More than 100 kids, parents, occasional riders, serious cyclists — even a town engineer — pedaled together at Walk Bike Westport’s first Bridge to Bridge Ride.
Every kind of Westporter was there. Every kind of bike, too.
City bikes, hybrids, road bikes, BMXs, mountain bikes, beach cruisers, bike trailers, trailercycles, cargo bikes, bikes with child seats attached — you name it, someone pedaled it.
The gang’s all here!
The group started at Jesup Green, took the closed bridge detour through Bay Street onto Post Road, then headed down Imperial Avenue and Bridge Street.
They crossed the Cribari Bridge, rode north along Riverside Avenue, and finished back at Jesup Green.
Crossing the Cribari Bridge.
Coming just days after the Board of Finance unanimously approved accepting nearly $900,000 in federal Safe Streets and Roads for All funding, the turnout reinforced something Walk Bike Westport believes strongly: Residents want more opportunities to walk and bike safely around town.
Our town is not alone. Similar movements are happening all over the country. Many are further along than Westport in creating safe, connected streets.
Before the ride Markus Marty, co-director of Walk Bike Westport, offered a brief safety talk about riding on public roads. Recently certified as a League of American Bicyclists instructor, he is now qualified to teach children and adults of all ages how to ride safely and confidently.
Chaz Foster ofSound Cyclists served as ride captain, leading the group alongside a Westport Police escort vehicle.
As they rode along, smiling and chatting, neighbors and passersby waved. It was a different way to experience Westport — on 2 wheels, not 4.
The final leg: Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge.
“It’s challenging at times to fit all of this into our lives, alongside our jobs, families, and everything else,” Markus and co-chair Jenna Petok say.
“But we feel strongly about doing our part for the community. We admire how so many Westporters have found their own ways to contribute to making this town a better place, and that’s inspiring to us.”
That’s no coincidence. Walk Bike Westport and Westport Swim Club share a goal of helping youngsters build skills, confidence, and healthy habits. Staples High School swim coach Kuku Fleming and WSC coach Neil Markman also served as event directors.
Markus Marty (at table), Kuku Fleming (4th from left), Neil Markman (far right), and Westport Swim Club.
Jack Thompson and Blake Serotta of the Westport Youth Commission were on hand too, advocating for e-bike safety.
The Westport Police Department, led by Lieutenant Sereneti Dobson and Staff Corporal Al D’Amura, helped organize the first- ever event. Traffic Agent Bob Bland and his team helped keep everyone safe along the route.
Sara Amaro from the first selectman’s office guided Walk Bike Westport through the permit process.
It took a ton of work to pull off the Bridge to Bridge ride. (Kudos to whoever was in charge of the weather, too.)
But the smiles, Markus and Jenna say, were worth it.
And, they add, this was just the beginning. Many more rides are in the works.
The entire town is invited.
Biking across the Cribari Bridge. (All photos/John Videler for Videler Photography)
(“06880” reports often on transportation issues — including biking and walking. But we can’t do it without readers’ help. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
On Wednesday, the Board of Finance unanimously voted to accept nearly $900,000 in federal funding, through a Safe Streets for All grant.
On November 10, the RTM will be asked to give final approval.
Walk Bike Westport — which has championed the grant — says, “board members asked thoughtful, challenging questions of the town’s Department of Public Works and consultant Tighe & Bond, emphasizing something we wholeheartedly agree with: Securing this funding is only the beginning. Making sure it’s spent wisely and leads to meaningful improvements is what matters most.”
Walk Bike Westport thanks 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, Public Works director Larry Roberts and town engineer Keith Wilberg for their presentations, and work on the proposal.
“We are proud to be part of this community and optimistic about the incredible potential Westport has to become a safer, more walkable and bikeable town,” organizers say.
Some of the participants in last year’s Bridge to Bridge walk.
=================================================
For a few weeks, residents have admired the town’s newest outdoor sculpture.
On Tuesday (October 13, 5 p.m.), Westport will formally welcome “The Couple,” with a reception at Riverside Park.
The sculpture was donated to the Westport Public Arts Collection by philanthropist and long-time Westporter Susan Malloy.
