The Long Lots School Building Committee posted this update yesterday:
“On April 16, after a series of interviews over several weeks to assess qualifications (in particular, qualifications for the sustainability aspects of the project) and reviewing cost proposals, the Building Committee selected Newfield Construction to provide construction management services for the new Long Lots Elementary School, and Svigals & Partners to lead the architectural and engineering team, who will design the new school.
“These 2 firms, along with their consultants, will be recommended to the Board of Selectwomen for their approval.
“The next phase of this exciting project will occur over the next several months. It will be a 3-step process: schematic design, design development and, finally, Construction documents. This will lead to a set of documents that will be used to bid and then build the new school.
“The process will start with additional site testing (e.g., updating the survey, borings for geothermal testing, geotechnical and ground water information, etc.) and refining the site criteria with the design team, construction manager, town departments and the committee.
“Early on in the schematic design phase, a tentative schedule will be developed, allowing each of the town approval bodies and departments to know when information or decisions will be required. The schedule and cost estimates will be updated as we progress through this process.
“Each of these increasingly detailed steps in the design process will be shared with the public during the Building Committee’s meetings. Beyond our working public meetings, we expect to hold public informational meetings where the Building Committee and the architect will present progress drawings.
“We look forward to getting the consultants under contract, moving forward with the design process and keeping everyone updated on our progress.”
Plans for a new Long Lots Elementary School are moving forward. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
==================================================
Sports fans and entrepreneurs — and sports fans who are entrepreneurs — filled the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum last night, as Startup Westport honored Jimmy Pitaro with its first-ever Innovator of the Year Award.
Startup Westport is our town’s public-private tech entrepreneur partnership. Pitaro is ESPN’s creative, visionary CEO — and a Westporter.
He was interviewed onstage by ESPN host Mike Greenberg — a former Westporter.
The 2 bantered easily, and told stories of their careers. But Pitaro also delivered insights into the sports and media business with depth, breadth and humor.
Both also gave great shout-outs to Westport, as communities to raise families and inspire them with its beauty, its active residents and its vibe.
The perfect ending came from a Bedford Middle School 6th grade student, who represents the future of sports broadcasting. It was an unexpected — but very innovative — finale, for the first of what will become an annual Startup Westport signature event.
Mike Greenberg (left) and Jimmy Pitaro. (Photo/Charlie Scott)
==================================================
Among the many important fundraisers this spring, there is no better venue than Harbor Watch’s “Cocktails & Clams” event (June 1, 5 to 7 p.m.).
It’s at Copps Island Oysters in Norwalk. Attendees get exclusive use of the fishing dock, with great views of Long Island Sound.
They’ll enjoy an unlimited raw bar (fresh off the boat), hors d’oeuvres from Seaside Sliders, drinks from an open bar and music from a jazz band.
Harbor Watch — which researches, monitors and improve water quality and ecosystem health in Connecticut — is affiliated with Earthplace.
Click here for tickets, and more information.
=================================================
Fetch Rescue and Rebel & Rose Tattoo join in a “Puppies & Piercing” event this Saturday (May 4, noon to 4 p.m., 155 Post Road East, 2nd floor).
There’s a special $70 price for ear piercing (plus jewelry and after-care) — along with rescue puppies, to give cuddles and find homes.
==================================================
Real Estate Outlook — an annual Fairfield County event co-sponsored by FLB Law, the Greater Norwalk Chamber and the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce — takes place May 22, 2024, at M& T Bank in The SoNo Collection.
This year’s theme is “Housing Matters: Challenges, Solutions and Impacts on Commercial Real Estate.” Networking begins at 8:30 a.m. A panel discussion follows at 9.
Eric Bernheim, head of FLB’s real estate and land use practice, will moderate. Among the panelists: David Waldman of David Adam Realty, developer of Westport’s Bedford Square.
Click here to register, and for more information.
Bedford Square developer David Waldman will discuss housing as it relates to commercial real estate on May 22. (Drone photo/John Videler for Videler Photography)
==================================================
The Greens Farms Academy Dragonoids Middle School robotics team has been in existence for only 3 months.
Yet they’ve already qualified for the Vex Robotics World Championships.
The team’s 7 students flew to Dallas recently, to compete in the 3-day competition. The 494 middle schools, from over 30 countries, qualified out of 20,000 teams.
