with the issues and the dramatic tension that has arisen. That tension focuses on the desire to preserve the Gardens and the Preserve as is.

“My belief is that all of you have a personal opinion as to what should occur, i.e. should the Gardens and Preserve be retained in place or should the Gardens and Preserve be dismantled. Some of you may believe those are not the choices but, rather, the relocation and reconstruction of the Gardens and Preserve on a new site, whether at Long Lots or elsewhere in town, is also relevant. My view is that the choice is binary, either preserve or destroy.

“As candidates for elected office, I think it is reasonable to receive from each of you your views, your positions on this issue of preserving the Gardens and the Preserve. I believe that you are obligated to publicly set forth your thinking.  The fact that you may be serving either before or after the November election in a position that has a role in the Long Lots and Gardens process should not be seen or used as a reason not to express your views. 

Westport Community Gardens & Long Lots Preserve 

“Many times, elected officials will take positions as citizens, not as a member of an elected body. Whether you choose to express your views as a citizen and not as a member of an elected body is up to you. What is crucial is that you inform all those who will or will not vote for you, your views on this issue of the Gardens. 

“I ask that you e mail me with your views. I leave it to each of you what form that will take or details to be provided. If you want to include your thinking on other important town issues of which your constituents should be informed in order to cast a thoughtful vote in support of your candidacy, that would be up to you. The more you convey, the better will be the election outcomes and the better for Westport.

“I will be convey your written responses to Dan Woog for him to use or comment upon as Dan thinks best. We all know of Dan’s integrity. I have zero concern that anything you write will be treated in any manner than with respect.”  

Don gave a deadline of last Friday. He received responses from 10 RTM candidates. There were none for any candidates for the other offices. Their unedited, verbatim responses are below.

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Andrew Bloom (District 1): I recognize the importance of this issue and would defer to the building committee’s recommendation while hoping that an amicable compromise can be reached. However, as a father of 3 elementary school aged children, I would personally favor outcomes that prioritize the school and fields. 

Long Lots Elementary School and adjacent fields.

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Clarence Hayes (District 4): I have been a gardener much of my life. While a student at Deep Springs College I was responsible for a garden and orchard feeding a community of 40 people.

Today I live in a condo with a 360-sf front yard in which I built two 12′ x 6′ raised beds where I grow tomatoes and basil which I use for pasta sauces I store up. These are surrounded by pollinator friendly plants such as milkweed and goldenrod which I transplanted from nearby highway margins. Attached is a picture of end of season tomatoes picked yesterday. So I certainly am sympathetic to the community gardeners.

However, regarding preserving the community gardens in the current location, my response is: “It depends.”

I have not yet digested all the relevant detail in terms of requirements, building costs, potential regulatory limitations, etc.

Regardless, from what I have been able to find so far,  the publicly available information appears insufficient to allow for a fully informed recommendation.

And not having been a committee member at an early stage, alternate designs I might prefer are not on the table  (e.g. a parking garage and minimal access roads in order to maximize usable land). Until I have access to such detail — and the opportunity to directly influence the recommendation committee — it would be mere sentiment on my part to claim the gardens absolutely must be preserved exactly as they now are, regardless of other competing interests.

I also played baseball in high school and am sympathetic to the views which the local baseball associations cogently presented in a post yesterday regarding the challenges they face.

My commitment is to do my best to listen to all Westport constituencies and to balance as intelligently as possible conflicting interests as we attempt to make decisions which maximize the long term value of town property for all of Westport.

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Candace Banks (District 6): I have visited the Community Gardens and they are visually stunning.  The hard work and care of the gardeners and volunteers are evident.

I also learned from a recent “06880” podcast that this is not the first time the Gardens have faced displacement due to school construction; the Gardens were originally located on the site that became the present day Bedford Middle School. I am sure this fact only adds to the gardeners’ apprehension and frustration about the imminent Long Lots school construction.

The RTM is not going to get an up or down vote on what exactly to do with the Gardens. It will get an up or down vote on appropriating money for LLS school construction which I enthusiastically support. I hope that vote happens as soon as possible because a new elementary school  for the school aged children zoned to LLS from Districts 6, 7 & parts of 9 is much needed and long overdue. I hope the candidates for local office feel the same so that LLS gets the rehabilitation it needs asap. If they don’t, they owe to their constituents, particularly those who have young children, to say so now.

I understand even if the Gardens remain in its current location that they will be inaccessible during the 24 month construction period. That fact seems to weigh in favor of finding other (perhaps larger) spaces in Town for it so the gardeners  can maintain their community, expand their mission and their contributions to the pollinator network as well as add to their membership. 

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Jessica Bram (District 6): As a mother of 3 sons who attended the Westport Public Schools, one of them Long Lots, I am a fierce advocate for the Westport Public Schools.  In my last three terms on the RTM I have voted in favor of every appropriation request brought to the RTM by the Westport Public Schools. In this case, there is no question that a new elementary school for the school-aged children zoned to LLS from RTM District 6, the district I represent, is badly needed.

However, I am dismayed that current proposals require the dismantling or relocation of the Westport Community Gardens. I believe that other Long Lots locations might have been identified, including the school’s athletic and ball fields, in any Long Lots construction design.

The Westport Community Gardens are as important to Westport as Compo Beach, undeniably our Town’s most vital asset. I do not believe that any proposal to construct a school that would jeopardize or displace access to our shoreline would ever have been contemplated. And in this case, I do not accept that relocating the Westport Community Gardens is a viable, or in any way acceptable, option.

The RTM will not conduct any vote on the Westport Community Gardens themselves. Our role is only to vote on specific appropriation requests made by the Westport Public Schools. However, with a heavy heart because I remain so fierce a supporter our Westport Public Schools, I cannot vote in favor of any plan that requires the dismantling, removal, or relocation of Westport Community Gardens.

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Louis D’Onofrio Jr. (District 6): If I was in a position to vote on the community gardens I would clearly say, a vote for Louis D’Onofrio Jr in District 6 is a vote to preserve the Community Gardens.

The simple fact that our town’s administration is pushing aside our history is not what myself, or the people of District 6, stands for. I have written to the Westport Journal about my concerns of our current town administration’s approving the overgrowth of the town which strains our resources and displaces our lower socioeconomic communities and this is very concerning. To preserve the community gardens is to preserve a section of our community. There is also something pure and grand about these gardens being by our school. We need to bring nature and gardening into our classes more and what better way than to allow students to view nature on a daily basis.

Thank you for reaching out and I appreciate you collecting our thoughts and ideas on the topic.

Long Lots School Building Committee representatives (left), with Board of Education members and Westport Public Schools administrators.

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Brandi Briggs (District 7): I believe it is premature to be making a decision on the gardens at this point since the Building Committee has not delivered their recommendation. However, I think coming up with a solution that is first and foremost best for Long Lots School is the top priority over other interests. All the stakeholders should continue to have a chance to have their say and find a solution that can be satisfactory to all those involved but everyone will need to be adaptable. My eventual vote will be based on the recommendations of experts on the Building Committee that have spent countless hours and hard work researching and determining the right solution for Long Lots.

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Lauren Karpf (District 7): As an RTM member, I have spent countless hours over almost a decade supporting the need for a new LLS. I believe staff and students deserve an appropriate building as soon as possible.