In 1991, she and her husband Edwin commissioned William King to create an aluminum 12-foot high 2-person grouping for their Dogwood Lane property.
After her death in 2015, “The Couple” was installed at Earthplace. When the Westport Arts Advisory Committee sought a more accessible and visible home for the work, they recommended Riverside Park.
The move was possible with the help of Susan’s family: granddaughter Meredith, son Timon and niece Ann Sheffer.
With support from Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department, the installation was completed in August.
WAAC oversees the installation and care of Westport’s sculptures and monuments. In addition to The Minuteman monument and Doughboy statue on Veterans Green, Westport maintains 15 sculptures on town and school property.
In 2024, WAAC initiated a “loan program” with area artists. For an annual stipend, sculptors loan their sculptures to Westport for 5 years.
Since 2024, WAAC has overseen the installation of 5 “borrowed” sculptures: “Passages” by Westporter Niki Ketchman (Pasacreta Park); “Tulip Bulb” by Emily Teal (Grace Salmon Park); “Egrets” by Babette Bloch (Canal Park); “Enso” by Mark Zaref (Eloise Ray Park), and “Queen of Hearts” by Carole Eisner (Westport Center for Senior Activities.) Click here for more information.
“The Couple,” at Riverside Park
=================================================
The weather is getting chillier. The Westport PAL Rink at Longshore is nearly ready to reopen.
And Mar Jennings is preparing to return as head coach and program director for the popular Learn to Skate program.
Jennings – a lifestyle expert, TV host and real estate agent — is also a world champion gold medalist. Under his leadership, the US Figure Skating-sanctioned program offers a welcoming, confidence-building environment for toddlers taking their first steps, youth developing competitive skills, and adults rediscovering their love of the ice.
The 10-week Learn to Skate curriculum provides progressive instruction, merit badge evaluations, and a supportive environment to nurture personal growth.
Westporter Sara Kempner is director of creative campaigns and collaborations at the US Vote Foundation. The nonpartisan non-profit helps millions of American citizens around the world cast ballots.
They get their message out in fun, creative ways. A recent campaign involved placing a QR code linked to voter registration on pizza boxes.
With flowers blooming behind Town Hall, and Connecticut’s new no-excuse absentee voting policy rolling out, Sara figured she’d feature her hometown in a national spot.
Click here or below for the result — starring local ballerina Isabella Corridon.
But that’s not all. Another reel will feature local yoga and Pilates teacher Vicki Lopez. She’ll show how breathing techniques can quell anxiety about voting (and how to use your time in the voting line well).
Three years after the October 7 attacks, Chabad of Westport will host Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, former chief of the IDF General Staff, for an important community conversation.
This will be one of his first public speaking engagements since stepping down as chief of staff a year and a half ago.
The event is November 2 (7:30 p.m.; sponsor reception at 6:45).
Halevi served as Israel’s top military commander for 515 days following October 7, leading the IDF through one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history.
A few times a year, a few lucky folks get to share a private Saturday morning of movement, breakfast, conversation and community, on a rooftop overlooking the Saugatuck River.
Jennifer Ruspini offers a chance to “step away from the noise. Say hello to the neighbor you have not had time to meet. Move gently. Enjoy the morning without pressure, a sales pitch, or a crowded room.” It’s complimentary, too — with gifts from Southern Tide.
Yesterday was moving day for the Sherwood Mill Pond crane.
After many months — many more months than expected — repairing the tidal gates, the project seems to be nearing an end.
This scene in the Old Mill Beach parking lot was no doubt welcomed by many nearby residents — so long as the machinery is finally gone.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
================================================
Jude Siegel grew up in Westport. Her father owned Westport Pharmacy downtown, across from the Library on Post Road East. Jude is a 1964 Staples High School graduate.
Since 1973, she has lived in Oregon — first on farms in the Willamette Valley, now in Portland.
She has long taught nature and bird journaling — a combination of drawing, watercolor and writing — to children and adults.
“This time of year,” she says, “I get homesick for the land, beaches and beauty of Connecticut.”
Of course, it is beautiful in Oregon too. Jude captures that beauty every year, in a watercolor and pen bird calendar she draws and produces.
