Jen Tooker did not have to look far, to replace Foti Koskinas.
The first selectwoman has promoted Deputy Chief David Farrell to chief of the Westport Police Department. His appointment is effective May 23
Farrell — now in his 24th year with the WPD — succeeds Foti Koskinas. The current chief steps down after 29 years with the force.
“Dave Farrell is the clear and natural choice to lead our Police Department forward,” Tooker says.
“His integrity, experience, and deep understanding of this community make him an extraordinary leader. I have complete confidence in Dave, and I am genuinely excited about what’s ahead under his leadership. This is a promising time for our Police Department, and Dave is the right person to guide us into the future.”
Westport’s new police chief, David Farrell.
Farrell began his career in Westport as a patrol officer in 2001. He was promoted to sergeant in 2009, and lieutenant 3 years later.
In 2015, he was named administrative lieutenant, and served as the department’s public information officer.
Farrell was promoted to captain in 2017/ his command included commanded the Detective Bureau, and the Patrol, Professional Standards and Training Divisions.
In 2021 Farrell was promoted to deputy chief. He oversaw budgets for the Police Department, Police garage, Emergency Medical Services, Railroad Division, and Animal Control.
He worked closely with the RTM and First Selectwoman’s Office on the Civilian Review Panel (now the Civilian Public Safety Departments Review Board). Farrell currently serves as director of both Emergency Medical Services and Railroad Operations.
Farrell is a certified Emergency Medical Technician. He has been a crisis/hostage negotiator with the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team, a member of the Crisis Intervention Team, and a proud member of the Westport Police Department Honor Guard.
He has also held leadership roles within the department’s labor organizations, including vice president of the Westport Police Union and the Westport Police Benevolent Association.
Farrell volunteered with Special Olympics, organizing charity fundraisers and the annual Torch Run.
He has received numerous departmental awards, including a Chief’s Commendation, an Honorable Service Award, a Lifesaving Award, and several Unit Citations.
He was also recognized with a service ribbon for his contributions to the town of Newtown in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, and a leadership pin for his role during the pandemic.
Chief Farrell holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut. He lives in Fairfield with his wife,Alison, and two daughters Olivia and Jocelyn.
Farrell says, “I’m truly honored to step into this role. I’m thankful for the chance to serve as chief, and excited to work with our officers and the Westport community.
“This town is something special. We’re all about community, looking out for one another, and keeping each other safe. That’s what makes Westport strong, and that’s the kind of spirit I’ll bring to everything we do at the police department.”
With little heat — but plenty of enthusiasm — the Board of Selectwomen voted unanimously yesterday to accept the Parks & Recreation Department’s proposal to add 2 portable fire pits to Compo’s South Beach this summer.
The pits — available for use byWestport residents only, for $150 from 4 to 10 p.m. every day except the fireworks and July 4 — are an added amenity, says Parks & Rec director Erik Barbieri. Several area towns already offer them.
Westport’s Police and Fire Departments fully back the proposal. The fire pits will be monitored by Parks & Rec employees, who will be trained in their use. When the beach closes they’ll be extinguished, and moved to a locked site.
For more details on the Compo fire pits, click here.
First run in 2014 to raise money — over $200 million! — for ALS research, it’s resurfaced in 2025 as a fundraiser for Active Minds, a national youth mental health nonprofit.
Since the first bucket was poured on March 31, it’s collected over $300,000.
It swept through Staples High School. Then I got swept up in it.
Dave Briggs — the TV journalist who contributes great video reels to “06880” — nominated me.
On Tuesday (yeah, I waited a day until it got warm), I took the challenge.
And then I passed on the challenge to 3 other Westporters: 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, and Police Chief Foti Koskinas.
I don’t mess around. Check out the video below (or click here):
Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member Andrew Colabella offers a list of spots around town that could use a bit (or a bit more) of tidying up.
They include:
Elaine Road
Greens Farms train station embankment
Greens Farms corridor
Sherwood Island Connector corridor
Merritt Parkway exit 42 Park & Ride
Longshore parking lot F (coastline)
Saugatuck train station parking lot 4
Sipperly Hill Road
Ford Road
Bottom of Clapboard Hill at Greens Farms
Riverside Avenue
Andrew adds: “In addition to these places, anywhere else that needs clean-up is great.
“If you see an area that is unsafe and unreachable due to lack of buffer from the road, or on a blind curve, call the Public Works Department: 203-341-1120.”
Cleaning up Elaine Road (near the Saugatuck River boat launch, animal control headquarters and sewage treatment plant), 2024.
