A Westport Welcome

A WestportNow reader came across this sign on the Westport, Wis. Web site and wondered why Westport, Conn., doesn't have similar welcoming signs. townofwestport.org photo

Farrell Works the Crowd at State Democratic Convention

Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell chats with delegates to the 2004 State Democratic Convention today in Hartford where Sen. Christopher Dodd was nominated for a fifth term. Republicans meeting in Southington nominated Jack Orchulli, a Darien businessman and political unknown, to oppose him. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) Jessica Bram for WestportNow.com

Westport's Unitarian Church Hosts Same-Sex Marriage Panel

Westport's Unitarian Church, whose five ministers have recently performed marriage ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples in New Paltz, N.Y., was the scene Friday night of a panel on same-sex marriage, according to today's The Advocate of Stamford/Norwalk.

The guests included New Haven attorney Maureen Murphy; Timothy Diehl, coordinator of the Fairfield County Chapter of Love Makes a Family; and Sue Bannay, a member of the Unitarian Church's Rainbow Task Force, the newspaper said.

Murphy told the group that, right now, because gay couples are not married in Connecticut, they are not covered by 588 Connecticut statutes and 1,038 federal statutes.

"This is a civil rights issue," Murphy said.

Bannay said when her partner of 10 years suffered a stroke, she did not have the same hospital visiting rights or time-off options from work as would a heterosexual spouse.

She also was not provided crucial information about how to assist in providing therapy and medication.

"I'm not saying everyone would have been nicer to me if we'd been married, but they'd have to treat us equally," Bannay said. "Marriage is a ticket into the game, membership into the club."

Saturday, May 8, 2004

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Greens Farms Academy - Spring market day
2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Westport Weston Health District, 180 Bayberry Lane - Rabies vaccination clinic

Eleven Westport Restaurants/Stores Make Fairfield Weekly "Best" List

Eleven Westport restaurants and stores are featured in the Fairfield Weekly's "The Best of Fairfield County" reader poll published in the latest issue.

In addition, Westport had two entries in the newspaper's staff picks.

The winners: "Best Restaurant with Outdoor Dining" and "Best Restaurant with a Water View" Splash, 260 South Compo Road; "Best Chinese Restaurant" Little Kitchen of Westport, 432 Post Road East; "Best Indian Restaurant" Bombay Bar & Grill, 616 Post Road East.

Also, "Best Japanese Restaurant" Sakura, 680 Post Road East; "Best Thai Restaurant," Thai Village, 1849 Post Road East; "Best Bagel Store" Village Bagels, 1874 Post Road East; "Best Place to Buy Soup" Chef's Table, 44 Church Lane, 1035 Post Road East; "Best Candy Store," Munson's Chocolates, 1460 Post Road East.

Also, "Best Gourmet Grocery," HayDay Country Market, 1385 Post Road East; "Best Gay Bar," Cedar Brook Café, 919 Post Road East; "Best Karoke Night," The Black Duck Café, 605 Riverside Ave.

Westport mentions in the staff picks included "Best Alternative to Blockbusters" Westport Public Library, and "Best Neighborhood Under an I-95 Overpass" Saugatuck.

So do WestportNow readers agree? Post your comments below.

Farrell and Shays Expected to be Formally Nominated Monday

It will be a busy Monday night for Democratic Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell and Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays.

Both are expected to be nominated by their parties as candidates in Connecticut's 4th Congressional District.

Democrats will gather at the Nathan Hale Middle School in Norwalk for their nominating session while Republicans will meet at the Italian Center in Stamford to nominate Shays for re-election.

A taste of the Farrell-Shays race came in a report in this week's Minuteman newspaper in Westport.

It quoted Farrell as saying that 73 percent of respondents to a Shays questionnaire think that the government spends too much, but that Shays, as vice chairman of the Budget Committee, has voted for "some of the largest spending increases in the history of this country."

The newspaper quoted Farrell as saying that while Shays has been in office, the nation's deficit "soared to a record-breaking $500 billion and our debt to a record-breaking seven trillion dollars and counting."