I respect and appreciate the building committee’s diligent approach in exploring numerous options for the layout of the building and campus. It has become clear to me that it is a complex landscape at LLS, and that all involved need to be flexible and adaptable, as construction is never easy and many components need to fit in a limited space.

I have long been a fan of the gardens. I admire all that the gardeners have accomplished, and in fact bought and planted a tree in the Long Lots Preserve. While currently the gardens can only be accessed and enjoyed by approximately 100 people, I am hopeful that a partnership with the schools and other organizations, and a larger space if the gardens are moved to a different location, can allow greater use for more residents going forward, including during the two years of construction.

I look forward to hearing the building committee’s recommended plan after many months of hard work, and voting to begin construction without delay.

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Jennifer Johnson (District 9): I strongly believe that the Westport Community Garden should be preserved in its current location. The garden is a wonderful piece of our town’s community soul that should be protected in perpetuity with a conservation easement to keep it a community garden for all ages and years to come.

It is time to move the discussion to other plans. Yes, it will take a couple of years of disruption. But that is what construction is. We have ball fields, and theaters and other resources across the town than can be used during construction. We can definitely build a great school and keep the garden.  So many people now know and understand this treasured town resource. Let’s continue the celebration…and let it grow!

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Sal Liccione (District 9): I have reached out and worked closely with the Gardeners throughout this entire process. I have listened to their concerns and learned. I am deeply and firmly committed to the Gardens and Preserve and keeping them exactly where they are.

As such, I will only vote to support a new or refurbished Long Lots School Plan that does not disturb or destroy the existing Gardens and Preserve. In my opinion, this horrible threat to the Gardens should have been taken “off the table” by the Administration long ago.

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John Suggs (District 9):  Thank you Don Bergmann for asking all of the local town candidates this vital question before the November election. Thank you, also, Dan Woog for providing us with this wonderful 06880 platform in which to answer it. Because of the importance of the question, I hope that the majority of us will choose to respond.

I wish my fellow Westporters to know that my position on the Gardens and the Preserve is one of the main reasons behind my recent decision, after taking a six year hiatus, to, once again, return to the RTM. (Dependent entirely, of course, on if the electors of District 9 decide to grant me the opportunity for another tour of service on the RTM.)

My position on the Gardens and Preserve is simple and unwavering. They must continue to be protected, preserved and celebrated as the Town Treasures that they are.  And they must remain, undisturbed, right where they have been so carefully tended and nurtured by hundreds of volunteers over the past twenty years.

As such, if I am elected, when the Long Lots Building Committee comes before the RTM, as is now expected either in December or January, I will vote against approving any Long Lots School plan that includes the destruction of the gardens and preserve in their present location.  Period.

None of us, much less our impressionable and curious school children, will ever benefit from a new or refurbished school if it is built on the backs of hundreds of gardeners who have labored in the fields these past twenty years.  We must acknowledge and honor the commitments that we first made with them. Just like a garden that is how a healthy, vibrant community grows.

I wish to offer one last point, if I might.  I have been deeply saddened and troubled by the process itself by which this whole matter of determining whether to rehab the existing school or building a new school has unfolded.  Much of the ultimate resulting controversies might well have been avoided, or at least, mitigated somewhat had there been a spirit of more openness and transparency by the Administration.

I have witnessed, as recently as this week, the negative impact of the outright refusal of the Park and Recreation Commission to so much as even place a discussion of the concerns of the gardeners on their meeting agenda. Much less to actively reach out and consult with them about their many ideas for creative ways to resolve this impasse.  By repeatedly refusing them a place on the PRC’s agenda, dozens and dozens of concerned residents, myself included, have been reduced to the indignity of pleading our case in the brief, few minutes set aside at the beginning of their meeting for non-agenda items.

This has not been Westport’s finest hour.

In conclusion, yes we must- – and will — either rehab the existing school or build a new school.  We can — and will — also identify a new location for a baseball field. But in the doing, we must also honor the stewardship, responsibility and commitment that was first made twenty years ago to maintain, protect and preserve our Community Garden and Preserve.

As for me, if elected in November, I will only vote to support a school plan that first “does no harm” and protects and preserves the gardens where they have resided for twenty years.

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Education, Environment, Local politics

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Roundup: LobsterFest, Long Lots, Parker Harding …

Posted on September 23, 2023 | 5 comments

Today’s Westport Rotary Club LobsterFest is on, “rain or shine.”

And it will be rain.

Despite the forecast, Rotarians and others were busy yesterday, preparing Compo Beach for the large crowd (still) expected this afternoon.

Among the volunteers: members of the Staples Service League of Boys (SLOBs), Builders Beyond Borders, M&T Bank and the National Charity League.

A few of the many volunteers setting up LobsterFest yesterday. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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The Long Lots School Building Committee holds a special meeting this Tuesday September 26, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall Room 201/201A ).

The agenda includes 15 minutes of public comment and/or questions regarding the feasibility study project, followed by a work session with the design team for project status updates, review and discussion. The public can  attend the work session, but not participate.

The Long Lots School Building Committee will continue to discuss plans at its Tuesday meeting.

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Another meeting of note: The Joint Committee of the Historic District Commission and Architectural Review Board will hold a public Zoom meeting on October 3 (7 p.m.). to review and comment on the proposed redevelopment of Parker Harding Plaza.

The notice says, “Comments offered at the meeting will be considered in anticipation of further zoning review and approvals.”

Click here for the Zoom link. Click here for all relevant materials.

One element of the planned redevelopment of Parker Harding Plaza.

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Club 203’s first event of the season Wednesday night kicked off the second year for Westport’s club for adults with disabilities.

Attendees gathered at Toquet Hall. They watched Sharuna Mahesh’s video, recapping highlights of last year — a great way to reconnect after the summer.

Then came rousing karaoke run by PJ Pitcher, and an art project hosted by MoCA Westport. I

Next up: a “Halloween Bingo and BBQ” at the Senior Center. Click here for more information.

Club 203 karaoke at Toquet Hall.

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Nile Rodgers did not have to travel far for last night’s gig at Forest Hills Stadium.

Ed Paul reports: “He played an absolute top shelf, kick-ass show.

“He and his group Chic covered not only their songs but a lot of the others from famous artists that Nile has collaborated with.

“He was very engaging with the audience, and commented that he has beaten cancer twice and while he’s currently cancer-free, he’s still old AF!”

Nile Rodgers at Forest Hills Stadium. (Photo/Ed Paul)

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Meanwhile, in the other direction, Old Dominion ripped it up at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

The multi-award-winning Nashville-based band is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Brad Tursi. Westporters know him as a 1997 graduate of Staples High School — and a former soccer star for the state finalist Wreckers.

Brad Tursi (left) with Old Dominion at Mohegan Sun. (Photo/Tom Scarice)

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Here’s a truly cool event: Small Car Company’s annual Air-Cooled Charity Car Show on October 8 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Veterans Green; free, and family-friendly).

It’s a benefit to raise funds and awareness for 2 non-profits: Northeast Community Cycles (which provides bikes free of charge to underprivileged children) and the Bikeport Co-Op (a program where youth earn bikes by attending bike safety and maintenance courses, and performing volunteer hours with local organizations). 

The show features dozens of vintage Porsches, Volkswagens, Corvairs and other rare and special air-cooled cars and motorcycles from around the tri-state area.

In conjunction with the classic car show, Small Car Company  has partnered with Westport’s Total Training & Endurance for a bike tour, starting and finishing at Veterans Green. The $40 per rider cost includes a post-ride meal. Funds benefit Northeast Community Cycles and Bikeport Co-Op.

