August 28, 2004
Saturday Night Fever
By Fran
WestportNow Consumer Correspondent
fran@westportnow.com
When a cheery e-mail arrived in my WestportNow inbox this week from the manager of the Mansion Clam House one of my longtime favorite local restaurants I instantly had the suggestion for this weeks Frans List. 
Mansion Clam House: Good food and music. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
We now have live music every Saturday night all summer on our patio, she wrote. Thank you, Fran, for recognizing our place and for enjoying our steamers!
"We have a great venue and awesome music form players like Charlie Karp, Mark Riggs, the former drummer from Blue Oyster Cult Mr. A. Bouchard, and Roger Guimond from the reggae band God's Green Earth I hope more people will see us as 'the fun place' and join us for our Saturday nights!
This immediately got me wondering where else in Westport can one go for live music after a great dinner? Here's what I found:
Mansion Clam House, 541 Riverside Ave., 454-7979; Saturdays starting at 10 p.m. No charge with dinner, $5 cover you if you come for music only. This week, four-man rock band with Charlie Karp.
Black Duck Caf้, 605 Riverside Ave., 227-7978. Rock 'n' roll bands Fridays and Saturdays starting at 9:30 p.m. $5 cover charge includes one free drink.
Splash, 260 Compo Road South, 454-7798, Sundays starting at 4 p.m. This Sunday R&B band Full Moon. No cover charge.
Red Barn, 292 Wilton Road, 222-9549. Piano music every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting at 7 p.m. Tonight and Sunday -- classical selections by Marc Monroe. Ask to be seated in the room with the piano.
Contes Market and Grill, 540 Riverside Ave., 226-3474. Fridays and Saturdays starting at 10 p.m. Tonight the pop duo The Leblanc Brothers. No cover charge.
Bombay, 616 Post Road East, 226-0211, offers live sitar and tabla music the last Tuesday of every month.
Although its not officially Westport, I cant help mentioning the legendary Silvermine Tavern at 194 Perry Ave. in Norwalk, 847-4558.
It offers live jazz every Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m.-- except no music tonight only due to a private function. Every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. a buffet dinner includes the Dixieland jazz band The Bearcats. No cover charge if you come for dinner, $5 for music only.
Of course for sheer value and the fun of running into most of your neighbors, you cant top a picnic dinner followed by a free concert at the Levitt Pavilion.
Tonight at 8 p.m. the Jeremiah Long Band headlines. The Levitt ends its season Sunday with the big band swing sound of the Fairfield Counts. Guests are invited to bring canned goods for the Womens Club food closet.
On the Rocks
WestportNow reader Richard Barnett came across this rock balancing act off of Hillspoint Road near Compo Beach a while back and managed to get a snap of it before it disappeared. Richard Barnett for WestportNow.com
Westport Fire Log Friday Aug. 27, 2004
12:45 a.m. Appletree Trail,EMS call
5:53 a.m. 399 Post Road West, fire alarm
7:11 a.m. - 399 Post Road West, fire alarm
7:32. a.m. - 399 Post Road West, fire alarm
8:09 a.m. - 399 Post Road West, fire alarm
8:21 a.m. 4 Rockland Place, fire alarm
9:16 a.m. 162 Kings Highway North, smoke in basement
9:59 a.m. Post Road East, EMS call
11:30 a.m. Maple Avenue South, EMS call
2:27 p.m. Bayberry Lane and Apache Trail, EMS call
2:28 p.m. 4 Marc Lane, fire alarm
3:29 p.m. Webb Road, EMS call
8:23 p..m. Westfair Drive, lockout
August 27, 2004
Westport Native to Present Documentary During GOP Convention Week
A film by Westport native DJ Kadagian will be one of two independent films screened next week as a double-bill during the Republican national convention in New York. The subjects are issues their producers say the GOP gathering ignores.
Kadagian's work, "State of the Union: the Color of Freedom is Green" is a 45-minute documentary that he says takes a "critical but honest look at the interplay of money and politics and the impact on the underclass."
Much of his thinking on the subject was formed while growing up in Westport which he calls "the capital of materialism in America."
As a biographical sketch on his Web site puts it, "Growing up in this environment influenced his path first to join and experience great success in the material world and then ultimately to question that system in his chosen medium/ film."
"State of the Union" will be shown at the Loews Cinema 1 in Times Square at 7 p.m. Tuesday along with "Weapons of Mass Deception," a 58-minute film by Danny Schechter the "dissects" media coverage of the Iraq War.
