Honored by Rotary

Westport's Paul Spiekerman was honored today at a Rotary District Conference in Long Branch, N.J., with the Abraham L. Gordon Award for his work in providing artificial limbs to victims of landmines in Cambodia. This award recognizes a Rotarian who has made a significant impact on the lives of the people of their comuunity or in the international community. Jim Lang (l), past district governor of Rotary, presented the award to Spiekerman. Pam Akins of New London, current district governor, is on the right. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

On Exhibit

Westport resident Jane Sherman will exhibit her 1927 Type 37 grand prix Bugatti (r) Sunday at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance. Her father, Weston resident Alden Sherman, will exhibit his 1938 Type 57C Bugatti convertible. The Type 57C won the People's Choice Award a few years ago and will be part of the group of cars that have received this prestigious award that have returned this year.The weekend event is at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, 100 Arch St., Greenwich, take I-95 to Exit 3. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jane Sherman for WestportNow.com

Compo Playtime

These children abandoned the picnic tables at Westport's Compo Beach for something much more interesting -- seeing who could make the biggest splash with their stones. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

Saturday, June 4, 2005

2:30 p.m. - Westport Public Library McManus Room - Tom Lee, master storyteller, tells a tale of Shakespeare to children

CIAC Tourney: Trumbull Tops Staples 3-1, Ends 58-Game Wrecker Win Streak

Staples senior J.J. Skutnik buries his signature spike to score against Trumbull High School’s Golden Eagles during the second game of today’s CIAC volleyball quarter-finals. Staples lost to Trumbull 3-1, ending a 58-game Wrecker winning streak. No. 2-ranked Staples won only one game out of four against No. 8 Trumbull, eliminating the Wreckers from the state open playoffs. Last week, the team won the Fairfield County FCIAC championship against Fairfield (See WestportNow May 25, 2005). (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

Glum Faces

There were glum and frustrated faces on the Staples bench today as the Wreckers lost the CIAC volleyball quarter-finals to Trumbull before a loud, stomping, standing-room only crowd at home. Trumbull won the first two games 25-18 and 25-19. The Wreckers' close 25-23 win of the third game gave the team hope that it could come back to win the three out of five games needed to advance to the semi-finals. The fourth game was an excruciatingly close loss for Staples, 25-21. Staples had defeated Trumbull twice during the regular season by scores of 3-0. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

Sideline Cheers

Staples supporters cheer on the team during today's CIAC quarter-finals. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

Westport's Pequot Capital Management Hires John Mack

Westport's Pequot Capital Mangement said today it has hired Wall Street veteran John Mack as chairman of the $6.5 billion hedge fund.

His appointment ends months of speculation that he was waiting in the wings to take the helm at Morgan Stanley, where former executives have been pressing for the ousting of chief executive Philip Purcell.

The rumors persisted despite his insistence that he had no involvement with the rebels. He was president of Morgan Stanley in 1997 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover but quit after he was outmaneuvered by Purcell.

Mack was later recruited by Credit Suisse First Boston and successfully revitalized the investment bank, earning the nickname Mack the Knife for his cost-cutting plans. But he left after a clash over strategy with Credit Suisse's Zurich leadership.

Pequot, based at the Nyala Farms office complex just off I-95, said it had hired Mack to broaden its capabilities in "alternative investments" beyond its current U.S. focus.

Art Samberg will remain chief executive of the investment firm and will continue to oversee its management and core investment portfolios.

"Alternative investments are the most dynamic sector of the capital markets today, and Pequot has the talent, entrepreneurial culture, product platform, and strong track record that make it ideally suited to leverage the substantial growth potential in this area," Mack said in a statement.

Food Fight Closes Staples Cafeteria, Police Cite Four Students

Rumors of a large-scale food fight as part of a senior prank at Staples High School had police and administrators at the ready today. As food began to fly, they quickly nabbed four students and shut down the crowded lunchroom, police and witnesses said.

Three students were issued infractions for creating a public disturbance and are subject to a $103 fine, said Westport Police spokesman Sgt. Jerry Shannon. A fourth student, a juvenile, was referred to juvenile authorities.

"The cafeteria was crowded at first lunch and there were rumors of a food fight," said one student who asked not to be identified. "I couldn't get lunch and by the time I got back for third lunch, they said the cafeteria was closed."

Five police officers, three in uniform and two plainclothes detectives, were in the cafeteria alongside school administrators, some of whom videotaped the scene, according to Shannon and witnesses.

Another student, who also requested anonymity, said, "There had been rumors that the senior prank would be a food fight today, and, as a result the cafeteria was absolutely packed with kids.

"There were several police officers (there) and several administrators were standing on desks with video cameras. Every once in a while, tons of food would fly around the cafeteria and then it would be followed by a lull.

"The tension was unbelievable as everyone was standing up and staring towards the center of the cafeteria.

"About five minutes into my lunch – no on was eating, they were just watching – police rushed to the center of the cafeteria and ordered everyone to leave it."

The witness said many second lunch students as well as all third lunch students were unable to eat, leaving many them hungry and unhappy.

"It was really a chaotic scene and I have to admit that I was a bit scared," one senior said.

