Tag Archives: Westport Downtown Plan Implementation Committee

Roundup: School Security Unit, DPIC Comments, Lyman Update …

Posted on September 8, 2023 | 10 comments

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.

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John McCarthy has been adamant recently about the need for more openness and transparency in local town government.

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)

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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.

Eloise A. Ray Park

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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.

Workin’ at the (boys soccer) car wash…

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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.”

(Photo/Tracy Porosoff)

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And finally … Steve Harwell, former lead singer of Smash Mouth, died Monday. in Idaho. He was 56, and suffered from liver failure.

(There is a lot going on in town. And “06880” covers it all. Please click here to help support our work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Downtown, Education, Environment, Library, Police, Staples HS

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Roundup: Parker Harding Parking, OMG Open Hours, Merit Money …

Posted on May 13, 2023 | 21 comments

The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee continues its work.

One “06880” reader is worried about one aspect of it. She shares this letter, which she sent this week to the group:

“I understand that at this morning’s meeting (which I could not attend) the discussion of losing 44 parking spaces in the Parker Harding lot was discussed.

“I believe this will be detrimental to our stores downtown. There is already a shortage of parking during peak (and many other) hours.

“I believe that the solution of taking a bus from town to Imperial Avenue is not a good solution for shoppers. It is inconvenient for folks who are only in town for a short while.

“I believe — and always have — that the store employees who park all day should use the shuttle service and parking at Imperial Avenue.

“I understand that some store managers felt that their employees ‘wouldn’t do that.’ When I worked in a town like this many years ago with similar parking issues, we were told we would be fired if caught parking in spots reserved for shoppers.

“It’s not a big deal if they are there all day. Managers are being over-dramatic if they did position this in that manner.

“I understand the value of the greening/beautification project, but we need to keep shoppers coming to town and keep our stores in business. It’s all too easy to shop on the internet these days.

“Thank you for your consideration of this concern.”

Up to 44 parking spots may be lost in the Parker Harding Plaza lot, in concepts under consideration by the Downtown Plan Implementation Committe.

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Summer hours begin Monday at Old Mill Grocery & Deli.

The Hillspoint Road spot will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, ice cream and much more, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week.

Ready for summer.

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MoCA hosts 2 very different concerts within 48 hours of each other next week.

On Thursday (May 18), New York-based punk band Darling performs a 30-minute set, following a curator talk with Emann Odufu, as part of the “Cocktails & Conversation” series.

Emann is the curator of the current “Rainbow in the Dark” exhibition featuring Anselm Reyle. His practice is inspired by his participation in the punk and heavy metal music movements, and his fascination with psychedelic and punk aesthetics.

Two nights later (Saturday, May 20, 7 p.m.), MoCA welcomes back Staples High School graduate Michelle Pauker. This year, she offers a tribute to Joni Mitchell.

Click here for more information, and tickets.

Michelle Pauker

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Speaking of music: 2018 Staples High grad and Berklee College of Music singer/songwriter Margot Liotta just released her latest single.

It’s available on tons of platforms. Click here for your favorite.

Margot Liotta

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Westport’s 3 National Merit Scholarship $2,500 winners attend 3 different schools.

Congratulations to Staples High School’s Lucia Wang (also the valedictorian), Alexis Bienstock of Westport’s Pierrepont School, and Joy Xu (Hopkins School).

From left: Alexis Bienstock and Lucia Wang.

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The limited edition vinyl LP of “Verso Records: Volume One” has arrived. Now, the Westport Library gets ready to celebrate the “artists, conspirators and community” that helped create the first vinyl record ever recorded, produced and released by a public library.

June 3 marks the official release. It includes 12 live tracks from tri-state area artists. Genres include rock, jazz, hip hop, folk and indie. All were recorded at the Library’s Verso Studios.

A release party is set for that night (7 p.m., Trefz Forum). Four of the bands will perform live.

The release party is free. A $25 ticket option includes a copy of “Verso Records: Volume One” and a free drink. (No record player? A digital copy will be available for $10.)

