As we prepare for another weekend of wild weather — rain, wind, and who knows what else — here are some helpful links.
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection: click here.
State Senator Tony Hwang — who provided this information — hosted a recent Extreme Weather & Coastal Resiliency Informational Forum. It highlighted
the importance of resiliency and preparation against growing risks of flooding, severe winds, coastal erosion and extreme weather. Click here to see.
From that forum, you can link to FEMA’s Severe Wind Protection Plan (click here; page 19) and Financial Preparedness and Homeowners’ Insurance Claims (page 15).
The Connecticut Insurance Department has also launched a resource to assist with preparedness. Click here to see.
Other helpful links include:
- Eversource Storm Preparedness
- Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection emergency resources
- Federal severe weather resources (Ready.gov)
- Sign up for Westport and Connecticut emergency alerts
Will this weekend bring a repeat of 2 weekends ago? Be prepared!
================================================
Meanwhile: Still cleaning up from the September 13 flood (while preparing for this weekend’s weather)?
Help may be near.
And it’s free.
The state Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security and CT Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters has engaged the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief organization to offer free help.
Assistance includes assessment, removal of damaged items and materials, cleanup and mold mitigation.
To request assistance, call 203-628-6978. Leave a message after the beep with your name, phone number, address, and a brief description of your needs.
.
=================================================
One cancellation already for tomorrow: The Fun Fest at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport.
A new date will be announced soon.
==================================================
Two important projects — one (hopefully relatively) short-term, the other longer — are on the agenda when the Board of Finance meets October 7 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium; livestream at www.westportct.gov).
The board will be asked to approve an appropriation of $172,5000, for the design cost and permitting of the Jesup Road bridge replacement.
The short, often unnoticed span was weakened during the September 13 flood. The road is closed, shutting off an important route from Imperial Avenue to the police station, Library and Levitt Pavilion.
The project has been estimated to take 12 to 18 months. Residents and town officials hope for an expedited process.
The second request is for $176,000, for the initial assessment and “new vs. renovation comparison study” for the future Coleytown Elementary School project.
This would be an initial step in a long-awaited process for the 1950s-era building.
The BOF will also consider a request for $1,119,000, for consultant services in support of the Safe Streets and Roads for All, Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Grant.
The now-closed Jesup Road bridge.
==================================================
The state Department of Transportation will mill and resurface Route 57 (Weston Road) from Easton Road (Route 136) to just south of the Weston town line, beginning Sunday.
The work is expected to be completed by October 9, weather permitting.
Although this section of Route 57 was resurfaced in June, the top layer of asphalt is to be replaced due to an issue with the paving material.
The tentative start date for the milling portion of the project is scheduled to begin Sunday night, and continue for approximately 3 nights.
The tentative start date for the paving portion is the night of Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and continue for approximately 3 nights.
==================================================
The Westport Prize for Literature goes to … “Good People.” The debut novel by Patmeena Sabit was selected by an independent jury from a field of finalists that also included “Transcription” by Ben Lerner and “The Children” by Melissa Albert.
Now in its 4th year, the $10,000 annual prize honors original works of literary fiction published in the US that are both relevant and timeless. The prize is administered by Westport resident volunteers.
Sabit will receive the prize at the Library on November 12 (7 p.m.), followed by a conversation with Meghan O’Rourke, editor of The Yale Review. Copies of Good People will be available for purchase at the event, and Sabit will sign books afterward. For more information about the event, click here.
==================================================
How often do you get a chance to hear a Grammy-nominated singer in Westport … for free?
(Besides the Levitt Pavilion, of course.)
Next Friday (October 2, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport), baritone Sidney Outlaw and pianist Piotr Kozlowsk presenting the Connecticut premiere of “26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man,” with music by B.E. Boykin and poetry by Raymond Patterson.
The UU says, “This is an opportunity not simply to hear a world-class performer, but to gather around a deeply meaningful work that centers Black artistry, identity and lived experience.”
Questions? Contact Micah Kracja: 203.227.7205, ext. 18; micah@uuwestport.org.
==============================================
The Ned Dimes Marina hasn’t gotten a lot of love lately.
Perhaps today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo will show it in a more serene light.
(Photo/Karen Como)
==================================================
And finally … on this date in 2001 — 20 years after his death — the voice of Bob Marley ushered satellite radio onto the air. It promised listeners greater variety — for a price — with the launch of XM Satellite Radio. It was the first worldwide broadcast of a satellite radio station
(We’re getting ready for another weekend. As always, “06880” will be here with whatever news you need. And as always, we’re grateful for any readers who click here to support our work. Thank you!)