A call to a Staples administrator was not immediately returned

---

A student who witnessed the day's events provided this account to WestportNow:

Today, in the Staples cafeteria, a senior prank ignited a near riot.

All day, rumors had been circulating around that school that for the traditional senior prank, a massive food fight would be triggered during lunch. In response to these rumors, the walls of the cafeteria were lined with police officers as well as administrators when students first streamed into the cafeteria for lunch.

In anticipation of the prank, the cafeteria was packed shoulder to shoulder when the first lunch block came along. Many students skipped the classes that they were supposed to attend in the hope that they’d be a part of the prank.

At first, while the tension was great, a food fight did not erupt. There were jeers and shouts, but the police and administrative presence was definitely felt.

However, about 10 minutes in, the tension started boiling over. A group of students started congregating in the center of the cafeteria and some little items were thrown through the air.

The amount of food being thrown progressively increased and for about 30 seconds, a widespread food fight ensued in the center of the cafeteria.

Following the brief, intense commotion, students throughout the cafeteria remained on edge as food was periodically thrust through the air. Nearly all the students in the cafeteria were standing, some on tables and chairs, to see what was happening in the center.

But just when second lunch was set to start, the police took control of the scene and made all students vacate the cafeteria.

During the entire melee, at least two administrators were seen standing on tables with video cameras, recording the events that were taking place, most likely for disciplinary reasons.

Also, according to witnesses, the police took away at least a few students during the commotion.

The cafeteria was closed for the rest of the day, and students eating second and third lunch could not purchase food.

Ironically, starting Monday, the cafeteria will be closed until September because of the ongoing construction project at Staples. From now until the rest of year, students will be eating in the gym.

Four Homeowners Sue Town Over Belated Collection of Back Taxes

Four homeowners have sued the Town of Westport contending that the belated collection of back taxes after renovating their homes was illegal because the town failed to act within the time specified by law.

Notice of the suits was received Wednesday, according to Town Clerk Patricia H. Strauss, and followed rejection of appeals from the homeowners by the Board of Assessment Appeals.

The legal filings, similar in language, contended that the incremental assessments were "unlawful and unreasonable" because they occurred beyond the 90-day period prescribed by statute and asked that they be "declared null and void."

The papers further contended that the assessment was "imposed with malfeasance" by the town "with full knowledge of its illegality and inappropriateness, in an effort to close a pending tax shortfall."

The papers were filed by Nitzy Cohen-Fitzgerald and Tom Fitzgerald of High Point Road; Stacy and Thomas Prince of Little Lane; Robert and Beth Bass of Thomas Road, and Bernard Kleinman and Ann Chapnick of Stone Drive.

Cohen-Fitzgerald, who received a notice of $9,428 in taxes due, had hosted an October 2004 meeting at her home of homeowners who had been hit with the late taxes resulting from a backlog in processing building permits by the town assessor's office. At the time, she said she was considering suing the town. (See WestportNow Oct. 8, 2004).

Town Attorney Ira Bloom said he had researched the issue and was "confident that the town had the right to collect the back taxes." He said the town had adopted fair procedures in connection with the assessements.

Westport Firefighters Contain Underground Propane Leak

Westport firefighters Thursday contained a propane gas leak in an underground tank that had been punctured by workmen.

Firefighters evacuated the immediate area and dissipated the vapors with hose streams, according to Assistant Chief Jonathan Gottfried. There were no injuries.

He said units responded to a report of a gas leak at 2 Bobwhite Drive at 4:04 p.m. and upon arrival found that a 1,000-pound underground propane tank had been ruptured.

A backhoe operated by an excavating company working at the property caused the rupture, Gottfried said.

Four engines, a rescue truck and the Assistant Chief responded to the incident. The last unit left the scene at 9:55 PM after all vapors were dissipated and the tank was filled with water to prevent other problems, Gottfried said.

He said the tank is slated for removal.

Misty Morning

This week's cool weather resulted in a misty morning at Saugatuck Shores in Westport. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com

Camera Club Exhibit Opens Tonight

Westport's Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center, is hosting the Norwalk Camera Club exhibition. Carol Verneuil hangs some photos in preparation for the event. The winners will be announced at tonight's opening party at 7 p.m. This year there were 472 entries from 103 photographers, and a representative sample of the photos will be on display at Earthplace through Aug. 19. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com

Trail Day

In honor of Trail Day, Mark Pare, a licensed occupational therapist, demonstrated an iBOT, a self-balancing and self-correcting wheelchair, on the new Universal Design Nature Trail at Westport's Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. Earthplace also honored the Greens Farms Garden Club and the Westport Garden Club for their work in maintaining the gardens at Earthplace, as well as for their beautification activities around Westport. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com

Adjust the Thermostat? How About the Calendar?

By James Lomuscio

Normally by this time of year, the pool at Westport's Longshore Club Park has a different look.
Delayed opening: the pool at Longshore Park will open Saturday, a week later than usual, due to the cool weather. (CLICK TO ENLARGE James Lomuscio for WestportNow.com

While not teeming with people as it is when school is out, it has an assortment of mothers with young children, nannies with their charges or men and women who've opted to take off the week after Memorial Day.