Shays countered this accusation by saying that Farrell is inconsistent because in the past she has criticized him for not spending more, the Minuteman reported.

"In every one of the amendments considered, not only did she want me to spend more, but she wanted me to tax more," Shays said.

"I believe the government does spend too much," the incumbent said. "These things will be sorted out this fall when I begin campaigning. I haven't responded to these comments, because frankly, I'm eager to have Farrell commit herself."

Garden Club Sale Attracts Crowds

There were eager buyers on hand today at 9 a.m. as the popular Westport Garden Club annual plant sale got underway at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. See another photo on COMMUNITY page. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bill Balch for WestportNow.com

Westport Youth Film Festival Announces Lineup for May 22 Event

The Westport Youth Film Festival (WYFF) says 78 entries will be screened during its May 22 festival at the Fairfield Community Theatre in Fairfield.

More than 300 entries from youth filmmakers around the country and Canada were reviewed by the WYFF youth judging panel in advance of the event which begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m.

Connecticut entries were accepted from Weston, Westport, New Haven, Monroe, Southport, Fairfield, Redding, Wilton, Danbury, Newtown, Lakeville, and Greenwich.

Other selections were chosen from Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, and Atlanta.. High school students from Florida, Kentucky, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Utah, and Ontario will also have films shown at WYFF.

Fairfield County high school filmmakers represented include: Claudia Puccio of Danbury; William Glucroft and Vivienne Pustell of Fairfield; Lewis Sall of Greenwich; Hunter Fein of Monroe; Jessica Rockwell of Newtown; Erica Jorgensen of Redding; Nick Ford, Phil MacDonald and Trevor Stout of Southport.

Also, Chris Casey, Jake Emanuel, John Eral, Rebeka Foley, Derek Van Gorder, Mike Headland, Matt Mitchell and Lindsay Rothenberg of Weston; Brian Mayer, Edward Shore, Eve Symington and James Wormser of Westport;, and Kevin McMahom of Wilton.

WYFF will utilize simultaneous showings on two screens at the Fairfield Community Theatre. Films will be shown in 45-minute blocks, and range from 30 seconds to 30 minutes in seven genres including animated, comedy, and documentary.

The Festival kicks off at 10 a.m. with “The Hour Arranged” (Westport) and “The Chase” (Atlanta). It concludes at 4 p.m. with “Safe Lovin’” (Golden Valley, Minn.) and “Eight” (Seattle)..

A highlight of the Festival is the WYFFspeak panel, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., featuring a board of professionals who will talk about their experiences in the film industry.

Members of the panel include Keir Dullea, who is well known for his film roles in movies such as “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), Mike Mignola, who created the comic strip character Hellboy and was the associate producer for the movie “Hellboy” (2004), and Rob Hahn, cinematographer for “The Score” (2001) and “The Stepford Wives” (2004).

WYFF-goers may purchase “Film Lover’s Passes,” $10 for adults and $5 for children, which will allow the buyer to attend the festival for the entire day, including the WYFFspeak panel.
Film Lover’s Passes” are on sale at the following locations: Fairfield Community Theatre, 1424 Post Road, Fairfield; Weston Pharmacy in Weston; Sally’s Place on Main Street, Westport; Media Wave at 1596 Post Road, Fairfield.

“Film Lover’s Passes” may also be purchased by phone at the Westport Arts Center, (203) 222-7070, or online at www.westportartscenter.org. Film and schedule information is available online at www.wyff04.org.

WYFF was founded by Westonites Chris Casey and Emma Wiseman with the mission of bringing talented high school filmmakers recognition and respect.

On a national level, WYFF is one of the first film festivals of its kind. I t is completely youth organized, youth staffed, youth run, and youth oriented. For more information, visit the WYFF Web site or call (203) 454-2222.

WestportNow.com is among the festival sponsors.