Kadagian, a 1981 graduate of Staples High School, says he completed his film two years ago but has just finished updating it for this screening.
"It is not left or right," he says, but focuses on the most significant impact he could find of the interplay of money and politics -- black America. "It doesn't let anyone off the hook," he explained. "It's kind of a wake up call. It grabs you by the throat."
After working for years for someone else as a money manager, Kadagian founded his own firm, Four Seasons Asset Management on Post Road East in Westport's center.
Success with that enabled him to concentrate on his real passion, his documentary production company, Four Seasons Productions.
Kadagian says he grew up in wealthy Westport in a family that did not have much money. His father was away much of the time in Germany and his mother worked hard selling ads for Brooks Community Newspapers.
Asked if that left him with a bitter taste about the town, he replied, "I think so."
He said one of his most vivid recollections of that period was the controversial project that involved busing black children from Bridgeport to Westport schools.
Kadagian now does much of his work from his home in Ridgefield where he lives with his wife and two children.
"State of the Union" is one of four films he has completed and being shown on the Hallmark Channel, Faith & Values Television, Free Speech TV and Canada's Discovery Channel. Future airings are scheduled this fall on PBS.
In the works is a feature length documentary called "America" that Kadagian says will be an "unvarnished and balanced look at the good, the bad and the ugly." Ranging from the pilgrims to Iraq, the film will explore America's contribution to and impact on world history,
The film, he says, will "respectfully attempt to update in style and events Cecil B. DeMille's 1939 classic 'Land of Liberty.'"
Speading the Word
Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell (c) helped spread the word today at Town Hall for "Harvest Rides 2004," a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut presented by Westport-based Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club of Fairfield County. (See WestportNow July 5, 2004) (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
It's a Christmas Wrap on Woody Lane
This was the scene on Westport's Woody Lane Thursday night as a television crew wound up filming scenes for a new reality series debuting this fall called "Film Fakers" for AMC. They were pretending to film a feature length film about Christmas at a home there. The crew, which also shot footage Wednesday at Swanky Frank's on Post Road East (See WestportNow Aug. 25, 2004), put a Christmas look on the house to add to the seasonal theme. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Westport Fire Log Thursday Aug. 26, 2004
6:13 a.m. Hillandale Road, EMS call
9:06 a.m. 21 Charles St., fire alarm
9:28 a.m. Coleytown Elementary School, 65 Easton Road, fire alarm
9:58 a.m. 81 Clinton Ave., fire alarm
10:35 a.m. 11 Old Hill Farms Road, fire alarm
11:08 a.m. 6 Imperial Landing, fire alarm
5:03 p.m. 221 Post Road West, fire alarm
5:06 p.m. Sandy Hill Terrace, EMS call
5:39 p.m. 118 Roseville Road, fire alarm
8 p.m. - 26 Main St., lockout
9:56 p.m. Wilton Road and River Lane, spill at MVA
August 26, 2004
Connecticut Median Income Slipped in Last Three Years
It may have been hard to notice in Westport, but Connecticut's median household income slipped in the last three years, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today.
The agency also reported that more state residents became poor and the ranks of the uninsured increased slightly.
In a separate census survey statisticians also estimated that almost 11 percent of children - and 14 percent of children under age 5 - lived in poverty in Connecticut during the past 12 months.
About 7.9 percent of Connecticut residents have incomes below the poverty level, a three-year average of census income statistics found. The number of people in poverty rose four-tenths of a percentage point from 2001 to 2003.
The percentage of uninsured rose less than a tenth of a percentage point to 10.4 percent of the population from 2001 to 2003, the census reported.
Connecticut remains a wealthy state overall with the median household income among the highest in the country at $55,004. That income, however, has dropped about $236 on average from 2001 to 2003.
Nationally, the census said about 12.5 percent of the population was below the poverty line in 2003, and 15.6 percent of the population was uninsured. The national median household income is $43,318.
The poverty line is determined by the size of a family: $18,810 for a family of four, and $12,015 for two people.
Connecticut's poor have recovered somewhat from the recession in the early and mid-1990s, when about 10 percent of the state's population lived below the poverty line and more than 11.5 percent of state residents were uninsured.
The situation got a little better for the state's poor in the years around the turn of the 21st century, reaching a low of 7.4 percent residents under the poverty line.