“Birds bring such joy to our daily lives,” she notes. “It gives me peace to draw and paint them. I like the idea that they then go out on the calendar pages to people all over, and grace their lives as well.
This year’s calendar is now available for purchase. They’re $35 each, plus $5 per calendar for shipping. Email colorfuljude@gmail.com. (Originals are available for purchase. Just ask!)
One month, in Jude Siegel’s 2027 calendar.
=================================================
From nature to music: The next Christ & Holy Trinity Church “Music & Arts” event is New York Polyphony. The 4-part choral ensemble — called “larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” by NPR — performs on October 17 (5 p.m.). A reception follows.
And finally … on this date in 1701, the Collegiate School of Connecticut was chartered in Old Saybrook. Today we know it as Yale University, in New Haven.
(Happy 325th anniversary, Yale! You’re just 308 years older than “06880.” And while they have a $44.1 billion endowment, we don’t. To help us close the gap, please click here. Thank you!)
Last year, Walk Bike Westport sponsored a fall “Bridge to Bridge” walk.
Dozens of residents and politicians — hey, it was the height of campaign season — strolled from Jesup Green, over the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge, to Saugatuck.
They passed the Cribari Bridge, and had breakfast at Kneads.
The “Bridge to Bridge” event returns Sunday, October 18 — this time on wheels.
It begins at 3:30 p.m. with a bike safety talk. Then comes a 3-mile ride to Saugatuck, and back. Everyone ages 8 and up is welcome. Helmets are required.
The 2001 Staples High School graduate has just been named to Variety’s 2026 edition of its annual “10 Broadway Stars to Watch.”
Variety says: “Years ago, Duchan was warned not to expect success as a librettist until he was in his 40s: ‘I’ve always understood this career as something of an endurance test.’
“At 43, he’s making his Broadway debut with ‘Purple Rain,’ the stage version of the classic Prince album and film, about the rise of a tormented young musician known as the Kid. Duchan’s big break comes more than a decade after he emerged on the New York theater scene with 2012’s Off Broadway musical “Dogfight,” based on the 1991 movie starring River Phoenix. [Co-written by former Staples Player and friend Justin Paul.]
“’We’re trying to honor what’s singular about Prince while crafting a fictional character separate from him,’” Duchan says.
“An adept multitasker (and an expert at translating from screen to stage), Duchan is working on another major musical adaptation, ‘Practical Magic,’ based on the 1998 fantasy comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witchy sisters.
“’These are just the two you know about!’ Duchan teases. ‘I spend all day, every day, thinking about musical-theater storytelling. If I haven’t clocked my 10,000 hours yet, I’ve gotta be pretty close.’”
After yesterday’s very active afternoon — including the Slice of Saugatuck, Westoberfest and Earthplace’s Fall Festival — the action continued at night.
The Westport Country Playhouse celebrated 95 years of entertainment with a high-energy gala.
From “Hamilton,” “Shrinking” and “The Wonder Years” to our own Kelli O’Hara and James Naughton, the stars were out in force.
The pre- and post-parties were off the charts too.
Gala performers (from left): Santino Fontana, Kelli O’Hara, James Naughton, Wendie Malick, NaTasha Yvetter Williams, Tamar Greene, Javier Muñoz, Patty McCormack, Dan Lauria. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Westport Pride — the town’s non-profit dedicated to creating an affirming, supportive LGBTQ+ community — “proudly” announces a leadership transition.
Liz Falk takes over as president; Kate Grodd is vice president. Brian McGunagle moves into the role of president emeritus.
McGunagle founded Westport Pride in 2020. Under his leadership the organization established the annual Westport Pride celebration, built partnerships with Westport’s public schools, and helped bring the town’s rainbow crosswalk to life.
He is stepping back from day-to-day leadership to focus on his family and new business ventures. He will also take a more active role in his sons’ PTA.
Falk has served on the Westport Pride board as treasurer. She has a background in non-profit and for-profit management and consulting, and has started and run small businesses.
The Staples boys soccer silent auction is halfway to its fundraising goal. Plenty of items are still available.
Among the highlights: Stowe and Okemo stays, Yankees tickets and memorabilia, performance training sessions, college consulting, wellness packages, and private soccer clinics with varsity players. (Who, by the way, are 9-0-0 so far this season.)