The album is available for pre-order. Preorders can be picked up at the release party, or will be shipped afterward.

Can’t attend, but want to support and/or listen to the album? Vinyl and digital copies are available via Bandcamp.

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Longtime Westporter and noted civic volunteer Irma Schachter, wife of Joseph Schachter, died Thursday after a short illness. She was 95 years old.

Irma was an early female leader in the male-dominated retail store management field of the 1950s. Her career started after completing the Harvard-Radcliff Business School program with a position at Abraham & Strauss, and continued at G. Fox & Co., Bloomingdale’s, as manager of Burdine’s department store in Miami Beach, and a Lord & Taylor vice president managing 7 New England stores.

She attended what is now Northfield-Mount Hermon School. She was recently honored by the Northfield Alumni Association with its rarely given Lamplighter Award for outstanding service to the school, achieving 100% yearly participation by her entire class in support of the annual fund.

She attended Hartford Junior College, and graduated from Connecticut College.

In Westport, she supported the new Library and Norwalk Hospital

She married Joe Schachter in 1966, after his wife — Irma’s friend Carol Kagan — died at 34. She helped raise Carol and Joe’s 3 young sons, and soon legally adopted them.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by sons Ted (Susan) of Los Angeles, Stephen (Carrie) of Gainesville, Florida, and David (Danny) of Belmont, California; niece Carmen Carrol (Christopher); nephew Andrew Klein, 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held tomorrow (Sunday, May 14, 1 p.m., Congregation Beth El, 109 East Avenue, Norwalk). Shiva will be Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. at 28 Mayflower Parkway, Westport.

Irma and Joe Schachter.

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Peter Green — a highly accomplished stained glass artist also active in several other art forms — died earlier this year at Bridgeport Hospital, of pancreatic cancer. He was 77.

He was the founder in 1971, and co-owner with his wife of 48 years Tina, of Westport’s Renaissance Studio. Click here for a 2012 “06880”story on that artistic journey.

His 5-decade career as a stained glass artist was marked by many commissions and installations in Westport and the tri-state area. He and Tina taught stained glass classes at their studio and in area adult education programs.

After 30 years on Saugatuck Avenue, the studio moved in 2003 to the Greens’ home on Imperial Avenue. Tina continues to operate it.

Peter designed and installed stained glass windows and panels in hundreds of homes, restaurants and other businesses, and for religious institutions. His Installations include Temple Israel in Westport, St. Francis of Assisi Church in Weston, and St. Joseph’s Church in Stratford.

A member of the Stained Glass Association of America, he was also a successful woodturner, photographer and painter. He was a past president of the Nutmeg Woodturners at the Brookfield Craft Center. His unique works graced the covers of Wood Turning and Stained Glass magazines.

Peter’s first career was in music. After graduating from Adelphi University in 1968, he played guitar in The Villagers folk group. They opened for Simon and Garfunkel in the mid-’60s at Adelphi. He played for the rest of his life for family and friends.

An Army Reserve veteran, he was also an avid sailor, surfer, kayaker and cyclist. He swam regularly at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.

Peter frequently researched, read and combed the recorded music collection at his beloved Westport Library.

Survivors in addition to his wife include his children, Andrew of Westport and Charlotte of Greenwich; his sister Susan Behan of Longboat Key, Florida; his brother Bob Green of Kapaa, Hawaii; his mother-in-law Anna Godick of Westport, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private memorial celebration of his life is planned for later this year. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory be made to The Westport Library or the American Cancer Society.

Peter Green

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Burying Hill Beach is Johanna Keyser Rossi’s happy place.

And here — happily — is her “Westport … Naturally” photo.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … happy 73rd birthday to Stevie Wonder.

There are way too many great songs to pick from. Here are 5 from his now-overlooked, but very productive, mid-1960s/early-1970s years:

(If you enjoy our daily “06880” music selections, it would be “wonder”-ful to help support the blog. Please click here — and thank you!)