At the same time, the state continues to lose jobs. The Connecticut Department of Labor reported that the state lost 63,000 jobs from July 2000 to July 2004, a 3.7 percent loss of the state's total number of jobs.
Unemployment was about 5.5 percent statewide last year, and has since improved to between 4.5 percent and 5 percent per month, the labor department said.
Westport Traffic Backup
Late afternoon traffic backs up on Westport's Wilton Road. Traffic in the area is the subject of a study by the Westport/Weston YMCA as part of its effort to relocate its headquarters from Westport's center to its Camp Mahackeno property off of Wilton Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Hurry Up and Wait
Freshmen students at Westport's Staples High School waited today for hours in the cafeteria to meet with guidance counselors in the mini-arena in preparation for school opening Sept. 1. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Sports: Westport Golf Pro Wins Massachusetts Women's Open
Kammy Maxfeldt, the head professional at Westport's Birchwood Country Club, has won the Massachusetts Women's Open and says it's because of advice from her caddie.
One day after shooting an 80, Maxfeldt put her caddie's advice to better use at Black Rock Country Club in Hingham Wednesday, carding a 70 to win the event with a two-day total of 150.
She edged two other players by one stroke.
The key to Maxfeldt's turnaround was the par-4 16th, a 390-yard dogleg left with plenty of water and sand, plus a treacherous green.
Maxfeldt cut the corner with her drive, then knocked a 7-wood into the cup for an eagle.
She credited her caddie, Ben Spitz, for her solid round. He is the younger brother of Black Rock's assistant professional, Brian Spitz.
"Brian used to work for me when I was the pro at North Salem in New York and I have been friendly with his family over the years," Maxfeldt told the Boston Globe.
"He set me up with his younger brother, who obviously knows the course very well. He gave me a lot of good advice. I wish I could have done everything he told me to on Tuesday, but I did it today."
Maxfeldt has been a professional for more than 20 years. Originally from Nebraska, Maxfeldt played at the University of Oklahoma and turned professional, hoping to make a living on the LPGA Tour.
"But I came to the [New York Metropolitan] section about 15 years ago to play in a mini-tour event and I thought that if I could play these courses more often, that I'd be a better player. I came and never left.
"Golf here is very traditional and the people in the area have made me feel like I have a lot of family. They have been very good to me."
Early Morning Visitor
An early morning visitor to the Compo Beach Basin checked out the boats. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com
Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004
5:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - SBC Staples Subcommittee
7 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - Sherwood Mill Pond Advisory Committee
8 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - Jodi Keogan and Company, opera selections
Westport Fire Log Wednesday Aug. 25, 2004
2:09 a.m. 208 Post Road West, check a hazardous condition
7:54 a.m. 50 Nyala Farms Road, smoke in basement
8:22 a.m. I-95 southbound exits 17-16, MVA
9:06 a.m. 208 Post Road West, public service call
9:19 a.m. Reichert Circle, EMS call
12:52 p.m. 52 Roseville Road, fire alarm
2:40 p.m. 422 Post Road East, check a hazardous condition
3:04 p.m. Compo Beach Road, EMS call
3:22 p.m. Merritt Parkway northbound exits 42-44, MVA
4:10 p.m. 120 Harbor Road, fire alarm
6:28 p.m. Merritt Parkway southbound 41-40, MVA
7:01 p.m. 11 Bonnie Brook Road, motor vehicle lockout
August 25, 2004
Westport's Tom Seligson Produces 9/11 Commission TV Report
Westport resident Tom Seligson, a television producer and author, is the executive producer of a television special on the 9/11 Commission Report to air on The History Channel.
The two-hour documentary, which will air Sept. 8 at 10 p.m., is, in effect, a filmed version of the controversial report of the Commission Report that examined the behind-the-scenes details of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the United Statees.
In session for more than a year and a half, the commission conducted more than 1,000 interviews, ranging from anonymous CIA operatives, to both Presidents Clinton and Bush.
Its staff also reviewed more than two million pages of documents, many of them formerly classified.
The narrative framework is just a jumping off point to explore many of the larger issues uncovered by the Commission, says Seligson.
For example, we look into the history of Al Qaedas campaign of terror against America: how it was actually a family affair. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks is the uncle of Ramzi Yousef, who directed the World Trade Center bombing of 1993.
"Also, how the plot initially also targeted nuclear plants and buildings in California, along with the Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The documentary also takes a critical look at the U.S. response to the growing threat of Al Qaeda.