But this week the pool seemed eerily silent amidst a backdrop of cold gray skies. The only person there today was pool worker Andrew Long, a Westporter home for the summer after completing his freshman year at Colgate.

He was busy vacuuming the bottom of the pool to prepare for its opening on Saturday, a week later than usual. Town officials decided to wait because the weather was just too cool.

"It's too cold to swim," said Stuart McCarthy, director of the Parks and Recreation Department. "The water temperature was in the low 60s."

That may have seemed warm compared to the digital clock display outside Bank of America on Post Road East. About 10 a.m. today the air temperature was 58 degrees.

And if that seems too chilly for June 2, try sticking your toes in at Compo Beach, where hooded sweatshirt clad, lonely lifeguards sat atop their perches this morning only to stare out onto an empty sea shrouded in gray.

Wednesday was even worse, lifeguards said, with the water temperature a mere 54 degrees.

This morning, however, lifeguard Tristan Toomey seemed excited as the mercury began to rise a few degrees.

"Right now it's 62," he said about the water temperature. "It's getting up there."

Joe Romeo, owner of Joey's By the Shore, a restaurant concession he has operated for the past 18 years in the town-owned brick building by the boardwalk, said he could only hope Westport's June weather would start feeling more like Connecticut and less like Maine or Nova Scotia.

"Basically, we lost the whole month of May," said Romeo, "not just because of the rain, but because when it wasn't raining, it was too cold."

Still, he said Memorial Day's sunny weather "was a nice surprise," and hopefully a good omen. Two years ago a rained out Memorial Day foretold of a soggy June, he said.

"We hope not," he said in response to a question about a repeat of the Summer of 2003. That June, he said, his only customers were lifeguards looking to keep dry and occasional diehard joggers.

As he looked forward to the weekend, Romeo tried to put out of his mind weather reports predicting rain for Saturday.

"We almost don't listen to the forecasts because so many times they''re wrong," he said. "We just prepare, and what happens, happens."

An attitude to live by. By mid-afternoon the sun was peeking through.

Cablevision: For the Best Video by a Student, the Winner Is...

Award-winning documentaries produced by high school students? Elementary school children, too?

That's what the Area Nine Cable Council and Cablevision of Connecticut thought about the work of Westport students from Staples High School and Green's Farms and Long Lots elementary schools.

These students took top honors and awards totaling $5,000 in U.S. savings bonds for their productions cablecast during the school year on Cablevision Educational Access Channel 78, school officials announced today.

Staples High School freshman Jonathan Karman, Carter Meyers, a sophomore, and Ben Blyer, a senior, won the overall excellence award and $2,100 collectively for their four-minute project entitled “Trash: the Lunchroom Dilemma." Their faculty advisor was James Honeycutt.

In addition, four Staples freshmen from Mike Zito's class -- Jamie Boone, Caroline Casey, Caroline McDavid and Emily Weingart-- won the silver award worth $1,600 for their production "Surviving Life as a Freshman."

The awards were not limited to high school students, either. Joyce Losen, school system spokesperson, said students at Green's Farms Elementary School and Long Lots Elementary School also took home awards.

For their project “Return to the LMC,” produced by Green's Farms fifth graders, Emily Ashken, Carson Einarsen and Alexandra Wiener took home the gold award and a $600 prize.

A bronze award worth $300 went to fifth graders Emily Ashken, Alexandra Wiener and Eric Essagof for their music video, “Patches." All of the students worked on their projects with Green's Farms librarian Bill Derry.

At Long Lots, Linda Johnson's third grade class won a silver award worth $400 for a project entitled “Erosion is Everywhere.” Losen said the subject was tied directly to the curriculum.

According to Losen, the competition's purpose is to encourage students to develop video production and storytelling skills by creating access television shows relevant to their school and community.

All Gone: 82 Roseville Road

A 1900 house at 82 Roseville Road came down today. Featured as WestportNow's teardown of the day April 5, 2005, it sold in April for $855,000. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Staples Sets Bus Schedule for Exam Days

Staples High School has altered its bus schedules because of final examinations scheduled for June 14-17, it was announced today. Makeup exams will be given on June 20.

Bus pickup in the mornings will be at the usual time, but buses will leave the high school on those days at 12:30 p.m., at the end of the second exam of the day, the announcement said. There will be no morning or afternoon buses on make up exam day, June 20.

Commentary: When Did My House Become a Pork Belly?

Editor's note: the following was broadcast today on WSHU public radio. For audio version, click HERE. Jessica Bram is a Westport writer.

By Jessica Bram
Special to WestportNow

The house next door to me came down this week and everyone tells me I should be thrilled. The old lady who lived there died two years ago; and in the time it took to settle a small boundary issue, the buyer’s offering price had jumped from $469,000 to over $700,000. That’s right, $700,000 for a half-acre property with a ramshackle 1954 ranch that would be torn to the ground.
Jessica Bram: "My house is worth more than you''ll ever know."

The price sounds high until you think about the $1.8 million that a developer will certainly get for the newly-built mini-mansion to be shoehorned into that modest half acre. "You should be thrilled," people keep telling me. "Look how much it means your house is worth!"

