Connecticut’s 9/11 Memorial, at Sherwood Island State Park (Photo/Laurie Crouse)
Prior to September 11, 2001 the twin towers of the World Trade Center were visible from Sherwood Island. On that day and for several afterward, smoke from the towers was visible from this location.
The Governor’s office and Office of Emergency Management mobilized to establish a staging area at the park. to support to New York City after the tragedy. It was never used; there was no one to save.
When you face the inscription on the memorial, you are oriented across Long Island Sound to the site of the former World Trade Center.
The inscription reads: “The citizens of Connecticut dedicate this living memorial to the thousands of innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001 and to the families who loved them.”
The memorial was dedicated in September 2002.
153 memorial names, flanking the main memorial stone, were installed and dedicated during ceremonies in September 2003. They honor Connecticut residents, and those with ties to the state, killed on 9/11.
Every year on September 11, Westport Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella attends the memorial service at Ground Zero.
He was there today with John Ryan. In 2002 the New York detective found Andrew’s cousin’s headstone — a memorial to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing victims — while cleaning the grounds. Andrew and John have been friends ever since.
The Ground Zero ceremony is always intensely moving.
This morning’s event was particularly poignant.
At the site were a number of dignitaries, from both parties. In the midst of a heated campaign — and just 12 hours after last night’s debate — the mood was “peaceful, cordial, friendly and respectful,” Andrew reports.
At Ground Zero this morning (from left): Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Chuck Schumer, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former President Donald Trump, Senator JD Vance (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
Connecticut’s 9/11 Memorial, Sherwood Island State Park, on September 11, 2024. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
Westport Weston Family YMCA, today … (Photo/Dan Woog)
Westport’s new School Security Unit begins work Monday (September 11).
The unit is a partnership of the Police Department and Board of Education. Funding was approved unanimously this week by the Representative Town Meeting.
Officer Sean Kelley will be promoted to sergeant soon, and will supervise the unit. He was hired by the WPD in 2000, and has served as a detective in the Youth Division. He will be assigned to Bedford Middle School.
Officer Dennis Broderick will be assigned to Coleytown Middle and Elementary Schools. He was hired a year ago, after retiring as a sergeant with the Milford Police Department, where he spent over half his 20-year career in the Detective Bureau.
Corporal Rachel Hall will be assigned to Saugatuck and Kings Highway Elementary Schools. She was hired in 2016, after beginning her career with the Ridgefield Police Department. She is a member of the Marine, Motorcycle and Drone Units, and served as a desk officer.
Officer Edward “Ned” Batlin will be assigned to Long Lots and Greens Farms Elementary Schools. He was hired in 2001, and was the DARE officer for many years. He is very active with local sports, at the high school and PAL levels.
Though the SSOs will primarily remain outside of the schools, they will work directly with administrators as needed.
In addition to providing enhanced security, they will focus on traffic enforcement and safety concerns during student drop-off and pick-up.
Officer Ed Wooldridge will continue as Staples’ highly regarded and very popular School Resource Officer.
So he took notice yesterday when the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee posted scores of comments, following their Parker Harding Plaza August 22 charrette at the Westport Library.
“Kudos to the DPIC,” John says.
“It took a lot of work to get the comments typed up. I would have been happy with just copies of people’s handwritten notes, but nice to see they went the extra yard.”
Click here to read them all. It’s a great way to get a feel for the pulse of the community.
Members of the public were invited to comment after last month’s Downtown Plan Implementation Committee meeting about Parker Harding Plaza. (Photo/Dan Woog)
On Wednesday, the Flood & Erosion Board approved Vita Design Group’s plan to build a house next door to Eloise A. Ray Park, on Riverside Avenue.
A “Friends of the Park” group is concerned that the park will be unusable while construction is ongoing; that it will be used in part as a staging area, and damaged by equipment; that the park will be “forever altered by having a multi-level house, driveway, patio and walls” encroaching on it; that trees will be cut, and wildlife, and that traffic on Riverside will be affected.