Seligson is an executive producer for CBS News Productions, a division of CBS that creates programming for all the cable channels.
He has produced dozens of other shows and series for The History Channel, A&E, Discovery, Travel, and MTV. His show Inside Flight 93 for TLC won an Emmy.
He is also a Contributing Editor to Parade Magazine and the author of five books.
A native of Westport -- his mother, Gertrude Seligson still lives here -- Seligson now lives near Compo Beach with his author/journalist wife, Susan Farewell, and their daughter, Justine, 7.
Westport Property Transfers Aug. 16-20, 2004
Property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk's office for the period Aug. 16-20, 2004:
Richard Gross to Maarten and Jill Nederlof, 36 River Lane, $1,800,000. 
Maarten L. Nederlof to Richard J. and Jennifer Gross, 19 Burr Farms Road, $3,275,000. 
36 River Lane.: sold for $1.8 million. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Victor Development LLC to Robert A. Bagot and Andrea P. Saxlehner, 136 Old Road, $1,675,000.
John P. and Lurie G. Richardson Jr. to Heather R. and Kenneth D. Litton, 12 Godfrey Lane, $1,100,000.
Jan Dziedzik to Todd C. and Kathleen P. Pulvino, 39 Bauer Place, $1,245,000.
John F. Ashton to Simon N. and Teresa Noel Fenner, 16 Bermuda Road, $2,600,000.
Francis O. and Delores L. Benevento to Kellie A. and H. Robert Bolandian, 122 Sturges Commons, $1,285,000.
Estate of Jean B. Hollyman to George H. and Alexandra Howard III, 13 West Parish Road, $500,000.
Corbett A. Parker to James B. and Patricia A. Leavitt, 11 Clinton Ave., $980,000.
Evelyn Palmer to Christine M. Gagne, 81 Richmondville Ave., $1,100,000.
John G. and Mary Lynne Klinge Jr., to Sirva Relocation LLC, 7 Greenwood Lane, $1,525,000.
Sirva Relocation LLC to Tyler Jarvis and Amy E. Luett, 7 Greenwood Lane, $1,525,000.
Kathleen M. Mitchell to Soundview Builders Inc., 10 Silent Grove North, $735,000.
Robert and Bonnie Adler to Mark J. and Tracey Crance Hennessy, 6 Greystone Farm Lane, $2,050,000.
Terra LLC to Christopher J. and Rebecca Berman Maher, 5 Hunting Lane, $1,200,000.
Gregory D. and Nancy Cash to T. Anthony Howell, 269 Sturges Highway, $2,100,000.
Norman and Genevieve Shore Dcruz to Kathleen M. Mitchell, 243 Sturges Highway, $832,500.
Stonybrook Development LLC to Edward Hulina Revocable Trust and Amy Hulina Revocable Trust, 30 Stonybrook Road, $2,525,000.
David L. and Amy B. Mandelbaum to Richard T. G. and Katharine A. Glenchur Price, 6 Acorn Lane, $1,485,000.
Lights, Camera, Action at Swanky Frank's
A television production company took over Swanky Frank's on Post Road East in Westport today to film scenes for a new reality television series "Film Fakers" debuting in the fall on AMC. The producers prentended to film a full-length feature film called "Holly Holiday" about a woman named Holly who is disgruntled with the commercialization of Christmas. They also used a house on Woody Lane. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Christmas in August
The dining room at Swanky Frank's on Post Road East in Westport was transformed into a movie set and production office today for a television production company shooting a new reality series called "Film Fakers" for AMC. They were pretending to film a trailer for a feature film called "Holly Holiday." Note the frosted windows and Christmas decorations. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Hollywood Hamburgers at Swanky Frank's
Caterers get set to feed the television production company shooting a scene today at Swanky Frank's on Post Road East in Westport. Asked what they were serving at the eatery known for its hot dogs, a worker replied, "hamburgers." (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
"Westport" Has an Encore at Anti-War Theatrical Evening
As Republicans delegates gather for their national convention in New York, "Westport" is taking center stage at a Manhattan one-night series of war protest plays and songs, dance, and comedy and poetry.
Author Stephen O'Rourke: no offense meant to Westport. Contributed photo
A one-act play first performed a year ago at the New York International Fringe Festival, Westport, is a satire of the decision to invade Iraq by Richard O'Rourke, 40, who grew up in New Canaan.