My house! My 30-year-old, trim little gray and black-shuttered cape with the welcoming beet red doors and split rail fence? When did my house become no longer my home, my safe and cozy haven, but a commodity like … pork bellies!?

I moved to Westport from another state some years ago, to make a new life with my three young sons. Our little gray cape was cozy and it was safe and best of all, it was mine. Four small bedrooms, one in each corner of the house, comprise the entire top floor. Tucked into each of our rooms at night, so close I can sometimes hear my sons breathing, I imagine I can almost hold my arms around them as we sleep.

At a kitchen table that seats only four, we sit so close the boys can swipe French fries off each other’s plates, or send a Brussels sprout to an unwitting brother – usually the youngest – when they think I’m not looking.

More often than not our dinners in this messy, crowded kitchen dissolve into laughter as my now-teenage sons recount the latest foibles of the nutty statistics teacher Mr. Walsh, or distracted Dr. Honeycutt who runs the AV equipment. Dinner can be one long routine of inside jokes and spilled water and lines lifted verbatim from the Simpsons by a wry seventh grader at unexpected moments.

Safe and secure, cozy and littered with teenagers’ shoes and inside-out socks that remain where they fall, piled high with newspapers I never get to, it is the most peaceful home I have ever known. Small, yes; but big enough for a bed-pillow clubhouse when the cousins come to stay over. Big enough, somehow, for the 30 teenage boys who show up for a $10 buy-in Texas Hold’em tournament that lasts most of a rainy Saturday. But only small when compared to the super-sized "builders’ specials" that are turning Westport into Jumboville, USA.

This is the home I should be glad to know is now worth so much. Tear it down, and I could reap a bundle. Flip it, and make a nice, fat profit.

And then what, I wonder? And then go where? And tuck my children into their rooms at night … where? And when I’m gone, when I’ve reaped my bundle and moved away, because our houses are no longer havens cluttered with family histories, but speculative prey for developers … what will be left of my New England town?

A house in Westport just sold for $14.6 million, a new record. A demolition permit has just been filed.

The builders will tell you that they are really, after all, just answering demand. Someone wants those cavernous kitchens. Someone has the money to heat those two-story-high great rooms, where the warm air rises so high it does no good. There will always be someone to snap them up, tear them down, and replace them with big, shiny new ones, as impersonal and interchangeable as plastic green Monopoly pieces

But don’t tell me how happy I should be about how much my house is worth. Because it’s really worth so much more than that. More than you’ll ever know.

Y's Women to Hold Annual Meeting and Picnic June 13

Westport's Y’s Women members will gather for their annual meeting and picnic Monday, June 13, at noon at Sherwood Island State Park.

This event will be held at the covered pavilion rain or shine, an announcement said. Admission to the park will be free for Y’s Women members attending the picnic.

The barbershop quartet, “The Grandmas and the Grandpas,” will provide entertainment and there will be a catered lunch.

Members are asked to send their checks for $12 by June 6 to Ruth Rubin, 36 Karen Drive, Norwalk, CT. 06851, to make a reservation.

New Home Owners Tell All This is NOT a Teardown

The O'Shea family is renovating their new home at 162 Greens Farms Road and put out a sign for all to see that it is NOT a Westport teardown. The property changed hands last month for $1.3 million. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com

Westport Property Transfers May 23-27, 2005

Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk's office for the period May 23-27, 2005:

Ronni Burns to Hayes B. and Clare S. Clark, 123 Harvest Commons, $793,000

Michael Ann Hay to Stephen J. and Jill H. O'Shea, 162 Greens Farms Road, $1,300,000

Ronald Grant and Kay Dawn McKinley to Leslie S. Eisen and Jay Kirkorsky, 8 Rivard Crescent, $1,050,000

Denise Chividian to Nordic Builders Inc., 11 Dexter Road, $660,000

Joanne M. Foster and Robert and Glenn Giustin to Axis Point Group Holdings LLC, 17 Ledgemoor Lane, $1,175,000

Barbara A. Lord to Christopher L. Mahler, 10 Sterling Drive, $850,000

Julie M. Cochran to Victor Chaves and Emily Chen, 37 Sherwood Drive, $1,350,000

Nathan H. Greenberg Revocable Trust to Olav N. Refvik, Stony Point West, $25,000

23 Jennie Lane LLC to Rick Allen and Allison Constantine Beispel, 23 Jennie Lane, $1,525,000

Suzanne McCallum to Maria F. and Renato Severino, 230 Saugatuck Ave. Unit 19, $590,000

Arthur R. Hersh to Marc and Caren Tishfield, 15 Stoneboat Road, $3,500,000

Vicki Winters to Nicole M. Vondohlen, 20 Covlee Drive, $1,975,000

Rick Allen and Allison Constantine Beispel to Joanna Mackenzie, 7 Sterling Drive, $934,000

Mark I. Merryweather and Sally Claire Graves to Francis C. and Brinton Taylor Parson Jr., 186A Compo Road South, $700,000

James T. and Nina Lewis McKinney to Suzanne McCallum, 16 Bulkley Ave. South, $695,000

Bridget Keene Irving to Heritage-9 Old Hill Farms LLC, 9 Old Hills Farms Road, $1,300,000

Charles W.K. and Patricia Haberstroh to Peter M. Coleman and Karen Beckman, 1 Berndale Drive, $1,276,000

Saturday's Cockenoe Cleanup Canceled

By James Lomuscio

The Cockenoe Island cleanup which had been set for Saturday has been canceled because of a scheduling conflict with the Westport marine police who were supposed to ferry volunteers to the island, according to Alicia Mozian, Conservation Department director.
Cockenoe Island: awaiting cleanup volunteers. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Mozian said she is now looking for another date, and while grateful to the marine police for their past assistance, would welcome any responsible volunteer with a boat who is willing to transport a cleanup crew to Cockenoe.