They invite interested residents to email saveeloise@gmail.com.
The next hearing is before the full Conservation Board, on September 13.
The bad news is: In Lyman, dozens of apartment buildings need repair before winter sets in.
The good news: It’s been several weeks since Russians attacked our Ukrainian sister city. And Westporters’ donations have already helped shore up 15 apartment buildings.
Ukraine Aid International’s Brian Mayer — the Westporter who co-founded the boots-on-the-ground non-profit, and helped engineer our town’s sister city relationship — provided an update yesterday.
He told First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Police Chief Foti Koskinas and “06880” that a construction firm is doing the dangerous work of repairing roofs and windows, to enable the damaged apartments to withstand the coming snow and freezing temperatures.
Mayer recently visited Lyman Mayor Alexander Zhuravlov. Behind his desk is a shelf filled with items sent from Westport.
Tooker and Koskinas are in near daily contact with the mayor and Lyman police chief. Each time, the Ukrainian officials tell their Westport counterparts how much our town’s support means to them.
(Donations through Ukrainian Aid International will help rebuild the many heavily damaged apartments. Click here to help. Under “Designation,” click the dropdown menu and select “Westport — Lyman Sister City.”)
In July — just hours after a Russian attack killed 8 Lyman residents — Mayor Alexander Zhuravlov sent a video thanking Westporters for their support.
Connecticut’s annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony drew a reverent crowd yesterday to Sherwood Island State Park, the site of the state’s official memorial.
From that spot in 2001, smoke from the Twin Towers was visible.
Connecticut holds its ceremony before the September 11 anniversary, so relatives and friends of those killed in the terrorist attack can also attend the New York memorial on that day.
Yesterday’s 9/11 memorial, at Sherwood Island State Park. (Photo/Harris Falk)
Westoberfest — the Westport Downtown Association’s Oktoberfest-style event — has something for everyone.
There’s beer tasting from dozens of craft breweries, sure.
But also live music; food by Walrus Alley, Kneads Bakery, Lobstercraft and Little Pub; a children’s area run by the Artists’ Collective of Westport and MoCA; a street magician, bubbles and face painting; a pumpkin and apple giveaway; food trucks, shopping and vendors like Savvy + Grace.
Take-home tasting glasses with koozies are courtesy of Lux Bond & Green.
It all takes place October 14 (2 to 5 p.m.), off Elm Street. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Westoberfest is for beer drinkers — and families. (Photo/JC Martin)
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Jennifer Johnson spotted this ship in Long Island Sound, earlier this morning.
(Photo/Jennifer Johnson)
“What is it dumping?” she asks.
I have no idea. But I’m sure someone in our “06880” universe does. Click “Comments” below, if you know.
A service for Rev. Ted Hoskins — the former and much-loved Saugatuck Congregational Church pastor who died last month — will be held this Sunday (September 10, 2 p.m.) in Blue Hill, Maine. Doug Miller — Rev. Hoskins’ former associate minister in Westport — will officiate.
The service will be livestreamed. Click here for the link.
Rev. Ted Hoskins (Photo courtesy of Penobscot Bay Press)
Forget car washes and candy sales. The Staples High School girls swim and dive team has a fundraiser that will really make you smile: a comedy show.
Their first-ever “Dive Into Comedy” (get it?!) event includes 4 comedians who have slayed it in laces like Caroline’s, Stand Up New York, Broadway Comedy Club and The Stress Factory.
It’s September 28, at the Fairfield Theatre Company. Click here for tickets (adults 21+ only).
“Don’t tread water. Get your tickets today!” the girls say. Hah!
“Make people laugh,” the photographer told the Staples swim and dive team. They did.
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But speaking of sports team car washes: The Staples boys soccer team holds theirs tomorrow. It’s 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Christ & Holy Trinity Church parking lot on Elm Street.