Directed by another former New Canaan resident, Jase Draper, it will be among the evening's entertainment Sunday at The Ensemble Studio Theatre, 549 W. 52 St., beginning at 7 p.m.
The play depicts a Connecticut under siege and three denizens of Fairfield County holed up in a suburban house and living with their idea of deprivation.
We're down to our last wheel of brie. I think the smoked salmon is almost gone," complains one Westporter.
When their liberators finally appear, announcing that civil rights have been restored, one of the Westport women says, "We didn't use them, anyway.'"
And as the soldiers make their exit, they announce: "We must continue to search for objects of mass consumption. We destroy your Hummer."
O'Rourke, who spends his days as a social worker in the Bronx while aspiring to be a full-time playwright and filmmaker, says no offense was meant to the Town of Westport, which he has visited often.
"It's very tongue-in-cheek," he said. "It's a good way to examine the decision to go to war with Iraq."
O'Rourke and Draper have a long history of collaboration. They both attended Northwestern University and spent six years as members of Cape Cod's Courthouse Theatre Company.
The New York Times reviewer gave "Westport" a good review, calling it "a rather ingenious lampoon." (See WestportNow Aug. 25, 2003)
Reservations may be made by calling 212-247-4982 with more information available at www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org.
Westport Firefighters Donate Funds for Iraq Care Packages
Westports professional firefighters have donated $1,000 to send care packages to U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq. 
Shirley Sambrook of Fairfield receives a $1,000 check from the Westport firefighters for Project From the Heart postage. From the left: Asst. Chief Jon Gottfried, Firefighter Brett Kirby, Miriam Zalenski, Shirley Sambrook, Pat Vida, Dot Szudoro, Elsie Voros, Lt. John Plofkin and Asst. Chief Chris Ackley. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
The donation comes from the firefighters benevolent fund -- a non-profit charity organized in 1976 and administered on a volunteer basis by members of the department to support local charitable organizations.
The Iraq mailing gift came about from a chance encounter at a local supermarket where the firemen shop for their meals, according to a news release from the department.
Bakery worker Miriam Zalenski struck up a conversation with Lt. Chris Ackley, whose nephew recently returned from a tour of duty in Falluja.
The baker, along with a group of her friends, had been collecting and mailing items to the soldiers since the Vietnam conflict.
Their packages included everything from socks to CDss. But while the group had success with their packages, the mailing costs to Iraq were mounting up quickly.
Ackley returned to the firehouse and made a proposal to the Benevolent Fund members to pick up the tab for some of the mailing costs.
Within weeks, the $1,000 donation was in the groups Iraq postage fund, enabling them to continue their support of our troops overseas.
These ladies are doing an outstanding thing with their care packages, Ackley said. Its a lot more than the stuff; its a connection to home for many young men and women.
"Were proud of all our armed forces, not just those stationed in Iraq, but being under fire in the desert sun we wanted to give them a boost and helping these ladies out with some postage money was a no-brainer.'
"Its unfortunate that unless they receive more donations for postage the program is unlikely to continue and the work these ladies have done for so long will stop
Citizens wishing to support Project from the Heart are urged to contact the group directly. Miriam Zelinski can be reached at 203 261-8550, or contact Shirley Sambrook at 203-5903.
The firefighters raise money for their Benevolent locally through a bi-annual fund drive, and an annual golf tournament.
They also fill the coffers through a voluntary payroll deduction. At this time, every member of the department has signed up for this automatic contribution plan.
The firemen expect to kick off their community fund drive this fall and expressed the hope that members of the Westport community will join them in supporting the cause.
Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2004
10:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - International Hospitality Committee
5 p.m. - TownHall Room 309/307 - Board of Selectmen
7 p.m. - Levitt Pavilion - Bugs and Balloons: The Love Bug's Hug
Westport Fire Log Tuesday Aug. 24, 2004
6:53 a.m. 49 Clinton Ave., fire alarm
1790 Post Road East motor vehicle accident
10:03 a.m. 49 Clinton Ave., fire alarm
10:11 a.m. 605 Post Road East, motor vehicle accident
10:30 a..m. 204 Long Lots Road, fire alarm
11:49 a.m. Charcoal Hill Road, EMS call
12:08 p.m. Woody Lane, EMS call
12:13 p.m. 605 Post Road East, motor vehicle lockout
12:35 p.m. 100 Beachside Ave., car leaking gasoline
4:22 p.m. 52 Old Road, fire out
5:47 p.m. 45 Old Hill Road, fire alarm
5:56 p.m. 2 Pine Drive, fire alarm
7:05 p.m. Maple Avenue North and Hyde Lane, wires down
8:45 p.m. 6949 Main St., Trumbull, hazmat call
9:08 p.m. Whitney Glen Drive, residential lockout
August 24, 2004
Back-to-School, Labor Day Mean Increased Police Patrols, Sobriety Checks
With students about to return to school and the Labor Day holiday approaching, the Westport Police Department is launching a campaign aimed at increasing student safety and preventing alcohol-related accidents. 