21 Comments

Posted in Arts, Beach, Downtown, Education, Entertainment, Obituaries

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Roundup: Parker Harding, Longshore, Speakeasy …

Posted on February 23, 2023 | 8 comments

The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s project has begun.

Public Works Department employees assisted town engineers and Langan consultants yesterday, as they dug test pits for the renovation.

Site work downtown. (Photo courtesy of Town of Westport)

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Westport’s Parks & Recreation Commission will hold a special meeting next Thursday (March 2, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall).

The one agenda item is the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan.

Longshore Club Park

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Looking for a historic speakeasy in Westport, featuring jazz, food, drink and gambling?

Head to the Suzuki Music School in Colonial Green on March 4 (7 p.m.). The basement will be transformed into the type of illicit space F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald knew well from their time here.

The Rich Goldstein Trio and Joe Carter Trio will perform. Tickets ($125) include food and drink, and $25 of (charity) gambling chips. Click here for tickets, and more information.

Proceeds benefit the Suzuki Music Schools, and Westport Museum of History & Culture.

The evening marks the mid-event of the 2023 Connecticut Guitar Festival. Opening night at MoCA Westport (Friday, March 3) features  classical guitarist Rene Izquierdo and  contemporary Guitarist Jordan Dodson.

The Saturday daytime lineup includes education for young and old guitar students at MoCA: master classes, lectures, an open mic and a 3 p.m. showcase concert by the Yale Guitars.

The Guitar Festival ends Sunday at MoCA with a free children’s pillow concert headed by festival artistic director Mak Grgic, and an honors concert of young area students.

Click here for full details of the Connecticut Guitar Festival.

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Westport Police report 2 custodial arrests between February 16 and 22.

One followed a report that a family member was acting erratically. During a mental health emergency, a Westport resident swung at officers, causing minor injuries. He was charged with 2 counts of assault on a public safety employee.

The other arrest was for failure to appear.

The Police Department is still unable to report information on traffic and other citations.

One arrest last week was for failure to appear for a court date.

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Wheels2U’s on-demand, group ride, door-to-train platform shuttle service is free tomorrow (Friday, February 24).

The normal fee to and from the Westport and Greens Farms stations is $2.

Riders use the Wheels2U Westport app to request a pickup  between 5:45 and 10 a.m., and 4 and 9:30 p.m., for rides between either train platform and their front door. Pickups for trips to the stations should be requested 20 minutes before normally leaving to drive to the station.

For more information about Wheels2U, including how to download the Wheels2U app and book a ride, click here. For more information about the Westport Transit District’s services for the elderly and people with disabilities, click here.

Wheels2U.

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A Westport woman is having a hard time finding a handyman.

The work involves basic repairs, including painting, screens and other things.

She’s not on Facebook (the usual place to search for such things), and has had no luck finding one on her own. If you know of a good handyman — or you are one yourself — click “Comments” below.

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Many Westporters are away this week, for the public schools’ winter break.

These guys stuck around, and posed for today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo:

(Photo/Liza Emilio)

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And finally … you knew this was coming, right?

(“06880” is your non-profit, hyperlocal blog. Contributions are tax-deductible. Please click here for details. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Downtown, Entertainment, Local politics, Longshore, Police, Transportation

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Unsung Hero #273

Posted on February 1, 2023 | 6 comments

Among his many activities, Ken Bernhard is a member of Westport’s Downtown Plan Implementation Committee. He’s a great volunteer himself. But this week he nominates a fellow member as Unsung Hero.

Ken writes:

On behalf of the entire Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, I propose Randy Herbertson as the newest member of Westport’s cadre of Unsung Heroes.

The committee, consisting of department heads, merchants, property owners and local citizens, oversees the implementation of Westport’s master plan to improve the downtown area.

Working behind the scenes, Randy brings his marketing and branding skills to bear on creating consensus and producing results. He is always exceptionally prepared and knowledgeable.

All of us on the Committee concur that Randy is an effective, strong, and engaged chair, spending countless hours volunteering his professional services.