Like the girls swim team, they’re raising money for costs not covered by the Board of Education budget.
Gary Lucas — a rock guitarist lauded by Bruce Springsteen and Lou Reed, who collaborated with Captain Beefheart and Jeff Buckley — is the latest StoryFest addition.
He’ll rock the Westport Library October 22 (2 p.m.), accompanying George Melford’s 1931 Spanish-language “Dracula” film with a live guitar score.
Lucas will add even more to the largest literary festival in Connecticut. This year’s 6th annual event (October 20-22) includes a keynote conversation with legendary writer Neil Gaiman; panel discussions and author conversations; a special reading of Eric LaRocca’s new play, “Gentle Hacksaw”; a children’s event with Pinkalicious author Victoria Kann, and PitchFest (a 5-hour paid workshop where aspiring authors can speak to literary agents about their book. Click here for more information.
Gary Lucas (Photo/Michael Arkk)
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It’s not yet fall — but this guy is getting ready for winter, at Tracy Porosoff’s kousa dogwood tree. Nothing could be more “Naturally … Westport.”
The funeral for Dr. Elliott Landon — Westport’s superintendent of schools for 17 years, from 1999 to 2016 — will be held Monday (September 4, 10 a.m., Temple Israel). He died Thursday night, at 82.
Yesterday, assistant superintendent of schools John Bayers sent this message to staff:
“Elliott led the district through a very transformative period. From a facilities perspective he oversaw the reopening of Greens Farms Elementary School, the opening of the current Bedford Middle School, and the renovations of Staples High School. Those projects themselves could have pulled a superintendent’s focus away from the primary responsibility of overseeing the educational program of a district, but Elliott never wavered from keeping the focus on having excellent schools for students, staff and families.
“During Elliott’s time in Westport the words ‘Lighthouse District’ were often used to describe the strength of its schools. While Elliott had high expectations for the academic performance of students, he was always working with everyone to think about innovative ways for our schools to help students prepare for their lives after high school. He knew complacency and a focus on lofty district rankings would not serve our students, our families, our staff, and the community well. He was a true champion of meeting the individual needs of every child.
“There is no doubt stories about his incredible impact on the schools will be shared by many in the coming days, and I encourage those of you who did not have the chance to meet or work with him to listen intently as you will appreciate how his legacy is having a lasting effect on the district today. His impact is not just on our schools, but on the community as well.
“Shortly before his retirement Elliott met with the Westport News to reflect on his career. What is striking in that article (linked here) was Elliott’s realization that he had basically hired everyone in the district at that point. That is an amazing accomplishment. For those of us who were hired during Elliott’s tenure, it is also humbling.
“Please join me in keeping Elliott, his wife Joyce, their children Gillian and Judd and their spouses, their grandchildren, and their extended family in your thoughts during this difficult time.”
In 2015, students Liam Abourezk, BK Browne and Jack Sila showed Dr. Elliott Landon how they used QR codes on their smartphones, as part of a Staples High project involving art, writing and history.
On Wednesday, 3 Representative Town Meeting committees voted unanimously to recommend approval of a School Security Officers program, proposed by the Westport Police, First Selectwoman and Superintendent of Schools.
Three officers would be assigned to 2 school campuses each: Coleytown Middle and Elementary; Kings Highway/Saugatuck, and Long Lots/Greens Farms. Staples High and Bedford Middle School already have an officer on patrol.
The SSOs would work primarily outside, including assisting with traffic and deterring potential threats. They would enter schools only for emergencies.
The full RTM will act upon the request at its next meeting: Tuesday, September 5 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).
StartUp Westport — the organization dedicated to harnessing our town’s tech and entrepreneurial talent, and making it an innovation hub — starts up the fall with a meeting September 14 (6:30 p.m., meet and greet cocktails; 7 p.m. program; Westport Library).