This bus on Post Road East reminds drivers school begins Sept. 1 Ron Malone for WestportNow.com
Classes begin in Westport Sept. 1 and in the days leading up to that date, police will operate additional radar and selective enforcement details in school zones and along commuter routes, according to Lt. Dale E. Call.
In addition to the extra patrols, offices will follow elementary grade buses for the first three or four days of school, he said.
Coinciding with the stepped up student safety drive is a "You Drink and Drive, You Lose" public education campaign targeting impaired drivers.
Beginning Friday and continuing through Sept. 12, Westport police officers will be out in full force to stop impaired drivers, Call said.
Although Westport police are always on the lookout for impaired drivers, during this campaign officers will also conduct saturation patrols and set up sobriety checkpoints, he said. Violators will be subject to immediate arrest.
The first announced sobriety checkpoints will take place Saturday, Sept. 4 on Post Road East, the Sherwood Island Connector, or Riverside Avenue, an announcement said.
"Motorists passing through the area will be briefly interviewed by officers at the checkpoint," it said. "If a violation is detected or if a further interview is warranted, motorists will be directed to a secondary interview area."
The announcement said while driving under the influence violations are the primary focus, other violations will be enforced.
As part of the back-to-school safety campaign, motorists are reminded to be aware of children walking or riding bicycles to and from school, as well as those entering and exiting school buses.
Motorists are also reminded to be ready to slow and stop for school buses that are displaying flashing yellow or red signals. The penalty for passing a stopped school bus is a $450 fine.
Westport Young Woman's League Head Focuses on Technology and Members
The Westport Young Woman's League is holding its annual membership drive led by its president, Joanne Heller.
At the same time, Heller, who was installed as the group's 49th president in June, is focusing on improving the way the League is communicating with its membership and community through an improved Web site.
"Our members are very busy women," she said. "I want to make it easier for them to get information about league events, upcoming fundraisers, and community service projects.
"The easier we make it, the more our members will be able to get involved."
Heller, a Westport resident since 1993, has been a League member since 1996. The mother of three has a background in sales and has been active in Girl Scouts, PTA, and St. Luke Church.
Her interest in serving her community is really a family affair. Heller's husband, Grant, is a former member of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), and her in-laws, Velma and Garson Heller have long been active in community affairs.
Velma Heller currently serves on the RTM and Garson Heller is a former RTM member as well as former chair of the Board of Assessment Appeals.
Fundraising is still the key activity for the League. Last year, it donated almost $190,000 to 79 local agencies which was raised through its Creative Arts Festival in November and the Minute Man Race in May. The group has also added a May house tour to its calendar.
The League is holding its membership campaign now through Sept. 10.
The League is open to Westport residents ages 18 to 45. Those interested in joining should visit its Web site or call 203 222-1388 for further information. Applications should be postmarked no later than Sept. 10.