Friday, May 7, 2004

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Saugatuck Congregational Church - Westport Garden Club annual plant sale.
5:30 p.m. - Town Hall Lobby - Town-wide school art show opening reception
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. - Hall-Brooke Behavorial Health Services - Friends of Hall-Brooke present annual art show and sale

Water Line Almost Complete on Oakwood Lane

Westporter Jan Marcus watches installation of a water line today on Oakwood Lane. Well water in the area near the Norwalk line had become polluted from a former nearby factory and the street lacked fire hydrants. Residents successfully petitioned the town to approve an ordinance last year enabling them to pay for the water line over a 20-year period. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Mark Marcus for WestportNow.com

Reval Working Group Again Affirms Preference for Full Physical Reval

At its weekly meeting today, Westport’s Revaluation Working Group again reaffirmed its preference for the town to conduct a full physical revaluation to update its Grand List rather than the less accurate statistical revaluation.

The group, which was appointed by First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell and first met April 8, voted on a motion by Michael Laux, a real estate attorney member of the panel.

He said he felt the group needed to go on record again with its preference.

The vote was unanimous, but Helen Garten, a member of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), said she needed to see cost figures before saying with certainty that she favored a physical update.

Don Miklus, finance director and chair of the group, said he had contacted two firms that could conduct a statistical update for Oct. 1, 2004, prompting Laux to make his motion.

Selectman Carl Leaman, also a member of the group, said Town Attorney Ira Bloom had been in touch with the state Office of Policy Management about the town conducting a full physical reval instead of a delayed statistical update, which it had already approved.

“The good thing is that they have not said ‘no,’” Leaman said. “So we are moving ahead on the possibility of doing a physical revaluation.”

He said state legislation that could be taken up in a special session next week might also be a factor because as proposed, it would allow communities to postpone their revaluations for three years.

Leaman said a decision on which way to go on revaluation needs to be made soon so funding can be sought from the Board of Finance and RTM before the end of June.

Farrell appointed the group after postponing the town's 2003 assessment due to a discovered backlog of building permits that had not been included in the Grand List and complaints that the assessment was inaccurate.

Reval Extension Bill Dies But to be Taken Up in Special Session

The state legislature, in its last day of its regular session, failed to pass a bill that would have allowed Westport and other Connecticut communities to postpone implementation of local property revaluations for up to three years.

But House Speaker Moira Lyons said she expects the measure to be taken up during a one-day special session next week – minus a controversial provision that would have allowed communities to impose a surcharge on commercial property.

Today's The Advocate of Stamford/Norwalk reported that shortly after the House adjourned early today, Lyons said, "We'll probably go in one day next week."

She said the revaluation language would allow cities and towns to delay for up to three years any revaluation for community grand lists effective from October 2003 to October 2006, the newspaper reported.

Thursday, May 6, 2005

2 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Revaluation Working Group
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Planning & Zoning Commission

Public Works Department Accelerates Spring Cleanup

In past years, it was usually August before the town's Public Works Department managed to clean up all the sand and debris from winter from the town's 22 miles of roads. But not this year.

"We're in an aggressive mode in our cleanup program," Steve Edwards, director of public works, told today's weekly brown bag citizens lunch.

"We're working 10-hour days and we hope to have the roads swept up and cleaned up by mid-June."

Edwards said the town's street cleaning machinery is out early and has prompted some complaints from residents about noise.

But he said all 17 members of the highway department are determined to get the job done as soon as possible.

He said areas near town beaches were worked on first because of the heavy traffic they will bear as the weather warms and schools were done on spring break. But other areas of town are done randomly.

"If you were among the first done last year, you'll probably be among the last done this year," he said. "We try not to hit the squeaky wheel either."

Edwards said he is still getting complaints about potholes and urged residents to call his office even if they are unsure whether the problem is on a town roadway or a state road.

He said with so much construction going on, utility companies are constantly digging up roads and patching them, adding to potential pothole problems.

"There are a massive number of utility cuts," he said.

Westport's Sean Mulcahy Fails Browns Physical

Westport's Sean Mulcahy, a 2000 Staples grad and former UConn defensive tackle, is exploring other options after failing his physical with the Cleveland Browns, according to today's Hartford Courant.

The physical showed lingering effects from a neck injury Mulcahy sustained last fall, the newspaper said.