Randy Herbertson

The results of his work over the past few years are evident and momentous. The appearance of our downtown is demonstrably improved, the Baldwin parking is a model of good planning, and we are taking major steps for the complete overall of Parking Harding.

Next will be Jesup Green and then the Imperial Avenue parking lot. His yet-to-be fully and publicly appreciated efforts are altering and improving our town in numerous ways.

“Randy gives so much to this town and asks for nothing in return, making him a true unsung hero,” says Westport Downtown Association president Maxx Crowley — a position Randy previously held.

“He has done an incredible job mixing his creative background and passion for Westport, which will ultimately lead to a new and beautiful downtown,” said local businessman Maxwell Crowley.

Mary Young, Westport’s Planning and Zoning director, adds, “Randy is a visionary who unleashes the untapped potential of Westport’s downtown. He has the patience of a saint, and is willing to wade through the bureaucracy of securing local and state approvals. His energy is infectious. Randy Herbertson is a jewel and should be treasured.”

“Randy is most definitely an unsung hero, helping Westport become an even more wonderful and beautiful place in which to live. He is doing a great job leading the committee. My hat is off to him. He has earned our gratitude,” says Tony Riggio, past president of Westport Rotary and team leader with Builders Beyond Borders.

(Do you know an Unsung Hero? Email 06880blog@gmail.com)

(You can be a hero too! Please click here to support “06880.” Thank you!)

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Posted in Downtown, Unsung Heroes

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Roundup: Downtown Plan, Coastal Living, Dracula …

Posted on March 11, 2021 | 4 comments

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There’s a new sheriff downtown.

Randy Herbertson replaces Dewey Loselle as chair of the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee. Loselle — former chief operations for the chair — resigned recently, after many years in the post.

Herbertson is president of the Westport Downtown Merchants Association. He owns The Visual Brand, a design agency on Church Lane.

The DPIC is responsible for carrying out the Downtown Master Plan. Under Loselle, the group implemented streetscape improvements on Elm Street, new sidewalks and lights on Main Street, Veterans Green sidewalks and more.

1st Selectman Jim Marpe — who appointed Herbertson to the post — thanked Loselle for his long service.

Randy Herbertson

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Speaking of planning:

Neighbors watched warily all winter, as activity began on 12 acres of land bordered by Clapboard Hill Road, Morningside Drive South and Turkey Hill Road South.

Stakes with pink strips appeared in the ground, and a new gravel path was built from Clapboard Hill.

Is one of the town’s last large tracts of private property being developed?

Plans are underway for several new homes. There are wetlands issues, and the Conservation Commission required those borders to be withdrawn. The permitting process with other town boards is still in the early stages too.

Meanwhile, another home nearby is being built on a separate property.

(Photo/Nicholas Eisenberger)

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I usually avoid posting links to listicle stories: “50 Best Suburbs For Seniors!” “Top 500 Schools in America!”

They’re clickbait. Their methodology is dubious at best, and manipulable for their own demographics. Besides, if Staples High School is #1 in one poll, then #2 in the next, taxpayers get all their knickers in a twist.

But Coastal Living’s “Best Beach Towns: Dreamy Places to Live” issue is worth noting — if only for the writeup. It’s the way the world (or at least that portion of it that reads Coastal Living) sees us:

“You can’t imagine the volume of COVID refugees,” says Shari Lebowitz, citing the cheering sight of new families with baby strollers and slow-waling toddlers along the tidy sidewalks of this leafy enclave on Long Island Sound.”

The magazine says that Lebowitz — owner of Bespoke Designs — moved here for “a cultured little town that supported entrepreneurs. Westport, driven by small waterways with open space for wildlife, also has a charming stretch of tawny beach that serves as the town’s outdoor living room all summer long. (Dogs and their happy owners take over in the off season.)”

MoCA Westport is a “small contemporary art museum that punches well above its weight with arts education, performances, and world-class exhibitions.”