Small Car Company does other good work too — for example, hosting students who attend skilled trade auto-technology schools in a “Mentors & Motors” program during the show.

Students meet and learn from experienced mentors from many sectors of the automotive industry, including historic restoration, modern production automotive repair, sales, design, and photography.

Click here for more details.

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The Gridiron Club has announced its 2023 inductees for the Staples High School Wall of Fame.

Congratulations to former players DJ Stefkovich (2006), Brian Levine (’06), Josh Kozel (’08), Matt Kelly (’09), Rob Gau (’11), James Frusciante (’13), Joey Zelkowitz (’13), Declan O’Keefe, plus Staples assistant principal James Farnen and Westport PAL football president and former PAL coach Carmen Roda.

Congratulations to all! The ceremony takes place November 3, at halftime of the Wreckers’ game against Trumbull.

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Speaking of sports: The 10th annual Westport Police Benevolent Association Golf Tournament is October 23, at Tashua Knolls in Trumbull.

It’s a scramble format. Funds raised go to college scholarships for PBA members, as well as 2 to Staples High seniors who will pursue degrees in law enforcement.

The day includes raffles, and prizes for longest drive, closest to pin, closest to line, and the winning foursome.

Checks ($250 for one participant, $1,000 for a foursome) can be sent to Westport PBA Scholarship Fund, 50 Jesup Road, Westport, CT 06880. Questions? Call 203-803-0215, or email jlauria@westportct.gov.

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Eleven Staples High School seniors have qualified as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

Congratulations to Emerson Briggs, Leigh Foran, Dania Hemdan, Peter Loranger, Ellen Ou, Surya Rao, Jameson Russell, Ella Tobben, Elizabeth Turner, Darren T Weng and Gabriel Weng.

Fewer than 1 percent of the over 1.5 million students who took the PSAT/NMSQT qualifying exam will compete for 7,140 National Merit scholarships, worth more than $28 million.

National Merit semifinalists (from left): Leigh Foran, Emerson Briggs, Elizabeth Turner, Peter Loranger, Dania Hemdan,  Jameson Russell, Surya Rao, Darren Weng, Gabriel Weng, Ellen Ou. Missing: Ella Tobben.

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Controversy continues to dog Dave McCormick.

On Thursday, the former Bridgewater CEO announced his candidacy for the Pennsylvania US Senate seat held by Democrat Bob Casey.

The Republican — born and raised near Pittsburgh — laid out his bona fides as a “7th-generation Pennsylvanian.”

But he also maintains a home on Beachside Avenue. And, critics say, that’s where he spends most of his time.

On Monday, as he sought the endorse of Doug Mastriano — the losing gubernatorial nominee last fall, who had considered a Senate run himself — flight records show that a plane co-owned by McCormick flew from Bridgeport to Harrisburg at 8:28 a.m. It returned to Connecticut that afternoon.

Click here for the Politico story. (Hat tip: Allan Siegert)

David McCormick

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Sorelle Gallery’s next exhibition, “A Million Possibilities,” features new works by Connecticut artist Sofie Swann. It opens Friday (September 29), with a reception no Saturday (September 30, 3 to 5 p.m.).

Born in Iran, Swann’s abstract paintings are centered around her emotional response to experiences and memories, particularly her struggle to find a place to call home after being forced to leave Iran and immigrate to the US. For more information, click here.

Artwork by Sofie Swann.

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Jay Babina earned “06880” fame as the founder/curator/mastermind of the great, creative and very wide-ranging Westport Tech Museum.

Today he returns as a contributing photographer for our “Westport … Naturally” feature.

Is there anything this teenager can’t do?!

(Photo/Jay Babina)

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And finally … in honor of the debate over whether Dave McCormick really lives in Pennsylvania or Westport:

(Wherever you live, you know “06880” is your “home” for local journalism. Please support our work, by clicking here. Thank you!)

 

 

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Posted in Arts, Local business, Local politics, Politics, Sports, Staples HS

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Westport Baseball Explains Community Gardens Stance

Posted on September 21, 2023 | 41 comments

In the fervid debate over the Long Lots Elementary School building project, and possible impacts on the Westport Community Gardens and athletic fields, one voice has been silent: the baseball community. Today, they offer their perspective:

Westport Baseball & Softball (WBS) and Staples High School Baseball (SHSB) have observed with much interest the deliberations and decision-making process of the Long Lots Elementary School Building Committee, along with the debate regarding utilization of the Long Lots School property and Community Gardens.

We are the only 2 town-operated baseball programs in Westport. While there have been preferences attributed to “Westport Baseball” and considerable conjecture regarding our views, neither WBS nor SHSB has been formally contacted by the Committee, the Board of Education, Westport government officials or Parks & Recreation, and neither organization has stated publicly any position regarding Long Lots Elementary School and the surrounding land.

Neither WBS nor SHSB has any interest in, or has ever proposed, removing, replacing or otherwise displacing the Gardens from their current location. Today we present our joint position with respect to the baseball field at Long Lots and the Community Gardens, and respond to unfounded criticisms and speculation regarding such position. We welcome the opportunity to be included in the discussion going forward.

Background

WBS is a non-profit organization led by volunteers. It offers baseball and softball programs to Westport children ages 3 through 19. These programs include Little League Baseball, Little League Softball, Travel Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, Legion Baseball, Advanced Baseball and our cherished Challenger program.

SHSB fields 3 teams: freshman, junior varsity and varsity. As with Westport’s superior schools and support services, Westport’s diverse offering of sports and recreation programs, including baseball, attracts families to our town.

Repeated references to the surfeit of baseball fields in Westport by participants in the discussions regarding a baseball field at Long Lots are not only not true, but completely miss the point.

Registered Players

The numbers of players for each of the WBS baseball programs varies each season and year, for a variety of reasons. Grade sizes vary; children cease playing sports, switch sports or favor a sport in its primary season, but switch sports in its offseason. Players also leave our programs to play on teams operated by third party, for-profit AAU organizations.

Nevertheless, program leaders need to plan in advance before each season for organizing their programs. This includes budgeting, resource allocation and scheduling of fields. It is a red herring to try to project the number of players across WBS’s various programs. SHSB can more easily estimate the number of players on each of its teams, and it consistently fills rosters for all 3 teams.

Scarcity of Fields

WBS and SHSB programs have distinct needs and serve different baseball and softball audiences, and participants play on different size fields based on age and league.

Westport has baseball fields in 3 sizes. Little League baseball and Travel baseball players up to age 12 play on 46/60-foot fields; Intermediate and Travel baseball players up to age 13 play on 50/70 diamonds, and Travel, Babe Ruth, Legion and Advanced Baseball, and high school players, play on 60/90 fields.

Our Babe Ruth, Legion, Advanced Baseball and SHSB teams are not private “Travel” teams, which have been criticized in this Long Lots debate, and WBS’ Travel baseball programs are town operated and non-profit.

Westport has 4 60/90 fields: Doubleday, Staples, Wakeman and Long Lots. One 60/90 field is intended to be exclusive to baseball: Wakeman D.  However, even that field now hosts lacrosse practices in the outfield during the week.

Doubleday baseball diamond at Kings Highway Elementary School, and nearby PJ Romano Field. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

The Staples field on which our highly regarded high school team plays is also not exclusive to baseball. A temporary fence is erected for a period of time during spring and summer. During the remainder of the year, the outfield is used for soccer and other sports.