Proceeds help fund coaches, fields, equipment and other resources that keep the program running.
And finally … congratulations again to Peter Duchan (story above).
(Prince’s video has nearly 300 million views. We can’t match that at “06880.” Then again, we are a hyper-local blog. We’re here for you. If you enjoy our niche work, please click here to support it. Thanks!)
Jenna Petok and Markus Marty are co-directors of Walk Bike Westport. They write:
Last December, Westport won something many towns compete for and don’t get: a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant of $895,200.
Next Wednesday, October 7 (7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), the Board of Finance will vote on an appropriation of $1,119,000. If approved, the town would then be reimbursed 80%. Westport taxpayers would be responsible for just $224,000.
Without approval, Westport can’t accept the money.
We hope they say yes. If you agree, now is the time to make your voice heard:
This isn’t the first time the Board has looked at this grant. In May, members raised fair questions. Were we funding 3 overlapping studies? How much staff time would it take? And would any of it lead to real improvements, or just more reports?
Those were the right questions. Public Works took them seriously, and the program coming back to the Board is different.
The 3 separate plans are now one coordinated plan, with 1 advisory committee and 1 review process. The planning builds directly on the town’s adopted Safety Action Plan instead of repeating it, and it’s designed to work alongside the Plan of Conservation and Development, not duplicate it.
Most importantly, a dedicated share of the budget now goes to building safety improvements on our streets.
Last fall, Walk Bike Westport co-direct Markus Marty (front) led a walk from Jesup Green to Saugatuck. The event drew many local candidates, and interested residents.
The total cost and the town’s share are the same. What Westport gets for it is better.
Here’s what the grant buys.
Real projects on real streets. This is the part we’re most excited about. The grant funds up to 4 temporary safety projects on town roads, measured before and after. If something works, the town can make it permanent. If it doesn’t, it comes out. We’d call that responsible spending: test first, then invest.
A Town-wide Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. It defines a realistic walking and biking network for Westport, one that fits our New England streets, with priority projects, planning level costs, and a path to implementation. Inside it:
A Safe Routes to School Plan. Westport has never had one. Many parents would like their kids to walk or bike to school, and many kids would like to. This plan looks school by school, public and private, at the crossings, connections, and traffic patterns that make that harder than it should be, and lays out what to fix first.
A Complete Streets Policy. A practical framework for considering every user when the town builds and maintains streets, recognizing that one size doesn’t fit every Westport road.
An ADA Transition Plan. A town-wide look at sidewalks, curb ramps, and crossings, with a prioritized plan to make them work for people with disabilities, seniors, and parents with strollers.
This grant didn’t come out of nowhere. Westport’s Public Works and Engineering teams, along with the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee, have spent years on the unglamorous work of making our streets safer: new sidewalks, crosswalks, intersection improvements, and a Safety Action Plan the town adopted in 2025.
That plan is already producing results, including improvements underway on Kings Highway North, and it’s what made Westport competitive for this funding. It’s a good example of a modest local investment paying off many times over.
Last fall, dozens of Walk Bike Westport enthusiasts gathered at Jesup Green, for a walk. (Photos/John Videler for Videler Photography)
The math is simple. For every dollar Westport puts in, the federal government puts in four. And plans like these are what position a town for future implementation grants, the kind that pay for sidewalks and crossings rather than studies.
We know the Board takes its responsibility to taxpayers seriously, and we respect that. The questions asked in May made this a better program. Now it deserves a yes.
Westport worked hard to win this grant. Let’s make sure we keep it.
Walk Bike Westport advocates for a town “where children pedal to school without a parent behind the wheel, where a downtown errand doesn’t need a parking space, where the hill that once made cycling to the train station unthinkable simply isn’t a barrier anymore.”
That’s why they support pedal-assist electric bicycles.
A Class 1 e-bike is “a great way to get around,” the organization says. “It’s quiet, it tops out around 20 miles per hour, and it only helps when you pedal. It helps more people ride farther, and tackle hills with confidence — making cycling accessible to riders of all ages and abilities.”
Class 1 pedal-assist e-bike.