"I'm going to get some second opinions and hopefully get checked out by some other teams," Mulcahy said. "There's a chance I could be done playing ball."

Mulcahy was selected as a free agent by Cleveland April 25 and reported to a Cleveland mini-camp last Friday.

He underwent a pre-workout physical -- and that's when the bad news came.

An MRI and CT scan revealed Mulcahy has spinal stenosis and a bulging disk in his neck, the result of a stinger he sustained last season, the Courant said.

Spinal stenosis, a pinching of the spinal cord and nerves, can result in numbness or pain.

Mulcahy was surprised by the diagnosis because he has not been in pain and he had been cleared to play in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic Dec. 25.

"It was pretty distressing," Mulcahy said of the physical. "They're real picky. If you've got something wrong with you, they'll just take someone else. They said there are two things you can't fix - the heart and the neck."

Mulcahy was injured Oct. 11 against North Carolina State. He played the next four games, but missed the final game against Wake Forest when the stinger worsened.

Mulcahy said the Browns' doctors didn't indicate whether his neck would improve with time.

"Things happen for a reason," Mulcahy said. "It's just a bump in the road."

Last Part of Baron's South Property for Sale: Price $7 Million

The last piece of the original Baron's South property in Westport that remains in private hands is up for sale. But the price tag for the 1.55-acre parcel at the corner of Compo Road South and Post Road East is steep -- $7 million.

Neither the YMCA, which is looking to move from its downtown location, nor the town, which purchased the balance of the property five years ago, seems interested.

Gail Connolly, vice president of sales for William Raveis, said the 1932 house on the property with five or six bedrooms and five bathrooms has been unoccupied in recent years except for a caretaker.

The town had purchased the rest of the almost 23-acre Baron's South property in January 1999 for $7 million, down from its original $11.5 million asking price.

The corner property is actually three half-acre parcels, Connolly said, and includes 18,000 square feet directly on the corner that is zoned for commercial purposes.

She said soaring land values together with the attractiveness of the commercial area account for much of the steep asking price. She said it would be suitable for a bank or other commercial office.

Dick Foot, executive director of the YMCA, said the Y had been approached to see if it had any interest in the property.

"Land of 1.55 acres is not adequate in size to meet the needs of the YMCA and the sale price of $7 million is roughly equivalent to what the entire rest of Baron's sold for," he said.

Foot also recalled that the town's Planning and Zoning Commission has indicated it would not be in favor of the sale or lease of town land to private entities.

The YMCA has announced its intention to move from its downtown location, which it has occupied since 1923, to its 30-acre Camp Mahackeno site near the Merritt Parkway's exit 41 and build a 94,000-square foot facility.

At her weekly brown bag luncheon today, First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell was asked about the availability of the Baron's South corner parcel and the Y's possible use of it as well as possible use of the town-owned Imperial Avenue parking lot and Baldwin parking lot.

Farrell did not indicate any interest on the part of the town to purchase the land.

She said she did not favor selling or leasing municipal land to the Y, a private entity, and that it is entitled to use its Mahackeno land as it sees fit subject to the town's zoning laws.

The land and buildings known as the Baron's South is actually made up of seven parcels of land, five on South Compo Road and two on Imperial Avenue.

In 1867, at least part of this land was owned by the Winslow family who resided across the street in a mansion on what is now Winslow Park.

Over the years, pieces were sold off and houses built. In 1967, Baron von Langerdorff, founder of Evyan Perfumes, purchased the property.

He created the first American perfume, "White Shoulders," in his laboratory located on the estate.

The property, a rolling woodland compound, had formal gardens and estate landscaping.

The Baron raised some exotic flowers in the gardens and green house for use in his perfumes created on the estate.

During Baron von Langerdorff's ownership, the property was called "Golden Shadows," along with the main Georgian-style brick house which still sits on the property.

Earlier this year, the town opened a new Center for Senior Activities on part of the site close to Imperial Avenue.

According to the Westport Historical Society, the house on the portion of the property being sold was originally a carriage barn and at one time was known as the Winslow-Staples House.