The auction for A Better Chance of Westport’s Dream Event gala (Saturday, April 26, 6:30 p.m.) is live. All funds support the non-profit’s work, offering educational opportunities and more in Westport to teenage boys from underserved communities. Click here.
A few tickets to the event — which includes excellent food and drinks, inspiring speeches from the scholars, and a chance to meet some very cool present and past ABC folks — are still available. Click here to purchase.
The 2021 Staples High School graduate — and within-a-month University of Michigan alum — made his Broadway debut last night in “Stranger Things: The First Shadow.”
Reviews were mixed, for the “prequel” to the hit Netflix series. Among the critics who raved: Emlyn Travis, of Entertainment Weekly: “Immersive, heartfelt, and exhilarating, ‘First Shadow’ is a must-see spectacle for the Stranger Things obsessive as much as it is for the theater aficionado who wants to see the medium pushed to new heights.”
Jamie Mann with his parents, Jill Johnson Mann and Ben Mann, at Tavern on the Green Tuesday night.
Westport Police made 2 custodial arrests between April 16 and 23.
A 38-year-old Westport man was charged with voyeurism, after a complaint about a hidden camera placed in a shared bathroom of an apartment. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond.
A 35-year-old Stamford man was charged with failure to respond to a payable violation, after a traffic stop.
Westport Police also issued these citations:
Driving while texting: 21 citations
Distracted driving: 4
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 4
Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 4
Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 4
Failure to renew registration: 4
Speeding: 2
Improper use of markers: 2
Driving while texting (2nd offense): 1
Traveling unreasonably fast: 1
Failure to obey stop sign: 1
Failure to obey traffic control signal: 1
Failure to comply with state traffic commission regulations: 1
Yale University Law School professor Paul Kahn’s recent book, “Democracy in Our America,” focuses on what happens when national politics enters a small Connecticut town.
It’s not about Westport — but it could be.
On Tuesday night, the Democratic Women of Westport hosted Kahn at the Westport Woman’s Club.
A full crowd listened intently to his insights. The event included Jeff Wieser and Velma Heller — present and former RTM moderators — and was led by Board of Finance member Allyson Stollenwerck.
Saving democracy, at the Westport Woman’s Club. (Photo/Andrew Colebella)
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The Westport Rotary Club learned all about the Norwalk Art Space on Tuesday.
Duvian Montoya and AnnaDea Chavez spokek about the non-profit, located in a former West Avenue church, which provides free art education to underserved youth.
It also offers free studio space to adult artists, in exchange for teaching classes to youngsters. Last year, there were over 70 classes.
A gourmet café is run by Bill Taibe, of Whelk, Don Memo and Kawa Ni fame.
And finally … in honor of both the new Compo Beach fire pits, and the new/old ice bucket challenge (stories above):
(Compo, cops, Broadway — just another day in Westport. But there’s always something different in our “06880” Roundup. If you like this daily dose of town news, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
After 29 years on the Westport Police force — the last 9 as chief — Foti Koskinas has seen nearly everything.
He has freed a hostage, overseen Black Lives Matter demonstrations and the rescue of 28 rowers from frigid waters, upgraded school safety, helped arrest carjackers, and dealt with crises large and small, all in an active, demanding town filled with expensive homes, many stores and restaurants and offices, and including a sound, river, railroad, and two major highways.
On June 30, Koskinas will hand in his badge. He has chosen not to renew his contract.
But at an age when some law enforcement personnel retire, Koskinas will continue to pursue the work he loves. He will become chief of police in Easton, and also explore other opportunities both professionally and personally.
Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas
Koskinas may be Westport’s most infuential police chief ever. Like several other predecessors, he graduated from Staples High School.
Unlike them, however, he came to the US as an immigrant. His parents are Greek. Koskinas arrived at Long Lots Junior High School as a 7th grader. He did not know a word of English.
He learned quickly, and earned renown as a student and athlete. He planned on a career in law, but a college criminology course changed his career path.
His years on the Westport force included 9 as a patrolman, 3 as a sergeant, 3 as a captain, 4 as deputy chief, and — since 2014 — as chief.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas with Dylan Curran, at the 2023 Memorial Day parade. (Photo/Dan Woog)
His duties have included K-9 dog handler, SWAT team leader, dive operator, and member of both the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team and honor guard. Just about the only job he missed is detective — though he has supervised that department.
He also worked on assignments with the US Drug Enforcemetn Administration.