But, Walk Bike Westport says, there is a threat: “a different machine wearing the same name … overpowered bikes that tear through traffic at 30 or 40 miles an hour aren’t e-bikes.”
Instead, they’re “motor-driven cycles.” And they generate a backlash that could hurt pro-biking efforts.
Walk Bike Westport wants residents to not get taken for a ride.
According to Connecticut law, a Class 1 e-bike has working pedals and a motor of 750 watts or less. It tops out around 20 miles per hour, and adds power only when you pedal. Like a bicycle, it requires no license, plate or insurance.
But as of last October, a bike with no working pedals, or with a motor strong enough to push past 30, is a “motor-driven cycle or a motorcycle.” You need a license. The most powerful versions need registration and insurance too.
However, Walk Bike Westport notes, the classification is not obvious, and both look similar.
A parent sees an “e-bike,” and assumes it’s a bicycle. The seller has little reason to correct them. “By the time anyone sorts out what category the thing actually falls into, it’s usually because something has gone wrong.”
It’s not the fault of “the kid doing 35 down Hillspoint Road,” the Westport organization says. “The machine (is) mislabeled.”
More and more of these motorbikes are sold with motors several times over the 750-watt limit, and often without pedals.
The best-known is the Sur-Ron, says Walk Bike Westport, which its manufacturer calls an electric dirt bike. Others, like the Talaria, are built and sold the same way.
“The confusion creeps in later, once they hit resellers and online marketplaces, where the same bike gets listed as an ‘e-bike’ and a buyer has no reason to doubt it.”
E-bike? Motorbike? It’s confusing.
Connecticut requires sellers to label a bike with its class, wattage and top speed. But that only works if a buyer knows how to read it, and if someone checks.
“An officer watching a bike go by can’t read its wattage at a glance, and the gap between a fast e-bike and a slow motorcycle is exactly the kind of line that’s sharp in a statute and invisible on a road,” Walk Bike Westport notes.
Our town’s approach leans toward education. Westport Police issued a guide for parents, and held a forum at Town Hall.
“That instinct is the right one,” Walk Bike Westport says. “Most families with a misclassified bike have no idea they have one, and a summons doesn’t fix a problem that started with a misleading listing.
Southington, meanwhile, has a zero-tolerance policy. They issue citations, seize bikes, and even make arrests. But there’s danger, the Westport bike group says, in “treating every bike as a suspect.”
Walk Bike Westport wants to avoid that outcome. The answer to the e-bike problem “isn’t more fear. It’s clarity, and a town built so that the right bikes have somewhere safe to go.”
Walk Bike Westport advocates for safety.
The town and Police “can publish a plain guide that tells a resident, in 1 page, whether the bike in their garage is a bicycle or a motorcycle under Connecticut law,” Walk Bike Westport says.
Some of that work is already underway, they note — “and it’s coming from the people with the most at stake.”
This spring the teenagers on the Westport Youth Commission’s E-bike Safety and Awareness group developed a poster campaign to teach young riders how to ride safely, and teach parents which e-bikes their kids are allowed to ride.
They worked with the Police Department and Walk Bike Westport; put their posters in doctors’ offices, schools and bike shops, and are planning events for this fall.
Youth Commission posters.
“When the kids most associated with the problem are the ones standing up to solve it, the rest of the town should pay attention,” says Walk Bike Westport.
However, the group notes, “most of what makes cycling feel unsafe in Westport has nothing to do with e-bikes, and everything to do with roads built only for cars.”
The town is working on a safety plan with federal funding, including protected lanes and calmer streets.
Walk Bike Westport has one final message: “A pedal-assist e-bike is one of the best things to happen to local transportation.
“(But) a throttle-driven motorbike wearing a bicycle’s name is a different thing entirely. It should be ridden, licensed, and treated for what it is.
“Defend the first. Be straight about the second. And the Westport we pictured (in the first paragraph of this story) gets a little closer.”
Walk Bike Westport and the Westport Youth Commission spread awareness at last month’s “Kickoff to Summer” at Compo Beach.
They offer young riders independence. They save parents the hassle of driving.
Yet few young people — or adults — know e-xactly what’s legal. Or where.
This spring, members of the Westport Youth Commission’s E-bike Safety and Awareness group created a poster awareness campaign.