Saturday's canceled event had been planned in conjunction with the Norwalk-based Save the Sound, a Connecticut Fund for the Environment organization that has been orchestrating Long Island Sound beach cleanups for the past five years.

The non-profit group had picked Saturday to celebrate World Oceans Day, according to Sherill Baldwin, Save the Sound spokeswoman.

Transportation to Cockenoe, however, is not the only problem Mozian faces in getting this crescent-shaped, town-owned island one mile of the coast of Compo Beach spruced up for another season.

Her biggest challenge, she said, is a dearth of volunteers needed to pick up litter and flotsam that has washed up on Cockenoe.

"Last year I didn't get anybody, I did it myself," she said. "I think people are too busy on weekends, and they have too active lives."

She said her department is currently trying to schedule a time for Boy Scout Troop 39, which has helped out in previous years, to visit the island.

"Two weeks ago, I went out with two of my staff to clean up the four campsites for the season, and I walked off with 10 bags of garbage," Mozian said. "It was all the stuff that had washed up during the winter: cans, bottles, flip flops, mylar baloons. And we picked up one tire.

"But there was a lot more to pick up on the rest of the island," she said.

In past years, the Cockenoe cleanup has also included the repair of snow fencing and the planting of grass culms and seaspray rose bushes to stem erosion on the island's sandy spits.

Meanwhile, the island's camping season, which runs from May 15 through Oct. 15, is underway, with 13 camping permits costing $10 per night already issued. Each campsite is limited to five persons and two tents.

Last year the Conservation Department issued 47 permits for more than 216 campers, Mozian said.

Campers, she added, are not the main cause of litter on Cockenoe. "Most of them are very respectful," Mozian said, noting that much of the trash is washed ashore.

Mozian now plans to set another cleanup date with Save the Sound and perhaps recruit some of its volunteers.

Thursday, June 2, 2005

7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing

Retiring Long Lots Principal Barbara Lasher Honored

Retiring Long Lots Elementary School Principal Barbara Lasher (center in purple) was honored by past and present Long Lots Elementary School PTA board members and Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon tonight. The Long Lots PTA is donating funds to renovate the school library in honor of her 12 years at the school and her dedication to children. Participants are shown listing the "Top 10 Things Barbara Lasher Will Miss About Long Lots." (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com

Seatbelt Squad Nabs 150 Unbuckled

By James Lomuscio

To date the Westport police have issued more than given 150 tickets to drivers unlucky enough to be unbuckled during the town's "Click It or Ticket Mobilization" that kicked off May 23. authorities said today.

The stepped up effort is part of a nationwide seatbelt enforcement campaign that runs through Sunday. Each ticket carries a $37 fine

According to Sgt. Jerry Shannon, most of the traffic infractions took place over Memorial Day weekend.

"We just sent the state the stats from Friday at noon to midnight Monday, and seatbelt violators this weekend totaled 94 of the 119 motor vehicle tickets issued," Shannon said.

He added that since the campaign started a little more than a week ago, Westport issued "in excess of 150 tickets for violations."

Enforcing the seatbelt law, Shannon explained, is not as difficult as it may seem.

"We set up a certain place in town at an intersection where people have to stop at a stop sign," he said, "and basically, an officer there inspects each car as it goes by."

While some have argued that wearing a seatbelt is a matter of choice, like motorcyclists not being required by Connecticut statute to wear helmets, Shannon countered that statistics prove unbuckled drivers are more apt to lose control of a vehicle during an accident and cause further injury to others.

According to the police, about 170 agencies statewide are participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign, as are more than 12,000 law enforcement agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

In related news, Shannon said Westport police made three DUI arrests over the holiday weekend and that there were 13 minor motor vehicle accidents. Statewide over the weekend, he added, there was only one automotive fatality.

All Gone: 260 Hillspoint Road

The house at 260 Hillspoint Road, between Old Mill and Compo Beach, came down today. Featured as WestportNow's teardown of the day May 8, 2005, the house changed hands last August for $3.4 million. It was the 44th demolition permit issued this year. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Proposed P&Z Amendments Aimed at Protecting Natural Resources

The Westport Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing Thursday on proposed text amendments designed to protect environmentally sensitive areas. The proposal would also provide funds to purchase land for open space.

The session will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium.

The text amendments to the Westport subdivision regulations would require conservation easements on environmentally sensitive land such as wetlands, steep slopes in excess of 25 percent, or scenic vistas.

The amendments additionally provide for a developer subdividing a property to pay a fee to the town in lieu of any requirement to provide a set aside of open space.