It was remodeled by Eloise Egan in 1932 as her residence. She sold it to the Baron in 1967.

Getting Ready for Town Hall Student Art Show

Greens Farms Elementary School teacher Lisa Andrews helps hang student art work at Town Hall today in advance of Friday's opening of a school art show which will run through May 28. WestportNow.com photo

Judge Denies Westport's Martha Stewart New Trial

A federal judge today turned down a motion by Westport's Martha Stewart for a second trial based on allegations that a juror lied about his arrest record on a questionnaire.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum came two months after Stewart and broker Peter Bacanovic were convicted of lying to authorities about Stewart's sale of ImClone Systems stock.

Stewart said her right to a fair trial was compromised when juror Chappell Hartridge had failed to disclose a prior arrest in a domestic dispute on his questionnaire.

Stewart lawyer Robert Morvillo said he would have struck Hartridge from the jury had he known the information during the jury selection process. Hartridge has not spoken publicly about the matter.

"Defendants have failed to demonstrate that Hartridge's purported nondisclosures justify vacating their convictions and granting a new trial," Cedarbaum wrote.

In a juror questionnaire, the defense had said, Hartridge said he had never been in court other than for a minor traffic violation.

Morvillo wrote that Hartridge "dishonestly suppressed information concerning a gender-related incident … to be able to sit in judgment of a well-known and highly successful woman in a case alleging false statements."

The juror also allegedly failed to disclose on his jury questionnaire that he had been sued three times. The defense filing said civil judgments had been entered against him in each case.

The judge also rejected arguments by Stewart that public comments made after the trial by Hartridge, who was by far the most outspoken juror on the panel, showed a bias against the homemaking entrepreneur.

On the day of the guilty verdict, he said publicly that he believed the decision was "a victory for the little guys."

The judge said that the statement did not reveal an agenda to punish the wealthy, but rather that Hartridge likely had been invited to speculate on the impact of the verdict.

Stewart and Bacanovic were convicted March 5 of lying about the circumstances of Stewart's sale of 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems stock, just before it plunged on a negative government report.

They are scheduled to be sentenced June 17. Legal experts expect them to receive 10 to 16 months in prison, although Cedarbaum could allow them to serve as much as half the time in home confinement.

State Senate Passes Reval Postponement Bill, Freedman Opposed

The state Senate has passed a bill that gives Westport and other Connecticut communities the power to postpone implementation of local property revaluations for up to three years or impose a surcharge on commercial property.

Westport's Republican state senator, Judith G. Freedman, voted against the measure, saying it would hurt businesses and ultimately homeowners.

Westport Democratic First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell, asked about it at her weeky brown bag lunch today, said she, too, had reservations that the measure could adversely affect businesses.

The bill passed on a party-line vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate 20-16.

The measure would allow communities to implement a surcharge of 15 percent on commercial property and business equipment for up to four years.

Cities such as Hartford, Bridgeport and Middletown, where residential properties take on the largest proportion of property taxes, would be permitted a 40 percent surcharge.

But municipalities could choose only one option, either the postponement or surcharge.

The surcharge would offset the shift in property values and resulting taxes from commercial to residential properties that cities and towns going through revaluations have experienced.

The delayed implementation of revaluation or the surcharge would be imposed at the discretion of each community.

The business surcharge was unacceptable to Republican senators.

“The Democrats are absolutely wrong to promote legislation that permits municipalities to shift some of the property tax burden from homeowners to businesses as a benefit to towns and cities," Freedman said in a statement.

"Driving businesses out of municipalities, as this legislation would surely do, will kill jobs, destroy the commercial tax base and, ultimately, result in a much higher tax burden on residential property owners."

In her remarks today, Farrell said she was surprised by the surcharge provision in the bill.

"I think we have to think long and hard about the contribution commercial makes to the tax base," the First Selectwoman said.

She noted that passage by the state House was uncertain but predicted that the measure could create "a bit of a crisis" that will cause the state to look at the whole property tax issue.