Westporter Dan Bikel — a key member of the AI community at Meta — will speak on “Generative AI: NLP, Machine Learning and Large Language Models.”
The event is free, but pre-registration is mandatory. Click here to claim a spot.
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Sherwood Island State Park — the site of Connecticut’s official 9/11 memorial — is once again the site of the state ceremony honoring the lives of residents killed in the terrorist attack.
The event is set for Thursday, September 7 (5:30 p.m.). Family members of will participate, and the names of the 161 victims with ties to Connecticut will be read aloud. Governor Lamont and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz will participate.
The Sherwood Island memorial is located on a peninsula. The memorial is engraved with the names of people with ties to Connecticut who died on 9/11.
On a clear day the Manhattan skyline is visible across Long Island Sound. Immediately following the attacks, people gathered there to observe the devastation in Lower Manhattan.
In the following days, the area was used by the Connecticut National Guard as a staging area for relief efforts.
People Magazine just gave the Westport-based bakers a “Top Delicious Destination” designation.
Popup Bagels has already taken our town and county by storm. Next, they conquered the Big Apple.
Now, will it play in Peoria?
As anyone who has tried to get a good bagel outside of this area hopes: God willing.
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Yesterday’s Roundup noted that Rev. Willie Salmond will be the guest preacher at tomorrow’s Saugatuck Congregational Church 10 a.m. worship — and that all Westporters are invited to share memories of longtime pastor Rev. Ted Hoskins.
That will be Rev. Salmond’s 2nd service of the day. At 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, he leads the summer’s final early morning service, at Compo Beach.
Sunday morning beach service at Compo. (Photo/Karen Como)
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Speaking of Compo Beach:
This has been the Summer of Tents, on the sand.
Some people love the shade and breeze they provide, along with ease of putting up and taking down.
Others think they’re too big and intrusive. And too many.
But — in the waning days of the season — here is a new trend: tents that sprawl far beyond their footprint.
In 2015, the Westport Weston Family YMCA received a large and unexpected gift from the estate of Ruth Bedford.
The granddaughter of Y founder Edward T. Bedford, she had died the previous year, at 99. The board of trustees established the Ruth Bedford Social Responsibility Fund. Its endowment supports grants to organizations that provide direct or supplemental educational opportunities in Fairfield County.
The fund is now accepting preliminary applications for the 2023-24 grant cycle. The deadline is September 9.
Last year, the Bedford Fund awarded $300,000 to 31 Fairfield County organizations. Their programs support equitable education programs for students.
Some recipients of the Westport Weston Family YMCA Ruth Bedford Social Responsibility Fund.
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Last spring, the Westport Library partnered with New York’s Song Arts Academy, for an 8-week songwriting workshop for middle and high school students.
This fall, adults get their chance.
The 2-hour songwriting program runs 8 Mondays (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.), beginning September 18. The course is once again taught by former Westporter Billy Seidman, an experienced songwriter and the author of “The Elements of Song Craft.”
Participants learn the techniques and mechanics of great song-writing, including critiques of famous tunes. During the final 2 weeks, participants record a song in the Library’s Verso Studio.
Previous songwriting experience is not necessary. For more information, email songartsacademy.com. To register, click here.
Billy Seidman
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Marisa Zer grows flowers for florists, shops and private customers.
Today she shares a scene at her dahlia patch — “bees lining up at the flower bar” — for our “Westport … Naturally” features.
And finally … A tribute to Jimmy Buffett will come tomorrow. Meanwhile, in honor of Billy Seidman’s songwriting class at the Westport Library (story above):
(I write the stories. You may or may not write the songs. But please write a check to support our “06880” work. Click here — and thank you!)
On September 11, 2001 — in the immediate aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks — Sherwood Island State Park was designated as the staging area for Connecticut’s rescue assistance.
Tragically, our state’s efforts were never needed. There was no one to rescue.