After a very strong first-time showing, GFA won the sportsmanship award in their 80-team division.
Congratulations to the Dragonoids — Ben Kiev, Cooper Mleczko, Dylan Karpf, Liam Haverstick, Lucas Robinson, Mackenzie Bloom and Spencer Shiff — and coaches Nicholas Iacobelli and Berni Lally!
The Greens Farms Academy Dragonoids.
================================================
Staples High School’s annual Pops Concert at the Levitt Pavilion is June 7.
Tickets are not yet available. But the Music Department is reaching out to local business owners for support, by purchasing ads in the program book.
Ad sales help cover concert expenses, and support the 400-plus students involved in Staples’ award-winning music program.
For details, email staples.music.parents.assn+ads@gmail.com.
Part of the large crowd at the Staples Pops Concert.
==================================================
“Seeking Home” — an original cantata for 2 guitars, drums, Native American flute and full choir, with music and score by Rev. Dr. Ed Thompson — will be presented on Sunday (May 5, 10 a.m., the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport).
Thompson is the UU’s minister of music. His cantata honors the over 5,000 missing and murdered indigenous women, children and their families in North America, on National Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Day.
The public is welcome.
==================================================
Speaking of church music: the United Methodist Church of Westport & Weston hosts a jazz vespers service this Sunday (May 5, 4 p.m.).
Featured musicians include Anthony Pellegrini (saxophone), John Hoddinott (guitar), Eneji Alungbe (bass) and Larry Davis (drums).
Non-perishable food donations will be gratefully accepted.
(Photo/Dan Woog)
==================================================
Today is the deadline for high school seniors to confirm college acceptances.
But not every graduate will — or should — go to a 4-year school.
A special event — “Finding Your Path: Exploring Post High School Options” — is set for May 14 (6:30 p.m., Westport Library).
Vince Benevento — dounder and sirector of Causeway Collaborative — will discuss how high school students can plan for the future.
Representatives from the military, community college, vocational schools and apprenticeships will be on hand too
The US military is one option for high school graduates.
==================================================
Longtime Weston resident and volunteer Richard Amill died peacefully on April 19 in Norwalk, surrounded by his family. He was 91.
The New York City native graduated from Brown University in 1954. It was there that he met his wife Nancy Jayne. They married in 1955.
Rick spent his career in educational textbook publishing, with leadership positions at Time Inc., Silver-Burdett, Cowles Communications, Macmillan Publishers, Random House and McGraw-Hill. He launched Learning Supplements, a pioneer in K-12 digital learning.
Rick was an avid reader, from current events and history (especially anything about World War II) to novels by John Grisham.
He was a 25-plus year member, and past president, of the Kiwanis Club of Weston, where he established multiple lifelong friendships.
Rick passionately believed in children and the mission of helping others. He taught reading skills to students in Bridgeport, and mentored elementary, middle and high school students in Norwalk into his late 80s.
He volunteered at Norwalk Hospital’s Outpatient Surgical Center, emergency room and Whittingham Cancer Center into his 90s.
He also volunteered at the Connecticut Food Bank, Read Aloud Program, Norwalk Reads, Homes With Hope, Gillespie Center and Open Doors Shelter.
Rick was a lifelong New York Yankee fan. He attended hundreds of Yankee games, including spring training with his family. He passed his love of the sport and his enduring optimism to all who knew him. He was a devoted father, grandfather and friend.
Rick was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, who died in 2001. He is survived by his sons Andrew (Susan) and Alexander (Jesstyne), daughter Sally, and grandchildren Ryan, Garrett, Sean, Kennison and Callie.
His family thanks the many caregivers who provided support, including the Whittingham Cancer Center, Norwalk Hospital, Waveny Care Center, Maplewood at Strawberry Hill and Constellation Health Services.
Services will be private. The family requests that donations in Rick’s memory be directed to Open Doors Shelter of Norwalk (www.opendoorsct.org).
Rick Amill
==============================================
We’ve featured plenty of flowers in our “Westport … Naturally” series.
But none have been shown as beautifully close-up as today’s image, on Manitou Road.
Thanks to photographer JD Dworkow, for a spectacular spring shot.
(Photo/JD Dworkow)
==================================================
And finally … Happy May!
(How to celebrate May Day? What about a contribution to “06880”! Please click here. We will thank you every day of the year.)