The change to the conservation easement regulations will require, rather than just authorize, the P&Z to protect environmentally sensitive areas located within a proposed subdivision.

This change is supported by the 1997 Town Plan of Conservation and Development which recommends conservation easements should be used to protect the town’s natural resources.

If the amendment is adopted, conservation easements will now be routinely required as part of a subdivision.

The purpose of adding the fee-in-lieu of open space regulation is to provide a tool for expanding the open space inventory of land in town. This is a goal listed in the 1997 Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

At present, in the case of a subdivision, the P&Z is authorized to require up to 10 percent of land for park, recreation and open spaces areas to be set aside for public use.

There may be instances where the open space within a subdivision has little or no intrinsic value due to its small size, quality or location. In these cases state-enabling legislation allows the P&Z to approve a fee-in-lie of open space equal to 10 percent of the fair market value of the land prior to subdivision.

This can result in a win-win situation for both parties, as the town gets a nominal fee to purchase or improve open space elsewhere in town while the developer is free to develop the would-be open space and recoup a portion of the fee.

Adopting the new regulation for fee-in-lieu of open space will give the P&Z and/or a developer, the option to apply this tool to subdivisions.

The text amendments also include modifications to existing provisions in the subdivision regulations related to how land set aside as park, recreation and open space areas may be needed, and what used are permitted in conservation easement areas.

Copies of the proposed regulations are available in the Planning and Zoning office, Room 203, Westport Town Hall.

Lewis Brey Resigns from Board of Education

Lewis Brey: Decision to leave Westport "one of most difficult of my life."WN photoLewis Brey, the secretary of the Board of Education, announced his resignation Tuesday night, the second Republican member to resign this year.

The lifelong Westporter said his decision to move to Redding was one of the most difficult of his life.

"With great sadness and regret, I am announcing that I will be unable to continue to serve as a member of the Board of Education, as I will be moving from Westport in July," Brey told the board.

The 36-year-old attorney, who previously served on the Representative Town Meeting and the Board of Finance, said his resignation will be effective June 30. He was elected in 2003 and his term expires in 2007.

"While this fact has been known to many for several weeks, I have waited to make a formal announcement until I was sure I was actually leaving," he said.

His resignation followed a decision earlier this year by fellow Republican Mark Owades to step down. He was replaced by James Marpe.

"The decision to leave Westport has been one of the most difficult of my life," Brey said. "I have lived here since I was less than a year old, I went through our schools, and I graduated from Staples.

"I will cherish my memories, and I will miss working with the many friends and colleagues with whom I have had the privilege of serving for the last 10 years on various boards and organizations here in town.

"I regret that I will not be able to continue to serve the community which has given me so much, but my wife Jean and I are looking forward to our life ahead in our new community."

Brey said he was confident that the board will choose an excellent replacement to complete his term.

The board will discuss procedures for replacing Brey at its next meeting.

Post-Holiday Treasure Hunt

Keith Rosdahl of Chicago (l) and Brant Hoffman of New Canaan sifted the sands at Westport's Compo Beach Tuesday in search of loose change, jewelry, and other objects left behind by beachgoers who flocked here over Memorial Day weekend. The pickings were slim as Rosdahl found only a 1980 penny. He boasted doing much better in New Canaan the day before where he dug up an 1899 quarter beneath a tree in a church courtyard which he valued at $120. But he said he'd return to Compo anyway. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) James Lomuscio for WestportNow.com

Neil Armstrong Wants Hair Back from Westport Collector

The first man to walk on the moon wants his hair back from a Westport collector.

The Associated Press reported from Cincinnati that Neil Armstrong used to walk into Marx's Barber Shop in suburban Lebanon, Ohio, about every month for a trim.

That stopped when Armstrong learned that owner Marx Sizemore picked up some of the former astronaut's hair from the floor of his shop and sold it for $3,000 to Westport collector John Reznikoff.

"I didn't deny it or anything," said Sizemore, who recently bought the shop. "I told him I did it."

Guinness World Records lists Reznikoff, owner of University Archives on Richmondville Avenue, as having the largest collection of hair from historical celebrities. The collection, insured for $1 million, includes hair from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Napoleon and others.

Armstrong commanded NASA's Apollo 11 mission in 1969, becoming the first person on the moon. He left the space program in 1971 to teach aeronautical engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

He still lives in suburban Cincinnati but is an extremely private person who seldom appears at public functions and never grants interviews. He used to talk to his barber.

"He asked me to pursue trying to get the hair back," Sizemore said. "I called the person I sold it to and told him. He was not interested in giving it back. I called Neil back and told him that. Then I got this letter from his lawyer."

The letter threatens legal action if Sizemore does not return the hair or contribute his $3,000 profit to a charity of Armstrong's choosing. The letter contends that the sale violates an Ohio law designed to protect the rights of famous people. It also asks Sizemore to pay Armstrong's legal expenses.

"I'm basically stuck between a rock and a hard place," said Sizemore, 36, who spent the $3,000 mostly on bills. "I told the lawyer I'm not going to pay him. The ball's in his court. If he doesn't act on it, I'm not going to act on it. If it dies out, I'll be happy."