But the park — nestled between Compo and Burying Hill Beaches, and a spot that cloudless day where smoke from the burning towers was clearly visible — now plays another important role.
It is the site of Connecticut’s official “living 9/11 memorial.” A simple, somber yet elegant stone — and the names of 153 state residents killed that morning — remind visitors of so many lives well lived, ended senselessly far too soon.
Whether or not you knew any of those men and women — some of whom grew up in, or lived in 2001, in Westport — does not matter. Every Westporter owes it to the memory of every American to visit the Sherwood Island 9/11 Living Memorial. (Click here to learn more about it.)
On September 11, 2001, Westport native and current RTM member Andrew Colabella was in 7th grade at Bedford Middle School. He remembers:
I was sitting in Mr. Summ’s English class. We were called to the auditorium. Another fire drill? Motivational speaker? A boring play? Seemed too soon in the beginning of the year to be doing this.
Mrs. Wormser spoke with Ms. Reneri, standing with Mr. Delgado, about 2 planes hitting the World Trade Center. They had no other information to give.
Why would they call us to the auditorium about that? Planes crash every year. I started thinking, what if there is more to this? My friends said I had no idea what I was talking about.
Terrorism wasn’t new to me. My cousin John DiGiovanni was killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
We headed to lunch at 10:32. Parents were coming to the school picking up their kids. Some cried hysterically as they left the guidance office. Even teachers tried to hide their tears.
I went into the hall to hit the power button on the TV. There it was: 2 smoldering towers. People jumping from the high floors. Maybe they’ll land safely. Maybe they’re bringing helicopters with water to put it out, or throw rope to get them out.
It was serious. It was real.
The iconic 9/11 photo was taken by Westport’s Spencer Platt. He lived near the Twin Towers on that awful morning.
I called home. Dad was safe.
A girl walked out of guidance, crying with 2 friends. I never forgot that memory.
Later I learned about Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. I stood with my mom at Burying Hill Beach, watching smoke pour out like blood from a bad cut.
We had been cut. Nearly 3,000 people died, including 343 firefighters, 71 police officers, and EMTs and military personnel. That’s not counting the countless number of people who became sick and died long after the attacks.
Sherwood Island State Park, my backyard, holds the memory of 161 names — all Connecticut residents who died on 9/11. On a clear day, you can see the Manhattan skyline from the site.
I never forgot. If you’re reading this, you never forgot where you were or what you were doing that day.
As we grow older, more and more people born after 2001 have no memory of it. I’ve spoken with youth, even people my age, who never heard of the 1993 attacks, Pearl Harbor, the Korean War, the Oklahoma City bombing, even World War I.
Educating future generations is imperative. The history of how we got to where we are today, and what we endured as a nation, is vital. We can never forget those who died for no reason. We can never let our guard down.
Our world changed. The unthinkable happened. We were brought to our knees. But we got right back up, and struck back.
Today I have been selected to read 21 names from the podium of Ground Zero. It is an honor to read names of men and women. I never knew or met nearly all of them, but they are known to and loved by others: a parent, child, grandchild, cousin, spouse, but overall, a soul. These are the 21 names:
Boyie Muhammed
Manuel D. Mojica Jr
Manuel De Jesus Molina
Justin John Molisani Jr
Franklyn Monahan
Kristen Leigh Montanaro
Michael G. Montesi
Antonio De Jesus Montoya Valdes
Thomas Carlo Moody
Krishna V. Moorthy
Abner Morales
Paula E. Morales
Gerard P. Moran Jr.
John Michael Moran
Lyndsey Stapleton Morehouse
Steven P. Morello
Yvette Nicole Moreno
Richard J. Morgan
Sanae Mori
Leonel Geronimo Morocho Morocho
And my cousin, John Di Giovanni
“No Day Shall Erase You From The Memory Of Time” is affixed to the Ground Zero wall. Each square is a different color, representing each different, unique person who died that day.
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