There are 2 goals. The first is to educate young riders on safe e-bike operating practices.
The second is to educate parents on which e-bikes their children are allowed to ride.
The first stage of the project has begun: a poster campaign targeting parents and youth alike.
One poster …
The Youth Commission has collaborated with the Police Department and Walk Bike Westport on this.
Three posters alert bike users to new laws; direct them to a website built by a member of New Canaan’s youth commission that addresses the issue, and educates bike purchasers about basic e-bike safe riding practices.
… a second …
The posters are being provided to doctors’ offices, schools, bike stores and the media. Yard signs are also being distributed .
The YAC has already begun discussing future plans. This fall, they’ll host biking events to promote e-bike safety and awareness.
But starting right now, remember: Ride safely. And legally.
… and third.
(“06880” regularly reports on Westport’s youth. Our future is in good hands. And this blog’s is too, thanks to reader support. If you’d like to help with a contribution, please click here. Thank you!)
Since its formation in 2023, Bike Westport’s goal is a safer, better community.
Through advocacy, education and working with town and state governments, they’ve focused on infrastructure improvements for everyone who shares our roads: bicyclists, walkers and drivers.
Their focus is broad and deep. It goes beyond just bikes. So today, they’re rebranding themselves.
Walk Bike Westport — the new name — reflects both the non-profit’s expanding mission, and the strong community support demonstrated through last fall’s advocacy campaign and public pledge.
Walk Bike Westport builds on that momentum. Hundreds of residents signed on in support of safer, more connected streets.
The campaign reinforced a shared belief that Westport’s roads should work better for everyone — whether walking, biking, or simply getting around town.
“Last fall’s campaign made it clear that this work is bigger than biking alone,” says Markus Marty, founder and co-director.
“Walk Bike Westport reflects what we’ve heard from the community. People want safer streets, better connections, and a town that works for all ages and abilities.”
Last fall, what was then Bike Westport sponsored a “bridge to bridge” walk. Political candidates chatted with voters along the way.
Along with the name change, Walk Bike Westport introduces a new logo. Created by Kings Highway Elementary School parent Aimee Kenline, it expresses the broader, more inclusive vision
To bring the community into the rebrand, Walk Bike Westport is launching a “Color Your Logo” campaign.
Residents are invited to customize the new logo with their own color palettes, and submit their version. The aim is to reflect the diversity of the community, and reinforce the idea of a shared effort, shaped by the people who live here. Click here to participate.
Create your own color palette.
“This rebrand is a reaffirmation of our commitment to complete streets in Westport,” says Jenna Petok, co-director. “We want to keep building on the momentum we’ve seen, and help turn it into real improvements people can experience day to day.”
As part of this next phase, Walk Bike Westport is expanding its all-volunteer team. They welcome Aimee Kenline as creative director, Robert Bartel as director of web and digital experience, and Evan Siegal as community engagement and content lead.
The group remains fully volunteer-led, with community members contributing time and expertise to advance safer, more connected streets across Westport.
Walk Bike Westport is a broad, inclusive community effort. From left: Rob Ponzo, CB Sportif Bike Shop; Westport Police Corporal Greg Gunter; Markus Marty, co-director Walk Bike Westport; Evan Siegel, community engagement WBW; Jenna Petok, co-director WBW. (Photo/Evan Siegel)
As Walk Bike Westport grows, they hope more volunteers will support community events, education initiatives, and advocacy.
The transition to Walk Bike Westport also reinforces a commitment to the priorities outlined in last fall’s pledge, including improving pedestrian safety, expanding connected bike networks, and advancing complete streets principles across town.
Walk Bike Westport will roll out the new name and branding across its communications, events and advocacy efforts in the coming weeks.
For more information, click here. Follow on social media @walkbikewestport.
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: danwoog@gmail.com. Thanks!)
GET THE “06880” APP
The “06880” app (search for it on the Apple or Android store) is the easiest way to get “06880.” Choose notifications: whenever a new post is published, or once or twice a day. Click here for details.
… and third.
Walk Bike Westport — the new name — reflects both the non-profit’s expanding mission, and the strong community support demonstrated through last fall’s advocacy campaign and public pledge.