Doubleday and Long Lots fields are mixed use — shared by baseball and other sports.

In summary, WBS alone (not including SHSB) has up to 5 teams, with approximately 70-80 players sharing one field (Wakeman) in the fall. This is untenable from a scheduling perspective.

In the spring/summer, WBS has up to 4 teams (approximately 65-75 players) that play on the 3 full size fields. During the high school season the varsity team practices at Staples and the junior varsity practices at Wakeman. The freshman team is relegated to finding their way to Long Lots, presumably on foot.

Regarding the Long Lots diamond: It is carved out on only a fraction of the available space. The rest of the area is lined for soccer.

Long Lots Elementary School and parking lot (bottom), with baseball diamond and adjacent upper and lower soccer fields. (Photo courtesy of Westport GIS Map System)

For most of the day (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), this open space is used exclusively by Long Lots students. After 3, it is used for after-school activities. Only from 4:15 to dark (as early as 6:30) does Parks & Recreation determine which town program has access to the field.

In its current form, the Long Lots baseball field is deficient. It suffers from disproportionate dimensions between left and right field, and a steep drop beyond center field to the lower fields. It lacks dugouts and adequate space on the sidelines.

The alternative is asking parents or hiring buses to drive in peak traffic to other towns’ fields that can be as far as 90 minutes away, forgoing the home field and last at-bats advantage.

We need a field for these older players.  Attempting to discredit the use of a grass field because of the lines drawn on it is akin to discrediting a classroom based on the subject being taught in it. Unfortunately, this has occurred in certain of the dialogue regarding a Long Lots baseball field and the Gardens.

Scheduling; Domino Effect

Westport suffers from tremendous field stress, given the paucity of fields available to various sports. Existing fields are carefully rationed by Parks & Recreation before each season, at a meeting with leaders of various sports. This meeting follows months of considered planning by Parks & Recreation leaders on how to share fields. WBS and SHSB collaborate closely with Parks & Recreation and other sports programs regarding scheduling and field utilization.

Soccer at the Long Lots lower fields. (Photo courtesy of Our Town Crier)

In contrast to when many of us grew up, historically seasonal sports are now played year-round. Westport children play baseball and lacrosse in the fall, and soccer players play in the spring as well.

We can debate the pros and cons of this evolution, but it is the reality.

Full-year participation is also fueled by many students’ desire to play sports at the collegiate level, including to gain admission to a better academic school in a highly competitive admissions environment. Athletic scholarships have helped many families carry the financial burden of affording college.

The loss of access to Long Lots fields during the contemplated construction will make a daunting scheduling and field sharing challenge for Parks & Recreation and Westport sports program leaders nearly impossible.

The permanent loss of a full-size field will make it virtually unfeasible for Westport baseball teams to practice and play games at home in the fall (when earlier sunsets and later dismissal from school for younger players already limits availability of fields to a few precious hours), render spring play exceedingly challenging, and leave the SHSB freshman team homeless.

The Long Lots baseball diamond lacks dugouts and seating.

Similarly, a domino effect vis-à-vis other Westport sports will occur. It will for example severely impair the ability of the Westport Soccer Association to operate soccer practices and games in the spring.

A displaced team will in turn displace another team, and so on, ultimately creating acrimony between teams and among Westport sports programs, ending only when the last domino falls on the teams deemed least worthy of standing.

Benefits

We strongly believe that there is a crucial link between youth sports and children’s mental and physical well-being. The social, psychological, emotional and medical benefits to children being outdoors and on a team with friends are well documented.

COVID highlighted the importance of offering children these opportunities. For example, when the pandemic shut down social activities, mental health-related emergency room visits increased by 24% for children ages 5 to 11 and 31% for adolescents ages 12 to 17. Dependence on cell phones and playing video games makes involvement in team sports even more beneficial.

Long Lots Elementary School field day. This is the outfield of the baseball diamond.

The plantings at, and maintenance of, the Gardens are similarly outdoor activities with team building aspects that provide countless benefits to the caretakers of the Gardens and the community.

WBS and SHSB do not seek to disrupt or displace the Gardens. We simply want to retain the availability of a full-size field.

Our town’s population continues to grow, with families driving that growth.  These families are attracted to Westport for its schools, and the diverse offerings inside and outside of the school building.

This population applies pressure on schools to accommodate larger populations.  Outdoor space available to our children for sports and other recreational activities should not contract in the face of this growth.

The benefits to children continue long after elementary school. Participating in youth team teaches  many skills including socialization, sportsmanship, collegiality, discipline, teamwork, and collaboration to achieve a common goal.

A full-size baseball field requires at least 6 acres. There are scant parcels of available land this size, especially near Staples to provide a logistically convenient home for the SHSB freshman team. The cost to purchase such a parcel of land would be exorbitant. WBS and SBHS are open to learning of other locations for a field in lieu of Long Lots that is available now, or no later than the commencement of construction at Long Lots Elementary School.

Elementary School Student Use

We understand anecdotally that field space at Long Lots was originally donated with the intent that it would be used for athletics and recreation for children. But team baseball play at the current Long Lots field, which has commanded considerable attention in the commentary regarding the best outcome for the space, constitutes only a small fraction of its use. In the fall for example, Westport soccer appropriately has priority for the upper and lower fields at Long Lots.

Our outstanding elementary schools are fortunate to benefit from expansive outdoor grounds where gym classes are taught, recess is enjoyed, after-school activities are conducted, playdates, picnics and field days are held, and team sports are played.

Kings Highway and Saugatuck Elementary Schools share about 8.5 acres of open space, including a playground, PJ Romano turfed field (football and lacrosse), tennis courts, and baseball and softball diamonds.

Coleytown Elementary School features 3.5 acres that are home to 2 playgrounds and a basketball court, in addition to the smaller baseball and softball fields.

There is a Little League diamond, and other fields, behind Coleytown Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Greens Farms Elementary School offers 2 acres of open grass space used for baseball and other sports, a basketball court and playground. Extended access until mid-evening is feasible because of lights.

On the other hand, Long Lots Elementary School has a 2-tiered field complex, consisting of 2.75 acres on the upper level where the baseball diamond is cut into about a quarter of the grass, surrounded by multiple soccer fields. The playground and basketball court are separate from the field area being discussed.

We have already noted the shortcomings of the existing Long Lots baseball field.  Construction of a new school on the upper level would supplant the full-size baseball field. Building a new full-size field on the lower level would displace the soccer fields which are already heavily utilized.

But these consequences pale in comparison to the impact on the students, families and neighbors of the Long Lots Elementary School community, which would be deprived of the current green space adjacent to the school where the baseball field is situated for the uses discussed above, which already is inferior to the open space available at the other Westport elementary schools.

False Narrative; Conclusion

The narrative of “Westport Baseball” versus the Community Gardens is a manufactured one that has engendered much passion and acrimony.

Neither WBS nor SHSB has requested that the Long Lots baseball field be relocated anywhere, including to the current location of the beloved Gardens.

Westport Community Gardens and adjacent Long Lots Preserve.

It is counterproductive and divisive to pit “Westport Baseball” or any other Westport sport against the Gardens, and vice versa, even if the perception is that the priorities and preferences of the groups differ and that they are necessarily competing for the same physical real estate.

