Tag Archives: Luciano Park

Roundup: Fireworks Tickets, Duck Race, Levitt Pavilion …

Posted on June 25, 2023 | 10 comments

Tickets are going fast for the greatest party in town: the Independence Day fireworks.

They’re early this year: this Thursday (June 29). As always, Compo Beach is the place to be.

The event is sponsored — once again — by longtime Westport residents Melissa and Doug Bernstein. Their generosity allows Westport PAL to benefit from ticket sales — and run programs and offer scholarships impacting thousands of kids.

Tickets ($50 per car) can be bought at the Westport Police station (50 Jesup Road) and Parks & Recreation office (in Longshore Park), during business hours.

They’re first-come, first-served. And no one gets into Compo without one.

The greatest party in town. (Photo/David Squires)

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Yesterday’s s Great Duck Race was a huge success. Attendees — win or lose — had tons of fun. The Westport Sunrise Rotary Club put on another successful event. And the many non-profits that will benefit from the fundraiser will be thrilled.

But there were smaller moments to celebrate too. Here’s one.

Jo Luciano grew up in Westport. She now lives in Florida, but had a special reason to donate to the Duck fundraiser: Her father — Police Chief Sam Luciano — died suddenly in 1970. The Westport Rotary Club generously paid for her, and her sister Carol’s, college educations.

Jo had trouble making the online donation. She found the address for the Rotary Club — but it was “Westport Rotary,” not the “Sunrise Rotary” that puts on the event.

No problem. Leslie Roberts of Westport Rotary forwarded Jo’s email to the Sunrise club.

Problem solved! Jo bought 3 ducks.

But there’s also this Westport-is-really-just-a-small-town postscript: Sunrise Rotary past president Rick Jaffe told Jo: “I live on the other side of the train station from Luciano Park. I take my grandchildren there whenever they visit.”

That’s right: the small park in Saugatuck is named for Jo’s father, the late police chief.

It’s great that Jo still feels connected to Westport. And that Rick now feels a bit more connected to Luciano Park.

Here’sPolice another Great Duck Race story: At the end of a very busy day, Dave Hoffman of the Makin’ Waves food truck had one coconut shrimp left.

He knew Sunrise Rotarian Sheila Keenan loves it. So he walked it across the street, and presented it to an equally exhausted — but very grateful — Sheila.

Dave Hoffman, Sheila Keenan and the coconut shrimp. (Photo and hat tip/Richard Jaffe)

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Also last night: the Levitt Pavilion’s Michael Franti and Phillip Phillips show.

The sold-out event had everyone dancing.

Except one dog, who wished he was.

(Photo/Jo Shields Sherman)

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Meanwhile, this morning — at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m. — 21 teenagers and 6 adult leaders left Saugatuck Congregational Church, for their annual youth mission trip.

This year’s destination: Washington state. They’ll help with flood recovery, and work with families in need.

Previous mission trips have included Colorado, Arizona, Maine, Alabama, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.

Saugatuck Church youth group. (Photo/Mark Mathias)

Green’s Farms Congregational Church’s youth group left this weekend too, on their mission.

They’re headed to Tennessee.

Green’s Farms Church youth group.

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Check out the eyes on this “Westport … Naturally” Compo Beach cormorant!

Colorful, beautiful, piercing — and very, very fierce.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … on this date in 1876, the 2-day Battle of the Little Bighorn began. It was an overwhelming victory for the combined Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, and a humiliating defeat for the US Army’s 7th Cavalry. Five of their 12 companies were wiped out; General George Armstrong Custer was killed, along with 2 brothers, a nephew and a brother-in-law.

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Posted in Beach, Entertainment, religion, Westport life

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Chris Swan’s Grand Old (And New) Flag

Posted on November 11, 2015 | 11 comments

On Monday, Chris Swan noticed the American flag flying over Luciano Park was in tatters.

The Staples Class of 1967 graduate went to Westport Hardware to buy a replacement.

Chris is a US Air Force veteran. His father was also a vet.

So was his father-in-law: Sam Luciano.

Yes, the same man — and beloved former Westport chief of police, who died far too young — whose name graces that Saugatuck park.

What a fine way for Chris to honor every Westport veteran.

We can’t all buy American flags today. But we can keep the service of all our veterans in our hearts, all day long.

Chris Swan holds the tattered American flag. Its replacement flies proudly over Luciano Park.

Chris Swan holds the tattered American flag. Its replacement flies proudly over Luciano Park.

 

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Posted in People, Saugatuck

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Super Slice Of Saugatuck Set For Saturday

Posted on September 7, 2015 | 3 comments

Bordered by a river, train tracks and I-95, Saugatuck can’t get much bigger.

But it keeps growing. New apartments, restaurants and businesses make Westport’s original center — and “2nd downtown” — livelier than ever.

Slice of Saugatuck grows each year too. The 4th annual edition — set for Saturday (September 12, noon-3 p.m.) — is the biggest yet.

Slice of SaugatuckMore merchants than ever — 44 — are participating. Over 2 dozen eateries will offer food and/or drinks; other shops will show off their wares. There’s a new mini-Maker Space, drones, obstacle courses and more, along with 7 musical groups (and the fire station’s traditional open house).

Plus — once the Slice ends — a free concert, with 2 “Sweet Sounds o’ Summer” bands playing in Luciano Park (3 and 5 p.m.).

It’s a triple win for Westport, says Chamber of Commerce executive director Matthew Mandell, who created the 1st Slice of Saugatuck in 2011.

It promotes Saugatuck merchants and the area. It gives the community a great event. And it raises money for the homeless and hungry.

The Homes With Hope Gillespie Food Pantry is again the beneficiary. They received $10,000 in proceeds from the past 2 festivals.

