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All 36 Representative Town Meeting seats will be contested in November’s election. Four members from each of Westport’s 9 districts vote on town appropriations, and give final approval to the budget; approve town ordinances; make recommendations regarding ordinances, and review certain decisions of town boards and commissions.
So far, all members in districts 2 (Jay Keenan, Lou Mall, Christine Meiers Schataz, Harris Falk), 3 (Mark Friedman, Arline Gertzoff, Jimmy Izzo, Ross Burkahrdt) and 6 (Jessica Bram, Seth Braunstein, Cathy Talmadge and Candace Banks) have submitted letters of intent to run again.
So have 3 members in districts 1 (Chris Tait, Matthew Mandell, Kristin Mott Purcell), 4 (Andrew Colabella, Noah Hammond, Jeffrey Weiser), 5 (Peter Gold, Dick Lowenstein, Karen Kramer), 7 (Brandi Briggs, Lauren Karpf, Jack Klinge) and 8 (Wendy Batteau, Lisa Newman, Stephen Shackelford). In District 9,Sal Liccione and Kristin Schneeman are running again.
Six candidates have requested petitions, and are collecting signatures. They are in districts 1 (Richard Jaffe, Abby Tolan, Carolanne Curry), 5 (Claudia Shaum) and 9 (Nancy Kail, Marla Cowden).
Petitions are due September 14. Click here for a petition. Click here for a map of all 9 districts.
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Westport has a special relationship with Catch-a-Lift. Our town has gone all in, supporting the national non-profit that helps post-9/11 combat-wounded veterans recover and rehabilitate, physically and mentally, through physical fitness, motivation and support.
COVID canceled last year’s event. It returns this year, stronger (naturally) than ever.
Appropriately, it begins on Saturday, September 11 with a community workout, with Catch-a-Lift veterans (Westport Police Station, 1 p.m.). Sunday, September 12 features a family bike ride, in Ridgefield.
The action shifts to Birchwood Country Club on Monday, September 13. There’s a 9-hole golf tournament (2 p.m.); a tennis point play event (3 p.m.), and the highlight: from 5 to 7:30 p.m., a chance to meet amazing veterans; enjoy music, food and drinks, and hear inspiring stories.
Click here for details and information, including how to help with auction items, sponsor a golf hole and more.
Catch a Lift veterans — shown at Birchwood Country Club in 2018 — are inspirational role models.
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Wakeman Town Farm calls raising milkweeds and monarchs “the hobby that gives back.”
Next Monday (August 9, 7 p.m., in person), they’re offering a back-by-popular-demand lecture on the subject.
According to WTF, “monarchs, the once plentiful beauties of yard and field, have suffered habitat loss so great that their numbers have dwindled to 10% of their peak population. They are called the ‘poster child’ for pollinator habitat protection, owing to their beauty and the remarkable feat of their annual migration to Mexico and back.
“Protecting monarchs leads to a wider awareness of the fragility of insect populations, the steady assault on their numbers through the indiscriminate use of pesticides, and the vital role that diverse native species play in keeping our planet healthy.”
Alice Ely — “mother of monarchs, University of Connecticut advanced master gardener, master composter, garden coach and Pollinator Pathway member and creator of public and private monarch way stations in Fairfield County (including Wakeman Town Farm) — is the speaker.
Click here to register.
Monarch butterfly at Compo Beach (Photo/Jamie Walsh)
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Congratulations to Westport Little League’s 10U team: Connecticut’s new state champions!
They won the crown last night in Stamford, 11-0 against East Lyme. The game ended after 4 innings, thanks to the “mercy” (aka “murder”) rule that ends lopsided contests.
Here’s wishing the squad good luck 2 years from now, when as 12Us they hope to emulate the 2013 team’s run to the Little League World Series finals.
Bottom row (from left): Luke Moneyhon, Chris Lambert, Wes Walters, Chase Landgraf. Middle row: Brody Chlupsa, Nolan Walters, Dylan Burdeshaw, Miles Delorier, Noah Smith, Grant Theisinger, Justin Goldshore, Jack McGrath. Top Row, coach Marc Theisinger, coach Dave Smith, manager Justin Walters. Missing: Henry Ellis.
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Speaking of sports: This Saturday, Westport becomes the center of the American rugby world.
Players get a chance to showcase their talents in front of Major League Rugby scouts, coaches and star players like Ben Foden. The event at Staples High School’s Paul Lane Field (August 7) takes place 2 weeks before the MLR draft.
It begins at 9 a.m. with physical testing, and continues with professional positional coaching, laser timing technology and live scrimmaging. “Scouts from multiple national rugby teams” will be in attendance, organizers promise.
The event is free, and open to the public. It will also be broadcast on The Rugby Network. For more information, click here.
English rugby star Ben Foden will be at Staples High School on Saturday.
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Speaking still of sports: Congratulations to Shira Parower!
She was on the winning North side, which beat the South 16-8 in the All-America Lacrosse Game at Johns Hopkins University.
Shira — a June graduate of Staples High School, who will play at James Madison University next season — had 2 goals and 3 assists.
She told the Baltimore Sun: “I just felt like since the first whistle we came out with a lot of fire and we just wanted to win this game. We were finishing our shots and kept them going through the whole game.”
(Click here for the full story. Hat tip: Don Kubie)
Shira Parower
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Joanie Landau is August’s featured artist, at the Westport Book Shop. She’s exhibiting her digital collagraphs. They combine photographic elements with graphic design techniques.
Joanie — a member of the Artists Collective of Westport — has exhibited in shows across the country, and won awards.
The art exhibit is open during Book Shop hours
Joanie Landau’s work, at the Westport Book Shop.
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Recent “Westport … Naturally” photos have featured deer, butterflies and flowers.
But Westport is nothing without dogs. Here are Noah — the 3-legged wonder dog who has way outlived his osteosarcoma diagnosis and amputation from January 2020) and Logan, on an early morning walk at Wakeman Field
(Photo/Marc Katz)
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And finally … happy birthday to Tony Bennett. He’s 95 years young today!