It is especially disconcerting when the leadership of WBS and SHSB have never been formally approached for a discussion, or even asked for their views.  Further, WBS is not conspiring with the WSA to replace or relocate the Gardens.  WSA posted its thoughtful views earlier this month on this blog.

The characterization of Plan C-ALT exemplifies this effort to be provocative: “Plan C-ALT would allow the garden to remain at the expense of Long Lots’ baseball diamond.”

The actual narrative should be that Plan C-ALT would allow the gardens to remain at the expense of eliminating nearly half of the existing precious open space at Long Lots. As explained above, while Westport’s baseball and soccer programs would certainly suffer if the field was eliminated, the primary losers would be the children who attend Long Lots Elementary School, and their families and neighbors of Long Lots.

WBS’s and SHSB’s only objective is to not sacrifice one of Westport’s full-sized baseball fields for the reasons discussed above. We do not require that the field be located anywhere on the Long Lots property.

But if the field is to be eliminated at Long Lots, then we respectfully request that a new full-size field be built in close proximity to Staples.

Open space for sports fields in Westport is already highly limited. Neither WBS nor SHSB is aware of an alternative site for a full-size baseball field that would serve the needs of the members of their respective communities.

We do not want to lose the field, and be dismissed with a promise to find space in the future for a construction project and capital expenditure that needs to be planned and budgeted over many years.

We need it now, and the construction of a new Long Lots Elementary School will exacerbate an already challenging situation for Westport baseball and other sports.

WBS and SHSB’s official joint position is that we support any plan that the Committee proposes that maintains the current open space at Long Lots Elementary School and ensures that we continue to have access to a full-size baseball field, whether built at Long Lots or a suitable alternative location.

To reiterate: We admire and respect what the gardeners have achieved on the grounds of the Gardens, and in the Westport community more broadly, over the past 20 years. We hope that the Gardens are preserved and remain for generations to come.

We expect that WBS, SHSB, the Gardens, and perhaps anyone who enjoys the outdoors, have a shared interest in preserving and, in fact, seeking out and allocating more open green spaces in Westport.

WBS and SHSB defer to the considered judgment of the Committee, with continued input from the Board of Education, Long Lots Elementary School leadership and parents, the Gardens and Westport’s sports programs leaders, and its determination as to the future of the Gardens and where to resituate the baseball field. 

We kindly ask for access to the formal discussion, dialogue and collaboration to identify and implement a solution that achieves these goals, rather than resigning ourselves to concluding it cannot happen, and engaging in polarizing and unproductive rhetoric.

41 Comments

Posted in Children, Environment, Local politics, Sports, Staples HS

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No Decisions — Yet — By Long Lots Building Committee

Posted on September 15, 2023 | 39 comments

Mia Bomback reports:

No decision was made last night on an elementary school.

Or a garden.

But the Long Lots School Building Committee inched closer to a final plan, at their meeting in Town Hall.

Members discussed 6 proposals for renovating or reconstructing the 70-year elementary school. They also discussed a timeline for presenting those plans to the Planning & Zoning Commission, and Board of Finance.

The various proposals faced criticism from Westport residents, who are particularly concerned about the impact on the adjacent Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve. No votes were taken on the half-dozen plans — or their effect on the gardens and preserve — pending cost estimates from Newfield Construction.

Long Lots Elementary School. The Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve (not shown) are to the left of the parking lot in the lower left corner. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

Plans A and B — which call for the renovation of and addition to the existing school — raised concerns among committee members due to undersized classrooms. Members said those plans fail to meet state Board of Education requirements. 

Plan B would replace the gardens with a baseball diamond.

Plans C, C-ALT, D and E call for the complete demolition and reconstruction of Long Lots Elementary School. Plans C, D and E would require relocation of the garden, while Plan C-ALT would allow the garden to remain at the expense of Long Lots’ baseball diamond.

Plan C would relocate both the school and the garden.

Advocates for the community garden voiced support for Plan C-ALT, arguing that moving a garden of this size is “impossible,” and that the only way to safeguard it is to keep it where it is.

James Mather, a longtime Westporter, said, “You can’t move a garden that took 20 years of work. Your casual indifference that the garden is a potted plant is disgusting.”

Some gardeners expressed concerns that their interests are being overshadowed by sports fields. They demanded that a Parks & Recreation Department survey detailing the usage of the sports fields on Long Lots property be publicized before any decisions about which plan (or plans) to move forward with are made.

Westport Community Gardens, and adjacent Long Lots Preserve.

“We see the care that you take in deliberating athletic fields, and we don’t see that with the gardens,” gardener Toni Simonetti said.

“I just can’t believe that this far into the process we don’t have any record of how utilized the lower-level baseball field is, and we’re considering destroying a garden that is treasured and loved by 120 families,” Mather’s wife Karen said. 

Long Lots School Building Committee members debate Plan E (shown on large screen). (Photos/Mia Bomback)

Ex officio committee member Liz Heyer — who also sits on the Board of Education — reassured the gardeners that their voices and opinions were being taken into account. She noted that board members previously voted against plans that would limit parking access to the gardens.

The committee’s intended timeline also posed controversial. Chair Jay Keenan expressed a desire to request an 8-24 (municipal improvement review) from the P&Z or secure funding from the Board of Finance in the coming weeks, ideally presenting to the Representative Town Meetings on November 14. 

John Suggs, an RTM District 9 candidate advocating for the garden’s preservation, likened this timeline to the “moral equivalent of the Amy Coney Barrett being rushed through the US Senate confirmation process one week before the election.”

“Believe me, the voters are pretty speaking out on this,” he said.

The committee plans to make their recommendation after receiving price estimates from Newfield Construction, expected within the next one and a half to 2 weeks.

(Reporter Mia Bomback is a Staples High School junior, and a writer for Inklings)

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Long Lots Meeting, Political Signs, RTM Candidates …

Posted on September 13, 2023 | 11 comments

The Long Lots School Building Committee will hold a special meeting tomorrow (Thursday, September 14, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 201/201A).

The agenda includes a work session with the design team for project status updates, review and discussion. The public is welcome to attend the work session but may not participate.

The work session will be followed by public comment and questions regarding the feasibility study project.

Drone view of the current Long Lots Elementary School.

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Mimi Greenlee saw yesterday’s Roundup story on the do’s and don’ts of yard signs, and noted that non-profits are restricted to signs no earlier than 2 weeks before an event. She wondered if the same rule applied to political signs.

I asked Mary Young, Westport’s Planning & Zoning Department director. She says: “Free speech is protected and is not regulated by zoning, including political signs, distinct from signs advertising special events which are regulated as they must be removed after the advertised event is over.”

She sent over Section 33-5.1 of the Zoning Regulations, last revised in 2012:

“The following signs are permitted without a Zoning Permit in all districts, herein.

“One temporary free standing sign not over 2 square feet per side for a residential property or 9 square feet per side for a non-residential property set back from any property line at least 5 feet, advertising the sale or lease of the premises.

“One temporary construction sign not over 24 square feet in aggregate area
identifying the designers and/or builders for a lot on which a building is under construction or reconstruction. Any such temporary sign shall be removed from the premises within 10 days after the rental of the space, sale of the premises or completion of the construction.

“Temporary signs for public and charitable events which shall be removed after the publicized event.

“Signs for political purpose.”

Political signs are treated differently than those for non-profits.

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Speaking of local politics: The deadline has passed to declare candidacy for the Representative Town Meeting (RTM).