Slice of Saugatuck tickets are $10 per adult, $5 for children 6-12 (available on site). Any way you slice it, that’s a bargain!

From Bridge Square to Railroad Place -- and everywhere else -- Slice of Saugatuck is packed. (Photo/Terry Cosgrave)

From Bridge Square to Railroad Place — and everywhere else — Slice of Saugatuck is packed. (Photo/Terry Cosgrave)

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Posted in Entertainment, Organizations, Saugatuck

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Another Park. Another Plan?

Posted on July 18, 2014 | 10 comments

For many years, Luciano Park was a thriving neighborhood playground.

For 2 years during college, in fact, my summer job was supervising the small Saugatuck spot, between the railroad station and parking lot. Another counselor and I kept an eye on kids, organized a few games, and set up bus trips to amusement parks and Yankee Stadium.

Luciano Park, looking from Railroad Place and Charles Street toward the parking lot. (Photo/JP Vellotti)

Luciano Park, looking from Railroad Place and Charles Street toward the parking lot. (Photo/JP Vellotti)

Later, when Parks and Rec stopped funding the positions — and the area changed — Luciano Park was known mainly as the site of the annual Festival Italiano.

These days, it’s largely forgotten. And almost completely unused.

Home plate remains, but the rest of the softball diamond is gone. View is toward Railroad Place. (Photo/JP Vellotti)

Home plate remains, but the rest of the softball diamond is gone. View is toward Railroad Place. (Photo/JP Vellotti)

The reasons are varied. Saugatuck is no longer a place of small homes and large families.

The few kids with free time in the summer don’t play baseball in parks. They don’t swing on swings.

No one does, anywhere in Westport — except for the very creative Compo playground, which has sand, water and food nearby.

The seldom-used playground equipment in Luciano Park. (Photo/JP Vellotti)

Seldom-used playground equipment in Luciano Park. (Photo/JP Vellotti)

I was reminded of all this after receiving an email and photos from alert “06880” reader JP Vellotti. Walking through Luciano Park at 12:30 last Friday afternoon, without a soul in sight, he thought: “If there is a park in Westport that needs a master plan, this is it!”

He added:

As Westport thinks about its future, let’s give this park some thought. It need not only be for kids. Hundreds, maybe more, quite literally ‘park’ nearby every day.

Could this be a quiet place to sit before or after work? Why not add a fitness station as an alternative to the gym?

Good questions, all. And as Railroad Place prepares for the next stage of Saugatuck’s redevelopment, and residents throughout town ponder both Compo Beach and downtown improvements, why not add this tiny, valuable parcel into the planning mix?

(Photo/JP Vellotti)

(Photo/JP Vellotti)

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Posted in Beach, Children, Downtown, Looking back, Saugatuck

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Saugatuck Fire Station On The Move?

Posted on July 9, 2013 | 28 comments

Word on the street is that the Saugatuck fire station may move down the street.

The Riverside Avenue firehouse — located between Bridge Square and The Whelk, which looks like it’s been there since horses pulled fire wagons — is being considered for relocation a few yards north, near the VFW.

But — contrary to the fears of some local residents — the new site is not the small Riverside Park.

It’s 427 Riverside Avenue, next door. The town owns that vacant lot.

In fact, says Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, the parcel was purchased in the 1970s with the intention of building a new fire station there. Instead, an addition was built at the current site.

Kingsbury would love the Saugatuck firehouse to remain where it is, on the river across from Phase II of the Gault redevelopment. “It’s a real cool place,” he says.

But it’s not deep enough for modern vehicles. Plus, it’s in a flood zone. During Hurricane Sandy, firefighters built a berm to protect generators and equipment. Still, the station suffered $15,000 damage.

The vacant lot at 427 Riverside Avenue.

The vacant lot at 427 Riverside Avenue.

Kingsbury says the town engineer has looked at the vacant lot at 427 Riverside. However, he notes, “we haven’t really started the process yet.”

That has not stopped area residents from creating a website: “Save Riverside Park.” The site warns of the destruction of “an oasis for Westport residents.”

Presumably that won’t happen if the firehouse is built not at the park, but next door. However, concerns about increased noise and “traffic pollution” would no doubt remain.

The website offers an alternative: Luciano Park.

I’m not so sure. That’s been an important (and green) part of Saugatuck since the turn of the century — the 20th century.

Luciano Park is home to a playground and softball field. It was also the site of the long-running Italian Festival, and a short-lived antiques market.

Luciano Park is home to a playground and softball field. It was also the site of the long-running Italian Festival, and a short-lived antiques market.

The website points to Luciano Park’s proximity to I-95 — a frequent destination for fire calls — as one more reason to put the station there. I’d argue that the added distance from Riverside Avenue — especially to the southbound entrance ramp — is negligible.

If all this sounds as if I’m pro-firehouse-at-427 Riverside: I’m not. But I would not want to see it at Luciano Park, either.

What I would like to see is a robust discussion of the future of the Saugatuck fire station. Click “Comments” to add your thoughts. Remember: please use your real, full name. And it would help to add where you live, so we can better understand where you are coming from.

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Posted in People, Saugatuck

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No Softball Today

Posted on February 14, 2013 | 4 comments

Or any day in the foreseeable future.

At any field in town.

The situation at Luciano Park — near the railroad station — might be tougher than other spots, though.

Luciano Park

In addition to receiving tons of plowed snow, it was also badly damaged last fall, when Sunday flea market vendors drove on the grass in a  downpour. The flea market folks were going to pay for repairs, but “06880” readers say they have not yet been done.

Should be interesting once the snow melts.

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Posted in Saugatuck, Weather

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