The lawyer, Ross Wales of Cincinnati, did not return a call seeking comment.

Sizemore scooped up Armstrong's hair from his shop about 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati and sold it in May 2004, he said. Nearly a year passed before he got the letter, and only after Armstrong learned of the sale and confronted him.

Wednesday, June 1, 2005

10:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - International Hospitality Committee
Noon . - Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place - Citizens Brown Bag Luncheon
4 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Beautification Committee
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Flood & Erosion Control Board
8 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309/307 - Special Board of Finance public meeting to interview board candidates to fill vacancy

Westport 5-Year-Old Joins the Parade and Ends Up as a VIP

Being shy is not one of Natalie Partlow's qualities. The 5-year-old decided she wanted to join Westport's Memorial Day parade Monday and ended up not only as a flag-waving marcher but also as a VIP in the reviewing stand.
Natalie Partlow: 5-year-old (r) makes it to VIP reviewing stand. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) James Lomuscio for WestportNow.com

"She's exuberant, outgoing and boisterous," said her proud father, Daniel, who has lived with his family in Westport for about three years. "At family-style restaurants, she likes to go greet everyone at nearby tables. She really enjoys it."

Natalie was with her father and 14-month-old sister, Isabella, watching the parade when she spied the Westport Community Band going by. She asked her father if she could march alongside.

"Figuring this would be a half-block adventure (like most little kids bashfully following to the side), I said OK," Daniel Partlow said in a comment posted on WestportNow under picture of his daughter. "Not Natalie. She marched five paces in front of the band leader."

Alice Shelton, Deputy Moderator of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), at one point was marching with other RTM members just behind Natalie. She said she wondered who she was with.
Natalie Partlow: flag-waving marcher. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

"It was such a joy to see her patriotic spirit that I was pleased to pass my flag on to her," Shelton said also in a WestportNow posting. "She carried it proudly."

Daniel Partlow, who was pressed to keep up with Natalie while pushing Isabella in a stroller, said his daughter began singing "some song about an American girl waving a flag."

"When the parade slowed down turning a corner, she and a guy with a goat caught up with (Westport First Selectwoman) Diane Farrell and marched with her family," he said.

Second Selectman Carl Leaman, who was also marching, said, "She was marching with us and I asked her where her mom and dad were. She pointed to her father who was with her sister.

"I told her the parade would end soon and said she was welcome to come to the reviewing stand with us. And guess what? She did."

"Natalie took the front and center spot," Daniel Partlow said. "Five bands and four gymnastic troops stopped to perform for her. Not to mention the 27 Little League teams, the car clubs, a couple of floats on flatbeds, the Fire Department, police, WW II, and other veterans groups.
Peering over the railing: Natalie Partlow reviews the parade. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

"She took it all in stride with polite waves and clapping. As I collected her after the parade, someone remarked that she would make a fine politician. Watch out Washington."

Leaman said he was the one who noted Natalie's political skills. "She'll be just a fine politician," he said of the youngster who is a kindergarten student at Wilton's Montessori School.

Added Shelton, "Before heading off to Washington, maybe she'll consider serving a term or two with our town government. Of course, she'll have to wait a decade or so (until she turns 18) to be eligible to run for the RTM."

Rell Encourages Nominations for Vets Hall of Fame

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today urged Connecticut residents to submit nominations for the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame.

“This Hall will be a creative and lasting way to pay tribute to the brave men and women of Connecticut who have served in our armed forces and continued to serve their communities after discharge,” Rell said.

“With just a month left to submit nominations, I am asking Connecticut residents to take a few minutes to think about who should be honored in this fashion and send us their stories. Feel free to nominate a family member, a longtime friend, or a neighbor down the street.

“Essentially, the Veterans Hall of Fame is a way for us to simply say thank you to Connecticut heroes. Our veterans have demonstrated bravery and courage not only in defense of freedom but in service to their communities and the people of Connecticut.

"I can’t think of a better way to shine a bright light on all that they have done for us. This Hall of Fame will ensure that the generations that follow us will never forget the sacrifices that were made for them.”

On March 2, Rell created the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame to recognize the post-military achievements of generations of outstanding veterans from the state, living or deceased, and to spotlight their contributions to their community, including education, public safety, politics, recreation and other areas of public service.

Veterans who served in all military conflicts will be considered, including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and Iraq. Posthumous nominations will also be accepted.

Ten Connecticut veterans will be inducted each year, with the ceremony taking place annually around Veterans Day.

Nomination packets must not exceed 10 8½-by-11 pages and must be received by June 30, 2005, to be considered for the 2005 induction class. Nominations received after June 30 will be considered for the following year’s class.

For more information, visit Governor Rell’s Web page – www.ct.gov/governorrell – to link to the nomination packet.

Residents may also request a nomination packet by calling Adam Jeamel, Director of Public Affairs for Rell, at (860) 524-7351 or Commissioner Linda Schwartz of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs at (860) 721-5818.

Rell: Connecticut’s Doors are Open to You on June 11

By Gov. M. Jodi Rell
Special to WestportNow

Gov. M. Jodi Rell: Announces open house day June 11. Contriibuted photoTourism is a $10 billion industry in Connecticut. In 2004, about 15 million people visited our historical sites, coastline, art exhibits, theaters, quaint towns and villages, museums, galleries and gardens.