Four of the 36 incumbents are not running: Liz Milwe (District 1), James Bairaktaris (4), Stephen Shackelford (8) and Lori Church (9).

Four candidates are elected from each district. There will be contested races in 5 of the 9 districts. They are:

District 1: Incumbents Matthew Mandell, Kristin Mott Purcell, Chris Tait; petitioning candidates Richard Jaffe, Andrew Bloom.

District 2: Incumbents Harris Falk, Jay Keenan, Louis Mall, Mike Perry; petitioning candidate Melissa Levy.

District 5: Incumbents Peter Gold, Karen Kramer, Dick Lowenstein, Claudia Shaum; petitioning candidates Katherina Palmer, James Mather.

District 6: Incumbents Candace Banks, Jessica Bram, Seth Braunstein, Brien Buckman; petitioning candidates Alma Sarelli, David Rosenwaks, Louis D’Onofrio.

District 9: Incumbers Nancy Kail, Sal Liccione, Kristen Schneeman; petitioning candidates Douglas Enslin, Jennifer Johnson, John Suggs, Rachel Halperin.

Districts without contested races:

District 3: Incumbents Ross Burkhardt, Lyn Hogan, Jimmy Izzo, Don O’Day.

District 4: Incumbents Andrew Colabella, Noah Hammond, Jeffrey Wieser; petitioning candidate Clarence Hayes.

District 7: Incumbents Brandi Briggs, Lauren Karpf, Jack Klinge, Ellen Lautenberg Hendel.

District 8: Incumbents Wendy Batteau, Rachel Steel Cohn, Julie Uman Whamond; petitioning candidate Ari Benmosche.

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The town is seeking proposals for sailing school and boat rental operator services at Longshore.

The deadline for RFPs is October 18. Copies of the RFP documents are available here.


The current Longshore Sailing School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

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Ms President US — a non-profit, non-partisan organization that empowers young girls through leadership development and civic education — has opened a new chapter in Westport.

Girls in grades 4-8 can join. Meetings begin September 29, and are held monthly from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. The program includes a field trip to the state Capitol, and a campaign and election for “Ms. President US.”

Participants develop public speaking skills; gain confidence; meet with local, state and federal leaders and role models, and work with high school mentors.

For information on becoming a member or mentor, email info@mspresidentus.org.

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Calling all grant writers!

A local journalistic non-profit — okay, it’s “06880” — is looking for an experienced grant writer, for an upcoming project.

If you’re interested and available, please email 06880blog@gmail.com. Thank you!

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Staples boys soccer was in the house last night — in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Kyle Martino — the 1999 graduate who was Gatorade National Player of the Year, and went on to become MLS Rookie of the Year, then played for the US national team — called the USA-Oman game for TNT. Bruno Guiduli — a student at nearby Macalaster College was in the stands, and got his fellow Wrecker’s attention.

PS: The US won the “friendly,” 4-0.

Kyle Martino and Bruno Guiduli.

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Speaking of soccer: Marisa Shorrock — a 3-sport athlete in Staples’ Class of 2020 — has been named to College Soccer News’ National Team of the Week. The Yale University All-Ivy selection was also named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week, for the second time in 3 weeks.

The senior goalkeeper made 13 saves as the Bulldogs beat Seton Hall 2-1 and the University of Connecticut 1-0.

Shorrock — who began her college career as a 3-sport (soccer, basketball, lacrosse) walk-on at Bowdoin College, before transferring to Yale — will play an additional year of soccer next season as a grad transfer at the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels have won 21 NCAA Division I national championships.

Marisa Shorrock

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Last year, a Westport Rotary Club grant helped clients of Bridgeport’s Burroughs Community Center do their taxes for free. Volunteers with the VITA national program helped over 1,600 people save money in refunds, deductions and tax credits.

Yesterday, at their weekly meeting, Rotary Club members learned more about the program, from Burroughs officials.

Burroughs Community Center executive director Michael Quon addresses the Westport Rotary Club. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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Longtime Westport resident and former Representative Town Meeting member Jane Young died September 6 in Washington, with her family offering love and comfort. She was 91 years old.

The Detroit native attended Indiana University, where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She and her husband James Edward Young lived in the then-territory of Hawaii, Cleveland and Chicago, before settling in Westport in 1971. Jane worked for MetLife until her retirement.

She was elected to the Westport Planning & Zoning Commission, before serving two terms on the RTM for District 4. Jane was passionate about historic preservation, at a time when Westport was undergoing pressure for new development. A founding member of Save Westport Now, she worked tirelessly to preserve the Baron’s parkland on the Post Road, the William F. Cribari Bridge, and National Hall. She also lobbied to extend the borders of the historic downtown district, to anticipate expansion in the years to come.

Jane was an active member of Assumption Church, and she and Ed were founders of a longstanding social and play reading club called the Turkeys. They traveled extensively throughout the world, including China and the former Soviet Union before they were open to Western tourism.

Jane moved to Iowa City in 2001 to be near family, and spent her final years in the Washington area.

Ed Young died in 2008. Jane is survived by her son Mark (Vicki Grassian) of La Jolla, California; daughter Gayle Young (Thomas Carroll of Washington); brother David Koval, and granddaughters Alexandra Jordan and Samantha Young.

Her ashes will be interred at Assumption Greens Farms Cemetery at a later date.

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Few Westporters enjoying seeing snakes in their yard.

But on Monday, Gianni Lorenzato was fascinated by a pair of them, tanning for a couple of hours atop a boxwood shrub.

“Trusting Google (they are non-venomous Eastern garter snakes),” he says, “I let them enjoy the sun undisturbed.”

Then he sent the photo to “06880,” for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.

(Photo/Gianni Lorenzato)

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And finally … Ray Charles was born today, in 1918.

No, not that Ray Charles.

This one — a white guy — was a musician/singer/songwriter/arranger/ conductor. He led the Ray Charles Singers (not the Raelettes) on Perry Como’s records and TV shows for 35, and made 30 albums in the 1950s and ’60s.

His biggest hit was:

(“06880” covers local politics — and a lot more. But we can’t do it without your help. We rely on reader support. Please click here to contribute. Thank you!)

11 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics, Longshore, Obituaries, Sports, Staples HS

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[OPINION] Reader Asks: Who Directs And Decides The Long Lots Project?

Posted on September 8, 2023 | 24 comments

Toni Simonetti — a 23-year Westport resident  — is a retired global corporate communications public relations executive, with degrees in journalism and an MBA.  

She is also a University of Connecticut Master Gardener, a consulting rosarian, and a longtime member of the Westport Community Gardens, where she serves on its Steering Committee. She writes:

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, chair Lee Goldstein asked the golden question: Who is directing the scope and activities of the Long Lots School Building Committee?

She is understandably confused. The Long Lots School Building Committee is a misnomer.  It should be the “Westport Parks and Rec, Public Works, Finance, Zoning, Conservation, Community Garden and Long Lots School Building Committee as directed by the First Selectwoman.”

I’m joking. But as my husband is fond of saying of my jokes: not funny.

The very serious subject of building a new Long Lots Elementary School is getting caught up in a web of irreconcilable differences. The LLSBC of tried-and-true volunteers is very good at what they do.  But it seems they are victims of what we corporate types call scope creep:  trying to do too much outside the project’s original scope.