Ideal Sailing Weather
The ideal weather Sunday and Monday was just right for a sail on Long Island Sound off the Westport beachers. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Westport Fire Log Monday, Aug. 23, 2004
12:07 a.m. I-95 southbound exits 18-17, motor vehicle accident
12:16 a.m. Sturges Commons, EMS call
2:16 a.m. 255 North Ave., fire alarm
7:19 a.m. 52 Roseville Road, fire alarm
12:52 p.m. Sherwood Island Connector, EMS call
6:52 p.m. Coleytown Road, EMS call
7:32 p.m. 877 Post Road East, motor vehicle lockout
August 23, 2004
Farrell Adds Her Name to Memorial Book
Westport First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell adds her name today to the guestbook accompanying a 1,400-pound granite memorial being pulled by 9/11 families and supporters from Boston to New York. Farrell addressed the group briefly during a stop at Taylor Place in front of the Westport Public Library. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
People Power
Pulling a 1,400-pound granite monument through Westport's Taylor Place parking lot today was relatively easy for marchers pulling it from Boston to New York. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Honoring 9/11 Victims
Jun Yasuda, 56, sprinkles water on the Connecticut memorial to 9/11 vicitims at Westport's Sherwood Island State Park today. She was among marchers who visited the park while pulling a 1,400-pound granite memorial from Boston to New York honoring "Unknown Civilians Killed in War." (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
A Hard Pull at Sherwood Island
Members of 9/11 families pulling a 1,400-pound granite memorial from Boston to New York made a detour today to Westport's Sherwood Island State Park to visit Connecticut's monument there to 9/11 victims. They are shown pulling the memorial along a park roadway. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
Compo Beach Spectacular
Saturday's thunderstorms gave way to a spectacular sunset over Westport's Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Richard Barnett for WestportNow.com
Snacking
A curious doe takes a break from snacking on leaves on Westport's Crawford Road.Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Monday, Aug. 23, 2004
6:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Make A Difference Day Committee
7 p.m. - Town Hall Room 307/309 - Board of Education anticipated executive session
7:30 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Library Board
Westport Fire Log Sunday Aug. 22, 2004
7:12 a.m. Main Street, EMS call
7:26 a.m. 174 Long Lots Road standby at Hunt Club event
8:50 a.m. 4 Pritchard Lane, fire alarm
10:22 a.m. 760 Post Road East, fire alarm
11:51 a.m. Long Lots Lane, EMS call
12:08 p.m. Forest Drive, EMS call
2:52 p.m. 11 North Ave., fire alarm
4:42 p.m. 136 Main St., fire alarm
4:58 p.m. 5 Bonnie Brook Road, fire alarm
5:27 p.m. Merritt Parkway northbound exits 42-44, MVA
6:07 p.m. Ambler Road, EMS call
6:23 p.m. Little Fox Lane, EMS call
11:35 p.m. Compo Road North, EMS call
August 22, 2004
Busy Day for Westport Police Marine Division
Today's nice weather had many people heading into Long Island Sound, making for a busy day for members of the Westport Police Marine Division. Here members check out a dinghy moored off Cockenoe Island that had been empty for several hours. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com
Paying Tribute
Participants in a Boston-to-New York march honoring victims of terrorism, violence and war pay tribute during a stop at Westport Fire headquarters today. The marchers, members of 9/11 families, rested a 1,400-pound granite memorial they are pulling at the fire facility overnight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
A Moment of Silence
A moment of silence is observed today at Westport Fire headquarters as members of 9/11 families pulling a 1,400-pound granite memorial honoring "Unknown Civilians Killed in War" made an overnight stop here on their walk from Boston to New York. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
9/ll Memorial Overnights at Westport Fire Headquarters
Members of 9/11 families pulling a 1,400-pound granite memorial honoring "Unknown Civilians Killed in War" from Boston to New York rested the memorial today at Westport Fire headquarters. Brett Kirby was among firefighters signing a guest book. The group will resume their walk to New York Monday after a brief detour to the 9/11 memorial at Sherwood Island State Park. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
9/11 Family Group Marches Through Westport
For the second time in three days, Westport was visited by a group marching from the Democratic national convention in Boston to the Republican national convention in New York. Today's march included family members of 9/11 victims pulling a 1,400-pound granite memorial honoring the "Unknown Civilians Killed in War." They are seen marching on Post Road East. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
The Push is On to Get Staples Ready
With classes set to start Sept. 1, work is progressing quickly on getting the Staples High School campus ready while construction continues on the $74 million renovation and expansion project. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Westport Fire Log Saturday Aug. 21, 2004
1:38 a.m. 2 Clapboard Hill Road, misc.
6:58 a.m. 174 Long Lots Road, standby at Hunt Club event
10:24 a.m. 18 Post Road West, water problem
2:13 p.m. I-95 northbound exits 17-18, car fire
2:57 p.m. 5 Hidden Hill, fire alarm
3:30 p.m. Long Lots Elementary School, 13 Hyde Lane, fire alarm
4:16 p.m. 11 Reichert Circle, wires down
4:36 p.m. 53 Whitney Glen Drive, water problem
5:34 p.m. 85 Turkey Hill Road South, fire alarm
7:41 p.m. 26 Manitou Road, fire alarm
9:40 p.m. 1 Wassell Lane, fire alarm