Lebowitz gets the last word: “I can make coffee and drive down to drink it on the beach every morning before work. What more could I want?” (Hat tips: Lisa Gold, Tom Feeley)

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What better way to mark the 1-year anniversary of the COVID lockdown than with a horror show?

This Sunday (March 14, 6 p.m.), a worldwide audience can fire up the computer and listen to “Dracula.” Staples Players presents the 4th in their winter radio shows via livestream, at www.wsptfm.org.

Following 6 previous radio shows this pandemic year, “Dracula” promises to be another smash. It’s a great drama. Cast and crew have been hard at work perfecting timing, sound effects, and (of course) their Transylvanian accents.

Jamie Mann, David Corro and Violet Cooper have key roles. David Roth and Kerry Roth co-produce the show; Don Rickenback is music director, and Geno Heiter oversees the audio.

NOTE: If you missed the original broadcasts of 2 previous Players radio shows — “Little Women” and “Sorry, Wrong Number” — they’ll be on the WWPT-FM livestream the following Sunday, March 21 (6 p.m. and 7:10 p.m., respectively).

The cast and crew of “Dracula.” (Photo/Kerry Long)

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On the Staples sports scene:

Last night — for perhaps the first time in Wrecker swim team history — 3 siblings swam on the same relay team.

Justin (senior), Jason (sophomore) and Jared (freshman) Lessing joined Daniel Rosenkranz. The foursome placed 2nd in the 200 freestyle relay at the Senior Day meet against Danbury. Staples’ other relay team won that race; both helped the Wreckers to take the entire meet.

Coach Todd Gordon fulfilled the Lessings’ longtime dream of swimming on a high school relay squad together. He’s a former swimmer and pitcher at Harvard University. Justin plays both sports at Staples too. This was his first meet of the year, after suffering tendinitis in his pitching arm.

From left: Jason Lessing, Jared Lessing, Daniel Rosenkranz and Justin Lessing. Daniel and Justin are co-captains.

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More Staples news: Congratulations to Students of the Month Moses Beary, Marley Brown, Gianna Amatuzzi, Camryn Zukowski, Sophie Hekmat, Quinn McMahon and Maggie Montoya.

The awardees — nominated by teachers — are students who help make Staples High School a welcoming place for peers and teachers. Principal Stafford Thomas calls them “the ‘glue’ of community: the type of kind, cheerful, hard-working, trustworthy students who keep the high school together.”

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Westport’s yard waste site resumes regular hours of operation, starting this Monday (March 15): weekdays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon.

The location is 180 Bayberry Lane (by the Westport Weston Health District).

Yard waste at 180 Bayberry Lane.

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Temperatures are ticking up into the 60s. Daylight Savings starts Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Avenue parking lot snow bank shows no signs of melting.

(Photo/Tammy Barry)

We will mark its progress by various dates: Easter. May Day. Memorial Day. The 4th of July …

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State Senator Will Haskell is the new chair of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee. He previously chaired the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee.

“For the last 2 years, I’ve kept a Metro-North timetable from 1970 on my desk in the Senate,” the 2014 Staples High School graduate says.

“Over the last 5 decades those trains have gotten slower, not faster. It’s time to reverse that trend by investing in green infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs and helping our constituents get where they need to go.”

State Senator Will Haskell, with a Metro-North train.

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And finally … Lawrence Welk was born today in 1903. He died in 1992, at 89. A one, an’ a two …

 

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Posted in Arts, Beach, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, Local business, Local politics, Real estate, Sports, Staples HS, Transportation

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Name That Lot!

Posted on September 10, 2018 | 33 comments

You may have heard the name Sigrid Schultz.

A pioneering female war correspondent, broadcaster and author who risked her life to expose Nazi secrets to the world, she hid her Jewish heritage from the likes of Hitler, Goering and Goebbels, whom she loathed but entertained in her Berlin home for the sole purpose of extracting information.

Sigrid Schultz

After Schultz and her mother fled Germany, they bought a house and barn at 35 Elm Street. When Sigrid died in 1980, the town demolished her home to expand the Baldwin parking lot.