Their stated mission: Come up with a plan to remediate the current school or build a new a school.* The BOE has made their preference crystal clear: Build a new school to include a Stepping Stones facility. They’ve supplied the committee with crystal clear education specs. They call for outdoor spaces such as playgrounds and fields in close proximity to the school building, presumably for the exclusive use by Long Lots students.

Toni Simonetti

Here is the rub: also on the town property, on which the school sits, are other town assets not related to Long Lots school — specifically Parks and Recreation resources such as soccer fields, a baseball field, the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve.

Parks and Rec hasn’t (won’t?) talk publicly about its role in the process. The appointed Parks & Rec Commission won’t respond to my emails or requests to discuss the matter at their meetings.

The LLSBC says they’ve asked P&R for a study of potential other locations for athletic fields and the Community Gardens. This “study” is expected within days. I’ve got a Freedom of Information Act request ready to go, because if past behavior is any indication, it is not likely to be made publicly available.

The BOE was astute in questioning the committee reps at the meeting.  I’ll paraphrase:

Are you going to wall off the entire property during construction, shutting down access to the gardens, preserve and athletic fields, and for how long? (Yes; anywhere from 18 to 30 months.)

Why didn’t you engage the community gardeners and neighboring residents in your deliberations? (No answer.)

Are any of the schematics made public? (No, not by the town — but photos were taken and posted on social media by yours truly.)

Toni Simonetti took this photo, at a Long Lots School Building Committee meeting. The plan — one of 6 being considered — shows a new school on the site of the current Community Gardens (left).

What is the process you are following? (Something like this: the BOE reviews for compliance to specs; recommendation to selectwomen; request to fund design work to Board of Finance and RTM; various P&Z reviews and permitting; back to BoF and RTM for construction funding.)

When will the LLSBC deliver the 6 options and their recommendation? (Sometime in October).

The appearance and statement of Board of Finance chair Lee Caney at the BOE was prescient. In not so many words, he noted that the decisions to be made by the town’s deciders must be good for the town as a whole, and not skewed to any one small [albeit passionate] group of interested citizens.

I appreciated the discipline of the BOE meeting, their interest in citizen viewpoints, and the no-nonsense leadership of Lee Goldstein at the helm of the meeting.

Last night’s Board of Education meeting. Don O’Day (far left) and Jay Keenan (blue shirt) presented information from the Long Lots School Building Committee to the BOE (left and center) and Westport Public Schools officials (right). (Photo/Toni Simonetti)

In the end, the BOE is not the decider of the plan that will go forward. The deciders will be elected officials of Westport (Selectwomen, BoF, P&Z, RTM).  This is not Tammany Hall. But still, the fight is daunting to the average Joe Gardener.

Save the gardens and build the school.  Do the impossible!

*Here is the stated mission of the LLSBC:

“Upon the request of the First Selectwoman, a Long Lots School Building Committee (the ‘Committee’ or ‘LLSBC’) is hereby established in order to meet the following goals (the ‘Goals’):

  1. In consultation with Building Envelope Engineers, MEP Engineers and other available information (i.e., Antinozzi, Colliers, Tools for Schools, Maintenance Committee reports, etc.), evaluate the existing conditions of the Long Lots Elementary School building envelope, MEP systems and site conditions.
  2. Provide feasibility studies for both a new build and renovate as new options inclusive of cost and schedule.
  3. Provide a recommendation to the First Selectwoman regarding a course of action for either a new build or renovate as new (the “Project”).
  4. Execute the Project as approved by the Town Boards.”

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Posted in Education, Environment, Local politics

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Board Of Ed Edges Closer To Long Lots Decision

Posted on September 8, 2023 | 32 comments

Westport Community Gardens members pleaded their case yesterday, as the Board of Education discussed next steps with the Long Lots School Building Committee.

A request by BOE member Robert Harrington that the board vote — even symbolically — to support a new elementary school, while keeping the nearby gardens and Long Lots Preserve, was defeated 6-1.

Other members — while expressing a desire not to move the 20-year old gardens, if possible — said they did not want to change a process that’s been underway for a year, before receiving the LLSBC’s recommendations.

The building committee will present its proposals to the board in approximately 3 weeks. LLSBC chair Jay Keenan reported that 6 plans are under consideration. They include building a new school, renovating the current one, and renovating with additions.

The committee is looking at 4 sites: the current lower soccer fields, the current baseball field, the site of the current school, and the gardens. Only one scenario would keep the gardens and preserve where they are.

One of the 6 plans for Long Lots shows renovations and additions to the current school. A baseball diamond would be built on the site of the Community Gardens and Preserve (left). None of the 6 plans have been officially released.

Keenan also noted that during the construction process — 18 to 20 months for a new school, 30 months for renovation — the entire property would be fenced. He implied there would be no access to the gardens during that time.

“A lot of stakeholders are part of the campus,” he said. “The number one priority is the school.

“It’s a puzzle. We’re moving different parts around,” he added. “Everyone will feel pain. In the end, we’ll have a beautiful new building, and a beautiful campus.”

More than a dozen speakers addressed the BOE, during the public comment segment and after Harrington introduced his proposal.

While all thanked the building committee for their arduous and thankless work, most urged that the gardens and preserve be maintained.

Joellen Bradford, a neighbor on Long Lots Road, expressed concern for the impact of construction of any kind on Muddy Brook, part of the property’s wetlands.

The theme of creative problem-solving echoed throughout the meeting. After Keenan noted that the site must accommodate students, staff, workers, buses — plus a staging area for construction, and parking for everyone, including crews — one speaker suggested off-site lots, and shuttle buses.

After the LLSBC makes its recommendations to the BOE, the final decision will go to the Board of Selectwomen, and town bodies including the Board of Finance, Conservation Commission and Representative Town Meeting.

Keenan said, optimistically, that construction could begin “this time next year.”

Long Lots Elementary School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)

32 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics

Tagged , ,

Community Gardens And Long Lots School: Plotting The Future

Posted on September 5, 2023 | 70 comments

We can launch a telescope a million miles beyond Earth’s orbit, and receive images from 13.6 billion light years away.

We ought to be able to figure out how to build a school without uprooting a town treasure.

Granted, Westport is not NASA. But we’ve got more than our share of smart minds in town.

James Webb space telescope.

If some human beings can overcome problems like how to unfurl mirrors in space, protect them from the sun’s light and heat, and send commands across unfathomable distances of darkness, others ought to be able to solve the dilemma of where to put a building, baseball diamond or some construction equipment.

This isn’t rocket science.

As Westport confronts the shouldn’t-be-daunting issue of how to keep a 20-year-old garden and preserve that, thanks to stupendous volunteer effort and sweat equity, has increased biodiversity, boosted Westport on its path toward Net Zero, and raised produce for hungry Fairfield County neighbors — and at the same time brought joy, comfort and a sense of community to hundreds of Westporters, from tots to 90s — we need to tap the talents, creativity and energy of all our residents.

Our town is filled with architects, engineers, contractors, environmentalists, sports management professionals, educators, financiers, non-profit executives and more.

Every day, they face challenges. Every day, they devise solutions.

Let’s put our differences aside. Let’s put our heads together. Let’s grow — as the 100-plus Community Gardeners, and thousands of friends urge — the garden and the school together.

Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve. (Drone photo/Franco Fellah)

Here are a few things to think about:

How big a footprint does the new school actually need? Can it be vertical, rather than horizontal? To those who say an elementary school should be one story, well … Kings Highway. Saugatuck. Greens Farms. The old Bedford (now Town Hall).