I want Connecticut residents to become familiar with the very treasures that out-of-staters are discovering every day. That’s why I am pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for all of us to contribute to Connecticut’s continued growth and prosperity.

I am asking Connecticut residents to please join in a very special one-day statewide celebration on Saturday, June 11: Connecticut Open House Day. Connecticut Open House Day showcases our state’s exceptional world of art, history and tourism. On June 11, Connecticut tourist attractions will open their doors in a neighborly way to residents so we can discover – and rediscover – all that is uniquely Connecticut.

More than 125 cultural and tourist destinations will participate. Many will offer free admission, unique tours, special offers and even refreshments to visitors. Some of the participants include the following:

• the American Clock & Watch Museum in Bristol
• the Mark Twain House & Museum and the Butler-McCook House in Hartford
• the Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon
• the Summer Yale Cabaret and the Freedom Schooner Amistad in New Haven
• the Henry Whitfield State Museum in Guilford
• the Mystic Arts Center
• the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks
• the Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry
• the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington
• Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury

While June 11 is the perfect opportunity for all of us to take time to stop in and connect with the many wonderful properties and places right in our own backyards, it also marks a chance for us to learn something new about our great state and share that knowledge with out-of-state friends and family. In essence, I am asking you all to become proud and informed Connecticut tour guides. Become a well-informed, avid ambassador for our state.

Make no mistake about it: Your help in this area will result in additional jobs for Connecticut. Our service sector is one of the fastest-growing areas in terms of job creation. When we bring visitors to local restaurants, shops, properties and attractions, we are supporting the businesses and economies of our local communities and contributing to their growth – all of which leads to new jobs. Together, we can help to improve our quality of life, strengthen our economy and help Connecticut thrive.

Please take a moment to visit www.CTvisit.com (or call 888-CTvisit) for a complete listing of Connecticut Open House Day participating organizations and their specific offers. Remember to get your Connecticut Vacation Guide and Culture Guide (you can request it online) so you can begin planning an activity-packed summer. And be sure to set aside June 11 to visit one or more of our many remarkable properties. On June 11, let’s all celebrate Connecticut.

Shays: Americans Don't Believe There is a War on Terrorism

Rep. Christopher Shays, in a wide-ranging Westport luncheon talk, said today it is difficult to get Americans to wake up to the terrorist threat.
Christopher Shays: Americans need to wake up to terrorist threat. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

"Americans don't believe there is a war on terrorism because they are not making any sacrifices," the Republican congressman told an audience at the Red Barn restaurant of five area Rotary Clubs. "We don't buy into it. As Americans, I can sense it."

He said Americans, especially those of his 4th Congressional District, enjoy the highest living standard in the world and this contributes to a sense that weapons of mass destruction are not a serious threat.

But Shays, who recently returned from his eighth visit to Iraq, said the threat is real and the United States must be proactive in meeting it.

"The war on terrorism is to detect and prevent," he said. "If not, we're going to pay the price. We need to act preemptively and, Americans aren't going to like this, unilaterally."

Shays said a small band of determined renegade scientists producing biological weapons "can wipe out humanity as we know it."

Asked about his views on stem cell research, Shays said he supports the controversial effort and added, "I don’t think history will be kind to a president who vetoes stem cell research."

Touching on politics, the congressman said his strong words about House majority leader Tom Delay had produced some unhappy Republican constituents in Westport.

"I had some Westport folks who said they wouldn’t endorse me (for re-election) because I said Tom Delay ought to step down," Shays said. He then added to some applause: "Frankly, I waited too long."

WestportNow Sets Record for Memorial Day Coverage

Thanks to WestportNow's army of contributing photographers, WestportNow posted 140 photographs of Westport's Memorial Day parade Monday and other holiday events, a record.

"The Memorial Day parade has long been a highlight of annual events in Westport and we were delighted to be able to present a digital history of the day for all to see," said Gordon Joseloff, WestportNow editor and publisher.

"Twenty photographers submitted almost 250 photographs," he said. "We launched a special photo gallery feature to accommodate the photos. This is the most photos we've published of any one event since our start more than two years ago.

"Unfortunately, we were not able to use all of them, but we are grateful to Westporters for taking time to share their photos with our readers. Thanks to them, WestportNow continues to set the pace among citizen journalism efforts on the Internet."

Honor Roll Back Home, Funds Sought

A World War II painting of the honor roll in front of Westport’s Town Hall by artist Steven Dohanos is on display at the Westport Historical Society. The painting, which appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on Dec. 4, 1943, is on loan to the Westport WPA Art Rescue Committee from its present owner, a collector of Dohanos art works. THe committee hopes to raise $12,500 to return the piece permanently to Westport. Mollie Donovan of the Westport Historical Society and husband Jack view the painting. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Ron Malone for WestportNow.com. For more pictures by Ron Malone click HERE.

Saugatuck Salute

A flag flying on the banks of the Saugatuck River in Westport Monday saluted all who gave their lives for their country. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Maureen Whiteman for WestportNow.com