This famous woman has remained largely unknown in her adopted hometown. But that may change soon, if a Downtown Plan Implementation Committee recommendation to name the new Elm Street parking lot — the one next to Bedford Square, created by the demolition of Villa del Sol directly opposite the Baldwin lot — is approved by the Board of Selectmen, acting as the town’s Traffic Authority.

Then again, it may not be named the Sigrid Schultz Parking Lot.

DPIC member Dewey Loselle suggested celebrating former Public Works head Steve Edwards. The longtime but low-key director nixed that idea.

Another suggestion was to honor the residents of 22 1/2 Main Street — the African American boardinghouse that went up in flames (probably arson) nearly 70 years ago. The location was adjacent to the new parking lot.

It might be tough coming up with an appropriate name — “22 1/2 Main Street lot” would be too confusing for the Elm Street address.

But that hasn’t hasn’t stopped one Westporter from taking a second look.

Chip Stephens grew up here. As a Planning & Zoning Commission member, he attends DPIC meetings. He wants to make sure the name of the new lot reflects town sentiment — not simply the will of one committee.

Pete Wassell

Perhaps, he says, the lot should be named after the Wassell brothers. Harry, Bud and Pete were all killed within 15 months of each other, during World War II.

Or, Stephens says, maybe there are other Westporters we should consider.

So let’s have a townwide discussion, right here on “06880.” Click “Comments” to offer suggestions, and debate the ideas.

Sure, it’s only a parking lot. But, as Stephens notes, “it will be there forever.”

FUN FACTS: So who is this Baldwin that the other Elm Street lot is named for? Herb Baldwin — a former first selectman. 

And on the other side of Main Street, Parker Harding Plaza is named for co-sponsors Emerson Parker and Evan Harding. Fortunately — considering the state of that parking lot — everyone has forgotten those two.

36 Elm Street was demolished in January, to make room for a new parking lot next to Bedford Square. (Photo/Jen Berniker)

 

33 Comments

Posted in Downtown, History, Local politics, Organizations, People, Transportation

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Fresh Toquet

Posted on June 16, 2016 | 2 comments

Toquet Hall is one of Westport’s most intriguing spaces.

Located in an alley between the Post Road and Jesup Green — on the 2nd floor of what was once Westport’s opera house — the teen coffeehouse provides a big, open spot for middle and high school students to hear bands, watch shows, play pool and hang out after school and on weekends. All in the heart of downtown.

It’s also one of Westport’s most underutilized spaces.

The games area at Toquet Hall.

The games area at Toquet Hall.

Since it opened in 1998, a core group of kids has always enjoyed Toquet Hall. The vast majority, however, seldom set foot inside. Many have no idea it even exists.

A small crew of teenagers and adults have set out to change that.

The Toquet Hall enhancement group — part of the Westport Downtown Plan Implementation Committee — and Toquet teen governing board have worked on a few upgrades.

They include:

  • Fix the stage and flooring, helping reduce noise impact on the retail space downstairs — while allowing more usage and expanded hours
  • Renovate the snack bar, adding more items like french fries and smoothies
  • Build a storage closet above the stairs, to maximize space on stage for more musical performances, movies and plays
  • Improve signage, for better visibility and access (it’s pretty hard to find).

Work begins this summer.

A GoFundMe site is helping raise the $35,000 needed.

Meanwhile, all Westporters — whether they’ve ever been to Toquet Hall or not — are invited to an open house this Saturday (June 18, 2 to 6 p.m.).

Don’t know where it is? Follow the handy directions below!

Toquet Hall directions

Greens Farms Academy's Harbor Blues singing group performs ...

Greens Farms Academy’s Harbor Blues singing group performs …

... and middle schoolers enjoy an afternoon workshop.

… and middle schoolers enjoy an afternoon workshop. A group of teenagers and adults hope to renovate the space, attracting many more kids.

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Posted in Downtown, Organizations, Teenagers

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