Along the way Koskinas earned a Connecticut Police Chief’s Association Medal of Valor, for his role rescuing a kidnapping victim from an armed murder suspect on I-95.
In 2019 he received the Distinguished Chiefs Award from the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut.
As chief he is particularly proud of the role his department played in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers.
“The entire country was in turmoil,” Koskinas recalls. “But a lot of what the public was demanding as police changes, we’d already implemented.”
Some of the most vivid images of those days are of Koskinas talking quietly with — and listening to — protesters of all ages and races on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge, at Jesup Green and outside the police station.
Chief Foti Koskinas with Black Lives Matter protesters, outside police headquarters. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)
As he prepares to step down, Koskinas is filled with gratitude.
His first thanks are to his wife and daughters. “They’ve been through a lot,” he notes. “They endured stress, and I’ve missed a lot with them. But they’ve always been totally supportive.”
Without the men and women of the Westport Police Department, he adds, “nothing would have been possible. This has been a total team effort.”
The chief is grateful too for the support of the Westport community, “on all levels. They gave a first generation immigrant a lot of opportunities, and they have always been there for me.”
Police Chief Foti Koskinas (red shirt, above) has been involved in many aspects of Westport life. He is a frequent participant in the Police Department and Westport Youth Commission’s Dodge-a-Cop dodgeball tournament.
Despite his move to Easton, and living in Fairfield, Koskinas says Westport “will always be dear to me.” He looks forward to helping his successor — and the town — in any way he can.
After more than 40 years here, he has seen many changes — in the Police Department, and the town.
“There are challenges ahead,” he acknowledges. “Westport is growing quickly, with limited capacity” for some of that growth.
Polarization is an issue too. “National politics has reached here.”
But, he concludes, “I’ve had an incredible run. I’ve been very lucky. I always say, to get ahead you need hard work, good timing, and a little bit of luck. I’ve had all 3, and I am extremely grateful for all of it.”
A hands-on chief: Foti Koskinas helping clean garbage from the I-95 hill, in Saugatuck. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker says: “Since 1996, the town of Westport has been served and protected by a truly amazing human, Foti Koskinas.
“For the past 9 years as chief, Foti has stood at the forefront of a myriad of changes in law enforcement, community tragedies and issues, civil unrest and increased public engagement. He has met these challenges with true leadership, the highest integrity, and an insight into community policing that is unsurpassed.
“Foti’s approach has always been pragmatic, honest and prioritizes communication and collaboration. He is one of ‘Westport’s Finest’ in the truest sense of the phrase. I know Westport agrees with me.
“On behalf of the residents, business owners and visitors of Westport, his colleagues in Town Hall and his fellow PD and EMS first responders, I am so grateful for Foti’s leadership and genuine dedication to our community. I wish him only the best as he enters a new chapter. He will definitely be missed.
“Since he was promoted to chief, Foti has provided the critical leadership so that others may grow and achieve the highest standards we expect and receive from our first-class law enforcement team. I regularly say we have the best Police Department in the state, and I mean it.
“I am very confident that the command of the Westport Police Department will remain in very capable hands, as the next chief will be promoted from within the highly experienced ranks of our current PD.”
(“06880” is your source for news — breaking and follow-up, important and trivial and in between — all over town. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
That’s as regular a headline as “New York Giants lose.”
Law enforcement has served 4 warrants since December 2023 — including twice in the past 2 months — after complaints of non-licensed cannabis sales, and selling to minors. Numerous marijuana and THC products were seized, and a sales associate arrested.
“We report every incident to the state. But they, and the Department of Consumer Protection, say they can’t do anything.”
Koskinas will meet with Representative Town Meeting leaders next week. He hopes the RTM can draft an ordinance to take action against a store, after a certain number of violations.
The chief also spoke with the Aspetuck Health District. They were sympathetic, but could not find language to make repeated arrests a public health issue.
“They pay fines,” Koskinas says of the Savvy Smoker, which seems to be living up to its name. “But they keep on going.”
Today is the beginning of Passover. Next Sunday is Easter.
And this past week marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
It’s a tholiday tradition to visit civil service offices, meet the executive officers, and give thanks and appreciation for the contributions and services they provide.
Members of the Ismaili Muslim community gave Eid al-Fitr gifts of appreciation to 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, 2nd Selectwoman Andrea Moore, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Nick Marsan, for their efforts on behalf of the Ismaili Muslim community and the people of Westport.
Town officials, with representatives of the Ismaili Muslim community.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel — hailed as “the Sistine Chapel of American literature” — was published a century ago this week.