Farrell said her preference is for a "homsteader" provision in the tax laws that would grant homeowners tax relief for properties used as their principal residence.

"I'm surprised it didn't go in that direction," she said.

Farrell said economic development is essential to the cities and towns of Connecticut and that the measure as passed could adversely affect it.

She said in Westport "retail is great on Main Street" but noted that commercial properties have not bounced back as strongly in other parts of town.

Westport Property Transfers April 26-30, 2004

Property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk's office for the period April 26-30, 2004:

Westport Home and Land Co. LLC to Michael and Barbara Levy, Terra Nova Circle Unit 12, $806,853.

R.B. Benson and Co. Inc. to David and Jacqueline Kaplan, 5 Buttonwood Lane, $2,395,000.

Thomas A. and Elizabeth A. Beauregard to Jesse Harte, 5 Dexter Road, $540,000.

Robert and Joy Ann Seskin to Kurt H. and Eileen M. Tiefenthaler, 22 Juniper Road, $800,000.

Kerstin J. Warner and Louis P. Weinberg to Marvin and Sheila H. Weinberg, 20 Bauer Place, $40,000.

Estate of Kenneth A. Burge Sr. to Sir 49 Maple Ave., 49 Maple Ave. North, $650,000.

Sir Mortar Rock LLC to Randy S. and Jill Raymond Saluck, 10 Mortar Rock Road, $1,875,000.

278 Post Road East Inc. to 278 Post Road Properties LLC, 278 Post Road East, $1,000,000.

Wendy Decter to Neil T. and Danielle R. Teplica, 52 Maple Ave. South, $920,000.

Susan Schaller Robert and David MacQuarrie to 374 Greens Farms Road LLC, 374 Greens Farms Road, $321,000.

Estate of Douglas MacQuarrie to 374 Greens Farms Road LLC, 374 Greens Farms Road, $321,000.

Willam J. and Ellen S. Ziperman to Phillip B. and Leslie S. Smith, 1 Woodside Lane, $1,245,000.

Robert P. Weber Jr. and Lisa M. Weber to Able Construction Inc., 41 Park Lane, $652,500.

Old Orchard Development LLC to Nadene R. and Robert W. Beck, 3 Forest Drive, $2,075,000.

Remy and Maryann Charmoz to Edward L. and Anne S. Rand Jr., 8 Abbots Lane, $1,160,000.

Helen Z. Wilson Revocable Trust Indenture to Robin Panovka and Alexandra D. Korry, 20 Surf Road, $2,575,000.

Josephine Wubbenhorst to Benjamin Mizarchi, Unit 203 35 Bridge St., $188,290.

Wednesday, May 5, 2004

7:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 309/307 - TEAM Westport Committee
10:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - International Hospitality Committee
Noon - Town Hall Room 309/307 - Citizens Brown Bag Luncheon
4 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Beautification Committee
7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. - Westport Public Library - "Poetry and Pizza" for middle and high school students
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Flood and Erosion Control Board

Westport Representative Town Meeting Approves $135.6 Million Budget

The Westport Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Tuesday night approved a 2004-2005 town budget of $135,616.497, a 4.3 percent increase over the current year.

Legislators Monday night had approved the town side of the budget and considered the Board of Education's $75,160,605 operating budget Tuesday night.

At attempt by member Helmuth Krause, District 5, to reduce the budget by $800,000 failed when he was the only one to vote for the reduction. The Board of Finance had already reduced the request by $450,000.

First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell had told the RTM Monday night that if the budget passed as recommended by the Board of Finance, she expected taxes to increase by about 3.5 percent.

The Board of Finance will meet May 20 to set the town's mill rate which will determine the tax rate. The board's chair, Steve Ezzes, told the RTM Monday night he anticipated increasing the mill rate from 20.1 to 20.8.

Wednesday, May 5, 2004

7:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 309/307 - TEAM Westport Committee
10:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - International Hospitality Committee
Noon - Town Hall Room 309/307 - Citizens Brown Bag Luncheon
4 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Beautification Committee
7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. - Westport Public LIbrary - "Poertry and Pizza" for middle and high school students
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Flood & Erosion Control Board

Westport Library to Honor Martin Scorsese June 13

Director Martin Scorsese is "booked" for June 13. Contributed photo Film director Martin Scorsese will be honored with the sixth annual Westport Public Library Award at its annual "Booked for the Evening" fundraising gala Sunday, June 13, it was announced today.