Do we really need to include Stepping Stones preschool (currently located at Coleytown Elementary)? Why is that a given? Is there somewhere else it can go, lessening the size?

If a Babe Ruth baseball diamond is crucial, where else could it go? How about on the roof of the new school? Union City, New Jersey has one. Other types of athletic fields have been built on rooftops too, including Brown University.

Here’s more outside-the-box (that box being the Community Gardens) thinking:

Baseball could partner with (or rent from) Greens Farms Academy. It’s diamond is unused on weekends. Could Babe Ruth play ball there?

Greens Farms Academy baseball diamond.

The town owns land just west of The Saugatuck co-op housing, on Bridge Street. For decades, it was a playing field for what was then Saugatuck Elementary School.

There is also plenty of land at the 40-acre Fairfield County Hunt Club. Would they want to sell or rent part of it? We won’t know until we ask.

Then there’s this: The Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve comprise nearly 4 acres. A typical baseball field is 4.5 acres.

Instead of relocating what’s already there to another, as-yet-undetermined site, find that location now — and put the baseball diamond there instead.

One plan shows a baseball field on the current site (left) of the Community Gardens … 

Good people can certainly differ. But in the 10 weeks since “06880” first broke the news that the Community Gardens and Preserve may be “supplanted” by the Long Lots project, hundreds of Westporters have spoken in favor of retaining them.

They span the political spectrum. They are all ages. Some have been here for decades; others just moved in. Some are gardeners; many are not. Some are parents of Long Lots children.

In all the comments on this blog, on Westport Journal, and in public meetings, I can’t recall one person (other than members of the Long Lots School Building Committee) who has said: “We should replace the Gardens and Preserve with a baseball field, or the school itself.”

If you want that, please make your voice heard.

If you don’t, please put on your thinking cap.

We’re not asking you to design the James Webb Telescope.

All we need is a way for a garden and school to share space.

Comm

… while another shows a new school there.

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Posted in Education, Environment, Local politics, Sports

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Long Lots School: No Decision Yet

Posted on September 1, 2023 | 39 comments

A decision on whether to renovate Long Lots Elementary School, or build a completely new one, was expected by the end of August.

Last night — August 31 — the Long Lots School Building Committee met again, without taking action. A decision now appears a few weeks away.

In a packed small conference room at Town Hall, an overflow crowd watched as the committee looked at half a dozen plans.

It appears that the “renovate in place” option is unlikely.

The status of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve also remains unclear.

One of the plans presented (below) would replace the gardens with a Babe Ruth-sized baseball diamonds (lower left on the drawing). The gardens would be relocated to a wetlands area nearby.

A second plan shows a new school, built on the current Gardens and Preserve site:

(Drawings courtesy of Toni Simonetti, Westport Front Porch)

(“06880” will continue to cover the Long Lots School project story. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Roundup: First School Day, First Student Buses, Long Lots Meeting …

Posted on August 29, 2023 | 6 comments

Today is the first day of school.

On Sylvan Road North, motorcycle officer/PAL president/all-around good guy Craig Bergamo rode by.

He was doing a check of bus routes. But he took the time to stop, chat, and wish Dylan Rosen a great start to the year, as he begins 6th grade at Coleytown Middle School.

Dylan Rosen, his mom Barrie and Officer Craig Bergamo. (Photo/Frank Rosen)

And, in what has become one of our favorite “06880” traditions, Pam Long sends this photo of the first day, waiting for the bus at Juniper Road and Caccamo Lane.

(Photo/Pam Long)

Each year the faces change. Kids get older. They move on to a new school; younger ones take their place. But always, there are lots of them.

Meanwhile, this was the scene at Grouse Path and Woodcock Lane, off Newtown Turnpike:

(Photo/Elizabeth DeVoll)

All over town, kids are eager, excited, energetic — and perhaps a bit nervous too.

It’s all natural. For decades in Westport — and across the country — those emotions have not changed.

Good luck to all. Here’s to the best school year ever!

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Speaking of buses: Today also marks the first day of a contract with a new company: aptly named First Student.

The first couple of weeks back are an adjustment in every area — including transportation.

Here’s wishing all good things to First Student. Fortunately, many of the best drivers have been hired by the new company.

Managerially, many Westporters hope for an improvement over the previous provider.

The bar certainly is set low.

School buses, in the Imperial Avenue lot. (Photo/Amy Schneider)

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The Long Lots School Building Committee holds a special meeting this Thursday (August 31, 6 p.m., Town Hall Room 201). The agenda includes:

  • Public Comment and/or questions regarding the project (15 minutes)
  • Work session with the design team for project status updates and review. The public is welcome to attend the work session, but may not participate.
  • Additional Public comment and/or questions regarding the project.

The Long Lots School Building Committee meets Thursday, at 6 p.m.

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Meanwhile, up in Weston Jolantha warns everyone that with school back in session: Drive carefully!

That sure is one “ham-some” guy behind the wheel.

(Photo/Hans Wilhelm)

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The package had a false return address. The letter inside was signed “Sam Elliott (not really, but you’ll get the 1976 movie reference).” The only clue to the sender is slim: It was mailed from Zip code 06376 (Old Lyme, Connecticut).

The note said: “A few years back you wrote about a lifeguard reunion, and that a former lifeguard brought along a vintage red jacket.” (Click here for that story.)

He was a lifeguard “50-plus years ago,” he said. And he too “forgot” to turn in his jacket.

He worked 6 days a week, 8 hours a day, for $1.25 an hour. (Shifts ran from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and noon to 8 p.m.)

It was a great job — especially uncrowded early mornings and late evenings. The sun rising or setting, with the waves lapping quietly, were “idyllic.”

Even today, the former guard wrote, hearing certain songs — “Black is Black,” “Summer in the City,” “See You in September” — brought him back to those days.

He’d kept his guard jacket for over 5 decades. Now, he said: “I entrust it to you for appropriate disposition — to the Recreation Department, the guard shack, a lifeguard groupie, etc.”

There — folded neatly underneath the note — was his vintage jacket.

The note ended:

“I just couldn’t put it in the textile recycling bin without giving it the possibility of one last trip to Compo Beach before summer’s end.”

Thank you, whoever you are. This weekend — the last of the season for the guards — I’ll bring it down to the shack you remember so well.

PS: That “Sam Elliott 1976 movie” comment? He starred in “Lifeguard.”

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Jazz at the Post has taken five this summer.

The Thursday night series resumes September 7.

But there’s a warmup act.

This Thursday (August 31, 6:30 p.m.), the Fairfield Museum hosts a free concert. Pianist (and Fairfield native) Jamie Saft headlines the show, with Steve LaSpina and Tim Horner.

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Speaking of music: Every picture tells a story.

But I sure can’t figure out the tale behind this photo.

I took it in the back parking lot at Saugatuck Congregation Church.

At any rate, if you are praying that someone found you’re music stand: You know where to find it.

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Recently, Bob Weingarten noticed many varieties of mushrooms on the lawn at Hillandale Road and Morningside Drive South.

He assembled some favorites for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature:

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And finally … in honor of the songs that — nearly 60 years later — still remind a former lifeguard of his idyllic days at Compo Beach (story above):

(Today the kids are back in class! Celebrate with a donation to “06880” — a great source for local education news. And, of course, lots else. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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