In its honor, the Boston Globe has looked back at the author, and his muse.
The path leads to Westport.
Taking note of the work of Robert Steven Williams and Richard Webb — Westporters who have written and made a film about the possible role our town played in inspired some of the characters and scenes — the Globe says:
When Fitzgerald arrived in Westport in May of 1920, both he and it were entering new eras. He was newly married and on honeymoon with Zelda, a vivacious 19-year-old Alabaman who later became a writer as well. Westport, meanwhile, was leaving its agricultural roots behind and becoming a more industrialized, suburban enclave that parades of wealthy New Yorkers, Bostonians, and other city dwellers took the train to visit. Artists like the Fitzgeralds, priced out of more established communities like Greenwich, came too.
At the time, Westport was practically lawless. The town’s police had little interest in enforcing Prohibition and bootleggers smuggling Canadian liquor criss-crossed Long Island Sound. The Fitzgeralds drank heavily at speakeasies, skinny dipped, and partied on the beach. “It was a bit like the Wild West,” said Robert Steven Williams, a Westport resident and one of the filmmakers behind “Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story,” a 2020 documentary.
Click here for the full Boston Globe article. (Hat tips: Fred Cantor, Gwen Tutun)
Speaking of important novels: As a student at Staples High School, Shelley Fisher’s most memorable assignment came from English teacher Tony Arciola: a paper on how Mark Twain used irony to attack racism in “Huckleberry Finn.”
She became a member of Yale’s first graduating class to include women. She earned a doctorate in American studies, and — as a professor of English at Stanford — Shelley Fisher Fishkin is now one of the nation’s foremost Twain scholars.
Her newest book — to be published Tuesday — is “Jim: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn’s Comrades.” It explores the influence of the enslaved made on his young white companion.
Press materials call Jim “a highly polarizing figure: hH is viewed as an emblem both of Twain’s alleged racism and of his opposition to racism; a diminished character inflected by minstrelsy and a powerful challenge to minstrel stereotypes; a reason for banning ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and a reason for teaching it; an embarrassment and a source of pride for Black readers.”
Fishkin explores Twain’s portrayal of him, as well as Jim’s “afterlife” in film, translation, and classrooms today. “The result is Jim as we have never seen him before — a fresh and compelling portrait of one of the most memorable Black characters in American fiction.” Click here to order, and for more information. (Hat tip: Dick Lowenstein)
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Speaking of Staples: Ben Casparius made his Major League Baseball debut last season.
Cooper Boardman made it Thursday night.
Casparius — a 2017 Wrecker grad — did it on the mound, for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Boardman’s achievement was in the broadcast booth.
The 2017 Staples and 2021 Syracuse University grad called his first major league game, for the Boston Red Sox’s WEEI radio network. He’s doing all 3 games of the series in Chicago, against the White Sox.
According to the Ruden Report, which broke the story, Boardman has been broadcasting Boston’s AAA Worcester games since 2021. He has also worked for Fox Sports and Westword One, working college basketball, softball and lacrosse.
Boardman began his career at Staples. He called a number of sports, and won several John Drury Awards. Click here for the WEEI Tweet.
Cooper Boardman
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Speaking still of Staples: Democracy is not dead.
Every spring and fall, Westport’s League of Women Voters registers new voters at Staples High School.
This week, they enrolled 39 seniors, in both parties. They handed out about 20 applications to others.
The new voters’ first chance will come this November, in local elections.
Every year, Earthplace’s water quality research program hosts a “Cocktails & Clams” fundraiser.
Every year, it sells out.
This year’s event is May 31 (5 to 7 p.m., Copps Island Oysters).
As always, the draw is an unlimited raw bar with fresh oysters and clams, canapés, drinks and live music, at the scenic Norwalk Harbor venue.
All proceeds support Harbor Watch’s science education programs. Faced with significant federal funding cuts, this year’s gala is crucial to empower local youth as future environmental stewards.
To purchase tickets, become a sponsor or make a tax-deductible donation, click here.
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Party planning is stressful.
Marinda Freeman can help. The former executive director of Martha Stewart Catering will discuss her new book, “Everything is an Event,” on May 2 (4 p.m., Westport Library).
A Q-and-A and signing session will follow. Registration is $5. Attendees receive a 25% book discount. Click here for more information.
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One of the joys of this time of year is the return of chirping birds.
This blue jay hung out at Richard Fogel’s feeder — and posed for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
And finally … you may have figured this one was coming, based on the photo above.
Or not.
(Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald — today, Westport meets the world AND some literary superstars. Just another “06880” day. If you enjoy Roundups like this, please click here to support us. Thanks!)
But the Westport Police Department had 3 big jobs on Saturday.
They monitored the massive “Hands Off!” protest on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
Nearby, hundreds of visitors flocked to the Westport Library, for VersoFest.
And not far away, in the middle of it all, was the funeral service for retired Police Chief Ron Malone.
All that is without the normal Saturday Post Road traffic.
Sure, our police officers — including Chief Foti Koskinas, who seemed to be everywhere — were just doing their job.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas, at Saturday’s protest. (Photo/Alan Shinbaum)
But they did it with plenty of professionalism, politeness, and understanding that “To Protect and Serve” are not just words on their cop cars.
They kept the protesters safe. They helped drivers navigate through. They answered questions from visitors. And they gave their former chief the sendoff he deserved.
We are lucky that our police officers — those on patrol and special duties, and those who lead them — do such a good job, “just doing their job.”
They’re the police, sure. But they’re also human.
Saturday was tough. There was a lot going on, with a lot of moving parts. Thanks to the Westport Police Department, those parts all worked together.
Keeping protesters safe, and traffic moving. (Photo/Dan Woog)
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)
Westport’s police station was built in the 1950s — at 1/3 the originally proposed size.
Our fire headquarters dates to the 1970s. It’s too small for modern fire trucks, lacks training space, and has safety deficiencies.
Emergency Medical Services ambulances share bays with large oxygen cannisters. Like police vehicles, they are sometimes trapped on 3 sides by flood waters.
For those reasons — and many more — town officials are exploring a joint Police/Fire/EMS facility. The most appropriate site, they say, is nearly 10 acres, by the current I-95 commuter parking lot on the Sherwood Island Connector.
The public got its first look at the plan — still very early in the concept phase — last night.
A large crowd filled the Senior Center for a presentation by the police and fire chiefs, 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, and a pair of architects.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Fire Chief Nick Marsan, at last night’s meeting. (Photo/Dan Woog)
They provided plenty of information.
And they heard a number of questions.
Expansion of fire headquarters — located on Post Road East next to Terrain, since moving from what is now Emmy Squared on Church Lane half a century ago — has been in the town’s capital plan, Tooker noted.
A new or renovated police station — which relocated to Jesup Road over 70 years ago, after sharing space in what was then Town Hall (now Don Memo and Walrus Alley) — has not been listed in that forecast.
Combining the 3 facilities at one first responders’ site would offer savings in efficiency and scale, Fire Chief Nick Marsan and Police Chief Foti Koskinas noted.
An early drawing for a proposed Police/Fire/EMS facility.
Response times would be enhanced in some cases by leaving the congested downtown area. The new location would also offer speedier access to I-95, both for emergencies on the interstate and to reach Saugatuck Shores.
Relocating the police station would also free up dozens of parking spots downtown.
“No one is forcing anything on anyone,” Koskinas emphasized.
“We understand the challenges. We know there are other big projects ahead, likek schools, bridges and Longshore. We’re not saying where in the queue we want to be. But we want to be in it.”
The point of the meeting, he emphasized, was to initiate a discussion on how tax dollars would be spent to ensure safety for residents, employees and visitors all over town.
An early 1950s plan for a new police station on Jesup Road. The current facility is 1/3 the size of this proposal.
Presenters described a number of areas — for example, the benefits of collaboration between 3 departments, the advantages of on-site training, increasing square footage dedicated to ID needs, and cost savings for land, design and infrastructure — that a shared facility could enhance.
Current police headquarters.
Twice, Koskinas noted, the town has turned down opportunities for land that could be used for first responders.
When the current fire station was built, property was available at a former car dealership just east of Crescent Road. That is now the site of Terrain.
And when State Police Troop G moved from Bridgeport to its site at the Post Road East/Sherwood Island Connector junction, Westport was offered the land for $1. Officials turned it down. Today, it’s Walgreens.
Koskinas explained that the proposed location of a new facility on the Connector — just north of the commuter parking lot entrance — was one of the few spots in Westport large enough for all 3 departments.
The current Fire Department headquarters.
Baron’s South, for example, has topographic, access and zoning issues, while using Winslow Park would present traffic and access issues.
Former RTM member John Suggs said that the Connector site was part of an RTM-designated archaelogical preserve. (Adjacent land was the birthplace of Green’s Farms Church’s West Parish.)
Koskinas promised that a new facility would enhance the now-overgrown area, and honor town history.