The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the library's Great Hall.

Scorsese is known for a wide range of films including "The Age of Innocence," "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "After Hours," "The Last Temptation of Christ," and his latest, "The Gangs of New York."

The Westport Public Library Award honors those whose work furthers the goals of the library – "to nurture a love of learning and to enhance our understanding of the world."

Previous recipients of the award have been Tom Brokaw, 1999; E.L. Doctorow, 2000; Calvin Trillin, 2001; Wendy Wasserstein, 2002 and Pete Hamill, 2003.

The award program will include readings by Joanne Woodward, Alec Baldwin, Jay Cocks, Verna Bloom and others.

As in the past, this year’s program, which will include film clips and musical selections by vocalist Susan Terry, is being produced and directed by Eileen Wiseman, executive director of the Westport Arts Center.

A library announcement said reservations for the gala begin at $150 per person. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Joan Hume, director of community relations, at 291-4818.

RTM Passes Town Budget Without Change, Considers Education Tonight

The Westport Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Monday night approved without change the $47.8 million town portion of Westport's proposed $135.6 million 2004-2005 budget. It will consider the education portion tonight.

Educators had proposed a $75.6 million operating budget, but the Board of Finance reduced it by $450,000. With debt service and other expenses, the education request totaled $87.8 million.

While the RTM can restore the funds by a 70 percent vote of those present and voting, none of the RTM committees has recommended doing that.

First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell, in remarks to the town's legislators, said if the RTM completes the budget tonight without change, she anticipates taxes to rise about 3.5 percent as a result.

Steve Ezzes, chair of the Board of Finance, told the meeting that with anticipated revenue of $1.6 million projected to be generated from cleaning up a backlog of building permits, he expects the town's mill rate to increase from 20.1 to 20.8.

The Board of Finance will set the mill rate, which determines the tax increase, at its May 20 meeting.

Editor's Note: The editor of WestportNow is also moderator of the RTM.

Tuesday, May 4, 2004

10 a.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Administrative Review Committee
7 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - Shellfish Commission
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - RTM budget meeting (Cable coverage channel 79)

Post Road East Accident Ties up Traffic

An accident involving two trucks and a car at Post Road East and Morningside Drive today tied up traffic for a while but thankfully resulted in no serious injuries. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Thom Burrows for WestportNow.com

Marching to Celebrate Earth Day

A busy first weekend in May in Westport included Saturday's celebration of Earth Day at Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. See another photo on COMMUNITY page. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com

Monday, May 3, 2004

6:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309/307 - Board of Education anticipated special executive session - CANCELED
6:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - RTM Environment Committee
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - RTM annual budget meeting (cable coverage channel 79)
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201/201A - Golf Advisory Committee

Kids Run in "Scampers"

Before today's 26th Minute Man Race, some kids got a workout participating in "Scampers" events at Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Stephen Rubin for WestportNow.com

Some Ran, Some Walked

Some ran and some walked in today's five-kilometer Minute Man Race sponsored by the Westport Young Woman's League. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Minute Man Race Gets Off to Fast Start

Runners got off to a fast start in today's 26th annual Minute Man Race. The five-kilometer run/walk began and ended at Compo Beach. Westport's Tom Harding (2nd r, No. 127), 38, won the race for the sixth time since 1996 with a time of 16:38. Click on FULL RESULTS for complete list of finishers. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Connecticut Post Profiles Farrell

Today's Connecticut Post profiles Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell and said the Democrat poses the biggest challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Chrisopher Shays has ever faced for re-election. The newspaper earlier this year did a similar front-page profile of Shays.

Sunday, May 2, 2004

8:30 a.m. - Compo Beach -- Minute Man Race
11 a.m. -5 p.m. - Bedford Middle School - Garden and antique show