After a rained-out Friday, the Yankee Doodle Fair was packed all day and night yesterday.
Ava Bierman enjoys the Yankee Doodle Fair. (Photo/Bryan Bierman)
The unofficial kickoff to summer ends today. Hours are 1-5 p.m. at the Westport Woman’s Club on Imperial Avenue. As always, proceeds help fund dozens of grants to local non-profits, and scholarships.
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It takes many volunteers to keep Yankee Doodle Fair-goers happy and safe — and not just from the WWC.
The Community Emergency Response Team — which supports first responders in Westport and Weston, and helps out with events like this — has been out in full force.
You may think they were manning (and womanning) a booth. In fact, they were keeping an all on all of us.
As they always do.
Karen Kleine, Westport Woman’s Club Yankee Doodle Fair chair, checks in with CERT president Mike Vincelli and vice president David Kinyon. (Photo/Jo Shields Sherman)
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Ham it up!
The Westport Astronomical Society’s ham radio club K1WAS hosts ARRL Field Day — an in-person amateur radio event — at their observatory on 182 Bayberry Lane site next weekend. It runs from 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22 until 8 p.m. Sunday, June 23.
Field Day is an annual amateur radio activity with over 40,000 ham radio operators across America. They participate by establishing temporary radio stations in public locations, demonstrating their skills and service.
But you don’t need a radio license to participate. Everyone can get on the air, using radios provided by local radio clubs hosted by the observatory.
Ham operators play a crucial role in emergencies. They may be needed soon, during an active hurricane season.
“Hams have a long history of service when critical communication infrastructure like cell towers are damaged,” says Dan Wright, Westport Astronomical Society board member and amateur radio operator N3DAW.
“Field Day exemplifies the resilience and ingenuity of amateur radio operators, who connect the world, no matter the circumstances.”
For more information on the Field Day event, click here.
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Yesterday was the first legit weekend beach day of the year (school’s out, 80 degrees, summer vibe).
Right on cue, Compo Beach was packed.
The photo below is just a taste of what’s to come. Enjoy!
(Photo/Matt Murray)
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One other sign of summer: the hot dog grill outside Mitchells of Westport.
They’re known far and wide for their coffee (always) and bagels (weekend). But on select days, you can grab a dog with your suits, shirts, slacks and jewelry.
What started as a mom-and-pop shop has come a long way since 1958. The 4th generation of Mitchells has just joined the ranks.
But they never forget their down-home roots.
Hot dogs al fresco, at Mitchells. (Photo/Ed Simek)
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You’ve probably seen Little Ralphie — the inflatable yellow duck — at various spots around town.
While he’s promoting the Sunrise Rotary Club’s Great Duck Race, human Rotarians are busy sorting Ralphie’s plastic brethren.
They’re getting ready for the family-friendly event on Saturday, June 29 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Jesup Green).
Attendance — and fun — is free. Click here to purchase tickets for the raffle.
PS: The top prize is $5,000. And all proceeds go to Sunrise Rotary’s charity efforts.
Sunrise Rotarians, sorting ducks. From left: Joe Scordato, Pete Wolgast, president Liz Wong, president-elect Katie Augustyn, Bruce Fritz, Mazie Zdanowicz.
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As noted in yesterday’s Roundup, the Westport Weston Family YMCA has reached its membership cap.
But there’s no limit to the amount of non-humans that can enjoy the facility. This was the “Westport … Naturally” scene recently, at the Mahackeno Outdoor Center.
(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)
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And finally … Tupac Shakur was born on this day in 1971. The rapper and producer was killed in 1996, age 25.
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