Building on that property would require relocation of the commuter lot — perhaps south of I-95, closer to Sherwood Island State Park. That would involve negotiations with the state.
The entrance to the shared facility would be just north of the current I-95 commuter parking lot, on the Sherwood Island Connector.
Greens Farms Association president Art Schoeller cited opposition from neighborhood residents, and asked about noise abatement and noise pollution.
“It is the best spot,” another Greens Farms resident acknowledged.
“We’re taking measured risks now,” Koskinas said, referring to Police, Fire and EMS operations.
“Some of the risks are critical. Some are sustainable. But this project touches everyone in town.”
(“06880” will cover this proposed facility all the way to its completion. We do the same for all major Westport news — and all the minor stories too. Please click here to support us. Thank you!)
Tonight’s predicted snowstorm has thrown tomorrow’s Super Bowl party — scheduled for the Westport Senior Center — for a loss.
Officials have already canceled the event.
Snow is expected to start this evening, and continue through tomorrow morning, with perhaps a mix of sleet. Five to 8 inches are expected.
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Speaking of the Super Bowl: This week the Kings Highway Elementary School PTA, staff, students and Caring Council members hosted their first-ever SOUPer Bowl collection.
Throughout the week, students and staff donated soup (and other canned goods) in their favorite team’s collection box.
Yesterday, all donations were given to the Gillespie Center’s food pantry.
Nearly 500 cans were collected. And the winner was …
Philadelphia Eagles 271 cans, Kansas City Chiefs 214.
Kings Highway PTA member Ellen Mondshine, with her sons Nathan and Owen.
“He and the entire Westport Police Department have provided consistent support to our synagogue and the entire Jewish community over the years” says Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn.
“This past year, following the events of October 7, that support has been stronger than ever. We are truly blessed to know that Chief Koskinas and the WPD are always there for us.”
TCS will also honor Dick Kalt, long-time leader of TCS’s Security Committee, and his wife Lydia for their ongoing dedication to the synagogue. The rabbi says, “Dick has played a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of the congregation for many years.”
Formerly known as The Conservative Synagogue, TCS recently changed its official name to The Community Synagogue to better reflect its mission and values. while retaining the TCS initials.
“Our membership felt that The Community Synagogue better represented what we strive to be — a wide tent of congregants who grew up secular, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, or not Jewish at all.” Rabbi Wiederhorn says.
“We are an inclusive, egalitarian yet traditional synagogue that is proud to support the people, land and state of Israel. We open our doors to partners and friends throughout the community to celebrate interfaith work, adult education, social action, youth programming, and more.”
For more information about the March 15 gala, and to purchase tickets, click here.
Police Chief Foti Koskinas
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After 3 months of intensive work, Hansen Marine Contractors is nearing completion of dredging operations at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 399, Bridgebrook Marina, and Saugatuck Rowing Club.
The company’s Erik Hansen told VFW quartermaster that they found 2 unexpected challenges in the dredging area near the Saugatuck Rowing Club: a discarded mushroom anchor, and over 30 cubic yards of clam shells.
Hansen says he never saw so many clam shells in his lifetime. “It was like digging up solid concrete.”
Years ago, the site adjacent to the Rowing Club was Mansion Clam House. Delgado wonders if they dumped their clam shells into the river throughout the years.
The source of 30 cubic yards of clam shells?
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The Westport Library rocked its Winter Dance Party last night.
Christine Ohlman & her band Rebel Montez entertained a large and appreciative crowd.
Ohlman — rhe platinum blonde “Beehive Queen,” and “Saturday Night Live” regular — is no stranger to the Library. She collaborated with Mark Naftalin — the Westport resident and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician — on his “Blue Sunday” series, and has appeared at VersoFest.
Ohlman’s career includes appearances with Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Smokey Robinsons, Graham Nash, Steve Miller, the B52s and Elvis Costello. She has sold out the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s David Bowie tribute and the WC Handy Festival in Muscle Shoals.
She has recorded with Al Green, Bruce Springsteen, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, George Harrison, Sting, Ian Hunter, Bonnie Bramlett, Ronnie Spector, Charlie Musselwhite, Irma Thomas and Chrissie Hynde, among others.
Christine Ohlman and her band, at the Westport Library. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
Longtime Westport resident Timothy Walker died peacefully on Tuesday. He was 94.
A Boston native and avid sailor, he was a lifelong Red Sox fan.
After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1949, Tim attended Union College. His studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. He spent much of his time on the Korean Peninsula.
He returned to Union, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. Tim helped design and build telephone offices for New York Telephone, followed by a long career in management at AT&T.
He left corporate America at age 55 to his own consulting business.
Tim married his wife Betty in 1977. Their partnership lasted almost 50 years. They shared a love of travel, music, friendships, their children and animals.
Tim was an expert in tree care. He climbed and pruned large trees, fought fires as a volunteer. He also participated in disaster relief as a ham radio operator.
Tim was a captain in the Greenwich volunteer fire department, and chief of the Mountain Lakes, New Jersey volunteer fire department.
A Westport resident since 1988, he served on the Flood and Erosion, and Conservation Commissions.
His golden retriever, Clyde, was his constant companion. Tim was a supporter of animal rescue, adopting his beloved great Pyrenees Casey and Bonnie, who were daily visitors to Winslow Park.
Tim is survived by his wife, Betty, daughters (Don Cawrse) and Laurel Risom (Allen Cyr), sons Timothy and Andrew (Sydney), stepdaughter Ruth (Rob Ayles), 9 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; his sister, Sarah Thomson; many nieces and nephews, and his canine companion, Murphy. He was predeceased by his brother, Thomas Walker.
A celebration of lfe will be held later this spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Greater Norwalk Amateur Radio Club, 304 Main Avenue, Suite 115, Norwalk, CT 06851.
And finally … if James Dean were still alive, he would turn 94 years old today. The now-legendary actor died in 1955, at 24, after appearing in just 3 major films: “Rebel Without a Cause,” “East of Eden” and “Giant.”
(No matter who takes tomorrow’s Super Bowl, if you click here to support “06880,” you’ll be a winner. Go, team! Rah! Thank you!)
Observant drivers* have noticed that lights have been removed from the Cribari Bridge.
For 25 years, they were lit the day after Thanksgiving. Then, every night through New Year’s, hundreds of colorful holiday bulbs brightened everyone’s passage across the 135-year-old span.
(Photo/Andrew Colabella)
A couple of weeks ago, they were removed. It’s unclear by whom — probably the state Department of Transportation — but recently several came loose, and hit at least one vehicle.
For a quarter century the lights were provided by Al’s Angels. Al DiGuido’s non-profit supports children and families battling cancer, rare blood diseases, natural disasters and severe financial hardship.
This year, Al’s Angels can no longer provide and maintain the lights.
(Photo/Joel Treisman)
Is this the end of a beloved 25-year tradition?
No!
Second Selectwoman Andrea Moore, Police Chief Foti Koskinas, Police Corporal Craig Bergamo, Representative Town Meeting members Kristin Mott Purcell and Andrew Colabella, and a few other Westporters began working on a solution.
It’s not as easy as buying new lights, finding volunteers to string and test them, and throwing a switch.
The bridge must be closed for several hours to do the work. Questions about power sources loomed.
(Photo/Patti Brill)
But within 2 days the community came together. Every problem was solved.
The Bridge at Saugatuck — the new, instantly popular restaurant a few yards from the Cribari Bridge — plus Saugatuck Financial and Neat Lending quickly became lead sponsors.
Other sponsors include LandTech, Westport PAL, the Colabella family, and our very own “06880” blog.
A source was located. The lights are being shipped overnight from Georgia.
Late Sunday night, they’ll be strung on the bridge. Saugatuck-based AJ Penna & Son Construction will help make it happen.
The final piece will be an official lighting ceremony. When it’s set, “06880” will let everyone know.
In the space of a few days, the sad prospect of a dark Cribari Bridge turned very, very bright.
Every police officer knows the anxiety of walking up to the driver of a vehicle they’ve just pulled over.
Who is in the car? How many people? Are there weapons? What else besides speeding, erratic driving or whatever prompted the stop might be involved?
Those of us not in law enforcement seldom think about that.
Toni Simonetti never did. Until she herself simulated a traffic stop.
It was in the safety of the Westport Police Department parking lot. There was an officer in the car, pretending to be a driver.
Still, it was a nerve-wracking experience. Many emotions swirled through Toni’s head.
Even a simulated motor vehicle stop in the Police Department parking lot can be scary.
The simulation was one small part of the WPD’s annual Citizens Police Academy.
For 8 weeks, 25 to 30 residents get an up-close, and very personal, look into all aspects of the profession.
They learn about special units like K-9, marine and drone; weapons; what happens at each step of the criminal justice system, and much more. They ride with a patrol officer.
And they get a chance to “stop” a vehicle, and feel what it’s like to approach the unknown driver inside.
The 2024 Citizens Police Academy class, with certificates. This year’s session included 3 Representative Towne Meeting members.
Simonetti is a 24-year resident of Westport. After retiring in 2015 from a long career in media relations, she has been busy with activities like gardening, cooking and bridge.
When she heard about the Citizens Police Academy, she was intrigued. She’d always been a fan of the WPD — “we’re lucky to have such a well-resourced and professional force,” she thought — but her only interactions had been getting a yearly railroad parking permit at the station, and disagreeing with Chief Foti Koskinas’ plan to restrict access to the Westport Community Gardens during school hours.
Besides, she says, “I’m a nosy journalist. I like to know how things work.”
That’s the whole idea of the Citizens Police Academy. It’s thorough, intense, and very educational.
The course includes an overview from Koskinas on his role as chief; a tour of headquarters; the legal provisions governing “probable cause” for questioning; recruitment, selection and training of officers; criminal investigations, including white collar crime; domestic violence; crime scenes, and the WPD’s relationships with the Westport Public Schools and Human Services Department.
Attendees also receive Stop the Bleed training, which Simonetti calls “not for the squeamish.” There is an option too for 1 hour of weapons training.
Each 2 1/2-hour class is packed with information.
The syllabus was straightforward. But, Simonetti says, “I never anticipated how much the topics would come alive in the classroom. There’s nothing like hearing officers tell their stories, and give descriptions of how they work.”
It was “transformative,” she says, to “understand police work as a whole, and the individual thought processes behind it.”
The session on motor vehicle stops, for example, “takes your breath away.” The potential dangers came alive.
When it was time to attempt her first stop — in the WPD parking lot — there was so much to think about: where to stand, how to use her flashlight, what to look for, what to say (and not say), all while considering her own safety.
The ride-along was also eye-opening. She was impressed with the technology inside a patrol car. The amount of data that pops up on a license plate reader was particularly surprising.
She had been skeptical of the need to know the demographic data recorded with each stop. However, she learned, information on who gets stopped, why and where can reveal important patterns of behavior.
The K-9 class was especially memorable. Students met the dogs — one is a bomb sniffer; all 3 can track people and drugs — and learned that their handlers take them home each night.
At the end of the academy, attendees donated money to the K-9 unit. (They also bought lunch and dinner for the entire department.)
K-9 class, at the Westport Citizens Police Academy. (All photos courtesy of Lt. Jillian Cabana)
After 8 weeks, Simonetti is “even more appreciative of the work the police do, the risks they take to protect us, and what great people the men and women in uniform are.”
Now, when she sees a patrol car parked in the Ulta lot, she realizes it’s because the beauty salon company is a frequent target of thieves.
When a police car passes at a normal speed, its red and blue lights on, she knows the reason: visibility is important, for both good guys and bad actors.
And when an officer races by at high speed, siren blaring, she wonders who it is, where they’re going — and what will happen when he or she arrives.
(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local blog: the place to learn anything and everything about our town. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Last evening the Westport Police Department was informed of the potential of an international group planning to send swatting calls nationwide to schools reporting that a shooter was in the school building.
The information was shared with chiefs of police statewide. The Connecticut State Police command staff was also notified. The information was described as very vague.
Given the (Rosh Hashanah) holiday, the WPD shared the information. We remained on standby in the event Westport received this potential swatting call. The WPD confirmed that a call was received identifying Staples High School with information similar to the warning last night.
As a precaution, a number of WPD officers were dispatched to Staples. They walked the building, particularly the bathrooms, the place identified in the swatting call. The entire facility was cleared by the WPD.
Westport Police presence at Staples today, after the swatting call.
I have been in communication with Police Chief Foti Koskinsas. We agreed that an additional presence will be on, and near, our campuses tomorrow, all arriving well before school starts.
Fortunately, our effective partnership with the WPD enabled us to prepare well in advance for this potential report. Although the holiday made it easier with our schools largely empty, we did not soften our preparation, and the WPD communicated an assertive response once the actual call was received.
A swatting call is a false report to emergency services to prompt a strong police response to a specific address. The goal is to frighten, harass, or cause problems for the target.
I can assure the community that our strong safety protocols and continued partnership with the WPD provide a safe school environment for all of our students and staff.
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He has received numerous departmental awards, including a Chief’s Commendation, an Honorable Service Award, a Lifesaving Award, and several Unit Citations.
“Foti’s approach has always been pragmatic, honest and prioritizes communication and collaboration. He is one of ‘Westport’s Finest’ in the truest sense of the phrase. I know Westport agrees with me.
